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Las diagrammas suivants iiluatrent la mAthode. errata d to t paiure, ion A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 fee it 0/ ?^' THE ■fC SEAS. A h't IV' F bC c I>I;)Oi??EBT e '• ^-^"^ »Tli JOHN FEAKKLIN c S 5 ,.;n #p .K. R.N., LU), A.^ •• (KAliyifS, V T' K S, f4! e X JS 6 * O 1. i.'. * IN THE ARCTIC SEAS. A NARRATIVE or THE DISOOyEBT OF THE FATE OF SIB JOHN FBANELIN AND HIS COMPANIONS. Wf CAPTAIN MCLINTOCK, R.N., LL.D. WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. *.*' PHILADELPHIA: PORTER & COATES, 8at Chestnut Street. ▲UTHOB'S EDniON. ■■■^ OAXTOW PRESS OV 8RBBMAN t CO., PHILADELPHIA DEDICATION. Mt dear Ladt Franklin, There is no one to whom I could with so much pro- priety or willingness dedicate my Journal as to you. For you it was originally written, and to please you it now appears in print. To our mutual friend, Siierard Osborn, I am greatly obliged for his kindness in seeing it through the press — a labor I could not have settled down to so soon after my return ; and also for pointing out some omissions and technicalities which would have rendered parts of it unintelligible to an ordinary render. These kind hints have been but partially attended to, and, as time presses, it appears with the mass of its original imperfections, as when you read it in manuscript. Such as it is, however, it affords me this valued opportunity of assuring you oi the real gmtificatio I feel in having been instrumental in accomplishing an ob^ ot so dear to you. To your devotion ai.i self-sacrifice the world is indebted for the deeply interesting revelation unfolded by the voyage of the * Fox.' Believe me to be, With sincere respect, most faithfully yours, F. L. M'CLINTOCK. London, 24M Nw., 1859. LIST OF OFFICERS AND SHIP'S COMPANY OF THE * FOX.* F. L. M'Clintock, w. r. hobsom, . Allkn W. Youno, David Walker, M.D., Georok Brands, . Carl Petkrsen, Thomas Blackwell, . Wm. Harvbt, . Henry Toms, Alex. Thompson, John Simmonds, . George Edwards, . KouERT Scott, Thomas Grinstead George Houday, . Robert Hampton, John A. Haselton, George Carey, Ben. Pound, . Wm. Walters, . Wm. Jones, . James Pitcher, Thomas Florancb, Richard Shinoleton, Anton Christian, Samubl Emakubl, Captain R. N. Lieutenant R. N. Captain, Merrantilo Marine. Surgeon and Naturalist. Engineer, died 6th Kov. 1858, (Apoplexy). Interpreter. Ship's Steward, died 14th June, 1859^ (Scurvy). Chief Quartermaster. Quartermaster. << Boatswain's Mate. Carpenter's Mate. Leading Stoker, died 4th Dec. I8A7, (in consequence of a fall). Sailmaker. Captain of Hold. A.B. u l€ U Carpenter's Crew. Dog-driver. ? Stokers. Officers' Steward. ) Greenland Esquimaux, discharged in Green I land. !i' ! OFFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE SERVICES OF THE YACHT ' FOX.' Sir, Admiralty, Londov, 24th Oct. 1859. I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you, that, in consideration of the im- portant services performed by you in bringing liome the only authentic intelligence of the death of the late Sir John Frank- lin, and of the fate of the crews of the * Erebus ' and ' Terror,* Her Majesty has been pleased, by her order in Council of the 22nd instant, to sanction the time during which you were ab- sent on these discoveries in the Arctic Regions, viz., from the dOth June, 1857, to the 21st September, 1859, to reckon as time served by a captain in command of one of Her Majesty's ships, and my Lords have given the necessary directions ac- cordingly. I am. Sir, Your very humble servant, W. G. ROMAINE, Secretary to the Admiralty, Captain Francis L. M'Clintock, B.N. *il PREFACE. The following narrative of the bold adventure which has successfully revealed the last discoveries and the fate of Franklin, is published at the request of the friends of that illustrious navigator. The gallant M'Clintock, when he penned his journal amid the Arctic ices, had no idea whatever of publishing it; and yet there can be no doubt that the reader will peruse with the deepest interest the simple tale of how, in a little vessel of 170 tons burthen, he and his well- chosen companions have cleared up this great mystery. To the honor of the British nation, and also let it be said to that of the United States of America, many have been the efforts made to discover the route fol- lowed by our missing explorers. The highly deserv- ing men who have so zealously searched the Arctic seas and lands in this cause must now rejoice, that after all their anxious toils, the merit of rescuing from the frozen North the record of the last days of Frank- lin, has fallen to the share of his noble-minded widow. Lady Franklin has, indeed, well shown what a de- voted and true-hearted English woman can accom- plish. The moment that relics of the expedition com- vu ▼ill PREFACE. manded by her husband were brought home (in 1854) by Rae, and that she heard of the account given to him by the Esquimaux of a large party of Englishmen having been seen struggling with di/Iiculties on the ice near the mouth of the Back or Great Fish River, she resolved to expend all her available means (already much exhausted in four other independent expeditions) in an exploration of the limited area to which the search must thenceforward be necessarily restricted. Whilst the supporters of Lady Franklin's efforts were of opinion, that the Government ought to have undertaken a search, the extent of which was, for the first tin?e, definitely limited, it is but rendering justice to the then Prime Minister* to state, that he had every desire to carry out the wishes of the men of science f who appealed to him, and that he was precluded from acceding to their petition, by nothing but the strongly expressed opinion of ofiicial authorities, that after so many failures the Government were no longer justi- fied in sending out more brave men to encounter fresh dangers in a cause which was viewed as hopeless. Hence it devolved on Lady Franklin and her friends * Viscount Falmorston. tSee the Memorial (Appendix) addressed to the First Lord of the Treasury, headed by Admiral Sir F. Beaufort, General Sabine, and many other men of science, and which, as President of the Royal Geo- graphical Society, I presented to the Prime Minister ; and also the speech of Lord Wrottosley, the President of the Royal Society, who, in the absence of the lamented Earl of Ellesmere, brought the subject earnestly under the notice of the House of Lords on the 18th of July, 1856. U ►PREFACE. IX to be the sole means of endeavoring to bring to light the true history of her husband's voyage and fate. Looking to the list of Naval worthies, who, during the preceding years, had been exploring the Arctic Re- gions, Lady Franklin was highly gratified when she obtained the willing services of Captain M'Clintock to command the yacht *Fox,' which she had pur- chased ; for that officer had signally distinguished him- self in the voyages of Sir John Ross and Captain (now Admiral) Austin, and especially in his extensive journeys on the ice when associated with Captain Kellett. With such a leader she could not but en- tertain sanguine hopes of success when the fast and well-adapted little vessel sailed from Aberdeen on the 1st of July, 1857, upon this eventful enterprise. Deep, indeed, was the mortification experienced by every one who shared the feelings and anticipations of Lady Franklin when the untoward news came, in the summer of 1858, that, the preceding winter having set in earlier than usual, the *Fox' had been beset in the ice off" Melville Bay, on the coast of Greenland, and after a dreary winter, various narrow escapes, and eight months of imprisonment, had been carried back by the floating ice nearly twelve hundred geographical miles — even to 63 J° N. lat. in the Atlantic! See the woodcut map, No. L But although the good little yacht had been most roughly handled among the ice-floes (see Frontispiece), we were cheered up by the information firom Disco, PREFACED \ that, with the exception of the death of the engine- driver in consequence of a fall into the hold, the crew were in stout health and full of energy, and that provided with sufficient fuel and provisions, a good supply of sledging dogs, two tried Esquimaux, and the excellent interpreter Petersen the Dane,* ample grounds yet remained to lead us to hope for a suc- cessful issue. Above all, we were encouraged by the proofs of the self-possession and calm resolve of M'CIintock, who held steadily to the accomplishment of his original project; the more so as he had then tested and recognized the value of the services of Lieutenant (now Commander) Hobson, his able sec- ond in command ; of Captain Allen Young, his gen- erous volunteer associate ; f and of Dr. Walker, his accomplished Surgeon. Despite, however, of these re-assuring data, many an advocate of this search was anxiously alive to the chance of the failure of the venture of one unassisted yacht, which after sundry mishaps was again starting to cross Baffin's Bay, with the foreknowledge, that when she reached the opposite coast, the real difficul- ties of the enterprise were to commence. Any such misgivings were happily illusory ; and * Since his return to Copenhagen, Petersen has been worthily honored by his Sovereign with the silver cross of Dannebrog. t Captain Allen Young of the merchant marine not only threw his ser- vices into this cause, and subscribed £500 in furtherance of the expedi- tion, but, abandoning lucrative appointments in command, generoasW accepted a subordinate post. PREFACE. xl the reader who follows IVTClintock across the "middle ice " of Baffin's Bay to Pond Inlet, thence to Beechey Island, down a portion of Peel Strait, and then through the hitherto unnavigated waters of Bellot Strait in one summer season, may reasonably expect the success which followed. Whilst the revelation obtained from the long-sought records, which were discovered by Lieutenant Hobson, is most satisfactory to those who speculated on the probability of Franklin having, in the first instance, tried to force his way northwards through Wellington Channel (as we now learn he did), those who held a different hypothesis, namely, that he followed his instructions, which directed him to the S. W., may be amply satisfied that in the following season the ships did pursue this southerly course till they were finally beset in N. lat. 70° 05'.* At the same time, the public should fully under- stand the motive which prompted the supporters of *For a r€sum€oi all the plans of research and the speculations of sea- men and geographers, see the interesting and most useful volume of Mr. John Brown, entitled, * The North- West Passage and Search after Sir John Franklin,' 1858. In an Appendix to this work we learn, that from the earliest Polar researches by John Cabot, at the end of the 15th .century, to the voyage of M'Clintock, there have been about 130 expedi- tions, illustrated by 250 books and printed documents, of which 150 have been issued in England. Amidst the various recent publications, it ia but rendering justice to Dr. King, the former companion of Sir Geoi^e Back, to state that he suggested and always maintained the necessity of a search for the missing navigators at or near the mouth of the Back Biver. 9ltt PREFACE. Lady Franklin in advocating the last search. Put- ting aside the hope which some of us entertained, that a few of the younger men of the missing expedition might still be found to be living among the Esqui- maux, we had every reason to expect, that if the ships were discovered, the scientific documents of the voy- age, including valuable magnetic observations, would be recovered. In the absence of such good fortune we may, how- ever, well be gladdened by the discovery of that one precious document which gives us a true outline of the voyage of the * Erebus ' and * Terror.' That the reader may comprehend the vast extent of sea traversed by Franklin in the two summers before his ships were beset, a small map (No. 2) is here introduced representing all the lands and seas of the Arctic regions to the west of Lancaster Sound which were known and laid down when he sailed. The dotted lines and arrows, which extend from the then known seas and lands into the unknown waters or blank spaces on this old map, indicate Frank- lin's route, the novelty, range, rapidity, and boldness of which, as thus delineated, may well surprise the geographer, and even the most enterprising Arctic sailor.* For, those who have not closely attended * The letter A in Baffin Bay (fig. 1) indicates the spot where Frankiiu was last seen. In fig. 2, B is the winter rendezvons at Bccchey Island ; C the greatest northing of the expedition, viz. 77° N. lat. ; Z the final beset of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ; ' tho extreme north and south points of their voyage being represented by two small ships. PREFACE. • •• xiu to the results of other Arctic voyages may be in- formed, that rarely has an expedition in the first year accomplished more by its ships, than the estab- lishing of good winter quarters, from whence the real researches began by sledge- work in the ensuing spring. Franklin, however, not only reached Beechey Island, bat ascended Wellington Channel, then an unknown sea, to 77° N. lat., a more northern latitude in this meridian than that attained long after^'-ards in ships by Sir Edward Belcher, and much to the north of the points reached by Penny and De Haven. Next, though most scantily provided with steam-power, Franklin navigated round Cornwallis' Land, which he thus proved to be an island. The last discovery of a navigable channel throughout, between Corn- wallis and Bathurst Islands, though made in the very summer he left England, has remained even to this day unknown to other navigators ! Franklin then, in obedience to his orders, steered to the south-west. Passing, as M^Clintock believes, down Peel's Strait in 1846, and reaching as far as lat. 70° 05' N., and long. 98° 23' W., where the ships were beset, it is clear that he, who, with others, had previously ascertained the existence of a channel along the north coast of America, with which the sea wherein he was interred had a direct commu- nication, was the first real discoverer of the North* West Passage, This great fact must therefore be inscribed upon the monument of Franklin. ■! I ii 1 1 i j 1 1 1 ■ 1 i 1 I i I ■ '1 •f ! j i 1 1 1 f i i 1 t ■ i; it i » l s xir PREFACE. The adventurous M*Clure, who has been worthily honored for working out another North- Western pas- sage, which we now know to have been of subsequent date,* as well as CoUinson, who, taking the * Enter- prise' along the north coast of America, and afterwards bringing her home, reached with sledges the western edge of the area recently laid open by M*Clintock, will I have no doubt unite with their Arctic associates, Richardson, Sherard Osborn, and M'Clintock, in affirm- ing, that " Franklin and his followers secured the honor for which they died — that of being the first discover- ers of the North- West Passage." f Again, when we turn from the discoveries of Frank- lin to those of M'Clintock, as mapped in red colors on the genera! map, on which is represented the amount of outline laid down by all other Arctic explorers from ♦ In 1850. t See a most heart-stirring sketch of the last voyage of Sir John Frank>. lin, by Captain Sherard Osborn, in the periodical Once a Weeky of the 22d and 29th October and 5th November last. Possessing a thorough ac- quaintance with the Arctic regions, the distinguished seaman lias shown more than his ordinary power of description, in placing before the public his conception of what may have been the chief occurrences in the voyage of the ' Erebus ' and * Terror,' and the last days of Franklin, as founded upon an acquaintance with the character of the chief and his assciciates, and the record and relics obtained by M'Clintock. This sketch is pref- aced by a spirited and graceful outline of all previous geographical dis< coveries, from the day when they were originated by the father of all modern Arctic enterprise. Sir John Barrow, to whom, and to many other eminent persons, from Sir Edward Parry downwards, I have in variooi Geographical Addresses offered the tribute of my admiration. \ PREFACE. 3t? the days when these modern researches originated with Sir John Barrow, we perceive that, in addition to the discovery of the course followed by the * Erebus ' and * Terror,' some most important geographical data have been accumulated by the last expedition of Lady Franklin. Thus, M*Clintock has proved, that the strait named by Kenedy in an earlier private expedition of Lady Franklin after his companion the brave Lieutenant Bellot, and which has hitherto been regarded only as an impassable frozen channel, or ignored as a channel at all, is a navigable strait, the south shore of which is thus seen to be the northernmost land of the continent of America. M'Clintock has also laid down the hitherto unknown coast-line of Boothia, southwards from Bellot Strait to the Magnetic Pole, has delineated the whole of King William's Island, and opened a new and capacious, though ice-choked channel, suspected before, but not proved, to exist, extending from Victoria Strait in a north-west direction to Melville or Parry Sound. The latter discovery rewarded the individual exertions of Captain Allen Young, but will very properly, at Lady Franklin's request, bear the name of the leader of the * Fox ' expedition, who had himself assigned to it the name of the widow of Franklin.* * III his volume before cited, p. xii., Mr. John Brown gave strong rea- sons (which he had held for some time) for believing in the existence of the very channel which now bears the name of M'CIintocl^. It iSj, how XVI PllEFACE. I I Neither has the expedition been unproductive of scientific results. For, whilst many persons will be interested in the popular descriptions of the native Esquimaux, as well as of the lower animals, the man of science will hereafter be further gratified by having presented to him, in the form of an addi- tional Appendix * most valuable details relating to the zoology, botany, meteorology, and especially to the terrestrial magnetism, of the region examined. Lastly, M^Clintock has convinced himself, that the best way of securing the passage of a ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific, is by following, as near as possible, the coast-line of North America : indeed, it is his . opinion, founded upon a large experience, that no passage by a ship can ever be accomplished in a more northern direction. This it is well known was the favorite theory of Franklin, who had him- self, along with Richardson, Back, Beechey, Dease, Simpson, and Rae, surveyed the whole of that same North American coast from the Back or Great Fish River to Behring Strait. Thus, when Franklin sailed in 1845, the discovery of a North- West Passage was reduced to the finding a link between the latter sur- vey and the discoveries of Parry, who had already, ever, the opinion both of that officer and his associates, as also of Captain Sherard Osborn, that Franklin could not have reached the spot where hia ships were beset by proceeding down that ice-choked channel, but that he must have sailed down Peel Sound. * Much of this Appendix will be prepared by Dr. David Walker. Ilil m^. PREFACE. XVII ictive of ^m » will be e native lals, the *s tified by i^fl :in addi- atlng to lially to lined. . "^ that the . ip from '•' as near • indeed, erience, iplished known ; d him- Dease, ; same it ij t Fish sailed .jH e was T sur- ready, J^ Japtain ' ^^^1 tcre Ilia that he to his great renown, opened the first half of a more northern course from east to west, when he was aiTested by the impenetrable ice-barrier at Melville Island. And here it is to be remembered, that the tract in which the record and the relics have been found, is just that to which Lady Franklin herself specially directed Kenedy, the commander of the * Prince Al- bert,' in her second private expedition in 1852; and had that intrepid explorer not been induced to search northwards of Bellot Strait, but had felt himself able to follow the course indicated by his sagacious em- ployer, there can be no doubt, that much more satis- factory results would have been obtained than those whicli, after a lapse of seven years, have now been realized by the undaunted perseverance of Lady Frank- lin, and the skill and courage of M*Clintock. The natural modesty of this commander has, I am bound to say, prevented his doing common justice, in the following journal, to his own conduct — con- duct which can be estimated by those only who have listened to the testimony of the officers serv.'ng with and under the man, whose great qualities in moments of extreme peril elicited their heartiest admiration and ensured their perfect confidence. In writing this Preface (which I do at the request of the promoters of the last search), I may state that, having occupied the Chair of the Royal Geographi- cal Society in 1845, when my cherished friend, Sir 2* B if XVIII PREFACE. John Franklin, went forth for the third time to seek a North- West passage, it became my bounden duty in subsequent years, when his absence created much anxiety, and when I re-occupied the same position, ardently to promote the employment of searching ex- peditions, and warmly to sustain Lady Franklin's endeavors in this holy cause. Imbued with such feelings, I must be permitted to say, that no event in my life gave me purer de- light, than when Captain CoUinson, whose labors to support and carry out this last search have been sig- nally serviceable, forwarded to me a telegram to be communicated to the British Association at Aberdeen announcing the success of M*Clintock. That docu- ment reached Balmoral on the 22nd of September last, when the men of science were invited thither by their Sovereign. Great was the satisfaction caused by the diffusion of these good tidings among my asso- ciates (the distinguished Arctic explorers Admiral Sir James Ross and General Sabine being present) ; and it was most cheering to us to know, that the Queen and our Royal President* took the deepest interest * At the Aberdeen meeting the Prince Consort thus spoke: — "The Aberdeen whaler braves the icy regions of the Polar sea to seek and to battle with the great monster of the deep; he has materially assisted in opening these icebound regions to the researches of science ; he fearlessly aided in the search after Sir John Franklin and his gallant companions whom their country sent forth on this mission ; but to whom Providence, alas 1 has denied the reward of their labors, the return to their homes, to the affectionate embrace of their families and friends, and the acknowl- edgments of a grateful nation." PREFACE. XIX )e permitted ae purer de- »se labors to ive been sig- egram to be at Aberdeen That docu- f September vited thither ction caused )ng my asso- Admiral Sir esent) ; and the Queen est interest in this intelligence — such as, indeed, they have always evinced whenever the search for the missing navigators has been brought under their consideration. The im- mediate bestowal of the Arctic medal upon all the officers and men of the * Fox * is a pleasing proof that this interest is well sustained. But these few introductory sentences must not be extended ; and I invite the reader at once to peruse the Journal of M'Clintock, which will gratify every lover of truthful and ardent research, though it will leave him impressed with the sad belief, that the end of the companions of Franklin has been truly re- corded by the native Esquimaux, who saw these no- ble fellows " fall down and die as they walked along the ice." ' '"• Looking to the fact, that little or no fresh food could have been obtained by the crews of the * Erebus ' and * Terror ' during their long imprisonment of twenty months, in so frightfully sterile a region as that in which the ships were abandoned, — so sterile that it is even deserted by the Esquimaux, — and also to the want of sustenance in spring at the mouth of the Back River, all the Arctic naval authorities with whom I have conversed, coincide with M*Clintock and his as- sociates in the belief, that none of the missing navi- [gators can be now living. Painful as is the realisation of this tragic event, let [us now dwell only on the reflection that, while the North-West passage has been solved by the heroic ! I \ XX PREFACE. ficlf-sacrifice of Franklin, Crozicr, FitzjamcSf and their asBOciatcs, the searches after them which are now ter- minated, have, at a very small loss of life, not only added prodigiously to geographical knowledge, but have, in times of peace, been the best school for test- ing, by the severest trials, the skill and endurance of many a brave seaman. In her hour of need — should need arise — England knows that such men will nobly do their duty. Roderick I. Murohison. i m I i CONTENTS. UR0UI8ON. CHAPTER I. Cause of delav in equipment— Fitting!) of tlic ' Fox '— VoIunteorB for Arctic sorvice — Assistance from public departments — Reflections upon tlie iindortalcing — Instructions ond departure — Orlcneys and Gireenland — Fine Arctic scencrv — Dnnisti establistiments in Green- land — Frcdcriclcsliaah, in Davis' Straits, .... Page 1 CHAPTER II. Fislicmnos and Esquimaux — The • Fox * readies Disco — Disco Fiord — Summer scenery — Wnigat Strait — Coaling from tlie mine — Pur- chasing Esquimuux dogs — Heavy gale off Upemivilc — Melville Bay — The middle ice — The great glacier of Greenland — Reindeer cross the glacier, 19 CHAPTER TIL Mclyille Bay — Beset in Melville Bay — Signs of winter — The coming storm — Drifting in the pack — Canine appetite — Resigned to n win- ter in the pack — Dinner stolen by sharks — The Arctic shark ^- White whales and killers 35 CHAPTER IV. Snow crystals — Dog will not eat raven — An Arctic school —The dogs invade us — Bear-fmnting by night — Ice-artillery — Arctic palates — Sudden rise of temperature — Harvey's idea of a sortie, . . 51 CHAPTER V. Burial in the pack — Musk oxen in lat. 80<' north — Thrift of the Arctic fox — The aurora affects the electrometer— An Arctic Christmas — Sufferings of an Arctic party — Ice acted on by wind only — How the sun ought to be welcomed — Constant action of the ice — Return of the seals — Revolving storm, 67 CHAPTER VI. A bear-fight — An ice-nip — Strong gales, rapid drift — The * Fox * breaks out of the pack — Hanging on to floe-edge — the Arctic bear — An ice tournament — The * Fox ' in peril — A storm in the pack — Escape from the pack, ....*... 84 xxi xxii CONTENTS. CHAPTER VII. A holiday in Greenland — A lady blue with cold — The loves of Green- landers — Close shaving — Meet the whalers — Information of whal- ers — Disco — Danish hospitality — Sail from Disco •— Kindness of the whalers — Danish establishments in Greenland, . ■ 100 CHAPTER VIII. * Fox ' nearly wrecked — Afloat, and push ahead — Arctic hairbreadth escapes — Nearly caught in the pack — Shooting little auks — The Arctic Highlanders — Capo York — Crimson snow — Struggling to the westward— Reach the West-land — OflF the entrance of Lancaster Sound, 116 CHAPTER IX. Off Cape Warrender — Sight the whalers again — Enter Pond's Bay — Communicate whh Esquimaux — Ascend Pond's Inlet — Esquimaux information — Arctic summer abode — An Arctic village — No intel- ligence of Franklin's siiips — Arctic trading — Geographical infor- mation of natives — Information of Rae's visit — Improvidence of Esquimaux — Travels of Esquimaux, 132 ' : CHAPTER X. Leave Pond's Bay — A gale in Lancaster Sound- The Beechey Island Depot — An Arctic monument — Reflections at Beechey Island — Pro- ceed up Barrow's Strait — Peel Sound— Port Leopold — ^Prince Regent's Inlet — Bellot Strait — Flood-tide from the west — Unsuccessful efforts — Fox's Hole — No water to the west — Precautionary measures — ^Fourth attempt to pass through, 153 CHAPTER XI. ^. Proceed westward in a boat — Cheerless state of the western sea — Strug- gles in Bellot Strait — Falcons, good Arctic fare — The resources of Boothia Felix — Future sledge travelling — Heavy gales — Hobson's party start — Winter quarters — Bellot's Strait — Advanced depot es- tablished — Observatories — Intense cold — Autumn travellers — Nar- row escape, 174 CHAPTER XII. Death of our engineer — Scarcity of game — The cold unusally trying — Jolly, under adverse circumstances — Petersen's information — Return of the sun of 1859 — Early spring sledge parties — Unusual severity of the winter — Severe hardships of early sledging — The western shores of Boothia — Meet the Esquimaux — Intelligence of Fi'anklin's ships — Return to the ' Fox * — Allen Young returns, . . . . 192 CHAPTER XIII. Dr. Walker's sledge journey — Snow-blindness attacks Young's party — Departure of all sledge-parties — Equipment of sledge-parties — Meet the same party of natives — Intelligence of the second ship — My de- pot robbed — Part company from Hobson — Matty Island — Deserted snow-huts — Native sledges — Land on King William's Land, 217 < ) CONTENTS. XXUl CHAPTER XIV. Meet Esqiiimanx — News of Franklin's people — Frighten a solitary party — Reach the Great Fish River — On Montreal Island — Total ao- senoe of all relit'S — Examine Ogle Peninsula — Discover a skeleton — Vagueness of Esquimaux information — Cape Herschel — Cairn, 235 CHAPTER XV. The cairn found empty — Discover Hobson's letter — Discovery of Cro- zier's record — The deserted boat — Articles discovered about* the boat — The skeletons and relics — The boat belonged to the * Erebus ' — Con- jectures, 253 CHAPTER XVI. En-ors in Franklin's records — Relics found at the cairn — Reflections on the retreat — Returning homeward — Geological remarks — Difficul- ties of summer sledging — Arrive on board the 'Fox' — Navigable N.W. passage — Death from scurvy — Anxiety for Captain Young — Young returns safely, 272 CHAPTER XVII. Signs of release — Dearth of animal life — Owl is good beef— Beat out of winter quarters — Our game-list — Reach Fury Beach — Escape from Regent's Inlet— In Baffin's Bay— Captain Allen Young's journey — Disco; sad disappointment — Part from our Esquimaux friends — Adieu to Greenland — Arrive home, 292 CONCLCSIOK, 875 APPENDIX. No. I. — A Letter to Viscount Palmcrston, K.G., &c., from Lady Franklin, gjg No. II. — Memorial to the Right Hon. Viscount Palmerston, M.P., G-C-2» 329 334 No. III. — List of Relics of the Franklin Expedition brought to England in the * Fox ' by Captain M'Clintock, . . . No. IV. — Geological Account of the Arctic Archipelago, by Pro- fessor Haughton, 341 No. V. — List of Subscribers to the ' Fox ' Expedition, . 373 JOURNAL OF THE SEARCH FOR SIU JOHN FRANKLIN. CHAPTER I. Cause of delay in equipment — Fittings of the * Fox * — Volunteers for Arctic service — Assistance from public departments — Reflections upon the undertaking — Instructions and departure — Orkneys and Greenland — Fine Arctic scenery — Danish establishments in Green- land — Frederickshaab, in Davis' Straits. It is now a matter of history how Government and private expeditions prosecuted, with unpre- cedented zeal and perseverance, the search for Sir John Franklin's ships, between the years 1847-55 ; and that the only ray of information gleaned was that afforded by the inscriptions upon three tombstones at Beechey Island, briefly recording the names and dates of the deaths of those individuals of the lost expedition, who thus early fell in the cause of science and of their country. In this manner were we made aware of the locality where the Franklin expedition passed its first Arctic winter. The traces assuring us of that fact, were discovered in August, 1850, by \ ' FORMER EXPEDITIONS. CnAP. I. Captain Ommanney, R.N., of H.M.S. ^ Assistance,' and by Captain Penny, of the ' Lady Franklin/ In October, 1854, Dr. Rae brought home the only additional information respecting them which has ever reached us. From the Esquimaux of Boothia Felix he learned that a party of about forty white men were met on the west coast of King William's Island, and from thence travelled on to the mouth of the Great Fish River, where they all perished of starvation, and that this tragic event occurred apparently in the spring of 1850. Some relics obtained from these natives, and brought home by Dr. Rae, were proved to have belonged to Sir John Franklin and several of his associates. The Government caused an exploring party to descend the Fish River in 1855 ; but, although sufficient traces were found to prove that some por- tion of the crews of the ' Erebus ' and ^ Terror' had actually landed on the banks of that river, and traces existed of them up to Franklin Rapids, no additional information was obtained either from the discovery of records, or through the Esqui- maux. Mr. Anderson, the Hudson Bay Company's officer in charge, and his small party, deserve credit for their perseverance and skill ; but they were not furnished with the necessary means of accomplishing their mission. Mr. Anderson could not obtain an interpreter, and the two frail bark w Apr. 1857. CAUSE OF DELAY IN EQUIPMENT. 8 canoes in which his whole party embarked were ahnost worn out before they reached the locality to be searched. It is not surprising that such an expedition caused very considerable excite- ment at home. Lady Franklin, and the advocates for further search, now pressed upon government th' neces- sity of following up, in a more effectual manner, the traces accidentally found by Dr. Rae, and, in fact, of rendering the search complete by one more effort, involving but little of hazard or expense. It was not until April, 1857, that any decisive answer was given to Lady Franklin's appeal. (See Appendix No. 1.) Sir Charles Wood then stated " that the mem- bers of Her Majesty's Government, having come, with great regret, to the conclusion that there was no prospect of saving life, would not be justi- fied, for any objects which in their opinion could be obtained by an expedition to the Arctic seas, in exposing the lives of officers and men to the risk inseparable from such an enterprise." Lady Franklin, upon this final disappointment of her hopes, had no hesitation in immediately preparing to send out a searching expedition, equipped and stored at her own cost. But she was not left alone. Many friends of the cause — including some of the most distinguished scien- tific men in England,* and especially Sir Roderick * A list of them and their subscriptions to be given in Appendix. NOMINATION OF COMMANDER. Chap. 1. |i I I Murchison, whose zeal was as practical as it was enlightened — hastened to tender their aid, and soon a very considerable sum was raised in fur- therance of so truly noble an effort. On the 18th of April, 1857, Lady Franklin did me the honor to offer me the command of the proposed expedition ; it was of course most cheerfully accepted. As a post of honor and some difficulty, it possessed quite sufficient charms for a naval officer who had already served in three consecutive expeditions from 1848 to 1854. I was thoroughly conversant with all the details of this peculiar service ; and I confess, moreover, that my whole heart was in the cause. How could I do otherwise than devote myself to save at least the record of faithful service, even unto death, of my brother officers and seamen ? and, being one of those by whose united efforts not only the Franklin search, but the geography of Arctic America, has been brought so nearly to completion, I could not willingly resign to pos- terity, the honor of filling up even the small remaining blank upon our maps. To leave these discoveries incomplete, more especially in a quarter through which the tidal stream actually demonstrates the existence of a channel — the only remaining hope of rj prac- ticable north-west passage — would indeed be leaving strong inducement for future explorers to reap the rich reward of our long-continued exer- tions. fee Apb. 1857. PUnCHASE OF THE 'FOX/ I immediately applied to the Admiralty for leave of absence to complete the Franklin search ; and on the 23d received at Dublin the telegraphic message from Lady Franklin: "Your leave is granted ; the * Fox * is mine ; the refit will com- mence immediately." She had already purchased the screw-yacht 'Fox/ of 177 tons burthen, and now placed her, together with the necessary funds, at my disposal. Let me explain what is here implied by the simple word refit. The velvet hangings and splendid furniture of the yacht, and also every thing not constituting a part of the vessel's strengthening, were to be removed ; the large sky-lights and capacious ladderways had to be reduced to limits more adapted to a polar clime ; the whole vessel to be externally sheathed with stout planking, and internally fortified by strong cross-beams, longitudinal beams, iron stanchions, and diagonal fastenings ; the false keel taken off, the slender brass propeller replaced by a mas- sive iron one, the boiler taken out, altered, and enlarged ; the sharp stem to be cased in iron until it resembled a ponderous chisel set up edge- ways ; even the yacht's rig had to be altered. She WHS placed in the hands of her builders, Messrs. Hall & Co., of Aberdeen, who displayed even more than their usual activity in effecting these necessary alterations, for it was determined that the ' Fox ' should sail by the 1st July. 1* II ^'1 i I FITTINGS OF THE 'FOX/ Chap. !• Internally she was fitted up with the strictest economy in every sense, and the officers were crammed into pigeon-holes, styled cabins, in order to make room for provisions and stores; our mess-room, for five persons, measured 8 feet square. The ordinary heating apparatus for win- ter use was dispensed with, and its place supplied by a few very small stoves. The * Fox * had been the property of the late Sir Richard Sutton, Bart., who made but one trip to Norway in her, and she was purchased by Lady Franklin from his executors for 2000/. Having thus far commenced the refit of the vessel, I turned my attention to the selection of a crew and to the requisite clothing and pro- visions for our voyage. Many worthy old shipmates, my companions in the previous Arctic voyages, most readily volun- teered their services, and they were as cheerfully accepted, for it was my anxious wish to gather round me well-tried men, who were aware of the duties expected of them, and accustomed to naval discipline. Hence, out of the twenty-five souls composing our small company, seventeen had previously served in the Arctic search. Expeditions of this kind are always popular with seamen, and innumerable were the applica- tions sent to me ; but still more abundant were the offers to " serve in any capacity " which poured in. from all parts of the country, from Apr. 1857. OFFICETIS OF TIIE EXPEDITION. people of all classes, many of whom had never seen the sea. It was, of course, impossible to accede to any of these latter proposals, yet, for my own part, I could not but feel gratified at such convincing proofs that the spirit of the country was favorable to us, tind that the ardent love of hardy enterprise still lives amongst Eng- lishmen, as of old, to be cherished, I trust, as the most valuable of our national characteristics — as that which has so largely contributed to make England what she is. My second in command was Lieutenant W. R. Hobson, Ii.N., an oihcer already distinguished in Arctic service. Captain Allen Young joined me as sailing-master, contributing not only his val- uable services but largely of his private funds to the expedition. This gentleman had pre- viously commanded some of our very finest mer- chant ships, the latest being the steam-transport * Adelaide * of 2500 tons : he had but recently returned, in ill health, from the Black Sea, v/here he was most actively employed during the greater part of the Crimean campaign. Nothing that I could say would add to the merit of such singularly generous and disin- terested conduct. David Walker, M.D., volun- teered for the post of surgeon and naturalist; he also undertook the photographic department ; and just before sailing, Carl Petersen, now so well known to Arctic readers as the Esquimaux ASSISTANCE FUOM PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS. Chap. I 1! Il interpreter in the expeditions of Captain Penny and Dr. Kane, came to join me from Copen- liagen, although landed there from Greenland only six days previously, after an absence of a year from his family : we were indebted to Sir Roderick Murchison and the electric telegraph for securing his valuable services. Like the Paris omnibuses we were at length tmd coniplet, and quite as anxious to make a start. Ample provisions for twenty-eight months were embarked, including preserved vegetables, lemon- juice, and pickles, for daily consumption, and pre- served meats for every third day : also as much of Messrs. Allsopp's stoutest ale as we could find room for. The Government, although declining to send out an expedition, yet now contributed liberally to our supplies. All our arms, powder, shot, powder for ice-blasting, rockets, maroons, and signal mortar, were furnished by the Board of Ordnance. The Admiralty caused 6682 lbs. of pemmican to be prepared for our use. Not less than 85,000 lbs. of this invaluable food have been prepared since 1845 at the Royal Clarence Vict- ualing Yard, Gosport, for the use of the Arctic Expeditions. It is composed of prime beef cut into thin slices and dried over a wood fire ; then pounded up and mixed with about an equal weight of melted beef fat. The pemmican is then pressed into cases capable of containing 42 lbs. each. The Admiralty supplied us with all the requisite Apr. 1857. DONATION FROM ROYAL SOCIETY. ice-gear, such ns saws from ten to eighteen feet in length, ice-anchors, and ice-claws : also with our winter housing, medicines, pure lemon-juice, seamen's library, hydrographical instruments, charts, chronometers, and an ample supply of arc- tic clothing which Lad remained in store from former expeditions. The Board of Trade con- tributed a variety of meteorological and nautical instruments and journtils ; and I found that I had but to ask of these departments for what was required, and if in store it was at once granted. I asked, however, only for such things as were indispensably necessary. The President and Council of the Royal So- ciety voted the sum of 50/. from their donation fund for the purchase of magnetic and other scientific instruments, in order that our antici- pated approach to so interesting a locality as the Magnetic Pole might not be altogether barren of results. Being desirous to retain for my vessel the privileges she formerly enjoyed as a yacht, my wishes w^ere very promptly gratified ; in the first instance by the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, of which my officers and myself were enrolled as members — the Commodore, A. Arcedeckne, Esq., presenting my vessel with the handsome ensign and burgee of the Club ; and shortly afterwards by my being elected a member of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club for the period of my voyage, 10 REFLECTIONS UPON THE UNDERTAKING. Chap. L Lastly, upon the very clay of sailing, I was pro- posed for the Royal Yacht Squadron, to which the yacht had previously belonged when the property of Sir Richard Stratton. Throughout the whole period required for our equipment, I constantly experienced the heartiest co-operation and earnest good will from all with whom my varied duties brought me in contact. Deep sympathy with Lady Franklin in her dis- tress, her self-devotion and sacrifice of fortune, and an earnest desire to extend succor to any chance survivors of the ill-flited expedition who might still exist, or at least, to ascertain their fate, and rescue from oblivion their heroic deeds, seemed the natural promptings of every honest English heart. It is needless to add that this experience of public opinion confirmed my own impression that the glorious mission intrusted to me was in reality a great national duff/, I could not but feel that, if the gigantic and admirably equipped national expeditions sent out on pre- cisely the same duty, and reflecting so much credit upon the Board of Admirality, were ranked amongst the noblest efforts in the cause of human- ity any nation ever engaged in, and that, if high honor was awarded to all composing those splen- did expeditions, surely the effort became still more remarkable and worthy of approbation when its means were limited to one little vessel, con- taining but twenty-five souls, equipped and pro- Apk. 1857. LADY FRANKLIN'S VISIT. U visioncd (although cfTiricntly, yd) in a mnimer more occording with the limited resources of a private individual tlian with those of the public purse. The less the means, the more arduous I fult was the achievement. The greater the risk — for the * Fox * was to be launched alone into those turbulent seas from which every other ves- sel had long since been withdrawn — the more glorious would be the success, the more honora- ble even the defeat, if again defeat awaits us. Upon the last day of June, Lady Franklin, accompanied by her niece Miss Sophia Cracroft, and Capt. Maguire, R. N., came on board to bid us farewell, for we purposed sailing in the evening. Seeing how deeply agitated she was on leaving the ship, I endeavored to repress the enthusiasm of my crew, but without avail ; it found vent in three prolonged, hearty cheers. The strong feel- ing which prompted them w^as truly sincere ; and this unbidden exhibition of it can hardly have gratified her for whom it was intended more than it did myself. I must here insert the only written instructions I could prevail upon Lady Franklin to give me ; they were not read until the ' Fox * was fairly in the Atlantic. Aberdeen, June 29, 1857. My dkau Captain M'Clintock, You have kindly invited me to give you "Instruc- tions," but I cannot bring myself to feel that it would be right I I ■■11 ill* fl!' HI: i 13 LADY FRANKLIN'S INSTRUCTIONS. Chap L in me in any way to influence your judgment in the conduct ol your noble undertaking ; and indeed I liave no temptation to do so, since it appears to me that your views are almost iden tical with those which I had independently formed before I had the advantage of being thoroughly possessed of yours. But had this been otherwise, I trust you would have found me ready to prove the implicit confidence I place in you by yield- ing my own views to your more enlightened judgment ; know- ing too as I do that your whole heart also is in the cause, even as my own is. As to the objects of the expedition and their relative importance, I am sure you know that the rescue of any possible survivor of the * Erebus* and * Terror * would be to me, as it would be to you, the noblest result of our efforts. To this object I wish every other to be subordinate ; and next to it in importance is the recovery of the unspeakably precious documents of the expedition, public and private, and the personal relics of my dear husband and his companions. And lastly, I trust it may be in your power to confirm, directly or inferentially, the claims of my husband's expedition to the earliest discovery of the passage, which, if Dr. Rae's report be true (and the Government of our country has ac- cepted and rewarded it as such), these martyrs in a noble cause achieved at their last extremity, after five long years of labor and suffering, if not at an earlier period. I am sure you will do all that man can do for the attainment of all these objects ; my only fear is that you may spend ycur- selves too much in the effort ; and you must therefore let me tell you how much dearer to me even than any of them is the preservation of the valuable lives of the little band of heroes who are your companions and followers. May God in his great mercy preserve you all from harm amidst the labors and perils which await you, and restore you to us in henlth and safety as well as honor ! As to the honor I can have no misgiving. It will be yours as much if you fail (since you mai/ ftiil in spite of every effort) as if you succeed ; an 3 be assured that, under ani/ and all circumstances whatever. July, 1837. ORICNEYS AND GREENLAND. 1,5 such is my unbounded confidence in you, you will ever possess and be entitled to the enduring gratitude of your sincere and attached friend, Jane Franklin. mg. We were not destined to get to sea that even- The ' Fox/ hitherto during her brief career, accustomed only to the restraint imposed upon a gilded pet in summer seas, seemed to have got an inkling that her duty henceforth was to combat with difficulties, and, entering fully into the spirit of the cruise, answered her helm so much more readily than the pilot expected that she ran aground upon the bar. She was promptly shored up, and remained in that position until next morning, when she floated oflf unhurt at high water, and commenced her long and lonely voyage. Scarcely had we left the busy world behind us when we were actively engaged in making arrangements for present comfort and future exertion. How busy, how happy, and how full of hope we all were then ! ■'- ' On the night of the 2d of July we passed through the Pentland Firth, where the tide rush- ing impetuously against a strong wind raised up a tremendous sea, amid which the little vessel struggled bravely under steam and canvas. The bleak wild shores of Orkney, the still wilder pilot's crew, and their hoarse screams and unin- telligible dialect, the shrill cry of innumerable 2 14 GREENLAND. Chap. I. ^ sea-birds, the howling breeze and angry sea, made us feel as if we had suddenly awoke in Green- land itself The southern extremity of that ice- locked continent became visible on the 12th. It is quaintly named Cape Farewell ; but whether by some sanguine outward-bound adventurer who fan'jied that in leaving Greenland behind him he l.cid already secured his passage to Cathay ; or whether by the wearied homesick mariner, feebly escaping from the grasp of winter in his shattered bark, and firmly purposing to bid a long farewell to this cheerless land, history altogether fails to enlighten us. From January until July this coast is usually rendered unapproachable by a broad niargin of heavy ice, which drifts there from the vicinity of Spitzbergen, and, lapping round the Cape, extends alongshore to the northward about as far as Baal's River, a distance of 250 miles. Although it effect- ually blockades the ports of South Greenland for the greater part of the summer, and is justly dreaded by the captains of the Greenland traders, it confers important benefits upon the Green- lander by bearing to his shores immense numbers of seals and many bears. The same current which conveys hither all this ice is also freighted with a scarcely less valuable supply of driftwood from the Siberian rivers. About this time, one of my crew showing symptoms of diseased lungs, I determined to JcLT, 1857. SPITZBERGEN ICE. U embrace the etarliest opportunity of sending hira home out of a climate so fatal to those who are thus affected ; and having learnt from Mr. Peter- sen, who had quitted Greenland only in April last, that a vessel would very soon leave Freder- ickshaab for Copenhagen, I resolved to go to that place in order to catch this homeward-bound ship. ' . . ' - It was necessary to push through the Spitzber- gen ice, and we fortunately succeeded in doing so after eighteen hours of buffeting wdth this formi- dable enemy ; at first we found it tolerably loose, and the wind being strong and favorable, we thumped along pleasantly enough ; but as we ad- vanced, the ice became much more closely packed, a thick fog came on, and many hard knocks were exchanged; at length our steam carried us through into the broad belt of clear water be- tween the ice and land, which Petersen assures me always exists here at this season. The dense fog now prevented further progress, and as evening closed in I gave up all hope of improvement for the night, when suddenly the fog rolled back upon the land, disclosing some islets close to us, then the rugged points of main- land, and at length, lifting altogether, the distant snowy mountain-peaks against a deep blue sky. The evening became bright and delightful; the whole extent of coast was fringed with innu- merable islets, backed by lofty mountains, and, 16 FINE ARCTIC SCENERY. ClIAP. I. % i . , being richly tinted by a glorious western sun, formed an unusually splendid sight. Greenland unveiled to our anxious gaze that memorable evening, all the magnificence of her natural beauty. Was it to welcome us that she thus cast off her dingy outer mantle, and shone forth radiant with smiles? — such winning smiles ! A faint streak of mist, which we could not account for, appeared to float across a low, wide interval in the mountain range; the telescope revealed its true character, — it was a portion of the distant glacier. We found ourselves upon the Tallard Bank, 30 miles north of our port, having been rapidly carried northwards by the Spitzber- gen current. Jul// 20th. — This morning the chief trader of the settlement, or, as he is more usually styled by the English, the Governor, came off to us, and his pilot soon conducted us into the safe little harbor of Frederickshaab. I was much gratified to learn that we were just in time to secure a passage home for our ailing shipmate. For trading purposes Greenland is monopolized by the Danish government ; its Esquimaux and mixed population amount to about 7000 souls. About 1000 Danes reside constantly there for the purpose of conducting the trade, which consists almost exclusively in the exchange of European goods for oil and the skins of seals, reindeer, and a few other animals. \ s I J July, 1857. DANISH ESTABLISIDIENTS, GREENLAND. 17 The Esquimaux are not subject to Danish laws, but although proud of their nominal independence they are sincerely attached to the Danes, and with abundant reason ; a Lutheran clergyman, a doctor, and a schoolmaster, whose duty it is to give gratuitous instruction and relief, are paid by the Government, and attached to each district; and when these improvident people are in dis- tress, which not unfrequently happens during the long winters, provisions are issued to them free of cost; spirits are strictly prohibited. All of them have become Christians, and many can read and write. Have we English done more, or as much, for the aborigines in any of our numerous colonies, and especially for the Esquimaux within our own territories of Labrador and Hudson's Bay ? Greenland is divided into two inspectorates, the northern and southern ; the inspector of the latter division. Dr. Rink, had arrived at Fredei> ickshaab upon his summer round of visits only the day previous to ourselves. He came on board to call upon me, and after Divine service I landed, and enjoyed a ramble with him over the moss- clad hills. Our first meeting was in North Green- land, in 1848; we had not seen one another since, so we had much to talk about. Dr. Rink is a gen- tleman of acknowledged talent, a distinguished traveller, and is thoroughly conversant with the sciences of geology and botany. 3* B 18 FREDERICKSHAAB, DAVIS' STRAITS. Chap. I. Unfortunately for me his excellent work on Greenland has not been translated into English. We were kindly permitted to purchase oight tons of coals, and such small things as were re- quired; the only fresh supplies to be obtained besides codfish, which was abundant, consisted of a very few ptarmigan and hares, and a couple cf kids ; these last are scarce. Some goats exist, but for eight months out of the year they are shut up in a house, and even now — in midsum- mer, — are only let out in the daytime. We also purchased of the Esquimaux some specimens of Esquimaux workmanship, such as models of the native dresses, kayaks, etc., also birds* skins and eggs. I saw fine specimens of a white swan, and of a bird said to be extremely rare in Greenland, — it was a species of grebe, Podiceps cristatiis, I imagine. Frederickshaab is just now well sup- plied with wood : besides an unseaworthy brig, the wreck of a large timber-ship lay on the beach, and an abandoned timber-vessel, which was met with between Iceland and Greenland in July by Prince Napoleon, drifted upon the coast 30 miles to the northward in the following Septem- ber. July, 1857. LICHTENFELS. 10 CHAPTER II. Fiskcrnaes and Esquimaux — Tho * Fox ' reaches Disco — Disco Fiord — Summer scenery — Waigat Sirait — Coaling from the mine — Pur- cl'.asing Esquimaux dogs — Heavy gale off Upernivik — Melville Bay — The middle ice — The great glacier of Greenland — Reindeer cross the glacier. 2^rd July. — Sailed the day before yesterday for Godhaab. The fog was thick, and wind strong and contrary, but the current being favorable we found oursielves off the small out-station of Fisk- ernaes, when early this morning our fore topmast was carried away ; this accident induced me to run in and anchor for the purpose of repairing the damage. After passing within the outer islets, the Mora- vian settlement of Lichtenfels came in view upon the right hand; it consists of a large, sombre- looking wooden house, over which is a belfry, a smaller wooden house, and about a dozen native huts, roofed with sods, and scarcely distinguish- able from the ground they stand on, even at a very short distance. The land immediately behind is a barren rocky steep, now just sufU- ciently denuded of snow to look desolate in the extreme. A strong tide was setting out of the fiord, as we approached, and anchored in tho Ill i f r vli 20 FISKERNAES, Chap. II. rocky little cove of Fiskernaes ; here we were not only sheltered from the wind, but the steep dark rocks within a ship's length on each side of us, reflected a strong heat, whilst large mosquitoes lost no time in paying us their annoying visits. This remote spot has been visited by the Arctic voyagers. Captain Inglefield, R.N., and Dr. Kane, U.S.N., and still more recently by Prince Napo- leon. Dr. Kane's account of his visit is full and very interesting. Cod-fishing was now in full activity, and the few men not so employed had gone up the fiord to hunt reindeer. The solitary dwelHng-house belongs, of course, to the chief trader, and is a model of cleanliness and order; built of wood, it exhibits all the resources of the painter's art ; the exterior is a dull red, the window-frames are white, floors yel- low, wooden partitions and low ceilings pale blue. The lady of the house had resided here for about eight years, and appeared to us to be, and ac- knowledged she was, heartily tired of the solitude. She gave me coffee, and some seeds for cultiva- tion at our winter quarters ; these were lettuce, spinach, turnips, carraway and peas, the latter being the common kind used on board ship; usually they have only produced leaves on this spot, but once the young peas grew large enough for the table. I expressed a wish to see the inte- rior of an Esquimaux tent. Peterson pulled aside the thin membrane of some animal, which hung July, 1857. AND ESQUIMAUX. n across the doorway, and served to exclude the wind, but admitted light, for, although past mid- night, the sun was up. Some seven or eight individuals lay within, closely packed upon the ground ; the heads of old and young, males and females, being just visible above the common covering. Going to bed here, only means lying down with your clothes on, upon a reindeer skin, wherever you can find room, and pulling another fur-robe over you. Fiskernaes appeared to be a sunny little nook, yet all the people we saw there were suffering from colds and coughs, and many deaths had occurred during the spring. The boys brought us handfuls of rough garnets, some of them as large as walnuts, receiving with evident satisfac- tion biscuits in exchange. By next morning we were able to put to sea, and early en the day following arrived off the large settlement of Godhaad ; it is in the " Gil- bert Sound " of Davis, and appears in many old charts as Baal's River. Almost adjoining God- haab is the Moravian settlement of New Herrnhut. Here it was that Hans Egede, the missionary father of Greenland, established himself in 1721, and thus re-opened the communication between Europe and Greenland, which had ceased upon the extinction of its early Scandinavian settlers, in the 14th century. A few years after Egede's successful beginning. 