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Maps, plates, citerts, etc., mey be filmed et different reduction retios. Those too lerge to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right end top to bottom, as many framea aa required. The following diagrams liluatrate the method: Lea cartes, pienches. tableeux, etc.. peuvent *tre fllmte A des taux de rMuctlon diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reprodult en un aaul ciichA, 11 eat filmA A partir de I'engle aupArleur gauche, de gauche A droKe, et de heut en bes. en prenent le nombre d'Images nAcessaire. Las diagrammes sulvants lllustrent ki mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 \ C5 -^A SIR JOHN FRANKLIN AKD THE ARCTIC REGIONS: WITH DETAILED NOTICES OP THE EXPEDITIONS IN SEARCH OF THE MISSING ^ VESSELS UNDER SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. ■at, ♦ BY P. L. SIMMONDS, MAMT TEABS EDITOB OF THE COLONIAL MAOAZINK, BTO. ETC. TO WmOH TS -ADDED AN AOCOimT OF THE AMERICAN EXPEDITION. T7NDEB THE FATR0XA6E OF . ^ HENRY GRINNELL, ESQ., WITH AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION, BY JOHN C. LORD, D. D. Miserable they ¥rho here entangled in the gathering ioe, Take Cheir hurt looli of the descending son. r CoWtEB. BUFFALO: GEO. H. DERBY AND 00. 1852. t- ;•# Entered according to Act of C!onj?res8, in the year 1852, by ! GEO. H. DERBY AND CO. In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern Diatriol of New York. > . 'li.. Btertat;pi>d by B E A D L K A FJ K t) T H E E, B (' F F A L O . # •■ .,.,-#- TO f Diatdol aENRY GRINNELL, ESQ., THIS PIBST AMEBICAN EDITION Of MB JOHK FBANFXIN AND THE AROTIO BEGIONS, IS BESPECTFCLLT DEDICATED BY HIS HUMBLE SEBVANTS, THE PUBLISHERS. •J PUBLISHERS' NOTICE The explorations of the Arctic Regions, made during the last three centuries, ha\e been prompted by the most commendable spirit, and have called into requisition, and strikingly developed, traits of character of a high order. The Arctic navigators have usually been men of extreme daring, wonderful perseverance and sublime fortitude ; and a digest of their heroic toils in the path of geographical discovery, abounds with scientific facts, and examples of manly courage and exalted virtues, potential in their nature, and highly salutary in theu* tendency. These considerations have impressed us with the importance of republishing this work. But as the English edition contain! but slight reference to American enterprise and zeal in tht search for the long absent ships, under the command of Sh John Franklin, we have deemed it proper to add an account of the expedition sent out under the patronage of Henry Grinnell Esq., who is doing more than any other man in our country to entitle modern merchants to the appellation given to those of Tyre, in her best days — "the honorable of the earth." The account of the expedition which he sent out, is copied from Lossing's article, in Harper's New Monthly Magazine. The other additional matter will, we trust, be found pertinent, entertaining, and valuable. The work, in its present form, must, we feel assured, meet the approval of a discriminating public 4 r'jk; |V' /• .■•!^, INTRODUCTION. The interest aroused both in this country and Europe, in regard to Sir John Franklin and his associates, has in no degree diminished by the fail- ure of the various Exploring Expeditions, to ascertain the fate of the great navigator. His well kiKiVv'n intrepidity, his great experience and knowledge of the Arctic regions, the abundant supplies with which he was furnished, the various casualties which may have excluded him from the observation of subse- quent navigators, and above all, the traces which have been discovered of him, have kept alive hopes, which, under other circumstances, in the long lapse of time would .have been utterly extinguished, Th^ XIV INTRODUCTION. heroic woman, whose devotion to her gallant hmband has made her name a household word in two conti- nents, whose appeals in his behalf have touched all hearts, and filled all eyes with tears, whose conduct has added another illustration of conjugal aifection, of indomitable perseverance and courage, to the lonj; list of examples of woman's faith and woman's forti^ tude, the wife of the lost Franklin still hopes. Sho cannot believe that the sea has swallowed the gallant company under the guidance of her husband, or that the frosts of the Pole have benumbed their energies; no mounds of snow and ice are seen by her, as marking the place where they await the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God ; before the vision of her mind, the frost-bound voyagers still appear, watching for some friendly sail in the open channels of the frozen seas, still husbanding their resources, etill hoping against hope. She beholds them man- fully struggling with the difficulties of their position, seeking, during the short summer of the high latitudes, an avenue of escape, and engaged in the winter in protecting themselves from the cold^ by walls of enow, and renewing their clothing with the spoils of the shaggy monarch of those solitudes, the polai bear, whose capture stimulates their energies and INTRODUCTION. I XV invigorntcs their powers. Wliile such a hope is strong in tlie soul of this noble woman, it will live in the hoa'-ts of all Christendom until the lost are restored to homo and kindred, or their graves are found, and their forms, untouched by decay, recognized by the hardy mariners who brave the dangers of an Arctic Sea. Who can tell if this lost company have not broken through into that open Ocean which is said to spread out beyond the barrier of ice, and found there a new world from which they cannot return to relate the story of their nuxrvelous voyage? Who knows if they are not now reposing upon some island of that unknown Sea, wliere a modified climate, and a fertile soil furnish all the necessaries of life, or are vainly coasting tilong that wall of ice through which they unexpectedly entered, and from which they hope to escape by some opening like that in which they came ? Perhaps, curiosity overcoming love of home and kindred, they have explored or are now exploring the unknown world upon which they have been permitted to enter, mapping its islands and bays, or passing on to the pole itselfj full of high thoughts of the undying fame that will reward their toils, when the story of their return and their discoveries shall astonish the world, as when the XVI INTBODUOTION. danng Genoese brought back to Spain and Europ*. the proofs of the existence of the continent which should have borne his name. The discovery of a northwest passage to the Indies, was the first object of the daring navigators who explored the northern seas ; the pursuit of the whale has since led a multitude of vessels among the ice- bergs and ice-fields of the frozen ocean. Any furthei expenditure of treasure, or hazard of life for th* former purpose is uncalled for — a mere waste of ma terial and a tempting of providence. Enough is known to settle the question that any passage forced through those seas to Asia, would be too hazardous and too uncertain to render it of the least com- mercial advantage. The path to China marked out by nature, or rather by the God of nature, is by the isthmus which separates North and South America, and all ideas of an available northwest passage are simply Utopian. For the perfecting of the geography of the earth, for the purpose of ascertaining whether an open ocean, and a modified climate, and a pro- ductive soil are to be found beyond the fields of ice, may be worthy the efforts of civilized nations, yet it might be questioned whether the hardships of the navigation, and tlie risk of life in those remote INTKODUOTION. XVll Bolitndes, would not justify an abandonment of a re- gion guarded by such awful barriers, which could only be passed occasionally in the lapse of years. If it should appear, that a land like the garden of Eden lay beyond the domain of frost, how could it be made practically accessible, or used for the benefit of mankind ? Would it not forever remain like that hidden city in the desert, which, according to the eastern fable, is concealed from all passers by, and only some favored traveler is perhaps once in a century permitted to gaze upon its deserted streets and behold its towers and palaces; or like the lost A-tlantis, would it not be discovered only to disap pear forever? For the rescue of the long lost company of Sir fohn Franklin, or for the purpose of ascertaining heir fate, too much can hardly be done. In such an enterprise, the noblest sympathies of our nature cannot fail to be enlisted, and higher and more worthy of remembrance than the conflict of arms, or the rivalry of the nations in their fabrics at the recent great fair of the world in the modem Baby- lon, has been the competition between England and the United States, in the voyages of discovery for the great arctic navigator, and his companions. In • ft XVlll I N T K O D U T I O N . ■I Uf such a contest the bonds of national brotherhood are strengthened, the friendship of the two great branches of the Anglo-Saxon race, who, descended from the same ancestry and speaking the same tongue, have been intrusted by the divine providence with the guardianship of civil and religious freedom, is cemented and made to soar above the petty rivalries, and the petty provocations, which have heretofore so often disturbed the good understanding which ought ever to prevail between those who are brethren in blood, who have a common ancestry, a common lan- guage, and a common faith. Despotism like a dark cloud is gathering over Europe ; France, after numer- ous revolutions, and a multitude of grandiloquent protestations for freedom, has tamely yielded to a military dictatorship more degrading than the rule of her most despotic monarchs, and nothing marks her incapacity for liberty, her profound social cor- ruption and the utter loss even of the heroic element that characterized her in the worst days of the Bour- bon dynasty, than the character of the man who has seized the reins of government. The shadow, or rather the mockery of a great name, with no repu- tation as a soldier, with no ability as a statesman, the dissolute and degenerate nephew of the gre*t INTKODDCTION. XIX Warrior, holds France under a rule more disgraceful to her than that of Louis XY., of whose vices he is an apt imitator. Under such circumstances, the con- tinued friendship of Great Britain and the United States, is essential to the highest interests of our common humanity. Together they may defy the world in arms, and blockade the ports of all the des- potic powers on the globe, and every generous con- cert of action, every noble rivalry like that which sent our ships in search for the lost Franklin, is an omen of good to the world, and a pledge that despotism is not to shroud the i^ations in darkness, superstition, and ignorance. The vast conspiracy which is now organizing from St. Petersburg to Paris, and from the Baltic to the Caspian, against a free press, free government and free speech, can only be defeated by the constant friendship and united resistance of the Anglo-Saxon race on both continents. It is not a little remarkable that the American expedition should have originated in private benev- olence, and that to the enlightened liberality of a single individual, the country owes an enterprise which reflects so much credit upon our republic. We read in the Scriptures of ancient nations and cities " whose merchants were princes : " if this KX INTBODUOTION. 1^ expression in the Bible implies what it does in mod em parlance, we may congratulate ourselves that we possess a similar description of citizens — merchants who are princes, not in the magnificence which apes the pomp of royalty, but in the large and liberal spirit that exhibits itself in acts of generosity and munificence, which may be termed princely in respect to the grandeur of their conception, and th© efficiency of their execution. The true genius and character of a people may be tested by the examples of individuals, no less than by their institutions and laws. The illustrious citi- zens of the ancient republics are the memorials and proofs of their national greatness. As the Eoman mother said of her children, " these are my jewels," BO the Commonwealth may say of her distinguished eons, for they are the glory and the crown of the State. The name of Henry Geinnell, in connection with the expedition in search of Franklin, will survive all the marble and granite of the city of his residence. He might say with truth with the Latin Poet, " Exegi monumentum sere perennius." "Whatever is done for truth or for humanity, sur- vives in the remembrance of all ages ; the star of INTRODUCTION. XXI a Howard culminates above those of all the heroes and. conqnerers who have filled the earth with vio- lence, and the merchant prince who sent his ships into the Arctic Seas, to search for the lost of another nation and people, is entitled to the plau- dits of his country and his race. !Nor should the commander, officers, and seamen jf the American expedition be forgotten by the gov- ernment, or their countrymen. In the dangerous service in which they voluntarily engaged, they ex- hibited the courage and hardihood, the coolness and forethought which have characterized the brightest examples in our naval history. The narrative of their hazardous voyage, so fer as it has been made public, reflects the highest credit upon all concerned, and has added new luster to the annals of American seamanship. The naval service is the right arm of the Republic; QO power on earth can assail us while the ocean is eovered with our ships. Great Britain came out of Ike contest with Napoleon and the continent with safety and success, only because she acquired and kept the dominion of the sea ; it is her naval supe- riority, which now delays the Autocrat of the Korth in his contemplated subjugation of Europe, ais*J /CXU INTRODUCTION. prevents his immediate occupation of Constantinople AS the seat of his new Empire. Nor is it merely the number of men-of-war which are kept afloat, that creates the naval superiority of a country, but that extensive commerce which constitutes a nursery of seamen, whose numbers, knowledge, and courage may be made available in the hour of danger. In no respect have our countrymen so uniformly dis- tinguished themselves, as in their naval exploits, no- where have they been so successful, as on the ocean, and the safety of the country is more connected with this department of defense than any other. While such men as Commander De Haven, Griffith, and such crews can be mustered from the naval service of the Uni*-ed States, our shores are safe from foreign invasion, and our country from all assaults save those of the demon of domestic discord ; if we perish, it will be suicidally. While every christian and philanthropist will earn- estly desire and pray for the day when men shall learn war no more, when " the sword shall be beatei into a plowshare, and the spear into a pruning hook," it is the height of folly to presume that anj such period » at hand — to blind our eyes to the evi- dent k>lp«>yv? of an approaching contest which is to INTRODUOTIOxf. XXUl shake the earth, and from which we can only escape scathless by a position and a force which will com- pel respect for our rights, and protect our neutrality, if it be possible to maintain this position in a con- test waged for the destruction of civil and religious liberty. The narrative of the American expedition cannot fail to enlist the sympathies of the country more earnestly in behalf of those , "Whose march is on the mountain wav«> Whose home is on the deep," i|p and kindle generous emotions in all hearts. We hope it may find a place in every habitation throughout the length and breadth of oor extended country. ^ I ■^ I u -#i ■%. --^^ MAP OF THS COl^TEJES HO VXD Ti iVepared by LWr/ Ji. S. MOLFSWff/ BUFFALO Derby and ( * 1 MAP XTBJES HOVXD THK JSVHTM I'OUH l^'epared hv 7?. .y. MOhKSwnin BUFFALO (feo.H. Derby niid Co .■•l>» V HjH In* 1 I- I THE PROGRESS OP ARCTIC DISCOVERY m THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. If we examine a map of Nortbern, or Arctic, Amer- ica, showinfij what was known of the countries around the North Pole in the commencement of the present century, we shall find that all within the Arctic circle was a complete blank. Mr. Hearne had, indeed, seen the Arctic Sea in the year 1771 ; and Mr. Mackenzie had traced the river which now bears his name to its juncf- tion with the sea ; but not a single line of the coast from ley Cape to Baffin's Bay was known. The east- ern and western shores of Greenland, to about 75° lat- itude, were tolerably well defined, fl-om the visits of whaling vessels ; Iludson's Bay and Strait were par- tially known ; but Baffin's Bay, according to the state- ment of Mr. Baffin, in 1616, was bounded by land on the west, running parallel with the 90th meridian of longitude, or across what is now known to us as Bar- row's Strait, and probably this relation led to the sub- sequently formed hasty opinion of Captain Sir John Ross, as to his visionary Croker Mountains, of which I shall have occasion to speak hereafter. As early as the year 1527, tlie idea of a passage to the East Indies by the North Pole was suggested by a PROORK89 OP ARCTIC DISCOVKRT. Bristol morchnnt to Henry VIII., but no voyaj:fe Reems to have been undertaken for the purpose of navijjfating the Polar seas, till the conimenccmentof the following century, when an expedition was fitted out at the ex- pense of certain mercnants of London. To this attempt several others succeeded at diil'eront periods, and all of them were projected and carried into execution by l)rivate indivicluals. The adventurers did not indeed accomplisli the object they exclusively sought, that of reaching India by a nearer route than doubling the Cape of Good Hope, but though they failed in that respect, the fortitude, perseverance, and skill which they manifested, exhibited the most irrefragable proofa of the early existence of that superiority in naval af- fairs, whicli has elevated this country to her present eminence among the nations of Europe. At length, after the lapse of above a century and a half, this interesting question became an object of Koyal patronage, and the expedition which was com- manded by Captain Phipps (afterward Lord Mulgrave,) in 1773, was fitted out at the charge of Government. The first proposer of this voyage was the Hon. Daines Barrington, F. R. S., who, with indefatigable assiduity, began to collect every fact tending to establish the practicability of circumnavigating the Pole, and as ho accumulated his materials, he read them to the Royal Society, who, in consequence of these representations, made that application to Lord Sandwich, then First Lord of the Admiralty, which led to the appointment of this first official voyage. Captain Phipps, however, found it impossible to penetrate the wall of ice which extended for many degrees between the latitude of 80° and 31°, to the north of Spitzbergen. His vessels were the Racehorse and Carcass ; Captain Lutwidge being his second in command, in the latter vessel, and hav- ing with him, then a mere boy, Nelson, the future hero of England. From the year 1648, when the famous Russian navi- gator, Senor Deshnew, penetrated from the river Kolyma through the Polar into the Pacific Ocean, the i INTKODUCTION. 27 # Hussians have boon as iirdnous in Um ir attompts to dis- cover a northeast passage to the north of Cape Shel- atskoi, as the English rave been to sail to the north- west of the American contiiiont, tlirough Baffin's Hay and Lancaster Sound. On the side of the racitic, many efforts, have, within the last century, been made to further this object. In 1741, the celebrated Captain Behring discovered the straits which bear his name, as we are informed by Muller, the chronicler of llussian discoveries, and several subsequent commanders of that nation seconded his endeavors to penetrate from the American continent to the northeast. From the period when Deshnew sailed on his expedition, to the year 1764:, when Admiral Tchitschagot, an indefatiga- ble and active officer, endeavored to force a passage round Spitzbergen, (which, although he attempted with a resolution and skill which would fall to the lot of few, he was unable to eflfect,) and thence to the present times, including the arduous efforts of Captain killings and Vancouver, and the more recent one of M. Von Wrangell, the Russians have been untiring in their at- tempts to discover a passage eastward, to the north of Cfape Taimur and Cape Shelatskoi. And certainly, if skill, perseverance, and courage, could have opened this passage, it would have been accomplished. Soon after the general peace of Europe, when war's alarms had given way to the high pursuits of science, the government recommenced the long-suspended work of prosecuting discoveries within the Arctic f^ircle. An expedition was dispatched under the ci amand of Sir John Ross, in order to explore the scene of the former labors of Frobisher and Baffin. Still haunted with the golden dreams of a northwest passage, which Barrington and Beaufoy had in the last age so enthu- siastically advocated, our nautical adventurers by no means relinquished the long-cherished chimera. It must be admitted, however, that the testimony of Parry and Franklin pass for much on the other side of the question. Both these officers, whose researches in the cause of scientific discovery entitle thenr f © very PE0GBBS8 OF ARCTIO DISCOVERT. high respect, have declared it as their opinion that such a passage does not exist to the north of the 76th degree of latitude. Captain Parry, in the concluding remarks of his first voyage, (vol. ii. p. 241,) says — *' Of the existence of a northwest passage to the Pacific, it is now scarcely possible to doubt, and from the success which attended our efforts in 1819, after passing through Sir James Lancaster's Sound, we were not unreasonable in anti- cipating its complete accomplishment," &c. And Franklin, in the eleventh chapter of his work, is of the same opinion, as to the practicability of such a passage But in no subsequent attempt, either by themselves or others, has this long sought desideratum been ac- complished ; impediments and barriers seem as thickly thrown in its way as ever.* An expedition was at length undertaken for the sol© purpose of reachmg the North Pole, with a view to the ascertainment of philosophical questions. It was planned and placed under the command of Sir Edward Parry, and here first the elucidation of phenomena connected with this imaginary axis of our planet formed the primary object of investigation. My space and purpose in this work will not permit me to go into detail by examining what Barrow justly terms " those brilliant periods of early English enter- prise, so conspicuously displayed in every quarter of the globe, but in none, probably, to greater advantage than in those bold and persevering efforts to pierce through frozen seas, in their little slender barks, of the most miserable description, ill provided with the means either of comfort or safety, without charts or instru- ments, or any previous knowledge of the cold and in- hospitable region through which they had to force and to feel their way ; their vessels oft beset amidst end- less fields of ice, and threatened to be overwhelmed with instant destruction from the rapid whirling and bursting of those huge floating masses, known by the Colonial Magazine, vol. xiii, p. 340 # mTEODUOTION. m name of icebergs. Yet so powerfully infused into the minds of Britons was the spirit of enterprise, that some of the able fc, the most learned, and most respect- able men of the times, not only lent their countenance and support to expeditions fitted out for the discovery of new lands, but strove eagerly, in their own persons, to share in the glory and the danger of every daring adventure." To the late Sir John Barrow, F. R. S., for so long a period secretary of the Admiralty, and who, in early life, himself visited the Spitzbergen seas, as high as the 80th parallel, we are mainly indebted for the ad- vocacy and promotion of the several expeditions, and the investigations and inquiries set on foot in the pres- ent century, and to the voyages which have been hith- erto so successfully carried out as regards the interests of science and our knowledge of the Polar regions. Although it is absurd to impute the direct responsi- bility for these expeditions to any other quarter than the several administrations during which they were undertaken, there can be no question but that these enterprises originated in Sir John Barrow's able and zealous exhibition, to our naval authorities, of the several facts and arguments upon which they might best be justified and prosecuted as national objects. The general anxiety now prevailing respecting the fate of Sir John Franklin and his gallant companions, throws at this moment somewhat of a gloom on the subject, but it ought to be remembered that, up to the present period, our successive Polar voyages have, without exception, given occupation to the energies and gallantry of British seamen, and have extended the realms of magnetic and general science, at an ex- pense of lives and money quite insignificant, compared with the ordinary dangers and casualties of such expe- ditions, and that it must be a very narrow spirit and view of the subject which can raise the cry of ^''Cui hono^^'' and counsel us to relinquish the honor and peril of such enterprises to Russia and the United States of America I \ 80 PROGKESS OF AEOTIO DISCOVERY. ,, / It can scarcely be deemed out of place to give here a short notice of the literary labors of this excellent and talented man, as I am not aware that such an out- line has appeared before. Sir John Barrow was one of the chief writers for the Quarterly Review, and his articles in that journal amount to nearly 200 in number, forming, v/hen bound up, twelve separate volumes. All those relating to the Arctic Expeditions, &c., which created the great- est interest at the period they were published, were from his pen, and consist chiefly of the following pa- pers, commencing from the 18th volume ; — On Polar ice ; On Behring's Straits and the Polar Basin ; On Ross's Voyage to Baffin's Bay ; On Parry's First Yoy- age ; Kotzebue's Yoyage ; Franklin's First Expedition ; Parry's Second and Third Voyages, and Attempt to Reach the Pole ; Franklin's Second Expedition ; Lyon's Voyage to Repulse Bay ; Back's Arctic Land Expe- dition, and his Yoyage of the Terror. Besides these he published " A Chronological History of Voyages to the Arctic Seas," and afterward a second volume, " On the Voyages of Discovery and Research within the Arctic Regions." He also wrote lives of Lord Macartney, 2 vols. 4to ; of Lord Anson and Howe, each 1 vol. 8vo ; of Peter the Great; and an Account of the Mutiny of the Bounty, (in the " Family Library ; ") " Travels in Southern Africa," 2 vols, 4to ; and " Travels in China aud Cochin China," each 1 vol. 4:to. In the "Encyclopedia Britannica" are ten or twelve of his articles, and he wrote one in the Edin- burgh Review by special request. In addition to the^e Sir John Barrow prepared for the press innumerable MSS. of travelers in all parts of the globe, the study of geography being his great delight, as is evidenced by his having founded the Royal Geographical Society of London, which now holds so high and influential a position in the learned and scientific world, and has advanced so materially the progress of discovery and research in all parts of INTRODUOTION. 91 the globe. Lastly, Sir John Barrow, not long before his death, published his own autobiography, in which he records the labors, the toil, and adventure, of a loi»g and honorable public life. Sir John Barrow has described, with voluminous caie and minute research, the arduous services of all the chief Arctic voyagers by sea and land, and to his vol ume I must refer those who wish to obtain more exten sive details and particulars of the voyages of preceding centuries. He has also graphically set forth, to use his own words, " their several characters and conduct, so uniformly displayed in their unflinching perseverance in difficulties of no ordinary description, their patient endurance of extreme suffering, borne without mur- muring, and with an equanimity and fortitude of mind under the most appalling distress, rarely, if ever, equaled, and such as could only be supported by a superior degree of moral courage and resignation to the Divine will — displaying virtues like those of no ordinary caste, and such as will not fail to excite the sympathy, and challenge the admiration of every right- feeling reader." Hakluyt, in his " Chronicle of Voyages," justly ob- serves, that we should use much care in preserving the memories of the worthy acts of our nation. The different sea voyages and land journeys of the present century toward the iNorth Pole have redounded to the honor of our country, as well as reflected credit on the characters and reputation of the officers engaged in them ; and it is to these I confine my observations. The progress of discovery in the Arctic regions has been slow but progressive, and much still within the limits of practical navigation remains yet unexplored. As Englishmen, we must naturally wish that discov- eries which were first attempted by the adventurous spirit and maritime skill of our countrymen, should be finally achieved by the same means. " Wil it not," says the worthy ' preacher,' Hakluyt, " in all posteritie be as great a renown vnto our En- glish natione, to have beene the first discouerers of a 82 raOGBESS OF ABOno DBOOVEET. sea bejond the Korth Por^^ r WoreO and of a conueS' ^''^"'' certainely knowen Pire o/ Russia by the K ^?f%^ ^°*<> t^^e hul em a sea beyond the Cape of ^^^^'^^^^^^s, to have found consequently a passag^e by seaTto .^^P^"^^' ^nd^so I cordially agree tif h fll J?*^ *^® ^as* Indies ? " "neither thJcolntry^t the n^avtf '^^ ?eyiew that belieye they have any caufl^^- '®'*'''''® will ever most adreree, will Ions rem Jf .""""S elements thi "Ho^''."^,??"'"' "n'eS..'"""''S *« worthies? mysts, tempestuous w Lds oiw^.:. ""^ *»»« %^ iayle in the arre • r,J^,u^' ^"'^ **'Mts. snowe f S Tritons and K eptune's SZnn^A ^^"J^^"' when the feare to behol/ such monstTo^i^-'l."^'?? ^"1" chilling themselves with terror ?fthe[roU"* ^^-d^, rentinf aaynmg otherwise both tVl T° ^assines, and dis eunne's\ottest violence mnst!^' ""r^igntie a°d ?ht ^atery plaices ^CrT &TZ^'^^'^"'^7<'' ^-^ tCt warre, and rushing one nnln . .^* continual civill and waves give bafte" „rf ° ^o*""*"-. make windes others, whilf they rent' ZT")^ *" ™°' ^e eaTes of sphttin^^ their co^d tr^ s^^?^ ^^«' crashing'and sphere cluste^reTJ^th l?„"dTSth' f""^ ''°''''«™ iemi- * ^erve to accumulate filed icfto a ' T ^'"'''' '""''^» ff to form an almost imvtLtAf,^'^'?''^ «^'ent, s» borean frost— "^penetrable barrier of hyper m INTKODUCTION. 88 " A ct^stal pavement by the breath of Heaven Ceniented firm." Although there are now no new continents left to discover, our intrepid British adventurers are but too eager to achieve the bubble reputation, to hand down their names to future ages for patient endurance, zeal, and enterprise, by explorations of the hidden mys- teries of — " the frigid zone, Where, for relentleas months, continual night Holds o'er the glittering waste her stai'iy light ; " by undergoing perils, and enduring privations and dangers which the mind, in its reiiective moments, shudders to contemplate. It is fair to conjecture that, so intense is the cold, and so limited the summer, and consequently so short the time allowed for a transit within the Arctic circle, from Baffin's Bay to Behring's Straits, that a passage, even if discovered, will never be of any use as a chan- nel. It is not likely that these expeditions would ever have been persevered in with so much obstinacy, had the prospects now opening on the world of more prac- ticable connections with the East been known forty years ago. Hereafter, when the sacred demands of humanity have been answered, very little more will be heard about the northwest passage to Asia ; which, if ever found, must be always hazardous and pro- tracted, when a short and quick one can be accom- plished by railroads through America, or canals across the Isthmus. A thorough knowledge of the relative boundaries of land and ocean on this our globe has, in all ages and by all countries, been considered one of the most im- portant desiderata, and one of the chief features of popular information. _ But to no country is this knowledge of such prac- tical utility and of such essential importance, as to a maritime nation like Great Britain, whose mercantile marine visits every port, whose insular position ren- ders her completely dependent upon distant quarters 2 84 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. J ' for half the necessary supplies, whether of food or lux- ury, which her native population consume, or which the arts and manufactures, of which she is the empo- rium, require. With a vast and yearly increasing dominion, cover- ing almost every region of the habitable globe, — the chart of our colonies being a chart of the world in out- line, for we sweep the globe and touch every shore, — it becomes necessary that we should keep pace with the progress of colonization, by enlarging, wherever possible, our maritime discoveries, completing and veri- fying our nautical surveys, improving our meteorologi- cal researches, opening up new and speedier perodical pathways over the oceans which were formerly trav- ersed with so much danger, doubt, and difficulty, and maintaining our superiority as the greatest of maritime nations, by sustaining that high and. distinguished rank for naval eminence which has ever attached to the British name. The arduous achievements, however, of our nautical discoverers have seldom been appreciated or rewarded as they deserved. "VVe load our naval and military heroes — the men who guard our wooden walls and successfully fight our battles — with titles and pen- sions ; we heap upon these, and deservedly so, princely remuneration and all manner of distinctions ; but for the heroes whose patient toil and protracted endurance far surpass the turmoil of war, who peril their lives in the cause of science, many of whom fall victims to pestilential climates, famine, and the host of dangers which environ the voyager and traveler in unexplored lands and ur'mown seas, we have only a place in the niche of fame. What honors did England, as a maritime nation, con- fer on Cook, the foremost of her naval heroes, — a man whose life was sacrificed for his country ? His wido'v had an annuity of 200^., and his surviving children 251. each per annum. And this is the reward paid to the most eminent of our naval discoverers, before whom Cabot, Drake, Frobisher, Magellan, Anson, and 1 INTHODUCTTON. ZB the arctic adventurers, Hudson and Baffin, — although all eminent for their discoveries and the important services they rendered to the cause of nautical sci- ence, — sink into insignificance ! If we glance at the results of Cook's voyages we find that to him we are indebted for the innumerable discoveries of islands and colonies planted in the Pacific ; that he determined the conformation, and surveyed the numerous bays and inlets, of New Holland ; established the geogra- phical position of the northwestern shores of America ; ascertained the trending of the ice and frozen shores to the north of Behring's Straits ; approached nearer the South Pole, and made more discoveries in the Austra- lian regions, than >ill the navigators who had preceded him. On the very shores of their vast empire, at the extremity of Kamtschatka, his active genius first taught the Russians to examine the devious trendings of the lands which border the Frozen Ocean, in the neighborhood of the Arctic circle. He explored both the eastern and western coasts above Behring's Straits to so high a latitude as to decide, beyond doubt, the question as to the existence of a passage round the two continents. He showed the Russians how to navigate the dangerous seas between the old and the new world ; for, as Coxe has remarked, " before his time, every thing was uncertain and confused, and though they had undoubtedly reached the continent of Amer- ica, yet they had not ascertain d the line of coast, nor the separation or vicinity of the two continents of Asia and America." Coxe, certainly, does no more than justice to his illustrious countryman when he adds, " the solution of this important problem was reserved for our great navigator, and every Englishman must exult that the discoveries of Cook were extended fur- ther in a single expedition, and at the distance of half the globe, than the Russians accomplished in a long series of years, and in a region contiguous to their own empire." Look at Weddell, again, a private trader in seal- skins, who, in a frail bark of 160 tons, made important 9 \ 8# PROOIIKSS OF ARCTIfl DISCOVERY. mm discoverica in tlio Antarctic circle, and a voyage of ii^reatei* length and ])ei'il, throngh a thousand miles of ICO, than had previourtly been performed by any navi- gator, paving the way for the more expensively litted expedition imder Sir James Ross. Was Woddell re- munerated on a scale commensurate with his important services ? Haifa century ago the celebrated Bruce of Kinnaird, by a aeries ot' soundings and observations taken in the lied Sea, now the great highway of overland eastern traffic, rendered its navigation more secure and punc- tual. How was he rewarded by the then existing min- istry ? Take a more recent instance in the indefatigable energy of Lieutenant Waghoi'n, R. N., the enterprising pioneer q^ the overland route to India. What does not the commerce, the character, the reputation, of this country owe to his indefatigable exertions, in bringing the metropolis into closer connection with our vast and important Indian empire ? And what was the reward he received for the sacrifices he made of time, money, health and life ? A ])altry annuity to himself of lOOlJ., and a pension to his widow of 25/. per annum I Is it creditable to us, as the first naval power of the w^ld, that we should thus dole out miserable pittances, or entirely overlook the successful patriotic exertions and scientific enterprises and discoveries of private adventurers, or public commanders? Tlie attractions of a summer voyage along the bays and seas where the sun shines for four months at a time, exploring the bare rocks and everlasting ice, with no companion but the white bear or the Arctic fox, m.ay be all very romantic at a distance ; but the mere thought of a winter residence there, frozen fiist in some solid ocean, with snow a dozen feet deep, the thermometer ranging from 40° to 50° below zero, and not a glimpse of the blessed sun from November to February, is enough to give a chill to all adventurous notions. But the officers and men engaged in the searching expedi- tions after Sir John Franklin have calmlv weighed all i IKST VOYAGE OP CAPTAIN KOSS. T^ 18 1 tliese difRculties, and boldly gone forth to enooimtor the perils and danjjjera of these icy seas for the sake of their noble fellow-sailor, whose fate has been so long a painful mystery to the world. It has been truly observed, that " this is a service for which all officers, however brave and intelligent they niay be, are not eqnally qualified ; it requires a peculiar tact, an inquisitive and persevering pursuit after details of fact, not always interesting, a C(|j|tempt of danger, and an enthusiasm not to be dampea by ordinary difficulties." The records which I shall have to give in these pages of voyages and travels, unparalleled in their perils, their duration, and the protracted suflxsrings which many of them entailed on the adventurers, will bring out in bold relief the prominent characters who have figured in Arctic Discovery, and whose names will descend to posterity, emblazoned on the scroll of fame, for their bravery, their patient endurance, their skill, and, above all, their firm trust and reliance on that Almighty Being who, although He may have tried them sorely, has never utterly forsaken them. Capt. John Koss's Voyage, 1818. f In 1818, His Eoyal Highness the Prince Regen'„ having signified his pleasure that an attempt should be made to find a passage by sea between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were pleased to fit out four vessels to pro- ceed toward the North Pole, under the command of Captain John Koss. No former expedition had been fitted out on so extensive a scale, or so completely equipped in every respect as this one. The circum- stance which mainly led to the sending out of these vessels, was the open character of the bays and seaa in those regions, it having been observed ifor the pre- vious three yeavs that very unusual quantities of the \^olar ice had fioated down into the Atlantic. In the 38 rUOORESS OF AlcOTIC DISCOVElH. year 1817, Sir John Barrow relates that the eastern coast of Greenland, which had been shut up with ice for four centuries, was found to be accessible from the 70th to the 80th degree of latitude, and the interme- diate sea between it and Spitzbergen was so entirely open in the latter parallel, tliat a Hamburgh ship had actually sailed along this track. On the 15th of January, 1818, the four ships were put i^^omraission — the Isabella, 385 tons, and the Alexll^er, 252 tons — under Captain Ross, to proceed up the middle of Davia'^festrait, to a high northern lati- tude, and then to stretch across to the westward, in the hope of being able to pass the northern extremity of America, and reach liehring's Strait by that rou'a . Those destined for the Polar sea were, the Dorothea, 382 tons, and the Trent, 249 tons, which were ordered to proceed between Greenland and Spitzbergen, and seek a passage through an open Polar sea, if such should be found in that direction. I shall take these voyages in the order of their pub- lication, Ross having given to the world the account of his voyage shortly after his return in lbl9 : while the narrative of the voyage of the Dorothea and Trent was only published in 1843, by Captain Beechey, who served as Lieutenant of the Trent, during the voyage. The following were the officers, &c., of the shipa Tinder Captain Ross : — Tsabella. Captain — John Ross. Lieutenant — W. Robertson. Purser — W. Thorn. Surgeon — John Edwards. Assistant Surgeon — C. J. Beverley. Admiralty Midshipmen — A. M. Skene and James Clark Ross. ■' Midshipman and Clerk — J. Bushnan. Greenland Pilots — B. Lewis, master; T. Wilcox, mate. Captain (now Colonel) Sabine, R. A. r ■ t ~iL ^•IRST VOYAGE OF CAPTAIN K08S; 89 and lames 'n mg 45 petty officers, seamen, and marines. Whole compleraeut, 67. - "^ Alexander. Lieutenant and Commander — William Edward Parry, (now Captain Sir Edward.)' Lieutenant — TI. 11. Iloopner, (a first rate artist.) Purser — W. IL Hooper. Greenland Pilots — J. Allison, master; J.^hilips, mate. ^ Admiralty Midshipmen — P. Bisson and J.Mus. Assistant Surgeon — A. Fisher. Clerk — J. liaise. 28 petty officers, seamen, &c. Whole complement, 37. On the 2d of May, the four vessels being reported fit for sea, rendezvoused in Brassa Sound, Shetland, and the two expeditions parted company on the foUow- day for their respective destinations. ^*'^ >-^ On the 26th, the Isabella fell in with the :^t ice^ berg, which appeared to be about forty feet high and a thousand feet long. It is hardly possible to imagine any thing more exquisite than the variety of tints which these icebergs display ; by night as well as by day they glitter with a vividness of color beyond the power of art to represent. While the white portions have the brilliancy of silver, their colors are as various and splendid as those of the rainbow; their ever-changing disposition producing effects as singular as they are new and interesting to those who have not seen them before. On the 17th of June, they reached Waygatt Sound, beyond Disco Island, where they found forty-five whalers detained by the ice. Waygatt Island, from observations taken on shore, was found to be 6° longi- tude an'd 30 miles of latitude from the situation as laid down in the Admiralty Charts. They were not able to get away from here till the 20th, when the ice began to bfeak. By cutting p: -^bages •i^^ P' i I ■ ! 10 I'UOdUliSS OF AUOTIO DISOOVKUl tlii'ougli the ice, and by dint of towing and warping, a blow ])rogi'es8 was niado with tiio Hliii)^ until tho ITtli of July, when two ico-lloos closing in upon them, threatened inevitable destruction, and it was only by the greatest exertions that they hove through into open water. The labors of warping, towing, and tracking were subseuuently very severe. This tracking, al- though hard work, atfurdcd groat amusement to tho men, giving frequent occasion for the exercise of their wit, 'ViHen some of the men occasionally fell in through holes covered with snow or weak i)art8 of the ice. Very high mountains of land and ice were seen to the north side of tho bay, which ho named Melville'a Bay, forming an impassable barrier, the precipices next the sea l)ein<' from 1000 to 2000 feet high. On the 20th of June, the Esquimaux, John ISacheuse, who had accompanied tho expedition from England as interpreter, was sent on shore to communicate with the natives. About a dozen came off to visit the ship, and, after being treated with coffee and biscuit in the cabin, and having their portraits taken, they set to dancing Scotch reels on the deck of tho Isabella with the sailors. Captain Koss gives a pleasant description of this scene — " Saclieuse's mirth and joy exceeded all bounds ; and with a good-humored officiousness, justi- fied by the important distinction which his superior knowledge now gave him, he performed tho office of master of the ceremonies. An Esquimaux M. C. to a ball on the deck of one of H. M. ships in the icy seas of Greenland, was an office somewhat new, but Nash himself could not have performed his functions in a manner more appropriate. It did not belong even to Nash to combine in his own person, like Jack, the dis- cordant qualifications of seaman, interpreter, draughts- man, and master of ceremonies to a ball, with those of an active fisher of seals and a hunter of white bears. A daughter of the Danish resident ( d, ii Esquimaux woman,) about eip:hteen yeais of au'e, ai <1 bv far the best looking of the half-caste gr<>up,-e. 30 petty officers and seamen. Total complement, 38. f VOYAGE OF BUCIIAN AND FKANKLIN. 47 Having been iDroperly fitted for the service, and ta- ken on board two years' provisions, the ships sailed on the 25th of April. The Trent had hardly got clear of the river before she sprang a leak, and was detained in the port of Lerwick nearly a fortnight undergoing repairs. On the 18th of May, the ships encountered a severe gale, and under even storm stay-sails were buried gun- wale deep in the waves. On the 24:th they sighted Cherie Island, situated in lat. 74° 33' N., and long. 17° 40' E., formerly so noted for its fishery, being much frequented by walrusses, and for many years the Mus- covy Company carried on a lucrative trade by sending ships to the island for oil, as many as a thousand ani- mals being often captured by the crew of a single ship in the course of six or seven hours. The progress of the discovery ships through the small floes and huge masses of ice which floated in succes- sion jjast, was slow, and these, from their novelty, were regarded with peculiar attention from tlie grotesque shapes they assumed The progress of a vessel through such a labyrinth of frozen masses is one of the most in- teresting sights that offer in the Arctic seas, and kept the oflicers and crew out of their beds till a late hour watching the scene. Capt. Beechey, the grajDhic nar- rator of the voyage, thus describes the general impres- sion created : — " There was besides, on this occasion, an additional motive for remaining up; very few of us had ever seen the sun at midnight, and this night happening to be pat*ticularly clear, his broad red disc, curiously distorted by refraction, and sweeping majes- tically along the northern hoi'izon, was an object of im- posing grandeur, which riveted to the deck some of our crew, who would perhaps have beheld with indifl:crence the less imposing effljct of the icebergs; or it miglit have been a combination of both these phenomena ; for it cannot be denied that the novelty, occasioned by the floating masses, was materially heightened by the sin- gular effect produced by the very low altitude at which the sun cast his fiery beams over the icy surface of the 48 PKOGKESS OF ARCTKJ DI8C0VEEY. t1 l! J lying to windward on the western side, were overtaken by a violent gale at southwest, in wln'ch they ])arted com- pany. The weather was very severe. ''The snow fell in heavy showers, and several tons M'^eight of ice accu- mulated abouttlie sides of the brig, (the Trent,) and form ed a com])lete casing to the planks, which received an additional layer at each plunge of the vessel. So great M ^T VOYAQS OF BCCIIAN AND FKAXKLIN. 40 lore than pai'tiiilly d by tlie le atiiios- uired no ^tions ar- nd there 'rally, in- lirectin^ deviated Lir course trueture, ly desi rr- ion soon, ce to the soon 1)6- irst pur- .se, grad- impeded the ships !r to turn as some vessels iiel, and 'hns cir- that uf ice, of 1 settle ingled." )ron ion- vino- to 1 by a coni- low fell e accu- d form ved ac great d indeed, was the accnmnlation about the bows, that we were (obliged to cut it away repeatedly with axes to re- lievo the bow-sprit from the enormous weight that was attaclied to it ; and the ropes were so thickly covered witli ice, that it was necessary to beat them with largo sticks to keep them in a state of readiness for any evo- lution that might be rendered necessary, either by the appearance of ice to leeward, or by a change of wind." On the gale abating, Lieutenant Franklin found him- self surrounded by the main body of ice in lat. 80° !N., and had much difficulty in extricating the vessel. — • Had this formidable body been encountered in thick weather, while scudding before a gale of wind, there would have been very little chance of saving either the vessels or the crews. The Trent fortunately fell in with her consort, the Dorothea, previous to entering the ap- pointed rendezvous at Magdalena Bay, on the 3d of June. This commodious inlet being the first port they had anchored at in the polar regions, possessed many objects to engage attention. "What particularly struck them was the brilliancy of the atmosphere, the peace- ful novelty of the scene, and the grandeur of the vari- ous objects with which nature has stored these unfre- quented regions. The anchorage is formed by rugged mountains, which rise precipitously '•o the heiglit of about 3000 feet. Deep valleys and glens occur between the ranges, the greater part of which are either filled with immense beds of snow, or with glaciers, sloping from the summits of the mountainous margin to the very edge of the sea. ^ The bay is rendered conspicuous by four huge gla- ciers, of which the most remarkable, though the small- est in size, is situated 200 feet above the sea, on the slope of a mountain. From its peculiar appearance this glacier has been termed the Hanging Iceberg. Its position is such that it seems as if a very small matter would detach it from the mountain, and precip- itate it into the sea. And, indeed, large portions of its front do occasionally break away and fall with head- h>ng impetuosity upon the beach, to tlie great hazard 60 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. 1 i\ of any boat that may chance to be near. The* largest of these glaciers occupies the head of the bay, and, according to Captain Beechey's account, extends from two to three miles inland. iS'umerous large rents in its upper surface have caused it to bear a resemblance to the ruts left by a wagon ; hence it was named by tlie voyagers tlie " Wagon Way." The frontage of this gla- cier presents a jierpendicular surface of 300 feet in height, by 7000 feet in length. Mountain masses — " Wlinsc blocks of sappliire seem to morUil eye Hewn from cerulean quarries in the sky, AVith jLjlacier battlements that crowd the spheres. The slow creation of six thousand years, Amidst immensity they tower sublime. Winter's eternal palace, built by Time." At the head of the bay there is a high pyramidal mountain of granite, termed liotge Hill, from the myr- iads of small Ijirds of that name which frequent its base, and appear to prefer its environs to every other {)art of the harbor. " They are so numerous that we lave freq uently seen an uninterrupted line of them ex- tending fidl half way over the bay, or to a distance of more than three miles, and so close together tliat thirty have fallen at one sliot. This living column, on an aver- age, might have been about six yards broad, and as many deep ; so that, allowing sixteen birds to a cubic yard, there must have been nearly four millions of birds on the wing at one time. The number I have given cer- tainly seems large ; yet when it is told that the little rotges rise in such numbers as completely to darken the air, and that their chorus is distinctly audible at a distance of four miles, the estimate will not be thought to bear any reduction." One of their eai-liost excursions in this bay w^as an attempt to ascend the peak of Rotge Hill, "upon which," says Captain Beechey, " may now, perhaps, be seen at the height of about 2000 feet, a staff that once carried a red flag, which was planted there to mark the gi-eat- est height we were able to attain, partly in consequence of the steepness of the ascent, but mainly on account of the detached masses of rock which a very slight cSfe VOYAGE OF BUCIIAN AND FKANKLIN. 61 je" largest Lay, aud, ends from •eiits in its djlanco to ed b}^ tlie )t' tliis gla- »0 feet in asses — s, pyramidal 1 the myr- :.'quent its vevy other s that we :' them ex- istance of liat thirty [1 an aver- d, and as to a cu])ic IS of birds given cer- the little ;o darken dible at a e thought ly was an n which," )e seen at '0 carried he great- sequence account ry slight matter would displace and ' A down the precipitous declivity, to the utter destruction of him who depended upon their support, or who might happen to be in their path below. Tiie latter part of our ascent was, indeed, much against our inclination ; but we found it impossible to descend ])y the way we had come up, and were compelled to gain a ledge, which promised the only secure resting-place we could iind at that height. Tliis we were al)le to effect by sticking the tomahawdcs with which we were provided, into crevices in the rock, as a support for our feet ; and some of these instru- ments we were obliged to leave where they were driven, in consequence of the danger that attended their recovery." During the vessel's detention in this har- bor, the l)ay and anchorage were completely surveyed. When the first party rowed into this bay, it was in quiet possession of herds of walruses, who were so un- accustomed to the sight of a boat that they assembled about her, apparently higlily incensed at the intrusion, and swam toward her as though they would have torn the planks asunder with their tusks. Their hides were 80 tough that nothing but a bayonet would pierce them. The wounds that were inflicted only served to increase their rage, and it was witli much difficiilty they were kept off with fire-arms. Subsequently the boats went better prepared and more strongly supported, and many of these monsters were killed ; some were four- teen feet in length, and nine feet girth, and of such prodigious weight, that the boat's crew could scarcely turn them. The ships had not been many days at their anchor- age when they were truly astonished at tlie sight of a strange boat pulling toward the ships, which was found to belong to some Eussian adventurers, who were en- gaged in the collection of peltry and morse' teeth. This is the last remaining establishment at Spitzbergen still upheld by the merchants of Archangel. Although equally surprised at the sight of the ves- sels, the boat's crew took courage, and after a careful Bcrutiny, went on board the Dorothea; Captain Buchan 53 rK0ORi:fi3 OF AUCTIO DISCOVERY. ,■ : I ; * I 1! gave tliein a kind reception, and siippllotl tliem wit]\ whatever tliey wanted ; in return for wlilcli tliej sent on board, the followint^ day, a side of venison in excel- lent condition. Wishing to gain some furtlier informa- tion of these people, an olHcer accompanied them to their dwelling at the head of a small cove, aljout four miles distant from the bay, where he found a comfort- able wooden hut, well lined with moss, and stored with venison, wild ducks, etc. It is related by Captain Beechey that it was with ex- treme pleasure they noticed in this retired spot, proba- bly the most noi*thern and most desolate habitation of our globe, a spirit of gratitude and devotion to the Al- migiity rarely exercised in civilized countries. " On landing from the boat and approaching their residence, these people knelt upon its threshold, and olfered up a prayer with fervor and evident sincerity. The exatu nature of the prayer we did not learn, but it was no doubt one of thanksgiving, and we concluded it was a custom which these recluses were in the habit of observ- ing on their safe return to their habitation. It mav, at alfevents, be regarded as an instance of the beneficial effects which seclusion from the busy world, and a con- tem]ilation of the works of nature, almost invariably produce upon the hearts of even the most uneducated part of mankind." On the 7th of June the expedition left the anchorage to renew the examination of the ice, and after steering a few leagues to the northward, found it precisely in the same state as it had been left on the 2d. In sj^ite of all their endeavors, by towing and otherwise, the vessels were driven in a calm by the lieavy swell into the packed ice, and the increasing peril of their situa- tion may be imagined from the following graphic de- scription : — " The pieces at the edge of the pack were at one time whollv immersed in the sea, and at the next raised far above their natural line of tlotation, while those further in, being more extensive, were alternately depressed or ■:%i. VOYAOli OF JIUCHAN AN]) FRANKLIN. 08 liom with tliej sent [ ill exfei- • iiitbrma- tliom to iljout four I eointbi*t- ored with s with cx- lot, proT)a- itation of to tlie Al- es. " On residence, ered up a Ihe exacu it was no I it was a of observ- [t may, at beneficial lid a con- iiivariabiy lieducated mchorage steering jcisely in In sj^ito J-wise, the Iwell into leir situa- Lphic de- onotime pised far |c further [•essed or elevated at oitlier extremity as the advancing wave forced its way along. "The see-saw niutiun wliich was thus produced was alarniing, not merely in appearance, but in fact, and must have proved fatal to any vessel that liad encoun- tered it ; as Hoes of ice, several yards in thickness, were continually crashing and breaking in pieces, and the sea for miles was covered with fragments ground so small that they actually tbrmed a thick, pasty sub- stance — in nautical language termed, ''hrauli ice' — which extended to the depth of live feet. Amidst this giddy element, our whole attention was occu^ned in en- deavoring to place the bow of the vessel, the strongest part of her frame, in the direction of the most formida- ble pieces of ice — a maneuver which, though likely to be attended with the loss of the bowsprit, was yet prefer- able to encountering the still greater risk of having the broadside of the vessel in contact with it ; for this woidd have subjected her to the chance of dipping her gun- wale under the lioes as she rolled, an accident which, had it occurred, would either have laid open her side, or hjive overset the vessel at once. In either case, the event woidd probably have proved fatal to all on board, as it would liave been next to impossible to rescue any person from the confused moving mass of brash ice which covered the sea in every direction." Tiie attention of the seamen was in some degree di- verted from the contemplation of this scene of diffi- culty by the necessity of employing all hands at the pump, the leak having gained upon them. But, for- tunately, toward morning, they got quite clear of the ice. Steering to the westward to reconnoiter, tliey fell in, hi longitude 4° 30' E., with several whale ships, and were informed by tlieni that the ice was quite compact to the westward, and that fifteen vessels were beset in it. Proceeding to the northward, the ships passed, on the 11th of June, Cloven Cliff, a remarkal)le isolated rock, which marks the northwestern boniubirv of Spitz- bergen, and steered along an intricate channel bet\veen 54 PltOORKRS OF ABCTTO T>[SCn\Ti;RT. the land and ice ; hut, next in<^rnin^, their further ad- vance w?i8 stopped, and tiie channel \>y whidi the ves- sels iiad entered became ho conipU'tcly cU)sed up as to preclude the possihil'ty also of retreating. Lieutenant lieechey proceed« to state — " The ice soon he^jjan to press heavily upon us, and, to add to our dilHculties, we found tlie water sosiudlow that the rocks were plainly discovered under tlie bot- toms of tlie ships. It was impossible, hoM'ever, by any exertion on our part, to improve tlie situations of the vessels. They were as lirmly fixed in the ice as if they had formed pail; of tlie ])acK, and we could oidy liope that the current would not drift them into still shallower water, and damage them against the ground." The siiips were here heimned in in almost tiie same position where Batiin, Hudson, Poole, Captain Phipps, and all *':o early voyagers to this quarter had been stopped. As the tide turned, the pieces of ice immediately around the ships began to separate, and some of tliein to twist round with a loud grinding noise, urgin^; the vessels, which were less than a mile from the land, still nearer and nearer to the beach. By great exertions the ships were hauled into small bays in the floe, and secured there by ropes fixed to the ice by means of large iron hooks, called ice anchors. Shifting the ships from one part t>f this floe to the other, they remained attached to tlie ice thirteen days. As this change of position could only be efl"ected by main force, the crew were so constantlv enojajjed in this bar- assing duty, that their time was divided almost entirely between the windlass and the pump, until the men at length became so fatigued that the sick-list was seriously augmented. During this period, however, the situation of tlie leak was fortunately discovered, and the damage repaired. An ofiicer and a party of men who left the Dorothea to pay a visit to the shore, about three or four miles distant, lost tliemselves in the fog and snow, and wan- dered about for sixteen hours, until, quite overcome t VOYAOK OF niKUIAN ANT) FRANKLIN. 55 fiirtlier ad- s ['h the vcH- ij^B (1 u[) as to ' jH Liuuteimnt 9 m lis, and, m 80 shallow *^m er tho bot- S her, by any S (Hirt of tho ^s ^ as it' thoy sH only hope 9H 1 shallower '1| • t tiio same 1 lin Phip2)9, mk had been ^? 'M miediately ■V? lie of tliem ^it^' iirginfij tho ) lan( , still ■'^ into small '.^ ixed to the e anchors. ■^ 1 the other, M days. As '^'« I by main 1 this har- st entirely t;^ le men at ^ seriously 3 situation [C damage *'^&. Dorothea bur miles ^M and wan- o\'ercome with wot, coM and fatigue, they sat down in a state of desj)onr food. FRANKLIN 8 FIRST LAND EXPEDITION. 65 iiiiuiiKhe, lilt, Y ail- Augustus id provis- cliocolate reindeer up, and a (vided for ine Kiver )arty met liet — and rebellion, ire at last Fort En- e of their iir winter m Chipe- ovidence, 8 the men i 180 lbs., le whole, I and his m to the of win- kliii was own the , on the oe, with land one all that ter li av- ian time, lepburn lion tow- [tember, party [orprise, the sue- On the 6th of October, the officers quitted their tents for a good log house which had been built. The clay with which the walls and roof were plastered, had to be tempered before the fire with water, and froze as it was daubed on ; but afterward cracked in such a man- ner, as to admit the wind from every quarter. Still the new abode, with a good fire of fagots in the capa- cious clay-built chimney, was considered quite comfort- able when compared with the chilly tents. The reindeer are found on the banks of the Copper- mine Kiver early in May, as they then go to the sea- coast to bring forth their young. They usually retire from the coast in July and August, rut in October, and slielter themselves in the woods during winter. Before the middle of October, the carcasses of one hundred deer had been secured in their store-house, together with one thousand j)ounds of suet, and some dried meat ; and eighty deer were stowed away at various distances from their house, en Gaohe. This placing provisions " en cache," is merely burying and protecting it from wolves and other depredators, by heavy loads of wood or stone. On the 18th of October, Mr. Back and Mr.Wentzel, accompanied by two Canadian voyageurs, two Indians and their wives, set out for Fort Frovidence to make the necessary arrangements for transporting the stores they expected from Cumberland House, and to see if some further supplies might not be obtained from the establishments on Slave Lake. Dispatches for Eng- land were also forwarded by them, detailing the pro- gress of the expedition up to this date. By the end of the month the men had also completed a house for themselves, 34 feet by 18. On the 26th of October, Akaitcho, and his Indian party of hunters, amounting with women and children to forty souls, came in, owinw to the deer having migrated southward. This added to the daily number to be provided for, and by this time their ammunition was nearly expended. The fishing failed as the weather became more severe, and was given up on the 5th of Kovember. About 8* 06 PKOGKK88 OF ARCTIC DISCOVKKY. ' .. -i i ;! i M' V 1200 white fisli, of from two to three pounds, hud been procured during the season. The fish froze as they were taken from the nets, becoming in a short time a solid mass of ice, so tliat a blow or two of the hatchet would easily split them open, when the intestines might be removed in one lump. If thawed before the fare, even after being frozen for nearly two days, the fish would recover their animation. On the 23d of November, they were gratified by the appearance of one of- the Canadian voyageurs who had set out with Mr. Back. Tlis locks were nuitted with snow, and he was so encrusted with ice from head to foot, that they could scarcely recognize him. lie re- ported that they had had a tedious and fatiguing jour- ney to Fort Providence, and for some days were desti- tute of provisions. Letters were brought from England to the preceding April, and quickly was the packet thawed to get at the contents. The newspapers con- veyed the intelligence of the death of George III. The advices as to the expected stores were disheartening ; of ten bales of ninety pounds each, five had been l^iX by some mismanagement at the Grand Rapid on tlw Sattkatchawan. On the 28th of November, St. Ger- main the interpreter, with eight Canadian voyageurs, and four Indian hunters, were sent ofl:' to bring up the stores from Fort Pi'ovidence. On the 10th of December, Franklin managed to get rid of Akaitcho and his Indian party, by representing to them the impossibility of maintaining them. The leader, however, left them his mother and two female attendants; and old Kaskarrah, the guide, with his wife and daughter, remained behind. This daughter, who was designated " Green Stockings," from her dress, was considered a great beauty by her tribe, and although but sixteen, had belonged successively to two husbands, and would probably have been the wife of many more, if her mother had not required her services as a nurse. Mr. Hood took a good likeness of the young lady, but her mother was somewhat averse to her sitting for it, fearing that " her daughter's likeness would induce franklin's first land exprdition. 07 hud been as they I't time a 3 hatchet 188 might the fare, , the fish id by the who had :ted with head to lie re- ling jour- ere desti- England e packet pers con- [II. The rtening ; been l^i\ i on tht;iLw principally of sick and infirm women and children, sui- fered even more privation. They cleared away the snow on the site of the Autumn encampment to look for bones, deer's feet, bits of hide, and other offal. " When (says Franklin) we beheld them gnawing the pieces of hide, and pounding the bones for the purpose of extract- ing some nourishment from them by boiling, we regret- ted our inability to relieve them, but little thought that we should ourselves be afterward driven to the neces- sity of eagerly collecting these same bones, a second time from the dung-hill." On the 4th of June, 1821, a first 'p&.i'f set off* from the winter quarters for Point Lake, and tlie Coppermine River, under the charge of Dr. Richardson, consisting, in all, voyageurs and Indians, of tweiuy-three, exclusive of children. Each of the men carried about 80 lbs., be- sides his own personal baggage, weighing nearly as much more. Some of the party dragged their loads on sledges, others preferred carrying their burden on their backs. On the 13th, Dr. Richardson sent back most of the men ; and on the 14th Franklin dispatched Mr. Wentzel and a party with the canoes, which had been repaired. Following the water-course as far as practi- 70 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. ^ .V •r-:^ i;, ; cable to Winter Lake, Franklin followed himself with Hepburn, three Canadians, two Indian hunters, and tlie two Esquimaux, and joined Dr. liichardson on the 22d. On the 25tli they all resumed tlieir journey, and, as they proceeded down the river, were fortunate in killing, occasionally, several musk oxen. On the 15th they got a distinct view of the sea from the summit of a hill ; it appeared choked with ice and full of islands. About this time they fell in with small parties of Esquimaux. On the 19th Mr. Wentzel departed on his return for Slave Lake, taking with him four Canadians, who had been discharged for the purpose of reducintj the expen- diture of provisions as much as possible, and. dispatches to be forwarded to England. He was also instructed to cause the Indians to deposit a relay of provisions at Fort Enterprise, ready for the party should they return that way. The remainder of the party, including otti- cers, amounted to twenty persons. The distance tliat had been traversed from I ort Enterprise to the mouth of the river was about 334 miles, and the canoes had to be dragged 120 miles of this. Two conspicuous capes were named by Franklin after Hearne and Mackenzie ; and a river which falls into the sea, to the westward of the Copj)erminc, he called after his companion, Richardson. On the 21st of July, Franklin and his party embarked in their two canoes to navigate the Polar Sea, to the eastward, having with them provisions for fifteen days. On the 25th they doubled a blutf cape, which was named after Mr. Barrow, of the Admiralty. An open- ing on its eastern side received the appellation of Inman Harbor, and a group of islands were called after Pro- fessor Jameson. "Within the next fortniglit, additions were made to their stock of food by a few deer and one or two bears, whicli were shot. Peing less fortunate afterward, and with no prospect of increasing their sup- ply of provision, the daily allowance to each man Mas limited to a handful of peijimican and a small portion of portable soup. franklin's Fir.ST LAND EXPEDITION. n elf with ^rs, and 11 on the ey, and, mate in sea from ice and th small turn for vho had 3 expen- spatches structed ibions at y return ing otti- ice that 3 mouth had to in after linto the d after Ibarked to tlie [i days. ;h was open- llnnuin r I'ro- [litions id one unate ir sup- jn was lortion On the morning of the 5th of August they came to tlie mouth of a river blocked up with shoals, which Franklin named after his friend and companion Back. The time spent in exploring Arctic and Melville Pounds and Bathurst Inlet, and the failure of meeting \. ith Esquimaux from whom provisions could be ol> tained, precluded any possibility of reaching Repulse Bay, and tlierefore having but a day or two's provisions lef, Franklin considered it prudent to turn back after reaching Point Turnagain, having sailed nearly 600 geograplncal miles in tracing the deeply indented coast of Coronation Gulf from the Coppermine River. On the 22d August, the return voyage was commenced, tlie boats making for Hood's River by the way of the . Arctic Sound, and being taken as far up the stream as possible. On the 31st it was found impossible to pro- ceed with them farther, and smaller canoes were made, suitable for crossing any of the rivers that might ob- struct tlieir progress. The weight carried by each man was about 90 lbs., and with this they progressed at the rate of a mile an hour, including rests. On the 5th of September, having nothing to eat, the last piece of pemmican and a little arrow-root having formed a scanty supper, and being without the means of making a fire, they remained in bed all day. A se- vere snow-storm lasted two days, and the snow even drifted into their tents, covering their blankets several inches. " Our suffering (says Franklin) from cold, in a comfortless canvass tent in such weather, with the tem- perature at 20°, and without fire, will easily be im- agined ; it was, however, less than that whicn we felt from hunger." Weak from fasting, and their garme^^ts stiffened with the frost, after packing their frozen tents and bedclothes the poor travelers again set out on the 7th. After feeding almost exclusively on several species of Gyrophora, a lichen known as tripe de roc/te, which scarcely allayed the pangs of hunger, on the 10th " they got a good meal by killing a musk ox. To skin and cut up the animal was the work of a few minutes. The 73 PEOGKESS OF AKCTIC DISCOVERY. \fl lll'r contents of its stomach were devoured upon the spot, and the raw intestines, which were next attacked, were pronounced by the most delicate amongst us to be ex- cellent." Wearied and worn out with toil and suftering, many of the paity got careless and indifferent. One of the canoes was broken and abandoned. With an improvi- dence scarcely to be credited, three of the fishiug-n^ts were also thrown away, and the floats burnt. On the 17th they managed to allay tlie pangs of hun- ger by eating pieces of singed hide, and a little tn'pe de roche. This and some mosses, with an occasional sol- itary partridge, formed their invariable food ; on very many days even this scanty suj)ply could not be obtained, and their appetites became ravenous. Occasionally tliey picked up pieces of skin, and a few bones of deer which had been devoured by the wolves in the previous spring. The bones were ren- dered friable by burning, and now and then their old shoes were added to the repast. On the 26th they reached a bend of the Coppermine, which terminated in Point Lake. The second canoe had been demolished and abandoned by the bearers on tlie 23d, and they were thus left without any means of water transport across the lakes and river. On this day the carcass of a deer was discovered in the cleft of a rock, into which it had fallen in the spring. It was putrid, but little less acceptable to the poor starv- ing travelers on that account; and a fire being kin- dled a large portion was devoured on the spot, afford- ing an unexpected breakfast. On tlie first of October one of the party, who had been out hunt' ig, bronght in the antlers and backbone of another deer, which had been killed in the summer. The wolves and birds of prey had picked them clean, but there still remained a quantity of the spinal mar- row, which they had not been able to extract. This, although putrid, was esteemed a valuable prize, and the spine being divided into portions was distributed equally. " After eating the marrow, (says Franklin,) franklin's first land KXrEDITION. 73 the spot, ked, were to be ex- ng, many tie of the *'^^m iniprovi- hing-n^ts '^^^H ^s of hun- wSk B tnpe de ional sol- ^^1 ; on very obtained, in, and a* d by the ■'('^^^^l were ren- '^^5? their old d," observes Dr. Kiclinrdson, "we avoided, as niueh as ])()8Hible, conversing upon the liopelessness of our situation, and generally endeav- ored to lead the conversation toward our future })ros- ])ect8 in life. The fact is, that with the decay of r)ur Btrenji;th, our minds decayed, and we were no loii«^er able to bear the conteni])lation of the horrors that sur- rounded us. Yet we were calm and resijjjned to our fate ; not a murmur escaped us, and we were ]>unctual and fervent in our addresses to the Supreme lleini;." On the morning of the 20th, they ugain urged Michel to go a-hunting, that he might, if jnissible, leave them some provision, as he intended quitting them next day, but he showed great unwillingness to go out, and lingered about the tire under the ]»retense of cleaning his gun. After the morning service had been read, Dr. llicliardson went out to gather some trtpc de roche^ leaving Mr. Hood sitting before the tent at the lire* Bide, arguing with Michel; Hepburn was employed cutting tire-wood. AVMiile thev were thus engaijed, the treacherous Iroquois took the opportunity to place his gun close to Mr. Hood, and shoot him through the head. He reju'esented to his companions tiuit the de- ceased had killed himself On exanjination of the bodv, it was found tluit the shot had entered the back part of the head and passed out at the forehead, and that the muzzle of the gun had been applied so close as to set tire to the nightcap behind. !M.ichel pro- tested his innocence of the crime, and Hepburn and Dr. Richardson dared not openly evince their 8us}>i cion of his guilt. Next day, Dr. Richardson determined on goin*aid he could maintain hiniselt' all the winter by killiiij^f deer. *' In eonsefpienco of tlii?