Ube TOorl6fc THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES Zhc WLotlV* Great Explorers an^ Explorations, Edited by J. Scott Keltie, Librarian, Royal Geographical Society ; H J. Mackinder, M.A., Reader in Geography at the University of Oxford; and E. G. Ravenstein, F.R.G.S. LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. The World's Great Explorers and Explorations. The following Volumes are already pub'ished, and may now be obtained in three different bindings : — Price per vol. i. Plain neat cloth cover 4/6 2. Cloth gilt cover, specially designed by Lewis F. Day, gilt edges . 5/- 3. H.df-bound polished morocco, marbled edges .... 7/6 1. JOHN DAVIS, Arctic Explorer and Early India Navigator. By Clements R. Markham, C.B., F.R.S. Crown 8vo. With 24 Illustrations and 4 Coloured Maps. [Second Edition.} " If the succeeding volumes attain the high standard of excellence of this 'Life of John Davis,' the Series will, when complete, form a biographical history of geographical discovery of the utmost value and interest." — A cadany. 2. PALESTINE. By Major C. R. Conder, R.E., Leader of the Palestine Exploring Expeditions. Crown 8vo. With 26 Illustrations and 7 Coloured Maps. [Second Edition.] " It is charmingly written, contains much information in a convergent form, and is well illustrated by woodcuts and maps." — Athencrum. 3. MUNGO PARK AND THE NIGER. By Joseph Thomson, Author of "Through Masai Land," &c. Crown 8vo. With 24 Illustrations and 7 Coloured Maps. "Mr. Thomson's book is to be strongly recommended to all who wish to understand the position in Africa to-day, as an intelligent Englishman should do." — Saturday Revieiv. 4. MAGELLAN and the First Circumnavigation of the Globe. By F. H. H. Guillemard, M.A., M.D., Late Lec- turer in Geography at the University of Cambridge. Crown 8vo. With 17 Illustrations and 13 Coloured and 5 Uncoloured Maps. A few copies may still be obtained of the Large Paper Edition, on hand- made paper. Price on application. "This is not only a record of splendid and successful adventure (not the less successful because Magellan died, like Wolfe, in the arms of victory) but the story of an exquisitely noble life." — County Gentleman. 5. JOHN FRANKLIN AND THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. By Captain Albert Markham, R.N. Crown 8vo. With 20 Illustrations and 4 Coloured Maps. To be followed very shortly by 6. LIVINGSTONE AND THE EXPLORATION OF CENTRAL AFRICA. By H. H. Johnston, C.B., F.R.G.S., F.Z.S., &c., H.M. Commissioner and Consul-General. With 24 Illustrations from Photographs and from the Author's Draw- ings, and 3 Coloured Maps. Also a Limited Edi ion (Large Paper'), printed on hand-made paper, •with additional Illustrations from the Author s V rowings, and an Etched Frontispiece. Price 25J. net. Sir John Franklin. (From a lithographed copy of the painting l0 I? PREFACE. "To live with fame The gods allow to many ; but to die With equal lustre is a blessing Heaven Selects from all the choicest boons of fate, And with a sparing hand on few bestows." — Glover. There are few names that have been more prominently brought to the notice of students of geographical re- search, during the present century, than that of Sir John Franklin. It will occur to them as that of a skilful sailor, an ardent explorer, an able administrator, and above all, as that of a daring and successful Arctic navigator. Not only is his name connected with good and useful service accomplished in those capacities, and more especially with the discovery of those northern regions in the exploration of which he eventually sacri- ficed his life, but it is also associated at an early period of his professional career, with the survey and explora- tion of that Greater Britain of the southern hemisphere, Australia. Moreover, it was subsequently connected for many years with Van Diemen's Land, over which colony he ruled with ability, and with a wise forethought for its future prosperity and development. The history of the life of such a man, one who has 2065245 vi PREFACE. so deservedly earned for himself a conspicuous place on the list of distinguished explorers in various parts of the globe, should not remain untold and practically unknown. It is therefore not inappropriate that it should form the subject of a biographical sketch, in a series the main object of which is to impart geogi\aphical information. In his exertions to increase our knowledge of geo- graphy, especially in those regions whose southern limit is bounded by the Arctic circle, Sir John Franklin occupies an almost unique position among the numerous gallant and able explorers who have both preceded and followed him. It is only necessary to glance in a superficial way over the published records of Franklin's naval career, to be satisfied that he was a man of dauntless courage, indomitable energy and