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Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symboie — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". re Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de rMuction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, 11 est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant ie nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. y errata Id to nt ne pel u re, ipon d 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 # <> < i SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. •^ : u i EEVELATION." NORTHERN AFFAIRS LIBRARY SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. THE TRUE SECRET OE THE I)ISCO\ ERV OE HIS EATE. U EEVELATION." ( ( A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM.' UY J. HENRY SKE\Vi:S. Vicar of Holy Trinity, Liverpool, anil laic President of I'he Liverpool Mental Scienee Association. BEMROSE & SONS, 23, Old Bailey, London ; and Derhv 1889. {All Rights Resetted.) MAY )'^m omrAw^A < INTRODUCTION. More than eighteen hundred years since, over the banks of Jordan, the heavens "opened." The world, morally and spiritually, was dark. Human philosophy was powerless to remove the darkness. Meet it was that a new era should be inaugurated by phenomena. In the midst of deepening night, the merciful hand of the Infinite Invisible inter- posed, and through the riven clouds came there a voice, saying as it were, " Let there be Light ! " The darkness of those days shall serve to illus- trate the darkness which, about forty years ago, rested upon England, Europe and America, and that in connection wit'" the fate of Sir John Franklin. " Where is thj expedition which, in 1845, went out to discover the North-West Pas- sage ? " is the question agitating the Old World and the New. Search parties are being sent to every supposed quarter, and one after another is re- turning, bringing no message of comfort to the disconsolate and the heart-broken. The darkness is becoming unbearable — "darker and yet darker still." IV Introduction, ro In the midst of such, Jordan had a no mean parallel in Londonderry. A pathway was opened up into the invisible, and through that pathway there came down light. A little child received a " revelation ! " In a region of snow and ice two ships " appear ! " The names of the ships arc also " seen," and a route, new and strange, shows how the ships may be reached. Lady Franklin receives from the father of the child a detailed account of the mysterious chart-like scene and the luminous writing on the wall, including a chart drawn by the hand of his little daughter. All is now clear, and to her Ladyship, the revelation becomes her " Star of Bethlehem." And no eastern Magi were more correctly guided by their star to the place " where the young child was " than was Lady Franklin to " Point Victory." Apart from the Bible, the author is convinced that amongst all the records of the nations,, throughout the ages, and which rest upon reliable data, there can be found nothing so supernaturally marvellous as the case presented in the foUowing^ pages. Its position is unique. Even the account of the child Samuel, so beautiful in its simplicity,, cannot, in one respect, compare with it. The message which he received told of judgment,, making the ears of Israel " tingle." Instead of Introduction. of justice, the message from the little child of the ]\raiden City told of mercy. For sacred family reasons, the " revelation," for forty years, has been kept back from the public. A few only, includini^ Lady I'^ranklin, Miss Cracroft (the niece of Sir John), the Ikothers Morsfall of Liverpool, Sir Robert Fergusson, M.P., the Secretary of the Admiralty, the late Charles Dickens, and some of the more immediate actors in the discovery of Sir John's fate, were privy to the startling facts. Now, as a preacher of the things " unseen," and as a public monument of a father's unwavering faith in an overruling Providence, the " revelation " is, herewith, given to the world. As all the children of Captain Coppin are still alive, for purely personal reasons, their names are withheld. But to any one who may seriously question their bond fides, information, of a most satisfactory nature, will be afforded by the author. This also applies to important original documents, for whose publication, up to the present, permission has not been obtained. These are in the author's pos- session. Lady Franklin and Commander Hobson excepted, the chief of those who took part in the successful discovery of the fate of Sir John Franklin, are still alive. VI hitvodnctiou. Chapter \'III. is devoted to a brief life of Captain Coppin, including special reference to his great engineering achievements and his connection with the Mysterious. Disinterested and unstinted labours are not so abundant amongst mankind that no lesson can be learnt from the example of an octogenarian, whose head and heart have ever been devoted to the good of others rather than the gratification of a mere self. As the object of the Franklin Expedition was the discovery of the North-West Passage, and as Sir John succeeded in the work he undertook, and perished in the same, a chapter is devoted to his predecessors in the same field of discovery, as well as to his previous great efforts in the same direction, not forgetting the noble labours of his compeers to solve the problem of the centuries. At most, however, the limits of this work forbid anything but a mere resume of the many and great undertakings. From the nature of the work, facts ! facts ! many of them startling and mysterious, the author has ever felt that no flights of fancy were permissible. Any temptation in the direction of the sensational has been firmly resisted, and that for the sake of faithful adherence to fact and the more easy con- vincing of the doubting, or the unbelieving. To M Introduction. VII use a classical and a geographical simile, the Arcadian flowers of rhetoric have never been permitted to cover over the Labradorian loi^ic of truth. ** Startlinj^ episode ; the deeply interesting nar- rative ; facts revealed ; supernatural revelation ; the remarkable circiMnstances ; your little daughter's revelation ; the wonderful things ; remarkable reve- lation of your child ; mysterious revelation ; " vide Original Letters in the author's possession. The " revelation obtained from the long-sought records," vide Preface to the " Voyage of the Foxl' by Sir Roderick J. Murchison. "To your devotion and self-denial the world is indebted to the deeply interesting revelation unfolded by the Voj'age of the Foxl' vide Dedication of the " Voyage of the Fox'^ to Lady Franklin. "We were approaching a spot where a revelation of intense interest was awaiting me," vide McClintock's " Voyage of the Foxl' p. 282. There is " no hope of the mystery of Franklin's being cleared up in our day, except by some uftexpected miracle" Captain Shcrard Osborn, re the last Government expedition, in 1854. Liverpool, March, 1889. Vlll III This Ma|), reduced and prepared by Harrison, wood engraver, Lord Street, Liverpool, has been taken from Arrowsmith's (Map PubL, London), dated Oct. 21, 1851, and that which is attached to Snow's "Voyage of the Prince Albert" Longman & Co., London, 1851. Compared with Map IL, it will be seen that it contains no Bellot Strait y this being left for Kennedy and Bellot to discover in 1852, according to the directions contained in the "revelation" of Captain Coppin's little child. D IX 1 . w m r, to I. 2, in A, /, SOUND I |[MAPiin X This Map, reduced and preparcfl by Harrison, wood engraver, Lord Street, Liverpool, has been taken from Arrowsmith's (Map Publ., London), 1853, and those attached to Kennedy's ** Short Voyage of the Prince Albert" 1853, and McChire's " Arctic Despatches," 1853. These all give Bellot Strait, as shown in the above map. This Map also includes, within the area engraven, all the chief subsequent discoveries, down to 1859-60, as given in the Government chart and the one attached to McClintock's " Voyage of the Fox. Bellot Strait was discovered through the " revelation" of Captain Coppin's little child. I :) CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. The North-West Passage Discoveries, in General, and Sir John Franklin's Great Expedition, in particular. India the El Dorado. England not to be outdone by Turks nor Spaniards. Sebastian Cabot starts for the North-West. Robert Thorne. Mr. Hore. A national effort. The Company of Merchant Adventurers. Sir M. Frobisher, 1576, 1577 and 1578. John Davis^ 1585, 1586 and 1587. Weymouth, Hall, Knight and Henry Hudson, 1607 and 1610. William Baffin {'* Lancaster Soinui,'' see "revela- tion"), 1615, 1616. Captain Luke Fox, or "North-West Fox.'' Samuel Hearne. Captain C. J. Phipps. The second national effort and the offer of ;^20,ooo. An Interregnum. The third national effort— Captain Buchan and Lieut. John Franklin for one route,, and Sir John Ross and Lieut. Parry for the other route. Lieut. Parry in charge of the Hecla and the Griper. {'^Prince Regent Inlet," ste "revelation.") Sir John Franklin — first great overland route. Sir W. E. Parry's first and second expeditions. Captain Lyon's expedition. Sir John Franklin's second expedition by land — a great discovery. Dr. Richardson's efforts. Captain F. W. Beechy in the Blossom. Sir W. E. Parry (" Champion of the North") in the Hecla. Sir John Ross in the Vi'!ory -xhe^ discovery of the "magnetic circle." Sir George Back in the search for Sir John Ross. Sir G. Back in the Terror. The Hudson Bay Company and Mr. Simpson— extraordinary labours (" Victoria Channel,^'' "see revelation "). results. The Hudson Bay Company and Dr. Rae — important CHAPTER II. Sir John Franklin's Third and Last Expedition. His birth and youth. The sea instead of the Church. Rapid promotion. His marriage. Honours for Arctic services. Second marriage. Knighted. Governor of Tasmania. Popularity. Return. Xll Contents. Government and North-West Passage Discovery. Steam. Sir John in command of the Erebus and Terror. Instructions. Sets sail. At Disco. Letters and journal of Commander Fitzjames. Fastened to an iceberg. Disappears. A year gone and no tidings. Symptoms of anxiety. Eighteen months gone and still no news. Sir John Ross and the Admiralty — the mouthpiece of the Nation. The Government optimist. The pulse of the nation at 120. Govern- jnent forced to action. All Arctic veterans consulted. Definite advice. Advice followed. A sad Christmas. Sir John lost. Where? To the rescue ! CHAPTER III. Sir John Franklin Lost ! Search Expeditions to Find Him. No tidings. Increasing concern. Sir J. Ross advises. The First Government Expedition. — Threefold. 1. The Uehring Strait Expedition. — The Herald and the Plover. No success. False news. 2. The Overland Route Expedition.— Sir John Richardson in command. Dr. Rae. Much effort. No success. 3. The Barrow Strait Exi'edition. — The Enterprise and the Investigator. Prince Regent Inlet and the Gulf of Boothia decided lo be fully examined. Steer for the North. No success. Where is Sir John? The Second Government Expedition. — A whaler versus the Royal Navy. Captain Penny of the Advice. Captain Penny in charge of the Lady Franklin and the Sophia. To Wellington Channel. First traces of Sir John. Oh, for a boat ! Despair. A tinge of grey on the horizon. The Third Government Expedition. — Austin and Onimanney in command. Steam power. Cape Riley reached. Sledge parties. No nev.s. Squadron returns. It is midnight now. Where are the Erebus and Terror i Earth is dumb. An American Expedition.- Sympathy with Lady Franklin. The Advance and the Rescue in command of De Haven. Reach •entrance to Regent Inlet. Search Wellington Channel. Return. 1^0 results. The Exi'EDiTiON of Sir John Ross.— No result. Contents. Mil The Fourth Govkknmp:nt ExrEoniON.- Collinson and McCIure. Separation of Enterprise and Investigator. McCIure acts independently. The North-West Passage discovered ! Still in search for Sir John. (Ireat hardships. Rescued. Returns to England. Collinson in the track of McCIure. Long searches and researches. Returns. No news. The Fifth Government Expedition. — To Wellington Channel and Melville Island. Sir E. Belcher in command. Sledge parties. No results. Belcher's strange behaviour. All ships forsaken. Returns. No results. Belcher tried by court-martial. CajHain Sherard Osborn and the miracle to clear up the mystery of Sir John's fate. CHAPTER IV. A "Revelation." Reason for use of the word. Captain William Coppin's little daughter. The death of " Weesy." A ball of bluish light— Weesy always about. The father bewildered. Startling writing on the wall — "Mr. Mackay is dead!" Where is Sir John Franklin? The answer — mysterious and amazing phenomena, viz., an Arctic scene — a new way to the missing ships — a chart through "revela- tion." The father incredulous. Severe tests. The father convinced. Captain Kennedy convinced. Conviction against strong prejudice. A visit to Lady Franklin. Her Ladyship also convinced. Light come ! A visit to the Secretary of the Admiralty. Sympathy. Ephphatha. Lady Franklin on Mount Tabor. Five important points. A dream, or a fact ? CHAPTER V. The "Revelation" hecomes the Basis of a New Line of Action and is Followed hv Convincing Results. A complete new departure. Help from Liverpool. The Horsfalls and the supernatural. The Jemima promised. The chnrt of the " revelation " sent to Lady Franklin. The Prince Albert to go south instead of north. Specific instructions to Captain Forsyth and Snow. Unbelief. Lady Franklin visits the Horsfalls. A new era and a new language. A wish to see the child. .Strong and jubilant faith. Captain Forsyth disobedient and returns. The Morning Herald. Expedition No. 2. A petition from Liverpool to the Admiralty. A deaf ear. Lady Franklin's faith. Captain. Ti?-^ XIV Contents. Kennedy in command. Lieut, liellot to assist. Specific instructions. Discovery of a channel (Bellot Channel). Agreement with the chart. Dack turned upon Point Victory and \'ictoria Channel. The prize lost. Kennedy returns. Lady Franklin disappointed. Letters of Kennedy. Bellot's death. Lady Franklin again at work. Dr. Rae's return to England. Hopes revive. Efforts to raise expedi- tion No. 3. Charles Dickens to see Captain Cojjpin and make known the "revelation" through Household PVon/s. Polite refusal. Dr. Rae's account of his discoveries. Appeal to the Admiralty rejected. Lady Franklin seriously ill. Much sympathy. The purchase of the /b.r. Belief in the former route. Captain McClintock to command. The Fox leaves. Lancaster Sound. Kc'^ent Inlet. Bellot Strait. Doubts removed. Passage through the Strait. The Fox at anchor. Sledge parties. Lieut. Hobson •on the west of King William Land. Point Victory reached. A writtei. record! Sir John's fate ascertained. Erebus and 7 error and Victoria Channel. All Government expeditions wrong. Truth of revelation confirmed. Testimony of Captain Kennedy. Sir Roderick Murchison. Lady Franklin. "A little child shall lead them." Prophecy illustrated in present case. Cai)tain Coppin, Lady Franklin, Kennedy, Hob.son and McClintock led by the little child of Londonderry. CHAPTER VL The Evidence for the "Revelation" Examined. To break the chain difficult. Agreement of the reader with the fact that .Sir John was lost, that as against all opinions, Lady Franklin sent an expedition to the south instead of the north, and that the instruction to the commander was specific. A reason for this, and also for Lady Franklin's visit to Liverpool, &c. Agreement also of the reader as to the expedition of Kennedy and the •discovery of Bellot Strait. Explanation required. The " revelation " the only explanation. Agreement as to Captain Coppin's efforts, and also his proposed interview with Charles Dickens— such unaccountable, apart from the " revelation." Disappointment, affliction, and long weary years did not blanch Lady Franklin's courage. Explanation required or else evidence unshaken. The chart of 1856 the same as 1850. Why ? Only one answer. Faith stronger than ever. Why ? Agreement of reader with the fact that Captain McClintock passed through Bellot Strait, and that he and Lieutenant Hobson went 1 Contents. XV ■«)ver the same ground as Forsyth and Kennedy were instructed to search. Agreement that within the same area was discovered the fate of Sir John. Also agreement that Point Victory and \ictoria Channel were included in the said area, and that both places were the same as "seen" by the little girl, on the wall, and as such were sent to Lady Franklin about eight years and six months before. Only one explanation of this. Kksumk of evidence. Logical deduction— The "revelation," real or all a delusion. Real ! England, Europe and America at the feet of the little child of Londonderry ! CHAPTER Vn. What was the Revelation, Scepticism, as to the super-mundane rife. The scientific anvil. The Mundanists. The Super-mundanists versus Providence. Pro- toplasm. Nirwana or Nondescripts. Believers in the super-mundane of former days versus now. "The age of miracles is past." Inconsistency in such belief. The "iloud of witnesses." 'J'he Unseen Universe. Exact meaning of revelation. Subjective revela- tion, {a) Dreams, [b) The law of association, (c) The abnormal in the physical and the mental. (d) Thought-Transference, or Telepathy—" Mr. Mackay is dead." The subjective and the objective. The "revelation" of this book examined in the light of the foregoing. The verdict. The explanation only from the super-mundane standpoint. This not "Spiritualism." The spirit- world, nevertheless. Objections—The "revelation" was too late," answered. Why through Derry, Captain Coppin and a child ? Answer. Providence could not have been connected with a ten years' affair, i.e., from 1849-1859 — this replied to. Only a "ghost story." This a cuckoo-cry. The pooh, pooh, not an argument. Conclusion. CHAPTER VHL A Brief Biography of Captain Coppin. I. Life in General. — A hero at 15; a shipbuilder at 17; a captain and a trader at 22 ; remarkable efforts in the ship- building line ; the father of the screw-propeller, the Great Northern ; strange conduct at the Admiralty ; the father of the steam-ram ; the Lough Foyle embankment ; the fish-buyers of Liverpool ; helping the widow ; muscular Christianity ; John Elder and Co. ; James Nasmyth ; honours at Londonderry. w •., I XVI Contents. 2. Eniiineoing Achicvcmenta. Tlie wreck of tlie Etirydice ; the Alpheta ; the I'ani^uani ; the Tri (>0(i- Express \ electric-rtsh catching; the steamship ^«//7/^.f laughed-at bags of clay; the steamshii> lAmerick — destroyers transformed into saviours ; the steamship loiva — raised through corks. 3. The Mysterious, - Seeing across the Atlantic ; the inex- plicable blow on the shoulder ; the lost hat and ;^3,ooo ; unconscious thought-reading — "Woodman, spare that tree ;" spirit- vision — a ship, a ship; if not Providence, what? a dream— a ship disabled ; was it an answer to prayer ? a strange covering up of documents. In the preparation of this work, the following public- ations, amongst others, have been consulted : — Captain Back's Expedition along the Shores of the Arctic Ocean. Dr. Kane's United States' Expedition. W. Parker Snow's Voyage in search of Sir John Franklin. Sir John Franklin, by A. H. Beesby, M.A. The Little Fox, by S. T. C The Sea leathers, by Markham. Arctic Expeditions, by D. Murray Smith, F.R.G.S. The Voyage of the Fox, by Captain McClintock. McCulloch's Dictionary, Geographical, Historical and Statistical. McClure's Arctic Dispatches. Bohn's Modern Geography. The English Cyclopcedia of Geography. Bryce's Library Gazetteer. A Copy of a Log Book of the Voyage of the Fox, by a Member of one of the Search Parties. The Illustrated London News, 1843-1859. The Household Words, 1853-5. The Times, 1846- 1859. The Morning Herald, 1850-1851. The Liverpool Albion, 1844-1858. The author also expresses his gratitude to Mr. Marcus Allen, B.A., late Surgeon R.N., and to a Member of the McClintock expedition, for valuable clerical assistance. 1 SIR JOHN FRANKLINS FATE A "REVELATION." iber :us ihe CHAPTER I. The North- West Passage ditions in general, Franklin's Griwvt i'articular. Discovery Expe- AND Sir John Expeditions in To the youth of the present generation, the discovery of a North-West Passage, from the At- lantic to the Pacific, can have but little interest. What was the dream and ambition of previous generations has been almost forgotten in the rail- road (the Canadian Pacific), which unites the North Atlantic to the North Pacific, and the proposed Panama Canal, which will unite the South Pacific to the South Atlantic. Great events, without doubt, in the unification of the nations and the brotherhood of the world. Still, in face of such, it is hoped that a brief sketch of labour and success, nay, of heroism, the most daring, and of triumphs, the most imperish- able, will not be unacceptable. Besides, what more befitting the memory of the immortal Franklin than a glance at his pioneers in the path of discovery, 15 2 Sir John Franklin. and his compeers in a field of search and research, which demanded, and called into existence, man)' of the noblest principles of which humanity can boast. To the student of the Sacred Scriptures, the connection of Solomon's reign with India opens up a chapter of deeply interesting importance. The •' Wealth of the Indies " was amongst the dreams of Alexander, and had not the Indus prevented him, he would have added Ophir, fabulous in wealth, to his conquests. The Crusaders, if gaining nothing else, obtained a knowledge that the Cres- cent was associated with glitter, luxury and riches, such as the East could alone supply. To share in its riches, the Christians of Venice and Genoa became successful rivals to the Mahometans. Mar- tial prowess speedily gave place to trade and commerce. Whether Cross, or Crescent, El Dorado must be reached at any cost, and so, Portugal, taking the lead, sent her merchants to India via the Cape of Good Hope. But whilst Portugal made for India eastward, Spain, through its Columbus, sailed away to the west, via South America, through the Straits of Magellan, and so on to the Pacific. The result of the discoveries, through the eastern and western routes, was an immense accretion of wealth to both countries. ilirnnt' mil n ■ KcsinfU' of Expeditions, As might be naturally expected, England, to such a harvest of riches, was not an idle spectator. With both of the foregoing routes closed to her, what could she do ? To the enterprise of a (jenoese, Sebastian Cabot by name, England was indebted for an answer. Turning away his eyes from both west and south, he advocated a North- West Passage through the Polar Seas. But as our more immediate object is to connect the North-West Passage expeditions with those of Sir John Franklin's, it is not possible, any further, to dwell upon a very tempting theme. And even, to notice all the previous expeditions, space will not permit of anything but a glance. As succinctly as possible, the several expeditions are now given in chronological order. 1496.— Under the patronage of Henry VII., who provided two vessels for the voyage, Sebastian Cabot, in the summer of this year, started for the North-West, reached Florida, where, finding that his provisions were getting short, he returned to England. On account of war between England and Scotland, he accepted an invitation from the King of Spain, under whose auspices he made several voyages to South America, and so, for all practical purposes, became a loss to a country that he could have materially benefited by his valuable discoveries. 13 2 Sir John Franklin. 1527. — Under Henry VIII. the spirit of discovery showed signs of healthy vigour, and so two ships were sent, by the king, to discover, if possible, the " North Pole." The command of the expedition was given to Robert Thorne, of Bristol. Both ships appear to have reached as far north-eastward as the waters separating Greenland from Newfound- land, where one of the ships became a wreck and from whence the second returned to England, being absent about five months. 1536. — Notwithstanding his notorious conduct, as unkingly as it was un-Christian, Henry VIII. was not unfriendly to researches in science and other matters that would conduce to the exaltation of England amongst the nations. It was this spirit that caused him to lend his influence to Mr. Hore, whose love for discovery led him to fit out, for the north-west of America, two ships, The Trinitie and The Minion. Mr. Hore was accompanied by about one hundred and twenty persons, thirty of whom were gentlemen. The expedition reached the coast of Newfoundland, where, finding themselves in danger of starvation, some secretly murdered their comrades and devoured them. But just when matters looked hopeless, there appeared on the spot a well-laden French ship, which, by force, they took from the captain and crew, and returned to England — leaving the French to shift for 4 Kcsiiuii of Expeditions. 5 themselves. No expedition, for crime and disaster, ever disgraccil the name of ICnghmd so much as tlii*^. 1563. — Throii^^li the successes achieved by the Spanish expeditions, Kni^land's merchants had in- fused into them a spirit of emulation and adventure, that brooked no denial. Yielding to the pressure of the merchants, in general, the Government fitted out three ships for the purpose of seeking a north-^rt.>*/ passage to India, via Lapland, Norway and Russia. The ships were TJic Bona Esperanza^ commanded by Sir Hugh Willoughby, captain of the fleet ; TIic Bona Confidential commanded by Master Cor- nelius Durfourth, and The Edivard Bonaventnre^ commanded by Captain Richard Chancellor. The former two ships, with all their crews, sadly perished on the shores of Lapland. A better fate awaited Chancellor, who, at all risks, pushed towards the north and reached Russia, where there was "no night at all." He then undertook a journey of fifteen hundred miles to Moscow, and eventually reached England, bearing a letter from the Czar to Edward VL showing the great advan- tages which would accrue from the establishment of trade between the two countries. In seeking to accomplish this, Chancellor, on November loth, 1556, was drowned on the east coast of Scotland. 1556. — Whilst Chancellor was on his second I 6 Sir John Franklin. expedition, the "Companie of Merchant Adventurers" resolved on another effort to reach India by the north-east route. For this purpose, the Searchthrift^ commanded by Stephen Burrough, set sail on April 29th. The North Cape was reached on May 23rd, but having just passed Nova Zembla and Waigatz, he was, in 1557, stopped by fog and ice, and had to return to England. 1576. — Failing to achieve anything satisfactory in the north-east direction, it was resolved to make another effort in the north-west. For this purpose Sir M. Frobisher, with three vessels, was sent out by the Earl of Warwick and other noblemen. He reached very near the southern extremity of Green- land, proceeded to the north-west and discovered, to the north of Labrador, a strait, which is known, at this present day as Frobisher's Strait, and which was, through subsequent researches, found to be an inlet to Davis Strait. Five of his crew having been murdered, probably in fear of meeting the same fate, he stayed all further explorations, left the treacherous natives and returned to England. 1577. — Frobisher, with laudable ambition, took the command of a second expedition, but achieved nothing of any real value. 1578. — This year found Frobisher in charge of a third expedition, but like his second one, nothing new was discovered. Frobisher now disappeared ^^ 1 Resit uu^ of Expeditions. »» the of ing red i-W! from the scene of the North-West Passage dis- coveries. Having taken part with Drake, in the destruction of the Spanish Armada, the enterprising Yorkshire navigator, was killed, in 1594, in an assault on a French fort near Brest. 1585, — John Davis. Mainly through the mer- chants of London, he took charge of two ships, and was successful in discovering several coasts and sounds, such as Exeter Sound, Cape Dyer, Cape Walsingham, the Strait that bears his name, and some think Cumberland Island. Failing to proceed further north, and thus enter a great sheet of water, afterwards known as Baffin's Bay, he returned. 1586. — Encouraged by his successes, Davis's former friends sent him on his second expedition of discovery. Unable, the second time, to ascend higher than on the previous year, he spent the available part of the season in coasting along the western shores of the Strait that bore his name when, compelled by bad weather, he returned. 1587. — Under his previous auspices, Davis, with two ships, again tried to penetrate further north, but was less successful than in his former expe- ditions. Touching the extreme south of Greenland, he passed forty leagues to the west of Cape Desolation, situate on the south-west of Greenland, and then returned home. Like his predecessor, Frobisher, the Devonshire navigator, met with an 8 Sir John Franklin. If! H II I t; I untimely end, being killed, in 1605, by Japanese pirates on the coasts of Malacca. 1602-1607.— Weymouth, Hall and Knight, in these years, made certain badly-arranged expeditions, but as they accomplished nothing of importance, their labours call for no special remark. 1607. — Henry Hudson, in a small ship, resolved to discover a North-West Passage, by going direct to the North Pole, via the east coast of Greenland. Here, he coasted along slowly for some time, dis- covered several new places, notably Hudson's Land, but, failing in provisions, he had to return. In the following year, he sought to achieve his original purpose, via Nova Zembla, but was unsuccessful. Reaching first the extreme south of Spitzbergen, he was compelled to return. In the following year, he made a third attempt, via the north of Labrador, but only penetrated far enough to discover a river, or strait, which is marked on the maps as Hudson Strait. 1610. — Through some private gentlemen, who were convinced of the possibility of finding a North- West Passage, Mr. Hudson was placed in command of a fourth expedition, which was to proceed in the same direction as his last one. He discovered Hudson's Bay, wintered there, and then proceeded homeward. On his return voyage, the majority of his crew mutinied. Sending him, his son, and the Resiivic of Expeditions, 9 loyal portion of the crew adrift in a boat, the mutineers steered for and reached Ireland. As to the worthy navigator and his companions, they were lost, being either starved, drowned or murdered. 1615. — Under the auspices of the merchants of London, William Baffin, via Davis Strait, com- menced his valuable searches. Keeping as close as possible to the western shores of Greenland, he succeeded in passing through Davis Strait, up to the extreme north-west of what appeared to be a vast sea of ice, and discovered and named Mill Island. Unable to proceed further, he returned. 1616. — Acting as pilot to Commander Bylot, Baffin, this year, discovered the Bay or Sea that bears his name, and also Smith Sound. This valuable discovery not only became known as the '-' gate of the North Pole," but was the basis of several important searchings in after years. Having, if possible, crowned his great labours by the dis- covery of Lancaster Sound (see the " revelation "), he returned to England, ending his life in a British expedition to the Persian Gulf to eject the Portuguese. 1631.— Captain Luke P'ox (or "North-West- Fox") made much parade about what he was going to accomplish, but the mountain brought forth less than a mouse. /■ 10 Sir John Franklin. 1769. — Samuel Hearne, of the Hudson's Bay Company, sought to accomplish the object of the ambition of many, but did practically nothing. 1773, — Captain C. J. Phipps, by command of George III., took charge of two of the most suitable ships that could be had, viz., the RaceJiorse and the Carcass. The attempt was to effect the North-West Passage, via the North Pole, but like Hudson in the same effort, he was unsuccessful — nay, the royal expedition's results were nil. 1776-1779. — The Government, fully aroused on the subject of the discovery of a North-West Passage, offered, as a reward for such, £2QfX>o, Instead of following the popular route, it was determined to proceed from the Pacific to the Atlantic, via Behring Strait. For this purpose, the Government provided two ships, the Resolution and the Discovery, and gave Captain James Cook the chief command. The intrepid navigator successfully passed through the famous Strait and penetrated to the distant Icy Cape, when he was, through the inclemency of the weather, compelled to return to the Pacific or Sandwich Islands, at one of which, Owhyhee, the celebrated Yorkshire worthy was murdered. Through the American War of Independence, all further discoveries were delayed, something like forty years. v\ Resume of Expeditions. II 1817. — Peace being made with America, the Government was again at liberty to pursue its North- West Passage explorations. P^or this purpose, two routes were resolved upon — one via the North Pole, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and the other through Davis Strait and Baffin Bay. The Dorothea and Trent, commanded by Captain Buchan and Lieut. John P'ranklin, were appointed for the North Pole route, and the Isabella and Alexander, commanded by Sir John Ross and Lieut. W. E. Parry, for the Baffin Bay route. The North Pole expedition, having reached as far as Spitzbergen, met with ice difficulties and so had to return. Its only success was the discovery of Spitzbergen. The Isabella and Alexander were more successful. Passing through Baffin Bay, the expedition discovered another Bay, which, in honour of the first Lord of the Admiralty, was named Melville Bay. Concluding, by exploring beyond the Bay, that there was no passage, northward, through Smith's Sound, and that there was no opening at the northernmost parts of Baffin Bay, Sir John Ross shaped his course to'vards Lan- caster Sound, which, in equally emphatic language, he declared to be an " inlet." In his private journal, and before the Admiralty, Lieut. Parry expressed his belief that the Inlet of Sir John Ross was a broad passage into some sea westward. The sum 12 Ji/r John Franklin. total of this expedition was its passing through, and beyond, the dreaded Melville Bay. 1819. — Lieut. Parry having given the Admiralty reasonable hopes that there was a passage through the " inlet " of Sir John Ross, the Heda and Griper^ commanded by Parry, were dispatched to investigate the matter. His instructions were to proceed to Baffin Bay, via Davis Strait, and in the event of dis- covering no west passage to explore Jones and Smith's Sound. This important expedition duly set sail and shortly proved that the Croker Mountains of Sir John Ross, blocking the Lancaster Sound, were a myth and, consequently, the "inlet" a myth also. The ships pressed on and on to the west of Lancaster Sound and discovered and named Barrow Strait and Leopold Island. Being stopped in their western course, and driven southward, they discovered, on the anniversary oi the birtb of the Prince Regent (George IV.), an inlet which -was duly named Prince Regent Inlet ^ and which was destined to have a special connection with the " revelation." Parry now returned to Barrow Strait and vainly attempted to steer west. He then ascended direct north, and found himself in strange waters and amongst strange shores, the chief of the former he named Radstock Bay, and the chief of the latter, Beechy Island. On the coast of North First Great Expedition. 13 Devon, he passed a large channel which he named Wellington Channel. As he now ascertained that the west was open, he resisted the temptation to proceed further north, and so at once pressed onward, in a western direction. Bathurst Island and Melville Island were shortly after discovered and named. Winter now setting in, he found a convenient harbour for his ships, and in memory of which he named it Winter Harbour. Here he had to remain for ten months, at the end of which time he sailed along the west of Melville Island, towards Cape Hearne, when, finding that his ships were worn out, he worked east- ward and so reached England. 1819-22. — Resolved to take a new route to solve the problem of England, if not of the world, viz., an overland route, the Government selected, as the leader of the expedition. Sir John Franklin, whose command of the Trent y in connection with Capt. David Buchan, o{ the Dorothea {vide 1 8 17) eminently qualified him for the important task. His instructions were to dis- cover, if possible, a North-West Passage along the shores of North America. Starting from England, September 9th, 18 19, and reaching New York, Sir John at once, set out for the Great Slave Lake, via Hayes River and Fort Chippewyan, which he reached on March 26th, 1820, having made a winter's journey of 857 miles. On the 25th of May, he reached Great Slave Lake, where the real work commenced. I'd i 14 Sir John Franklin. Amid almost insurmountable difficulties, he pressed on to Fort Enterprise, 553 miles from Fort Chippevv- yan, and which he reached August 19th. It was here he spent his first winter. Though making fre- quent excursions to Coppermine River, during the winter months, not very much was accomplished till May, 1 82 1, when he left Fort Enterprise, for the Polar Sea, via the Coppermine River. On July the 20th, after encountering serious obstacles. Sir John reached the mouth of the Copper- mine River and entered upon the Polar Sea. Whilst going cast, along the north-eastern coasts of America, he discovered and named Beren, Sir G. Moore and Lawford's Islands. Having discovered Jameson's Islands, Cape Barrow, Hood River and Cape Croker, he sailed towards the west, via Parry Bay and Beechy Point. He then sailed around Coronation Gulf and reached the most distant point eastward, which he named Point Turnagain. He now resolved to return to Fort Enterprise, via Hood's River, which river he reached August 25th, having, since July 20th, traversed 650 miles of un- explored regions of the Arctic Sea. On the following day, he commenced his famous inland march to his old winter quarters. ¥a'Q he had gone far, the winter suddenly came, in the midst of which, and through unheard of difficulties and hardships, he crossed the Coppermine River and reached P'ort Enterprise, First Great Expedition. 15 na October 12th. As there were better winter supplies at Fort Providence than at Fort Enterprise, he left the latter place, but though foiled at first, a second attempt, made desperate through semi-starvation, resulted in success. On December nth, he reached Fort Providence, and on the i8th, he reached the Great Slave Lake. Thus was concluded the great journey, by water and land, of 5,550 miles. P"or want of sufficient preparations, great privations had been endured and lives lost, but in spite of all, the Lincolnshire middy and prince of navigators accomplished a grand task which, unto his own honour, he realised, when he again placed his feet on English shores. 