^ behavior, and the expression of liis countenance, [ refjuested iuin (says Kiciiardson) to leave us, and to ^o to the south- ward by himself. This ])roj)osal increased his ill-na- ture ; lio threw out some obscure hints of freeinj^ himself from all restraint on the morrow; and I over- heard him mutterintr tiireats against Hepburn, whom he ojHMily accused of having told stories against him. He also, for the first time, assumed such a tone of 6uj)eriority in addressing me, as evinced that he con- sidered us to be completely in his ]>ower ; andlie gave vent to several ex})ressi()n8 of hatred toward the white i)eople, some of whom, ho said, had killed and eaten ins uncle and two of his relaticms. In short, taking every circumstance of his conduct into consideration, I came to the conclusion that lie would uttem})t to destroy us on the first o])poi'tunity that otl'ered, and that lie had hitherto abstained from doing so from his ignorance of his way to the Fort, but that he would never suffer us to go thither in company with him. Hepburn and I were not in a condition to resist even an open attack, nor could we by any device esca])e from him — our united strength was far inferior to his; and, beside his gun, he w^as armed with two pistols, an Indian bayonet, and a knife. "In the afternoon, coming to a rock on which there was some trrpe dc roche, he halted, and said he would gather it wdiilo we "went on, and that he M'ould soon overtake us. " Hepburn and I were now left together for the first time since Mr. Hood's death, and ho acquainted me with several material circumstances, which he had observed of Michel's behavior, and which coniirnied me in the opinion that there was no safety for us except in his death, and ho offered to be the instrument of it. I de- termined, however, as I was thoroughly convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to take the wholo responsibility upon myself; and immediately upon Mi- !'; it ■ PEOGEESS OF AEOTIC DISCOVEET. cbel's coming up, I put an end to his life by shooting him through the head with a pistol. Had my own life alone been threatened," observes Ilichardson, in conclu- sion, " 1 would not have purchased it by such a measure, but I considered myself as intrusted also with the pro- tection of Hepburn's, a man who, by his humane atten- tions and devotedness, had so endeared himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for his safety than for my own. " Michel had gathered no tripe dc roche^ and it was evi- dent to us that he had halted for the purjDose of putting his gun in order with the intention of attacking us — perhaps while we were in the act of encamping." Persevering onward in their journey as well as the snow storms and their feeble limbs would permit, they saw se\ eral herds of deer ; but Hepburn, who used to be a good marksman, was now unable to hold the gun straight. Following the track of a wolverine which had been dragging something, he however found the spine of a deer which it had dropped. It was clean picked, and at least one season old, but they extracted the spinal marrow from it. A species of cornicularia^ a kind of lichen, was also met with, that was found good to eat when moistened and toasted over tlie fire. They had still some pieces of siuf^ed buffalo hide remaining, and Hepburn, on one occasion, killed a partridge, after firing several times at a flock. About dusk of the 29th they reached the Fort. " Ul^on entering the desolate dwelling, we had the satisfaction of embracing Ca])t. Franklin, but no words can convey an idea of the filth and wretchedness that met our eyes on looking around. Our own misery had stolen upon us by degrees, and we were accustomed to the contem])lation of each other's emaciated figures ; but the ghastly countenances, dilated eye-balls, and sepulchral voices of Captain Franklin and those with him were more than we could at first bear." Thus ends tlie narrative of Richardson's journey. To resume the detail of proceedings at the Fort. On the 1st of November two of the Canadians, Peltier and Samandre, died from sheer exhaustion. franklin's first land expedition. 83 ibooting own life L coiiclu- neasure, the pro- lie atten- [f to me, my own. ; was evi- [' putting ing us — cr." ill as the mit, they 3 used to [ the gun diich had the spine in picked, bhe spinal was also noistened tne pieces ►burn, on several reached had the no words Iness that [isery had itemed to figures ; ^alls, and hose with lirney. fort. On iltier and On the 7th of November they w^ere relieved from their privations and sufferings by the arrival of three Indians, bringing a supply of dried meat, some fat, and a few tongues, which had been sent off by Back with all haste from Akaitcho's encampment on the 5th. These Indians nursed and attended them witli the greatest care, cleansed the house, collected fire-wood, and studied every means for their general comfort. Their sufferings were now at an end. On the 20th of Novem- ber they arrived at the encampment of the Indian chief, Akaitcho. On the 6th of December Belanger and an- other Canadian arrived, bringing further supplies, and letters from England, from Mr. Back, and their former companion, Mr. Wentzel. The dispatches from England announced the success- ful termination of Captain Parry's voyage, and the pro- motion of Captain Franklin, Mr. Back, and of poor Mr. Hood. On the 18th they reached tlie Hudson's Bay Compa- ny's establishment at Moose Deer Island, where they joined their friend Mr. Back. They remained at Fort Chipewyan until June of the following year. It is now necessary to relate the story of Mr, Back's journey, wliich, like the rest, is a sad tale of suffering and privation. Having been directed, on the 4th of October, 1821, to proceed with St. Germain, Belanger, and Beaupar- lant to Fort Enterprise, in the hopes of obtaining relief for the party,, he set out. Up to the 7th they met with a little t/'ipe de roclie^ but this failing them they were compelled to satisfy, or rather allay, the cravings of hunger, by eating a gun-cover and a pair of old shoes. The grievous disappointment experienced on arriving at the house, and finding it a deserted ruin, cannot be told. "Without the assistance of the Indians, bereft of %yQ^'^J resource, we felt ourselves," says Mr. Back, " re- duced to the most miserable state, which was rendered stil' worse from tlie recollection that our friends in tho rear were as. miserable as ourselves. For the moment, # .. iil .' 84 PKOGRKSS OF ARCTIC DISCOVKRT. however, Ininger prevailed, and each be^an to gnaw the scraps of putrid and frozen meat and skin that were lying al)out, without waiting to prepare them." A fire was, however, aftei'ward made, and the neck and bones of a deer found in the house were boiled and devoured. After resting a day at tlie house, Mr. Back pushed on with his companions in search of the Indians, leaving a note for Captain Franklin, informing him if he failed in meeting with the Indians, he intended to push on for the lirst trading establishment — distant about 130 miles — and send ns succor from thence. On the 11th he set out on the journey, a few old skins having been first collected to serve as food. On the 13tli and 14th of October they had nothing whatever to eat. Belanger was sent off with a note to Franklin. On the 15th they were fortunate enough to fall in with a partridge, the bones of M'hich were eaten, and the remainder reserved for bait to fish with. Enough tripe de roche was, however, gathered to make a meal. Beauparlant now lingered behind, worn out by extreme weakness. On the 17th a number of crows, perched on some high pines, led them to believe that some carrion was near; and on searching, several heads of deer, lialf buried in the snow and ice, without eyes or tongues, were found. An expression of "• Oh, merci- ful Gt)d, we are saved," broke from them bi>th and with feelings more easily imagined than described, they shook hands, not knowing what to say for joy. St. Germain was sent back, to bring up Beauiiailant, for whose safety Back became very anxious, but he found the jxjor fellow frozen to death. Tile night of the ITtli was cold and clear, but they could get no sleej^. "From the pains (.)f having eaten, we suffered (observes Back) the most excruciating tor- ments, though I in particular did not eat a (puirter of what would have satisfied me ; it might have liccn from having eaten a quantity of I'aw or frozen sineM's of the legs of deer, which neither of us could avoid doing, so great m'jis our hunger." On tlie followinu' day Belanger retuj'ned famishing parry's first voyage. 85 with hunger, and told of the pitiable state of Franklin and his reduced j^arty. Back, both this day and the next, tried to urge on his coni])anions toward tlie object of their journey, but he could not conquer their stub- born determinations. They said they were unable to pi'oceed from weakness ; knew not the way ; that JJack wanted to expose them again to death, and in fact loi- tered greedily about the renmants of the deer till the end of the month. "It was not without the greatest dilHculty that I could restrain the men from eating ev- ery scrap they found ; though they were well aware of the necessity there was of being economical in our pres- ent situation, and to save whatever they could for our journey, yet they could not resist the temptation ; and whenever my back was turned they seldom failed 'o snatch at the nearest piece to them, whether cooked or raw. Having ct)llected with great care, and by self- denial, two small packets of dried meat or sinews sutii- cient (for men who knew what it was to fast) t(.) last for eiglit days, at the rate of one indifferent meal "per day, they set out on the 30th. On the 3d of November they came on the track of Indians, and soon reached tiie tents of Akaitcho and his followers, when food was obtained, and assistance sent off to Franklin. In July they reached York Factory. ,' om whence thev had started three years before, nu'l thus terminated a journey of .5550 miles, during which ]\ainan courage and patience were exjjosed to trials s.ich as few can bear with fortitude, unless, a 3 i-i so m; in Frankliii's in- teresting narrative, ai'ising out of reliance on the ever- sustaining care of an Almighty Providence. Parry's First Yoyage, 1819-1820. The Admiralty having determined to continue tho progress of discovery in the Arctic seas, Lieut. W, E. Pa r\-, who had been second in command under Capt. Poss, in the voyage of the previous year, was selected to take chai'ge of a new (expedition, consisting of the Ib'chi and Griper. The cliief ol)ject of tliis voyage was to pursue the survey of Lancaster Sound, and decide ,H>1 ; 86 PR0GEES8 OF ARCTIC DISCOYEJRY. ('■ : '*■ MM ? ' • 1 ( fi m on the probability of a northwest passage in that d.«» jc- tion ; failing in which, Smith's and Jones' Sounds were to be explored, with the same purpose in view. The respective officers appointed to the shiDS, were — JTecla, 375 tons : Lieut, and Commander — W. E. Parry. Lieutenant — Fred. W. Beechey. Captain — E. Sabine, R. A., Astronomer. Purser — W. II. Hooper. Surgeon — John Edwards. Assistant Surgeon — Alexander Fisher. Midshipmen — James Clarke Eoss, J. Nias, "W^. J. Dealy, Charles Palmer, John Bushiian. Greenland Pilots — J. Allison, master ; G. Craw- furd, mate. 44: Petty Officers, Seamen, &c. Total complement, 58. Griper, 180 tons : Lieutenant and Commander — Matthew Liddon. Lieutenant — II. P. Iloppner. Assistant Surgeon — C. J. Beverley. Midshiy^men — A. Reid, A. M. Skene, "VV. K. Griffiths. Greenland Pilots — George Fyfe, master ; A. Elder, mate. 28 Petty Officers, Seamen, &c. Total complement, 36. The ships were raised upon, strengthened, and well found in stores and provisions for two years. On the 11th of May, 1819, they got away from the Thames, and after a fair passage fell in Math a considerable quan- tity of ice in the middle of Davis' Straits about the 20tli of June ; it consisted chiefly of fragments of ice- bergs, on the outskirts of the glaciers tiiut form along the shore. After a tedious passage through tlie floos of ice, effi'cted chiefly by heaving and m ju'})ing, thoy arrivetl at Possession Bav on tlie niorniiio- ot* the Slst II PARRY 8 FIKBT VOYAGE. Sounds view, ships. 3, 1^. J. -. Craw- idon. Elder, nd well Oil the Charaes, le quaii- out the 5 of i ce- ll ah^no: le floes 10 3 iHt of July, being just a month earlier than they were here on the previous year. As many as fifty wliales were seen here in the course of a few liours. On land- ing, they were not a little astonished to find their own footprints of the previous year, still distinctly visible in the snow. During an excursion of three or four miles into the interior, a fox, a raven, several ring-ploveis and snow-buntings, were seen, as also a bee, from which it may be inferred that honey can be procured even in these wild regions. Vegetation flourishes remarkably well here, considering the high latitude, for wherever there was moisture, tufts and various ground plants grew in considerable abundance. Proceeding on from hence into the Sound, they veri- fled the 02:)inioii which had previously been entertained by many of the oflicers, that the Croker Mountains had no existence, for on the 4th of August, the sliips were in long, 86° 56' W., three degrees to the westward of where land had been laid down by Ross in the pre- vious year. The strait was named after Sir John Bar- row, and was found to be pretty clear ; but on reach- ing Leopold Island, the ice extended in a compact body to the north, through which it was impossible to pene- • trate. liather than remnin inactive, waiting for the dissolution of the ice, Parry determined to try what could be done by shaping his course to the southward, through the magniflcent inlet now named Regent In- let. Vbout the 6th of August, in consequence of the local attraction, the ordinary compasses became use- less from their great variation, and the binnacles were removed from the deck to the carpenter's store-room as useless lumber, the azimuth compasse3 alone remain- ing ; and these became so sluggish in their motions, that they required to be very nicely leveled, and fre- quently tapped before the card traversed. The local at- traction was very great, and a mass of iron-stone found on shore attracted the magnet powerfully. The ships proceeded 120 miles from the entrance. On the Stli of August, in lat. 72° 13' K, and long. 90"' 29' AV., (hLs exti-eir.e point of view Parry named * ! M '■ I M 'f y'H § ; ; t i : ; 1 ii 88 I'KOGKESS 0¥ AK( FIO liFbCOVERY. Cape Kater,) the Ilecla came to a compact barrier of ice extending across the inlet, which rendered one of two alternatives necessary, either to remain here until an opening took place, or to return again to the north- ward. The latter course was determined on. Making, therefore, for the northern shore of Barrow's Strait, on the 20th a narrow charniel was discovered between the ice and the land. On the 22d, proceeding due west, after passing several bays and headlands, they noticed two large openings or passages, the first of wliicli, more than eight leagues in width, he named Wellington Channel. To various capes, inlets, and groups of isl- ands passed, Parry assigned the names of Jlotham, Barlow, Cornwallis, Bowen, By am Martin, GrilHth, Lowther, Buthurst, tfec. On the 28th a boat wjis sent on shore at Byam Martin Island with Capt. Sabine, Mr. J. 0. Boss, and the surgeons, to make observations, and collect specimens of natural history. The vegeta- tion was rather luxuriant for these regions; moss in particular grew in abundance in the moist valleys and along the banks of the streams that Howed from the hills. Tlie ruins of six Esquimaux huts were observed. Tracks of reindeer, bears, and musk oxen were noticed, and the skeletons, skulls, and horns of some of these animals were found. On the 1st of September, they discovered the large and fine island, to which Parry has given the name of Melville Island after the First Lord of the Admiralty of that day. On the following day, two boats with a party of officers were dispatched to examine its shores. Some reindeer and musk oxen were seen on landing, but being star- ' I \j the sight of a dog, it was found impossible to get near them, "^here seemed here to be a great quantify of the animal tribe, for the tracks of bears, oxen, and deer were numerous, and the horns, skin, and skulls were also found. The burrows of foxes and field-mice were observed; seven! f)tarmigan were shot, and flocks of snow-bunting, geese, and ducks, were noticed, prol)ably commencing their migration to a milder climate. Along the beach there was an im- il parry's first voyage. 89 •ier of jiic of J until north- jiking, ait, t>n sen the e west, loticod 1, more liiigton i of isl- otliam, •irilKtli, •{IS sent Sabine, vations, vegeta- noss In eys and om tiie )served. loticed, f these e large ame of jniiralty with a shores, landing, found •e to be Lcks of horns, )f foxes Ln were [s, were m to a an im- mense nnijiber of small shrimps, and various kinds of sliells. (Jn tlie 4th of Soptember, Parry had the satisfaction of crossing tlie meridian of 110° \V., in the latitude of 74° 44' 20", by wliich the expedition became entitled to tlie reward of £5000, granted by an order in Coun- cil upon the Act 58 Geo. III., cap. 20, entitled, "An Act for more effectually discovering the longitude at sea, and encuuraging attcmj)ts to iiiid a northern pas- sage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and to ai>proach the Koi th Pole." This fact was not announced to the crews until the following day ; to celebrate the event they gave to a bold cape of the island then lying in sight the name of .l)ounty Ca])c ; and so anxious wei'c they now to press forward, that they began to calculate the time when they should reach the longi- tude of loO° W., the second place specified by the order in Council for reward. On the afternoon of the 5th, the compactness of the ice stoj)]ied them, and therefore, for the hrst time since leaving England, the anchor waa let go, and that in 110° \V. longitude. A boat was sent on shore on the Gth to procure turf or jieat for fuel, and, strangely enough, some small pieces of tolerably good coal were found in various places scattered over the surface. A party of officers that went on shore on the 8th killed several o;rouse ou the island, and a white hare ; a fox, some held-mice, several snow-bunting, a snowy owl, and four musk oxen were seen. Ducks, in small flocks, were seen along the shore, as well as several glaucous gulls and tern, and a solitary seal was observed. As the ships were coasting along on the 7th, two herds of musk oxen were seen grasdng, at the distance of al)out three-quarters of a mile from the beach : one nerd consisted of nine, and the other of five of these cattle. They had also a distant view of two reindeer. The average weight of the hares here is about eight pounds. Mr, Fisher, the surgeon, from whose interest- ing journal I quote, states that it is very evident that this island must be frequented, if not constantly inh'ab- 90 PliOUKKSS OF AKCTIC DlSCOVIiRY. ^:il ited, by musk oxen in great numbers, for their bones and horns are found scattered about in all directions, and the greatest part of tfie carcass of one was discovered on one occasion. The skulls of two carnivorous ani- mals, a wolf and a lynx, wore also picked up here. A party sent to gather coals brought on board about half a bushel — all tiioy could obtain. On the morning of the 10th, Mr. George Fyfo, the master pilot, witli a party of six men belonging to the Griper, landed with a view of makinj^ an exploring trip of some fifteen or twenty miles into the interior. They only took provisions for a day with them. Great un- easiness was felt that they did not return ; and when two days elapsed, fears began to be entertained for their safety, and it was thought they must have lost their way. Messrs. Reid, (midshipman) Beverly, (assistant sur- geon) and AVakeman (clerk) volunteered to go in search of their missing messmates, but themselves lost their way ; guided by tlie rockets, fires, and lights exhibited, they returned by ten at niglit, almost exhausted with cold and fatigue, but without intelligence of their friends. Four relief parties were therefore organized, and sent out on the morning of the 13th to prosecute the search, and one of them fell in with and brought back four of the wanderers, and another the remaining three before nightfall. The feet of most of them were much frost-bitten, and they were all wearied and worn out with their wander- ings. It appears they had all lost their way the eve- ning of the day they went out. With regard to food, they were by no means badly off, for they managed to kill as many grouse as they could cat. They found fertile valleys and level plains in the in- terior, abounding witli grass and moss ; also a lake of fresh water, about two miles long by one broad, in wliich were several species of trout. They saw several herds of reindeer on the plains, and two elk ; also many hares, but no musk oxen. Some of those, however, who had been in search of the stray party, noticed herds of these cattle. es and IS, and overed 18 ani- re. A lit halt ^fo, the ; to the ng trip They eat iin- i when lied for ive lost mt sur- i search st their hibited, d with friends. id sent searcli, four of before :en, and vander- ;he eve- food, iged to the in- ake of 1 which 1 lierda many er, who erds of I PARKY 8 FIUST V(»YA(rK n Tlie winter now began to bet in, and tiie paclvcd ice was so thick, that fears were entertained of being locked np in an exposed position on tlio coast ; it was, there- fore, thougiit most prudent to put back, and endeavor to reach the liarbor which had been passed some days before. The vessels now got seriously bulfetc^d anioncj the floes and hummocks of ice. The Griper was forced aground on the beach, and for some titne was in a very critical position. Lieutenant Liddon liaving been con- fined to his cabin by a rheumatic complaint, was pressed at this juncture by Commander Parry to allow himself to be removed to tlie Ilecla, but he nobly refused, stating that he should be the last to leave the ship, and contin- ued giving orders. The beach being sand, the Griper war, got off without injury. On the 23d of September they anchored off the mouth of the harbor, and the tlieriiiometer now fell to 1°. The crew were set to w^n-k to cut a cliannel tlirough the ice to the shore, and in the course of three days, a canal, two and a half miles in length, was completed, througii which the vessel was tracked. The ice was eight or nine inches thick. An extra allowance of pre- served meat was served out to the men, in considera- tion of their hard labor. Tlie vessels were unrigged, and every thing made snug and secure for passing the winter. Captain Parry gave the name of the North Georgian Islands to this group, after his Majesty, King George III., but this has since been changed to the Parry Islands. Two reindeer were killed on the 1st of October, and several white bears were seen. On the 6th a deer was killed, which weighed 170 pounds. Seven were seen on the 10th, one of which was killed, and another se- verely wounded. Follow^ing after this animal, night overtook several of the sportsmen, and the usual sig- nals of rockets, lights, &c. were exhibited, to guide them back. One, John Pearson, a marine, had his hands so frost-bitten that he was obliged, on the 2d of November, to have the four fingers of his left hand am- putated. A wolf and four reindeer were seen on the PROGRESa OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. H %i> S 1 I i^ 14th. A herd of fit'tceii deer were seen ' i the 15th; ])Ut tliose who 8aw thuiii coidd not bring ci; shot. A fox was caught on the 2! 'h, which is descrihid as equally cunning with his bretii.eii of the temperate regions. To make the long winter pass as cheerfully as possi- bh', plays were acted, a school established, and a news- paper h r on foot, certainly the first periodical publica- tion that had ever issued from the Arctic regions. The title of this journal, the editorial duties of which were iindertaken by Captain Sabine, was ""The Winter C'hroniclc, or JS^ew CJeorgia (razette." The first num- ber ap]H ,.red on the Isf of November. Or, the evening of the 5th of November the farce of " Miss in her Teens " was brought out, to the great amusement of the ships' companies, and, considei'ing tilt' local diHiculf 'OS and disadvantages under which the performers laboicd, their first essay, according to the officers' rep'>rt, did them infinite credit. Two hours vrero spent very ha]>pily in their theater on the (juai'ter- deck, notwithstanding the thernK»meter »)utside the ship stood at zero, and within as low as the freezing point, except close to the stoves, where it was a little higher. Another ])lay was performed on the 24th, and so on every fortnight. The men were employed during the day in banking up the ships with snow. On the 23d of December, the officers performed " The Mayer of Garrett," which was followd by an after- piece, written by Captain Parry, entitled the " North- vYest Passage, or the Voyage Finished." The sun hav- :\\g long since departed, the twilight at noon was so clear that books in the smallest print could be distinctly read. On the <^th of January, the farce of " Bon Ton " was performed, with the thermometer at 27° below zei'O. — The cold became mc and more intense. On the 12th it was 51° below zero, in the open air ; brandy froze to PARRY S FIRST VOYAGE. 93 tlie consistoncy (vf honoy; when tasted in this fitato it lot't u stmirtin*5 uu the tungue. Tliu ^reati'st cuM cxpe- rieiicrvl was on the 14tli of January, when the ther- luornoter fell to 52"^ below zero. On the 3il of Febru- ary, the sun was first visible above tlic horizon, after eighty-four days' absent. >'. It was seen from the nuiiu- top of the ships, a heiglit of about tifty-one feet above the sea. On the forenoon of the 24tli ;i fire l)ruke ou* at the Btoreiiouse, which was used as hservatory. All hands proceeded to the spot to ( a , or to subdue the flames, but having only snow to tiirow on it, and the mats with which the interior was lined being vt-ry dry, it was found impossible to extinguish it. The snow, however, covered the astronomical instrunn'uts and se- cured them from tlie fire, and when the roof had been pulled down the fire had burned itself out. Consider- able as the fire was, its influence or heat extended but a very short distance, for several of the otlicers and men were frost-bitten, and confined from their eftbrts for several weeks. Jolm Smith, of the Artilleiy, who was Captain Sabine's servant, and who, together with Sergeant Martin, happened to be in the house at the time the fire broke out, suftered much more severely. In their anxiety to save the dipping needle, which was standing close to the stove, and of which they knew the value, they immediately ran out with it; and Smith not having time to put on his gloves, had his fingers in half an hour so benumbed, and the animation so com- pletely suspended, that on his being taken on board by Mr. Edwards, and having his hands plunged into a basin of cold water, the surface of the wafer Was im- mediately frozen by the intense cold thus suddenly communicated to it; and notwithstanding the most hu- mane and unremi'jting attention paid him by the med- ical gentlemen, it was found necessary, some time after, to resort to the amputation of a part of four fingers on one hand, and three on the other. Parry adds, " the appearance which our faces pre- sented at the fire was a curious one; almost every nose IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) '^O O ^CT {< 4% "^ 1.0 1.1 £ Ki 12.0 L2o i 1.4 HI* ik 1.6 ^ ^\i-^ .1 V HiotographJc Sciences Corporation 23 WBT MAIN STRieT WIBSTIR.N.Y. 14SM (71ft)872-4S03 4% 94 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. and cheek having become quite white with frost bites, in five minutes after being exposed to the weather, so that it was deemed necessary for the medical gentle- men, together with some others appointed to assist them, to go constantly round while the men were woi'k- ing at the fire, and to rub with snow the parts affected, in order to restore animation." The weather got considerably milder in March; on the 6th the thermometer got up to zero for the first time since the 17th of December. The observatory house on shore was now rebuilt. The vapor, which had been in a solid state on the ship's sides, now thawed below, and the crew, scraping off the coating of ice, removed on the 8th of March, above a hundred bucketsfuU each, containing from five to six gallons, which had accumulated in less than a month, occasion,ed principally from the men's breath, and the steam of victuals at meals. The scurvy now broke out among the crew, and prompt measures were taken to remedy it. Captain. Parry took great pains to raise mustard and cress in his cabin for the men's use. On the 30th of April, the thermometer stood at the freezing point, which it had not done since the 12th of September last. On the 1st of May, the sun was seen at midnight for the first time that season. A survey was now taken of the provisions, fuel, and stores; much of the lemon juice was found destroyed from the bursting in the bottles by the frost. Having been only victualed for two years, and half that period having expired. Captain Parry, as a matter of prudence reduced all hands to two-thirds allowance of all sorts of provisions, except meat and sugar. The crew were now set to work in cutting away the ice round the ships : the average thickness was found to be seven feet. Many of the men who had been out on excursions began to suffer much from snow blind- ness. The sensation when first experienced, is de- scribed as like that felt when dust or sand gets into the eyes. They were, however, cured in the course of paery's fiest voyage. 96 on two or three days by keeping the eyes covered, and batiiing them occasionally with sugar of lead, or some othei cooling lotion. To prevent the recurrence of the complaint, the men were ordered to wear a piece of crape or some substi- tute for it over the eyes. The channel round the ships was completed by the 17th of May, and they rose nearly two feet, having been kept down by the pressure of the ice round them, although lightened during the winter by the consump- tion of food and fuel. On the 24th, they were aston- ished by two showers of rain, a most extraordinary phenomenon in these regions. Symptoms of scurvy again appeared among tne crew ; one of the seamen who had been recently cured, having imprudently been in the habit of eating the fat skimmings, or " slush," in which salt meat had been boiled, and which was served out for their lamps. As the hills in many places now be- came exposed and vegetation commenced, two or thrci pieces ot ground were dug up and sown with seeds of radishes, onions, and other vegetables. Captain Parry determined before leaving to make an excursion across the island for the purpose of examining its size, bound- aries, productions, &c. Accordingly on the 1st of June, an expedition was organized, consisting of the com- mander, Captain Sabine, Mr. Fisher, the assistant-sur- geon, Mr. John Nias, midshipman of the Hecla, and Mr. Reid, midshipman of the Griper, with two ser- geants, and five seamen and marines. Three weeks* provisions were taken, which, together with two tents, wood for fuel, and other articles, weighing in all about 800 lbs., was drawn on a cart prepared for the purpose by the men. Each of the officers carried a knapsack with his own private baggage, weighing from 18 to 24 lbs., also his gun and ammunition. The party started in high glee, under three hearty cheers from their comrades, sixteen of whom accompanied them for five miles, carrying their knapsacks and drawing the cart for them. They traveled by night, taking rest by day, as it was 96 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. found to be warmer for sleep, and they had only a cov ering of a single blanket each, beside the clotnes they had on. On the 2d, they came to a small lake, about half a mile long, and met with eider-ducks and ptarmigan ; seven of the latter were shot. From the top of a range of hills at which they now arrived, they could see the masts of the ships in Winter Harbor with the naked eye, at about ten or eleven miles distant. A vast plain was also seen extending to the northward and west- ward. The party breakfasted on biscuit and a pint of gruel each, made of salep powder, which was found to be a very palatable diet. Reindeer with their fawns were met with. They derived great assistance in dragging their cart by rigging upon it one of the tent-blanketb as a sail, a truly nautical contrivance, and the wind favoring them, they made great progress in this way. Captain Sabine being taken ill with a bowel complaint, had to be con- veyed on this novel sail carriage. They, however, had some ugly ravines to pass, the crossings of which were very tedious and troublesome. On the 7th the party came to a large bay, which was named after their ships, Uecla and Griper Bay. The blue ice was cut through by hard work with boarding pikes, the only instruments they had, and after digging fourteen and a half feet, the water rushed up ; it was not very salt, but sufficient to satisfy them that it was the ocean. An island seen in the distance was named after Captain Sabine ; some of the various points and capes were also named after others of the party. Although this «hore was found blocked up with such heavy ice, there appear to be times when there is open water lierp. for a piece of fir wood seven and a half feet long, v ibout the thickness of a man's arm, was found about ^-ghty yards inland from the liummocks of the beach, and about tliirty feet above the level of tlie sea. Befoi-e leaving the shore, a monu- ment of stones, twelve feet high, was erect(>d, in wliich were dej)osited, in a tin cylinder, an account of their parry's first voyaob. »7 ?l^ ceediiiffs, a few coins, and several naval buttons, 'he expedition now turned back, shaping its course in a more westerly direction, toward some high blue hills, which had long been in sight. On many days several ptarmigans were shot. The horns and tracks of deer were very numerous. On the 11th they came in sight of a deep gulf, to which Lieutenant Liddon's name was given ; tlie two capes at its entrance being called after Beechey and Hoppner. In the center was an island about three-quar- ters of a mile in length, and rising abruptly to the height of 700 feet. The shores of the gulf were very rugged and precipitant, and in descending a steep hill, the axle-tree of their cart broke, and they had to leave it behind, taking the body with them, however, for fuel. The wheels, which were left on the spot, may astonish some future adventurer who discovers them. The stores, &c., were divided among the officers and men. Making their way on the ice in the gulf, the island in the center was explored, and named after Mr. Hooper, the purser of the Hecla. It was found to be of sand- stone, and very barren, rising perpendicularly from the west side. Four fat geese were killed here, and a great ma;iy animals were seen around the gulf ; some atten- tion being paid to examininor its shores, &c., a fine open valley was discovered, and the tracks of oxen and deer were very numerous ; the pasturage appeared to be excellent. On the 13th, a few ptarmigan and golden plover were killed. No less than thirteen deer in one herd were seen, and a musk ox for the first time in this season. The remains of six Esquimaux huts were discovered about 300 yards from the beach. Vegetation now be- gan to flourish, the sorrel was found far advanced, and a species of saxifrage was met with in blossom. They reached the ships on the evening of the 15th, after a journey of about 180 miles. Tlie ships' crews, during their absence, bad been occu- pied in getting ballast in and re-stowing the hold. Shooting parties were now sent out in various direc- r 98 PKOGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERT. tions to procure game. Dr. Fisher ffives an interesting- account of his ten days' excursion with a couple of men. The deer were not so numerous as they expected to find them. About thirty were seen, of which his party killed but two, which were very lean, weighing only, when skinned and cleaned, 50 to 60 lbs. A couple of wolves were seen, and some foxes, with a great many hares, four of which were killed, weighing from 7 to 8 lbs. The aquatic birds seen were — brent geese, king ducks, lonff-tailed ducks, and arctic and glaucous gulls. The land birds were ptarmigans, plovers, sanderlings and snow buntings. The geese were pretty numerous for the first few days, but got wild and wary on being disturbed, keeping in the middle of lakes out of gun- shot. About a dozen were, however, killed, and fifteen ptarmigans. These birds are represented to be so stu- pid, that all seen may be shot. Dr. Fisher was sur- prised on his return on the 29th of June, atler his ten days' absence, to find how ^ much vegetation had ad- vanced ; the land being now completely clear of snow, was covered with the purple-colored saxifrage in blos- som, with mosses, and with sorrel, and the grass was two to three inches long. The men were sent out twice a week to collect the sorrel, and in a few minutes enough could be procured to make a salad for dinner. After being mixed with vinegar it was regularly served out to the men. The English garden seeds that had been sown got on but slowly, and did not yield any produce in time to be used. On the 30th of June "Wm. Scott, a boatswain's mate, who had been afflicted with scurvy, diarrhoea, «fec., died, and was buried on the 2d of July ^- a slab ot sandstone bearing an inscription carved by Dr. Fisher, being erected over his grave. From observations made on the tide during two months, it appeal's that the greatest rise and fall here is four feet four inches. A large pile of stones was erected on the 14th of July, upon the most conspicuous hill, containing the usual notices, coins, &c., and on a large stone an inscription was left, notifying the winter- ing of the ships here. PARRT 8 FIRST VOYAGE. 99 On the Ist of August, tbe ships, which had been pre- viously wanted out, got clear ot the harbor, and found a channel, both eastward and westward, clear of ice, about three or four miles in breadth along the land. On the 6th they landed on the island, and in the course of the night killed fourteen hares and a number of glaucous gulls, which were found with their young on the top of a precipitous, insulated rock. On the 9th the voyagers had an opportunity of ob- serving an instance of the violent pressure that takes place occasionally by the collision of heavy ice. " Two pieces," says Dr. Fisher, " that happened to come in contact close to us, pressed so forcibly against one an- other that one of them, although forty-two feet thick, and at least three times that in length and breadth, was forced up on its edge on the top of another piece of ice. But even this is nothing when compared with the pres- sure that must have existed to produce the eftects that we see along the shore, for not only heaps of earth and stones several tons weight are forced up, but hummocks of ice, from fifty to sixty feet thick, are piled up on the beach. It is unnecessary to remark that a ship, although fortified as well as wood and iron could make her, would have but little chance of withstanding such over- whelming force." This day a musk-ox was shot, which weighed more than 700 lbs.; the carcass, when skinned and cleaned, yielding 421 lbs. of meat. The flesh did not taste so very strong of musk as had been represented. The ships made but slow progress, being still thickly beset with floes of ice, 40 or 50 feet thick, and had to make fast for security to hummocks of ice on the beach. On the 15th and 16th they were off the southwest point of the island, but a survey of the locality from the precipitous cliff of Cape I)undas, presented the same interminable barrier of ice, as far as the eye could reach. A bold high coast was sighted to the southwest, to which the name of Bank's Land was given. Captain Parry states that on the 23a the ships re- ceived by far the heaviest shocks they had experienced 100 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. during the vojaffe, and performed six miles of the most difficult navigation he hud ever known among ice. Two musk bulls were shot on the 24:th by partieg Mrho landed, out of a herd of seven which were seen. Tliey were lighter than the first one shot — weighing only about 360 lbs. From the number of skulls and skele- tons of these animals met with, and their capabidties of enduring the rigor of the climate, it seems probable that they do not migrate southward, but winter on this island. Attempts were still made to work to the eastward, but on the 25th, from want of wind, and the closeness of the ice, the ships were obliged to make fast af^ain, without having gained above a mile after several hours' labor. A fresh breeze springing up on the 26th opened a passage along shore, and the ships made sail to the eastward, and in the evening were oif their old quarters in Winter Harbor. On the following evening, after a fine run, they were off the east end of Melville Islind. Lieut. Parry, this day, announced to the officers and crew that alter due consideration and consultation, it had been found useless to prosecute their repearohes fartlier westward, and therefore endeavors would be made in a more southerly direction, failing in which, the expedition would return to England. Kegent Inlet and the southern shores generally, were found so blocked up with ice, that the return to England was on the 30th of August publicly announced. This day. Navy Board and Admiralty Inlets were passed, and on the 1st of September the vessels got clear of Barrow's Strait, and reached Baffin's Bay on the 5th. They fell in with a whaler belonging to Hull, from whom they learned the news of the death of George the Third and the Duke of Kent, and that eleven vessels having been lost in the ice last year, fears were entertained for their safety. The Friendship, another Hull whaler, informed them that in company with the Truelove, she had looked into Smith's Sound that summer. The Alexander, of Aber- deen, one of the ships employed on the former voyage of discovery to these seas, had also entered Lancaster parry's becond voyage. 101 Sound. After touching at Clyde's Eiver, where they met a good-natured trioe of Enquimaux, thesliips made the best ot their way across tlie Atlantic, and after a somewhat boisterous passage, Commodore Parry landed at Peterhead on the 30th of October, and, accompanied by Capt. Sabine and Mi*. Hooper, posted to London. Parry's Second Yoyaqe, 1821—1823. The experience which Capt. Parry had formed in his previous voyage, led him to entertain the opinion that a communication might be found between Regent Inlet and Roe's Welcome, or through Repulse Bay, and thence to the northwestern shores. The following are his re- marks : — " On an inspection of the charts I think it will also appear probable that a communication will one day be found to exist between this inlet (Prince Regent's) and Hudson's Bay, either through the broad and unexplored channel called Sir Thomas Roe's Wel- come, or through Repulse Bay, which has not yet been satisfactorily examined. It is also probable that a chan- nel will be found to exist between the western land and the northern coast of America." Again, in another place, he says : — " Of tha existence of a northwest passage to the Pacific it is now scarcely possible to doubt, and from the succesr which attended our efFoce in 1819, after passing th» .ugh Sir James Lancaster's Sound, we were not unreasonable in anticipating its complete accomplishment. But the season in which it is practicable to navigate the Polar Seas does not exceed seven weeks. Prom all that we observed it seems desir- able that ships endeavoring to reach the Pacific Ocean by this route should keep if possible on the coast of America, and the lower in latitude that coast may be found, the more favorable will it prove for the purpose ; hence Cumberland Strait, Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome, and Repulse Bay appear to be the points most worthy of attention. I cannot, therefore, but consider that any expedition equipped by Great Britain with this view , . i 102 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERT. II! ought to employ its best energies in attempting to pene- trate from the eastern coast of America along its north- ern shore. In consequence of the partial success which has hitherto attended our attempts, the whalers have already extended their views, ana a new field has been opened for one of the most lucrative branches of our commerce, and what is scarcely of less importance, one of the most valuable nurseries for seamen which Great Britain possesses."* Pleased with his former zeal and enterprise, and in order to give him an opportunity of testing the truth of his observations, a few months after he returned home, the Admiralty gave Parry the command of another ex- pedition, with instructions to proceed to Hudson's Strait, and penetrate to the westward, until in Repulse Bay, or on some other part of the shores of Hudson's Bay to the north of Wager River, he should reach the western coast of the continent. Failing in these q^uarters, he was to keep along the coast, carefully examining every bend or inlet, which should appear likely to afford a practicable passage to the westward. The vessels commissioned, with their officers and crews, were the following. Several of the officers of the former expedition were promoted, and those who had been on the last voyage with Parry I have marked with an asterisk : — Funn Commander — *"W. E. Parry. Chaplain and Astronomer — Rev. Geo. Fisher, (was in the Dorothea, under Capt. Buchan, in 1818.) Lieutenants — *J. Nias and *A. Reid, Surgeon — *J. Edwards. Purser — *W. H. Hooper. Assistant-Surgeon — J. Skeoch. Midshipmen — * J. C. Ross, *J. Bushnan, J. Hender- son, F. R. M. Crozier. *Pari'y'8 First Voyage, vol ii, p. 240. PAUllYS SECOND VOYAGK. 103 Greenland Pilots — *J. Allison, master ; G. Crawiurd, mate. 47 Petty Officers, Seamen, &c. Total complement, 60. Hecla, Commander — G. F. Lvon. Lieutenants — *H. P. Hoppner and *C. Palmer. Surgeon — *A. Fisher. Purser — J.Germain. Assistant-Surgeon — A. M'Laren. Midshipmen — *W. N. Griffiths, J. Sherer, C. Kich- ards, E. J. Bird. Greenland Pilots — *G. Fife, master; *A. Elder, mate. 46 Petty Officers, seamen, &c. Total complement, 58. Lieutenant Lyon, the second in command, had ob- tained some reputation from his travels in Tripoli, Mourzouk, and other parts of N^orthern Africa, and was raised to the rank of Commander, on his appointment to the Ilecla, and received his promotion as Caj)tain, when the expedition returned. The ships were accompanied as far as the ice by the Nautilus transport, freighted with provisions and stores, which were to be transhipped as soon as room was found for them. The vessels got away from the little !N"ore early on the 8th of May, 1821, but meeting with strong gales oft* the Greenland coast, and a boisterous passage, did not fall in with the ice until the middle of June. On the 17th of June, iu a heavy gale from the south- ward, the sea stove and carried away one of the quar- ter boats of the Ilecla. On the following day, in lat. 60° 53' ^., lon^. 61° 39' W., they made the pack or main body of ice, having many large bergs in and near it. On the 19th, Resolution Island, at the en- trance of Hudson's Strait, was seen distant sixty-four miles. Capt. Lyon states, that during one of the 6 104 riio<3Ri«a OF Aucnc DistxmiRY. watcho8, a large tVagineiit was observed to fall fron\ an iceberg near the llechi, which threw up the watei to a great lieigltt, sending Ibrtli at the name time a noise like the report of a great gun. From this pe- riod to the Ist of July, the ships were occupied in clearing the Nautilus of her stores, preparatory to ber return home, occasionally made fast to a berg, or driven out to sea by gales. On the 2d, after running through heavy ice, they again made Kesolution Island, and shaping their course for the Strait, were soon in- troduced to the company of some unusually large ice- bergs. The altitude of one was 258 feet above the surface of the sea; its total height, therefore, allowing one-seventh only to be visible, must have been about 1806 feet 1 This however, is supposing the base un- der water not to spread beyond the mass above water. The vessels had scarcely di'ifted past this floating mountain, when the eddy tide carried them with great rapidity among a cluster of eleven bergs of huge size, and having a beautiful diversity of form. The largest of these was 210 feet above the water. The floe ice was running wildly at the rate of three miles an hour, sweeping the vessels past the bergs, against any one of which, they might have received incalcu- lable injury. An endeavor was made to make the ships fast to one of them, (for all of them were aground,) in order to ride out the tide, but it proved unsuccess- ful, and the Fury had much difticulty in sending a boat for some men who were on a small berg, making holes for her ice anchors. They were therefore swept past and soon beset. Fifty-four icebergs were counted from the mast-head. On the 3d, they made some progress through very heavy floes ; but on the tide turning, the loose ice flew together with such rapidity and noise, that there was barely time to secure the ships in a natural dock, be- fore the two streams met, and even then they received some heavy shocks. Water was procured for use from the pools in the floe to which the ships were made fast ; and this being the first time of doing so, PARIIYS SKCOND VOYAOE. 106 afforded great amusement to tlie novices, who, even wlieu it was their period of rest, preferred pelting each other with snow-balls, to going to bed. liulfet ing with eddies, strong currents, and dangerous bergs, they were kept in a state of anxiety and danger, for a vveek or ten days. On one occasion, with the pros- pect of being driven on shore, the pressure they ex- perienced was so great, that five liawsers, six inches thick, were carried away, and the best bower anchor of the Hecla was wrenched from the bows, and broke off at the head of the shank, with as much ease as if, instead of weighing upward of a ton, it had been of crockery ware. For a week they were embayed by the ice, and during this period they saw three strange ships, also beset, under Resolution Island, which they contrived to join on the 16th of July, making fast to a floe near them. They proved to be the Hudson's Bay Company's traders. Prince of Wales, and Eddystone, with the Lord Wellington, chartered to convey IGO natives of Holland, who were ])roceeding to settle on Lord Selkirk's estate, at the Red River. " While nearing these vessels, (says Lyon,) we observed the settlers waltzing on deck, for above two hours, the men in old-fashioned gray jackets, and tho women wearing long-eared mob caps, like those used by the Swiss peasants. As we were surrounded by ice, and the thermometer was at the freezing point, it may be supposed that this ball, al vero fresco, afforded us much amusement." The Hudson's Bay ships had left England twenty days after the expedition. The emigrant ship had been hampered nineteen days among the ice before she joined the others ; and as this navigation was new to her captain and crew, they almost despaired of ever getting to their jour- ney's end, so varied and constant had been their im- pediments. The Dutchmen had, however, behaved very philosophically during this period, and seemed determined on being merry, in spite of the weather and the dangers. Several marriages had taken place, the surgeon, who was accompanying them to the col- 106 PROGKESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. ony, officiating as clergyman,) and many more were in agitiition ; each liapi)y coii))le always deferring tlie ceremony until a iine day allowed of an evening ball, which was only terminated by a fresh breeze, or a fall of snow.* On the 17th, the ships were separated by the ice, and they saw no more of their visitors. On the 21st, they were only off the Lower Savage Islands. In the evening they saw a very large bear lying on a piece of ice, and two boats were instantly sent off in chase. They approached very close before he took to the water, when he swam rapidly, and made long springs, tui'ning boldly to face his pursuers. It was with difficulty he was captured. As these animals, although very fat and bulky, sink the instant they die, he was lashed to a boat, and brought alongside the ship. On hoisting him in, they were astonished to lind that his weight exceeded sixteen hundred pounds, being one of the largest ever killed. Two instances, only, of larger beara being shot are recorded, and these were by Barentz's crew, in his third voyage, at Cherie Island, to which they gave the name of Bear Island. Tiie two bears killed then, measured twelve and thirteen feet, while this one only measured eight feet eight inches, from the snout to the insertion of tlie tail. The seamen ate the flesh without experiencing any of those baneful effects which old navigators at- tribute to it, and which are stated to have made three of Barentz's people " so sick that we expected they would have died, and their skins peeled off from head to foot." Bruin was very fat, and having pro- cured a tub of blubber from the carcass, it was thrown over board, and the smell soon attracted a couple cf walruses, the first that had been yet seen. They here fell in with a numerous body of the Es quimaux, who visited them from the shore. In less than an hour the ships were beset with thirty " ka- yaks," or men's canoes, and five of the women's large boats, or " oomiaks." Some of the latter held up- ward of twenty w^omen. A most noisy but merry barter instantly took place, the crew being as anxious • Lyon's Private Journal, p. 11. PARRY 8 SECOND VOYAGE. 107 eight large to purchase Esquimaux curiosities, as the natives were to procure iron and European toys. " It is quite out of my power, (observes Captain Lyon,) to describe the shouts, yells, and laughter of the savages, or the confusion which existed for two or three hours. The females were at first very shy, and unwilling to come on the ice, but bartered every thing from their boats. This timidity, however, soon wore off, and they, in the end, became as noisy and bois- terous as the men." " It is scarcely possible, (he adds) to conceive any thing more ugly or disgusting than the countenances of the old women, who had inflamed eyes, wrinkled skin, black teeth, and, in fact, such a forbidding set of features as scarcely could be called human ; to which might be added their dress, which was such as gave tliem the appearance of aged ourang- outangs. Frobisher's crew may be pardoned for hav- ing, in such superstitious times as a. d. 1576, taken one of these ladies for a witch, of whom it is said, ' The old wretch whom our sailors supposed to be a witch, had her buskins pulled ofl", to see if she was cloven-footed ; and being very ugly and deformed, we let her go.' " In bartering they have a singular custom of ratify- ing the bargain, bj^ licking the article all over before it is put away in security. Captain Lyon says he fre- quently shuddered at seeing the children draw a razor over their tongue, as unconcernedly as if it had been an ivory paper-knife. I cannot forbear quoting hero s^me humorous passages from his journal, which stand out in relief to the scientific and nautical parts of the narrative. "Tlie strangers were so well pleased in our society, that they showed no wish to leave us, and when the market had quite ceased, they began dancing and playing with our people, on the ice alongside. This exercise set many of their noses bleeding, and discov- ered to us a most nasty custom, which accounted for tlieir gory faces, and which was, that as fast as the blood ran down, they scraped it with the fingers /I 108 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERT. into their mouths, appearing to consider it as a re- freshment, or daintj, if we might judge by the zest with which they smacked their lips at each supply." * * * * * * * * " In order to amuse our new acquaintances as much as possible, the fiddler was sent on the ice, where he instantly found a most delightful set of dancers, of whom some of the women kept pretty good time. Their only figure consisted in stamping and jumping with all their might. Our musician, who was a lively fellow, soon caught the infection, and began cutting capers also. In a short time every one on the floe, oflicers, men, and savages, were dancing together, and exhibited one of the most extraordinary sights I ever witnessed. One of our seamen, of a fresh, ruddy complexion, excited the admiration of all the young females, who patted his face, and danced around him wherever he went. " The exertion of dancing so exhilarated the Esqui- maux, that they had the appearance of being boister- ously drunk, and played many extraordinary pranks. Among others, it was a favorite joke to run slily be- hind the seamen, and shouting loudly in one ear, to give them at the same time a very smart slap on the other. While looking on, I was sharply saluted in this manner, and, of course, was quite startled, to the great amusement of the bystanders : our cook, who was a most active and unwearied jumper, became so great a favorite," that every one boxed his ears so soundly, as to oblige the poor man to retire from such boisterous marks of approbation. Among other sports, some of the Esquimaux rather roughly, but with great good humor, challenged our people to wrestle. One man, in particular, who had thrown sev- eral of his countrymen, attacked an officer of a very strong make, but the poor savage was instantly thrown, and with no very easy fall ; yet, although every one was laughing at him, he bore it with exemplary good humor. The same officer aftorded us much diversion by teaching a large party of women to bow, courtesy, but one pakky's second voyage. 109 sliake hands, turn their toes out, and perform sun- dry other polite accomplishments ; the whole party- master and pupils, preserving the strictest gravity. " Toward midnight all our men, except the watch on deck, turned in to their beds, and the fatigued and hungry Esquimaux returned to their boats to take their supper, which consisted of lumps of raw flesh and blub- ber of seals, birds, entrails, &c. ; licking their fingers with great zest, and with knives or fingers scraping the blood and grease which ran down their chins into their mouths." Many other parties of the natives were fallen in with during the slow progress of the ships, between Salisbury and Nottingham Islands, who were equally as eager to beg, barter, or thieve ; and the mouth was the general repository of most of the treasures they received ; nee- dles, pins, nails, buttons, beads, and other small etcete- ras, being indiscriminately stowed there, but detracting in nowise from their volubility of speech. On the 13th of August the weather being calm and fine, norwhals or sea-unicorns, were very numerous about the ships, and boats were sent, but without success, to strike one. There were sometimes as many as twenty of these beautiful fish in a shoal, lifting at times their immense horn above the water, and at others showing their glossy backs, which were spotted in the manner of coach dogs in England. The length of these fish is about fifteen feet, exclusive of the horn, which averages five or six more. Captain Parry landed and slept on Southampton Isl- and. His boat's crew caught in holes on the beach sufficient sillocks, or young coal-fish, to serve for two meals for the whole ship's company. During the night white whales were seen lying in hundreds close to the rocks, probably feeding on the sillocks. After carefully examining Duke of York Bay, the ships got into the Frozen Strait of Middleton on the morning of the 20th, and an anxious day was closed by passing an oiiening to the southward, which was found to be Sir Thomas Roe's Welcome, and heaving to for the night off a bay I- in ' 110 PROGUKbS OF AKCTIC DIbCOVEKY. to the nortlnvest. The ships got well in to Kepulse Bay on the 22d, and a careful examination of its shores was made by the boats. Captains Tarry and Lyon, with several officers from each ship, landed and explored the northern shores, while a boat examined the head of the bay. The wa- ters of a long cove are described by Captain Lyon as being absolutel}'^ hidden by the quantities of young eider-ducks, which, under the direction of their moth- ers, were making their first essays in swimming. Captain Lyon with a boat's crew made a trip of a couple of days along some of the indents of the bay, and discovered an inlet, which, however, on being en- tered subsequentl}^ by the ships, proved only to be. the dividing channel between an island and the main-land, about six miles in length by one in breadth. Proceed- ing to the northward by Hurd's channel, they expe- rienced a long rolling ground swell setting against them. On the 28th, ascending a steep mountain. Captain Lyon discovered a noble bay, subsequently named Gor > Bay, in which lay a few islands, and toward this the' j directed their course. Captain Parry, who had been two days absent with boats exploring the channel and shores of the strait, re- turned on the 29th, but set oft' again on the same day with six boats to sound and examine more minutely. When Parry returned at night, Mr. Griffiths, of tfe Hecla, brought on board a large doe, M'hich he h&d killed while swimming (among large masses of ice) fro.n isle to isle ; two others and a fawn were procured <: q shore by the Fury's people. The galne laws, as thi, y were laid down on the former voyage while winteri\ 3 at Melville Island, were once more put in force. The te " enacted that for the purpose of economizing the shirrs provisions, all deer or musk-oxen killed should Oe served out in lieu of the usual allowance of meat. Hares, ducks, and other birds were not at this time to be included. As an encouragement to sportsmen, the head, legs, and offiil of the larger animals were to be the perquisites of those who procured the carcasses for I % parry's second voyage. Ill the general good." " In the animals of this day (ob- serves Lyon) we were convinced that our sportsmen had not forgotten the latitude to which their perquisites might legally extend, for the necks were made so long as to encroach considerably on the vertebrae of the b.'ick ; a manner of amputating the heads which had been learned during the fonner voyage, and, no doubt, would be strictly acted up to in the present oii<'.'" "While the ships on the 30th were proceeding through this strait, having to contend with heavy wind and wild ice, which with an impetuous tide ran against the rocks with loud crashes, at the rate of five knots in the center stream ; four boats towing astern were torn away by the ice, and, with the men in them, were for some time in great danger. The vessels anchored for the night in a small nook, and weighing at daylight on the 31st, they stood to the eastward, but Gore Bay was found closely packed with ice, and most of the in- lets they passed were also beset. A prevalence of fog, northerly wind, and heavy ice in floes of some miles in circumference, now carried the ships, in spite of constant labor and exertions, in three days, back to the very spot in Fox's Channel, where a month ago they had commenced their opera- tions. It was not till the 5th of September, that they could again get forward, and then by one of the usual changes in the navigation of these seas, the ships ran well to the northeast unimpeded, at the rate of six knots an hour, anchoring for the night at the mouth of a large opening, which was named Lyon Inlet. The next day they proceeded about twenty-five miles up tliis inlet, which appeared to be about eight miles broad. Captain Parry pushed on with two boats to examine the head of the inlet, taking provisions for a week, lie returned on the 14th, having Mled in finding any outlet to the place he had been examining, which was very extensive, full of fiords and rapid overfalls of the tide. He had procured a sufficiency of game to afford his people a hot supper every evening, which, after the constant labor of the day, was highly acceptable. He 6* 112 PKOGKESS OF AliCTlC DISUOVEU^. fell in also with a small part^ of natives "vi ho displayed the usual tliieving propensities. Animal food of all kinds was found to bo very plen- tiful in this locality. A tine salmon trout was brought down by one of the ofticers from a lake in the moun- tains. The crew of the llecla killed in a fortnight four deer, forty hares, eighty -two ptarmigan, fifty ducks, three divers, three foxes, three ravens, four seals, er- mines, marmottes, mice, &c. Two of the seals killed were immense animals of the bearded species {^Phoca harhata^ very fat, weighing about eight or nine cwt.; the others were the common species, {P. vitulina.) Captain Parry again left in boats, on the 15th, to ex- amine more carefully the land that had been passed so rapidly on the 5tli and 6th. Not Unding him return on the 24th, Captain Lyon ran down the coast to meet him, and by burning blue lights, fell in with him at ten that night. It appeared he had been frozen up for two days on tlie second evening after leaving. When he got clear he ran down to, and sailed round, Gore Bay, at that time perfectly clear of ice, but by the next morning it was quite filled with heavy pieces, which much impeded his return. Once more he was frozen up in a small bay, where he was detained three days ; when, finding there was no chance of getting out, in consequence of the rapid formation of young ice, by ten hours' severe labor, the boats were carried over a low point of land, a mile and a half wide, and once more launched. On the 6th of October, the impediments of ice con- tinuing to increase, being met with in all its formations of sludges or young ice, pancake ice and bay ice, a small open bay within a cape of land, forming the southeast extremity of an island off Lyon Inlet, was sounded, and being found to be safe anchorage the ships were brought in, and, from the indications which were Betting in, it was finally determined to secure them there for the winter ; by means of a canal half a mile long, which was cut, they were taken further into the bay. The island was named Winter Isle. Preparations were now made for occupation and #1. PARRY 8 8KC0ND VOYAGE. 113 amusement, so as to pass away pleasantly the period oF detention. A good stock of theatrical dresaijie and properties having been laid in by the otKcers before leaving England, arrangements were made for perfonu- ing plays fortniglitly, as on their last winter reHidtinrje, as a means of amusing the seamen, and in some degiee to break the tedious monotony of their confinement. As there could be no desire or hope of excelling, every officer's name was readily entered on the list of dra- tmitis peraonoe^ Captain Lyon kindly undertaking the difficult office of manager. Those ladies (says Lyon) who had cherished tlie growth of their beards and whiskers, as a defense against the inclemency of the climate, now generously agreed to do away with Ruch unfeminine ornaments, and every thing bade fair for a most stylish theater. As a curiosity, I may here put on record the play bill for the evening. I have added the ship to which each officer belonged. THEATER EOYAL, WINTER ISLE. The Public are respectfully informed that this little, yet elegant Theater, will open for the season on Fri- day next, the 9th of November, 1821, when will be performed Sheridan's celebrated Comedy of THE RIVALS. Sir Anthony Absolute Captain Parry, {Fury.) Captain Absolute - - Captain Lyon, {Hecla.) Sir Lucius O'' Trigger^ Mr. Crozier, {Fury) Faulkland^ . _ . . M !•. j. Edwards, (Fury) Acres, ------ Mr. J. Henderson, {Fury.) Fay, ------ Lieut, lloppner, {Hecla) David, ------ Lieut. Re id, {Fury) Mrs. Malaprop, - - Mr. C. Richards, {Hecla) Jalia, Mr. "W. H. Hooper, {Fury) Lydia Languish, - - Mr. J. Sherer, {Hecla) Lucy, Mr. W.M.ogg,{cl''k of ITecla) i 11-1 PKOOKLYB Of AUCTIC niSCOVEKY. h\ I Songs by Messrs. C raliner, (^iiechi,) and J. Ilcn- dersQu, will bo introduced in the course of the eve- ning. 'Wj On the lYth of December, a shivering set of actors performed to a great-coated, yet very cold andience, the comedy of the " Poor Gentleman." A burst of true English feeling was exhibited during the perform- ance of this play. In the scene where Lieut. Worth- in(jton and Corporal Fans recount in so animated a manner their former achievements, advancing at the same time, and huzzaing for " Old England," the whole audience, with one accord, rose and gave three most hearty cheers. They then sat down, and the play continued uninterrupted. On Christmas Eve, in order to keep the people quiet and sober, two farces were performed, and the phantasmagoria, (which had been kindly presented anonymously to the ships before leaving, by a lady,) exhibited, so that the night passed merrily away. The coldness of tlie weather proved no bar to the performance of a play at the appointed time. If it amused the seamen, the purpose was answered, but it was a cruel task to performers. " In our green-room, (says Lyon,) wliich was as much warmed as any other part of the Theater, the thermometer stood at 16°, and on a table wliich was placed over a stove, and about six inclies above it, the coifee froze in the cups. For my sins, I was obliged to be dressed in the height of the fashion, as Dick Doiclas^ in the " Heir at Law," and went through tlie last scene of the play with two of my iiiigers frost-bitten ! Let those who have witnessed and admired the performances of a Young, answer if he could possibly ho /e stood so cold a recep- tion." . Captain Parry also states in his Journal, " Among the recreations which afforded the highest gratifica tion to several among us, I may mention the musical parties we were enabled to muster, and which assem- bled on stated evenings throughout the winter, alter Hi \ % n/J' iji .^ Ji l,;..i;,,;|ij|j;i^;di, j ■I'l'Wiiiiiiliy,'' '';■(/ ' mm ^ H ^ i PARRY 8 SECOND VOYAGE. 115 R .tely i.i '06kimander Lyon's cabin, and in my own. More skillful amateurs in music might well have smiled at these, our humble concerts, but it will not incline them to think less of the science they admire, to be assured that, in these remote and desolate regions of the globe, it has often furnished us with the most pleasurable sensations which our situation was capable (. ' aftbrding ; for, independently of the mere gratifica- tic aftbrded to the ear by music, there is, perhaps, scarcely a person in the world really fond of it, in whose mind its sound is not more or less connected with ' his far distant home.' There are always some remembrances which render them inseparable, and those associations are not to be despised, which, while we are engaged in the performance of our duty, can still occasionally transport us into the social circle of our friends at home, in spite of the oceans that roll be- tween us." But their attention was not confined to mere amusements. Much to the credit of the seamen, an application was made in each ship for permission to open an evening school, which was willingly ac- ceded to. Almost every man could read, and some could write a little, but several foimd that, from long disuse, it was requisite to begin again. Mr. Halse volunteered to superintend the classes in the Fury ; while Benjamin White,a seaman, who had been educated at Christ's Hospital, officiated as schoolmaster in the Hecla, and those best qualified to assist aided in the instruction of their shipmates, who made rapid progress under their tiiition. On Christmas Day, Capt. Lyon states that he received sixteen copies from men, who, two months before, scarcely knew their letters. These little specimens were all well written, and sent with as much pride as if the writers had been good little schoolboys, instead of stout and excellent seamen. An observatory was erected on shore, for carrying on magnetical, astronomical, and other scientific opera- tions. Foxes were very plentiful about the ships ; fifteen were caught in one trap in four hours on the night of the 25th of October, and above one hundred were iin rnocitnss of arctic I)Iscx)VKrt. (.'itluT trapped or killt'd in the courHe of tlireo montbs, and yet tiiere seemed but little diniiiuition in their nu!id)erH. Capttiin Lyon Buys iio found tlieni not bud eatinn^, the ilesli much resembling thut of kid. A pack of thirteen wolves camo occasionally to have a look at the sliips, and on one occasion broke into a snow-houso ah>ng8ide, and walked oft' with a couple of Esquimaux do<>s confined there. Bears now and then also made their ai)pearanco. A very beautiful ermine walked on board the lleda one (hiy, and was caught in a small trap placed on the deck, certainly tho^rst of these animals which Avas ever taken alive on board a ship 400 yards from the land. Tlie ravenous propensities of even some of tho smaUest members of the animal kingdom are exempli- fied l)y the following extract : — " AV^e had for some time observed that in the fire- hole, which was kept open in the ice alongside, a count- less multitude of small shrimps were constantly rising near tlie surface, and we soon found that in twenty-four hours tliey would clean, in the most beautiful manner, the skeletons." After attending divine service on Christmas day, the officers and crews sat down to the luxury of joints of English roast beef, which had been kept untainted by being frozen, and the outside rubbed with palt. Cran- berry pies and puddings, of every shape and size, with a full allowance of spirits, followed, and, probably the natural attendance of headaches succeeded, for the next morning it was deemed expedient to send all the people for a run on the ice, in order to put them to rights ; but thick weather coming on, it became neces- sary to recall them, and, postponing the dinner hour, they were all danced sober by one o'clock, the fiddler being, fortunately, quite as he should be. During this curious ball, a witty fellow attended as an old cake woman, with lumps of frozen snow in a bucket ; and such was the demand for his pies on this occasion, that he was obliged to replenish pretty frequently. The year had now drawn to a close, and all enjoyed excel- the to er lis ike nd lat 'he el- I'AKUVS SF.tjoSD VOYAGE. 11' U'Ut lioiiltli, niul wtTc l)lofiscil with frood -|»irit8, nn«l /xml fur tho ruiiuwul of their Ardiioiia » xei'tioiiH in tiio buiii- iiier. ' Xo Fipins of scurvy, tho iisral |)hi<:;uc of such voy- nffcs, liad occuitcmI, und l)y tlio phuis of Ca[)tjuii Parry, an carried out on tiie former voya^jje, a hiilhciency of uiURtard and cress was raised hetweeu decks to atlord all iiands a salad once, and sonu'tinies twice a week. Tlio cold now became intense. Witie froze in the hot- tics. Port was congealed into thin i)ink lamina', which lay loo-^elv, and occupied the whole length of tlie but- tle. White wine, on the contrary, froze into a solid and perfectly transparent mass, resembling amber. On the 1st of February the monotony of their life was varied by tho arrival of a lai'ge party of Ks(|ui- maux, and an interchange of visits thenceforward took place with this tribe, which, sinoularly enough, were j»roverbial for their lionesty. Ultimately, liowever, they began to display some thievish propensities, for on one evening in March a most shocking theft was committed, which was no less than the last piece of English corned beef from the midshipmen s mess. Had it been an 181b. carronade, or even one of the an- chors, the thieves would have been welcome to it ; but to purloin English beef in such a country was unpar- donaldo. On the 15th of March C?iptain Lyon, Lieutenant Palmer, and a party of men, left the ship, with pro- visions, tents, ti^c, in a large sledge, for an e\c hion of three or four days, to examine the land iu the 'i^dgh- borhood of the ships. The first night's encampment was anything but com- fortable. Their tent they found so cold, that it was determined to make a cavern in the snow to sleep in ; and digging this aftbrded so good an opportunity of warming themselves, that the only shovel was lent from one to the other as a particular favor. After digging it of sufKcient size to contain them all in a sitting j)os- ture, by means of the smoke of a fire tliey numaged to raise the temperature to 20°, and, closing tiie entrance 118 ritOGKESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVKRY. ii with blocks of snow, crept into their blanket bags and tried to sleep, with the pleasant reflection that their root' might fall in and bury them all, and that their one spade was the only means of liberation after a night's drift of snow. They woke next morning to encounter a heavy gale and drift, and found their sledge so embedded in the snow that they could not get at it, and in the attempt their faces and extremities were most painfully frost- bitten. The thermometer was at 32° below zero ; they could not, moreover, see a yard of the road ; yet to re- main appeared worse than to go forward — tlie last plan was, therefore, decided on. The tent, sledge, and luggage were left behind, and with only a few pounds of bread, a little rum, and a spade, tlie party again set out ; and in order to depict their sufferings, 1 must take up the narrati^'c as related by the commander himself : "!Not knowing where to go, we wandered among the heavy hummocks of ice, and suffering from cold, fatigue and anxiety, w'ere soon completely bewildered. Several of our party now began to exhibit symptoms of that horrid kind of insensibility which is the pre- lude to sleep. They all professed extreme willingness to do what they were told in order to keep in exercise, but none obeyed ; on the contrary, tliey reeled about like drunken men. Tlie faces of several were severely frost-bitten, and some had for a considerable tin>e lost 6en>ation in their fingers and toes ; yet they made not the slightest exertion to rub the parts affected, and even discontinued their general custom of warming each other on observinfir a discoloration of the skin. Mr. Palmer employed tlie people in building a snow wall, ostensibly as a shelter from the wind, but in fact to give them exercise, when standing still must have proved fatal to men in our circumstances. My atten- tion was exclusively directed to Sergeant Speckman, who, having been repeatedly warned that his nose vras frozen, had paid no attention to it, owing to tlie state of stupefaction into whicli he had fallen. The frost- bite had now extended over one sidw of his face, which PARRY S SECOND VOYAGE. * 119 was frozen as hard as a mask ; the eyelids were stiff, and one corner f the upper lip so drawn up as to expose the teeth and gums. My hands being still warm, I had the happiness of restoi-ing the circulation, after which I used all my endeavors to keep the poor fellow in motion ; but he complained sadly of giddi- ness and dimness of sight, and was so weak as to be unable to walk without assistance. His case was so alarming, that I expected every moment he would lie down, never to rise again. "Our prospect now became every moment more gloomy, and it was but too probable that four of our party would be unable to survive another hour. Mr. ralmer, however, endeavored, as well as myself, to cheer the people up, but it was a faint attempt, as we had not a single hope to give them. Every piece of ice. or even of small rock or stone, was now supposed to be the ships, and we had great difficulty in prevent- ing the men from running to the different objects which attracted them, and consequently losing themselves in the drift. In this state, while Mr. Palmer was running round us to warm himself, he suddenly pitched on a new beaten track, and as exercise was indispensable, we determined on following it, wherever it might lead us. Having taken the Serijeant under mv coat, he re- covered a little, and we moved onward, when to our infinite joy we found that the path led to the ships." As the result of this exposure, one man had two of his fingers so badly frost-bitten as to lose a good deal of the llesh of the upper ends, and for many days it was feared that he would be obliged to have them am- putated. Quarter-master Carr, one of those who had been the most hardy while in the air, fainted twice on getting belo'vv, and every one had severe frost-bites in different parts of the body, which recovered after the usual loss of skin in these cases. One of the Esquimaux females, by name Tgloolik, who plays a conspicuous part in the narrative, was a general favorite, being possessed of a large fund of useful information, having a good voice and ear for iii 120 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOYERY. music, being an excellent seamstress, and having sneh a good idea of the hydrogniphy and bearings of tlic neighboring sea-coasts, as to draw charts which guided Parry much in his future operations, for he found lier sketches to be in the main correct. She connected the jand from tlieir winter quarters to the northwest sea, rounding and terminating the northern extremity of this part of America, by a large island, and a strait of sutlicient magnitude to afford a safe passage for the ships. Tliis little northwest passage, observes Lyon, set us all castle-building, and we already fancied the worst part of our voyage over ; or, at all events, that before half the ensuing summer was past, we should arrive at Akkoolce, the Esquimaux settlement on the western shore. Half-way between that coast and Ee pulse Bay, Igloolik drew on her chart a lake of consid- erable size, having small streams running from it to the sea, on each side ; and the correctness of this infor- mation was fully proved by Rae in his recent expedi- tion in 1846. On the 13tli of April their Esquimaux friends took their departure for other quarters ; towards the end of the montli the crews completed the cutting of trenches round the vessels, in order that they might rise to their proper bearings previous to working in the holds, and the ships floated like corks on their native element, after their long imprisonment of 191 days. As tlie season appeared to be im2>roving, another land expedi- tion was tletermined on, and Captain Lyon and Lieu- tenant Palmer, attended by a party of eight men, set off on the 8th of May, taking with them twenty days' provisions. Each man drew on a sledge 126 lbs., and the ofHcers 95 lbs. apiece. " Loaded as we were," says the leader, "it was with the greatest difficulty we made our way amoncj and over the hummocks, ourselves and sledges taking some very unpleasant tumbles. It required two and a half hours to cross the ice, altliough the distance was not two miles, and We then landed on a small island, where we passed the night." parry's 8EC0NT) VOYAGE. 