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32X

t»

tii

Fate of Sir jfohn Franklin,

THE

VOYAGE OF THE 'FOX'

IN THE

ARCTIC SEAS

X
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in
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IN SEARCH OF

FRANKLIN AND HIS COMPANIONS.

BY CAPT. SIR F. LEOPOLD M'CLINTOCK, R.N.,

A.D.C. ; D.C.L. OXON. ; LL.D. DUB. KT CANTAB.; F.R.S. ; F.R.G.S. ;
HON, MEMBER OF 1 HE GEOGRAPHICAL AND ST iTISTlCAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK;
OK THE GEOGRAFIIICAL SOCIETY OF BERLIN ; AND OF THE ROYAL
DUBLIN society; ETC. ETC. ETC.

THIRD EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED.

li ^'fc

\:m

WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET,

PUBLISHER TO THE ADMIRALTY.
1869.

L ■
V I K.J I , ; . • . V ..

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PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWl'S AND SONS, DUKE STREET, STAMFOBD STREET,

AND CHARING CROSS.

r^N

DEDICATION.

My dear Lady Franklin, '

There is no one to whom I could with so much
propriety or willingness dedicate my Journal as to you.
For you it was originally written, and to please you it now
appears in print.

To our mutual friend, Sherard Osborn, I am greatly
obliged for his kindness in seeing it through the press —
a labour I could not have settled down to so soon after
my return ; and also for pointing out some omissions and
technicalities which would have rendered parts of it unin-
telligible to an ordinary reader. These kind hints have
been but partially attended to, and, as time presses, it
appears with the mass of its original imperfections, as when
you read it in manuscript. Such as it is, however, it affords
me this valued opportunity of assuring you of the real
gratification I feel in having been instrumental in accom-
plishing an object so dear to you. To your devotion and
self-sacrifice the world is indebted for the deeply interesting
revelation unfolded by the voyage of the ' Fox.'

* Believe me to be.

With sincere respect, most faithfully yours.

F. L. M'CLINTOCK.

London^ 2i^h Norv. 1859.

a 2

LIJ

'• I

LIST OF OFFICERS AND SHIP'S COMPANY OF

THE 'FOX.'

F. L. M'Clintock
VV. R. HoBsoN . .
Allen W. Young
David Walker, M.D.

George Brand , .

Carl Petersen . .

Thomas Blackwell

\Vm. Harvey
Henry Toms
Alex. Thompson
John Simmonds .
Geor'.e Edwards

Robert Scott . .

Thomas Grinstead
George Hobday
Robert Hampton
John A IIaselton
George Carey
Ben. Pound. .
Wm. Walters
Wm. Jones . .
James Pitcher
Thomas Florance
Richard Shingleton
Anton Christian
Samuel Emanuel

Captain R.N.

Lieutenant R.N.

Captain, Mercantile Marine.

Surgeon and Nr\turalist.

(Died 6th Nov., 1858

( (Apoplexy).
Interpreter.

ct,. , c. A J^'^'^ ^4th June, 1859

Snip s Steward . . . . < ,^,

I (Scurvy).

Chief Quartermaster.
Quartermaster.

Engineer

Boatswain's Mate.
Carpenter's Mate.

Leading Stoker . .

Sailmaker.
Captain of Held.
A. B.

j Died 4th Dec. , 1857 (in
I consequence of a fall).

Carpenter's Crew.
Dog-driver.

Stokers.

Officers' Steward.

^ , , ^ . ( Discharged in Green-

Greenland Esquimaux < ,

[ land.

OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE
SERVICES OF THE YACHT 'FOX.'

-•o*-

Sir,

Admiralty, London,
24//^ Oct. 1859.

I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty to acquaint you that, in consideration of
the important services performed by you in bringing home
the only authentic intelligence of the death of the late
Sir John Franklin, and of the fate of the crews of the
' Erebus ' and ' Terror,' Her Majesty has been pleased, by
her order in Council of the 22nd instant, to sanction the
time during which you were absent on these discoveries
in the Arctic Regions, viz., from the 30th June, 1857, to
the 2ist September, 1859, to reckon as time served by a
captain in command of one of Her Majesty's ships, and my
Lords have given the necessary directions accordingly.

I am, Sir,

Your very humble servant,

W. G. ROMAINE,

Secretary to the Admiralty.

Captain Francis L. M'Clintock, R.N.

I f

PREFACE

TO THE FIRST EDITION.
By sir RODERICK I. MURCHISON, Bart., F.R.S.,

PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY,
&'C. &'C. &•€.

-*o*-

The following narrative of the bold adventure which has
successfully revealed the last discoveries and the i -.te of
Franklin is published at the request of the friends of that
illustrious navigator. The gallant M'Clintock, when he
penned his journal amid the arctic ices, had no idea what-
ever of publishing it ; and yet there can be no doubt that
the reader will peruse with the deepest interest the simple
tale of how, in a little vessel of 170 tons burthen, he and his
well-chosen companions have cleared up this great mystery.

To the honour of the British nation, and also, let it be
said, to that of the United States of America, many have
been the efforts made to discover the route followed by our
missing explorers. The highly deserving men who have so
zealously searched the arctic seas and lands in this cause
must now rejoice that, after all their anxious toils, the merit
of rescuing from the frozen North the record of the last
days of Franklin has fallen to the share of his noble-minded
widow.

Lady Franklin has, indeed, well shown what a devoted
and true-hearted Englishwoman can accomplish. The
moment that relics of the expedition commanded by her
husband were brought home (in 1854) by Rae, and that she

viii

PREFACE.

heard of the account given to him by the Esquimaux of
a large party of Englishmen having been seen struggling
with difficulties on the ice near the mouth of the Back
or Great Eish River, she resolved to expend all her available
means (already much exhausted in four other independent
expeditions) in an exploration of the limited area to which
the search must thenceforward be necessarily restricted.

Whilst the supporters of Lady Franklin's efforts were of
opinion that the Government ought to have undertaken
a search, the extent of which was, for the first time, defi-
nitely limited, it is but rendering justice to the then Prime
Minister* to state that he had every desire to carry out the
wishes of the men of science'^ who appealed to him, and that
he was precluded from acceding to their petition by nothing
but the strongly expressed opinion of official authorities,
that after so many failures the Government were no longer
justified in sending out more brave men to encounter fresh
dangers in a cause which was viewed as hopeless. Hence
it devolved on Lady Franklin and her friends to be the
sole means of endeavouring to bring to light the true history
of her husband's voyage and fate.

Looking to the list of Naval worthies who, during the
preceding years, had been exploring the Arctic Regions,
Lady Franklin was highly gratif -jd when she obtained the
willing services of Captain M'Clintock to command the

' Viscount Palmerston.

* See the Memorial (Appendix) [First Edition] addressed to the First
Lord of the Treasury, headed by Admiral Sir F. Beaufort, General
Sabine, and many other men of science, and which, as President of the
Royal Geographical Society, I presented to the Prime Minister; and
also the speech of Lord Wrottesley, the President of the Royal Society,
who, in the absence of the lamented Earl of Ellesmere, brought the
subject earnestly under the notice of the House of Lords on the i8th of
July, 1856.

< I

•*i

.^^ ---;«- ,■._ _^ .

•.-!

ViCTORiA COLLRG^
VICTO':lA, B. C„

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Ar" ■]

(. Tnnwi-U .

1 11.

PREFACE.

1 68

(iC

,»M.]

yacht * Fox,' which she had purchased ; for that officer .ad
signally distinguished himself in the voyages of Sir James
Ross and Captain (now Admiral) Austin, and especially
in his extensive journeys on the ice when associated with
Captain Kellett. ^Vith such a leader she could not but
entertain sanguine hopes of success when the fast and well-
adapted little vessel sailed from Aberdeen on the ist of
July, 1857, upon this eventful enterprise.

Deep, indeed, was the mortification experienced by every
one who shared the feelings and anticipations of Lady
Franklin when the untoward news came, in the summer of
1858, that, the preceding winter having set in earlier than
usual, the ' Fox ' had been beset in the ice off Melville Bay,
on the coast of Greenland, and after a dreary winter, various
narrow escapes, and eight months of imprisonment, had
been carried back by the floating ice nearly twelve hundred
geographical miles — even to 63^° N. lat. in the Atlantic !
See the sketch-map, No. i.

But although the good little yacht had been most roughly
handled among the ice-floes (see Frontispiece), we were
cheered up by the information from Disco that, with the
exception of the death of the engine-driver, in consequence
of a fall into the hold, the crew were in stout health and full
of energy, and that, provided with sufficient fuel and pro-
visions, a good supply of sledging dogs, two tried Esqui-
maux, and the excellent interpreter Petersen the Dane,^
ample grounds yet remained to lead us to hope for a
successful issue. Above all, we were encouraged by the
proofs of the self-possession and calm resolve of M'Clin-
tock, who held steadily to the accomplishment of his

' Since his return to Copenliagen, Petersen has been worthily
honoured by his Sovereign with the silver cross of Dannebrog.

N?2.

74.

T^i; s'\ .J.

r r-' ftXBBOW ST»:~ - '

r/i^^ij.r^J^'' "^^^

K REFERENCES.' ^ I

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SKETCH WAP OF THE ARCTIC REG IONS. AT T HE TIME O F FRANKLINS LAST

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THE DRIFT OF THE FOX:

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PREFACE.

original project ; the more so as he had then tested and
recognised the value of the services of Lieutenant (now
Commander) Hobson, his able second in command ; of
Captain Allen Young, his generous volunteer associate '
and of Dr. Walker, his accomplished Surgeon.

Despite, however, of these reassuring data, many an
advocate of this search was anxiously alive to the chance of
the failure of the venture of one unassisted yacht, which
after sundry mishaps was again starting to cross Baffin Bay,
with the foreknowledge that, when she reached the opposite
coast, the real difficulties of the enterprise were to commence.

Any such misgivings were happily illusory • and the reader
who follows M'Clintock across the "middle ice "of Baffin
Bay to Ponds Inlet, thence to Beechey Island, down a
portion of Peel Strait, and then through the hitherto un-
navigated waters of Bellot Strait in one summer season, may
reasonably expect the success which followed.

Whilst the revelation obtained from the long -sought
records, which were discovered by Lieutenant Hobson,
is most satisfactory to those who speculated on the proba-
bility of Franklin having, in the first instance, tried to force
his way northwards through Wellington Channel (as we
now learn he did), those who held a different hypothesis,
namely, that he followed his instructions, which directed
him to the S.-W., may be amply satisfied that in the follow-
ing season the ships did pursue this southerly course till
they were finally beset in N. lat. 70° 05'.^

' Captain Allen Young, of the merchant marine, not only threw his
services into this cause, and subscribed munificently in furtherance of
the expedition, but, abandoning lucrative appointments in command,
generously accepted a subordinate post.

"^ For a rhume of all the plans of research and the speculations of
seamen and geographers, see the interesting and most useful volume

PREFACE.

?«>

At the same time, the pubhc should fully understand the
motive which prompted the supporters of Lady Franklin in
advocating this last search. Putting aside the hope which
some of us entertained, that a few of the younger men of
the missing expedition might still be found to be living
among the Esquimaux, we had every reason to expect that,
if the ships were discovered, the scientific documents of the
voyage, including valuable magnetic observations, would be
recovered.

In the absence of such good fortune, we may, however,
well be gladdened by the discovery of that one precious
document which gives us a true outline of the voyage of the
* Erebus ' and ' Terror.'

That the reader may comprehend the vast extent of sea
traversed by Franklin in the two summers before his ships
were beset, a small map (No. 2) is introduced, represent-
ing all the lands and seas of the arctic regions to the
west of Lancaster Sound which were known and laid down
when he sailed. The dotted lines and arrows, which extend
from the then known seas and lands into the unk lown
waters or blank spaces on this old map indicate Franklin's
route, the novelty, range, rapidity, and boldness of which, as
thus delineated, may well surprise the geographer, and even
the most enterprising arctic sailor.^ For, those who have

of Mr. John Brown, entitled ' The North-West Passage and Search
after Sir John FrankHn,' 1858. In an Appendix to this work we learn
that from the earliest polar researches by John Cal)ot, at the end of the
iSth century, to the voyage of M'Clintock, there have been about 130
expeditions, illustrated by 250 books and printed documents, of which
150 have been issued in England. Amidst the various recent publica-
tions, it is but rendering justice to Dr. King, the former companion of
Sir George Back, to state that he suggested and always maintained the
necessity of a search for the missing navigators at or near the mouth of
the Back River.

' The letter A in Baffin Bay (Map No. 2) indicates the spot where

PREFACE.

not closely attended to the results of other arctic voyages
may be informed that rarely has an expedition in the first
year accomplished more by its ships than the establishing
of good winter quarters, from whence the real researches
began by sledge-work in the ensuing spring. Franklin,
however, not only reached Beechey Island, tut ascended
Wellington Channel, then an unknown sea, to 77° N. lat., a
more northern latitude in this meridian than that attained
long afterwards in ships by Sir Edward Belcher, and much to
the north of the points reached by Peniiy and De Haven.
Next, though most scantily provided with steam-power,
Franklin navigated round Cornwallis Land, which he thus
proved to be an island. This last discovery of a navigable
channel throughout, between Cornwallis and Bathurst
Islands, though made in the very summer he left England,
has remained even to this day unknown to other navi-
gators !

Franklin then, in obedience to his orders, steered to
the south-west. Passing, as M'Clintock believes, down
Peel Strait in 1846, and reaching as far as lat. 70° 05' N.,
and long. 98° 23' W., where the ships were beset, it is clear
that he, who, with others, had previously ascertained the
existence of a channel along the north coast of America,
with which the sea wherein he was interred had a direct
communication, was the first real discoverer of the North-
West Passage. This great fact must therefore be inscribed
upon the monument of Franklin.

The adventurous M'Clure, who has been worthily honoured
for working out another North-Western passage, which we

Franklin was last seen. In Map No. 2, B is the winter rendezvous at
Beechey Island; C, the greatest northing of the expedition, viz., 77° N.
lat. ; Z, the final beset of the 'Erebus' a 'd 'Terror;' the extreme north
and south points of their voyage being n presented by two small ships.

PREFACE.

Xlll

c voyages
1 the first
:ablishing
esearches
Franklin,
ascended
N. lat, a
attained
much to
; Haven,
n-power,
he thus
avigable
Bathurst
England,
er navi-

ered to
, down
05' N.,
is clear
led the
nerica,
direct
North-
cribed

loured
ch we

v'ous at

77° N.
e north

hips.

now know to have been of subsequent date,^ as well as
Collinson, who, taking the * Enterprise ' along the north
coast of America, and afterwards bringing her home, reached
with sledges the western edge of the area recently laid open
b;- M'Cllntock, will, I have no doubt, unite with their arctic
associates, Richardson, Sherard Osborn, and M'Clintock,
in affirming that " Franklin and his followers secured the
honour for which they died — that of being the first dis-
coverers of the North-West Passage."^

Again, when we turn from the discoveries of Franklin to
those of M'Clintock, as mapped in red colours on the
general map, on which is represented the amount of outline
laid down by all other arctic explorers from the days when
these modern researches originated with Sir John Barrow,
we perceive that, in addition to the discovery of the course
followed by the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror,' some most important
geogrci-phical data have been accumulated by the last ex-
pedition of Lady Franklin.

Thus, M'Clintock has proved that the strait named by
Kennedy in an earlier private expedition of Lady Franklin

' In 1850.

' See a most heart-stirring sketch of the last voyage of Sir John
Franklin by Captain Sherard Osborn, in the periodical ' Once a Week,'
of the 22nd and 29th October and 5th November last. Possessing a
thorough acquaintance with the arctic regioriS, this distinguished sea-
man has shown more than his ordinary power of description, in placing
before the public his conception of what may have been the chief
occurrences in the voyage of the 'Ert'xis' and 'Terror,' and the last
days of Franklin, as founded upon an acquaintance with the character
of the chief and his associates, and the record and relics obtained by
M'Clintock. This sketch is prefaced by a spirited and graceful outline
of all previous geographical discoveries, from the day when tliey were
originated by the father of all modern arctic enterprise, Sir John
Barrow, to whom, and to many other eminent persons, from Sir Edward
Parry downwards, I have in various Geographical Addressess offered
the tribute of my admiration.

XIV

PREFACE.

after his companion, the brave Lieutenant Bellot, and which
has hitherto been regarded only as an impassable frozen
channel, or ignored as a channel at all, is a navigable strait,
the south shore of which is thus seen to be the northernmost
land of the continent of America.

M'Clintock has also laid down the hitherto unknown
coast-line of Boothia, southwards from Bellot Strait to the
I^'^"'gnet^c Pole, has delineated the whole of King William's
Island, and opened a new and capacious, though ice-choked,
channel, suspected before, but not proved, to exist, extend-
ing from Victoria Strait in a north-west direction to Melville
or Parry Sound. The latter discovery rewarded the in-
dividual exertions of Captain Allen Young, but will very
properly, at Lady Franklin's request, bear the name of the
leadt" of the ' Fox' expedition, who had himself assigned to
it the ni.me of the widow of Franklin.^

Neither has the expedition been unproductive of scientific
results. For, whilst many persons will be interested in the
popular descriptions of the native Esquimaux, as well as of
the lower animals, the man of science will hereafter be
further gratified by having presented to him, in the form of
an additional Appendix,^ most valuable details relating to
the zoology, botany, meteorology, and especially to the
terrestrial magnetism, of the region examined.

Lastly, M'Clintock has convinced himself that the best

' In his volume before cited, p. xii., Mr. John Brown gave strong
reasons (which he had held for some time) for believing in the existence
of the very channel which now bears the name of M'Clintock. It is,
however, the opinion both of that officer and his associates, as also of
Captain Sherard Osborn, that Franklin could not have reached the spot
where his ships were beset by proceeding down that ice-choked channel,
but that he must have sailed down Peel Sound,

' Much of this Appendix [First Edition] will be prepared by Dr.
David Walker.

Ull

b€

PREFACE.

the

best

f 1

way of securing the passage of a ship from the Atlantic
to the Pacific is by following, as near as possible, the coast-
line of North America : indeed, it is his opinion, founded
upon a large experience, that no passage by a ship can ever
be accomplished in a more northern direction. This, it
is well known, was the favourite theory of Franklin, who
had himself, along with Richardson, Back, Btechey, and
Dease and Simpson, surveyed the whole of that same North
American coast from the Back or Great Fish River to
Behring Strait. Thus, when Franklin sailed in 1845, the
discovery of a North-West Passage was reduced to the
finding a link between the latter survey and the discoveries
of Parry, who had already, to his great renown, opened
the first half of a more northern course from east to west,
when he was arrested by the impenetrable ice-barrier at
Melville Island.

And here it is to be remembered that the tract in which
the record and the relics have been found is just that to
which I.ady Franklin herself specially directed Kennedy,
the commander of the ' Prince Albert,' in her second private
expedition in 1852 ; and had that intrepid explorer not been
induced to search northwards of Bellot Strait, but had felt
himself able to follow the course indicated by his sagacious
employer, there can be no doubt that much more satis-
factory results would have been obtained than those which,
after a lapse of seven years, have now been realized by the
undaunted perseverance of Lady Franklin, and the skill and
courage of M'Clintock.

The natural modesty of this commander has, I am bound
to say, prevented his doing common justice, in the following
journal, to his own conduct — conduct vhich can be esti-
mated by those only who have listened to the testimony of

XVI

PREFACE.

the officers serving with and under the man whos'
qualities in moments of extreme peril elicited their hearuest
admiration and ensured their perfect confidence.

In writing this Preface (which I do at the request of the
promoters of the last search), I may state that, having occu-
pied the Chair of the Royal Geographical Society in 1845,
when my cherished friend. Sir John Franklin, went forth for
the third time to seek a North- West Passage, it became my
bounden duty in subsequent years, when his absence created
much anxiety, and when I re-occupied the same position,
ardently to promote the employment of searching expedi-
tions, and warmly to sustain Lady Franklin's endeavours in
this holy cause.

Imbued with such feelings, I must be permitted to say
that no event in my life gave me purer delight than when
Captain Collinson, whose labours to support and carry out
this last search have been signally serviceable, forwarded to
me a telegram to be communicated to the British Association
at Aberdeen announcing the success of M'Clintock. That
document reached Balmoral on the 22nd of September last,
when the men of science were invited thither by their Sove-
reign. Great was the satisfaction caused by the dilTusion of
these good tidings among my associates (the distinguished
arctic explorers Admiral Sir James Ross and General Sabine
being present) ; and it was most cheering to us to know
that the Queen and our Royal President * took the deepest

' At the Aberdeen meeting the Prince Consort thus spoke :— '• The
Aberdeen whaler braves the icy regions T the polar sea to seek and to
battle with the great monster of the deep ; he has materially assisted in
opening these ice-bound regions to the researches of science ; he fear-
lessly aided in the search after Sir John Franklin and his gallant
companions whom their country sent forth on this mission ; but to
V liom Providence, ahr, ! has denied the reward of tlieir labours, the

PREFACE.

XVI I

' The

V and to
sisted in
le fear-
gallant
but to

■\

interest in this intelligence — such as, indeed, they have
always evinced whenever the search for the missing navi-
gators has been brought under their consideration. The
immediate bestowal of the Arctic Medal upon all the officers
and men of the * Fox ' is a pleasing proof that this interest is
well sustained.

But these few introductory sentences must not be extended;
and I invite the reader at once to peruse the Journal of
M'Clintock, which will gratify every lover of truthful and
ardent research, though it will leave him impressed with the
sad belief that the end of the companions of Franklin has/
been truly recorded by the native Esquimaux, who saw
these noble fellows "fall down and die as they walked along
the ice."

Looking to the fact that little or no fresh food could have )
been obtained by the crews of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror '
during their long imprisonment of twenty months, in so
frightfully sterile a region as that in which the ships were
abandoned — so sterile that it is even deserted by the
Esquimaux — and also to the want of sustenance in spring
at the mouth of the Back River, all the arctic naval authori-
ties with whom I have conversed coincide with M'Clintock
and his associates in the belief that none of the missing
navigators can be now living.

Painful as is the realisation of this tragic event, let us
now dwell only on the reflection that, while the North-West
Passage has been solved by the heroic self-sacrifice of
Franklin, Crozier, Fitzjames, and their associates, the
searches after them, which are now terminated, have, at
a very small loss of life, not only added prodigiously to

return to their homes, to the affectionate embrace of their families and
friends, and the acknowledgments of a grateful nation."

}
v

-Will

PREFACE.

geographical knowledge, but have, in times of peace, been
the best school for testing, by the severest trials, the skill
and endurance of many a brave seaman. In her hour of
need — should need arise — England knows that such men
will nobly do their duty.

Roderick I. Murchison.

November t 1859.

CONTENTS.

-•«^

.URCHISON.

Introduction Page xxv

CHAPTER I.

Cause of delay in equipment — Fittings of the ' Fox ' — Volunteers for
arctic service — Assistance from public departments — Reflections
upon the undertaking — Instructions and departure — Orkneys and
Greenland — Fine arctic scenery — Danish establishments in Green-
land — Frederickshaab, in Davis' Strait i

CHAPTER II.

Fiskernaes and Esquimaux — The ' Fox ' reaches Disco — Disco Fiord

— Summer scenery — Waigat Strait — Coaling from the mine —
Purchasing Esquimaux dogs — Heavy gale off Upernivik — Melville
Bay — The middle ice — The great glacier of Greenland — Do Rein-
deer cross the glacier? i6

CHAPTER III.

Melville Bay — Crow's-nest — Beset in Melville Bay — Signs of winter

— The coming storm — Drifting in the pack — Canine appetite —
Resigned to a winter in the pack — Dinner stolen by sharks — The
arctic shark — White whales and Killers 29

CHAPTER IV.

Snow crystals — Dogs will not eat raven — An arctic school — The
dogs invade us — Bear-hunting by night — Ice-artillery — Arctic
]5a"iates — Sudden rise of temperature — Freezing of salt-water —
Harvey's idea of a sortie 43

CHAPTER V.

Burial in the pack — Musk oxen in lat. 80° north — Habits of the arctic
fox — The aurora affects the electrometer — An arctic Christmas —
Sufferings of Dr. Hayes' boat party — Ice acted on by wind only —
How the sun ought to be welcomed — Constant action of the ice —
Return of the seals — Revolving storm 59

b 2

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VI.

bear-fight — An ice-nip — Strong gales, rapid drift — Breaking up
of the ice — Hanging on to floe-edge — The arctic bear — An ice
tournament — Escape out of the pack — A storm in the pack —
Description of the escape Page 74

CHAPTER VII.

A holiday in Greenland — A lady blue with cold — The loves of Green-
landers ■ — Close shaving — Meet the whalers — Information of
whalers — Disco — Danish hospitality — Sail from Disco — Coaling
— Kindness of the whalers — Danish establishments in Green-
land 90

CHAPTER VIII.

' Fox ' nearly wrecked — Afloat, and push ahead — Arctic hair-breadth
escapes — Nearly caught in the pack — Shooting little auks — The
arctic highlanders — Cape York — Crimson snow — Struggling to
the westward — Reach the West-land — Off" the entrance of Lan-
caster Sound 105

CHAPTER IX.

off Cape Warrcndor^ — Sight the whalers again — Enter Pond's Bay —
Communicate with Esquimaux — Ascend Pond's Inlet — Esquimaux
information — Arctic summer abode — An arctic village — Np^jn-
telligence of Franklin's ships — Arctic trading — Geographical infor-
mation of natives — Information of Rae's visit — Improvidence of
Esquimaux — Travels of Esfjuimaux 124

CPIAPTER X.

l^*avc Pond's Bay — A gale in Lancaster Sound — The Beechey Island
depot — An arctic monument — Reflections at Beechey Island —
Proceed up Barrow's Strait — Peel Sound — Port Leopold — Prince
Regent's Inlet — Bellot Strait — Flood-tide from the west— Unsuc-
cessful efforts — Fox's Hole — No water to the west— Precautionary
measures — Fourth attempt to pass througli 142

> i»?*,>

■*%

CONTENTS.

XXI

CHAPTER XI.

Proceed westward in a boat — Unpromising state of the western sea —
Struggles in Bellot Strait — Falcons, good arctic fare — The re-
sources of Boothia Felix — Future sledge travelling — Heavy gales
— Hobson's party start — Winter quarters — Bellot Strait — Ad-
vanced depot established — Observatories — Intense cold — Autumn
travellers — Ravens — Narrow escape — Wolves .. Page 165

CHAPTER XII.

Death of our engineer — Scarcity of game — The cold unusually trying
— Jolly, under adverse circumstances — Petersen's information —
Return of the sun of 1859 — Early spring sledge parties — Unusual
severity of the winter — Severe hardships of early sledging — The
western shores of Boothia — Meet the Esquimaux — Intelligence of
Franl'.lin's ships — Return to the 'Fox' — Allen Young returns 1185

CHAPTER XIII.

Dr. Walker's sledge journey — Snow-blindness attacks Young's party
— Departure of all sledge-parties — Equipment of sledge-parties —
Meet the same party of natives — Intelligence of the second ship —
My depot robbed — Part company from Hobson — Matty Island —
Deserted snow-huts — Native sledges — Land on King William's
Land 210

CHAPTER XIV.

Meet Esquimaux — News of Franklin's people — Frighten a solitary
party — Reach tne Great Fish River — On Montreal Island — Total
absence of all relics — Dog-driving — Examine Ogle Peninsula —
Discover a skeleton — Vagueness of Esquimaux information — Cape
Herschel — Cairn 226

CHAPTER XV.

The cairn found empty — Discover Ilobson's letter — Discovery of
Crozier's record — Tlic deserted boat — Articles discovered about
the boat — The skeletons and relics — The boat belonged to the
' Erebus ' — Conjectures 242

XXI 1

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVI.

Errors in Franklin's records — Relics found at the cairn — Reflections
on the retreat — ITelurning homeward — Geological remarks —
Difficulties of summer sledging — Arrive on board the 'Fox' —
Navigable N. W. Passage — Death from scurvy — Anxiety for
Captain Young — Young returns safely Page 256

CHAPTER XVII.

Signs of release — Seal-stalking — Dearth of animal life — Birthdays —
Break out of winter quarters — Game lists — Steam out of port —
Escape from Regent's Inlet — In Baffin's Bay — Bears — Captain
Allen Yoimg's journey — Hobson's journey — Disco; sad disap-
pointment — Part from our Esquimaux friends — Adieu to Greenland
— Arrive home 273

Conclusion 309

APPENDIX.

No. I. — List of Relics of the Franklin Expedition brought to England
in the *Fox,' and deposited in the Museum of the UnitCLl bervi -e
Institution 315

No. II. — Reports of Scientific Observations obtained during the voyage
of the * Fox ;' or References to such of these Reports as are published
elsewhere 321

*■!¥

Index

328

lim — Reflections
igical remarks —
ird the 'Fox' —
J — Anxiety for
. . Page 256

fe — Birthdays —
ni out of port —
Bears — Captain
isco; sad disap-
lieu to Greenland
• . 273

. . 309

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

light to England
United bervi -e

iring the voyage
as are published
. . 321

.. 328

The Escape out of the Pack, page 86. Drmvn by Captain

\V. IV. May, A'.iV. Frontispiece.

Sketch Map of the Arctic Regions, showing the Track
of the ' Fox,' and her Drift down Baffin's Bay ; also.
Sketch Map of the Arctic Regions at the time of
Franklin's Departure, and showing his supposed
Track . . . . . . . . • . . . . . To face p. \\

1>A(,K

The Governor in his Oomiak. By Captain \V. W. May, R.N. . . 15

Our Summer Costume 27

The crow's-nest. By Captain \V. W. May, R.N. . . . . 42

Funeral on the Ice — Paraselence and Lunar halos, 4th December,

1857. By Captain W. W. May, R.N. 58

Section of Seal's Cave in the Ice 75

The Greenlander's Supper appropriated by a Bear . . . . 83

Perilous Position of the * Fox ' near Buchan Island, 7th June,

1858. By Captain W. IV. May, R.N. 104

Esquimaux near Cape York watching the Approach of the ' Fox ; '

also Christian in his kayak. From a Sketch by Captain
Allen Young 112

Final Liberation from the Melville Bay ice, 2nd July, 1858,

From a Sketch by Captain Allen Young . . . . . . 118

Village and Glacier of Kaparoktolik, 4th August, 1858. By

Captain IF. W. May, R.N. 133

The Three Graves, and Depot House, Beechey Island. By

Captain IV. IV. May, R.N. 147

Departure from Beechey Island, l6th August, 1858. By Captain

IV. W. May, R.N. 1^9

Stranded mass of heavy floe ice. By F. Skclton, from a Sketch by

Captain Allen Young . . 155

Bellot Strait, 1st September, 1858. By Captain IV. IV. May, R.N. 164

Greenland dog-sledge 172

Interior of the Magnetic Observatory. By Captain IV. IV. Afay,

XXIV

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Drawn from

Captain

Top of Funnel of our stove-pipe

Travelling Costume

Boothian Mother and Infant . .

Starting of the Exploring Parties, 2nd April, 1859.
(1 P/iotop-aph, by Captain W. W. May, R.N. .

Plan of the Snow Huts

Sledge under Sail. By Captain W. W. May, R.N.

Cape Herschel, and Remains of Simpson's Cairn
W. W. May, R.N.

P'acsimile of the Record of Franklin's Expedition,
Victoiy. Copied by F. G. Nctherclift . .

Diagram of the stem of the Boat

Pattern of worked slippers found in the Boat

Christian Seal-stalking. By Captain W IV. May,

Moonlight, 25th August, 1859

Belles of Disco. From a Photograph by Dr. J. J,
lent by the late C. Grinnell, Esq. . .

Map to illustrate the Voyage, and the Geographical Discoveries
of the 'P'ox.' By y. Arroivsmith, Esq.

found at Point
To face

R.N.

Hayes, kindly

PARK

191

19s
209

215
219

225
239

244
249
251
275
293

30s
At the end.

I'AGK

. .

191

. .1^,

. .

195

:'>:

. .

209

■(17011 from

• • • •

215

. .

219

• • • •

225

-:'?■.■

y Captain

• • • •

239

'■%

J at Point

■ ,1

To face

244

• • • •

249

• • • •

251

• • • •

275

. '^f-

• • • •

293

es, kindly

• • • •

305

iscoveries

. . At the end.

INTRODUCTION.

»0»

A NEW EDITION of this narrative having been called for, I
gladly avail myself of the opportunity to make some few
alterations and additions which I trust will render it more
acceptable to the public. Much of the Appendix has been
omitted, in order to bring the volume to its present reduced
size. The illustrations are more numerous, the text has
been corrected,, and some new matter dispersed through its
pages chiefly descriptive of the habits of arctic animals, of
our tent life on the floe, and of our sledging journeys.

The latter, being the special means by which arctic
exploration is now-a-days mainly carried on, deserve more
than a passing notice.

In these details, which I have introduced at the suggestion
of some valued friends, I have had recourse to my rough
journal kept on board the * Fox,' and to my diaries in three
preceding polar expeditions of search.^

In submitting this new edition to the notice of the public,
I feel it incumbent on me, not only to acknowledge the
indulgence with which the narrative was originally received,
but to fulfil the higher duty of expressing the deep sense
entertained by my officers and men, as well as myself, of our
country's sympathy and approbation, and of the generous
reception we met with on returning to our native shores.
We had not done all that we desired, but we had done our

' Under Sir James Ross, Sir Horatio Austin, and Sir Edward Belcher.

XXVI

INTRODUCTION.

best ; and the lapse of time and other adverse circumstances
considered, we had, perhaps, met v^^ith as much success as
could have reasonably been expected.

It is with hesitation that I allude to the honours personally
conferred upon me, by our gracious Sovereign, and by the
Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin. I mention
with less reserve other tokens of the national feeling, for
these prove how well it was understood that the success
of the ' Fox ' exjDedition — or rather the measure of success
which it achieved — was mainly owing to the high spirit of
loyalty to the cause which animated all my companions, and
to their untiring exertions.

It will be remembered that in March, i860, Parliament
voted 5000/. for the public services the * Fox' had rendered.
And, when the Royal Geographical Society conferred their
Patron's Gold Medal on the commander, it was, to use the
words of Earl de Grey, the President, "for having in the
' Fox ' yacht, with your gallant companions, not only en-
larged our acquaintance with arctic geography, but having
also brought to light the precious record which has revealed
to us the voyage and final abandonment of the * Erebus '
and 'Terror.'"'

The City of London also, when it conferred upon me the
rare honour (for a naval officer) of the Freedom of the City,

* On this occasion the Founder's Gold Medal was, by exceptional
favour (but witli admirable justice), awarded to Lady Franklin in the
following terms : — " Desirous of commemorating in an especial manner
the arctic researches of our associate, the late Sir John Franklin, and of
testifying to the fact that his expedition was the first to discover a
North- West Passage, the Council of the Royal Geograpliical Society
have awarded the Founder's Gold Medal to his widow, Lady Franklin,
in token of their admiration of her noble and self-sacrificing perseve-
rance in sending out at her own cost several searching expeditions, until
at length the fate of her husband has been ascertained."

INTRODUCTION.

xxvu

lumstances
success as

personally
md by the
I mention
;eling, for
le success
of success
li spirit of
.nions, and

Parliament
rendered.
2rred their
;o use the
ng in the

only en-
lut having

revealed
* Erebus '

)n me the
the City,

exceptional
klin in the
ial manner
:lin, and of
discover a
:al Society
Franklin,
;,^ l^erscve-
tions, until

was not unmindful of those brave men by whose zeal and
devotion I was enabled, under Providence, to bring our
expedition to a successful issue. The document expressly
records " their thanks to the officers and crew composing it,
for the bravery and self-sacrifice which distinguished their
conduct on this patriotic occasion."

Many other most honourable and gratifying recognitions
of our common services might be mentioned ; but I forbear
from doing so. To say less, however, than I have done,
would be a failure of respect to the public, as well as an
inadequate expression of my own feelings and those of my
companions.

Ten years have elapsed since the discoveries made during
the voyage of the ' Fox ' were made public. Gallant efforts
have not been wanting during that period to glean further
information of the lost crews of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ;'
yet no additional light has been obtained, and beyond vague
rumours current among Esquimaux remote from the scene
of the final catastrophe, nothing whatever has come to our
knowledge. We must, therefore, I greatly fear, relinquish
all hope of recovering any of the official documents or
private journals of the officers ; the long interval of twenty-
one years since the abandonment of the * Erebus ' and
* Terror ' almost precludes the possibility of their existence.

As a fitting sequel to the subjoined list of the officers of
the Franklin expedition, I have endeavoured to give an
outline of their services. This outline in some instances is
necessarily of the briefest description.

The ships selected were the ' Erebus ' and * Terror.'
Originally constructed for bomb vessels, they were enor-
mously strong, their timbers being as massive as those of a
seventy-four-gun ship. Moreover, they had been especially

XXV111

INTRODUCTION.

fortified for the antartic voyage, from which they had but
recently returned. Before saiUng for the discovery of
the North-West Passage, screw propellers and very small
engines were adapted to them, being just sufficient to propel
them at the rate of three miles an hour in calm weather.
They were commissioned and fitted out at Woolwich Dock-
yard, and sailed from the Thames, 19th May, 1845 ; and
they were last seen 26th July, of that year, in Melville Bay.

H.M.S. Erebus. 370 Tons. 20 H.-P. Screw.

Captain . .
Commander
Lieutenant .

Ice Master ,
Surgeon .
Purser
Mate . . .

Asst.-Surg.
2nd Master,

1845.
1846.

Sir John Franklin, K.C.H. &c.

James Fitzjames Captain, Dec.

Graham Gore Commr., Nov,

H. T. D. Le Vesconte.

James W. Fairholme.

James Read.

Stephen Samuel Stanley.

Charles Hamilton Osmer.

Robert Orme Sargent . . . . Lieut., May, 1846.

Charles Frederick Des Vceux ,, Nov, 1846,

Edward Couch ,, May, 1847.

(Acting, for Arctic Expedition only), Henry D. S. Goodsir.
Henry Foster Collins.

H.M.S. Terror. 340 Tons. 20 H.-P. Screw.

Captain . . Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier.

Lieutenant. Edward Little Commr., Nov. 1846.

„ G. H. Hodgson.

,, John Irving,

Ice Master , Thomas Blanky.
Surgeon (Acting), John Smart Peddie . . . . Surgeon, Dec. 1845.

Mate, . . . Frederick J. Hornby Lieut., May, 1846,

, Robert Thomas ,, April, 1847.

Assistant-Surgeon, Alexander M 'Donald.
2nd Master, Gillies Alexander Macbean.
Clerk in Charge, E, J, H. Helpman.

Of the illustrious leader of the expedition. Sir John
Franklin, it is almost superfluous to speak, his career being

INTRODUCTION,

XXIX

interwoven with the history of his country. In his earliest
years he had an opportunity of distinguishing himself in
war ; but it was during a period of profound peace that he
entered on that arctic career with which his name is especially
connected, and in which he won the imperishable fame
of solving the vexed problem of centuries. The martyr's
palm is his, and theirs who followed him, for " they forged
the last link of the North- West Passage with their lives."

Born at Spilsby, in Lincolnshire, in 1786, young Franklin
entered the Navy as a midshipman on board H.M.S. ' Poly-
phemus ' in . 800, and was serving in that ship when it led the
line at the battle of Copenhagen in 180 1. He afterwards was
appointed to H.M.S. ' Investigator,' under his distinguished
relative, Captain Matthew Flinders, R.N., who was at that
time engaged in the discovery and survey of the coasts of
Australia; and after two years was wrecked with his com-
mander in H.M.S. 'Porpoise' on one of the innumerable
coral reefs on its northern coast.

Franklin, now separated from his chief, was returning
home in the fleet of Indiamen under Commodore Dance,
when it was attacked by the French squadron under Admiral
Linois. In the action, which put the French to flight,
Franklin took a conspicuous part.

On his return home he was appointed to H.M.S. ' Bellero-
phon,' Captain Cook, and served as signal midshipman at
the battle of Trafalgar, where he was remarked for his
imperturbable coolness and intrepidity in a position of great
danger. Without enumerating his intermediate services,
we find him in 1814 Heutenant in H.M.S. 'Bedford,' com-
manding the boats from that ship in the attack upon New
Orleans, when he was the first to board and capture one of
the enemy's gun-boats.

XXX

INTRODUCTION.

It was in 1818 that he commenced his arctic career in
command of H.M.S. 'Trent,' consort to the 'Dorothea,'
Captain Buchan, K.N., in an attempt to reach the North
Pole. Disappointed in his desire to continue this voyage
alone, when the * Dorothea ' became disabled, Franklin had
not long to wait on his return home before he was appointed
to command an overland and boat expedition (coincident
with the ship expedition of Parry, for the discovery of the
North-West Passage), the object of which was to determine
the limits and direction of the arctic shores of America,
where only two or three isolated points had hitherto been
ascertained.

In this expedition he was accompanied by his faithful
friend and able coadjutor. Dr. (afterwards Sir John) Richard-
son. Together they surveyed 555 geographical miles of
arctic coast, and traversed, to reach it, a still greater extent
of inland country, carrying their boats with them, and
depending for food on the casual supplies of the chase,
which sometimes failed them altogether. The narrative of
their return from the Arctic Sea over the " Barren Grounds "
of the interior, in order to reach the nearest Hudson Bay
Company's settlement, is a tale of suffering and endeavour
which flushes the cheek and dims the eye of the most
phlegmatic of readers. The lichens on the rock, and
occasional bits of soaked shoe-leather, alone saved the
party from absolute starvation. What a foreshadowing of
that still deeper tragedy which was to close the career of the
gallant leader and his followers in later years ! But the
future was veiled from his eyes.

Our adventurous explorers returned after four years of
absence to meet, when they landed in Europe, with the
sympathy and admiration of their countrymen. Franklin,

INTRODUCTION.

XXXI

who had been made a commander during his absence, was
now raised to the rank of captain, and elected a Fellow of
the Royal Society.

Undaunted by his late bitter experience, Franklin started
again in 1825 at the head of another canoe expedition (of
which he had submitted the plan to Government), and in
which he was again accompanied by his friend Richardson,
who acted in this, as in the former search, as surgeon and
naturalist and second in command.

By their united exertions, though in separate parties,
thirty-seven degrees of longitude were surveyed along the
air.tic shore of the American continent ; and the conviction
must have been more and more impressed upon their minds
that this was the real pathway for ships striving to get from
sea to sea, if only a gap to the eastward, which would
connect it with the older discoveries on the Atlantic side,
could be found.

On their return, Franklin enjoyed an interval of two or
three years of repose, and during this time received with
his friend Parry (who had secured a world-wide fame by
his arctic discoveries in a higher latitude) the honour of
knighthood, and ihat of the honorary degree of D.C.L.
conferred upon them both by the University of Oxford.
The Geographical Society of Paris also adjudged its annual
gold medal to Franklin. He met with less liberality at
home from the Board of Longitude, which declined to
admit nis and Richardson's claims to the pecuniary reward
which had been offered for attaining certain degrees of longi-
tude (or portions of the North-West Passage), on the ground,
mainly, that their work had been performed in boats in-
stead of ships ! '

' Twenty thousand pounds had by the same Act of Parliament been

XXXll

INTRODUCTION,

Arctic expeditions being now suspended, Franklin sought
employment in the ordinary line of his profession, and
was immediately appointed to commission H.M.S. ' Rain-
bow ' for the Mediterranean station, when the Greek
war of independence was closing, but whilst Greece was
still disorganised, and a prey to foreign intrigues and in-
ternal disturbance. Whilst on duty in Greece, where his
ship was chiefly stationed, he received the warm acknow-
ledgments of that distinguished officer, the late Admiral Sir
Henry Hotham, for the diplomatic skill and judgment with
which he conducted the services entrusted to him. Otho,
the young King of Greece, conferred on him the Order of
the Cross of the Redeemer, and on his return to England he
was created by William IV. a Knight Commander of the
Guelphic Order of Hanover.

Shortly after the expiration of his commission, having no
immediate prospect of another ship, he accepted the im-
portant government of the colony of Tasmania {then called
Van Diemen's Land), which was offered to him by the late
Lord Glenelg in terms which he greatly appreciated. True
to his old profession, however, he stipulated with the '^ ':re-
tary of State for the Colonies that he might be allowed to
resign the government if, on a war breaking out, he were
offered the command of a ship. Franklin arrived in Tas-
mania in January, 1837, and administered the government
during seven years. That his memory is held in great
respect and affection by the colonists there is evinced by
the unanimous vote of the Legislature for the erection of a

lield out as a reward for the discovery of the North- West Passage, hut
immediately following the decision against P'ranklin, a Bill was brought
into Parliament abrogating the former Act altogether ; not, however,
before Parry had established his own indisputable claim to a portion of
the reward.

INTRODUCTION.

XXXIll

, having no
pd the im-
:hen called
by the late
ed. True
the " "re-
allowed to
, he were
d in Tas-
overnment
in great
vinced by
ction of a

Passage, but

was brought

ot, however,

a portion of

Statue to his honour, which now occui)ics the site of the old
Government House.

Within a year of his return from Tasmania, Franklin left
England for the last time (May 19, 1845), i" command of
the expedition which Government had, after much delibera-
tion, resolved upon for the completion of the discovery of
the North-\Vest Passage.

This was, perhaps, the pioudest moment of Franklin's
life. He would not solicit the appointment, deeming it due
to his own long career of arctic experience that it should
be tendered to him if younger men had not the preference ;
but when sent for by the First Lord of the Admiralty, and
offered the command, in terms which showed that his former
laurels were still fresh in remembrance, he felt a proud
satisfiction which compensated him for many previous
trials.

For his guidance in this momentous undertaking, Franklin
had Parry's and Ross's charts and narratives, and his own
Admiralty Instructions : but the charts, coioparedAvith those
which subsecjuei t explorations have filled with well-defined
coast-lines, were little more than sheets of blank paper,
particularly in that direction to which his efforts were to be
mainly directed.* He had to launch into the wide unknown
space, and find his way as best he might. His Admiralty
Instructions could aid him but little ; suggested mainly
by himself, they were the result of the united deliberations
of the most eminent men who had already distinguished
themselves in earlier explorations, or who had made the
subject a field of earnest and careful study: amongst
the latter the late Sir John Barrow, Secretary to the
Admiralty, was the most conspicuous.

' See the sketch-map in Preface, at page ix.

.,j^

XXXIV

INTRODUCTION.

The Instructions were rather warnings what to avoid
than orders what to do ; but even under the latter head
the language is sufficiently explicit. "Therefore" (after
assuming from the experience of Parry that all attempts
to penetrate westward of longitude 98° in the direction of
Melville Island would be useless), "you will not stop to
examine any openings either to the northward or southward
in that (Barrow) Strait, but continue to push to the west-
ward without loss of time, in the latitude of 74°^ N., till
you have reached that portion of land on which Cape
Walker is situated, or about qS'' W. From th"t point we
desire that every effort be used to penetrate to the south-
ward and westward in a course as direct towards Behring
Strait as the position and extent of the ice or the existence
of land, at present unknown, may admit."

Franklin was last seen by a whaling ship which com-
municated with him in Baffin's Bay on 26th of July, little
more than two months after his departure from England.
At that time all was well with the expedition ; and letters
from Disco, of a few days' earlier date, from himself and his
officers, attest their confidence under Providence of final
success, and their mutual satisfliction with each other.'

Captain Francis R. M. Crozier, F.R.S., F.S.A., was
born at Banbridge, Ireland, in September, 1796.

' For further detnils of Franklin's life, the reader is referred to tlie
'Encyclopedia Britannica,' 8th edition, in which tliere is an admirable
article — under the head of Franklin— written by his friend and relative,
Sir John Richardson, the companion of liis earlier explorations, and
\\i o knew and loved him as a brother; also, to the very interesting
memoir in French, by M. de la Rociuette, late Vice-President of the
Geographical Society of Paris, published by desire of that society,
before the final expedition of the 'Fox' had enabled the biographer to
brinir his record to an authentic close.

INTRODUCTION.

XXXV

lat to avoid
latter head
sfore" (after
all attempts
direction of
not stop to
or southward
to the west-
74°i N., till
which Cape
hrt point we
to the south-
ards Behring
the existence

» which com-

of July, little

om England.

and letters

mself and his

ence of final

other,'

F.S.A., was

referred to the
is an admirable
•lid and relative,
I )] orations, and
very interesting'
'resident of the
of that soeicty,
le biographer to

He entered the Navy as a midshipman in iSio, and
served in it almost without cessation for the remainder of
his singularly adventurous life. He accompanied Sir Edward
Parry in his second, third, and fourth polar voyages, and
attained his lieutenancy in 1826.

When Sir James Ross was suddenly despatched to '\.w^
arctic regions, m the depth of winter, for the relief of
several missing whale ships, Crozier accompanied him, as
senior lieutenant, and was promoted to commander on
their return home in 1836. He commanded the 'Terror,
consort to the ' Erebus,' Captain Sir James C. Ross,
throughout the antarctic voyage — the most remarkable
and imjDortant expedition of discovery since the days of
Cook. Commander Crozier was made captain shortly
after their departure ; but services like his were too
valuable to be dispensed with, therefore he was retained
in his command until the return of the expedition in

1843.

Captain Crozier had now achieved the highest pro-
fessional reputation ; he had also contributed largely, more
especially in the department of terrestrial magnetism, to the
various scientific observations of the exploring voyages
— both arctic and antarctic — in which he had been for so
many years engaged. Therefore, when an expedition for
the discovery of the North-West Passage, and for general
scientific research in the arctic regions, was determined
upon. Sir John Franklin naturally sought for, and obtained,
the nomination of Crozier as his second in command,
Franklin being in the 'Erebus,' and Crozier in his former
ship, the 'Terror.'

They sailed from the Thames, 19th May, 1845.

For all that we know of him, or any of his companions,

c 2

XXXVl

INTRODUCTION.

subsequently to the following July, we are alone indebted
to the Crozier record, found on Point Victory in 1859.'

' Wliilst these pages were going through the press, the public journals
announced the return of the American explorer, Captain C. F. Hall,
after an absence of five years ; I am therefore enabldl to notice that
portion of hi.j rejiort (published in the New York ' Tribune,' 30th
September) which relates to his search for our long lost countrymen.

l)uring the spring of this year, Captain Hall reached King William's
island, and explored a portion of their line of retreat, along its southern
shore. His experience, and also the native information iie has collected,
agrees in all important points with that previously obtained, but without
adding thereto.

According to these latest accounts, the place called Oot-loo-lik, where
one of the ships was stranded {Narrath't\ p. 220), is on the shore of the
continent some thirty or forty miles south-westward of Cape Herschel.

And it appears that, subseciuently to the examination of King William's
Island by sledge parties from the * Fox,' the Esquimaux visited its north-
western shores, thus leaving no part of it unsearched, and of course
removing or destroying every relic and trace of the lost crews — -those
seen by us as well as others which the snow concealed from our view.

Captain Hall's report fully confirms the opinion expressed in this
Narrative (p. 312), that their sufferings could not have been materially
jirolonged beyond the short period for w'-.irh the provisions, brought
from their ships, would support them.

Deriving his information from the Esquimaux, he states that one of
the parties seen to pass Cape Herschel, reached tlie continent near Point
Richardson, about 12 or 15 miles westward of the Great Fisli River.
Captain Hall also states tliat none of the lost crews reached Montreal
Island, in the mouth of that river, notwithstanding tliat Mr. Anderson's
evidence, repeatedly corroborated by Esquimaux testimony, seems con-
clusive that a boat-party did reach it, and that their boat was eventually
cut up there by the natives.

He further tells us, that in the overwhelming thirst for plunder, even
their graves (so called, but merely superficial constructions of loose
s'ones as a protection against wild animals — Sec Narrative^ \\. 254) were
not respected.

His journey has resulted in additional relics and reports obtained
fn^n the natives, but no dociiiiwnts or i^^-i.'i/i^s whatever. And it shows
us conclusively that, had tiie ' Fox ' expedition been delayed even for a
couple of years, we should have been ikprived of the only reliable in-
formation respecting the \o;,age and aljandonnient of the ' Erebus' and
' Terror,' which has ever come to light ; for the ruthless lOsquimaux would
have plundered the only remaining cairns, and have destroyed those
jjrecious records, which for eleven years lay sheltered beneath them.

INTRODUCTION.

XXXV 11

one indebted

n i859.»

; public journals
ain C. F. Hall,
1 to notice that
'Tribune,' 30th
countrymen.
King William's
ong its southern
le has collected,
led, but without

3t-loo-lik, where
the shore of the
^ape Herschel.
" King William's
visited its north-
, and of course
ist crews— those
•om our view,
^pressed in this
been materially
isions, brought

ates that one of
nent near Point
oat Fisli River.
ached Montreal
Mr. Anderson's
ony, seems con-
t was eventually

)r plunder, even
ictions of loose
rv, p. 254) were

eports obtained

And it shows

aycd even for a

)i\Iy reliable in-

e ' ICrebus ' and

|uiniaux would

CNlroyod those

lealh them.

Upon the death of Franklin (nth June, 1847), Crozier
succeeded to the chief command. On him devolved the
terril)le necessity of abandoning the ships, and endeavouring
to save their cre\,s by a desperate attempt to reach the
Hudson l]ay territories.

Crozier's record — -written upon the march — is dated 25th
April, 1848.

The reader may perhaps picture to himself that last fearful
march, and the heroic bearing of its undaunted leader, whose
nobleness of character and warmth of heart had ever won
for him universal esteem and affection.

Captain James Fitzjamks entered the Navy as a mid-
shipman in 1825. After serving in various ships, he
was attached to Colonel Chesney's celebrated expedition
to the River Euphrates, and took an active part as mate
of the ' Euphrates ' steamer upon that river. On the re-
turn of the expedition in 1838. and after two years and
a half of distinguished service, Mr. Fitzjames was promoted
to the rank of lieutenant.

He served on board H.M.S. 'Ganges ' throughout the Syrian
campaign (1840), again particularly distinguishing himself.

His next appointment was to the ' Cornwallis,' the flag-
ship of Vice-Admiral Sir Wm. Parker, the naval commander-
in-chief on the East Indian station. During the Chinese
hostilities in 1842, Lieutenant Fitzjames's brilliant conduct
was such that he was five times gazetted ! He participated
in all the operations on the River Yang-tse-kiang both afloat
and on shore, his conspicuous exertions and gallantry
rei)eatedly calling forth the warm approbation of the
General Sir Hugh (afterward Viscount) (iough, as well as of
the Admiral. At the storming and capture of Ching-kiang-
Foo, Fitzjames received four bullet wounds ; one of these

XXXVIU

INTRODUCTION.

balls passed through his body, and was subsequently ex-
tracted from beneath his shoulder blade.

In December, 1842, he was promoted to the rank of
commander, and appointed to H.M.S. 'Clio,' a command
which he retained until the termination of her period of
commission in October, 1844.

In the following March, he was appointed to the * Erebus'
with Franklin, and was gazetted a captain a few months after
the departure of the expedition.

Captain Fitzjames was a man of rare talent as well as
gallantry ; his sketches, and his writings, exhibit remarkable
vigour and accuracy ; frank, warm-hearted, and ever cheerful,
he was deservedly one of the most popular officers in the
Navy; most enterprising, active, and endowed with rare
powers of endurance, he was eminently constituted for that
peculiar service in which unhappily has terminated a career
of the highest promise.

Commander Graham Gore entered the Navy in 1820.
As midshipman, on board H.jM.S. 'Albion,' he was present
in the battle of Navarin {1827) ; became lieutenant in 1837,
upon his return from an arctic voyage in the ' Terror ' with
Captain (now Admiral Sir George) Back. Lieutenant Gore
was present at the capture of Aden in 1839 ; also present at
the capture of the Bogue Forts, and Chusan, in 1840. He
continued to serve in various ships up tc March, 1845, the
date of his appointment as senior lieutenant to the ' Erebus.'

His promotion to the rank of commander took place in
November, 1846.

Commander Gore's name appears in both the Franklin
records. In the more recent one he is alluded to as '' ^he
late Commander Gore;" his death therefore occurred between
their dates, viz. 28th jNIay, 184'/, and 25th April, 1848.

INTRODUCTION.

XXXIX

He had seen much active service ; he was an accom-
plished as well as an excellent officer, and one in whom
remarkable evenness of temper was combined with great
stability of character.

Commander Edward Little joined the Navy in 1825 ;
was made lieutenant in 1837, and served in various ships up
to March, 18415, when he was appointed to the 'Terror' as
senior lieutenant. In November, 1846, he was promoted
to the rank of commander. In his last letters from Green-
land, Captain Crozier writes in terms of warm praise of his
senior lieutenant, Mr. Little.

Lieutenant H. T. D. Le Vesconte entered the Navy in
1829; served throughout the Chinese war, distinguishing
himself on severrd occasions, and by repeated acts of con-
spicuous gallantry winning his lieutenancy in 1841.

As lieutenant, he continued in active service, and was
appointed to the ' Erebus ' in 1845.

Lieutenant James W. Fairholme joined the Navy in
1834. When despatched in a captured slaver, he was
wrecked on the coast of Africa, and taken prisoner by the
Moors ; most fortunately he was rescued within a few days.

Mr. Fairholme served in the Syrian war in 1840. In
1841 he accompanied Captain Trotter in a most perilous
expedition up the River Niger. He attained his lieu-
tenancy in 1842, and served without cessation up to his
appointment to the ' Erebus' in 1845.

Lieutenant G. H. Hodgson commenced his naval career
in 1832. Mr. Hodgson served under Admiral Sir William
Parker in China, where he distinguished himself during
the war by his personal gallantry, and was also wounded.
In 1842 he was made lieutenant, and again distinguished
himself in an attack on pirates.

INTRODUCTION.

:i ill

1 1:1

i ! Ml

'I \[

Lieutenant John Irving entered the Navy in 1828,
obtained his heutenant's commission in 1S43, and joined
the 'Terror' in 1845. His name is mentioned in the
Point Victory record. In the interval between passing
his examinations for Heutenant and obtaining that rank,
Mr. Irving spent a few years in Australia, where he
acquired experience of bush life and its attendant hardships.
He possessed an iron constitution, was a talented drafts-
man, and in every respect well adapted for arctic service.

Ice-Masters. — James Read and Thomas Blanky.
Previously commanders of Greenland whaleships, distin-
guished for their intimate knowledge of the rctic seas, and
their experience in ice-navigation. Owing to these valuable
acquirements, they were selected and appointed to the
* Erebus ' and ' Terror ' respectively. Mr. Blanky had,
moreover, served in the 'Griper,' Captain G. '^. Lyon, R.N.,
in 1824, when an attempt was made to reach Repulse Bay.
He also served in the 'Hecla' in 1827 under Sir E. Parry,
M'hen that officer tried to reach the No^^th Pole. And we
find Mr. Blanky for the third time engaged in an arctic
expedition, as first mate of the ' Victory ' with Sir John Ross,
in 1829-34; the three years he then passed amongst the
Boothian Esquimaux enabled him to acquire a valuable
knowledge of their language and habits.

Surgeons. — Stephen Samuel Stanley and John Smart
Peddie.

JDr. Stanley entered the Navy as an assistant-surgeon in
1838. He served in China during the war of 1840-42,
and was favourably noticed by his Captain — the late Sir
Thomas Bouchier — for having, on several occasions, taken
medical charge of the men engaged in active operations

INTRODUCTION.

xli

OHN Smart

both in the boats and on shore. Dr. Stanley was specially
gazetted for his servir^s, and promoted to the rank of
surgeon in June, 1842. He had also attained to some
distinction by his knowledge of natural history.

Dr. Pcddie had served as an assistant-surgeon from
1836, the date of his entry, until appointed to the 'Terror'
in March 1845 as acting surgeon; he was confirmed in
this rank the following December. It is pleasant to be able
to record, that Captain Crozier's last letters make very
favourable mention of Dr. Peddie.

Purser. — Charles Haj>iilton Osmer. This gentleman
commenced his naval career as a clerk, in 18 ig. In 1836
he was promoted to the rank of purser. He served in the
' Blossom ' throughout her memorable voyage to Behring
Strait in 1825-8, under Captain F. W. Beechey, R.N.

In 1839, when it became expedient to re-establish our
naval power upon the lakes of North America, Mr. Osmer
was appointed as purser to the senior officer's ship, the
' Niagara,' which appointment he retained for nearly four
years. Ha\'ing acquired most extensive and varied ex-
perience, Mr. Osmer was selected to accompany Sir J.
Franklin's expedition.

Assistant-Surgeons. — Alex. M'Donald and Henry
D. S. Goodsir.

Dr. M'Donald, I believe, had previously visited the
arctic seas, as surgeon of a whaler. He entered the Navy
as assistant-surgeon in 1841, and served for nearly four years
in H.M.S. ' Belvidera,' previously to joining the 'Terror.'

Dr. Goodsir was an anatomist, and a naturalist of the
highest promise. In 1843 he succeeded his brother John
(the late eminent Professor of Anatomy to the Edinburgh
University) in the curatorship of the Royal College of

xlii

INTRODUCTION.

•M

: i!t'

■ i :-

'1 I i

'■| i ;
ill!

I !

Surgeons, Edinburgh, wliich position he gave up on joining
the FrankHn expedition, in 1845. Ostensibly, he embarked
as an assistant-surgeon, "acting, for Arctic Expedition only."
but really as a naturalist, the wide field for scientific research
which the voyage offered, proving as irresistible to his en-
thusiastic mind as the antarctic voyage had previously been
to the present distinguished botanist, R. D. Hooker, F.R.S.

Very early in life Dr. Goodsir made himself known to
science by contributing, in conjunction with his brother
John, some papers to the Wernerian Society of Edinburgh.

His younger brother Robert twice visited the arctic
regions in search of the Franklin expedition, the second
time as surgeon of a Government expedition, under the
command of Captain William Penny.

The junior 'officers were all young men ; consequently, of
their previous services there is but little to record ; but the
fact of their having been selected to form part of so difficult
and hazardous an expedition is proof of their general merits
and rising qualifications.

Mr. Hornby passed his examinations for lieutenant's
rank in 1841 ; Sargent, in 1843; Des Va^ux, in 1844;
Thomas, and Couch, in 1845.

They were all promoted within two years of their de-
parture from England.

Mr. Des Vodux served under Sir Charles Napier in the
Syrian war of 1840.

He proceeded to China in the flag-ship of Admiral Sir
William Parker, and served in the ' Endymion,' under the
present Admiral Sir Frederick Grey, during the Chinese war.
At one period of this war he was employed as a naval aide-
de-camp to General Sir Hugh Gough, the commander-in-chief
of the forces. Thus early had he distinguished himself

INTRODUCTION.

xliii

Lip on joining
he embarked
edition only."
iitific research
)le to his en-
eviously been
ooker, F.R.S.
e!f known to
L his brother
" Edinburgh,
d the arctic
1, the second

n, under the

isequently, of
:ord ; but the
of so difficult
eneral merits

lieutenant's
jx, in 1844 i

of their de-

apier in the

Admiral Sir
under the
Ilhinese war.
naval aide-
nder-in-chief
hed himself

.18

bv his intelligence, gallantry, and zeal. His name occurs
in both the Franklin records.

The seamen composing the crews of the two ships had
been carefully selected ; they were, for the most part, hardy
north-countrymen, the remainder being men-of-war's men.

I cannot better conclude this imperfect notice of the
gallant men whose sad fate has moved with sympathy the
whole civilized world, than by giving a few extracts from
some of their last letters (from the oldest to the youngest
officer on board) written to friends at home, whilst upon
their outward voyage and during their short detention
in Greenland, at the Whnlefish Islands; the last letter
received from them is dated 12th July. These extracts will
convey to the reader, far better than any description could
do, an idea of the delightful tone of feeling which existed
amongst them, and of their devoted loyalty, I may with
truth say, affection, for their renowned leader.

Gallant spirits eminently worthy of their heroic chief!
Higher praise than this it is alike impossible to win or to
bestow.

EXTRACTS.

(i). " Sir John is delightful, active, energetic, and evidently even
now persevering; what he lias been, we all know. I think it will turn
out tliat he is in no way altered."

(2). " I would not lose him for the command of tlo expedition, for
I hp.vj a real regard — I might say affection — for him, and believe this is
felt by all of us."

(3). "Of all men he is the most fitted for the command of an enter-
prise requiring sound sense and great perseverance ; and he is full of
benevolence and kindness withal. You have no conception how happy
we are."

(4). "Yesterday we had the highest sea I ever saw; it was very
fine. I know nothing fmer than a gale of wind, particularly when you
are running before it. We had a few seas over our decks, one of which

xliv

INTRODUCTION.

Mii!

ii:

i 'I'i

found its way down on our tahle just as we liad done dinner. We are
packed s(; closely we can't move very i. • ; but the j;ood humour of
every one is peifect, and we do dance before it (the gale) finely."'

(5). ** I wish I could, however, convey to you a just idea of the im-
mense stock of good feeling, good humour, and real kindliness of heart
in our small mess. We are very hai)py, and very fond of Sir John
Franklin, who imjiroves very much as we come to know more of him.
lie is anything but nervous or fidgety ; in fact, I shoidil say remarkable
for energetic decision in sudden emergencies. Our men are all fine
hearty fellows."

(6). "'Tis a rare thing to find met together twelve men of different
ranks and ages who combine the scholar with die gentleman, such as
these which it has been my fortunate lot to mix with ; and I do most
feiTcntly pray that nothing may occur to loosen the ties which at present
so happily bind us to each other. With such a man to command us,
'tis next to impossible that we shall be aught else than most happy and
comfortable. "

(7). " I had omitted to mention that we have had Divine Service
every Sunday since we left Greenhithe ; and you would be perfectly
delighted at the beautiful and impressive manner in which Sir John
reads both the Service and the Sermon. I assure you it was with
unalloyed feelings of delight that I witnessed their fervent and audible
responses (die entire crew) ; every individual on board has a Bible and
Prayer-Eook."

(8). " 1 1 P.M., Lat. 63° N. The air is delightfully cool and bracing,
and everybody is in good humour, either witli himself or his neighbours.
Goodsir is catching the most extraordinary animals in a net, and is in
ecstacies. Gore and Des Vceux are over the side with nets and long
poles. We take it in turns to fish with a net at the end of a long pole,
and bring up most strange animals."

(9). "The more I see of our worthy chief the more I like and
admire him ; in fact, he is deservedly beloved by us all, seamen as well
as officers. As this day (Sunday) will serve as a sample of what has
already taken place on the Lord's Day, and \\'hich will no doubt be
strictly adhered to for the future, I will describe our observance of
it : — We assemble at Prayers at ten o'clock, the beautiful Ser\ice of the
Church of England is read by Sir John in the most impressive manner,
after which a Sermon adapted to our pursuits is also most impressively
delivered. At seven in the evening all those who arc desirous assem])Ie
in Sir John's cabin, when the Evening Service is read, and another

' This extract is dated 23rd June, off Cape Desolation, Davis Strait.

INTRODUCTION.

xlv

ncr. We are
1(1 humour of
incly."'

lea of the im-
iness of heart
. of Sir John
more of liim.
ly rcmarkalilc
1 are all fine

!n of different
nan, such as
11(1 I do most
lich at present
command us,
ist happy and

)ivine Service
I be perfectly
lich Sir John
I it was with
t and audible
; a JJible and

and bracing,
neighbours,
net, and is in
lets and long

a long pole,

I like and
imcn as well
of what has
no doubt be
iscrvance of
ervice of the
sive manner,
imj)ressivcly
ous assemble
and another

avis Strait.

Scrn.on delivered. We look forward to the coming of the Sabbath with
much gratification, and 'tis rarely you will miss the attendance of even
one, except when duly occurs, and then these absentees are sure to be of
the evening coiigiegati')n."

(lo). "To-day we have had a sea smooth as glass; very cloudy,
and a cold air, thermometer 35" ; passed several icebergs, within a mile
of a large one. The effect was very fine, for the horizon happened to
be a dark distinct line ; and these bergs, catching an occasional gleam
of sunshine, shone like a twelfth-cake. I had fancied icebergs were
large transparent lumps, or rocks of ice. They look like huge masses
of \>\\xc snow, farrowed with caverns and dark ravines. I went on
board the 'Terror' in the evening, for it was quite calm, and found
Hodgson better. When we came on board, we pulled up for Goodsir —
beasts, starfish., mud, and shells, from a depth of 250 fathoms, and
caugiit more cod."

(11). "We are now (eight o'clock, evening, 3rd July) slowly
approaching our anchorage ; comparatively mild weather, with 192
icebergs, large and small, in sight. We have chess, backgammon,
draughts, and 1700 books on board to ar use us."

(12). "1 cannot tell you— more than I have done — how truly and
deservedly beloved Sir John is by us all"

(13). "We are all very happy and comfortable on board. Sir John
is such a good old fellow. We all have perfect confidence in him."

(14). "Sunday. Whalefish Iblands. A fine sunshiny night, and we
have had a delightful sunshiny day, quite warm, the air clear, ice
glistening in all directions. The fine liold land of Disco, black, and
topped with snow ; the sea covered with bits of ice which are rushing
through the channel as they break off from t. e icebergs, falling with a
noise like thunder. Every man nearly on shore, running about for
a sort of holiday, getting eider duck's eggs, (S:c. ; curious mosses and
plants being collected, also shells."

(15). "All is getting on as well as I could wish. Officers full of
youth and zeal, and, indeed, everything going on most smoothly. The
Admiially were exceedingly kind to us, all our demands were re;;. lily
granted ; if we can only do something worthy of the country which has
so munilicently fitieil us out, 1 will only be too hap])y ; it will be an
amjile rewartl for all my anxieties, and believe me, Henry, there will
be no lack of them."

The last of these extracts is from a letter of Captain
Crozier's, written from the Whalefish Islands, and was one
of the last letters ever received from the expedition.

xlvi

INTRODUCTION.

• i

Mill

It was not until the close of 1847, when no further news
had arrived of the absent ships, that anxiety began to be
felt as to their safety, or ratlier, that apprehensions were
awakened of their being in some predicament which re-
quired assistance and relief.

In November of that year, Lord Auckland, then at
the head of the Admiralty, kindly communicated to Lady
Franklin his intention of sending out an expedition in their
behalf in the following spring, and invited her to express
an) views she might entertain in connection with it.

It is not my purpose to enter here into a history of the
several expeditions which under successive administrations,
and commanded by various distinguished officers, were
despatched in quest of the missing navigators ; neither will
I touch upon the supplementary efforts made by Lady
Franklin herself with the assistance of sympathising friends.
This auxiliary search was rendered necessary in the opinion
of Lady Franklin, by the failure of the Government expedi-
tions to penetrate into those particular parts of the field of
search where she believed the * Erebus ' and ' Terror ' would
be found : an opinion which gained increased force, when in
1854 Dr. Rae arrived in England with news derived from
the Esquimaux, and confirmed by relics obtained from them,
of some fatal catastrophe that had taken place within the
area on which her anxious attention had always been fixed.

On the arrival of this sad rumour, confirmed by such
painful symbols, the Admiralty deemed it time to recall,
if it were possible, their searching vessels.

To Lady Franklin, however, it was only an incentive
to renewed exertions, directed to the place (ever circum-
scribed, and now plainly ascertained) where alone there was
a chance of success.

fi-.

ell
let
wc

or
"I

th(

11 n

111

ve
pr
be

'^^-^^1

Su
be

INTRODUCTION.

xlvii

further news
l)egan to be
nsions were
It whicL re-

nd, then at
teci to Lady
ition in their
:r to express
;h it.

istory of the
ninistrations,
fficers, were

neither will
le by Lady
ising friends.
\ the opinion
iient expedi-

the field of
error ' would
)rce, when in
lerived from

from them,
e within the

been fixed,
led by such
lie to recall,

m incentive
ever circum-
ne there was

The reduced dimensions of this work have prevented me
from inserting, as in former editions, the letter of Lady
Franklin to Lord Palmerston, and the memorial also
addressed to the Prime Minister by all the leading men of
science then in I>ondon, strenuously advocating this final
effort. I will gi\e one passage only from Lady Franklin's
letter above alluded to, and will conclude with a few touching
words from her appeal to the Admiralty : —

" I submit to your Lordship that this is a case of no
ordinary exigency. These 135 men of the 'Erebus' and
' Terror ' (or perha})s I should rather say the greater part of
them, for we do not yet know that there are no survivors)
have laid down their lives after sufte rings doubtless of
unexampled severity, in the service of their country, as truly
as if they had perished by the ritle, the cannon-ball, or the
bayonet.

" Nay, more, by attaining the northern and already sur-
veyed coast of America, it is clear that they solved the
problem which was the object of their labours, or, in the
beautiful words of Sir John Richardson, that they ' forged
the last link of the North-West Passage with their lives.'
Surely, then, I may plead for such men that a careful search
be made for any possible survivor, that the bonss of the
dead be sought for and gathered together, that their buried
records be unearthed or recovered from the hands of tne
Esquimaux, and above all, that the last written words, so
precious to their bereaved families and friends, be saved
from destruction.

" A mission so sacred is worthy of a Government which
has grudged and spared nothing for its heroic soldiers and
sailors in other fields of warfare, and will surely be ap-
proved by our gracious Queen, who overlooks none of her

■«

xlviii

INTRODUCTION.

loyal subjects suffering and dying for their country's
honour.'

" This final and exhausting search is all I seek in behalf
of the first and only martyrs to arctic discovery in modern
times, and it is all I ever intend to ask "

"It is my humble hope and fervent prayer, that the
Government of my country will themselves complete the
work of search which they have begun, and not leave it to a
weak and helpless woman to attempt the doing that imper-
fectly which they themselves can do so easily and well; yet,
if need be, such is my painful resolve, God helping me."

Had the prayer of this petition been granted, it is need-
less to say that the expedition of the ' Fox ' would not have
taken place.

The national monument commemorative of this — perhaps
the noblest episode in F^n band's naval history — has been
erected in Waterloo P'nce. Upon the pedestal beneath his
statue is tlie following inscription : —

U' '1

FRANKLIN.

TO THE GREAT NAVIGATOR

AND HIS BRAVE COMPANIONS

WHO SACRIFICED T H F. I R LIVES IN

COMPLETING THE DISCOVERY OF

THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

A.D. 1847-8.

ERECTED IIV THE UNANIMOUS VOTE
OF TARLIAMENT.

' Written at the close of the Crimean War.

i I : I n

their country's

JOURNAL OF THE SEARCH

FOR

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.

CHAPTER I.

Cause of delay in equipment — Fittings of the 'Fox' — Volunteers for
arctic service — Assistance from public departments — Reflections
upon the undertaking — Instructions and departure — Orkneys and
Greenland — Fine arctic scenery — Danish establishments in Green-
land — Fredericksimab, in Davis' Strait.

It is now a matter of history how Government and private
expeditions prosecuted with unprecedented zeal and perse-
verance the search for Sir John FrankUn's ships, between the
years 1B47-55 ; and that the only ray of information gleaned
was that afforded by the inscriptions upon three tombstones
at Ikechey Island, briefly recording the names and dates of
the deaths of those individuals of the lost expedition, who
thus early fell in the cause of science and in the service of
their country.

In tnis manner were we made aware of the locality where
the Franklin expedition passed its first Arctic winter. The
traces assuring us of that fact were discovered in August,
1850, by Captain Ommanney, R.N., of H.M.S. 'Assistance,'
and by Captain Penny of the ' Eady Franklin.'

In October, 1854, Dr. Rae brought home the only addi-
tional information respecting them, which had ever reached

,l,l

FORMER EXPEDITIONS.

Chap. I.

us. From the Esquimaux of Boothia Fehx he learned tliat
a party of about forty white men were met on the west coast
of King WiUiam's Island, who from thence travelled on to
the mouth of the (Ireat Fish River, where they all perished
of starvation, and that this tragic event occurred apparently
in the spring of 1850.

Some relics obtained from these natives, and brought
home by Dr. Rae, were proved to have belonged to Sir
John Franklin and several of his associates.

The Government caused an exploring party to descend
the Fish River in 1855 ; but, although sufficient traces were
found to prove that some portion of the crews of the
' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' had actually landed on the banks of
that river, and traces existed of them up to Franklin Rapids,
no additional information was obtained either by the dis-
covery of Records, or through the Esc[uimaux. Mr. Anderson,
the Hudson Bay Company's officer in charge, and his small
party, deserve credit for their perseverance and skill : but they
were not furnished with the necessary means of accomplish-
ing their mission. Mr. Anderson could not obtain an in-
terpreter, and the two frail bark canoes in which his whole
party embarked were almost worn out before they reached
the locality to be searched. It is not surprising that such
an expedition caused very considerable disappointment at
home.

Lady Franklin, and the advocates for further search, now
pressed upon Government the necessity of following up, in
a more effectual manner, the traces accidentaMy found by
Dr. Rae, and, in fact, of rendering the search complete
by one more effort, involving but little of hazard or expense.
It was not until April, 1857, that any decisive answer was
given to Lady Franklin's ai)peal.'

' Lady Franklin's letter to ^■i.scount Palmerston, liore alluded to, was
liuhlishcd in the Appendix of the former editions of this work.

Apr. 1857. NOMINATION OF COMMANDER.

/es, and brought

isappomtment at

Sir Charles Wood then stated '• that the members of Her
Majesty's Government, having come, with great regret, to
the conckision that there was no prospect of saving life,
would not be justi^.ed, for any objects which in their opinion
could be obtained by an expedition to the arctic seas, in
exposing the lives of officers and men to the risk inseparable
from such an enterprise."

Lady Franklin, upon this final disappointment of her
hopes, had no hesitation in immediately preparing to send
out a searching expedition, equipped and stored at her own
cost. But she was not without ardent supporters. Many
friends of the cause — including some of the most distin-
guished scientific men in England, and especially Sir Roderick
Murchison, whose zeal was as practical as it was enlightened
— hastened to tender their aid, and soon a very considerable
sum was raised in furtherance of so truly noble an effort.