22 MORAVIAN MISSIONS. CflAP. IL • (II the Moravian mission still existing under the name of New Herrnhut was established. At present the Moravians support four missions in Greenland ; they are not subject to the Danish authorities, but are not permitted in any way to trade. As we were about to enter the harbor, the Danish vessel — the sole object of our visit — came out, so not a moment was lost in sending on board our invalid and our letter-bag, and in landing our coasting pilot. This man had brought us up from Frederickshaab for the very moderate sum of three pounds ; he was an Esquimaux, and, as the brother of poor Hans, Dr. Kane's unhappy dog-driver, was received with favor amongst us, and soon won our esteem by his quiet, obliging disposition, as also by his ability in the discharge of his duty ; he was so keensighted, and so vigi- lant, it was quite a comfort to have him on board during the foggy weather, for he could recognise, on the instant, every rock or point, even when dimly looming through the mist. We were not long in discovering that his absence was a loss to us. When passing out to the north of the Kookor- nen Islands, the wind suddenly failed, and at the same time a swell from to seaward reached us ; we therefore had considerable difficulty in towing the ship clear of the rocks ; for nearly half an hour our p'^sition was most critical JuLT. 1857. THE 'FOX' REACHES DISCO. 23 Jiihj 3I5/. — ^Anchored at Godhiiven (or Lievcly), in Disco, for a few hours. I presented a letter from the Directors of the Royal Greenland Cm- merce to the Inspector of North Greenland, Mr. Olrik, authorising him to furnish us with any needful supplies. Our only wants were sledge- dogs and a native to manage them. We soon obtained ten of the former, but were advised to go into Disco Fiord, where many of the Esqui- maux were busy in taking and drying salmon- trout, and where some would most probably be obtained. I was much pleased with Mr. Olrik's kind recep- tion of me, and soon found him to be not only agreeable but well informed ; born in Greenland, of Danish parents, he is thoroughly conversant with the language and habits of the Esquimaux, and has devoted much of his leisure time in col- lecting rare specimens of the animal, vegetable, and mineral productions of the country. I came away enriched by some fossils from the fossil forest of Atanekerdluk, also with specimens of native coal. It was here I met with the late commanders of the whalers ^ Gipsy' and * Undaunted,' of Peterhead, which had been crushed by the ice in Melville Bay, five or six weeks previously; all the other whalers had returned from the north, along the pack edge, and passed south of Disco. They said that the ice in Melville Bay 24 DISCO FIORD. CUAP. II. f ! ill was (ill broken up, and that they thought we should find but little difficulty at this late period in passing through it into the North Water. Leaving Godhaven in the afternoon with a native pilot, we found ourselves some 10 or 12 miles up Disco Fiord at an early hour next morn- ing. After despatching the pilot to announce our arrival to his countrymen at their fishing station, 7 or 8 miles further up, the Doctor and I landed upon the north side to explore. The scenery is charming, lofty hills of trap rock, with unusually rich slopes (for the 70th parallel) descending to the fiord, and strewed with boulders of gneiss and granite. We found the blue campanula holding a conspicuous place amongst the wild flowers. I do not know a more enticing spot in Greenland for a week's shooting, fishing, and yachting than Disco Fiord; hares and ptarmigan may be found along the bases of the hills; ducks are most abundant upon the fiord, and delicious salmon-trout very plentiful in the rivers. Formerly Disco was famed for the large size and abundance of its reindeer ; but for some unexplained reason they now confine themselves to the mainland. At this season the natives of Godhaab resort here and enjoy the trout fishery, — it is truly their season of harvest : the weather is pleasant, food delicious and abundant, and the labor an agreeable pastime. . Auo. 1857. CHRISTIAN, THE DOG-DUIVl-n. 25 Some kayaks 80on came ofT to the sliip, bring- in"" salmon-trout, both fresh and smoked. A young Esquimaux, named Christian, vohui- tecred his services as our dog-driver, and was accepted ; he is about 23 years of age, unmar- ried, and an orphan. The men soon thoroughly washed and cropped him : soap and scissors being novelties to an Esquimaux: they then rigged him in sailor's clothes ; he was evidently not at home in them, but was not the less proud of his improved appearance, as reflected in the admir- ing glances of his countrymen. We now hastened away to the Waigat Strait to complete our coals. When passing Godhaven, the pilot was launched off our deck in his little kayak without stopping the ship ! As a kayak is usually about 18 feet long, 8 inches deep, and only 16 or 17 inches wide, it requires great expertness to perform such a feat without the addition of a capsize. Ath Angust — Entered the Waigat yesterday morning, slowly steaming through a sea of glass. Its surface was only rippled by the myriads of eider-ducks which extended over it for several miles : most of them were immature in plumage, and were probably the birds of last year. After ruiming about 24 miles, towards evening we approached a low range of sandstone cliffs on the Disco shore, in which horizontal seams of coal were seen. Here we anchored, and immediately Mil 26 COALING -WAIGAl' SCENERY. Ce ap. II. commenced coaling. It was fortunate we did so, for soon it began to blow hard ; and ere noon to-day we were obliged, for the safety of the ship, to leave our exposed anchorage, having however secured eight or nine tons of tolerable coal. For- merly these coal-seams were worked for the sup- ply of the neighboring settlements, but for several years past it has been found more profitable and convenient to send out coals from Denmark, and thus permit the natives to devote their whole time to the seal-fishery. The Waigat scenery is unusually grand; the strait varies from 3 to 5 leagues in width; on each side are mountains of 3000 feet in height. The Disco side, upon which we landed, is com- posed of trap, sandstone appearing only at the beach, and occasionally rising in cliffs to about 100 feet. Upon the moss-clad slopes many frag- ments of quartz and zeolite were met with. The north end of Disco is almost a precipice to its snow-capped summit, which is 4000 feet high. bth. — A pleasant fair wind carries us rapidly northward, passing many icebergs. Our rigging is richly garnished with split codfish, which we hoped would dry and keep ; but a warm day in Disco Fiord, and much rain with a southerly gale in the Waigat, have destroyed it for our own use. It is however still valuable as food for our dogs. I am very anxious to complete my stock of these our native auxiliaries, as without them w^e Aug. 1857. PURCHASING ESQUIMAUX DOGS. tt cannot hope to explore all the lands which it is the object of our voyage to search. We could only obtain ten at Godhaven, and require twenty more. ^th. — By Petersen's intin ate knowledge of the coast we >vi r3 enabled to run close in to the little settlement of Proven during the. night, and obtain a few dogs and dogs* food. This morning we reached the extreme station of Upernivik, the last trace of civilization we shall meet with for some time. It is in lat. 12\ N. Here Petersen re- sided for twelve of the eighteen years he has spent in Greenland, and his unlooked-for re-appearance astonished and delighted the small community, more especially Governor Fliescher and his house- hold, who received us with a most hearty wel- come. Hh. — Yesterday, when we hove to off Uper- nivik, the weather was very bad and rapidly growing worse, therefore our stay was limited to a couple of hours. The last letters for home were landed, fourteen dogs and a quantity of seaVs flesh for them embarked, and the ship's head was turned seaward. It was then blowing a southerly gale, with overcast murky sky, and a heavy sea running. When four miles outside the outer island, break- ers were suddenly discovered ahead, only just in time to avoid the ledge of sunken rocks upon which the sea was beating most violently. Many 28 HEAVY GALE OFF UPERNIVIK. Chap. IL fili such rocks lie at considerable distances beyond the islands which border this coast, and greatly add to the dangers of its navigation. Being now fairly at sea, and the ship under easy sail for the night, I went early to bed in the hope of sleeping. I had been up all the previous night, naturally anxious about the ship threading her way through so many dangers, uncertain about being able to complete the number of our sledge- dogs, and much occupied in closing my corre- spondence, to which there would be an end for at least a year. All this over, the uncertain future loomed ominously before me. The great responsibilities I had undertaken seemed now and at once to fall wUh all their weight upon me. A mental whirlpool was the consequence, which, backed by the material storm, and the howling of the wretched dogs in concert on deck, together with the tumbling about of every thing below, long kept sleep in abeyance. One thought and feeling predominated: it was gratitude, deep and humble, for the success which had hitherto attended us, and for some narrow escapes which I must ever regard as Providential. Yesterday's gale has given pLi ^.e to calm foggy weather. An occasional iceberg is seen. The officers amuse themselves in trying new guns, and shooting searbirds for our dogs. Governor Fliescher told me yesterday that for Aug. 1857. PASSAGE THROUGH BAFFIN'S BAY. 29 the last four weeks southerly winds prevailed, and that only a fortnight ago his boat was unable to reach the Loom Cliffs at Cape Shackleton, 50 miles north of Upernivik, in consequence of the ice being pressed in against the land. I fear these same winds have closed together the ice which occupies the middle of Davis* Strait (hence called the middle ice), so that we shall not be able to penetrate it. However, we are standing out to make the attempt. To the uninitiated it may be as well to observe that each winter the sea called Baffin's Bay freezes over; in spring this vast body of ice breaks up, and drifting southward in a mass — called the main-pack, or the middle ice — ob- structs the passage across from east to west. The " North Passage " is made by sailing round the north end of this pack ; the " Middle Passage," by pushing through it ; and the " Southern Pas- sage," by passing round its southern extreme; but seasons do occur when none of these routes are practicable. It is very remarkable that southward of Disco northerly winds have prevailed. They greatly impeded our progress up Davis' Strait, but we cheered ourselves with the hope that they would effectually clear a path for us across the northern part of Baffin's Bay. Wi — Last night we reached the edge of the middle ice, about 70 miles to the west of Uper- 30 MELVILLE BAY. Chap. IL :l II] iil! iJl .ill nivik, and ran southward along its edge all night This morning, in thick fog, the ship was caught in its margin of loose ice. The fog soon after cleared off, and we saw the clear sea about two miles to the eastward, whilst all to the west was impenetrable closely-packed floe-pieces. After steaming out of our predicament (a matter which we could not accomplish under sail) we ran on to the southward until evening, but found the pack edge still composed of light ice very closely pressed together. Having now closely examined it for an extent of 40 miles, I was satisfied that we could not force a passage through it across Baffin's Bay, as is frequently done in ordinary seasons; therefore, taking advantage of a fair wind, we steered to the northward, in order to seek an opening in that direction. 12th. — We are in Melville Bay ; made fast this afternoon to an iceberg, which lies aground in 58 fathoms water, about 2 miles from Browne's Islands, and between them and the great glacier which here takes the place of the coast-line. We have got thus far without any difficulty, sailing along the edge of the middle ice; but here we find it pressing in against Browne's Isl- ands, and covering the whole bay to the north- ward, quite in the steep face of the glacier. This is evidently the result of long-continued south- erly winds ; but as the ice is very much broken Auo. 1857. THE MIDDLE ICE. 31 up, we may expect it to move off rapidly be- fore the autumnal northerly winds now due, and these winds invariably remove the previous sea- son's ice. All that we know of Melville Bay navigation in August, is derived from the expe- rience of Government and private searcliing ex- peditions during eight or nine seasons. My own three previous transits across it were made in this month. The whalers either get through in June or July, or give up the attempt as being too late for their fishing. It frequently happens that they get round the south end of the middle ice, between latitudes 66° and 69° N., and up the west coast of Baffin's Bay late in the season ; but we have no accounts of these voyages, nor should I be justified, at this late period of the season, in abandoning the prospect before me, in order to attempt a route which, even if success- ful, would lengthen our voyage to Barrow Strait by 700 or 800 miles. We have already passed what is usually the most difficult and dangerous part of the Melville Bay transit. There is much to excite intense admiration and wonder around us ; one cannot at once appre- ciate the grandeur of this migh.ty glacier, extend- ing unbroken for 40 or 50 miles. Its searcliffs, about 5 or 6 miles from us, appear comparatively low, yet the icebergs detached from it are of the loftiest description. Here, on the spot, it does not seem incorrect to compare the icebergs I GREAT GLACIER OF GREENLAND. Chap. II. to mere chippings off its edge, and the floe-ice to the thinnest shavings. The far-off outline of glacier, seen against the eastern sky, has a faint tinge of yellow; it is almost horizontal, and of unknown distance and elevation. There is an unusual dearth of birds and seals ; everything around us is painfully still, excepting when an occasional iceberg splits off from the parent glacier ; then we hear a rumbling crash like distant thunder, and the wave occasioned by the launch reaches us in six or seven minutes, and makes the ship roll lazily for a similar period. I cannot imagine that within the whole compass of nature's varied aspects, there is presented to the human eye a scene so well adapted for pro- moting deep and serious reflection, for lifting the thoughts from trivial things of every day life to others of the highest import. The glacier serves to remind one at once of Time and of Eternity — of time, since we see portions of it break off to drift and melt away ; and of eternity, since its downward march is so extremely slow, and its augmentations behind so regular, that no change in its appearance is per- ceptible from age to age. If even the untaught savages of luxuriant tropical regions regard the earth merely as a temporary abode, surely all who gaze upon this ice-overwhelmed region, this wide expanse of "terrestrial wreck/* mu*st be Auo. 1857. GREAT GLACIER OF GREENLAND. 33 similarly assured that here "we have no abid- ing place." During daytime the strong glare is very dis- tre.'jsing, hence the subdued light of midnight, when the sun just skims along the northern horizon, is much the most agreeable part of the twenty-four hours; the temperature varies be- tween 30'' and 40° of Fahrenheit. The drift-ice of various descriptions about lis is constantly in motion under the influence of mysterious surface and under currents (according to their relative depths of floatation), which whirl them about in every possible direction. To the S.E. are two small islands, almost envel- oped in the glacier, and far within it an occasional mountain-peak protrudes from beneath. From observing closely the variations in the glacier surface, I think we may safely infer that where it lies unbroken and smooth, the support- ing land is level ; and where much crevassed, the land beneath is uneven. The crevassed parts are of course impassable, but, by following the wind- ings of the smooth surface, I think the interior could be reached. Some attempts to cross the glacier in South Greenland have failed, yet, by studying its character and attending to this remark, I think places might be found where an attemyjt would succeed. Mr. Petersen tells me that the Esquimaux of Upcrnivik are unable to account for occasional disappearances and re- c if li , I m REINDEER CROSS THE GLACIER. Chap. I]. appearances of immense herds of reindeer, except by assuming that they migrate at intervals to feeding-grounds beyond the glacier, the surface of which he also says is smooth enough in many places even for dog-sledges to travel upon. As there is much uninhabited land, both to the northward and southward of Upernivik, I do not see the necessity for this supposition. The habits of the Esquimaux confine them almost exclu- sively to the islands and sea-coasts. \ v.. 1 Ano. 1857. MELVILLE BAY. 3o CHAPTER III. Melvillo Bay— Beset in Melville Bay — Signs of Winter— The coining storm — Drifting in the pack — Cnnino appetite — Resigned to a winter in the pack — Dinner stolen by sharks — The Arctic shark — White Whales and Killers. Ibth August — Three days of the most perfect calm have sadly taxed our patience. Lovely bright weather, but scarcely a living creature seen. This afternoon the anxiously-looked-for north wind sprang up, and immediately the light ice began to drift away before it, but it is not strong enough to influence the icebergs, and they greatly retard the clearing-out of the bay. We have noticed a constant wind oft* the glacier, probably the result of its cooling eftect upon the atmosphere ; this wind does not extend more than 3 or 4. miles out from it. IWi. — One of the loveliest mornings imagin- able : the icebergs sparkled in the sun, and the breeze was just sufficiently strong to ripple the patches of dark blue sea ; beyond this, there was nothing to cheer one in the prospect from the CrowVnest at four o'clock ; but little change had taken place in the ice; I therefore determined to run back along the pack-edge to the south- westWard, in the hope that some favorable change 86 MELVILLE BAY. Chap. IlL ;i i ii might have taken place further off shore. The barometer was unusually low, yet no indication of any change of weather. A seaman's cliest waa picked up ; it contained only a spoon, a fork, and some tin canisters, and probably drifted here from the southward, where the two whale-ships were crushed in June, affording another proof of the prevalence of southerly winds. As we steamed on, the ice was found to have opened consider- ably ; it fell calm, and mist was observed rolling along the glacier from the southward. By noon a S.E. wind reached us ; all sail was set, the leads or lanes of water became wider, and our hopes of speedily crossing Melville Bay rose in proportion as our speed increased. We are pursuing our course without let or hindrance. Yith. — The fog overtook us yesterday evening, and at length, unable to see our way, we made fast at eleven o'clock to the ice. The wind had freshened, it was evidently blowing a gale outside the ice. During the night we drifted rapidly together with the ice, and this morning, on the clearing off of the fog, we steamed and sailed on again, threading our way between the floes, which are larger and much covered with dri/ snow. This evening we again made fast, the floes having closed together, cutting off advance and retreat. A wintry night, much wind and snow. 19^/^. — Continued strong S.E. winds, pressing the ico closely together, dark sky and snow; Auu. 1657. MELVILLE BAY. 'M everything wears a wintry nnd threatening as- pect; we are closely hennned in, and have our rudder and screw inishipped. This reconnnence- jnent of 8.E. winds and rapid ebbing of the small remaining portion of summer makes mo more anxious 'about the future than the present. Yesterday the weather improved, and by working for thirteen hours we got the ship out of her small ice-creek into a larger space of water, and in so doing advanced a mile and a half It is now calm, but the ice still drifts, as we would wish it, to the N.W. Yesterday we were within 12 miles of the position of the ^Enterprise' upon the same day in 1848, and under very similar conditions of weather and ice also. 20ih. — No favorable ice-drift: this detention has become most painful. The ^Enterprise* reached the open water upon this day in 1848, within 50 miles of our present position ; unfor- tunately, our prospects are not so cheering. There is no relative motion in the floes of ice, except a gradual closing together, the small spaces and streaks of water being still further diminished. The temperature has fallen, and is usually below the freezing-point. I feel most keenly the diiBficulty of my position ; we cannot afford to lose many more days. Of all tho voyages to Barrow Strait, there are but two which were delayed beyond this date, viz., Par- ry's in 1824, and the ' Prince Albert's' in 1851. 1 li 88 BESET IN MELVILLE DAY. Chap. IH. Should we not be released, and therefore be com- pelled to winter in this pack, notwithstanding all our eflbrts, I shall repeat the trial next jcar, and in the end, with God's aid, perforin my sacred duty. The men enjoy a game of rounders on the ice each evening ; Petersen and Christian are con- fjtantly on the looK-out for seals, as well as Ilob- son and Yoimg occasionally ; if in good condition and killed instantaneously, the seals lloat ; several have already been shot ; the liver fried with ba- con is excellent. Birds have become scarce, — the few we see are returning southward. How anxiously I watch the ice, weather, barometer, and thermometer! Wind from any other quarter than S.E. would oblige the floe-pieces to rearrange themselves, in doing which they would become loose, and then would be our opportunity to proceed. 24iVi. — Fine weather with very light northerly winds. We have drifted 7 miles to the west in the last two days. The ice is now a close pack, so close that one may walk for many miles over it in any direction, by merely turning a little to the right or left to avoid the small water spaces. My frequent visits to the crow's-nest are not inspiriting: how absolutely distressing this im- prisonment is to me> no one without similar ex- perience can form any idea. As yet the crew have but little suspicion how blighted our pros- pects are. Auo 1857. BESET IN MELVILLE BAT. 89 21th. — Wo daily make attempts to push on, and sometimes get a ship's Icnj^th, hut yesterday evening we made a mile and a halt*! the ice then closed against the ship's sides and lifted her ahout a foot. We have had a fresh east wind for two days, but no corresponding ice-drift to the west ; this is most discouraging, and can only be ac- counted for by supposing the .existence of much ice or grounded icebergs in that direction. The dreaded reality of wintering in the pack is gradually forcing itself upon my mind, — but I must not write on this subject, it is bad enough to brood over it unceasingly. We can see the land all round Melville Bay, from Cape Walker nearly to Cape York. Petersen is indefatigable at seal-shooting, he is so anxious to secure them for our dogs; he says they must be hit in the head ; "if you hit him in the beef that is not good " meaning that a flesh-wound does not pre- vent their escaping under the ice. Petersen and Christian practise an Esquimaux mode of attract- ing the seals ; they scrape the ice, thus making a noise like that produced by a seal in making a hole with its flippers, and then place one end of a pole in the water and put their mouths close to the other end, making noises in imitation of the snorts and grunts of their intended victims ; whether the device is successful or not I do not know, but it looks laughable enough. Christian came back a few days ago, like a 40 SEAL SHOOTING. Chap. III. true seal-hunter, carrying his kayak on his head, and dragging a seal behind him. Only two years ago Petersen returned across this bay with Dr. Kane's retreating party ; he shot a seal which they devoured raw, and which under Providence, saved their lives. Petersen is a good ice-pilot, knows all these coasts as well as or better than any man living, and, from long experience and habits of observation, is almost unerring in his prognostications of the weather. Besides his great value to us as interpreter, few men are bet- ter adapted for Arctic work, — an ardent sports- man, an agreeable companion, never at a loss for occupation or amusement, and always contented and sanguine. But we have happily many such dispositions in the ^ Fox.' 30//^. — The whole distance across Melville Bay is 170 miles: of this we have performed about 120, 40 of which w^e have drifted in the last four- teen days. The * Isabel* sailed freely over this spot on 20th August, 1852 ; and the ^ North SUx* was beset on 30th July, 1849, to the southward of Melville Bay, and carried in the ice across ic and some 70 or 80 miles beyond, when she was set free on 26th September, and went into win- ter quarters in Wolstenholme Sound. What a precedent for us ! Yesterday we set to work as usual to warp the ship along, and moved her ten feet : an insig- nificant hummock then blocked up the narrow ( FHi. i. I r BKKTCU UAV OF THB DRIFT OF TBK 'FOX* DOWN BAFFIN'S BAT IV THK Fi.OATINO lOK. Sept. 1857. THE COMING STORM. 41 passage; as we could not push it before us, a two-pound blasting charge was exploded, and tlie surface ice was shattered, but such an immense quantity of broken ice came up from beneath, that the difficulty was greatly increased instead of being removed. This is one of the many instances in which our small vessel labors under very great disadvantages in ice-navigation — we have neither sufficient manual power, steam power, nor impetus to force the Hoes asunder. I am convinced that a steamer of moderate size and power, with a crew of forty or fifty men, would have got through a hundred miles of such ice in less time than we have been beset. The temperature fell to 25° last night, and the pools are strongly frozen over. I now look mat- ters steadily and calmly in the face ; whilst rea- sonable ground for hope remained I was anx- ious in the extreme. The dismal prospect of a " winter in the pack " has scarcely begun to dawn upon the crew; however, I do not think they will be much upset by it. They had some excit- ing foot-races on the ice yesterday evening. 1st Sept. — The indication of an approaching S.R gale are at all times sufficiently apparent here, and fortunately so, as it is the dangerous wind in the Melville Bay. It was on the morning of the 30tli, l)efore church-time, that they attracted our attention : the wind was very light, but barometer low and falling ; very threatening appearances in t t DRIFTING IN THE PACK. Chap. III. the S.E. quarter, dark-blue sky, and grey detached clouds slowly rising ; when the wind commenced the barometer began to rise. This gale lasted forty-eight hours, and closed up every little space of water; at first all the ice drifted before the wind, but latterly remained stationary. Twenty seals have been shot up to this time. On comparing Petersen's experience with my own and that of the * North Star' in 1849, it seems probable that the ice along the shores of Melville Bay, at this season, will drift northward close along the land as far as Cape Parry, where, meeting with a S.W. current out of Whale or Smith's Sound, it will be carried away into the middle of Baffin's Bay, and thence during the winter down Davis' Strait into the Atlantic. From Cape Dudley Digges to Cape Parry, includ- ing Wolstenholme Sound, open water remains until October. It is strange that we have ceased to drift lately to the westward. Qth. — During the last week we have only drifted 9 miles to the west. Obtained soundings in 88 fathoms; this is a discovery, and not an agreeable one. Of the six or seven icebergs in sight, the nearest are to the west of us; they are very large, and appear to be aground ; we approach them slowly. Pleasant weather, but the winds are much too gentle to be of service to us ; although the nights are cold, yet during the day our men occasionally do their sewing on Sept. 1857. DRIFTING IN THE PACK. 43 deck. Our companions the seals are larger and fatter than formerly, therefore they float when shot ; we are disposed to attribute their improved condition to the better feeding upon this bank. The dredge brought up some few shell-fish, star- fish, stones and much soft mud. Wi. — On this day, in 1824, Sir Edward Parry got out of the middle ice, and succeeded in reach- ing Port Bowen. To continue hoping for release in time to reach Bellot Strait would be absurd ; yet to employ the men we continue our prepa- ration of tents, sledges, and gear for travelling. Two days ago the ice became more slack than usual, and a long lane opened ; its western ter- mination could not be seen from aloft. Every effort was made to get into this water, and by the aid of steam and blasting-powder we advanced 100 v^ards out of the mtervening 170 yards of ice, when the floes began to close together, a S.E. wind having sprung up. Had we succeeded in reaching the water, I think we should have extri- cated ourselves completely, and perhaps ere this have reached Barrow Strait, but S.E. and S.W. gales succeeded, and it now blows a S.S.E. gale, with sleet. 10^/^. — Young went to the large icebergs to- day ; the nearest of them is 250 feet high, and in 83 fathoms water; it is therefore probably aground, except at spring tide ; the floe-ice was ^i'^ %. ■■ i 1 N» if I i 44 CANINE APPETITE. Cnxr. III. drifting past it to the westward, and was crushing up against its side to a height of 50 feet. 13t/i. — Thermometer has fallen to 17° at noon, We have drifted 18 miles to the W. in the last week ; therefore our neighbors, the icebergs, are not always aground, but even when afloat drift more slowly than the light ice. There is a water- sky to the W. and N.W. ; it is nearest to us in the directio)! of Cape York ; could we only advance 12 or 15 miles in tlmt direction^ I am convinced ive skoidd be free to steer for Barrow Strait, Forty- three seals have been secured for the dogs ; one dog is missing, the remaining twenty-nine de- voured their two days* allowance of seal's flesh (60 or 65 lbs.) in forty-two seconds! it contained no bone, and had been cut up into small pieces, and spread out upon the snow, before they were permitted to rush to dinner ; in this way the weak enjoy a fair chance, and there is no time for fight- ing. We do not allow them on board. \Wi. — At length we have drifted past the large icebergs, obtaining soundings in 69 fath- oms within a mile of them; they must now be aground, and have frequently been so during the last three weeks; and being directly upon our line of drift, are probably the immediate cause of our still remaining in Melville Bay. The ice is slack everyw^here, but the tempera- ture having fallen to 3°, new ice rapidly forms, so Sept. 1857. PREPARING FOR WINTER. 45 that the change comes too late. The western Hmit of the day — Cape York — is very distinct, and not more than 25 miles from iis. 18//i. — Lanes of water in all directions ; but the nearest is half a mile from us. They come too late, as do also the N.W. winds which have now succeeded the fatal south-easters. The tem- perature fell to 2° below zero last night. We are now at length in the " North Water;" the old ice has spread out in all directions, so that it is only the young ice — formed v/Ithin the last fortnight — which detains us prisoners here. The icebergs, the chief cause of our unfortu- nate detention, and which for more than three weeks were in advance of us to the westward, are now, in the short space of two days, nearly out of sight to the eastward. The preparations for wintering and sledge- travelling go on with unabated alacrity; the latter will be useful should it become necessary to abandon the ship. Notwithstanding such a withering blight to my dearest hopes, yet I cannot overlook the many sources of gratification which do exist ; we have not only the necessaries, but also a fair portion of the luxuries, of ordinary sea-life ; our provi- sions and clothing are abundant and well suited to the climate. Our whole equipment, though upon so small a scale, is perfect in its way. We : "I 46 PROSPECT FOR WINTER. Chap. Ill n all enjoy perfect health, and the men are most cheerful, willing, and quiet. Our " native auxiliaries," consisting of Christian and his twenty-nine dogs, are capable of perform- ing immense service; whilst Mr. Peteisen, from his great Arctic experience, is of much use to me, besides being all that I could wish as an inter- preter. Humanly speaking, we are not unreason- able in confidently looking forward to a successful issue of this season's operations, and I greatly fear that poor Lady Franklin's disappointment will consequently be the more severely felt. We are doomed to pass a long winter of abso- lute inutility, if not of idleness, in comparative peril and privation; nevertheless the men seem very happy — thoughtless, of course, as true sail- ors always are. We have drifted off the bank into much deeper water, and suppose this is the reason that seals have become more scarce. 22nd. — Constant N.W. winds continue to drift us slowly southward. Strong indications of water in the N.W., W., and S.E. ; its vicinity may ac- count for a rise in the temperature, without apparent cause, to 27° at noon to-day. The newly formed ice affords us delightful walking ; the old ice on the contrary is covered with a foot of soft snow. We have no shooting ; scarcely a living creature has been seen for a week. '"",-1 Sbpt. 1857. BEARS —AMUSEMENTS. "47 2Aih. — ^Yesterday I thought I saw two of our men walking at a distance, and beyond some unsafe ice, but on enquiry found that all were on board : Petersen and I set off to reconnoitre the strangers ; they proved to be bears, but much too wary to let us come within shot. It was dark when we returned on board after a brisk walk over the new ice. The calm air felt agreeably mild. We were without mittens; and but that the breath froze upon moustachios and beard, one could have readily imagined the night was com- fortably warm. The thermometer stood at -j- 5°- To-day when walking in a fresh breeze the wind felt very cold, and kept one on the look-out for frost-bites, although the thermometer was up to 10°. Games upon the ice and skating are our afternoon amusements, but we also have some few lovers of music, who embrace the opportunity ; for vigorous execution, without fear of being re- mftded that others may have ears more sensi- tive and discriminating than their own. 2Qth. — The mountain to the North of Melville Bay, known as the ' Snowy Peak,* was visible yes- terday, although 90 miles distant ; I have calcu- lated its height to be 6000 feet. A raven was shot to-day. 27th. — Our salt meat is usually soaked for some days before being used ; for this purpose it is put into a net, and lowered through a hole in the ice ; this morning the net had been torn, and only ^ ''. li # DINNER STOLEN BY SIIAUKS. Chap. IIL i 3 ! r! t. jf fi f 1. I fragment of it remained. AYc suppose our twenty two pounds of salt meat had been devoured by asliai'k; it would be curious to know how such fare agrees with him, as a full meal of salted pro- vision will kill an Esquimaux dog, which thrives on almost anything. I used to remonstrate upon the skins of sea-birds being given to our dogs, but was told the feathers were good for them ! Here all sea-birds are skinned before being cooked, otherwise our ducks, divers, and looms would be nneatably fishy. A well-baited shark-hook has been substituted for the net of salt meat ; I much wish to capture one of the monsters, as wonder- ful stories are told us of their doings in Green- land: whether they are the white shark or the basking shark of natural history I cannot fmd out. It is only of late years that the shark fishery has been carried on to any extent in Greenland; they are captured for the sake of their livers, which yield a considerable quantity of oil. It has very recently been ascertained that a valuable substance resembling spermaceti may be expressed from the carcase, and for this purpose powerful screw presses are now employed. In early winter the sharks are caught with hook and line through holes in the ice. The Esquimaux assert that they are insensible to pain ; and Petersen assures me he has plunged a long knife several times into the head of one whilst it continued to feed upon a white whale Bh.A t' 1857. THE ARCTIC SHARK. i9 entangled in his net ! 1 It is not sufTicicnt to drive them away with sundry thrusts of spears or knives, but they must be towed away to some distance from the nets, otherwise they will return to feed. It must be remembered that the brain of a shark is extremely small in proportion to the size of its huge head. I have seen bullets fired through them with very little apparent effect; but if these creatures can feel, the devices prac- tised upon them by the Esquimaux must be cruel indeed. It is only in certain localities that sharks are found, and in these places they are often atr tracted to the nets by the animals entangled in them. The dogs are not suffered to eat either the skin or the head, the former in consequence of its extreme roughness, and the latter because it causes giddiness and makes them sick. The nets alluded to are set for the white whale or the seal ; if for the former, they are attached to the shore and extended off at right angles so as to intercept them in their autumnal southern mi- gration, when they swim close along the rocks to avoid their direst foe, the grampus, or killer, of sailors, the Delphiniis orca of naturalists. When the white whale is stopped by the net it often appears at first to be unconscious of the fact, and continues to swim against it, affording time for the approach of the boat and deadly harpoon from behind. If entangled in the net a very 5 » 'It' 50 KILLERS. Chap. III. ehort time suffices to drown them, as, like all the whale tribe, they are obliged to come to the sur- face to breathe. The killer is also a cetacean of considerable size, 15 to 20 feet in length, but of very different habits; it is very swift, is armed with power- ful teeth, and is gregarious. When in sufficient numbers they even attack the whale, impeding his progress by fastening on his fins and tail. In summer they appear in the Greenland seas, and the seals instantly seek refuge from them in the various creeks and inner harbors ; and the Esqui- maux hunter in his frail kayak, when he sees the huge pointed dorsal fin swiftly cleaving the sur- face of the sea, is scarcely less anxious to shun such dangerous company. With such stories as these Petersen beguiles the time ; I never tire of listening to them, and now amuse myself in jot- ting scraps of them down. m \ Oct. 1857. FIXED IN THE ICE. 01 I' CHAPTER IV. Snow crystals — Dog will not eat raven — An Arctic scliool — The dogs invade us — Bear-hunting hy ni^rht — Ice-nrtillcry — Arctic palates — Sudden rise of temperature — Harvey's idea of a sortie. M Oct. — September has passed away and left us as a legacy to the pack ; what a month have we had of anxious hopes and fears ! Up to the 17th S.E. winds prevailed, forcing the ice into a compact hody, and urging it north- westward ; subsequently N.W. winds set in, drift- ing it southward, and separating the floe-pieces ; but the change of wind being accompanied by a considerable fall of temperature, they were either quickly cemented together again, or young ice formed over the newly opened lanes of water, almost as rapidly as the surface of the sea became exposed. During the month the thermometer ranged between -|-36° and -2°. Two more bears and a raven have been seen. A wearied ptarmi- gan alighted near the ship, but before it could take wing again the dogs caught it, and scarcely a feather remained by the time I could rush on deck. Our beautiful little organ was taken out of its case to-day, and put up on the lower deck ; the 52 SNOW CRYSTALS. Chap. IV. \- i men enjoy its pleasing tones, whilst Christian un- ceasingly turns the handle in a state of intense delight ; he regards it with such awe and admira- tion, and is so entranced, that one cannot help envying him ; of course he never saw one before. The instrument was presented by the Prince Con- sort to the searching vessel bearing his name which was sent out by Lady Franklin in 1851 ; it is now about to pass its third winter in the frozen regions. Two dogs ran off yesterday, in the vain hope, I suppose, of bettering their condition, — we only feed them three times a week at present ; they returned this morning. Seals are daily seen upon the new ice, but in this doubtful sort of light they are extremely timid, therefore our sportsmen cannot get within shot The bears scent or hear our dogs, and so keep aloof; even the shark has deserted us, the bait remains intact. The snow crystals of last night are extremely beautiful ; the largest kind is an inch in length ; its form exactly resembles the end of a pointed feather Stellar crystals two- tenths of an inch in diameter have also fallen ; these have six points, and are the most exquisite things when seen under a microscope. I remem- ber noticing them at Melville Island in March, 1853, when the temperature rose to-f-8°; as these were formed last night between the temperatures of-|^6° and -1-12°, it would appear thut the form Oct. 1857. MONOTONOUS LIFE. m is due to a certain fixed temperature. In the sun, or even in moonlight, all these crystals glisten most brilliantly ; and as our masts and rigging are abundantly covered with them, the ^ Fox ' never was so gorgeously arrayed as she now appears. 13//i. — One day is very like another; we have to battle stoutly with monotony ; and but that each twenty-four hours brings with it necessary though trivial duties, it would be difficult to re- member the date. We take our guns and walk long distances, but see nothing. Two of the dogs go hunting on their own account, sometimes re- maining absent all night. What they find or do is a mystery. The weather is generally calm and cold, — very favorable for freezing purposes at all events, — for the ice of only three weeks' growth is two feet thick. I hardly expect any considerable disruption of the ice before the general break-up in the spring, yet we do not trust any of our provisions upon it, nor is it sufficiently still to set up a magnetic observatory, for which purpose the instruments have been supplied to us. Petersen still hopes we may escape and get into Upernivik, as the sea is not permanently frozen over there before December. I am sur- prised to hear that eagles have been seen so far north as Upernivik, although it is but twice in twenty-four years that specimens have been noticed there. In Kichardson's * Fauna Boreali 5* ^i 54 •' HARNESS JACK." Chap. IV. 4 : ■ :t Americana' the extreme northern limit of these birds is given as 66° ; but Upernivik is in 721^. A few bear and fox tracks have been seen, but no living creatures for several days, except a flock of ducks hastening southward, and a solitary rar ven. It is said that Esquimaux dogs will eat every- thing except fox and raven. There are excep- tions, however; one of ours, old "Harness Jack," devoured a raven with much gusto some days ago. All the other dogs allowed their harness to be taken oflf when the^' were brouo;ht on board ; but old Jack will not permit himself to be un- robed ; when attempted he very plainly threatens to use his teeth. This canine oddity suddenly became immensely popular, by constituting him- self protecting head of the establishment when one of his tribe littered ; he took up a most un- comfortable position on top of the family cask (our impromptu kennel), and prevented the ap- proach of all the other dogs ; but for his timely interference on behalf of the poor little puppies, I verily believe they would all have been stolen and devoured ! Dogs may do even worse tlum eat raven. 1 have attempted some experiments for the purpose of determining the mean hourly change of oscillation of a pendulum due to the earth's diurnal motion; but as mine was only 11^ feet in length, I failed of any approach to accuracy. Oct. 1857. AN ARCTIC SCHOOL. 55 The mean of several observations gave 17° 47', whereas the change due to our latitude is about 14° 30'. A single experiment gave 14° 10', and this was the longest in point of time of any of them, the pendulum having swung for thirty-six minutes. 24///. — Furious N.W. and S.E. gales have alter- nated of late ; the ship is housed over, to keep out the driving snow ; so high is the snow carried in the air that a little box perforated with small holes and triced up 50 feet high is soon filled up ; this box is supplied morning and evening with a piece of prepared paper to detect the presence and amount of ozone in the atmosphere ; it is a peculiar pet of the Doctor's. At eight o'clock this evening I noticed the falling of a very brilliant meteor ; it passed through the constellation of Cassiopoeia in a N.N.E. direction before terminating its visible existence, which it did very much like a huge rocket ; the flash was so brilliant that a man whose back was turned to it mistook the illumi- nation for lio^htnino*. 2Qt/i. — Our school opened this evening, under the auspices of Dr. Walker. He reports eight or nine pupils, and is much gratified by their zeal. At present their studies are limited to the three R's — reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic. They have asked him to read and explain something instruc- tive, sc he intends to make them acquainted with i 1; i 56 ICE DISTURBANCE. Ch«f. IV. ; I* ' the trade-winds and atmosphere. This subject affords an opportunity of explaining the uses of our thermometer, barometer, ozonometer, and electrometer, which they see us take much in- terest in. It is delightful to find a spirit of inquiry amongst them. Apart from scholastic occupation, I give them healthful exercise in spreading a thick layer of snow over the deck, and encasing the ship all round with a bank of the same material. 2Wi. — Midnight. This evening, to our great astonishment, there occurred a disruption and movement of the ice within 200 yards of the ship. The night waj. calm; the reflection of a bright moon, aided by the more than ordinary brilliancy of the stars upon the snowy expanse, made it appear to us almost daylight. As I sit now in my cabin I can distinctly hear the ice crushing ; it resembles the continued roar of dis- tant surf, and there are many other occasional sounds; some of them remind one of the low moaning of the wind, others are loud and harsh, as if trains of heavy wagons with ungreased axles w^ere slowly laboring along. Upon a less- favored night these sounds might be appalling ; even as it is, they are sufficiently ominous to invite reflection. Cape York has been in sight for some days past. 2Wi. — Another heavenly night, and still greater ice disturbance ; some of the crushed-up pieces are Nov. 1857. THE DOGS INVADE US. 57 nearly four feet thick. The currents, icebergs, and changes of temperature, may contribute to this ice action ; but I think the tides are the chief cause, and for these reasons : that it wants but two days to the full moon, and that the ice-move- ments are ahnost confined to the night, and change their direction morning and evening. Now we l^now that the night-tides in Greenkmd greatly exceed the day-tides. One thing is evi- dent — the weather continues calm, therefore the vrinds are not concerned in the matter. 2nd Nov. — Having observed some days ago that a few of the dogs were falling away — from some cause or other not having put on their winter clothing before the recent cold weather set in — they were all allowed on board, and given a good extra meal. Since then we can scarcely keep Jiem out. One calm night they made a charge, and boarded the ship so suddenly that several of the men rushed up very scantily clothed, to see what was the matter. Vigorous measures were adopted to expel the intruders, and there was desperate chasing round the deck with broomsticks, &c. Many of them retreated into holes and corners, and two hours elapsed before they were all driven out ; but though the chase was hot, it was cold enough w ork for the half-clad men. Sailors use quaint expressions. The nightly foraging expeditions are called "sorties;" they I '1 Si t 58 BEAR-HUNTIXG BY NIGHT. Chap. IV. If :r point out to me the various corners between decks where the " ice corrodes," ie., the moisture condenses and forms frost ; a ramble over the ice is called " a bit of a peruse." I presume this indignity is offered to the word perambulation. There was a very sudden call " to arms" to- night. Whether sleeping, prosing, or schooling, every one flew out upon the ice on the instant, as if the magazine or the boiler was on the point of explosion. The alarm of " A bear close-to, fighting with the dogs," was the cause. The luckless beast had approached within 25 yards of the ship ere tlie quartermaster's eye detected his indistinct outline against the snow ; so silently had he crept up that he was within 10 yards of some of the dogs. A shout started them up, and they at once flew round the bear and embarrassed his retreat. In crossing some very thin ice he broke through, and there 1 found him surrounded by yelping dogs. Poor fellow ! Hobson, Young, and Petersen had each lodged a bullet in him ; but these only seemed to increase his rage. He succeeded in getting out of the water, when, fear- ing harm to the numerous by-standers and dogs, or that he might escape, 1 fired, and luckily the bullet passed through his brain. He proved to be a full-grown male, 7 feet 3 inches in length. As we all aided in the capture, it wa^ decided that the skin should be offered to Lady Franklin. The carcase wiU feed our dogs for nearly a ■TiTtf ir-B-iWi.^a^ Nov. 1857. THE SUN'S LAST VISIT. M month; they were rewarded on the spot with the offal. All of them, however, had not shown equal pluck ; some ran off in evident fright, but others showed no symptom of fear, plunging or falling into the water with Bruin. Poor old Sophy was amongst the latter, and received a deep cut in the shoulder from one of his claws. The authorities have prescribed double allowance of food for her, and say she will soon recover. For the few moments of its duration the chase and death was exciting. And how strange and novel the scene ! A misty moon affording but scanty light — dark figures gliding singly about, not daring to approach each other, for the ice trembled under their feet — the enraged bear, the wolfish howling dogs, and the bright flashes of the deadly rifles. Srd. — I remained up the greater part of last night taking observations, for the evening mists had passed away, and a lovely moon reigned over a calm enchanting night; through a powerful telescope she resembled a huge frosted-silver melon, the large crater-like depression answering to that part from which the footstalk had been detached. Not a sound to break the stillness around, excepting when some hungry dog would return to the battlefield to gnaw into the blood- stained ice. On the 1st the sun paid us his last visit for the year, and now we take all our meals by lamp light. f J ' i l! 1 1 <>^i' li M: ',1' 60 GUY FAWKES' DAY. Chap. IV, 6ih. — In order to vary our monotonous routine, we determined to celebrate the day ; extra grog was issued to the crew, and also for the first time a proportion of preserved plum-pudding. Lady Franklin most thoughtfully and kindly sent it on Ijoard for occasional use. It is excellent. This evening a well-got-up procession sallied forth, marched round the ship with drum, gong, and discord, and then proceeded to burn the effigy of Guy Fawkes. Their blackened faces, extravagant costumes, flaring torches, and savage yells frightened away all the dogs; nor was it until after the fireworks were set off and the traitor consumed that they crept back again. It was school-night, but the men were up for fun, so gave the Doctor a holiday. 12th. — Yesterday I had the good fortune to shoot two seals; they were very fat and their stomachs were filled with shrimps. To-day Young and Petersen shot three more, and many others have been seen. This is cheering, and entices people out for hours daily. There is just enough movement in the ice to keep a few narrow lanes and small pools of water open ; the floes or fields of ice are more inclined to spread out from each other than to close. We have latterly been drift- ing before northerly winds. 16^^. — ^A renewal of ice-crushing within a few hundred yards of us. I can hear it in my bed. The ordinary sound resembles the roar of dis- Nov. 1857. ICE-ARTILLERY. A tant surf breaking heavily and contiuuously ; but when heavy masses come in colHsion with much impetus, it fully realizes the justness of Dr. Kane's descriptive epithet, " ice artillery." Fortunately for us, our poor little ' Fox * is well within the margin of a stout old floe : we arc therefore un- disturbed spectators of ice-conflicts, which would be irresistible to anything of human construc- tion. Immediately about the ship all is still, and, as far as appearances go she is precisely as she would be in a secure harbor — housed all over, banked up with snow to her gunwales. In fact, her winter plumage is so complete that the masts alone are visible. The deck and the now useless sky-lights are covered with hard snow. Below hatches we are warm and dry ; all are in excel- lent health and spirits, looking forward to an active campaign next winter. God grant it may be realized ! Yesterday Young shot the fiftieth seal, an event duly celebrated by our drinking the bottle of champagne which had been set apart in more hopeful times to be drunk on reaching the North Water — that unhappy failure, the more keenly felt from being so very unexpected. Petersen saw and fired a shot into a narwhal, which brought the blubber out. When most Arctic creatures are wounded in the water, blub- ber more frequently than blood appears, particu- larly if the wound is superficial — it spreads over^ 62 ARCTIC PALATES. Ch*?. IV. 1 ', : n. the surface of the water like oil. Bills of fare vary much, even in Greenland. I have inquired of Petersen, and he tells me that the Greenland Esquimaux (there are many Greenlanders of Danish origin) are not agreed as to which of their animals affords the most delicious food; some of them prefer reindeer venison, others think more favorably of young dog, the fle.^h of which, he asserts, is ''just like the beef of sheep." He says a Danish captain, who had acquired the taste, provided some for his guests, and thsy praised his mutton! after dinner he sent for the skin of the animal, which was no other than a large red dog! This occurred in Greenland, where his Danish guests had resided for many years, far removed from European mutton. Baked puppy is a real delicacy all over Polynesia : at the Sandwich Islands I was once invited to a feast, and had to feign disappointment as well as I could when told that puppy was so extremely scarce it could not be procured in time, and therefore sucking-pig was substituted 1 19/^. — A heavy southerly gale has increased the ice movements ; happily we are undisturbed. As Young was seated under the lee of a hum- mock, watching for seals to pop up to breathe, the strong ice under him suddenly cracked and separated ! He escaped with a ducking, and was just able to reach his gun from the bank ere it sank through the mixture of snow and water. Nov. 1857. A LUCKY DOG. G5 Yesterday we were all out; I saw only one seal, ])ut was refreshed by the sight of a dozen narwhals. It is a positive treat to see a living creature of any kind. The only bu-ds which remain are dovekies, but they are scarce, and, being white, are very rarely visible. The dogs are fed every second day, when 2 lbs. of seal's flesh — previously thawed Avhon pos- sible — is given to each; the weaker ones get additional food, and they all pick up whatever scraps are thrown out ; this is enough to sustain, but not to satisfy them, so they are continually on the look-out for anything eatable. Ilobson made one very happy without intending it ; he meant only to give him a kick, but his slipper, being down at heel, flew off, and away went the lucky dog in triumph with the prize, which of course was no more seen. Two large icebergs drift in company with us ; our relative positions have remained pretty nearly the same for the last month. 