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Las diagrammas suivants illustrant la mAthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 thd mc sir alH int Ne va.' tot wit ter En dis! sea hop sigi the lyn reel Pas sea- thoi dar ing hur not be con kei mil 181 ing Th rep of I pof doi na' ice pri mt (lei Ai pil cu an on ■ V»' 'i'- .'^ • ," .' ,i- '»'-i"-i,*v?' .>'■"' ,' \Hi mm-' «•( 7%' ^. i. 1653.] /^ 76 *»f5^(, Po/ SINCE the zealous attempts to recover the Holy Sepulchre, in the middle ages, the Christian world has not been so unani- mously agreed on any thing as in the de- sire to recover Sir John Franklin, dead or alive, from the dread solitudes of death into which he has so fearlessly ventured. Near a score of ships have l)cen sent, at a vast expense, from the two hemispheres, to explore ■ nd follow his traces, and satisfy, with whatever resiilts. the universal in- terest in his fate ; and the efforts of the English and Americans are as yet un- dissuaded by the failure of so many re- searches. Hearts of oak arc still beating hopefully on that Northern quest, and signal guns are still heard booming round the gates of the indistinct and awful '!' o- lynya. The history of progress in the di- rection of the North- West or North-East Passage leaves no doubt at all that, as a searroute across the world, it is not to be thought of; and that, even if a fortunately- daring expedition should succeed in thread- ing its way through the treacherous and hummocky labyrinths of the Polar Sea, nothing bui the geographical theory would be the better for it. For all purposes of commerce or intercourse, in fact, the Cro- ker Mountains that Sir John Ross saw, mirageously, one evening after dinner, in 1819, might in reality lie across the open- ing of Lancaster Sound, tracing ''No Thoroughfare " along the formidable and repulsive horizon. Much has been said of the open sea round the Pole ; but sup- posing it exists — and there is no reason to doubt it does — it is a place guarded against navigation by a circle of floes, hummocks, icebergs and so forth, eternally shifting, grinding, groaning and howling, and thus making all exits and entrances matters of desperate unocrtaint}*. From the first discovery of Northern America by Cabot, the Arctic passage en- gage.nd Investigator to Lancas- ter Sound. He found a barrier across WeUington Channel, and a vast quantity of ice in Barrow's Straits. He wintered in the harbor of Port Leopold, where the Straits, R^ent's Inlet, Wellington Chan- nel, and the Western opening made a cross or sort of northern Q^€Ure Bras. The winter was passed in southerly explorings. With Lieutenant McClintock, Sir James explored the west coast of North Somer- set, and Lieutenant Robinson examined the western shore of Regent's Inlet beyond Fury Beach. Before quitting his quarters, Sir James built a house at Port Leopold, leaving there fuel and provisions for twelve months. He then made his way into Lancaster Sound, and, on the 5th of November, 1849, reported himself at the Admiralty, having missed the Nortli Star which had been sent out to him with in- structions to attempt the passage through Wellington Channel. In 1848, Sir John Richardson again pru- On [Juue 1853.] The Polar Seas and Sir John Franklin. 683 ceedod from the Hudson Bay stations to the Arctic Sea, and exploited the coast bc- twi-Hsn titc mouths of the Mackcnsio and Cofi Hinniuu, and also part of Wollaston's Land, in the hope of finding some trace of the missing expedition ; but in vain. In the same year the Plover, Captain Moore, and the Herald, Captain Kellett, went up through Behring's Straits with the pur- yom of intercepting Franklin's party should It have passed through the archi|)cIago southwest of Capo Walker. On this sta- tion the Plover has remained, co-operating with other ships, and sending out explor- ing parties occasionally. In 1850, Lieut. PuUcn of the Plover journeyed to the mouth of the Mackenzie, and so eastward to Point Bathucst, whence he attempted to go to Banks' Land — that unvisitcd land seen from the coasts of Parry's Islands. But he failed; and in 1851 he returned to the Mackenzie River. The North Star, sent out in 1849 with instructions for Sir James C. Ross, win- tered in Wolstenholme Sound, in Baffin's Ba}', and returned to Spithead in Septem- ber, 1850, after having seen in Lancaster Sound the large squadron sent in that year to look for the lost expedition. The movements of this squadron must be fresh in the minds of most of our readers. Cap- tain Austin's ships, the Resolute and As- sistance, with their tenders, went from England in May, 1850. In the same month, Mr. Qrinnell's ships, the Advance and Rescue, under De Haven and Griffin, proceeded to the north. Captain Penny carried up his two ships, the Lady Frank- lin and the Sophia ; the veteran. Sir