On the 1 8th April, 1857, Lady Franklin offered me the
command of the proposed expedition, — it was of course
most cheerfully accepted. As a post of honour and of some
diflficulty it possessed quite sufficient charms for a naval
officer who had already served in three consecutive expe-
ditions from 1848 to 1854. I was thoroughly conversant
with all the details of this peculiar service ; and I confess,
moreover, that my whole heart was in the cause. How
cx)uld I do otherwise than devote myself to save at least
the record of faithful service, even unto death, of my brother
officers and seamen? and being one of those by whose
united efforts not only the Franklin search, but the geo-
graphy of arctic America, had been brought so nearly to
comi)letion, I could not willingly resign to posterity, the
honour of filling up even the small remaining blanks upon
our maps.

To leave these discoveries incomplete, more especially in
a (quarter through which the tidal stream actually demon-

u 2

i^i|

PURCHASE OF THE 'FOX:

Chap. I.

strates the existence of a channel — the only remaining hope
of a practicable north-west passage — would indeed be leaving
strong ind".oement for future explorers to reap the rich
reward of our long-continued exertions.

I immediately applied to the Admiralty for leave of
absence to complete the Franklin ' 'arch ; and on the 2y^
received at Dublin the telegraphic message from Laoj
Franklin : " Your leave is granted ; the ' Fox ' is mine ; the
refit w'11 commence immediately." She had already pur-
chased the screw-yacht 'Fox,' of 177 tons burthen, and
now placed her, together with the necessary funds, at my
disposal.

Let me explain what is here implied by the simple word
"refit" Tiie velvet hangings and splendid furniture of the
yacht, and also everything not constituting a part of
the vessel's strengthening, were to be removed ; the large
skylights and capacious laddersvays had to be reduced to
limits more adapted to a polar clime; the whole vessel to
be externally sheathed with stout planking, and internally
fortified by strong cross beams, longitudinal beams, iron
stanchions, and diagonal fastenings ; the false keel taken
off, the slender brass propeller replaced by a massive iron
one, the boiler taken out, altered, and enlarged ; the sharp
stem to be cased in iron until it resembled a ponderous
chisel set up edgeways; even the yacht's rig had to be
altered.

She was placed in the hands of her builders, Messrs. Hall
and Co., of Aberdeen, who displayed even more than ..leir
usual activity in effiecting these necessary alterations, for it
was determined that the ' Fox ' should sail by the i st July.

Internally she was fitted up with the strictest economy in
every sense, and the officers were crammed into pigeon-
holes, styled cabins, in order to make room for provisions
and stores; our mess-room, for five persons, measured 8 feet

I III

x: Chap. I.

r remaining hope
Indeed be leaving
o reap the rich

ty for leave of
and on the 2yr'^
lage from Lau;
ox ' is mine ; the
lad already pur-
ns burthen, and
ary funds, at my

the simple word
[ furniture of the
iting a part of
lOved ; the large
D be reduced to

whole vessel to
^, and internally
nal beams, iron

alse keel taken
T a massive iron
irged ; the sharp
ed a ponderous
rig had to be

ers, Messrs. Hall
more than >.ieir
Iterations, for it
)y the I St July.
;test economy in
ed into pigeon-
11 for provisions
measured 8 feet

Apr. 1857. VOLUNTEERS FOR ARCTIC SERVICE. 5

square. The ordinary heating apparatus for winter use was
dispensed with, and its place supplied by a few very small
stoves. The ' Fox ' had been the property of the late vSir
Richard Sutton, Bart., who made but one trip to Norway
in her, and she was purchased by Lady Franklin from his
executors for 2000/.

Having thus far commenced the refit of the vessel. I
turned my attention to the selection of a crew and to the
requisite clothing and provisions for our voyage.

Many worthy old shipmates, my companions in previous
arctic voyages, most readily volunteered their services : and
they were as cheerfully accepted, for it was my anxious wish
to gather around me well-tried men, who were aware of the
duties expected of them, and accustomed to naval discipline.
Hence, out of the twenty-five souls composing our small
company, seventeen had previously served in the arctic
search.

Expeditions of this nature are always popular with seamen,
and innumerable were the applications made to me; but still
more abundant were the offers to " serve in any capacity "
which poured in from all parts of the country, from people
of all classes, many of whom had never seen the sea. It
was, of course, impossible to accede to any of these latter
proposals, yet, for my own part, I could not but feel gratified
at such convincing proofs that the spirit of the country was
favourable to us, and that the ardent love of hardy enterprise
still lises amongst Englishmen, to be cherished, I trust,
as the most valuable of our national characteristics — that
which has so largely contributed to make England what
she is.

My second in command was Lieutenant W. R. Hobson,
R.N., an officer already distinguished in arctic service.
Captain Allen Young joined me as sailing-master, contribut-
ing not only his valuable services but largely of his private

OFFICERS OF THE EXPEDITION. Chap. I.

^, I

I' ill

funds to the expedition. This gentlenian had previously
commanded some of our very finest merchant ships, the
latest being the steam-transport 'Adelaide,' of 2500 tons :
he had but recei.tly returned, in ill-health, from the Black
Sea, where he was most actively employed during the greater
part of the Crimean campaign. Nothing that I could say
ould add to the merit of such singularly generous and
disinterested conduct. David Walker, M.D., volunteered for
the post of surgeon and naturahst; he also undertook the
photographic department ; and just before sailing, Carl
Petersen, now so well known to arctic readers as the P^squi-
maux interpreter in the expeditions of Captain Penny and
Dr. Kane, came to join me from Copenhagen, although
landed there from Greenland only six days previously, after
an absence of a year from his family : we were indebted
to Sir Roderick Murchison and the electric telegraph for
securing his valuable services.

Like the Paris omnibuses we were at length mi complete
and quite as anxious to make a start.

Ample provisions for twenty-eight months were embarked,
including preserved vegetables, lemon-juice, and pickles, for
daily consumption, and preserved meats for every third day :
also as much of Messrs. Allsopp's stoutest ale as we could
find room for. The Government, although declining to
send out an expedition, yet now contributed liberally to our
supplies. All our arms, powder, shot, powder for ice-blast-
ing, rockets, maroons, and signal-mortar, were furnished by
the Board of Ordnance. The Admiralty caused 6682 lbs.
of pemmican to be prepared for our use. Not less than
85,000 lbs. of this invaluable food have been prepared since
i8j5 at the Royal Clarence Victualling Yard, Gosport, for
the use of the arctic Expeditions. It is composed of prime
beef cut into thin slices and dried over a wood fire ; then
pounded up and mixed with about an equal weight of melted

III

ON. Chap. I.

Apr. 1857. AID FROM PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS. 7

lad previously
ant ships, the
of 2500 tons :
from the Black
ing the greater
at I could say
generous and
v^olunteered for
undertook the
i sailing, Carl
•s as the Esqui-
;ain Penny and
igen, although
ireviously, after
were indebted
c telegraph for

gth an couplet,

vere embarked,
md pickles, for
ivery third day :
,le as we could
h declining to
liberally to our
er for ice-blast-
re furnished by
lused 6682 lbs.
Not less than
prepared since
d, Gosport, for
posed of prime
'ood fire; then
eight of melted

beef fit. The warm pemmican is then run into strong tin
cases and becomes hard on cooling; our cases contained
42 lbs. each, they were oblong in shape, but with convex
ends, this form giving them greater strength to resist the
claws of the Bears.

The Admiralty supplied us also with all the requisite
ice-gear, such as saws from ten to eighteen feet in length,
ice-anchors, and ice-claws : also with our winter housing,
medicines, pure lemon-jaice, seamen's library, hydrographical
instmments, -^harts, chronometers, and an ample supply of
arctic clothing which had remained in store from former
expeditions. The Board of Trade contributed a variety of
meteorological and nautical instruments and journals; and I
found that I had but to ask of these departments for what
was required, and if in store it was at once granted. I
asked, however, for such things only as were indispensably
necessary.

The President and Council of the Royal Society voted
the sum of 50/. from their donation fund for the purchase
of magnetic and other scientific instruments, in order that
our anticipated approach to so interesting a locality as the
Magnetic Pole might not be altogether barren of results.

I was desirous to retain for my vessel the privileges she
formerly enjoyed as a yacht, and my wishes were very
promptly gratified : in the first instance by the Royal Har-
\nr\\ Yacht Club, of wh'ch my ofticers and myself were
enrolled as members — the Commodore, A. Arcedeckne, Esq.,
presenting my vessel with the handsome ensign and burgee
of the Club ; and shortly afterwards by my being elected a
member of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club for the period
of my voyage. Lastly, upon the very day of sailing, I was
proposed for the Royal Yacht Squadron, to which the yacht
had previously belonged when the property of Sir Richard
Sutton.

Iv.

LADY FRANKLIN'S VISIT.

Chap. I.

Throughout the whole period required for our equipment I
constantly experienced the heartiest co-operation and earnest
goodwill from all with whom my varied duties brought me
in contact. Deep sympathy with Lady Franklin in her dis-
tress, her self-devotion and sacrifice of fortune, and an earnest
desire to extend succour to any chance survivors of the
missing expedition who might still exist, or at least, to
ascertain their fate, and rescue from oblivion their heroic
deeds, seemed the natural promptings of every honest
English lieart.

It is needless to add that this experience of public opinion
confirmed my own impression that the glorious mission in-
trusted to me was in rerJ'ty a g7-eat national duty. I could
not but feel thnt, if the gigantic and admirably equipped
national expeditions sent out upon precisely the same duty,
and reflecting so much credit upon the Board of Admiralty,
were ranked amongst the noblest efforts in the cause of
humanity any nation ever engaged in, and that, if high
honour was awarded to all composing these splendid expe-
ditions, surely the effort became still more remarkable and
worthy of approbation when its means were limited to one
little vessel, containing but twenty-five souls, equipped and
provisioned (although efficiently, yet) in a manner more
according with the limited resources of a private individual
than with those of the public purse. The less the means, the
more arduous I felt was the achievement. The greater
the risk — for the ' Fox ' was to be launched alone into those
dangerous seas from which every other vessel had long since
been withdrawn — the more glorious would be the success, the
more honourable even the defeat, if again defeat awaited us.
Upon the last day of June Lady Franklin, accompanied
by her niece Miss Sophia Cracroft, and my esteemed friend
and brother officer Rochfort Maguire,' came on board at
' The late Commodore Maguire. This brave, generous, and humane

Chap. I.

June, 1857, LADY FRANKLIN'S INSTRUCTIONS. 9

lur equipment I
ion and earnest
ies brought me
klin in her dis-
, and an earnest
irvivors of the
or at least, to
on their heroic
every honest

f public opinion

ious mission in-

' duty. I could

irably equipped

the same duty,

■d of Admiralty,

11 the cause of

d that, if high

splendid expe-

•emarkable and

limited to one

, equipped and

manner more

ivate individual

i the means, the

The greater

lone into those

had long since

the success, the

eat awaited us.

accompanied

isteemed friend

e on board at

lous, and humane

Aberdeen to bid us farewell, for we purposed sailing in the

evenmg. Seeing how deeply agitated Lady Franklin was on

leaving the ship, I endeavoured to repress the enthusiasm of

my crew, but without avail ; it found vent in three prolonged

hearty cheers. The strong feeling which prompted them

was truly sincere ; and this unbidden exhibition of it can

hardly have gratified her for whom it was intended more

than it did myself.

I must here insert the only written instructions I could

prevail upon Lady Franklin to give me ] they were not read

until the ' Fox ' was fairly in the Atlantic.

n. ,-. ■\itin, ™«„., Aberdeen, '^une 2Q, iS"??.

My dear Captain M'Cuntock, ' -^ ^> :>i

You have kindly invited me to give you "Instructions," but I cannot
bring myself to feel that it would be right in me in any way to influence
your judgment in the conduct of your noble undertaking ; and indeed I
have no temptation to do so, since it appears to me that your viev/s are
ahnost identical with those which I had independently formed before I
had the advantage of being thoroughly possessed of yours. But had this
been otherwise, I trust you would have found me ready to prove the
implicit confidence I place in you by yielding my own views to your
more enlightened judgment ; knowing too as I do that your whole heart
also is in the cause, even as my own is.

As to the ol/jects of the expedition and their relative importance, I am
sure you knew ihat tlie rescue of any possible survivor of the 'Erebus'
and 'Terror' would be to me, as it would be to you, the noblest result of
our efforts.

To this oliject I wish every other to be subordinate ; and next to it in
importance is the recovery of the unspeakably precious documents of the
expedition, public and private, and the personal relics of my dear husband
and his companions.

And lastly, I trust it may be in your power to confirm, directly or in-

officer was universally respected and beloved. Scarcely had he reached
the meridian of life when a protracted and most jiainful malady terminated
his career in 1867, a ^cw days only after his return from Australia, where
he held the chief naval command. In 1 840 he was most severely wounded
at the taking of Sidon. When engaged in arctic service, 1852-3-4, he
particularly distinguished himself by his nolile forbearance towards the
natives at Point Harrow who attacked II. M.S. 'Plover' under his com-
mand : his admirable narrative is published in the Appendix to McClure's
•North-West Passage.'

iWi*

U i

t '

'! li

DEPARTURE.

Chap. I.

ferentially, the claimsof my luisljand's expedition to the earliest discovery
of tile N. W. passage, which, if Dr. Rae's report lie true (and the CJovern-
ment of our country has accepted and rewarded it as sucli), these martyrs
in a noI)le craise achieved at tlicir last extremity, afi.er five long years of
lal)our and suffering, if not at an earlier period,

I am sure you will do all that man can do for the attainment of all
these ol)jects ; my only fear is that you may sjiend yourselves too much
in the effort ; and ycni must therefore let me tell you how much dearer
to me even than any of them is the preservation of the valuable lives of
the little iiaiid of heroes who are your companions and followers.

May Ciod in his great mercy preserve you all from harm amidst the
labours and jierils which await you, and restore you to us in health and
safety as well as honour ! As to the honour I can have no misgiving.
It will be yours as much if you fail (since you viay fail in spite of every
effort) as if you succeed ; and be assured that, under any and all cir-
cumstances ■tohafiT'c'i; such is my unbounded confidence in you, you will
possess and be entitled to the enduring gratitude of your sincere and
attached friend,

Jane Franklin.

We were not destined to get to sea that evening. The
' Fox,' hitherto during her brief career, accustomed only to
the restraint imposed upon a gilded pet in summer seas,
seemed to have got an inkling that her duty henceforth was
to combat with difficulties, and, entering fully into the spirit
of the cruize, answered her helm so much more readily than
the pilot expected, that she ran aground upon the bar. She
was promptly shored up, and remained in that position until
next morning, when she floated off unhurt at high water,
and commenced her long and lonely voyage.

Scarcely had we left the busy world behind us when we
were actively engaged in making arrangements for present
comfort and future exertion. How busy, how happy, a:id
how full of hope we all were then !

On the night of the 2nd of July we passed through the
Pentland Firth, where the tide rushing impetuously against
a strong wind raised up a tremendous sea, amid which the
little vessel struggled bravely under steam and canvas. The
bleak wild shores of Orkney, the uncouth aspect, hoarse

]\JV

sere

si shril

S angi

Gret

'Wn

cam

Fare

.v^^^H

adve

him

'-'^MM

whet

■f^S.

in h

purp

bicf/^

Chap. I.

July, 1S57. ORk'XEYS AND GREENLAND.

cnrliest discovery
: (and the Ciovern-
ich), tliese martyrs
five long years of

; attainment ot" all
lurselves too mucli
how much dearer
e valuable lives of
I followers,
harm amidst the
:o us in health and
lave no misgiving,
lil in spite of every
:r any and aU cir-
;e in you, you will
f your sincere and

\.NE Franklin.

; evening. The
astomed only to
n summer seas,
henceforth was
ly into the spirit
lore readily than
3n the bar. She
lat position until
at high water,

ind us when we
lents for present
how happy, and

ised through the
:)etuously against
amid which the
nd canvas. The
aspect, hoarse

screams and unintelligible dialect of the Pilots' crew, the
shrill cry of innumerable sea-birds, the howling breeze and
angry sea, made us feel as if we had suddenly awakened in
Greenland itself.

The southern extremity of that ice-locked continent be-
came visible on the 12th. It is quaintly named Cape
Farewell ; but whether by some sanguine outward-bound
adventurer who fancied that in leaving Greenland behind
him he had already secured his passage to Cathay ; or
whether by the wearied homesick mariner, barely escaping
in his shattered bark from the grasp of winter, and firmly
purposing to bid a long farciucll to this cheerless land,
history altogether fails to enlighten us.

From January until July this coast is usually rendered
unapi^roachable by a broad margin of heavy ice, which drifts
there from the vicinity of Spitzbergen, and, lapping round
the Cape, extends alongshore to the northward about as
far as Baal's River, a distance of 250 miles. Although it
effectually blockades the ports of South Greenland for the
greater part of the summer, and is justly dreaded by
the captains of the Greenland traders, it confers important
benefits upon the Greenlander by bearing to his shores
immense numbers of seals and many bears. The same
current which conveys hither all this ice is also freighted
with a scarcely less valuable supply of driftwood from the
Siberian rivers.

About this time, one of my crew showing symptoms of
diseased lungs, I determined to embrace the earliest oppor-
tunity of sending him home out of a climate so fatal to those
[ who are thus affected ; and having learnt from Mr. Petersen,
who had quitted Greenland only in April last, that a vessel
would very soon leave Frederickshaab for Copenhagen, I
resolved to go to that place in order to catch this homeward-
bound ship.

,li

I.'

IL\/-: ARCr/C SCKNKRV.

CllAl'. I.

It \v;is necessary to push ihrouLjh the Si)itzl)crgen ice, and
wc IbrluiKitely succecileil in doiiiij; so after eii;lileen hours
of buHelini; with tiiis (brniidable enemy; at Inst we found it
tolerably loose, and the winil bein^ stronj^ and favourable,
we thumped aloni; pleasantly enough ; but as we advancctl,
the ice became mucli more closely jjacked, a thick fog came
on, and many hard knocks were exchanged ; at length our
ste im carried us through into the broail belt of clear water
between the ice and land, which Tctersen assureil mc always
exists here at this season.

The dense fog now prevented further i)rogrcss, and as
evening closed in I gave up all hope of improvement for
the night : w lien sucUlenly, the fog rolled back ui)on the land
disclosing some islets close to us, then the rugged i)oints
of mainland, and at length, the distant snowy mountain-
peaks against a deep blue sky. ^\'e found ourselves to be
upon the Tallard Bank, 30 miles north of our port, having
been rapiiily carried northward by the Si)itzbergen current.

The evening became bright and delightful ; the whole
extent of coast was fringed with innumerable islets, backed
by lofty mountains, and, being richly tinted by a glorious
western sun, formed an unusually splendid sight. (Greenland
unveiled to our anxious gaze, that memorable evening, all
the magnil'icence of her wondrous natural beauty. It almost
seemetl as if to welcome us, she thus suddenly cast off her
dingy mantle and shone forth with an impressive grandeur
which aljiine scenery alone can equal.

A foint streak ap})arently of mist, which we could not
account for, still extended across a low wide interval in the
mountain range ; the telescojie revealed its true character, —
it was a portion of the distant mighty glacier.

Ji//y 20///. — This morning the chief trader of the settle-
ment, or, as he is more usually styled by the English, the
Governor, came otf to us, and his pilot soon conducted us

C:iAi'. I.

Jii.v, 1857. J)A\/SJI ESTAIiUSIIMKNTS.

bcrgcn ice, and
cii;lilecn hours
jrst wc found it
;ind favourable,
vs we advanced,
. thick fopj came
; at leni^th our
t of clear water
>urcd me always

)rogrcss, and as
mprovement for
•k upon the land
e rugged points
nowy mountain-
ourselves to be
our port, having
bergen current,
itful ; the whole
)le islets, backed
d by a glorious
ght. Cireenland
ible evening, all
auty. It almost
enly cast off her
)ressive grandeur

::h we could not
e interval in the
tme character, —
:r.

ler of the settle-

the English, the

on conducted us

into the safe litUe harbour of I'rcdcrickshaab. I was much
gratified to learn that wc were just in time to secure a
passage houie for our ailing shipmate.

For trailing purposes (ireenland is monopolized by the
Danish (lovernmcnt ; its Ks([uimaux and mixed population
amount to about 7000 souls. Some 400 or 500 Danes re-
side constantly there for the ])urpose of conducting the trade,
which consists almost exclusively in the exchange of I'Airo-
j)ean goods tor oil and the skins of seals, reintleer, and a few
other animals.

The l'ls(iuimaux are not subject to Danish laws, and they
pride themselves upon this mere show of independence ;
they are, however, sincerely attached to the Danes, and with
abundant reason; a Lutheran clergyman, a doctor, and a
schoolmaster, whose several duties it is to give them gra-
tuitous instruction and relief, are attached to each district,
and supported by the Danish Government ; and when these
im[)rovident people are in distress, which not imfrecjuently
hapi)ens during the long winters, provisions are issued to
them free of cost : spirits are strictly prohibited. All of
tliem have become Christians, and many can read and write.
Have we English done as much for the aborigines in any
of our numerouo colonies, even in far more favoured climes ?
We have thousands of Escjuimaux within our own territories
of Labrador and of the Hudson's Bay Company, have we
ever attempted to do anything for their welfare ? — and thou-
sands more of them inhabit the north shore of LIudson's Strait
and the west shore of Davis' Strait, within three weeks' sail of
us, and in annual communication with our whaling ships.

Greenland is divided into two inspectorates, the northern

and southern ; the inspector of the latter division. Dr. Rink,

had arrived at Frederickshaab upon his summer round of

I visits only the day previous to ourselves. He came on

I board to call upon me, and after Divine Service I landed,

14 FREDERICKSHAAB, DA VIS' STRAIT. Chap. I.

and enjoyed a ramble with him over the moss-clad hills.
Our first meeting was in North Greenland in 1848 ; we had
not seen one another since, so we had much to talk about.
Dr. Rink is a gentleman of acknowledged talent, a dis-
tinguished traveller, and is choroughly conversant with the
sciences of geology and botany. Unfortunately for me his
excellent work on Greenland has not been translated into
English.

Huge granitic boulders are not uncommon ; we met some
during our walk ; the largest measured fifty feet in circum-
ference by eight feet in height.

We were kindly permitted to purchase eight tons of coals,
and such small things as were recjuired ; the only fresh sup-
plies to be obtained besides codfish, which was abundant,
consisted of a very few ptarmigan and hares, and a couple
of kids ; these last are scarce. Some goats exist, but for
eight months out of the year they are shut up in a house,
and even now — in midsummer — are only let out in the day-
time. We also purchased of the Esc^uimaux some r:pecimens
of Esquimaux workmanship, such as models of the native
dresses, kayaks, (S:c., also birds' skins and eggs. I saw fine
si)ecimens of the white swan, and of a bird said to be
extremely rare in Greenland, — it was a species of grebe,
Podiccps o'isiatiis, I imagine. Frederickshaab is just now
well supplied with wood : besides an unseaworthy brig, the
wreck of a large timber-ship lay on the beach, and an
abandoned timber-vessel, which was met with between Ice-
land and Greenland in July by Prince Napoleon, drifted
upon the coast 30 miles to the northward in the following
September.

2ist — Dr. Rink paid me a visit when starting upon a
boat-voyage to visit some settlements at several days' journey
to the southward. His boat was constructed of a wooden
frame covered with stout seal-skin ; it was about thirty feet

T. Chap. I.

J ULY, 1857. ESn UIMA UX BOA TS CRE IV.

Dss-clad hills.
848 ; we had
to talk about,
talent, a dis-
sant with the
:ly for me his
ranslated into

we met some
;et in circum-

tons of coals,
»nly fresh sup-
,vas abundant,
, and a couple

exist, but for
up in a house,
3ut in the day-
3me c;pecimens

of the native
I saw fine

d said to be
cies of grebe,

b is just now

orthy brig, the

each, and an
between Ice-

)oleon, drifted
the following

arting upon a

d days' journey

1 of a wooden

out thirty feet

long, very nnnow, and flat at the bottom. The crew con-
sisted of six smartly dressed young women, — hence, I sup-
pose, the Escjuimaux name of Ooiniak^ or woman's boat; — and
the coxswain, or pilot, was a sedate old man, whose patience
must often have been sorely tried by these frisky damsels.

Esquimaux matrons remain at home attending to household
affairs. The men and lads employ themselves in hunting
and fishing — they are too dignified and lazy to labour in
rowing ; — so it is amongst the disposable young women one
must look for a boat's crew, and it seemed to us that the
worthy inspector had selected the belles of the place. The
difticulty of discipline amongst them once got over, boating
in South Greenland may be pleasant enough; we naturally re-
garded such a boat and boat's crew as an interesting novelty,
and were immensely amused by observing the amount of
co(iuettishness, combined with very graceful skill, which
these emulous rowers contrived to display upon this rare and
fitting occasion, — the Governor's State visit to the ' Fox' !

The Governor In his Oomiak

. ■ I

I I

' §,

■

]

LICHTENFELS — FISKERNAES. Chap. II.

CHAPTER II.

Fiskernaes and Esquimaux — The ' Fox ' reaches Disco — Disco Fiord
— Summer scenery — Waigat Strait — Coaling from the mine —
Purchasing Es<|uimaux do<is — Heavy gale off Upernivik — Melville
Bay — The middle ice — The great glacier of Greenland — Do Rein-
deer cross the glacier ?

22,rd July. — Sailed the day before yesterday for Godhaab.
The fog was thick, and wind strong and contrary, but the
current being favourable we found ourselves off the small
out-station of Fiskernaes, when early this morning our fore
topmast was carried away ; this accident induced me to run
in and anchor for the purpose of repairing the damage.

After passing within the outer islets, the Moravian settle-
ment of Lichtenfels came in view upon the right hand ; it
consists of a large sombre-looking wooden house over which
is a belfry, a smaller wooden house, and about a dozen native
huts roofed with sods, and scarcely distinguishable from the
ground they stand on, even at a very short distance. The
land immediately behind is a barren rocky steep, now just
sufficiently denuded of snow to look desolate in the extreme.
A strong tide was setting out of the fiord, as we a})proached
and anchored in the rocky little cove of Fiskernaes ; here
we were not only sheltered from the wind, but the steep
dark rocks within a ship's length on each side of us reflected
a strong heat, whilst large mosquitoes lost no time in paying
us their annoying visits. This remote spot has been visited
by the arctic voyagers Captain Inglefield, R.N., and Dr.
Kane, U.S.N., and still more recently by Prince Napoleon.
Dr. Kane's account of his visit is full and very interesting.

Chap. II.

July, 1857.

ESQUIMAUX TENT,

CO — Disco Fiord
"rom the mine —
;rnivik — Melville
nland— Do Rein-

yfor Godhaab.
intrary, but the
;s oft" the small
orning our fore
iuced me to run
e damage.
VIoravian settle-
i right hand ; it
3use over which
a dozen native
shable from the
distance. The
steep, now just
in the extreme,
we approached
iskernaes; here
but the steep
e of us reflected
time in paying
las been visited
R.N., and Dr.
ince Napoleon.
very interesting.

Cod-fishing was now in full activity, and the few men not so
employed had gone up the fiord to hunt reindeer.

The solitary dwelling-house belongs of course to the chief
trader, and is a model of cleanliness and order; built of wood,
it exhibits all the resources of the painter's art ; the exterior
is a dull red, the window-frames are white, floors yellow,
wooden partitions and low ceilings pale blue. The lady of
the house had resided here for about eight years, and ap-
peared to us to be, and acknowledged she was, heartily tired
of the solitude. She gave me coffee, and some seeds for
cultivation at our winter quarters : these were lettuce,
spinach, turnips, carraway, and peas, the latter being the
common kind used on board ship ; usually they have only
produced leaves on this spot, but once the young peas grew
large enough for the table. I expressed a wish to see the
interior of an Esquimaux tent. Petersen pulled aside the
thin membrane of some animal, which hung across a door-
way, and served to exclude the wind, but admitted light; for,
although past midnight, there was good daylight. Some
se\'en or eight individuals lay within closely packed upon
the ground ; the heads of old and young, males and females,
being just visible above the common covering. Going to
bed here only means lying down with your clothes on, upon
a reindeer skin, wherever you can find room, and pulling
another fur-robe over you.

Fiskernaes appeared to be a sunny little nook, yet all the
peoi)le we saw there were suffering from colds and coughs,
and many deaths had occurred during the spring. The boys
brought us handfuls of rough garnets, some of them as large
as walnuts, receiving with evident satisfaction biscuits in
exchange.

By next morning we were able to put to sea, and early on
the day following arrived oft' the large settlement of God-
iiaab ; it is in the " Gilbert Sound " of Davis, and appears

'j ^. -»,-

IM;

)'■

I ■

MOJ^A VIAN MISSIONS.

Chap. II.

in many old charts as Baal's River. Almost adjoining
Godhaab is the Moravian settlement of New Herrnhut.
Here it was that Hans Egede, the missionary father of
Greenland, established himself in 1721, and thus re-opened
the communication between Europe and Greenland, which
had ceased upon the extinction of its early Scandinavian
settlers in the 14th century.

A few years after Egede's successful beginning, the Mora-
vian mission still existing under the name of New Herrnhut
was established. At present the Moravians support ' t
missions in Greenland ; they ire not subject to the Danish
authorities, nor are they permitted in any way to trade.

As we were about to enter the harbour, the Danish vessel
— the sole object of our visit — came out, so not a moment
was lost in sending on board our invalid ' and our letter-bag,
and in landing our coasting pilot. This man had brought us
up from Frederickshaab for the very moderate sum of three
pounds ; he was an Esquimaux, and, as the brother of poor
Hans, Dr. Kane's unhappy dog-driver, was received with
favour amongst us, and soon won our esteem by his quiet
obliging disposition, as also by his ability in the discharge of
his duty ; he was so keensighted and so vigilant, it was quite
a comfort to have him on board during the foggy weather,
for he could recognise on the instant every rock or point,
even when dimly looming through the mist. V/e were
not long in discovering that his absence was a loss to
us.

When passing out to the north of the Kookornen islands,
the wind suddenly failed, and at the same time a swell from
to seaward reached us ; we therefore had considerable diffi-

' This man was in a rapid decline ; his sliipmatcs kindly prepared for
him a few bottles of cod liver oil from the fish obtained at I'^redericksliaah ;
to this oil, he subsec^uently told me, he atlributed his speedy and com-
plete recovery.

Chap. II.

July, 1857.

DISCO FIORD.

Imost adjoining
New Hermhut.
lonary father of
I thus re-opened
ireenland, which
-ly Scandinavian

nning, the Mora-
f New Herrnhut
ms support r
ct to the Danish
ay to trade.
;he Danish vessel
so not a moment
nd our letter-bag,
m had brought us
rate sum of three
; brother of poor
as received with
eem by his quiet
1 the discharge of
:ilant, it was quite
le foggy weather,
ry rock or point,
mist. V/e were
e was a loss to

ookornen islands,
time a swell from
considerable diffi-

kindly iireparcd for

1 at Fi-edcricksliaah;

liis speedy and com-

culty in towing the ship clear of the rocks ; for nearly half
an hour our position was most critical.

July ■^\st. — Anchored at Godhavn (or Lievely), in Disco,
for a fev/ hours. I presented a letter from the ]3irectors of
the Royal Greenland Company to the Inspector of North
Greenland, Mr. C. S. M. Olrik, authorising him to furnish
us with any needful supplies. Our only wants were sledge-
dogs and a native to manage them. We soon obtained ten
of the former, but were advised to go into Disco Fiord,
where many of the Esquimaux were busy in taking an 1
drvinir salmon-trout, and where one of the latter would most
probably be obtained.

I was much pleased with Mr. Olrik's kind reception ot
me, and soon found him to be not only agreeable but well
informed. Born in Greenland of Danish parents, he is
thoroughly conversant with the language and habits of the
Esquimaux, and has devol 1 much of his leisure time in
collecting rare specimens of the animal, vegetable, and
mineral productions of the country. I came away enriched
by some fossils from the fossilized forest of Atanekerdluk,
also with specimens of native coal.

It was here I met with the commanders of the late whalers
' Gipsy ' and * Undaunted,' of Peterhead, which had been
rrushed by the ice in Melville Bay five or six weeks pre-
\iously : all the other whalers had returned from the north
along the pack edge, and passed south of Disco. They said
that the ice in Melville Bay was all broken up, and that they
thought we should find but little difficulty at this late period
in i)assing through it into the North Water.

Although the crews of the lost whalers were here, awaiting
a passage home in the Danish ship, yet I could not induce
any of them to volunteer for the ' Fox.'

Leaving Godhavn in the afternoon with a native pilot,
we found ourselves some 10 or 12 miles u]) Disco Fiord at

c 2

I. 1

CHRISTIAN, THE DOG-DRIVER. Chap. II.

an early hour next morning. After despatching the pilot
to announce our arrival to his countrymen at their fishing
station, 7 or 8 miles further up, the Doctor and I landed
upon the north side to explore.

The scenery is charming, lofty hills of trap rock, with
slopes unusually rich in grass and moss for the 70th parallel,
descending to the fiord, and strewed with boulders of gneiss
and granite. We found the blue campanula holding a con-
spicuous place amongst the wild flowers. I do not know a
more enticing spot in Greenland for a week's shooting, fish-
ing, and yachting than Disco Fiord ; hares and ptarmigan
may be found along the bases of the hills : ducks are most
abundant about the fiord, and delicious salmon-trout very
plentiful in the rivers. Formerly Disco was famed for the
large size and abundance of its reindeer ; but for some un-
explained reason they now confine themselves to the main-
land.

At this season the natives of Godhavn resort here and
enjoy the trout fishery, — it is truly their season of harvest :
the weather is pleasant, food delicious and abundant, and
labour an agreeable pastime.

Some kayaks soon came off" to the ship, bringing salmon-
trout, both fresh and smoked.

A young Esquimaux, named Christian, volunteered his
services as our dog-driver, and was accepted ; he is about
23 years of age, unmarried, and an orphan. The men soon
thoroughly cleansed and cropped him : soap and scissars
being novelties to an Esquimaux ; they then rigged him in
sailor's clothes j he was evidently not at home in them, but
was not the less proud of his improved appearance, as re-
flected in the admiring glances of his countrymen.

We now hastened away to the Waigat Strait to complete
our coals. When passing Godhavn, the pilot was launched
off our deck in his little kayak without stopping the ship !

; pice,

\ 5^
•;jpassir
^split (

warm

R. Chap. II.

ching the pilot
at their fishing
r and I landed

trap rock, with
le 70th parallel,
mlders of gneiss
L holding a con-
[ do not know a
s shooting, fish-
; and ptarmigan
ducks are most
dmon-trout very
.s famed for the
Dut for some un-
ves to the main-
resort here and
ason of harvest :
d abundant, and

wringing salmon-
volunteered his
)ted ; he is about
The men soon
cap and scissars
en rigged him in
)me in them, but
ppearance, as re-
•ymen.

;rait to complete

[lot was launched

tpping the shipl

Aug. 1857,

WAIGAT STRAIT.

As a kayak is usually about 18 feet long, 8 inches deep, and
only 15 or 16 inches wide, it requires great expertness to
perform such a feat without the addition of a capsize.

4th Au}:;iist. — Entered the Waigat yesterday morning,
slowly steaming through a sea of glass. Its surface was only
rippled by the myriads of eider-ducks which extended over
it for several miles : most of them were immature in plumage,
and were probably the birds of last year.

After running about 24 miles, towards evening we ap-
proached a low range of sandstone cliffs on the Disco shore,
in which horizontal seams of coal were seen. Here we
anchored, and immediately commenced coaling. It was
fortunate v/e did so, for soon it began to blow hard ; and
ere noon to-day we were obliged, for the safety of the ship,
to leave our exposed anchorage, having, however, secured
eight or nine tons of tolerable coal. Formerly these coal-
seams were worked for the supply of the neighbouring
settlements, but for several years past it has been found
more profitable and convenient to send out coals from
Denmark, and thus permit the natives to devote their whole
time to the seal-fishery.

The Waigat scenery is unusually grand ; the strait varies
ifrom 3 to 5 leagues in width; on each side are mountains of
1 3000 feet in height. The Disco side, upon which we landed,
is composed of trap, sandstone appearing only at the beach,
land occasionally rising in cliffs to about 100 feet. Upon
(the moss-clad slopes many fragments of quartz and zoolite
hvere met with. The north end of Disco is almost a preci-
^pice, the snow-capped summit of which is aooo feet high.

5^//. — A pleasant fair wind carries us rapidly northward,

-passing many icebergs. Our rigging is richly garnished with

split codfish, which we hoped would dry and keep ; but a

warm day in Disco Fiord, and much rain with a southerly

gale in the Waigat, have destroyed it for our own use. It

I;' I

! i

I M

!i !

■ '^.

«r I'i '

/ >

l: ;

I i

UPERNIVIK.

Chap. II.

is, however, still valuable as food for our clogs. I am very
anxious to complete my stock of these our native auxiliaries,
as without them we cannot hope lo explore all the lands
which it is the object of our voyagf; to search. We could
only obtain ten at Godhavn, an^' we require twenty more.

6///. — By Petersen's i I'm- • cnov/ledge of the coast we
were enabled to run c : ■. o the little settlement of

Proven during the night,' - i oufrm a few dogs and some
dogs' food. This morning we reachcu he extreme station of
Upernivik, the last trace of civilization we shall meet with
for some time. It is in lat. 72^ N. Here Petersen resided
for twelve of the eigliteen years he has spent in Greenland,
and his unlooked-tor reappearance astonished and delighted
the small community, more especially Governor Fliescher
and his household, who received us with a most hearty wel-
come. On a previous visit to this place I was tempted to
measure an Esquimaux's mouth as he stood on the deck,
grinning frightfully and offering a couple of speared looms
for sale ; it measured four inches and a half across ! Flat-
tered by this attention, he begged for rum, and a small
wineglassful was given him, — he literally chucked it into
this yawning crater, as a dog catches the crumb thrown to
him, and, quick as thought, held the glass out for more,
which of course he did not get.

7///. — Yesterday, when we hove to off Upernivik, the
weather was very bad and rapidly growing worse, therefore
our stay was limited to a couple of hours. The last letters
for home were landed, fourteen dogs and a quantity of seal's
flesh for them embarked, and the ship's head was turned
seaward.

It was then blowing a southerly gale, with overcast murky
sky, and a heavy sea running. When four miles outside the

' It is hardly necessary to remind the reader that at this season, and in
this high latitude, the daylight is constant.

Aug. 1857.

HE A VY GALE.

t this season, and in

outer island, breakers were suddenly discovered ahead, only-
just in time to avoid the ledge of sunken rocks upon which
the sea was beating most violently. Many such rocks lie
at considerable distances beyond the islands which border
this coast, and greatly add to the dangers of its navigation.
Being now fairly at sea, and the ship under easy sail for the
night, I went early to bed in the hope of sleeping. I had
been up all the previous night, naturally anxious about the
ship threadiiig her way through so many dangers, uncertain
about being able to complete the number of our sledge-dogs,
and much occupied in closing my correspondence, to which
there would be an end for at least a year. All this over, the
uncertain future loomed ominously before me. The great
responsibilities I had undertaken seemed now and at once
to fall with all their weight upon me. A mental whirlpool
was the consequence, which, backed by the material storm,
and the howling of the wretched dogs in concert on deck,
together with the tumbling about of everything below, long
kept sleep in abeyance. One thought and feeling predomi-
nated : it was gratitude, deep and humble, for the success
which had hitherto attended us, and for some narrow escapes
which I must ever regard as providential.

Yesterday's gale has given place to calm foggy weather. An
occasional iceberg is seen. The officers amuse themselves
in trying new guns, and shooting sea-birds for our dogs.

Governor Fliescher told me yesterday that for the last four
weeks southerly winds had prevailed, and that only a fort-
night ago his boat v/as unable to reach the Loom Cliffs at
Cape Shackleton, 50 miles north of Upernivik, in conse-
quence of the ice being pressed in against the land. I fear
these same winds have closed together the ice which occu-
pies the middle of Davis' Strait (hence called the middle ice),
so that we shall not be able to penetrate it. However, we
are standing out to make the attempt.

/Tf*

BAFFIN'S BA V.

Chap. II.

ii f

( ;

' i!

'li! I

To the uninitiated it may be as well to observe that each
winter the sea called Baffin's Bay freezes over ; in spring
this vast body of ice breaks up, and drifting southward in a
mass — called the main-pack, or the middle ice — obstructs
the passage across from east to west.

The '• North Passage " is made by sailing round the north
end of this pack ; the " Middle Passage,"' by pushing through
it ; and the " Southern Passage," by passing round its
southern extreme ; but seasons do occur when none of
these routes is practicable.

It is very remarkable that southward of Disco northerly
winds have prevailed. They greatly impeded our progress
up Davis' Strait, but we cheered ourselves with the hope that
they would effectually clear a path for us across the northern
part of Baffin's Bay.

8///. — Last night we reached the edge of the middle ice,
about 70 miles to the west of Upemivik, and ran southward
along its edge all night. This morning, in thick fog, the
ship was caught in its margin of loose ice. The fog soon
after cleared off, and we saw the clear sea about two miles
to the eastward, whilst all to the west was impenetrable
closely-packed floe-pieces. After steaming out of our pre-
dicament (a matter which we could not accomplish under
sail) we ran on to the southward until evening, but found
the pack edge still composed of light ice very closely pressed
together.

Having now closely examined it for an extent of 40 miles,
I was satisfied that we could not force a passage through it
across Baffin's Bay, as is frequently done in ordinary
seasons : therefore, taking advantage of a fair wind, we
steered to the northward, in order to seek an opening in
that direction.

I2/A — Position 75° 6' vY, 59° 20' W, We are in Melville
Bay; made fast this afternoon to an iceberg, which lies

Chap. II.

Aug. 1857.

THE MIDDLE ICE.

rve tliat each
;r; in spring
.ithward in a
ce — obstructs

md the north
shing through
i(T round its
,'hen none of

isco northerly

our progress

I the hope that

,s the northern

he middle ice,
ran southward
thick fog, the
The fog soon
bout two miles
impenetrable
)ut of our pre-
;omplish under
ing, but found
closely pressed

;nt of 40 miles,
sage through it
in ordinary
fair wind, we
an opening in

are in Melville
erg, which lies

aground in 58 fathoms water, about two miles from Browne's
Islands, and between them and the great glacier which here
takes the place of the coast-line.

We have got thus far without any difficulty, sailing along
the edge of the middle ice ; but here we find it pressing in
against Browne's Islands, and covering the whole bay to
the northward, quite in to the steep face of the glacier.
This is evidently the result of long-continued southerly
winds; but as the ice is very much broken up, we may
expect it to move off rapidly before the autumnal northerly
winds now due, and these winds invariably remove the
previous season's ice. All that we know of Melville Bay
navigatio 1 in August is derived from the experience of
exploring voyages, and is limited to eight or nine seasons.
My own three previous transits across it were made in this
month. The whalers either get through in June or July,
or give up the attempt as being too late for their fishing.
It frequently happens that they get round the south end of
the middle ice, between latitudes 66° and 69° N., and up
the west coast of Baffin's Bay late in the season ; but we
have no accounts of these voyages, nor should I be justified,
at this late period of the season, in abandoning the prospect
before me, in order to attempt a route which, even if suc-
cessful, would lengthen our voyage to Barrow's Strait by 700
or 800 miles. We have already passed what is usually the
most difficult and dangerous part of the Melville Bay transit.

There is much to excite intense admiration and wonder
around us ; one cannot at once appreciate the grandeur of
tliis mighty glacier, extending, coastwise, unbroken for 40
or 50 miles. Its sea-cliffs, about 5 or 6 miles from us,
appear comparatively low, yet the icebergs detached from it
are of the lofuest description. Here, on the spot, it does
not seem incorrect to compare the icebergs to mere chip-
pings off its edge, and the floe-ice to the thinnest shavings.

■iVHJ

3s' •

GREAT GLACIER

Chap. II.

ii 'ii

\v ;!

The flir-off outline of glacier, seen against the eastern sky,
has a faint tinge of yellow : it is almost horizontal, and of
unknown distance and elevation ; roughly, we may estimate
it to be thirty or forty miles off, and 1500 or 2000 feet
high.

There is an unusual dearth of birds and seals ; everything
around us is painfully still, excepting when an occasional
iceberg splits off from the parent glacier; then we hear a
rumbling crash like distant thunder, and the wave occasioned
by the launch reaches us in six or seven minutes, and
makes the ship roll lazily for a similar period. I cannot
imagine that within the whole compass of nature's varied
aspects there is presented to the human eye a scene so well
adapted for promoting deep and serious reflection, for
lifting one's thoughts from trivial things of everyday life to
others of the highest momenr.

The glacier reminds us at once of Time and Eternity — of
time, for we see portions of it break off to drift and melt
away; and of eternity, since its downward march is so
extremely slow, and its augmentations behind so regular,
that no change in its appearance is perceptible from age to
age. If even the untaught savages of luxuriant tropical
regions regard the earth merely as a temporary abode,
surely all who gaze \x\>qw this ice- overwhelmed region, this
wide expanse of " terrestrial wreck," must be similarly
assured that here we have no abiding place, "no continuing
city."

During daytime the strong glare is very distressing, hence
the subdued light of midnight, when the sun just skims
along the northern horizon, is much the most agreeable part
of the twenty-four hours; the temperature variea between
30° and 40° of Fahrenheit.

The drift-ice of various descriptions about us is constantly
in motion under the influence of mysterious surface and

•t

Chap. II.

le eastern sky,

zontal, and of

I may estimate

or 2000 feet

.Is ; everything

an occasional

len we hear a

ave occasioned

minutes, and
iod. I cannot
nature's varied
a scene so well

reflection, for
everyday life to

id Eternity — of
drift and melt
march is so

|ind so regular,
lie from age to
;uriant tropical
iporary abode,
ed region, this

It be similarly
'no continuing

stressing, hence
|sun just skims
agreea.ble part
I varies between

|us is constantly
IS surface and

Aug. 1857.

OF GREENLAND.

under currents (according to their relative depths of floata-
tion), which whirl them about in every possible direction.

To the S.E. are two small islands, almost enveloped in
the glacier, and far within it an occasional mountain-peak
protrudes from beneath.

Our Summer Costume.

From observing closely the \. riations in the glacier
surface, I think we may safely infer that where it lies
unbroken and smooth, the supporting land is level ; and
where much crevassed the land beneath is uneven. The
crevassed parts are of course impassable, but, by following
the windings of the smooth surface, I think the interior
could be reached. Some attempts to cross the glacier in

< i

/•■ !

28 DO REINDEER CROSS THE GLACIER? Chap. II.

South Greenland have failed, yet, by studying its character
and attending to this remark, I think places might be found
where an attempt would succeed. Mr. Petersen tells me
that the Esquimaux of Upernivik are unable to account for
occasional disappearances and reappearances of immense
herds of reindeer, except by assuming that they migrate at
intervals to feeding-grounds beyond the glacier, the surface
of which he also says is smooth enough in many places
even for dog-sledges to travel upon. As there is much
uninhabited land both to the northvard and southward of
Upernivik, I do not see the necessity for this supposition.
The habits of the Esqui^iaux confine them almost exclu-
sively to the islands and sea-coasts.

II'; 'J: i

'Si

7?.? Chap. II.

Aug. 1857.

MELVILLE BAY,

CHAPTER III.

Melville Bay — Crow's-nest — Beset in Melville Bay— Signs of winter
— The coming storm — Drifting in the pack — Canine appetite —
Resigned to a winter in the pack — Dinner stolen by sharks — The
arctic shark — White whales and Killers.

li^th Aui:;. — Three days of the most perfect calm have
sadly taxed our patience. Lovely bright weather, but
scarcely a living creature seen. This afternoon the anxiously-
looked-for north wind sprang up, and immediately the light
ice began to drift away before it, but it is not strong enough
to influence the icebergs, and they greatly retard the clearing-
out of the bay. We have noticed a constant wind off the
glacier, probably the result of its cooling effect upon the
atmosphere ; this wind does not extend more than 3 or 4
miles out from it. We are lying alongside an iceberg ; from
the pools upon its surface we obtain the most delicious
water : the Doctor has clambered all over it in search for
extraneous matter, boulders, mud, &c., but without success.
The dogs have been put upon it, and they enjoy the com
parative freedom of space which it affords ; occasionally
they survey the prospect from ^'^-s loftiest peak, frequently
they fight, and, then unwarily approaching too near to its
glassy slopes, tumble into the sea ; when this happens the
whole pack give us notice by setting up a prolonged melan-
choly howl, peculiar to wolves and Esquimaux dogs; —
What's the row now ? Oh, it's only another dog overboard !
The dog swims to the ship, allows himself to be pulled up in
the bight of a rope, and for the time tranquillity is restored.

I f

11:1

THE CROW'S-NEST.

Chap. III.

So grc^.t is the discharge of fresh water from the glacier
and the innumerable icebergs, and so calm has been the
weather, that we find the surface of the sea covered to a
depth of three inches by water which is perfectly fresh !

16th. — One of the loveliest mornings imaginable ; the ice-
bergs sparkled in the sun, and the breeze was just sufficiently
strong to ripple the patches of dark blue sea ; beyond this,
there was nothing to cheer one in the prospect from the
crow's-nest at four o'clock ; but little change had taken
place in the ice ; I therefore determined to run back along
the pack-edge to the south-westward, in the hope that some
favourable change might have taken place further off shore.
The barometer was unusually low, yet no indication of any
change of weather. A seaman's chest was picked up ; it
contained only a spoon, a fork, and some tin canisters, and
probably drifted here from the southward, where the two
whale-ships were crushed in June, affording another proof of
the prevalence of southerly winds. As we steamed on, the
ice was found to have opened considerably ; it fell calm, and
mist was observed rolling along the glacier from the south-
ward. By noon a S.E. wind reached us; all sail was set,
the leads or lanes of water became wider, and our hopes of
speedily crossing Melville Bay rose in proportion as our
speed increased. We are pursuing our course without let or
hindrance.

The " crow's-nest " is a peculiarity of arctic ships ; it is
merely a secure and sheltered look-outpost, as high up the must
as possible. Here on this lofty perch the commander spends
anxious hours watching the ice-movements, and tracing out
in the ever-changing labyrinth the most secure and con-
tinuous " leads " or " lanes " of water in the direction of his
course. It resembles a cask about 4^ feet high, and wide
enough for a man to turn round in freely ; it has a trap-door
in the bottom through which he enters it, a small moveable

Aug. 1857. BESET IN MEL VILLE BA V.

i-om the glacier
n has been the
3a covered to a
ectly fresh !
finable ; the ice-
3 just sufficiently
;a ; beyond this,
ospect from the
mge had taken
) run back along
! hope that some
further off shore,
indication of any
IS picked up; it
in canisters, and
, where the two
I another proof of
1 steamed on, the
it fell calm, and
:r from the south-
all sail was set,
md our hopes of
roportion as our
se without let or

.rctic ships ; it is
s high up the mast
)mmander spends
and tracing out
secure and con-
direction of bis
t high, and wide
it has a trap-door
a small moveable

screen on the top to keep off the biting winds, and contains
a narrow flat seat ; a light iron rod extends round from its
upper rim on which to rest a telescope. The extent of
vision over the sea-level, of course, varies with the observer's
elevation, and is in actual sea-miles but slightly more than
the square-root of that elevation in feet.

17///. — The fog overtook us yesterday evening, and at
length, unable to see our way, we made fast at eleven o'clock
to the ice. The wind had freshened, it was evidently blow-
ing a gale outside the ice. During the night we drifted
rapidly together with the ice, and this morning, on the
clearing off of the fog, we steamed and sailed on again,
threading our way between the floes, which are larger and
much covered with dry snow. This evening we again made
fast, the floes having closed together, cutting off' advance
and retreat. A wintry night, much wind and snow.

19///. — Continued strong S.E. winds, pressing the ice
closely together, dark sky and snow; everything wears a
wintry and threatening aspect; we are closely hemmed in,
and have our rudder and screw unshipped. This recom-
mencement of S.E. winds and rapid ebbing of the small
remaining portion of summer, makes me more anxious about
the future than the present. Yesterday the weather im-
proved, and by working for thirteen hours we got the ship
out of her small ice-creek into a larger space of water, and
in so doing advanced a mile and a half. It is now calm, but
the ice still drifts, as we would wish it, to the N.W. Yester-
day we were within 12 miles of the position of the 'Enter-
prise' upon the same day in 1848, and under very similar
conditions of weather and ice also.

20th.— Position, 75° 17' N., 62° 16' W. No favourable
ice-drift : this detention has become most painful. The
' Enterprise ' reached the open water upon this day in 1843,
within 50 miles of our present position; unfortunately, our

BESE :> ' IN MEL VILLE BA V. Chap. III.

;;'»ospects are not so cheering. There is no relative motion
in the floes of ice, except a gradual closing together, the
small spaces and creaks of water being still further diminished.
The temperature has fallen, and is usually belo'v the freezing-
point. 1 feel most keenly the difficulty of my position ; we
cannot afford to lose many more days. Of all the voyages
to Barrow Strait, there are but two which were delayed
beyond this date, viz., Parry's in 1824, and the 'Prince
Albert's' in 185 1. Should we not be released, and there-
fore be compelled to winter in this pack, notwithstanding
all our efforts, I shall repeat the trial next year, and in the
end, with God's aid, perform my sacred duty.

The men enjoy a game of rounders on the ice each even-
ing ; Petersen and Christian are constantly on the look-out
for seals, as well as Hobson and Young occasionally; "^ in
good condition and killed instantaneously, the seals float;
several have already been shot ; the liver fried with bacon
is excellent.

Birds have become scarce, — the few we see are returning
southward. How anxiously I watch the ice, weather,
barometer, and thermometer! Wind from any other quarter
than S.E. would oblige the floe-pieces to v.. -ange them-
selves, in doing which they would become loDse, and then
would be our opportunity to proceed.

24///. — Fine weather with very light northerly winds. We
have drifted 7 miles to the west in the last two days. The
ice is now a close pack, so close that one may walk for many
miles over it in any direction, by merely turning a litde to
the right or left to avoid the small water spaces. My fre-
quent visits to the crow's-nest are not inspiriting : how
abs'^lutely distressing this imprisonment is to me, no one
Vvitlio.i*: similar experience can form any idea. As yet the
crew have but liltle suspicion how blighted our prospects
are.

■^¥^M^

J^^:'». Mfe.- *-:!

'k: <*<•*!■

Chap. III.

Aug. 1^57.

SEAL-SHOOTING.

> relative motion
ag together, the
rther diminished,
ilo'v the frcezing-
my position ; we
' all the voyages
:h were delayed
md the 'Prince
;ased, and there-
notwith standing
year, and in the

he ice each even-
(T on the look-out
ccasionally; '^ in
,', the seals float ;
fried with bacon

see are returning
he ice, weather,
any other quarter
-inge them-
j, and then

|herly winds. We
two days. The
lay walk for many
iurning a little to
spaces. My fre-
linspiriting : how
Is to me, no one
Idea. As yet the
led our prospects

27//V. — We daily make attempts to push on, and some-
times get a ship's length, but yesterday evening we made a
mile anc^ a half ! the ice then closed against the ship's sides
and lifted her about a foot. We have had a fresh east wind
for tw'^ days, but no corresponding ice-drift to the west \ this
is most discouraging, and can only be accounted for by sup-
posing the existence of much ice or grounded icebergs in
that direction.

The dreaded reality of wintering in the pack is gradually
forcing itself upon my mind, — but I must not write on this
subject, it is bad enough to brood over it unceasingly. We
can see the land all round Melville Bay, from Cape Walker
nearly to Cape York. Petersen is indefatigable at seal-
siioGting, he is so anxious to secure them for our dogs ; he
sa\ J they must be hit in the head ; " if you hit him in the
beef that is not good," meaning that a flesh-wound does not
prevent their escaping under the ice. Petersen and Christian
practise an Esquimaux mode of attracting the seals ; they
gciape the ice, thus making a noise like that produced by a
seal in making a hole with its flippers, and then place one
end of a pole in the water and put their mouths close to the
other end, making noises in imitation of the snorts and
grunts of their intended victims; whether the device is suc-
cessful or not I do not know, but it looks laughable enough.

Christian came back a fevy days ago, like a true seal-
hunter, carrying his kayak 01 his head, and dragging a seal
behind him. Only two years ago Petersen returned across
this bay with Dr. Kane's retreating party; he shot a seal
which they devoured raw, and which, under providence,
saved their lives. Petersen is a good ice-pilot, knc'ws all
these coasts as well as, or better than any man living, and,
from long experience and habits of observation, is almost
unerring in his prognostications of the weather. Besides
his great value to us as interpreter, few men are better

h*,

! iiPi

t!' J

'i)^ «;

3^1-

PROGRESS J CROSS THE BAY. Chap. III.

adapted for arctic work, — an ardent sportsman, an agree-
able companion, never at a loss for occupation or amuse-
ment, and always contented and sanguine. Happily we
have many such dispositions in the ' Fox.'

7,ot/i.~Fosition, 75° 30' N., 64° 4' W. The whole dis-
tance across Melville Bay is 170 miles: of this we have
performed about 120, 40 of which we have drifted in the
last fourteen days. The ' Isabel ' sailed freely over this spot
on 20th August, 1852 ; but the 'North Star' was beset on
30th July, 1849, to the southward of Melville Bay, and
carried in the ice across it and some 70 or 80 miles beyond,
when she was set free on 26th September, and went into
winter quarters in Wolstenholme Sound. What a precedent
for us !

Yesterday v.^e set to work as usual to warp the ship along,
and moved her ten feet: an insignificant hummock then
blocked up the narrow passage ; as we cculd not push it
before us, a two pound blasting charge was exploded, and
the surface ice was shattered, but such an "mmense quantity
of broken ice came up from beneath, that the difficulty was
greatly increased instead of being removed. This is one of
the many instances iu '.vhich our small vessel labours under
very great disadvantages in ice-navigation — we have neither
sufficient manual power, steam power, nor impetus to force
the floes asunder. I am convinced that a steamer of mode-
rate size and power, with a crew of forty or fifty men, would |
have got tbrorgh a hurdred miles of such ice in less time
than we hav^ bi-en bese";.

The temperature ^ 11 i > 25° last night, and the pools are
strongly frozen ov^r. I ii': w look matters steadily and calmly
in the face ; whilsv reasonable g'-ound for hope remained I
was anxiovib in tht extreme. The dismal prospect of a
"winter in the pack" has scarcely begun to dawn upon the
I do not think they will be much upset by |

crew; however.

lY. Chap. III.

Sept. 1857. DRIFTING IN THE PACK.

it. They had some exciting foot-races on the ice yesterday
evening.

\st Sept. — The indications of an approaching S.E. gale
are at all times sufficiently apparent here, and fortunately so,
as it is the dangerous wind in Melville Bay. It was on the
morning of the 30th, before church-time, that they attracted
our attention : the wind was very light, but barometer low
and falling; very threatening appearances in the S.E. quarter,
dark-blue sky, and grey detached clouds slowly rising ; when
the wind commenced the barometer began to rise. This
gale lasted forty-eight hours, and closed up every little space
of water ; at first all the ice drifted before the wind, but
latterly remained stationary. Twenty seals have been shot
up to this time.

On comparing Petersen's experience with my own, and
that of the * North Star ' in 1849, it seems probable that the
ice along the shores of Melville Bay, at this season, will drift
northward close along the land as far as Cape Parry, where
it probably meets with a southerly current out of Smith's
Sound ; it will be carried away into the middle of Baffin's
Bay, and thence during the winter down Davis' Strait into
the Atlantic. From Cape Dudley Digges to Cape Parry,
including Wolstenholme Sound, open water remains until
October. It is strange that we have ceased to drift lately
to the westward.

(it/i.—Fosiiioji, 75° 24' N., 64° 31' W. During the last
week we have only drifted 9 miles to the west. Obtained
soundings in 88 fathoms ; this is a discovery, and not an
agreeable one. Of the six or seven icebergs in sight, tlie
nearest are to the west of us; they are very large, and
appear to be aground ; we approach them slowly. Pleasant
weather, but the winds are much too gentle to be of service
to us ; although the nights are cold, yet during the day our
men occasionally do their sewing on deck. Our companions,

D 2

i ^"^'"("^

I I

I i'

H'l

DRIFTING IN THE PACK.

Chap. Ill

the seals, are larger ana fatter than formerly, therefore they
float when shot ; we ar^ disposed to attribute their improved
condition to better feeding upon this bank. The dredge
brought up some few shellfish, starfish, stones, and much
soft mud.

9///. — On this day in 1824 Sir Edward Parry got out of
the middle ice, and succeeded in reaching Port Bowen. To
contiiiij hoping for release in time to reach Bellot Strait
would be absurd ; yet, to employ the men, we continue our
preparation of tents, sledges, and gear for travelling. Two
days ago the ice became more slack than usual, and a long
lane opened ; its western termination could not be seen
from aloft. Every effort was made to get into this water,
and by the aid of steam and blasting-powder we advanced
100 yards out of the intervening 170 yards of ice, when the
floes began to close together, a S.E. wind having sprung
up. Had we succeeded in reaching the water, I think we
should have extricated ourselves completely, and perhaps
ere this have reached Barrow Strait, but S.E. and S.W. gales
succeeded, and it now blows a S.S.E. gale, with sleet.

\oth. — Young went to the large icebergs to-day; the
nearest of them is 250 feet high, and in 83 fathoms water;
it is therefore probably aground, except at spring-tide ; the
floe ice was drifting past it to the westward, ai.d was crushing
up against its sides to a height of 50 feet. Since we first
became beset, and consequently the sudden destruction of
the ship a contingency which we should be prepared for,
provisions have been kept at hand on deck, boats and
sledges in readiness for instant use. In such a dire extre-
mity we should of course endeavour to reach the nearest
inhabited land.

\T^th. — Thermometer has fallen to 17° at noon. We have
drifted 18 miles to the W. in the last week ; therefore our
neighbours, the icebergs, are not always aground, but even

Chap. HI

therefore, they

heir improved

The dredge

es, and much

rry got out of
t Bowen. To
1 Bellot Strait
I continue our
Lvelhng. Two
lal, and a long
1 not be seen
nto this water,
r we advanced
f ice, when the
having sprung
ter, I think we
IT, and perhaps
and S.W. gales
ith sleet.
IS to-day; the
fathoms water ;
pring-tide ; the
d was crushing
Since we first
destruction of
prepared for,
:ck, boats and
[]\ a dire extre-
Ich the nearest

loon. We have

therefore our

n>nd, but even

Sept. 1857.

CANINE APPETITE.

v/hen afloat drift more slowly than the light ice. There is
a water-sky to the W. and N.W. \ it is nearest to us in the
direction of Cape York : could we only advance 12 or 15
miles in that direction, I am convinced we should be free to
steer for Barro^a Strait.

Forty-three seals have been secured for the dogs; one
dog is missing, the remaining twenty-nine devoured their
two days' allowance of seal's flesh (60 or 65 lbs.) in forty-two
seconds ! it contained no bone, and had been cut up into
small pieces, and spread out upon the snow, before they
were permitted to rush to dinner ; in this way the weak
enjoy a fair chance, as there is no time for fighting. We
do not allow them on board.

iGth.— Position, 75° 33' N., 64° 52' W. At length we
have drifted past the large icebergs, obtaining soundings
in 69 fathoms within a mile of them; thpy must now be
aground, and have frequently been so during the last three
weeks ; and being directly upon our line of drift, are pro-
bably the immediate cause of our still remaining in Melville
Bay. The ice is slack everywhere, but the temperature
having fallen to 3°, new ice rapidly forms, so that the
change comes too late. The western limit of the bay —
Cape York — is very distinct, and not more than 25 miles
from us.

i8//i'. — Lanes of water in all directions; but the nearest
is half-a-m.ile from us. They come too late, as do also the
N.W. winds which have now succeeded the fatal south-
easters. The temperature fell to 2° below zero last night.
We are now at length in the •' North Water" ; the old ice
has spread out in all directions, so that it is only the young
ice — formed within the last fortnight — which detains us
prisoners here.

The icebergs, the chief cause of our unfortunate deten-
tion, and which for more than three weeks were in advance

■ t nm m n '*mm!mme'mm

< V

(
t

i' 1

( :

PROSPECT FOR WINTER.

Chap. III.

of us to the westward, are now, in the short space of two
days, nearly out of sight to the eastward.

The preparations for wintering and sledge-travelling go
on with unabated alacrity; the latter will be useful should
it become necessary to abandon the ship.

Notwithstanding such a withering blight to my dearest
hopes, yet I cannot overlook the many sources of gratifica-
tion which do exist ; we have not only the necessaries, but
also a fair portion of the luxuries of ordinary sea-life ; our
provisions and clothing are abundant and well suited to the
climate. Our whole equipment, though upon so small a
scale, is perfect in its way. We all enjoy excellent health,
and the men are most cheerful and willing.

Our "native auxiliaries," consisting of Christian and his
twenty-nine dogs, are capable of performing immense ser-
vice ; whilst Mr. Petersen from his great arctic experience
is of much use to me, besides being all that I could wish as
an interpreter. Humanly speaking, we were not unreason-
able in confidently looking forward to a successful issue of
this season's operations, and I greatly fear that poor Lady
Franklin's disappointment will consequently be the more
severely felt.

We are doomed to pass a long winter of absolute inuti-
lity, if not of idleness, in comparative peril and privation;
nevertheless the men seem very happy, — thoughtless of
course, as true sailors always are.

We have drifted ofi" the bank into much deeper water,
and suppose this is the reason that seals have become more
scarce.

22nd. — Constant N.W. winds continue to drift us slowly
southward. Strong indications of water in the N.W., W.,
and S.E. ; its vicinity may account for a rise in the tempe-
rature, without apparent cause, to 27° at noon to-day.

The newly-formed ice affords us delightful walking ; the

Sept. 1857. BEARS— AMUSEMENTS.

ge-travelling go
e useful should

old ice on the contrary is covered with a foot of soft snow.
We have no shooting ; scarcely a living creature has been
seen for a week.

2\th.--Fosition, 75° 8' N., 65° 20' W. Yesterday I thought
I saw two of our men walking at a distance, and beyond
some unsafe ice, but on inquiry found that all were on
board : Petersen and I set off to reconnoitre the strangers ;
they proved to be bears, but much too wary to let us come
within shot. It was dark when we returned on board after
a brisk walk over the new ice. The calm air felt agreeably
mild, we were without mittens and but that the breath froze
upon mustachios and I )eard, one could have readily imagined
the night was comfortably warm ; yet the thermometer
stood at 2 7° below the freezing point. I feel more inclined
to pardon the man who remarked, " the thermometer had
no influence whatever on the cold," than to bear with people
who take for granted that it indicates the sensation of heat
or cold appreciable by our feelings.

To-day when walking in a fresh breeze the wind felt very
cold, and kept one on the look-out for frost-bites, although
the thermometer was up to 10° Games upon the ice and
skating are our afternoon amusements; but we also have
some few lovers of music, who embrace the opportunity for
vigorous execution, without fear of being reminded that
others may have ears more sensitive and discriminating
than their own. But I must not omit to mention the cat,
for she affords us quite as much amusement as the con-
certina. The Doctor has been very zealous in arranging
the specimens of dried plants, and tells me that now he has
got them all packed up and ready for delivery !

26///. — The mountain to the north of Melville Bay,
known as the " Snov/y Peak," was visible yesterday, although
90 miles distant ; I have calculated its height to be 6000
feet. A raven was shot to-day.

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THE ARCTIC SHARK.

Chap. III.

27///. — Our salt meat is usually soaked for some days
before being used ; for this purpose it is put into a net, and
lowered through a hole in the ice; this morning the net
had been torn, and only a fragment of it remained ! We
suppose our twenty-two pounds of salt meat have been
devoured by a shark ; it would be curious to know how
such fare agrees with him, as a full meal of salted provision
will kill an Esquimaux dog, which thrives on almost any-
thing. I used to remonstrate upon the skins of sea-birds
being given to our dogs, but was told the feathers were
good for them ! Here all sea-birds are skinned before
being cooked, otherwise our ducks, divers, and looms would
be intolerably fishy. A well-baited shark-hook has been
substituted for the net of salt-meat ) I much wish to capture
one of the monsters, as wonderful stories are told us ot their
doings in Greenland : whether they are the white shark, or
the basking shark of natural history, I cannot find out. It
is only of late years that the shark fishery has been carried
on to any extent in Greenland ; they are captured for the
sake of their livers, which yield a considerable quantity of
oil. It has very recently been ascertained that a valuable
substance resembling spermaceti may be expressed from the
carcase, and for this purpose powerful screw pre;.ses are now
employed. In early winter the sharks are caught with hook
and line through holes in the ice.

The Esquimaux assert that they are insensible to pain ;
and Petersen assures me he has plunged a long knife
several times into the head of one whilst it continued to
feed upon a white whale entangled in his net ! ! It is not
sufficient to drive them away with sundry thrusts of spears
or knives, but they must be towed away to some distance
from the nets, otherwise they will return to feed. It must
be remembered that the brain of a shark is extremely small
in proportion to the size of its huge head. I have seen

lAP. III.

Sept. 1857.

THE WHITE WHALE,

ne days
net, and

the net
id! We
Lve been
low how
provision
lost any-
sea-birds
lers were
;d before
ms would
has been
:o capture
us ot their

shark, or

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valuable

from the

s are now

with hook

ong

to pain ;
knife
tinued to
It is not
of spears
distance
It must
iiely small
have seen

bullets fired through them with very little apparent effect ;
but if these creatures can feel, the devices practised upon
them by the Esquimaux must be cruel indeed.

It is only in certain localities that sharks are found, and
in these places they are often attracted to the nets by the
animals entangled in them. The dogs are not suffered to
eat either the skin or the head, the former in consequence
of its extreme roughness, and the latter because it causes
giddiness and makes them sick.

The nets alluded to are set for the white whale or the
seal ; if for the former, they are attached to the shore and
extend off at right angles, so as to intercept them in their
autumnal southern migration, when they swim close along
the rocks to avoid their direst foe, the grampus, or " killer,"
the Delphinus orca of naturalists. When the white whide is
stopped by the net it often appears at first to be unconscious
of the fact, and continues to swim against it, affording time
for the approach of the boat and deadly harpoon from
behind. If entangled in the net a very short time suffices
to drown them, as, like all the whale tribe, they are obliged
to come to the surface to breathe.

The killer is also a cetacean of considerable size, 15 to
20 feet in length, but of very different habits ; it is very
swift, is armed with powerful teeth, and is gregarious.
When in sufficient numbers they even attack the whale,
impeding his progress by fastening on his fins and tail. In
summer they appear in the Greenland seas, and the seals
instantly seek refuge from them in the various creeks and
inner harbours ; and the Esquimaux hunter in his frail
kayak, when he sees the huge pointed dorsal fin swiftly
cleaving the surface of the sea, is scarcely less anxious to
sliun such dangerous company. With such stories as these
Petersen beguiles the time; I never tire of listening to
them, and now amuse myself in jotting scraps of them down.

r ti

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1^ i I

1:i|

77/^ KILLER.

Chap. III.

Once only have I seen these dreaded monsters ; when in
the crow's-nest contemplating the chequered surface of ice
and sea, some eight or ten of them swam rapidly past us,
close to the surface, and occasionally displaying out of
wuter the whole of their very remarkable dorsal fin, which
appeared to be at least four or five feet in length.

The crow's-nest.

Oct. 1857.

FIXED IN THE ICE.

CHAPTER IV.

Snow crystals — Dogs will not eat raven — An arctic school — The
dogs invade us — Bear-hunting by night — Ice-artillery — Arctic
palates — Sudden rise of temperature — Freezing of salt-water —
Harvey's idea of a sortie.

T^rd Oct. — Position, 74° 58' N., 65° 52' W. September has
passed away and left us as a legacy to the pack; what a
month have we had of anxious hopes and fears !

Up to the 17 th S.E. winds prevailed, forcing the ice into
a compact body, and urging it north-westward ; subsequently
N.W. winds set in, drifting it southward, and separating the
floe-pieces ; but the change of wind being accompanied by
a considerable fall of temperature, they were either quickly
cemented together again, or young ice formed over the
newly-opened lanes of water, almost as rapidly as the
surface of the sea b^. came exposed. During the month the
thermometer ranged between + 36° and — 2° Two more
bears and a raven have been seen. A wearied ptarmigan
alighted near the ship, but before it could take wing again
tlie dogs caught it, and scarcely a feather remained by the
time I could rush on deck.

Our beautiful little organ was taken out of its case to-day,
and put up on the lower deck ; the men enjoy its pleasing
tones, whilst Christian unceasingly turns the handle in a
state of intense delight; he regards it with such awe and
admiration, and is so entranced, that one cannot help
envying him ; of course he never saw one before. The
instrument was presented by the Prince Consort to the
searching vessel bearing his name which was sent out by

SNOJV CRYSTALS.

Chap. IV.

hi ti

:■'

ii' I

Lady Franklin in 1851; it is now about to pass its third
winter in the frozen regions.

Two dogs ran off yesterday, in the vain hope> I suppose,
of bettering their condition, — we only feed them three
times a week at present ; they returned this morning.

Seals are daily seen upon the new ice, but in this doubtful
sort of light they are extremely timid, therefore our sports-
men cannot get within shot. The bears scent or hear our
dogs, and so keep aloof; even the shark has deserted us,
the bait remains intact. The snow crystals of last night are
extremely beautiful ; the largest kind is an inch in length ; its
form exactly resembles the end of a pointed feather. Stellar
crystals two-tenths of an inch in diameter have also fallen ;
these have six points, and are the most exquisite things
when seen under a microscope. I remember noticing them
at Melville Island in March, 1853, when the temperature
rose to +8°; as these were formed last night between the
temperatures of +6° and +12°, it would appear that the
form is due to a certain fixed temperature. In the sun, or
even in moonlight, all these crystals glisten most brilliantly ;
and as our masts and rigging are abundantly covered with
them, the ' Fox ' never was so gorgeously arrayed as she
now appears.

13///. — One day is very like another; we have to battle
stoutly with monotony ; and but that each twenty-four hours
brings with it necessary, though trivial duties, it would be
difficult to vemember the date. We take our guns and walk
long distances, but see nothing. Two of the dogs go
hunting on their own account, sometimes remaining absent
all night. What they find or do is a mystery. The weather
is generally calm and cold, — very favourable for freezing
purposes at all events, — for the ice of only three weeks'
growth is two feet thick.

Our well is exhausted ; for nearly a month we have drawn

:hap. IV.

its third

suppose,
em three

s doubtful
)ur sports-
r hear our
jserted us,
t night are
length ; its
er. Stellar
dso fallen ;
site things
ticing them
;emperature
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ar that the
the sun, or
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overed with
^ed as she

'6 to battle
'-four hours
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s and walk
le dogs go
ing absent
'he weather
for freezing
iree weeks'

Ihave drawn

Oct, 1857.

" HARNESS J A CK."

i^j

our whole supply of fresh water from one of those pools of
thawed snow so common upon old ice in the summer ; it had
become frozen over and was covered with a foot of snow.

A week ago this well was 33 inches deep, and contained
16 inches of water. Of course this fresh water did not in
the most remote degree owe its origin to the sea.

I hardly expect any considerable disruption of the ice
before the general break-up in the spring, yet we do not
trust any of our provisions upon it, nor is it sufficiently still
to set up a magnetic observatory, for which purpose the
instmments have been supplied to us.

Petersen still hopes we may escape and get into Upernivik,
as the sea is not permanently frozen over there before De-
cember. I am surprised to hear that eagles have been seen
so far north as Upernivik, although it is but twice in twenty-
four years that specimens have been noticed there. In
Richardson's '.Fauna Boreali - Americana ' the extreme
northern limit of these birds is given as 66°; but Upernivik
is in 72f °

A few bear and fox tracks have been seen, but no living
creatures for several days, except a flock of ducks hastening
southward, and a solitary raven.

It is said that Esquimaux dogs will eat everything except
fox and raven. There are exceptions, however ; one of ours,
old " Harness Jack," devoured a raven with ri^ach gusto
some days ago. All the other dogs allowed their harness to
be taken off when they were brought on board ; but old Jack
will not permit himself to be unrobed ; when attempted he
very plainly threatens to use his teeth. This canine oddity
suddenly became immensely popular, by constituting himself
protecting head of the estabhshment when one of his tribe
littered ; he took up a most uncomfortable position on top
of the family cask (our impromptu kennel), and prevented
the approach of all the other dogs : but for his timely inter-

|.)

PENDULUM EXPERIMENTS. Chap. IV.

; ''\

iif

i ii

ference on behalf of the poor little puppies, I verily believe
they would all have been stolen and devoured ! Dogs may
do even worse than eat raven.

I have atte;npted some experiments for the purpose of
determining the mean hourly change of oscillation of a
pendulum due to the earth's diurnal motion; but as mine
was only iii^ feet in length, I failed of any approach to
accuracy. The mean of several observations gave 17° 47',
whereas the change due to our latitude is about 14° 30'. A
single experiment gave 14° 10', and this was the longest in
point of time of any of them, the pendulum having swung
for thirty-six minutes.

2 ^th.— Position, 7 5° 2 7 ' N. , 68^ 4 1 ' W. Furious N. W. and
S.E. gales have alternated of late ; the ship is housed over,
to keep out the driving snow ; so high is the snow carried in
the air that a little box perforated with small holes and
triced up 50 feet high is soon filled up ; this box is supplied
morning and evening with a piece of prepared paper to
detect the presence and comparative amount of ozone in the
atmosphere ; it is a peculiar pet of the Doctor's.

At eight o'clock this evening I noticed the falling of a
very brilliant meteor ; it passed through the constellation of
Cassiopeia in a N.N.E. direction before terminating its
visible existence, which it did very much like a huge rocket ;
the flash was so brilliant that a man whose back was turned
to it mistook the illumination for lightning.