23rd. — A heavy gale commenced at N.E. on the 21st, and continued for thirty-six hours una- bated in force, but changed in direction to S.S.W. It appears, to have been a revolving storm, moving to the N.W. Yesterday, as the wind approached S.E., the temperature rose to -f- 32° ; the upper deck sloppy; the lower deck temperature during Divine Service was 75° ! ! As the wind veered round to S.S.W., the wind moderated, and tempera- i i3 ! 'ifl 1 iii !i ■i^tm IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 ^Ut Ui ■tt Bi 12.2 US, 12.0 I.I U u& lliillJ4l^ < 6" ». I^olDgFaphic Sdeices Carporation m ^ 1 m i\ <> ^. 23 WBT MAIN STHIT «vnsm,N.Y. i4sto (716)«73-4S03 s\ G4 SUDDEN RISE OF TEMPERATURE. Chap IV. .^'i :*1 ■ ill 1 ture fell : this evening it is — 7^ How is it that the S.E. wind has brought us such a very high temperature ? Even if it traversed an unfrozen sea it could not have derived from thence a higher temperature than 29°. Has it swept across Greenland — that vast superficies partly enveloped in glacier, partly in snow ? No, it must have been borne in the higher regions of the atmosphere from the far south, in order to mitigate the severity of this northern climate. Petersen tells me the same warm S.E. wind suddenly sweeps over Upernivik in midwinter, bringing with it abundance of rain ; and that it always shifts to the S.W., and then the tempera- ture rapidly falls : this is precisely the change we have experienced in lat. 75°. I believe a some- what similar, but less remarkable, change of temperature was noticed in Smith's Sound, lat. 78fN. 25/^. — Mild "Madeira weather," as Hobson calls it, temperature up to -|-7°. By my desire Dr. Walker is occupied in making every possible experiment upon the freezing of salt water ; the first crop of ice is salt, the second less so, the third produces drinkable water, and the fourth is fresh. Frosty efflorescence appears upon ice formed at low temperatures in calm weather — it is brine expressed by the act of freezing. We need not wonder that dogs, when driven hard over this ice, which soon cuts their feet. ^ V Nov. 1857. THE DOGS' SOUTEE. 65 suffer intense pain, and often fall down in fits ; nor that snow, falling upon young (sea) ice, w^holly or partially thaws, even when the tem- perature is but little above zero ; when near the freezing-point the young ice thus coated over becomes sludgy and unsafe. 29///. — Keen, biting, N.W. winds. No cracks in the ice, therefore no seals. Grey dawn at ten o'clock, and dark at two. The moon is every- where the sailor's friend, she is a source of com- fort to us here. Nothing to excite conversation, except an occasional inroad of the dogs in search of food ; this generally occurs at night. When- ever the deck-light, which burns under the housing happens to go out, they scale the steep snow banking and rush round the deck like wolves. " Why, bless you. Sir, the wery moment that there light goes- out, and the quartermaster turns his back, they makes a regular sort^ iidings, probably one or two centuries old, all of which are situated upon very low points, only just sufficiently raised above the reach of the sea ; such sites, in fact, as would at present be selected by the natives. These ruins show that no perceptible change has taken place in the relative level of sea and land since they were originally constructed. At Petersen's Greenland home, Upemivik, the land has sunk, ; ii V' 70 THRIFT OF THE ARCTIC FOX. Chap. V. R.S Is plainly shown by similar ruins over which the tides now How. Anything which illustrates the habits of ani- mals in such extremely high latitudes I think is most interesting; their instincts must be quick- ened in proportion as the difficulty of subsisting increases. Foxes, white and blue, are very nu- merous ; all the birds are merely summer visitors, therefore the hare is the only creature remaining upon which foxes can prey ; but the hares are comparatively scarce : how then do the foxes live for eight months of each year ? Petersen thinks they store up provisions during the summer in various holes and crevices, and thus manage to eke out an existence during the dark winter sea- son ; he once 'saw a fox carry off eggs in his mouth from an eider-duck's nest, one at a time, until the whole were removed ; and in winter he has observed a fox scratch a hole down through very deep snow, to a cache of eggs beneath. The men are exercised at building snow huts ; for winter or early spring travelling, this knowl- edge is almost indispensable. Upon a calm day the temperature of the external air being -33% within a snow hut the thermometer stood 17° higher, this important difference being due to the transmission of heat through the ice from the sea beneath. Evaporation goes on through ice from the water underneath it. The interior of each snow i a m Dkc. 1857. TIIK AURORA. hut is coated with crystals, and the ice upon which the huts are built is four foot thick, but whcu uo longer in contact with water I cannot discover any evaporation from ice. For inst.Mncc, a canvas S(!reen on deck which became wet by the sudden thaw last month still remains frozen stiff. 14ih. — Of late there has been nnich damp upon the lower deck. This has now been reme- died by enclosing the hatchway within a com- modious snow-porch, which serves as a condenser for the steam and vapor from the inhabited deck below. Idlh. — Light N.W. winds, with occasional mists; the temperature is comparatively mild : -12° to -25°. It is now the time of spring-tides ; they cause numerous cracks in the ice ; but why so, at such a great distance from the land, I cannot explain. The three nearest points of land are respectively 110, 140, and 180 miles distant from us. Much aurora during the last two days. Yester- day morning it was visible until eclipsed by the day-dawn at 10 o'clock. Although we could no longer see it, I do not think it ceased : very thin clouds occupied its place, through which, as through the aurora, stars appeared scarcely dimmed in lustre. I do not imagine that aurora is ever visible in a jperfcdhj clear atmosphere. I often observe it just silvering or rendering lumi- lit fi . f'l 72 AN AnCTlC CHRISTMAS. Ciur. V. nous tlic upper edge of low fog or cloud bjinks, and with a few vertical rays feebly vibrating. Last evening Dr. Walker called uie to witness his success with the electrometer. The electric current was so very weak that the gold-leaves diverged at regular intervals of four or five sec- onds. ^Some hours afterwards it was strong enough to keep them diverged. 2167. — Midwinter day. Out of the Arctic re- gions it is better known as the s/tortest day. At noon we could just read type similar to the lead- ing article of the * Times.* Few people could read more than two or three lines without their eves achinff. 27//i. — Our Christmas was a very cheerful, merry one. The men were supplied with several additional articles, such as hams, plum-puddings, preserved gooseberries and apples, nuts, sweet- meats, and Burton ale. After Divine Service they decorated the lower deck with flags, and made an immense display of food. The officers came down with me to see their preparations. We were really astonished ! The mess-tables were laid out like the counters in a confectioner's shop, with apple and gooseberry tarts, plum and sponge-cakes in pyramids, besides various other unknown puffs, cakes, and loaves of all sizes and shapes. We bake all our own bread, and ex- cellent it is. In the background were nicely- ■M Pkc. 1857. AN AUCTIC CIiniSTMAS. 73 browned hams, meat-pics, cheeses, and odicr substantial articles. Kuni and water in wine- glass'js, and plum-cake, were handed to us: wo wished them a hai)py Christmas, and compli- mented them on their taste and spirit in getting up such a display. Our silken sledge-banners had been borrowed for the occasion, and were re- garded with deference and peculiar pride. In the evening the oflicers were enticed down amongst the men again, and at a late hour I was requested, as a great favor, to come down and see how much they were enjoying themselves. I Ibund them in the highest good humor with themselves and all the world. They were per- fectly sober, and singing songs, each in his turn. I expressed great satisfaction at having seen them enjoying themselves so much and so rationally. I could therefore the better describe it to Lady Franklin, who was so deeply intehested in every- thing relating to them. I drank their healths, and hoped our position next year would be more suitable for our purpose. We all joined in drink- ing the healths of Lady Franklin and Miss Cra- croft, and amid the acclamations which followed 1 returned to my cabin, immensely gratified by such an exhibition of genuine good feeling, such veneration for Lady Franklin, and such loyalty to the cause of the expedition. It was very pleasant also that they had taken the most cheer- ing view of our future prospects. I verily believe 7 ! I !i ' 1,: >■' \ I i 74 NEW YEAR'S DAY. Chap. V. I was the happiest individual on hoard, that happy evening. Our Christmas-box has come in the shape of northerly winds, which bid fair to drift us south- ward towards those latitudes wherein we hope for liberation next spring from this icy bondage. 28//^. — We have been in expectation of a gale all day. This evening there is still a doubtful sort of truce amongst the elements. Barometer down to 28*83 ; thermometer up to -|-^^ although the wind has been strong and steady from the N. for twenty-four hours, low scud flying from the E., snow constantly falling. An hour ago the wind suddenly changed to S.S.E.; the snowing has ceased; thermometer falls and barometer rises. 2nd Jan. 1858. — New- Year's day was a second edition of Christmas, and quite as pleasantly spent. We dwelt much upon the anticipations of the fu- ture, being a more agreeable theme than the fail- ure of the past. I confess to a hearty welcome for the new year — anxious, of course, that we may escape uninjured, and sufficiently early to pursue the object of our voyage. Exactly at midnight on the 31st December the arrival of the new year was announced to me by our band — two flutes and an accordion — strik- ing up at my door. There was also a procession, or perhaps I should say a continuation of the band ; these performers were grotesquely attired, Jan. 1858. SUFFERINGS OF AN AllCTlC PARTY. and armed with frying-pans, gridirons, kettles, pots, and pans, with which to join in and add to the efl'ect of the other music ! We have a very level hard walk alongside the ship ; it is narrowed to two or three yards in width by a snow-bank four feet high. In the face of this bank some twenty-five holes have been excavated for the dogs, and in them they spend most of their time. It looks very formida- ble in the moonlight, being a good imitation of a casemated battery. After our rubber of whist on New Year's night Petersen related to us some of his dreadful suffer- ings when with the party which had left Dr. Kane. They spent the months of October and November in Booth Sound, lat. 77°; all that time upon the verge of starvation, unable to advance or retreat. For these two months they had no other fuel than their small cedar boat, the smoke of which was not endurable in their wretched hut, and without light, for the sun left them in October, unless we except one inch and a half of taper daily, which they made out of a lump of bees'-wax that accidently found its way into their boat before leaving the ship. In December they regained their vessel. I am surprised that no ac- count of the extreme hardships of this party — so far excreding that of their shipmates on board — has ever appeared ; and I regret it, as I believe they owed their lives to the experience and " :il '.fi 76 ICE ACTED ON BY WIND ONLY. Chap. V. fidelity of their interpreter Petersen. At first the Esquimaux assisted them ; latterly they were quite unable to do so, and became anxious to get rid of their visitors. Observing how w^eakened they had become, the Esquimaux endeavored to separate them from their guns and from each other, and even used threatening language. During December we drifted 67 miles, directly down Baffin's Bay towards the Atlantic, and are now in lat. 74°. Although it is quite impossible to discriminate between the several influences which probably govern our movements, or to as- certain how much is due to each of them — such as the relative positions of ice, land, and open water, winds, currents, and earth's rotation — yet it appears in the present instance that the wind is almost the sole agent in hastening this vast conti- imit of ice towards the latitudes of its dissolution. We move before the wind in proportion to its strength : we remain stationary in calm w' eather. Neither surface nor submarine current has been detected ; the large icebergs obey the same influ- ences as the surface ice. We have noticed a slight set to the westward — it is not likely to be produced by current, and may be the result of the earth's motion from west to east. ^iJi. — Many lanes of water. A seal has been seen, the only one for six weeks. Of the old ice which so closely hemmed us in up to the middle of September, there is hardly any within several Jan 1858. RETURN OF THE SUN. 77 miles of us except the large floe-piece we are frozen to. Every crack or lane which opens is quickly covered with young ice, so that it cannot close again ; and in this manner the old ice has been spread out. I rejoice in its dispersion ! To-day I put a tumblerful of our strong ale (AUsopp's) on deck to freeze : this was soon effect- ed, the temperature being -35°. After bringing it below, and when its temperature had risen to 17°, it was almost all thawed — at 22° it was completely so : it looked muddy, but settled after standing for a couple of hours, when I drank it off, in every way satisfied with my experiment and my beer : it seemed none the worse for its freezing, but rather flat from its long exposure in a tumbler. nth. — Northerly winds blow almost constantly. We have drifted 60 miles since the 1st, and are only 115 miles from Upernivik, — once more upon confines of the habitable world ! good light for three hours daily ; all this is cheering. We continue our snow-hut practice, and can build one in three-quarters of an hour. 2Sth, — The upper edge of the sun appeared above the horizon to-day, after an absence of eighty-nine days ; it was a gladdening sight. I sent for the ship's steward and asked what was the custom on such occasions? "To hoist the colors and serve out an extra half-gill, sir," was the ready reply : accordingly, the Harwich lion 78 THE SICK LIST. Chap. V. ;i I soon fluttered in a breeze cool enough to sti3en tlie limbs of ordinary lions, and in the evening the grog Avas issued. SOIL — Our messmate Pussy is unwell, and wont eat; in vain has Hobson tempted her with raw seal's flesh, preserved salmon, preserved milk, etc. ; at length castor-oil was forcibly ad- ministered. Puss is a great favorite. Our finest cog. Sultan, is also sick, and his coat is in bad order; blubber has been prescribed for him; — and poor old Mary has fits, not uncommon after the long winter. Petersen immediately ordered her to be bled by slitting her ear ; but Christian, in. his fright and haste, cropped the tip of it off. These comprise our only medical cases. A dove- kie, in its white winter plumage, and two seals have been seen lately. 16th Feb. — The returning daylight cheers us up wonderfully — not that we were suflfering, either mentally or bodily, but the change is most agreeable ; we can take much longer walks than, were possible during the dark period. The men have been supplied with muskets, and go out sporting as ardently as schoolboys. I took a long walk towards one of our iceberg companions, but could not quite reach it, as weak ice intervened, each step producing an undulation. Finding the point of my knife went through it with but very slight resistance, I gave up the attempt and turned back The ship's masts were scarcely visi- f'ED. 1858. CONSTANT ACTION OF THE ICE. 79 blc in the distance ; almost the whole of the in- tervening ice was of this winter's growth, and in many places much crushed up. Daylight reveals to us evidences of vast ice movements having taken place during the dark months when we fancied all was still and quiet ; and we now see how greatly we have been fa- V3red, what innumerable chances of destruction we have unconsciously escaped ! A few days ago the ice suddenly cracked within ten yards of the ship, and gave her such a smart shock that every one rushed on deck with astonishing alacrity. One of these sudden disruptions occurred between me and the ship when I was returning from the iceberg; the sun was just setting as I found my- self cut off. Had I been on the other side 1 would have loitered to enjoy a refreshing gaze upon this dark streak of water ; but after a smarfc run of about a mile along its edge, and finding no place to cross, visions of a patrol on the floe for the long night of fifteen hours began to obtrude themselves ! At length I reached a place where the jagged edges of the floes met, so crossed and got safely on board. Nothing was seen during this walk of nearly 25 miles except one seal. Recent gales have drifted us rapidly southward ; cracks and lanes are very numerous. On the 1st a blue (or sooty) fox was shot. Al- though 130 geographical miles from the nearest land he was very fat, hence we argue dovekiea t '■■ii p .ii 80 RETURN OF A DESERTER. Chap. V were m'.ich more numerous during winter than we supposed. We have often noticed the tracks of foxes following up those of the bears, probably for discarded scraps of the seals upon which they prey. Hobson's favorite dog " Chummie " has re- turned, after an absence of six days, decidedly hungry, but he can hardly have been without food iill that time ; some fox may have lured him off. He evinced great delight in getting back, devoted his first attentions to a hearty meal, then rubbed himself up against his own particular as- sociates, after which he sought out and attacked the weakest of his enemies, and, soothed by their bowlings, coiled himself up for a long sleep. Isi March. — February has been a remarkably mild, cloudy, windy month : the winter tempera- ture may be said to have passed away by the 10th, the average temperature for the first ten days being -25°, whilst for the remainder of the month it was -11°. Had one fallen asleep for a month at least, he could not reasonably have ex- pected to find a greater change on awaking. Our drift has been also great, — 166 miles. We are south of the 70th parallel, and may soon be ex- pelled from our icy home. On the 24th there was a fearful gale of wind. Had not our housing been very well secured, it must have been blown away. We are preparing for sea, removing the snow from off the deck and round the ship ; our skylights have been dug out Mar. 1858. RETURN OF THE SEALS. 81 (in winter they are always covered with a thick layer of snow), and the flood df light which beams down through them is quite charming. How in- tolerably sooty and smoke-dried everj^thing looks ! On the 2Tth the first seal of this year was shot ; it came in good time, for the fifty-one seals shot in autumn were finished only two days before : our English supply of dogs' food therefore remains almost untouched. Snow was observed to melt against the ship's side exposed to the sun, the thermometer in the shade stand- ing at -22° 1 A very fine dog has died from eating a quantity of salt fish, which he managed to get at although it was supposed to be quite out of his reach. One of the two large icebergs which com- menced this voyage with us last October, in 7of N., has drifted out of sight to the S.E., the other one is far off in the N.W. I attribute these increased distances solely to the spreading abroad of the intervening ice. When we were far north, and probably drifting more slowly than the ice in the stream of Lan- caster Sound to the westward of us, the ship's head turned very gradually from right to left, from N.N.W. to W. ; when about the parallel of 72° N., we supposed ourselves to be drifting faster than the western ice ; in this, as in the previous case, comparing our drift with that of Lieutenant De Haven, the ship's head slowly 82 REVOLVING STORM. Chap. V. n shifted back to the right as far as W.N.W. ; latterly it has not changed at all : we are in a narrower part of Davis* Strait, where the winds probably blow with equal force from shore to shore and drift the whole pack at a uniform rate. M. — On the 2nd four fat seals and some dove- kies were shot; the largest seal weighed 170 lbs., the smallest 150 lbs. ; they were males of the species Phoca hespida, or Phoca foetida, the hitter epithet being by far the most appro- priate at this season ; the disagreeable odor re- sembles garlic, and taints the whole animal so strongly that even Esquimaux are nearly over- powered by it: this is almost the only descrip- tion of seal we have obtained, but the females are at all seasons free from fetor. Several long lanes of water extend at right angles to the straits. The Doctor has taken a photograph of the ship by the albumen process on glass ; the tem- perature at the time was below zero. Upon the 3rd and 4th a well-remarked revolving storm passed nearly over us to the W.N.W. ; its ex- treme diameter was 30 hours, that of the strength of the gale 18 hours ; its centre probably passed about one-tenth of its diameter to the S.W. The barometer was rather high, having risen just be- fore the wind commenced at N. E. ; but it now fell half an inch in ten hours, and continued to fall until the wind shifted — almost suddenly — Mar. 1858. DISCO SIGHTED. f^ 4 through S.E. to S.S.W. ; hnmediately the barom- eter got up rapidly. As the barometer fell, the temperature rose from zero to -|-1^°> ^^^ ^^^^ agahi after the change of wind. This violent storm brought with it a smart hail-shower. The depression of the ice about the bows, in consequence of a vast accumulation of snow-drift upon it, brought the ship down by the head con- siderably ; to-day this ice suddenly detached it- self, and the fore part of the vessel sprang up ; she still remains frozen and held down abaft. The snow-banking looks very woe-begone after this ice-quaJce ; it inclines out from the ship, and in many places has been prostrated by the shock. Early on the morning of the 7th the high land of Disco was seen ; its distance was upwards of 90 milea 1 :ii 84 A BEAR FIGHT. CUAP. VI. j'l CHAPTER VI. A bcar-fight — An ice-nip — Strong gales, rapid drift — The * Fox ' brcalts out of the pack — Hanging on to floe-cdgo — tlio Arctic bear — An ice tournament — The ' Fox ' in peril — A storm in tiie puck — Escape from tlic pack. Wi March. — A bear was seen this morning ; but as he was going away from us, the dogs were brought out in the hope that they might keep him at bay until the sportsmen came up. It was very pretty to see them take up the scent, the moment tliey caught sight of him they set ofi* at full s^Deed. Bruin had seen them first, and in- creased his pace to a clumsy gallop, yet the dogs were soon around him ; he seemed to care but little about them, steadily making off and follow- ing the trending of a recently frozen crack in search of clear water, evidently aware that his persecutors would not follow him there. After five hours all returned on board again ; out of the ten dogs four were wounded by his claws, — skin deep only, — but one of the wounds was seven inches in length, as if made with a sharp knife 1 this was sewed up, the others were merely trimmed, and nature, I am informed, will do all the rest. It is really wonderful what cures Mxn. 1858. SEAL STEAKS. 85 nature and instinct effect: notwithstanding the extreme cold, no external dressings are applied, because the animal must not be prevented from licking its wound. Petersen says this bear must be very thin, else he could not run so flist. I think it very probable that he has been hunted before, and that fear lent him wings. A black w^hale has been seen. 11th. — Two small seals free from taint were shot yesterday, so we had fried liver and steaks for breakfast this morning ; both were good, but the steaks were preferred ; they were very dark and very tender, had been cut thin, deprived of all fat, and washed in two or three waters to get rid of the blubber. 16^/2. — Several long lanes of water have again opened, but now all of them extend parallel to the direction of the straits ; one lane passed with- in 120 yards of the ship ; its extremes are not visible even from aloft ; the ice upon its east side has a more rapid southerly motion than that upon its west side. ISih. — Last night the ice closed, shutting up our lane, but its opposite sides continued for several hours to move past each other, rubbing off all projections, crushing, and forcing out of water masses four feet thick : although 120 yards distant, this pressure shook the ship and cracked the intervening ice. 1 went out with a lantern to see the nip, — 9 ;I5 ' -.♦3 ! 86 AN ICE-NIP. Chap. VI. 1/ it certainly was awe-inspiring ; no one in his senses could avoid reflecting upon the inevitable fate of a ship if exposed to such I'earful pressure. It is now spring tides. lOfh. — All yesterday the lane remained open; in the evening it closed with but slight pressure ; yet as the opposing fields of ice continued to move in opposite directions, all jagged points were brushed off, and the debris thus formed between their edges presented a heaving surface of ice-masses, — an ice river. On the separation of the floes, mass after mass forced itself up to the surface, until at length all the submerged ice had risen, except such as had been forced quite under their edges. One seldom meets with a cleanly fractured floe-edge, they are usually fringed with crushed-up ice or newly formed sludge. 23rd. — Seals and dovekies are now common ; the latter have already made considerable ad- vances towards their summer plumage. Yesterday there was a very heavy S.E. gale ; it blew so furiously, and the snow-drift was so dense, that we could neither hear nor see what was going on twenty yards off; at night the ship, becoming suddenly detached from the ice, heeled over to the storm; until the cause was ascer- tained we thought the ice had broken up and pressed against the ship. It was not so; but when the weather moderated we found that there ad- Mar. 1958. STRONG GALES. 87 liad been heavy pressure upon the edge of the fiscal, — so much, indeed, tlmt the lane of water was now within 70 yards of the * Fox ; * and that ice 4a f'K't thl^'k had been crushed during the storm for a dlntunce of about 50 yards. 25M. — • Strong N.AV. winds hitely, the ship rocking to the breeze, and rub])ing her j)()or sides against the ice, producing a creaking sound which is far from pleasant. More ice squeezing, and a further inroad upon our barrier; it has yielded slightly, nipping the ship, inclining her to port, and lifting her stern about a foot. Orcii- sional groanings within, and surgings of the ice without. Our boats, provisions, sledges, knapsacks, and equipment, are ready for a hasty departure, — beyond this we can do nothing ; as long as our friendly barrier lasts we need not fear, but who can tell the moment it may be demolished, and the ship exposed to destruction? I am scrib- bling within a foot of the sternpost — in fact, there is a notch in my table to receive it ; and 1 sympathize with its constant groanings ; the ice allows it no rest. 21th. — Strong N.W. gale with a return of cold w^eather. We have drifted 39 miles in the last forty-eight hours ! The lane is open ; the whole pack appears to have plenty of room to drift, and, I am happy to add, is taking advan- tage of it, — so much so that the smaller pieces t ii 11 ir i % 88 BREAKING UP OF ICE. Chap. VI. hi floating freely in the lane can hardly go at the same pace. Our remaining winter companion, the iceberg, was in siglit a few days ago, far away to the N.W. ; it may be still visible from aloft, but these March gjiles cut so keenly, that the crow's-nest is but seldom visited. 31s^. — Another N.W. gale ; it is also spring tides, and this conjunction makes one fearful of ice movement and pressure; but it seems as if the pack had more room to move in, as it does not close much. Seals are often shot, bear tracks are common, and narwhals are frequently seen migrating northward. The bears must prefer the night-time for wandering about, else we could not help seeing them ; we often find their tracks within a few hundred yards of the ship. Although the last, yet this is the coldest day of the month — the thermometer down to -27°. The mean temperature for March has been unu- sually high, -3° ; whilst Lieutenant De Haven's was -17°. Notwithstanding that heavy S.E. gales have three times driven us backward, yet we have advanced 100 miles further down Davis' Straits. &h April — To-day we enjoy fine weather, the more so since it comes after a tremendous north- erly gale of forty-eight hours' duration. Two days ago the friendly old floe, so long our bul- wark of defence, was cracked ; the lane of water thus former^ soon widened to 60 yards, passed Apr. 1858. BREAKING UP OF ICE. 89 within 30 yards of the * Fox/ and cut off threo of our boats. Yesterday morning another crack detached the remaining 30 yards from us, and as it widened the ship swung across the opening ; as quickly as we could effect it the ship was again placed alongside the ice and within a projecting point ; had it closed only a few feet whilst she lay across the lane, the consequences must have been very serious. Even to effect this slight change of position we were fully occupied for four hours ; for the gale blew furiously, and ther- mometer stood at 12"^ below zero, and the cold was very much felt ; our hawsers were frozen so stiff as to be quite unmanageable, and we were obliged to use the chain cables to warp the ship into safety. Throughout yesterday the wind continued ex- tremely strong and keen, — fortunately the ice remained perfectly still : our funnels refused to draw up the smoke ; so that between the suffoca- tion, the cold, and anxiety lest the ice should move, our Easter Monday was sufficiently miser- able. The half of our poor dogs were cut off from the ship by the lane, and continued to howl dismally until late, when the new ice over the lane was strong enough to bear them, and they came across to us. To-day we have recovered the boats, shot four seals, seen two whales, and much water to the 8» ■ 'J I i 1 4 I 90 OUT OF THE PACK. Chap. VI. 1 f, in , I eastward; we are in latitude 67° 18' N., and highly delighted with the rapidity of our south- ern drift. 10^^ — Yesterday evening the setting sun ren- dered visible the western land, probably Cape Dyer. We have drifted 70 miles in the last week, and are only 18 miles from De Haven's position of escape ; but as we are two months earlier, we must expect to be carried farther south. 12th. — This morning we drifted ingloriously out of the Arctic regions, and with what very dif- ferent feelings from those with which we crossed the Arctic circle eight months ago ! However, we have not done with it yet ; directly the ice lets us go, we will (D. V.) re-enter the frigid zone, and " try again," with, I trust, better success. A gull and a few terns appeared to-day ; these are the first of our summer visitors. The tem- perature improves; yesterday at one o'clock it was -|-19° in the shade, -\-16° in the crow's-nest 70 feet high, and -[-^1° against a black surface exposed to the sun. IQtk — Last night a bear came to the ship, w^as wounded, but escaped; to-day the tracks were followed up for three miles, the bear found, and again wounded — finally the unlucky beast was shot in the water seven miles from the ship ; it was lost in consequence of the rapid drifting of the ice, which ran over the floating carcase. Apr. 1858. DOGS LOST. 91 To-night a dense fog-bank rests upon the water to the southward ; its upper edge is illuminated ]>y aurora, showing a faint tremulous light. 17t/i. — Another northerly gale ; holding fast to the ice with three hawsers ; snow-drift limits the view to a couple of miles, so all to the eastward appears water, and to the westward ice. Lust night the ice opened considerably ; to se- cure the ship occupied us for six hours ; several of the dogs were again cut off; as the ice they were on was rapidly drifting away, I sent a boat to recover them ; it was a difficult and hazardous business, but at length the boat and dogs re- turned in safety, to my great relief, for it was both dark and late. 18^^. — Yesterday morning when I wrote up my journal, I was hoping to hold on quietly to the floe-edge until the wind moderated, when with clear weather we could take advantage of the openings and make some progress towards the clear sea. We were unable to hold on, for the floe-edge broke away, setting us adrift ; some time was occupied in fetching off the boats and dogs, — five of the latter unfortunately would not allow themselves to be caught. As speedily as possible the rudder was shipped and sail set, and before three o'clock the ship was running fast to the eastward ! During the night the ice closed, and at daylight scarcely any water was visible ; with the exception of a couple of icebergs, all the ice t ! 11 tm •t 'I m THE ARCTIC BEAR. Chap. VT. I I in sight was not more than two clays old; it mainly owes its origin and rapid growth to the immense quantities of snow blown off the pack. It still blows hard, and the thermometer stands at 11°. A sudden opening of the ice this fore- noon allowed us to run a few miles southward, and then it closed again ; we are now surrounded by young ice. 20t/i. — We have been carried rapidly past the position where the Arctic discovery ship ' Reso- lute ' was picked up. Yesterday three bears, a fulmar petrel, and a snow bunting were seen ; to-day a fine bear came within 150 yards, and was shot by our sportsmen ; as they were standing round it afterwards upon the ice, a small seal, the only one seen for several days, popped up its head as if to exult over its fallen enemy — it was of course instantly shot : we have learnt to esteem seaVs liver for breakfast very highly. It seems hardly right to call polar bears land animals; they abound here, — 110 geographical miles from the nearest land, — upon very loose broken-up ice, which is steadily drifting into the Atantic at the rate of 12 or 14 miles daily ; to re- main upon it would insure their destruction were they not nearly amphibious ; they hunt by scent, and are constantly running across and against the wind, which prevails from the northward, so that the same instinct which directs their search for Apr. 1858. THE ARCTIC BEAR. 93 prey, also serves the important purpose of guid- ing them in the direction of the land and more solid ice. I remarked that the upper part of both Bruin's fore-paws were rubbed quite bare; Petersen ex- plains that to surprise the seal a bear crouches down with his fore-paws doubled underneath, and pushes himself noiselessly forward with his hind- er legs until within a few yards, when he springs upon the unsuspecting victim, whether in the water or upon the ice. The Greenlanders are fond of bear's flesh, but never eat either the heart or liver, and say that these parts cause sickness. No instance is known of Greenland bears attack- ing men, except when wounded or provoked; they never disturJi the Esquimaux graves, although they seldom fail to rob a cache of seal's flesh, which is a similar construction of loose stones above ground. A native of Upernivik, one dark winter's day, was out visiting his seal-nets. He found a seal entangled, and, whilst kneeling down over it upon the ice to get it clear, he received a slap on the back — from his companion as he supposed ; but a second and heavier blow made him look smartly round. He was horror-stricken to see a pecu- liarly grim old bear instead of his comrade ! with- out deigning further notice of the man. Bruin tore the seal out of the net and commenced his sup- li .1 , y V i' .,, 1'' V ■ i i 1 J ^ ^• r '.' i ■ i i» ^ f| ,f ■ « ■ ■':. 1^' ' i ;i wt I 94 THE OCEAN SWELL. Chap. VL 1 u .liiii ^i per. He was not interrupted ; nor did the man wait to see the meal finished. I had long ago resolved, if we escaped before the 15th, or the 20th April at the latest, to go to Newfoundland to refresh the crew and to refit, even if no damage from the ice should be sus- tained. In order to do so it would have been necessary for us to visit a Greenland port for a supply of water. We could not have calculated upon much assistance from our engines upon such a voyage, Mr. Brand alone being capable of work- ing the engines, so that ten or twelve hours daily is all the steaming that could have been ex- pected. But we are still ice-locked, so T purpose going to Holsteinborg in preference to a more southern port, as there we may expect to get reindeer and a small supply of stores suitable to our wants. The whalers sometimes reach Disco in March. Upernivik in May, and the North Water early in June. Unless we should be at once set free, we would not have time to spare for a Newfoundland voyage. 2itk — Another anxious week has passed. Lai> terly we have experienced south-westerly cur- rents similar to those which Parrv describes when beset here in June, 1819. To-day we have had a strong S.E. breeze, with snow and dark weather. The wind had greatly moderated when the swell ^PR. 1S58 AN ICE-TOURNAMENT. 05 reached us about eight o'clock this evening. It is now ten o'clock ; the long ocean swell already lifts its crest five feet above the hollow of the sea, causing its thick covering of icy fragments to dash against each other and against us with un- pleasant violence. It is however very beautiful to look upon, the dear old familiar ocean-swell ! it has long been a stranger to us, and is welcome in our solitude. If the ' Fox ' was as solid as her neighbors, I am quite sure she would enter into this ice-tournament with all their apparent hearti- ness, instead of audibly making known her suffer- ings to us. Every considerable surface of ice has been broken into many smaller ones ; with feel- ings of exultation I watched the process from aloft. A floe-piece near us, of 100 yards in diame- ter, was speedily cracked so as to resemble a sort of labyrinth, or, still more, a field-spider's web. In the course of half an hour the family resem- blance was totally lost; they had so battered each other, and struggled out of their original regularity. The rolling sea can no longer be checked; "the pack has taken upon itself the functions of an ocean," as Dr. Kane graphically expresses it, 26//*. — At sea! How am I to describe the events of the last two days? It has pleased God to accord to us a deliverance in which His merci- ful protection contrasts — how strongly! — with our own utter helplessness; as if the successive i r»TT! I : n THE ' FOX ' IN PERIL. ClIAP. VI. mercies vouchsafed to us during our long, long winter and mysterious ice-drift had been con- centrated and repeated in a single act. Thus forcibly does His great goodness come home to the mind ! I am in no humor for writing, being still tired, seedy, and perhaps a little seasick ; at least I have a headache, caused by the rolling of the ship and rattling noise of everything. On Saturday night, the 24th, I went on deck to spend the greater part of it in watching, and to determine what to do. The swell greatly in- creased; it had evidently been approaching for hours before it reached us, since it rose in propor- tion as the ice was broken up into smaller pieces. In a short time but few of them were equal in size to the ship's deck ; most of them not half so large. I knew that near the pack-edge the sea would be very heavy and dangerous; but the wind was now fair, and having auxiliary steam- power, I resolved to push out of the ice if possi- ble. Shortly after midnight the ship was under sail, slowly boring her way to the eastward ; at two o'clock on Sunday morning commenced steaming, the wind having failed. By eight o'clock we had advanced considerably to the eastward, and the swell had become dangerously high, the waves rising ten feet above the trough of the sea. The shocks of the ice against the ship were alarmingly ■^~-n Apr. 1858. CLEAR OF THE PACK. 97 heavy ; it became necessary to steer exactly head- on to swell. We slovvlj^ passed a small iceberg 60 or 70 feet high ; the swell forced it crashing through the pack, leaving a small water-space in its wake, but sufficient to allow the soas to break against its cliffs, and throw the spray in heavy showers quite over its summit. The day wore on without change, except that the snow and mists cleared off Gradually the swell increased, and rolled along more swiftly, becoming in fact a very heavy regular sea, rather than a swell. The ice often lay so closely packed that we could hardly force ahead, although the fair wind had again freshened up. Much heavy hummocky ice and large berg-pieces lay dispersed through the pack ; a single thump from au}^ of them would have been instant destruction. By live o'clock the ice became more loose, and clear spaces of water could be seen ahead. We went faster, received fewer though still more severe shocks, until at length we had room to steer clear of the heaviest pieces ; and at eight o'clock we emerged from the villanous " pack," and were running fast through straggling pieces into a clear sea. The engines were stopped, and Mr. Brand permitted to rest after eighteen hours' duty, for we now have no one else capable of driving the engmes. Throughout the day I trembled for the safety of the ru ider, and screw ; deprived of the one or (■ , Q tm\' U8 DANGER FROM ICKMASSKS. Chap. VI. the other, even for half an hour, I think our fate would have been sealed ; to have steered in any other direction than ar/aml the swell would have exposed, and probably sacrificed both. Our bow is very strongly fortified, well plated externally with iron, and so very sharp that the ice-masses, repeatedly hurled against the ship by the swell as she rose to meet it, were thus robbed of their destructive force ; they struck us ob- liquely, yet caused the vessel to shjike violently, the bells to ring, and almost knocked us off our legs. On m,any occasions tLe engines were stopped dead by ice choking the screw ; once it was some minutes before it could be got to re- volve again. Anxious moments those ! After yesterdaj^'s experience I can understand how men's hair has turred grey in a few hours. Had self-reliance been my only support and hope, it is not impossible that I might have illustrated the fact. Under the circumstances I did my best to insure our safety, looked as stoical as possible, and inwardly trusted that God would favor our exertions. What a release ours has been, not only from eight months* imprisonment, but from the perils of that one day ! Had our little vessel been destroyed after the ice broke up, there re- mained no hope for us. But we have been brought safely through, and are all truly grateful, I hope, and believe. I grieve to think of poor Lady Franklin and I « Apr. 1858. STEERING FOR IIOLSTEINBORG. 09 our friends at home. Severely as we have felt the failure of our first season's operations, yet the ordeal is now over with us : not so with her and them, — they have still to experience that bitter disappointment. Our distance within the pack-edge, where wo first made sail yesterday, was 22 miles. Before we got clear of the ice the height of the waves was ISJ feet ; after passing through the last of it there w^as no increase, but the sea was more con- fused; in fact, within the ice all minor disturb- ances were quelled or merged into one regular fast-following swell. The ship and her machinery behaved most admirably in the struggle ; should I ever have to pass through such an ice-covered, heaving ocean again, let me secure a passage in the ' Fox.' > During our 242 days in the packed-ice of Baf- fin's Bay and Davis' Straits we were drifted 1194 geographical or 1385 statute miles ; it is the long- est drift I know of, and our winter, as a whole, may be considered as having been mild, but very wind}'-. We are steering now for Holsteinborg, where I intend to refit and refresh the crew ; it is re- puted to be the best place for reindeer upou the coast. if I :.. m 3 ml 100 AN'CUOnEn AT IIOLSTEINBORG. Cuap. VIL CHAPTER VII. A holiday in Greenland — A lady blue with cold — Tlio loves of Green* landers — Close shavinr^ — Meet the wlialcrs — Information of whal* crs — Disco — Danish hospitality — Sail from Disco — Kindness of the whalers — Danish establishments in Greenland. Wednesday nigJd, April 2Wi. — Safely anchored at Holsteinborg, and moored to the rocks ; a charm- ing change, after our position only a few days back. We have been visited by the Danish resi- dents — the chief trader or governor, the priest, and two others : their latest European intelligence is not more recent than our own, but the Danish ship is hourly expected; she usually leaves Co- penhagen about the middle of March. The winter here has been just the reverse of our own experience ; it has been severe in point of temperature, but with very little wind ; the land lies buried in snow, and as yet there is no thaw ; it is too early for the codfishery, and riot a single reindeer has been killed throughout the winter! Eider-ducks, looms, and dovekies are abundant, as well as hares and ptarmigan. 2^th, — A bright and lovely day. Our poor, half-famished dogs have been landed near the carcases of four whales, so they must be su- Apn. 1 858. HOLIDAY IN GRKENLAND. 101 prcmcly happy. I visited the Governor to-day, and found his little wooden house as scrupulously clean and neat as the houses of the Danish res- idents in Greenland invariably are. The only ornaments about the room were portraits of his unfortunate wife and two children: they em- barked at Copenhagen last year to rejoin him, and the ill-fated vessel has never since been heard of. Poor Governor Elberg is in ill health, and talks of returning home — by home lie means Denmark, the land of his birth, and where once he had a home. 30M. — This is a grand Danish holiday ; the in- habitants are all dressed in their Sunday clothes — at least, all w^ho have got a change of gar- ments — and there is both morning and evening service in the small wooden church. As the Governor could not be persuaded to unlock the door of the dance-house, our men returned on board early ; yesterday evening they were all on shore, and, with the Esquimaux, were squeezed into this one large room: to be squeezed in a crowd of human beings is positive enjoyment after a w^inter's isolation such as ours has been. Old Harvey constituted himself master of the ceremonies, and with his flute led the orchestra ; it consisted of one other flute and a flddle ; he managed to perch himself above all the rest, at one end of the room, and played with such vigor that our bluejackets and the Esquimaux 9* » ' .. i^ I t. ) I \ m »jiuLm i iiiMi 128 ICE CLOSING AGAIN. Chap. VIU 1 ' 1 erably loose ; the wind was fresh at E.S.E., so I determined once more to push into it, and en- deavor to battle our way through; I hoped it would prove to be merely a belt of 30 or 40 miles in width. We found the ice to lie for the most part in streams at right angles to the wind, and therefore much more open than it had appeared : there was seldom any difficulty in winding through it fi'om one water space to another. The wind greatly increased, bringing much rain, but for- tunately no fog; — the dread of this hung over me like a nightmare, — -our progress depended upon the vigilance of the look-out kept in the crowVnest. By noon we had made good 60 miles. Throughout the day the wind has gradu- ally moderated: the rain gave place to snow, which in its turn was succeeded by mist. The evening was fine eventually and clear ; but still we find the ice is all around. Just before mid- night the termination of our lead was discovered, whilst the ice through which we had passed was closing together, and a dense fog came rolling down. Under these circumstances the ship was made fnst as near to the nip as safety permitted, to await some favorable change. IQih. — All the 7th we remained in our small basin, there being no outlet from it, and but little water anywhere visible. To pass away the dull hours and get rid of unwelcome reflections upon the similarity of our present position and that in July, 1858. STRUGGLING TO THE WESTWARD. 129 •i 1 August last, I commenced an attack upon all the feathered denizens of the pack — they seemed so provokingly contented with it — but they soon became wary, and deserted our vicinity, so I shot only a dozen fulmar petrels, three ivory gulls, two looms,* and a Lestm pamsiUcus ; some of them were useful as specimens, and such as were not destined for our table were given to the dogs. Although Cobourg Island was 45 miles distant from us, its lofty rounded outlines were very distinct, and much covered with snow. On the 8th we squeezed through nips for 4 or 5 miles, and on the 9th, reaching a large space of water, steamed towards Cobourg Island until again stopped by the pack at an early hour this morn- ing, when within 5 or 6 leagues of it. This evening we are endeavoring to steam in towards the West-land, and fancy we can trace with the crow's-nest telescope a practicable route through the intervening ice-mazes to a faint streak of water along the shore. This sort of navigation is not only anxious, but wearying. To me it seems as if several months instead of only eight days had elapsed since we left Cape York. We are constantly wondering what our whaling friends are about, and where they are ? \itk — The faint streak of water seen on the night of the lOtli proved to be an extensive sheet 1^: 'A !! H * These birds are called willocks at homo ; they are the " Uria Bruani- chU " of naturalists. '*-? I j 130 VISIT OF NATIVES. Chap. Vlli 1 ''. : « t\ I i m to leeward of Cobourg Island. We reached it next morning. Jones' Sound appeared open, and a slight swell reached us from it, but all along the shore there was close pack. Although but little water was visible to the southward, we persevered in that direction, and, as the ice was rapidly mov- ing offshore under the combined influence of wind and tide, we were only occasionally detained. Two hunured and forty-two years ago — to a day, I believe — William Baffin sailed without hindrance along this coast and discovered Lancas- ter Sound. What a very different season he must have experienced ! Passing near Cape Horsburgh we approached De Ros Islet at midnight. The air being very calm, and still, the shouting of some natives was heard, although we could scarcely distinguish them upon the land-ice. The ship was made fast, and the shouting party, consisting of three men, three women, and two children, eagerly came on board. Only four individuals remained on shore. The old chief Kal-lek is remarkable amongst Esquimaux for having a bald head. He inquired by name for his friend Captain Inglefield. These three families have spent the last two years upon this coast, between Cape Horsburgh and Croker Bay. Their knowledge does not extend further in either direction. They are natives of more southern lands, and crossed the ice in Lancaster Sound with dog-sledges. Since the visit of the JcLT. 1858. OFF LANCASTER SOUND. 131 \- * Phoenix' in '54 they have seen no ships, nor have any wrecks drifted upon their sliores. They seemed very fat and healthy, but complained that all the reindeer had gone away, and asked if tve could tell where they went to ? Our presents of wood, knives, and needles were eagi ;ly received. They assured us that Lancaster Sound w^as still frozen over, and that all the sea was covered with pack. After half an hour's delay we steamed on- ward, and on reaching a larger space of water our hopes (somewhat depressed by the native intel- ligence) began to revive. But we soon found that our clear water terminated near Cape Warrender. Lancaster Sound, although not frozen over, was crammed full of floes and icebergs. The wind in- creased to a strong gale from the east, and pressed in more ice. At length the ship was with difficulty made fast to a strip of land-ice a few miles west- ward of Point Osborn. Gradually the gale sub- sided, but not until the pack was close in against the land. The tides kept sweeping it to and fro, to our great discomfort. The land is composed of gneiss, and the gravelly shore is low. A few ducks only have been shot, and traces of reindeer and hares seen. Our Melville Bay friends, the rotchies, are very rare visitors upon this side of Baffin's Bay. Part of a ship's timber has been found upon the beach ; it measures 7 inches by 8 inches, is of American oak, and, although sound, has long been exposed to the weather. ■t' U ! u ;4'' m 1 m A U I ■ i Ml 132 OFF CAPE WARRENDER. Chap. IX. CHAPTER IX. Off Capo Warrender — Sight the whalers again — Enter Pond's Bay— . Communicate with Esquimaux — Ascend Pond's Inlet — Esquimaux information — Arctic summer abode — An Arctic village — No intel- ligence of Franklin's ships — Arctic trading — Geographical infor- mation of natives — Information of Rae's visit — Improvidence of Esquimaux — Travels of Esquimaux. 16M July, — To borrow a whaling phrase, we are " dodging about in a hole of water " off Cape War- render. I recognize the little bay just to the west of the cape where Parry landed in Septem- ber, 1824. The " immense mass of snow and ice containing strata of muddy-looking soil " is there still, and, I should thiiik, had considerably in- creased. Here his party shot three reindeer out of a small herd. We have narrowly scanned the steep hill-sides with our glasses, but without dis- covering any such inducement to land. No cairns are visible upon Cape Warrender; the natives have probably removed them. Dense pack prevents us from approaching Port Dundas or crossing to the southern shore. We all find these vexatious delays are by no means condu- cive to sleep. The mind is busy with a sort of magic-lantern representation of the past, the pre&« IX. July, 1858. THE WHALERS AGAIN. 183 m ent, and the future, and resists for weary hours the necessary repose. 17th. — Last night's calm has allowed the pack to expand so much, that to-day we have steamed through it until within three miles of the noble cliffs of Cape Hay ; and now we are drifting east- ward with the ice precisely as did the * En- terprise * and ' Investigator,' in September, '49. Upon that occasion we were set free off Pond's Bay. There is a very extensive loomery at Cape Hay ; we regret the circumstances which prevent our levying a tax upon it. Here, if anywhere, I expected to find a clear sea, but east winds have prevailed for twenty days out of the last twenty- five, and this accounts for the present state of the sea ; the next succession of west winds will prob- ably effect a prodigious clearance of ice. '^Xst — The * Tay ' was seen to-day in loose ice, and much further off* the land. She gradually steamed through it to the southward, and by night was almost out of sight. Her appearance surprised us, as we supposed she must have reached Pond's Bay long ago. Ten hours' strug- gling with steam and sails at the most favorable intervals has only advanced us five miles. The weather is remarkably warm, bright, and pleas- ant. A very large bear came within 150 yards, and was shot by Petersen, the Minie bullet pass- ing through his body. This beast measured 8 ft. 3 in. in length ; his fat carcase was hoisted 12 \ : \ 134 OFF CAPE WALTER BATHURST. Chap. DC. I 1! on board with great satisfaction, as our dogs' food was nearly expended. 24M. — Last night the ice became slack enough to afford some prospect of release, so we charged the nips vigorously, and steamed away through devious openings towards Cape Fanshawe. For several hours but little progress was made, but this morning the ice became more open ; clear water was seen ahead, and reached by noon. Al- though it is calm I prefer waiting for a breeze to expending more coals. We are only ten miles from Possession Bay. The air is so very clear that the land appears quite close to us. All that is not mountainous is well cleared of snow. There is immense refraction. Only a single ice- berg in sight. The sea-water is light green, as remarked by Parry in 1819. 2Qth. — A vessel was seen yesterday morning ; the day continuing calm, we steamed through some loose ice, and joined her off Cape Walter Bathurst in the evening. It proved to be the * Diana;' she parted from us on the 16th of June in Melville Bay, has everywhere been obstructed by the pack, as we have been, and only reached Cape Warrender three days before us. From thence to Possession Bay she met with no ohstnic- tion. The subsequent east winds brought in all the ice which has so much retarded us. The 'Diana' harj already captured twelve whales. Taking the hint from Capt. Gravill, .IX. bod ugh ged ugh For but as i JcLT, 1858. ENTER PONTl'S BAY. 135 we have made fuse to a loose floe, and are drift- ing very nearly a mile an hour to the south- ward along the edge of a very formidable land- ice, which is seven or eight miles broad. All to seaward of us is packed ice. The old whaling seamen of the ' Diana * are astonished at the unu- sual and unaccountable abundance of ice which everywhere fills up Baffin's Bay. All the * Diar na's' steaming coals, her spare spars, wood and even a boat, have been burnt in the protracted struggle through the middle ice. 27th. — After putting our letter-bag on board the * Diana* this morning we steamed on for Pond's Bay, and at noon made fast near But- ton Point to the land-ice, which still extends across it. For four hours Petersen and I have been bar- gaining with an old woman and a boy, not for the sake of their seal-skins, but in order to keep them in good humor whilst we extracted information from them. They said they knew nothing of ships or white people ever having been within this inlet, nor of any wrecked ships. They knew of the depot of provisions left at Navy Board Inlet bv the * North Star,' but had none of them. The woman has traced on paper the shores of the inlet as far as her knowledge extends, and has given me the name of every point. She says the ice will break up with the first fresh wind. These two individuals are alone here. They remained I m 136 COMMUNICATE WITH ESQXnMAUX. Chap. IX. ,i.