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1 2 3

THE DISCOVERY

A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE

H.M.S. INVESTIGATOR, CAPT. R. M'CLURE

DURING THE YEARS

1850-1851-1852-1853-1854

EDITED BY

CAPTAIN SHERARD OSBORN, C.B.

ROYAL NAVY
J-BOM THE LOGS AND JOVRKALS OF CAPTAIN

ROBERT LE M. M'CLURE

FOURTH EDITION

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS

EDINBURGH AND LONDON

MDCCCLXV

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THE LOEDS COMMISSIONERS OF THE ADMIRALTY

THESE PAGES,

DESCRIPTIVE OP THE VOVAGE OP
HER MAJESTY'S DISCOVERY-SHIP INVESTIGATOR
WHILE IK SEARCH OP THE
EXPEDITION UNDER CAPTAIN SIR .OHN PRANKLIN, R.N., K.C.B.
AND OP THE DISCOVERY OP A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE
BY CAPTAIN ROBERT LE MESURIER M'CLURE. R.N.
ARE, WITH THEIR LORDSHIPS' PERMISSION,

BY THEIR LORDSHIPS' MOST OBEDIENT AND
HUMBLE SERVANT,

SHERARD OSBORN.

PEEFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

I HAVE no desire to take unto myself any credit for
this work having so rapidly run through its First
Edition; but it is a source of no small gratification
to find that the discipline, endumnce, and gallantry
evmced by British officers and seamen under no or-
dinary trial, which I have endeavoured to chronicle
for the honour of my profession, are so warmly appre-
ciated by our countrymen.

My gallant friend Captain F. L. M'Clintock had
placed me under deep obligations for the kind manner
m which his valuable observations upon the fauna of
the Arctic Archipelago were made available. They are
embodied with my own in a new chapter.

To Sir Roderick Murchison my thanks are also due
on behalf of the Investigators as well as from my-
self, for his valuable papers of General Remarks upon
the Geological Specimens and Fossils brought home
by Captain Sir Robert M'Clure.

My opinions upon the abandonment of a more recent
expedition in the arctic regions have been mistaken for

VIU

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

those of Captain Robert M'Clure. I have therefore
erased them from this >vork-the more willingly as it
lias been shown to me that the record of the greatest
arctic achievement of our day can be rendered perfect
without connecting it in any way with the saddest
tale in naval history.

LoxXDON, January 1, 1857.

PEEFACE TO THE FIEST EDITION.

The annals of arctic history afford so many noble illus-
trations of the spirit of enterprise and hardihood of our
sailors, that they will, it is to be hoped, never fail to
interest the British people. Of course it is easy to
attempt to cast ridicule on any generous impulse of a
nation or an individual, by speaking of it as Quixotic,
foolhardy, and so forth; but if it be a weakness in
English seamen, that for three centuries they have sou^^ht
to wm honour and renown in regions where the ordinary
hardships of those whose business is upon the c^reat
waters are multiplied a hundredfold, it will assuredly be
no joyous day for England, when her sadors shall be free
from the charge of any such chivalrous extravagance

I'ltEFACE TO THE FIIiST EDITION.

Sir John Franklin

J his hundred and thirty-eight
gallant follo«.ers went forth to achieve the North-wtst
lassage lley discovered it, and perished victims to
the,r .eal They were followed by one worthy to follow
m the,r footsteps -Captain Sir Eobort Le Mesnrier
M Clare ; ho eame, indeed, too late to save Franklin ■
but at least ho thoroughly con.pleted the search for him
on one given line, by passing from ocean to ocean, and
he secured to the Eoyal Navy and to Great Britain the
impenshable renown of having successfuUy accomplished
an enterprise long attempted in vain.

The Editor feels that, in the following narrative, he
has scarcely done justice to the many noble qualities of
every rndividual forming the gallant company of the
Investigator; but he has at any rate endeavoured to
place on record some feeble acknowledgment of their
heroic courage and self-devotion.

The delay in the production of this work arose from
the Editor having been obliged to leave England upon
active service during the Russian war; and the many
c<dk upon his time and attention have rendered perhaps
sti 1 more unperfect the naturally unpolished style of a
sailor s narrative. But into the accuracy of this narra-
ivo the Editor challenges the closest investigation; for
his ambition has been that this work may remain as the
lustory of a great event in naval chronicles, and perhaps
awaken in the breasts of future Franklins, Parrys or

X PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

M'Clures that love for perilous adventure, which must
ever form the most valuable trait in the character of a
maritime people.

The Editor has not indulged in wholesale praise, for
It was no part of his task to write up every man a hero
who sailed into the arctic seas and out again. Indis-
criminate commendation is loathsome to all right-minded
men; and it would be poor reward indeed to those
whose tale of suffering and gallantry is recounted in the
following pages, to compare their successes with the
failures as rife in the arctic seas as elsewhere.

Tor information on various points, and for assistance
m the pleasing but anxious task of coUating this narra-
tive with various authorities, the Editor has been in-
aebted to Captain (now Sir Robert) M'Clure, Commander
Gurney Cresswell, John Barrow, Esq., F.R.S., Captain
Washington, Hydrographer to the Admiralty, John Hay,
Esq., of the Admiralty, and other kind friends, to whom'
he tenders his hearty thanks.

H.M.S. Medusa, Sea of Azov,
April 1856.

WMWlMtMiiiitiWiiiW

lich must
acter of a

jraise, for
m a hero
I. Indis-
t-minded
to those
ed in the
tvith the

issistance
lis narra-
been in-
umander
Captain
hn Hay,
;o whom

CONTENTS.

Introduction,

CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER II.

PAOE
1

""ment VILVI ^^""^^«",«^ ^'''' -"^ ii«r«ediate re-equip-
Sain Mri.f 7"'' '"^ Investigator-Appointment of
Captain M Clure-Preparations for speedy departure-The

nto p,™ T f ' ^°--Heavy gales in the Channe -Pnt
ure frl Enir^"^^'™^"'^' an interpreter-Final depart-

7J:v.z'z'jz:r: ^^-": ^^ip-i-stiiitor

CHAPTER III.

^'h M s"!;' *'" T'' «^^P«-R«-«h Terra del Fuego-
H.M.S. Gorgon m Possession Bay-Reach Port Famine-

CHAPTER IV.

^ZeZ or.V "'^ '" Honolulu-Leak in the bread-room-Lone-

Arrival at Honolulu-Replenishing and departure-Great anx-
iety of officers and men to reach the ice-Passing the AleutLn

IK.

CONTENTS.

is:

Islands-Dense fogs-The arctic circle cro3sed-Meet the
Plover depot-Ship-Unfavourable report of the state of the
ice-Captain_M-CIure's plan of operations-Preparations for
meeting the ice-H.M.S, Herald met with-Captain Kelletfs
discovery, ....

CHAPTER V.

The Investigator gives up the hope of meeting the Enterprise,
and departs alone-The ?r«t ice-Immonse herd of walruses-
Mothers and babies-Value of the walrus to the Esquimaux-
A bhnd ead-Capo Karrow doubled-Proceeding in a north-
easterly direction-Great excitement-Threu Esquimaux met
with— Their astonishment at sight of the vessel,

CHAPTER VI.

The narrative of Captain Maguire-The Esquimaux report -The
coast of America in this region-The pack ice and floes- Reach
Jones Island- Visited by twenty-four natives -Recognition of
the chief-bimple cunning of the savages-A fair malefactor-
Gallantry of the Investigators-Hazardous and difficult navi-
gation-Tne delta of the Mackonzie-The shin aground-Seri-
ous loss oi provisions,

PACK

CHAPTER VII.

A thunder-storm-Slow progress-Signs of the near approach of
winter-Going ahead again-The ship runs into a trap in the
mam pack-Works out again-Commander Pullen and a boat's
crew pass without being seen-Land at Point Warren-
Hostile reception— Reconciliation, ....

CHAPTER VIII.

Approach to Cape Bathurst-Whale-fishing of the natives-Cele-
bration of their victories over the leviathan - Esquimaux
charmers-The joys of Cape Eathurst-The land of the white
oear-An Esquimaux swindlei-Mode of settling" quarrels-
Judicious missionaries desirable for these people-Admirable
quahficationsofMrMierching, :

Ne^

si
R

lii

CONTENTS.

Sill

Meet the

te of the

itions for

Kellett's

iterprise,
alruses —
limaux —
a north-
aux met

PAGE

irt— The
— Reach
iition of
factor —
lit navi-
i— Seri-

■oach of
) in the
X boat's
irren —

-Cele-
limaux
3 white
rrels —
Qirable

CHAPTER IX.

Cape Bathurst left-Fires observed on shore-Prove to be volca-
noes-Capo Parry reached-New land discovered-Possession
taken m the Queen's name-The Investigator proceeds on a
north-easter y course-Barrow Strait only sixty miles further
—Captain M'Clure's Journal,

CHAPTER X.

Signs of a rapidly-approaching winter-Critical position of the
Investigator-Made fast to a floe-Safe for the present-Win-
ter begun- Winter clothing-Driven with the ice towards
Barrow Strait-Arduo.vs toils-The Investigator reaches her
most advanced position-Beset at last-Dangerous agitation
m the ice-Preparations for shipwreck - Sweeping with the
pack against the cliffs-Imminent peril-Safe once more-
And stationary,

CHAPTER XL

Severe pressure and dangerous nips - Farewell to the sun-
Housing the vessel -Good health and spirits of the men
—Five hundred pounds of meat found to be putrid- Winter
rambles on the ice-Perils arising in these trips-An excur-
sion fo view the North-West Passage-Hard labour and in-
sufficient food-Suffering from thirst-The passage seen-
Captam M'Clure lost for a night-Return of the party to the
ship— Success of measures taken for the health of the crew,

CHAPTER XII.

New- Year's Day, 1851-Relative positions of the different ex-
peditions-The increasing cold relieved by the daily augmen-
tation of solar light-Deer and ptarmigan seen in the depth
of wmter-The theory of animal migration in arctic regions
subverted-The raven leaves tlio ship-Return of the sun-
Rambles on the ice-Revival of health and spirits-Winter
sporting-Preparations for sledge-pariiies in search of Frank-
hn's expedition-Depots established to secure the safety of

PAGE

!l{

t.»i

XIV

CONTENTS.

the travellers— Departure of the

various parties— Hardships

PAGE

endured by sledge-crews in high latitudes lu spring journeys
—The zeal and courage of the seamen— The scene of their
labours compared with southern latitudes-The position of
the Investigator in 1850-Murder of Lieutenant Barnard bv
North- West Indians, 118

CHAPTER XIII.

Si^s of summer increase -Shooting- parties are sent out-
Narrow escape of Whitefield-Lieutenant Cresswell returns
having ascertained Banks Land to be an island -Curious
appetite of a bear -Lieutenant Haswell returns, with intelli-
gence of Esquimaux being at hand-Captain M'Clure visits
the Esquimaux-The party under Mr Wynniatt return- June
m Prince of Wales Strait-A glance at the other expeditions
wintering in arctic seas, under Austin, Penny, Ross, and De
Haven— A midsummer scene in Prince of Wales Strait —
The polar summer's night— The floe breaks up-Investigator
again free-Compasses refuse to traverse-The ship beset, and
drifting to the north-east along the eastern shore— Wood-
currents-Tides-No passage found-Captain M'Clure decides
to try another course, by going round Banks Land, . . 137

CHAPTER XIV.

The Investigator bears up, and goes round the south end of
Banks Land — Rapid progress up the western coast — The
lane of water diminishes-PeriJous passage between the north-
west coast and ponderous packed ice -Extraordinary acci-
dents, and wonderful preservation — North-west extreme of
Banks Land-No glaciers or icebergs west of Lancaster Sound
—Discovery of ancient forests— Arctic lakes— Fresh-water fish
—The Investigator drifts into the pack in an autumnal gale-
Escapes and struggles along shore— September night-scene
oflf Bulks Land-23d September 1851, run ashore during the
night in the Bay of Mercy- Ship afloat-Fail to get into the
pack of Barrow Strait— Winter-quarters, 1851-52— Reduction
of allowance of food- Land found to abound in game- Want
of good hunters- Acute instinct of the reindeer— Arctic hare,

I
"\

CONTENTS.

hardships
journeys
' of their
(sition of
rnard by

PAGE

118

it out —

returns,

- Curious

h intelli-

re visits

n — June

)editions

and De

Strait —

istigator

iset, and

-Wood-

decides

137

end of
b — The
5 north-
•y acci-
eme of
■ Sound
ter fish

gale—
t-scene
ng the
ito the
luction
'Want
B hare,

wolf and fox- Continued good health of the crew-Cleverness
of the arctic raven-The polar bear and its habits-Violence
of winter snow-storms-Christmas-day-The arrival of H M S
Enterprise m Prince of Wales Strait-She fails in rounding

Water Ba ' ""'"*"'' ^^ *^^ Esquimaux settlement in
^'

CHAPTER XV.

The New Year 1852 - Satisfactory state of the crew -Deer
obtamed directly the light admitted of their being seen-
Sergeant Woon, of the Royal Marines, saves the life of a ship-
mate-Keen sportsmen-Wolves-Boatswain's adventure with
them-Spnng- Captain M'Clure visits Winter Harbour Mel-
ville Island-Finds neither provisions nor vessel to help him-
His return-Finds large quantities of venison had been L-
sck "TTnT'"^ T, '' ^t^^PP«-rance-Increased number of
wt;; rr'"; ' '''^'^'' ^^^ J"ly_Venison expended-
Wild sorrel found m great .juantities for a short period-lOth

t^:^ "'Xrr '"^ ^^^^^^ strait-Measures taken n
case of being able to escape-Relapse in the weather-Gloomy
prospect-An early winter commences- Measures taken to
save ship and crew, in the event of a similar season in 1853-
Cheerful conduct of the crew-Short rations-Mode of living-
B<anian days and festivals-Christmas, and conclusion of year

' • • • . -

PAGE

156

185

CHAPTER XVI.

The Ente^rise-IU-success of her travelling-parties-Late
rr«".rfr''^%''""^^ ^^'P^in and Union s'trait-Winr
of 1852-53 passed in Cambridge Bay-Esquimaux numerous
-Traces of the missing expedition found-Game and fish
abound -Unfortunate circumstance of no searching par y
having visited King William Land-The Bay of Mercy-Re
action on board the Investigator after Christmas festi^JtiesI
Excessive cold -Want of fuel and consequent dampness-
Venison plentiful -Large sick-list- March '53-The retreat
ing parties named, and their routes appointed - Captat
M'Clure's reason for sending away the si kly men-Woke"

XVI

CONTENTS.

their voracity and cunning-Anxiety of the sledge-parties as

taVenTLt,"?r*"''~^^*^^^P^^"^««^--'^
letted o fhf r \" ""TJ''' Investigator-Mr Cresswell's
u t-cL. ' 7n .7 '^*^' Admiralty, and fortunate re-
?«i ^ S ^'^^^" ^'^'^ M'Clintock ordered to Melville
Island-They reach it in September 1 852- Accidental d
covery of Captain M'Clure's despatches on the Parry RLk-
Help at hand for the Investigator-April '53 in Mercy Bayl
The first death-Captain M'Clure addresses his men fremJvl

The nnr^'f^r^-^^^ '^'"^ ^"^^ ^"^^* «-^«« o^ the cToud-
The unexpected arrival of Lieutenant Pirn from the Eesolute-

The^ Investigators rescued-Excitement and happiness of the

9 • • • .

PAOK

CHAPTER XVII.

The migration of animals theory-Impossibility of arctic ani
maj migrating-How the fact broke upon us-AccumltTve
iJtha'V^'" ^r'^" '' *^« ^-*- ArchipelagoTer'cJ"'
f mtur ""SW """*' 1 f ^ does-Wonderfuf providencf
the woZ r P/^'^^^^^f digestion-Reindeer harassed by
the wolves -Scent a substitute for sight -The wolves iJ^

the n.S^ Mecham's observations-Admirable coating of

IctivUvo/fr "'T'"''"'^ °' n.usk-oxen- Extraordinary
activity of these creatures— Ferocity of the bulk P.of i-i

power of climbing-The arctic hai^ afd it ha";;it - tS
TtUlS -':^' ^^^^^:--- - thetlinji^

CHAPTER XVIII.

"^kSL'' m'h '''"''"'' '" ''^^^"^^ '^'^-'^ t° «ee Captain
^ts el^^for^rr^'T^'f letter-Captain Kellett':,n J
gives eave for healthy volunteers to remain in Investigator

^.t '1 '"'T "'^^^^^^f-'^^t^ry -Abandonment of hTs
Invest gator -Depot of provisions formed at Mercy Bav-

203

222

CONTENTS.

xvu

• • PA6R

blown out of winter-quarters - Arrested at Byam Martin
Channel -Large supply of fresh meat procured -Resolute
and Intrepid caught in the pack-Winter in the pack-The
Phoenix arrives at Beechey Island, and takes home Lieutenant
Cresswell-1853-The Investigators pass a fourth winter with
impunity, and then leave the Resolute for Beechey Island-The
last of the Investigator-Captain Sir Edward Belcher orders
the Resolute and Intrepid to be abandoned-News of CoUin-
son, m 1852, having pushed on into the ice-Assistance and
Pioneer ordered to be deserted-Phoenix and Talbot arrive
with provisions and fresh crews-All return home-Investi-
gators rewarded in 1855, 246

CHAPTER XIX.

Gloomy prospect in the autumn of 1854-Revival of desponding
tales-Sudden arrival of inteUigence from Dr Rae-A party
from Franklin's ship heard of-Dr Rae's report-Relics and
proofs of both Erebus and Terror being in existence-The
Russian war prevents a naval expedition being sent to
Barrow Strait-The Admiralty direct the Hudson Bay Com-
pany to send Mr Anderson-Mr Anderson proceeds in 1855 to
the mouth of the Great Fish River - Verifies the fact of a
party from the lost expedition having been there— No light
thrown upon their fate-Neither bodies, graves, clothing, nor
arms discovered-Remarks upon the relics discovered-Pro-
bable course adopted by the forlorn hope-Hopes exist of
the mystery still being cleared up-Distance the party could
have travelled-Position of the lost expedition-How lost-
Reason why Fury Beach was not visited by them-Creditable
to England that the search has never been stayed- The
Admiralty reward Dr Rae for giving us information of Frank-
lin s position-General revival of interest in the question, . 269
iab e showing mean temperature and barometric observations, 302
lables showing quantity of game obtained, . . . .303

APPENDIX.

G eological remarks by Sir Rod. I. Murchison, D. C. L. , F. R S &c 304
Narrative of Commander Maguire, . . . .'".'"' 311
Map Illustrative of the Naruative.

xvm

A LlRT OP THK OKKrCKR.S AXD ClU^^y^r ^, j^^^ j^^^^^^,^
CATOJt WHO I'KUKOllMKD TilK NoRT1.-We.ST PaHHAGK.

Name.

Hunk or Ilaiint,'.

KciiiurkH.

It. J. Ti(' M. M'CIiin!,
Wni. H. lIiiHvvell.
Hiiinu(!l (J. UrenHwell, .

H. II. .Suiimhury,

l{ol)()rtWyniiiaU,
.Stcphoii Court, .

AIi^x. Antistroii«, M.I).

Henry Piers,
•'oHeph (J. Puiiic.
(!(!org(! J. Forrl, .
Georgo Kennedy,

Ilidmnl A. IIohh,
•Tolin DavioH,

Jolin Kerr, .

Henry ninff,
Haninel Maeken/ie,
("liarles Utev],
David IlarriH,
Edward Fawc(!tf,,
James Evans,
George (iihbH,
James Williams,
Peter Thompson,
Haniuel Uelfe, .

Thomas Morg;

in,

Ooni manlier.
Lieutenant.
Do.

Mate.

Do.

.Second Master.
Snrgeon.

AssiHtant-Hnrgeon.
Clerk in eliarye.
Carpenter.
Acting Uoatswain.

Qiiartcmiaster.
A.B.

Onnner'.s Mate.

Boatswain's Mate
A. (J.

A. n.

A.B.

Boatswain's Mate.
Caulker.
A.B.
Captain of the Hold

Captain of the Poretop
A.B. '

Died on board II.M.H Re-
solut.!, oir Cajte C'oek-
?Ji"'.r ^^••"■'•"w Hti^ait,
14th Nov. 1858.

19fh April 1853, rated Act-
ing Master.

A.B.

1850, disi-ated

rated

24th Dee.

A.B.
15th Ai)ril isr,3,

Qnart(irniaster
Died Uih April m/.i, at

iJ'iy of Mercy, Banks

J-iand, on l)oard H M 8

Investigator.

Died on board IT. M. H.
North Star, at Beechev
Island, 2L'<I May 1S54.

XIX

5. Invpjkti-
'ahhaok.

irkH.

n.M.8. Re.
Cajto C'ock-
'ow .Stmit.

I, rated Ai.'t-

), dl8i-at(!(|

?53, rated I
if. I

il isr>:i, {It
i-y. Unnk.s
rd II. M.S.

IT M. S.

Boocliey
y 1854.

Ust Of Officers ami C rrnv of H.M.S. Investigator-CWin^,;.
Name.

John EaincH,

William Katten,
CliarlnH AndcrHon,
Isaac Htiil)t)f;r(l(;Id,
I'refleriek Taylor,
H<!nry Gaiicri, .

Oeorge Brown, .

Cornelius Ilnlott,
William Wliitefield,
Michael Flynn, .
Mark Bradbury,
James Nelson, .
William Carroll,
George Olley,

John Calder,

John Ramsay,

Ifeni-y Stone,

Henry Hugden, .

Henry May,

Joseph Facey, .

James M'Donald,

George L. Milner,

John Wilcox,
Robert Tiffeny, .

John Boyle,

Thomas Toy,
Samuel Bonnsall,
Ellis Griffiths, .
Mark Griffiths, .

John Keefe,

Thos. 8. Carmichael,

John Woon,

J. B. Farquharson,

George Parfltt, .

Ellas Bow, .

James Biggs,

Thomas Bancroft,
Tiiomas King, .
James Saunders,

Johan A. Mierchlng,

Rank or Rating.

A.B.

I A.B.

A.B.
Ship's Cook.
A.B.
Carpenter's Mate.

A.B. J

Captain's Coxswain.

Carpenter's Crew.

Quartermaster.

A.B.

Captain of Forecastle

A.B.
Blacksmith.
Sub. Officers' Steward.
Quarteniiaster.
Sail maker.

.\.B.
Gun-room Steward.
/ Paymaster and Pay-
' I master's Steward.
Captain of Maintop.

{

Remarks.

Died 11th Aj.ril 18.03, Ray
of Mercy, Ranks Uiu<\,
on JmrdH.M.S. Inves-
tigator.

24th December 18.50, rated
Quartermaster.

A.B.

A.B.
Sergeant of Marines,
Corporal „
Private ,,

Private „

Private ,,

I Private ,,

Private , ,

Private
r Esquimaux
I preter.

Died 6th April 1853, Bay of
Mercj ; the first death.
Lieutenant Pirn arrived
next day.

Inter-

15th April 1853, rated Cor-
poral,

i f

SAILING ORDERS.

From tU Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty «o Captain
CoLLiNsoN, C.B., of Her Majesty's Ship Enterprise, dated
15th January 1850.

By the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord
High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland.

1. Whereas the efforts that have been made durin- the
last two years to relieve the Erebus and Terror have failed
and all access to the Parry Islands has been prevented by the
accumulation of ice in the upper part of Barrow Strait • And
whereas it is possible that the same severity of weather may
not prevail at the same time in both the eastern and western
entrances to the Arctic Sea, we have now determined, in a
matter of such moment, to send an expedition into the Polar
Sea from tne westward ; and, having a full confidence in your
zeal and skill, we have thought proper to appoint you to the
conimand ol Her Majesty's ship Enterprise, and also to place
under your orders Her Majesty's ship Investigator ; both of
which vessels having been duly fortified against collision mth
the ice equipped for the polar climate by warm-air appara-
tus, and furnished with provisions for three years, as well as
a large supply of extra stores, you' are now required and di-

SAILING ORDERS.

XXI

■ to Captain
irise, dated

ice of Lord
I of Great

luring the
iave failed,
ited by the
rait : And
ather may
id western
ined, in a

the Polar
ce in your
^ou to the
to place

; both of
ision with
r appara-
is well as
d and di-

rected, so soon as they are in all respects ready for sea, to
proceed to make the best of your way to Cape Virgins,' in
order to arrive at Behring Strait in July.

2. At Cape Virgins, the Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific
has been desired to have a steam-vessel waiting for you, and
by her you will be towed through the Strait of Magellan
and the Wellington Channel, and on to Valparaiso.

3. At that port you will use the utmost despatch in water-
ing and refreshing your crews, and in fully replenishing your
bread and other provisions and stores ; and having so^done,
you will again use yoiu? best exertions to press forward to the
Sandwich Islands.

4. There is only a bare possibility of your reaching those
islands in time to meet Her Majesty's ship Herald, under the
command of Captain Henry Kellett ; but if that should be
the case, you will receive from him not only every assistance,
but much useful information touching your passage to the
Strait, and your further proceedings to the northward. It is
still more improbable that Her Majesty's ship Plover should
be there ; but wherever you may fall in with her, you are
hereby directed to take her and Commander Moore under
your orders.

5. At the Sandwich Islands you will find additional orders
from us for your guidance, which we propose to forward from
hence by the Panama mail of next March ; but if none should
arrive, or if they do not in any way modify these directions
you wiU enforce the greatest diligence in re-victuallinr^ your
two vessels, in procuring, if possible, the necessary Esquimaux
interpreters, and in making all requisite preparations for at
once proceeding to Behring Strait, in order to reach the ice
before the 1st of August.

6. An examination of the several orders issued to Captain
Kellett, will show that it is uncertain where he maybe fallen
m with. You may probably find the Herald and Plover to-
getlier.

f I

XXll

SAILING ORDERS.

7. We consider it essential that, after entering the ice, there
should be a depot, or point of succour, for anv party to fall
back upon. For this purpose the Plover is to be secured in
the most favourable quarter, as far in advance as can be found
—such as Wainwright Inlet, or the Creek at Hope Point •
but If they be unsafe, and none has been discovered nearer to
Barrow Point, then at Chamisso Island, or any part of Kot-
zebue Sound, which may afford the necessary shelter.

8. Considering, however, the nature of the service in which
the Plover wiU abeady have been employed, and that a por-
tion of her crew may be unfit to contend with the rigours of
a further stay in those latitudes, you will call for volunteers
Irom that ship, and from the Herald, if in company, sufficient
to form a crew for the Plover ; taking care that the men to
be selected are men of good character, and that they do not
exceed in number what is actually required for the care of the
Ship and for defence and security against any treacherous
attack on the part of the natives of Norton Sound.
. ^'i.T^t P^*^y officers' ratings that may be vacated by men
invalided are to be filled up by men volunteering to remain •
such volunteers are to be subjected to a strict and careful
survey by the medical officers of the several ships ; and those
only are to be retained who would seem to be in all respects
fit to encounter this extended service; and the remainder
necessary to complete the crew is to be made up from the
Jl-nterpnse and Investigator.

10. Such crew having been formed (to continue under the
command of Commander Moore, and with the officers now in
the Hover, or with those who may volunteer for the service),
the Plover, if the Herald should be in company, is to be filled
up by Captain Kellett with all the provisions, fuel, and stores
that can possibly be spared by Captain Kellett, who ^vill bear
m mind not only what may be required for the use of the
Plover s crew until the autumn of 1853, and the contingency
ol parties arriving on board from Sir' John Franklin's expedi-

■i

SAILING ORDEKS. xxiii

tion, but also the possibility of any party from the Enterprise
or Investigator having to fall back upon the Plover.

11. In providing for this necessary equipment for the
Plover, attention wHl be paid to the numbers left in the
Herald, and the supplies necessary to carry that vessel to
Whoahoo; and having received from Captain Kellett any
baidars, or light boats, uiat he may be able to spare, and
which may be likely to form a useful addition to your own
boats, or those of the Investigator, when searching-parties
may be detached from the ships in the spring, the Herald
will return to the Sandwich Islands, there to fill up provi-
sions, and from thence proceed to Hong-Kong on her way
to England, in pursuance of our orders of the 14th December
last.

12. On detaching the Plover to take up her winter-quar-
ters, you will direct Commander Moore to remain there until
you join him, or faUing your return to him, imtU the end of
the summer of 1853; when, but not until it is absolutely
necessary for securing the Plover's passage through the
Aleutian group of islands, he ia to quit Behring Strait, and
make the best of his way to Valparaiso (touching at the
Sandwich Islands for refreshment), where he will receive
urther mstructions relative to his return to England from
the Commander-in-Chief

13. If the Herald and Plover should be fallen in with to
the northward and eastward of Behring Strait, or in the Polar
Sea, Captam Kellett, on detaching himself from your com-
pany, should consort wdth the Plover as far as her winter-
quarters, and if time and circumstances admitted of it he
should assist in securing her there.

14. In the event of your having to winter your ships on the
continent or Esquimaux shores, you will probably meet with
some ol the wandering tribes, or with Indians. With these
you w^il cultivate a friendly feeling, by making them pre-
sents ol those articles to which they are apt to attach a value •

XXIV

SAILING ORDERS.

but you will take care not to suffer yourself to I)e surprised
by them, but use every precaution, and be constantly on
your guard against any treacherous attack. You will also,
by oflenng rewards, to be paid in such manner as you may
be able to arrange, endeavour to prevail on them to carry to
any of the settlements of the Hudson Bay Comi)any an ac-
count of your situation and proceedings, with an urgent
request that it may be forwarded to England with the utmost
possible despatch.

15. In whatever place you may have to establish your
wmter- quarters, you will devote every resource in your
power to the preservation of the health, tlu. <,.,>i,ifort, and the
cheerfulness of the people committed to your care.

16. We leave it to your judgment and discretion as to the
course to be pursued after passing Point Barrow, and on
entering the ice ; and you will be materially assisted in this
respect by what you will learn from Captain Kellett, if he
should be fallen in with at the Sandwich Islands, as well as
Irom the observations of Sir E. Parry and Captain Beechey
contained in the memoranda, of which we send you copies.

17. We have desired that you shall be furnished, not only
with a copy of the orders under which Commander Moore is '
now acting, but also with copies of all the orders which from
time to time have been given to Captain Kellett, as well as
with those under which an attempt was made to relieve the
Erebus and Terror by Captain Sir James Boss on the eastern
side through Baffin Bay. You will further be supplied with
aU the printed voyages or travels in those northern regions;
and the memoranda and instructions drawn up by Sir John
Eichardson, as to the manners and habits of the Esquimaux,
and the best mode of dealing with that poonle (a copy of
which is also sent), will atlbrd a Vi iaable addition to the in-
formation now supplied to you.

18. We deem it right to caution you against suffering the
two vessels placed under your orders to separate, except in

he surprised
onsttintly on
J\x will also,
as you may
u to cany to
il)any an ac-
1 an urgent
1 the utmost

taMish your
rce in your
fort, and the

ion as to the
ow, and on
sted in this
ellett, if he
i, as well as
lin Beechey
3U copies,
id, not only
er Moore is
which from
, as well as
relieve the
the eastern
pplied with
rn regions;
y Sir John
Esquimaux,
(a copy of
to the in-

lifering the
, except in

SAILING ORDERS. xxv

the event of accident or unavoidable necessity ; and we desire

that you will keep up the most unreserved communication

with the commander of the Investigator, placing in him every

proper conadence, and acquainting him with the genera"!

tenor of your orders, and with your views and intentions

from time to time; so that the service may have the full

benefit of your united efforts in the prosecution of such a

service ; and that in the event of any unavoidable separation,

or of any accident to yourself. Commander M'Clure may have

the advantage of knowing, up to the latest period, all your

ideas and designs relative to the satisfactory completion of

this undertaking.

19. We also recommend that as frequent an exchange may
take place as conveniently may be of the observations made
in the two ships ; that any information obtained by the one
be as quickly as possible con.municated for the advantage
and guidance of the other.

20. In case of any irreparable accident happening to the
Enterprise, you are hereby authorised to take command of
the Investigator, and make such arrangements for the officers
and crews as may be most consonant to the rules of the ser-
vice, and most conducive to the objects of the expedition.

21. In the event of Great Britain being involved in hostUi-
ties with any foreign power during your absence, you are to
abstain from the smallest act of aggression towards any vessel
belonging to such nation, it being the practice of all civilised
countries to consider vessels engaged in service of this kind
as exempt from the rules and operations of war.

22. In carrying out the foregoing orders, you wiU avail
yourself of every practicable occasion of acquainting our
Secretary with every step of your progress, as well as with
your luture intentions ; and occasionally during your vovage
you will throw overboard one of the tin cylinders Mdth which
you have been supplied (headed up in any cask or barrel that
you coiUd manufacture or spare), containing an account of

''I 1 1

f. !

t if

XXVI

SAILING ORDERS.

the date, position, &c. On your reaching England, you will
call on every person, in both vessels, to deliver up Jheir lo^s
joiirnals charts, and drawings, but which, they may be in-
formed, shall be returned to them in due time

23 With respect to your search proving fruitless, and your
fina ly quitting the polar seas, as well as your securing yZ
winter-quarters towards the close of any one season, welannot
too strongly impress upon you the nec3ssity of the utmost
precaution and care being exercised in Mithdrawing in time

Lves of those mtnisted to your care, by your being shut up in
a position which might render a failure of provisions possible.
VVe leel it umiecessary to give you more detailed instruc-
tions whicli might possibly embarrass you in a seirice of
this description ; we have therefore only to repeat our perfect
reliance on your judgment and resolution, both in doin^ all
that IS possible to relieve the missing ships, and in mthdraw-
mgm time, when you come to the painful conclusion that
your efforts are unavailing.

24. You will bear in mind that the object of the expedi-
tion IS to obtain intelligence, and to render assistance to Sir
John Frankhn and his companions, and not for the purposes
ot geographical or scientific research ; and we conclude these
orders with an earnest hope that Providence may crown
your efforts with success, and that they may be the means
ot dispelling the gloom and uncertainty which now prevail
respecting the missing expedition.

Given under our hands, this 15th day of January 1850.

(Signed) F. T. BarixNg.

( » ) J. W. D. DUNDAS.

By command of their Lordships,

(Signed) J. Parker.

RiCHAnn OoLLiNsoN, Esq., C.B.,
Captain of H. M.S. Enterpiise, at Devonport.

-nd, you will

ip their logs,

may be in-

iss, and your
curing your
n, we cannot
the utmost
ing in time,
ips, and the
g shut up in
•ns possible,
led instruc-
i service of
our perfect
a doing all
L withdraw-
lusion that

he expedi-
ence to Sir
e purposes
slude these
lay crown
the means
)W prevail

' 1850.

ING.
DUNDAS.

XXVI

SAILING ORDERS.

the date, position, &c. On your reaching England, you will
call on every person, in both vessels, to deliver up their locrg
journals, charts, and drawings, but which, they may be in-'

d, you will
> their logs,
may be in-

—f

THE DISCOVERY

A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

*«'

CHAPTEE I.

INTRODUCTION.

The successful realisation of the project so long cherished
in Great Britain, of the discovery of a way through the
Arctic Ocean to the Indies~the final solution of a pro-
blem sought through many an arduous struggle durinc.
the course of three hundred years-is what it is ou?
present auty to chronicle ; and we may be permitted, in
the first place briefly to remind the reader of the reasons
tnat made such a voyage desirable.

On looking at the surface of the globe, it will be seen
at a glance that Hindostan, China, and Japan- the
Ophirs of the Old World-are placed, geographically
speaking, with respect to Western Europe, in the most
distant and inaccessible position.

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U i

2 DISCOVERY OF A NOETH-WEST PASSAGE.

Turn to an ancient atlas, and think of the " antres
vast and deserts idle" that lay between India and
Europe, and we can better appreciate the forays of the
great Macedonian, the difficulties he encountered, and
the genius which, in mastering them, raised him to the
rank of a demigod among his countrymen. Yet Alex-
ander left no footprints east of the Indus.

The legions of imperial Rome failed to carry their
conquering eagles to a region which they must have
been fully aware contributed largely to the enormous
wealth of Jerusalem, Judea, and Egypt. Even Eoman
ambition was checked by the difficulties of the route.

The Mohammedan, more fortunate in his central posi-
tion, served for ages to act as the medium of transit for
the spices and products of the East to Western Europe,
whither the Crusader carried back a knowledge of and
taste for luxuries previously unknown, — a knowledge
which created new wants, and excited the mercantile
and nautical skill of nations dwelling upon the shores of
the Mediterranean. Venice and Genoa rose to greatness
upon their lucrative trade with the East ; and the fact
soon came home to the common sense of their neigh-
bours, and awakened the desire to supplant them, Cx-
share in their profits.

In the middle of the thirteenth century, Maico
brought back to Western Europe such glowing accouL'
of the East as verified all the traditionary tales o±
Cipango and Cathay. Enterprise and cupidity were
aroused. The Portuguese slowly but successfully pro-
ceeded along that African shore which, as they knew,
touched Asia upon the Mediterranean Sea, and which

gdl

INTBODUCTION. -

the pmo If they followed it in an opposite direction

fror ePta „ L -r """'""^^ ' "■"* '''•=» deduced,

irom certain traditionary accounts of a land lyin<r west of

p^c that shopi ^ii$ X" :r :;:: i:^
d'trr d TtnrwSrf^^-'''^'' -^"'^^-"^

long-wished-fi:!:™ co'tLfS''^ "''''''""' '''' "«
England, not less than Snain and P^.f,, i

cited to ..ritinieadvcnture^tC^^^^^^

b ad ofrr *'=^\^"PP-'=d to be the eastern sel!
board of the long-sought Indies. These Indie, ;„ T

tment of America at the Strait of Ma-ellan LZ T
John Cabot, who, in the service of Henry VII., had

I !

/*,

1 I '1

t; 1:

11- '

'i i

.1 / 1

4 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Becurefl for Britain a title to American discovery, left
a son, Sebastian, whom Edward VI. wisely patronised.
With this man seems first to have originated the idea of
reaching the coveted land by taking a north-about route
through polar seas, and thus avoiding the dangers of the
great sea voyage by either of the southern capes.

Our seamen, accustomed to the hardships and cold
of northern latitudes, feared the frigid as little or less
than the torrid zone ; and just forty years * after Nunez
de Balboa waded into the sea at Panama, and, strik-
ing it with his sword, claimed the broad Pacific as the
property of Spain, the first English arctic expedition
sailed to achieve a north-east passage to Cathay.

On May 10, 1553, three ships left Greenwich, under
Sir Hugh Willoughby, and were rewarded by discovering
Novaia Zemlia and the White Sea ; but the subsequent
melancholy fate of the admiral and his crew, who were
frozen or starved to death in Lapland, checked the
national enthusiasm ; and although two more attempts
were made in the same direction, they were equally un-
successful. The Dutch, like ourselves, anxious to share
in the wealth of the Indies, so jealously watched by
Spaniards and Portuguese, tried to reach them by a
north-east route : their countryman Barentz i^erished in
gallant and unavailing attempts to carry out their wishes ;
and after him England made two slight efforts in the
same direction under Hudson and Cherie, and then
turned her attention in the opposite one. Prior to the
time of Barentz's last north-eastern expedition, the first

* Vasco Nunez de Balboa discovered and took possession of tho
Pacific Ocean in 1513.

M H

it^

UGE.

scovery, left

patronised.
i the idea of
■about route
ngers of the
,pes.

ps and cold
ittle or less
after Nunez

and, strik-
eific as the

expedition
ay.

kvich, under
discovering
subsequent
■, who were
lecked the
re attempts
equally un-
us to share
matched by
;hem by a
[perished in
eir wishes ;
)rts in the

and then
pior to the
a, the first

ession of tho

INTr.ODUCTIOJf. 5

^^rSai::™^ had al,eady he. attcpteU fton:

Martin Frobisher, a seaman of Queen Elizabeth's time,
.vas the tot to call attention to the possibility of reach-
■ng the East C.pango, and Cathay, by passing north of

tZ7 ","''"" ^"" """ P""-"' -i-d his ideas
npon the consideration of his countrymen, and at last, in

tW : '\""'J"g" °f Elizabeth, he sailed to commence
«mt work wh,eh the seamen of England only completed
m 1854, or two hundred and seventy-four years after-
™rds,_ in the reign of Queen Victoria.

It IS not our purpose to follow Frobisher, Davis
Hudson, and Baffin, through their adventures Ind dl'

localities they discovered bear their respective names
suftciently attest the amount of the additions they n'S
to our geographical knowledge; but when the last-named

successful of his voyages, the North- West Passage was
«tdl. as Martin Frobisher said, "a thing yet undoTe

harfv'raet' "f ^°''™' ""'' ^"^^'^ '^"^^y '" ^^our of our
hardy race of seamen. Along the seaboard of Spanish
America, whether in the Atlantic or Paeiiic OceanMhe
Enghsh seamen slowly but steadily established their
pre-eminence; and within a brief pe'riod from he da"

■t'M

(it '■'■

jii'- i

e DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

of the first Indian cargo * being exposed in Leadenliall
Market, a footing was obtained in India, and the foun-
dation of oiir eastern empire iirnily established.

From 1632, when Captains Fox and James discovered
those northern localities by the names of which their
memories have still been preserved, a century elapsed
before the attempt to discover a north-west passage to
India was resumed. Even then, although a reward of
^20,000 was offered, the attemipts of Scroggs, Dobbs,
and Middleton, in 1740-41, yielded no better fruit than
many of our modern voyages,— a vast deal of writing,
exaggerated accounts of difficulties, and no results of
any value.

Captain Cook's success in the South Seas, and, indeed,
wherever he went, led the ration to hope that he might
be the man fated to secure to his country the honour of
a discovery which was then desired on commercial as
well as geographical grounds. He failed, however, in
penetrating the ice, and well was it for himself and his
crews that it was so ; the fate of Sir Hugh Willoughby
would assuredly have befallen them, unprenared as°they
were for such a voyage, and the rigours of such a climate.

About that time two of the servants of the Hudson
Bay Company reached the mouths of the Mackenzie and
Coppermine rivers, and sighted an arctic sea lying north
of the American continent; but the year 1800 found us
still far from the accomplishment of an enterprise com-

* On the 15th of September 1592 the first cargo of Indian produce
was exposed in Leadenhall. It was captured by George Clifford
Earl of Cumberland, in the Portuguese carrack Madre de Dies, off
the Azores, and was sold as prize property.

■?t

.GE.

ieadenliall
the fouu-

liscovered
lich their
y elapsed
•assage to
'eward of
, Dobbs,
Tuit than
' writing,
esults of

I, indeed,
he might
onour of
ercial as
^ever, in
and his
loughby
[ as they
climate.
Hudson
nzie and
g north
ound us
se com-

i produce
Clifford,
Dios, off

INTRODUCTION. ^

menced more than two hundred years before. Small
results were to be seen on our charts for such long an"
patien tod suffering, and devotion to their duty as the

On the side of the Pacific, by Behring Strait, the ter-

^as at Icy Cape; and on the side of the Atlantic at
Hudson Bay. Between this space of eighty degree; o
longitude, the arctic sea had only been seen at'^two'po nts
The rest was a blank. Immediately after the ratificatrn
of the general peace of Europe in 1815, the idefof ca r,
mg„.to effect an achievement, upon which so much ai
and wealth had already been expended, was revived wUh
r* ^7^^*.--^ --1 it is evident, \n the m moirro
Hames Barrington and Sir John Barrow thTT,^
outset they cherished the most ardent h;^ olelL!

At this juncture aEussian expedition under Kotzebue
which had been equipped at the expense of cLtt Z
manzoff, threatened to rob us of the prize. ZLn^Vs
pnde was aroused, and the 'Quarterly Ee'view' of J^a !
1818 expresses it m the following words:-"It wouM be

-L>ciiiuw, r.K.is.), 'it a naval power but nf ,,«.+ j
should complete a discovery in 'the ^tl/thCt;^
which was so happily commenced by Enghshnient .?'
sixteenth, and another Vespuccio run Iway ^^^^^^
honours due to a Columbus.''* ^ ^^ *^^

* ' Quarterly Review/ January 1818, page 219.

./•..,

.,^/H .i

n^ t

8 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

In 1816 a more than usual concurrence of favourable
winds, currents, and weather had disengaged and carried
down a vast body of ice from the polar regions north of
the Atlantic. Icebergs and floes were found floating in
grea^, quantities as far south as the 40th parallel of lati-
tude. The very climates of both northern Europe and
America were afiected by the decreased temperature they
occasioned ; and, as an instance of it, Indian-corn would
not ripen in 1816 in either Pennsylvania or Massachusetts,
— an unparalleled circumstance.

Mr Barrington, as well as Sir John Barrow, both
maintained that, could a navigable route be found north-
about, the commerce of England with the East, more
than that of any other nation, would be benefited ; and
the higher the latitude in which we could pass into the
Pacific, the more the distance would be shortened. " For
instance," says the latter, " the distance from Shetland
to Behring Strait, in the 72d parallel, is just half as long
again as on a meridian passing through the pole, or as
1572 leagues to 1048."

The people of England entered into these views, and
into all the theories and conjectures of Sir John Barrow.
Some of these conjectures are quite startling to one who,
like the writer, is able to sit down and peruse them,
knowing on what slender premises they were grounded,
and seeing how many have actually been verified since
his death.

In October 1817, Sir John Barrow published a small
diagram to illustrate an article of his upon the existence
of a north-west passage, which is now before us ; and
although he was only then in possession of the informa-

INTRODUCTION.

tion which we have said England possessed at the end of
the eighteenth century, yet, guided by a clear judgment
and a thorough knowledge of the subject, he filled up
the deficient coast in so correct a line that the charts
of to-day, upon the same small scale, vary but little
from his.

The search for a north-west passage was now actively
resumed, and voyage after voyage followed rapidly—
Ross, Parry, and Franldin executing, and Barrow cheer-
ing them on.

Captain James Burney, who, as a lieutenant of Captain
Cook, carried some authority with his opinion, opposed
the idea of any communication between the Pacific and
Atlantic Oceans, and actually connected the American
and Asiatic continents.

The first navigator chosen to follow on the footsteps
of Baffin attempted to close every avenue or outlet to the
north-west from Baffin Bay. Yet Sir John Barrow was
not daunted.

"I have every reason to believe Old Greenland an
island, or an archipelago of islands," he said, "and no
inclination to deny that some of them may stretch far
enough to the westward to form those several sounds of
wbch Baffin so briefiy and vaguely speaks." Shortly
after the above lines were written. Parry verified them
by really sailing west through an archipelago of islands
half way to Behring Strait !

Sir John Barrow, the great promoter of arctic research,
while si^xaring the honours of every fresh discovery, was
certainly not desirous of avoiding the responsibility at-
tached to sending men upon a service of so much risk

;i|

10 DIHCOVKUY OF A NOHTII-WKRT I'ASSAOE.

uiul »lanK<>r, iiiul was romly to mUhiw j^'ood romom for
(loiiiK ao. Until tlio roptrntod ruiluros of Parry uiid
Fmiiklin conviiuuMl liini of tho iinpossibility of uhjii^' a
)iorth-w(»at passago for roiniU(>r(!ial purposoa, Sir John
narrow had ovi.iontly fondly hoped to socuro to his
country tho advanta^'os of a shorter route to India : but
ovon tluMj, joalous of hor niaritinu^ ^lory, and inlluoncod
by a sincoro lovo of acionco and a dosiro'for tho oxtciusion
ol knowlod^'o, ho judgrd rightly that nowhoro could tho
skdl and vmrgy of tho ih'itish navy bo nion^ honourably
diroctod than to gooj^raphioal diaoovory, whothor in tlio
fro/on or torrid zones.

Arctic exploration had, indeed, entailed some luirdship
and aulferin^r ; b^t bo it renienil)ered tliat up to the day
Avhen «ir dohn Franklin sailed on Ids last voyage in
ISIf), no fatal catastrophe had overtaken any one of the
many shi{)s that had been employed on that service in
modern days.

Sir dohn r>arnnv appreciated fully tho dimculties and
dangers of arctic service; and a mere selfish desire to see
knowledge extended, at any sacrilico of humanity, was
assuredly not his failing, llo did not live to see tho re-
alisation of tho conlident predictions of his sagacious
mind ; yet he had seen a vast deal added to our geogra-
phical knowledge of tho earth's surface— additions of no
small moment in every branch of natural history, as well
as in physical science; and tho wide world saw and knew
that tho race of seamen who had secured to Britain tho
supremacy of the sea in war, were not deteriorating in
time of peace.

It was no narrow or selfishly ambitious feeling that

iiHons for
iny uiid
' UHiiij,' a
■^ir .John
to his
ilia : but
jlluoncod
xtciisioii
ouhl thd
iiourahly
iv in tlio

luirdsliij)
tho (lay
)ya^'o ill
of tho
irvico ill

ties and
'0 to seo
ity, was
( tho ro-
igaeious
{jfoofrra-
18 of no
as well
d knew
ain tho
ting in

ig that

INTRODUCTION.

dictated tho following words, during tho tinio that ono
expedition was absent in search of tho long-sought pas-
sago. "They may not succeed," ho says, "in that pur-
pose ; but thoy can scarcely fail in being tho moans of
•extending tho sphere of human knowledge, and if they
bring back an accession of this, thoy cannot bo said to
have boon sent in vain, for 'knowledge is power,' and
wo may safely commit to tho stream of time tho benefi-
cial results of its irresistible iniluonco."

Franklin and his hundred and forty followers were the
hn- orn liopo of tho North- West Passage. By the sacrifice
ot thoir lives, they have secured to us, their countrymen
an honour that perhaps might otherwise never have been
won; for it was in seeking for them that Captain M'Clure
and his gallant officers and crew succeeded, for the first
time ill ilio annals of tho world, in passing from the
Pacific to tho Atlantic Ocean. In the eloquent words of
Lord Stanley and Sir Edward Parry, when addressing
Captain Crosswoll, who first brought tho intelligence to
England, in 1853, of tho discovery of tho water com-
munication between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans « it
was a triumph that would not be valued tho less highly
because it was not stained by bloodshed-a triumph
which was not embittered by any single painful or mel-
ancholy rominiscence-a triumph not over man, but over
nature-a triumph which inflicts no injury, and which
humiliates no onemy-a triumph not for this ago alone
but for postority-not for England only, but for man-
kind. '

When such is tho testimony borne to the honour won
by those who had achieved this passage, Sir John Barrow

^li!

I iJ
-I

' ill

;1.

h ♦I

12 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

needs no apologist for having been the main promoter of
arctic research ; and although the laurel is twined with
the cypress-wreath of those who have laid down their
lives in this service, their friends and relatives may
proudly wipe away their tears.

The North-West Passage would never have heen dis-
covered but for the devotion of Franklin, his officers, and
men ; they each volunteered for that duty, and they fell
in the performance of it. The party from the Erebus
and Terror, which perished, we now know, at the mouth
of the Great Fish Eiver, went down the channel which
leads from Capes Walker and Bunny in Barrow Strait,
and they, thus dying, forged the great link which con-
nects the known coasts of the Parry Archipelago with
that of the American continent. They did not, like the
crew of the Investigator, achieve the passage by actually
passing from ocean to ocean ; but it is possible that at
the very moment when Captain M'Clure stood on the
northern coast of Banks Land, and assured himself of a
water communication between the Pacific and Atlantic
Oceans, some lonely survivor of Franklin's expedition
might have been watching from King William Land,
that known highway to Behring Strait, which they well
knew extends from King William Land and the Great
Fish Eiver. Captain M'Clure and his followers can well
afibrd to surrender cheerfully to the illustrious dead that
share of the honour which is their due ; and we who
mourn the loss of those who perished with Franklin in
gallantly endeavouring to perform what the Investigator so
happily efi'ected, may still point to the chart of the polar
regions, and say, " Si monumentum requiris, circumspice! "

II.

GE.

ronioter of
ined with
own their
tives may

been dis-
ficers, and
I they fell
le Erebus
ihe mouth
uel which
ow Strait,
'^hich con-
lago with
b, like the
y actually
e that at
d on the
mself of a

Atlantic
xpedition
im Land,
they well
the Great
I can well
lead that
. we who
mklin in
tigator so
the polar
mspicel "

CHAPTEE II.

ItETURN OF THE ARCTIC SQUADRON OF 1848, AND IMMEDIATE
RE-EQUIPMENT OF THE ENTERPRISE AND INVESTIGATOR -
APPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN M'cLURE- PREPARATIONS FOR
SPEEDY DEPARTURE-THE TWO VESSELS PASS THE NORE-
HEAVy GALES IN THE CHANNEL -PUT INTO PLYMOUTH -
ENGAGEMENT OF AN INTERPRETER-FINAL DEPARTURE FROM
ENGLAND -APPEARANCE OF ARCTIC SHIPS — INVESTIGATOR
REACHES THE SOUTH / TLANTIC.

The Arctic Discovery Squadron, under Captain Sir
James Eoss, had hardly returned from its perilous opera-
tions of 1848 and 1849, when it was at once determined
by Government to re-equip the vessels, in order that
another expedition might resume the search after Sir John
Franklin's missing ships by the way of Behring Strait.

Ihe Enterprise and Investigator, it will be remem-
bered, had failed in their attempt to get to the westward
of Leopold Island in 1849, and only escaped from that
inhospitable spot, to be beset in the drifting pack-ice of
Barrow Strait, to be swept with it out of Lancaster
Sound into Baffin Bay, and thence just secured their re-
treat to England before the arctic seas became generally
sealed for that season.

Tempest-tossed and ice-worn though the good ships
were, our naval dockyards soon put them into proper

11
■ ■ Mr

■P>*:

'» :*|

nux

'' Mt^.

14 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

condition for once more resuming their contest with floe
and iceberg. Captain Eichard ColUnson, C.B., was ap-
pointed to the Enterprise as senior officer of the expedi-
tion, and Commander Eobert Le Mesurier M'Clure to
the Investigator. The former officer enjoyed a high
naval reputation, and in China his abilities as a surveyor
had done t^ «to good service j the latter, the destined
discoverer c i«th-vest passage, had served through a

long and severe probation in every grade, until, after a
struggle of twenty-six years, he was appointed to the
command of the Investigator, as a reward for the good
service he had rendered as first-lieutenant to Sir James
Eoss, in his voyage of 1848-49.

There was in the winter of 1849-50 no lack of volun-
teers for arctic service amongst the officers and men of
the Eoyal mvy. The most sanguine feelings concerning
the cause they were about to engage in, animated the
whole service, and told with excellent effect in the
speedy equipment of the ships and the completion of
their crews; and although the pendants had been
hoisted as late as the 19th of December 1849, yet, on
the 10th of January foUowing, the Enterprise and 'in-
vestigator were enabled to put to sea from the river
Thames with their full complement of men. They were,
however, much hampered upon both upper and lower
decks with provisions and stores; and heavy winter
gales in the Channel having caused both vessels to strain
much, it became advisable to put into Plymouth to be
caulked— a measure which gave the captains an oppor-
tunity for entering several more good seamen from that
well-known nursery of men-of-war's men.

GE.

; with floe
, was ap-
le expedi-
i'Clure to
d a high
surveyor
; destined
ihrough a
:1, after a
id to the
the good
ir James

•f volun-

men of
ncerning
ated the

in the
letion of
id been

yet, on
and In-
16 river
ey were,
d lower

winter
strain
h to be
L oppor-
•m that

FINAL DEPARTUKE.

:si

m grass was allowed to grow under their feet at
Plymouth, for the vast distance between England and
- Behring Strait had to be traversed by way of Cape Horn
m deep-laden bM-bowed ships ;— winter gales awaited
^em in the Channel, and equinoctial ones off Cape
Horn. All knew there was a weary six months' voyage
before they could reach the ice, and that the loss of a
month by accident or neglect might cause the highway
they sought from Behring Strait to Melville Island to be
closed against them.

At last nearly aU was ready ; every article of equip-
ment on board, and what was not then procurable was
ordered to be sent to the Sandwich Islands, via Panama
We must not fail to mention that, before sailing, there
was shipped on board the Investigator a German clerc^y-
man, a Mr Mierching, who had been engaged as an
Esquimaux interpreter. The proposal had been sud-
denly made to the worthy man one day when he was
enjoying his ease in a quiet village in Saxony, after re-
turmng from a long sojourn in Labrador as a Moravian
missionary. He accepted the offer, and was despatched
forthwith as fast as rail could take him to London The
Admiralty sent him a few hours afterwards by express
to Kymouth, and he arrived only just in time to be
tumbled n..o the Investigator before her departure

On the 20th of January 1850 this arctic squadron
weighed, and the Enterprise and Investigator sailed thence
wi h a fair and fresh wind. It will now be my duty to
foUow the latter vessel and her gallant company in their
long and adventurous voyage, at the same time avoiding
minute details of the everyday operations of the Inves-

Iff

I I'

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

tigator, which partake rather of the character of a ship's
log than of remarks intended for the general reader.

I must endeavour to picture to the general and non-
professional reader the appearance of the little vessel,
■whose name will be remembered as long as England
holds dear the character of her adventurous arctic navi-
gators.

Many of our readers have seen in olden times, during
westerly winds in the British Channel, water- washed
looking vessels of four or five hundred tons register
rolling towards the Thames, freighted with rich produce
from the East or West Indies. These craft could boast
of little beauty, and had but little speed. People said
they were fine wholesome vessels. Yery likely they were ;
at any rate, they took a long time to get through their
work, and looked as if they were built by the mile, and
cut off in lengths, as required for the trade. Such a
one was H.M.S. Investigator, for she had been bought
from an eminent firm at Black wall. The " fast sailing
copper-bottomed A 1, &c.," had been doubled with wood
in every direction ; and her bow and stern, according to
then infallible rules for arctic ships, were made to re-
semble the ends of a caisson, by having wood and iron
bolted one over the other, until in some places twenty-
nine inches of solid timber might have been found, or
even more. Everytliing in the shape of outward orna-
ment was of course carefully eschewed; and a solemn
coating of black paint, but little relieved by a white
riband and small figure-head, added yet more to the
appearance of strength and weight of the little, but I am
afraid I cannot say pretty, vessel.

THE INVESTIGATOB.

Aloft, m her powerful rigging and large blocks, were
seen signs of a departure from the perfect neatness of a
Queen's ship— for appearance had to be sacrificed to
efficiency; and her deeply-immersed hull, her decks
covered. with casks securely lashed, and the many
strange articles, such as sledges, ice-triangles, ice-saws,
and crow's nest, all told their own tale, and were well in
keeping with her character and destination. The crew
of this good ship was, as the sequel wiU show, not un-
worthy of her, for throughout Captain M'Clure's journal
I meet constant expressions of admiration for the men
under his command; indeed, so early as the 24th of
January, he says, when speaking of the accidental loss
of his topmast :— " Vexatious as it certainly was, stiU it
was attended with one advantage, as it gave me an in-
sight into the disposition of my crew, and a more orderly
set of men have seldom been collected."

Thus early was that mutual confidence sown which
afterwards yielded such good fruit.

Battling with foul winds and heavy seas, it was not
until the 20th of February that the Investigator reached
the N E. trade-wind of the Atlantic. Whilst passing
through the tropics, care was taken during the fine
weather of that region to make good such defects as had
shown themselves in the vessel, and were within the
power of her artificers to remedy ; and aU due precau-
tions were employed to insure the health and comfort of
officers and men.

t I

'i '^

'it+1

CHAPTEE III.

SLOW SAILING OF THE ARCTIC SHIPS— KEACH TERRA DEL FUEQO
— H.M.8. GORGON IN POSSESSION BAY— REACH PORT FAMINE
—SHIPWRECKED AMERICAN SCHOONER— AMERICAN GO-AHEAD-
ISM— SUBLIME SCENERY — INVESTIGATOR MEETS THE ENTER-
PRISE—AMERICAN RIVER-STEAMER IN THE PACIFIC — HEAVY
GALE— CAPTAIN M'CLURE's CARE OF THE MEN.

It was not until the 18th March, nearly two months
after leaving England, thai the Investigator passed out
of the southern tropic in the South Atlantic Ocean, al-
though a heavy press of canvass had constantly been
carried. It was nearly a month afterwards that Captain
M'Clure sighted Cape Virgii , that headland of the
South American continent which marks the eastern
entrance of the Strait of Magellan. This rate of pro-
gress gives the best idea of the speed of the arctic dis-
covery-ships, and best enables us to appreciate the
anxiety with which Captain M'Clure, his officers, and
crew, must have watched the precious hours as they
flitted by, as well as the credit they deserve for the per-
severance and ability with which they did so much, with
such inferior means.

On the 15th of April, the land of the Strait of
Magellan gladdened their sight, and, inhospitable as it
was, it was welcome after eighty-five days of sea work;

DEL FUEGO
IT FAMINE
GO- AHEAD-
HE ENTER-
— HEAVY

3 months
assed out
3cean, al-
itly been
b Captain
I of the
5 eastern
3 of pro-
fctic dis-
iate the
jers, and
as they
the per-
ich, with

5irait of
)le as it
a work ;

AT PORT FAMINE.

and they commenced beatiug along that coast where so
many points bear English names strangely mixed up
with the Spanish ones— names that tell how England's
gallant seamen have toiled, and hoped, and suffered in
the great cause of human advancement, from Anson
and Drake, proud admirals, to poor Allan Gardner, the
sailor missionary, who perished in a noble effort to carry
civilisation to the wretched Fuegians. On Point Duncre-
ness ware seen large troops of guanachoes, a species "of
the Uaina : their flesh would have been a great acquisition,
but a lee shore gave Captain M'Clure enough to do to
keep his ship in safety, until upon the turn of tide he
was enabled to push westward against the contrary wind
which prevails in this strait. Next day the Investigator
reached Possession Bay, and found H.M.S. Gorgon there
ready to assist in towing her into the Pacific Ocean •
and accordingly, by her aid and the zealous exertions of
her commander, the Investigator, on the 17th April
arrived at Port Famine. '

At this wretched Chilian penal settlement, Captain
M Clure learnt chat the Enterprise had already passed
and, what was still more to be regretted, taken with her
all the bullocks, so that the prospect of fresh beef for
the Investigator's crew was no nearer than the Sandwich
Islands, to reach which the wide Pacific Ocean had to be
traversed as the Atlantic had already been. The most
mterestmg object seen at Port Famine was the castaway
crew of an American schooner, bound to California. The
stoical indifference to the reverse of fortune with which
It had pleased Providence to visit the two Yankee owners
—for they were there— struck our arctic explorers much;

Mi]

III

^ r H

V i'

*-^ ;j

I i

DISCOVERY OF A NOUTII-WKST PASSAGE.

ami tho iiiiHluikon tirmnCvsa with which tlioy dotorinincd
not to bo hoatou was ilhiatnitivo of tho host phase of
American character.

Their tale was a strange, hut not an unusual oii(5. In
the height of tho Californian fever then raging, one of
tho owners had been a vendor of hardware, tho other the
proprietor of a dry provision store in Now York. The
latter, walking one day on tho quay, saw a schooner ad-
vertised for sale ; and being struck with the number of
persons daily embarking for California, tho thought sud-
denly entered his head that in that El Dorado he might
make a fortune far more rapidly than even in tho smart
town of New York. At this moment his eye chanced
to light upon the vendor of hardware, likewise apparently
in a brown study ; and addressing him, the dry-goods-
man asked, "what he thought of a Californian venture?"
"Just what I was thinking of," was the reply; and with
true American ijo-aheadis)n, they at once decided on
selling off, and embarking their all, four thousand dollars
each, in the schooner. The thing was done; and ten
weeks afterwards they were cast away upon the south
extreme of America, and utterly ruined !

Yet they were not dispirited, and they wanted no
sympathy. *♦ No ! " said the dry-provision merchant,
when it was suggested that he had better return to New
York and adhere to his old line of business — " no ! I
guess I'll never go back to New York ; I'll get some-
how to California, and right myself yet ! "

The Gorgon took some of the men on board until they
could be put into their own countrymen's vessels.

Leaving Port Famine, the Investigator proceeded on

OIIANDEUR OF THE SCENEllY.

hor way, passing the wild and, in many places, sublime
sconory which skirts the shores of this wonderful and
intricate inland soa — the lofty mountains presenting at
once the characteristics of the equatorial and polar
regions, their summits covered with glaciers, whilst their
bases are clothed with dense and humid forests whose
rank luxuriance of vegetation resembles that of the
thickest Indian jungle.

After rounding Cape Frowards, they found the Enter-
prise at anchor in Fortescue Bay, and had a good oppor-
tunity of comparing their relative courses since parting
company. By the charts, the two discovery-ships had
seldom been sixty miles apart, and they had crossed the
equator within thirty- five miles of each other, though
without meeting. Such are the not unusual accidents of
a sea voyage ; and at any rate neither Captain CoUinson
nor his colleague could accuse themselves of being the
cause of delay to the other. Whilst at this anchorage,
detained by strong and foul winds, an American river-
steamer, bound to California, passed by. She had many
passengers, and took our voyagers' mail to Valparaiso,
it being the intention of her skipper, a reckless sort
of individual, to take the in-shore channels which lead
from Cape Horn to Chiloe, before he trusted his frail-
built vessel to the mercy of the Pacific.

That steamer appeared to have made such a marvel-
lously quick passage, that some of the Investigator's
officers naturally asked the skipper if he were certain of
his dates of departure and arrival. The reply, if not
pleasing to ears polite, contained in it a great fact:
" Well, officer," said Jonathan, " T ain't sure, for I have

• (I,

* M

■\

OTSCOVKKY OF A NOllTir-WKRT PARSAOE.

livod so lon^ ainoiifJtHi liars that I don't know wIkmi T am
spoakiiifar tho Irutli ! "

On i\w 19ih of April ilui woatlior nioddraind auHici-
oiitly for tho (^ior:];on to tak(> both tho Kntin'pri.so and Tn-
vostii^ator in tow, and thoy started at an early honr ajj;ainst
a hrco/o which othorwiso wonld havo still k(^pt sailinj^
ships idlo. Fu(\ifians, in frail canoes, chased tlu^m in
hopes of barter, but wore iniablo to (M>nnnnnicato, and
next day tho vessels passed Capo Tillar, th(5 western
bonndary of the strait.

(hice in tho broad Pacific, tho swell of a western sea
crtnsed tho hawsers lo carry away so ol'ten as to prevent
tlie towing of more than one vesscd at a time. The En-
terprise was iirst taken, and a good oiling given her, and
then tho Investigator was helped on in her tnrn. As
night canio on, liowever, tho galo freslicned from tho
north-west, and tho l<<nt(>rprise and Investigator parted
company, never again to rejoin.

Pnring tho night of tho 20th, tho Gorgon was obliged
to cnt away the towing-hawser of the Investigator, and
after lying by her nntil daylight. Captain Paynter, of tho
Ciorgon, bore up to look for tho Enterprise.

So heavy a galo now oanio on that no canvass could
be carried by tho Investigator to bear her away from
the iron-bound shores of Patagonia, distant at the time
not more than thirty or forty miles ; and thus drifting
before an increasing gale, she was driven far to tho south-
west, and it was not nntil tho 30th of April that it
abated, and enabled tho tempest-tossed ship to resume
her course for the next rendezvous, Honolulu, in the
Sandwich Islands.

riJKVKNTIVKH OF SCURVY.

At this early poriod of tlio voyago, ovory prceauiioii
was takoii hy Captiiiii M'CJlun- to provont tho H(!.h1h of
ficurvy l)(iing sown amongst his men. Ilo incronmjd tho
rations of vegc-tablciH and frcinli j)rn8nrv(!d moat, iHsued
thorn ov(!ry altornato day, and, an Hoon an tho wcjatlior
l)ormitt(!d it, tho od'Kiorw and (;row woro constantly om-
ploycd in thoir vvatohoH rostowing, oxamining, and ascfjr-
taim'ng tho (piality of thoHo provisions, upon which Cap-
tain M'Cluro's oxperionco told him tho result of his
voyago would so much dopond. No ono knew better
than ho that in tho far north man is a machine not to bo
replaced; that without tho zealous labour and tho skill
and energy of tho cniw tho best officers aro worthless.
To work a willing seaman to death, or into scurvy, and
then turn round and lay tho blame on the climate of tho
poles, was not tho system of tho man who was about to
achieve the North-Wcst Passage; and in adopting the
course he did, ho took tho best method of convincing
his men, that, so far as circumstances admitted, ho would
always study their health and comfort. Tho crow on
thoir side naturally repaid him with unbounded confi-
dence and hearty exertions.

iiii

!l !

M 1

CHAPTEE IV.

VOYAGE CONTINUED TO HONOLULU— LEAK IN THE BREAD-ROOM—
LONELINESS OP THIS OCEAN— GOOD FEELING BETWEEN OFFI-
CERS AND MEN— ARRIVAL AT HONOLULU— REPLENISHING AND
DEVARTURE — GREAT ANXIETY OF OFFICERS AND MEN TO
REACH THE ICE— PASSING THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS— DENSE
FOGS— THE ARCTIC CIRCLE CROSSED— MEET THE PLOVER DE-
POT-SHIP—UNFAVOURABLE REPORT OF THE STATE OF THE
ICE— CAPTAIN M'CLURE's PLAN OF OPEUATIONS— PREPARA-
TIONS FOR MEETING THE ICE— H. M.S. HERALD MET WITH—
CAPTAIN KELLETT's DISCOVERY.

The whole of the month of May 1850 was passed by the
Investigator in making the best of her way towards
Honoluhi ; and the only incident worthy of notice was
the loss of a topmast, and the discovery of the destruc-
tion of a large quantity of biscuit, owing to a leak which
had broken out in the bread-room: nearly a thousand
pounds of biscuit were found to be so mouldy that it had
to be thrown away ; but Captain M'Clure consoled him-
self with the certainty of being able to replenish his
stock at the first port.

On 2d June they passed the limit of the S.E. trade-
wind in lat. 17° 44' S., long. 105° 54' W. During the
fortnight that the Investigator had been steering dia-
gonaily across that space which intervenes between the
southern tropic and the equator of the Pacific Ocean,

LONELINESS OF THE PACIFIC.

monotony pressed heavily upon both crew and officers.
Five weary months of salt water is enough to try the
patience of any men; and Captain M'Clure's journal
here laments the loneliness of the vast region of water
which rolls from America to the Polynesian Isles, a fine
and fair wmd, clear sky, and smooth sea, hardly compen^
eatmg for the absence of every living thing except them-
selves : not even a bird or a fish broke the dreariness of
the ocean solitude. Every day served, however, to unite
more strongly the bond of mutual good feeling between
the commander and his crew. Much heavy work con-
nected with the restowage and examination of the provi-
sions fell, of course, upon the latter; but they did it with
such cheerfulness and goodwill as to draw forth the re-
mark in Captain M'Clure's handwriting: " I have much
confidence in them. With such a spirit what may not
be expected, even if difficulties should arise 1 " This
good opinion of his men was fully borne out in the sequel.
The equator was crossed on the 15th June, and the
S.E. trade kindly favoured them into 7° north latitude.
On the 23d of June the N.E. trade-wind reached them,
and aided by it they made on the 24th the longest run
the Investigator had as yet performed in twenty-four
hours— namely, one hundred and eighty-six miles. It
was a proud day for the old ship.