121 iien- Seve^''ght vis- 11] OJ'I'ow clispeJied pvvn they jtlie ships pnaJ, and James ast-heacl Wm. I'pentei-'s ihI 2rth, the sea . baj ice "ig, and bi eeze, ^ere fre- 3 came her on t bower ith, the HecJa "(i each in the •losing board 'J the irecJa otiier Very I'oad f" ice, us/' fric- ads, ime requisite for people to attend with buckets of water. The pressure was at length too powerful for resistance, and the stream-cable, with two six and one live-inch hawsers, all gave way at the same moment, three others soon following them. The sea was too full of ice to allow the ship to drive, and the only way in which she could yield to the enormous weight which oppressed her, w^as by leaning over on the land ice, while ner stem at the same time was entirely lifted to above the height of five feet out of the water. The lower deck beams now complained very much, and the whole frame of the ship underwent a trial which would have proved fatal to any less strengthened vessel. At the same moment, the rudder was unhung with a sudden jerk, which broke up the rudder-case, and struck the driver-boom with great force." From this perilous position she was released almost by a miracle, and the rudder re-hung. The ships av last reached the island which had been so accurately described to them by the Esquimaux lady — Iglolik, where they came upon an encampment of 120 Esquimaux, in tents. Captains Parry and Lyon and other officers made frequent exploring excursions along the shores of the Fury and Ilecla strait, and in- land. On the 26th of August the ships entered this strait, which was found blocked up with flat ice. The season had also now assumed so wintry an aspect that there seemed but little probability of getting much far- ther west : knowing of no harbor to protect the ships, unless a favorable change took place, they had the gloomy prospect before them of wintering in or near tills frozen strait. Boating and land parties "were dis- patched in several directions, to report upon the differ- ent localities. On the 4th of September, Captain Lyon landed on an island of slate formation, about six miles to the west- ward of the ships, which he named Amherst Island. The result of these expeditions proved that it was impracti- cable, either by boats or water conveyance, to examine any part of the land southwest of Iglolik, in conse- fjnence of the ice. 124 PliOGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. Mr. Eeid and a boat-party traveled about sixty miles to the westward of Anil i erst Island, and ascertained the termination of the strait. On a consultation with the officers, Captain Parry determined to seek a berth near to Iglolik, in which to secure the ships for the winter. They had now been sixty-live days struggling to get forward, but had only in that time reached forty miles to the westward of Iglolik. The vessels made the best of their way to the natural channel between tliis island and tlie land, but were for some time drifted with the ice, losing several anchors, and it was only by liard work in cutting channels that they were brought into safer quarters, near the land. Some fine teams of dogs were here purchased from the Esquimaux, which were found very serviceable in making excursions on sledges. Their second Christmas day in this region had now arrived, and Lyon informs us — " Captain Parry dined with me, and was treated with a superb display of mustard and cress, with about fifty onions, rivaling a fine needle in size, which I had reared in boxes round my cabin stove. All our messes in either ship were supj^lied with an extra pound of real English fresh beef, which had been hanging at our quarter for eighteen montlis. We could not aftbrd to leave 't for a farther trial of keeping, but I have no doubt that double the period would not have quite spoiled its flavor." This winter proved much more severe than the for- mer. Additional clothing was found necessary. The stove funnels collected a quantity of ice within them, notwithstanding^ flres were kept up night and day, so that it was frequently requisite to take them down in order to break and melt the ice out of them. Nothing was seen of the sun for forty -two days. On the 15th of April, Mr. A. Elder, Greenland mate of the Hecla, died of dropsy: he had been leading man with Parry on Ross's voyage, and for his good conduct Yas made mate of the Griper, on the last expedition. On the 6th of September, 1823, Mr. George Fife, the jfUlot, also died of scurvy. takry's second voyage. 12ft get to ibt ii tt After taking a review of their provisions, and the probability of having to pass a third winter here, Capt. rarry deteniiined to send the Ilecla home, taking from lier all the provision that could be spared. Little or no hopes could be entertained of any passage being found to the westward, otherwise than by the strait now 60 firmly closed with ice ; but Parry trusted that some interesting additions might be made to the geography of these dreary regions, by attempting a passage to the nortliward or eastward, in hopes of finding an outlet to Lancaster Sound, or Prince llegent's Inlet. On the 21st of April, 1823, they began transsliipping the provisions ; the teams of dogs being found most useful for this purpose. Even two anchors of 22 cwt. each, were drawn by these noble animals at a quick trot. Upon admitting daylight at the stern windows of the Ilecla, on the 22d, the gloomy, sooty cabin showed to no great advantage ; no less than ten buckets of ice were taken from the sashes and out of the stern lockers, from which latter some spare flannels and instruments were only liberated by chopping. On the 7th of June, Captain Lyon, with a party of men, set off across the Melville Peninsula, to endeavor to get a sight of the western sea, of which they had re- ceived descriptive accounts from the natives, but ow- ing to the difiiculties of traveling, and the ranges of mountains they mec with, they returned unsuccessful, after being out twenty days. Another inland trip of a fortnight followed. On the 1st of August, the Ilecla was reported ready for sea. Some symptoms of scurvy having again made their appearance in the ships, and the surgeons report- ing that it would not be prudent to continue longer; Ca])tain Pariy reluctantly determined to proceed home witli botli ships. After being 319 days in their winter quarters, the ships got away on the 9th of August. A conspicuous landmark, with dispatches, was set up on tlie main-land, for tlie int'urniation of Franklin, Bhonld he reach tliiti quarter. d 'I , 126 I'KOGRESb OF AKCTIC DISCOVERY. On reacluTin^ Winter Island, and visiting tlicir la.-^i year's gardon, radishes, mustard and cress, and onions were brought off, whicli had survived tlie winter and were still alive, seventeen months from the time tlu'V were planted, a very remarkal)le j>root' of their having been preserved by the warm covering of snow. The ships, during the whole of this passage, were driven by the current more than tiiree degrees, entirely at the mercy of the ice, being carried into every bight, and swept over each point, without the power of help- ing tliemselves. On the 1st of September, they were driven up Lyon Inlet, where they were confined high up till the 0th, when a breeze sprung u]), whicii t(.)ok them down to within three miles of Winter Island ; still it was not until the 12th, that they got thoroughly clear of the in- draught. The danger and suspense of these twelve days were horrible, and Lyon justly observes, that he would prefer being frozen up cUiring another eleven months' winter, to again passing so anxious a period of time. " Ten of the twelve nights were ]xissed on deck, in expectation, each tide, of some decided change in our aftairs, either by being left on the rocks, or grounding in such shoal water, thtit the M'hole bodv of the ice must have slid over us. Ihtt, as that good old seanuin DatUn expresses himself, ' (rod, who is greater than either ice or tide, always delivered us! '" For thirty-five days the ships had been beset, and in that period had driven witli the ice above 800 miles, without any exertion on their ])art, and also without a possibility of extricating themselves. On the 2;)f September, they once more got into the swell of tiio Atlantic, and on the 10th of October, tlrrived at Ler- wick, in Shetland. Claveeing's Yoyage tc» Spitzbeegen and GrEE2T- LAND. 1823. In 1820, Cnpt. Sabine, K. A., who had been for some time eng:!/^('d in magm-tic observations, and also in clavkring's voyage. lis. oil* Iji!^ tor rtinl lie tlit'V luiviiig JO, W(M'0 outiivly •y bi<>'lit, of lu'lp- np Lvon tlie Cth, clown to was not of tlie in- e twolvc 1, that ho ii' olevtn a period deck, in »;o in our iroundiiiii; [i ice must Ian Eatiin itlier ice ^t, and in loo niih'j^, Ivithout a e, Hod of |;11 of the at Ler- |Gree5t- Ifor pome ids(» in experiments to determine tlie confijjjnration of the eai'th, by means of pendulum vibrationn in dilfereiit latitudes, havinoj perfected his observations at different ])oints, from the E(|uator to the Arctic Circle, suggested to the Koyal Society, through Sir Humphry Davy, the iinj)or- tance of extending similar experiments into higlier lat- itudes toward the Pole. Acct»rding]y, tlie government placed at his disposal II. M. S. Griper, 120 tons, Com- nnmder Clavering, which was to convey him to S| itz- beiojen, and thence to the east coast of Greenland. The Griper sailed from the Nore, on the 11th of May, and proceeded to Ilammerfest, or AVliale Island, near the North Cape, in Norway, which she reached on the 4th of June, and Capt. Sabine having finished his shore observations by the 23d, the vessel set sail for Si)itzber- gen. Slie fell in with ice off Cherry Island, in hit. 75^ 5', on the 27th, and on the 30th disembarked the tents and instruments on one of the small islands round llakluyt's Headland, near the eightieth parallel. Capt. Chiverin^, meanwhile, sailed in the Griper due north, and reaclied the latitude of 80° 20', where being stop- ped by close packed ice, lie was obliged to return. On the 21:th of July, they again put to sea, directing their course for the highest known point of the eastern coast of Greenland. They met with many fields of ice, and made the land, which had a most miserable, deso- late a]ipearance, at a point which was named Cape Bor- lase iVarren. Two islands were discovered, and as (^apt. Sabine here landed and carried on his observa- tions, tliey were called Pendulum Islands. From an island situate in lat. 75'^ 12', to which he gave the name of Shannon Island, Clavering saw high land, stretch- ing due north as far as lat. 7(>°. On the 16th of August, Clavering landed with a party of three officers, and sixteen men on the main- land, to examine the shores. The temperature did not sink below 23°, and they slept for nearly a fortnight thev were on shore with onlv a boat-cloak jyid blanket for a covering, without feeling any inconvenience from the cold. A tribe of twelve Esquimaux wai^ met with 128 PEOGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. here. They rctichcd in their jouriujy a Tnajyiiiticenl inlet, about fifty miles in circnnit'ereiiee, wlijch was sup- posed to be the same which Gale IJamkes discovered in 1054, and which bears his name. The mountains round its sides were 4000 to 5000 feet high. On the 2J>th of August, they returned on board, and liaving embarked tlie tents and instrumeiits, the sliip again set sail on the 31st, keeping tlie coast in view^ tt) Capo Parry, hit. 72 i°. The clilfs were observed to be sev- eral thousand feet high. On the l^Jth of September, as the ice in shore began to get very troublesome, the ship stood out to sea, and after encountering a very heavy gale, which drove them with great fury to tijo southward, and it not being thought prudent to make for Ireland, a station in about the same latitude on the Norw^ay coast was chosen instead by Capt. Sabine. Thev made the land about the latitude of Ciiristian- sound. On the 1st of October, the Griper struck hard on a sunken rock, but got off undamaged. On the 6th, they anchored in lirontheim Fiord, where they 'svere received with much kinvi;,cs8 and hos- pitality, and after the necessary ol)servations had been completed the ship proceeded homeward, and reached Deptford on the 19th of December, 1823. Lyon's Voyage in the Griper. In 1824, three expeditions were ordered out, to carry on simultaneous operations in Arctic discovery. To Capt. Lyon was committed the task of examining and completing the survey of the Melville Peninsula, the adjoining straits, and the shores of Arctic America, if possible as far as Franklin's turning point. Capt. Lyon .was therefore gazetted to the Griper gun-brig, which had taken out Capt. Sabine to Spitzbergai, in tlie pre- vious year. The following officers and crew were also apj)oiuted to her : — Griper. Captain — G. F. Lyon. Lieutenants — P. Manico and F. Harding. LYON 8 VOYAGE. 129 HcenI 8 8up- vered itsiins 11 tho siviii^ Lin set Csipo le sev- iinber, 10, thu I very to t.ld f iTiuke on the nibine. ristiiin- k hard Fiord, id hos- d been eached carry y. To urf and ihi, the riea, if , Lvon which ;he pre- ere also 'g- .A -Pistant-Survcyor — E. N. Kendal. Piuv^er — »J. Evans. A ssibtant-Surgeon — W. Leyson. Midslu'puian — J.Tom. 34 Petty OtHcers, Seamen, &e. Total coniplement, 41. It v^'us not till the 20th of Jnne, that tlie Griper f^ot hway from England, being a fnll month hiter than the usual period of departure, and tiie vessel was at tlie bent but an old tub in her sailing propensities. A small tender, called the /Snap, was ordered to accompany her with stores, as far as tlie ice, and having been relieved of her supplies, she was sent home on reaching Hud- son's Straits. The Griper made but slow progress in her deeply la- den state, her crowded decks being continually swept by heavy seas, and it was not until the end of August, that she rounded the southern head of Southampton Island, and stood up toward Sir Thomas Roe's Wei come. On reaching the entrance of this channel they encountered a terrific gale, which for a long time tlii'(>nteiied the destruction of both ship and crew. Drifting with this, they brought up the ship with four anchors, in a bay with five fathoms and a half water, in-the momentary expectation that with the ebb tide t!ie ship would take the ground, as the sea broke fear- fully on a low sandy beach just astern, and had the an- chors parted, nothing could have saved the vessel. Neither commander nor crew had been in bed for three nights, and although little hope was entertained of sur- viving the gale, and no boat could live in such a sea, the orticers and crew performed their several duties with their accustomed coolness. Each man was or- dered to put on his warmest clothing, and to take charge of some useful instrument. The scene is best described in the Avords of the gallant commander : — "Each, therefore, brought his bag on deck, and dressed himself; and in the fine athletic formp v.hich stood exposed before me, 1 did not see one muscle qui- 130 rK()(iKi;ss ov a,uctio disuovkuy. / { ver, nor the si io-litost h1j;ii of altirm. Prayers wero rcftcl, and tlioy tlion all hjit clown in ^ronps, Blieltored from tho wash of the sea hy whatever tliey coultl lind, and sonio endeavored to obtain a little sleep. >«ever, perhaps was witnessed a finer scene than on the deek of ni^ little ship, when all hope of life had left us. Noble as tho character of the British sailor is always allowed to be in case« of danger, yet I did not believe it to be pos- sible that anioni^ forty -one persons not one repining word should have been uttered. Each was at j)eaco with his nei<^hbor and all the world ; and I am iinniy pei'suaded tliat the resignation which was then shown to the will of the Almighty, was the means of obtain- ing 1 1 is mercy. God Mas merciful to us, and the tide, almost miraculously, fell no lower." The api)ropriate name of the l>ay of God's Mercy has been given to this spot on the charts by Captain Lyon. Pioceeding onward up the AVelcome, they encoun- tered, about a fortnight later, another fearful storm. On the 12th of September, when off the entrance of Wager Inlet, it blew so hard for two days, that on tho lij\h the ship was driven from her anchors, and carried away by the fury of the gale, with every prospect of being momentarily dashed to ])iece8 against any hid- den rock ; but the same good Providence which had so recently befriended them, again stood their protec- tor. Oil consulting with his officers, it was unani- mously resolved, that in the crip])led state of the ship, without any anchor, and with her compasses worse than useless, it would be madness to coutinue the voy- age, and the ship's course was therefore shaped for Enghmd. I may observe, that the old Griper is now laid up as a hulk in Chichester Harbor, furnishing a residence and depot for the coast guard station. Parry's Third YoYAor. In the spring of 1824: the Admiralty determined to give Capt. Parry another opportunity of carrying ort rAKUVH TIIIUI) VOYAGE. 131 id to !, OVt tlio j!;i*eut problem wliich hud so lonjif been floiinrlit af- ter, ot'u ii(»rili\vc'8t |)ass{i<;e to the I'ttcitic, and wo ^an- orally estecuiud was thin {gallant coiiiinaiider that he liad i)iit to iioist hiH ])onnaMt, when t'earlcHS of all daii- j;er, and in a noble 8i)irit of emulation, his former as- sociates rallied around him. The same two ships were employed as before, bui Parry now selected the llecla for his pennant. The Btalf of otlicers and men was as follows : — Ileda. Captain — W.E. Parry. Lieutenants — .T. L. Wynn, Joseph Sherer, and Henry Foster. Surgeon — Samuel Neill, M. D. Purser — W. II. Hooper. Assistant Surgeon — W. Rowland. Midshipmen — J. Brunton, F. R. M. Crozier, C. Richards, and II N. Head. Greenland Pilots — J. Allison, master; and G. Champion, mate. 49 Petty Olficers, Seamen, and Marines. Total complement, 62. Fury. Commander — H. P. Iloppner. Lieutenants — H. T. Austin and J. 0. EoSB. Surgeon — A. M'Laren. Purser — J. Halse. Assistant Surgeon — T. Bell. Midshipmen — B. Westropp, C. 0. Waller, and E. Bird. Clerk — W. Mogg. Greenland Pilots — G. Crawford, master ; T. Don- aldson, mate. 48 Petty Officers, Seamen, and Marines. Total complement, 60. The William Harris, transport, was commissioned to accompany the ships to the ice with provisions. i • I 132 PKOOKESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. Amoii«ij the promotions made, it will be seen, were Lient. Iloppiier to the rank of Commander, and second in command of the expedition. Messrs. J. Slierer, and J. C. Ross to be Lieutenants, and J. Halse to bo Purser. The attempt on this occasion was to be made by Lancaster Sound tli rough Barrow's Strait to Prince Regent Inlet. The sliips sailed on the 10th of May, 1824, and a month afterward fell in with the body of the ice in lat. 601°. After transhipping the stores to the two vessels, and sending home the transport, about the middle of July they were close beset with the ice in Baffin's Bay, and "from this time (says Parry) the obstructions from the quantity, magnitude, and close- ness of the ice, which were such as to keep our people almost constantly employed in heaving, warping, or sawing through it; and yet with so little success tluit, at the close of July, we had only penetrated seventy miles to the westward," After encountering a severe gale on the 1st of August, by which masses of overlay- ing ice were driven one upon the other, the Ilecla was laid on her broadside by a strain, which Parry s.iy8 must inevitably have crushed a vessel of ordinary strength ; they got clear of the chief obstructions by the iirst week in September. During the whole of August they had not one day sufficiently free from rain, snow, or sleet, to be able to air the bedding of the sliip's company. They entered Lancaster Sound on the 10th of Sep- tember, and with the exception of a solitary berg or two found it clear of ice. A few days after, however, they fell in with the young ice, which increasing daily in thickness, the ships became beset, and by the cur- rent which set to the east at the rate of three miles an hour, they were soon drifted back to the eastward of Admiralty Inlet, and on the 23d they found them- selves again off Wollaston Island, at the entrance of Navy Board Inlet. By perseverance, hovrever, and the aid of a strong easterly breeze, they once more man- aged to recover their lost ground, and on the 27tb reached the enti'ance of Port Bowen on the eastern PARRY S THIRD VOYAGE. 1?>3 rg or ever, daily le cur- ies an ird of t hem- ice of lid the inan- B 27tb astern I shore of Prince Regent Inlet, and here Pariy resolved ii])(in wintering; this making the fourth winter this enter])rising commander had passed in these inhospi- table seas. The nsual laborious process of cutting canals had to be resorted to, in order to get the ships near to tlie shore in secure and sheltered situations. Parrv tlnis describes the dreary monotonous character of an arctic winter : — ''It is hard to conceive any one thino; more like another than two winters passed in the higher latitudes of the Tiolar regions, excejjt when variety happens to be afforded bv intercourse w'ith some other branch of the whole family of man. "Winter after winter, nature here assumes an aspect so much alike, that cursory ol)- servatiuu can scarcelv detect a single feature of varietv. The winter ot m')re temperate climates, and even in some of no slight severitv, is occasional! v diversiiied by a thaw, w hich at once gives variety and compara- tive cheerfulness to the prospect. P)Ut liere, when once the earth is covered, all is dreary monottmous white- ness, not merely for days or weeks, but for more than half a year together. Whichever Avay the eye is turn- ed, it meets a picture calculated to impress upon the mind an idea of inanimate stillness, of that motionless torpor with "udiich our feelings have nothing congenial ; of any thing, in short, but life. In the very silence there is a deadness with which a human spectator ap- pears out of heeping. The presence of man seems an intrusion on the dreary solitude of this wintry desert, which even its native animals have for awhile forsaken." During this year Parry tells us the thermometer re- mained below zero 131 days, and did not rise above that point till the 11th of April. The sun, which had been absent from their view 121 days, again blessed the crews with his rays on the 22d of February. Du- ring this long imprisonment, schools, scientific observa- tions, walking parties, etc., w^ere resorted to, but " our former amusements," says Parry, " being almost worn threadbare, it required some ingenuity to devise any 6* "1^ 134 PKOGRESS OF AKCTIC DISCOVERY. i ) i : * ! f plan that phould possess the charm of novelty to re- \. liappy idea was, however, hit upon by coi nmend Connnand ha I masque was ojjpner, at whose suggest held, to the great ever , monthly iversion of both officers and men, to the number of 120. The populai coiinnander entered gayly into their recreations, and thus speaks of these polar masquerades : — "■ It is impossible that any idea could have proved more happy, or more exactly suited to our situation. Admirably dressed characters of various descriptions readily took their parts, and many of these were sup- ported with a degree of spirit and genuine good humor wliich would not have disgraced a more refined assem- bly ; while the latter might not have been disgraced by co})ying the good order, decorum, and inoifensive cheerfulness which our humble masquerades presented. It does especial credit to the dispositions and good sense of our men, that though all the officers entered fully into the spirit of these amusements, which took place once a month alternately on board of each ship, no instance occurred of any thing that could interfere with the regular discipline, or at all weaken the respect of the men toward their superiors. Ours were mas queriides withc>ut licentiousness — carnivals without excess." Exploring parties were sent out in several directions. Commander Iloppner and his party went inland, and after a fortnight's fatiguing journey over a mountain- ous, barren, and desolate country, where precipitous ra- vines 500 feet deep obstructed their passage, traveled a degree and three-quarters — to the latitude of 73° 19', but saw no appearance of sea from thence. Lieutenant Sherer, with four men, proceeded to the southward, and made a careful survey of the coast as far as 72 i", but had not provisions sufficient to go round Cape Kater, the southernmost point observed in their former voyage. Lieutenant J. C. Ross, with a similar party, traveled to the northward, along the coast of the Inlet, and from the hills about Cape York, observed that the sea was I PARRY S THIRD VOYAGE. 135 ;o re- 011 by iithly ■ both )pulai I, and ►roved lation. ptions e sup- huinor assem- trraced tensive sented. d good entered •h took ;li ship, itertere espect mas svithout Bctions. id, and iintain- ous ra- aveled 73° 19', I to tlie ;oast as to p;o Irved in raveled id from kea was perfectly open and free from ice at the distance of twenty-two miles from the sliips. After an imprisonment of al)ont ten months, by great exertions the ships were got cl^ar from the ice, and on the 20th of July, 1825, ii])on the separation of tlie Hoe across the harboi*, towed ont to sea. Parry then made for the western shore of the Inlet, being desirous of ex- amining the coast of North Somerset for any channel that might occur, a jjivhaliinty which later discoveries in that quarter have proved to be without foundation. On the 28th, when well in with the western shore, the Ilecla, in si)ite of ever^^ exertion, was beset by floating ice, and after breaking two large ice anchors in en- deavoring to heave in shore, was obliged to give up the effort and drift with the ice until the 30th. On the following day, a heavy gale came on, in wh.ich the Ilecla carried away three hawsers, wliile the Fury was driven on shore, but was hove off at higli water. Both ships were now drifted by tlie body of the ice downtiie Inlet, and took the ground, the Fury being so nipped and strained that she leaked a great deal, and four pumps kept constantly at work did not keep her clear of water. They were floated oft* at high water, but, late on the 2nd of August, the huge masses of ice once more forced tlie Fury on shore, and the Ilecla narrowly escaped. On examining her and getting her off, it was found that she must be hove down and repaired ; a basin was therefore formed for her reception and completed by the 16th, a mile further to the southward, within three icebergs grounded, where there were three or four fathoms of water. Into this basin she was taken on the 18th, and her stores and provisions being removed, she was hove down, but a gale of wind com- ing on and destroying the masses of ice which shel- tered her, it became necessary to re-embark the stores, &c., ami once more put to sea ; but the unfortunate vessel had hardly got out of her harbor before, on Ihe 21st, she was again driven on shore. Aftei* a careful survey and examination, it was found necessary to abandon her : Parry's opinion being thus expressed — r l! r-'rfnim •Ml ■;Hi ii t) I f 136 niOGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVEKY. " Every ciuloiu^or of ours to get her off, or if got off, to flout her to any kiiowji phice of safety, would be at once utterly hopeless in itself, and productive of ex- treme rihk to our remaining sliip." The loss of this ship, and the crowded state of the remaining vessel, made it impossihle to think of con- tinuing the voyage for the ^^urposes of discovery. " The incessant labor, the constant state of anxiety, and the frequent and imminent danger into which the surviving yhip was thrown, in the attempts to save her comrade, which were continued for twenty-five days, destroyed every reasonable expectation hitherto cher- ished of the ultimate accomplishment of this object." Taking advantage of a northerly wind, on the 27tli the llecla stretched across the Inlet for the eastern coast, meeting with little obstruction from the ice, and anchored in Keill's Harbor, a short distance to the southward of their winter quarters, Port Bowen, where the ship M-as got ready for crossing the Atlantic. The Hecla put to sea on the 31st of August, and en- tering Barrow's Strait on tlie Ist of September, found it perfectly clear of ice. In Lancaster Sound, a very large number of bergs were seen ; but they found an open sea in BatKn's Bay, till, on the 7th of September, when in latitude 75° 30', they came to the margin of the ice, and soon entered a clear channel on its eastern side. From tliii-ty to forty large icebergs, not less than 200 feet in height, were sighted. On the 12tli of Octoljer, Captain Parry landed at Peterhead, and the Ilccla arrived at Sheerness on the 20th. But one num died during this voyage — John Page, a seaman of the Fury — who died of scurvy, in JS'eilFs Harbor, on the 20tirof August. This voyage cannot but be considered the most unsuc- cessful of the three made l)y Parry, whether as regards the information gleaned on the sul)ject of a northwest passage, or the extension of our store of geographical or scientific knowledge. Tl;e shoves of this inlet were more naked, barren, and dtisohite than even Melville Island. With the exception of some hundreds of white / f FKANICLIN'S SECOND EXPEDITION. 137 s than 1 1 led at f ^ on tho ' j - John J •vy, in M insuc- ft \o'ards 'l hwest 1 phical J wore M i'lvillo M vvhito m whales, seen sportinoj about the southernmost part of tho Inlet that was visited, few other species of auimak were seen. " We have scarcely," says Pany, " ever visited a coast on which so little of animal life occurs. For days to- getlier only one or two seals, a single sea-horse, and now and then a flock of ducks were seen." lie still clings to the accomplishment of the great object of a nortliwest passage. At page 184 of his offi- cial narrative, he says: — " I feel confident that the undertaking, if it be deemed advisable at any future time to pursue it, will one day or other be accomplished ; for — setting aside the acci- dents to which, from their very nature, such attempts must be liable, as well as other unfavorable circum- stances which human foresight can never guard against, or human power control — I cannot but believe it to be an enterprise well within tlie reasonable limits of practicability. It may be tried often and fail, for seve- ral favorable and fortunate circumstances must be com- bined for its accomplishment ; but I believe, neverthe- less, that it will ultimately be accomplished." " I am much mistaken, indeed," he adds, " if the northwest passage ever becomes the business of a single summer ; nay, 1 believe that nothing but a concurrence of very favorable circumstances is likely ever to make a single winter in the ice sufficient for its accomplish- ment. But there is no argument against the possibility of final success ; for we know that a winter in the ice may be passed not only in safety, but in health and comfort." Not one winter alone, but two and three have been passed with health and safety in these seas, imder a wise and careful commander. Franklin's Second Expedition, 1825-26. Undaunted by the hardships and sufferings he had encountered in his previous travels with a noble spirit of ardor and enthusiasm. Captain Franklin determined # M f ihfififi i ! I 138 PROGEESS OF ARCllC DISCOVERY. to prosecute the chain of his former discoveries from tlie Coppermine river to the most western point of the Arctic regions. A sea expedition, nndertiie command of Captain Beechey was at the same time sent round ^ Cape llorn to Behring's Straits, t* » co-operate with Pairy and Franklin, so as to furnish provisions to tlie former, and a conveyance home to the hitter. Captain I'ranklin's offer was therefore accepted by the government, and leaving Liverpool in February, 1825, he arrived at New York about the middle of March. Tlie officers under his orders were his old and tried comprmions and fellow sufferers in the former jour- nev — Dr. Richardson and Lieutenant Back, with Mr. E. K". Kendal, a mate in the navy, who had been out in the Griper with Capt. Lyon, and Mr. T. Drummond, a naturalist. Four boats, specially prepared for tlie pur- poses of the expedition, were sent out by the Hudson's . Bay Comjjany's ship. In July, 1825, the party arrived at Fort Chipewyan. It is unnecessary to go over the ground and follow them in their northern journey; suffice it to say, they reached Great Bear Lake in safety, and erected a winter dwell- ing on its western shore, to which the name of Fort Franklin was given. To Back and Mr. Dease, an offi- cer in the Hudson's Bay Company's service, were in- trusted tlie arrangements for their winter quarters. From here a small party set out with Franklin down the Mackenzie to examine the state of the Polar Sea. On the 5th of September they got back to their com- panions, and prepared to pass the long winter of seven or eight months. On the 28th of June, 1826, the season being suffi- ciently advanced, and all their preparations completed, the Avhole party got away in four boats to descend the Mackenzie to the Polar Sea. Where the river branclios off into several channels, the party separated on the 8d of July, Captain Franklin and Lieutenant Back, with two boats and fourteen men, having with tlieni the faithful Esquimaux interpreter, Augustus, who had been with them on the former expedition, proceeded to FTvANKLTNS SECOND EXPEDITION. 139 Sllffi- leted, the II ell OS lie 8d I with the had id to the westward, while Dr. Ilicliardson and Mr. Kendal in the other two boats, having;: ten men under their command, set out in an easterly direction, to search the CoDDennine River. FranKliii arrived at the moutli of tlio Maclvenzio on the 7th of July, where he encountered a large tribe of tierce Esijuimaux, who pillaged his boats, and it was only by great caution, prudence and forbearance, that the whole party were not massacred. After getting the boats afloat, and clear of these unpleasant visitors, Franklin ])ursued his survey, a most tedious and ditii- cult one, for more than a month ; he was only able to reach a point in latitude 70° W N., longitude 149° 37' "VV., to which Back's name was given ; and here pru- dence obliged him to return, although, strangely enough, a boat from the Blossom was waiting not 100 miles west of his jDosition to meet with him. The extent of coast purveyed was 371: miles. Tiie return journey to Foifc Franklin was safely accomplished, and they arrived at their house on the 31st of September, when they found Richardson and Kendal had returned on the flrst of the month, having accomplished a voyage of about 500 miles, or 902 by the coast line, between the 4i h of July and the 8th of August. They had pushed forward be- yond the strait named after their boats, the Dolphin and union. In ascending the Coppermine, they had to abandon their boats and carry their provisions and baggage. Having passed another winter at Fort Franklin, as soon as the season broke up the Canadians were dis- missed, and the party returned to England. The cold experienced in tlie hvst winter was intense, the thermometer standing at one time at 58° below zero, but having now plenty of food, a weather-tight dwell- ing, and good health, they passed it cheerfully. Dr. Bichardson gave a course of lectures on practical geol- ogy, and Mr. Drummond furnished information on natu- ral history. During the winter, in a solitary hut on the Rocky mountains, he managed to collect 200 specimens Df birds, animals, *&c., and more than 1500 of plants. mmmtimmmi HO rKOORESS OF AKCTIC DTSOOVKRY. Whoii Cji])tiiiii Fnuildiii lott Euc^IiiikI to proceed on this ex])Ofliti(»ii lie luid to inulergo ii severe struggle between liis feelings of affection aiul u sense of duty. His wife (he has been married twice) was then lying at the jK)int of death, and indeed died the day after ho left England. But with heroic fortitnde she vu'ged his do|>a!ture at the very day appointed, entreating him, as he valued her j^eace and his own glory, not to delay a moment on her account. His feeling's, tlierefore, inay be inferred, but not described, when he had to elevate on Garry Island a silk flag, wliicli she had made and given him as a parting gift, with the instruction that he was only to hoist it on reaching the Polar Sea. Beechey's Voyage. — 1826-28. n. M. SLOOP Blossom, 26, Ca])tain F. "W. Beechey, sailed from Spithead on the 10th of May, 1825, and lier instructions directed her, after surveying some of the islands in tlje Pacific, to be in Behring's Straits by the sunnner or autumn of 1826, and contingently in that of 1827. It is foreign to my purpose hero to allude to those parts of her voyage anterior to her arrival in tlie Straits. On the 28th of June the Blossom came to an anchor off tlie toM'n of Petrojiolowski, where she fell in with the Kussian ship of war Modesto, under the command of l>aron AV^rangol, so well known for his enterprise in the hazardous expedition by sledges over the ice to the northward of Cape Siielatskoi, or Errinos. (^ajitain Beechey here found dispatches informing him of the return of Pai-ry's expedition. Being beset by currents and other difliculties, it was not till tlie 5th of July that the Blossom got clear of the harbor, jind made the best of her way to Kotzebue Sound, reaching the a]>poiutod rendezvous at Chamiso Island on tlio 25th. AfttM- landing and burying a barrel of flour upon PufHn IvDck, the most unfrequented spot about the island, the Blo-soni c>ccnpied the time in surveying and examining i' 'i BKEOllKY 8 VOYAGE. 141 tiie iiei3' 31" K, and longitude 150° 21' 31" W., where l\T^" . I :ih l42 I»KOGliKtS8 OF Ala TIC DISCUVKUY. she M'lis Btoi)pe(.l l)y the iee which was attaolicd to the shore. The farthest toii_i»ue «»t' hmd thoy reachiMl was named Point Jiarrow, and is tihout 12(5 niik's northeast of ley Cape, heing only ahont 150 or !(!(» miles from Franklin's discoveries west of the Mackenzie river. The wind suddenly cliunj2;ing to southwest, the com- pact bod}' of ice began to drift with tiie current to the northeast at the rate of three and a half miles an hour, and Mr. Elson, finding it dilticult to avoid large tloating masses of ice, was obliged to come to an anchor to pre- vent being driven back. '* It was not long before he was BO closely beset in the ice, that no clear water could be seen in any direction tVom the liills, and the ice continuing to press against the shore, his vessel was driven upon the beach, and there left upon her broad- side in a most helpless condition; and to add to h'i cheerless pr(leni8h beinjij some 2000 miles dis- taiit, iiiducod his otlicers to concur witli Jiiiti in tlio necessity of leiivinj]^ at once. A barrel of Hour and other articles were buried on the sandy point of Cha- niiso, for Franklin, which it was hoped would escape the ])rying eyes of the natives. After a cruise to California, the Sandwich Islands, Loochoo, the Bonin Islands, &c., the Jilossoni returned to (Mwuniso Island on the 5th of July, 1827. They found the flour and dispatches they had left the ])re- vious year unmolested. Lieut. Belcher was dispatched in the barcje to explore the coast to the northward, and the ship followed her as soon as the wind ])ermitted. On the 0th of September, when standinii; in for the northern shore of Kotzebue Sound, the ship driflinj^ Avitli the current took the pjround on a sand-bank near llotham Inlet, but the wind nioderatintj, as the tide rose S' e went oft* the shoal a])parently without irijury. After this narrow escape troin shipwreck they be.il; up to Chamiso Island, which they reached on the loth of Se])tembor. Not tindinii; the barge returned as ex- pected, the coast was scanned, and a siijnal of distress found flying on the southwest point of Choris Pen- insula, and two men waving a white cloth to attract notice. On binding, it was found that this pai'ty wei'e tlie crew of the barge, which had been wrecked in Kot- zebue Sound, and three of the men were also lost. On the 29th a collision took place with the natives, whi^ch resulted in three of the seamen and four of the marines being wounded by arrows, and one of the na- tives killed by the i-eturn fire. After leaving advices for Franklin, as before, the Blossom finally left Chamiso on the Gth of October. In a haze and strong wind she ran between the land and a shoal, and a passage had to be forced through breakers at the imminent danger of the ship's striking. The Blossom then nuule the best of her way home, reaching England in the first week of October, 1828. m, -m m ''m !. , 144 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERT. r: 'I 1 Parry's Fourth, or Polar Voyage, 1827. In 182C, Capt. Parrv, wlio li.id only returned from \m last voyage in tlie close of the procedin*^ year, was much struck by the suifgestioiis ot Mr. Scoresby, in a paper read before the Wernerian Society, in whicii ho sketched out a plan for reaching the highest latitudes of the Polar Sea, north of S})itzbergen, by means of sledge boats drawn over the smooth fields of ice which were known to prevail in those regions. C d. Peau- foy, r. 11. S., had also suggested this idea some years previously. Comparing these with a similar plan orig- inally proposed by Captain Franklin, and which was placed in his hands by Mr. Barrow, the Secretary of the Admiralty, Capt. I'arry laid his modified views of the feasib'^ity of the project, and his willingness to un- dertake it, before Lord Melville, the First Lord of the Admiralty, who, after consulting with the President and Council of the Poyal Society, was pleased to sanc- tion the attempt; accordingly, his old ship, the Ilecla, was fitted out for the voyage to Spitzbergen, the fol- lowing officers, (all of whom had been with Parry be- fore,) and crew being appointed to her : — ffecla. Captain — W. E. Parry. Lieutenants — J. C. Ross, Henry Foster, E. J. Bird, F. R. M. Crozier. Purser — James liaise. Surgeon — C. J. Beverley. On the 4th of April, 1827, the outfit and prepara- tions being completed, the Ilecla left the Nore for the coast of Norway, touching at ITammerfest, to embark eight reindeer, and some moss (Cetiomf/ce ranf/ifcrJha) sufficient for their support, the consumption being about 4 lbs. per day, but they can go with(.)ut food for several days. A tremendous gale of wind, experienced off Ilakluyt's Headland, and tlie cinantity of ice with which the ship was in coiise(|nenco beset, detained the voyagers for nearly a month, but on the 18th of June, '. * Ill parry's fourth \oyage. 145 a southorly wind disperslnj]^ tlie ice, they dropped anchor in ti cove, on the northern const of SpitzberIS(50VI'JUV. unlinlon Hovorul liincw ucconliiij^; as thoy oiiiuo to floos (if it'o or luiioH ol' Nvjitcr, and llu\v wviVii i\r'\\'{v{\ lo tlio Houthwunl Wy llio ico at tlio ralt< ort'oiir or livi' niilcHa day. I'arry I'onml it inoro ailvanta^coiis to tra\t'I l>y iiii;lit, tlio Hiiow Ikmm^ then liardor, and tlio iiicoiivcii- ioiu'O ot'HUow hliiidiiosH lunii^ avoided, wliilo tlio party onj*>yod jjjroator warmth dnriii«»' tho period of rest, and had hettor oppurtuidtios of drying their ehdhes h) thtj Him. 1 oaimot do hotter than (piote VarryV o-raphic de- scription (d'this novtd eonrne of j>roeiH'din«;' : '^'I'ravel- in^ l>y ni«;ht, and sK^epinj;' by day, so eoniplettdy in- verted tlie nalnral order (»!' tliini^s that it was diilicnlt to persnade onrselvos ot'the reality. Kven the ollieers and invsell*, wiio were all t'nrnished witii poeket chro- nometers, eonld n(»t always hear in niinti at what part of the twentvdionrs we ha«l arrived; and there wen^ several id' the men who deelared, and I believe trnly, that thev never knew n\}A\t troni tiay durinfi; tho whole exenrsion. " When \vc rose in the ovenini?, wo eonnnoneod onr day by ]»rayt*rs, alitor wiiieii we took (dl" «>ur t'nr slet'p- inii' dresses and pnt on elothes tor travel ino-; the Ibrmer bein«»" made ori'andi>t UjumI with raccoon skin, and the latter <>t' stronu' blno cloth. Wi' made u point ol* al- itovl st that they were not either still wet or hard tVo/en. 'Ibis indiH'd was of no consecincnco, beyond the discomtbrt of lirst pnttinj^- them on in this state, as they were snro to be thoroni;hly wet in a qnartor o\' an lunr atUM* eonnnencini;' onr jonrney ; while, on tho otiier hand, it w-as of vital im}>ortance to keo]> dry things tor sloopin«x in. l>ein«x ' riirp'd ' for truvolinii', wo breakfasted upon warm cocoa and bisc\ut, and at'ter stowinj:: the thinus in tho boats, and on tho slediios, so as to secure tliem ns luuch as jtos- sible fr«>m wot, we sot (>tV on onr day's jiinrnov, and usually traveled four, five, or oven six hours, accord- ing' to ciri'iiinstances." J'AK'KV H KoriKTH V<)VA({K. 147 III livo (liiyH, iioiwitliHljuulinj^ their perBeveranco uimI coiilimuMl jounicyri, tliuy luuud, l>y observation at noon, on tlic .'5oi,li, that they ii:id only made eigh'u miles of oseH of rest., tli(! boats were hauled u|> on tlu^ hirnieer.s and men then smoked their j)ipes, which served to dry the boats and awnings very much, and usually raised the temju^rature of our lodg- ings 10'^ or 15". This part of the tw(!nty-four hours was often a time, and the oidy one, of real enjoyment to us ; the nu^n told their stories, and fought all their battles oVr again, and the labors of the day, unsuccess- ful as they too ofttMi were, were forgottc^n. A regular watch was set during our resting tinu^, to look out for bears, or for the ico breaking up round us, as well as to attend to the drying of tlus clothes, each num alter- luitely taking this duty for one hour. We then con- cluded our day with prayers, and having put on our lur dresses, lay down ti> sleej) with a degree of comfort wiiich perhaj)s few ]>er8ons would imagine ])ossible un- der such circumstances, our chief inconvenience being, that we were stunewhat pinched for room, and there- ion^ obliged to Btow rather closer than was <' the ice with the southerly current, during tlie pji'-riod of rest. After planting their ensigns and pen- nj uts on the 26th, and making it a day of rest, on the ^''i th, the return to the southward was commenced. Nv 'thing particular occurred. Lieutenant Iloss man- ag }d to bring down with his gun a fat she bear, which ca. ne to have a look at the boats, and after gormandiz- ini> on its flesh, an excess which may be excused consid- eri \g it was the first fresh meat they had tasted for ma ly a day, some symptoms of indigestion manifested the nselves among the party. { 'n the outward journey very little of animal life wm seen. A passing gull, a solitary rotge, two seals, and a couple of flies, were all that their eager eyes cou, i detect. But on their return, these became more nun erous. On the 8th of August, seven or eight nar- wha 8 were seen, and not less than 200 rotges, a flock of t\ ese little birds occurring in every hole of water. On \ he 11th, in latitude 81° 30', the sea was found crow led with shrimps and other sea insects, on which numerous birds were feeding. On this day they took their last meal on the ice, being fifty miles distant from Table Island, having accomplished in fifteen days what hud taken them thirtv-three to effect on their outward 7 *' 150 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. i journey. On tlie 12th, they arrived at this island. The bears had walked off with the relay of bread which had been deposited there. To an inlet lyin*^ off Table Island, and the most northern known land upon the globe, Parry gave the name of Ross, for " no individ- ual," he observes, " could have exerted himself more strenuously to rob it "of this distinction." Putting to sea again, a storm obliged the boats to bear up for Walden Island. " Every thing belonging to us (says Captain Parry) was now completely drenched by the spray and snow ; we had been fifty-six hours without rest, and forty-eight at work in the boats, so that by^ the time they were unloaded we had barely strength left to haul them up on the rocks. However, by dint of great exertion, we managed to get the boats above the surf ; after which a hot supper, a blazing fire of drift wood, and a few hours quiet rest, restored » us. They finally reached the ship on the 21st of August, after sixty-one days' absence. "The distance traversed during this excursion was 569 geographical miles ; but allowing for the times we had to return for our baggage, during the greater part of the journey over the ice, we estimated our actual traveling at 978 geographical, or 1127 statute miles. Considering our constant exposure to wet, cold, and fatigue, our stockings having generally been drenched in snow-water for twelve hours out of every twenty- four, I had great reason to be thankful for the excellent health in which, upon the whole, we reached the ship. There is little doubt that we had all become in a certain 'iegree gradually weaker for some time past ; but only three men of our party now required medical care — two of them with badly swelled legs and general de bility, and the other from a bruise, but even these three returned to their duty in a short time." In a letter from Sir W. E. Parry to Sir John Barrow, dated November 25, 1845, he thus suggests some im- provements on his old plan of proceeilings : — "It is evident (lie says) that the causes of failure in parry's fourth voyage. 151 ml. The ,d which )& Table Lipon the ) individ- ;elt' more 5 boats to .oiiging to drenched -six. hours ! boats, so ad barely However, b the boats a blazing it, restored Df August, 'ursion was e times we reater part our actual tute miles, cold, and a drenched ry twenty- le excellent id the ship, "n a certain ; but only cal care — •eneral de "Ithese three Im Earrow, some im- fiiilure in our former attempt, in the year 1827, were principally two : first, and chiefly, the broken, rugged, and soft state of the ice over which we traveled ; and secondly, the drifting of the whole body of ice in a southerly direction. " My amended plan is, to go out with a single ship to Spitzbergen, just as we did in the Ilecla, but not so early in the season ; the object for that year being merely to find secure winter quarters as far north as possible. For this purpose it would only be necessary to reach Hakluyt's Headland by the end of June, which would afford ample leisure for examining the more northern lands, especially about the Seven Islands, where, in all probability, a secure nook might be found for the ship, and a starting point for the proposed ex- pedition, some forty or fifty miles in advance of the point where the Ilecla was before laid up. The winter might be usefully employed in various preparations for the journey, as well as in magnetic, astronomical, and meteorological observations, of high interest in that latitude. 1 propose that the expedition should leave the ship in the course of the month of April, when the ice would present one hard and unbroken surface, over which, as I confidently believe, it would not be difiicult to make good thirty miles per day, without any expo- sure to wet, and probably without snow blindness. At this season, too, the ice would probably be stationary, and thus the two great dilficulties which we formerly had to encounter would be entirely obviated. It might form a part of the plan to push out supplies previously, to the distance of 100 miles, to be taken up on the way, so as to commence the journey comparatively light ; and as the intention would be to complete the enterprise in the course of the month of May, before any disruption of the ice, or any material softening of the surface had taken place, similar supplies might be sent out to the same distance, to meet the party on their return." The late Sir John Barrow, in his last work, com- menting on this, says, " With all deference to so dis- ^1 152 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. !lii tingnished a sea officer, in possession of so mnch expe- rience as Sir Edward Parry, there are others who express dislike of such a plan ; and it is not improba- ble that many will be disposed to come to tlie conclu- sion, that 80 long as the Greenland Seas are hampered with ice, so long as floes, and hnmmocks, and heavy masses, continue to be formed, so long as a determined southerly current prevails, so long will any attempt to carry out the plan in question, in like manner fail. No laborious drudgery will ever be able to conquer the opposing progress of the current and the ice. Besides, it can hardly be doubted, this gallant officer will admit, on further consideration, that this unusual kind of dis- gusting and un seamanlike labor, is not precisely such as would be relished by the men ; and, it may be said, is not exactly fitted for a British man-ot-war's-nian ; moreover, that it required his own all-powerful example to make it even toleral)le." Sir John therefore sug- gested a somewhat dift'erent plan. He recommended tiiat two small ships should be sent in the early spring along the western coast of Spitzbergen, where usually no impediment exists, as far up as 80°. They should take every o])portunity of proceeding directly to the north, where, in about 82°, Parry has told us the large floes had disappeared, and the sea w,".3 found to be loaded only with loose, disconnected, small masses of ice, through which sliips would find no difficulty irx sailing, though totally unfit for boats dragging; and as this loose ice was drifting to the southward, he further says, that before the middle of August a ship might iiave sailed up to the latitude of 82°, almost without touching a piece of ice. It is not then unreasonable to expect that beyond that parallel, even as far as the pole itself, the sea would be free of ice, during the six summer months of perpetual sun, througli each of the twenty-four hours ; wliich, with the aid of the current, would, in all probability, destroy and dissipate the polar ice. The distance from TTakhiyt's Headland to the pole is 600 geographical miles. Granting the ships to make PARKY S FOURTH VOYAGE. 153 large e pole make only twenty miles in twenty-four hours, (on the suppo- sition of much sailing ice to go throng!),) even in that case it would require but a month to enable the ex- plorer to put liis foot on the pivot or point of the axis on which the globe of the earth turns, renuiin tliere a month, if necessar" 'o obtain the sough t-for informa- tion, and tL' , "svx. i, southerly cur . ;.; a fortnight, probably less, vvould uring him back to opitzbergen, "•* In a notice in the Quarterly Review of this, one of the most singular and perilous journeys of its kind ever undertaken, except perhaps that of Baron Wran- gell upon a similar enterprise to tlie northward of ]jehr- ing's Straits, it is observed, — '•'Let any one conceive for a moment the situation of two oj^en boats, laden with seventy days' provisions and clothing for twenty- eight men, in the midst of a sea covered nearly witli detached masses and floes of ice, over whicli these boats were to be dragged, sometimes up one side of a rugged mass, and down the otlier, sometimes across the lanes of water that separate them, frequently over a surface covered with deep snow, or througli pools of water. Let him bear in mind, that the men had little or no chance of any otlier sujiply of ])rovisions than that which they carried witli them, calculated as just sulHcient to sustain life, and consider what their situa- tion would have been in the event, bv no means an improbable one, of losing any part of their scanty stock. Let any one try to imagine to himself a situa- tion of this kind, and he will still have but a faint idea of the exertions which the men under Captain Parry had to make, and the sufl:erings and privations they had to undergo." Ca]:»tain Parr^ having thus completed his fifth voy- age into the arctic regions, in four of which he com- manded, and was second in the other, it may here be desirable to give a reca])itulati(m of his services. In 1818 he was appointed Lieutenant, commanding the Alexander, hired shi]), as second officer with his uncle, Commander John Ross. In 1819, still as Lieu- * B.'UTow's Voyages of Discovery, p, 316. 154 PEOGKESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. ';v I M tenant, he was appointed to command the Ilechi, and to take charge ot- the second arctic expedition, on which service he was employed two years. On the 14th of November, 1820, he was promoted to the rank of Commander. On the 19th of December, 1820, the Bedfordcan Gold Medal of the Bath and West of England Society for the Enconragement of Arts, Manufactures, ancl Commerce, was unanimously voted to him. On the 30th of December of that year, he was appointed to the Fury, with orders to take command of the expedi- tion to the Arctic Sea. With the sum of 500 guineas, subscribed for the purpose, " the Explorer of the Polar Sea " was afterward presented with a silver vase, highly embellished with devices emblematic of the arctic voyages. And on the 24th of March, 1821, the city of Bath presented its freedom to Captain Parry, in a box of oak, highly and appropriately ornamented. On the 8th of November, 1821, he obtained his post- captain's rank. On the 22d of November, 1823, he was presented with the freedom of the city of Win- chester ; and, on the 1st of December, was appointed acting hydrographer to the Admiralty in the place of Captain Hind, deceased. In 1824 he was appointed to the Ilecla, to proceed on another exploring voyage. On the 22d of November, 1825, Captain Parry was formally appointed hydrographer to the Admiralty, which office he continued to hold until the 10th of November, 1826. In December, 1825, he was voted the freedom of the borough of Lynn, in testimony of the high sense enter- tained by the corporation of his meritorious and enter prising conduct. In April, 1827, he once more took tlie command of his old ship, the Ilecla, for another voyage of discovery toward the North Pole. On his return in the close of the year, having paid off the Ilecla at Deptford, he resumed, on the 2d of Noveml)er, his duties as hydro- grapher to the Admiraltv, which office he held until the 13th of May, 1829. Having received the K'«ior of 1 ■k a, and which tth of mk of 3rdean jociety 8, and Dn the ited to 3xped:- uineas, i Polar : vase, of the ;21, the arry, in nented. is post- 523, he if Win- 3ointed ace of nted to nge. ry was niralty, 0th of of the enter- enter land of jcoverji llose of )rd, li« [hydro- iintil lor of CAl'TAIN I40SS 8 SECOND VOYAGE. 155 knighthood, he then resigned in favor of the present Admiral Beaufort, and, obtaining permission from the Admiralty, proceeded to New South Wales as resident Connnissioner to the Australian Agricultural Com- pany, taking charge of their recently acquired large territory in the neighborhood of Port Stephen. He returned from Australia in 1834. From the 7th of March, 1835, to the 3d of February, 1836, he acted as Poor Law Commissioner in Norfolk. Early in 1837, he was appointed to organize the Mail Packet Service, then transferred to the Admiralty, and afterward, in April, was appointed Controller of steam machinery to the Navy, which office he continued to hold up to De- cember, 1846. From that period to the present time he has filled the post of Captain Superintendent of the Royal Navy Hospital at Haslar. Captain John Ross's Second Yotage, 1829-33. In the year 1829, Capt. Ross, the pioneer of arctic exploration in the 19th century, being anxiou. once more to display his zeal and enterprise as wei: as to retrieve his nautical reputation from those unfortunate blunders and mistakes which had attached to his first voyage, and thus remove the cloud which had for nearly ten years hung over his professional character, endeavored without effect to induce the government to send him out to the Polar Seas in charge of another expedition. The Board of Admiralty of that day, in the spirit of retrenchment which pervaded their coun- cils, were, however, not disposed to recommend any further grant for research, even the Board of Longi- tude was abolished, and the boon of 20,000Z. offered by act of parliament for the promotion of arctic dis- covery, also withdrawn by a repeal of the act. Captain Ross, however, undaunted by the chilling indifference thus manifested toward his proposals by the Admiralty, still persevered, having devoted 3000^. out of his own funds toward the prosecution of the ob- ject he had in view. He was fortunate enough to 150 I'KUGliKsiS OF Allelic I)IdCUVi:UY. a : ! ! meet witli a |)ul)lic-si)irito(l and afHuent coadjiitoi And Buiipoi'ter in the late Sir Felix Booth, the eniinen dis- tiller, and that gentleman nobly contributed 17..J00/. toward the expenses. Ca])tain Ross thereupon set to work, and purchased a small Liverpool steamer named the Victory, whose tonnage ho increased to 150 tons. She was provisioned for three years. Captain Koss chose for his second in command his nephew. Com- mander James Koss, who had been with him on his first arctic expedition, and had subsequently accompa- nied Parry in all his voyages. The other ofhcers of the vessel were — Mr. William Thom, jmrser ; Mr. Georg(3 M'Diarmid, surgeon ; Thomas Blanky,Thos. Abernethy, and George Taylor, as 1st, 2d, and 3d, mates ; Alex- ander Brunton and Allen Macinnes as 1st and 2d engi- neers ; and nineteen petty oiticers and seamen ; making a complement in all of 28 men. The Admiralty furnished toward the purposes of the expedition a decked boat of sixteen tons, called the Krusenstern, and two boats which had been used by Franklin, with a stock of books and instruments. The vessel being reported ready for sea was visited and examined by the late King of the French, the Lords of the Admiralty, and other parties taking an interest in the expedition, and set sail from "Woolwich on the 23d of May, 1829. For all practical parposes the steam machinery, on which the commander had greatly relied, was found on trial uttei'ly useless. Having received much damage to ner spars, in a severe gale, the ship put in to the Danish settlement of Ilolsteinberg, on the Greenland coast, to relit, and sailed again to the northward on the 2^)th of June. They found a clear sea, and even in the middle of Lan- caster Sound and Barrow's Strait perceived no traces of ice or snow, except what sippeared on the lofty sum- mits of some of the mountains. The thermometer stood at 40°, and the weather was so mild that the officers dined in the cabin without a fire, with the skylight partially open. On the 10th of August they passed Cape York, and thence crossed over into Eegent Inl» " ,: r ( OAIIAIN KOBSB bKCOJND VOrAUE. 157 I And ) ilis- „J00/. set to lamed ) tons. Ilosa Coni- on hia ompa- of the 3reorg(3 •nethy, Alex- d engi- tiaking > of tlie ed tlio sed Ly visited cli, the ing an (olwicli irposcs er had i;, m a lent of t, and June, f Lan- traces ly sum- r stood fficers cyliglit passed lnl# • making theTrcstern coast between Sei->ping'8 and Elwin Bay on the 16tli. They here fell in with those formidable streams, packs, and floating bergs of ice which had ofiered such obstructions to Parry's ships. From their proximity to tlie magnetic pole, their compasses became useless as they proceeded southward. On the 13th they reached the spot where the Fury was abandoned, but no rem- nants of the vessel were to be seen. Ail her sails, stores, and provisions, on land, were, however, found ; the hermetically-sealed tin canisters having kept the provisions from the attacks of bears ; and the flour, bread, wine, spirits, sugar, &c., proved as good, after being here four years, as on the first day they were packed. This store formed a very seasonable addition, which was freely made available, and after increasing their stock to two years and ten months' supply, they still left a large quantity for the wants of any future explorers. On the 15th, crossing Cresswell Bay, they reached Cape Garry, the farthest point which had been Been by Parry. Tney were here much inconvenienced and delayed by fogs and floating ice. While moun- tains of ice were tossing around them on every side, they were often forced to seek safety by mooring them- selves to these formidable massei., and driftin* with them, sometimes forward, sometimes backward. In this manner on one occasion no less than nineteen miles were lost in a few hours ; at other times they under- went frequent and severe shocks, yet escaped any seri- ous damage. Captain Koss draws a lively picture of what a ves- sel endures in sailing among these moving hills. He reminds the reader that ice is stone, as solid as if it ^ore granite ; and he bids him " imagine these moun- tains hurled through a narrow strait by a rapid tide, meeting with the noise of thunder, breaking from each other's precipices huge fragments, or rending each other asunder, till, losing their former equilibrium, they fell over headlong, lifting the sea around in break- ers and whii'lins: it in eddies There is not a moment 1 .i Vm i; I 158 rRorfREss OP arctic discovery. in which it can be conjectured what will happen \u t\* next ; there is not one which may ii'^t. be the last. Tlip attention is troubled to fix on any thin/jf amid such con fusion ; still must it be alive, that it may seize on th** single moment of help or escape which may occur Yet with all this, and it is the hardest task of all, there is nothing to bo acted, — no effort to be made, — ho must be patient, as if he were unconcerned or careless, waiting, as ho best can, for the fate, be it what it may, which ne cannot influence or avoid." Proceeding southward, Ross found Brentford Bay, about thirty miles beyond Cape Garry, to be of consid- erable extent, with some fine harbors. Landing hero, the British colors were unfurled, and the coast, named after the promoter of the expedition, was taken posses- sion of in the name of the King. Extensive and com- modious harbors, named Ports Logan, Elizabeth, aud Eclipse, were discovered, and a large bay, which was called Mc^ry Jones Bay. By the end of September the ship had examined 300 miles of undiscovered coast The winter now set in with severity, huge masses of ice began to close around them, the thermometer sanT< many degrees below freezing point, and snow fell very thick. By sawing through the ice, the vessel was got into a secure position to pass the winter, in a station which is now named on tlie maps Felix Harbor. Tho machinery of the steam engine was done away witli, the vessel housed, and every measure that could add to the comfort of the crew adopted. They had abundance of fuel, and provisions that might easily be extended to three years. On the 9th of January, 1831, they were visited by a large tribe of Esquimaux, who were better dressed and cleaner than those more to the northward. They dis- played an intimate acquaintance with the situation and bearings of the country over which they had traveled, and two of them drew a very fair sketch of the neigh- boring coasts, w^ith which they were familiar ; this was revised and corrected by a learned lady named Teriksin, — the females seeming, from this and former \u tV . ThA ill coil itn th(r occur I, there e, — ho iireless, it nuiy, d Bay, consid- g here, named posses- ad com- 3th, and ich \va9 )teml)cr id coast isses of ter sanl? [ell very was ^oi station )r. Tlio ay with, 1 add to iindance xtended ;ed by a 5sed and hey dis- tion and ;raveled, c neiffh- ir ; this named former I OAi'TAIN KOSSS 8KC0ND VOYAGE. 150 instances, to have a clear knowledrjo of the hydro<^rapliy aiul ^eo^raphy of the continent, bays, straits, uud riv- ers whicu they had once traversed. On the 5th of April, Conimandc'' Ross, with Mr. Blanky, the chief mate, and two Esquimaux guides, set out to explore a strait which was reported as lying to the westward, and which it was hoped might lead to the western sea. After a tedious and arduous journey, tliey arrived, or. the third day, at a bay facing to the westward and discovered, further inlanci, an exten ive lake, called by the natives Nie-tyle-le, whence a broad river flowed into the bay. Their guides informed them, however, there was no prospect of a water com uiiica- tion south of their present position. Capt. Ross then traced the coast fifty or sixty miles further south. Several journeys were also made by Conr .aiider Ross, both inland and along the bays and inle' s. On the 1st of May, from the top of a high hill, he observed a large inlet, which seemed to lead to the western sea. In order to satisfy liimself on this point, ho set out again on the 17th of May, with provisions for three weeks, eight dogs, and three companions, ilaving crossed the great middle lake of the isthmus, he reached his former station, and thence traced an inlet which was found to be the mouth of a river named by them Garry. From the high hill, they observed a chain of hikes leading almost to Thom's iBay, the Victory's sta- tion in Felix Harbor. Proceeding nr.tt!a"^est along the coast, they crossed the frozen surface ox the strait which has since been named after Sir James Ross, and came to a large island which was callrd Matty ; keeping along its northern shore, and passing over a narrow strait, which they named after Wellington, they found themselves on what was considered to be the main- land, but which the more recent discoveries of Simpson have shown to be an island, and which now bears the name of King William's Land. Still journeying on- ward, with difficulties continually increasing, from heavy toil and severe privation, the dogs became ex- hausted with fatigue, and a burden rather than an aid to die travelers. hi I''' '''i 160 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. .... - ;:i One of their greatest embaiTaesments was, how to distinguish between land and sea. " When all is ice, and all one dazzling mass of white — when the surface of the sea itself is tossed up and fixed into rocks, while the land is, on the contrary, very often flat, it is not always so easy a problem as it might seem on a super- ficial view, to determine a fact which appears in words to be extremely sim2)le." Although their provisions began to fall short, and the party were nearly worn out. Commander Iloss was most desirous of making as much western discovery as possible ; therefore, depos- iting every thing that could be dispensed with, he pushed on, on the 28th, with only four days' provisions, and reached Cape Felix, the most northern point of this island, on the following day. The coast here took a southwest direction, and there was an unbounded ex- panse of ocean in view. The next morning, after hav- ing traveled twenty miles tarther, they reached a point, which Eoss called Point Victory, situated in lat. 64'' 46' 19", long. 98° 32' 49", while to the most distant one in view, estimated to be in long. 99° 17' 58", he gave the name of Cape Franklin. However loath to turn back, yet prudence compelled them to do so, for as they had only ten days' short allowance of food, and more than 200 miles to traverse, there could not be a moment's liesitation in adopting this step. A high cairn of stones was erected before leaving, in which was deposited a narrative of their proceedings. The party endured much fatigue and suffering on their return journey ; of the eig-lit dogs only two sur- vived, and the travelers in a most exhausted state ar- rived in the neighborhood of the large lakes on the 8th of June, where they fortunately fell in with a tribe of natives, who received them hospitably, and supplied them plentifully with fish, so that after a day's rest they resumed their journey, and reached the ship on the 13th. Captain Ross in the raeanw^hile had made a partial survey of the Isthmus, and discovered another large lake, which he named after Lady INFelville. After eleven months' imprisonment their little ship ■ i • and be a high ^rhich \ ship CAPTAW ROSS'S "BECO.ND VOYAGE. 161 once more floated b>ioyai»fc on the waves, having been released from her icy barrier on the 17th of September, but for the next few days made but little progress, being beaten about among the icebergs, and driven hither and thither by the currents. A change* in the weather, however, took place, and on the 23d they were once more frozen in, the sea in a week after exhibiting one clear and unbroken surface. All October was passed in cutting through the ice into a more secure locality, and another dreary winter hav- ing set in, it became necessary to reduce the allowance of provisions. This winter was one of unparalleled severity, tl e thermometer falling 92° below freezing point. During the ensuing spring a variety of explo- ratory journeys were carried on, and in one of these Commander Boss succeeded in planting the British flag on the North Magnetic Pole. The position which had been usually assigned to this interesting spot by the learned of Europe, was lat. 70° N., and long. 98° 30' "W". ; but Ross, by careful observations, determined it to lie in lat. 70° 5' 17" N., and long. 96° 46' 45" W., to the southward of Cape Nikolai, on the western shore of Boothia. But it has since been found that the cen- ter of magnetic intensity is a movable point revolving within the frigid zone. " The place of the observatory," Ross remarks, " was as near to the magnetic pole as the limited means which I possessed enabled me to determine. The amount of the dip, as indicated by my dipping-needle, was 89° 59', being thus within one minute of the vertical ; while the proximity at least of this pole, if not its ac- tual existence where we stood, was further confirmed by the action, or rather by the total inaction, of the several horizontal needles then in my possession." Parry's observations placed it eleven minutes distant only from the site determined by Ross. "As soon," continues Ross, "as I had satisfied my own mind on the subject, I made known to the party this gratifying result of all our joint labors ; and it was then that, amidst mutual congratulations, we fixed the 102 PE0GKES8 OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. British flag on the spot, and took possession of the North Magnetic Pole and its adjoining territory in the name of Great Britain and King William IV. AVo had abundance of materials for building in the frag- ments of limestone that covered the beach, and wo therefore erected a cairn of some magnitude, imder which we buried a canister containing a record of the interesting tact, only regretting that we had not tho means of constructing a pyramid of more importance, and of strength sulHcient to withstand the assaults of time and of the Esquimaux. Had it been a pyramid as large as that of Cheops, I am not quite sure that it would have done more than satisfy our ambition under the feelings of that exciting day." On the 28th of August, 1831, they contrived to warp the Victory out into the open sea, and made sail on the following morning, but were soon beset with ice, as OK the former occasion, being once more completely frozen in by the 27th of September. On the previous occasion their navigation had been three miles ; this year it extended to four. Tiiis ])ro- tracted detention in the ice made their present posi- tion one of great danger and peril. As tiiere seemed no prospect of extracting their vessel, the resolution was come to of abandoning her, anr! making the best of their way up the inlet to Fury Beach, there to avail themselves of the boats, provisions, and stores, which woidd assist them in reaching Davis' Straits, where they might expect to fall in with one of the whale ships. On the 23d of April, 1832, having collected all that was useful and necessary, the expedition set out, drag- ging their provisions and boats over a vast expanse of rugged ice. "The loads being too heavy to be car- ried at once, made it necessary to go backward and forward twice, and even oftener, the same day. Tiiey had to encounter dreadful tempests of snow and drift, and to make several circuits in order to avoid impas- sable barriers. The general result was, that by the 12th of May they had traveled 329 miles to gain thirty i> CAPTAIN ROSS S SECOND VOYAOK. Ifi3 that (irag- se of car- and They drift, npas- y the thirty in a direct line, having in tliis labor expended a month." After this preliminary movement, tliey bade a farewell to their little vessel, nailing her culurs to the mast. Capt. Ross describes himself as deeply af- fected ; this being the first vessel he had been obliged to abandon of thirty-six in which he hud served dur- ing the course of forty-two years. On the 9th of June, Commander Ross and two others, with a fortnight's j)rovisions, left the main body, who were more heav- ily loaded, to ascertain the state of the boats and sup- plies at Fury Beach. Returning they met their com- rades on the 25th of June, reporting that they had found three of the boats washed away, but enough still left for their purpose, and all the provisions were in good condition. The remainder of the journey was accomplished by the whole party in a week, and on the Ist of July they reared a canvas mansion, to which they gave the name of Somerset House, and enjoyed a hearty meal. By the 1st of August the boats were rendered ser- viceable, and a considerable extent of open sea being visible, they set out, and after much buffeting among the ice in their frail shallops, reached the mouth of the inlet by the end of August. After several fruit- less attempts to run along Barrow's Strait, the obstruc- tions of the ice obliged them to haul the boats on shore, and pitch their tents. Barrow's Strait w-as found, from repeated surveys, to be one impenetrable mass of ice. After lingering here till the third week in September, it was unanimously agreed that their only resource Avas to fall back on the stores at Fury Beach, and there spend their fourth winter. They were only able to get half the distance in the boats, which were hauled on shore in Batty Bay on the 24th of September, and the rest of their journey continued on foot, the pro- visions being dragged on sledges. On the 7th of Oc- tober they once more reached their home at the scene of the wreck. They now managed to shelter their canvas tent by a wall of snow, and setting up an ex- tra stove, made themselves tolerably comfortable until 1G4 I'lJOGlJI^S OF AltCTIO DISCOVEUY. the increasing severity of the winter, and rigor of the cold, added to the tempestuous weather, made them perfect prisoners, and sorely tried their patience. Scurvy now bei»;an to attack several of the party, and on the IGtli of February, 1833, Thomas, the carpenter, fell a victim to it, and two others died. " Their situ- ation was becoming truly awful, since, if they were not liberated in the ensuing summer, little prospect appeared of their surviving another year. It was necessary to make a reduction in the allowance of preserved meats ; bread was somewhat deficient, and the stock of wine and spirits was entirely exhausted. However, as they caught «, few foxes, which were con- sidered a delicacy, and there was plenty of flour, sugar, soups, and vegetables, a diet could be easily arranged sufficient to support the party." AVhile the ice remained firm, advantage was taken of the spring to carry forward a stock of provisions to Eatty Bay, and this, though only thirty-two miles, oc- cupied them a whole month, owing to their reduced numbers from sickness and heavy loads, with the jour- neyings to and fro, having to go over the ground eight times. On the 8th of July they finally abandoned this de- pot, and encamped on the 12th at their boat station in batty Bay, where the aspect of the sea was watched with intense anxiety for more than a month. On the loth of August, taking advantage of a lane of water which led to the northward, the party embarked, and on the following morning had got as far as the turn- ing point of their last year's expedition. Making their way slowly among the masses of ice with which the inlet was encumbered, on the Itth they found the wide expanse of Barrow's Strait open before them, and nav- igable, and reached to within twelve miles of Cape York. Pushing on with renewed spirits, alternately rowing and sailing, on the night of the 2.5th they rested in a good harbor on the eastern shore of !Navy Board Inlet. At four on the following morning they we»e roused from their slumbers by the joyful intelli- CAPTAIN ROSS 8 SECOND VOYAGE. 