* 1^ ll > f Ik I m ^;ii :li on purpose to barter with the whalers, and can* not now rejoin their frieijds, who are only 25 miles up the inlet, because the ice is unsafe to travel over and the land precipitous and imprac- ticable. This afternoon the ' Tay ' stood in towards us, and Captain Deuchars kindly sent his boat on board with an offer to take charge of our letters. The * Tay * reached this coast only a few days ago, having met with the same difficulties which we experienced. The ^ Innuit ' was last seen nearly a month ago beset off Jones* Sound. The re- maining steamer, the * Chase,' has not been seen or heard of 29th. — The old woman's denial of all knowl- edge of the wrecks or cast-away men was very unsatisfactory. I determined to visit her coun- trymen at their summer village of Kaparoktolik, which she described as being only a short day's journey up the inlet. Petersen and one man accompanied me. We started yesterday morning with a sledge and a Hal- kett boat. Although the ice over which we pur- posed travelling broke away from the land soon after setting out, yet we managed to get half way to the village before encamping. This morning we learnt the truth of the old woman's account. A range of precipitous cliffs rising from the sea cut us off* by land from Kaparoktolik, so we were obliged to return to the ship. Our walk afforded /, Jolt, 1858. EXAMINE NATIVE CACHES. 137 the opportunity of examining some native en- campments and caches. We found innumerable scraps of seal-skins, bird-skins, walrus and other bones, whalebone, blubber, and a small sledge. The latter was very old, and composed of pieces of wood and of large bones ingeniously secured to- gether with strips of whalebone. Five preserved- meat tins were found ; some of them retaining their original coating of red paint. Doubtless these were part of the spoils from Navy Board Inlet depot. The total absence of fresh wood or iron was strongly in favor of the old woman's ve- racity. Since yesterday, ice, about 16 miles in extent, has broken up in the inlet, and is drifting out into Baffin's Bay. During my absence our shooting parties have twice visited a loonier?/ upon Cape Graham Moore, and each time have brought on board 300 looms. Very few birds and no other animals were seen during our walk over the rich mossy slopes to-day. I saw a pair of Canadian brown cranes, the first of the species I have ever seen so far north, though Sir Robert M'Clure found them, I knov\r, on Bank's Land. The lands enjoying a southern aspect, even to the summits of hills 700 or 800 feet in height, were tinged with green ; but these hills were pro- tected by a still loftier range to the north. Upon many well-sheltered slopes we found much rich grass. All the little plants were in full flower ; 12* 11 Si ;!i |i J 138 ASCEND POND'S INLET. Chap. IX. some of them ilimiliar to us at home, such as the buttercup, sorrel, and dandelion. I have never found the latter to the north of 69° before. The old woman is much less excited to-day; she says there was a wreck upon the coast when she was a little girl ; it lies a day and a half's journey, about 45 miles, to the north ; and came there without masts and very much crushed ; the little which now remains is almost buried in the sand. A piece of this wreck was found near her abode, — she has neither hut nor tent, but a sort of lair constructed of a few stones and a seal-skin spread over them, so that she can crawl under- neath. This fragment is part of a floor timber, English oak, Ti inches thick ; it has been brought on board. 30^^. — A gale of wind and deluge of rain has detained the ship imtil this evening ; we are now steaming up the inlet, having the old lady and the boy on board as our pilots ; they are delighted at the prospect of rejoining their friends, from whom they were effectually cut off until the re- turn of winter should freeze a safe pathway for them ; they had, however, abundance of looms stored up en cache for their subsistence. She has drawn me another chart, much more neatly than the former, but so like it as to prove that her geographical knowledge, and not her powers of invention, have been taxed. She is a widow ; her daughter is married, and lives at a place called Auo. 1858. ESQUIMAUX INFORMATION. 130 Igloolik, which is six or seven cLiys* journey from here, — three days up the inlet, then ahout three days overland to the southward, and then a day over the ice. Thinking it not quite impossihle that this Ig- loolik might be the place where Parry wintered in 1822-3, 1 told Petersen to ask whether ships had ever been there? She answered, "Yes, a ship stopped there all one winter; but it is a long time ago." All she could distinctly recollect having been told about it was, that one of the crew died, and was buried there, and his name was Al-lah or El-leh. On referring to Parry's * Narrative,' I found that the ice-mate, Mr. Elder, died at Igloo- lik ! This is a very remarkable confirmation of the locality, — ^for there are several places called Igloolik, She also told us it was an island, and near a strait between two seas. The Esquimaux take considerable pains to learn, and remember names ; this woman knows the names of several of the whaling captains, and the old chief at De Ros Islet remembered Captain Inglefield's name, and tried hard to pronounce mine. She now told us of another wreck upon the coast, but many days' journey to the south of Pond's Bay ; it came there before her first child was born. Her age is not less than forty-five. August Uh. — Our Esquimaux friends have de- parted from us with every demonstration of friend- ship, to return to their village. We have had ')' ' I fi:i i! " •I w. 140 TOOLS USED BY THE ESQUIMAUX. Chap. IX I i free communication with them for four days-^ not only through Mr. Petersen, hut also through our two Greenlanders; the result is, that they have no knowledge whatever of either of the missing or the ahandoned searching ships. Nei- ther wrecked people nor wrecked ships have reached their shores. They seemed to be much in want of wood ; most of what they have con- sists of staves of casks, probably from the Navy Board Inlet depot. In their bartering with us, saws were most eagerly sought for in exchange for narwhal's horns ; they are used by them in cutting up the long strips of the bones of whales with which they shoe the runners of their sledges, also the ivory and bone used to protect the more exposed parts of their kayaks and the edges of their pad- dles from the ice. Files were also in great demand, and I found were required to convert pieces of iron-hoop into arrow and spear heads. If any suspicion existed of their having a secret supply of wood such as a wreck or even a boat would afford, it was removed by their refusing to barter the most trifling things for axes or hatchets. But I must relate the events of the last few days as they occurred. When 17 miles within the inlet we reached the unbroken ice and made the ship fast. Here the strait — originally named Pond*s Baf/, and more recently Eclipse Sound —^ Aug. 1858. ARCTIC SUMMER ABODES. 141 appears to be most contracted, its width not ex- ceeding 7 or 8 miles. Both its shores are very bold and lofty, often forming noble precipices. TJie prevailing rock is grey gnei.^s, generally dip- ping at an angle of 35° to the west. Early on the 1st of August I set out for the na- tive village with Ilobson, Petersen, two men, and the two natives from Button Point. Eight miles of wet and weary ice-travelling, which occupied as many hours, terminated our journey ; the sur- face of the ice was everywhere deeply channelled and abundantly flooded by the summer's thaw ; we were almost constanly launching our small boat over the slippery ridges which separated pools or channellings through which it was gener- ally necessary to wade. After toiling round the base of a precipice, we came rather suddenly in view of a small semicircu- lar bay ; the cliffs on either side were 800 or 900 feet high, remarkably forbidding and desolate ; the mouth of a valley or wide mountain gorge opens out into its head. Here, in the depth of the bay, upon a low flat strip of land, stood seven tents, — the summer village of Kaparok-to-lik. I never saw a locality more characteristic of the Esqui- maux than that which they have here selected for their abode ; it is widely picturesque in the true Arctic application of the term. Although August had arrived, and the summer had been a warm one, the bay was still frozen I .! I i jllI 111 ll fi 1! .-1' i' r^ 142 AN ARCTIC VILLAGE. Chap. IX. t tl: over ; and if there was an ice-covered sea in front, there was also abundance of ice-covered land in the rear — a glacier occupied the whole valley behind and to within 300 yards of the chosen spot ! The glacier's height appeared to be from 150 to 200 feet ; its sea-face extending across the valley, — a probable width of 300 or 400 yards, — was quite perpendicular, and fully 100 feet high. All last winter's snow had thawed away from off it and exposed a surface of mud and stones, fis- sured by innumerable small rivulets, which threw themselves over the glacier cliffs in pretty cas- cades, or shot far out in strong jets from their deeply serried channels in its face ; w^hilst other streamlets near the base burst out through sub- glacial tunnels of their own forming. What a strange people to confine themselves to such a mere strip of beach ! Upon each side they have towering rocky hills rising so abruptly from the sea, that to pass along their bases or ascend over their summits, is equally impossible ; whilst a threatening glacier immediately behind, bears onward a sufficient amount of rock and earth from the mountains whence it issues, to convince even the unreflectmg savage of its progressive motion. The land is devoid of game, although lemmings and ermines are tolerably numerous ; it only sup- plies the moss which the natives burn with blub- ber in their lamps, and the dry grass which they put in their boots ; even the soft stone, kpis olio- IX. )nt. 1 11 ! \ , 1 |:| \V. • 1 1 1 ^Ba (!«: 'i ; n i li\ ft n ^; fl; 'V r \ if Auo. 1858. AN ARCTIC VILLAGE. 143 m, out of which their lamps and cooking vessels are made and the iron pyrites with which they strike fire, are obtained by barter from the people inliabiting the land to the west of Navy Board Inlet. But the sea compensates for every defi- ciency. The assembled population amounted to only 25 souls : 9 men, the rest women and chil- dren. All of them evinced extreme delight at seeing us ; as we approached the huts the women and children held up their arms in the air and shout- ed " Pilletay " (give me), incessantly; the men were more quiet and dignified, yet lost no oppor- tunity, either when we declined to barter, or when they had performed any little service, to repeat " Pilletay " in a beseeching tone of voice. We walked everywhere about the tents and entered some of them, carefully examining every chip or piece of metal ; our visit was quite unex- pected. They had only two sledges ; both were made of 2Mnch oak-planks, devoid of bolt-holes or treenails, and having but very few nail-holes. These sledges had evidently been constructed for several years, the parts not exposed to friction were covered with green fungus: one of them measured 14 feet long, the other about 9 feet ; we were told the wood came from a wreck to the southward of Pond's Bay. Most of the sledge crossbars were ordinary staves of casks. Amongst the poles and large bones which supported thu ii ; H I : 'I a u '■J [ t i : I • i 1 U4 NO INTELLIGENCE OF FRANKLIN. Chap. IX. tents we noticed a painted fir oar. Some pieces of iron-hoop and a few preserved-meat tins — one of which was stamped "Goldner," — completed their stock of European articles. Petersen questioned all the men separately as to their knowledge of ships or wrecks ; but their ac- counts only served to confirm the old woman's story. None of them had ever heard of ships or wrecks anywhere to the westward. Both individu- ally and collectively we got them to draw charts of the various coasts known to them, and to mark upon them the positions of the wrecks. The two chiefs, Noc-luk and A-wah-lah, soon made them- selves known to me, and, when we desired to go to sleep, sent away the people who were eagerly pressing round our tent. All these natives were better-looking, cleaner, and more robust than I expected to find them. A-wah-lah has been to Igloolik; one of his wives, for each chief has iivo^ has a brother living there. I spread a large roll of paper upon a rock, and got him to draw the route overland, and also round by the coast to it; this novel proceeding attracted the whole population about us ; A-wah- lah constantly referred to others when his memory failed him ; at length it was completed to the sat- isfaction of all parties. When I gave him the knife I had promised as his reward, and added another for his wives, he sprang up on the rock, flourished the knives in his hands, shouted, and >:. ;^?^ IX. Aug. 1858. AGAIN IN DANGER. 145 k danced with extravagant demonstrations of joy. He is a very fine specimen of his race, powerful, impulsive, full of energy and animal spirits, and moreover an admirable mimic. The men were all about the same height, 5 feet 5 in. ; they eagerly answered our questions, and imparted to us all the geographical knowledge, although at first they hesitated when we asked them about Navy Board Inlet, in consequence of the depot placed there having been plundered ; but we soon found that they were easily tired under cross-examination, and often said they knew no more ; it was neces- sary to humor them. According to their account the depot was dis- covered and robbed by people living further west. This is probably true, as so few relics were to be tooen here, which would not be the case if such active fellows as A-wah-lah and Noo-luk had re- ceived the first information of its proximit3\ These people of Kaparoktolik are the only inhabitants of the land lying eastward of Navy Board Inlet, and live entirely upon its southern shore. In a similar manner, it is only the southern coast of the land to the west of Navy Board Inlet that is inhabited. After distributing presents to all the women and children, and making a few trifling purchases from the men, we returned next day to the ship. During my absence more ice had broken away, involving the ship and almost forcing her on shore. 13 K :i ■ t ; ;■? .1. tfl m 4 ) 11 - ! ) ^'l A w 146 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION. Chap. IX, It required every exertion to save her. For two hours she continued in imminent danger, and was only saved by the warping and ice-blasting, by which at last she got clear of the drifting masses, four minutes only before these were crushed up against the rocks ! Four Esquimaux came off to the ship in their kayaks, bringing whalebone, narwhals* horns, etc., to barter. Next to handsaws and files, they at- tached the greatest value to knives and large needles. These men remained on board for nearly two days, and drew several charts for us. Noo- luk explained that seven or eight days' journey to the southward there are ttvo wrecks a short day's journey apart. The southern is in an inlet or strait which contains several islands, but here his knowl- edge of the coast terminates. The man A-ra-neet said he visited these wrecks five winters ago. All of them agreed that it is a very long time since the wrecks arrived upon the coast ; and Noo-luk, who appears to be about forty-five years of age, showed us how tall he was at the time. In the * Narrative of Parry's Second Voyage,' at p. 437, mention is made of the arrival at Igloolik of a sledge constructed of ship-timber and staves of casks ; also of two ships that had been driven on shore, and the crews v.f which went away in boats. In August, 1821, nearly two years previ- ous to the arrival of this report through the Esqui- maux to Igloolik, the whalers ' Dexterity ' and J s I. «s IX. Avo. 1858. OF NATIVES. 147 up J * Aurora, ' were wrecked upon the west coast of Davis' Strait, in lat. 72'', 70 or 80 miles southward of Pond's Bay. The old man, Ow-wang-noot, drew the coast-line northwards from Cape Graham Moore to Navy Board Inlet, and pointed out the position of the northern wreck a few miles east of Cape Hay. Had it been conspicuous, we must have seen it when we slowly drifted along that coast. These people usually winter in snow-huts at Green Point, a mile or two within the northern entrance of Pond's Bay. They hunt the seal and narwhal, but when the sea becomes too open they retire to Kaparoktolik ; and when the remaining ice breaks up — usually about the middle of August — a further migration takes place across the inlet to the S.W., where reindeer abound, and large salmon are numerous in the rivers. Every winter they communicate with the Igloolik people. Two winters ago (1856-7) some people who lived far beyond Igloolik, in a country called A-ka-nee (probably the Ak-koo-lee of Par- ry), brought from there the information of white people having come in two boats, and passed a winter in snow-huts at a place called by the following names : — A-mee-lee-oke, A-wee-lik, Net- tee-lik. Our friends pointed to our whale-boat, and said the boats of the white people were like it, but larger. These wliites had tents inside A i'- •u ?' f ■ I, Hi: 1 'Si m m rifl f'^'li h .'.' I I i^ .:!' 148 INFORMATION OF RAE'S VISIT. Chap. IX» their snow-huts; they killed and eat reindeer and narwhal, and smoked pipes; they bought dresses from the natives ; none died ; in sum- mer they all went away, taking with them two natives, a father and his son. We could not ascertain the name of the white chief, nor the interval of time since they wintered amongst the Esquimaux, as our friends could not recol- lect these particulars.* The name of the locality, A-wee-lik (spelt as written down at the moment), may be consid- ered identical with "Ay-wee-lik," the name of the land about Repulse Bay in the chart of the Esquimaux woman, Iligliuk (Parry's ' Second Voy- age,* p. 197). We were of course greatly surprised to find that Dr. Rae's visit to Repulse Bay was known to this distant tribe ; and also disappointed to find they had heard nothing of Franklin's Back-River parties through the same channel of communica- tion. They were anxiously and repeatedly ques- tioned, but evidently had not heard of any other white people to the westward, nor of their having perished there. Ow-wang-noot lived at Igloolik in his early days, and made a chart of the lands adjacent, but said he was so young at the time that " it seemed like a dream to him." He was acquaint- *Dr. Rao wintered at Repulse Bavin slone huts in 1846-7. Again vrintei'cd there in snow huts in 1853-4. '4 •I > n t i- M 1 A CO. 1858. BARTER WITH NATIVES. 140 I ed with Ee-noo-loo-apik, the Esquimaux who once accompanied Captain Penny to Aberdeen, and told us he had died, lately I think, at a place to the southward called Kri-merk-su-malek, but that his sister still lives at Igloolik. Although they told us the Igloolik people were worse off for wood than they were them- selves, yet it was evident that here also it is very scarce. We could not spare them light poles or oars such as they were most desirous to obtain for harpoon and lance staves and tent- poles; and they would willingly have bartered their kayaks to us for rifles (having already ob- tained some from the whaling-ships), but that they had no other means of getting back to their homes, nor wood to make the light framework of others. They collect whalebone and narwhal's horns in sufficient quantity to carry on a small barter with the whalers. A-wah-lah showed us about thirty horns in his tent, and said he had many more at other stations. A few years ago, when first this bartering sprang up, an Esquimaux took such a fancy to a fiddle that he offered a large quantity of whalebone in exchange for it. The bargain was soon made, and subsequently this whale- bone was sold for upwards of a hundred pounds ! Each successive year, when the same ship re- turns to Pond's Bay, this native comes on board +o A"isit his friends, and goes on shore with many 13* li .1 lit u J 'M I ' i-U 150 TEMPTATIONS TO BARTER. Chap. IX. presents in remembrance of the memorable ' rans- action. It is much better for him thus to receive annual gifts than to have received a large quan- tity at first, as the improvidence of these men surpasses belief. Of the " rod of iron about four feet long, sup- posed to have been at one time galvanized," which was brought home in 185'3 by Captain Patterson, and forwarded to the Admiralty, I could obtain no information. The natives were shown galvanized iron, and said they had never seen any before ; if their countrymen had any, it must have come from the whalen^ ; none like it was found in the wrecks. Rod-iron is very val- uable to Esquimaux for spears and lances, and narwhals' horns very tempting to the seamen, not only as valuable curiosities, but the ivory is worth half a crown a pound; and I have but little doubt that many of the things said to have been stolen by the natives were fraudulently bar- tered away by the sailors. That there was no galvanized iron on board any of the Govern- ment searching-ships, nor in the missing expedi- tion which sailed from England as far back as 3845, 1 am almost certain. But is it certain that this rod was galvanized ? The natives gave Cap- tain Patterson to understand that they got it from the wreck to the north. In July, 1854, Captain Deuchars was at Pond's Bay, and many natives visited his ship, coming I Aug. 1858. TRAVELS OF ESQULMAUX. 151 over the ice on twelve or fourteen sledges made of ship's planking. Now at this time Sir Edward Belcher's ships were still frozen up in Barrow Strait. My own impression is that the natives whom Captain Deuchars communicated with in 1854 were visitors at Pond's Bay — certainly from the smthivard — and probably attracted by the barter recently grown up at that whaling rendez- vous. Having discovered the use of the saws obtained by barter from our whalers, they had successfully applied them to the stout planking of the old wrecks, which they could not have stripped off with any tools previously in their possession. That the various tribes, or rather groups of families, occasionally visit each other, sometimes for change of hunting-grounds, but more fre- quently for barter, is well known. Captain Par- ker told me that a native whom he had met one summer at Durbin Island, came on board his ship at Pond's Bay the following year. The distance between the two places, as travelled by this man in a single winter, is scarcely short of 500 miles ; and the information given us of Rae's wintering at Repulse Bay, information which must have travelled here in two winters, shows that these natives communicate at still greater distances. Did other wrecks exist nearer at hand, our Pond's Bay friends would be much better supplied with wood. If the Esquimaux knew of any with* I : i! if fit § i' r 1 r ! n J m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) />.^^i^ ^ 4^ 1.0 ^1^ 1^ II £! U£ 120 «Mte Photographic Sdenoes Corporation ^ r\ ^ i.^ o as WBT MAIN STMIT WnSTIR,N.Y. 14SM (716)I7SI-4S03 v\ 152 TRAVELS OF ESQUIMAUX. CllAX IX. in 300, 400, or even 500 miles, the Pond's Bay natives would at least have heard of thera, and could have had no reason for concealing it from us. I only regret that we had not the good for- tune to see more than a few natives, and but two sledges of ship's planking ; otherwise our own in- formation might have been more copious, and the origin of the fresh supply of planking decisively ascertained. Auo. 1858. LEAVE PONDS BAY. 153 CHAPTER X. Leavo Pond's Bay — A gale in Lancaster Sound — The Beccliey Island Depot — An Arctic raonutncnt — Rctlcctions at Beccliey Island — Pro- ceed up Barrow's Strait — Peel Sound — Port LeopoUl — Prince Rcjjent's Inlet — Bellot Strait — Flood-tide from the west — Unsuccessful efforts — Fox's Hole — No water to the west — Precautionary :neusures — Fourth attempt to pass through. ^th Aug. — Continued calms have dela}? >d us. This evening we steamed from Pond's Bay northward, although our coals have been sadly reduced by the almost constant necessity for steam-power since leaving the Waigat. The three steam- whalers have gone southward ; none others have arrived. They appear to us to be leaving the whales behind them ; we saw many whilst up the strait, and at the edge of the remaining ice. The natives said they would remain as long as the ice remained, but when it all broke up they would return into Baffin's Bay and go southward ; and that these animals arrive in early spring, and do not pass through the strait into any other 5ea beyond. Monday evening^ Wi, — On the night of the 6th a pleasant, fair breeze sprang up, and enabled us to dispense with the engine. An immense bear was shot ; he measured 8 feet 7 inches in length, li: V * I I 154 GALE IN LANCASTER SOUND. Cu>i>. X. and is destined for the museum of the Royai Dublin Society. On the 7th the wind gradually freshened and frustrated my intention of examin- ing the wreck spoken of near Cape Hay ; at night it increased to a very heavy gale. Although past Navy Board Inlet, very little ice had yet been met with. The weather, and fear of ice to lee- ward, obliged us to heave the vessel to, under main trysail and fore staysail. The squalls were extremely violent and seas unusually high. All Sunday, the 8th, the gale continued, al- though not with such extreme force ; the deep rolling of the ship, and moaning of the half- drowned dogs amidst the pelting sleet and rain, was anything but agreeable. Notwithstanding that I had been up all the previous night, I felt too anxious to sleep ; the wind blew directly up Barrow Strait, drifting us about two miles an hour. Occasionally she drifted to leeward of masses of ice, reminding us that if any of the dense pack which covered this sea only three weeks ago remained to leeward of us, we must be rapidly setting down upon its weather edge. The only expedient in such a case is to endeavor to run into it — once well within its outer margin a ship is comparatively safe — the danger lies in the attempt to penetrate ; to escape out of the pack afterwards is also a doubtful matter. In the evening we were glad to see the land, and find ourselves off the north shore near Cape f 1 i Auo. 1858. BEECIIY ISLAND DEPOT. 155 Bullen, for the violent motion cf the ship and very weak horizontal magnetic force had ren- dered our compasses useless. This morning, the 0th, the gale broke, and the sea began to subside rapidly ; by noon it was almost calm, but a thick gloom prevailed, ominous, it might be, of more mischief. All along the land there is ice, but, broken up into harmless atoms. We have carried away a maingaff and a jibstay, but have come re- markably well through such a gale with such tri- fling damage. 11th. — Before noon to-day we anchored inside Cape Riley, and immediately commenced prepar- ations for embarking coals. I visited Beechy Island house, and found the door open ; it musf have been blown in by an easterly gale long ago, for much ice had a.ccumulated immediately inside it. Most of the biscuit in bags was damaged, but every thing else was in perfect order. Upon the north and west sides of the house, where a wall had been constructed, there was a vast accumula- tion of ice, in which the lower tier of casks be- Iween the two were embedded, and its suiface thawed into pools. Neither casks nor walls should have been allowed to stand near the house. The southern and eastern sides were clear and perfect- ly dry. The ' Mary * decked boat, and two 30-feet lifeboats, were in excellent order, and their paint appeared fresh, but oars and bare wood were bleached white. '^■\1 !1 h ? iU I5G BEECHEY ISLAND DEPOT. Chap. X ill \ I The gutta-percha boat was useless when left here, and remains in the same state. Two small sledge travelling boats were damaged ; one of them had been blown over and over along the beach until finally arrested by the other. The bears and foxes do not appear to have touched any thing. I have taken on board all letters left here for Franklin's or Collinson's expeditions and also a 20-feet sledge-boat for our own travelling pur- poses. Last night we steamed very close round Cape Hurd in a dense fog, and crept along the land as our only guide : we were thus led into Rigby Bay, and discovered a shoal off its entrance by ground- ing upon it. After a quarter of an hour we floated off unhurt. In lowering a boat to pursue a bear, Robert Hampton fell overboard ; fortunately he could swim, and was very soon picked up, but the in- tense cold of the water had almost paralyzed his limbs. The bear was shot and taken on board. Sunday, 16ih, d PM. — Our coaling was complet- ed yesterday, and the ship brought over and an- chored off the house in Erebus and Terror Bay. A small proportion of provisions and winter cloth- ing has been embarked to complete our deficien- cies ; the ice has been scraped out of the house and its roof thoroughly repaired, a record de- posited, and door securely closed. I found lying at * Godhavn a marble tablet Airo. 1859. AN ARCTIC MONUMENT. 157 which had been sent out by Lady Franklin, in the American expedition of 1855 under Captain Hartstein, for the purpose of being erected at Beechey Island. Circumstances prevented the Americans executing this kindly service, and it fell to my lot to convey it to the site originally intended. The tablet was constructed in New York, under the direction of Mr. Grinnell, at the request of Lady Franklin, in order that the only opportunity which then offered of sending it to the Arctic regions might not be lost. 1 placed the monument upon the raised flagged square in the centre of which stands the cenotaph record- ing the names of those who perished in the Gov- ernment expedition under Sir Edward Belcher. Here also is placed a small tablet to the memory of Lieutenant Bellot. I could not have selected for Lady Fr}*nklin's memorial a more appropriate or conspicuous site. The inscription runs as fol- lows : — < it ! i^l m ♦ ■ r !' 158 THE INSCRIPTION. ClLil Z. TO THE MEMORY OF FBANELIN, CROZIER, FITZJAMES, AND ALL THEIR OALLANT BROTHER OFFICERS AND FAITHFUL COMPANIONS WHO HAVE SUFFERED AND PERISHED IN THE CAUSE OF SCIENCE AND THF, SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRT. THIS TABLET * IS ERECTED NEAR THE SPOT WHERE THEY PASSED THEIR FIRST ARCTIC WINTER, AND WHENCE THEY ISSUED FORTH TO CONQUER DIFFICULTIES OR TO DIE. IT COMMEMORATES THE GRIEF OP THEIR ADMIRING COUNTRYMEN AND FRIENDS, AND THE ANGUISH, SUBDUED BY FAITH, OF HER WHO HAS LOST, IN THE HEROIC LEADER OF THE EXPEDITION, THE MOST DEVOTED AND AFFECTIONATE OP HUSBANDS. * O "AND 80 HE BRINGETH THEM UNTO THE HAVEN WHERE THEY WOULD BE." 1855. This Btone has been entrusted to be affixed in its place by the Officers and Crew Vk tJu American Expedition, commanded by Lt. H. J. Ilartstein, in search of Or. Kane and hia Companions. This Tablet haring been left at Disco by the American Expedition, which was unable to reach Beechey Island, in 1855, was put on board the Discovery Yacht Fox. and is now set up here by Captain Bl'Clintock, R.N., \ commanding the final expedition of sea' h fbr ascertaining the fate of Sir John Franklin and Ilia companions, 1858. Aug. 1858. KEFLECTIONS AT BEECIIEY ISLAND. 159 We are now ready to proceed upon our voyap^e from Becchey Island, and there is no ice in sight ; but having worked almost unceasingly since our arrival up to the present hour, the men require a night's rest. Nearly forty tons of fuel have been embarked. The total absence of ice in Barrow Strait is astonishing. No less so are the changes and chances of this singular navigation. Twelve days later than this in 1850, when I belonged to Ilcr Majesty's ship * Assistance,* with considerable dif- ficulty we came within sight of Beechey Island ; a cairn on its summit attracted notice ; Captain Ommanney managed to land, and discovered the first traces of the missing expedition. Next day the United States schooner * Rescue' arrived ; the day after. Captain Penny joined us, and subse- quently Captain Austin, Sir John Ross, and Cap- tain Forsyth, — in all, ten vessels were assembled here. This day six yea .. when in command of the * Intrepid,' we sailed from here for Melville Island in company with the * Resolute.' Again I was here at this time in 1854, — still frozen up, — in the ^ North Star,' and doubts were entertained of the possibility of escape. To come down to a later period, it was this day fortnight only that I set out for the native village in Pond's Inlet, under the guidance of an old woman ; the trip was interesting, but we failed to obtain the slightest clue to the " whereabouts " of 1'' I IGO CAPE IIOTIIAM. Chap. X I i- ^ X the missing ships ; moreover, our own little vessel had a most providential escape from being crushed against the clifTs ; and this day week was spent in contending with a furious gale, during which tlie ship had nearly been driven to leeward and dashed to pieces by the sea-beaten pack. Yet these are only preliminaries, — we are only now about to commence the interesting part of our voyage. It is to be lioped the poor * Fox ' has many more lives to spare. Monday nigJd, 16//^ Aug. — Sailed from Beechey Island this morning, and in the evening landed at Cape Ilotham. A small deput of provisions and three boats were left there by former expeditions. Of the depot all has been destroyed with the ex- ception of two casks landed in 1850. The boats were sound, but several of their oars, which had been secured upright, were found broken down by bears — those inquisitive animals having a decided antipathy to anything stuck up — stuck up things in general being, in this country, un- natural. Fragments of the depot and the broken oars were tossed about in every direction. Nu- merous records were found ; to the most recent a few lines were added, stating that we had removed the two whale-boats — one to be left at Port Leopold, the other to replace our own crushed by the ice. Vlth. — Last night battling against a strong foul wind with sea, in rain and fog. To-day much loose !l i Auo. 1858. PROCEED DOWN PEEL STRAIT. 161 ice !.<« seen southward of Griffith's Island. The weather improved this afternoon, and we shot gallantly past Limestone Island, and are now steering down Peel Strait ; all of us in a wild state of excitement — a mingling of anxious hopes and fears ! 18///. — For 25 miles last evening wc ran un- obstruetedly down Peel Strait, but then came in sight of unbroken ice extending across it from shore to shore! It was much decayed, and of one year's growth only ; } et as the strait continues to contract for CO miles further, and it appeared to me to afford so little hope of becoming navigable in the short remainder of the season, I immedi- ately turned about for Bellot Strait, as affording a better prospect of a passage into the western sea discovered by Sir James Ross from Four River Point in 1849. Our disappointment at the inter- ruption of our progress was as sudden as it was severe. We did not linger in hope of a change, but steered out again into the broad waters of Barrow Strait. However, should Bellot Strait prove hopeless, I intend to return hither to make one more effort before the close of the season. We are now approaching Port Leopold, where it is necessary to stop for a few hours to ezamine the state of the steam launch, provisions and stores, left there in 1849, as adverse circumstances may oblige me to fall back upon it as a point of sup- port. ,V- ■ >L i <♦ i ': r ;l > 'I I 1^ ■ i.4 V 102 l»OUr LKOl'OLD. Chap. X ! I 19M. — At anchor in Port Leopold; it is per- fectly clojir of ice; avo anivoil here in the ni;^Iit. How astonishingly hitie the land looks; it is more barren than Beechcy island, whilst the rock con- tains far fewer fossils ! On this day nine years ago the harbor and sea continued covered with ice, and the ships (* Enterprise ' and * Investigator ') were nnablc to escape. At some period since then the ice has been pressed in upon the low shingle point ; it has forced the launch up before it, and left her broadside on to the beach, with both bows stove in, and in want of considerable repairs, but the means are all at hand for executing them. We tried to haul her further up, but she was firmly imbedded and frozen into the ground. Many things appear to have been covered with the loose shingle, bags of coal and coke just ap- pearing through it scarcely above high-water mark. A:iiongst the missing articles is the steam-engine. Although the flagstaff upon the summit of North East Cape is still standing, the one erected upon this point and almost the whole of the framing of the house lies prostrate. The pro- visions appeared to be sound, but were not gen- erally examined. The whale-boat we removed from Cape Hotham. was landed here, and a record of our proceedings added to the many which have accumulated here during the last ten years. Some coke and a few things useful to us and merely decaying here were taken on board, and by ) AvQ. 1658. OFF FURY POINT. 1C3 i H evening wo were ngain speeding onward with augmented resources, and the conlidonce inspired by a secure depiit in our rear; huoycd up more- over by the joyful anticipation of soon reaching the goal of our long-deferred hopes. 20///. — Noon. Exactly off Fury Point. There la one large iceberg far off in the S.E. ; no other ice in sight ! I would have landed at Fury Beach to examine the remaining supplies there, but a snow shower prevented our distinguishing any- thing, and a strong tide carried us past before wo were aware of it. Wq/icI that the crisis of our voyage is near at hand. Does Bellot Strait really exist ? if so, is it free from ice ? A depot of provisions is being got ready to be landed, should it be practicable for ns to push through and proceed to the southward. 21st. — On approaching Brentford Bay last evening packed ice was seen streaming out of it, also much ice in the S.E. The northern point of entrance was landed upon by Sir John Ross in 1829, and named Possession Point ; we rounded it closely, and could distinguish a few stones piled np upon a large rock near its highest part — this is his cairn. As we passed westward between the point and Browne's Island, through a channel a mile in width, a close pack was discovered a few miles ahead ; and it being past ten o'clock, and almost dark, the ship was anchored in a convene ,' M 1 i » M f % It i^l !i if '+ : )i 1C4 DEPOT BAY. Chap. X ; '' ient bay three or four miles within Possession Point. Here our depot is to be landed, therefore we shall name this for the present Dc2)6l Bay ; a very narrow isthmus between its head and Haz- ard Inlet unites the low limestone peninsula, of which Possession Point is the extreme, t, the mainland. To-day an imsparing use of steam and canvas forced the ship eight miles further west ; we were then about half-way through Bellot Strait! Its western capes are lofty bluffs, such as may be dis- tinguished fifty miles distant in clear weather ; be- tween them there w^as a clear broad channel, but live or six miles of close heavy pack intervened — the sole obstacle to our progress. Of course this pack will speedily disperse ; — it is no won- der that we should feel elated at such a glorious prospect, and content to bide our time in the security of Depot Bay. A feeling of tranquillity — of earnest, heart v satisfaction — has come over There is no appearance amongst us of any- us. thing boastful ; we have all experienced too keenly the vicissitudes of Arctic voyaging to admit of such a feeling. At the turn of tide we perceived that we were being carried, together with the pack, back to the eastward ; every moment our velocity was in- creased, and presently we were dismayed at see- ing grounded ice near us, but were very quickly swept pas* it at the rate of nearly six miles an I % h I Aug 185S. BELLOT STRAIT. 165 hour, though within 200 j^ards of the rocks, and of instant destruction ! As soon as we possibly could w^e got clear of the packed ice, and left it to be wildly hurled about by various whirlpools and rushes of the tide, until finally carried out into Brentford Bay. The ice-masses were large, and dashed violently against each other, and the rocks lay at some distance off the southern shore ; we had a fortunate escape from such dangerous company. After anchoring again in Depot Bay, a large stock of provisions and a record of our proceedings were landed, as there seems every probability of advancing into the western sea in a very few days. The appearance of Bellot Strait is precisely that of a Greenland fiord ; it is about 20 miles long and scarcely a mile wide in the narrowest part, and there, within a quarter of a mile of the north shore the depth was ascertained to be 400 feet. Its granitic shores are bold and lofty, with a very respectable sprinkling of vegetation for lat. 72°. Some of the hill-ranges rise to about 1500 or 1600 feet above the sea. The low land eastward of Depot Bay is com- posed of limestone, destitute alike of fossils and vegetation. The granite commences upon the west shore of Depot Bay, and is at once bold and rugged. Many seals have been seen; a young bear was shot, and Walker took a photograph of him as he lay upon our deck, the dogs creeping near to lick up the blood. m ■\ ;? ^y-ii k 1 -i m ' f I ::l t ;, ' ■!!■' ■ I'. I ; ■I 1C6 FLOOD TIDE FROM THE WEST. CUAP. X. The great rapidity of the tides in Bellot Strait fully accounts for the spaces of open water seen by Mr. Kennedy* when he travelled through, early in April. The strait runs very nearly east and west, but its eastern entrance is well masked by Long Island ; w^hen half-way through both seas are visible. As in Greenland, the night tides are much higher than the day tides ; last night it was high water at about half-past eleven; as nearly as we can estimate, the tide runs through to the west, from two hours before high water until four hours after it; that is, the flood-tide comes from the west ! Such is also the case in Hecla and Fury Strait ; in both places the tide from the west is much the strongest. I am not sufficiently informed to discuss this subject, but infer the existence of a channel between Victoria and Prince of Wales' Land. The rise and fall is much less upon the western side of the Isthmus of Boothia than upon the east, and it likewise decreases, we know, in Barrow Strait, as we ad- vance westward. 23rd — Yesterday Bellot Strait was again ex« amined, but the five miles of close pack occupied precisely the same position as if heaped together by contending tides ; considerable augmentations were moreover seen drifting in from the western sea. Finding nothing could be effected in Bellot * Mr. Kennedy discovered this important passage when in command of the 'Frinco Albert' in 1851. » V ■ n Auo. 1858. RAMBLE INLAND. 167 iii ' Strait, we sought in vain for the more southern channel which shoukl exist to form Lovcsqiie Island : we did, however, find a beautiful harbor, and are now securely anchored in its north-west arm ; I have named it after the gentleman whose former island I have thus reluctantly converted into the northern extreme of the Boothian Penin- sula, and consequently of the American continent. The south-western angle of Brentford Bay is still covered w^ith unbroken ice. This evening we all landed to explore our new ground. Young and Petersen shot some brent geese ; Walker saw two deer, but he was botaniz- ing, and had no gun ; others were seen by some of the men, and followed, but without success. I enjoyed a delightfully refreshing ramble, a mile or two inland, through a gently ascending valley, then two miles along the narrow margin of a pretty little lake between mountains, beyond which lay a much larger one, four or five miles in diameter; this farther lake was only partially divested of its winter ice. Here the scenery was not only grand, but beautiful ; there was enough of vegetation to tint the craggy hill-sides and to make the sheltered hollows absolutely green ; deer-tracks and the footprints of wild-fowl were everywhere numerous along the water-side. 1 saw two decayed skulls of musk oxen, and circles of stones by the little lake, doubtless at some re- mote period the suiuiiier residence of wandering ■^! '. • ^!! (t f'l' TIf ■ • '4 v^« ' i ; if i I mi m H., 168 FOX'S HOLE. ClIAi-. X. ■! J v ■ Esquimaux ; hence I infer that fish abound in the lake, and that this valley is a favorite deer-pass. But the contemplation of these objects, although agreeable, was not the object of my solitary ram- ble ; I came on shore to cogitate undisturbed in a leisurely and philosophic manner. We hoped very soon to enter an unknown sea; discoveries were to be made, contingencies provided for, and plans prepared to meet them. Yesterday Petersen shot an immense bearded seal ; it sank, but floated up an hour afterwards. This animal measured 8 feet long, and weighed about 500 lbs. We prefer its flesh to that of the small seals, and its blubber will afford a valuable addition to our stock of lamp oil for the coming winter. 2Wi. — In Depot Bay. We remained but twenty-four hours in Levesque Harbor ; a change of wind led us to hope for a removal of the ice in Bellot Strait, therefore I determined to make another attempt. When off* the table-land, where the depth is not more than from 6 to 10 fathoms, and the tides run strongest, the ship hardly moved over the ground, although going GJ knots through the water ! Thus delayed, darkness overtook us, and we anchored at midnight in a small indentation of the north shore, christened by the men Fox's Hole, rather more than half-way through. For several hours we had been coquetting with Aco. 1858. PERILOUS AMUSEMENT. 169 !«?' huge rampant ice-masses that wildly surged about in the tideway, or we dashed through boiling ed- dies, and sometimes almost grazed the tall clilTs; we were therefore naturally glad of a couple or three hours' rest, even in such a very unsafe posi- tion. At early dawn we again proceeded west, but for three miles only ; the pack again stopped us, and we could perceive that the western sea was covered with ice : the east wind, which could alone remove it, now gave place to a hard-hearted westerly one. All the strait to the eastward of us, and the eastern sea, as far as could be seen from the hill- tops, is perfectly free from ice, whereas in the direction we wish to proceed there is nothing but packed-ice, or water w^hich cannot be reached. Bitterly disappointed we are, of course ; yet there is reasonable ground for hope ; grim winter will not ratify the obstinate proceedings of the western ice for nearly four weeks. Last evening's amusemeid was most exciting, nor was it without its peculiar perils. With cunning and activity worthy of her name, our little craft warily avoided a tilting-match with the stout blue masses which whirled about, as if with wilful im- petuosity, through the narrow channel ; some of them were so large as to ground even in 6 or 7 fathoms water. Many w^ere drawn into the eddies, and, acquiring considerable velocity in a contrary direction, suddenly broke bounds, charging out 15 ) H V, m ■.9 •1 170 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. Chap. X. into the stream Jind entering into mighty conflict with their fellows. After such a frolic the masses would revolve peaceably or unite with the pack, and await quietly their certain dissolution; may the day of that wished-for dissolution be near at liand! Nothing but strong hope of success in- duced me to encounter such dangerous opposition. I not only hoped, but almost felt, that we deserved to succeed. Two plans were now occupying my thoughts, both of them resulting from the conviction that, we should probably be compelled to winter to the eastward of Bellot Strait : the most important of these plans is that of finding some series of valleys, chain of lakes, or continuous low land, practicable as an overland sledge-route to the western coast, along which we may transport depots of provis- ions this autumn ; for it is certain that the strong tides will prevent Bellot Strait being frozen over till winter is far advanced, and its surface will afford us no means of passing westward with our sledges. The other plan, and that which we are now about to execute, is to land a small depot of pro- visions 60 or 70 miles to the southw\'ird, and down Prince Regent's Inlet, in order to facilitate com- munication with the Esquimaux either this autumn or in early spring. This precautionary step became so necessary in the event of the west coast presenting unusual [ Ano. 1858. STILLWELL BAY. 171 difficulties, that I determined to carry it at once into execution. Quitting the " Fox's Hole," and resting for one night in Depot Bay, we sailed thence on the 26th; a fine breeze carried us rapidly southward along the coast of Regent Inlet ; there was but little obstruction; occasionally it was necessary to pass through a stream of loose ice ; but we saw little of any kind, compared to the ex- periences of Sir John Ross in 1829. About dusk (nine o'clock) much loose ice to the southward prevented our making any attempt at further progress; we therefore anchored off the coast — in Stillwell Bay, I think — about 45 miles from the Depot Bay. Here the depot, consisting of 120 rations, was landed. I observe that it has only b'.on on penetrating into Brentford Bay that we have found the primary rocks washed by the sea ; the coast-line both north and south, as far as, and beyond our present position, is a low shore of pale limestone, destitute of fossils ; we can, how- ever, see granitic hill-ranges far in the interior. On the 27th we commenced beating back to the northward, tacking between the land and the ice which lay about 15 miles off shore. Towards night the wind greatly increased, and the ship, under reefed sail plunged violently into the short, swift, high seas ; we also felt quite as uneasy and restless as the ship, in our great anxiety to get back and ascertain what changes were likely to be effected by the gale. I ! P :- u l^ ! ! 1, 1;.; I? 1^' , if. 172 ROSS'S CAIRN. Chap. X Hi 4 2Sth. — To-night the weather is more pleasant ; the keen and contrary wind has given place to a gentle, fair breeze, the swell has almost subsided, no ice has been seen to-day, and the night is dark and unusually mild. I can hardly fancy that the sea which gently rocks us is not the ocean, and the soft air the breath of our own temperate re- gion ! The delusion is charming. 30//i. — Yesterday after anchoring in Depot Bay I walked over to Possession Point, to visit Ross's cairn. I found a few stones piled up on two large boulders, and under each a halfpenny, one of which I pocketed. Upon the ground lay the fragments of a bottle which once contained the record, and near it a staff about 4 feet long. Having calcu- lated upon finding the bottle sound, I was obliged to make an impromptu record-case of its long neck, into which I thrust my brief document, and consigned it to the safe custody of a small heap of stones, the staff being erected over it. It was dark before I got on board again. The strait had been reconnoitred from the hills, and was reported to be perfectly clear of ice 1 This morning we made a fourth attempt to pass through; but Bellot Strait was by no means clear; the same obstruction existed which de- feated our last attempt, and in precisely the same place. Returning eastward, we entered a narrow arm of the sea, nearly a couple of miles to the a Ji Al'O. 1858. MT. WALKEll. 173 west of Depot Bay, and anchored in a small creek perfectly sheltered and land-locked, at the foot of a sugarloaf hill.* The temperature is falling ; last night it stood at 24.° * Subsequently named Mount Walker. 16» f. !.■ i ? !'! ■1 174 rUOCELD WESTWAllD IN A BOAT. Guap. XI. l CHAPTER XI, 1 Proceed westward in n hont — Cliecrlcss state of the western sen — Strug- gles in Bcliot Struit — Falcons, good Arctic fare — Tlic resources of Boutliin Felix — Future sledge truvelling — Heavy gnles — Ilobson's party start — Winter quarters — Bellot's Strait — Advanced depot es- tahlisliud — Observatories — Intense cold — Autumn travellers — Nar- row escape. Most anxious to know the real state of the ice in the western sea — upon which our hopes so en- tirely depend — I intend starting this evening by boat, as far through Bellot Strait as the ice will permit, then land and ascend the western coast- hills. 1st Sept. — My boat party consisted of four men and the doctor, who came with me for the novel- ty of the cruise, bringing his camera to fasten upon any thing picturesque. We landed near Half-way Island, and pitched our tent for the night. Early next morning I commenced the rather formidable undertaking of ascending the hills, for it is not possible to pass under the cliffs, and at last T gained the summit of the loftiest, overlooking Cape Bird at a distance of 3 or 4 miles, and affording a spendid view to the west- ward, as well as glimpses between the hills of the N ■_, < M'Clintock in his Boat sailing through Bellot Strait. f . 'I i \> 1 <\ ^i. til !i i !■(■ M 1 t c (1 c t c c a Sept. 1898. FOUR RIVEU POINT. 173 blue enstorn sea. Long nnd nnxioiisly did I sur- vey the wc.-tom son, ice, nnd Innds, nnd could not but feel timt iu lI] probnbility we should not be permitUd to pa^ beyond our present position. To the /inrthwjird Four Kiver Point — Sir Jnnies Ross' lUrthost in 184D — wns at once rec- ognized; ratlier more than nine years ago I stood upon it with him, and gazed almost as anxiously in this direction ! My present view confuined the impression then received, of a wide channel leadini? southward. The outline of the western hind is very distant ; it is of considerable but uni- form elevation, and slopes gradually down to the strait, which is between 30 and 40 miles wide. This western land appears to be limestone, and without off-lying islands. Our side of the strait or sea, on the contrary, is primary rock, and fringed with islets and rocks ; its southern extreme bears S.S.W., and is probably 30 miles distant. Now^ for the ice. Although broken up, it lies against this shore in immense fields : there is but little water or room for ice-movement. Along the west shore I can distin■■■' ^■n ! UK \ " 1 i I ■V I- I ill: 1 hk 178 CAPE BIRD. Chap. XI i ■1 1 , :i h J Btrikiiig resemblance to the true one, and find it is only separated from the long lake by half a mile of low land ; the lake we have ascertained to be about 12 miles long, and from it valleys ex- tend eastward and southward, so that we are sure of a good sledge-route, — an important matter, as the hills rise to 1600 feet above the sea. Cape Bird is 500 feet high; from its summit we carefully observe the ice. This granite coast presents a jagged appearance; it is deeply in- dented and studded with islets. The ice in the western sea (or Peel's Strait) is much more broken up than it was upon the 31st ultimo ; there is no longer any fixed ice except within the grasp of the islets. Birds and animals have become very scarce; three seals have been shot, and a bear seen. To-morrow we shall return to our harbor, and endeavor to procure a few more reindeer be- fore they migrate southward. 12th. — Yesterday we anchored within the en- trance of our creek, being a more convenient position than up at its head. We are already in our wintering position, and, being without occu- pation, one day seems most remarkably like another! Although the fondly cherished hope of pushing farther in our ship can no longer be entertained, yet as long as the season continues navigable it is our duty to be in readiness to avail ourselves of any opportunity, however improba- ble, of being able to do so. Sept. 1838. FALCONS GOOD ARCTIC FARE. 17P W^ Once firmly frozen in, our autumn travelling will commence, and afford welcome occupation. Almost all on board have guns ; ammunition is supplied, and a sailor with a musket is a very con- tented and zealous sportsman, if not always a successful one ; it is a powerful incentive to ex- ercise. To-day the ramblers saw only two hares, an ermine, and an owl. Some peregrine falcons have lately been shot ; Petersen declares they are " the best beef in the coimtri/, and the younrj birds tender and ivMte as cMcJcen ! " A few days ago a large cask of biscuit was opened, and a living mouse discovered therein! it was small, but mature in years. The cask, a strong watertight one, was packed on shore at Aberdeen, in June, 1857, and remained ever after- wards unopened; there was no hole by which the mouse could have got in or out, besides it is the only one ever seen on board. Ship's biscuit is certainly drt/ feeding, but who dares assert, after the experience of our mouse, that it is not won- derfully nutritious ? 15///. — Two nights ago a comet was observed just beneath the constellation of the Great Bear; a series of measurements were commenced for de- termining its path. Yesterday I walked through the most promising valleys for eight houi^s, but did not see a living creature ; yet there is a very fair show of vegetation, much more than at Mel- ville Island, where the game is abundant. To the rsi •M I {\ I if ■I I • i ;.i if \H ;i x\ ..if ft' U (\ mi dp- I 180 PORT KENNEDY. Chap. XI (■• ; east there is not a speck of ice, excepting only a huge iceberg, probably the same we saw off Fury Point, a very unusual visitor from Baffin's Bay, whence it must have been driven by those long- continued east winds (of painful memory) in June and July. Hobson and two men encamped out for three days in order to scour the country ; they have only seen one hare and one lemming ! Walker geologizes ; amongst other things he finds much iron pyrites. The dredge has been used, but with very little success. The thermometer ranges be- tween 20° and 30°. Fresh water pools are frozen over, searice forms in every sheltered angle of the creeks. There is no snow upon the land, and this i? one cause of the difficulty of finding game. I have determined upon naming this beautiful little anchorage Port Kennedfj^ after my prede- cessor, the discoverer of Bellot Strait, of which it is decidedly the port. This is not a compli- ment to him, but an agreeable duty to me, and nowhere could Mr. Kennedy's name be more appropriately affixed than in close proximity with his interesting discovery. And now hav- ing made this acknowledgment, I may venture to confer our little vessel's name upon the islets which protect its entrance. The island upon which Mr. Kennedy and Lieutenant Bellot encamped was Long Island, about three miles further to the south-east. Sept. 1858. FUTURE SLEDGE TRAVELLING. 