John Ross, went in the Felix, and Captain Foi^ syth in the Prince Albert. In August, all these ships were in Lancaster Sound and BaiTOw's Straits, or the adjoining waters. On the 13th of that month, Captain Om- mancy — Austin's second in command — and Sir John Ross heard from Eskimos ^ in Barrow's Straits that two ships were I crushed off Cape Dudley Diggs, and the " crews aflerwards killed — in the winter of 1840 — by the natives. But this report was owing to a misconception of the Es- kimo language. On the 23d of August, Captain Ommaney, and, a few days later, Captain Penny, found traces of the miss- ing s(|uadron on Point Riley and Beechy Island, at the opening of Wellington Chan- el. These were a small guide-board at- Itachcd to a boarding-pike eight feet long, land bearing an index pointing the way to ^the ships, a wooden anvil block, some rcm- t Hants of rope and clothes, several hundred . empty meat-cannistc-s. and, above all, the praves of three men of the squadron : John llartnell, and Willian? Baine, of the Ere- bus, and John TorringtJn, of the Terror. Throe headstones, with inscriptions, mark- ed these graves, and the dates were from January to April, lK4r). Captain Austin's ships wintered southwest of Cornwallis Island. Several offia^rs on foot rotmded the west end of Melville Island, in longi- tude 114" west, and saw land beyond the llCth meridian. The intermediate bays and iiassages were also explored. ( >n the south of Barrow's Straits Captain ( )mma- ney, Lieutenant Osborne, Mcecham, and Browne — at a season when the cold was 70" below zero, and spirits froze in bottles — traced Cape Walker and the adjoining straits to within 180 miles of Victoria Land. Captain Penny's ships explored part of Wellington Channel. He saw thR>e blue openings to the west from that clinnncl — the north and east being closed with uv. He perceived a strong current running from the westward, and it was his opinion, and that of all who accompanied him, that the prevailing winds were from the northwest. He attempted to send a party in that di- rection, under Mr. Stuart, but it was stop- ped by the water, which could Ikj seen stretching on to the horizon. Penny as- serts there is a great amount of animal life in this region — four-footed, feathery, and finny — walruses, seals, whales, bears, hares, foxes, wolves, reindeer herds, flocks of king and eider ducks, brent, geese, gulls, and other water-fowl. It should be ob- served that the walrus can exist but where there is open water, in which it may rise for air. Captain Forsyth, in the Prince Albert, made a rapid run to the Arctic circle and back to England in the space of four months. He went through Lancaster Sound, and on to the Fury Beach, in Re- gent's Inlet. Finding great obstructions to any further progress westwardly, he went up Wellington Channel, and, return- ing quickly, brought home the news of the relics on Beechy Island. By this time the chief points in Lancaster Sound and Bar- row's Straits had been examined, and also the farther end of Melville Island beyond Cape Walker, without revealing any traces of Sir John Franklin and his crews. The American ships, so generously mis- sioned by Mr. Grinnell on this fraternal errand, were caught in the ico in Lancaster Sound, borne up Wellington Channel, then back again, and out through Lancaster Sound into Baffin's Bay— a drift of 1000 miles during 207 days ! Having at last extricated his ships, De Haven again pro- ceeded to confront the deadly difficulties of the search, but was checked by the ico, and obliged reluctantly to return to New- York in October, 1851. While all these ships were exploring 634 7%« Polar Seas and Sir John Franklin. [June r 1853.] the Arctic labyrinth on the cast, tho Eu- tprpriiiv and InvcHtif^ator, coniniandvd \>y CantainH CullinHon and McCliirf, wvro cndeavorinp; to make thuir way from the west. They reached Hehring's StraitM in 1850, with the purpose of trying to ap- proach Mclvillo Island. They have not yet been able to carry out that object. Along with tho Plover, they were still, when Inst heanl from, lalmring and linger- ing amidst these Arctic wildernesses they have already spent so nmch time in ex- ploring, in the still deferrc(hed on through Barrow's Straits, de- siring, like Forsyth in tho preceding year, to examine Rent's Inlet. But the ice was Ku thick he could not enter it. At Port Leopold he was separated, along with a small party, from his ship, and, drifting away on the ice, was recovered with diffi- culty. A floe of ice then bore the Prince Alljert down the inlet, where, on the west- em shore, the voyagers wintered at Batty Bay. From this place Captain Kennedy and Mr. Ballot proceeded, on the 1st of April, with sledges round Melville Bay, and following Brentford Bay to the west, dis- covered that it was a new channel, which they believed to be the looked-for passage. Passing round, they proceeded to Ca|)e Walker, on North Somerset, and so east- ward to Port Leopold, whence, after a journey of 1200 miles in two months, they r 'vrhed the ship in Batty Bay. No trace of > "inklin was found ; but the Prince Albert brought home last October some interesting news nevertheless. Pa.ss- ing up into Barrow's Straits, in August. 