1821-3. — The Government, being desirous to find a route in some latitude lower than Lancaster Sound and Repulse Bay, arranged that the attempt should be made via Hudson Strait. Sir William Edward Parry was appointed chief in command and left England April, 1821. Taking the ships into Hudson Strait, he arrived at Southampton Island, and pushed west through Frozen Strait. As he found no passage west, via Repulse Bay, he turned back, eastward, and spent some two or three months in examining the north coast of Frozen Strait. By October, the winter set in and so, from this month till the follow- ing July, he stayed at Winter Island. l6 Sir John Frau/ciin. During this month, he set sail for the north, dis- covered Harrow River and Fury and Hecla Strait, but, through ice, all further progress was impossible. At the latter place, he wintered, from October, 1822, to August, icS23, when, with ships relieved, he was the victim of dangerous and random drifting, both down Fox Channel and through Davis Strait, from whence he sailed for England, which he reached, October, 1823. 1824-5. — Two months after his return, December, 1823, Parry was appointed by the Government to command a second expedition. His instructions were to explore Prince Regent Inlet, and also the sea which Franklin had discovered at the mouth of the Coppermine River. He left May 8th, reached Lancaster Sound on August lOth, and entered on September 26th Regent Inlet, where, at Port Bowen, he spent the winter. In July, 1825, after making some fruitless expeditions on land, he sailed out of winter quarters, vainly sought for a channel, west- wards, then tried towards the north, but failing, he was driven east of Barrow Strait and so to England, where he arrived in October. 1824. — Anxious to connect the discoveries of Parry and others with those of Sir John Franklin, and thinking that the most probable way to do so was to proceed via Hudson Strait, speedily the Government refitted the Griper for the expedition, First Great R -peiiitioh 17 on of |klin, so the tion, and appointed Captain Lyon as comman'^jr. H' .« instructions were to proceed, via Hudson trait, to Repulse l^ay, to winter there, and, in the followin^^^ spring, to proceed by land, or water, to Point Turn- again, the eastern extremity of Sir John Franklin's overland expedition. On June loth, Captain Lyon set sail, and, via Southampton Island, proceeded up Sir Thomas Rowe's Welcome. Hut meeting, within 80 miles of Repulse Bay, very heavy gales, he had to return — thus finishing his mission before he had fairly commenced it. 1825-7. — During this period, at the request C)f the Government, Sir John Franklin undertook and carried out a second land expedition. Profiting by the experiences of the past, the Admiralty took all possible care to make complete preparations. The route chosen was a new one, viz., to make for the mouth of the Mackenzie River, and from thence to proceed by sea to the north-western extremity of America. In carrying out this plan, it was arranged that both the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers should be carefully surveyed. The first winter was to be spent at Great Bear Lake. Sir John arrived at New York, on March 5th, 1825, when he immediately started on his journey. His route, in brief, was through Rainy Lake, the Lake of Woods, Lake Winnipeg, the Saskatchewan River and i8 Sir Joliu lna)ik'lin. \ thence to Cumberland House. I'assin^ throuj^h I'ine Island, he reached the Isle of a la Crosse, which he left June 27th. Deep River, Clear Lake, and lUiffalo Lake, were specdil)' passed, and so, on June 29th, he advanced northwards. On July 29th, Fort Resolu- tion, Great Slave Lake, was reached, and Mackenzie River was entered upon on August 2nd. Fort Norman was reached on the 7th. The weather still favourable, instructions were given to some of the party to lay in winter provisions, at (ireat Bear Lake, whilst Sir John with a select party resolved to proceed down the stream to the Polar Sea. He left on the 8th, and on the i6th he reached Ellice Island. Here, to his great delight, he found that the water was salt and that he was actually in contact with the Polar Sea. Previous to his leaving England, his invalid wife, Ellen P'ranklin, )icc Purden, had made a small silk Union Jack, with the request (an ail-but dying one) that he should not unfurl it until it could be planted on the shores of the Polar Sea. A few days after he sailed, his enthusiastic wife died. This sad intelli- gence, via New York, had been conveyed to Sir John, who now^ within a few weeks of his hearing of the death of Lady Franklin, and just six months after his leaving England, planted, with deep emotion, the sacred flag on the faith-lands of his wife's trustful heart and one of the Ultima Thules of his own ambition. * Sirofi// (ircat li.xfciiitiou. !•>> illi- )hn, the his the iart » llaviii«r examined some i)()i'ti()ns of the Mackenzie kivcr, he commenced his return journe)' on August iSth, and reached his winter ([uarters, at Fort l^'ranklin, on the (jreat Hear Lake, Sei)teml)er 4th, 1.S25. Here Sir John remained till the following June, on the I 5th of which, he started for the Polar Sea, via the northern part of the Mackenzie River. July Sth found him resuming his explorations of the lV)lar Sea, westward from Mackenzie River. On the 9th he was stopped b}' ice, but on the 16th a change in the ice opened a passage for the boats. In a few hours, it again closed, not however before he had discovered two headlands which he named, respectively, Point Sabine and Point King. Ice, again, breaking up a little, he, on the same evening, reached Merschel Island. Progress west- ward was extremely difficult, still, on August 5th, he discovered and named Canning River, and on the 6th he did the same in connection with Flaxman Island, and on the lOth, Foggy Island — a very appropriate name was this, seeing that here, through fogs and ice, his progress was much delayed. Not able to go much further, and finding that he had only reached half of the way from Mackenzie River to Icy Cape, he, on August 20th, commenced his return journey to Great Bear Lake, and reached his winter quarters on September 21st. On February 2nd he set out for C 2 20 ^/> John Franklin. England, and arrived in Liverpool, September 26th, 1827. En passant, it should be noticed that Dr. Richardson, who accompanied Sir John, rendered valuable help, in the form of supplemental service. He was told off with some of Sir John's party to explore the southern coast of the Arctic Sea, east of the Mackenzie River. As the result of his labours, he discovered and named Liverpool Bay, Cape l^athurst, Franklin Bay, Cape Parry, the Dolphin and Union Strait, and Cape Krusenstern, on the Coronation Gulf. Such discoveries, allied to those of Franklin's former expedition, completed a very important portion of the North-West Passage route. He then set sail for Coppermine River, reached it in four days, and then returned to Great Bear Lake, which he reached on September ist, and so joined Sir John. 1825-8. — The Government feeling desirous to co-operate with the overland expedition of Sir John Franklin fitted out the Blossom, appointing Captain F. W. Beechy as commander. His in- structions were to proceed to Behring Strait, via Cape Horn, push on to Icy Cape, take up Franklin and bring him to England. He set sail on May 19th, 1825, passed through Behring Strait on July 22nd, entered Kotzebue I Resume of Expedition 21 Sound, discovered and named Hotham Inlet, Cape Thonnson and Point Hope. In the middle of iVugust, he reached Icy Cape, and immediately sent out a party in search of Franklin. The search was rendered useless by the fact that Sir John, unknown to Captain Beechy, had, on the i6th of August, returned to Great Bear Lake. The ship's party having brought no tidings of Sir John's expedition, Captain Beechy removed back to Kotzebue Sound, and remained there till the middle of October, when, convinced of the impossibility of finding Franklin in the winter, he returned to England. 1827-33. — Up to this year, all expeditions had failed to discover the passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, along the north shores of the American Continent. The Government now resolved to seek for it through another route. Parry was entrusted with the command. His instructions were to pro- ceed to the north shores of Spitzbergen, to place his ship {Hec/a) in a secure place, and, with his specially prepared boats, to proceed direct north- ward, and to return to Spitzbergen and home before prevented by winter. Equipped for this particular service, the Hecla set sail from England, March 25th, 1827. On June loth, Parry discovered, on the north coast of I'Viesland, a body of water which he named Trewrenburg Bay, and in a Cove of which {Hecla 22 Sty Jo/in Franklin. Cove) he secured his ship. On the 20th, he started for the north. Progress was steady. Having passed Low Island and Walden Island, he, on the 23rd, reached Little Table Island. On the 24th, he crossed an unknown ice-drifting sea and found, on the 25th, that he was in north lat. 81" 15' N., i.e., 525 geographical miles, in direct line from the North Pole. On July 23rd, after great hardships, he reached lat. S2° 45' being, in distance from the Hecla, 172 miles. He com- menced his return journey on the 27th, and reached the Hccla on August 21st, having been absent 61 days, and having travelled 1,127 statute miles. Thus was achieved the highest of all previous explorations of the Arctic regions. On July 8th, 1855, the Times recorded the death of the *' champion of the North." 1829-33. — As the Government expeditions had failed to accomplish anything satisfactory, and as, at this time, there appeared no disposition to follow up the discoveries already made. Sir Felix Booth, Sheriff of London, from his own private purse, resolved to prosecute further researches, via Prince Regent Inlet. For this purpose, he pur- chased and fully equipped the paddle steamer Victory^ running from Liverpool to the Isle of Man. Sir John Ross was appointed commander and set sail May 20th, 1827. ! I f i Resume' of Expeditions. '3 In August, via Cape Farewell and Disco Island, he reached Lancaster Sound, and on the 7th land was seen on both sides of his former '* inlet." Progressing westward, he, on the loth, was at the entrance to Prince Regent Inlet. In a south- west course, from Cape Garry, he went along the western shore of Regent Inlet and discovered and named Fearnall Bay, Long River, Mount Oliver, and Hazard Inlet. Rounding this Inlet, he also dis- covered and named Dutchburn Island. Below this, to the south, he further discovered a large tract of land, which, on the i6th, he formally took pos- session of and named Boothia. Still proceeding southward, he discovered and named Andrew Ross island, at the north-wxst of which he discovered a spacious bay, with a harbour. This harbour he named Felix Harbour. It was here that he had to remain from October 10th, 1S29, to September 17th, 1830. During the eleven months he made several fruitless explorations, and at the end sought to get away from his winter quarters, but though, at first hopeful, he, on September 30th, found that he had to spend, at the same place, another winter. During the ice season, lasting from September 30th, 1830, to August 27th, 1831, he made several excursions, one of which, on June 1st, 183 1, resulted in discovering the true position of 24 Sir John Franklin. \ the magnetic pole, where none of his horizontal needles would move in any direction. This may be called tJie discovery of the expe- dition. Though on August 27th all arrangements were made for the Victory to leave Felix Harbour, and though she was successful in moving four miles, progress immediately became impossible, and so the ship was doomed to another winter's imprisonment in an inlet, named by Sir John, Victory Harbour. Here, he was shut up till April 7th, 1832, when he resolved to abandon the ship and to proceed on sledges. He left, but had to return. On May 29th, 1832, he finally left the ship, on June 9th reached Elizabeth Harbour, and on July 2nd, via Cape Garry, he arrived at Fury Beach. Trying to get away from here, by going north, he was ruth- lessly driven back and reached his starting point, October 7th. Here, amidst great privations, he had to winter till May 8th, 1833, when an advance party, with stores, left Somerset House for the north. On the return of the advance party, all preparations for the comfort of the invalids having been made, Somerset House was, for ever, left on July 8th. The journey to Batty Bay, accomplished through dreadful sufferings, was finished on July 12th. The 17th found the party sheltering near Cape ResuviJ of lixpcditions. ^S h York, where, after being given up as lost for two years, Sir John was rescued b>- the Isabella, of Hull, and, by her, brought to England. 1833. — As no tidings had been received con- cerning Sir John Ross, there was anxious and universal concern. Partly through subscriptions and partly through aid from the Government, an overland expedition was resolved upon, to be commanded by Sir George Back, a fellow-explorer of Sir John Franklin in 1818 and in 18 19. The expedition left England, February 17th, 1833, and via Lake Winnipeg, reached Great Slave Lake on August nth. As the instructions were to search for Sir John Ross, by examining any available route that led to Prince Regent Inlet, and to specially examine Fury Beach, Back proceeded accordingly. On August 30th, he discovered Great Fish River, where, at Fort Reliance, he wintered till June 7th, 1834. Leaving his winter quarters on June 7th, he journeyed eastward, and on the 27th, with great difficulty, reached the source of Great Fish River, having been informed, before starting, of the rescue of Sir John Ross and his arrival in England. It was from the mouth of the Great Fish River, that Back saw stretched out before him the waters of the Polar Sea. Across the waters, he saw an island, but as the ice, like another Jordan, between 26 S/r foJiii Franldin. the wilderness and Canaan, prevented him from crossing over, he, from his present Nebo, viewed it, called it King William's Land, unfurled the British flag, and formall)' took possession ! (For Point Victory, King William's Land, see the " revelation "). With no authority to continue his explorations, he now returned to Fort Reliance, where he wintered, till March 21st, 1834, when, via Fort Resolution, &c., he reached Fngland on the 8th of September. 1836-37. — Probably receiving a renewal of their former zeal, the Government, for the solving of the problem of the North-West Passage, again resolved to send out another expedition. Accordingly, the Terror was fully equipped, and Sir George Back appointed to the command. His instructions were to proceed to Hudson Strait, then to the shores ot the American Continent, either vicx Southampton Lsland and P'rozen Strait, or, from the shores of Southampton Lsland, Rowe's Welcome and Wager River, to Repulse l^ay. Here, he was to winter the Terror, and by sledges to go to the south shore of Prince Regent Inlet, and so work west to Point Turnagain. Back set sail June 14th, 1836, and, on August 1st, the Terror entered Hudson Strait. Here, for twelve months, the ship experienced an amount of knocking up and down and a driving forward and backward, such as have no parallel in the North r Resume of Expeditions. V I t Pole explorations. On Aui^ust 5th, 1837, the Terror, by backward movements, got rid of ice packs, floes and storms, but in such a mutilated condition as to render, as an absolute necessity, her immediate return to iMigland. Thus ended, all things considered, the most fruitless expedition of the present centur)'. 1836-9. — Many believing that, between the mouth of Great Fish River and l^rince Regent Inlet, there was to be found a water communi- ^'ation, it was resolved to test the matter, as well as to make an effort to discover the unknown regions on the North American Coast. For this purpose, the Hudson l^ay Company appointed Mr. Simpson, who, on December ist, 1836, left the Red River Settlement and proceeded to F^ort Chippewyan, on the Athabasca Lake, which was reached February 1st, 1837. Leaving here, on June ist, he reached Fort Resolution, on the Great Slave Lake, the loth, and Fort Norman, July ist. F^om here he voyaged down the ^Mackenzie River towards the Polar Sea. On the 9th, he stood in view of the Arctic Ocean. Proceeding west, he, on the 23rd, reached Return Reef, the limit of Sir John Franklin's explorations. He now aimed to reach Point Barrow, and in doing so, discovered, about twelve miles from Return Reef, Point Back and Point Beechy. Still 28 Sir John Franklin. pressing forward, he discovered and named several places, and on August 3rd he entered Elson Bay, at Point Barrow, and thus connected the discoveries of Sir John Franklin and Rear- Admiral Beechy, via Behring Strait. He now commenced his return journey to Fort Norman, which he completed on September 4th. From thence, he set out for his winter quarters, on the Great Slave Lake, which he reached on the 25th and which, as an expression of gratitude, he named Port Confidence. The spring of 1838 was devoted to the making of excursions in the neighbourhood of Coppermine River. On June 7th he set out for the shores of the Polar Sea, via Dease River, Dismal Lakes and Kendal River. July ist, descending Bloody Fall, Simpson reached the Polar Sea. An opening, running to the east, was discovered, and so he com- menced a second voyage along the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Passing Cape Barrow, Barry Lslands, the entrance to Melville Sound, and along the east coast, he discovered and named Hargrave River and Mount George. Hindered by the ice from proceeding further east, he ascended a height, from which he saw, extending eastward, almost beyond the reach of vision, a sea, in which were various islands of different shapes and sizes. To the eye a northern land appeared to terminate in I Resume of lixpeditions. 29 ■1 m a lofty cape, K.N.E. To this northern land he gave the name Victoria, and to the cape, Pelly. To the east of this he discovered a channel, or strait, tlic Victoria Channel of the " revelation." Now turning south-east, he rounded the eastern shores of Kent Peninsula, and discovered and named Beaufort River. On August 29th he commenced his return journey, via Coppermine River, to the great Bear Lake, and so to his winter quarters at Port Confidence, which he reached on September 14th. Remaining here till June 15th, 1839, Simpson set out for Coppermine River, and leaving its mouth on July 3rd, he commenced an eastward voyage, and on the 1 8th he reached Point Barrow. From here he discovered that Coronation Gulf was open, and so proceeded to Cape Franklin. On the 26th he reached Cape Alexander, rounded Trap Cape, in a south-east direction, and discovered and named Melbourne Island. He then discovered a river, leading into the Polar Sea, larger than the Coppermine River, which he named Ellice River. Edging away southward, as far as Ogden Bay, he found an open sea., leading to the Great Fish River. All Simpson's discoveries, up to this point, meant a settlement of the northern boundary of America, west of Great Fish River. Simpson now resolved to proceed eastward, and so connect Prince Regent Inlet with the Polar Sea. On the journey he dis- 30 Sir John Fraiikli)i. covered and named Cape Britannia, and proceeding in a north-east direction to Cape Selkirk, he reached Cape Colborne, the nearest point of the unvisited Victoria Land. He now returned, but on the journey he either committed suicide or was murdered. Thus ended an expedition, undertaken with the greatest enthusiasm, carried on with tiie most extra- ordinary vigour, and concluded under the most pain- ful circumstances — concluded at the very time when honours for the young intrepid explorer were on the way from the English Government. 1846-7. — The Hudson Bay Company, having resolved to make another effort to complete the re- searches on the western shores of Prince Regent Inlet, and so connect it with the Polar Sea, fitted out an expedition of two boats, and gave the command to Dr. Rae. His instructions were to proceed along the western shores of the Great l^ay, up Rowe's Welcome, and Repulse Bay. He started June 13th, 1846. On July 14th he sighted Cape Kendall, on Southampton Island, and entered Repulse Bay on the 24th. Committee Bay, the southern extreme arm of Prince Regent Inlet, was reached, August 1st. Unable to make further progress, Dr. Rae, on the lOth, returned to Repulse Bay, where, at P'ort Hope, he spent the winter of 1846-7. Removing from his winter quarters, on April 5, 1847, he set out with renewed determination to accomplish his task. '1 I 1 Kcsuni,' of lixpeditions. 31 On the Sth of April he passed Cape Pell)-, and on the lOth he passed Colville W^y into Keith Ikiy. lie now found that land extended in a continuous course alone: the western shores of the (lulf of l^oothia. Cominj^: upon Lord Mayor's Ha>' it was proved that no water communication existed between lioothia Gulf and the open waters of the Arctic Sea. Having finished, in part, what he sought to accomplish, Dr. Rae set out for Fort Hope, which he reached on May 5th. He now resolved to explore the east of Boothia, and accordingly set out. On the 1 6th he reached Committee liay, discovered and named Dease Peninsula and Cape Simpson. Round- ing this Cape, he crossed Lefroy l^ay to Cape McTavish. Opposite this Cape he discovered and named Prince of Wales' Island, and Selkirk and Smith's Bays. On the 24th, he advanced north, along the east shores of Boothia Gulf. Following the coast line, he discovered and named Finlayson and (iarry Bays, Prince Albert Hills, and Baker's Bay. To the most distant land beyond this bay he gave the name of Cape F211ice. His return journey to Repulse Bay was commenced on May 28th, and finished on June 9th. The total result of this expedition was to establish that there was no outlet from the south of Boothia Gulf to the Arctic Sea, and thus was cir- cumscribed the area of search for the North-West I'assage. 32 Si'r Jolni FriDikUn, Thus much as to an outh'nc of the efforts to discover a North-Wcst I'assajjjc, as well as a fit intro- duction to the last expedition, sent out for this purpose — we mean that of Sir John Franklin. Above seventy years ago ''177^), the Government had offered, as a reward for the discovery, ;^20,000. No one yet could claim the offered prize, but another effort is to be made, and that through Sir John Franklin. Will he be successful ? } \ > > to tro- this :Hn. ent )00. her Dhn CHAPTER II. Sir John Franklin's Third and Last kxpedition. *• He casteth forth his Icelike morsels. Who can stand before his cokl ? " The discoveries of Sir John Franklin in connection with his overland expeditions have already been referred to, 7'/V/t' Chap. I., years 1819-22 and 1S25-7. Born at Spilsby, April i6th, 178O, Sir John vva^, originally designed for the Church, but at the age of fifteen he was in a midshipman's berth on board the Polyplieinus, and, as such, took part in the battle of Copenhagen, his own ship leading the attack. About June, 1801, he was serving in the Investi- gator, The ship being condemned, as unseaworthy, he was transferred to the Porpoise. This ship was wrecked on the Australian coast. On his return, he joined the RelleropJion, in which he engaged in the Battle of Trafalgar. Afterwards he joined the Bedford, and did much good service on the coasts of Brazil and Portugal, for which he was promoted D 34 Sir John Franklin. to be lieutenant. For distinguished valour at New Orleans he was appointed to the first lieutenancy of the Forth. In 1818, he was in the Ross and Buchan expe- ditions to discover the North -West Passage, being a lieutenant in both. For the years 1819-22, see the last chapter. In 1823, he married an authoress — Miss Purden, who, as before mentioned, died during his second overland expedition, in 1825. For an account of his second great expe- dition see the last chapter (1825-27). As a recognition of his valuable services in this expedition, Oxford made him a D.C.L., and the Geographical Society of Paris awarded him its gold medal for the year. In 1828, he married Miss Griffen, a descendant of a Huguenot family. In 1829, he received the honour of knighthood. In 1832, he was placed in command of the Rainbozv. In 1836, he was appointed Governor of Tasmania. Here he remained seven years. During this period, aided by his wife, he was instrumental in doing an amount of good, which may be best shown by the fact that, when leaving, there were demonstrations of gratitude such as the country had never before witnessed. Besides this, such were the grateful remembrances associated with former days that when Lady Franklin, nine years after was in great need of money for her final h The Fruit of lislicoL 35 expedition to discover her lost husband, the resi- dents sent her iJ" 1,700. Frankhn, in his homeward \oyage to England had an opportunity of visiting places in which, in his more youthful days, he had acquired some of his most valuable preliminary experiences — experi- ences that proved of good service in his after eventful life. Bidding farewell to Australian scenes, he reached l^^ngland in 1844. From 1837, when Sir George Back returned from his fruitless effort to reach Prince Regent Inlet, until 1844, the Government had taken no direct interest in the cutting of the Gordian knot re the North-West Passage. As already noticed, the Hudson Bay Company had, through Mr. Simpson, obtained valuable results by their overland expe- dition, but such results were, unto the scientific and mercantile community, much like the fruit of Eshcol unto the Israelites who, on tasting it, wished to hasten to the land where the fruit luxuriantly grew. To satisfy itself and to meet the general wish of the nation, the Government, in 1844, fitted out, and that with the most complete equipment, two steam ships, the Erelms (370 tons) and the Terror (340 tons). This was, in reality, the first steam power that was called into requisition for the North-West Passage discoveries, and much confi- D 2 (! 36 Sir John Franklin, fi dence was felt as to the results. Hitherto, ships and boats had been but as helpless shuttlecocks in the hands of the battledores of ^Eolus and Ice. Now, as against both, steam resolved to do battle. Both ships, for seven winters, had done effective service in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Thus had they proved their claim to all that fitness for ice-navigation which had been prophesied of them. The design of this expedition was to complete the discovery of the North-West Passage. Parry had accomplished very much in the north, and the overland explorers had done the same on the shores of the Polar Sea. Barrow, Beaufort, Parry, Sabine, Ross and Franklin were all anxious that the Government should connect the northern with the more southern coast, and so accomplish the long- worked for object. On his return from Tasmania, Sir John readily offered himself for the important undertaking. Some objection was raised against him on account of his age. Lord Haddington, First Lord of the Admiralty, one day remarked to him, " I might find a good excuse for not letting you go, Sir John, in the rumour that tells me you are sixty years of age." With a soul that felt itself always young. Sir John exclaimed, " No, no, my Lord, / am only fifty-nine'' On May 5th, 1845, Sir John, as chief in command, received from the Admiralty s\ s \ u i I Sets Sail. 37 instructions to go with all speed to Lancaster Sound and to push on to the west, so as to examine any openings to the northzvard. On reaching Cape Walker, he was to avoid seeking to pass out through Behring Strait by the south, or west, of Melville Island. Instead of this, he was to seek an outlet through the south or west of Cape Walker, and failing in this, he was, in the second summer, to go northward and seek a passage through Wellington Channel. The ships, thoroughly examined, repaired, refitted and abundantly supplied with provisions, medicines and needful comforts, steamed from the Thames, May 19th, 1845. Each vessel had on board, all told, sixty-nine officers and men. In charge of the Erebus was Sir John Franklin, and in charge of the Terror was Captain Francis R. M. Crozier. The Barreto Junior^ with clothes, provisions and coal, was commissioned to accompany the expedition as far as Baffin Bay. • As the expedition, with its transport, sailed slowly down the Thames, it received the best wishes of a nation's heart, and not a few earnest prayers were offered for a successful voyage and a speedy return. Wives had husbands there ; parents, sons of great promise ; widows, the hope and joy of their lives ; and sisters, brothers of whom they were proud. 38 Sir John Franklin, Concerning the voyage, we have but little in- formation. Through the letters of Franklin, the short journal of Commander Fitzjames of the Erebus, and the letters of Lieut. Fairholme of the same vessel, we have a satisfactory record up to the arrival at Disco, just half way through Baffin Bay. The journal comes down to July nth. The record gives a glowing account of the popu- larity of Sir John, both as to the man and the explorer. The same, with a little playful criticism here and there, applies to the officers in general. With the exception of such, neither journal, nor letters, told anything of much importance. It was from Disco, July I2th, that the transport returned to England, bringing letters and journal to date. On the 26th, moored to an iceberg, near the south entrance to Melville Bay, and bound for Lancaster Sound, the expedition was seen by a whaler {Prince of Wales). All, at this time, were in the most excellent spirits. Captain Dannet, of the whaler, was invited to dine with Sir John on the following day. But the weather, almost imme- diately becoming favourable for return to England, Captain Dannet set sail, and so the pleasure of dining on board the Erebus had to be sacrificed. Month after month passes away but no news arrive concerning the expedition. A year passes away, still no tidings come. Arrivals from Green- Lost ! 39 in- the the of land, from America, and from every conceivable quarter are carefully questioned on the subject, but it is all in vain. Uneasiness is on the increase. Not an item of information can be obtained east, west, north or south. June, 1846, comes and goes, but there cometh not even an echo of good tidings. It is the same with July. It is now August, and surely this month will not end without some sign of hope. Yet expectation is doomed to disappoint- ment. Not a " sound," nor a " voice," is heard. September is come and anxiety is growing apace. Friends of the absent begin to ask the authorities for information, but none can be given. It is now October, and verily before this month expires, some intelligence will arrive. A summer cannot possibly begin and end without some information. True, Parry and Ross had been ice-bound for a long time and nothing was heard from them, nor about them. But they had no screw propellers to weather storms and to brush aside ice-floes. Again there is disappointment. November is come and with it uneasiness becomes universal. Sir John Ross is the mouthpiece of the nation, and accordingly writes to the Admiralty, to the Royal Societ)- and to the Geographical Society. He feels convinced of the probability that the expedition has been driven to the western shores of the cruel Melville Island. It was this locality, of all localities, Sir 40 Sir John Franklin. John was to avoid and yet, almost to a certainty, he is there, shut in by eternal ramparts of ice. Christmas is come, and more than one hundred homes are less cheerful because of the absent ones ! Gone, but who knows where ? Everywhere, Sir John Ross's letters are being discussed, but the Lords of the Admiralty are speaking of the provisions of the Erebus and Terror as sufficient to last for three years, and that even the second winter of the absence of news is too early to be gravely concerned about the safety of Sir John. But anxiety is becoming more intense. The pulse of the nation is beating at 120. The cry is " Something must be done." This becomes, at length, changed into, " Something sJiall be done." The Government is moved at last, and so to obtain opinions as to the probable position of the expedition, and how to reach it, all officers ot experience, in connection with the Arctic Regions, are asked to write. The summary of their opinions is as follows : — 1st. The expedition has not been destroyed in Baffin Bay, as some of high position in the naval service suppose. 2nd. That it has not yet passed through Behring Strait. 3rd. That until two winters, without tidings, have passed, there is no need for serious apprehension. * i To the Rescue ! 41 ,;» I 4th. That, nothwithstanding this, immediate pre- parations for Sir John's relief should be made. 5th. Should no intelligence arrive during the ensuing summer (1847), search expeditions should be sent out. 6th. That the instructions to those search ex- pedition^ should be based on, and guided by, the instruL Lions given to Sir John. The case can only be fully met by three expeditions, one to ifiect Sir John, should he be making for l^ehring Strait ; the second to folloiv him in the direction of Lancaster Sound, and the third (an Overland one), to aid him should he be icebound, or wrecked on the coasts of the Polar Seas. The summer of 1847 was a summer of increasingly painful silence. And Christmas again came, and more cheerless than last Christmas were the, hearths of more than a hundred homes. Expectant and pray- ing wives began to feel alarmed ; widowed mothers had gloomy forebodings, and loving sisters wept. Not a sigr of hope ushered in the year of 1848. Sir John Franklin is lost ! The bravest officers that ever sailed the Arctic Seas are lost ! The very pick of men amongst all naval crews are lost ! Where ? This is the question, running to and fro, from Land's End to John o' Groat's House. To the rescue ! This is the watchword of the United Kingdom. To the rescue! Yes, a thousand times, but where? i. ■ ii ; 1 it CHAPTER III. Sir John FkANKrjx Lost ! Search-Expeditions TO FIND HIM. "O, ihe silence that came next, the patience and long aching."' " Master, we have toiled all night." We left a nation, in general, and the relatives of the missing ones, in particular, in the throes of accumula- ting anxieties. And so much did the gloom increase that, before the first expedition was ready, the optimists were becoming less and less. The sages of Arctic explorations shook their heads and spoke with " 'bated breath." Not upon a few of the loved ones, left behind, came there ominous signs of departing hope. Others prepared themselves for the worst. Still, the nation's advisers threw aside all pessimist theories and suggestions and resolved to make amends for any apparent tardiness by decisive and compre- hensive action. The FIRST Government Expedition — A three- fold one. Of the three proposed expeditions, that via Behring Strait, to 7neet Sir John, was the first to get ready. The attempt, through this route, as a first U < il The Fir-^'t Search-Expedition. 43 step, arose from a strong belief as to the probability that Sir John was a prisoner in the neighbourhood of Melville Island. If so, the chances of rescuing him, through the l^ehring Strait route, were much greater than through any other. TJie Behring Strait Expedition, 1 848. This consists of two vessels, the Herald, commanded by Captain Kellett, and the Plover, commanded by Commander Moore. Both are to co-operate with each other. On August 14th, Captain Kellett, who had received his orders at Panama, leaves Kamtschatka and enters, September 14th, Kotzebue Sound, where, according to orders, he is to await the arrival of the Plover. The 29th arrives, and as there is no appearance of Commander Moore, and as the open-sea season is drawing to a close, Captain Kellett returns through Behring Strait and resumes his researches in the South Pacific. Engaging in this work, till May 19th, 1849, he sets sail, the second time, for the Arctic regions. He reaches Kotzebue Sound, July 15th, and observes the Plover anchoring off Chamisso Island. From Com- mander Moore, he learns that on January ist he had left the Thames to join Xhc Herald ; that, being too late to enter Behring Strait, he had wintered at Anadyr, Eastern Siberia, had left his winter quarters on June 30th, 1849, and had reached his present anchorage, on July 14th. Wm f 44 Sir John Fraiikiin, United and speedy arrangements are now made. Cape Lisburne is passed on Jul>' 20th. On the 26th, both vessels sail direct northward and reach Wain- wright Inlet on the 30th. The)' now commence to examine, carefully, this place, but whilst doing so the ships separate. Whilst separated. Captain Kellett dis- covers Herald Island and Plover Island. On September 2nd, both ships are again at anchor in Kotzebue Sound. On the 26th the Herald leaves, passes through Behring Strait, and reaches Mexico, November 14th. The Plover now gets into winter quarters. It is now November, 1849, when news reaches the vessel that two ships have been seen eastward of Point Barrow. Preparations to investigate the report are made, and so, on March lOth, 1850, an expedition sets out, but finding nothing but rumours, it returns to the Plover^ on April 29th. On July 1 6th, Captain Kellett again joins Com- mander Moore, from whom he receives an account of the rumours about the encampment of white people in the neighbourhood of Point Barrow. In consequence of this, the Plover goes to inquire into the matter, whilst the Herald sets sail for the north to look out for exploring vessels in the Arctic regions. The arrangement, as to the place of the meeting of the two ships, was off Cape Lisburne. Here they meet on August 13th, with no information relative to the reports. II \ i The First Search-Expedition. 45 of -y to On August 27th, Captain Kellett again sets sail for the south, passes through Rehring Strait, and investi- gates some rumours regarding white men being in the vicinity of Norton Sound, on the coast of Russia. He learns nothing from the visit, and again re-enters the Strait on September 5th. The Plover winters at Grantly Harbour, and on the 23rd, the Herald completes its last search for Sir John Franklin. In the meanwhile, whilst both ships arc pursuing their conjoint investigations, and one of them is on the way to Mexico, two boats, from the Plover^ in charge of Mr. Pullen, and carrying supplies for Sir John Franklin and his party, are, from the Wainright Inlet, exploring the Mackenzie River. Departing from his ship, on July 20th, 1848, Mr. Pullen com- mences the actual work of his expedition on the 25th. On the 29th, he passes Cape Smyth. Through difficulties, arising from the ice, delays occur, so not till August 2nd does he push eastward, cross Smith's Bay on the 5th, and arrive at Point Berens on the nth. The 12th, finds him about the west of Point Beechy. Icy Reef is left on the 22nd, and on the 30th, he enters the Mackenzie, via Peel River. He reaches Point Separation on September 8th, Fort of Good Hope on the 14th, the waters of the Bear Lake River on the 22nd, P^ort Norman on the 23rd, and then Fort Simpson, where he meets Dr. Rae. He winters here in 1848-9, and leaves his winter I II :;; 46 Sir John Frank-lin, quarters, on June 20th, 1849. Unsuccessfully seeking to go up the Mackenzie River, he returns to Fort Simpson. On July i ith, he makes a second attempt and reaches Point Separation on the i8th. Passing Garry Island, in the Arctic Sea, on the 20th, he resolves to proceed to Cape l^athurst and then to strike straight across to Banks Land, a distance of 3(X) miles. He reaches Cape l^athurst, on August .Sth, and seeks to explore the locality, but finds it impossible. He immediately returns to P'ort Simpson, which he reaches on October 5th. Here he spends the winter (1850-51), and leaves on June 4th, 185 1. He now ascends the Mackenzie River, reaches Fort Resolution on the 20th, York Factory on August 28th, leaves for England on September 9th. Thus, so far as the discovery of the lost Erebus and Terror is concerned, nothing has been achieved. The same remark also applies to the Plover^ which returned to England in September, 1851. Thus ended the Behring Strait expedition. Amidst the great and growing anxiety, concerning the fate of the missing expedition, no small amount of interest is created by a statement which appears in the Illustrated News, April 17th, 1852. The brig, Renovation, of North Shields, brings information that, in April, 185 1, two ships had been seen on an iceberg in Newfoundland. But though the subject creates much excitement, the evidence on which the informa- The First Seavch-lixpcditioii. 