On June 29th the snow-capped peak of Mouna-Kea,
on the island of Owhyhee, showed itself, and announced
that at last they were nearing a port, after a sea-vovaee
of 15,000 miles. "^ ^

Running through the western islands of the Sandwich
group, they anchored, gladly enough, on the 1st Julv

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

outside the roofs of IIoiiolulu harbour, tlio wind being
foul for entering its narrow mouth.

There was no time to bo lost, however, and all neces-
sary supplies were speedily purchased, Captain M'Clure
being much aided in his labour by Captain Aldhani of
II.M. brig Swift, then in the port. The very next day,
all the stores wore ready for shipment, and the Investi-
gator was in-opared for the prosecution of her voyage
with the utmost despatch. The crow of the Swift gene-
rously undertook this duty while the men of Jie Investi-
gator were allowed all the leave that could be afforded
them to wander about the beautiful island of Oahu.

Captain CoUinson, in the Enterprise, had already, it
appeared, called at this port, and had replenished and
gone on, in prosecution of his instructions. The anxiety
of Captain ^['Clure to overtake his chief, and rejoin him
in time for entering the polar sea in 1850, can be better
conceived than described. Abundant supplies of fruit
and vegetables were purchased, although the high prices
occasioned by so large a demand, as well as the arrival of
the annual Hoots of American whalers, formed a consid-
erable obstacle to the private purchases of officers and
men. By a remarkable fataHty, too, their hopes of ob-
taining a good supply of fresh beef were again destined
to bo disappointed ; for the natives, in attempting to land
the bullocks from a coaster, had drowned all but one of
them.

The Consul-General, Miller, as Avell as some of the
merchants, extended due hospitality to Captain M'Clure ;
and although ho had occasion to remark that Yankee
influence was all-powerful in these islands — the Ameri-

DEPARTURE FROM HONOLULU. 27

can stopping-stonos to the empire of the I^st, as they
have been appropriately called-yct neither he, nor the
Investigators generally, had any cause to complain of
want of courtesy towards themselves, or of sympathy for
the nohlo mission on which they were employed.

The 4th July 1850 saw the Investigator in every re-
spect ready for the polar voyage, which was her appointed
task. Every available space was again filled with pro-
visions, and in addition to a solitary bullock, a dozen
sheep, and vegetables sufficient to last forty days, were
embarked. Her weak or sickly men had been invalided
and their places supplied by volunteers ; and all hands'
were much refreshed and reinvigorated by even the
short stay they had made in so pleasant a spot. On
leaving Honolulu, the same evening, Captain M'Clure
remarks that the health and cheerfulness of all were
most gratifying, and that no vessel could have entered
the ice u....cr more favourable circumstances after so
long and trying a sea- voyage.

The ice, however, was still full forty degrees of latitude
distant, the Enterprise far ahead, and there were only about
SLxty days more of summer left. Well, therefore, might
Captain M'Clure feel anxious when he looked at his
deeply-laden vessel, and pondered on the quickest mode
of reaching Behring Strait. The old-established course
from the Sandwich Islands to the Strait was by haulinc^
out to the N.W. across the N.E. trade, so as to strike
the Asiatic coast in or about the latitude of Petropaul-
offskoi, and then taking advantage of westerly winds to
run along that coast, and thus avoid the dangerous chan-
nels through the Aleutian Islands, which were imperfectly

li I

i:«

I \

, J'

/i'

28 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

known, and subject to dense fogs and strong tides.
This route, however, generally occupied sixty days, and
Captain M'Clure had heard of another and more direct
one ; but at the same time the risk of his vessel being
driven down upon the dangerous and inhospitable coast
north of Vancouver Island and Princess Charlotte Island
was duly pointed out. Fortunately, he had met at
Honolulu with an intelligent merchant sailor, who urged
him by all means to run the risk, steer a direct course
to the northward, aad not to fear north-west gales at
that season of the year. This advice, together with the
emergency of the case, induced him to decide upon mak-
ing direct for the Aleutian Islands, and trusting to the
" sweet little cherub that sits up aloft " for the winds he
might require.

At midnight a course was shaped accordingly, and
M'Clure went to his bed and dreamt of catching the
Enterprise ; for there was much fear among both officers
and men lest a report, heard at Honolulu, should prove to
be true, that Captain Collinson intended, instead of wait-
ing for his consort, to take the Plover on into the ice, and
leave the Investigator to occupy her place in Kotzebue
Sound as a mere depot-ship.

No other bad effects had ensued from the liberty given
to the Investigator's men at Honolulu, after their long
imprisonment on board, than that six of them were laid
up for a few days, in consequence of having, sailor-like,
taken a great deal too much equestrian exercise — one or
two having actually cut their feet with the stirrup-irons
through riding hard without any shoes.

Favoured by strong and fair winds, the ship made

THE ALEUTIAN ISLES.

rapid progress to the northward, although dense fogs
gave the captain and master much anxiety, lest they
should be carried east or west of that channel through
the Aleutian Isles, for which they were endeavouring to
steer.

On the sixteenth day after leaving Oahu, while ex-
pecting to sight the land, the mist lifted sufficiently to
show a bluff point, with a detached rock lying off it.
This satisfied them that the island they had wished to
sight was the one now at hand, and, as the Investigator
was swept rapidly along in a tide-race with a fair wind,
they had only time to observe, on the bow, the western
extreme of the island of Tchunam. It was but a mo-
mentary glimpse, however, that they were blessed with
of either, and this was aU they saw of the Aleutian
chain; but when certain of being clear and to the north
of the islands, the Investigator was steered for Gore
Island.

Some idea may be formed of the denseness of the
fogs whicli prevail in this region, and add so materiaUy
to Its dangers, from the circumstance of some of the sea-
birds, such as the little auk (Aka alle), striking against
the rigging in their flight, and falling on board the
ship.

But fog or no fog, the ship was still pushed on with
the utmost press of sail that any regard to safety would
permit; yet a sea but little known was before the In-
vestigator,— a sea interspersed with islands whose posi-
tion was so uncertain that, in some cases, they were not
even placed in the chart. Many an anxious hour was
passed on board the ship, their greatest fear being lest,

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

by grounding the vessel and detention, tlioy should be
too late for entering the ice in the season of 1850.

On 2Cth July the stud-sails were for the first time
taken in since leaving Oahu, — a proof of how happily
the winds had hitherto favoured the ship, — and next
day they made King Island, and had a narrow escape of
being swept on shore by a rapid and unexpected current.
Fortunately, a good bearing, by compass, of the land
was obtained before they were again enveloped in fog, so
that they were able to shape a course between the two
Diomedo Islands ; but still, running the gauntlet, as the
Investigator was doing, was fraught with peril, and no-
thing but the urgency of the case induced Captain
M'Clure to persist, although it might bo that in such a
sea, and amongst so many tides and currents, a straight
course on end at high speed was the safer one.

The words of her commander convey the best idea of
the ship's position and his feelings as they approached
the channel between the Diomede Islands : — " The
channel is a good one doubtless in clear weather; but in
a fog which has never given us a horizon more than four
hundred yards distant, with a very strong and unknown
current, with a fresh fair wind and deep water, it was
an exceedingly anxious time for me, more especially
when an unusual ripple was perceived, resembling the
tidal race of Alderney or Portland. The noise was so
great that we could not hear what was said without
great vocal exertion j the sea was breaking into the
channels, and the deep-sea lead showed that the ship
was sweeping through twenty-two fathoms' water only."
The look-out man even reported breakers ahead; and not

MEET THE PLOVER.

small was the general delight when, by the deepening of
the soundings and the cessation of the tide-ripple, the
voyagers guessed themselves to have been swept into
Kotzobue Sound, though disagreeably close past one of
the islands at its entrance.

On 29th July 1850 the arctic circle was crossed, and
the Admiralty clothing supplied by the Lords Commis-
sioners of the Admiralty for the use of seamen in those
regions was issued to the crew. Arctic sights now
rapidly accumulated to interest the many novices in the
Investigator, and to awaken in the mind of their com-
mander recollections of his former trying and unsuccess-
ful voyage on the opposite side of America into that
same frozen sea.

The first to greet them was the Plover depot-ship,
then commanded by Commander Moore, who, with two
boats, was making inquiries amongst the natives of
Wainwright Inlet concerning some of the thousand and
one Esquimaux fictions that then enlivened the mono-
tony of Kotzebue Sound. The eager query of how long
since the Enterprise had gone to the northward? was
answered by the Plover informing them that she had not
been fallen in with at all ; this the officers of the Inves-
tigator presumed might be accounted for from the dense
fogs which had lately prevailed having prevented her
being seen. The Enterprise had left Honolulu as early
as the 30th June ; she was the faster-sailing ship, and
there was no reason to suppose she had not been equally
favoured in winds.

The news of the state of the ice in Behring Strait
was most unsatisfactory, especially to those who did not

1 '»j_.

32 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

know that its movements are so uncertain that a report
more than twenty-four hours old was worthless. The
Plover had seen the polar ice so densely packed from
Wainwright Inlet upon the American coast to lat. 7P
30' N.. and long. 164° 28* W., as apparently to defy all
efforts to push a vei >el to the north-oast.

In recording this information, Captain M'Clure adds
in his journal this remarkable sentence, showing how
decidedly he had made up his mind to the course to be
pursued, that of entering the ice at all hazards : " This,"
says he, "was not what I anticipated from the continu-
ance of south-east winds ; but the season is not far ad-
vanced, and much may yet be accomplished ere we are
frozen up^^

The Investigators were generally struck with the
healthy, and, in most cases, robust appearance of the
Plover's crew. Indeed, this was not to be wondered at,
considering they had merely wintered on the verge of
the arctic zone, and in a place like Kotzebue Sound,
where the natives are able to subsist upon the resources
of the country, and where monotony, darkness, and
hunger could not weigh upon them in any extraordinary
degree.

Before bearing up for Cape Lisburne (the next ren-
dezvous that Captain Collinson had appointed), and
where the Herald, Captain Kellett, was known to be
cruising, all the letter-bags of tlie Investigator were sent
on board the Plover ; and at the same time that admir-
able despatch from Captain M'Clure to the Admiralty, in
which he clearly stated what his intentions were, should
he be left to act upon them. How to the very letter he

nil

CAPTAIN M'CLURE'S PLANS.

carried them out, aided by his gallant officers and men,
will be seen in the sequel.

Copy of a Letter from Commander M'Glurc to the
Secretary of the Admiralty.

" Her Majesty's Discovery Ship Investigator, at Sea

(Lat. 51° 26' N., Long. 172° 35' W.),

20th July 1850.

" Sir, — As I have received instructions from Captain
Collinson, C.B., clear and unembarrassing (a copy of
which I enclose), to proceed to Cape Lisburne, in the
hope of meeting him in that vicinity, as he anticipates
being detained a day or two by the Plover in Kotzebue
Sound, it is unnecessary to add that every exertion shall
be made to reach that rendezvous ; but I can scarcely
venture to hope that, even under very favourable circum-
stances, I shall be so fortunate as to accomplish it ere
the Enterprise will have rounded that Cape, as, from her
superior sailing, she has hitherto beaten us, by eight
days to Cape Virgins, and from Magellan Strait to Oahu
by six. It is, therefore, under the probable case that
this vessel may form a detached part of the expedition,
that I feel it my duty to state, for the information of the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the course which,
under such a contingency, I shall endeavour to pursue ;
and I have to request that you will lay the same before
their Lordships.

"1st. After passiny Cape Lishurne, it is my intention
to keep in the open water ^ which, from the different re-
ports that I have read, appears, about this season of the
year, to make betiveen the American coast and the main

DISCOVERY OF A NOllTII-WEST PASSAGE.

pack, ciH far to the eastward as the ISOfh meridian, unless
a favourable opening shoidd earlier appear in the ice,
which icould lead me to infer that I might piish more
directly for Banks Land, which I think it is of the utmost
importance to thoroughly examine.

" In the event of thus far succeeding, and the season
continuing favourahle for further operations, it would be
my anxious desire to get to the northward of Melville
Island, and rosume our search along its shores, and the
islands adjacent, as long as the navigation can be carried
on, and then secure for the winter in the most eligible
position which offers.

" 2d. In the ensuing spring, as soon as it is practicable
for travelling parties to start, I should despatch as many
as the state of the crew will admit of, in different direc-
tions, each being provided with forty days' provisions,
with directions to examine minutely all bays, inlets, and
islands towards the N.E., ascending occasionally some of
the highest points of land, so as to be enabled to obtain
extended views, being particularly cautious, in their ad-
vance, to observe any indication of a break-up in the ice,
so that their return to the ship may be effected without
hazard, even before the expenditure of their provisions
would otherwise render it necessary.

" 3d. Supposing the parties to have returned (without
obtaining any clue of the absent ships), and the vessel
liberated about the 1st of August, my object would then
be to push on towards Wellington Inlet (assuming that
that channel communicates with the polar sea), and
search both its shores, unless, in so doing, some indica-
tion should be met with to show that parties from any

CAPTAIN M'CLURE's PLANS.

of Captain Austin's vessels had previously done so, when
I should return and endeavour to penetrate in the direc-
tion of Jones Sound, carefully examining every place
that was practicable. Sir, should our efforts to reach
this point be successful, and in the route no traces be
discernible of the long-missing expedition, I should not
then be enabled longer to divest myself of the feeling,
painful as it must be to arrive at such a conclusion, that
all human aid would then be perfectly unavailing, and
therefore, under such a conviction, I would think'it my
duty, if possible, to return to England, or, at all events,
endeavour to reach some port that would insure that
object upon the following year.

^ " 4th. In the event of this being our last communica-
tion, I would request you to assure their Lordships that no
apprehension whatever need be entertained of our safety
until the autumn of 1854, as we have on board three
years of all species of provisions, commencing from the
1st September proximo, which, without much depriva-
tion, may be made to extend a period of four years, as,
moreover, Avhatever is killed by the hunting parties I
intend to issue in lieu of the usual rations, which will
still further protract our resources.

" It gives me great pleasure to say that the good effects
of the fruit and vegetables (a large quantity of which we
took on board at Oahu) are very perceptible in the in-
creased vigour of the men, who at this moment are in as
excellent condition as it is possible to desire, and evince
a spirit of confidence and cheerfulness of disposition
which are beyond all appreciation.

" 5th. Should diffi^culties, apparently insunnonntahle,

3(5

DTSOOVEIJY OF A NOIITII-WEST PASSAGE.

nfcoinprfss our ;)r<'f//vw, w) ok to rrndrr if a vidflcr of
if(>ul)t whether the. vexxel eould t)e extricated, I sliotihl
(teem it expedient, in thtd case, not to h((zard the luuis
of those intrusted to my chanje after the wilder of
1852, but, in the ensuimj spriufj, quit the vessel with
sle(t(/es and boats, and mal'e tlie best of our way to
either Ponds Bay, Leopold Harbour, the Mac/cenzie, or
for the irJuders, arcordi)i(j to circunhstances.

" Finally. In this lettor I liavo ondoiivouroil to give
an outline of what I -svish to accomplish (and -what,
nndor niodomtoly ^Vvourablo seasons, api)oars to mo at-
tainable), tho carrying out of which, however, not resting
upon human exertions, it is impossible even to surmise
if any or what portion may bo successful. But my
object in addressing you is to place their Lordships in
possession of my intentions up to the latest period, so,
as far as possible, to relieve their minds from any un-
necessary anxiety as to our fate ; and having done this
— a duty which is incumbent on me, from the deep
sympathy expressed by their Lordships, and participated
in by all classes of our countrymen, in the interesting
object of this expedition — T have only to add that, with
the ample resources which a beneficent Government and
a generous country have placed at our disposal (not any-
thing that can add to our comfort being wanting), we
enter upon this distinguished servicj with a firm deter-
mination to carry out, as far as in our feeble strength we
are permitted, their benevoloit intentions. — I have,

" (Signed) Robert ^['Cluue, Commander."

, ' i

^:H

MEET THE HERALD.

k /<

Not a letter written that day contained any expression
but that of a liopef'ul issue to tlieir enterprise; and if
anxiety was expressed, it was only that of being delayed,
or being too late. The calm and resolute spirit of their
leader is marked in the paragraph penned this same
night. " I consider," he writes, " that we have said
adieu to the world for the next two years. May that
arm which has conducted us so far in safety, still con-
tinue its protection upon a service where all else is weak-
ness indeed ! "

On 3Lst July the vessel was prcj)ared for falling in
with the ice ; the crow's-nest was sent up to the mast-
head, ready for the look-out men to take their station
in ; whale-lines and ice-anchors were placed at hand,
ready for heaving, or tracking the ship through loose
ice ; and ice-chisels, saws, ladders, and all the many
articles of equipment peculiar to arctic service, were
placed on deck.

The current had swept the Investigator thirty miles
north of her reckoning, and Cape Lisburne was far
astern when H.M.S. Herald, Captain Kellett, hove in
sight.

This vessel, it will be remembered, was annually or-
dered from her surveying service in Central America, to
communicate with, and replenish the provisions of the
Plover depot-ship. The Herald usually arrived in June,
and left Behring Strait in September. Her object in
cruising about the strait was mainly in the hope of fall-
ing in with the squadron of Sir John Franklin, should
either of his ships have accomplished the passage from
the AtLmtic to the Pacific Ocean ; but the Herald like-

» Tw *

1 1:.

■:!^- it!

'^ ill

38 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

wise (lid good service in coiTGcting the charts of this neigh-
bourhood, and in adding materially to our geographical
knowledge. The most important discovery, however,
that Captain Henry Kellett had made, and one which,
in connection with the nature of the ice met with by the
Investigator westward of Banks Land, is deeply interest-
ing to those curious about the yet unknown regions which
lie around our pole, was the sighting of an extensive
land north and north-west of Behring Strait. In Cap-
tain Kellett's despatches to England, bearing date 1849,
the discovery is graphically described.

"At 3 A.M. the 17th of August, the temperature of
the sea suddenly fell from 40° to SG° ; the wind became
light, and excessively cold. Shortened sail, supposing
that I was very near the ice ; frequent snow-showers.

"At 5 A.M. wind shifted suddenly from the N.W. in
a sharp squall with heavy snow. Shortly after 8, when
one of these snow-storms cleared off, the packed ice was
seen from the mast-head from S.S.W. to N.N.W., five
miles distarit. The weather was so bad that I bore up
for the rendezvous. The weather, however, as suddenly
cleared up, and I hauled my wind for the north-western
extreme of the ice that had been seen. At 9.40 the ex-
citing report of ' Land, ho ! ' was made from the mast-
heads ; they were both soon afterwards crowded.

" In running a course along the pack towards our first
discovery, a small group of islands was reported on our
port beam, a considerable distance within the outer mar-
gin of the ice.

" The pack here was not so close as I found it before.
Lanes of water could be seen reaching almost up to the

LAND SIGHTED BY THE HERALD.

group, but too narrow to enter unless the ship had "been
sufficiently fortified to force a hole for herself.

"These small islands at intervals were very distinct,
and were not considered at the time very distant.

" Still more distant than this group (from the deck)
a very extensive and high land was reported, which I had
been watching for some time, and anxiously awaited a
report from some one else. There was a fine clear atmos-
phere (such a one as can only be seen in this climate),
except in the direction of this extended land, where the
clouds rolled in numerous immense masses, occasionally
leaving the very lofty peaks uncapped, where could be
distinctly seen columns, pillars, and very broken peaks,
characteristic of the higher headlands in this sea — East
Cape and Cape Lisburne, for example.

" With the exception of the N.E. and S.E. extremes,
none of the lower land could be seen, unless, indeed,
what I took at first for a small group of islands within
the pack-edge was a point of this great land.

"This island or point was distant 25 miles from the
ship's track ; higher parts of the land seen, not less, I
consider, than GO miles. When we hove-to off the first
land seen, the northern extreme of the great land showed
out to the eastward for a moment, and so clear as to
cause some who had doubts before, to cry out, ' There,
sir, is the land quite plain.'

" From the time land was reported until we hove-to
under it, we ran 25 miles directly for it. At first we could
not see that the pack joined it, but as we approached the
island we found the pack to rest on the island, and to
extend from it as far as the eye could reach to the E.S.E.

,t -I

DISCOVEEY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

"The weather, which had been fine all day, now
changed suddenly to dense clouds and snow-showers,
blowing fresh from the south, with so much sea that I
did not anchor as I intended.

"I left the ship with two boats; the senior lieutenant,
Mr Maguire, Mr Seemann, naturalist, and Mr CoUinson,
mate, in one; Mr Goodridge, surgeon, Mr Pakenham,
midshipman, and myself in the other, almost despairing
of being able to reach the island.

" The ship kept off and on outside the thickest part of
the loose ice, through which the boats were obliged to be
very careful in picking their way, on the S.E. side, where
I thought I might have ascended. We reached the
island, and found running on it a very heavy sea ; the
first lieutenant, however, landed, having backed his boat
in until he could get foothold (withjut swimming), and
then jumped overboard. I followed his example ; the
others were anxious to do the same, but the sea was so
high that I could not permit them.

" We hoisted the jack and took possession of the island
with the usual ceremonies, in the name of Her Most
Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria.

"The extent we had to walk over was not more than
thirty feet. From this space, and a short distance that
we scrambled up, we collected eight species of plants ;
specimens of the rock were also brought away.

" With the time we could spare and our materials, the
island was perfectly inaccessible to us. This was a great
disappointment to us, as from its summit, which is ele-
vated above the sea 1400 feet, much could have been
seen, and all doubt set aside, more particularly as I

CAPTAIN KELLETT'S DESPATCH.

knew the moment I got on board I should be obliged to
carry sail to get off the pack, and out of the bight of
it we were in ; neither could I expect that at this late
period of the season the weather would improve.

" The island on which I landed is four miles and a
half in extent east and west, and about two and a half
north and south, in the shape of a triangle, the western
end being its apex. It is almost inaccessible on all sides,
and a solid mass of granite. Innumerable black and
white divers (common to this sea) here found a safe
place to deposit their eggs and bring up their young ; not
a walrus or seal was seen on its shore, or on the ico in its
vicinity. We observed here none of the small land-birds
that were so numerous about us before making the land.

" It becomes a nervous thing to report a discovery of
land in these regions without actually landing on it, after
the unfortunate mistake to the southward ; but as far as
a man can be certain, who has 130 pairs of eyes to assist
him, and all agreeing, I am certain we have discovered
an extensive land. I think, also, it is more than probable
that these peaks we saw are a continuation of the range
of mountains seen by the natives off Cape Jakan (coast
of Asia), mentioned by Baron "Wrangel in his ' Polar
Voyages.' I returned to the ship at 7 p.m., and very
reluctantly made all the sail we could carry from this
interesting neighbourhood, to the south-east, the wind at
the time allowing me to lie just clear of the pack."*

* An American report of a later date denies the existence of this
extensive land, of whose existence Captain Kellett says he feels pretty
certain; but until some one actually sails over the spot, we have as
much reason to believe those who saw land as those who did not.

If
I il'l

I I

\ '« '■

5 1

|j|i

t I

1 t

1 r^

;

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

This land some geographers suppose to extend in con-
tinuous or broken masses to the east and northward, and
to form a portion of the vast archipelago of islands lying
north of Barrow Strait; and directly that Captain Kellett's
discovery was reported in England, it gave rise to a strong
hope that Captain Collinson's expedition would be able
to reach it, and follow along the southern coast towards
Melville Island, as Sir Edward Parry had succeeded in
doing from the opposite direction, thirty years before.

CHAPTEPt V.

THE INVESTIGATOR GIVES UP THE HOPE OF MEETING THE EN-
TEUPUISE, AND DEPAUT8 ALONE — THE FIIIST ICE—IMMENSE
HEUD OF WALUUSES— MOTHERS AND BABIES— VALUE OF THE
WALRUS TO THE ESQUIMAUX— A BLIND LEAD— CAPE BARROW
DOUBT,':: —PROCEEDING IN A NORTH-EASTERLY DIRECTION —
GREAT EXCITEMENT— THREE ESQUIMAUX MET WITH— THEIR
ASTONISHMENT AT SIGHT OF THE VESSEL.

'} li

The most extensive body of "open water" in 1850 lay
in the direction of Point Barrow, the turning point of
America, a position the Investigators were impatient to
reach. The Enterprise had not yet been seen ; but the
fogs had been dense, and the weather unfavourable for
meeting her, so that all conspired to make the anxious
men and officers conjecture that she was still far ahead,
and waiting for them. Captain Kellett, the senior officer,
was not so sanguine as to the Enterprise having made an
equally quick passage ; yet he felt the responsibility he
should incur, should she have passed, by detaining her
consort. Captain M'Clure, too, pointed out how valu-
able every hour was to him, and to the important service
he was upon ; for he well knew the force of the arctic
maxim, that a day lost often entails a whole season of
fruitless labour. At last Captain Kellett consented that
the Investigator should part company ; but he first sup-

ki'ri

I' I ■■ irJ

:i .'I

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

( i

plied Captain ^I'Clure's -wants, by giving him three
volinitoors, ami furnishing him witli such articles as his
own stores -would admit of. The reader -will sympathise
with the generous feelings of those who, like the captain
and ollicers of the Herald, were thus for the last time,
perhaps, in this world, shaking by the hand men bound
upon a service as hazardous as it was glorions, and they
will understand how trying a moment it nmst have been
for one circumstanced as Captain Kellett was, to say to
such a body as the Investigators — " Go on ! " when ho
knew full well that from where they then stood there
lay before them, for 900 miles, upon the one hand a
shoal and dangerous coast, upon tlie other a heavy and
hopeless sea of ice.

The Investigator had not long borne up on her solitary
course under a heavy press of sail, Avhen the signal was
made, — " Had you better not wait forty-eight hours 1 "

The reply was chiiracteristic : " Important duty. Can-
not, upon my own rvsponbihiUtyr In a few hours the
Investigator was alone, and pressing on into the polar
sea.

On the 2d August, in" the morning, the first ice was
sighted extending across ahead, in latitude 72° I^. On
reaching the ice immense herds of walruses were seen
basking upon the loose masses : huge bulls, with splendid
tusks, which would have delighted the eye of a Gordon
Gumming; feLiales, with their numerous cubs playing
about, formed a sight novel and interesting even to the
old Greenland ice-master. A gun was at first loaded
with grape and canister for the purpose of shooting some
of them ; but the order was countermanded by Captain

HERD OF WALRUSES.

M'Clure, from the kindly feelings awakened by the affec-
tion evinced between the mothers and babes of this brute
community. 8ome of these creatures were conjectured
to weiffh as much as thirty-five hundredweight ; and the
ice when relieved of their weight rose about two feet.

These ferocious-looking creatures are found in great
numbers in Eehring Strait ; all our voyagers speak of
them ; and the well-known sketch in Cook's Voyages of
the conflict between his men and the walruses, has been
seen by most people. It is only fair to observe, how-
ever, that this representation does some injustice to a
brute whose character is naturally inoffensive, although,
when assailed in the water, it is not deficient in courage.
If in company with the female or its young, the self-
devotion evinced by the bulls excels that of mosi ani-
mals. Both male and female have tusks ; but these are
so situated as to be of but little use when the creature is
out of the water, unless for aiding them in scaling the
steep and rugged sides of ice-hummocks. The females
are sometimes seen with two cubs at a time, but more
generally with only one. They suckle their young ; and,
from the different sizes and periods at which they have
been seen doing so, voyagers are led to believe that, for
twelve or eighteen months, the young one is dependent
upon the mother for nourishment. They feed upon the
submarine plants of the arctic regions ; and as far as
may be judged from the teeth, they do not appear to eat
fish or seal, although it is sometimes asserted that they
do so. Their thick skins, plentiful blubber, wholesome
flesh, and ivory tusks, render the walrus a valuable prize
to the Esquimaux wherever they are found ; and in

!
,1

1 n

' B y .

DISCOVKUY OF A NOUTII-WKST I'ASSAUK.

Ilohvin^' Strait a coiisiddrnWn triifli(; is carried on hy tlu3
Iv (jiii!i:;i'.i\ with tho Sihoriiiu traders, in tlio oxclmn^'o of
\vii\r ■ iv»)ry for liussiiui knives and kettles.

Whilst v.'c iiiivo been iv k'uv^ tliis di-^resaion ahoiit
walruses, tho Titvostij,'ator has been running on uvnvly
duo north, in tho KIGth meridian, or at lejist as nnieh so
Ji8 tho ico would let lier, tho current aiding lier tlio
while to tlio extent of sixteen miles in twenty- four
liours. On August 1, Cai)taiu I\I '(Mure discovered that
ho was running and working up a h/ind Imd, or cuUdv-
mr, out of which it was advisable to make liis way by
retracing his steps to tho southward. 'J'his was done as
raj)idly as possible, and they arrived on tho Htli August
oir Wainwright Inlet, and again sighted tho I'lover for
u short time.

Keeping now very close to tho American coast, or as
nuich so as tho ico would admit, th.o vessel made rapid
progress towards Point Barrow. At midnight, being at
tho distance of about ton miles from tho bind, and in
seventy-threo fathoms water, they rounded tho norii-
wost oxtremo of tho American continent, and began
their progress to tho east, and towards home ! What joy
was in that sound, and in the thought of having at any
rate achiovcd ono difficulty that hav. never before been
mastered by a ship. On the morning of tho Gth August
18r>0, the officers imd crew of tho Investigator folt free
from all anxiety upon the score of being able to enter tho
Arctic Ocean from Behring Strait, and turn their backs
upon the Pacific. That was now an accomplished fact ;
and a good mouth of tho best navigable season was still
before them.

POINT HARROW PASSED.

I "

Tlicir next aspiration was to reach Melville^ Lslantl ;
l)ut as far as tins oyo could roach in that direction, a waste
of ice extended, and such ice as few, if any, navigators,
oven in the arctic zone, liad over heforo seen ; and tlio
fact of a two-knot-per-liour current setting southward
oir I'oint Barrow, told Captain M'Clurc; pretty plainly
whither the pack would drift him, if he got entangled or
heset in it. To keep in the hindwdfer was the only
resource left ; for between the American coast and the
line; of heavy oceanic ice, which, from its great draught
of water, was checked by the shallow nature of the sea,
there Avas a tortuous channel, varyi.ig from a few yards to
a mile in width, and this land-water they hoped would
lead them to that open sea off the Mackenzie Iliver,
which Sir John liichardson reported in his journey to
the mouth of that river.

The wind came round to the E.S.E., with rain and
mist ; and against these obstacles the good ship struggled
through the ice. On the one hand lay a low and dan-
gerous coast devoid of any shelter or haven, on the other
a barrier of packed ice formed of great floe-pieces and
hummocks, and the intervening space was much covered
with stray masses, so dense and heavy in their nature as
to cause the vessel to 1 omble in every timber whenever
she unavoidably struck any of them. Now they were
sailing in a dense fog, the hand-lead and look-out man
their only security against shipwreck ; and anon in a
gleam of sunshine and calm, towir with all their boats
ahead. The excitement was great fox all ; and all anxiety
for the future was merged in joy at the present. The
men entered fully into the enthusiasm of the officers ;

V* ^

?^ll

48 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

w ^

and loud songs and cheers rang through the solitudes of
that lonely sea as each fresh difficulty v;as mastered, and
another mile of easting attained.

On August 8, when close to Point Pitt, about 120
miles east of Point Barrow, the master, Mr Court, was
sent on shore to place a notice of the Investigator having
passed, and to erect a cairn. On landing, the boat was
met by three Esquimaux, who, although at first extremely
timid, gained confidence when the polite and pleasing
operation of rubbing noses had been properly gone
through in token of friendship.

Through Mr Mierching, tlie Moravian missionary, a
communication Avas readily established with these Esqui-
maux. The three men were, it appears, a portion of a
petty tribe residing in this neighbourhood. The Inves-
tigator had been first seen by them on the previous night ;
and as they had never seen anything like her before, she
had caused no small sensation in the community, and a
general meeting had taken place in consequence. The
most astonishing thing of all was, how those " three
great trees" (the masts) came to be moving about ; and
many different opinions were offered. They could give
no name to this new wonder but that of " Ouiiack," the
same they give to their large canoes. These three men
had been deputed to watch and follow this wonderful
Omiack ; and they were the men Mr Court had fallen in
with.

In reply to queries, they held out the gratifying pro-
mise of a channel of water being found continuously to
the east, and that at this season it would vary from three
to five miles in width. The ice, they said, never went

CHAKACTER OF THE ESQUIMAUX.

farther off the coast than at the present time—it was
then some four miles off-shore— and at one season they
said there was no water at all along the coast. Yet the
poor savages could give no idea of when the water ceased
to exist, or when tiio winter season may be said to com-
mence in this region.

Communication being established with the tribe gene-
rally, some one or two of them owned to having seen a
ship before to the south (the Plover, no doubt). In Kot-
zebue Sound. They spoke also of trading with other
natives, who gave them Russian articles in exchange for
their furs, and promised, if Captain M'CIuro would re-
turn, to have some skins and ivory ready for him. The
tribe were a stalwart set, but the men had hideously
disfigured themselves by labrets in the lower lip, most
of them having two apertures on either side of the mouth,
half an inch wide, into which those disgustmg ornaments
were thrust. The women might have been good-looking,
according to the standard of thorough-bred Mongolian
beauty; and some were slightly tattooed about the^chin,
but it was barely perceptible— any more, it must be added',
than the natural colour of their faces, from an accumula-
tion of dirt. General obesity prevailed in this arctic
family, and they seemed to be in possession of stores of
meat, as they offered to supply it for barter, if the ship
would wait. Thieving, performed in a most artless
manner, though not altogether without skill, appeared
their principal accomplishment. Whilst Captain M'Clure
was on one occasion serving out some tobacco as a pre-
sent, he felt a hand in his trousers pocket, and on look-
ing down found a native actually, while receiving with

r i

DISCOVERY OF A NOIITII-WEST PASSAGE.

one hand, picking liis pocket with the otiicr. Yet, when
detected, the follow laughed so good-humouredly, and all
his compatriots seemed to enjoy the joke so amazingly,
that oven the aggrieved parties joined in the merriment.
In Esquimaux society this tendency to pocket-picking
was evidently considered an amiable weakness. Captain
M'Clure told these people that he was looking for a lost
brother ; and they promised, if they should ever find any
white men in distress, to be very kind to them, and "give
them deer's ilosh." From some cf this tribe the fact was
gleaned of their having observed Lieutenant Pullon when,
in 1849, he sailed along the coast to the Mackenzie Jliver ;
and Captain M'Clure also satisfied himself that the
Erebus or Terror had never reached this neighbourhood.
A letter was left with this tribe, to be given to a,ny
Europeans they might meet with, and they promised
faithfully to deliver it, in consideration of the numerous
presents they received. In proof, however, of how little
faith can bo placed in the promises of such savages, it
was not until May 1852, when that energetic officer
Captain Maguire succeeded in opening a communication
with these people, that he accidentally observed a small
canvass bag, directed " To the Chief Trader of the Eus-
sian Settlements, America," and eventually discovered a
remnant of the original document. It only reached
England in 1853, after Lieutenant Cresswell, who had
been sent home by way of Baffin Bay wiih despatches,
had reported the Investigator's safety.

CHAPTEII VI.

THE NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN MAGUIRE— THE ESQUIMAUX HE-
I'OllT— 'JIIE COAST OF AMERICA IN THIS REfilON— THE PACK-
ICE AND FLOES— REACH JONES ISLAND — VISITED BY TWENTY-
FOUR NATIVES— RECOGNITION OF THE (.'IIIEF— SIMPLE CUN-
NING OF THE SAVAGES— A FAIR MALEFACTOR— GALLANTRY
OF THE INVESTIGATORS— HAZARDOUS AND DIFFICULT NAVI-
GATION—THE DELTA OF THE MACKENZIE— 'J'HE SHIP AGROUND
— SERIOUS LOSS OF PROVISIONS.

AVhile the good ship is working slowly along the coast,
I may take the opportunity of showing how ably her
trail was discovered by Captain Maguire in 1852-3, and
by what a faint clue he ascertained the fact of both the
Investigator and the Enterprise having in successive
years been seen by these Esquimaux.

Captain Maguire, who succeeded the former captain
of the Plover depot-ship, by dint of much energy and
perseverance, forced her, in the year 1852, round Point
Barrow, and reached the haunts of the natives visited by
Captain M'Clure in 1850.

Captain Maguire's admirable narrative, which I have
given in the Appendix, is one of the most interesting
that has been written by any arctic navigator : it describes
his arrival amongst the Esquimaux, and his preparations
for winter; their thievish propensities; his difficulties

[.. u

1 1

!"!l

r.^ DISCOVKKV OF A NOKTII-WKST I'ASSACJK.

imd iioMo rorlx.arnnco. " Ono tiny," to uso ].ia own
Mords, "rotii riling' iicroas tlio hay to tho sliip, avo wrc
accomimniod by u youiij^ inmi tuul a l)„y, ^vho talked a
^ivat deal moro tluin wo coidd understand; but tlio
ibnnor, in ox plain in<,^ to us tbo sort of tobacco that had
boon givon him on board a ship, fin.sfnf /,is Jhi,/e,-s io.
iiothrr so (,s to ifrscrifx' Amrrinin twist or myrohrfni.
This led US U) boliov(^ that tho vossol whoro ho had
obtained it ini<,dd. havo boon tho lnv(>stif,mtor or Eiitor-
l>nso.* . . . Tho two nion willin<^ly accompanied
us on board ; and I was olail to avail myself of .Li,>u-
tonant A\>rnon's knowlodoo of tho lanoua^'o to sift tho
story more thoronohly. Ho allowed them most patiently
to d(>st"rib(^ all thoy had seen, in tlu>ir own way, anil
oventually ascertained that tlu^ slnp th(>y had been on
board of had dia-onal t decks, and had' an ico-choko |
laroer than tho Plovor's. The illuminators in tho d(>ck'
thoy remarked, wore sipiai'o. Those are tho points that
seem to have cau-ht th.-ir attention; and thoso were
sulliciont to show that they liad been on board one or
other of tho ships; but when tho captain was described
•Ships jvoncrally carry tobacco in tho hvffov tlio i,so of their
crews; but in 1 850 nm.nifactured tobacco was adopto.i in arctic dis-
covery slups, to economise stowaH:o ; and vave,Hlhh, or flat com-
presse.1 shibs, and najrohaui, or twisted sticks, were supplied by tho
Adnnralty to Captains ColHnson's and Anatin's expeditions. A little
clue hko this enable,! Ma^uiro to deci.le whether tlio reports ho was
gleanuig roferre.l to the expeditions of Franklin or Collinson

t Tho planking- of ships' docks is generally in lines parallel to their
keels; but m arctic ships the doublino- is placed .Uagonally across
the original deck, to give a g-oater degree of strength in tho event of
being nipped by tho ico.

X A strengthening piece of wood which goes round f e 8hiu
outside. *^

ASPECT OF THE COAST.

()

an wfiiirin^^ spectacles, Captain Collinsoii was at once
itlentilied.

" It is wortliy of notice," remarks (Japtain Maguiro,
" tliat a particular kind of tobacco, with which we knew
the ]*:iit(;rpriso and tlio Investi<,'ator to have been pro-
vided, led to a voluntary descrii)tion from the K»([ui-
maux oi' their having' boarde<l a ship, thus affording'
more iidbrmation in a lew minutes than all our impiiricis
r the (diiefs and others in several months had done;"
and, wo may add, had not tlie Resolute and Intrepid, by
},n'oat good fortune, been sent to Melville Island in 1852
via (h-eenland, Ave should, for our information conccirn-
ing the success of the Investigator in reaching as far as
IV)int Pitt, have been mainly indebted to the keenness
and skill of Captain Maguire, and the observation of a
savage upon th(5 peculiarity of her tobacco.

To return to the voyage of th(^ Investigator. The 9th
of August was i)assed in worknig against an adverse
wind, through very narrow and intric-ate lanes of water,
the ship seldom more than live minutes upon one tack,
and so close to the land as to allow the natives to be
constantly visiting her. Happily it insured a close and
careful search of the coast ibr any signs of Franklin's
crews having passed.

The coast of America in this iieighbourhood is de-
scribed as one vast plain, the soil a dark blue clay,
without a stone or elevation to break its strange mono-
tony. From the beach the eye ranged over an immense
green flat, variegated witli moss, grass, and flowers, and
broken hero and there by fine sheets of fresh water.
Large herds of reindeer were seen from the Investigator.

¥^

f: ' (f

(

54 DISCOVEEY OF A NORTH-WEST TASSAGE.

They were a sight strangely novel to our navigators, and
totally unexpected in the near neighbourhood of a sea of
eternal ice. The bottom of the sea partook of the level
nature of the land; and the soundings were very regular
enabling the Investigator to work along in spite of"foc.s'
^ by alternately standing into three fathoms water, and off
to SIX or seven, where they generally found the edge of
the heavier ice brought up and aground. The enormous
thickness of this oceanic ice may be best appreciated by
remembering that to be aground in seven fathoms water
the floes must have ranged from tlih'ty.five to jhrty feet
in depth; and this ice, from being the outer edge of the
pack, was, of course, lighter than the rest. In vain, over
this vast wild scene of ice, did the aching eyes of the
Investigator's crew look for one glimmer of a water
^T \r , "''^'''''' ^^^^'"«ver they were questioned by
Mr Mierching, told the same tale. They knew of no
lands north of them, and it was not possible in their
seal-skin kyacks to go far into the pack. Sometimes
they had been up lanes of water, which formed in the
ice, to the north; but they had never been able to ad-
vance more than a day and a half's journey (or thirty
miles), and this only under the most favourable circum-
stances. They then came to ice wiiich forbade all further
13rogress. There were in that part, they said, no seals to
be seen; and seals would be their only inducement for
such perilous voyages. This great ice, which the Inves
tigator had afterwards to battle with, appalled even a
race whose lives were spent in its neighbourhood

As they approached the vicinity of the Colville Eivev
Its influence became plainly perceptible, in renderin<^

SUMMER TEMPERATURE.

the water brackish and muddy ; and water-fowl, such as
the common and king eider duck, were very numerous,
especially in Harrison Bay.

FHlierto the current, since rounding Point Barrow,
was found to be at the rate of eighteen miles a-day in an
east-by- north direction; and it, as well as the smooth-
ness of the narrow lane of water, enabled the Investi-
gator to work to windward at the rate of thirty or forty
miles a-day — a rapid progress for her. Every precau-
tion that the invention or ingenuity of individuals could
devise was adopted to insure that the fact of the ship
having advanced so far should be made knoAvn to those
who might hereafter communicate with the natives in
the neighbourhood. The name of the ship was stamped
upon the knives, and cut with a diamond upon the
looking-glasses that were given away; and Captain
M'Clure, by way of preventing the people from obliter-
ating the name from the knife-blades by sharpening or
polishing them, told them that the letters there engraved
would be a charm to make the hunter fortunate so long
as they remained intact — one of Dr Paley's justifiable fibs.

On the nth of August, the temperatuic of the air
and sea- water, which had been for some days strikingly
equable, ranged about 34° fahr. in the shade, and
the sea 33° Fahr. This date may be regarded, there-
fore, as the height of summer on this coogc. On Jones
Ireland, in lat. 70° 33' K, and long. 150° 16' W. of
Greenwich, the officer of the watch reported a spar
erected as if for a signal ; and considerable anxiety was
felt, until Mr Court went to examine it, and reported it
to bo merely a piece of drift-wood forced into that posi-

.♦'I

' m

'<' 'I

^1^^

fia

DIMCOVKHV nV A N()|{TII-\VKST I'AHHAOR

■ion .V tl,. pivMsun, ..f 11,. iro. Tlu. l,.acl,.H l„.ro w.m.,
•oun.l .lnnvo.| will, .l.-ift w(,<ul; an<l on. h,„„- wa« ol,-
Horvod ;v„c-l, was as lai-^o as th. h.v.st,i,al<u's ...ain-
nms . 1 1,0 .v,.l..o of .lo.,.s Islau.l was .„... .,val, swa,.,p.
tho bivoilmo; ,,l,i,.„ „|* lai^.^ Ilorks „|' wild fowl

Tl,..v w.,-0 h.M,, visitr.l l.y Iw.. l,ni,|ars, «.„„lai„i„..
twn.tv tour ,ml,iv,«s ; an,! it is .vn.arkaMo thai, In..,, tho
'•'"•'•l l''«v.,.o- ,n his possession an oM nmsk.l, with the
«>"<<^*'1^^10. |;a,-nol."n.a,.UIon thn lo.-k, wo aro al.lo
]!'''' <;; '.'•"^''; '••*« »'"•<• ti^t ins tnbo hnnt,>v.M- tho.M-onn.j
;•*:"» ' <"nt HmTow thns far to tho .astwanl : lo,- it w-as
.;; ';;'">' '""," ^^"'' ^^■»'«"" < -'Ptoin Maj,ni,v ha.I sn.-h
-'""•"J y. MS h. mentions in his nam.livo (oivon in tho
-VpiHMuhx): and Iho.-o is littlo donht that it was ho who
•»»^='^t<Hl tho attack ,.n Lioutonant Pulh-n in I SI!) How
' vor. ho ..vn« civil ououkI. now ; and hoth h(. and liis
nunpat riots niado a n,ost lavouraMo in.p.vssion on (^u)-
t^uuMrinro. -Fho si.o of tho vossol." ho says, «' and

i''""!;-;'"" y.that of tho /.,,. /...//>,,./,>;, (ti,o .aiis),

<^xcitod ho.r adnu-ration. Tho whulo boats, as conun'r
inoro w.lh.n tho ^msp of th.ir conception, woro nmch
adnuivd ; and thoy expressed cnriosity to know whoro
jvos ,t^ to make such boats out of grew, helievino-, „s
t\^<^y a.d, that they woro in one piecv, an.l merely hol-
Wod out. Thoy readily parted with whatever lish and
wi d-towl thoy had, in barter tor tobacco, and ollbn.d,
^t C aptain Mriure would stay, to bring abundance of
vonison, which they had in store upon tho main.

- ho ourivncy of this region is tobacco ; and (^iptain
yi'i. lure became his own Master of the Mint, bv cutting
tho sticks into pieces about three inches long, luul paying

KHQIIIMAIJX 'rillCKKIlY.

witli tlioni iiH \w tliouj^'lit just. An iiniUHiiijr iiiHtiiiiaj
WUH iioiiciid oil ihiH (Mumioii of the ciiimiii/,' of tliOHu
Hiivii^'OH. Olio of iliciii Imviii;,' ol/H(!rv(Ml iliui ovcry fiwli
wiiH paid for Ly oii<> jjicco of ioliacco, wiili a viow of iii-
r-roiiHin;^' liis pndii.s cut Ih'h liwli into piccoH, iini.l with
l)iir(^fiic,(Ml iiHHunuKMi propoHcid that lie, hIiouM ]m paid tlic
Hanio amount of tol)a(^(;o for each jiortion iw woidd liavo
luion paid for tlio wliolc 'J'lio trick alfordiid ^'r(!at aniUHo-
incnt anioni^^st tho crow of tlio lnv<^sti}^^•ltor; and tlio
Icllow liiniHclf K(',(!nicd to (uitcr into tlio joke wlicii lio
found lii.s r/inc. unHucccHHfiil.

Anotluir piirty of nativcH, in tlic! course of the KaiiM!
<lay, aueccodcd in ol)tainin;^' an inttirvicw witli the Iiivch-
ti^Mtor by liangiii<f out tlio rather ori^dnal <!nHi^'ii of a
pair of seal-Hkiu trousers from tlio top of a polo. Aft(!r
ex(!liaii<;in{^' the usual si^Mis of peace;, by holding' up liandH
on either side, and by a j^'oueral chorus of Tiniouh ! or
Peace*, the more alfectionate salutation of rubbiii^Mios(\s
was «,'ono throU'^di, and cheerfully too, for thcHC Es(|ui-
inaux, wonderful to state, liapjiened to be this time
pleasantly dean. Tlirounh tho aid of Mr Micircbiii^', tho
natives informed the Invosti^'ators that tluiy had never
before seen a l*:uropean ; and they promised to take caro
of any \vh(i .'•Ih.uld (jver come tbat way. These people
barter their furs witli the natives westward of them for
Kussian i)roducts ; but, remote as they arc, few articles
over reach them, for oven a knife was an object of tlie
greatest possible deliglit and wonder. Their summer
rcsidcnco ami hunting-grounds were on the sterile islands
lying off the coast ; their winter lodges were a short dis-
tance inland upon the main.

i _

I? i

58 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

The tendency to theft was tlio prevailing vice among
these Esquimaux, as is naturally to bo expected from all
savages who for tho first time see such incalculable
wealth, in tho shape of wood and iron, thrown almost
into their possession ; and tho same may be said of all
the tribes the Investigator fell in with along this coast.
Even after receiving the most lavish supply of presents,
and when apparently unable to express all their delight
and gratitude, the temptation of any loose article was
too great for their honesty. Nothing ever was " too hot
or too heavy" for them. On tho 12th, for instance,
whilst every kindness was being shown to a party of
men and women, one of the ladies contrived to secrete
under her ample proportions a couple of iron which-
handles and a small ice-anchor. She settled over them
like a hen over a nest of eggs ; but the ends of one of
the handles peeped out, and a lynx-eyed corporal of
marines detected Avhat would in those regions have been
a serious loss. The fair delinquent, when taxed with
the offence, and upbraided in that rough but energetic
language which seamen believe must be understood from
pole to pole, pointed at her husband, and evinced a wish
that he should share in the responsibility. Of course
gallantry was at a high pitch amongst Europeans who
had left all womankind behind them so many months
since, and might shortly again do so for a length of time
painful to contemplate ; and it is amusing, in readinc^
over the journals of the officers, on the same page with
the above anecdote to find such a passage as the follow-
ing :— " These children of nature, inhabitants of one of

DANGEROUS NAVIGATION.

her most desolate regions, appeared free from vice ; and
evinced the liveliest marks of gratitude for the trifling
presents we made them ! " How much such amiable
forbearance, even in the passing of judgment upon those
creatures, tells us of the tender-heartedness of this body
of resolute men ! They found a pleasure even in com-
municating with the veriest savages on earth as a relief
to the monotony of the voyage ; and probably the anti-
cipation of success already threw its sunshine over every-
thing they saw.

These interviews with the natives now formed the
only breaks to the daily routine, beyond the general
satisfaction felt when, every day at noon, the able master,
Mr Stephen Court, reported so many more miles achieved
to the eastward towards the Atlantic Ocean.

On August 14, the Investigator had reached longitude
148° 17' W., and became much hampered amongst the
low and, for a ship in thick weather, dangerous islands
which line the coast in this neighbourhood. They liad
now passed the Return Eeef of Sir John Franklin, the
spot from whence he bore up, in 182G, after his unsuc-
cessful attempt to reach Behring Strait from the IMac-
kenzie River ; and the Investigator might be said to be
nearing the delta of that great stream.

The navigation, always most anxious work for the re-
sponsible officers, now became, if possible, still more so.
Hazardous shoals were in some places hidden by floes
which had run over them ; in others, the soundings
altered so abruptly as to deceive the Jiiost careful.
Sudden and dense fogs, with changeable and sometimes

I-'

flO

l'KSC:(»Vi:i{V OK A NOKTII-WKHT I'AHHA(!K.

••"1>'«1 nuTonts, all l,on,lo,l to givo il.o .onuuan.I.M. and
niastrr ovory nmso to bo watd.ful. Tin, hI.ouIh li„i„,.
1 us An.onrau ti.n.lm urn of tho huiu. .•harncto,. Caplain
iM'l l.iiv aHs„r(vs „s, as tliosn at tin, n...utI.H of maiiv
largo riy.rs in vari.Mis parts of tho w.„l<l, l,„t wl,i,.h aro
'-p-nally .vinarkocl by I'.an.u AVrang..! as lying olf tho
">oii hs ol tho groat Asiatic .trcMuns that .iobou.l, into
tl'" Aivtu; Soa. Thoy aro oon.poso,! pnroly cf drif; -wood
""«' <l««' alhivial ,l,>posils of noighhonring rivors A
mass of tho fornior takes tho groun.l, or b.uonu.s IIx.mI
by somo aooi.lont, in tliroo or four fathoms witor • tho
y'lrront soon fools tho inipo.lin.ont, an.l b..gin. to chMXKsit
in an.! aronnd tho nnolons, n.attor that forms a shoal •
tho shoal gro>vs rapidly, moro drift-woo.l gronn.ls, moro
socbmont is dopositod, and oven within tho lif,>timo „f u
'nan, as ono Ksqnimaux assurod Mr iMiorohing, an island
risos Ironi tho bottom of tlio soa.

Aftor ono or two narrow oscapos on tho l-Ul, of
Augnst tho Invostigator found horsolf .p.ito bosot with
tlioso shoals ; and at last, in trying to oscapo throngh a
narrow tlnvo-fathom ohannol, sho nnfortnnatoly took
tho ground ; a pross of canvass was at lirst carried in
the hopo of dragging lior through it, but that proved' to
be liopoloss ; a kcdgo anclior was next laid out, but it
as well as a stream ono and chain, failed to hcavo thJ
vessel ailo..t. No time Wiis now to bo lost ; the boats
were got out, all tho dock-load of i>rovisions embarked in
them, some tons of fresli water were started from tho
tanks in her hold, the anchors lowered into cutters, and
then, liappily, on a fresh attempt being made, t}ie Inves-

A(JA[N AFf,f)AT.

li^'iiior was Ih.aicd, aft.-r ]u:lu^ nyrimui] for five. huim.
'riiOHliij. wiiH, Ii(.w<'.v»^r, (.1)IIk<'(I to carry riiinvnHH to ^''t
into tl(!<-|. water, hikI, in ih>iu^ m,, ono of tin-, l.oatH laden
with provinionH eapHJ/.cMl wliilnt in tow, and eleven eaHk.s
of Halt ni(vit wero lowt,— a real calamity to iieoplc; Hituated
(IH tli(*y wc^re.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14S80

(716) 872-4 W3

CHAPTEE VII.

A THUNDEn.STOEM-SI,cw raoGEESS-SIOKS OF THE KEAE AP
INTO A TP., V„ ! *° AOAIN-THE SHIP EUNS

MMV,. J^ '^ """" '■"fK-WOEKS OUT AGAIN -

3^0™! Tr" ^™ " -""-^ "^'^ ^-^ *"""«-
-^CIulTr " ""-" ™™-H-"- —ION

The 15th of August was a lost day; and, entangled by

Inlet, to avoid again getting ashore. In the evening
canie a wester^ wind, and with it a hope of release, fof
the drift-ice had shut up aU the navigable channels
This wind was attended by a thunder-storm, a pheno:
menon rarely witnessed by an arctic navigator. "The

7t,»v™"w ''""*'■ ""* ^'^'""'"i^- Tte two latter
I never before witnessed in such a latitude (TO" N )
The thermometer rose to 45° Fahrenheit, and the ab
wa. quite sultry, with dark heavy cloud; rising over-
head, resembling those seen in a thunder-storm in our

M tai as the eye can reach, appears solid and heavy
without a drop of water discernible. The refractbn
has been considerable, giving to the edge of the pack

ARCTIC THUNDER-STORM.

the appearance of a continuous line of chalk cliffs, from
forty to fifty feet in height. From the light shady
tint which is distinctly visible in different parts of the
pack, I should be inclined to think that there may
be many of the same kind of islands as those we have
met with, extending to the northward, and impedin*^
the progress of the ice, thereby keeping this sea eter-
nally frozen."

Scarcely any progress could be made on the 16th or
17th, though the men worked hard and incessantly,—
now towing, now warping, and, when any wind served
pressmg the old craft to her work until the beUs in the
ship rang again by the concussion of her bows against
the floating masses of ice.

An attempt to catch fish with the seine upon one of
the shoals, by a party of volunteers, proved abortive,
nothing but drift-wood repaying them for their industry •
and on the night of the 17th the surface of the sea was
seen, for the first time this season, to have a coating of
ice formed over it. The fact was observed and re-
marked npon by all : it told of the near approach of
winter, with all its disagreeables, and caused some, who
had limited their aspirations for this year to the Mac-
kenzie Eiver, to question if they should even reach
so far.

On the 18th, the Investigator made some progress
and passed Flaxman Island. She was now fairly about
to cross the large angle in the coast formed by the mouth
of the Mackenzie Eiver.

Tempted by what seemed a sea of water, the Investi-
gator ran off, steering a :N'.E. course for Banks Land. A

ill

1 f

iiM.

64 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

slight pitching motion, the first they had felt for some
time, encouraged to the hope of large water. The rapid
deepening of the sea, too, from nine to thirty -two
fatlioms, during the first watch, likewise strengthened
their hopes ; and darkness and a thick fog liid for a
while the reality from their eyes.

August the 10th came, with a fresh westerly hreeze,
snow squalls, and mist ; and in happy ignorance they
rattled on, sighting every now and then what looked
like the pack edge, or tumbling into bights of ice, where
there was no way out but by returning for a while upon
their footsteps. At noon they sounded in 195 fathoms
without bottom; and shortly afterwards the disagreeable
fact of the Investigator having run into a trap in the
main pack presented itself to the mind of the captain.
Ice, of stupendous thickness, and in extensive floes, some
seven or eight miles in length, was seen on either hand;
the surface of it not fiat, such as we see it in Baffin Strait
and the adjacent seas, but rugged with the accumulated
snow, frost, and thaws of centuries. Ninety miles had
they run into a blind lead in this dangerous ice; and if
the wind should shift and the ice close, the position of
the ship would be critical indeed. Captain M'Clure
now hauled to n.s southward, and worked against the
wind, which freshened and forced him at one time to
carry double-reefed topsails.

Next day a distant view of the Buckland Mountains
was obtained, but the ship had eventually to retrace her
steps seventy miles to the southward, before she was
safe from the jaws of the pack,— an escape which all
were truly grateful for, there being no two opinions

CROSS THE MACKENZIE RIVER. eS

atWt the atream of the Maoktilr" 'l'"""^
into the polar sea iZ , "'^f ' "^^S northward

n>uddy aa the Thames nVo'.wIhanlTtfe f T T
».%ht^ brackish^ The depth oftZi^Z:^:^'^^

their return homeward from a visit tocSvM' ?
but such a. the unavoidable atci^ tfof'rtif t^c^

cZ show r ^7""'' ""'■ ^y ^ ''f'"''"^ to the

Xt^i^Co^thi^d r r. .

evenj^, h d 4^^^^^^^^^^

^ven of the diffiou.; of te i "gT: Xr^Js?;
a search as that undertaken fof FraS^re^peS*

'ft

66 DISCOVEKY OP A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

For, be it remembGrecl, both oflficers knew of the import-
ance of communication between all parties employed
upon such service, and certainly did their best to pass
nothing unseen. Perhaps, however, it was as well for
the future fame of the British navy that Captain M'Clure
did not meet Lieutenant Pullcn, as the latter's unfavour-
able report of what an ice-encumbered sea he had seen
from Cape Bathurst might have induced Captain M'Clure
to adopt some other course instead of the one he pursued.

After passing the Pelly Islands, whales were again
seen for the first time since passing Point Barrow — the
ice-master, however, said they were small, and not worth
much to fishermen, either in bone or oil.

On the 24th August some native huts were seen near
Point Warren on the eastern shore of the Mackenzie, and
Captain M'Clure landed in the hope of inducing some
of the natives to carry to the Hudson Bay Company's
posts intelligence of his having passed the Mackenzie
Eiver; for our voyagers were now fairly within the
limits of a region whereon, it was to be expected, the
civilising influence of that wealthy Company of mono-
polisers ought to have been perceptible. Hitherto they
had been coasting along Russian America; but now
British America had been entered upon.

The reception of the Investigators by their Esquimaux
fellow-subjects of Queen Victoria denoted anything but
confidence in white men. Two of them yelled and
shouted, waving a knife in declaration of war, and
even threatening with bow and arrow. Every method
which had hitherto been found of avail in propitiating the
goodwill of Esquimaux was made in vain, until at last

MEETING WITH ESQUIMAUX. e?

Mr Miorehing, disguised as one of themselves, succeeded

andTrtf '"\f ''^ """ '"'^"«°- "f "'^^ --S
W thl ^ T '' contemplated robbing nor .uurder!
infe them -a pleasant contingency which they evidently
connected w,th a visit from " Kabloonas," or white men

a couple of muskets were espied in the hands of the boat's

^fr I,' 'r^^"'Smoa^o<l them until the muskets were
sent back to the boats. It appeared that, when tl e
vessel y,^ first seen in the morning, all the Natives had

only the chief and h,s son, who had bravely refused to
%, and remamed to defend a sic', youth and the encamp-
ment. Th.s invalid soon made his appearance with his
mother, and Dr Armstrong kindly sought to give the

mort^fl V , r\'"*""^ '» ^ '«'™"^'='l *■"« of

mortification and death must have soon come to put him
out 01 his misery.

.t itrt ^.' ^^^"?."^" '^'^ ^^^^"* *^^* *^i« *"te --

with the Indians of the Mackenzie Eiver. Their barter
or trade was carried on, after the sea froze over, by cross
mg to the western shore, and meeting the natives seen
by the Investigators on her road hither. The chi^f
recogmsed the name of one of the natives Mr Mierchin.
had previously met, and said, with some degree of pride'
Ah, he was a great chief! He should," he added,'
ee Attauwoo very soon," and "he had a quantity of
blubber and whalebone to barter with the western

i ii

f ,ij

f1 V

i^ I

68 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

people, for liis people had killed three \vhales in the
present season." When asked why they did not trade
with the white men up the big river, the reply was, they
had given the Indians a water which had killed a great
many of them and made others foolish, and they did not
want to have any of it !

From this tribe Captain M'Clure heard of two boats
having been to Cape Warren from the westward, and
having returned again; and he was for some time rather
puzzled at a story they told him, of a white man having
been killed and buried in this neighbourhood. To the
inquiry of when it had taken place, all that could be
learned was, that " it might have been last year, or per-
haps when the narrator was a child ! " an Esquimaux
mode of dealing with dates not a little perplexing.

This story evidently referred to the death and burial
of a man near this place, in one of Sir John Eichardson's
early journeys from the Mackenzie to the Coppermine
River. Captain M'Clure, not having been supplied with
all modern books of arctic discovery, was not aware of
this circumstance.

Although the natives offered to show where this body
was interred, it was not until next day that circumstances
admitted of an examination being made in the locality
pointed out; and then it was without any success, al-
though the ruined remains of a couple of drift-wood huts,
so well described by Sir John Eichardson in his journey
through Prince Eupert Land, were there to excite curi-
osity and afford grounds for conjecture.

CHAPTER VIII.

APPKOACH TO CAPE BATnURST-WHALE-FISIIING OF THE NA-
TIVES CK.EBKATION OK THEIK VICTOKIKS OVEH THE LEvt
ATHAN-ESQUIMAUX CHARMERS-THE JOYS OF CAPE BATH-
ITK,ST-THE LAND OF THE WHITE BEAK- AN ESQUIMAUX

Z™""^'"" '" ^"^^"^" Quarkels-jubicioTmi^

felONARIES DESIRABLE FOR THESE PEOPLE - ADMIRABLE
QUALIFICATIONS OF MR MIERCHING. MIRABLE

The 26th and 27th of August 1850 were spent in mak-
ing the best of their way from Cape Warren to Port
Dalhousie, the vessel being kept as near to the land as
the soundings would admit of, about two miles. Captain
M Clure would have sent a boat to render the search
more perfect ; but the incessant mists and variable
weather made it hardly prudent to detach any of the
men, with the possibility of their being misled. The
extent of open water off the land seemed to increase as
they approached Cape Bathurst; but the iloes that were
found floating about in it were of great magnitude, and
occasionally gave much trouble in keeping the ship clear
ot them. The nights were lengthening perceptibly; and
from the perpetual day of the arctic zone in summer they
nad now three hours of perfect darkness, during which
cime guns and rockets were fired at intervals, in case
any of Franklin's expedition, or the Enterprise, might be

i M

i t

70 DISCOVERY OF A NOIITH-WEST PASSAGE.

near. Arriving off the western entrance of Liverpool
Bay, Captain M'Clure was very anxious to run into it,
in order that he might form an idea of its fitness for
winter-quarters; the necessity for which, with due fore-
thought, he felt it right to keep in mind, the more so,
that along the whole extent of the American coast he
had traversed since leaving Behring Strait, not a harbour
had been found. The shallow and intricate navigation
of the mouth of the Mackenzie River forbade his think-
ing of bearing up for it at anytime; and he saw full well
that to winter off such an exposed coast, with the whole
weight of the northern ice setting down on it during
November and December gales, would be certain destruc-
tion to his ship. Liverpool Bay, however, was too shoal ;
and the Investigator pushed on, trusting to Providence
to find a safe spot when the winter came.

Indeed, some already talked of not wintering at all ;
and the more sanguine pointed out that they were close
upon the longitude of Melville Island, a place reached
by Parry in a few days from the Atlantic in the opposite
direction. That goal reached, they fancied the rest of
their voyage would be easily accomplished.

Crossing Liverpool Bay, and sighting several whales,
some large, but the majority small, they reached Cape
Bathurst on the 31st of August. Here the depth of
water near the land allowed a nearer approach; it is
generally described as exhibiting, along the coast, blue
clay cliffs about thirty feet perpendicular, having on their
summits a good depth of rich black m^uld resembling
bog-earth. A fine plain rolled away into the interior,
rich in hyperborean plants, and abounding in reindeer,

miENDLY ESQULMAUX.

whilst, besides whales, there were seen at several places
positive proofs of fish being plentiful, as well as wild-
towl. At and about Cape Bathurst, where the Esqui-
maux were very numerous, Captain M'Clure made a
tmal effort to communicate his position to the Hudson
Bay posts.

Aided by Mr Mierching as interpreter, and by the
favourable impression which Sir John Richardson's visit
to thorn in 1848 had made, the intercourse with this
tnbe, numbering three hundred souls, was extremely
interesting. Even a few women who first met the In-
vestigators showed no signs of mistrust, but cordially
welcomed them, and volunteered to show the way to
their companions. Captain M'Clure describes them as
an extremely fine-looking body of men and women •
many of the latter indeed were, according to his account'
exceedingly pretty. Healthy, weU fed, and weU clothed'
they appeared to lack nothing; and their inteUigence'
courage, and good-natured confidence won the goodwill
of their European visitors.

The chief promised to convey a letter to a tribe that
communicated with trading-posts on the '«Big Eiver"
(the Mackenzie Eiver); they bartered with a tribe, which
was probably the one known as the Louchoux Indians

As far as could be gleaned, these people would proceed
south for the latter purpose in about three weeks' time
leaving only a few men and most of the women to winter
at tape Bathurst. Whaling was at present their object •
and their mode of killing those leviathans was primitive
enough.

An omaiaJc, or women's boat, is manned by ladies,

Jif

ill

72 DISCOVERY OF A NOHTII-WKST PASSAGE

having as harpooncr a chosen man of tho tribo : attend-
ing on this craft are a number of kt/(trh\ or single-men
canoes. Tho harpooncr singles out a fish, and drives
into its flesh his weapon, to which is attached, by means
of a walrus -hide thong, an inflated seal -skin. Tho
wounded fish, hampered by tho inflated skin, and forced
to rise to breathe in a small area of water, is then inces-
santly harassed by the men in the kyacks with weapons
of a similar description, a number of which, when at-
tached to the whale, battle its efforts to escape, and wear
out its strength, until, in the course of a day, the whale
dies from sheer exhaustion and loss of blood.

Tho harpooncr, after a successful day's sport, is a very
great personage, and invariably decorated with the Esqui-
maux order of the Blue Ribbon ; that is, he has a blue
line drawn across his face over tho bridge of his nose.
This is the highest honour known to the heroes of Cape
Bathurst ; but to it is attached also tho happy privilege
of tho decorated individual being allowed to take unto
himself a second wife. Great orgies occur upon such
occasions ; and, if all tales be true, it is to be feared that
morality is at rather a low ebb in these latitudes, and
that Byron's theory concerning cold climates and chastity
is not always supported by fact. These "children of
nature " stole, of course, when the chance offered, like
their brethren farther west ; and the thieves were gene-
rally of the fair sex — it appeared to be a sort of tax
which they levied upon the amused, and, in some cases,
admiring seamen. When they came to pay a visit to the
ship, they were soon quite at their ease, and having
carried up their light canoes and deposited them on

ESQUIMAUX WOMEN. 73

deck, they ranged about full of astonishment and curi-
osity; the pictures and looking-glasses in the officers'
cabins were especial objects of admiration. They then
had a dance with the crew, and invited them ashore ;
and charming young ladies, with brightest of eyes and
whitest of teeth, assured their admirers that all the
night of the 31st of August they had been expected.
Venison had been roasted, whale stewed, and other racy
and tempting delicacies prepared. We are assured that
some of the men, in the solitudes of Banks Land, often
looked back to this oasis cf Cape Bathurst with a sigh,
and would have willingly exchanged, for the certainty of
existence there, the then uncertain prospect of an escape
to Europe. Cape Bathurst was to the Investigator, in
her long voyage, what Otaheite was in the olden day to
our early circumnavigators.

Great skill in delineating the outlines of the coast, or
chart-drawing, was noticed amongst these people. ' It
has been often mentioned by navigators as common
amongst the Esquimaux, but still they could throw no
light upon the question of what lay to the north. They
did not know whether it was sea or not ; but they said,
pointing to it with an expression of anxiety, "That is
the Land of the White Bear ! " They appeared to be
much alarmed, too, when the ship for a time stood off
towards it. The bears they described as coming from it
were said to be very tierce and dangerous ; and one of
the women, with tears in her eyes, told how lately one
of those brutes had carried off her child when playing
on the beach at a short distance from her. Even our
men, fearless of bears, could not but enter into the feel-

'1'

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

mgs of superstitious awe with which the Esquimaux
pointed at that vast and mysterious sea of ice which lay
away to tue north-west, a sea which ship could not sail

M'r? ?'r.T ^"^''''''' "^'SUlyr says Captain
M Clure, "did they caU it the Land of the White Bear."
Awhile at Cape Bathurst a constant e:<change of gar-
ments went on between the seamen and officers on the
one side and Lhe natives on the other; but one Esquimaux,
more knowing than the rest, hit upon an ingenious plan
to obtain clothmg without giving a quid pro quo. He
went to several individuals of the Investigator's com-
pany, commencing with the commander, and pretended
to be sufiTermg from excessive cold. His teeth chattered
and his whole frame shook so, that compassion was im-
niediately aroused, and a Guernsey frock given him:
then he felt better, but, watching an opportunity, the
rogue would slip it otf, stow it away in hi. kyack, and
then return to obtain a fresh one. At last, however, an
old quartermaster, who had been watching him with
some degree of amusement, flew into a passion at the
lellow trying the same trick on with him. called him «a
Jew^ jxn^ threatened to knock his head off, accompany-
ing his threat with a demonstration from a large horn-
list, which tho Esquimaux understood better than thf
profuse volley of adjectives that rolled out at the same
time over the quartermaster's quid.