181 Vjih. — Of late we have been preparing pro- visions and equipments for our travelling parties. My scheme of sletlge search comprehends three separate routes and parties of four men ; to each party a dog-sledge and driver will be attached ; Hobson, Young, and I will lead them. My journey will be to the Great Fish River, examining the shores of King William's Land in going and returning; Petersen will be with me. Hobson will explore the western coast of Boothia as far as the magnetic pole, this au- tumn, I hope, and from Gateshead Island west- ward next spring. Young vf'iW trace the shore of Prince of Wales' Land from Lieutenant Browne's farthest, to the south-westward to Osborn's farthest, if possible, and also examine between Four River Point and Cape Bird. Our probable absence will be sixty or seventy days, commencing from about the 20th March. In this way I trust we shall complete the Franklin search and the geographical discovery of Arctic America, both left unfinished by the former expeditions; and in so doing we can hardly fail to obtain some trace, some relic, or, it may be, important records of those whose mysterious fate it is the great object of our labors to discover. But previous to setting forth upon these important journeys, I must communi- 16 H {• \ I m In { t .j I i f II t i i ', ii I ill iki ^d 182 STEAM THROUGH BELLOT STRAIT. Chap. XL 1^^ ' Mia: cate with the Boothians, if possible, either upon the Avest or east coast, in November or February. Sir John Ross' ' Narrative * infonns us that they sometimes winter as far north upon the east coast as the Agnew Eiver ; and we know that upon the west, at the magnetic pole, their abandoned snow huts were occupied in June by Sir James Ross. 19M. — Yesterday we steamed once more through Bellot Strait, and took up our former position at the ice-edge, off its western entrance ; the ice, hemmed in by islets has not moved. From the summit of Cape Bird I had a very extensive view this morning : there is now much water in the offing, only separated from us by the belt of islet-girt ice scarcely four miles in ividth ! My conviction is that a strong east wind would remove this remaining barrier ; it is not yet too late. The water runs parallel to this coast, and is four or five miles broad ; beyond it there is ice, but it appears to be all broken up. Yesterday Young went upon a dog-sledge to the nearest south-western island, distant 7 or 8 miles. He reports the intervening ice cracked and weak in some places, but practicable for loaded sledges ; the far side of the island is washed by a clear sea, and a bear which he shot plunged into it, and, drifting away, was lost. Young is in favor of carrying out the dep6t pro- visions to or beyond this island by boat ; but as the t'^mperature fell to 18° last night, and new Sbpt. 1858. HOBSON'S PARTY START. 183 ice forms wherever it is calm, I prefer the safer, although more laborious mode of sledging; ac- cordingly to-day our dogs carried out two sledge- loads of the provisions intended for the use of our parties hereafter. ^%id. — All the provisions have now been car- ried out to the nearest island, which I shall tem- porarily name Separation/-^ as there our spring parties will divide ; and a portion intended for Hobson's party and my own has been carried on to the next island 7 or 8 miles further. Our travelling boat and a small reserve depot have been placed upon Pemmican Rock, so already something has been done. Animal life is very scarce ; a few seals, an occasional gull, and three brown falcons, are the only creatures we have seen for several days past. Last evening at eight o'clock a very vivid flash of lightning was ob- served ; its appearance in these latitudes is very rare ; once only have I seen it before — in Sep- tember, 1850. 25///. — Saturday night. Furious gales from N. and S.W., but our barrier of coast-ice remains undiminished. This morning Ilobson set off upon a journey of fourteen or fifteen days' duration, with seven men and fourteen dogs ; he is to ad- vance the depots along shore to the south, and if successful will reach latitude 71°. * Subsequently named after my excellent friend A. Arcedeckne, Esq., Commodore of the Royal London Yacht Club. :'!)■ \\ l!^;^ •:u I'i ; m ii:^li ii^ii I • i \ 184 WINTER QUARTERS. Chap. XI. The temperature is mild (-f- 17), but it is snowy and disagreeable weather; there is already enough snow upon the old ice to make walking laborious, and the land has also assumed its wintry com- plexion. 2Stk — The ship was kept available for prose- cuting her voyage up to the lalesl hour ; it was only yesterday that we left the western ice, and in consequence of the vast accumulation of young ice in Bellot Strait we had considerable difficulty in reaching the entrance of Port Kennedy: all within was so firmly frozen over that after three hours' steaming and working we only penetrated 100 yards ; however, we are in an excellent posi- tion, although our wintering place will be farther out by a quarter of a mile than I intended. To-day we arc unbending sails and laying up the engines — uncertainty no longer exists — here we are compelled to remain ; and if we have not been as successful in our voyaging as a month ago we had good reason to expect, we may still hope that Fortune will smile upon our more hum- ble, yet more arduous, pedestrian explorations — ^ Hope on, hope ever." In the mean time the sudden transition, from mental and physical wear and tear, to the security and quiet of winter quar- ters, is an immense relief 2nd Oct. — M. Petersen has shot two very fine bucks ; one is a magnificent fellow, weighing 354 lbs. (minus the paunch). Several deer have been Oct. 1858. ERMINE HUNT. 185 seen ; they come from the N. along the slopes of the eastern hills. An ermine came on board a few nights ago and kept the dogs in a violent state of excitement, behig much too wary to come out from under the boat to be caught by them ; at length one of the men secured it. This beautiful little animal does not appear to be full grown ; its extreme length is 13 inches. Two others came off to the ship, and to our great amusement eluded the men who gave chase, by darting into the soft snow — which is now a foot deep — and re-appear- ing several yards off. The weather is too mild to satisfy us ; we wish for severe frost to seal us up securely, and make the ice strong enough to bear the sledge-loads of pi'ovisions, etc., which are to be landed for the purpose of making more room in the ship. (jth. — A herd of a dozen reindeer crossed the harbor to-day. Last night Ilobson and his com- panions returned, all well. They were stopped by the sea washing against the cliffs in latitude 7l2^ a-nd to that point they have advanced the depots. Although the weather has been stormy here, they have been able to travel every day. They found the coast still fringed with islets, and deeply indented ; upon every point, moss-grown circles of stones indicated the abodes of Esquimaux in times long since gone by. One night they muzzled a dog, as she was in the habit of gnawing her harness : in this defence- 16* 1| •J: 11 i 1 s * m Si * 1 i' il (I i ill ' Lii Iv t 186 nOBSON'S PARTY KETURNED. Chap. XI. less state, unable even to bark and n rouse the men, her amiable sisterhood attacked her so fiercely that she died next day ! In honor of so important and successful a com- mencement of our travelling, as that accomplished by Ilobson, we had a feast of good venison, plum pudding, and grog. It is quite evident that no more travelling can be accomplished until the ice forms a pathway alongshore ; in this, as in some other respects, we anxiously await the advance of the season. The weather is mild ; Bellot Strait is almost covered with ice, which drifts fi eely with every tide. Reindeer are seen almost daily ; they too are awaiting the freezing over of the sea to continue their southern travels. Our harbor-ice is weak and covered a foot deep with a sludgy compound of snow and water. Sth. — Yesterday an ermine w.as caught in a trap ; hitherto these most active little skirmishers have successfully robbed our fox-traps of their baits as fast as they could be renewed. To-day Petersen shot another reindeer; it weighs 130 lbs.; many others were seen, also a wolf Sometimes a few ptarmigan are met with, but hares very rarely. 12tk. — Fine weather generally prevails. We have landed about 100 casks, all our boats, and much lumber, so we shall have abundance of room on board. I enjoyed a long and exhilarating ram- ble upon snow-shoes to-day; without them I could Oct. 1858. FREQUENT GALES. 187 not have gone over half the tlistance — the snow lies so deep and soft — but I only saw one rein- deer. lAik. — One of our magnetic observatories has been built; it stands upon the ice, 210 yards S. (magnetic) fix)m the ship, and is built of ice sawed into blocks — there not being any suitable snow; it is just large enough to hold the declinometer for hourly ob.servations, to be noted throughout the winter. The housings have been put over the ship already, as Hobson will leave us again in a few days to advance his depot and my own to the vicinity of the magnetic pole if possible. I would also send Young upon a similar duty, but the western sea cannot have frozen over yet. lOa — All the 17th a N.W. gale blew with fearful violence ; yesterday it abated, but not suf- ficiently to allow our party to start. This morn- ing Hobson got away with his nine men and ten dogs ; his absence may be from eighteen to twen- ty days. Autumn travelling is most disagreeable; there is so much wind and snow, the latter being soft, deep, and often wet ; the sun is almost al- ways obscured by mist, and is powerless for warmth or drying purposes, and the temperature is vary variable. Moreover there are now only eight hours of misty daylight. To-day the morn- ing was fine, and temperature -\-S°. Having completed the preliminary observations of the times of horizontal and vertical vibrations, also ^■'f. -! »' \i 1 I ' 188 ANOTIIER OBSERVATORY DITILT. Chap XI. of the magnetic intensity, I set up to-day the declinometer, and commenced the hourly series of observations on the diurnal variation. I trust it may continue unbroken until we all set out upon our spring travels in March. A hare has been shot, l)ut no other animals seen. 29M. — It generally blows a gale of wind here; the only advantage in return for so much discom- fort is thtat the snow is the more quickly packed hard. As we have only three working men and an Esquimaux left on board for ship's duties, I was assisted a few days ago by the doctor, the engi- neer, and the interpreter, in building another ob- servatory, intended for certain monthly magnetic observations. This edifice is constructed of snow. Whenever we have a calm night we can hear the crushing sound of the drift-ice in Bellot Strait, which continues open to within 500 yards of the Fox Islands, and emits dark chilling clouds of hateful, pestilent, abominable mist. The last two days have been very fine and calm : the men visited their fox and ermine traps, which are secreted amongst the rocks in a most mysterious manner — one ermine only has been taken. Seven or eight reindeer and some ptarmi- gan were seen ; two of the latter and a hare were shot. We have commenced brewing sugar beer. 2nd Nov. — Very dull times. No amount of in- genuity could make a diary worth the paper it is written on. An occasional raven flies past, a ,ll i i Interior «)!' the Ol(,«ii'rviitorv. i ij :i iif 1 1 '?■ :- s i\ i; Nov. 1858. NARROW ESCAPE. 180 couple more ptarmigan have been shot : another N.W. gale is blowing, with temperature down to -12°. Wi. — Saturday NigJd, The N.W. gale blew without intermission for seventy hours, the tem- perature being about -15° : we hoped that our absent shipmates might be housed safely in snow huts. This afternoon all doubts respecting them were dispelled by their arrival in good health, but they evidently have suffered from cold and ex- posure during their absence of nineteen days. For the first six days they journeyed outward suc- cessfully ; on that night they encamped upon the ice ; it w\as at spring-tide, a N.E. gale sprang up, and blowing off shore detached the ice and drifted them off! The sea froze over on the cessation of the gale, and two days afterwards they fortu- nately regained the land near the position from which they were blow^n off; they have indeed experienced much unusual danger and suffering from cold. As soon as they discovered that the ice was drifting off shore with them, they packed their sledges, harnessed their dogs, and passed the night in anxious watching for some chance to escape. When the ice got a little distance off shore, it broke up under the influence of the wind and sea, until the piece they were upon was scarce 20 yards in diameter ; this drifted across the mouth t i n ^ li «3 , ii. ;3- 11 -'■■l y I il^i: I* m 190 , ADVANCED DEPOTS. Chap. XI. I"' of a wide inlet * until brought up against the op- posite shore. The gale was quickly followed by an intense frost, which in a single night formed ice sufficiently strong to bear them in safety to the land, although it bent fearfully beneath their weight. The dep5ts were eventually established in lati- tude 71° ; beyond this Lieutenant Hobson did not attempt to advance, not only because their re- maining provisions would not have warranted a longer absence, but because the open sea was seen to beat against the next headland. They have lived in tents only, and have not experienced the heavy gales so frequent here, and which are probably due mainly to our position in Bellot Strait, which performs the part of a funnel for both winds and tides between the two seas. That the western sea should still remain open argues a vast space southward for the escape of the ice, and prevents our western party from car- rying across their depot: the attempt to do so would be extremely hazardous. We must only be stiring earlier in the spring. I am truly thankful for the safe return of our travellers, — all this toil and exposure of ten persons and ten dogs has only advanced the depots 30 miles fur- * Named after Lord Wrottcsley, in remembrance of the support given by him to the expedition, his advocacy of it in the House of Lords, and of the facilities granted me by the Royal Society — of which he was Presi dent — for the pursuit of scientific observations. Nov. 1858. EFFECT OF GALES. IDi ther — ie. from 60 to 90 miles distant from the ship. Hardly a particle of snow remains upon the harbor-ice, the recent gales having swept it awaj'' ; and the porch of my snow-hut has been fretted away to a mere cobweb by the attrition of the snow-drift: the doctor and I rebuilt it to-day. Three reindeer and a wolf have been seen. M! ]93 DEATU OF OUR ENGINEER. Chap. XII. i- CHAPTER XII. Death of our engineer — Scarcity of panie — The cold unusally trying- Jolly, under adverse circumstances — Petersen's inforinution — Return of tlicsunof 1859 — Early spring sledge parties — Unusual severity of the winter — Severe hardships of early sledging — Tlie western shores of Boothia — Meet the Esquimaux — Intelligence of Franklin's ships — Return to the * Fox ' — Allen Young returns. Nov. 1th. — Sunday evening. — Brief as is the inter- val since my last entry, yet how awful, and, to one of our small company, how fatal it has been ! Yesterday Mr. Brand was out shooting as usual, and in robust health ; in the evening Hobson sat with him for a little time. Mr. Brand turned the conversation upon our position and employments last year ; he called to remembrance poor Robert Scott, then in sound health, and the fact of his having carried our " Guy Fawkes " round the ship on the preceding day twelvemonth, and added mournfully, " Poor fellow ! no one knows whose turn it may be to go next." He finished his evening pipe, and shut his cabin door shortly after nine o'clock. This morning, at seven o'clock, his servant found him lying upon the deck, a corpse, having been several hours dead. Apo- plexy appears to have been the cause. He was a steady, serioui? man, under forty years of age, and m I I 3 Nov. 1858. THE FUNERAL. 103 leaves n widow and tliree or four children ; what their circumstances are I am not aware. 10//^. — This morning the remains of Mr. Brand, inclosed in a neat coffin, were buried in a grave on shore. A suitable headboard and inscription will be placed over it. From all that I have gathered, it appears that his mind had been some- what gloomy for the last few days, dwelling much upon poor Scott's sudden death. Whether he really saw three reindeer on Saturday, watched their movements, and fired his Minie rifle at them when 700 yards distant, or whether it was the creation of a disordered brain, none can tell. On his first return on board he said he had seen deer tracks only. We are now without either engineer or engine- driver : we have only two stokers, and they know nothing about the machinery. Our numbers are reduced to twenty-four, including our interpreter and two Greenland Esquimaux. \bth. — We have enjoyed ten days of moderate winds and calms, but the temperature has fallen as low as -31°. This causes frost-cracks in the ice across the harbor ; they will freeze over, and others will form, and gape, and freeze at intervals, so that by next spring we shall probably be moved sev- eral inches, perhaps feet, off shore. Mists have obscured the sun of late, and now it does not rise at all. We are indifferent ; its de- 17 N J': -It ^ i iff It! 194 SCARCITY OF GAME. Chap XII. r^ c ' '■; ( parture has become to us a matter of course. The usual winter covering of snow has been spread upon deck rather more than a foot thick. Its utihty in preventing the escape of heat be- came at once strikingly apparent. Nothing has been seen but a few ptarmigan and one reindeer, which trotted off towards the ship. Our bullets missed him, and the dogs unfortunately caught sight and chased him away. I do not think any dogs could overtake a reindeer in this rough country; the rocks would speedily lame them, and the snow, in many places, is quite deep enough to fatigue them greatly, whereas it offers but slight impediment to the deer, furnished as he is with long legs and spreading hoofs. 2^tk — Animals have become very scarce. A few ptarmigan and willow-grouse have been seen, and three shot. Two days ago I saw two rein- deer. The eastern sea is frozen over, and our old acquaintance the iceberg in Prince Regent's Inlet is still visible on a clear day. We brew sugar- beer, and we set nets for seals, but catch none. The nets have been made and set in favorable positions under the ice by the Greenlanders, so we suppose the seals also have migrated elsewhere ; if so, the Esquimaux could not winter here. We have no regular school this winter, but five of the men study navigation every evening under the guidance of Young. Hobson and I are doing all Dec. 1858. SEVERE WEATHER. 195 we can to make the ship dry, warm, and comfort- able : our large snow porches over the hatchways are a great improvement. Wi Dec. — Cold, windy weather, with chilling mists from the open water in Bellot Strait. We can seldom leave the shelter of the ship for a walk on shore, and, when we do, rarely see even a ptarmigan. \2lh. — Very cold weather ; thermometer down to -41°, and the breeze comes to us loaded with mist from the open water, causing the air to feel colder than it otherwise would. Bellot Strait has become a nuisance, not only from this cause, but from the strong winds — purely local — which seldom cease to blow through it. The seal nets have produced nothing; and as there are no seals, we no longer wonder at not seeing bears. Three foxes have been trapped and a hare seen. Our canine force numbers twenty- four serviceable dogs and six puppies ; but these, I fear, will not be strong enough for sledging by* March. The monotony of our lives is vastly in- creased by want of occupation, and confinement, by severe gales, to the ship for five days out of every seven. The general health is good, but there is a natural craving for fresh meat and fresh vegetables — in great measure, perhaps, because they cannot be obtained ; but a well- filled letter-bag would be more welcome than anything I know of. w^ 1}% i I '■^i '■: 'I >w f ill BiH' ilv i 190 COLD UNUSUALLY TRYING Chap. XIl 2^th. — Upon four days only during the last fourteen has the weather permitted us to walk. I allude to the wind as the obstacle to our exer- cise ; for temperature, when the air is still, is no bar to any reasonable amount of it. Three or four coveys of ptarmigan have been seen, and of these I shot one brace. The cold increases : thermometer has fallen to -472°? although blow- ing a moderate gale at the time, and the atmos- phere dense with mist. Our Christmas has been spent with a degree of loyalty to the good old English custom at once spirited and refreshing. All the good things which could possibly be collected together ap- peared upon the snow-white deal tables of the men, as the officers and myself walked (by invi- tation) round the lower deck. Venison, beer, and a fresh stock of clay pipes, appeared to be the most prized luxuries; but the variety and abundance of the eatables, tastefully laid out, was " such as might well support the delusion which all seemed desirous of imposing upon themselves — that they were in a land of plenty — in fact, all hut at home ! We contributed a large cheese and some preserves, and candles superseded the ordi- nary smoky lamps. With so many comforts, and the existence of so much genuine good feeling, their evening was a joyous one, enlivened also by songs and music. Whilst all was order and merriment within the m Jak. 1859. NEW YEAR'S DAY. 197 pji :, was ling, the ship, the scene without was widely different. A fierce north-wester howled loudly through the rigging, the snow-drift rustled swiftly past, no star appeared through the oppressive gloom, and the thermometer varied between 76° and 80° below the freezing point At one time it was impossible to visit the magnetic observatory, although only 210 yards distant, and with a rope stretched along, breast high, upon poles the whole way. The offi- cers discharged this duty for the quarter-masters of the watches during the day and night. \st Jan. 1859. — This being Saturdai/ night as well as Neiv Year's Dag, " Sweethearts and Wives " were remembered with even more than the ordi- nary feeling. New year's eve was celebrated with all the joyfulness which ardent hope can inspire : and we have reasonable ground for strong hope. At midujght the expiration of the old year and com- mencement of the new one was announced to me by the band — flutes, accordion, and gong — strik- ing up at my door. Some songs were sung, and the performance concluded with " God save the Queen ; " the few who could find space in our mess-room sang the chorus ; but this by no means satisfied all the others who were without and una- ble to show themselves to the officers, so they echoed the chorus, and the effect was very pleas- ing. Our new year's day has been commemo- rated with all the substantials of Christmas fare, bu/ without so much display, — less tailoring iu 17* H- I fl; ] 1 f \ ,1 I it I m h : in 198 INTENSE COLP. Chap XII. r \- pastry, not quite so much clippin^ if dough into roses, and anchors, and nondescript animals, &c., &c. The past week has been cold and stormy ; it now blows strong, and the temperature is -44°. On the 29th a few fresh tracks of animals and a ptarmigan were seen : yesterday I saw three ptarmigan. December proved to be an unusually cold month, its mean temperature being -33° ; and it was rendered more than ordinarily dark and gloomy by continual mists from Bellot Strait. This open water adds seriously to the drawbacks of a spot already sufficiently cheerless, gameless, and " wind-loved." 9th. — Another week of uniform temperature of -40°, and confinement to the ship by strong winds ; the atmosphere is loaded with enveloping mists which impart a raw and surprisingly keen edge to the chilling blasts, blasts that no human nose can endure without blanching, be its propor- tions w^hat they may. It is wonderful how the dogs stand it, and without apparent inconvenience, unless their fur happen to be thin. They lie upon the snow under the lee of the ship, with no other protection from. the weather. To-day, the winds being light and temperature up to -30°, we enjoyed walks on shore, although the mist continued so dense as to limit our view to a couple of hundred yards. I learn from Petersen that the natives of Smith's Sound are well acquainted with the continuation *i.^ Jan. 1859. PETERSEN'S INFORMATION. lO'J of its shores consiclembly beyond the farthest point reached by Kane's exploring parties, but unfortunately no one thought of getting them to delineate their local knowledge upon paper. They spoke much of a large island near the west coast called " Umingmak " (musk ox) Island, where there was much open water, abounding with walrus, and where some of their people formerly lived."'' Esquimaux exist upon the east coast of Green- land as far north as lat. 7G°; how much farther north is not known. They are separated from the South Greenlanders by hundreds of miles of ice- bound coasts and impassable glaciers. Many centuries ago a milder climate may and probably did exist, and a corresponding modifica- tion of glacier and a sea less ice-encumbered might have rendered the migration of these poor people from the south to their present isolated abodes practicable ; but to me it appears much more easy to suppose that they migrated eastward from the northern outlet of Smith's Sound. 21s/. — More pleasant weather since my last entry ; and although last night the temperature fell to -47°, yet it has generally been mild ; once it rose to -14°, but amply made amends by falling to -38° within twelve hours. We have enjoyed * Petersen conversed with two men who had themselves been up to (Jmingmak Island. if' '' \ n \- in * 1 \ !.; t 1 ■' f 11' :1 if '|l| i: ' i. 200 RKTURN OF THE SUN, 1850. ClIAP XII 1 I i W t \ much of the moon's presence for the hist ten clay?, but now slio is waninj^ and hastening away to the south. Dayhght increases in strength and dura- tion, consequently we walk more, and see more, and the winter's gloom gives place to activity and cheerrulness. Several ptarmigan, three or four hares, a snowy owl, and a bear-track, have at various times been seen. Young has shot four ptarmigan, and I have shot a couple more and a hare, and the men have trapped two foxes. On board the ship the preparations for travelling take precedence of all other occupations. 2Qth. — Part of the sun's disc loomed above the horizon to-day, somewhat swollen and disfigured by the misty atmosphere, but looking benevolent withal. I happened to be diligently traversing the rocky hill-sides in the hope of finding some solitary hare dozing in fancied security, when the sun thus appeared in view, and halted to feast my eyes upon the glorious sight, and scan the features of our returning friend. Hope and promise min- gled in his bright beams. Again I moved upward, and with more elastic step ; for now the sun of 1859 was shining upon all nature around me. 2nd February. — A lovely, calm, bright day, and beautifully clear, except over the waterspace in Bellot Strait, where rests a densely black mist, very strongly resembling the West Indian rain- squall as it looms upon the distant horizon. The •w Fed. 1859. EARLY SPUING SLEDGE PAUTIES. 201 incronsing sunlight i.s cheering, but voitl of heat, and the nionniry is often frozen. A few more ptarmigan liave been shot. Our remaining .servieea])le dogs, twenty-two in number, have been divided with great care into three teams of seven each ; the odd dog is added to my team, as my journey is expected to be the longest. The different sledge-parties will now feed up their dogs without limit, so that the utmost degree of work may be got out of them hereafter. January has been slightly colder than Decem- ber, mean t ^nperature being -331", but there has been rathe less wind. 8//i. — -All will be ready for the departure of Young and myself upon our respective journeys upon the morning of the 14th. Mr. Petersen and Alexander Thompson accom- pany me, with two dog-sledges, and fifteen dogs, dragging twenty-four days' provisions. My object is to communicate with the Boothians in the vicinity of the magnetic pole. Young takes his party of four men and his dog-sledge; he will carry forward provisions for his spring exploration of the shores of Prince of Wales' Land, between the extreme points reached by Lieutenants Osborn and Brown in 1851. On the 3d I walked for seven and a half hours, and saw tw^o reindeer, but could not approach within shot. Young examined the water-space in PI S m \^\ ; 1 m I i m. i: I'! i i'l f ill' 1, !]W 2 geo- width coast, or 20 )i geo- \ six 5S. 3rang r fell con- QS to ving feet ttof Mar. 1859. TRAVELLING ROUTINE. 205 the provisions ; still we could not make more than 12 or 18 miles dail3^ We of course walked, so that the dogs had only the remaining provisions and clothing to drag, yet several of them re- peatedly fell down in fits. For several days this severe w^eather continued, the mercury of ray artificial horizon remaining frozen (its freezing-point is -39°); and our rum, at first thick like treacle, required thawing lat- terly, when the more fluid and stronger part had been used. We travelled each day until dusk, and then were occupied for a couple of hours in building our snow-hut. The four walls were run up until 5i feet high, inclining inwards as much as possible ; over these our tent was laid to form a roof; we could not afford the time necessary to construct a dome of snow. Our equipment consisted of a very small brown-hoUand tent, macintosh floor-cloth, and felt robes; besides this, each man had a bag of double blanketing, and a pair of fur boots, to sleep in. We wore mocassins over the pieces of blanket in which our feet were wrapped up, and, with the exception of a change of this foot-gear, carried no spare clothes. The daily routine was as follows : — I led the way; Petersen and Thompson fol- lowed, conducting their sledges ; and in this man- ner we trudged on for eight or ten hours without halting, except when necessary to disentangle the dog-harness. When we halted for the night, 18 Ml '' I f: 206 TRAVELLING ROUTINE. Chap. XII Thompson and I usually sawed out the blocks of compact snow and carried them to Petersen, who acted as the master-mason in building the snow- hut: the hour and a half or two hours usually employed in erecting the edifice was the Host disagreeable of the day*s labor, for, in addition to being already well tired and desiring repose, we became thoroughly chilled whilst standing about. When the hut was finished, the dogs were fed, and here the great difficulty was to insure the weaker ones their full share in the scramble for supper ; then commenced the operation of un- packing the sledge, and carrying into our hut everything necessary for ourselves, such as pro- vision and sleeping gear, as well as all boots, fur mittens, and even the sledge dog-harness, to pre- vent the dogs from eating them during our sleep- ing hours. The door was now blocked up with snow, the cooking-lamp lighted, foot-gear changed, diary written up, watches wound, sleeping bags wriggled into, pipes lighted, and the merits of the various dogs discussed, until supper was ready ; the supper swallowed, the upper robe or coverlet was pulled over, and then to sleep. Next morning came breakfast, a struggle to get into frozen mocassins, after which the sledges were packed, and another day's march commenced. In these little huts we usually slept warm enough, although latterly, when our blankets and clothes became loaded with ice, we felt the cold Mar. 1859 WESTERN SHORES OF BOOTHIA. 207 severely. When our low doorway was carefully blocked up with snow, and the cooking-lamp alight the temperature quickly rose so that the walls became glazed, and our bedding thawed ; but the cooking over, or the doorway partially opened, it as quickly fell again, so that it was impossible to sleep, or even to hold one's pannikin of tea, with- out putting our mitts on, so intense was the cold ! On the 21st I visited our main depot laid out last October; it was safe, but unfortunately had been carried far into Wrottesley Inlet, and only 40 miles south of Bellot Strait. On the 22d an easterly gale prevented our marching, but we had the good fortune to shoot a bear, so consoled ourselves with fresh steaks, and the dogs with an ample feed of imfrozen flesh — a treat they had not enjoyed for many months. We coasted along a granitic land, deeply in- dented and fringed with islands, and found it to be the general characteristic of the Boothian shore from Bellot Strait, until we had accom- plished half the distance to the magnetic pole; limestone then appeared, and the remainder of our journey was performed along a low, straight shore, which afforded us much greater facility for sledging. Throughout the whole distance we found a mixture of heavy old ice and light ice of last autumn, in many places squeezed up into pack ; 11 1 i H ' p ill i :,i ■■' % m, 208 WAGES OF NATIVE BUILDERS. Chap. XTI. ^ i I I- Rl 1 but as we advanced southward aged floes were less frequently seen. On the first of March we halted to encamp at about the position of the magnetic pole — for no cairn remains to mark the spot. I had almost concluded that my journey would prove to be a work of labor in vain, because hitherto no traces of Esquimaux had been met with, find, in consequence of the reduced state of our provis- ions and the wretched condition of the poor dogs — six out of the fifteen being quite useless — I could only advance one more march. But we had done nothing more than look ahead ; when we halted, and turned round, great indeed was my surprise and joy to see four men walking after us. Petersen and I in mediately buckled on our revolvers and advanced to meet them. The natives halted, made fast their dogs, laid down their spears, and received us without any evidence of surprise. They told us they had been out upon a seal hunt on the ice, and were returning home : we proposed to join them, and all were soon in motion again ; but another hour brought sunset, and we learned that their snow village of eight huts was still a long way off, so we hired them, at the rate of a needle for each Esquimaux, to build us a hut, which they com- pleted in an hour ; it was 8 feet in diameter, 5i feet high, and in it we all passed the night. Per- Mar. 1859. INFORMATION FROM ESQUIMAUI^. 209 haps the records of architecture do not furnish another instance of a dwelling-house so cheaply constructed ! We gave them to understand that we were anxious to barter with them, and very cautiously approached the real object of our visit. A naval button upon one of their dresses afforded the op- portunity ; it came, they said, from some w^hite people who were stajrved upon an island where there are salmon (that is, in a river); and that the iron of which their knives were made came from the same place. One of these men saiu he had been to the island to obtain wood and iron, but none of them had seen the white men. Another man had been to " Ei-wil-lik " (Repulse Bay), and counted on his fingers seven individuals of Rae's party whom he remembered having seen. These Esquimaux had nothing to eat, and no other clothing than their ordinary double dresses of fur; they would not eat our biscuit or salt pork, but took a small quantity of bear's blubber and some water. They slept in a sitting posture, with their heads leaning forward on their breasts. Next morning we travelled about 10 miles further, by which time we were close to Cape Victoria ; be- yond this I would not go, much as they wished to lead us on ; we therefore landed, and they built us a commodious snow hut in half an hour ; this done, we displayed to them our articles for barter — knives, files, needles, scissors, beads, etc. — ex- 18» I i \ ill :m..w w • 1 mJ !) i'lli 210 BARTER WITH NATIVES. Ckap. XII. I I; ;i' I 11 pressed our desire to trade with them, and prom- ised to purchase everything which belonged to the starved white men, if they would come to us on the morrow. Notwithstanding that the weather was now stormy and bitterly cold, two of the natives stripped off their outer coats of reindeer skin and bartered them for a knife each. Despite the gale which howled outside, we spent a comfortable night in our roomy hut. Next morning the entire village population arrived, amounting to about forty-five souls, from aged people to infants in arms, and bartering commenced very briskly. First of all we pur- chased all the relics of the lost expedition, consist- ing of six silver spoons and forks, a silver medal, the property of Mr. A. M'Donald, assistant surgeon, part of a gold chain, several buttons, and knives ma(l3 of the iron and wood of the wreck, also bows and arrows constructed of materials obtained from the same source. Having secured these, we purchased a few frozen salmon, some seals* blubber and venison, but could not prevail upon them to part with more than one of their fine dogs. One of their sledges was made of two stout pieces of wood, which might have been a boat's keel. All the old people recollected the visit of the ^Victory.' An old man told me his name was ^^Ooblooria:" I recollected that Sir James Ross had employed a man of that name as a guide, and reminded him of it ; he was, in fact, the same in- Ckap. XII. Mar. 1859. INTELLIGENCE OF FRANKLIN'S SHIPS 211 dividual, and he inquired after Sir James by his Esquimaux name of "Agghigga." I inquired after the man who was furnished with a wooden leg by the carpenter of the * Victory : * no direct answer was given, but his daughter was pointed out to me. Petersen explained to me that they do not like alluding in any way to the dead, and that, as my question was not answered, it was certain the man was no longer amongst the living. None of these people had seen the v/hites ; one man said he had seen their bones upon the island where they died, but some were buried. Petersen also understood him to say that the boat was crushed by the ice. Almost all of them had part of the plunder ; they say they will be here when we return, and will trade more with us ; also that we shall find natives upon Montreal Island at the time of our arriving there. Next morning, 4th March, several natives came to us again. I bought a spear GJ feet long from a man who told Petersen distinctly that a ship hav- ing three masts had been crushed by the ice out in the sea to the west of King William's Island, but that all the people landed safely ; he was not one of those who were eye-witnesses of it ; the ship sunk, so nothing was obtained by the natives from her ; all that they have got, he said, came from the island in the river. The spear staff appears to have been part of the gunwale of a light boat i |!1 1' .-f; U I J -I i Si Hi I , '■' ! U ■ i. it ::*' i\. V t ! ' niiiif 'is, 'M, . ^|i I > 1 1 i ^ ! ^ 1 1 1 3 i i j ■i 220 SNOW BLINDNESS. Chap. XIII. noss came on; Young and one of his men be- came blind as kittens; and the third man had to load, lead, and unload them, when these portages occurred. Young's Esquimaux dog-driver, Sam- uel, was quite blind when the party reached the ship. Two dogs, not choosing to allow tliem- selves to be caught and put in harness, had been still left behind at the last encampment. There still remains at Fury Beach an immense stack of preserved vegetables and soups; the party supped off them and found them good. Young brought me back two specimen tins of "carrots plain" and "carrots and gravy." All small casks and packages were covered with snow ; of the large ones which appeared through it, he saw thirty-four casks of flour, five of split peas, five of tobacco, and four of sugar. Only a very few tons of coals remained. There were two boats, a short four-oared gig and a large cutter ; the former required nothing but caulking to make her serviceable, but the latter had a large portion of one bow and side cut out, as if for making, or repairing flat sledges. No record was found. We have now enough sugar to last us for seven or eight months, but by the survey of provisions which has just been completed, we find a defi- ciency of many other articles, including three casks of salt beef Fortunately this is of no consequence as we have abundance of both salt and preserved meat, but it shows the alarming extent to which Mar. 1859. PREPARATION OF SLEDGE PARTIES. 221 a negligent steward may mislead one. This un- fortunate man has now got scurvy ; want of exer- cise and fresh air is the apparent cause, combined with irregular living; the spirits have hitherto been in his charge. The bustle of preparation for the extended searching journeys has been exciting. Hobson's party and my own are now all prepared, and Young having returned, we propose setting out on the 2d April — God willing. Young's new sledge will be ready, and he will also start a few days after us. All our winter defences of snow, our porches, our deck-layer, and our external em- bankment, have been removed. Dr. Walker, of necessity, remains in charge of the ship, with two stewards, a cook, a carpenter, and a stoker. My party, as well as Hobson's, will be provisioned, in- cluding the depots, for an absence of about eighty- four days ; but not being able to afford auxiliary or supporting sledge-parties, much time will be occupied in transporting oMy depOts further out, in order that we may start with as much as we can possibly carry, from the Magnetic Pole, be- sides leaving there a depot for our return. The declinometer was taken on board two days ago ; hourly observations have been made with it for more than five months : we can no longer spare any one for this interesting duty. .* « si: * 24:th June. — One thing is certain, the wild sort 19* ;. t a; Hi'iV. m'V ilJ ii! ii m mI' 111 I 1 1 U I 222 THE START. Chap. XIII. of tenirlife we lead in Arctic exploration quite unfits one for such tame work as writing up a journal ; my present attempt will illustrate the fact, — yet with such ample materials what a deeply interesting volume might be written ! Since I last opened this familiar old diary — the repository alike of dry facts and the most trivial notes — winter has passed away, summer is far advanced, and the glorious sun is again returning southward. We too have endeavored to move on with the times and seasons. As for myself — I have visited Montreal Island^ completed the exploration and circuit of King William's Island, passing on foot through the only feasible North-West Passage; but all this is as nothing to the interest attached to the FranMin records picked up by Hobson, and now safe in my possession ! We now know the fate of the * Erebus* and ' Terror.' The sole object of our voyage has at length been completed, and we anxiously await the time when escape from these bleak regions will become practicable. H: * * r» The morning of April 2nd was inauspicious, but as the day advanced the weather improved, so that Hobson and I were able to set out upon our journeys ; we each had a sledge drawn by four men, besides a dog-sledge, and dog-driver. Mr. Petersen having volunteered his services to drive my dogs, — an offer too valuable to be declinedj Apr. 1859. EQUIPMENT OF SLEDGE PARTIES. 223 — managed my dogsledge throughout. Our five starveling puppies were harnessed, for the first time in their lives, to a small sledge which I drove myself, intending to sell them to the Esquimaux, if I could get them to drag their own supply of provisions so far. The procession looked imposing — it certainly was deeply interesting ; there were five sledges, twelve men, and seventeen dogs, the latter of all sizes and shapes. The ship hoisted the Royal Harwich Yacht flag, and our sledges displayed their gay silk banners; mine was a very beautiful one, given me by Lady Franklin ; it bears her name in white letters upon a red ground, and is margined with white embroidery ; it was worked by the sisters of Captain Collinson. The equipment of my sledge-party and the weights were as follows : those of Hobson and Young were almost precisely similar. lbs. weight. Two sledges and fitting complete .. .. .. ..110 Tent, waterproof blanket, floorcloth, two sleeping-robes, and six blanket sleeping-bags . . . . . . . . 90 Cooking-ntensils, shovel, saw, snow-knife, and sundry small articles 40 Sledge-gun and ammunition 20 Magnetic and astronomical instruments 60 Six knapsacks, containing spare clothing 60 Various tins and bags, in which provision and fuel were stored 50 Articles for barter 40 Provisions 930 Total 1400 The load for each man to drag was fixed at hi; j i i t ? '■-I m . ■ I'E ill ill' i 224 SLOW PROGRESS. Chap. XIII. i :i I I ! til 200 lbs., and for each dog 100 lbs. Our provi- sions consisted mainly of pemmican, biscuit, and tea, with a small addition of boiled pork, rum, and some tobacco. The men being untrained to the work, and sledges heavily laden, our march was fatiguing and slow. We encamped that night upon the long lake. On the second day we reached the western sea, and upon the third, aided by our sledge sails, w^e advanced some miles beyond Arcedeckne Island. The various depots carried out with so much difficulty and danger in the autumn, were now gathered up as we advanced, until at length we were so loaded as to be compelled to proceed with one-half at a time, going three times over the same ground. For six days this tedious mode of progression was persevered in, by which time (15th April) we reached the low limestone shore in latitude 71° 7' N., and which continues thence in almost a straight line southward for 60 or 70 miles. We now commenced laying down provi- sions for our consumption upon the return jour- ney ; and the snow being unusually level, we were able to advance with the whole of our remaining provisions, amounting to nearly sixty days* allow- ance. Hitherto the temperature continued low, often nearly 30° below zero, and at times with cutting north winds, bright sun, and intensely strong Aph. 1839. MEET OLD ACQUAINTANCE. 225 snow glare. Although we 'wore colored specta- cle.«, yet almost all sufTcred great inconvenience and considerable pain from inllamed eyes. Our faces were blistered, lips and hands cracked, — never were men more disfigured by the combined effects of bright sun and bitterly cold winds ; for- tunately no serious frost-bites occurred, but frost- bitten faces and fmgers were universal. On the 20th April, in latitude 70f N., we met two families of natives, comprising twelve indi- viduals; their snow-huts were upon the ice three- quarters of a mile off shore, and their occupation was seal-hunting. They were the same people with whom I had communicated at Cape Victoria in February. Old Oo-na-lee laid his hands on Petersen's shoulders to measure their width, and said, " He is fatter now : " true enough, the February tem- perature and sharp marching had caused us both at that time to shrink considerably. Their snow-huts w^ere built in the above form, the common entrance and both passages being F -III IllH ■Ml » i e\\ ii ilL Hi: i'f y ;if " t r ill'i .I'- |j':i 1 226 SNOW HUTS OF NATIVES. CM«r. XIII. A rl 'i ii ;;■ 1 ■ ■ ■ 1 I ■'■■ 1 l> 1 1 i i just sufficiently high to get in without having to crawl upon our liancls and knco8. . A slab of ice in the roof admitted sufficient light A snow bank or bench two feet high, and occupying half the area of each hut, was covered with reindeer skins, and formed the family place of repose. An angular snow bench served as the kitchen table, and immediately beside it sat the lady of the establishment attending the stone lamp which stood thereon, and the stone-cooking vessel sus- pended over it. The lamp was a shallow open vessel, the fuel seal oil, and the wick dried moss. Her " tinder-box " was a little seal-skin bag of soft dry moss, and with a lump of iron pyrites and a broken file she struck fire upon it. I purchased the file because it was marked with the Govern- ment broad arrow. ' We saw two large snow shovels made of ma- hogany board, some long spear handles, a bow of English wood, two preserved-meat tins, and a deal case which might have once contained a large telescope or a barometer ; it measured 3 feet 1 inch in length by 9 inches wide and SJ inches deep ; there was no lid, but part of the brass hinges remained. I also purchased a knife which had some indis- tinct markings upon it, such as ship's cutlasses or swords usually have ; the man told us it had been picked up on the shore near where a ship lay stranded ; that it was then about the length of Apr. 1859. INTELLIGENCE OF SECOND SHIP. 227 fOvern- his arm, but his countryman who picked it up broke it into lengths to make knives. After much anxiou.^ inquiry we learned that two ships had been seen by the natives of King WilUam*s Island ; one of them v;as seen to sink in deep water, and nothing was obtained from her, a circumstance at wliich they expressed much regret ; but the other was forced on shore by the ice, where they suppose she still remains, but is much broken. From this ship they have obtained most of their wood, &c. ; and Oot- loo-lik is the name of the place where she grounded. Formerly many natives lived there, now very few remain. All the natives have obtained plenty of the wood. The most of this information was given ns by the young man who sold the knife. Old Oo-na- lee, who drew the rough chart for me in March, to show where the ship sank, now answered our questions respecting the one forced on shore ; not a syllable about her did he mention on the former occasion, although we asked whether they knew of only one ship? I think he would willingly have kept us in ignorance* of the wreck being upon their coasts, and that the young man unwit- tingly made it known to us. The latter also told us that the body of a man was found on board the ship ; that he must have been a very large man, and had long teeth ; this !; I 5 I ir i- ; i A ■i \ Ji' ! i-iiij 1 . ■ ir ;u: i; 1 1 228 BARTER WITH NATIVES. Chap. XITI. a i is all he recollected having been told, for he was quite a child at the time. They both told us it was in the fall of the year — that is, August or September — when the ^hips were destroyed ; that all the white people went away to the " large river," taking a boat or boats with them, and that in the following winter their bones were found there. These two Esquimaux families had been up as far north as the Tasmania Group '^' in latitude 7ir N., and were returning to NSitchillt'e, hunt- ing seals by the way; those we met at Cape Victoria had already gone there. The nearest natives to us at present, they said, were resid- ing at the island of Amitoke, ten days' journey distant from here. Can this Amitoke be Matty Island ? We purchased some seal's blubber and flesh, as well as their two only dogs ; but next morning Oo-na-lee repented his bargain, or feigned to do so, but as he came without the knife to exchange back we retained his dog ; he tried to steal a tin vessel off one of the sledges, and perhaps it was for the purpose of regaining our favor that he made known to us, just as we were starting, that his countrymen had followed my homeward * These islands were so named by me, at the request of Lady Franklin, in grateful acknowledgment of many proofs of afl'cctionate sympathy re- ceived from the colony over which her husband presided for several years, and, in particular, of the large contributions raised there in aid of liei expeditions of search. Apr. 1850. DEPOT IIOBBED. 229 track in March, discovering my doput of blub- ber, articles for barter, and two revolvers, and carried them all off to Xeitchilleo, — by no means pleasant intelligence ; their dogs must have enabled them to find the blubber by scenting it, for it was buried under 4 feet of snow, aud strong winds obliterated all traces upon the surface. I was now glad we had purchased both the dogs of the men, as it would probably prevent their seeking for our deprits to the northward ; the knowledge of the insecurity of all depots amongst these people will keep us on our guard for the future. I regretted the loss of the pistols, as it left my party with no other arms than two guns. Oo-na-lee told us when we first met him that one of his countrymen was very sick ; not seeing a sick man in their huts, we forgot all about it until after starting, when Petersen interpreted to me Oo-na-lee's parting information, and told me liow he described that the breech of the revolver turned round ; it then occurred to me that one of the men might have been wounded, — they had discovered how to cock the locks, and the pistols were loaded and capped. Oo-na-lee was well acquainted Avith the coast- line up to Bellot Strait, and had names for the different headlands, although he had never been so far north ; he made many inquiries about the SO l! ! J 1!:M I, i f ! % 1 1 !f f ■ . ■ ■hi i I ilii' M 111 iii iiii ii 1:1. 230 PART COMPANY FROM IIOBSON. Chap. XIII petition of our ship, her size, and the number of men. Had he been able to travel so far with hi? wife and several young children, and without sledge or dogs, I think he certainly would have gone up to Port Kennedy ; we did not give him any encouragement to do so. His wife was one of 1 he most importunate of the many women we saw at Cape Victoria in March. She wms the woman who plucked out an infant by its arm from inside her dress, and exposed it regardless of -30° and a fresh wind, as I have previously told. The information respecting hoth the missing ships was most important, and it remained for us to discover, if possible, the stranded ship. Continuing our journey, we crossed a wide bay upon level ice, and the most perfectly smooth hard snow I ever saw ; there must have been much open water here late last autumn. Seven or eight snow huts, recently abandoned, w^ere foiuid near the magnetic pole. During the 25th, 26 th, and 27th, we were confined to our tents by a very heavy soutli-east gale, with severe cold. Early on the 28th we reached Cape Victoria; here Hobson and I separated. He marched di- rect for Cape Felix, King William's Land, whilst I kept a more southerly course. Not daring to leave depots upon this coast, we carried on our whole supply, intending to deposit a small portion upon the Clarence Islands. Apr. 1859. MISS THE CLARENCE ISLANDS. 231 Hobson was unwell when we parted, complain- ing of stiffness and pain in his lc<^s ; neither of lis then suspected the cause. I ^ave him direc- tions to search the west coast of King William's Island for the stranded ship and for records, and to act upon such information as he might obtain in this way, or from the natives ; but should that shore prove destitute of traces, to carry out if possible our original plan for the completion of discovery and search upon Victoria Land, com- prising the blank space between the extremes visited by Captain Collinson and Mr. Wynniatt. I soon found that my party had to labor across a rough pack ; nor was it until the third day that we completed the traverse of the strait, and en- camped near to the entrance of Port Parry, in King William's Island. Although the weather was clear, and that by our reckoning we passed di- rectly over the assigned position of the two south- ern of the Clarence Islands, yet we saw nothing of them. A day was devoted to securing a depot in a huge mass of grounded ice, and in repairing and drying equipment, or, to speak more correctly, in getting rid of the ice which encumbf;red our sleeping bags and gear; this we effected by heatr ing them well and exposing them to the direct rays of the sun. Magnetic and other observations gave me ample employment, the onlj^ immediate w :lli Q ; f hi ■f' ' i v\ \ I ■ t .1 (I •nm 232 MATTY ISLAND. CUAP. XIII. :i|ii:'!i liiii result of which was my being almost snow-blind for the t\vo following days. On May 2nd we set off again briskly ; our load being diminished to thirty days* provisions, and the sledge sail set, we soon reached the land, and travelled along it for Cape Sabine ; it was very thick weather, and we were unable to see any distance in consequence of the mist and snow- drift. The following day was no better, and the shore, which we dared not leave to cross the bays, was extremely low. We soon discovered that we had strayed in- land ; but, guided by the w^ind, continued our course. Upon May 4th we descended into Wel- lington Strait, and the weather being tolerably clear, crossed over to the south-west extreme of Matty Island, in the hope of meeting with natives, no traces of them having been met with since leaving Cape Victoria. Off this south-west point we found a deserted village of nearly twenty snow huts, besides several others, within a few miles upon either side of it; in all of them I found shavings or chips of different kinds of wood fi'om the lost expedition ; they appeared to have been abandoned onlv within a fortuiaht or three weeks. Abundance of blubber was gathered up to increase our stock of fuel, and had w^e en- camped here, the dogs w^ould have feasted sump- tuously off the scraps and bones of seals strewed about. M Mat, 1859. NATIVE SLEDGES. 233 iitf The runners (or sides) of some old sledges left here were very ingeniously formed out of rolls of seal-skin, about SI feet long, and flattened so as to be 2 or 3 inches wide and 5 inches high; the seal- skins appeared to have been well soaked and then rolled up, flattened into the required form and al- lowed to freeze. The underneath part was coated with a mixture of moss and ice laid smoothly on by hand before being allowed to freeze, the moss, I suppose, an;3wering the purpose of hair in mortar, to make the compound adhere more firmly. From this spot the shore-line of Matty Island turned sharply to the N.N.E. ; there were some considerable islands to the east, but thinking the most southerly of this group, named " Owut-ta " by the Esquimaux, the most likely place to find the natives, I pushed on in that direction until we encamped. Thick fog enveloped us for the next two days ; we could not find the island, but found a very small islet near it, off which was another snow-vilhige very recently abandoned, the sledge tracks plainly showing that the inhalj- itants had gone to the E.N.E., which is straight for Neitchillee. It v/as now evident that these places of winter resort were deserted, and that here at least we should not find any natives ; I was the 20* 1:111 ':■ .■ M ' !■ '-^ ill!. [Ik f'sf ! 