47 tion rests is not satisfactory. After very careful examination of the whole question, the unanimc.us conclusion is that no reliance can be placed on t!»e report in the Ilhistrated Neivs. The Overland Route Expedition : — This is in com- mand of Sir John Richardson, a companion of Sir John Franklin in a former expedition. Dr Rae is selected to accompanv hirr... Thinking' it possible that some news ( *" t'ne tlrebd.': and Terror ma)- reach l^igland before '\\\:i >i-)rinfi has been received, ho sot:: sail fcj* New VcM'k ;j!U.1 reaches, June 13th, the .S.tskatchev'da Riv(ir. 0\\ July nth, he and his party reach I*Oit Chippcwj'an and on the 17th they enter the Gicat Slave Lake The 22nd finds them on the Mackenzie Rivci', at Fort Simpson. The search now CGmj;iences in earnest, and so, on August 3rd, keeping up an incessant out-look, the expedition proceeds easl\\ard. On the 8th, it reaches Cape Brown, and on the 9th, it rests beneath the cliffs of Cape Mainland. Eagerly pressing forward the 13th finds all at Cape Parry, and the 21st sees them gazing, with hopeless vision, on the ice-locked shore:5 of Wollaston Land. Prevented from making a search for the lost ships, on the northern shores, Sir John Richardson proceeds south-east-ward and 48 Sir John Franklin. \ w % reaches Cape Krusenstern on the 29th, and Cape Hearn on the 31st. The ice now stops all further progress, and so, on September 3rd, the expedition starts on its return voyage and reaches Fort Confi- dence on the 17th. Here all winter till June 9th, 1849. Sir John Richardson now gives instructions to Dr. Rae to descend the Coppermine River, to explore Dolphin and Union Strait and the shores of Wollas- ton and Victoria Lands. He reaches the sea on July 14th, where, through natives from Wollaston Land, he learns that no white men, nor ships, nor boats, have been seen. On the 30th, he reaches Cape Krusenstern and resolves to survey Wollaston Land. He is knocked about here till August 22nd, when, just able to view the shores of Wollaston Land through his telescope, he has to return to Fort Simp- son, which he reaches September 26th. Finding that Sir John Richardson had left Fort Confidence, via Canada, for England, on May 7th, Dr. Rae at once proceeded to the head quarters of the Hudson Bay Company. As to Sir John Richardson, he arrived in England November 6th, 1849. Thus ended the overland search, but like the Behring Strait one, there is no light ! Darkness is increasing ! Hopes, however, are in another direction, and these in connection with the Barrow Strait expedition. f The First Search- Expedition. 49 Bay 4 The Barroiv Strait Expedition. — This is com- posed of the Enterprise (530 tons) and the Investigator (538 tons). The chief in command is Sir James Clarke Ross (in the Enterpriser^ and the second in command is Captain Edward Bird (in the Investigator). The vessels leave England, June i2th, 1848. Via Lancaster Sound, the expedition pushes west and reaches Cape York, September ist. Still pressing west, all are stopped by a vast accumulation of ice which extends from the mouth of Wellington Channel to Leopold Island. The ships winter at this place (Port Leopold). At the return of spring, sledge expeditions are sent out. One explores the western shores of Prince Regent Inlet, as far as Fury Beach. A second crosses Barrow Strait to Cape Hurd, but fails to reach Cape Riley, or Beechy Island. A third crosses Regent Inlet to Port Barrow. But notwithstanding all, no trace of any ships having passed is found. The whole of the western coast of North Somerset is now surveyed, but without the least discovery of any trace of the Erebns and Terror. On June 23rd, the ships are reached. As the ice is still surrounding the ships, efforts are now made to cut a way through, but not till August 28th are efforts crowned with complete success. The ships now cross, in a north-west direction, towards Wellington Channel, but are stopped by ice, and so £ 50 Sir John Franklin. !^ i ! ii ; leave for Kngland, September 25th, 1849. Accord- ing to Sir John Richardson's opinion, the sledge excursions, added to the discoveries of Dr. Rae, covered the whole of Prince Regent Inlet and the Gulf of Boothia But so, or not, the Barrow Strait expedition was barren of results. So deeply felt the disconsolate friends of the lost ones. Three expeditions, working together as far as possible, have gone out and returned, and yet not the faintest streak of light has flitted across the deepening darkness. The provisions taken out by the Erebus and Terror were for three years. It is now beyond thefonrth year, since the expedition sailed out of the Thames, and how could more than 1 30 men, short of food, brave the rigours of an Arctic winter ? True they may, during the summer months, though ice - bound, have added to their dimin- ishing stock, still the probabilities are far from strong. The weaker of the crews may have succumbed, and had probably done so. Thus, the thoughts of the hearts of friends and of the nation troubled them. Where is Sir John ? Echo answers. Where ? I 1 The Second Governiment Exi'edition. We have noticed that the Barrow Strait search, under Sir James Ross, was, through the ice, brought to an untimely finish. But what appeared strange was the information, in the possession of the Govern- The Second Search- Expedition, 51 ment, thai all the whalers had escaped the fate which betel the Enterprise and the Investigator. Why was this ? Had tlie whalers better knowledge of ice navi- gation than the experts of the Royal Navy? This, at least, was clear, the whalers had done good busi- ness in open seas and had returned, without let or hindrance. Whereas the Barrow Strait expedition, with professedly superior advantages, knew nothing of open seas, and, ice-beaten, had returned. Gradu- ally it dawned upon the nation and upon the Govern- ment that the whalers should have the next oppor- tunity of endeavouring to folloiu in the track of the missing Erebus and Terror. Alternate despair and hope had their effect on the Government, and so it was resolved to get ready another expedition, which should start in the spring of 1850, under the command of an experienced whaler. The choice fell upon Captain William Penny of the Advice^ of Dundee. His connection with this smart whaler had already been associated with a search for the lost expedition, or rather for Surgeon Goodsir, of the Erebus. Mr. R. A. Goodsir, ex-President of the Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh, like m^ny others, was r.nxious to rescue his relative. Brought in contact with Captain Penny, he, in hopes of doing something towards the saving of the lost, engaged himself as surgeon, and, as soon as pos- E 2 i 52 Sir John Franklin. sible, set sail with Captain Penny. Tlie voyage, in addition to a good harvest of blubber, showed what could be done by energy and tact. Starting from Dundee, on March 17th, 1849, Penny, on June 8th, passed the entrance to Lan- caster Sound, and on the 9th was at the northern point of Pond's Bay — a favourite hunting ground of the whalers. In three w^eks, the Advice was nearly " a full ship," and so felt free to do some exploration work. On August 5th, Lancaster Sound had been passed through and Leopold Island sighted. A short, quick voyage was made up Barrow Strait ; casks, containing papers, letters, &c., were left at different headlands ; after which Captain Penny, " on business intent," retraced his steps homeward and landed a valuable cargo. Such a man, in a season when the expedition of Sir J. C. Ross had done nothing, was one whom the Government might fully trust. At the request of the Admiralty, Penny purchased two vessels — one of 200 tons register and the other 100 tons — the first he named Lady Franklin, and the second he named Sophia, after Miss Cracroft, Sir John Franklin's niece. Penny's orders are to pay special attention to the shores of Wellington Channel. On August 14th, 1850, the ships pass Melville Bay, and on the 23rd, they get a clear view of Cornwallis Island and Cape Hotham, and on the j «e J The Second Search-Expedition, 53 25th, they reach Cape Riley and Beechy Island, where are found evidences that Sir John had encamped about six miles from Cape Spencer. The proofs are pieces of cloth, ropes, soup canisters, and inscriptions on boards in memory of three of Sir John's crew, who had died there in the winter of 1845-6. Several searches are now made in the same neighbourhood for other evidences of the visit, but without success. Winter now upon them, they enter Assistance Harbour, south of Cornwallis Island, and remain there till the following May, 185 1. But as the main object of Penny's expedition was to explore the neighbourhood of Wellington Channel, he, at the commencement of May, arranges accordingly. Six sledges are well equipped, and up to lat. about 75° they go on together. Two now go forward to the North, on the western shores of the Wellington Channel, two are sent to search the eastern shores of the Channel, whilst Penny, with the third party, strikes across in a north-west direction. Here he discovers a bay and gives it the name of Kane ; he also discovers and names Cape de Haven, Point Decision and Hamilton Island. From what he can gather, he infers that the missing ships have gone " northland," which he had seen, from Point Decision. Away to the west, he discovers two islands, the nearest of which he names Stewart Island. He 54 Sir John Frankliiu passes and names Cape Scoresby and Haddo Ba)-. To the north, several miles distant, is a headland. This is reached, and from its summit is seen a strait of clear water, about eight miles in length. To search this is an impossibility. " Oh, for a boat," was the cry. Proceeding westward, he discovers and names Baring Island and Prince Albert Land, from whose headland he exclaims, " No one will ever reach Sir John Franklin." The view of the open water leads to a resolve to get back to the ships and bring up a boat. The shipward journey, of much suffering, is begun on May 17th, and the ships are reached on the 20th. Sledge, with boat, starts on June 4th, and the boat is launched on the water, on the 17th. But the ice interferes, no progress is made, and so after beating ibout till July 22nd, the boat is abandoned, and via Cornwallis Island, the return journey of 100 miles commences, and after great labour and much suffering is finished. Feeling convinced that Sir John's expedition had gone up Wellington Channel, Captain Penny is strongly tempted to spend another winter at Assistance Harbour and renew the search, but being forbidden by Government orders, he leaves, with a heavy heart, on August 12th, and with the Lady Franklin and the Sophia, reaches Gravesend, Sei-tember 21st, 1851. I 1 i The Third Search-Expedition. 55 • ! News, unsatisfactory without doubt, yet news, had come at last. Sir John had, evidently, ^one up Wellington Channel. This was some guide for further efforts, and disproved the report and belief of some that all had gone down in Baffin Baj'. Drooping and almost dead hearts began to look- up. Some news is better than no news. And though the night is still dark there appears to be a tinge of grey on the horizon. 1 I The Third Government Kxi'Edition. This formed a part of the more matured Govern- ment scheme, of which the Lady Franklin and the Sophia were the first instalment. The ships were the Resolute and Assistance with their tenders, the screw steamers, Pioneer and Intrepid, both of 60 horse power. Both commanders, Austin and Om- manney, had done yeoman's service in the Arctic Regions. With provisions for three years, the search journey was commenced, May 3rd, 1850. On June 25th, the ships had passed Disco, and on the 26th the Sophia and Lady Franklin were sighted in their ice-bound quarters. Steam-power was a surprise to the whalers, and, with this and the use of powder in clearing the ice, they reached Melville Bay, August 6th. Lancaster Sound is entered on the 22nd. Sailing west, they, when off Cape Hurd, meet a boat from 4 56 Sir John Franklin. from the which they learn about covered traces of Sir John Franklin. On the 23rd the Assistance and the Intrepid reach Cape Riley, which, without any fresh result, is examined. Nothing of much importance presenting itself, the squadron is secured to a field of ice, between Cornwallis and Griffiths Island, and so ends the season of 1850. The ice breaking up in April, 1851, two great sledge parties, under Captain Ommanney and Lieut. McClintock set out — Captain Ommanney's party, southward, towards Cape Walker, and Lieut. McClintock's towards the west, in the direction of Melville Island. On the 2 1st, Ommanney reaches Cape Walker. The east coast of Prince of Wales Land is explored, and the west coast, at a point of 300 miles from the ships, is also examined, but though 200 miles of newly-discovered land have been traversed, yet no trace of Sir John is found. After an absence of 60 days he returns. In the meanwhile, Lieut. McClintock is examining Cornwallis and Bathurst Islands. On May loth he lands on the south- east point of Melville Island, and reaches Cape Beechy on the 19th. Cape Providence is examined on both sides. He is now, as the crow flies, 300 miles from the ships, and so returns, via Liddon's Gulf, Winter Harbour, Cape Bounty, reaching the % J i u I The Third SearcJi-Hxpedition. 57 ships on July 4th, after an absence of 81 days. The news were nil. The squadron now returns and reaches England at the end of September. The work accomplished was an examination of Parry Island, from Bcechy Island to the extreme west of Melville Island, and 400 miles of the coast to the south of Cape Walker, including both sides of Wellington Channel and Jones Sound. Where are the Erebus and Terror? — is the ever-asked and the everywhere- asked question. The hopes that were revived, a few days since, by the arrival of the Lady Frankliit and the Sophia, and hopes that were, more or less, centred in this powerful expedition, now became as those that look for restoration to health when the physician has whispered " there is no cure." If Captain Penny had " slain his thousands " who could but expect that the Royal-Navy-commanded steamers would slay their "tens of thousands?" It is midnight now. The cry, " The morning Cometh," has been hushed in the beating hearts and heaving sighs of those that think of the absent as gone "to be no more seen." Where arc the Erebus and Terror? is asked at the Club, in the counting-house, on 'Change, and wherever there are minds to think and souls to feel. Where are the Erebus and the Terror ? Earth is dumb and i ''.~ ~:iIimr!~Sij^Mi e' 58 ^/> /o/iH Franklin. I Heaven, alone, is speaking. A few only can hear, and fewer still can hear distinctly. An American Expedition. We have just noticed how that, through anxiety for his brother. Surgeon Goodsir of the Erebus^ Dr. Goodsir had done his best to ascertain the fate of the Franklin expedition. When, therefore, wc find, in 1849, that Lady Franklin is concerned about the fate of her noble husband, we cannot be surprised. The first of the threefold-Government expeditions has returned, bringing with it no tidings, and her ladyship could but feel that she, herself, must do something. She accordingly sets about pre- paring an expedition, on her own account, and writes earnestly to America for help. We have before us no details as to the manner she wished America to assist her, but we find that in response to her appeal, Mr. Grinnel, of New York, places at the disposal of the American Government two fully equipped schooners, the Advance and the Rescue. The command is given to Lieutenant De Haven. The instructions are to prosecute a careful search in Wellington Channel and the region about Cape Walker. The ships set sail on May 23rd, 1850, reach Melville Bay on July 7th, but it is late in August before they reach the entrance to Regent Inlet. I \\\ HI The American and Ross Search- Expeditions. 59 \\ On the 26th, they pass Heechy Island, and so up Wellington Channel. They now stop, turn and shelter at Port Innes, where they find evidence of an encampment of Sir John I^'ranklin, but nothini; to fix its date. Wellington Channel is again tried, but with no result. On September 9th, they are going along the south side of Cornwallis Island and so reach Griffiths Island. They are soon caught in the ice- drifts, are driven to Wellington Channel, then to the south-west of J^eechy Island, back to Lancaster Sound, and on January 15th are in Baffin Ha}-. Still drifting and drifting, they find an opening to return, which they avail themselves of, reaching New York, September 30th, 185 1. In America, as in England, is ever being asked the question, Where is Sir John l^Vanklin ? This expedition did nothing to solve the problem that was perplexing both worlds. The Expedition of Sir John Ross. Though seventy- three years of age, so anxious is the veteran navigator to solve the mystery sur- rounding the fate of the Erebus and Terror, that he offers his services to the Government. They are declined. Through the aid of the Hudson Bay Company and public subscriptions, he purchases and equips the schooner, Felix. Sailing from Scot- dSiW Co Sir John Franklin, land, May 23rcl, 1S50, he reaches Jkechy Island August 27th, inspects the traces of Sir John's landing, and winters in Assistance Harbour. As soon as possible, he leaves, and reaches Scotland, September 25th, 1851. This was, in every sense, a barren effort. The Fourth Government Expedition. Whilst the Government had prepared, through its third expedition, for the exploration of Lan- caster Sound and Wellington Channel route, it resolved also to make another attempt via the Behring Strait route. Accordingly the Enterprise and Investigator were again got ready and pro- visioned for an extended voyage, in all possible directions. The command of the expedition was given to Captain R. Collinson, C.B., and the second in command was Commander R. J. L. M. McClure, the former vessel being in charge of Collinson and the latter in charge of McClure. The vessels left England on January 20th, 1850. After a separation for several weeks, through con- trary winds, both ships rejoined each other at Fortescue Bay, Magellan Strait, Oii April 17th. On the 19th they again set sail in company, but in the midst of a gale, they again became separ- ated. The Enterprise now almost disappears from the scene. On July 28th, McClure passes through The Fourth Govcnimcnt Search. 61 '\ hehring Strait. The place of meetin^^ when both ships parted company, was to be Cape Lisburu.-. When McClure arrived there, he finds no Enterprise^ and as everything is uncertain, he becomes his own chief, and with full supply of provisions for three years, he boldly pushes forward. On August 5th, Wainright Inlet is sighted, and» with all speed, he hastens to Point Barrow. On the 14th, the ship is amongst strange seas, pre- viously supposed to be inaccessible. But the floes soon compel him to make for Banks Land. And as the season is closing, McClure makes for Cape lUthurst, which he reaches on the 31st. On September 6th, he reaches Cape Parry, south of Banks Land. This neighbourhood is most carefully examined. McClure gradually becomes convinced that here are waters that are connected with Barrozv Strait, which can only be about sixty miles distant ! This true, the North-West Passage is discovered. Full of excitement at the prospect of solving the problem of hundreds of years, he pushes forward. Immense difficulties beset him, still he surmounts all, and finds himself at the most advanced point of Prince of Wales Strait, being thirty miles from Barrow Strait. But an im- pa.ssable pack prevents further progress, and so the winter is spent on the ice. i 1 62 Sir John Franklin, Anxious to search the neighbourhood, McClure, on October loth, with a party of seven, explores the east of the strait and discovers Prince Albert Land. On the 21st, a sledge party sets out for Barrow Strait. On the 24th, from an eminence in Prince of Wales Strait, Barrow Strait is seen. The North-West Passage is discovered ! The mystery sought to be explained by Sebastian Cabot, in 1496, is solved ! The prize of ^10,000 is won! A dismal and yet a joyful winter is passed — joyful, because reward awaits the prisoners of the ice. But Sir John PVanklin is not forgotten. April 1 8th, 185 1, tliree sledge parties leave the ship, each sledge being provisioned for six weeks. On May 20th, Lieut. Cresswell's party, to save the frost-bitten, returns to the ship. On May 29th, Lieut. Haswell returns, but with no news, with the exception of meeting with some Eskimo. On June 7th, the third party returns, but without tidings. July 1 0th, finds the ice breaking up, and so the Investigator leaves its winter quarters and steers for Melville Sound, but when within twenty-five miles she is driven back. An attempt is now made to reach Melville Sound, by a long detour, south- ward, which is so successful that, on September ^9th, the Investigator touches the waters of Barrow Strait. Here a bay is found, which, in gratitude, is The Fourth Goventuietit Search. 63 named Mercy Bay. This is the winter quarters until icS52. On April nth, 1852, McClure, in a sledge, starts across the ice-pack for Melville Island. Wintfi' Harbour is reached on the 28th. A return to the ship now commences, which is reached, May 7th. August i6th sees a breaking up of the ice, but hopes are blighted on the 24th. The third winter commences on September 8th. Provisions, already much reduced, arc further reduced. Untold hardships follow. Gloom is coming over all. Whilst becoming more and more gloomy, Lieut. Pirn, of the Resolute, discovers them. Help is given. On June 3rd, 1853, McClure leaves rhe Investigator for ever, and with it, the dead body of John Boyle, seaman. On June 17th, they were met, near Dealy Island, by officers from the Resolute and Intrepid, and conducted to their respective ships, to which, until the return to England, the " Investigators " were allotted. But a few days proved chat there was no hope of getting to En^'land in 1853, and TO, with much disappointment, a fourth winter was spent amongst the ice. As the two ships appeared to be unable to help their own crews, much less the " Investigators," the latter were transferred to the North Star. May 28th witnessed the leaving of both ships' crews for the North Star, the ships being abandoned. I 64 Sir Jo/in Franklin. On October 6th, 1854, after an absence of four years and ten months, the " Investigators " reached England, and, for the discovery of the North-West Passage, received ;!^ 10,000, being one-half as origin- ally offered by the Government. As to Captain Collin^on. He had entered Behring Strait and sighted Point Barrow, on August 2 1st, 1850. Further progress towards the east being prevented by ice, he sailed away north but was again stopped by the pack. With no chance for the present season, he retreated and wintered at Hong Kong. In July, 185 1, he again passed through Behring Strait and reached, on the 31st, Point Tangent. Passing on to Cape I^athurst, by the northern coast of America, he reached that place and Cape Parry, on August 26th. Ihus far, he had been following the route of McClure. He also saw the North-West Passage. Proceeding very much in the same track, the Enterprise arrived at Point Kcllett to find that the Investigator had left the Prince of Wales Strait thirteen days previously. He wintered (185 1-2) at Walker Bay. Two sledge parties were sent out — one to the north of Prince Albert Land and the other to Melville Island. Moving out from his winter quarters on August 5th, he commenced to explore the neighbourhood of Wollaston Land, but so bad was the weather that winter quarters, at k I \ The Last Goveriunent Expedition. 65 Cambridge Bay, had to be entered upon on September 26th. In the spring of 1S53, an unsuccessful attempt was made, by sledges, to reach the extreme point reached by Sir James Ross in 1849. l^affled in this, as well as in his desire to reach Harrow Strait, he turned south-west, and reached Camden J5ay, via Dolphin and Union Strait, Cape Bathurst and Herschel Island. Here Collinson spent his third winter (1853-4). At the end of July, the Eiiterpvise cleared out Where is Sir John Frankh'n ? The nation is hopelessly sick of the subject, and the Government has written "FINIS" on its efforts to answer the question. And when men of renown, amons^st Arctic cxploreis, to use the words of Captain Sherard Osborn, arc sayinj^ there is " no hope of the mystery of Franklin's fate being cleared up in our time, except hy some unexpected niiraci^^' what shall the rank and file say ? " Man proposes, but God disposes." } I I CHAPTER I\'. A " RE\ KLATION." " Thou hasl hid these things, from ihe wise and prudent hast revealed them unto babes." an. Till: last chapter left the discovery of the missitifj expedition in a semi-hopeless position, and the excite- ment, in connection with the same, of a very feverish kind. We now enter upon a new and mysterious epoch. Human genius has failed to throw light on the unknown, but what such has not succeeded in accomplishing, is effected by another instrumentality. The word " Revelation " heads this chapter, and that for two reasons, vi':. : — First, because the word is used in several letters which were written on the subject, as well as by Capt. McClintock in his valuable work on the same {vide preface to the voyage of the /'>A') ; and, secondly, because it was an apokalnpsis — i.e., a revealing, or uncovering, of what had been hidden. The place of the " revelation " is Londonderry, and the house is the residence of Captain William Coppin As to the position of Captain Coppin in the maritime 70 Sir John Franklin, world, as well as for a biographical sketch of himself, the reader is referred to the concluding chapter, and also to the Illustrated London Neivs^ January 13th, 1843; Chambers' Journal (written by the elder Chambers), April 20th, 1 878 ; Derry Journal, October 6th, 1884; Londonderry Sentinel^ July 5th, 1887. Suffice for our present purpose to notice that, at the time referred to, Captain Coppin was about forty-five years of age, matured in rich and varied experience, and a prosperous man in business. Two years before (1847), such was the confidence placed in him by the Government authorities that he received the dual appointment of surveyor for ships and engines under the Board of Trade, which appointment he held for eighteen years. We believe that, in this dual capacity, he stood alone, of all the surveyors in the United Kingdom. In addition to this, he was the surveyor of the Emigration Board. Thus the gentleman upon whom was to devolve the honour of shedding new light upon the missing Erebus and Terror was no novice, nor a dreamy, theorizing person. And no one reading the outline of his life can but come to the conclusion that very few, if any, were so well fitted to intelligently take in iiand all that was to be involved in the unfolding of the " revelation," and to carry the same to good effect. At the time, when the "appearance" was seen, Captain Coppin's family consisted of the following: — t f a 4n '' Appeanxncer 7' \ \ The father, Mrs. Coppin, her sister, and four children, a^ed respectively, nine and a-half years, seven years, six years, and two years. The date is October, 1849. The Behring Strait expedition, to meet Sir John, has not returned, the Overland Route expedition is on its way back, and the Barrow Strait expedition, to foiioiv Sir John, returned about a month since. About five months previously, " VVeesy " Coppin, aged four years, had died of gastric fever, since which time, in the language of the children, " Weesy " was "always about." The first statement made by the children, concerning the ** appearance," was that tliey had seen a ball of bluish light. After the burial of his little daughter, Captain Coppin left his home on some special business, and did not return for three months. On reaching home, Mrs. Coppin informed her husband about the ball of light, and how that all the children united in declaring that " VVeesy " was ever present, going with them from room to room, much the same as before her death. The mother also remarked that her little son, who was a great favourite of '* VVeesy," frequently saw his deceased sister standing against or near the walls of the different rooms of the house, and as such, he would run to embrace her, and in doing so he would strike himself against the wall, and sometimes so injure his face as to make it bleed. 72 Sir Jofui I'raiiklut. \ Whilst the father was listenin^rtc. tlie straii.'.je nana- tion, a ring of the bell announced the arrival of a lad) to sec him. The \ isitor was shown into the drawinf^ room, where, in a few minutes, the Captain joined her, seatinjT himself just opposite to her. It was whilst in this position, it being about twilight, that he saw over against him, in the corner of the room, near the ceiling, a ball of bluish light, similar to the one repre- sented to him as seen b}- the children. The appear- ance produced U[ion him such a disturbing influence as to lead the lady to notice it, and to question him as to the cause. He gave a sort of indirect answer and proceeded with the business in hand. The interview lasted about a quarter of an hour, during which time the ball of light was distincth' visible. With business finished, he returned to the up-stairs l)arlour, where, through weakness, Mrs. Coppin was reclining on a sofa. Seating himself or a chair, he immediately, just above his wife's head, near the ceil- ing, saw the same ball of bluish light. Thinking the whole affair to be a delusion, and having to embark at once, he .said nothing and left his residence, he only having been at home an hour. At the end of three weeks, with business completed, the Captain was again at his home. \>ry shortly, the subject of" Weesy " being still about led the mother to remark that had he not left so suddenl}', three weeks since, she could have given him much more Wccsj' ' (m- :*!B 5V \^ V IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 11.25 ^ m l^|2^ 12.5 III 1.6 1.4 i 72 ffiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4S03 '<\ V iV a>^ \ \ rv Ci^ ^ <> /A I/. t 74 Sir John Franklin. \ ing in the garden. When so, he stopped to speak to them. Though the aunt saw nothing, she felt so impressed with what her little niece had said, as to make enquiries the next morning concerning the health of Mr. Mackay. The messenger brought back the news that the banker had just been found in his bedroom dead and cold. So far as could be ascertained, the death took place at the time that the writing appeared on the wall. This writing was seen in the month of August, or about three months after "Weesy's" death. We now come to the " revelation," which took place in October, or about six weeks after the death of Mr. Mackay. Nothing can be ascertained concerning the fate of Sir John Franklin. Including Lady Franklin, jnost are saying that the expedition must be some- where in the neighbourhood of Wellington Channel, and a few are saying that it is somewhere else, but no one is correct. Anxiety is increasing. Though Captain Coppin is absent from home, the family could but participate, more or less, in the universal and growing anxiety. It was at this time, one evening, in the drawing room, that the aunt asked to question " Weesy " (who, as usual, was •" present ") relative to the whereabouts of Sir John Franklin, and hovv he could be reached. com- plied with the request, the apparition disappeared, and almost immediately after there appeared on the floor 51 Tivo Ships in the Ice! 75 a complete Arctic scene, showing two ships, sur- rounded with ice and almost covered with snow, including a channel that led to the ships. The " revelation," as if an actual Arctic reality, made shiver with cold, and, as a consequence, to clutch the dress of her aunt. This scene, in the form of a chart and with much taste, immediately drew. In connection with this representation, and in answer to the question put by as to where is Sir John Franklin, and how can he be reached ? there immediately " appeared " on the opposite wall, in large round hand letters, about three inches in length the following : — ^^ Erebus and Terror, Sir John Franklin, Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet, Point Victory, Victoria Channel." The same ques- tion, in November, was asked by the father, and also in 1 85 1, by Captain Kennedy, the Commander of Lady Franklin's second expedition, and who, to verify the " revelation," previous to entering upon his duties, and at the request of Lady Franklin, had gone over to Londonderry and spent three days at Captain Coppin's house. As will be seen at the end of the following chapter, from the two letters of Captain Kennedy, he had heard about this " revelation " from Lady Franklin, and, by her Ladyship's instructions, resolved to get direct from the little daughter a full and detailed account of the remarkable phenomena. He came away fully y(> Sir John Franklin, satisfied of its truth and at once proceeded to give effect to the information received from the child. As to the channel, seen by and drawn on the chart, no such place, at this time, was known, much less marked on any chart, or map, of the Polar regions. Cognisant of this, and believing in the im- possibility of such a place being in existence, the father, on examining his little daughter's chart, was incredulous as to its correctness, and particularly so^ as to the channel, which was marked out as leading to the ice-enclosed ships. "Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet, Point V^ictory, Victoria Channel ! " On August 23rd, 1838, Mr. Simpson (of the Simp- son and Dease Exploration Expedition), saw, from his newly-discovered and newly-named Victoria Land,, this Strait, or Channel, which was about twenty miles- in width. On the eastern side of this is King William Land, discovered and named by Captain Back, on August 14th, 1834. On the western headland of this is Point Victory, discovered by Sir James Ross, in 1830. How strange is all this ! The lost ships in such a place ! Who can believe it ? And who will believe it ? The father cannot credit it. That the father's incredulity was justifiable, may be inferred from the fact that the universal belief was against such a channel being in existence. In 1824-5 Sir W. Er iii % A Neiv Route " Seen ! " 77 Parry had searched in vain for a channel in this locality, i.e., west of Regent Inlet. In 1829-33 Sir John Ross had also unsuccessfully made a search for a channel in and about the same place ; the child's chart was therefore against the opinions of both. (See also Captain McClintock's Journal of the Fox: Preface, p. 16.) Besides, Lady P>;;nklin had not, at this time, the slightest intimation as to the where- abouts of the missing ships — still thinking, as she did, about the Wellington Channel {vide Captain Kennedy's letter, &c., in the succeeding chapter). As to the maps of this period, see Map i, and as to the chart drawn by , it is important to re- member that there was no chart of the Arctic regions in the house, and that, so far as the father knew, his child had never seen a chart, much less drawn one. At length, yielding to the many importunities of his wife and her sister, Captain Coppin, in November, or about four weeks after, resolved to lay the " revela- tion " before Lady Franklin, who, at this time, was busily engaged in preparing to send out the Prinee Albert^ under Captain Forsyth, in search of Sir John. That he might do his best to remove his natural incredulity, and put as clear a representation as possible before the heroic lady, he took into his private office, and there, with the child's chart before him, wrote down, from her own lips, an account of the whole circumstances, relating to both the Arctic saMBB—aartiWbaB 7^ Sir John Frayiklin. scene and the drawing of the chart, as well as to the words that appeared on the wall. Being now fully convinced that the child's state- ment was ingenuousness itself, he immediately resolved to send the chart, with the statement, to Lady Franklin. For this purpose, he took a copy of the statement, but on re-reading the original, previous to posting the copy, he felt so convinced that no one would credit the account, that he placed the original, its copy, and the chart in his private office drawer and locked them up. There they remained for six months It was whilst in Liverpool, in May of the following year (1850), that Captain Coppin, seeing in the Times newspaper that Lady Franklin's first ex- pedition was shortly to sail from Aberdeen, resolved, without delay, to go and see Lady Franklin. The child's chart and statement differed, toto cceloy from her Ladyship's belief and plans, as well as from the united opinions of the Government ; still, he would go with his story, pur et simple. The same day he started for London, and introduced himself to her Ladyship, to whom he at once commenced to relate all the circumstances connected with the " revelation." Before he had given half of his narrative her Lady- ship's countenance suddenlj' presented an almost super-human brightness, and she exclaimed, " It is all true ! It is all true ! Your children are right. Lady Franklin on Pisgah ! 