perseverance, brave and resolute in overcoming difficulties. He was a courageous leader, combining tact and discretion with a daring which might almost be considered as bordering on rashness; above all, he possessed a rare capacity for encountering, with a cheerful and contented spirit, hardships and privations of no ordinary kind. He was, in its fullest sense, a born leader, evincing on several occasions a resolute determination and dogged inflexibility of purpose, under circumstances and con- ditions sufficiently appalling to test the courage and the endurance of the bravest of men. To those who have interested themselves in Arctic research, the name of Sir John Franklin is of course familiar, not only from the discoveries he achieved in high latitudes, but also on account of that halo of romantic uncertainty which kept his fate, and that of his brave companions, enshrouded in mystery for such a long time. The numerous expeditions that were de- spatched for the purpose of endeavouring to obtain PREFACE. vii information regarding the missing ships, also absorbed a large share of public interest for many years. It is a very safe assertion to make that if it had not been for Sir John Franklin, and the exertions that were made to ascei'tain his fate, our knowledge of the North Polar regions would be a great deal more limited than it is at present ; for the fact must not be lost sight of that the result of the examination made by the several search ex- peditions sent in quest of Sir John and those under his command, was the achievement of valuable geographical and other scientific results, that would otherwise, in all probability, never have been accomplished. It is therefore only due to the memory of Sir John Franklin to say that to him, directly and indirectly, we owe the discovery and exploration of a very large portion of the Arctic basin. It is earnestly to be hoped that the work so energetic- ally and so ably commenced by Sir John Franklin, and for the accomplishment of which he laid down his life, may again be resumed, and eventually brought to a glorious and successful termination. We shall then be able to say, that the lives of Franklin and his gallant companions have not been sacrificed in vain, and we shall be able to reflect with pride on the share, and let us hope it will be a large one, that our countrymen have had in the successful achievement of this great geogra- phical work. In the compilation of this volume I have endeavoured to introduce, as much as possible, in accordance with the expressed wish of my Editors, the personal element, and to render it as true and as complete a narrative of the life of Sir John Franklin as the materials at my disposal would permit. The authorities I have been able to refer to, for rati able information in connection with his life, have been viii PREFACE. very few, and have been confined principally to the logs, journals, and other documents I was permitted to con- sult in the Public Record Office. The compilation of the work has, in consequence of the nature of my professional duties, occupied me for some time, but the dove-tailing together of all the in- formation I have succeeded in obtaining, and which has reached me in a somewhat piecemeal fashion, has been a labour of love, and a task in the execution of which I have been deeply interested. Any shortcomings or incoherence in the narrative that may strike the critical reader will, I hope, be ascribed to the difficulties under which I laboured, and to the meagreness of all authentic information that has hitherto been published in connec- tion with the subject of this memoir. I was fortunately successful at the outset in enlisting the sympathy of Miss Sophia Cracroft, the talented niece of Sir John Franklin, in my undertaking, who most kindly placed at my disposal information that I should otherwise have been unable to obtain. My thanks are also due to Colonel John Barrow, who, directly he was made acquainted with the nature of my work, most generously afforded me all the assistance in his power, and kindly placed at my disposal his col- lection of the portraits of Arctic worthies, painted by the eminent artist Mr. Stephen Pearce, some of which have been photographed and reproduced here as illustra- tions. And last, but not least, my grateful thanks are due to Sir Leopold M'Clintock, who kindly looked over the proofs of my narrative relating to that most successful journey of his which definitely cleared up the mystery attached to the fate of Sir John Franklin, and who also made many valuable suggestions of which I was only too glad to avail myself. A. H. M. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. CHILDHOOD — ENTERS THE NAVY — BATTLE OP COPEN- HAGEN I II. EXPLORATION OF AUSTRALIA 1 7 III. FLINDERS AND BASS — EXAMINATION OF THE SEA-BOARD OF AUSTRALIA 34 IV. WRECK OF THE "PORPOISE" — REACH CANTON — DEFEAT OF LINOIS BY DANCE — ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND . . 54 V. APPOINTED TO " BELLEROPHON " — BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR — JOINS THE "BEDFORD" — ATTACK ON NEW ORLEANS — ON HALF-PAY 7 1 VI. RETROSPECT OF GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATION IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS 78 VII. EXPEDITION OF BUCHAN AND FRANKLIN TOWARDS THE NORTH POLE 89 VIII. FRANKLIN'S FIRST LAND JOURNEY 107 ix. franklin's first land journey — (continued) . .124 X. FRANKLIN'S SECOND OVERLAND JOURNEY . . . I46 XI. PARRY'S THIRD EXPEDITION — HIS ATTEMPT TO REACH THE POLE — SIR JOHN ROSS — DISCOVERY OF MAGNETIC POLE — FRANKLIN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN— GOVERN- MENT OF VAN DIEMEN'S LAND 173 x CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE xii. franklin's last voyage 193 xiii. the last dats 213 xiv. anxiety respecting safety of franklin— expeditions despatched in search 235 xv. voyages of — dr. hayes— nordenskiold— leigh smith — the germans— captain hall — the austro-hun- garians — sir george nares — allen young — schwatka — the "jeannette" — nordenskiold ac- complishes the nokth-east passage — leigh smith — greeley — valedictory 278 Index 316 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS. FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. i. Sir John Franklin Frontispiece (From a lithographed copy of the painting by Ncgelin, kindly lent by Mrs. Wills.) 2. Captain Flinders page 41 (From a print, 1814.) 3. Defeat of Admiral Linois by Commodore Dance . . ,, 67 (From an engraving.) 4. Sir Edward Parry and Sir George Back . . to face page 154 (From an engraving 0/ Stephen Pearce's picture of the "Arctic Council" in the possession of Colonel John Barrow. By kind permission of Messrs. Graves.) 5. Lady Franklin page 169 (From a portrait taken at Geneva at the age of 24. Kindly lent by Miss Cracroft.) 6. Thomas Simpson |f 197 (From a photograph.) 7. Mr. Henry Grinnell ......... 241 (From a photograjih, kindly lent by Mrs. Buxton, by permission of Alex. Bassano.), 8. Captain Sir Robert M 'Clure . ... to face page 249 (From a painting by Stephen Pearce. By kind permission of Colonel John Barrow.) 9. Captain Sir Leopold M'Clintock ... ,, 267 (From a painting by Stephen Pearce. By kind permission of Colonel John Barrow.) 10. Facsimile of the " Last Record " ... „ 270 (Reproduced from the "Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir John Franklin." By kind permission of Mr. John Murray.) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT. Spilsby Church . . page 2 (From, a photograph.) Louth Grammar - school (pulled down 1869) . „ 6 (From a photograph.) Seal of Louth Grammar- school . . ,, 7 Encampment on Wreck Reef . . . „ 59 (From a pencil sketch in the pos- session of Captain Mark-ham.) Making a Portage round Trout Falls . . ,,119 (From a pencil sketch in the pos- session of Captain Markham.) Mrs. Franklin page 144 (From a painting in the possession of, and kindly lent by, the Rev. John Philip Gell.) Captain Fitzjames . . ,, 202 (From, a picture at the Royal Geo- graphical Society.) Graves on Beechey Island , , 245 (From the "Illustrated Arctic News," 1852.) Statue of Franklin at Spilsby . (From a photograph.) 276 MAPS {Printed in Colours). Arctic Regions to face page 78 Spitzbergen . » 9& Arctic America -exhibiting progress of discovery. „ 193 Franklin's Track— showing line of retreat . . „ 215 MAPS IN TEXT. Franklin's Winter Quarters— Beechey Island Map of King William Island page 211 .. 228 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. CHAPTER I. CHILDHOOD— ENTERS THE NAVY— BATTLE OF COPENHAGEN. 1786-1801. " All my delight on deedes of armes is sett, To bunt out perilles and adventures hard, By sea, by land, whereso they may be mett, Onely for honour and for high regard, Without respect of richesse or reward." — Spenseb. Situated on an eminence of the wolds in Lincolnshire, and overlooking an extensive tract of fen-land to the southward, is the picturesque market-town of Spilsby. Plainly visible above the trees and houses, and standing out in conspicuous relief against the sky, is seen the square tower of its church, surmounted by a pinnacle at each of its angles. Pretty as is the outside of this little church, the chief interest connected with it is centred in the interior, where are the tombs of departed worthies, who once were powerful in Lincolnshire. On the north side of the chancel is the Willoughby Chapel, containing the a LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1786- tombs of John, second Lord Willoughby of Eresby, who fought at the battle of Cressy; of John, the tbird Lord, who was at the battle of Poitiers ; of tbe fourth and fifth Lords; of Richard Bertie and his wife, the Duchess of Suffolk (who was Baroness Willoughby in her own right), and many others. At the west end SPILSBY CHURCH. of the church, and facing the south, are three marble mural tablets, which are specially interesting to us. One has been erected to the memory of Sir Willing- ham Franklin, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Judi- cature in Madras, who died on the 31st May 1824, in the forty-fifth year of his age. Another is to the memory of Major James Franklin, a distinguished 1801.] SPILSBY CHURCH. 