26t/i. — Our school opened this evening, under the auspices
of Dr. Walker. He reports eight or nine pupils, and is much
gratified by their zeal. At present their studies are limited
to the three R's — reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. They
have asked him to read and explain something instructive,
so he intends to make them acquainted with the trade-winds
and atmosphere. This subject affords an opportunity of
explaining the uses of our thermometer, barometer, ozono-

Nov. 1857.

ICE DISTURBANCE.

meter, and electrometer, which they see us take much in-
terest in. It is delightful to find a spirit of inquiry amongst
them. Apart from scholastic occupation, I give them
healthful e.:ercise in spreading a thick layer of snow over
the deck, and encasing the ship all round with a bank of the
same non-conducting material.

28///. — Midnight. This evening, to our great astonish-
ment, there occurred a disruption and movement of the ice
within 200 yards of the ship. The night was calm ; the
reflection of a bright moon, aided by the more than ordinary
brilliancy of the stars upon the sno\vy expanse, made it
appear to us almost daylight. As I sit now in my cabin I
can distinctly hear the ice crushing ; it resembles the con-
tinued roar of distant surf, and there are many other occa-
sional sounds ; some of them remind one of the low moaning
of the wind, others are loud and harsh, as if trains of heavy
waggons with ungreased axles were slowly labouring along.
Upon a less-favoured night these sounds might be appalling ;
even as it is they are sufficiently ominous to invite reflection.
Cape York has been in sight for some days past.

2^th. — Another heavenly night, and still greater ice dis-
turbance ; some of the crushed-up pieces are nearly four feet
thick. The currents, icebergs, and changes of temperature,
may contribute to this ice action ; but I think th^^ tides are
the chief cause, and for these reasons ; that it wants but two
days to the full moon, and that the ice-movements are almost
confined to the night, and change their direction morning
and evening. Now we know that the night-tides in Green-
land greatly exceed the aay-tides. One thing is evioent —
the weather continues calm, therefore the winds are not
concerned in the matter.

2nd Nov. — Position, 75° 13' N., 68° 50' W. Having ob-
served some days ago that- a few of the dogs were falling
away — from some cause or other not having acquired their

■' ' I

■:i5 '

BEAR-HUNTING BY NIGHT. Chap. IV.

Nov.

. 11

i 1

natural winter clothing before the recent cold weather set in
— they were all allowed on board, and given a good extra
meal. Since then we can scarcely keep them out. One
calm night they made a charge, and boarded the ship so
suddenly that several of the men rushed up, very scantily
clothed, to see what was the matter. Vigorous measures
were adopted to expel the intruders, and there was desperate
chasing round the deck with broomsticks, &c. Many of
them retreated into holes and corners, and two hours elajjsed
before they were all driven out ; but though the chase was
hot, it was cold enough work for the half-clad men.

Sailors use quaint expressions. They describe the nightly
foraging expeditions as " sorties : " they point out to me the
various corners between decks where the " ice corrodes,"
i.e. the moisture condenses and forms frost ; a ramble over
the ice is called " a bit of a peruse." I presume this in-
dignity is offered to the word perambulation.

There was a very sudden call " to arms " this evening.
Whether sleeping, prosing, or schooling, every one flew out
upon the ice on the instant, as if the magazine or the boiler
was on the point of explosion. The alarm of " A bear close-
to, fighting with the dogs," was the cause. The luckless
beast had approached within 25 yards of the ship ere the
quartermaster's eye detected his indistinct outline against
the snow; so silently had he crept up that he was within 10
yards of some of the dogs. A shout started them up, and
they at once flew round the bear and embarrassed his retreat.
In crossing some very thin ice he broke through, and there
I found him surrounded by yelping dogs. Poor fellow !
Hobson, Young, and Petersen had each lodged a bullet in
him ; but these only seemed to increase his rage. He suc-
ceeded in getting out of the water, when, fearing harm to the
numerous bystanders and dogs, or that he might escape, I
fired, and luckily the bullet passed through his brain. He

Nov. 1857. THE SUN'S LAST VISIT.

proved to be a full-grown male, 7 feet 3 inches in length
As we all aided in the capture, it was decided that the skin
should be offered to Lady Franklin.

The carcase will feed our dogs for nearly a month ; they
were rewarded on the spot with the offal. All of them, how-
ever, had not shown equal pluck ; some ran off in evident
fright, but others betrayed no symptom of fear, plunging or
falling into the water with Bruin. Poor old Sophy was
amongst the latter, and received a deep cut in the shoulder
from one of his claws. The established authorities on all
canine matters — i.e., Petersen, Christian, and Alexander
Thompson —have prescribed double allowance of food for
her, and say she will soon recover.

For the few moments of its duration the chase and death
was exciting. And how strange and novel the scene ! A
misty moon affording but scanty light — dark figures gliding
singly about, not daring to approach each other, for the ice
trembled under their feet — the enraged bear, the wol.ish
howling dogs, and the bright flashes of the deadly rifles.

T,r(i- — I remained up the greater part of last night takiUg
observations, for the evening mists had passed away, and a
lovely moon reigned over a calm enchanting night ; through
a powerful telescope^ she resembled a huge frosted-silver
melon, the large crater-like depression answering to that
part from which the footstalk had been detached. Not a
sound to break the stillness around, excepting when some
hungry dog would return to the late battlefield to gnaw into
the bloodstained ice.

On the I St the sun paid us his last visit for the year, and
noAv we take all our meals by lamplight.

$th. — In order to vary our monotonous routine, we de-
termined to celebrate the day ; extra grog was issued to the

' Most kindly lent to the Expedition by the late Lord Wrottesley,
then President of the Royal Society.

u& 1

Jii

GUY FA IVA'ES' DA V.

Chap. IV.

No^

1 <

I tii

■*'

crew, and also for the first time a proportion of preserved
plum-pudding. Lady Franklin most thoughtfully and kindly
sent it on board for occasional use. It is excellent.

This evening a well-got-up procession sallied forth, marched
round the ship with drum, gong, and discord, and then pro-
ceeded to burn the effigy of Guy Fawkes. Their blackened
foces, extravagant costumes, flaring torches, and savage yells,
frightened away all the dogs ; nor was it until after the fire-
works were let off and the traitor consumed that they crept
back again. It was school-night, but the men were up for
fun, so gave the Doctor a holiday.

\2th.— Position 74° 42' N., 68^ 6' W. Yesterday I had
the good fortune to shoot two seals ; they were very fat, and
their stomachs were filled with shrimps.^ To-day Young
and Petersen shot three more, and many others have been
seen. This is cheering, and entices people out for hours
daily. There is just enough movement in the ice to keep
a few narrow lanes and small pools of water open ; the floes
or fields of ice are more inclined to spread out from each
other than to close. We have latterly been drifting before
northerly winds. William Jones, our dog-driver, spent some
years on the Labrador coast, in the Hudson's Bay Company's
service ; he there developed a taste for seal's flesh, and
doubtless obtained some distinction for cooking it; at all
events he has placed on our table a novel roast joint, viz.,
a stuffed shoulder of. seal — very good and tender, although
its colour was very dark. Somebody once said that the man
who invents a new dish is a benefactor to the whole human
race ; such our dog-driver has been to us, his zeal and skill
have received the commendations they deserve ; if seal and
all else were to fail, I can hardly doubt he would exercise
his genius upon some of his own team !

• 1 This is worthy of remark, for with our longest sounding-line, mea-
suring 220 fathoms, we could not reach the botl-'-i.

(

Nov. 1857.

ICE-ARTILLERY.

16///. — A renewal of ice-crushing within a few hundred
yards of us. I can hear it in my bed. The ordinary sound
resembles the roar of distant surf breaking heavily and con-
tinuously; but when heavy masses come in collision with
much impetus, it fully realizes the justness of Dr. Kane's
descriptive epithet, " ice-artillery." Fortunately for us, our
poor little ' Fox ' is well within the margin of a stout old
floe : we are therefore undisturbed spectators of ice-conflicts,
which v/ould be irresistible to anything of human con-
struction. Immediately about the ship all is still, and, as
far as appearances go, she is precisely as she would be in
a secure harbour — housed all over, banked up with snow
to her gunwales. In fact, her winter plumage is so com-
plete that the masts alone are visible. The deck and the
now useless skylights are covered with hard snow. Below
hatches we are warm and dry ; all are in excellent health
and spirits, looking forward to an active campaign next
winter. God grant it may be realized !

Yesterday Young shot the fiftieth seal, an event duly
celebrated by our drinking the bottle of champagne which
had been set apart in more hopeful times to be drunk on
reaching the " North Water" — our unhappy failure, the more
keenly felt from being so very unexpected !

Petersen saw and fired a shot into a narwhal, which
brought the blubber out. When most arctic creatures are
wounded in the water, blubber more frequently than blood
appears, particularly if the wound is superficial — it spreads
over the surface of the water like oil. Bills of fare vary
much, even in Greenland. I have enquired of Petersen, and
he tells me that the Greenland Esquimaux (there are many
Greenlanders of Danish origin) are not agreed as to which
of their animals affords the most delicious food ; some of
them prefer reindeer venison, others think more favourably
of young dog, the flesh of which, he asserts, is " just like the

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lip

W':

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ARCTIC PALATES.

Chap. IV.

beef of sheep." He says a Danish captain, who had
acquired the taste, provided some for his guests, and they
praised his nu "vi! after dinner he sent for the skin of the
animal, which was no other than a large red dog ! This
occurred in Greenland, where his Danish guests had resided
for many years, far removed from European mutton. Baked
puppy is a real delicacy all over Polynesia : at the Sandwich
Islands I was once invited to a feast, and had to feign great
disappointment when told that pippy was so extremely
scarce it could not be procured in time, and therefore
sucking-pig was substituted !

19///. — A heavy southerly gale has increased the ice
movements ; happily we are undisturbed. As Young was
seated under the lee of a hummock, watching for seals to
pop up for breath, the ice under him suddenly cracked and
separated ! He rscaped with a ducking, and was just able
to reach his gun from the bank ere it sank through the
sludgy mixture of snow and water.

Yesterday we were all out ; I saw only one seal, but was
refreshed by the sight of a dozen narwhals. It is a positive
treat to see a living creature of any kind. The only birds
which remain are dovekies, but they are scarce, and being
white are very rarely observed.

The dogs are fed every second day, when 2 lbs. of seal's
flesh — previously thawed when possible — is given to each ;
the weaker ones get additional food, and they all pick up
whatever scraps are thrown out ; this is enough to sustain,
but not to satisfy them, so they are continually on the look-
out for anything eatable. Hobson made one very happy
without intending it ; he meant only to give him a kick,
but his slijjper being down at heel, flew off, and was in-
stantly snapped uj) and carried oft' in triumjjh by this
lucky dog, who demolished it at his leisure, away amongst
the hummocks.

Nov. 1 857. SUDDEN RISE OF TEMPERATURE. 53

Two large icebergs drift in company \, iih us ; our relative
positions have remained pretty nearly the same for the last
month.

2yd. — A heavy gale commenced at N.E. on the 21st,
and continued for thirty-six hours unabated in force, but
changed in direction to S.S.W. It appears to have been a
revolving storm, moving to the N.W. Yesterday, as the
wind approached S.E., the temperature rose to + 32°; the
upper deck sloppy ; the lower deck temperature during
Divine Service was 75° ! ! As the wind veered round to the
S.S.W. it moderated, and temperature fell ; this evening it
is — 7°. How is it that the S.E. wind has brought us such
a very high temperature ? E' en if it traversed an unfrozen
sea it could not have derived from thence a higher tempera-
ture than 29°. Has it swept acrops Greenland — that vast
superficies partly enveloped in glacier, partly in snow ? No,
it must have been borne in the higher regions of the atmo-
sphere from the far south, in order to mitigate the severity of
this northern climate.

Petersen tells me the same warm S.E. wind suddenly
sweeps over Upernivik in midwinter, bringing with it
abundance of rain; and that it always shifts to the S.W.,
and then the temperature rapidly falls : this is precisely the
change we have experienced in lat. 75°. I believe a some-
what similar, but less remarkable, change of temperature was
noticed in Smith's Sound, lat. 78,^° N.

25///.— /W/w/, 75° 2' N., 70° 22' W. Mild, " Madeira
weather," as Hobson calls it, temperature up to + 7°. It is
commonly asserted that sea ice produces fresh water ; and
even Dr. Kane, who had the opportunity of testing the
fact, states (at page 3 7 7. of his narrative of 'The Grinnell
Exi)edition, 1850-51 ') that "it will produce from salt water
a fresh, pure, and drinkable element."

By my desire. Dr. A\'alker is occupied upon making a

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FREEZING OF SALT WATER. Chap. IV.

series of experiments upon the freezing of salt water ; I will
here briefly state the process he found necessary, in order to
procure fresh water from sea ice.

Finding that sea ice contained less salt than the sea water,
he collected and thawed a considerable quantity of it ; he
then exposed it in tubs until coated over with half-inch ice ;
he gathered this second crop of ice, thawed it, and found
that it also was less salt than the water which produced it.
Again repeating the process of exposure in tubs, he obtained
a third crop of ice, which v/as found to yield drinkable
water ; and repeating this process a fourth time, a small
quantity of nearly pure fresh water was obtained.

He found that the ice would contain less salt when frozen
slowly than when exposed to a very low temperature, and
therefore rapidly frozen.

A very beautiful frosty efflorescence appears upon sea ice
when formed at low temperatures in calm weather, it is in
fact a portion of the brine expressed by the action of
freezing.

No wonder, then, that sledge dogs, when driven hard over
this ice, which soon cuts their feet, suffer intense pain, often
faUing down in fits ; nor that snow thinly covering such ice
wholly or partially thaws so frequently, even when the
temperature is far below the freezing point. Should it then
rise to near the freezing point, the young ice, thus coated
with sludge "vo saline as to resist the ordinary freezing
temperature, not unfrequently becomes so weakened, as to be
unsafe. '

29///. — Keen, biting, N.W. winds. No cracks in the ice,

* In a pnpcr read before the Royal (leograpliical Society on 12th April,
1869, from Captain Montgomery of the Indian Survey, it is stated, that
at the gohl dii^y;ings in Thibet, first visited by our explorers in 1867,
it is the custom of tlie miners to use melted ice for drinlsinj;;, as the water
is too salt ! These mines are at an elevation of 16,300 feel, and the
cold is very considerable.

light

Nov. 1857.

THE DOGS' SORTER.

therefore no seals. Grey dawn at ten o'clock, and dark at
two ; the moon, everywhere the sailor's friend, is a source of
great comfort to us here. Nothing to excite conversation,
except an occasional inroad of the dogs in search of food ;
this generally occurs at night. Whenever the deck-light
which burns under the housing happens to go out, they scale
the steep snow banking, and rush round the deck like
wolves. " Why, bless you, Sir, the wery moment that there
light goes out, and the quartermaster turns his back, they
makes a regular sort^'^*, and in they all comes." " But where
do they come in, Harvey ? " " Where, Sir ? why every-
wheres ; they makes no more to do, but in they comes, clean
over all." Not long ago old Harvey was chief quarter-
master in a line-of-battle ship, where, during the long night-
watches, the younger midshipmen would gather round him
and eagerly listen while he spun them long tough yarns by
the hour about the arctic regions, — its bears, its icebergs,
and still more terrific " auroras, roaring and flashing about
the ship enough to frighten a fellow I "

30///. — Position, 74° 41' N., 69° 10' W. Severe cold has
arrived with the full moon ; eight days ago the thermometer
stood ai the freezing-point, it is now 64° below it ! So dark
is it now that I was able to observe an eclipse of Jupiter's
first satellite before three o'clock to-day. For the last two
months we have drifted freely backwards and forwards
before N.W. and S.E, winds; each time we have gained a
more off-shore position, being gradually separated further
and further from the land by fresh growths of ice, which
invariably follow up every ice-movement. In this manner
we have been tlirust out to the S.W. 80 miles from the
nearest land, and into that free space which in autumn
was open water, and which we then vainly struggled to
reach.

That the ice has been most free to move in this direction

^-1^

PROXIMITY OF OPEN SEA.

Chap. IV;

is additional evidence of the recent proximity of an open
sea, and shows that in all probability — I had almost said
certainty — we should have sailed, or at least drifted into it,
had it not been for those enemies to our progress, the
grounded bergs.

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:hap. IV.

an open
Tiost said
;d into it,
;ress, the

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V I

Dec. 1857. THE FIRST DEATH ON BOARD.

If i

CHAPTER V.

Burial in the pack — Musk oxen in lat. 80° north — Habits of the arctic
fox — Tlie aurora affects the electrometer — An arctic Christmas —
Sufferings of Dr. Hayes' boat party — Ice acted on by wind only —
How the sun ought to be welcomed — Constant action of the ice —
Return of the seals — Revolving storm.

^th Dec, — I HAVE just returned on board from the perform-
ance of the most solemn duty a commander can be called
upon to fulfil. A funeral at sea is always peculiarly impres-
sive ; but this evening at seven o'clock, as we gathered around
the sad remains of poor Scott, reposing under an Union
Jack, and read the Burial Service by the light of lanterns,
the effect could not fail to awaken very serious emotions.

The greater part of the Church Service was read on
board, under shelter of the housing ; the body was then
placed upon a sledge, and drawn by the messmates of the
deceased to a distance from the ship, where a hole through
the ice had been cut : it was then " committed to the deep,"
and the Service completed. What a scene it was ! I shall
never forget it. The lonely * Fox,' almost buried in snow,
completely isolated from the habitable world, her colours
half-mast high, and bell mournfully tolling : our little proces-
sion slowly marching over the rough surface of the frozen
deep, guided by lanterns and direction-posts, amid the drea^-y
darkness of an arctic winter ; the death-like stillness around,
the intense cold, and the threatening aspect of a murky,
overcast sky ; and all this heightened by one of those strange
lunar phenomena which are but seldom seen even here, a
complete halo encircling the moon, through which passed a

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[III tli

J/t/.9A' OXEN IN LA T. 80^ N. Chap. V.

horizontal band of pale light that encompassed the heavens ;
above the moon appeared the segments of two other halos,
and there were also mock moons or paraselenoe to the
number of six. The misty atmosphere lent a very ghastly
hue to this singular display, which lasted for rather more
than an hour.

Scarcely had the Burial Service been completed, when our
poor dogs, discovering that the ship was deserted, set up a
most lismal unearthly moaning, continuing it until we
returned on board. Coming to us from a distance across
the ice, at sucli a solemn moment, this most strange and
mournful sound was both startling and impressive.

Poor Scott fell down a hatchway two days only before his
death, wliich was occasioned by the internal injuries then
received ; he was a steady serious man ; a widow and family
will mourn his loss. He was our engine-driver ; we cannot
replace him, therefore the whole duty of working the
engines will devolve upon the engineer, Mr. Brand.

wth.— Position, 74° 31' N., 68"^ 21' W. Calm, clear
weather, pleasant for exercise, but steadily cold ; thermometer
varies between — 20° and — 30°. At noon the blush of dawn
tints the southern horizon, to the north the sky remains
inky blue, whilst overhead it is bright and clear, the stars
shining, and the pole-star near the zenith very distinct.
Although there is a light north wind, thin mackerel-clouds
are passing from south to north, and the temperature has
risen 10°.

I have been questioning Petersen about the bones of the
musk oxen found in Smith's Sound by Dr. Kane's expedi-
tion ; he says the decayed skulls of about twenty were
found, all of them to the north of the 79th parallel. As they
were all without lower jaws, he says they were killed by
Esquimaux, who leave upon the spot the skulls of large
animals, but the weight of the lower jaw being so trifling it is

Dec. 1857.

THE ARCTIC FOXES.

allowed to remain attached to the flesh and tongue. The
skull of a musk ox with its massive horns carmot weigh less
than 30 lbs.

Although it has been abundantly proved by the existence
of raised beaches and fossils, that the shores of Smith's
Sound have been elevated within a comparatively recent
geological period, yet Petersen '■^Us me that there exist
numerous ruins of Esquimaux buildings, probably one or
two centuries old, all of which are situated upon very low
points, only just sufficiently raised above the reach of the
sea ; such sites, in fact, as would at present be selected by
the natives. These ruins show that no perceptible change
has taken place in the relative level of sea and land since
they were originally constructed. At Petersen's Greenland
home, Upernivik, the land has sunk, as is plainly shown by
similar ruins over which the tides now flow.

Anything which illustrates the habits of animals in such
extremely high latitudes I think is most interesting; their
instincts must be quickened in proportion as the difficulty
of subsisting increases. Foxes, white, and sooty or dingy-
blue, are very numerous ; all the birds are merely summer
visitors, therefore the hare is the only creature remaining
upon which foxes can prey ; but the hares are comparatively
scarce, how then do the foxes live for eight months of each
year ? Petersen thinks they store up provisions during the
summer in various holes and crevices, and thus manage to
eke out an existence during the dark Avinter's season ; he
once saw a fox carry off" eggs in his mouth from an eider-
duck's nest, one at a time, until the whole were removed ;
and in winter he has observed a fox scratch a hole down
through very deep snow, to a cache of eggs beneath.

Both thes'j kinds of foxes have been found in all arctic
lands ; they are very small, and in their winter fur are
beautiful animals, full of tricks and impudence.

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zz/je: arctic foxes.

Chap. V.

We once captured a litter of three cnb«; (early in September,
1853) ; they were exactly the co . the dark greyish-

brown stones amongst which they were found ; such fierce
little fellows, with most restless eyes, and pliant weasel-
shaped bodies.

Not unfrec^uently foxes would venture on board our ships
during the winter nights, and even be caught in traps set for
them on deck. I find in my journal for December, 1852,
at Melville Island, that, " a wretched-looking, but most lucky
fox has been caught three times, and each time hunted by
the dogs ; the last time Lion opened his huge mouth to
seize it, but the spirited little creature turned, bit him in the
foot, and escaped. Had this miserable little fox been worth
the skinning, its life would have paid the forfeit of its first
capture. We consider a fox which weighs eight pounds to
be a large one." When irritated they give a short half-
suppressed bark, and sometimes when hunting they utter a
strange cry, which always puzzled our men, who would take
it for that of a hawk, a goose, or a gull.

I fancy that birds and lemmings form their ordinary prey.
Captain Collinson attributed the success of his hunting-
parties at Walker Bay, in shooting hares, to their having
killed off all the foxes.

Besides hunting on their own account, they appear to
follow the bears to pick up their scraps. Yet how this brave
little fellow lives is a marvel ; he is so small that the geese
and larger gulls often successfully resist his attempts upon
their broods.

The men are exercised at building snow huts ; for winter
or early spring travelling, this knowledge is almost indis-
pensable. Upon a calm day the temperature of the external
air being — 33", within a snow hut the thermometer stood
17° higher, this important difference being due to the trans-
mission of heat through the ice from the sea beneath.

Dfx.

Dec. 1857.

THE AURORA.

Evaporation goes on through ice from the water under-
neath it. The interior of each snow-hut is coated with
crystals, although the ice upon which the huts are built is four
feet thick : but when no longer in contact with, that is,
floating upon, the water, I cannot discover any evaporation
from ice. For instance, a canvas screen on deck which
became wet by the sudden thaw last month still remains
frozen stiff.

\dtth. — Of late there has been much damp upon the lower
deck. This has now been remedied by enclosing the hatchway
within a commodious snow-porch ; and, instead of the steam
and vapour of the inhabited deck being condensed into
moisture about the hatchway as heretofore, it now meets
the downward rush of cold air in the porch, and is there
converted into minute particles of snow; this porch also
diminishes the escape of heat.

\c)tlL— Position, 74° 5' N., 66° 27' W. Light N.W. winds,
with occasional mists; the temperature is comparatively
mild:— 12° to -25°.

It is now the *:ime of spring-tides ; they cause numerous
cracks in the ice, but why so, at such a great distance from
the land, I cannot explain. The three nearest points of
land are respectively 110, 140, and 180 miles distant
from us.

Frequent auroras during the last two days. Yesterday
morning it was visible until eclipsed by the day-dawn at 10
o'clock. Although we could no longer see it, I do not
think it ceased ; very thin clouds occupied its place, through
which, as through the aurora, stars appeared scarcely dimmed
in lustre. I do not imagine that the aurora is ever visible
in a perfectly clear atmosphere. I often observe it just
silvering or rendering luminous the upper edge of low
fog or cloud banks, and with a few vertical rays feebly
vibrating.

II.

AN ARCTIC CHRIS7MAS,

Chap. V.

Last evening Dr. Walker called me to witness his success
with the electrometer. The electric current was so very
weak that the gold-leaves only diverged at intervals of four
or five seconds. Some hours afterwards it was strong
enough to keep them diverged.

2\st. — Mid-winte' day. Out of the arctic regions it is
better known as the shortest day. At noon we could just read
type similar to the leading article of the ' Tim^s.' Few of
us could read more than two or three lines without making
our eyes ache.

27///. — Our Christmas was a very cheerful, merry one.
The men were supplied with several additional articles, such
as hams, plum-puddings, preserved gooseberries and apples,
nuts, sweetmeats, and Burton ale. After Divine Service they
decorated the lower deck with flags, and made an immense
display of food. The officers came down with me to see
their piiparat" ns. We were really astonished ! Their
mess-tables were laid out like the counters in a confectioner's
shop, with apple and gooseberry tarts, plum and sponge-
cakes in pyramids, besides various other unknown puffs,
cakes, and loaves of all sizes and shapes. We bake all our
own bread, and excellent it is. In the background were
nicely-browned hams, meat-pies, cheeses, and other substan-
tial articles. Rum and water in wine-glasses, and plum-cake
were handed to us : we wished them a happy Christmas,
and complimented them on their taste and spirit in getting
up such a display. Our silken sledge-banners had been
borrowed for the occasion, and were regarded with deference
anrl peculiar pride.

In the evening the officers were enticed down amongst the
men again, and at a late hour I was requested, as a great
favour, to come down and see how much they were enjoying
themselves. I found them in the highest good humour with
themselves and all the world. They were perfectly sober,

Chap. V.

lis success
s so very
lis of four
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gions it is
d just read
; Few of
)ut making

lerry one.
Licles, such
ind apples,
ervice they
n immense
me to see
;d ! Their
ifectioner's
id sponge-
own puffs,
ake all our
ound were
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plum-cake
[Christmas,
in getting
had been
deference

longst the

is a great

enjoying

Imour with

:tly sober,

Jan. 1858.

NEW YEAR'S DAY.

and singing songs, each in his turn. I expressed great satis-
faction at having seen them enjoying themselves so much
and so rationally, I could therefore the better describe it to
Lady Franklin, who was so deeply interested in everything
relating to them. I drank their healths, and hoped our
position next year would be more suitable for our purpose.
We all joined in drinking the healths of Lady Franklin and
Miss Cracroft, and amid the acclamations which followed I
returned to my cabin, immensely gratified by such an exhi-
bition of genuine good feeling, such veneration for Lady
Franklin, and such loyalty to the cause of the expedition.
It was very pleasant also that they had taken the most
cheering view of our future prospects. I verily believe I
was the happiest individual on board that happy evening.

Our Christmas-box has come in the shape of northerly
winds, which bid fair to drift us southward towards those
latitudes wherein we hope for liberation next spring from
this icy bondage.

2W1. — We have been in expectation of a gale all day.
This evening there is still a doubtful sort of truce amongst
the elements. Barometer down to 28*83 ; thermometer up
to +5°, although the wind has been strong and steady
from the N. for twenty-four hours, low scud flying from the
E., snow constantly falling. An hour ago the wind suddenly
changed to S.S.E. ; the snowing has ceased; the sky become
clear ; the thermometer falls and barometer rises. Here, as
on the 23rd November, we have a well-marked instance of a
revolving storm passing to north-westward, and occasioning
the otherwise unaccountable phenomenon of a warm north
wind.

2nd Jan., 1858. — New Year's day was a second edition of
Christmas, and quite as pleasantly spent. We dwelt much
upon the anticipations of the future, being a more agreeable
theme than the failure of the past. I confess to a hearty

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ir.

NE W- YEAR REJOICINGS.

Chap. V.

welcome for the new year — anxious, of course, that we may
escape uninjured, and sufficiently early to pursue the object
of our voyage.

Exactly at midnight on the 31st December the arrival of
the new year was announced to me by our band — two flutes
and an accordion — striking up at my door. There was also
a procession, or perhaps I should say a continuation of the
band ; these performers were grotesquely attired, and armed
with frying-pans, gridirons, kettles, pots, and pans, with which
to join in and add to the effect of the ot/icr music 1

We have a very level hard walk alongside the ship ; it is
narrowed to two or three yards in width by a snow-bank
four feet high. In the face of this bank some twenty-five
holes have been excavated for the dogs, and in them they
spend most of their time. It looks very formidable in
the moonlight, being a good imitation of a casemated
battery.

After our rubber of whist on New Year's night Petersen
related to us some of his dreadful sufferings when with the
boat party from Dr. Kane's Expedition. They left Rensselaer
Harbour in August, 1854, intending to proceed to Upernivik ;
they spent the months of October and November in Booth
Sound, lat. 77°, all that time upon the verge of starvation,
unable to advance or retreat. For these two months they
had no other fuel than their small cedar boat, the smoke of
which was not endurable in their wretched hut, and without
light (for the sun left them in October), unless we except one
inch and a half of taper daily, which they made out of a
lump of bees'-wax that accidentally found its way into their
boat before leaving the ship. In December they regained
their vessel. I am surprised that no account of the extreme
hardships of this party — so far exceeding that of their ship-
mates on board — has ever appeared ; and I regret it, as I
believe they owed their lives to the experience and fidelity

ill.

Jan. 1858. ICE ACTED ON BY WIND ONLY. 67

of their interpreter Petersen.^ At first the Esquimaux assisted
them ; latterly they were quite unable to do so, and became
anxious to get rid of their visitors. Observing how weakened
they had become, the Esquimaux endeavoured to separate
them from their guns and from each other, and even used
threatening language. It is a pity that these facts are not
more fully and generally known, as they bear directly upon
two questions very important to arctic explorers : — Can white
men find subsistence wherever Esquimaux do ? And, Can
white men adopt the habits of wild Esquimaux in so far as to
become dome -ticated amongst them ? Even when seeking to
escape from starvation, this small party could not accomplish
either the one or the other ; nor has any instance of
their ever having been accomplished come to my knowledge.
During December we drifted 67 miles, direcdy down
Bafiin's Bay towards the Atlantic, and are now in lat. 74°.
Although it is quite impossible to discriminate between the
several influences which probably govern our movements, or
to ascertain how much is due to each of them — such as the
relative positions of ice, land, and open water, the influence
of the winds, currents, and eartii's rotation — yet it appears
in the present instance that the wind is almost the sole agent
in hastening this vast continent of ice towards the latitudes of
its dissolution. We move before the wind in proportion to
its strength ; we remain stationary in calm weather. Neither
surflice nor submarine current has been detected ; the large
icebergs obey the same influences as the surflice ice. We
have noticed a slight set to the westward — it is not likely
to be produced by current, unless it is the northerly current
along the Greenland sliore which thus rtw^w us off to the
westward, and may be the result of the earth's motion from
west to east.

' Since the above was written, Dr. T. I. 1 Lives, one of the party, has
pubHshed a most interesting account of their journey.

F a

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158

EXPERIMENT WITH ALE.

Chap. V.

(■'

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I .. . ii

dth. — Position, 73° 49' N., 65° 47' W. Many lanes of
water. A seal has been seen, the only one for six weeks.
Of the old ice which so closely hemmed us in, up to the
middle of September, there is hardly any within several
miles of us except the large fioe-piece we are frozen to.
Every crack or lane which opens is quickly covered with
young ice, so that it cannot close again ; and in this manner
the old ice has been spread out. I heartily rejoice at its
dispersion !

To-day I put a tum.blerful of our strong ale (Allsopp's) on
deck to freeze : this was soon effected, the temperature
being —35°. After bringing it below, and when its tem-
perature had risen to 1 7°, it was almost all thawed — at 2 z^
it was completely so : it looked muddy, but settled after
standing for a couple of hours, when I drank it off, in every
way satisfied with my experiment and my beer : it seemed
none the worse for its freezing, but rather flat from its long
exposure in a tumbler.

17//^ — Position, 73° 9' N., d-^ 25' W. Northerly winds
blow almost constantly. We havp drifted 60 miles since
the I St, and are only 115 miles from Jpernivik, — once
more upon confines of the habitable world ! good light
for three hours daily ; all this is cheering. We continue
our snow-hut practice, and can build one in three-quarters of
an hour.

2W1.— Position, 72° 48' N., 62° 35' W. The upper edge
of the sun appeared above the horizon to-day, after an
absence of eighty-nine days ; it was a gladdening sight. I
sent for the ship's steward and asked what was the custom
on such occasions ? " To hoist the colours and serve out
an extra half-gill, sir," was the ready reply : accordingly, the
Harwich lion soon fluttered in a breeze cool enough to
stiffen the limbs of ordinary lions, and in the evening the
grog was issued.

Feb, 1858. RETURN OF DA Y LIGHT.

TfOth. — Our messmate Pussy is unwell, and won't eat ; in
vain has Hobson tempted her with raw seal's flesh, pre-
served salmon, preserved milk, &c. ; at length castor-oil was
forcibly administered. Puss is a great favourite. Our finest
dog, Sultan, is also sick, and his coat is in bad order ;
blubber has been prescribed for him ; — and poor old Mary
has fits, not uncommon after the long winter. Petersen
immediately ordered her to be bled by slitting her ear ; but
Christian, in his fright and haste, for Mary's teeth are sharp,
cropped the tip of it off. These are our only medical cases.
A dovekie, in its white winter plumage, and two seals have
been seen lately.

i^th Feb.— Position, 71° 38' N., 61° 31' W. The return-
ing daylight cheers us up wonderfully — not that we were
suffering, either mentally or bodily, — but the change is
most agreeable, and we can take much longer walks than
were possible during the dark period. The men have been
supplied with muskets, and go out sporting as ardently as
schoolboys. I took a long walk towards one of our iceberg
companions, but could not quite reach it as weak ice inter-
vened, each step producing an undulation ; finding the point
of my knife went through it with but very slight resistance, I
gave up the attempt and turned back, the ship's masts being
theii scarcely visible in the distance ; almost the whole of the
intervening ice was of this winter's growth, and in many
places much crushed up.

Daylight reveals to us evidences of vast ice movements
having taken place during the dark months when we fancied
all was still and quiet ; and we now see how greatly we have
been favoured, what innumerable chances of destruction we
have unconsciously escaped ! A few days ago the ice
suddenly cracked within ten yards of the ship, and gave her
such a smart shock that every one rushed on deck with
astonishing alacrity. One of these sudden disruptions

:• \

1 I'

RETURN OF A DESERTER.

Chap. V.

ii :

» ~ . "

' *

|l-'

occurred between me and the ship when I was returning
from the iceberg; the sun was just setting as I found
myself cut off. Had I been upon the other side I would
have loitered to enjoy a refreshing gaze upon this dark
streak of water ; but after a smart run of about a mile along
its edge, and finding no place to cross, visions of a patrol on
the floe for the long night of fifteen hours began to obtrude
themselves ! At length I reached a place where the jagged
edges of the floes met, so rrossed and got safely on board.
Nothing was SL,en during this walk of nearly 25 miles except
one seal. Recent gales have drifted us rapidly southward ;
cracks and lanes are very numerous.

On ;he ist a blue (or sooty) fox was shot. Although 130
geographical miles from the nearest land he was very fat,
hence we argue dovekies were much more numerous during
winter than we supposed. We have often noticed the tracks
of foxes following up those of the bears, probably for
discarded scraps of the seals upon which they prey. Hob-
son's favourite dog " Chummie " has returned, after an
absence of six days, decidedly hungry, but he can hardly
have been without food all that time ; some fox may have
lured him off. He evinced great delight at getting back,
devoted his first attentions to a hearty meal, then rubbed
himself up against his own particular associates, after which
he sought out and attacked the weakest of his enemies, and,
soothed by their bowlings, coiled himself up for a long
sleep.

\st March. — Position^ 69° 50' N., 59° 43' W. February
has been a remarkably mild, cloudy, windy month : the
winter temperature may be said to have passed away by the
loth, the average temperature for the first ten days being
— 25°, whilst for the remainder of the month it was —11°
Had one fallen asleep for a month at least,[he could not rea-
sonably have expected to find a greater change on awaking

ii «

Chap. V.

s returning
IS I found
de I would
I this dark
mile along
a patrol on
to obtrude
the jagged
' on board,
liles except
southward ;

;hough 130
LS very fat,
•ous during
[ the tracks
obabiy for
[ey. Hob-
after an
an hardly
may have
ting back,
n rubbed
ter which
mies, and,
3r a long

February
nth : the
ay by the
lys being
vas — 1 1°
1 not rea-
awaking

Mar. 1858.

PREPARING FOR SEA.

than that which occurred in the second week in February.
Our drift has also been great, — 166 miles. We are south of
the 70th parallel, and may soon be expelled from our icy
home.

On the 24th there was a fearful gale of wind. Had not
our housing been very well secured, it must have been blown
away. We are preparing for sea, removing the snow from
off the deck and round the ship; our skylights have been
dug out (for in winter they are always covered with a thick
layer of snow), and the flood of light which beams down
through them is quite charming. How intolerably sooty and
smoke-dried everything looks !

On the 27th the first seal of this year was shot ; it came in
good time, for the fifty-one seals shot in autumn were finished
only two days before : our English supply of dogs' food
therefore remains almost untouched. Snow was observed to
melt against the ship's side exposed to the sun, the ther-
mometer in the shade standing at — 2 2° ! A very fine dog
has died from eating a quantity of salt fish, which he managed
to get at although it was supposed to be quite out of his
reach.

One of the two large icebergs which commenced this
voyage with us last October, in 75^° N., has drifted out
of sight to the S.E. ; the other one is far off in the N.W.
I attribute these increased distances solely to the spreading
abroad of the intervening ice.

When we were far north, and probably drifting more
slowly than the ice in the stream of Lancaster Sound to the
westward of us, the ship's head turned very gradually from
right to left, in other words, from N.N.W. to W. When
about the parallel of 72° N., we supposed ourselves to be
drifting faster than the western ice (in this, as in the previous
case, comparing our drift with that of Lieutenant de Haven),
the ship's head slowly shifted back to the right as far as

REVOLVING STORM.

Chap. V.

* '

ilV

W.N.W. ; latterly it has not changed at all : we are in a
narrower part of Davis' Strait, where the winds probably
blow with equal force from shore to shore, and drift the
whole pack at an uniform rate.

5//;. — On the 2nd, four fat seals and some dovekies were
shot ; the largest seal weighed 170 lbs. ; the smallest 150 lbs. ;
they were males of the species Phoca hespida, or Fhoca foctida,
the latter epithet being by far the most appropriate at this
season ; the disagreeable odour resembles garlic, and taints
the whole animal so strongly that even Esquimaux are nearly
overpowered by it : this is almost the only description of
seal we have obtained, but the females are at all seasons
free from fetor. Several long lanes of water extend at right
angles to the straits.

The Doctor has taken a photograph of the ship by the albu-
men process on glass; the temperature at the time was below
zero. Upon the 3rd and 4th a well-marked revolving storm
passed nearly over us to the W.N.W. ', its extreme diameter
was 30 hovrs, that of the stiength of the gale t8 hours; its
centre probably passed about one-tenth of its diameter to
the S.W. The barometer was rather high, having risen just
before the wind commenced at N.E. ; but it now fell half
an inch in ten hours, and continued to fall until the wind
shifted — almost suddenly— through S.E. to S.S.W., when it
immediately commenced a rapid ascent. As the barometer
fell, the temperature rose from zero to 4-i8° and fell again
after the change of wind. This violent storm brought with
it a smart hail-shower.

The depression of the ice about the bows, in consequence
of a vast accumulation of snow-drift upon it, brought the ship
down by the head considerably; to-day this ice suddenly
detached itself, and the fore part of the vessel sprang up ;
she still remains frozen and held down abaft. The snow-
banking looks very woe-begone after this ice-quake; it in-

Chap. V.

are in a
probably
drift tl\e

kies were
: 150 lbs.;
'caf(jetida,
te at this
,nd taints
ire nearly
ription of
1 seasons
d at right

' the albu-

vas below

ing storm

diameter

ours ; its

.meter to

isen just

fell half

Ithe wind

when it

larometer

"ell again

ight with

lequence
the ship

[uddenly
mg up ;

|e snow-
it in-

Mar. 1858.

DISCO SIGHTED.

dines out from the ship, and in many places has been
prostrated by the shock.

Tth. — Position, 69° 55' N., 59° 11' W. Early this morning
the lofty land of Disco was seen, its distance is upwards of
90 miles.

■I?

A BEAR-FIGHT.

Chap. VL

CHAPTER VI.

! ftS

lit

I l\)

A bear-fight — An ice-nip — Strong gales, rapid drift — Breaking up
of the ice — Hanging on to floe-edge — The arctic bear — An ice
tournament — Escape out of the pack — A storm in the pack —
Description of the escape.

()th March. — A bear was seen this morning, but as he was
going away from us, the dogs were brought out in the hope
that they might keep him at bay until the sportsmen came
up. It was very pretty to see them take up the scent, and
the moment they caught sight of him they set off at full
speed. Bruin had seen them first, and increased his pace
to a clumsy gallop, yet the dogs were soon around him : he
seemed to care but little about them, steadily making off
and following the trending of a recently frozen crack in
search of clear water, evidently aware that his persecutors
would not follow him there.

After five hours all returned on board again ; out of the
ten dogs four were wounded by his claws, — skin-deep only, —
but one of the wounds was seven inches in length, as if
made with a sharp knife ; this was sewed up, the others were
merely trimmed, and nature I am informed will do all the
rest. It is really wonderful what cures nature and instinct
effect : notwithstanding the extreme cold, no external dress-
ings are applied, because the animal must not be prevented
from licking its wound. Petersen says this bear must be
very thin, else he could not run so fast. I think it very
probable also that he has been hunted before, and that fear
lent him wings. A black whale has been seen.

nth. — Two small seals, free from taint, were shot yester-

HAP. VI.

•eaking up

— An ice

le pack —

.s he was
the hope
len came
cent, and
)ff at full
. his pace
, him : he
laking off
crack in
rsecutors

mt of the

|p only,—

;th, as if

hers were

io all the

instinct

lal dress-

kevented

must be

it very

I that fear

)t yester-

Mar. 1858.

SEAL'S CA VE.

day, so we had fried liver and steaks for breakfast this
morning ; both were good, but the steaks were preferred ;
they were very dark and very tender, had been cut thin,
deprived of all fat, and washed in two or three waters to get
rid of the blubber. I doubt if seals breed in this drifting
pack, we have not seen one of their cubs as yet. They
contrive to make an excavation or cell in the ice, usually
amongst hummocks, and large enough to contain two or
three seals ; in this "gelid cavern " the young ones are bom,
it is only a few inches above the water, has a very small
breathing hole through the roof, and a large one through
which they dive into the sea. When the weather becomes
warm enough, they break a hole through the roof and come
up on the ice, where they bask in the sun, and —

" Flounce and tremble in unwieldy joy."

I have been into one of these caverns and noticed that the
ice admitted quite sufficient hght, whilst the icicles hanging

UPPER SUKFAOi:

Section of Seal's Cave in the Ice.

from it shewed that it had also enough warmth, imparted
from the animals themselves, to occasion a partial thaw.
How often may we not have walked unconsciously over

J —

AN ICE-NIP.

Chap. VI.

these sub-glacial dwellings, alarming their timid inmates and
causing them to plunge terror-stricken into the sea ! The
brei' thing-hole is invariably covered with snow, and therefore
invisible.

iGt/i.— Position, 69° 38' N., 59° 14' W. Several long
lanes of water have again opened, all of them parallel to the
direction of the straits ; one lane passes within 120 yards of
the ship ; its extremes are not visible even from aloft ; the
ice upon its east side has a more rapid southerly motion
than that upon its west side.

18^//. — Last night the ice closed, shutting up our lane, but
its opposite sides continued for several hours to move past
each other, rubbing off all projections, crushing, and forcing
out of water masses four feet thick: although 120 yards
distant, this pressure shook the ship and cracked the
intervening ice.

I went out with a lantern to see the nip, — it certainly
was awe-inspiring ; no one in his senses could avoid re-
flecung upon the inevitable fate of a ship if exposed to such
fearful pressure. It is now the time of spring tides.

19///. — All yesterday the lane remained open, in the
evening it closed with but slight pressure ; yet as the
opposing fields of ice continued to move in opposite
directions, all jagged points were brushed off, and the
debris thus formed between their edges presented a heaving
surface of ice-masses, — an ice river. On the separation of
the floes, mass after mass forced itself up to the surface,
until at length all the submerged ice had risen, except such
as had been forced quite under their edges. One seldom
meets with a cleanly fractured floe-edge, they are usually
fringed with cru shed-up ice or newly-formed sludge.

22,rd. — Seals and dovekies are now common ; the latter
have already made considerable advances towards their
summer plumage.

'!«

HAP. VI.

ites and
i! The
herefore

ral long
el to the
yards of
loft; the
' motion

iane, but
ova past
1 forcing
20 yards
:ked the

certainly
ivoid re-
1 to such

in the

as the

[opposite

ind the

heaving

ration of

surface,

;pt such

seldom

usually

te latter
IS their

Mar. 1858.

STRONG GALES.

Yesterday there was a very heavy S. E. gale ; it blew so
furiously, and the snow-drift was so dense, that we could
neither hear nor see what was going on twenty yards off;
at night the ship, becoming suddenly detached from the ice,
heeled over to the storm ; until the cause was ascertained
we thought the ice had broken up, and pressed against the
ship. It was not so ; but when the weather moderated we
found that there had been heavy pressure upon the edge of
the floes, — so much indeed, that the lane of water was now
within 70 yards of the *Fox;' and that ice 4^ feet thick
had been crushed during the storm for a distance of about
50 yards.

2 sth.— Position, 69° 16' N., 58° 50' W. Strong N.W.
winds lately, the ship rocking to the breeze, and rubbing
her poor sides against the ice, producing a creaking sound
which is far from pleasant. More ice-squeezing, and a
further inroad upon our barrier; it has yielded slightly,
nipping the ship, inclining her to port, and lifting her stem
about a foot. Occasional groanings of the timbers within,
and surgings of the ice without.

Our boats, provisions, sledges, and knapsacks, are ready
for a hasty departure, — beyond this we can do nothing ; as
long as our friendly barrier lasts we need not fear, but who
can tell the moment it may be demolished, and the ship
exposed to instant destruction ! I am scribbling within a
foot of the sternpost — in fact there is a notch in my table to
receive it ; and I sympathise with its constant groanings ;
the ice allows it no rest.

2']th. — Strong N.W. gale with a return of cold weather.
We nave drifted 39 miles in the last forty-eight hours ! The
lane is open ; the whole pack appears to have plenty of
room to drift, and, I am happy to add, is taking advantage
of it, — so much so that the smaller pieces floating freely in
the lane can hardly go at the same pace. Our remaining

Jl.i

•^:*i

i ■■

I ' 1

■ .11

BREAKING UP OF THE ICE.

Chap. VI.

'API

winter companion, the iceberg, was in sight a few days ago,
far away to the N.W. ; it may be siill visible from aloft, but
these March gales cut so keenly, that the crow's-nest is but
seldom visited.

31J/. — Another N.W. gale; it is also spring tides, and ihis
conjunction makes one fearful of ice movement and pres-
sure ; but it seems as if the pack had more room to move
in, as it does not close much. Seals are often shot, bear
tracks are common, and narwhals are frequently seen mi-
grating northward. The bears must prefer the night-time
for wandering about, else we could not help seeing them ;
we often find their tracks within a few hundred yards of
the ship.

Although the last, yet this is the coldest day of the
month — thermometer down to —27°. The mean tempe-
rature for March has been unusually high, —3°; whilst
Lieutenant De Haven's was —17°. Notwithstanding that
heavy S.E. gales have three times driven us backward, yet
we have advanced 100 miles further down Davis' Strait.

dth April.— Position, 67° 18' N., 58° 17' W. To-day we
enjoy fine weather, the more so since it comes after a
tremendous northerly gale of forty-e* ^^^t hours' duration.
Two days ago the friendly old floe, so long our bulwark of
defence, was cracked ; the lane of water thus formed soon
widened to 60 yards, passed within 30 yards of the ' Fox,'
and cut off three of our boats. Yesterday morning another
crack detached the remaining 30 yards from us, and as it
widened the ship swung across the opening r as quickly as
we could effect it the ship was again placed alongside the
ice and within a projecting point : had it closed only a few
feet whilst she lay across the lane, the consequences must
have been most serious. Even to effect this slight change
of position we were fully occupied for four hours ; for the
gale blew furiously, and thermometer stood at 12° below

HAP. VT.

ays ago,
loft, but
St is but

and ihis
nd pres-
to move
lot, bear
ieen mi-
ght-time
g them ;
yards of

r of the
I tempe-
; whilst
ing that
ard, yet
rait.

)-day we

after a

uration.

wark of

d soon

' Fox,'

lanother

d as it

ckly as

lide the

a few

s must

[change

ibr the

below

'Apr. 1858. OUT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS.

zero, and the cold was very much felt ; our hawsers were
frozen so stiff as to be quite unmanageable, and we
were obliged to use the chain cables to warp the ship into
safety.

Throughout yesterday the wind continued extremely strong
and keen, — fortunately the ice remained perfectly still : our
funnels refused to draw up the smoke ; so that between the
suffocation, the cold, and anxiety lest the ice should move,
our Easter Monday was sufficiently miserable. The half
of our poor dogs were cut off from the ship by the lane,
and continued to howl dismally until late, when the new ice
over the lane was strong enough to bear them, and they
came across to us.

To-day we have recovered the boats, shot four seals, seen
two whales, and much water to the eastward ; we are in
latitude 67° 18' N., and highly delighted with the rapidity
of our southern drift.

loth. — Position, 66° 45' N., 58° 20' W. Yesterday evening
the setting sun rendered visible the western land, probably
Cape Dyer. We have drifted 70 miles in the last week,
and are only 18 miles from De Haven's position of escape ;
but as we are two months earlier, we must expect to be
carried farther south.

Lieutenant De Haven, in command of the United States
exploring vessels ' Advance ' and ' Rescue,' having become
beset in Wellington Channel on 13th September, 1850,
drifted with the ice until set free near this on 5th June,
1851.

12th. — This morning we drifted ingloriously out of the
arctic regions, but with very different feelings from those
with which we crossed the arctic circle eight months ago.
However, we have not done with them yet ; directly the
ice lets us go, we will (D.V.) re-enter the frigid zone, and
" try again," with, I trust, better success.

SET ADRIFT.

Chap. VI.

;U.

■1 i I

,in

A gull and a few terns appeared to-day ; these are the
first of our summer visitors. The temperature improves ;
yesterday at one o'clock it was +^9° ^^ the shade, -f-i5°
in the crow's-nest 70 feet high, and -{-$1° against a black
surface exposed to the sun.

i6th. — Last night a bear came to the ship, was wounded,
but escaped ; to-day the tracks were followed up for three
miles, the bear found, and again wounded — finally the un-
lucky beast was shot in the water seven miles from the ship;
it was lost in consequence of the rapid drifting of the ice,
which ran over the floating carcase.

To-night a dense fog-bank rests upon the water to the
southward ; its upper edge is illuminated by aurora, showing
a faint tremulous light.

i']th.— Position, 65° 28' N., 58° 24' W. Another northerly
gale ; holding fast to the ice with three hawsers ; snow-drift
limits the view to a couple of miles, so all to the eastward
appears water, and to the westward ice.

Last night the ice opened considerably; to secure the
ship occupied us for six hours : several of the dogs were
again cut off; as the ice they were on was rapidly drifting
away, I sent a boat to recover them ; it was a difficult and
hazardous business, but at length the boat and dogs returned
in safety, to my great relief, for it was both dark and late.

18///. — Yesterday morning, when I wrote up my journal,
I was hoping to hold on quietly to the floe-edge until the
wind moderated, when with clear weather we could take
advantage of the openings and make some progress towards
the clear sea. But the storm increased, and the floe-edge
broke away, setting us adrift. Our expulsion from "winter
quarters " was a rude one.

Amid the wild commotion of the shattered floes, and
clouds of piercing snowdrift, much anxious time was una-
voidably spent in fetching off our boats and dogs, five of

iU,{

:hap. VI.

; are the
mproves ;

de, +15°
t a black

wounded,
for three
[y the un-
1 the ship;
of the ice,

Iter to the
a, showing

r northerly

snow-drift

le eastward

secure the
dogs were
y drifting
licult and
;s returned
nd late,
iiy journal,
until the
could take
ss towards
3 floe-edge
m " winter

floes, and
was una-

gs,

five of

Apr. 1858.

ICE AGAIN CLOSED.

the latter, unfortunately, would not allow themselves to be
caught.

With all possible haste the rudder was shipped, sail set,
and before three o'clock the ship was running fast to the
eastward.

During the night the ice closed, at daylight this morning
scarcely any water was visible, and we were again beset after
having sailed about 18 miles.

With the exception of a couple of icebergs, all the ice in
sight is not more than two days old, and mainly owes its
origin and rapid growth to the immense quantity of snow
blown off the pack.

It still blows hard, and thermometer stands at 11°. A
sudden opening of the ice this forenoon allowed us to run a
few miles southward, and then it closed again.

2ot/i. — Position 64° 22' N., 58° 45' W. We have been
carried rapidly past the position where the arctic discovery
ship 'Resolute' was picked up in September, 1855, whither
she had drifted from 74° 41' N., and 101° W., the spot
where she was abandoned in May, 1854.

Yesterday three bears, a fulmar petrel, and a snow bunt-
ing were seen ; this hardy little bird is usually amongst the
earliest of our summer visitors, but there is a still smaller
bird — the red-pole — which has been found as far north as
latitude 74°. How so frail a creature can take such an
extensive flight, and cross even more than 100 miles of
ocean, it is difiicult to conceive. To-day a fine bear came
within 150 yards, and was shot by our sportsmen, as they
were standing round it afterwards upon the ice, a small seal,
the only one seen for several days, popped up its head as if
to exult over its fallen enemy — it was of course instantly
shot : we have learnt to esteem very highly seal's liver fried
with bacon for breakflist.

It seems hardly right to call polar bears /and animals ;

■; m

;,:)

THE ARCTIC BEAR.

Chap. VL

they Sound here, — no geographical miles from the nearest
land, — upon very loose broken-up ice, which is steadily
drifting into the Atlantic at the rate of 12 or 14 miles daily ;
to remain upon it would insure their destruction were they
not nearly amphibious ; they hunt by scent, and are con-
stantly running across and against the wind, which prevails
from the northward, so that the same instinct which directs
their search for prey, also serves the important purpose of
guiding them in the direction of the land and more solid
ice.

I remarked that the upper part of both Bruin's fore-paws
were rubbed quite bare : Petersen explains that to surprise
the seal a bear crouches down with his fore-paws doubled
underneath, and pushes himself noiselessly forward with his
hinder legs until within a few yards, when he springs upon
the unsuspecting victim, whcdier in the water or upon the
ice. The Greenlanders are fond of bear's flesh, but never
eat either the heart Ci Uver, and say that these parts cause
sickness. No instance is known of Greenland bears attack-
ing men, except when wounded or provoked ; they never
disturb the Esquimaux graves, although they seldom fail to
rob a cache of seal's flesh, which is a similar construction of
loose stones above ground.

Petersen also tells me that a native of Upernivik, one
dark winter's day, was out visiting his seal-nets. He found
a seal entangled, and, whilst kneeling down over it upon the
ice to get it clear, he received a slap on the back — from his
companion as he supposed ; but a second and heavier blow
made him look smartly round. He was horror-stricken to
see a peculiarly grim old bear instead of his comrade !
Without deigning further notice of the man, Bruin tore the
seal out of the net and commenced his supper. He was
not interrupted, nor did the man await the conclusion of the
meal.

■""H^^&i

:hap. vl

e nearest

steadily
les daily ;
were they

are con-
1 prevails
ch directs
purpose of
acre solid

fore-paws
;o surprise
rs doubled
rd with his
rings upon
• upon the
but never
Darts cause
;ars attack-
they never
om fail to
itruction of

rnivik, one
He found
It upon the
I — from his
tavier blow
fitricken to
comrade !
|in tore the
He was
Ision of the

-■«-

The Greenlander's Supper appropriated by a Boar.

ill

l '■
■!
I

1 rl

(

1 ,

[)i

I ,.

1 ) ,1

h !

A m

A\ I'

Apr. 1858.

AN ICE-TOURNAMENT.

2yd. — Position 63° 41' N,, 58° 59' W. I had long ago
resolved, if we escaped before the 15 th, or the 20th April at
the latest, to go to Newfoundland to refresh the crew and
to refit, even if no damage from the ice should be sustained.
In order to do so it would have been necessary for us
to visit a Greenland port for a supply of water. We could
not have calculated upon much assistance from our engines
upon such a voyage, Mr. Brand alone being capable of
working the engines, so that ten or twelve hours daily is all
the steaming that could have been expected.

But we are still ice-locked, so I purpose going to Holstein-
borg in preference to a more southern port, as there we may
expect to get reindeer and a small supply of stores suitable
to our wants. The whalers sometimes reach Disco in
March, Upernivik in May, and tne North Water early
in June. Unless we should be at once set free, we shall
not have time to spare for a Newfoundland voyage.

24///. — Another anxious week has passed. Latterly we
have experienced south-westerly currents, similar to those
which Parry describes when beset here in June, 18 19.
To-day we have had a strong S.E. breeze, with snow and
dark weather. The wind had greatly moderated when the
swell reached us about eight o'clock this evening. It is now
ten o'clock ; the long ocean swell already lifts its crest five
feet above the hollow of the sea, causing its thick covering
of icy fragments to dash against each other and against us
with unpleasant violence. It is however very beautiful to
look upon, the dear old familiar ocean-swell ! it has long
been a stranger to us, and is welcome in our solitude. If
the 'Fox' was as solid as her neighbours, I am quite sure
she would enter into this ice-tournament with all their
apparent heartiness, instead of audibly making known her
sufferings to us. Every considerable surface of ice has been
broken into many smaller ones ; with feelings of exultation

J.i

:ls

I '11! I

■ Y-

I ' t

li: I

!^ II

l«:

1 *

ESCAPE OUT OF THE PACK,

Chap. VI.

I watched the process from aloft, A floe-piece near us,
of loo yards in diameter, was speedily cracked so as to
resemble a sort of labyrinth, or, still more, a field-spider's
web. In the course of half-an-hour the family resemblance
of the fragments Avas totally lost ; they had so battered each
other, and struggled out of their original regularity. The
rolling sea can no longer be checked ; " the pack has taken
upon itself the functions of an ocean," as Dr. Kane graphi-
cally expresses it.

2(ith. — Position 63° 47' N., 56° 36' W. At sea ! How am
I to describe the events of the last two days ? It has pleased
God to accord to us ?.. deliverance in which His merciful
protection contrasts — how .trongly! — with our own utter
helplessness ; as if the successive mercies vouchsafed to us
during our long long winter and mysterious ice-drift had
been concentrated and repeated in a single act. Thus
forcibly does His great goodr ess come home to the mind !

I am in no humour for writing, being still tired, worn,
and perhaps a little sea-sick \ at least I have a headache,
caused by the rolling of t^e ship and rattling noise of every-
thing.

On Saturday night, the 24th, I went on deck to spend the
greater part of it in watching, and to determine what to do.
The swell greatly increased ; it had evidently been approach-
ing for hours before it reached us, since it rose in proportion
as the ice was broken up into smaller pieces. In a short
time but few of them were equal in size to the ship's deck ;
most of them not half so large. 1 knew that near the pack-
edge the sea would be very heavy and dangerous ; but the
wind was now fair, and, having auxiliary steam-power, I
resolved to push out of the ice if possible.

Shortly after midnight the ship was under sail, slowly
boring her way to the eastward ; at two o'clock oii Sunday
morning commenced steaming, the wind having failed. By

lAP. VI.

lear us,
3 as to
-spider's
nblance
ed each
Y. The
IS taken
; graphi-

Hovv am
s pleased
merciful
)\vn utter
Fed to us
drift had
c. Thus
! mind !
;d, worn,
leadache,
of every-

pend the
at to do.
pproach-
oportion
a short
's deck ;
;he pack-
but the
ower, I

1, slowly
|i Sunday
led. By

Apr. 1858.

CLEAR OF THE PACK,

eight o'clock we had advanced considerably to the eastward,
and *-he swell had become dangerously high, the waves rising
ten feet above the trough of the sea. The shocks of the ice
against the ship were alarmingly heavy ; it became necessary
to steer exactly head-on to swell. We slowly passed a small
iceberg 60 or 70 feet high ; impelled by the swell it crashed
onward through the pack, leaving a water-space in its wake,
small in extent, yet sufficient to allow the seas to break
against its cliffs, and throw the spray in heavy showers quite
over its summit.

The anxious day wore on without much change. Gradu-
ally the swell increased, and rolled along more swiftly,
becoming in fact a heavy and regular sea, rather than a
swell. The ice often lay so closely packed that we could
hardly force ahead, although the fair wind had again
freshened up. Much heavy hummocky ice and large berg-
pieces lay dispersed through the pack ; a single thump from
any of them would have been instant destruction. By five
o'clock the ice became more loose, and clear spaces of
water could be seen ahead. We went faster, received fewer
though still more severe shocks, until at length we had room
to steer clear of the heaviest pieces ', and at eight o'clock
we emerged from the villainous " pack," and were running
fast through straggling pieces into a clear sea. The engines
were stopped, and Mr. Brand permitted to rest after eighteen
hours' duty, for we now have no one else capable of driving
the engines.

Throughout the day I trembled for the safety of the
rudder, and screw ; deprived of the one or the other, even
for half-an-hour, I think our fate would have beei sealed;
to have steered in any other direction than against the swell
would have exposed, and probably sacrificed both.

Our bow is very strongly fortified, well plated externally
with iron, and so very sharp that the ice-masses, repeatedly

i \

1 !

i
i

1; H

'■■ \

1 i

' '

(

:.l|iM

ON THE ESCAPE.

Chap. VI.

hurled against the ship by the swell as she rose to meet it,
were thus robbed of their destructive force ; they struck us
obliquely, yet caused the vessel to shake violently, the bells
to ring, and almost knocked us off our legs. On many
occasions the engines were stopped dead by ice choking
the screw ; once it was some minutes before it could be got
to revolve again. Anxious moments those !

After yesterday's experience I can understand how men's
hair have turned grey in a few hours. Had self-reliance
been my only support and hope, it is not impossible that I
might have illustrated the fact. Under the circumstances
I did my best to insure our safety, looked as stoical as
possible, and inwardly trusted that God would favour our
exertions. What a release ours has been, not only from
eight months' imprisonment, but from the perils of that one
day ! Had our little vessel been destroyed after the ice
broke up, there remained no hope for us. But we have been
brought safely through, and are all inexpressibly grateful,
I hope, and believe.

I grieve to think of poor Lady Franklin and our friends
at home. Severely as we have felt the failure of our first
season's operations, yet the ordeal is now over with us : not
so with her and them, — they have still to experience that
bitter disappointment.

Our distance within the pack-edge, where we first made
sail yesterday, was 22 miles. Before we got clear of the
ice the height of the waves was 13^ feet; after passing
through the last of it there was no increase, but the sea was
more confused ; in fact, within the ice all minor disturbances
were quelled or merged into a regular succession of fast-
following waves. The ship and her machinery behaved
most admirably in the struggle ; should I ever have to pass
through such an ice-covered heaving ocean again, let me
secure a passage in the ' Fox.'

AP. VI.

neet it,
ruck us
le bells
I many
:hoking
. be got

V men's
reliance
e that I
istances
oical as
our our
ily from
that one
the ice
Lve been
grateful,

friends

»ur first

|us : not

ice that

It made
of the

[passing
sea was
rbances
)f fast-
lehaved
Ito pass
llet me

Apr. 1858.

A LONG DRIFT.

During our 250 days in the ice-pack of Bafiin's Bay and
Davis' Strait, we were drifted 11 94 geographical or 1385
statute miles, and this is the longest drift I know of. Our
winter may be considered as having been rather mild but
very windy.

As long ago as 2nd January I noted in this diary, that
our movement seemed due almost exclusively to the wind ;
in the Appendix will be found some interesting remarks on
the effect of wind in producing ice movement.

We are now steering for Holsteinborg where I intend to
refit, and to refresh the crew : it has the reputation of being
the best place on the coast for reindeer.

1 1

■ w

■ l'

i '

I' ; 1

IvlfM

ill

90 ANCHORED AT HOLSTEINBORG. Chap. VII.

CHAPTER VII.

A holiday in Greenland — A lady blue with cold — The loves of Green-
landers — Close shaving — Meet the whalers — Information of
whalers — Disco — Danisii Hospitality — Sail from Disco — Coaling
— Kindness of the whalers — Danish establishments in Greenland.

Wednesday 'night, April 28///. — At anchor off the settlement
of Holsteinborg, and moored dose in to its very rocks !
How black they look, and what a welcome feeling of security
they convey to us, so recently escaped from a long con-
tinuance of icy peril ! ! We have been visited b> uie Danish
residents — the chief trader or governor, the priest, and two
others : their latest European intelligence is not more recent
than our own, but the Danish ship is hourly expected ; she
usually leaves Copenhagen about the middle of March.

The winter here has been just the reverse of our experi-
ence ; it has been severe in point of temperature, but with
very little wind; the land lies buried in snow, and as yet
there is no thaw ; it is too early for the cod-fishery, and not
a single reindeer has been kilted throughout the winter !
Eider-ducks, looms, and dovekies are abundant, as well as
hares and ptarmigan.

2()th. — A bright and lovely day. Our poor, half-famished
dogs have been landed near the carcasses of four whales, so
they must be supremely happy. I visited the Governor
to-day, and found his little wooden house as scrupulously
clean and neat as the houses of the Danish residents in
Greenland invariably are. The only ornaments about the
room were portraits of his unfortunate wife and two children :
they embarked at Copenhagen last year to rejoin him, and

^^A

p. VII.

)f Green-
ation of
-Coaling
enland.

;tlement
rocks !
security
ng con-
: Danish
and two
e recent
:ed ; she
;h.
experi-
lut with
[l as yet
and not
winter !
well as

imished
lales, so
lovernor
)ulously
lents in
lout the
uiildren :
lim, and

May, 1858. HOLIDA V IN GREENLAND.

the ill-fated vessel has never since been heard of. Poor
Governor Elberg is in ill health, and talks of returning home
— by Jiome he means Denmark, the land of his birth, and
where once he had a home.

30///. — This is a grand Danish holiday ; the inhabitants
are all dressed in their Sunday clothes — at least, all who
have got a change of garments, — and there is both morning
and evening service in the small wooden church. As the
Governor could not be persuaded to unlock the door of
tlie dance-house, our men returned on board early ; yester-
day evening they were all on shore, and, with the Esqui-
maux, were wedged into this one large room ; to be squeezed
in a crowd of human beings is positive enjoyment after
a winter's isolation such as ours has been. Old Harvey
constituted himself master of the ceremonies, and with his
flute led the orchestra ; it consioUd of one other flute and
a fiddle : he managed to perch himself above all the rest, at
one end of the room, and played with such vigour that our
bluejackets and the Esquimaux ladies danced away most
furiously for hours. These ladies can dance in the least
possible space, their costume being particularly well adapted
for the purpose, partaking, as it does, much more of the
" Bloomer " than the " Crinoline."

Christian looks immensely happy : his countrymen regard
him as a man whose fortune is made, and the women gaze
with admiration upon his neat sailor's dress, his good-
natured, full, round face, and huge fat, ■ hining cheeks ; Mr.
Petersen is in great request to interpret between the English,
Danes, and Esquimaux.

']th May. — I intended sailing for Disco this morning,
but wind and weather were adverse. We have ob-
tained but little here except water, a tolerable supply of
rock cod, some ptarmigan, hares, wildfowl, and a few items
of stores. The Governor now thinks the Danish ship must

I;
r

Mil

AN EARTHQUAKE.

Chap. VII.

have been directed to visit Godhaab before coming here.
We have left letters to go home in her, and they ought to
be in England by the end of June.

I visited to-day a small lake at the foot of Mount Cunning-
ham; it is said to occupy the centre of an extinct vol-
cano, but I saw nothing to bear out the assertion. This
is the only part of Greenland where earthquakes are felt.
The Governor told me of an unusually severe shock which
occurred a winter or two ago. He was sitting in his room
and reading at the time, when he heard a loud noise like
the discharge of a cannon ; immediately afterwards a tremu-
lous motion was felt, some glasses upon the table com-
menced to dance about, and papers lying upon the window-
sill fell down : after a few seconds it ceased. He thinks the
motion originated at the lake, as it was not felt by some
people living beyond it, and that it passed from N.E. to
S.W.

This rocky mountainous scenery is magnificent; but a
little more animal life — reindeer, for instance — would make
it far more pleasing in our eyes. The last twelvemonth's
produce of this district amounts only to 500 reindeer skins,
instead of 3000, as in ordinary years. The prevailing rock
is syenitic granite. This settlement was first formed in
1772, it now contains about 200 souls; the present clergy-
man was born in it, and has succeeded his father in the
priestly ofifice; his wife is the only European female in
the colony. Being told that fuel was extremely scarce
in the Danish houses, and that " the priest's wife was blue
with the cold," I sent on shore a present of some coals.

On Sunday afternoon, hearing the church bell tolling, I
went on shore. It proved to be only a christening. The
little dusky infant received a long string of European names;
there was a small description of barrel-organ, to the sound
of which the congregation joined in, keeping up a loud

AP.VII.

.g here.
)ught to

Running-
net vol-
. This
are felt,
k which
lis room
)ise like
a, tremu-
ile com-
window-
links the
by some
N.E. to

but a

filing, I

The

Inames;

sound

la loud

May, 1858. THE LOVES OF GREENLANDERS. 93

monotonous chant. Most of the young people had hymn-
books in their hands, printed in the Esquimaux language.

Ravens seem very abundant ; also large grey falcons :
perhaps the dead whales may have attracted an unusual
number.

Poor Christian has not only fallen desperately in love,
but has engaged himself to the object of his affections, a
pretty Esquimaux girl. He asked me to-day to give her a
passage up to Godhavn, as he wished to leave her in charge
of his mother until his return there with us next year, when
his engagement for the voyage would be fulfilled. Having
heard a rumour of a young woman awaiting his return with
anxiety at Godhavn, I taxed him with it, but he replied
with great simplicity that *' he had never promised her, and
would not marry her, as his liiends objected to the match."
What are the good Greenlanders coming to? I recom-
mended that he should leave his betrothed in her own
home, with her mother and family. His asking a passage
for her, in order to leave her with his mother, is strong
proof of the sincerity of his engagement, not only to his
lady-love, but to the * Fox ' also.

Governor Elberg has promised to get me some fossil fish,
to be found only in North Strom Fiord : they are interesting,
as being of unknown geological date.

The fur of the arctic hare is beautifully soft and white ;
it is sometimes spun, and knitted into the nicest ladies'
gloves possible. I was not able to procure more than one
pair, and the poor woman who made them could not conceal
her delight at receiving for them a shilling and a few
biscuits.

Holsteinborg may be a charming spot in summer, but it
has a northern aspect, and is now almost buried with snow.
It is called " Wylie Fiord " by our whalers, and is, I believe,
the only place on the coast suitable for laying a ship upon

''■n'-\

Vi:

I'l

lib

«■((,/

•

1 :'

il ], i

! !

' i 1 ,

I I ^

WHALE FISH ISLANDS.

Chap. VII.

the ground to undergo repairs ; the rise and fall at spring
tides is lo feet. We cannot land at all times of tide, for a
very sufficient reason : at high-water-mark a broad fringe of
ice margins 'he shore to which it is firmly frozen, and is
convenient to step on to from a boat ; but at low-water this
"ice-foot" is several feet above one's head, and moreover
the rocks now exposed are worn smooth and slippery by the
constant attrition of ice.

The harbour is so small that the ' Fox ' is moored by
hawsers to the rocks on each side, and yet the water is so
deep that oar anchor lies in 17 fathjms. They tell me that
oysters abound here, but I am not quite clear that they do
not mean scallops.

lo^/i. — On the morning of the 8th we left Holsteinborg
with a pleasant land wind and bright weather. When 15
miles off shore we were stopped by ice formed during the
last two nights, the thermometer having fallen to 12°; out in
the offing lue weather was gloomy and cold, and strong
northerly vviiids v/ere blowing. On closing the land again,
we regained the offshore wind, and bright weather.

Keeping clo^e alongshore, and threading our way through
a vast deal of pack and numerous icebergs, we caught
sight of Disco about noon to-day, and by the evening were
\vithin an hour's sail of Godhavn, when we were again
stopped by a broad belt of ice stretching along the coast ;
this was a bitter disappointment, more particularly as a
gale of wind with heavy sea was fast rising, and snow
beginning to fall thickly ; there was nothing for it, however,
but to stand off under easy sail for the night.

i2t/i. — At anchor at the Whalefish Islands. On the
evening of the loth we stood off from the inhospitable
barrier of ice, prepared to meet the storm ; snow fell so
thickly that we could hardly see the icebergs in time to
avoid them. We supposed ourselves to be well to leeward

age.

A.P. VII.

May, 1858.

MEET THE WHALERS.

I spnng
le, for a
ringe of
, and is
ater this
loreover
y by the

)ored by

ter is so

me that

they do

steinborg
When 15
uring the
° ; out in
id strong
id again,

through
caught
mg were
re again
le coast ;
rly as a
id snow
lowever,

On the

ispitable

fell so

time to

leeward

of the Whalefish Islands, but were deceived by the tides ;
suddenly a small, low islet was seen on the lee bow ; not
being able to pass to windward, we were obliged to wear
ship, and, in doing so, she passed within her own length of
destruction — for we were certainly within a few yards of the
rocks ! The islet was covered with snow, and, but for some
very few dark points of rock showing through, it could not
be distinguished from ice. On the nth the weather im-
proved, and in the evening we came to our present anchor-
age. From a hill we can watch an opportunity to enter
Godhavn. Notwithstanding the blowing weather, some
natives came about five miles off to us ; the water washed
over their little kayaks, and kept the occupants' sealskin
dresses streaming with wet up to their shoulders ; this part
of their dress seems rather part of the kayak, as it is
attached to it round the hole in which the kayaker sits, so
that no water can enter. It is wonderful to see how closely
a man can assimilate his habits to those of a fish.

The Danish cooper in charge of this out-station tells us
there are thirteen English whalers already out, and some of
them have been up to the north end of Disco ; two vessels
are in sight. The world, it appears, is at peace. Petersen
was at one time in charge of this station 3 he is now seeking
out his old acquaintances.

14///. — Summer has suddenly burst upon us — thermo-
meter up to 40° ; moreover, we are enjoying English news-
papers, and have dined off roast beef and vegetables !

Two days ago I sent a note off to a whaler by a kayak,
requesting her captain to lend me some newspapers ; the
note reached Ca]jtain J. Walker, of the 'Jane,' and yester-
day his ship, accompanied by the 'Heroine,' Captain J.
Simpson, a[)proached us, and they both came in to call
upon me, each of them bringing the very acceptable present
of some newsiDapers, besides a quarter of beef, with vege-

■VHI

I I;

!l III

ir:

III

VOYAGES OF WHALERS. Chap. VII.

tables. Nothing could exceed their sincere good feeling and
kindness j they offered to supply me with anything their
ships could afford. The account they give of last season
is as follows: the whalers reached Devil's Point, near
Melville Bay, as early as 21st May; southerly winds then
set in, and blew incessantly for six weeks, during all which
time they were closely beset, and the ships * Gipsy' and
'Undaunted' were crushed. When able to move, the
fleet returned southward along the pack-edge, which was
everywhere found to be impenetrable ; they sailed south-
ward of Disco, and about the middle of July the eariiest
ships rounded the southern extremity of the middle ice in
lat. 68i° and found no difficulty in their further passageto
Pond's Bay. Captain Walker says ships could not have
reached Lancaster Sound, as there was much ice north of
Pond's Bay which he thought extended quite across to
Melville Bay.

The position of the ice last season was considered to
be most unusual ; the long prevalence of southerly winds
appeared to have separated the tail of the pack from the
main body, the former lying against the west land about
Cape Searle, whilst the latter was forced northward and
pressed closely into Melville Bay ; the ships sailed freely
between these two great divisions, and found the west
water unusually extensive.

Had I been able to collect a sufficient number of sledge-
dogs at Godhavn last year, it Avas my intention to have
sailed across to the west side if possible, instead of pursuing
the usual route through Melville Bay ; but the opinions of
the captains of the lost whalers were in favour of a
" Melville Bay " passage, and the necessity for obtaining
dogs left me no choice as to whether I should proceed west,
or north to Proven and Upernivik ; I have already recorded
what were my opinions at the timc^ so need only observe

HAP. VII.

eling and
ling their
St season
)int, near
[nds then
all which
ipsy' and
love, the
^hich was
ed south-
le earliest
lie ice in
passageto
not have
north of
across to

idered to
rly winds
from the
Qd about
vard and
ed freely
the west

)f sledge-
to have
pursuing
nions of
ur of a
btaining
ed west,
ecorded
observe

May, 1858. UNCERTAINTY OF ICE-NAVIGATION. 97

iwiv, that, although I failed, I believe my decision was
justified by all ibrmer experience, even independently of the
circumstances which obliged me to adopt it. Nevertheless
it is mortifying to find that ships had reached as far as
Pond's Bay, and with but little difficulty. Sir Ed.vard
Parry, upon his third voyage, did not reach the west water
until very late in the season, although some of the whalers
met with better success by following up another route.

There is nothing more uncertain than ice-navigation, de-
pendent as it is upon winds, temperatures, and currents :
one can only calculate upon " the chances," and how nearly
we succeeded we have already seen. In the preceding year
(1856) some of the whalers got through Melville Bay, as
early as the 15th June, only a few days after the commence-
ment of the summer's thaw. Captain Walker tells me there
are many years in which the whalers can pass up the western
shore late in the season, but not always so far as Pond's
Bay; of Melville Bay after the loth or 15th July they know
nothing, but the voyages of discovery afford us ample de-
tails ; whilst of the southern route almost nothing has been
made puljliciy known.