1 ^it 11 4% ti i 1 ill Ml |i 234 NATIVE HUTS. Chap. XIII. more sorry at having mipsed them, as, from the quantity of wood chips about the huts, they prob- ably had visited the stranded ship aUuded to by the last Esquimaux we had met, and the route to which lies up an inlet visible from here, and then overland three or four days' journey to the west- w^ard, until the opposite coast of King William's Land is reached. The largest huts measured 12 feet in diameter, by 6 or 7 feet high ; the greater part were con- structed in pairs, having a passage 20 or 25 feet long, serving as the common entrance ; w here the passage divides into two branches, there was a small hut, which served as a sort of ante-chamber for the reception of such articles as were intended to remain frozen. !'i m Mat, 1859. MEET ESQUIMAUX. 235 CHAPTER XIV. Meet Esquimaux — News of Franklin's people — Frij^hten a solitary party — Reach the Great Fish River — On Moiitreal Island — Total al)s«^nce of all relies — Examine 0;^'le Peninsula — Discover a skeleton — Vagueness of Esquimaux information — Cape llerscliel — Cairn. ^th May. — To avoid snow-blindness, we com- menced night-marching. Crossing over from Matty Island towards the King William Island shore, we continued our march southward until midnight, when v/e had the good fortune to arrive at an inhabited snow-village. We found here ten or twelve nuts and thirty or forty natives of King William's Island ; I do not think any of them had ever seen wdiite people alive before, but they evidently knew us to be friends. We halted at a little distance, and pitched our tent, the better to secure small articles from being stolen whilst we bartered with them. I purchased from them six pieces of silver plate, bearing the crests or initials of Franklin, Crozier, Fairholme, and McDonald ; they also sold us bows and arrows of English woods, uniform and other buttons, and offered us a heavy sledge made of two short stout pieces of curved wood, which no mere boat could have furnished them with, but H f M ^" % I 11" J1 t ! r y\ ■' , I!m ('S-ly dis- steal, ? they every m the ler, in A'here. retain ig his ) trou- ►f my knife 1 gun , and ever 3ndli- the nee >» ssed, ozea ome iiys' iilet )iild iain nsd May, 1859. NEWS OF FRANKLIN'S PrOPLE 237 of the wreck which w^as accessible, their country- men having carried almost everything away. In answer to an inquiry, they said she was without masts; the question gave rise to some laughter amongst them, and they spoke to each other about Jire, from which Petersen thought they had burnt the masts through close to the deck in order to get them down. There had been mcmf/ booh they said, but all have long ago been destroyed hy the weather ; the ship Avas forced on shore in the fall of the year by the ice. She had not been visited during this past winter, and an old woman and a boy were shown to us who were the last to visit the wreck ; they said they had been at it during the .vinter of 1857-8. Petersen questioned the woman closely, and she seemed anxious to give all the information in her power. She said many of the white men dropped by the way as they went to the Great River ; that some were buried and some were not ; they did not themselves witness this, but discov- ered their bodies durino; the winter followinii:. We could not arrive at any approximation to the numbers of the white men nor of the years elapsed since they were lost. This was all the information we could obtain, and it was with great difficulty so much could be gleaned, the dialect being strange to Petersen, and the natives far more inclined to ask questions f I i r' -i M '■ i \ ■ Hi ■ \^ 1 ;i ' I • \ v-'-^ 1 '11 ! ' i a t I i I I Si :- I 254 ArPEARANCE OF CAIRNS. Chap. XV. might have clone, of its fatal termination upon the mainland, lost no time in following up their traces, examining every spot where they halted, every mark they pat up, or stone displaced. It is easy to tell whether a cairn has been put up or touched within a moderate period of years ; if very old, the outer stones have a weathered appearance, lichens will have grown upon the sheltered portions and moss in the crevices ; but if recently disturbed, even if a single stone is turned upside down, these appearances are al- tered. If a cairn has been recently built it wdll be evident, because the stones picked up from the neighborhood would be bleached on top by the exposure of centuries, whilst underneath they would be colored by the soil in which they were imbedded. To the eye of the native hunter these marks of a recent cairn are at once apparent : and unless Simpson's cairn (built in 1839) had been disturbed by Crozier, I do not think the Esquimaux would have been at the trouble of pulling it down to plunder the cache ; but hav- ing commenced to do so, would not have left any of it standing, ttnkss iliey found what ilwj sovgM, I noticed with great care the appearance of the stones, and came to the conclusion that the cairn itself w^as of old date, and had been erected many years ago, and that it was reduced to the state in which we found it by people having broken down one side of it ; the displaced stones, from being Mat, 1859. INTEREST ATTACHING TO THE CAIRN. 255 turned over, looking far more fre^^h than those in that portion of the cairn which had been left stand- ing. It was with a feeling of deep regret and much disappointment that I left this spot without finding some certain record of those martyrs to tlipir country's fame. Perhaps in all the wide w^orld there will be few spots more hallowed in the recollection of English seamen than this cairn on Cape Ilerschel. A few miles beyond Cape Ilerschel the land be- comes very low ; many islets and shingle-ridges lie far off the coast ; and as we advanced we met with hummocks of unusually heavy ice, showing plainly that we were now travelling upon a far more exposed part of the coast-line. We were approaching a spot where a revelation of intense interest was awaiting me. ' About 12 miles from Cape Ilerschel I found a small cairn built by Hobson's party, and containing a note for me. He had reached this his extreme point, six days previously, without having seen anything of the wreck, or of natives, but he had found a record — the record so ardently sought for, of the Franklin Expedition — at Point Vic- tory, on the N.W. coast of King William's Land. That record is indeed a sad and touching relic of our lost friends, and, to simplify its contents, I will point out separately the double story it so briefly tells. In the first place, the record paper was one of the printed forms usually supplied I!' 5' ' f ?} h .i 1 1 [} ill -"i >i Ir ■ I i' I.. 1 fill i !| n if i if I 1 .1 i i II' '■ 'I Mi! > m ill;' ;) 256 DISCOVERY OF GORE'S RECORD. Chap. XV. to discovery ships for the purpose of being en- closed in bottles and thrown overboard at sea, in order to ascertain the set of the currents, blanks being left for the date and position ; any person finding one of these records is requested to for- ward it to the Secretary of the Admiralty, with a note of time and place ; and this request is print- ed upon it in six different languages. Upon it was written, apparently by Lieutenant Gore, as follows : — " 28 of May, ( H. M. ships * Erebus * and ' Terror* wintered in the 1847. { ice in lat. 70° 05' N. ; long. 98° 23' W. Having wintered in 1846-7 at Beechey Island, in lat. 74° 43' 28" N., long. 91° 39' 15" W., after having ascended Wellington Channel to lat. 77°, and returned by the west side of Cornwallis Island. " Sir John Franklin commanding the expedition. " All well. " Party consisting of 2 officers and 6 men left the ships on lilonday 24th May, 1847. " Gm. Gore, Lieut " Chas. F. Des V(Eux, Mate.** There is an error in the above document, name- ly, that the * Erebus * and ^ Terror * wintered at Beechey Island in 1846-7, — the correct dates should have been 1845-6 ; a glance at the date at the top and bottom of the record proves this, but in all other respects the tale is told in as few words as possible of their wonderful success up to that date. May, 1847. We find that, after the last intelligence of Sir May, 1859. GORE'S RECORD. 257 John Franklin was received by us (bearing date of July, 1845), from the whalers in Melville Bay, that his Expedition passed on to Lancas- ter Sound, and entered Wellington Channel, of which the southern entrance had been discovered by Sir Edward Parry in 1819. The * Erebus ' and * Terror * sailed up that strait for one hundred and fifty miles, and reached in the autumn of 1845 the same latitude as was attained eight years subsequently by H.M.S. * Assistance' and * Pioneer.* Whether Franklin intended to pur- sue this northern course, and was only stopped by ice in that latitude of 77° north, or purposely re- linquished a route which seemed to lead away from the known seas off the coast of America, must be a matter of opinion ; but this the docu- ment assures us of, that Sir John Franklin's Ex- pedition, having accomplished this examination, returned southward from latitude 77^ north, which is at the head of Wellington Channel, and re-en- tered Barrow's Strait by a new channel between Bathurst and Cornwallis Islands. Seldom has such an amount of success been accorded to an Arctic navigator in a single season, and when the ^ Erebus * and * Terror ' were secured at Beechey Island for the coming winter of 1845-6, the results of their first year's labor must have been most cheering. These results were the exploration of Wellington and Queen's Channel, and the addition to our charts 22* B 1 -1 ■■ "'ji f.'' ' ■ ;;( H ! i 1 M 1 li 1 I ; 1 mi i if H 1 - h ^ :1 11! i : '■* I I? lli - m ■ '"i , 258 DISCOVERY OF CROZIEU'S RECORD. Cnxr. XV. li I of the extensive lands on either hand. In 1846 they proceeded to the south-west, and eventually reached within twelve miles of the north ex- treme of King William's Land, when their prog- ress was arrested by the approaching winter of 1846-7. That winter appears to have passed without any serious loss of life ; and when in the spring Lieutenant Gore leaves with a party for some especial purpose, and very probably to con- nect the unknown coast-line of King William's Land between Point Victory and Cape Herschel, those on board the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' were "all well," and the gallant Franklin still com- manded. But, alas ! round the margin of the paper upon which Lieutenant Gore in 1847 wrote those words of hope and promise, another hand had subse- quently written the following words: — " April 25, 1848. — H. M. ships ' Terror * and * Erebus * were de- serted on the 22nd April, 5 leagues N.N.W. of this, having been beset since 12th September, 1846. The officers and crews, consisting of 105 souls, under the command of Captain F. R. M. Crozicr, landed here in lat. 69° 37' 42" N., long. 98° 41' W. Sir John FrankUn died on the 11th June, 1847 ; and the total loss by deaths in the ex- pedition has been to this date 9 officers and 15 men. (Signed) (Signed) " F. R. M. Crozier, " James Fitzjames, ** Captain and Senior Officer. " Captain II. M. S. Erebus. ** and start (on) to-morrow, 26th, for Back's Fish Rivt,r.*' This marginal information was evidently writ- May, 1859. ACCOUNT OF TIIE EXPEDITION. 259 ten by Captain Fitzjaraes, excepting only the note Btating when and where they were going, which was added by Captain Crozier. There is some additional marginal information relative to the transfer of the document to its present position (viz., the site of Sir James Ross's pillar) from a spot four miles to the northward, near Point Victory, where it had been originally deposited by the Me Commander Gore. This little word late shows us that he too, within the twelvemonth had passed away. In the short space of twelve months how mournful had become the history of Franklin's expedition; how changed from the cheerful " All well " of Graham Gore ! The spring of 1847 found them within 90 miles of the known sea off the coast of America ; and to men who had already in two seasons sailed over 500 miles of previously unexplored waters, how confident must they have felt that that forthcoming navi- gable season of 1847 would see their ships pass over so short an intervening space ! It was ruled otherwise. Within a month after Lieutenant Gore placed the record on Point Victory, the much-loved leader of the expedition, Sir John Franklin, was dead ; and the following spring found Captain Crozier, upon whom the command had devolved at King William's Land, endeavor- ing to save his starving men, 105 souls in all, .t 1 il! d ; and ins Cro- )ted for Altitude nember writing ctic re- taken )ut rec- ed one from it, ve had June, 1859. RELICS AT THE CAIKN. 275 A great quantity and variety of things lay strewed about the cairn, such as even in their three days* march from the ships the retreat- ing crews found it impossible to carry further. Amongst these were four heavy sets of boat's cooking stoves, pickaxes, shovels, iron hoops, old canvas, a large single block, about four feet of a copper lightning conductor, long pieces of hol- low brass curtain rods, a small case of selected medicines containing about twenty-four phials, the contents in a wonderful state of preservation ; a deep circle by Robinson, with two needles, bar magnets, and light horizontal needle all complete, the whole weighing only nine pounds ; and even a small sextant engraved with the name of " Frederick Hornby " lying beside the cairn with- out its case. The colored ej^e-shades of the sex- tant had been taken out, otherwise it was perfect ; the movable screws and such parts as come in contact with the observer's hand were neatly cov- ered with thin leather to prevent frost>-bite in severe weather. The clothing left by the retreating crews of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' formed a huge heap four feet high; every article was searched, but the pockets were empty, and not one of all these ai ti- des were ma rked, — indeed sailors' warm clothing seldom is. Two canteens, the property of marines, were found, one marked "88 C°. Wm. Hedges," and the other " 89 C°. Wm. Hether." A small V' in .: Ml!' ! 276 RELICS AT THE CAIRN. Chap. XVI. ; I •; panniken made out of a two-pound preserved-meat tin had scratched on it " W. Mark." When continuing my homeward march, and, as nearly as I could judge, 2^ or 25 miles to the north of Point Victory, I saw a few stones placed in line, as if across the head of a tenting place to afford some shelter ; here it was I think that Lieutenant Gore deposited the record in May, 1847, which was found in 1848 by Lieutenant Irving, and finally deposited at Point Victory. Some scraps of tin vessels were lying about, but whether they had been left by Sir James Ross' party in May, 1830, or by the Franklin Expedition in 1847 or 1848, is uncertain.* Here ended my own search for traces of the lost ones. Hobson found two other cairns, and many relics, between this position and Cape Felix. From each place where any trace was discovered the most interesting of the relics were taken away, so that the collection we have made is very con- siderable. Of these northern cairns I will write a descrip- tion when I have received Hobson's account of his journey; but here it is as well to state his opinion, as well as my own, that no part of the coast between Cape Felix and Cape Crozier has been visited by Esquimaux since the fatal march * It is a remarkable circumstance that when, in 1830, Sir James Ross discovered Point Victory, he named two points of land, then in sights Cape Franklin and Cape Jane Franklin respectively. Eighteen years afterwards Franklin's ships perished within sight of those headlands. JoNB, 1859. REFLECTIONS AT THE RETREAT. 277 of the lost crews in April, 1848 ; none of the cairns or numerous articles strewed about — which would be invaluable to the natives — or even the drift- wood we noticed, had been touched by them. From this very significant fact it seems quite cer- tain that they had not been discovered by the Esquimaux, whose knowledge of the " white men falling down and dying as they walked along" must be limited to the shore-line southward and eastward of Cape Crozier, and where, of course, no traces were permitted to remain for us to fmd. It is not probable that such fearfid mortality would have overtaken them so early in their march as wdthin 80 miles by sledge-route from the aban- doned ships — such being their distance from Cape Crozier ; nor is it probable that Ave could have passed the wreck had she existed there, as there are no off-lying islands to prevent a ship drifting in upon the beach ; whilst to the southward they are very numerous ; so much so that a drifting ship could hardly run the gauntlet between them so as to reach the shore. The coast from Point Victory noiihward is con- siderably higher than that upon which wo have been so many days.; the sea also is not so shallow, and the ice comes close in ; to seaward all was heavy close pack, consisting of all descriptions of ice, but for the most part old and heavy. From Walls' Bay I crossed overland to the eastern shore, and reached my depot near the 24 m K i:1f i •■I'l t 1 27S RETURNING HOMEWARD. Chap. XVI entrance of Port Parry on the 5th June, after an absence of thirty-four days. Hence I purposed travelling alongshore to Cape Sabine, in order to avoid the rough ice which we encountered when crossing direct from Cape Victoria in April, and also hoping to obtain a few more observations for the magnetic inclination. The weather became ^oggy as we approached Prince George's Bay, therefore we were obliged to go well into it before attempting to cross. We gained the land — upon the opposite side, as I supposed — and which would lead us direct to Cape Sabine ; but when the weather cleared up we saw a long low island to seaward of us, which puzzled me much. Eventually I found we had discovered a strait leading from Prince George's Bay into Wellin^"^^^ Strait, about 8 miles south of Cape Sabine. This discovery cost us a day's delay, and was therefore unwelcome, as we were then in daily expectation and dread of the thaw, which renders all travelling so very difficult ; and we were still 230 long miles from our ship. In this strait we found a deserted snow village of seventeen huts ; one of them was unusually -large, its internal diameter being 14 feet. The men soon scraped together enough blubber to supply us with fuel for our homeward march. Strewed about on the ice or in every snow hut were shavings and chips of fresh wood ; in one of them I found a child's June, lb5-}. GEOLOGICAL REMARKS. 270 toy — a miniature sledge — made of wood. No traces of natives were found upon either shore at this place, nor had I met with any since leaving the western coast of the island to the southward of Cape Crozier. Having passed through nearly to the eastern end of the strait, we cut oiT some distance by crossing overland, so as to reach the sea-coast 3 or 4 miles southward of Cape Sabine. A few willow grouse, two foxes, and a young reindeer were seen. There was some vegetation upon the land, and animals appeared to resort to this locality in tol- erable abundance ; the contrast between it and the low, barren shore we had so recently come from was striking indeed ! Nothing can exceed the gloom and desolation of the western coast of King AVilliam's Island : Hobson and myself had some considerable expe- rience of it ; his sojourn there exceeded a month ; its climate seems different from that of the eastern coast; it is more exposed to north-west winds, and the air was almost constantly loaded with chilling fogs. Everywhere upon the shores of the island I noticed boulders of dark gneiss ; upon the west coast they were generally small, and of a dark gray color. About the north part of the island Hobson found a good deal of sandstone, the prob- able result of ice-drift from Melville Island or Banks Land. This land gives one the idea of its having risen U'i 'M! ! 280 BOOTHIA FELIX. Cdap. XVI H '>! i ■' ! i !!; within a recent geological period from the sea — not suddenly, but at regular intervals; the numer- ous terraces or beach-marks form long horizontal lines, rising very gradually, and in due proportion as their distance increases from the sea ; near the shore they are, of course, most distinct. Upon the west coast some fossils were picked up, chiefly impressions of shells. King William's Island is for the most part ex- tremely barren, and its surface dotted over with innumerable ponds and lakes. It is not by any means the " land abounding with reindeer and musk oxen " v;hich we expected to find : the na- tives told us there were none of the latter and very few of the former upon it. On the 8th June the first ducks and brent geese were seen flying northward. Passing over the extreme point of Cape Victoria, Boothia Land, near which we saw the deserted snow huts of our March acquaintances, and shortly afterwards cross- ing the mouth of the deep bay to the north of it, m which, sheltered by the island, a ship would find security from ice pressure, and very tolerable winter quarters, we again reached the straight low limestone coast of Boothia Felix. I was unable to make any delay at the Mag- netic Pole, nor could I find a trace of Ross' cairn;* but at each of our encampments along • This cairn, as well as the one built on Point Victory in 1830, wna removed by the natives ; fortunately they hud not visited Point Victory June, 1859. THE MAGNETIC INCLINATION. 281 the coast the magnetic inclination was carefully observed. Throughout my whole journey I availed myself of every opportunity of obtaining these most interesting observations, often remaining up, after we had encamped for rest, six or seven hours in order to do so ; but the instruments supplied for this purpose were not well adapted, and occa- sioned me a vast deal of labor and loss of time, so as to diminish to almost one-third the results I should otherwise have obtained. Much snow has disappeared olTthe land; and the ridges or ancient beaches, being the parts most free from snow, showed out strongly in long, dark, horizontal lines, rising above each other until lost to view in the interior. Here and there a few fossil shells and corals were picked up, and four or five willow grouse shot. , 13//i Jane. — We passed from limestone to gran- ite in lat. 71°10'N. Here the land attains to con- siderable elevation. In the hollows of the dark granite rocks we found abundance of water, and also in a few places upon the sea-ice ; it was quite evident that in another day or two the snow would altogether yield to the warmth of summer ; birds were now frequently seen. We discovered a narrow channel to the east- ward of the one between the Tasmania Group, through which we had passed with so much dif- whilst the Franklin cairn and record remained there, otherwise ncithei cairn nor record would have remained for us to discover. 24* 'ir' , '' I r;-!! u. J, '' It ■•Ii III: 'Mi i' 282 ILLNESS OF HOBSON. CiiAP. XV i ! r: -a I ?■ ^i ;f! ficulty in April ; our new channel was covered with smooth ice, and was also much shorter. At one of our depots lately visited, a note left by Hobson informed me of his being six days in advance of me, and also of his own serious illness ; for many days past he had been unable to walk, and was consequently conveyed upon the sledge ; his men were hastening home with all their strength and speed, in order to get him under the Doctor's care. We also were doing our best to push on, lest the bursting out of melting snow from the various ravines should render the ice impassable. On the 15th the snow upon the ice everywhere yielded to the eflfects of increased temperature ; 1 was, indeed, most thankful at its having remained firm so long. To make any progress at all after this date was of course a very great labor, requir- ing the utmost efforts of both the men and the dogs ; nor was the freezing mixture through which we trudged by any means agreeable ; we were often more than knee-deep in it. We succeeded in reaching False Strait on the morning of the 18th June, and pitched our tent just as heavy rain began to descend ; it lasted throughout the greater part of the day. After travelling a few miles upon the Long Lake, fur- ther progress was found to be quite impossible, and we were obliged to haul our sledges up off the Hooded ice, and commence a march of 16 or A p. XV i overed r. ►te left lays in illness ; ) walk, dedge ; [ their ler the best to ^ snow he ice '^where are ; 1 tiained I after 'equir- id the which were 3n the r tent lasted After e, fur- ssible, ap off 16 or June, 1859. NAVIGABLE N.W. TASSAGE. 283 17 miles overland for the ship. The poor dogs were so tired and sore-footed, that we could not induce them to follow us; they remained about tne sledges. After a very fatiguing scramble across the hills and through the snow valleys we were refreshed with a sight of our poor dear lonely little ' Fox,* and arrived on board in time for a late breakfast on the 19th June. With respect to a navigable North- West Passage, and to the probability of our having been able last season to make any considerable advance to the southward, had the barrier of ice across the western outlet of Bellot Strait permitted us to reach the open water beyond, I think, judging from what I have since seen of the ice in the Franklin Strait, that the chances were greatly in flivor of our reaching Cape Herschel, on the S. side of King William's Land, by passing (as I in- tended to do) eastward of that island. From Bellot Strait to Cape Victoria we found a mixture of old and new ice, showing the exact proportion of pack and of clear water at the setting in of winter. Once to the southward of the Tasmania Group, I think our chief diffi- culty would have been overcome ; and south of Capfc Victoria I doubt whether any further obstruction would have been experienced, as but little, if any, ice remained. The natives told us the ice went away, and left a clear sea every year. As our discoveries show the \i \ i V . • i ■' hi n •'■^ iJ '■V V: k W '■i k „ •}»« 1: I 284 NAVIGABLE N.W; PASSAGE. Chap. XVI il: Victoria Strait to be but little more than 20 miles wide, the ice pressed southward through so narrow a space could hardly have prevented our crossing to Victoria Land, and Cambridge Bay, the wintering place reached by Collinson, from the west No one who sees that portion of Victoria Strait which lies between King William's Isl- land and Victoria Land, as we saw it, could doubt of there being but one way of getting a ship through it, that way being the exlremehj hazardous one of drift through in the pack. The wide channel between Prince of Wales* Land and Victoria Land admits a vast and con- tinuous stream of very heavy ocean formed ice from the N.W., which presses upon the western face of King William's Island, and chokes up Victoria Strait in the manner I have just de- scribed. I do not think the North-West Passage could ever be sailed through by passing west- ward — that is, to windward — of King William's Island. If the season was so favorable for navigation ^as to open the northern part of this western sea* (as, for instance, in 1846, when Sir J. Franklin sailed down it), I think but comparatively little difficulty would be experienced in the more southern portion of it until Victoria Strait was * This channel is now named after the illustrious navigator, Admiral Sir John Franklin. June, 1859, NAVIGABLE N.W. TASSAGE. 285 reached. Had Sir John Franklin known that a, channel existed eastward of King William's Land (so named by Sir John Ross), I do not think he would have risked the besetment of his ships in such very heavy ice to the west- ward of it; but had he attempted the north- west passage by the eastern route, he would probably have carried his ships safely through to Behring's Straits. But Franklin was fur- nished with charts which indicated no passage to the eastward of King William's Land, and made that land (since discovered by Rae to be an island) a peninsula attached to the continent of North America ; and he consequently had but one course open to him, and that the one he adopted. My own preference for the route by the east side of the island is founded upon the observa- tions and experience of Rae and Collinson in 1851-2-4. I am of opinion that the barrier o.f ice off Bellot Strait, some 3 or 4 miles wide, was the only obstacle to our carrying the ^ Fox,* according to my original intention, southward to the Great Fish River, passing east of King William's Island, and from thence to a winter- ing position on Victoria Land Perhaps some future voyager, profiting by the experience so tearfully and fatally acquired by the Franklin expedition, and the observations of Rae, Collin- son, and myself, may succeed in carrying his K •( '■ ; 28G DEATH FROM SCURVY. Chap. XVI. i'-'m i\ ship through from sea to sea : at least he will be enabled to direct all his efforts in the true and only direction. In the mean time to Frank- lin must be assigned the earliest discovery of the North- West Passage, though not the actual ac- complishment of it in his ships.* Saturday y 2nd July, — Upon my arrival on board on the morning of the 19th June, my first inqui- ries were about Hobson ; I found him in a worse state than I expected. He reached the ship on the 14th, unable to walk, or even stand without assistance ; but already he was beginning to amend, and was in excellent spirits. Christian had shot several ducks, which, with preserved po- tato, milk, strong ale, and lemon-juice, completed a very respectable dietary for a scurvy-stricken patient. All the rest were tolerably well ; slight traces only of scurvy in two or three of the men. The ship was as clean and trim as I could expect, and all had well and cheerfully performed their duties during my absence ; hardly any game had been shot, except one bear. The Doctor now acquainted me with the death of Thomas Blackwell, ship's steward, which oc- * This will be understood when it is recollected that W. of Simpson's Straits or Victoria Land, a navigable passage to Behring's Straits is known to exist along the coast of North America. Franklin himself, with his companion Richardson, surveyed by far the greater portion of that dis- tance. Franklin's and Parry's discoveries overlap each other in longi* tude. and for the last thirty years or more the discovery of the North« West Passage has been reduced to the discovery of a link uniting tho iwo. JIuLT, 1859. ANXIETY FOR CAPTAIN YOUNG. 287 curred only five days previously, and wab occa- sioned by scurvy. This man had scurvy when I left the ship in April, and no means were left untried by the Doctor to promote the recovery and rally his desponding energies ; but his mind, imsustained by hope, lost all energy, and at last he had to be forcibly taken upon deck for fresh aij For months past the ship's spirits had been of necessity removed from under his control. When too late his shipmates made it known that he had a dislike to preserved meats, and had lived the whole winter upon salt pork ! He also disliked preserved potato, and wovld not eat it unless watched, nor would he put on c^ean clothes which others in chanty prepared for him. Yet his death was somewhat unexpected ; he went on deck as usual to walk in the middle of the day, and, when found there, was quite dead. His re- mains were buried beside those of our late ship- mate Mr. Brand. The news of our success to the southward in tracing the footsteps of the lost expedition great- ly revived the spirits of my small crew; we wished only for the safe and speedy return of Young and his party. Captain Young commenced his spring explora- tions on the 7th April, with a sledge party of four men, and a second sledge drawn by six dogs under the management of our Greenlander, Sam- uel ; finding in his progress that a channel exist- ,1 w i :! ;; / 1. ;:i4 ,m f 1. 1 _ li.' HI' Ml 288 ANXIETY FOR CAPTAIN YOUNG. Chap. XTL ed between Prince of "Wales* Land and Victoria Land whereby his discovery and search would be lengthened, he sent back one sledge, the tent, and four men to the ship, in order to economise provisions, and for forty days journeyed with one man (George Hobday) and the dogs, encamp- ing in such snow lodges as they were able to build. This great exposure and fatigue, together with extremely bad weather, and a most difficult coast- line to trace, greatly injured his health ; he was compelled to return to the ship on 7th June for medical aid, but proposing at all hazards to renew his explorations almost immediately. Dr. Walker met this determination by a strong protest in writing against his leaving the ship again, his health being quite unequal to it ; but after three days Young felt himself somewhat better, and, with a zeal which knew no bounds, set off to com- plete his branch of the search, taking with him both his sledge parties. From the Doctor's account I felt most anxious for his return, lest his health, or that of his com- panions, should receive permanent injury ; in fact this was now my only cause of anxiety. The season was rather forward here, and advancing with unusual rapidity, rain and wind dissolving the snow and ice ; there was much water in Bellot Strait, extending from Half-way Island eastward to the table-land, and thence in a narrow lane to ciiAP. xta Jdlt, 1859. TREATiMENT OF DOGS. 289 Long Island. After a clay or two I could per- ceive a vast improvement in Ilobson ; and my own four men, with the exception of Hampton, who re- quired rest, w^ere in sound health ; so also was my companion Petersen. On 24th June Christian shot two small reindeer, which gave us 170 lbs. of meat; a few days before that he shot a seal, which afforded two sumptuous meals for all on board. The time having elapsed during which Young expected to remain absent, and the diflficulties of the transit from the western sea having become greatly increased, I set off early on the 25th June with my four men, intending to visit Pemmican Rock ; but failing to come across him there, I re- solved to carry on provisions as far as Four River Point, in the hope of meeting with him, and of fa- cilitating his return. To our surprise the water had all drained off the frozen surface of the Long Lake, and it therefore afforded excellent travel- ling. We found the poor dogs lying quietly be- side our sledges ; they had attacked the pemmicaii, and devoured a small quantity which W'^^.s not secured in tin, also some blubber, some leather straps, and a gull that I had shot for a specimen ; but they had not apparently relished the biscuit. Poor dogs ! they have a hard life of it in these re- gions. Even Petersen, who is generally kind and humane, seems to fancy they must have little or no feeling : one of his theories is, that you may 35 T 1 H 1 I;' jH jS- *| : 1 i 1 ; 1 1 i 1 ' 1 li 5 ' ! IHI [ M iii I! :r^' ; ir ' I »f,g. f I- , V li 1 i [il \ 290 TREATMENT OF DOGS. CiiAi'. XVL ! M C ^ i knock an Esquimaux dog about the head with any article, howrever heavy, with perfect impunity to the brutes. One of us upbraided him tlie other day because he broke his whip-handle over the head of a dcg. ^'T/iat was nothmg at all I' he as- sured us : some friend of his in Greenland found he could boat his dogs over the he.id with a heavy Immmer, — it stunned them certainly, — but by laying them with their mouths open to the wind, they soon revived, got up and ran about "«// rigUr We lost no time in giving them a good feed, the first for seven days, yet they did not seem unusually hungry, and soon coiled themselves up to sleep again. Whilst the men and dogs were employed next day in convej^ing a sledge to the east end of the lake, I walked to Cape Bird to look out for the absent party, but they had not yet returned to Pemmican Rock. When vainly endeavoring, with felonious in- tentions, to climb up a steep cliff to the breeding- places of some silvery gulls, I saw and shot a brent goose, seated upon an accessible ledge, and made a prize of four eggs ; it seems strange that this bird should have selected so unusual a breed- ing-place. Many seals were basking on the ice, and the watercourse by which our sledges as- cended a week before to the Tjong Lake was now a strong and rapid stream. A few reindeer were freen. JCLT, 1859. YOUNG RETURNS SAFELY. 291 On the 27tli I sent three of the men back to the ship, and with Thompson and the dogs wont on to Petnmican Rock, where, to our great joy, we happily met Young and his party, who had but just returned there, after a long and success- ful journey the particulars of which I will give hereafter. Young was greatly reduced in flesh and strength, so much weakened indeed that for the last few days he had travelled on the dog sledge ; Ilar^^ey — also far from well — could just manage to keep pace with the sledge; his malady was scurvy. Their journeys had been very depressing ; most dismal weather, low, dreary limestone shores de- void of game, find no traces of the lost expedition. The news of our success in the southern journeys greatly cheered them. On the following day we were all once more on board, and indulging in such rapid consumption of eatables as only those can do who have been much reduced by long- continued fatigue and exposure to cold. Venison, ducks, beer and lemon-juice, daily; preserved apples and cranberries three times a week ; and pickled whaleskin — a famous antiscorbutic — ad Ubittmi for all who liked it. The weather, which for the last week had been wet, Avindy, and miser- able, now set in fair. The carpenter's hammer, and the men's voices at their work, were new and animating sounds. \^^ I. ;« hi ,.' '(r 'U I 292 SIGNS OF RELEASE. Chap. XVII. '.: CHAPTER XVII. Signs of rclensc — Dearth of niiimal life — Owl is pood beef^Bent out of winter qiimtcrs — Our game-list — Rondi Fury Botuh — Escape from Ilefjent's Inlet — In Baffin's Bay — Captain Allen Young's journey- Disco ; sad disappuintment — Part from our Esquimaux friends- Adieu to Greenland — Arrive home. To-DAY {2nd Jul^) I took a long and delightful walk, but shot only two ducks ; Petersen went in another dh^ection, and got nothing ; Christian, after toiling all day in his kayak, returned with only two divers and a duck. Lately he has ob- tained for us several king and long-tailed ducks (no eider ducks have been seen), two red-throated divers, and two brent geese, and caught an er- mine in its summer coat. Yesterday one of the men brought on board a trout weighing 2 lbs. ; he saw a glaucous gull and a fox disputing for it ; the former seems to have killed and brought it to land. The water now washes the south side of the Fox Islands, and extends to the south point of Long Island. The month of June has been some- what warmer than usual, its mean temperature being -fSSF. 9/^ — The ship has been thoroughly cleaned and JULT, 1850. SIGNS OF irCLEASE. 293 restowerl, remaining provisions extamincrl, tanka filled with fresh water, 12 tons of stone halUist taken in, and everything brought on board that was landed last autumn. Ilobson ij the only one upon the sick list ; but he is able to walk about and does duty. Very few birds, and only one small seal, have been obtained during the week ; an occasional great northern diver is seen, and a rare land bird has been shot. We cannot dis- cover the nests of either ducks or geese, and the breeding cliffs of the gulls being inaccessible, we have not got any eggs. I am a close prisoner at the corner of my table, poring over my observa- tion and angle book, and have at length laid down upon paper the west coast of King Wil- liam's Land to my satisfaction. Tidal observa- tions are commenced ; and the aneroid and mer- curial barometers are again being compared in order to verify the former. IQtL Saturday nigJd. — We are now almost ready for sea. There is a much larger space of water in Bellot Strait, reaching within 300 or 400 yards of us. Long cricks or lanes of water have been seen in Prince Regent's Lilet. The decay of the ice continues, though not with equal rapidity, yet with very satisfactory despatch. Westerly winds and clear weather prevail. Christian has seen two reindeer this week, and has shot a very few birds, and seven seals. As these creaturea lie basking upon the ice, he crawls up to them 26* J! i I ii; It ■Jill j 11 ;(! ii 294 SHOOTING SEALS. CuAP. XVIL \w I;! 'A ! 4 behind a small calico pcreen, fitted upon a minia- ture sledge about a foot lon;i, on which tliicre ia a rest for the muzzle of his rifle, and a slit in the calico through which he fires it. The seals aflbrd an aveiage weight of thirty pounds of excellent fresh meat, which wo relish greatly, and consider much better suited to our present condition than such poor venison as reindeer would furnish at this season. A single hare has been shot; the white fur has nearly all disappeared, and left ex- posed the summer coat of dull lead color. Sev- eral small birds not common to the northward are found here. Insects abound ; the Doctor is perpetually in chase, unless busily occupied in grubbing up plants. Young is surveying the harbor. Hobson fully occupied in preparing the ship for sea. I have been giving some attention to the engines and boiler, and hope, with the help of the two stokers, to be able to make use of our steam power. The men have received my hearty thanks for their great exertions during the travelling period. I told them I considered every part of our search to have been fully and efficiently perfomied. Our labors have determined the exact position of the extreme northern promontory of the conti- nent of America ; I have affixed to it the name of Murchison, after the distinguished President of the Royal Geographical Society — the strenuous advocate for this " further search " — and the able :uAr. XVIL W' a minio- Im^ic Is q it in the lis aflbrd excellent consider ion than irnish at hot; the left ex- )r. Sev- )rthward doctor is ipied in ing the :ing the ttention the help 3 of our inks for ; period. r search fonned. ?ition of conti- 3 name dent of enuous he able Walruriuri — A Family Party. ^'1 I . H , ,f (1 I h ; I I i JULT, 1659. DEARTH OF ANIMAL LIFE. 295 champion of Lady Franklin when she needed all the support which private friendship and public spirit could bestow. 2?^d.— The ice in Prince Regent's Inlet is broken up into pack, but the prevalence of east- erly winds keeps it in close upon the shore. The ice about us is very much decayed, holes through it in many places. No reindeer seen this week, and only two seals procured ; one of them shot by Christian, the other was killed by a bear, which ran off before Samuel could come within shot of him. A fox, a gull, a couple of ducks, and one or two lemmings, complete our game list for the week, yet our two Esquimaux are indefatigable in tlie pursuit. We eat all the birds and seals we can shoot, as well as mustard and cress as fast as we can grow it, but the quantity is very small. We sometimes refresh ourselves with a salad of sorrel-leaves, or roots of the little plant with lilac flower of snapdragon shape, named Pediciilam himda. The seine has been hauled in the narrow lake at the head of the harbor, but, as it was not well managed, only a dozen small trout were taken, though several were seen. We have tried for rock- cod, but without success. The relics of the lost expedition have been aired, exhibited to the crew, labelled, and packed away. The Doctor has been dredging lately. A record detailing our proceed- )■)■ I. h» * , I '. "I r d in if' ,.f 1 '^:i hi 29G DEARTH OF ANIMAL LIFE. Chap. XVII ings has been placed in a cairn upon the west point of Depot Bay. 1st August. — A long continuance of unusually calm, bright, and warm weather has been favor- able to our painting and cleaning the ship, scrap- ing masts, and so forth. The result is that she looks unusually smart and gay, and our impa- tience to exhibit her, and ourselves at home is much increased. With the exception of a few gulls, and a duck, our hunters have shot noth- ing lately, although constantly out, either darting about in their kayaks or ranging over the hills ; in fact there is nothing which they can shoot ; the ducks are tolerably numerous, but extremely wild ; the valleys are respectably clothed widi vegetation, yet only one animal — a hare — has been seen. I was so fortunate as to shoot a snowy owl, the flesh of which was white and ten- der, but, to my palate, tasteless, although Peter- sen considers that " owl is the best beef in the country." On Thursday night we found the harbor-ice to be quietly drifting out, of course taking us with it. The night was calm, the current in Bellot Strait very strong; we were almost helpless under the circumstances, and therefore felt the danger of our position. To warp the ship along the ice-edge, out of the way of the shore and rocks as it turned round and drifted along the i' ;Mi Aug. 1859. OUT OF WINTER QUARTERS. 297 cliffs to the westward, gave us some hours' occu- pjition. At length it stuck fast between Fox Isl- and and the main. At turn of tide on Friday morning it began tc drift eastward, and by this time being much broken up, and a breeze coming to our aid, we managed to extricate ourselves and reach a secure anchorage in Point Kenedy. On Saturday night some ice that was left came drifting out of the inner harbor, and obliged us to slip our cable ; but after a few hours we regained our berth in safety, and have since been un- disturbed. There is no immediate prospect of escape, but we expect a prodigious smashing up of the ice whenever a strong wind springs up to set it in motion. To-day the steam was got up, and with the help of our two stokers I worked the engines for a short time. It is very cheering to know that we still have steam power at our command, although, by the deaths of poor Mr. Brand and Robert Scott, we were deprived of our engineer and engine-driver. The mean temperature for July has been 40°'14, which is above the average for this region ; the July temperatures have usually varied from 3G° to 42^ All are now^ m good health, but Hobson still a little lame. The issue of lemon-juice has been re- duced to the ordinary allowance of half an ounce daily (as we have but little that is really good), Hi lilt. 'I 'I \r 1 *■ I |. ; I'i r. ■ i ■''I '- 1 li 298 WAITING TO ESCAPE. Chap. XVII. I :l I )' lest another winter should become inevitable, which, I can devoutly say, may God forbid ! Monday nif/Jd, Wi. — Very anxiously awaiting an opportunity to escape. We have constantly watclied the ice from the neighboring hills, includ- ing the lofty summit of Mount Walker — named after the Doctor, who was the first to ascend it (1123 feet) — from which Fury Point can be dis- tinguished, but nothing very cheering has been seen. We had a N.E. gale, accompanied by rain and a considerable fidl of the baiometer, a few days ago ; and as it blew freshly from the westward this morning, I went to a hill-top and saw that much ice had been broken up in Brentford Bay, and that there were streaks of water alonoj the land between Possession Point and Hazard Inlet ; this water, however, was not accessible to us. The ice about Pemmican Rock was much in the same position as we found it last 3^car, but Eellot Strait was perfectly clear. All the ice in this harbor, in Depot Bay, and Hazard Inlet, is gone,' by far the greater part having decayed, not drifted away. La^er in the day and from loftier hill-tops, a good deal of water was seen off Cape Garry, and a water-sky beyond. It now blows very strong- ly from the S.W., the most desirable quarter ; and as the anxious desire to escape has become op- pressive, it is not to be wondered at that now our hopes have become extravagant. We may even Aro. 1859. GAME LIST. 299 make a start to-morrow ! On tho other hand, a careful examination of our provii^ion store shows that, should we be obliged to spend another win- ter here, we must curtail our allowance of meat — fresh and salt — to three-quarters of a pound, and have to use but very indifferent lemon-juice. The spirits, I rejoice to say, .will very shortly be entirely expended. On the morning of the 3rd instant, when the rain ceased and N.E. gale sprang up, two claps of thunder were distinctly heard ; this occurs but very rarely in these latitudes. There is ample occupation for the men but not much for the officers ; as for myself, I write a great deal, and work occasionally at our chart of discoveries ; the only refreshment I indulge in is an occasional dive into packets of old letters. All yesterday the harbor was full of ice set in by southerly and westerly winds, and so closely packed that one might have walked over it to the shore ; to-day it has nearly all drifted out again. The subjoined list will show w^hat game we have been able to obtain by constant and arduous labor from the resources of these regions during nearly two years* sojourn. Game List. 8 Months in the Pack, 1867-8. li Foxes. Bears. Bears. I Seals 2 I 73 Dovekies. 88 11 Month s in Port Ken ed y, 1858-9 i)eer 2 8 Hares. Foxes. 9 I 19 irmi- , in. '82 Wild Seals. Fowl, i 98 I 18 At Port Kenedy several ermines and lemmings were also caught. Tho ptarmigan all disappeared after 1st April. t ., i '.m *■ t 300 CRESSWELL BAY. Chap. XVlh !' « Ml Only 2 dovckies were aoon, 1 in winter, nnd 1 in snmnim plumage. A few seals were seen as early as the month of robniary. DiK'ks, gocse, and gulls were the usual kind of wild fowl killed. During the 4 months occupied in sailing from Davis Strait to Bcllot Strait, many looms and rotchics, and 5 or 6 bears were shot. Wcdncsda?/, 10th. — The S.W. wind proved a good friend to us; by the morning of the Uth it had moved the ice off shore, and cleared away a passage for us out of Brentford Bay. We started under steam at eleven o'clock yesterday morning, and, passing round Lond Island, made sail along the land towards Cape Garry, there being a chan- nel about 2 or 3 miles wide between the pack and the shore. The wind now failed us, and I experienced some little difficulty in the management of the engines and boiler ; the latter primed so violently as to send the water over our top gallant yard, and the tail valve of the condenser by some means had got out of its seat, and admitted air to the condenser; but eventually we got the engines to work well, and steamed across Cresswell Bay during the night. The pack rested against Fury Point, and an east wind springing up, we made fast to a large grounded mass of ice in Adelaide Bay, about J mile off shore, and in 3 fathoms water, at eleven o'clock this morning. Having managed the engines for twenty-four consecutive hours, I was not sorry to get into bed. We were hardly out of Brentford Bay when fulmar petrels and white whales were seen ; the first we have Chap. XVU, Aug. i859. TRACES OF OUU VISIT. 301 noticed for eleven and a half months. Dovekies are likewise abundant, and a seal has already been shot CresswcU Bay is perfectly clear of ice, but this pale limestone land is the perfection of steril- ity, even with the rugged hills of Brentford Buy in lively recollection. Upon the east side of Port Kenedy the bones of whales were found in two places a mile apart from each other; the lowest of themw^as 180 feet above the sea, the second was more than 300 feet high. The latter I examined, and found a jaw- bone, two ribs, a joint of the vertebrae, and frag- ments of other bones, all more or less buried in the soil, and much heavier than the bones of a recent animal ; they lay within 40 or 60 yards of each other, and upon a little flat patch of rather rich earth, a rocky hill above, and steep slope below ; — they are also nearly a mile inland. Of the traces which we have left behind us, the most considerable are the graves of our two shii> mates within the western point of our little har- bor ; they were tastefully sodded round, and plant- ed over with the usual Arctic flowers. There is our record in a conspicuous cairn at the west point of Depot or Transition Bay : we left also three cases of pemmican near the east end of the Long Lake, and our travelling boat near its w^est end, at the head of False Strait. Monday J IWi. — Strong east winds, with much rain, have imprisoned us here for the last four 26 .if. I ■i 13 ili' 802 A WHITE WHALE SHOT. Chaf. XVU daya, and driven the whole pack close in, com- pletely filling up Cresswell Bay. We remain fast to the grounded ice, which shields us from pres- sure, otherwise we should have been driven irre- trievably on shore. A couple more seals and a white whale have been shot ; the latter me«isured liij feet long, and proved to be a female of ordi- nary dimensions, and of an uniform cream color ; the eyes are extremely small, and orifices of the ears scarcely large enough to admit a crow-quill. We dined off steaks of the flesh, and prefer it to seal, which it very much resembles, but it is not quite so tender; the skin is greatly prized by the Greenlanders as an antiscorbutic ; it is a sort of gristly gelatinous substance, nearly half an inch thick, and possessing very little taste ; fried and eaten with fish-sauce, it reminded me of cod sound, though not so good. The blubber fills two twenty-gallon casks; it produces oil of a quality superior to seal oil ; not an ounce of the flesh or skin of this huge animal has been thrown away, the men having a whole- some dread of scurvy, and unbounded confidence in "blood-meat," such as this! Tlie Doctor has picked up a few fossils very similar to those for- merly brought home from Port Leopold. To our great joy the east wind died away this morning, and immediately a west wdnd sprang up, which very quickly freshened to a smart gale. At four o'clock this afternoon we were able to Aco. 1859. PASS FURY BEACH. 303 make sail, the ice having moved about 3 miles off shore. Passed within a mile of Fury Beach two hours afterwards, and saw the framing of the house, the boats and casks very distinctly. \lih, — After passing Fury Beach it fell calm, so we steamed up as far as Batty Bay. On Tues- day afternoon w^e were off Port Leopold, run- ning fast, when thick fog came on, and we got involved in loose ice, and seriously damaged our rudder. The boats and stores at Port Leopold appeared to remain as we left them last year. The flag-staff on the summit of North-east Cape (over Whale Point) is still standing, but not erect. Fog and ice obstructed our progress during the night; but this morning when I came on deck at eight o'clock, the day was bright, clear, and charming; no ice visible, except about Leopold Island, which was now some miles be- hind us. Towards evening the wind became contrary. Sunday evening^ 21^^. — At sea — out of sight of land ! On the 10th we were somewhat delayed by loose ice off Cape Hay, but by noon yesterday were close off Cape Burney, and whilst almost becalmed there, a mother bear swam off to us with two interesting cubs about the size of verv large dogs. Foolish creatures ! a volley of rifles decided their fate in a very few seconds. Not 1:ii ' : t'li i ,-./;)_ M i r i 304 CAPTAIN YOUNG'S JOURNEY. Chap. XVIL :■ i , finding any whaling vessels off Pond's Inlet, the land-ice which shelters the whales having all dis- appeared, we therefore concluded that the whalers had left in consequence, so, without seeking for them further south, at once changed our course for Disco. To-day only a few icebergs have been seen. There is a good deal of swell, so we tumble about. Roast veal has appeared amongst the delicacies of our table since the battue of yes- terday, and Christian has asked for a portion of the old bear to carry home to his mother. Bear's flesh is really considered a delicacy in Greenland. 2bth. — Becalmed off Hare Island, and getting the steam ready. We are only 108 miles from Godhavn, and the anxiety to clutch our letters has become intolerable. No pack-ice has been met with in our passage across Baffin's Bay, but many icebergs. This morning the lofty snow- clad land of Noursoak and Disco was beauti- fully distinct; and at the same time the wind died away, leaving us, at least, the opportunity to contemplate at our leisure their gloomy gran- deur. 2Wi. — Steamed for ten hours last night. Fair winds and calms have alternated since then, but this evening we are within 20 miles, and hope soon to get into port. I have been reading over Young's report of his spring journey. It com* CuAP. XVIL Aug. 1859. CAPTAIN YOUNG'S JOURNEV. iOj iir course prises Fcventy-eight days of sledge-travoUing, and certainly under most discouraging circumstances, fieaving the ship on 7th April, he crossed the western strait to Prince of Wales* Land, and thence traced its shore to the south and west On reaching its southern termination — Capo Swinburne, so named in honor of Rear-Admiral Swinburne, a much-esteemed friend of Sir J. Franklin, and one of the earliest supporters of this final expedition — he describes the land as extremely low and deeply covered with snow, the heavy grounded hummocks which fringed its mo- notonous coast alone indicating the line of demar- cation betwixt land and sea. To the north-east of this terminal cape the sea was covered with level floe formed in the fall of last year, whilst all to the north-westward of the same cape was pack consisting of heavy ice-masses, formed perhaps years ago in far distant and wider seas. Young attempted to cross the channel which he discovered between Prince of Wales' Island and Victoria Land ; but from the rugged nature of the ice, found it quite impracticable with the means and time remaining at his disposal. Young expresses his firm conviction that this channel is so constantly choked up with unusually heavy ice as to be quite unnavigable ; it is, in fact, a contin- tioiis ice-stream from the N.W. His opinion coin- cides with my own, and with those of Captains Ommanney and Osborn, when those officers ex- 26* u I ;., I m 'H ■ 1 y '■1 ; i i 806 CAI'TAIN YOUNG'S JOUUNEY. Ciur. XVII, ' 1 II III plored tlie north-we.stern shores of Prince of Wales' Land in 1851. Fearing that his provisions might run short he sent hack one sledge with four men, and con- tinued his march with only one man and the dogs for forty days! They were obliged to build a snow-hut each night to sleep in, as the tent was sent back with the men ; but latterly, when the weather became more mild, they pre- ferred sleeping on the sledge, as the constructing of a snow-hut usually occupied them for two hours. Young completed the exploration of this coast beyond the point marked upon the charts as Osborn*s farthest, up nearly to lat. To"" N., but no cairn was found. Young, however, recognized the remarkably shaped conical hills spoken of by Osborn, when he at his farthest, in 1851, struck off to the westward. The coast-line througliout was extremely low ; and in the thick disagreeable weather which he almost constantly experienced, it was often a matter of great difficulty to prevent straying off the coast-line inland. lie commenced his return on the 11th May, and reached the ship on 7th June, in wretched health and depressed in spirits. Directly his health was partially re-established, he, in spite of the Doctor's remonstrances, as I have before said, again set out on the 10th with his party of men and the dogs, to complete the A no. 1859. nOBSONS JOURNEY. 