AVith regard to the story told of a white man beincr
buried at Cape Warren, they merely said they knew
nothing ot it or of the natives residing there ; indeed
they were at variance with them. They appeared to
Have no idea of any religious ceremonies, and knew of

1 1 ■' *

<iM

THEIR RELIGION AND MORALITY. 75

no Supreme Being. They were generally happy, and
agreed well together in their tribe; and when any
quarrel did occur, they only pecked up their goods and
quitted the community, settling elsewhere on the coast.

If a mortal grudge should arise, a thing of rare occur-
rence, the aggrieved party, concealing his passion, waited
quietly for an opportunity of revenge ; and when it
offered, he killed his enemy. No retaliation took place
at the time , but some one of the murderer's family
eventually atoned for the deed : the actual perpetrator,
however, often escaped. Such was the principal infor-
mation gleaned from these people. A despatch was left
with them, which has not yet come to hand; but they
promised to be kind to any strangers, "white men," who
might come amongst them; a promise that they appeared
hkely to keep from interested, if not from better motives.
No apology is necessary for thus relating what little is
known of these interesting arctic fishermen. Cut off
from civilisation by a dreary wilderness but seldom tra-
versed— hemmed in by bloodthirsty races which all the
romantic fiction of a Fenimore Cooper cannot redeem
from the curse of Christian men— wandering along the
farthest shores of a territory farmed to a company of
furriers (the Hudson Bay Company), whose dividends
depend upon the race of beasts being multiplied rather
than that of men,— these poor Esquimaux deserve our
best sympathy; and, judging by the progress they have
made m civilisation in the Danish colonies of Greenland
they appear more likely to repay the missionary than
most savages we know of.

^.Ve shall probably not hear much more of these poor

t .!

DISCOVEEY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Ill

f f

i 1

! <

f ;

I t

creatures now that there is a lull in arctic exploration,
but we cannot take leave of them without echoing a
msh continually expressed throughout Captain M'Clure's

str ;r"M °"^^ '^'' ''"^^ ^'''''''^^y ^h"«ti^^ body,
such as the Moravian Mission, could send a few of theii^

brethren amongst the tribes of Esquimaux who wander
along the polar sea, to carry to them the arts and advan-
tages of civilised life, and trust to God, in His own good
time showing them the way to eternal life." Such men
as Mr Mierching would in a few years perfectly revolu-
tionise such a docile and intelligent race. He wus, as we
have said, a native of Saxony, and had for many years
been a missionary in Labrador. Nothing came amiss to
this energetic man ; he could make a pair of shoes or
crochet an antimacassar, build a house of mud or wood
or smg a hymn and play the organ. He was strong in'
frame, and cheerful and contented under all circum-
stances, perhaps partly because he had always been
accustomed to a life of trial. Such a man as he would
be wor h a hundred of the pretenders to piety who have
taUen, hke locusts, on the loaves and fishes of many of
the races of uncivilised man, under the plea of "pluck
mg brands from the burning."

CHAPTEE IX.

:*'

I h

CAPE BATHURST LEFT-FIUES OBSERVED OX SHORE-PROVE TO
BE VOLCANOES — CAPE PARRY REACHED— NEW LAND DLS-
COVERED-POSSESSION TAKEN IN THE QUEEN's NAME-THE
INVESTIGATOR PROCEEDS ON A NORTH-EASTERLY COURSE-
BARROW STRAIT ONLY SIXTY MILES FARTHER - CAPTAIN
M'CLURE's JOURNAL.

The month of September found the Investigator still
pushing ahead, but much delayed by the light winds
which had prevailed ever since passing Behring Strait,
except for the few hours the ship had been entangled in
the pack off the Mackenzie Eiver.

From the 1st to the 5th the vessel was coasting round
the bay formed by Capes Bathurst and Parry; whales
were very numerous, no less than fifteen being seen at
one time, although none of a large size. The water was
deep, eighty-four fathoms being obtained, only four miles
off shore, when near the mouth of the Horton Pdver.
On the 4th large fires were seen on shore, and at first
supposed to be lighted by the natives to attract atten-
tion. Mr Mierching, however, questioned such extrava-
gance in fuel being committed by Esquimaux, and on
the next day (Sept. 5), when it happened to be calm
with rain, Lieutenant Gurney Cresswell, Doctor Arm-
strong, and some others, were sent to examine the spot.

h- -i

! (

< !

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

The general appearance of the land was flat, though
rising in places to an elevation of 300 to 500 feet, and
intersected with ravines exhibiting blue clay. The fires
proved to be volcanic, and issued in smoke strongly im-
pregnated with sulphur, from fifteen different cone-like
apertures resembling lime-kilns, whence Dr Armstrong
collected a considerable quantity of specimens of earths
and minerals, in which the locality was rich. The vol-
canoes were about fifty feet above water, and situated on
an old landslip, not unlike the undercliff" of the Isle of
Wight : some pools of water near these volcanic cones
were strongly impregnated with copperas ; and the tes-
timony of our voyagers would lead us to suppose that
these subterranean fires have a different origin to those
found existing here and there, in about the 56th parallel
of north latitude, on the western side of the Rocky
Mountains, where such fires are generally imputed to
a substratum of coal having caught fire by spontaneous
combustion.

On 6th September Cape Parry was reached while
a fresh breeze was blowing, but the pack was still seen
extending east and west in a close and heavy body, about
three miles off shore, barring the road towards the Parry
Group, whither M'Clure now sought to press on. At
noon the sky lifted a little to the northward, and showed
high bold land lying off to north-east, the extremes of its
bearing K by E, and E.N.E. true. It was an important
discovery, for hitherto our chart had been a blank in
that quarter. It was satisfactory, too, on other grounds,
for the new land was upon the same bearing as Melville
Island, and Captain M'Cluro knew full well the advan-

ADDITION TO THE QUEEN'S REALMS. 79

tage and the prospect of reaching the latter, if this dis-
covered land was an extensive one.

Land-water had already brought him nearly half-way
to Baffin Bay; next season, if not in this, land- water
would enable him to achieve the rest, he naturally
argued. "^

A freshening north-east breeze and clear weather, with
open water, enabled the gallant Investigator to stretch
off from the American continent during this night ; and
the water became more free from ice as they reached
under the weather and newly-discovered land ; and next
day, 7th September, at 9.30 a.m.. Captain M'Clure landed
to take possession of this addition to the realms of his
Eoyal Mistress. He has been blamed for this ; but few
men would have hesitated to do the same under similar
circumstances. The devotion and enterprise which had
brought that company of sixty British seamen so far,
were alloyed by no selfish vanity ; there were none but
themselves in those wild solitudes to re-echo their cheers •
and the loyalty with which they hailed their first addi'
tion to Queen Victoria's broad realms, was as sincere as
that which had buoyed them up in past difficulties, and
cheered and invigorated them on for future trials It
was not for them to weigh the value of what they had
discovered, it was enough that they had done their duty •
and an honest conviction of that fact must have glad-
dened officer and man that day as they stood on the cape
which marked the half-way of their journey. They felt
that, although they might not be the men fated to tell
their own tale, and to reap the reward of their toils • yet
come Tvlx, ': might, they trusted that if at some future day

«r

.- 1. M

T 'l!

V ,

! I

l»IM('(»VK||V (»|f A NOUTII WI'IHT l'AMHA(iK

«»-

•l>"i»' ''<Mml.i-v nli.Milii Iniii'ii li(»\v liuiK'MMy (,||„v \uu\ d.,
vo|,o.l ilioir livoM t,. hot' Klory. mIip woiil.'l iioi/imjI to .1..
'""•'»'•'• '•» M>"i«' niomnry. Niirh wnn.. un r....| hiiio, |,|in
IiIkIi mikI <Mm,.l.lii,g lli.iuKhlM wliidi llllo.l |,|,„ |„.„,.|,„ ,,1'
ilio mi\i..ril,v oniial, lilll,. IwiihI : woll inlghi, (.|,Hr l,,,.lnr
''*•;' I""'"' <»ni>«>in.im.l rlH.y ul' liim ; ,„„| ),„(,|, ,.mii woll

nll'M'tl l,» Niitilo id iiiiy m|,(,,m„|,|, i.o ,.o|, 1,1, CI,!,,,,',. |,„„„„,

li»nn>, or Hiioitf III MiKJr jiimI, ontlitiHiiiMiit.

•rii

11(011 hi'Nl, l.oni of Ml.^ Ailiiiiiiill.y, Sir I

UlltliM* Mil*

<^>' .ItnMl.Mi.Ml III.. Iiiii.l " IliniiiK IhImihI," nCior Mm

'VIWU'IH Itilliiij^,

N»i|>|M>Mi|.ioM. iirii«r\vnnlM lotiiKl imi mim, |,lni|

il wiiM Mol. «<»Mui.M<|,r.l with IIuiiKm l.mi.l. TIm« IikikIIuii,!

or on

jto ll»i\y \vtMVMlini«liii,v.' u|ioii jm u, ivniiirknl.ly hIvIU

'"K

ii|i|M«iiiHiit'(« ;
MOII, who, iiH

mod

or»» tmvnl (li.srovororM

•0011 millioit>ii|,ly roiiirmlHMvd liy

lUosl. \viM» li southorn us|mm'1, Mio vo^otidioii of \\i ,

I.!Uul. for HO hi^h a lu|,i(n,lo. wuh hoiuowIihI, iiliiiiidniil

iniiK

\\\u\ \\\o urciic llovfi was s(n«

o( tvitidoor ami liaro.s woro a Hatisruct

n III porrtvtioii. KN-ctMit iriio(>H

ovy Hij^dil, to tlio 111-

vovstigators ; uiul soiiio wild ^ro«<so W(>i
riio ioo. whioh \v)is ho^iuiiiug to iimko in Mi", p,,olH mid
on (ho l.ind. h;ul st>nt tlio duoLs to mild

ward ; luit that lli

(ho suuMiior months, was v«'ry ovidont

'OHt)ariii^M)V(>r hoiid.

or rogioiiH Hoiitli-

oy oamo h(M'(* in laix(* numhorH during'

liottor than all, ioo, -for who oontomplatoil wint
thoiv /— tVom a ooi\si<hMal>h> olovation wliicl

I, our iiMv

iOnn,i>'
i^-a-

torvsjvuossoil,ombraood forty milos ofhori/oii to tho nortl
oasl. tho soa was portooily ojumi and IV(>o iVom ioo. Oh t

a tair wind ! was tho oxolamation that burst IVom all lips

lUrilNd I.ANII, „,

1 vm,l, ,„. ll,n,„Kl,.,nC 1|m> KU. H„,,t,„„|„,r t|,„ |,,v,.«li

'■'".'"" " ""'"'•'■y »'« '"U.".nK, (,i ,tt,„„ ,. ,i„; ,

"Mil IIJ |l iii;iiH VII li.w ..fr,,, 'r'l 1 . ""« nilKl

tim l,„.,l 1 ■'"""""•'"J'- 'I'" ""i,U<«l ,,,„Ummw„ „[

'r'' ''■'■^- '■ "■!'. ""- " "inTt „f w „ ',..„:';;"'

""•■"-"""': ' ' «'--»! out on t),t H,,„H 1 „ t,

" !"'■■ 'xl'".,!, a,„l ,„uu,»l it J>,.i„e„ Albert 1 .«,,1 .n

:;;;:; ;;;t-";'.^;-.,^wo n„w„.fou,„i „U:1 , ,t

J"o u .1 t , Ik, tlnrty „„lc,,aii,lat an equal distanco from
.......1, tl,„ Inv„.st,Vator ).„I,1 „„ l.„r lon.lUay, iZi „Tf

f"KB .nd „now-»,ualb. A &w «un« and Jl ZlZll

1^ ^-1

. -i

ill

■I

Hi !

82 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

and somo ducks flying soutli— an unerring signal of the
advent of an arctic winter.

" Tho soundings in niidchannol Avoro about thirty-seven
fathoms, mud," says Captain JM'Clure ; "and on tho
evening of tho 9th no snow was yet to be seen lying on
the adjacent land. On September 10, in a fog, tho sliip
fell in with two islands, and it was afterwards seen that
the strait they were going up contracted here to only
fourteen miles, and some ice was seen hanging about the
western shore."

" September 9, 1850.— Albert Land, on the starboard
hand, exhibited, in its interior, ranges of mountains
covered with snow; but the lower grounds were as yet
free ; hero and there peaks of a volcanic character and
outline were seen, but none that appeared active, and tho
rocks of tho coast-line Avere mostly limestone, as on the
western shore." Among the islands named after H.E.H.
the Princess-Royal, sea-gulls still lingered, giving a hope
of winter having delayed its arrival, for winter was now
what tho voyagers most feared. They felt as if they
would give all they held dear in life for another week of
summer. Tho dangers of the navigation, the risk of
hunger and hardship— all were forgotten. " Only give
us time," they said, « and we must make the north-west
passage." At noon the observations placed the Investi-
gator only sixfi/ miles from Barrow Strait. « I cannot,"
writes Captain M'Clure,in his private journal, "describe
my anxious feelings. Can it be possible that this water
communicates with Barrow Strait, and shall prove to be
the long-sought north-west passage ? Can it be that so
humble a creature as I am wUl be permitted to perform

KEBLINOS OK CAPTAIN M'CLUIiE. t3

yoaraf 15ut all jiraiao bo ascribed unto Hiu, ,vlio hatl,

nauctoU „s so far i„ safety - J,i. ^ya arc not lu , Iv '

o. tl.o means that He uses to accomplish His ends wZ n

rxi-r-- '"^^^^''"^^^'>^'^^^^:^

Z m '"V?''"^' """^ "'°''° °f '>« gallant sup-
Cirl, Y '""'"^"^ appreciated. One such

well m that hour of joy, as well as in future ones ,.f
anxiety and distress, they both placed their trust X^

he could be no disappointment. An elo-iuent Jbut™
to this truly chivalrous dependence upon God and a Tod
^use, has been furnished by a Continental wrtter* "»«
say after quoting such a paragraph as the above • " Te

Amsi les Anglais aveo leur Bible, ee livre unique leu'r
suffit : il contient tout. Et quand on les suitTl
courses h.!i™q„e3 qu'ils font dL losing ^^.X .r
on lie pent a'enipecher d'ouvrir avec :ux le X^e dea
ivres. Ces iiitrdpides pionniers, ces precurseu Ide a
civilisation qui ouvrent k Vhumanite de nouve Ito voie,
nous apparaissent commo des Moises qui vont Tla ^^
quute de la terre promise." "«- «* la con-

* M. Lemoine in ' L'lnd^pendance Beige.'

Hi'

t' ]

m tv

CHAPTER X.

SIGN.S OF A RAPIDLY-APPROACHING WINTER— CRITICAL POSITION
OF THE INVESTIGATOR — MADE FAST TO A FLOE — SAFE FOR
THE PRESENT— WINTER BEGUN— WINTER CLOTHING— DRIVEN
WITH THE ICE TOWARDS BARROW STRAIT— ARDUOUS TOILS—
THE INVESTIGATOR REACHES HER MOST ADVANCED POSITION
—BESET AT LAST— DANGEROUS AGITATION IN THE ICE— PRE-
PARATIONS FOR SHIPWRECK — SWEEPING WITH THE PACK
AGAINST THE CLIFFS— IMMINENT PERIL— SAFE ONCE MORE—
AND STATIONARY.

The 11th September 1850 came in upon the Investigator,
and brought with it the first undoubted signs of winter.
The ice, acted upon by a fresh north-west gale, rolled
down the strait, and beset the ship, its motion being at
times appallingly rapid. The thermometer fell to 21°,
or ir below freezing-point; and long dark nights added
to the difficulties of navigating in such inclement weather.
Harbour or winter-quarters fit to secure the ship in there
were none in sight ; and if there had been, it would have
been out of the question as yet to retreat upon one whilst
Barrow Strait was so near at hand.

On that very same day. Captain Austin's* expedition,
which it will be remembered left England shortly after
Captain M'Clure's did, to reach Melville Island from Baffin

* See 'Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal.' By the Editor.

!AL POSITION
— SAFE FOR
NG — DIIIVEN
OUS TOILS —
ED POSITION
E ICE — PRE-
[ THE PACK
NCE MORE —

ivestigator,
of winter,
gale, rolled
n being at
ell to 21°,
ghts added
it weather,
ip in there
i^ould have
one whilst

sxpedition,
lortly after
Tom Baffin
le Editor.

CEITICAL POSITION. 55

Bay, was overtaken by similar signs of winter off Griffith
Isknd the position of the two parties (each ignorant of
the other s whereabouts) being about 400 miles from each
other m an E.N.E. . d W.S.W. direction. Strangely
enough, too, in proof of the fact that the seasons in the
rigid .one agree very much year after year, it was exactly
two years anterior, upon that very day, that the expedition
Harbour'' '''' ^''''''' '"" permanently in Leopold

The Investigator's position was now most critical : for
tho westerly gales had caught her upon the eastern and

eo shore of Prince of Wales Strait, and pressed her, to-
gather with he ice with which she was surrounded,
down upon that coast. Her only safeguard from de^
struction, for some time, was in holding on, with strong
hawsen; and stream chain, to ice-anchors fixed in a heav?
floe, wh,ch,from drawing more water than the ship,served,
when It grounded, as a natural breakwater for her agains
lurther ice-pressure.

Along tho westward side of the strait, the gale caused

.i!ht / .t "'"*' ^''^'^ *" ^' ^"'"^d.-a tantalising
sight for the impnsoned officers and men ! It served
however, to feed anticipation, and to prevent their leade;
trom thinking of winter-quarters.

Z ff 'V7"Tl>o temperature of the water has fallen to
M lahr (freezing point of sea-water). The breeze has
freshened to a gale, bringing with it snow, and sendW
down krgo masses of ice upon us. The pressure is con!

rC^fl' ''".*: l'''™''''''''™'^'''^^'^^^- Fortunately
a large floe, which was fast approaching the vessel, has

I II

. :^

l: i\

80 DISCOVERY OF A NORTII-WrST rARSAOE.

liiul its progress nrroatod by ono oxtroiuo of it taking tlio
ground and th(^ otiior end locking witli a grounded floo
upon our weather beam. It in thus completely checked,
nnd forms a safe harrier against all further pressure Aa
the rudder Avas likely to become damaged, it was unhun.-
and suspended over the stern. We can now do nothing,'
iHMug regularly besot, but await any favourable ch,;ng^J
of the ice, which we anxiously look for, knowing that
the navigable season for this year has almost lenched its
utmost limit, and that a few hours of clear wat(,r will, in
all probability, solve the long-sought problem as to the
practicability of a north-west passage."

The 13th and 14th September brought no change for
the better ; the ice, acted upon by winds, tides, and cur-
rents, kept in constant motion outside of the Investigator,
and gave rise to illusory prospects of open water and fair
leads. IJy dint of great labour and watching for favour-
able opportunities, the ship was gradually warped, and
liauled about 1200 yards farther off shore and to wind-
ward.

The temperature of the air fell to 10° of Fahr., or
22° below freezing-point; the surface of the sea, where
free from pack or broken ice, congealed and froze rapidly ;
the land became hidden under a general covering of
snow ; the stern reign of an arctic winter had begun!

Winter raiment was now goiirrally adopted; and more
than one anxious wish was ex^y^ ^ « v for som- sheltered
cove to heave in sight, whei.hi die risk of being drifted
with the pack of Prince of Wales Strait during the Ion-
night of a polar winter might be avoided. °

The likelihood of such an occurrence forced itself dis-

Vf!K.

tala'npf tho
)uii(1(m1 floo
ly chocked,
ssuro. As
aa unliiinfr,
lo notliin*,',
l)lo cl',;n<;e
>wing that
t'poched its
tor will, in
1 as to tho

3hango for
i, and eur-
vestiffator,
sr and fair
or favour-
rped, and
I to wind-

Falir., or
ea, "Nvhere
3 rapidly ;
vering of
)egun.
and more
sheltered
ig drifted
the long

tself dis-

IN MOTION AGAIN. 57

agreeably upon tho n.inds of alhvho looked in tho direc
tion of the Princess-Iioyal group, and saw those dark
chfls ripping up the ico which rolled down upon them,
l^or tho veriest arctic tyro knew, enchained as the ship
was in the pack, if she should touch the ground before
the adjacent moving body of ice did, it would roll over
lior, entailing certain destruction of tho ship, and at such
a ngorous season most assuredly a great loss of life

Uio appearance of a few of the hardier gulls of those
regions cheered the men a httle ; and the captain remarks
that the appearance of these birds was a good omen
which he believed to indicate water somewhere near him '
and yet ho does not deny that every day now lost through
the ship being beset in the ice added to his intense
anxiety. Should he be forced to winter in the pack
and escape shipwreck, he could not tell where he migh
be drifted to m the coming winter

On the 15th September, the wind veered a little more
to the southward, or up the channel, and the ice began
to drive towards Barrow Strait, and opened a little at
the same time. All hands zealously set to work to
reach the largest spaces of water in sight: and this la-
hour was pursued even during the night, the men in the
dark leaping and carrying the hawsers from piece to
piece of ice, trusting to its .vhite glimmer to find their
oad and secure a footing. Drifting along in a churning
sea of ice amid darkness and snow-storm, the Investit
gator held her way, her gallant company contented to
run all risks, so long as her course was onward, and to-
wards the north-east; yet the sudden variations of the
soundings which the men in the chains called out,some-

Itl

.' n

/ 1

i .

.1:
•I

, ?ji3i3*'''«i'- 'iKtffr'.t M nmum* ih'ipt j

88 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

times only as little as five fathoms water, and then off
again to twenty, reminded them of how perilous was the
course they were pursuing.

On the IGth September, the ship was still making
slow progress towards Banow Strait; but on the 17th
September 1850, H.M.S. Investigator reached her most
advanced position in lat. 73° 10' N., and long. 117° 10'
W., about tJihi// miles from the waters of that series of
straits which, under the names of Melville, Barrow, and
Lancaster, communicate with Baffin Bay. At this tan-
talising distance, the ship ceased to drift, and the ice
appeared to have reached a point beyond which, from
some unknown cause, it could no longer find a vent.
The heavy pack of Melville Strait lying across the head
of the channel, was supposed to be the reason of the ice
of Prince of Wales Strait thus ceasing to move on to the
north-east; and the impassable nature of that heavy
pack in the following year, confirmed this hypothesis.
On the 19th September 1850, Captain M'Clure tells us
he debated in his mind whether to abandon all hope of
reaching BarroAv Strait that year, and retrace his steps
ROuthv;ard in search of a wintering-place, or to hold on,
so far as he might, and run the risk of wintering in the
pack. « I decided," he says, "upon the latter of these
twoccnrses;" and the consideration which influenced
him in so difficult a choice was, " that to relinquish the
ground obtained through so much labour and anxiety,
for the remote chance of finding safe winter-quarters,
would be injudicious, thoroughly impressed as I was
with the absolute importance of retaining every mile, to
insure any favourable results while navigating these seas."

WINTERING IN THE PACK. 89

Besides this, it was desirable to hold as advanced a
position as possible, in order that the spring sled-e-
parties which he contemplated despatching in 1851
should at once set to work upon new and unsearched
coast-lines. To winter voluntarily in the pack was, there-
fore, as resolutely decided upon as if arctic authorities
Had never said that such an attempt would result in
certain destruction; and that same reliance upon an
overruling Providence, which had carried them success-
lully so far, cheered them still in the anxieties to which
their novel experiment was about to give rise

The smallest pools of water in the strait now became
rapidly covered with new-formed ice; the eider ducks
the hardiest and strongest-winged of the feathered tribes
visiting the polar seas, were last seen on the 23d Sep
tember; and the temperature of the air fast ver-ed to-
wards the zero of Fahrenheit. Although the sea-L had
formed round the ship, and the pack was re-cemented to
a certam degree, still it was far from quiescent. Some-
times a pressure would take place upon opposite sides
of thebody,--whichwas still detached from the coast
ot Banks Land as well as the eastern shore,— the sheets
of young ice would crack across, and one part overrun
the other with a sharp chirping noise, which reverberated
through the frosty air; at another time some hu-e field
of ice, which from its greot depth or thickness wa's more
acted upon by the tides or currents than its neighbours
would rush with fearful velocity through the li-hter ice'
turning up everything that came in its way, and -ivinc^
rise to fears lest such a moving field should touch, and
sink the ship.

" ll

■'■ ill

\dM

, > >

''!«;

i ;i

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

At times the whole body of the pack, acted upon by
north-east whids, would sweep gradually southward and
towards tlie shoals and clilFs of Princess-Eoyal Island:
indeed, at one time, the Investigator drifted twenty-four
miles soutli in three days. They had fortunately laid
hold of a large piece of ice which grounded upon the
shoals westward of Trincess-Koyal Island; and under
its lee the ship held on for security, whilst the rest of
the ice swept by. Some idea of the occasional strain
upon the ship, as well as the desperate position she was
in, may bo gleaned from the fact, that at one time she
was in five fathoms water, and trusting for safety by
holding on to heavy grounded ice by every available
hawser in the vessel, amounting in the aggregate to a
thirty-one inch hemp cable and a stream chain in addi-
tion, yet this was every minute expected to part, as the
ice-pressure took her broad bow, or surged against her
trembling sides.

Anticipating the worst that could occur, Captain
M'Clure on these occasions placed a large quantity of
provisions and fuel upon deck, told off the officers and
men to their boats, and every man had his appointed
place and duty in the event of a catastrophe; tents and
warm clothing were also prepared, and every precaution
was thus taken to save life, even if it were beyond human
power to save the ship.

On the 27th September, the temperature being then
at zero, and the ice, as they fancied, stationary, and the
Investigator fixed in it, ten miles south of the Princess-
Eoyal Island, preparations were commenced for housing
the vessel over, and otherwise .securing the crew from

GE.

1 iii)on by
!iward and
al Island:
venty-four
lately laid
upon the
ind under
le rest of
lal strain
n she was
time she
safety "by
available
gate to a
1 in addi-
rt, as the
;ainst her

Captain
lantity of
icers and
ppointed
ients and
recaution
d human

ing then
and the

Princess-
housing

ew from

EXTKEME DAxXGER. g^

nt 'won'' r^^ '"^ ^"^^^^"^"^^ «^ ' ^-nter which was
now wellnigh upon them. The officers were fust cl
gratulating themselves upon their escape f om C
.ors and expressing thankfulness alw" Zy\Z

-ssp:nti,;^:l^:;i:f,^\--^^

rose porpondicularly from the sea at thT ,

which the ship appeared o be 'tin - tV .,''°"""'

eyed them for a lope of safetv f , °' , "')'"' "'^

.0 crushed ^.^rj^:^y'i^:x::t;t^'^

no ledge upon ,vhich even a goat could 1 avelta M ed
a footing; and an elevation of 400 foot JoX
chance of scaling them. To launch the ^'0™'°!:
movmg pack, as the ship sank, was their sole IC and
that a poor one, rolhng and upheaving as it « rund^-r
the mfluence of wind, tide, and pressure. "'

ta.•itv"t^^°^™ """^S^ncy that discipline, and a cer
tamty that each would perform unflinching hi, dutv
aa well as the innate good qualities of our noble ~
are shown to the best advantage. Dastard, wo ,p'
such circumstances have desert:d theifS- b t^
Investigators were made of different stuff T V
too that One who is "stron. to lave" t f ; f '?^ ^'"'"'
them, and they eyed the bleak hlf^M^L"; T'
mjnutes might be frowning over thei J vt with thi
calm courage of resolute men. A finer pfcture 'than such
a scene presented can hardly be ima^-ined and it w»
repeatedly exhibited during'this wo^dellt;!;:" Z

f!:

* h

:■'(

\i> !

\ M

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

it would be an almost hopeless attempt to convey to the
reader by mere description an adequate idea either of
scenery so replete with the grim terrors of the polar
regions or of the moral grandeur of self-devotion in the
officers and men at such a crisis.

" It looks a bad job this time ! " inquiringly remarked
one of the sailors, as he assisted another old sea-dog in
coiling down neatly a frozen hawser. " Yes ! " was the
rejoinder, as the other shaded his eyes from the driving
snow, and cast a glance at the dark cliff looming through
the storm; "the old craft will double up like an old
basket when she gets alongside of them rocks ! " The
Investigator's hour was not yet come, however; and
when witliin 500 yards of the rocks, the ice coach-
wheeled her along them, and finally swept her past the
eastern side of the islands.

After this water was never seen from the mast-head ;
yet onwards the ship drifted slowly, and on September
30th became again stationary in lat. 72° 50' N., and long.
117° 55' W., very nearly as far north as they had reached
a fortnight before, and been drifted back from in the
grip of the packed ice.

\(l

. i

CHAPTEE XI

SEVERE PHESSURE AND DANGEROUS NIPS -FAREWELL TO THE
SUN-HOUSING THE VESSEL-GOOD HEALTH AND SPIRITS OF
THE MEN -FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS OF MEAT FOUND TO BE
PUTRID-WINTER RAMBLES ON THE ICE-PERILS ARISING IN
THESE TRIPS -AN EXCURSION TO VIEW THE NORTH-WEST
PASSAGE-HARD LABOUR AND INSUFFICIENT FOOD — SUFFER-
ING FROM THIRST-THE PASSAGE SEEN-CAPTAIN M'CLURE
LOST FOR A NIGHT-RETURN OF THE PARTY TO THE SHIP-
SUCCESS OF MEASURES TAKEN FOR THE HEALTH OF THE
CREW. ^

BuRixG the first week in October a change of the moon
occasioned spring-tides, which, of course, led to con-
siderable motion in the ice ; but that motion only mani-
fested Itself in the shape of severe pressure and nws,
there not being sufficient space in the strait to allow
the pack to drift either north or south. On the occa-
sion of one of these nips, the Investigator was thrown
much over to the starboard side, and lifted two feet out
of the water by the ice pressing under her keel ; every
timber in the vessel cracked and groaned, and the bells
began to ring as she surged and trembled under the
shock. There needed no boatswain's pipe to brin- aU
hands upon deckj and, in an October night, with°the
temperature 36 degrees below freezing-point, each man

;(ir

1:1

i -\

94 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Stood at his station, momentarily expecting a final catas-
trophe to the ship, and that tliey would be left upon
the surface of the frozen strait, to fare as best thev
might. ''

Magnificent auroras lit up the heavens more than once
about this time, and generally appeared most brilliant in
the southern quarter. The pale sun swept, it is true,
across the sky, in a daily-diminishing arch; but its rays
had ceased to give warmth, and the tiniest crystals of
snow withstood its power. Light, however, it still gave
for a while ; and all looked kindly upon a friend for
whose speedy return they should soon have to pray.

The woollen housing was now spread over the vessel,
and the curtains nailed down to the gunwale upon the
northern side, to shield the men from the cutting blasts
of that quarter; but to the southward every precaution
was taken to enjoy the sun's light as long as possible.
The fact of hfe and light being almost synonymous
terms was deeply impressed upon the mind of Captain
M'Clurej and to his constant remembrance of it we
must in a great measure impute the extraordinary ex-
emption of his crew from scurvy. They, as well as
the officers, appeared now to be in the best health and
spirits ; and there were only two men upon the doctor's
sick-list on the 6th October.

Every evening, after work was over, the after-part of
the lower deck Avas converted into a temporary stage, on
which the " clever dogs " of the crew performed, danced,
sang, or recited for the amusement of those who were
less accomplished; and roars of laughter and light-
hearted jokes bore good evidence that neither nips,

lal catas-
eft upon
est they

han once
illiant in
is true,
t its rays
ystals of
itill gave
iend for
'ray.

e vessel,
pon the
ig blasts
ecaution
possible,
mymous
Captain
f it we
lary ex-
well as
1th and
doctor's

-part of
tage, on
danced,
10 were
. light-
r nips,

rUTEID MEAT. g^

tain jrai"'f° 'T ''f '"' "^ P^^^^^^'l '»'^»t. Cap.
than 500 lb. were so putrij as to necessitate throwing
them overboard. This loss was mainly occasionerw

in i^ngland. This diminution of resources was very do
plorable ; and it will be remembered that a boat- oad o
meat had a ready been lost when the ship was aground

ever'^Tilf r?"- '^r'^'" --*"in.self hi!
ever, with the hope that a certain surplus which th„
contractor had promised to put on board' to'cl™ such
contingencies would replace this unfortunate deficit

coutrbll fr P"?™'r' "'^'^ l-o' the worst 'that
could befall the ship, there is one which will strike
eyery one as evincing carefulness and skill and at the
same time it wiU show how critical the po ition o the
vessel must have been. This was the blasting witl -un
powder and the employment of manual labour to re-
move all the hummocks and inequalities upon Ve s^r
face of the ice upon one side of the vessel, i^ order that
a smooth surface might be ready to receive her as thl
™s a probability of her being positively thro™ upon
the ice. Nothing can better bring homf to our minds
their position, or the cool way in which it was met

being able to convey to us even a remote idea of the
harassing anxiety he underwent whilst his veLl wa
setthng herself in her icy cradle. " The crashbg crelk

'!:

! "

,' »

.'.,,

i i

i 1

Ml-
I'

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

ing, and straining are beyond description," he adds ;
" and the officer of the watch, when speaking to me, is
obliged to put his mouth close to my ear, on account of
the deafening noise."

From the 10th of October the ice in and about the
ship became fixed, although the whole body of the pack
was still in some places detached from the shore, and
moved slightly north and south with the tide. The
work of housing over being completed, parties of men
and officerfi began to stroll out for the purpose of acquir-
ing some information of the neighbourhood, and going
through the form of taking possession of their new dis-
coveries; a ceremony which, though of no great im-
portance when the acquisition was so entirely valueless,
served at least to break the dreary monotony of such an
existence as theirs had become.

The incidents which arose upon such rambles afforded
something to talk about, too ; and on some occasions un-
foreseen dangers added to the excitement of the journeys.
One instance will serve to show how unpleasantly these
parties of pleasure sometimes ended.

On a calm fiuvi morning, with the temperatu.
40 degrees below freezing-point, Captain M'Clure, j__,
tenant Cresswell, Dr Armstrong, and Mr Miercliing,wiL
some seamen, started to visit the eastern side of the
strait, and take possession of the land. The road at first
lay over the broken and rugged pack ; but they afterwards
reached a belt of smooth ice of the present season's
formation, and it carried them to a piled-up barrier of
broken floe, formed where the new ice impinged against
the heavy grounded hummocks which lined the coast.

-i

A DANGEitOUS RAMBLE. 97

The tide happened at the moment to have brought the

ice (some feet in thickness, however) was turning np
and olhng over, layer upon layer. Follow my leader

over the pie formed by the battling floes, cheerin.> as

Unrrot'ttl ;, '""'• "" "="^"^^^ "^ "- "
thd: "tl " """ ™^^ ''"^^ "^"8" P-' »^ ™t off

Every one pnt his best leg foremost to reach some

high land seen in the interior, from the summit of wllh

ther would be a possibility of seeing into Barrow .Ct

and thus connecting their discoveries with that of =i,>

Edward Parrv in ISIQ Tk„ *"'

to constrncV » '"'""' '"'"' '«« ^^'id

to CO struct a cairn upon a spot duly christened after

ae Illustnous C»,sort of Her Most oLious Mjety

aad he officers, after. another two hours' hard stru^l

through deep snow, and over a difficult country reached

what^ ™ long afterwards remembered as m'Cm'

iUthough some 1400 feet above the level of the sea
the trending of the coast they were upon prevent dthS
toilsome journey being rewarded by a view of Til te
niination of Prince of \V.^u, ci -^
side • but n„ Tr ? .u ®'""' "P™ tiio ""Stem

side but on the west there rose in the distance a head-
end, which appeared like the termination of^nks or

Th blf of t' *^"°'>fl™"d Captain M'Clure
in nis behef of a channel through, and made his co,„
panio exclaim that they saw into Barrorstra^ TMs"
point, however, the captain wisely decided upon placin,

■ '1

■i

1
• I'

.:#

V ' ^

;|j|

:||

^fl

>jl

li.

(

,i '

; i

, ™ I '

' -;f^,

1 i. i

:■( i

.1 t

98 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

shortly boyond all doubt or cavil, by exploring it here-
after with a sledge-party. Although traces were seen on
the snow of bears, deer, foxes, and lemmings, they did
not fall in with a single living creature ; and the view
they obtained of Albert Land was not such as to afford
much promise of game — for vegetation, the great test of
the presence of animal life in the far north, was exceed-
ingly scanty, and little gladdened the eyes of our tra-
vellers beyond small patches of dwarf willow and moss.

"Wo had returned to the shore," says Captain
M|Clure, "and were following our track back to the
ship, anticipating the pleasure of a good dinner after a
twenty miles' walk, when, upon coming to where the
junction of the land (or fixed ice) and sea floes took
place, we beheld a separation of fifty yards of clear black
water! Our feelings are easier to be imagined than
described ; nearly five miles from the vessel, a polar
night closing in, and the only provision amongst the
whole party was a solitary tin of preserved meat which
had been issued to the men for their dinner, but had
now become so solidly frozen as to defy both their
knives and teeth."

Just before dark, a point a few miles to the south-
ward was observed, which gave some promise of being
connected with the sea-floe by a block or barrier of ice.
Towards it the fatigued party struggled, over very rugged
and slippery ice. Every now and then one of their
party would experience a severe fall into some deep cleft,
or over some huge hummock j and then, thoroughly
jaded, they would sit dovm and feel inclined to drop off"
into a sleep from which they would never have awakened

A.GE.

ng it horo-
rero seen on
s, they did
i tlie view
18 to afford
frcat test of
ms exceed-
of our tra-
and moss.
{a Captain
ack to the
ler after a
where the
floes took
clear black
jined than
el, a polar
longst the
Lieat which
r, but had
both their

the south-
e of being
rier of ice.
ery rugged
e of their
deep cleft,
horoughly
;o drop off
awakened

');!■

A DANOEnoUS KAMRLE. 99

ii. thij, world. Captain M'Clurc, however, wa.s ,.w,m. of
"» dn„,-er, „,ul l.u voice aroused them to "e ,n

£ w .'r?:;;" "'r, "" """' "•""' "> •■'"'-' -«- :

ft"" the .1,.,,. It told them that those on hoard wfrc
tokmj,' luciwures for their rosoiin • n,„i , ,• .,
coiitiiMi,.,! I, • V . , ^''"° '"'"'. >ueantmic, thev
cont mud to indicate their position to the ship hy firin!

a nteryalHsolong as their ammunition las "d A^^

didTt IZn « ""T' ""= ^'■'"°'^' >'-o''>'*-rtcdnesa
am not desert them ; for when one of tlio nartv fv

claimed that "tiie ship had fired anotht TcL r

corclially jleu. "" '"''' '" "'^'^ "^^'^^'^ "»

«P0MlL°'i7'"°-r-r' '^"Sth W'oaehed within hail,
upon the opjiosite side of the lane of water ■ »n,T ,„

.IsTrihT" T'f '^ ^-'^ 4 arii^te^d TvHh
ndoscribable anxiety for the answer when, to the mo

wan you ? there was a pause, in which the writer ha,
boon assured one could have heard a pulse beat, and

boln« i„,l„tal with ar 1 va^vtf r,,r"'?' '"<«»-™l"""-. »"<',
arctic wrvico. ' ™ ^ P"""'''''' ™<' ''feUy "seM upon

1; f|

1 ^

I' I

fill

McMASTER UNIVERSITV ■ .pp.o,>

i !

1 1

*■«■

"^••i

"Wr-

100 DISCOVEIJY OF A NOKTII-WEST PASSAGE.

then cnnie across tlio darkness— " :N'o ! we did not know
you Avanted one." Captain M'Cluro sent them back
immediately to the ship for the Halkott's hoat, and,
meantime, aided by liis officers, lie exerted himself to
keep the men from falling asleep. Happily the party,
on its way to the Investigator, was met by another con-
veying boats, and the two returned with all sjieed to the
water, which had now become covered with bay-ice
nearly an inch thick.

^Ir Court, the master of the Investigator, was just the
man to meet such difficulties as now lay in the way of
relieving his shipmates ; and in spite of bay-ice, and
current, and moving ice, by midnight all the party were
safely ferried across, and on their way to their ship. " I
cannot," says Captain M'Clure in his journal, " speak
too highly of these excellent little boats, or of the in-
genuity of the inventor, as without them my large party
would have had to endure the rigours of an arctic night,
without clothing, tents, or provisions, and the conse-
quences of this might have been very serious "

By four in the morning the travellers had partaken of
a substantial meal, and retired to their beds heartily
tired after eighteen hours' exertion, and grateful for so
fortunate a termination to their adventure.

From the 10th to the 21st of October, preparations
were made to despatch a sledge-party to the northward
to reach Barrow Strait, and to positively assure them-
selves of the fact of their having discovered a :N'orth-
West Passage. Even had they been ready to start at
once, it would have been necessary to give time for the
ice to form sufficiently to insure the ship from being

GE.

not know
honi back
l)oat, and,
himself to
the party,
otlier con-
eed to the
h. bay-ice

IS just the
le way of
y-ice, and
)arty wore
ship. " I
il, " speak
3f the in-
irge party
itic night,
he conse-

ir taken of
3 heartily
■ul for so

parations
northward
ire theni-
a ^N'orth-
' start at
} for the
>m being

lilSK OF TKMI'KIUTL-IIE. i,,.

Mown away with the drifting pack whilst the party was
absent-au acciaent which experience has l,o „T

w j":?T:r ";•""" °""'^ "" ^ » '""' ^'^^ '-" t -

to .4 J,/,,, of Fahrenheit, fro.n 2' mm,,., whilst the
w, ml was blow,n« fresh from „,„•//,.«„,, ^oj,,, ,..;, ;™
UKheate that the winter of the region i . wliieh 1 e I .
vestigator was frozen in, is mo.lihed h^^ t 'n t
from the open water of Jiarrow Strait, i well I fr ,
tha forced up by southerly winds from the Amcri^

rltmnt to the crew, for they had all put on their
^vmter cIoth„>g, and had begun to shut up th s ^
eady to res.st the rigour of winter ; a n.omenta y rile of
th.s mure, herefore, only ereated disconifort, and was
of too transitory a nature to be beneficial. In,lee,l the
men voted warm weather in the middle of Octobe a

he head and copious expectorations of " 'baccy .juice "
varned the novices against "being fools enough to pull
their clothes off on account of a bit of sunshiire, for pe
haps in an hour's time Zero would be abou a^ah ''
^«-«, It must be observed, was invariably referred "to as
a veritable foe having an actual existence, and™ s o be
combated as they would do the Arch-Enemy

A landing was now effected on the islands named after
Her Eoyal Highness the Princess -Eoyal; but thev
offered nothing remarkable beyond some anc ent Ct
maux graves and fox-tmps. Traces of animals were as

minds of our navigators as human footsteps did in that

I I

ir.

I, I'^l

* I

■■J.

'n h

102 niSCOVHKY OF A NORTH-WEST TASSAGE.

of Eobiiison Crusoe. Those -vvlio could appreciate the
possible contingoncics of arctic exploration were keenly
•dhy-'i to tlie importance of procuring game of some sort,
to eke out the resources of the ship, and keep the crew
free from the ravages of scurvy during the forthcoming
winter. Even as a question of mere rations, apart from
the desirability of obtaining fresh food for the crew, the
subject forced itself upon every one's attention, for the
preserved meats were constantly found to be in a putrid
condition ; and betM'ecn the 12th and 18th of October
no less than fofo' htindml and Iwenty-f our pounds were
thrown overboard as unfit for food— nnich to the regret
of (\iptain M'Cluro, who was thus early warned how
carefully he should be obliged to husband his resources,
to carry his crew through their enterprise successfully.

As yet, hoAvever, no reduction in the allowance took
place; for the leader of that gallant ship's company
knew that, when the time came to render a straitened
allowance adindhj ncccsmrij, his officers and men would
cheerfully and manfully submit to the privation.

October the 21st, 1850, came in with a temperature
ranging a little beloAv zero, light winds, and an overcast
sky. The ice of the strait ajipeared to have remained
stationary during the last spring-tides, and the usual
polar accompaniment of strong gales ; Captain ]\l'Clure
thereupon determined to start for Barrow Strait with a
sledge manned with six men, and commanded by lilr
Court, his active and indefatigable master, aided for a
Avhile by a fatigue party of men under IMr Wynniatt
(mate) and Dr Armstrong, and to leave the ship to the
charge of Lieutenant Haswell. K"othing can be more

GE.

eciato the
re keenly
some sort,

the crew
"thcoiniiig
part from
crew, the
n, for the

a putrid
' October
'}i(h' "were
he regret
ncd how
■osoiirces,
■isfiilly.
nee took
company
traitened
m would

perature
overcast
emained
10 usual
]\PClure
I with a
by Mr
'd for a
''ynniatt
' to the
)e more

EXCUllSION TO VIEW THE PASSAGE. 103

delightful than the terms of warm praise in which Cap-
tain IM'Clure speaks of all the officers, when upon the
eve of partmg from them for a service not unattended
with some peril. Hearty were the cheers, and Well-
fare-ye's ! on either side, as, the little sledge-party bade
good-.ye to ship and companions, and plodded on their
onely way, to bring back one day to their shipmates
the most interesting intelligence ever told to the hun-
dreds who have devoted health, strength, and energy to
the problem of a I^orth-West Passage.

The headlong zeal of the excited crew upon the sledrro
soon received a lesson in patience from the rugged and
broken pack, by the repeated capsizing of the sledge
oM Its eventual fracture beyond all temporary repair!
Ihere was nothing left for them but to send Mr Court
back to the ship for another sledge, whilst the party
pitched their tent, and rdept under canvass upon the
frozen ocean.

The Investigator had left England but little prepared
for extensive sledge-work, and with few, if any, improve-
ments upon the system of sledge- travelling originally
laid down by Captain Sir James Clark Ross. In all her
sledge-parties there was consequently a greater amount
of hardship and privation than in those of the expedi-
tions under Captains Austin, Kellett, or Belcher, who
each improved upon their predecessors' experience. We
find, for instance, that at the close of the first day's
journey, the truly frugal meal of Captain M'Clure and
his men was a pint of tepid water apiece, into which a
little oatmeal was thrown ; after which they retired to
their sleeping bags, to rest as best they might with a

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104 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

temperature of 6° 7mnus. On 22d October, the new
sledge having joined them, the party proceeded to the
northward, working over alternate patches of rough and
smooth ice, until the night came on, and it became too
dark to see their way. The tent was then pitched, and
supper prepared; but such a supper ! one pint of melted
snow and a piece of frozen pemmican ! Hunger, how-
ever, sweetened even this meal; and, tired and cold,
they got into their frozen blankets and fell asleep, whilst
an October snow-storm rolled over their frail canvass
tenement. Next morning before daybreak the cook of
the day was roused, and his culinary powers were called
into play under the trying circumstances of a tempera-
ture of 32° below freezing-point. Some water was
warmed sufficiently for a preparation of chocolate to be
dissolved in it ; and a pint of this tepid beverage being
given to each man, together with a biscuit and a half
apiece, the party again manned the drag-ropes of the
sledge and proceeded to the northward.

After some difficulty in crossing ridges of broken ice
—the hedgeroios of an arctic landscape— they reached
vast fields of smooth ice of the present season's forma-
tion; and here an obstacle of a fresh nature awaited
them. ThQ autumnal snow had accumulated heavily
upon the surface of these young ice-fields, and, weigh-
ing them down, caused the sea-water to flow through
sufficiently to render the under part of the snow almo^'st
as tenacious as clay. The fatigue of hauling two hundred
pounds apiece through such a route was excessive ; but
the gallant crew strained every nerve, and the distended
veins and large drops of perspiration (freezing on the

DIFFICULTIES AKD HARDSHIPS. 105

faces of the men) told how well they were workms
Unfortunately no water r.ni,i,i t,„ v, j i wuming.

thirst fi, ;'" ™ter could be had to ajipease their
tlnrst-they might as well have been labourL on the
great Sahara; for every handfnl of snow whlh thev

assuaged their sufferings, as it contained more or less of
the salts of the sea-water which rendered the surface of
the floe wet and tenacious. About noon one of the
best men of the party became perfectly exWed and
two others were frostbitten. Captain IVTOu 'then
stopped to give them the noonday meal of cold water

Tr thrtVar^r-'"' "^^ '^"^^ ^^^^^ ^'^ -' «"

+1, J ,\ ^^^^ *"^ allowance of fuel for

the day would thaw, they again trudged on til dark
when as „„ j, ^^^^ ^^^^.^^^ ^^^ S^^^ 1 da^k,

and their rough meal and rougher bed prepared.* Kpe'
-ere then lit ; and whilst some of the men^aired tS
torn mocassins and seal-skin boots by candle-light the

untU at last his tired companions feU off one by one to
forget heir sufferings, into the land of dreams. '

October 24," says Captain M'Clure, "was not so
cuttmg a day, the thermometer having risen to 5°
Fahr. ; I walked ahead whilst the sledge was packing
ascended a point of land a hundred feet 'above the 1 «!
of the sea, and observed distinctly that the eastern shore
of Prince of Wales Strait trended now far away to the

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106 disco\t:ry of a north-west passage.

eastward, whilst that of tho western coast (which wo
were upon) preserved its northerly direction. The point
whereon I stood appeared to ho the most contiguous to
the opposite shore, and tho breadth across about fifteen
miles; beyond me, tho shores of the strait evidently
began to separate. This encouraged mo in the hope that
we were on the point of reaching Earrow Strait ; and
seeing a hill at what appeared a distance of 12 miles duo
north of my position, I returned to the sledge, and
pointed it out to the crew as a capo from whence we
should see that long-wished-for sea."

Every man now dragged with a will, in the hope of
reaching that night tho end of his journey ; but after
seven hours' toilsome labour, the tantalising cape still
retained its original position, and they seemed not a
mile nearer to it. Captain ]\l*Clure then saw that he
had been much deceived in its apparent distance owing
to the clearness of the atmosphere, and that thirty miles
was a nearer estimate than twelve, of the probable length
of their march. After a night's rest and another hard
day's work, they were still two miles off tho cape, when
night closed in and obliged them to halt and encamp.
Though disappointed in not yet having sighted Barrow
Strait, they were all much cheered by the multiplying
proofs around them of its close proximity. Away to the
north-east they already saw that wonderful oceanic ice
which Sir Edward Parry so well described in his memor-
able voyage to Melville Island in 1819 — ice which they
had left behind them directly they passed the southern
entrance of Prince of Wales Strait, and which they now
again found at its northern extremity. Great hills and

DISCOVEEY OF THE TASSAGE. 107

dales of blue crystalline sea-ico rolled on before them in
the direction of Melville Island; and it required more
than ordinary sanguineness of disposition to suppose
they over should navigate the old Investigator through
such a sea; yet, to have heard the party talk, the feat
appeared certain of accomplishment-all things seemed
possible to men who had already mastered so much By
an observed meridian altitude of the star Capella, the
latitude on October the 25th was 73° 25' N., and this
was the first and only observation they had been able to
obtain since quitting the ship.

The morning of the 26th of October 1850 was fine
and cloudless ; it was with no ordinary feeUngs of joy
and gratitude that Captain M'Clure and his party started
before sunrise to obtain from the adjacent hill a view of
that sea which connected their discoveries with those of
Sir Edward Parry. Ascending a hill GOO feet above the
sea-level, they patiently awaited the increase of light to
reveal the long-sought-for North- West Passage from the
Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

As the sun rose, the panorama slowly unveiled itself.
First, the land called after H.RH. Prince Albert showed
out on an easterly bearing; and from a point since
named after the late Sir Robert Peel, it evidently turned
away to the east, and formed the northern entrance of
the channel upon that side.

The coast of Banks Land, on which the party stood,
terminated at a low point about twelve miles further on
—thus forming a part of, and connecting itself with, that
land, the loom of which had been so correctly reported
and so well placed on our charts by Sir Edward Parry's

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108 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

expedition thirty-odd years before. Away to the north,
and across the entrance of Prince of Wales Strait, lay
the frozen waters of Barrow, or, as it is now called, Mel-
ville Strait ; and raised as our explorers were, at an
altitude of GOO feet above Hs levol, the eyesight embraced
a distance f; . precluded the possibility of any land
lying in that ction between them and Melville Island.

A North- West Passage was discovered ! * All doubt
as to the existence of a water communication between
the two great oceans was removed ; and it now alone
remained for Captain M'Clure, his officers and men, to
perfect the work by traversing the few thousand miles
of known ground between them and their homes.

The feelings of Captain M'Clure and his companions
may be easily understood when we remember what they
had gone through to earn this success, and how the hand
of the All-powerful had borne tliem through no ordinary
dangers in their gallant efforts ; but no arrogant self-
estimation formed part of the crowd of tumultuous feel-
ings which made their hearts beat so high, and never
from the lips of man burst a more fervent Thanh God !
than now from those of that little company.

* The subsequent recovery, by Captain Sir Leopold M'Clintock, of
the relics and records of the expedition under Sir John Franklin,
prove that his ill-fated crews, coming from the Atlantic, did in the
year 1848 perish on the coast of America, at or about the mouth of
the Great Fish River. That position had been long known to com-
municate directly with the Pacific Ocean by way of Behring Strait.
The priority of the discovery of the North-West Passage clearly,
therefore, belongs to Franklin's expedition; but the credit of dis-
covering two other water communications, ice-choked though they be,
on either side of Banks Land, between the waters of the Atlantic
and Pacific, belongs to Sir Robert M'Clure.

FEELINGS OF THE EXPEDITIOxN. 109

And we feel that they had reason to be proud as well
as grateful, when we call to mind the time, tlie money
and the men which England had previously lavished
without success, on the discovery of this great geogra'
phical problem. o & '*

Franklin and his heroic followers had, indeed, not
then been found ; but, in seeking them, a great problem
had been unravelled, and Captain M'Clure felt that
even should he be so unfortunate as never to discover
the missing expedition, he nevertheless would not return
to his country with empty hands.
^ The position of Mount Observation, from which the
important discovery had been made, was ascertained to
be in latitude (observed) 73° 30' 39'' K, longitude 114°
39 W., and by lunar 114^ 14' W. Pushing on to the
extreme northern entrance of the strait, the travellers
encamped that night on Cape Lord John Eussell, and
cheered lustily as they reached the shores of Barrow
fetrait. A mimic bonfire, of a broken sledge and dwarf
willow, was lighted by the seamen in celebration of the
event ; and an extra glass of grog, given them by their
leader, added to their happiness.

The qu .tion of a north-west passage in this direction
being thus placed beyond all doubt, the rapid fall of
temperature warned Captain M'Clure that he should
return to his ship without delay, and terminate the trials
the whole party were exposed to every night. Their
fur robes were frozen into a solid mass, which could only
be thawed by the men lying upon them for some hours :
the blanket bags were so stiff from the same cause as to
stand erect; the clothes, caps, whiskers, and beards of

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no DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

tlie party were constantly frozen together, and required
to be thawed inside the tent before they retired to
rest j and when their clothes were taken off, they had to
be placed under their bodies that they might not freeze
again. In fact, the hardships and discomforts to be en-
dured in consequence of the lateness of the season,
although common to arctic travellers, would, if minutely
described, appear almost fabulous to others.

From Point Lord John Eussell the coast of Banks
Land was seen to trend away to the westward, and
increase in boldness of outline and altitude. Much
vegetation for this latitude was observed, and numerous
traces of animals, such as the deer, hare, and ptarmigan,
l: well as of their destroyers the fox and the wolf; but
not one of the animals themselves was seen. A large
cairn was constructed, a due record of the visit of the
party placed therein, and then, in the teeth of a S.E.
gale, they commenced their return to the Investigator.

The return journey might have ended seriously for the
leader of the party. On the 30th October, at 2 p.m.,
having seen the Princess-Eoyal Isles, and knowing the
position of the Investigator from them, Captain M'Clure
left his sledge, with the intention of pushing for the
ship and having a warm meal ready for his men on their
arrival. When still six miles from the ship the night
overtook him, and with it came a dense mist accompa-
nied with snow-drift, which rolled down the strait, and
obscured every object. Unable to see his road, but en-
deavouring to preserve a course by the wind, M'Clure
continued to hasten on, until repeated and heavy faUs
amongst the broken ice warned him to desist or incur

numerous

DANGER OF CAPT.UN M'CLURE. m

chmbed on a mass of squeezed-up ice, in the hope of

the attention of some one on board the vessel by firin"
l^r^'^T: ■ U°^°rtunately, I had no other ammu!

u », n ^ '■'"'Se, that the two charges in the "un
wodd be a^l I should be likely to require! Aft^r w^u"
ng for an hour patiently, I ^os rejoiced to see thrZh
the mist the glare of a blue light, evidently burnt in the
toect,on m which I had left the sledge. I immediately
tt,! "^f <"^ "y Po^Mo". but my fire was evidently
unobserved, and, both barrels being discharged, I was

uZn the" 7"' *' "^'''- "y ""'y ^»P« -- -"2
and »ltt I'K '^^e^ug; but nothing was to be seen,
and although I once more saw, at a greater distance, the
glare of another blue light from the sledge, there seemed
no probabi% of my having any other'shelter for'he
night than that the floe afforded. Two hours ekpsed
I endeavoured to see the face of my pocket-compass by
the hght of a sohtary lucifer-match, which happened to
be m my pocket; but in this hope I was cruelly dlsap"
pointed, for It fizzed and went out, leaving me m told

h±:T ."Tr^'^'^-f"'^'^'^*' tb-ewereeW
hours of night before me, a temperature 15° below zero

beai. prowHng about, and I with an unloaded gun in'

ship, and finding I had not arrived, search would be
made and help be sent; so I walked to and fro upon

Zlo^rT ,r!". ^ '"PP°^^ " ■"'^' ^^' l-^^" eleven
clock, when that hope fled likewise. Descending ixom

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112

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

the top of tlie slab of ice upon whicli I had clamhered, I
found under its lee a famous bed of soft dry snow, and,
thoroughly tired out, I threw myself upon it and slept
for perhaps three hours, when upon opening my eyes I
fancied I saw the flash of a rocket. Jumping upon my
feet I found that the mist had cleared off, and that the
stars and aurora borealis were shining in all the splen-
dour of an arctic night. Although unable to see the
islands or the ship, I wandered about the ice in different
directions until daylight, when, to my great mortification,
I found I had passed the ship fully the distance of four
miles." Eetracing his steps. Captain M'Clure reached
the Investigator on the 31st October very tired, but
otherwise none the Avorse for his rough and dangerous
exposure to a winter's night in 73° north latitude. A
few hours afterwards the sledge-party arrived under Mr
Court; and great was the joy on board the ship, and
hearty the congratulations up n their safe return, and
the glorious news they brought.

Nothing, I fancy, can better bring home to ;he com-
prehension of the uninitiated in arctic sledge-travelling,
the severity of the labour undergone by officers and men
employed upon duty of that nature, than the following
extract from Captain M'Clure's private journal — and
similar ones might be found in those of many other offi-
cers : — " The weight brought back to the ship upon the
sledge (after an absence of nine days) was 793 pounds,
being an increase upon what we started with of upwards
of 100 pounds. This was occasioned by the accumula-
tion of ice upon the furs, tent, blankets, and sledge, in
consequence of the vapour thrown off by our bodies and

DIFFICULTIES OF SLEDGE-TIJAVELLING. 113

cooking apparatus condensiDg and freezing upon every
a tide winch it came in contact with. And, strange as it
may Hcern, the whole consumption of food during nine
days amongst eight men, independently of chocolate and
pints, amounted but to eighteen pounds of pemmican,
thirty-one pounds of biHcuit, and two pounds of oatmeal
-a consumption almost incredible, and only to be
accoun od for by the crew being every night too ex
hausted after their day's exertion, to care for anythin"

^^hnu^'"^' T^ '^'' '''''^' ^'' ^^* '' ^^ obtained
w thou, thawing it, and the allowance of fuel would only

admit of each man receiving daily five gills to drink-
j^amely, ha If a pint at breakfast, a giU at dinner, and
naif a pint m the evening."

On this however, they had worked cheerfully, and ac-
complished an average of twenty miles per diem~a feat
which It IS but right to say only the discovery of a north-
west passage could have carried the men through • for
although Lieutenant (now Commander) Mecham has in
later years far excelled Captain M'Clure's journey with
respect to distance accomplished, it was only by carefully
loeding up and nursing the strength of his men that h ^
at the same moment enjoys the honour of having won
the palm in daily distance accomplished from such men
as Captains Kichards and M'Clintock.

During the absence of their captain, the officers of the
Investigator had been far from idle. Upon the adjacent
shores of Pnncoof Wales Strait they succeeded in shoot-
ing a fine herd of musk-oxen, consisting of three buUs
a cow, and a calf, yielding a supply of 1296 pounds of
Bona meat. The moral effect of the discovery that such

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114 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

a quantity of fresh food could be found near a place
where they were frozen up, was very beneficial upon the
minds of the crew, and added materially to the feeling
of general confidence with which they prepared to meet
the coming winter.

The ventilating tubes to the lower deck were now
fitted, to force out by a current of pure but cold air the
heated and deleterious vapours generated between decks
by a number of men living in so confined a space. The
last winter housings were finally secured down, and a
winter school-room established, to which thirty pupils
immediately repaired to learn to read and write ; and by
the 11th of November the Investigator was ready to bid
the bright sun good-bye.

The day was cloudless, the temperature down to 26°
minus, and one uniform sheet of snow and ice spread on
every side, over land and sea. Winter had set her seal
upon that silent strait, and but for the rocky buttresses
of Princess-Eoyal Island frowning over the floe, or the
dark cleft of a ravine upon Banks Land, it was not easy
to detect the line of demarcation between earth and
water. Towards noon the bright edge of the upper
limb of the sun rolled slowly along the southern horizon,
and bade them adieu for eleven long weeks ; the dreary
night of a polar winter had commenced. Between the
2d of November and the 2d of December the new floes
were found to have increased in thickness ten inches and
a half, the last measurement making them 2 ft. 6^ in. ;
yet little if any snow could be found on them for drink-
ing purposes — a serious inconvenience, arising from the
weight of the snow-drifts breaking down the weak ice,

HEALTH OF THE CHEW. jjj

Sr ,'• 17° '"'' " '"-"Peraturo, rapidly bocou,e a
part of ho sohd floe. In this manner the ice that covert
the arctic sea accumulates more rani.lW i,. ', ''"^f
winter by the deposit upon its IrfZ' 1" / he l^l'
gelation of the water beneath ^

ture of the ex ernal air ranged from - 23° to - 37° Eahr

heated .nterna, atmosphere againat the cohl surface of
the sides and deck; and he succeeded (as had been dine

nd lXw;"°'!.f ?"^"'?) '» -»""« ""« <l-irtS
end, by fitting ventilators and clearing the lower deck of

men for the major part of the day, so thav a fre cutent

of a r should circulate for a while throughout the ve^l

By the.e means he secured the health of his men to a

degree previously unprecedented upon arctic service • and

hey duly appreciated the forethought and care thus be

stowed upon them, and in the following season they

resumed their duties as if fresh from ^England and

enabled Captain M'Clure to achieve a stiU mot pekous

voyage than the one already accomplished in the yei::

The minute details of the daily events of an arctic
vinter have been so often described that it is unnocessarv
to recount them. They consist or remarks upon decZ
mg warmth and daylight, varied sometimes by a noMoT

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116 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

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that on such, a day there was an unusually hrilliant aur-
ora borealis, or a great frequency of shooting-stars. The
arctic fox, of course, came as usual to visit the new
intruders upon his domains, but only to be trapped and
have his snow-white fur packed up to ornament the neck
of some fair lady at home. But it was now for the first
time noted, in so high a latitude, that the arctic raven,
the hardiest of the feathered tribes, was seen in the depth
of the dark season to flit through the cold and sunless
atmosphere like an evil spirit, his suUen croak alone
breaking the silence of that death-like scene. No one
shot any of these birds of ill omen ; and they seemed to
feel they were secure.

Christmas came at length, with all its hallowed recol-
lections ; and it was kept on board the Investigator, as
it is on board of a man-of-war in every part of the world,
in cheerfulness and in good-fellowship. The Captain's
table groaned under good cheer. There was beef from
the Sandwich Islands, which had been kept in a frozen
state for six months; there was veal (of musk-ox) from
the shores of Prince of Wales Strait; there was mince-
meat from Old England, splendid preserves from the
Green Isle, and many a dainty dish from Scotland. Each
one talked of home; they calculated the hour when,
allowing for the difference of time, those most dear to
the talkers would be going to church, to dinner, to ball,
or to bed ; and an honest manly hope was expressed that,
one of those days, they might yet be there to see and
share in happiness, in their estimate of which distance
naturally " lent enchantment to the viev/."

Thus closed the year 1850. The Investigator that

CLOSE OF 1850. 117

day had only one man ill, and he was one who had con-
cealed the fact of his being in delicate health when join-
ing the ship at Woolwich. " Every credit," says Cap-
tain M'Clure, "is due to the medical officers, Drs Arm-

tttl^'l.wT/""''' ''' '^"^^ -remitting attention
to the health of the men; " and nothing could be more
satisfactory than the state of the vessel, her crew, and
her resources on this day,"_the last of the year 1850

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CHAPTEE XII.

NEW year's day, 1851 — RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE DIFFERENT
EXPEDITIONS — THE INCREASING COLD RELIEVED BY THE
DAILY AUGMENTATION OF SOLAR LIGHT — DEER AND PTAR-
MIGAN SEEN IN THE DEPTH OF WINTER — THE THEORY OF
ANIMAL MIGRATION IN ARCTIC REGIONS SUBVERTED — THE
RAVEN LEAVES THE SHIP — RETURN OF THE SUN — RAMBLES
ON THE ICE — REVIVAL OF HEALTH AND SPIRITS — WINTER
SPORTING — PREPARATIONS FOR SLEDGE-PARTIES IN SEARCH
OF franklin's EXPEDITION — DEPOTS ESTABLISHED TO SECURE
THE SAFETY OF THE TRAVELLERS — DEPARTURE OF THE
VARIOUS PARTIES — HARDSHIPS ENDURED BY SLEDGE-CREWS
IN HIGH LATITUDES IN SPRING JOURNEYS — THE ZEAL AND

. COURAGE OF THE SEAMEN — THE SCENE OF THEIR LABOURS
COMPARED WITH SOUTHERN LATITUDES — THE POSITION OF
THE INVESTIGATOR IN 1850 — MURDER OF LIEUTENANT BAR-
NARD BY NORTH-WEST INDIANS.

The winter of the year 1850-51 was a remarkable one in
the arctic regions. On the side of Baffin Bay, a naval
expedition, consisting of Her Majesty's ships Resolute,
Assistance, Pioneer, and Intrepid, manned by 180 officers
and men, had pushed into the ice of Barrow Strait, until
caught by the winter under Griffith Island.* Not many

I h

* These vessels were commanded by Captain T. H. Austin, C.B.,
Captain Erasmus Omraanney, Lieutenants-Commanding JohnB. Cator,
and Sherard Osborn.

I I

POSITIONS OF THE DIFFERENT EXPEDITIONS. 119

miles from them, in a small Lay in North Devon, two
handy little brigs under Captain W. Penny, a noble
specimen of the merchant sailor, lay securely housed in,
manned by fifty sailors chosen from the hardy whaling-
crews of Aberdeen and Peterhead. Close to these Ipst
vessels, an English yacht was wintering, under the com-
mand of that veteran, Admiral Sir John Eoss. Three-
score and ten years had not quenched in him that strong
love for hardship and adventure which seems the only
assignable motive that can induce men to continue to
follow the hazardous career of an arctic navigator. But
on the occasion of which I am writing, a nobler and
higher purpose carried that aged officer to the frozen
regions.

Thus, on the eastern side of the unknown waste which
lay between Banks Land and Griffith Island, we have
these seven vessels securely wintering, and prepared,
with no small zeal, to push out their sledges directly the
daylight and temperature would admit of it j while on
the western side the Investigator alone, far from all com-
munication with either savage or civilised man, was flying
her pendant with as much pride and confidence as if the
solitude into which she had boldly pushed was the spot,
of all others, her gallant crew would most desire to pass
their ]^ew Year's day in.

All the various expeditions had good cause for con-
tentment, and reason to be grateful to God ; for their
ships were secure, the ice was stationary, and though it
was dark, and cold, and cheerless without board, within
there was warmth, food, good-fellowship, and perfect
health. Par diiferent was the position of another ex-

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120 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

pedition which had left its home on the same mission of
carrying rescue to Franklin.

In 1850 an American party, under Lieutenant Com-
mander de Haven, had, in two schooners, pushed up to
Griffith Island at the same time with the English ships ;
but, being imprepared for wintering, the Americans tried
to escape the grip of an arctic winter. Under sail, they
bore up for Baffin Bay; but the rapidh forming ice
seized upon their ships, and, cradled in it, the Eeserve
and Advance drifted whither it listed. Death threatened
them in every shape, their vessels groaning under pres-
sure at one time, and then tossed about by broken ice in
the fury of midwinter gales. Scurvy broke out amongst
the crews. The vessels were not liberated from their icy
fetters until the pack had swept them, through a hundred
dangers, into DfAvis Strait. Well might our English sea-
men congratulate themselves on the immunity they en-
joyed from the severe winter sufferings of their Ameri-
can coadjutors, and the still more hapless position of
the crews of the Erebus and Terror ; for some of those
poor fellows might possibly have been still alive on that
New Year's day. Alas ! who shall tell how those sad
hours of their last new year were passed by those gallant
men!

It is necessary to the clear comprehension of the voyage
of the Investigator, that the reader should bear in mind
the relative positions of the other ships as I have given
them ; and that, at the same time, Dr Eae was wintering
on the shores of the Great Bear Lake in North America,
ready to start, with boat and sledge, northward immedi-
ately that the weather v/ould allow him.

NEW year's day. 121

The Investigator's :i^ew Year's day was a happy one •
many a dehcacy long and carefully hoarded was produced
on the table, at which aU the officers and their captain
met; and not the least remarkable of these dainties was
a quarter of mutton which had been procured at the
bandwich Islands in the previous July-a pretty good
proof of the preservative qualities of frost. On this day
there was still but one man on the sick list, and the crew
now felt that the most trying portion of the winter would
soon be past, for with every returning day the sun was
again approaching the horizon, and, slowly though it was
still the twilight was augmenting daily. Light was what
they, as weU as all others who have wintered in the
north most sighed for. The cold, however intense, is
robbed of half its terrors if there is light to enable the
arctic nav.gaior to see around, and allow him to take his
walk, or, gun in hand, seek for game.

The darkest period of an arctic winter is from about
the 10th of December to about the 6th of January
whereas the lowest temperatures usually occur after-
wards, in February, when there is considerable twilirrht—
and, m the latitude of the Investigator's winter- quarters
some hours of sunlight. This merciful dispensation of
Providence, by which the most rigorous temperature of
the pole occurs after the period of total darkness has
passed away, is one amongst the many which strikes the
least observant visitor to those regions.