79' ii f^ Three months before Sir John set sail, we were sitting by the fire, when he said : * Jane, recollect, if I find any difficulty I shall seek to return by the American Continent, and if I fail in that I shall go up by the (ircat Fish River, and so get to the Hudson Bay Territory.'" This fireside remark had been forgotten by her Ladyship ; and the remarkable agreement between the " revelation " and what had been spoken years- before called it to remembrance, which was all the more surprising, seeing that her Ladyship had up to this time directed her special attention to Wellingtoni Channel, instead of the borders of the American! Continent. And no need for surprise at this wheni Captain Penny had just returned, telling of an open* sea instead of ice in the direction of Wellington) Channel. Light, as from an invisible world, now permeated her whole being. She was, as by seraphic force, raised to a plateau far above all the heights of human measurement. Her soul had strong hold of a telescope, within whose range the past and future became as the present. The Plains of Moab gave place to Pisgah. The ardent desire to see the chart and its accompanying statement bespoke a new- born faith. And the promise from Captain Coppit> was that, as soon as possible, she should possess both. In the meantime, how all important to secure an «0 I S/r John Franklin. additional ship. Faith without works is dead. So felt her visitor when he urged this matter upon her attention. Captain Hamilton, R.N., one of the Secretaries of the Admiralty, was accessible. He •could render valuable assistance. So, at her Lady- ship's request, Captain Coppin hied away to see the Government Official (now Admiral Hamilton). To him he gave the same unvarnished and mysterious account he had just detailed to Lady Franklin, with the expressed wish that, for family reasons, the " revelation " should not be given to the public. To the gallant officer the child's story came as a remembrancer of some hallowed associations of his own home. He also had once a little child that spake as with other tongues. " Do not disbelieve the child," said Captain Hamilton, and with the advice was a promise that he would lay the case before " my lords," minus the supernatural part of the matter. The second ship, consequently, was to search the hitherto unexplored region, viz., along the line marked out by the child on the chart. The Government, at great expense, had sent out and was sending out ship after ship towards the North (Wellington Channel, •&C.). Could it not send a consort for the Prince Albert to explore in a Southern direction ? Yes, it shall, if the efforts of one can prevail. The inter- view, with the hopeful surroundings, was as new wine 'Mi Lphphatha ! 8i So I her the He ady- z the To rious with , the to the tired soul of Lad>' Frankh'n, who, to prepare one ship, had nearly spent her all. This is not the chapter to tell of the *' revelation " becominji^ the basis of definite action in unthought-of regions, neither to discuss the nature of the " revela- tion," but rather to show that, at a time when England and America were groping in the dark, an unseen hand writes on the wall, and from an unseen mirror comes there before mortal eyes a mode by which the darkness may be dispelled. Officialism, prejudice, and faith in pre-conceived notions ma>' refuse to give credence to what may be proposed by those that have beheld the scintillations of the new light, yet the light has shone, in un- expected quarters it may be, still, aforetime had not invisible hands moved at " Derry," and had not brave men seen " visions." It was not all mundane that ensign, " No surrender." " He came not. Conjecture's cheek grew pale. Near after year, in no propitious gale His banner held its homewaro *v:'.y, And .Science saddened at her martyr's stay." Yes, and whilst science was sorrowful, sciencf^ was helpless, science was blind, and there was no one amongst the savans that could say Ephphatha ! When the seers of old saw not, the child Samuel became the mouthpiece of the Almighty, and he spake as one that had seen the light of the glory G 82 Sir John Franklin. \ i» of the God of Israel. All the seers of England and the world cannot see. In an unpretentious and yet a no " mean city " it is otherwise. The innocent little daughter of a respectable, God- fearing citizen has her eyes opened. Alone, she stands on a Tabor summit and hears voices and sees sights that she cannot understand. Yet, with a con- fidence begotten of simplicity, she speaks as one having authority. And why not ? Have we alto- gether, 'mid the bustle and worry of modern life, forgotten the utterances of Him who said, " of such is the kingdom of God." In presenting the • revelation " to the public, its only sensationalism will be a faithful record of facts. Strange above measure, yet they are, never- theless, true. Before proceeding further, four or five points in connection with the " revelation " and the general features of this chapter should be noticed. 1st. The "appearances" of "Weesy" and the varied features associated with those appearances lasted about two years, during which time all the children united in saying, as from the first, that " Wecsy was always about." 2nd. Whenever the " appearance," or "Weesy " was questioned, and an answer was given to the question, the apparition invariably disappeared. 3rd. The answer, when given in writing, always I Citptixin Cofipiii's Link Datii;/itci'. 33 appeared on the wall, in any room of the house, always opposite to the window, and the letters, com- posing^ the words, resembled reflected lij^ht. 4th. At the end of two years, following the deatii "of " Wees}'," all " appearances" ceased, and from that ilate to the present, apart from the father, nothing very noteworthy has been observed. 5th. So far as is known, up to the time of "Weesy's" •death, Captain Coppin excepted, neither side of the family was known to be associated with anything (jf the mysterious or the supernatural. 6th. As seen in his biography, under Section 3, ont on the Court Martial on Sir Ediuard Belcher. •' We see as through a glass darkly." ♦♦ At eventide there shall be light." '• A little child shall lead them." In entering upon this chapter, the reader is asked to bear in mind one single, leading thought, and that is, Lady Franklin, up to the time of her interview with Captain Coppin, was preparing to send the Prince Albert to the neighbourhood of Wellington Channel, with the full belief that her husband's expedition was somewhere in, or about, that quarter. F'urther, so convinced was she of the bond fides of everything in connection with the narrator and his narrative that, from that hour, all her arrangements became, ipso facto, a new departure. Unless the present chapter means this, it means nothing. Besides, it will be seen 111 86 Sir John Franklin. how strong is the faith of the father. The " revela- tion " of his daughter became the sheet-anchor of his hope, ever enabling him to weather winds that were "contrary," and prompting to a zeal, as self- denying as it was great. But these are not all. Miss Cracroft, Sir John Franklin's niece, and Captain William Kennedy, of the Hudson Bay Company, are also found with strong faith in the "startling episode." In the previous chapter, we have seen that Lady Franklin had purchased the Prince Albert. This she did with the assistance of kind friends, and with much self-sacrifice on her own part. According to the Times, of 1850, the cost was about ;^ 4,000, ;^2,50O of which was given by Lady Franklin. And in the list of subscriptions, as proving the sympathy towards her Ladyship, from all classes, we noticed one sum of five shillings, another of seven shillings and sixpence from. " five children," and other sums up to ;^ioo. In addition to the list of about two hundred and thirty subscribers to her single-handed cause, many helped in other directions. We have also observed that Captain Forsyth (with whom was Mr. Snow), was at Aberdeen, pre- paring to set sail to search for the missing expedition, and that, as knowing this. Captain Coppin hastened to London, saw Lady Franklin, had an interview with Captain Hamilton, R.N., regarding a second Liverpool Helps. 87 ship being sent out as a consort to the Prince Albert, and that he promised, on his return, to send her Ladyship the chart, as drawn by his little daughter, and its accompanying statement. He then left for Liverpool. The next day, being Sunday, the Captain accompanied a friend to the morning service at Christ Church, Great Homer Street. Whilst there, his eyes, during the sermon, caught the tablet on which was recorded that the Church had been built by three brothers, named Horsfall. He had heard before of the wealth and beneficence of the Horsfalls, and full as he was about securing a second ship, and knowing, from experience, how much faith to place in statements from Govern- ment officials, no wonder he became oblivious to the words of the preacher, and arranged to go at once and see the munificent Church builders. The same day, he saw Messrs. William and T. B. Horsfall. An appointment was made for the following morning, when both gentlemen most readily agreed to place at the disposal of Lady Franklin, their brig, the Jemima, which was daily expected to enter port, laden with palm oil from Africa. Irrespective of provisions for three years, men and equipments were ncjded. These would entail a cost of ;^3,ooo. But within a few hours, through the energy of Captain Coppin, this sum was promised, and Lady Franklin, who was at 88 Sir John Franklin. Aberdeen with Captain Forsyth, was immediately informed of the cheering news. He now returned to Londonderry, and, according to promise, sent her Ladyship the chart, and its accompanying statement, as taken down in his little daughter's own words. As a postscript to the statement, the Captain wrote as follows : — " I beg to call your Ladyship's special attention to the words ' Point Victory, Victoria Channel,' which were brought so often before the child." Simultaneous with the sending of the chart and its accompanying statement to Lady Franklin, Captain Coppin wrote confidential communications to the Messrs. Horsfall, wherein he made allusion to the supernatural basis of his operations for the discovery of Sir John. On the receipt of the eagerly-wished for chart, Lady Franklin received an inspiration which bespoke the existence of a power, whose origin was the Unseen. There, on the chart before her, was a reproduc- tion, by the hand of a child, of a scene that had, a few months before, appeared on the carpet of a bedroom. On the left were the two ships, as if built in for the winter; these were in a locality to which no one had supposed that the ships of her husband had gone ; then, as if leading down to them, from the right, was a channel, which no \% U To the South ! 89 as lity of wn no one knew anything about. Besides this, to place the locality beyond all doubt, there had appeared on the wall, " Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet." From this Regent Inlet, on the right, the channel went away to the left, being guided by Point Victory, as well as the Victoria Channel, in •which place the Erebus and Terror were ice- imprisoned. All was plain. The chart-scene before her was a " revelation." A Divine finger had guided the eye and the hand of the child. Faith grew stronger, and so strong, that all the Arctic authorities combined could not shake it. Preconceived notions about going towards the north were cast aside, and preparations for going to the same quarter were countermanded. To the south and the south only shall the Prince Albei't go. Accordingly she sailed out of Aberdeen on June 5th, 1850. Previous to departing, Lady Franklin gave Captain Forsyth very specific and emphatic in- structions on the following points : — 1st. That the new line of search, instead of being towards the north, as first proposed by .herself, was to be quite in another direction. 2nd. That such direction was to be towards the the south, including Regent Inlet, the west of Boothia, through James Ross Strait, into Simpson .Strait — the area, covering all the locality marked 90 Sir John Franklin. out on the chart by Captain Coppin's little daughter. 3rd. That he was to be prepared to co-operate with another ship which would follow, with all speed. These instructions were given to Captain Forsyth towards evening, and appeared to him to be more " surprising than sensible." Some impression was^ made, but as he had, with Lady Franklin, com- mitted himself to the north, with less faith than herself, her Ladyship, in the morning, found that he had slept off his impressions. Again he received emphatic instructions, but fearing his predilections- for the north might again overcome him, she very carefully instructed the chief officer, Mr. Snow, as^ to the route to be followed. The facts, anent the revelation, made a deep impression on Mr. Snow. Concerning Forsyth's predilections, theories, or anything else in connection with what he heard from Lady Franklin, we know but little, or nothing. All that is reliable in the matter is from the pen of Forsyth's chief officer, Mr. Snow. He, in his ** Voyage of the Prince Albert',' at page 6, tells us- what Lady Franklin's instructions were. The fol- lowing is an extract : — " The object of the expedition was the thorough search of the west coast of Regent Inlet, to the bottom of Boothia, together with the western side of Boothia into J Discussing the Supeniatiiral. 9r James Ross Strait, and down to Simpson Strait. Need it be remarked that this area included the whole of what had been outlined in the child's chart, including the new, or undiscovered channel. Point Victory, and Victoria Channel. And though, from the high vantage ground of the " authorities," both in the Government and amongst Arctic adepts, such instructions showed more of the Baron: Munchausen than the Platonic, yet they had been given, and given with an emphasis that betokened a simple, unwavering faith. Whilst thus engaged in sending out the Prince Albert, the Messrs. Horsfall were writing to Sir Francis Beaufort, Hydrographer to the Admiralty, and Dr. Scoresby, a great whaling authority, relative to the new line of search. As soon as possible. Lady Franklin hastened to Liverpool to " see the amiable and sensible brothers." She was most kindly received, and in the office of the matter-of-fact ship-owners she discussed the super- natural aspect of the question, and the desirability of going before the merchants of the city with such a case. All agreed to be silent concerning the supernatural, but to act upon the route thus- made known. In addition to the kindness and practical sym- pathy shown by the Messrs. Horsfall, her Ladyship was also much gratified to receive from the pro- •92 .S"/> John Franklin. i prietors of the Queen's Railway Hotel (now the Washington), where she, her maid, and Captain Forsyth had stayed, a blank sheet as a settlement of her account. Besides this, the railway authorities, as a proof of admiration for one that had spent a fortune in her undertaking, gave her a free pass all over their lines, both to and from Aberdeen and Liverpool. For all such, and specially to Captain Coppin, Lady Franklin could not sufficiently express her thankfulness. A new era has dawned. The life-labours of the •• blessed above women " are, henceforth, to be guided by an unwavering faith in an unseen intelligence. She hears the speech of the many, but as if attuned by seraphic influences, she hears it as a " new language." She, herself, consciously, or unconsciously, speaks as with "other tongues." Anxious to see the child, whose eyes had "seen," Lady Franklin, at this time and many times sub- sequently, expressed an ardent desire to visit Londonderry and interview , but for reasons, family and otherwise, the much desired request was not acceded to. Mrs. Coppin was an invalid, the child was retiring in disposition, and the advent of her Ladyship to the " Maiden city " would cause no small stir. Even the " 'Prentice Boys " would have been foremost to " open the gates " to a worthy descendant of the Huguenots. But the Alwve all Human Voices. 95 pleasure on both sides had to be sacrificed. Still, she was "strong in faith." Forsyth may again be untrue to his impressions^ and be unheedful to injunctions, and Snow may lose his great influence over his superior officer, but such will not blanch her courage. Whatever Government may do or not do, wherever their expeditions may search or not search, whether shall arrive, in time, the Jemima or not, Lady Franklin will not rest until shall be reached, Point Victory, Victoria Channel, via Lancaster Sound,. Regent Inlet, and the New Path, as revealed and shown on the chart. Officials may seek to dissuade hei from follow- ing her chosen path, and the Solons amongst Arctic explorers may treat her faith as a phantasy and her schemes as dreams, but reliance on something beyond human ken shall be her Pole Star. " A little child shall lead them," shall become a prophecy fulfilled in herself, and all that may be led to have credence in the spirit that shall be, henceforth, her motor force. In the past efforts, a human voice has spoken, a human voice will continue to speak, in the present, and as in the past and the present, so in the future, it will be a human voice. But above all human voices Lady Franklin hears another voice. She listens, but the cadences are such as mortal ears are •94 Sir John Franklin. strangers to. She thinks of the Bath-Kol, and in felt satisfaction of a soul fully convinced, she responds by a renewed consecration to the one task of lier life. The writing on that wall, in the city of Londonderry, shall not be, as unto Bel- shazzar in the city of Babylon, a MENE, but the beginning of a new kingdom. With an Excelsior, she will climb to '* Point V^ictory ! " It is not of romance we thus write, but of fact ; and as we proceed we shall see how the fact, mysterious as it may have been, became a part of her very being. Tn thought, if not in action, hereafter all her letters might be dated from London, but, in invisible ink, it will be a London with a Derry. As to the case of Captain Forsyth, it is soon told. As we have seen, the Prince Albert left Aberdeen June 5th, 1850. The Lady Franklin, and the Sophia, had left the same place on April 13th, and the Resolute and the Assistance had left England in the following month — both expeditions for the north. The McClure expedition, for Behring Strait, had left England January 20th, 1850. The Prince Albert reached Lancaster Sound without a hitch, sailed, for a short time, in the company of the Government discovery ships, entered Prince Regent Inlet, proceeded south, as far as Fury Beach, and, within four short months, returned again to Eng- The Forsyth Fiasco. 95 land. Ah ! " the impressions " did not " revive," or if they did, with a strange perversity of mind, begotten of self-will, or indifference, no heed was paid to them. So must have felt Lady Franklin, ^vhen she heard of the unexpected return of J^'orsyth, and his fruitless labours. Her journey to Aberdeen, her visit to the Messrs. Jlorsfall, the conversation with them about the Jemima, all the efforts and expense of Captain Coppin in connection with equipping and sending her out — all had been a beating of the air. The "' knowing ones " could only liken such an effort to Don Quixote and his tilting at the windmills. The " lords of creation " could be heard exclaiming, '' Ha ! it is always so with the ladies." Still Lady Franklin's head was "due north," and her heart •was in the right place. Truly she had parted with almost everything to make the search as thorough as possible, but nothing daunted, she speedily resolved to make another effort. As to the Jemima, through '' wind and weather," she arrived much too late to be of any service in connection with the Forsyth Jiasco. We have designated the voyage a Jiasco. This was hardly the opinion of the reviewer of Snow's publication, in the Morning Herald, of December 23rd, 25th, and 26th, 1850. In three lengthy articles, the writer shuts his eyes to the neglect 96 Sir John I^rankliii. of I'orsyth to carry out his instructions. He teller his readers how Captain Forsyth " boldly ventured across the Wellington Channel," but nothing satis- factory as to his failure to search the west of l^oothia down to Simpson Strait, via James Ross Strait. Further on, we read how that "contrar)' to advice (for orders he could have had none), he boldly ventured as far as I'ury Beach." Whether " boldly ventured " was a verbal attempt to mini- mize an inglorious retreat we will not stay to discuss. No impartial reader of the publication can read the instructions, as given at page 6, without feeling that either Snow wished to prove that his late commander was a representative of the policy of " how not to do it," or else Forsyth, a la Xerxes, on his leaving the battlefield, secured a friend (on the staff of the Morning Herald) to speak only of victory. The transparent partizanship of the reviewer very much pained Lady Franklin and led her to resolve, at once, to deny his statements. There is not found in the Herald any such denial. Was it declined with thanks ? Did the editor wish to shield his coadjutor? Did the reviewer wish to save from further humiliation an unfortunate friend ? We know not. Probably a sort of solatium to Lady Franklin's injured feelings was given in the issue of January 2nd, 1851, wherein a hope is expressed /^ L k 'crpool Merchan ts. 97 tliat Mr. Suozv will aj^ain 140 out in the Prince Albert oil her second voyage. So much for expedition No. i. As to expedition No. 2. This, so far as Captain Coppin was concerned, involved much expense, and a vast amount of time and self-denial — especially when it is remembered that he had, at London- derry, an important ship-building business, which, from its very nature, required much direction and oversight. But he was convinced that he had a mission to fulfil, and to the best of his abilit}- he did it. And what made this mission a sacred passion was an unwavering faith in the " revelation. " On his way to the Great Exhibition of 1851, he stayed in Liverpool. Whilst here, he became more fully acquainted with the efforts of Lad}- r^-anklin to send out her second expedition. \w the earnest resolve to make another effort to aid her Ladyship, pleasure was sacrificed. According!}- he waited upon the Mayor of Liverpool (Sir John lient), elicited his sympathy in the good cause, and secured his consent to wait upon the members of the Corporation, merchants, and bankers, in his own name, and secure their signatures to a memorial for presentation to the Admiralty. The purport of the memorial was to get a Government expedition to be sent in the direction marked on the child's chart and given on the wall. In a 11 I y8 Sir lolm Ih'anklin. few days, after excessive efforts, 430 names were secured, and, as from the Mayor, Captain Coppin was authorised to present the memorial, in person. He accordini^ly set out for London. Through Sir Robert Fertjjusson, M.P. for Londonderr\-, he obtained an introduction to Mr. J. Parker ((Mie ol the secretaries to the Admiralt)') and presented his memorial. The reception was the reverse of sympathetic. All the arguments of the anxious Captain were but paper pellets on the hide of the rhinoceros. Even the language of strong warning, if not denunciation, was of no avail. Why could not Lady Franklin wait for the return of the Behring Strait expedition, as well as that of Captain Penny's, and the one in charge of Austin and Ommanney ? Besides, the Behring Strait expedition (ColHnson and McClure) might return at any time. But Achilles was not vul- nerable, no, not even at the heel. " My lords " would do nothing, and so, as if " old wives' fables," the illuminated memorial, on vellum, was relegated to the archives of the Admiralty. The heart-sorrowing friend of the noble-hearted Lady Franklin left with gloomy forebodings. Ah, had he thought that " my Lords " were not, of necessity ** spiritually discerned," he would have expected little, and so have grieved the less. Be it, hovve\ or, noted that the memorial was presented I Cd/^tiuii Kennedy and 99 about tlic inidtllc of 1S51, aiul had it been acted upon at once, lives ini^ht have been saved, as well as have brcn prevetited a vast amount of rackin^^ anxiety to Lady I'lanklin. As for the visit to tin Kxhibition, this was an impossibility ; and could he have seen it, what could have been the pleasure to one whose heart was bleeding? Hut Admiralty, or no Admiralty, Kxpcdition No. 2 must be sent out. The commander selected was Captain William Kennedy, the gentleman referred to in the last chapter as staying three days at Captain Coppin's house that he might verify, in detail, the circumstances connected with the drawing of the chart and the words which " appeared " on the wall. Captain William Kennedy had been in the service of the Hudson Hay Company, had spent eight years in Labrador, and so was well qualified for his post. The following letter from him will throw some light on what was being done in Liverpool and else- where, and will also show his intimacy with Captain Coppin : — " East Islington Institute, " London, 25th Apl., '51. " MV DEAR Mr. COPI'IN, "Yours of 2 1 St came safely to hand last night, and I hasten to reply to it. I have not yet lieard from Mr. Horsfall, so do not know what he has been doing at Liverpool. H 2 % lOO Sir John Franklin. " This is a busy season with all the business men there that I expect they can do but slowly what they do. The good folks there are remarkably well- disposed towards the cause. The period of our departure is not yet fixed, but as Lady Franklin intends going down to Aberdeen on the 3rd of May I suppose it will be about a week after that before we can be off from there. As I should wish to be there during that week I will not be able to be with you in Liverpool. It would be unadvisable to delay our departure later ; indeed, if we are to do anything at all in the search for Sir John, we should be off now. " I hope my absence from Liverpool will occasion no disappointment, and that though I shall have to be absent, not the less effort will be made to assist Lady Franklin. If I do not go to Aberdeen in the same steamer with Lady Franklin, I shall try to be away from London earlier, for I am most anxious to be off. I do not at all know whether there has been as yet much collected in London in aid of our noble cause, but this I know, that over £100 has been obtained from six or seven individual friends of Lady F. " Please remember me in the kindest manner to Mrs. C. and the dear children, and with kind regards, believe me, " Yours most truly, "Wm. Kennedy." 1 1 Lieutenajit Bellot. lOI \ Previous tc writing this letter Captain Kennedy had been at Londonderry, and most minutely examined Captain Coppin's little child. And so convinced was he of her truthfulness that he promised to make over to her any reward he might obtain for the dis- covery of Sir John. The letter also shows a spirit at work con ainore. Kennedy revelled in his efforts to serve Lady Franklin. At Leopold Harbour, for the use of the Govern- ment and other expeditions, was a steam launch. This was offered to Lady Franklin by the Admiralty, in the evtnt of her needing it. Fears being enter- tained that repairs, on a large scale, would be re- quired, a qualified man had to be selected, and proper tools purchased. Captain Coppin undertook the task of supervising this matter. For this purpose, he set out for Aberdeen, arrived at daybreak, just a few hours before the sailing of the expedition ; went to Lady Franklin's rooms, and rung the bell, which was answered by Miss Cracroft, en deshabille, she having remained up all night to prepare for the ship's depar- ture. Lady Franklin and servants were in bed and asleep. About ten minutes after, a knock was heard at the door, which, when the Captain opened, he saw, to his surprise, Lieutenant Bellot, who enquired for Lady Franklin. Having heard from her Ladyship a {q.\v days before, as to her decision about the Knight of the Legion of lo: Sir John Franklin. Honour, the Captain at once comprehended the situation. A few minutes' conversation was enough to prove that in the French officer was the material for efficient service. Handing him a newspaper, Captain Coppin quietly went down to the ship, but found no available space, with the exception of the butler's pantry. Bellot was little of stature ; with shelves removed, a berth would be possible. In a few minutes, the place was transformed into a cabin, and the Captain returned with an appetite for an early breakfast, feeling that the chief difficulty now was to obtain the consent of Miss Cracroft. Break- fast finished, Captain Coppin obtained a private inter- view with Lady Franklin, and told her about his plans. Her Ladyship, without consulting her niece, granted his earnest petition, gave him ;^I5 towards the much-needed outfit, to which the Captain added another ;£i5. Noontide, with a gift of £,^ worth of specially selected books, saw the little energetic Frenchman, much to his joy, an officer of the Prince Albert. The " bonnie wee " ship was well supplied with provisions, as well as with various things of a pleasurable kind with which to while away the long winter nights, including the gift of an organ from his late Royal Highness, Albert the Good. As may be supposed, Captain Kennedy, in a more emphatic sense than had Captain Forsyth, received f Kennedy to the South ! 103 from Lady Franklin all particulars relating to the '' revelation," and the most stringent injunctions to attend to the same. Still, as he had received the details of said " revelation " from the little girl her- self, it was almost superfluous to have received them from a third party. Hence, if failure there be, the excuse will be the less justifiable. That the reader may fall into no mistake relative to the destination of the Prince Albert^ and the instruc- tions to Captain Kennedy, the following appeared in the Morning Herald, April 8, 1851 : " One boat" (of the expedition) "to the Western shore at Creswell, or Brentford Bay, in the direction of the magnetic pole. The other Southward, to Felix Harbour, and will cross Boothia Isthmus, and will proceed by James Ross Strait to meet the other boat. After meeting, they will again diverge, and explore westward. Then it is intended for one boat to be dispatched in the direction of Simpson's Strait." Should the reader now turn to the map No. 2, he will find that the above covers the area mentioned in the extract from Snow's voyage of the Prince Albert, at page 6. Thus, whether Kennedy shall fail or succeed, his instructions appeared in the Morning Herald^ as well as JoJin O'Groafs Journal and the Inverness Courier of about the same date. In the following month (May 15) also through the Herald, Mr. Snow expressed his belief that in, or about 104 ^S'^V John Franklin. Boothia, was the only hopeful locality to search for Sir John. Amid all good wishes, and with not a few prayers for her success, the Prince Albert, for the second time, sailed from Aberdeen, on May 22, 185 1. But the earnest wish of Lady Franklin was to have a second vessel, so that simultaneous search on all sides of the area (Boothia, &c.), might take place. To accom- plish this, the before-mentioned petition had been for- warded to the Admiralty, and Mr. Horsfall, for himself and family, had forwarded to Lady Franklin a contribution of " jQ$ i is." Knowing that Lady Franklin had realised all possible money from her investments in the funds, and that her personal expenses were retrenched to their utmost limit. Captain Coppin spared no pains to secure a consort for the Prince Albert. Besides, on the return of the ship, ;^ 1,000 were required to pay the crew. And to make the case more difficult, Lady Franklin, through her untiring labours, had brought upon herself a very serious illness. Again and again, physical and nervous symptoms, almost betokened a premature grave. As the Government would not provide a second ship, appeals, based on the lines revealed in the chart, were made by Captain Coppin through the metro- politan and provincial press. But either too much absorbed in the great exhibition, or else not having ' A Nru> Clmnncl \ lo; % \ cnoush evidence before it to show the reasonableness of going in a direction not accepted by the Govern- ment, or else from a feeling of indifference concern- ing a private expedition, the year 185 1 passed away without any second ship starting from England. Hut what of the departed expedition ? The account, in brief, is this: — In May 1 851, the Prince Albert passed safely through Lancaster Sound, down Prince Regent Inlet, and discovered that Brentford Bay, instead of being a mere inlet was the entrance to a channel, about twenty miles in length. This channel corresponded with what had been marked out on the chart by Captain Coppin's little girl, whom Kennedy, as before mentioned, had personally and most carefully examined. Hut instead of following the line of the channel, as well as his instructions, down to Point V^ictory, Victoria Channel, he con- cluded that Sir John could not have gone south from where he stood, i.e., the actual entrance to Franklin Sound, and thus leading to the veritable place where the .ships were lost. Hence, he made for the north, reached the west of Prince of Wales Island, and from thence, made a return journey, via Cape Walker, hoping, in so doing, that he would discover eome signs of Sir John. In this, he was disappointed, and so, through illness amongst .some of his party, as well as shortness of provisions, he was compelled to hasten to his ship at io6 Sir John Franklin. l^atty Bay. From thence, notwithstanding his pro- visions were for five years, he set sail and reached l^ngland, October, 1852, having been absent about sixteen months. Much was the disappointment of Lady Franklin at this, her second fruitless expedition, save and excepting the discovery of the new channel. The Behring Strait expedition had returned, September, 185 1. On the 21st of the same month, and in the same year, had returned Captain Penny's expedition, and on. the 31st of the same month, and also in 185 1, Captains Austin and Ommanney had returned. The same applies to the private expedi- tion of Sir John Ross and the American expedition, under De Haven, the former returning on September 25th, 185 1, and the latter on September 30th, 1851 ; all, as before observed, without any information con- cerning Sir John. The following letter from Kennedy will be of interest as to matters bearing on his own return. " East Islington Institution, " loth Dec, '52. " My dear Sir, '• It was my duty to have written you before now but my time has been so taken up one way and another that I have not been able, and now I have much pleasure in being able to reply to your kind favour of the 2nd inst. I rejoice to hear both of your welfare i '\pology for I^'aihtr, 107 of \ ' , and that of the family. My narrative is not }et out, but as soon as it comes out I shall have great pleasure in sending you a number. I do not think it will be ready before three weeks, at least, this is what the publisher says. " I need not now repeat what you may have seen in the public papers about us, but I may say it is a source of much pleasure to me to find that you give us credit for what has been done by the " Alberts ; " to me it is certainly as great a reward as I could expect. We had our little hardships, like others engaged in the same work with ourselves, but I believe on the whole we suffered more from scurvy than any of the other expeditions, through much more exposure, and perhaps from the state of our provisions, which were none of the best. Our poor doctor is still suffering from scurvy, and also Mr. Hepburn, the old companion of Sir John Franklin. His, however, is not so much scurvy as general debility. Mr. Bellot, the French officer, whom I think you saw in Aberdeen, has also suffered from rheumatism since we returned. " With these exceptions, I believe we are all as well as ever we were and are as ready to begin the same work as ever, if we only had the opportunity. Poor Lady Franklin, I was afraid to meet her when I returned, but I was truly glad to find her spirits wonderfully supported, notwithstanding her many peculiar trials ; and Miss Cracroft, though she works, io8 Sir John Franklin. if possible, harder than ever, seems to keep up her spirits. If we did not bring them news of the missing, it was to them a great consolation to hear that the present expedition was so likely to get into advanced favourable positions for carrying out a better search than on the previous occasion. The safe return of Inglefield has been a source of much comfort to Lady PVanklin, and he has made the most remarkable voyage of all. Please offer my best wishes to Mrs. Coppin and the family, and believe mc to be, " Very truly yours, " Wm. Kennedy." The above letter contains four noticeable points, viz : — 1st. The narrative spoken of as being in the hands of the publishers, was published by Dalton, Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square. 2nd. The Inglefield referred to was in charge of the Isabel. See below. 3rd. Judging from a subsequent letter of Captain Kennedy's, his own feelings were not perhaps so calm as here implied ; and as to the thoughts of Lady Franklin and Captain Coppin, they were less of the conleur de rose than the writer supposed, as his letter, in the succeeding pages, will show he had lost a golden opportunity. 1 ■ Bel lot's Death. 