There are many intelligent whaling captains who possess
much valuable knowledge of these lands and seas, and even
in the terra i/icoi;iiita of Frobisher's Straits whalers have
wintered, whilst our charts scarcely afford even a vague idea
of the configuration of these extensive islands. The so-
called '• Home Bay " has been penetrated for fifty miles and
is sui)posed to be a strait leading to Fox's Furthest. Scott's
Inlet is also said to be a strait leading into a western arm
of the same sea. A surveying vessel would be usefully
emi)loyed for a cou])lc of summers in tracing the general
outline of these possessions of Her Majesty, more particu-

ux most

rly as they

:ly

C[U1

;ager to barter their produce for rilles, saws, files, knives,

!■■. i

V ^

•i;

1:1

I 1

I ,'

i'l

UPERNIVIK BA Y.

Chap. VII.

needles, and such like articles. Good coal has been found
upon Durbin Island (near Cape Searle), in a convenient
little cove upon its southern side ; and as the old sailing
whalers are fast being replaced by steamers, this place may
become of great importance to them.

Amongst the many siray questions put to 01 kind visitors,
"the fashions" were not forgotten, and, strange to relate,
crinoline has actually quadrupled the price of whalebone
within the last few years.

The sooner the poor whales memorialize the Empress for
a change of fashion the better !

We are refitting, shooting, and devouring quantities of
excellent mussels; eider ducks are very abundant, but ex-
tremely shy. Poor puss has been killed ; tempted on deck
by the unusually warm weather, she was pounced upon by
the dogs.

ilth. — Yesterday our attempt to enter the port of God-
havn failed, it is still filled with .ce. This evening Young
raid I examined a narrow rocky cove — Upernivik Bay of
the natives; finding it suitable for our purpose, the ship
was brought in and moored to the rocks. We were received
with much kindnesc by our friends Mr. and Mrs. Olrik, and
were presented with a file of late English papers. A con-
siderable supply of beer was ordered to be brewed for us.

I found Mrs. Olrik without a fire in her sitting room, it
was unnecessary ; the windows looked to the south, and the
sun shone brightly in upon a profusion ^. geraniums and
European flowers, at once reminding one of home, and re-
freshing the senses by their perfume and beauty ; the merry
voices of the children were also a most pleasing novelty.
Mr. Olrik says the past winter has not been in any way
remarkable, except for the prevalence of strong winds; April
and the early part of May have been unusually cold.

24///. — We did honour to Her Majesty's birthday by

Mav,

AP. vn.

11 found
ivenient
i sailing
ace may

visitors,
relate,
lalebone

press for

itities of

, but ex-

on deck

upon by

of God-
ig Young
k Bay of
the ship
received
»lrik, and
A con-
fer us.
room, it
and the
lums and
and re-
le merry
novelty,
ny way
Lis; April

liday by

May, 1858.

COALING.

dressing the * Fox ' in all her flags, and regaling her crew
with plum pudding and grog. The ice having moved off,
we have come into the harbour of Godhavn, as being more
convenient and ,iafe. The day has been a busy one ; we
have completed our small purchases and closed our letters ;
I have added another Esquimaux lad to our crew, taking
with him his rifle, kayak, and sledge. This evening there
has been a brisk interchange of presents between us and our
Danish friends. I have been given an eider-down coverlet
by the Governor, a pair of fur boots by Mr. Andersen,
and by Mrs. Olrik, some delicious preserves of Greenland
cranberries, a tin of preserved ptarmigan, and a jar of
pickled whaleskin ; my table is decked with European
flowers, including roses, mignonette, and violets.

With good reason shall we remember Godhavp : we have
certainly been treated as especial favourites.

26//^. — Left Godhavn early yesterday morning, and an-
chored this afternoon in our old position off the Coal Cliffs
in Waigat Strait ; a party of seal-hunters from Atanekerdluk
came off to us, and their hunting having terminated suc-
cessfully, they will assist us in coaling. P'rom these men
I obtained much information about this part of the coast ;
within a range of 20 miles upon the Disco shore there are
four distinct coaling places ; but at this early season two of
them are deeply covered with snow. There is also very
good coal at the S.E. end of Hare Island, where it can
easily be obtained. The ice in this strait: broke up as long
ago as the 3rd April ; it has all drifted out to the nort/noard,
and only a few icebergs now remain.

On the Greenland shore of the strait is the now celebrated
fossilized forest of Atanekeruluk, — a brief notice of it will be
found in the Appendix ; the extraordinary intere'^ attaching
to it is due to the fact, that here about one hundred species
of plants have been found, that flourished at ijuite a recent

H 2

I I

,t 1^'

! !

lOO

FOSSILIZED FOREST.

Chap. VII.

geological period, and required an English climate for their
support.

The annual temperature of England may be taken at 49° ;
that of Iceland, where no trees will grow, at 39°; but of
Greenland, under the 70th parallel where these trees grew, it
is only 19°.

These miocene fossils, beeches, oaks, magnolias, and ever-
greens; the ammonites of Prince Patrick's Island in Lat. 77°;
the widely spread coal plants ; the stems of pine trees, still
capable of being used as fuel, and found not only in the
Arctic Archipelago, but in New Siberia ; also the fossil
firs and poplars of Spitzbergen in Lat. 79°; these all shew
that there was a time when arctic lands enjoyed, at least
a temperate climate ; and we look to the astronomer for a
solution of this mystery. Meanwhile the safest hypothesis to
adopt isj I believe, that there has been a change in the earth's
aXiS of rotation, which astronomy, as an exact science, is
not yet old enough to detect. There is, however, nothing
new under the sun — even here we find ourselves anticipated
l)y an old Chinese tradition, that long ages ago the Pole star
suddenly dipped down towards the horizon !

28///. — Again hastening northward ; the business of coal-
ing was very speedily and satisfactorily completed, but the
(juality of the coal is very inferior. Upon the green slopes our
sportsmen found nothing but a few ptarmigan and a hare,

Shortly after running close past the deserted settlement of
Noursak, we arrived oft' a small bay, and were startled by
finding the water had suddenly changed from transparent
blue to a thick mudily colour, but there was no change in
its depth ; we were crossing the stream of " Makkaks Elvin,"
or Clay River, which empties itself into the bay after running
through a broad and extensive valley, said to abound with
reindeer. This river has its origin in lakes and glaciers in
the interior, and the discolouration of the water is pro-

\... ■ ■

: ,^vSE

c„

[AP. VII.

for their

1 at 49° ;
; but of

5 grew, it

md ever-
Lat. 77°;
rees, still
ly in the
:he fossil
all shew
, at least
iier for a
3thesis to
he earth's
:ience, is
, nothing
ticipated
Pole star

of coal-
but the
~|opes our
hare.,
nnent of
[rtled by
psparent
liange in
Is Klvin,"
running
Inid with
liciers in
is pro-

JUNE, 185S. KINDNESS OF THE WHALERS.

lOI

bably the chief cause of success in white-whale fishing, which
is carried on here in the autumn, as those timid animals will
not permit boats to approach them in clear water.

This evening we are crossing Omenak's Fiord, and the
land-wind, which here and all along the coast northwards
blows from the N.E., has come off to us.

31^/. — Lying fast to an iceberg off Upernivik.

The whalers are all within a dozen miles of us, unable to
penetrate further north. The season appears forward, and
the ice much decayed ; but southerly winds prevail, retarding
its disruption and removal. Captain Parker, of the ' Emma,'
tells me he does not expect to make a north passage this
year, and as his experience extends over a period of at least
thirty years, I give his reason ; it is simply this, — that as
during the months of February, March, and April northerly
winds prevailed to an unusual degree, therefore southerly
winds may now be expected to continue ; if he prove a pro-
phet, it will be to our serious hindrance at this critical
season. Governor Fliescher says the winter has been mild ;
there has been but little wind, and that chiefly from the
southward.

^fh June. — We have received much kindness from our
friends Captains Parker and J. Simpson, as well as from
others of the whaling fleet ; the former has generous!}'
supplied us with many things we were rather short of, not
only in ship's stores, but provisions and coals, and in return
I have of course furnished him with a receipt for his owners.
Cai)tain Simpson has most handsomely presented the ' Fox '
with a sail and yards, which, after some slight alterations,
will enable us to add a main topsail to our si)read of canvas.
For the two days we lay at the iceberg, alongside of the
' Emma,' I made furious attacks upon Captain Parker's beef-
steaks and porter; we amply availed ourselves of his
hearty welcome. By the arrival of the fine steam

%\.

I02

DANISH ESTABLISHMENTS. Chap. VII.

■r, I

whaler ' Tay,' from Scotland, we have received papers up to
17th Ajml.

This morning we slowly steamed away from Upernivik,
threading our way betwixt islands and ice, for about 30
miles, and now await further ice movement before it will be
possible to proceed. These are called the Women Islands,
so named by the celebrated arctic explorer John Davis, who
visited them in Queen Elizabeth's reign ; he found here only
a few old women, their frightened lords and more active
juniors having effected their escape.

Upon one of these islands a stone was picked up some 30
years ago, bearin;^ a Runic inscription ; it was sent home to
Copenhagcii as a most interesting relic of the early Scan-
dinavian voyagers ; but nothing was on it except the names
of those men " who cleared this place " (or formed a settle-
ment), and the date, 1135. In all probability their sojourn
was extremely short, perhaps only for a single summer. The
Esquiniaux did not made their appearance for nearly two
centuries later.

After Egede's settlement at Godhaab in 1721, the Danish
trading establishments gradually extended along the coast,
even to Upernivik; but it appears to have been soon aban-
doned. During Napoleon's wars all the Danish posts were
withdrawn, as the British fleet effectually cut off communica-
tion with Europe; but after peace was restored in 18 15, the
trading posts were again resorted to, and a new settlement
formed near the ruins of the old one at Upernivik ; it enjoys
pre-eminence as the most northern abode of civiliLcd man.

! I

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lo^

CHAPTER VIII.

'Fox' nearly wrecked — Afloat, ami i)U.-.h ahead — Arctic liair-hieadth
escapes — Nearly caii^i;lu in the pack — Shooting little auks — The
arctic hiijhlanders — Cape York — Crimson snow — Struggling to
the westward — Reach the West-land — Off the entrance of Lan-
caster Sound.

/i///c 8///. — YivSTF.RDAV momiiig we passed close outside
Jjiichan Island ; it is small but lofty, its north side is almost
precipitous, yet, notwithstanding this strong indication of
deep water, a reef of rocks lies about a mile off it. J hap-
pened to be aloft with the look-out-man at half-past eight
o'clock as we were steaming through a narrow lead in the
ice, when I saw a rod- close ahead ; it was capped with ice,
therefore was hardly distinguishable from the floating masses
around ; the engines were stopped and reversed, but there
was neither time nor room to avoid the reef, which now
extended upon each side of us, and upon which the ship's
bow stuck fost whilst her stern remained in 36 feet water ;
the tide had just commenced to fall, and all our efforts
to haul off from the rocks were ineffectual. The floes lay
within 30 yards of us upon each side. I feared their drifting
down upon the ship and turning her over; but fortunately
it was perfectly calm, and as the tide fell, points of the reef
held them flist. The ship continued to fall over to star-
board ; at dead low water her inclination was 35°; the
water covered the starboard gunwale from the mainmast aft;
and reached almost up to the after hatchway ; at this time
the slightest shake must have caused her to fall over upon

, ' ■ *j

.111

io6

JOIN THE WHALERS.

Chap. VIII. >

her side, when she would instantly have filled and sunk !
The dogs, after repeated ineffectual attempts to lie upon the
deck, quietly coiled themselves up upon such parts of the
lee gunwale as remained above water and went to sleep.

To me the moments seemed lengthened out beyond any-
thing I could have imagined ; but at length the water began
to rise, and the ship to resume her upright position. Boats,
anchors, hawsers, &c., were got on board again with the
utmost alacrity, and the ship floated off unhurt after having
been eleven hours upon the reef. We had grounded during
the day tide and were floated off by the night tide, which
upon this coast occasions a much greater rise and fall, — so
far we were favoured, but the poor little ' Fox ' had a very
narrow escape ; as for ourselves, there was not the slightest
cause for apprehension, three steam whalers being within
signal distance.

To-day we are steaming along after the three vessels which
passed us last evening and disappeared round Cape Shackle-
ton during the night. The contrast between our prospects
yesterday and to-day fills one with delight, — to be afloat and
advancing unobstructedly once more, is indeed charming.

I ith. — On the afternoon of the 8th we joined the steamers
' Tay,' Captain Deuchars ; ' Chase,' Captain Gravill, sen. ;
and ' Diana,' Captain Gravill, jun. After repeated ice-
detentions, we have reached Duck Island. Captain Deuchars
says there is every prospect of an early north passage. We
have had several conversations about the Pond's Bay natives,
and their reports of ships, wrecks, and Europeans ; but there
appears to be not only great difficulty, but also uncertainty,
in arriving at their meaning ; to form an idea of the time
elapsed since an event, or the distance to the spot where it
occurred, is a still harder task. I look forward to our visit
at Pond's Bay with greatly increased interest.

In August, 1855, when Captain Deuchars was crossing

June, 1858. ARCTIC HAIR-BREADTH ESCAPES. 107

through the middle ice, in latitude 70°, he found part of a
steamer's topmast embedded in heavy ice ; he also saw the
moulded form ot a ship's side, and thinks the latter must
have sunk ; the portion of the topmast visible was sawed off
and taken to England. In the following month, and three
degrees further South, the * Resolute ' was picked up. Now
as Her Majesty's Ships ' Resolute ' and ' Intrepid ' were frozen
up close together when we abandoned t.iem in May, 1854, I
conclude that the traces which Captain Ueuchars discovered
were those of my old ship, the * Intrepid.' About two or
three years ago Captain Deuchars lost his ship, the ' Princess
Charlotte,' in Melville Bay. It was a beautiful morning ;
they had almost reached the North Water, and were antici-
pating a very successful voyage ; the s<-eward had just
reported breakfast ready, when Captain IJeuchars, seeing
the floes closing together ahead of the ship, remained on
deck to see her pass safely between them ; but they closed
too quickly : the vessel was almost through, when the points
of ice caught her sides abreast of the mizenmast, and passing
through, held the wreck up for a few minutes, barely long
enough for the crew to escape and save their boats. Poor
Deuchars thus suddenly lost not only his breakfast but his
ship ; within ten mimitcs her royal yards disappeared beneath
the surface. How closely danger besets the arctic cruiser,
yet how insidiously ; everything looks so bright, so calm, so
still, that it requires positive experience to convince one that
ice only a very few inches, perhaps only three or four inches,
above water^ perfectly level, and moving extremely slow,
could possibly endanger a strong vessel 1 The ' Princess
Charlotte ' was a very fine, strong ship, and her captain one
of the most experienced arctic seamen : he now commands
the finest whaler in the fleet.

■1-w

5mg

' Only about one-seventh of the whole thickness of sea ice is floated
above water.

t \l

io8

A MAN CHASED BY BEARS. Chap. VIII.

!ll

i^t/i. — We have only advanced a few miles to the north-
Avard. The steamer 'Innuit' has joined our small steam
scjuadron. Captain Sutter left Scotland only a month ago :
he has very kindly and prompdy sent us a present of news-
papers and potatoes. Captain Deuchars has also been good
enough to supply us with some potatoes and porter, perhaps
the most serviceable present he could have made us after
our long subsistence upon salted and preserved meats.

19///. — Once more alone in Melville Bay. The 'Innuit'
and ' Chase ' steamed much too fast for us, and the last of
the four vessels, the ' 'J'ay,' parted from us in a thick fog
yesterday. We have come close along the edge of the fixed
ice, passing about 6 miles outside of the Sabine Islands, and
are advancing as opportunities offer. This morning the
man who was stationed to watch a nip about a quarter of a
mile ahead of the ship, came running back, pursued by three
bears — a mother with her half-grown cubs. I suppose they
followed him chiefly because he ran from them ; at all events
they were very close up when he reached the ship. Another
bear was seen about the same time, but none of them came
within shot. Rotchies (or little auks) are very abundant.
Seals are occasionally shot. I ate some boiled seal to-day,
and found it good : this is the first time I have eaten posi-
tive blubber ; all scruples respecting it henceforth vanish.

25///.— The land-ice broke away inshore of the ' P'ox' on
the 19th or 20th, and we found ourselves drifting southward
amongst extensive fields of ice. Sad experience has already
shown us how powerless our small craft is under such cir-
cumstances. But after many attempts we regained the edge
of the fast ice this morning, and steamed merrily along it
towards liushnan Island. When within a few miles a nip
brought us to a standstill : here five or six icebergs, appa-
rently aground, lie encompassed by land ice ; one of them
juts out and has caught the point of an immense field of ice ;

June, 1858. NEARLY CAUGHT IN THE PACK. 109

there is some slight movement in the latter, but not enough
to let us pass through.

Twelve or eighteen miles to the south there is a cluster of
hergs, in all probability aground upon our " 70 fathom bank "
of last September. Ilie ice-field appears to rest against
them, as both to the east and west there is much clear water.
Exactly at this spot Captain Penny was similarly detained
by a nip in August, 1850. Although progress is denied to
us at present, yet it is an unspeakable relief to have got out
of the drifting ice.

I have passed very many anxious days in Melville Bay,
but hardly any of them weighed so heavily upon me as
yesterday. Such a lovely day, so clear and bright, a sky
intensely blue, and every distant object remarkably distinct;
it was a day above all days to string one's nerves for unusual
action ; and the longed-for broad land-water was there — ■
within a third of a mile — gently rippled by a pleasant fair
breeze. But the nip — the intervening nip, — it worked suffi-
ciently with wind and tide to keep one in suspense ; it nearly
opened at high water, but closed again with the ebb tide. I
thought of the week already spent in struggling amongst
drifting tloes, and was haunted by visions of everything
horrible — gales, fogs, ice -crushing, (S:c. Nor was it consoling
to reflect that all the whaling ships might have actually
slipped i)ast us. In fact a prolonged condition of unrest, of
intense mental and physical strain, had worked me up into a
state of extreme anxiety at being so repeatedly baffled in all
my efforts by the varying, yet continual perplexities of our
position.' The only difference in favour of our prospects
over those of the past year consists in our having arrived

U:i;ia

* To those liaviiiL,' responsibility, Melville Kay navigation admits of
»o n's/ ; tiie unquiet ice ever threatens, whilst constant dayhylit not
only seems to warn one a<;ainst yielding to repose, but banishes for a
time the desue for natural rest.

! 11

SHOOTING LITTLE AUKS. Chap. VI 1 1.

I ^ ,!

)hi

i: i

■('

ill

I- I

here two months earUer ; but the importance of this differ-
ence is incalculable.

The opportunities afforded by the delays to which we
have been subjected were turned, however, to some account.
Nearly one thousand rotchies were shot ; they are excellent
eating, their average weight is four ounces and a half, but
when prepared for the table they probably do not yield more
than three ounces each. A young bear imprudently swam
up to the ship, and was shot, — his skin fell to the sportsman,
and carcase to the dogs. Several others have been seen : we
watched one fellow surprise a seal upon the ice, and carry it
about in his mouth as a cat does a mouse.

27///. — Lying fast to the ice off the Crimson Cliffs, of Sir
John Ross. Yesterday we succeeded in passing through the
nip, and by evening reached Cape York. Seeing natives
running out upon the land-ice, the ship was made fast for an
hour in order to communicate with them. A party of eight
men came on board : they immediately recognised Petersen
for they lived at Etah in Smith's Sound when he was there
in the American expedition. They asked for Dr. Kane, and
told us Hans was married and living in Whale Sound. They
all said he was most anxious to return to Greenland, but had
neither sledge-dogs nor kayak ; hunger had compelled him
to eat the sealskin which covered the framework of the latter.
Petersen gave them messages for Hans from his Greenland
friends, and advice that he should fix his residence here,
where he might see the whalers and i)erhaps be taken back
to Greenland. The natives did not seem to be badly off for
anything except dogs, some distemper having carried off
most of these indispensable animals, I was therefore unable
to procure any from them. These people sjjcnt last winter
here ; they seemed to be healthy, well-dad, and happy little
fellows. One of them is brother-in-law to Erasmus York,
who voluntarily came to England in the ' Assistance ' in

,■ \

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I M

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June,

1851.

flatter

though

Pete

able sp

petrate(

years in

of his d

his proj

" unsop

Esquim

Of 1;

alarmed

famine :

other in

The a

about in

strange,

long, coa

which in

breeches,

sealskin 1

the horn

of Christ

rot posse

only trai

Esquimai

trepid'; 1

us; they

flat faces

rently in

walked tc

lation ; o

seemed t

k-'— ;

'"I i,l'

111

■3

-J

■J

3
'3

3*
n

June, 1858. ARCTIC HIGHLANDERS.

113

185 1. This man is an angekok, or magician; he has a still
flatter face than the rest of his countrymen, but appears more
thoughtful and intelligent.

Petersen pointed out to me a stout old fellow, with a toler-
able sprinkling of beard and moustache. This worthy per-
petrated the only murder which has taken place for several
years in the tribe : he disliked his victim and stood in need
of his dogs, therefore he killed the owner and appropriated
his property ! Such motives and passions usually govern the
" unsophisticated children of nature ; " yet, as savages, the
Esquimaux may be considered exceedingly harmless.

Of late years these arctic highlanders have become
alarmed by the rapid diminution of their numbers through
famine and disease, and have been less violent towards each
other in their feuds and quarrels.

The a] pearance of the men, as they danced and rolled
about in frantic delight at our approach, was wild and
strange, and their costumes uniform and pictuiesque. Their
long, coarse, black hair hung loosely over the sealskin frock,
which in its turn overlapped their loose shaggy bearskin
breeches, and these again came down over the tops of their
sealskin boots. Most of them carried a spear formed out of
the horn of a narwhal. They watched the rapid evolutions
of Christian in his kayak with intense interest, for they do
rot possess any themselves, and their knowledge of them is
only traditional. My first interview with these northern
Esquimaux was in 1852, when commanding H.M.S. 'In-
trepid'; then, as now, the men came off on the land ice to
us; they appeared to me to be very little people, with large
flat faces and a sprinkling of beard and moustache, appa-
rently in sound health and perfectly happy. A party of us
walked to the land to visit their abodes, and the female popu-
lation ; one vociferous old hag met us at the beach, and
seemed to be introducing us to all the rest, and gave us a

ij t

IV tl

114

ARCTIC HIGHLANDERS.

Chap. VIII.

detailed account of their relationships and accomplishments.
There were three tents only ; words can scarcely describe
the filth and wretchedness of such abodes ; the sealskins
composing the tents, and the skins of various sorts which
served for beds, and blankets, were scarcely half dressed, and
emitted an intolerable effluvium, whilst the ground in every
direction was strewed with bones and decaying animal
matter. The dresses of the women were covered with
blubber and soot, their faces and necks black and greasy,
and eyes bleared, from constantly superintending the slow
process of cooking in a stone vessel over a smoky blubber
lamp. Several fresh sealskins were stretched upon the
earth, and pegged down with small bones, whilst the carcases,
not required for present use, were covered over with large
stones to preserve them from the dogs. Not twenty yards
from the tents stood the ruin of a winter hut ; I looked in
through a crevice and saw that the ordinary flooring of flat
stones was nearly covered with ice, and, from the quantity of
scraps and bones lying about, it seemed to have become the
occasional habitation of the dogs; — but there was also a
human skeleton, and near to it that of a dog. In times of
distress, when unable to bury the dead, the hut is usually aban-
doned, as appears to have been the case in this instance.
■ It would be difficult to find a more repulsive and humilia-
ting spectacle than I have here briefly described.

The dogs were very fine, large, wolfish in appearance, and
with much of the carriage and the quick, intelligent, restless
eyes peculiar to beasts of prey.

These degraded people are effectually cut off from civili-
zation, and from the more southern inhabitants of Greenland
by the enormous and impassable glaciers of Melville Bay ;
the distance from Cape York to Upernivik, the nearest
inhabited land to the southward, is about 250 miles. At
(iodhavn I received a request from the Royal Danish Green-

[AP. VIII.

ishments.
' describe
sealskins
irts which
issed, and
1 in every
g animal
;red with
d greasy,
the slow
y blubber
upon the
I carcases,
ivith large
nty yards
looked in
ng of flat
uantity of
come the
is also a

times of
illy aban-
tance.

humilia-

mce, and
, restless

Dm civili-
reenland
ille Bay ;
nearest
lies. At
h Green-

JULY, 1858.

CA UGHT IN THE ICE.

115

land Company, through the Inspector of North Greenland,
to convey from their isolated locality these arctic high-
landers (numbering in all 120 souls), to the Danish settle-
ments in Greenland ; and had the object and circumstances
of my voyage permitted me to turn aside for this purpose,
it would have afforded me very sincere satisfaction to have
carried out so humane a project.

It is indeed hard to realize their state of existence ; they
have no vegetable lood whatever, neither wood nor metal,
no canoes, not even a bow ; and yet they exist in a mean
annual temperature of 34° below the freezing point, further
north than any other known people, and where the sun is
absent for one third of the year !

Having distributed presents of knives and needles, and
explained to them that we did so because the_, " n.d behaved
well to the white people (as we learn from Dr. Kane's
narrative of their treatment of him and his crew), we pur-
sued our voyage, not doubting but that we should soon
reach the North Water, an extensive sea through which we
could sail uninterruptedly to Pond's Bay.

During the night we advanced through loose ice ; but fog
and a rising S.E. gale delayed us, and to-day the pack has
pressed in against the land, so that our wings are most
unexpectedly clipped. A walrus was shot through the head
by a Minie bullet ; none other will penetrate such a massive
skull : unfortunately for my collection of specimens and for
the dogs, the animal sank.

2nd July. — For five days we have been almost beset
amongst loos« ice and grounded bergs; the winds were
generally from the S.E. and accompanied by fog. To avoid
being squeezed we had constandy to shift our posi-
tion j once we were caught and rather severely nipped ;
the ship was heeled over about ten degrees and lifted a
couple of feet : the ice was three feet thick, but broke

1 16

ROTCHIES AND GULLS.

Chap. VIII.

Mk ■

- !

readily under her weight. Unfortunately there was not time
to unship the rudder, so it suffered very severely. Upon
a previous occasion ^he screw-shaft was bent and a portion
of the screw brokeji off.

We landed to obtai.i a good view of the sea in the offing ;
from th ■ hills'" could see nothing but pack to seaward.
There w ■ '^ • ; tnd ice; we stepped out of the boat upon a
narrow ic*' 'M: •.i\ich fringed the coast; immediately above
it we trod c.er a -et sward of soft bright-green moss;
the turf beneath was of considerable depth. Here and
there under this noble range of cliffs, which are composed
of primary rock, there exists much vegetation for so high
a latilude. From the fact of thick layers of turf descending
quite down to the sea, it is evident that the land has been
gradually sinking. Steep slopes of rocky debris^ which screen
the bases of the most precipitous cliffs, form secure nurseries
for the little auk; these localities were literally alive with
them ; they popped in and out of every crevice, or sat in
groups of dozens upon every large rock. I have nowhere
seen such countless myriads of birds. The rotchie, or little
auk, lays its single egg upon the bare rock, far within a crevice
beyond the reach of fox, owl, or burgomaster gull. We shot
a couple of hundred during our short stay on shore, and, by
removing the stones, gathered several dozens of their eggs.

The huge predatory gulls, long ago named " Burgomasters"
by the Dutch seamen (because they lord it over their neigh-
bours, and appropriate everything good to themselves), have
established themselves in the cliffs, where their nests are
generally inaccessible : we were a month too late for their
eggs ; the young birds were as large as spring chickens.
Of course we obtained specimens of the red snow, but had
to seek rather diligently for it ; its colour was a dirty red,
very like the stain of port wine : very few patches of it
were found.

AP. VIII.

not time
■. Upon
a portion

le offing ;
seaward.
It upon a
;ly above
m moss;
[ere and
oniposed
■ so high
iscending
has been
:h screen
nurseries
live with
)r sat in
nowhere
or Uttle
crevice
We shot
and, by

eggs,
nasters"
neigh-
s), have
ests are
or their
lickens.
Dut had
rty red,
js of it

iiiii

;:H

'Mi:

{ 1 1

".r

J I

I »

Final liberation from the Melville Bay ice, 2nd July, 1858.

July,

i^'-

July, 1858. BATTLING WITH THE ICE.

119

Last night a westerly wind blew freshly and dispersed the
ice outside of us, so much so that this evening we have got
out into almost clear water. Farewell, Greenland, — hurrah
for the west !

5///. — After getting free from the ice off the Crimson Cliffs,
we soon lost sight of the last fragment, and steered for Pond's
Bay. And now we all set to work in zealous haste to write
our last letters for England, to go by the whalers, which we
hoped soon to meet at Pond's Bay.

After running 60 miles the ice reappeared, and we sailed
through a vast deal of it, but it became more closely packed,
and a thick fog detained us for a day.

When the weather became clear, the main pack was seen
to the W., S., and S.E. ; in the hope of rounding its northern
extreme we ran along it to the N.W. To-day it has led us
to the N. and N.E., so that this evening Wolstenholme Sound
is in sight. To the N. the pack appears impenetrable, and
there is a strong ice-blink over it. All the ice we have
lately sailed through is loose, and much decayed ; it seems
but recently to have broken away from the land, is not water-
washed, neither has it been exposed to a swell, the fractured
edges remaining sharp.

dth. — Fositiofi, 75° 17' N., 73° 35' W. Midnight. Last
evening I persevered to the N. until every hope of progress
in that direction vanished. To the W. the pack appeared
tolerably loose; the wind was fresh at E.S.E., so I deter-
mined once more to push into it, and endeavour to battle
our way through ; I hoped it would prove to be merely a
belt of 30 or 40 miles in width. We found the ice to lie
for the most part in streams at right angles to the wind, and
therefore much more open than it had appeared : there was
seldom any difficulty in winding through it from one water
space to another. The wind greatly increased, bringing
much rain, but fortunately no fog ; — the dread of this hung

i^-

JIM

', (

ill I

)

1 20

THE ICE CLOSING.

Chap. VIII.

over me like a nightmare, — for our progress entirely de-
])ended upon the vigilance of the look-out kept in the crow's-
nest. By noon we had made good 60 miles. Throughout
the day the wind gradually moderated ; the rain gave
place to snow, which in its turn was succeeded by mist.
The evening was fine and clear ; but still we find the ice is
all around. Just before midnight the termination of our
lead was discovered, whilst the ice through which we had
passed was closing together, and a dense fog came rolling
down. Under these circumstances the ship was made fast
as near to the nip as safety permitted, to await some
favourable change.

\oth.— Position, 75° 26' N., 76° 58' W. All the 7th we
remained in our small basin, there being no outlet from
it, and but little water anywhere visible. To pass away
the dull hours and get rid of unwelcome reflections upon the
similarity of our present position and that in August last,
I commenced an atlack upon all the feathered denizens of
the pack — they seemed so provokingly cofiiented with it — but
they soon became wary, and deserted our vicinity, so I shot
only a dozen fulmar petrels, three ivory gulls, two looms,'
and a lestris parasiticus ; some of them were useful as
specimens, and such as were not destined for our table were
given to the dogs. Although Cobourg Island was 45 miles
distant from us, its lofty rounded outlines were very distinct,
and much covered with snow. On the 8th we squeezed
through nips for 4 or 5 miles, and on the 9th, reaching a
large space of water, steamed towards Cobourg Island until
again stopped by the pack at an early hour this morning,
when within 5 or 6 leagues of it. The reader will now find
it convenient to turn from the skelch-map in the Preface

* These birds are called "willocks" at home; they are the " Uria
Brunnichii" of naturalists.

JULI

msaimmmmm i. \ .,My =

July, 1858.

THE WEST-LAND.

121

Uria

which he has hitherto used, to the large and accurate one
at the end of the book. / -^

. This evening we are endeavouring to steam in towards
the West-land, and fancy we can trace with the crow's-nest
telescope a practicable route through the intervening ice-
mazes «-o a faint streak of water along the shore. This sort
of navigation is not only anxious, but wearying. To me it
seems as if several months instead of only eight days had
elapsed since we left Cape York. We are constantly
wondering what our whaling friends are about, and where
they are.

14///. — The faint streak of water seen on the night of the
loth proved to be an extensive sheet to leeward of Cobourg
Island. We reached it next morning. Jones' Sound ap-
peared open, and a slight swell reached us from it, but all
along the shore there was close pack. Although but little
water was visible to the southward, we persevered in that
direction, and, a^ the ice was rapidly moving offshore under
the combined influence of wind and tide, we were onb
occasionally detained.

Two hundred and forty-two years ago to a day, I believe,
William Baftin sailed without hindrance along this coast
and discovered Lancaster Sound. What a very different
season he must have experienced !

Passing near Cape Horsburgh we approached De Ros
Islet at midnight' The air being very calm and still, the

* The whak ' Queen,' of Peterhead, spent the winter of 1865-6 in a
small harbour, iat. 74° 44' N., and long. 80° W., about four leagues
south-westward of De Ros Islet, and between Point Beatrice and Hope's
Monument. A channel was discovered between Bank's Bay and Hyde
Bay, thus making an Island of what appears on our charls as a con-
tinuous coast line. About 20 foxes, 3 lemmings, a wolf, and 150
•ptarmigan, besides some reindeer's antlers, and the skeleton of a musk
ox, were seen on the land ; and upon the ice or sea coast, 30 bears, and
70 or 80 walruses. No Esquimaux were met with, although their

II
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i:*

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122

VISIT OF NA TIVES.

Chap. VIII.

shouting of some natives was heard, although we could
scarcely distinguish them upon the land ice. The ship was
made fast, and the shouting party, consisting of three men,
three women, and two children, eagerly came on board.
Only four individuals remained on shore.

The old chief Kal-lek is remarkable amongst Esquimaux
for having a bald head. He inquired by name for his friend
Captain Inglefield. The above three families have spent the
last two years upon this coast, between Cape Horsburgh
and Croker Bay. Their knowledge does not extend further
in either direction. They are natives of more southern
lands, and crossed the ice in Lancaster Sound with dog-
sledges. Since the visit of the 'Phoenix' in '54 they have
seen no ships, nor have any wrecks drifted upon their
shores. They seemed very fat and healthy, but complained
that all the reindeer had gone away, and asked if loc could
tell where they had gone to. Our presents of wood, knives,
and needles were eagerly received. They assured us that
Lancaster Sound was still frozen over, and that all the sea
was covered with pack. After half an hour's delay we
steamed onward, and on reaching a larger space of water
our hopes (somewhat depressed by the native intelligence)
began to revive. But we soon found that our clear water
terminated near Cape Warrender. Lancaster Sound,

although not frozen over, was crammed full of floes and
icebergs. The wind increased to a strong gale from the

traces were aliundant, tlie people seen liaving returned to the south
of Lancaster Sound. North-east winds prevailed ahnost constantly,
and perhaps in some degree aided the strong tides in keeping a
considerable sjjace of open water in the offing throughout the whole
winter. The voyage proved unsuccessful, as no whales were taken ;
they had the additional mortification of seeing the Dundee whaling
ships steam past tliem on the 22nd of June, and of remaining imprisoned
in their harbour by the ice, until the 4th August. I am indebted to
Dr. Ed. P. IMiilpols of Leamington, who was the surgeon of the ship,
for this interesting information.

July, 1858.

OFF LANCASTER SOUND.

123

east, and pressed in more ice. At length the ship was with
difficulty made fast to a strip of land ice, a few miles west-
ward of Point Osborn. Gradually the gale subsided, but
not until the pack was close in against the land. The tides
kept sweeping it to and fro, to our great discomfort. The
land is composed of gneiss, and the gravelly shore is low.
A few ducks only have been shot, and traces of reindeer
and hares seen. Our Melville Bay friends, the rotchies, are
very rare visitors upon this side of Baffin's Bay.

Part of a ship's timber has been found upon the beach ;
it measures 7 inches by 8 inches, is of American oak, and,
although sound, has long been exposed to the weather.

■: II

I,-

I iit

^iil'

li;

124

OFF CAPE WARRENDER.

Chap. IX.

CHAPTER IX.

Off Cape Warrender — Sight the whalers again — Enter Pond's Bay —
Communicate with Esquimaux — Ascend Pond's Inlet — Esquimaux
information — Arctic summer abode — An arctic village — No in-
telligence of Franklin's ships — Arctic trading — Geographical infor-
mation of natives — Information of Rae's visit — Improvidence of
Esquimaux — Travels of Esquimaux.

xdth July. — To borrow a whaling phrase, we are "dodging
about in a hole of water " off Cape Warrender. I recognise
the little bay just to the west of the cape where Parry
landed in September, 1824. The " immense mass of snow
and ice containing strata of muddy-looking soil " is there
still, and, I should think, had considerably increased.
Here his party shot three reindeer out of a small herd. We
have narrowly scanned the steep hill-sides with our glasses,
but without discovering any such inducement to land.

None of the cairns of former expeditions are visible upon
Cape Warrender ; the natives have probably removed them.
Dense pack prevents us from approaching Port Dundas or
crossing to the southern shore. We find these vexatious
delays by no means conducive to sleep. The mind is
busy with a sort of magic-lantern representation of the past,
the present, and the future, and resists for weary hours the
necessary repose.

1 7///. — Last night's calm has allowed the pack to expand
so much, that to-day we have steamed through it until
within three miles of the noble cliffs of Cape Hay ; and now
we are drilling eastward with the ice precisely as did the

Jul]

■■ I

July, 1858.

THE WHALERS AGAIN.

125

the

* Enterprise ' and ' Investigator ' in September, '49. Upon
that occasion we were set free ofif Pond's Bay. There is a
very extensive looviery ^ at Cape Hay ; we regret the cir-
cumstances which prevent our levying a tax upon it. Here,
if anywhere, I expected to find a clear sea, but east winds
have prevailed for twenty days out of the last twenty-five,
and this accounts for the present state of the sea ; the next
succession of west winds will probably effect a prodigious
clearance of ice.

21st.— Position, 73° 58' N., 78° 25' W. The ' Tay ' was
seen to-day in loose ice, and much farther off the land.
She gradually steamed through it to the southward, and by
night was almost out of sight. Her appearance surprised us,
as we supposed she must have reached Pond's Bay long
ago. Ten hours' struggling with steam and sails at the
most favourable intervals has only advanced us five miles.
The weather is remarkably warm, bright, and pleasant. A
very large bear came within 150 yards, and was shot by
Petersen, the Minie bullet passing through his body. This
beast measured 8 ft. 3 in. in length ; his fat carcase was
hoisted on board with great satisfaction, as our dogs' food
was nearly expended.

2j\th. — Last night the ice became slack enough to afford
some prospect of release, so we charged the nips vigorously,
and steamed away through devious openings towards Cape
Fanshawe. For several hours but little progress was made,
but this morning the ice became more open ; clear water
was seen ahead, and reached by noon. Although it is calm,
I prefer waiting for a breeze to expending more coals. We
are only ten miles from Possession Bay. The air is so very
clear that the land appears quite close to us. All that is
not mountainous is well cleared of snow. There is immense

' A name given to the breeding cliffs of t' looms, or willocks, and
where they assemble each summer in countless niyriails.

126

ENTER POND'S DA V.

Chap. IX-

July,

I (

refraction. Only a single iceberg in sight. The sea-water
is light green, as remarked by Parry in 1819.

26///. — A vessel was seen yesterday morning; the day
continuing calm, we steamed through some loose ice, and
joined her off Cape Walter Bathurst in the evening. It
proved to be the 'Diana'; she parted from us on the i6th
of June in Melville Bay, has everywhere been obstructed by
the pack, as we have been, and only reached Cape War-
rendc" three days before us. From then'-e to Possession
Bay she met with no obstruction. The subsec^uent east
winds brought in all the ice which has so much retarded us.

The ' Diana ' has already captured twelve whales. Taking
the hint from Capt. Gravill, we have made fast to a lov^se
floe, and are drifting very nearly a mile an hour to tne
southward along the edge of very formidable land -ice, winch
is seven or eight miles broad. All to seaward of us is
packed ice. The old whaling seamen of the * Diana ' are
astounded at t1ie unusual and unaccountable abundance of
ice which everywhere fills up Baffin's Bay. All the ' Diana's'
steaming-coals, her spaie spars, wood, and even a boat,
were burnt in the protracted si:i ...^::le through the middle ice.

27///. — After putj'ng our ielier trig on board the 'Diana'
this morning we steamed on for Pond's Bay, and at noon
made fast near Button Point to the land ice, which still
extends across it.

For four hours Petersen and I have been bargaining with
an old woman and a boy, not for the sake of their seal-skins,
but in order to keep them in good humour whilst we ex-
tracted information from them. They said they knew
nothing of ships or white people ever having been within
this inlet, nor of any wrecked ships. They knew of the
depot of provisions left at Navy Board Inlet by the ' North
Star,' but had no 'e of them. The woman has traced on
reaper i-ie shorts of the inlet as ic.t as her knowledge

sm^:-:

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ice.

ex-
mew

hill

the
(irth

July, 1858. COMMUNICATE WIT/ ESQUIMAUX. 127

extends, and has given me the name of every point. She
says the ice will break up with the first fresh wind. These
two individuals are alone here. They remained on purpose
to barter with the whalers, and cannot now rejoin their
friends, who are only 25 miles up the inlet, because the ice
is unsafe to travel over, and the land precipitous and
impracticable.

This afternoon the 'Tay' stood in towards us, and
Captain Deuchars kindly sent his boat on board with an
offer tc take charge of our letters. The ' Tay ' reached this
coast only a few days ago, having met with the same
difficulties which we experienced. The ' Innuit ' was last
seen nearly a month ago beset off Jones' Sound. The re-
maining steamer, the ' Chase,' has not been seen or heard of

2()th, — The old woman's denial of all knowledge of
wrecks or cast-away men was very unsatisfactory. I deter-
mined to visit her countrymen at their summer village of
Kaparoktolik, which she described as being only a short
day's journey up the inlet.

Petersen and one man accompanied me. We started
yesterday morning with a sledge and a Halkett boat.
Although the ice over which we purposed tra\-elling broke
away from the land soon after setting out, yet we managed
to get half-way to the village before encamping. This
n.orning we learnt the truth of the old woman's account.
A i:>''\^Q of precipitous cliffs rising from the sea cut us off
by land from Kaparoktolik, so we were obliged to return to
the ship. Our walk afforded the opportunity of examining
some native encampments and caches. \Ve found innumer-
able scraps of seal-skins, bi:d-skins, walrus and other bones,
whalebone, blubber, and a small sledge. The latter was
very okl, and composed of pieces of wood and of large
bones ingeniously secured together with strips of whale-
bone. Five pieserved-meat tins were found ; some vf them

,1 > ;

1 \

\' ■ il

128

LOOM SOUP.

Chap. IX.

V \ !

kill'

II.

retaining their original coating of red paint. Doubtless
these were part of the spoils from Navy Board Inlet depot.
The total absence of fresh wood or iron was strongly in
favour of the old woman's veracity. Since yesterday, ice,
about 16 miles in extent, has broken up in the inlet, and is
drifting out into Baffin's Bay.

During my absence our shooting parties have twice visited
a loomcry upon Cape Graham Moore, and each time have
brought on board 300 looms.

The most favourite dish of the three former expeditions
was loom soup. So long as we had the necessary ingredients,
the following receipt of our excellent steward, James Gore,
was strictly followed. It suited well for divers, ducks, and
all sea-birds, especially those with dark flesh ; and it would
in many instances be useful in rendering very palatable this
description of wholesome food, which otherwise would be
rejected. We considered oui loom soup incomparable ;
more like hare soup than any other, but richer, darker, and
better adapted to our climace, our appetites, and conse-
quently to our tastes : —

LOOM SOUP.

Take 8 looms, skin and take off the two wliite lumjis near tlie tail ;
clean and split them i'lUj pieces ; wash them well, also the livers. Put
them into a large saucepan, and cover them well with water, and boil
for four or five hours.

An hour before serving up, put in \ lb. of bacon cut up small ; season
with pepper and salt, 2 talilespoonfuls of Harvey sauce, a little Cayenne
])cpper, h'il. wineglass of le..ion juice, a teaspoonful of ground allspice,
and a few clo' es ; thicken with 4 tablespoonfuls of flour mixed in cold
water, tlien stii ed gradually into the soup.

Add i piuv '-'' wine, after which let it boil for a few minutes.

The ■ esuk wiii be 4 quarts of ri<:h soup.

Only a very few birds were seen during our walk over the
rich mossy slopes to-day. I saw a pair of Canadian brown
cranes, the first of the species 1 have ever seen so fiir
north. Sir Robert M'Clure found them on Bank's Land.

; season

Cayenne

allsjMce,

in cold

Iver the
l)rown
so far
md.

July, 1858. ASCEND POND'S INLET.

129

The lands enjoying a southern aspect, even to the
summits of hills 700 or 800 feet in height, were tinged with
green ; but these hills were protected by a still loftier range
to the north. Upon many well-sheltered slopes we found
much rich grass. All the little plants were in full flower ;
some of them familiar to us at home, such as the buttercup,
sorrel, and dandelion. I have never found the latter to the
north of 69° before.

The old woman is much less excited to-day ; she says
there came a wreck upon the coast when she was a little
girl ; it lies a day's journey and a half (about 45 miles) to
the north ; and came there without masts and very much
crushed ; the little which now remains is almost buried in
the sand. A piece of this wreck was found near her abode
— she has neither hut nor tent, but a sort of lair constructed
of a few stones and a seal-skin spread over them, so that
she can crawl underneath. This fragment is part of a floor
timber, English oak, yt- inches thick; it has been brought
on board.

2)0th. — A gale of wind and deluge of rain have detained the
ship until this evening ; we are now steaming up the inlet,
having the old lady and the boy on board as our pilots ;
they are delighted at the prospect of rejoining their friends,
from whom they were effectually cut off until the return
of winter should freeze a safe pathway for them ; they had,
however, abundance of looms stored up en cac/ic for their
subsistence. She has drawn me another chart, much more
neatly than the former, but so like it as to prove that her
geographical knowledge, and not her powers of invention,
has been taxed. She is a widow ; her daughter is married,
and lives at a place called Igloolik, which is six or seven
days' journey from here, — three days up the inlet, then
about three days overland to the southward, and then a
day over the ice.

\ 1

Ill ;

'II;: I

ill!''.

•30

ESQUIMAUX INFORMATION. Chap. IX.

Thinking it not quite impossible chat this Igloohk might
be the place where Parry wintered in 1822-3, 1 told Petersen
to ask whether ships had ever been there ? She answered,
" Yes, a ship stopped there all one winter ; but it is a long
time ago." All she could distinctly recollect having been
told about it was that one of the crew died, and was buried
there, and his name was Al-lah or P21-leh. On referring to
Parry's ' Narrative,' I found that the icemate, Mr. Elder,
died at Igloolik. This is a very remarkable confirmation
of the locality, — for there are several places called Igloolik.
She also told us it was an island, and near a strait between
two seas. The Esquimaux take considerable pains to learn
and remember names ; this woman knows the names of
several of the whaling captains, and the old chief at De Ros
Islet remembered Captain Inglefield's name, and tried hard
xo pronounce mine.

She now told us of another wreck upon the coast, but
many days' journey to the soutli of Pond's Bay ; it came
there before her first child was born. Her age is not less
than forty-five.

August \th. — Our Esquimaux friends have de]mrted from
us with every demonstration of friendship, to return to their
village. We have had frep communication with them for
four days — not only through Mr. Petersen, but also through
our two Greenlanders ; the result is that they have no
knowledge whatever of either the missing or the abandoned
searching ships. Neither wrecked people nor wrecked ships
have reached their shores. They seemed to be much in
want of wood ; most of what they have consists of staves of
casks, probably from the Navy Board Inlet dei)ot.

In their bartering with us, saws were most eagerly sought
for in exchange for narwhals' horns ; they are used by them
in cutting up the long strips of the bones of whales with
which they shoe the runners of their sledges, a'so the ivory

Aug. 1858. BARTER WITH THE NATIVES.

131

and bone used to protect the more exposed parts of their
kayaks and the edges of their paddles from the ice.

P'iles were also in great demand, and I found were
required to convert pieces of iron-hoop into arrow and
spear heads. If any suspicion existed of their having a
secret supply of wood such as a wreck or even a boat would
afford, it was removed by their refusing to barter the most
trifling things for axes or hatchets.

But I must relate the events of the last few days as they
occurred. When 17 miles within the inlet we reached the
unbroken ice and made the ship fast. Here the strait —
originally named Pond's Ba)\ and more recently Eclipse
Sound — appears to be most contracted, its width not exceed-
ing 7 or 8 miles. Both its shores are very bold and lofty,
often forming noble precipices. The prevailing rock is
grey gneiss, generally dipping at an angle of 35° to the
west.

Early on the ist of August I set out for the native village
with Hobson, Petersen, two men, and the two natives from
Button Point. Eight miles of wet and weary ice-travelling,
which occupied as many hours, terminated our journey; the
surface of the ice was everywhere deeply channelled, and
abundantly flooded by the summer's thaw : we were almost
constantly launching our small boat over the slippery ridges
whirli separated pools or channellings, through which it was
generally necessary to wade.

After toiling round the base of a precipice, we came rather
suddenly in viev.' of a small semicircular bay \ the clifl:s on
either side were 800 or 900 feet high, remarkably forbidding
and desolate ; the mouth of a valley or wide mountain gorge
opens out into its head. Here, in the depth of the bay,
upon a low flat strip of land, stood seven tents, — the summer
\illage of Kaparoktolik. I never saw a locality more
characteristic of the Esquimaux than that which they ha\e

K 2

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I--*/'^

1 I

I I:

kWrAROKTOUK

Chap. IX.

\\v

1 M I •■ i

here selected for their abode ; — it is wildly picturesque in the
true arctic application of the term.

Although August had arrived, and the summer had been a
warm one, the bay was still frozen over ; and if there was an
ice-covered sea in front, there was also abundance of ice-
covered land in the rear — a glacier occupied the whole valley
behind, and to within 300 yards of the chosen spot !

The glacier's height ajjpeared to be from 150 to 200 feet;
its sea face extending across the valley, — a probable width of
300 or 400 yards, — was (juite perpendicular, and fully 100
feet high. All last winter's snow had thawed away from off
it and exposed a surface not free from earth and stones,
fissured by innumerable small rivulets, which threw them-
selves over the glacier cliffs in pretty cascades, or shot far
out in strong jets from their deeply serried channels in its
face ; whilst other streamlets near the base burst out through
sub-glacial tunnels of their own forming.

A strange people to confine themselves to such a mere
strip of beach ! Upon each side they have towering rocky
hills rising so abruptly from the sea that to pass along their
bases or ascend over their summits is ecjually impossible ;
whilst a threatening glacier immediately behind bears
onward a sufficient amount of rock and earth from the
mountains, whence it issues, to convince even the unreflect-
ing savage of its progressive motion.

The land is devoid of game, although lemmings and
ermines are tolerably numerous ; it only sui)plies the moss
which the natives burn with blubber in their lamps, and the
dry grass which they put in their boots ; even the soft stone,
lapis ollaris, out of which their lamps and cooking vessels
are made, and the iron pyrites with which they strike
fire, are obtained by barter from the people inhabiting the
land to the west of Navy Board Inlet. But the sea com-
pensates for every deficiency. The assembled population

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Aug. 1858.

A SUMMER VILLAGE.

1.1
135

amounted to only 25 souls : 9 men, the rest women and
childr^;n.

All of them evinced extreme delight at seeing us ; as we
approached the huts the women and children held up their
arms in the air and shouted " Pilletay " (give me), inces-
santly ; the men were more quiet and dignified, yet lost no
opportunity, either when we declined to barter or when they
had performed any little service, to repeat " Pilletay " in a
beseeching tone of voice.

We walked everywhere about the tents and entered some
of them, carefully examining every chip or piece of metal ;
our visit was quite unexpected. They had only two sledges ;
both were made of a^-inch oak-planks, devoid of bolt-holes
or treenails, and having but very few nail-holes. These
sledges had evidently been constructed for several years, the
parts not exposed to friction were covered with green
fungus; one of them measured 14 feet long, the other about
9 feet ; we were told the wood came from a wreck to the
southward of Pond's Bay. Most of the sledge crossbars
were ordinary staves of casks. Amongst the poles and
large bones which supported the tents we noticed a painted
fir oar. Some pieces of iron hoop and a few preserved-
meat tins — one of which was stamped " Goldner," — com-
pleted their stock of European articles.

Petersen questioned all the men separately as to their
knowledge of ships or wrecks ; but their accounts only served
to confirm the old woman's story. None of them had ever
heard of ships or wrecks anywhere to the westward. Both
individually and collectively we got them to draw charts of
the various coasts known to them, and to mark upon them
the positions of the wrecks. The two chiefs, Noo-luk and
X-wih-lah, soon made themselves known to me, and, when
we desired to go to sleep, sent away the people \\\\o were
eagerly pressing round our tent. All these natives were

136

THE CHIEF A WAHLAH.

Chap. IX.

better-looking, cleaner, and more robust than I expected to
find them.

A-wah-lah has been to Igloolik ; one of his wives, for each
chief has tin'o^ has a brother living there. I spread a large
roll of paper upon a rock, and got him to draw the route
overland, and also round by the coast to it ; this novel pro-
ceeding attracted the whole population about us ; A-wah-lah
constantly referred to others when his memory failed him ;
at length it was completed to the satisfaction of all parties.
When I gave him the knife I had promised as his reward,
and added another for his wives, he sprang up on the rock,
flourished the knives in his hands, shouted, and danced with
extravagant demonstrations of joy. He is a very fine speci-
men of his race, powerful, impulsive, full of energy and animal
spirits, and moreover an admirable mimic. The men were
all about the same height, 5 feet 5 in. ; they eagerly answered
our questions, and imparted to us all their geographical
knowledge, although at first they hesitated when we asked
them about Navy Board Inlet, in consequence of the depot
placed there having been plundered ; but we soon found that
they were easily tired under cross-examination, and often said
they knew no more ; it was necessary to humour them.

According to their account the depot was discovered and
robbed by people living farther west. This is probably
true, as so few relics were to be seen here, which would not
be the case if such active fellows as A-wah-lah and Noo-luk
had received the first information of its proximity. These
l^eople of Kaparoktolik are the only inhabitants of the land
lying eastward of Navy Board Inlet, and live entirely upon
its southern shore. In a similar manner, it is only the
southern coast of the land to the west of Navy Board Inlet
that is inhabited. After distributing presents to all the
women and children, and making a few trifling purchases
from the men, we returned next day to the ship.

W''

Aug. 1858.

AGAIN IN DANGER.

137

Id not

)o-luk

J'hese

land

|upon

the

llnlet

the

lases

During my absence more ice had broken away, involving
the ship and almost forcing her on shore. It required every
exertion to save her. For two hours she continued in
imminent danger, and was only saved by the warping and
ice-blasting, by which at last she got clear of the drifting
masses, four minutes only before they were crushed up
against the rocks !

Four Esquimaux came off to the ship in their kayaks,
bringing whalebone, narwhals' horns, &c. to barter. Next
to handsaws and files, they attached the greatest value to
knives and large needles. These men remained on board
for nearly two days, and drew several charts for us. Noo-luk
explained that seven or eight days' journey to the south-
ward there are two wrecks a short day's journey apart. The
southern is in an inlet or strait which contains several
islands, but there his knowledge of the coast terminates.
The man A-ra-neet said he visited these wrecks five winters
ago. All of them agreed that it is a very long time since
the wrecks arrived upon the coast ; and Noo-luk; who
appears to be about forty-five years of age, showed us how
tall he was at the time.

In the ' Narrative of Parry's Second Voyage,' at p. 437,
mention is made of the arrival at Igloolik of a sledge con-
structed of ship timber and staves of casks ; also of two ships
that had been driven on shore, and the crews of which went
away in boats. In August, 182 1, nearly two years previous
to the arrival of this report through the Est[uimaux to Igloolik,
the whalers 'Dexterity' and 'Aurora' were wrecked upon the
west coast of Davis' Strait, in lat. 72°, 70 or 80 miles south-
ward of Pond's Bay. The old man, Ow-vvang-noot, drew
the coast-line northwards from Cape Graham Moore to Navy
Board Inlet, and pointed out the position of the northern
wreck a few miles east of Cape Hay. Had it been con-

138

INFORMATION ' OF RAES VISIT. Chap. IX.

spicuous, we must have seen it when we slowly drifted along
that coast.*

These people usually winter in snow-huts at Green Point,
a mile or two within the northern entrance of Pond's Bay.
They hunt the seal and narwhal, but when the sea becomes
too open they retire to Kaparoktolik ; and when the remain-
ing ice breaks up — usually about the middle of August — a
furthei migration takes place across the inlet to the S.W.,
where reindeer abound, and large salmon are numerous in
the rivers. Every winter they communicate with the Igloolik
people. Two winters ago (1856-7) some people who live far
beyond Igloolik, in a country called A-ka-nee (probably the
Ak-koo-lee of Parry), brought from there the information of
white people having come in two boats, and passed a winter
in snow-huts at a place called by the following names : —
A-mee-lee-oke, A-wee-lik, Net-tee-lik.

Our friends pointed to our whale-boat, and said the boats
of the white people were like it, but larger. These whites
had tents inside their snow huts ; they killed and ate rein-
deer and narwhal, and smoked pipes; they bought dresses
from the natives ; none died ; in summer they all went away,
taking with them two natives, a father and his son. We
could not ascertain the name of the white chief, nor the
interval of time since they wintered amongst the Esquimaux,
as our friends could not recollect these particulars.^

The name of the locality, A-wee-lik (spelt as written down
at the moment), may be considered identical with " Ay-wee-
lik," the name of the land about Repulse Bay in the chart of
t'ne Esquimaux woman, Iligliuk (Parry's 'Second Voyage,'
p. 197).

' The remains of this wreck have since been visited by an English
whaler, thus confirming the Esquimaux report.

- Dr. Rae wintered at Repulse Bay in stone huts in 1846-7. Again
wintered there in sncnv huts in 1853-4.

|nglish
igain

Aug. 1858.

SCARCITY OF WOOD.

139

We were of course greatly surprised to find that Dr. Rae's
visit to Repulse Bay was known to this distant tribe ; &nd
also disappointed to find they had heard nothing of Franklin's
Back River parties through the same channel of communica-
tion. They were anxiously and repeatedly questioned, but
evidently had not heard of any other white people to the
westward, nor of their having perished there.

Ow-wang-noot lived at Igloolik in his early days, and
made a chart of the lands adjacent, jDut said he was so young
at the time that " it seemed like a dream to him." He was
acquainted with Ee-noo-l66-apik, the Esquimaux who once
accompanied Captain Penny to Aberdeen, and told us he
had died, lately I think, at a place to the southward called
Kri-merk-su-malek, but that his sister still lives at Igloolik.

Although they told us the Igloolik people were worse off
for wood than they were themselves, yet it was evident that
here also it is very scarce. We could not spare them light
poles or oars such as they were most desirous to obtain for
harpoon and lance staves and tent-poles ; and they would
willingly have bartered theii' kayaks to us for rifles (having
already obtained some from the whaling-ships), but that they
had no other means of getting back to their homes, nor
wood to make the light framework of others.

They collect whalebone and narwhals' horns in suffici'^it
quantity to carry on a small barter with the whalers.
A-wah-lah showed us about thirty horns in his tent, and said
he had many more at other stations. A few years ago, when
first this bartering sprang up, an Esquimaux took such a
fancy to a fiddle that he offered a large quantity of whale-
bone in exchange for it. The bargain was soon made, and
subsequently this whalebone was sold for upwards of 1
hundred pounds ! Each successive year, when the same
ship returns to Pond's Bay, this native comes on board to
visit his friends, and goes on shore with many presents in

' ^:

140

TEMPTATIONS TO BARTER. Chap. IX.

remembrance of the memorable transaction. It is much
oetter for him thus to receive annual gifts than to have
received a large quantity at first, as the improvidence of
these men surpasses belief. :

Of the " rod of iron about four feet long, supposed to have
been at one time galvanised," which was brought home in
1856 by Captain Patterson, and forwarded to the Admiralty,
I could obtain no information. The natives were shown
galvanised iron, and said they had never seen any before ;
if their countrymen had any, it must have come from the
whalers ; none like it was found in the wrecks. Rod-iron is
very valuable to Esquimaux for spears and lances, and nar-
whals' horns very tempting to the seamen, not only as
valuable curiosities, but the ivory is worth half a crown a
pound ; and I have but little doubt that many of tL^ things
said to have been stolen by the natives were fraudulently
h, "t.ered away by the sailors. That there was no galvanised
■\a- .1 on board any of the Government searching-ships, nor in
Liie missing expedition which sailed from England as far
back as 1845, I am almost certain. But is it certain that
this iron rod was galvanised? The natives gave Captain
Patterson to understand that they got it from the wreck
to the north.

In July, 1854, Captain Deuchars was at Pond's Bay, and
many natives visited his ship, coming over the ice on twelve
or fourteen sledges made of ship's planking. Now at this
time Sir Edward Belcher's ships were still frozen up in
Barrow Strait. My own impression is that the natives
whom Captain Deuchars communicated with in 1854 were
visitors at Pond's Bay — certainly from the southward — and
probably attracted by the barter recently grown up at that
whaling rendezvous. Having discovered the use of the saws
obtained by barter from our whalers, they had successfully
applied them to the stout planking of the old wrecks, which

and

welve

this

tives

were

and

that

saws

fully

hich

M
Aug. 1858. TRAVELS OF 7 HE ESQUIMAUX. 141

they could not have stripped off with any tools previously in
their possession. I ' ' . \

That the various tribes, or rather groups of families, occa-
sionally visit each other, sometimes for change of hunting-
grounds, but more frequently for barter, is well known.
Captain Parker told me that a native whom he had met one
summer at Durbin Island, came on board his ship at Pond's
Bay the following year. The distance between the two
places, as travelled by this man in a single winter, is scarcely
short of 500 miles ; and the information given us of Rae's
wintering at Repulse Bay, information which must have
travelled here in two winters, shows that these natives com-
municate at still greater distances.

Did other wrecks exist nearer at hand, our Pond's Bay
friends would be much better supplied with wood. If the
Esquimaux knew of any within 300, 400, or even 500 miles,
the Pond's Bay natives would at least have heard of them,
and could have had no reason for concealing it from us.

LEAVE POND'S BAY.

Chap. X.

CHAPTER X.

Leave Pond's Bay — A gale in Lancaster Sound — The Beecliey Island
depot — An arctic monument — Reflections at Beechey Island —
Proceed up Barrow's Strait — Peel Sound — Port Leopold — Prince
Regent's Inlet — Bellot Strait — flood-tide from the west — Unsuc-
cessful efforts — Fox's Hole— No water to the weiit — Precautionary
measures — Fourth attempt to pass through.

I' !>

dth Aug. — Continued calms have delayed us. This even-
ing we steamed from Pond's Bay northward, although our
coals have been sadly reduced by the almost constant
necessity for steam-power since leaving the Waigat. The
three steam-Avhalers have gone southward ; none others
have arrived. They appear to us to be leaving the whales
behind them ; we saw many whilst up the strait, and at the
edge of the remaining ice. The natives said that these
animals arrive in early spring, and do not pass through
the strait into any other sea beyond ; that they themseh es
would remain as long as the ice remained, but when it all
broke up, they would return into Baffin's Bay and go south-
ward.

Monday evening, ()t/i. — On the night of the 6th a pleasant-
fair breeze sprang up, and enabled us to dispense with the
engine. An immense bear was shot ; he measured 8 feet
7 inches in length, and is destined for the museum of the
Royal Dublin Society. On the 7th the wind gradually
freshened and frustrated my intention of examining the
wreck spoken of near Cape Hay ; at night it increased to a
very heavy gale. Although past Navy Board Inlet, very

Aug. 1858. GALE I A' LANCASTER SOUND.

isant
the
feet
the

lally
the

to a

/ery

little ice had yet been met with. The weather, and fear of
ice to leeward, obliged us to heave the vessel to, under
main trysail and fore staysail. The squalls were extremely
violent and seas unusually high.

All Sunday, the 8th, the gale continued, although not
with such extreme force ; the deep rolling of the ship, and
moaning of the half-drowned dogs amidst the pelting sleet
and rain, was anything but agreeable. Notwithstanding
that I had been up all the previous night, I felt too anxious,
to sleep ; the wind blew directly up Barrow Strait, drifting
us about two miles an hour. Occasionally we drifted to
leeward of masses of ice, reminding us that 'S any of the
dense pack which covered this sea only three weeks ago
remained to leeward of us, we must be rapidly setting down
upon its weather edge. The only expedient in such a case
is to endeavour to run into it — once well within its outer
margin, a ship is comparatively safe — the danger lies in the
attempt to penetrate ; to escape out of the pack afterwards,
is also a doubtful matter.

In the evening we were glad to see the land, and find
ourselves off the north shore near Cape Bullen, for the
violent motion of the ship and very weak horizontal magnetic
force had rendered our compasses useless. This morning
(the 9th) the gale broke, and the sea began to subside
rapidly ; by noon it was almost calm, but a thick gloom
prevailed, ominous, it might be, of more mischief All
along the laud there is ice, but broken up into harmless
atoms. We have carried away a maingaff and a jibstay, but
have come remarkably well through such a gale with only
this damage.

iiih. — Before noon to-day we anchored inside Cape
Riley, and immediately commenced preparations for em-
barking coals. I visited Beech ey Island house, and found
the door open ; it must have been blown in by an easterly

'44

BEECHEY ISLAND DEPOT.

Chap. ^.

'!< >

ii\

gale long ago, for much ice had accumulated immediately
inside it. Most of the biscuit in bags was damaged, but
everything else was in perfect order. Upon the north and
west sides of the house, where a wall had been constructed,
there was a vast accumulation of ice, in which the lower
tier of casks between the two was embedded, and its
surface thawed into pools. Neither casks nor walls should
have been allowed to stand near the house. The southern ^,
and eastern sides were clear and perfectly dry. The ' Mary '
decked boat, and two 30-foot lifeboats, were in excellent
order, and their paint appeared fresh; but oars and bare
wood were bleached white.

The gutta-percha boat was useless when left here, and
remains in the same state. Two small sledge travelling
boats were damaged ; one of them had been blown over
and over along the beach until finally arrested by the other.
The bears and foxes do not appear to have touched any-
thing, I have taken on board all letters left here for
Franklin's or Collinson's expeditions, and also a 20-foot
sledge-boat for our own travelling purposes.

Last night we steamed very close round Cape Hurd in a
dense fog, p-'d crept along the land as our only guide : we
were thus led into Rigby Bay, and discovered a shoal off
its entrance by grounding upon it. After a quarter of an
hour we floated off unhurt.

In lowering a boat to pursue a bear, Robert Hampton
fell overboard ; fortunately he could swim, and was very
soon picked up, but the intense cold of the water had almost
paralyzed his limbs. The bear was shot and taken on
board.

Sunday, 15///, 9 p.m. — Our coaling was completed yesterday,
and the ship brought over and anchored off the house in
Erebus Bay. A small proportion of provisions and winte'"
clothing has been embarked to complete our deficiencies ;

Lii

Aug. 1858.

AN ARCTIC MONUMENT.

145

the ice has been scraped out of the house and its roof
thoroughly repaired, a record deposited, and door securely
closed.

At Godhavn I found a marble tablet which had been sent
out by Lady FrankUn, in the American expedition of 1855
under Captain H. J. Hartstein, U.S.N., for the purpose of
being erected at Beechey Island. Circumstances prevented
his executing this kindly service, and it fell to my lot to
convey it to the site originally intended. The tablet was con-
structed in New York under the direction of Mr. Grinnell at
the request of Lady Franklin, in order that the only oppor-
tunity which then offered of sending it to the arctic regions
might not be lost. I placed the monument upon the raised
flagged square in the centre of which stands the cenotaph re-
cording the names of those who perished in the Government
expedition under Sir Edward Belcher. Here also is placed a
small tablet, sent out by John Barrow, Esq., to the memory of
Lieutenant Bellot. I could not have selected for Lady
Franklin's memorial a more appropriate or conspicuous site.
The inscription runs as follows : —

--4

IJi

lu i i

TO THE MEMORY OF

FRANKLIN,

CROZIER, HTZJAMES,

AND ALL THEIR

GALLANT BROTHER OFFICERS AND FAITHFUL

COMPANIONS WHO HAVE SUFFERED AND PERISHED

IN THE CAUSE OF SCIENCE AND

THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY.

THIS TABLET

IS ERECTED NEAR THE SPOT WHERE

THEY PASSED THEIR FIRST ARCTIC

WINTER, AND WHENCE THEY ISSUED

FORTH TO CONQUER DIFFICULTIES OR

TO DIE.

IT COMMEMORATES THE GRIEF OF THEIR

ADMIRING COUNTRYMEN AND FRIENDS,

AND THE ANGUISH, SUBDUED BY FAITH,

OF HER .'HO HAS LOST, IN THE HEROIC

LEADER OF THE EXPEDITION, THE MOST

DEVOTED AND AFFECTIONATE OF

HUSBANDS.

''AND SO HE BRINGETH THEM UNTO THE
HAVEN WHERE THEY WOULD BE:'
1855.

;,i i'

This Tablet having been left at Disco by the
American Expedition, which was unable to
reach Beechey L.land, in 1855, was put on
board the Discovery Yacht Fox, and is now
set up here by Captain M'Clintock, R.N.,
commanding the final expedition of search
for ascertaining the fate of bir John Franklin
and his companions. 1858.

Aug. 1858. REFLECTIONS AT BEECHEY ISLAND. 147

UL
SHED

'^»^-i^;:^,

^^'"$V;-:.'.^->!

.^^»v.

The Three Graves, and Depot House, Beechey Island.

We are now ready to proceed upon our voyage from
Beechey Island, and there is no ice in sight ; but having
worked almost unceasingly since our arrival up to the
present hour, the men require a night's rest. Nearly forty
tons of fuel have been embarked.

The total absence of ice in Barrow Strait is astonishing.
No less so are the changes and chances of this sing^alar
navigation. Twelve days later than this in 1850, when I
belonged to Her Majesty's ship ' Assistance,' with consider-
able difficulty we came within sight of Beechey Island : a
cairn on its summit attracted notice ; Captain Ommanney
managed to land, and discovered the first traces of the
missing expedition. Next day the United States schooner
' Rescue ' arrived ; the day afte**, Captain Penny joined us,
and subsequently Captain Austin, Sir John Ross, an<l
Captain Forsyth — in all, ten vessels were assembled here.

148

CAPJS HOTHAM.

Chap. X.

I M

'\^\^:

This day six years, when in command of the ' Intrepid,' we
sailed from here for Melville Island in company with the
' Resolute.' Again I was here and frozen up in the ' North
Star' at this date in 1854, and doubts were entertained of
the possibility of escape.

To-day it is only a fortnight since I set out for the native
village in Pond's Inlet, under guidance of an old woman ;
whilst I was so engaged our little vessel had a most pro-
vidential escape from being crushed against the cliffs. This
day week was spent in contending with a furious gale,
during which the ship had nearly been driven to leeward
and dashed to pieces by the sea-beaten pack. It is to
be hoped the poor ' Fox ' has many more lives to spare, as
it is only now that the real interest of her voyage commences.

Mo7iday night, xdth Aug. — Sailed from Beechey Island
this morning, and this evening we landed at Cape Hotham.
A small depot of provisions and three boats were left here
by former expeditions ; of the depot all has been destroyed
with the exception of two casks landed in 1850. The boats
were sound, but several of their oars, which had been
secured upright as marks, lest they should be hidden by
snow, were found broken down by bears — those inquisitive
animals having a decided antipathy to anything " stuck up " —
such a position being both unusual and unnatural in this
bleak country. Fragments of the depot and the broken
oars were tossed about in every direction. Numerous
records were found ; to the most recent a few linos were
added, stating that we had removed the two whale-boats —
one to be left at Port Leopold, the othei" to replace our
own crushed by the ice.

11th. — Last night battling against a strong foul wind with
sea, in rain and fog. To-day much loose ice is seen south-
ward of (jriffith's Island. The weather improved this after-
noon, and we shot gallantly past Limestone Island, and are

Chap. X.

itrepid,' we
y with the
the 'North
irtained of

the native

d woman ;

most pro-

liffs. This

rious gale,

to leeward

It is to

o spare, as

Dmmences.

ley Island

e Hotham.

e left here

destroyed

The boats

had been

lidden by

inquisitive

ck up " —

in this

broken

umerous

ncs were

-boats —

)lace our

^'ind with
n south-
lis after-
and are

V i

Aug. 1858. PROGRESS DOWN PEEL SOUND. 151

now steering down Peel Sound : all of us in a state of wild
excitement — a mingling of anxious hopes and fears !

iWi. — For 25 miles last evening we ran unobstructedly
down Peel Sound, but then came in sight of unbroken ice
extending across it from shore to shore ! It was much
decayed, and of one year's growth only ; yet, as the strait
continues to contract for 60 miles further, and it appeared
to me to afford so little hope of becoming navigable in the
short remainder of the season, I immediately turned about
for Bellot Strait, as affording better prospect of a passage
into the western sea discovered by Sir James Ross from
Four River Point in 1849. Our disappointment at the
interruption of our progress was as severe j.s it was sudden.
We did not linger in hope of a change, but steered out again
into the broad waters of Barrow Strait. However, should
Bellot Strait prove hopeless, I intend to return hither to
make one more effort before the close of the season.

We are now approaching Port Leopold, where it is
necessary to stop for a few hours to examine the state
of the steam launch, provisions, and stores, left there in
1849, for adverse circumstances may oblige nr"? to fall back
upon it as a point of support.

i()th. — At anchor in Port Leopold ; it is perfectly clear of
ice ; we arrived here in the night. How astonishingly bare
the land looks ; it is more barren than Beechey Island, whilst
the rock contains far fewer fossils ! On this day nine years
ago the harbour and sea continued covered with ice, and
the ships (' Enterprise ' and ' Investigator ') were unable to
escape. At some period since then, the ice has been pressed
in upon the low shingle point ; it has forced the launch up
before it, and left her broadside on to the beach, with both
bows stove in, and in want of considerable repairs, but the
means are all at hand for executing them. We tried to haul
her further up, but she was firmly imbedded in the frozen

152

OFF FURY POINT.

Chap. X.

M %

11 i'

ground. Many things appear to have been covered with
the loose shingle, bags of coal and coke just appearing
through it scarcely above high-water mark. Amongst the
missing articles is the steam-engine.

Although the flagstaff upon the summit of North East
Cape is still standing, the one erected upon this point and
almost the whole of the framing of the house lies prostrate.
The provisions appeared to be sound, but were not generally
examined. The whale-boat we removed from Cape Hotham
was landed here, and a record of our proceedings' added to
the many which have accumulated here during the last ten
years. Some coke and a few things useful to us and merely
decaying here were taken on board, and by evening we were
again speeding onward with augmented resources, and the
confidence inspired by a secure depot in our rear ; buoyed
up moreover by the joyful anticipation of soon reaching the
goal of our long-deferred hopes.

20th, noon. — Exactly off Fury Point. There is one large
iceberg far off in the 3.E. ; no other ice in sight ! I would
have landed at Fury Beach to examine the remaining
supplies there, but a snow shower prevented our distinguish-
ing anything, and a strong tide carried us past before we
were aware of it.

This morning, as one of the officers was scrutinising this
desperately barren land, and reflecting that in a few weeks
the whole sea would be frozen over, old Harvey stepped up
to him and remarked that *' everything was looking wcrry
prosperous;" but Harvey only looked ahead, and he saw no
ice there. He had no doubt a vivid recollection of intense
hardships undergone in the long sledging-parties of the
expeditions under Austin and Belcher, when he was a few
years younger, and well knew that every mile now sailed
towards the unexplored area would save us two miles of
sledge-dragging — a mile out an 1 a mile home.

Aug. 1858.

BRENTFORD BA Y.

153

ng this
weeks
)ed up
werry

law no
itense
)f the

la few

Isailed
les of

We feel that the crisis of our voyage is near at hand.
Does Bellot Strait really exist ? Poor Bellot himself doubted
it, and Kennedy, his commander, could not positively assert
that it did. And if there be a strait, is it free from ice?

A depot of provisions is being got ready to be landed,
should it be practicable for us to push through and proceed
to the southward.

2\st. — On approaching Brentford Bay last evening, packed
ice was seen streaming out of it^ also much ice in the S.E.
The northern point of entrance was landed upon by Sir John
Ross in 1829, and named Possession Point; we rounded it
closely, and could distinguish a few stones piled up upon a
large rock near its highest part — this is his cairn. As we
passed westward between the point and Browne's Island,
through a channel a mile in width, a close pack was dis-
covered a few miles ahead; and it being past ten o'clock,
and almost dark, the ship was anchored in a convenient bay
three or four miles within Possession Point. Here our depot
is to be landed, therefore we shall name this for the present
Depot Bay ; a very narrow isthmus between its head and
Hazard Iniet unites the low limestone peninsula, of which
Possession Point is the extreme, to the mainland.

To-day an unsparing use of steam and canvas forced the
ship eight miles further west ; we were then about halfway
through Bellot Strait ! Its western capes are lofty bluffs,
such as may be distinguished fifty miles distant in clear
weather; between them there was a clear broad channel,
but five or six miles of close heavy pack intervened — the
sole obstacle to our progress. Of course this pack will

' When sailing past here in 1829, Sir James C. Ross observed heavy
packed ice, differing from such as would be formed in the sheltered
depth of a bay, streaming out of it ; he therefore inferred the existence
of a channel. Relying mainly on his judgment, I came with confidence
to seek one : and this sight was an intense relief, for it convinced me
that the strait did exist.