From the 9th January 1851 to the IGth, was the
coldest period registered on board the Investigator • but
there was tolerable light then from 9.S0 a.m. to 2.30 p m
so much, indeed, that at noon on the IGth uxe only star

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122 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

■whose light was not quenched by the twilight was the
bright star Arcturus. The spirits of the men rose, in
spite of the thermometer showing 40° to 50° below zero
of Fahrenheit ! What cared they for quicksilver being
solid, any more than for the solidity of the surface of the
sea over which they strode? No, their health and spirits
were good, they could see that the sun was coming back,
and did it not promise them all they wanted 1 — summer
thaws, open water, fresh adventures, the discovery of the
Erebus and Terror, and then huzza for England !

Eirmly believing the old-fashioned story of the annual
migration of animal life in arctic America, it never entered
any one's head that, during all this darkness and cold,
there was abundance of fresh food close at hand. The
discovery was an accidental one. Early one dark morn-
ing in January, a man named John Eames was walking
upon the floe, some distance from the ship, and saw pass
close by him a small herd of reindeer, trotting quietly
towards Princess-Eoyal Islands. Had the ghost of his
grandfather suddenly appeared to him upon the floe,
John Eames could not have been more astonished ; for
he, like every one else, confidently believed in every
living creature having gone to more favoured climes to
the southward, until the summer should return. The
news quickly spread ; appetites sharpened ; and sports-
men issued forth to slay venison. But the deer were
not to be found, although they found some ptarmigan.
These discoveries gave rise to much astonishment ; how
birds could exist in such a temperature, with the land
covered deeply in snow 1 and with the soil, wherever it
happened to be exposed, frozen so hard as to destroy iron

how

THEORY OP ANIMAL MIGRATION OVERTHROWN. 123

tools in attempting to loosen it ! There was, however, no
doubt of the existence of both bird and beast in the
neighbourhood, and doubts naturally suggested them-
selves of the correctness of the theory of animal migra-
tion laid down by that eminent naturalist and traveller
feir John Richardson, as well as by the late Admiral Sir
Edward Parry; and Captain M^Clure, in his journal,
says, " It IS pretty evident that, during the whole winter
animals may be found in these straits, and that the want
o± sufficient light alone prevents our larder being stored
with fresh food." °

Subsequent observation throughout the arctic zone
has completely overthrown the idea that the reindeer
musk-ox, or other animals inhabiting the archipelago of
islands north of America, migrate southward to avoid an
arctic winter. Throughout Eanks Land, Melville Island
Bathurst and Cornwallis Land-in short, wherever Brit-
ish seamen have wintered of late years-there have been
found indubitable proofs of the reindeer, bear, musk-ox
marmot, wolf, hare, and ptarmigan-in other words all
the fauna of those climes-wintering in the latitudes
which they frequent during the summer.

January closed in with strong gales of wind from the
westward ; and, on one occasion, the wind veered to
S.W. and blew with such violence from the more genial
regions of America, that the temperature rose from —32°
to —15° of Fahrenheit,- a change which, however pleas-
ing, could not be thoroughly enjoyed for the snow-drift
which was too heavy for a soul to venture outside the
friendly shelter of the woollen housings. An incident
characteristic of life in the far north happened at this

' 1

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i aBieu>^. ' i,j^ uiW" L.x t

124 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

time. A raven that had haunted the ship during the
past period of cold and darkness disappeared ; and its
departure was quite an event, something for the men to
remark and talk upon, and its society was more missed
than the loss of a more pleasing pet would have been
elsewhere.

" The absent bird was a loss," says the gallant captain
of the Investigator, " which we all felt ; it had been the
only creature that appeared as isolated as ourselves, and
a mutual confidence had been established between us.
The raven used to visit the ship unmolested except by
the dog — who appeared to know the bird as well as we
did, was always on the look-out for its visit, and went
out to meet it occasionally. The dog would run at
Ealpho ; but he would hop over his head, and resume
his occupation at the dirt-heap, keeping an eye, how-
ever, all the while upon the dog, and uttering a harsh
croak occasionally, as if enjoying the fun of tantalising
him."

On February the 3d the glorious sun rose again, after
having been absent since the 11th of November. Eighty-
four days of twilight and darkness ! Few but the dweller
in those high latitudes can understand the joy with which
the return of that bright luminary was hailed ; and the
congratulations exchanged upon having been spared to
rejoice again in the blessed sunlight, were mingled with
heartfelt aspirations for the future.

Officers and men were every day extending their walks.
Many a party was made up to Princess-Eoyal Island,
each being sanguine of bringing back a well-filled game-
bag ; but the evening often saw the sportsmen returning

SPORTING AND AMUSEMENTS. J,25

unsuccessful and tired, with no other consolation than
tnat 01 having seen at a distance some solitary wolf, and
--upon the principle of "where there are bees there must
De noney --they strongly maintained that those crerttures
proved vemson to be in the neighbourhood, and this

tZ7Zt. '"'}"' '^'"^- ^^-^t-lking in a tempera-
ture of 60^ below freezing-point, when all the country is
buried in snow, and the sportsman stands out in stron^.
reliet upon the snowy landscape, is seldom remunerative
to the larder-but it has the merit of giving occupation
to mmds pressed down by the canker of monotony : and
the officers could smile and enjoy the marvellous tales
brought back by the men of the number of miles they
had walked, the quantity of game seen, or the size of
reindeer footprints upon the snow, and at the excellent
reasons for neither flesh nor fowl being found in their
game-bags.

That it did not become warm directly the sun rose
was vexatious to those not gifted with patience : and
many sighed at seeing the thermometer on February 2Ist
only registering -44° in the shade, and that the sun-
rays playing upon the bulb of the instrument only raised
It to —28°, or GO degrees below freezing-point ! Outdoor
sports now commenced ; and to see the heavy falls the
men experienced in their thick winter clothing and cloth
snow-boots, whOst playing rounders upon the ice an
observer might have wondered how they escaped frac-
tured bones and broken heads. Appetites that had failed
now began to return, pale and yellow faces again to re-
cover their ruddy and sunburnt colours ; and Ion- dis-
cussions already arose as to how Jack would spend his

m '!• f

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« ftr^^ ^w » itr¥ ./^Tli^wm^

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126 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

money when he arrived in England — au anxiety which
in every clime weighs upon his mind when nothing else
will.

Arrangements connected with the travelling operations
of the coming sprin: ivere now entered upon ; and although
the present thickness of the ice in Prince of Wales Strait
gave no promise of an early disruption, still Captain
M'Clure determined, before the sledges left the ship, to
establish such a depot, and place such means on the
islands, as should render the sledge-pc».rties independent
of the ship, in the event of the ice breaking up and
sweeping the Investigator north or south before their
return. Early in March, therefore, a whale-boat was
carried on sledges, with much labour and difficulty, to
Princess-Eoyal Island, and a depot established of three
months' victualling for the entire crew ; so that, should
the ship even be destroyed during the summer operations
of 1851, a portion, if not all of the crew, might escape to
the Mackenzie River or Barrow Strait, where some of
Captain Austin's expedition would be met with. AVith
this depot of provisions a record was placed, stating by
whom and why it was established, and beseeching any
parties from other ships that might visit it, to consider
the provisions as sacred, and only to be touched upon
the most urgent necessity.

These precautionary measures taken, the attention of
leader, officers, and men was turned to the equipment of
the sledges for their journeys over the ice in search of
Eranklin, as well as to the expediency of communicating
the Investigator's position to any ships that might be in
their neighbourhood.

PEEPAKIXO FOE SLEDGE-PAETIES. 127

arly in Jfarch tho temperature in the eun rose to

hJl' 7^ S^"'' "* ™'"='' ™°w. indicated the

« ti?' ^^" ""r""^' ^''^=°"; "■^'J - the action of

hort f't *^ ^'r I»"'l*1 -other boat upon the eastern

UPO the n , ™ ' '° '"f ^ '^" Pledge-parties to retreat

brthe ice "" °°'' *'^ ''""'''' ''" '^''"•''='' "^"y

April brought rapid increase of sun, light, and heat.

below, and the walks of the officers still more extended

shorbrr""""""' ''™' "■"* ptarmigans occasionally
*ot , but there was too much work to be done connected
with re-stow,„g and examining the state of the provisions

of at, f ' "". T'PP'"S the sledge-parties, to allow
any systematic plan of procuring fresh food being
pursued during this their first winter: ^

ha,?",'""" '!'\-f **"* """''^ t'"' t^-nperature, which
had nseu steadjy, stood at -^38° in the sun, and
tte floe around the ship became studded with pools of
water-formed mther, however, by the tide forcing itself
up the cracks and weak points in the packed iee, than
by any action of the sun upon its surface. An early
Bummer was naturally anticipated ; and profiting by the
expenenco gained at Port Leopold in 1848, Captain
MCluro determined to get his parties away at once

T^ t uJ ''"'S"' "'"' i^'^'^t"^" laden; and
although, with provisions for six weeks and their equip,
ments, ever^ sledge weighed eleven hundredweight, and
there were only six men to drag it, they moved, on

:i'

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I"'* !

*• i6,rTw'"

128

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

ii .

h:i

trial, at a rate which gave good promise of successful

journeys.

Each of the three sledges was to take a separate course :
one, commanded hy Lieutenant Haswell, was directed to
proceed to the S.E., following the coast of Prince Albert
Land, towards the land known to exist north of Dolphin
and Union Straits, and named by its discoverer Wollas-
ton Land 3 another sledge, under Lieutenant S. Gurney
Cresswell, was to follow the coast of Baring or Banks
Land, to the NAY. ; w^hilst the remaining party, with Mr
Wynniatt (mate), was charged with the duty of examin-
ing the coast of Albert Land to the N.E. towards Cape

"VYalker.

On 18th April 1851, the sledges of the Investigator
left the ship* with the hearty good wishes of all on
board ; and, like their brother seamen of the expedition
then wintered under Griffith Island, they held on their
toilsome course in spite of cold, hardship, and every diffi-
culty, cheered by the then still strong hope of finding
Eranklin's lost expedition. To follow each party in its
arduous and monotonous labours, would be but an unin-
teresting repetition of an oft-told tale ; yet the general
reader should be reminded how nobly those gallant sea-
men toiled who were despatched from the Investigator,
or from other ships, to search on foot for our missing
comrades. Sailors by profession, and consequently unac-
customed to long marches or to dragging heavy weights
—the major portion of their lives having probably been

* The sledges of Captain Austin's expedition, then wintering at
Griffith Island, left, it will be remembered, three days earlier —
namely, on 15th April 1851.

..^

DIFFICULTIES AND HARDSHIPS.

129
enter the arc! 11 ^ ^'' "'" ^^''"'- °""^ ""Ji'y

the bou„iTe^ofrs:Mr„n^° m-; ^'"' "^^--^

and even of the limits of ,f^^'''.'''''"''«''°g»Pl'y.
Esquimaux. ' wanderings of the hardy

Inijirisoned as thev had hccn f^ i
winter, entirely left fn 1- " '""S and dark

food, anrtau sement ra r" '°'™"^^ '»' ''^'''"'.

'e«. -repetitr:"::; ^71 //aU '1^7 '"^ ^"t
occasional preserved m.,f ♦ i, , , ^ ' ^''"'''' ^'"i
march of scurvv th Jw ""'' "*' ''"^ >"" ^^"ain

and ice eachTith /on ""7 '™* '° '"'™' "P°" »«--
load, for Tt comprised /°r? ^ '^'"=-''° '"^""""»
tent. If they X d fe . frlv"^'"™'' ^'"'"S-^' ""-^
for until thcfreturnl the "v ' It"' '"™' '^ P^*'»';
warm them Shn HI ^ """^ '"" ^^ "" 'i™ to

theirmouThs the ^^ *'"*"' *™S"^^ ^eave to

Piiy IS ail that their comrades can dve theni fn. +i
sledge must move on its daily march Tf 1 ' \!''
must console themselves hv InnT . """'^' *^"^

better fed when theti: lltt tlT T '^^"°^

necp=!'5arilir ;« oi i • ^ ' ^°^ ''"e rations are

iitcessarily, m sledge-journeys, weicrhed nff +^
in short from +lio +,-, ^i , vveignea ott to an ounce :

-urn t'o !i r tr isZ Te ITs^^ "■"" ^''
vation which call fn. ,, °™"f °' suffering and pri-

-alous ene" "" "'"°^' ^"^"'^"^ ^"d -ost
Severely lid the spring of 18,51 test the best qualities

investigator, but also among those of Captain
i

li. »

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jiiwii^-'^«^-»

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130 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Austin and Captain Penny; and in every case the result
was the same. No man flinched from his Avork ; some
of the rrallant fellows really died at the drag-rope ; others
hy fros^-bitcs became cripples for life ; hut not a murmur
arose in any party : as the ^^'eak fell out from the sledge
appointed to the longest and most severe journey, there
were always more than enough of volunteers to take their

^^ An' attempt has been made to decry the labours of
these seamen in the search for Franklin, and to compare
them with the deeds of the Hudson Bay voyageurs. Ihe
comparison cannot be made >vith justice to either side.
The voyagcur works from a great continent, forming a
sure and safe base of operation-peopled wherever he
has to go by Esquimaux or Indians, consequently capable
of supporting life with ordinary skill and foresight, ihe
major portion of the search commenced in 1848 from the
Hudson Bay Company's Territories has been earned on
in boats and canoes; and the wintering places on Peel
Eiver and at Fort Confidence being south of the arctic
zone the severe trial of health, occasioned by a three-
months' absence of sunlight and salt-meat rations, is

happily avoided.

Tne work the voyageurs were called upon to execute
they have done well, and if placed upon the barren lands
of 74° to 78° north latitude, they might possibly undergo
the privations of that rigorous climate, its months of
darkness and years of unwholesome dietary, equally well
as our sailors : upon that point we have nothing to say,
except that they have not been so tested. It can m no
way detract from the high merit of the Hudson Bay

■r

VOYAGEUES AND SAILORS. 131

servants, in the search for Franklin's expedition, to say
that the chmate and resources of the shores of the
Amencan continent, the scene of their labours, are very
superior to those of the sterile latitudes over 4ich our
seamen toded and the question in no way involves the
personal merits of either the men or their leaders

ihe fact of the Esquimaux having perished off the face
of the region searched by the sledge-parties of Captains
Eoss, Austin Penny, Kellett, and Eelcher, tells itLwn
tale. Engish seamen have had to exist, and labour
severely, where even the aborigines had found it impos-
sible to live It is hardly to be expected that in our
8 neration the laurel will be awarded where it is due,
but we safely leave to the judgment of posterity the
record-and it will bear the closest scrutlny-of how
British seamen have laboured in a noble cause. Their
reward, poor fellows, has been but small; and living as
they do, by the sweat of their brows, shattered health
to them brings starvation. They have laboured hard
and deserve well of their country and profession. Had
all their leaders been as single-hearted, as upright in

ri^Z'ri'\f^'''^' ^^' ™^^^^^ ^'^' ^^°%'l^t home
in 1854 by Dr liae would not have had to be told.*

* The editor does not know of any sledge-journey which can inor«
vividly depict the sufferings which some sledge-partL o i L" wen

dS; rr : :rthe i^ ''- '°"^^^"^^^ ^ ^nef extra:;:;!'

uciuy journal ot the officer in command, the present C'lnHin

"On the 22d rebruary I8«4," says Captain Eiehards "the tem
■iajs, 1 Btartea with two sledges, by Captain Belcher's ordei„, Z

rrMm

iii^nmnm i i i i ij _ J LjjijwwiBaij! i ui».ii^!J. i ' m

kEanKwaqniMMH

ii J

132 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Whilst the sledge-parties of Captain M'Cliire's ship,
as well as those of Captains Austin's and Penny's expe-
ditions (see ' Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal'), are
plodding along on their arduous search, I must, to con-

Boechoy Island, fifty miles distant. After eight miles' dragging?, the
men were so very tired, cold, and miserable, that they hardly had
patience to wait for their frozen meat being thawed ; and that eaten,
they threw themselves down in their blanket bags, half frozen as they
wore, to sleep. Next day (the 23d) the thermometer registered 40"
below zero, or 72° below freezing-point ! " The poor fellows dragged
on aa well as they could ; but the Captain's hands were too cold, and
his ideas too much engaged in attending to their safety, to write any
joiu-nal beyond the hasty but graphic expressions in his note-book, —
" It's distressingly cold !" " the pork as brittle as resin ;" " the rum
frozen ! " So fatigvied were many of the men, and so debilitated
from constant suffering, that their stomachs rejected what food they
attempted to swallow. On the 24th, the temperature had fallen to
74° below freezing-point. It seemed as if human endurance could
go no further ; yet they tugged on, for anything was better than
returning to the wretchedness they had left on board their ship.
Their noonday meal, called lunch, could not be partaken of ; for the
rum and the bacon were solid, and they were too cold to wn'+ whilst
either thawed. Passing by where the gallant Frenchman Bell6t had
fallen a sacrifice in attempting to carry out the orders of Sir Edward
Belcher (vide Blue-Books), the worn-out and exhausted crews en-
camped at last off Cape Grinnell.

Another night of sleeplessness passed, for the cold was too intense
for the most tired to sleep.

On the 25th February the jaded crews made their way across
Griffin Bay, the temperature still so low, and their sufferings so in-
tense, that they could neither eat nor sleep,— a glass of gi-og and a
bit of biscuit being all their food. On the next day the temperature
was still 7'6° below freezing-point (— 41°of Fahr.); exhaustion was
apparent in all the party, and Captain Richards had, as he says,
"serious misgivings as to whether he should be able to proceed."
On making the attempt, frost-bites became frequent and threatening;
but a fresh gale from the north fortunately blew their sledges on, and
in the evening they camped near Point Inncs. On the following day
Captain Richards and Mr Herbert pushed on to the North Star, at

CAPTAIN COLLINSOX AND THE ENTEIlPiaSE. 133

nect the thread of our narrative, remind tlie reader that
we left H.M.S. Enterprise, Captain Collinson, consort of
the Investigator, in the Pacific Ocean. She readied the
latitude of Icy Cape as late as the 22d of September
1850, having made a long and circuitous passage from
the Sandwich Islands. The pack ice was there met ; and
with winter evidently closing in, the prospect of round-
ing Cape Barrow that year was at an end. In obedience,
therefore, to the strict injunction contained in his orders
not to winter in the pack. Captain Collinson bore up for
a warmer climate, so as to have his crew and ship ready
to resume their labours in the season of 1851.

All Captain Collinson knew of the position of Captain
M'Clure, was tlie report of Captain Moore, of the Plover,
who on 5th August 1850 had seen the Investigator,
under a press of canvass, steering northward off Wain-
wright Inlet. Unfortunately one of the many rumours,
easily to be traced to the Investigator's communication
with the natives of the north coast, which reached the
Plover in her idle winter-quarters, induced Captain Col-
linson to allow an enterprising young officer. Lieutenant
Barnard, to be landed in the Eussian north-west American
settlements, in order to inquire into their truth; and in
carrying out this service he was brutally murdered by
savages in a surprise of one of the Russian posts, called

Boechey Island, for aid ; and once arrived there, both he and his men
fervently thanked their God for his protection through no ordinary
suffering. It required a week's rest to restore his men to health and
strength; and perhaps the most painful part of this tale of suffering
is, that It all arose from an idea upon Captain Belcher's part that he
vv-as gifted with prophetic powers as to a high range of temperature
after the 22d February.

;ii '

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6.m .

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1 :

);

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134 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Daral>in Eedoubt, not far from Norton Sound. The
circumstances under which it occurred are related in the
following letter of his companion, Mr Adams, assistant-

surgeon:-

*' Garishka, Russian Fishirg Station, Norton Sound,
N.W. Coast of America, 3d March 1851.

a SiR^_The information I have been able to obtain
here, appears to be more probable than that which I
gained at Michaelowsld. It is to the following effect :—

" Soon after Lieutenant Barnard's arrival at Darabin,
a Russian and two natives were sent to the Koiikuk
river to trade for skins, and they took a letter from Mr
Barnard to be forwarded to the Englishmen on the Ekko.
These three men were murdered by the Indians.

« On the morning of the 16th of February the governor
of the redoubt (Maxemoff or Darabin), who was sleeping
in the same room with Mr Barnard and Boskey, hearing
a noise outside, went to the door; and immediately on
opening it, he was killed by a spear.

" The Indians then rushed into the room ; My Bar-
nard seized his gun, one barrel of which happened to be
loaded with a cartridge, and wounded a man in the arm ;
he then struck with the butt, until the stock broke;
he was severely wounded in the abdomen by a spear, but
I cannot learn that he received any wounds from arrows.

<' Boskey was badly wounded in the abdomen by two
arrows, in the hands by a spear being drawn through
them in attempting to wrest it from an Indian, and
in the arms by a knife. I can learn nothing of the
other Indians, except that they killed one native.

MUllDER OF LIEUTENA.NT BAKNARD.

135

" The inhabitants of the two villages, Tolldkok and
Koltargar, were at Oomalartof at the time of the attack,
and all Avere killed,— men, women, and children,— to the
number of about fifty. The six who escaped were sleep-
ing in the bath-house at the redoubt.

" I cannot ascertain the number of the attacking party,
only that there were 'plenty' of them. Each man car-
ried a shield of thick wood, which was musket- proof ;
and after the first attack, they appear to have planted
them in a line, so as to form a wall, from behind which
they fired at the surviving inhabitants.

" There appears to have been no motive for the aitack,
and so unexpected was it that they were sleeping with
their doors unfastened.

" I have seen some of the spears here ; they are large,
and appear to be of European manufacture; they are
inlaid with brass ard copper.

" I have added to the enclosed, tracing all the infor-
mation I have been able to obtain relative to the situa-
tion and names of villages and rivers.

" On the 5 th of January last Mr Barnard sent a native
of this village to the Plover with despatches; he has not
been heard of since, and the natives are all so much
frightened that I cannot get another to go. I therefore
leave these papers with the Eussian in charge of this
station, to be forwarded if possible.

" We leave this to-morrow. — I have, &c.,

" Edward Adams,

Assidiuit-Sarjtoiif R.jV.

" Commander T. E. L, Moork,
H.M.S. Plover, Grautley Harbour."

3/ !'

136 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

The finale of this sad catastrophe is briefly told, in
the handwriting of poor Barnard, in the annexed note
to Dr Adams. It speaks volumes for the nerve of the
gallant officer, and it is strongly characteristic of the
man : —

I -,1 m^i

" Dear Adams, — I am dreadfully wounded in the
abdomen; my entrails are hanging out. I do not sup-
pose I shall live long enough to sec you. The Cu-ii-
chuk Indians made the attack whilst we were in our
beds. Boskey is badly wounded, and Darabin dead.

" I think my wound would have been trifling had I
had medical advice. I am in great pain. Nearly all the
natives of the village are murdered. Set out for this
with all haste.

" John Barnard."

The Russian letter on which this was written bore the
date of 5th February, Darabin Eedoubt ; Eussian time
being twelve days later than ours. The writing betrayed
the agony of the gallant writer, and parts were nearly
illegible.

CHAPTEE XIII.

SIGNS OF SUMMKU INCREASE-SHOOTING-rAUTIES AltE SENT OUT
-NAKUOW ESCAPE OF WIIITEFIELD- I IFUTT-VV v , ,
-T.K.. „AVr.O ASCKKXArXE^BA^r nti^ T^ ";:
ISL.ND-.CUniOU.S ArrETITE OF A BEAK- UKU KxlxT „ fs
WELL KETUKXS, WITH INTELLIOEXCE OF KSQUll Aux « t
AT HAXB- CAPTAIN M'CLUKE VISITS THE ESC U m1,X-! TI„'
PAKT^ UNDEK MK WYNNIATT KETUIUN - .L.NE IN PlicE "^^
WALES STIUIT-A GLANCE AT THE OTHER EXPEDITIONS WIN
TEUING IN AKCTIC SEAS, UNBEU AUSTIN, PENNY I'oss ^^U

.TRAIT-THE POLAP SUMMER'S NIGHT-THE FLOE BREAKS UP
-INVESTIGATOR AGAIN FREE -COMPASSES REFUSE TO TrI
VERSE-THE SHIP BESET, AND DRIFTING TO THE NORTH ^Z
ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE -WOOD-CURRENTS -TIDES -NO
PASSAGE FOUND -CAPTAIN M'cLURE DECIDES TO TRY AN
OTHER COURSE, BY GOING ROUND BANKS LAND.

Between the 22d of April and 5th of May the signs of
approaching summer increased rapidly in the neighbour-
hood of the Investigator. Every indication of thav.,
heat and vitality was keenly watched and minutely
noted ; indeed, these observations, and fluctuating hopes
and fears for their brother shipmates absent 'in the
ledge-parties, formed the constant round of the exist-
ence of those whose good fortune it was not to share in
the labours and occupations of sledge-journeys. One

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138 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

day a small lemming was caiiglit, and its fur having
changed slightly, from pure white to a faint brown, was
a prognostication little likely to disappoint them of the
snows being about to melt away from the surface of the
smothered land ; — it was the olive-leaf in the mouth of
the dove. On another occasion, the quartermaster,
whflst clearing the ice off the surface of a hole in the
floe, which was always kept open in case of fire oc-
curring, was charmed to see a seal pop his head above
water, and stare wonderingly, with his big lustrous eyes,
at the blunt Yorkshireman who was intruding upon his
dominions.

Some there are who might have spared the poor seal ;
but the "Uan of Hull" hardened his heart, for he
thought of the savoury fry it would yield, and straight-
way poor Poussey * was transfixed with a lance, and his
skin, oil, and flesh wore soon afterwards contributing
their respective quota to the health and comfort of our
navigators.

Then a magnificent polar bear, a real giant, ten feet
long, with footprints twelve inches in diameter, bore
down to survey the Investigator. It was of course fired
at, but fortunately escaped with life and skin. The fox
and ptarmigan were seen together on Princess - Eoyal
Island and Albert Land: the feathers of the latter lying
about in prof' oion, denoted that they pay dearly for
frequenting such distinguished society.

The vessel was now caulked and painted, hatchways
opened to dry long-accumulated damp between decks ;
the holds were re-stowed, after provisions and stores had
* A term borrowed by our whalers from the Greetilanders.

our

RETUKN OF WYNNIATT. 130

boon surveyed ; and lastly, a close examination of the crew
was made by the surgeon, Dr Armstrong, and its result
was most satisfactory. All were in most perfect health.
JNot a trace of scurvy was detected among the men then
on board ; "an instance of sanitary wellbeing," as Cap-
tain M'Clure justly observes, "unparalleled in the
annals of polar voyages." May brought in a tempera-
ture ranging from 6" to 30° of Fahrenheit, the wind
varying from S.W. to N.W., with occasional falls of
snow. On the Gth of May Mr Wynniatt's sledge-party
returned to the ship : that officer had broken his
chronometer, and wanted to be supplied with another ;
but there was not a spare pocket-instrument on board,
and Captain M'Clure, pained beyond measure at the loss
of time already incurred by the return of this party from
a position nine days' journey in advance of the ship,
despatched Mr Wynniatt again upon his original route
during the course of the day. Mr Wynniatt reported
that throughout his journey traces of musk-oxen and
deer had been very plentiful and fresh ; and as the
lattcT animal had also been seen upon the land abreast
ot the ship, two shooting -parties were established to
endeavour to secure an addition to the resources of the
commissariat.

On 7th May a sad accident nearly occurred to a youn<T
carpenter named Whitefield, one of a shooting-party 0^
the western shore. A large flock of hares had been seen
trooping up a ravine just as a heavy snow-storm set in.
ihe rest of the sportsmen retired to their tent for safety
but Whitefield was tempted to go on. Being missed by
the others, the men of the shooting-party started two at

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140 DI&COVEllY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

a time to look for him, each relief running mnch risk of
ioaiiif; itB way and being smothered in drift ; yet nothing
conlu bo seen of the lost man. Failing in all their
efforts, and fairly at their its' end, the party, which
was in charge of a petty officer, retreated to their tent
again, and began to fear the worst, when one of them
suddenly exehduM d ti.at he heard " the footsteps of a
bear ! ' All heard the sound for a minute, and then it
ceased. The drift was so dense they could see nothing ;
and to their shouts of " Whitefield ! " no answer came.
Shortly afterwards, during a lull in the gale, some one
happened to look out of the tent ; and there, not a yard
from the tent, knelt poor Whitefield, stiff and rigid as a
corpse, his head thrown back, his eyes fixed, his mouth
open and filled with snow j his gun was slung over his
shoulder, but his body was fast being buried in a snow-
wreath. They pulled him into the tent, restored anima-
tion, and then sent for aid to the ship. When the man
eventually recovered enough to tell his tale, it was
strange indeed. He said that, whilst struggling w'th
the snow-storm, and endeavouring to find his way home,
he felt a chill, and then a fit came on, which appeared
to have deprived him of his senses to some extent, for
he had seen people looking for him — some of them had
even passed within a hundred yards of him— yet he
could neither call them nor discharge his gun for a
signal, and, meantime, the snow had covered him.
After a while he regained some strength, and fortunately
discovered a track leading to the tent, and had actually
almost reached it— indeed, they were his footsteps that
the people had heard— when again the fit came on, and

A NARROW ESCAPE. 141

ho sank down a yard from the tent door, in the attitude
o supplication in which he was found in tliu snow.
Ko was fast becoming rigid, and freezing to death, when
hy the mercy of Providence, his shipmates saw him'
^inong tlio startling narratives of arctic history, there
uro few more providential escapes.

'I'lie .luantity of game, in the shape of hares and ptar-
migan, seen in every direction by the different shootin-^-
parties, an.l recorded in Captain IM'Clure's diary for May
was very wonderful in so high a latitude; but the sailors
and marines, with one or two exceptions, were but poor
sportsmen, the sum total of their contribution to the
g(!n(!ral stock being in four weeks but 15G ptarmi-an
and seven hares. Yet one valley visited by them was
literally alive with hares and ptarmigan," and large
troops of the former were seen by all parties. Keener
ai)petites, however, in the following years made keener
8i)ort8men, as we shall hereafter see.

Ma,, 20.— The last of the winter's snow had dis-
appeared from the western side of the strait, as well as
from that blessed with a south-eastern aspect; but the
opposite shore, which, geologically speaking, was of the
same formation, still wof a winter livery, owing to its
facing the north-western part of the heavens ; "the ad-
vantage, here so ai)parent, of wintering upon a coast or
in a harbour which looks to the southward, is a point
which should be held well in mind by the polar navi-
gator, if circumstances allow him to oose his winter-
quarters. At 8 A.M. on this day Lieutenant Gurney
Crc^sswell's party returned to the ship, after an absence
of thirty-two days from the Investigator. Lieutenant

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142 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Cresswell had searched 1 70 iiiilea of the coast of Banks
Land, from the ship, in a north and nortli-wcst du-ec-
tion. For the first fortnight the weather had been most
severe, constant north-west gales, dead in tlieir teeth,
sweeping down into Barrow Strait. Frost-bites had
been frequent, but only two men became seriously in-
jured ; and they, poor fellows, being affected in the feet
in both cases, mortification of the extremities threatened,
and Lieutenant Cresswell had been obliged to listen to
the dictates of humanity, and retreat upon the ship just
as the weather was improving, and the trend oi the
coast of Banks Land to the south convinced him it was
an island. By this judicious step, however, the men's
lives were saved, one only losing a portion of his feet ;
but a day or two longer on the sledge would have been
fatal to both.

The Lieutenant found the north coast of Banks Land,
west of Cape Eussell, a precipitous cliff of limestone,
varying from 1000 feet to 1500 feet in height; while
against their base, ice of an amazing thickness had been
forced up, by a great north-west pressure, into lofty
ridges. Outside this ridge the sledge had made its way
for seventy miles, when the land became low at what
appeared the western extreme of Barrow Strait. Looking
in that direction from a considerable elevation, nothing
like land could be seen, the eye roamed over a vast sea
of ice ; it was again that " Land of the White Bear "
spoken of by the natives of Cape Bathurst.

On 21st May an extraordinary event occurred, which
was not until afterwards explained. About 10.30 a.m. a
large bear was passing the ship, when Captain M'Clure

EXTHAOKDIXAKY MEAL OF A UKAR. 143

killed it With a rifle-shot. On examining the stomacli,
great was the astonishment of all present at the medley
It contained. There were raisins, that had not loJr
been swallowed; a few small pieces of tobacco leaf: bits
ot pork fat cut into cubes, which the ship's cook declared
mus have been used for making mock-turtlo soup, an
article of en found on board a ship in a preserved form •
and lastly, fragments of sticking-plaster which, from
the forms into which they had been cut, mu.t evidently
have passed through the hands of a surgeon. Captain
M Clure, ignorant of the positions attained by the other
ships that had been despatched from England, surmised
that there could only be two ways in which these traces
of civilisation in the bear's stomach could be accounted
lor Either the bear had come over some floe of ice
visited by the Investigator last autumn, or the Enter-
prise was wintering close at hand. Kow we know
that the Enterprise was then in China, and it is hardly
probable bearing in mind the rapid crushing and churn-
'""^ ?! ! ^f ' ^' described by Captain M'Clure, in the
month of ^vember 1850, that any of it should have
escaped being rolled over more than once. The field for
conjecture would therefore have been a wide one had
he hke ourselves at the present hour, known of the
relative positions of Austin's, Penny's, and Rae's expedi-
tions, as weU as of the quarter which Franklin's people
had reached. In such a case the most probable supposi-
tion would have been, that from one or other of them
±5ruin^ had made his very extraordinary collection of
curiosities. So impressed, indeed, was M'Clure with the
Idea that the Enterprise must be in the neighbourhood

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144 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

that he despatched Lieutenant Cresswell along the south-
east shore of Banks Land, with a sledge provisioned
until 10th June, to seek her.

After that officer had left the Investigator, the bear's
secret was revealed, for some sportsmen in search of
game picked up a preserved -meat tin, around which
there were many footprints of a bear; and upon examin-
ing its contents, they found therein articles correspond-
ing with those discovered in the stomach of the animal
shot on the 21st instant.

On 24th May, her most gracious Majesty's birthday,
the Investigator fired a royal salute where perhaps no
salute will ever again be fired, and most certainly none
wafi ever fired before. The thermometer, exposed to the
sun, rose to-day to 73°; in the shade it fell to 2G°.
The first gull was observed on the 27th inst., a sure sign
that cracks in the floe had already begun to show them-
selves. An early season it certainly was, and officers and
men longed for the open water that was to lead them, as
they hoped, to Lancaster Sound.

On 29th May the first-lieutenant's party was seen
approaching, and they reached the ship safely soon after-
wards. Lieutenant Haswell had been absent forty-seven
days, and during that time he had searched a great ex-
tent of coast towards the south-east. He reached the
extreme point of his journey on the 14th May, when his
position Avas on the north shore of a deep indentation in
WoUaston Land, his latitude and longitude being about
70" 45' N., 114° W. By a remarkable coincidence, Dr
Rae, from his winter-quarters in America, reached on
the 24th of ^^lay (exactly teu days later) a point on the

VISIT TO ESQUIMAUX. . 145

opposite side of the same inlet, the ^^ extremes'' of the
two travellers being thus only forty miles apart. On his
homeward journey, Lieutenant Haswell fell in with
native Esquimaux, encamped upon the ice, at a place
mce named Berkeley Point, forming the so', thern head
of the strait. Unable to converse with them but by

Xl' ^'r'^'\ '^^ ^^^ *1^« «i"-pi and directly Captain
M Cure heard of natives being so close, he made arrange-
ments for gomg to communicate with them by the aid of
Mr Mierching, the Moravian interpreter. Until that
moment no one had the least idea they were wintering
so near lellow-creatures. "^

It is true that every part of the coast about the neigh-
bourhood of Prmcess-Koyal Island abounded in Esqui-
maux rums ; but they were moss-grown and very ancient,
and none of the natives of Korth America met by the
Investigators in the previous year, between the Macken-
zie luver and Point Parry, spoke of land in the direction
of Prince of l^ales Strait.

On the 30th Captain M'Clure and Mr Mierchin..
started, and on the 2d June reached the Esquimaux
encampment, consisting of live tents with as many men
hve women, and a due proportion of children.
^ Three of the men were absent hunting; the remain-
ing two received the visitors, answering the first salute
of Mr Mierching with a cry of, - Oh ! we are very much
atraid ! we are very much afraid ! " as they probably
were; but assurances of the good intentions of the En--
lishmen soon dissipated their fears. One of the hunters
came in shortly afterwards. He is described as a iine
active, broad-shouldered savage, with bow and quiver

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146 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

slung at his back, a large copper-bladed hunting-laiife in
his hand, well clothed in seal-skins, and his finely pro-
portioned limbs neatly encased in beautifully-made mo-
cassins and overalls. In fact, his appearance, combined
with his confiding, frank, and friendly manner, impressed
all the party, and marked him as a favourable specimen
of the hardy race which wanders over those frigid
regions. Game, these people said, such as the musk-ox
and deer, was very plentiful, but extremely wild. They
assured Captain M'Cluro of the continuity of the coast
he was now upon with that of Wollaston and Victoria
Land. Esquimaux increased, they said, as you went to
the south-east ; and of all that portion of the coast visited
by them they drew a very correct chart, handling pencil
and paper as if they were accustomed to hydrography.
Mr Mierching understood them, and they him, perfectly,
the dialect spoken by the tribe being the same as that of
the Labrador coast. They seemed very simple and honest ;
and when presented with anything, they appeared incap-
able of supposing that any one would give them an article
without expecting an equivalent. A piece of red cloth
having being tied by the Captain round the neck of a
girl, she ran to the interpreter to know what was to be
given in return for it; and when assured that it was a
free gift, she gracefully acknowledged it by a smile, and
wished to know " what kind of animal it grew upon."

These Esquimaux said that, until they had seen Lieu-
tenant Haswell's party, they had never cast eyes upon a
white man, proving pretty distinctly that the kst expe-
dition never reached so far. Copper of the purest de-
scription seemed to be plentiful with them, for all their

VISIT TO ESyUIMAUX. 14-

implemente were of that motal; their arrow. ,vere tipped
w h ,t, and some of the sailors saw a quantity in a rou -h
e ;„ one of the tents. Bidding good-hye to these fn
™ t ng creatures, and promising them untold wealth in
he shape of buttons and arms. Captain M'Clure returned
to his sh.p more than ever eonvinc =d that if the Honour-
able Company under whose uneontrolled authority the
northern port on of British America has paased'^a^ a

take a omewhat more enlarged view of their position

01 their fc low-ercatures as it has pleased God to place
hem .nauthonty over, it would be better for them on
that day of reckoning when the support of the great ones
of this ear^h shall have as little weight as itrgfd™
dends, or stock at a premium.

HfCl" T'!f ''^ "Y*'""^ " ^^' ""'"d °f Captain
M Clure for the lonely, expiring race of Esqmmaux wi«

naturally increased by the isolated position of Inslu^
and crew at this period.* '^

June 4— The ship was now surrounded by water

The 7^"% .. '""■' ™' '™ ^'^™" ^'^^ ■" «"«kness'.
A t ",l ' ""°°"' ''""Sht back the sledge-party
under Mr Wynniatt ; his turning-point was on the 26th
May at xvh.ch fme he was only fifty or sixty miles from
the ii,rthest pomt reached by a party under Lieutenant
Osborn from Griffith Island. In both eases the land
where each party tui'ned back was strikingly similar-

wasZlf Sd?;"-''- '"""'•S'" '"-P-l'le, a.d their i„toroour.e

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148 DISCO VEllY OF A NORTH- WEST PASSAGE.

low, with off-lying shoals, and closely heset with stupen-
dous ice. Since then, in the winter of 1853-54, two of
her Majesty's ships, the Resolute and Intrepid, were
caught in the pack, and wintered due north of this inter-
vening hfty miles of ground; and although the wind
blew fresh from the north and north-west, they did not
drift through any channel in a southern direction.

June is passing slowly, for the water does not make
half fast enough for men tired of eight months' imprison-
ment; but the ice has diminished 2 feet 10 inches in
thickness in thirty days, and the water-pools upon the
surface are extending towards one another, and boring
holes through the floe beneath in all directions. The
glistening hummocks are turning to a faded-yellow col-
our, and silently toppling to decay; the ducks and geese
and swans fly cackling by, wondering, perhaps, whether
the Investigator is an island on which it might be pru-
dent to deposit their eggs, so as to secure them from the
sly Renard who is eyeing them with a watering mouth;
whilst the long-silent ravines burst out with a view
halloo ! and send glacier, snow, water, land, and stone,
flying far over the floe which fringes either shore.

But whilst the Investigator is waiting for that myste-
rious but certain motion of the ice-fields in the strait
which will release them, let us cast a glance at the points
reached during this spring by the many parties pushed
out from Griflith Island and from Captain Penny's win- '
tering-place in Barrow Strait. Thanks to the close
attention paid to the details of sledging by Lieutenant
IM'Clintock* when serving under Sir James Eoss, in
* The present Captain Sir Leopold F. M'Clintock, R.N.

THE OTHER EXPEDITIONS.

141)

1848, and to the vast improvement his ingenuity enabled
him to effect in it, the sledge-parties from Captain Aus-
tin's s^iadron were the most perfectly appointed that
ever perhaps left on arctic service.* Aided by this splen-
did equipment,— which only required that more of the
officers should have been as skilled as M'CIintock in turn-
ing them to advantage to have yielded still better re-
sults,— the sledges from the liesolute, Assistance, Pio-
neer, and Intrepid did an immense amount of work.
That wliich carried off the palm in distance and value of
service performed, was led by Lieutenant M-Clintock in
person to Melville Island; and about tlie same time that
Lieutenant Cress well was standing on the north extreme
of x.ajdcs Land, Lieutenant M'Clintock was on the
southern promontory of jVIelville Island, only fifty or
sixty miles from him.

On the south shore of Barrow Strait, Captain Omman-
ney of the Assistance was leading a party westward. At
Pcsel Sound he detached Lieutenr.nt Browne with two
sledges, to examine that channel downwards ; while from
the American coast Dr liae afterwards came up it in a
boat, and they approached each other until their cdmnes
were only 180 miles apart.

It is too late to regret it now; but had the whole

* The editor, who has since served in a squadron wlierean attemi)t
was made to claim originality upon the head of er uipmont, feels it
hut justice to say, that every part of the sledge-scheme carried out
by Sir Edward Belcher's expedition In 1853 was grounded entirely
upon Lieutenant M'CUntock's original ideas. Here and there, though
his suggestions were made use ol", something was done to give an
apj^earance of originality, but it was an appearance only ; to Lieu-
tenant M'Clintock belonged the merit where there was any.

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150 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

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strength of that division of sledges been turned upon
Peel Strait, we should then have reached King William
Land, and saved Franklin's crew. There was then a fuwr
for Melville Island and for Banks Land; and Captain
Ommanney and his adviser, the Avriter of these pages,
got small thanks for their forethought in heeding Peel
Strait at all. Captain Ommanney, anxious to pass
nothing, went down another opening, fearing it might
be a strait ; and Lieutenant Sherard Osborn pushed on
with another sledge, as far as his provisions would allow
him, turning back, as I have said, when about forty or
fifty miles from the point reached by Captain M'Clure's
party.

Anoth".r sledge-party, under Lieutenant Aldrich,
searched far up to the northward by way of Byam Martin
Channel, whilst Penny, with boat and sledge, opened up
and examined Wellington Channel. Not a fresh vestige
did these Darties discover of Franklin's whereabouts, be-
yond the fact that his first winter-quarters had un-
doubtedly been in Beechey Island : this first and most
important fact Captain Penny ascertained.

Before returning to the Investigator, a glance must be
cast in the direction of Behring Strait. There we see
the Enterprise, Captain E. Collinson, C.B., pushing into
the ice. On the 29th July 1851, she rounded Point
Barrow with some difficulty, and then, following the
American shore on the footsteps of the Investigator's
route in 1850, we will leave her struggling with and
mastering successfully the many dangers of that shoal
coast and ponderous ice.

The month of July is the summer season of latitude

ii!

MIDSUMMER SCENE.

151

70° north. The Investigator has bent sails, hoisted up
her boats, and keen eyes from the mast-head watch the
daily increase of water which is detaching the floe from
either shore. The russet tints of the land on both shores
have replaced the tiresome white of winter; the ravines
are again silent, the (Uhdde has passed, and the waters
only run now in modest trickling streams. Here and
there along the edge of some deep cleft in the land the
white streak of a pigmy glacier gleams, for the summer
heats cannot penetrate there ; but on the sunny slopes,
or in sheltered valleys, the modest flora of the north
spreads her short-lived store— lichens and moss- in rich
profusion of species and colour. The lovely golden hue
of the anemone and poppy, the purple-blossomed saxi-
frage, and white flowerets of the London-pride, appear
interlaced with the rich green of the ground- willow, and
rose-tinted leaves of sorrel : all relieve the wanderer's
eye, and carry him back with softened feelings to some
nook in his own dear land, where the flowers and trees
and herbs, though far surpassing in loveliness those before
liim, were yet not half so much appreciated.

The plover, phalarope, and bunting, here rear their
young, untroubled by man : around the margin of the
petty lakes formed by melted snow upon the terraces,
wild-fowl of many sorts— the king and common eider,
the pintail duck, and the Brent goose— form their simplj
nests, in spite of the prowling fox and piratical boat-
swam-bird (Sfercorarius 2Mrasitica), the former in quest
of the parent, and the latter of her eggs. And then
along the face of some beetling cliff" which, fronting to
the south, gives good promise of having water early at

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162 DISCOVERY OF A NOETII-WEST PASSAGE.

its base, clouds of shrieking gulls, kittiwakes, and burgo-
masters hold a noisy parliament. There was no night to
overshadow this scene : the sun rose high during the day
along the southern half of the heavens, and sloped to-
wards the north until midnight, without setting. There
was no darkness now, as during winter there had been
no light.

Yet it must not be supposed that, in the arctic regions,
there is not a perceptible division of the day into that
portion of it intended for labour and that for rest. Be-
tween the hours of eight in the evening and four in the
morning, in spite of the sun sweeping through the
heavens, there is a perceptible change ; the light is more
subdued, the tints- of land and sea less strong, shadows
les^> marked, the birds go as naturally to roost as if it
was dark, and nature is evidently reposing. Nothing
can be more lovely than this polar night, which is not
night, or, as it has been beautifully described, " the long
mild twilight, which, like a silver clasp, unites to-day
with yesterday, when morning and evening sit together,
hand in hand, beneath the starless sky of midnight."
They who have once looked at such a landscape can
never forget it; and though perhaps the penalties at-
tached to a visit to such scenes may serve to check en-
thusiasm upon the subject of their attractions, yet those
least susceptible to the impressions of the wonderful and
beautiful, must, when standing among the marvels of
those distant regions, have felt emphatically the truth of
those eloquent sentences in our Bible in which the crea-
tion is described, and every phase of it declared to be
good and perfect.

There

was great

FREE ONCE MORE,
board

153

+1,^ in+T, ^ i" , // •' """"" """^ Investigator from

the 0th to t^io Uth of July, The floe had commenced
movmg and breaking up : a lane of water wa. seen ex
tending on the former day along the western shore to the
northward The rce in which the ship w., still imprisoned

the! „"n 7 '"'^""^ "1^°"' a couple of miles, and
then suddenly broke up, leaving her again free, after
being fixed one spot for .nearly ten months. The
Clangers of the navigation now recommenced : the ice
wasst.ll very plentiful, and the clear water in very small
patches ; and as the pack driitcd to and fro, all the help-
less sh,p cou d do was to fasten to the strongest masses,
and trust to their strength for safety from other fields of

ICG*

The set of the currents or tides had long been an anxi-
ous question with Captain M'Clure. The tide-pole in

s 1 elf" tTr T'" ™' T' " ™'" Suide ; but, so far as
Its help and twelve months' observation enabled him to
form an idea, the flood-tide came from the south up the
t ait, the rise and fall being about three feet at sprin.!
tides, and little, ,f anything, at the neaps. The prerailin.
current judging from drift-wood and other symptoms!
wa^ nor h-east along the eastern coast into BarrowStruit
and on the opposite, or Banks Island shore, if anything'
he current set south-westerly Tempted by the appear^
ance of some clear water upon the western coast of the
s rait, he Investigator, on the 17th July, cast off, and
attempted to reach it. She was, however, caught hy the
pack-ice, and m a dense fog drifted with the crushing
floes so close to Princess-Eoyal Island as to hear the
screams of the sea-fowl on the eliif; and, as in the pre-

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164 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

vious autumn, sho only escaped destruction by what
seemed a miracle. After many a hairbreadth escape from
shoals and nips in the ice, Captain M'Clurc decided upon
returninj^' a<,'ain to the eastern coast, and following it,
God willing, into Barrow Strait. On the 24th the first
object was accomplished by crossing the strait and reach-
ing a spot named Cape Armstrong. Here such a quan-
tity of drift-wood was seen upon the beach that a cutter
was sent to embark a load. It was all American pine,
some of it so fresh, that the carpenter was of opinion
that it could nut have been drifted from its native forest
— either upon llie banks of the Mackenzie or Copper-
mine Eiver — more than two years since.

A serious and alarming difficulty now added to the
anxieties of our navigators. The compasses, without any
apparent cause, became exceedingly sluggish, and varied
to such an extent in the dense fogs then prevailing, that
it became impossible to tell which way they were going.
The standard compass one day showed the ship's head to
be K, whilst the starboard one pointed S.W. by W. .V W.,
and the port compass remained obstinately at S. by W.
Every care Avas taken to ascertain and remove the cause
of this eccentricity in the needles, but in vain. The In-
vestigator was again beset in the ice, and with slight
intermission continued so until the 15th of August,
during which time she drifted about two miles j^er diem
to the north-east with it, and eventually reached 73° 43'
43'' K latitude, j^nd longitude 115° 32' 30" W., in which
position she remained at the tantalising distance of
twenty-five miles frorn the loaters of Barrow Strait !

Further than that no effort could advance the ship,

STEER FOK MELVILLE ISLAXD. 155

and ilioro were occasional sets of the ice in ihn n
•wcsf, wi"fl. \r T? • 1 , ^*^ ^^^ t"C south-

l.« . ay, of navigation were already nu,uber^ Tf ''
CO..I.I i>u.,h into the pack of Banow Strait I'h .
pMt of drifting with it to th. '"';'"""•"■'" a pros-
it,,. 1 I ° '" '™ eastward for lanna^toi-
•Sou. d, ho was prepared to do so ; but it would bo?

anxiety t.i TSh oft:;: To?' "\T'
take a eareful survey of the iLtSNoLXdttded
uiK-n aunehing into it, or adopting soke ole „' f by
which to endeavour to carry his ship throu-h the nortb
...passage in safety; and to per'eet upon on n 'at"
any rate the search for Franklin', expedifion. He "a '

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CHAPTEE XIV.

THE INVESTIGATOR BEARS UP, AND GOES ROUND THE SOUTH
END OF BANKS LAND — RAPID PROGRESS UP THE WESTERN
COAST — THE LANE OF WATER DIMINISHES — PERILOUS PAS-
SAGE BETWEEN THE NORTH-WEST COAST AND PONDEROUS
PACKED ICE — EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENTS AND WONDERFUL
PRESERVATION — NORTH-WEST EXTREME OF BANKS LAND — NO
GLACIERS OR ICEBERGS WEST OF LANCASTER SOUND— DIS-
COVERY OF ANCIENT FORESTS — ARCTIC LAKES — FRESH-WATER
FISH — THE INVESTIGATOR DRIFTS INTO THE PACK IN AN
AUTUMNAL GALE — ESCAPES AND STRUGGLES ALONG-SHORE —
SEPTEMBER NIGHT-SCENE OFF BANKS LAND — 23d SEPTEMBER
1851, RUN ASHORE DURING THE NIGHT IN THE BAY OF
MERCY — SHIP AFLOAT — FAIL TO GET INTO THE PACK OF
BARROW STRAIT — WINTER-QUARTERS, 1851-52 — REDUCTION
OF ALLOWANCE OF FOOD — LAND FOUND TO ABOUND IN GAME
— WANT or GOOD HUNTERS — ACUTE INSTINCT OF THE REIN-
DEER — ARCTIC HARE, WOLF, AND FOX— IcONTINUED GOOD
HEALTH OF THE CREW — CLEVERNESS OF THE ARCTIC RAVEN
— THE POLAR BEAR AND ITS HABITS — VIOLENCE OF WINTER
SNOW-STORMS — CHRISTMAS-DAY — THE ARRIVAL OF II. M.S.
ENTERPRISE IN PRINCE OF WALES STRAIT— SHE FAILS IN
ROUNDING BANKS LAND, AND WINTERS AT THE ESQUIMAUX
SETTLEMENT IN WALKER BAY.

The helm of the Investigator was "put up." The good
ship which had so gallantly striven to escape through
the northern outlet of the strait, by which the existence
of a water-communication between the Pacific and At-

'«j

RAPID PROGRESS. 357

lantic Oceans had been discovered, wore round upon her
keel, set all sail, and sped rapidly to the south-west,
passing Pnncess-Eoyal Island for the last time. The
otticers and crew were astonished to find that not a
particle of ice was to be met; floes, hummocks, huge
piles of ice that had fringed the coast so recently, had all
disappeared ! After a run of 100 miles in clear water,
the irth August found them passing the majestic cliffs of
JVelson Head, the southern extreme of Banks Land, the
and preserving the same bold features for 25 miles more
to the westward, where it terminated at Cape Hamil-
ton Here they encountered a heavy swell from the S E
^vith a fine breeze, which made the Investigator throw up
her heels, much to the delight of those who were on board
Gradually turnmg to the north-west, and then north,
Banks Land was found again to resume, in some measure
.he same undulating features and long sloping beach that
characterised Its eastern coast. Considerable quantities
of drift-wood lay on the beaches north of Cape Hamil-
ton ; much vegetation was seen, and numerous flocks of
wild swans and geese were feeding along the shore.

On the 18th of August the Investigator had run the
extraordinary distance, in such a latitude, of 300 miles
without being once checked by ice. The pack on this day
was seen hanging in a heavy body in the south-west, leav-
ing, however a lane of six miles of clear water between
It and the shore. In the afternoon Cape Kellett was
rounded with some little difliculty, the ship passing,
with sufficient water to float her, between the ed^^e of
grounded ice and the coast. The land was now so low
that the hand lead-Kne became for a while their best

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158 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASS AGE.

guiue

TIio soundings happily wero regular, and, aided
by it and a fair wind, they advanced apace to the north-
ward. Throughout the 19th the ship sometimes ran as
much as seven knots per hour, the width of the lane of
water in which they wero sailing varying from three to
five miles. Noon that day found them in 73° 55' north
latitude, and 123° 52' 30" west longitude; and already
did Captain ]\PClure count upon extending his voyage to
the north of Melville Island, and then striking for some
strait or sound leading into Baffin Bay !

That night, however, a sudden and remarkable change
took place. They had just crossed Burnet Bay, within
Korway and Robilliard Islands, when the coast suddenly
became as abrupt and precipitous as a wall ; the water
was very deep, sixty fathoms by the lead-line within 400
yards of the face of the cliffs, and fifteen fathoms water
where it actually touched them. The lane of water had
diminished to 200 yards in width where broadest ; and
even that space was much hampered by loose pieces of
ice aground or adrift. In some places the channel was
so narrow that the quarter-boats had to be topped up to
prevent them touching the cliffs upon the one hand, or
the lofty ice upon the -^ther ; and so perfectly were they
running the gauntlet, that on many occasions the sh'p
could not " round-to " for want of space. Their position
was full of peril, yet they could but push on ; to attempt
to retreat w^as now out of the question. The pack was of
the same fearful description as that they had encountered
in the offing of the Mackenzie Eiver, during the previous
autumn. The surface of the floes resembled rolling hills,
some of them 100 feet from base to summit; and the

■I'

DANGEKOUS NAVIGATIOJl. 159

cclgo of this ,vondnrf„l oceanic ico rose in places from tho

ater as h,gh as the Investigator's lower yards. Z

attempt to foree the frail ship against sueh a pack wouU

lave been mere folly ; all they could do was to watch f"

every opening, trust in the n.ercy of God, and push al.ead

in tho execution of their duty. ""■"wau

If this ice had at any time set in with its vast weight

saved .hem; and nothing in the long tale of arctic
research is finer than tho cool and resolulc way n wh h

gallant Investigator, fought inch by inch to make their
way round this frightful coast.

Enough has been said to j;ive a correct idea of the

peril incurred at this stage of the voyage, without enter-

ng into minute details of the hairbreadth escapes hourly

taking place, but one instance may be given as a sample

lav tr, , ^f ' *'"' '""' °'^"8"^*' «"> I"vestigaL
lay helpless y beset off the north-west of Banks Land,
for the wind had pressed in the ice, and the ship was
almost cradled m floe-pieces. On the 29th of August
however, a sudden move took place, and a moving floe
struck a huge mass to which the ship had been secured :
and, to the horror of those on board, such was the enor-
mous power exerted, that the mass slowly reared itself
on Its edge, close to the ship's bows, until the upper part
was highor than the fore-yard, and every moment 1
peared likely to be the Investigator's last, for the ice
had but to topple over to sink her and her crew under
Its weight. At the critical moment there was a shout
01 joy, for the mass, after osciUating fearfully, broke up

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160 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

rolled back to its original position, and they were saved !
Hardly, hoTvever, was this danger past than a fresh one
threatened, for the hummock to which the ship was
secured was impelled forward by the whole weight of
the driving pack towards a low point of land, on which,
with frightful pressure, the great floes were breaking up,
and piling themselves tier upon tier. The Investigator
had no power of escape ; but every hawser was put in
requisition, and hands stationed by them. An attempt
to blow up a grounded floe upon which the ship was
driving, only partially succeeded; the nip came on, the
poor ship groaned, and every plank and timber quivered
from stem to stern in this trial of strength between her
and the ice. "Our fate seemed sealed," says Captain
M'Clure, and he made up his mind to let go all hawsers.
The order was given, and with it the wreck of the Inves-
tigator seemed certain ; all the leader hoped for was, to
use his own words, "that we might have the ship thrown
up sufiiciently to serve as an asylum for the winter." If
she should sink between the two contending floes, the
destruction of every soul was inevitable.

But at the very moment when the order to " let go all
hawsers " was given, and even before it could be obeyed,
a merciful Providence caused the berg which most threat-
ened them to break up, and the Investigator was once
more saved ; though still so tightly was she beset that
there was not room to drop a lead-line down round the
vessel, and the copper upon her bottom was hanging in
shreds, or rolled up like brown paper.

The reader must not confound the idea he may have
formed of this wonderfully heavy oceanic ice in the great

FLOE AND GLACIER ICE. lei

rlnnf 11^ 7 ° ^ ^^^^^^ ^« a salt-water pro-

glaciers -winch are only to be found in particular
locaht,es_ana is entirely forced of fresh ^t^ or

mer„I,an of W. long, in Lancaster 8ound, and no true

of tort n ,"« J''''" '" '""* ^"'' ^™1'^^^ ^''vines

b found ri'T' "''""" ^^'''"'' " Pig«>y glacier may
be tound but it never reaches the sea, nor forms tliose

ferm oTr °' '"''^-^™'^' ''" --■>' -<>« t^e val
fnTr f Tr "' ™^'-*--'''«-' '»" on their mysterious

Wh^ themselves as icebergs into the deep waters of

. The ice met with by Captain M'CIurc was a.-ed sea-
andiir ' 'T ™'''' "^ '""'''' -y ''^ centuries od;

fated „crT '° """""'^'' ''"g^^^- I'h^ "ccuniu-
aed action of repeated thaws, and the almost constant

hiJl-and-dale appearance to it, and rendered much of the
upper ice as fresh to the taste as if it liad been fo med
on shore instead of upon the sea.
Tlie heavy westerly gales force a portion of this pro-

dri'l '""^'' ""^'"^ «'^»"' ''"'' -'her from
decay or other causes, it is never seen in its pristine pro-

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162

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

portions east of Griffith Island and Cape Walker : a floe
fifteen feet thick in Barrow Strait or Wellington Channel
was a very great rarity, from four to eight feet being the
average size.

The Investigator remained some time beset upon the
north-west extreme of Banks Land ; and whilst detained
in that dangerous locality her officers and men rambled
into the interior, and they found it far from so sterile as
the prospect from the sea had led them to anticipate.
Traces of musk-oxen and deer abounded, and both these
animals were seen ; but the most extraordinary discovery
of all was a great accumulation of fossil trees, as well as
fragments not fossilised, lying over the whole extent of
the land, from an elevation of 300 feet above the sea to
its immediate level. Writing on the 27th of August,
Captain M'Clure, speaking of this wood, says, " I walked
to-day a short distance into the interior : the snow that
had fallen last night lay unthawed upon the high grounds,
rendering the prospect most cheerless. The hills are
very remarkable, many of them peaked, and standing
isolated from each other by precipitous gorges. The
summits of these hills are about 300 feet high, and
nothing can be more wildly picturesque than the gorges
which lie between them. Froin the summit of these
singularly -formed hills to their base abundance of wood
is to he found; and in many places layers of trees are
visible, some protruding twelve or fourteen feet, and so
firm that several people may jump on them without their
breaking. The largest trunk yet found measured one foot
seven inches in diameter. ^^

Again, on September 5, some miles from the hills

I'l

FOSSILISED FOREST. jgg

j.^st alluded to, Captain JfClurc says:-"/ „,tn-»l a
raome ..«„ mirs inland, and found L north M^U
for a depth of forty feet from the su,f,^ 1,^,1 of
one «a.. of „,od >lnulor to .hut I had iforZTn ni

r„,r7 .... ii 7 ^ " ' ^ iemainifar very rotten

and worthless even for Imrnmqr '

At a subsequent period to'tliat we are speakin- of n
In the spring of 1853, one of the sledge-parties under

iw "t^-tZ"^^ -tt ""T Z"^-"

W. long, he says :_ ^^ '"'• ^"'^ '^r 40'

ban'lfrtf /"^'^ 3I.-I>iscovered buried in the east

bank of the ravine, and protruding about ei.dit feet a

ree o eons.derable size. During the afternoon I found

everal others of a similar kind : circumferenee o first

and second t«e seen, three feet; of another, two feet

posiii :f th!r "'' ^f'l ^""^ "' ''- •'-'^. -' l-e

position of the trees so far from the soa, there can be

but httle doubt that they grew orimn»lIv ;1 ti .

I siworl ™„ u ,_ . ° of'ginally in this country.
J. sawed one through : it appeared very close-rained
and was so immensely heavy that we L,u f'

little of it away." ^ '^™''' '^^''^ ''"'

pas^thaTtre' "'^ ^f "''I' ""^' ''•'"'^'^ '>«- " ^^-^ to
pass that trees m the perfect state lieutenant Mecham

Ivoderiek I. Murchison, an eminent authority, has kindly

■n

164 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

favoured the writer with some vahiablo remarks upon
this subject, as well as a general geological sketch of this
arctic archipelago. It will be found in those remarks *
that Sir Roderick Murchison has good grounds for being
of opinion that all this timber was floated from a more
southern continent at a period when IJanks Land and
Prince Patrick Land were submerged. A very ditl'erent
climate must then have existed in those regions to allow
drift-wood so perfect as to retain its bark to reach such
great distances ; and I may be perhaps allowed to remark,
that when the polar sea was sufficiently clear of ice to
allow such timber to drift unscathed to Prince Patrick
Land, might not fir -trees have then grown in a soil
naturally fertile 1

In any point of view the field for conjecture is a wide
one, and the navigator and traveller may be pardoned
for expressing astonishment when, amidst the wastes of
those frozen lands, he finds the wreck of ancient forests
where the ground-willow and dwarf birch can now hardly
exist.

On the 1st September winter appeared to have over-
taken the Investigator in her forlorn position. From
the highest land near them the officers and men had in
vain looked out over the pack for the hope of release
which even a yard of water would afford : all was ice
over the surface of that really frozen sea. Keen and
strong already came the north-west wind. What would
it be in the depth of winter 1 they asked each other with
a shudder. The wild-fowl had nearly all gone south,
and the gallant little snow-buntings were mustering to

* See Appendix.

rUOSI'ECT OF WINTEK. ]G5

depart likewise. The prospect was not cheering ; yet
none could complain, for they had come a marvellous
Uistance in the short navigabl.3 sea-son of the polar seas,
and the distance yet to bo accomplished to reach those
waters which had been traversed by ships from tho
direction of IJaffin Bay was small indeed compared with
that already passed. Squeezed up and cradled in ice
about fifty yards off the shore lay the Investigator, and
Captain IM'Clure expected to have to winter in this
exposed position. He therefore commenced to take all
necessary measures, though the danger of such a winter-
mg-place was well known to himself. The prospect in
nowise improved between the 1st and the 10th of Sep-
tember. The temperature had fallen to + 1G° Fahr., or
1G° of frost; and the aurora borealis flickered its pale
light at night through the cold heavens. Everything
spoke of winter ; yet the position of the ship was too
insecure a one to justify the captain in making any final
preparations for sheltering the men from its rigour such
as clearing decks and spreading housing, lest some' fresh
movement in the ice should require the vessel to be
again placed under canvass— a wise precaution, which, as
^ve shall see, enabled him to reach secure winter-quarters
and saved his ship. '

Amongst other remarkable proofs that the daily ex-
cursions of men and officers brought to light, of the land,
barren as it was, possessing considerable resources in the
shape of animal life, the discovery of lakes with fish in
them was not the least worthy of note. Two of these
lakes had attracted the attention of the officers, from the
extraordinary fact that, although within 100 yards of

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166 DIWCOVKlfY OF A NOUTIF-WI'ST PASSAGE.

each other, and possessing exactly the same aspect, one
of tlicni Avas firmly frozen over, while the other had not
a particle of ice upon its surlace. The only respect in
■which they wore found to differ in relative j)o.sition was,
that the unfrozen lake was ten feet nearer the level of
the sea than the other, and its depth was six fathoms,
whilst that of the frozen lake was hut five — a difference,
however, which could hardly account for the fact, the
water in both being remarkably pure, and the tempera-
ture by tliermometer differing only 1°. When Cajitain
M'Cluro visited the lakes on the Gtli instant ho found
both frozen over ; but the ice in the lower one was only
half the thickness of that in the upper; and, to add to
the interest attached to this little freak of nature, the
lower lake was full of fish— salmon-trout, varying from
three inches to a foot in length — whilst the upper one
had not a living creature in it. The exc^uisite transpa-
rency of the young fresh-water ice enabled him to ascer-
tain this fact as easily as if he had been looking through
a crystal.

Ancient traces of the Innuit or Esquimaux were found
here, showing that, even to this remote corner, that
extraordinary race of hunters and fishers had at one time
extended their wanderings ; and not far from the ruins
of their huts and caches' some more hills were discovered,
in which there existed a considerable stratum of wood,
" with trees," says Captain M'Clure, " of considerable
length and diameter projecting from the sides of the
hills, and that, too, in a state of preservation which ren-
dered them not unfit for firewood."

On the 10th September the wind veered to the

ONCr. MORE FIJEE.

167

southward, the temperature rose, and at midr.iKht the
ice .vent ofr from the coast, without tlie sh'^d.test warn-
ing, carryin- the poor Investigator with it, and lianding
her thus over to the tender mercies of tlio much-.lreaded
pack-ice Fortunately tlie sliip was on its weather-edge,
although so cradled by ice under her bottom as to bo
helpless; and painful were the feelings of all on board
until tiieir position was ascertained at daylight. IJut
amid the roar of the gale and tossing of the floes which
had caused this sudden danger, tlie firm hand of the
leader wrote m his diary :—

" Thus we launch into this formidable frozen sea.
^j)os mm in JJco."

Baylight showed them to be drifting north-east, one
niile oil shore, in 100 fathoms of water, at the rate of
about a mile an hour. So far it was consolatory, as it
was the direction they wished to go ; but their great
object was to free the ship, and to secure her in some
nook in the land, to avoid the pack when it crashed in
ugam upon the shore, which it assuredly would do
directly the southerly gale abated in the least. ]Jy dint
of enormous charges of powder, placed under and amongst
the ice which held the Investigator, this release was at
fast effected, at a time when neither hawsers, saws, nor
chisels were found of the slightest avail. Launching
once more into her own element, the Investigator strug-
gled on during the day, and, as night closed in, sought
shelter amongst the grounded ice. Another night and a
day of continued danger and anxiety followed, for the
wind slackened, and the pack again rolled along the
coast, pivoting upon the grounded pieces, and threaten-

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168 DISCOVEllY OF A NOIITII-WEST PASSAGE.

ing their frail bark as it pulvcriped masses thirty or forty
feet thick, or threw them liigh up on the beach, or atop
of one another. 7Jlirough the long dark night the
sullen grinding of the moving pack, and the loud report
made by tlie ice-fields bursting under the pressure,
echoed through the solitude; and as the starlight glim-
mered over the wild scene to seaward, the men could
just detect the pack rearing and rolling over by the
alternate reflected lights and shadows.

It was a time to try every nerve; and fervently all
prayed for some providential circumstance to place them
in a haven of security for the winter. Tliat prayer was
at last answered ; for, having once more freed the ship
from the ice which surrounded her, in order that a lane
of water stretching eastward might oe turned to advan-
tage, the 19th of September saw the Investigator again
progressing along the coast. Fifteen miles we-e accom-
plished, and at night the vessel was secured as far as
circumstances v/ould admit of. Two whales, the first
seen for a very long time, passed them on this day, and
appeared to be going westward. Next day, struggling
with a succession of difficulties which nothing but the
unparalleled gallantry and zeal of every soul in the ship
enabled them, to surmount, the Investigator reached a
headland, since called Cape Austin; and here she was
secured again, near a place where the floes had run up a
steep slope of the land to the height of seventy feet.

On the 22d this cape was rounded, and the voyagers
immediately found the appearance of the ice less formid-
able, and all breathed afresh at the feeling that they
were now fairly in the waters of Barrow Strait ! Whilst

INVKSTIOATOR AGROUND. 159

pushing slowly on, two small bays were seen, but so

hip to ftnd shelter there. Some iJea may bo formed of
«>ona™„,t of water alo„« which the l„vesti«ator
was now seeking her way, from the faet that on one
oceas.on, as they approached a eape, the lower stu.lding-

aU boon, had to bo " topi>,.I up" to allow the vessel to
1 a.,s through .a craek (for it was nothing else) between
th^^steep cblfs on the one hand and tl,: Hoes upontto

The 23d of September 1851-the last day of the
gallant sh.ps achievements-came in most pr6misingly.

and she battled on all day to the eastward, n>aking a
ht Je southing, as the land trended that way. Hitherto
Co^ain M;aure had avoided pushing 1 after d't
smee .he mghts had now become so long; but for many
cogent reasons he was induced on this occasion to depart
lom this rule; and, as the result proved, it was unfor-
unate m one respect that he did so, for about half.past
even clock m the evening the ship ran ashore on a
steep bank. The crew strained every nerve to get the
vessel off; and after clearing the fore-hold and store
rooms and laying out a stream-anchor and cable, she
floated oh during the night.