165 ;or of made ience. f, and lenter, r situ- r were ospect Lt was ice of it, and austed. re con- f flour, easily i taken jions to lies, oc- educed le jour- d eight gence of a ship being in sight, and never did men more hurriedly and energetically set out ; but tlie ele- ments conspiring against them, after being baffled by calms and currents, they had the misery to see tlie ship leave them with a fair breeze, and found it im- possible to overtake her, or make themselves seen. A few hours later, however, their despair was relieved by the sig)it of another vessel wiMch was lying to in a calm. By dint of hard rowing they were this time more for tunate, and soon came up with her ; she proved to be the Isabella, of Hull, the very shij^ in which Ross had made his first voyage to these seas. Capt. Ross was told circumstantially of his own death, &c., two years previously, and he had some difficulty in convincing them that it was really he and his party who now stood before them. So great was the joy with which they were received, that the Isabella manned her yards, and her former commander and his gallant band of adventurers were saluted with three hearty cheers. The scene on board can scarcely be described ; each of the crew vied with the other in assisting and com- forting the party, and it cannot better be told than in Ross's own words : — " The ludicrous soon took place of all other feelings ; in such a crowd, and such confusion, all serious thought was impossible, while the new buoyancy of our spirits made us abundantly willing to be amused by the scene which now opened. Every man was hungry, and was to be fed ; all were ragged, and were to be clothed ; there was not one to whom washing was not indispen- sable, nor one whom his beard did not deprive of all human semblance. All, every thing too, was to be done at once : it was washing, shaving, dressing, eating, all intermingled ; it was all the materials of each jumbled together, while in the midst of all there were intermina- ble questions to be asked and answered on both sides ; the adventures of the Victory, our own escapes, the politics of England, and the news which was now four years old. " But all subsided into peace at last. The sick were »*-m I ill i I m :P n ICO rUonUKHS OF akctig dihcovkry. nccHMiuiiodjitc'd, tlu^ Hcamc'ii life ami friends and civilization. Lon^yj accustomed, however, to a (!old bed on tlio hard snow or L bare rock, few could slee[) amid the comfort of our new acconnnoda- tions. 1 was myself compelled to leave tlie bi'd wiiich liad l)een kindly assii^ned me, and take my abode in a chair for the ni<»;ht, nor did it fare mudi better with the rest. It was for time to reconcile us to this sudden and violent chanointed to good situations in the navy. The seamen received tlie usual double pay given to arctic explorers, up to the time of leaving their ship, and full pay from that date until their arrival in England. CAPTAIN ROSS H BKCOND VOYAGE. 107 A committee ot'tlie ITouBe ot'CommonB took up the case ot'Cuptain Ross esirly in tl»e HesHion of 1834, and on their recommendation 5,000/. was granted liim as a remuneration for his })ecuniary outlay and jjrivations. A baronetcy, on tlie recommendation of the Kamo committee, was also conferred by his Majesty William IV. on Mr. Felix Booth. In looking back on the results of this voyage, no im- partial in(|uiror can deny to (Ja])tain Koss the merit of having eii'ected much good by tracing and surveying the whole of the long western coast of Kegent Inlet, proving IJootliia to be a peninsula, and setting at rest the probability of any navigable outlet being discovered from this inlet to the Polar Sea. Tha lakes, rivers and islands which were examined, proved with sufficient accuracy the correctness of the information furnished to Parry by the Esquimaux. To Commander James Ross is due tlie credit of resolving many important scientitic questions, such as the combination of light with magnetism, iixing the exact j:)Osition of the magnetic pole, lie was also tlie only person in the expedition competent to make obser- vations in geology, natural history and botany. Out of about 700 miles of new land explored, Connnander Ross, in the expeditions which he planned and con- ducted, discovered nearly 500. He had, up to this time, passed fourteen summers and eight winters in these seas. The late Sir John Barrow, in his " Narrative of Voy- ages of Discovery and liesearch,'" p. 518, in opposition to Ross's opinion, asserted that Boothia was not joined to the continent, but that they were "completely divi- ded by a navigable strait, ten miles wide and .uj)ward, leading past Back's Estuary, and into the Gulf (of Boothia,) of which the proper name is Akkolee, not Boothia ; and moreover, that the two seas flow as freely into each other as Lancaster Sound does into the Polar Sea." This assumption has since been shown to bo incorrect. Capt. Ross asserts there is a difference iu the level of these two seas. m:" 4 ^ 168 rROORE88 OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. '>M I may hero fitly take a review of Captain R»,48'8 ser- vice . lie entered the njivy in 1700, served fifteen years as a midshipnuin, seven as a lieutenant, and seven as a commander, and was posted on the 7th of December, 1818, and appointed to the command of the first arctic expedition ot this century. On his return he received many marks of favor from continental sovereigns, was knijijiited and made a Companion of the Bath on the 24th of December, 1834: ; made a Commander of the Sword of Sweden, a Knight of the Second Class of St Anne of Prussia (in diamonds.) Second Class of tho Legion of Honor, and of the lied Eagle of Prussia, and of Leopold of Belgium. Ileceived the royal premiun from the Geographical Society of London, in 1833, fo liis discoveries in the arctic regions; also gold medal* from the Geographical Society of Paris, and the lloyM Societies of Sweden, Austria, and Denmark. The fre**- dom of the cities of London, Liver])ool, and Bristo) *, six gold snuft-boxes from Russia, llolland, Denmark Austria, London and Baden; a sword valued at lOC guineas from the Patriotic Fund, for his sniferings, hav ing been wounded thirteen times in three difi:erent actions during the war ; and one of the value of 200/. from the King of Sweden, for service in the Baltic and the White Sea. On the 8th of March, 1839, he was appointed to the lucrative post of British consul at Stockholm, which he held for six years. Captain Back's Land Journey, 1833-35. Four years having elapsed without any tidings being received of Capt. Ross and his crew, it began to be generally feared in England that they had been added to the number of former sufferers, in the prosecution of their arduous undertaking. Dr. Richardson, who had himself undergone such frightful perils in the arctic regions with Franklin, was the first to call public attention to the subject, in a letter to the Geographical Society, in whiv^h ho suggested a project for relieving them, if still alive and to be found ; CAI'TAIX BACK 8 L VXT) .TOCICXKV. 169 being to be and at tlio same time volunteered Lis services to the Colonial Secretary of the day, to conduct an exploring party. Althouf^h the expedition of Capt. Ross was not iinder- tukcn nnder the auspices of ojovernuient, it became a tijitional concern to ascertain tiie ultimate fate of it, and lo make some effort for the relief of the party, whoso liorae at that time might be the boisterous sea, or whose shelter the snow hut or the floating iceberg. Dr. Rich- ardson proposed to proceed from Hudson's Bav, in a northwest direction to Coronation Gulf, where he was to commence his search in an easterly direction. Pass- ing to the north, along the eastern side of this gulf, ho would arrive at Point Turnagain, the eastern point of his own former discovery. Having accomplished this, he would continue his search toward the eastward until he reached Melville Island, thus perfecting geographical discovery in that quarter, and a continued coast line might be laid down from the Fury and Hecla Strait to Beechey Point, leaving only the small space between Franklin's discovery and that of the Blossom unexplored. The proposal was favorably received ; but owing to the political state of the country at the time, the otter was not accepted. A meeting was held in November, 1832, at the rooms of the Horticultural Society, in Regent street, to obtain funds, and arrange for fitting out a private relief exjie- dition, as the Admiralty and G' vernment were unable to do this officially, in consequence of Captain Ross's expedition not being a public one. Sir George Cock- burn took the chair, and justly observed that those offi- cers who devoted their time to the service of science, and braved in its pursuit the dangers of nnknown and ungenial climates, demanded the sympathy and assist- ance of all. Great Britain had taken the lead in o-eo- graphical discovery, and there was not one in this coun- try who did not feel pride and lionor in the lame she had attained by the expeditions of Parry and Franklin ; but if we wislu'd to create future Parrys and Franklins, if W(> wished to encourage Britissh enterprise and com- 170 PROOUKSS OF ARCTIC DISCOVKRY. age, M'o must provo thut the officer wlio is out of siglit of his couiitrviiU'M is not f<»r«j:otten : tliiit there is con- s'derutioii for ins HufU'riiii^-^, unci iipprecliition of liia spirit. This retlection will cheer Jiini in the hour of trial, and will permit him, when surrounded by dangers and privations, to induii^e in hope, the greatest l)lessin<^ of man. Ca[)tain (ieorge J>ack, K. N., who was in Italy when the subject was first mooted, hastened to England, and offered to lead the l)arty, and his services were accepted. A subscription was entered into, to defray the necessary expenses, and upward of (5000/. was raised ; of this sum, at the recommendation of Lord Goderich, the then Secretary of State, the Treasury con- tributed 2000/. After an interview with the king at Brighton, to which he was specially sunmioned, ( -aptain Back made prepa- rations for his journ(?y, and laid down his plan of opera- tions. In order to facilitate his views, and give him greater authority over his men, special instructions and authority were issued by the Colonial Office, and the Hudson's Bay Company granted him a commission in their service, and placed every assistance at his disposal throuorhout their territorv in North America. Every thing being definitely arranged, Capt. Back, accompanied by Dr. Richard King as surgeon and natu- ralist, with three men who had been on the expedition with Franklin, left Liverpool on the 17th of February, 1833, in one of the New York packet ships, and arrived in America after a stormy passage of thirty-five days. lie proceeded on to Montreal, w^iere he had great diffi- culty in preventing two of the men from leaving him, as their hearts began to fail them at the prospect of the severe journey with its attendant difficulties, which they had to encounter. Four volunteers from the Royal Artillery corps here joined him, and some voyageurs having been engaged, the party left, in two canoes, on the 25tli of April. Two of his party deserted from him in the Ottawa river. On tlie 28th of June, having obtained his comple- ment of men, he may be said to have commenced his )s here gaged, Two ^er. CAl^AIX BACK 8 LAND JOUUNKY. .) 171 journey. They suffered dreadfully tVoro mvriadis of Band-tlies and innsciuitoea, being so disti<^uro(l hy tlielr nttackri that their teatures could Hcarcely no recogui/A'd. Horse-flies, appropriately styled '' bull-dogs," were an- other dreadful pest, which })ertinaeiously gorged theiu- seh'es, like the leech, until they seemed ready to burst. "It is in vain to atteni[)t to defend yourself against these puny bloodsuckers ; tiiough you crush thousands of them, tens of thousands arise to avenge the death of their companions, and you very soon discover that the conflict which you are waging is one in which you are Bure to be defeated. So great at last are the pains and fatigue in bufteting away this attacking force, that in desnair you throw yourself, half suft'ocated, in a blanket, with your face upon the ground, and snatch a few min- utes of 8leei)less rest." Capt. Back adds that the vig- orous and unintermitting assaults of these tormenting pests conveyed the moral lesson of man's helplessness, since, with all our boasted strength, we are unable to repel these feeble atoms of creation. " How," he says, " can I possibly give an idea of the torment we endured from the sand-flies ? As we divided into the conflned and suftbcating chasms, or waded through the close swamps, they rose in clouds, actually darkening the air ; to see or to speak was ecpuilly diflicult, for they rushed at every undefended part, and flxed their poisonous fangs in an instant. Our faces streamed with blood, as if leeches had been ap]»lied, and there was a burning and irritating pain, followed by immediate inflamma- tion, and producing giddiness, which almost drove us mad, and caused us to mojiu with pain and agony. At the Pine pc>rtage. Captain Back engaged the services of A. R. McLeod, in the einpk)y of the Hud- son's Bay Company, and wlio had been flxed upon by Governor Simpson, to aid the expedition. He was accompanied by his wife, three children, and a ser- vant; and had just returned from the Mackenzie River, with a large cargo of furs. The whole family were at- tached to the ]iartv, and after some detentions of a general and uniinportant character they arrived at 8 :S.i i "'! :¥. 172 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERT. Fort Chipe^vyan on the 20th of July. Fort Resolu tion, on Great Slave Lake, was reached on the 8th of Auj2;ust. The odd assemblage of goods and voyageurs in their encampment are thus graphically described by the traveler, as he glanced around him. " At my feet was a rolled bundle in oil-cloth, con- taining some three blankets, called a bed; near it a. piece of dried buft'alo, fancifully ornamented with long*"'- black hairs, which no art, alas, can prevent from insin- uating themselves between the teeth, as you laboriously masticate the tough, hard flesh ; then a tolerably clean napkin, spread by way of table-cloth, on a red piece of canvas, and supporting a tea-pot, some biscuits, and a salt-cellar ; near this a tin plate, close by a square kind of box or safe of the same material, rich with a pale, greasy hair, the produce of the colony at Red River; and the last, the far-renowned ^ their T the con- i' it a/ long^'>- insin- ioualy clean 2ce of and a 3 kind pale, ^ivev ; 8stion- 8 such ; astro- round, cupied 30ucb , \ pot, to re- rocks ipeck. ftire of 1 from )reeds, VQ pro- s than On the 19th of August they began the ascent of the Hoar Frost Iliver, whose course was a series of tlie most fearful cascades and rapids. The woods hero were so thick as to render them almost impervious, consisting chiefly of stunted firs, which occasioned in- finite trouble to the party to force their way through ; added to which, they had to clamber over fallen trees, through rivulets, and over bogs and swamps, until the difticulties appeared so appalling, as almost to dis- hearten the party from prosecuting their journey. The heart of Caj^tain Back was, however, of too stern a cast to be dispirited by difiiculties, at which less persever- ing explorers would have turned away discomfited, and cheering on his men, like a bold and gallant leader, the first in the advance of danger, they arrived at length in an open space, where they rested for awhile to recruit their exhausted strength. The place was, indeed, one of barrenness and desolation ; crag was piled u^)on crag to the height of 2000 feet from the base, and the course of the river here, in a state of contraction, was marked by an uninterrupted line of foam. However great the beauty of the scenery may be, and however resolute may be the will, severe toil will at length relax the spirits, and bring a kind of despon- dency upon a heart naturally bold and undaunted . This was found ixirticularly the case now with the intei-])re- ter, who became a dead weight upon the party. Ilaj)id now succeeded ruxDid ; scarcely had they surmounted one fall tlian another presented itself, rising like an am- iiliitlieater before them to the height of fifty feet. Tliey, however, gained at length the ascent of this turbulent and unfriendly river, tlie romantic beauty and v.ild scenery of which w^ere strikingly grand, and after pass- ing successively a series of portages, rapids, falls, lakes, and rivers, on the 2Tth Back observed from the summit of a high hill a very large hake full of deep bays and islands, and which has been named Aylmer Lake, after the Governor-General of Canada at that time. The boat was sent out with tlu-ec men to search for tlie lake, or outlet of the river, which they discovered on the sec- '^i' , ■ 1 il I ill' - ^4 «i^< 174 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. ^ii-i ond day, and Captain Back hims(?lf, during their ab- sence, also accidentally discovered its source in the Sand llill Lake, not far from his oncampinent. Not prouder was Bruce when he stood on the green sod which covers the source of the Nile, than was Captain Back when he found that lie was standing at the source of a river, the existence of which was known, but the course of wliich was a problem, no traveler had yet ven- tured to solve. Yielding to that pleasurable emotion which discoverers, in theiirst bound of their tr.anspoi't, may be pardoned for indulging, Back tells us he threw himself down on the bank and drank a kearty draught of the limpid water. " ' . "For this occasion," he adds, "I had reserved a lit- tle grog, and need hardly say with what cheerfulness it was shared among the crcM', whose welcome tidings had vorihed the notion of Dr. Ivichardson and myself, and thus placed beyond doubt the existence of the TI»lew-ee-choh, or Great Fish River. On tiie 30th of Auo-ust, thev began to move toward the river, but on reaching Musk-ox Lake, it was found impossible to stand the force of the rapids in their frail canoe, and as winter was approaching, their return to the rendezvous on Slave Lake was determined on. At Clinton Colden L:ike, some Lidians visited tliom from the Chief Akaitclio, wlio. it will be rememlxM-ed. was the guide of Sir John Frnnklin. Two of these Li- dians remembered Captain Back, one having accom- panied him to the Coppermine River, on Franklin's first ex]ie(Htion. At the Cat or Artillerv Lake, thev had to abandon tlieir canoe, and perform the rest of the joui-ney on foot over precipitous rocks, through friglif fnl gorg(^s and ra- A'ines, he:i]»ed with massesof granite, and iilong narrow ledges, where a false step would have been fatal. At Fort Beliance, the party found Mr. McLeod had, during their absence, erected the frame-work of a com- fortable residence for them, and all hands set to work to complete it. After many obstacles and difficulties, it was llnished. CAPTAIN back's LAND JOURNEY. 175 a c'<:»in- o work cultles, 1 Dr. King joined tiiem on the IGth of September, with two laden Dtiteiiux. On the 5th of November, they exchanged their cold tents for the new house, which was fifty feet long by thirty broad, and contained four rooms, besides a S])a- ciuiis hall in the center, for the reception and accom- modation of the Indians, to which a sort of rude kitchen was attached. As the winter advanced, bands of starving Indians continued to arrive, in the hope of obtaining some re- lief, as little or nothing was to be procured by Inmtiiig. They would stand around while the men were taking th(iir meals, watching every mouthful M'itii tlie most longing, imploring look, but yet never uttered a comi- plaint. At other times they would, seated round the fire, oc- cupy themselves in roasting and devouring small bits of their reindeer garnicnts, which, even wiien entire, aflbrded them a very insuHicient protection against a tem])eratiire of 102" below freezing point. The sufferings of the poor Indians at this period are described as friglitful. " Famine with her gaunt and bony arm," says Back, " })ursued them at every turn, witluM'ed their energies, and strewed iluni lifeless on the cold bosom of tiie snow." It was im]»o-s;ible to alfonl relief out of their scanty ston; U) ;.ll, but even small ])ortions of the mouldy pemmiean intended for tile dogs, un])ahitable as it was, wis gl idly iweived, and saved many from perishing. '^ Oftei'," adds Biick, "dill I share my own plate witli the children whoFO helpless state and ])iteons cries were peculiarly distress- ing ; com])assion for the full-grown may, or may not, be felt, but that heart must be cased in steel which is insensible t( the cry of a child for food." At this critical juncture, Akaitclio made his appear- ance with an o]iportune su])])ly of a little m( at, wiiich in some measure enabled Captain Back to relieve the sufferers around him, iiiany of whom, to his great de- liirht, went awav witii Akaitclio. The stock of nu>at was soon exhausted, and they had to open their pern- III I ■■''''% ':W$ '" ij- •*mr 176 PnOGRESS OF AJJCTIO DISCOVEKT. mican. The officers contented themselves with the short supply of half a pound a day, but the laboring men could not do with less than a pound and three- quarters. The cold now set in with an intensity which Captain Back had never before experienced, — the ther- mometer, on the 17th of January, being 70° below zero. " Such indeed, (he says,) was the abstraction of heat, that with eight large logs of dry wood on the fire, I could not get the thermometer higher than 12° below zero. Ink and paint froze. The sextant cases and boxes of seasoned wood, principally fir, all split. The skin of the hands became dry, cracked and opened into unsightly and smarting gashes, which we were obliged to anoint with grease. On one occasion, after wasliing my face witliin three feet of the lire, my hair was actually clotted with ice before I had time to dry it." The hunters suffered severely from the intensity of ^he cold, and compared the sensation of handling their guns to that of touching red-hot iron, and so excessive was the pain, tliat they were obliged to wrap thongs of leather round the triggers to keep their fingers from coming into contact with the steel. The sufferings which the party now endured were great, and had it not been for the exemplary conduct of Akaitcho in j^rocuring them game, it is to be doubted whether any would have survived to tell the misery they had endured. The sentiments of this worthy sav age were nobly expressed — " The great chief trusts in us, and it is better that ten Indians perish, than, that one white man should perish through our negligence and breach of faith." On the 11th of February, Mr. McLeod and his family removed to a place half way between the fort and the Indians, in order to facilitate their own support, and assist in procuring food by hunting. His situation, however, became soon one of the greatest embarrass- ment, he and his family being surrounded by difficul- ties, privations, and deaths. Six of the natives near him s^ank under tlio iiorrors of starvation, antl Akaitcht and his hunters were twelve days' march distant. CAITAIN BACKS LAND JOURNEY. 177 the igence ■ainily id the |t, and liation, lirrass- ifficul- ncar laitclu Toward the end of April, Capt. Back began 1 o make arranf^emcnts for constructing boats for prosecuting tlie expedition once more, and wliile so employed, on the 25tli a messenger arrived with the gratifying intelli- i^ence, that Capt. Ross had arrived safely in England, confirmation of which, was afforded in extracts irom the Times and Herald^ and letters from tho long lost adventurers themselves. Their feelings at these jj-hid tidings are thus described : — " In the fullness of our hearts we assembled together, and humbly offered up our thanks to that merciful Providence, wlio in the beautiful language of scripture hath said, ' Mine own will I bring again, as I did sometime from the deeps of the sea.' The thought of so wonderful a preserva- Uon overpowered for a time the common occurrences of life. We had just sat down to breakfast ; but our uppetite was gone, and the day was passed in a fever- ish state of excitement. Seldom, indeed, did my friend Mr. King or I indulge in a libation, but on this joyful occasion economy was forgotton ; a treat was given to the men, and for ourselves the social sympatliies wei-e quickened by a generous bowl of punch." Capt, Back's former interpreter, Augustus, hearing that he was in the country, set out on foot from Hudson's Bay to join him, but getting separated from his two companions, the pillant little fellow was either exhausted by suffer- ing und privations, or, caught in the midst of an t)pen traverse, in one of those terrible snow storms whicli may be raid to blow almost through the frame, he had sunk to rise no more, his bleached remains being dis- covered not far from the Riviere a Jean. " Such," says Capt. Back, " was the miserable end of poor Au- gustus, a faithful, disinterested, kind-hearted creature, who had won the regard, not of myself only, but I ma}' add, of Sir J. Franklin and Dr. Richardson also, by qualities which, wherever found, in the lowest as io. tho highest forms of social life, are the ornament and charm of humanity." On the 7th of Jun'3, all the preparations being com- \ ^eted, McLeod having been previously sent on to hunt, i»lt|!!' :;'•'!!* -. %. 178 I'UOOUKSS OF AltCTIO DISCOVEUY. m uiui i)()sit casks of meat ut various stages, Buck set out with Mr. lung, accoinjmiiied hy lour voyagers and an Indian guide. The stores not re<|nire keep their course. On the 23d of June, they fortunately fell in witb a cac/ir uiade for them by their avant-('0}iriet\ Mr. Mc- Leod, in wliicli was a seasonable supply of deer and musk-ox llesh, tbe Intter, however, so impregnatei)earance. This important promontory, Back subsequently named after our gracious Queen, then Princess Victoi'ia. " This, then,'" observes Back, " may be considered as the mouth of the Thlew-ei.-choh, which after a violent and tortuous course of 5o0 geographical miles, running throuii'h an iron-ribbed countrv, without a single tree on the whole line of its banks, expanding into five h'i'ge lakes, with clear horizon, most embarrassing to the navigator, and broken into falls, cascades, and rap- ids, to the nund^er of eighty-three in the whole, pours its water into the Polar Sea, in lat. 67° 11' N., and long. 94° oO' '^V., that is to sav, alwut thirtv-seven miles more south than the C- 'Spermine Piver, and nineteen miles more south thni. -'uit of Bti(;k's Piver, (of Frank- lin,) at the lower extremity of Batliurst's Inlet." 'or the ; heaps Kiimiiitt bound inatioB NVOlll<' ilet, in opes 01 ^er now islands, Hy, and others din. jf about jd them id steep ual, and 3e he is ireading strono; leutlland had a nontory, Queen, Icred as I violent running igle tree nto live ,ssing to and raj)- e, pours nd long, n miles nineteen f iM-ank- let.'' CAI'TAfN HACKS LAND JOUUNIIV. 183 f b >i' several days Back was able to make Init bIow ^ fo^re.ss along the ejistei'u shore, in consequence of the boliu body of drift-ice. A barren, rocky elevation of 800 feet high, was named Cape Beaufort, after the present hydrographer to the Admiralty. A bluff point on tlie eastern side of the estuary, wlii eh ho considered to be the northern extreme, hi- uuined Cape Hay. Dean and Simpson, }lo^vever, in l^'iO, traced thr shore much beyond this. The ditficulti let with liere, be- ^an to dispirit the men. For a v or ten days they uid a continuation of wet, cliilly, foggy weather, and tlio only vegetation, fern and moss, was so wet that it would not burn ; being thus without fuel, during this time they had but one hot meal. Almost without water, without any means of warmtli, or any kind of warm or comforting food, sinking knoe-deep, as they proceeded on land, in the soft shisli and snow, no won- der that some of the best men, ])onumbed in their limbs and dispirited by the dreary and unpromising prospect l)efore them, broke out for a moment, in low murmur- ings, tliat theirs was a hard and painful duty. Ca])tain Back found it utterly impossible to proceed, as he had intended, to the Point Turnagain of Franklin, and after vainly essaying a land expedition by three of tlie best walkers, and these having returned, after mak- ing l)ut fifteen miles' way, in consequence of the heavy rains and the swampy nature of the ground, he came to tlie resolution of returning. Keflccting, he says, on the long and dangerous stream they had to ascend combining all the bad features of the worst rivers in the country, the hazard of the falls and the rapids, and the slender hope which remained of their attaining even a single mile further, he felt he had no choice. Asi^embling, there;bre, the men around him, and un- furling the British flag, which was saluted with three cheers, he announced to them this determination. The latitude of this place w\as 68° 13' 57" N., and longitude 94° 58' 1" W. The extreme point seen to the north- ward on the western side of the estuary, in latitude 68° 46' N., longitude 96° 20' W., Back named Cape Kich- «S II « M ill's;- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 11.25 ■tt 1^ 122 •■ u |U 11.6 ^ A^ ,1.* [^tc)gFaphic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIM STRUT WnSTM.N.Y. MStO (716) S72-4S03 ^A^ .»* .** 184 ~^ PROGRESS OF AROllO DISCOVERY. ardsou. The spirits of many of the men, whose health had suffered greatly for want of warm and nourishing food, now brightened, and they set to work with alac- rity to prepare for their return journey. The boat be- ing dragged across, was brought to the place of their former station, after which the crew went back four miles for their baggage. The whole was safely con- veyed over before the evening, when the water-casks were broken up to make a fire to warm a kettle of cocoa, the second hot meal they had had for nine days. On the 15th of August, they managed to make their way about twenty miles, on their return to the south- ward, through a breach in the ice, till they came to open water. The difficulties of the river were doubled in the ascent, from having to proceed against the stream. All the obstacles of rocks, rapids, sand-banks, and long portages had to be faced. In some days as many as sixteen or twenty rapids were ascended. They found, as they proceeded, that many of the deposits of pro- visions, on which they relied, had been discovered and destroyed by wolves. On the 16tli of September, they met Mr. McLeod and his party, who had been several days at Sand Hill J^ay, waiting for them. On the 24tl), they reached tiie Ah-hel-dessy, where they met with some Indians. They were ultimately stopped by one most formidable perpendicular fall, and as it was tbuiid impossible to convey the boat further over so rugged and mountainous a country, most of the declivities of which were coated with thin ice, and the whole hidden by snow, it was here abandoned, and the party pro- ceeded the rest of the journey on foot, each laden with a pack of about 75 lbs. weight. l^ate on the 27th of September, they amved at their O'ld habitation, Fort Reliance, after being absent nearly four months, wearied indeed, but " truly grateful for the manifold mercies they had experienced in the course of their long and perilous journey." Arrange- ments were now made to pass the winter as comfoita- bly as their means would permit, and as there was no probability that there would le sufficient food in the ge- CAPTAIN back's LAND JOUKNEY. 185 ) ( house for the consumption of the whole party, all ex- cept six were sent with Mr. McLeod to the fisheries. The Indians brought them provisions from time to time, and their friend Akaitcho, with his followers, though not very successful in hunting, was not wanting in his contributions. This old chieftain was, however, no longer the same active and important personage he had been in the days when he rendered such good service to Sir John Franklin. Old age and infirmities were creeping on him and rendering him peevish and fickle. On the 2l8t of March following, having left direc- tions with Dr. King to proceed, at the proper season, to the Company's factory at Hudson's Bay, to embark for England in their spring ships, Captain Back set out on his return through Canada, calling at the Fishe- ries to bid farewell to his esteemed friend, Mr. McLeod, and arriving at the Norway House on the 24th, where he settled and arranged the accounts due for stores, &c., to the Hudson's Bay Company. He proceeded thence to Kew York, embarked for England, and ar- rived at Liverpool on the 8th of September, after an absence of two years and a half. Back was honored with an audience of his Majesty, who expressed his ap- probation of his efforts — first in the cause of human- ity, and next in that of geographical and scientific re- search. He has since been knighted ; and in 1835, the Royal Geographical Society awarded him their gold medal, (the Royal premium,) for his discovery of the Great Fish River, and navigating it to the sea on the arctic coast. Dr. King, with the remainder of the party, (eight men,) reached England, in the Hudson's Bay Com- pany's ship, in the following month, October. Of Captain Back's travels it has been justly observed that it is impossible to rise from the perusal of them without being struck with astonishment at the extent of sufferings which the human frame can endure, and at the same time the wondrous display of fortitude which was exhibited under circumstances of so appalling a nature, 186 ri{t»GKES8 OF Ali(TrJC DISCO VERY. as to invest the narrative with tlie character of a roman- tic liction, rjither than an iinexaggeratod tale of actual reality. lie, however, suffered not despair nor despon- dency to overcome him, but gallantly and undauntedly pursued his course, until he returned to his native land to add to tlie number of those noble spirits whose names will be carried to posterity as the brightest ornaments to the country which gave them birth. Cafiain Back's Voyage of the Terror. In the year 1836, Captain Back, who had only re- turned the previous autumn, at the recommendation of the Geographical Society, undertook a voyage in the Terror up Hudson's Strait. He was to reach Wager River, or Kepulse Bay, and to make an overland journey, to exannne the bottom of Prince Regent's Inlet, sending other i:)arties to the north and west to examine the Strait of the Fury and Ilecla, and to reach, if possible, Franklin's Point Turn- again. Leaving England on the 14th of June, he arrived on the 14th of August at Salisbury Island, and proceeded np the Frozen Strait ; off Cape Comfort the ship got frozen in, and on the breaking up of the ice by one of those frequent convulsions, the vessel was drifted right up the Frozen Channel, grinding Itirge heaps that op- posed her progress to powder. Fi cm December to March she was driven about by the fuiy of the storms and ice, all attempts to release her being utterly powerless. She thus floated till the 10th of July, and for three days w.as on her beam-ends ; but on the 14th she suddenly righted. The crazy vessel with her gaping wounds was scarcely able to transport the crew across the stormy waters of the Atlantic, but the return voyage which was rendered absolutely neces- sary, was fortunately accomplished safely. I shall now give a concise summary of Captain Sir ^ -- ^ « . • t'vices, so as to present it more readily to the reader: J DEA8E AND SIMPSON 8 mSOOVERUIS. 187 got op- ease the els; lessel )ort but 3ces- In 1818 he was Admiralty Mate on board the Trent, aiider Franklin. In 1819 he again accompanied him on his first overland journey, and was with him in all those perilous sufferings which are elsewhere narrated. He was also as a Lieutenant with Franklin on his sec- ond journey in 1825. Having been in the interval pro- moted to the rank of Commander, he proceeded, in 1833, accompanied by Dr. King and a party, through North- ern America to the Polar Sea, in search ot Captain John lloss. He was posted on the 30th of September, 1835, and appointed in the following year to the com- mand of the Terror, for a voyage of discovery in Hud- son's Bay. . Messrs. Dease and Simpson's Discoveries. In 183C the Hudson's Bay Company resolved upon undertaking the completion of the survey of the north- ern coast of their territories, forming the shores of Arctic America, and small portions ct which were letlb undetermined between the discoveries of Caj)tains Back and Franklin. They commissioned to this task two of their officers, Mr. Thomas Simpson and Mr. Peter Warren Dease, who were sent out with a party of twelve men from the com- pany's chief fort, with proper aid and appliances. De- scending the Mackenzie to the sea, they reached and surveyed in July, 1837, the remainder of the western part of the coast left unexamined by Franklin in 1825, from his Keturn Reef to Cape Barrow, where the Blos- som's boats turned back. Proceeding on from Return Reef two new rivers were discovered, — the Garry and the Colville; the latter more than a thousand miles in length. Although it was the height of summer, the ground was found frozen several inches below the surface, the spray froze on the oars and rigging of their boats, and the ice lay smooth and solid in the bays, as in the depth of winter. On the 4th of August, having left the boats and pro- ceeded on by land, Mr. Simpson arrived at Elson Bay, 188 PROGRESS OP iURCTIO DISCO^'ERT. which point Lieutenant Elson had reached in the Bios* eom's barge in 1826. The party now returned to winter at Fort Confidence, on Great 13ear Lake, whence they were instructed to prosecute their search to the eastward next season, and to communicate if possible with Sir George Back's expedition. They left their winter quarters on the 6th of June, 1838, and descended Dease's Eiver. They found the Coppermine River much swollen by floods, and encum- bered with masses of floating ice. The rapids they had to pass were very perilous, as may be inferred from the following graphic description: — "We had to pull for our lives to keep out of the suc- tion of the precipices, along whose base the breakers raged and foamed with overwhelming fury. Shortly before noon, we came in sight of Escape Rapid of Franklin ; and a glance at the overhanging cliff told us that there was no alternative but to run down with a fidl cargo. In an instant," continues Mr. Simpson, " we were in the vortex ; and before we were aware, my boat was borne toward an isolated rock, which the boiling surge almost concealed. To clear it on the outside was no longer possible ; our only chance of safety was to run between it and the lofty eastern cliff. The word was passed, and every breath was hushed. A stream which dashed down upon us over the brow of the preei pice more than a hundred feet in height, mingled with the spray that whirled upward from the rapid, forming a terrific shower-bath. The pass was about eight feet wide, and the error of a single foot on either side would have been instant destruction. As, guided by Sinclair's consummate ' skill, the boat shot safely through those jaws of death, an involuntary cheer arose. Our next impulse was to turn round to view the fate of our com- rades behind. They had profited by the peril we in- curred, and kept without the treacherous rock in time." On the 1st of July they reached the sea, and en- camped at the mouth of the river, where they waited for the opening of the ice till the 17th. They doubled DEA8E AND SIMPSON'S DISCOVERIES. 189 Cape Barrow, one of the northern points of Bathurst's Inlet, on the 29th, but were prevented crossing the inlet, by the continuity of the ice, and obliged to make a circuit of nearly 160 miles by Arctic Sound. Some very pure specimens of copper ore were found on one of the Barry Islands. After doubling Cape Flinders on the 9th of August, the boats were arrested by the ice in a little bay to which the name of Boat Haven was given, situate about three miles from Frank- lin's farthest. Here the boats lingered for the best part of a month, in utter hopelessness. Mr. Simpson pushed on therefore on the 20th, with an exploring party of seven men, provisioned for ten days. On the first day they passed Point Turnagain, the limit of Frank- lin's survey in 1821. On the 23d they had reached an elevated cape, with land apparently closing all round to the northward, so that it was feared they had only been traversing the coast of a huge bay. But the perseverance of the adventurous explorer was fully re- warded. "With bitter disappointment," writes Mr. Simpson, " I ascended the height, from whence a vast and splen- did prospect burst suddenly upon me. The sea, as if transformed by enchantment, rolled its fierce waves at my feet, and beyond the reach of vision to the eastward. Islands of various shape and size overspread its surface ; and the northern land terminated to the eye in a bold and lofty cape, bearing east northeast, thirty or forty- miles distant, while the continental coast trended away southeast. I stood, in fact, on a remarkable headland, at the eastern outlet of an ice-obstructed strait. On the extensive land to the northward I bestowed the name of our most gracious sovereign Queen Victoria. Its eastern visible extremity I called Cape Pelly, in com- pliment to the governor of Hudson's Bay Company." Having reached the limits which prudence, dictated in the face of the long journey back to the boats, many of his men too being lame, Mr. Simpson retraced his steps, and the party reached Boat-haven on the 20th of August, having traced neai'ly 140 miles of new coast. IDO PB00RES9 OP AKCTIO W8C0VERT. The boats were cut out of their icy prison, and com nienced their re-ascent of the Coppermine on the 3d oi September. At its junction witli the Kendal River tiiey left their boats, and shouldering their packs, traversed the barren grounds, and arrived at their residence on the lake by the 14th of September. The following season these persevering exi^lorcrs com- menced their third voyage. Thcv readied the Bloody Fall on the 22d of June, 1839, and occupied themselves for a week in carefully examining Richardson's River, which was discovered in the previous year, and dis- charges itself in the head of Rack's Inlet. On the 3d of July they reached Cape Barrow, and from its rocky heights were surprised to observe Coronation Gulf almost clear of ice, while on their former visit it could have been crossed on foot. They were at Cape Franklin a month earlier tlian Mr. Simpson reached it on foot the j^revious year, and doubled Cape Alexander, the northernmost cjipe in tliis quarter, on the 28th of July, after encountering a vio- lent gale. They coasted the huge buy extending foi* about nine degrees eastward from this point, being fa- vored with clear weather, and protectee! by tlie various islands they met from the crushing state of the ioe drifted from seaward. On the 10th of August they opened a strait about ten miles wide at each extremity, but narrowing to four or five miles in the center. This strait, which divides the main-land from Boothia, has been called Simjpson's Strait. On the 13th of August they had passed Richardson's Point and doubled Point Ogle, the furthest point of Back's journey in 1S34. By the 16th they had reached Montreal Island in Back's Estuary, where they found a deposit of pro- visions which Captain Back had left there that day live years. The pemmican was unfit for use, but out of several pounds of chocolate half decayed the men con- trived to pick sufficient to make a kettleful acceptable drink in honor of the occasrion. There were also a tin DEASE AND SIMPSON's DISCOVERIES. 191 ; of case and a few fish-liooks, of which, observes Mr. Simpson, " Mr. Deasc and I took possession, as memo- rials of our haviiifif breakfasted on tlie very spot wiiero the tent of our gallant, though less successful precursor Btuod that very day live years before. By the 20th of August they had reached as far as Aberdeen Island to the eastward, from which they had a view of an apparently large gulf, corresponding with that which had been so correctly described to Parry by the intelligent Esquimaux female as Akkolee. From a mountamous ridge about three miles inland a view of la'ud in the northeast was obtained supposed to be one of the southern promontories of Boothia. High and distant islands stretching from E. to E. N. E. (probably some in Committee Bay) were seen, and two considerable ones were noted far out in the otiing. Remembering the length and difficulty of their return route, the explorers now retraced their steps. On their return voyage they traced sixty miles of the south coast of Boothia, where at one time they were not more than ninety miles from the site of the magnetic pole, as de- termined by Captain Sir James C. Ross. On tlie 25th of August they erected a high cairn at their farthest point, near Cape Ilerschel. About 150 miles of the high, bold shores of Victoria Land, as far as Cape Parry, were also examined; Wellington, Cambridge, and Byron Bays being sur- veyed and accurately laid down. They then stretched across Coronation Gulf, and re-entered the Copper- mine River on the 16th of September. Abandoning here one of their boats, with the re- mains of their useless stores and other articles not required, they ascended the river and reached Fort Confidence on the 24th of September, after one of the longest and most successful boat voyages ever per- formed on the Polar Sea, having traversed more than 1600 miles of sea. In 1838, before the intelligence of this last trip had been received, Mr. Simpson was presented by the Royal Geographical Society of London with the I I Hi 'l- ' X, 192 PBOORESS OF AKCrnO DISCOVERY. Founder's Gold Medal, for discovering and tracing in 1837 and 1838 about 300 miles of the arctic shores: but the voyage which I have just recorded has added greatly to the laurels which he and his bold compan- ions have achieved. Dr. John Eae's Land Expedition, 1846-47. Although a little out of its chronological order, I give Dr. Rae's exploring trip before I proceed to no- tice Franklin's last voyage, and the diiferent relief expeditions that have been sent out during the past two years. In 1846 the Hudson's Company dispatched an ex- pedition of thirteen persons, under the command of Dr. John Rae, for the purpose of surveying the unex- plored portion of the arctic coast at the northeastern angle of the American continent between Dease and Simpson's farthest, and the Strait of the Fury and Hecla. The expedition left Fort Churchill, in Hudson's Bay, on the 5th of July, 1846, and returned in safety to York Factory on the 6th September in the follow- ing year, after having, by traveling over ice and snow in the spring, traced the coast all the way from the Lord Mayor's Bay of Sir John Ross to within eight or ten miles of the Fury and Hecla Strait, thus prov- ing that eminent navigator to have been con-ect in stating Boothia to be a peninsula. On the 16th of July the boats first fell in with the ice, about ten miles north of Cape FuUerton, and it was so heavy and closely packed that they were obliged to take shelter in a deep and narrow inlet that opportunely presented itself, where they were closed up two days. On the 22d the party reached the most southerly opening of Wager Kiver or Bay, but were detained the whole day by the immense quantities of heavy ice driving in and out with the flood and ebb of the tide, which ran at the rate of eight miles an hour, forcing up DR. JOHN RAe's land EXrEDITlON. 193 }t m ko" up the ice and grinding it against the rocks with a noise like thundor. (Jn the night of the 24th the boats anchored at the head of the Repulse Bay. The follow- ing day they anchored in Gibson's Cove, on the banks of which they met with a small party of Esquimaux ; several of the women wore beacls round their wrists, which thev had obtained from Captain Parry's ship when at Igloolik and Winter Island. But they had neither heard nor seen anything of Sir John Franklin. Learning from a chart drawn by one of the natives, that the isthmus of Melvill'j peninsula was only about forty miles across, and that of this, owing to a number of large lakes, but five miles of land would have to be passed over. Dr. Rae determined to make his way over this neck in preference to. proceeding by Fox's Channel through the Fury and Hecla Strait. • One boat was therefore laid up with her cargo in security, and with the other the party set out, assisted by three Esquimaux. After traversing several large lakes, and crossing over six " portages," on the 2d of August they got into the salt water, in Committee Bay, but being able to make but little progress to the northwest, in consequence of heavy gales and closely packed ice, he returned to his starting point, and made preparations for wintering, it being found impossible to proceed with the survey at that time. The other boat was brought across the isthmus, and all hands were set to work in making preparations for a long and cold winter. As no wood was to be had, stones were collected to build a house, which was finished by the 2d of Sep- tember. Its dimensions were twenty feet by fourteen, and about eight feet high. The roof was formed of oil-cloths and morse-skin coverings, the masts and oars of the boats serving as rafters, while the door was made of parchment skins stretched over a wooden frame. The deer had already commenced migrating south- ward, but whenever he had leisure, Dr. Rae shoul- dered his rifle, and had frequently good success, shoot- 9 194: PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. Vff ing on one day seven deer within two miles of their encampment. On the 16th of October, the thermometer fell to zero, and the greater part of the reindeer had passed ; but the party liad by this time shot 130, and during the remainder of October, and in November, thirty- two more were kilied, so that with 200 partridges and a few salmon, their snow-built larder was pretty well stocked. Sufficient fuel had been collected to last, with econ- omy, for cooking, until the spring ; and a couple of seals which had been shot produced oil enough for their lamps. By nets set in the lakes under the ice, a few salmon were also caught. After passing a very stormy winter, with the tem- perature occasionally 47° below freezing point, and often an allowance of but one meal a day, toward the end of February preparations for resuming their sur- veys in the spring were made. Sleds, similar to those used by the natives, were constructed. In the begin- ning of March the reindeer began to migrate north- ward, but were very shy. One was shot on the 11th. Dr. Rae set out on the 5th of April, in company with three men and two Esquimaux as interpreters, their provisions and bedding being drawn on sleds by four dogs. Nothing worthy of notice occurs in this exploratory trip, till on the 18th Ilae came in sight of Lord Mayor's Bay, and the group of islands with which it is studded. The isthmus which connects the land to the northward with Boothia, he found to be only about a mile broad. On their return the party fortunately fell in with four Esquimaux, from whom they obtained a quantity of seal's blubber for fuel and dog's food, and some of the flesh and blood for their own use, enough to maintain them for six days on half allowance. All the party were more or less affected with snow blindness, but arrived al their winter quarters in Re- pulse Bay on the 5th of May, all safe and well, but as black as negroes, from the combined effects of frost- bites and oil smoke. DE. JOHN EAE'S LAND EXPEDITION. 195 again On the evening of the 13th May, Dr. Rae started with a chosen party of four men, to trace the west shore of Melville peninsula. Each of the men carried about 70 lbs. weight. Being unable to obtain a drop of water of nature's thawing, and fuel being rather a scarce article, they Were obliged to take small kettles of snow under the blankets with them, to thaw by the heat of the body. Having reached to about 69° 42' :N". lat., and 85° 8' long., and their provisions being nearly exhausted, they were obliged, much to their disappointment, to turn back, when only within a few miles of the Hecla and Fury Strait. Early on the morning of the 30th of May, the party arrived at their snow hut on Cape Thomas Simpson. The men they had left there were well, but very thin, as they had neither caught nor shot any thing eatable, except two marmots, and they were preparing to cook a piece of parchment skin for their supper. " Our journey," says Dr. Eae, " hitherto had been the most fatiguing I had ever experienced ; the severe exercise, with a limited allowance of food, had reduced the whole party very much. However, we marched merrily on, tightening our belts — mine came in six inches — the men vowing that when they got on full allowance, they would make up for lost time." On the morning of the 9th of June, they arrived at their encampment in Repulse Bay, after being absent twenty-seven days. The whole party then set actively to work procuring food, collecting fuel, and preparing the boats for sea ; and the ice in the bay having broken up on the 11th of August, on the 12tli they left their winter quarters, and after encountering head winds and stormy weather, reached Churchill River on the 31st of August. A gratuity of 400Z. was awarded to Mr. Rae, by the Hudson's Bay Company, for the important services he had thus rendered to the cause of science. I i 1 196 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. Captain Sir John Franklin's Last Expedition* ' 1845-51. - , That Sir John Franklin, now nearly six years a"b- sent, is alive, we dare not affirm ; but that his ships bIiouIcI be so utterly annihilated that no trace of them can be discovered, or if they have been so entirely lost, that not a single life should have been saved to relate the disaster, and that no traces of the crew or vessels should have been met with by the Esquimaux, or the exploring parties who have visited and investi- gated those coasts, and bays, and inlets to so consid- erable an extent, is a most extraordinary circumstance. It is the general belief of those officers who have served in the former arctic expeditions, that whatever accident may have befallen the Erebus and Terror, they cannot wholly have disappeared from those seas, and that some traces of their fate, if not some living remnant of their crews, must eventually reward the search of the diligent investigator. It is possible that they may be found in quarters the least expected. Tliere is still reason, then, for liope^ and for the great and honorable exertions which that divine spark in the soul has prompted and still keeps alive. "There is something," says the Athenaeum, "in- tensely interesting in the picture of those dreary seas amid whose strange and unspeakable solitudes our lost countrymen are, or have been, somewhere imprisoned for so many years, swarming with the human life that is risked to set them free. No haunt was ever so ex- citing — so full of a wild grandeur and a profound patlios — as that which had just aroused the arctic echoes ; that wherein their brothers and companions have been beating for the track by wliicli they may rescue the lost mariners from the icy grasp of the Ge- nius of the North. Fancy these men in their adaman tine prison, wherever it may be, — chained up by tlia polar spirit whom they had dared, — lingering through years of cold and darkness on the stinted ration that scarcely feeds the blood, and the feeble hope that TRANKLIN S LAST liXPEDITION. 197 scarcely sustains the heart, — and then ima2;ine the rush of emotions to greet the first cry from that wild hunting ground which should reach their ears! Through many summers has that cry been listened for, no doubt. Something like an expectation of the rescue which it sliould announce has revived with each returning sea- son of comparative light, to die of its own baffled in- tensity as the long dark months once more settled down upon their dreary prison-house. — There is scarcely a doubt that the track being now struck, these long- pining hearts may be traced to their lair. But what to tlie anxious questioning which has year by year gone forth in search of their fate, will be the answer now revealed ? The trail is found, — but what of the weary feet that made it? We are not willing needlessly to alarm the public sympathies, which liave been so gene- rously stirred on behalf of the missing men, — but we are bound to warn our readers against too sano-uine an entertainment of the hope which the first tidings of the recent discovery is calculated to suggest. It is scarcely possible that the provisions which are sufficient for three years, and adaptable for four, can by any economy which implies less than starvation have been spread over five, — and scarcely probable that they can have been made to do so by the help of any accidents which the j)lacc of confinement supplied. We cannot hear of this sudden discovery of traces of the vanished crews as living men, w^ithout a wish which comes like a pang that it had been two years ago — or oven last year. It makes the heart sore to think how close relief may have been to their hiding-place in former years — when it turned away. There is scarcely reason to doubt that had the present circumstances of the search occurred two years ago — last year perhaps — the wanderers would have been restored. Another year makes a frightful difference in the odds : — and we do not think tlie public will ever feel satisfied with w^hat has been (lone in this matter if the oracle so long questioned, and silent 80 long, sliall speak at last — and the answer shall be, ' It is too late.' " i I I liii in a'U ig ,; » i'a :g - ^f^r^Wn't ji cwii i as 5^^ 198 rR00I4ESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. In the prosecution of the noble enterprise on which all eyes are now turned, it is not merely scientific re- search and geographical discovery that are at present occupying the attention of the commanders of vessels sent out ; the lives of human beings are at stake, and above all, the lives of men who have nobly periled every thing in the cause of national — nay, of universal progress and knowledge ; — of men who have evinced on this and other expeditions the most dauntless bra- very that any men can evince. "Who can think of the probable fate of these gallant adventurers without a shudder ? Alas ! how truthfully has Montgomery depicted the fatal imprisonment of vessels in these regions : — There lies a vessel in that realm of frost, Not wrecked, not stranded, yet forever lost ; Its keel embedded in the solid mass ; Its glistening sails appear expanded glass ; The transvei-se ropes with pearls enormous struDg^ The yards with icicles grotesquely hung. Wrajjt in the topmast shrouds there rests a boy. His old sea-faring father's only joy ; Sprung from a race of rovers, ocean bom, Nursed at the helm, '^e trod dry land with scorn , Through fouracore years from port to port he veer'd ; Quicksand, nor rock, nor foe, nor tempest fear'd ; Now cast ashore, though like a hulk he lie. His son at sea is ever in his eye. He ne'er shall know in his Northumbrian cot. How brief that son's career, how strange his lot ; Writhed round the mast, aud sepulchred in air. Him shall no worm devour, no vulture tear ; Congeal'd to adamant his frame shall last. Though empires change, till tide and time be past Morn shall return, and noon, and eve, and night Meet here with interclianging shade and light ; Eut from that barque no timber shall decay, Of these cold forms no feature pass away ; Perennial ice around th' encrusted bow. The peopled-deck, and full-rigg'd mast shall grow Till from the sun liimself the whole be hid, Or spied beneath a crystal pyramid : As in pure amber witli divergent lines, A rugged shell embossed with sea-weed, shines. From age to age increased witli annual snow, Tliis now Mont Blanc among the clouds may glow. Whose conic peak that earliest greets the dawn. And latest from the sun's shut eye withdrawn. FKANKLIM S LAST KXPEDITION. 199 Slmll fioin the 2Senit1i, tnroiigh incumbent gloom, Bmn like a lamp upon this naval tomb. IJut when th' archangel's trumpet sounds on high, The pile hIiuU burst to atoms through the sky, And leave its dead, upstiirting at the call, Naked and pale, before tlio Judge of all. All who rend these pages will, I am sure, feel the deepest sympathy and admiration of the zeal, persever- ance, and conjugal aifection displayed in the noble and untiring efforts of Lady Franklin to relieve or to dis- cover the fate of her distinguished husband and the gal- lant party under his command, despite the difficulties, disappointments, and heart-sickening "hope deferred" with which these efforts have been attended. All men must feel a lively interest in the fate cf these bold men, and be most desirous to contribute toward their resto- ration to their country and their homes. The name of the present Lady Franklin is as "familiar as a house- hold word " in every bosom in England ; she is alike the object of our admiration, our sympathy, our hopes, and our prayers. Nay, her name and that of her hus- band is breathed in prayer in many lands — and, oh! how earnest, how zealous, how courageous, have been her efforts to find and relieve her husband, for, like Desdemona, " She loved him for the dangers he had passed, And he loved her that she did pity them." IIow has she traversed from port to port, bidding " God speed their mission " to each public and private sliip going forth on the noble errand of mercy — how freely and promptly has she contributed to their comforts. How has she watched each arrival from the north, scanned each stray paragraph of news, hurried to the Admiralty on each rumor, and kept up with unremit- ting labor a voluminous correspondence with all the quarters of the globe, fondly wishing that she had the wings of the dove, that she might flee away, and be with him from whom Heaven has seen fit to separate her so long. An American poet well depicts her sentiments in the foJV)wing lines : — I I 1 .1 200 riiOOKliSS OF AliCTIO DISCOVKKY. LADY FRANKLIN'S APPEAL TO THE NORTH.. Oh, •where, my long lost-one ! art thou, 'Mid Arctic hcus and wintry skies ? Deep, Polar night is on me now. And Hope, long wrecked, but mocks my cn6l I am like thee I from frozen plaina In the drear zone and snnlcss air, My dying, lonely heart complains. And chills in sorrow and despair. " .'it Tell me, ye Northern winds ! that sweep Down from the rayless, dusky day — Where ye have borne, and where ye keep, My well-beloved within your sway ; Tell me, when next ye wildly bear The icy message in your breath. Of my beloved I Oh tell me where Ye keep him on the shores of death. Tell me, ye Polar seas I that roll From ice-bound shore to sunny i.slo — Tell me, when next ye leave the Pole, Where ye hav<> chained my lord the while I On the bleak Northern cliflf I wait With tear-pained eyes to see ye come 1 Will ye not tell me, ere too late ? Or will ye mock while I am dumb ? Tell me, oh tell me, mount^iin waves ! Whence have ye leaped and sprung to-day f Have ye passed o'er their sleeping graves That ye rush wildly on your way ? Will ye sweep on and bear me too Down to the caves within the deep ? Oh, bring sonic token to my view That ye my loved one safe will keep I Canst thou not tell me, Polar Star I Where in the frozen Avasto he kneels? And on the icv plains afar His love to God and nie reveals? Wilt thou not send one brighter ray To my lone heart and aching eye? Wilt thou not turn my night to day, And wake my spirit ere I die ? Tell me, oh dreary North ! for now My soul is like thine Arctic zone ; Beneath the darkened .skies I bow, Or ride the .stormy sea .ilone 1 Tell me of my beloved ! for I Know not a ray Tny lord without I Oh, tell niu. that 1 ni'av not d 10 A sorrower on the sea of doubt f FKANKLIN S LAST EXPEDITION. 201 In the early part of 1849, Sir E. Parry stated, that in ottering his opinions, he did so under a deep sense of tiie anxious and even painful responsibility, both as regarded the risk of life, as well as the inferior consid- eration of expense involved in further attem^^ts to res- cue our gallant countrymen, or at least the surviving jiortion of them, from their perilous position. But it was his deliberate conviction, that the time had not yet arrived when the attempt ought to be given up as hopeless : the further efforts making might also be the moans of determining their fate, and whether it pleased God to give success to those efforts or not, tlio Lords of the Ai rUOHUKHH OV MiVrW IHN'OVKUY Tlu« (It'ttiilM of \U\H t'oirrul iindi'i'tiilviiiH;, wliidi (>n< (liiitMl iiiilil llu^ Hiiiiinicr tif ISii'J, nii«l in tliocuiiiH(M)|' which, \\o rriU'hcil us I'tir its I'tiiiit 'riirnt(;;'niii, in hititndo «1S' \\\' N., ninl lonwihi.lo loir 'J.'.' W., un«l rir.'clr*! ii jonnu'v Hlt<»;^olhri* of .^.^^«^ niih'H, Cupliiiii h'ninkiiii liHH ahlv si't I'orlh in iiis " Nunulivo of u .lonrni'v to tho ShoVi's (.r llio IN.IiU'Srii, in \\h^ ^ycnr IS|!i L'if,"*nn(| Mhit'h I hnvi' iil»i'i»l;4;(«l in |»n'cnlin<;; |»a«;«'H. Ilo wan itn)ni«>l('ai'hiMl his post rank on the li(Mh ot' N«»vonilu>r, ISl'-J. On tho h'.ih of iMJirnan', ISii:», tliis oin'r^t l""i'o/.i>n Iu'^Ioiim, iuiNin^' lor its olijcct a ('t»-o|uM'ation with Caplainn l'\ \V. not'('h(>v, and \V. K. l*arrv, in aMCtTlaininn' tVoni o|>posi((> iinartcrs thr i'\- istcut'o oi' a n«»ilh\vrsl |iassa<;i'. 'I'ht* ifsidts (»!' this mission will Ih> I'oinid in detail in (^aptain i<'i'anl< tin's ''NarnilivtMtl' a Si>t'ond Mxpcdition to thoJShcuvs ot'tho IVlarSoa, in IS-j:. 7." On his rotniJi to !'!nj;iantl, whort^ ho urrivt'd <»n tho L*«»th t»t' Sept., IS'JT, I'ranklin was pn>s(«nttMl hv tho (Ji'oi»"niphi('al Sociily ol' Taris, with u j>;ohl int'dal val- lU'd at ilMM) tVancs, lor havini»- inado tho most innxtrtant aotjnisitions to i;ooi:;raphi('al knowK'diji* dni'ini»; tlio pro- ivdini*' voar, Juui (tn liioL'lMh ol' April, ISi.M>, ho roooivt>d tho honor ot' knin'htlu>od, hosiiU's lioinjj; awanlod in .Inly t'ollowinii' thi> Oxi'ord «h'jj;roi» o{' a D. C L. From \^',\0 to |S;!|, ho was in uotivo sorvioo in ooni- inanil oC II. M. S. liainliow, on tho Moditormnoan sta- tion, an»l for his t>\ortions iliirinijf that p»»riod as oon- iiootod with ti»o trouMos in (iroooo, was prosontod with tho ordor t>f tho lu>doonior (»f (Jroi»oi\ Sir »lohn was oroatod u K. (\ 11. on tho '2M\\ oi' .lanuarv, IS;>«», and was tor sonio tinio Oovonior of Van Dionion's Land. Ho inarriod, on tho MUh oi' Aui;nst, lSi>;{, Kloanor Anno, youni»:»>st tlauixlitor of W. Tordon, lvs»|., arohitoot, of IVrnors Stroot, l.ondt)n, and socondly, on tho ;'>th of !Novond)or, ISi?S, ,lano, sooon«l danolitor of .lohn (}rif- liu, Kstj., o\' \\v^\{'ov{\ IMaoo Captain Cro/ior was in all Parry's oxpoditit his, ha^ KlfANKIIN H I.AHT KX I'KMITIOM. 205 iii^ Ikm'Ii iiii.\|)(>(l<(ion nndt'i* Sir .lanic^H Kohh, :inult>nunt (ioro Hitrvcd m u niul(! in tlu^ lunt fourfnl voyji<^(M>f I lu( Terror, under l»u<'k, und wuh uIho with i^)MH in tlut unturetic e.\|)edilion. lie luiH uttuined liin connnunderV runk durin«^ liis ul)Heiiee. I/ieuteiu»nt l"'uirliolnu< wum in tlie Ni;j;er expedition. liieiiteiiunt liittle has uIko l)(>en |)roinot(;d during liin ui>Henee, und so liuvt^ all tlie niatcK. Cotnnuiniler iMt/janies is a Krave and gallant ollicer, who luiK Hceii much seirvice in the l^ast, und has uttairuMl to luH |)oMt runk Hineit his (U'parture. The TtM'ror, it nuiy he ri^inendu'red, in the veHHcl in which ('a|>tain Sir (I. I»aek made hirt porilouH attempt U* reach Iteiudse Hay, in IS.'»(I. 'J'ho KrehuM und Terror were not expected homo un- •esH HUceesH had early rtiwarded their ellortH, or Homo cuHUulty husteiied their return, helore the clone of IS47, nor were any tidinated from them in the in- terval ; hut when tlui autunm t>f 1H47 arrived, with<»ut •my .ntellinveyin^ relief to them, in cane of their heintj^ im|)risoned in the ice, or wrecked, and in want of pro- visionH and means of transport. For this purpose a Hearchin<]^ expedition in three divisions was iittiMl out by thi^ L^overnment, in the early ]»art of ISIS. The investi^jjation was directed to throe dillerent (puirters fiimultaru'ously, viz : Ist, to that by which, in case of success, the ships would come out of thi> Polar Sou, to the westward, ov Hehring's Straits. This consisted of a Hini:;le ship, the Plover, connnanded by (captain Moore, which left England in the latter end 200 PROORKSS OF AUCTIC DISCOVERY. of Janmiry, for the purpose of entorinnj Behring's Strait. It was intended, that she slioidd arrive tln;re in the month of July, and having looked out for a winter har- bor, she mi«;ht send out her boats northward and east- ward, in which directions the discovery ships, if suc- cessful, would be met with. The Plover, however, in her tirst season, never even approached the place of her destination, owing to her setting off too late, and to her bad sailing properties. Iler subsequent proceedings, and those of her boats along the coast, will be founcf narrated in after pages. The second division of the expedition was one of ])oats, to explore the coast of the Arctic Sea between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Kivers, or from tho 185th to the 115th degree of W. longitude, together with the south coast of Wollaston Land, it being sup- posed, that if Sir John Franklin's party had been com- pelled to leave the ships and take to the boats, they would make f(.)r this coast, whence they could reach the Hudson's Bay Company's posts. This party was placed under the comnumd of the faithful friend of Franklin, and the companion of his former travels, Dr. Sir John Richardson, who landed at New York in April, 1848, and hastened to join his men and boats, whicii were already in advance toM^ard the arctic shore. He was, however, unsuccessful in his search. The remaining and most important portion of this searching expedition consisted of two ships under the command of Sir James Ross, M'hich sailed in May, 1848, for the locality in which Franklin's ships entered on this course of discovery, viz., the eastern side of Davis' Straits. These did not, however, succeed, owing to tho state of the ice in getting into Lancaster Sound until the season for operations had nearly closed. These ships wintered in the neighborhood of Leopold Island, Regent Lilet, and missing the store-ship sent out with pro- visions and fuel, to enable them to stop out another year, were driven out through the Strait by the ])ack of ice, and returned home unsuccessful. The subse- quent expeditions consequent upon the failure of the FKANKI.IN 8 LAST KXrEDITION. 207 foivgoing will 1)0 found fully detailed and narrated in their proper orcU;r. Among the number of volunteers fi^ ■ the servlco of exploration, in the different searehing expeditiunn, were the following: — Mr. Chas. Keid, lately coniinanding the whalinfT bIui) Pacilic, and brother to the ice-nuister on board tlie Erebus, a man of great experience and respectability. The Kev. Joseph "Wolff, who went to Bokhara in search of Capt. Conolly and Col. Stoddart. Mr. John McLean, who had mssed twenty-fivo years as an officer and partner of the lludson's Bay Comj)any, and who has recently published an interesting narra- tive of his experience in the northwest regions. Dr. Richard King, who accompanied Cant. Back in his land journey to the mouth of the Great Fish Kiver. Lieut. ISherard Osborn, R. N., who had recently gone out in the Pioneer, tender to the Resolute. Comuumder Forsyth, R. N., who volunteered for all the expeditions, and was at last sent out by Lady Frank- lin in the Prince All)ert. Dr. McCormick, R. N., who served under Cai)tain Sir E. Parry, in the attempt to reach the 2^orth Pole, in 1827, who twice previously volunteered his services in 1847. Capt. Sir John Ross, who has gone out in the Felix, fitted out by the Hudson's Bay Company, and by pri- vate subscriptions ; and many others. Up to the present time no intelligence of any kind lias been received respecting the expedition, and its fate is now excitin^ the most intense anxiety, not only on the part of the British government and public, but of the whole civilized world. The maratime powers of Europe .ind the United States are vying with each otiier IS to "who shall be the first to discover some trace of the Hissing navigators, and if they be still alive, to render .hem assistance. The Hudson's Bay Company have, with a noble liberality, placed all their available re- sources of men, provisions, and the services of their chief and most experienced traders, at the disposal of government. The Russian authorities have also givcui 208 PKOGliKSS OF AKCTIC DISCOVERT. ■ I every facility for diffusing information and affording as^istiuice in tlieir territories. In a letter from Sir John Franklin to Colonel Sabine, dated from the AVhale Fish Islands, 9th of July, 1845, after noticing that, including what they had received from the transport which had accompanied tliem so far, the Erebus and Terror had on board provisions, fuel, clothing and stores for three years complete from that date, i. e. to July, 1848, lie continues as follows: — "1 hope my dear wite and daughter will not be over-anxious if we should not return by the time they l".ive fixed upon; and I must beg' of you to give them the benefit of your advice and experience when that arrives, for you know well, that even after the second winter, without success in our object, we should wish to try some other channel, if tlie state of our ^^^'ovisio-js, and the health of the crews justify it. Capt. Dannett, of the wlialer. Prince of Wales, while in Melville Bay, last saw the vessels of the expedition, moored to an iceberg, on the 26th of July, in lat. 74° 48' N., long. 66*^ 13' W., waiting for a favorable open- ing through the middle ice from Baffin's Bay to Lancas- ter Sound. Capt. Dannetc states that during three weeks after parting company with the ships, he experienced very line weather, and thinks they would have made good ])rogress. Lieut. Griffith, in command of the transport which accompanied them out with provisions to Baffin's Bay, reports that he left all hands well and in high spirits. They were then furnished, he adds, with every species of provisions for three entii-e years, independently of five l^ullocks, and stores of every description for the same period, with abundance of fuel. The following is Sir John Franklin's official letter sent home by the transport : — " 77<^?' Ifajestifs Shrp '' Erehus^^ " Whale-Fish Islands, 12th of July, 1845. " I have the honor to acquaint you, for the informa- tion of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that FRANKLIN S LAST EXPEDITION. 20D fording Sabine, i, 18^5, cceived 1 so far, ns, fuel, om that s: — "1 anxious id upon; of your )u know ; success channel, 1 of tlio es, while nedition. I lat. 74° >le open- ( Lancas- •ee weeks )erienced ve made rt wdiich in's Bay, h spirits. y species rlently of II for the ial lettei uhj, 1845. ! inform a- i-alty, that her Majesty's ships Erebus and Terror, with the trans- ])ort, arrived at this anchorage *. the 4th instant, hav- ing had a passage of one month from Stromness : the trausi)ort was immediately taken alongside this ship, tliat she might be the more readily cleared ; and we liave been constantly employed at that operation till last evening, the delay having been caused not so much in getting the stores transferred to either of the ships, as in making the best stowage of them below, as well as on the upper deck ; the ships are now com- plete with supplies of every kind for three years ; they are therefore very deep; but, happily, we have no reason to expect much sea as we proceed farther. " The magnetic instruments were landed the same morning ; so also were the other instruments requisite for ascertaining the position of the observatory ; and it is satisfactory to lind that the result of the observa- tions for latitude and longitude accord very nearly with those assigned to the same place by Sir Edward Parry; those for the dip and variation are equally sat- isfactory, which were made, by Captain Crozier with the instruments belonging to the Terror, and by Com- mander Fitzjames with those of the Erebus. " The ships are now being sW'Ung, for the purpose of ascertaining the dip and deviation of the needle on board, as was done at Greenhithe, which, I trust, will be completed this afternoon, and I hope to be able to sail in the night. "The governor and principal persons are at this time absent from Disco, so that I have not been able to receive ?ny communication from head quarters as to tlie state of the ice to the north ; I have, howeVer, learnt from a Danish carpenter in charge of the Es- quimaux at these islands, that though the winter was severe, the spring -was not later than usual, nor was tlie ice later in breaking away hereabout; he su])poses also that it is now loose as far as 74° latitude, and that our prospect is favorable of getting across the barrier, and as far as Lancaster Sound, without much obstruc- tion. \ i. 210 PliOGKESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. "Tlie transport will sail for England this day. 1 sh.ill instruct the agent, Lieutenant Griffiths, to pro- ceed to Deptford, and report his arrival to the Secre- tary of the Admiralty. I have much satisfaction in bearing my testimony to the careful and zealous man- ner in which Lieut. Griffiths has performed the service intrusted to him, and would beg to recommend him, as an officer who appears to have seen much service, to the favorable consideration of their lordships. "It is nnnecessary for me to assure their lordships of the energy and zeal of Captain Crozier, Commander Fitzjames, and of the officers and men with whom I have the happiness of being employed on this service. "I have, (fee, (Signed) Joim Frankltn, Captain. "The Itight Uon. II. L. Corry, M. P." It has often been a matter of surprise that but one of the co})per cylinders which Sir John Franklin was instructed to throw overboard at stated intervals, to record his ])rogi'ess, has ever come to hand, but a re- cent sight of the solitary one which has been received proves to me that they are utterly useless for the purpose. A small tube, about the size of an ordi- nary rocket-case, is hardly ever likely to be observed among huge masses of ice, and the waves of the At- lantic and Pacific, unless drifted by accident on shore, or near some boat. The Admiralty have wisely or- dc'ied them to be rendered more cons})icuous by being headed up in some cask or barrel, instructions being issued to Captain Collinson, and other officers of the different expeditions to that efl'ect. According to Sir John Iwichardson, who was on inti- mate terms with Sir »l(»hn Franklin, his plans were to sha])c his course in the first instance for the neighbor- hood of Ca])e Walker, and to push to the westward iii that parallel, or, if that could not be accomjilished, to make his way southward, to the channel discovered on the north coast of the continent, and so on to Behring's Straits ; failing success in that quartei", he mean.t to re- trace his course to Wellington Sound, and attempt a feanklin'8 last expedition. 