807 exploration of both shores of the continuation of Peel hound, between the position of the * Fox ' and the points reached by Sir James Ross in 1849, and Lieutenant Browne in 1851. This he accomplished without finding any trace of the lost expedition, and the parties were again on board by 28th June. The ice travelled over in this last journey was almost all formed last au- tumn. The extent of coast-line explored by Captain Young amounts to 380 miles, whilst that discov- ered by Ilobson and myself amounts to nearly 420 miles, making a total of 800 geographical miles of new coast-line which we have laid down. Ilobson's report is a minute record of all that occurred during his journey of seventy-four days, and includes a list of all the relics brought on board, or seen by him. lie suffered very severely in health : when only ten days out from the ship, traces of scurvy appeared ; when a month absent he walked lame ; towards the latter end of the journey he was compelled to allow himself to be dragged upon the sledge, not being able to walk more than a few yards at a time ; and on arriving at the ship on the 14th June, poor Hobson was unable to stand. How strongly this bears upon the last sad march of the lost crews ! And yet Hobson*s food throughout the whole journey was pemmican of the very best qnfility, the most nutritious description of food ilxai v e know ofj li i'i 1(1 ■\ J I J 'J , Hi I, :tl'l 308 nOBSON'S JOURNEY. Chap. XVII. ^ '" ^ and varied occasionally by such game as they were able to shoot. In spite of this fresh-meat diet, scurv}'' advanced with rapid strides. After leaving me at Cape Victoria, he says — " No difficulty was experienced in crossing James Ross Strait. The ice appeared to be of but one year's growth ; and although it was in many places much crushed up^ we easily found smooth leads through the lines of hummocks ; many very heavy masses of ice, evidently of foreign formation, have been here arrested in their drift: so large are they that, in the gloomy weather we experienced, they were often taken for islands." Again, at Cape Felix, he observes, — " The pressure of the ice is severe, but the ice itself is not remarkably heavy in character ; the shoalness of the coast keeps the line of pressure at consid- erable distance from the beach ; to the northward of the island the ice, as far as I could see, was very rough, and crushed up into large masses." Here we notice the gradual change in the char- acter of the ice as Hobson left the Boothian shore and advanced towards Victoria Strait. The " very heavy masses of ice, evidently of foreign forma- tion," had drifted in from the N.W. through M'Clure Strait ; Victoria Strait was full of it ; and Hobson*s description of the ice he passed over clearly illustrates how Franklin, leaving clear water behind him, pressed his ships into the pack when he attempted to force through Victoria Chap. XVII. ADO. 1859. HOBSON'S JOURNEY. 309 Strait. How very different the result mtgJit and probably would have been had he known of the existence of a ship-channel, sheltered by King William Island from this tremendous "polar pack " ! Ilobson left King William Island on the last day of May, having spent thirty-one days on its desolate shores. During that period one bear and fiVQ willow grouse were shot ; one wolf and a few foxes were seen. One poor fox was cither so des- perately hungry, or so charmed with the rare sight of animated beings, that he played about the party until the dogs snapped him up, although in harness and dragging the sledge at the time. A few gulls were seen, but not until after the first week in June. I have already explained how Hobson found the records and the boat : he exercised his dis- cretionary power with sound judgment, and com- pleted his search so well, that, in coming over the same ground after him, I could not discover any trace that had escaped him. I quite agree with him that there may be many small articles beneath the snow ; but that cairns, graves, or any conspicuous objects could exist upon so low and uniform a shore, without our having seen them, is almost impossible. Siindai/ evening, 2S)lh. — Calm, warm, lovely, weather; and we are thoroughly enjoying it in the quiet security of Lievely harbor, or Godhavn. 'I ' t i "I. .:n . If' n \h h. 310 LETTERS FROM ENGL. iND. Chap. XVIL Although Friday night was dark, we managed to find out the harbor's mouth, and slowly steamed into it. The inhabitants were awoke by Petersen demanding our letters, but great indeed was our disappointment at finding only a very few letters and two or three papers, and these for the oflicers only! It appears that on the arrival of the whalers in early spring, the ice prevented their usual communication with the settlement, there- fore the letters on board of them were unavoida- bly carried northward. Some few, however, which came out in the '.Truelove,' were landed at the neighboring settlement of Noursoak, and from thence were sent back to Godhavn. It is rather a nervous thing opening the first letters after a lapse of more than two yeai*s. We received them in our beds at three o'clock in the morning ; and when we met at breakfast were able, thank God ! to congratulate each other upon the receipt of cheering home news. Lady Frank- lin and Miss Cracroft wrote to me from Bourne- mouth in March last. They have travelled more than we have, I think, having visited almost all the countries bordering the Mediterranean and Black Seas, posted through the Crimea, and steamed up the Danube ! I am much gratified to learn that I have been elected a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron during my absence. Yesterday morning I called upon the inspector, Mr. Olriit, who has been home to Denmark since I Chap. XVII. Aug. 1859. STAY AT GODHAVN. 311 saw him last spring. In the autumn he took Mrs. Olrik and his family to Copenhagen, and has but just returned alone. He received me with his usual kindness, and promised me such supplies as we require. It so happens that none of my expect- ed business letters have arr. ed, so that I am not accredited in the slightest degree, nor is there anv hint thrown out as to where I am to take the *Fox.' Mr. Olrik gave me a large bundle of ^Illustrated London News,* which was exceed- ingly acceptable, and told us that Austria was at war with France and Sardinia. By the latest news a battle had been fouo-ht and won bv the latter Powers. Most fortunately a ' Navy List * had come out to Hobson, otherwise I think we should have been utterly brokenhearted. We study its pages daily, and delight in noticing the advancement of our many friends. 1^^ Sept., Thursday mjliL — At sea, on tlie passage, and already enjoying, by anticipation, the pleas- ures of home! Five busy days were spent in Godhavn, supplying our little wants, in as far as they could be supplied, including 100 gallons of light beer. The natives were very useful, the men bringing oflf water, stone ballast, and sand, and a troop of Esquimaux girls scrubbing the paintwork and the decks. Each evening the men went on shore, taking with them a very limited quantity of rum-punch for the ladies, and danced for several hours in a iin: ■\WW m ji W ■ I* m I 312 PART FROM OUR ESQUIMAUX I RIENDS. Chap. XVIL i1 nil: I ! ' large store ; whilst the officers and myself spent the time with Mr. Olrik or the other Danish gen- tlemen — Messrs. Andersen, Bulbrue, and Tyner. Nothing could exceed their kindness to vis, whilst their good humor and their anecdotes, sometimes expressed in quaint English, greatly amused us. We shall always retain \ery agreeable recollec- tions of Godhavn; twice has it been to us an Arc- tic home. Mr. Petersen's nieces, the belles of the place, came on board (Miss Sophia with scented cambric handkerchief and gloves — in other respects she adheres to the Esquimaux costume); they -were pleased with the organ, although it is out of re- pair, and they sang together very sweetly for us. Our Esquimaux shipmates. Christian and Samuel, were discharged, and, by their own request tL ir wages given in charge to Mr. Olrik and Mr. Bul- brue ; they seemed to understand the importance of husbanding their wealth. Christian said he thought it would not be all spent under three years. First of all he intended buying a rifle for his brother, and then some wood to build a house for himself I was gratified very much when I heard them say that the men had treated them very well — '^ all the same as brothers ; " and they really seemed sorry to leave the ship ; they would come on board and look gravely about at everything as if regretting the coming separation. Even I liiAP. XVIL Sept. 1859. LEAVE GODHAVN. 313 . 'iff our poor dogs seemed to think the ship their nat- ural abode ; although landed at the settlement, they soon ran round the harbor to the point near- est the ship, and there, upon the rocks, spent the whole period of our stay. On Tuesday night we set off some fireworks on shore to amuse the natives, for I intended sailing next day, but the wind prevented jny doing so. The last day was spent in the interchange of presents between our Danish friends and our- selves; indeed, the sincere hearty good feeling wlr.ch existed between every individual in the ' Fox ' and the inhabitants of the settlement was as gratifying as apparent. Almost the only fresh supplies obtained here were rock cod and salmon- trout from Disco fiord. During our stay the weather w^as delightful; indeed it was the first really fine weather they had experienced at God- havn during the present season, the summer hav- ing been cold and wet. IQth JSept.f Saiiirdai/ nigJit — To-day we passed to the eastward of Cape Farewell, but about 100 miles to the south of it. The last iceberg was seen to-day ; and now we are running along swiftly before a pleasant N.W. breeze. Hitherto we have had every variety of wind and weather, from a calm to a gale, but generally the wind has been fiivorable. The change of temperature is already perceptible. ^Qiurday night ^ VjiJi Sept, — A week of favora- 27 "i- ..fa i 1^ ; i' ■. ,i;4ji t\ it '' *.« 314 VOYAGE HOME. Chap. XVII. i;' I i ■•■ ble gales has brought us from Cape Farewell to within 400 miles of Land's End, or about 1100 miles of distance. But such rough weather is not pleasant in so smcall a vessel, however much " like a duck " she may be ; and our two yeors* sojourn in the still waters of the frozen North haa made us very susceptible of the change. I'S HAP. XVII. CONCLUSION. 315 CONCLUSION. We sailed all the way home from Greenland, yet the 'Fox' made the passage in only nineteen days, arriving in the English Channel on the 20th September ; on the evening of the 21st I reached London (having landed at Portsmouth), and made known to the Admiralty the result of my voyage. On the 23rd September the * Fox * was taken into dock at Blackwall ; and, through the kind- ness and promptitude of the Lords of the Admi- ralty, I was enabled on the 27th, when the crew w^ere assembled for the last time, to present the Arctic medal to such of my companions as had not already received it for previous Arctic ser- vice, and also to inform Lieutenant Hobson that his promotion to the rank of Commander would speedily take place. 1 will not intrude upon the reader, who h«s followed me through the pages of this simple narrative, any description of my feelings on find- ing the enthusiasm with which we were all re- ceived on landing upon our native shores. The blessing of Providence had attended our eflforts, '■m 3 :i; '&' rrr J,' 4^ SIG CONCLUSION. and more than a full measure of approval from our fricmls and countrymen has been our reward. Foi myself the testimonial given me by the offi- cers and crew of the * Fox * has touched me per- haps more than all. The purchase of a gold chronometer, for presentation to me, was the first use the men made of their earnings ; and as long as I live it will remind me of that perfect har- mony, that mutual esteem and goodwill, which made our ship's company a happy little commu- nity, and contributed materially to the success of the expedition. The names I have given to my discoveries are, with the exception of those by which I have en- deavored to honor the members of the lost expe- dition, the names of active supporters of the recent search, and friends of Franklin and his companions, though such names are far from exhausting the number of those who have the highest claims to distinction on both grounds. It will be observed that I have refrained from repeating names which have already been com- memorated by preceding commanders, and which therefore are already in our charts. Besides the individuals already mentioned in the nar- rative. Sir Thomas D. Acland, one of the most zealous promoters of the search, both in and out of the House of Commons ; Monsieur De la Roquette, Vice-President of the Geographical Society of Paris, and author of an interesting biov CONCLUSION. 817 «! graphy of Franklin ; Rear-Admiral Fitzroy ; and Major-General Pasley, R.E., stand high amongst those whom it has been my privilege to honor. Although much talent has been brought to bear upon the deciphering of the letters found in a pocketbook near Cape Ilerschel (page 248 antr), yet, from their being so very much defaced by time, only a few detached sentences have been made out, and these do not in the slightest de- gree refer to the proceedings of the lost expedi- tion. It will be seen that I have noticed (page 260) the discrepancy between the number of souls ac- counted for by the Point Victory Record, and the generally received opinion that 138 individuals sailed in the * Erebus ' and * Terror.* I am now enabled to state, on the authority of the Admiralty, that only one hundred and thirty-four individuals left the United Kingdom, and of these five men subsequently returned: one by H.M.S. ' Rattler,' and four by tho transport * Barretto Junior;' so that only one hundred and twenty-nine — the exact number mentioned in the record — actually entered the ice. The five invalids were — From H.M.S. * Terror,' John Brown, Able seaman. " Robert Carr, Armorer. " James Elliot, Sailmaker. " William Aitken, Marine. From H.IM.S. *Ercbus,' Thomas Birt, Armorer. 27* '.1 ,11 li 't "H 9! ' 111.'!- W \i 1 , u !. f ' I m % S18 CONCLUSION. The relics we have brought home ha\ e been deposited by the Admiralty in the United Service Institution, and now form a national memento — the most simple and most touching — of those heroic men who perished in the path of duty, but not until they had achieved the grand object of their voyage, — the Discovert/ of the NoHh- W'^si Passage, ^•' London^ 24^^ Nov, 1859. '■1 !■ lilt f|i l<^ : li' iii " I APPENDIX. No. I. A LETTER TO VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, K.O., 4ko., FROM LADY FRANKLIN. 1 ill 'I'f;: 60, Pall Mall, December 2, 1856. My Lord, — I trust I may be permitted, as the widow of Sir John Franklin, to draw the attention of Her Majesty's Government to the unsettled state of a question which a few months ago was under their consideration, and to express a well-grounded hope that a final effort may be made to ascertain the fate and recover the remains of my husband's expedition. Your Lordship will allow me to remind you that a Memorial* with this object in view (of which I enclose a printed copy) was early in June last presented toj and kindly received by you. It had been signed within forty-eight hours by all the leading men of science then in •'London who had an opportunity of seeing it, and might have received an indefinite aug- mentation of worthy names had not the urgency of the question forbidden delay. To the above names were appended those of the Arctic officers who had been personally engaged in the search, and who, though * See Appendix II. ..i*- i ''I m ! ( Hi. H' lit 'ii' I? '.'I I M 820 APPENDIX. No. I. < ' i ' 1; ! U' t absent, were known to be favorable to another effort for its completion. And though that united applica- tion obtained no immediate result, it was felt, and by no one more strongly than myself, that it never could be utterly wasted. I venture also to allude to a letter of my own ad- dressed to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in April last, and a copy of which accompanied, I be- lieve, the Memorial to your Lordship, wherein I ear- nestly deprecated any premature adjudication of the reward claimed by Dr. Rae, on the ground that the fate of my husband's expedition was not yet ascer- tained, and that it was due both to the living and the dead to complete a seavch which had been hitherto pursued under the greatest disadvantage, for want of the clue which was now for the first time in our hands. The Memorial above alluded to, and my own letter of earlier date, had not yet received any reply, when, in the month of July, the Lords of the Admiralty caused prompt inquiries to be made as to the possi- bility of equipping a ship at that advanced season, in time for effective operations in the field of search. The result was that it was pronounced to be too late, and the subject was dismissed for that season. Upon this I addressed a letter to the Board (of which I take the liberty to enclose a copy), respectfully showing that by this unfortunate delay the opportunity had also been taken from me of sending out a vessel at my own cost, a measure which 1 had previously felt myself obliged to state to their Lordships would be the alternative of any adverse decision on their part. I pleaded therefore, as the only remedy for the loss of an entire summer season, that the route by Behring Straits was by some of the most competent Arctic r^ m No. I. APPENDIX. 321 officers considered preferable to the eastern route, and that the equipment of a vessel for this direction need not take place before the close of the year. In reply, their Lordships caused me to be informed that *^ they had come to the decision not to send any expedition to the Arctic regions in the present year." This communication, however, was in answer merely to my own letter. The Memorialists had as yet re- ceived no reply, and accordingly the President of the Royal Society put a question respecting the Memorial in the House of Lords at the close of the session, which drew from one of Her Majesty's Ministers ( Lord Stanley), after some preliminary observations, the as- surance that Her Majesty's Government would give the subject their serious consideration during the re- cess. I may be permitted to add, that, in the con- versation which followed, Lord Stanley expressed him- self as very favorably disposed towards a proposition made to him by Lord Wrottesley, that, in the event of there being no Government expedition, I should be as- sisted in fitting out my own expedition ; an assurance which Lord Wrottesley had the kindness to communi- cate to me by letter. But, my Lord, as nothing has occurred within the last few months to weaken the reasons which induced the Admiralty, early in July last, to contemplate an- other final effort, and as they put it aside at that time on the sole ground that it was too late to equip a ves- sel for that season, I trust it will be felt that I am not endeavoring to re-open a closed question, but merely to obtain the settlement of one which has not ceased to be, and is even now, under favorable consideration. The time has arrived, however, when I trust I may be Y i'' \i m M = 1 , y: 322 APPENDIX. ^o. I. 1 ; ■■['; h'l* : III:.:: Ill ^i' .^', pardoned for pressing your Lordship, with whom 1 believe the question rests, for a decision, since by further delay even my own efforts may be paralyzed. I have cherished the hope, in common with others, that we are not waiting in vain. Should, however, that decision unfortunately throw upon me the respon- sibility and the cost of sending out a vessel myself, I beg to assure your Lordship that I shall not shrink, either from that weighty responsibility, or from the sacrifice of my entire available fortune for the purpose, supported as I am in my convictions by such high authorities as those whose opinions are on record in your Lordship's hands, and by the hearty sympathy of many more. But before I take upon myself so heavy an obliga- tion, it is my bounden duty to entreat Her Majesty's Government not to disregard the arguments which have led so many competent and honorable men to feel that our country's honor is not satisfied, whilst a mystery which has excited the sympathy of the civil- ized world, remains uncleared. Nor less would I en- treat you to consider what must be the unsatisfactory consequences, if any endeavors should be made to quench all further efforts for this object. It cannot be that this long-vexed question would thereby be set at rest, for it would still be true that in a certain circumscribed area within the Arctic circle, approachable alike from the east, and from the west, and sure to be attained by a combination of both movements, lies the solution of our unhappy country- men's fate. While such is the case, the question will never die. I believe that again and again would efforts be made to reach that spot, and that the Government ti! Ho. I. 1 whom 1 , since bv iralyzcd. ith others, , however, he respon- l myself, I lot shrink, from the le purpose, such high [ record in mpathy of an obliga- : Majesty's ents which 3le men to ;d, whilst a f the civil- ould I en- satisfactory made to tion would true that in rctic circle, n the west, )n of both )y country- lestion will ould efliorts irovernment No. I. APPENDIX. 323 could not look on as unconcerned spectators, nor be relieved in public opinion of the responsibility they had prematurely cast off. But I refrain from pursuing this argument, though, if any illustration were wanting of its truth, I think it might be found in the events that are passing before our eyes. It is now about two years ago that one of Her Majesty's Arctic ships was abandoned in the ice. In due time this ship floated away, was picked up by an American whaler, carried into an American port, and (all property in her having been relinquished by the Admiralty) was purchased of her rescuers by the American Government, by whom she has been lav- ishly re-equipped, and is now on her passage to Eng- land, a free gift to the Queen. The * Resolute ' is about to be delivered up in Portsmouth harbor, not merely in evidence of the cordial relation existing be- tween the two countries, but as a lively token of the deep interest and sympathy of the Americans in that great cause of humanity in which they have so nobly borne their part. The resolution of Congress expressly states this motive, and indeed there could be no other, as it is well known that for any purpose but the Arctic service those expensive equipments would be perfectly useless and require removal. My Lord, you will not let this rescued and restored ship, emblematic of so many enlightened and generous sentiments, fail, even partially, in her significant mis- sion. I venture to hope that she will be accepted in the spirit in which she is sent. I humbly trust that the American people, and especially that j»hilanthropic citizen who has spent so largely of his private fortune in the search for the lost ships, and to whom was cona- U::l ■■■■■■ ■Hi 321 APPENDIX. No. I. i; ri 1, j- Mu >'. ■Jl mitted by his Government the entire charge of the equipment of the * Resolute/ will be rewarded for this signal act of sympathy, by seeing her restored to her original vocation, so that she may bring back from the Arctic seas, if not some living remnant of our long-lost countrymen, yet at least the proofs that they have nobly perished. I need not add that we have as yet no proofs, what- ever may be our melancholy forebodings. That such is the fact, in a legal point of view, is shown by a case now or lately pending in the Scotch Courts, in which the right of succession to a considerable property is not admitted, on account of the absence of all but conjec- tural testimony. In this aspect of the question I have no personal interest, but it is one that may not be deemed unworthy of your Lordship's attention, com- bined as it must be with the fact that our most ex- perienced Arctic officers are willing to stake their reputation upon the feasibility of reaching the spot where so many secrets lie buried, if only they are sup- plied with the adequate means. It would be a waste of words to attempt to refute again the main objections that have been urged ageiinst a renewed search, as involving extraordinary danger and risking life. The safe return of our officers and men cannot be denied, neither will it be disputed that each succeeding year diminishes the risk of casualty ; and indeed, I feel it would be especially superfluous and unseasonable to argue against this particular ob- jection, or against the financial one which generally accompanies it, at a moment when new expeditions for the glorious interests of science, and which every true lover of science and of his country must rejoice in, are contemplated for the interior of Africa and othel No. I. APPENDIX. 325 it, III parts which are far less favorable to human life than the icy regions of the north. But with respect to expenditure, I may perhaps be allowed, as I have alluded to that topic, again to call to your Lordship's attention that the * Resolute' is ready equipped for Arctic service by the munificence of another nation, and to add that other Arctic ships, equally well fitted for the purpose, are lying useless in Her Majesty's dockyards, along with accumulated Arctic stores brought back by the late expeditions, and therefore long since included in the navy estimates jf and which, besides, are available only for Arctic ser- vice, and, if sold, would be bought at only nominal prices. In addition to the above sources of supply are those already existing on the Arctic shores, which are now studded with depots of provisions and fuel, left from the last and former expeditions, and fit as ever for use, because of the conservative properties of the climate. But even were the expenditure greater than can thus reasonably be expected, I submit to your Lordship that this is a case of no ordinary exigency. These 135 men of the * Erebus' and * Terror' (or perhaps I should rather say the greater part of them, since we do not yet know that there are no survivors) have laid down their lives, after sufferings doubtless of unexampled severity, in the service of their country, as truly as if they had perished by the rifle, the cannon-ball, or the bayonet. Nay more, — by attaining the northern and already-surveyed coast of America, it is clear that they solved the problem which was the object of their la- bors, or, in the beautiful words of Sir John Richardson, that "they forged the last link of the North- West pas- sage with their lives." 28 326 APPENDIX. No. I. ' t ' iiii Mr^ ': S; '- 1 iiiiiil Surely, then, I may plead for such men, that a care- ful search be made for any possible survivor, that the bones of the dead be sought for and gathered together, that their buried records be unearthed, or recovered from the hands of the Esquimaux, and above all, that their last written words, so precious to their bereaved families and friends, be saved from destruction. A mission so sacred is worthy of a government which has grudged and spared nothing for itis heroic soldiers and sailors in other fields of warfare, and will surely be approved by our gracious Queen, who overlooks none of Her loyal subjects suffering and dying for their country's honor. This final and exhausting search is all I seek in be- half of the first and only martyrs to Arctic discovery in modern times, and it is all I ever intend to ask. But if, notwithstanding all I have presumed to urge. Her Majesty's Government decline to complete the work they have carried on np to this critical moment, but leave it to private hands to finish, 1 must then respectfully request that measure of assistance in be- half of my own expedition which I have been led to expect on the authority of Lord Stanley, as communi- cated to me by Lord Wrottesley, and on that of the First Lord of the Admiralty, as communicated to Colonel Phipps in a letter in my possession. It is with no desire to avert from myself the sacrifice of my own funds, which I devote without reserve to the object in view, that I plead for a liberal interpretation of those communications, but I owe it to the consci- entious and high-minded Arctic officers who have gen- erously offered me their services, that my expedition should be made as efficient as possible, however re-« No. I. APPENDIX. 327 stricted it may be in extent. The Admiralty, I feel sure, will not deny me what may be necessary for this purpose, since, if I do all I can with my own means, any deficiencies and shortcomings of a private expedi- tion cannot I think be justly laid to my charge. In conclusion, I would earnestly entreat of Her Maj- esty's Government, while this subject is still under deliberation, that they would be pleased ta obtain the opinions of those persons who, in consequence of their practical knowledge and vast experience, may be con- sidered best qualified to express them in the present emergency. And as it must be in the ranks of those officers who would naturally be selected for command of any final expedition that these qualifications will most assuredly be found, I trust I may be pardoned for directing your Lordship's attention to the names (which I put down in the order of their seniority) of Captains Collinson, Richards, McClintock, Maguire, and Osborn. All these officers have passed winter after winter in Arctic service, have carried out those skilful sledge operations which have added so much to our knowledge of Arctic Geography, and have ever, in the exercise of combined courage and discretion, avoided disaster, and brought home their crews in health and safety. I commit the prayer of this letter, for the length of which I beg much to apologize, to your Lordship's patient and kind consideration, feeling assured that, however the burden of it may pall upon the ear of some, who apparently judge of it neither by the heart nor by the head, you will not on that, or on any light ground, hastily dismiss it. Rather may you be im- pelled to feel that the shortest and Jsurest way to set *: <] 328 APPENDIX. No. L . the importunate question at rest, is to submit it to that final investigation which will satisfy the yearn- ings of surviving relatives and friends, and, what is justly of higher import to your Lordship, the credit and honor of the country. I have the honor to be, etc., Jane Franklin. The Bight Hon. Viscount Falmerston, E.Q. Hi No. L No. II. APPENDIX. 829 mit it to the yearn - 1, what is the credit iNKLIN. No. II. MEMORIAL TO THE RIGHT HON. VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, M.P., G.C.B. London, June 5th, 18S6. Impressed with the belief that Her Majesty's missing ships, the * Erebus ' and * Terror/ or their remains, are still frozen up at no great distance from the spot whence certain relics of Sir John Franklin and his crews were obtained by Dr. Rae, — we whose names are undersigned, whether men of science and others who have taken a deep interest in Arctic discovery, or explorers who have been employed in the search for our lost countrymen, beg earnestly to impress upon your Lordship the desirableness of sending out an Expedition to satisfy the honor of our country, and clear up a mystery which has excited the sym- pathy of the civilized world. This request is supported by many persons well versed in Arctic surveys, who, seeing that the proposed Expedition is to be directed to one limited area only, are of opinion that the object is attainable, and with little risk. We can scarcely believe that the British Govern- ment, 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 re- search, now that the locality has been clearly indicated where the vessels or their remains must lie, — includ- ing, as we hope, records which will throw fresh light on Arctic geography, and dispel the obscurity in which the voyage and fate of our countrymen are still involved. 28* ! ii I 1 1 (r' "- ,1 830 APPENDIX. No. II. i i I II Although most persons have arrived at the con- clusion that there can now be no survivors of Frank- lin's Expedition, yet there are eminent men in our own country and in America who hold a contrary opinion. Dr. Kane, of the United States, for example, who has distinguished himself by pushing farther to the north in search of Franklin than any other indi- \jdual, and to whom the Royal 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 permitted 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 Providence not carried us through in our hazardous escape." But passing from speculation, and confining our- selves alone to the question of finding the missing ships or their records, we would observe that no land Expedition down the Back River, like that which, with great difficulty, recently reached Montreal Island, can satisfactorily accomplish 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 nature 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 accom- No. II. APPENDIX. 831 f plished by the crew of a man-of-war, — to say nothing of the moral influence of a strong armed party remain- ing in the vicinity of the spot until the confidence of the natives be obtained. Many Arctic explorers, independent 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 Behring Strait, along the coast of North 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 difficulty in one season. Other routes, whether by Regent Inlet, Peel Sound, or across from Repulse Bay, are preferred by officers whose experience in Arctic matters entitles them to every consideration ; whilst in reference to two of these routes it is right to state that vast quantities of provisions have been left in their vicinity. Without venturing to suggest which of these plans should be adopted, we earnestly beg your Lordship to sanction without delay such an expedition as, in the judgment of a Committee of Arctic Voyagers and Geographers, may be considered best adapted to secure the object. We would ask your Lordship to reflect upon the great difference between a clearly-defined voyage to a narrow and circumscribed area, within which the miss- ing vessels or their remains must lie, and those formerly necessarily tentative explorations in various directions, ;i I Dill 332 APPENDIX. No. It i the frequent allusions to the difllculty of wt.ich, in regions far to the north of the voyage now contem- plated, have led persons unacquainted with geography to suppose that such a modified and limited attempt as that which we propose ii volves farther risk and may call for future researches. The very nature of the former expeditions exposed them, it is true, to risk, since regions had to be traversed which were totally unknown ; while the search we ask for is to be directed to a circumscribed area, the confines of which have already been reached without difficulty by one of Her Majesty's vessels. Now, inasmuch as France, after repeated fruitless efforts to ascertain the fate of La Perouse, no sooner heard of the discovery of some relics of that eminent navigator, than she sent out a Searching Expedition to collect every fragment pertaining to his vessels, so we trust that those Arctic researches which have re- flected much honor upon our country may not be abandoned at the very moment when an explanation of the wanderings and fate of our lost navigators seems to be within our grasp. In conclusion, we further earnestly pray that it may not be left to the efforts of individuals of another and kindred nation, already so distinguished in this cause, nor yet to the noble-minded widow of our lamented friend, to make an endeavor which can be so much more effectively carried out by the British Govern- ment. We have the honor to be, &c., F. Beaufort, R. I. MURCHISON, F. W. Beechey, Wrottesley, L. Horner, W. H. FiTTON. Lyon Playpair, T. Thorp, - No. II ^Uch, in contem- cograpliy attempt risk and ire of the , to risk, •e totally I directed ich have e of Her fruitless lo sooner eminent :pedition issels, so have re- not be lanation rs seems it may ther and s cause, imented o much Govern- No. 11. APPENDIX. 333 i E. Sabine, EORRTON ElLESMEBE, W. WlIKWELL, II. COLLINSON, W. II. Sykes, C. Daubeny, J. Fergus, P. E. DE Stzrelecki, W. II. Smyth, A. Majendie, R. FiTZROY, E. Gardiner Fishbourne, R. Brown, G. Macartney, C. "WnrATSTONK, W. J. Hooker, J. D. Hooker, J. Arrowsmith, P. La Trobe, W. A. B. Hamilton, R. Stephenson, J. E. Portlocx, C. PiAzzi Smyth, C. W. Pasley, G. Rennte, J. P. Gassiot, G. B. Airy, J. F. Burgoyne. The following officers of the Royal Navy, who have been employed in the search after Franklin, and who are now absent from London, have previously expressed themselves to be favorable to the final expedition above recommended: — Captains Sir James C. Ross, and Sir Edward Belcher ; Commodore Kellett ; Captains Austin, Bird, Ommanney, Sir Robert M'Clube, Sherard Osbobn, iNOLEFIELDt Captains Maguire, M'Clintock, and Richards ; Commanders Aldrich, Mecham, Trollope, and Cresswell ; Lieutenants Haihlton and PiM. I;l| '■ LI •^l ^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) ^ .^% ^/ :^>V ^ 4^' i 1.0 ^1^ 1^ |2j2 U£ 12.0 lit Photographic Sciences Corporation r<\- 23 WIST MAIN STRUT «VIBSTiR,N.Y. I45M (716)I72-4S03 834 APPENDIX. No. m. No. III. LIST OP RELICS OF THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION, Brousbt to England in the * Fox,' by Captain M'Cuntock. Relics brought from the boat found in lat. 69° 08' 43" N., long. 99° 24' 42" W., upon the West Coast of King WilUam Island, May 30, 1859:— Two double-barrelled guns, one barrel in each is loaded. Found standing up against the side in the after part of the boat. A small Prayer Book ; cover of a small book of ' Family Prayers ; * * Christian Melodies,* an inscription within the cover to " G. G." (Graham Gore V) ; ' Vicar of Wakefield ; ' a small Bible, interlined in many places, and with numerous references written in the margin ; a New Testament in the French language. Two table knives with white handles — one is marked " W. R. ;** a gimlet ; an awl ; two iron stanchions, 9 inches long, for supporting a weather cloth, which was round the boat. 26 pieces of silver plate — 11 spoons, 1 1 forks, and 4 teaspoons ; 3 pieces of thir elmboard (tingles) for repairing the boat, and meas- uring 11 inches by 6 inches, and 3-lOths inch thick. Piece or* canvas : — Bristles for shoemaker's use, bullets, short clay pipe, roll of waxed twine, a wooden button, small piece of a port-fire, two charges of shot tied up in the finger of a kid glove, fragment of a seaman's blue serge frock. Covers of a small Testament and Prayer Book, part of a grass cigar-case, fragment of a silk handkerchief, thread-case, piece of scented soap, three shot charges in kid glove fingers, a belted bullet, a piece of silk pocket handkerchief. Two pairs of goggles, made of stout leather and wire gauze, instead of glass; a sailmaker's palm, two small brass pocket compasses, a snood- ing line rolled up on a piece of leather, a needle and thread case, a bayonet scabbard altered into a sheath for a knife, tin water bottle for the pocket, two shot pouches (full of shot). Three spring hooks of sword belts, a gold lace band, a pice of thin gold twist or cord, a pair of leather goggles with crape instead of glass ; a small green crape veil. Two small packets of blank cartridge in green paper, part of a cherry-stick pipe stem, piece of a port-fire, a few copper nuls, » No. III. APPENDIX. 335 led. Found loavli-T bootlace, a seaman's clasp-knife, two small pjlasi stoppered 1mm tVi (lull), three glasses of spectacles, part of a broken pair of silver spectacles, German silver pencil-case, a pair of silver (V) forceps, such as a naturalist might use for holding or seizing small insects, etc. ; a small pair of scissors rolled up in blank paper, and to which adheres a printed government paper, such as an offii.'er's warrant or appointment ; a spring hook of a sword bell, a brasa charger for holding two charges of shot. A small bead purse, piece of red sealing-wax, stopper of a pocket flask, German silver top and ring, brass matchbox, one of the glasses of a telescope, a small tin cylinder, probably made to hold lucifer matches ; a linen bag of percussion caps of three sizes, a very large and old-fashioned kind, stamped " Smith's patent ; " a cap with a flange similar to the present musket cajra used by Government, but smaller ; and ordinary sporting caps of the smallest size. Five watches. A pair of blue glass spectacles, or goggles, wit^i steel frame, and wire gauze encircling the glasses, in a tin case. A pemmican tin, painted lead color, and marked " E." (Erebus) in black. From its size it must have contained 20lb. or 22lb. Two yellow glass beads, a glass seal with symbol of Freemasonrj'. A 4-inch block, strapped, with copper hook and thimble, probably for the boat's sheet. Relics seen in lat. 69° 09' N., long. 99° 24' W., not brought away, 30th of May, 1859: — A large boat, measuring 28 ft. in extreme length, 7 ft. 3 in. in breadth, 2 ft. 4 in. in depth. The markings on her stem were — " XXI. W. Con. NGl., APr. 184." It appears that the fore part of the stem has been cut away, probably to reduce weight, and part of the letters and figures removed. An oak sledge under the boat, 23 ft. 4 in. long, and 2 ft. wide ; 6 paddles, about 60 fathoms of deep- sea lead line, ammunition, 4 cakes of navy chocolate, shoemaker's box with implements complete, small quantities of tobacco, a small pair of very stout shooting boots, a pair of very heavy iron-shod knee boots, carpet boots, sea boots and shoes — in all seven or eight pairs 1 two rolls of sheet lead, elm tingles for repairing the boat, nails of various sizes for boat, and sledge irons, three small axes, a broken saw, leather cover of a sextant case, a chain-cable punch, silk hand* 336 APPENDIX. Ho. III. kerchiefs (black, whito, and colored)," towels, sponge, tooth-br \5sl;i hair comb, a mackintosh, gun cover (marked in paint ^*A. 12"), twine, file?, knives ; a small worsted-work slipper, lined with caif- fikin, bound with red riband ; a great quantity of clothing, and a wolf-skin robe ; part of a boat's sail of No. 8 canvas, whale-line rope with yellow mark, and whito lino with red mark ; 24 iron stanchions, 9 1-2 inches high, for supporting a weather cloth round the boat ; a stanchion for supporting a ridge pole at a height of 3 ft 9 in. above the gunwale. Relics found about Ross Cairn, on Point Victory, May and June, 1859, brought away : — A G-inch dip circle by Robinson, marked I 22. A case of medi- cines, consisting of 25 small bottles, canister of pills, ointment, plas- ter, oiled silk, etc. A 2-foot rule, two joints of the cleaning rod of a gun, and two small copper spindles, probably for dog-vanes of boats. The circular brass plate broken out of a wooden gun-case, and en- graved " C. H. Osmer, R.N.** The field glass and German silver top of a 2-foot telescope, a coffee canister, a piece of a brass curtain rod. The record tin and the record, dated 25th of April, 1848. A G-inch double frame sextant, on which the owner's name is engraved, " Frederick Hornby, R.N." Found in a small cairn ou the south side of Back Bay: — A tin record case and record. Seen about Ross Cairn, Point Victory, not brought away : — Four sets of boat's cooking apparatus complete, iron hoops, 4 feet of a copper lightning conductor, hollow brass curtain-rod three quar- ters of an inch in diameter, 3 pickiixes, 1 shovel, old canvas, a pile of warm clothing and blankets 4 feet high, 2 tin canteens stamped " 89 Co., Wm. Hedges," " 88 Co., Wm. Heather," and a third one not marked. A small pannikin, made on board out of a 2lb. preserved- meat tin, and marked " W. Mark ; " a small deal box for gun wadding, the heavy iron work of a large boat, part of a canvas tent, part of an oar sawed longitudinally and a blanket nailed to its flat •ide, three boat-hook staves, strips of copper, a 9-inch single block No. III. tooth-bri!sh» "A. 12"), 1 with caif- liiig, and a le-line rope stanchions, tho boat ; a 9 in. above ory, May 50 of mcdi- tment, plas- ng rod of a za of boats. ISC, and en- ■man silver rass curtain I, 1848. A 3 engraved, of Back brought )ps, 4 feet iree quar- 3, a pile of iped "89 one not )reserved- for gun ivas tent, to its flat igle block No. III. APPENDIX. 337 strapped, a piece of rope and spunyarn. Among the clothing was found a stocking marked " W," green, and a fragment of one marked " W. S." Relics obtained at the Northern Cairn, near Cape Felix, May, 1859: — Fragments of a boat's ensign, metal lid of a powder-case, two eye pieces of sextant tubes, brass button ; worsted glove, colors red, white and blue ; bung-stave of a marine's water keg or bottle, brass orna- ments to a marine's shako ; brass screw for screwing down lid, also a copper hinge of the lid of powder-case ; a few patent wire cartridges containing large shot ; part of a pair of steel spectacles, glass being replaced by wood, having a narrow slit in it ; two small rib bones, probably out of salt pork ; six or eight packets of needles ; small flannel cartridge containing an ounce of damaged powder ; a small, roughly made copper apparatus for cooking ; some brimstone matches. Piece of white paper folded up found in the North Cairn, two pike- heads, narrow strip of white paper, found under one of the tent places ; their tent places were within a few yards of the cairn. Beside a small cairn, about three miles north of Point Victory, waj a pickaxe, with broken handle ; brought away an empty tea or coflce canister. Articles noticed about the North Cairn, not brought away : — Fragments of two broken bottles, several pieces of broken basins or cups, blue and white delfware, hoops of marine's water keg, small iron hoops, fragments of white line, spun yarn, canvas, and twine ; three small canvas tents, under which lay a bearskin and fragments of blankets ; two blanket frocks, several old mitts, stockings, gloves, pilot cloth and box cloth jackets and trousers, large shot, piece of tobacco and broken pipe, metal part of powder-case, top of tin can- ister, marked " cheese," preserved-potato tin, feathers of ptarmigan, and salt-meat bones. Seen near Cape Maria Louisa : — Pa"t of a drift tree, white spruce fir, 18 feet long, 10 inches in diameter ; it appeared to have but recently ( i.e. since thrown on the coast) been sawed longitudinally down the centre, and one-half of it removed. 29 W M di' f1 11^ 338 APPENDIX. No. III. r Relics obtained from the Boothian Esquimaux, near the Magnetic Pole, in March and April, 1859 : — Seven knives made by the natives out of materials obtained from the last expedition, one knife without a handle, one spear-head and staff (the latter has broken off), two files; a lai-go spoon or scoop, the handle of pine or bone, the bowl of musk-ox horn ; six silver spoons and forks, the property of Sir John Franklin, Lieutenants H. D. Veseomte and Fairholme, A. M'Donald, Assistant-Surgeon, and Lieutenant E. Couch (supposed from the initial letter T and crest a lion's head) ; a small portion of a gold watch-chain, a broken piece of ornamental work apparently silver gilt, a ftiw small naval and other metal buttons, a silver medal obtained by Mr. McDonald as a prize for superior attainments at a medical examination in Edinburgh April, 1838 : some bows and arrows, in which wood, iron, or copper has been used in the construction — of no other interest. Remarks upon these Articles. The spear-staff measures G feet 3 inches in length, and appears to .av3 been part of a light boat's gunwale : it measured (before being partially rounded to adapt it to its present use) about 1 1-2 by 1 3-8 inches, is made of English oak, and upon the side has been painted white over green. The spear-head is of steel, riveted to two pieces rf hoop, with bone between, and lashed on to the staff. The rivets are of copper nails. The native who sold it said he himself got it from the boat in the Fish River. Another spear of the same kind was seen. The knives are made either of iron or steel, riveted to two strips of hoop, between which the handle of wood is inserted, and rivets passed through, sticuring them together. The rivets are almost all made out of copper nails, such as would bo found in a copper-fastened boat, but those which have been exam- ined do not bear the Government mark. It is probable that most of the boats of the * Erebus* and ♦ Terror* were built by contract, and therefore would not have the broad arrow stamped upon their iron and copper work. One small knife appears to have been a surgical instrument. A large knife obtained in April bears some marking, such as a sword or a cutlass might have. The man who sold it said he bought it from another, who jucked it up on the land where the ship was driven ashore by the ice, and where the white people had thrown it away ; it was then about w long as his arm No. III. APPENDIX. 339 This was the first information he received of one of the ships having drifted on shore. One knife and one file are stamped with the broad arrow. The handles are variously composed of oak, ash, pine, mahogany, elm, and bone. The spoons and forks were readily sold for a few needles each, also the buttons, which they wore as orna- ments on their dresses. Bows and arrows were readily exchanged for knives. Previously to the stranding on the neighboring shore of the last expedition these people must have been almost destitute of wood or iron. Some of them had even got only bone knives and spear-points. Some of their sledges were seen, consisting of two rolls of seal-skin, flattened and frozen, to serve as runnei-s, and con- nected together by cross bars of bones. Many more knives, bows and buttons, similar to those brought away, might have been ob- tained, but no personal or important relics. Seen in a Snow Hut in lat. VOJ'^' deg. N., 20th of April, 1859, not brought away : — Two wooden shovels, one of them made of mahogany board, some spear-handles and a bow of English wood, a deal case which might have served for a telescope or barometer. Its external dimensions were : — length, 3 ft. 1 in. ; depth, 3 1-2 in. ; width, 9 in. ; two brass hinges remained attached to it. Relics obtained from the Esquimaux near Cape Nor- ton, upon the East Coast of King William Island, in May, 1859: — Two tablespoons; upon one is scratched " W. W.," on the other " W. G. ; " these bear the Franklin crest ; two table forks, one bear- ing the Franklin crest; the other is also crested, probably Captain Crozier's ; silversmith's name is " I. West ; " two teaspoons, one en- graved " A. M. D." (A. M'Donald), the other bears the Fairholme crest and motto; handle of a dessert knife, into which had been inserted a razor (since broken off) by Milliken, Strand; buttons, wood and iron, were here in abundance, but as enough of these had already been obtained no more were purchased. Taken out of some deserted snow-huts near here, some scraps of different kinds of wood, such as could not be obtained from a boat — teak or African oak. Found lying about the skeleton, 9 miles eastward of Cape Her- ■t.i 'I J! . ■ 340 APPENDIX. Ko. m. Bchel, May, 1859 : — The tic of black silk neckerchief; fragments of a double-breasted blue cloth waistcoat, with covered silk buttons, and edged with braid ; a scrap of a colored cotton shirt, silk covered buttons of blue cloth great-coat, a small clothes-bnish, a horn pocket- comb, a leathern pocket-book, which fell to pieces when thawed and dried ; it contained 9 or 10 letters, a few leaves apparently blank ; a sixpence, date 1831 ; and a half-sovereign, dated 1844. Articles seen among the natives at Cape Norton, not purchased,— Bows made of wood, knives, uniform and plain buttons, a sledge made of two long pieces of hard wood. From beside an Esquimaux stone-mark, on the east side of Montreal Island : — Part of a preserved-raeat tin, painted red ; part of the rim of some strong copper case or vessel ; pieces of iron hoop, two pieces of flat iron, an iron hook bolt, a piece of sheet copper. Articles seen about a snow-hut near Point Booth, not purchased : — Eight or 10 fir poles, varying from 5 feet to 10 feet in length, the stoutest being 2 1-2 inches in diameter. Two wooden snow shovels about 3 1-2 feet long, and made of pieces of plank painted white or pale yellow ; it occurred to me that the pieces of plank might have been the bottom boards of a boat. There was abundance of wood fashioned into smaller articles. Contents of Boat's Medicine Chest : — One bottle labelled as zinzib. B. pulv., full; ditto, spirit, rect., empty ; ditto, mur. hydrarg. seven-eighths full ; ditto, ol. caryphyll., one-fifth full ; ditto, ipec. P. co., full ; ditto, ol. menth. pip., empty ; ditto, liq. ammon. fort., three-quarters full ; ditto, ol. olivac., full ; ditto, tinct. opii. camph., three-quarters full ; ditto, vin. sem. colch., full; ditto, quarter full; ditto, calomel, full (broken) ; ditto, hydrai^. hit. oxyd., full ; ditto, pulv. gregor, full (broken) ; ditto, magnes. carb., full ; ditto, camphor, full ; two bottles tine, tolut, each quarter full ; one bottle ipec. B. pulv., full ; ditto, jalap B. pulv., full ; ditto, gcammon. pulv., full; ditto, quinac bisulph. empty; ditto (not la- belled), tiiict. opii., three-quarters full ; one box (apparently) purga- tive pills, full; ditto, ointment, shrunk; ditto, emp. adhesiv., full; one probang, one pen wrapped up in lint, one lead pencil, one pewter syringe, two umall tubes (test) wrapped up in lint, one farthing, bandages, oil silk, lint, thread. No. IV. APPENDIX. 841 No. IV. K GEOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC ARCHIPELAGO, SKAWir UP PRIMOIPAIXT PROM THB IPIOIlfEMS COLLEOTIB BT Captain F. L. M'Clintock, R.K., From 1849 to 1859. BT THE REV. SAMUEL IIAUGHTON, F.R.S., Fellow of Trinity College, Professor of Geology in the Unirersity of Dublin, ftnd President of the Geological Society of Dublin, The map which accompanies this geological descrip- tion is arranged from the specimens brought home by Captain F. L. M^Ciintock, R.N., from the four Arctic Expeditions in which he served from 1848 to 1859. These specimens are all deposited in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, and form a more extensive and better collection of Arctic rocks and fossils than is to be found in any other museum in Europe. It will be most convenient to describe the geology of the Arctic Islands bv the formations which are to be found there, which are the followi*^ ; - — 1. The Granitic and Granitoid Bocks. 2. The Upper Silurian Rocks. 3. The Carboniferous Rocks. 4. The Lias Rocks. 5. The Superficial Deposits. I shall describe these successive formations briefly, and add a few remarks of a theoretical character, to indicate the important inferences which may be drawn from the facts respecting them made known to us by M*Clintock's discoveries. 29* i 4 mm m 842 APPENDIX. No. IV. I. — The Granitic and Granitoid Rocks, These rocks form a considerable part of North Greenland, on the east side of Baffin's Bay, and con- stitute the rock of the country at the east side of the island of North Devon, which forma a portion of the coast-line of the west of Baffin's Bay, and the north side of the entrance into Lancaster Sound. 1. Whale Fish Islands, lat. 69° N., are composed of a very fine-grained, flaggy, black mica schist, composed of black mica in very small plates, occasionally putting on a hornblendic lustre, and minute grains of quartz interstratified with the mica. The softer varieties are cut by the natives into grissets and cooking utensils of various shapes, some of which resemble the cambstones found in Ireland, which are made from a kind of pot- stone, abundant in parts of the County Donegal. 2. Upernavikf lat. 72° N., Greenland. — This district is famous for the occurrence of large quantities of plumbago, which is found in a metamorphic rock of the following character. Fine-grained, amorphous, grani- toid rock, composed of minute particles of grey quartz ; a honey-colored felspar of waxy lustre, of unknown composition ; minute particles of red semitransparent garnet, of conchoidal fracture; and small particles, with occasional large nests, of plumbago. The plumbago occurs both amorphous, and in long acicular crystals. Sometimes the rock becomes of coarser texture and more crystalline, and the yellow color of the felspar gives place to a greenish tinge ; and it sometimes also becomes a felspar of perfect cleavage, semitransparent, and white. The dodecahedral crystals of garnet reach the diameter of one inch. i The general character of the rocks near Upernavik No. IV. No. IV. APPENDIX. 343 of North and coll- ide of the on of the the north iposed of composed ly putting of quartz rieties are itenssils of ambstones nd of pot- gal. tiis district ntities of rock of the aus, grani- ey quartz ; unknown ransparent tides, with plumbago ir crystals. 5xture and the felspar itimes also •ansparent, irnet reach Upernavik is different from that of the rock in which the plum- bago is found; they consist of a fine-grained black mica schist, with very little felspar or quartz, and intersected by thin veins of elvan composed of quartz and white felspar. The cooking utensils of the natives are made from this fine schist, in preference to any other descrip- tion of rock. 3. Woman's Islands. — These islands, off' the west coast of Greenland, are composed of a garnetiferous mica slate, formed of black mica in layers, with alter- nating plates composed of white felspar and quartz, and filled with fine garnets, rose-colored, vitreous in frac- ture, and transparent. 4. Cape Yorkf lat. 76° N., Greenland. — This cape is composed of a fine-grained granite, consisting of quartz, white felspar, with minute specks of a black mineral, of pitchy lustre, composition not yet deter- mined. 