1852, Captain Kennedy reached Beechy Islani on the 19th of that month, anil there found Captain PuUen in the North Star, at Erebus Bay, who told him Sir Edward Belcher, in the Assistance, had started up Wellington Channel on the 14th, and Captain Kellett, of the Resolute, had gone wcstwardly to Melville Island and the south of Parry's Islands, to depo- site there proviswns and other necessaries for CoUinson and McClure's expedition. should it reach so far from Behring's Straits. Belcher's squadron had been sent from England in the spring of last year, Sir Edward's chief instructions be- ing to attempt the passage by Wellington Channel. In his absence, the North Star remained at Beechy Island as a dep6t. Research seems to have taken the right track after all ; and the failures of the last three years were necessary to indicate it. The world is anxiously waiting to hear the result of Sir Edward's bold voyage, favored as it has been by a season of great openness. Captain Kennedy says that the sea was open to the north of Welling- ton Channel when the Assistance went up. and thiLs restores the credit of Captain Penny (whose announcement of open wa- ter in that direction had been somewhat doubted), while it inspires a strong hope that something may now be efTcctcd. Cap- tain PulktL writing to the Admiralty on the 23d of Augast, says the voyagers had parted in high spirits, and with every hope of success. He adds, that from the supa- niit of Beechy Island he had looked up Wcllii^ton Channel and to the westward, and lu^ seen water with very little ice. Later accounts have been received from [June Straits, de- ceding yew, But thu ice iter it. At , along witii md, drilling 1 with difli- I the Prince •n the west- pd at Iktty in Kennedy the 1st of lie Day, and e west. di«- nnel, which for patiKage. ;d to Ca|)e ind so east- ice, after a onths, they No trace the Prince tober some 38. Pas8< in AuguKt. led Beechy Donth, and I the North Id him Sir ■stance, had tiel on the e Resolute, rille Island Is, to dcpo- necessaries expedition. Behring's had been ing of last uctions bc- Wellington North Star I dep6t. n the right i> of the last indicate it. ng to hear >ld voyage, on of great says that 3f Welling- ance went . of Captain )f open wa- somewhat strong hope cted. Cap- Imiralty on lyagers had every hope (u the supa- lookcd up s westward, y little ice. «ived from 1853.] 7%* Pofar Sf(U and Sh John Franklin. 035 Sir Edwanl's ship in Wellington Channel, to the effect that the cxfiedition had seen, floating down |ast thtin. the ivmains of whales, ttears. ainl <»lher animal sulwtan- ccs, which led ihcni to the conclusion that animal life wa^ plenty in that region, and to the U'liof that tlie "floating objects were the remains of trhat futd been used for hunum fnmL When Captain Kennwiy H|iokc of these facts to < 'aptain Penny, at Al»enlecn. the latter expresscc parties to examine the plai-e and the adjacent coasts for some record of the missing expedition. .\ftvr a laborious search, including the lines of direction of the head-boattLs of the graves, and at ten feet distance, no trace, not even a scratch on the paint, could be fieM, |jartly fitted out by Ijidy Franklia went to the head of Baf- fin's Bay. and entered Whale Sound on the eastern side. By this inlet the captain Ijelieved he had enteitMl the Great Polar Ba.Nsiblo that, at this moment, the Enti-rprise and Investi- gator are in the predicament of the Krebus and Terror — in want of the succor which thov went so far to convey ! America, also, sends out one more ex- fiedition in search of the missing ships. Dr. E. R. Kane, in the Advance, goc.v up to the Arctic circle, lie prfijw.ses to make the starting-point of his search Smith's Soimd. or some convenient station in the head waters of Baffin's Bay — over two hundred miles further to the north than Beechy Island. Thence, accompa- nied by a small party with a couple of sledges drawn by dogs, he will undertake an overland pilgrimage westward, in the direction of the Polar Basin. He expects the co-operation of the Danish authorities in removing any difficulties of the prefMi- ratory arrangements, and procuring the assistance of such Eskimos as ho may need. Each sledge will carry an India- rubber boat on a basket of wicker-work. The doctor has carefully superintended the pemmican, the biscuit, the condensed milk, and dcssicated vegetables, and all those gastronomic