211 passage northward of Parry's Islands, and if foiled there also, to descend Regent Inlet, and seek the passage along the coast discovered by Messrs. Dease and {Simp- son. Captain Fitzjames, the second in command under Sir John Franklin, was much inclined to try the pas- sage northward of Parry's Islands, and he would no doubt endeavor to persuade Sir John to pursue this course if they failed to the southward. In a private hitter of Captain Fitzjames to Sir John Barrow, dated January, 1845, he writes as follows : — " It does not appear clear to me what led Parry down Prince Regent Inlet, after having got as far as Melville Island before. The northwest passage is certainly to be gone through by Barrow's Strait, but whether south or north of Parry'n Group, remains to be proved. I am for going north, edging northwest till in longitude 140°, if possible." I shall now proceed to trace, in chronological order and succession, the opinions and proceedings of the cliief arctic explorers and public authorities, with the private suggestions offered and notice in detail the re- lief expeditions resulting therefrom. In February, 1847, the Lords of the Admiralty state, that having unlimited confidence in the skill and re- sources of Sir John Franklin, they " have as yet felt no apprehensions about his safety ; but on the other hand, it is obvious, that if no accounts of him should arrive by the end of tliis year, or, as Sir John Ross expects, at an earlier period, active steps must then be taken." Captain Sir Edward Parry fully concurred in these views, observing, " Former experience has clearly shown that with the resources taken from this country, two winters may be passed in the polar regions, not only in safety, but with comfort ; and if any inference can be drawn from the absence of all intelligence of the expe- dition up to this time, I am disposed to consider it ra- ther in favor than otherwise of the success which has attended their efforts. « Captain Sir G. Back, in a letter to the Secretary of 212 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERT. the Admiralty, under date 27th of January, 1848, says, "I cannot bring myself to entertain more than ordi- nary anxiety for the safety and return of Sir John Franklin and his gallant companions." Captain Sir John Ross records, in February, 1847, his opinion that the expedition was frozen up beyond Melville Island, from the known intentions of Sir John Franklin to put his ships into the drift ice at the west- ern end of Melville Island, a risk which was deemed in the highest degree imprudent by Lieutenant Parry and the officers of the exi3edition of 1819-20, with ships of a less draught of water, and in every respect better calculated to sustain the pressure of the ice, and other dangers to which they must be exposed ; and as it is now well known that the expedition has not suc- ceeded in passing Behring's Strait, and if not totally lost, must have been carried by the ice that is known to drift to the southward on land seen at a great dis- tance in that direction, and from which the accumu- lation of ice behind them will, as in Ross's own case, forever prevent the return of the ships ; consequently they must be abandoned. When we remember with what extreme difficulty Ross's party traveled 300 miles over much smoother ice after they abandoned their vessel, it appears very doubtful whether Franklin and his men, 138 in number, could possibly travel COO miles. In the contingency of the ships having penetrated some considerable distance to the soutawest of Capo Walker, and having been hampered and crushed in tlio narrow channels of the Archipelago, which there are reasons for believing occupies the space between Vic- toria, Wollaston, and Banks' Lands, it is well re- marked by Sir John Richardson, that such accideiiti? among ice are seldom so sudden but that the boats of one or of both ships, with provisions, can be saved ; and in such an event the survivors would either returu to Lancaster Strait, or make for the continent, accord ing to their nearness. Colonel Sabine remarks, in a letter dated Woolvicb, franklin's last expedition. 213 6th of May, 1847,-—" It was Sir John Franklin's inten- tion, if foiled at one point, to try in succession all the probable openings into a more navigable part of the Polar Sea: the range of coast is considerable in which memorials of the ships' progress w^ould have to be sought for, extending from Melville Island, in the west, to the great Soimd at the head of Baffin's Bay, in the east." Sir John Richardson, when appealed to by the Admi- ralty in the spring of 1847, as regarded the very strong apprehensions expressed at that time for the safety of the expedition, considered they were premature, as the ships were specially equipped to pass two winters in the Arctic Sea, and until the close of that year, he saw no well-grounded cause for more anxiety than was nat- urally felt when the expedition sailed from this country on an enterprise of peril, though not greater than that which had repeatedly been encountered by others, and on one occasion by Sir John Ross for two winters also, but who returned in safety. Captain Sir James C. Ross, in March, 1847, writes* "I do not think there is the smallest reason for appre- hension or anxiety for the safety and success of the expedition ; no one acquainted with the nature of the navigation of the Polar Sea would have expected they would have been able to get through to Behring's Strait without spending at least two winters in those regions, except under unusually favorable circumstances, which all the accounts from the whalers concur in proving they have not experienced, and I am quite sure neither Sir John Franklin nor Captain Crozier expected to do so. "Their last letters to me from AVhalc Fish Islands, the day previous to their departure from them inform nie that they had taken on board provisions for three years on fiill allowance, which they could extend to four years without any serious inconvenience ; so that we may feel assured they cannot want from that cause until after the middle of July, 1849 ; it therefore does not appear to me at all desirable to send after them until the spring of the next year." (1848.) 21d PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. In the plan submitted by Captjiin F. W. Beechey, K. N., in April, 1847, after i)reniisiiig " tiiat there does not at j)re8ent appear to be any reasonable apprelien- sion for the safety of tlie expedition," he suggested that it would perhaps be prudent that a relief expedition should be sent out that season to Cape Walker, where information of an impoi'tant nature would most likely 1)0 found. From this vicinity one vessel could proceed to examine the various points and headlands in Kegent Inlet, and also those to the northward, while the other watc'lied the passage, so that Franklin and his party might not pass unseen, should he be on his return. At the end of the season the sliips could winter at Port Bowen, or any other port in the vicinity of Le()j)okl Island. "In the spring of 1848," he adds, "a partj'^ shouhl be directed to explore the coast, ppo- no that outh- co, I should he inclined to think that they would endeavor to enter Smith's Sound, so highly spoken of by BalHn, and which just now tluit gallant and adventurous Eussian, Admiral Count AVrangel, has pointed out in a paper addressed to the Geographical Society as the starting place for an attempt to reach the North Pole ; it would appear to be an inlet that runs up high to the northward, as an officer in one of Parry's snips states tliat he saw in the line of direction along that inlet, the sun at mid- night skimming the horizon. " From Lancaster Sound Franklin's instructions di- rected him to proceed through Barrow's Strait, as far as the islands on its southern side extended, which is siiort of Melville Island, which was to be avoided, not only on account of its dangerous coast, but also as being out of the direction of the course to the intended object. Having, therefore, reached the last known land on the southern side of Barrow's Strait, they were to shape a direct course to Behring's Strait, without any devia- tion, except what obstruction might be met with from ice, or from islands, in the midst of the Polar Sea, of which no knowledge had at that time been procured ; but if any such existed, it would of course be left to their judgment, on the spot, how to get rid of such ob- structions, ]./ taking a northerly or a southerly course. * * * * * 4fr " The only chance of bringing them upon this (the American) coast is the possibility of some obstruction having tempted them to explore an immense inlet on tlie northern shore of Barrow's Strait, (short of Md ville Island,) called "Wellington Channel, w^hich Parry felt an inclination to explore, and more than one of the present party betrayed to me a similar inclination, which I discouraged, no one venturing to conjecture even to what extent it might go, or into what difficulties it might lead. " Under all these circumstances, it would be an act of folly to pronounce any opinion of the state, condi- tion, or position of those two ships ; they aro well puitod 10 '^•-^:-' L»18 l'UOUlCl>S OK AKCIU! l>IS«'(>VKItY. For tlioir |)ur|H)so, ftinl the only (loiil>t I havo is tlmt of tlu'ir lu'liiir liJiiuiicivd liv the scri'ws aiiiono; tlio ice.*' Sir .laim>s ('. iJoss, in liis outline f»f a j)lan tor atloni- in^ rt'lii'f, milmiitti'd to tlio Admiralty in Di'ci'inlK'r, J SI 7, sn_i!:«iji'stt'«l that two Hhi|>s slionld I)« sent ont to oxaniino Wellington Clianiu'I, allndiMJ to in tlic t'orc^-o- in^- nu'inorandiini «)t' Sir .lolni Marrow, and tlit- coast hitwiHMi Capi's ('lari-ni'ti ane JJennell. From this ])ositi(»n the coast line coidd hi' explored as tar as it extended to th(3 Avestward, hy detached jnirties, early in the sprinj^, as well as the western coast of lloothia, a consideral»hi distance to the sonthward ; and at a more advanced ])eriod of the seasctn the whole distance to Ca})c Kicolai miirht he compU'ted. The other shij) shonld then proceed alone to the Mestward, endeavorinij to reach Winter Harbor, in ]\Ielvillo Island, or some convenient port in Banks' Land, in which to j)ass the winti'r. From these points parties nii^ht be sent out early in the sprin<»;. The tirst ])arty shonld be directed to trace the west- ern coast of Banks' Land, and proceed direct to Ci\\)0. Bathnrst or CajK* Parry, on each of which Sir John Tvichardson propi^si^s to leave depots of ]>rovisions for its nse, and then to reach the Iludsoirs I'av (Vmipanv's settlement at Fort Good Hope, on the ]\[acken/ie, -whence thev mio-ht travel T»v the n^ual route of the traders ti) the principal settlement, and thence to Eng- land. The second party should explore the eastern shore of Banks' Land, and make for Cape Krusenstern, M'here, or at Ca]>e ITearne, they will iind a cac/tt' of provision left by Sir John Richardson, with whom this party may communicate, and whom it may assist in com])le- ting the oxamiiuition of AVollaston and Victoria Lands, or return to England by the route he shall deem most ndvisal'^e. Sir Jauu^ji Boss was intrusted with the carrving out OriNIo.NS AND Si:0(iK.STI0N8. 211) the the out of this Kcarch, in the Kntiu-prise juul Ii)vc6tif,'ator, niid aji {U'count of tlu! vuya<:;u ami ])i'ot'c!c(liii;!;K of theses ves- sels uill he found recorded in its chronological c»rder. The folloMinjir loiter from Dr. liichard Km*}; to the Lords of the Admiralty contains some useful su<^ the last land on its southern shore, and thence in a direct line to JJehrin^'a Sti-aits, is the route ordered to be pursued by jM-unk- Hn.';'; "The fi^allant officer has thus been dispatched to push his adventurous way between Melville Island and Banks' Land, which Sir K. Parry attempted for two years unsuccessfully. After much toil and hardship, and the best consideration that great man could give to the subject, he recorded, at the moment of retreat, in indelible characters, these impressive thoughts : MVe have been lying near our present station, with an easterly wind blowing fresh, for thirty-six hours together, and although this was considerably oft' the land, the ice had not during the whole of that time moved a single yard from the shore, aiibrding a proof that there was no space in which the ice was at liberty to move LO the westward. The navigation of this part of the Polar Sea is only to be performed by watching the occasional opening between the ice and the shore, md therefore, a continuity of land is essential for this purpose; such a continuity of land, which was here about to fail, as must necessarily be furnished by the northern coast of America, in whatsoever latitude it may be found.' Assuming, therefore, Sir John Frank- lin has been arrested between Melville Island and Banks' Land, w'here Sir E. Parry was arrested by dif- ficulties which he considered insurmountable, and hf has followed the advice of that gallant ofiicer, and * BaiTow's Arctic Voyages, p. H. ^.. 220 PROdRKSS OF AKCTIO DISCOVKKY. nuvdo for the contimiity of Amcricft, bo will have turned the ih'owh of his vessel south und west, accord- ing as BauKs' Lund tends for Victoria or Wolhistou J.iinds. It is here, therefore, that we may expect to iind the expedition wrecked, wiienco they will make in tlieir boats for the western land of North Somerset, if that land should not be too far distant. ''''In order to save the party from tiie ordeal of a fourth winter, when starvation must be their lot, I propose to undertake the boldest journey that has ever been attempted in the northern regions of America, one which was justifiable only from the circumstances. I propose to attempt to reach the western land of North Somerset or the eastern portion of Victoria Land, as may be deemed advisable, by the close of the ap- proaching summer; to accom])li8h, in fact, in one sum- mer that which has not been done under two. " I rest my hope of success in the performance of this Herculean task upon the fact, that I possess an in- timate knowledge of the country and the people through wliich I shall have to pass, the health to stand the rigor of the climate, and tlie stren^jth to undergo the fatigue of mind and body to which 1 must bo subjected. A glance at the map of North America, directed to Eehring's Strait in the Pacific, Barrow's Strait in the Atlantic, and the land of North Somerset betw^een them, will make it apparent that, to render assistance to a party situated on tiiat coast, there are two ways by pea and one by land. Of the two sea-ways, the route by the Pacific is altogether out of the question ; it is an idea of by-gone days ; while that by the Atlantic is so doubtful of success, that it is merely necessary, to put this assistance aside as far from certain, to mention that Sir John Ross found Barrow's Strait closed in the sum- mer of 1832. To a land journey, then, alone we can look for success ; for the failure of a land journey would be the exception to the rule, while the sea expe- dition would be the rule itself. To the western land of North Somerset, where Sir John Franklin is likely to be found, the Great Fish River is the direct and only a OI'IMONS AM) SniOKSTIONS. 221 fexpe- Idof ^y to route ; and altli()Uij;h the approach to it in tliroupjli a country too poor and too dilricult of access to admit of the transport of ])rovisii>n8, it may bo made tlie medi- um of communication between the lost expedition and tlio civilized worhl, and pjuides ])e thus placed at their disposal to convoy them to the hunting grounds of tho Imlians. Witiiout such guides it is imi)ossible that they can reach these hunting grounds. It was by tlio Great Fish Kiver tliat I reached tlio Polar Sea while actin<^ as second oiUcer, in search of Sir John Tloss. I feel it my duty, tlierefore, as one of two ollicers so peculiarly circumstanced, at the present moment to place my views on record, as an earnest of my sincer- ity. Even if it should bo determined to try and force provision vessels through Barrow's Strait, and scour tlie vicinity in boats for the lost expedition, and should it succeed, it will be satisfactory to know that such a mission as I have proposed should be adopted ; while, if these attempts should fail, and the service under con sideration be put aside, it will bo a source of regret • that not only the nation at largo will feel, but thowdiolo civilized world. When tliis regret is felt, and every soul has perished, such a mission as I have proposed will l-'O urged again and again for adopti(»n ; for it is impo-sible that the country will rest satisfied until a search be made foi' the remains of tlie lost expedition. " The fact that all lands which have a western aspect are generally ice-free, which I dwelt largely upon when Sir Jolin Franklin sailed, must have had weight with tlie gallant officer ; ho will therefore, on finding him- self in a serious difficulty, while pushing along the east- ern side of Victoria Land, at once fall upon the M'ostern land of North Somerset, as a refuge ground, if he have the opportunity. Tho eftbrt by Behring"'s Strait and Banks' Land is praiseworthy in attempt, !)ut forlorn in hope. In the former effort, it is a-sumed tlsat Sir John Franklin has made the passage, and that his arrest is between tho Mackenzie Iliver and I-'-y Cape ; in tlie latter, that Sir James Eoss will reach Banks' Laud, and trace its continuity to Victoria and AVollaston Land, PIlor.UESS OF AKCTIO mSCOVERY. I-- h: and tlius make tlic ' passage' Fii'st, "Wc liavo no rea- son to believe that Sir John Franklin and Sir James ]u)ss will be more fortunate than their predecessors, and we cannot trust to their success. Secondly, AVe are unable to assume that Sir James Iloss will reach Bank's Land ; Sir E. Parry was unable to reach it, and only viewed it from a distance ; much less are we able to assume that the ijallant otticer wnll tind a hiifh road to Victoria Land, which is altogether a terra incognita. " Ml". T. Simpson, who surveyed the arctic coast comprised between the Coppermine and Castor and Pollux Kivers, has set that (piestion at rest, and is the oidy authority upon the subject. ' A further explora- tion,' remarks Mr. Simpson, from the most eastern limit of his journey, ' would necessarily demand the whole time and energies of another expedition, having some point of retreat nmch nearer to the scene of operations tiuiii Cireat Pear Lake, and (Ireat Bear Lake is to bo the retreat of Sir John Richardson.' " AVhat retreat could Mr. Simpson have meant but Great Slave Lake, the retreat of the land party in search of Sir John Ross? and what other road to the unex- plored ground, the WTstern land of North Somerset, could that traveler have meant than Great Fish River, that stream wdnch I have pointed out as the ice free and high road to the land where tlie lost expedition is likely to be found, — to be the boundary of that pass- age which for three and a half centuries we have been in vain endeavoring to reach in ships?" Captain Sir AV. E. Parry, to whom Dr. King's pro- posal was submitted by the Admiralty, thus comments on 1+, : — " My former opinion, quoted by Dr. King, as to the difficulty of ships jjcnetrating to the westward beyond Cape Dundas, (the southwestern extremity of Melville Island.) remains unaltered ; and I should expect that Sir John Franklin, being aware of this ditBculty, would use his utmost efforts to get to the southward anit'(l much of my attention lately,) the more dillicult 1 iiiid it to conjecture wiiere tiie expedition nuiy have !stoi>j)od, either with or witiiout any serious accident to the ships ; hut as no information has readied us up to this time, I conceive that there is some considerable j)robability of their beinuj situated somewhere l)etween the longitude I have just named ; how far they may liave penetrated to the southward, between those meri- dians, must be a matter of speculation, d(;pending on tiie state of the ice, and tiie existence of land in a space Jiitherto blank on our uuips. " Be this as it may, I consider it not improbable, as Buj^gested by Dr. King, that an attempt will be made ])y them to fall back on the western coast of IS^orth Somerset, wherever that may be found, as being the nearest point aftbrding a hope of conununication, either witli whalers or with ships sent expressly in search of the expedition. "Agreeing thus far with Dr. King, I am compelled to differ with him entirely as to the readiest mode of reaching tliat coast, because 1 feel satisfied tiiat, with the resources of the expedition now ef]ui])])ing under Sir James Iloss, the energy, skill, and intelligence of that officer will render it a matter of no very diflicult enterprise to examine the coast in question, either with his siiips, boats, or traveling parties ; whereas an at- tempt to reach that coast by an expedition from the continent of America must, as it appears to me, be ex- treniely hazardous and uncertain. And as I under- stand it to be their lordships' intention to direct Sir James Tloss to station one of his ships somewhere about Ca])e Walker, while the other proceeds on the search, and likewise to ecpiip his boats specially for the pur- pose of examining the various coasts and inlets, I am decidedly of o])inion, that, as regards the western coast of Xorth Somerset, this ])lan will be much more likely to answer the proposed object, tlum any overland expedition. This olject will, of course, be the more easily accomplished in case of Sir James Koss finding mm i 224 PKOGltliSS OF AKCTIO DISCOVERY. i I \ i\ the western coast of North Somerset navigaljle for hia ships. " In regard to Dr. King's suggestion respecting Vic toria Land and Wollaston Land, 8upi)osing Sir Jolm Franklin's ships to have been arrested between the meridians to which I have already alluded, it does seem, by an insi)ection of the map, not improbable that parties may attempt to penetrate to the continent in that direction ; but not being well acquainted with the facilities for reacliing the coast of America opposite those lands in the manner proposed by Dr. King, I am not competent to judge of its practicability." Nearly the whole of the west coast of North Somer- set and Boothia was, (it will be found hereafter,) ex- plored by parties in boats detached from Sir James lioss's ships in 1849. I apj^end, also, the most important portions of Sir James Ross's remarks on Dr. King's plan. " Dr. King begins by assuming that Sir John Frank- lin has attempted to push the ships through to the west- ward, between Melville Island and Banks' Land, (al- though directly contrary to his instructions;) that hav- ing been arrested by insurmountable difficulties, he would have ' turned the prows of his vessels to the south and M'est, according as Bunks' Land tends for Victoria or Wollaston Land ;' and having been wrecked, or from any other cause obliged to abandon their ships, their crews would take to tlie boats, and make for the west coast of North Somerset. " If the expedition had failed to ])enetrate to the M'estward between Banks' Land and Melviile Island, it is very ])robable it would have next attempted to gain the continent by a more southerly course ; and suppos- ing that, after making only small progress, (say 100 miles,) to the southwest, it should have been then finally stopped or wrecked, the calamity will have occurred in about latitude 72 J° N., and longitude 115° W. This pt)int is only 280 miles from the Copjiormine Biver and 420 miles from the Mackenzie, either of whicl would, therefore, Ijc easily attainable, and at each of •i OriNIONS AND SUGGK8TI0NS. 09t the ^vllic]l, abundance of provision might be procured by tlieni, and their return to Enghind a measure of no great ditHculty. " At the point above mentioned, the distance from the west coast of North Somerset is ])robably about 300 miles, and tlie mouth of the Great Fish River full 500 ; at neither of these places could they Impe to obtain a single day's provisions for so large a pji \v ; and Sir Joiin Franklin's intimate knowledge <'f the impossibil- ity of ascending that river, or obtaining any food for his party in passing through the Barren grounds, would concur in deterring him from attemrtinn: to gain either ot these points. " I think it most probable that, from the situation pointed out, he would, when compelled to abandon his ships, endeavor in the boats to retrace his 6te]>8, and passing through the channel by which he had advanced, and which we have always found of easy navigation, seek the whale ships which annually visit the west coast of Baflin's Bay. " It is far more probable, however, that Sir John Franklin, in obedience to his instructions, would en- deavor to push the shi))s to the south and west as soon as they passed Cape AValker. and the consequence of such a measure, owing to the known prevalence of westerly wind, and the drift of the main body of the ice, would be (in my opinion) their inevitable embarrass- ment, and if he persevered in that direction which he probably would do, I have no hesitation in stating my conviction he would never be able to extricate his ships, and would ultimately be obliged to abandon them. It is therefore in latitude 73° N. and longitude 105° W. that we may expect to find them involved in the ice, or shut up in some harbor. This is almost the only point in which it is likely they would be detained, or from which it would not be ])Ossible to convey informa- tion of their situation to the Hudson's Bay Settlements. " If, then, we suppose the crews of the ships should be compelled, either this autumn or next spring, to abandon their vessels at or near this point, they woul among islands ana ice. For should they have been arrested at some intermediate place, for instance, Cape Walker, or at one of the northern chain of islands, they would, undoubtedly, in the course of the three following years, have contrived some method of sending notices of theii position to the shores of North Somerset or to Barrow's Strait. "If they had reached much to the southward of Bank's Land, they would surely have communicated with the tribes on Mackenzie River ; and if, failing to get to the westward or eouthward, they had returned with tlie intention of penetrating through Wellington Channel, they would have detached parties on the ice toward Barrow's Strait, in order to have deposited statements of their intentions. " The general conclusion, therefore, remains, that they are still locked up in the Archipelago to the westward of Melville Island. Now, it is well known that the state of the weather alternates between the op])osite sides of Northern America, being mild on the one when rigorous on the other ; and accordingly, during the two last years, which have been unusually severe in Baffin's Bay, the United States whalers were successfully trav- ersing the Polar Sea to the northward of Behring's Straits. The same severe weather may possibly prevail on the eastern side during the summer of 1850, and if so, it is obvious that an attempt should be now made by the western opening, and not merely to receive the two ships, if they should be met coming out (as for- merly,) but to advance in the direction of Melville Island, resolutely entering the ice, and employing every possible expedient by sledging parties, by recomioitering balloons, and by blasting the ice, to communicate with them. "Tliese vessels should be intrepidly commanded, eftectively manned, and supplied with the best means for traveling across the ice to the English or to the Rnssian settlements, as it will be of tlie 2:reatest impor- tance to bo iiii'ormed of what progress the expedition OriNIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 229 witH -( mpor- ditioii has made; and for this purpose likewise the Plover will be of material service, lying at some advanced point near Icy Cape, and ready to receive intelligence, and to convey it to Petropaulski or to Panama. "These vessels should enter Behring's Straits before the first of August, and therefore every eftbrt should be now made to dispatch them from England before Christmas. They might water at the Falkland Islands, and again at the Sandwich Islands, where they would be ready to receive additional instructions via Panama, by one of the Pacific steamers, and by which vessel they might be pushed on some little distance to the northward. " It seems to me likely that the ships have been push- ing on, summer after summer, in the direction of JBehr- ing's Straits, and are detained somewhere in the space southwestward of Banks' Land. On the other hand, should they, after the first or second summer, have been unsuccessful in that direction, they may have attempted to proceed to the northward, either through Wellington Channel, or through some other of the openings among the same group of islands. I do not myself attach any superior importance to Wellington Channel as regards the northwest passage, but I understand that Sir John Franklin did, and that he strongly expressed to Lord Haddington his intention of attempting that route, if he should fail in effecting the more direct passage to the westward. "The ships having been fully victualed for three years, the resources may, by due precautions, have been extended to four years for the whole crews ; but it has occurred to mo, since I had the honor of confer- ring with their lordships, that, if their numbers have been gradually diminished to any considerable extent by death, (a contingency which is but too probable, con- sidering their unparalleled detention in the ice,) the resource? would be proportionably extended for the survivors, whom it might, therefore, be found expedient to transfer to one of the ships, with all the remaining stores, and with that one ship to continue the endeavor I m 230 PROORES8 OF AECTIC DISCOVKRY. 1^1 |i ) ' : i I to pr.sh westward, or to return to tlie eastward, as cir- cumstances might render expedient ; in that case, tlio necessity for quitting both the ships in the past sum- mer mi^ht not improbably liave been obviated. " Under these circumstances, which, it must be admit- ted, amount to no more than mere conjecture, it seems to me expedient still to prosecute the search in both directions, namely, by way of Behring's Strait (to which I look with the strongest hope,) and also by that of Barrow's Strait. In the latter direction, it ought, I think, to be borne in mind, that the more than usual difficulties with which Sir James Ross had to contend, have, in reality, left ns with very little more informa- tion than before he left England, and I cannot contem- plate witliout serious apprehension, leaving that opening without still further search in the ensuing spring, in case the mis^^ing crews have fallen back to the eastern coast of North Somerset, where tlioy would naturally look for supplies to bo deposited for them, in addition to the chance of iinding some of those left bv the Furv. For the purpose of further pursuing the search by way of Barrow's Strait, perhaps two small vessels of 150 or 200 tons might sntHce, but they must be square rigged for the navigation among the ice. Of course tlie object of snch vessels would be nearly that which Sir James Ross's endeavors have failed to accomplish ; and the provisions, ifec, left by that officer at Whaler Point, as well as any which may be deposited in that neigh- borhood by the North Star, would grently add to tlie re- sources, facilitate the operations, and lessen the risk of any attempt made in that direction. " If, however, there be time to get sliips to Behring's Straits by the first M'eek in August, 1850, which would perhaps require the aid of steam vessels to accomplish with any degree of certainty, I recommend that the Enterprise and Investigator be forthwith equipped and dispatched there, with instructions to push through the ice to the E. N. E. as far as possible in the ensuing sea- son, with the hope of meeting with at least one of the ships, or any of the ^jarties which may have been OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 281 Mgh- Olllfl )lish the and the the i)een detached from them. Tliis attempt hp" .jver yet been made by any Bhips, and 1 cling very strongly to the belief that such an eli'ort might be attended with buc- cesa in rescuing at least a portion of our people. "My rea-^on for urging this upon their Loi'dships is, that the admirable instructions under which the Plover, assisted by the Herald, is acting, embraces only the search of the coast line eastward from Icy Cape; since the boats and baidars caimot effect any thing except by creeping along as op])ortunitie8 offer, between the ice and the land, so that this plan of operations meets only the contingency of parties reaching, or nearly reaching, the land ; whereas the chance of rescue would, as it appears to me, be immensely increased by ships push- ing on, clear of the coast, toward Banks' Land and Melville Island, as far at least as might be practicable in the best five or six wrecks of the season of 1850." Captain Parrv savs — "Although this is the first at- tempt ever made to enter the ice in this direction, with ships properly equipped for the purpose, there is no reason to anticipate any greater ditliculties in this navi- gation than those encountered in other parts of the Sjorth Polar Sea; and, even in the event of not suc- ceeding in reaching Banks' Land in the summer of the present year, it may be possil)le to make such progress as to afford a reasonable hope of effecting that object in the following season (1851.) Luleed it is possible that, from the well known fact of the climate being more temperate in a given parallel of latitude, in going westward from the Mackenzie River, some comparative advantage may be derived in the navigation of this part of the Polar Sea. " It is of importance to the security of the ships and of their crews that they should winter in some harbor or bay not at a distance from land, where the ice might be in motion during the winter ; and it will be desira- ble, should no land be discovered fit for this purpose, in the space at present unexplored between Point Bar- row and Biinks' Land, that endeavors should be made to reach the continent about the mouth of the Mackenzie Mi » ►'<;«'<,'- M m:'^' p m^^ ■ f.|t ■Mf 4*: ^' ■■1/fjl .'.'. i- , f .^ fi M'-f^y '.- ■'* |r-Kj,'''i ■ ';« i (?.'"■ ■■■ti ^1* 1 .r' jr.. ■t H« > ; m m- 232 ri vORKSa OF AKCTIC l)18C0Vi:UT. Iwi\t'r, or further eastward, toward Liveri)ool Bay, where tliere is reason to sui)pose tliat suffieieiit slielter may he foiiiul, and in wliich neighhorliood, it ai)|)ear8, tliere is generally no ice to he 8een from tlie shore for about six weeks in the months of August and Septem- ber. Sir John Franklin's narrative of his second jour ney, that of Messrs. Dease and Simpson, and the Admiralty Charts, will furnish the requisite hydro- graphical information relative to this line of coast, sc tar as it has been attained. " Tiie utmost economy should be exercised in the use of provisions and fuel during the time the ships are in winter quarters ; and if they should winter on or near the continent, there would i)robably be an opportunity of increasing their stock of provisions by means of game or fish, and likewise of fuel, by drift or other wood, to some considerable amount. "If the progress of tlio ehips in 1850 has been con- siderable — for instance, as far as tlie meridian of 120"^ W. — the probal)iIity is, that the most practicable way of returning to England will be, still to push on in the same direction during the whole season of 1851, with a view to reach Burrow's Strait, and take advantage, if necessary, of the resources left by Captain Sir Jamos lloss at Whaler Point, near Leopold Harbor ; if not the same season, at least after a second winter. If, on the other hand, small progress should have been made to the eastward at the close of the present summer, it might be prudent that when half the navigable season of 1851 shall have expired, no further attempts should be made in proceeding to the eastward, and that the remaining half of that season should be occupied in returning to the westward, with a view to escape from the ice by way of Behring's Straits after the winter of 1851-52, so as not to incur the risk of j^assing a third winter in the ice. " During the summer season, the most vigilant look- out should be kept from the mast-heads of both shi])s night and day, not only for the missing ships, but for any detached parties belonging to them ; and during (H'lNluJJS AND SUOGKSTIONS. 233 the few hours of (liu'kiiess which prevail toward the close of each seuson^s iuiviK AKCTIC DlHt'OV KliV. "I am awaro that tlio wlmlt! ciiaiu'os of lite in tiiis ]iaiiit"iil caso (IcikmkI on t'ood ; Imt when 1 ivlk'ct on Sir .lulin Franklin's t'nrnicr (.'Xtraordinary ]»rosi'rvation ninlor niisorios and trials ot* tlic inu.st severe description, livini^ often on serapsof old leather and other refuse, I cannot des]iaM'of ins tindiiiii' the means to prolong exist- ence till aid lie liap]>ily seni him/' Dr. Sir .lohn Uichardson on the same day also sends in his opini(»n, as re(Miested, on the projuised dispatch of the lt,nterj)risc and Investigator to JJehring's Strait : "It seems to me to be very flesiraltle that the western shores of the Archi])elaij:o of Parrv's Islands should he searched in u high latitude in the manner jiroposed l»y the hydrographer. "If the proposed ox]>cdition succeeds in cstahlishing its "winter (puirters among these islands, ])arties de- tached over the ice may travel to the eastward aiul stuitheastAvard, so as to cross the line of search which it is hoped Mr. liac has been able to pursue in the present sunnner, and thus to deternn'ne M'hether any traces of the missing ships exist in localities the most remote Irom ]jehring's Strait and Lancaster Sound, and from whence shipM'recked crews would iind the greatest ditU- culty in traveling to any place where they could hope tv iind relief. "The climate of Arctic America improves in a sensi- ble maimer with an increase of western louijitude. On the Mackenzie, on the 18oth meridian, the summer is warmer than in any district of the continent in the same parallel, and it is still finer, and the vegetation more luxuriant on the banks of the Yucon, on the looth me- ridian. Tiiis su]KM'iority of climate leads me to infer, that ships well fortiilod against drift-ice, M'ill find the navigation of the Arctic Seas more ]n'acticable in its "western portion than it has been found to the eastward. This inference is su]>ported by my own personal f.'X]>e- rience, as far as it goes. I met with no ice in the month of August, on my late voyage, till I attained tiie 123d meridian, and which I was led, from tluit circumstance, to su]-»]>ose coincided with the western limits of Parry's Archipelago. 1 OPINIONS AND SL'OOKSTIONS. 2n5 in tills Icet on I'vation ription, L'fllSO, 1 i; exist- o sends lis] Kite 1 1 Stmit : western ould 1)0 used l»y blisliinijj ties de- iird and wliieli it ( present niees of remote nd from estditH- ild hope a scnsi- ;le. On nmcr is he sumo \m more ioth mc- |to inter, Knd tlio |e in its istward. \i\ f'xpe- montli lie 123d iistance, I Parry's *Tlie i^reivter tUeility of ntiviuiatini^ from tliowest luisr \,v%:u j)o\vert"ully advoeated l>y otiiers on former oeea- bions ; and the cliief, ]>erliaps tlie only rejison wiiy tli? attempt to j)enetruto the Polar Sea from that , says: — '" I quite agree with Sir Francis lieanfort in what ho has stated with regard to any casualties which Sir J. Franklin's shi])s may have sustained, and entirely agreo with him and Sir Edward Parry, that the exj)etlition is ])rol)ably hamperc 1 among the ice somewhere to tho south westward of Melville Island ; bnt there is yet a possibility which does not ai)])ear to luivo been conteni- l)lated, which is, that of the scurvy iiaving spread among tho crew, and incapacitated a large ])roi)ortion of them from making any exertion toAvartl their release, or that tho whole, in a debilitated state, may yet bo clinging by their vessels, existing sparingly u])on the provision which a largo mortality may have spun out, in tho hope of relief. " In tlie first case, that of the sliijis being liampercd and the crews in good health, I think it certain that, a? tho resources of the ships would be expended in !May last. Sir John Franklin and his crew Lave abandoned the ships, and pushed forward for the nearest point where they might reasonably expect assistance, and whidi they could reasonably reach. "There are consequently three points to which it would 1)0 proper to direct attention, and as the case is urgent, every possible method of relief sh.ould be ener- getically ]mshed forward at as early a ])eriod as ]X)ssi- ble, and directed to those points, which, I need scarcely say, aro Barrow's Strait, Behring's Strait, and the northern coast of America. ■ .-,1 ' V' 236 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. it I t " Of the measures which can be resorted to on tht northern coast of America, the officers who have hao experience there, and the Hudson's Bay Company, will be able to judge ; but I am of opinion that nothing should be neglected in that quarter ; for it seems to me almost certain that Sir John Franklin and his crew, if able to travel, have abandoned their ships and made for the continent ; and if they have not succeeded in gaining the Hudson's Bay outposts, they have been overtaken by winter before they could accomplish their purpose. " Lastly as to the opinion which naturally forces itself upon us, as to the utility of the sending relief to per- sons whose means of subsistence will have failed them more than a year by the time the relief could reach them, I would observe, that a prudent reduction of the allowance may have been timely made to meet an emergency, or great mortality may have enabled the survivors to subsist up to the time required, or it may be that the crews have just missed reaching the points visited by our parties last year before they quitted them, and in the one case may now be subsisting on the sup- plies at Leopold IsItmdjOrbe housed in eastward of Point Barrow, sustained by depots which have been fallen in with, or by the native supplies ; so that under all the circurastancef3, I do not consider their condition so utterly hopeless that we shoukl give up the expectation of yet being able to render them a timely assistance. " Tlie endeavors to push forward might be continued until the 30th of August, at latest, at wliich time, if tht ships be not near some land where they can conven iently pass a winter, they must direct their course for the main-land, and seek a secure harbor in which they could remain. And on no account should they risk a winter in the pack, in consequence of the tides and shallow water lying off the coast. " Should the expedition reach Herschel Island, or any other place of refuge on the coast near the mouth of the Mackenzie or Colville llivers, endeavors should be made to communicate information of the ships' posi- OPINIONS ANT) SUGGESTIONS. 237 tiott And summer's proceedings through the Hudson's Bay Company or Russian settlements, and by means of interpreters ; and no opportunity should hv omitted of gaining from the natives information of the missing ressels, as well as of any boat expeditions that may have i^one forward, as well as of the party under Dr. Rae. " If nothing should be heard of Sir John Franklin in 1850, parties of observation should be sent forward in the spring to iutercept the route the ship would have pursued, and in other useful directions between winter quarters and Melville Island ; taking especial care that they return to the ship before the time of liberation of the ships arrives, which greatly depends upon their locality. " Then, on the breaking up of the ice, should any favorable appearance of the ice present itself, the expe- dition might be left free to take advantage of such a prosj)ect, or to return round Point Barrow ; making it imperative, however, either to insure their return, so tar as human foresight may be exercised, or the cer- tainty of their reaching Melville Island at the close of that season, and so securing their return to England in 1852. " If, after all, any unforeseen event should detain the ships beyond the period contemplated above, every exertion should be used, by means of boats and in- terpreters, to communicate with the Mackenzie ; and should any casualty render it necessary to abandon the vessels, it should be borne in mind that the reserve-ship will remain at her quarters until the autumn of 1853, unless she hears of the safety of the sliips and boats in other directions ; while in the other quarter. Fort Macpherson, at the entrance of the Mackenzie, may be relied upon as an asylum. "The Plover, or reserve-ship, should be provided with three years' provisions for her own crew, and for contingencies besides. She should be placed as near as possible to Point Barrow, and provided with inter- preters, and the means of offering rewards for infor- mation; and she should remain at lier quarters so long 238 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERT. II I as there can be any occasion for her presence in k e Arctic Seas ; or, if she does not hear any thing ol t.ie expedition under Captain CoUinson, as long as her provisions will last." Sir John Richardson offers the following advic« for this expedition: — "It," he says, "it should winter near the mouth of the Yucan or Colville, that river may be ascended in a boat in the month of June, be- fore the sea ice begins to give way. The river varies in width from a mile and a half to two miles, and flows through a rich, well-wooded valley, abounding in moose deer, and having a comparatively mild climate. A Russian trading post has been built on it, at the dis tance of three or four days' voyage from the sea, with the current ; but as the current is strong, from nine to twelve days must be allowed for its ascent, with the tracking line. It would be unsafe to rely upon receiv- ing a supply of provisions at the Russian post, as it is not likely that any stock beyond what is necessary for their own use is laid up by the traders ; and the moose deei" being a very shy animal, is not easily shot by an unpracticed hunter ; but the reindeer abound on the neighboring hills, and are much more approachable. Tiie white-fronted goose also breeds in vast flocks in that district of the country, and may be killed in num- bers, without difficulty, in the month of June. "If the expedition should winter within a reason- able distance of the Mackenzie, Captain ColHnson may have it in his power to send dispatches to England by that route. "The river opens in June, and as soon as the ice ceases to drive, may be ascended in a boat, with a fair wind, under sail, or with a tracking line. " The lowest post at present occupied by the Hud- son's Bay Company on this river is Fort Good Hope. The site of this post has been changed several times, but it is at this time on the right bank of the river, in latitude GG° 10' N^., and is ten or eleven days' voyage from the sea. At Point Separation, opposite to the middle channel of the delta of the river, and on the em (. e ig ol Lie r as her :lvic« for 1 winter lat river rune, be- ar varies iles, and nding in climate. t the dis 5ea, with I nine to with the II receiv- t, as it is ssary for le moose )t by an on the achable. locks in in num- reason- 'ollinson England the ice ;h a fair le Hud- Hope, times, ■iver, in voyage to the on the ii 't I 'it'll > ,1* n OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 239 .iiomontoiy which separates the Peel and the Mac- tenzie, there is a case of pemmican (80 lbs.) burled, ten feet distant from a tree, which has its middle branches lopped off, and is marked on the trunk with a broad arrow in black paint. A fire was made over the pit in which the case is concealed, and the remains of the charcoal will point out the exact spot. Tliis hoard was visited last year by a party from Fort Macpher- eon. Peel's River, when all was safe. "Eight bagS of pemmican, weighing 90 lbs. each, were deposited at Fort Good Hope in 1848, and would remain there last summer for the use of any boat parties that might ascend the river in 1849 ; but it is probable that part, or the whole, may have been used by the Company by next year. "A boat party should be furnished with a small seine and a short herring net, by the use of which a good supply of fish may often be procured in the eddies or sandy bays of the Mackenzie. They should also be provided with a good supply of buck-shot, swan- shot, duck-shot, and gunpowder. The Loucheux and Hare Indians will readily give such provisions as they may happen to have, in exchange for ammunition. They will expect to receive tobacco gratuitously, as they are accustomed to do from the traders. "The Mackenzie is the only water-way bj which any of the Hudson's Bay Company's posts can be reached from the Arctic Sea. There is a post on the Peel River which enters the delta of the Mackenzie, but no supplies can be procured there. To the east- ward of the Mackenzie no ship-parly would have a chance of reaching a trading post, the nearest to the sea being Fort Resolution, on Great Slave Lake, situ- ated on the 61st parallel of latitude, and the interven- ing hilly country, intersected by numerous lakes and rapid rivers, could not be crossed by such a party ii less than an entire summer, even could they depem on their guns for a supply of food. Neitlier would be advisable for a party from the ships to attem])t to repch the posts on the Mackenzie bv way of the Cop- m m ,! Hill !.l!|,,: 'I m h 240 rROGRF:88 OF ARCTIC DISCO V KEY. permine River and Fort Confidence; as, in the ab- Benee of means of transport across Great Bear Lake, the journey round that irregular sheet of water, would be long and hazardous. Bear Lake River is more than fifty miles long, and Fort Norman, the nearest post on the Mackenzie, is thirty miles above its mouth. Mr. Rae was instructed to engage an Indian family or two to hunt on the tract of country between the Cop- permine and Great Bear Lake in the summer of 185(3 ; but no great reliance can be placed on these Lidians remaining long there, as they desert their hunting quarters on very slight alarms, being in continual dread of enemies, real or imaginary. " A case of pemmican was buried on the summit ot the bank, about four or five miles from the summit of Cape Bathurst, the spot being marked by a pole planted in the earth, and the exact locality of the deposit by a fir« of drift-wood, much of which would remain unconsumed. " Another case was deposited in the cleft of a rock, on a small battlemented clifi^, which forms the extreme part of Cape Parry. The case was covered with loose stones ; and a pile of stones painted red and white, was erected immediately in front of it. This cliff re- sembles a cocked-hat in some points of view, and pro- jects like a tongue from the base of a rounded hill, which is 500 or 600 feet high. " Several cases of pemmican were left exposed on a ledge of rocks in latitude 68° 35' N., opposite Lambert Island, in Dolphin and Union Strait, and in a bay to the westward of Cape Krusenstern, a small boat and ten pieces of pemmican were deposited under a high clift', above high water mark, without concealment. The Esquimaux on this part of the coast are not nu- merous, and from the position of this hoard, it may escape discovery by them ; but I have every reason to believe that the locality has been visited by Mr. Rae in the past summer. A deposit of larger size, near Cape Kendall, has been more certainly visited by Mr. Rae." Captain Sir J. C. Ross writes from Haslar, 11th of C'ebruarv, 1850. 1 1 OriNTONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 241 le ab- Lake, would more learest nouth. nily or e Cop- • 1850 ; ndiana Hinting Qtinual imit ot imit of planted jy a fir« isumed. a rock, extreme h loose white, iclifF re- d pro- led hill, d on a jambert bay to ►at and a high ilment. lot nu- lit may Ison to Rae in Ir Cape Rae." Ilth of " "With respect to the probable position of the Erebus and Terror, 1 consider that it is hardly possible they can be anywhere to the eastward of Melville Island, or within 300 miles of Leopold Island, for if that were tlie case, they would assuredly, during the last spring, liUN e made their way to that por vith the hope o+* receiving assistance from i whf ships which, fo^ several years previous to the departure of that expedi- tion from England, had been in the habit of visiting Prince Regent Inlet in pursuit of whales ; and in that case they must have been met with, or marks of their encampments have been found by some of the numer- ous parties detached from the Enterprise and Investi- gator along the shores of that vicinity during the only period of the season in which traveling is practicable in those regions. " It is probable, therefore, that during their first summer, which was remarkably iUvorable for the navi- gation of those seas, they have been enabled (in obedi- ence to their orders) to push the ships to the westward of Banks' land, and have there become involved in the heavy pack of ice which was observed from Melville Island always to be setting past its westernmost point in a southeast direction, and from which pack they may not have been able to extricate their ships. " From such a position, retreat to the eastward would be next to impossible, while the journey to the Mac- kenzie River, of comparatively easy accomplishment, together with Sir John Franklin's knowledge of the resources in the way and of its practicability, would strengthen the belief that this measure will have been adopted by them during the last spring. "If this be assumed as the present position of the Erebus and Terror, it would manifestly be far more easy and safe to afford them relief by means of an ex- pedition entering Behring's Straits, than from any other direction, as it would not be necessary for the ships to depart so far from the coast of Korth America as to preclude their keeping up a regular communication with the Russian settlements on the River Colville, or ^^. •, m" i'A I lip 242 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. i li I I !l! jlliil [4 m those of the Hudson's Bay Company near the mouth of the Mackenzie, while the whole space between any position in which the ships might winter, and Banks' Land could bo thorouglily examined by traveling par- ties early in the spring, or by boats or steam launches at a more advanced period of the following season." Mr. W. Snow, in a letter from New York, dated 7th of January, 1850, suggests a plan for a well organized expedition of as many men as could be fitted out from private funds. " For instance, let a party of 100 picked men, well disciplined and officered, as on board a ship, and accompanied with all the necessary food, scientific instruments, and every thing useful on such expeditions, proceed immediately, by the shortest and most avail- able routes, to tlie lands in the neighborhood of the un- explored regions. If possible, I would suggest that tliey should proceed first to Moose Fort, on the south ern part of Hudson's Bay, and thence by small craft to Chesterfield Inlet, or otherwise by land reach that quarter, so ias to arrive there at the opening of summer. From this neighborhood let the party, minus ten men, be divided into three separate detachments, each with specific instructions to extend their researches in a northerly and northwesterly direction. The weatern- most party to proceed as near as possible in a direct course to the easternmost limits of discovery yet made from Behring's Straits, and on no account to deviate from that course on the western side of it, buit, if ne- cessary, to the eastward. Let the central party shape a course as near as possible to the position of the Mag- netic Pole ; and the easternmost division direct tc Prince Regent Inlet, or the westernmost point of dis- covery from the east, and not to deviate from that course easterly. Let each of these detachments be formed again into three divisions, each division thus consisting of ten men. Let the first division of each detachment pioneer the way, followed on the same track by thfe second and the third, at stated intervals of time. On tlie route, let the pioneers, at every spot necessary, leave? distinguishing marks to denote the way, and also to ill OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 243 lape a Mag- to give information to either of the other two principal (letuchnients as may by chance fall into their track To second the eftbrts of the three detachments, let con stant succors and other assistance be forwarded by way of Moose Fort, and through the ten men left at Cliesterfield Inlet ; and should the object for which such an expedition was framed be hapi)ily accom- l)lis]ied by the return of the lost voyagers, let mesi^en- gers be forwarded with the news, as was done witli Captain Back, in the case of Captain Ross. Let each of the extreme detachments, upon arriving at tlieir re- spective destinations, and upon being joined by the whole of their body, proceed to form plans for uniting with the central party, and ascertaining the ro'^ults already obtained by each by sending parties in that direction. Also, let a chosen number be sent out from each detachment as exploring parties, wherever deemed requisite ; and let no effort be wanted to nuike a search in every direction where there is a possibility of its j)roving successful. " If a public and more extensive expedition be set on foot, I would most respectfully draw attention to the following suggestions: — Let a land expedition be formed upon a similar plan, and with the same number of men, say 300 or more, as those fitted out for sea. Let tliis ex[)edition be formed into three great divisions ; tlie one proceeding by the Athabasca to the Great Slave Lake, and following out Captain Back's discoveries ; the second, tlu'ough the Churchill district ; or, with the third, according to the plan laid out for a private expe- dition alone ; only keeping the whole of their forces as much as j^ossible bearing upon the points where success may be most likely attainable. "Eacli of these three great divisions to be subdivided and arranged also as in the former case. The expense of an expedition of this kind, with all the necessary oiitlay for proA'isions, &c., I do not think would be more than half what the same would cost if sent by sea ; but of this I am not a competent judge, having no definite means to make a comparison. But there is yet another, 244 PROOllEaS OF AUCTIC Dl^sCOVKKY. 1 , a:!:l-ll: •I and, I cftimot help coiiccivinn^, a more easy way of ob- viating all (.litliculty on tliia point, and of reducing tho expense considcrahly. '* It must be evident that tbe prcaent position of the arctic voyagers is not very accessible, cither by land or sea, else the distinguished leader at the head of tho expedition vvonld long ere this have tracked a route whereby the whole party, or at least some of them could return. "In such a case, therefore, tho only way to reach them is by, if I may use the expression, ^o/v.vv^y/ an ex- pedition on toward them ; I mean, by keeping it con- stantly upheld and pushing onward. Tlicre may bo, and indeed there are, very great dilHculties, and difH- culties of such a nature that, I believe, they would themselves cause anotlier great difficulty in the procur- ing of men. But, if I might make another b(>ld sug- gestion, I would respectfully ask onr govei'ument at home, why not employ picked men from convicted criminals, as is done in exploring expeditions in Aus- tralia ? Inducements might be held out to them ; and by jH-oper care they would be made most serviceable auxiliaries. Generally speaking, men convicted of offenses are men possessed of almost inexhaustible mental resources ; and such men are the men who, with jihysical powers of endurance, are precisely those required. But this I speak of, merely, if sufficient free men could not be found, and if economy is studied." Mr. Joh.n McLean, who has been twenty-five years a partner and officer of the Hudson's Bay Company, and has published an interesting narrative of his adven- tures and experience, writing to Lady Franklin from Canada West, in January, 1850, suggests the following very excellent plan as likely to produce some intelli- gence, if not to lead to a discovery of i:he ]>:irty. " Let a small schooner of some thirty or forty tons burden, built with a ^iew to draw as little wiiter as possible, and as strong as wood and iron could mnke her, be dispatched from England in compnny with tho Hudson's Bay ships. This vessel would, immediately OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 245 ter Jis make rli the iiitely on nr'-iving at York Factory, proceed to tlio Strait termed Sir Thomas lioo's Welcome, which divides Southami)ton Island from the main-land ; then direct her conrse to Wager River, and proceed onward nntil interrupted by insurmountable obstacles. The party being safely landed, I would recommend their remai!i- ing stutionary nntil winter traveling became practicable, wlien they should set out for the slicres of the Arctic Sea, which, by a reference to Arrowsmith's map, ap- pears to be only some sixty or seventy miles distant ; then dividing in two parties or divisions, the one would proceed east, the other west ; and 1 think means could be devised of exploring 250 or 300 miles in either direction ; and here a very important question pre- sents itself, — how and by what means is this enterprii?'j to be accomplished ? " In the first place, the services of Esquimaux would be indispensable, for the twofold reason, that no reliable information can be obtained from the natives without their aid, and that they alone properly understand the art of preparing snow-houses, or ' igloes,' for winter en- campment, the only lodging which the desolate wastes of the arctic regions aiford. Esquimaux understanding the Engb'sh language sufficiently well to answer our purpose, freqnent the Hudson's Bay Company's post in Labrador, some of whom might be induced, (I should fain hope,) to engage for the expedition , or probably the ' halt-breed ' natives might do so more readily than the aborigines. They should, if possible, be strong, active men, and good marksmen, and not less than four in number. Failing in the attempt to procnre the na- tives of Labrador, then I should think Esqnimaux might be obtained at Churchill, in Hudson's Bay ; the two who accoT^panied Sir John in his first land expedi- tion were from this quarter." An expedition of this kind is to be sent out by Lady Franklin this spring under the charge of Mr. Kennedy. There are various ways of accomplishing this object, the choice of which must mainly depend on the views and wishes of the officer who mav undertake the com- 4i 240 I'ltOOKKSe OF A.UCmo DISCOVERY. . numd. Bt'sidcH tlie northern route, or thiit by lle«rent Inlet, it is possible to reach Sir James Koss and ISimi)- son's Straits iVoni the south, enterini' lludson'b liav, and passing up the Welcome to llae Isthmus, or again by entering (Jhesterlield or Wager Inlet, and gaining the coast by JJack's^ or the Great Fish Kiver. By either of these routes a great part of the explora- tion must be nuide in boats or on foot. In every case the main points to bo searched are James Koss's Strait and Simpson's Strait, if indeed there be a pas-^age in that direction, as laid down in Sir John Franklin's charts, though contradicted by Ivlr,, Kae, and considered still doubtful by some arctic navigators. The following extract from the Geographical Jour- nal shows the opinion of Franklin upon the search of this quarter. Dr. Richardson says,'^^ — " Ko better plan can be proposed than the one suggested by Sir John Franklin, of sending a vessel to Wager River, and car- rying on the survey from thence in boats." Sir John Franklin ob8erves,f — " The Doctor alludes in his letter to some propositions which he knew I had made in the year 1828, at the command of his present Majesty, v^William IV.,) on the same subject, and partic- ularly to thid. j). 43. ovage. orujioNs A^D suogestfons. 247 ation of these to their probable termination in the Polar Sea : — " Jones' Sound, with the "Wellinpiton Channel on the west, may be foimd to form an island of the land called ' North Devon.' All prominent positions on botii sides of these Sounds should be searched for flag staves and ]»ilc8 of stones, under whcih copper cylinders or bot- tles may have been deposited, containing accoimts of the i)roceeding8 of the missing expedition ; and if suc- cessful in getting upon its track, a clue would bo ob- tained to the fate ot our gallant countrymen." The Wellington Channel ho considers affords one of the best chances of crossing the track of the missing expedition. To carry out this plan efficiently, lie recommended that a boat should be dropped, by the ship conveying the searching party out, at the entrance to the "Welling- ton Channel in Barrow's Strait ; from this point one or both sides of that channel and the northern shores of the Parry Islands nn'ght be explored as far west as the season would permit of. But should the ship be en- abled to look into Jones' Sound, on her way to Lancas- ter Sound, and find that opening free from ice, an attempt might be made by the Boat Expedition to push tlirough it into the Wellington Channel. In the event, however, of its proving to be merely an inlet, which a short delay would be sufficient to decide, the ship might l^erhaps be in readiness to pick up the boat on its »>•- turn, for conveyance to its ultimate destination through Lancaster Sound ; or as a precaution against any un- foreseen separation from the ship, a depot of provifions should be left at the entrance to Jones' Sound for the boat to complete its supplies from, after accomplishing the exploration of this inlet, and to afford the means, if compelled from an advanced period of the season or other adverse circumstances, of reaching some place of refuge, either on board a whaler or some one of the depots of i^ro visions on the southern shores of Barrow's Strait. 11^ 248 rUOGUKSS OF AKCriO DISCOVKKY. Mr. Penny, in cliargc of the Lady Franldin, before 'ailiiii*, observed : — " If an early passaj^e be obtained, I would examine Tones' Sound, as 1 have pjenerally found in all my early voyages clear water at the mouth of that sound, and there is a probability that an earlier passage by this route might be found into Wellington Strait, wl.iich out- let ought by all means to be thoroughly examined at the earliest opportunity, since, if Sir J. Franklin liad taken that route, with the hope of finding a passage westward, to the north of the Parry and Melville Islands, he may be beyond the power of helping him- self. No trace of the expedition, or practical connnn- nicaiion with Wellington Strait, being obtained in this quarter, I would proceed in time to take advantage of the first opening of the ice in Lancaster Sound, with tiie view of proceeding to the west and entering Wel- lington Strait, or, if tliis should not be practicable, of proceeding farther westward to Cape Walker, and be- yond, on one or other of which places Sir John Frank- lin will probably have left some notices of his course.'* The government has seen the urgent necessity of causing the Wellington Channel to be carefully exam- ined ; imperative orders were sent to Sir James Ross to search it, but he was drifted out of Barrow's Strait against his will, before he received those orders by the North Star. I have already stated that Sir John Franklin's in- structions directed him to try the first favorable open- ing to the southwest after passing Cape Walker ; and failing in that, to try the Wellington Channel. Every officer in the British Service, as a matter of course, follows his instructions, as far as they are compatible with the exigencies of the case, be it what it may, nor ever deviates from them without good and justifiable cause. If, then, Sir John Franklin fixiled in finding an opening to the southwest of Cape Walker it is reason- able to suppose he obeyed his instructions, and tried the Wellinjxfon Channel. The seconf pn ity favor of this locality is, that Sir John Franklin ex- vA'IMONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 249 n ])rcsscd o many of his friends a favorable opinion of tlic Wellington Channel, and, which is of far more consequence, intimated his opinion ofHcialiy, and be- fore the expedition >vas determined upon, that this Btrait seemecv to offer the best chance of success. Moreover, Capt. Fitzjames, his innnediate second in command in the Erebus, was strongly in favor of the Wellington CI c^nnel, and always so expressed himself. See his letter, before quoted, to Sir Jolin J3arrow, p. 203. Who can dc.ubt that the opinion of Capt. Fitzjames, a man of superior ^lind, beloved l)^'^ all wl;o knew him, and in the service '' the observed of all observers," would have great weight with 3ir John Franklin, even if Sir John had not been himself predisposed to listen to him. What adds confirmation to tlitoc views is, that in 1840, a few years prior to the starting of the expedition. Col. Sabine jniblished cbe deeply interetiv.'ng "Narrative of Baron Wrangel's Expedition to the Polar Sea, under- taken between the years 1820 and 1823," and in his ])re- face the translator jwints to the Wellington Channel as the most likely couvse for the successful acconqjlishment of the northwest passage. "Setting aside," he says, " the possibility o^ the existence of unknown land, tl^'. probability of an open sea existing to the north of the Parry islands, and communicating with Behring Strait, appears to rest -on strict analogical reasoning." And again he adds, *' all the attempts to effect the northwest f)assage, since Barrow's Strait was first passed in 1819, lave consisted in an endeavor to force a vessel by one route or another through this land-locked and ice-encum- bered portion of the Polar Ocean." No examination has made known what may be the state of the sea to the north of the Parry Islands ; whether similar impediments may tliere present them- selves to navigation, or whether a sea may not there exist offering no difficulties whatever of the kind, as M. Von Wrangel has shown to be tlie case to the north of I should be juf,tified in expectin by c'gy or. Colonel Sabine is an officer of great scientific expe- 1 1 1 250 PU0GRES8 OB' AKCTIO DISCOVEKY. rience, and from his Iiiiving made several polar voyages, he has devoted great attention to all that relates to that quarter. He was in C(.)nstant communication with Sir John Franklin when the expedition was fitting out, and it is but reasonable to suppose that he would be some- what guided by his opinion. "VVe have, then, the opinions of Franklin himself, Colonel' Sabine, and Captain Fitzjames, all bearing on this point, and wo must remember that Parry, who dis- covered and named this channel, saw nothing when passing and re-passing it, but a clear open sea to the northward. Lieut. S. Osborn, in a paper dated the 4:th of January, 1850, makes the following suggestions : — "General opinion places the lost expedition to tlie west of Cape Walkei*, and south of the latitude of Mel- ville Island. The d istance from Cape Bathurst to Banks' Land is only 301 miles, and on reference to a chart it will be seen that nowhere else does the American conti- nent approach so near to the supposed position of Frank- lin's expedition. " Banks' Land bears from Cape Bathurst N^. 41° 49', E. 302 miles, and there is reason to believe that in the summer season a portion of this distance may be trav- ersed in boats. "Dr. Richardson confirms previous reports of the ice being light on the coast cast of the Mackenzie River to Cape Bathurst, and informs us that tlie Esquimaux had seen ' no ice to seaward for two moons.' '' Every mile traversed northward -by a party from Cape Bathurst would be ovei that unknown space in which traces of Franklin may be expected. It is advis- able that such a second party be dispatched from Cape Bathurst, in order that the prosecution of Dr. Rae's examination of the supposed channel between AVol las- ton and Victoria Lands may in no way be interfered with, by his attention being called to the westward." In March, 1848, the Admiralty announced their inten- tion of rewarding the crews of any whaling ships that brought accurate information of tlie missing expedition, OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 251 trom •e in rlvia- jipe cao's lias- Ted iton- thnt ;ion. with the sum of 100 guineas or more, according to cir- cumstances. Lady 1 ranklin also about the same time oftered rewards of 2000/. and 3000/., to be distributed among the owner, officers, and crew discovering and affording relief to her husband, or making extraordi- nary exertions for the above object, and, if required, bringing Sir John Franklin and his party to England. In March, 1850, the following further rewards were offered by the British government to persons of any country : — 1st. To any party or person who in the judgment of the Board of Admiralty, shall discover and effectually relieve the crews of 11. M. ships Erebus and Terror, the sum of 20,000/., or, 2d. To any party or parties, &c., who shall discover and effectually relieve any portion of the crews, or shall convey sucli intelligence as shall lead to the relief of any of the crew, the sum of 10,000/. 3d. To any party or parties who shall by virtue of his or their efforts, first succeed in ascertaining their fiite, 10,000/. In a dispatch from Sir George Simpson to Mr. Kae, dated Lachine, the 2 1st of January, 1850, he says: — "If they be still alive, I feel satisfied that every effort it may be in the power of man to make to succor them will be exerted by yourself and the Company's officers in Mackenzie Eiver ; but should your late search have lin fortunately ended in disappointment, it is the desire of the Company that you renew your explorations next summer, if possible. "By the annexed correspondence you will observe that the opinion in England appears to be that onr explora- tions ought to be more particularly directed to that por- tion of the Northern Sea lying l)etween Cape Walker on the east, Melville Island and Banks' Land to the north, and the continental shore or the Victoria Islands to the south. " As these limits are believed to embrace the course that woidd have been pursued by Sir John Franklin, Cape "Walker being one of the points he was particu- 'm ;..tl ' t'iK • ii 252 rUOORESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. more energetic whoever larly instructed to make for, you will therefore he pleased, immediately on the receipt of this letter, to fit out another exploring party, to proceed in the direction above indicated, but varying the route that may have been followed last summer, which party, besides their own examination of the coast and islands, should be instructed to oft'er liberal rewards to the Esquimaux to search for some vestiges of the missing expedition, and similar rewards should be oiFered to the Indians inhab iting near the coast and Peel's River, and the half-bred hunters of Mackenzie River, the latter being, perhaps, than the former ; assuring them that may procure authentic intelligence will be largely rewarded. " Simultaneously with the expedition to proceed to- ward Cape Walker, one or two small parties should be dispatched to the westward of the Mackenzie, in the direction of Point Barrow, one of which might pass over to the Youcon River, and descending that stream to the sea, carry on their explorations in that quarter, while the other, going down the Mackenzie, miglit trace the coast thence toward the Youcon. And these parties must also be instructed to offer rewards to the natives to prosecute the search in all directions. "By these means there is reason to believe that in the course of one year so minute a search maj'^ be made of the coast and the islands, that in the event of the expedition having passed in that direction, some trace of their progress would certainly be discovered. " From your experience in arctic discovery, and {le- culiar qualifications for such an undertaking, I am in hopes you may be enabled yourself to assume the command of the party to proceed to the northward ; and, as leaders of the two parties to explore the coast to tiie westward of the Mackenzie, you will have to select such officers of the Company's service within the district as may appear best qualified for the duty: Mr. Murray, I think, would be a very fit man for c»ne of tlie leaders, and if one party be sent by way of the Youcon, he might take charge of it. In the event of OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 253 your going on this expedition, you will be pleased to make over the charge of the district to Chief Trader Bell during your absence. "In case you may be short-handed, I have by this conveyance instructed Chief Factor Ballenden to en- gage in Red River ten choice men, accustomed to boat- ing, and well fitted for such a duty as will be required of them; and if there be a chance of their reaching Mackenzie River, or even Athabasca, before the break- ing up of the ice, to forward them immediately. " Should the season, however, be too far advanced to enable them to accomplish the journey by winter traveling, Mr. Ballenden is directed to increase the party to fourteen men, with a guide to be dispatched from Red River immediately after the opening of the navigation, in two boats, laden with provisions and flour, and a few bales of clothing, in order to meet, in some degree, the heavy drain that will be occasioned on our resources in provisions and necessary supplies in Mackenzie River. The leader of this party from Red River may, perhaps, be qualified to act as the conductor of one of the parties to examine the coasi to the westward." On the 5th of February, 1850, another consultation took place at the Admiralty among those officers most experienced in these matters, and their opinion f in writing were solicited. It is important, therefore, to submit these as fully as possible to the consideration of the reader. The first is the report of the hydrographer of the Admiralty, dated the 29th of January, 1850: — " Memorandum hy Rear- Admiral Sir Francis Beau- fort, K. G. B, "The Behring's Strait expedition being at length iairly off^, it appears to me to be a duty to submit to Iheir Lordships that no time should now be lost in equipping another set of vessels to renew the search on the opposite side, through Baffin's Bay ; and this being the fifth year that the Erebus and Terror have f •! 