109 J 1 4th. Notwithstanding failure, he speaks of con- solation being felt because the expedition had made a sort of an advanced position in the right direction. What did Captain Kennedy mean by this ? The answer may be found in a subsequent letter, still, to one that can read between the lines, the language fairly means the Government expeditions are all on the wrong track. Let me have another chance and I will go south instead of nortn, and so carry out my instructions as given in the child's chart, as well as received from Lady Franklin. Had I done this, I should have reached " Point Victory, Victoria Channel." This was the truth, whether he felt it or not. En passant^ it may be remarked that Lieut. Bellot, in connection with Captain Kennedy's call at Port Leopold, was instrumental in saving his superior officer and six of his crew from perishing through exposure and starvation. As a tribute to his services in discovering the hitherto unknown channel, it was named Bellot Strait, or Channel, and is more fre- quently shown, in modern charts, as the Bellot Channel, than, as at first, the Kennedy and Bellot Channel. His career subsequently terminated whilst he was an officer in the North Star. He fell a victim to his zeal and intrepidity, by being drowned in the Wellington Channel, where, with Captain Inglefield, no S/r jolui Franklin. he had y^onc in search of Sir John. This happened August iSth, 1853. His memory is perpetuated in the northern regions by a tablet at Ik-echy Island, Barrow Strait. The following is a copy of the inscription. *' In memory of -LIEUTENANT HELEOT, "of the J^^'ench navy, who lost his life whilst nobly aiding in the search for .Sir John I'ranklin in the Wellington Channel, where he was drowned on the 1 8th of August, 1853. " This tablet, to record the sad event, was erected by a friend, A.D. 1854." As a further recognition of his worth, several gentlemen, including Captain Coppin, raised about ;£'2,ooo, a portion of which was spent in the erection of a monument to his memory in Greenwich Hospital Yard, and the remainder was sent to his mother and sisters. As justly remarked in the Morning Herald of April 29th, 185 1, Russia, as well as 1^^-ance (in Bel lot) is showing sympathy in the fate of Sir John Franklin. We now notice Lady Franklin's expedition No 3. In calling it No 3, we do not forget two others with which Lady Franklin, more or less, was associated, but as they call for no special remark and did not accomplish any real service, they are not, in this work, taken into account as bond fide expeditions. I AY/ Dt'spt'ran(fui/i I I 1 1 Captain Kennedy's return, thoupfh a severe Wlow to Lady P'ranklin, did not drive her to despair. Sl».i.' could j^et no practical help from the Gcwernment, t was she ever willing to assist any scheme, gcn'crn- mental or otherwise, to achieve the great object of her life, i^'or this purpose, she equipped, through the aid of sympathetic friends, the Isabel, and })rovisioned her for five years, so as to assist the Government squadron (under Helcher) which was then engaged in the search for Sir John. Previous to her departure, Captain Coppin carefully inspected her engines and general fittings, and in other ways rendered valuable assistance. Captain Inglefield was appointed commander, on two conditions, one of which was, that he should, for his trouble and expeubC, have the ship as his own, and the other that he should be allowed to search where he liked. No practical result came of this voyage, though a most remarkable one in its boldness and in its di.scovery of hitherto unknown open seas. It covered a period of about four months, and was very striking from the fact that almost everywhere, throughout its rapid progress, there was an absence of ice, unprecedented in the records of the North-West Passage research. This could but cheer the depressed heart of Lady I'ranklin and lead her to hope that efforts, on her own distinc- tive line, would be more successfully undertaken than heretofore. ' 1 I 12 Sh- Jolui /''niiikiiit. f i As all 1km- prospects, at present, relative to lieli> from Knj^Iaiul. were clouded, she turned her e)es towards America. Hut thouj^h she made the most pathetic and urgent appeals, both to the press and to those in authorit}-, and though she crossed the Atlantic and pleaded her cause in person, the response was a very qualified one, viz. : the sending' out of Ur. Kane's expedition. As this was on the part of the Republic more of a vo\'a^e of general discover)' than a search for Sir John, but little was expected, and less than little was the result. This was disheartenin*; to the heroic lad)-. True, America, in the De Ma\en expedition, had previousl)- responded to her call, still, she was led to hope that another hona-fuii' response would have been made. There is not before us any record concern ini>- the basis of her plea, but we doubt not that there, as here, the child's chart was ever before her, and that she pleaded accordingl)-. It is now November, I1S54 The McClurc expedition ( Hehring Strait ; and the Belcher expe- dition (Wellington Channel) have just returned, bring- ing no tidings. Dr. Rae has also come to England and has brought with him very exciting news, being no less than the discovery of undoubted relics of Sir John h'ranklins expedition, in the shape of different pieces of plate, marked with the Franklin crest and the crest and the initials of some of his i Charles Dickens, 113 a » s officers. Knowing this, Captain Coppin went at once to London and saw Lady Franklin. In the interview, on her own map, he marked in pencil, the line as marked out on his little daughter's chart five /ears before. On the visit of Dr. Rac to I ady Franklin, he also marked with a pencil the locality in which he believed Sir John's ships to have been lost. The only difference was a mere pencil mark, which so struck her Ladyship as to elicit from her the remark to Captain Coppin, '• Had you and I gone out together in 1850, we should have saved many of the lives." This remark had special reference to the fact that in his account of his discoveries, Dr. Rae felt convinced that, up to June, 1850, nine months after the •' revelation " was made, several of the crew were alive. The Captain left her Ladyship in good spirits, as to the future, as well as with the resolution to raise another expedition, which should follow the line as marked on the little child's chart. Accordingly she commenced, with all speed, to raise money for a last effort, being more than ever sanguine of success. We have now arrived at the beginning of December, 1854. To aid her in the final effort she secured the sympathy of Charles Dickens, whose Household Words is a popular power in the nation. In the account of Dr. Rae, as furnished to the Admiralty, there h' /'J 114 Str John Frmiblin. had been a statement to the effect that the crews of the Frankh'n expedition had been, through want of food, reduced to such straits as to have cooked and eaten portions of their companions. On December 2nd, 1854, the Household ]Vords issued a trenchant article against such a horrible idea. This was continued in the issue of the 9th. These articles, and the friendship existing between Miss Boyle (Maid of Honour to the late Queen Adelaide), and Charles Dickens had much to do with bringing the great author into direct contact with Lady Franklin. And, as may be supposed, the articles against the idea of cannibalism, were a great comfort to Lad)' Franklin. How amazing might be the results could the prince of writers be enlisted in the good cause. Funds, a large amount of funds, are urgently needed. Oh, if Mr. Dickens could be persuaded to make his universally read weekly the channel of circulating information and appealing for help, how sure would be the success ! He is in sympath)- with the move- ment, but what line of action can he best pursue? A happy thought strikes Lad)- Franklin, and it is this, I will endeavour to bring Captain Coppin and Mr. Dickens together and then get the Captain to consent to Mr. Dickens publishing the wonderful " revelation. ' If this can be done, and done through the pen of A Vejy Sacred Thing. 115 N Mr. Dickens himself, all doubts, as to sufficient money, will be at an end. Ever>'\vhere there will arise a cry for a fresh and a final expedition. As quickly as possible, a time was fixed for the meeting of both, Miss Boyle arranging to see Mr. Dickens. With date arranged, Captain Coppin received two urgent requests, by two succeeding posts, to meet the great man of letters. All that argument and persuasion could do was done to gain his consent for publi.shing to the world the extraordinary " revelation." But for the reason given in the introduction, the father looked upon the " revelation " of his child as a very sacred thing. He therefore dared not to place himself within the magnetic circle of one that would, probably, leave no bewitching influence untried to get hold of a subject, out of which he could have woven many tales, surpassing in power the most exciting efforts of his genius. Giv-at was the act of self-denial on the part of one of Charles Dickens' admirers, to decline the strongly-worded invitations to meet the object of his admiration, but the hallowed memories of home- life must be kept inviolate. So they have been to the present hour. Thus, whatever Mr. Dickens might have felt disposed to have done, and whatever were the desires and hopes of Lady Franklin, the '* revelation " and all its surrounding associations I 2 Ii6 Sir John Franklin. were not permitted to come before the public. Still, it was a striking testimony to Lady Franklin's strong faith in the matter, and to the conviction she had, that if made known it would vastly help her great undertaking to raise some ;,^8,ooo or ;^ 10,000. Reference has been made to Dr. Rae and his discoveries. This gentleman was in the employ of the Hudson Bay Company, and was in medical charge of the large Mackenzie district. The Government, having a high opinion of his abilities as an explorer, secured his services for a boat expedition to aid in the search for Sir John. This was in 1850. Leave was obtained, and in the following year, April 25th, with two sledges. Dr. Rae commenced his explorations. The starting-place was Fort Confidence. The 22nd of May found him exploring the western shore of Wollaston Land. Having discovered nothing of importance he, on May 24th, commenced his homeward journey, which he finished on June 2nd, having travelled 1,100 miles. On the 15th, he started afresh to explore the south and east coasts ot Victoria Land. Whilst engaged here, on July 20th, he found the butt-end of a small flagstaff, a piece of white rope, a piece of oak, &c., all of which led him to push forward his investiga- tions. Bad weather setting in, he was compelled to seek a refuge. This he found at Fort Confi- Dr. Rae. 117 dence, which he reached on August loth, having surveyed 725 miles. His explorations were pro- ductive of no results. In 1853, Dr. Rae was again in the service of the Hudson Bay Company, from whom he received orders to complete his survey of the West Coast of Boothia. It was in this locality that he made his important discoveries. A striking feature in these is the fact that they were altogether unexpected. Just before starting for the expedition referred to below, he wrote a letter to the press, as follows : — " The subject of Arctic discovery still occupies much public attention. It may interest some of your readers to learn that the Hudson Bay Company are about sending a boat expedition (with the command of which 1 am to be honoured) to the Arctic Sea, for the purpose of completing the survey of the Northern Shores of America, comparatively a small portion of which (probably from 300 to 400 miles) now remain unexplored. I may add, in conclusion, that as the ex- pedition has been planned by myself, I shall have a more than common interest in bringing it to a most successful termination. I do not mention the lost navigators, as there is not the slightest hope of finding any traces in the quarter to which I am going." Starting on his journey in the summer, he, on August 14th, reached Repulse Bay. The interval of 1 '1 Ii8 Sir John Franklin. the winter was, more or less, spent in preparations for the coming season. All being ready, he set out on March 31st, 1854. On April 6th, the party arrived at Cape Lady Felly ; Colville Bay on the loth, and the shore of Pelly Bay on the 17th. Fresh footmarks of the Eskimo being observed on the 20th, search was made for their whereabouts. Seventeen, at length, were discovered, who had a great objection to the party travelling in a westerly direction. This naturally led to a more earnest desire to explore in that quarter. On the 21st the party started Westward. The result was that it shortly met with two intelli- gent and communicative Eskimo, one of whom had been for many years a member of the Wesley an Congregation at Rosville, Hudson Bay. FVom these he got undoubted information relative to the crews of Sir John Franklin's expedition, as well as some mixed, and probably unwilling, statements con- cerning the two ships. From what Dr. Rae could gather he was, at that time, within fifty miles of the locality where the ships had been lost. The articles just referred to as brought by Dr. Rae to England were purchased from the Eskimo of Boothia, and the piece of wood, &c., were afterwards proved to belong to the Franklin expedition. He had also ascertained from the Eskimo that the white men had been seen by them at the beginning of June, 1850. Extyaoniinayy News 119 The extraordinary discovery of the relics of Sir John, and for which the party received the Govern- ment reward of ^^10,000, did not prevent Dr. Rae from carrying on his work, as surveyor, which he finished about four weeks after, and arrived safely at York Factory on August 31st. As before remarked, all this information revived as with new life the hopes of Lady Franklin. As we have seon, Dr. Rae's account was not accepted as gospel by every one, and this could but suggest to her ladyship the possibility ot getting fuller information, if not from the living, yet through the dead. As to Dr. Rae's statement to the Admiralty, concerning the fate of the crews of the Erebus and Terror^ his only explanation was that they had perished through cold and privations, which were so severe as to have led to cannibalism. The Household Words (page 362, 1854) refused to accept the explanation, maintaining the probability that they were murdered by some of the Eskimo. To this Dr. Rae replied (page 433, 1854). The reply was not accepted as satisfactory. And though (page 12, 1855) the statement was given in extenso, still the verdict was " a very unsatisfactory document." But whatever the opinion regarding the fate of the crews, the discoveries, read in the light of the foregoing letter, are very noteworthy. He had no idea that the lost navigators were cast away in such a quarter. The House of Commons were earnestly pressed to I \\ w 120 Sir John Franklin. send out, or to aid in sending out, another expedition. But the Commons were inexorable. Too much had been spent, said some, over the affair already. Sufficient was already known, and to spend more was a waste of money on a mere piece of sentimentality. With no hope of help from the representatives of the people, some other means must be devised. The Admiralty, through Lord Palmerston, was urgently written to by the helpless Lady Franklin, begging that a final search might be made, so that any possible survivor might be rescued ; the bones of the dead be sought for and gathered up, and that their buried records and last written words might be saved from destruction. But there was no hopeful reply. A memorial was also prepared and signed by all the eminent geographers and Arctic explorers at that time in London, and presented to the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston.. But all labours were as fruitless as those of Sisyphus. The " highest authorities " had been consulted, and a further search was hopeless, at least, for this season. But though hoped-for friends had proved Job's comforters, a lady that had done so much would either make another attempt, or perish in the effort. But the superhuman exertions to raise money and to elicit sympathy told sadly upon her Ladyship's health. Thus the work that should have been completed in 1854-55 was delayed through a prolonged and serious T ! I ' I Beginning Afresh. 121 illness. However, in the spring of 1856, as if beginning de novo, Captain Coppin was asked to forward the chart drawn by his little child, Lady Franklin thinking that she had returned it. The Captain informed her of her mistake. At this time, also, a specially prepared pamphlet, on the importance of another expedition being sent out, was printed, and sent to every Member of Parliament. The editors of newspapers were pressed to notice said pamphlet, and any amount for distribution was promised to Captain Coppin. For want of means, and because of Lady Franklin's illness, there had been, for the last few years, a com- parative lull in all efforts. This is now at an end. There is a revival of former faith, the alone basis of which had been, and is, the " revelation " at London- derry in 1849. The " foolish things " are in battle-array against the " wise," and the " weak things '" are lifted up above the " strong." " Thou didst hide these things from the wise, and the understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes : Yea, Father, for so it was well pleasing in Thy sight." — (R, V.) The publicity given to Lady Franklin's appeal to the Government and its refusal created sympathy in almost unexpected quarters. The cost of the expedition was roughly estimated at ;£8,400, though it actually cost ;^ 10,412. Nine parties subscribed among them- 122 Sir John Franklin. selves ;^i, 350 ; smaller sums amounted to ^'1,631 Ss. ; ^2,000 were obtained through a relative ; ;^'2,ooo from the sale of the Prince Albert, and ;^ 1,700 were raised by the inhabitants of Tasmania, as a thank- offering for the late successful Governorship of Sir John Franklin. With sufficient money promised, the next step was the securing of a suitable ship. This was the Fo.\\ a screw vessel of 177 tons register, built by Messrs. Hall and Company, of Aberdeen, and formerly the pleasure yacht of Sir Richard Sutton, deceased, who had made a trip to Norway in her, and found her in every way suitable for a voyage amongst ice floes. She was accordingly purchased from Sir R. Sutton's executors for ;^2,ooo. The ship equipped, the utmost care was taken to make out the definite route. With the chart before her, Lady Franklin prepared her plans. The route, as given on the chart, about six years and six months before, had been partly followed by Kennedy and Bellot, and with the result that Bellot Strait had been discovered. Without doubt this Strait would lead to Point Victory and Victoria Channel, which formed an integral part of the " revelation." Dr. Rae had stated that he had been, so far as he could judge from the emphatic statements of the Eskimo, within about fifty miles of the spot where the ships had been wrecked. This spot was presumably the Victoria Channel of the " revelation." \ 1 . Sti/i to the Soiit/i. 123 lid 10, ips i ■ Critics had very severely handled his statement concerning the cannibalism of the ill-fated crews of the Erebus and Terror, but no one had challenged his deductions relative to the locality of the ships. If in the locality pointed out, then Point Victory was very near, and the alone direct path, both to Victoria Channel and Point Victory, was through Hellot Strait. This, then, must be, shall be the direction. The Fox shall seek to go through the Strait, and sail down upon the exact spot ; but if blocked with ice, the preparations for the sledge parties will meet the difficulty. The chart, the route, and the places mentioned by Captain Coppin's little daughter had been, in 1850 and 185 1, the inauguration of a new era in Lady Franklin's efforts, and there was no reason for any change. Nay, everything was but confirmatory of her previous independent but smiled-at action. Point Victory and Victoria Channel shall be her goal. Another all-important step was the selection of a commander. Captain Coppin, being at this time in London, called upon Lady Franklin, with whom was Miss Boyle, and ascertained her great concern about this matter. She spoke painfully of her previous selections ; and as the Captain was well acquainted with the heroes of the Arctic regions she asked him to write down the names of three whom he thought most fit 124 Sir John Franklin. for the onerous post — who would, without fail, cany out to the letter her instructions about Bellot Strait and Victoria Channel. Desk and paper were brought to the table by Miss Cracroft, and he wrote as requested, and handed the names to her Ladyship, The first of the three was Captain Leopold McClintock, and the next to him was Captain Sherard Osborn. " I select the first," was her Lady- ship's decision, and he was accordingly appointed. Captain McClintock's varied and rich experiences in the Arctic regions were well known to Lady Franklin, and so she the more readily placed him in command. No small amount of congratulations and warmest good wishes came in from every quarter. Untiring efforts had been crowned with success. The soul of Lady Franklin again revived. As in the case of Forsyth and Kennedy, Captain McClintock had to receive instructions. These were given specifically^ plainly, and, if possible, more emphatically than in 1850 and 185 1. Not only so, there was in the heart of her Ladyship[an assurance that betokened triumph. None of the living might be rescued, still, how calming to the troubled heart to know the real fate of Sir John and his noble crews. The new commander was one that would loyally carry out her wishes, and so all that was possible would be done to explain everything that was involved in those mysterious ]\IysterioHs Wot'ds, 125 1 words: "' Lancaster Soundy Prince Recent Inict, Point Victoryy Victoria Channel'.' In Bolin's Modern Geography, it is stated that Sir Roderick Murchison, General Sabine, Captain CoUin- son, and especially Captain Allan Young, rendered valuable assistance. Be it so ; still, in the light of what is now made public, the reader will most pro- bably think that the name of Captain Coppin should not be forgotten. All being ready, the Fox, duly provisioned for two years and four months, sailed from Aberdeen July 1st, 1857. Baffin Bay was reached in August, and after a sharp encounter with the ice she arrived in Melville Bay on the 12th. Just between here and Baffin Bay the Fox was ice-bound and floe-driven, from Sept. 7th to April 12th, 1858. On the 17th, the ice broke, and the Fox was supposed to be in open water, but wind and ice soon blighted all hopes. She had to retreat, and so the 28th found her seeking shelter at Holstcinberg, in Greenland, having drifted some 1,200 geographical miles since August 3rd. On June 6th, Melville Bay was again reached, but not until August 6th could Lancaster Sound be looked upon as within a measurable distance. On the loth McClintock anchored near Beechy Island, and landed and erected the tombstone to the memory of Sir John Franklin and his companions. This was a marble slab, and was sent out by Lady Franklin. i I 126 A//- Joint /''rank/in. On the 1 6th, he sailed westward, and found Re^^ent Inlet "clear." On the 20th " Hellot Strait" was nearcd, at which there was much excitement, not a few having denied its existence. Upon the truth of the reality of this Strait, justly remarked McClintock, " depended all our hopes." He also wrote : *' We feel the crisis of our voyage is near." The 20th, however, settled the question. The Fox entered the Strait, but was soon driven back. On the 2Sth another effort was made, but it also resulted in failure. Another attempt was made on September 6th, and this time so successfully as to reach the ice that blocked the western entrance into Franklin Channel. To go down the Channel, or Sound, was, con- sequently, impossible. On the nth, the Fox was laid up for the season, and as there was not much prospect for the ship going any further, sledge work commenced forthwith, but only on a limited scale. The real search was to commence somewhere about the latter end of March, in 1859. The wMiter was chiefly devoted to the preparations of the dog-sledges and other necessaries, for the three proposed explora- tion parties, to be conducted respectively by McClin- tock, Hobson, and Allan Young. Feeling that moments were precious, McClintock took time by the forelock, and started on a preliminary journey, February 17th. The line of search was along the Victoria Chatinel ! \Z7 western coast of Hoothia, towards the south, the exact locality that T'orsyth, nine years before, was instructed to search. It was in Boothia that Dr. Rae had found amongst the Eskimo some relics of the lost expedition, and had received inklings of something further " west." This locality must there- fore be explored. On March ist, he reaches the ne'ghbourhood of the Magnetic Pole, but seeing no Eskimo, he fears he shall have to return to Bellot Strait without a glimpse of them. But on the day of halting and semi-despair a party of four was seen. On the 4th, abundant evidence was furnished by other Eskimo of their being in possession of relics from a ship that had been crushed in the ice on " the ivest of King William Island^ " Victoria Channel ! " This is on the west of King William Island ! W'^ith expectation on the tip-toe, McClintock made <^orthc ship, which he reached on the 14th. The news brought by the Commander were " as life from the dead." The beginning of April witnessed the departure of the three parties, McClintock and Hobson towards the shores of King William Island, with their respective sledge parties, and Young towards Peel Strait (Frai^klin Strait), and Prince of Wales Land. On April 20th, McClintock and Hobson met on the west coast of Boothia two 128 Sir John Franklin, families, whose huts bore unmistakable signs of Franklin garniture, and whose inmates affirmed that the natives of King William Island had seen two ships, one of which had been sunk by the ice, and the other had been driven ashore and broken in pieces. Both parties now pressed on towards King William Island, and having reached Cape Victoria, they parted, Hobson to explore the west of King William Island and McClintock the east. To enter upon King William Island, Lieutenant Hobson had to cross James Ross Strait, one of the places included in the directions given to Forsyth and Snow, about nine years before. He crossed this Strait, and began with much enthusiasm to explore his alloted portion of the Island. Without knowing, it he passed the locality where were cast away the Erebns and Terror. Still pushing on, about fifteen miles below this, he came upon Point Victory ! Point Victory! This is situated on the N.W. Coast of the island. Point Victory ! This is the place that "appeared" on the wall of Captain Coppin's upper room, in Londonderry, about nine years and six months since, and concerning which his little child had spoken and written, and about which her father had written to Lady Franklin in 1850. And off, on the right hand, is Victoria Channel, about which the child had also written Light at Last! 129 and spoken, as a part of the mysterious handwriting which appeared on the wall. This place also, had been included in the letter to Lady Franklin, in 1850. Point Victory ! Hobson commenced to search a dilapidated cairn, and here, amongst some loose stones, he discovered a thin tin cylinder, in which was contained the following precious record, and the only written record that was ever found. " Point Victory 1 Victoria Channel ! " The record found in the former and the ships lost in the latter I How surprising ! The words which appeared on the wall are now clear ! The ships on the chart, and the strange, unknown route that led to them, are all plain now ! The father's untiring zeal and Lady P^ranklin's unswerving faith are at last rewarded I ^' At eventide there shall be light." Light is come I In the little tin cylinder were these words : — '' H.^I. ships Erebus and Terror, 28th May, 1847. Wintered in the ice in lat. 70° 5' N., long. 98' 23' W. Having wintered in 1846 -1847 at Beechy Island, in lat. 74° 43' 28" N, long. 91° 39' 15" W., after having ascended Wellington Channel to lat. 'j'j\ and returned by the west side of Cornwallis Island. Sir John FrankUn commanding the expedition. All well. Party, consisting of two officers and six men, left the ships on Monday, 24th May, 1847. " Gm. Gork, Lieut. / "CiiAS. F. Di:.s V(i:ux, ALatc. ' K 130 Sir John Franklin. Round the margin of the paper (which was a Government form) were written these notes : — "April 25th, 1S48. H.M. ships Terror and Erebus were deserted on the 22nd April, five leagues N.N.W. of this, having been beset since 12th Sep- tember, 1846. The officers and crews, consisting of 105 souls, under the command of Y. R. M. Crozier, landed here, in lat. 69" 37' 42" N., long. 98° 41' W. Sir John Franklin died on the nth June, 1847; and the total loss by deaths in the expedition has been, to this date, nine officers and fifteen men. "(Signed) F. R. M. Crozier, " Captain and Senior Officer. "(Signed) James Fitzjames, " Captain H.M.S. Erebus. "And start on to-morrow, 26th, for Back's Fish River." As a supplement to those all important records were written these words : — " This paper was found by- Lieut. Irving under the cairn supposed to have been built by Sir James Ross in 1 831, four miles to the northward, where it had been deposited by the late Commander Gore in June, 1847. Sir James Ross's pillar has not, however, been found and the paper has been transferred to this position, which is that in which Sir James Ross's pillar was erected." The supposed cairn of Sir James Ross's was not " Point Victory," and had not Lieut. Nunc Dimitth. 131 "ish . Irviiig removed the cylinder from the cairn to " Point Victory," the " Point Victory " of the " revelation " would have had no meaning. All is clear now. The mystery, involving the unprecedented labours of ten long anxious years, is explained. " Victoria Channel " was the sepulchre of the E/ebus and Terror. And until the time, when the sea and the ice shall give up their dead, they will remain the tombs of Sir John and most of his heroic coadjutors. "Point Victory" received the record of some, and the chief, of the lost ones, and what more is needed ? The devoted widow is in possession of the Koh-i-noor of all the diamonds of facts. " A little child shall lead them." Led by a little child she has ascended " Point Victor}-."' With a Nunc Dimittis she may now ascend to an invisible throne, leaving to those that follow the gladsome task of sounding, throughout the ages, the peans of a noble lady but a much nobler wife. Lieutenant Hobson, having made secure his priceless treasure, pursued his journey westward. At a little distance from Point Victory, he dis- covered a large boat, belonging to the ill-fated ships, in and about which were two skeletons, guns, and a vast number of different articles. From all appearances, this indicated that the ship- wrecked crews had chosen this route to reach K 2 132 Sir John Fvanklin. the Fish River, z'ia Simpson's Strait, the place included in the orders issued by Lady Franklin to Forsyth and Snov/. Through severe illness, Hobson had to discon- tinue his explorations, and, as quickly as possible, hasten back to the ship. As given to us by an intelligent and quick-sighted member of the expe- dition, Hobson reached the ship just in time to prevent immediate death. And there he lay, day after day, in a most helpless condition. " Will poor Hobson ever again see the loved ones at home and receive the honours due to the valiant?" could but be the feelings of both officers and crew. But in the midst of an illness, which ulti- mately proved fatal, he was much cheered by the congratulations of those who rejoiced over his labours. Of the three officers in command oi the search parties, Hobson had suffered the most and had acliieved the most. As the chosen and more immediate instrument in bringing to light, what had, for so many years, agitated England and America, as well as being the gentleman that directly proved the truth of the " revelation," we feel that, for some reason, unknown to us. Lieutenant Hobson has been kept very much in the background. And never have we felt this more strongly than when reading Tlic Real Discoverer. 133 Sir Leopold McClintock's " Voyage of the Fox!' All honour to those who were his fellow-labourers in the arduous task, but none that would cast into the shade the one who, to use a Scriptural phrase, found, for the expedition, " the pearl of great price," The remaining portion of the story is soon told. King William Island was entered upon by McClintock on May 7th, he marching southward. In the journey, after a short time, ten or twelve occupied huts were come upon, the inmates being some thirty or forty in number, and who were in possession of many things belonging to the ill- fated expedition, including six pieces of plate, on which were the crests, or initials, of Sir John and three of his officers. From them it was also ascer- tained that the wreck of the stranded vessel was distant about five days' journey, and that many of the white men had " dropped " on their way to the Great River (Fish River). With not a moment to waste, McClintock sped on to the extreme east point of King William Island, which was reached on the loth. Here were discovered more relics, and a rather equivocating old man and woman, who denied all knowledge of white men having died in their neighbourhood, and who spoke of the Great River as being at a long distance. Still pushing on, McClintock, the same evening, 134 Sir John Franklin, encamped on the frozen entrance to the Great Fish River. Very sanguine as to results on Montreal Island, he reached it on the 15th, but only discovered some small traces of European relics, which, probably, were plunder from one of Sir John's boats. Search at Barrow Inlet and l^^lliot Bay was fruitless. With disappointment, the return journey was commenced on the 19th, and on the 24th, the western coast of King William Island was entered upon by crossing Simpson's Strait, the place also included in the orders of Lady Franklin to F'orsyth. As this was the way over which had passed the party from the Erebus and Terror^ careful examination was made. On the 25th, a bleached human skeleton was found, partly covered with snow and lying on its face. On close examination, it was proved, beyond doubt, that the corpse belonged to the Erebus or the Terror. This discovery was on the coast of Simpson Strait. A careful search producing no more results, he moved on a few miles west, or north-west, to Cape Herschel. A cairn "Simpson's cairn) erected by Simpson on the top of the Cape, was sanguinely examined, but yielded nothing. Still pressing forward, and over ground never trodden before by FZuropeans, apart from the dead and lost ones of Franklin's ships, he reached a small cairn, erected by Hobson, in which wa'^ f Where ivere the 102 ? 135 found a note, informing him of the before- mentioned discoveries. He now resumed his journey along the western coast. When near the most extreme western point, he came upon the large boats already referred to. Hobson had here, as at Point Victory, searched very carefully for records, but found none. A note was left to this effect. McCI* cock's minute inspection of the boat and its equipments told of careful preparation to ascend the Great Fish River. As watches and two double-barrelled guns were found close to the boat, as well as a large number of articles, it was evident that no one had been robbing the unfor- tunate dead. This boat was about fifty miles from Point Victory, sixty-five miles from the position of the ships, and seventy miles from where the first skeleton had been found. The boat, from its great size and weight, must have belonged to the 105 who had left the ships for Great Fish River. Three had been discovered. Where were the 102 ? Yes ! where ? With no hope of further discoveries, McClintock set out for the ship, in Bellot Strait, which he reached in time for a late breakfast, on June 19th, having been absent seventy-eight days. As to Lieut. Hobson, he was still in the ship, an invalid, being brought there on the 14th. Captain McClintock was now anxious about Captain Allan f 136 Sir John Fraiikiin. Younfj. After fort>' days of great exposure, he had come back to the Fox, on June 7th, to get some restoratives, and though far from well, he had left four days before McClintock's return. Doing yeoman's service, in other respects, he added nothing to the discoveries made by Hobson and McClintock. Young shortly after returned, seriously ill. Cleaning the ship, preparatory to leaving for England, was finished on July gth ; on the 6th of August steam was got up, and on September 20th, the Fox reached the English Channel. The officers and crew received by a vote of the House of Commons, as an acknowledgment of their labours, iJ"8,ooo ; ;^2,ooo were also voted for the erection of a statue to Sir John ; Captain McClintock received the honour of Knight- Bachelor ; Lieut. Hobson was made Commander ; and Lady Franklin was awarded the Founder's gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society. The latter was an honour never before conferred upon a lady. And most worthily had she won it. No to-be-envied recipient of this distinguished honour, before, or since, more truly deserved it. " Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." We doubt not but the reader is now inclined to ask the question : What proof is adduced to show the correctness of the foregoing having any 1 1 '• Kennedy and the Revelation.' "3; 1 s 1 I 1 direct connection witli the "revelation" at Lon- donderry, in 1849? As to the discoveries made, and as to the localities in which they were made, there can be no dispute, nor doubt, but can as much be said concerninij the truth of the " reve- lation " and its relationship to the discoveries ? The reply is a firm-toned, " Yes." In the possession of the writer is an abundance of original documentary evidence, which, with the exception of the following letters, he has been unable to publish, either verbatim et literatiui^ or in the shape of extracts, or quotations. Under such circumstances, the proofs are not so numerous as they might otherwise have been, still, if no other evidence existed, the verbatim letters of Captain Kennedy and the words of Sir Roderick Murchison cannot be controverted. It may be that, in a short time, the asked-for permission may be granted. In the meanwhile, the documents are in the writer's possession and may be examined. So far as he knows, nothing has been inserted, or asserted, in the foregoing, which cannot be fully verified by documents in the possession of the author, or from living, reliable witnesses. The following two letters, from Captain Kennedy , are offered : — " :l I '3^ Siy John Frait/xiin, "42, Queen's Square, " London, Oct. ist, '60. " Mv DKAK Mr. Cori'iN, " It was like living over again a pleasing part of my former life, to receive so kind a letter from you, as was awaiting me when I returned to London latter end of last week. I would have replied to it immediately then but one thing connected with my intended mission has prevented it, and I now sit down with very great pleasure not only to express again the very great pleasure I have in renewing acquaintance that began under the remarkable circumstances that led to it, but to thank you, in the most cordial manner, for the very kind invitation you have given me to visit you — a thing there may be a possibility of my doing, on my return to America, some time after Christmas. I am sorry I did not know you were the Contractor for receiving the Canadian . Mails, as I have twice passed Londonderry in Canadian steamers, since you have had the contract, the last time I passed it being about the middle of July last. We were then delayed a considerable time, and I would have had time to have gone on shore to have seen you, at the calling place of these steamers, when I could have said in five minutes more than a half hour could bring forth by writing. Remarkable Things. 139 ■ ' "As you arc aware, I am still striving to stir up an interest in behalf of my mission among the North American Indians, and am going about visiting the various places most likely to take an interest in it. I cannot, therefore, just now give you such a document as I would wish to give you on the subject of the remarkable revelation of your child, respecting the place Sir John Franklin was known to have perished, and which had in those revelations so very many remarkable coincidences with the facts when these became known by the expedition under Sir — McClintock. " It has always struck me since McClintock returned, that the disclosures of your child were among the most remarkable things that were con- nected with the search for poor Franklin. I am purposing to have a little more leisure towards the close of this week than I have now, and you may then expect a more formal, and less hasty reply to your kind letter, and then also, I hope to be able to send you a list of such as have subscribed to my mission, which I am getting printed, as it is so much labour to write down the names in so many circulars as I wish to send around. If it will be possible I will try and visit Ireland on behalf of the same mission, as I know that it has many warm hearts, that however little, it too would be disposed to give its mite towards 'i 4 140 Sir John Frank'liii. it, but on this I will be able to say more when I next write you, as then I shall have laid clown my l)ians for the winter. Meanwhile, will you kindly accept for yourself and Mrs. Coppin. with the entire family, the united best wishes of Mrs, Kennedy with self, and believe me, my dear Mr. Coppin, " V'er)- trul>- and sincerely yours, "VVM KKNNKDV." " Sedgle)', Dudle)', "4th Oct., '60. "Mv DEAR Mr. Coppin, " I now have great pleasure in fulfilling the promise I made a day or two since respecting the mysterious revelations of one of your children respecting the position of Sir John Franklin's ships at a time when all was darkness and un- certainty as to the fate and position of that gallant navigator of his ships. These revelations have since the return of Sir F. L. McClintock appeared to me the most remarkable of all the wonderful things that have been brought out by the various Arctic expeditions. I was in the first instance informed of the matter by Lady Franklin soon after it was decided that I was to have the command of the expedition down Prince Regent's Inlet. She instructed me to go over to London- T Kenih tiys Coujcssion. 