Next day they found themselves in a large bay, afford-
ing good winter-fiuarters, and perceived that it was im-
possible to round its north-eastern horn. Under these
oircnmstauees, and considering the sufferings and labour
his crew had already undergone, Captain M'Clure made
«p his mind to winter where he was; and, in token of

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170 DISCOVEllY OF A NORTH-WEST TASSAGE.

hia gratitude to a kind Providence, the bay was appro-
priately called the Bay of IMen^y. It was no empty ex-
pression, for every heart in that ship was filled with
emotion ; and many prayed that in after years, should
they ho spared to reach their homes, the recollection of
the bounty and goodness of llim who had ui)held them
through such anxieties and dangers might never be
ellaced from their memories.

AVinter came on apace, but the Investigators were
ready for it. With slight excerptions, the arrangements
were much the same as those of 1850-51 ; and, to judge
from appearances, it seemed that all were quite as well
able to defy its rigour as tliey had been on the first
occasion. As a precaution, however, to meet the possible
contingency of an escape from the polar regions not
being effected in the forthcoming year, the painful
but necessary measure was adopted of reducing the
allowance of food per diem of the ship's company.
Captain M'Clure ordered that officers and men should
be placed upon two-thirds of their ordinary rations ; but
happily at this time it was discovered that the land
teemed with deer and hares ; and although the want of
professional hunters caused the loss of many a fine herd
of deer, yet when the winter set in, nine deer and fifty-
three hares, besides small birds, had been shot, and
their flesh added to tho resources of the ship. The in-
te"'ior of the land, so far as the walks of the sportsmen
carried them, appeared well fitted to support the hardy
animals of that latitude. Broad plains of dwarf willow,
reindeer moss, and the coarse grasses of the north, were
seen ; and the herds of deer and troops of hares which

irAtllTS OP THE tmi'.R AND IIAItES. 171

^vho ha,I „tl,crto boliovod tl,at little if any a„i,„al lif,. T"

:::i;;t""""- '^■''-''•--'-"o-.i, ,„!„.,,:!'«.

I colli . / '," '^';''"' "'■ "™'"^; »•"' " "»» ""ly

t ho cold a„,l ,larfn„«3 wl.i.:], proventod their bein,, ^hi
«t that season. It would take a vohime to de-seribe the

noveland interesting habits of these ani„,ak, as :^^^^^^^^^^
by tliose wlio sojourned in Mercy ]iay

i„swr\^,"" ■•^''""■"""""^ of ™A a climate, the

hose of -f "'"" """""'^ '^™""1 ■""■■° »-"" I'an
those of snndar creatures place,l in nu.re favoured dimes

Ihoy were watehful and wary to a surprising de Je

co-ntry the sportsmen eoukl not always get even within
nile-d,stance of the deer, although thej- probably a
never seen a human being before; whist, stran'dy

nongh, these herds appeared to entertain no fear oftl e
half-dozen wolves which always lay round them, ready
to cut off a straggler, or pick up a giddy fawn. ^

rhe arctic reindeer at this season congregated in lar-^o
promiscuous herds of bucks, does, and fawns, probably
for warmth and protection; and, strangely c .oud, the
hares d.d so likewise. Some troops of" the lattef; r

en, numbering L-iO at least; and the roads made by
their march through the snow were beaten as hard as ice
lam not aware that this herfing of hares, or the fact of

tlZ Tl ''^ °' '"'''' y°""8 ^' => "«-. has
been betore noticed.

Apart from the difficulty of stalking down the deer
the presence of the wolves and foxes was found to be a

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172 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

serious drawback ; for if a deer was shot and left on tlie
ground, by the time the sportsman had obtained suffi-
cient aid to transport the meat on board, little beyond the
head and shin-bones would be left undevoured ; and the
robber- wolves, taking care to keep out of gun-shot, would
howl dismally, as if mocking the disappointment of the
hunter.

As cold and darkness increased, and the absence of
the sun rendered it unsafe for the crew to leave the
vicinity of the ship, the wolves, pressed by cold and
hunger, used to haunt her to a disagreeable extent; and
the sad prolonged howl of these gaunt creatures in the
long nights added, if possible, to the dismal character of
the scene. The Investigators vowed vengeance on brutes
which, as they declared, not only behaved in a most un-
sportsman-like, not to say dishonest, manner, but strove
to disturb their slumbers besides.

A great deal of snow fell this autumn, indicative of
much moisture in the atmosphere, arising from evapora-
tion from the sea, and proving that a considerable extent
of water might still exist amongst the pack, though use-
less for all navigable purposes. In November the tem-
perature fell to — 40°, the lowest, perhaps, ever registered
at so early a season ; and this augured a still more severe
winter than had yet been experienced. The crew were,
however, generally in capital health, and actuated by the
same fine spirit which had carried them through so many
difficulties and endeared them so much to their captain
and officers. Two ravens now established themselves as
friends of those in Mercy Bay, living mainly by what
little scraps the men might have to throw away after

RAVENS AND BEARS. 173

meal-times. The ship's dog, however, looked upon these
as his especial perquisites, and exhibited considerable
energy m maintaining his rights against the ravens, who
nevertheless outwitted him in a way which amused every
one. Observing that he appeared quite willing to make
a mouthful of their own sable persons, they used to throw
themselves intentionally in his way just as the mess-tins
were being cleaned out on the dirt-heap outside the ship
Ihe dog would immediately run at them, and they would
just fly a few yards; the dog then made another run
and again they would appear to escape him but by an
inch, and so on, until they had tempted and provoked
Jiim to the shore a considerable distance off. Then the
ravens would make a direct flight for the ship, and had
generally done good execution at the scrap-heap before
the mortified-looking dog detected the imposition that
had been practised upon him, and rushed back again

Only an occasional bear was seen, and their footprints
were by no means common in this neighbourhood. One
bear however, haunted the bay until fairly chased out of
It. He is a noble creature, that polar bear, whether we
speak of him by the learned titles of ^^Ursus maritimm "
" Thalassardos maritwms;' or the sailors' more expres-
sive nomenclature of "Jack Rough!" With all her
many wonders, never did Nature create a creature more
admirably adapted to the life it has to lead. Half flesh
half fish, the sailor wandering in those frozen rerrjons
cannot but be struck with the appearance of latent
energy and power its every action attests, as it rolls with
hthe and swaggering gait over the rough surface of the
frozen sea; or, duriQr summer, haunts the broken and

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174 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

treacherous " pack " in search of its prey. Living and
stuffed specimens of the polar bear are too common in
our museums and zoological gardens to render it neces-
sary for us to attempt more than to convey an idea of its
habits.

When not too fat, the pace of the bear is easy and
indolent ; but their slowest pace is quite as fast as a man
can walk ; and when excited their speed is truly wonder-
ful, though very far from being graceful. On level ice,
the bears at full speed throw themselves ahead by a vio-
lent jerking movement of the powerful fore-paws — an
ungainly gallop ; but they invariably make for rough ice,
and it is there that their strength and activity are best
displayed. Amongst packed ice neither man nor dog
can compete with them. In the Queen's Channel more
than one bear was seen going over brokcn-up ice, rugged
and precipitous as the mind can picture, with a facility
truly marvellous, their powerful fore-paws and hind-legs
enabling them to keep springing from piece to picee,
scaling one fragment and sliding down another with the
activity of a huge quadrumana rather than that of a
quadruped. It is evidently aware of its superiority in
such rough and perilous ground, and is generally found
at the edge of the belts of hummocks or broken ice which
intersect most ice-fields, or else amongst the frozen packed
ice of channels such as those of Barrow and the Queen.

There is, however, another reason for bears frequenting
hummocks and packed ice, because it is near such spots
water usually first makes its appearance in the summer.
The seals are consequently there most numerous, and
the inequalities of the floe afford the bears cover in ap-

dog

HABITS OF THE POLAR DEAU. J75

proacl'ing their prey. During summer the colour of the

pcJar bear .a of a dn.gy yellowish hue, closely reseu.bling

that of Uecayug snow or ice. The fur is then thin, and

hair on the soles of their feet is almost en irely

but in th!' "7" r*'" ''"""'^ "' «'^™i -«--^

butm the autumn, when the body has recovered from
the scanty fere of the previous winter, and a lar^-e eoat
.ng of blubber overlays his carcase to meet the exi^en es

thicker, tho feet are, as the season advances, beautifullv

gradually turns to a very pale straw, which, upon par-
ticular points of view, as the light strikes it, ooks wh te
or nearly so. The nose and lips are of a jetty bk k
the eyes vary in colour. Brown is common, b^t soaie
have been seen with those of a pale grey, iheir se„l
of smell IS most acute, fecil.tated, no doubt, by the ""
bar manner ,n which scent is carried to great distances
in the pure and frosty atmosphere of the north

tears were seen more than once running down the
seen exactly as a dog would do; and the Hoes ab u
Low her Island, in 1851, looked as if the bears had
quartered them in search of seals, as a pointer would do
n a held in England ; and the snorting noise made by
the brutes as they approach men, indicates how much
more they trust to their nose than to their eyes; thou"
both, to their sorrow, often lead them into the clutch^es
of our sportsmen. Bears, however, like mother Eve
might plead curiosity as their ruin.

In Wellington Channel, and elsewhere, the writer has
seen a bear, m the far distance, going at the hard swin!!

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176 DISCOVEllY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

iiig pace peculiar to the brute when excited; the head
thrown forward; whilst every now and then it would
halt, stretch its lon<jj ungainly neck as if to inhale a fresh
whiff of the distant seal, and then again resume its course,
as straight to the prey as an arrow to the target.

It is hardly safe to say what the size of the largest
polar bear yet seen may have been. Seamen are natu-
rally prone to the marvellous. The Dutch navigators
tell of some bears fifteen feet long ! one of which fought
a whole ship's company during several hours on the
coast of Siberia. An old whaler, whom I asked whether
bears were numerous in Spitzbergen, vowed he had seen
the floes hlacl', with them ! and that a hundred bears in
sight at a time during the sealing season, or early spring,
was far from an unusual occurrence ! We had better,
therefore, leave size and numbers an open question.
Bears, however, of nine feet six inches long are not un-
common ; and they need be strong to master the large
seal of the arctic zone, especially the saddle-back and
bladder-nose species.

In the water, although both are able swimmers and
divers, the bear can be no match for either of the above
description of seal; and it is only upon the floe, or on
the slippery pieces of ice which constitute the packed
ice, that the bear fairly captures and kills them.

The seal, aware of wherein lies its safety, seldom, if
ever, is seen twice its length from the water, whether
it be the hole which it has itself made through the ice,
or the open sea at the floe-edge ; and when basking upon
the surface of the fields of ice which float about the
Polar seas, nothing can exceed its watchfulness. Its

', it >

THE BEAK SEAL-HUNTING. 177

magnificent eyes are so placed as to enable the animal
to sweep a great extent of the horizon with the slightest
motion of the head; the sense of hearing, which it pos-
sesses in a remarkable degree, adds to its security; and,
to he uninitiated, the restless vigilance of the seal is
particularly striking, - now raising its head to look
around, now throwing its head into a position for hear-
ing tlie slightest motion over the crisp surface of the ice
or gazing and listening dow?i its hole-a necessary pre-
caution with so keen a hunter as old Bruin.

It is under such circumstances that the bear exhibits
a degree of sagacity and skill in securing its prey, which
appears to border rather upon the realms of reason than
iipon those of mere instinct. Its sight and scent tell it
the position of the seal ; it throws itself flat upon the
ice, and, taking advantage of inequalities invisible to our
eyes, gradually nears the prey by a quiet and almost im-
perceptible movement of the hind-feet. The fore-feet
are often placed before its black muzzle, so that nothing
but the dmgy white of his coat is seen, thus preserving
a uniformity of colour with that of the floe. Patiently
It uears its prey, who mistakes him for a brother seal,
or else, misled by idle curiosity, stays gazing until,
with one fatal spring, the bear is upon him. Yet even
then the bear does not always secure its feast ; and what
It is to have succeeded in even griping a seal can only
be appreciated by unlucky men like our arctic travellers,
who have been hours crawling up, dreaming of delicious
seal s fry and overflowing fuel-bags, and seen their prey
pop down a hole when within a hundred yards of it
The great muscular power of the seal enables it often to

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178 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

throw itself into the water in spite of the bear's efforts
to retain it on the floe ; Bruin, however, holds on, for it
has almost as good diving powers as the seal, and down
they go together. Sometimes the bear comes off a victor,
owing to the mortal injuries inflicted upon the seal prior
to reaching the water; at another time the bear may bo
seen rising at some other hole in the floe, or getting upon
another loose piece of ice, looking heartily disgusted at
his want of success.

The bear dives admirably, and is almost as much at
home in the water as upon the ice. If a seal is seen
upon a loose floe, the bear will gently slip into the sea,
swim with merely the tip of his nose above water,* and,
diving under the floe, rise at the very hole which the
unhappy seal has looked upon as the only road to safety;
and it is this clever expedient of the bear which occa-
sions the seal to watch its hole so narrowly. Even on
extensive ice-fields fast to the land, where no hummocks
exist to cover the approach of the bear, the seal is not
safe, for then the bear slips quietly down a hole, and
swims along under the ice until it reaches the one where
poor poussey is enjoying the sunshine, and thus takes it
at a disadvantage.

It is in the early spring, February and March, after the
meagre fare of winter, that the bear's feasting-time occurs.
The seal is then bringing forth her young : they are born
blind, helpless, and unable for ten days to take to the

* The power of keeping all the body submerged, except the nostrils
to breathe through, is possessed by, and is common to, the bear, seal,
whale, as well as alligator, hippopotamus, and other amphibious
animals.

DEARS LOST ON DKIPT-ICE. 179

water; and althouffl, the poor mothers leave no precau
t.o„ unheeded to guard their feeble oflipri °/ t """

. re le wolf be„,g suspeeted, fr, ., some faets which came
under our observation, to bo a participator in the he
Ihe voracity of the bear leads him, however as a
rotribufon ,nto sad scrapes. The s al insXctivelv
breeds as e ose to the open water as possible; the conse
quence .s that the floe, during the early equin'octilX
often breaks up and drifts away in the /orn, of packed
oe; a matter of much indifference to the seal, b utt th^
bear a .luestion of life and death. Numbers of th^'
are doubtless so lost along the whole area „f the pa

^uTlf' '^'T" '''"'''"^''' ''"'' Greenland w'l
both these annuals are very numerous. With heavy
northerly gales, bears are often .et down in such m^
b rs upon Iceland as to be dangerous to the safe Jrf

thevtt'r ^'^^ °' ''"'"' ""*'^™ '^'-'ders, Ld
they have been known to reach the coasts of XorwLy

-The whalers constantly meet castaway bears at /omo
distance from the land. We have been told by one
worthy of credence that he has seen them sixty miles
off the land .n Davis Strait, without any ice in si^ht
and evidently quite exhausted. In tWs manner no
doubt, nature keeps a cheek upon the too ranid increase
of these brntes; for beyond the possibility if the Zf
hunting It in packs, and destroying the cubs, as we be-
.eve they do, there is nothing else to kee; down the
.ncr««e of bears. Esquimaux are too .scarce: and too iU

them. ^^ herever seals are plentiful, bears have invariably

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180 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

been found numerous : in Barrow Strait in 1850-51, and
in the Queen's Channel in subsequent years, they were
seen in great numbers. The Danes say they are plentiful
about the northern Greenland settlement of Uppernavik
during nine months in the year; and from the united
testimony of the natives inhabiting the north-eastern
portion of Baffin Bay, and that of Dr Kane, who has
lately wintered in Smith Sound, we gather that the bears
are very numerous about the polyniasy or water-holes,
formed there by rapid tides.

In the summer months, when the polar bear is in high
condition, it can easily be hunted down, lacking, as it
then does, activity or wind; but in the depth of winter
its voracity and vast strength render it a formidable
creature to people unprovided with firearms. Under
ordinary circumstances, they always studiously avoided
all conflict with our seamen, although the dark days
and nights, as well as dense fogs, of those high latitudes,
sometimes brought Jack and Bruin much closer toge-
ther than either party desired, without due notice.

It is folly to talk of the polar bear hybernating : what-
ever bears may do on the American continent, there is
only one arctic navigator who ever saw a bear's-nest!
Bears were seen at all points visited by our sailors, at all
times and in all temperatures; males or females, and
sometimes females with their cubs. In mid-winter, as
well as in mid-summer, they eviderlly huurted spotvS
where tides or currents occasioned either water to con-
stantly exist, or only allowed such a thin coating of ice
to form that the seal or walrus might without difficulty
break through. This was especially the case in about

CHRISTMAS-DAY. ig|

state of tilings appears to exist in Smith Sound

December 1851 ^vas ushered in, in Mercy IJay, with
those tremendous snow-storms which are, perhaps, the
most awful visitation of polar regions. All the L^esti-
gators could do was to remain shut up in the ship, and
wonder what the animals of P.anks Land did in aVn^;
dr ft which almost tore the housing from its n.any fast-

Srfh .1 : ""'^"^' ^''^^ '^ ^"'^^^ rolled along
higher than the topmast heads, and, meeting an impedi-
ment in he ship, formed a wreath to windward, and
piled rapidly up over her, until the weight of accumulated
now broke down the floe in which she was frozen; the
nchnation of the ship first one way, then another and
the repor made by the cracking of the ice under her
bottom starthng those unaccustomed to such accidents
An odd atmospheric condition, which has elsewhere been
experienced, was observed by Captain M'Clure in one
ot these storms, which occurred on the 5th of December
The barometerrose to 30.81, higher than it had before

to 31.50, stood so high that it could not be registered
for four days. In a similar storm, early the following
year, the barometer rose above 31 inches

The second Christmas-day was passed 'in the ice in a
manner to call forth the captain's highest encomiums on
his noble ship s company, who behaved, he says, in the
most exemplary and satisfactory manner. -After divine
service all went for a short walk until the dinner-hour •
from then until bedtime, dancing, skylarking, and sing-^
mg were kept up on the lower deck with unflaggin.

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182 DISOOVEllY OF A NOllTII-WERT I'ASSAGE.

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spirit, ^ood-liuinour, cheerfulness, ftiid propriety ; not a
man was inebriated, although, with other additions to
the daily fare, amongst which was a pound of the most
delicious venison to each person, an extra allowance of
grog was issued. Would that tlie lia]>[)iness of our little
community npon the lower deck of the Investigator
could have been witnessed by those anxious for our
welfare at home ! they would scarcely imagine, otherwise,
that the crew of a vessel two years upon her own re-
sources in these ice-bound regions, could create such a
scene of enjoyment amidst so many gloomy influences."
And as if to countersign this opinion of their chief,
several of the petty officers assured him afterwards that,
during many years' service in her Majesty's navy, they
had never passed a happier Christmas, nor one in which
there had been a feeling of more perfect unanimity and
good-will, — a feeling shared by every seaman and marine
in the ship's conipany.

The officers dined M'ith Captain IM'Clure off a splendid
haunch of a Banks Land reindeer, weighing about twenty
pounds, with at least two inches of fat on it; and it was
pronounced to be most deliciously-flavourcd meat. In
short, the year 1851 passed away very pleasingly; and
in spite of the reduced allowance of food npon which all
had been for three months, no one was repining or dis-
contented.

On Christmas-day of the previous winter, it will be
remembered that the many ships which left England
and America in 1850 to rescue Franklin's expedition
were wintering in different parts of the arctic regions ;
but out of all these the Investigator and the Enterprise

POSITION OF THE ENTERPEISE.

183

now alono rcniainod. At page 150 we left the latter,
after having rounded the difficult turning-point of Capo
Harrow, progressing eastward along tlie American shore.
As in the Investigator's case, Captain Collinson found
the water to make along-shore in a lane whose breadth
depended upon the position of the different rivers dis-
charging tliemselves into the Polar Sea; and in their
vicinity destroying the packed ice, or forcing it off to
seaward by the strength of their currents.

The Enterprise, when oif Cape l^arry (the promontory
which divides the waters of the Coppermine from those
of the Mackenzie Eiver), saw to the northward the
southern extremity of IJanks Land— the Nelson Head
of M'Clure. Steering across for it, Captain Collinson,
when under that coast, by a strange combination of cir-
cumstances, steered up Prince of Wales Strait, and there
on Princess-Iioyal Island discovered the Investigator's
depot, and a cairn containing information up to the 15th
June 1851. Passing on after this discovery, the Enter-
prise, on the 30th August, reached the north end of the
strait, but only to be foiled, as the Investigator had been,
in any attempt to pass beyond it. Captain Collinson
then decided upon taking a course exactly similar to the
one pursued by his more fortunate predecessor, and,
bearing away, rounded Nelson Head, with the intention
of struggling along that western route by which M'Clure
had a fortnight earlier successfully carried his ship. On
September 3, the captain, little thinking of the Inves-
tigator having preceded him in his intended course, was
astonished to find on Cape Kellett a record placed there
on August the 18th. The ico was now too close in for

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184 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSASE.

the Enterprise to push on ; and no harbour fit for win-
ter-quarters offering itself so high as latitude 72° 54'
north, Captain Collinson bore up to the eastward, and
eventually wintered his ship on the eastern side of the
entrance of Prince of Wales Strait, close to the spot
where Esquimaux had been found by Lieutenant Has-
well, as we have elsewhere related, during his sledge-
journey in the spring. From Walker Bay, as their
winter-quarters were named, Collinson, after passing his
first winter in safety, despatched in the spring his
sledge-parties ; but, unfortunately for them, the labours
of Captain M'Clure's parties, and Dr Eae's exertions,
prevented little new ground being reached by any of
them, neither did they discover the previous winter-
quarters of the Investigator, although, as will hereafter
be related, a party which reached Melville Island must
at one time have crossed the track of Captain M'Clure's
sledge during a trip he made to Wirter Harbour. Hav-
ing thus connected the voyages of the two ships, and
shown the relative positions of the only vessels of the
searching expeditions left that winter in the polar seas,
we must return again to the Bay of Mercy.

CHAPTEPt XV.

THE NEW VEAn 1852-SATI.SFACTOHY STATE OF THE CKKW-

nEr^G .seen — sergeant woox, of the koyal Arn,ivF.

SAVES THE LIFE OF A SHIPMATE-KEEX SPOKT^^^^^ ^
-BOATSWAIN'S ADVENTURE WITH THEM-SPlaXG-C^r VIV
M'CUUE VISITS WINTER HARBOUR, MELVILLE ISL^-F ^DS
NEITHER PROVISIONS NOR VESSEL TO HELP IIIM-HI Ri™-
-FINDS LARGE QUANTITIES OF VENLSON HAD REEN Pl/ocUPFD

Z^"Z:T' '" — — — 'HKASEB NUMRBR F
SICK-UNFAVOURARLE WEATHER IN JULY- VFXISON FV
PENBED-WILD SORRKL FOUND IN GREAT QUANTmFs FOR i
SHORT PERIOD- lOfH AUGUST -WATER SEL^ X RvnoW
STRAIT -MEASURES TAKEN IN CASE OF R ,nv fn]
K^APE^APSE IN THE WEATHEK^L^L "SL.eS:1.S
EARL, ,y,^.r,:,, COMMENCES-MEASURES TAKEN TO SAVE SHIP
AND CREW, IN THE EVENT OF A SIMILAR SEASON lM853
CHEERFUL CONDUCT OF THE CREW-SHORT RATI N^^^

OF LIVING-RANIAN DAYS AND FESTIVALS-CHRISTMAS AND
CONCLUSION OF YEAR 1852. ^'i^^^UAS AxND

The year 1852 came in with a keen and steady cold of
from seventy to eighty degrees below the freezing-point
01 water-a temperature which severely tests the vital
energies of man. The weather was still what would be
called fine ; that is, the wind was light, and fine auroras
reheved the darkness in a slight degree. The Investic^a-
tors met the cold as it should be met, with cheerfulne°ss

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DISCOVERY OF A NOKTII-WEST PASSAGE.

energetic exercise, and regularity of habits ; Xew Year's
Day consc(|uently found but four tritling cases upon the
doctor's sick-list — a satisfactory sanitary state, which,
continued throughout the spring. Directly the daylight
began to increase, and the crew were able to extend their
walks, they fell in with reindeer in great numbers. Some
of the poor creatures, attracted by curiosity, or pressed
by the wolves eternally dogging at their heels, approached
the ship for protection, but only, of course, to be fired at.
Before the close of January several were shot, and their
flesh secured ; and, according to the diary of an officer,
" the hills in the vicinity of the ship were abounding at
that time with deer."

Every encouragement was now given to men and offi-
cers who were prepared to undergo the fatigue of sport-
ing for the public weal. One person especially distin-
guished himself not only as a sportsman, but in the
execution of any service requiring unflagging energy and
marked intelligence ; and this was the non-commissioned
officer of royal marines, Sergeant Woon. He did good
service everywhere ; but no better instance can be given
of the metal of which such men as he are made, than
what occurred on the 4th of January.

A coloured man serving in the ship, whilst out sport-
ing, wounded a deer, and, after following it awhile, dis-
covered he had lost his way just as a fog came on. The
temperature was very low, the man was tired, and the
peril of his position caused him to lose his presence of
mind and to wander about. By great good fortune Ser-
geant Woon, who was likewise out in quest of game,
joined him ; but the poor creature was so beside himself

HEROISM OF SERGEANT WOON. 187

with excitement and horror, that every endeavour to
sootlie him, by promising to take liim safely on board
the ship, failed. Fits came on, wliich left the man quite
prostrated in strength. By entreaty and remonstrance
the sergeant induced him at last to walk a little ; but at
2 P.M., when the glimmering twilight called day ol that
season was fast closing in, the unfortunate man's ener^ries
entirely failed, and he sank upon the ground, bleecHng
at his mouth and nose, and writhing in convulsions.
The sergeant saw that all hope of the man saving him-
self was at an end j and to leave him where he was
niany miles from the ship, was to leave him to certain
death : he would have been devoured by the wolvos
even before the process of freezing to death would have
released him from his misery. There was no alternative
but to drag him to the ship— no easy matter, when the
sergeant dared not part with his gun, and the man was
one of the heaviest of a fine ship's company. Sergeant
Woon, with heroic resolution, set to his task. Slimming
both muskets over his shoulder, he took the man's anns
round his own neck, and commenced dragging his half-
dead shipmate towards the Investigator. °The labour
was excessive ; and the only relief the sergeant had was
whenever he had dragged the body up one side of a hill'
or when he came to a ravine, to lay him down and roll
him to the bottom— rather severe treatment for an in-
valid, but it had the merit of arousing the man somewhat
from his lethargy. By eleven o'clock at night the gal-
lant marine had thus conveyed his burden to within a
mile of the ship ; but ten hours of such toil, amid dark-
ness, cold, and snow, now began to tell upon him. He

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188 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

could drag liis burden no longer ; and, as a last resource,
he implored the unfortunate man to make an effort, and
tried to cheer him by pointing to the rockets which the
Captain of the Investigator caused to be thrown up as a
guide to the missing men. Finding, however, that all
his entreaties were replied to by a request "to be left
alone to die," the sergeant laid him in a bed of deep
snow, and started off for ass^'stanco from the ship. Aid
was already on its way ; and Woon met and conducted
two out of three parties to where the man lay, and just
in time to save him. He was found with his arms raised
and rigid in that position, his eyes open, and his mouth
so firmly frozen as to require much force to open it for
the purpose of pouring restoratives down his throat,
whilst his hands, feet, and face were much frost-bitten.
His life v/as, however, saved ; and the courage and devo-
tion displayed by the sergeant need no comment.

On r)th February the sun was seen above the horizon
to the southward by those whose anxiety to welcome
back its cheerful face induced them to climb the adjacent
hills ; and in the course of a day or two it gladdened the
Bay of Mercy. The sportsmen now became more suc-
cessful, and a day seldom passed without a deer or hare
being shot ; and keen must the hunger of those sports-
men have been, for more than one of them, when he shot
a deer or hare, refreshed himself by drinking the hot
blood, or eating a mouthful or two of the raw meat.
They found no ill consequences ensue from the unplea-
sant food. Now and then a fcAv days' holiday had to be
given to the game to prevent it being too much scared—
a prudent measure, which always appeared to bring the

ADVENTURE WITH WOLVES. igfl

creatures baek to their old feedi«g-gro„nd. The wolves
ncouraged, no doubt, by the feeding they obtained ftom
the wounaed ammals ^vhich escaped the sportsmen be
came exoee ,ngly bold ; and five of then. 'atte„,pt:d to
cut out an fequ.maux dog that had long been the pet
of the Invesfgator. One of these wolvet was a perfec
grnnt, standing nearly four feet high at the shoulder and
leavmg a footmark as big as a reindeer's. Many a pTo
was laid to shoot these wary ereatures ; but all Med Si
season whde some of the encounters with them were d

oTe'of t r"' "t "r "* ""^''-^^^ «-="• i^-'i

one of the strangest adventures was that of Mr Kennedy
(boatswa,n),who,whilst out shooting early in April brokT
at a shot, two out of four legs of a fine bnck.^^ Events
coming on, and knowing the animal could not go far he
returned to the ship, and next morning early started to
secure h.s game. Arriving at the place,°he wa" "ted
to find five large wolves and several foxes in possession
of the deer. Betern.ined to have his share of the spoil
the boatswain advanced, shouting and calling them b^
every strong term he could muster, yet afraid to fire hil
smgle-barrelled gun at the brutes, for fear of their turn-

show fight, and made no sign of retreat until he was
withm four yards of them. Even then only four of
them moved off, and sat down a pistol-shot off, howlin..
most dismally. " Pipes " pieked up a leg of the deer
which had been dismembered, and then grasped one end
of the half-picked carcase, whilst a large female wolf
tugged against him at the other ! The position was to
say the least of it, a disagreeable one ; and if the music

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190 DISCOVERY OV A NOHTII-WEST PASSAGE.

of tlie four wolves liad brou<,'lit oiluirs of tlieir fniternity
to tlie rescue, tlio conso(iuonco8 of a stru^'j,'l(! between
hungry wolves and a no less hungry sailor might havo
been serious. Fortunately Mr ^lierching, the interpre-
ter, who was out sliooting likewise on an adjacent hill,
had his attention attracted by the howling of the brutes,
and came to thf» rescue, lie described the scene as the
strangest he had ever seen ; and so close were ISlr Ken-
nedy and the Avolf in their struggle for the meat, that he
fancied the animal had actually attacked the boatswain.
Seeing more bipeds approaching, all the wolves now de-
camped, saving their skins as usual, and leaving the poor
boatswain only twenty pounds' weight of meat, instead
of the liH) pounds Avhich his prize would otherwise have
weighed.

The rapid rise of the temperature in. April decided
Captain M'Clure upon preparing to start lor ]\Ielville
Island with a sledge, in the hope of hnding some of
Captain Austin's ships, or of ascertaining what depot of
provisions had been placed there by them, so as to secure
a retreat should the Investigator not escape from her
present position.

Everything being in readiness, the sledge, with six
men and the Captain, left the Investigator on 1 1th
April 1852. The journey was a trying one, for a re-
lapse in the temperature took place just afterwards, and
continued until the Soth. The pack, moreover, offered
a sadly rough road. Winter Harbour was reached at an
early hour on the 28th of April ; and sorely disappointed
was Captain ]\rClure not to hnd either vessel or provi-
sions ; and the hope of one or the other coming to them

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M'CLUIIE VISITS WINTER HARBOUR. lai

hereafter vanished when he read a notice, dated Gth
June 1851, left by Lieutenant iAl'CIintoek, on the occa-
sion of liis reniarkahlo «ledgo -journey from GrifHtli
Island. ( "aptain Al'Chire congratulated himself tliat ho
had at all events discovered this fact h(3fore any accident
liad happened to his sliip, for otherwise "I sliould," says
he, " most decidedly, and witli the fullest confidence of
meetin<( succour, have pushed for Winter Harbour ; and
if the Enterprise gets into difficulties. Captain Collinson
will, 1 am fully persuaded, do the same." Shortly after
this visit of Captain M'Clure to Winter Harbour, a
party from the Enterprise, under Lieutenant I'arks
likewise readied IMelville Island, and must have crossed
the trail of M'Clure, for Mr Parks saw one aay, at or
near Point Hearne, the marks of a sledge and the foot-
prints of men. That neither party should know of the
other being so close, is a strong proof, to be added to the
many extant, of the difficulty of meeting one another or
discovering traces in those frozen regions.

Disappointed, but not desponding, the leader of the
party turned his back upon the old winter-quarters of the
gallant Parry, and prepared to lead liis men back to their
lonely home ;— nay, so far was he then from even con-
templating a necessity for leaving the Investigator, that
on his return-journey across the strait between IMelville
Island and IJanks Land we find the following remark :—
"When going towards Melville Island we "were much
delayed by stupendous polar ice. The whole of this was
avoided by crossing well to the eastward, where we met
much of last year's ice perfectly level, and occasionally a
huge flat lloe of older date, but still very good walking :

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102 DISCOVKKY OF A NOl^TII-WKST PASSAGE.

this appearance of the strait is most propitious, giving
every liopo of a passage tlirougli."

All still promised well on board the Investigator ; and
the sanitary condition of the crew was reported to be
most satisfiictory on 11th May, the day of the Captain's
return. 1 )uring his absence the stock of fresh provisions
had wonderfully increased by the aid of the sportsmen.
:N"o less than twenty head of deer were hanging up round
the ship, yielding a thoumnd pomuh of weaf ; and the
abundance of food justified an increased issue of rations,
which were forthwith ordered to be one pound and a half
of venison per man, six days in every fortnight ; which,
together with six days of preserved meat, left oidy two
salt-meat days in every fourteen. One would have sup-
posed that on such fare, with a dry and comfortable ship
to live in, scurvy would be impossible ; but, as the sequel
will show, the progress of that dire disease became most
marked, and though the care of the Captain and the skill
of the medical men checked it considerably, still the
health of the crew was evidently failing.

Although it may be accounted for in many ways, one
fact is incontestable, that on the 15th of May the sick-
list had augmented to the unprecedented number of
thirteen. :May it not be supposed, then, that the moral
effect of finding no help at hand told upon these poor
fellows 1 In June we find six men in their beds ; and
on July 1st Captain M'Clure says, "A more unfavour-
able report was made by the surgeon to-day, relative to
the appearance of the crew at the monthly inspection,
than I had hitherto received: evident symptoms of
debility, with incipient scurvy, in sixteen of the men."

-»M»t

EI.TECTS OF AxNXlETV OM IlKALTlr 193

The lo„s absence of ftesl. vegetable diet niigl.t have
p«I.p„se,l these n.on to scurvy; but considering the
quantity o( fresh aninml food that had so happih been
proeured for then, throughout the past wint" and a

feehngs awakened by finding i,„it,,er provisions nor a
vessel a Melvd.o Island, or indee,l even a pronn'srof
any bad .juite as ,moh, if „ot more, to do in developing
the eedso scurvy, than either the nature of their diet
or the sbght labour of preparing the ship for sea by
ballasting and watering lier.

There was no doubt" thai all were anxious to escape
another winter; they felt themselves alone, and bavin™

J.ay in 18oi be a .juestion whether they could save
themselves ICaeh man must have felt how questionable
at was whether his physical strength wouhl after go ng
through another winter, be sufficient to carr; him to tbt
Hudson Day settlements or to one of the Danish pos^
in Gree,,laiid-a long distance, in either case, fron t he
Bay of Mercy, in ISanlis Land.

IJut whatever effect tliese feelings may have bad upon
heir health, there is no question of the firmness with
which all were prepared to face the diflicultios they
nught yet have before them. They felt there was no
hope but m themselves ; but that captain, those officers
and those men were equal to the emergency

May and June went by without bringing any lively
signs of summer; birds, indeed, such as tlie duck and
gul^ came, but left the place again, as if from the want
of fresh-water pools. The snow at last melted off the

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194 DISCOVERY OF A NOllTII-WKST PASSAGE.

exposed parts of the land, and the ico began to thaw,
forming large pools of water all over its surface.

July opened very un promisingly : a heavy northerly
wind and snow-storm swept over Mercy Hay, bringing
back a painful recollection of the winter that they had
hoped was past ; and, what was worse, on measuring the
floe, it was found to bo still increasing in thickness,
whereas former experience had led them to expect a
diminution of about two feet. The ground became so
soft from the snow thawing, and the labour of shooting
so great, that the sportsmen could no longer keep up a
supply of game ; and by the 7th of July all the stock of
venison was consumed. It is to bo remembered, how-
ever, that the resources of Mercy Lay had hitherto
yielded the crew of the Investigator three meals of
fresh game a-week since October 1851, Hardly had
they time to regret the loss of this health-sustaining
diet, when the indefatigable Sergeant Woon came on
board to report that he had just shot two musk-oxen.
The carcasses, when conveyed to the ship, yielded 647
pounds of good meat. These oxen were the first that
had been killed in Mercy 13ay, and were hailed as a
godsend. The sergeant in slaying them had had a
narrow escape from the rage of the larger of the two ;
with his last bullet he had only wounded it, and on its
approaching him, he had had to discharge his iron ram-
rod as a missile into its body in order to save himself.

In the middle of the month the ice-mate reported the
floes outside to be in motion. All heard a rumbling
noise as if the pack was driving along, and the joy was
great until, upon further examination, it was found to be

irOi'ES OF KKLEASE. jj^q

the view over t),o I I , "^"'^ '"''•"'■ '" "« d«8e,
scurvv wore mifLt i , ' '"'*<'^<"-' «'« wages of

a.u. thou the ua^'s . IXl ,t':;; : ^^f '«•-«-

haaWiJ^sltavrtirsr/^r

years before. ° ^audwicli Isles two

Hope rose luVh when oKnnf +i,^ Tr-Li. •

eve, the ba^ opened at tt„„tt et^ 12 .T'' '"'";
navigators saw with deh-ht thnt , , i , '"'Phoned
extended alon,, th« .T '"'°'"' '™° °f water

eastward Th5 I ■.;"""' "'""^'^ ^<»- '«" ""les to tho

^ttwin^tSof rt"^' '\ 't '" •" »''""« -»'"
to seaward. A to sa" i ' , ^7 TV? ''"" °"' ""^ ''

registry during ten months gave as a result th.^ H ' » .
rose two feet ami tl„t *i . , " ""'' "'e tide

afterthe^Vude e 'f'J;:;^ Vf ™^ ""'' '''"^
in lat. 73" 0' 48" X a'ndlorUS^ ir.V.rrdTa

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196 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

cylinder attached to a polo was placed a record, telling
what the Investigators had done and whither they ex-
pected to go, *' in the hope," says the leader of the ex-
pedition, "that it may meet the eye of some future
explorer of these sterile regions, and throw some light
upon the fate of those who perhaps may never reach
beyond these limits."

The expectation of escape was, however, but short-
lived. After the 2()th of August the temperature fell,
slowly but continually ; and when the bay, or that por-
tion of it that had been open, again froze over, all felt
that summer was past, and some unforeseen accident
could alone save them from wintering again in Mercy IJay.
Their summer, poor fellows ! had been a most cheerless
one ; the sun, from the cloudy and misty state of the
atmosphere, not having been, with few exceptions, seen
since May.

By August 24th the lead of loater had closed! no
water was visible in Barrow Strait; and the Investi-
gators were able to walk in all directions over the bay
across the young ice. The land rapidly became covered
with snow ; the vegetation, such as it was, withered ;
sorrel could no longer be found ; warmer clothing became
necessary; and the winter of 1852-3 commenced. "It
found us," says M'Clure, " ready to combat its rigours as
cheerfully as on previous occasions. We were all thinner
than we used to be, for we had been twelve months on
two-thirds of our allowance ; but we were still in good
working condition."

When the first week of September had passed, and
the chance of an autumnal gale blowing the ship into

Si n

1-1 L.

AGAIN SHUT UP.

197

the pack was at an end, the leader sat down to weiVh
the course to be pursued to save his men and his ship
It all remained in the vessel till the year 1853, in the
hope the Investigator would carry them home, and (as
had happened in 1852) the water should not reach them,
all would starve !

On the other hand, it was premature to think of
deserting the ship, for she was sound and strong, and
both the captain's sense of duty and his pride were en-
isted in saving to his country and profession the ship
that had been intrusted to his charge, and so gallantly
had done her work. He therefore decided to send away
next spring, all but thirty of the healthiest men, arui
with them to remain by the ship, and run the risk of a
fourth winter. Assembling his gallant officers and men
on the 8th of September, Captain M'Clure announced to
them the state of affairs, and informed them that in
April next thirty of them would proceed homewards,
divided into two parties, one party retreating by way of
J^orth America, up the Mackenzie River; the oth-r pro-
ceedmg to Cape 8penser, IJeechey Island, where Captain
Austin s notice, found at Melville Island, led them to
expect provisions, and a boat with which to reach Green-
land and the Danish settlements. The remaining thirtv
hands, and the officers in charge of stores, were, if pos-
sible, to remain with the captain, and endeavour to save
the ship next year ; if not so fortunate, they were to
spend another winter, and then abandon her in 1854
retreating upon Lancaster Sound to such help as the
Admiralty would assuredly send when they knew from
their shipmates of their necessity.

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198 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

This arrangement was cheerfully received by this ex-
cellent body of men; never was a country or a profession
more worthily represented under trying circumstances
than by these gallant sailors ; and those who thou-ht
they would be the first to go home, were soon heard
speculating, with praiseworthy generosity, upon immedi-
ately volunteering to come out again in the first ship to
the rescue of their messmates, and with light-hearted
jocularity promising to bring out a good stock of tobacco-
pipes for them— an article which happened to be very
scarce m Banks Land, and for which all the ingenuity of
the seamen could manufacture no substitute. With men
of such a spirit all difficulties and hardships before them
vanished, and -one repined at what Providence had
sent them.

Towards the close of September the stock of rum in
the ship was surveyed, and a deficiency found to exist,
which obliged the issue to be diminished to half a gill
per diem. This was a great loss to the men, and the
more so that just then no game could be procured, and
they were on a bare two-thirds of the rations; a scale of
victualling which, unavoidable as it had been for the
past twelve months, was slowly sapping every one's
strength. Hunger began now to be felt ; and althou-h
to his men M'Clure pointed out that their hardships
fell far short of those endured by many an honoured
arctic expedition, still, when sitting quietly in his cabin
the fact, already more than once represented to him by
the surgeon, pressed itself painfully on his mind, that
unless aid came in the shape of game, the winter could
not be passed on the allowance of food the resources of

ADVENT OF WINTER. 199

his ship admitted of, and that all hands would have to
abandon the gallant ship in the spring; -but nothing "
says he, writing on the IGth October, - but the most
urgent necessity will induce me to take such a step."

In October the deer and hares began to return to their
winter feeding - grounds in the valleys round Mercy
i3ay; but seventeen men on the sick-list, and all the
duties of housing-in the vessel, throwing up embank-
ments of snow to shield her sides from the bitter gales
and otherwise preparing for that season, left little time
and few men to spare for shooting -excursions. The
whole game-list for the month showed a return of only
two deer and nine hares,— a small quantity amongst so
many hungry mouths.

When all the necessary work was finished, and the
men had nothing else to do but take exercise and keep
themselves and the ship clean, the feeling of hunger and
weakness somewhat abated, and the medical report in
mvember showed no increase of disease, except that
those of a very nervous temperament became easily
excited and unreasonable. November yielded but little
game, for darkness was fast increasing; yet the number
of deer seen was astonishing, and the wolves harassed
the poor creatures until, as in the past winter, they
almost fled to the ship for protection. The health of
the men appeared to improve somewhat: this favourable
change arose. Captain M'Clure thought, from a more
contented state of mind than when, in the autumn, the
first disappointment at finding no hope of release op-
pressed all in a greater or less degree. « Hungry," he
says, "we all are; but, with a little management, the

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200 DISCOVEKY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

two-thirds allowance, now that we have nothing to do,
keeps lis from losing health."

Great, indeed, was the ingenuity displayed in making
as much as possible of the daily rations; and food, it is
to be feared, was eaten in modes in which the quantity
was looked to as the sole recommendation. For instance,
the salt meat, instead of being cooked, was just thrown
into boiling water to warm it and extract the salt, and
then eaten mw. On these painful details it is, however,
unnecessary to dilate ; and a pretty good idea of the
scanty fare all were on may be conceived from the fol-
lowing description of the mode in which the gun-room
officers lived : —

Their stock was all finished, they were all on ship's
allowance like the men, and, like them, adopted the sys-
tem of each in turn being cook or carver for the mess.
The carver's share consisted in getting the last portion
out of the eight into which the food had to be divided—
a method which insured, we need hardly say, the utmost
impartiahty on the part of the carver, the other members
helping themselves to their shares before him. The
rations for the day were given out every morning; and
each ate it, at his own discretion or inclination, at either
breakfast or dinner. They had, in fact, but one meal
per diem ; for the breakfast, if it deserved the name, con-
sisted of a cup of the weakest cocoa, and a small portion
of the small allowance of bread ; the rest of the bread,
and half a pound of salt meat, containing a good propor-
tion of bone, with just enough preserved vegetable to
swear by, constituted the other meal. There was a cup
of weak tea in the evening; but few were able to save
anything to eat with it.

IIOUDAYS AND JreKIlY-MAKING. 201

Thorn were two hreaks to this series of banian ,Iavs
dunn,, the close of the year; the one was on the 2cfh
October, the anniversary of their discovery of the North-

fel fofZf ' r °''" "" <^*™t™as-i:y. An extra
sue of foo I and some wine were given to eonimcniorato
two festivals whieh all felt were tlie last that little com-
n nnity would spend together; and those alone who have
been similarly pkced can appreciate the heartfelt kind
ness towards each other which hallowed these occasions
and niade their humble cheer appear luxurious "s'

wonderful, too to see what care and economy of the
stores brought from home, as well as the skiU of the
sportsmen were able even in these circumstances to
effect The old-fashioned English plum-pudding was
till to be seen on Ohristmas-day-not a very rich one
may be, but good appetite compensated for what it lacked
in that respect. Therewas-BanksLandvension," "Mer y
Bay hare-soup," "ptarmigan pasties," and some musk

odd months. The goodwill and determination of all to
he merry in spite of adverse circum.stances, compensated
ako for whatever might be wanting. The poets amongst
the men composed songs, in which their own hardships
were made the subject of many a hearty laugh ; pat t rs
attempted rude illustrations of past scenes oi peril or
adventure ; the comic actors acted; the sick half forgot
heir maladies, and the whole company tossed care and

hopeful for the future. Had not both officers and men
reason to be proud of their comrades? and was not their
chief, the captam of this gallant set of men, justified in
saying that nothing was impossible whilst such hearts and

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202 DISCOVEKY OF A NOETII-WEST PASSAGE.

h^nds were ready to carry out his plans for the safety
of all and the honour of his country? Full indeed was
Captain M'Clure's heart of gratitude, and none knew
better than himself where it was due. His own words,
written on the close of ^Ke yenr 1 852, best express his
feelings : —

" The new year is aboL^ .o comni'^nce : not one of my
original crew has fallen by disease or accident, and all is
more promising than I could have ever hoped for. These
and all other mercies are alone due to that all-beneficent
Providence who has so wonderfully upheld us in our
many trials and difficulties : relying, therefore, on Him,
I cpnnot but feel as the wife of Manoah did, and repeat
her exclamation : ' If the Lord were pleased to kill us,
He would not have showed us all these mercies.'"

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CHAPTEK XVI.

ESQUIMAUX ^vLz^!^,:t^^::^-^-^-<^- -—

FOUND-GAME AND FIS.l.TrLv^ '''''' "^^^^^^^^^

STANCE OP NO ^JZj:^:^^:^^':^^ —-

WILLIAM LAND-TIIF n^^.\l HAVING VISITED KINO

THE INVESTIGATO " a™ ChCmaT:^""^^"' "^ ^^"^^
SIVE COLD-WANT OP FUPT Itn ^'"^TIVITIES-EXCE.S-

VENLSON PLEN-mUL-rl ^r ^^^^'^^Q^EXT DAMPNESS-

KETItEATlNrPAfT^L ' '^' «I^^K - LIST -MARCH '53-THE
- CAPTAIN M W P'. ? ' '''' "'"^^^ ^'•^^'^^« APPOINTED
SICKLY men! ^LVESTirf ^^^ '"''^"^^ ^^^^^^^ ™-

ANxiETv OP tiip'slL^.^ ;,7r rcii r" ^"""^^'^-

RETUliAT— EETnoSTO'TTVi, , , I CIIAKCRS OF SAFE

OX 'HIE .ILv KOCK-Lrl ?/"'" '"'"'■™'''^ ».«-ATC„ES

PiNESs OF rrcR™ '"=»™''-'=xc.™me.vt ax„ hap.

1852, .t ,s now necessary to cast a glance back to the

s*'

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204 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

spring of the same year, when we left the Investiga-
tor's consort, under Captain Collinson, wintering at the
southern end of Prince of Wales Strait. All her spring
travelling-parties returned unsuccessful from long and
arduous journeys, in which some of the men suffered
considerably from frost-bites and the other consequences
of sledge- work in those high latitudes.

The Enterprise's crew were somewhat refreshed during
the summer by procuring a fair supply of game and a
considerable quantity of lish from the lakes in Prince
Albert Land. It was not, however, until so late as
September that the Enterprise appears to have been able
to make any progress eastward from her wintering-place,
a direction Captain Collinson decided upon attempting,
with a view to penetrate the unknown space lying be-
tween him and Cape Walker in Earrow Strait. A chan-
nel which he entered proved eventually to be a gulf, and
he then endeavoured to pass by way of Dolphin and
Union Strait, and reached, on the 26th of the same
month, Cambridge Bay in Wollaston Land; and there
he passed the winter of 1852-53, of which we are now
writing. In those winter-quarters Esquimaux visited
them; and one tribe mustered 200 persons. In their
possession was found a piece of iron, which many still
believe to have come from the missing ships ; and Captain
Collinson picked up, moreover, a piece of a doorway or
hatch-frame. Knowing what we noAv do of the point
which Franklin's people reached in King William Land,
and where they perished, the connection of these frag-
ments with the Erebus and Terror appears to be very
probable ; but Captain Collinson, being ignorant of those

POSITION OF THE ENTERPRISE. 205

facts, could have no idea of how close his ship was to
the spot whereon Dr Eae's informants stated they first
saw a portion of Franklin's men; and therefore those
fragments told him no more than other traces had done
which were previously brought home by Captain Penny
from Eeechey Island.* The land around the Enterprise
abounded in game, and the waters with salmon, for 1100
of the latter were cured for sea-service. We shall here
leave H.M.S. Enterprise, premising that those on board
of her experienced a very severe winter, and that in the
following spring her sledge-parties pushed on to the
north-east, passing Rae's farthest point of 1851 by a few
miles But they, like him, although at one time within
forty fives miles of King William Land, did not visit it :
had they done so, there is no doubt they would have
fallen on the traces of those whom they sought, and very
possibly might nave found the Erebus and Terror locked
up m some such ice-bound harbour as that in which the
Investigator was imprisoned. No fault, however can
attach to Collinson that he did not do so; but the' sad
chapter of unfortunate accidents by which the relief of
i^ranklms expedition has been rendered unsuccessful
would be incomplete did history fail to point these facts
out; and it serves to show that the unavoidable falli-
bility of the reasoning and wisdom of men have alone
occasioned the eiforts of England to prove in the end

Wm^r^ f f 7'r ""'""'""i '" '^'' ^''^^^^^^ ^20 miles from King
Wilham Land, where some forty of Franklin's men were first seen ht
the Esquimaux, and 200 miles from the Great Fish River, the entrance
of which as has been since ascertained, was reached b^ a boat from
Frankhn's lost expedition. ^

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206 DISCOVEKY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

abortive; aiul it does not prove, as some Imvc arf,aiGd, the
folly of our endeavours to relieve the lost expedition.

When the festivals of Christmas and JSTew Year's Day
had passed in the Bay of Mercy, there was not much to
make men light-hearted or merry, although they were
still determined to look as much as possible on the bright
side of things. He Avho tempers the wind to the shorn
lamb watched over them in their trial; and it is remark-
able, in reading over a daily journal far too minute for
the general reader, to see, throughout this season, the
remarkable way in which His bounty supported them.
On the one hand we see the resources of the ship gradu-
ally failing or being reduced to the slenderest supply—
for instance, in the important article of fuel; and, as a
consequence, the enervated frames of the men had to
stand even a more severe trial than before from cold and
damp, and this not or.ly iu-board, but alsc without doors,
for the temperature of that winter throughout the arctic
regions was unusually severe. From 00° to 05° below
zero of Fahr. was registered by the Investigator, as well
as other ships elsewhere. Yet this extreme cold, so in-
tense that the very ship seemed to suffer from it, and
bolts, trenails, and fastenings were heard to crack under
the influence of frost and contraction, forced the deer to
approach the ship and the sea-shore so closely as to
afford venison weekly throughout this trying season, at
the rate of a pound and a half of meat twice in the seven
days to every man in the ship.

January passed, giving a mean temperature of— 44°,
or 70° below freezing-point; and this, be it remembered,
was endured by men under-fed, scorbutic, and looking

INCREASING SWKxNESS. 207

distant slK,ro. oOl' iwril, "" ,T '™'"* "■"

the coU twilight wit .),; ■" "^ "''""«■'

corni.,. from tWo '" '°"° "' ^°""' ^'«" "^ ^-'P

In February, Captain M'Clure siv^ «' tv,o
cold has boen much felt- tbo ] ^] i excessive

^ ui ur nve ot the cases dec dec! scurw tlm
for a single niile south or north of our nn! f ! ^'

.::" .ss to r;:: 2^'i -^•"^ °^ --^^ '^^^

So much did the dampness o.' the lower d.ck increase
that hansintf stoves hirl +r. i.^ i. i "^'-lease,

and 14th of Februarv 1^? ^ "'P ^'^"""^ ^^' ^'^
t„ u , ,, . '^"'^"'^'^y. ana every precaution was tatcn
to check the increase of disease, .h4 had already^latd

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208

DISCOVKRY OF A NORTH-WKST PASSAGE.

in the doctor's hands one-third of tho crow of sixty men.
These steps wore attended apparently witli considerable
success; for on Ist March the nnnlical report, all tilings
considered, was more favourable than Captain M'Clure
had expected.

On 3d March tho travelling parties for England, via
America and Uarrow Strait, were told off. They con-
sisted of thirty of tho most weakly hands divided into
two parties of fifteen men each.

Lieutenant Haswell was to take the one, via Griffith
Island, to Cape Hpencer, there embark in the boat wliich
Captain Austin said he had left, and in her attempt
to reach Greenland. The other party, under Lieutenant
Gurney Cresswell, was to retreat upon the depot formed
at Princess-Royal Island in 1851, recruit themselves, and,
taking the boat from there, push for the Coppermine
Elver, ascend it to the Hudson Bay Territories, and
thence home. Captain M'Clure's reason for thus de-
spatching all his sick and weak hands was, that he felt
convinced that these men could not survive another
winter after what they had gone through in the past
one ; and thus he gave them the only chance of saving
their lives which it was in his power to afford.

The next thing done was to put these travellers upon
full allowance of food, so as to enable them to pick up
strength as much as possible. On 28th March the
weather had sensibly improved, and the change had
beneficially affected all the sickly men; indeed, all but
two of them were able on that day to take a little exer-
cise. On the 24th the novel event of a wolf being killed
occurred. The brute had gorged himself upon°a deer

WOLVES SHOT. 20!)

whicli liad boon shot nn.l f„iT „ • l-

without"' ec,,,';: '"™"«'','°» '">" boon trying

keoimig ,„ front, and tho other boh«„l Z ' " ' n
sorts of method, to fri,.ht,.u them or , 7'"" ""
wavinK liis armc „„ I ' "'■'' '"' ^''outinK,

ti.at 0^0 :f:Vo OS Td't; '"T"'^ ";""• ""'"""^

twenty yards, xr,;: e ' f:, h Vl 'T '", ^""■"'
it in the throat, but l.at d d L u n it "'I'V'"'*

ofi«::tTCehtra^,,i;''--'^--^"'

tions for Q ci I • ^ tho many prepara-

tions tor a slecJge-journey well in hand ThVnffl

though ccgnisant of the risk am] T" ^ ,"''

success hut many a poor lellow- whoso bl.,. • .„
swollen hn,bs hardly served to earry C about n
slup, knew in his heart that, although b^ io„rn v
was about to take would be his only chaneo for li7v !
.t was but a very slondor one. Despondency th\:

H^eoonfidonooontho';:raroteri:S;^L^dr;

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210 DISCOVERY OF A NOKTII-WKST PASSAGE.

their leaders' arriingomonts, and a perfect faith in the
good I'rovidenco wliich had sustained them so far.

Tlireatening, howevjr, as the future looked for the
safety of these gallant men, a series of fortuitous circum-
stances — providential ones would be tlio more correct
term — was now bringing about their rescue.

It will be remembered that, Avhen Captains Austin,
Penny, and Sir John Koss returned to England, con-
siderable dilierence of opinion existed as to the necessity
for a farther search for 8ir John Franklin j but Lady
Eranklin, who, through all her sad trials and sore dis-
appointments, never wavered in her faith that ho had
accomplished the service he was sent to execute, nor
hesitated at any sacrilice to effect the rescue of her hus-
band and his companions, urged that tlio search should
be resumed so strongly, and was backed by so many
influential arctic authorities, that the Admiralty, to
decide the question, ordered an arctic committee to sit
upon the question of the resumption of the search for
Franklin. That committee recommended that it should
be again attempted, and, satisfied that Franklin was not
at Melville Island, proposed that all the strength of such
an expedition as might be sent should be employed up
Wellington Channel, and, never dreaming of the Enter-
prise or Investigator having made such progress as they
had done, merely advised as follows, touching support or
aid to them : —

'•With respect to the efforts now making to afford
relief to the missing ships in the direction of Eehring
Strait, we do not venture to oft'er any suggestions, be-
yond a hope that, until further accounts are received

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i'iiKPAHATlONS FOIt UKSCUK. 211

from Captam Collinson anJ Co.,>ma„dcr M'Clure tho
Hovor „uy bo kept fully provisioned" (in ZJ^

t}.l7'r"f7 '" ""^ ""'"" "f *» «"J™™ before

hem-furnislied mostly by tho seniors in late oxpodi-

»ns, who took a very gloomy and unpromising view of

the ease-ana eonsidering also the amount of probabUitv

that any such navigation would ho earried ont'as C t'2

that this committee gave a correct opinion ■ but it wa,
for^nato for England's naval history/and L h, Ian™
that a parent's solicitude for a son absent in this exped^
tion was more clear-sighted, and that by tlxat, as ,™I as

of the official opinion was effected

Mr Cresswell, indeed, in a letter which his kindness
allows mo to make public, pointed out, with almost pro
phetic vision, tho very position in which the Ii v sti-
gators crew was placed, and also suggested the means

insured. Ihe letter ran as follows :—

„Q , J. " '■y"". Norfolk, 23d March 1852.

f „ ,7 ." "' *° ""= o.xpedition now fitting out

lor the arctic regions under Sir Edward Belcher, I an

nduced earnestly to request the attention of the Lords

Commissioners of the Admiralty to the following ap!

vl ^° '«! 'fy ''"^^"' t"'" *" «"= expedition to
Lelmng Strait, the sixteenth paragraph leaves to Cap-

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212

DISCOVERY OF A NOETII-WEST PASSAGE.

tain Collinson the course to be pursued after leaving
Point Barrow, referring him for assistance and direction
to Captain Kellett, Sir W. E. Parry, and Captain
Beechey.

" In the memoranda given by Sir Edward Parry and
Captain Beechey, we find that they both consider the
great object of the Behring Strait expedition to be to
penetrate to Banks Land, or even to Melville Island.

" The writers of nearly all the letters relating to the
position of Sir John Franklin consider the most likely
quarter in which to find him to be the vicinity of Banks
Land or Melville Island.

" Colonel Sabine, in a letter to Sir W. E. Parry, 1 5th
June 1850, speaking of Sir John Franklin, says, 'His
advance from Melville Island in the season of 1847 may
have bee'i limited to a distance of 50 or perhaps 100
miles at farthest,' and that 'in 1848 he may have en-
deavoured to retrace his steps, but only with partial
success. It is, I apprehend, quite a conceivable case,
that, under these circumstances, the crews, incapable of
extricating the ships from the ice, may have at length
been obliged to quit them and attempt a retreat, not
towards the continent, because too distant, but to Mel-
ville Island, where certainly food (seals), and probably
fuel, might be obtained, and where they ivould naturally
suppose that vessels despatched from Eugland, for their
relief 'Would in the first instance seek tliem.''

" Captain Austin's expedition was directed, in accord-
ance with the above authorities, to make its principal
efforts in the vicinity of Melville Island.

" The intelligence of the fitting-out of Captain Austin's

MR CKESSWELL'S LETTER. 213

expedition reached the Behring Strait expedition at the
Sandwich Islands, and would unquestionably stimulate
them m endeavouring at almost any risk to communicate
with Captain Austin at Melville Island.

"It is desirable to realise as much as possible what
would be the effect on the officers of the Behring Strait
TuTd to'''' '''' ^''"° possessed of the intelligence al-

"There can be no reasonable doubt but that thev
would anticipate Captain Austin's expedition, aided as
It Avas by steamers, reaching Melville Island, as Sir W
h Parry had done so without steamers in 1819: and
that Captain Austin would, as a matter of course, leave
a supply of provisions and fuel, and possibly a boat
for any party that might reach that point from Behrinc^
Strait. *=

^' Tmsting to this, a parti/ might he pushed forward
at imminent risk; hut how terrible would he their despair
on finding a harren notice of Lientenant M^Clintocl^.
visit m 1851, instead of the supply anticipated f

''There is nothing unreasonable in the above supposi-
tion, as Captain Kellett in his evidence, page 170, says.
Should Commander M^ dure he successful in getting far
to the eastward, I am convinced, from a com^ersation I
Imd loith htm, and indeed his own letter loill show that
he mil use every endeavour to reach Melville Island with
his parties if he fail ivith his ship.'

"Again, Captain Kellett, in a letter to Captain Col-
hnson, 20th of May 1 850, says : ' If you can pass Point
Barrow and escape the shoal water, we shall see vou
come home by the Atlantic.

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214 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

" ISTow the Investigator passed Point Barrow the 5th
of August 1850, and nothing has been heard of her from
that time ; we may therefore conclude that she struggled
to get to Melville Island through the seasons of 1850
and 1851. Certainly she did not return in 1851 through
Behring Strait, or it must have been already known.

" If she is far to the eastward, in all probability Mel-
ville Island will be their only resource. Captain "ollin-
son, in the Enterprise, passed Point Barrow in 1851,
and will in all probability push to the eastward this
summer, and may reach Melville Island.

" Under these circumstances, ought not the powerful
arctic squadron now fitting out to have some reference
to the support of Capjtain Collinson's expedition, as well
as to following out Penny's discoveries, and to the faint
hope of finding Sir John Franklin ?

** I venture to suggest that one of the three steamers
should proceed to Melville Island, if the navigation be
open, as in 1819, leave provisions, fuel, and a boat at
Winter Harbour : she could then return to the ships at
Beechey Island.

" If the navigation should not be found open, then
the steamer should make as far to the westward as pos-
sible, and send provisions to Byam Martin Island, or any
favourable position that might be practicable, sending
forward a party to Melville Island, to leave a record of
their proceedings, to direct where to find provisions, and
also to communicate the object of Sir Edward Belcher's
expedition.

"If the Admiralty thought proper, in case of the
steamer reaching Melville Island, she might winter there,

MR CRESSWELL'S LETTER. 215

and in the spring send searching-parties to the westward.
Ihey might be so arranged as to command a wide field
of research, and possibly cross Captain Collinson or
Commander M'Clure, as they would start from a point
more than 200 miles west of Baillie Hamilton Island.

" I must apologise for trespassing upon you with
such a long letter, but the importance of the object will,
I trust, plead my excuse.— &c. &c.

"To Augustus Stafford, Esq., M.P.,
Secretary, Admirplty."

His Grace the Duke of Northumberland was then the
Senior Lord of the Board of Admiralty. He was struck
with the soundness of Mr Cresswell's views ; and hav-
ing sought the opinion of some arctic authorities upon
the subject, a ^.... graph was inserted in the orders under
which Captain Belcher sailed ; * and his expedition, in
consequence, became divided, for the twofold objects of
seeking Franklin and affording aid to Captains M'Clure

* Paragraphs 5 and 6 of Captain Sir E. Belcher's instructions
were as foJlows : —

5. "Arrived at this point (Beec/ie>/ Island), two great objects will
engage your attention :— ''

"First, the endeavouring to pass up Wellington Channel with one
sailing vessel and one steamer; secondly, the advance of a similar
force towards Melville Island.

6. " The object of the first of these expeditions will be, the endea-
vour to recover those traces of Sir John Franklin which ceased at
Cape Bowden to the north of Beechey Island, and to follow up such
traces, if they should be found. The object of the other expedition
will be, to deposit, if possible, at Winter Harbour, Melville Island
or failing that, at Byam Martin Island, a supply of orovisions, fuel'
and clothing, for any parties that might reach such positions from
Laptam Collinson's or Commander M'Clure's ships."

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216 DISCOVERY OF A NOllTII-WEST PASSAGE.

and Collinson. Two vessels were to go up Wellington
Channel, under Captains Belcher and Osborn; whilst
the Eesolute and Intrepid, parting from them at Beechey

r^v/^^"^' ''°'^^' *^^ command of Captains Kellett
and M'Clintock, to proceed to Melville Island ; a duty
which, so far as the last-named division was concerned,
was, as will be seen, faithfully executed.

In accordance, therefore, with the recommendation of
the Arctic Committee, and the instructions of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, the expedition under
Captains Sir E. Belcher and Henry Kellett, C.B , con-
sisting of H.M.'s ships Eesolute, Assistance, Pioneer,
and Intrepid, left England in the spring of 1852 With-
out entering into a detail of the circumstances which
brought about the eventual desertion of that fine squad-
ron, it will suffice for our present purpose to say that on
the 15th of August 1852, the Eesolute, Captain Kellett,
and the Intrepid, Commander M'Clintock, having on
the previous day parted company from the Assistance
and the Pioneer, proceeded towards Melville Island
from the depot ship North Star, which was stationed at
Beechey Island.

Melville Island was reached on the 1st September, and
on the 5th instant the vessels made fast to the ice which
yet filled up Winter Harbour, the well-known winterin-
place of Sir Edward Parry in the year 1819. A depot
of provisions was immediately formed ; and unable to
discover any cairn that had been erected by Captain
M'Clures party or that of Lieutenant Parks from the
Enterprise, when they visited the place in the spring of
the same year, the ships under Captain Kellett actually

MUf\

CAPTAIN KELLETT'S I'JiOCEEWNas. 217

retired to a secure wintering.place under Dealy Island
some distance to tlio oastwnrJ »ifV,„„» 1, • •'s'™a,

Mp1v;ii„ T.i J 1, . ,"'""' without being aware that

seat* of "J^ ^"i^''" "^"'^'^ ^y "'o^^ they ,verc in
search of, or that within 180 miles of them the Iiives-

TZZ ';" ''?.'" ^-^ of assistance M' Sul
are the difficulties and chances which prevent one mrtv
finding another in those regions * ^

fro?erin\'"'™™:\"'f '^"P'"" K^"^" ^^^= ^^™^ely
ro.en m he oespatched autumnal parties of travellers

to lay out provisions for the use of parties he purposed
endin forth in the ensuing spring One of theirpar

ties, under Lieutenant Mecham, left the ship on the

23d September, reached Winter Harbour, struck over!

and for Liddon Gulf, deposited provisions on its shore
and returned to Winter Harbour. Happening to inspeet
^ore closely than usual the famous mass' of srndstone on
which Parry had caused his ship's name to be engraved
Lieutenant Mecham could hardly credit his sense whe,;
he discovered a document upon its summit, detailing the

position of HJI.S. Investigator in Banks Land 1 Great
joy was there in Captain Kelletfs squadron at havTng
discovered a trace of one at least of the ships they
sough ; and many an anxious discussion took place at
Me vUle Island whether they could next spring s nd ol^
parties sutftciently early to reach the Bay of Mercy be
fore Captain M'Clure might be obliged to abandon his

.rc'iXlt'ttandd °tL? ;lf ™'? f '""'"^ '-- " *e

Mand, called Port Hearf "',''.''"'"""'^1? *" 'oo' Point of Melville
has b,;„ ropeated7v risr,) , , ™ ""'"' "^ "e.tenant Parks,
record has 11 be» S 'Ctd °°" "^""'^ """''''' "" ^^ "

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218 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

ship: and, on the other hand, there ^vere doubts
-whether lie might not have been able to push on during
tlio past summer, and perhaps have again to be sought
in some new direction.

Impressed with the belief that the Investigator had
got out of the Bay of Mercy, and passed to the north-
west of IVIelville Island, Captain M'Clintock and Lieu-
tenant Mecham, as seniors, chose routes which would
intercept her supposed track; and consequently, the
second lieutenant of the Eesolute, Mr Bedford Pirn, was,
with I)r Domville, of the same ship, told off to start
with sledges from Melville Island to Banks Land : and
on March 10, 1853, they left their shipmates, amidst
the prayers and cheers of all.

Meantime, April 1853 had come in on the Investi-
gator. The retreating sledges were ready, the slender
store of provisions was packed, those that were going
strove to be sanguine, those that were to remain behind
had written to cheer up mothers, wives, and sisters, who
must have already begun to mourn their long absence.
On the 5th of the month the first death since leaving
England occurred on board the Investigator: it was
occasioned by the thoughtlessness of the poor fellow
himself, who, by way of a joke, went into the surgery
and drank oif the washings of several medicine bottles.
But the moral effect of a death at such a time was dis-
tressing, and to re-inspirit the men their iron-nerved
captain took an early opportunity of calling the crew
together, and making an address to them in not in-
eloquent terms. In it he called their attention to the
difficulties already mastered, to the honours won, to the

RELIEVED AT LAST.

219

grateful recompense their good service was certain to
obtain for each, and to the merciful Providence vvliich
had so uplield tliem hitherto; and he begged them
always to remember that, in the gloomiest hour of trial,
relief miglit, and often did come, and that the darkest
cloud had ever a silvery side to it. Cordially again did
all assent to his opinions, and the poor fellows talked
more cheerfully, and looked happier for what had been
said to them.

The Gth of April 1853 came in. A fine deer was
hung up ready to be cut up for the hearty meal that all
hands were to partake of before their separation, which
was to take place in the following week, when an event
occurred which rescued them from further suffering
and trials of fortitude. I give Captain M'Clure's journal
almost verbatim upon this day.