254 PROGKESS OF AKCTIO DISCOVEKY. been absent, and probably reduced to only casual sup- ])lie8 of food and fuel, it may be assumed that this search should be so complete and eft'ectual as to leave unexamined no place in which, by any of the supposi- tions that have been put forward, it is at all likely they may be found. " Sir John Franklin is not a man to treat his orders with levity, and therefore his first attempt was un- doubtedly made in the direction of Melville Island, and not to tlie westward. If foiled in that attempt, he naturally hauled to the southward, and using Banks' Land as a barrier against the northern ice, he would try to make westing under its lee. Thirdly, if both of these roads were found closed against his advance, he perhaps availed himself of one of the four passages between the Parry Islands, including the Wellington Channel. Or, lastly, he may have returned to Baffin's Bay and taken the inviting opening of Jones' Sound. " All those four tracks must therefore be diligently examined before the search can be called complete, and the only method of rendering that exjimination prompt and efficient will be through the medium of steam ; while only useless expense and reiterated diS' appointment will attend the best efforts of sailing ves- sels, leaving the lingering survivors of the lost ships^ as well as their relatives in England, in equal despair. Had Sir James Ross been in a steam vessel, he would not have been surrounded with ice and swept out of the Strait, but by shooting under the protection of Leo- pold Island, he would have waited there till that fatal field had passed to the eastward, and he then would have found a perfectly open sea up to Melville Island. "The best application of steam to ice-going vesseh would be Ericson's screw ; but the screw or paddles of any of our moderate-sized vessels might be made t( elevate with facility. Vessels so fitted would not re- quire to be fortified in an extraordinary degree, not more than common whalers. From the log-like quies- cence with which a sailing vessel must await the crush of two approaching floes, they must be as strong aa OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 255 he wood and iron can make them ; but the steamer slips out of tlie reach of tlie collision, waits till the shock is past, and then profiting by their mutual recoil, darts at once through the transient opening. "Two such vessels, and each of them attended by two tenders laden with coals and provisions, would be Butliciont for the main lines of search. Every promi- nent point of land where notices might have been left, would be visited, details of their own procc lings would be deposited, and each of the tenders would be left in proper positions, as points of rendezvous on which to full back. "Besides these two branches of the expedition, it would be well to allow the whaling captain (Penny,) to carry out his proposed undertaking. His local knowl- edge, his thorougn acquaintance with all the mysteries of the ice navigation, and his well known skill and resources, seem to point him out as a most valuable auxiliary. " But whatever vessels may be chosen for this service, I would beseech their lordsnips to expedite them ; all our attempts have been deferred too long ; and there is now reason to believe that very early in the season, in May or even in April, Baffin's Bay may be crossed be- fore the accumulated ice of winter spreads over its surface. If they arrive rather too soon, they m^xy very advantageously await the proper moment in some of the Greenland harbors, preparing themselves for the coming eftbrts and struggles, and procuring Esquimaux interpreters. " In order to press every resource into the service of tliis noble enterprise, the vessels should be extensively furnished with means for blasting and sj^litting the ice, perhaps circular saws might be adapted to the steamers, a launch to each party, with a small rotary engine, sledges for the shore, and light boats with sledge bear- ings for broken ice-fields, balloons for the distribution of advertisements, and kites for the plosi lofty fire-balls. And, lastly, they should have vigorous and numerous crews, so that when detachments are away, 25G TROGKESS OF AliCTIO DISCOVEKY. other operations should not be intermitted for want of physical strength. " As the council of the Royal Society, some time ago, thought proper to remind tlieir lordships of the propriety of instituting this search, it would be fair now to call on that learned body for all the advice and suggestions, that science and philosophy can contribute toward the accomplishment of the great object on which the eyes of all England and indeed of all the world, are n " entirely fixed." Captain Beechey, writing to the Secretary of the Ad- mii-alty, 7tii of February, 1850, says : — " The urgent nature of the case alone can justify the use of ordinary steamers in an icy sea, and great pru- dence and judgment will be required on the part of their commanders, to avoid being disabled by collision and pressure. " I would also add, as an exception, that I think Leo- pold Island and Cape Walker, if possible, should both be examined, prior to any attempt being made to pene- trate in other directions from Barrow's Strait, and that the bottom of Regent Inlet, about the Pelly Islands, should not be left unexamined. In the memorandum submitted to their lordships on the 17th of January, 1849, this quarter was considered of importance ; and I am still of opinion, that, had Sir John Franklin aban- doned his vessels near the coast of America, and much short of the Mackenzie River, he would have preferred the probability of retaining the use of his boats until he found relief in Barrow's Strait, to risking an over- land journey via tlie before-mentioned river ; it must be remembered, that at the time he sailed. Sir George Back's discovery had rendered it very probable that Boothia was an island. " An objection to the necessity of this search seems to be, that had Sir John Franklin taken that route, he would liave reached Fury Beach already. However, I cannot but think there will yet be found some good grounds for the Esquimaux sketch, and that their mean- iuir has been misunderstood ; and as Mr. M'Cormick is OPINIONS OF AKCnO ''OYAGERS. 257 that an enterprising person, wliose name has already been before their lorclships, I would submit, whether a boat expedition from Leopold Depot, under his direction, would not satisfactorily set at rest all inquiry upon this, now the only quarter unprovided for." Captain Sir W". E. Parry states : — "I am decidedly of opinion that the main search should be renewed in the direction of Melville Island and Banks' Land, includina; as a part of the plan the thorough examination of Wellington Strait and of tlie other similar openings between the islands of the group bearing my name. I entertain a growing conviction of the probability of the missing ships, or at least a con- siderable portion of the crews, being shut up at Mel- ville Island, Banks' Land, or in that neighborhood, agreeing as I do with Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beau- fort, in his report read yesterday to the Board that ' Sir John Franklin is not a man to treat his orders v/ith levity,' which he would be justly chargeable with doing if he attached greater weight to any notions he might personally entertain than to the Admiralty instructions, which he well knew to be founded on the experience of former attempts, and on the best information whicli could then be obtained on the subject. For these rea- sons I can scarcely doubt that he would employ at least two seasons, those of 1845 and 1846, in an unremitting attempt to penetrate directly westward or southwestward to Behring's Strait. " Supposing this conjecture to be correct, nothing can be more likely than that Sir John Franklin's ships, hav- ing penetrated in seasons of ordinary temperature a considerable distance in that direction, have been locked up by successive seasons of extraordinary I'igor, thus baffling the efforts of their weakened crews to escape from the ice in either of the two directions by Behring's or Barrow's Straits. " And here I cannot but add, that my own conviction of this probability — for it is only with probabilities that we have to deal — has been greatlv stronsjtiioned by a letter I have lately received from Col. Sabine, of 258 rUOORESS OP ARCTIC DIflCOVEKY. the Royal Artillery, of which I had the honor to sub- mit a copy to Sir Francis Baring. Colonel Sahine having accompanied two successive expeditions to Bat- fin's Bay, including tliat under mv command whicli reached Melville Island, I consider fiis views to be well worthy of their lordships' attention on this part of the subject. "It must be admitteil, however, that considerable weight is due to the conjecture which has been oiiered by persons capable of forming a sound judgment, that having tailed, as 1 did, in the attempt to penetrate west- ward. Sir John Franklin might deem it j)rudent to re- trace his steps, and was enal>led to do so, in order to try a more northern route, either through Wellington Strait or some other of tliose openings between the I'arry Islands to which I have already referred. And thi:^ idea receives no small importance from the fact, (said to be beyond a doubt,) of Sir John Franklin having, before his departure, expressed such an intention in case of failing to the westward. "I cannot, therefore, consider the intended search to be complete without making the examination of Wel- lington Strait and its adjacent openings a distinct part of the plan, to be performed by one portion of the vessels which I shall presently propose for the main expedition. " Much stress has likewise been laid, and I think not altogether without reason, on the propriety of search- ing Jones' and Smith's Sounds in the northwest parts of Baffin's Bay. Considerabl : interest has lately been at- tached to Jones' Sound, from the fact of its having been recently navigated by at least one enterprising whaler, and found to be of great width, free from ice, with a swell from the westward, and having no land visible from the mast-head in that direction. It seems more than probable, therefore, that it may be found to communi- cate with Wellington Strait ; so that if Sir John Frank- lin's ships have been detained anywhere to the north- ward Oi the Parry Islands, it would be by Jones' Sourtd that he would probably endeavor to efi'ect his escape, OPINIONS AND SUOGEfiTIONS. 25a ratlicT than by the less direct route of Barrow's Strait. I do not luvself attach much importance to the idea of Sir Joini Irankliii haviiii^ so far retraced his stops as to come back through Lancaster Sound, and recom- mence his enterprise by entering Jones' Sound ; but tlie possibility of his attempting his escape tlirough this lino opening, and the report, (though somcwlu u vague,) of a cairn of stones seen by one of the winders on a headland within it, seems to me to render it hi<5hly expedient to set this question at rest by a search in this direction, including the examination of Smith's Sound also." I beg to cite next an extract from the letter of Dr. Sir John liichardson to the Secretary of the Admiralty : — ^^Ilaslar Hospital^ Gosport^ ^th of Fehruciry^ 1850. " With respect to the direction in which a successful search may be predicated with the most confidence, very various opinions have been put forth; some have supposed either that the ships were lost before reaching Lancaster Sound, or that Sir John Franklin, finding an impassable barrier of ice in the entrance of Lancaster Sound, may have sought for a passage through Jones' Sound. I do not feel inclined to give much weight to either conjecture. When we consider the strength of the Erebus and Terror, calculated to resist the strongest pressure to which ships navigating Batfin's Bay have been known to be subject, in conjunction witii the fact that, of the many whalers which have been crushed or abandoned since the commencement of the fishery, the crews, or at least the greater part of them, have, in almost every case, succeeded in reaching other ships, or the Danish settlements, we cannot believe that tiie two discovery ships, which were seen on tlie edge of the middle ice so early as tlie 2Gth of July, can have been 80 suddenly ana totally overwhelmed as to preclude some one of the intelligent officers, whose minds were preptv.ed for every emergency, with their select crews of men, experienced in the ice, from placing a boat on the ice or water, and thus carrying intelligence of the I 200 PROORES8 OF ARCTIC DWCOVICRY. (liBUster to one of the im\ny whalers which remained for two months iiftur thiit (lute in those setts, and this in the absence of any unusual catastrophe among the tishing vessels that season. " With respect to Jones' Sound, it is admitted by all who are intimately acquainted with Sir ilohn Franklin, that his first endeavor would be to act up to the letter of his instructions, and that therefore he would nut lightly abandon the attempt to pass Jjancaster Sound. From the logs of the whalers year after year, we letii-n that when once they have succeeded in rounding the middle ice, they enter Lancaster Sound with tsurility : had Sir John Franklin, then, gained that Sound, and from the premises we appear to be fully justified in concluding that he did so, and had he afterward en- countered a compact field of ice, barring Barrow's Strait and Wellington Sound, he would then, after be- ing convinced that he would lose the season in attempt ing to bore through it, have borne up for Jones' Sound, but not until he had erected a conspicuous landmark, and lodged a memorandum of his reason for deviating from his instructions. "The absence of such a signal-post in Lancaster Sound is an argument against the expedition having turned back from thence, and is, on the other lumd, a strong su])port to the suspicion that Barrow's Strait was as open in 1845 as when Sir W. E. Parry first ijassed it in 1811) ; that, such being the case, Sir John Frank- lin, without delay and without landing, pushed on to Cape Walker, and that, subsequently, in endeavoring to penetrate to the southwest, he became involved in the drift ice, which, there is reason to believe, urged by the prevailing winds and the set of the flood tides, is carried toward Coronation Gulf, through channels more or less intricate. Should he have found no open- ing at Cape Walker, he would, of course, have souglit one further to the west ; or, finding the southerly and westerly opening blocked by ice, he might have tried a northern ])assage. " In either case, the plan of search propounded by r OPINIONS AM) HL'OOKSTIONS. 2G1 Sir Francis Boaufoi't seems to provide against every contingency, especially when taken in conjunction with Captain Collinson's expedition, via Behring's Strait, and the boat parties from the Mackenzie. " 1 do not venture to offer an opinion on the strength or equipment of the vessels to bo employed, or other merely nautical questions, further than by remarking, that the use of the small vessels, which forms part of Sir I'rancis lieaufort's scheme, is supported by the suc- cess of the early navigators with their very small craft, and the late gallant exploit of Mr. Shedden, in round- ing ley Cape and Point Barrow, in the Naucy Dawson yacht. " And further, with respect to the comparative merits of the paddles and screw in the arctic seas, I beg leave merely to observe, that as long as the screw is immersed in water it will continue to act, irrespective of the tern perature of the air ; but when, as occurs late in the autumn, the atmosphere is suddenly cooled below the freezihg point of sea water, by a northerly gale, while the sea itself remains warmer, the paddles will be speedily clogged by ice accumulating on the floats as they rise through the air in every revolution. An in- cident recorded by Sir James C. Ross, furnishes a strik- ing illustration of the powerful action of a cold wind ; I allude to a fish having been thrown up by the spray against the bows of the Terror, and firmly frozen there, during a gale in a high southerly latitude. Moreover, even with the aid oi a ready contrivance for topping the paddles, the flatness or hollowness of the sides of a paddle steamer renders her less fit for sustaining pres- sure ; the machinery is more in the way of oblique beams for strengthening, and she is less efticient as a sailing vessel when the steam is let off." Memorandum inclosed in Dr. WCormicTc's Letter of the let of January^ 1850. " In the month of April last, I laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a plan of search for the missing expedition under the command of Captain ■■f.:^ ';*. ■5f 202 PROGKESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. Sir John Franklin, by means of a boat expedition up Jones' and Sniitli's Sounds, volunteering myself to conduct it. " In that plan I stated the reasons which had induced nie to direct my attention more especially to the open- ings at the head of Baffin's Bay, which, at the time, were not included within the general scheme of search. "■AVellington Channel, however, of all the probable openings into the Polar Sea, possesses the highest de- gree ot" interest, and the exploration of it is of such paramount importance, that I should most unquestion- ably have comprised it within my plan of search, had not Her Majesty's ships Enterprise and Investigator been employed at the time in Barrow's Strait for the express jiurpose of examining this inlet and Cape Walker, two of the most essential points of search in the whole track of the Erebus and Terror to the west- ward ; being those points at the very threshold of his enterprise, from which Sir John Franklin would take his departure from the known to the unknown, whether he shaped a southwesterly course from the latter, or attempted the passage in a higher latitude from the former point. " The return of the sea expedition from Port Leo- pold, and the overland one from the Mackenzie River, both alike unsuccessful in their search, leaves the fate of the gallant Franklin and his companions as proble- matical as ever ; in fact, the case stands precisely as it did two years ago ; the work is yet to be begun ; every thing remains to be' accomplished. " In renewal of the search in the ensuing spring, more would be accomplished in boats than in any other way, uot only by Beh ring's Strait, but from the east- ward. For the difficulties attendant on icy navigation which form so insuperable a barrier to the progress of ships, would be readily surmounted by boats ; by mcane of which the coast line may be closely examined for cairns of stones, under which Sir John Fi-anklin would most indubitably deposit memorials of his pi ogress 'r> all prominent positions, as opportunities might offer. OPINtONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 203 ', or the ifif. >gross offer. "The discovery of one of these mementos would, in a. { probability, aiford a clue that might lead to the res- cue of our enterprising countrymen, ere another and sixth winter close in upon them, should they be still in existence ; and the time has not yet arrived for aban- doning hope. "In renewing once more the offer of my services, which I do most cheerfully, I see no reason for chang- ing the opinions I entertained last spring; subsequent events have only tended to confirm them. I then be- lieved, and I do so still, after a long and mature con- sideration of the subject, that Sir Joiin Franklin's ships have been arrested in a high latitude, and beset in the heavy polar ice northward of the Parry Islands, and that their probable course thithei has been through the Wellington Channel, or one of the sounds at the north- ern extremity of Baffin's Bay. " This appears to me to be the only view of the case that can in any way account for the entire absence of all tidings of them throughout so protracted a period of time (unless all have perished by some sudden and overwhelming catastrophe.) "Isolated as their position would be under such cir- cumstances, any attempt to reach the continent of America at such a distance would be hopeless in the extreme : and the mere chance of any jjarty from the ships reaching the top of Baffin's Bay at the very mo- ment of a whaler's brief and uncertain visit would be Attended with by far too great a risk to justify the at- tempt, for failure would insure inevitable destruction to the whole party; therefore tlieir only alternative would be to keep together in their shi]is, should no dis- aster have happened to them, and by husbanding their remaining resources, eke them out with whatever wild animals may come within their reach. " Had Sir John Franklin been able to shape a south- westerly course from Cape "Walker, as directed by his instructions, the lu-obabilitv is, some intellia-once of pr him would ha\e reached this countiy era this, (n(>arly five years havini:' already elapsed since his dcjKirture 1;? 2G4 ri{OGii]:ss OF arctic discoveuy. from it.) Parties would have beoii sent out from Ins ships, either in the direction of the coast of America or Barrow's Strait, whichever happened to be the most accessible. Esquimaux would have been fallen in with, and tidings of the long-absent expedition have been obtained. •• J? .filing in penetrating beyond Cape Walker, Sir John Franklin would have left some notice of his fu- ture intentions on that spot, or the nearest accessible one to it; and should he then retrace his course for the "Wellington Channel, the most ])robable conjecture, lie would not pass up that inlet without depositing a fur- ther account of his proceedings, either on the western or eastern point of the entrance to it. "Therefore, should my proposal meet with their Lordships' a])probatiou, I would most respectfully sub- mit, that the ])arty I have volunteered to conduct should be hinded at the entrance to the "Wellinti'tou Channel, or the nearest point attainable by any ship that their Lordships may deem iit to employ in a fu- ture search, consistently with any other services that ship may have to perform ; and should a landiiiii; be effected on the eastern side, I would |)ropose commenc- ing the search from Caj)e Riley or Beechey Island in a northerlv direction, carefullv examiniuii- everv re- markable headland and indentation of the western coast of Xorth Devon for memorials of the missing ex- ])edition : I would then cross over the Wellington Channel aiul continue the search along the noi'theiu shore of Cornvvallis Island, extending the ex])loration to the westward as far as the remaining portion ol' iliu season would ])ormit, so as to secure the retreat of the party before the winter set in, returning either by the eastern or western side of Cornwall is Island, as cir- cumstances might indicate to be the most desirable at the time, after ascertaining the general extent and trending of the shores of that island. "As, however, it would be highly desirnble that Joncv;' Sound s!i(iu1d not be omitted in th(> search, nioro especially as a whaler, last season, reached its entrance rom Ins Vmericii he most lUen in 311 hiive Iker, Sir f his fu- icessihle e for the iture, lio ig a fiir- westeni th their iilly sub- conduct ;llin<2:tou iny ship I in a t'u- pes that ling be nunonc- huul in :erv I'o- western sin (I' ex- llin'eon tlie westei'U coa>t of Bo(»thia on the one side, and the island or islands forming Banks' and Victoria Lands on the other. "Should the Erebus and Terror have been beset in the heavy drift-ice, or wrecked among it and the bro- ken land, which in all ])i'obability exists there while contending with the prevalent westerly winds in this quarter ; ■:■! :. I' . - if ■p' ■ 'f. ' \ f^■l ii«S 266 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. r|^nimaux had seen no ice to seaward for Uvu moo'.i^. '•'• (»th. Every mile traversed nortliward by a party from Cape Bathurst would be over that unknown space in which traces of Eranklin may be expected. " 7th. It is advisable that such a second party be dis])atched from Cape Batliurst, in order that tlie ])ros- ecution of Dr. Rae's examination of the supposed chan- nel between "Wollaston and Victoria Lands may in no way be interfered with by his attention being called to the westward. "•Stli. The caches of provisions made at different points of the Mackenzie and at Cape l>athurst, would enable a party to push down to their starting point witli great celerity directly the River Mackenzie opens, whicli mav be as earlv as Ma^. f.' «/ * "I would also remind your j.ordships tluit the pro- posed expedi^'ion would '-arry info execution a very im- portant clause in the instructioas given to Sir James Ross ; viz : that of sending exploring pai'ties from Banks' Land in a southwesterly direction toward Cape Bath'^"st or Cape Parry. " In conclusion, I beg to offer my willing services to- ward the execution of the proposed plan ; and seeking it from no selfish motives, but tlioroughly impressed Ol'IMO.NS AJ^l) SUOGE8TIOiS"8. 269 with its feasibility, you may rest assured, my lords, sliould 1 have tile liouor of being sent upon this service, that I shall not disappoint your expectations. "1 have, c'irc, (Signed,) " Sherard Osboun, Lieut., R. N." Copy of a Letter from Colonel Sabine, R. A., to Caj?- tain Sir W. Edward Parry. " Castle-down Terrace, Hastings, " VSth of January, 18.50. "There can be little doubt, I imagine, in the mind of any one who has read attentively Franklin's instruc- tions, and, (in reference to tlieni,) your description of the state of the ice and of tlie navigable water in 1819 and 1820, in tlie route which he was ordered to pursue; still less, I think, can there be a doubt in the mind of any one who had the advantage of being with you in those years, tliat Fraidclin, (always sup[)0sing no pre- vious disaster,) must have nuide his way to the soutli- west ])art of Alelville Island eitlier in 1815 or 1810. It has been said tluit 1845 was an unfavorable season, and as the navigation of Davis' Strait and Ballin's Bay was new to Franklin, we may regard it as more probable that it may have taken liim two seasons to accomplish what we accom])lished in one. So far, I think, guidc^d by his instructions and by the experience gained in 1815) and 1820, we may reckon pretty confidently on the iirst stage of his pi-oceedings, and doubtless, in ins progress he would have left memorials in the usual manner at places where he may have landed, soma of which would be likely to fall in the way of a vessc I fol- lowing in his track. From tlie west end of Melville Island our inferences as to his further proceedings must become more conjectural, being contingent on th< state of the ice and the existence of navii>-uble water in the particular season. If he found the ocean, as we did, covered to the west and S(tuth, as far as the eye could reach from the summit of the highest hills, with ice of a thickness unparalleled in any other part of the Polar "■■ ■TT-'J'- '''"■W^ # m 270 riv<>(iici:8s oir AUCTio dihcovkky. * 1 r';^i; Soji, ho woiilil, ntU'rprobjihly Wiiltiii^ tlin»ui:fh oii«' wliolo BoasDii in tlii5 \\o\n) of noim^ luvoriibU^ chniiiiji', Imvi; w- trsifotl Ills sfi>j>s, in obi'dicMU'c lo {\\v second part of his instrui'tions, in oi-iUm* to nock an opcnino" to tin; north wliicli nui»ht i'on«hu't to a more open Hoa. In this cuso Bonio nioniorial of tho season i)assoil hy him at tlio sontiiwvst ond of Mclvillo Island, tuid iilso of Ins ])nr- })osi' of ivtraeinuj ids steps, wonld (h)uhtioss iiavo hoeu eft hy him ; and slionhl he snhseipiently iiavc found an o[)eninu;' to tlie noi'tii, presentini;' a favorable appear- ance, there also, should eiivumstanees have permitted, W'ouhl a memorial have been left. " lie may, however, have I'onnd a more favorable Btate of thin:;s at the southwest end of Molville Island than we did, and may Iiave been loil thereby to at- tempt to force a passage for hit* ships in the direct lino of IJehring's Strait, or ])erhaps, in the first instance, to the south of that direction, namely, to IJanks' Land. In such case two contiuijencies })resent themselves i first, that in the season of navii:;ation of 18-17 he may luive made so much j)rojiTess, that in 1S48 he may have preferred the endeavor to push throujj!;h to liehrini^^'s IStrait, or to some western part of the continent, to an attempt to return by the way of Barrow's Strait; the mission of the Plover, the Enterprise, and the Inves- tiixator toijether with Dr. Uae's expedition, supjdy, I ])resume, (^t'or I am but partially ac(|uainted with their instructions,) the most juilicious means of affording re- lief in this direction. There is, however, a second con- tingency ; and it is the one which the impression left on my mind by the nature and general asi)ect of the ice in the twelve months which we ourselves passed at the southwest end of Melville Island, compels me, in spite of my wishes, to regard as the more probable, viz., that his advance from Melville Island in the sea- son of 184:7 may have been limited to a distance of fifty, or ]UM'haps one hundred miles at farthest, and that in 184S he may have endeavored to retrace his ste]>s. but only M'ith ])artial success. It is, I ai>prehend, qui-to ;i C' >n(.'ei\able ca^^e, that under these circumstances, Ol'IMIONH ANIt KUU(;i:Hri<»NH. 271 iieir 111 inea[)ivl»Ie of cxtri('ulin<^ llio nlil|is IVdin th(; ice, ttio criivv.s niiiy liavo hciMi, at luii^tli, (»l»li<;iMl to (|uit iJitMri, and atloiMpl a retreat, not. toward tliecoiitiiieiit, hecaiiBC too distant, hut to Mclvillo J^slaIld, uluire (Uiitaiidy i'o(»(l, and prohahly i'licl (sealrt,) nii^^lit he atched IVoni Kji<^h"id Ibr tlieir relief wouhl, in tlio Ji)\st instjuKHi, s('(!iv thein. It is <)nite concujivahle also, 1 aj)])i'ehen(l, tiiat the cinninistancc^H nii^lit he Huch that their retn^at may liave heen made without their boatH, and ))roliahly in the April or May of 1841). "Where the I'^sijuimaux have lived, there I'^n^lislimeri may live, and no valid ai'guuKMit ai^ainst the attempt to i'eli(!\e can, I think, he founded on the improhahility of lindinj^ iMij^lishnuMi alive in ISHO, who may iiavo made a retreat to Melville Island in the spring of 184JJ ; nor would the view of the case he altered in any ma- terial de^'ree, if w'e suppose their retreat to have be(;n made in isIs or ISlJ) to Banks' Land, whieli may all'ord facilities of food and fuel e(jual or sujterior to jMelville Island, and a further retreat in the following year to the latter island as the point at which they wonld more ])rol)ahly look out for succor. " Without dis[)arageiuent, therefore, to the attempts made in other directions, I retain my original opinion, which seems also to have been the o[)inion of the IJoard of Admiralty, by which Ross's instructions were drawn uj), that the most promising direction for re- search would be taken by a vessel which should follow them to the southwest point of Melville Island, be pre- pared to winter there, and, if necessary, to send a ])arty across the ice in April or May to examine Banks' Land, a distance (there and back) less than recently accomplished by lloss in his land journey. '' I learn from Ross's dis))atchcs, that almost imme- diately after he got out of Port Leopold (1849,) he was entangled in apparently interminable fields and floes of ice, with which, in the course of the summer, he was drifted down through Barrow's Strait and Baffin's ^ay nearly to Davis' '-strait. It is reasonable to pre- 12* M ft ^m I r i.- 'i Iff'?? '¥' '' 11 272 PROGRESS OF AKOTlO DISCO VKllY. sumo, therefoiv, tliat tlio localities from wlitmee this ICO drifted tire likely to bo less encumbered tliuii usual by accumulated ice in 18r>0. It is, of course, of tlio highest importance t<. reach Barrow's Strait at the ear- liest [)o^;sible period <.)!" the season ; and, conn»!cted with this ]>.>iut I learn from Ca]»tain liird, whom I had the pleasure of seeing here a lew days ago, a wry remark- able fact, that the ice wliich ]U'ev\uited their crossing liallin's Bay in 72° or 73° of latitude (as we did in 1811), arriving in Barn .'s IStrait a month earlier than we iiad done the preceding year, when we went round by Melville Bay, and nearly a month earlier than Iloss did l:i-t year)-\. is young ice, which had formed in the remarkably calm summer of last year, and which the absence of wind prevc od their f »rcing a passage through, on the one hand, while on the other, the ico was not heavy enough for ice anchors. It was, he said, not mure than two or two and a luilf foot thick, and ob- viously of very n cent for:uatioi\ Tl)ere must, there- fore, ha\ boon an earlier period of the season when this part of tiie sea iiiust have been free from ico; and this comes in cor.firuiation of a circumstance of which I was informed by Mr. Petersen (a Danish gentleman Bent to England fc;ome months ago by the Northern So- ciety of Antirpnirie.; of (Jopenhagen, to make extracts from books and manuscripts in the British ]\Iu6eum,) that the Northmen, who had settlements some centu- ries ago on the west coast of Greenland, were in the liabit of crossing BafHn's Bay in the latitude of IJper- navic in the spring of the year, for the purpose of fish- ing in Barrow's Strait, from whence they returned in- .Vugust ; and that in the early months they generally found the passag • across free from ice. "In the preceding remarks, I lu;ve left one contin- gency unconsidered ; it is that which would have fol- lowed in pursuance of his instructions, if Franklin should have found the aspect of the ice too unfavorable to the west and south of Melville Island to r' ^^mpt to force a passage through it, and siiould have retraced his steps m hopes of finding a more open sea to the northward, Ol'INIONS AND Sr:0GESTI0N'9. 273 i/itlior in AV^cllInn-foii Strait or elsewi). ro. It is^ (jiiito coiu'oiviilile tliat liciv also the expedition iriay K.ive cn- C'Mintered, at no vim-v [<:,\\'i\.t distaiici'. insii|)cial»le dilli- culries to their udvaiu-e, and may lia\ " tailed in aceo:n- pll.dunu; a return with their f-hip^. in t\\U case, tho retreat of tlie crows, snpposiiio; it to have hcoi inade across land or ice, would ino.-.t prohahly be di; -ttHl to some y)art of the; coast on th(^ route to iMelvilK ' ilid, on whieli route they would, M'ithout doubt, ex; that succor would bo attemitted." Mr. Kobert A. Ooodsir, a bi-othor of Uw U. D. On .d- fiir, tho assistant-suru'eon of ISir John Fraiddin's ship, till! Erebus, left Stronmess, as sur^von of the Advice, whaler, ('apt. Penny, on the I 7th of March, 184:!>, in tho ho})es of <>;ainin<>; some tidinii;s of his brother; Ijut returned nnsuc(;essful after an ei!i,ht months' voyp.^v. lie has, however, [)iiblished a very interest! n*:^ little narrative of tht^ icy reu'ions and of his ai'ctic voyaL!,'o. In a letter to Lady Fraiddiu, dated Edinburi»;h, IStli of Jamiary, 1850, ho says : — "■ 1 trust yon are not allow- inof yourself to become over-anxious. 1 know that, although thei'o is much cause to I)0 so, there is still not tho slightest reason that we should despair. It may bo presumptuous in mo to say so, but I luive never for a moment doubted as totlieir ultimate safe return, havina; always had a sort of presentiment that Iw'ould meet my brother and his companions somewhere in the regions in which their adventures are taking place. This hope I have not yet given np, and I trust that by next sum- mer it may be fultilled, when an end will be put to the suspense which has lasted so long, and which must have tried you so inucli." The arctic regions, far from being so destitute of ani- mal life as might be supposed from the bleak and inhos- pitable character of tho climate, are ]n'overbial for the "ision of variou ]M pec; ammj kingdom, which are to be met wdth in different locali- ties during a great ])art of the year. The air is often dai'kened by innumerable flocks of arctic and blue gulls, {Leati'ls Paradtlcxi:^, and Larus IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ks- /. ^ 1.0 1.1 li.25 Uil21 121 £ 1^ 12.0 Photographic ^Sciences Coiporalion ^ \ '§^' ^ •SJ <^ U^ ^-V ;\ 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WEBSTiR.N.Y. MSM (716) •72-4503 '^ 274 PEOOEES8 OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. glauGus,) the ivory gull or snow-bird, {Zarus ehurneus,) the kittiWake, the fulmar or petrel, snow geese, terns, coons, dovekies, &c. The cetaceous animals comprise the great Greenland whale, {Balcena mysticetus,) the sea unicorn or narwhal, {Monodon monoceros^ the white whale or beluga, {DelpMnus leucos^ the morse or walrus, {Triohecus 7'osmarus^ and the seal. There are also plenty of porpoises occasionally to be met with, and although these animals may not be the best of food, yet they can be eaten. Of the land animals I may in- stance the polar bear, the musk-ox, the reindeer, the arctic fox and wolves. Parry obtained nearly 40001b8. weight of animal food during his winter residence at Melville Island ; Ross nearly the same quantity from birds alone when winter- ing at Port Leopold. In 1719, the crews of two Hudson's Bay vessels, the Albany and Discovery, a ship and sloop, under the command of Mr. Barlow and Mr. Knight, were cast on shore on Marble Island, and it was subsequently ascer- tained that some of the party supported life for nearly three years. Mr. Hearne learned the particulars from some of the Esquimaux in 1729. The ship it appeared went on shore in the fall of 1719 ; the party being then in number about fifty, began to build their house for the winter. As soon as the ice permitted in the follow- ing summer the Esquimaux paid them another visit, and found the number of sailors much reduced, and very unhealthy. Sickness and famine occasioned such havoc among them that by the setting in of the second vinter, their number was reduced to twenty. Some of the Esqui- maux took up their abode at this period on the opposite side of the harbor, and supplied them with what provis- ions they could spare in the shape of blubber, seal's flesh, and train oil. The Esquimaux left for their wanderings in the Bpring, and on revisiting the island in the summer of 1721, only five of the crews were found alive, and tliese were so ravenous for food, that they devoured the blub- t-' ABUNDANCE OF ANIMAL FOOD MET WITH. 275 ber and seal's flesh raw, as they purchased it of tlie natives, which proved so injurious in their weak state, that three of them died in a few days. The two sur- vivors, though very weak, managed to bury their com- rades, and protracted their existence for some days longer. "They frequently," in the words of the narrative, •'went to the top of an adjacent rock, and earnestly looked to the south and east, as if in expectation of some vessels coming to their relief. After continuing there a considerable time, and nothing appearing in sight, they sat down close together, and wept bitterly. At length one of the two died, and the other's strength was so far exhausted, that he fell down and died, also in attempting to dig a grave for his companion. The skulls and other large bones of these two men are ncv lying above ground close to the house." Sir John Richardson, speaking of the amount of food to be obtained in the polar region, says, "Deer migrate over the ice in the spring from the main shore to Vic- toria and "Wollaston Lands in large herds, and return in the autumn. These lands are also the breeding places of vast flocks of snow geese ; so that with ordinary skill in hunting, a large supply of food might be pro- cured on tlieir shores, in the months of June, July, and August. Seals are also numerous in those seas, and are easily shot, their curiosity rendering them a ready prey to a boat party." In these ways and by fishing, the stock of provisions might be greatly augmented — and we have the recent example of Mr. Eae, who Sissed a severe winter on the very barren shores of epulse Bay, with no other fuel than the withered tufts of a herbaceous andromada, and maintained a numer- ous party on the spoils of the chase alone for a whole year. Such instances, forbid us to lose hope. Should Sir John Franklin's provisions "become so far inade- quate to a winter's consumption, it is not likely that he would remain longer by his ships, but rather that in one body, or in several, the oiflcers and crews, with boats cut down so as to be light enough to drag over m m 276 riiOGKESS OF AKCTIC DISCOSTERY. the ice, or built expressly for that purpose, would en- deavor to make tlieii* way eastward to Lancaster Sound, or southward to the main-land, according to the longi- tude in which the shij^s were arrested. "VVe ought not to judge of the supplies of food that can be procured in the arctic i-egions by diligent hunt- ing, from the quantities that have been actually ob- tained on the several expeditions that have returned, and consequently of the means of preserving life there. When there was abundance in the ships, tlie address and energy of the hunting parties was not likely to bo called fortli, as they would inevitably be when the exis- tence of the crews depended solely on their personal efforts, and formed their chief or only object in their march toward quarters where relief miglit be looked for. This remark has reference to tlie supposition that on the failure of the stock of provisions in the ships, the crews would, in sej^arate parties under their officers, seek for succor in several directions. With an empty stomach, the power of resisting exter- nal cold is greatly impaired ; but when the process of digesting is going on vigorously, even with compara- tively scanty clothing, the heat of tlie body is preserved. There is in the winter time, in high latitudes, a craving for iat or oleaginous food, and for such occasions the flesh of seals, walruses, or bears, forms a useful article of diet. Captain Cook says tliat the walrus is a sweet and wholesome article of food. Whales and seals would also furnish light and fuel. The necessity for increased food in very cold weather, is not so great when the people do not work. Mr. Gilpin, in his na^ -ative in the Nautical Maga- zine for March, 1850, ' s thus : — "About the 20th of dune a small water bird, called the doveky, had become so numerous, and so many were daily shot by those who troubled themselves to go after them, that shooting parties from each ship, con- sisting of an officer and marine, were established at Whaler Point, where they remained the whole week, returning on board on Saturday night. In a week or •* •f«^ 1 I a -^ o w 53 :f abundanc;e of animal food met with. 277 80 after this the coon, a much heavier bird, became more plentiful than the little doveky, and from this time to the middle of Aiiffust, so successful and untir- ing were our sportsmen, that the crew received each a bird per man a day. " The account kept on board the Investigator showed the number of birds killed to have amounted to about 4000, and yielding near 25001b8. of meat. But more than this was obtained, as many were shot by individ- uals for amusement, and not always noted." Mr. Goodsir, surgeon, when in the Advice whaler, on her voyage up Lancaster Sound, in the summer of 1849, speaking of landing on one of the Wollaston Islands, on the west side of Isavy Board Inlet, says he disturbed about half a dozen pairs of the eider-duck {Somateria moUissima.) Their eggs he found to be within a few hours of maturity. There were, besides, numerous nests, the occupants of which had probably winged their way southward. Two brent geese, {Anser hernicla^ and a single pair of arctic terns, {Sterna arctica,) were most vociferous and courageous in defense of their downy oifspring wherever he approached. These were the only birds he saw, with the exception of a solitary ra- ven, {Corvus corax,) not very high overhead, whose sharp and yet musically bell-like croak came startling upon the ear. ** Mr. Snow, in his account of the voyage of the Prince Albert, p. 162, says, (speaking of Melville Bay, at the northern head of Baffin's Bay,) " Innumerable quanti- ties of birds, especially the little auk, {Alca alle,) and the doveky, {Colymhus grylle^ were now seen, (Au- gust 6th,) in every direction. They were to be ob- served in thousands, on the wing and in the water, and often on pieces of ice, where they were clustered together so thick that scores might have been shot at a time by two or three fowling pieces." In passing up Lancaster Sound a fortnight later sev- eral shoal of eider-ducks and large quantities of other birds were also seen. 278 PliOGKESS OF AKCTIC DISCOVKRY. A BALLAD OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. " The li-e was h«'re, the Ico wns there. The ieu was uU around." — Colkiiidor. Whithkr Hail you, Sir John Franklin ? Cricnl a Avhalcr in Haffin's Hay ; To know if between the land and the Polo, I may find a broad sea-way. I charge you back. Sir John Franklin, As you would live and thrive, For between the land and the frozen Pole No man may siiil alive. But liffhtly laupfhed the stout Sir John, And spoke tuito his men : — Half Enjflatid is wroricr, if he is right ; Bear off to westward then. 0, whither sail you, brave Englishman ? Cried tlie little Esquimaux. Between your land and the polar star My gottdly vessels go. Come down, if you would journey there. The little Indian said ; And change your doth for fur clothing, Your vessel for a sled. > • But lightly laughed the stout Sir John, And the crew laughed Avith him too ; A sailor to change from ship to sled, I ween, were something new I \ All through the long, long ])olar day. The vessels westward sped ; And wherever the sail of Sir John was blown. The ice gave way and Hed. • - Gave way with many a hollow groan. And with many a surly roar ; But it murnuired and threatened on every side. And closed where he sailed before. Ho ! see ye not, my meiTv men, Tlio broad and open sea ? Bethink ye wlnt the whaler said, Bethink ye of tlic little Indian's sled I The crew laughed out in glee. Sir John, Sir John, 'tis bitter cold. The scud drives on the breeze. The ice comes looming from the north. The veiy sunbeams freeze. ,:. , Bright summer goes, dark winter comes — We cannot rule the year ; But long ere summer's suti goes down, On yonder sea we '11 steer. A BALLAD OF SI14 JOHN FKANKLIN. The dripping icebergs dipped and rose. And tilonnaered down tlio giile ; The shins were staid, the yards were manned, And furled the useless sail. The summer 's gone, the winter's coino. We aail not on yonder sea ; Why sail we not, Sir John Franklin ? — A silent man was he. The winter goes, the summer comes, We cannot rule the year ; I ween, we cannot rule the ways, Sir John, wherein we 'd steer. The cruel ice came flojiting on, And closed beneath the lee, Till the thickening waters dashed no more, 'T was ice around, behind, before — My God 1 there is no sea I What think you of the whaler now ! What of the Esquimaux ? A sled were better than a ship. To cruise through ice and snow. Down sank the baleful crimson sun ; The northern-light came out, And glai'cd upon tlie ice-bound ships. And s^^ook its speais about. The snow came down, storm breeding stonn, And on the decks w.is laid ; Till the weary sailor, sick at heart. Sank down beside his spade. Sir John, the night is black and long, . The hissing wind is bleak ; The hard, green ice is strong as death : — I prithee, captain, speak. The night is neither bright nor short, The singing breeze is cold. The ice is not so strong as hope, The heart of man is bold I What hope can scale this icy wall, High o'er the main flag-staff? Above the ridges the wolf and bear Look down with a patient, settled stare — • Look down on us and laugh. The summer went, the winter came- We could not rule the year ; But summer will melt the ice again. And open a path to the sunny main. Whereon our ships shall steer. 279 -^ ■ ■ • — — — ■ — " — — ' 280 PROGRESS OF ARCHO DISCOVERY. » ■ The winter went, the summer went, • The winter came nrountl ; . But the hard, jjrccn ice was stronjf m death, > . . , , ■ And the voice of hoj)o sank to a breath, ■«• ' Yet caught at every gound. Hark 1 heard you not the sound of guns T , And there, and there again ? *T is some uneasy iceberg's roar, As he turns in the frozen main. 1 Hurra ! hurra t the Enquimaux Across the ice-fields steal : ^ . God give them grace for their charity I ff r Ye pray for the silly seal • Sir John, where are the English fiolda^ And where the English trees, And where are the littlo English flowers. i 1 That open in the breeze ? Be still, be still, my brave sailors I " You shall see the fiolds again, And smell the scent of the opening flowerei The grass, and the waving grain. Oh ! when shall I see my orphan child ? My Mary waits for me ; 1 Oh I when shall I see my old mother. And pray at her trembling knee ? , : Be still, be still, my brave sailora I i Think not such thoughts again I " But a tear froze slowly on his cheek — He thought of Lady Jane. Ah I bitter, bitter grows the cold, The ice grows more and more ; i ! More settled stare the wolf and bear, More patient than before. *i , ■ ■ ' Oh 1 think you, good Sir John Franklin, We '11 ever see the land ? 'T was cruel to send us here to stai-ve, Without a helping hand. *T was cruel, Sir John, to send us here, So far from help or home ; To starve and freeze on this lonely sea ; I ween, the Lords of the Admiralty Had rather send than come. Oh ! whether we starve to death alone. Or sail to our own country, We have done what man has never done — The open ocean danced in the sun — We {passed the Northern Sea I TIIE 8EAKC1IIN0 EXPEDITIONS. 281 Toe Government and Private SEARcmjro Expeditions AFTER Sir John Franklin. The following is a complete list of the several relief and exploring vessels which have been sent out during the last two years by the British government, by private individuals, and by the Amoricau nation : — Sljipfl. Mon. 1. II. M. S. Enterprise - - 68 2. H. M. S. Investigator - - G5 3. H. M. S. Plover - - - 62 4. H. M. S. Resolute - - - 68 6. II. M. S. Assistance - - 60 6. II. M. S. Intrepid, (screw steamer,) Y. H. M. S. Intrepid, (screw steamer,) 38 8. The Lady Franklin - - 25 9. The Sophia, (a tender to the above,) 10. United States brig Ad- vance 11. United States vessel Res- cue 18 Commanders. Capt. Collinson. Com. M'Clure. Com. Moore. Capt. II. Austin. Capt. E. Ommaney. 30 Lieut. S. Osboni. Lieut. Cator. Mr. Penny. 22 Mr. Stewart. 20 Lieut. De Haven. Mr. S. P. Griffin. Capt. Sir John Ross. 12. Felix yacht 13. Mary, (tender to the Felix.) 14. The North Stai*, Master and Commander Saunders. 15. The Prince Albert - - 18 Com. Forsyth. Of these vessels the Enterprise, Investigator, and Plover, are at present engagecf on the western branch of search through Behring's Straits. The rest have all proceeded through Baffin's Bay to Lancaster Sound, and the channels branching out from thence, except the last two, which have returned home. Voyage op the "Enterprise" and "Investigator" under Captaiji Sir James C. Ross, 1848-49. In the spring of 1848, Captain Sir James C. Ross was placed in command of a well found and fitted ex- pedition, with means and advantages of unusual extent, 282 PROOttE89 OP ARCTTO DI8C0VKRT. and with an object that could not fail to stimulate in the hijifhest degree the energies and perseverance of all embarked in it. "With the ever present feeling, too, that the lives of their countrymen and brother sailors de- pended, (under God's good providence,) upon tlieir unllinching exertions. Captain lloss and his followers went fortii in the coniident hope that their eftbrts might be crowned with success. The season was considerably advanced before the whole of the arrangements were completed, for it was not until the 12th oi June, 1848, that Captain Ross letlb England, having under his charge the Enterprise and Investigator, with the following officers and crews : — Enterprise^ 540 tons. Captain — Sir James C. Ross. Lieutenants — R. J. L. M'Clr^e, F. L. McClintock, and W. TI. J. Browme. , Master — W. S. Couldery, (acting^ Surgeon — "VV. Robertson, {h) M. D. Assistant-Surgeon — II. Matthias. Clerk — Edward Whitil lead. , Total complement, 68. Investigator, 480 tons. Captain — E. J. Bird. • Lieutenants— M. G. II. W. Ross, Frederick Robinson and J. J. Barnard. ^ Master — W. Tatliam. Surgeon — Robert Anderson. Mates — L. J. Moore and S. G. Cresswell. Second Master — John H. Allard. Assistant-Surgeon — E.Adams. Clerk in Charge — James D. Gilpin. Total complement, 67. The ships reached the Danish settlement of IJpper- navick, situated on one of the group of Woman's Islands on the western shore of Ratlin's Bay, on the 6th of July. Running through this intricate archipelago, they VOYAOK OF ENTEllPKISK AND INVK8TI1IATOR. 283 were made fast, en the 2utli, to an iceberg aground off Capo Sliackleton. Tlio bliips wcro tovvud, during tho nt'Xt tew days, tlirougli loose streams of ice, and on the morning of the 20th were off thetlirce ishmds of JJatHn in latitude 74° N. Calms and light winds so greatly impeded any movement in the pack, that day after day passed away until the season had so far advanced as to preclude every hope of accomplishing much, if any thing, l)eforo the setting in of winter. No exertions, however, were spared to take advantage of every opportunity of pushing forward, until, on the 20th of August, during a heavy breeze from the north- east, tiie ships under all sail bored through a pack of ice of but moderate thickness, but having among it heavy masses, through which it was necessary to drive them at all hazards. The shocks the ships sustained during this severe trial were great, but fortunately W'ithout serious damage to them. Getting into clear water in lat. 75 h N., and long. 68° "W., on the 23d the ships stood in to Pond's Bay, but no traces of Esquimaux or other human beings were discovered, although signals v/ero made and guns fired at repeated intervals. The ships were kept close to the land, and a rigid examination made of the coast to the northward, so that neither people nor boats could have passed without being seen. On the 2Gth the ships arrived oft' Possession 13ay, and a party was sent on shore to search for any traces of the expedition having touched at this general point of rendezvous. Nothing was found but the paper left there recording the visit of Sir Edward Parry, on the very day (August 30th) in 1819. From this point the examination of the coast was continued with equal care. On the 1st of September they arrived off Cape York, and a boat's crew was sent on shore, to fix a conspicuous mark, and leave information for the guidance of any future party that might touch here. I shall now take up the narrative in Sir James Ross's own words — " We stood over toward northeast cape until we came in with the edge of a pack, too dense for Us to penetrate, lying between us and Leopold Island, '" ■nil m m 284 PKOGKIiSS OF AUCTIC DISCOVERY. about fourteen miles broad ; we therefore coasted the north shore of Burrow's Strait, to seek a harbor further to the westward, and to examine the numerous inlets of that shore. Maxwell Bay, and several smaller indenta- tions, were thoroughly explored, and, although we got near the entrance of Wellington Channel, the firm bar- rier of ice whicli stretched across it, and which had not brc»ken away this season, convinced us all was im[)rac- ticable in that direction. We now stood to tiie soutli- west to seek for a harbor near Cape Kennell, but found a heavy body of ice extending from the west of Corn- wallis Island in a compact mass to Leopold Island. Coasting along the pack during stormy ajid foggy weather, we had difficulty in keeping the ships free during the nights, for I believe so great a quantity of ice was never before seen in Barrow's Strait at this period of the season." Fortunately, after some days of anxious and arduous work, the ships were got through the pack, and secured in the harbor of Port Leopold on the 11th of September. No situation could be better adapted for the purpose than this locality ; being at the junction of tlie four great channels of Barrow's Strait, Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet, and Wellington Channel, it was hardly possible for any party, after abandoning their ships, to pass along the shores of any of those inlets, without finding indications of the proximity of these ships. The night following the very day of the ships' getting in, the main pack closed with the land, and completely sealed the mouth of the harbor. The long winter was passed in exploring and surveying journeys along the coasts in all directions. During the winter as many as fifty white foxes were taken alive, in traps made of empty casks set for the purpose. As it was well known how large a tract of country these animals traverse in search of food, copper collars, (upon which a notice of the position of the ships and depots of provisions was engraved,) were clinched round their necks, and they were then set free, in the hope that some of these four- VOYAGE OF ENTERPRISE AND mVESriQATOR. 285 i^ .11:!, 1 footed messengers might be the means of conveying the intelligence to the Erebus and Terror, as the crews of those vessels woidd naturally be eager for their capture. The months of April and May were occupied by Capt. Ross, Lieut. McOlintock, and a party of twelve men, in examining and thoroughly exploring all the inlets and smaller indentations of the northern and western coasts of Eoothia peninsula, in which any shijis might have found shelter. From the high land in the neighborhood of Cape Bunny, Capt. Itoss obtained a very extensive view, and observed that the whole space between it and Cape Walker to the west, and Wellington Strait to the north, was occupied by very heavy hummocky ice. " The examination of the coast," Sir James Ross tells us, " was pursued until the 5th of June, when, having consumed more than half our provisions, and the strength of the party being much reduced, I was reluctantly compelled to abandon further operations, as it was, moreover, necessary to give the men a day of rest. But that the time might not wholly be lost, I proceeded with two hands to the extreme south poin'j in sight from our encampment, distant about eight or nine miles." This extreme point is situate in lat. 72° 38' !N"., and long. 95° 40' W., and is the west face of a small high peninsula. The state of the atmosphere bein^ at tno ti]ne peculiarly favorable for distinctness of vision, land of any great elevation might have been seen at the dis- tance of 100 miles. The highest cape of the coast was not mor6 tlmn fifty miles distant, bearing nearly duo south. A very narrow istlimus was found to separate Prince Regent Inlet from the western sea at Cresswell and Brentford Bays. The icoJn this quarter proved to be eight feet tliick. A large cairn of stones was erected, and on the Cth of June, the return journey was com- menced. After encountering a variety of difficulties they reached tlie ships on the 23d, so completely worn out by fatigue, that every man was, from some cause or otlier, in the doctor's hands for two or \\u\'(\ weeks. Duriiio; their absence, Mr. ]\ratthias, the p.^si-t.wil-suriZ'tHni mi I --(1 i 28G rKO(JI{KS8 OK AUtniO DIWCOVKKY. » of the Enterprise, lijul died of consumption. Scvenil of the crews of hotli siiins wi're in !i dedin'n^ state, and tho iijeueral report of lieulth wus by no ineuns ciieering. While Ca}>tjiin Uoss was away, Coniniamler IJinl liad dispatched otiier surveying parties in different di- rections. One, under t lie c>>inniand of IjitMittMiant llar- nard, to the northern siiore of Harrow's Strait, crossin*/ the ico to Cai)o Hind; a second, commanded by Lieu- tenant l^rowne, to the eastern shore of liej^ent Inlet; and a third ])arty of six men, conducted by Lieutenant Kobinson, along the western shore of the Inlet. The latter otHcer extended his examination of the coast as far as Cresswell Bay, several miles to the southward of Fury Beach. He found the house still standinii; in ■n'hicii Sir John lu)ss ])assed the winters of lS.'{2-;};», together with a quantity of the stores and provisions of the Fury, lost there in 1S27. On opening some of the paclaiges containing Hour, sugar and ])eas, they were all found to be in excellent i)rescrvation, and the preserved soup as good as when manufactured. The labors of these searching i)arties were, however, of comparatively short duration, as they all sufVered from snow-blindness, sprained aidcles, ami debility. As it was now but too evident, from no traces of the absent expedition having been met w^ith by any of these parties, that the shii)s could uot have been de- tained anywhere in this ])art of the arctic regions, Caj)tain Tioss considered it most desirable to ])ush for- ward to the westward as soon as his ships should be lib- erated. His chief hopes now centered in the efforts of Sir John Kichardson's party ; but he felt ])ersuaded that S;.' John Franklin's ships must have ])enetrated so far beyond Melville Island as to induce him to prefer making for the continent of America rather than seek- ing assistance from the whale shij)S in BafHn's l);vy. The crew^s, weakened by incessant exertion, were now in a very unfit state to undertake the heavy labor which they had yet to aocom])lish, but all hands that were able were set to work with s:iws to cut a cliajniel toMMrd tlie point of the iiar))oi', a distance of rather VOYAGK OF KNTKIilMilHK AND INVKBTKJAToU. 287 Tl. more than two in lies, und on tlio 2Sth of An|L!:n8t tjio sliips ^ot clojir. lUifoiHi (|nitiini!; tlio port, u lionso Wiis built ui'tlio Hpjii'o 8|)urH ot' both ishipH, iind coviuvd witli such of tho h(>using cJotlis us couUI be (lispcnsiid witli. Twolvo months' nrovinlonH, fuel, sind otlicr nocessiiries were ulso left beliind, toii;etlier with the steiini hiunch belonjjjiiiij to tiie Investiijjiitor, wiueli, Iniviuijj been pur- ])osely lenjjjthened seven feet, iu>w formed u tine; vesst'l, cai>5ibie of conveyinj^ tlie wlu>hi of Sir Jolin Frsmklin'a piirty to the whsile wiiipH, if neccKsiiry. Tlie Investiijjator and Enterprise now procoeibMl toward tlic nortliern shore of Harrow's Strait, f(U' the purpose of exaniinini^ Wellini^ton (/hannel, and, if ]m>8- sible, ])enetratinj^ us far as Melville Island, bjit when about twelve miles from the shore, the ships came to the fixed land-ice, and found it im[)ossible to procee<]. On the 1st (►f Sejiteniber a strong wind suddenly arisinu^, brought the loose jiack, throuujh whi<;h they had been struj^''^ i' (i!. 1 2S8 PliOOJiESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVElir. cemented the whole so firmly toj[^ether that it appeared liio;ldy improbable that it could break up again this season. In the space which liad been cleared away for unshipping the rudder, the newly-formed ice was iJKteen inclies thick, and in some places along the shi}>'s side the thirteen-feet screws were too sliort to work. A7e had now fully made up our minds that the ships were fixed for the winter, and dismal as the prospect appeared, it was far ])referable to being carried ahmg the west coast of Bailiu's Bay, wliere the grounded bergs are in such numbers upon the shallow banks off that shore, as to render it next to impossible for ships involved in a pack to escapo destruction. It was, therefore, with a mixture of hope and anxiety that, on the wind shifting to the westward, we perceived the whole body of ice begin to driv^e to the eastward, at the rate of eight to ten miles daily. Every effort on our part was totally unavailing, for no human power could have moved either of the ships a single inch ; they were thus completely taken out of our own hands, and in the center of a field of ice more than fifty miles in circum- ference, were carried along the southern shore of Lancaster Sound. " After passing its entrance, the ice drifted in a more southerly direction , along the western shore of Baffin's Bay, until we wei e abreast of Pond's Bay, to the south- ward of which we observed a great number of icebergs stretching across our path, and presenting the fearful prospect of our worst anticipations. But when least expected by us, our release was almost miraculously brought about. The great field of ice was rent into innumerable fragments, as if by some imseen ])ower." By energetic exertion, warping, and sailing, the ships got clear of the pack, and reached an open space of water on the 25th of September. " It is impossible," says Captain Ross, in his con eluding observations, "to convey any idea of the sen sation we experienced when we found ourselves once more at libei'l3% while many a grateful heart poured forth its ]^rais:.es and thanksgivings to Almighty God f )r this uiilooked i'or deliverance." VOyAaE OV ENTraiPKISE nd invkstigatok. 289 was "The advance of winter had now closed all the har- bors against ns ; and as it was impossible to penetrate to the westward through the })ack from wliich we had just been liberated, I made the signal to ti»e Investi- gator of my intention to return to England." After a favora1)le passage, the ships arrived homo early in November, Captain Sir J. C. lloss reporting himself at tiie Admiralty on the 5th ol November. As this is the last, arctic voyage of Sir James C Iloss, it is a fitting place for some record of his arduous services. Captain Sir James Clarke Ross entered the navy in 1812, and served as volunteer of the first class, mid- shipman and mate until 1817, with his uncle Com- mander Ross. In 1818 he was appointed Admiralty midshipman in the Isabella, on Commander Ross's first voyage of discovery to the arctic seas. He was tlion midsiiipman in the two following yeai-s with Captain Parry, in the Ilecla ; followed him again in the Fury in his second vovage, and was promoted on the 2f)tii of December, 1822^. In 1821: and 1825, he was lieu- tenant in the Fury, under Captain IIop])ner, on I'arry's third voyago. In 1827, he was api)ointed first lieuten- ant of the Ilecla, imder Parry, and accompanied him in connnand of tiie second boat in his attemj)t to reach the North Pole. On his return he received liis promo- tion to the rank of connnander, the 8tli of November, 1827. From 1829 to 1833, he was employed with his uncle as second in command in the Victory on the pri- vate expedition sent out by Mr. Felix Booth. During this period he planted, on the 1st of June, 1831, the ]?)"itish flag on the North Magnetic Pole. For this, on his return, he was presented by the Herald's College with an addition to his family arms of an especial crest, representing a llag-staft' erect on a rock, witli the union jack hoisted thereon, inscribed with the date, " 1 June, 1831." On the 23d of October, 1834, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and in the following year em- ployed in nuiking nuigiietic observations, jireparatory to the ueneral ma<»;netie survev of England. In the iliiS. '1 W:* 290 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC PISCOVKUY. close of 18u(), it having been rcprescntod to tlio Ad- mimlty, from Hull, that eleven wlude nliips, having oil board (JOG men, were left in the ice in Davis' Strait, and in imminent danger of perishing, unless reliet were forwarded to them, the Lords Commissioners resolved upon sending out a ship to search for them. Ca[)tain Ross, with tiiat promptitude and hunuinity whicli has always characterized him, volunteered to go out in the depth of winter, and the Lieutenants, F. II. M. Cr<.»zier, Inman, and Ommaney, with the three mates, Jesse, Buchan, and John Smith, and Mr. Ilallett, clerk in charge, joined him. Tiiey sailed from England on the 21st of December, and on arriving in Davis' Strait, after a stormy passage, found that nine of the missing shij)S were by that time in England, tliat tlie tenth was re- leased on her passage, and that tlie other was in all probability lost, as some of her water-casks had been picked up at sea. From 1837 to 1838, Captain Iloss was employed in determining the variation of the com- pass on all parts of the coast of Great Britain ; and from 1839 to 1843, as Captain of the Erebus, in com- mand of the antarctic expedition. Li 1841, he was presented with the founder's medal of the lioyal Geo- graphical Society of London, for his discoveries toward the South Pole ; and he has also received the gold medal of the Geographical Society of Paris. On the 13th of March, 1844, he received the honor of knight- hood from the Queen, and in June of the same year the University of Oxford bestowed on him their honor- ary degree of D. C. L. In 1848, he went out, as we have just seen, in the Enterprise, in Command of out; of the searching expeditions sent to seek for Franklin. YoTAGE OF H. M. S. " North Star." The ^North Star, of 500 tons, was fitted out in the spring of 1849, under the command of Mr. J. Samulers, who iiad been acting master with Captain Back, in tlio Terror, in her perilous voyage to the Frozen Strait, in 1830. VOYAGK OF THE NOUTII STAB. 291 The Iblluu'ing are the olHcers of the ships : — Muster CoinniiiiKling — J. Saunders. Seeoiid Masters — Juhn Way, M. Norman, IT. B. (jrawler. Acting Ice-masters — J. Leach, and G. Sabestor. Assistant Surgeon — James Hue, M. D. Clerlv in Ciiarge — Jas])er Eutter. Tlie Nortli Star sailed from the river Thames, on tlso 26th of May, 1849, freiglited with provisions for the missing expedition, and with orders and su])plies for the Enterprise and Investigator. Tile following is one of the early dispatches from the commander : — - " To the Secvfitary of the Admiralty. ^'11. M. S. North Star, Jnh/ 19, 1849, ^ lat. 74° 3' A^., loiKj. 59^ 40' W. '"Sir, — I addressed a letter to their Lordships on the 18th ult, when in lat. 73° 30' K., and long. 50° 53' W., detailing the particulars of my proceedings up to that date, which letter w'as sent by a boat from the Lady Jane, whaler, which vessel was wrecked, and those boats were proceeding to the Danish settlements. Since then, I regret to state, oui* progress has been almost entirely stopped, owing to the ice being so placed across Mel- ville Bay as to render it perfectly impassable. " On the 0th inst., finding it impossible to make any progress, I deemed it advisable to run as far S. as 72°, examining the pack as we went along. At 72° 22' the pack appeared slacker, and w^e entered it, and, after proceeding about tw'elve miles, found ourselves com- pletely stopped by large floes of ice. AVe accordingly put back, and steered again for the northward. " Having this day reached the latitude of 74° 3' IST., and long. 59° 40' AV., the ice appeared more open, and we stood in toward the land, wdien we observed two boats approaching, and which afterward, on coming alongside, were found to belong to the Prince of "Wales, whaler, wliich vessel was nipped by the ice on the 12th inst, in Melville Bay. \m 'n 292 PltoaUKSS OF AKCTIO DISCOVliKY. i i " By tho captain of the Princo of "Wales I forwM-d tliis letter to tlieir Lordships, ho intending to proceed in his boats to tlie Danish settlements. " 1 have the honor to l)e, &c. " J. Saundeks, Master and Commander. " P. S. — Crew all well on board." On tlie 2J)th of July, havinn^ reached the vicinity of the Devil's Thumb and Melville T3ay, in the northerly part of Baffin's Bay, she was beset in an ice-field, with wliich slie drifted helplessly about as the tide or wind impelled her, until the 16th of August, when, a sliglit opening in the ice appearing, an ettbrt was made to heave tJirougli into clear water. This proved labor in vain, and no further move was made until the 2l8t of September, except as she drifted in the ice floe in whicli she was fixed. On the day last named she was driving before a hard gale from the S.,8. W., directly down upon an enormous iceberg in Melville Sound, upon which if she had struck in the then prevailing weather, her total destruction would have been inevitable. Providen- tially a corner of the ice-field in which she was being carried furiously along came into violent collision with the berg, a large section was carried away, and slio escaped. On the 29th of September, 1849, having been sixty-two days in the ice, she took up her winter quar- ters in North Star Bay, so called after herself, a small bay in Wolstenholme Sound, lying in 76° 33' north lat- itude, and 68° 56' west longitude ; the farthest point to the north at which a British ship ever wintered. The ship was fixed about half a mile from the shore, and made snug for the winter, sails were unbent, the masts struck, and the ship housed over and made as warm and comfortable as circumstances would permit. The ice soon after took across the Sound, so that the crew could have walked on shore. The cold was intense ; but two or three stoves warmed the ship, and ^he crews were cheered up and encouraged with all sorts of games and amusements, occasionally visiting the shore for the purpose of skylarking. There was, unfortunately, but little game to shoot. Former accounts giive this place ^B VOYA(iK OK TIIK NvUM'II STAU. 293 a liigli character for deer and otlier animals ; Imt tlio crew ot'tlie Is^orth Star never saw a sini:;le head of deer, and other animals were scarce ; al)out fifty liares were killed. Foxert were numerous, and a number shut, but nunc taken alive. A few Es(|uimaux familiis occasion- ally visited the ship, and one poor num was brouii;ht on board with his feet so frozen that they dropped. He Mas placed under the care of the assistant-sinwtni, Dr. Kae, who paid him much attention, and his le<;s wero nearly cured ; but he died from a pulmonary disorder after havinij been on board some six weeks. The North Star was not able to leave this retreat until the 1st of August, 1850, and got into clear water on the third of that month. On the 21st of August, she spoke the Lady Franklin, Captain Penny, and her consort tho Sophia, and the following day the Felix, Sir John lloss, in Lancaster Sound. Captain Penny r(']x)rted that he had left Captain Austin all well on the 17th of August. On the 23d of August, the North Star began landing the provisions she had carried out in Navy Board Li- let; 73° 44' N. latitude, 80°' 5G' W. longitude. She remained five days there, and was occupied four and > half in landing the stores, which were deposited in a ravine a short distance from the beach of Sup[)ly Bay, the bight in Navy Board Inlet, which the commander of the North Star so named. The position of the stores was indicated by a flag-staif, with a black ball, ami a letter placed beneath a cairn of stones. They had pre- viously tried to deposit the stores at Port Bowen, and Port Neale, but were prevented approacliing them by the ice. On the 30th of August, tlie North Star saw and spoke the schooner Prince Albert, Commander Forsyth, in Possession Bay. On the 31st, a boat was sent to the Prince Albert, when Commander Forsyth came on board and reported that he had also been to Port Neale, but had not been able to enter for the ice, and had found one of the American ships sent out to search for Sir John Franklin ashore in Barrow's Strait, that he had tendered assistance, which had been de- clined by the American commander, as, his ship being 13* ml 204 iM{()(ii:!;ss OK Aiuriic discjovkkv. ! ! i "luiiiijiircd, lie believed lils own crew competent to pjet her olK Cuniiuunder Forsyth rejmrted that Ciiptsiin Austin hud proceeded to Pond's JJiiy in the Intrei)id, tender to the Assistance, to hind letters. The Korth ytar went on to Tond's liay, but could not find any in- dication of Caittuin Austin's havin<^ been there. It is co!ijectured that he had i)asscd the appointed 8])ot in a fog. The North Star's people suifered much from the intense cold, but only lost live hands durinp^ her peril- ous trip and arctic winter quarters. She left there on September 0th, and reached Si)lthead on the 28th of September, lSr»0. Since liis return Mr. Saunders has been a}>})(»inted Master AtteAdant of the Dock-yard at !Malta. The Admiralty have received dis])atches from Captain Sir J. Itoss, Captain Penny, and Cai)tain ()m- maney. Cajjtain Omnuiney, in the Assistance, datinjjj from off Lancaster Sound, latitude 7;")" 4(5' N., lon<^i- tucle 75° 40' AV., states tiuit some Esquimaux had de- scribed to him a shij) being hauled in during the last winter, and, on going to the spot, he found, from some papers left, that it M'as the North Star, llo was pro- ceeding to search in Lancaster Sound. Captain Penny, of the J^ady Franklin, writing from Lancaster Sound, August 21, states, that having heard cm the 18th from Ca[)tain Austin of a re]iort fi'om the Esquimaux, that Sir John Franklin's ships had been lost forty miles north, and the crews murdered, he went with an inter- preter, but could find no evidence for the rumor, and came to the conclusion that the whole story had been founded on the North Star's wintering there, lie con- sidered that his interpreter, M. Petersen, had done much food by exposing tlio fallacy of the story of Sir J loss's Esquimaux. IIer Majesty's Snirs "Enterprise" and "Investiga tor" under Captain Collinson. The Enterprise and Investigator were fitted out agair immediately on their return home, and placed nndei the charge of Captain B. Collinson, C. B., with the fol I I a 2 2 SI i. ■i 1. , I" HIiroNH \'\IH' OK KNIKUI'UIHK ANf) IN VKMI'IUA Inlf. 'JD^ 1. sviii<; (»lli«'i i'l>i'!.s(\',\\{) tona. Cuptiiiii — \l. (■oIliiiHon. J.iouli'iuuitH — ((.A. i'huvru,^ J. J. lianiunl ,* tiiul (). T. ,Iup.. MuHtcr K. T. (;. \a^^u^. Ht'ctnid MiiHtiT -l''ruiK'iHSla)ml. ]\IuU> -M. T. I'uikM. ISurnjcim — • Ivdlu'i't Aiidi^rKoii.'* AHHiHt)iiil,-Sur«j;t'oii — I'ldwjird AduiiiH.* Clork in Clmr';ii — I'M ward VVhitA-luiud.* ruttil cumpUMiiciit, 0(1. Oomnuindcr — Tl. .1. l\I'(!liir('.* J.iiaitciiiiid.s — W. II. Ilusvvi'il mid S. 0. (1n^fr — Sd'plu'ii ('uiirl.'^' 8urur])ose(l sailing in a ihw ver, on the lOth of July, at Chamisso Island, where the Plover had passed the ])re- {.