14> dcrry to sec yourself on the subject. 1 went. AwCi there from your own children had the facts related that are [j/VJ nienti(3ned by Laily I'Var-klin. " In particular, )'our child iclated that Sir John with his ships were to be found down Prince Regent Inlet, and that, .ibout places named Victoria, exactly the name of the place where Sir John abandoned his ships, and dcpc /sited t Id- only record that has been recovered /luiu the Franklin expedition How \'ouv child corl'.i have known these thinj^s is the more remarkiii^lc, becau.'e at the time, she not onlv had woX the sli«i!lt^^st intimation as to the whcreaboul-j of poor !^*r?tnk^in, but Lady I^'ranklin herself, v. as ^x> j:)ossf;ssod w'st^w the matter that Sir John had ^o\m\ ur \V."!iir'.L;to;i Channel, that most people were car»'icd .'iwh}' with the same impression. 1 was amonc.f this luimber, and therefore did not attach I'lat imjjjrtaiicc to these revelations that I ought to have done. Had I followed the route your little girl pointed out, 1 should have carried away from McClintock tl.p.t honour, fame, and reward which he is no \ onjoyii\i,^ from the success that attended Jii:- expedition, and that by folloicing the route pointed o.:l by your child. " It was very remarkable that your child should have had ti\ese revelations, and I have often, since the return of iMcClintock, whilst struck at 142 Sir Jolui Franklin. the literal truth of what your then little one must have seen, asked myself the question, how it is that such 'j Parker Snow, as his chief officer. Then he cannot dispute what Sir John Richardson wrote in 1848-9. to the effect that Dr. Rac's discoveries in con- nection with the searches of the Entey[rise and Investigator, under tlie command of Sir James C Ross, had covered the whole of Prince Regent Inlet and the Gulf of Boothia. Yes, Sir John had so written, and yet, as if such were valueless, and as if all Government expeditions and opinions were valueless, we find Lady Franklin, without " rhyme or reason," placing her faith in the statement from, or through, a child, and that in direct opposition to such a Nestor in Arctic research. The reader will also agree that the search expedition of the Prince Albert was to be connected with regions in and about Regent Inlet, Boothia, down to Simpson Strait via the Strait of James Ross. As a proof of this, the following extract is taken from Snow's voyage of the Prince Albert: — "The object of the expedition was the thorough search of the west coast of Regent Inlet to the bottom of Boothia, together with the western side of Boothia, into James Ross Strait and down to Simpson Strait " {vide p. 6). If the reader will now consult the map, he will find that this route, as given b}' Lady Franklin, was the one that covered the entire area in which were included the places where the precious 154 Sir John Franklin. t; record was found and where were lost the lirebus and Terror. That Captain Forsyth and Mr. Snow did not attend to tlieir instructions docs not destroy the evidential part of the case. Mere, then, is Snow's statement, and, without fear of contradiction, the writer affirms that the route specified was an entirel}' new one — yes, new, and that in the face of the predilections of Lady Franklin, the savans of the Arctic regions, the advisers of the Government, and the expeditions carried out under the Admiralty. All, therefore, bespoke, on the part of Lady I''ranklin, the selection of an opposite direction. And not only this, but so convinced was Lady FVanklin herself of the Welling- ton Channel route, that she purchased and fitted out the Prince Albert for the northern line of search. Why, then, did she, within a few days of sending off her expedition, suddenly alter her mind and enjoin the commander of her ship to go sotith ? There is but one available explanation, and that, the •' revelation " of Captain Coppin's little daughter and the information connected with the " revelation," accepted by Lady Franklin and, as a consequence, acted upon. How clearly this appears in all that Lady Franklin said and did. It was the " revelation " that brought her in contact with Captain Coppin ; it was the recital The Influemc of the *' Revelation^ t ' ' of the " revelation " that brought to remembrance the forgotten fireside conversation with her hxst luis- band ; it was the " revelation " that led her to alter her plans, and that at once ; it was a full belief in the " revelation " that led her, not only to have the child's chart and the accompanying statement sent from Londonderry, but on the receipt of the chart, to issue to Captain Fors\'th specific, emphatic, and entirely new instructions. It was this same "revelation" that brought her into direct contact with the Hros. Horsfall, of Liverpool, and that led them to offer the Jemima, as a companion to the Prince Albert, and, subse- quently, to send subscriptions to Lady Franklin's fund. And so strong were the convictions of her Ladyship as to the truth of the " revelation," that had all the combined wisdom of all the Arctic explorers, and authorities, under the sun, sought to have removed said convictions, it would not have been successful. Rightly, or wrongly, this was Lady Franklin's exact position. And unless the reader is prepared to deny the statement of W. Parker Snow, at page 6 of his interesting work, published imme- diately on his return from the fruitless voyage in 1850, then, thus far, he can but agree with the writer. And unless he can, apart from the " reve- lation," explain the cause which led Lady Franklin 156 .S'/> John Franklin. to go against all other opinions, and thus to send the Prince Albert in an opposite direction, then he should, in all fairness, give credence to this, the first portion of the evidence. The reader is further prepared to agree that, up to 185 1-2, no chart, government or otherwise, showed a channel going from Regent Inlet into Franklin Channel (Peel Sound), down through which Sir John Franklin passed, and below which he was lost. luu'ther, the reader will not dispute what Sir Roderick J. Murchison, in his Preface to the " Voyage of the Fox " (page 16), said concerning this place, twenty miles in length, viz., an " im- passable frozen channel, or ignored as a channel at all." This accepted as indisputable, the reader cannot deny the fact that the maps of 1852-4 show that through the " land, or eternal ice," a channel runs, known either as the Kennedy and Bellot CI' \nnei, or Strait, or the Bellot Channel, or Strait. It is true that not a few doubted the possibility of such a channel, or st'ait, and that such doubts existed up to 1858. P2ven Captain McClintock, when he approached the spot, where the channel was shown on the official cl.art, was not fully con- vinced of its existence. Nevertheless, such a channel was, from 1852-4. and henceforth, marked on all' the best maps of that period. It is also not dis- Forsyth and Kennedy. 15/ putcd that such strait, named then and named now, l^ellot Strait, or the Kennedy and HcUot Strait, was discovered b)' the party, or parties, whose name, or names, it bears. And it is fuiHher agreed, according to Snow's ■ Vo) age of the Prince Albert,' that Forsyth's directions covered the entire locality in which wis found the channel, or strait — the natural inference being that if Forsyth had been careful in his searches, he, himself, would have been the fortunate discoverer of said strait, as well as in all reasonable certainty, the fate of Sir John 1^'ranklin. How, then, was such a strait discovered, and that in an unthought of region ? A very conclusive answer is found in Kennedy's letters, dated respec- tively, October ist and 4th, i860. His words are: " I was, in the first instance, informed of the matter by Lady Franklin soon after it was decided that I was to have command of the expedition down Prince Regent Lilet. She instructed me to go to Londonderry to see yourself on the subject. I went there, and from your own children had the facts related that arc mentioned by Lady Franklin. In particular, your child related that Sir John, with his ships, was to be found down Prince Regent Inlet and there about places named V^ictoria — exactly the name of the place near which Sir John Franklin abandoned his ships and 158 Sir John Franklin. deposited the only record that has been recovered from the Frankh'n expedition, &c." {I'ide his letter in Chapter V.). This, then, may be accepted as an incontrovertible fact, that Captain Kennedy would not have gone down Regent Inlet and discovoed Bellot Strait but for the " revelation " of Captain Coppin's little daughter. Given, as a concession to the hyper- critical, the possibility that after the lapse of eight years, or through other circumstances, Kennedy approached the subject with a warped, or an erroneous, judgment, it matters but little. The quotation from the Morning Herald^ as given in Chapter V., was not written in i860 but in 1851. And as Kennedy's letters are simply a detailed, confirmatory account of such a statement, they may, if the reader choose, form the minor premiss in the argument. Then the reader can scarcely venture to dissent from the impartial statement of Sir Roderick J. Murchison, when he remarks, " that had that intrepid explorer [Kennedy] not been induced to search northwards of Bellot Strait, but had felt himself able to follow the course indicated by his sagacious employer, there can be no doubt that much more satisfactory results would have been obtained " (see conclusion of Chapter V.). There is no necessity for discussing the value ot The Old World and the Neiv, 159 ot Sir Roderick's opinion, nor on what it was founded. He fully believed that, for some reason, Kennedy had gone in a certain direction, that such direction was not believed in by the English Government, and that, in this direction, lay the explanation of a mystery, whose solution, for a whole decade, had defied the united efforts of the Old World and the New. Thus far, we trust, the most faithful descendant of the proverbial Grad-Grind will not be so in- credulous as to treat the evidence as " moonshine." Either the statements of Captain Kennedy, as to the reason why he went in the direction of Bellot Strait, must be falsehoods of the most unredeemable wickedness, or they must be true. There can be no midway position. We must, therefore, ask, unless good cause is shown to the contrary, that the reader, thus far, at least, shall accept the tendered evidence as unimpeachable, and as strong as it is unimpeachable. Further, it is impossible to produce a single iota of evidence to show that either Forsyth or Ken- • nedy would have gone in the direction each one did, apart from the "revelation." This granted, then, apart from the " revelation," there would have been no discovery of l^ellot Strait — at least there is not a tittle of evidence to prove anything to the con- trary. And no more does the discovery of the i i6o Sir John Franklin. \ hieroglyphics of Egypt and Nineveh tell ot the existence of a Ramcses II., and a Sargnn, than do the present Arctic maps proclaim the certitude of the " revelation "' at Londonderry and of its con- sequent results — the discovery of Bellot Strait. Further, the reader can but agree with the writer that Captain William Coppin is, throughout the whole of the efforts to discover the fate of Sir John, a most devoted worker. In Aberdeen, in London, in Liverpool, he is found in " labours more abundant." Above thirty special interviews with Lady Franklin ; hundreds of visits to those that could help forward the work of discovery ; enlisting the practical sympathy of the officials of municipal and imperial governments ; on ship and rail ; by night and by day ; in much self-denial and at much expense — all for what? A dream? No. A theory ? No. What then ? There is but one reply, and that is a firm, unchanging con- viction in the "revelation," as gi\en by his little girl. At first incredulous, almost to obstinacy, then hesitant, then tediously slow of belief, then con- vinced, then relapsing again into unbelief, and then with his practical, matter-of-fact, entire self, com- mitted to a line of action, from which he never swerved, — his faith, as to the genuineness of the " revelation," cannot be called in question. " Point f The Blessed Virgin. i6i Victory " and " Victoria Channel," to be reached from Regent Inlet, were, to his mind, as familiar as the city of his adoption. That Point Victory had a true tale to tell, and that Victoria Strait contained the Erebus and Terror, were to him as patent, as were the docks of Liverpool and the ships which he had seen in the same. If ever an infant's finger had woven a silken thread, and that thread had bound a giant, little did this with her father. With deference be it said, no Blessed Virgin was as much led by the ** holy child," as was Captain Coppin by his little daughter. And unless it can be proved that a man of superior practical powers became the victim of an unprecedented delusion, and for years worked assiduously under this delusion, as well as prevailed upon the crane of the practical people of Liverpool to espouse a delusive scheme, then we claim that, in Captain Coppin himself, we have an amount of evidence that nothing can destroy. Another portion of the evidence is associated with the late Mr. Charles Dickens, whose House- hold Words (1854) tell of his deep interest in the efforts to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin. The reader iias to bear in mind that it is not now the year 1850, in which we have seen Lady Franklin, strong in her new-born faith to follow M mmmm9i^*mgm* 162 Sir John Franklin. the finger of revelation. Neither is it the years 185 1-2, when, with renewed hopes, she fitted out, and waited for the return of, her second expedition. No ; those days of her vigorous, young faith, have passed away. With a matured wisdom, begotten of a much-tried experience, she is on the verge of entering upon the fifth year of her thoughts and conclusions, in connection with the "revelation." It is December, 1854. Lady Franklin has re- solved to fit out her last expedition to decide, once and for ever, the fate of the Erebus and Terror. Money, and a large sum of it, is required. Amongst other means to raise it, her Ladyship and Miss Cracroft (who is still alive) resolved to make public use of the " revelation." More than ever, both sec that the chart of the child and the writing on the wall were connected with living realities. This faith of theirs, and the foundation on which it rests, must go before the British and American public. Concerning the church in Rome, St. Paul had testified that their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world. Why not the faith of the niece of Sir John and that of his devoted wife? They had been associated with the " supernatural," they had courageously worked together in the one com- mon belief of its verity and yet, with a pardonable timidity, their faith had been hidden under a " bushel." It shall be so no more. Before God •• Charles Dickens. 163 and man there shall be an open protession. How shall this be accomplished ? Two things are necessary — one the consent of Captain Coppin and the other an influential pen. As to the latter, who so powerful as the sympathetic editor of Household Words^ and what better medium than his universally read weekly ? With strong faith and resolute purpose, both ladies agreed to do their best to bring together the prince of the literati and the genius amongst shipbuilders. Miss Boyle should work the matter on the side of Charles Dickens, and Miss Cracroft on the side of Captain Coppin. Of Miss l^oyle's complete success and of Miss Cracroft's non-success, the reader is already familiar. The shipbuilder, for sacred, family reasons, dared not place himself within the magnetic circle of the world-famed litterateur. The impartial reader can but feel the force of this portion of the tendered evidence. If words mean anything, and if actions mean anything, there is not, up to 1854-5, the least tendency to dis- believe the record of 1849. True but little had been achieved, yet such was not the fault of the believers in the " revelation." Their faith had done much — had done all that was humanly possible, and the hindrance to yet greater achievements arose from the unbelief of the general public. But \\\\y wonder, since eighteen hundred years before, M 2 164 Sir John Franklin. a heaven-sent personage had failed to do many mighty works because of unbelief Lady Franklin, Miss Cracroft, and the late Lady-in-Waiting of the deceased Queen Adelaide, doing their utmost to bring together William Coppin and Charles Dickens, and all based on a belief in the supernaturalness of the child's statement, is, therefore, not matter that should be relegated to the receptacle of "old wives' fables." Previous to giving the last portion of the evidence, there should be noticed the evidence that connects 1856 with 1854. Between these years, Lady Franklin, though very seriously indisposed, was not idle. Fail- ing to realise her hopes, through the powerful advocacy of Mr. Dickens, she broke fresh ground. The result was most cheering. Things are now so rapidly maturing for the final effort that, in a few months, the Fox will set sail. Whilst the utmost care is being taken to fully equip the little ship, both in men and materials, if possible more care is being taken as to the exact locality to be searched. Doubts, of a very grave kind, exist in some quarters, relative to the reality of Bellot Strait, as given on the government charts. Some even go so far as to deny its existence. This, including a natural wish to examine, de novo, the basis of a six yearh' faith, not lost yet, though most severely tried, r 1850 and 1856. 165 led Lady Franklin to ask Captain Coppin to send her the original chart, as drawn by his little girl, and of which he had sent a copy in 1850 — her Ladyship forgetting that the one she received, in 1850, was the original and not the copy. After these preliminary remarks, the reader will agree with the author that such an application, on the eve of sending out the last expedition, is not destitute of meaning. Here, without doubt, 1850 is connected with 1856, and the first search, in an entirely new locality, is inseparably linked with the last intended search in the same locality. Whatever may have been the doubts in the long years of unceasing work, weary watching, intermingled with seasons of complete prostration of her physical and nervous system. Lady Franklin's faith is again strong. Samson-!ike, the strength of the mighty is her portion, and though she may perish in the attempt, she will do more in her death than she has done aforetime, throughout all the days of her life. But thinking and musing apart, the sending for the chart — the chart of the "revelation," told of con- tinued belief in the *' revelation,'' and thus far increases the weight of evidence. And, considering all the rebuffs, governmental and otherwise, not to mention all the blighted hopes and thwarted schemes, the faith of this period, touching the genuineness of the revelation, was, in its evidential value, greater 1 66 Sir Joint Franklin. than anything wc have noticed. At least, we challenge, with the strongest confidence, any effort to overthrow it. The reader may find it too mys- terious to accept, yet, such is no reason for denying it. Life, in the animal ; nd the vegetable, is a mystery, but how egregious the folly to deny the existence of such a thing as life. We now call attention to the last pc rtion of the proffered evidence. It is agreed that Captain McClintock sought to commence his real work of search by passing through BcUot Strait, if such a place existed. It is also agreed th it McClintock says, totidcni verbis, he had, more or less, doubts about the reality of such a place. It is further agreed that as he drew near to the locality, as marked on the map in his possession, his anxiety was great — that he looked upon the matter as a crisis in his efforts, if not his chief hope of success. Then it is also agreed that he entered Bellot Strait, went to its extreme western end, and would have passed out into Franklin Channel (Peel Sound) had he not been prevented by an impassable barrier of ice. Then no exception can be taken to the fact that both McClintock and Hobson, together, searched the west of Boothia, where, nine years before, Forsyth received instructions to search. Neither can any exception be taken to the fact that at the south- Toi Years Before, 167 f west of Boothia, for the full exploration of King William Island, the explorers parted compan)- — McClintock to search the cast of this island and Ilobson the western part. Further, no exception can be taken to the fact that Hobson, to reach the entrance to the island, had to cross the frozen James Ross Strait, the very same place that Forsyth and Kennedy had received instructions to examine. Then no exception can be taken to the fact that in passing down the w :stern coast of King William Island, towards Simpson Strait, to which place I'orsyth and Kennedy were directed to go, Ilobson came upon Point Victory, where was found the precious record, and concerning which, almost ten years before, Captain Coppin's little child had spoken and written. Then, once more, in his journey towards Point V'ictory, Hobson had passed the Victoria Strait, where had been cast away the ships of Sir John. This also agreed with the child's " revelation." As a point of some importance, the reader's attention is directed to the following in connection with the order in which the last two names " ap- peared " in the writing on the wall. In the search- journey, we find that Hobson passed the locality in which the ships had been cast away, and this without knowing it. Suppose that the writing on the wall had appeared in its geographical order ,."^n. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 LL 1.25 MU4 /. !>' ^J>i ^-5. 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716)S72-4503 ^^ '^ iV <^ ^ ,m. 1 68 Sir John Franklin, it would have been Victoria Channel, Point Victory. Had this been the case, the probability is that a great deal of fruitless search would have been under- taken, if not by Forsyth and Kennedy, yet by McClintock's parties. And who can say that under such circumstances the whole would not have been a failure? The writing, however, was otherwise. It was Point Victory which contained the invaluable secret con- cerning the fate of Sir John Franklin. Hence, there was no need to search for Victoria Channel, much less to waste precious time in so doing. Thus it was Point Victory, the last in geographical order, first, and Victoria Channel, first in geographical order, last. " This is very remarkable," exclaimed a Liverpool merchant, when he carefully examined the matter. " Remarkable," is the feeling of the author. Then, verily, there is something in the fact that, a few miles below Point Victory, still in the direction towards Simpson Strait, was discovered the large boat with its skeletons, et ccBtera. And, lastly, who can take exception to the fact that, from the eastern side of King William Island, McClintock had gone down beyond its extreme limit, and to reach it again, on his return journey, west, he had crossed Simpson Strait — the very place that was included in the directions issued to Forsyth and Kennedy? t 1850-51 agrees with 1859. 169 It was on the coast of Simpson Strait that McClintock's party discovered a skeleton, belonging to the ill-fated crew, probably only one 01 the four or five score that sought to get to the Great Fish River, via Simpson Strait. It was also a little further on that the party came upon, and examined, Simpson's cairn. Then it should be remembered that, originally, the invaluable record, found at Point Victory, was not at first placed there, having been transferred, from Sir James Ross's cairn (four miles northward), by Lieutenant Irving. This, of itself, is very striking, and shows that had not Irving so removed it, " Point Victory'' of the child's revelation would have had no meaning. What more evidence, concerning the truthfulness of the " revelation " can the unprejudiced reader require? Do not the directions to Forsyth and Kennedy in 1850-51 agree with the successful explorations of 1859? Yes, verily, and that not merely in spirit but in the very letter. It is possible that a critic may object that McClintock's expedition went in the direction it did because most of all other probable places had been already explored. But whatever may have been the value of this argument, in 1857, it had nothing to do with the expedition of Forsyth and Kennedy in 1850-52. Either of these expeditions, if carried out, according j 170 Sir John Franklin, to instructions, would have discovered more by far than was discovered by Hobson and McClintock. Our rdsum^ of the evidence is as follows : — 1st. The fate of Sir John Franklin was discovered by the expedition of Captain McClintock. 2nd. This expedition, in 1858-9, covered the entire area, and was confined in its researches to the same area, concerning which Forsyth and Snow received specific instructions in 1850, and Kennedy in 1851. 3rd. All three expeditions were directed to the same locality, or area, and were, for all practical purposes, but one expedition — extending, truly, over a period of nine years, yet originating in the same place, under the same circumstances, governed by the same mind, and carried out on the same principles. 4th. The locality in which was discovered the fate of Sir John Franklin was a locality regarding which the Government was incredulous, and in which, as a consequence, their many expeditions never searched. 5th. Such locality was only believed in by Captain Coppin and Lady Franklin, including a very limited circle to which they had made it known. 6th. This locality was made known to the fore- going few, wholly and solely, through a little child, at Londonderry, who, about nine years and six I . Homage to tJie Revelation, 171 ore- lild, six ' months before its confirmation, drew a chart, which showed where the ships were lost, the way to reach them, as well as giving the names of the places in which the fate of the ships was afterwards discovered. 7th. No means existed to affc^d any knowledge concerning the locality where the ships were lost, much less how to reach them, and even a great deal less concerning the exact place where the famous record was found. 8th. This being the case, the only reasonable explanation is that what the child " saw," concerning the locality, was through an agency, or an influence, which did not come within the range of human vision, and that, consequently, it was a " revelation." 9th. Captain Coppin, Lady Franklin and Captain Kennedy looked upon it as a " revelation " — a something that was supernatural, and each acted accordingly. loth. Therefore, as no evidence to the contrary can be produced, and as none exists, relative to the locality in which was discovered the fate of Sir John Franklin, we can but conclude that the cause of the discovery was a " revelation." This being the unavoidable conclusion, we see the united wisdom of England. Europe and the American con- tinent compelled to do homage to THE REVELATION OF THE LITTLE CHILD OF LONDONDERRY ! CHAPTER VII. 1 What was the " Revelation ? " " For the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels."— ifc^/^V/. '• O the depth."— ^/. Paul. The eighth decade of the present century, and the all-but-completed half of the ninth decade, have been, pre-eminently, associated with scepticism. Whether in matters mundane, or super-mundane, there is no disposition, in any quarter, to cry peccavi. Not a few contend that all things are purely mundane. With them spirit is a myth and mind translucent or transcendentalised matter. And though there are multitudes of everyday mysteries, at present inexplicable, and connected with no known data by which to examine them, much less to explain them, still, their science, or their philosophy, forbids that they should have any key to unlock, and any clue to search, the laby- rinth of hidden things, but such as are beaten out on the hard anvil of scientific facts and fashioned after scientific patterns. Be it the realm of vegetable, animal, or mental The Mnndanists, 173 life, as well as power, everything must be accounted mundane — eternally and unalterably mundane. As the Mundanists arc, every day, putting faith in^ and taking action upon, a thousand things, con- cerning which they have no evidence that they are purely mundane, such critics of the super- mundane are, by their own works, adjudged to be inconsistent, and not only so, but, in the present case, are, to use a magisterial phrase, "dismissed with a caution." Whilst thus parting company with the Mun- danists, be it observed that there are believers in the super-mundane, or supernatural, who are ever seeking to exclude from man's everyday life, all reference to a spiritual power— a power that firmly holds the reins of universal government and intelligently guides the affairs of this and other worlds. The ancient philosophers and poets wrote of Phoebus, sitting in his chariot and guiding the sun, but our modern sceptics have, long since, with their arrows, pierced unto death Phoebus, and,, forsooth, will allow him no successor. They will descant on natural laws and on natural forces, as if natural laws originated natural laws, and as if the main-spring of natural forces was a thing that created itself. The Epicurean theory of creation and force, through a " fortuitous concourse of atoms," is equally acceptable with " Protoplasm "" eiesMBBiaas 174 Sir John Franklin. — indeed, the modern theory appears to be but a poor evolution from the ancient one. All things considered, those that are the disciples of such a system are far more inconsistent than the Mundanists, since they acknowledge a super- mundane force, or power, and yet make the power to be a creature of the Buddhist's Nirwana type, or some nondescript existence, whose position in the worlds of mind and matter is as useless as it is undefinable. In the present instance, these are dismissed with feelings of pity, and with a prayer that, ere long, they may far advance beyond their present state of soul-vision, which only amounts to seeing " men as trees walking." In the super-natural, there is a second kind of believers. Those have faith in a living, personal, all-powerful and an all-wise Supreme Being, who, in holiness and justice, as well as being a Divine Father, governs the universe of nature and rules the world of the super-mundane. They also believe in the existence of angels, who should be recog- nised as being amongst the inhabitants of heaven, and in devils, who are the denizens of hell. Further, they believe in the personal, conscious and active existence of those who have departed this life. Not only so, but they believe, without reservation, the entire records of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and especially in all that The Christian World. 175 lOUS rted lOUt rom that relate to visions, supernatural appearances, and ministering spirits. Yet, notwithstanding all such belief, and notwithstanding their belief in miracles, they are most unwilling, as to modern times, to give credence to anything that borders on the supernatural. Nay, with a very curious co-mixture of scepticism and unbelief, they devote much atten- tion to such questions as the deluge, the burning of the ''cities of the plain," the passage through the Red Sea, the sun and moon standing still, the crossing of Jordan, and the whale swallowing Jonah. As if they believed in no Omnipotent God, and in His ability to work miracles, great as well as little, so do they seek to explain said events by a process which is purely scientific. Viewing such, as in serious danger of surrendering the high vantage ground of truth, one can but remember those words of the Bard of Avon, about protesting too much, and is almost inclined to think that it was in view of such temporizing,^ conduct, the poet prayed, "The world, the Christian world, convince Of damning unbelief." In discussing the chief point in this chapter, the writer is fully prepared to have just as much opposition from believers in the Bible, as a Divine Revelation, as from the Mundanists and the Semi- 176 Sir John Franklin. Mundanists. The age of miracles is past, say they, and the " vision " is sealed, and so to believe and to teach that more revelations can take place is presumption — is a fool-hardy trespass on the sacred domains of *' the faith once delivered unto the saints." And yet, with all their opposition, not a few opponents receive, without much doubt, premoni- tions of coming events, such as trouble and death, and do not call into question the reality of the visions of their sainted, dying friends and relatives. Thus far, then, it may be safely concluded, that even the opponents of anything being added to the Divine Word of heaven, do, by their own belief and practice, tacitly confess to the possi- bility of modern visions and revelations. This so, Christian men and women should do anything rather than ridicule what, at least, is mysterious, and which, for aught they know, may be scintilla- tions, or coruscations, from that world of light which is at once their inheritance and their hope. More, perhaps, than some are wont to think, there is an infinitude of meaning in the "cloud of witnesses " of the author of the epistle to the Hebrews. How near is that " cloud ? " How close is the connection with the human and the invisible ? Who can tell ? Ah, at best, we " see through a glass, darkly." In page 96 of the Unseen Universe^ it is contended that matter is the less \ Subjective Rci 'elation. ^77 lOUS, itilla- light >pe. |hink, ;loud the Iclose lible? >ugh Hseen less • ' important half of the physical universe — mind being the more important. Is it so ? It may be so. As will be remembered, both in the preface and in Chapter IV., prominence has been t,nven to the word "revelation." It now devolves upon the writer to consider this important question, and that there may be no mistake as to the place which it is contended the " revelation," in these pages, should occupy, care is required to distinguish between the different classes of revelation. The word, revelation, has two meanings, viz., the uncovering of what is purely hidden^ and the un- covering of what is purely nnknoivn. This uncovering comprises the subjective and the ob- jective — the former caused mainly by something within ourselves, and the latter by something mainly outside of ourselves. If the reader will, before proceeding further, clearly grasp the meaning of subjective and objective, he will, far more easily, be prepared to comprehend the subsequent parts of this chapter. \st. — Subjective Revelation. This may be produced by Dreams, by the law of Association, by an abnor- mal condition of bodily health or state of mind, and by Thought-Transference, or Telepathy. a. Dreams. — During sleep, it frequently happens that .something, long forgotten, is seen with perfect N i;8 Sir John Franklin. 1 1 clearness, and in the morning is remembered as distinctly as if it only happened an hour since. A very striking illustration of this is given in Dr. Moore's Poiver of t/ie Soul over the Body, relative to a bank manager, who, having found a large deficit in his balance sheet, and not being able, after many days of worry and anxiety, to account for it, saw reproduced at the counter an un-entered transaction, and woke to find, through his dream, the mystery cleared up. But as similar examples, though less striking ones, belong to the experiences of everyday life, there is no need, any longer, to dwell upon this aspect of the subject. Here, then, is an uncovering of what was hidden. What is the viodus operandi of such an apokalupsis, is, at present, unknown. Perhaps, the best illus- tration possible of the case, is to represent the mind or memory as a sort of gossamer-roll, on which are written facts and painted images —all as the result of daily scenes and events. This roll, according to the age of man, and more easily than is spun a spider's web, is ever being increased in length. Assume, now, that roll after roll of the events and scenes of past succeeding months or years have covered up the written facts and painted images, and that, under the existence of certain conditions, the roll shall be unfolded, and A Pecitiiaf Cuinplaint. 1/9 d as since. ;n in Body, found beinii :ty, to tcr an hrough i^ut as belong J is no of the hidden, rcalupsis, 1st illus- ient the l-roll, on ■all as his roll, ,ily than •eased in \\ of the ionths or Lcts and stence of Ided, and you probably have a gh'mpsc of what is amonj^^st the lowest class of the uncovering of hidden things. The bank manager just referred to, had, at the counter, gone through a certain important money transaction, which, though unrecorded in the day- ledger, was faithfully written on the memory-roll, and so, under certain mysterious physical and psychical conditions, associated with sleep, there was a revelation — an uncovering of the hidden. b. The Laiv of Association. — There is only just need to refer to this well-known law. Every average -minded person is fully aware that a matter forgotten, or covered up, for twenty or thirty years, has, through some sound, sight, or occurrence, or, perhaps, an undefinablc something, been suddenly called to remembrance as if only a thing of yesterday. c. The abnormal in body and mind. — A lady, whom the writer, in his pastoral visitations, occa- sionally called upon, was subject, about spring season and autumn, to a peculiar complaint, which led her to see, in different parts of her house, regi- ments of " black people." As she belonged to a military family and had, many years ago, witnessed martial evolutions, the regiments of soldiers be- came, as it were, painted on the memory roll, and so, under abnormal physical conditions, which were N 2 i8o Sir John Franklin. speedily removed by medicine, she saw an unfoldintij of the roll, in the form of moving regiments. Here we have a good illustration of the subjective appear- ing as objective. And no one can have watched the case of a man in the first and succeeding stages of dclirijini tremens, without being convinced of how much a disordered mind has the power of making objective what is purely subjective. As illustrating another phase of the purely subjective appearing as objective, a well-known gentleman in Liverpool related to the author the following incident : " One evening, recently, it being between sunset and twilight, I was about to get into bed, when, to my surprise, I saw my father, who had been dead ten years, l3^ing down on the further side of the bed, dressed in his usual clothes. Thinking it to be some mental, or optical illusion, I rubbed my eyes and imme- diately it vanished." Several instances of the same kind have been related to the writer and have, generally, been believed to be bond fide supernatural appearances ; but had such appearances been treated in the same way as the foregoing common sense and practical gentleman just referred to treated his case, the long catalogue of ghost stories would receive a diminution amounting to about nine-tenths. How far such cases have to do with some Thought- Transference, iSi -I ere )ear- ched :ding inced )0\ver )urely :no\vn )i- the ly, it about I saw lying 3ed in nental, imme- i been been Irances ; in the se and ed his would •tenths, some I temporary, or even momentary, hallucination, it is hardly possible to tell ; and how far the mental and the physical co-operate or otherwise, to pro- duce the curious phenomena, it will, with our present ignorance, be impossible to determine. I^^-om some recent experiments in connection with the eye, it is proved, almost to a demonstration, that it possesses the power of so placing or adjusting what is purely subjective as to make it appear purely objective, e.g.