3 officer of the Indian army, and a Fellow of the Royal Society, who died on the 31st August 1834, aged fifty- one years. The third tablet bears the following inscrip- tion : — In Memory of Captain Sir John Franklin K.C.H. K.R.G. D.C.L. Born at Spilsby 16 April 1786. Erected by his Widow. These three men, all of whom attained eminence in their several professions, were brothers, sons of Wil- lingham and Hanah Franklin. They were born in the little town of Spilsby, and all were baptized in that same church in which is now briefly recorded the his- tory of their lives. 1 The time when the Franklin family settled at Spilsby has not been accurately ascertained, but that members of it must have resided there during the greater part of the eighteenth century, engaged probably in mercantile pursuits, is evident from an examination of the parish register. In 1779 Willingham Franklin, the father of the subject of these memoirs, purchased the freehold of a small one-storied house, situated in the main street of Spilsby, nearly in the centre of the town, and not far from the market -cross, which is a plain octagonal shaft 1 A description of the interior of the church would not be complete without allusion to a black board hanging up in the inner porch at the west end, on which, in large white letters, is quaintly an- nouced that on the 31st December 1786 (the year in which Sir John Franklin was born), seven six-bell peals were rung in the church, consisting of 5040 changes, in two hours and forty minutes ! The sturdy villagers who accomplished this feat, which has been con- sidered sufficiently worthy of being chronicled, were, we are informed, J. and Jo. Haw, G. and J. Houlden, and T. and lid. Martin. 4 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1786- with a quadrangular base on five steps. This house, in which John Franklin was ushered into the world, is still in existence, but it is now the property of a coach- maker, who is, however, always ready and willing to show the little room upstairs in which, it is said, the distinguished Arctic Navigator was born. It was sold by William Franklin in 1796. It was bought by Lady Franklin in about 1873, with the object of using it as a museum, in which to exhibit the many articles and curiosities collected by her husband, during his long and adventurous career in different parts of the globe. This laudable intention was, however, frustrated by the death of her Ladyship, which event occurred before her wishes could be accomplished, and the house was then sold to its present occupier. The town-hall of Spilsby was built in 1765, but calls for no special remark. At the west end of the town is a fine avenue which leads to the site of Eresby Hall. This charming resi- dence was destroyed by fire in about 1768, and has never been rebuilt ; it was the seat of the Duke of Ancaster, who represented the Willoughby family. John Franklin was the youngest son of a large family, consisting of four boys and six girls. Nine were born at Spilsby, and their births are duly recorded in the parish register. Thomas Adams, the eldest son of Willingham Franklin, was born in November 1773. In after years he raised a regiment of yeomanry cavalry and was nominated its colonel. He died at Spilsby on Oct. 11, 1807. Willingham Franklin, the second son, was born in November 1779, and was therefore John's senior by seven years ; he was educated at Westminster, where he 1801.] THE FRANKLIN FAMILY. 5 got head into College when he was fourteen years of age. He was a Scholar of Corpus in 1776; Fellow of Oriel in 1 80 1 ; M.A. 1803 ; called to the Bar of the Inner Temple, and was made Puisne Judge in the Supreme Court of Madras in April 1822. He died of cholera at Madras on June 1, 1824. James Franklin, who was born in May 17 S3, was also a very distinguished man. Educated at Addiscombe, he entered the East India Company's service in 1805. He served with distinction in the Pindaxi war, and as major of a cavalry regiment was Assistant-Quarter- master-General of the Bengal army. He was a very accomplished officer, and was employed on important surveys. Among others, he surveyed the whole of Bandalkhand (18 15-21), and executed a valuable map of that region, accompanied by a memoir on its geology. His field-books are still preserved at the India Office. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society. He died on the 31st August 1834, aged fifty-one, and was buried in St. John's Chapel, Marylebone. Isabella, the ninth child, was born on the 12th April 1 79 1, and was married to Thomas Robert Cracroft. They had issue Miss Sophia Cracroft, the niece and devoted friend and companion of Lady Franklin. Henrietta, the youngest daughter, married Mr. Richard Wright, and died in 1884, at the advanced age of ninety, at Wrangle, near Boston. Her son is the present Canon Arthur Wright, Rector of Coningsby, Lincolnshire. John, the youngest of the four sons, was born on the 1 6th April 1786, and was baptized two days afterwards in the parish church. He was first sent to a prepara- tory school at St. Ives, in Huntingdonshire, and subse- LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1788- quently, at the age of twelve, was entered as a scholar at the Louth grammar-school. This educational estab- lishment bore a very high reputation in the county. It was originally founded by Edward VI. in 1552, out of the funds of three suppressed guilds, namely, those of "Our Blessed Lady," the "Holy Trinity," and the "Chantry of St. John of Louth." The LODTH GRAMMAR-SCHOOL, 1 796. head-master, when Franklin was admitted, was Dr. Orme, to whose memory a monument is erected at the east end of the parish church of Louth. He was head- master from 1796 to 18 14. The boy Franklin must have often regarded with admiration the lofty spire of this magnificent church, with its delicate tracery and exquisite flying buttresses connecting the base of the spire with the pinnacles of the tower on which it stands. 1801.] LOUTH GRAMPIAN SCHOOL. The good people of Louth are deservedly proud of their beautiful church. The "Lodge," the residence of the head-master, and probably the house in which John Franklin boarded, was built in 17S9, and is very prettily situated within a short distance of the school. Although this scho- lastic establishment was, as already stated, founded so SEAT. OF LOUTH GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. far back as the middle of the sixteenth century, the building in which Franklin was educated was only erected in 17 10. This was pulled down in 1869, when the present school was built. John Franklin is not the only boy who, receiving the rudiments of education at the old Louth Gram- mar School, has distinguished himself in after years; 8 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1786- for the institution claims as one of its scholars Alfred Tennyson, the Poet Laureate, who was an inmate of its walls from 1816 to 181 8. Augustus Hobart, more generally known as "Hobart Pacha," who made for himself a world-wide reputation as a dashing and resourceful officer while employed in the Turkish naval service, was also at the school from 1831 until he joined the Royal navy in 1834. Born and brought up within ten miles of the coast, and almost within sound of that murmuring ocean on which he was eventually destined to play such a promi- nent part, it is not surprising that a thirst for adven- ture and enterprise took possession of young Franklin. Those were stirring times in which the boy's early days were passed, rendered all the more fascinating to a youth of imaginative temperament, by the exciting events that were being enacted in Europe. We can well picture to ourselves the feverish excite- ment with which the dark-haired, well-knit youth would gaze on the ever-heaving billows, and how his bright eyes would kindle with enthusiasm and pride, as he called to mind the many brave and heroic deeds that were being performed by his countrymen on the sea in various parts of the world ; it is not, therefore, surprising to learn that the wish to become a sailor, and to be per- mitted to share in the glorious triumphs of his country- men, should take possession of the lad. Naturally quick and impulsive, the desire of becoming a sailor, was only the forerunner of being one. A story is told of the boy — and it has been generally accepted as true — that having employed a holiday in an excursion to the coast, accompanied by a playmate, he beheld the sea for the first time in his life. So impressed was the lad 1801.] HIS LONGING FOR THE SEA. 9 •with its sublimity, and the prospects it offered as a field for future action, that he then and there determined to be a sailor. Whether it was really this view of the sea, that he is supposed to have seen for the first time, or whether it was a dislike to scholastic life at the Louth Grammar - School, whatever the cause, it became very evident to his parents that the boy's mind was fully made up, and that a sailor's life with all its fascinations and adven- tures, was the only one that had any charm for him. Life at school became distasteful ; the pleasures of home had no attraction for him ; he longed to be away on that blue sea whose waves dashed their white foam and spray along the Lincolnshire