•eding winter. The two ships proceeded to the nortli- ward until they sighted the pack-ice, when the Herald returned to Cape Lisburne, in quest of Captain Coliin- Bon's expedition, and on the 31st fell in with her Maj- esty's ship Investigator, which had made a surprisingly short passage of twenty-six days from the Sandwich Islands. The Herald remained cruising oft' Cape Lis- burne, and again fell in with the Plover on the 13th of August, on her return from Point Barrow, Commander Moore having coasted in his boats, and minutely exam- ined the several inlets as far as that point from Icy Cape without gaining any intelligence of the missing expedi- tion. Conmiander Moore and his boat's crew had suf- fered severely from exposure to cold. Captain Kellet, havini>: fnllv victualed the Plover, ordered Jier to M'inter in Grantley Harbor (her former anchorage at Chamisso Island not being considered safe,) and tl eii returned to the southward on his wav to Eno-lanc' Disijatches have also been received from Captain Col- linson, C. B., of her Majesty's ship Enterprise, and Commander M'Clure, of her Majesty's ship Investigator of which the following are copies : — !r m " Her Majestifs Ship ' Enterprise^ ^'•Port Clarence, Sq)t. 13,1850. "Sir, — I have the honor to transmit an account of the proceedings of her Majesty's ship under my com- mand since leaving Oahu on the 30th of June. "Being delayed by light winds, we only reached the western end of the Aleutian Chain by the 29th of July, and made the Island of St. Lawrence on the 11th of August, from whence I sha]ied a course for Cape Lis- burne, in anticipation of falling in with the Herald or ^M^ 208 PKOGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. tlic Plover. Not, however, seeing either of these ves- Buls, and finding nothing deposited on sliore, I went on to "Wiiinwright Inlet, the last rendezvous appointed. Here we communicated on the 15th, and being alike unsuccessful in obtaining any information, I stood to the north, made the ice following morning, and reached the latitude Y2° 40' IS", in the meridian of 150° au' W., without serious obstruction. Here, however, the pack became so close that it was impossible to make way in any direction except to the southward. Having extri- cated ourselves by noon on the 19th, we continued to coast along the edge of the main body, which took a southeasterly trend, running through the loose streams, so as not to lose sight of tight pack. At 4 a. m. on the 20th we were in the meridian of Point Barrow, and twenty-eight miles to the north of it, when we found open water to the N. E., in which we sailed, without losing sight of the ice to the north until the morning of the 21st, when we were obstructed by a heavy bar- rier trending to the southwest. A thick fog coming on, we made a board to the north, in order to feel the pack: edge in the upper part of the bight, and not to leave any part unex] ^ored. Having satisfied myself tluit no opening existed ..i this direction, we bore away to the south, running through heavy lioes closely packed, and pushing to the eastward when an opportunity oti;ered. In this, however, we were unsuccessful, being com- pelled to pursue a westerly course, the floes being very- heavy and hummocky. ijy 8 p. m. we were within thirty miles of the land, and having clear weather, could see the ice closely packed to the south that left no doubt in my mind that a stop was put to our pro- ceeding in this direction, by tlie ice butting so close on the shoal coast as to leave no chance that our progress along it would justify the attempt to reach Cape Bath- urst, a distance of 570 miles, during the remaininc: portion of this season; and finding this opinion was coincided in by those ofiicers on board qualified to form an opinion on the subject, I determined to lose no time in communicating with Point Barrow, but to SECOND TKIP OF ENTEKrRISE AND INVESTIGATOR 299 pack u no attempt the passage furtlier north, in hopes that the lane of water seen last year by tlie Herald and Plover would aft'ord me an opening to the eastward. I there- fore reluctantly proceeded again to the west, and turn- ing the pack edge tifteen miles further to the south tlian it was on the day after we left Wainwriglit Inlet, we followed the edge of a loose pack greatly broken up, until we reached 163° W. long., when it took a sudden turn to the north, in which direction we fol- lowed it until the morning of the 27th, when we were in latitude 73° 20', and found the pack to the westward trending southerly. I therefore plied to the eastward, endeavoring to make way, but such was its close con- dition that we could not work, although we might have warped through, had the condition of the ice in that direction afforded us any hope ; but this, I am sorry to say, was not the case, and, on the contrary, the further we entered, the larger the floes became, leaving us, in thick weather, often in great difficulty where to find a lane. On the 29th the thermometer having fallen to 28°, and there being no prospect of our being able to accomplish any thing toward the fulfillment of their Lordships' instructions this season, I bore away for Point Hope, where I arrived on the 31st, and found a bottle deposited by the Herald, which informed me that it was intended to place the Plover in Grantl6.y Harbor this season. I accordingly proceeded thither, with the view of taking her place for the winter, and enabling Commander Moore to recruit his ship's com- pany by going to the southward. On my arrival I found her inside, preparing her winter quarters, and having examined and buoyed the bar, I attempted^ to take this vessel inside, but failed in '' ' — '" - doing so, owin ' to the change of wind from south to north having re- duced the depth of water four feet, and had to relieve the ship of 100 tons, which was quickly done by the opportune arrival of the Herald, before she was re- leased from a very critical position. The tides being irregular, the rise and fall depending principally on the wind, and that wind whicli occasions the highest !» t 'fi m iv-t 'I'i'a :\{^o V\iOUn\>^ or AKTlir lM^(•^tV^•^JY. wutor |M'«Mliu'iiii; :i swoll on the l>nv, it Ikhmmuo a qiios- tion wliotluM* i\ oitM>iil«M!il)K' portion ol' tho tMisuino; soason uiiiilit not ho lost in ^otfinii' llio ship ont ot' (iriUiiK\v llarht'i'; antl on t'onsnHin«a; Captains KoUot and Mo»>ro, tin»iini;" it to ho thoir opinion, t'onnthMl on tlio oxpiM'ivMU'o oi two voars, that iho whahMs comini::; iVoni tht^ sontli pass tlironul\ thi' Strait t>arlv in .luiu\ whoii'as till' h.'iihoiv ai'o hlorkod nntil lhi< n\i«l«lK' ol' .Inly, I Uiwo ronio to tlio oonclu-^ion that 1 shall hvMtor port'vT.n tho iinportMnl »lnly fontitloil in tno hv rotnitj- in^- to tho sontli, ami fi>|>lonishinii- niy provisions, in sioatl i>t' wintorinji; on tho Asiatio Shofi», \\hori» tluMv> is not a prospvuM ol' onr hoinjv »*' '''^^ sli^hti'st nso to tho niissinij; oxpodilion. It is thiM"oti»ro my intontion to pnu'ood to l(»»niX IvoniX, it hoini;- noaror than N'alpa raiso, ami tho oohl soason havit\i>: sot in, my stoivs and provisions will not. ho oxposod to tho hoat of a donhlo jiassM^v' thri»nuh tho Ii-immos; ami as I shall not loavo nntil tho 1st, ot' AjM'il, 1 n\ay i\H'oivi> any I'tn'thor in- Btrnotions tholr Ii<»rdships nnty ph^aso to oommimioati>, "Tho IMovor has hoon stored and provisionod, and suoh ot* hor crow as aro not in a tit stato to oontond with tho riii'or vtt* a Tarlhor stay in thoso latit\ulos liavo hoon romovoil, .md rophu-od hy Captaii\ Ki>llot,and tho l>;uaiiraphs rol'orrinii; to hor in my iivstrnotions t'nllillod. "I. havo diroolo»l (.\Mnmander Mooro to oommnni o;\to annnallv with an Island iti St. Lawronoo Hav, in la,ii!ido (i.V'.SS' N., and Ion-it nilo ITl)^^ V.V W., which is muv'h rosortod i • hy tho whahM's, and w1um"o any oommnnioation tluMr l,ordshii)s may ho j>loasod to soiul may ho (K^positod by tluMn, as thoy aro not in tho hahit ot\'rni>ini;- on this ^id(^ ot'tlu* Strait ; and 1 havi> loqnostod Captain l\;>llot to i'oi'ward to tlu» Admiralty all tho intormation k^w r.;is head ho nuiv obtain at tho Sandwioh Islands. "It is my intonti«ni to ]>rooood ai:;aiii to tho nortli, and ronniin in tho most olir allbnlinij; assis'anoo to tho Invostiuator, which vessel, having boon I'avorod with a surprisini;; passauo iVom tho Sand- wich Islands, was I'allon in with bv tho Ilorald on tho SKCONH IKII* OK KNTKUI'KISK AND IN VKSriO.VlOK'. ',\0{ U\M of ,luly, olV Poinl llo|>i», jumI Mijiiin on Uio Mil of Aiiuust, hy llu» I'lovor, in lalihulo TO'' II' N., aiul lon- jljiliulo I.M>'' i">'J'\V., wluMi hIu^ was stiiiMJinij loljio north utnliM* a pivss of sail, ami in all pnthahilily timu'IumI tlu» vicinity oi' i'oint Harrow, lilteon dayw provions to tlu> Kntor|>riso, wIumi (^iptaiii M'('lnri>, liaviiiij: (ho wholo soason hoforo hini, and aniinaltMl with the ronto, and 1 hopi> heloro this pt»riod rt»acluM| (^apc nathnrst; hut as ho will l»i> oxposi^d to tlu> iminiiuMit risk ol' lK>in soason is so tar ad\anoo«l as to insuro tluMr havini:; takon up thoir winter (puirtors tor this soason. "I have ri'ooivod iVom my olHoors iind ship's com- pany that assistance and alacrity in the piMMormance o{' tlu'ir dnty, which tho m»hle cause in which we are enii:ai;od mnsi t>\iM«o, and 1 have the satist'action to re- port that, (mnlor tlu> l»K»ssinu; ol' (Jod) owinti; to the nutans tluMr Lordships have snppliod in t»xtra clothint«; and provisions, we are at present withont a man on tho sick list, notwithstamling tho leni>;lhened jioriod ot* our vi>yago. "I have, i^'C, KionAiti) (\>M,iN80N, Captuiu. "Tho Secretary of the Admiralty." /(;' .v., lon]iitu,l<^ 17'^ WW W.^Jidi/ 'JO. SiK, — As I havt> rociMViMl instructions l'i-om Captain (^>llinson, (\ !>., clear and niuMuharrassinu-, [\\ c(»|>y of which I im'losi>,) to proceetl to C^ape Lishuriu^ in the hope of meetiiii; him in that vicinity, as ho anticipates hoiu"*' dotainoil a dav or two hv tlu^ IMovor in Kot/.oluie iSound, it is unnocossarv to add that ov»'rv oxiM'tion shall ho madi' to roach that roniKvAous, hut can scari-o ven- ture to hope tiuit even under very favorahle eircuni- ii u % ^1 302 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. stances I shall be so fortunate as to accomplish it ere the Enterprise will have ronnded that cape, from her superior sailinn^, siie hitherto liaving beaten us by eight days to Cape Virgins, and from Magellan Strait to Oaliu six. It is, therefore, under the probable case that this vessel may form a detached part of the expedition that I feel it my duty to state, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the course which, under such a contingency, I shall endeavor to pursue, and have to request that you will lay the same before their Lordships. " 1. After passing Cape Lisburne, it is my intention to keep in tlie open water, which, from the difterent reports that I have read, appears about this season of the year to make between the Ameri'jan coast and the main pack as far to the northward as the 130th meridian, unless a favorable opening should earlier appear in the ice, which would lead me to infer that I might push more directlv for Banks' Land, which I think is of the uf-most importance to thorougiily examine. In the event of tlius far succeed in o;, aad the season continuing favor- able for further operations, it would be my anxious desire to get to the northward of Melville It^land, and resume our search along its shores and the islands adja- cent as long as the niivigation can be carried on, and then secure for tlie winter in the most eligible position which offers. " 2. In the ensuing spring, as soon as it is practicable for traveling yjarties to start, I should dispatch as many as the state of the crew M'ill admit of in different direc- tio". ,, each being provided with forty days' provisions, with directions to examine minutely all bays, inlets and islands toward the northeast, ascending occasionally some of the highest points of land, so as to be enabled to obtain extended vie\vs, being particularly cautious in their advance to obsei ' ' any up the ice, so that their return to the ship may be effected without hazard, even before tlie expenditure of their provisirms would otherwise render it necessary. " 3. Supposing the parties to have returned without SECOND TKIP OP ENTEEPKISE AND INVESTIGATOR. 303 tjbtaining any clue of the absent ships, and the vessel liberated about the 1st of August, my object would then be to push on toward Wellington Inlet, assuming that tluit channel communicates with the Polar tSea, and search both its shores, unless in doing so some indication should be met with to show that parties from any of Captain Austin's vessels had previously done so, when I should return, and endeavor to penetrate in the direc- tion of Jones' Sound, carefully examining every place that was practical)le. Should our efforts to reach tliis 23oint be successful, and in the route no traces are dis- cernible of the long missing expedition, I should not then be enabled longer to divest myself of the feelings, painful as it must be to arrive at such a conclusion, that all human aid would then be .perfectly unavailing; and therefore, under such a conviction, I would think it my duty, if possible, to return to England, or at all events endeavor to reach some port that would insure that ob- ject upon the following year. " 4. In the event of this being our last communica- tion, I would request you to assure their lordshij)s that no apprehensions whatever need be entertained of our safety until the autumn of 1854, as we have on board three years of all species of provisions, commencing from the 1st of September proximo, which, without much deprivation, may be made to extend over a period of four years ; moreovci', whatever is killed by tiie hunt- ing parties, I intend to .ssue in lieu of the usual rations, which will still further i)rotract our resources. " It gives me great pleasure to say that the good effects of the fruit and vegetables, (a large quantity of which we took on board at Oahu,) are very perceptible in the increased vigor of the men, wlio at this moment are in as excellent condition as it is possible to desire, and evince a spirit of confidence and a cheerfulness of disposition which are beyond all appreciation. " 5. Should difficulties apparently insurmountable en- compass our progress, so as to render it a matter of doubt whether the vessel could be extricated, I should deem it expedient in that case not to hazai-d the lives I i 304 PROGRESS OP ARCTIC PTSCOVERT. of those intrusted to my cli.arge after the winter of 1852, but in the ensuing R[)riiig quit the vessel witli siedgea and lK>ats, and nuike the best of our way either to Pond's 15ay, Leopold lIarl)or, the Maekenzie, or for whalers, aeeording to cireunistances. "Finally, lu tins letter I have endeavored to give an outline of what I wish to aeconiplish, (and wiiat, under moderately favorable seasons, appears to me attainable,) tlie earrying out of whieh, liowever, not resting upon liunian exertiuns, it is impossible even to surmise if any, or wiiat, portion may be suceessful. But my object in addressing you is to place their ].ordships in possession of my intentions up to the latest period, so far as possi- ble, fo relieve their minds from any unnecessary anxiety as to our fate ; and having done this, a duty whieh is incumbent from the deep sympathy expressed by their Lordships, and participated in by all classes of our countrymen, in the interesting object of this expedition, I have only to add, that with the ample resources which a beneficent government and a generous country have placed at our disposal, (not any thing that can add to our comfort being wanting,) we enter upon this distin- guished service with a firm determination to carry out, as far as in our feeble strength we are permitted, their benevolent intentions. " I have, itc, "RoBKiiT M'Clure, Commander." "jSTt'r Majefaulowski, touch- ing at Panama, where she was to be joiiied bv II. M. ' i4 ■ '' m m m $.■■(■4 m I I 808 I'KOOUKSS OK AU( lie lUSroVKUY. # i : S. IUtjiM, jumI affi'i'ward hotli vesscl.s wore to procccil to lU'liriii^jj's Stniit, wlirro tln-v wiM'o oxju'cti'd tu arrive al)out tlu' \>t of .lulv, aiiil tlnMi j»isli aloiii; tlio Anu-rl- caii coast, as tar as pussiltic, coiisistt'iit witli tlu* cci'- taiiitv of prt'Vi'iitiiiii; tlic ships Ikmiiij; lu'sct hy the ice. Till' I'lovor was tlu'ii to lu' scciirtMl tor tlio wiiitiT in Homi' sail' ami convoiiii'iit |K»rt tVom wIkmico hoat j>ar- tios nil«j;lit be (lispatcluMJ, ami tlu' lU'niM was to ivtnrii and transmit, tua I'anania, any intv!li<;('nc'o nccossary to Fini2;lan(l. (Jrcat caution was ordered t(> he ohscrved in connnnnicatiiiu: with the nativi>s in the neijjjhlMtrJHKxl of Kot/ehne ISonnd, should that ([narti'r he visited, M the ]»eo]»le in that part of the conntry dilfer in charac- ter from tlie ordinary Kscpiimnnx, in ])ein^ compara- tively a tierce, an'ile, and suspicious race, well armed with knives, tVre., for olfense, and prone to attack. They wore jdso t)rdei*ed to take int(M'preters or jj^uides fn)m a small factory of the liussian-Americun Comi)any in Norton Sound. The Plover was safelv ensconced for tlio winter of 184!)-r»0 in Kotzehne Sound, after the termination of a liard season's work. She had, conjointly with the Her- ald, discovered to the north of I'ehriiiii-'s Strait, two islands, and several appari'iitly disconnected ])atches of very eU'vated ii-numd. Lii-ut. l^ullen had ]>ri'viously quitted her ott' NVainwriii-ht Inlet, with four boats, for tJie ])nrposo of iM'osecuting his advt'nturous voyaj»'o alono- the coast to the month of the ]\[ackenzio Kiver, Avhere he arrived safelv on the 2(lth of Anijust, after a perilous navigation of thirty-two days, but had obtained no clue or intellinjence re<2;ardinpermine, with tht^ view of crossing over to Vic toria or AVollaston Land, had. owing to the unusual ditHeulties created by the moie than eustomarv riijor of the season, met with entire fail i re ; the farthest point attained being Cape Krusenstern. Lieut. Pullen is occupied during the present year in I VOi'AOr-; OK TIIK IM.OVKU, KTO. 3oa IV IT, r ;i n(>(l iiis V>rt red )\V11 iVic SUlll rot' oint ■r ill n jonrnoy tVctin tlic tinMifli (.(' tlic Afiu'kt'n/.ii! oai^funnl, iili'i u'tlu' luetic ('(ijisf, as tUr as ('a|K' J'utliurst, and ihis liciii;^ su('i;c's>riili}' uc('uiiij»lis|M'(|, lu; i)iir|iosi's attciiipt- iiiH' to croKH the iiitt'rvoiiiiir (hitt; .hine 27, I S.')0, ogives some fnrtimr de- tail^4 of their proceeflinirs. IIjiviiiay (>(»in|)any'H j)osts on tlui Peel Uiver. a branch of the JNIackenzie, where Commander J 'alien left Lieut. llooj)er and half the |)arty to winter, while ho |)roceede(l farther up the river to a more important ]>ost at Fort Simpson. After remainin'jj at J*eelV River station about a fortni<::lit, Mr. Hooper t'oimd that his party could not he maintained throu^^-hout the winter there, and in consecjuen -e determined on followin^^ Capt. Pnllen, hut was only able to reaeh FoJ-t Xoi-man, one of 1ms party beiiiiij frost-bitten on the journey. They thence made their way across to (ireat JJear Lake, where they passed the winter, subsisting on fish and water. Dr. Itae arrived there as soon as the ice bioko lip, and the ]>arty ])roceeded with him to Fort Simpson. On the 20th of June, Connnander Pullen and all his party left with the comi)any's servants, and the stock of fui's, on their way to tho sea, to embark for England, when they were met, on tho 25th, by a canoo with Ad- miralty dispatches, which caused them to retrace their steps ; and they are now on their route by the Clreat Slave Lake to Fort Sim])Son, and down the IVIackenzie once more, to the Polar Sea, in search of Sir John Franklin. "However griGvini;," Lieut. Hooper adds, "it is to be disappointed of returninj^ home, yet I am neverthe- less deliijjhted to go again, and think that we do not liopolessly undertake another search, since our intended wit ^ '■■■■11 i 310 PROGRESS OF AKCTrC DISCOVERY. diroction is corisidiTod tlie most probable channel for tiiiding tlie iiiif^sin^; slii[)8 or crews. We go down tlie ^lackcii/Je, along the coast eastward to l*oint Bathnrst, and thence strike across to AVullaston or Banks' Land. The season will, of course, much iniinenceour proceed- ings ; but we shall i)robably ret'U'n np the hitherto nnex[)lored river which rnns into the Arctic Ocean from Liverpool Bay, between the Coppermine and Mackenzie." Tile latest official dispatch from Commander Pullen is dated Great Slave Lake, June 28th. lie had been sto])ped by the ice, and intended retnrning to Fort Simpson on the 20th. One of his boats was so battered, about as to be ])erfectly nseless ; he intended patching np the other, and was also to receive a new boat be- longing to the Hudson's Bay Com])any, from Fort Simpson. He had dismissed two of his party, as they were both snft'ering from bad health, bnt proposed en- gtiging, at Fort Good Hope, two Hare Indians as hnnt- ers and gnides, one of whom had accompanied Messrs. Dease and Simpson on their trips of discovery in 1838 and 1839. This wonld augment the party to seventeen persons in all. '* My present intentions," he says, " are to proceed down the JSlackenzie, along the coast, to Cape Bathnrst, and then strike ticross for Banks' Land ; my operations must then, of course be gnided by circnmstances, but I shall strenuously endeavor to search along all coasts in that direction as far and as late as I can with safety ventnre ; retnrning, if possible, by the Mackenzie, or by the I'eghoola, which the Indians speak of as being navigable, as its head waters are, (according to Sir John Richardson,) only a nine-days' jiassage from Fort Good Hope ; to meet which, or a similar contingency, Ltako snow shoes and sledges, &:c. " In conclusion, I beg to assnre their Lordships of my earnest determination to carry ont their views to the ntmost of my ability, being confident, from the eagerness of the party, that no jiains will be spared, no necessary labor avoided, and, by God's blessing, we VOYAOE OF THE rLOVEK, ETO. 311 mcl for wii t.lio itlnirst, ' Land, roceod- lithorto Ocetiii no and Pillion id been to Fort jattered •atcliing )oat be- >m Fort as they oscd en- as hiint- MessrtJ. in 1838 venteen proceed atlmrst, orations , l)nt I oasts in 1 sat'etv ■nzie, or IS being V\r John rt Good , Ltako injDS of liews to lorn the ircd, no Ing, we hope to be successful in discovering some tidings of our gallant countrymen, or even in restoring them to their native land aiul anxious relatives." Mr. Cliief Factor Kae was about to follow Coni- niandcfr FuUen and his party from Portage La Loche. Dr. Richardson observes that " Commander Pullen will require to be fully victualed for at least 120 days from the 20th of July, when he may be expected to connnence his sea voyage ; which, for sixteen men, will re(]uire forty -live bags of pemmican of 90 lbs. each. This is exclusive of a further supply wliich ho ought to take for the relief of any of Franklin's people he may have tlie good fortune to find. After he leaves the main-land at Cape Bathurst, he would have no chance of killino* deer till he makes Banks' Land, or some in- tervening island ; and he must provide for the chance of being caught on the floe ice, and having to nuike his way across by the very tedious jjortages, as fnlly de- scribed by Sir AV. E. Parry in the narative of his most adventurous boat voyage north of S])itzbergen. " Mr. Eae can give Connnander Pullen the fullest informiition respecting the depots of pemmican made on the coast. " With respect to Commander Pullen's return from sea, his safest plan will be to make for the Mackenzie ; but sliouhl circumstances place that out of his power, the only other course that seems to me to be practicable is for him to ascend a large river which falls into the l)ottom of Liverpool Bay, to the westward of Ca])P Ba- thurst. This river, which is named the I'egloola Dcssy by tlie Indians, runs parallel to the Mackenzit^, and in the latitude of Fort Good Hope, {m° 30' X.,) is not abova live or six days' journey from that ])ost. Hare Indians, belonging to Fort Good Hope, might be en- gaged to hunt on the banks of tlie river till the arrival of the party. Tlie navigation of the rivei'is unknown ; but even should Commander Pullen be compelled to quit his boats, his Indian hunters, (of wliich he should at least engage two for his sea voyage,) will siippprt and guide his party. AVood and animals are most cer- tainly found on the banks of rivers. ^^^^ t-iit ...■' Ht '' t- $■1 m '■'*C 312 PKOGRESS OF AKCTIC DISCOVEIiY. ■tHpb" "It is not likely thut under any circumstances Com- mander Fallen should desire to reach the Mackenzie by way of the Coppermine Iliver, and this could bo effected only by a boat being placed at Dease ]iiver, for the transport of the party over Great Bear Lake. This would require to be arranged previously with Mr. Rae ; and Commander PuUen should not bo later in arriving at Fort Confidence than the end of September." VOTAGE OF TEm " LaDY FeANKLIN " AND " SoPHIA," Government Vessels, under the cosimand of Mk. Penny, 1850-51. A vessel of 230 tons, named the Lady Franklin, fit- ted out at Aberdeen, with a new brig as a tender, built at Dundee, and named the Sophia, in honor of Miss S. Cracroft, the beloved and attached niece of Lady Franklin, and one of the most anxious watchers for tidings of the long missing adventurers, were purchased by the government last year. The charge of this expedition was intrusted to Cap- tain Penny, formerly commanding the Advice whaler, and who has had much experience in the icy seas, hav- ing been engaged twenty-eight years, since the age of twelve, in the whaling trade, and in command of ves- sels for fourteen years ; Mr. Stewart was placed in charge of the Sophia. The crew of the Lady Franklin number twenty-five, and tliat of the Sophia, twenty, all picked men. These ships sailed on the 12th of April, 1850, pro- visioned and stored for three years. They were pro- vided with a printing press, and every appliance to relieve the tedium of a long sojourn in the icy regions. In the instructions issued by the Admiralty, it is stated that in accepting Captain Parrj^'s oft'er of service, regard has been had to his long experience in arctic navigation, and to the great attention he has paid to the subject of the missing ships. He was left in a great measure to the exercise of his VOYAGE OF TIIPJ IiP:SOLUTE AKD ASSISTANCE, ETC. 313 5) 'Avn jiidginent and discretion, in combining the most active and energetic search atiter the Erebus and Terror, with a strict and careful regard to the safety of tlie ships and tlieir crews under his cliarge. He was di- rected to examine Jones' Sound at the liead of BatKn's Vyny^ and if possible, penetrate through to tlie Parry- Islands ; failing ill this, he was to try Wellington Strait, and endeavor to rea '' Melville Island. He was to use his utmost ende;i\<>is, (consistent with the safety of the lives of those intrusted to his command,) to succor, ia tiie summer of 1850, the party under Sir John Frank- lin, taking carp to secure his winter-quarters in good time ; and 2dly, the same active measures were to be used in the summer of 1851, to secure tlie return of the ships under his charge to this country. The Lady Franklin was off Cape York, in Baffin's Bay, on the 13th of August. From thence she pro- ceeded, in company with H. M. S. Assistance, to Wol- stenholme Sound. Slie afterward, in accordance with her instructions, crossed over to the west with the in- tention of examining Jones' Sound, but owing to the accumulation of ice, Avas unable to a])proach it within twenty-five miles. This was at midnight on the 18th. She, therefore, continued her voyage to Lancaster Sound, and onward to Wellington Channel, where she was seen by Commander Forsyth, of the Prince Albert, on the 25th of August, with her tender, and II. M. S. Assistance in company, standing toward Cape Ilotham. Voyage of II. M. Sriirs " Resolute " and " Assistance," WITH the Steam i:ks "Pionekk" and "Intkepid" AS Tenders, undek command of Captain Austin, 1850-51. Two fine teak-built ships of al)Out 500 tons each, the Baboo and Ptarmigan, whose names were altered to the Assistance and Resolute, "were purchn^cd ly the government in 1850, and sent to the naval yards to be properly fitted for the voyage to t1u' polar regions. Two screw-propeller steamers, intended to accompany m M 'A'i.iOl "■'''1'i '^l 314 riiOGKESS OF AECTIC DISCOVEUY. tliese vessels us stesim tenders, were also purchased and similarly fitted ; their luuiies were changed from the Eider and Free Trade to the Pioneer and Intrepid. The command of this expedition was intrnsted to Captain Horatio T. Austin, C. B., who was first Lieu- tenant of the Fury, under Commander IJoppner, in Captain Sir E. Parry's third voyage, in 1824-25. The vessels were provisioned for three years, and their at- tention was also directed to tiie de})ots of stores lodged by Sir James Ross at Leopold Island, and at Navy Board Inlet by the North Star. The ships sailetl in May, 1850. l^he officers employed in them were as follows : — Resolute. Captain — Horatio T. Austin, C. B. Lieutenants — R. D. Aidrich, and W. II. J. Browne. Mates — R. B. Pearse, and W. M. May. Purser — J. E. Brooman. Surgeon — A. R. Bi'adford. Assistant, ditto— Richard King. Midshi])men ■ — C. Bullock, J. P. Cheyne. Second Master — G. F. M'Dougall. Total complement, GO men. Pioneer^ screw steamer. Lieut.-Commandin^ — Sherard Osborn. Second Master — J. IT. Allard. Assistant-Surgeon — F. R. Picthorn, Assistance. Captain — E. Ommaney. Lieutenants — J. E. Elliot, F. L. M'Clintock, and G. F. Mecham. Surgeon — J. J. L. Donnett. Assistant, ditto — J. "Ward, {a.) Mates — R. Y. Hamilton, and J. R. Keane. Clerk in Charge — E. N. Harrison. Second Master — "VY. B. Shellabear. Midshipman — C. R. Markham. Total complement, GO men. VOYAGE OF THE RESOLUTE AND ASSISTANCE, ETC 315 Intrepid^ screw steamer. Lieiit.-Communder — B. Cater. ' Each of the tenders had a crew of 30 men. Two ot the officers a])pointed to this expedition, Lieu- tenants Browne and M'Oiintock, were in the Enterprise under Captain Sir James C. Hoss in 1848. Tiio Emma Eugenia tran^iport was dispatched in ad- vance with provisions to the Whale-Fish Islands, to await the arrival of the expedition. It having been suggested by some parties that Sir Jolm Franklin might have effected his passage to Mel- ville Island, and been detained there with his ships, or that the ships might have been damaged l)y the ice in the neighboring sea, and that with his crews he had abandonecl them and made his escape to tliat island, Ca]>tain Austin was specially instructed to use every exertion to reach this island, fletaching a portion of his ships to search the shores of Wellington Channel and the coast about Cape Walker, to which point Sir John Franklin was ordered to proceed. Advices were first received from the Assistance, after her departure, dated 5th of July ; she was then making her way to the northward. The season was less favor- able fur exploring operations than on many previous years. But little ice had been met with in Davis' Strait, where it is generally found in large quantities, Bo that obstacles of a serious nature may be expected to the northward. Penny's ships had been in company with them. Ice is an insurmountable barrier to rapid progress ; fbrtilications may be breached, but huge masses of ice, 200 to 000 feet high, are not to be overcome. On the 2d of July the Assistance was towed beneath a perpendicular cliff to the northward of Cape Shackle- ton, rising to the height of 1500 feet, which was ob- served to ho, crowded with the foolish guillemots, ( Uria troile.) When the ship hooked on to an iceberg for the night, a party sent on shore for the purpose brought off 200 l)ir(ls and al)out twenty dozen of their eggs. These bir>1s only lay ont^ egg each. ,.^ m '■M ■sa I 310 I'KOCJRKSS OV AUOTIC DlSCOVKliY. » :l! The followiiiiif odicial dispatch luis boon since reccivctl from Captain Oinuuuioy : — "//cv J/rc/tw/'y'.v fihfp '"Assistance^ ojf Lancaster Sound, latitude 75" 40' iV^., loiKjitude 16" 40' W., August 17, 1850. "Silt, — I liavo tlie honor to acqnaint yon, for the in- formation of tlio Lords Commissioners of the A(hni- ralty, that her Majesty's sliip Assistance, and lier tender, her ^lajesty's steam-vessel Intrepid, l)ave this day suc- ceeded in eifecting a p.'issagc across to the west water, and are now proceedin A. m., of the 10th inst, 1 rejoined tiie shij), and proceeded at two to the westward, and am haj)py to inform you tliat the passage across iuis been nuuk; without obstruction, tow- ing througli loose and stragiiling ice. " The expedition was beset in Melville Bay, sur- rounded by heavy and extensive iloes of ice, from the 11th of July to the Dtli of August, 1850, when, after great exertion, a release was effected, and we succeeded in reaching Cape York by continuing along the edge of tl»o land-ice, after which we have Ijeen favored with plenty of water. " Captain Penny's expeu'tion was in company during the most part of the time while in Melville Bay, and up to the 14th inst., when we left him olf Cape Dudley Diggs — all well. " In crossing Melville Bay we fell in with Sir John Boss and C.iptain Forsyth's expeditions. These Capt. Austin has assisted by towing them toward their desti- nations. The latter proceeded with him, and the former has remained with us. " Having placed Sir John Boss in a fair way of reaching Lancaster Sound, with a fair wind and open water, his vessel has been cast off in this position. I shall, therefore, proceed with all dispatch to the exami- nation of the north shores of Lancaster Sound and Wellington Channel, according to Captain Austin's directions. 018 naxTiiKss ov AKtrrio discoveuy. " I liiivo tlio liuiiur to be, Sir, your most obedient liuiiible Berviuit. " Erasmus 0]MaiANEY, Captain.'" The Hcsolnto syot elefir of tlu; Orkneys on tlie IHtli of May, and arrived with lier consort and tlie two tenders at the AVliale-Fis^li Islands on tlic .14tli of June. Tlie Kesoluto was in Possession liay on the ITtli of Au<^ust. From thence lier ])ro]>osed course was a]o?i<5 the coast, northwai'd and westward, to AVhaler Point, situated at the southern extremity of Port Leopold, and afterward to Melville Island. In order toannise tliems(>lvcs and their comrades, tlie officers of the Assistance had started a MS. newspaper, under the name of t)ie "Aurora Borealis." Many of my readers M'ill have lieard of the " Cockjiit Herald," and such other productions of former days, in his Majes- ty'^s lleet. Parry, too, liad Ids journal to beguile the long hours of the tedious arctic winter. 1 have seen copies of this novel specimen of tbo "fourtli estate," dated Baffin's Bay, June, 1850, in which thei'c is a hap])y mixture of grave and gay, prose and verse ; numerous very fair acrostics are published. I aj^pend, by way of curiosity, a couple of extracts : — " "What insect that Koah had with him, were these regions named after? — The arc-tic." " To the editor of the Aurora Borealis. "Sm, — Having heard from an arctic voyager that he has seen ' crows'-nests' in tliose icy regions, I beg to inquire through your columns, if they are built by the crows, {CorvKJ^ tinfJnnahulus^) which Goodsir states to utter a metallic bell-like croak? My fast friend begs me to inquire when rook shooting commences in those diggings ? *^ " A !N'atueatjst. [" "We would recommend to * A iN'aturalist ' a visit to these ' crows'-nests,' which do exist in the arctic regions. We would also advise his fast friend to investio-ato he to tlie to V >y-'l-r^^'^%^ 6 VI o r! H i O S ■■>:> '•'■■it '61, VOYAGE OF SIR JOHN liOSS IN THE FELIX, ETC. 319 tbcso said nests more thoroiipjlily ; ho would find tlicMU tonjinted by very old birds (ica quarter-masters,) who would not ordy inform liim as to the species of crows and the sporting season, but would give them a fair chance of showing him how a pigeon may be plucked. — Editor."] VoYAOK OF Captain Sir John Ross in the "Felix" PRIVATE SCUOONER, 1850-51. In April, 1850, Captain Sir John Ross having vol- unteered his services to proceed in the search, was en- abled, by the liberality of the Hudson's Bay Com})any, who contributed 500^., and public subscription, to leave England in the Felix schooner, of 120 tons, with a picked crew, and accompanied by Commander C. Ger- vans rhillips, R. N. She also had the Mary, Sir John's own yacht of twelve tons, as a tender. Mr. Abernethy proceeded as ice-master, having accompanied Sir John in his former voyage to Boothia; and Mr. Sivewright was mate of the Felix. The vessels sailed from Scot- land on the 23d of May, and reached Ilolsteinborg in June, where Captain Ross succeeded in obtaining a Danish interpreter who understood the Esquimaux language ; he then proceeded on, calling at the Whale- Fish Islands, and passing northway through the Way- gatt Strait, overtook, on the 10th of August, li. M. ships Assistance and Resolute, with their tenders the Intrepid and Pioneer, under the command of Captain Austin. On the ISth of August, Captain Ommaney in the Assistance, and Sir John Ross in the Felix, being somewhere off Cape York, observed three male Es- quimaux on the ice close by, and with these peoj^le it was prudently resolved to communicate. Accord- ingly, Lieutenant Cator in the intrepid steamer, tender to the Assistance, and Commander Phillips in the whale-boat of the Felix, put off on this service. The Intrepid's people arrived first, but apparently without any means of expressing their desires, so that when the H\ »;< .i ', i |) »i;ii '' '■ ¥t •hi ^iil T* ■:J i M %l 4t 5 r^ ; ■ :' ^n 4 ■,-•'. 'it . ''■S'<2 '7 A ci 320 ruooiJKss OK Aitcric discovijuv. boat ot'tho Felix, contsiiiilnc; an Eaiiultiuiux intorju'oter, joiiUMl the ptiity, the luitives imiiiediutel}' ^iive siu;ii» of rec!o<,'iiitloti aiwl rtiitist'actiun, came into the boat with- out tlie leaKt hesitation, and engaj;e«l tlieninelves pre- gently in a lon^if and animated conversation with tlieii countryman the inter[)retcr. Hall' an hour was do- voted to this interchange of inteliii^ence, but with no iminedlato result, for the interpreter could oidy trans- late his native language into iJanish, and as no pernon in the boat umlerstood Danisli, the information re- mained as inaccessible as before. In this predicament the boats returned with the intention of coidVonting the interpreter — whose christianized name is Adam IJeek — v/ith Sir John Ji*)ss himself. As Sir John, h(»\vever, was i)ushing ahead in the Felix toward Ca])e J)udley Diggs, and as Adam ajipeared anxious to disburden liimself t»f his newly ac([uired information, the boats droj)[)ed on board the Prince Albert, another of the exploring vessels in the neighborhood, and ther'j }>ut Adam in communication with the captain's steward, John Smith, who "understood a little of the language,'' as Sir John Koss says, or "a good deal," as (.'om- mander Phillips says, and who presently gave such an account of the intelligence as startled every body on board. Its purport was as follows; — That in the win- ter of 184(>, when the snow was falling, two shii)s wen- crushed by the ice a good way otf in the direction ot Cape Dudley Diggs, and afterward burned by a fierce and numerous tribe of natives; that the ships in ques- tion were not whalers, atid that epaulettes were worn by some of the white men; that a part of the crews were drowned, that the remainder were some time in huts or tents apart from the natives, that they had guns, but no balls, and that being in a weak and exhausted condition, they were subsequently killed by the natives with darts or arrows. This was the form given to the Esquimaux story by John Smith, captain's steward of the Prince Albert. Impressed with the importance of these tidings, Captain Ommaney and Commander Phillips immediately made their report to Captain VOYACH; ok SIU JoUN UohM l\ TIfH FKIJX, KTf?. 321 Aiisliii ill tlic lu'soliito, wliioh was tlien in coniimny with tlio Felix iiuur('si|iu Dudley !)ijLrp:s. (Japtuiii Aus- tin at onco tlec-iiUul ii|)(tn iiive8ti;:;a1iii<; llu! crLMJihility of the Htory, and with this view ilispatehed a e.s.sa;;'o to the J.aroceeded forthwith to translate the story by a statement '■'totally at variance" with the lnterj»reta- tion of "the other," whom, as wo are told, he called a liar and intimidated into silence ; thou/^h lU) sooner was the latter left to himself than he a-;ain repeated his version t>f the tal(% and stoutly maintained its accuracy. Meantime an additiomd ])iece of infornuition hecamo known, namely, that a ctM-tain ship had passed the win- ter safely housed in Wolstenholme Sound — a state- ment soon ascertained by actual investij^ation to bo perfectly truo. Tho following is an extract of a letter from — Captain Sir John Uohs^ li. iT., to Caj^tain W. A.B. Hamilton^ li. iV., Secretary of the Adiniraltij. ^^'' I^clix'* discovery yachts off Adm/iralty Inlet^ '•'' Lancaster Sound , August 22. "Stk, — I have to acquaint you, for tho inforniation of the Lords Commissioners of tho Admiralty, that the Felix discovery yacht, with her tender, the Mary, after obtaininj^ an Esquimaux inter])rcter at Ilolstoinbornr, and callinpf at Whale-Fish Islands, proceeded north way throujnrh the "Wavtiatt Straits, and overtook her ]\Ia- jesty's discovery ships, under the cominand of Captain Austin on the 11th of Aufijust ; and on the 12th tho senior ofiicer and the second in command havin<:]f cor- dially corammiicated with me on the best mode of performing the service on whicli we are mutually em- barked, arrangements were made and concluded for a simultaneous examination of every part of the eastern side of a northwest passage in which it was probable that the missing ships could be bound : documents t»> 1 1- ''I ■li m ■I 322 I'llOGKESS OF AltCTIO DISCOVERY. ill! m\ € that effect were exchanged, and subsequently assented to by Captains Forsyth and Fenny. " On the 13th of August natives were discovered on the ice near to Cape York, with whom it was deemed advii^able to coinmunicatc. On this service. Lieutenant Cator, in the Intrepid, was detached on the part of Captain Austin, and un my part Commander Phillips, witli our Escpiimaux interpreter, in the whale-boat of tlie Felix. It was found by Lieutenant Cator that Cap- tain Fenny had left witii the natives a note for Captain Austin, but only relative to the state of the navigation ; however, when Commander Fhillips arrived, the Esqui- maux, seeing one apparently of their own nation in the whale-boat, came immediately to him, when a long conversation took place, the purport of which could not be made known, as the interpreter could not ex- plain himself to any one, either in the Intrepid or the whale-boat, (as he understands only the Danisli besides his own language,) until he was brought on board the Prince Albert, where John Smith, tlie captain's stew- ard of that vessel, who had been some years at the Hudson's Bay settlement of Churchill, and understands a little of tiie language, was able to give some expla- nation of Adam Peek's information, which was deemed of such importance that Captains Ommaney, Phillips, and Forsyth, proceeded in the Intrepid to the Pesolute, when it was decided by Captain Austin to send for the Danish Interpreter of the Lady Franklin, which, hav- ing boen unsuccessful in an attempt at getting through the ice to the westward, was only a few miles distant. In the mean time it was known that, in addition to the first information, a ship, which could only be the North Star, had wintered in Wolstenholme Sound, called by the native.^ Ourinak, and had only left it a month ago. This proved to be true, but the interpretation of the Dane was totally at variance with the information given by the other, who, although for obvious reasons he did not dare to contradict the Dane, subsequently main- tained the truth of his statement, which induced Cap- tain Austin to dispatch the Intrepid with Captains ssented Bred on ieenied utenant part of Miillips, boat of at Cap- Japtain itratioTi : ) Esqui- 1 in the a lonsf li could not ex- 1 or the besides ard tlie 's stew- at the srstands ) ex])la- leemed *}iillip8, solute, for the h, hav- Ihrough listant. to the North lied by Ith anjo. of the given |he did main- Cap- [.ptains VOYAGK OF SIR JOHN KOSS IN TI[E FELIX, ETC. 323 . Oinmaney and Phillips, taking with them both our in- terpreters, Adam Beek and a young native who had been persuaded to come as one of the crew of the As- sistance, to examine Wolstenholme Sound. In the mean time it had been unanimously decided that no alteration should be made in our previous arrangement, it being obvious that while there remained a chance of saving the lives of those of the missing ships who may l)e yet alive, a further search for those who had per- ished should be postponed, and accordingly the Reso- lute, Pioneer, and Prince Albert parted com])any on the 15th. It is here unnecessary to give the official re- ports made to me by Commander Phillips, which are of course transmitted by me to the Secretary of the Hudson's Bay Company, which, with the information written in the Esquimaux language by Adam Beek, will no doubt be sent to you for their Lordships' infor- mation ; and it will be manifest by these reports that Commander Phillips has performed his duty with sa- gacity, circumspection, and address, which do him in- finite credit, although it is only such as I must have expected from so intelligent an officer; and I have much satisfaction in adding that it has been mainly owing to his zeal and activity that I was able, under disadvantai'i'' lis circumstances, to overtake her Majes- ty's ships, Millie by his scientific acquirements and ac- curacy in surveying, he has been able to make many important corrections and valuable additions to the charts of the much-frequented eastern side of Baffin's Bay, which has been more closely observed and navi- gated by us than by any former expedition, and, much to my satisfaction, coniirming the latitude and longi- tude of every headland I had an opportunity of laying down in the year 1818. "I have only to add that I have much satisfaction in co-operating with her Majesty's expedition. With such support and with such vessels so ]iarticularly adapted for the service, no exertion shall be wanting on my part. But I cannot conclude this letter without acknowledging my obligations to Commodore Austin • v. t W-l >"M I ii'il m> ai'i 324 PROGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. and Captain Ominaney for tlie assistance they liave af- forded me, and for the cordiality and courtesy with which I have been treated by these distinguished offi- cers and others of tlie ships under their orders. Ani- mated as we are witli an ardent and sincere desire to rescue our imperiled countrymen, I confidently trust fhat our united exertions and humble endeavors may, mder a merciful Providence, be completely successful. "I am, \vith truth and regard, Sir, your faithful and v>bedient servant, "John Ross, Captain, R. N." By the accounts brought home by Commander For- syth from Lancaster Sound, to the 25th of August, it is stated that Sir John lioss, in the Felix, intended to return to England. The ice was at that period very heavy, extending all around from Leopold Island, at the entrance of Regent Inlet, to Cape Farewell, to the westward, so as to pre- vent the possibility of any of the vessels pushing on to Cape Walker. When the Prince Albert was between Cape Spencer and Cape Innes, in Wellington Cliannel, Mr. Snow went at noon to the mast-head, and saw II. M. Ship Assistance as near as possible within Cape Ilotliam, under a press of sail. Her tender, the In- trepid, was not seen, but was believed to be with her. Captain Penny, witli his two ships, the Lady Fran]arest hopes as to the safe return of t'le discovery ■A\\\)^' this autunin are tinallv cruslied l)v t!ie uiiexru'cf!';]. lliuii:j^h 15 :1m .•YV.3 M. :;;u) iMU)()i:i;ss oi-' Auoru! discovkuv. I: t 1 ioivetl rohini of Sir .Jjuuch Iuism, Nvitliont; uny t,M»iiij*s of tluMu, ami also l»v tlu' cIosimiI' llm arctic hiiuhoii. Aial not only liavo no tidiiiii's hccii hroiiijlit of tlicir sut'ctv or of tlicir fate, but even tlio very liaccH of tlu'ir coiiiso liayc yet to bo disiMjycrcd ; for siicii wuh the concur- iviK'c of inil'oi'tunatc and unusual cin'unistanccs altcnd- iui;' tlic I'llortH of tlie l>rayt» and able olliccr albidcd to, that \h) was not able to reach those, points where indi- cations of the course of discoyery Khi|M would most ]>robably bo found. And thus, at tlu^ close of a second reason since the di'jtarlure of tlu^ reci>nt expedition of aearch, \ye renuiin in nearly the same state of i<:;norance rcspectiujj; the niissini;; expedition as at the nionient of its starting; from our sliores. And in the mean time our braye countrymen, \yiiether c!in<^in^ still to their ships, or dispersed in yarious directions, haye entered upon a iifth \vinter in those dark and dreary solitudes, with exhausted means of sustenance, while yet their expected succor comes not! '' It is in the time, then, of their <»;reatest peril, in the day of their extremest need, that J. yenture, encouraujed by your former kiiuhu'ss, to Unik to yon au-ain for some active ellbrts which may come in aid of those of my own country, and add to the means t>f search, ilcu* ]\bijesty's ^linisters haye ab'eady resohed on sending an e\})edition to llehrino-'s Strait, and doubtless haye other necessary measures in contem])lation, Kuj)portiMl as they are, in every means that can be d(>yised for this liunume purpose, by the sym])athies of the nation, and by the iTv'uerous solicitude which our (^ueen is knowji to feel in tiie fa(:e of her brave people imperiled in theii country's scn-yice. Ihit, whatever be the measuivs con- temi)l..i,ed bv the Admiralty, they cannot be such as 1 ft t,' ■ V \\\\\ leave no room or necessity fi>r more, sinc^e it is oidv by the multiplication of means, and those yiu'orous and lutstant ones, tliat we can liope, at this last sta h-cii swept- in all directions, or until some memo- MKiniCNANT OHIKfUN H HIOtJIKirONH. Or>i iL'inlinjj; liuemo- rh\] !>«' tomid lo ulU'st, tlicir lUlc, ncitlu^r I'!ii;^liin(l, who Hciil. Iliom otit, iior oven AiiKiricu, <»ii wliust- sIkii-cm liny liiivt^ luHin luimclu'd in n cuusc, wliicli Iiuh intcrislctl Iho World f(»r ('('iit.iii'it'H, will dcciii ilic, (|ii('sti(»ri ut rcht ''• May it jdiasc (iod ho to in(»vc llio liciiits iiiid willn of Ji ^vvni tiiid kiii|)ear to me ho explicit und valuable that 1 j'uhli.sh them entire : — ''''Great J^jding^ Middlese.x^ Cdh F^lrniary^ 1850. "My DioAit Ladv Franklin. — It is of course of vitjd importance that the generous co-c»peration of the Ameri- cans in the rescue of ISii' flohn Franklin and his crew3 be ° and l(»s'' west longitu«k>, ami 70"^ and 7o° north latitude. Kow, to retrace his steps to Cape Walker, and tlience to Ite- gcnt Inlet, M'ould he no doubt tlie iirst suijgestion tlia.t wouhl arise. Yet there are objections to it: firstly, he M'ould have to contend against the prevailing set of the ice, and currents, and iu)rtherly wiiul ; sectnully, if no whalers were found in Lancaster Sound, how was ho to support his hirge party in regions where the musk OK or reindeer is never seen ^ thirdly, leaving his shijjs in the summer, he knew he could oidy reach the whaling ground in the fall of the year ; and, in such case. Mould it not be advisable to mnkvi rather for the southej'ii than the northern limit of the seas vis- ited by the M'halers? fourthly, by edging to tiie south rather than the north, Sir John Fraidclin would be falling back to, rather than going from, relief, and in- crease the probabilities of providing food for his large ])arty. " 1 do not believe he would have decided on going due south, because the lofty land of Victoria Island was in his road, and when he did reach the American shore, he would only attain a desert, of VvOiose horn»r8 he no doubt retained a vivid recollection ; and a lengthy laud iourney of more than lOUO miles to the Hudson's Bay settlements was more than his men were capable of. " There remains, therefore, but one route for Sir John under such circumstances to follow ; and it decidedly has the following merits, that of l)eing in a direct line for the southern limit of the whale fishery ; that of leading through a series of narrow seas adapted for the navigation of small open boats ; that of being the most expeditious route by which to reach Fort Churchill, in Hudson's 15ay ; that of leading through a region visited LIKUTKiNANT 0SU01t^' 8 SUGGESTIONS. 333 iirgo Jolm tU'dlv it line at of or tlio ) most ill, in i sited by Ksquiuianx and niif]^ratoiy animals ; and tln'n ronto is tliroii;^li tlie'8imit of ISir .hunes IIosh,' across tlio narrow fstliiniis of JJoothia Felix, (wliicli, as }'ou re- minded me to-day, was not suj)j)ose(l to exist wJien Sir John Frankiin left Knuland, and has been sinc(( discov ()V- ered,) into tiie (iidf of Jiootliia, where h(^ could either ]»ass hy ileela and Fnry Strait int(> the fishinii^-^ritHnd of Hudson's Strait, or els(^ <^o soutiiward (h»wn (Joiuniit- tee liay, across the Itae Isthmus into liepulse i>ay, and endeavor from there to reach some vessels in IJudson's IJav, or otherwise Fort ('hnrchill. "•It is not unlikely either, that M'hen Franklin had got to the eastern extremity of James Jioss's Strait, and found the land to bo across his j)ath where he had expected to find a strait, that his ])arty mi<^lit have di- vided, and tho more active ])ortion of them attenijited to ascend the Great Fish liiver, where we have Sir Geor<^e Back's authority forsui)])osiii<^ they would find, close to the arctic shores, abundance of food in fish, and lierds of reindeer, ct:c., while the. others traveled on the road I have already mentioned. " To search for them, therefore, on this line of retreat, I should think hi^iily essential, and if ne^-lected* this year, it must be done next ; and if not done by the Americans, it oni>'ht to be done by us. "1 therefore suii'ijest the tbllowing plan: — Suppose a well-equli>i)ed ex])edilion to leave America in May, and to enter Hudson's Strait, and then divide into two divisions. The first division might go northward, through Fox's Channel to llecla and Fury Strait, exam- ine the shores of the latter carefully, de])osit provisions at the western extreme, erect conspicuous beacons, and proceed to Melville or Felix Harbor, in Boothia, secure their vessel or vessels, and dispatch, as soon as circum- stances Would allow, boat parties across the neck of the isthmus into the western waters. Here let them divide, and one party proceed through James Hoss's aminino- the coast, Ji 'fully Y)m ice, or land, to the northwest as far as possible. The other boat party to examine the estuary of the Great m m ;.-y '•-'■f'i'l su ri:OGKF,S8 OF AKCTIC DISCOVF.UY. Fish Ilivov, and tlionoo proceofl wostwarrl ii\o\\<^ tlio coant of Simpsoirs Strait, aiMl, it' possihlc, oxaniine tiio broad hay loriiicd hotweon it and Dfasc/H Strait. "Tlu; second divinion, on partiiijjj (MMnjiany, niii]^l»l pass sontli (»f Southaini)ton Ishmd, and coa>t alonjjj t'nnn Cliosterliidd Inlet nortlnvard to Kepiilse Day, a boat, party with two b(»at8 inip;ht cross llac Ifstiunns into tlio bottom of Committee I>ay, witli instructions to visit botli sliores of the said l)ay, and to retidezvous at tlio western entrance of IlecUi and Fnry Stniit. Tiie sec- ov.d division (be it one or more vessels) shouhl then ])ass into Fox'ti Channel, and turninj}^ through Ifecla and Fury Strait, ])ick n]) the boats at the rendezvous; and thence, if the lirst division have ])assed on all ri;^ht, and do not re([nire reinforcement, the second division slipt from Cape Walker, and .at the same time it will traverse the nnknowji sea beyond the Islands hitely observed by Captain Sir James Koss, "Some such plan as this would, I think, insure voni £(allant husband being met or assisted, should he be to the sonth or the west of Cape Walker, and attem]it to return by a southeast conrse, a direction which, I think, others as well as myself woidd agree in thinking a very ratiomd and probal)le one. "I will next speak of an argument which has been brought forward in consequence of no traces of the missing expedition having been discovered iji Lancas- ter Sound ; that it is quite possible, if Franklin failed in getting through the middle ice from Melville l>ay to Lancaster Sound, that, sooner than disappoint ])ub1ic anxiety and expectation of a profitable result arisino from his expedition, he may have turned northwaid, and gone up Smith's Sound ; every mile beyond its en- trance was new ground, and therefore a reward to the DtJUA'lJJ l^ CO>OUK88. 305 ]<* the ne tho tr tVoiii a boiit nto tlio () visit sit tlio Im POC- (1 then Ilocla '/A'ous ; 1 ri!i;lit, livirtioii }ist, ex- tor pro- ir sliipii iroction set, be- shall it will hitely re yom e be to )inpt tu [ think, <; a very IS been of the Liiiicfis- fjiiU'd P>ay to public arising hwurd, its en- to tlie discoverer. It likewise bro\ii;ht them nearer the ])olo, and may i)e they found tluit o]>en sea of wiiich iJaroii AVranuci speaks so (•">n>tantiy in iiis j(jurney8 over tlio ice northward IVom Siberia. ''It is tlierefoi'e dehiral)le that some vessels uliould carefully examine tho entrance of this sound, and vi;-it all tlu^ consj)icu')US headlands for some consideraMe distance within it; for it ouijfht to be borm in mind, that l(»calities ]>erfeetly acce> ible for the purpose of erectiiiLr beacons, tfcc, one season, may be uine hope of success, h<* i ,ald not have; i'oreseen the necessit}*. '"Should any clue be found to tho "".-t, expedition ia this direction, to follow it up would, of ..'ourse, be tlio duty of the relieviuij^ p'^^'^y, and every thin;jf would de- pend necessarily upon the judL^mentof thecomnninders. ''In connection with tiiis line of search, 1 think a Bnnill division of vessels, startiuij from S[)it/,ber^en, and ])ushinjjj from it in a northwest direcliuu, miujlit be of f:;reat service ; for on reference to tiie chart, it will bo seen that Spit/J)ergen is as near the j)robal)lo position of Franklin (if he went north about,) on the east, as Behrinood as, if not •-oi^'jrthan, Ijohrinjjj's Strait, a?)d, moreover, a country capable of supporting lifo always in the rear to fall back npon. "ShERARO OSROKN, "Lieutenant Koyal Navy. "To Lady Franklin." D: BATE IN TUE AMERICAN CoNGRESS. The followinir remarks of honorable members and senators, in defense of the bill for carrying}; out Mr. Grinneirs expedition, will explain the jn'rounds on which the government countenance was invoked for the noble iMidertakino- : — .'■?•! ■ f ■ i; ti ?:''''Hlill M 330 riiOGKESS OF ARCrriO DISCO VEUY. "Mr. Mii,i,i;ii : I pivt'er tliat the governiiieut sliould have the iMitirc control of thiB ontcrprisc ; but, Sir, I. do not think that ciiii be aeconiplished ; at all events, it cannot within tlie time required to produce the good results wiiieh are to be lioped from this expedition. It is well known to all that the uncertain fate of Sir John Franklin aiul his companions has attracted the attention and called forth the svmi)athies of the civilized world. This government, Sir, has been indilferent to the call. An application, an a[»])eal was nuuletothis government of no ordinary cliaracter ; one which was cheeri'ull}' entertained by the President, and which he was anxiouii should be complied with. But it is known to the conn try and to the Senate that, altlunigh the President had every disposition to eeiul out an exi)edition in search of Sir John Franklin, it was found ui)on in([uiry that we had no ships iitted for the occasion, and that the Executive had no authority to procure them for an ex- pedition of this kind, and suitable for this sort of navi- gation. The Executive was therefore obliged, for want of authority to build the ships, to forego further action on this noble enterprise, until Congress should meet, and authorize the expedition. "In the mean time, Mr. Grinnell, one of the most res]>ectable and worthy merchants of the city of New York, understanding the ditticulty that the government bad in fitting out the expedition, has gone to work, and with his own means has built two small vessels espe- cially prepared for the expedition; and he iiow most jjenerouslv tenders them to the government, not to be nnder his own control, but the control of the govern- ment, and to be made part of the navy of the United States. The honorable senator from Alabama (INlr. King) is mistaken with regard to the terms and effect of this resolution. This resolution places those two ships under the control of the government, as much so as if they were built expressly for tlie navy of the United Slates. Their direction, their iitting out, theii oflic.eiN and men, are a'l to be nnder the control of the Kxecutive. Tiieir o Ulcers are to be oflicers of our 1^. DEBATE ]N CONORKSl 337 navy — their seamen the seamen of our navy — so that tlie expedition will be as thoroughly under the control of this fJjovermnent as if the ships belonged to us. iNow, Sir, 1 .should have no objections myself to amend this resolution so as to authorize the purcliuse of these two siiiiill vessels at once, and make them a part of our na- val establishment; but, when 1 recollecc the magnani- mous feeling whicli urged this noble-hearted merchant to ))nipare these ships, 1 know that that same feeling would forbid him to make merchandise of that which he has devoted to humanity, lie oilers them for this great cause ; they are his property, prepared for this enterprise, and he oilers them to us to be used by the government in this great undertaking. AVe must either accc[)t them for the puri)Ose to which he has dedicated them, or reject them altogether. If we refuse these Bhii)S, we will defeat the whole enterprise, and lose all 0})p()rtunity of participation in a work of humanity •which now commands the attention of the world. " If we refer this resolution back to the committee, and they report a bill authorizing government to build ships to carry on the expedition on its own account, it would be attended with v< '-y great delay, and, in my ojiinion defeat the object we have in view. In a case oi'this kind time is every thing. It must be done s])eed- ily, if done at all. Every houi-'s delay may be worth the life of a man. Sir John Franklin and his compan- ions may ere this have perished, but our hope is that they are still living in some narrow sea, imprisoned by walls of ice, where our succor may yet reach them. But, Sir, whether our hopes are fallacious or not, the public feeling — the feeling of humanity — is, that the fate of Sir John Franklin should, if possible, be ascer- tained, and as soon as possible. The public mind will never be satisfied till an expedition from this country, or from some other countrv, shall have ascertained their fate. I therefore trust that this resolution, as it is, will be acted upon at once, and that it will receive the unnnimous vote of the Semite. * * * ■'^' "I am so ini])ressed W\\ President, with the impor- i3* *R«i m >i'3 ■■( ■'4 t i 'A i L. 338 Plid^ESS OF AliOTlO inSCOVEKY. tance of time as regards the disposal of this question, that 1 hesitate even to occupy the attention of the Senate for a few moments ; and I only do so for the purpose of correcting some views wliich have been ex- pressed by the senator from Mississippi. * * * The question is, whether we shall adopt tliis resolution, and inmiediately send forth tliis expedition for the ])urjK)se of accomplisliing this great object, or whetlier we shall throw back this resolution to drag its slow course through Congress, in the form of another bill, to make an appropriation for the purpose of building vessels. For what object? To secure, as the senator says, to the United States, the sole honor and glory of this expedi- tion. Sir, if this expedition is got up merely for honor and glory eitlier to the United States or to an individual, I will have notliing wliatever to do with it. Sir, there is a deeper and a higher sentiment that has induced the action of Congress on this subject. It is to engage in a great work of Inimanity, to do that which is not only being done by the government of England, but by pri- vate individuals, who ai'e litting out expeditions at their own expense, and sending them to the northern seas, for the purpose of discovering the fate of this great man, who had periled his life in the cause of science and of commerce. " Mr President, I have been informed that a private expedition is now being fitted out in England under tlie direction of that great commander, or I may call liim the king of the Polar Seas, Sir John Iloss, who is going again to devote himself and his life to this perilous ex- pedit'on. Sir, altogether I have not had heretofore much confidence in the success of this expedition, yet when I consider the reputation of Sir John Ross, and the fact that he is better acquainted with those seas than any other man living, and understanding that he entertains the belief tljat Sir John Franklin and his companions are yet alive, and may be rescued, — I say, finding such a man as Sir John lioss engaged in an ex- pedition of th's kind, I am not without hope that our eftbrts may, under Providence, be crowned with success. DEBATE IN CONGIiJ:SS. 339 ex- bre yet and eas he his ay, ex- our ess. But the honorable senator says that nothinf^ ia likely to be derived from this expedition but honor and glory, and that that is to be divided between tlie government of the United States and a private individual. Sir, i8 there nothing to be derived iVomtlie performance of an act of humanity but honor and glory? Sir, it is said that in this instance both the government and the innly doing all by its own power, but also acting in concert with our private citi- zens in constructing rail-roads and canals, and by vari- ous other modes extending commercial civilization throughout the world, shall it be said that we, at this moment, refused, througji the fear of losing a little honor and glory and national dignity, to accei3t two Bhips — the only two ships in America that can do the work — in the accomplishment of this great enterprise'^ I hope not. Let us not, then, cavil and w^aste time about these little matters. If the work is to be done at all it must be done now, and done, as I conceive, by the adoption of this resolution. Governor Sewakq spoke as follows in the Senate on the same sid)ject : — "I am liap]>y to perceive, Mr. President, indications all around the chand)er that there is no^ disagreement in regard to tlie importance, or in relation to the pi'oi)riety. of a search on the ])art of this nation, by the government itself, or ])y individual citi- zens, for the lost and heroic navigator. Since so much UKUATK IN CONGRESS. 341 aition this little t two lu tllG rise ? time clone e, by lenate b, Mr. I there lor in If this eiti- iiiuch is conceded, and since I come from the State whence this pro])osition emanates, I desire to notice, in a very few words, the objections raised arecisely adequate in number, and exactly fitted in construction and equipment, for the performance of the duty to be assumed. Since he offers them to tlie government, what reason can we assign for I'efnsing them ? No reason can be assigned, except that he is too generous, and offers to (/ive us the use of the vessels instead of demanding compensation for it. Well, Sir, if we do accept them it can be immediately carried into execu- tion, with a cheering prospect of attaining the great object which the United States and the civilized world liave such deep interest in securing. Then the ques- tion resolves itself into this — the question raised by the honorable Senator from Alabama (Mr, King) — • whether, in seeking so beneficent an object, it is con- sistent with the dignity of the nation to combine indi- vidual action with a national enterjirise. I do not think, Mr. President, that that honorable Senator will DEBATE IN CONGRESS. US find himself oblinred to insist upon tliis objection ai'ter he siiall have carefully examined the bill before us. He will find that it converts the undertaking into a national enter|)rise. The vessels are to be accepted not as individual property, but as national vessels. They will absolutely cease to be under the direction, management, or control of the owners, and will become at once national hips, and for the time, at least, and for all the purposes of the expedition, a part of the national marine. "Now, Sir, have we not postal arrangements with various foreign countries carried into effect in the same way, and is the dignity of the nation compromised by them ? During the war with Mexico, the government continually hired shij^s and steamboats from citizens for military operations. Is the glory of tiuxt war tarnished uv the use of those means? The government in this case, as m those cases, is in no sense a partner. It assumes the whole control of the vessels, and the enter- prise becomes a national one. The only circumstance remaining to be considered is, whether the government can accept the loan of the service of the vessels without making compensation. Kow, Sir, I should not have had the least objection, and, indeed, it would have been more agreeable to me if the government could have made an arrangement to have paid a compensation. But I hold it to be quite unnecessary in the present case because the character of the person who tenders these vessels, and the circumstances and manner of the whole transaction, show that it is not a speculation. No compensation is wanted. It would only be a cere- mony on the part of the government to offer it, and a ceremony on the part of the merchant to decline it. I am, therefore, willing to march directly to the object, and to assume that these ceremonies have been duly performed, that the government has offered to pay, and the noble-spirited merchant declined to receive. "Now, then, is there any thing derogatory from the dignity and independence of this nation in emjiloying the vessels? Certainly not, since that employment is m m ml I 1. ■.•»-?. 1' t} M ■;*5 w. m nil rUCHJKKSt* OV AKCTIC lUHlHtVKUY. iihlisjH'11'^jiMo. If it. weiv not iiidisiHMJsuMo 1 do not flunk fliiU. the dignity of tlio lu'piiMic. woidd l)0 im- j>;iiri'.!*Io and willint^ to fontrihijto, voluntarily and without compulsion, to an cntiM'jU'iso so ii\t(.MVstiniince, as he would he called in some «>ther countries, but a republican merchant, comes forward in this way and moves the ji;overnmtMit and co-opi-rates Mith it. Ifc illustrates the nuiji-nanimitv of the nation and of the citi/^en. Sir, there is nothinij; objectionabh^ in this fea- ture of the transaction. It results from the character of the ii'overnment, which is essentially popular, that there are ])erpetual debate^? on the (juestion how far measures and enterprises, for the purposes of humanity and sciiMice, are consistent with the constitutional or- ijani/ation of the ti^overnment, althouufh they art^ ad- n\itted to be eminently compatible with the dignity, character, and intelliujence of the nation. All our en- terjirises, more or less, are carried into execution, if thev are carried into execution at all, nctt bv the direct action of the iijovcrnment, but by the icivlini? of its favor, countenance, and aid to individuals, to corj)ora- tions, and to States. Thus it is that we construct rail- roads and canals, and found colle<»;es and universities. "Nor is this mode (.)f ])rosecuting enterprises of iijreat pith and moment peculiar to this f the Court of "Madrid. The scanty treasu'-es devoted to that undertaldni* were the ])rivato contribitions of a Queen and her subjects, and the vcs- DKIIATK IN c;oN(;i{r;sa. uc> I liero pain. Hcls w'vw lilted out and nuuiiiod ut tlio ox|»ensi» ot'inor- I'liiiiits and citizens, wliicli ojivo u now \V(»rld to tlio linion niiii'lit have heen iMi(h'r other eircnnistances, I shiJi voto against a reeonnniltal, and in liivor ot' the hill, as tiio snrestway of |H'eventini;' its defeat, and of attain inii; tiio sid»Iiine and henelicent ohjeet whieh it eonteniplatcs." The eonnnittee of h(»lli JIousi's ol" ('on<;ress, to wiioni T\rr. (JrinnelPs [)etition for men and su[»|)lies was re- t'erred, made a unanimous report in favor; and the vessels left on tiieir (hii'inL>; and ^-enerons errand. The foUowinij; are thi^ j(»int resointions whieh passed Itoth llonses of (■on<;ress and were a|)j)rove<| hy (ien- eral Ta}dor, anthori/ini>; the President of tiic Tnited States to ae('e])t and attach to the (T. S. Navy the two vessels, offered l»y Afr. (Jrimiell, to be pent to the arctic Beas in searcli of Sirflohn Franklin and his companions: "Resolved hy the Si-nate and llonso of Jicpresent- atives of the llnittid States of America in Con<»res8 ussend)led, That tiie President he, und 'io is hereby anthorized and directed, to receive frt>m Henry (Jrinneli, of the city «if New York, tin; two vessels prejtared by hitn for ail expedition in search of Sir John Pranklin and his companions, and to detail from the Navy such commissioned and warrant otllcers, and so many sea- men as niav be necessarv for said exiiedition, and who may be willin_«»; to en|L!:a«i;(; therein. The said otlicers and men shall be furnished with suitable rations, at the discretion of the President, for ii ]>eriod not exceed injired from the Navy, to be accounted for or returned by the ofli- cers M'lu> shall receive the same. " Skc. 2. T>G it further resolved. That the said vessels, ofHcers, and men shall be in all resiK-ctsimder the laws and reii^ulations of the Navy of the United States until their retm-n. when the Bai t»; m .- "if t. ^ m 4 I •t vie I]|i5 I'i;(»(iWi:SH OV AfMTK! IUHCOVKUY. in cnsc^ of tin* loss, (lsiiMa^i>(»r dt'ti'i'Iunvtion of tlic Kuid vcsrtt'ls, (»r rilluT of tliom, tVctiii uiiy cause or in any nianiu'i' whuti'vcr, nor he liaMo to any dcniand for tlio lisc (»!■ risk of tlu- said vi-s.-rls or I'illicr of tlicni.'" Dii'fctiy tlic fact Inrainc Ii> seiisi^ of the kind and hrotlierly feeling' which had |)romi>ted s(> liheral an act of hnmanitv. A simihii* \dte was cari'ied, on the lltli of dune, at a n'eiuM-al nuH'tiiiin' of the Ivoyal (Jeoo-raph- ical Society, [of whieli Sii' .John Franklin was long uuo of the vice-jiresidents.') The Anu'i'ican expedition consists of two briijantinea — now iMirolK'd in the I'liited Stati>s Navy — the Ad- vance, of 111 tons, and the lu'scue, !)[ tons. These vessels have heen ])rovided and fitted out hy the ijjener- ous niunitieence of M^r. Henry (Ti-imu'll, a merchant of Xew York, at an expense to him of hetween 5000'. and t!;' ••»', The American u'ovei'nment also did nmch to- U'ard iittiiiLT and e(pn]>])ini>' tliem. Tin; Advance was - t', 'o yeai's old. and the liescue (piite new. l>oth vessels were stren'j;thened in every pai't. and ]>ut in the most com])lete order for the service in which they were to be eniiaL;:ed. Tlu'v are under tlie conunand of Lieutenant Iviwanl S. De llavi'u. who was emploved in Com- mander AVilkes' expedition in 1S48 ; Mr.'S. P. Gritfm, aetinii" master, has charassed assistant- surgeon ; jMr. Benjann'n Finland, assistant-surgeon ; W TFIIQ AMKIU<"AN KXI'KDITION. 347 S Novell, luidshijiniiin ; II. T>r«)o1-si'Ih left Mew V«»rk oti tlio iJatli of May, ls,">(>. Tlii-ir ]»rt>j»os('d dc-tiiialioti is tlironii^Ii Harrow's Strait, wc.-tward to ("a|»c Wnlker, and r(Miiihihinthro]>i(r individual who ]>ro)i'cted it, and u[ton tho ollieers and men en<^;iateh lias Keen reeeiveaek, they forced a i>assni;e thi'ou^h it for a considerable distance, but at Inst i>-(>t wed-^ed jip in the ])ack innn(»vably until tlui 2!)th of July, wIk'U by a sudden movenu'iit of tlie floes, an o|H'nin^!f pre- sented itself, aiul nnder a ])ress of sail the vessels forced tlieii- way into clear water. Tlu^y encountered a heavy ^ale, Avhich, with a thick ton;, made their situation very danc:eroua, the Iniij;!' masses of ice beiniij driven along by the strength of the wind and current v/itli gi-eat fury. V>y the aid of war])ing in culm weather, they readied Cape Yoi-ke on tlie I'lth of August, and a littkj to the eastward met \vith two Esoiiiuiaux, but could not understand much from them. Between Capo Vorko and Cape Dudley Diggs, M'hile delayed by calms, being in o])en water, they hauled the ships into the shore at: the Crimson Cliffs of ]>everley, (so named fiom the red snow on them,) and filled their water casks from a mountain stream. On the ISth, with a fair Miiid,they shnped their course for the western side of EatHiTs Bay, nnd met the pack in streams and very loose, which they cleared entirely by ii ifr •'■'t?;l hh: II m 11? '' W[ 848 ritOGRESS OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. li ; I I tl»e t< )llo\vii)lic wero Lmly I was Vrctic ()t 1)0 )Ut tlio c and 'arlia- n Avas I'st iii- >n the 1. Tlie probability of Sir John Fraiihlin liaving Abandoned hi;} vessela to the S. \V. of Crt[)o Walker. 2. The fact that, in his charts, an open passage is laid down from the west into the south part of Kegent Inlet. H. Sir John Franklin would be more likely to take this course throu<:;h a country known to possess the re- sources of animal life, with the wreck of the Victory in Felix Harbor for fuel, and the stores of Fury IJeach farther iu)rth in view, than to fall upon an utterly barren region of the nortli coast of America. 4. He would be more likely to expect succor to be sent to him by way of Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Strait, into which Regent Inlet opens, than in any other direction. In corroboration of the necessity of this part of the search, I would refer generally to the Parliamentary ])apers of 184:8-0 and 50. As an individual opinion,! nuiy quote the words of Captain Beecliey, p. 31 of the lirst series. " If, in this condition," (that of being hoi)elessly blocked up to the S. W. of Caj)e Walker,) " which I trust may not be the case. Sir John Franklin should resolve upon taking to his boats, he would prefer attempting a boat navigation through Sir James Ross's Strait, and np Ilegent Inlet, to a long land journey across the continent to the Hudson Bay Settlements, to which the greater ])art of his crew would be wholly unequal." And again, in his letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty, 7th of February, 1850, Ca])tain Beechey writes, " * * * * the bottom of Ilegent Iidet, about the Pelly Islands, shfmld not be left unexamined, [n the memorandum submitted to their Lordships, 17th of January, 18-49, this quarter was considered of im- portance, and I am still of o])inion that had Sir John Franklin abandoned his vessels near the coast of America, and much short of the j\Iackenzie River, he would have preferred the ])robahi1ity of retaining the use of his boats until he found relief in Barrow's Strait, to risking an ovt>rlan(l jonrnt^y rJa the befoi'e-men- tioned river; mikI it must he reiiioiiihered that at the I' l: H-.: ■iM 1 350 PKOGEE88 OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. ^1 time he sailed, Sir George Back's discovery had ren- dered it very probal)le that IJootiiia was an ishmd. The inemoraiuhim alluded to by Captain Beecjey as havinji; been submitted to the Lords of the Admi- ralty ontlie 17th of January, 1810, was, the expression of tlie unanimous opinion of the arctic officers assem- bled by command of the Admiralty to deliberate u})on the best means to be taken for the relief of the missing expedition ; and in this report, chiuse 11 is expressly devoted to the recommendation of the search of Keifent Inlet. The necessity for the proposed search may be tluis furtiier developed. Sir John Franldin may have aban- doned his ships, when his provisions were nearly ex- hausted somewhere about the latitude of 73° N., long. 105'^ W. ; in short, at any point S. W. of Cape AValker, not further W. than long. 110°. And in such case, rather than return north, (wlilch might be indeed im- ])racticable) or moving south upon the Amei'ican Con- tinent, of which (upon the coast.) the utter barrenness was already m'cU known to him, he migiit ])refer a southeastern course, with a view of passing in his boats, either through James Iloss's, or through Simpson's Straits, into the Gulf of Boothia, and so up into liegent Inlet to the house and stores left at Fury Beacii, the only depot of provisions known to him. The advantages of such a course might appear to him very great. 1. Two open passages being laid down in his ciuirts into Regent Inlet, by James lloss's Strait, and by Simp- son's Strait, a means of boat transport for his party would be afforded, of which alone perhaps their ex- hausted strength and resources might admit; such a Course would obviously recommend itself to a com- mander Avlio had exi)erienced the frightful difficulties of a land iournev in those rcijions. 2. 1 he pro])osed course would lead through a part, the Isthmus of J^oothia, in which animal life is known at some sonsons to abound. 