.*/

1 1

II I

'If

I I

lit I

'I'

154

BELLOT STRAIT.

Chap. X.

speedily disperse ; — it is no wonder that we should feel
elated at such a glorious prospect, and content to abide our
time in the security of Depot Bay. A feeling of tranquillity
— of earnest, hearty satisfaction — has come over us. There
is no appearance amongst us of anything boastful ; we have
all experienced too keenly the vicissitudes of arctic voyaging
to admit of such a feeling.

At the turn of tide we perceived that we were being
carried, together with the pack, back to the eastward ; every
moment our velocity \/as increased, and presently we were
dismayed at seeing grounded ice near us, but were very
quickly swept past it at the rate of nearly six miles an hour,
though within 200 yards of the rocks, and of instant destruc-
tion ! As soon as we possibly could, we got clear of the
packed ice, and left it to be wildly hurled about by various
whirlpools and rushes of the tide, until finally carried out
into Brentford Bay. The ice-masses were large, and dashed
violeitl/ against each other, and the rocks lay at some
dista ice off the southern shore j we had a fortunate escape
from such dangerous company. After anchoring again in
Depot Bay, a large stock of provisions and a record of our
proceedings were landed, as there seems every probability of
advancing into the western sea in a very few days.

The appearance of Bellot Strait is precisely that of a
Greenland fiord ; it is about 20 miles long and scarcely
a mile Avide in the narrowest part, and there its depth
within a quarter of a mile of the north shore, was ascer-
tained to be 400 feet. Its granitic shores are bold and lofty,
with a very respectable sprinkling of vege*-"tion for lat. 72°.
Some of the hill-ranges rise to about 1500 or 1600 feet
above the sea.

The low land eastward of Depot Bay is composed of
limestone, destitute alike of fossils and vegetation. The
granite commences upon the west shore of Depot Bay, and

Chap. X.

mid feel
bide our
inquillity
There
we have
voyaging

re being
i ; every
we were
ere very
an hour,

destruc-
,r of the
^ various
Tied out
d dashed
at some
le escape
jagain in
of our

bility of

lat of a
;carcely
depth
ascer-
id lofty,
lat. 72°.
10 feet

ked of

The

, and

''sili|l'jii:MijHs3s«B=_':j _i li

1.1

r-.JK

l\\\i

•

AUG. 1858. FLOOD TIDE FROM THE WEST.

157

is at once bold and rugged. Many seals have been seen ; a
young bear was shot, and Walker took a photograph of him
as he lay upon our deck, the dogs timidly creeping near to
lick up the blood.

The great rapidity - of the tides in Bellot Strait fully
accounts for the spaces of open water seen by Mr. Kennedy'
when he travelled through, early in April. The strait runs
very nearly east and west, but its eastern entrance is well
masked by Long Island ; when half-way through, both seas
are visible. As in Greenland, the night tides are much
higher than the day tides ; last night it was high water at
about half-past eleven; as nearly as we can estimate, the
tide runs through to the west, from two hours before high
water until four hours after it ; that is, the flood-tide comes
from the west. Such is also the case in Hecla and Fury
Strait ; in both places the tide from the west is much the
strongest. I am not sufficiently informed to discuss this
subject fully, but I infer the existence of a channel between
Victoria and Prince cf Wales' Land. The rise and fall is
much less upon the western side of the Isthmus of Boothia
than upon the east, and it likewise decreases, we know, in
Barruw Strait, as we advance westward.

2-}yrd. — Yesterday Bellot Strait was again examined, but
the five miles of close pack occupied precisely the same
position as if heaped together by contending tides; con-
siderable augmentations were moreover seen drifting in from
the western sea. Finding nothing could be effected in
Bellot Strait, we souglit in vain for the more southern
channel which should exist to form Levesque Island : we
did, however, find a beautiful harbour, and are now securely
anchored in its north-west arm; I have named it after
the gentleman whose supposed island I lind is a part of the

' Mr. Kennedy discovered this important passage ,vhen in command
of the 'Prince Albert' in 185 1.

158

RAMBLE INLAND.

Chap. X.

I v

\ W

Boothian Peninsula, and consequently of the American con-
tinent. The south-western angle of Br»,ntford Bay is still
covered with unbroken ice.

This evening we all landed to explore our new ground.
Young and Petersen shot some bre it geese ; Walker saw
two deer, but he was botanising, and had no gun ; others
were seen by some of the men, and followed, but without
success.

I enjoyed a delightfully refreshing ramble, a mile or two
inland, through a gently ascending valley, then two miles
along the narrow margin of a pretty little lake between
mountains, beyond which lay a much larger one, four or
five miles in diameter ; this farther lake was only partially
divested of its winter ice. Here there was enough of vege-
tation to tint the craggy hill-sides and to make the sheltered
hollows absolutely green, therefore the scenery was beautiful
as well as grand ; deer-tracks and he footprints of wild fowl
were everywhere numerous along the water-side. I saw two
decayed skulls of musk oxen, and circles of stones by the
little lake, doubtless at some remote period the summer
residence of wandering Esquimaux : hence I infer that fish
abound in the lake, and that this valley is a favourite deer-
pass.

But the contemplation of these objects, although agree-
able, was not the object of my solitary ramble : I came on
shore to enjoy calm and earnest reflection, on the progress
and the prospects of our campaign. We hoped very soon
to enter an unknown sea : discoveries would be made,
various contingencies arise, and we must be prepared to
meet them.

Yesterday Petersen shot an immense bearded seal ; it
sank, but floated up an hour afterwards. This animal
measured 8 feet long, and weighed about 500 lbs. We
prefer its flesh to that of the small seals, and its blubber

Aug. 1858,

FOX'S HOLE.

159

igree-
le on
fgress
I soon
hade,
Id to

ll; it

limal
We
)ber

will afford a valuable addition to our stock of lump oil for
the coming winter.

25///. — In Depot Bay. We remained but twenty-four
hours in Levesque Harbour; a change of wind led us
to hope for a removal of the ice in Bellot Strait, therefore I
determined to make another attempt.

When off the table-land, where the depth is not more
than from 6 to 10 fathoms, and the tides run strongest, the
ship hardly moved over the ground, although going 6 A knots
through the water ! Thus delayed, darkness overtook us,
and we anchored at midnight in a small indentation of the
north shore, christened by the men Fox's Hole, rather more
than half-way through the strait.

For several hours we had been coquetting with huge
rampant ice-masses that wildly surged about in the tideway,
or we dashed through boiling eddies, and sometimes almost
grazed the tall cliffs ; we were therefore naturally glad of a
couple or three hours' rest, even in such a very unsafe posi-
tion. At early dawn we again proceeded west, but for three
miles only ; the pack again stopped us, and we could per-
ceive that the western sea was covered with ice ; the east
wind, which could alone remove it, now gave place to a
hard-hearted westerly one.

All the strait to the eastward of us, and the eastern sea,
as far as could be seen from the hill-tops, is perfectly free
from ice, whereas in the direction we wish to proceed there
is nothing but packed ice, or water which cannot be reached.
Bitterly disappointed we are, of course ; yet there is reason-
able ground for hope ; grim winter will not ratify the ob-
stinate proceedings of the western ice, for nearly four weeks.

Last evening's amusement was most exciting, nor was it
without its peculiar perils. With cunning and activity
worthy of her name, our little craft warily avoided a tilting-
match with the stout blue masses which whirled about, as if

.r^^r

1 60

PRECA UriONARY MEASURES.

Chap. X.

■i.

with wilful impetuosity, through the narrow channel ; some
of them were so large as to ground even in 6 or 7 fathoms
water. Many were drawn into the eddies, and, acquiring
considerable velocity in a contrary direction, suddenly broke
bounds, charging out into the stream and entering into
mighty conflict with their fellows. After such a frolic the
masses would revolve peaceably or unite with the pack, and
await quietly their certain dissclution ; may the day of that
wished-for dissolution be near at hand ! Nothing but strong
hope of success induced me to encounter such dangerous
opposition. I not only hoped, but almost felt, that we
deserved to succeed.

Two plans were now occupying my thoughts, both of
them resulting from the conviction that we should probably
be compelled to winter to the eastward of Bellot Strait : the
most important of these plans is that of finding some series
of valleys, chain of lakes, or continuous low land, practicable
as an overland sledge-route to the western coast, along
which we may transport depots of provisions this autumn ;
for it is certain that the strong tides will prevent Bellot
Strait being frozen over till winter is far advanced, and its
surface will afford us no means of passing westward with our
sledges.

The other plan, and that which we are now about to exe-
cute — whilst the sea continues navigable — is to land a small
depot of provisions 60 or 70 miles to the southward, and
down Prince Regent's Inlet, in order to facilitate communi-
cation with the Boothian Esquimaux either this autumn or
in early spring.

And this precautionary step seems the more necessary, as
I do not think it prudent to trust altogether to the yet
undiscovered west coast of Boothia for a sledge-route towards
King William's Island. Therefore quitting " Fox's Hole,"
and resting for one night in Depot Bay, we sailed from

4»?*,>

Aug. 1858. SIR JOHN ROSS'S CAIRN.

161

thence on the 26th. A fine breeze carried us rapidly south-
ward along the coast of Regent Inlet. There was but little
obstruction, though occasionally it was necessary to pass
through a stream of loose ice. We saw little of any kind,
compared to the experiences of Sir John Ross.

About dusk (nine o'clock) much loose ice to the south-
ward prevented our making any attempt at further progress ;
we therefore anchored oft" the coast — in Stillwell Bay I
think — about 45 miles from Depot Bay. Here the depot,
consisting of 120 rations, was landed. I observe that it has
only been on penetrating into Brentford Bay that we have
found the primary rocks washed by the sea ; the coast-line
both north and south, as far as, and beyond, our present
position, is a low shore of pale limestone, destitute of
fossils ; we can however see granitic hill-ranges far in the
interior.

On the 27 th we commenced beating back to the north-
ward, tacking between the land and the ice which lay about
15 miles off" shore. Towards night the wind greatly in-
creased, and the ship, under reefed sails, plunged violently
into the short, swift, high seas ; we also felt (juite as uneasy
and restless as the ship, in our great anxiety to get back and
ascertain what changes were likely to be effected by the
gale.

28///. — To-night the weather is more pleasant ; the keen
and contrary wind has given place to a gentle fair breeze,
the swell has almost subsided, no ice has been seen today,
and the night is therefore unusually dark and mild — tem-
perature 31". I can hardly fancy that the sea which gently
rocks us is not the ocean, and die soft air the breath, of our
own temperate region. The delusion is charming !

30/"//. — Yesterday, after anchoring in Depot Bay, I walked
over to Possession Point, to visit Ross's cairn. I found
a few stones piled up on two large boulders, and under each

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162

THE FOURTH ATTEMPT,

Chap. X.

a halfpenny, one of which I pocketed. Upon the ground
lay the fragments of a bottle which once contained the
record, and near it a staff about 4 feet long. Having cal-
culated upon finding the bottle sound, I was obliged to
make an impromptu record-case of its long neck, into
which I thrust my brief document, and consigned it to the
safe custody of a small heap of stones, the staff being
erected over it. • v

It was dark before I got on board again. The strait had
been reconnoitred from the hills, and was reported to be
perfectly clear of ice. This morning we made a fourth
attempt to pass through ; but Bellot Strait was by no means
clear ; the same obstruction existed which defeated our last
attempt, and in precisely the same place. Returning east-
ward, we entered a narrow arm of the sea, nearly a couple
of miles to the west of Depot Bay, and anchored in a small
creek, perfectly sheltered and land-locked, at the foot of a
sugar-loaf hill, subsequently named after our surgeon, Mount
Walker. The temperature is falling; last night it stood
at 24°.

I I

Chap. X.

the ground
ntained the
Having cal-
I obliged to

neck, into

sd it to the

staff being

le strait had
3rted to be
ie a fourth
y no means
ted our last
irning east-
ly a couple
i in a small
e foot of a
;on, Mount
it it stood

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l!ollul Strait, i>t bcptuiiibi;]-, 1838.

Sept. iS;8.

BOAT EXPLORATION.

i6;

C H A P T E R X I.

tS^Ss^^Sfe- —

Proceed westward in a boat — Unpromising state of tlie western sea —
Struggles in Eellot Strait — Falcons, good arctic fare — 'i"he re-
sources of Boothia Felix — Future sledge travelling — Heavy gales
— liobson's party start — Winter quarters — liellot Strait — Ad-
vanced depot established — Observatories — Intense cold — Autumn
travellers — Ravens — Narrow escape — Wolves.

Being most" anxious to know the real state of the ice in the
western sea — upon which our hopes so entirely depend — I
intend starting this evening by boat, as far through Ikllot
Strait as the ice will permit, then land and ascend the hills
overlooking the western coast.

\st Sept. — My boat party consisted of four men and the
Doctor, who came with me for the novelty of the cruise,
bringing his camera to fasten upon anything picturesciue.
We landed near Half-way Island, and pitched our tent for
the night. Early next morning I commenced the rather
formidable undertaking of ascending the hills, for it is not
possible to pass under the cliffs, and at last I gained the
summit of the loftiest, overlooking Cape Bird at a distance
of 3 or 4 miles, and affording a s[)lendid view to the west-
ward, as well as glimpses between the hills, of the blue
eastern sea. Long and anxiously did I survey the western
sea, ice, and lands, and could not but feel that in all pro-
bability we should not be permitted to pass beyond our
present position.

To the northward Four River Point- Sir James Ross's

if*' 1

I 'I I

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I li

''.'I :„

V m

i66

WESTERN SEA UNPROMISING. Chap. XI.

farthest in 1849 — was at once r'icognised ; rather more than
nine years ago I stood upon it with him, and gazed almost
as anxiously in this direction ! My present view confirmed
the impression then received, of a wide channel leading
southward. The outline of the western land is very dis-
tant ; it is of considerable but uniform elevation, and slopes
gradually down to the strait, which is between 30 and 40
miles wide. This western land appears to be limestone, and
without off-lying islands. Our side of the strait or sea, on
the contrary, is primary rock, and fringed with islets and
rocks; its southern extreme bears S.S.W., and is probably
30 miles distant.

Now for the ice. Although broken up, it lies against this
shore in immense fields : there is but little water or room
for ice-movement. Along the west shore I can distinguish
long faint streaks of water. There is no appearance of dis-
ruption about Four River Point or in the contracted part of
Peel Strait — we have nothing to hope for in that quarter ;
neither is there any evidence of current or pressure ; the ice
appears much decayed, but, as I am surveying it from a
height of about 1600 feet, I may be deceived.

The strong contrast between the eastern and western seas
and lands is very unfavourable to the latter.

Apart from the ice, I was fortunate however, in discover-
ing a long narrow lake — subsequently named after Macgregor
Laird Escj., an ardent supporter of the Franklin search —
occupying a valley which lies between a sniall inlet south of
Cape Bird, and Hazard Inlet — in fact, a sort of echo of
Bellot Strait — and I look upon it as our sledge-route for the
autunm, since it appears probable we shall^ winter in our
present position.

This is a surprisingly rough country to scramble over ;
one never ceases to wonder how such huge blocks of rock
can have got into so many strange positions. I noticed two

Sept. 1858. PASS THROUGH BELLOT STRAIT. 167

estern seas

masses in particular, each of them perched upon three
smaller ones. The rock is gneiss ; there is also much
granite, and even upon the hill-tops pieces of limestone are
occasionally met with.

My walk occupied eleven hours and although I everyr
where saw traces of animals, the only living thing seen was
a grey falcon. During my absence from the tent the men
rambled all over the hills, but saw no game, our encamp-
ment was therefore shifted to a better position near the
eastern termination of the table-land. This morning we
explored the neighbouring valleys; saw three deer, and
shot one, returning on board the ' Fox ' in time for dinner.

Many deer had been seen not far from the ship, and
Hobson had shot a bearded seal. I have organised another
boat party ; Young will start with it to-morrow morning to
seek a sledge-route from the southern angle of Brentford
Bay to the western sea.

5///!. — Young returned this morning; he reports the south-
west angle of the bay not to run in so far as we expected,
and to be environed by very high land, impracticable for
sledges.

Our Esquimaux, Samuel, shot a fawn to-day.

Strong northerly winds have latterly prevailed ; Bellot
Strait is at last quite clear of ice ; to-morrow morning, there-
fore, we shall make qmx fifth attempt to get the ' Fox ' through.

dth. — Steamed through the clear waters of Bellot Strait
this morning, and made fast to the ice across its western out-
let at a distance of two miles from the shore, and close to a
small islet, which we have already dubbed Pemmican Rock,
having landed upon it a large supply of that substantial
traveller's fare, with other provisions for our future sledging-
parties. This ice is in large stout fields, of more than one
winter's growth, apparently immovable in consequence of
the numerous islets and rocks which rise through and hold

liJ

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H M

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1 68

FALSE STRAIT.

Chap. XI.

it fast. If the weather permits, we shall remain here for a
few days and watch the effect of winds and tides upon it ;
that the ship will get any farther seems improbable.

lotk. — I have explored the small inlet near Cape Bird,
which we have named Fa/se Strait, from its striking resem-
blance to the true one, and find it is only separated from
the long lake by half a mile of low land ; the lake we have
ascertained to be about 1 2 miles long, and from it valleys
extend eastward and southward, so that we are sure of a good
sledge route — an important matter, as the hills rise to 1600
feet above the sea.

Cape Bird is 500 feet high ; from its summit we carefully
observe the ice. This granite coast presents a jagged
appearance ; it is deeply indented and studded with islets.
The ice in the western sea is much more broken up than it
was upon the 31st ultimo; there is no longer any fixed ice
except within the grasp of the islets. The " western sea "
here mentioned is a continuation of Peel Sound. It has
been navigated by Franklin only, and by him proved to be
a strait. I have deemed it due to that distinguished man
to designate it "Sir John Franklin Strait."

Birds and animals have become very scarce ; three seals
have been shot, and a bear seen. To-morrow we shall
return to our harbour, and endeavour to procure a few more
reindeer before they migrate southward.

12th. — Yesterday we anchored within the entrance of our
creek, being a more convenient position than up at its head.
We are already in our wintering position, and, having
scarcely any occupation, one day seems most remarkably
like another. Although the fondly cherished hope of push-
ing farther in our ship can no longer be entertained, yet as
long as the season continues navigable, it is our duty to be
in readiness to avail ourselves of any opportunity, however
improbable, of being able to do so.

Sept. 1858. FALCONS GOOD ARCTIC FARE.

169

Once firmly frozen in, our autumn travelling will com-
mence, and afford welcome occupation. Almost all on
board have guns ; ammunition is supplied, and a sailor with
a musket is a very contented and zealous sportsman, if not
always a successful one ; it is a powerful incentive to exer-
cise. To-day the ramblers saw only two hares, an ermine,
and an owl. Some peregrine falcons have lately been shot ;
Petersen declares they are ^^ the best beef in the country, and
the young birds tender and white as chicken /"

A few days ago a large cask of biscuit was opened, and a
living 'louse discovered therein ; it was small, but mature in
years. The cask, a strong watertight one, was packed on
shore at Aberdeen in June, 1857, and remained ever since
unopened ; there was no hole by which the mouse could
have got in or out, besides it is the only one ever seen
on board. Ship's biscuit is certainly dry feeding; but who
dares assert, after the experience of our mouse, that it is not
wonderfully nutritious ?

\^th. — Two nights ago a comet was observed just beneath
the constellation of the Great Bear; a series of measure-
ments was commenced for determining its path. Yesterday
I walked for eight hours through the most promising valleys,
but did not see a living creature; yet there is a very fair
show of vegetation, much more so than at Melville Island,
where game is abundant. To the east there is not a speck
of ice, excepting only a huge iceberg, probably the same we
saw off Fury Point, a very unusual visitor from Baffin's Bay,
whence it must have been driven by those long-continued
east winds of painful memory in June and July. Eight
year's experience in these seas gives this day's date as the
average for the limit of the navigable season.

Hobson and two men encamped out for three days in
order to scour the country ; they have seen only one hare
and one lemming. Walker geologises; amongst other

If ■

170

PORT KENNEDY.

Chap. XI,

things he finds much iron pyrites. The dredge has been
used, but with very Uttle success. The thermometer ranges
between 20° and 30° Fresh water pools are frozeft over,
sea ire forms in every sheltered angle of the creeks, There is
no snow upon the land, and this makes it more difficult to find
game, as we can neither track nor distinguish them so easily.

I have determined upon naming this beautiful little
anchorage Port Kennedy, after riiV predecessor, the dis-
coverer of Bellot Strait, of which it is decidedly the port.
This is an agreeable duty, and nowhere could Mr. Kennedy's
name be more appropriately affixed than in close proximity
with his interesting discovery. And now having acknow-
ledged his prior discovery, I venture to confer our little
vessel's name upon the islets which protect its entrance.

The island upon which Mr. Kennedy and Lieutenant
Bellot encamped was Long Island, about three miles farther
to the south-east.

I'jth. — Of In i we have been preparing provisions and
equipments for our travelling parties. My scheme of sledge
search comprehends three separate routes, each of the three
parties being composed of four men, a dog sledge and
driver; Hobson, Young, and I will lead them.

My journey will be to the Great Fish River, examining
the shores of King William's Land in going and returning ;
Petersen will be with me.

Hobson will explore the western coast of Boothia as far as
the magnetic pole, this autumn I hope, and from Gateshead
Island westward next spring.

Young will trace the shore of Prince of Wales' Land
from Lieutenant Browne's farthest, to the southwestward to
Osborn's farthest, if possible, and also examine between
Four River Point and Cape Bird.

Our probable absence will be sixty or seventy days, com-
mencing from about the 20th March.

Chap. XI.

Ige has been
meter ranges
frozen over,
ks, There is
ifificult to find
lem so easily,
autiful little
5or, the dis-
dly the port.
T. Kennedy's
)se proximity
'ing acknow-
fer our little
ntrance.
\ Lieutenant
miles farther

^visions and

ne of sledge

of the three

sledge and

examining
1 returning;

lia as far as
Gateshead

ales' Land
westward to
e between

days, corn-

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IV ;■!

SEPT. 1858. PLAA'S FOR FUTURE SLEDGING. 173

In this way I trust we shall complete the Franklin search
and the geographical discovery of arctic America, both left
unfinished by the former expeditions ; and in so doing we
can hardly fail to obtain some trace, some relic, or, it may
be, imi)ortant records of those whose mysterious fate it is
the great object of our labours to discover. But previous
to setting forth upon these important journeys, I must com-
municate with the Boothians, if possible, either upon the
west or east coast, in November or February. Sir John
Ross's ' Narrative ' informs us that they sometimes winter as
far north upon the east coast as the Agnew River ; and we
know that upon the west, at the magnetic pole, their aban-
doned snow huts were occupied in June by Sir James Ross.
19///. — Yesterday we steamed once more through Bellot
Strait, and took up our former position at the ice-edge, off
its western entrance ; the ice, hemmed in by islets, has not
moved.

From the summit of Cape Bird I had a very extensive
view this morning; there is now much water in the offing,
only separated from us by the belt of islet-girt ice scarcely
four miles in width! My conviction is that a strong east
wind would remove this remaining barrier ; it is not yet too
late. The water runs parallel to this coast, and is four
or five miles broad ; beyond it there is ice, but it appears to
be all broken up.

Yesterday Young went upon a dog-sledge to the nearest
south-western island, distant 7 or 8 miles. He reports the
intervening ice cracked and weak in some places, but prac-
ticable for loaded sledges ; the far side of the island is
washed by a clear sea, and a bear which he shot plunged
into it, and, drifting away, was lost ; Young is in favour of
carrying out the depot provisions to or beyond this island
by boat; but as the temperature fell to 18° last night, and
new ice forms whenever it is calm, I prefer the safer, although

■4

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174

HOBSON'S PARTY STARTS. Chap. XI.

more laborious mode, of sledging; accordingly to-day our
dogs carried out to it two sledge-loads of the provisions
intended for the use of our parties hereafter. v

22n(i. — All the provisions have now been carried out to
the nearest island, which I shall temporarily name Separa-
tion} as there our spring parties will divide ; and a portion
intended for Hobson's party and my own has been carried
on to the next island 7 or 8 miles farther. Our travelling
boat and a small reserve depot have been placed upon
Pemmican Rock, so already something has been done.
Animal life is very scarce ; a it\w seals, an occasional gull,
and three brown falcons, are the only creatures we have
seen for several days past. Last evening at eight o'clock
a very vivid flash of lightning was observed ; its appearance
in these latitudes is very rare ; once only have I seen it
before — in September, 1850.

25///, Saturday iii^^ht. — Furious gales from N. and S.W.,
but our barrier of coast ice remains undiminished. This
morning Hobson set off upon a journey of fourteen or
fifteen days' duration, with seven men and fourteen dogs ;
he is to advance the depots along shore to the south,
and, if successful, will reach latitude 71°.

The temperature is mild (+17°), but it is snowy and
disagreeable weather; there is already enough snow upon
the old ice to make walking laborious, and the land has
also assumed its wintry complexion.

28///. — The ship was kept available for prosecuting her
voyage up to the latest hour ; it was only yesterday that we
left the western ice, and in consequence of the vast accu-
mulation of young ice in Bellot Strait we had considerable
difficulty in reaching the entrance of Port Kennedy : all
within was so firmly frozen over that after three hours'

' Subsequently named after my excellent friend A. Arccdeckne, Kstj.,
commodore of the Royal London Yacht Cluh.

Oct. 1858. ENTER WINTER QUARTERS.

175

steaming and working we penetrated only 100 yards ; how-
ever, we are in an excellent position, although our wintering
place will be farther out by a quarter of a mile than I
intended.

To-day we are unbending sails and laying up the engines
— uncertainty no longer exists — here we are compelled to
remain; and if we have not been as successful in our
voyaging as a month ago we had good reason to expect,
we may still hope that Fortune will smile upon our more
humble, yet more arduous, pedestrian explorations — '' Hope
on, hope ever." In the meantime the sudden transition,
from mental and physical wear and tear, of no ordinary
description, to the absolute security and quiet of winter
quarters, is an immense relief

2nd Oct. — Mr. Petersen has shot two very fine bucks ;
one is a magnificent fellow, weighing 354 lbs. (minus the
paunch). Several deer have been seen ; they come from
the N. along the slopes of the eastern hills. An ermine
came on board a few nights ago and kept the dogs in a
violent state of excitement, being much too wary to come
out from under the boat to be caught by them ; at length
one of the men secured it. This beautiful little animal does
not appear to be full grown; its extreme length is 13 inches.
Two others came off to the ship, and to our great amuse-
ment eluded the men who gave chase, by darting into the
soft snow — which is now a foot deep— and reappearing
several yards off.

It is remarkable that although the Greenlanders know
the musk ox and wolf by name, yet these animals do not
exist in Greenland ; neither do the ermine nor lemming, so
common here and even upon the west shore of Baffin's
Bay; there is also a fifth animal, the wolverine, unknown in
Greenland, though found in Boothia, but not, I believe,
further to the north.

176

LEMMINGS.

Chap. XI.

The lemming is a little creature about twice the size of
the short-tailed field-mouse, which it also resembles in its
habits. They have been found all over the arctic regions
westward of Bafhn's Bay wherever vegetation exists ; but
where it is extremely scanty, as along the shores of Barrow
Strait, and in North Somerset, they are \^ery rare. Melville
Island and Prince Patrick's Land are well stocked with them.
They are strange fearless little things ; even when freshly
caught and put on the dinner-table, they would run about,
visit every one's plate, and nibble biscuit quite unconcernedly.
We have kept them on board for weeks, during which time
some of them exhibited the nasty habit of devouring their
own offsi)ring.

It is not uncommon to meet their tracks on the ice
several miles off shore crossing from one island to another.
Sir Edward Parry found the skeleton of one upon the ice, in
latitude 8ii° N., and sixty miles from the nearest known
land!

Almost all animated nature preys upon them : bear, wolf,
fox, ermine, birds of prey, the Icstris parasiticus, and the
larger gulls. The burgomaster has frequently been seen to
pounce down upon the lemming, and carry him up to his
resting place in the cliffs.

In his sledge journal, Young mentions shooting some of
these gulls for supper, and finding whole lemmings in their
stomachs. This was in early spring before the thaw, when
probably no other food was available for them. At this
season, tlie warmth of the returning sun probal)ly tempted
the unlucky lemmings out of their burrows beneath the
snow.

The weather is too mild to satisfy us ; we wish for severe
frost to seal us up securely, and make the ice strong enough
to bear the sledge-loads of provisions, &c., which are to be
landed for the purpose of making more room in the ship.

Chap. XI.

it twice the size of
lo resembles in its
r the arctic regions
station exists ; but
e shores of Barrow
/ery rare. Melville

stocked with them.

even when freshly
y would run about,
[uite unconcernedly.
, during which time
; of devouring their

tracks on the ice
e island to another,
one upon the ice, in

the nearest known

n them : bear, wolf,

Parasiticus, and the

uently been seen to

arry him up to his

s shooting some of
e lemmings in their
ore the thaw, when
for them. At this
n probably tempted
arrows beneath the

we wish for severe
e ice strong enough
:c., which are to be
room in the ship.

Oct. 1858. HOBSON'S PARTY RETURNS.

177

6th. — A herd of a dozen reindeer crossed the harbour to-
day. Last night Hobson and his companions returned, all
well. They were stopped by the sea washing against the
cliffs in latitude 7ii°, and to that point they have advanced
the depots. Although the weather has been stormy here,
they have been able to travel every day. They found the
coast still fringed with islets, and deeply indented; upon
every point, moss-grown circles of stones indicated the
abodes of Esquimaux in times long since gone by.

One night they muzzled a dog, as she was in the habit of
gnawing her harness : in this defenceless state, unable even
to bark and arouse the men, her amiable sisterhood attacked
her so fiercely that she died next day.

In honour of so important and successful a commence-
ment of our travelling as that accomplished by Hobson, we
had a feast of good venison, plum pudding, and grog. It is
quite evident that no more travelling can be accomplished
until the ice forms a pathway along shore ; iu this, as in
some other respects, we anxiously await the advance of the
season. The weo.ther is mild ; Bellot Strait is almost covered
with ice, which drifts freely with every tide. Reindeer are
seen almost daily ; they too are awaiting the freezing over
of the sea to continue their southern travels. Our harbour-
ice is weak and covered a foot deep with a sludgy compound
of snow and water.

Zt/i. — Yesterday an ermine was caught in a trap ; hitherto
these most active little skirmishers have successfully robbed
our fox-traps of their baits as fast as they could be renewed.
To-day Peterson shot another reindeer; it weighs 130 lbs. ;
many others were seen, also a wolf Sometimes a few
ptarmigan are met with, but hares very rarely.

12th. — Fine weather generally prevails. We have landed
al)out 100 casks, all our boats, and much lumber, so we
shall have abundance of room on board. I enjoyed a long

nvV

178

MA GNE TIC OBSERVA TOR Y.

Chap. XI.

I :t

|l mI'

and exhilarating ramble upon snow-shoes to-day; without
them I could not have gone over half the distance — the
snow lies so deep and soft — but I saw only one reindeer.

14///. — One of our magnetic observatories has been built ;
it stands upon the ice, 2 10 yards S. (magnetic) from the ship,
and is built of ice sawed into blocks — there not being any
suitable snow ; it is just large enough to hold the declino-
meter for hourly observations, to be noted throughout the
winter. The housings have been put over the ship already,
as Hobson will leave us again in a few days to advance his
depot and my own to the vicinity of the magnetic pole if
possible. I would also send Young upon a similar duty, but
the western sea cannot have frozen over yet.

19///. — All the 17th a N.W. gale blew with fearful violence;
yesterday it abated, but not sufficiently to allow our party
to start. This morning Hobson got away with his nine men
and ten dogs ; his absence may be from eighteen to twenty
days. Autumn travelling is most disagreeable ; there is so
much wind and snow, the latter being soft, deep, and often
wet; the sun is almost always obscured by mist, and is
powerless for warmth or drying purposes, and the tempera-
ture is very variable. Moreover the'-e are now only eight
hours of misty da},ight. To-day the morning was fine,
and temperature -f-8°. Having completed the preliminary
observations of the times of horizontal and vertical vibra-
tions, also of the magnetic intensity I set up to-day the
declinometer, and commenced the hourly series of observa-
tions on the diurnal variation. I trust it may continue
unbroken until we: all set out upon our spring travels in
March. A hare has been shot, but no other animals seen.
The arctic expeditions have found hares everywhere except
at Port Leopold, where there is no vegetation at all. They
love steep rocky slopes having a southern aspect, and in
such favourable situations as many as a dozen may some-

■iHM

>/?K

Chap. XI.

s to-day; without
the distance — the
y one reindeer,
ies has been built ;
etic) from the ship,
lere not being any
) hold the declino-
:ed throughout the
;r the ship already,
ays to advance his
I magnetic pole if
a similar duty, but
ret.

th fearful violence;

to allow our party

with his nine men

eighteen to twenty

eable ; there is so

t, deep, and often

by mist, and is

and the tempera-

e now only eight

orning was fine,

the preliminary

nd vertical vibra-

et up to-day the

eries of observa-

it may continue

spring travels in

er animals seen.

erywhere except

ion at all. They

aspect, and in

zen may some-

c
ui

'n h

It!

i -.1 ',\

N 2

!'l

]• 1

. U W-ipyii R i^ J w . T' ■ »■

P^M^yHHi^i wpT« H iii

I 1

Nov. 1858.

THE RA VEN.

181

times be seen together : failing this they sometimes betake
themselves to the hummocks of ice, <"0 doze in shelter from
the wind ; I have also found long burrows made by them
in the snow. They are large, and bring forth five or six
at a birth.

29///. — It generally blows a gale of wind here; the only
advantage in return for so much discomfort is that the snow is
the more quickly packed hard. As we have only three work-
ing men and an Esquimaux left on board for ship's duties,
I was assisted a few days ago by the Doctor, the Engineer,
and the Interpreter in building another observatory, intended
for special monthly magnetic observations. This edifice is
constructed of snow. Whenever we have a calm night, we
can hear the crushing sound of the drift-ice in Bellot Strait,
which continues open to within 500 yards of the Fox Islands,
and emits dark chilling clouds of hateful, abominable mist.

The last two days have been very fine and calm : the
men visited their fox and ermine traps, which are secreted
amongst the rocks in a most mysterious manner — one
ermine only has been taken. Seven or eight reindeer and
some ptarmigan were seen ; two of the latter and a hare were
shot. We have commenced brewing sugar beer.

2nd Nov. — Very dull times. No amount of ingenuity
could make a diary worth the paper it is written on. An
occasional raven flies past, a couple more ptarmigan have
been shot ; another N. W. gale is blowing, with temperature
down to — 1 2°.

Of all our feathered visitors, the raven alone scorns to
change either his colour or his clime. Sometimes in mid-
winter, when the frost is intense and no sound heard save
the crunching of snow under foot, you are startled by a loud,
deep, sonorous croak, and find yourself closely reconnoitred
by a raven ! The gloomy bird sails slowly past, and even the
clear starlight is sufficient to render visible to you an ice-

!!if

IPJi

f'PsIl

1 m

" 'nil

\ \\

■ 11

■ I

"nvt .imrm^mFmnm^rm

I ■■ • ain m im

— ^r*n w »n-. ^ w <p m^^^yi^^lj^

182

K£"y?F NARROW ESCAPE.

Chap. XI.

ring round his throat, his own breath frosted on his black
feathers.

We seldom were so wanton as to shoot a raven, but
when we did so, we generally found it to be minus some of
the joints of its toes, the results of frost-bites.

All over the arctic regions they have been found : the
same bird which still hovers over the sweltering plains of
Jericho, and lodges in the rocky hill-side which overhangs
the brook Cherith ; the same wonderful bird which the early
Vikingrf, we are told, took with them upon their voyages,
somewhat in the double capacity of mariner's compass and
chief pilot — their extraordinary powers of sight and smell
enabling them to discover land at incredible distances.

Were it not for the frost-bitten toes, one might fairly doubt
whether ravens are sensible of the rigours of this climate,
which they endure apparently without any adequate pro-
tection.

6/7/, Saturday night. — The N.W. gale blew without
intermission for seventy hours, the temperature being about
— 15°: we hoped that our absent shipmates might be
housed safely in snow huts. This afternoon all doubts
respecting them were dispelled by their arrival in good
health, but they evidently have suffered from cold and
exposure during their absence of nineteen days. For the
first six days they journeyed outward successfully ; on that
night they encamped upon the ice ; it was at spring tide, a
N.E. gale sprang up, and, blowing off shore, detached the
ice and drifted them off.

As soon as they discovered that the ice was drifting off
shore with them, they packed their sledges, harnessed the
dogs, and passed the long and fearful night in anxious
watching for some chance to escape. When the ice got a
little distance off shore, it broke up under the influence of
the wind and sea, until the piece they were upon was scarce

E. Chap. XI.
ted on his black

30t a raven, but
be minus some of
es.

been found : the
eltering plains of
which overhangs
rd which the early
on their voyages,
er's compass and
f sight and smell
e distances,
might fairly doubt
s of this climate,
ny adequate pro-
le blew without
iture being about
mates might be
noon all doubts
arrival in good
from cold and
days. For the
!ssfullyj on that
at springtide, a
e, detached the

was drifting off
>, harnessed the
ight in anxious
m the ice got a
he influence of
pon was scarce

Nov. 1858. THE ADVANCED DEPOTS.

^33

20 yards in diameter; impelled by the storm — they knew
not whither, for the night was dark, and snow fell thickly —
it drifted across the mouth of a wide inlet,' nearly to the
opposite shore. The gale was quickly followed by a calm, and
an intense frost which in a single night formed ice sufficiently
strong to bear them in safety to the land, although it bent
fearfully beneath their weight. They suffered much from the
exposure, but their escape was indeed providential.

The depots were eventually established in latitude 7ii° ;
beyond this Lieutenant Hobson did not attempt to advance,
not only because their remaining provisions would not have
warranted a longer absence, but because the open sea was
seen to beat against the next headland. They have lived in
tents only, and have not experienced the heavy gales so
frequent here, and which probably are mainly due to our
position in Bellot Strait, which performs the part of a funnel
for both winds and tides between the two seas.

That the western sea should still remain open argues a
vast space southward for the escape of the ice ; our western
parties arc thus prevented from carrying across their depot.
We must only be stirring earlier in the spring. I am truly
thankful for the safe return of our travellers — all this toil
and exposure of ten persons and ten dogs has only advanced
the depots 30 miles farther, i. e. from 50 to 80 miles distant
from the ship.

Hardly a particle of snow remains upon the harbour-ice,
the recent gales having swept it away ; and the porch of my
snow-hut has been fretted away to a mere cobweb by tlie
attrition of the snowdrift ; the Doctor and I rebuilt it to-
day. Three reindeer and a wolf have been seen,

* Named after the late Lord Wrottesley, in remembrance of the sup-
port given by him to the expedition, his advocacy of it in the House
of Lords, and of the facilities granted me by the Royal Society — of
which he was President — for the pursuit of scientific observations.

.■ !.

^-4l.|

.i :!;<

'i-

A"h

'if?r»-^-

184

THE ARCTIC WOLF.

Chap. XI.

I W

\r.. i!

Wolves are sparinglj distributed over all arctic lands
wherever reindeer exist, excepting only Greenland, Iceland,
and Spitzbergen, where, happily for the latter, they are
unknown ; this may be partly due to their want of courage
and instinct to venture out upon the ice and cross wide
straits, as even the tiny lemming does. Their fur becomes
white in winter and brown in summer.

For several months a wolf lived about our ships in Wel-
lington Channel ; as his appearance was duly entered in the
log-book, it was found that he made excursions from one to
the other, being one day near the ' Assistance,' and next
day fifty-two geographical miles off, at the ' North Star.'

They have been seen attempting to surprise seals upon
the ice ; but their chief dependance is upon the reindeer.
A pack of ten of them have been observed manoeuvring
about a herd until they succeeded in cutting off a straggler ;
their next stratagem was to surround it, and then, gradually
and without alarmi'ig it, close in until sufficiently near for a
simultaneous rush, when instantly it vms torn to pieces, and
in a few seconds scarcely a fragment of it remained.

I believe that wolfish propensities attain their perfection
under the pressing necessities of this climate. Our arctic
species is gaunt, meagre, and insatiable of course, a
cowardly, slouching, yet untiring beast, that one feels it a
virtue to hate ; and he is cunning to a degree that con-
founded all our devices for his capture. As to coming upon
him unawares, an officer^ has told me that one took up
his residence in a cleft in the rocks near the ship, and there
he would sleep for hours, out of bullet range, but near enough
for an observer with a telescope to discover, that on the
slightest noise on board he would erect his ears. No one
ever got within shot of that wolf !

^ Dr. Philpots, of the 'Queen,' of Peterhead.

Nov. i8s8. DEATH OF THE ENGINEER.

185

CHAPTER XII.

Death of our engineer — Scarcity of game — The cold unusually trying
— Jolly, under adverse circumstances — Petersen's information —
Return of the sun of 1859 — Early spring sledge parties — Unusual
severity of the winter- - Severe hardships of early sledging — The
western shores of Boothia — Meet the Esquimaux — Intelligence of
Franklin's ships — Return to the 'Fox' — Allen Young returns.

Nov. ith, Sunday evenifig. —Brief as is the interval since
my last entry, yet how pregnant with wr,r".ing, and to one
of our small company how fatal ! Yesterday Mr. Brand, our
engineer, was out shooting as usual, and in robust health ; in
the evening Hobson sat with him for a litde time. Mr.
Brand turned the conversation upon our position and
employments last year ; he called to remembrance poor
Robert Scott, then in sound health, and the fact of his
having carried our " Guy Fawkes " round the ship on the
preceding day twelvemonth, and added mournfully, " Poor
fellow ! no one knows whose turn it may be to go next."
He finished his evening pipe, and shut his cabin door shortly
after nine o'clock. This morning, at seven c /clock, his
servant found him lying upon the deck, a corpse, having
been several hours dead. Apoplexy appears to have been
the cause. He was a steady, serious man, under forty years
of age, and leaves a widow and three or four children ; what
their circumstances are, I am not aware.

10th. — This morning the remains of Mr. Brand, enclosed
in a neat coffin, were buried in a grave on shore. A suit-

:3 J

iili

,1 !

i'i!
I.

I ^ III I'l l ! >r li»

'■» ■■» ■ II ■ < -ri

;

1 86

DEPARTURE OF THE SUN.

Chap. XII.

able headboard and inscription will be placed over it. From
all that I have gathered, it appears that his mind had been
somewhat gloomy for the last few days, dwelling much upon
poor Scott's sudden death. Whether he really saw three
reindeer on Saturday, watched their movements, and fired
his Minie rifle at them when 700 yards distant, or whether it
was the creation of a disordered brain, none can tell. On
his first return on board he said he had seen deer tracks
only.

We are now without either engineer or engine-driver : we
have only two stokers, and they know nothing about the
machinery. Our numbers are reduced to twenty-four,
including our interpreter and two Greenland Esquimaux.

15///. — We have enjoyed ten days of moderate winds and
calms, but the temperature has fallen as low as —31°.
This causes frost-cracks in the ice across the harbour ; they
will freeze over, and others will form, and gape, and freeze
at intervals, so that by next spring we shall probably be
moved several feet off shore.

Mists have obscured the sun of late, and now it does not
rise at all. We are indifferent ; its departure has become to
us a matter of course. The usual winter covering of snow
has been spread upon deck rather more than a foot thick.
Its utility in preventing the escape of heat became at once
strikingly apparent. Nothing has been seen but a few
ptarmigan and one reindeer, which trotted off from the land
towards the ship. Our bullets missed him, and the dogs
unfortunately caught sight and chased him away. I do not
think any dogs could overtake a reindeer in this rough
country ; the rocks would speedily lame them, and the snow,
in many places, is quite deep enough to fatigue them greatly,
whereas it offers but slight impediment to the deer, furnished
as he is with long legs and spreading hoofs.

29///. — Animals have become very scarce. A few ptarmi-

';i' —

=_:i'

'N. Chap. XII,

Dec. 1858.

SCARCITY OF GAME.

187

ingine-driver : we

gan and willow-grouse have been seen, and three shot. Two
days ago I saw two reindeer. Tlie eastern sea is frozen
over, and our old acquaintance the iceberg in Prince
Regent's Inlet is still visible on a clear day. We brew
sugar-beer; and we set nets for seals, but catch none,
although the nets have been made and set in favourable
positions under the ice by the Greenlanders ; hence we
suppose the seals also have migrated elsewhere ; if so, the
Esquimaux could not winter here. We have no regular
school this winter, but five of the men study navigation
every evening under the guidance of Young. Hobson and
I are doing all we can to make the ship dry, warm, and
comfortable : our large snow porches over the hatchways
are a great improvement.

5M Dec. — Cold, windy weather, with chilling mists from
the open water in Bellot Strait. We can seldom leave the
shelter of the ship for a walk on shore, and, when we do,
rarely see even a ptarmigan. Although these birds are
summer visitors only, yet some few remain throughout the
winter. They make holes in the snow and even burrow
under it to gain shelter from the icy blast.

In the month of January two ptarmigan were shot at
Melville Island, and were both in excellent condition ; the
largest weighed two pounds and a half, its crop contained
two ounces and a half of slender willow-shoots, many of
them as thick as a crow-quill and three-fourths of an inch in
length. This fine bird, when prepared for cooking, weighed
a pound and a quarter.

12th. — Very cold weather; thermometer down to —41°,
and the breeze comes to us loaded with mist from the open
water, causing the air to feel colder than it otherwise would.
Bellot Strait has become a nuisance, not only from this
cause, but from the strong winds — purely local — which
seldom cease to blow through it.

}^Jf

i88

SEVERE WEATHER.

Chap. XII.

It r

I '.

,v. ^

The seal nets have produced nothing ; and as there are
no seals, we no longer wonder at not seeing bears. Three
foxes have been trapped and a hare seen. Our canine force
numbers twenty-four serviceable dogs and six puppies ; but
these, I fear, will not be strong enough for sledging by
March.

The monotony of our lives is vastly increased by want of
occupation, and confinement by severe gales to the ship, for
five days out of every seven. Those who have spent an
arctic winter in a government expedition will please to
remember, when tiny read this admission, how differently
we are circumstanced ; only twenty-four souls, including
Petersen the Dc,ne, and the two Esquimaux, confined in one
small vessel. We are, of course, unable to get up bals
masques, or theatres, newspaper, skittle-alley, or ice billiard-
table as was ingeniously devised on board the ' Enterprise ; *
and this being our second winter, we know all each other's
stories by rote, irfp^<- ve take a malicious pleasure in cor-
recting each other ^ben telling them. Captain CoUinson's
skittle-alley and billiard-room were splendid edifices — snow
walls and ice windows — genuine crystal palaces.

But if our dulness and monotony is intense, it will also be
brief, for we shall recommence sledging as soon as there is
sufficient light (early in February), which will be about two
months sooner than has been usual hitherto.

The general health is good, but there is a natural craving
for fresh meat and fresh vegetables — in great measure, per-
haps, because they cannot be obtained ; but a well-filled
letter bag would be more welcome than anything I know of

26th, — Upon four days only during the last fourteen has
the weather permitted us to take walks on shore. I allude
to the wind as the obstacle to our exercise ; for low tem-
perature, wlien the air is still, is no bar to any reasonable
amount of it. Three or four coveys of ptarmigan have been

Ji.

Chap. XII.

Jan. 1859.

CHRISTMAS CHEER.

189

; and as there are
eing bears. Three
. Our canine force
id six puppies ; but
jh for sledging by

icreased by want of
ales to the ship, for
/ho have spent an
ion will please to
Dn, how differently
ir souls, including
ux, confined in one
)le to get up bah
ley, or ice billiard-
i the * Enterprise ; '
owall each other's
us pleasure in cor-
:;aptain CoUinson's
iid edifices — snow
ilaces.

nse, it will also be
soon as there is
ill be about two

•

a natural craving
eat measure, per-
but a well-filled
thing I know of.
ast fourteen has
shore. I allude
se ; for low tem-
3 any reasonable
migan have been

seen, and of these I shot one brace. The cold increases :
thermometer has fallen to —47^°, although blowing a
moderate gale at the time, and the atmosphere dense with
mist.

Our Christmas has been spent with a degree of loyalty to
the good old English custom at once spirited and refreshing.
All the good things which could possibly be collected to-
gether appeared upon the snow-white deal tables of the men,
as the officers and myself (by invitation) walked round the
lower deck. Venison, beer, and a fresh stock of clay pipes,
appeared to be the most prized luxuries ; but the variety
and abundance of the eatables, tastefully laid out, was such
as might well support the delusion which all seemed desirous
of imposing upon themselves — that they were in a land of
plenty — in fact, all hut at home ! We contributed a large
cheese and some preserves, and candles superseded the
ordinary smoky lamps. With so many comforts, and the
existence of so much genuine good feeling, their evening was
a joyous one, enlivened also by songs and music.

Whilst all was order and merriment within the ship, the
scene without was widely different. A fierce north-wester
howled loudly through the rigging, the snowdrift rustled
swiftly past, no star appeared through the oppressive gloom,
and the thermometer varied between 76° and 80° hclow the
freezing point. At one time it was impossible to visit
the magnetic observatory, although only 210 yards distant,
and with a rope stretched along, breast high, upon poles
the whole way. The officers discharged this duty for the
(quartermasters of the watches during the day and night.

\st Jan. 1859. — This being Saturday night as well as
Neio J car's Day, " Sweethearts and Wives " were remem-
bered with even more than the ordinary feeling. New
year's eve was celebrated with all the joyfulness which
ardent hoi)e can inspire : and we hai'c reasonable ground

\ 'm

I go

A7;/K YEAR'S DAY.

Chap. XII.

i '

J. )

for sfroni:[ /iof>(\ At niidniujht the expiration of the old year
and commencement of the new one was announced to me
by ///<• A/z/r/— tlutes, accordion, and gong — striking uj) at my
door. Some songs were sung, and the performance con-
cludcil with "God save the (^)ueen :" the few who could find
spa("e in our mess-room sang the chorus ; but this by no
means satisfied all the others wlio were without and unable
to show themselves to the olficers, so they echoed the
chorus, and the etfect was very gratifying to our feelings,
if not to our ears. Our new year's day has been com-
memorated with all the substantials of Christinas fare, but
without so much display — less tailoring in pastry, not (]uitc
so much clipi)ing of dough into roses., and anchors, and
nondescript animals, &c. &c. One of the pleasing little
incidents which attracted my attention on Christmas Day
was the unusual display of daguerreotyjjcs, portraits of wives
or mothers, children or sisters, and a few of sweethearts :
almost all the crew are married.

The past week has been cold and stormy ; it now blows
strong, and the temperature is — 44".

On the 29th a few ficsh tracks of animals and a ptar-
migan were seen; yesterday I saw three ptarmigan. Decem-
ber proved to be an unusually cold month, its mean tempera-
ture being —33°; and it was rendered more than ordinarily
dark and gloomy by continual mists from liellot Strait.
This open water adds seriously to the drawbacks of a spot
already sufficiently cheerless, gamelcss, and " wintl-loved."

9///. — Another week of uniform temperature, —40°, and
confinement to the ship by strong winds ; the atmos|)here is
loaded with enveloi)ing mists which impart a raw and sur-
prisingly keen edge to the chilling blasts, blasts that no
human nose can endure without blanching, be its propor-
tions what they may. It is wonderful how the dogs stand
it, and without ap[)arent inconvenience, unless their fur

;--r^~~:if

Chap. XII.

Jan. 1859. EFFECT OF INTENSE COLD.

191

)n of the old year
announced to nic
-striking up at my
performance con-
ew who could find
s; but this by no
'ilhout and unable
they echoed the
ng to our feelings,
ay has been com-
Ilhristmas fare, but
n pastry, not ([uitc
and anchors, and
the pleasing little
on Christmas Day
i, portraits of wives
^w of sweethearts :

imy ; it now blows

imals and a ptar-
irniigan. Decem-
its mean tempera-
ore than ordinarily
om liellot Strait,
iwbacks of a spot
1 " wind-loved."
ature, —40°, and
the atmosphere is
irt a raw and sur-
ts, blasts that no
ng, be its propor-
)w the dogs stand
unless their fur

happen to be thin. They lie upon the snow under the lee
of the ship, with no other protection from the weather.

It surprises a man when he finds, for the first time, that his
tobacco pipe won't draw in conseriuence of the essential oil
in the stem becoming frozen ! and it still more astonishes
him when, instead of smoke issuing from the funnels, he sees
pendant icicles a foot or more in length attached to them !
It is easily explained : all night long, whilst the fire is out,
warm air charged with moisture escapes by the funnel, and
the upper part of this copj)er tube, being as cold as the
external air, is quickly lined with the frozen moisture of
the escaping air.

Kvcn the smoke during the day only partially thaws this
frost, coating over the remainder with soot ; thus layers of
ice and of soot accumulate alternately,
until the passage is so contracted that
the smoke can no longer ascend. Then,
instead of the chimney-sweeper, the
blacksmith is sent for, the funnel taken
down and its contents removed. Unless
the cold is intense for some days together,
the fire a very small one, and the funnel
rather long, this does not occur. We are
rarely troubled in this way, although our
daily expenditure of coals this winter, for all purposes, is
only 88 lbs., and this supplies the galley fire and three
warming stoves. I have seen the frozen contents of a stove
pi[)e, made up of numerous concentric laminae of ice and
soot alternately, having so completely filled up the funnel as
to leave only a hole of an inch in diameter through the
centre of it.

To-day, the winds being light and temperature ?// to —30",
we enjoyed walks on shore, although the mist continued so
ilcnse as to limit our view to a couple of hundred yards.

t^;^!

! "{'

,:'\i.

\ M.

\ I -'

192

PE TERSEN'S INFORM A TION. Chap. XI I,

I learn from Petersen that the natives of Smith's Sound
are well acquainted with the continuation of its shores con-
siderably beyond the farthest point reached by Kane's ex-
ploring parties, but unfortunately no one thought of getting
them to delineate their local k. owledge upon paper. They
spoke much of a large island near the west coast 'died
"Umingmak" (musk ox) Island, where there was much
open water, abounding with walrus, and where some of their
people formerly lived. ^

Esquimaux exist upon the east coast of Greenland as far
north as lat. 75^^ ; how much farther north is not known.
They are separated from the South Greenlanders by hundreds
of miles of iceboand coasts and impassable glaciers.

Centuries ago a milder climate may and probably did
exist, and a corresponding modification of glacier and a sea
less ice-encumbered might have rendered the migration of
these poor people from the south to their present isolated
abodes practicable ; but to me it appears much more easy
to suppose that they migrated eastward from the northern
outlet of Smith's Sound.

The very little that we know of the east coast of Green-
land, stretching northward from Cape Farewell in lat. 60° to
76° and probably much farther, is derived from Scoresby's
'Journal of a Voyage to the Northern Whale Fisheiy,' in
1822 ; from the voyage of H.M.S. * Griper,"^ in 1823, when
Captain Clavering, R.N., was accompanied by Captain
Sabine, R.A., now General Sabine, the distinguished Pre-
sident of the Royal Society ; and from the boat voyages of
Captain Graah, of the Royal Danish Navy, in 1828-30.

To commence with the most northern voyage : Clavering's
ship was unable to penetrate flirther north than 75° 12';

* Petersen conversed with two men who had themselves been up to
Umingmak Island.
- .See new ' lalinburgh Philosophical Journal,' July, 1830.

IV. Chap. XII.

>f Smith's Sound
)f its shores con-
d by Kane's ex-
lought of getting
on paper. They
vest coast 'died
there was much
ere some of their

■ Greenland as far
th is not known,
tiders by hundreds
i glaciers.

and probably did
f glacier and a sea
1 the migration of
rir present isolated
5 much more easy
from the northern

t coast of Green-
well in lat. 60° to
ed from Scoresby's
Whale Fishery,' in
ler,"* in 1823, when
)anied bv Captain
distinguished Pre-
he boat voyages of
y, in 1828-30.
voyage : Clavering's
orth than 75° 12';

themselves been up to
' July, 1830.

Jan. 1859.

EAST GREENLAND.

1,1
193

three weeks were devoted to magnetic and other observa-
tions at the Pendulum Islands, in 74° 32' N., where from an
elevation of 1800 feet he noticed on one occasion clear
water close along the mainland as far as could be seen,
although loose ice intervened ; the ice he describes as 20
or 30 feet thick, heavier than Davis' Strait ice, but not so
massive as that to the westward of Melville Island. In
writing to a friend, he says, "There is nothing in this voyage
that proves we could not have gone farther north; and I
think that so long as there is a continuance of land, per-
severance will get along it, but the main must be kept on
board." He met with a party of twelve Esquimaux in Gale
Hamke's Bay, lat. 74° 3' N. ; they wore sealskin dresses,
possessed dogs, a kayak, and harpoon staves made of walrus
tusk, tipped with iron which had not been smelted, appear-
ing to be meteoric iron ; they were living in a tent of skins
supported on bones of whales and pieces of wood. Several
graves, and other indications of their permanent residence,
were met with. Foxes, hares, a bear, ptarmigan, and a few
anders of reindeer, were seen. No driftwood was found, and
lio southerly current detected.

Scoresby visited this coast between the latitudes of 70°
and 72^°; he found numerous graves, ruined winter huts, and
other Esquimaux traces, but did not meet with people ; he
also obtained proofs of the existence of deer, hares, foxes,
bears, walruses, seals, narwhals, and whales; shot a few
ptarmigan, and captured the only lemming seen. Deep
fiords penetrate far into the land, Scoresby's Sound extend-
ing westward for 90 miles, and appearing to continue still
farther in that direction; in these fiords there was not a
particle of ice, the heat on shore was unexpectedly great,
and once (25th July) was most oppressive; vegetation was.
proportionably abundant.

It thus appears that there are natives and the ordinary

!'■

,1 '

, .oJ^ piwW

•MM

' tm

III

\y\

194 FLUCTUATION OF TEMPERATURE. Chap. XII.

arctic animals as far towards the south as lat. 70° ; but from
hence to the northern extreme reached by Graah there is a
distance of 550 miles, of which we are totally ignorant.

From Cape Farewell, Graah proceeded as far north as
Aluik, in 64i° N., where his farther progress was barred by
ice ; a few natives were there, but none of them lived farther
north, and their traditional knowledge of the coast only
extended six or eight journeys farther — probably 100 miles
— to an impassable glacier of unknown extent ; they knew
nothing of the more northern Esquimaux, resembling in this
respect the West Greenlanders, who did not know of the
arctic highlanders to the north of Melville Bay previous to
the late Sir John Ross's discovery of them in 1818 ; neither
did they know of any land animal except the fox. It there-
fore does seem that some extraordinary barrier such as a
TOO miles or more of glacier exists between the discoveries
of Scoresby and of Graah, such as on the west coast so
effectually isolates the Cape York Esquimaux from their
countrymen 250 miles to the southward of them.

2ist. — More pleasant weather since my last entry; and
although last night the temperature Tsll to —47° yet it has
generally been mild; once it rose to —14°, but amply made
amends by falling to —38° within twelve hours. We have
enjoyed much of the moon's presence for the last ten days,
but now she is waning and hastening away to the south.
Daylight increases in strength and duration, consequently
we walk more, and see more, and the winter's gloom gives
place to activity and cheerfulness. Several ptarmigan, three
or four hares, a snowy owl, and a bear-track, have at various
times been seen. Young has shot four ptarmigan, and I
hj.ve shot a couple more and a hare, and the men have
trapped two foxes.

On board the ship the preparations for travelling take
precedence of all other occupations. These preparations

ii«"

Chap. XII.

Jan. 1859. PREPARATIONS FOR TRAVELLING. 195

?o° ; but from
aah there is a
gnorant.
far north as
vas barred by
a lived farther
le coast only
bly 100 miles
t; they knew
mbling in this
know of the
ly previous to
1818 ; neither
ox. It there-
ier such as a
he discoveries
west coast so
IX from their
n.

entry; and
7° yet it has
amply made
We have
a St ten days,
o the south,
consequently
gloom gives
rmigan, three
ve at various
nigan, and I
le men have

welling take
preparations

may be summed up thus : — First, our personal apparel :
making face-covers, light over-all dresses or snow-repellers,
to keep out the penetrating drift-snow ; altering and fitting

Travelling Costume.

mocassins and canvas boots, re-sewing everything, and test-
ing the warmth and comfort of the suit by preparatory
walks. Secondly, preparing the sledges, re-lashing them,
and burnishing the steel shoeing of the runners; adapt-
ing and strengthening our small calico tents (mine, which
serves for six persons, weighs only i8i lbs., the poles in-
cluded) ; making blanket sleeping-bags, and tent robes. And
lastly, making bags of the lightest material to hold the pro-
visions, cans for spirit-fuel and for rum, and packages of all
sorts ; also altering and testing our cooking utensils. In

o 2

^■^53**'

J. :u im

196

RETURN OF THE SUN.

Chap. XII.

I If I

y 3r

il !

short, doing all things necessary to enable us to turn out
upon the ice, to encamp upon it, and to march over it for
months, from February until June or July, under a tempera-
ture which may be expected to range through 100° — from
50° below zero to 50° above it. How to accomplish this is
a most deeply interesting problem, and one that taxes our
utmost ingenuity.

26//;. — Part of the sun's disc loomed above the horizon
to-day, somewhat swollen and disfigured by the misty atmo-
sphere, but looking benevolent withal. I happened to be
diligently traversing the rocky hill-sides in the hope of find-
ing some solitary hare dozing in fancied security, when the
sun thus appeared in view, and I halted to feast my eyes
upon the glorious sight, and to scan the features of our
returning friend after an absence of seventy-three days.
Hope and promise mingled in his bright beams. Again I
moved upward., and with more elastic step; for now the
sun of 1859 was shining upon all nature around me. On
looking over the records of previous voyages I find that the
average amount of refraction upon the horizon is about 45
minutes of arc, the temperature being —35°. Last year,
when the sun reappeared on 28th January, there was 59
minutes of refraction, and the temperature at the time
was -38°.

2nd February. — A lovely, calm, bright day, and beauti-
fully clear, except over the water-space in Bellot Strait,
where rests a densely black mist, very strongly resembimg
the West Indian rain-squall as it looms upon the distant
horizon. The increasing sunlight is cheering, but void of
heat, and the mercury is often frozen. A few more ptar-
migan have been shot.

Our remaining serviceable dogs, twenty-two in number,
have been divided with great care into three teams of seven
each; the odd dog is added to my team, as my journey

^— M

Chap. XII.

Feb. 1859.

A CASE OF SCURVY.

197

!p; for now the

is expected to be the longest. The different sledge-parlies
will now feed up their dogs without limit, so that the utmost
degree of work may be got out of them hereafter.

January has been slightly colder than December, mean
temperature being — 33^°, but there has been rather less
wind.

%th. — All will be ready for the departure of Young and
myself upon our respective journeys on the morning of the
14th.

Mr. Petersen and Alexander Thompson accompany me,
with two dog-sledges, and fifteen dogs, dragging twenty-four
days' provisions. My object is to communicate with the
Boothians in the vicinity of the magnetic pole. Young takes
his party of four men and his dog-sledge; he will carry
forward provisions for his spring exploration of the shores of
Prince of Wales' Land, between the extreme points reached
by Lieutenant Osborn, and Lieutenant Browne, in 185 1.

On the 3rd I walked for seven hours and a half, and saw
twc reindeer, but could not approach within shot. Young
examined the water-space in the strait, and finds it washes
both shores, but extends east and west only about one mile.
The Doctor has seen a seal and a dovekie sporting in it.

For the last four days strong winds and intense cold have
prevented us from rambling over the hills, besides which the
minor preparations for travelling ' have given us more occu-
pation on board.

James Pitcher has got a slight touch of scurvy ; his gums
are inflamed ; and now it comes out that he dislikes pre-
served meats, and has not eaten any since he has been in
the ship. He has lived upon salt meat and preserved
vegetables, except for the very short periods in summer
when birds could be obtained. He is rather a "used up"
old fellow, too much so for our severe sledge-work, therefore
is one of the few who will remain to take care of the ship.

'} »

11':^

«^w^0«.*>iic<«^kW*^j^ii^««r*k'. 1

,.:!.:-

■* ■!■

f ;

198

SCALE OF VICTUALLING. Chap. XII.

''\\'M:

That he should have retained his health for nineteen months,
under the circumstances, speaks well for the wholesomeness
and quality of our provisions, and the ventilation and clean-
liness of the ship.

It may be interesting here to notice our dietary scale ; it is
hardly necessary to observe that there has been very little to
vaiy it during all that time.

Briefly, it is a daily allowance of three-quarters of a pound
of biscuit, or bread baked on board, on alternate days ; three-
(juarters of a pound of salt beef, half a pound of preserved
vegetables, half a pound of flour, and suet for a pudding ; to
be followed next day by three-quarters of a pound of salt
pork, and pea soup ; and on the third day by three-quarters
of a pound of preserved meat, with a quarter of a pound of
preser\ed potatoes.

Cranberries or preserved apples, and sugar, for a tart
twice a week ; and daily, an ounce of pickles, an ounce of
lemon-juice, an eighth part of a pint of rum, also tea and
chocolate.

We have not much time or space to devote to the growth
of mustard and cress on board, so do but little in that way.
In a former expedition we used to produce about thirty
pounds of this agreeable antiscorbutic from six pounds of
the seed in fourteen days, if kept at a temperature between
60° and 70°, and watered with lukewarm water frequently ;
in this way it was grown throughout the winter in wooden
trays two feet long and one foot wide, and having two inches
depth of earth in them. In summer the trays were placed in
the most favourable situations on shore and covered with
glass, when tolerable crops were also procured.

10///. — Extremely cold, with dense mists from the open
water. Yesterday eight ptarmigan and a sooty fox were
seen. We have consumed the last of our venison ; it
supplied us for three days. We are drinking out a cask of

"^flft*,, ,

Chap. XII.

Feb. 1859.

SUGAR BEER.

199

sugar beer, which is a very mild but agreeable beverage ; we
make it on board ; our cliief difficulty in manufacturing it
is to prevent its temperature falling below 60°, when the
process of fermentation would be checked; the cask is
therefore kept close to the galley-fire, and at night, whilst
the fire is out, it is covered with a pile of blankets. As this
beer is a valuable antiscorbutic, is easily made, and much
appreciated, I give its receipt.' I also give one for a still
better beer ; 700 gallons of it were made in H.M.S. ' Assist-
ance,' one of the ships of the last expedition, during a
single winter.^

Sunday night, i^th. — To-morrow morning, if fine. Young
and I set off upon our travels. He has advanced a portion
of his sledge-load to the west side of the water in Bellot
Strait, having been obliged to carry it overland for about a
mile in order to get there. I have explored the route to the
long lake, and find we can reach it without crossing

' Receipt for Sugar Beer. — Boil 4 lbs. cf hops in 30 gallons of water
until they sink to the bottom ; strain the liouor on to 45 lbs. of moist
sugar, add 2 lbs. of mixed arrowroot, and strain off into a 30-gallon cask,
and leave the bung out. When its temperature has fallen to 80°, add
the yeast. It will ferment for 14 days, but its temperature must not be
allowed to fall below 60°, and the froth thrown off must be received in
a tub, and the cask frequently filled up with it. After the 14th day,
add 2 lbs. of burnt sugar to colour it ; two days after this bung it up,
and if not disturbed, it will be fit for use in a fortnight, but would be
improved by keeping a couple of months.

' Receipt for Beer from Essence of Malt. — 120 lbs. of essence of malt,
4 lbs. of hops, 54 gallons of water, boiled together for two hours, and then
strained into a 54-gallon cask, and kept near a fire, and at a temperature
of about 70°. When its temperature has fallen to 90°, add \ lb. of yeasl
in a state of fermentation, made by mixing dried yeast and sugar in hot
water. Vigorous fermentation soon follows, and continues for 7 or 8
days. The froth thrown off to be received in a tub, and the cask con-
stantly filled up with it. When fermentation ceases, the cask to l^e
bunged up, removed, and a fortnight allowed to settle. This beer was
then good, but would have improved by keeping. Three such casks
were in constant use, one to issue from, one to settle, and one in a state
of fermentation.

.' t.

'■:■:]

!r ,1*:

i ';,^

200 UNUSUALLY SEVERE WEATHER. Chap. XII.

, J

■•: I

elevated or uncovered land. I saw two reindeer, and
Young saw about twenty ptarmigan.

The mean temperature of February up to this date is
— 33*2'^, being an exact continuation of January. I confess
to feeling some anxiety upon this point, as hitherto the
winter has been unusually severe, and the journeys to be
performed will occupy more than twenty days. Besides, we
shall be earlier in motion than any of the previous travellers,
unless we are to make an exception in favour of Mr.
Kennedy's trip of thirty miles from Batty Bay to Fury
Beach, between the 5th and loth January, during which time
the lowest temperature registered was only —25°. Should
either Young or myself remain absent beyond the period
for which we carry provisions, Hobson is to send a party in
search of us. A sooty fox has been captured lately.

15//^ February. — A strong N.W. wind, with a temperature
of — 40°, confines us on board. One cannot face these
winds, therefore it is fortunate that we did not start, the ship

being much more comfortable than a snow-hut.

* * * * * *

20/// March. — Already I have been a week on board, and
so difficult is it to settle down to anything like sedentary
occupation, after a period of continued vigorous action, that
even now I can scarcely sit still to scribble a brief outUne of
my trip to Cape Victoria.

On the morning of the 17th February the weather mode-
rated sufficiently for us to set out ; the temperature through-
out the day varied between —31° and —42^°. Leaving
Young's party to pass on through the strait, I proceeded by
way of Macgregor Laird Lake, which I found to be \oh geo-
graphical miles in length, with an average width of half a mile.

We built our snow-hut upon the west coast, near Pemmican
Rock, after a march of 19 or 20 geographical miles. We
always speak of geographical miles with reference to our
marches ; six geographical are equal to seven English miles.

?/?. Chap. XII.

3 reindeer, and

42^°. Leaving

Mar. 1859. JOURNEY TO CAPE VICTORIA.

201

On the following day the old N.W. wind sprang up with
renewed vigour, and the thermometer fell to —48^; the
cold was therefore intense.

On the third day most of our dogs went lame, in con-
sequence of sore feet ; the intense cold seems to be the
principal, if not the only cause, having hardened the surface
snow beyond what their feet can endure ; it moreover so
hardened the particles of snow that they resembled grains of
sand, consequently the friction of the sledge-runners, and
labour of the draft, were greatly increased. I was obliged to
throw off a part of the provisions, still we could not make
more than 15 or 18 miles daily. We, of course, walked, so
that the dogs had only the remaining provisions and clot] Jng
to drag, yet several of them repeatedly fell down in fits.

For several days this severe weather continued, the
mercury of my artificial horizon remaining frozen (its
freezing-point is --39^); and our rum, at first thick like
treacle, required thawing latterly, when the more fluid and
stronger part had been used. We travelled each day until
dusk, and then were occupied for a couple of hours in
building our snow-hut. The four walls were run up until
5^ feet high, inclining inwards as much as possible; over
these our tent was laid to form a roof; we could not afford
the time necessary to construct a dome of snow.

Our equipment consisted of a very small brown-hoUand
tent, macintosh floor-cloth, and felt robes ; besides this,
each man had a bag of double blanketing, and a pair of fur
boots, to sleep in. We wore mocassins over the pieces of
blanket in which our feet were wrapped up, and, with the
exception of a change of this foot-gear, carried no spare
clothes. The daily routine was as follows : — I led the way ;
Petersen and Thompson followed, conducting their sledges ;
and in this manner we trudged on for eight or ten hours
without halting, except when necessary to disentangle the
dog-harness. When we halted for the night, Thompson and

\ '

■\

•V 1

iatm

i I! ^ !

m "I

iii'

i.il

202

ri?y^ VELLING RO UTINE. Chap. X 1 1 .

I usually sawed out the blocks of compact snow and carried
them to Petersen, who acted as the master-mason in building
the snow hut : the hour and a half or two hours usually
employed in erecting the edifice was the most disagreeable
part of the day's labour, for, in addition to being already
well tired and hungry, we became thoroughly chilled whilst
standing about. When the hut was finished, the dogs were
fed, and here the great difficulty was to insure the weaker
ones their full share in the scramble for supper ; then com-
menced the operation of unpacking the sledge, and carrying
into our hut everything necessary for ourselves, such as
provision and sleeping gear, as well as all boots, fur mittens,
and even the sledge dog-harness, to prevent the dogs from
eating them during our sleeping hours. The door was now
blocked up with snow, the cooking-lamp lighted, foot-gear
changed, diary written up, watches wound, sleeping bags
wriggled into, pipes lighted, and the merits of the various
dogs discussed, until supper was ready; the supper swallowed,
the up- )er robe or coverlet was pulled over, and then to sleep.

Next morning came breakfast, a struggle to get into
frozen mocassins, after which the sledges were packed, and
another day's march commenced.

In these little huts we usually slept warm enough, although
latterly, when our blankets and clothes became loaded with
ice, we felt the cold severely. When our low doorway was
carefully blocked up with snow, and the cooking-lamp alight,
the temperature quickly rose, so that the walls became
glazed, and our bedding thawed ; but the cooking over, or
the doorway partially opened, it as quickly fell again, so that
it was im[)ossible to sleep, or even to hold one's pannikin of
tea, without i)utting our mitts on, so intense was the cold !
The most enjoyable time in the twenty-four hours was
shortly after the commencement of each day's march, when
brisk exercise seldom failed to warm us up, and when
fatigue and hunger had not yet made themselves felt.

Chap. XII.

Mar. 1859. WESTERN SHORES OF BOOTHIA. 203

up, and when

On the 2 1 St I visited our main depot laid out last
October ; it was safe, but unfortunately had been placed far
into Wrottesley Inlet, and only 40 miles south of Bellot Strait.

On the 22nd an easterly gale prevented our marching,
but we had the good fortune to shoot a bear, so consoled
ourselves with fresh steaks, and the dogs with an ample feed
of unfrozen flesh — a treat they had not enjoyed for many
months.

We coasted along a granitic land, deeply indented and
fringed with islands, and found it to be the general charac-
teristic of the Boothian shore from Bellot Strait, until we
had accomplished half the distance to the Magnetic Pole ;
limestone then appeared, and the remainder of our journey
was performed along a low, straight shore, which afforded
us much greater facility for sledging.

Throughout the whole distance we found a mixture of
heavy old ice, and light ice of last autumn, in many places
squeezed up into pack ; but as we advanced southward, the
old floes were less frequently seen.

On the I St of March we halted to encamp at the supposed
position of the Magnetic Pole — for no cairn remains to
mark the spot. I had almost concluded that my journey
would prove to be only labour in vain, because hitherto no
traces of Esquimaux had been met with, and, in consequence
of the reduced state of our provisions, and the wretched
condition of the poor dogs — six out of the fifteen being
quite useless — I could only advance one more march.

But we had done nothing more than look ahead ; when
we halted, and turned round, great indeed was my surprise
and joy to see four men walking after us ! Petersen and I
immediately buckled on our revolvers, and advanced to
meet them. The natives halted, made (list their dogs, laid
down their spears, and received us witliout any evidence of
surprise. They told us they had been out upon a seal hunt
on the ice, and were returning home : we proposed to join

i'ip

I .'■ ■•

.yry«"

.(f^'**

:;!'

II i'l !

204 INFORMATION FROM ESQUIMAUX. Chap. XII.

them, and all were soon in motion again ; but another hour
brought sunset, and we learned that their village of eight
snow huts was still a long way off, so we hired them, at the
rate of a needle for each Esquimaux, to build us a hut,
which they completed in an hour ; it was 8 feet in diameter,
5i feet high, and in it we all passed the night. Perhaps
the records of architecture do not furnish another instance
of a dwelling-house so cheaply constructed!

We gave them to understand that we were anxious to
barter with them, and very cautiously approached the real
object of our visit. A naval button upon one of their
dresses afforded the opportunity; it came, they said, from
some white people who were starved upon an island where
there are salmon (that is, in a river) ; and that the iron of
which their knives were made came from the same place.
One of these men said he had been to the island to obtain
wood and iron, but none of them had seen the white men.
Another man had been to " Ei-wil-lik " (Repulse Bay), and
counted on his fingers seven individuals of Dr. Rae's party
whom he remembered having seen.

These Esquimaux had nothing to eat, and no other
clothing than their ordinary double dresses of fur ; they
would not eat our biscuit or salt pork, but took a small
quantity of bear's blubber and some water. They slept in a
sitting posture, with their heads leaning forward on their
breasts. Next niorning we travelled about 10 miles farther,
by which time we were close to Cape Victoria ; beyond this
I would not go, much as they wished to lead us on ; we
therefore landed, and they built us a commodious snow hut
in half an hour ; this done, we displayed to them our
articles for barter — knives, files, needles, scissors, beads, &c.
— expressed our desire to trade with them, and promised to
purchase everything which belonged to the starved white
men, if they would come to us on the morrow. Notwith-
standing that the weather was now stormy and bitterly cold,

*-^t \

UX. Chap. XII.

Mar. 1859. NEWS OF FRANKLIN'S SHIPS.

205

ut another hour
village of eight
•ed them, at the
juild us a hut,
eet in diameter,
light. Perhaps
nother instance

^ere anxious to
>ached the real
1 one of their
they said, from
an island where
;hat the iron of
he same place,
island to obtain

the white men.
pulse Bay), and

3r. Rae's party

and no other
;s of fur; they
took a small
hey slept in a

ward on their
miles farther,
; beyond this

ad us on ; we
ious snow hut
to them our

3rs, beads, &c.

d promised to
starved white

ow. Notwith-

1 bitterly cold,

two of the natives stripped off their outer coats of reindeer
skin, and bartered them for a knife each.

Despite the gale which howled outside, we spent a com-
fortable night in our roomy hut.