^ the case of the gentleman's father just given. This thought, care- fully borne in mind, will help to understand the next paragraph. d. Thought-Transference^ or Telepathy. — Of late, and especially by the Psychical Research Society of London, much attention has been paid to a subject of deepest interest. Though less compre- hensive in its range of subjects, the Liverpool Mental Science Association, in 1883-4, achieved some striking success in the same department of mental phenomena. The sum total of the results may, in brief, be stated as follows : — There are many persons, who, being placed en rapport with others, have the power, through some unknown laws of animal magnetism, or the equally strange forces of sympathy, of conveying and receiving mental, or visual impressions, such as geometrical figures, all kinds of drawings and paintings, in- 1 82 Sir John Franklin. eluding words and arithmetical signs and numbers. Providing all conditions be favourable, such things can be conveyed from one mind to another, with or without direct contact. Indeed, space, in the ordinary acceptation of the term, m.ay be said, in some cases, to have but little to do with the higher realms of telepathy. As it is now a well-established fact, and one which can be easily tested, that, without contact, under favourable circumstances, whatever is willed by an Agent can be seen or found by the Per- cipient, and as this can easily be accomplished at a distance of some feet, or some yards, the fair inference is that it may be accomplished, under favourable conditions, through a much larger inter- vening space. And as the natural magnet can, through a stone wall, influence the compass needle, why not equally possible for the more subtle power of human magnetism to convey impressions of pic- tures, &c., through walls, or any other material substances ? Let him that says " No," prove his negative position. As will be understood from the foregoing bare outline of telepathy (?>., sympathy, as a tele- graphic communication), no results are reckoned upon unless there is a previous knowledge, of some kind, on the part of the Agent. In other words, unless there shall be some kind of sym- bers. lings with 1 the d, in the I one ntact, willed ; ?er- led at ,e fair under inter- can, eedle, power f pic- aterial e his bare tele- :koned |ge, of other sym- '' Mr. Mackay is Dead!' 183 pathy between an Agent and a Percipient there is no proof that anything, in the shape of seeing or uncovering the hidden, can take place. Thus Thought-Transference pre-supposes previous know- ledge on the part of the Agent of what he, by will-force, or spirit-force, or animal-magnetism, shall transmit to the Percipient, and telepathy presup- poses the existence of sympathy between the persons concerned. As an illustration of this, the reader is referred back to the case of Mr. Mackay, in Chapter IV. As will be remembered, there was between him and the little children of Captain Coppin a sym- pathetic friendship. His little daughter sees on the wall the words, " Mr. Mackay is dead." This, applied to the principles of telepathy, would mean that Mr. Mackay is in the act of dying, his thoughts, at that moment, go after his little favourites; those thoughts take the shape of a wish to inform the child that " Mr. Mackay is dead ; " those words, as by an electric flash, are sent to the mind of the child, and so, what to her is purely subjective, appears, by some mys- terious process of mind and vision, as an objective thing, i,e,^ seeming to appear on the wall. On the same principle may we not have an explanation of vast numbers of those cases, beyond question true, where, either in a dream, or in broad 1 84 Sir John Franklin. daylight, some dear, distant friend has suddenly appeared, leaving to an early post, or telegram, or message, to bring word that, at the moment of the appearance, the friend had either died, or had been seriously injured? What more natural, under such circumstances, for the dying, or injured one, to have one all-absorbing wish to see the absent one, and so start, as it were, a current of soul- electricity, which, reaching the brain, uncovers the hidden, by transforming what is subjective into what is objective? Well authenticated illustrations of such a power, or something similar, could be multiplied ad infinitum, but as the object of these remarks is not to investigate so much the laws of Thought- Transference and Telepathy as to discuss the possibility of a " revelation " taking place through such means, and that such cannot be applied to the " revelation " in connection with the discovery of the fate of Sir John Franklin, these few obser- vations must suffice. See Chap. VIII., Sec. 3, The Mysterious. For some valuable remarks on what appears to be a sixth sense, see also the National Revietv, September, 1888. We have noticed that, through dreams, the laws of association, an abnormal state of body and mind, and telepathy, the hidden may be uncovered. It now remains for the writer to examine whether Clairvoyance. 185 enly ram, ment i, or inder le, to one, soul- 3 the into )ovver, d ad rks is )UghL- the rough ed to ;overy obser- ec. 3, s on \o the laws and vered. lether the revelation to the little daughter can be classi- fied under either of the foregoing divisions of psychical science. No account is taken here of clairvoyance, connected as it is with mesmeric influence, and resting, as it does, upon data, whose befitting designation is fitful and uncertain. So far as our experience has gone, no clairvoyance is possible, apart from the mesmeric sleep. And then, the most that is claimed for it by its most intelligent advocates is this : What is seen by the clairvoyant is a reflex action of the mind on the part of the operator, or of some one very near him. But enough. We are not dealing with mesmerism, oinnmm gatherum. Thought-Transference, or Telepathy, implies sym- pathy between the parties concerned. According to this view, we have a possible mundane explanation of the death of Mr. Mackay, the banker. And had there been the same intimacy between the little daughter, " Weesy," or her elder sister, and Sir John Franklin, or even the smallest amount of friendship, we might have been disposed to attribute the " revelation " to such a channel. Besides, Thought-Transference, or Telepathy, pre- supposes between one of the parties concerned, a knowledge, more or less, of what is made known. Hence, if Sir John, or any of the crew, were in sympathy with Captain Coppin's little children, 1 86 Sir John Franklin. tliere would be no insuperable obstacle in sup- posing that such sympathy could have been transmitted from Londonderry to the crew of the sunken, or ice-bound ships. But inasmuch as they, of the ships, were strangers to her of the city, the telepathy idea must be abandoned. Besides, supposing that between any member of the lost crews there was a sympathetic friendship with either of the little children, there could not have been a transference of any knowledge about a channel from Prince Regent Inlet to the place where the ill-fated ships were lost, seeing that such a channel was not known to the crew, or crews. But, if known, there was an absence of the necessary sympathy, as between crew and children. To what, then, are we driven ? Our reply is to the super-mundane, not something inexplicable, from a scientific view, but the purely super- mundane. No sooner do I mention this, than I hear the spiritualist interposing with a quasi- objection, or else with an explanation according to his own dictionary of controls, mediums and so forth. To him, the solution of the question is a very easy affair — if not flippancy itself, yet involving, from his own standpoint, such issues as to require a complete reconstruction of the entire basis of religious dogma, or faith. "Whilst, there- Sivedenborg's Spirits. 187 fore, believinfj that in spiritualism there is a substratum of the right, still we refuse to accept the idea that Captain Coppin's little daughter was the ** medium," and that the spirit of the departed Sir John, or any one of his crew, was the "control," and thus was revealed the 7iezu way to reach the crews of the Erebus and the Terror. Besides, the spiritualists, with all their confidence in the knowledge of "spirits," have scarcely ven- tured to prove that any new discovery in the arts and sciences has ever been made known to the world through their communications, or mani- festations. Where, for instance, can the spirits be referred to as having discovered a planet, or a new pathway to — say, the North Pole. Certainly the " spirits " of Swedenborg carried him through wonderful regions — planetary, stellary, etc. — but one would be more readily inclined to accept his statements had he discovered one of the many stars and planets which were discovered in his day, and subsequently.' Telescopes, in such cases, could see better than his " angels." Though refusing to believe the commonly ac- cepted modus operandi of the spirit-workings of spiritualism, we, nevertheless, believe that the " revelation," per se^ came from the unseen, spirit- world. And, in saying this, we mean that what icS8 Sir Jo/tn Franklin, was made known to Captain Coppin's little daughter was one of the many thin<^s that have, throughout the ages, marked the providential dealings of Jehovah for the instruction, or the good, of mankind. See Chap. VIII., Sec. 3, The Mysterious. In adopting this view of the case, we are fully aware that we are face to face with objections, and especially of the raison d'etre class. Remarks one, if the matter came from an All-wise God, why was not the " revelation " made known the very moment that Sir John's ships entered the ice-trap of death, instead of about two years after? W'c do not profess to answer this question to the satisfaction of the mere quibbler. But we venture to assert that here there is no need for a believer in Divine Providence to stumble. The pages of Revelation, and the experiences of every day life, are full of facts, around which gather the perpetual Why and Wherefore, and upon which, unto their full understanding, must come the light of the future. Not to the same extent, surely, as the delay of the coming of Christ into the world, still, is it not as rea- sonable to find fault with the delay of " the fulness of time " in His case, as to find fault with delay in making known the case of the lost Erebus and Terror? Before an objection against the workings I I Hosanna Greeti/ii^s. 189 the rca- iness [elay and [ings ' I of Providence can be accepted as valid, it is essential that the objector, with his very finite knowledge, should be able to measure the infinitude of Deity. •' We are but of yesterday," and shall be " no more seen " after to-morrow, are but poor proofs of ability to comprehend the " from Ever- lasting to Everlasting." Will the hypercritical be offended, if we remark that, as to the iocaie, there was but one London- derry, and as to the personnel^ only one Captain Coppin ? Then, also, there was one reliably intelligent child in Captain Coppin's family. Certainly, the Derry of the historical " No Sur- render," was associated with hallowed memories ; and the fitness of the Captain himself, for the unfolding of the " revelation," or the proving of its truth, was very unique. And, who more fit to bring to nought the wisdom of man and of kingdoms (England, Europe and America) than the employment of a little child ? Her " angels," or the " angels " of " Weesy," were equally as real as were the angels of the children in the incarnation days of the Son of God. Then what of the ancient prophecy and its fulfilment, at the royal entry into Jerusalem ? " Out of the mouths of babes" praise could have had an illus- tration at Londonderry, as well as in the "Hosanna" greetings of ancient days. 190 Sir John Franklin. I ! But, objects another, it is unreasonable to suppose that a "revelation" could have been given in 1849, and the purposes for which it was given not to have had any very definite explanation till 1859. That was not the fault of the " revelation," but the fault of those who should have acted upon it. Within a few months of the *' revelation," the matter was not only made known to the ail-but helpless Lady Franklin, but to the Secretary of the Ad- miralty, and that by Captain Coppin in person. In addition to the earnest and urgent words of Captain Coppin, 430 of the Liverpool bankers and merchants sent, through the Captain, a strongly- worded memorial to the Admiralty, beseeching that action might be immediately taken, and that in the direction specified on the chart, and by the writing on the wall. Hut for reasons best known to " my lords," there was no response. They were either indifferent to the subject, or had committed themselves to a line of discovery, from which no pressure, or persuasion, could get them to depart. The heroic lady, aided to the best of his ability by the indefatigable Captain Coppin, had to work singlehanded. Had " my lords " moved with the alacrity which was urged upon them, many valuable lives might probably have been saved. Not only so, but had Captain Forsyth, instructed fully as he was by Lady Franklin, carried out his Jl^as it Culpable Neglect? 191 ' that instructions, many of the 105 men would, probably, have been rescued. As previously seen, most, if not all of the crews must have perished (" dropped down ") within the area included in the directions given to Forsyth and Kennedy, and those probably in the more limited locality between James Ross Strait and Simpson Strait, i.e., King William Island. If so, and if most were alive when Forsyth was sent out by Lady Franklin, then the neglect of Forsyth (if neglect it was) to carry out his instructions was of a very culpable kind. Even Kennedy cannot be entirely acquitted of blame. Then from Dr. Rae's account, we have almost indisputable proof that most, if not all, of the IC5 were alive in June, 1850 — being seven months after the " revelation " took place. True, he thought that all must have perished almost immediately after. But his opinion was not accepted as infallible. On the contrary, Household Words of 1854 would rather believe in their being murdered by the Eskimo than that they perished through exposure, starvation, and the devouring of each other. Further, we have seen that, in the opinion of Lady Franklin, had she and Captain Coppin gone out themselves, instead of sending out Captain Forsyth, many would, probably, have been saved from perishing. Further, even in 1856, eleven 192 Sir Jo/ill Franklin. 1 1 years after Sir John l^'ranklin had been lost, there were many Arctic experts, both in England and America, who still believed that a number of the younger men of both crews might be alive. Where an Eskimo could barely live there was no proof that an Englishman would necessarily die. This view was held by the Scottish Courts in 1856, in a case of ai)plication for probate on the part of the relatives of one of the wealthy officers of the lost expedition. Probate was refused because there was no evidence of death having taken place. Hut given that all opinions were incorrect, as to the possibility of saving any lives, yet there is no need to exclude Providence from the matter. Mad the route and the places, as given in the " revelation," been at once attended to, what scribe is there that can give a correct record of what might have been saved, everyway? Some forty expeditions engaged in the search — thirty- five of these would have been saved. About ;^8oo,ooo were spent in those expeditions — i^6oo,ooo of this would have been saved. Several lives were lost, and not a few were incurably diseased through those expeditions — such would have been avoided. And oh, what torturing anxiety became the pro- longed portion of the lives of Lady Franklin and the relatives of the lost ones — this would have been prevented. And, as of as much importance Interposition of Provide no' . 193 as almost anything, was the loss of the invaluable records, mementoes, farewell letters, dying wishes, etc., etc. — these? would have been saved. Verily a revelation that most assuredly could have accomplished such important things was a revelation for which Providence could have been abundantly praised. Again, had not the " revelation " been made, there is no reasonable proof that the record placed at Point Victory would ever have been discovered. And had not this been dis- covered it would not have been known, to this day, what was the fate of Sir John, only so far as the relics brought home by Dr. Rae were concerned. Most certainly the Government showed no signs of sending out another expedition, and there is no ground for supposing that, apart from her faith in the " revelation," Lady Franklin would have done so. And had she done so, there would have been, apart from the "revelation," no Bcllot Strait, as a directing post towards the accomplishment of her wish. And what the value of Bellot Strait was to Captain McClintock we have already learnt from his own words, in his account of the voyage of the " little " Fox. Assuredly, this alone is sufficient to give a reason for the interposing of a Providence, whose providing hand and watchful eye are extended to the very "hairs" of the head as well as to sparrows. O 194 Sir John Franklin. Then, how striking is it that not one of all the expeditions sent out by the Government could discover the track which Sir John took after leaving Wellington Channel, much less the unknown and discredited spot where he was lost. Even Dr. Rae's discoveries were not made when he undertook his searches under the direction of the Government. It was the private enterprise of the Hudson Bay Company that sent Dr. Rae to Boothia, and were it not for that, no stray relics of the lost ones would have been brought to England. Thus, not a particle of credit can be put down in favour of all the expenditure, of all the wisdom and of all the perseverance which were connected with the Government undertakings. Read in the light of subsequent events, the position of the government appears to have had its counterpart in the " Dog in the Manger." Certainly it did nothing itself, and it afforded no real assistance to those who sought, in another direction, to reach the ships according to the " revelation." Those ruinous delays of 1850, 185 1, and 1852, and the disobedience to " revelation," were not the first in the world's history, neither were they the last. From the days when the Almighty spake unto Cain, unto the days when Jerusalem turned a deaf ear to the warnings and beseechings of ''All a Ghost Stotyr 195 1852, )t the the spake urned gs of Heaven, man has been wise in his own conceits, and, in a thousand ways, has he thwarted the designs of goodness and mercy. As to the cuckoo cry of scepticism, " it is all a ghost story," it may be replied that it is the most wonderful ghost story recorded of this, or of any other age. Untiring efforts, extending over about ten years, three expeditions, the discovery of a new and a most unexpected channel, and the interest in so many quarters, and all resting on a "ghost story," is something unparalleled in the annals of history, and demands an explanation that scepticism is utterly unable to give. The pooh, pooh, and the incredulous laugh, are not arguments. We will not discuss whether the " appearances " of " Weesy " were objective or subjective ; pro- bably, at first, objective, they afterwards became mixed. All we claim, as a rational explanation of the " revelation," is this, it was supernatural. By this word, supernatural, is meant a special act of Providence, by which were put before certain parties means which such parties were able to use, and which, if used at the proper time, would have saved from an untimely death, at least, a great many of the crews of the Erebus and the Terror. As before observed, the use of the means was refused by some, delayed by others, O 2 ^ f I 196 Sir John Franklin. and when, at last, acted upon, it was too late to save life, and yet it fairly solved what had been a problem for the past eleven years. In connection with the remarkable defeat of the besiegers of Londonderry in 1688-9, James 11. uttered these memorable words, "the opposition of Derry lost the opportunity that can never be recalled." Words of pregnant meaning, it follows that the turning point of England's future history, and the accession to the throne of England of the House of Hanover, "being Protestant," were connected with the immortal and victorious courage of the citizens of Derry. Be it so, or not, the author is led to hope that, through the present pages, the " revelation " of the little child of Londonderry will, unto any unbeliever in the super-mundane,, be the making of a red-letter day in his life, and that, the giving up of his materialism. This so, there will be fulfilled in him, as in many others, the words of the prophetic evangelist,. "A little child shall lead them." , '■ CHAPTER VIII. Section I. — Captain Coffin's Life in Generai.. '* Seest thou a man diligent. ..he shall stand before kings." Captain William Cofpin, who is now in the eighty- fourth year of his age, and possesses, in a very remarkable degree, all his pristine vigour, was born at Kinsale, County of Cork, October 9th, 1805, rendered famous by the landing and the departure of the dis- comfited James II. On the Irish side, the Coppin family can trace their descent, in a direct line, from the ancient kings, and on the English side, from the Tudors. At the school of his native place, when fourteen years of age, he carried off the first prize for mathematics. At fifteen, through his expertness as a swimmer, his ingenuity, and his great presence of mind, he was the sole instrument in saving the lives of the boatswain and crew of a boat which was suddenly capsized, an exploit that prevented six wives from becoming widows and six families of children from becoming fatherless also, and made young Coppin the hero of no small circle. As his native town possessed the chief dockyard 198 Captain Coppin. li. M 11 ! Ik in Ireland, and as his maternal uncles had held high positions in the Royal Nav}', no wonder that " Willie " took a fancy to the sea. His mother was averse to this, and desired him, like his three brothers, to enter the medical profession. This being most distasteful to him, a compromise was effected by his entering the shipbuilding business. Encouraged by the head of the firm, a friend of his father's, young Coppin made most rapid progress. Ere he reached seventeen, his ideas outgrew those of Irish shipbuilding, and accordingly he left for St. John, New Brunswick. The new field afforded him full scope for his expanding mind. Before long, he was building ships on his own account, and when scarcely twenty, many a neat and strong wooden craft had passed through the hands of the lad from Kinsale. Ambitious to navigate, as well as to build, he devoted his evenings and all spare minutes to the study of everything connected with shipping matters, even unto coast and colonial trading. Success crowned his efforts, and so, for two years, in his own designed and specially built vessels, he traded between the different West Indian Islands. He was now twenty-two, open in countenance, robust in build, and with energy fit to cope with more than ordinary difficulties. A gentleman in Londonderry requiring a ship for III First Scrciv- Propeller, 199 he the tcrs, iccess own Iveen now and nary the timber trade, Mr. Coppin built it in Nova Scotia, fitted it up at St. John, N.B., took in a cargo of deals and timber, and arrived at Londonderry in command, being now twenty-five years of age. The Derry gentleman being so pleased with the manly young son of Neptune, asked him to undertake the building of a ship for the American passenger trade. This he accomplished in 1834. The cargo and steamship business, at this time, commencing to rapidly develop between London- derry and Liverpool, and being anxious to master all the minutiae of the new mode of navigation, young Coppin accepted the offered command of the Queen Adelaide. He shortly after took charge of the Robert Napier (named after the father of steam-ship build- ing on the Clyde), which, with the object desired, accomplished, he, in 1839, started in Londonderry as ship-builder and engine and boiler maker. Well- grounded in the steam-ship business, Captain Coppin, who had studied very carefully the screw-propelling theory, resolved to build a large steamer, 1,515 tons register, with engines of 360 horse power, and worked by the screw-propeller. Such an undertaking, the laughing stock of some and the amazement of others, involved the erection of new furnaces. Beside.^", there was no model to copy from. But the enterprising young native of the town on the Bay of the Bandon was equal to the occasion. 200 Captain Coppin. Commenced in 1841, the Great Nort/tern was launclied, THR "GREAT NORTHERN" STRAMEK. with the city en fete, in June, 1842, and as she proudly SBCTtONS OV THB "CRBAT HORTHBSN** 8TBAMBK. left her moorinqs and sailed out on the Fovle, wise Illustnitcd London News. 20 1 ched, •udly wise mci'i saw, in steam shipping, the dawning of a new- era. The following extract from the liiustraUd [London] A^^7c^,y, January 14th, 1843, will afford some evidence of what we say: — "This extraordinary steamer, now in the b^ast India Docks, is the object of general astonishment. Her great length, breadth, and depth exceed, we believe, the dimensions of any steam vessel ever in existence. She was built at Londonderry by Captain Coppin, and is a remarkable monument of marine architecture. She is propelled by the Archimedean screw, which works on each side of the rudder. The engine is of 360 horse power. No paddles are required, and but for the funnel, which is seen amidships, she might pass for a .square- rigged ship of the larger class. She has three masts, with lower and upper yards, and is rigged in every respect like a frigate, or sloop of war. We were favoured by one of her officers with the following dimensions : — Length from the taffrail to the stern, 274 feet, breadth of beam 37 feet, depth from the gangway to the keel, 26 feet. On her passage from Londonderry she ran, upon an average, 13J knots. During the week many persons entered the dockyard to gaze at this really wonderful object." (See also the Mechanics' Magazine, October ist, 1842). Amongst others that visited the Great Northern were Mr. Lloyd, Chief Engineer of the Woolwich Dockyard, and Captain Sir Edward Parry, 202 Captaiii Cippi/i. who expressed himself as much pleased, and pro- phesied that the time was not far distant, when no ship of Her Majesty's Navy would be without an Archimedean screw. Further, so favourably im- pressed was the Admiralty with the Great Northern^ that they, under Captain Coppin's supcrintcndency, made three trial trips with her, each of which cost the Captain ^'loo. The speed and everything being satisfactory she was placed in commission, to ply between Calcutta and Hong Kong, in the transport of troops for the war with China. She was to be chartered for three years, at ;^ioo per day, the owners to find ever)thing. Comptroller General Meek, of the Victualling Depart- ment, had charge of the matter. As there was an unaccountable delay in the signing of the requisite papers, the Chairman of the Little Screw Company whispered to the Captain about a gift of ;^20O (Persian — Backsheesh). This little present was not forthcoming, neither were the necessary papers. So the Great Northern never had the opportunity of doing good service for the Admiralty. Plato ^aught that we should not speak ill of the dead, still, in the light of some r.icent startling disclosures in connection with the Metropolitan Board of Works, as well as with the Admiralty, it is no transgression of the laws of charity to presume to think of the possibility of peccability amongst high officials. But " O ye rich Sliipowners. 20; in those days there was pmbabl)' no aspiring genius to open the doors of Augean stables, and no severely practical Secretary of the Admiralty, to wield the spear of Ithuriel. At all events, Captain Coppin was a heavy loser by his visit to the Thames, and no one can prove that the main cause of such was not nearer London than Londonderry. Reference has just been made to the Little Screw Company. The chief feature about this was the working of the Screw- Propeller, the patent rights of which were secured by the inventor, Mr. F. P. Smith, a farmer's son, of Kent. But this was not accom- plished until Captain Coppin, to encourage rising but struggling talent, by a gift of ^75, came to the help of the youthful patentee. In that young man, without means, O ye rich ship- owners and shipbuilders of the Tyne, of the Clyde, of Glasgow, of London, and of Liverpool, see ye your progenitor and the father of your wealth. Ye are reaping much for which ye did not sow, and what ye rejoice in was fait accompli when ye were children, or before ye were born. Rejoice ye in your mansions, and more abundantly prosper ye in your undertak- ings, but forget ye not the memories of those whose genius was the foundation of your commanding and world renowned super-structures. He who secured the first rights to work the screw- propeller was Captain Coppin, and the first real trial 204 Captain Coppin. made was with the Great NortJiern. Had this steam- ship received the treatment commensurate with its worth, and had his rights to work the screw-propeller been respected as they ought, he would not have lost, as he did over the transactions, above ;^i 5,000. Well may he have exclaimed, concerning his toil and his expenditure, Cui bono ? In addition to Captain Coppin being the father of the screw-propeller, he was also the father of the steam-ram. It was during the Crimean War that, for the protection of l^ritish coasts, harbours, and ports, as well as for the destruction, at night time, of the Russian fleet at Sebastapol, he laid before the English Government his plans for a steam-ram. In answer to his proposal, he was officially informed that the Government could not entertain anything in con- nection with such a system of na\al warfare. A Government has a perfect right to change its mind, which, in this matter, it did, by having a few years after, no less than a dozen ram vessels ! But in thus changing its mind, the Admiralty would have added to its credit had it, in some way, recognised the previous proposals and plans of the gentleman who first placed before them the steam-ram idea. As a leading merchant of Liverpool remarked to the writer, a short time since, the invention of the steam-ram, by Captain Coppin, was amongst the greatest of his achievements, and its formal rejection ^ The Steam Kavi. 205 by the (jovcrnment was anything but crcditab>< lo its foresight. An important n'suvic of the sta ^ of the steam-ram question, at the period, including valuable suggestions for further improvements, appeared above the signature of William Coppin, in the Times oi August 25th, 1870. Admiral Sartorius and Mr. Reed had made, a few days before, through the same medium, a variet)' of proposals, but as com- pared with the suggestions of a practical man, they were chiefly theorisings. And how far theorists have added to the efficiency of our navy, and have lessened taxation, we leave the taxpayer to decide. Neverthe- less, we fear that for want of practical men of the stamp of Captain Coppin to deal with naval ques- tions, many a Chancellor of the Exchequer has been bewildered. Monuments have been raised to the memory ot heroes of every type, and honours have been lavished upon those that have given impetus to discovery, to trade and to letters, but the venerable, modest, self-denying, and noble -souled Captain William Coppin, no one has delighted to honour, save the city of his espousal. Yet if merit were ever deserving of reward, the father of the screw- propeller, as applied to steam navigation, and the inventor of the steam-ram, has worthily won such. Entered well on the second decade beyond man's allotted span of life, it is almost useless to vote i 206 Captain Copptn. a Government pension. Still, " better late than never." Hut we have not exhausted the successful achieve- ments of one that deserves well of his country, and the special {gratitude of all shipowners. Other steamships were built in rapid succession, including; the Lady Franklin, the Maiden City, for the Liverpool and Londonderry trade, and the City of Londonderry^ 1 3 A i Lloyds. The Lough Foylc embankment ; the large number of lighthouses under the Harbour Commissioners of Londonderry, and the raising of 140 sunken ships in the White Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and else- where, by modes and inventions of his own, will give an idea of the value of the services of Captain Coppin in some of the most important branches of maritime discovery. It is also worthy of mention that, through his energy in securing the consent of all the fish buyers of Liverpool, the crews of the fish steamers were enabled to spend their Sundays in Ireland in- stead of Liverpool. No small boon to those that had families, to say nothing of the higher considerations of morals and religion. As another illustration of his efforts to benefit others, Captain Coppin was associated with the following incident : Being requested to give evidence at Stranraer re the stranding of the Princess Royal^ in I lie Poor Widoxv, 207 his fish mcrs in- had ions 1844, he was in the court house waiting to be called. Down in the market-square, just beneath the waiting place, he saw an auctioneer, minus coat and vest. The salesman was surrounded by about two hundred town and country folk, whose chatter and noise bespoke more curiosity than business, l^ut above all were heard stentorian tones, tellinj^ of the "third and last time, or else you will lose a great bargain." Assaying to go down and investigate the curious scene, he was advised by the head waiter of the Hotel as to the necessity of keeping a watch on his pocket-handkerchief Not forgetting such a timely warning, two or three minutes found the Captain amongst the motley assemblage. ICncjuiries of the bystanders as to whose were the goods being sold, led to the in- formation that they belonged to a poor widow, who lived in a small mud hut, with a poor crippled son dependent upon her, and whose landlord, for the sum of thirty-four shillings, due for rent, had seized her goods. Above all things, the poor widow longed to buy in the clock and the chest of drawers. Taking in the situation at a glance, the Captain resolved, if possible, to buy in all the things, and accordingly entered the bidding arena. His chief opponent was a sailor, but a half-a-crown in the hands of the waiter got rid of Jack. In a short time all the furniture was knocked down to the 208 Captain Coppin. Captain, who, with his friend, Mr. John Weild (agent for the Glasgow Underwriters^, who had been watching the scene, paid the purchase-money, saw the furniture carted to the hut, and to prevent it again being seized had it made over to the daughter, a servant at Stranraer. Next to the joy of the widow was the joy of the crippled son, who, on the way- side, watching the return of his furnitureless mother, saw a sight he never expected. The large farmer and landlord who, for six long miles had dragged the widow's furniture to the market-place, had no peace afterwards. Accustomed as he was to supply most of Stranraer with his farm produce, he hereafter found that he had to run the guantlet of the epithets of all the scores of children that had witnessed the auction. Were they his servants, or his children, no sooner did they appear in the market-place than they were greeted with jeers and reproaches, as belonging to " the man who had turned out and sold up the poor widow." This, at length, becoming unbearable, compelled the farmer to quit the neighbourhood, and to seek a quieter life in Australia. Thus, to use the words of Captain Coppin, who was at Stranraer a few months after the departure of the farmer to the Greater Britain, " He that turned out the widow was, through the widow's turning out, turned out of his farm and turned out of his country." That ii., ship- iced as young ^oppin, boilers 5 firm, n con- g boy ockets nt and ise for ^oung neers. "eels a and It to credit IS his pster •pool. Though in a different business from his late brother, Alexander has not " missed his mark." Just about a year before his acquaintance with the Messrs. Elder, Captain Coppin was brought into close contact with another, whose fame was still in embryo. It was in 1836, whilst having engine machinery shipped for Londonderry at the Clarence Docks, Liverpool, that he saw an energetic young man, in shirt-sleeves, superintending all the various arrangements. This was James Nasmyth. On ascer- taining that he was accompanying the machinery, and had paid his passage, Captain Coppin ordered the fare to be returned, and embracing the first opportu- nity, he asked young Nasmyth to accept cabin accommodation with himself, free of expense. The more he saw of the young man the more was he convinced that he would get unto himself a name. Puring his stay at Londonderry, he made his home at the Captain's, and left the historic city with the most pleasant reminiscences. Two years after this Mr. Nasmyth took new premises at Patricroft, near Manchester, and so, as a practical engineer, laid the foundation of his subsequent fame. The Nasmyth hammer, to others, as well as to the author, must have been a topic of frequent conversation in earlier days. When, twenty years after the incident at Clarence Docks, at the age of forty-eight, Mr. Nasmyth retired V 2 212 Captain Coppin. from business to devote himself to scientific and other congenial pursuits, no one more wished him the enjoyment of his well-earned competency than did his former host. Sir James Nasmyth is still alive, residing at an appropriately - designated mansion, viz., Hammersfield, Kent. Should he read the foregoing, it will, without doubt, call up pleasant remembrances. Of the Captain's effort in connection with the discovery of the fate of Sir John Franklin, the reader is already acquainted. In his self-sacrifice for such a noble cause, he paid upwards of thirty special visits to Lady Franklin, and hundreds to others, whom he sought to enlist in the work of discovery. At the lowest estimate, his willing and untiring labours entailed an outlay of ;^i,ooo. This was cheerfully expended, and were it not for the strongest pressure neither deeds nor expense would ever have been brought before the public. As a recognition of his worth, the city of his adoption appointed him one of its representatives in Council, and for his invaluable services in the cause of ship-engineering his fellow citizens enter- tained him, in 1840, at a public dinner, and presented him with a handsome service of plate. Having outlived most of his compeers, some of the new generation of the Maiden City will possibly read, with no little surprise, about one of their A Benediction. 