3. The Esquimaux who have been found en the L-timins of iHxttliia are extremely well disposed and fi'iendly. bad ren- liiTid. Beecney e Ad 111 i- pression •8 assoiii- iite u})Oii missing xpivssly :* Kegeiit be tlius ve aba II- iiivly ex- S^., long. Walker, ease. ch leed ini- ;aii Con- rreiniess )refei' a is boats, mp.-;(.ni's ' lieiient aeli, tlie 'antaijes 3at. s cliarts y Siinp- s party jeir ex- such a a com- iculties a part, known on tlio ed and VOYAGE OF THE I'EINCE ALBERT. 3aJ scend Kegent Inlet to a considerable distance south. 5. Tiiere are two persons attached to the expedition who are well acquainted with this region and its re- sources — viz., Mr. Blanky, ice master, and Mr. Mac- Donald, assistant surgeon, of the Terror. The former was with Sir John Koss in the Victory. The latter has made several voyages in whaling vessels and is acquainted with the parts lying between Regent Inlet and Davis' Strait. Whore so few among the crews of the missing ships have had any local experience, the concurrent knowledge of two persons would have considerable weight. 6. Opinions are very greatly divided as to the part m which Sir John Franklin's party may have been ar- rested, and as to the course they may have taken in consequence. It would be therefore mauilestly unfair, and most dangerous, to reason out and magnify any one hypothesis at the expense of the others. Tiie plan here alluded to sought to provide for the probability of the Expedition having been pto]>i)ed shortly after passing to the southwest of Cape Walker. Tiie very open season of 1815 was followed by years of unusual severity until 1841). It is therefore very possible that retreat as well as onward progress has been impossible — that safety alone has become their Irst object. The hope of rescu- ing them in their last extremity depends, then, (as far as human means can insure it,) on the multiplying of simultaneous efforts in every direction. Ca])tain Aus- tin's vessels will, if moving in pairs, take two most iiii- ])ortant sections only, of the general search, and will iind they have enough to do to reach their several points of operation this season. The necessity for this search was greatly enhanced t)j the intelligence received about this time in England ^f tlie arrival of Mr. Eae and Commander Pullen at the Mackenzie River, thus establishing the fact, that Sir Jcihn Frnnklin's party had not readied any part of .\ Mh- m 352 PEOGKESa OF AECrnC DISCOVERY. the coast between Bchring's Strait and the Coppermine Kiver, while the check Which Mr. llae received in Lis course to the north of the Coppermine, tended to give increased importance to the (j^uarter eastward of that jwsition. (Commander Charles Codrington Forsyth, R. JN'., an enterprising young otHcer, who had not long previously been promoted in conse(pience of his arduous services in surveying on the Australian, African, and American chores, and who had rendered good service to tlie gov- ernment by landing supplies on tlie east coast of Africa, imder circumstances of great difficulty during the Kafir war, had volunteered unsuccessfallv for all the govorn- ment expeditions, but was permitted by tlie Admiralty to command this private brancii expedition, in wliich he embarked without fee or reward — on the noble and honorable mission of endeavoring to reUeve his long- imprisoned brother officers. Tlie Prince Albert, a small clipper vessel of about ninety tons, originally built by Messrs. White, of Cowes, in October, 1848, for the fruit trade, was accordin:!;'ly hastily fitted out and dispatched from Aberdeen, and Captain Forsyth was instructed to winter, if possible, in Brentford Bay, in Regent Inlet, and thence send parties to explore the opposite side of the isthmus and the various shores and bays of the Inlet She had a crew of twentv, W. Kav and W. Wilson actino; as first and second mates, and Mr. W. P. Snow as clerk. She sailed on the 5th of June, and was consequently the last vessel that left, and yet is the first that has reached home, having also brought some account of the track of Franklin's ex])edition. The Prince Albert arrived off Cape Farewell, July 2d, entered the ice on the lOth, and on the 21st, came up with Sir John Ross in a labyrinth of ice. She ])ro- ceeded up Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Strait, fell in with most of the English ships in th<:>se seas, and also with the American l)rig Advance, sailing some time in company, and attem]ited to enter Regent Inlet and AVel- Slie left the Advance aground near lington Channel V0YAG15 OP THE PRINCE ALBERT. 353 , July ClllUG c pro- Cape Riley, at the entrance of Wellington Channel, though not in a situation supposed to ue dangerous. Commander Forsyth, in his omcial letter to the Lords of the Admiralty, says that " traces of the missing ex- pedition under Sir John Franklin had been found at Cape Riley and Beechey Island, at the entrance to the Wellington Cliannel. We observed five places where tents had been pitched, or stones placed as if they had been used for keeping the lower part of the tents down, also great quantities of beef, pork, and birds' bones, a piece of rope, with the Woolwich naval mark on it, (yellow,) part of which I have inclosed." Having en- tered Wellington Channel, and examined the coast as far as Point Innis, and finding no further t .aces of the missing vessels, and it being impracticable to penetrate further to the west. Commander Forsyth returned to Re gent Inlet, but meeting no opening there, the season being near at hand when the ice begins to form, and his vessel not of a strength which would enable it to resist a heavy pressure of ice, he determined on return- ing without further delay to England, after examining a number of points along the coast. On the 25th of August, a signal staff being observed on shore at Cape Riley, Mr. feiv/^v was sent by Captain Forsyth to examine it. He fo ind that the Assistance, Captain Ommaney, had been f here two days before, and had left the following notice . — " This is to certify that "''aptain Omiuaney, with the officers of her Majesty's ships Assistan(,'e and Intrepid, landed upon Cape Riley on the 23d August, 1850, wliere he found traces of encampments, and collected the re- mains of materials, wliicfi evidently proved that some party belonging to her Majesty's ships had been de- tained on that spot. Beechey Island was also examined, where traces were found of the same ]uirty. This is also to give notice that a supply of provisions and fuel is at Cape Riley. Since 15t]i August, ^hey have ex- amined the north shore of Lancaster Sound and Bar- row's Strait, without meeting witli any otlici* traces. Captain Ommaney proceeds to Cape Ilotliam and Capo m -1*3. 354 rUOGRKSS OF AUCTIC DISCOVERY. VV"alker in search of further traces of Sir John Frank- lin's expedition. Dated on board her Majesty's ship Assistance, off Cape liih^y, the 2'.>d August, 1850." Tlie seamen who were dispatched from tlie Assistance to examine these remains, Ibund a rope with the naval mark, evidently behnii^ing to a vessel wliich had l)een fitted out at Woohvieli, and wliich, in all probability, was either the Erebus or the Terror, Other indications were also noticed, which showed that some vessel had visited the place l)esides the Assistance. Captain For- syth left a notice that the Prince Albert had called off Cape Ililey on the 25th of August, and then bore up to the eastward. Captain Forsyth landed at Posses- Bion Bay on the 20th August, but nothing was found there to repay tlie search instituted. The Prince Albert arrived at Aberdeen, on the 22d of October, after a quick passiige, having been absent something less than four months. Captain Forsyth proceeded to London by the mail train, taking with him, for tiie infonnation of the Ad- miralty, the several bones, (beef, pork, &c.,) which were found on Cape Kiley, together with u ])iece of rope of about a foot and a half in length, and a small ])iece of canvas with the Queen's nuuk u])on it, both in an ex- cellent state of ])reservation ; placing it almost beyond a doubt that they were left on that spot by the expedi- tion under Sir John Frnnklin. Captain Forsyth, during his short trip, ex])lored re- gions which Sir efames lloss was unable to rench the previous year, lie was at AVellington Channel, and penetrated to Fury Beach, where Sir E. Parry aban- doned his vessel, (the Fury,) in 1825, after she had taken the ground. It is situated in al»out 72° 40' N. latitude, and 91° 50' W. longitude. This is a point vhich has not been reached by any vessel for twenty years past. It was found, however, utterly impossible to land there on account of tlie packed ice. The whole of the coasts of Baffin's Bay have also now been visited without result. The intelligence which Capt. Forsyth brouglit home VOYAGE OF THE PRINCE ALBERT. 355 Frank- 's ship 50." jiistance e naval L(l l)een )ability, ications sel had ain For- illed off 3ore up Posses- LS found the 22d I absent he mail the Ad- icli were rope t)t' )iece of n an ex- beyond expedi- ored re- ncli the nel, and y aban- die liad ° 40' N. a point twentv possible e whole visited it home has, as a matter of course, excited the most intense in- terest in naval circles, and among the friends and rela- tives of the parties absent in the Erebus and Terror, the more so inasmuch as it has been ascertained at Cliatham Dockyard that the rope which Captain For- syth found on the spot when he visited it, and copied Capt. Onnnaney's notice, is proved by its yellow mark to have been manufactured tiiere, and certainly since 1824 ; and moreover, from inquiries instituted, very strong evidence has been elicited in tavor of the l)elief that the rope was made between the years 1841 and 1849. That the trail of the Franklin expedition, or some detachment of it, has been struck, there cannot be the slightest doubt in the mind of any one who has read the dispatches and reports. That Captain Om- maney felt satisfied on this score is evident from the terms of the paper he left beliind him. The squadron, it appears, were in full cry upon tlu scent on the 2r)th of August, and we must wait patiently, but anxiojisly, for the next accounts of the results of their indefatiga- ble researches, which can hardly reach us from Bar- row's Strait before the autumn of 1851. There can be no doubt now in the mind of any one, that the Arctic Searching Expeditions have at length come upon trace.% if not the track of Sir John > ranlc- liiik Tiie accounts brought by Captain Forsyth must have at least satisfied the most desponding that there is still hope left — that the ships liave not foundered in Baffin's Bay, at the outset of the voyage, nor Ix^en crushed in the ice, and burned by a savage tri])e of Esquimaux, who had murdered the crew. That the former mir/ht have liappened, all must admit ; but to tlie latter, few, we imagine, will give their assent, not- \vithstanlendid and richly-endowed institutions, will not allow this noble-minded lady to exhaust her private resources in the equipment ofexpeditions which are deemed so important and necessary, but that they will come for- ward and relieve her, recollectinuj that the expedition is re(piired in searcli of two of iier Majesty's ships, sent out on their arduous service by the government of tho country, and under command of her honored, amiable, and distinguished husband, the good and brave Sir John Franklin. I have thus gone through, as fully as my space M'ould permit, the voyages and journeys of our navigators and travelers within the Arctic circle, and the record of their arduous services cannot fail to prove interesting. There is one land expedition, that of Dr. Sir John Richardson, on tho Polar shore between the Copper- mine and Mackenzie llivers, in 1848, which I have not touched on because it has already been published in detail in several tpiarters, and the gallant Doctor is pre- paring a very full account of it for immediate publica- tion. Captain Kellett, also, has it in contemplation to publish an account of the voyage of the Herald. The following recapitulation will give the ])08ition of the different vessels engaged in the search, when last heard of. The Investigator having passed Behring's Strait, reached Kotzebue Sound on the 27th of July, and when last heard of, was pushing her way along between the ice toward Melville Island. The Enterprise had put back to Ilong Kong to winter having been unable to enter the ice. The Advance, was aground off Cape Riley, August 2oth. The Assistance, in "Wellington Channel, August 25th, standing toward Capo Hothara. The Felix, off Cape Crawford, in Lancaster Sound, August 22d. The Intrepid and Lady Franklin, on August 24th : i LATKST I'OSITION OF ALF. TIIIO VKHHIJ.S. 1\K 50 mid 2r>tli, in Wellington Clmnnel, standing tovviird Cuj)o Jlothuni. Tho Kesoluto and Pioneer, in IVsKossion ]>ay, Aug. ITtii. The liescnc and Sophia, in Wellington Channel, Au- gust iJ5tli, aj)i)arently beriet with ice. The Plover, wintering in Grantley Harbor, Port Clarence, 1S50. The Ts'orth Star and Prince Albert have, as we havo Keen, arrived in England, and the Herald is also on her passage home. 1 have been favored with the sight of a private letter of very recent date from an olhcer of the JJerald, dated J long Kong, 2',k\ of December, 1850, from which I make the tullowing extracts : " On our third and last (;ruiso north in search of the ill-fated expedition under Sir John Franklin, we sailed from Oaliu on the 24th of ]\[ay, 1850, arriving in Kot- zebue Sound on the 14th of July. The Sound was a peifect wall of ice, with no prospect of our being able to communicate with the Plover for a week or ten days. One of our cutters was sent in with letters, getting be- tween the flo(!s, and hauling over some, at last reached her, and found them all well, but no news during the winter of Sir John Pranklin. On the 21st of July, after watering and refitting, we sailed for tJape Lis- Lurne to intercept the Enterprise and Investigator, this being the ap])ointed rendezvous. The Plover also sailed for Point Barrow to look after Pullen's party. On the 26th, in a dense fog, we made the ice-pack, much to our surprise, 180 miles south of where wo found it last season, in latitude 70° 13' N. The ice was fourteen feet high, a solid wall without an opening through which we might with safety sail. Toward midnight it blew a gale of wind, and we were compel- led to liaul off. On the 29th, we again made the pack much higher than before, rising like a hill from the sea face, in latitude 71° 12' N. On the night of the 80th, we saw detached icebergs off Wainwright Inlet, from thirty to forty feet high. The wind again increasing to a jrale, witli thick rainy \veather, reduced us to close reefs, and compelled us to bear up for Cape Lisburne. I'll lilt IS mi M 300 PKOOKE88 OF ABOTIO DISCi "ERY. it % 3 % " Arriving oft' that place on tho last day of July, wo wore fortunate enough to fall in \^i:A> the Investigator in a dense fog. Clearing for an iiistant, we were along- side each other 1 and wo had the news of the last twelve months. She had come from Oahu in the rihort spaf'o of tim(^, twenty-six days. The Enterprise sailed iive days before her. They had 't seen each other since rounding the Horn. The Investigator remained but a few minutes in our com pan 3', and then departed with three hearty cheers from us for the ice pack, deter- mined to get to Melville Island. She had our good wishes, but at the same time our doubts as to her suc- cess ; we had the experience of three voyages. She was as yet green, and all her troubles to go through. "From tliis day. 31st of July, to 2()th of August, wo were blockading Cape Lisburnt, to intercept the En- ivTprise and Plover, a most tedious and troublesome twenty-six days as ever we experienced ; we did not pee the former, but the Plover we spoke. She had been to Point Barrow, had heard from the natives that a party of white men had been murdered and buried near the Col\ ille River, near the Mackenzie River, and that whales' jaws and bones now marked the spot. If it had not been so late in the season we should have sent a boat expedition there, but we hardly knew what con- clusion to come to. It may be Pullen's party, — it may be only ' native report ' to get tobacco and beads. My o])inion was, and is, that the story was a most improb- able one, as the natives refused to accept a cask of to- bacco and two muskets to go there as pilots. But should any thing have unfortunately happened to Pullen's party, and no movement made by us to rescue them if still alive, it would be a damper on the Herald, and the aifair never forgiven or forgotten by the public. " Finding it useless to wait any longer for the Enter- prise, we sailed for Po"t Clarence, and put the Plover into winter quarters as a depot for the two ships north." Till! REAKCIIING EXPEDITIONS. 361 TO THE EXPEDITIONS IN SEARCH OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [From Fisher'H Drawing-Uooiu Scrap-Book.] Across the Arctic foam, To bring tho wnnclercr home, Speed on, yo fleets, wlutm Mercy's liaiid equips f And nmy tin favoring it^nles M.ike niiisii in your sjiils, And waft you sifuly vn ppillant sliijiv I May suiisli ^j^lit your path. And tem[>' lill thuir wrath, And fortune guide ym, n your darkest tnick ; Speed on with hiirh endeavor, And hopeful couin^^c ever, And bring to British herrts their long lost hero back. Farewell — a short farewell I — The liopes of nations swell. And prayei-s of myriads rise to Heaven for you, That perils of the cold. And hai'dships manifold, May bear their gentlest on each hardy crew 1 A thankful world looks on. And gives its benison ; America and Europe join their hands ; And o'er the Northern Sea, Gaze forward hopefully. And sound our Franklin's name through all the anxious lands. Return I oli, soon return I And let our beal-fires burn On every mountain-top and dizzy scaur ; And let the people's voice. And clapping hands rejoice For his and your returning from afar. No conqueror antique, * Of Roman fame or Greek, Such proud ovation gathered, laurel-crowned, As we on him would pour, From every sea or shore, And hive of busy men, on all our English ground. But if this may not be, And o'er the frozen sea They oleep in death, the victims ot their zeal ; Be yours the task to show The greatness of our woe, And end the doubting hopes that millions feel. Then shall tho tears be shed For them, the glorious dead ; . 16* i^''lM V. 1 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /> // V. y.i< At J 4^ 1.0 1.1 lit ■ 40 IL25 III 1.4 Ii4 Hiotographic ^Sdences Corporalion \ <^ '^ ^1^ ^.v^ 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WIBSTIt.N.Y. U5S0 (716)172-4503 '^ 4% 862 PROGRESS OF AROllC DISCOVERT. And then shall History, on a spotless page. Inscribe each honest name With tributary fame — The mfin of noble soul — true heroes of our agOi Speed on across the wave 1 — For you the good and brave. The good and brave of every land implore All blessings and success, Sunshine and happiness, And safety on the far and frozen shore. From storm and hidden rock, And from the ice-berg's shock. May Heaven protect you, wheresoe'er ye stray I On Mercy's errand sped On you be mercy shed, Qod guide you, mariners, and shield you on your way NV f\ % ■fr. m "% **^'3 I K THE AMERICAN ARCTIO EXPEDITION. The safe return of the expedition sent out by Mr Henry Grinnell, an opulent merchant of New York city in search of Sir John Franklin and his companions, is an event of much interest ; and the voyage, though not resulting in the discovery of the long-absent mariners, presents many considerations satisfactory to the parties immediately concerned, and the American public in general. Mr. GrinnelPs expedition consisted of only two small brigs, the Advance of 140 tons ; the Rescue of only 90 tons. The former had been engaged in the Havana trade ; the latter was a new vessel built for the mer- chant service. Both were strengthened for the arctic voyage at a heavy cost. They were then placed under the directions of our Navy Board, and subject to naval regulations, as if in permanent service. The command was given to Lieut. E. De Haven, a young naval officer who accompanied the United States exploring expedi- tion. The result has proved that a better choice could not have been made. His officers consisted of Mr. Murdoch, sailinff-master ; Dr. E. K. Kane, surgeon and naturalist ; and Mr. Lovell, midshipman. The Advance had a crew of twelve men when she sailed ; two of them complaining of sickness, and expressing a desire to return home, were left at the Danisli settlement at Disco Island, on the coast of Greenland. The Expedition left New York on the 23d of May, 1850, and was absent a little more than sixteen months. They passed the eastern extremity of Newfoundland 36(J PKOGRESS OF AROTIO DI8COVEKY. \^ ten clays after leaving Sandy ITook, and tlien sailed east-nortbeast, directly for Cape Comfort, on the coast of Greenland. Tiie weatlier was generally fine, and only a single accident occurred on the voyage to that country of frost and snow. Off the coast of Labrador they met an iceberg making its way toward the tropics. The night was very dark, and as the huge voyager had no " light out," the Advance could not be censured for running foul. She was punished, however, by the loss of her jib-boom, as she ran against the iceberg at the rate of seven or eight knots an hour. The voyagers did not land at Cape Comfort, but turning nortliward, sailed along the southwest coast of Greenland, sometimes in the midst of broad acres of broken ice, (particularly in Davis' Straits,) as far as Whale Island. On the way the anniversary of our national independence occurred ; it was observed by the seamen by "splicing the main-brace" — in other words, they were allowed an extra glass of grog on that day. From "Whale Island, a boat, with two officers and four seamen, was sent to Disco Island, a distance of about 26 miles, to a Danish settlement there, to procure skin clothing and other articles necessary for use during the rigors of a polar winter. The officers were enter- tained at the government house ; the seamen were com- fortably lodged with the Esquimaux, sleeping in fur bags at night. They returned to the ship the following day, and the expedition proceeded on its voyage. When passing the little Danish settlement of TJpernavick, they were boarded by natives for the first time. They were out in government whale-boats, hunting for ducks and seals. These hardy children of the Arctic Circle were not shy, for through the Danes, the English whalers,and government expeditions, they had become acquainted with men of other latitudes. When the expedition reached Melville Bay, which, on account of its fearful character, is also called the DemVs Nip^ the voyagers began to witness more of the grandeur and perils of arctic scenes. Icebergs of THE ASIERICAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 367 all dimensions came bearing down from the Polar seas, like vast squadrons, and the roar of their rending came over the waters like the booming of heavy broadsides of contending navies. They also encountered immense floes, with omy narrow channels between, and at times their situation was exceedingly perilous. On one occa- sion, after heaving through fields of ice for five consecu- tive weeks, two immense floes, between which thev were making their way, gradually approached each other, and for several hours they expected their tiny vessels — tiny when compared with the mighty objects around them — would be crushed. An immense calf of ice, six or eight feet thick, slid under the Rescue, lifting her almost " high and dry," and careening her partially upon her beam ends. By means of ice-an- chors, (large iron hooks,) they kept her from capsizing. In this position they remained about sixty hours, when, with saws and axes, they succeeded in relieving her. The ice now opened a little, and they finally warped through into clear water. While they were thus con- fined, polar bears came around them in abundance, greedy for prey, and the seamen indulged a little in the ^perilous sports of the chase. The open sea continued but a short time, when they again became entangled among bergs, floes, and hum- mocks, and encountered the most fearful perils. Some- times they anchored their vessels to icebergs, and some- times to noes or masses of hummock. On one of these occasions, while the cook, an active Frenchman, was upon a berg, making a place for an anchor, the mass of ice split beneath him, and he was dropped through the yawning fissure into the water, a distance of almost thirty feet. Fortunately the masses, as is often the case, did not close up again, but floated apart, and the poor cook was hauled on board more dead than alive, from excessive fright. It was in this fearful region that they first encountered pack-ice, and there they were locked in from the 7th to the 23d of July. During that time they were joined by the yacht Prince Albert, com- manded by Captain Forsyth, of the Eoyal Navy, and 368 PROGRESS OF AROTIO DISCOVERY. together the three vessels were anchored, for a while, to an immense field of ice, in sight of the DeviPs Thumb. That high, rocky peak, situated in latitude 74° 22', was about thirty miles distant, and with the dark hills adjacent, presented a strange aspect where all was white and glittering. The pa^ and the hills are masses of rock, with occasionally a lichen or a moss growing upon their otherwise naked surfaces. In the midst of the vast ice-field loomed up many loft^ bergs, all of them in motion — slow and majestic motion. From the Devil's Thumb the American vessels passed onward through the pack toward Sabine's Islands, while the Prince Albert essayed to make a more westerly course. They reached Cape York at the beginning of August. Far across the ice, laiidward, they discovered, through their glasses, several men, apparently making signals ; and for a while they rejoiced in the belief that they saw a portion of Sir John Franklin's companions. Four men, (among whom was our sailor-artist.,) were dispatched with a whale-boat to reconnoiter. They soon discovered the men to be Esquimaux, who, by signs, professed great friendship, ana endeavored to get the voyagers to accompany them to their homes beyond the hills. They declined ; rfnd as soon as they returned tvLthe vessel, the expedition again pushed forward, and ide its way to Cape Dudley Digges, which they iched on the 7th of August. At Cape Dudley Digues they were charmed by the sight of the Crimson Cliffs, spoken of by Captain rarry and other arctic navigators. These are lofty cliffs of dark brown stone, covered with snow of a rich crimson color. It was a magnificent sight in that cold region, to see such an apparently warm object standing out in bold relief against the dark blue back-ground of a polar sky. This was the most northern point to which the expedition penetrated. The whole coast which they had passed from Disco to this cape is high, rugged, and barren, only some of the low points, stretching into the sea, bearing a species of dwarf fir. Northeast from the cape rise the Arctic Highlands, to an unknown alti- THE AMERICAN ARCTIO EXPEDITION. 3«9 I go, the tude ; and stretchinff away northward is the unexplored Smith's Sound, filled with impenetrable ice. From Cape Dudley Digges, the Advance and Res- cue, beating against wind and tide in the midst of the ice-fields, made Wolstenholme Sound, and then chang- ing their course to the southwest, emerged from the fields into the open waters of Lancaster Sound. Here, on the 18th of August, they encountered a tremendous gale, which lasted about twenty-four hours. The two vessels parted company during the storm, and remained separate several aays. Across Lancaster Sound, the Advance made her way to Barrow's Straits, and on the 22d discovered the Prince Albert on the southern shore of the straits, near Leopold Island, a mass of lofty, precipitous rocks, dark and barren, and hooded and draped with snow. The weather was fine, and soon the officers and crews of the two vessels met in friendly greeting. Those of the Prince Albert were much as- tonished, for they (being towed by a steamer,) left the Americans in Melville Bay on the 6th, pressing north- ward through the pack, and could not conceive how thev so soon aad safely penetrated it. Captain For- sytn had attempted to reach a particular point, where he intended to remain through the winter, but finding the passage thereto completely blocked up with ice, he had resolved, on the very day when the Americans ap- peared, to " 'bout ship," and return hoLNi. This fagt, and the disappointment felt by Mr. Snow, au mentioned in our former article. The two vessels remained together a day or two, when they parted company, the Prince Albert to re« iurn home, and the Advance to make further explora- tions. It was off Leopold Island, on the 22d of Au- gust, that the " mad Yankee " took the lead through the vast masses of floating ice, so vividlv described 'by Mr. Snow, and so graphically portrayed by the sailor-artisk " The way was before them," says Mr. Snow, who stood upon the deck of the Advance ; " the stream of ice had to be either gone through boldly, or a long detour made; and, despite the heaviness of the stream, they 2>ushed yl! I ■ 870 rit«)OUK88 OF ARCTIC DISCOVKRY. the vessel through in her proper rottrse. Two or threo shocks, as she caine in contact with some largo jiicccs, were unheeded ; and the moment the hist block was past the bow, tlie ofHcer Bxiur^ out, ' So : steady as siio goes on her course ;' and came at\ as if notliing more tium ordinary sailing had boon going on. I observed our own little bark nobly ft>llowing in the American's wake ; and as I afterward kiarned, she got through it pretty well, tiiough not witiiout mucii doubt of the pro- priety of keeping on in such procedure after the ' mad Yankee,' as he was called by our nuite." From Leopold Island the Advance proceeded to the northwest, and on tiie 25th reached Capo Riley, an otiier amorphous mass, not so regular and precipitate as Leopold Island, but more lofty. Here a strong tide, setting in to tlie shore, drifted the Advance toward the beach, where she stranded. Around her were small bergs and large masses of floating ice, all under tlio influence of the strong current. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon whon siie struck. By diligent labor in removing every thing from her deck to a small floe, she was so lightened, that at four o'clock the next morning she floated, and soon every thing was properly replaced. Near Cape Kiley the Americans fell in with a por- tion of an English Expedition, and there also the Rescue, left behind in the gale in Lancaster Sound, overtook the Advance. There was Captain Penny with the Sophia and Lady Franklin; the veteran Sir John Ross, with the Felix, and Commodore Austin, with the Resolute steamer. Together the navigators of both nations explored the coast at and near Cape Riley, and on the 27t)» they saw in a cove on the sliore of Beechey Island, or Beeciiey Cape, on the east side of the entrance to Wellington Channel, unmistakable evi dence that Sir John Franklin and his companions were there in April, 1846. There they found many articles known to belong to the British Navy, and some that were the property of the Erebus and Terror, the ships under the command of Sir John. There lay, bleachad •'«• «5 THE AilKUICAN AKCTIO KXPEDITION. 371 to tlio wliitenesfl of the surrounding; snow, a piece of caiivtts, witli the nmnc of the Terror, marked uptni it with inde8tructil)le charcoal. It was very faint, yet perfectly lej^ible. Near it was a guide board, lying ihit n])on its face, liaving been ])roHti"ated by the wind. It had evidently been used to direct exploring parties to the vessels, or rather, to the en- campment on shore. The board was pine, thirteen inches in length and six and a half in breadth, and nailed to a boarding pike eight feet in length. It is 8upj)08ed that the sudden opening of the ice, caused Sir John to depart hastily, and in so doing, this pike and its board were left behind. They also found a large number of tin canisters, such as are used for packing meats for a sea voyage; an anvil block : rem- nants of clothing, which evinced, by numerous patches and their thread- bare character,that they had been worn as long as the own- ers could keep them ANVIL BLOCK. GUIDE BOAED. on ; the remains of an India Kubber glove, lined with wool ; some old sacks ; a cask, or tub, partly filled with charcoal, and an unfinished rope-mat, which, like other fibrous fabrics, was bleached white. But the most interesting, and at the same time most melancholy traces of the navigators, were three graves, in a little sheltered cove, each with a board at the head, bearing the name of the sleeper below. These inscrij)- ■m m ■M 872 PROCJUKSS OK AKCTIO DWCOVKKY. tlons testify positively when Sir .Tt)hn and his compan- ions were there. The bonrU at the head of the grave on the left has the following inscription : " Sacred to the memory of John Touuin(jton, who departed this life, January Ist, a p., 1846, on board her Majesty's ship Terror, aged 20 years." On the center one — "Sacred to the memory of iTouN IIartneix, a. B., of her Majesty's shin Erebus ; died, January 4th, 1840, aged 25 years. ' Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Consider your ways ;' Ilaggai, chap, i. 5, 7." On the right — "Sacred to the memory of W. Bratne, R. M., of her Majesty's ship Erebus, who died April 3d, 1846, aged 32 years. * Choose you this day whom you will serve :' Joshua, chap, xxiv., part of the 16th verso." ■^v THBEE GRAVK8 AT BEECHEY. How much later than April 3d (the date upon the last-named head-board,) Sir John remained atBeechej, can not be determined. They saw evidences of his having gone northward, for sledge tracks in that di- rection were visible. It is the opinion of Dr. Kane that, on the breaking up of the ice, in the spring, Sir John passed northward with his ships through Welling- ton Channel, into the great Polar basin, and that \\q did not return. This, too, is the opinion of Captain Penny, and he zealously urges the British government to send a powerful screw steamer to pass through tha> TI1I5 AMKKICAN AKCTIO EXPKDITION. 373 channel, and explore the theoretically more liospitablo cuaHts beyond. This will doubtless l)e undertaken another season, it beinj^ the opinions of Ca2)tains I'tirry, iieechey. Sir John Uoss, and otiiers, ex])ressed at a con- ference with the board of Admiralty, in September, that tiie season was too far advanced to attempt it the pres- ent year. Dr. Kane, in a letter to Mr. Grinuell, since the return of the expedition, thus expresses his opin ion concerning the safety of Sir John panions. Atter saying, "I should and his com- think that he is now to be sought for north and west of Cornwallis Island," he adds, ^^as to the chance of the destruction of his party by the casualties of ice, the return of our own party after something more than the usual share of them, is the only fact that I can add to what wo knew when we set out. The hazards from cold and privation of food may be almost looked upon as sub- ' ordinate. The snow-hut, the fire and light from the moss-lamp fed with blubber, the seal, the narwhal, the white whale, and occasionally abundant stores of mi- gratory birds, would sustain vigorous life. The scurvy, the worst visitation of explorers deprived of perma- nent quarters, is more rare in the depths of a polar winter, than in the milder weather of the moist sum- mer ; and our two little vessels encountered both seasons without losing a man." Leaving Beechey Cape, our expedition forced its way through the ice to Barrow's Inlet, where they narrowly escaped being frozen in for the winter. They endeav- ored to enter the Inlet, for the purpose of making it their winter quarters, but were prevented by the mass of pack-ice at its entrance. It was on the 4th of Sep- tember, 1850, when they arrived there, and after re- maining seven or eight days, they abandoned the attempt to enter. On the right and left of the above ficture, are seen the dark rocks at the entrance of the nlet, and in the center of the frozen waters and the range of hills beyond. There was much smooth ice within the Inlet, and while the vessels lay anchored to the " field," officers and crew exercised and amused t 874 ruodKEHS OF AKci'io i)is(;(n'i':uY. * •"»^ tliemsolvos by 8kiitiM({'^ west longitude from Greenwich. This was attained on the 11th, afid was the extreme westing made by the expit- dition. All beyond seemed impt'ni^trable ice ; and, despairing of making any further discoveries before the W'inter sluudd set in, they resolved tc) return honu\ Turning eastward, they hoped to reach Davis' Strait by the southern route, before the cold and darkness came on ; but they were doomed to disap])ointment. ISV'ar the entrance to Wellington ( -hannel tliey lu'came com])letely locked in by hummock-ice, and soon foimd themselves drifting with an irresistible tide uj) that channel towarc'. tiie pole. Is'ow began the most perilous adventures of the navi- gators. The sunnner day was drawing to a close; the diurnal visits of the pale sun were raj)idly shortening, and soon the long polar night, with all its darkness and horrors, would fall u})on them. Slowly tlu^y drifted in those vast tields of ice, whither, or to what result, they kncAV not. Lockecl in the moving yet compact mass ; liable at every moment to be crushed ; far away from land ; the mercury sinking daily lower and lower from the zero figure, toward the point where tluit metal freces, they felt snuUl hope of ever reaching home again. Vet they p!'e])ared for winter comforts and winter sports, as cheei'fully as if lying safe in I'arlow's Inlet. As the I >mi t' THE AMERICAN AECTIO EXPEDITION. 375 printer advanced, the crews of both the vessels went on board the larger one. They unshipped the rudders of each, to prevent their being injured by the ice, cover(Ml the deck of the Advance with felt, prepared their stores, and made arrangements for enduring the long wintei-, now upon them. Physical and mental activity being necessary for the preservation of health, they daily ex- ercised in the open air for several hours. They built ice huts, hunted the huge white bears and the little polar foxes, and when the darkness of the winter night had spread over them they arranged in-door amusements and employments. Before the end of October, the sun made its appear- ance for the last time, and the awful polar night closed in. Early in November they wholly abandoned the Kescue, and both crews made the Advance their permanent winter home. The cold soon became in- tense ; the mercury congealed, and the spirit thermome- ter indicated 46° below zero ! Its average range was 30° to 35°. They had drifted helplessly up Wellington Channel, almost to the latitude from whence Captain Penny saw an open sea, and which all believe to bo the great polar basin, where there is a more genial clime than that which intervenes between the Arctic Circle and the 75th degree. Here, when almost in Bight of the open ocean, that mighty polar tide, with its vast masses of ice, suddenly ebbed, and our little vessels were carried back as resistlessly as before, through Barrow's Straits into Lancaster Sound! All this while the immense fields of hummock-ice were moving, and the vessels were in hourly danger of being crushed and destroyed. At length, while drifting through Barrow's Straits, the congealed mass, as if crushed together by the opposite shores, became more compact, and the Advance was elevated almost seven feet by the stern, and keeled two feet eight inches, star- board. In this position she remained, with very little alteration for five consecutive months ; for, soon after entering Baffin's Bay in tlie midst of tlie winter, tlie ice became fi'ozeii in one immense tract, covering rnil- '■\ ■P ill 376 rROGRESS OF AKCTIC DISCOVKRY. lions of acres. Thus frozen in, sometimes more than a Imndrecl miles from hind, tliey drifted slowly along the soutiiwest coast of Batiin's Bay, a distance of more than a thousand miles from Wellington Channel. For eleven ■weeks that dreary night continued, and during that time the disc of the sun was never seen above the hori- zon. Yet nature was not wholly forbidding in aspect. Sometimes the Aurora Boreal is would flash up still fui'ther northward ; and sometimes Aurora Parhelia^ — mock suns and mock moons — would appear in varied beauty in the starry sky. Brilliant, too, were the north- ern constellations ; and when tiie real moon was at its full, it made its stately circuit in the heavens, without descending below the horizon, and lighted up the vast 2^iles of ice with a pale luster, almost as great as the morning twilights of more genial skies. Around the vessels the crews built a wall of ice ; and in ice huts they stowed away their cordage and stores to make room for exercise on the decks. They organ- ized a theatrical company, and amused themselves and the officers with comedy well performed. Behind the pieces of hummock each actor learned his part, and by means of calico they transformed themselves into female characters, as occasion required. These dramas were acted on the deck of the Advance, sometimes while the thermometer indicated 30° below zero, and actors and audiences highly enjoyed the fun. They also went in parties during that long night, fully armed, to hunt the polar bear, the grim monarch of the frozen Korth, on w'hich occasions they often encountered peril- ous ad ventures. They jilayed at foot-ball, and exercised themselves in drawing sledges, heavily laden with pro- visions. Five hours of each twenty-four, they thus exer- cised in the open air, and once a week each nuin washed his whole body in cold snow watcsr. Serious sickness was consequently avoided, and the scurvy which at- tacked them soon yielded to remedies. Often during that fearful night, they expected the disaster of hiivini»; their vessels ciMislu'd. All through IN'ovcnilKM' ami Dc'Ci'iuboi". b.-'loiv llu^ ice ItccaiiH; t;i.st TIIK AMKUICAN AKCTIC KXrKniTION. 377 pro- >xer- 5hed Iness at- the It'uHt tlioy slept in their clothes, witli Ivimpsacks on their bucks, and sledges npun the ice, laden with stores, not knowing at what moment the vessels niirooklyn on the 30th of Se])tember, and the llescue joined her there a few days afterward. Toward the close of October, the goveiii- ment resigned the vessels into the hands of Mr. (Jrin- nell, to be used in other service, but witii the stipulation that they are to be subject to the order of the Secretary of the Navy in the spring, if rerpiired for another expedition in search of Sir John Franklin. We have thus given a very brief account of the prin- cipal events of interest connected M'ith the American Arctic Expedition ; tiie officers of which will doubtless publish a more detailed Jiarrative. Aside from the suc- cess which attended our little vessels in encountering the perils of the polar seas, there are associations which must forever hallow the effort as one of the noblest exhibitions of the true glory of nations. The navies of America and England have before met upon the ocean, but they met for deadly strife. Now, too, they met for strife, ecpially determiricd, but not with each other. They met in the holy cause of Ixnievolence and human sympathy, to battle with the elements beneath the Arctic Circle ; and the chivalric heroism which the few stout hearts of the two nations displayed in that terrible conflict, redounds a thousand-fold more to the glory of the actors, their governments, and the race, than if four-score ships, with ten thousand armed men had fought for the mas- tery of each other upon the broad ocean, and battered hulks and marred corpses had gone down to the coral caves of the sea, a dreadful offering to the demon of Discord. In the latter event, troops of widows and or- phan children would have sent up a cry of wail ; now, the heroes advanced manfully to rescue husbands and fiithers to restore them to their wives and children. How glorious the thought ! and how suggestive of the lien the nations * :auty ap[. ^y^ . *• 4 ->3 380 ruooiu<:ss of Aucric disco vkuy. shall Rlt down in pcaco household. as united children of ono "Winter in the Akctic Ocean. The following narrative, showing tlic way the wintei of 1851-52 was passed by those engaged in the recent arctic expedition, is from the oflicial report made by Lieut. De Haven, the Commander of tiie exj)edition : "On tlie morning of the llJtIi Se])t., 1850, the wind having moderated sutliciently, we got under way, and working our way through some streams of ice, arrived in a few hours at ' Gritllth's' Ishiiid, under the lee of M'hich we found our consort nnido fast to the shore, where she had taken shelter in the gale, her cre\y hav- ing suffered a good deal from the inclemency of the weather. In bringing to under the lee of the island, she had the misfortune to s])ring her rudder, so that on joining ns, it was witii much ditHcidty she could steer. To insure her safety and more rapid j^rogress, she was taken in tow by the Advance, when she bore up with a fine breeze from tlie westward. Oft* Cape Martyr, we left the English squadron nnder Capt. Austin. Abont ten miles further to the cast, the two vessels un- der Capt. Penny, and that under Sir John Eoss, were seen secured near the land. At 8 r. m.. we had ad- vanced as far as Cape ITotham. Thence as far as the increasing darkness of the niijht enabled us to see, there was nothing to obstruct our progress, except the ba}'' ice. This, with a good breeze, woidd not have im- peded us much ; but nnfortunately the wind, when it was most required, failed ns. The snow, with which the surface of the w^ater was covered, rai)idly cemented, and formed a tenacious coat, through which it was im- possible with all dur appliances to force tiie vessels. At 8 p. M., they came to a dead stand, some ten miles to the east of Barlow's Inlet. "The following day the wind hauled to the southward, from.whicii quarter it lasted till the 10th. During this period tiie young ice was broken, its edges squeezed u\) WINTKU IN THK AKCTIO OCKAN. 381 like liaiTunocks, ami one floe ovcrnin by another until it all assumed tlie appearance ot* heavy ice. The ves- sels received some iieavy ni)>s Irnm it, hnt they with- stood them without injury. Whenever a nool of water made its ap^jearance, every ellort was made to reach it, in hopes that it woidd lead us into IJeechey Island, oi' some other place where the vessel miylit he j>lace(l ii\ security ; for the winter set in unusually early, and the severity with which it connnenced, forbade all lioj>es of our being able to return this season. I now became anxious to attain a ])oint in the neighboi'hood, from whence by means of land parties, in the si)riniif, a goodly extent of Wellington Channel might be examined. "In the mean time, under the influence of the south wind, we were being set up the channel. On the 18th we were above Ca])e IJowden, the most northern ])oint seen on this shore by Parry. The land on both shores was seen much furthei*, and trended considerably to the west of north. To account for this drift, the fixed ico of Wellington Channel, which we had observed in pass- ing to the westward, must have been broken uv m d driven to the southward by the heavy gale of the J2ih. On the 10th the wind veered to the north, which g ive us a southerly'' set, forcing us at the same time with the western shore. This did not last long ; for the next day the wind hauled again to the sontli, and blew fresh, bringing the ice in uj)on us with mnch pressure. At midnight it broke up all around us, 8t> that we had work to maintain the Advance in a safe ])osition, and keep her from being separated from her consort, which was immovably fixed in the center of a lai'ge floe. " We continued to drift slowly to the N. N. W., until the 22d, when our })rogress appeared to be arrested by a small low island, which was discovered in that direc- tion, about seven miles distant. A channel of three or four miles in width separated it from Cornwall is Island. This latter island, trending N. W. from our jmsition, terminated abruptly in an elevated ca])e, to which I have given the name of Manning, alter a warm ]>cr- sonal friend and ardent sup])orter of the ex])edition. 'li $1 382 PROGRESS OP ARCTIC DISCOVERY. lietvvoen Cornwallia Islftnd and some distant l»iud which liung over it, (technically termed frost-smoke,) was in- dicative of nmch open water, in that direction. Tiiis was the directii)n in which my instructions, referring to the investigations of the National Observatory, concern- ing the winds and currents of the ocean, directed me to look for open water. Nor was the open water the only indication that j)resentcd itself in confirmation of this theoretical conjecture as to a milder climate in that direction. As we entered Wellington Channel, the signs of animal life became more abundant, and Cap- tain Pennv, commander of one of the English ex])e- ditions, who afterward penetrated on sledges mnch toward the region of the ' frost-smoke,' much further than it was possible for ns to do in our vessels reported that he actually arrived on the borders of this open sea. "Tims, these admirably drawn instructions, deriving arguments from the enlarged and comprehensive sys- tem of physical research, not only pointed with em- phasis to an unknown sea into which Franklin had probably found bis way, but directed me to search for traces of his expedition in the very channel at the entrance of which it is now ascertained he had passed his first winter. The direction in which search with most chances of success is now to be made for the missing expedition, or for traces of it, is no doubt in the direction which is so clearly pointed out in my in- structions. To the channel which appeared to lead into the open sea over which the cloud of ' frost-smoke ' hung as a sign, I have given the name of Maury, after the distinguished gentleman at the head of our National Observatory, wliose theory with regard to an open sea to tlie north is likely to be realized through this chan- nel. To the large mass of land visible between N. W. to N. N. E., I gave the name of Grinnell, in honor of the head and heart of the man in whose philanthropio mind orinfinnterl the idea of Mils expedition, and !*■<; who-^e munifie nre it owes its existence. WINTKR IN TlIK ARCTIC OCKAN. 383 IIS >pic "To a renmrkultle pouk ]>eiu'ing N. N. E. from us, distant iiljout forty luilcs, was given the name of Mount Franklin. An inlet or luirhor immediately to the north of (Jano Uovvden wan discovered by Mr. GritHn in his hind excursion from Point Innes, on tiio 27th of August, and has received the name of GritHn Inlet. The small island mentioned before was called Murdangh's Island, after the acting nuister of the Ad- vance. The eastern shore of AVellington Channel ap- peared to run ])arallel with the Mestern, but it became quite low, and being covered with snow, could not bo distinguished with certainty, so that its continuity with the high land to the north was not ascertained. Some enuUl pools of open water aj)])earing near us, an attempt was made about iifty yards, but all our combined efibrts were of no avail in extricating the liescue from her icy cradle. A change of wind not only closed the ice np again, but threatened to give a severe nip. We imshipped her rudder and jiluced it out of harm's way. "Septend)er 22d, was an uncomfortable day. The "wind was from N. E. with snow. From an early hour in the morning, the floes began to be pressed together with so much force that their edge was thrown up in immense ridsr^'S of rui^ijed hummocks. The Advance was heavily nipped betwc^en two iloes, and the ice was piled up so high above the rail on tiie starboard side as to threaten to come on board and sink iis with its weight. All hands were occupied in keeping it out. Tiie pressure and commotion did not cease till near midnight, when we were very glad to have a respite from our labors and fears. Tiie next day we were threatened with a similar scene, but it fortunately ceased in a short time. For the remainder of Septem- ber, and until the 4th ^of October, the vessels drifted bnt little. The winds were very light, the thermometer fell to minus 12, and ice formed over the pools in sight, Rufficiently strong to travel upon. We were now strongly impressed with the belief that the ice had be- come fixed for the winter, and that we should be able to send out traveling] dirties from the advanced podtion 17* 1 884 PR00UEH8 OK AKCTIC DISCOVKltV. for the exttniiniition of the hinds to the northward Stnmihvtetl by this fair pronpoet, another attempt wan made to reaeh the shore in order to establish u dej)o^ of provisions at or near Cape Manning, wliicli would niateriallv facilitate tlio pro'^ress of our parties in tlip spring ; but the ice was still found to be detached froip the shore, and a narrow lane of water cut us from it. " During the interval of comparative quiet, ])relimi nary measures were taken for heating the Advance and increasing lun* quarters, bo as to accomodate the otHcers and crew of l)oth vessels. No stoves had as yet been used in either vessel ; indeed they could not well be put up without placing a large quantity of stores and fuel upon the ice. Tlie attempt was made to do this, but a sudden crack in tlie floe where it ap]3eared strongest, causing the loss of several tons of coal, con- vinced US that it was not yet safe to do so. It was not until the 2()th of October, we got tires below. Ten days later the housing cloth was put over, and the offi- cers and crew of the lloscue ordered on board the Ad- vance for the winter. Room was found on the deck of tlie Rescue for many of the provisions removed from the hold of this vessel. Still a large quantity had to be placed on the ice. The absence of lire below had caused much discomfort to all hands ever since the be- ginning of September, not so much from the low tem- perature, as from the accumulation of moisture by condensation, which congealed as the temperature de- creased, and covered the wood work of our apartments with ice. This state of things soon began to work its effect upon the health of the crews. Several cases of scurvy appeared among them, and notwithstanding the indetatiijable attention and active treatment resorted to by the medical officers, it could not be eradicated — its progress, however, was checked. "All througli October and November, we were drifted to and fro by the changing wind, but never passing out of Wellington Chaimel. On the 1st of November, the new ice had attained the thickness of 37 inches. Still, frequent breaks would occur in it, often in fearful prox- WINTKtt IN TIIK AUCrriO OOKAN. 885 (Tiiity to the vospt'ls. TTummooks consisting of massivo graiiite-liko bl.ks, would 1j(^ thrown up to the liui^ht of twenty, and even thirty feet. This action in the ico was aeconipanied with a varicsty of sounds inipo88il)lo to be deseribod, but wlien heard never failed to carry a feeling of awe into the stoutest hearts. lu tiie stillness of an arctic night, they could bo heard several miles, and otlen was the rest of all hands disturl)ed by them. To guard against the worst that could ha])pen to us— - the destruction of the vessels — the boats were prepared and sledges built. Thirty days' provisions were placed in for all hands, together with tents and blanket bags for sleeping in. Besides tliis, each num and otlicer had his knansack containing an extra suit of clothes. These were all kept in readiness for use at a moment's notice. "For the sake of wholeso!ue exercise, as well as to in- ure the ])eople to ice traveling, fre(|uent excursions were made with our laden sledges. The oflicers usually took the lead at the drag ropes, and tiiev, as well as the men underwent the labor of surniountiiin: the ruijired hum- mocks, with great cheerfulness and zeal. Notwith- standing the low tem])erature, all hands usually returned in a profuse perspiration. AVe had also other sources of exer,cise and amusements, such as foot-ball, skating, sliding, racing, with theatrical representations on holi- days and national anniversaries. These amusements were continued throughout the winter, and contributed very materially to the cheerfulness t^ .a general good health of all hands. The drift had st . us gradually to the S. E., until we were about five miles to the S. W. of liecchey Island. In this position we remained com- paratively stationary about a week. We once more began to entertain a hope that we had become fixed for the winter, but it proved a vain one, for on the last day of November a strong wind from the westward set in, with thick snowy weather. The wind created an im- mediate movement in the ice. Several fractures took place near us, and many heavy hummocks were thrown U]). The floe in which our vessels were imbedded, was being rapidly encroached upon, so that we were in mo- 3SG I'KOOUKSS OF AKCTIC DISCOVERY. mentary feav of tlic ice breaking from around them, and tliat they would l)e once more broken out and left to tlie tender mercies of tlie crashing floes. " On the followincj day (the 1st of December) the weather cleared off, and the few" liours of twilight \vhich we had about noon, enabled us to get a glimi)se of the land. As well as we could m.ake it out, we ap- peared to be off Gascoigne Inlet. We were now clear of Wellington Channel, and in the fair way of Lan- caster Sound, to be set either up or down, at the mercy of the prevailijij; winds and currents. AVe were not long leit in doul)t as to the direction we had to pursue. Tlie winds prevailed from the westw^ard, and our drift was steady and rai)id toward the mouth of the Sound. The pros])ect befoi e us was now any thing but cheering. We wore deprived of our last fond liope, that of be- coming fixed in some ])osition whence operations could be carried on by means of traveling ])artles in the spring. The vessels M'ero fast being set out of the region of search. Nor Avas this our only source of un- easiness. The line of our drift was from two to five miles from the north shore, and whenever the moving ice met with any of the capes or projecting points of land, the obstruction would cause fractures in it, ex- tending off to and far beyond us. Cape Ilurd w^as the first and most prominent point — wc were but two miles from it on the 3d of December. Nearly all day the ice was both seen and heard to be in constant mo- tion at no great distance from us. In the evening a crack on our floe took ])lace not more than twenty -five yards ahead of tlie Advance. It opened in the course of the evening to the width of 100 yards, " No further disturbance took ])lace until noon of the 5th, when we were somewliat startled by the familiar and unmistakable sound of the ice grinding against the side of tiie shi]). Going on deck, I perceived that another crack had taken ])lace, passing along the length of the vessel. It did not o]Hm more than a foot; this, liowever, was sufHcicnt to liberate the vessel, and she rose several inches bodily, having become more buoy- ' WINTKK IN Till-: AliCl'lU OCEAN. 387 : aii^ since she froze in. Tiie followins; day, in the ev ling the crack opened several yards, leaving the sides oV the Advance entirely free, aiid slie was once more snpported by and rode in her own element. AVe were not, thongli, by any means, in a pleasant situation. Tile floes were considerably broken in all directions around us, and one crack had taken place between the two vessels. The liescue was not disturbed in her bed of ice. " December Tth, at 8 A. M., the crack in which we were, liad opened and formed a lane of water iifty-six feet wide, communicating aliead at the distance of sixty feet with ice of about one foot in thickness, which had formed since the Jkl. The vessel was secured to the largest floe near us (that on which our spare stores were deposited.) At noon, tiie ice was again in motion, and began to cU)se, uiibrding us the pleasant prospect of an inevitable nip betw.een two floes of the heaviest kind. In a short time the prominent jioints took our side, on the starboard, just about the main-rigging, and on the ])ort under tiie counter, and at the fore-rigging; thus bringing tiiree points of pressure in such a position that it must have proved fatal to a larger or less strengthened vessel. Tiie Advance, however, stood it bravely. After trembling and groaning in every joint, the ice passed under and raised her about two and a half feet. Slie was let down again for a moment, and then her stern was raised about Ave feet. ITer bows being unsupported, were de]iressed almost as much. In this uncomfortable position we remained. The wind blew a gale from the eastward, and the ice all around was in dreadful commotion, exce]iting, for- tunately, that in immediate contact with us. The com- motion in the ice continued all tlirough the night; and we were in momentary expectation of the destruction of both vessels. Tiie easterly gale had set us some two or three miles to the west. As soon as it was light enough to see on the 9th, it liras discovered that the heavy ice on which the Tvl^cue iiad been imbedded for so long a time, was entirely broken up, and piled "^ »8S PliOGBESS OF AKCrriO DISCOVEKT. lip around her in massive liumniocks. On her pumps being sounded, I was gratiiied to learn that she remained tiglit, notwithstanding tlie immense straining and pressure she must have endured. " During this period of trial, as well as in all former and subsequent ones, I could not avoid being struck with the calmness and decision of the officers, as well as the subordination and good conduct of the men, without an exception. Each one knew the imminen(;e of the peril that surrounded us, and was pre})ared to abide it with a stout heart. There was no noise, no confusion. I did not detect, even in the moment when the destruction of the vessel seemed inevitable, a sin- gle desponding look among the whole crew ; on the contrary, each one seemed resolved to do his whole duty, and every thing went on cheerily and bravely. For my own part, 1 had become quite an invalid, so much so as to prevent my taking an active part in the duties of the vessel as I had always done, or even from incurring the exposure necessary to proper exercise. However, I felt no apprehensions that tlie vessel would ni>t be properly taken care of, for I had perfect conli- dence in one and all by whom I was surrounded. I knew them to be equal to any emergency, but I I'elt under special obligations to the gallant commander of the Rescue, for the efficient aid he render(!d me. With the kindest consideration, and the most cheeiful alacrity, he volunteered to ])erf()rm the executive duties during the winter, and relieve me from everv thing that might tend in the least to retard my recovery. " During the remainder of December, the ice re- mained quiet immediately around us, and breaks vveie all strongly cemented by new ice. In our neighbor- hood, however, ci'acks were daily visil>le. Our drift to the eastward averaged nearly six miles per day; so that on the last of the month we were at the entrance of the Sound, Cape Osborn bearing north from us. "January, 1851. — On passing out of the Sound, and opening BatKn's Bay, to the north was seen a dark hoi-i- zon, indicating much open water in that direction. On 1,1 W'lNTl^R IN TirE AKCTIC OCEAN. 389 ? the 11th, a crack took place between us and the Rescue, passing close under our stern, and Ibrniinjr a lane of water eighty feet wide. In the afternoon the iioes be- ijan to move, the lane was closed up, and the edges of the ice coming in contact with so much pressure, tlireat- ened the demolition of the narrow space which sepa- rated us from the line ot fracture. Fortunately, the floes again separated, and assumed a motion by which the Rescue passed from our stern to the port bow, and increased her distance from us 701) yards, where she came to a stand. Our stores that were on the ice were on the same side of the cracks as the Itescue, and of course were carried with her. The following day the ice remained quiet, but soon after midnight, on the 13th, a gale having sprung up from the westwaiu, it once more got into violent motion. The young ice in the crack near our stern was soon broken up, the edges of the thick ice camo in contact, and fearful pressures took ])lace, forcing up a line of hummocks which ap- proached within ten feet of our stern. The vessel trembled and complained a great deal. " At last the floe broke u[) around us into many pieces, and became detached from the sides of the vessel. The scene of irightful commotion lasted until 4 A. M. Every moment I expected the vessel would be crushed or overwhelmed by the massive ice forced up far above our bulwarks. The Rescue being further removed on the other side of the crack from the line of crushing, and being firmly imbedded in heavy ice, I was in hopes would remain undisturbed. This was not the case ; for, on sending to her as soon as it was light enough to see, the floe was found to be broken away entirely up to her bows, and there formed into such high hummocks that her bowsprit was broken ofl*, together with her head, and all the light wood Mork about it. Had the action of the ice continued much longer, she must have been destroyed. We had the misfortune to find sad havoc had been made among the stores and provisions left on the ice ; and few bar- rels wei'e recovered ; but a large portion were crushed and had disa])peared. 390 ntOOKESS OF AIJCTIC DISCOVERY. " On the morning of the 14th there was again some mention in the floes. Tiuit on tlie port side moved otf from the vessel two or three feet and there became stationary. Tins lefr, tiie vessel entirely detached frum the ice round the water line, and it was expected she would once more resume an upright position. In this, however, we were disappointed, for she remained with her stern elevated, and a considerable lift to star- board, being held in this uncomfortable position by the heavy masses which had been forced under her bottom She retained thjs position until she finally broke out in tlie spring.. We were now fully launched into Bat- fin's Bay, and our line of drift began to be more south- erly, assuming a direction nearly parallel with the western shore of the Bay at a distance of from 40 to 70 miles from it. " After an absence of 87 days, the sun, on the 29th of January, rose his whole diameter above the eouth- ern horizon, and remained visible more than an hour. All hands gave vent to delight on seeing an old friend again, in three hearty cheers. The length of the days now went on increasing rapidly, but no warmth was yet experienced from the sun's rays ; on the contrary the cold became more intense. Mercury became con- gealed in February, also in March, which did not occur at any other period during the winter. A very low temperature was invariably accompanied with clear and calm weather, so that our coldest days were per- haps the most pleasant. In the absence of wind, we could take exerci o in the open air without any incon- venience from the cold. But with a strong wind blow ing, it was dangerous to be exposed to its chilling blasts for any length of time, even when the thermometer indicated a comparatively moderate degree of tem- perature. "The ice around the vessels soon became cemented again and fixed, and no other rupture was exjjerienced until it finall}'^ broke up in tlie spring, and allowed us to escape. Still we ke]>t driving to the southward along with the ^\ hole mass. Open lanes of water were WINTER IN THE AKCTIO OCEAN. 391 visible at all times from aloft ; sometimes they would be formed within a mile or two of us. Narwhals, seals, and dovekys were seen in them. Our sports- men were not expert enough to procure any, except a few of the latter ; although tliey were indefatigable in their exertions to do so. Bears would frequently be seen prowling about ; only two were killed during the winter ; others were wounded, but made their escape. A few of us thought their flesh very palatable and wholesome ; but the majority utterly rejected it. The flesh of the seal, when it could be obtained, was re- ceived with more favor. " As the season advanced, the cases of scurvy became more numerous, yet they were all kept under control by the unwearied attention and skillful treatment of the medical oflicers. My thanks are due to them, es- pecially to Passed Assistant Surgeon Kane, the senior medical officer of the expedition. I often had occa- sion to consult him concerning the hygiene of the ci-ew, and it is in a great measure owing to the advice which he gave and the expedients which he recom- mended, that the expedition was enabled to return without the loss of one man. By the latter end of February the ice had become sufficiently thick to en- able us to build a trench around the stern of the Res- cue, sufficiently deep to ascertain the extent of the injury she had received in the gale at Griffith's Isl- and. It was not found to be material ; the upper gud- geon alone had been wrenched from the stern post. It was adjusted, and the rudder repaired in readiness for shipping, when it should be required. A new bow- sprit wus also made for her out of the few spare spars we had left, and every thing made seaworthy in both vessels before the breaking up of the ice. '* In May, the noon-day began to take effect upon the snow which covered the ice ; the surface of the floes became watery, and difficult to walk over. Still the dissolution was so slow in comparison with the mass to be dissolved, tliat it must have taken it a long pe- riod to become liberated from this cause alone. More 392 PliOaiiESS OE ARCTIC DISCOVERY. was expected from our southerly drift, wliich still con- tinued, and must soon carry us into a milder climuto and open sea. On the JOth of May, the land about Cape Searle was made out, the In-st that we had seen since passing Cape Walter Bathurst, about the 20th of January. A few days later we were off Cape Walsing- ham, and on the 27th, passed out of tlie Arctic Zone. " On the 1st of Aj^ril, a hole was cut in some ice that had been fonning since our lirst besetnient in Septem- ber; it was found to have attained tlic thickness of 7 feet 2 inches. In this month, (April,) the amelioration of the temi)erature became quite sensible. All hands were ke])t at work, cutting and sawing the ice around the vessels, in order to allow them to lloat once more. "With the Kescue, they succeeded, after much labor, in attaining this object ; but around the stern of the Ad- vance, the ice was so thick that our 13 feet saw was too short to pass through it ; her bows and sides, as far aft as the gangway, were liberated. After making some alteration in the Rescue for the better accommodation of her crew, and fires being lighted on board of her several days previous, to remove the ice and dampness, which had accumulated during the winter, both officers and crew were transferred to" her on the 24th of April. The stores of this vessel, Mdiich had been taken out, were restored, the housing cloth taken oif, and the ves- sel made in every respect ready for sea. There was little prospect, however, of our being able to reach the desired element very soon. The nearest water was a narrow lane more than two miles distant. To cut through tlie ice which intervened, would have been next to impossible. IJeyond this lane, from the mast-head, nothing but intermeinnte floes could be seen. It was thought best to wait witli patience, and allow nature to work for us. "• June 6th, a moderate breeze from £. E. with pleasant weather — thermometer up to 40 at noon, and altogether quite warm and melting day. During the morning a peculiar cracking sound was heard on the floe. I was mclined to impute it to the settling of the snowdrifts as ■WINTiat IN TlIK AKCriO OCI':AN. 393 ;h still con- ler clinuito land about 3 had seen the 20th of )e Walsing- rctic Zone. me ice that in Septem- ckness of 7 melioration All hands ice around once more, ch labor, in of the Ad- saw was too )s, as far aft aking some inmodation )ard of her dampness, )otli officers li of April, taken out, nd the ves- There was o reach the ater was a t. To cut e been next mast-head, n. It was V nature to they were acted upon by the sun, but in the afternoon, about 5 o'clock, tiie ])uzzle was solved very lucidly, and to the exceeding satisfaction of all hands. A crack in the floe took place between us and the Rescue, and in a few minutes thereafter, the whole immense field in which we had been imbedded for so many months, was rent in all directions, leaving not a piece of 100 yards in diameter. The rupture was not accompanied with any noise. The Rescue was entirely liberated, the Advance only partially. The ice in which her after part was imbedded, still adhered to her from the main chains aft, keeping her stern elevated in its misightly position. The pack, (as it may now be called,) became quite loose, and Ijut for our pertinacious friend acting as an immense drag upon us, we might have made some headway in any desired direction. All our eftbrts were now turned to getting rid of it. With saws, axes, and crowbars, the i)eoi)le went to work with a right good will, and after hard labor for 48 hours succeeded. The vessel was again afloat, and she righted. The joy of all hands vented itself spontaneously in three hearty cheers. The after part of tlie false keel was gone, be- ing carried away by the ice. The loss of it, however, I was glad to perceive, did not materially affect the sailing or working qualities of the vessel. The rudders were shijDped, and we were once more ready to move, as efficient as on the day we left New York. "Steering to the S. E. and working slowly through the loose but heavy pack, on the 9th we parted from the Rescue in a dense fog, she taking a different lead from the one the Advance was pursuing." th pleasant altogether morning a oe. I was )W drifts as i ( i I i 394 pllookess of arctic discovert. Latest Accounts — Ground for Hope. Mr. Wm. Penny, of Aberdeen, states in a letter to the Times, that Capt. Martin, who, when cominaiidiiig the whaler Enterprise, in 1845, was the last ])ersou to communicate with Sir. J. Franklin, has just int'oi-ined him that the Enterprise was alongside the Erehus, in Melville Bay, and Sir John Franklin invited him, (Capt. Martin,) to dine with him, which the hitter de- clined doing, as the wind was fair to go south. Sir John, while conversing with Capt. Martin, tuld him that he had live years' provisions, which he could make last seven, and his peo]>le were busily engaged in salting down birds, of which they had several casks full already, and twelve men were out sliooting more. "To see such determination and foresight," observes Mr. Penny, "at that early period, is really wonderful, and must give us the greatest hopes." Mr. Penny says that Capt. Martin is a man of fortune, and of the strictest integrity. The following is the deposition of Capt. Martin, just received in the London Times, of Jan. 1, 1852, con- taining the facts above alluded to : Robert Martin, now master and commander of the wlialeship Litrepid, of Peterhead, solemnly and sin- cerely declares that on the 22d day of July, 1845, when in command of the whale ship Enterprise, of Peter- head, in lat. To'^ 10', long. 66° W., calm weather, and towing, the Erebus and Terror were in company. These ships were alongside the Enterprise for about tlfreen minutes. The declarant conversed with Sir John rra.?klin, and Mr. Reid, his ice-master. The conver- sation lasted all the time the ships were close. That Sir John, in answer to a question by the declarant if he had a good supply of provisions, and how long he expected them to last, stated that he had provisions for five years, and if it were necessary he conld "make them spin out seven years ;" and he said further, tiui!; he would lose no opportunity of killing birds, and whatever else was useful tliat came in the way, to keep letter to iiiaiuiing person to iiit'onned rel)us, ill ted liini, 1 utter de- ntil. Sir told him he could engajifed ii'id casks nj; more. observes wonderful, r. Penny md of the irtin, just 852, con- er of the and sin- 145, when of Peter- her, and These it fifteen Sir John 3 conver- That ilarant if Ion Of he rovisions d "make lior, tiia!; rdi*. and , to keep LATEST ACCOUNTS. 305 up their stock, and that he had plenty of powder and shot for the purpose. That Sir John also stated that he had already several casks of birds salted, and had then two shooting parties out — one from each ship. The birds were very numerous ; many would fall at a single shot, and the declarant has himself killed forty at a shot with white pease. That the birds are very agreeable food, are in taste and size somewhat like young pigeons, and are called by the sailors " rotges." That on the 2Gth or 28th of said month of July, two parties of Sir John's officers, who had been out shoot- ing, dined with the declarant on board the Enterprise. There was a boat with six from each ship. Their con- versation was to the same effect as Sir John's. They spoke of expecting to be absent four or five, or per- haps six years. These officers also said that the ships would winter where they could find a convenient place, and in spring push on as far as possible, and so on year after year, as the determination was to push on as far as practicable. That on the following day, an invitation was brought to the declarant, verbally, to dine with Sir John, but the wind shifted, and the Enterprise having cut through the ice about a mile and a half, the declarant was obliged to decline the invitation. That he saw the Erebus and Terror for two days longer; they were still lying at an iceberg, and the Enterprise was mov- ing slowly down the country. That so numerous were the birds mentioned, and so favorable was the weather for shooting them, that a very large number must have been secured during the time the declarant was in eight of the two ships. The Prince of Wales whaler vvivs also within sight during the most of the time. That from the state of the wind and weather for a pe- riod of 10 days," during part of which the declarant •vas not in sight of the two ships, the best opportunity vas afforded fcr securing the birds. That the birds described are not to be found at all places on the fish- inc: ground during tlio whaling POMJ^on, l^nt are met with in vast numbers evci'v season on certain feeding 1 '•■■'*4i' '*'W*2«-.:r-«^- 31)0 rKOORESa OF ABCTIO DISCOVERY. banks and places for brooding, and it appeared at tljo time by the dechirant to bo a most fortunate circum- stance that the Erebus and Terror had fallen in with 80 many birds, and that the state of the weather was so favorable for securing large numberr of them. The declarant has himself had a supply of the same de- scription of birds, which kept Iresh and good during three months, at Davis' Strait, and the last were as good as the first of them. Which declaration, above written, is now made conscientiously, believing the same to be true. Robert Martin. Declared, December, 29th, 1851, before R. Gkatii, Provost of Poterhead. From this it would appear that it is not impossible, perhaps not improbable, that Sir John Fianklin may yet make his appearance, coming down from those ice- bound regions bringing with him his noble shi; 3 and their daring crews, and giving joy to thousands upon thousands who are watching with intense interest the unraveling of the mystery of hw absence, and espe- cially bringing joy inexpressible to the heart of that noble lady, with which thousands of hearts throughout the civilized world beat in sympathy. r^fLT. t * ^5 1 at tlio ciicuin- in witli ler waa 1. Tho me (le- dui'ing i^ere us )i mado ITIN. ead. ssiblo, 1 may. se ice- 3 and I upon St the espe- f that ghout ntj. r