Next morning the entire village population arrived,
amounting to about forty-five souls, from aged people to
infants in arms, and bartering commenced very briskly.
First of all we purchased all the relics of the lost expedition,
consisting of six silver spoons and forks, a silver medal, the
property of Mr. A. M'Donald, assistant surgeon, part of a
gold chain, several buttons, and knives made of the iron
and wood of the wreck, also bows and arrows made out of
materials obtained from the same source. Having secured
these, we purchased a few frozen salmon, some seal's
blubber and venison, but could not prevail upon them to
part with more than one of their fine dogs. One of their
sledges was made of two stout pieces of wood, which might
have been a boat's keel.

All the old people recollected the visit of the ' Victory.' An
old man told me his name was " Ooblooria : " I recollected
that Sir James Ross had employed a man of that name as a
guide, and reminded him of it ; he was, in fact, the same
individual, and he enquired after Sir James by his Esquimaux
name of " Agglugga."

I enquired after the man who was furnished with a wooden
leg by the carpenter of the * Victory : ' no direct answer was
given, but his daughter was pointed out to me. Petersen
explained to me that they do not like alluding in any way to
the dead, and that, as my question was not answered, it was
certain the man was no longer amongst the living.

None of these people had seen the whites : one man said
he had seen their bones upon the island where they died,
but some were buried. Petersen also understood him to say
that the boat was crushed by the ice. Almost all of them
had part of the plunder ; they say they will be here when we

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I ii

206 RAE'S STATEMENT CONFIRMED. Chap. XII.

return, and will trade more with us ; also that we shall find
natives upon IViontreal Island at the time of our arriving there.

Next morning, 4th March, several natives came to us
again. I bought a spear 6^ feet long from a man who told
Petersen distinctly that a ship having three masts had been
crushed by the ice out in the sea to the west of King
William's Island, but that all the people landed safely ; he
was not one of those who were eye-witnesses of it ; the ship
sank, so nothing was obtained by the natives from her ; all
that they have got, he St id, came from the island in the
river. The spear staff appears to have been part of the
gunwale of a light boat. One old man, " Oo-na-lee," made
a rough sketch of the coast-line with his spear upon the
snow, and said it was eight journeys to where the ship sank,
pointing in the direction of Cape Felix. I can make nothing
out of his ruue chart.

The information we obtained bears out the principal
statements of Ur. Rae, and also accounts for the disap-
pearance of one of the ships ; but it gives no clue to the
whereabouts of the other, nor the direction whence the ships
came. One thing has been ascertained by my journey —
the crews did not at any time land upon the Boothian shore.

These Esquimaux were all well clothed in reindeer dresses,
and looked clean ; they appeared to have abundance ot
provisions, but scarcely a scrap of wood was seen with
them which had not come from the lost expedition. Their
sledges, with the exception of the one already spoken of,
were wretched little affairs, consisting of two frozen rolls of
sealskins coated with ice, and attached to each other by
l:ones, which served as the crossbars. 'I'he men were stout,
hearty fellows, and the women arrant thieves, but all were
good-humoured and friendly. The women were decidedly
plain ; in fact, this term would have been flattering to most
of them ; yet there was a degree of vivacity and gentleness
in the manners of some that soon reconciled us to these arctic

?. Chap. XII.

Mar. 1859.

ESQUIMAUX WOMEN.

207

t we shall find
arriving there.
s came to us
man who told
lasts had been

west of King
3ed safely ; he
of it ; the ship

from her ; all
I island in the
en part of the
o-na-lee," made
ipear upon the
3 the ship sank,
a make nothing

t the principal
for the disap-
no clue to the
lence the ships
my journey —
oothian shore,
eindeer dresses,
abundance ot
was seen with
edition. Their
ady spoken of,
frozen rolls of
each other by
nen were stout,
s, but all were
were decidedly
ttering to most
and gentleness
to these arctic

specimens of the fair sex. They had fine eyes and teeth, as
well as very small hands, and the young girls had a fresh rosy
hue not often seen in combination with olive complexions.

Esquimaux mothers carry their infants on their backs
within their large fur dresses, and where the babes can only
be got at by pulling them out over the shoulder. Whilst
intent upon my bargaining for silver spoons and forks
belonging to Franklin's expedition, at the rate of a few
needles or a knife for each relic, one pertinacious ''i dame
after having obtained all she was likely to get from me for
herself, pulled out her infant by the arm from its snug retreat
in her fur robe, and quietly held the poor little creature,
perfectly naked, before me in the breeze, the temperature at
the time being 60° below freezing point ! Petersen informed
me that she was begging for a needle for her child. I need
not say I gave her or " is expeditiously as possible ; yet before
the infant was again put out of sight sufficient time elapsed
to alarm me considerably for its safety in such a tempera-
ture. The natives, however, seemed to think nothing of
what looked to me like cruel exposure of a naked baby.

We now returned to the ship with all the speed we were
capable of; but stormy weather occasioned two days' delay,
so that we did not arrive on board until the 14th March.
Though considerably reduced in fiesh, I and my companions
were in excellent health, and blessed with insatiable ap-
petites. On washing our faces, which had become perfectly
black from the soot of our blubber lamp, sundry scars, relics of
frost-bites, appeared; and the tips of our fingers, from constant
frost-bites, had become as callous as if seared with hot iron.
In this journey of twenty-five days we travelled 360
geographical miles (420 English), and completed the dis-
covery of the coast-line of continental America, thereby
adding about 120 miles to our chaits. The mean tempera-
ture throughout the journey was 30° below zero of Fahren-
heit, or 62° below the freezing point of water.

2o8

RETURN TO THE ' FOX: Chap. XII.

:l!f

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On reaching the ship, I at once assembled my small crew,
and told them of the information we had obtained, pointing
out that there still remained one of the ships unaccounted
for, and therefore it was necessary to carry out all our pro-
jected lines of search.

During this journey I acquired the arctic accomplishment
of eating frozen bear's blubber, in delicate little slices on
biscuit, and vastly preferred it to frozen pork. At the
present moment I do not think I could even taste it, but
the same privation and sense of starvation from cold rather
than hunger, which induced me to eat it then, would doubt-
less enable me again to partake of it very kindly, if similarly
" cooked with frost."

I shot a couple of foxes which came playing about the
dogs; conscious of their superior speed, they were very
impudent, snapping at the dogs' tails, and passing almost
under their noses. I shot these foxes, intending to eat
them ; but the dogs anticipated me with respect to one ; the
other we feasted ofif at our mess-table j it proved insipid, but
decidedly better to our tastes than preserved meat.

Young and his party had returned on board on the 3rd of
March, having placed their depot upon the shore of Prince
of Wah s' Land, about 70 miles S.W. of the ship. Young
found the ice in Bellot Strait so rough as to be impassable,
and was obliged to adopt the lake route. Prince of Wales'
Land was found to be composed of limestone ; the shore
was low, and fringed for a distance of ten miles to seaward
with an ancient land -floe. The remaining width of the
strait between this land (North Somerset) and Prince of
Wales' Land was about 15 miles, and this space was com-
posed of ice formed since September last ; this was the
water we looked at so anxiously last autumn from Cape
Bird and Pemmican Rock. His party lived in their tent,
protected from the wind by snow walls, and, like ourselves,

X: Chap. XII.

ed my small crew,
obtained, pointing
ships unaccounted
•y out all our pro-

ic accomplishment
ite little slices on
;n pork. At the
even taste it, but
3n from cold rather
then, would doubt-
kindly, if similarly

playing about the
d, they were very
nd passing almost
intending to eat
espect to one ; the
proved insipid, but
ved meat.

)oard on the 3rd of
le shore of Prince
the ship. Young
to be impassable.
Prince of Wales'
lestone ; the shore
miles to seaward
ling width of the
;et) and Prince of
is space was com-
ast ; this was the
utumn from Cape
ived in their tent,
nd, like ourselves,

Mar. 1859. CAPTAIN YOUNG'S JOURNEY.

209

escaped with a few trivial frost-bites. So far all was very
satisfactory, the general health good, and the eagerness of
my crew to commence travelling quite charming.

Young proposed carrying out another depot to the north-
west, in order to explore well up Sir John Franklin Strait,
and would have started on the 17th, but the weather was
too severe. The day was spent in a fruitless search for three
casks of sugar — a serious and unaccountable deficiency —
but, as it was important to replace ihem with as little delay
as possible, Young set off on the i8th, although it blew a
N.W. gale at the time, with two men and eighteen dogs, for
Fury Beach ; failing to find the requisite quantity there, he
will go on to Port Leopold.

Uoothian Mother and Infant.

iii

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2IO DR. WALKER'S SLEDGE JOURNEY. Chap. XIII.

\PTER XIII.

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Dr. Walker's sledge jci..tney— ^ ^w-blindness attaeks Young's party
Departure of all sledge-parties — Equipment of sledge-parlies —
Meet the same party of natives — Intelligenee of the second ship —
My depot robbed — Part company from Hobson — Matty Island —
Desertc'-l suow-huls — Native sledges — Land on King William's
Land.

Doctor Walker's zeal for travelling was not to be re-
stra'ned ; I therefore gladly availed myself of his willingness
to go with a party to Cape Airey and bring back the depot
of provisions left there in August last. These trips will
delay our spring journeys for a few days.

During my absence from the ' Fox ' the weather was often
stormy, and temperature unusually low; the mean for the
month of February was —36°, showing it to be one of the
coldest on record. When possible the men were allowed to
go out shooting, and obtained fifty or sixty ptarmigan and a
hare ; a few foxes were taken in traps, and two reindeer
were seen.

Yesterday two bears came near the ship, but were
frightened away by the dogs. Hobson shot three ptarmigan.
To-day I rambled over the hills, the weather being fine, and
saw a hare.

29M. — Continued fine weather. A couple more foxes
and a lemming in its hroion (or summer) coat have been
captured, and a hare and four ptarmigan siiot. This fine
bright weather seems to have awakened the lemmings and
ermines ; their tracks, which were very rarely seen during

I '

S:X£V. Chap. XIII.

nd on Kin" William's

;ouple more foxes
r) coat have been
n siiot. This fine
the lemmings and
rarely seen during

Mar. 1859. WALKER'S AND YOUNG'S RETURN. 211

winter, are now tolerably numerous ; foxes appear in greater
numbers, probably following up the ptarmigan from the
south. The thermometer ranges between zero and —20°;
it has once been up to +13°. When exposed to a noon-
day sun against the ship's side, it rises 50' higher. The
earth-thermometer — placed 2 feet 2 inches beneath the sur-
face — which gradually fell until the loth of this month, has
now b'^gun to ascend ; its minimum was +2°) much snow
also lay over it, 6 feet deep at this season.

On the 25th Dr. Walker and his party returned, not
having been able to find the depot. They found a barrel of
flour upon the beach a few miles south of Brentford Bay ; it
a]opeared to have lain there for years, just inside a shingle
projection, which kept off the ice pressure, so that it had
not been forced up high upon the beach ; the ice which bore
it there — probably from Port Leopold — had disappeared,
and the cask was frozen into the shingle. The heading has
been brought on board, but the " scribing " upon it is very
indistinct, and unintelligible to us. The flour is of the
ordinary description used in the navy, and known as
"seconds ;" most of it was good, and a plain pudding made
of it for our mess could not be distinguished from fresh
flour. A specimen has been preserved with the view of
identifying it with the Fury Beach or Port Leopold stores of
flour ; these stores were landed, the former in 1825 and the
latter in 1848. With the exception of a solitary bear, the
party saw no living creature. The shore along which they
travelled was a very low shingly limestone.

Last evening I was delighted to see Young and his two
dog-sledges heave in sight ; he brought about 8 cwt. of sugar
from Fury Beach, but not without much difficulty, owing to
the roughness of the pack in Creswell Bay, and also to the
breaking down of one of his sledges ; to avoid this pack he
found it necessary to travel nearly all round Creswell Bay.

P 2

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212

^A'(9 W-BLINDNESS.

Chap. XII r.

Cape Garry he describes as a gradually curved extent of flat
land, and no^ the decided cape it appears to be upon the
chart ; two reindeer were seen near it, and during the
journey four bears ; no other animals were met with. His
labour has been very severe ; one sledge broke down and all
the sugar had to be piled upon the other : the consequence
was that the sledge was so heavily loaded that it would only
run freely after the dogs on smooth ice ; and directly any
hummocks were encountered, the dogs, with their usual
instinct, not to drag a sledge unless it does run freely, would
lie down, and oblige Captain Young and his two men to
unload and carry the packages, over the obstacle, upon their
own backs. After this, snow-blindness came on ; Young
and one of his men became blind as kittens ; and the third
man had to load, lead, and unload them, when these
portages occurred. Young's Esquimaux dog-driver, Samuel,
was quite blind when the party reached the ship. Two
dogs, not choosing to allow themselves to be caught and put
in harness, had been left behind at the last encampment.

This sugar formed part of the stores of H.M.S. ' Fury,'
and was landed in 1825, when that ship was driven on shore
and destroyed by the ice ; there still remains at Fury Beach
an immense stack of preserved vegetables and soups ; the
party supped off them and found them good. Young
brought me back two specimen tins of " carrots plain " and
" carrots and gravy." All small casks and packages were
covered with snow; of the large ones which appeared
through it, he saw thirty-four casks of flour, five of split
peas, five of tobacco, and four of sugar. Only a very few
tons of coals remained. There were two boats, a short four-
oared gig and a large cutter ; the former required nothing
but caulking to make her serviceable, but the latter had a
large portion of one bow and s'de cut out, as if for making,
or repairing, flat sledges. No record was found.

Chap. XI 1 1.

June, 1859. PREPARA TION OF SLEDGE-PARTIES. 213

We have now enough sugar to last us for seven or eight
months, but by the survey of provisions which has just been
completed, we find a deficiency of many other articles,
including three casks of salt beef. Fortunately this is of no
consequence, as we have abundance of both salted and
preserved meat, but it shows the alarming extent to which a
negligent steward may mislead one. This unfortunate man
has now got scurvy ; want of exercise and fresh air is the
apparent cause, combined with irregular living ; the spirits
have hitherto been in his charge.

The bustle of preparation for the extended searching
journeys has been exciting. Hobson's party and my own
are now all prepared, and Young having returned, we pur-
pose setting out on the 2nd April — God willing. Young's
new sledge will be ready, and he will also start a few days
after us. All our winter defences of snow — our porches,
our deck-layer, and our external embankment — have been
removed. Dr. Walker, of necessity, remains in charge of
the ship, with two stewards, a cook, a carpenter, and a
stoker. My party, as well as Hobson's, will be provisioned,
including the depots, for an absence of about eighty-four
days ', but not being able to afford auxiliary or supporting
sledge parties, much time will be occupied in transporting
our depots farther out, in order that we may start with as
much as we can possibly carry, from the Magnetic Pole,
besides leaving there a depot for our return.

The declinometer was taken on board two days ago ;

hourly observations have been made with it for more than

five months : we can no longer spare any one for this

interesting duty.

« 4 « » « «

2d^th June. — One thing is certain, the wild sort of tent-life
we lead in arctic exploration quite unfits one for such tame
work as writing up a journal; my present attempt will

,1 i I

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tf.

214

THI': START.

Chap. XIII.

illustrate the fact — yet with such ample materials what a
deeply interesting volume might be written ! Since I last
opened this flimiliar old diary — the repository alike of dry
facts and the most trivial incidents — winter has passed away,
summer is far advanced, and the glorious sun is again
returning southward. We, too, have endeavoured to move
on with the times and seasons.

As for myself — I have visited Montreal Island, completed
the exploration and circuit of King William's Island, passing
on foot through the only feasible North-West Passage ; but
all this is as nothing to the interest attached to the
Franklin Records picked up by Hobson, and now safe in
my possession ! The fate of the ' Erebus ' and * Terror,'
and of their truly gallant but ill-fated crews, is uo7c> known
to us. The sole object of our voyage has at length been
completed, and we anxiously await the time when escape
from these bleak regions will become practicable.

♦ ^ -A* -A- ^ ■#■

The morning of April 2nd was inauspicious, but as the
day advanced the weather improved, so that Hobson and I
were able to set out upon our journeys; we each had a
sledge drawn by four men, besides a dog-sledge, and dog-
driver. Mr. Petersen having volunteered his services to
drive my dogs — an offer too valuable to be declined —
managed my dog-sledge throughout. Our five starveling
puppies were harnessed, for the first time in their lives,
to a small sledge which I drove myself, intending to sell
them to the Esquimaux, if I could get them to drag their
own supply of provisions so far. The procession looked
imposing — it certainly was most deeply interesting ; there
were five sledges, twelve men, and seventeen dogs, the
latter of all sizes and shapes. The ship hoisted the
Royal Harwich Yacht flag, and our sledges displayed
their gay silk banners ; mine was a very beautiful one :

Chap. XIII.

le materials what a
itten ! Since I last
ository alike of dry
ter has passed away,
•rious sun is again
ideavoured to move

1 Island, completed
im's Island, passing
West Passage ; but
attached to the
)n, and now safe in
bus' and 'Terror,'
ws, is now known
las at length been
time when escape
:ticable.

Mcious, but as the | ! liHEiiM^^HLi!a-x:- -i^.iiMiMii§fe;Mili 1^! ' ' il (I
hat Hobson and I

i; we each had a H H^HNHBL-- m;-. '' Tx^'SISMI HI: J I

^-sledge, and dog-
jd his services to
to be declined —
'ur five starveling
ne in their lives,
intending to sell
lem to drag their
procession looked
interesting; there
enteen dogs, the
ship hoisted the
pledges displayed
y beautiful one :

Crt

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April, 1859. EQUIPMENT OF SLEDGE-PARTIES. 217

it bears the name of Lady Franklin in white letters upon a
red ground, and is margined with white embroidery.

The equipment of my sledge-party and the weights of the
several articles were as folio vvs : these of Hobson and Young
were almost precisely similar.

Two sledges and fittings complete

Tent, waterproof blanket, floorcloth, two sleeping-
robes, and six blanket sleeping-bags

Cooking-utensils, shovel, saw, snow-knife, and
sundry small articles

Sledge-gun and ammunition

Magnetic and astronomical instruments

Six knapsacks, containing spare clothing

Various tins and bags, in which provision and fuel
were stored

Articles for barter

Provisions

Total

lbs.
no

90
40

20
60
60

40
930

1400

The load for each man to drag was fixed at 200 lbs., and
for each dog 100 lbs. Our provisions consisted mainly of
pemmican, biscuit, and tea, with a small addition of boiled
pork, rum, and some tobacco.

The men being untrained to the work, and sledges heavily
laden, our march was fatiguing and slow. We encamped
the first night upon the long lake. On the second day we
reached the western sea, and upon the third, aided by our
sledge sails — that is to say, our tents hoisted as sails, the
tent poles serving as mast and yard — we advanced some
miles beyond Arcedeckne Island.

The various depots carried out with so much difficulty
and danger in the autumn were now gathered up as we
advanced, until at length we were so loaded as to be com-
pelled to proceed with one-half at a time, going three times
over the same ground. P'or six days this tedious mode of

X ' !

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2l8

MEET OLD ACQUAINTANCES. Chap. XIII.

progression was persevered in, by which time (isth April)
we reached the low limestone shore in latitude 71° 7' N.,
which continues thence in almost a straight line southward
for 60 or 70 miles. We now commenced laying down
provisions for our consumption upon the return journey ;
and the snow being unusually level, we were able to advance
with the whole of our remaining provisions, amounting to
nearly sixty days' allowance.

Hitherto the temperature continued low, often nearly 30°
below zero, and at times with cutting north winds, bright
sun, and intensely strong snow glare. Although we wore
coloured spectacles, yet almost all suffered great incon-
venience and considerable pain from inflamed eyes. Our
faces were blistered, lips and hands cracked — never were
men more disfigured by the combined effects of bright sun
and bitterly cold winds ; fortunately no serious frost-bites
occurred, but frost-bitten faces and fingers were universal.

On 20th April, in latitude 70^° N., we met two flimilies
of natives, comprising twelve individuals ; their snow huts
were upon the ice three-quarters of a mile off shore, and
their occupation was seal-hunting. They were the same
people with whom I had communicated at Cape Victoria in
February.

O d Oo-na-lee laid his hands on Petersen's shoulders to
measure their width, and said, " He is fatter now : " true
enough, the February temperature and sharj) marching had
caused us both at that time to shrink considerably.

Their snow huts were built in the annexed form, the com-
mon entrance and both passages being just sufficiently high
to get in without having to crawl \.\\)o\\ our hands and knees,
and the widened parts serving as antechambers for articles
which should remain frozen. A slab of ice in the roof
admitted sufficient light. A snow bank or bench two feet
high, and occupying half the area of each hut, was covered

:ES. Chap. XIII.

April, 1859. SNOW HUTS OF NATIVES.

219

with reindeer skins, and formed the family place of repose.
An angular snow bench served as the kitchen table, and

Bvr/WNCC.

Plan of the Snow Huts.

immediately beside it sat the lady of the establishment
attending the stone lamp which stood thereon, and the stone
cooking vessel suspended over it. The lamp was a shallow
open vessel, the fuel seal oil, and the wick dried moss. Her
" tinder box " was a little seal-skin lug of soft dry moss, and
with a lump of iron pyrites and a broken file she struck fire
upon it. I purchased the file because it was marked with
the Government broad arrow.

We saw two large snow shovels made of mahogany board,
some long spear handles, a bow of English wood, two pre-
served meat tins, and a deal case which might have once
contained a large telescope or a barometer ; it measured
3 feet I inch in length b}' 9 inches wide and 3.1 inches deep ;
there was no lid, but part of the brass hinges remained.

I also purchased a knife which Iiad some indistinct
markings on it such as shii)'s cutlasses or swords usually have ;
the man told us it had been picked up on the shore near
where a ship lay stranded ; that it was J.hen about tb length

: !<]

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]\\\

220 INTELLIGENCE OF SECOND SHIP. Chap. XIII.

of his arm, but his countryman who picked it up broke it
into lengths to make knives.

After much anxious enquiry we learne 1 that tTiio ships had
been seen by the natives of Kmg Wilham's Island ; one of
them was seen to sink in deep water, and nothing was ob-
tained from her, a circumstance at which they expressed
much regret ; but the other was forced on shore by the ice,
where they suppose she still remains, but is much broken.
From this shi}: they have obtained most of their wood, &c. ;
Oot-loo-lik is the name of the place where she grounded.

Formerly many natives lived there, now very i^w remain.
All the natives have obtained ■ -enty of the wood.

The most of this information was given us by the young
man who sold the knife. Old Oo-na-lee, who drew the
rough chart for me in March, to show where the ship sank,
now answered our questions respecting the one forced on
shore; not a syllable about her did he mention on the
former occasion, although we asked whether they knew of
only one ship. I think he would willingly have kept us in
ignorance of a wreck being upon their coasts, and that the
young man unwittingly made it knowr; -is.

The latter also told us that the bouy o^ i man was found
on board the ship ; that he must have been a very large man,
and had long teeth : that is all he recollectad having been
told, for he was quite a child at the time.

They both told us it was in the fall of the year — that is,
August or September — when the ships were destroyed ; that
all the white i)eopIe went away to the " large river," taking
a boat or boats with them, and that in the following winter
their bones were found there.

These two Esijuimaux families had been up as far north
as the Ti^^iuiania Group* in latitude yii" N., and were

' ThcKe islands were so nan;jd by me, at the request of Lady Frank-
lin, i:i (yi •!( fill a(\i\ owledgmciit of many proofs of affect lonate sympathy

HAP. XIII.

..'s*-!*

April, 1859.

DEPOT ROBBED.

221

returning to Neitchillee, hunting seals by the way ; those we
met at Cape Victoria had already gone there. The nearest
natives to us at present, they said, were residing at the
island of Amitoke, ten days' journey distant from here. Can
this Amitoke be Matty Island ?

We purchased some seal's blubber and flesh, as well as
their only two dogs ; but next morning Oo-na-lee repented
his bargain, or feigned to do so, but as he came back without
the knife to exchange, we retained his dog ; he tried to
steal a tin vessel off one of the sledges, and perhaps it was
for the purpose of regaining our favour that he made known
to us, just as we were starting, that his countrymen had
followed my homeward track in March, discovering my
depot of blubber, articles of barter, and two revolvers, and
carried them all off to Neitchillee — by no means pleasant
intelligence ; their dogs must have enabled them to find the
blubber by scenting it, for it was buried under 4 feet of
snow, and strong winds had obliterated all traces upon the
surface.

I was now glad we had purchased both the dogs of the
men, as it would probably prevent their seeking for oui
depots to the northward ; the knowledge of the insecurity of
all depots amongst these people will keep us on our guard
for the future. 1 regretted the loss of the pistols, as it left
my party with no other arms than two guns.

Oo-na-lee told us when we first met him that one of his
countrymen was very sick ; not seeing^ a sick man in their
huts, we forgot all about it until after starting, when Peter-
sen interpreted to me Oo-na-lee's parting; information, and
told me how he described that the breech of the revolver
turned round ; it then occurred to me that one of the men

received from tlie colony of Van Dieman's Land, or Tasmania, over
wliich lier Inisband jiresitled for several years, and, in particular, of the
large contributions raised there in aid of her expeditions of search.

•\l

lilt

I'^M^

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1^;

* ii

|J 1|

222

yo URNE V CONTINUED. Chap. X 1 1 1 .

might have been wounded — they had discovered how to
cock the locks, and the pistols were loaded and capped.

()o-na-lee was well acquainted with the coast-line up to
Bellot Strait, and had names for the different headlands,
although he had never been so far north. He made many
enquiries about the position of our ship, her size, and the
number of men. Had he been able to travel so far with his
wife and several young children, and without sledge or dogs,
I think he certainly would have gone up to Port Kennedy ;
but we did not give him any encouragement to do so. His
wife was one of the most importunate of the many Avomen
we saw at Cape Victoria in March. She was the woman
who plucked out an infant by its arm from inside her dress,
and exposed it regardless of temperature, —30'', and a fresh
wind, as already related.

The information respecting both the missing ships was
most important, and it remained for us to discover, it pos-
sible, the stranded ship.

Continuing our journey, we crossed a wide bay upon level
ice, and the most perfectly smooth hard snow I ever saw ;
there must have been much open water here late last
autumn. Seven or eight snow huts, recently abandoned,
were found near the Magnetic Pole. During the 25th,
26th, and 27th we were confined to our tents by a very
heavy south-east gale, with severe cold. During the gale it
was verv e jld in our little tent, and the steam from our
pernmicaa a:"»d ten, together with the moisture of our breath,
condense^) in cunsidfable quantity on the inside, so that
each flap causen a slower of fine snow to fall over us,
penetrating and wetting our blanket bags. ICarly on the
28th we reached Cape Victoria; here Hobson and I
separated. He marched direct for Cape Felix, King
Willi, m's Land, whilst I kept a more southerly course.
Not daring to leave depots upon this coast, we carried on

Chap. XIII.

covered how to
and capped,
coast-line up to
irent headlands,
He made many
ler size, and the
j1 so far with his
t sledge or dogs,
Port Kennedy ;
; to do so. His
he many women
was the woman
inside her dress,
30°, and a fresh

issing ships was
discover, it pos-

e bay upon level
low I ever saw ;

here late last
utly abandoned,
uring the 25 th,
tents by a very
uring the gale it
steam from our
re of our breath,

inside, so that
to fall over us.
Early on the
Hobson and I

c Felix, King

Litherly course,
we carried on

May, 1859. PART COMPANY FROM HOBSON. 223

our whole supply, intending to deposit a small portion upon
the Clarence Islands.

Hobson was unwell when we parted, complaining of stiff-
ness and pain in his legs ; neither of us then suspected the
cause. I gave him directions to search the west coast of
King William's Island for the stranded ship and for records,
and to act upon such information as he might obtain in this
way, or from the natives ; but should that shore prove destitute
of traces, to carry out, if possible, our original plan for the
completion of discovery and search upon Victoria Land,
comprising the blank space between the extremes visited by
Captain Collinson and Mr. Wynniatt.

I soon found that my party had to labour across a rough
pack ; nor was it until the third day that we completed the
journey across the strait, and encamped near to the entrance
of Port Parry, in King William's Island. Although the
weather was clear, and that by our reckoning we passed
directly over the assigned position of the two southern of
the Clarence Islands, yet we saw nothing of them.

A day was devoted to securing a depot in a huge mass of
grounded ice, and in repairing and drying equipments, or,
to speak more correctly, in getting rid of the ice which
encumbered our sleeping bags and gear; this we effected
by beating them well and exposing them to the direct rays
of the sun. Magnetic and other observations gave me
ample employment, the only irwiediak result of which was
my being almost snow-blind for the two following days.

On May 2nd we set off again briskly ; our load being
diminished to thirty days' provisions, and the sledge sail set,
we soon reached the land, and travelled along it for Cape
Sabine; it was very thick weather, and we were unable to
spe any distance in consequence of the mist and snowdrift.
The following day was no better, and as the shore was
extremely low, we dared not venture upon lea\'ing it to cross

^1i

1,1 if ; 11,

WELLINGTON STRAIT. Chap. XIII.

>'■

V ri

!;,« jl

; J I

Ki ;

the bays and indentations, lest we should lose our way ; for
be it remembered that in such proximity to the Magnetic
Pole the compass is wholly useless. '

We soon discovered that we had strayed inland ; but,
guided by the wind, continued our course. Upon May 4th
we descended into Wellington Strait, and the weather being
tolerably clear, we crossed over to the south-west extreme of
Matty Island, in the hope of meeting with natives, no traces
of them having been met with since leaving Cape Victoria.
Off this south-west point we found a deserted village of
nearly twenty snow huts, besides several others, within a few
miles upon either side of it ; in all of them I found shavings
or chips of different kinds of woods from the lost expedi-
tion ; they appeared to have been abandoned for only
a fortnight or three weeks. Abundance of blubber was
gathered up to increase our stock of fuel, and, had we
encamped here, the dogs would have feasted sumptuously
off the scraps and bones of seals strewed about.

The runners (or sides) of some old sledges left here were
very ingei'ously formed out of pointed rolls of sealskin,
about 3i feet long, and flattened so as to be 2 or 3 inches
wide and 5 inches high; the sealskins appeared to have
been well soaked and then rolled up, flattened into the
required form and allowed to freeze. The underneath part
was coated with a mixture of moss and ice laid smoothly on
by hand before being allowed to freeze, the moss, I suppose,
answering the purpose of hair in mortar, to make the com-
pound adhere more firmly.

From this spot the shore-line of Matty Island turned
sharply to the N.N.E. ; there were some consideral)le islands
to the east, but thinking the most southerly of this group —
named " Owut-ta " by the Esquimaux — the most likely place
to find the natives, I pushed on in that direction until we
encamped. Thick fog enveloped us for the next two days ;

Chap. XIII.

May, 1859.

NATIVE HUTS.

2:15

we could not find the island, but found a very small islet
near it, off which was another snow village very recently
abandoned, the sledge tracks plainly showing that the
inhabitants had gone to the E.N.E., which is straight for
Neitchillee. It was now evident that these places of winter
resort were deserted, and that here at least we should not
find any natives ; I was the more sorry at having missed
them, as, from the quantity of wood-chips about the huts,
they probably had visited the stranded ship alluded to by
the last Esquimaux we had met. and the route to which lies
up an inlet visible from here, and then overland three or
four days' journey to the westward, until the opposite coast
of King William's Land is reached.

The largest huts measured 12 feet in diameter, by 6 or 7
feet high ; most of them were constructed in pairs, having a
passage 20 or 25 feet long, which served as the common
entrance ; at the place where this passage divided into two
branches, there was a small hut, which served as a sort of
antechamber for the reception of such articles as were
intended to remain frozen.

Sledge under Sail.

mJ i

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r :.vi

■:t 'H

; i;:

226

AfEET ES(2UIMAUX.

Chap. XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.

iMeet Esquimaux — News of Franklin's people — Frighten a solitary
party — Reach the Great Fish River — On Montreal Island — Total
absence of al) relics — Dog-driving — Examine Ogle Peninsula —
Discover a skeleton — Vagueness of Esquimaux information — Cape
Herschel — Cairn.

ijh May, — To avoid snow-blindness, we commenced night-
marching. Crossing over from Matty Island towards the
shore of King William's Island, we continued our march
southward until midnight, when we had the good fortune
to arrive at an inhabited snow village. We found here ten
or twelve huts and thirty or forty natives of King William's
Island ; I do not think any of them had ever seen white
people alive before, but they evidently regarded us as
friends. We halted at a little distance, and pitched our
tent, the better to secure small articles from being stolen
whilst we bartered with them.

I purchased from them six pieces of silver plate, bearing
the crests or initials of Franklin, Crozier, Fairholme, and
McDonald ; they also sold us bows and arrows of English
woods, uniform and other buttons, and offered us a heavy
sledge made of two short stout pieces of curved wood,
which no mere boat could have furnished them with, but
this of course we could not take away; the silver spoons
and forks were readily sold for four needles each.

They were most obliging and peaceably disposed, but
could not resist the temptatiou to steal, and were impor-

Chap. XIV.

May, 1859. PURCHASE MORE RELICS.

227

d ever seen white

tunate to barter everything they possessed. There was not
a trace of fear, every countenance was Hghted up with joy ;
even the children were not shy, nor backward either, in
crowding about us, and poking in everywhere. One man
got hold of our saw, and tried to retain it, holding it behind
his back, and presenting his knife in exchange; we might
have had some troul)le in getting it from him, had not one
of my men mistaken his object in presenting the knife
towards me, and run out of the tent with a gun in his
hand ; the saw was instantly returned, and these poor
people seemed to think they never could do enough to
convince us of their friendhness; they repeatedly tapped
me gently on the breast, repeating the words " Kammik
toomee " (We are friends).

Having obtained all the relics they possessed, I purchased
some seal's flesh, blubber, frozen venison, dried and frozen
salmon, and sold some of my puppies. They told us it was
five days' journey to the wreck — one day up the inlet still
in sight, and four days overland ; this would bring them
to the western coast of King^WilHam's_ Island j they added
that but litde now remained accessible of the wreck, their
countrymen having carried almost everything away. In
answer to an enquiry, they said she was without masts ; the
question gave rise to some laughter amongst them, and they
spoke to each other about ^/^r, from which Petersen thought
they had burnc the masts through close to the deck in order
to get them down.

There had been many books, they said, but all have long
ago been destroyed by the weather ; the shi p was forced on
shore in the fall of the year by the Jce. She had not been
visited during this past winter, and an old woman and a boy
were shown to us who were the last to visit the wreck ; they
said they had been at it during the preceding winter (/. e.
1857-8).

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Photographic

Sciences
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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

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228 NEWS OF FRANKLIN'S PEOPLE. Chap. XIV.

1 1

•

Petersen questioned the woman closely, and she seemed
anxious to give all the information in her power. She said
many of the white men dropped by the way as they went to
the Great River; that some were buried and some were
not ; they did not themselves witness this, but discovered
their bodies during the winter following.

We could not arrive at any approximation to the numbers
of the white men nor of the years elapsed since they were
lost.

This was all the information we could obtain, and it was
with great difficulty so much could be gleaned, the dialect
being strange to Petersen, and the natives far more inclined
to ask questions than to answer them. They assured us we
should find natives upon the south shore of King William's
Island only three days' journey from here, and also at
Montreal Island ; moreover they said we might find some
at the wreck. For these reasons I did not prolong my
stay with them beyond a couple of hours. They seemed
to have but litde intercourse with other communities, not
having heard of our visit to the Boothians two months
before : one man even asked Petersen if he had seen his
brother, who lived in Boothia, not having heard of him
since last summer.

It was quite a relief to get away from these good-
humoured, noisy thieves, and rather difficult too, as some
of them accompanied us for miles. They had abundance of
food, were well clothed, and are a finer race than those who
inhabit North Greenland, or Pond's Inlet: the men had
their hair cropped short, with the exception of one long,
straggling lock hanging down on each side of the face ; like
the Boothians, the women had lines tattooed upon their
cheeks and chins.

We now proceeded round a bay which I named Latrobe,
in honour of the late Governor of Victoria, and of his

'PLE. Chap. XIV.

y, and she seemed
r power. She said
My as they went to
d and some were
lis, but discovered

ion to the numbers
2d since they were

obtain, and it was
leaned, the dialect
s far more inclined
^hey assured us we
I of King William's
here, and also at
I might find some
d not prolong my
irs. They seemed

communities, not
lians two months
f he had seen his
ing heard of him

from these good-
icult too, as some
had abundance of
ce than those who
et : the men had
)tion of one long,
e of the face ; like
:tooed upon their

I named Latrobe,
toria, and of his

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Up-^^^^rT^

Pr-B

Whoever !

;. ,^ the Admiralt;

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Consul at the

QUINCONQI

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CuAUJUlEI

del Almirant
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Whoever finds this paper is requested to forward it to the Secretary of

^ J ;,.^^> the Admiralty, London, wjih a note of the time and place at which it was

I 2*^ found : or, if more convenient, to deliver it for that purpose to the British

Consul at the nearest Port.

li^Cdi^

QuiNCONQUE trouve
il I'aura trouv^, et de le fS
Britannique ^ Londres.

ier est pri^ d'y marquer k tertls et lieu ou ^-^ - >^ ->
arvenir au phitot au Secretaire de rAmirBut£>^ ^^*m

'.^

Cu AujuiBBA que hallare este Papel, se le suplica de enviarTo al Secretarii
del Almiranteizgo, en Londr^, con una nota del tiempo y del lugar eij
donde se hall6. -^^iB^i^^^,,

Een ieder die dit
Ive, ten spoedigs
arine der Neder
itsche Admiraliti
ihoudende de tj^d

Fin DER BN af dette i'a"
samme til Admlralitets Secretairen i London, eller noermeste Erabedsmand'T^i
i Danmark, Norge, eller ^gj||j|;i^ Tiden og Stoedit hvor dette er fundet *^
onskes venskabeligt p;

wordt hiermede venogt, om h^ «o
aq. den Heer "Kinister van d»? >
, of wel aan. den Sf cretaris der? ^ *^V
,_^_iav by te voegen eene Nota,.^> . k ^ j
^nit Papier is gevonden gewordem^p jf^ «i^

ede^, naar Leilighed gives, at sende J ^o

^Wee diesen Zettel
tetair des Admiralil
jlchen ort und

ch ersucht denselben an den^^j|||K J^
eaden, mit gefalliger angabe^*^ ^
det worden ist. J 1 1 "^i

^^V^M^^ -^-l^^ntSI^BtJtf^-*

JiiiniUtn «.Mm Murray. AlWmKrlp SliMi I8r>9.

tf NttAHeufy 'M^nm.iUA *>ii fittw*./

■9, l4IU*f

May, 1859. FRIGHTEN A SOLITARY PARTY.

l:l
229

brother, the head of the Moravian Church in London, both
esteemed friends of Franklin.

Finding the '* Mathison Island " of Rae to be a flat-
topped hill, we crossed over low land to the west of it,
and upon the morning of the loth May reached a single
snow hut off Point Booth. I was quite astonished at the
number of poles and various articles of wood lying about it,
also at the huge pile of walrus' and reindeer's flesh, seal's
blubber, and skins of various sorts. We had abundance of
leisure to examine these exterior articles before the inmates
would venture out; they were evidently much alarmed by
our sudden appearance.

A remarkably fine old dog was tied at the entrance — the
line being made fast within the long passage — and although
he wagged his tail, and received us as old acquaintances,
we did not like to attempt an entrance. At length an
old man and an old woman appeared ; they trembled with
fear, and could not, or would not, say anything except
"Kammik toomee :" we tried every means of allaying their
fears, but their wits seemed paralysed, and we could get no
information. We asked where they got the wood ? They
purchased it from their countiymen. Did they know the
Great River ? Yes, but it was a long way off. Were there
natives there now ? Yes. They even denied all knowledge
of white people having died upon their shores. A fine
young man came out of the hut, but we could learn nothing
of him ; they said they had nothing to barter, except what
we saw, although we tempted them by displaying our store
of knives and needles.

The wind was strong and fair, and the morning intensely
cold, and as I could not hope to overcome the fears of these
poor people without encamping, and staying perhaps a day
with them, I determined to push on, and presented the
woman with a needle as a parting gift.

'!i

"1; '

A ■

'i 1

GJ^EA T FISH RIVER.

Chap. XIV.

The principal articles which caught my attention here
were eight or ten fir poles, varying in length from 5 to lo
feet, and up to 2^ inches in diameter (these were converted
into spear handles ana tent poles), a kayak paddle con-
structed out of the blades of two ash oars, and two large
snow shovels 4 feet long, made of thin plank, painted white
or pale yellow ; these might have been the bottom boards of
a boat. There were many smaller articles of wood.

Half a mile further ">n we found seven or eight deserted
snow huts. Bad weather had now fairly set in, accom-
panied by a most unseasonable degree of cold. On the
morning of the 12th May we crossed Point Ogle, and en-
camped upon the ice in the Great Fish River the same
evening ; the cold, and the darkness of our more southern
latitude, having obliged us to return to day-travelling. All
the 13th we were imprisoned in our tent by a most furious
gale, nor was it until late on the morning of the 14th that
we could proceed j that evening we encamped 2 miles from
some small islands which lie off the north end of Montreal
Island.

On the morning of the 15th we made only a short march
of 6 miles, as one of the men suffered severely from snow-
blindness, and I was anxious to recommence night-travelling;
encamped in a little bay upon the N.E. side of Montreal
Island. The same evening we again set out, although it
was blowing very strongly, and " snowing for a wager," as
the men expressed it, but it was only necessary for us to
keep close along the shore of the island : we discovered-
however, a narrow and crooked channel which led us
through to the west side of the island, and, one of the
men (Robert Hampton) appearing seriously ill, we en-
camped about midnight.

Whilst encamped this day, explorations were made about
the N.E. quarter of tlie island; islets and rocks were seen

r^l^^'

Chap. XIV.

May, 1859. EXPLORE MONTREAL ISLAND.

231

to abound in all directions; eventually it proved to be a
separate island upon which we had encamped. The only
traces or relics of Europeans found were the following
articles, discovered by Petersen, beside a native mark (one
large stone set upright on the top of another), at the east
side of the main — or Montreal — island : — A piece of a pre-
served meat tin, two pieces of iron hoop, some scraps of
copper, and an iron hook-bolt. These probably are part
of the plunder obtained from the boat, and were left here
until a more favourable opportunity should offer, or perhaps
necessity should compel the depositor to return for them.

All the 1 6th we were unable to move, not only because
Hampton was still very ill, but the weather was extremely
bad, and snow thickly falling with temperature at zero \
certainly strange weather for the middle of May ! We have
not had a single clear day since the ist of the monA.

On the 17 th the weather, though dull, was clear, so Mr.
Petersen, Thompson, and I set off with the dog-sledge to
complete the examination of Montreal Island, leaving the
other three men with the tent : we also still hoped to find
natives, although we had not seen any recent traces of them
since passing Point Booth. Petersen drove the dog-sledge
lose along shore round the island to the south, and as far
up the east side as to meet our previously explored portion
of it, whilst Thompson and I walked along on the land, the
one close down to the beach, and the other higher up,
examining the more conspicuous parts : in this c-der we
traversed the remaining portion of the island.

Although the snow served to conceal from us any traces
which might exist in hollows or sheltered situations, yet it
rendered all objects intended to serve as marks much more
conspicuous ; and we may remember that the retreating
crews saw Montreal Island in its winter garb, precisely as
)ve ourselves saw it. The island was almost covered with

232

TOTAL ABSENCE OF RELICS. Chap. XIV.

small native marks, usually of one stone standing upright
upon another, sometimes consisting of three stones, but very
rarely of a greater number.

No trace of a cairn could be found.

In examining, with pickaxe and shovel, a collection of
stones vv^hich appeared to be arranged artificially, we found
a quantity of seal's blubber buried beneath ; this old Esqui-
maux cdche was near the S.E. point of the island. The
interior of the island and the principal islets adjacent were
also examined without success, nor was there the slightest
evidence of natives having been here during the winter : it
is not to be wondered at that we returned in the evening to
our tent somewhat dispirited. The total absence of natives
was a bitter disappointment ; circles of stones, indicating the
sites of their tenting places in summer, were common enough.

Montreal Island is of primary rock, chiefly grey gneiss,
traversed with whitish vertical bands in a north and south
direction (by them I often directed my route when crossing
the island). It is of considerable elevation, and extremely
rugged. The low beaches and grassy hollows were covered
with a foot or two of hard snow, whilst all the level, elevated,
or exposed parts were swept perfectly bare ; had a cairn, or
even a grave, existed (raised as it must be, the rarth being
frozen hard as rock), we must at once have seen it. If any
were ever constructed, they must have been levelled by the
natives; every doubtful appearance was examined with
the pickaxe.

A remark made by my men struck me as being shrewd ;
they judged from the washed appearance of the rock upon
the east side of Montreal Island that it must often be
exposed to a considerable sea, such as would effectually
remove everything not placed far above its reach; when
looking over the smooth and frozen expanse one is apt
to forget this. .

'S. Chap. XIV.

May, 1859. RETURN JOURNEY COMMENCED. 233

Since our first landing upon King William's Island we
have not met with any heavy ice ; all along its eastern and
southern shore, together with this estuary of the Great Fish
River, is one vast unbroken sheet formed in the early part
of last winter, where no ice previously existed; this I fancy,
from the accounts of Back and Anderson, is unusual, and
may have caused the Esquimaux to vary their seal-hunting
localities. Mr. Petersen suggested that they might have
retired into the various inlets after the seals ; and therefore
I determined to cross over into Barrow's Inlet as soon as
we had examined the Point Ogle Peninsula.

Upon Montreal Island I shot a hare and a brace of
willow-grouse. Up to this date we had shot di. -ing our
journey only one bear and a couple of ptarmigan. The
first recent traces of reindeer were met with here.

On the 1 8th May crossed over to the mainland near Point
Duncan, but, Hampton again complaining, I was obliged to
encamp. When away from my party, and exploring along
the shore towards Elliot Bay, I saw a herd of eight reindeer
and succeeded in shooting one of them. In the evening
Petersen shot another. Some willow-grouse also were seen.
Here we found much more vegetation than upon King
William's Island, or any other arctic land I have yet seen.

On the evening of the 19th May we commenced our
return journey, but for the three following weeks our route
led us over new ground. Hampton being unable to drag, I
made over my puppy team to him, and was thus left free to
explore and fully examine every doubtful object along our
route. I shall not easily forget the trial my patience under-
went during the six "weeks I drove that dog-sledge. The
leader of my team, named " Omar Pasha," was very willing,
but very lame ; little " Rose " was coquettish, and fonder of
being caressed than whipped, from some cause or other she
ceased growing when only a few months old, she was there-

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234

DOG-DRIVING.

Chap. XIV.

fore far too small for heavy work ; " Darky " and " Missy "
were mere pups; and last of all came the two wretched
starvelings, reared in the winter, " Foxey " and " Dolly."
Each dog had its own harness, formed of strips of canvas,
and was attached to the sledge by a single trace 12 feet
long. None of them had ever been yoked before, and the
amount of cunning and perversity they displayed to avoid
both the whip and the work was quite astonishing. They
bit through their traces, and hid away under the sledge, or
leaped over one another's backs, so as to get into the middle
of the team out of the way of my whip, until the traces
became plaited up, and the dogs were almost knotted
together ; the consequence was I had to halt every few
minutes, pull off my mitts, and, at the risk of frozen
fingers, disentangle the lines. I persevered, however, and,
without breaking any of their bones, succeeded in getting
a surprising amount of work out of them. Their strength
and endurance are astonishing. When an Esquimaux
dog feels the whip, he usually bites his neighbour; the
bite is passed along to the next, and a general fight and
howling match ensues ; then the driver lays about him with
the whip-handle until order is restored. Hobson drove his
own dog-sledge likewise, and as long as we were together,
we helped each other out of difficulties ; and they were
frequently occurring, f jr, apart from those 1 have above
mentioned, directly a dog-sledge is stopped by a hummock,
or sticks fast in deep snow, the dogs, instead of exerting
themselves, lie down, looking perfectly delighted at the cir-
cumstance, and the driver has to extricate the sledge with a
hearty, one, two, three haul! and apply no trifling persua-
sion to set his canine team in motion again.

Having searched the east shore of this land for 7 or 8 miles
farther north, we crossed over into Barrow's Inlet, and spent a
day in its examination, but not a trace of natives was met with.

Chap. XIV.

May, 1859. A SKELETON DISCOVERED.

Regaining the shore of Dease and Simpson's Strait, some
miles to the west of Point Richardson, we crossed over
to King William's Island upon the morning of the 24th,
striking in upon it a short distance west of the Peffer River.
The south coast was closely examined as we marched along
towards Cape Herschel. Upon a conspicuous point, to the
westward of Point Gladman, a cairn nearly five feet high
was seen, which, although it did not appear to be a recent
construction, was taken down, stone by stone, carefully
examined, and the earth beneath was broken up with the
pickaxe, but nothing was discovered.

The ground about it was much exposed to the winds, and
consequently devoid of snow, so that no trace could have
escaped us. Simpson does not mention having landed here
or an)where upon the island, except at Cape Herschel ; yet
it seemed to me strange that natives should construct such a
mark here, since a huge boulder, which would equally serve
their purpose, stood upon the same elevation, and within a
couple of hundred yards. We had previously examined a
similar but smaller cairn, a few miles to the eastward.

We were now upon the shore along which the retreating
crews must have marched. My sledges, of course, travelled
upon the sea-ice close along the shore ; and although the
depth of snow which covered the beach deprived us of almost
every hope, yet we kept a very sharp look-out for traces, nor
were we unsuccessful. Shortly after midnight of the 25th
May, when slowly walking along a gravel ridge near the
beach, which the winds kept partially bare of snow, I came
upon a human skeleton, partly exposed, with here and there
a few fragments of clothing appearing through the snow.
The skeleton — now perfectly bleached — was lying upon its
face, the limbs and smaller bones either dissevered or gnawed
away by small animals.

A most careful examination of the spot was, of course,

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236

ARTICLES FOUND.

Chap. XIV.

made, the snow removed, and every scrap of clothing
gathered up. A pocket-book afforded grounds for hope
that some information -ght be subsequently obtained
respecting the unfortunate owner and the calamitous march
of the lost ciews, but at the time it was frozen hard. The
substance of that which we gleaned upon the spot may thus
be summed up : —

This victim I supposed to have been a young man,
slightly built, a^d perhaps above the common height; the
dress appeared to be that of a steward or officer's servant,
the loose bow-knot in which his neck-handkerchief was tied
not being used by seamen or officers. In every particular
the dress confirmed our conjectures as to h;s rank or office
in the late expedition — the blue jacket with slashed sleeves
and braided edging, and the pilot-cloth great-coat with plain
covered buttons. We found, also, a small clothes-brush
near, and a horn pocket-comb, in which a few light-brown
hairs still remained. This poor man seems to have selected
the bare rid'^ 2 top, as affording the least tiresome walking,
and to have fallen upon his face in the position in which we
found him. It is probable that, hungry and exhausted, he
suffered himself to fall asleep when in this position, and that
his last moments were undisturbed by suffering; at least I
felt strongly impressed with this idea, and the spectacle be-
fore me brought most forcibly to my recollection the extreme
danger of being overcome by sleep under intense cold.

It was a melancholy truth that the old woman spoke
when she said, " they fell down and died as they walked
along."

Of this skeleton only a portion of the skull appeared above
the snow, and it so strongly resembled a bleached rounded
stone that the man I called from the sledge, mistaking it for
one, rested his shovel upon it, but started back with horror
when the hollow sound revealed to him its true nature.

Chap. XIV.

May, 1859. VAGUENESS OF INFORMATION. 237

Were it not for their shroud of snow, it is more than obable
that our anxious search would have brought to Hght many
another skeleton, and have still further confirmed the old
woman's brief story — unsurpassed in graphic simplicity.

I do not think the Esquimaux had discovered this skeleton,
or they would have carried off the brush and comb : super-
stition prevents them from disturbing their own dead, but
would not keep them from appropriating the property of the
white man if in any way useful to them. Dr. Rae obtained
a piece of flannel, marked, " F. D. V., 1845," from the
Esquimaux of Boothia or Repulse Bay : it had doubtless
been a part of poor Des Vceux's garments.

At the time of our interview with the natives of King
William's Island, Petersen was inclined to think that the
retreat of the crews took place in the fall of the year, some
of the men in boats, and others walking along the shore ;
and as only five bodies are said to have been found upon
Montreal Island with the boat, this fact favoured his opinion,
because so small a number could not have dragged her there
over the ice, although they could very easily have taken her
there by water. Subsequently this opinion proved to be
erroneous. I mention it because it shows how vague our
information was — indeed all Esquimaux accounts involving
dates and numbers are necessarily so — and how entirely we
v/ere dependent upon our own exertions for bringing to light
the mystery of their fate.

The information obtained by Dr. Rae was mainly derived
second-hand from the Fish River Esquimaux, and should not
be confounded with that received by us from the King
William's Island Esquimaux. These people told us they did
not find the bodies of the white men (that is, they did not
know any had died upon the march) until the following
winter. This is probably true, as it is only in winter and
early spring they can travel overland to the west shore, or

■«. !''Val«n«.lAia>i»u:'«,u.Cc«;' ijrrni'-'Wnw»i"i-i

feat»tia»iwte..iMa

238

CAPE HERS CHE L.

Chap. XIV.

that they make a practice of wandering along the shore
in search of seals and bears.

The remains of those who died in the Fish River may
•v&xy probably have been discovered in the summer shortly
after their decease : in fact, the Esquimaux report brought
home by Dr. Rae does state that the bodies were found
before the thaw.

Along the south coast of King William's Land, as upon
the mainland, I was sadly disppointed in my expectation of
meeting natives. We found only six or eight deserted snow
huts, showing that they had recently been here, and conse-
quently there was the less chance of meeting with them on
our further progress, as the season had now arrived when
they seek the rivers, and the favourite haunts and passes of
the reindeer in their northern migration.

Hobson was however upon the western coast, and T hoped
to find a note left for me at Cape Herschel containing some
piece of good news. After minutely examining the inter-
vening coast-line, it wai with strong and reasonable hope I
ascended the slope woich is crowned by Simpson's con-
spicuous cairn. This sumniit of Cape Herschel is perhaps
150 feet high, and about a quarter of a mile within the low
stony point which projects from it, and on which there was
considerable ice pressure and a few hummocks heaped up,
the first we had seen for three weeks. Close round this
point, or by cutting acioss it as we did, the retreating parties
must have passed ; and the opportunity afforded by the
cairn of depositing in a known position — and that, too,
where their own discoveries terminated, including the dis-
covery of the AWth- West Passage — some record of their own
proceedings, or, it might be, a portion of their scientific
journals, would scarcely have been disregarded.

Simpson makes no mention of having left a record in this
cairn, nor would Franklin's people have taken any trouble

r:4^

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Chap. XIV.
ilong the shore

"ish River may

summer shortly

report brought

lies were found

Land, as upon
y expectation of
it deserted snow
lere, and conse-
g with them on
vv arrived when
;s and passes of

ist, and I hoped

:ontaining some

ining the inter-

sonable hope I

Simpson's con-

jchel is perhaps

: within the low

which there was

)cks heaped up,

lose round this

etreating parties

afforded by the

-and that, too,

:luding the dis-

rd of their own

their scientific

ed.

a record in this
cen any trouble

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May, 1859.

SIMPSON'S CAIRN.

241

to find it if he had left one ; but what now remained of this
once " ponderous cairn " was only four feet high ; the south
side had been pulled down and the central stones removed,
as if by persons seeking for something deposited beneath.
After removing the snow with which it was filled, and a few
loose stones, the men laid bare a large slab of limestone :
with difficulty this was removed, then a second, and also a
third slab, when they came to the ground. For some time we
persevered with a pickaxe in breaking up the frozen earth,
but nothing whatever was found, nor any trace of European
visitors in its vicinity. There were many old cdches and low
stone walls, such as natives would use to lurk behind for the
purpose of shooting reindeer ; and we noticed some recent
tracks of those animals which had crossed direct hither from
the mainland.

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242

THE CAIRN EMPTY.

Chap. XV.

CHAPTER XV.

:ii

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The cairn found empty — Discover Hobson's letter — Discovery of
Crozier's record — The deserted boat — Articles discovered about
the boat — The skeletons and relics — The boat belonged to the
' Erebus ' — Conjectures.

As the Esquimaux of this land, as well as those of Boothia
and Pond's Inlet, have long since given up the practice of
building stone dwellings — passing their winters in snow
huts and summers in tents — no other traces of rhem than
those described remain ; so that when or in what numbers
they may have been here, one cannot form any opinion, the
same caches and hiding-places serving for generations.

I cannot divest myself of the belief that sotne record was
left here by the retreating crews, and perhaps some most
valuable documents which their slow progress and fast failing
strength would have assured them could not be carried much
further. If any such were left, they have been discovered by
the natives, and carried off, or thrown away as worthless.
Doubtless the natives, when they ascertained that famine
and fatigue had caused many of thcAvhite men " to fall down
and die " upon their fearful march, and heard, as they might
have done, of its fatal termination upon the mainland, lost no
time in following up their traces, examining every spot where
they halted, every mark they put up, or stone displaced.

It is easy to tell whether a cairn has been put up or
touched within a moderate period of years ; if very old, the
outer stones hav 3 a weathered appearance, lichens will have
grown upon the sheltered portions and moss in the crevices ;

CHAP. XV.

May, 1859. APPEARANCE OF CAIRNS.

243

jtter _ Discovery of
es discovered about
aat belonged to the

; those of Boothia
up the practice of
winters in snow
aces of them than
r in what numbers
m any opinion, the
generations,
at sotne record was
lerhaps some most
;ress and fast faiUng
ot be carried much
been discovered by
away as worthless,
tained that famine
men " to fall down
eard, as they might
lie mainland, lost no
|ng every spot where
|stone displaced.
,-ias been put up or
|ars ; if very old, the
ice, lichens will have
moss in the crevices ;

but if recently disturbed, these appearances are altered. If a
cairn has been recently built, it will be evident, because the
stones picked up would be bleached on top by the exposure
of centuri?s, whilst underneath they would be coloured by the
soi! in \/hich they were imbedded. When at Melville Island,
iri I ^53 J I visited several places explored by Parry in 1820,
and was perfectly astonished at the freshness which his
traces presented ; at one place the rut of his cart-wheels was
distinctly impressed in spungy moss ; the stones with which
his cairn was built retained the colouring of the earth on the
one side, the other being bleached with the frosts of ages ;
even their impressions remained so distinct that we could have
replaced several of them in their own moulds in the earth
from which Parry had removed them thirty-three years before !
To the observant eye of the native hunter these marks are at
once apparent ; and, therefore, unless Simpson's cairn (built
in 1839) l^^d been disturbed by Crozier, I do not think the
Esquimaux would have been at the trouble of pulling it down
to plunder the cdc/ie; but, having commenced to do so,
would not have left any of it standing, i^n/ess they found what
they sought.

I noticed with great care the appearance of the stones,
and came to the conclusion that the cairn itself had been
erected many years ago, but was reduced to the state in
which we found it by people having broken down one side
of it, the disi)laced stones, from being turned over, looking
far more fresh than those in thrt portion of the cairn which
had been left standing. It was with a feeling of deep regret
and much disappointment that I left this spot without finding
some certain record of those martyrs to their country's fame.

A few miles beyond Cape Herschel the land becomes
very low ; many islets and shingle-ridges lie far off the coast ;
and as we advanced, we met with hummocks of unusually
heavy ice, showing plainly that we were now travelling upon a

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244 DISCOVERY OF GORE'S RECORD. Chap. XV.

far more exposed part of the coast-line. We were approaching
a spot where a revelation of intense interest was awaiting me.

About 12 miles from Cape Herschel I found a small
cairn built by Hobson's party, and containing a note for me.
He had reached this, his extreme point, six days previously,
without having seen anything of the wreck, or of natives, but
he had found a record^ — The Record so aidently sought
for of the Franklin Expedition — at Point Victory, on the
N.W. coast of King William's Land.

That record is indeed a sad and touching relic of our lost
friends, and, to simplify its contents, I will point out sepa-
rately the double story it so briefly tells. In the first place,
the record paper vas one of the printed forms usually sup-
plied to discovery ships for the purpose of being enclosed in
bottles and thrown overboard at sea, in order to ascertain
the set of the currents, blanks being left for the date and
position ; any person finding one of these records is requested
to forward it to the Secretary of the Admiralty, with a note
of time and place ; and this request is printed upon it in six
different languages. Upon it was written as follows : —

" 28th of May, i H. M. sliips ' Erebus' and 'Terror' wintered in the

1847. V ice in lat. 70° 05' N., long. 98° 23' W.

Having wintered in 1846-7 at Beechey Island, in lat. 74° 43' 28" N.,
long. 91° 39' 15" \V., after having ascended Wellington Channel to lat.
77°, and returned by the west side of Cornwallis Island.
" Sir John Franklin commanding the expedition.
" All well.

" Party consisting of 2 officers and 6 men left the ships on Monday,
24th May, 1847.

*'Gm. Gore, Lieut.

" ^^HAS. F. Des Vceux, Mate."

There is an error in the above document, namely, that the

' The stains upon the recurd— as represented in the facsimile — were
caused by the rusting of the tin cylinder in which it was contained (see
p. 257): the original record, togHher with all the relics brought liome in
the 'Fox,' have been deposited in the Museum of the United Service
Institution, Whitehall Yard.

I I

?. Chap. XV.

•e approaching
LS awaiting me.
found a small
a note for me.
ays previously,
• of natives, but
xidently sought
/"ictory, on the

relic of our lost
point out sepa-
1 the first place,
rms usually sup-
eing enclosed in
•der to ascertain
or the date and
;ords is requested
alty, with a note
,ed upon it in six
,s follows : —

ror' wintered in the

23' \V.

lat. 74° 43' 28" N.,

Igton Channel to lat.

land.

[e ships on Monday,

^ieut.

Ies Vceux, Mate."

I, namely, that the

li the facsimile— were
It was contained (see
Ilics brought home in
If the United Service

May, 1 859. INFORM A TION DERIVED FROM IT. 245

' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' wintered at Beechey Island in 1846-7,
— the correct dates should have been 1845-6 ; a glance at
the date at the top and bottom of the record proves this, but
in all other respects the tale is told in as few words as pos-
sible of thjir wonderful success up to that df^te, May, 1847.
We now know that, after the last intelligence of Sir John
Franklin was received (bearing date 26th Jul . 1845) from
the whalers in Melville Bay, his Expedition passed on to
Luncaster Sound, and entered Wellington Channel, of which
the southern entrance had been discovered by Sir Edward
Parry in 1819. The 'Erebus 'and 'Terror' sailed up that
strait for one hundred and fifty miles, and reached in the
autumn of 1845 the same latitude as was attained seven
years subsequently by H.M.S. 'Assistance 'and 'Pioneer.'
Whether Franklin intended to pursue this northern course,
and was only stopped by ice in that latitude of 77° north, or
purposely relinquished a route which seemed to lead away
from the known seas off the coast of America, must be a
matter of conjecture ; but the document assures us of one
thing, that Sir John Franklin's Expedition, having accom-
plished this examination, returned southward from latitude
77° north, which is at the head of Wellington Channel,
and re-entered Barrow's Strait by a new channel between
Bathurst and Cornwallis Islands.

Seldom has such an amount of success been accorded to
an arctic navigator in a single season, and when the 'Erebus'
and ' Terror ' were secured at Beechey Island for the coming
winter of 1845-6, the results of their first year's labour must
have been most cheering. These results were the exploration
of Wellington and Queen's Channel, and the addition to our
charts of the extensi'^e lands on either hand. In 1846 they
proceeded to the south-west, and eventually reached within
twelve miles of the north extreme of F^ing William's Land,
when their progress was arrested by the approaching winter of

m \

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M*«>.*

' 5

246

CROZIER'S RECORD.

Chap. XV.

1846-7. That winter appears to have pass ' "^out any
serious loss of life; and when in the spring Lic^.^aant Gore
leaves with a party for some especial purpose, and very pro-
bably to connect the unknown coast-line of King William's
Land between Point Victory and Cape Herschel, those on
board the 'Erebus' and 'Terror 'were "all well," and the
gallant Franklin still commanded.

But, alas ! round the margin of the paper upon which in
1847 those words of hope and promise were written, the
following words had subsequently been faintly traced : —

"April 25, 1848. — H. M. ships 'Terror' and 'Erebus' were deserted
on the 22nd April, 5 leagues N.N.W. of this, having been beset since
1 2th Sejitember, 1846. The officers and crews, consisting of 105 souls,
under the command of Captain F. R. M. Crozier, landed here in lat.
69° 37' 42" N., long. 98° 41' W. Sir John Franklin died on the iith
June, 1847; and the total loss by deaths in the expedition has been to
this date 9 officers and 15 men.
(Signed) (Signed)

" F. R. M. Crozier, "James Fitzjames,

" Captain and Senior Officer. " Captain H. M. S. 'Erebus.'

"and start (on) to-morrow, 26tli, for
Back's Fish River."

With the exception of the signatures, and the note stating
when and where they were going, which was added by Captain
Crozier, the whole record was written by Captain Fitzjames.
There is some additional marginal information relative to
the transfer of the document to its present position : I insert
it here by itself, having omitted it in its proper place in
order to simplify the more interesting part of the record.

"This paper was found by Lt. Irving under the cairn supposed
to have been built by Sir James Ross in 1831, 4 miles to the northward,
where it had been deposited by the late Commander Gore in June,
1847. Sir James Ross' pular has not, however, been found, and the
]>aper has been transferred to this position, which is that in which Sir
James Ross' pillar was erected."

This little word late shows us that poor Graham Gore was
one of those who had passed away within the twelvemonth.

May, 1859. ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION. 247

In the short space of twelve months how mournful had
become the history of Franklin's expedition ; how changed
from the cheerful " All well " of Graham Gore ! The spring
of 1847 found them within 90 miles of the known sea off
the coast of America ; and to men who had already in two
seasons sailed over 500 miles of previously unexplored
waters, how confident must they then have felt that that
forthcoming navigable season of 1847 would see their ships
pass over so short an intervening space ! It was ruled other-
wise. Within a month after Lieutenant Gore placed the
record on Point Victory, the much-loved leader of the ex-
pedition, Sir John Franklin, was dead ; and the following
spring found Captain Crozier, upon whom the command
had devolved, at King William's Land, endeavouring to save
his starving men, 105 souls in all, from a terrible death by
retreating to the Hudson Bay territories up the Back or
Great Fish River.

So sad a tale was never told in fewer words. There is
something deeply touching in their extreme simplicity, and
they show in the strongest manner that both the leaders of
this retreating party were actuated by the loftiest sense of
duty, and met with calmness and decision the fearful alterna-
tive of a last bold struggle for life, rather than perish without
effort on board their ships; for we well know that the
'Erebus' and 'Terror' were only provisioned up to July,
1848.

■^

Lieutenant Hobson's note also told me that he had
experienced extremely bad weather — constant gales and fogs
— and thought he might have passed the wreck without see-
ing her ; he hoped to be more successful upon his return
journey.

Encouraged by this important news, we exerted our utmost
vigilance in order that no trace should escape us.

l»i M l

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248

CAP/i CROZIER.

Chap. XV.

Our provisions were running ^ery short, therefore the
three remaining puppies were of necessity shot, and their
sledge used for fuel. We were also enabled to lengthen our
journeys, as we had very smooth ice to travel over, the oft-
lying islets keeping the rough pack from pressing in upon
the shore.

Upon the 29th of May we reached the western extreme
of King William's Island, in lat. 69" 08' N., and long 100°
08' W. I named it after Captain Crozier of the ' Terror,'
the gallant leader of that *' Forlorn Hope" of which we had
just now obtained tidings. The coast we marched along
was extremely low — a mere series of ridges of limestone
shingle, almost destitute of fossils. The only tracks of
animals seen were those of a bear and a few foxes — the only
living creatures a few willow-grouse. Traces even of the
wandering Esquimaux ber^ame much less frequent after leav-
ing Cape Herschel. Here were found only a few circles of
stones, the sites of tenting-places, but so moss-grown as to
be of great age. The prospect to sea was not less forbidding
— a rugged surface of crushed-up pack, including much heavy
ice. In these shallow and perpetually ice-packed channels,
seals are but seldom found ; and it is highly probable that
all animal life in them is as scarce as upon the land.

From Cape Crozier the coast-line was found to turn
sharply away to the eastward ; and early in the morning of
the 30th May we encamped alongside a large boat — another
painful relic which Hobson had found and examined a few
days before, as his note left here informed me ; but he had
failed to discover record, journal, pocket-book, or memoran-
dum of any description.

A vast quantity of tattered clothing was lying in her, and
this we first examined. Not a single article bore the name
of its former owner. The boat was cleared out and care-
fully swept that nothing might escape us. The snow was

May, 1859.

DESERTED BOAT.

249

then removed from about her, but nothing whatever was
found. - '^

This boat measured 28 feet long, and 7 feet 3 inches
wide ; she was built with a view to hghtness and Hght
draught of water, and evidently equipped with the utmost
care for the ascent of the Great Fish River ; she had neither
oars nor rudder, paddles supplying their place ; and as a
large remnant of light canvas, commonly known as No. 8,
was found, and also a small block for reeving a sheet through,
I suppose she had been provided with a sail. A sloping
canvas roof or rain-awning had also formed part of her
equipment. She was fitted with a weather-cloth 9 inches
high, battened down all round the gunwale, and supported
by 24 iron stanchions, so placed as to serve likewise for
rowing thowells. There was a deep-sea sounding line, fifty
fathoms long, near her, as well as an ice-grapnel ; this line
must have been intended for river work as a track line.
She had been originally "carvel" built; but for the purpose
of reducing weight, very thin fir planks had been substituted
for her seven upper strakes, and put on " clincher " fashion.

The only markings about the boat were those cut in upon
her stem ; besides giving her length, they indicated that she

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.ii

250 DESCRIPTION OF DESERTED BOA T. Chap. XV.

was built by contract, numbered 61, and received into Wool-
wich Dockyard in April, 184 — ; the fourth figure to the right
hand was lost, as the stem had been reduced as much as
possible in order to lessen her weight ; from tl.is cause part
of the Roman numerals indicating her length were also
lost.

The weight of the boat alone was about 700 or 800 lbs.
only, but she was mounted upon a sledge of unusual weight
and strength. It was constructed of two oak planks 23 feet
4 inches in length, 8 inches in width, and with an average
thickness of 2^ inches. These planks formed the sides or
runners of the sledge ; they were connected by five cross-
bars of oak, each 4 feet long, and 4 inches by 3^ inches
thick, and bolted down to the runners ; the underneath parts
of the latter were shod with iron. Upon the cross-bars five
saddles or supporting chocks for the boat were lashed, and
the drag-ropes by which the crew moved this massive sledge,
and the weights upon it, consisted of 2^ inch whale-line.

I have calculated the weight of this sledge to be 650 lbs. ;
it could not have been less, and may have been considerably
more. The total weight of boat and sledge may be taken at
1400 lbs., which amounts to a heavy load for seven strong
healthy men.

The ground the sledge rested upon was the usual lime-
stone shingle, perfectly flat and probably overflowed at times
every summer, as the stones were imbedded in ice.

The boat was partially out of her cradle upon the sledge,
and lying in such a position as to lead me to suppose it
the effect of a violent north-west gale. She was barely, if at
all, above the reach of occasional tides.

One hundred yards from her, upon the land side, lay the
stump of a fir-tree 12 feet long, and 16 inches in diameter
at 3 feet above the roots. Although the ice had used it
roughly during its drift to this shore, and rubbed off every

'-4. iU

T. Chap. XV.

May, 1859. SKELETONS AND RELICS.

251

vestige of bark, yet the wood was perfectly sound. It may
have been and probably has been lying there for twenty or
thirty years, and during such a period would suffer less
decay in this region of frost than in one-sixth of the time at
home. Within two yards of it I noticed a few scanty tufts
of grass.

But all these were after observations ; there was in the
boat that which transfixed us with awe, viz., portions of two
human skeletons ! One was that of a slight young person ;
the other of a large, strongly-made, middle-aged man. The
former was found in the bow of the boat, but in too much
disturbed a state to enable Hobson to judge whether the
sufferer had died there ; large and powerful animals, pro-
bably wolves, had destroyed much of this skeleton, which
may have been that of an officer. Near it we found the
fragment of a pair of worked slippers, of ^j>xo^o>''<s.
which I give the pattern, as they may pos- ^^^^^^
sibly be identified. The lines were white, ^^^^^
with a black margin ; the spaces white, red, ''^^^^^^^^V
and yellow. They had originally been 11 ^^.^
inches long, lined with calf-skin with the hair left on, and
the edges bound with red silk ribbon. Besides these
slippers there were a pair of small strong shooting half-
boots.

The other skeleton was in a somewhat more perfect
state ; it lay across the boat, under the after-thwart, and
was enveloped with cloths and furs. This would seem to
have been the survivor of the two men whose remains were
lying in the boat. Close beside it were found five watches ;
and there were two double-barrelled guns— one barrel in
each loaded and cocked — standing muzzle upwards against
the boat's side. It may be imagined with what deep
interest these sad relics were scrutinised, and how anxiously
every fragment of clothing was turned o\er in search of

\\ ilii

' Mi

> % »

!< I

252

RELICS FOUND IN THE BOAT. Chap. XV.

i !

pockets and pocket-books, journals, or even names. Five
or six small books were found, all of them scriptural or
devotional works, except the * Vicar of Wakefield.' One
little book, ' Christian Melodies,' bore an inscription upon
the title-page from the donor to G. G. (Graham Gore ?).
Another small book, ' A Manual of Private Devotion, by
C. J. Blomfield, D.D.,' bore on its title-page, " G. Back,^ to
Graham Gore. May, 1845." A small Bible contained
numerous marginal notes, and whole passages underlined.
Besides these books, the covers of a New Testament and
Church of England Prayerbook were found.

Amongst an amazing quantity of clothing there were
seven or eight pairs of boots of various kinds — cloth winter
boots, sea boots, heavy ankle boots, and strong shoes. I
noted that there were silk handkerchiefs — black, white, and
figured — towels, soap, sponge, tooth-brush, and hair-combs ;
macintosh gun-cover, marked outside with paint a 12, and
lined with black cloth. Besides these articles we found
twine, nails, saws, files, bristles, wax-ends, sail-makers' palms,
powder, bullets, shot, cartridges, wads, le.-l-.r:''' rnrtridge-
case, knives — clasp and dinner ones, needle and thread
cases, slow-match, several bayonet scabbards cut down into
knife-sheaths, two rolls of sheet-lead, and, in short, a
quantity of articles of one description and another truly
astonishing in variety, and such as, for the most part,
modern sledge-travellers in these regions would consider a
mere accumulation of dead weight, of little use, and very
likely to break down the strength of the sledge-crews.

The only provisions we could find were tea and choco-
late ; of the former very little remained, but there were
nearly 40 pounds of the latter. These articles alone could

' The present Admiral Sir Cleorge P.ick, poor Graham Gore's former
Captain in the Arctic Expedition of 1S36-7, when they both served on
board of ll.iM.S. ♦Terror.'

r. Chap. XV.

May, 1859. RELICS FOUND IN THE BOAT.

253

never support life in such a climate, and we found neither
biscuit nor meat of any kind. A portion of tobacco, and an
empty pemmican-tin capable of containing 22 pounds
weight, were discovered. The tin was marked with an E ;
it had probably belonged to the ' Erebus.' None of the
fuel originally brought from the ships remained in or about
the boat, but there was no lack of it, for a drift-tree was
lying on the beach close at hand, and had the party been in
need of fuel, they would have used the paddles and bottom-
boards of the boat.

In the after-part of the boat we found eleven large
spoons, eleven forks, and four tea-spoons, all of silver. Of
these twenty-six pieces of plate, eight bore Sir John Franklin's
crest, the remainder had the crests or initials of nine
different officers, with the exception of a single fork which
was not marked ; of these nine officers, five belonged to
the ' Erebus ' — Gore, Le Vesconte, Fairholme, Couch, and
Goodsir. Three others belonged to the ' Terror ' — Crozier
(a teaspoon only), Hornby, and Thomas. I do not know
to whom the three articles with an owl engraved on them
belonged, nor who was the owner of the unmarked fork,
but of the owners of those we can identify, the majority
belonged to the ' Erebus.' One of the watches bore the
crest of Mr. Couch, of the ' Erebus,' and as the pemmican
tin also came from that ship, I am inclined to think the
boat did also. One of the pocket chronometers found in
the boat was marked, " Parkinson and Frodsham 980," the
other, " Arnold 2020 ; " these had been supplied one to
each ship.

Sir John Franklin's plate perhaps was issued to the men
for their use, as the only means of saving it ; and it seems
probable that the officers generally did the same, as not a
single iron spoon, such as sailors always use, has been
found. Of the many men, probably twenty or thirty, who

I'i'

HLIl

254

CONJECTURES.

Chap. XV.

were attached to this boat, it seems most strange that the
remains of only two individuals were found, nor were there
any graves upon the neigbouring flat land ; indeed, bearing
in mind the season at which these poor fellows left their
ships, it should be remembered that the soil was then
frozen hard as rock, and the labour of quarrying a grave
very great indeed.

I was astonished to find that the sledge was directed to
the N.E., exactly for the next point of land for which we
ourselves were travelling !

The position of this abandoned boat is about 50 miles —
as a sledge would travel — from Point Victory, and therefore
65 miles from the position of the ships \ also it is 70 miles
from the skeleton of the steward, and 150 miles from
Montreal Island : it is moreover in the depth of a wide
bay, where, by crossing over 10 or 12 miles of very low
land, a great saving of distance would be effected, the route
by the coast-line being about 40 miles.

A little reflection led me to satisfy my own mind at least
that this boat was returning to the ships. In no other way
can I account for two men having been left in hci, than by
supposing the party were unable to drag the boat further,
and that these two men, not being able to keep pace with
their shipmates, were therefore left by them supplied with
such provisions as could be span^d, to last them until the
return of the others from the ship with a fresh stock.