" While walking near the ship, in conversation with
the first lieutenant upon the subject of digging the
grave for the man who died yesterday, and discussing
how we could cut a grave in the ground whilst it was
so hardly frozen— a subject naturally sad and depressing
—we perceived a figure walking rapidly towards us from
the rough ice at the entrance of the bay. From his
pace and gestures we both naturally supposed at first
that he was some one of our party pursued by a bear,
but as we approached him doubts arose as to who it
could be. He was certainly unlike any of our men ; but
recollecting that it was possible some one might be try-
ing a new travelling-dress, preparatory to the departure
of our sledges, and certain that no one else was near, we
continued to advance. When within about two hun-

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220 DISCOVERY OF A NOKTH-WKST PASSAGE.

dred yards of us, tliis strange figure throw up Iiis arms,
and made gesticulations resembling those used by Jvsqui-
maux, besides shouting, at the top of his voice, words
which, from the wind and the intense excitement of the
moment, sounded like a w'M screech ; and this brought
us both fairly to a sta-d-still. The stranger came
quietly on, and we saw that his face was as black as
ebony, and really at the moment we might be pardoned
for wondering whether he was a denizen of this or the
other world; and had he but given us a glimpse of a tail
or a cloven hoof, we should assuredly have taken to our
legs : as it was, we gallantly stood our ground, and, had
the skies fallen upon us, we could hardly have been
more astonished than when the dark-faced stranger
called out, —

"'I'm Lieutenant Pim, late of the Herald, and now
m the Eesolute. Captain Kellett is in her at Dealv
Island ! ' "^

**To rush at and seize him by the hand was the first
impulse, for the heart was too full for the tongue to
speak. The announcement of relief being close at hand,
when none was supposed to be even within the arctic
circle, was too sudden, unexpected, and joyous for our
minds to comprehend it at once. The news flew with
lightning rapidity, the ship was all in commotion ; the
sick, forgetful of their maladies, leapt from their ham-
mocks ; the artificers dropped their tools, and the lower
deck was cleared of men; for they all rushed for the
hatchway to be assured that a stranger was actually
amongst them, and that his tale was true. Despondency
fled the ship, and Lieutenant Pim received a welcome—

FEELINGS OF THE SIIIP's COMPANY. 221

pure, hearty, and grateful-tliat ho will assuredly re-
member and cherish to the end of his days."

In a very short time the dog-sledge with two men
arrived, and long and eager were the conversations and
questionings which ensued. The Investigators felt per^
Inctly bewildered with the ro3cue which had reached
them just in time to save, in all probability, the lives of
the thirty persons who were about to attempt to reach
home with sledges and boats (as well as that forlorn
hope intending to remain behind); and when the fact
had perlectly reahsed itself to all, it may be imagined
what their feelings were. It would be supererogatory
to attempt to describe the fulness and gratitude of heart
with wliich each must have thanked his God for all his
mercies.

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CHAPTER XVII.

THE MIGRATION OF ANIMALS THEORY— IMPOSSIBILITY OF ARCTIC
ANIMALS MIGItATING— HOW THE FACT BROKE Ul'ON US— AC-
CUMULATIVE EVIDENCE— THE REINDEER OF THE ARCTIC AR-
CHIPELAGO—HERDING IN THE AUTUMN— CURIOSITY OF THE
DOES— WONDERFUL PROVIDENCE OF NATURE— SLOW PROCESS
OF DIGESTION— REINDEER HARASSED BY THE WOLVES— SCENT
A SUBSTITUTE FOR SIGHT— THE WOLVES LESS HARASSING IN
EARLY SPRING— MUSK-OXEN— THE HAUNTS OF THE OXEN-
CAPTAIN MECHAM's observations— admirable coating OF
THE MUSK-OX— MEASUREMENTS OF MUSK-OXEN— EXTRAOltDI-
NARY ACTIVITY OF THESE CREATURES— FEROCITY OF THE
BULLS— GOAT-LIKE POWER OF CLIMBING—THE ARCTIC HARE
AND ITS HABITS— THE ARCTIC LEMMING AND ITS HABITS-
BEARS EAT THE LEMMING— THE PTARMIGAN.

It will not here be out of jjlace to throw together the
observations generally collected upon the habits of those
two interesting arctic animals, the reindeer and musk-ox.
The facts are spread over a great amount of journalising,
but the editor has carefully collated all new information
and compared it with the observations of officers in other
expeditions; and he alone is responsible for a theory
involving the broad assertion that the animals of the
vast lands north of America, within the arctic zone, do
not migrate in the winter-time. For such a belief the
editor and some others were nigh excommunicated as

THE ANIMAL-MIGliATION TlIEOItY. 223

heretics in 1851, by some proftissional naturalists in the
expedition then wintering under Grifhth Island. But
now that the trustwortliy records of the voyages of
Captains M'Clure, Austin, Kellett, Penny, Kane, and
M Umtock have put us in possession of data connected
with the movements of the oceanic ice up to a very late
period in the year, in ditterent parts of the arctic archi-
pelago, all are able to see that the theory of an autumnal
migration of the herbivorous animals to the continent of
America, for the purpose of avoiding tlie rigours of an
arctic winter, is no longer tenable.

The great winter-drift, in 1849 and 1850, of Sir James
l^oss and Commander de Haven, from Barrow Strait and
the top of Wellington Channel, proved that the ice
around those lands was in motion long after the winter
had set m, and that in the season of utter darkness,
those wild, half-frozen seas were churning and rolling on
in their mysterious course to southern latitudes Ve
have seen since then that the ice-beset Investigator in
Prince of Wales Strait, and Captain Kellett's squadron
in Melville Sound, were not stationary until the close of
mvember ; and long after that period, during sprino-
tides or m strong gales, there was abundant evidence
that large spaces of water and weak ice existed around
them ; such, in short, as would be quite sufficient to
prevent timorous deer or musk-oxen attempting a journey
which would have puzzled even an amphibious animal.
Additional testimony abounds elsewhere; the ice of
Queen's Channel, and around the winter-quarters of
H.M.S. Pioneer in mrthumberland Sound (1852-53)
was so weak and so heavily packed at the end of the'

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224 DISCO VEllY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

winter, that it could with difficulty be traversed by our
men; and near Dr Kane's winter-quarters, in Smith
Sound, the ice was so treacherous that his parties could
not cross it from Greenland to the western coast.

All these facts betoken insuperable difficulties in the
way of an animal migration, simply from the absence of
a highway for the poor brutes to pass from 78° to 68"
north latitude, a distance of about 600 miles straight as
the crow flies. On the other hand, we know that the
reindeer winters in Greenland ; for not even the most
profound believer in an animal exodus has ever accused
the poor creatures of embarking on the bosom of the
waters of the Atlantic or Davis Strait, and swimming to
Labrador ; moreover, the Dutch and Russian hshermen,
wintering in Spitzbergen in the old time, found reindeer
there throughout the season ; and lastly, from the abun-
dant testimony of the officers of the Investigator during
three winters, as well as those of our comrades at Melville
Island in 1853, and our own observations during four
winters in the arctic zone, we feel justified in saying
that, beyond all doubt, the deer, musk-ox, hare, and
lemming, do winter in the arctic archipelago.

It would not interest the reader to quote at length all
the passages upon the subject from the diflerent journals
of officers lately engaged on arctic service ; some remarked
one fact, others another; yet by plodding over those
ponderous arctic blue-books a very fair collection of data
may be collected.

In the depth of the winter of 1850-51, deer, or recent
traces of animals, were seen near the respective winter-
quarters of Captain M'Clure, Captain Austin, and Cap-

IMPOSSIBILITY OF ANIMAL MIGRATION. 225

tain Penny; and in the early spring of 1851, when the
temperature was -40°, Lieutenant Aldrich observed
reindeer white as driven snow, grazing upon what he
described as stony plains covered two feet deep with
snow, and the animals so lean and winter-pulled, that no
one could suppose they bad been revelling on the Ameri-
can continent, and had just rushed up to 76° north to
enjoy a low temperature and Lenten fare. They had
their young fawns with them, which was au additional
argument against a journey which, to and fro, could
hardly be less than 2000 miks ; and it is as well to re-
member that distance tells on animals as well as men

Captains M'Clure and Kellett testify to these animals
being found al the winter through about Banks Land
and Melville Island. M'Clure's narrative contains several
remarkable passages upon this head : we will give one,
dated December 1852. "The deerhave for the last fe^
days, he says, " been coming from the southward to
their winter quarters amongst the ravines and sandhiUs.
.\inety have been met with at one time, and forty at
another ; but they are so wild that few have been shot.
Our two seasons' experience shows that these animals do
not migrate to the south, as is generally supposed, but
bear the extreme rigour of the climate, and exist upon
the scanty herbage here found, chiefly the dwarf willow,
from off which they break the snow with their feet, and
in doing so make a tapping noise that may be heard at a
considerable distance when the weather is calm, frequently
leading to their discovery by our sportsmen. The hares
and ptarmigan have al.o descended from the high -round
to the sea ridges, so that a fair supply is brought in."

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226

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

In 1853, during a winter of bitter temperature, Captain
G. H. liichards and ourselves landed on the north shore
of Ikthurst Land, and were not a little surprised to find
that reindeer were very numerous on the uplands : they
were browsing, with their fawns, upon a miserable vege-
tation which any other animal w^ould have starved upon :
the only i)lant which they did not appear to have touched
was the saxifrage, notwithstanding that the young shoots
or buds are remarkably sweet, and the favourite food of
the ptarmigan.

That the reindeer crosses the firm ice of the archipelago
in the spring, no one can deny ; but it is in search of food,
not to avoid a rigour of climate which nature has pro-
vided them with an admirable organisation to meet ; but
those tracks of deer, and sometimes the creatures them-
selves, have only been seen going in an easterly and
westerly direction, between the islands of Melville,
Bathurst, and Cornwallis, upon the one hand, and Mel-
ville, Eglintoun, and Prince Patrick, upon the other ; but
never in such numbers as to induce any one to call it a
migration. No one has ever seen deer or any other her-
bivorous animal crossing P>arrow Strait or Melville Strait,
either going north or south. We will next touch upon
the general habits of these wonderfully-constructed crea-
tures, who, without any coating of blubber like the bear
and the seal, are able to pass unscathed through a pitiless
winter in a climate ranging, as far as yet known, from
zero to — 65°, a temperature which strikes like cold
steel at the vital powers of a well-clad man, and rends
iron and rock by its resistless power.

We will first speak of the reindeer.

Their average

.) !

THE REINDEER AND ITS HABITS. 227

Size and weight approximate to those of tlie ordinary
fal ow deer of our English parks. An exceptional cZ
IS sometnnes seen in some lordly stag, who, though, like
Tennyson's "many-wintered crow," adnnrably fiU d to

tu r \ m' '"""^' ' '''' ^-« °^J-^ - - -tie
sohtude, would be uncommonly tough and strong eatin^

anywhere but in 70^ north latitude. They arc^ by no

and powerfu in proportion to the size of the animal-
he divided hoofs are very large, and from the animal
being obliged to raise its feet high when going over the
snow, itsgallop has none of that beautiful spring which
characterises the red deer of our isles, though thj'pace is
a telhn. one, and soon carries the reindeer clear of any-
thing but the long-winded long-legged wolf

The stags cast their antlers, and the does drop their
young, in May or June, about the time of the first
thaws ; the males and females are then not often found
togethei^ unless it be some gay Lothario, with half-a-
dozen admiring spinsters-an exceptional case, however;
and the female deer are at this season usually in small
herds with their fawns; the little creatures--all eyes
ears and legs-taking alarm at the slightest appearance'
ot danger. The summer vegetation fattens the bucks
anddoes amazingly, and the fawns grow apace, all three
having a comparative holiday, and getting into condition
to meet the trials of the coming winter; while the wolf
and the fox, their sworn foes, are, during the same sum-
mer season, devoting their attention to the infant seals
and bears, or attending to their own little domestic duties
Indeed, in the height of the arctic summer, the swampy

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228 DISCOVERY OF A XOllTII-WEST PASSAGE.

state of the lowlands and the cutting effect of tlie stony
hills, as shown in the state of our poor dogs' feet and our
own boots, was strong testimony against the wolf or fox
being able to do much at that season against hoofed animals.
As the autumn frost sets in, and the snow again spreads
its j)all over the death-like scenery of the north, the wolves
again return to watch and harass the unfortunate deer.

For mutual protection and warmth, and following
the natural instincts of gregarious animals, the deer in
October commence to troop together, forming large herds
of bucks, does, and fawns. Some have been counted
numbering 60 head. The stags are evidently responsible
for the discipline of these large herds, as well as their
safety : upon the latter head, Captain Mecham tells an
amusing anecdote.

In October 1852, he was crossing that portion of Mel-
ville Island which intervenes between Liddon Gulf and
"Winter Harbour, and fell in with as many as 300 head
of deer : indeed, he says reindeer were always in sight in
herds varying from 10 to GO in number. One of these
herds, containing 20 head, he tried to stalk up to on the
7tli October, but failed in getting a shot at them ; for
although the does, with the inherent failing of their sex,
were extremely curious, and made one or two efforts to
escape from the herds, and examine the " strange gentle-
man," the stags would in nowise tolerate such conduct,
cbastised them rather soundly with their antlers, and
i. ^)t the herd together and moving, by running rapidly
round and round, uttering at the same time a strange
noise, which seemed to alarm the herd, and keep it flying
from the suspected danger.

ITS WINTEIl FOOD.

229

The coats of these creatures, which during summer be-
comes remarkably thin, and adapted admirably in colour
to that of the snow-denuded soil, now rapidly thickens
and again returns to its pristine whiteness. It is not a
fur, in the strict acceptance of the term, but it forms an
admirable non-conducting substance.

As winter advances, and food requires to be sought
over large areas, the herds break into parties of 10 to 20
animals. The various lichens, a species of tripe-de-roche,
the sprouts of the ground willow, as well as Iceland
moss, are their principal food ; but it must be remem-
bered that arctic vegetation has no time in the autumn
to wither or decay; whilst in full bloom, and before the
juices have time to return into the parent root or be
otherwise dissipated, the magic hand of the Frost King
strikes them, and thus the wisdom of the Creator has
provided for the nourishment of His creatures fresh and
warmth-creating food, lying hid under a mantle of snow,
which the instinct of arctic animals teaches them to re-
move and so feed upon the stores beneficently preserved
beneath.

There is another peculiarity worthy of notice. Most
herbivorous animals have a slow system of digestion, even
ma domestic state; our cattle and sheep, for instance.
This IS still more the case in the musk-oxen, reindeer,
and arctic hare, and is of infinite use in lands wliere the
vegetation is scanty and widespread, and the weather
occasionally so severe as to oblige these creatures for two
or three days at a time to look purely to their own safety
by seeking shelter from the snow-storms in deep ravines
or under lofty clilfs. It appears in their case as if nature

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230 DISCOVEIiY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

extracted from their food a greater quantity of nourish-
ment than slie does from that of animals in more southern
latitudes, or it may be that the retention in the stomach
or intestines of vegetable matter after all nutriment has
been extracted, serves to check the cravings of their ap-
petite.

The majority of the musk-oxen and deer, the former
especially, had their entrails distended with food (ap-
parently quite digested), whilst the country around, in
many cases, was as barren as a macadamised road, fairly
leading to the inference that these creatures must have
been a long time collecting what they had within them,
and iLat it had been a long time swallowed. It struck
us likewise that it required the vital principle of the
animals to be in full activity to prevent such food from
becoming a source of disease; for if a musk-ox was shot,
and left a short time without being disembowelled, the
flesh became tainted throughout v/ith a strong odour,
rendering it uneatable.

Another strong fact which bears upon the impunity
with which these creatures can winter in high latitudes,
is, that in Lapland, where these reindeer are used for
tractile purposes, it is considered quite enough food for
a working animal if they are able to give it daily four
pounds of lichen (Ccnoinijce rang iferina); and on that
dietary a reindeer will be in sufficiently good condition
to go occasionally without food for two or three days,
and does it without apparent distress.

So far as food is concerned, and an organisation fitted
to meet the extreme temperature of the pole, reindeer
are thus amply provided ; but their sorest trial must be

rii

h ;;

ITS PERSECUTION BY THE WOLVES. 231

the constant rapacity of the wolves which are ever hang-
ing round them throughout the winter season. As the
season advances, the reindeer appears to resign itself to
this inevitable social misery ; and the cool manner in
which a small flock of them may he seen grazing with
an entourwje of half-a-dozen hungry wolves is very
strange, and evinces, to say the least of it, great philo-
sophy. ^

A herd of deer thus surrounded by the wolves Avas
often seen by a.ctic sportsmen. The wolves, far too
great cowards to rush in upon their prey, would endea-
vour to startle the herd by their long-drawn uneartlily
howls : sometimes a frightened deer, horror-stricken at
the abominable chant, would dash madly from the
herd, and tlius leave the protection of the guardian
stags,— a- ay all or a portion of the wolfish fraternity
go after it. In many cases, the scene might be briefly
summed up with the old three-volume denouement of—
a rush— a shriek— a craunching of bones, and snarlincr
of beasts of prey— and all is over ! for the wonderful
powers of swallow and horrid voracity of an arctic wolf
must be seen to be understood ; no writer would peril
his reputation for veracity by repeating what has been
seen on that head. Sometimes, however, the frightened
deer would gain the open country, and goes a wonderful
distance dogged by the persevering wolf, who assuredly
kills it, unless another herd is met which admits the
hunted deer into its ranks.

Occasionally, a herd of deer are grazing, and ono of
them hits upon a spot where the food is plentiful; it
naturally lingers there, whilst the herd moves slowly' on

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232 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

against the wind, as is their habit. The wolves imme-
diately mark the straggler, and stealthily crawl up, their
object being to cut him off from the herd : that eflfected,
there is a howl and rush, and its fate is instantly sealed
if the deer does not evade its foes by extraordinary
exertions.

All through the winter these scenes go on, scent
serving the creatures when sight is useless ; and many
a sportsman, in the December darkness of the Bay of
God's Mercy, often wished his olfactory nerves were as
sensitive as those of the wolf, for, although he could
hear the deer, it was then impossible to see them ; and
many a bad shot was made by a hungry man at a large
pair of sorrowful eyes which loomed out of the mist
around, for the sportsmen could not tell whether the
deer was two or twenty yards from him.

During the depth of the severe winter of 1852-53,
the deer approached close to the Investigator : and in
doing so they quitted the land. Whether this was
done with a view of seeking the warmth which instinct
told them was being given out by the ship, which was
a perfect volcano compared to the bitwr temperature
everywhere prevailing— 95° below the freezing-point of
water— or whether it was for security against the wolves,
it is difficult to say, but most probably from the former
cause; for we remen'.er that the foxes of Leopold
Harbour, in 1848, soon discovered the warmth thrown
out by the squadron under Sir James Eoss, and wisely
burrowed and bred in the snow embankments thrown
up around the ships.
Winter, with its sore trials, has of course its limits ;

LOCALITY OF THE MUSK-OX. 233

and it is astonisliins how pnrlv ir. n

^^^ X. ., ^ iitjvv early m the new vear rpli^f

of wolf, fox, and bear. ^ ' "'"'•=' """^«

, ueer may then be seen in twos or threoc, i„w,-i t
have beforo said the aut„.„ again «.""'' " '
The general habits of the musk-oxen of the archi
pelago resemble strongly those of the reindeer but thev

wamrLatd^Tb^'T '''" '''™ °" ^^"^"^' » Com.
warns Land, although ancient skulls and bones have

$«een^"chan::i 'o' ^'T "' "'^^""^"™ ^"^^
Vueens Channel. One musk-ox was found in 1851 in

Byam Martm Island ; it appeared to have died from 'od

ZXX^- p'^^rr "'"'"^ »'^ obtat^d th
Land (Z^ I > '"" ^'^^'^q^'^'it visitors to Banks
Land Captam Meeham and Mr Krabb^ saw numbed

So r sut:: rr iixx;:: :»

south west extreme of Melville IsLd wTS av urit

Gu f iJct^r T^r'' '^'"8 •'etween Liddon
tCLT. ? ^"""'" ' ™'' " '« worthy of remark
that hat porfon of Melville Island, although posse W
a southern aspect, impinges upon the vast area rf n t"/
thawing ice, that " land of the white bear," from wheZ

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234 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

I 11

the wost v/uvl appeared to bring such intense cold whilst
tho Tijvpsti.iJor was imprisoned against Ballast Leach in
Banks Land.

Conunandor G. F. Mc'cham, whose interesting remarks,
whilst scarcliing in tiie above direction, are of great value
in many respects, mnkos the following general observa-
tions upon tlie animals he saw in 1853 :—

"Game was only shot when required for our use,
otherwise great quantities might liave been obtained on
Melville Island. About the sloping land from Capo
Smyth up to the head of Liddon Gulf, animals were
seen in great numbers, but particularly about the 115°
of longitude, where, both in April and June, musk-oxen
were very numerous. I saw, in a walk overland of ten
miles, as many as 150 head of cattle. At Cape Smyth,
on June 18ih, a perfectly white musk-cow v;as seen with
a black calf grazing with another cow and calf of the
usual colour. Only one small herd of reindeer was seen
while crossing Melville Island to Winter Harbour in
July, as the land was then covered with Avater, or else
in a deep swamp. In June and July, innumerable
lemmings were seen both on the land and ice. Those
on the ice were frequently carried off by the burgo-
masters, which were always in great numbers Avherever
the land was high or steep. At the entrance of Liddon
Gulf two largo flocks of snoAvy geese Avere seen, but, in
general, all the water-fowl were very wild.

" From the barren state of the soil of Eglintoun and
Prince Patrick Land, I am inclined to think that it is
not a very favourite resort for animals. Several traces
were seen in May and June on the ice, all travelling

ITS HABITS.

235

from Melville Island to the westward. On Patrick
Land wo found vegetation only immediately on the
south beach, and that only as far as 12i>° W Through
out the journey beyond that, until returning again to
the southern shore on June 1st, no traces or animals

MannL ' ''''''' '''"' ''''''^* ^''° ^'^'' ''^^ ^'^'P'
" The musk-oxen were all very wild in April, and
generally seen in large herds from ten to seventy in
number. In June they were stupidly tame, and seemed
to be worried with their heavy coats of wool, which
were hangmg loosely down their shoulders and rumps
m arge quantities ; the her<ls much smaller, and gene"-
rally composed of cows and calves.

" At Cape Kussell I walked up to within ten yards
of wo cows and a bull without their taking the least
not ce of me, and when I fired, only ran about five
yards and commenced grazing. The cows were at first
butting a the bull, who received their blows with the
crown of his horns, which sounded like the meetinr. of
two heavy skittle-balls." °

The heavy coat of wool with ^vhich the musk-oxen
are provided, is a perfect protection against any tern-
perature. It consists of a long fine black hair, and in
some cases white (for it is not ascertained that these
oxen change their colour during the winter^ with a
beau,ful fine wool or fur underneath, softer a... richer
than the fine^st alpaca wool, as well as much longer in

\ ^^IJ^"' ^'^'^^ ^PP^^^'« *^ ^^^^^ the ground
and the little creatures look like a bale of black wooT
mounted on four short nervous goat-like legs, with two

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23G DISCOVEKY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

very bright oyes, and a pair of sharp wicked-shaped
horns peering out of one end of it. Captain Al'dintock,
of 1I.M.S. Intrepid, gives the following dimensions of
some oxen shot by him in 1851, which are a very fair
average, the animals seldom exceeding the size of .Shet-
land ponies. [See Table, p. 237.]

They seem to bo of very uncertain temper, sometimes
standing stupidly glaring at their assailants, whetting
their horns against their forelegs ] and at other times
our sportsmen had to be quick in escaping from their fury.

Of their activity when excited Captain Mecham
speaks in another part of his diary, before quoted.

"During our stay, I proceeded to the northward,
overland towards the head of Hardy Bay, Melville
Island. The land rises to an elevation of about 800 feet
above the sea, and nearly all the hills are of a remark-
able table -shape. Musk-oxen are here in very great
numbers ; on one plain I observed as many as seventy
grazing within a circuit of two miles. On my approach
they divided into herds of about fifteen each, headed by
two or three enormous bulls. Their manoeuvres were so
quick and regular that they were more to be compared
to squadrons of cavalry than anything I could think of.
One herd advanced several times at a gallop within
rifle-shot, and formed in perfect line with bulls in ad-
vance, showing a formidable front of horns. The last
time they advanced at a gallop to about sixty yards, and
formed in line, the bulls at the same time snorting and
tearing up the snow. Immediately I fired they wheeled
round, joined the main herd, and made ofe out of sight,
only waiting occasionally for the wounded one."

SIZE OF MUSK-OXKX.

Shot at Mdvill,. Lslun.i in J 851,

• . « . .

r4- 2:'^ oJ H ^ s:-

o 3

2*?

3
5

D
SO

The roots of the horns meet over tlie fore-

head. In the cows the roots or hases of tlie
tVl' "^^^^ ^"^^^^'^^"' ^"^^ ^^e buried h'

long hair.

237

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238

DISCOVEKY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

And in Captain L. M'Clintock's sledge- journey along
the northern coast of Melville Island and Prince Patrick
Island, he gives a glowing description of an encounter
with a noble bull, which we transcribe as it stands in
the Blue-Book of 1855 :—

" We saw and shot two very large musk-bulls, a well-
timed supply, as the lust of the venison was used this
morning ; we found them to be in better condition than
any we had ever seen. I shall never forget the death-
struggle of one of these noble bulls ; a Spanish bull-fight
gives no idea of it, and even the slaughter of the bear is
tame in comparison. This animal was shot through the
lungs, and blood gushed from his nostrils upon the
snow. As it stood fiercely watching us, prepared yei:
unable to charge, its small but fixed glaring eyes were
almost concealed by masses of shaggy hair, and its whole
frame was fearfully convulsed with agony; the tremulous
motion was communicated to its enormous covering of
tangled wool and hair ; even the coarse thick mane
seemed to rise indignant, and slowly waved from side to
side. It seemed as if the very fury of its passion Avas
pent up within it for one final — a revengeful — charge.
There was no roaring — the majestic beast was dumb; but
the wild gleam of savage fire which shot from his eyes,
and his menacing attitude, was far more terrible than tlie
most hideous bellow. "VVe watched in silence, for time
was doing our work, nor did we venture to lower our
guns until, his strength becoming exhausted, he reeled
and fell.

" I have never witnessed such an intensity of rage, nor
imagined for one moment that such an apparently stupid

A. DYING BULL. 239

brute, under any circumstancos of j,ain and passion could
have presented such a truly appalling spectacle ' Ttt
a most mpossible to conceive a more terrific sight than
that which was presented to us in the dyin^Mnoiu „t nf
this matchless denizen of these northern wMs"

It appears to be doubtful whether the wolf naturallv

Mvtjy against tho musk-oxen : the rrpnomi ;,
-ong.t the naval ofilcers ..^o^l S:;!:^^^:
good opunon upon the subject could be formed wl tit
the wolf couhl only attack the lame or .i^tZ' *'"'
Ti.e activity of these oxen, and goaui power of
climbing, IS very remarkable, and much at varia^crwith
heir clumsy appearance. They have been seermaW
their >vay when frightened, up the face of a elV wS
defied al human efforts to follow them, and go t dovt
the precipitous sides of ravines by aitcrnatdy ° M™
npon their hams, or pitching and arresting tlieir dl™
ward course by the use of the magnificentdi Id of Cn
whu3h spreads across their foreheads, in a manner toeaU
forth the astonishment of the beholder

The arctic hare (Lepus .jlacialh) collects in herds or
troops during the fall of the year, in the same ,„.„
fTio rino.. T- 1 1 , •''"'*^' ^^^ i-'J^^ same manner as
the deei. Two hundred of them have been met at a

time ; and at one of their favourite haunts. Cape D udas
Meh ,lle Island, a complete highway, thr^ yards broad
was seen, the tread of their numbers havin^ beaten the
snow perfectly hard. In winter they burro; und r the
snow for protection, as well as to seek their food Can
tarn ireiintoek says, "They are everywhere fundbl
"f course most numerous where the pasture is most abun

240 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

13 ,'

f }

• f

V If f

i- m

dant, as on Banks Land and ^Telviile Island." The
sportsmen of the Kesolute and Intrepid shot IGl hares
in a twelvemonth on the latter island ; the^'r average
weight, when fit for the table, was 7 lb., and from 10 lb.
to 12 lb. with skin and oftal. During summer the hare,
as well as the lemming, seeks protection from beasts of
prey under large boulders of rock, or in the face of rocky
ravines. The hares in summer have been seen in groups
of from twelve to twenty in number. Their skin is so
delicate, that although the Avinter fur is very beautiful,
and the colour a brilliant white, it cannot be applied to
any useful purpose. They do not hybernate, and, strange
to say, the Investigators generally found them amongst
the heavy hummocks of the fioe-ice in Mercy Bay, as if
flying to that rugged ground from the wolves or foxes.
They differ from the European hare in bringing forth
five or seven young at a birth .

That interesting little creature, of the order Eodentia,
the arctic lemming {Mijodus lemmus) — a perfect diamond
edition of the guinea-pig — is very like the hare in its
habits, but is generally found in large families. They
have been seen at all seasons, and in winter are perfectly
white ; but feeding and living as they do under the
snow, it is only the keen-nosed fox or Esquimaux dog
that can detect their position and enjoy the sweet mor-
sel they afford.

In summer, about the end of ISIay, or early in June,
they have a peculiar habit of going off the land on to the
frozen surface of the sea. They do not seem to have any
definite object in doing so, and cannot be said to be mi-
grating. Possibly the thaws induce them to leave the

THE ARCTIC LEMMING. 241

land: the seamen in their quaint way, used to say,

Ju\^T'^- ^^^^' ^'^^^°Ss must be arter salt, I
should think, sir !" and really there seemed to be ^o
other way of accounting for their presence on the floe at
such a season of the year. We found then, steering off
shore from the north coast of Melville Island, leaving,
comparative plenty behind them, and as far as the ey^
could see on a clear day from land of considerable height
there was nothing in the shape of terra firma in the'di-
rection whither they were bound. When thus exposed
upon the open floe, owls, gulls, and foxes pick them up
for food. Can it be that Providence occasions this ex
odus for the purpose of feeding these creatures, and thin-
ning down the numbers of an animal which would other-
wise multiply exceedingly, and eat up all the vegetation
of a naturally sterile region ?

One would hardly suppose so tiny a creature would
serve as food to such large animals as polar bears, but
that It IS so, the following extract from my journal will
show, the place referred to being a valley on the north-
ChLnet-- '^ ^'"""^ debouching into Queen's

yaturdai/, Jvly 2, A.M.-Saw some shoals and the
Cub and Bear islets to seaward. Made sail to a rattlin-
breeze, and, favoured by the ice, we went along at a
good pace until 3.30 a.m., when, seeing some drift-wood
lying about, which it was important should be examined
I halted and encamped, dispersing the men along the
beach to bring all in they could find. Walking landward
to obtain a view from a hill, I was startled to see a she-
bear and two cubs some distance inland. Watching them

242 DISCOVEEY OF A NOKTH-WEST PASSAGE.

carefully, I was not a little interested to see the mother
applying her gigantic muscular power to turning over
large blocks of sandstone, under which the unlucky
lemmings at this season take shelter. Directly the she-
bear lifted the stones, which she did by sitting upon her
hams and pulling them towards her with her fore paws,
the cubs rushed in and seized their prey, tossing them ap
in the air in their wantonness. After repeating this
operation until her young must have made a very good
meal, I was glad to witness the bear's mode of suckling
her young— a sight, I should think, rarely seen. Seated
on her haunches, with the backbone arched, so as to
bring the breasts (which were situated between the
shoulders) as low as possible, the youngsters sucked
away in a standing attitude. Anxious to secure this
family party, we proceeded to burn all sorts of strong-
smelling delicacies ; and at last she brought her babes
down, though very warily, and when more than 100 yards
oif, turned away, evidently suspicious. Following her I
contrived, at about 150 yards, to pass a ball (Minie)
through her body, abaft the shoulder. The cubs at once
made off, though I should think they bad not long been
born, being about the size of an Irisli retriever. Joined
by a couple of the men (Hall and Wicketts), who soo^.
outstripped me, we eventually, after a long chase, came
up with her; the brute, seeing she could not escape, had
apparently made up her mind to wait for us behind a
range of hummocks. When close to her, I learnt that
they had one shot each left in their guns ; but as the
men longed to go in at her, we walked up, the brute
most artfully hiding her body so as to get us within

A SHE-BEAR AND HER CUBS. £43

^use. ic was a ticklish luompnt fn». fi.^ v j.
venomous from desperation T . ? ^'"*' '"^^

George Wicketts, wfth my Mi^i 'vS"'™:"',?:''
was fully entitlPfl fn fi.. I iwnicn i thought he

"The she-bear was miserably lean Tintliir. • i

..ach, an, he. skin in poor co^Z^tSl^T'

skmmng her, the poor little whelps nn ,m fl t "''^,7«^'*

the men tried to eatch them Min'^ ,1 """''''"';

their brains out ■ their littr,/ i ^^ "" '*' ''"°''^''^
» uuu , men uttle stomachs were oerfr^tlv ,i;.

tended with the unfortunate Iemmin<-s whfl f ^, ,"
swallowed entire." "imiHob, which .hey had

Perhaps the most curious fact of all connected with
the existence of animal life in high latitudes durtMh
rnost severe temperatures is, that ptarmigan we" foat

seen bv ,r f° "''' '^'' ""^ '"'™ '*ewise b^n

f ■ '»!

I i^

/ -.^

■•f> li 'ii xaw

> H |I I» « I»M>

r^.

244 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

,4 !

serving the fact — Captain F. L. M'Clintock, R. K ; he
says : —

" The willow-grouse never goes north of Banks Land,
the common ptarmigan [Tetrao la(/opu^)is the only bird
of that species found on Melville Island. They are most
numerous in April, generally in pairs, and in September
they collect into coveys, sometimes of as many as fifteen
or twenty birds, previous to a flight southward. After
that month, a few were seen, and those were birds which
probably hud not paired during the previous season.
Some ptarmigan were shot in January and February, in
excellent condition ; of these the largest weighed 2^- lb.,
and iiE crop contained 2| ounces of the slender shoots of
the dwarf willow ; many of these shoots were as thick
as a crowquill, and -| inch long : when ready for cooking
the bird weighed 1| lb, ; no starveling this ! Six hun-
dred and eighty-four ptarmigan were shot on Melville
Island in twelve months, by the people of the Resolute
and Intrepid, being more than the Investigators got al-
together." There is reason to believe that these hardy
birds burrow under the snow for warmth, protection, and
food, as the hares and lemmings do.

The snowy owl, as well as the raven, brave the winter
and darkness of the arctic zone. We have related how
the crew of the Investigator used to watch for their friend
Ealpho. Another expedition, beset in Wellington Chan-
nel during the winter of 1853-54, likewise observed the
black form of the arctic raven wheeling slowly over their
ships ; it often came in the wake of a gaunt white wolf
which haunted us, and was known as the "ghost," from
the impossibility of getting a shot at it. No doubt, the

it !

I \

THE ARCTIC RAVEN. 245

presence of a ship full of men, and the quantity of scraps
and off J, might have a good deal to do with such a bird
remaining in our vicinity ; but some of our sledge-parties
which w.re despatched di.ectly the light came back, but
still during the most rigorous season of the year, observed
ravens in the neighbourhood of the high precipices or
bluffs common to those regions. We concluded there-
fore that they frequented such places as positions of
safety from the arctic fox, and that on the higher ridges
they picked up sufficient food, in the shape of ptarmigan
and lemmings, to satisfy their hunger.

The late Admiral Sir John Eoss? during his long and
rymg sojourn m Boothia, observed the ravens digging
through the snow to reach some tit-bit which their keen
scent could have alone told them was hid away beneath,
ihese birds, it is however as well to tell the reader, are
by no means common in the desert regions of which we
are writing - perhaps a dozen of them only were seen bv
our navigators in Barrow Strait and Wellington Channel
during four or five years we spent there

We must now take leave of this interesting subject,
and^return to the Invesci^rator in Mercy Bay, Banks

*: i

;| if

»!■

I .

CHAPTER XVIII.

CAPTAIN M'CLURE PROCEEDS TO MELVILLE LSLAXD TO SEE CAP-
TAIN' KELLETT — M'CLURE's VIEWS — HIS LETTER — CAPTAIN
KELLETT ONLY GIVES LEAVE FOR HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS TO
REMAIN IN INVESTIGATOR— MEDICAL SURVEY UNSATISFACTORY
— ABANDONMENl OF H.M.S. INVESTIGATOR — DEPOT OF PROVI-
SIONS FORMED AT MERCY BAY— ARRIVAL ON BOARD H.M.S.
RESOLUTE AND INTREPID — SEARCHING PARTIES UNDER CAP-
TAIN M'cLINTOCK, lieutenants MECHAM and HAMILTON,
UNSUCCESSFUL— CAPTAIN KELLETT DECIDES UPON FALLING
BACK UPON BEECHEY ISLAND — UNFAVOURABLE SEASON —
SQUADRON BLOVl^N OUT OF WIN7ER-QUARTERS— ARRESTED AT
BYAM MARTIN CHANNEL —LaRGE SUPPLY OF FRESH MEAT
PROCURED — RESOLUTE AND INTREPID CAUGHT IN THE PACK
—WINTER IN THE PACK— THE PHCENIX ARRIVES AT BEECHEY
ISLAND, AND TAKES HOME LIEUTENANT CRESSWELL— 1853—
THE INVESTIGATORS PASS A FOURTH WINTER WITH IMPUNITY,
AND THEN LEAVE THE RESOLUTE FOR BEECHEY ISLAND— THE
LAST OF THE INVESTIGATOR— CAPTAIN SIR EDWAllD BELCHER
ORDERS THE RESOLUTE AND IXTREPID TO BE ABANDONED —
NEAVS OF COLLINSON, IN 1852, HAVING PUSHED ON INTO THE

ICE — ASSISTANCE AND PIONEER ORDERED TO BE DESERTED

PHCENIX AND TALBOT ARRIVE WITH PROVISIONS AND FRESH
CREWS— ALL RETURN HOME — INVESTIGATORS REWARDED IN

1855.

Directly the first joy and excitement arising from the
pleasing news of another expedition being at hand to
assist them in reaching England by way of the Atlantic
had passed off, it became necessary to act quickly before

I !i

CAPTAIX M'CLUEE'S PLANS. 247

the season of sledge-travelling had passed away in Melville
Strait. Captain M'Clure decided upon going at once to
see Captain Kellett, and make arrangements with him for
having all his sickly hands sent to Melville Island, and
thence home. He still adhered to his original plan
which was to carry home the Investigator by waiting in

ir.f.T°!'r°^^'' '''^'' '^^"^^^^ ^"^1 ^^i"ter (that of
l»5d-54), before abandoning her, and retreating to Mel-
ville Island AVith this plan in view, he penned the
following letter; and remarkable as the whole tone of it
IS, I should do injustice to the cool, unflinching nerve of
the writer did I not place in italics that paragraph in
which, with generous heroism, he points out the inutilitv
of risking more lives should he and his ship again be
missing. ^ °

To the Secretary/ of the Admiralty.

'' Her Majesty's Discovery Ship- Investigator,

Bay of Mercy, Baring Island (now Banks Land),

April 10, 1853.

"Sir,— In the event of our not getting to England
this year, I think it necessary to acquaint you, for the
information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
what our operatians will be in 1854, that their Lordships
may be enabled to take such co-operative measures for
our relief as may appear expedient.

''Should the ice break up in this bay sufficiently early
to permit our getting through the straits this season, and
finding the water open to the eastward of Leopold Island
It would be my object to push forward, without stopping
to cake on board any provisions from Port Leopold; but

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P \ 8

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III)'

248 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

if, on the contrary, the ice should be thick towards Lan-
caster Sound, I would, if possible, proceed to Port Leo-
pold, and complete a twelvemonth's provisions, and then
risk wintering in .the pack, or gettin^,' through, in pre-
ference to remaining at the above port j if, however, we
are detained in this bay till n(3xt year, it will then be
requisite to leave towards the end of April and make for
Port Leopold, where I am aware that there is a good
boat, a house, and ample supplies ; and, when the navi-
gable season opens, proceed to Ponds Bay, coasting along
the shore of Barrow Strait ; arriving at Ponds Bay, and
if finding from the Esquimaux that no whalers have as
yet been there, I should there await their appearance as
long as my provisions would admit, and then go down
the west shore of Baffin Bay, keopi, ; close along the
land floe, where whalers or their 1 .oats are almost certain
of being met with ; failing this, I should cross to Disco,
with the hope of getting a passage in one of the Danish
vessels which come there annually, and leave about the
beginning of September; or being too late for them,
either charter or purchase one of their coasting schooners,
which I believe trade amongst the settlements, if she was
capable of standing an Atlantic voyage ; could neither of
these be accomplished, we must of necessity remain until
the following season at that settlement.

" Should any of her Majesty's ships be sent for our
relief, and we have quitted Port Leopold, a notice con-
taining information of our route will be left at the door
of the house on Whaler Point, or on some conspicuous
position; //; however, on the contrary, no intimation
should be found of our having been there, it may at once

HIS LKTTER. ^^

hemrmised that mme fatal catastrophe has happened
e,ther from our lein,j carried Into the Polar STt

'o.nthenle auUe unnceemmj to penetrate far/he'- to the
« .ard for our relief „, j, „, ^,„.. „, ^;^,^ J «

W« ofieer may he directed to return, and h,j no meZ

;;r 'l/^-f • »/ fo««;/ "««■ l»^ in Jest JZ
wlio will then he no more.

^1^^%^°T1'''' """^ '"=''"'• '^^™« the case with Sir
John Eoss, that the ice may not break up in IWnt
Inlet dur,„g the whole summer, it is as Jl to p S
agamst such a contingency; if such should happen it
would be necessary to winter at Port Leopold! is
apprised of the locality of any ship that might i sen
for our rehef, which I think might ],e accompliled
wi hout any great difficulty, a. although such vessel mw
no be enabled to get far up the straitl, yet as Adn rlv
Inle would be pretty certain of being dear of irshe
nnght proceed thither, and in some secure bay fret'et
and when the straits were firmly frozen, about the n, iddk

with the intelhgence; the whole would then proceed to
her, and although rather late in the season, men woling
for aeir hves are not likely to be discouraged by a litU?

"Whatever may be the final termination of this Ion,,

edrous, but I hope not unimportant voyage I be' «"?'

that you will assure their Lor'dships thaf Fn eve;';^

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TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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25
2.2

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Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 871-4503

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250 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

I have been guided entirely by what I have considered
to be my duty in prosecuting to the utmost the object
for which the expedition was fitted out ; and although
we have not succeeded in obtaining any information
which could afford the slightest clue to the fate of our
missing countrymen, I hope that the services performed
in the tracing of a very great extent of coast-line, the
discovery of much new land (a portion of which is in-
habited by a simple and primitive people not hitherto
known), and, above all, the accurate knowledge of that
'Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans,'
which for so many hundred years has baffled maritime
Europe, its very existence being almost considered doubt-
ful, will, I trust, be considered events sufficiently in-
teresting and important to elicit from their Lordships a
favourable consideration of our services. — I have the
honour to be, Sir, your obedient and humble servant,

(Signed) " Egbert M'Clure,

Commander."

In accordance with hie determination. Captain M'Clure
left the Investigator with a sledge-party, and reached, the
19th April, the Eesolute and Intrepid, commanded by
Captain H. Kellett, C.B., and Commander Leopold
M'Clintock. "VVe can appreciate the meeting between
himself and Captain Kellett, for they had parted on
that eventful day in Behring Strait in 1850, when the
latter gave Captain M'Clure an opportunity of waiting
for his consort, which had he accepted, the ^orth-West
Passage would not have been achieved, and the search
for Franklin would not have been completed upon even

r..

MEDICAL EEPOET. 251

one line from ocean to ocean. Captain KeUett at first
concurred in M'CWsdesire to save the Investigator
but when Lieutenant Cresswell of that ship arrived on
f 7;/ith some of the most weakly hands, and re-
ported that two more deaths had already occurred in the
Bay of Mercy, Captain Kellett, as senior officer, felt that
his responsibility would be great if he allowed the zeal
of Captain M'Clure or his followers, in fulfilling the re
quirements of professional honour, to jeopardise^the lives
of those who had so gallantly done their duty.* It was

LmL ' ''"'' "^'"^ ''^ ^^""-^ "^^^ *« ^'-^Pt-- M'Clure and
Captain M'Clure arrived on the 19th of April at her Maiestv's
ship Kesolute, and he remained on board until the 2d of Ma^^ when
another party from hia ship arrived. « Until m. 1 5' n
mander M'Clure had been detained by Captain KeHel Zdefec:"^
condition of his sledge's crew (who had doubtless been Ltctd as

SLf :mi'""^ "f '' *^ ^^"^^ ^^"^^ apprehensi:: t; the
capabilities of the remainder to make a further sojourn in these

regions; and most forcibly did the appearance of the above det.ch
ment justify the measure. Some vague information of thel entbled
condition had preceded them ; the stem reality now presen ed
Itself: one officer subject to periods of mental aberration •onTma
in a state of c^.«...« (or imbecility), his condition and appearance
rendered still more pitiable from severe frostbite of the fingers two
men earned on the sledges, the one with scurvy, the oSer'wUh
urinary disease and phlegmonous inflammation of the leg the re
mainder all more or less affected with scorbutic disease and d bmty'
as indicated to the spectator in the tottering cait attennnl.] f
and careworn expression of countenance, 1^^^ f/^J
the truth and recollection of their altered condition fl tted across the
magination; a change (as some expressed themselves) difficult to
wTthT; 7''f T,''^ ^'^^ '''''' *^«"^-^t« ^-^d been pregnant

b asstneT" "'" ''*'' '"*""' '' ^^^'^^ ''' ^^^«-^« results col

i' 'in

252 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

then arranged that Dr Domville, of the Eesolute, should
return with Captain M'Clure to the Investigator, hold a
medical survey on every person on board of her, order
those home who might not be considered fit to withstand
another winter, and then give the healthy the option of
remaining in her for a fourth season, or not, as they
might choose. On reaching the Investigator, Captain
M'Clure addressed his men relative to their volunteering
to remain out, and then gave twenty-four hours for the
medical survey to take place, and for the sound men to
make up their minds whether they would stay with him
or go home. The survey, however, was fatal to the
hopes of the resolute leader ; for on the following day,
May 23, he writes in his diary, " My surprise and mor-
tification at finding only four men who felt able to go
through another winter were great, but I must do all
my officers the credit to say that they came most nobly
and spiritedly forward, tendering their services, and ex-
pressing anxiety to remain and abide the chances of
another season." Admiring as we may the iron will of
M'Clure, still on the whole it was best that circum-
stances did not allow him to remain; for the medical
report was ost serious, and, as it subsequently turned
out that the season of 1853 was an unfavourable one at
Melville Island, and the Investigator could not have
escaped, we may rejoice that these gallant men were put
to no further trials in Mercy Bay.

The report of the medical men was to the following
effect : —

MEDICAL EEPORT ON THE CKEW. 253

" Eeport of Survey of Crew of Lwestigator.

" Her Majesty's Ship Investigator,
Bay of Mercy, 23d May 1853.

" Sir,— In obedience to your orders conveyed to us
through Commander M'Clure, directing a survey to be
held on the officers and men remaining on board this
ship with a view of ascertaining their general state of
health and efficiency for further service in the Polar Sea
we have the honour to inform you that we have this
day held a strict and careful survey accordingly, and be^
to state, as the result thereof, that their present state of
health IS such as renders them utterly unfit to under-o
the rigour of another winter in this climate, without
entertaining the most serious apprehension for the con-
sequence.

" T'.ere exists in all of them at present, with one or
two exceptions, well-marked evidence of scurvy and
debility in various stages of development, with great
loss of flesh and strength, as may be seen from the re-
marks appended to the name of each in the accompany-
ing list, which calls for their departure from these regions
as early as possible as a matter of urgent necessity^nd
the adoption of prompt means to insure the same, that
they may be placed under the salutary influence of' such
antiscorbutic and other agents as are essential for their
rocovery and ultimate safety.

" We are also of opinion that the reduced allowance
of provisions on which they have been victualled for a
period of nearly twenty months is one which we con-
sider, and the past experience of others has likewise

Vrlh

'' u

) m

■ I:

' 'i

t "

254 DISCOVEEY OF A NOETH-WEST PASSAGE.

proved, to be quite inadequate for maintaining the
health of the men exposed to the rigorous influence of
this climate.

" That it has rendered them less able to generate an
amount of animal heat sufficient to resist the intensity
of the cold, while it has established a predisposition to
the attacks of that disease (scurvy) the germs of which
now so universally prevail amongst them, with its usual
distressing influence on the mind, likewise rendering
them highly susceptible of other diseases, and unable to
withstand the privations to which they have been ex-
posed, and which are inseparable from arctic service, is
sufficiently obvious, as their present condition but too
fully proves.

" It is hkewise our opinion that, from their present
state and condition, the remedial resources of the ship
would be insufficient to establish such a state of health
and efficiency as to afford any guarantee against the
occurrence of those evils which could not fail to result
from the circumstance of remaining in the ship, and
being exposed to the intense severity of another (the
fourth) arctic winter, after the effects of a sojourn so
long as that which has fallen to their lot to have ex-
perienced. — We have, &c.

(Signed) "Alexander Armstrong,

Surgeon, H.AI.S. Investigator.

(Signed) «W. T. Domville,

Surgeon, H.M.S. Resolute.

" Henry Kellett, Captain, C.B.,
H.M.S. Resolute."

IMI

'i!
1 1

DEPOT OF PEOVISIONS FORMED. 266

h.-nlT f T- *"°™-'"^«' 0™" Captain M'Clure resigned
b obiL W ' "rPP™"'"-*. »d, bitter as it w^ to
be obhged to quit h.s ship, to look upon it as a duty
In every stage of his perilous voyage, he had found th!t
al things were ordered for the best; and he dreaded

her dutT" ","'"'"1''^ """* ■''^ »'«-- --dered
be con"lri''"T "^"V^' °^^*""S "^^"^hip, should

crew It It' " ' It °' "'"'""'y P-""'g h-
crew. It only remained, therefore, for him to land his

boats, stores, and provisions, so as to form a depot for

any one who, in after years, should need such supplied

blown to sea by future gales of wind

stores had been husbanded during an absence of three

the Bay of Mercy deserves a place in this narrative •
It consisted of the following articles :- '

Biscuit,

Rum, • • • • 1000 Jb.

Brandy,
Salt beef,

Pork,

Preserved meat,

Flour,

Suet,

Sugar,

Chocolate,

Tea, .

Tobacco,

^t^^r^ ^V^'^^l "'''' ^°^'^ year,'boat, s'pars,
rope, powder, shot, and arms.

26 gall.
20

600 lb.

1600 „

3000 „

6420

112

1000

435

126

484

neat tablet over the graves of the three shipmates who

jl'

1 1 *

256 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

i h

had died in the Bay of Mercy ; and that done, on the 3d
June 1853, the Investigator's crew hoisted the colours
to the mast-head of their dear gallant bark, and turned
their backs upon her as sorrowfully as they would have
done on an old well-tried friend in his extremity.

On June 17th, the squadron at ^lelville Island was
reached by the Investigators, who found that every pre-
paration for their comfort had been made on board the
Resolute and Intrepid. Each ship housed a portion of
the Investigator's crew and officers; and after a hearty
meal and a long exchange of news from home and start-
ling anecdotes from Banks Land, the Investigators settled
into their new ships, and thought all their troubles at
an end.*

Little occurred to break the monotony of arctic life
at Bridport Inlet, Dealy Island, until Mr Roche, mate
of the Resolute, who had been sent down early in the
season to the North Star with some men, to relieve the
increased demand upon the Resolute's provisions and
stores, returned quite unexpectedly with a dog-sledge,
having been to Beechey Island and back, a distance of
600 miles, within the short space of six weeks.

The news and letters he brought, together with the
return of one travelling party after another of Captain
Kellett's sledge expeditions, served to while away the
anxious time before the water made in Barrow Strait.

Commander M'Clintock, Lieutenants Mecham and
Hamilton, made extensive journeys, searching most com-
pletely every foot of land that lay to the north or

* See account of Mr Krabb^s visit to the Investigator in 1854,
p. 263.

CAPTArN KELLETT'S PLANS. Jgy

north-west of Melville Island. Commander M'Clintock's
journey embraced the extraordinary distance o" 1210
.jeo^ph,cal miles, the longest ever made on foot „

Se SIT 7 °"° """'""^ «'"' Commander
from \orr f ', ( "" '=1"""y remarkable journey
Irom Js orthumberland Sound in Wellington Channel to

Aellott 01 the position of the Assistance and Pioneer

safetv „7 fb 7"°*:'' '° "f°™ "'» Admiralty of thi
safety of the Investigator, in case the Intrenid and
Eeso u e ui i. escape from their advanced pesitton
m the forthcoming autumn. posinon

farther rt ^ ^ ^'«'lg<'-P''rties, and saw that nothing
to tart"™ h lit' '"," ""'•'"-««' "-ction, he decidel
wnn I 7 V . ™''''' •'" """' "^ *e State of the ice

vveiiington Channel. On the 18th of Au-ust a stronc.

gale commenced off the l^nrl • fi,. • T n ^

VI '^'^ uu Liie land ; the ice acted unon hv if

ana that night the Eesoh.te and Intrepid were at ,en

' :v:rdtou„"dr^""--^' '-- ^*™' - ^-^'^ ^^opeVw'

Within twenty-four hours the ships were brought un
by the pack of Byam Martin Chanifel, and formany ^

I-

«'

i \i

258 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

II J

day they lay under the extreme point of Melville Island,
watching for an opening to dash across to Bathurst Land,
knowing well that, once under its lee, northerly gales
would inevitably make " land water," and enable them
to accomplish another run for Beechey Island. Thence
to England had now become a certainty.

.Day after day passed ; the drifting pack in Byam
Martin Channel continued in a most unpromising ^tate,
whilst winter was fast advancing with snow, darkness,
and newly-formed ice. Happily this part of Melville
Island, like every other part of the southern shore of
that favoured land, was found to be abounding in game,
especially musk-oxen. Such a godsend, under the cir-
cumstances, was eagerly seized by Captain Kellett, who
naturally felt most anxious to save and carry to England,
in health and strength, the crew of the Investigator. All
available guns and men were sent to secure fresh meat ;
and such was their success that about 10,000 lb. weight
of game was eventually secured — and being soon frozen,
it was easily preserved for the coming winter. At one
time the meat was festooned round the rigging of the
Eesolute and Intrepid until they resembled butchers'
stalls far more than British discovery-ships. At last,
driven to risk anything rather than remain where they
were for another winter, the vessels attempted to force a
way through the pack ; but on the 9 th of September
both the Intrepid and Eesolute became permanently im-
bedded in the newly-formed ice, and a north-west gale
forcing down the pack upon them, they became fairly be-
set and obliged to go whither it and Providence listed.

It was another disappointment to the gallant crew of

DRIFTINO I.V THE jcE. 559

the Investiyator. Thev iiiff fi „-;n
foflin- nf «.„ 1 p 1 ^ , "' resignation, and a

300 i-l """''^"'r''^ «>»t they ,voro at any rate some
300 miles nearer home, and that in sueh wcll-fou d

theom.rsan;t.rtre';;:sr;rrrs^^

perhaps, more than all else predispose to scrvv

For two months the perils encountered by the driftin<.
ships wore very great. Their safety at last appeared to
be oecasioned by the body of heavy iec forii bTeon
stant pressure against the unyielding ships, th stieZ;
of wh.eh set at defiance the ..st of the sniroundij p 1
At one time, with northerly winds, they feared bein. et

outlet for the ice between lieutenant Osborn', nnd
Lieu tenant Wynniatfs farthest points in 185 i ™
within he bounds of probability that next season SM
would have found the Resolute and Intrepid Tn some

Albert Lan^s. This fear was put an end to when thev
found that the pack only drifted for a short time to thi
southward, as if to fill up tightly the great spae cal d

southing that had been made, until the pack, doubtless
Barrow Strait-sueh as those of Griffiths, Lowther, and
tain Kellett to find that after the 12th of November his

I I
i' I 'f

'It

I 1

1 I

2({(»

DISCOVEItY OF A NOKTII-WEST PASSAGE.

■S '■'

^ouA sliip was ut i-ubI, and had then reached a point
about due east of Winter Harbour, M(;lville Island, and
in long. 101° W. — an atlniirable position for an early
escape in the ensuing season. My duty, howcjver, is to
relate the adventures of the crew of the Investigator.
Another winter passed over their heads without any
great increase of disease. One oflicer, Mr Sainsbury
(mate), died the 14th November, but he had been a very
long time ill, and life was evidently prolonged so long as
he continued to be buoyed up with the hope of escaping
another winter in the ice.

Only two or three of the Investigators escaped this
their last ordeal. Amongst them was Lieutenant (lurney
Cresswell, who had been sent down to IJeechey Island
with a sledge-party in the spring; and the Plujenix,
Captain Ingleiield, having made a flying summer visit
to that spot. Lieutenant Gurney Cresswell was taken to
7']ngland, and on tlie 7th October 1853 communicated
to the Admiralty the proud intelligence of the achieve-
ment of a North-West Passage, and the safety of Captain
M'Clure and his companions.

To the wonderful supply of musk-ox beef obtained by
Captain Kellett at Melville Island, the health of the
Investigators was no doubt in a great measure due ; but
for that providential resource, the Kesolute and Intrepid
would have been able to afford them but a small supply
of preserved meats, owing to the small quantity laid in
when in England ; and Sir Edward Belcher had more-
over carried off the lion's share when we replenished from
the North Star in August 1852.

As early as April 14, 1854, Captain M'Clure and his

ii 1

MOVKMKNTS OP CAPTAIN l)l:i,0!IICR. i-fii

crew .i„itto,l tl,o I£.,aoI„to an.I I„t,„,,i,|, „,„, ,„„,„,^,,

No tl Star, tl.o ,lo,,„t.al„> at I!™cl„.y Isla.ul, „„w 1,„.
t..me tho spr.uK rostmg-placc of our iVionds tlu, Invcsti-
Kator, an, they tho,.o patiently awaited the n.ean, „f
escape to Lrif^land.

That osmpe depended now upon the senior officer in
hose seas, Captain Sir E. IJelcher. He, in the s,„„mer of
18.,3 before Captain Kellett left Melville Island, had
started back to Jieechey Island from the northern en-
trance of the Queen's Channel. The return sl..d..e.
parties of Commanders liichards and Osborn from £].
ville Island had told Captain Uelcher of the position of
the Investigator, and the accomplishment of a North-
West Passage To intercept the liesolute or Intrepid,
If they touched at fechey Island, appeared to be the
object of hir Edward IJelcher. No time was, therefore
to be lost in opening a communication with lieechey
Island ; and so important was this deemed, that further
search was abandoned, and one sledge-party was left to
secure a retreat as best it could after a long and trvin'^
journey. Captain Belcher reached Cape Majendie at an
early day ; and there a boat, with Commander Pullen
from the North Star, joined the Assistance and Pioneer'
From Commander Pullen information was gleaned
that the season in Parrow Strait did not appear a for-
ward one, and that most water was making on the west

t ■ '

262 DISCOVERY CF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

side of "Wellington Channel ; indeed, his heavy hoat
■was a goof! proof that water and not ice had been
mainly met with on his journey. Giving him orders
that would prevent the Intrepid passing Beechey Island,
and going to England direct with the news, as Kellett
intended,* (Japtain Belcher sent Commander PnUen back
again as quickly as possible, and, fancying he had pro-
vided for all contingencies, he commenced surveying that
great curve of "Wellington Channel called Baring Bay,
and across which curve a solid floe was still firmly frozen.
Any time between the 9th and 18th of August, the
Pioneer could have towed the Assistance from Dundas
Island direct to Cape de Haven ; and indeed we are sure
of it, from a trip made by Captain Inglefield in a boat to
that cape from Beechey Island. The log-books of the
Pioneer and North Star, and Inglefield's narrative, col-
lectively attest the interesting fact, that water would
have then been found by the Pioneer and Assistance.

No one war subsequently surprised when the Pioneer
and Assistance were caught by the drifting pack, and
beset at a place called Cape Osborn, 50 miles north of
Beechey Island; though all v.'ere amazed v/hen in the
following cp.rly spring formal arrangements were made
for the abandonment of all of H.M. ships within the
arctic regions in 1854.

Totally ignorant of such a proceeding being the inten-
tion of the senior officer, the resources of the Sesolute
and Intrepid had been so carefully and judiciously hus-

* Captain Inglefield, however, in tlie Phoenix, arrived at Beechey
Island, and carried hume Lieutenant Cresswel) with the despe^tches
of Captain M'Clure.

\\h

LAST VISIT TO THE INVESTIGATOR. 263

banded, that with a reduced crew in each ship, they
were still ready to meet the chance of not escaping in
1854; and this was the nior. creditable to Captains
Kellott and M'Clintock, as they had had to victual the
additional men and officers from the Investigator, and
had left an ample depot of provisions and clothing in
Melville Island for the use of Collinson, should fate lead
him there.

Ever alive to the necessity of not ceasing to search so
long as he was in a position to do so. Captain Kellett
despatched in the early spring Lieutenant Mecham, sup-
ported by a party under Mr Krabbd (master), to revisit
the Bay of Mercy in Banks Land, and to place on Prin-
cess Eoyal Island, in Prince of Wales Strait, information
of the safety of the crew of the Investigator— a bold and
happy act of foresight, as the result proved. Besides
this, it was the intention of Captain Kellett to have sent
parties later in the spring to connect Lieutenants Osborn's
and Wynniatt's extreme points of search, and further-
more to have examined down Peel Sound.

Mr Krabbd reached the Investigator on 5th May.
He says :— " The ensign and pendant were still flying.
A large accumulation of snow-drift on her north side
enabled him to walk in over her waist. On opening the
fore-hatch, and going below, everything was found in
good order, except that the ship had leaked so much as
to be full with water up to her orlop-deck. The ship
appeared to have dragged her anchors since she had been
abandoned, for instead of being in nine fathoms water,
she was then in eleven fathoms. This might have been
occasioned by the movement of the ice, for there was no

('" '

S 1
i

1 1

264 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

appearance of open water havinrr existed in Mercy Bay-
in the autumn of 1853." Mr Krabb^ finally left her on
May 11, 1854.

In the mean time Captain Eichards— who was de-
spatched in weather so severe as to endanger the lives of
all his party— reached Captain Kellett with a "confiden-
tial" letter from Sir Edward Belcher. That "confiden-
tial " letter is, of course, now a public document, and a
very remarkable one too. It contains this paragraph,
which is here copied verbatim : —

" Should Captain CoUinson fortunately reach you, you
^vill pursue the same course, and not under any conside-
ration risk the detention of another season . These are the
views of the Government ; and having so far explained
myself, I will not hamper you with farther instructions
than, Meet me at Beechey Island, with the crews of all
vessels, before the 26th August."

Captain Kellett determined not to adopt any such
course upon a confidential letter, and immediately de-
spatched Captain M'Clintock to Sir Edward B>elcher, to
point out the perfect feasibility of saving his ships— to
assure him of the provisions and stores, as well *s the
health of a sufficient number of officers and men, being
such as would enable him to meet the possible contin-
gency of another winter, rather than abandon her Ma-
jesty's ships, when they lay in the very best position for
an escape directly the ice broke up in Barrow Strait, and
finally, to point out to Sir E. Belcher that he was
strongly against the desertion of so many fine ships.
But +he representations of Captain Kellett were unavail-
ing. Captain Belcher sent Captain M'Clintock back

ABANDONMENT OF THE SHIPS ORDERED. 265

a'^^nl; "fr '"] '}." «'""'<J»™-t of tl,o Eesoluto-
had Wv7n ' t "" "''"' "^ ""> Invortigatop, who
^ir , ;?"'" ™'='' '""'« "■«» '""-O^iP^ fo four

Z.h ' rrV" '"' '" '"^''^ 8''«>«^"y '^f^ating upon
lieechey Island, ready to return to England ^

Lieutenant Mecham and Mr KrabWs parties returned
•lunng the summer to Beechey Island, having Lr"
nmrvels ,„ way of the distances they traversed ifeu
tenant Menhan. brought from the Investigate:^ depot of

prov.s.ons on Princess-Royol Island deeply intS „.

information touching the movements of H MS Pnt"

prise, dated Augi,st 1852. This was the fet new^lr;

one m Barrow Strait had had of the Entorpris liZ Z

S fai ""^f "' '■" T: ^^^Pt-^i" CoiLr dt

iinctiy said. It is my intention to pursue the ,.l,nn„„i
separating WoUaston from Prince Albert Land th.
entrance to which is in lat. 70° 30' N "^.uZ' f

csThTf ''-' '"-' voiufte;rs"::r r :«

behind to help him, in case he should be imprisoned in
some ,ce-bound harbour south-west of Ca,rWalte
But S„ Edward Belcher got rid of all difficultras to

hankfu that t,e records plae. kin> in iZonZfZ
the penh of arctic ice, in which Captain M'Clurc cZ-

* The Resolute has since been picked im hv n« a
drifting out into the Atlantic ; and so little W .h« '^"'". "^"'''•'

+ He refers to the safety of the Investigator's offlfers „„f„en.

m 1

/!■ i

4 ft
I

266 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

siders no ship could endure. He had at the latest
account two modes of escape : one, by the road he came ;
the other, on which I place but little reliance on account
of its difficulties, by the land journey to some of the
Hudson Bay posts ; unless, indeed, he met Dr Eae, in
which case competent guides would materially alter the
face of his difficulties."

With these ambiguous terms he left Captain Collin-
son to get out of his difficulties as best he might, and
next proceeded to give an appearance of intending to
stand by and save the Assistance and Pioneer. They on
the 6th August broke out of winter-quarters, and ad-
vanced slowly down channel as the water and pressure
from the north began slowly to break up the belt of ice
which extended across "Wellington Channel.

The ice in Barrow Strait broke up at the same time ;
and by the 2 2d August the] floe of Wellington Channel
had dissolved to a distance of fifteen miles northward
from Barrow Strait. A belt of ice, about twenty miles
wide, only remained between the ships and the waters
communicating -with the Atlantic Ocean, and that belt
of ice much cracked, and evidently working with every
tide; yet it was determined to quit them, and on the
26th August 1854 the last of that ill-fated expedition
was deserted.* All the officers and men of H.M.S.
Assistance, Eesolute, Pioneer, Intrepid, and Investigator
had just got on board the North Star and made sail,
when the Phoenix, Captain Inglefield, and Talbot, store-

* In the season of 1854-55, two vessels are said to have fallen into
the hands of the Esquimaux of Ponds Bay ; in all probability the Re-
sistance and Pioneer drifted there.

^I«5

If^ II

EETURN TO ENGLAND. 267

Ship, Commander Jenkins, hove in sight round Cape

A fresh division of the men and officers then took
place, to reheve the crowded decks of the North Star
and the Phoenix and Talbot each received a portion!
Ihat and some other small arrangements completed, no
time was lostm beating a retreat; and on September 6th
all reached Disco, on the coast of Greenland, in safety, and
eventually returned to England September 28, 1854.

The gallant Investigators found all England's sympa-
thies and feelings enlisted in the war with Eussia; and
although the members of a naval court-martial, which
went through the established form of inquiring into the
loss of H.M.S. Investigator, most honourably acquitted
Captain M'Clure, his officers, and men, from' any blame
on her account, and added the highest encomiums upon
the gallantry and zeal exhibited by all, yet, in a public
point of view, the ship's company generally felt that few
honours were awarded to them in comparison with the
sufferings they had so nobly borne. The Admiralty, to
evince their approval, dated back Captain M'Clure's
commission, as well as that of his first-lieutenant and
some other officers, to the day on which the :N-orth-West
Passage was discovered. Her Most Gracious Majesty
shortly afterwards conferred the honour of knighthood
upon Captain M'Clure; and assuredly it never was more
worthily bestowed.

In the following session of Parliament a select com-
nnttee of the House of Commons met, to take into con
sideiation the reward due to those who had discovered
and achie ., u ihe North-West Passage ; but in the interim

1 h

!■■:'■

f*.

268 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

between the arrival of Captain Sir Eobert M'Clure in Eng-
land and the meeting of Parliament, news had arrived
that Dr Kae had obtained certain information of a party
from Franklin's missing squadron having passed the inter-
vening unknown space which lay between Barrow Strait
and the coast of North America. The duty of the com-
mittee became a somewhat more responsible one, in so far
as it had to award the priority of discovery to Franklin or
M'Clure, before the papers of the former came to hand.

Lady Franklin, in a most able and touching letter,
called the earnest attention of the honourable committee
to the impossibility of arriving at any certain decision in
the absence of all evidence as to Franklin's claim to the
priority ; and they therefore qualified the award by stat-
ing, very justly, that Captain Sir Eobert M'Clure, in
H.M.S. Investigator, had discovered a north-west pass-
age, and successfully carried his followers from the Pacific
to the Atlantic Ocean by that route, exhibiting himself
an example of unflinching perseverance, courage, and zeal,
which his officers and men nobly followed, and, to use
the words of the honourable committee, " that they per-
formed deeds of heroism which, though not accompanied
by the excitement and the glory of the battle-field, yet
rival, in bravery and devotion to duty, the highest and
most successful achievements of war ! " Accordingly a
reward of £10,000 was granted to the officers and crew
of H.M.S. Investigator, as a token of national approba-
tion ; and, acting upon a suggestion thrown out by the
honourable committee, ail this gallant ship's company
eventually received from their Queen a medal, which they
will assuredly treasure far more than any pecuniary reward.

} , .

t •

CHAPTER XIX.

rIf^S k7p;U™^ ^"''' ^'UANKLIVS SHIP „KARD OF - BR

TERROR BEING IN EXISTENCE-THE RUSSIAN WAR PREVENTS
A NAVAL EXPEDITION BEING SENT TO BARROW STRA 4l

ADMIRALTY DIRECT THE HUDSON BAY COMI.rY ro SE;;;\ R
ANDERSON-MR ANDERSON PROCEEDS IN TR^tJ
OF TflF PPi^A-n ^, iJtOCLEDS IN 1855 TO THE MOUTH

OF IHE GREAT FISH RIVER-VERIFIES THE FACT OF i PVPTV

WHV T?TTUlr T.T-. . ^.., J"-*** liU^l REASON

,L " ""^ '"=-^>'™ "AS "BVEH BEEN SI' lYED

xE„E.r,K".rs™;,r™''-"'=^-^"^^ "^"'- » -

NoTniKo could have boon more cmshi«g to the hopeful

eoh„,.s „, even the „,o«t sanguine or earnest iX

earch or Franklin than the sad intelligenee which wa

brought hon,e in October 1854. The labours of The

officers and crews of H.M.S. Assistance, Resolute, Z

270 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

trepid, and Pioneer, during three years, had not thrown
one ray of light on the sad mystery ! and as if to pre-
clude all possibility of any further steps being taken, all
the vessels available for the search had been wantonly
abandoned, deserted to the mercy of the ice and winds
of 74° north latitude. The solemn silence with which
the venerable president of the court-martial which sat
to try Captain Belcher returned him his sword, with a
bare acquittal, best conveyed the painful feelings which
wrung the hearts of all professional men upon that occa-
sion ; and all felt that there was no hope of the mystery
of Franklin's fate being cleared up in our time, except
by some unexpected miracle. But just at that very
time, when those who had ever taken a gloomy view of
the subject smiled at the realisation of their unfavour-
able prognostications, and congratulated themselves on
having exactly foretold what had happened to the
Erebus and Terror (either hoisting them up on the top
of floes off" Newfoundland or squeezing them to destruc-
tion in Lancaster Sound), a letter reached England from
Dr Eae, announcing that he had at last struck upon the
clue, and that a portion of Franklin's expedition had
reached and perished at or near the mouth of the Great
Fish Eiver !