5. Wolstenholme and Whale Sounds, lat. 77" N., Greenland. — At Wolstenholme Sound the granitoid rocks of Greenland become converted into mica slate and actinolite slate of a remarkable character. The mica slate is composed of large plates of an intimate mixture of black and white mica, the chemical ex- amination of which will doubtless prove of interest. These plates of mica are separated by bands of pure white felspar. The actinolite slate is dark green, and formed by an almost insensible gradation from the mica slate. In the low ground between Wolstenholme and Whale Sounds, the granitic rocks cease, and are covered by deposits of fine red gritty sandstone, of a banded structure, and a remarkable coarse white con- glomerate. The boundary between these formations hlli ll)! .- M ir ^ >i I * I'l w II * m 844 APPENDIX. No. IV. is also marked by the development of masses of doler- ite and clayey basalt. 6. Carey's Islands^ 76° 40' N., Greenland, lie to the westward of Wolsten holme Sound, and are composed of a remarkable gneissose mica schist, formed of suc- cessive thin layers of quartz granules, containing scarcely any felspar, and layers of jet black mica, with occasional facets of white mica. This mica schist passes into a white gneiss, composed of quartz, white felspar, and black mica, penetrated by veins, coarsely crystalised, of the same minerals. Yellow and white sandstones are also found in small quantity on the islands, reposing upon the granitoid rocks. 7. Capes Osborn and Warrender, lat. 74° 30' N., North Devon. — The granitoid rocks between these two capes are composed of graphic granite, consisting of quartz (grey) and white felspar; this graphic granite passes into a laminated gneiss, consisting of layers of black mica and white translucent felspar, sparingly mixed with quartz : with the gneiss are interstratified beds of garnetiferous mica slate, consisting of quartz, pale greenish white felspar, black and white mica in minute spangles, and crystals of garnet, rose-colored, disseminated regularly through the mass. Quartzifer- ous bands of epidotic hornstone occur with the forego- ing beds; and the whole series is overlaid by red sand- stones, of banded structure, which bear a striking re- semblance to those that overlie the granitoid beds of Wolstenholme Sound. 8. North Somerset, — The granitoid rocks are found again on the west side of the island of North Somerset, where they form the eastern boundary of Peel Sound. Boulders of granite are found at a considerable dis- tance (100 miles) to the north-eastward of the rock in No. IV. of doler- e to the imposed I of 8UC- ntaining ica, with a schist tz, white coarsely id white r on the 30' N., en these insisting c granite layers of iparingly stratified quartz, mica in ■colored, lartzifer- B forego- ed sand- king re- beds of re found omerset, Sound, ible dis- 3 rock in No. IV. APPENDIX. 845 sitUy as at Port Leopold, Cape Rcnncll, etc. The gen- eral character of the granitic rocks in the north and west of North Somerset are thus described by Captain M*Clintock: — " Near Cape RenncU we passed a very remarkable rounded boulder of gneissi or granite ; it was 6 yards in circumference, and stood near the beach, and some 15 or 20 yards above it ; one or two masses of rounded gneiss, although very much smaller, had arrested our attention at Port Leopold, as then wc knew of no such formation nearer than Cape Warrender, 130 miles to the north-cast; subsequently we found it to commence in situ at Cape Granite, nearly 100 miles to the south- west of Port Leopold. " The granite of Cape Warrender differs considera- bly from that of North Somerset ; the former being a graphic granite, composed of grey quartz and white felspar, the quartz predominating; while the latter, or North Somerset granite, is composed of grey quartz, red felspar, and green chloritic mica, the latter in large flakes ; both the granite and gneiss of North Somerset are remarkable for their soapy feel." * To the east of Cape Bunny, where the Silurian limestone ceases, and south of which the granite com- mences, is a remarkable valley called Transition Val- ley, from the junction of sandstone and limestone that takes place there. The sandstone is red, and of the same general character as that which rests upon the granitoid rocks at Cape Warrender and at Wolsten- holme Sound. Owing to the mode of travelling, by sledge on the ice, round the coast, no information was obtained of the geology of the interior of the country, 'N' Journal of the Royal Dublin Society, 1857. V ^!| ?.niferous sandstone area. 1,1 m ''m ■■ 'i i I Si p ■ m m '■ V i ■kl iff 356 APPENDIX. No. IV. 2. Native coppor in lar^o masses, procured from the Esquimaux in Prince of Wales' Strait. 3. Brown hematite, pisolitie. 4. Greyish yellow sandstone, same as Capo Hamilton and Byam Martin's Island. 6. Terebratula aspera (Schlotheim). Joum. R. D. S., Vol. I. PI. IX. Fig. 4. This interesting brachiopod was found in the lime- stone by Captain M'Clure, at the Princess Royal Isl- ands, in the Prince of Wales' Strait, between Baring Island and Prince Albert Land. I have no hesitation in pronouncing it to be identical with Schlotheim's fossil, which is found in the greatest abundance at Gerolstein, in the Eifel. Banks' Land, or Baring Isl- and, is composed of sandstone, similar to that at Byam Martin's Island, and at the Bay of Mercy. This sand- stone contains beds of coal, apparently the continuation of the well-known coal-beds of Melville Island. It is a remarkable fact, that these carboniferous sandstones underlie beds of undoubtedly the carboniferous lime- stone type, and that at Byam Martin's Island, where fossils are found in this sandstone, they are allied to Atrypa fallax and other forms characteristic of the lower sandstones of the carboniferous epoch. It is, therefore, highly probable that the coal-beds of Mel* ville Island are very low down in the series, and do not correspond in geological position with the coal-beds of Europe, which rest on the summit of the carbonif- erous beds. It is interesting to find at Princess Royal Island, where, from the general strike of the beds, we should expect to find the Silurian limestone underlying the coal-bearing sandstones, that this limestone does occur, and contains a fossil, T. aspera^ eminently char- acteristic of the Eifelian beds of Germany, which form, in that country, the Upper Silurian Strata. No. IV. Isquimaux nd Byam I. PI. IX. he limc- )yal Isl- Baring 3sitation otheim'a ance at ring Isl- it Byam lis sand- inuation d. It is ndstones as lime- d, where lUied to ; of the 1. It is, of Mel- f and do joal-beds jarbonif* 3s Royal jeds, we derlying ne does tly char- ch foriDj No. IV. APPENDIX. 857 No. V. CAPE HAMILTON, Baring Island (lat. 74° 16'N. ; Long. 117° 30' W.). 1. Greyish-yellow sandstone, like that found in sUu iu Byam Mar- tin's Island. . 2. Coal. — . The eoal found in the Arctic regions, excepting that brought from Disco Island, West Greenland, which is of ter- tiary origin, presents ovorywhero the same characters, which are somewhat remarkable. It is of a brownish color and lig- naceous texture, in flne layers of brown coal and jet-black glossy coal interstratificd in delicate bands not thicker than paper. It has a woody ring under the hammer, recalling the peculiar clink of some of the valuable gas coals of Scotland. It burns with a dense smoke and brilliant flame, and wquld make an excellent gas coal; and, in fact, it resembles in many respects some varieties of the coal which has acquired such celebrity in the Scotch and Prussian law-courts, under the title of the Torbano Hill mineral. Na VI. CAPE DUNDAS, Melville Island (Lat. 74° 30' N.; Long. 113° 45' W.). Fine specimens of coal. No. Vn. CAPE SIR JAMES ROSS, Melville Lland (Lat. 74° 45' N. ; Long. 114° 30' W.). Sandstone passing into blue quartzite. Na Vm. CAPE PROVIDENCE, Melville Island (Lat. 74°20'N. ; Long. 112° 30' W.). A specimen of crinoidal limestone, apparently similar to that oc- curring in Griffith's Island, from which, however, it could not have been brought by the present drift of the floating ice, as the set of the currents is constant from the west. If brought to its present position by ice, it must have been under circum- stances difieiing considerably from those now prevailing iu Barrow's Strait. Yellowish-grey sandstone. Clay ironstone passing into pisolitic hematite. No. IX. WINTER HARBOR, Melville Island (Lat. 74° 35' N.; Long. 110° 45' W.). Fine yellow and grey sandstone. i *\\ 1; It' ;r'. I. ,.r 1 ii 1,1 358 APPENDIX. No. IV. f m 'T No. X. BRIDPORT INLET, Mclvillo Island (I^t 76<> N. ; I^ng. 100* W.). Conl, with intim>s8loi).i of Sphcnoptcris. Ferruginous Hpottud >vliito sundstono. Clay ironstone, passing into brown Iicmatito. No. XI. SKENE BAY, Melville Island (Lat. 75° N.; I^ng. 108° W.). Bituminous coal, with finely divided laminic, associated with brown crystalline limestone, with eherty beds, and grey- yellowish sandstone, pas^sing into brownish-red sandstone. No. Xn. HOOPER ISLAND, Liildon's Gulf, Melville Island (Lat 75° 5'N. ; Long. 112° W.). Nodules of clny ironstone, very pure and heavy, associated with ferruginous fine sandstone and coal of the usual description. The hill-tops and sides along the south shore of Lid- don's Gulf, and as far as Cape Dundas, are generally bare, composed of frozen mud, arising from the disin- tegration of shale, the annual dissolving snows wash- ing them down and giving them a rounded form. The southern slopes generally support vegetation. Frag- ments of coal are very frequently met with, and at the mouth of a ravine on the south shore of Liddon's Gulf there is abundance, of very good quality ; it contains a considerable quantity of pyrites or bisulphuret of iron. No. Xin. BYAI^I MARTIN'S ISLAND (Lat. 75° 10' N. ; Long. 104° 15' W.). Yellowish-grey sandstone, in sitUj containing a ribbed Atrypa^ allied to the A. primipilarls of V. Buch, and the A.fallax of the carboniferous rocks of Ireland. Reddish limestone, with broken fragments of shells, of the same description of brachiopod as the last. Coal of the usual description. S Fine-grained red sandstone, passing into red slate. ' f coriaceous homblendic trap (boulders). No. IV. ?. ; Ix>nfr. No IV. APPENDIX. 859 f. ; Long. atcd with nd groy- tonc. and (Lat. atcd with ription. of Lid- enerally le disin- :s wash- [1. The Frag- 1 at the I's Gulf itains a )f iron. L ; Long. Atnjpa, "allax of the same The sanrlstone of Byam Martin's Island is of two kinds — one red, finely stratified, passing into purple slate, and very iik<* the r d sandstone of Cape Bunny, North Somerset, and some varieties of the red SAud- stone and slate found bet W(*en Wolstenholme Sound and Whale Sound, West Greenland, lat. 77° N. The other sandstone of Byam Martin's Island is fine, pale- greenish, or rather greyish-yellow, :ind not distinguish- able in hand specimens from the sandstone of Cape Hamilton, Baring Island. It contains numerous shells and casts of a terebratuliform brachiopod, closely allied to the Terebratula primipilaris of Von Buch, found abundantly at Gerolstein in the Eifel. On the whole, I incline to the opinion that the sandstones, limestone, and coal of Byam Martin's Island, arc the correspond- ing rocks of Melville Island, Baring Island, and Bath- urst Island, are low down in the Carboniferous System, and that there is in these northern coal-fields no subdi- vision into red sandstone, limestone, and coal-measures, such as prevails in the west of Europe. If the different points where coal was found be laid down on a map, we have in order, proceeding from the south-west — Cape Hamilton, Baring Island ; Cape Dundas, Mel- ville Island, south ; Britlport Inlet and Skene Bay, Melville Island ; Schomberg Point, Graham Moore Bay, Bathurst Island ; a line joining all these points is the outcrop of the coal-beds of the south of Melville Island, and runs E.N.E. At all the localities above mentioned, and, indeed, in every place where coal was found, it was accompanied by the greyish-yellow and yellow sandstone already described, and by nodules of clay ironstone, passing into brown hematite, sometimes nodular and sometimes pisolitic in structure. \ 1 i f i ■1^ M "Hi 860 APPENDIX. Ko. IV. No. XIV. GRAHAM MOORE'S BAY, Bathurst L And (Lat. 76<» 30' N. ; Long. 102° W.). Coal of the usual quality. At Cape Lady Franklin, and at many other locali- ties along the north shore of Bathurst Island, carbonif- erous fossils in limestone, clay ironstone balls passing into brown hematite, cherty limestone, and earthy fos- siliferous limestone, with the same species of Atrypa as at Byam Martin's Island, were found in abundance by Sherard Osborn, Esq., Commander of H.M.S. 'Pio- neer,' in whose journal the following note respecting them may be found : — " The above collection was delivered over to Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B., by Commander Eichards, at 2 P.M., on 7th Nov. 18f>3." * It is to be hoped that they may soon be made avail- able for the elucidation of the geology of this most interesting portion of the Arctic discoveries. No. XV. BATHURST ISLAND, Bedford Bay (Lat. 75° N.; Long. 95° 50' W.). In this locality abundance of vesicular scoriaccous trap rocks •were found by Captain M'Clintock ; they appear to me to be the representatives of the volcanic rocks found everywhere at the commencement of the carboniferous period. No. XVI. CORNWALLIS ISLAND, M'Dougall Bay. 1. Syringopora geniculata. Joum. R. D. S., Vol. I. PI. XL Fig. 2. 2. Cardiola SaJtteri. Joum. R. D. S., Vol. I. PI. VII. Fig. 5. The Syringopore found at Cornwallis Island appears to be identical with the variety of the Lrish carbonifer- ous S. geniculata^ in which the corallites are at a dis- tance from each other somewhat exceeding their diam- * Vide Arctic Expeditions, 1854-55, p. 254. i' Ko. IV. d (Lat. 76*» er locali- carbonif- passing irthy fos- Vtrypa as iance by S. *Pio- ispecting Captain tichards, ie avail- lis most . 75° N.; trap rocks I to be the re at the fay. :i. Fig. 2. ?. 5. appears )onifer- a ais- r diam- .it No. IV. APPENDIX. 361 eters, and in which the connecting tubes are about two diameters apart. A question of very considerable geological interest is raised by the occurrence together of corals, in the same locality, of silurian and carboniferous forms. I entertain no doubt of their being in situ^ and oc- curring in the same beds, for the following reasons : — 1st. The Syringopores of Griffith's Island were found at an elevation of 400 feet above the sea, and, therefore, could not be brought by drifting ice. 2nd. The specimens were apparently of the same texture and composition as the native rock, whenever the latter was visible from under the snow. 3rd. I do not believe in the lapse of a long interval of time between the silurian and carboniferous depos- its, — in fact, in a Devonian period. 4th. The same blending of corals has been found in Ireland, the Bas Boulonnais, and in Devonshire, where silurian and carboniferous forms are of common occur- rence in the same localities. 5th. In the carboniferous beds proper of Melville Island and Bathurst Island, there were not found, so far as I am aware, any corals of the same character as those at Griffith's Island, Cornwallis Island, and Beechey Island, which could give a supply to be drifted to the latter localities in a Pleistocene sea. It is plain, from the height at which the corals were found that, if they were brought to their present localities by ice, it must have been during the period known as Post-tertiary, as the present conditions of drift-ice in Barrow's Straits do not permit us to suppose them to have been placed where we now find them by existing causes. The occurrence of coal-beds in such high latitudes has been speculated on by many geologists — in my 31 i% "J I i 4 3G2 APPENDIX. No. IV. opinion, not very satisfactorily ; as it is very difficult to conceive how, even if the question of temperature was settled, plants even of the fern and lycopodium type could exist during the darkness of the long win- ter's night at Melville Island. This difficulty is in- creased by the facts made known to us by the dis- covery of ammonites and lias fossils in Prince Patrick's Island by Captain M'Clintock. IV. — The Lias Rocks, Many years ago it was asserted by Lieutenant An- jou, of the Russian navy, that ammonites had been found by him in the cliffs on the south shore of the island of New Siberia, off the north coast of Asia, in lat. 74° N. This statement, which was published in Admiral Von Wrangcl's journal, attracted but little attention, until it was confirmed, as far as probability c^ such fossils occurring at so high a latitude is con- cerned, by the remarkable discovery of similar fossils by Captain M'Clintock, in lat. 76° 20' N., at Point Wilkie, in Prince Patrick's Island. In a paper, published by the Royal Dublin Society, in the first volume of their journal, p. 223, Captain M'Clintock thus describes the finding of these fossils: — " After returning to Cape de Bray, we took up the provisions that the officer after whom it is called had left for us, and crossed the strait to Point Wilkie ; reached it on the 14th May. This traverse was the more difficult from the great load upon our sledge, and the unfavorable state of the ice and snow. The freshly fallen snow was soft and deep, and beneath it the older snow lay in furrows across our route, hardened and polished by the winter gales and drifts, so that it re- sembled marble. No. IV. No. IV. APPENDIX. 363 r difficult nperature jopodium long win- Ity is in- the dis- Patrick*a nant An- lad been re of the ' Asia, in lished in but little obability e is con- ir fossils at Point Society, Captain bssils : — up the lied had Wilkie ; was the ige, and 3 freshly he older led and t it re- " On landing I found the beach low, composed of mud, with the foot-prints of animals frozen in it. A few hundred yards from the beach there are steep hills, about 150 feet in height, and upon the sides of these, in reddish-colored limestone, casts of fossil shells abound. Inland of these, the ordinary pale carbonif- erous sandstone and cherty limestone re-appeared. The fossils are all small, and of only a few varieties, some being ammonites, but the greater part bivalves. They differed from any I had met with before, and the rock was almost brick-red ; I picked up what appeared to be fossil bone (Ichthyosaurus ?), only part of it appear- ing out of the fragment of the rock. " Point Wilkie appears to be an isolated patch of liassic age, resting upon carboniferous sandstones and limestones, with bands of chert, of the same age as the limestones and sandstones of Melville Island. The eastern shores of Intrepid Inlet is composed of this formation ; while the western, rising into hills and ter- races, is of the underlying carboniferous epoch. At the western side of Intrepid Inlet I found upon the ice a considerable quantity of white asbestos, but did not ascertain from whence it had been brought." The fossils thus found in situ, I have no doubt, belong to the liassic period; and as their geological interest is indubitable, I offer no apology for inserting here the following description, written by me on Cap- tain M'Clintock's return to Dublin from his third Arctic expedition. No. 1. WILKIE POINT, Prince Patrick's Land (Lat. 76° 20' N. ; Long. 117° 20' W.). LIAS FOSSILS. (a) Ammonites M^Clintocku Joum. R. D. S., Vol. I. PI. IX. Figa. 2, 3, 4. I ' f i • . ,1 :i IFI i; .i li. ,; '14 3G4 ArrENDIX. No. IV. •: •". -i- Monotis septentrionalis. Journ. R. D. S., Vol. I. PI. IX. Figs. 6, 7. Pleurotomaria, sp. Journ. R. D. S., Vol. I. PI. IX. Fig. 8. Cast of some Univalve. Journ. R. D. S., Vol. I. PI. IX. Fig. 7, Nucula, sp. (a) Ammonites M'Clintocki (Haughton). — Testa compressd, carin- atd, anfractihus latis, lateribus^ complanalis, transversim undato-costatis ; costis simplidhus, juxta marginem interiorem levigatis ; dorso carinato acttto ; aperturd sagittatd, compressd^ antice carinatd ; septis lateribus A-lohatis. This fine ammonite resembles several species com- mon in the upper lias of the Plateau de Larzac^ Sev- ennes, in France. It approaches A. concavus of the lower Oolite, but is distinguished by having only four lobes on the lateral margins of the septa, and by its showing no tendency to a tricarinated keel. The fol- lowing measurements give an exact idea of its form, as compared with that of the species mentioned : — Diameter, Inches. Width of last Spire. Diam.=100. Thickness of last Spire. Orerlapping of last Spiro. Width of Umbilic. A, M'Clintocki, A. concavtiSf . 1-83 2-95 T^ ^^% ' <■ The principal difference here observable is in the somewhat greater size of A, concavus, and the larger umbilic of A. M' ClintockL It certainly resembles this well-known ammonite very closely ; and it appears to me difficult to imagine the possibility of such a fossil living in a frozen, or even a temperate sea. The discovery of such fossils in situ, in 76° north latitude, is calculated to throw considerable doubt upon the theories of climate which would account for all past changes of temperature by changes in the rela« No. IV. 1. IX. Figs. Fig. 8. IX. Fig. 7, ressd^ carirt' lato-costatis ; rso carinato *tis lateribus cies com- zac^ Sev- us of the only four nd by its The fol- its form, jd: — s Width of Umbilic. s in the le larger bles this pears to a fossil ;° north ! doubt 3unt for the rela- No. IV. APPENDIX. 365 tive position of land and water on the earth's surface. No attempt, that I am aware of, has ever been made to calculate the number of degrees of change possible in consequence of changes of position of land and water ; and from some incomplete calculations I have myself made on the subject, I think it highly improb- able that such causes could have ever produced a tem- perature in the sea at 76° north latitude which would allow of the existence of ammonites, especially ammo- nites so like those that lived at the same time in the tropical warm seas of the south of England and France, at the close of the Liassic, and commence- ment of the lower Oolitic period. During the course of the same Arctic expedition in which these organic remains were found. Captain Sir Edward Belcher discovered in some loose rubble, of which a cairn was built on Exmouth Island (lat. 77° 12' N., long. 96° W.), vertebral bones of, apparently, same liassic enaliosaurian. All doubt as to the reality of this discovery, and all idea of accounting for the occurrence of such remains by drift, must be aban- doned, as the fossils found by M*Clintock were unques- tionably in situ, and it is impossible to evade the con- sequences that follow to geological theory from their discovery. Captain Sherard Osborn, also, found broken ver- tebrae of an ichthyosaurus, 150 feet up Rendezvous Hill, the north-west extreme of Bathurst Island : of these specimens, one lay among a mass of stone that had slipped from the N.W. face of the hill ; the other was by the side of a ravine or deep watercourse on the southern face of the same elevation. I have no doubt but that they were in situ, I am well aware that the question of light in the 31* i I i ' I I :i;!l t1 m '111 870 APPENDIX. No. IV. indicate also a climate sufficiently mild to allow of their having grown upon the land where they now occur. Mr. Hopkins, in his anniversary address as President of the Geological Society of London, has published a remarkable geological speculation, which would account for the facts above mentioned.* So far as the evidence of drift boulders is concerned, I have shown that the direction of the currents was from the south ; a fact which falls in with the drift theory, so far as it goes. . " We cannot, however, dissociate these trees from the facts connected with the distribution of the remains of the Siberian Mammoth in Asia and America. It ici now known that this elephant was provided with a warm fur, and that his food was of a kind which grows even now in Northern Siberia ; so that the drift theory, which was formerly supposed necessary to account for the occurrence of these remains, has now been quietly dropped, sub silentio, by the geologists. Many other drift theories have, in like mannner, lived their short day, and gone the way of all false hypotheses ; among others, the drift theory of the origin of coal. Further investigation may show that the glacial epoch of Europe was one of a very different character in Asia and America, and that, while glaciers clothed the sides of Snowdon and Lugnaquillia, pine forests flourished in the Parry Islands, and the Siberian elephants wan- dered on the shores of a sea washed by the waves of an ocean that carried no drifting ice. There is abundant evidence, however, that the Arctic Archipelago was submerged in very recent geological periods ; for we know that subfossil shells, of species * Joarn* Geol. Soc. Lond., vol. VIII. p. buv. No. IV. APPENDIX. 371 that now inhabit the waters of the neighboring seas, are found at considerable heights throughout the whole group of islands. M*Clure found shells of the Cyprina Islandicttf at the summit of the Coxcomb range, in Baring Island, at an elevation of 500 feet above the sea-level ; Captain Parry, also, has recorded the occur- rence of Venus (probably Cyprina Islandica) on Byam Martin's Island; and in the recent voyage of the * Fox,' Dr. Walker, the Surgeon of the expedition, found the following subfossil shells at Port Kenedy, at eleva- tions of from 100 to 500 feet : — , I M ^^\ 1. Saxicava rugosa. 2. Tellina proximo. 8. Astarte Arctica (Borcalb.) 4. Mya Uddevallensis. 5. Mya truncata. 6. Cardium sp. 7. Buccinum undatum. \ 8. Acmea testudincdis. 9. Balanus Uddevallensis. At the same place a portion of the palate-bone of a whale (Right Whale) was found at an elevation of 150 feet. All these facts indicate the former submergence of the Arctic Archipelago, but this submergence must have been anterior to the period when pine forests clothed the low sandy shores of the slowly emerging islands, the remains of which forests now occupy a position at least 100 feet above high-water mark. The geological map which I am enabled to pub- lish from the data collected by Captains M' Clintock, M^Clure, Osborn, &c., is an enlargement of that which was published in 1857 by the Royal Society of Dublin, to illustrate the fine collection of Arctic fossils and lil ^'^^11 I: 'I •i I I : ^)\ 372 APPENDIX. No. IV .^ ^ h minerals deposited in the museum of that body by Captains M*Clintock and M*Clure. In perfecting it for its present purpose I have availed myself of all the other sources of information within my reach, among which I am bound to mention in particular the ex- cellent Appendix to Dr. Sutherland's * Voyage of the Lady Franklin and Sophia,' written by Mr. Salter, Paleeontologist of the Geological Survey of Great Britain. Many of the mineral specimens from Greenland, and the fossils from Cape Riley, Cape Farrand, Point Fury and Brentford Bay, were collected by Dr. David Walker, surgeon and naturalist to the * Fox ' Expedi- tion. No. IV No. V. APPENDIX. 373 idy by ting it all the among he ex- of the Salter, Great cnland, I, Point . David Elxpedi- No. V. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS TO THE 'FOX' EXPEDITION. £ 9.(1. AciAND, 8lr T. D. Bnrt 100 Ailiitni, Dr. Walter, Kilinburgh. 8 3 AMrit'h, ('nptiiiii, ll.N 110 Allan, KnI). M., K^q 110 Alton, Captain Kniturl 6 6 Allen, Captain, U.N 2 2 Ain«fl Mrfl 6 AuiM, M!m 10 Anon 5 ArniHtroiifc, Mrfl 110 AmiHtronK, children of Mra. ... 8 U Arnold, Mr« 110 ArrowHuiitli, .)nhn, Kxq 5 AuRtin, Itn.tr-Adin. lloMtio T. H.N.,O.B 6 DAnnAQK, CharloR, K«q 10 Ilaikie, Dr 110 Taker, Mr8 5 Darkworth, Geo., Esq 6 I)irra», Mifls 110 Uarrwtt, 11. J., Ksq 10 narrow, , loll n, Edq 25 BnrHtow, Lieutenant, U.N 10 Bartb, Dr. Ilonrv 6 5 Bath, VV. J. C, Esq 2 6 Batty, Mrs. J. M 110 Beaufort, Rear-Adm. Sir Fran- cis, K.C.B 50 BeU,Th08.,Esq,, Pres. Lin.Soc. 10 10 Bennett, John S., Esq 5 Birch, J. W. N., Esq 10 Bird, Captain, U.N 5 Birmingham, small sums col- lected at Erans' Library 8 10 Booth, Mrs 6 Borton, Mrs., collected by 1 10 Boston, collected at, by Mr. Morton 4 4 Bovill, Walter, Esq 6 Boyer, Lieut. U.N 10 Bovle, the Hon. Carolina C 10 Brigg, collected at 110 Brine, Captain, U.E 110 Brooking, .1. Iloldsworth, Esq. . 10 Brown, Robert, Esq., V.P.L.S. . 20 Brown, John, Esq 5 5 Brown, J. E., Esq., U.N 5 Bruce, the Uev. C 1 1 Burgoync, Captain, R.N 1 Burton, Alfred, Esq 1 1 Byron, the lion. Fred 5 Chesnet, Major-Oeneral 2 2 Collinson, Captain, R.N., C.B. . 20 Coninglmm, W., Esq., M.P. ... 100 Coote, 0. W., Esq 10 Coote, Charles, Esq 10 Courtauld, Samuel, Esq 25 Courtauld, George, Esq 15 Contts, Messrs. & Co 50 32 £ ».d. Crasp, J., Esq., Surgeon, 63rd ilegt 10 Crauford, John, Esq 6 Crt'sswell, S. Uurnuy, Comman- der, R N 6 D\T,arrT, P. T., Esq 10 10 Do la Uoqucttc, M., V.l». of Ooog. So<>. of I'ariM, 1000 fr 40 Dilkc, C. W., Esq 5 Dixon, James, Eko 10 Doxat, Alexis J., R-q 10 10 Doxat, MixH II., collected by... 4 •'Dubious" 2 Duflurin, Lord 25 P.DOAU, Mrs., collected by 6 KlloxmenN the ]<:arl of. 15 Elpliiiistone, the Hon. Mount- Stuwart 10 Elton, Sir Arthur II.. Bart 6 6 Emanuel, Ezekiel, Esq 10 FAinnoLME, the Hon. Mrs 150 Filliter, George, Esq 10 Fitton, Dr 21 Fortescue, Rev. T. F. G 2 2 Garuno, II., Esq 110 Gaswiot, J, P.. Esq 26 Gimiiigham, W., Esq., & Mrs.. 2 2 Gipps, liady 6 9 Gowen, J. R., Esq J Graves, Messrs. Pall Mall i 1 Griffiths, G. II., Esq 5 5 Grunelsen, Ch. Lewis, Esq 1 1 Gruncisen, Mrs 110 Guillcmard, the Rev. W. II. . . . 6 GulUcmard, Miss 10 IIali.. Jas., Esq 6 Ilanbury, Mrs 1 1 Hardingc, Commander, R.N. . . 10 Uardwickc, Philip, Esq 5 Harney, Julian, Esq., collected by, at Jersey 60 Hcalcs, Alfred, Esq 5 5 Herring, Miss 2 2 Hicks, John, Esq 2 Hill, Col. G3rd Regt 10 Hodgson, Mrs 10 Holland, Commander, R.N .... 6 HoIIingsworth, H., Esq 2 2 Holland, Rob., Esq 10 10 Hooker, Dr. J. D 6 6 Hornby, Miss Georgina 100 Hornby, the Rev. Edward 25 Hornby, Mrs. Edmund 6 Hornby, Miss Georgina, col- lected by 18 4 Hovell, W. H. Esq 6 6 m I i 374 APPENDIX. No. V. £ s. d. Hughes, Ueatenant, R N 2 Inolis, Lady 10 Irby, T. W., Esq 110 Jackson, N. Ward, Esq 21 Janson, J. C, Esq 5 5 Jeanes, H. W., Esq., R.N 10 Jersey '^Times'' 2 10 Kellett, Commodore, O.B 10 Kendall, Mrs 10 Kendall, the Rev. Professor. ... 100 Key, Lieut., U.N 5 King, William, Esq 5 Laird, Macgregor, Esq 60 Laird, John, Esq 25 L.andN.W 14 Lanford, J., Esq., Quartermas- ter 63rd Regiment 10 Langhorne, A., Esq 110 Larcom, Mrs 1 Leach, William, Esq 5 5 Le Feuvre, W. J., Esq 50 Lefroy, C. E., Esq 2 Leicester, the Rev. F 110 Lethbridge, Lieut., R.N 5 ^'Lochmaben Castle," Owners ofthe 5 5 Lyall, D. Esq., R.N., M.D 5 Mackintosh, Eneas, Esq 10 Maguire, Captain, R.N 3 8 Maitland, Gapt. SirThos., R.N. 10 Majendie, Ashhurst, Esq., and Mrs 100 Servants of the above 14 Malby, Messrs 6 Malby, Messrs., Workmen in their Establishment by a Qd. Subscription 4 11 6 Mansfield, W. H. S., Esq 10 Mantell, Dr. A. A 10 Markham, Clements, Esq 1 1 Markman, Mrs 10 M'Crea, Captain, R.N 10 M'Kinlay, Miss 10 M*Kinlay, Miss Elijsabeth 10 M'WiUiam, Dr. R.N 110 Merry, W. L., Esq 110 Morris, Rev. F- B 10 Morris, Sir Armine, Bart 6 Murchipon, Sir Roderick Impey, G.C.St.S., President of the Royal Geographical Society... 100 Murray, John, Es(* 20 Nares, Fras., Esq 2 2 Newall, W. L., Esq 100 Nicholson, Sir Charles 6 ] N.J 2 2 Norwood, collected at, by a Lady.. 715 OscHANMKT, Capt. Erasmus, R.N. 2 Of'^orn, Sir Ge*rge, Bart 10 £ s. i. Paget, A. F., Esq 10 6 Paget, C. H. M., Esq 110 Palsey, Gen. Sir Charles W., K.C.B 10 Second Subscription 10 Third Subscription 5 Pattinson, ILL., Esq 60 9 Pearcc, Stephen, Esq 2 2 Phillimorc, Captein, R.N 2 2 Pigou, Fred., Esq 10 Prcscott, Vice-Admiral Sir Hen- ry,K.C.B 5 Rawnslet, the Rev. Drummond 5 Rawsnley, Mrs., collected by 10 Rawnsley, William Franklin, collected by, at Uppingtiam School 10 Raynsford, Mrs 110 Reynardson, U. B., Esq 5 Rogers, Lieut., R.N 10 Roget, Dr. P. M 5 Roper, Geo., Esq 5 5 Ross, Rear- Admiral Sir Jaa. C. . 21 Rupert's Land, Bishop of. 5 Sabine, Major-General 25 Sadler, W. F., Esq 10 10 Sefton, the Countess of. 10 Shearley, W., Esq 2 Shell, Sir Justin ' 5 Shewell, John Tulmin, Esq. ... 550 Simpson, J., Esq., R.N ....v.. 1 10 Skey,Dr 2 2 Smith, Eric E., Esq 2 Smith, John Henry, Esq 10 10 Smith, Osborn, Esq 2 2 Smith, Archibald, Esq 5 5 Sparrow, Jas:, Esq 5 St. Asaph, the Bishop of. 10 St. David's, the Bishop of. 10 St. Selger, A. B 5 Stainton, J. J., Esq 8 8 Statham, J. L., Esq 1 1 Stephenson, Robert, Esq 20 Stirling. Commander, R.N 10 Strzelecki, Count P. de 25 Swinburne, Rear- Admiral 30 Sykes, Col., M.P 5 Tatlob, William, Esq 5 Tennant, James, Esq 2 T. H., collected in shillings by. 2 Thackeray, W. M., Esq 5 3 Thompson, J., Esq 1 1 3 Tindal, Commander, R.N 2 2 Tinney, W. H., Esq., Q.0 20 Tite, W., Esq., M.P 50 Trevelyan, Sir W. C, Bart 40 Trevelyan, Lady 10 Trevilian, M. C, Esq 2 2 Trollope,Cammander,R.N 2 2 Tuckett, Fred., Esq 5 9 Tudor, J., Esq 10 Turner, Alfred, Esq 16 Tweedie, W. M., Esq 5 VuroxNT, John, Esq 10 '! No. V. No. V. APPENDIX. S75 £ 5. i. 10 6 110 10 10 6 50 9 2 2 2 10 6 6 10 10 1 1 6 1 6 6 21 6 26 10 10 10 2 6 6 6 110 2 2 2 10 10 2 2 6 6 10 10 6 6 8 8 1 1 20 10 25 80 6 6 2 2 6 1 2 20 50 D 1 2 D 2 _ 2 6 9 10 16 5 10 40 10 2 2 £ s. d. WAUnt, James, Knq 21 Washington, Cuptnin, R.N., Hy- drographerof thcNavy 21 Waterflcld, Edward, Esq 5 Wayse, the Ilev. J. W 6 Weld, Charica R., Esq 5 Wheatstone, Professor 5 Willes, Hon. Mr. Justice 21 Wilson, Robert, Esq 1 1 6 WIttenoom, Mess 110 Wodehouse, Commander 10 Woodcock, J. Parry, Esq 6 Worsley, Marcus, Esq 10 Wright, the Rey. R. F 2 2 Wrottesley, Lord 60 YoOKO, Ghas. F., Esq 6 £ i.d. Young, Miss 5 Young, A. Verity, Esq 2 2 Yule, Mrs. U 5 The brother an:* sisters of the late John and Thomas Ilart- nell, of H.M.S. VErebus,' buried at Beechcy Island 6 A Commander, RN 6 A Commander in the Merchant Service 500 AFriend. O.H 6 A Friend 10 The daughters of a retired Com- mander 2 ASympathlser 10 £2881 8 9 < ^•< A life-boat, presented by Messrs. White of Cowes. A large quantity of preserved potatoes, by Messrs. King, late Edwards. Apparatus for lowering a boat at sea, presented by Mr. Clifford, the invantor. Three travelling-tents, by Messrs. Winsor and Newton. A stove, by Mr. Reftie. 20 doien " Isle of Wight sauce," by Mr. Tucker of Newport. Apparatus for reeflog topsails, ficom Mr. Ganningham, ths Infvntar. \ i '',1 ' • 1 .7 7i SELECTED LIST OF JUVENILE BOOKS PUBLISHED BY ili« PORTER & COATES, ^'1 No. 822 Cheatnut Street, PHTTiADELPHIA. I m COMPLETK CATALOGUE OP PUBLICATIONS FURNISHED UPON APPLICATION. AU of wr PabUoatioiu maUed, port-paid, on receipt of prioe. <<.rlo- ILLUSTRATION FROM "THADDEUS OP WARSAW." \ Jii ■■,;-:-:.v>i^'4 SELECTED \l '7 \ •^f-k LIST OF JUVENILE BOOKS PUBLISHED BY PORTER & COAXES. Adventures by sea and land; or^ Perils and Hair-Breadth Escapes of Travellers in every part of the World. Translated from the German. Printed on toned paper. Small 4to. Illustrated. Cloth, extra, black and gold, inlaid centre, . . $2 00 Adventures in canada; or, Life in the Woods. Illustrated. IGmo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, 1 25 J^ISOP'S FABLES. ' 138 illustrations. 16mo. Cloth, black and gold, . . . . 1 25 Cheap edition, illustrated, ..... 85 Aladdin ; or, The Wonderful Lamp. Illustrated by Felix O. C. Darley. Small 4to. Cloth, extr^ black and gold, . . 2 00 !. > ii f m Ai I i 4 PORTER k COATES'S LIST OF JUVENILES. Alicia and her a UNT; or, Think he/ore you Speak. A Tale for Young Persons. "With frontispiece in colors. ISnio. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated Bide, $0 50 A MILLION TOO MUCH A Temperance Tale. By Mrs. Julia McNair ^" Wright, author of " Priest and Nun," ''Almost a Nun," " John and the Demijohn," etc. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 Arabian NIGHTS* entertainment. The best edition in^he market. Illustrated. Crown 8yo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . 1 50 Away IN the wilderness; (Reprinted from the " Christian Union"), by Mrs. S. C. Hallo WELL. Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 Chasing the SUN; or, Ramhks in Norway, By R. M. Ballanttnb. Illustrated. lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, ... 75 Eleanor's three birthdays; ory " Charity Seeketh not her Vwn.** By Harriet B. McKeever, author of " Edith's v ' • Ministry," " Wickliffe," &c. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 00 3. PORTER k COATES'S LIST OF JUVENILES. re Bd . to 50 IR )St . 1 25 T. • . 1 50 Ye , 0/ . 75 •8. . 1 25 . 75 '8 . 1 00 Ellen, the teacher. A Tale for Youth. With frontispiece \n colors. 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, $0 50 Evening amusements for every One. A book to delight the intelligent, the youth of quick or dull parts, and to make the home circle a happy one. Compiled and arranged by D. Amos Planche. Illustrated by George Cruik- SHANK and others. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . 1 50 75 75 Fast in the ICE; or, Adventures in the Polar Regions. By R. M. Ballanttne. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . Fighting the whales ; or, Doings and Dangers on a Fishing Cruise. By R. M. Ballantyne. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . Fire brigade; or, Fighting the Flames. By R. M. Ballantyne. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and geld, . Frank, the young naturalist. By Harry Castlehon. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 25 Frank in the woods. By Harry Castlehon. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 25 1 25 \ \: y !i iH 'j i ^ \ i-1 ;>,! * 6 PORTER & COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. Frank on the prairie. By Harry Castlemon. lOino. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, $1 25 Frank on a gunboat. By Harry Castlemon. 16mo. Cloth,extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 125 Frank before vicksburg. By Harry Castlemon. IGino. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 25 Frank on the lower Mississippi By Harry Castlemon. Itimo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 25 Frank among the rancher os. By Harry Castlemon. lOino. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 25 Frank at don carlos' rancho. By Harry Castlemon. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 25 Frank in the mountains. By Harry Castlemon. 16ino. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, I 25 Freaks on the fells-, or, Three MontKs Rustication^ and Why 1 Did Not Become a Sailor. By R. M. Ballantyne. Illustrated. Khuo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . 1 25 PORTER & COATES'S LIST OF JUVENILES. ■ '>\ ILLUSTRATION FROM "FRANK IN THE MOUNTAINS." 75 PORTER k COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. French fairy tales. By the Countess De Seour. Translated by Mrs. Coleman and her daughters, the translators of the famous Muhlback Novels. With ten full- page illustrations by Qustav Dor6 and Jules Pidier. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . $1 50 Friendly HANDS AND KINDLY WORDS. Stories illustrative of the law of kindness, the '' f)Ower of perseverance, and the advantages of ittle helps. With eight fine illustrations by H. K. Browne, John Absolon and the brothers Dalziel. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . Gascoyne, the sandal-wood Trader. A Tale of the Pacific. By R. M. Ballanttne, author of ''Coral Islands," etc. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 GaVROCHE, the gamin of PARIS. From ** Les Miserables," by Victor Hugo. Trans- lated and adapted by M. C. Ptle. A charming story. 16mo. Cloth, black and gold, . . . Go AHEAD; or, The Fisher Boy's Motto. By Harrt Castlemon. l6mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 50 GrIMM'S POPULAR TALES AND Household Stories. Collected by the brothers Grimm. With nearly 200 illustrations, by Edward II. Wehnert. n, -, Complete in one volume. \ t 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 2 50 1 00 PORTER k COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. 9 Happy child's picture of anl mals and Birds. • Illustrated with large colored pictures, from draw- ings of Animals and Birds by Harrison Wier. 4to. Fancy boards, |0 45 Idle hands, and other stories. By T. S. Arthur. With six exquisite full-page cuts, engraved by Lauderbach. Square 8vo. Cloth, gilt, extra, black and gold, . 2 00 Lady green satin and her maid Rosette; or^ The True History of Jean Paul and his Little White Mice, Translated from the French of the Baroness £. Martineau Des Chesnes. Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 50 Leila on the island. With frontispiece and title in colors. ICmo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated ^ side, Leila in England. With frontispiece and title in colors. ]6mo. Clotn, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, Leila AT HOME. With frontispiece and title in colors. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated Lenny the orphan \ ■> 1 25 1 25 1 25 By Margaret Hosmer, author of *' Cherry the Missionary.*' Illustrated. l6mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 H !:illl Hi 10 PORTER ic COATESS LIST OF JUVENILES. iwiP' !'■:! \ ; Little rosie's first play-days. Hy Marcarkt IIosmer. IlluHtrated. IHmo. Cluth, extra, ... . . $0 75 Little rosie's christmas times. Bv MARnARRT IIosMRR. IlluHtrated. IsuiO. Cloth, oxtra, •5 75 1 00 1 GO Little rosie m the country. By Maroaret IIosmer. Illustrated. 18mo. Cloth, extra, . . ... Lucy forrester's triumphs-, or, '■'■ Thinkc.th no Evil, Bdleveth all Thim/s, Hojicth all Things." By Harriet B. McKebver. Illustrated. iDmo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . Mary LESLIE'S trials; or, ''Not Easily Pi'ovokcd." By Harriet B. McKeever. Illustrated. 16ino. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . Minna in the wonderland. By M. C. Pvle. A charming new Juvenile. Beautifully illustrated. Cloth, extra, bev. boards, black and gold, . ]V0 MOSS; or, The Career of a Rolling Stone. By Harrv Castlemon. IGino. Cloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 50 IV OR TIIERN LIGHTS. Stories from Swedish and Finnish authors. Col- lected and Translated by Selha Borq and Marie A. Brown, the translators of the Schwartz Novels. Illustrated by Bensell. J2mo. Cloi>h, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 50 50 m I'OKTEU & CUATK«'S LIST UP jrVENILKS. 11 ILLUSTRATION PROM "NO MOSS. 12 PORTER & COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. I Itii Original poems. By Jane and Ann Tatlor. Illustrated. 16ino. Cloth, black and gold, . . . . $1 25 Perilous incidents in the lives of Sailors and Travellers. Translated from the German. Printed on toned paper. Illustrated. Cloth, extra, black and gold, inlaid centre, . Robinson crusoe. 2 00 By Daniel De Foe. Uniform with the Arabian Nights. Illustrated. Crown 8vo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . 1 50 •1 ■! {'.{>,. IIS 1; ii-.,i 72 OMAIN KALBRISy fflS AD VENTURES by Sea and Land. By Hector Malot. Translated from the French by Mrs. Julia McNair Wright, with 46 fine illustrations by Emilie Bayard, engraved by Pannemaker. Crown 8vo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . 2 00 Shifting winds. A Story of the Sea. By R. M. Ballantyne. 16mo. Illustrated. Cloth, extra, black and gold, 1 25 Slovenly peter, and other Funny Stories and Pictures. A new edition of this charming book. Colored illustrations. Large 4to. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . 2 00 PORTER & COATES'S LIST OF JUVENILES. 13 ILLUSTRATION FROM "ROMAlM KALBRIS." u PORTER k COATES'S LIST OF JUVENILES. i Small BEGINNINGS; or, TheWayto Get On. Beautifully illuetrated with eight fine drawings by H. K. Browne, John ^bsolon and the bro- thers Dalziel. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . |0 75 Standard fairy tales. Containing Aladdin, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Jack the Giant Killer, Red Riding Hood, Tom Thumb, Puss in Boots, and numerous other Favorites of the Nursery. Beautifully illus- trated with ten full-page engravings after de- signs by Gustav D6r6 and Geo. Cruikshank. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 50 Stories FROM HISTORY. By Agnes Strickland, author of " The Lives of' 'the Queens of England,'^ etc. With twenty illustrations. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . . 1 25 Swiss family robinson Uniform with the Arabian Nights. Illustrated. Crown 8vo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . 1 50 Tales from English history, for Children. By AoNES Strickland. Illustrated. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . • • . 1 25 ThADDEUS of WARSAW. By Janb Pobtxh. Illustrated by Fkliz 0. C. Darley. Crown 8vo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . 1 50 PORTER & OOATBS'S LIST OF JUVENILES. 15 '( ' ' < ILLUSTRATION FROM "SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON." 5 ' i ; ^ # 11 Pi! iii 16 PORTER k COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. Tub affection a te br o thers. A Tale. By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in colors. 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, $0 50 T'hE AMERICAN FAMILY ROBINSON; or^ The Adventures of a Family Lost in the . ' Great Desert of the West, By D. W. Belisle. Illustrated. lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . The art of doing our best. As seen in the Lives and Stories of some thorough Workers. Eight fine illustrations by H. K. Browne, John Absolon and the brothers Dal- ziel. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . 1 25 75 The BARBADOES GIRL, A Tale for Young People. By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in colors. * 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, . . . . * . Tee beau hunters of the rocky Mountains. By Annb Bowman, authoress of the " Kangaroo Hunters," " The Castaways," "Esperanza," etc. Illustrated. >' 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . The bible for our children. Being a consecutive arrangement of the Narrative and other portions of Holy Scripture, in the words of the authorized version. With over 50 illustrations. 12mo. Black and gold. In Press. - - 50 1 25 PORTER & COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. 17 1 25 75 50 1 25 i t lu ILLUSTBATION FROM "THE BEAR HUNTERS." 18 RORTRR & COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. Mv iii; The blind farmer and his chil- dren. A Tale. By Mrs. HorLAND. With frontispiece in colors. ISmo. Cloth, extra, hiack and gold, illuminated side^ . . . . . . . . . $0 50 The catastrophe of the hall. Illustrated with original drawings in Silhonette by the late Paul Konewka, in nis most charac- teristio mfuiner. Beautifully printed on tinted paper. Quarto, boards, .... . . 1 00 The dog crusoe. A Tale of the Western Prairies. By R. M. Bal- LANTTNS. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 The floating light on the Goodwin Sands, By R. M. Ballanttnb. Illustrated. lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 The good grandmother and her Offspring. A Tale. By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in colors. 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, 50 The gorilla hunters. A Tale of the Wilds of Africa. By R. M. Bal- LANTTNS. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 The kangaroo hunters; or, Adven- tures in the Hush. By Anns Bowman, authoress of the " Bear Hunters." Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, black and gold, . . . . 1 25 PORTER & COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. 19 ILLUSTRATION FROM "THE KANGAROO HUNTERS." 20 PORTER k GOATES'S LIST OF JUVENILES. TbE OFFICER'S WIDOW AND HER Tov/ng FamHy, By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in colors, lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, $0 50 The merchants widow and her Toung FamUy, * By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in oolors. ^ 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, 50 The CLERGYMAN'S WIDOW AND HER Young FamUy. Bv Mrs. HoFLAND. With frontispiece in colors, lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, 50 The SCOTTISH chiefs. By Jank PoRTsr, Illustrated by Fklix O. C. Darlet. 748 pages. Crown Svo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . 1 50 Half calf, gilt, marbled edges, . . . . 3 50 The seven kings of the seven HUh. By Mrs. C. II. B. Lainq. A popular ancienv history of Rome, designed for cnildren. Illus- trated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 00 The heroes of the seven hills, A continuation of the above. By Mrs. C. H. B. Lainq, author of '' Seven Kings of the Seven Hills." Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 • ^ PORTER k OOATBS'S LIST OF JUVENILES. 21 ILLUSTRATION TROM "SCOTTISH OHUTS.** 22 PORTER k COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. Tee conquests of the seven hills. Being the third and last volume of the Seven Hill Series. By Mrs. C. H. B. Lainq. Illus- trated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . $1 25 The sisters, A Domestic Tale. By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in colors. i '' 18mo. Uloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, 50 The son of a genius. A Tale for Youth. By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in colors. 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, 50 The da ughter of a genius. A Tale for Youth. By Mrs. Hofland. With frontispiece in colors. 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, 50 The SPORTSMAN'S CLUB IN THE Saddle. By Harrt Castlbmon. Illustrated by H. Faber. lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 The SPORTSMAN'S CLUB AFLOAT. By Harry Castlemon. Being the second volume of the *' Sportsman's Club Series." Illustrated by E. B. Bensell. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 PORTER k COATBS'S LIST OP JUVENILES. 23 ILLU8TBATI0N IKOM «« SPORTSMAN'S CLUB AMONQ THE TRAPPERS.' MM 24 PORTER k OOATBS'S LIST OF JUVENILES. TffE SPORTSMAITS CLUB AMONG the Trappen, By Hamt Castlimon. B«ing the third Tolnin« of the *< Sportsman's Club Series." Illustrated by £. B. Bensell. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and |(old. In Press, $1 26 TsE WILD MAN OF THE WEST. A Tale of the Rooky Mountains. By R. M. Bal- LAMTTNi. Illustrated. ' 16mo. Oloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 25 Tom NEWCOMBE; or, The Boy of Bad BiahitM, By Harkt Castlimon. lomo. Oloth, extra, black and gold. Illustrated, 1 60 Tbue stories from ancient Hittory, Chronologically arranged from the Creation of the World to the death of Char- lemagne. By AoNis Strtokland. Illustrated. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . « • . 1 26 True stories from modern History. Chronological arranged from the death of Charlemagne to the Battle of Waterloo. By Agnks Strickland. Illustrated. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . .' . . 1 26 Under the holly,- or, ChriUmat at Hopeton Howe. A Book for Girls. By Mrs. Maroarkt Hosmir and Miss Julia DuNLAP. Illustrated. Tinted paper. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 1 26 PORTER k GOATBS'S LIST OF JUYBNILBS. 95 UBRARIES IN BOXES. jioNES STRICKLAND LIBRARY. Four Tolumei. Illoitrated. Oloth, eztrai black and gold, • • • . $6 00 Stories from History, Stories firom Anoient Historj, Stories from Modem History, Stories from English History. Arabian nights library. Three rolumeti . . . . . • . 6 00 Containing t Arabian Nishts, Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson. J^T HOME AND ABROAD. Four Tolumes. Beautifully illustrated. 4to. Cloth, extra, black and gold, inlaid centre, 8 00 Perilous Incidents in the Lives of Sulors and Trayellers, 4dTentures by Sea and Land, Idle Hands, Aladdin ; or. The Wonderful Lamp. * Birthday library. A beautiful set of juveniles, suitable for Sunday- schools. By Hakbut B. McKutsr. 3 toIb. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, 3 00 Eleanor's Three Birth-Days, Mary Leslie's Trials, Lucy Forrester's Triumphs. BoTS miscellany of travel and Adventure, • By R. M. Ballanttni. 4 vols. Illustrated, lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, per set, 3 00 Away in the Wilderness, Fast in the Ice, Fighting the Whales, Chasing the Sun 1.1 26 PORTER k COATBS'S LIST OF JUVENILES. Famous FAIRY LIBRARY. Three volumes. Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, per set, $4 50 French Fairy Tales, Northern Lights, Standard Fairy Tales. Friendly hand series. Three volumes. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, 2 25 Friendly Hands and Kindly Words, Small Beginnings ; or, the Way to Get On| The Art of Doing our Best. Holiday LIBRARY. Three volumes. Illustrated. Cloth, extra, black and gold, .... Bomain Kalbris, Bee's Bedtime, Lady Green Satin. 4 75 Ladies* historical library. - Four volumes. Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . • . 6 00 Life of the Empress Josephine, Lives of Celebrated Female Sovereigns, Duchess of Orleans, Pioneer Women of the West. Leila books. Three volumes. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, in a neat box, 3 75 . > Containing: Leila, or the Island, V Leila in England. Leila at Home. PORTER k COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. 27 i $4 Oil 2 25 4 75 6 00 3 75 Library of classic fiction. Illustrated by Darley and others. 3 vols. Large 12mo. Cloth, black and gold, in a neat box, $4 50 Scottish Chiefs, by Jane Porter. Children of the Abbey, by Reoina M. Roche. Jyanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott. Library of Scottish historical Romance. Illustrated. 6 vols. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, Guy Manering, Ivanhoe, Scottish Chiefs, 900 "Waverley, Fair Maid of Perth, Black Dwarf. Little ROsiE stories. By Margaret Hosher, author of ''Cherry the Missionary." Illustrated by Faber. 3 vols. 18mo. Cloth, extra, in a neat box, per set, • 2 25 Little Rosie's First Play-Days, Little Rosie's Christmas Times, . Little Rosie in the Country. Mother gooseys rhymes, chimes and Melodies. Complete edition. Profusely illustrated. Colored. Square 12mo. Fancy boards, doth back, . Cloth, extra, black and gold, .... Rose valley library. 60 75 6 vols. Illustrated. 32mo. Cloth, extra, in box, Robinson Crusoe, Eva Bruen, Edith Locke, 1 50 Discontented Tom, Willie and Ned, Ben Benson. 28 PORTER ft COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. I 11 The bear hunters' series. Four volumes. Illustrated. 16nio. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, $5 00 The Bear Hunters, Adventures in Canada, The Kangaroo Hunters, American Family Bobinson. The famous ballantyne books. (Land Storiea.) Four volumes. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, 5 00 The Gorilla Hunters, The Fire Brigade ; or. Fighting the Flames, The Dog Crusoe, The Wild Man of the West. The famous ballantyne books. (Sea Stories,') Four volumes. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, 5 00 Shifting Winds : a Stonr of the Sea, Freaks on the Fells, ana Why I did not become a Sailor, Gascoyne, the Sandal Wood Trader, The floating Light of the Goodwin Sands. The go-ahead series. By Harrt Castlemon. 3 vols. Illustrated, lomo. Cloth extra, black and gold, . . . 4 50 Tom Newoombe. Gp-Ahead. No Moss. The GUNBOAT SERIES. By Harrt Castlehon. 6 vols. Illustrated, lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . Frank the Young Naturalist, Frank on a Gunboat, Frank in the Woods, Frank before Yicksbur^, Frank on the Lower Mississippi, Frank on the Prairie. . 7 50 PORTER k COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. 29 ^5 00 on. 6 00 5 00 4 50 7 50 The ma gnolia series. By Mrs. Hofland. 6 vols. With frontispiece in colors. 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated edges, in box, per set, |3 00 Containing : Son of a Genius, The Good Grandmother, Daughter of a Genius, The Blind Farmer, Affectionate Brothers, The Officer's Widow. The present a tion librar y. Four volumes. Illustrated. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, in a neat box, 5 00 Lenny the Orphan, Million too Much, Under the Holly, Heavenward Led. The rocky mountain series. By Harry Castlexon. 3 vols. Illustrated. lomo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 3 75 Frank among the Rancheros, Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho, Frank in the Mountains. The seven hills library By Mrs. C. H. B. Lainq. 3 vols. Illustrated. In Press. 16mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . Seven Kings of the Seven Hills, The Heroes of the Seven Hills, The Conquests of the Seven Hills. The SPORTSMAN'S CLUB SERIES. By Harrt Castlemon. 3 vols. Ibmo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . . . 3 75 The Sportsman's Club in the Saddle, The Sportsman's Club Afloat, The Sportsman Club among the Trappers. 30 PORTER k COATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. fFlLLOW VALE SEEIE8. By Mrs. Hofland. 6 vols. With frontispiece in colors. 18mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, illuminated side, in box, per set, $3 00 Containing: Ellen the Teacher, The Barbadoes Girl, Alicia and her Aunt, The Clergyman's Widow, The Sisters, The Merchant's Widow. fFoRLD-FAMOUS FICTION, Illustrated. 6 vols. 12mo. Cloth, extra, black and gold, . 9 00 Children of the Abbey, Romance of the Revolution, Don Quixote, Gulliver's Travels, Thaddeus of Warsaw, Scottish Chiefs. i PORTER & COATES'S LIST OF JUVENILES. 31 GAMES. Instructive game of authors. With Sketches, Characters and Events. The latest aod most improved Game, containing on each card the leading characters or events, thus familiarizing one with each writer, by attracting the attention to some special persons or prominent incidents. In handsome case, $0 50 Instructive game of mythology. With Sketches, Descriptions and Biographies. r liform with the Game of Authors, ... 50 Instructive game of poets. In handsome case, .... 50 Instructive game of popular Quotations. Uniform with the Game of Poets, 50 The above Games have been prepared with very great care, and should be in every household. No better or more instructive games can be devised for the family circle. 32 PORTER & CCATES'S LIST OP JUVENILES. UST OF POPULAR BOOKS. t.:: i:;\ '\ Standard 12mos. Illustrated. Cloth, black and gold. Price, per yolume, $1 50. ROBINSON CRUSOE, .. - SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, ARABIAN NIGHTS, DON QUIXOTE, THADDEUS OF WARSAW, CHILDREN OF THE ABBEY, SCOTTISH CHIEFS, GULLIVERS TRAVELS, GUSTAVE ADOLPH, CHARLOTTE ACKERMAN, GUY MANNERING, IVANHOE, FAIR MAID OF PERTH, WAVERLEY, * - ^ BLACK DWARF, GIL BLAS, : - DANIEL BOONE, PILGRIMS PROGRESS, ROMANCE OF THE REVOLUTION, EMPRESS JOSEPHINE, CELEBRATED FEMALE SOVEREIGNS, PIONEER WOMEN OF THE WEST, DUCHESS OF ORLEANS, LIFE OF NAPOLEON, BANCROFT'S LIFE OF WASHINGTON. ENILES. OKS. ick and gold. 7TI0N, WESTj mmoTON,