resources on which the intre- pid little party must mainly rely. Hop- ing to reach the starting-place in the early season of navigation, he intends to follow his course of travel nearly upon a meridi- onal line, which would, it is believed, lead him to the Polynya — a mare liberum, or such, comparatively speaking — within its formidable bonlerings of the thick-ribbwl ice. Mr. Grinnell has again generously given his good ship, the Advance, fully equipped, for this chivalrous charity ; and the doctor has had his entcri^rise encour- aged by autograph letters from the vene- rable Baron Humboldt, the Nestor of sci- ence and philo.sophy, Sir Francis Beaufort, Colonel Sabine. Captains Parry, Ross, and other distinguished men. Meantime the expedition under Sir Edward Belcher, now following the track which the world believes Franklin took, gives, we repeat, good hope of arriving at something more concerning the missing ships. But the hope that Sir John Frank- lin is still alive is not .so strongly enter- tained as heretofore. Between seven and eighi years is a long time to spend within the dreary Arctic circle. Sir John Ro.ss has given it as his opinion that even if Franklin's expedition had been able to procure food enough, they could scarcely survive six winters in the Arctic regions. Capt. Ommaney thinks Sir John and his 630 The Polar Seaa and Sir John Franklin. [June crew have all pomhcd, gccin^ that the HUpply of hirdH and animalH in the North cannot \te depended on for more than two monthH in the year. He aim 8uppo8C8 that the meat in the tin cannistera may have liecn found unfit to eat — a dreary and a ten ible idea i But thd opinions of other good authorities nye ground for hope. Dr. Scoresby, witu the arctic ox- (tcrionce of half a century, thinka some IKjrtion of the crews may still survive, in- cxtricablv lieset in the ice. Captain Kel- lott of the lleHoluto, now under Belcher in the North, says it is not right or pro- per to conclude the crows arc dead, and thinks they will bo found farther west than an^ explorers have yet reached. Sir John Uichardson also thinks that part of the crew, at least, may still bo alive to the north or northwest of Melville Island — seeing that life may bo supported for many years on the land and water ani- mals that haunt the most northern re- gions known. Captain Penny is of the same opinion. Mr. Pctermann also be- lieves a nortion of the crews may still be safe, and so does Captain Inglcfleld. Most of these authorities quoted, believe Sir John went up through Wellington Channel. Captains Austin, Ommaney. and Osborne of the royal expedition of 1850 lean however, to the opinion that Franklin did not go northward through that channel. Austin still supposes he would proceed beyond Capo Walker, ac- cording to his instructions; Ommaney does not think Sir John prosecuted his research beyond Bcechy Island ; and Lieut. Osborne thinks he tried to enter the Polynya from Baffin's Bay, north of Lancaster Sound, where animal life is more plenty than elsewhere. But the general belief is, that Franklin has gone up to reach that Polar sea which he may have seen from Bcechy Island, and which he nuist have strongly believed in, before he began his voyage at all. About a year before he started, his friend Col. Sabine, published, in London, a translation, from the German, of the Russian Admiral Von Wrangell's Journeys in 1820 over the ice of the polar sea, from Nijnei Kolymsk. In this Wrangcll speaks of a great Polyn- ya (open space), lying from thirty to fifty miles north of Kotelnoi and New Siberia, and thenco in a direct line, at about the same distance from the conti- nent, between Chelagskoi and Cape North. He also alludes to the north and north- cast winds, and northwest winds that damped the clothes of his party, proving, he says, that an open watery space exists to the north. Col. Sabine in his preface to the translation says : (and these sen- tences must have passed under the eyes of Franklin, and often influenced the cur- rent of his thoughts), "every attempt which ho (Von W.) made to proceed to the North repeated as these were during three years (1820-23), ami from many points of a lino several hundred miles, in an castcra and western direction tenninated alike in conducting them to an o|H>nand navignblu sea. After an ice-journey of more «ir less continuance, they arrive of their re- searches, in fact, shows that, mall human probability, Franklin never went west- ward fn>Tu Wellington Chaimel. With respect tu Bcecliy Island, Capt. Kennedy and others l)clieve that, after all, some memorials of the intrepid navig.itor lie bu- ficd in tho ground, though they cannot be come at. But, then, it is scarcely prol>ablc that Franklin would bury his intimations in a manner to baffle those who ma\ come after him. Cor\jecturo is liewil- derc