Is it presumption to say that the opportune discovery
of such a fact at such a moment was a marked instance
of Divine interposition? That it should have come
from such a quarter is all the more interesting, because
Dr Eae, whilst on the journey in which he became pos-
sessed of this important information, was, he tells us,
purely employed upon geographical research ; and prior

INTELLIGENCE FROM DR RAE. 271

to starting he announced that fact, coupling it yath the

• remark that he was going where Franklin Avas not likely

to be met -with. ^

His tale is briefly this. He had been sent by the
Hudson Bay Company in 1853 to complete the survey
01 the long isthmus of land which connects North
Somerset with the American continent under the name

Clarke Eosss magnetic pole, or the coast-line about it,
Kiter ' '''''' discoveries near the Castor and Pollux

Repeating his old plan of proceedings in 1846-47 Dr
Eae wintered at the lakes on the isthmus which divides

/f«^. ?! ^T"^ ^'P"^'' ^"^' ^^d ^^^^^ i^ the spring
of 1854 started with his sledge-party to accomplish his
task. Ascending Committee Bay as far as Simpson
Peninsula, he then struck westward, taking advantage
of a series of lakes and fro.en streams to relieve che
labour of sledging across the land which intervened be-
tween him and the western waters. Whilst makin.^ his
way in that direction, Dr Eae met, on the 20th A^pril
an Esquimaux, who, upon being asked if he had ever
seen any ships or white men, replied no, but that a party
of white men had died of starvation a long distance to
the west of where he then was, and beyond a lar-e
river ! »

Now distance and time are two things of which an
-Esquimaux has very vague ideas; and Dr Eae assures us
that although he afterwards had reason to believe that
the Great Fish Eiver, then only seventy or eighty miles
distant, was the stream referred to, he could only learn

t I

272 DISCOVERY OF A NOIiTH-WEST PASSAGE.

that the spot spoken of was beyond a distant river.
Unable to glean more particulars, further than here and
there coming across convincing proofs that the natives
were in possession of articles from Franklin's ships, Dr
Eae made an effort northward, as if to combine an execu-
tion of his instructions with the purpose (as he assured
the writer) of proceeding in the direction the retreating
party must have taken when coming down upon the
American shore. Circumstances prevented his journey
being successful. T)r Eae returned to the mouth of the
Castor and Pollux Eiver, and again retraced his steps
overland to Eepulse Bay, picking up relics and informa-
tion, the result of which he condensed into the following
Eeport to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
and then made the best of his way to England : —

" On the morning of tlie 20th (April) we were met by
a very intelligent Esquimaux, driving a dog-sledge laden
with musk-ox beef. This man at once consented to
accompany us two days' journey, and in a fcAv minutes
had deposited his load on the snow, and was ready to
join us. Having explained to him my object, he said
that the road by which he had come was the best for us;
and having lightened the sledges, we travelled with more
facility. We were now joined by another of the natives,
who had been absent seal-hunting yesterday, but, being
anxious to see us, had visited our snow-house early this
morning, and then followed up our track. This man
was very communicative ; and on putting to him the
usual questions as to his having seen 'white men' be-
fore, or any ships or boats, he replied in the negative,
but said that a party of ' Kabloonans ' had died of

Ull EAE'S liEPOKT. 273

tTZ r '°"S/'''™™ '" 'he wet of whoro wo then
were, ana beyouj a large river. Ho stated that he did

and that he could no,, accompany us so far. The subl

flTvari™ ° '"'■"""''""" *» ""J subsequently obtained
trom varous sources was to the following elfect —

In the spring, four wintei-s since (18.50), while some

fhr:^a^'"""M t '^"""^ ^^»'^ -» *»' -"

T w ,?• ^^^ "''""^' ""■""'^ '" Arrowsmith's charts
K.ng Wdhum Land, about forty white men were seen
tuvellmg m company southward over the ice, and dra-.-
K...g a boat and sledges with them. They w^e passin"-
along the west shore of the above-named island. None
of he party could speak the fe,uimaux language so well
as to be understood; but by signs the natives "wore Ted
to bebeve that the ship or ships had been crushed by
ice aiid that they were now going to where they expected
to find deer to shoot. From the appearance onhe'n en
all of whom, w.th the exception of an officer, were hTut
Z.Z "'° <'''''S--°P''s of the sledge, and looked thin,
they were then supposed to be getting short of provi
ions; and they purchased a small seal, or piece of sea
from he natives The officer was described as being a
all, stout nnddle-aged man. When their day's journey
termmated, they pitched tents to rest in. ^

"At a later date the same season, but previous to the
d,srupfon of the ice, the corpses of some'hirty per ons

five dead bod.es on an island near it, about a lone, dav's
journey to the xX.W. of the n.outh of a large steetm
which can be no other than Back's Great Fish ETver

274 DISCOVEKY OF A NOllTH-WEST PASSAGE.

(named by the Esquimaux Oot-koo-hi-ca-lik), as its do-
scription and that of the low shore in the neighbourhood
of Point Ogle and Montreal Island agree exactly with
that of Sir George Back. Some of the bodies were in a
tent, or tents ; others were under the boat, which had
been turned over to form a shelter, and some lay scat-
tered about in different directions. Of those seen oti
the island, it was supposed that one was that of an
officer (chief), as he had a telescope strapped ovrt his
shoulders, and a double-barrelled gun lay underneath
him.

*' From the mutilated state of many of the bodies, and
the contents of the kettles, it is evident that our wretched
countrymen had been driven to the dread alternative of
cannibalism as a means of sustaining life. A few of the
unfortunate men must have survived until the arrival of
the wild fowl (say until the end of May), as shots were
heard and fresh bones and feathers of geese were noticed
near the scene of the sad event.

"There appears to have been an abundant store of
ammunition, as the gunpowder was emptied by the
natives in a heap on the ground out of the kegs or cases
containing it, and a quantity of shot and ball was found
below high- water mark, having probably been left on the
ice close to the beach before the spring commenced.
There must have been a number of telescopes, guns
(several of them double-barrellfil), \;ai',bes, com|:adses,
&c., all of which seem to have been broken up, as I saw
pieces of these different articles with the natives, and I
purchased as many as possible, together with some silver
spoons and forks, an Order of Merit in the form of a

i I

KELICS OF EREBUS AND TERROR. 275

Star, and a small silver plato engraved ' Sir John Frank-

"Enclosed is a list of the principal articles bought,
with a note of the initials, and a rough pen-and-ink
sketch of the crests on the forks and spoons. The
articles themselves I shall have the honour of Inindincr
over to you on my arrival in London. '^

"None of the Esquimaux with whom I had communi-
cation saw the ' white' men, either when living or after
death; nor had they ever been at the place wliere the
corpses were found, but had their information from those
who had been there, and who had seen the party when
travelling on the ice.

"From what I could learn, there is no reason to sus-
pect that any violence had been oflfercd to the sufferers
by the natives.

"List of articles purchased from the Esquimaux, said
to have been obtained at the place where the
bodies of the persons were found, viz. :

"One silver table-fork— crest, an animal's head, with
wmgs extended above; 3 silver table-forks— crest, a bird
with wings extended; 1 silver table-spoon— crest, with
initials ' F. R. jVL C (Captain Crozier, Terror); 1 silver
spoon and one fork— crest, bird with laurel branch in
mouth, motto, ^ Spero meUora;' 1 silver table-spoon, 1
tea-spoon, and one dessert - fork— crest, a fish's head
looking upwards, with laurel branches on each side; 1
silver table-fork— initials, « H. D. S. G.' (Harry D.'s.
Goodsir, Assistant-Surgeon, Erebus); 1 silver table-fork
—initials, 'A. M'D.' (Alexander M 'Donald, Assistant-

if 4,

27(5 DISCOVERY OF A NOirriMVKST PASSAGK.

Surgeon, Terror); 1 silver table-fork— initials, 'G. A. M.'
((Jillies A. Macbean, Secona-Mastcr, Terror); 1 silver
table-fork-initials, ST. T.'; 1 silver d(!8sort-8i,oon— ini-
tials, M. S. V: (John g. Peddie, Surgeon, Erebus); 1
round silver plate, engraved, SSir John Franklin,
K.C.B.;' a star or order, with motto, 'AVy; a,spera tor-
rent, G. R. III., MDCJCCXV.'

"Also a number of other articles with no marks by
which they could bo recognised, but which will be
lianded over, with those above named, to the Secretary
of the Hudson Bay Company.

"John Eae, C.E.

" Rei'ULSE Bay, July 1854."

It matters little what portion of the Esquimaux tale
IS correct, or what fabulous ; of one great fact Dr Eae
assured us, that a party from the Erebus and Terror did
reach the coast on or about the Great Eish Kiver It is
fair to infer that the party comprised officers and men
from both vessels, because the few articles recovered
trom the natives bear the names of Erebus as well as
Terror. For instance, we have Franklin's star of the
Guelphic order, and some of Crozier's plate.

It was very natural,-for it occurred in Captain
M Clure s case, as told in the foregoing narrative,-that
If the ships of Franklin's expedition had become frozen
in in some bay which did not often clear out of ice he
should have done as M 'Clure intended to do— send a
party home vid America, to convey intelligence and seek
succour. Franklin knew that when, on a former occa-
sion, m 1833, Sir John Eoss had got into difficulties in

THE RUSSIAN WAR.

277

tho Victory, and was missin- a party was at once organ-
ised, and sent down the Great Fish Kivcr to seek for
him. Might not Sir John Frankhn have fairly supposed
that as much wouhl be done in his hehalf ? IIow could
he know of the opposition all projjositions of such a
rational nature were likely to meet with from persons
consulted by the Admiralty?

The ])ublic mind was too deeply engaged in the suffer-
mgs of the British army upon the heights of Sebastopol,
to grant the attention it merited to the interesting intel-
ligence brought to England by l)r Kae, or to the collate-
ral proof brought home bv Captain Collinson (who had
happily escaped with the Enterprise) from another point
about the same distance from the north shore of King
William Land as the Great Fish River. It consisted of
a piece of wood-work, which must have belonged to
either the Erebus or the Terror, and which was found
by accident upon an island near the Enterprise's winter-
quarters in Cambridge Bay.

The Lords Cciumissioncis of the Admiralty took the
opinion of some arctic authorities upon the subject of
what could be done towards still further cl«>aring up the
tale brought home by Dr Rae; for there was much about
it that was vague, and calculated to keep alive hojies of
the most distressing nature to those deeply interested
in the crews of Franklin's ships. A gigantic war was
pressing upon the resources of our navy both in ships
and men,— none of them could then be spared; and to
meet the outcry of some effort to be made to ascertain if
it really was the mouth of the Great Fish Kiver that
Franklin's travellers had reached, the Hudson Bay

'if

t :-

278

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

U \-

Company were again requested to send out a party to
that locality. ^

Br Rae having declined to take charge of the party
which was equipped for this i)urposo, though he gave
every support and encouragement to it, it was consigned
to the care of Mr James Anderson, a chief factor of the
company, an officer of high reputation and much experi-
ence as a traveller. Lady Franklin, however, earnestly
protested against this expedition; she foretold the im-
probability of its ever reaching King William Land, and
short of that the result would be as inconclusive as Dr
Eae's report, and a loss of very valuable time.
^ Labouring under many disadvantages, from the short
time given to equip and start, Mr Anderson commenced
his descent from Fort Resolution to the mouth of the
Great Fish River, on June 22, 1855, with three canoes
of wooden framing, but birch- bark planking, in;fho7if an
Esquimaux interpreter. On July 30, at the rapids
below Lake Franklin, three Esquimaux lodges were seen,
and various articles were found, denoting that some of
the unfortunate men they were in search of had been
there. The foot-note to this page is worthy of careful
perusal— we will refer to it again.*

Pushing on, Point Beaufort was reached, and at last
Montreal Island landed upon. " There," says Mr Ander-
son, "on a high ridge of rocks at the S.E. point of the

* Extract from Mr Anderson's Report, vide Bluc-Eook--"On the
30th, at the rapids below Lake Franklin, three Esquimaux lodges
wore seen on the opposite shore, and shortly after an elderly man
crossed to us. After the portage was made wo crossed over, and
imme-liately perceived various articles belonging to a boat, such as
tent-poles and kayack paddles made out of ash oars, pieces of maho-

FUllTIIEIl TRACES OF FRANKLIN.

279

island, a number of Esquimaux caches were found, and,
besides seal-oil, various articles were found belonging to
a boat or ship, such as chahi-hooks, chisels, blacksmith's
shovel and cold chisel, tin oval boiler, a bar of unwrought
iron, about three feet long, one and a half inch brold,
and a quarter of an inch thick; small pieces of rope,
bunting, and a number of sticks strung together, on one
of which was cut * Mr Stanley ' (surgeon of the Erebus).
A little lower down was a large quantity of chips, shav-
ings, and ends of plank of pine, elm, ash, oak, and
mahogany, evidently sawn by unskilful hands ; every
chip was turned over, and on one of them was found the
word 'Terror' carved. It was evident that this was the
spot where the boat was cut up by the Esquimaux ; but not
even a scrap of paper could be discovered, and though
rewards wore offered, and the most minute search made
over the whole island, not a vestige of the remains of
our unfortunate countrymen could be discovered."

The party next examined Point Ogle, where onlj a
small piece of cod-line and a strip of cotton were found ;
and on the 8th August they began to retrace their steps'
having held no communication with, indeed seen, no
Esquimaux beyond the one man and few women at the
rapids below Eranklin Lake, and never been able to
reach King William Land. This inforination reached us
early in 1856, and went to confirm Dr Rae's supposition

gany, elm, oak, and pino ; also copper and sheet-iron boilers, tin
soup-tureens, pieces of instruments, a letter-nip with the date 1843
a broken hand-saw, chisels, &c. Only one man was left at the lodges'
but the women, who were very intelligent, made us understand, by
words and signs, that these articles came from a boat, and that the
white men belonging to it had died of starvation."

' fl

280 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

that the Great Fish River was the stream upon which
the party ho had heard of had retreated ; but instead of
clearing up tlie mystery of wliat had become of them
the whole story left the fate of Franklin, Crozier, aud
their ships' companies as doubtful as ever.

Taking it for granted that the Esquimaux did see
thirty or forty men with a boat, as Dr Kae asserts, what
had become of them ? If, when they reached tlie conti-
nent, the unfortunates became desperate with misery and
committed cannibalism— the practice is by no means rare
in those wild regions, and it would assuredly prolong
life— where were the survivors? Is it likely they sat
down there and died one after the other 1 If they were
so lost to their own safety as to remain, would not the
survivors have scraped the earth over the bones of those
who first perished 1

Every arctic traveller knows that the tender and oily
bones of the seal— even the brittle ones of birds— are
iound preserved over the whole extent of the arctic re-
gions visited by us. What, then, had become of the
bones of thirty men ? Five years after the Erebus and
Terror left Beechey Island, in Barrow Strait, all those
who visited the scene of their winter-quarters found
rlofhimj, scraj,s of 'paper, and the thousand signs of
Europeans having been there, looking just as fresh as
the day they were left, and that in a far worse climate
than Montreal Island.

Thirty-one years after Sir Edward Parry had been at
Bushnan Cove, MelviUe Island, a traveller (Lieutenant
M'Clintock) found a spot where that distinguished navi-
gator had, to use his own words, made " a sumptuous

ON THE RELICS OF FRANKTJN'S CREWS. 281

vorv V^^^^"^T'" '"^^ ^^''' ^'^y *^^ ^^°^«« «f those
^ ery birds strewed about the old encampment ! " I was

astonished " says Lieutenant M'CHntock (vide Parlia-
mentary Pdue-Book, 1852), ''at the fresh appearance of
he bones ; they were not decayed, but merely bleached,
•md snapped like the bones of a bird recently killed "

i^squimaux were not likely to have used dead men's
bones I they had European clothing in their posses!
«ion, It IS hardly likely that they could have concealed it
entirely. Ihere was not a musket, pike, or cutlass pro-
duced. The party were not likely to have gone there
unarmed; indeed the Esquimaux acknowledged having,
seen both powder and shot and ball. And as to Mr An!
derson s theory of the wind blowing away or covering their
journals and papers, because his nautical almanacs suf-
tered it is purely assuming that the officer who headed
J^ rankhn s party was such an idiot as to leave his papers
strewed about the surfoce of Montreal Island, instead of
putting them m a cache, where, as arctic discovery proves
papers have been preserved and discovered after lonc^er
intervals of time than perhaps any other climate would
aamit of.

Looking, therefore, at the evidence adduced, it amount-
ed simply to this, that

"A party from the Erebus and Terror did reach the
Great Fish Eiver, and left traces at Montreal Island
and at the first rapids in ascending the stream ! " Further
than this, all was apocryphal. Mr Anderson very natu
rally went upon his journey, firmly believing every iota
of the translated account of Dr Eae's interpreter ; indeed
111 the absence of any means of communication with the'

11 'ii

ill

282 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST RASSAGE.

one old man and few women whom ho did see, he had
no other resource than to connect the traces wliich lay
before him with the report previously made public. But
sailors may be allowed to put a sailor's explanation to
what lay before Mr Anderson, and the following is our
version of the tale it told : —

On Montreal Island Mr Anderson found, he says, ''a
quantity of cliips, and shavings, and the ends of 2)lanJi
of pine, elm, ash, oak, and mahogany, evidently sawn by
unskilful hands."

Now, no boat supplied to the Erebus or Terror from
her Majesty's yards, which any party of men could have
dragged a hundred miles over ice, would have been con-
structed oi planh of so many descriptions; but it is very
certain that a party retreating to the Great Fish Eiver,
and knowing the long series of rapids and portages in
that stream, would have carried with them materials
such as plank, which, with the framing of their large
boat, would form rough canoes fit for their purpose.

Mr Anderson distinctly says "chips and shavings."
Now a savage, who had never seen a planing instrument,
was not likely to be able to produce shavings. After
informing us that the plank was evidently cut by un-
skilful hands, Mr Anderson says, "Everg chip was turned
over, and on one of them was found the ivord ' Terror '
carved I" Surely that ominous word is a mute witness
against Esquimaux having been the men who there
laboured; yet in the next paragraph we read, *'It was
evident that this was the spot where the boat was cut
up by the Esquimaux !"

Surely no such fair inference can be drawn. That the

ox THE RELICS OF FRANKLIX's CREWS. 283

party brought carpenter's tools with tlioni, we have the
proof in Mr Anderson discovering, at tlie lodges near the
rapids, yf>ro,\eu handsaw, chiseh, cjv.;" and perhaps,
f a careful list could be procured of every article seen
there or at Kepulse Bay, some more interesting evidence
might bo obtained; for even as a straw will show the
course of a great stream, so may some insignificant trifle
throw sudden light upon this sad subject.

The existence of traces further up the river than Mon-
treal Island was a significant fact; and supports our idea
that on Montreal Island preparations were made to ascend
the stream, of which indeed we have another proof in the
ash oars being cut or reduced into paddles,-a very ne-
cessary measure for a party about to go up narrow and
tortuous rivers, and unlikely to have been done by the
Esquimaux, who have no kyacks or canoes in that part
of America. Some of these paddles were found at the
rapids hkewise.

It is true the women at this spot made signs that these
articles came from a boat whose crew perished of starva-
tion ; but they did not giy^ a single proof of the truth
ot the tale, or point out the grave of one of the unfor-
tunate party.

Br Rae, zealous for the character of the Esquimaux
repudiates indignantly all idea of their havin- been
treacherous, nor is it at all desirable to give rise'to any
bloody suppositions upon the matter; but any one who
Will carefully read over the able paper of Captain lilaguire
in the Appendix of this work, can, as easily as the most
experienced traveller, form a correct idea of the character
of the Esquimaux generally; and he will then agree with

284 DISCOVERY OF A NOUTII-WEST TASSAGE.

US in thinkinf^ that the savage of the polar regions, tliough
not naturally cruel or treacherous, would, like most others,
consult his own interests rather than the dictates of
humanity, when such a windfall as a boat's crew of starv-
ing, scorbutic men, carrying with them untold wealth in
the shape of wood, iron, and canvass, fell into their hands,
and when they confessed, as those poor fellows evidently
did, their direful necessity.

Some of Franklin's people may, we think, have died
of disease or starvation at the place upon the continent
spoken of by the natives ; but that spot has not been
reached by us as yet. Others evidently got to an island;
there the Esquimaux say the officer perished, and five
men likewise. Such an island as IVIontreal Island was
very likely to have been chosen by our starving country-
men to await the opening up of the Great Fish Eiver;
they would be in a good position for commencing their
canoe voyage, and be less likely, whilst employed con-
structing canoes or rafts, to be interrupted by natives.
Granted, therefore, that some starved at each place spoken
of by the natives— granted even that the remainder did so
far forget their manhood as to eat the flesh of their ship-
mates, — is it unreasonable to suppose that, when the riv&r
opened, some few of those unfortunates started with what
they had constructed, abandoning all their unnecessary
gear on the island, and at the first portage 1

They might have ascended far, and fallen in detail, and
yet never, in such a water-intersected region, have been
discovered by Mr Anderson in his descent— the more
especially if they, taking Sir George Back's chart, had
followed his old track, a track from which Mr Anderson

CALL FOK FURTHER SEAUCII.

285

departed considerably, and with advantage to himself
and his party as far as rapidity of journey was concerned.
As to holding out a hope of any straggler surviving
amongst Esquimaux or Indians, it is not our desire to do
so ; but those who, by following up a similar train of
argument as ourselves, arrive at a hoi)e of such a pleasing
and consolatory nature, ought not to be ridicuh;d for
doing so.

They who have kept alive hope, who have urged on
expedition after expedition, in spite of failure, in spite
of ridicule, and in spite of uncharitable imputations of
mania or interested motives, have now reason to feel
happy that such trifles did not check their efforts ; it
remains yet to be seen whether perseverance will not
still lift the curtain of this sad but glorious tragedy.

It is not nlono the fate of those forty men that we
desire to know— they were but a fraction of the lost
expedition ; there are still one hundred souls unaccounted
for, and two of her Majesty's ships !

To those who urge the expense of arctic expeditions,
or the risk of life, as objections to the completion of a
task we are pledged to accomplish, the answer is a brief
one. Eead the long list of soldiers and sailors who
yearly go to their unhonoured graves in the pestilential
Bight of Benin, on the fevered shores of the Western
Indies, the cholera -ravaged stations oi Hindostan or
China, where the charge for medical stores is sometimes
greater than that for feeding the perishing thousands !
For what do they lay down their lives ? Is it because
we desire that all nations may honour a people who will
and can do all things and dare all things, because it is

'■ f

. [

'28G DISCOVEIIY OF A NOKTII-WEST PASSAGE.

right ? or do we merely weigh the sale of cottons aiul
hardware against the lives of our brother men ]
^ If the former is the rule, then let England dare to do
right, and risk the charge of (Quixotism, even though, in
exploring the frozen zone, the extension of free-trade
principles or the regeneration of the negro race may huvc
no share. And for expense, let one line-of-battle ship
the less be kept in commission until the question is
settled, or some other retrenchment be made, if we are
in such a bankrupt condition that England cannot afford
to seek her missing sons.

We, who have reduced arctic travelling to a mere
arithmetical calculation, know very nearly the distance a
body of sailors numbering forty could have come from,
dragging a heavy wooden boat over the ice, besides the
quantity of articles which have been enumerated else-
where, and which formed, doubtless, but a small portion
of what they had with them. Taking, therefore, the
weight dragged by the forty men as 200 lb. per man, and
the distance accomplished daily about ten miles, an
allowance extremely liberal for debilitated seamen, we
have the precedents of Captains Eichards, Osborn, and
Penny (who all have had to carry heavy wooden boats
as far as possible over the ice) for saying that a journey
of about fifteen days, or 150 miles, would be about the
utmost distance they could have come from ; the more
so that sledge-travelling was then but little understood,
and that the extent of the sledge-journeys made from
Beechey Island by Franklin's people do not exhibit any
marked improvement.

That the Erebus and Terror are somewhere within the

SITUATION OF EREBUS AND TERROR. 287

limits of tho unsearched area about King William Land,
everything now denotes. One liiimired and fifty or two'
hundred miles from I\rontreal Island, northward, carries
us into tho centre of this space, and where Victoria Strait
is split in two by the large island called King AVilliam
Land. In and about Cape Felix on that island, or near
tho magnetic i)ole in Boothia, they most probably got
beset ; for had they been on Victoria Land, where na-
tives, game, and fish abound, they would, it is fair to
infer, have sent their "forlorn hope" along it towards
the Coppermine or Mackenzie Eiver. How they reached
that supposed point, with their ships, time and a dis-
covery of their journals will alone tell. Whether by
rounding the west side of Prince of Wales Land, and
passing down a channel which some suppose to exist in
a south-east direction between it and Victoria Land, or
whether, as appears most natural, they took the fine and
promising channel which offered to the southward be-
tween Cape Bunny and Cape Walker, now called Peel
Sound, and so struck the American continent, we can
only surmise. But the absence of all cairns, or signs of
their having been detained or having landed on either
coast of Prince of Wales Land, as far as it is now known,
or of North Somerset, leads to the natural supposition
that they are nearer to King William Land than to any
other spot— perhaps in some indentation on its northern
coast, into which they ran during a late and stormy
season, as M'Clure did in the Investigator, and John
Ross did in the Victory, never to escape with their ships.*

The Editor can now appeal to the subsequent discovery of
Franklin records and relics on the very spot here indicated, as a
proof of the correctness of his views.

J.;

'> t

ij t

^'i

288 DISCOVEllY OK A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

It has boon argued a<,niinst the existence of Franklin's
8hi])s in that (juarter, tliat ho would assuredly have
visited the Fury ]}oacli dei)ot, in liegent Inlet. Wo
reply to this, that Franklin, through his ice-master and
others in his expedition, knew well how worthless it
was for his purpose. He knew that, since it had been
formed, Sir John Koss had provisioned the Victory from
it, that he had retreated upon it, and lived on it with
his crew nearly twelve months, and eventually e(iuippcd
himself there prior to his escape in 1833. After that
some whalers had swept nearly everything off the beach ;
and, to escape the conse(pU!nces of an Admiralty prose-
cution, one of the vessels had thrown into I'eterhead
Harbour a quantity of provisions she had carried off as
plunder from tlie Fury depot.

It would be unfair to discuss the question of who has
been to blame for fruitless ellbrts, or to assert that the
zeal and energy of officers has been fruitlessly expended
in the search for Franklin up to 1854. It could not be
otherwise. The chart as it stood in 1848 was a blank.
The labours of those employed gradually narrowed the
area to the mere work of one season ; and to those who
blame us for having spent time in searching to the
north-west of Beechcy Island, the simplest reply is, that
we glory in having had the hope accorded to us in 1852
of Franklin's expedition being in that direction. It
kept up the interest of the world upon the subject;
and it enabled us, though unsuccessful there, to say we
never desponded, and never believed that they would
not be found, or that they turned back from l^eechey
Island ; and England may boast that, owing to that and

IlIvSULTS ACHIEVED.

2^Q

Other circumstances, she never relaxed her efforts until
a certain clue to their position was secured. It was un-
doubtedly for that clue, with the certainty that it held
out of our soon knowing the fate of Franklin's and
Crozier s ships' companies, that the Admiralty rewarded
Dr Kao with a i)ortion of the twenty thousand pounds
awarded by Parliament ; and althou-h such a reward
does not come under the strict interpretation of the Act,
still there is no doubt of their Lordships havin- ^ene-
rously exercised their prerogative, in stretching the rule,
and rewarding an active and zealous arctic traveller for
obtaining a trace which was worth twice the sum, an<l
which gave fresh hope and spirit to all who thought
upon the subject.

The wonderful voyage and journey of the Investi-
gator's gallant crew was about to be followed by the
remarkable discovery, by Captain :M«Clintock, of the
touching record of Franklin's sufferings, and the fate
of his noble followers. That discovery, the last great
arctic achievement of our generation, fell, it is true, to
a private expedition, and the honour, apart from its
leader being a naval officer, cannot be claimed by our
profession. The fault, however, of desisting from the
search for Franklin, just as success was certain, arose
from official ignorance of the subject, and the alarm
created by Sir Edward Belcher's strange proceedings
during the last expedition to Barrow Strait ; and it is
only fair to those whose hope flagged not, and whose
energies were constantly directed to urging the final
expedition upon the attention of the Admiralty and
Government, to place on record their last appeal before

2!)()

lUSCOVKUV OF A NOirni-WKST I'ASSACJK.

tlioy tunuHl to i)rivnto .sources i,. pro.uro tlio innaiiH of
coniplotiug a task wliich ml-tap(^ dcvspainMl of.

Tho first ptitition (un.iimtcd from hor avIio" Iina boon
ilu^ luainsprin- of tlio scarcL, h(.r to whoso untiring
onoTKy m pushin^r f„nvar.l frosli (.xpoditions wo owo tlio
nccoinplKshnuMit by naval ollicors of tho discovory of tho
North- Wost l>assa-«s and thou tho i.orf,.ct c.u-tainty of
disoovonug tho lon^. h)st and sought Krobus an.l Torror •
tho othor was pron.otod by .Sir K'odoriok Murchison, a
stoadlastadvooato in ovory atop takon to save tho niissincr
expodition ; aud, supported as ho has bo(.n by tho lar-or
portion ,)f tho sciontilic nion of our day, ho an.l thoy
liavo m no small d(-roo contributed to tho solution of
many goographi.-al and physical problems in our arctic
zone, and assisted to raise tho veil which onco hid tho
fato of Franklin's expodition.

AVo cannot better take leave, for a while, of arctic
discovery, and the no loss honourable search for our
eountrynien, than by using the quaint but elocmont
won s of tho right worthy Samuel Purchas, parson of
^t iMartina, by Ludgato, London.

I' Great .jew.>ls are those merchants and mariners
Avhich, to the glory ol' our nation, neither spare cost, and
loar_ no danger in these attempts— resolute, gallant
glorious attempts! which thus seek to tame nature'
Avhero she is most unbridled, and to subdue her to that
government and subjugation which God hath imposed
on all things to tho nature of man. Great God ! let me
m silence admire and worship thy wisdom, that in this
little heart of man hast placed such greatness of spirit as
the world is too little to fill,"

LADY KHANKLIN'S hETTKU.

2f)l

Ladv Fuanklin'h Lkttku.

"60 Pai,l Mall, Ufh Juh/ IHM.
"My Lordh,— TJiroo niontliH apjo 1 folt consiminod to
ad(Ir.,HH a loiter to your Lordsliips, re.iu(3Hting tliat you
^V'ould ho ploaHod to dolay your adjudication of tho
Toward .Planned by ])r Jiao for a«(;ortainirig tl.o fato of
uiy husLand's expedition until .such tinuj m the result of
a juore conipleto and iinal search could ho known I
implored your Lordships to adopt such nicaHuros as
would set this (piestion at rest, and, at tho same tinio
was compelled to represent that your refusal to do this
would force upon mo the painful alternative of taking
tho burden of an expedition upon myself, at whatever
cost, and under great disadvantnge.

"To this letter I have not been honoured with any
reply; but, notwithstanding, it seemed to me, and to
others, not unreasonable to interpret your silence in a
manner not unfav(iurable to my wishes, inasmuch as
your Lordships were well aware that so long as no
adverse decision was announced to me, I was precluded
from taking any steps for advancing my private expedi-
tion, which depended entirely on the non-adoption of
tho other. Even when I read in the * Gazette,' after two
months and more had elapsed, that your Lordships, dis-
regarding my request, had given the reward of <£ 10,000
to Dr Eae, I was still unwilling to regard this act as an
absolute rejection of my petition for further search, since
in that light, or with such an object in view, it might
have been jmacticable to announce it at a much earlier
period, and thus relieve me from suspense, and set my

«f'

i i

r f

I 1

292 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST TASSAGE.

hands free for action. But besides this, I was aware
that a memorial to the same effect as my own petition
signed by the most scientific men in London, and em-
bracing the opinions of all the chief arctic officers, had
been presented to the head of her Majesty's Govern-
ment (by whom it was kindly received); and I indulged
the hope that it could scarcely fail to receive your Lord-
ships' favourable consideration.

" Thus, between doubt and hope, between occasional
misgivings and reviving confidence, but withal in con-
stant and harassing anxiety, I have passed three lono-
months (precious months to me, who required them all
for my own expedition, if that great burden were at last
to fall 1 pon me), till at last a time has arrived when the
equipment of a private expedition is no longer possible
and a season of probably unexampled openness for ice
navigation is passing away.

" I feel sure that if your Lordships would only do me
the favour of considering for a moment the painful posi-
tion m which I have thus been and am stUl placed
without a single word vouchsafed to me either to con-
firm my hopes or to extinguish them, deprived of any
means but such as I had a reasonable objection to of
securing public feeling in my behalf, whilst the Arctic
Papers (including my appeal to your Lordships), which
were called for in the House of Commons, continued to
be withheld, unable thus to make use of the present or
to calculate on the future, you would feel that a great
hardship— nay, that a great injustice, for such I feel it
to be — has been inflicted on me.

" Yet, great as this trial has been, it receives aggrava-

LADY FEANKLIN'S LETTEK. 293

tion from the knowledge that I am not alone affected by
It. I abstam from obtruding on you details of private
matters, however they might serve to illustrate this
aspect of my embarrassing position ; but I feel sure that
you will deem it worthy of your kind and serious atten-
tion, when I inform you that the distinguished indi-
vidual who has generously offered me his gratuitous
services for the command of my private expedition,*
should I be unhappily reduced to this extremity, has
done so at the sacrifice of all his own professional and
private interests, in the purest spirit of sympathy with
my anxieties and of devotion to a holy cause. And I
might say much more than this, if 1 felt permitted to
do so. Your Lordships, however, will, I am sure, per-
ceive that I cannot indefinitely prolong the state of
uncertamty in which my noble-minded and generous
iriend is now placed ; and that it is my duty either to
release him from his promise, as I would so gladly do
were I sure that my cause were safe in your hands, or
enable him at once to commence independent operations.
" Eegretting deeply that you have, as I learn, come
to a decision adverse to the immediate starting of a
vessel by the eastern route, since I fully recognise the
possibility of following my husband's track on that side
down Peel Channel, I yet may be permitted to express
the opinion I have long entertained, confirmed as it is
by that of your late eminent hydrographer. Sir Francis
Beaufort, and by that of Captains Collinson and Mac^uire
that the route by Lehring Strait, though longer in dis-
tance, IS of surer and safer accomplishment, and that a
* Dr E. K. Kane, of the United States Navy .

294

' il

11 '>

'. i:

DISCOVEKY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

vessel despatched this autumn to Behring Strait would
probably arrive at the spot to be searched in a shorter
time than by the other. Captain Collinson, whose ex-
perience is the highest that can be adduced on this
point, has no doubt that he could carry even such a
heavy saihng-ship as the Enterprise without the aid of
steam, in one season only, to the very locality where the
remains of the Erebus and Terror are probably now
lying, and where it is at least certain that the Esquimaux
hold the secret of their fate, and of the pillage they have
acquired from the catastrophe.

" This opinion of Captain Collinson as to the facility
of a vessel's reaching the place of its destination in one
season by way of Behring Strait, is shared by Captain
Maguire, as expressed in a letter which I have permis-
sion to enclose. Your Lordships will also perceive
therein another reason for the adoption of this route
which has not hitherto received the attention its ex-
treme importance deserves, namely, the facility it chives
of bringing the vessel into close contact with the Esqui-
maux, It being Captain Maguire's opinion (as it is that
of Mr Anderson, the late commander of the boat party
down the Great Fish Eiver) that the tranquil presence
o± a vessel is necessary to extract the whole truth from
the natives. These people are not wanting in sagacity,
and if they see nothing but a boat or sledge-party, they
will be sure to calculate on the very limited resources
of such a party, that it will soon return whence it came,
and rid them of unwelcome investigations. It is also
to be recollected that the Esquimaux are in the habit
01 making spring and autumn migrations, so that time

LADY FRiVNKLIN'S LETTER.

295

would be required to enable the intelligence that white
men were on the coast to permeate throughout the
country, and thus reach the ears of any stragglers that
may yet remain of the crews of the missing vessels.

"I would entreat of your Lordships, should you
doubt the accuracy of my statements, to call before you
those two able and experienced officers, Captain Collin-
son and Captain Maguire, one of whom has brought
back his ship and crew in perfect safety, after a naviga-
tion in arctic waters of unexampled length and import-
ance; whilst the other, within a more restricted field of
action at Point Barrow, succeeded so well in his en-
deavours to gain the confidence and co-operation of the
natives, as to be an earnest of his success in any other
quarter.

" I mention these two distinguished officers as being
especially qualified to speak of the advantages and dis°
advantages of the route suggested, not forgetting that
Captains Osborn and Eichards are also on the spot,
equally able to submit to your Lordships, if honoured by
your reference, all that might have been said, in favour
or otherwise, of the route which you have pronounced to
be impracticable at this advanced season. All are alike
ignorant that I am expressing this unbounded confidence
in their capacity and zeal, in the humble hope of re-
minding your Lordships that if you give little weight to
anything I can advance, as coming from an incompetent
or too interested person, there are those at hand whose
qualifications, whose duty towards you, and whose sense
of responsibility, remove them widely from such dis-
paraging circumstances.

I*.

• \i

2.96

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Whi St this subject is still under deliberation, I
commit the prayer of my present appeal to your serious
and humane consideration, believing that the honour of
my country IS no less concerned in the result than are
my own personal interests .nd those of my feUow-suifer-
ers in calamit ;, '' ""' a"'^t.r

(Signed) "JANE FEANKLIN.

To THE Lords Commissioneus

OP THE AdmIUaLTV."

iff

ion, I
orious
our of
m are
luifer-

dient

M E M R I A L

I'KESENTED BV

SIE IIODERICK IMPEY MUECHISON

O.C.S.S.; D.C.L.; M.A.J F.R.S.; F.L..S.; HO^.. MtOM. n.H. ED.; R.I.A.

" To the Right Hon. Viscount Palmerston, M.R, G. CM.

" London, Jtme 5.
" Impressed with the belief that her Majesty's missinc.
ships, the Erebus and Terror, or their remains, are still
frozen up at no great distance from the spot whence certain
rehcs of Sir John Franklin and his crews were obtained
by Dr Ixae-we whose names are undersigned, whether
men of science and others who have taken a deep interest
m arctic discovery, or explorers who have been employed
m the search for our lost countrymen, beg earnestly to
impress upon your Lordship the desirableness of sendinrj
out an expedition to satisfy the honour of our country
and clear up a mystery which has excited the sympathy
ot the civilised world. ./ i j

^ " This request is supported by many persons well versed
in arctic surveys, who, seeing that the proposed expedi-
tion is to be directed to one limited area only, are of

fi'

298

DISCOVKllY OF A NOliTII-WEST PASSAGE.

opinion that the object is attainable, and with little
risk.

" Wo can scarcely believe that the British Government,
which, to its great credit, has made so many efForts in
various directions to discover even the route pursued by
Franklin, should cease to prosecute research, now that
the locality has boon clearly indicated where the vessels
or their remains must lie— including, as we hope, records
which wiU throw fresh light on arctic geography, and
dispel the obscurity in which the voyage and fate of our
countrymen are still involved.

Although most persons have arrived at the conclu-
sion that there can now be no survivors of Franklin's
exped-'tion, yet there are eminent men in our own coun-
try, and in Americfi, who hold a contrary opinion. T)r
Kane of the United States, for example, who has dis-
tinguished himself by pushing farther to the north in
search of Franklin than any other individual, and to
whom the Eoyal Geographical Society has recently
awarded its founders' gold medal, thus speaks (in a letter
to the benevolent Mr Grinnell) :— « I am really in doubt
as to the preservation of human life. I well know how
glad I would have been, had my duty to others permit-
ted me, to have taken refuge among the Esquimaux of
Smith Strait and Etah Bay. Strange as it may seem to
you, we regarded the coarse life of these people with eyes
of envy, and did not doubt but that we could have lived
in comfort upon their resources. It required all my
powers, moral and physical, to prevent my men from
deserting to the walrus settlements, and it was my
final intention to have taken to Esquimaux life had

;i^i

MEMORIAL OF MEN OF SCIKNCE.

299

Providenco not carried us throu^'h in our hazardous
escape.'

" But passing from speculation, and confining ourselves
alone to the question of finding the missing sliips or their
records, we would observe that no land exi)edition down
the Back River, like that which, with grc^at difficulty,
recently reached Montreal Island, can satisfactorily ac-
complish the end we have in view. The frail birch bark
canoes in which Mr Anderson conducted his search with
so much ability, the dangers of the river, the sterile na-
ture of the tract near its embouchure, and the necessary
failure of provisions, prevented the commencement, even,
of such a search as can alone be satisfactorily and
thoroughly accomplished by the crow of a man-of-war—
to say nothing of the moral influence of a strongly armed
party remaining in the vicinity of the spot until the con-
fidence of the natives be obtained.

" Many arctic explorers, independently of those whose
names are appended, and who are absent on service, have
expressed their belief that there are several routes by
which a screw-vessel could so closely approach the area
in question as to clear up all doubt.
^ " In respect to one of these courses, or that by Beh-
ring Strait, along the coast of :N'orth America, we know
that a single sailing-vessel passed to Cambridge Bay,
within 150 miles of the mouth of the Back River, and
returned home unscathed, its commander having ex-
pressed his conviction that the passage in question is so
constantly open that ships can navigate it without diftl-
culty in one season. Other routes, whether by Regent
Inlet, Peel Sound, or across from Repulse Bay, are pre-

)f^

%■

if!

M *

.300

WSCOVKUY OF A NOIiTII-WKsT I'ASSArw:.

"tW r '° "'7 ?»-•""'''»•; -hilst i„ refcj,
t,t,os of ,rov.a,o,.3 luve boon loft i„ Iboir vicinity,
should br/T';'""° '" '"°=™' "'"^'' °f "'-" P'.™«
sanction ,vHhout delay such an expedition as in the
.Pjcl«„,„„t of a con,mittoc of arctic voyagers and l^
rWs, n,ay b„ considered best ada/ted to securrthe

-reat^^ii^r"''' f ^""^ ^""'^'"'P '» '■''««^t "PO" the
great ditlerenco between a cloarly-dcflned voy.L to a

":::! r^, "'•"""•'" ^^^'^ ^"""" ^''"* ">-'- «:

saX to ,t r" '""""™'""^' I'O' »"J tl'ose fonuer neces!
Wntf ™ °-^P>7"»"^ "' various ,lircctio„s, the
1 equo, allusions to the difficulty of which, in rerions
f r to the north of the voyage rc-.v contemplated, C
d persons unacquainted with geography to s Jpolo
that such a modified and limited attempt as that which

cZed then?^ * -T "''"" "^ ""^ ^°"»« "•-'P^litions
exposed them, it is true, to risk, since regions had to b«

we ask for ,s to bo directed to a circumscribed area the
confines of which have already been reached witl ut d ffi
culty by one of her Majesty's vessels,
.ffi, rT' ""'■""* "^ J^fance, after repeated fruitless

Wo °thTr" *'%'^"' "' ^^ ^---' - " -

viator twr™'^. "^ ""^' '^"^^ "^ "^^* ^"""^"t na-

loot evVv r !'"' °'" " '"*'"''"« ^^P'^'litio-' to col-
lect every fragment pertaining to his vessels, so we trust

MEMORIAL 0I<" MKN OF .SCIKNC'E.

301

tliat those arctic researches which have reflected much
honour upon our country may not he a})an(loned at the
very moment when an explanation of the wandorinns and
fate of our lost navigators seems to ho within our grasp.
** In conclusion, we further earnestly pray that it may
not he left to the efforts of individuals of another and kin-
dred nation already so distinguished in this cause, nor yet
to the noble-minded widow of our lamented friend, to
make an endeavour which can bo so much more effectively
carried out by the British Government.
" We have the lionour to bo, d-c,
*♦ F. Beaufort, E. I. Murchison, F. W. Beechey, Wrot-
tesley, E. Sabine, Egerton Ellesmero, W. Whewell, II.
Collinson, W. H. Sykes, C. Daubeny, J. Fergus, P. E.
do Strzelocki, W. H. Smyth, A. Majendio, R. Fitz Roy,"
E. Gardiner, Fishbourne, R. Brown, G. IVfacartney, L.'
Horner, W. H. Fitton, Lyon Playfair, T. Thorp, C.
Wheatstone, W. ,J. Hooker, J. D. Hooker, J. Arrow-
smith, P. La Trobe, W. A. B. Hamilton, R. Stephenson,
J. E. Portlock, C. Piazzi Smyth, C. W. Pasley, G. Ron-
nie, J. P. Gassiot, G. B. Airy, J. F. Burgoyne."

ff!

■ h

• >■'■ IS

I j

I !

S()L>

niSOOVKHY OF A NOirni-WKHT VASHxr.K.

TAni.R Hlio\vin«: tho Mkan UKKiiirof MAiioMKTni win. .1. -p

_"'"*':- rH:M-^'"v™M,„.,,:;,:;;';;::,:;';;;:::™;i:«'-^

Viwrljr AlMtraak

Hdnuiiotur.

Mux. .'IO-(l,',0; Mill. 'JKUm-

M<'(iii, •:\)H'2H.

Air.

Max, +r>: Mill. —40 ;

Miwiii,— 4(j(|,

n/iioinutcr.

Miixliiiiiiii .

Miiiiiiiuiii .

M(!ttll . . .

Air.

Miixlimiiii .

Miiiliiniiii ,

MoHU . . .

:to-7r.o

+f>2
— .')I0

+'2M

niiroiiiefor.

Maxiiiiiiiii . ;n-000

Miiijiiiiiiii . 'J,S'!i70

JMcrnii . . . ijj, 1,0(3

Air.

Maxiiimiii . -ff,2

Miiiiiiiuin ~r,'>

Mean ... ^-o•o6

U'lroiiHiU'r.
Max. ;tO-72; Miii. 20-180 •
Mean, 29 000. '

Air.

Mux. +17; Min. — CO

Mean, —35 1)2.

RonKKT M'Cumi:, ConnnuTKlGr.

Her Mujcuhj'a Ship Invent i,jator.

mporiitiiro of
I moll iHCtii.

Alwlrndt.

iiotor.
Mill. 'JltniO;

Mill. —40;

~l 0(1.

utcr.

. ;io-7r>o

. 21»0.')0

. 2U!);i.j

. +f>2()

. — .11

. +'2M

(.or.

;ti -000

2S'!i70
iJlJllOO

+r>2

+ 05

I. 29-180:
)flO.

ndor,
ti'jator.

MHT OV (JAMM KIMJ.;r>.

(Jami; I<IIIo.1 in tl,„ Amnio Ukoionh l,y U.o (.'row .,f II.M.h.

Iiiv«mtif(at,<>r.

•M>'.]

Niiiiilior killB.l.

A vnrnKn Wright in. h

TiiUI WnlKdl.

MiiMk-oxDii,
DtMir, . ,

27H II,.
70 „

llM/i II,.
771(1 „

IIimiH, . .

1(10

'1,.

ion „

(ll'OIIHH, , .

INO

Nol, wcIkIkkI.

HiickH, . ,

lOH

(loilHI), , .

•29

" •

WolvoH, . .

• •

HdUIM, . . .

II
1,

• ■

- .Z.

Tuliil liomi killed,

70/5

LIHT of fUMK ,,roouro,I by II.M.H. UohoIuIo nu<\ I,.trn,.i,i i,. tho
AuoTio KK(n<,NH, )u,f,wocn H.,,,t<„nbor 18r,2 ,u..| Hoj.Loml.or mn
i»y Cuptuiti F. L. M'(;iintock, K.N, '

Locality.

AIuiOHt

oxcIuHlvfjly
on

Molvillij
IhIuiiiI.

J!
n

1 :

«81

112

lf!l

'.'.HH

116 lb. i CO lb.

Avoruge WciKbt, wlion cleaned for
the Tiible—

71b.

lib.

ajib.

Total Wciight of Meat profjurcd,

28,284 lb.

iC.

APPENDIX.

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF NUMEROUS FRAGMENTS OF FIR-WOOD IN
THE ISLA.NDS OF THE ARCTIC ARCHIPELAGO ; WITH REMARKS ON
THE ROCK-SPECIMENS BROUGHT FROM THAT REGION. BY SIR
RODERICK IMPEY MURCHISON, D.C.L., F.R.S., V.P.G.S., DIRECTOR-
GENERAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

I CANNOT attempt to offer any general, still less any detailed
description of the rocks and fossils of tlie north-Avestern por-
tion of that great arctic archipelago whose shores were first
explored by Parry and Sabine. The specimens they brought
home from Melville Island, and which were described by Mr
Konig, first conveyed to us the general knowledge of the ex-
istence there of fossiliferous limestones and other rocks ana-
logous to known European types in Scandinavia. Since those
early days, the voyages of Franklin, and of the various gal-
lant officers Avho have been in search of our lamented friend,
have amplified those views, and have shown us that over
nearly the whole of the arctic archipelago these vast islands
possess a structure similar to that of North America. My
chief oliject now is to call attention to the remarkable fact of
the occurrence of considerable quantities of wood, capable of
being used for fuel or other purposes, which exist in the
interior, and on the high grounds of large islands in latitudes
where the dwarf willow is now the only living shrub.

Before I allude to this phenomenon, as brought to my notice
by Captain M'Clure and Lieutenant Pirn, I would, how-

APPENDIX.

3US

thTiL ,'?•'' '™ '"^-^Peoimens collected by

TOt WI F r?"*^ V^ 'T'"^"' '" ^'"'"''''y M'""'. Bath-
Mandl;, p® f °?" ^'''":''' '*'•''""'= M»»d. Prince Patrick
sS. f f ' ^"''' ^''^ '"^ J"'""'' Captain M'Clure-
XeTrdt', r "'f* '°™'"^ H'Uy, Ling that tl.ey
%rlt , °'' ""'''' ^'''^ '^W' circumstances. ^

which I have had access, as derived from the voyages of

ofe rf"; "^l- P™"y' '"«'-'«*''«"'' «- - "t work
ot Dr P. Sutherland, I am led to believe that the oldest fos-
siliferous rock of the arctic region is the Upper Silurian-1

No clear evidence has been aflbrded as to the existence of
Devonian rocks, though we have heard of red and br"widsl
sandstone, as observed in very many localities by variour x

Ihus m North Somerset, to the south of Barrow Strait red
^dstone ,s associated with the older limestones. B^Im
Martin Island was described by Parry as essentiallv composed

whS tl ' r"" '™' «™""'" ""'• ^■'^J'P'"''- -^ksrand
whUst the north-eastern face of Banks Land is sandstone its

^auTerri-""? ""t ^^ """^ ''™™ ^y ^

MUure) of limestone. But whilst in the fossils we have
keys to the age of the Silurian rocks, we have as yet no Z
quate grounds whereon to form a rational conjecto aTto
the presence of the Old Bed Sandstone, or Devonian gro^p

True Cmlmaftrom ProdiMi and HjArifm have been
brought home by Sir E. Belcher from Albert Land, north of

thluw ^n n"','^'^r= ""'• ''™'=''''-'' >»«y affirm positively^
that the old Carbomferous rocks are also present. Here and

of tl i:r,™' '"'"' T\ ""' "' -"^^ ^"l' ' the existence
of the latter being marked at several points on the .-eneral
chart pubhshed by the Admiralty. With thepaI«oz„iCS

!'-'lll

306 DISCOVKUY (IF A NUUTIl-VVMHT I'ABSACJK.

lire uHsoc.iat.nl oUuth of iVju-ouh ori^Mii iiiid of cryHtulIiiic and
im'(,aiu(.ri>Ii(.s.'(l cliaracttT. ThiiH, IVdin K-liiit,nin IhIuikI to
tlu> mouMk.I" I'liiuu^ Patiirk iHlaiid, liiHt dcfiiu,,! by (he Hurvcy
(•r ('aptaiii Kcllctt and lii.s oIIrhth, wc hih! foncrctions of
l^'rt'i'nstonc, asMociatt'd with HiliccoiiH or (iuart/oHu rocks and
coarsi' ft-rruKin..us <^nl>^; and in PrinccHH-Hi.yal Island, be-
sides tlu^ clianicteristic Silniian limestones, tJiere are Mack
basalts and red jaspers, as wi-ll as iva[ rocks, less altered by
heal, but showing a i)assa<;e into jasper. Jlighly crystalline
■gypsum Avas alst. i)rocnred by i.ieutenant I'ini fronj the
norlhi>ni shores of Abdville Island. In the collection before
us there are silicilied stems of plants, which Lieutenant I'ini
fathered on various points between Welliuj^rton duiunel on
the east and l?anks j.and on the west. Similar silicilied
plants were also broun;ht home by (\iptain Manure from Hanks
Land; and throuM;h the kindness of Mr Harrow, to whom
they were i)resenled, they are now i-xhibilvd, to<,'ether with
a collecti.-n made by Captain Kellett, which he sent to Dr
... K (hay t)f the Ihitish Museum, ^ho has obIinin«,dy lent
them for comparison.

I had ri'(im>sted Dr 1 looker to examine all those specimens
which hatl passed throuj'h my hands, and I learn from him
that he will i)repare a description of them, as well as of a
},Mvat number from the same rej^ion, ^vhich had been sent to
his father. Sir W. Hooker, associated, like those now tinder
consideration, with fragments of recent wood.

Of Secontlary formations no other evidence has been met
with, i>xcept sonu' fossil bones of Saurians, brought home by
Sir E. Belcher, from the smaller islands north of Wellinoton
Channel. Of the oU Tertiary rocks, as characterised by their
»>ri;anic remains, no distim-t traces havi', as far as I am aware,
bc-ii discovered; and hence we may infer that the ancient
submarine sediments, haviui,' been elevated, remained during
a very long period beyond the influence of ilepositary action.

Let us now see how the other facts, brought to oiu- notice

APPENDIX.

307

hy th., gallant arctic oxplorers wl.o have recently returned
o our country, b.ar upon tin, relations of land Zl wS

I I "cni «|i(!(,ira ul trocH wure lu oxistuncc

« U(l» ml.ui.l, l,e lomul g,v„t q,„u)titi<,» of wood mim, of

"i":';:.':::'':" 'rT-"'' '"" ■""^'' <'nn!.ri'<; «;

"." ' " "'■"-■"•'■x'^'v-l "tat,, it w„» eitl,.r detected in ,Z»

,K U, ,,,,».,™l „,,. l..„«th of tin.,, i„a«„uch ^S^tdu
■" ln.s eoKl lard..,- or two years, w,us perfeet y untainted

itcent wood ,8 the seH.nent of a tree, wliidi, by Captain
MC ,ue„ orders was «awn fron. a trunk .ticking out' of a

III like manner similar fragments of wood were seen tw-o
.legrees further to the north, in Prhice Patrick lZ'Z Z

■ ••— ^■*^-** ■■*-^

i i

I
t

308 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

in ravines of the interior of that island, where, as 1 am in-
formed, a fragment was found, like the tree described by
M'Clure, protruding from the soil on the side of a gully.

We learn; indeed, from Parry's ' Voyage,' that portions of
a large fir-tree were found at some distance from the south
shore of Melville Island, at about 30 feet above high-water
mark, in 1 titude 74° 59' and longitude 106°.* According
to the testimony of Captain M'Clure and Lieutenant Pirn,
all the timber they saw resembled the preseuc driftwood so
well known to arctic explorers, being irregularly distributed,
and in a fragmentary condition, as if it had been broken up
and floated to its present positions by water.

If such were the method by which the timber was distri-
buted, geologists can readily account for its present position
in the interior of the arctic islands. They infer that at the
period of such distribution large portions of these tracts were
beneath the v^aters, and that the trees and cones were drifted
from the nearest lands on which they grew. A subsequent
elevation, by which these islands assumed their present con-
figuration, would really be in perfect harmony with those
great changes of relative level which we know to have occurred
in the British Isles, Germany, Scandinavia, and Russia since
the glacial period. The transportation of immense quantities
of timber towards the north pole, and its deposit on subma-
rine rocks, is by no means so remarkable a phenomenon as
the wide distribution of erratic blocks during the glacial
epoch over northern Germany, central Russia, and large
portions of our island when under water, followed by the
rise of these vast masses into land. If we adopt this explana-
tion, and look to the extreme cold of the arctic region in the

* " Sergeant Martin of the Artillery, and Captain Sabine's servant,
brought down to the beach several pieces of a large fir-tree, which
they found nearly buried in the sand at the distance of 330 or 400
yards from the present high-water mark, and not less than 30 feet
above the level of the sea."— Parr >,'s Voyage for the Discovery of tlie
North- West Passage, p. 68.

APPENDIX.

309

comparatively moclern period during which this wood has
been drifted or preserved, we can have no difficulty in ac-
countmo. for the different states in which timber is found.
Those portaons of it which happen to have been exposed to
the alternations of frost and thaw, and the influence of the
sun, have necessarily become rotten; whilst all those frag-
ments which remained enclosed in frozen mud or ice which
have never been melted, would, when brought to light by the
opening of ravines or other accidental causes, present just as
Iresh an appearance as the specimens now exhibited

Ihe only circumstance within my knowledge which mili-
tates agamst «iis view is one communicated to me by Captain
feir Edward Belcher, who, in lat. 75° 30', long. 92° J5' ob-
served on the east side of Wellington Channel the trunk of
a fir-tree standing vertically, and which, being cleared of the
^rroiindmg earth, &c., was found to extend its roots into
wh0<- he supposed to be the soil.

L .rum this observation we should be led to imagine that
al the innumerable fragments of timber found in these polar
latitudes belonged to trees that grew upon the spot, and on
he ground over which they are now distributed w^ should
be driven o adopt the anomalous hypothesis, that, notwith-
standing physical relations of land and water similar to those
which now prevail {i.e., of great masses of land high above
he sea), trees of arge size grew on such terra firma within
a few degrees of the north pole!-a supposition which I con-
sider to be wholly incompatible with the data in our posses-
sion, and at variance with the laws of isothermal lines.

If, however, we adopt the theoiy of a former submarine
drift,* followed by a subsequent elevation of the sea-bottom,

n.l?]^-*'"^"' "f ""' """ *^''^* ^'1 *^^« spe^umcns sent to him were
CO acted in mounds of silt, rising up from the level of the sertoToO

that the whole of this timber was drifted to t' ^ .-.^ots where it now

1^'

.0(11

310 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

as easily accounting for all the phenomena, we may explain
the curious case brought to our notice by Sir Edward Belcher,
by supposing that the tree he uncovered had been floated
away with its roots downwards, accompanied by attached
and entangled mud and stones, and lodged in a bay, like
certain "snags" of the great American rivers. Under this
view, the case referred to must be considered as a mere ex-
ception, whilst the general inference we naturally draw is,
that the vast quantities of broken recent timber, as observed
by numerous explorers, were drifted to their present position
when the islands of the arctic archipelago were submerged.
This inference is indeed supported by the unanswerable
evidence of the submarine associates of the timber ; for, from
the summit of Coxcomb Range in Banks Land, and at a height
of 500 feet above the sea, Captain M<Clure brought home a
fine large specimen of Cyprina Islandica, which is undis-
tinguishable from the species so common in the glacial drift
of the Clyde ;* whilst Captain Sir E. Belcher found the
remains of whales on lands of considerable altitude in lat.
78" north.

^ Reasoning from such facts, all geologists are agreed in con-
sidering the shingle, mud, gravel, and beaches in which ani-
mals of the arctic region are imbedded in many parts of
northern Europe, as decisive proofs of a period when a glacial
sea covered large portions of such lands ; and the only dis-
tinction between such deposits in Britain and those which
were formed in the arctic circle, is that the wood which was
transported to the latter has been preserved in its ligneous
state for thousands of years, through the excessive cold of the
region.

* In Parry's 'Voyage' (p. 61) we learn that a number of marine
shells, of the Venus tribe, were found imbedded in the ravines of
Byam Martin Island ; a fact which strengthens the view here adopted
of the submergence of large portions of these tracts at a very recent
geological epoch.

APPENDIX.

311

NARRATIVE OF COMMANDER MAGUIRE, WINTERING AT
POINT BARROW.

In accordance with my last communication, I proceeded to
sea from Port Clarence on the morning of the 21st of August,
and with a favourable breeze passed through Behring Sh-ait
by the eastern passage on the following day at noon. A suc-
cession of contrary winds delayed our progress to the N.E. to
a much greater extent than was considered favourable to
insure our complete success of rounding Point Barrow at
that advanced period of the season.

In our passage to the northward we passed several whale-
ships cruising in sc^uadrons, a caution they seem to have pru-
dently adopted, for the benefit of affording mutual assistance
m the event of disaster. Their success up to that time seemed
to be indifferent ; and we have been since informed by natives
from Point Hope that whales have become very scarce on the
coast since the ships have come in pursuit of them. The last
whale-ship (French) seen by us, was on the morning of the
25th of August, in lat. 69° 30' N., long. 167° 43' W., carrying
all sail tc* the southward. We soon afterwards made the ice
m heavy floes, and tacked inshore to ascertain its distance
from the land, when we found the contrary winds had done
us good service by opening a free passage of from ten to
fifteen miles, in which we beat to the N.E., making but slow
progress until the night of the 2d of September, when a slant
from the southward, with a fast-falling barometer, warned us
that a change of weather was at hand. Our distance from
Point Barrow, now reduced to fifty mHes, I thought we could
accomplish before the ice set inshore, and therefore pushed
forward under all sail and rounded it at the distance of one
mile, on the following day at noon, September 3d.

The approach to the channel leading between the sandy
islets that form the protection we were about to seek for

« . ■.■wwJtNMi' mw jb^ ii> « -^>-.

3i »

'Hffl

i .'

! 1

'^■i

313 DISCOVERY OF A NOIiTII-WEST PASSAGE.

the wiriter in Elson Bay, was fo.md, contrar,- to our cxnecta-
.on,, shoal and intricate, making it necessary to anc St he
sh^ and sound out the passage. If it was found not to afford
suftcent water, of which there was a doubt, our position w^
not one to lose ime in, shut out, and closL down on an ex

CdM r:.,""' " *>* ""'"■"« "» ""'* ™»W ™on have
Se tW V"- ''•''""« --*ta«l. a« expeditiously!^
poss ble, that there were about nine inches to spare across a
shoal before h. got to deep water, the anchor ,C we™hed
and after makmg a few tacks, the narrowness of the channel
and the ship taking the ground twice, made it advtable to
anchor and kedge under shelter of the spit. A fortunate turn
in the current enabled us to effect this, as by the tte Z
^arps had been run out, the g,ale had inc^ased'^^o m, cT as to
render it unsafe to trip the anchor ; however, finding a stron"
weather-current setting, it was weighed, and 'the ship wa;™l
.uto a w,ld-look.ng anchorage for protection, in a -ale of
wind no land being visible, except the W sand-^ o
Pomt Barrow and the islet .adjoining, not more than five feet
above the level of the sea, which broke over them with great
violence dtmng the height of the gale. These are a^hi
guarded by the shoals lying off, on whfch the drift-ice IS
making the .anchorage, when gained, secure, but diSuS
access or egress. Daylight next morning showed ushow
fortunate we had been in getting shelter! The gale now
veered to west, was unabated; the sea broke he.avily oZ
the shoals passed yesterday, .and against the s.and-spits to
withm a shori, distance of the ship, whilst the ofBirwas

the gale. As we found a strong current setting to windward
I had no doubt of the ship holding on, although the confined
space of the anchor.age did not admit veering more than thir y

r t Zllt r „'" ""^ f '^™°" "'^ S"''^ ''^San to mode":
r..tc, and on the following day the ship w.as moved to a more

secure berth, near the position selected for winter-quartet

now

APPENDIX. 313

SWeV'"""'' ""'" "-^ "^ "* ^"^ » «'« ^^h »f

A succession of strong gales an,! thick weather, for the fol-

nng week retarded our preparations, consist! ,, ch fly in

CO ec ,„j,dr,ftwood not found here in any abunda ,ce. /rZ

leniains stacked for the winter firing. Advantage was also
taken of every opportunity to send a hoat to sound the elnn
nel, knowing the diflieulty of the task after tie ioe h d

niove with It to Iiave time for that purpose. On the 2.',th pan-
cake ice liegan to form in the bay, and drift out rapi,llv wi L
th current. A party was sent to haul the launch 'up » he
adjacent Lslet, to be out of reach of the natives; thi s<rvice
was performed by Mr G. T. Gordon, mate, who, vli n ret™
mg ,n the g,g with a fresh and fovourable wind, wa" un Zi
to push his way through the young ice, and wk carrie „
rt hrougli the pas^ge i„to the offlng. In this distres ing
dilemma a second boat was lowered, in which Lieutenant

out 700 fathoms of whale-line the gig was reache.1, now car-
ried some di.stance off the land. By this means they w^re
enabled to reach the spit, although they had another narrow
escape from bemg carried out, by the line parting when they
riltT '" ■';/<'*'-'«ly. one of the men was'suiticlLnt v'

r t s rr '/"'' """"«" " "™'' °f Esquimaux, drawn
to the spot by witnessing the state of our boats; and they
hauled them up, where they had to remain for the nicdit the
ce being now too strong to allow us to haul the boats tlirough
n . nd not sufficiently firm for the people to walk on board

then si ;%"■'', "■" T ™™^ ''»' ™'^ ^ *-' ''-t-«e
then set fast; and m the morning we had the satisfaction of
recemug our boat's crew on board, after experiencing a decree
of anxiety for their safety that is not easily described. "
The foUowmg days were occupied in sawing a eanal towards

■'t

314 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

our winter position, wliich was much delayed by unexpected
movements in the ice, undoing our work when nearly com-
pleted; and on the 3()th, at 10 p.m., we were tracked up it
by about seventy natives, men, women, and children, whose
sliouts and exr' mations of surprise gave animation to the
whole scene, ar.d made it one of deep interest.

Our time was now busily occupied in making the usual
preparations for passing a winter in this rigorous climate,
which we had thus early observed symptoms of. A tempMi-
rary house was erected close to the ship to receive our deck-
load of provisions, to enable us to have them clear for the
crew to take exercise when the state of the weather would
not admit of their leaving the ship ; and an observatory, for
the reception of the magnetical instruments, was constructed
from ice alone, M-hich answered the purpose perfectly fur
eight months.

These arrangements were completed by the 20th of October,
when the necessary winter routine was established for an
economical expenditure of fuel and provisions, with due atten-
tion to order, cleanliness, occupation, and amusement, to
lighten as much as possible a time confessed by all as being
depressing and monotonous. Many valuable hints on this
subject were gained from the works of Captain Parry, in fol-
lowing whose example I consider we could not err. Taking
advantage of his experience, the masts and yards were kept
in their proper places, affording a better mark for seeking the
ship from a distance, bearing in mind our being here in ex-
pectation of parties falling back upon us for safety; and as
the land is very low, and in winter, it may be said, not vis-
ible, the ship made a fine object, being cUscernible in clear
weather at the distance of nine miles from every direction.

Deeming it a matter of importance that the Plover's posi-
tion at Point Barrow should be known as far to the eastward
as possible, and also wishing to ascertain whether Dease Inlet
would afford shelter fur any vessel that might at any future

APPENDIX.

315

mUv of , r °^^"^*^"°^' t'^^^«' I took the earliest oppor-

nm y of making a bout excursion to perfonn this service unci

leit the ship on tlie inorniiiK of the 21st of September "n he

g| uccompunied by Mr T. A. Hull, second niu'ster. sCr ^^^^^

off the lun. into five futhoms, we pussed a good deul of .>^-

Z'tn "f n"*'^-' ^■^•^- "^^^ - -"'bottom o idi
five to SIX futhoms with the wind from tiie S E

Chungmg our course to the southward, we got entanded
among a series of sand-spits, when, taking to our oars we

which :?'' ''' "^^^'^^ ^1' the largest isbnd of he gC
which we then supposed to be connected with the mufnla S
abou Point Christie; but it was afterwards foi2 t" Te "
of the very low chain of sandy islets running alon<. this coa t
As I suspected this was taking us to the east' vard f tl It
I knded to ascend the highest part, to see how much f u tier

clirection. The water being too shoal for hauling tb. boat up
here, we stood out into deeper water, and at length .succ eded

During the night a strong breeze sprang up from the N W
with a temperature of +30°. omuicjN.w.,

Knowing we had run our distance for Dease Inlet I was
not a httle puzzled to know where we were, as I could sta'cdv

thl^isiris'""''' '" '"' '™ ''''' ''''' ^^^^^^^^ -^-"^^'

On the following morning, our observations being complete

and the boat loaded, and now concluding that Dease In t

must be looked for to the southward, and first erecting a con-

ZZr T?^ "'' *^"' F^'''' '^ '^' P^°^^^-'« ™ter p^osition,
>ve steered for a pomt of the main just visible to S.W. (true)
This proved to be Point Christie, where we landed in time
to get the latitude at noon. Its higher part does not exceed ten
feet above the level of the sea; and here we erected another
arge mark. The season now seemed to be so far advanced
that I was m doubt between crossing the inlet and returning

,_)

' I

316 DISCO VEliy OF A NOBTH-WEST PASSAGE.

to the ship ; but, as I considered my olyect would not be
earned out without jdaeiu^' notices on Point Tan-ent, I de-
terniine<l to cross it, and started with a fine h^adin- wind from
the northward. In two hcnirs we reacht;.! tlie eastern shore,
whieli is even more slioal than the western-the water about
Point Tan-c-nt ]mu<^ so sludlow that our boat could not be
got within a cable's length of the l)each.

Having now found that the greatest depth of water to be
obtamc.l by sounding directly across Dease Inlet was eleven
feet only, with its shores extremely shoal, I considered the
question setth^l that no vessel could lind winter-quarters
there ; and, after leaving the proper notices, started on our
return to the ship. Sludge ice was observed on our return
to be lorming in all the small bays, the temperature having
fallen to + 1!)°, warning us that the open season was nearly at
an end. Passing the night in the same phuc; as the previous
one, for the sake of the driftwood, we left the next mornin.-
with all haste for the ship, which, with a fine breeze from
the northwar.1, we reached by noon. Twelve hours after our
return, it was r(>ported to me that the ice was drifting past
the ship. " ^

A further examination of Dease Inlet was afterwards made
by Mr T. A. Hull, second master, in the month of May, in
continuation of a survey of this coast from Point Barrow
eastward.

The southern shores of this inlet, which had hitherto been
left blank on the chart, were now traced. It was found to
extend in a S.W. direction for a distance of twenty miles its
breatlth at the mouth being eight miles, and terminatinn^ in
a shoal bay. The S.E. shore is much higher than the rest
one cliff there being as high as twenty-four feet. Four in-
considerable rivers empty themselves here— two on the east-
em, and two on the western shore.