Whether it was me intention of this boat party to await
the result of another season in the ships, or to follow the
track of the main body to the Great Fish River, is now a
matter of conjecture. It seems more than probable that
they fully intended to revisit the boat, not only on account
of the two men left in charge of it, but also to obtain the
chocolate, the five watches, and many other small articles
which would otherwise scarcely have been left in her.

May, 1S59.

POINT FRANKLIN.

^55

The same reasons which may be assigned for the return
of this detachment from the main body (which, it will be
remembered, had started under the command of Captain
Crozier for the Great Fish River) will also serve to account
for the party not having come back to their boat. In both
instances they appear to have greatly overrated their
strength, and the distance they could travel in a given time.

Taking this view of the case, we can understand why
their provisions would not have lasted them for anything
like the distance they required to travel ; and why they
would be obliged to send back to the ships for more, first
taking from the detached party all provisions they could
possibly spare. Whether all or any of the remainder of this
detached party ever reached their ships is uncertain ; all we
know is, that they did not revisit the boat, otherwise more
skeletons would probably have been found in its neighbour-
hood ; the Esquimaux report is, that there was no one alive
in the ship when she drifted on shore, and that they found
but one human body on board of her.

After leaving the boat we followed an irregular coast-line
to the N. and N.W., up to a very prominent cape, which is
probably the extreme of land seen from Point Victory by
Sir James Ross, and named by him Point Franklin, which
name, as a cape, it still retains.

I need hardly say that throughout the whole of my journey
along the shores of King William's Land, we all kept a most
vigilant look-out for any appearance of the stranded ship
spoken of by the natives ; but our search for her was utterly
fruitless.

;

M^A

2S6

POINT VICTORY.

Chap. XVI.

CHAPTER XVI.

Errors in Franklin's records — Relics found at the cairn — Reflections
on the retreat — Returning homeward — Geological remarks —
Difhculties of summer sledging — Arrive on board the ' Fox ' —
Navigable N.W. passage — Death from scurvy — Anxiety for
Captain Young — Young returns safely.

On the morning of 2nd June we reached Point Victory.
Here Hobson's note left for me in the cairn informed me
that he had not found the sUghtest trace either of a wreck
anywhere upon the coast, or of natives to the north of Cape
Crozier,

Although somewhat short of provisions, I determined to
remain a day here in order to examine an opening at the
bottom of Back Bay, called so after Sir George Back, by his
friend Sir James Ross, and which had not been explored.
This proved to be an inlet nearly 13 miles deep, with an
average width of i-^ or 2 miles ; I drove round it upon the
dog sledge, but found no trace of human beings ; it was
filled with heavy old ice, and was therefore unfavourable for
the resort of seals, and consequently of natives also.

The direction of the inlet is to the E.S.E. ; we found the
land on either side rose as we advanced up it, and attained
a considerable elevation, except immediately across its head,
where alone it was very low ; I have conferred upon it the
name of Collinson, after one wlio will ever be distinguished
in connexion with the Franklin search, and who kindly
relieved Lady Franklin of much trouble by taking upon
himself the financial business of this expedition.

Chap. XVI.

e cairn — Reflections

eological remnrks —

board the ' Fox ' —

curvy — Anxiety for

ed Point Victory,
aim informed me
either of a wreck
the north of Cape

;, I determined to
an opening at the
eorge Back, by his
lot been explored,
liles deep, with an
round it upon the
an beings ; it was
re unfavourable for
itives also.
.E. ; we found the
ap it, and attained
ely across its head,
iferred upon it the
2r be distinguished
, and who kindly
e by taking upon
edition.

June, 1859. ERRORS IN FRANKLIN'S RECORDS. 257

An extensive bay, westward of Cape Herschel, T have
named after Captain Washington, the hydrographer, a sted-
fast supporter of this final search. But, all the intermediate
coast-line — along which the retreating crews performed their
fearful death-march — is sacred to their names alone.

Hobson's note informed me of his having found a second
record, deposited also by Lieutenant Gore in May, 1847,
upon the south side of Back Bay, but it afforded no
additional information. It was a duplicate of the Point
Victory record, and shows that Gore and Des Vceux merely
left them under cairns, without adding further particulars at
the time of depositing : their attention was probaljly directed
to a more important matter, the completion of their dis-
covery of the North-West Passage. This record had not
been opened by the retreating crews in 1848; when found
by Hobson, it was soldered up, as when taken from the ship
on the 24th May, 1847.

It is remarkable that both these papers state the ships to
have wintered in 1846-7 at Beechey Island ! So obvious a
mistake would hardly have been made had any importance
been attached to these documents. They were soldered up
in thin tin cylinders, having been filled up on board prior to
the departure of the travellers ; consequently, the day upon
which they were deposited was not filled in ; but already the
l^apers were much damaged by rust — a very few more years
would have rendered them wholly illegible. When the
record left at Point Victory was opened to add thereto the
supplemental information which gives it its chief value,
Captain Fitzjames (as may be concluded by the colour of
the ink) filled in the date — 28th — of May, when the record
was originally deposited. The cylinder containing this
record had not been soldered up again ; I suppose they had
not the means of doing so ; it was found on the ground
amongst a few loose stones which had evidently fallen along

ll !

'^0m>^^U^r,ky^-^.y

258

RECORDS AT THE CAIRN. Chap. XVI.

'lis I

:/ I

with it from the top of the cairn. Hobson removed every
stone of this cairn down to the ground and rebuilt it.

Brief as these records are, we must needs be contented
with them ; they are perfect models of official brevity. No
log-book could be more provokingly concise. Yet, that
any record at all should be deposited after the abandonment
of the ships, does not seem to have been at first intended ;
and we should feel the more thankful to Captains Crozier
and Fitzjames, to whom we are indebted for the invaluable
supplement, and our gratitude ought to be all the more
sincere when we remember that the ink had to be thawed^
and that writing in a tent during an April day in the arctic
regions is by no means an easy task.

Before moving forward from that known position, how-
ever, they seem to have reflected upon the importance of
leaving there information as to their route. They must have
felt that their countrymen were seeking, and would seek for
them until some clue was obtained ; and that such definite
points as Simpson's cairn at Cape Herschel, and James
Ross's cairn at Point Victory (between which lay the only
unexplored portion of the North-West Passage) would be
examined, as instinctively as McClure, and Kellett, made for
well-known sandstone rock-beacon at Melville Island, to
seek, and to deposit information. This is the only explana-
tion I can offer of their having sent to Sir James Ross's
pillar in May, 1847, ^i^d of their taking such pains in April,
1848, CO seek out the exact position where it stood, there to
erect a cairn five or six feet high, and place their record
in it.

Besides placing a copy of the record taken away by
Hobson from the cairn, we both put records of our own in
it ; and I also buried one under a large stone ten feet true
north from it, stating the explorations and discoveries we
had made.

l' si

r. Chap. XVI.

June, 1S59.

RELICS A T THE CAIRN,

A great quantity and variety of things lay strewed about
the cairn, such as even in their three days' march from the
ships the retreating crews found it impossible to carty
further. Amongst these were four heavy sets of boat's cook-
ing stove;:, pickaxes, shovels, iron hoops, old canvas, a large
single block, about four feet of a copper lightning conductor,
long pieces of hollow brass curtain rods, a small case of
selected medicines containing about twenty-four phials, the
contents in a wonderful state of preservation ; a dip circle
by Robinson, with two needles, bar magnets, and light hori-
zontal needle all complete, the whole weighing only nine
pounds ; and even a small sextant engraved with the name
of " Frederic Hornby " lying beside the cairn without its
case. The coloured eye-shades of the sextant had been
taken out, otherwise it was perfect; the movable screws
and such parts as come in contact with the observer's hand
were neatly covered with thin leather to prevent frost-bite in
severe weather.

The clothing left by the retreating crews of the ' Erebus '
and 'Terror' formed a huge heap four feet high; every
article was searched, but the pockets were empty, and not
one of all these articles was marked, — indeed sailors' warm
clothing seldom is. Two canteens, the property of marines,
were found, one marked " 88 C. Wm. Hedges," and the
other "89 C°. Wm. Heather." A small pannikin made out
of a two-pound preserved-meat tin had scratched on it "W.
Mark."

These abandoned superfluities afford the saddest and
most convincing proof that here — on this spot — our doomed
and scurvy-stricken countrymen calmly prepared themselves
to struggle manfully for life.

When continuing my homeward march, and, as nearly as
I could judge, 2^^ or si miles to the north of Point Victory,
I saw a few stones placed in line, as if across the head of a

s 2

! !

i. I

26o REFLECTIONS ON THE RE TREA T. Chap, XV I .

tenting place to afford some shelter ; here it was I think that
LieiUenant 'lore deposited the record in May, 1847, which
was found in 1848 by Lieutenant Irving, and finally deposited
at Point Victory. Some scraps of tin vessels were lying
about, but whether they had been left by Sir James Ross's
party in May, 1830, or by the Franklin Expedition in 1847
or 1848, is uncertain.^

Here ended my own search for further traces of our lost
countrymen. Hobson found two other cairns, and many
relics, between this position and Cape Felix. From each
place where any trace was discovered the most interesting of
the relics were taken away, so that the selection we have
made is very considerable.

Of these northern cairns I will give a description when I
have received Hobson's account of his journey; but here it
is as well to state that in his opinion, as well as my own, no
part of the coast between Cape Felix and Cape Crozier has
been visiicd by Esquimaux since the fatal march of the lost
crews in April, 1848; no cairn disturbed; none of the
numerous articles strewed about them, nor the scanty drift-
wood we noticed at long intervals — although invaluable to
the natives — had been touched. From this very significant
fact it is quite certain that they had not been discovered by
the Esquimaux, whose knowledge of the " white men falling
down and dying as they walked along " must be limited to
the shore-line southward and eastward of Cape Crozier, and
where, of course, no traces were permitted to remain for us
to find. It is not probable that such fearful mortality could
have overtaken them so early in their march as within 80

^.i

' It is remarkable that, when Sir James Ross discovered Point Victory
in 1830, he named two points of land, then in sight, Cape Franlvlin, and
Cape Jane Franklin respectively. Eighteen years afterwards Franklin's
ships were abandoned almost within sight of those headlands. Point
Victory, where the survivors landed, is almost identical with Cape Jane
P'ranklin.

T. Chap. XVI.

June, 1859. RETURNING HOMEWARD.

261

miles by sledge-route from the abandoned ships — such being
the distance of the latter from Cape Crozier ; nor is it pro-
bable that we could have passed the wreck had she existed
there, as there are no off-lying islands to the northward of
Cape Crozier, to prevent a ship drifting in upon the beach ;
whilst to the southward they are very numerous, so much so
that a drifting ship could hardly run the gauntlet between
them so as to reach the shore.

The coast from Point Victory northward is considerably
higher than that upon which we have been so many days ;
the sea also is not so shallow, and the ice comes close in ; to
seaward all was heavy close pack, consisting of all descrip-
tions of ice, but for the most part old and heavy.

From Walls' Bay I crossed overland to the eastern shore,
and reached my depot near the entrance of Port Parry on
the 5th June, after an absence of thirty-four days. Hence I
purposed travelling along shore to Cape Sabine, in order to
avoid the rough ice which we encountered when crossing
direct from Cape Victoria in April, and also hoping to
obtain a few more observations for the magnetic inclination.

The weather became foggy as we approached Prince
George's Bay, therefore we were obliged to go well into it
before attempting to cross. We gained the land — upon the
opposite side, as I supposed — and which would lead us
direct to Cape Sabine ; but when the weather cleared up,
we saw a long low island to seaward of us, which puzzled
me much. Eventually I found we had discovered a strait
leading from Prince George's Bay into W^ellington Strait,
about 8 miles south of Cape Sabine.

This discovery cost us a day's delay, and was therefore
unwelcome, as we were then in daily expectation and dread
of the thaw, which renders all travelling so very difficult ;
and we were still 230 long miles from our ship. In this
strait we found a deserted snow village of seventeen huts ;

V,-.

362

GEOLOGICAL REMARKS. Chap. XVI.

}.\

one of them was unusually large, its internal diameter being
14 feet. Strewed about on the ice or in every snow hut,
were shavings and chips of fresh wood ; in one of them I
found a child's toy— a miniature slcvlge — made of wood ; and
the men soon collected enough seal's blubber to supply us
with fuel for our homeward march. No traces of natives
were found upon either shore at this place, nor had I met
with any since leaving the western coast of the island to the
southward of Cx\)Q Crozier.

Having }iassed through nearly to the eastern end of the
strait, we cut off some distance by crossing overland, so as to
reach the sea-coast 3 or 4 miles southward of Cajie Sabine.
A few willow grouse, two foxes, and a young reindeer were
seen. There was some vegetation upon the land, and
animals appeared to resort to this locality in tolerable abun-
dance ; the contrast between it and the low, barren shores
we had so recently come from was striking indeed !

Nothing can exceed the gloom and desolation of the
western coast of King William's Island j Hobson and myself
had some considerable exjjerience of it ; his sojourn there
exceeded a month. Its climate seems different from that of
the eastern coast ; it is more exposed to norui-west winds,
and the air was almost constantly loaded with chilling fogs.
Everywhere upon the shores of the island I noticed boulders
of dark gneiss; upon the w^est coast they were generally
small, and of a dark gray colour. About the north part
of the island Hobson found a good deal of sandstone,
the probable result of ice-drift from Melville Island or
Banks Land.

The west coast gives one the idea of its having risen
within a recent geological period from the sea — not sud-
denly, but at regular in.,'rvals; the numerous terraces or
beach-marks form long horizontal lines, rising very gradually,
and in due proportion as their distance increases from the

Chap. XVI.

Junk, 1859.

BOOTHIA FELIX.

263

sea ; near the shore they are of course most distinct; some
fossils were picked up, chielly impressions of shells.

King William's Island is for the most part extremely
barren, and its surflice dotted over with innumerable ponds
and lakes. It is not by any means the " land abounding
with reindeer and musk oxen " which we expected to find :
the natives told us there were none of the latter and very
few of the former upon it.

On the 8th June the first ducks and brent geese were seen
flying northward. Passing over the extreme point of Cape
Victoria, Boothia Land, near which we saw the deserted
snow huts of our March ac(iuaintances, and shortly after-
wards crossing the mouth of the deep bay to the north of it,
in which, sheltered by the island, a ship would find security
from ice pressure, and very tolerable winter quarters, we
again reached the straight low limestone coast of Boothia
Felix.

I was unable to make any delay at the Magnetic Pole,
nor could I find a trace of Ross's cairn ; ^ but at each of our
encampments along the coast the magnetic inclination was
carefully observed. Throughout my whole journey I availed
myself of every opportunity of obtaining these most interest-
ing observations, often remaining up, after we had encamped
for rest, six or seven hours in order to do so ; but the instru-
ments supplied for this purpose were not well adapted for
use in this climate or in the open air, consec^uently they
occasioned me a vast deal of labour and loss of time, so as
to diminish to almost one-third the results I should otherwise
have obtained.

Much snow has disappeared off the land ; and the ridges

' This cairn, as well as the one built on Point Victory in 1830, had
been destroyed by the natives ; fortunately they had not visited Point
Victory wliilst tlie Franklin cairn and record remained there, other-
wise neither cairn nor record would have remained for us to dis-
cover.

■A * ' ?#

i!:i;.

li 1^

i'^

: ,

it ■

!.S

■ ;

i i

■[

ij.

V . — ►-

264

ILLNESS 01^ HOBSON.

Chap. XVI.

or ancient beaches, being the parts most free from snow,
showed out strongly in long, dark, horizontal lines, rising
above each other until lost to view in the interior. Here
and there a few fossil shells and corals were picked up ; and
four or five willow grouse were shot.

\'^th June. — We i)assed from limestone to granite in lat.
71° 10' N. Here the land attains to considerable elevation.
In the liollows of tlie dark granite rocks we found abun-
dance of water, and also in a few places upon the sea-ice ;
it was quite evident that in another day or two the snow
would altogether yield to the warmth of summer; birds
were now frequently seen.

We discovered a narrow channel to the eastward of the
one between the Tasmania Group, through which we had
passed with so much difiiculty in April ; our new channel
was covered with smooth ice, and was also much shorter.

At one of our dc[)ots lately visited, a note left by Hobson
informed me of his being six days in advance of me, and also
of his own serious illness ; for many days past he had been
unable to walk, and was consecjuently conveyed upon the
sledge ; his men were hastening home with all their strength
and speed, in order to get him under the Doctor's care. AVe
also were doing our best to push on, lest the bursting out of
melting snow from the various ravines should render the ice
impassable.

On the 15 th the snow upon the ice everywhere yielded to
the effects of increased temperature ; I was indeed most
thankful at its having remained firm so long. To make any
l)rogress at all after this date was of course a very great
labour, requiring the utmost efforts of both the men nnd the
dogs ; nor was the freezing mixture through which we
trutlged by any means agreeable : we were often more than
knee-deep in it.

We succeeded in reaching False Strait on the morning of

Chap. XVI.

Junk, 1859. ARRIVE ON BOARD THE ' FOX: 265

the 1 8th June, and pitched our tent just as heavy rain began
to descend ; it lasted throughout tlie greater part of the day.
After travelUng a few miles upon Macgregor Laird Lake,
further progress was found to be quite impossible, and we
were obliged to haul our sledges up off the flooded ice, and
commence a march of 16 or 17 miles overland for the ship.
The poor dogs were so tired and sore-footed, that we could
not induce them to follow us ; they remained about the
sledges. After a very fatiguing scramble across the hills and
through the snow valleys we were refreshed with a sight of
our poor dear lonely little ' P'ox,' and arrived on board in
time for a late breakfast on 19th June, after an absence of
seventy-eight days.

I may here, at the conclusion of our journey, and as the
result of our experience, express my oi)inion that, had the
barrier of ice which lay across the western outlet of Bellot
Strait permitted us last season to reach the open water
I)eyond, the chances would have been greatly in favour of
our reaching Cape Herschel on the S. side of King William's
Island, by passing (as I intended to do) along its casicrn
side.

The wide channel between Prince of Wales' Land and
Victoria Land admits a continuous stream of very heavy
ocean-formed polar ice from the N.W., which presses upon
the north-western shore of King William's Island; thus
opposing a formidable bairier to the descent of Victoria
Strait with shii)s, and involving to the navigator the very
heavy risk of drifting through in the pack.

No one seeing Victoria Strait as we saw it could entertain
a doubt of this being the only way to get a ship through.

From Hcllot Strait to Cape Victoria we found a mixture
of old and new ice, showing the exact proportion of pack
and of clear water at the setting in of winter. Once to the
southward of the Tasmania Group, I think our chief diffi-

!fl*

^.. I

ill

'■(

-"W^ i '■' A

266

A'A VIGABLE N.IV. PASSAGE. Chap. XVI.

culty would have been overcome ; and south of Cape Vic-
toria I doubt whether any further obstruction would have
been experienced, as but Uttle if any ice remained. The
natives told us the ice went away, and left a clear sea ever}'
year. As our discoveries show Victoria Strait to be but
little more than 20 miles wide, the ice pressed southward
through so narrow a space could hardly have prevented our
crossing southward of it, to Victoria Land, and Cambridge
Bay, the wintering place reached by CoUinson, from the west,
in 1852.

In a season so favourable for navigation as to open Peel
Sound (as, for instance, in 1846, when Franklin sailed down
it), I think but comparatively litde difficulty would be ex-
perienced until Victoria Strait was reached. Had Sir John
Franklin known that a channel existed on the eastern side
of King William's Land — so named by Sir John Ross, and
laid down by him as part of tb i mainland — he would not
have risked the besetment of his '/aips in the very heavy ice
to the westward of it ; but would have taken the eastern,
although more circuitous passage, and would in all pro-
bability have carried his ships safely through to Eehring
Strait, in [846.

But Franklin had no alternative ; he was furnished with
charts which indicated no opening to the eastward of King
William's Land ; ' consequently he had but one course open
to him, and that the one he adopted.

My own preference for the route by the enst side of the
island has been formed with a knowledge of Rae's obser\'a-
tions on that locality, and of the experience of Collinson to
the westward. I am of opinion that the barrier of ice off
Bellot Strait, some 3 or 4 miles wide, was the only obstacle
to our carrying the ' J''ox,' according to my original inten-
tion, southward between Boothia and King William's Island
• It was not until 1854 that its insularity was determined, Ivy Dr. Rae.

Chap. XVI.

June, 1859. NAVIGABLE N.IV. PASSAGE.

267

towards the Great Fish River, and from thence to a winter-
ing position on Victoria Land. Perhaps some future
voyager, profiting by the experience of Frankhn, and the
observations which my journey round King WiUiam's Island
has enabled me to make, may succeed in carrying his ship
through from sea to sea; at least he will be enabled to
direct all his efforts m the true and only direction. Never-
theless, to Franklin must be assigned the virtual completion
of the North-West Passage,' as well as the priority of its
discovery. This fact will be readily understood when it is
recollected that a navigable passage is known to exist along
the continent of North America, from Boothia to Behring
Strait. Franklin himself, and his companion Richardson,
discovered and surveyed by far the greater portion of that
vast extent, which overlaps in longitude the discoveries of
Parry in a more northern latitude; and for the last thirty
years or more, the discover)- of a North-West Passage has
been reducid to the disco\ -ry of a link uniting the two.
Therefore, to reach those well-known waters along the
continental shore was the guiding object of all Franklin's
eftbrts ; and that heroic leader, having conducted his ships
almost within reach of the goal, sent forth his parties to
explore ; to me a striking parallel here suggests itself.

But neither Franklin nor any one of his heroic band was
destined to bring home the news of their achievement ; nor
perha[)s would it ever have been fully brought to light, had
not the ' Fox ' been sent on her noble mission, and returned
in safety,

Intelligence of the discovery of a North-West Passage in
1S50 by Sir Robert McClure, who entered the Arctic Sea
by Behring Strait, reached England in 1853 ; but it is only
now that we have become aware of Franklin's prior dis-
covery, which was probably made in the spring of 1847.

' See Preface, page xiii.

i i

i : '

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■1

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268

DEATH FROM SCURVY.

Chap. XVI.

Saturday, 27ul July. — Upon my arrival at the ship on the
morning of the 19th June, my first enquiries were about
Hobson ; I found him in a much worse state than I liad
expected. He reached the ship on the 14th, unable to walk
or even to stand, without assistance ; but already he was
beginning to amend, and was in excellent spirits. Christian
liad shot several ducks, which, with preserved potato, milk,
strong ale, and lemon-juice, completed a very respectable
dietary for a scurvy-stricken patient. All the rest were
tolerably well ; slight traces only of scurvy in two or three
of the men. The ship was as clean and trim as I could
have expected, and all had well and cheerfully performed
their duties during my absence ; hardly any game had been
shot, except one bear.

The Doctor now acquainted me with the death of Thomas
Blackwell, ship's steward, which occurred only five days
previously, and was occasioned by scurvy. This man had
scurvy when I left the ship in April, and no means were
left untried by the Doctor to promote his recovery and
rally his desponding energies; but his mind, unsustained
by hope, lost all energy, and at last he had to be forcibly
taken upon deck for fresh air. For months past the
ship's spirits had been of necessity removed from under
his control.

When too late, his shipmates made it known that he had
a dislike to preserved meats, and had '"/ed the whole winter
upon salt i)ork ! He also disliked preserved potato, and
would not eat it unless watched, nor would he put on clean
clothes, which others in charity prepared for him. Yet his
death was somewhat unexpected ; he went on deck as usual
to walk in the middle of the day, and, when found there,
was quite dead. His remains were buried beside those
of our late shipmate Mr. Brand.

The news of our success to the southward in tracing the

Chap. XVI.

July, 1859. ANXIETY FOR YOUNG'S RETURN. 269

footsteps of the lost expedition, greatly revived the spirits of
my small crew ; we wished only for the safe and speedy
return of Young and his party.

Captain Young commenced his spring explorations on the
7th April, with a sledge party of four men, and a second
sledge drawn by six dogs under the management of our
Greenlander, Samuel ; almost incessant gales greatly retarded
his progress : and finding that a channel existed between
Prince of Wales' Land and Victoria Land whereby his field
for discovery and search would be lengthened, he sent back
one sledge, the tent, and four men to the ship, in order to
economise provisions, and for forty days journeyed with one
man (George Hobday) and the dogs, encamping in such
snow lodges as they were able to build.

For many days together no sun appeared ; the)' journeyed
when the storms abated, pushing on — without regard to day
or night on these occasions — as long as their strength per-
mitted. Once, when quite worn out v\ "di fatigue, they slept
an unbroken sleep of many hours, their snow-hut so buried
in the drift as to be unusually warm and snug, and the storm
without supplying an appropriate lullaby ; and so a day
slipped by unnoticed ! It would have been a marvel had
they retained their reckoning during those forty dreary,
diurnal periods, those days without nights.

Young, being a skilful navigator, tested and corrected his
calendar, by comparing his observed lunar distance with that
given in the Nautical Almanack.

Hobday is a fine young man-of-war's man, and also a man
of few words ; his faith in his leader was unbounded, and of
the unquestioning sort : all he cared to understand, were his
orders.

When Young contemplated the possibility of still further
extending his journey, by substituting a lame dog or two for
pemmican, the only response his taciturn companion vouch-

f : M

X:'

I f

270 ANXIETY FOR YOUNG'S RETURN, Chap. XVI.

r m

safed to this announcement was— " If you can eat dog, why,
so can I ! "

But this great exposure and fatigue, together with ex-
tremely bad weather, and a most difficult coast-line to trace,
greatly injured Young's health ; he was compelled to return
to the ship on 7th June for medical aid, but purposing at all
hazards to renew his explorations almost immediately. Dr.
Walker met this determination by a strong protest in writing
against his leaving the ship again, his health being quite
u> equal to it; but after three days Young felt himself some-
what better, and, with a zeal which knew no bounds, set off
to complete his branch of the searc' taking with him both
his sledge parties.

From the Doctor's account I felt most anxious for his
return, lest his health, or that of his companions, should
receive permanent injury; in fact this was now my only
cause of anxiety. The season was rather forward here, and
advancing with unusual rapidity, rain and wind dissolving
the snow and ice ; there was much water in Bellot Strait,
extending from Half-way Island eastward to the table land,
and thence in a narrow lane to Long Island.

After a day or two I could perceive a vast improvement
in Hobson ; and my own four men, with the exception of
Hami)ton who required a long rest, were in sound health ;
so also was my companion Petersen. On 24th June Chris-
tian shot two small reindeer, which gave us 170 lbs. of meat ;
a few days before that he shot a seal, which afforded two
sumptuous meals for all on board.

The time had now elapsed during which Young expected
to remain absent, and supposing the difficulty of the transit
from the western sea to have still further increased, I set off
nirly on the 25th June with my four men, intending to visit
Pemmican Rock ; but fliiling to come across him there, I
resolved to carry on provisions as far as Four River Point,

July, 1859. SEARCH FOR CAPTAIN YOUNG. 271

in the hope of ineeting with him, and of faciUtating his
return. To our surprise the water had all drained off the
frozen surface of the Long Lake, and it therefore afforded
excellent travelling. We found the poor dogs lying quietly
beside our sledges ; they had attacked the pemmican, and
devoured a small quantity which was not seaired in tin, also
some blubber, some leather straps, and a gull that I had
shot for a specimen ; but they had not apparently relished
the biscuit. Poor dogs ! they have a hard life of it in these
regions. Even Petersen, who is generally kind and humane,
seems to fancy they must have little or no feeling : one of
his theories is, that you may knock an Esquimaux dog
about the head with any article, however heavy, with perfect
impunity to the brute. One of us upbraided him the other
day because he broke his whip-handle over the head of a
dog. " That 7C'as nothing at all" he assured us : some friend
of his in Greenland found he could beat his dogs over the
head with a heavy hammer — it stunned them certainly —
but by laying them with their mouths open to the wind, they
soon revived, got up, and ran about " all right r

We lost no time in giving them a good feed, the first for
seven days, yet they did not seem unusually hungry, and
soon coiled themselves up to sleep again. Whilst the men
and dogs were employed next day in conveying a sledge
to the east end of the lake, I walked to Cape Bird to look
out for the absent party, but they had not yet returned to
Pemmican Rock.

When vainly endeavouring, with felonious intentions, to
climb up a steep cliff to the breeding-places of some silvery
galls, I saw and shot a brent goose, seated upon an accessible
ledge, and made a prize of four eggs ; that this bird should
have selected so unusual a breeding-place is a proof that in
cunning she was more than a match for the foxes, for her
nest was quite beyond their reach. Many seals were bask-

1.'^

It I

If'

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"f.

: I'll

!)|

27.

YOUNG RETURNS SAFELY. Chap. XVI.

ing on tlic ice, and the watercourse by which our sledges
ascended a week before to tlie Long Lake was now a strong
and rapid stream. A few reindeer were seen.

On the 27th I sent three of the men back to the ship, and
with Thompson and the dogs went on to Pemmican Rock,
where, to our great joy, we liappily met Young and his party,
who had but just returned there, after a long and successful
journey, the particulars of which I will give hereafter.

Young was greatly reduced in flesh and strength, so
much weakened indeed that for the last ^cw days he had
travelled on the dog sledge ; Harvey — also far from well —
could just manage to keep pace with the sledge ; his malady
was scurvy. Their jouniies had been very depressing ;
most dismal weather, low dreary limestone shores devoid
of game, and no trace of the lost expedition. The news of
our success in the southern journies greatly cheered them.
On the following day we were all once more on board, and
indulging in an enormous consumption of eatables, such as
only those can do who have been much reduced by long-
continued fatigue and exposure to cold. Venison, ducks,
beer, and lemon-juice, daily ■, preserved apples and cran-
berries three times a week ; and pickled whaleskin — a
famous antiscorbutic — ad libitinn for all who liked it. The
weather, which for the last week had been wet, windy,
and miserable, now set in fair. The carpenter's hammer, and
the men's voices at their work, were new and animating
St. unds.

Chap. XVI.

July, 1859. MONOTONOUS LIFE ON BOARD.

273

:h our sledges
s now a strong

3 the ship, and
mmican Rock, .
; and his party,
and successful
ereafter.
d strength, so
kv days he had
far from well —
Ige ; his malady
ny depressing ;
shores devoid
I. The news of
\{ cheered them.
3 on board, and
latables, such as
duced by long-
enison, ducks,
)les and cran-
whaleskin — a
liked it. The
en wet, windy,
■'s hammer, and
and animating

CHAPTER XVII.

Signs of release — Seal-stalking — Dearth of animal life — Hirlhdays —
]5reak out of winter quarters — Game lists — Steam out of Port — •
I'^scape from Regent's Inlet — In Baffin's I'ay — Bears — Captain
Allen Young's journey — Ilohson's journey — Disco; sad disap-
pointment — Part from our Esquimaux friends — Adieu to Green-
land — Arrive home.

During the long absence of Hobson, Young, and myself,
the Doctor has had but a dreary time of it on board ; no
wonder he felt " very lonely and oiten thought of home."

Once a white wolf came very near to the ship, but the
rifles would not go off. Another time a bear with her two
cubs actually came alongside the ship and went away un-
observed ; but another bear was less fortunate, it was shot,
and the steaks were eagerly devoured. Gradually the birds
arrived from the south; an occasional hare, or perhaps a
deer-track, would enliven his solitary ramble over the hills ;
at length the thawing commenced, the welcome sound of
running water was heard, and the wild plants put forth their
tiny flowers.

Later still, a few insects appeared, and convinced him
that the Summer had at length arrived.

To-day {2nd July) I took a long and delightful walk, but
shot only two ducks ; Petersen went in another direction,
and got nothing \ Christian, after toiling all day in his kayak,
returned with only two divers and a duck. Lately he has
obtained for us several king and long-tailed ducks (no eider
ducks have been seen), two red-throated divers, and two
brent geese, and caught an ermine in its summer coat.

"iy.i

274

SIGNS OF RELEASE.

Chap. XVII.

■;S

),i,i|

Yesterday one of the n.Jii brought on board a trout weigh-
ing 2 lbs. ; he saw a glaucous gull and a fox dis])uting for it
on the margin of a small lake ; the former seems to have
killed and brought it to land.

W« have seen that Bellot Strait continued unfrozen
throughout the entire winter. In this respect it bears an
exact resemblance to the various water-spaces which have,
from time to time, been reported, and were regarded as
proofs of an open polar sta — the polynia of some writers.
In every instance where more extended observation has
been made, not only have the hypotheses which attributed
this open water to modifications of temperature, or sub-
currents of warm water, &c.,been proved to have no founda-
tion in fact, but it has been ascertained that the existence
of these water-spaces is solely due to the strength of the
currents or tides.

The Bellot Strait water now washes the south side of
the Fox Islands, and extends to the south point of Long
Island. The month of June has -^een somewhat warmer
than usual, its mean temperature being -f- 35 i°.

9///. — The ship has been thoroughly cleaned and restowed,
remaining provisions examined, tanks filled with fresh water,
1 2 tons of stone ballast taken in, and everything brought on
board that was landed last autumn. Hobson is the only
one upon the sick list ; but he is able to walk about and
does duty. Very few birds, and only one small seal, have
been obtained during the week ; an occasional great northern
diver is seen, and a rare land bird has been shot. "VVe
cannot discover the nests of eider ducks or geese, and the
breeding cliff's of the gulls being inaccessible, we have not
got any eggs. I am a close prisoner at the corner of my
table, poring over my observation and angle book, and have
at length laid down upon paper the west coast of King
William's Land to my satisfliction. Tidal observations are

Chap. XVII.

[ a trout weigh-
disputing for it
seems to have

nued unfrozen
ect it bears an
:es which have,
;re regarded as
)f seme writers,
observation has
which, attributed
erature, or sub-
have no founda-
lat the existence
; strength of the

le south side of

h point of Long

imewhat warmer

^ed and restowed,
with fresh water,
Ithing brought on
|bson is the only
walk about and
small seal, have
al great northern
been shot. We
r geese, and the
ible, we have not
he corner of my
le book, and have
,t coast of King
observations are

July, 1859. CHRISTIAN SEAL-STALKIXG.

275

commenced ; and the aneroid and mercurial barometers
are again being compared in order to verify the former.

idth. Saturday night. — We are now almost ready for sea.
There is a much larger space of water in Bellot Strait, reach-
ing within 300 or 400 yards of us. Long cracks or lanes of
water have been seen in Prince Regent's Inlet. The decay
of the ice continues, though not with equal rapidity, yet with
very satisfactory despatch. Westerly winds and clear weather
prevail. Christian has seen two reindeer this week, and has
shot a very few birds, and seven seals. As these creatures
lie basking upon the ice, he crawls up to them behind a
small calico screen, fitted upon a miniature sledge about a
foot long, on which there is a rest for the muzzle of his rifle,
and a slit in the calico through which he fires.

Christian Seal-stalking.

The seals afford an average weight of thirty pounds of
excellent fresh meat, which we relish greatly, and consider

T 2

i I'

[ 3

276

RESULT OF LABOURS.

Chap. XVII.

much better suited to our present condition, than such poor
venison as reindeer would furnish at this season. A single
hare has been shot ; the white fur has nearly all disappeared,
and left exposed the summer coat of dull lead colour.
Several small birds not common to the northward are found
here. Insects abound ; the Doctor is perpetually in chase,
unless busily occupied in grubbing up plants. Young is
surveying the harbour. Hobson fully occupied with pre-
paring the ship for sea. I have been giving some attention
to the engines and boiler, and hope, with the help of the two
stokers, to be able to make use of our steam power.

With regard to Christian's stratagem for approaching a
seal upon the ice, I have heard that the Greenlanders caught
the idea from a bear who was seen holding up a piece of ice
in his paws, and thus shielded from its view, steal up to a
seal ! I do not insist on the truth of the story. Esquimaux
require no such prompting ; their tradition is that by con-
cealing their boats and kayaks behind pieces of ice, and
drifting in before the wind, clothed in white furs, they suc-
ceeded in surprising the last of the Scandinavian settlements
in South Greenland ; they surrounded it, set fire to it, and
slaughtered the wretched inhabitants as they rushed out, one
powerful old man alone escaping with his young son to the
mountains of the interior. History tells us that the lost
colonies of Greenland, which were first settled in the
eleventh century, became extinct in the fourteenth.

The men have received my hearty thanks for their great
exertions during the travelling period. I told them I con-
sidered every part of our search to have been fully and
efficiently performed. Our labours have determined the
exact position of the extreme northern promontory of
the continent of America ; I have affixed to it the name
of Murchison, after the distinguished President of the
Royal Geographical Society — the strenuous advocate for

Chap. XVII.

than such poor
;ason. A single
all disappeared,
ull lead colour,
hward are found
etually in chase,
ants. Young is
:upied with pre-
g some attention
e help of the two
n power.

)r approaching a
;enlanders caught
up a piece of ice
ew, steal up to a
tory. Esquimaux
n is that by con-
ieces of ice, and
ite furs, they suc-
lavian settlements
|set fire to it, and
ly rushed out, one
young son to the
us that the lost
settled in the
rteenth.

iks for their great
told them I con-
been fully and
determined the
promontory of
to it the name
resident of the
as advocate for

Aug. 1859. DEARTH OF ANIMAL LIFE,

277

this "further search" — and the able champion of Lady
Franklin when she needed all the support which private
friendship and public spirit could bestow.

22t^d. — The ice in Prince Regent's Inlet is broken up into
pack, but the prevalence of easterly winds keeps it close in
upon this shore. The ice about us is very much decayed,
holes through it in many places. No reindeer seen this
week, and only two seals procured ; one of them shot by
Christian, the other was killed by a bear, v/hich ran off
before Samuel could come within shot of him. A fox, a
gull, a couple of ducks, and one or two lemmings, complete
our game list for the week, yet our two Esquimaux are inde-
fatigable in the pursuit. We eat all the birds and seals we
can shoot, as well as mustard and ere s as fast as we can
grow it, but the quantity is very small. We sometimes
refresh ourselves with a salad of sorrel-leaves, or roots of
the little plant with lilac flower of snapdragon shape, named
Pedicular is hirsiita.

The seine has been hauled in the narrow lake at the
head of the harbour, but as it was not well managed, only
a dozen small trout were taken, though more were seen.
We have tried for rock-cod, but without success. The
relics of the lost expedition have been aired, exhibited to
the crew, labelled, and packed away. The Doctor has
been dredging lately. A record detailing our proceedings
has been placed in a cairn upon the west point of Depot
Bay.

ist August. — Birthdays have been numerous lately j the
men have compared notes, and have discovered that two^
or even three, of them were born on the same day !
Hobson's good nature is appealed to for aid in these
celebrations, for pipes, or tobacco, a glass of grog, or a
holiday and a gun, to try and shoot something for the pot.

A few evenings ago our steward was looking remarkably

278

OUT OF WINTER QUARTERS. Chap. XVII.

vM I

n 1

like an owl — next morning his appearance was ghastly;
he was brought up for judicial investigation. His eldest
daughter, he said, had on that day attained her ninth year ;
to do honour to tne event, he had saved up a little grog,
quite contrary to his usual custom^ and that its effect,
together with the excitement of his feelings, overpowered
him, &c. In short, he supplied most ingenious excuses,
and in return I gave much excellent advice. In truth, I
felt somewhat indebted to the unconscious little maiden for
even this shadov, of an excuse ; but not wishing either the
paternal feelings, or the good effects of my counsel to be
put to a sevfe test, I do hope no more birthdays will occur
in that family during the remainder of our sojourn in
the ' Fox.'

A long continuance of unusually calm, bright, and warm
weather has been favourable to our painting and cleaning
the ship, scraping un.sts, and so forth. The result is that
she looks unusrially smart and gay, and our impatience to
exhibit her, and ourselves, at home is much increased. With
the exception of a ff w gulis, and a duck, our hunters have
shot nothing lately, alihough constantly out, either darting
about in their kayaks, or ranging over the hills ; in fact,
there is nothing which they can shoot ; the ducks are
tolerably numerous, but extremely wild ; the valleys are
respectably clothed with vegetation, yet only one animal —
a hare — has been seen. I was so fortunate as to shoot a
snowy owl, the flesh of which was white and tender, but, to
my palate, tasteless, although Petersen considers that *' owl
is the best beef in the country."

On Thursday night we found the harbour-ice to be
([uietly drifting out, of course taking us with it. The night
was calm, the current in Bellot Strait very strong, we were
almost helpless under the circumstances, and therefore felt
the danger of our position. To warp the ship along the

filff

S. Chap. XVII.

Aug. 1859.

WAITING TO ESCAPE.

279

ice-edge, out of the way of the shore and rocks as it turned
round and drifted along the cUffs to the westward, gave us
some hours' occupation. At length it stuck fast between
Fox Island and the main.

At turn of tide on Friday morning the ice began to drift
eastward, and by this time being much broken up, and
a breeze coming to our aid, we managed to extricate our-
selves, and reach a secure anchorage in Port Kennedy.

On Saturday night some ice that was left came drifting
out of the inner harbour, and obliged us to slip our cable ;
but after a few hours we regained our berth in safety, and
have since been undisturbed. There is no immediate
prospect of escape, but we expect a prodigious smashing
up of the ice whenever a strong wind comes to set it in
motion. To-day the steam was got up, and with the help
of our two stokers I worked the engines for a short time.
It is ytrf cheering to know that we still have steam power
at our command, although, by the deaths of poor Mr. Brand
and Robert Scott, we were deprived of our engineer and
engine-driver.

The mean temperature for July has been 40*14°, which is
above the average for this region ; the July temperatures
have usually varied from 36° to 42°.

All are now in good health, but Hobson is still a little lame.
The issue of lemon-juice has been reduced to the ordinary
allowance of half an ounce daily (as we have but little that
is really good), lest another winter should become in-
evitable, which, I can devoutly say, may God forbid !

Monday nii:;/it, d>i/i. — Very anxiously awaiting an oppor-
tunity to escape. We have constantly watched the ice from
the neighbouring hills, including the lofty summit of Mount
Walker — named after the Doctor, who was the first to
ascend it (1123 feet) — from which Fury Point can be
distinguished, but nothing very cheering has been seen. We

28o

HOPE OF ESCAPE.

Chap, XVII.

Ill

III

had a N.E. gale, accompanied by rain and a considerable
fall of the barometer, a few days ago ; and as it blew freshly
from the westward this morning, I went to a hill-top, and
saw that much ice had been broken up in Brentford Bay,
and that there were streaks of water along the land between
Possession Point and Hazard Inlet ; this water, however,
was not accessible to us.

The ice about Pemmican Rock was much in the same
position as we found it last year, but Bellot Strait was
perfectly clear. All the ice in this harbour, in Depot Bay,
and Hazard Inlet, is gone, by far the greater part having
decayed, not drifted away.

Later in the day, and from loftier hill-tops, a good deal of
water was seen off Cape Clarry, and a water-sky beyond.
It now blows very strongly from the S.W., the most de-
sirable quarter ; and as the anxious desire to escape has
become oppressive, it is not to be wondered at that now
our hopes have become extravagant. We may even make
a start to-morrow ! On the other hand, a careful examina-
tion of our provision store shows that, should we be obliged
to spend another winter here, we must curtail our allowance
of meat — fresh and salt — to three-quarters of a pound, and
liave to use but very indifferent lemon-juice. The spirits,
I rejoice to say, will very shortly be entirely expended.

On the morning of the 3rd instant, when the rain ceased
and a N.E. gale sprang up, two claps of thunder were dis-
tinctly heard \ this occurs but very rarely in these latitudes.
There is ample occupation for the men, but not much for
the officers ; as for myself, I write a great deal, and work
occasionally at our chart of discoveries ; the only refresh-
ment I indulge in is an occasinal dive into packets of old
letters. All yesterday the harbour was full of ice, driven in
by southerly and westerly winds, and so closely packed that
one might have walked over it to the shore ; to-day it has

Chap. XVII.

a considerable
I it blew freshly

a hill-top, and
Brentford Bay,
e land between
rater, however,

:h in the same

:llot Strait was

in Depot Bay,

;er part having

a good deal of
:er-sky beyond.
,, the most de-
to escape has
id at that now
nay even make
areful examina-
l we be obliged
I our allowance
■ a pound, and
The spirits,
xpended.
le rain ceased
mder were dis-
thcse latitudes,
not much for
eal, and work
only refresh-
packets of old
ice, driven in
y packed that
; to-day it has

Aug. 1859.

GAAfE LISTS.

281

nearly all drifted out again. The subjoined table will show
what game we have been able to obtain, by constant and
arduous labour from the resources of these regions during
two years' sojourn : also the game lists of most of the Arctic
Expeditions. The pursuit of game was perhaps more
systematically and perseveringly followed at Port Leopold,
and at Dealy Island, than at any other stations.

The very small game list for Winter Harbour is accounted
for by the inexperience of all on board the ships ; and
compared with that for Dealy Island — only forty miles from
it, and not in any way more favoured — furnishes a striking
contrast between the first winter and the last, which our
Government ships have ever passed in the arctic regions.

At Port Kennedy several ermines were caught ; a few
seals were seen in the waterspace in Bellot Strait as early as
February ; only two dovekies were seen — one in summer
plumage, and the other in winter plumage. A few ptarmigan
and willow grouse remained all the winter ; many came
from the south in early spring, but all of them went north-
ward before April. During the four months occupied in
sailing from Davis' Strait to Bellot Strait, several hundreds
of looms and dovekies, and five or six bears, were shot.

We had hoped to find musk oxen at Port Kennedy, but
were not so fortunate as even to see one of those most
interesting animals. Nothing in these dreary solitudes
brings home to one so forcibly the wonderful power of
adaptation which nature so frequently displays, as the first
sight of a herd of these tremendously shaggy little arctic
buffaloes, contentedly scraping away the snow, and browsing
such scanty vegetation as the soil affords. Their lips are so
flattened, and incisors so sharp, that they shave the frozen
ground more closely than sheep or goats could do.

Nowhere have we found them more numerous than at
Melville Island, where 114 were shot during the twelve

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Aug. 1859.

lUl/SK OXEN.

283

months passed there by the ships commanded by Captain
Kellett and myself. On its western shores our exploring
parties would sometimes see forty, fifty, or even sixty oxen
in a single day's march.

The largest bulls approach to 800 lbs. in weight. The
uniform colour is a daik brownish black ; one cow was seen
of a pure white colour, but she was accompanir -^ by a black
calf. They clamber up the steepest rocky ascents like
goats, and when running, their long black hair heaves up
and down, and, streaming in the breeze, gives them a
peculiarly savage appearance ; it is so long that they occa-
sionally tread on it, and you find hairs almost two feet in
length, stamped into the snow. There is an undergrowth
of very thick wool, so soft and silky that the warmest gloves
have been made of it. The musk ox is not absolutely
deficient of a tail, but it never exceeds one inch anu a
half in length.

They do not seem to cross from one island to another, as
the reindeer do, but usually roam about in small herds.
Unaccustomed to man, they seldom deigned to notice us
until we came toierably near, then they would geiierally
close together in an attitude of defence. Whilst facing you,
their massive horns so eftectually shield every vital part
that it is useless to fire, therefore a single sportsman must
wait until their patience is exhausted, and they alter their
position. But it is desirable to get behind a patch of glassy
ice, a rock, or some rough ground, where they cannot
charge straight at you, which we have kno^\n them do,
before, as well as after being fired at.

I once came rather suddenly upon a solitary old bull ; he
instantly faced me, rubbed the tips of his horns against his
forelegs for a few seconds, and then rushed on at full speed.
At the moment I was standing quite still, waiting for lim to
expose his shoulder, and examining my priming; I had,

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284

MUSK OXEN.

Chap. XVII.

however, taken the precaution to approach him along the
edge of a ravine, so by retreating a few paces down the
steep slope I was able to shoot him when he halted on the
brink above me. Another time three bulls allowed me to
walk close up to them. I shot one, but the other two only
stared stupidly, as if they could not understand it. I was
obliged to shoot a second, as he seemed inclined to be
troublesome, having begun to rub his horns against his fore-
legs — a sure sign that mischief is brewing ; even then we
had to pelt the remaining one with clods, hitting him re-
peatedly, but holding our guns ready cocked,' for the musk ox
is as impetuous as he is fearless — before he would move away.

Three or four sportsmen may station themselves about a
herd, close in to seventy or eighty yards, and then by
picking off the restless ones first, so bewilder the remainder
as to secure them all. I have been one of three to shoot
down a herd of ten oxen in this manner, in three or four
minutes. No wonder then that we looked out anxiously for
musk oxen at Port Kennedy ; one such battue as this
would have supplied us with fresh beef every day for three
months ! Their flesh is decidedly beef, but the fat is as
decidedly mutton fat ; in autumn tue flesh of the males is
often so strongly tainted with musk that only the dogs
can eat it.

Musk oxen are unknown in Greenland ; and the only
instance that has ever come to my knowledge of their exist-
ence on the western shores of Baffin's Bay, or eastward of
Wellington Channel and Prince Regent's Inlet, is the soli-
tary one of a skull found near Cape Horsburgh (lat. 75° N.)
in 1865, when the whaler 'Queen' wintered in its vicinity.
Dr. Kane's expedition found some of their skulls on the
shore of Smith's Sound, where the mean annual temperature
is 34° below the freezing point ! How much farther north
they may exist, is not known.

Chap. XVII.

im along the
ces down the
halted on the
llowed me to
ther two only
id it. I was
iclined to be
ainst his fore-
iven then we
tting him re-
r the musk ox
d move away,
lelves about a
md then by
he remainder
iree to shoot
:hree or four
anxiously for
jttiie as this
day for three
the fat is as
the males is
ily the dogs

,nd the only
f their exist-
* eastward of
, is the soli-
(lat. 75° N.)
its vicinity,
culls on the
temperature
irther north

Aug. 1859. LEAVE PORT KENNEDY.

285

Wednesday, 10th. — The S.W. wind proved a good friend to
us; by the morning of the 9th it had moved the ice off
shore, and cleared away a passage for us out of Brentford
Bay. We started under steam at eleven o'clock yesterday
morning, and, passing round Long Island, made sail along
the land towards Cape Garry, there being a channel about
2 or 3 miles wide between the pack and the shore.

The wind now failed us, and I ex])erienced some little
dii^culty in the management of the engines and boiler ; the
latter primed so violently as to send the hot water and
steam over our tO];; gallant yard, to the dismay of Young,
who was up there piloting the ship through the ice, and who
was of course very speedily compelled to descend from his
eyrie : and the tail valve of the condenser by some means
had got out of its seat, and admitted air to the condenser ;
but eventually we got the engines to work well, and steamed
across Cresswell Bay during the night. The pack rested
against Fury Point, and an east wind springing up, we made
fast to a large grounded mass of ice in Adelaide Bay, about
\ mile off shore and in 3 fathoms' water, at eleven o'clock
this morning. Having managed the engines for twenty-four
consecutive hours, I was not sorry to get into bed. We
were hardly out of Brentford Bay when fulmar petrels and
white whales were seen — the first we have noticed for
eleven and a ho If months; dovekies are likewise abundant,
and a seal has already been shot. Cresswell Bay is per-
fectly clear of ice, but this pale limestone land is the
perfection of sterih'ty, even with the rugged hills of Brent-
ford Bay in lively recollection.

TJpon the east side of Port Kennedy the bones of whales
were found in two places a mile apart from each other ; the
lowest of them was 180 feet above the sea, the second was
more than 300 feet high. The latter I examined, and found
a jawbone, two ribs, a joini; of the vertebrae, and fragments

11 ■

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286

TRACES OF OUR VISIT. Chap. XVII.

t I

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of other bones, all more or less buried in the soil, and much
heavier than the bones of a recent animal ; they lay within
40 or 50 yards of each other, and upon a little flat patch of
rather rich earth, a rocky hill above, and steep slope below ;
they are also nearly a mile inland.

When did the skeletons of these whales drift to their
present positions ? When did the forest trees grow in
Baring's and Prince Patrick's Land, many of which are still
fit for firewood ? And when were the lofty table-lands of
North Devon and North Somerset scored by these immense
ravines, broad and deep, with sides almost perpendicular,
and rocky beds sometimes a hundred ynrds wide, where no
rivers now exist, nor even streamlets, except during the few
weeks of summer's thaw ? Will geology ever solve these
enigmas ?

Of the traces which we have left behind us, the most
considerable are the graves of our two shipmates within the
western point of our little harbour; they were tastefully
sodded round, and planted over with the usual arctic
flowers. There is our record in a conspicuous cairn at the
west point of Depot or Transition Bay : we left also three
cases of pemmican near the east end of Macgregor Laird
Lake, and our travelling boat near its west end, at the head
of False Strait, but she is damaged, a bear having put his
paw through her thin planking.

Monday, \^t/i. — Strong east winds, with much rain, have
imprisoned us here for the last four days, and driven the
whole pack close in, completely filling up Cresswell Bay.
We remain fast to the grounded ice, which shields us from
pressure, otherwise we should have been irretrievably driven
on shore. A couple more seals and a white whale have
been shot; the latter measured 13'- feet long, and proved
to be a female of ordinary dimensions, and of an uniform
cream colour ; the eyes are extremely small, and orifices of

Chap. XVII.

oil, and much
[ley lay within
2 flat patch of
) slope below ;

drift to their
trees grow in
which are still
table-lands of
these immense
perpendicular,
i^ide, where no
during the few
er solve these

us, the most
ates within the
vere tastefully
usual arctic
IS cairn at the
left also three
icgregor Laird
d, at the head

aving put his

.ich rain, have
nd driven thp
'resswell Bay.
lields us from
ievably driven
whale have
g, and proved
)f an uniform
md orifices of

Aug. 1859.

PA SS FUR V BE A CH.

287

the ears scarcely large enough to admit a crow-quill. We
dined off steaks of the flesh, and prefer it to seal, which it
very much resembles, but is not quite so tender ; the skin is
greatly prized by the Greenlanders as an antiscorbutic ; it is
a sort of gristly gelatinous substance, nearly half an inch
thick, and possessing very little taste ; fried and eaten with
fish-sauce, it reminded me of cod-sound, though not so good.
The blubber fills two twenty-gallon casks; it produces
oil of a quality superior to seal oil ; not an ounce of the
flesh or skin of this huge animal has been thrown away, the
men having a wholesome dread of scurvy, and unbounded
confidence in " blood-meat," such as this ! The Doctor has
picked up a few fossils very similar to those formerly brought
home from Port Leopold.

To our great joy the east wind died away this morning,
and immediately a west wind sprang up, which very quickly
freshened to a smart gale. At four o'clock this afternoon
we were able to make sail, the ice having moved about three
miles off shore ; passed within a mile of Fury Beach two
hours afterwards, and saw the framing of the house, the
boats and casks very distinctly.

\lth. — After passing Fury Beach, it fell calm, so we
aieamed up as far as Batty Bay. On Tuesday afternoon
we were off Port Leopold, and running fast, when thick fog
came on ; we became involved in loose ice, and seriously
damaged our rudder. The boats and stores at Port Leopold
appeared to remain as we left them last year. The flag-staff
on the summit of North-east Cape (over Whale Point) is
still standing, but not erect.

Fog and ice obstructed our progress during the night ;
but this morning when I came on deck at eight o'clock, the
day was bright, clear, and charming ; no ice visible, except,
about Leopold Island, which was now some miles behind
us. Towards evening the wind became contrary.

!i, ; '

111

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1. 1

288

Ol/T OF SIGHT OF LAND.

Chap. XVII.

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Sunday evenings 21st — Position, 72° 43' N., 72° 6' W. At
sea — out of sight of land !

On the 19th we were somewhat delayed by loose ice off
Cape Hay, but by noon yesterday were close off Cape
Burney, and whilst almost becalmed there, a mother bear
swam off to us with two interesting cubs about the size of
very large dogs — foolish creatures ! a volley of rifles decided
their fate in a very few seconds. Not finding any whaling
vessels off Pond's Inlet, the land-ice which shelters the
whales having all disappeared, we concluded that the whalers
had left in consequence, so, without seeking for them further
south, we at once changed our course for Disco.

To-day only a few icebergs have been seen. There is a
good deal of swell, so we tumble about. Roast veal has
appeared amongst the delicacies of our table since the
battue of yesterday, and Christian has asked for a ])ortion
of the old bear to carry home to his mother. Bear's flesh is
a real delicacy in Greenland.

This is probably ihe last time that we shall fall in with
bears, or have any occasion to allude to them. We see, we
talk, and we dream more of bears than of any other animals,
and are wont to write about them also, more perhaps than
is necessary ; nevertheless, I cannot let slip this opportunity
of saying a few last words about our old acquaintance, the
polar bear.

When we find him roaming over fields of drifting ice
more than a hundred miles from land, we are filled with
wonder ; when there is no ice, we find him swimming off to
our ships two, three, or more leagues, and we are scarcely
less astonished. Arctic blue-books contain the ofticial
diaries of more than a hundred sledge-journies, and in these
the ubiquitous bear is constantly mentioned.

It is only when wounded or pressed by extreme hunger
that the polar bear becomes fierce ; as a rule he endeavours

Aug. 1859.

THE POLAR BEAR.

289

he endeavours

to avoid both men and dogs ; theiefore our plan was to lie
down and remain quite still; the bear would then cautiously
approach, sheltering himself from view as long as possible.
Polar bears, hares, and foxes sometimes stand erect to
reconnoitre, and I once shot a bear in this attitude ; had I
hesitated for a second or two, he would have completed his
survey of us, and would probably have cautiously and safely
retreated as he had advanced, by keeping behind hummocks
of ice. In all our adventures with bears not previously
acquainted with man, we found them to be inquisitive,
timid except when hungry, and somewhat stupid, although
in the capture of their prey they display a degree of instinct
almost akin to reason ; their endurance of cold, hunger, and
fatigue, and their acute sense of smell, are quite extra-
ordinary. They are perpetually roaming over the ice across
the direction of the wind, scenting out the breathing holes
of the seals. More than one officer records seeing a bear
scrape away the snow, and enlarge the breathing hole of a
seal with his claws, or break the ice by jumping up into the
air and alighting with his whole \7eight on his fore-paws ;
and, when sufficiently enlarged, he would lie down beside
the hole, and patiently watch for the doomed seal to pop
up — almost between the paws of his wily enemj'-. These
seal holes enlarged by bears have frequently been noticed.

Captain G. H. Richards mentions seeing *'a bear with
blood stains on his fur indulging in all the gambols of a
kitten, and when approached, he moved off head over heels
in a very unusual manner for so grave an animal : " but one
of these holes through the ice with much blood and the
claws of a seal, explained the whole affair. Footprints on
the snow of a bear and a wolf have shown where the former
had tracked the latter to his lair, had made a successful
spring, and, after a sharp struggle, had supped off wolf
Captain Sherard Osborn mentions seeing a bear with her

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290

THE POLAR BEAR.

Chap. XVII.

two cubs at some distance (perhaps a couple of miles)
inland ; the mother diligently turning over loose rocks
which strewed the plain, and the cubs watching the oppor-
tunity to rush in and seize the unlucky lemmings which were
thus dislodged, and tossing them up in the air in their wan-
tonness ; after repeating this operation until they must have
made a tolerable meal, the dam seated herself on her haunches
in a convenient posture for her purpose, and the young ones
suckled in a standing position. But the lemmings were
speedily avenged, for Osborn shot the whole of this interest-
ing family.

An officer, on ascending a tall cliff to obtain an extensive
view over the frozen sea, found a contemplative old bear
sitting there ; fortunately he was completely absorbed in
watching for seals to appear on the ice, and the officer —
being unarmed — tells us " that he came down much faster
than he went up." Another officer, evidently on his first
sledging journey, looks out of his tent and sees a young
bear about ten yards off quietly devouring some pemmican
which had been left upon the sledge ; his first shot " takes
effect over the left eye, taking the eye and a piece of the
skull with it ; " the bear falls, but is only stunned for the
moment, jumps up, and runs off " at full trot ; " a second
shot breaks his hind leg, but he only trots faster than before ;
a third bullet " passes through his neck, and sends him off
at full gallop ! " At length, exhausted from loss of blood,
this most unlucky young bear lies down, and a fourth bullet
despatches him by passing through his heart. Only a novice
would have aimed at the head, which is a very massive
structure, or at the ivhole bear ; the vital region is just behind
the fore-shoulder.

It has happened that one of these animals, more inquisi-
tive or more hungry than usual, actually looked into a tent,
and threw the party into such confusion that they pulled the

Chap. XVII.

Aug. 1859.

THE POLAR BEAR.

icji

tent down on themselves ! but bruin had snuffed the pem-
mican on the sledge, and turned deliberately to inspect it,
when he was, of course, shot

The sleepers in one of the ' Fox's ' tents were aroused by
a bear's paw breaking through their calico shelter !

The motive which usually led our searching parties to
slaughter bears was to obtain their blubber for fuel, and
their flesh for the dogs. In this way we have made them
very useful to us : but they have often damaged our cac/ws
of provisions, destroyed any packages not strong enough to
resist both their claws and their weight, rolled the casks
about, and have invariably broken down the oars or poles
erected as marks.

Captain Collinson records that "a bear broke open his
depot, helped himself to pork and sugar, and " — worst of all
— " extracted the bung from a barico of spirits and capsized
it." It has occasionally happened that a man and a bear
have unexpectedly found themselves close together, when,
after an anxious gaze, they have mutually avoided each
other, with as little loss of dignity and as much show of
deliberation as possible !

I believe the only part of the arctic regions where bears
have not been found is on the northern shores of Melville
and Prince Patrick's Islands.

In the summer of 1850, one was shot within twenty-five
miles of Beechey Island, at which it will be remembered that
Franklin's ships spent the winter of 1845-6 ; under an old
scar a large belted bullet was found ; it had been fired from
a two-grooved rifle, such as was formerly used in the naval
service, and had been supplied to Franklin's expedition. In
no other way can we account for the presence of this leaden
messenger !

Throughout our winter at Port Leopold, in 1848-9, there
were some very steep banks of hard snow against the face

u 2

: ^1

i •;

t f'

292 CAPTAIN YOUNG'S JOURNEY. Chap. XVII.

' \

3 :'\

1
i

i 1

of a cliff, and I well remember seeing my excellent friend
and messmate, the Paymaster of the * Enterprise,' accidentally
make a most rapid descent of at least one hundred and fifty
feet on one of these ; none of us had either the inclination
or the courage to follow his example : our surprise may be
imagined at seeing a bear at the top of one of these slopes,
deliberately place himself on his haunches, and slide down
to the bottom, steadying himself with his fore-paws as he
went along, and thus maintaining the same posture through-
out the entire descent !

25///, — Position, 70° 40' N., 55° 17' W. Becalmed off
Hare Island, and getting the steam ready. We are only
108 miles from Godhavn, and the anxiety to clutch our
letters has become intolerable. No pack-ice has been
met with in our passage across Baffin's Bay, but many
icebergs. This morning the lofty snow-clad lands of Nonr-
soak, and Disco were beautifully distinct ; and at the same
time the wind died away, leaving us, at least, the oppor-
tuni'.y lO contemplate at our leisure their gloomy grandeur.

26//1. — Steamed for ten hours last night. Fair winds and
calms have alternated since then, but this evening we are
within twenty miles, and hope soon to get into port.

I have been reading over Young's report of his spring
journey. It comprises seventy-eight days of sledge travel-
ling, and certainly under most discouraging circumstances.
Leaving the ship on 7th April, he crossed Sir J. Franklin
Strait to Prince of Wales' Land, and thence traced its shore to
the south and west. On reaching its southern termination —
Cape Swinl)urne. so named in honour of Rear-Admiral
Swinburne, a much esteemed friend of Sir J. Franklin, and
one of the earliest supporters of this final expedition — he
describes the land as extremely low, and deeply covered
with snov/, the heavy grounded hummocks which fringed its
monotonous coast alone indicating the line of demarcation

Chap. XVII.

:cellent friend
J,' accidentally
idred and fifty
;he inclination
rprise may be
f these slopes,
id slide down
re-paws as he
)sture through-
Becalmed oft"
We are only
to clutch our
:-ice has been
lay, but many
lands of Nonr-
nd at the same
ast, the oppor-
my grandeur.
Fair winds and
evening we are
to port.

■t of his spring
f sledge travel-
circumstances.
Sir J. Franklin
iced its shore to
\ termination —
Rear-Admiral
Franklin, and
expedition — he
deeply covered
fhich fringed its
of demarcation

Illi

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■: , MB ■

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^t i M

Aug. 1859. CAPTAIN YOUNG'S JOURNEY.

295

betwixt land and sea. To the north-east of this terminal
cape the sea was covered with level floe formed in the fall
of last year, whilst all to the northwestward of the same
cape was pack consisting of heavy ice-masses, formed per-
haps years ago in far distant and wider seas.

Young attempted to cross the channel' which he dis-
covered between Prince of Wales' Island and Victoria Land,
but, from the rugged nature of the ice, found it quite imprac-
ticable with the means and time remaining at his disposal.
Young expresses his firm conviction that this channel is so
constantly choked up with unusually heavy ice as to be
quite unnavigable ; it is, in fact, a continuous ice-stream from
the N.W. His opinion coincides with my own, and with
those of Captains Ommanney and Osborn, when these
officers explored the north-western shores of Prince of
Wales' Land in 1851; and also with the opinion formed
by Captain R. Collinson, C.B., when that officer discovered
Gateshead Island, which lies near its southern shore, and at
the N.E. extreme of Victoria Land.

Fearing that his provisions might run short, he sent back
one sledge with four men, and continued his march with
only one man and the dogs for forty days ! They were
obliged to build a snow-hut each night to sleep in, as the
tent was sent back with the men ; but latterly, when the
weather became more mild, they preferred sleeping on
the sledge, as the construction of a snow-hut usually occu-
pied them for two hours. Young completed the exploration
of this coast beyond the point marked upon the charts as
Osborn's farthest, up nearly to lat. 73° N., but no cairn was
found. Young, however, recognised the remarkably shaped
conical hills noticed by Osborn when at his flirthest in 185 1
he struck off-shore to the westward.

The coast-line throughout was extremely low ; and in the
' M'Clintock Channel ; see Preface, p. xiv.

! I

'1:'!

{: \

h \ \

I ' k t

■. 'i

.'/ .1

296 CAPTAIN YOUNG'S JOURNEY. Chap. XVII.

thick disagreeable weather which he ahuost constantly ex-
perienced, it was often a matter of great difficulty to prevent
straying inland from it. He commenced his return on nth
May, and reached the ship on 7th June, in wretched health
and depressed in spirits.

Directly his health was partially re-established, and in spite
of the Doctor's remonstrances, as I have before said, he again
set out on the 10th with his party of men and the dogs to
complete the exploration of both shores of Sir John Franklin
Strait, between the psition of the* Fox' and the points
reached by Sir James Ross in 1849, and of Lieutenant
Browne in 1851. This he accomplished without finding
any trace of the lost expedition, and the parties were again
on board by 28th June. The ice travelled over in this last
journey was almost all formed last autumn.

The extent of coast-line explored by Captain Young
amounts to 380 miles, whilst that discovered by Hobson
and myself amounts to nearly 420 miles, making a total of 800
geographical miles of new coast-line which we have laid down.

Knowledge is power — a truth which these sledge journies
amply demonstrate. If the reader now turns to Parry's
second voyage, page 190, he will find there a most vivid
description of a journey attempted to be made by Captain
Lyons, R.N.

After due preparation, Lyons and a small party of men,
equipped with sledge, tent, blankets, ?nd three days' pro-
visions, started on the 15th March, 1822, the thermometer
standing at zero. Almost immediately a strong adverse
gah. sprang up, obliging tliem to pitch their tent when about
six miles from the ship. The temperature fell to —15°, so
cold that they considered it impossible to live in the tent ;
fortunately it was pitched on very deep snow, into which
they dug a large hole or burrow, and there passed the night,
the external temperature being —25°. So cramped and

Chap. XVII.

constantly ex-
ulty to prevent
return on nth
k^retched health

ed, and in spite '
e said, he again
md the dogs to
• John Franklin
and the points
of Lieutenant
tvithout finding
ties were again
over in this last

Captain Young
ed by Hobson
lig a total of 800
have laid down,
sledge journies
arns to Parry's
re a most vivid
ade by Captain

party of men,
;hree days' pro-
le thermometer
strong adverse
ent when about
ell to -15°, so
ive in the tent ;
ow, into which
issed the night,
cramped and

Aug. 1859. LYONS* ATTEMPTED JOURNEY. 297

wretched were they next morning, that it was deemed less
hazardous to attempt to reach the ship through the storm
and densely drifting snow, than to risk another night in
their snow-cavern.

Providentially they found their ship, but not until after
wandering about for three hours and a half in the snow-
storm, and when it was evident that four of the party could
not have survived another hour ! All of them were severely
frost-bitten.

At this very time some Esquimaux also came to the ship
for relief; but their need was very different — the seal-hunt
had failed, they had nothing to eat, and their stock of
blubber also being exhausted, not a lamp remained alight in
their snow village I

With a proper equipment, or even a very slender one,
and a snow-hut, .vons and his companions, instead of being
in imminent peni, might have been positively jolly ; but
this sort of knowledge is of slow growth. In his first voyage
Sir Edward Parry did not venture to travel before the ist of
June, therefore this attempt of Lyons in the second voyage
was a very bold step in advance.

We of the present time have, of course, benefitted largely
by the dear-bought experience of our predecessors.

In the Franklin search more than 40,000 miles have been
sledged., including 8000 miles of coast-line minutely exa-
mined, by parties varying from five to eleven persons, re-
maining absent from their ships for periods ranging up to
one hundred and five days, and dragging along with them
provisions for five, six, or seven weeks. Sledge parties
travelled in every month excepting only the dark ones of
December and January, in temperatures not unfrequently
40° below zero (of Fahrenheit), and occasionally even 10°
or 15° colder still. It was found that men employed on
long sledge journies lost on the average about twelve pounds

I'{<

298

HOBS ON 'S JOURNEY.

Chap. XVII.

) ■■!!

*1 \\

I '1 f

hi' !' 1

in : M i

i '^ '

m.w J.

weight; and where they would drag a moderately laden
sledge thirteen miles a day, an equal number of dogs would
drag half the same load for twenty-seven miles.

The work of a single expedition of two ships (Kellett's
and my own) with ninety officers and men, at a wintering
station, amounted to 1282 statute miles, sledged in autumn,
and 7352 miles in spring, by eleven parties ; in this manner
1800 miles of coast-line were explored.

These great results are astonishing ; and yet the system
of sledge exploration is capable of still further development ;
already it has brought even the North Pole of the earth
within our reach !

What laurels, what world-wide renown will be his, who
first accomplishes this crowning feat of geographical dis-
covery !

. In his hour of triumph let him remember the ladder by
which he has climbed ; the successive steps of which were
worked out by Lyons in 1822, and by a hundred others
in the Franklin search.

Hobson's report is a minute record of all that occurred
during his journey of seventy-four days, and includes a list
of all the relics brought on board, or seen by him. He
suffered very severely in health : when only ten days out
from tne ship, traces of scurvy appeared ; when a month
absent, he walked lame; towards the latter end of the
journey, he was compelled to allow himself to be dragged
upon the sledge, not being able to walk more than a few
yards at a time ; and on arriving at the ship on the 14th
June, poor Hobson was unable to stand. How strongly
this bears upon the last sad march of the lost crews ! And
yet Hobson's food throughout the whole journey was pem-
mican of the very best quality, the most nutritious description
of food that we know of, and varied occasionally by such
game as they were able to shoot. In spite of this fresh-

Chap. XVII.

ierately laden

Aug. 1859.

1 1

HOBSON'S JOURNEY.

299

meat diet, scurvy advanced with rapid strides. And here
let me observe that amongst all the relics of the ill-fated
expedition no preserved meat or vegetable tins were found,
either about the cairns or along the line of retreat ; the
inference is as plain as it is painful !

His diary states that, after leaving me at Cape Victoria,
"no difficulty was experienced in crossing James Ross
Strait. The ice appeared to be of but one year's growth ;
and although it was in maiiy places much crushed up, we
easily found smooth leads through the lines of hummocks ;
many very heavy masses of ice, evidently of foreign forma-
tion, have been here arrested in their drift ; so large are
they, that in the gloomy weather we experienced, they were
often taken for islands."

Again, at Cape Felix, he observes — " The pressure v. *"he
ice is severe, but the ice itself is not remarkably heavy m
character ; the shoalness of the coast keeps the line of
pressure at a considerable distance from the beach : to the
northward of the island the ice, as far as I could see, was
very rough, and crushed up into large masses." Here we
notice the gradual change in the character of the ice as
Hobson left the Boothian shore and advanced towards
Victoria Strait. The " very heavy masses of ice, evidently
of foreign formation," had drifted in from the vast Polar Sea
westward of Prince Patrick's Island, through M'Clure Strait ;
Victoria Strait contained a large proportion of this character;
and Hobson's description of the ice he passed over clearly
illustrates how Franklin, leaving comparatively clear water
behind him, had to press his ships into the pack when he
attempted to force through Victoria Strait.

Some description of this polar pack is necessary in order
to convey any idea of it. Parry first met with it in 18 19,
near the western extreme of Melville Island, where it
terminated his progress. He speaks of the floe-pieces as

300

HOBSON'S JO URNE V. Chap. XV 1 1 .

" haycock floes," from the rounded hummocks or mounds
which studded their surfaces.

Although I have occasi'^r.-lly sledged over these floes, I
never measured the actua' height of the irregularities on
their surfaces ; they were, however, more than sufficient to
intercept my vi - of '' horizon.

The late lanu, i 'ommander Mecham mentions one
very old floe whic , 'ged over, the mounds of blue ice

upon it varying from five i ■ 'enty feet in height, and the
ridges between them, over which he was obliged to pass,
were from four to nine feet high ! Another accurate ob-
server describes some pieces of these floes which he found
lying upon t'.ie shore of Banks' Land, where they had been
forced up by enormous ice-pressure ; they were from twenty-
two to twenty-four feet thick, and one of them had a mound
or knoll upon it ten feet high !

Hobson left King William's Island on the last day of May,
having spent thirty-one days on its desolate shores. During
that period, one bear and five willow-grouse v/ere shot , one
wolf and a few foxes were seen. One poor fox was either
so desperately hungry or so charmed with the rare sight of
animated beings, that he played about the party until the
dogs snapped him up, although in harness and dragging the
sledge at the time. A few gulls were seen, but not until
after the first week in June.

It was at a short distance westward of Cape Felix that
Hobson first came upon the traces of the Franklin Expedi-
tion ; he found a large cairn, and close beside it three small
tents, with blankets, old clothes, and other vestiges of a
shooting, or a magnetic station ; but although the cairn was
dug under, and a trench dug all round it at a distance of ten
feet, no record was discovered. A sheet of white paper
folded up was found in the cairn, but even under the
microscope no trace of writing appears.

Aug. 1859.

HOBS ON' S JOURNEY.

301

Two broken bottles (corked) lay amongst the loose stones
which had fallen off the cairn, and these may perhaps have
contained records. 'I'he most interesting of the relics,
including a small English ensign, and the iron heads of two
boarding pikes, were brought away.

The tents lay prostrate, and without tent-poles ; it seems
highly probable that the pikes had been used for that pur-
pose, and were subsequently burnt for fuel.

Two miles farther to the south-west a small cairn was
found, but neither record nor relics ; and about three miles
northward of Point Victory a third cairn was examined, but
only a broken pickaxe and empty tin canister found.

I have already explained how Hobson found the records
and the boat ; he exercised his discretionary power with
sound judgment, and completed his search so well that, in
coming over the same ground after him, I could not dis-
cover any trace that had escaped him.

I quite agree with him that there may be many small
articles beneath the snow ; but that cairns, graves, or
any conspicuous objects could exist upon so low and
uniform a shore, without our having seen them, is almost
impossible.

The natives told Petersen that the ships were destroyed
in the autumn of the same year in which they were aban-
doned ; but not understanding their Esquimaux names of
places upon King William's Island, we could not ascertain
whereabouts the one was crushed and sunk, and the other
driven on shore. But as the natives had not visited the
north-west shore since the landing there of the lost crews, it
seems tolerably certain that it was off the south-west shore
of King William's Island that the abandoned ships were
destroyed.

Siimlay evening, 28///. — Calm, warm, lovely weather ; and
we are thoroughly enjoying it in the quiet security of Lievely

i r

iijl

r ^

3o:

SAD DISAPPOINTMENT. Chap. XVII.

[lis

if .!

harbour, or Godhavn. Although Friday night was dark, we
managed to find out the harbour's mouth, and slowly
steamed into it. The inhabitants were awoke by Petersen
demanding our letters, but great indeed was our disappoint-
ment at finding only a very few letters and two or three
papers, and these for the officers only ! It appears that
on the arrival of the whalers in early spring, the ice
prevented their usual communication with the settlement,
therefore the letters on board of them were unavoidably
carried northward. Some few, however, which came out
in the ' Truelove," were landed at the neighbouring settle-
ment of Noursoak, and from thence were sent back to
Godhavn.

It is rather a nervous thing opening the first letters after
a lapse of more than two year?, ! We received them in our
beds at three o'clock in the morning, and, when we met at
breakfast, were able, thank God ! to congratulate each other
upon the receipt of cheering home news. Lady Franklin

* The history of the old 'Truelove,' of Hull, is a very remarkable
one. In 1764, before the question of American Independence was
raised, she was built at Philadelphia, of the famous live-oak. This
wood was plentiful and cheap in those days, and was used without stint
in her construction, so much so that, although originally a packet, and
possessing rather superior sailing qualities, yet her massive beams and
unusual strength rendered her so peculiarly adapted for battling with the
arctic ice, that she was converted into a Greenland whaler. For more
than forty years she plied those dangerous seas, escaping by innumer-
able hair-breadths the destruction which overwhelmed numberless other
vessels, and eventually she was only driven from the trade by the intro-
duction of steam.

Yet still (1869) she plies the northern seas, under some icy spell, it
would seem, conveying to us cargoes of Norwegian ice ; and steered
by a compass which dates back to 1818.