213 fie and 2d him y than is still gnatcd lid he :all up th the reader such a isits to om he At the abours erfully essure been of his atives n the enter- al! d plate. )f the ssibly their fathers, whose retiring modesty has almost effaced his identity. It was the more pleasing, therefore, to find the Dewy Journal, of October 6th, 1884, in a most incidental and spontaneous way, informing its readers of the valuable services of a patriarchal citizen. See also the Londonderry Sentinel, July 5, 1887. What is now made known through these pages will, we are sure, give increased lustre to a name that will long be associated with the most honoured amongst the worthies of the city on the Foyle. And should the author contribute in some measure to such being the case, he will have no small reward for his labours. Before inviting the reader's attention to the follow- iniJchaDters, the writer is constrained to record his gratitude at being the chosen instrument of making known facts of deep, if not momentous, interest. And in doing so he can but express his most sincere wish for the richest of blessings to rest upon the family of an aged friend, and that his far-extended days may end in unclouded sunshine, thus realising, in himself, the promise, " With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation." I 214 Captain Coppin. Section II. — Cai-tain Coppin's Enc.inklring Achievements. "Veni, vidi, \\c\.^'— Julius Cccsar. As noticed in the preceding chapter, Captain Coppin was a practical engineer. Not only so, he was a genius in his profession. As also observed, he has been successful, in different parts of Europe, in raising sunken vessels, and that frequently in a way as original as it was unique. In a limited space, from the embarres de richesses, it is difficult to decide what to choose. However, in proof of what we say, we select two or three cases. It may be noted that he would have succeeded in adding to his exploits, in this direction, had it not been for the prejudice of officialism. Many and many a time was this the piece de resistance of his proposals and plans. The following letter will tend to confirm our statement. ["Daily News," ist May, 1878.] "THE WRECK OF THE EURYDICE. " To the Editor of the ' Daily News.' " Sir, — In your paper of this morning you state that the Eurydice, capsized off the Isle of Wight on the 24th ult., * is still lying at the bottom of the sea, and likely to remain there for some time to come' — Wreck of the ''Eiuy dicer 215 a statement which will be received with disappoint- ment and regret by the public, and with grief by the survivors and relatives of the crew of the ill-fated vessel, who, during the 35 days that have elapsed since her loss, have been hoping that the remains of those dear to them would be recovered and consigned to the grave on their native soil. Travelling between this and Portsmouth a few days since, I met, in the railway carriage, Captain Coppin, who recently raised and conveyed into the Corporation dock at Portsmouth the Alpheta, sunk off Bembridge Ledge, and learned from him that he promptly offered his services to the Govern- ment to raise the Enrydice, which offer, after many days' delay in acknowledging the same, was declined. He subsequently volunteered, at his own cost, to go down and bring up the bodies ot the crew and place them in the. coffins prepared for their reception, and hand them over to the authorities for interment on shore. This, too, was declined. Surely such an offer, coming from a man practically acquainted with the work of raising sunken vessels,'-' and who has in many instances proved ability to accomplish what he undertakes, deserved far more consideration. Its i *Captain Coppin has contracted with the (iovernment to raise Her Majesty's ship Vanguard. f '*i, I 2l6 Captain Coppiii, rejection is another proof of the rcd-tapism which proverbially fetters Governmental departments, and leads to the belief that after five weeks' unsuccessful efforts they are learning by sad experience ' how not to do it.' — Yours obediently, "HENRY LEWIS. " Hambrook Lodge, West Ashling " (near Chichester), "April 29th, 1878." The AlpJieta, referred to in the above, did such credit to the resources of Captain Coppin, as to call forth from the pen of Mr. William Chambers in his publication {Chamber's Journal^ April 20th, 1878), a most eulogistic article, including a description of the novel mode used to float the sunken vessel. A high compliment is also paid, at the close of the article, in connexion with the proposed ingenious mode of raising the Vanguard. A wish is also expressed that the accounts of his achievements, as derived from newspapers, may find their way into a separate, or a permanent volume. The reference to the Eurydice calls up painful remembrances. The 300 young men-of-war's men, in the full enjoyment of life — the ship suddenly capsizing— only one escaping, and the indescribable horror associated with the wedged-in and crushed . x\ A Sliifting Admiralty. 217 corpses, sent a thrill of horror throughout the nation. Captain Coppin could have raised the wreck for about ^4,000 or £^,OQ^, whereas it subsequently cost the Admiralty something like ;{^8o,ooo. As to the unfortunate Vanguard, one .of Her Majesty's ironclads which was accidentally sunk fourteen miles off Kingstown, nothing was accom- plished. War rumours necessitated Captain Coppin asking the Admiralty for an extension of time ; this was refused, and so all the important and expen- sive preliminaries became useless. Though much mortified, he was not much surprised. Had he not, in former days, met his greatest disappoint- ments from the same quarter? It is a question for the most serious consider- ation, whether or not such officialism is the consequence of departmental changes, arising from a change of the Cabinet ; if so, there is crying need for improvement. But be it so, or other- wise, many a wise proposal, and many a valuable invention, has been nipped in the bud by the blight of circumlocution, or some other condemn- able action. Before giving some small effect to the wishes of the late Mr. William Chambers, two instances of Captain Coppin's inventive faculties are hereby offered. 1st. TJie Tripod- Express (triple-hulled). This .1 21 8 Captain Coppin. H was patented on June i6th, 1882. Concerning the proposed steamship, to which he had devoted the growing experience of about twenty years, and over which he had spent ;£"7,ooo, several eminent authorities prophesied that it would be " the ship of the future." The four special features that were claimed for the Tripod- Express were as follows : — 1st. Little draught of water, which would enable it to dispense with tenders, e.g., to get right into New York. 2nd. l^Yeedom from rolling, pitching, or tossing, — no small desideratum to the Atlantic passenger. 3rd. Great speed — minimum, twenty-five knots per hour. 4th. Immediate reversal of engines, so as to enable the ship to retrace her course without the trouble, and sometimes the danger, of turning the ship about. The model and elaborate drawings were, in 1883-5, inspected by large numbers of leading engineers and shipbuilders, and caused more than ordinary surprise and speculation. Not committed to any class of shipbuilding, and just commencing to increase its business in this direction, the eminent firm of engineers and iron founders. Jack & Co., of Mersey Street, Liverpool, carefully examined the matter, and Electric Fish- Catc/iing. 219 resolved to build a test vessel. One half of the required money was to be subscribed ; Alexander Jack promised one-seventh, and the remaining portion, he would risk upon the success of the undertaking. Just as the needful sum was almost promised, an unfortunate chancery suit, in the Jack family, broke up the firm. In a few weeks, Mr. A. Jack died, and so, for the want of such a sympathetic, practical, enterprising and independent engineer to take up the matter and carry it through. Captain Coppin has not been able, up to the present, to give effect to what he believed to be the crowning effort of his engineering life. Some good drawings of the proposed ship appeared in Engineerings May 27th, 1885. 2nd. The Electric Fish - Catching Apparatus. This he patented in 1886. Several most interesting experiments were made, and enough was proved to show that, with sufficient capital, a new era in fish- catching was in sight. All shipping matters being then, and for some time previous, in a most deplor- able condition, the capital was not forthcoming. This, also, has been a great disappointment, as well as a loss. Since then, others have reaped, are reap- ing, and will reap, directly or indirectly, the fruit of his labours. Before noticing his ship-raising successes, we will give another illustration of the 220 Captain Cop pin. Captain's keenness of observation. In several instances, and much to the danger, as well as the loss of lives, there had been, for some time past, a very unaccountable deflection of the compass needle. One day he noticed signs of this deflection settiiii; in. Careful observations were at once taken, which resulted in the valuable discovery that such deflections were frequently caused by a dense fog, or else by a snow storm. The account of this he sent to Sir James South, Astronomer Royal. The importance of this discovery was shown in the trial of Captain David Muir for the stranding of the James Russell^ on the coast of Wales. This trial, at the instance of the Hoard of Trade, took place at Greenock, on October 5th, 1855, before Provost Hunter. Notwithstanding the array of evidence against the defendant, the testimony of Captain Coppin was so strongly in favour of the accused, showing that the dense fog had deflected the com- pass needle, as to lead to his honorable acquittal, and the immediate return of his certificate. The decision was discussed in a valuable editorial of the North British Daily Mail, and led to some deeply interesting correspondence, Captain Coppin's position being impregnable. But to the ship-raising. Incniiii/ous Siiiiies. o "> 21 Thk Ikon Si hi- Anti/lcs, 500 Tons Rkgistek. Thk L.\U(;iii:i)-AT lUcis ok Ci-av. The above was bound from Quebec to Glasgow, uitli wheat. At Renfrew, on the Clyde, she was struck by one of the Anchor Line steamers, and went down ri<;ht across the river. A well-known company of Glasgow took the case in hand, and after efforts, extending over three weeks, gave it up as hopeless. The Clyde Trust sent for the Captain to blow up the ship. On his reaching the wreck, he placed before the Committee the difficulties associated with such a step, and asked for a short time to ex- amine the amount of damage done. The chief injury was that the stern had been knocked away, and the principal difficulty in raising the ship was the absence of said stern. Without revealing his plan, he went to the Com- mittee and asked for 1,000 new corn bags, and 100 tons of blue clay, whereat the members looked amazed, and spoke strong! v about there being too much water and dt^bris inside of her already. Fully convinced at length of the Captain's earnestness and good sense, the request was complied with. Incre- dulous smiles and wondering eyes greeted the advent of the bags an^l the clay. Bu*^ greater was the wonderment when the on-lookers saw bagful after bagful of clay being used to build up a new stern. 222 Captain Coppin. The canny Scots were forced to own that the like was never heard of before. And when they saw the new water-tight stern completed, and the pumps at work, warm applause greeted the Captain from Londonderry. In a short time the water was out, the cargo was discharged, and the ship was in Glasgow. The following letter speaks for itself : — " Clyde Navigation, " General Manager's Office, " Glasgow, "March ii, 187 1. "Dear Sir, — I have been authorised by the Trustees of the Clyde T«Iavigation to express to you their high sense of the very able and successful manner in which you directed and superintended the raising of the ship Antilles, which had sunk in the River Clyde in January last, with a full cargo of grain and flour, the position of the ship being right athwart the river, and wholly under water, except for the com- paratively short time at ebb tide. The inclemency of the weather at the time, and other causes, rendered the lifting of the vessel a very difficult and responsible undertaking, but by your persevering energy the work was accomplished in a manner highly creditable to your ability and skill in such matters. " To this I am happy to add my own testimony, I Mathematical Skill. 223 having had frequent opportunities during the opera- tion of witnessing your skilful proceedings, and being present at the moment when success was achieved. We do not wish ever to require your services again in the same capacity, but if we should unfortunately do so, I am sure we could turn to you in the greatest confidence that we were securing the assistance of one who thoroughly knows the right course in such emergencies. — I am, dear sir, Yours truly, "(Signed) Gi:o. Kkith, " (General Manager.) " Captain Wm. Coppin, " Londonderry, Ireland." 1 i The ss. Limerick, 900 Tons Register. The Destroyers Transeormed into Saviours. This steamer was bound from Spain to Dublin, with copper ore. She stranded on a bank of boulders at the Grey stones. Very shortly after she sunk. On examination it was found that several large boulders and a number of small ones had forced holes, larger and smaller, through the plates. Not only so, but the boulders were wedged into the holes of their own making. The situation was unique. Captain Coppin asked himself the question. Is it possible to utilize those instruments of destruction as a means to save the ship ? a I 224 Captain Coppin. Careful calculations as to displacement, pressure etc., were made. The result was a resolve to raise the ship, with those boulders in their places, acting as so many plugs to keep out the water. The pumps were set to work. Soon the steamer showed signs of floating. With redoubled energy, the pumping went on until she sufficiently floated to be taken into Kingstown Harbour, a distance of fourteen miles. When dry-docked, down fell the novel plugs, two of them weighing about 400 lbs., as well as several smaller ones, altogether making two cart loads, of twenty-five cwt. each. We have read of the sword-fish making an ugly hole in a boat, and the hole being stopped hy tlic broken sword of the infuriated " demon " of the deep ; but such pales into insignilcance before the triumphs of mathema- tical science and engineering skill, as displayed in the boulders being compelled to plug the holes of the wrecked Limerick. This took place in 1877. The ss. Iowa, 3,000 Tons Register. Raised Through Corks. The loiva^ bound to New York from London, with general cargo and passengers, ran ashore on the rocks, fourteen miles below Cherbourg. After a few hours, she settled down on her side, with masts visible at low water. Already ;^,' 10,400 had been spent in The Trminph oj the Corks. 225 the fruitless attempts to float her. The underwriters sent for Captain Coppin, who, on reaching the ship and examining her thoroughly, discerned that she had forty-two port-holes, pressing down upon which was the cargo, and about twenty feet of solid coal. Of course, above this was the water. To pump out the water was a very easy matter, providing no more came in at the forty-two port- holes. And unless the water could be removed the ship would soon become a useless wreck. With water entirely out, the only way to get the ship docked was to float her in on her side. But nothing was possible without stopping the port-holes. The diver reported that on account of the light shingle on the outside around the port-holes, there was no hope of stopping them from that quarter. Ever full of resources. Captain Coppin devised the following plan : — He got a quantity of corks of different sizes, strung them on a fishing cord, fastened the cord ai the end of the small corks to a rod of iron, and told the diver to make as long an opening as possible, up through the first port-hole, so as to admit the smallest cork. This was done, and at a given signal the pumps above put on full power, and as they did so the water from the outside tore away through the coals, at and around the port-hole, in which had been inserted the rod. To the Captain's delight, Q 226 Captain Coppin, i I these small corks, with line attached, were driven up through the coal and cargo to the surface. Bigger corks followed, until there was soon room for the biggest cork on the string, and this was large enough to plug the port-hole. Number one stopped, the same process was followed in the remaining forty-one, until every hole was plugged as tight as the first one. All port holes closed, the water was soon pumped out. This resulted in the floating of the ship and her speedy tugging into dock. The floating and the docking of the Iowa were almost more than the wondering Frenchmen could realise. They had laughed so loudly and so long, over the cork-mode of raising a ship, that it was much against the Gallic nature not to have the last laugh. The son of " perfidious Albion," in his after stay, and in his departure, received from Mossoo more praise than he could venture to have hoped for when he, amid their jeers, first mooted the cork-idea. Such, then, are our selections from some 140 cases. Section III. — Captain Coppin's Personal Connection with the Mysterious. "Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."— .^^f/j of the Apostles, In presenting the following selections from the experiences and records of Captain Coppin, the Snap-the-Finger People. 227 author is fully aware of the empty laugh that will be €voked in some quarters, the lampooning scepticism in other quarters, and the feelings of incredulity which will be aroused in not a few. But in the face of such, the writer, as meeting in his own parish Mission Hall, once every week, the Freethinker, the Agnostic, the Atheist, and the Doubter, is in a position to state with much assurance, that only from the Christian side is there any reasonable explanation of the following facts. Spencer, Huxley, and Tyndall, are as much in the fogs of uncertainty, here, as the most blatant follower of the Billingsgate lecturer. Molecules of the brain, fortuitous coincidences, and all the other deductions and inductions of a non-Christian mental science, -cannot win laurels in this field. With all their daring, they cannot cross a boundary line which divides the seen from the unseen, and the known from the un- known. And apart from the fainter, or the brighter, scintillations of a Christian revelation, most of the instances, as given below, will, for ever, belong to the unknowable. May we suggest to any one that may be tempted to join the snap-the-finger party, to so evidence his regard for what he is forced <-o classify amongst the unknowable, as to treat such things with something like decent respect. To ridicule what is inexplicable is not only a pitiful betrayal of one's ignorance, but Q 2 228 Captain Coppiu. shows a temper alike unworthy of a seeker after truth and of one endowed with reason. "Seeing Across the Atlantic." On returning from a visit to his parents, in 1827, Captain Coppin, sailed in the Levant, bound for St. John, New Brunswick. For seven days, through con- trary winds, the brig was detained off Cape Clear. On the night of the seventh day, the Captain dreamt that the brig reached, in twenty-six days, from where they then were, Shelbourne Harbour, in Nova Scotia. In his dream, he went up to the topmast cross-tree, obtained a good view of the harbour, saw a number of fishing vessels at anchor, and, on an island, at the entrance, a light-house. This led him, in his dream, to use a telescope, through which he saw the keeper of the light-house light the lamps. In the morning, at the breakfast- table, the dream was related, the Captain of the brig being present. Being bound for St. John, N.B., via Cape Sable, Captain G 'iffiths remarked that sailing, via Shelbourne Harbour, would be out of his course. The dream was written down in pencil, on the white cross-beam of the cabin. The fog now cleared away. For the next sixteen days fair progress was made. At the end of this time, on account of dense clouds and fogs, no observation could be taken, and consequently all reckoning of the brig's course became un/eliable. Willimn Hone, 229 Thus matters went on for several days, nothing more being thought about the dream. One after- noon the fog lifted, and the brig made for an island, on which was a lighthouse. Captain Coppin, seeing this, went down to the cabin, examined the pencilling and found that it was exactly 26 days from the time it was made. Before proceeding further, Captain Griffiths wait^ '. for the lighting of the lamps. In the meanwhile Captain Coppin ascended the topmast cross-trees, and, as in his dream, he looked into the harbour and saw the ships at anchor. The harbour was Shelbourne, which, without enter- ing. Captain Griffiths took his reckonings from, rounded Cape Sable, which was 40 miles distant, and reached St. John's in safety. The six cabin passengers on board the Levant were witnesses of the writing of the dream and of its fulfilment. No wonder Captain Griffiths asked the dreamer " How could you see across the Atlantic ? " As in the case of the sight of the coming ship, given below, was not this another proof of spirit vision ? If not, what then ? The case of William Hone, the well-known materialist, as given by John Timbs, is generally known. Desiring to see a gentleman in London, he called at his house and was shown into the drawing- room. No sooner had he seated himself, than he felt convinced that, though never in the house before, yet 230 Captain Coppin. he had seen the room and its contents. Resolving to settle the matter, beyond all doubt, he looked for a knot in the window-shutters. This he found ; and sa satisfied was he that there was something in him beyond the mere material that he renounced his scepticism and became a very devout and humble Christian. His hymn, as given in Timbs' Autobio- graphy, on his birthday, in 1834, is a proof of this. So far as we have been able to ascertain, Mr. Hone's impression was, that through some super- mundane means, he saw the room in his sleep. Origen explained such cases, or things similar, by the theory of the pre-existence of souls. We rather incline to the belief in what, for a better name, we call spirit-vision. Confident are we, from instances before us, and those from unimpeachable, liviiig wit- nesses, that in Captain Coppin and William Hone's experiences, very much may be said in favour of spirit-vision. Though mysterious, may not this be as much a part of man's tripartite nature as that " the blood is the life ? " The Unknown or Inexplicable. "A Heavy Blow on the Shoulder." Whilst trading between Barbadoes and St. Bartholo- mew, in 1 83 1, the following incident occurred. The night being inauspicious, and the coast not very well Hard a Starboard \ -231 known, the best man on board was entrusted with the helm, with the injunction that when he sighted Bar- badoes he was to call Captain Coppin. Carlisle Bay, according to reckoning, was expected to be entered about ten o'clock. Anxiety prevented the Captain from returning to his cabin, so wrapping himself in his cloak, he laid down on deck, very near the helms- man. The vessel was close-hauled on the wind, and was doing seven knots per hour. He had not long been asleep before he was roused up by a heavy blow on the shoulder, as if given by the open hand. Rising quickly to his knees, he de- manded of the helmsman an explanation. Calling his Maker to witness, he declared that he had neither touched him, nor had one of the hands been aft since he had gone to sleep. At once springing to his feet, Captain Coppin ran up the fore-rigging and immediately shouted out " hard a starboard." An- swering her helm, the vessel just cleared the lee- breakers, and with the utmost difficulty sailed between two large rocks, known too truly, as The Cables. Just half-an-hour from this time the vessel was safely anchored in Carlisle Bay. Call this mode of awakening what the reader may, the waking up was most opportune, since, in one minute more, the vessel would have been stranded on a number of sunken rocks and the consequences could but have been disastrous both to life and pro- \\ 232 Captain Coppin, perty. Opportune ! Was not the whole an ordering of a merciful Providence ? The Lost Hat and the ^3,000 Whilst, in 1865, on the Elb, engaged in raising the Teoga, 1,300 tons register, bound for Hamburg, Captain Coppin stayed at the nearest hotel. One night, he dreamt that he saw a long box, floating in the air. In running to lay hold of it, he seemed to lose his hat, which was caught and brought to him by two boys, to whom he gave two shillings. Having seized the box, he saw written on it, ;^3,ooo. Captain Coppin's share (one-half) for raising the sunken ship was to be ;£9,ooo. The day following the dream, the Captain was on board the ship when his hat blew off. There were two boys near, who ran and saved the hat. As a reward, he took from his vest pocket the first coin to hand and that was a two-shilling piece. The attempt to raise the ice-struck Teoga was unsuccessful, and the whole undertaking proved to be a heavy loss. On adding up the items the total was exactly ;^3,ooo. Thus was fulfilled, after a peculiar fashion, the dream of the hat, the long box and its inscription, ;{^3,ooo. Without doubt, many of our readers, as well as the writer, have been the subject of many similar experi- ences. One corroborative illustration shall suffice. The author, when twelve years of age, had, twice on -- A The German Soldier, 233 the the same night, a dream that he was injured — the in- jury resulting in lameness and blindness of the right €ye. In the dream, the eye underwent a course of treatment, which, after awhile, resulted in the right corner being opened so as to admit a streak of light, •which appeared to be fiery red. This dream, he told his mother in the morning, to get, for his dreaming, the ordinary pooh, pooh. Three days after, the writer was riding a spirited horse of his father's, when he was thrown, and was taken home in a semi-conscious state. The effects were some three months' lameness, arising from an injury to the left knee, and a week's blindness of the right eye. The first visual demonstration of the reduced swelling came through the right corner, in the form of a little streak of red light, exactly similar to that seen in the dream. Yet, say some, there is nothing in dreams. Unconscious TuouciiiT-READiNG. At the close of the Franco-German War, Captain Coppin was staying at the Commercial Hotel, Belfast. Whilst waiting in the smoking-room, to see a gentle- man, as previously arranged, the following incident happened. Those present, in addition to himself, were three commercial men and a young German, belonging to a passenger office in Liverpool, and then .returning from the battle-field. The chief topic of 234 Caplain Coppin. conversation was the war, and all three commencecr to chafif the German about his cowardice in running away from the post of duty. The three were shortly joined by another commercial man. All four, and the last arrival, in particular, commenced afresh to attack the poor handicapped German, who, by him- self, was sitting at a small table near Captain Coppin. Feeling sympathy for the soldier, the Captain went to the latest arrival, and placing his hand on his shoulder, whispered the words of the poet, " Wood- man, spare that tree." The gentleman jumped up, and asked the Captain whether he had ever seen him before. " No," was the reply, " neither any of the gentlemen in the room." He then asked the Captain did he know his name. No, was the reply, such being impossible, as he had never seen him until the last few minutes. To the Captain's surprise, the gentle- man said, " My name is Woodman, and I will spare that tree, and have a glass of champagne with him." The champagne on the table, Mr. Woodman gave a capital speech, and so ended in a most delightful manner what appeared, a short time before, an awk- ward contretemps for the youth away from Vaterland. Captain Coppin deemed the apropos quotation a " clever hit." Was it so, or was it one of those scin- tillations of the mind-world, which, ever and anon' tells of something that lies beyond the horizon of material vision, and which the Gradgrinds, with Asleep, 235' 1 their square root theories, are ever trying to explain away? One thing is plain, overwhelming evidence, from every-day experience, tells of something that human ken is unable to descry. Soul, or Si'irit-Vision. He was on the banks of Newfoundland, in the ship Prudence. The fog was most dense, and speed was six knots per hoiT Being off v.atcri, and very tired and sleepy, he went to his cabin, and, with head resting on the right hand, Captain Coppir? was soon asleep. At the end of hah'-an-liour, he «aw, in his sleep, something ahead of Hie ship ir. the disl^*nce, shapeless and small He at on.ie woke vipy went on deck, remained there about tcr^ ovijuUs, ^riw th;it all was right, returned to his c?,b?n, and again fell asleep, in the same posture as before. In about three quarters of an hour, he saw tho same object the second time, stil! rhapeless but larger,, nearer, but less opaque. ImmedialCAV v/akiny^ up, he again went on deck, thinking that the matter was nothing but the outcome of hi.> natural concern for the ship. Remaining on deck about a quarter of an hour, he again returned to his cabin and, as before,, went to sleep, [hu head resting on the right hand. In about an hour, he saw, for the third time, the sarr.e fihapeless object, but larger, nearer, and brighter than the second iluic. As before, he woke up, went 236 Captain Coppin. on deck, remained there from ten to fifteen minutes, when, as the weather was bad and he was very tired, he went to sleep the fourth time, the head again rest'-^fT on the right hand. In about an hour's time, still asleep, he looked up, and, at an angle of 45 degrees, saw a foretop-gallant sail of a vessel which was coming right down upon the Prudence. Awaking in a great fright, he jumped up, knocked over the cabin table in doing so, rushed on deck and saw, as in his sleep, the mast of another craft, bearing down upon his own ship. More asleep than awake, he, with a giant's energy, seized the wheel, changed the course of the ship, and cleared the ail-but colliding vessel. Running up the poop ladder, he was accosted by the man on watch as to what the man at the wheel was about. " Look," exclaimed Captain Coppin, and in a moment away went his hat and a piece of the quarter of the ship. The danger was past, but the man at the wheel, groaning with pain, through a dislocated shoulder, and the carpet of the cabin on fire through the upset candles, furnished proof of the reality of what he had seen, and the force of will which he had exerted to avoid the impending calamity. Asked to explain this, we would rather incline to classify it amongst the super-sensuous than amongst those cases that come under the designation, or class, of special interpositions of Providence. It may have His Angel? 237 been a purely providential act to save property and life, but in the light of recent discoveries in the vast and mysterious domain of mind, we would not " make oath " as to its being absolutely the case. The ancient Jews held that the righteous had, as their constant attendants, one or more angels, to help and to guide. Was this through the instrumentality of Captain Coppin's angel ? Rhoda's statement concerning the knocking of St. Peter at the door of the mother of John Mark, led those at prayer to exclaim, " It is his angel." Why not retain the belief amongst us to-day ? No harm to human faith to recite, " I believe in the ministry of angels." Still we rather incline towards the supra- sensitive, on the banks of Newfoundland, than the " interposition of angels." We are well aware of the distich of Dibdin, " There's a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, To keep watch o'er the life of Poor Jack," still, the prosaic facts of everyday life are much against "the cherub" theory. Poor Jack is ever meeting a watery grave, despite the poetical invisi- bility that sits up aloft. The lampooning worshipper of matter may deride the whole subject, as beneath the notice of common sense. Be it so, yet his reiterated scoffing can do but little to explain the phenomena, pervading every walk of life. 238 Captain Coppin. Just as the pen had finished writing the above, the author, examining some data, in the Last of the Arctic Voyages, by Sir Edward Belcher, noticed some experi- ences very similar to Captain Coppin's. What he relates happened during his command of the naval expedition to the Arctic Seas, in search of Sir John Franklin in 1852-54. He is ice-bound in the Assis- tance. The ice quarter-master sees no signs of a break-up, but Sir Edward (under what conditions he does not specify) sees a "dark streak," apparently "a lane of water," which, though distant, impressed him as being a break in the ice. Though it was declared by the ice quarter-master to be a fog, still, though somewhat indifferent, he did not forget the "streak.' He shortly after, about ten, retired to bed, but just as he was composing himself in his bunk, the officer on watch announced that the ice was broken. On another day, he felt so impressed that a sledge was due from Kellett (one of the search-officers) that he resolved, at noon, to send an officer to the hill to look out. Just then, being called away to attend to some- thing special, noon arrived before he had given his orders. At that hour, his clerk informed him " that a dog-sledge was nearly alongside." We doubt not, if facts were tabulated, such cases could be multiplied ad infinitum. The Cabin Boy, 239 If not Providence, what was it? In 1868, Captain Coppin was instructed to proceed to the Lizard, and r? is^ a sunken screw steamer, bound from Havre to Liverpool, with a general cargo and cabin passengers. On arrival, in very minute details, he received the following account: — In the night, during a fog, the steamer ran ashore. As the sea was perfectly smooth, and there ap- peared to be no danger, the captain and crew resolved not to disturb the passengers. But un- known to them, and against orders, a little cabin- boy, aged fourteen, ran down, informed all the passengers of imminent danger, and told them there was not even a moment to save their clothes. Full of consternation, and to the amazement of the officers and crew, they all rushed on deck. At the very moment the last left the cabin, the steamer heeled over on her beam end and thus pre- vented all ingress to, or egress from, the cabin. The lee quarter-boat, however, was to hand, and into this all the passengers got, and were safely landed. Not a single life was lost. As a small token of their gratitude to the boy, the passen- gers subscribed amongst themselves the sum of £^\2. Why did the boy act as he did, and that so contrary to the rules and regulations of a well -disciplined ship? One thing appears clear, 240 Captain Coppin. and that is, had they not been roused, and had there been a minute's delay, even to dress, all the passengers would have been drowned. Rats, says Jack, leave the ship before she is wrecked. Was it instinct that led the cabin-boy to alarm the passen- gers, or was it the whispers of Providence? A Dream. Whilst in command of the Re ert Napier\ ply- ing between Liverpool and Londonderry, in 1837, Captain Coppin, just before leaving his residence to go on board, told Mrs Coppin that before sunset, she would probably hear from him. The reason for such a remark was that, in a dream^ on the previous night, he had towed into Belfast Lough, from off the Giant's Causeway, a disabled ship. The Robert Napier left at the advertised hour, and when off the Causeway, the horizon was carefully scanned, but there was no sign of a vessel in distress. With a deepening impression that the dream was true. Captain Coppin went up the main rigging about thirty feet. From here, at a distance of eight miles, on the fishing ground, was what appeared to be a fishing boat. The steamer's course was parallel with the land, and the object lay off at right angles. The course of the ship was altered immediately and, Coincidence or Providence. 241 as rapidly as possible, she steered for the object. Half an hour's sail revealed a large brig, com- pletely dismantled. The life-boat was launched under the command of the chief officer, at whose disposal was placed a strong tow-rope, with instructions to fasten it to the brig and return at once. This was done, and so expedi- tiously as to leave no time to ask any questions as to price of towing, or the place of destination. Everything secured, the Robert Napier made for Helfast Lough, which was reached at midnight. The brig proved to be bound from Glasgow to Quebec, with a general cargo. Had she not been rescued, the strong breeze would have driven her on to the rocks and breakers of the Scottish coast, where, in all probability, not only ship but lives would have been lost. Captain Coppin saved the tide for entrance to Clarence Dock, Liverpool, and the reward for saving the ship was ^.500, and the mode of saving her was all according to the dream. A happy coincidence, say some, an over-ruling Providence say others, amongst whom was, and is. Captain Coppin. Was it in Answer to Prayer ? During a fog, the Shamrock^ ^\y\x\^ between Londonderry and Glasgow, ran on the rocks of the Mull of Cantire, and became submerged, and that in R 342 Captain Coppiii, a very bad position. Captain Coppin undertook to raise her and place her in dry dock, at Ardrossan, on the condition of receiving 27 per cent, of her deteriorated value. After spending about ^300 in preparing to lift her, she refused to move. The hour of high tide had passed, and as the Captain could not afford to spend any more time or money, all hope appeared to be lost. In this moment of great trial, he retired to the small deck-house and offered to God an earnest prayer for help. He then returned to the workmen. In less than two minutes after his return, there went up loud, ringing cheers, which told the Captain that his efforts had been crowned with success — contrary to all expectation she was off! In a very short time, the Shamrock was docked, and not one of the fifty men knew of that prayer in the deck-house. " Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will delivev thee." II A Strange Covering ur of Documents. An American Consul in Ireland, and a special friend of Captain Coppin's, had to go to America to transact some very important business. He took passage in one of the best of the Atlantic vessels, the commander of which was well known to Captain Coppin. Business finished, the Consul arranged to return by the ship in which he had come out. Accordingly he left instructions at Government f {^1 t I The Letter Bags. 243 { !J! House, Washinj^ton, to forward all documents aiul official papers to the General Post Office, New N'ork. Arriving a few days before the ship's departure