The chain of islands which, commencing at the Plover's
wmter-quarters, closely abut on Point Tangent, the western

VGE.

•uld not be
i;,'C'iit, I (le«
,' wind from
stern shore,
vater about
:)uld not be

water to be
was eleven
ddered the
er-quarters
ted on our
our I'eturn
lire having
IS nearly at
le previous
:t morning
reeze from
•s after our
ifting past

ards made
f May, in
lit Barrow

lierto been
found to
' miles, its
inating in
1 the rest,
Four in-

1 the east-

2 Plover's
te western

APPENDIX.

ai7

part of which was discovered by Captain IVfoore, and deno-
mjnatea b> Inm Plover Group, has been found t'o be tenTn

he ;id r. •' ''V' '^"^^ '' '''' ''''^''' "^' -^-^^ i« there

malt tS h'^ of vegetation), running in a line almost

parallel with that of the coast, or E.S.E. and W.N.W (true)

rom Pomt Barrow to Point Tangent, where they term na

he oidy channel between them, of sufficient depth fo a^'

being the one by which the Plover entered ^'

twfmne'E S E "! "Z ""t 'l --^er-quarters, situated
two miles E.b.E (tnve) from the Esquimaux settlements on
Point Barrow, called by them Noowook, we found this people

uniriendly To such an extent did this feeling exhibit itself,
hat It would have been prudent to remove from their vicinit;

&thl^ ff ".> M ""'^"^ "^^^^ ^^^^^ -« unmistakable
hint to that eifect), had circumstances admitted it ; but, as we

ocaipied the only spot of deep water to be found ;n thL; r
of the coast, it became necessary to put up with the evil
hoping that time and a better knowledge of our characU^
would improve their conduct; and I had no doubt our win-
tering amongst them would eventually be attended with
benehcial results The commencement of our intercou^e
was attended with many unpleasant circumstances. No
migle boat's crew could be at any distance from the ship
without being pilfered from in the most daring and barefaced
way ; and upon every trivial, and often without any, occasion
Uieir knives were drawn upon our men, who, although armec
with muskets, had strict orders in no case to make even a
showof them unless obliged by necessity, as I thought re-
course to that force was to be avoided when a good feeling in
favour of any of our missing countrymen, who may at any
future period be in their power, was the object sought. Car-
rying out these views to the extent of not showing our arms
was not appreciated, as they mistook forbearance for timiditv •
and, at the request of two officers going with a watering party

I ;

318 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

to the village, to carry their guns nominally for the purpose
of shooting small birds, the show of them was found to have
so good an effect that it was adopted on all future occasions,
although we were obliged to cease sending for water after a
tew turns, there being always some unpleasant display of
teeling on their part that was best avoided when possible.

Whilst occurrences such as I have mentioned were takin-
place daily with our parties away from the ship, the diffi!
culty of dealing with those collected about her was sufficient
to employ all the people left on board, exclusive of the press-
ing duties o" the ship, with a small crew, at tliis season.
_ About the 15th of September, they appeared to be return-
ing to their winter huts, from their usual summer's excursion
along the coast to the eastward, and, as the ship lay in their
direct track, we had a visit from all of them, including also
the Cape Smyth tribe, being the two most numerous on any
part of the coast, numbering together about live himdred
As many as seven or eight large u-mi-aks arrived daily for
eight or nine days, containing their summer tents, families
dogs, and sledges, &c.; they appeared perfect strangers, and
looked in amazement at us and the ship. They brought
with them a small quantity of fish and venison: with the
latter tliey parted reluctantly, and seemed to prefer be<mino-
and stealing (in which they were most unscrupulous) tolny
kmd of exchange.

On the morning of the 17th I was informed that a larcre
u-mi-ak had come alongside, and the crew had forced their
way on board. As this was not an uncommon case, I thou<dit
nothing of it when I found that Lieutenant Vernon was ''at-
tending on deck. He soon came down to inform me that the
chief of the party had a musket, and was very anxious to get
gunpowder in exchange for venison. This piece of informa-
tion I considered the worst I had received, amongst many
unpleasant circumstances that I had experienced, feelincr that
we could not remain amongst them if they had fire-arins

APPENDIX.

319

It will bo proper to state here that we have, at a very late
period of our stay, identified this chief as the same who fol-
IrTo f'Ti TT'^ ^^ommander Pullen at Point Berens in
1B49, full particulars of which are given in his journal.

l^vrge, powerful, elderly man, with a peculiarly bad expression

name of Barnett on the lock ; it was a good deal worn, but

'ud HsM; ^' w'^ P""'^'^-^^^"^ ""^^^ hunter-fashion
Kler his left arm, but pretended to have neither ball nor
^ jot, for which he was most pressing, and would not dispose
01 anything except .or ammunition. This, as a mat efof
couise h, was not supplied with. I saluted'him w ^^11
fcendship, made his wife a present, and took him down to
my cabin, where I made him a present of tobacco, anZtil^

«dCb f 'i'^'\^' '''''^'^ ^' ''''y-' ^-^ -"thing
deck, ill iT ^"' '^''''^^''' ""^ ^' ^^™'^i-«^^ '^l^out tht
decks and slipped down the hatchways on to the lower deck
overal times-a part of the ship they had not had access to
during any period of our stay. During the forenoon se^^rll
u-mi-aks arrived alongside the ship, discharging their crew
m swarms on our deck, so as literally to cro.^l it for the d"y
They were allowed every freedom consistent with their kno^v^"
propensity for stealing; but some, bolder than others, were
difiicult to deal with. One man attempted to force ba k the

^^Xf^lT' '"' "^^ ^*°PP"^S ^'"- l--^'^^t about a
light scuffle between us. That did not seem to have satisfied
him as he soon afterwards came in contact with the quarter-
master of the watcl, a cpiiet but rather short-tempered'p e .
M young man, who, before anybody could interfe;! gave
m a lesson he will not soon forget; he dealt him fai Eng-
ish blows .bout the head, each of them sufficient to stun
anyone except an Esquimaux; but he received them until
they had the efi^ect of quite taming him, when he was^u

ini

M i

320

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

; 1

I^HM-

Iw'i

;

over the side in the presence of at least sixty of his country,
men, few of whom offered to interfere, and the remainder
ooked on with indifference. About noon, when, at my par-
ticular desire, three parts of the crowd went away, the re-
mainder M^ere evidently detained by the old chief, whom there
was no moving out of the ship without having recourse to
orce ; and this I had no intention of, preferring to wait until
he got tired of his visit, and this seemed unlikely for the
present as he hailed three u-mi-aks full of people to come
alongside. I heard the word "tawac" (tobacco) used very
often I suppose as the inducement, and the children I ob-
served had been sent away. It occurred to me they might
have thoughts of pillaging the ship; their numbers to ours
seeming so overpowering. In order to be prepared for any-
thing of the kind, the men stationed on deck were sent down
one at a time, to arm themselves -dth pistols, to be kept out
oi sight in their breasts, in the event of a simultaneous attack
being made with their knives, all being provided with good
ones, and adepts in their use. When the men were all armed
I was satisfied to await the result. A silence seemed to pre-

tl ' r/ 'f ^ ^'^ ""'^ "^''^"^ ^^^* '^ ^' ' ^«d whether
they had or had not meditated any mischief, beyond stealing

as much as they could, they attempted nothing, and wen!

away as night came on, leaving the old chief wllh hisT^x

boat only He had continued to range about the ship in the

most insolent way: and I think it reasonable to suppose it

was only the fear of our fire-arms that kept him from mi

chief. When left by himself, I was cautious not to 2e h^

going away as I had done when there were seventy people

with him ; but letting him choose his own time, he remained

until 7 p M.-a visit of twelve hours. When he was gone I

was so thoroughly tired and provoked, and knowing that

every person m the ship must be suffering in the sam! waj

that It became necessary to adopt a different system the

number of small articles stolen during the day, notwithln"

APPEKDIX. 32,

chLf "1^1 IS"""' f°'^'"S ^ffl'^-t pretext fe the

nece«;y to aJortt ''"^'"^'''"°» '' ""Sl't give, it was

It seems necessaiy to mention Iiere the difflrnltv „f t •
a numerous tribe of natives out of a v tel iTke h °P, ''"'^'
the ice-chocks made a convenient U^A , '°™''' "'

«de, not more than fo^ f " from * ^^'"'1 ""'' ™ *'"' °"'-
whole length on hoth sX ll ?,, " ™'^''' '""""g 'he
tions, and in some case, wh"' "^ ""°"""='' ™ °" <'™"-
men' legs with XirT^ ' '*™,r™"«''d, they cut at our

through hor„th:,tr';t,:s i\°:*"-" ?'-«- ™'

engaged in this wav thJl t T """^ otaome were

cntVng the lead s^^-petlefott 5 tr ■^=''r"'P'°y^<'
the copper were Dmof w . .v , *" '"^''; *« nails of

escaped therrateltsPr l^™' """ "" ?"" "' "'e «de
to cover all the pZ I,! n ' "T" '* ^"^^ ™«essary
wood; and after?he, hint , ""'fWe «th a sheathing of

with ; chl" tuT: rr "; **= ^^ ™«'-«i ^»™d

tance of sevL ^S K^' '-^t '" "' '"^ ''''-
th»gh very unpopular, was foZtoIll:^'""''''- '^■

ohs?r:e?riZgti':pit x^: ^r^ «««^ ™

by hfs own h^af amfct e ^^f ^^ ^ ''^".'^«' "^
not allowed on hoard i, «„ , """^^e, but, to Ins surprise, was

previous day SXtLrf "*^ ^"^ ^"'' ^'"l^" *e

way, the crew ^ll'.ZtZZJ^''' ?" '"" T''
loading their arms nnd J *=."^™"'g. discharging, and re-

which he seenidToWl. 7?T "!'' '"" '='"™'"«le«, at
«-n,i-aks arrived alotSje*" ° T',"™' ""•"y- Several

none of the crews ™f :^^;, /^L r I *"" f"^ ^ ""'
- carried on, and a few prese,rm'alto ^Z CZ^'

■i

f i

■i|M

1 i >

'!►

322 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

seemed to prefer adding to their stock by stealing, to any
exchange.

The following morning we had another early visit from
the chief, accompanied by some other leading men. They
brought, as a peace-offering, all the articles stolen from the
ship for several days. This I considered very satisfactory,
and permitted them to come on board. They remained the
whole day ; but their conduct was altered very much for the
better, particularly the old chief, who was now content to
remain on the quarterdeck, to which they were restricted.
I think the display of our cleaning arms before the chief oii
the day previous, led him to imagine we were intent on doing
them mischief, and seemed to account for this sudden chancre
in their manner. "^

The system of keeping them out of the ship except with
permission, and then to a very limited nimiber only, being
once commenced, it was continued throughout our stay ; and
although it was very difficult to make them understand the
necessity for it, which made it disliked, and was the cause of
some ill-feeling towards us, it was impossible, thiough their
numbers and want of honesty, to adopt any other course. At
first we endeavoured to explain to them that we wished all
to come on board in turn ; but so far from entering into this
view, those who were admitted and remained the whole day
would invariably be the first alongside on the following morn-
ing, and be the most clamorous and least satisfied of those
not admitted. These disappointments at not being allowed
on board were retaUated in one or two instances by parties
landing and carrying away our driftwood collected in a stack
on the spit near the ship: this was found too laborious a
revenge for them, and fire was tried; but a boat being sent
they pretended it was an accident, and did not repeat it. '
On the occasion of our cutting into winter-quarters, our
men being of necessity much spread about on the ice, and
frequently surrounded by three times their number of natives

iVj,

APPKNDIX.

ig, to any

323

wsit from
ill. They
from the
tisfactory,
lainecl the
!h for the
ontent to
restricted,
chief on
t on doing
m change

jept with
dy, being
tay ; and
stand the
! cause of
Ligh their
urse. At
ished all
into this
hole day
tig morn-
of those
allowed
y parties
1 a stack
(orious a
ng sent,
tit.

ters, our
ice, and
natives.

r.™ !, ™ Tr'' '° l""™' *" t°°'» f"-' >'"»n'

thou'dit ].....t i;i- 1 ? ^ ' """' ^^''^'^ appearance, were

fuuuj^in least likely to resent fholr i\,i. c ^ \ • .

S wTth •, """: ''""'"" '■"'■ ••' ™"'n"""'ing office.. t„

orHt;r;.,::r\;f^:,i;t "'r^ "" '"""• ""^ ^''■"- ^'-

W-o „„„,. f ? ""^ """' ««wna master, in keeping l«ck a
in- n«nr ,„' I " ('mipson, the sui^-con, was stand-

told me they were goin- home to dance. A chief amVin.. at
the same fme reassured the retreating par y w "™°e'
P amed to them that if they used knivts we L ,"e ,:„n3
but otherwise we wished to be go«I friends. Sin lar sotT
ble took place frequently whilst our men werremrioved
buildrng the storehouse; knives were drawn aTuLr S „
two instances the women and children were sent a^^; Tto
was a cause of a good deal of anxiety with me a our m™
being unarmed, were very much at their meT^ under Zci
circumstances; and in the event of arming thin mo"foi
bearance was necessaiy than some of thenrwould Z hm-"
found to possess, from ,he frequent provocations they had re

. '1.;

324 DISCOVEKY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

ceived in return for the usual kindness and good-nature that
characterise seamen. On giving the subject every considera-
tion, and seeing that it must excite an unpleasant feeling
for our men to have knives pointed at them without a means
of defence being at hand, the quartermaster of the watch,
and two petty officers of the party working on shore, were
armed with pistols, but properly cautioned not to produce
them unless under circumstances of necessity, as I hoped the
mere knowledge of their having them would be sufficient. Of
this we soon had an instance. One of them played off one of
their usual practical jokes on one of our men by kicking him
m the back of the knees when carrying a spar, for which he
was rewarded with a blow on the face ; he then drew his
knife, when the corporal of marines coming up, and being
known to have a pistol, the offender ran away. These sort
of annoyances continued as long as our men had work to do
outside of the ship, and when the natives were collected in
any numbers ; the difference of character displayed by them
Avhen so, and the reverse, is worthy of remark. In the former
case they are bolder and overbearing, and, when meeting with
parties, gath.^r round them, and, apparently in a half-playful
way, commence shoving them about and feeling their clothes,
when, if they lail in getting what they want given to them,'
they help themselves, and with their knives soon remove any
buttons that happen to be bright. This was all done, and
the offenders mixed up with the rest, enjoying the tiling as a
good joke, before our people could look round them. On
the contrary, when they are in small numbers, they are not
like the same people, but seem quiet, harmless, inoffensive,
and obliging ; but even while displaying these good quaHties,
should their numbers become increased, they lose no time in
throwing off their assumed humility to join in any plunder
going on,

In landing our provisions, J was particularly careful to
point out to the chief and olhiir leading men that nothincr

APPENDIX. 325

was going on shore the nature of which thev rnnM nM

e«ect of ..mng us from any attemi.t at robbeiy on their part •
tat I have every reason to believe that some of those 0^^^^'
at the t„„e were leaders in breaking into it tJ ret „i!?^
aferwarc,,vhen fortunately three small sails (sW^s) te
the -my thmt-s they succeeded in takins away A casITf
flour contamed in tins, belonging to the ofer, tad been
opened ; but not found to be tobacco, as antid™ ed and ^o^
likm., to go away empty-handed, they had takerthe s^Hs T
was quite unprepared for this theit,wd,ich wL effecl t .l,

St'anTSr'""^ ' *'"' ^'^^ '^' ■=- tpTftlm he'
toU bv th offi "'%T "T"^ '=™y •'»«.-'=« T had been
tert'luv ?f "" "'"P ""ifainted with their charac-

m «, " "'"" f ™P' ''"^"■-« S'-^'-'ter than pilf^ng
small thmgs lymg about. This there was no renledv for
except keepmg a good look-out. Now they had cZnlee^f
on a large scde, I had to consider the best mode o? Z S

^ttZpte'r ""''"""^ °'' " """' ^™"»^ ""'- ^>-'^"«

A slight show of firearms, in the way of intimidation in
ah ot,r former eases, had the effect of restoring the s olel
articles ; and with a view to the same effect, I hada smaU

them «,th a visit it the sails were not returned. By the
arrival of a native, who came every morning with do.,ff„„d
we were informed that during the time of sleep son» pe„l
had committed the robbery, showing plainly that the affa r
was well known at the settlement. Our people had in the
jneaa tune tracked them on the snow to witWn a short dis!
tance of it, when flie saUs had been opened and mo pro-

Hi\

320 DTSCOVKUY OF A NOUTII-WEST I'ASRACiE.

bably divided. About a.m. llio chief cninv. down, ussuiuinf,'
a very detonnined air, with liis musket slung iicross liis
Hlioul(h'rs, to oll'er liis assistance, luid },'o with us for the re-
covery of our sails ; but as he jjroposed leadinj,' us to (.\ij)e
Smyth, where he said they had been taken, and stoutly
denied their beinjjf at Point Barrow, his services were de-
clined.

I must mention hero that this was the common excuse with
them; when anythin;^' was stolen, they invariably pointed to
Cape Smyth, and said the thin;^'s had been taken there. Jt
became so well understood at last that no notice; was taken of
it, particularly in the jyresent instance.

The chief, after some hesitation, came on board, when it
was exi)laini'd to him that we were (piitc; awan; where the
sails were, and if they were not ri'stored I shoidd tak(i the
>^\m (which T showed him mounted) to tlu^ir scittlement to
look for them ; at the same time I thought tlu! opjxu-tunity
of having his musket in my power too good a oiu^ to be lost
and took possession of it, telling him that when ho had
brought back everything that had been stolen Irom us, it
would be returned quite safe.

This appeared to place him in a serious difliculty, and after
repeating the Cape Smyth story a good nuiuy linus, he re-
turned to the town, and we went on with our work as usual
intending to await the result of his interference. In about
two hours he came again with some evasive story, that tluiy
were going to bring the sails down. He reniainiHl outside
the ship e 'v'.ently much disturbed, but not mistrustful ;
there were also a few others, women and children, and one
sledge.

We now observed with our glasses an unusual stir at the
settlement. In the first place, some women and children
were seen moving across the bay to Cape Smyth ; afterwards
the men Avere seen advancing down towards the ship, in
three single files, armed with their bows and arrows and

t 111

APPENDIX.

327

quivers. I fancie.1 at tin's time I shw spears also, but did
not observe then, alterwanls. Tlio loading men were dis-
char^nng their arrows ahead of them as they advanced,
pickin^^ them up a-ain as th,.y reached th.an, which satisfie<l
lue tlu-.r visit was not friendly, and my mind was soon made
up to ke(.p them in check at the distance of musket-ranL'e by
.rinf,' ov.T their heads, wishing,, above all things to avoid
taking a lilc, unless under some urgent necessity. Our small
torce, i(,rty-(,ne in all, was plac(.l under command of the
olhcers appointed to guard the gangways, poop, and fore-
casth. ; au.l previous to their getting within range, a Idank
charge was linnl from our eighteen-pounder carrona<le and
the tlirecv-pound brass gun, whi(di ha<l not the effect of dis-
persing them, as I (,xpect..l; and when within musket-ran^e
we commenced firing over tlumi from the f.n-ecasti.. This
luul the ellect of dispersing them under sludter of tlie spit
about hity yards from the ship's bows. At this time one of
the duels, who lia.l been on board frequently, an.l treated
wi h every kindness, made a rush down ahead of the ship
lollowed at first by others ; but when he found the balls
whistling over his head he droppe<l on his face to avoid them
running a k'w paces closer to the ship, threw down his bow
and (puver containing seventeen arrows, four of them with
barbed iron heads. This man had become very unpopular
with the crew from some uncivil acts of his ; and I have
been able to understand since, that although the order to fire
over Ins head was carried out, this direction was very much
infringed upon. A few now extended themselves under cover
of the house, but as a constant fire was kept up in that
direction, not many attempted to reach it ; and a round-shot
being fired so as to graze it, had the eff-ect of dislodging them'
At this time a false alarm was given, that they were break-
ing down the house and carrying things away. I was on the
torecastle, and on hearing the report ordered the man next
me, a marine, to fire at a man then escaping from under

I \

328

DISCOVERY OP A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

. >

As tho chief whnhof/ T^ '""'™™) »'•■'» "<" killed,
hummock ,otfoi°l It '^'"« ™'"=™'"'' ""'l'^' "» ice

showeahimlCTCi^tmrcri:^';^""'"'?'

manner, causing a cMeral refw i ™«'8etic

«ffo,de,l a c„mmandfn;vTel I :;'■ Ij T T? .T'^r''
wprp ill oi.i-. + , . ' '^^ ^^'^"-^ *o find that thev

Although this affair would rave them n t^nnv ,• i r

computation I consider as near as could be obtained "'^
ha"d7h™fexp^[t«r2, "r r " ""™'"»S» I -«ld

APPENDIX.

:. Il

32!)

and a sletk'e hrmmlif ,i^ I, ^^c c/net, with si-ven natives

the most vexatious way, while turned tt^ ^'''f '' "^

that everything „ust he « t„'" r^rfv „ t ^ S^t'

left and returned next morning with every niissin "^Ucle
when his gun was restored to him -nd ihTT!^" '

about us as usual. I had the curirt\ . ■ ., ' ""^

he had previously told us he had no ammunition ' ^

i made him a small present of tobacco for his trouble as I
beheve he was not a partaker in the robbeiy, and C; „L

S' 4

If f-jti-t

I .

330 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

of his wives a knife, as she hud l)cen very indiiHtrious in
putting' the sails to^'ethcr. lie mmle us unclerstund tliat he
had been ol)li<,'ed to use liis knife, as well as his authority, to
compel wjnie of the thieves to <,Mve up their share of the
booty. I was glad to have got the upper hand of them with-
out any further trouble on our i)art, as, -ndependent of the
more important motives btifore nu-ntioiu'd, our own travelling-
parties might be seriously inconvenienced from being at
variance with them.

Notwithstanding thes(! considerations, it is moat necessary,
for our i)reservati()n with such a people, to establish respect
from them by a moderate resistance ui)on any undue encroach-
ment on their part.

Had we uot been employed on a service essentially of
peace, I should have taken a i)arty up to their settlement in
the way of retaliation, on linding they had broken into our
store. I am not certain that it would not have been the
better jilan in the present case, as kindness and forbearance
are not understood by them ; particularly after being tired
upon once or twice without receiving any injury, they are
likely to form an erroneous opinion as to the power of fire-
arms, many of the i)resent party, including the chief, l»eing
the same who followed Connuander Pullen so pertinaciously
along the Return Reef of Sir John Franklin, when the system
of avoiding firing at them was adopted until the last ex-
tremity, and with the same good fortune in not sacrificing
any lives. As an instance of their ingratitude, I found many
who were engaged in the robbery of the house were of those
who had been allowed on board every day, and had received
considerable presents with the view of making friends of
them in the event of our re(piiring a kindness in return.
AVhilst our misunderstanding was unsettled, a further en-
closure was nuirked out to include the ship, house, and ob-
servatory. Round this a stout hawser was supported on
small triangles, and in no instance during the remainder of

APPENDIX.

331

our rtay «™ tl,i» I,o„n,Iary, wl.icl. „ecc„ity ha,' „!,.„„ „,
A few tr,ml,l,..,o„„! dmract.r., «,ich a, will 1,,. f,„,n,| ,■„ ,,|

wl, n"'. :^nf 'li'"^' "r',""'"'' ''-r°-'nn-l'' il'o .»,„ la "
n '""'■"". "'"'f '■■"■k» Invoked hard Mows, littlo .nore
tioul.lc wiw K.vcn in this way.

Our i,m.r,;ou.«, f.„,„ ,i,i, «,„„ went o„ .noro »n,ontIdy
am the E»,,„nnau.x, fedinf; th.„„elvc.., i„ ,.rr„r ...ome, to
■ .ak.. many riendly overture., to regain our c,l ., , Sou e
o he«e c„„.s,sted iu l,rin«iu, down their taudt i ; ^^

omotrs Here at the «uue linie euj,.aKe,l in [.rintin- .■ notiee
or lower deck of a "Native Da„„," intc'uded t^ e^H^^

i wilt ™ '''''"i 1" "" """"'■ "''""•"■« ""•"' »- '-"
a, !' "' '""■ " f"'^"'% intercourse ; a„,l aa it

«a>, t, l,e the connuoncenient of our winter festvitie, .m,I
.«uled " Great Novelty," it had the de,ired"fc oT^, '..i™
mg amuseuient aniony.st the crew. '

ll,'!^' ^ '",■"•' '^°"''*'' "'" ^'*"'' ""■■ ^'«"»" ^vere .idmitted to

selvis lou. ,1 the deck, the entertainment con.nienced hv

«»;"';:':; :•"'■ " '""" '"'"'^'^ = *™ "" -..sieaiin. tr'^

inents a vio ,n, comepean, drum, a„,l trian-le) pl.aved a
hvely air, wlueh caused a general e.xchunation of voSr and

tune This « as followed hy a request for them to dance ■
and heing supplied with a drum, they willin.dy con nliecl'
Our seamen danced in their turn ; and in a lUtle tin e the
natives entered fully into the .spirit of the amnsenet, trip-
ping off their skin coats and dancing naked to the wais with
he temperature at 0», showing the state of e.xciteme ' h y
work themselves into: as the male performers shout in a «nld
triumphant manner, ,and all the looke«-o„ join in a oho '

■ H

332

and 1)

DISCOVKKY OF A NOItTII-WKHT I'AHSArJK.
••on.,. ,is nin.li ,.xril,.,l uh M,,. ]n'rforuwvH, 1)„.ir m)p,.,ir-

ll1.*l)LjllU.I..Bk.. • ... '^

unci' ni.'ikcM a Hccnc nn huvi

IK'' HH <'im ).(> well inuiKin.'d. j?y

10 P.M. 111.- |.Mrl y l.,ok,> np, „ll M^p.-minK <•> l>uv.« Im.I d

•mikIi ; the ^\||,.I,> .•onipmiy wvniinKly jdcascd wiMi M

anciii^f

evenings iiniUMcnicnl. When a\

icir

c <'iini(' U) lukc down n lew

(lilKS Unit WCIV Imilf^r ,„„I,.,. |,1„. ],„„si„^r fol

vexing t.. iind sevornl Imnc picccH cnt onl, of M
liiindluls. 'I'll,. ,.l,i,.f ,„„]

• •rniinicnl, il, wjih

icni iiH il III

1 AVIIH

Honic (ifliiTK remaining aptH-arcd
sorry, and pn.inis,",! (lir pi,.c,.s should be rdnrnod, M'liid
lailld'ully done flu' next niorinnK.

On 11,0 followinfr ,l.y I ,,„i,i I visit to the villaK-', '>,T„n.-
panu., l,y I\|r Simpson, Hr. sui-K.-cn, AVo w.-n. lolI,»w..d by
iu'vcral idlovH |V(.ni about the Hliip wl

llUt^

spread tbc report of our arrival, whirl

great crowd lo }.,'allier round us, foil

p, who, as we neared tin;
Il Hoon cauHcd a

whcr

Tlie winter hnl

V W(« found him on his house-top ivady 1

• •wing to the chierH hut,

() receive us.

stood about

were now covt-red with snow ; tlie chier

live feet above the LM'onnd, will

at om- end, into which we followed throuKh a low darl

'ago slopiun; «lownwards for livt' oi
beneath the
hut. It if

1 a Hcpiare oix-ning
pas-

nix yards, wlu-i! we stood
oix'niuK in the Ihun- of the iidiabile<[ part of IJi,,
circular in form, just large enough to a<lmit

person at a time. l»assing through it, we stood
boarded lloor, about 1(1 foot by 10 feet; 11
ieet high, and in (he centre
covered with transparent whale mend

one

upon a smooth

; the roof was seven

was a small s(piare skylight,

)rane

le transition from th," daylight an.l glare to the dark

passage was sudden, and in souk! d

for takint

^ur

in at the tirst glance the

were placed in the cen.tre of the hut ; the chief

re(! pre])are(| our eyes
ippearance witl

nn.

on each sldt> of hi
live V(

with a wil\

m, sat opposite to ua. There were i

our or

'ung men, and two women with children, lyin.r about

ri'n ])erlec

tl.y so.

the lloor, all naked to tlie waist, the child...

The iirst breath of the interior was rather olfensive, but wo

soon got accustomed to it ; and as the temperature was already

IK.

ir ii])p(')u-

II.mI. j?y

I <luil('il)^r

•idi Mi<-ir
VII (I few
111, il. waH
I as if ill
n|tiH'nr('(l

Ilicll AVIW
', MCCOlll-

<>\V('(l l»y
ari'd tli(«
cauHcd ji
it'f'H Iml,

I'l'ivc IIH.

(' cliicrH
()l)('iiiii}if
liii'k jwiH-
wv nI()(m|
rt of lli(.
Iniil one

. HlllOolll
IS HCVCll

kylij,'lit,

lie dark
•iir vyv.H
n. iVe
!i u wile

four or
u; about
c'lly so.

but wo
already

APrKNf)fX.

lii^li, 1

'''i"K I'oIIovvcd byunu.nlM.r of men wl

iMipoH,4il.let„H,,,.„„„„„|;^,

3.33

loiii it He(!ui(!d

niHiid

iTMhl

y not, ^viicn the tempeiatui

<"'IHOHnmlInH|,ur,., itHOOJ, )„.,;,u,|

'•;'|''''^^u hole tl.r.-.„.l,tI.eHkyli^d,t, whirl

■<• wuHcaNily ivdiie,.,! ],y

>l" uimI neceHMiiry (;haii.re i„ tl

I made u very agnie

r vinit Hcenie.' to ^\v(> ^rtvid

H! air w(! were hreiithi

fenced with II Hniok

HatiKruc,ti(ji

I, and wuH com-

. accord i.i;,^ to the nictho.l of d

''verythinj^r. i,\„. ||
"'''•';'''vour,.l_tolindontfronith,.n.h;;vv"ikri;i

;"':';.'•'""•''••• •^'■"'<-»i"..sal.ont an hour,]

"«

H<'tl

N'Mient of nutiv(

^^ was

c.)iiin.iini«;atin- with them h,.(o,(. tl

<'aHt of thiH j)hic(!, with tl

'<• ncarcHt uintcir
k; view of

';■'' '" ' '"" ' '■""••! •'"<- n.ak., out anvtl

icm.

i<! H(!verity (d' the winter
.y"''"« very c|,.„r lV(,m

''"/ivoaKreat.liflirnltyinmakin^rthemnnd

liiatonr ImsineHH \h net hartt
'»<'.yond that, althoiedK I

niHtaml

iinK,aHth(^i.id,.a.sdonot(.;vtend

pear lo he aware that
KoiK! far away into tin; i

wt! visited ; and, return
a(

'A^h "••'111 on r (constant repetiti(,n tl

I '7 ap-

dcal
1>1

t'om[iunied ]>y

w.! are waitin- for two 8hij,s that have

"■<'• The .^hief'H was the only houHe

''•i^' across tin; hay to th.; ship, we were

more than wi

lyo.in.r man and a hoy, who talked

couh? understand ; Init the I

a f,'r<;at

"ln^' to us the sort of tobacco that ha<ll

board n sliip, twistin.r his fi

ornier, in ex-
>M-n given him on

can twist or TH'-^qohcad, l(,d

"K<-rs tog(;ther to d(;Hcj-ibe A

IIS, in his d

UKsri-

*<> \>^\n'yv it miKht have Imh-u tin; 1

(!scri]»tion of the viissel

uviiijr i,I,e i,,,, this last season, 1

nvesti-jator or Knterjni.se

way to our cnululitv ii

)Ut we were afraid of

H!V wi

Ilingly

acf;oni

' «i>ll'osin-ittobe(;itheroftliem. 7\

,'ivni;,'

iiiyst'ir of Jijentenant V

l.ani(.l us on board, I was glad to avail

Hift their sto

crnon's knovvled
yy Jnore thoioughly. He allowed' tl

patiently, to describe all they had „,,,.,, ,
and eventually ascertained that the ship tl

(e of the language to
lem, most

.seen in their own w

'^y,

of had d

iaj^'onal decks, and

p they were on bf,ar'.l

Plover's. Tlu! ill

^qiiaro. These are the points thiit ;;;;;; ^^h
attention, and w

in ice-chock larger than tl

ummators in the deck, they remaik

tie

ed, were

^ive caught their

ere sutiicient to .show that they hud\eer,

:i on

334

DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

/ l:!

board one or other of the ships ; but when the captain was
(lescribecl as wearing spectacles, Captain Collinson was identi-
hed. The remaining point of importance was, that she was
gone to the eastward the summer before last (1851), agreeing
with the time the Enterprise passed. In the spring of this
year I stood on the point from which she had been boarded,
with the native who gave this information. It is Cape
Governor Simpson, and forms tlie western point of Smyth
Bay, distant about forty-five miles to the eastward of Point
i^arrow. The Enterprise seems to have been delayed off it
with .ight winds, but on a breeze springing up she was lost
sight of to the eastward. Two u-mi-aks got alongside of her,
and the people speak with pleasure of tlie presents they re-
ceived : and It is worthy of notice that a particular kind of
tobacco with which we know the Enterprise to have been
provided, led to a voluntary description of their havin-
boarded a ship, affording more information in a few minutes
tlian all our nuiuiries of the chiefs and others in several
months had done.

After some experience with them, we found more informa-
tion was obtained by casual observations of their own, brought
about by something they might happen to see or have shown
them than by asking direct questions, as it seem, difficult to
lead their thoughts from the passing events around them.

On the evening of the 5th November, the crew had a little
recreation with the immolation of Guy Fawkes ; and the
natives, being told that he was a "big thief," were at great
pams to get an opportunity of expressing individuallv that
hey were not t neves, which was very amusing, and seemed
as If they expected to be treated similarly. The ceremony
concluded with a rocket, on which they retired to a distance
m dismay, and were evidently much impressed with the
whole proceeding. They were afterwards gratified with a
dance on board, which seemed to restore their confidence,
and closed the amusements for the day.

GE.

iptain was
vas identi-
it she was
I, agreeing
ng of this
1 boarded,
'' is Cape
of Smyth
of Point
yed off it
■ was lost
le of her,
3 they re-
r kind of
ave been
r having
' minutes
1 several

informa-
, brought
^e shown
fficult to
hem.
d a little
and the
at great
illy that

seemed
3remony
distance
'ith the

with a
ifidence,

APPENDIX. .jgg

had been 01,^70,11 fv'^' " <i'"'*""''»ter, who

recognised hy his old Tta Ikf T , obsen-atory, was

passion, and i,neSr^rck:rr T"" ''"'""'' ^"'^
by others from usin- 1 s k^ f H ' l'"' ''"', ""' I"'"'™'<^<'
someofoui-neonlet^l ll * \ "'™ endeavoured to get

concealed if hfs s le" diled' T' ""^ '1 """ ^'^^'"^

manx hustled and tZl'J ' ™ '"'™''-''' °'^*''» Esqui-

-«™fflcieJa:i::ffh:'z:uots:t"^^^^
°rh;rits:rsri\sFT^^^^^^^^^

whilst the man who attaolpd tl ^ '™' ^^ ^^'''^ "^^"^

was very much But onf In. ti.. ^ '"i^on sr tiiem. The chief

o« pcop'ie to hrhu 1 -f ^SbTii'r'' 1 '"' ^™'- °f

I suppose he fa„cie,l thisi spC of "f,i "^ ^'',",'''""''"'
favourable to his wishes. ^ " ™'''' »°' ''<'

After this attempt at a friendly intercourse w„ .,ll
go.ng to the village for upwards of two m™X' „V f"'?"'
no inclination on the Dart nf tl,„ „ "" ™™«n* . "hen, seeing

found if we P-r^ertCs;!™ ofhol Inrr; 7l'/
with, and tlthi«ul«e/>T'"*^ '° '"=™""= »'=1"™te1

♦

\'i

336 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

went near to luivin- another affray with them. He had Leon
to the ship several times since the occurrcmce took place, and
on bemg tohl, always went away. On the occasion in ques-
tion he evi.lently intended to remain and to get up a disturb-
ance if possible. The chief, who was on board, seeing this
wen outside and tried to get liim away, to no avail, and
another chief tried also. The title of "chief" given liere is
merely imminal, as, in a community where ev.ry man lias to
provide lor his own wants, the most industrious, bold, and
successful hunter becomes, from the property he possesses, of
more consideration than those not possessing those qualities;
but this does not extend beyond his own boat's crew or hunt-
ing-party for the time being. Seeing this man was resolved
to remain whether we pleased or r.ot, I thought it necessary
to have our o^vn way as to who shouhl visit the ship or who
not; and as his conduct was well known to his countrymen
and condemned by many of them, his case was a good one to

t r'i I T"^ '^^J''^^"^^ *" ""^' ^«^-^ "f disturbance was
the difficulty ot making the well-disposed un.lerstand our
motives, or the separation of one from the rest as bad ; and
these cases rarely occurred, except wh.n they were collected
m large numbers, which made them imagine they coidd do
as they pleased While the altercation was going on outside'
he natives on board, of whom there were seveml, began to
leave the ship although most of them had been visitors and
declared friends, without, as it appeared, possessing any con-
fidence in us. I then directed Lieutenant Vernon t. go out
and once more tell him to go away. The natives thinkfng he
>vas the eader of an attacking party, two-thirds of the men,
and all he women and children, walked straight away for the
vil age leaving the bad character in the minority, which he
had sufficient tact to discover, and followed the others, when
quietness was again restored ; and those who had made such

a„am, but others were chosen in preference, from those who

APPENDIX.

337

He continued to make us visits nf Jnf^r.,. ^ c^

eft la.,, to return, 1. foUowcl hi,., buck [ u y X?'
and oril.Teil two ...ai-ines with „mwI, t , ,^ kindness,

again lor son.o tin.o ; when bl to 1, v ,> '"i , '", """■'
was now ..nn,I T „.„ 1 !■ *• "•>^ ""= '^'"'^fs tint he

wM. dm' °i . w'r " "" "Pl;»rt™ity to con.e to ton.,s

m,,ch ™', d I, r : :«r:idr ;'" t°, '•'-'■' '■°'^»™'

' 'I
I

,1'

.£,:■

338 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

ninety in all, men, women, and children, a number not un-
Irequent m the depth of winter when they were not enga-ed
hunting. No temperature was too severe to keep them away •
with the thermometer at 30° and 40° below zero, they com-
menced arriving alongside as early as 6 a.m., three or four
hours before daylight, and those not admitted on board sat on
the snow, laughing and playing about as cheerfully as we
Bhould have done in sunshine. A party of six at this time
had a narrow escape from being starved on the ice, on which
they were adrift for six days. They went out to hunt the
^yhlte bear, when the floe became detached, and drifted into
tne open water. They were saved from this perilous situation
by he chance of its being again brought in contact with the
land floe Although the weather was very severe, so perfect
IS their clothing that the only injury they received was some
Irost-bites about the face : as they were without food, a de-
scription of their sufferings would be one of thrilling interest,
If we coul.l understand their language sufficiently to appre-

A short time afterwards, on a general break-up of the ice
one man was carried away and lost. Finding he had left a
wife and two children, I sent a message to her to come to the
snip, and on making her some useful presents I endeavoured
to have explamed to a party assembled, that our business here
was looking alter people who were also in the ice, hoping it
would have a tendency to gain their assistance and friendship
freql^nT """^ ""^ "'"^ ^''''^'^' travelling along the coasts they
Several stratagems were tried to find out if we were on the
look-out at night. Small parties, generally two or three
women, came alongside, and on being sent away would make
some excuse of going out sealing, or some such pretence, to
keep in our neighbourhood ; but our watch was always too
vigi ant for them. One man was caught, in the middle watch,
commg out of a tent erected over a theodolite on the ice close

APPENDIX. 33,,

to the ship ami was hronght on hoard a prisoner. As he had

enough to .nflict any punishment ou him, an<l he was pern.i^
te to go away the following day ot noon, with a pron " of

i^'^r piir:: n^^^^^^^^^
Sri^^trSs't^--:-t:S

mghtly excursions, and left us unmolested • ^

to tZfc^^'""' ^'°"' '^' "^''^ '^^'^^'^^^ disinterested partiality
Tn boa d on T '^'''''''''^! '^^ ^^-^ ^vere invited to sleep
on board on a few rare occasions. For some time they were

tZ^'ltT ') .^^^r-.^--l --age enough afterTS
tmie My object m allowing them to do so w^s to <dve tliem
conhdence, and let them see some more of our hab Wch
I thought would raise us in their estimation.

report 'LTal''"\''^''r"^ "^ ™ ^^^^'^^"^ ^^ '^ «'^tive
to t?ie wV ^T. ?•''"''' ''^'''' many men was wintering
SmvthT 'iT*, "' ^'"^' ^^P^- ^ P^^^^y ^^^longing to Cape
Smyth had lately returned from Point Hope (. journey fre!

Ten on b'tl th' T ^^ ^'^ ™^^^^' ^'''''^''' "^^

ity L ^r V ' ^''' '°'''"^' '' '' ^' "^ inipossibil!

ty for a slup to wmter there, not much attention was paid

o It, beyond th.aking there generally exists sonie ground

a mrtv ■ J! T^' ''^'''' '''''''^ *^ ^' ^ forerunner of
a party ol natives belonging to Point Hope, who arrived at

^hip. The information received from them Avas of there bein-^

wf '^';Pr--^ere to the south, with very little men on

board ; whether we mistook their " little" for few-or mos^

ikely It was one of many such stories these peopl lave

other Avithout reference to the date, as in this case, if the

340 DISCOVEKY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

story montionetl was traced to its source, it would most likely
prove, to be some whaler visited by them in the summer

ihis circumstance is mentioned to account for the way re-
ports are carried along a great extent of coast by natives
iueetmg for a short time for the purpose of barter, and at
consKlerable distances from their respective settlements
when, as may naturally be suppose.l, an interchange of news
takes place, and thus becomes extended onwards, subject to
such change of version as the repeating tribes are likely to
give It making it necessary to consider their reports well
helore piking much notice of them unless accompanied by
some token of their authority, ^

th.viv Hv''^'^*^"7''*^ '""^ a pleasing, spirited man, about
thirty-hve years of age, and was accompanied by his two
wives who were good-looking young women. He had come
on a bartering expedition to dispose of some copper kettles
receiving glutton skins in exchange. He recognised Mr
Simpson, the surgeon, as having seen him at Hotham's Inlet
and he was also familiar with the name of Captain Moore and
some of the former officers of the ship. He described M
journey to us, of which I was anxious to get the particular^
He had slept fifteen times, eight of them on the snow b t
showed no signs of having suffered from the cold. He d !

w'd" L t V 'It °?r^^' ^^'^^'^^ '''' --* t° ^j- -" -

for by the lowness of the land about Point Hope deterring the
wha ers from closing it, otherwise there are many in tlmt 1^
titude m the summer. He seemed to be a poet, and favo red

n:rvri:eT'^"T""^^^

US ham down his stomach several times, expressive of" <.reat
nendship, and then fixed his forehead agdnst mine, and C
It as a fulcrum to rub noses several time.^ a ceremonl not very
agreeable in his heated state from singi'ng. rddef 'this
place was of the party, which made hint fc^l ,uite a h^ ea

APPENDIX. 3^ J

Tchuk-S ■; r„: ;t tut "t" °' ."'^ ""j"™"" '■"'■" ("■'•

martin ^,H„\ f T ' ^'""'-'^''» '0 consist of the

ally seen in spots throiK.h the .now nff ^''''' ';'• °f ^«^°"-
«rT,^„v, '"v^Uj,n cne snow, ottering, with deor nf

campnient on the bajik of a rivlr Ti, * , ! ° "" ™"
t^"«h the ice, which ,vf LX he" Xt 1^; Tna
reaching within one of the bottom Ti. • i t '

^- those .,ese.hea h, C^^^,;^^^^'-

4? ' f

It !

^!.,vH

342 DISCOVERY OF A NORTII-WKST PABSAGE.

the snow lod<roA on the river, the ice of which formed a per-
fectly evon floor. Their position from outside was only
observable by seein- the implements of chase belonmn-' to the
owners in a group over the top. We found them in'no in-
stance wantinnr in kindness, but their character for b.-.^n,,
had not fallen off since leaving Point Barrow. Their mode of
killing the rein,le(T is novel, and such as nature has pointe<l
out. rhe country is so open that they have no means of ap-
proaching the animals under any cover ; they therefore dU
deep pits in the snowy ravines, selecting pl/ices where the
surface is even, to cover them lightly over with slabs of snow
llie moment the animal puts his feet upon them he is pre-
cipitated into the pit, the depth of which is too great for him
to leap from.

Having effected my purpose of visiting and going amongst
tl em, I returne.1 to the ship after an absence of seven days

I JTZ ''^/''' ^^""'^ bya. ronomical observations wtvs
^. 40, W. 38 miles from the ship.

Nothing further worthy of remark occurred in our inter-
coui^e, until I was setting out on a journey along the coast
to the eastward, when some of the worst-dis2)osed trie<l to
deter a young man from accompanying me as a Ade bv
threatening to follow and mur.ler us when we slept the
guide amongst the number, upon whom it appeare<l to have
no effect, beyond his repeating the story and advising that
the men should not be allowed into the ship durimr ^y
absence. This report made it evident that the fact of our
force l)eing divided had been talke.l of, and I felt sorry our
residence amongst them for so long had produced no better
teelmg ; but I considered it necessary to show we were capable
of defending ourselves, and travelling when we found it
necessary. If this was not established, our position, confined
to the ship by a tribe of unarmed ravages, would not be verv
flattering. With these feelings I set out on my journe^, well
satisfied with the resources of my party, and with the jud-.-

APPENDIX.

343

ment and discretion of the officer (Lieutenant Vernon) in
whose <.harge the Plover was left. On my return at't^ 2
absence of twenty-five days, I was ,dad to find ev ry hiii
goinK on as iavourahly as possible, k. natives we:e ^tu;^.

2ahTi: •/"'"'" "' ^T T'^''''' '-^"^ '^'' <luy previous,
2.tl of Ap 1, us laany as 40 slcdK-s with 93 people' crossed
the bay to the village from the hunting-grounds
From this time we procured an abun.lant supply of veni-

btn. f t fiom our proximity to them. It lasted nearly two
mon s, and had the eftect of restoring for a time the IfeaM
scurvy. '' 1^^'^^°""^^ "^^'^J^ <iebilitated and exposed to

The appearance of this disease was attributable to the great
mequahty m the character of some of the provisions in' the
old r supplies of preserved meats and flour; and it became
necessary to discontinue the use of beef altogether, and to

preserved potatoes.

The season for their whale-fishing was now approaching^
and commenced on the 7th of May ; the distance Vo the open

u^r was about four miles W. (true) of Point Barrow. On
the luh hearing they had caught a whale, I made an excur-
sion to he scene, with the hope of being i„ time to see its
distribution; but on arriving, the only remains we could
discover was about half a pound of blubber, to so good an
accoun do they seem to turn every part of the aninml. We
lound the open water extending E.NE. and W.S.W. (true)
and no bottom witli ten fathoms. The ice to the southward
seemed open, and T supposed the water was free in that direc-
tion to Behring Strait. It would be interesting to be aide
to conjecture its north-eastward extent, the wind blowing,
1 may be said, constantly from that quarter; if the ice
should happen to be broken, it must clear a la'rge space of

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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Photographic

Sciences
Corr oration

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80

(716) B72-4503

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<!^^

344 DISCOVERT OP A NOBTH-WEST PASSAGE.

Thisjpursuit occupied them mtil the 2l8t of June when
most of their «-mi-aks were bought to the land t^ be pr"

o which they 8eem to allow themselves ten days' en/oymen"
vrfuch .s passed m eating, smoking, and dancing ; they then
commence the work of preparation. "<!y teen

H^^SIf iT""« "" '"' ™''J™*' '' '» worthy of being men-
tioned that the natives state that the whales make t"dra^
pearance off Point Hope in April and Mayrwhen th tee'
there breaks np into fields, and that most of them have dt
appeared by the time the ships arrive. About the sime tit
heseanmials also appear at this place, and are pursued by
dLe natives m their u-mi-aks, as mentioned before, until Junf
when few are seen and in July none in this neighbourhood:
and the people believe they retire northward, to return this*
way in August and September. The masters of whaUn^
vessels have informed me that whales are less abunZf if
the open water in July and August than in September.

A month previous to this time we received, ouite bv
a ciden^ some veiy useful information. Two of theTffleeS^

o^eof IlTr' *.S-P»o» (surgeon), convei.in7S
Zr . \ Tt "'°'^ iote'ligent and communicativi than

donrtt'*'?";; ""t' " ^™ ^^^" ""y •'°»'' liS cZ
^ong the coast, when he said he had, near the Colville riv^
Fmdmg that Mr Simpson, by turning over the avHf
Comniander PuUen's journal, was able to describe theTccu^!

thr^hoLaff^^n"^ "'^" ""Wittingly gave a deM "f
the whole affau-, which corresponded with the written ac-
counts, even to the wind; by which it appears t™chTef^f
this place, with his Hudson Bay gun-Barrett, 1843 (videe^.
dence taken before the Arctic Committee, questions ISM-s^ffi
-IS the individual described by Commander Pullen and he

Mn.*" v'™ '*™ * '^^ """^^^ »f »» with Wm to
foUow the boats. The man afterwards seemed verv u nil
and was perhaps thrown off his guard when he told so mul'

APPENDIX.

345

muoMhetrusrr ' f' '^\*r«''' ^ "-e book toU 30
by tfe sJe moan" and Tat T "^ ''f • '^^"^ ^^^^^ance

.0 lean. UalfoTco^LnrSra "?.'""" '"' "'^
Lieutenant Hooper fo nrevX^fT, v ?/'^'' ■"' '=°'nP'">ion

not told unta he had ir„Hfi.T.v ""? """")• '«'* >>« '^'^
In further cotr^i^'''t^^ '::i7''T'^'''^ -^'■
cumstance, we were Pn,H.T* j ', '"' f»«go»i>g cir-
Western Esquimir 2 th^'° "^^''^^ '"' P^"!''" ^ the
different staShetll ' ^•'""" '™'''' "'" ^"^ »» «>e
with „B ; su;podn' at Ttm' ?'" ?"' '""' ^"^ °f ''""bt
Island 240 mUes "f an e™ r ^""^.^°^<^ ^a^w to Barter

pushed by Sem in tLXrf.™'^''''/'''^'^ "»' ''^ "«»»-
*in boatf, wh^n deeplVlaf n f ^P'^" ""'<'^' <« *«'

These difficulties ;^'^ipS'n:?bv'''"P'1^ ''"''"^•
boats away on sledgeTa montl, // 'T^ ""'y '"'"' '^e

the exposed pa* „7ftec„Tandwrb' ''' '"'*' "P'
an inland navigation tlL^gh ^^XZi'Tt^t ""
were ignorant. ^^^^ ^^ ^'^ch we

caUed f una^ltfsTs: ;„sXMe:i' D^^^^^^^^

son to be a name for the Eussian,^ w 1 """^ ®™P-

theirbeingEsquimaux/aJra" Itte Hn' " "" '""''"'^
liar to them. They confix t w f ? ornament pecu-

f:»m which tbeir':L^tlltd,'^' Nnn^a!^^^^^^^^

-\r.:-£=i~ybe't.:ii,^^^^
t^^ritChiHSS^---

coast. ^ TOucned upon the intermediate

The Jou»ey to the Colville i, anticipated by them ,vith

♦,

346 DISCOVERY OF. A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

much pleasure, particularly this year, as they frequently
spoke of tellmg of the wonders seen on hoard this ship in
addition to the pleasing thoughts of feasting and dancing
they were to enjoy with their friends. From thence a select
party extend themselves to Barter Island, the women accom-
panying them to within a day's journey of meeting the eastern
people, when the men aavance and conclude their business
as expeditiously as possible. They give an amusing account
of the mutual distrust that exists between the two parties
The western people never sleep while they are in sight of the
eastern, and all bargains seem to be made knife in hand
Ihe articles and system of bartering appear to be as described
by Sir John Franklin, but I think later writers on the sub-
ject have supposed that Eussian goods find their way to the
north coast from posts on the Colville, which we have not
been able to verify. This tribe receives Russian (Siberian)
articles from the Point Hope people, previously alluded to
which they convey to the eastward and exchange for En<^lish
knives procured from the Hudson Bay posts ; but there is no
mtermediate supply from the Russians that we could hear of
The journey east from the Colville takes them ten days'
which they describe as being made always against the wind •
and the return to Point Barrow from Point Berens occupies
little more than two, while they sleep in their boats, and
allow them to drift before the wind; this would make it
appear that easterly winds must be very prevalent in the
early part of August. Mr Simpson, who has taken much
pains to inform himself on the subject, considers the 25th of
July tJie time of their departure from the Colville- this has
been further established by the foct of the party who attacked
Commander Pullen on the 9th of Augu.t at Return Reef
being then on their return from Barter Island. The time of
their annual visit never differs probably three days, as we
have found them generally as accurate in that way as if thev
were acquainted with dates. From this information it may

APPENDIX. 347

be concluded that the Esquimaux make one-third of their
summer journeys hy canning their boats over th icelh fo
a ship or her boats become available, which oives IhZl
eason so much longer, at a time whe'n the weMher isT^rv

ThiT^' fr « *•"■""='' °f *e season of open water

which ,f they confined themselves to it, would Hmit «,e^;

takes place as we have seen, about the 10th of September

and seems to end their labours for the year '"^1"™"'"='.

Two days after receiving the above information, May 20 a

native man was observed outside the ship wearinga sLl

sr o';«the*R" "^"--r"- °» '-"ToTh: cS

irader of the Russian settlement, N. America "—which
caused considerable curiosity on oui parts; and on mik n1
further inquiries he told us he had the pap r in hrhrSf
was originally in it; on which he was despatched with the
promise of a large reward of tobacco if he brought it to e
ship. Some hours afterwards he returned wfth two torn

wbicri' T y' *' "'"'' '"•port™* part was preserved

which has been enclosed. This information is so far satisfac
toiy, as It shows Commander M'CIure to have been mak nt
his passage along shore, which has been further co'toed by
natives here, who were on board the Investigator arPoint
Berens or Return Reef, where they describe hef to have l' d
an easterly wind with no ice in sight. The En el Ht hat
been mentioned, was visited the y'ear followin! Xo' ar t„
the eastward by eighty miles. From these positions Tt i^
reasonable to infer they had not again commUe « wit
the shore to the westwanl of the Mackenzie, as the natives „f
this place, who are in yearly communieatioi with the Esqid
maux who frequent the mouth of that river, have to Z
repeated inquiries as to whether they had heard ulCaZ
had been seen by the other people, answered they have 2

348 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

or they would have heard of it. It will give some idea of
the difficulty of making the Esquimaux comprehend the
meaning of our notions, when it is considered the Investi'^ator
had an interpreter on board, who will have explained" the
object of the letter given by Commander M'Clure, and we
had been eight months constantly making inquiries for such
thmgs, and endeavouring to explain our business here, with-
out the individual charged with the paper knowing what it
was for ; and if the canvass bag had not been found useful, its
contents would never have been known.

In order to impress upon them the value of such things as
papers and messages, I gave the man a considerable present
of tobacco, very much to his surprise and that of his compani-
ons, which had the effect of producing an old American song-
book, the only article of paper remaining in their possession.
I have now to mention the occurrence of a native man
bemg shot by accident, which at the time caused us consider-
able trouble and uneasiness, but eventually I have had reason
to believe it was viewed by most of the Esquimaux in its
true light.

On the morning in question, June 8, the quartermaster
of the watch, David Dunstall, came into my cabin, and in-
formed me he had had a dreadful misfortune, and, to my
horror, that he had shot a native alongside the ship; and on
hurrying outside I found the man was shot through the head,
and must have died instantaneously. T:^e man who had
been the cause of the unlooked-for event showed by his man-
ner that it had been an accident; and, upon making some
further inquiries, I found that several natives had arrived
alongside the ship previous to the time they were allowed,
and although desired on that account to go away several
times, they could not be induced to do so, and the quarter-
master of the watch took out a fowling-piece in his hand,
in order to frighten them, and when motioning with it for
them to go away, it went off and lodged the contents of the

APPENDIX,

349

S Jhe'ttf/"'' °''^'' ■""''"""'^ "• The remain,
uei 01 the party, five or six, ran away so speedily that there

a, no means of overtaking them, and the Ljy beb ,ef

became necessary to consider the best means o'f disp'o ^n« o

ho IZ ?r tf f ■' '""""•"^ " "> «""'' " '"stance fcm
m ™Zt natives could advance to it without fear of

us, and at the same time it gave no pretext for then- cominl
any nearer to the ship. When this had hZ tne md t

ot onr r endship, all that we could do was to hope that .ome
o our inends amongst them would still have sufficient coZ

men wT h"' "" *"■■«' ™' "'»* '»'»''"' ^or b rd not

inem to go back and explam it to the people. Bv the time

hey had arnved at the place where the body had he n Wt

friS'of'z u^f' :°"fi' """"^■^ '"- "- -if"-"

Z7^ 7> i ""^T'"""'" <l'''='-'^s«<l. but who, I was glad to
find had left no children. They sat round, and appeared
deeply engaged m conversation for about two hourTE
mg, as we supposec^to the explanation; then they seemed to
examme the body, and his own deer-skin; having bTenbrou'dU
down, he was wrapped in them and placed on a sledge which

aTossTet'v to tr"' '">' ""'' '"" "'»' """ ^^°-^>
across the bay to the cemetery, near Point Barrow. None of

the others accompanied the procession. A few of hemT™
as usual alongside the shipfbut as they we^for t^ n3

cr brrd'r™ "f '° '- ^^"^'^ ^^^^z^

kept on board to avoid any treacherous retaliation. During

350 DISCOVERY 0? A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

the day I was gratified to find the wives of the principal
chiefs came on board, and expressed their sorrow at the
absence of their husbands, who were at the open water look-
ing after whale ; but they had been sent for, and were coming
on board as soon as they returned. They told us also that
all work was stopped for five days, the women not being
allowed to sew for that time, which seems to be a general
custom on the occasion of any deaths, and remarked that we
ought not to have any hammering on board for the same
time ; and as I was anxious to show every sympathy in our
power, the caulkers at work outside were ordered to cease
work, and the ensign hoisted half-mast, the meaning of which
was explained and understood by them. In the evening one
of the chiefs who had been first down after the accident
visited us with his wife, and brought the intelligence that a
division existed in camp as to revenging themselves on us,
but, as the chiefs were unwilling to favour it, it seemed pro-
bable nothing of the sort would be attempted.

However, proper precautions were taken to avoid any sur-
prise, particularly as a thick fog at the time of sleep favoured
such a design.

On the following day the four chiefs, with their wives,
came on board, when, with the assistance of the oflicers, the
whole afi"air was again explained, which they seemed to com-
prehend, and appeared to entertain no fear of going below as
usual when asked. ^Ve were quite aware of their inability
to control individuals, but they have to a certain degree a
good deal of sway, and recommended us to make presents to
all the people who lived in the same house as the deceased,
and cautioned us not to stray away from the neighbourhood
of the ship, as the feeling of a great many of them was uncer-
tain. On their leaving they were made, presents, and desired
to bring the house -party to the ship at the expiration of five
days, the time they strictly confine themselves to the house,
and, I believe, are seldom intruded upon. They arrived at

APPENDIX.

351

by^tXwcf^ T^ "• f ""^ "^ "''^"^ '^ *-' accompanied

IZtJ. ""''''' '^'7 entertained of the case very much
a isted a reconcihation, as they had no idea of any^ ch

dancing festival previous to setting out to the e,^S

A party from Cape Smyth afterwards endea'old to .et
up a umtecl force to attack the ship, withoutT"e^to
succeed. However, the chief and a good many „ the Mnt

tT^s^^friXiinf v°:;t:^ij Ln °'r "

do™ with bows to the ship aZin Zt f .t ^ r ? " """"
»any wouU, he Ml.ed. Th;f aS^Ti th v f;X LfT
It, as we were next told of the departure of the hostue mrtt
::Ur ""' '""""' "'" ™^ ""^ -P-tsTlK
We now watched with some anxiety the preparation, W

£Sr:;t=;T.,-is;:,r=rr

sit over the ice could not be effected with^it some risCf

-1 .

352 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

interruption until the numbers of the natives became de-
creased, so that we were much pleased to see them in a state
of forwardness. On July 4 they commenced leaving, and
continued to follow for three successive days.

Each party halted to sleep near the ship to have an oppor-
tunity of begging from us till the last moment, and as I had
prepared some printed papers for them to distribute among
the eastern Esquimaux at Barter Island, they were treated
with every indulgence ; and those intrusted with the printed
papers received a present of tobacco, some buttons, prepared
in England, bearing information concerning the arctic search,
and some other small trifles to keep them reminded of their
charge, which they faithfully promised to pass on. I redeemed
a long-made promise to the chief, giving him some gunpowder.
I think it had a good effect, by showing we had no fear of
them ; and I was fully aware he had a sufficient quantity for
mischievous purposes, as his gun, when in our possession, we
found well loaded with ball-cartridge.

I accompanied one party a short distance on their jour-
ney to see if I could gain any useful hints for c^r own boats.
The u-mi-aks were secured on small sledges, and seemed
to be easily drawn by three people. The principal part of
their barter (whale-blubber and seal-oil) was carried on small
truck-sledges, drawn by the women and dogs, the men seem-
ing to confine themselves to the charge of the bo^ts ; but at
lanes of M'ater and different passes they mutually assist each
other. The rate of travelling whilst moving was expeditious,
but they made frequent halts to smoke ; and before I left
them, although near their place of encampment, they ate a
hearty meal.

Between the 4th and 7th of July, as many as twenty-seven
to thirty u-mi-aks, accompanied by 150 people, passed to the
eastward, much to our satisfaction, as it left us with compara-
tively few to trouble us in our preparations for sending away
the boats.

came de-
in a 8tate
mg, and

an oppor-
l as I had
te among
e treated
e printed
prepared
;ic search,
L of their
redeemed
npowder.
lO fear of
antity for
ission, we

leir jour-
kvn boats.
1 seemed
al part of
on small
en seem-
i; but at
sist each
)editious,
re I left
Ley ate a

ity-seven
ed to the
compara-
ing away

APPENDIX.

363

wara m the offing without being able to get u Ldimnse of
Em^r "f'"^f^f^^" ^"-'^ *^- highest tZek

tTe boL^^or "; ;^'^'• TI^^^^-^^-^ ^-y^' provisions fo

i^e were ni Tf'^^'l ^''*^- ^^^'« ^^ ^^e transit over the
ce were attended with difficulty, and the whole was ver^

mUes onhe^!! , ^f' ^ '^^^ ^^*^^ ^PP^''^^^^ within two
miles ot the beach at what seemed a most eligible place for

seemeTto off . ^ ""'*''' ^^* *^^ hummocks intervening

on Th? f if ' ' ^"'^* "^ "^^*'^^1^ t« the transit ; however
on the lollowmg morning Jnlv lo o. +1, » "owever,
f'lvnnroKi^ T 1 °i , ^^"^S' ''W 1^, as the Weather was

ii^ITlt ^ 7^'^ *^ ""^"^P* ^*' ^"^ ^^"^^^eeded in launch
rivouraCb ^^^^^ 'V'T- ^^^^ «°°- ^^"^^ shoved off w th

r he 1 ..^'T; ""^f '^'^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^«ht hours only.

On the 15th, whilst calculating on the progress thevmic^ht

without loas of toe to „eet thL, not in a ^^agreeX

;:i<

•V

354 DISCOVERY OF A NOllTII-WEST PASSAGE.

state of mind ; but when I counted the full number of the
party I was comparatively easy. It appears that on the night
of the 13th, finding the ice closing on them, they managed
to get the boats on to the floe, and fancied themselves safe,
although drifting to the northward. The ice continued to
press in towards the land, crushing the floe, and piling it up
to nearly twenty feet in height ; and at length the floe gave
way beneath them, and the gig was partly filled with pieces,
and could not be withdrawn further towards the land. The
whaler, a lighter boat, was also stove ; and as she could not
be brought further, the whole party were obliged to make the
best of their way to the shore before the ice should ease oft",
as it seemed inclined to do, and leave them on detached'
pieces. Fortunately the danger, so imminent, was of that
slow, though overwhelming nature, that they had time to
provide themselves with three days' preserved meats, and
their arms and ammunition, with which they were enabled
to reach the ship. I have forwarded Lieutenant Vernon's
journal, which will show their Lordships how that officer and
his companion, Mr Gordon, acquitted themselves on the
occasion ; and I have much satisfaction in -mentioning the
high terms in which he spoke of the conduct of the crews, not
a man of whom expressed his opinion until they had decided
on deserting the boats, when, from their manner, he concludes
they thought it high time ; and he further describes them as
obedient, cool, and intrepid from the commencement of the
danger until their return on board. The loss of the ship's
boats was a heavy misfortune ; but when it was considered
the whole party had found their way safely to the ship, we
were too much rejoiced to give a look of regret after the
boats, which could not have been saved.

Two days after the return of the boat-party I had serious
thoughts of despatching another in a native u-mi-ak, to
keep our appointment at Cape Lisburne ; but on weighing
the matter maturely, I gave up the idea, as by no means in

Ari'ENDIX.

365

our power could it reach the rondezyo«8 by the appointed
tunc ; and a, the ahip would be obliged to wiit for tK"™
of the party, the delay would render it impossible t ^Z

ordered. With these considerations, and a present prosnert
of an early release, I thought it bett;rnot to dTyTde „rsniaj
force at a time when the services of every one wolld be ^
<l«m>d to extricate the ship, and to take'reaZf oppoT

As early as July 25 we were enabled to swine the sbi„ f„,.
ocal attraction; and the ice having clearedlwL for a con

tCrif r,' Y"" "'™^ "^""^ Bho^fso;"; Zz

the shell of the boat off, exchanging her readilv Z,T ,■
u-nu-ak we had provided ourselLVtriXt !„ ^r

mme yes this season was fourteen days before the last which

Id Tt > ^ P'""''?'"^ y^<^- Every day at this period (the
end of July) seemed to effect a marked change in the ce and
on the 30th a perceptible motion to the northward wa^ ob
served m some of the heavy hummocks in the o^k and a
ane of water sufficient for the ship was found by Mr Hull
W master), whom I sent to obsLe the state'of « "l^.'

lowtaXrr "I'"' ''P°'' ^ ''' ™' '" " ''""t ™ the fol-
lowing day o race its extent, preparatory to movin" the ship

and to sound along shore to find how clo7e we could\pp:^2

356 DISCOVERY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE.

in case of necessity. Everything seemed favouraLle to our
purpose, and I fully expected to return in the evening and
get under way; but on approaching Cape Smyth, I had the
mortification to find the lane of water terminate so close
to the shore that a native u-mi-ak could not have passed.
This was one of the disappointments or ice navigation, which
teaches one patience, and requires to be borne with, in addi-
tion to others we are liable to, even unde- favourable circum-
stances.

From the 1st to the 6th of August an officer was sent each
day to Cape Smyth, to bring the earliest intelligence of any
change in our favour ; but each day brought the same unwel-
come report, that the ice was still close with the shore, and
no open water to be seen. It seems a strange complaint in
these latitudes, but the fineness of the present season was the
cauge of our detention. During the month of July the wind
was registered one day from five to six in force ; for four days
four ; and the remaining twenty-bix barely averaged two,
provmg .;he extreme of fine weather to be a greater obstacle
m moving masses of ice than the reverse state of it.

On the 7th a fresh breeze from the eastward give me some
hopes of a change in our favour ; and on visiting Cape Smyth
I observed a narrow lane of water eitending as far as the eye
could reach to the southward. On getting on board at 8 p.m.,
we left cur anchorage, i-^ re we had found shelter for eleven
months ami four da; .ven days later in the season than
Captam Parry had be. . enabled to leave Melville Island. We
carried a favourable breeze for eight hours, and had made
consideiable progress, when the wind snifted to S.W., with
thick weather and heavy rain, which made it difficult to avoid
coming m con':act Mdth the ice, from the narrowness of the
channel we had to beat in. A continuation of thick weather
ancUight contrary winds on the following day prevented our
making any progress ; auu in the afterivoon, finding we were
losing ground, I made Itist to a large floe-piece, when we foimd

to our

APPEKDIX.

357

the drift to be one mile an hour, east, being venr nearly in
the opposite direction to our course. After a few ho™ we

the northward, and run along shore to the S.W. ; but ?he iS
had become giadually closer during the few hou s of westerly
vraids, and we had much difficultyln pickingour way S

he mght as a thick fog preyaUed. On the folio wZm
ing, 9th August, the outer edge of the land-floe in fte 72
of Peard Bay was found to extend unbroken from the hud to
a distance of mne miles, and the ice outside seen" d oo "lo «
to offer us a passage in the desired direction : but Is the wM
was fresh and favourable, the ship was forced int„:pfn vZr

swis m ddn!?' r'"'"''' ™""^ ^°™^ >"" unLoidable
snooks in doing so. I w„a now anxious to keep close in with

hei!'™v'?„t"/S ''"' »"^ """'^ *"' "'■^" '» -to?
reach cll U ^""7' '" '""^^l"™'-^ of our failing tl
reach Cape Lisburne ; and at 2 p.m., in passing the Sea Horse
Wands,we got into three fathoms in endeayouring to dofe the
shore for the puqiose of sending a boat to put up a mart
whjch we were not able to accomplish, as thel nd ™ Z 1

sL TLr «""■; *'"■?■••»'' ™"™ *°"gto admliofrhe
ship lying off and on with safety. I accordingly bore up to
r in for Cape Lisburne, and on the following daj^ ioth AuZst
at UA.M communicated with her Majesty's ship Amnhi'
tnte, Cuptam Frederick, from whom 1 receiyed tlfeif Lort

heliaSt'ef """*'' n ;° '^™'"' "' P"-tBa™t"buUlt
health of the crew would have prevented my doin.- so hid I

no uimculty m returning during the present season I remired
in company with tlie Amphitrite, to Port CMareil tTwatt
the arrival of the Battlesnake, and to obtain the clnm"
lound necessary in tlie ctpw witT. , • . cnanges

provisions and ^elflraSr;:* "'"""" ^"^-^'^ "''

Our return seemed the more necessary, as their Lord.hi,™'

instructions direct provisions to be left i^' the nt^.hboSod

358 DISCOVERY OF A NOETH-WEST PASSAGE.

of Point Barrow, which I had not done, considering at the time
I left it was probable I should return. A reference to Sir E.
Belcher's instructions relative to the north coast, seemed also
to make it desirable that the Plover should return to the sta-
tion she was known to occupy by that officer, in the event of
any of his parties advancing with the certain hope of succour
at Point Barrow.

RocHFORT Maguire, Commander,
Her Majesty's Ship Plover.

Port Clarence, list August 1853.

THE END.

PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH.

LGE.

; at the time
ce to Sir E.
jeenied also
I to the sta-
he event of
s of succour

imander,
ver.

ff.