Her stout timbers are quite sound, and as the original planking is
doubled over with African oak, it is not impossible that she may con-
tinue for another cer tury to defy the storms of ocean, and set at nought
the adage which her name suggests.

Chap. XVII.

Sept. 1859. LETTERS FROM ENGLAND.

303

and Miss Cracroft wrote to me from Bournemouth in March
last. They have travelled more in the time than we have,
having visited almost all the countries bordering the Medi-
terranean and Black Seas, posted through the Crimea, and
steamed up the Danube ! I am gratified to find that I have
been elected a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron during
ray absence. -

Yesterday morning I called upon the Inspector, Mr. Olrik,
who has been home to Denmark since I saw him last spring.
In the autumn he took Mrs. Olrik and his family to Copen-
hagen, and has but just returned alone. He received me
with his usual kindness, and promised me such supplies as
we require, notwithstanding that my demands are unsus-
tained by any authority — even my expected letters of credit
have not arrived \ neither is there any hint thrown out as to
where I am to take the ' Fox.' Mr. Olrik gave me a large
bundle of the * Illustrated London News,' which was ex-
ceedingly acceptable, and told us that Austria was at war
with France and Sardinia. By the latest news a battle had
been fought and won by the latter Powers. Most fortu-
nately a ' Navy List ' had come out to Hobson, otherwise I
think we should have been utterly brokenhearted ! We
study its pages daily, and delight in noticing the advance-
ment of our many friends.

\st Sept., Thursday night. — At sea, on the passage, and
already enjoying, by anticipation, the pleasures of home !
Five busy days were spent in Godhavn, supplying our
present wants, in as far as they could be supplied, including
100 gallons of light beer. The natives were very useful, the
men bringing off water, stone ballast, and sand, and a troop
of lively Esquimaux girls scrubbing the paintwork and the
decks.

Each evening the men went on shore, taking with them

I .fii

■ I

i;|:

'*-

I il

r I

1 ■;■

•

;

•i

i
t

■1.

304

BELLES OF D/SCO.

Chap. XVII.

a very limited quantity of rum-punch for the laches, and
danced for several hours in a large store ; whilst tlie officers
and myself spent the time with Mr. Olrik or the other
Danish gentlemen — Messrs. Andersen, Bulbrue, and Tyner.
Nothing could exceed their kindness to us, whilst their good
humour and their anecdotes, sometimes expressed in quaint
English, greatly amused us. We shall always retain very
agreeable recollections of Godhavn ; twice has it been to us
an arctic home.

Mr. Petersen's nieces, the belles of the place, came on
board (Miss Sophia with scented cambric handkerchief
and gloves — in other respects adhering to the Esquimaux
costume, of which the accompanying illustration gives a
very faithful representation) ; they were delighted with the
organ, although it is rather out of repair, and they sang
together very sweetly. Our Esquimaux shipmates, Christian
and Samuel, were di'^' barged, and by their own request,
their wages given in charge to Mr. Olrik, and Mr. Bulbrue ;
they seemed to understand the importance of husbanding
their wealth. Christian said he thought it would not be all
spent under three years. First of all he intended buying a
rifle for his brother, and then some wood to build a house
for himself.

I was gratified very much when I heard them say that
the men had treated them very well — "all the same as
brothers ;" and they really seemed sorry to leave the ship ;
they would come on board and look gravely about at every-
thing as if regretting the coming separation. Even our poor
dogs seemed to think the ship their natural abode ; although
landed at the settlement, they soon ran round the harbour
to the point nearest to the ship, and there, upon the rocks,
spent the whole period of our stay ; as we sailed slowly out
of the harbour, they ran along the rocks abreast of the ship

Chap. XVII.

r the ladies, and
whilst the officers
Irik or the other
Ibrue, and Tyner.
, whilst their good
^pressed in quaint
Iways retain very
has it been to us

e place, came on

brie handkerchief

to the Esquimaux

lustration gives a

lelighted with the

lir, and they sang

lipmates, Christian

their own request,

and Mr. Bulbrue ;

ice of husbanding

t would not be all

intended buying a

to build a house

ard them say that
all the same as
to leave the ship ;
ely about at every-
n. Even our poor
il abode ; although
round the harbour
e, upon the rocks,
e sailed slowly out
breast of the ship

Belles of Uisco.

V: I

1 '1

rs^hl 1

T :'^-

\' '

Sept. 1859.

VOYAGE HOME.

307

to the outermost extreme, howling most piteously ; even
when far out at sea we could still hear their plaintive
chorus ! We rejoiced that we had made the best provision
in our power for their future treatment, having given
them away to those who were the most likely to be kind
to them.

At this place the Esquimaux do not feed their dogs during
the summer months ; they exist upon such scraps of offal or
old skins as they can pick up about the huts, and such dead
fish as are thrown up on the rocks. They may be often
seen prowling along the shore and contending with the
ravens for the refuse of the sea.

On Tuesday night we set off some fireworks on shore to
amuse the natives for I intended sailing next day, but the
wind prevented my doing so. The last day was spent in
the interchange of presents between our Danish friends and
ourselves; indeed, the sincere hearty good feeling which
existed between every individual in the ' Fox ' and the
inhabitants of the settlement was as gratifying as apparent.
Almost the only fresh supplies obtained here were rock
cod, and salmon-trout from Disco fiord. During our stay
the weather was delightful; indeed, it was the first really
fine weather they had experienced at Godhavn during
the present season, the summer having been cold and
wet.

\oth Scpt.f Saturday night. — To-day we passed to the east-
ward of Cape Farev '1, but about 100 miles to the soudi
of it. The last iceberg was seen to-day ; and now we are
running along swiftly before a pleasant N.W. breeze.
Hitherto we have had every variety of wind and weather,
from a calm to a gale, but generally the wind has been
favourable. The change of temperature is already very
perceptible.

Saturday nig/it, I'jth Sept. — A week of favourable gales

X 2

308

VOYAGE HOME.

Chap. XVII.

has brought us from Cape Farewell to within 400 miles of
the Land's End, or about iioo miles of distance. But such
rough weather is not pleasant in so small a vessel, however
much " like a duck " she may rise over the waves ; and our
two years' sojourn in the still waters of the frozen North has
made us very susceptible of the change.

i-^' m.

Chap. XVII.

;hin 400 miles of
tance. But such
a vessel, however
; waves ; and our
frozen North has

CONCLUSION.

309

CONCLUSION.

-*o*-

We sailed all th ! way home from Greenland, yet the 'Fox'
made the passage in only nineteen days, arriving in the
English Channel on 20th September; on the evening of
the 2ist I reached London (having landed at Portsmouth),
and made known to the Admiralty the result of my voyage.

On the 23rd September the ' Fox' was taken into dock at
Blackwall ; and, through the kindness and promptitude of
the Lords of the Admiralty, I was enabled on the 27th,
when the crew were assembled for the last time, to present
the Arctic Medal to such of my companions as had not
already received it for previous arctic service, and also to
inform Lieutenant Hobson that his promotion to the rank
of Commander would speedily take place.

I will not intrude upon the reader, who has followed me
through the pages of this simple narrative, any description
of my feelings on finding the enthusiasm with which we
were all received on landing upon our native shores. The
blessing of Providence had attended our efforts, and more
than a full measure of approval from our friends and country-
men has been our reward. For myself the testimonial given
me by the officers and crew of the * Fox ' has touched me
perhaps more than all. The purchase of a gold chrono-
meter, for presentation to me, was the first use the men
made of their earnings ; and as long as 1 live it will remind
me of that perfect harmony, that mutual esteem and good-
will, which made our ship's company a happy ''ttle com-

!^i

.1.1

Mil

m
\^

M I

■^V I

310

CONCLUSION.

munity, and contributed materially to the success of the
expedition.

The names I have given to my discoveries are, with the
exception of those by which I have endeavoured to honour
the members of the lost expedition, the names of active
supporters of the recent search, and friends of Franklin and
his companions, though such names are far from exhausting
the number of those who have the highest claims to dis-
tinction on both grounds.

It will be observed that I have refrained from repeating
names which have already been commemorated by prece-
ding com.manders, and which herefore are already in our
charts. Besides the individuals already mentioned in the
narrative, Sir Thomas D. Acland, one of the most zealous
promoters of the search, both in and out of the House of
Commons ; Monsieur De la Roquette, Vice-President oi" the
Geographical Society of Paris, and author of an interesting
biography of Franklin ; Rear-Admiral Fitzroy ; and Major-
General Pasley, R.E., stand high amongst those whom it
has been my privilege to ho.iour.

Although much talent has been I'-'^Mght to bear upon the
deciphering of the letters and i'M' s found in a pocket-
book near Cape Herschel (page 236, af/fe), yet, from their
being so very much defaced by time, only a few detached
sentences have been made out, and these do not in the
slightest degree refer to the proceedings of the lost expedition.

One paper is dated "April 21st, 1847." Amongst them
was a seaman's parchment certificate ; by the aid of chemical
re-agents, Mr. F. G. Netherclifft.of 32 Brewer Street, Golden
Square, has been able to decipher the name of Hy. Peglar,
together with several particulars respecting him — stature, 5 ft.
yi in. 3 hair, light brown, &c. A reference to ofiicial docu-
ments at the Admiralty shows that Henry Peglar joined
H.MS. 'Terror' on nth March, 1845, as Captain of the

Fore-toj:

also coi

tained ii

self, and

and con

it is wit

' Terror.

Three

wards, fi

spelling

are devo

certificat

ficent,' '

' Wander

the *Ter

up for th

up the s(

the long

the fact t

in a very

parody or

years froi

habits, an

that date

it is an i

well !" in

A year

I presume

as it prov(

he dresse(

clothes re

in P^nglan

tioned, wii

^ See p. ;

ff*""' ,

IS of the

, with the
o honour
of active
nkUn and
xhausting
IS to dis-

repeating
by prece-
iy in our
ed in the
)t zealous
House of
ent of the
mteresiing
id Major-
whom it

upon the
pocket-

rom their
detached

ot in the
pedition.
est them
(hemical
U Golden
y. Peglar,
iture, 5 ft.
ial docu-
ar joined
in of the

CONCLUSION,

311

Fore-top, his age then being 37 years. The same authority
also corroborates a sort of narrative of Hy. Peglar, con-
tained in one of these papers, apparently drawn up by him-
self, and showing that he entered H.M. Navy in Nov. 1825,
and continued to serve in it almost without interruption ;
it is without date, and ends with the words "now in the
' Terror.' "

Three of these manuscripts have each word written back-
wards, frequently ending in a capital letter, and as the
spelling is very incorrect, they were most puzzling ; they
are devoid of any special interest. Upon the parchment
certificate are still legible the names of the six ships — * Magni-
ficent,' ' Rattlesnake,' * Talavera,' ' Gannet,' ' Ocean,' and
'Wanderer' — in which Peglar served previous to joining
the ' Terror ;' it does not appear to have ever been filled
up for this latter ship, and probably the office work of filling
up the seamen's certificates was left to be performed upon
the long passage home. This circumstance, cou))led with
the fact that poor Peglar (who seems to hnve been a poet
in a very humble way) found amusement in writing a sort of
parody on a sea-song in April, 1847, after an absence of two
years from England, lets in a gleam of light upon their
habits, and affords some grounds for the belief that, up to
that date at least, they were both cheerful and confident :
it is an unlco'.>.ed-for confirmation of Graham Gore's "All
well!" in May, 1847.

A year later, and the possessor of t^he i)ocket-l)0ok — whom
I presume to be Peglar — prepares himself for the long (and,
as it proved, the fatal) march ; discarding his seaman's attire,'
he dressed himself in his best suit of suore-going clothes, the
clothes reserved to be worn on the day of landing once more
in P^ngland ; he took with him the pocket-book already men-
tioned, with its trivial contents of songs and stories,^ perhaps

1 See ]x 236. '^ See List of Relics in Appendix No. I., \\ 320.

I,; i

- 'S-

r ■ . .

'sp :

ii 1 i

312

CONCLUSION.

:»!'i

..I,,

to be read for the amusement of his companions upon fitting
occasions during their journey to the Hudson Bay Terri-
tories ; he also took with him a comb and a brush. In all
this there is no trace of despondency, nor of departure from
ordinary customs — hence it is impossible to resist the infer-
ence that their discipline continued perfect, and that they
conducted themselves throughout that fearful march like
brave men to whom despair was unknown.

I gladly embrace the present opportunity of filling up
an omission in this journal, which the frequent enquiries
of friends has shown me exists. I am asked to explain
why so few of the bones of our lost countrymen have been
found. The answer is simply, because^ — like those who
travelled in search of them — they were compelled to drag
their boats and laden sledges upon the sea ice, which affords
a level roadway, and which the land does not.' And, it is
hardly needful to observe that the b- >dies of those who were
overtaken by death upon the ice, found their final rest
at the bottom of the sea, upon the summer thaw of 1848.
Doubtless also, the snow which thinly covered the coast-
line concealed many traces, and perhaps even skeletons, of
our lost count ymen, as has already been surmised (pp. 237,

301)-

The supposition that some may have protracted their
existence, a::iongst the Esquimaux or upon the resources
of the country, is altogether untenable.

Upon the v hole of King William's Island, and also within
the moufh of ti~e Back River, only eight or nine families
were inet w^'h ; 3nd had they succoured our famishing

' Ol'ientimps the land is impracticable even for light sledges, wliiLt
upon the sea we can march straight from point to point : this may
receive iiluslradon from my own experience : out of nearly six thousand
mi'r., which I li, vc sledged in the " Franklin Search," not quite three
hundred niiles have been upon the land, and even this is a very large
proportion of land-travel, compared with that of other searchers.

CONCLUSION.

313

ons upon fitting
son Bay Terri-
i brush. In all
departure from
resist the infer-
, and that they
rful march like

:y of filling up
quent enquiries
;ked to explain
men have been
like those who
npelled to drag
:e, which aifords
lot.' And, it is
those who were
their final rest
r thaw of 1 848.
ered the coast-
en skeletons, of
mised (pp. 237,

)rotracted their
n the resources

and also within
)r nine families
our famishing

;lit sledges, whilst
point : this may
learly six thousand
," not quite three
his is a very large
X searchers.

countrymen, they most certainly would have told us of it.
During my two spring-journeys, comprising one hundred
and four days' marching along these and the West Boothian
shores, although constantly on the look-out for game, and
accompanied by Petersen, one of the most ardent and suc-
cessful of arctic sportsmen, we succeeded in shooting only two
rein-deer, one bear, two foxes, a hare, and twenty birds.

The retreating crews could not have carried with them
more than forty days' provisions at a very short allowance ;
that any considerable number of them reached Montreal
Island, a distance of about 250 miles by sledge-route, is
marvellous ; yet here they were separated by 600 or 800
miles from any land sufficiently abounding in animal life
to sustain them, and the Back River, by which they hoped
to obtain access to this more favoured region, was still
frozen to a depth of five or six feet.

Under these appalling circumstances, I cannot but con-
clude that all superfluous weights, such as logbooks ' and
journals, were thrown away very early upon the march, the
officers themselves setting the example; Sir Robert M'Clure
did not attempt to save his logbooks, he left them behind
him on board the ' Investigator ' when that ship was aban-
doned in Mercy Bay.

It has been the generally received opinion that one
hundred and thirty-eight individuals sailed on board the
* Erebus ' and * Terror,' that number being the sum of their
united complements, I am enabled to state, on the authority
of the Admiralty, that only one hundred and thirty-four
persons left England ; and of these, one subsequently re-
turned in H.M.S. 'Rattler,' and four in the transport
' Barretto Junior ' — so that only one hundred and twenty-
nine, the exact number mentioned in the record, actually

entered the ice.

* See p. 242.

314

CONCLUSION.

The relief, we have brought home have been deposited by
the Admiralty in the Museum of the United Service Insti-
tution, and now form a national memento — the most simple
and most touching — of those heroic men who perished in
the path of duty, but not until they had achieved the
grand object of then- voyage — the Discovery of the North-
West Passage.

Londouy 2^th Nov, 1859.

■xm

n deposited by
Service Insti-

he most simple

ho perished in
achieved the

' of the North-

APPENDIX.

No. I.

List of Relics of the Franklin Expedition brought
TO England in the ' Fox,' and deposited in the
Museum of the United Service Institution.

Relics brought from the boat found in lat. 69° 8' 43" N..
long. 99° 24' 42" W., upon the West Coast of King
William's Island, May 30, 1859 : —

Two double-barrelled guns, one barrel in each is loaded. Found
standing up against the sides in the after part of the boat.

A small Prayer-Book ; cover of a small book of ' Family Prayers ; '
'Christian Melodies,' an inscription within the cover to " G. G."
(Graham Gore ?) ; ' Vicar of Wakefield ; ' a small Bible, interlined in
many places, and with numerous references written in the margin ; a
New Testament in the French language.

Two table knives with white handles — one is marked " W. R." (ward-
room) ; a gimlet ; an awl ; two iron stanchions, 9 inches long, for
supporting a weather cloth, which was round the boat.

26 pieces of silver plate — II spoons, II forks, and 4 teaspoons ; 3
pieces of thin elmboard (tingles) for repairing the boat, and measuring
II inches by 6 inches, and 3-ioths inch thick.

Piece of canvas : — Bristles for shoemaker's use, bullets, short clay
pipe, roll of waxed twine, a wooden button, small piece of a port fire,
two charges of shot tied up in the finger of a kid glove, fragment of a
seaman's blue serge frock. Covers of a small Testament and Prayer-
Book, part of a grass cigar-case, fragment of a silk handkerchief, thread-
case, piece of scented soap, three shot charges in kid glove fingers,
a belted bullet, a piece of bilk pocket-handkerchief. Two pairs of
goggles, made of stout leather, and wire gauze instead of glass ; a sail-
maker's palm, two small brass pocket compasses, a snooding line rolled
up on a piece of leather, a needle and thread case, a bayonet scabbard
altered into a sheath for a knife, tin water bottle for the pocket, two
shot pouches (full of shot).

i ii

w ■'

^i!i;

,li
I. '.
1,

i ,

11 ML

3i6

APPENDIX.

No. I.

1 1

t'l

Three spring hooks of sword belts, a gold lace band, a piece of thin
gold twist or cord, a pair of leather goggles with crape instead of glass ;
a small green crape veil.

Two small packets of blank cartridge in green paper, part of a cherry-
stick pipe stem, piece of a port-fire, a few copper nails, a leather boot-
lace, a seaman's clasp-knife, two small glass stoppered bottles (full),
three glasses of spectacles, part of a broken pair of silver spectacles,
German silver pencil-case, a pair of silver (?) forceps, such as a
naturalist might use for holding or seizing small insects, &c. ; a small
pair of scissors rolled up in blank paper, and to which adheres a printed
Government paper, such as an officer's warrant or appointment ; a
spring hook of a sword belt, a brass charger for holding two charges of
shot.

A small bead purse, piece of red sealing-wax, stopper of a pocket
flask, German silver top and ring, brass matchbox, one of the glasses of
a telescope, a small tin cylinder, probably made to hold lucifer matches ;
a linen bag of percussion caps of three sizes, a very large and old-
fashioned kind, stamped "Smith's patent ;" a cap Avith a flange similar
to the present musket caps used by Government, but smaller ; and
ordinary sporting caps of the smallest size.

Five watches.

A pair of 1)lue glass spectacles or goggles with steel frame, and wire
gauze encircling the glasses, in a tin case.

A pemmican tin, painted lead colour, and marked '* E." (Erebus) in
black. From its size it must have contained 20 lbs. or 22 lbs.

Two yellow glass beads, a glass seal with symbol of Freemasonry.

A 4-inch block, strapped, with copper hook and thimble, probably
for the boat's sheet.

Relics seen in lat. 69° 9' N., long. 99° 24' W., not brought
away, 30th of May, 1859 : —

A large boat, measuring 28 ft. in extreme length, 7 ft. 3 in. in breadth,
2 ft. 4 in. in depth. The markings on her stem were — "XXI, W.
Con. N61., APr. 184." It appears that the fore part of the stem has
been cut away, pr^-bably to reduce weight, and part of the letters and
figures removed. An oak sledge under the boat, 23 ft. 4 in. long, and
2 ft. wide ; 6 paddles, about 60 fathoms of deep-sea lead line, ammuni-
tion, 4 cakes of navy chocolate, shoemaker's box with implements
complete, small quantities of tobacco, a small pair of very stout shooting
boots, a pair of very heavy iron-shod knee boots, carpet boots, sea
boots and shoes — in all seven or eight pairs ; two rolls of sheet lead, elm
tingles for repairing the boat, nails of various sizes for boat, and sledge
irons, three small axes, a broken saw, leather cover of a sextant case, a
chain-cable punch, silk handkerchiefs (black, white, and coloured),
towels, sponge, tooth-brush, hair comb, a macintosh, gun cover (marked

1 1:

1' '1

No. I.

nd, a piece of thin
e instead of glass ;

r, part of a clierry-
ils, a leather boot-
ered bottles (full),
f silver spectacles,
creeps, such as a
sects, &c. ; a small
1 adheres a printed
r appointment ; a
ing two charges of

opper of a pocket
ne of the glasses of
Id lucifer matches ;
;ry large and old-
'ith a flange similar
but smaller ; and

eel frame, and wire

I " E." (Erebus) in
ar 22 lbs.
Freemasonry,
thimble, probably

W., not brought

t. 3 in. in breadth,
ere— "XXI, W.
,rt of the stem has
of the letters and
ft. 4 in. long, and
ead line, ammuni-
with implements
very stout shooting
carpet boots, sea
s of sheet lead, elm
)r boat, and sledge
if a sextant case, a
;e, and coloured),
gun cover (marked

No. I.

APPENDIX.

317

in paint " A 12 "), twine, files, knives ; a small worsted-work slipper,
lined with calfskin, bound with red riband ; a great quantity of clothing,
and a wolfskin robe ; part of a boat's sail of No, 8 canvas, whale-line
rope with yellow mark, and white-line with red mark ; 24 iron
stanchions, 9J inches high, for supporting a weather cloth round the
boat ; a stanchion for supporting a ridge pole at a height of 3 ft. 9 in.
above the gunwale.

Relics found about Ross's Cairn, on Point Victory, May and
June, 1859, brought away: —

A 6-inch dip circle by Robinson, marked I 22. A case of medicines,
consisting of 25 small bottles, canister of pills, ointment, plaster, oiled
silk, &c. A 2-foot rule, two joints of the cleaning rod of a gun, and
two small copper spindles, probably for dog-vanes of boats. The cir-
cular brass jJate l)roken out of a wooden gun-case, and engraved " C.
H. Osmer, R.N." The field glass and German silver top of a 2-foot
telescope, a coffee canister, a piece of a brass curtain rod. The record
tin, and the record dated 25th of April, 1848. A 6-inch double frame
sextant, on which the owner's name is engraved, "Frederick Hornby,
R.N."

Found in a small cairn on the south side of Back Bay,
brought away: —
A tin record case and record.

Seen about Ross's Cairn, Point Victory, not brought away : —

Four sets of boat's cooking apparatus complete, iron hoops, 4 feet of
a copper lightning conductor, hollow brass curtain rod three-quarters of
an inch in diameter, 3 pickaxes, i shovel, old canvas, a pile of warm
clothing and l:)lankets 4 feet high ; 2 lin canteens stamped "89 Co., Wm.
Hedges," "88 Co., Wm. Heather," and a third one not marked. A
small pannikin, made on board out of a 2-lb. preserved meat tin, and
marked " W. Mark;" a small deal box for gun wadding, the heavy
iron work of a large boat, part of a canvas tent, part of an oar sawed
longitudinally and a blanket nailed to its flat side, three boat-hook
staves, strips of copper, a 9-inch single block strapped, a ]Mece of rope,
and spunyarn. Among the clothing was found a stocking marked
" W. Green," and a fragment of one marked " W. S."

Relics obtained at the Northern Cairn, near Cape Felix,
May, 1859 : —

Fragments of a boat's ensign, metal lid of a powder case, two eye-
pieces of sextant tubes, brass button ; worsted glove, colours red, white,
and blue ; bung-stave of a marine's water keg or bottle ; brass ornaments

I
' i

1 1

1 '

■

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i-J

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

1.0

I.I

1.25

'■■ ■- 112.2

2.0

1.8

U III 1.6

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBST»,N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

.<?

3i8

APPENDIX.

No. I.

\\ \

of a marine's shako ; brass screw for screwing down lid, also a copper
hinge of the lid of powder-case ; a few patent wire cartridges containing
large shot ; part of a pair of steel spectacles, glass being replaced by
wood, having a narrow slit in it ; two small rib bones, probably out of
salt pork ; six or eight packets of needles ; small flannel cartridge
containing an ounce of damaged powder ; a small, roughly made copper
apparatus for cooking ; some brimstone matches. Piece of white paper
folded up found in the North Cairn, two pike-heads, narrow strip of
white paper, found under one of the tent places : their tent places were
within a few yards of the cairn.

Beside a small cairn, about three miles north of Point
Victory, was : —

A pickaxe, with broken handle : brought away an empty tea or
coffee canister.

Articles noticed about the North Cairn, not brought away : —

Fragments of two broken bottles, several pieces of broken basins or
cups, blue and white delf-ware, hoops of marine's water keg, small iron
hoops, fragments of white-line, spunyarn, canvas, and twine ; three
small canvas tents, under which lay a bearskin and fragments of
blankets ; two blanket frocks, several old mittens, stockings, gloves,
pilot cloth and box cloth jackets and trousers, large shot, piece of
tobacco and broken pipe, metal part of powder-case, top of tin canister
marked " cheese," preserved-potato tin, feathers of ptarmigan, and
salt -meat bones.

Seen near Cape Maria Louisa : —

Part of a drift tree, white spruce fir, i8 feet long, lo inches in dia-
meter ; it appeared to have but recently (/'. e. since thrown on the
coast) been sawed longitudinally down the centre, and one-haif of it
removed.

Relics obtained from the Boothian Esquimaux, near the

Magnetic Piile, in March and April, 1859 : —

Seven knives made by the natives out of materials obtained from the
lost expedition, one knife without a handle, one spear-head and staff
(the latter has broken off), two files ; a large spoon or scoop, the
handle of pine or bone, the bowl of musk-ox horn ; six silver spoons
and forks, tlie property of Sir John Franklin, Lieutenants H. D,
Le Vesconte, and Fairholme, A. M 'Donald, Assistant Surgeon, and
Lieutenant E. Couch (supposed from the initial letter C and crest, a
lion's head) ; a small portion of a gold watch-chain, a broken piece of
ornamental work apparently silver gilt, a few small naval and other
metal buttons, a silver medal obtained by Mr. M 'Donald as a prize for
superior attainments at a medical examination in Edinburgh, April,

No. I.

id, also a copper
ridges containing
leing replaced by
1, probably out of
flannel cartridge
jhly made copper
:e of white paper
narrow strip of
r tent places were

lorth of Point

an empty tea or

)ught away : —

broken basins or
;r keg, small iron
nd twine ; three
nd fragments of
tockings, gloves,
e shot, piece of
op of tin canister
ptarmigan, and

[O inches in dia-

thrown on the

id one-haif of it

lux, near the

plained from the
-head and staff
or scoop, the
[x silver spoons
Itenants H. D,
It Surgeon, and
]C and crest, a
)roken piece of
ival and other
|d as a prize for
iburgh, April,

No. I.

APPENDIX.

319

1838 ; some bows and arrows, in which wood, iron, or copper has been
used in the construction — but of no other interest.

Remarks upon these Articles. »

The spear-staff measures 6 feet 3 inches in length, and appears to
have been part of a light boat's gunwale ; it measured (before being
partially rounded to adapt it to its present use) about i^ by i^ inch, is
made of English oak, and upon the side has been painted white over
green. The spear-head is of steel, riveted to two pieces of hoop, with
bone between, and lashed on to the staff. The rivets are of copper
nails. The native who sold it said he himself got it from the boat in
the Fish River. Another spear of the same kind was seen. The knives
are made either of iron or steel, riveted to two strips of hoop, between
which the handle of wood is inserted, and rivets passed through, securing
them together. The rivets are almost all made out of copper nails, such
as would be found in a copper-fastened boat, but those which have been
examined do not bear the Government mark. It is probable that most
of the boats of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' were built by contract, and
therefore would not have the broad arrow stamped upon their iron and
copper work. One small knife appears to have been a surgical instru-
ment. A large knife obtained in April bears some marking, such as a
sword or a cutlass might have. The man who sold it said he bought it
from another, who picked it up on the land where the ship was driven
ashore by the ice, and where the white people had thrown it away ; it
was then about as long as his arm. This was the first information we
received of one of the ships having drifted on shore. One knife and one
file are stamped with the broad arrow. The handles are variously com-
posed of oak, ash, pine, mahogany, elm, and bone. The spoons and
forks were readily sold for a few needles each, also the buttons, which
they wore as ornaments on their dresses. Bows and arrows were readily
exchanged for knives. Previously to the stranding on the neighbouring
shore of the lost Expedition these people must have been almost destitute
of wood or iron. Some of them even had only bone knives and bone
spear-points. Some of their sledges were seen, consisting of two rolls
of sealskin, flattened and frozen, to serve as runners, and connected
together by cross bars of bones. Many more knives, bows, and buttons,
similar to those brought away, might have been obtained, but no per-
sonal or important relics.

Seen in a Snow Hut in lat. 70^° N., 20th of April, 1859,

not brought away : —

Two wooden shovels, one of them made of mahogany board, some
spear-handles and a how of English wood, a deal case which might have
served for a telescope or Ijaronieter. Its external dimensions were : —
length, 3 ft. I in.; depth, i\ in.; width, 9 in.; two brass hinges
remained attaclied to it.

Ill

I s ■

: i

I ti

320

APPENDIX.

No. I.

Relics obtained from the Esquimaux near Cape Norton,
upon the East Coast of King WiUiam's Island, in May,

1859:- .
Two tablespoons ; upon one is scratched " W, W,," on the other
" W. G, ; " these bear the Franklin crest ; two table forks, one bearing
the Franklin crest, the other is also crested, probably Captain Crozier's ;
silversmith's name is " I. West ;" two teaspoons, one engraved "A. M.
D." (A. M'Donald), the other bears the Fairholme crest and motto ;
handle of a dessert knife, into which had been inserted a razor (since
broken off) by Millikin, Strand ; buttons, wood, and iron, were here in
abundance, but as enough of these had already been obtained, no more
were j->ur chased.

Taken out of some deserted snow-huts near here : —

Some scraps of different kinds of wood, such as could not be obtained
from a boat — teak or African oak.

Found lying about the skeleton, g miles eastward of Cape
Herschel, 26th May, 1859: —

The tie of black silk neckerchief; fragments of a double-breasted
blue cloth waistcoat, with covered silk buttons, and edged with braid ;
a scrap of a coloured cotton shirt, silk-covered buttons of blue cloth
great-coat, a small clothes-brush, a horn pocket-comb, a leathern pocket-
book, which fell to pieces when thawed and dried ; it contained g or
10 letters, a few leaves apparently blank ; a sixpence, date 1831 ; and
a half-sovereign, dated 1844.

A subsequent most careful examination proved these letters, or rather
papers folded as letters, to be : —

(No. I.) Simply an address — "Mr. John Cowper, No. 47, John
Street, Commercial Road, London."

(No. 2.) An account of Hy. Peglar's sea services.

(No. 3.) An address — " O. J. Rezzoe, a Squier, R.N., SamVile
Harbor. John T. Couart, .... eth " —

(No. 4.) The words of a sea-song, with the date " April 21, 1847."

(No. 5.) " Lines writ .... on a party wot happened at Trinidad,"
&c., each word being spelt backwards.

(No. 6.) An account of some festive trip, each word spelt backwards,
— "Sir, in one of my jerneys to the old Citty of Cumanar," &c.

(No. 7.) Lines beginning "Oh Death where is thy sting;" and
s|)elt backwards.

(No. 8.) The parchment certificate of Henry Peglar. Also, tv'O or
three wholly illegible papers and a scrap of ' Lloyd's Weekly News-
paper.'

There are two handwritings here; the MSS. numbered i, 2, and 4,
are by the same person ; Nos. 3, 5, 6, and 7, arc by some one else.

No. I.

r Cape Norton,
; Island, in May,

W.," on the other
,le forks, one bearing
ly Captain Crozier's ;
ne engraved "A. M.
ne crest and motto ;
nserted a razor (since
.nd iron, were here in
en obtained, no more

lear here : —
could not be obtained

s eastward of Cape

i of a double-breasted
and edged with braid ;
buttons of blue cloth
omb, a leathern pocket-
lied ; it contained 9 or
pence, date 1831 ; and

these letters, or rather

:owper, No. 47. 1°^"

ices.

Jquier, R.N., Safidile

late " April 21, 1847-"
|iappe"ed at Trinidad,"

I word spelt backwards,

ICumanar," &c.

[re is thy sting ; " and

Ipeglar. Also, tv'o or
Joyd's Weekly News-

Inumbered I, 2, and 4,
I by some one else.

No. II.

APPENDIX.

321

Articles seen among the natives at Cape Norton, not pur-
chased : —

Bows made of wood, knives, uniform and plain buttons, a sledge
made of two long pieces of hard wood.

From beside an Esquimaux stone-mark, on the east side of

Montreal Island : —

Part of a preserved-meat tin, painted red ; part of the rim of some
strong copper case or vessel ; pieces of iron hoop, two pieces of flat
iron, an iron hook-bolt, a piece of sheet copper.

Articles seen about a snow-hut near Point Booth, not pur-
chased : —

Eight or ten fir poles, varying from 5 feet to 10 feet in length, the
stoutest being 2J inches in diameter. Two wooden snow shovels about 3^
feet long, and made of pieces of plank painted white or pale yellow; it oc-
curred to me that the pieces of plank might have been the bottom-boards
of a boat. There was abundance of wood fashioned into smaller articles.

Contents of Boat's Medicine Chest, found on Point Victory: —
One bottle labelled as zinzib. R. pulv., full ; ditto, spirit, rect.,
empty ; ditto, mur. hydrarg., seven-eighths full ; ditto, ol. caryophyll.,
one-fifth full ; ditto, ipec. P. co., full ; ditto, ol. menth. pip., empty ;
ditto, liq. ammon. fort., three-quarters full ; ditto, ol. olivce, full ;
ditto, tinct. opii camph., three-quarters full; ditto, vin. sem. colch.,
full ; ditto, quarter full ; ditto, calomel, full (broken) ; ditto, hydrarg.
nit. oxyd., full ; ditto, pulv. gregor., full (broken) ; ditto, magnes.
carb., full ; ditto, camphor, full ; two bottles tinct. tolut., each quarter
full ; one bottle ipec. R. pulv., full ; ditto, jalap. R. pulv., full ; ditto,
scammon. pulv., full ; ditto, quinine bisulph., empty ; ditto (not
labelled), tinct. opii, three-quarters full ; one box (apparently) pur-
gative pills, full ; ditto, ointment, shrunk ; ditto, emp. adhesiv., full ;
one probang, one pen wrapped up in lint, one lead pencil, one pewter
syringe, two small tubes (test) wrapped up in lint, one farthing,
bandages, oil silk, lint, thread.

No. 11.
Reports of Scientific Observations obtained during
THE Voyage of the ' Fox ;' or References to such
OF these Reports as are Published elsewhere.

Zoology. — Notes on the zoology of the voyage, by the Surgeon,
Uavid Walker, M.D. ; also Notes on some of the diatomous forms
collected, by the Rev. Eugene O'Meara. Published in the * Royal Dublin
Society's Journal ' for i860.

:,!

i22

APPENDIX.

No. IL

, i

Botany. — The botanical specimens collected and brought home by
Dr. Walker consisted of about 170 species of plants. They were placed
in the hands of Dr. J. D Hooker, F.R.S., and the account drawn up
by him will be found in the ' Journal of Proceedings of the Linn:"an
Society,' Botany, vol. v. ' /

Geology. — The geological collection made during the voyage of the
'Fox,' together with the collections brought home by me in three
previous arctic Expeditions, were submitted to the Rev. Professor
Samuel Haughton, F.R.S., President of the Geological Society of
Dublin. From all these specimens, Dr. Haughton constructed a highly
interes^^'ig geological map of the Arctic Archipelago to accompany his
description, which will be found in Appendix IV. of the former editions
of this work. The specimens are in the Museum of the Royal Dublin
Society, and, together with those collected in Greenland by Sir Charles
L. Giesecke, form a more extensive collection of arctic rocks and fossils
than is to be found in any other museum in Europe. It includes am-
monites from lat. 76^° N. ; specimens of pine trees found in great abun-
dance in lat. 74° N., also in 'jffi N., both recent and fossil ; coal plants ;
fossils from the carboniferous and silurian rocks of similar high latitudes ;
and miocene fossils from lat. 70° N.

These latter fossils have been described by Professor Oswald Heer, of
Ziirich, in his 'Flora Fossilis Arctica,' published in 1868. An abstract
taken from this work by R. H. Scott, M.A. (which includes all miocene
specimens brought home by Captain E. A. Inglefield, R.N. ; Lieutenant
P. Clohunb, R.N. ; Herr C. S. M. Olrik ; and by myself) will be found
in the 'Journal of the Royal Dublin Society ' for 1867, No. xxxvi.

A collection more recently brought home by F. Whymper, Esq.,
F.R.G.S., is noticed in the 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' for
1869, No. no.

The total number of these most interesting miocene plants, discovered
in Greenland, now amounts to 137 species.

Meteorology, — It is not proposed to do more here than invite the
attention of the scientific enquirer to a very able and complete discussion
on the meteorological obse* vations made on board the ' Fox,' as published
in the 13th volume of the ' Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge,'
April 1861.

A few brief remarks, such as may not be uninteresting to the general
reader, are all that we can find room for here.

At Port Kennedy the highest temperature observed during the year
was 55°Fahr., the lowest -49*8" Fahr., consequently the extreme range
was 105°. The average maximum temperature occurred between noon
and I P.M., and the minimum between 2 and 3 a.m.

The mean annual temperature is + 2° Fahr. By calculation, the
warmest day is 20th July, the coldest day is 19th January ; and the days
of mean annual temperature are 23rd April and 22nd October.

No. II.

APPENDIX.

323

The mean monthly diurnal fluctuations of temperature in autumn and
winter do not exceed 3° ; whereas in spring and summer — the sun then
being generally above the horizon — it amounts to 9°.

Even during mid-winter, when the sun is absent, the diurnal variation
does not altogether disappear.

The effect of the moon during winter, in producing a clear sky and
fall of temperature, has long been known . From the observations of the
' Fox, ' it appears that the temperature is lower at full moon than at new
moon by about 7°.

The effect of a calm is also to lower the temperature.

At Port Kennedy the most windy months were October and November ;
the calmest months were March and April.

In Baffin's Bay, February, March, and April, were the most windy
months, and June and July the calmest.

On 30th Sept , 1858, a tube, containing a Thermometer, was sunk
2 ft. 2 inches into the ground ; the earth for the first six inches was not
frozen, but all below that depth had evidently never thawed. In a few
days this spot was covered to a depth of 5 ft. with snow, and remained
so until the middle of June, 1859. During this period the buried
Thermometer indicated the following temperatures : —

Dates.

mis, discovered

than invite the
Iplete discussion
Tix,' as published
to Knowledge,'

1858.
13th November

nth December

1859.
8th January . . . .

1 2th February. . . .

loth March . . . .

7th April

7th May

4th June

Mean Temperature of the Air

during the seven days preceding

each observation.

— 107
-29-8

- 568

-34-1
-17

-35

+ 5-9
+ 26-5

Icalculation, tlie
1/ ; and the days
Itober.

It may, therefore, be assumed that the earth at that depth reached its
minimum temperature — zero — on i6th March.

I subjoin an abstract of the ' Fox ' temperatures ; also one of mean
annual temperatures at various stations where arctic expeditions have

Y 2

^Tf^Bmi

imi^L!...- I, lJ|i»,H»»»»»^cr3B^

•»*w^^3^^(H^W"'^^^W'

•^v^an

324

APPENDIX.

No. II.

wintered, having obtained them from published accounts, or from the
officers employed. They are given more in detail with the ' Fox ' ob-
servations in the ' Smithsonian Contributions;' many valuable additions
could be furnished from the registers kept in Greenland, also from
Moravian stations in Labrador, and from the various Hudson's Bay Com-
pany's trading posts.

Table of Mean Monthly Temperatures of the Air in the
Shade, also the Range of the Thermometer; registered
on board the 'Fox.'

Date.

1857.

August . .

September

October

November

December

1858.

January
February
March . .
April . .
May
June

July . .
August . .

Lat.,

74
75
75
74
74

73
71
69
66
69
75
74
73

Long.,
W.

59
65
68

69
67

64
61

59
58
54
60
76
88

Mean
Temperature, Fahr.

+ 34*6

19-5

- 47
.1-6

25
15-5
3 '4
4- 8
29-9
36
36-6

34*5

Range.

28
38
45
63
41

35
22

In Port Kennedy— Latitude 72^ N., Longitude 94° W.

September
October
November
December

January
February
March . .
April . .
May
June

July . .
August . .

1859.

25-1

7-1

-II -9

33 "7

34-4

36-9

17-4

+ 15-9

357
40

367

30
49

34
36
51
58
35
32
25
17

No. II.

APPENDIX^

32s

3, or from the
the ' Fox ' ob-
lable additions
,nd, also from
ion's Bay Com-

AlR IN THE
RKGISTERED

Tablk of Mean Annual Temperatures registered by Modern
Arctic Expeditions at their Wintering Stations.

Tismp., Fahr.

+ 9"63
5 "96
30

5-51
60

2-5
5-0
7'3
8-1

2'0
I'O
40
I'l

I '5
05

-i2-5

+ 30

0-4

- 1-8

+ 43
-06

— 2-2

Locality.

Winter Island . . . .

Repulse Bay

Cambridge Bay . , . .

Igloolik

Felix Harbour . . , .
Slierifif's Harbour

Camden Bay

Point Barrow

Walker Bay

Port Kennedy . . , .
Prince of Wales' Strait

Port Bov.cn

Port Leopold . . . .

Mercy Bay

Griffith Island . . . .
Cape Cockburn . . . .
Beechey Island . . . .
Winter Harbour . . . .
Dealy Island . . . .
Wellington Channel . .
Wolstenholme Sound
Northumberland Sound
Rensselaer Harbour . .

Lat., N.

66i

66-32

69i
70
70
70-8

71-36

72-1

72-47

73-14

73-51
746

74-34

74-41

74-43

74-47

74-56

75-31

76J

76-52

78-37

Long.jW.

83i

1051

8if

92
91?

I45i

156

ii7§

94i

117^
89
90

118J

954
\o\\

92
III

loSf
92J
69
97
70§

D.ite.

182 1-2
1846-7

1852-3
1822-3
1829-30
1830-31

1853-4

1852-3-4

I 85 1-2

1858-9

1850-51

1824-5

1848-9

1 85 1 -2-3

1850-51

1853-4
1852-3-4
1819-20
1852-3

1853-4
1849-50

1852-3

1853-4-S

Magnet'SM. — Under this head are included observations for inclina-
tion, declination, intensity, and hourly deviation of declination. The
hourly observations made at Port Kennedy were continued thrcughout
a period of five months; they have been discussed by Major-General
Sir Edward Sabine, R.A., President of the Royal Society, and are
published in the 'Philosophical Transactions' for 1863, vol. 153. The
entire series of magnetical oliservations have been laid befo*"^ the Royal
Society; those for inclination possess more than ordinary interest, as
many of them were taken in the vicinity of the Magnetic Pole; they
were maae with one of Gambey's 9j-inch dip circles. The only other
magnetic observations which we po^-sess from this interesting locality
were made by the late Sir James C. Ross, in 1830-31, when that
talented officer discovered the Magnetic Pole.

Auroras. — Observations on the Aurora, its influence on an electro-
scope, periods of maximum and minimum atmospheric electricitj, &c.,
by Surgeon David Walker, M.D., are contained in Appendix No. VI. of
former editions of this work.

326

APPENDIX.

No. II.

i i

.1 -f

\>S

I u

■ POLARISCOPE. — Observations made with a polariscope during the
voyage by Surgeon D. Walker, M.D., will be found in the 'Proceed-
ings of the Royal Society' for 1859-60, vol. x. p. 558.

Tides. — The tidal observations made at Port Kennedy have been
placed in the hands of the Rev. Professor Samuel Haughton, F.R.S.,
who is engaged in the discussion of several sets of similar observations
made in various parts of the arctic regions where our searching ex-
peditions have wintered. In Appendix No. V. of the former editions
of the ' Fox Voyage ' will be found Dr. Haughton's notes '• on the
Tidal Streams of the Arctic Archipelago ;" and in the 'Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society' for 186 1-2, his discussion of the
tidal observations made at Port Leopold in 1848-9.

Ice. — Observations on ice, by Surgeon D. Walker, M.D., were
published in the ' Royal Dublin Society's Journal ' for i860, vol. ii.
P- 376.

Ice Movements. — On the Effect of Wind in producing Ice Morve-
ment. — In the ist and 5th chapters I have noticed, in the former, the
Spitzbergen current, in the latter, the probable result of wind, as effect-
ing the drift of the ' Fox.'

The Spitzbergen or Polar current sets round Cape Farewell, follows
the trend of the shore to the northwest, bearing heavy ice as far,
usually, as 65° N., and still continues northward until deflected off shore
to the westward, apparently by banks which lie in 67° N. Here uniting
with such current as sets out of Baffm's Bay, it curves southwestward, runs
swiftly past Cape Walsingham, and as the "Labrador current" continues
its course along that coast towards Newfoundland.

It is obvious that, to estimate the volume of water setting out of
Baffin's Bay, our observations should be limited to the north of 67°.

The winter drift of the ' Terror,' in 1836-7, from Frozen Strait through
Hudson Strait into the Atlantic, appears to me to be due o wind alone,
since a polar current is therpi an impossibility, and that any considerable
current — during winter — issues from Hudson's Bay, is highly improbable.
From all that I have been able to observe during our winter driff^ down
the middle of Baffin's Bay to Davis' Strait, the ice movement wa? almost
entirely due to wind, and not to an arctic or polar current.

As this is not the generally received opinion, I give a carefully pre
pared table of our monthly winds and drifts. The direction of duration
of the wind has been worked out like a day's work, the number of hours
upon each point of the compass being regarded as miles. The direction
of the force has been similarly obtained, but regarding the accumulated
hourly force (according to the Beaufort notation), upon each point, as
so many miles. The directions of duration and of force thus obtained
nearly agree ; and, compared with our true drift, show at once whether
other causes were at work in effecting the movement of the ice.

Date.

1857-
Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

1858.

an.

Feb.

3*'

A''

Mar.
April,
to 17th

3't

4":

No. II.

ape during the
. the 'Proceed"

ledy have been
ighton, F.R.S.,
iar observations
r searching ex-
former editions
notes " on the
• Philosophical
iscussion of the

r, M.D., were
ir i860, vol. ii.

ucing Ice Move-
the former, the
' wind, as effect-

arewell, follows
;avy ice as far,
iflected off shore
. Here uniting
hwestward, runs
rrent" continues

setting out of
orth of 67°.
n Strait through
o wind alone,
my considerable
ly improbable,
inter drifr down
nent wa? almost
It.

a carefully pre
tion of duration
lumber of hours
The direction
le accumulated
each point, as
thus obtained
t once whether
he ice.

No. II.

APPENDIX.

IV-

To ascertain whether our mileage was proportional to tlie strength of
the prevailing wind, I used a simple formula dependent thereon, which
answered the purpose sufficiently well.

Formula. { ^y/.Svaiiing l"^^' } ^ "^ --" ^-^ >< ,0 = ''"^^ "^ ^^ P-'^'^^ '«•
For example: March, 1858. --- -—■= 99*6 miles.

An ordinary fresh breeze (force 5), when blowing in the direction of
open water, would usually drift the pack twelve miles in twenty-four
hours.

A Table of the Winds and Ice-Drifts experienced by the Arctic

Searching Yacht 'Fox.'

Date.

1857-

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

1858.
Jan.
Feb.

Mar.
April,
to 17th

Mean

Force

of all

Winds.

Direction of
Prevailing Wind,

Of Du-
ration.

3*i8
3'oS

3-84
3*88

3*41
4*45

3*96
4" 39

N.17W.

N.42W.

Force.

o
N. 8E.

N.13W.

N.73W.;N.75W,

N.62W,

N.43W.
N. 28 W,

N. isW.
N.iiW.

N.61W.

N.44W.
N.26W.

N.19W.
N.iiW.

Wind in Pre-
vailing Quarter.

Hours in
Excess.

N. to W.
126 hrs,

144 ..

224
244

252
334

246 „
214 M

appeared to deflect the ice eastward.

Mean
Force.

2*83
2-85

3-83
3-i8

4*58
S*i3

4*05
S"34

True Drift.

S. 40 W. 37
N.75W.49

S. 9W. 32

.S. 47 E. 68

S.4sE. 113
S. iE. 166

S. i6E. 94
South 168

Drift from
Empirica;
Formulae.

S. 12 E. 35

S. 28E. 41

S.74E. 85

S. 61E. 77

S. 44 E. 116
S. 27 E. 171

S. 17 E. 100
S. II E. 114

Our near approach to the open sea

Remakks.

increase of drift ; the ice appearing by the sounding line to drift more
could not ascertain *he existence of current, up to this date.

In Melville Bay, 25 to 40
miles offshore. Ice-drift
affected by loc causes.

Water to the W.;, 1 N.W.,
and ice free to .uovi in
those directions; ■ -i
ice to the south'

Similar to last m
ice accumulating t<.
northward.

In mid-channel ; a ten-
dency to drift westward;
the cause unknown.

In mid-channel.

Parallel to the Greenland
coast, and distant front
it about 120 miles.

As last month.

Parallel to the Greenland
coast, but much nearer
to the west land, which

may account for our rapid

freely than heretofore. I

Index.

INDEX.

ADELAIDE BAY.

Adelaide Bay, 285.

Admiralty, supplies to the 'Fox,' 7.

Agnew River, the, 173.

Ale, freezing of, 68.

Aluik, in East Greenland, 194.

Amusements of the seamen, 39.

Ancient beach-marks, 262, 264.

Anderson, Mr., his searching expe-
dition, 2.

Araneet, the Ksquimaux, 137.

Arcedeckne, Andrew, Esq., 7; foot-
note, 174.

Island, 174, 217.

Arctic highlanders, or northern Es-
quimaux, 67, 1 13-14, 194.

Medal conferred upon the crew

of the 'Fox,' 309.

palates, 51.

regions, drifting out of, 79.

Atanekerdluk, fossilized forest of, 19,
99.

Amora, the, remarks on, 63 ; Ap-

_pendix, 325.

Awahlah, the Ponds Bay Esquimaux
Chief, 135, 139.

Ayweelik, the land of, 138.

Baals River, ii, 18.

Back, Admiral Sir George, 252, 256.

Bafifui, William, the Navigator, 121.

I3ay, 24, 288, 292.

Banks Land, 128.
Barrow, John, Esq., 145.

Strait, 143, 147.

Inlet, 233-4.

Bathurst, Cape Walter, 126.
Bear, the arctic, 80-82, 125, 142,
173, 28S-92.

, fight with the dogs, 74.

, hunt by night, 48.

iJjar's flesh, 82, 288.
■ blubber, 208.

CAIRN.

Bearded seal, shot, 158, 167.
Beechey Island, Depot, &c., 143-4,

147, 291.
Beer, receipts for making it on board,

199.

, sugar, 181, 199.

Bellot, Lieutenant, tablet in memory

of, 145.
Strait, 153, 162, 165, 167, 274,

280.

Strait, boat exploration in, 165.

Beset, in Melville Bay, 31.

— — , off Cape Hay, 124.

Bird, Cape, 165-6, 168, 173, 271.

Birthdays, unusual prevalence of,

&c., 277-8.
Blackwell, Thomas, Ship's Steward,

the death of, 268.
Board of Trade, contributions to our

voyage, 7.
Boat, the, found, 248.
Booth Point, meet an Esquimaux

family at, 229.
Boothia, western coast of, 170, 203.

, natives of, 173, 203, 218.

Botany of the voyage, Appendix

No. II., 322.
Brand, Mr. George, the death of, 185.
Brent geese, 158, 271, 273.
Brentford Bay, 153, 161, 285.
Buchan Island, nearly wrecked at,

105.
Burial in the pack, 59.
Bullen, Cape, 143.
Burgomasters {Lams Glaucous), 116,

176.
Bushnan Island, 108.
Button Point, 126.

Cairns, 124, 235, 242-3, 257, 263,

277, 300.
Cairn, Sir John Ross's, 161.
, Simpson's, 238, 2.^i.

INDEX.

I.I

329

.king it on board,

an Esquimaux

Glaucous), 116,

I42-3. 257, 263,

CANINE APPETITE.

Canine appetite, 37, 40, 45.

force, our, 188, 196.

Cape York, 37, no, 112.
Cave, description of a seal's, 75.
Charts, Esquimaux, 129, 136-9.
Christian, the Esquimaux dog-driver,

20, 33, 91, 93, 270, 275, 304.
Christmas Day, in the pack, 64.

, our second, 189.

Clavering, Captain, R.N., 192.
Clay River, lOO.
Clear of the pack, 87.
Coalfields of Greenland, 21, 99.
Coastline, extent of new, explored

by our parties, 296.
Cobourg Island, 120.
Cod fishing, 17.

oW, foot-note, 1 8.

CoUinson, Captain Richard, R.N.,

C.B., 62, 188, 223, 256, 266,

291, 295.
Comet, the, seen, 169.
Couch, the late Lieutenant Edward,

R.N., Introduction, xlii ; 253 ;

Appendix, 318.
Cranes, seen, 128.
Cresswell Bay, 211, 285-6.
Crimson ClUfs, the, no, 112, 116,

119.
Croker Bay, 122.
Crow's-nest, the, 30, 42.
Crozier, Cape, 248, 260.
, the late Captain F. R. M.,

R.N., Introduction, xxxiv ; 226,

246-7, 253 ; Appendix, 320.
Cunningham, Mount, 92.

Danish holiday in Greenland, 91.

Death, the first on board, 59.

of the Engineer, Mr. G. Brand,

185.
of the Ship's Steward, Thos.

Blackwell, 268.
Declinometer, the, 213.
Deer. See Reindeer.
De Haven, Lieutenant, U. S. Navy,

78-9.
Depot (or Transition) Bay, 153, 154,

159, 161, 277.

ESQUIMAUX.

Des Voeux, the late Lieutenant C F.,

R.N., Introduction, xlii ; 244, 257.
De Ros Islet, 121.
Deuchars, Captain, 106-7, 127, 140.
Diana, the whaleship, 126.
Dietary scale, our, 198.
Disco Island, 19, 21, 292.

, the belles of, 304.

Fiord, 20, 307.

Dogs, Esquimaux, their nightly

foraging expeditions, 48, 55-

, how fed, 37, 52.

, lose five of them, 8 1.

, the, 22, 29, 38, 45, 114, 174,

196, 271, 307.
Dog-driving, 212, 233-4.
Drift of the 'Fox,' 89; Appendix

No. II., 327.
Duck Island, 106.
Durbin Island, coal said to exist

there, 98.

Eagles, seen as far north as Uper-
nivik, 45.

Earthquake in Greenland, 92.

East Greenland, our limited know-
ledge of, 192.

Egede, Hans, the missionary father
of Greenland, 18, 102.

Elberg, the chief trader, or Governor,
of Holsteinborg, 91.
I Electric current, the, observed, 64.

Emma, the whaleship, lOl.

Epitaph, the, at Beechey Island, 146.

Equipment, sledging, 20 1, 217.

Erebus Bay, Beechey Island, 144.

Ermine, 132, 169, 175, 177, 210,

273-
Escape, the, out of the pack, 86.

Evening school, our, 46.
Evaporation, through ice, 63.
' Esquimaux, in British Possessions,

I 13. 97-
of Greenland, remarks on the,

13, 15, 192-194.

of Cape York (arctic high-
landers), 113, n4, 194.

of Cape Horsburgh, 122.

330

INDEX.

ESQUIMAUX.

Esquimaux of Boothia Felix, 173,
203, 218.

of King William's IsIp' \

226-g.

of Ponds Bay, 126-41.

— — , where alone no traces of them
were seen, 260.

charts, 129, 136-9.

, their tradition of the Scandi-
navians, 276.

, their information of the Frank-
lin Expedition, 204 -6, 220, 227-9,
301.

Fairholme, the late LieiiteniMit

J. W., R.N., Introduction, xxxix ;

226, 253; Appendix, 318.
Falcons, 167, 189, 174.
False Strait, 168, 264, 286.
Fanohawe, Cape, 125.
Farewell, Cape, passed by the 'Fox,'

II, 307.
Felix, Cape, 222, 260, 299, 300.
Fiskernaes, arrive at, 16, 17.
Fitzjames, the late Captain James,

R.N., Introduction, x^xvii ; 246.
Fliescher, chief aader or Governor,

22, 23, lOI.
Flour, a barrel of, found, 211.
Four- River Point, 165, 170.
Fossilized Forest, 19, 99.
*Fox,' the yacht, purchase and

equipment of, 4.
'Fox' Islets, 170, 274.
, the arctic, remarks on, &c.,

61, 62 70, 194. 2CX), 208, 300.
Fox's Hole, 159.
Franklin, Lady, resolves to make a

fnial search, 3.
■ , Lady, letter of instructions

from, 9.
, Sir John, Introduction, xxix ;

226, 246, 253; Appendix, 318, 320.
, Sir John, and his companions,

monument to, London, Introduc-
tion, xlviii.
, Sir John, and his companions,

tablet to, at Beechcy Island, 146.
, Cape, 255.

GRAVES.

(or

Franklin, Sir John, Strait

Channel), 168, 209, 292.
Search, miles sledged over, &c.,

in the, 297.
Franklin's ships, Esquimaux report

of their fate, 206, 220, 227, 301.
Frederickshaab, arrive at, &c., 13, 14.
Freezing of salt water, 54.
Frobishers Strait, 97.
Frost-cracks in the ice, 186.
Funeral on the ice, 59.
Funnels, ice forms in the, 19T.
Fury Point (or Beach), 152, 209,
211, 212, 287.

Gale Hamkes Bay, Esquimaux
seen there, 193.

Game lists for several arctic locali-
ties, and remarks on, 281-2.

Garnets, 17.

Garry, Cape, 212, 280.

Gateshead Island, 170, 295.

Geology of the voyage, &c., Ap'
pcndix No. II., 322.

Gilbert Sound, 17.

Glacier, the great, of Greenland, 12,

-5-7-
• of Kapardktohk, 132.

Gladman Point, a cairn near, 235,.

Godhaab, 17, 18.

Godhavn, 19, 99, 145, 302-7.

Goldner's preserved meat tins, 135.

Goodsir, the late Dr. H. D. S., R.N.,

Introduction, xli ; 253.
Gore, the late Commander Graham,

R.N., Introduction, xxxviii; 244-6,

252-3, 257, 315.
Government, declines to renew the

search, 3.
, contributes stores, &c. to the

• Fox,' 6.
Graach, Captain, Royal Danish

Navy, 192, 194.
Graham Moore, Cajie, 128, 137.
Grampus, or Killer, 41-2.
Graves, 185, 205, 228, 286.
, the difficulty of making, in

frozen ground, 254.

'ES.

)hn, Strait (or

09, 292.

sledged over, &c.,

Esquimaux report
, 220, 227, 301.
■iveat,&c.,i3, 14.
ter, 54.

ice, 186.

59.

in the, 191.
leach), 152, 209,

Bay, Esquimaux

'eral arctic locali-
s on, 281-2.

280.

170, 295.

rayage, &c., Ap-
22.

of Greenland, 12,

hk. 132.

cairn near, 235,

45, 302-7.

meat tins, 135.

H. D. S., R.N.»

253.

inlander Graham,
7/, xxxviii; 244-6,

lies to renew the

tores, &c. to the

Royal Danish

pe, 128, 137.
41-2.
28, 286.
of making, in

■54-

INDEX.

331

GREAT FISH RIVER.

Great Fish (or Back) River, Preface,

viii; 2, 170, Z2,o, 313.
Green, W., Appendix, 317.
Greenland, its south-west coast,

trade, population, &c., li, 13.

, its eastern coast, 192-4.

Guy Fawkes' day, in the pack, 50.

Halfway Island, 165, 270.

Halkett, boat, 127.

Hall, Capt. C. F., his search for the

Franklin Expedition, Introduction,

xxxvi.
Hampton, Robert, 144, 230-1, 233.
Hare, the arctic, 93, 169, 178, 276.
-^— Island, coal found there, 99.
Harness Jack, 45.
Harvey, William, 55, 91, 152, 272.
Hay, Cape, 124, 137, 288. '
Hayes, Dr. I. I., foot-note, 67 ; List

of Illustrations, xxiv.
Hazard Inlet, 153, 166, 280.
Heather, William, 259; Appendix,

317.
Hedges, William, 259; Appenaix,

317-

Heroine, whaleship, 95.

Herschel, Cape, 235, 238.

, Cape, Simpson's cairn on, 238,

241.

Highlanders, arciic (northern Es-
quimaux), 110-15.

Hobday, George, 269.

Hobson, Lieut. W.R., R.N., ap-
pointed to the *Fox,' 5, 174,
177-8, 182, 214, 244, 268, 298,

309-
Hodgson, the late Lieutenant G. H.,

R.N., Introduction, xxxix.
Holiday in Greenland, 90.
Holsteinborg, 90, 92-4.
Home Bay, supposed to be a strait, 97.
Hornby, the late Lieut. F. J., R.N.,

Introduction, xlii; 253, 259; Ap-

pendiXf 317.
Horsburgh, Cape, 1 2 1.
Hotham, Cape, land at, 148.
Human skeleton found near Cape

Herschel, 235-6.

jor

. EYS.

Human skeletons found in the boat,

251.
Hurd, Cape, 144.
Huts. See Snow-huts.

Ice, experiments with, to obtain

fresh water, 53-4.
, the middle, or main pack, of

Baffin Bay, 23-4.
, the, about King William's

Island, 233, 243, 248, 261, 299.
, the, in Prince Regent Inlet,

161, 277.
, the, in Sir John Franklin Strait,

166, 168, 173, 182, 208, 265.
o-^, the, ocean-formed polar, 265,

299.
, the, observation on, by Dr.

Walker, Appendix No. II., 326.

blasting, 34.

, movements and noises, 47, 77 ;

Appendix No. II., 326-7.
-, artillery, 51.
-, nip, 76, 115.

— , navigation, uncertainty of, 97,

107.

, quake, 72.

, tournament, 85.

Icebergs, the grounded, 36-7.

drifting with us, 53, 71, 78.

yield fresh water, 30.

Icicles issuing from the stove-pipes,

191.
Igloolik, 129-30, 136-7, 139.
Inglefield, Captain E. A., R.N., 16,

130.
' Intrepid,' H.M.S., probable traces

of, 107.
Irving, the late Lieut, John, R.N,

Introduction, xl ; 246.

Jane, the whaleship, 95.
Jones, Wm., the dog-driver, 50.

Sound, 121.

Journeys, departure of Hobson on,

174, 178, 214.
, return of Hobson from, 177,

182, 268.

i ,

332

INDEX.

m u

JOURNEYS.

Journeys, M'Clintock's, 200-7, 214-

65, 270-2.
, departure of Young on, 200,

209, 269, 270.
, return of Young from, 208, 211,

270, 272.

, the earliest spring, 197, 200-8.

• , Hobson's reports of his, 182,

298-301.
, Young's reports of his, 208,

269, 292-6.
-, some particulars of sledging.

297-8.

Kal-LEK, the bald Esquimaux, 122.
Kane, Dr. E. K., boat-party from

his expedition, 66.
, Dr. E. K., his observations on

melted sea-ice, 53.
Kaparoktolik, 127, 131, 136, 138.
Kayak, the Esquimaux canoe, or, 21,

95. 113. 137. 193. 278.
Kennedy, Mr. William, 153, 157,

170, 200.

, Port, 170, 174, 279, i85.

Killer, the, or Grampus, 41

King Willia;n's Island (or Land),

160, 170, 206, 214, 255, 262, 300,

312.

Lake, Macgregor Laird, 166, 200,

265, 271, 286.
Lancaster Sound, 122, 143.
Lapis ollaris, the (Potstone), 132.
Lemming, 132, 169, 176, 210, 290.
Leopold, Port, 151, 209, 287.
Levesque Harbour, in Brentford Bay,

157-
Le Vesconte, the late Lieut. H. 1 . D.,

R.N. ; Introduction, xxxix ; 253;

Appendix, 318.
Lichtenfels, Moravian missionary

station of, 16.
Lightning, vivid flash of, 174.
Limestone Island, the ' Fox ' sails

past, 148.

MORAVIAN MISSIONS.

List of officers of Franklin's Expedi-
tion, Introduction, xxviii.

Little, the late Commander Edw.,
Introduction, xxxix.

Little Auk, the, or Rotchie, 1 1 6,
123.

Long Island, 157, 170.

Loom soup, 128.

Looms and Loomeries, 120, 125,
128.

Lunar phenomena, 59.

Lyon, Captain, R.N., his attempted
journey, 296.

M'Clintock Channel, Preface,

xiv; 295.
M'Clure, Sir Robert, Preface, xii;

128, 258, 267, 313.
Macgregor Laird Lake, 166, 200,

265, 271, 286.
M'Donald, the late Dr. Alex., R.N.,

Introduction, xli ; 205, 226, 318,

320, 321.
Magnetic, the, observatory, 178, iSl,

189.
observations, 223, 263 ; Ap-
pendix No. II, 325.
Pole, the, 170, 173, 203, 222,

263.
Maguire, Capt. Rochfort, R.N., 8.
Makkak's Elvin, River, 100.
Mark, W., 259; Appendix, 317,
Matty Island, 224, 226.
Melville Bay, 24-5, 108-9.
Island, 176, 187, 243, 258, 281, .

299.
Mercury, the, frozen, 196, 201.
Meteor, a, seen, 46.
Meteorology of tiie voyage, Appendix

No. II., 322.
Midwinter day, 64,
Montreal Island, 214, 228, 230-3,

3I3-
Monument, the, at Beechey Island,

145-
, the national, to Franklin and his

companions, Introduction, xlviii.
Moravian missions in Greenland, 18.

INDEX,

333

Rotchie, Ii6,

ries, I20, 125,

., his attempted

^, 228, 230-3,

5eechey Island,

M-ankliiiandhis
'iictioit, xlviii.
iGreenland, 18.

MOUSE.

Mouse, one found alive on board, 169.
Mouth, the, of an Esquimaux, 22.
Murchison, Sir Roderick I., Preface

by him, 3, 276.
Musk-oxen, observations, &c. on, 60,

158, 175, 281-4.
Mustard and cress, the growth of,

&c., 198, 277.

Narwhals, and narwhals' horns,
51, 130, 139.

Native auxiliaries, our, 38.

Natives of Boothia, first meeting
with, &c,, 203-7.

of KingWilliam's Island, 226-8.

of Cape York (arctic high-
landers), no.

of Ponds Inlet, 126.

Navy-board Inlet, 126, 128, 130,

132, 136.
Nets for catching seals, 187-8.
New Herrnhut, Moravian mission at,

18.
New Year's Day, 65, 189.
Noises from ice-movements, 47.
North Water, the, 115.
North-West Passage, remarks on

the, 265-7.
Noursak, 100.

Observations, scientific, Reports

&c. on. Appendix No. II., 321.
Ogle, Point, 230, 233.
Officers, list of, &c. of Franklin's

expedition, Introduction, xxviii.
Olrik, Herr C. S. M., Inspector of

North Greenland, 19, 98, 302.
Ommanney, Capt., R.N., first traces

discovered by, &c., I, 147, 295.
Omenak's Fiord, loi.
Oomiak, or women's boat, 1 5.
Oonalee, the Boothian Esquimaux,

206, 218, 220-2.
Oot-luo-lik, the stranded ship at, 220.
Open water in Bellot Strait all the

winter, 190, 196-7, 274.
Organ, our, 43, 304.
Orkney Isles, the shores of, 10.

PORT KENNEDY.

Osborn, Capt. Sherrard, R.N., 197,

289, 295.
Osmer, the late C. H., Esq., R.N.,

Introduction, xli ; Appendix, 317.
Owls, 169, 194, 278.
Ow-wang-noot, the Ponds Bay

native, 137, 139.
Ozone, experiments to detect the

presence of, 46.

Pack, the polar, 265, 299, 300.

, release from the, 86.

Paraselenoe, 59.

Parry, Sir P^dward, 85, 124, 126,

130, 138, 243, 299.
Passage, northern, across Baffin Bay,

24.

, southern, 24.

, middle, 24.

, the, North-West, its discovery,

Preface, xii; Introduction, xlviii;

267.
Peel Sound (or Strait), 151, 166, 168.
Peddie, the late Dr. J. S., R.N., /«-

traduction, xli.
Peglar, Henry, his certificate, &c.,

deciphered, 310 ; Appendix N^o. I.,

320.
Pemmican, its composition, 6.

Rock, 167, 174, 200, 272.

Pendulum, experiments, 46.

Islands, 193.

Pentland Firth, the 'Fox' passes

through, 10.
Petersen, Carl, appointed to the

*Fox,' Preface, ix; 6.
, Carl, his skill as an ice-pilot,

&c., 33-
, Carl, his suffisrings in Dr.

Kane's expedition, 66.
Philpots, Dr. E. P., his interesting

\\\{oxvc\.?X\Q\\, foot-notes, 121, 184.
Pitcher, James, gets scur\'y, 197.
Ponds Bay (or Inlet), 119, 126, 131,

137, 142.
Port Kennedy, 170, 174, 279, 285.
, observations on the tempera-
ture at, Appendix No. II., 322.

334

INDEX.

I;.,

PORT LEOPOLD.

Port Leopold, 151, 209, 287.
Possession Bay, 125.

Point, 153, 161.

Prince Patricks Land (or Island),

176, 299.

Regent Inlet, 160, 161.

of Wales' Land, 170, 208, 292.

• Princess Charlotte,' the, destroyed

by the ice, 107,
Prospects for a winter in the pack,

38.
Proven^ settlement of, 22.
Ptarmigan, l8i, 187, 190, 200.

♦Queen,' whaleship, winters in
Baffin Bay, foot-note, 121 ; 284.

Rae, Dr., his information of the
Franklin expedition, Preface, viii ;
I, 2, 206, 237.

, Dr., Esquimaux information

relating to, 138, 139, 204,

Raven, the arctic, 39, 93, 181, 307.

Records, the Franklin, 214, 244,

257-
of our own Expedition, 145,

148, 152, 258, 277.
^ — , cases, 257.
Red pole, the smallest of arctic birds,

81.
Red snow, 116.
Reindeer, 28, 92, 124, 158, 167,

175, 177, 186, 233.
Relics, the, obtained of Franklin's

expedition, 205, 219, 226, 231,

248, 259, 314 ; Appendix No. I.
, personal, of fifteen individuals

obtained, 253, 259 ; Appendix No. J.
Rensselaer Harbour, 66.
Repulse Bay, 138, 141, 204.
•Resolute,' H.M.S., her ice-drift,

&c., 81.
Revolving storms, 53, 65, 72.
Richards, Captain G. H., R.N.,

289.
Riley, Cape, we arrive at, 143.
Rink, Dr. Henry, Inspector oif South

Greenland, 13, 14.

SOUP.

Ross, Sir James C, i^i; foot-notes,
153, 260; 173, 205, 246, 25s, 296.

, Sir John, 153, 173, 266.

Rotchies (Alcaalle), 116, 123,

Royai Society, the, contributions of
to the ' Fox,' 7.

Royal Yacht Clubs, the * Fox ' re-
ceived into, 7.

Sabine, Cape, 261. '

, Captain, now Major-General

Sir Edward, 192 ; Appendix No.

//., 325-
Sailor's expressions, 48.
Samuel, our Esquimaux dog-driver,

09, 212, 269, 277, 304.
Sciiool, opened on board, 46.
Scoresby's Journal, 192, 193.

Sound, 193.

Scott, Robert, death of, 59, 60.
, Inlet, supposed to be a strait,

97-
Scurvy, cases of, 197, 268.
Seals, how to kill, 32, 33, 275.
, the liver, flesh, and blubber

of, 32, 50. 75. 81, 108, 275.
-, bearded, 158, 167.

, of the species Pkoca hespida,

72.

, remarks upon, &c., 75.

Separation Island, name changed to
Arcedeckne Island, 174, 217.

Shark, the arctic, remarks on, 40.

Ships, Franklin's, Esquimaux ac-
count of their fate, 206, 220, 227,
301.

Sledges of the Boothian Esquimaux,
205, 206, 224

seen at Ponds Inlet, 127, 135.

Smith Sound, the natives of, 192.

Snow bunting, 81.

crystals, 44.

huts, our, 62, 68, 202, 295.

huts, Esquimaux, 204, 219,

224-5, 230, 238, 242, 261, 263.

porches, 63, 187.

shoes, 1 78.

Snowy peak, near Melville Bay, 39.

Soup, Loom, 128.

INDEX,

335

)s, the *Fox' re-

5w Major-General
J2 ; Appendix No.

ith of, 59, 60.
3sed to be a strait,

3n, &c., 75.
, name changed to
md, 174, 217.
remarks on, 40.
, Esquimaux ac-
ate, 206, 220, 227,

othian Esquimaux,

s Inlet, 127, 135.
natives of, 192.

maux, 204, 219,

Melville Bay, 39.

SPITZBERGEN.

Spitzbergen, incidental notices of,
ice, &c. &.C., II, 12, IQO, 184.

Stanley, the late Dr. S. S., R.N.,
Introduction, xl.

Stilwell Bay, 161.

Sugar, a supply of, obtained from
Fury Beach, 211, 212.

beer, 181, 199.

Sun, departure of the, 49, 186.

, return of the, 68, 196.

Swinburne, Cape, 292.

Tablet to the memory of Franklin,

and his companions, 145, 146.
to the memory of Lieutenant

Bellot, 145,
Tallard Bank, the, 12.
Tasmania Islands, group of the, 220,

264, 265.
Temperature, the mean, throughout

early spring journey, 207.
, the, observations on, at Port

Kennedy; see ' Meteorology,' /i/-

pendix No. II.

, sudden changes of, 53, 194.

, effects of extremely low, 191,

201.
Tents, Esquimaux, 17, 114, 131,

193, 242.
, our travelling, 195, 208, 217,

222-3, 291.
Thomas, the late Lieutenant Robert,

R.N., 253.
Thunder, two claps of, 280.
Tides, at Bellot Strait, 157 ; Appen-
dix No. II., 326.
Traces found of Franklin's expedi-
tion at eight places, Appendix

No. J.
left about Port Kennedy of the

' Fox ' expedition, 286.
Traps for foxes and ermines, 177,

181, 210.
Travelling, preparations for, costume,

equipment, 195, 201, 217.

routine, 202.

Travels of the Esquimaux, 141.
Trout, 20, 274, 277.

WOLF.

' Truelove,' the whaleship, 302, and
foot-note.

Upernivik, settlement, 22, 53, loi,
102.

Bay, 98.

Umingmak Island (musk-ox), 192.
Uria Brunnichii {^foot-note), 120.

Victoria, Cape, 200, 204, 222,

263.

Strait, 265, 299.

Victory, Point, the record found at,

244.
, Point, 254, 256-9; foot-note,

260; 261, 301.
, the. Sir John Ross's discovery

ship, 205.
Village, Esquimaux, 131, 226.

Walker, Dr. D., of the ' Fox,' 6,
46, 64, 158, 210, 273, 276.

, Mount, 162, 279.

Waigat Strait, the, sail through it,
21, 99.

Walrus, the, 115

Warrender, Cap^, 122, 124.

Washington^ Capt. J., R.N., a bay
named after him, 257.

Waterspace, in Bellot Strait, 190,
196-7, 274.

Whale-bone, 98, 139.

Whale-fish Islands, 94.

Whale-ships communicated with, 95,
loi, 106, 126.

Whales, the bones of, at Port Ken-
nedy, 285.

at Ponds Bay, 142.

skin, pickled, 99, 272, 287.

White whales, 41, 286.

y^'iWocks, foot-note, 120.

Willow-grouse, 187, 233, 248, 264.

Winter quarters, take up our, 175.

Wintering, in the pack, prospect of,

34.
Wolf, the arctic, 175, 183-4, 273.

p^ )

336

INDEX.

WOLSTENHOLME SOUND.

Wolstenholme Sound, 34, 119.

Wolverine, the, 175.

Women Islands, 102.

Wood, Sir Charles, declines to renew

the Government search, 3.
Wrecks, 129-30, 135, 137 ; foot-note,

138; 141, 227.
Wrottesley, the late "LorA, foot-note,

49 ; foot-note, 183,

Inlet, 183, 203.

Wylie, Fiord, 93.

ZOOLOGY.

Yacht Flag, the Royal Harwich,

68, 214.
York, Cape, 37, no, 1 14.
Young, Captain Allen, 5, 52, 200,

208-9, 211, 269-72, 292-6.

SB.

Zoology of the voyage, notes, &c.
on. Appendix A^o. II., 321.

I'.j

ii I'l

I;''

THE END.

London; I'liiNTHD by v ii.liam clowes and sons, Stamford street,

AND CHARING CROSS.

Bellot Strait l)y Capt^AIleiiYQiuig.

^al Harwich,

14.

, 5. 52, 200.
292-6.

re, notes, &c.

'; 321-

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NEW AND RECENT WORKS

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TJic Lord ArcJihisJiop of Cautcrbiny.
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Aids to Faith.

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Miracles Dean Mansei., 15.1).

Kvidcnccs of Christianity r.iSMOP ok Kri.t.Al.OR.

I'ruphccy and Mosaic Record of Creation Rk\-. |)k. Mi I'ai i..

Ideology and Subscription Canon Cooic, M.A.

The IViit.iteuch Rhv. Okoki.h Rawi.inson, M.A.

In>pirati()n Hisiioi- ok Ki.v.

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