coast — away assisting in those thrilling events in which our countrymen were taking part, and which aroused the enthusiasm of the loyal and patriotic burghers of Spilsby, as they received the intelligence of some great and glorious naval victory — triumphs that paved the way to that maritime supre- macy which England has since held and maintained. His ardent longing was soon to be gratified, for, hoping to cure him of his cravings for a sea-life, his parents, who had other intentions regarding the boy's future, being desirous he should become a clergyman, withdrew him from school, and sent him on board a small merchant ship, in which he made a trip to Lisbon and back. The effect, however, of this voyage, the result of which might perhaps be traced to the kindness of the captain of the ship, who, it is said, regaled the boy with oranges and grapes and treated him with much considera- tion, was the reverse of what his friends had anticipated ; for, like other illustrious men, like Cook, Nelson, and Flinders, he returned more than ever charmed with the 10 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1786- novelty of a sailor's life, and more than ever bent on adopting the sea as a profession. Life, however, in the mercantile marine was not to his liking ; it was much too tame and quiet ; nothing would satisfy the boy but service in one of His Majesty's ships. In the navy alone, he thought, he would be afforded the oppor- tunity of sharing in those glorious deeds which formed the principal topics of conversation in every town and village throughout the country, and which, associated with the names of such men as Howe, St. Vincent, and Nelson, were adding honour and renown to the English nation. This was the height of his boyish ambition ; it was uppermost in his thoughts by day, and present in his dreams by night. At length his hopeful anticipations were realised, for his friends, yielding to his earnest entreaties, succeeded in obtaining for him an appointment as a first-class volunteer in H.M.S. Polyphemus, then fitting out at Chatham. He joined her on the 9th of March 1800. The Polyphemus was a fine two-decked ship, carrying sixty-four guns, and was commanded by Captain George Lumsdaine. On the 1st of May, Rear- Admiral of the Blue, Robert Kingsmill, hoisted his flag on board, and on the 1 3th of June she sailed from the Nore, anchoring in Yarmouth Roads the following day, in the immediate vicinity of young Franklin's beloved coast of Lincoln- shire. We can well imagine the pleasure with which the Lincolnshire boy entered on his new duties, and how he paced the quarter-deck in all the pomp and pride of a newly-created naval officer. On the 1st of August, Captain John Lawford was appointed to the Polyphemus, and on the 4th his com- mission was read on the quarter-deck, and he assumed 1801.] JOINS THE "POLYPHEMUS." 11 command. In this ship John Franklin was destined to share in one of the hardest-fought sea-battles in which the English navy has ever been engaged. On the 9th of August the squadron to which the Polyphemus was attached, consisting of the Monarch, Romney, Ardent, Isis, Glatton, and Veteran, with one frigate, two sloops, four bombs, and several gun-vessels, in all twenty-six ships, sailed from Yarmouth Eoads, and anchored off Elsinore the 20th of the same month. The visit of the English fleet to this Danish port was intended as a demonstration, but no hostile act was committed. The ships remained at anchor off the picturesque castle of Kronberg for about three weeks, and then returned to England. The remainder of the year was spent by Franklin on board the Polyphemus, either at the Nore or at Yarmouth. In the early part of 1 80 1, Rear- Admiral of the Blue, Thomas Graves, hoisted his flag on board the Polyphemus in succession to Rear-Admiral Kingsmill. In consequence of the threatening attitude of the Northern Powers, necessitating decisive and immediate action on the part of the British Government, a large squadron, consisting of eighteen line-of -battle ships, in- cluding the Polyphemus, with several frigates, corvettes, sloops, brigs, bombs, and fire-ships, assembled at Yar- mouth under the command of Sir Hyde Parker, whose flag was flying on board the ninety -eight- gun ship London, with Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson as his second in command in the seventy-four-gun ship Elephant. This large force left Yarmouth Roads on the 12th of March 1 80 1, and passing the batteries at Elsinore with but little effective opposition, although a hot fire was opened on the ships as they sailed by, came to an anchor 12 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1736- off the island of Hven on the 30th March, about six miles from Copenhagen. On the 1st of April a division of the fleet under the immediate command of Lord Nelson, and to which the Polypliemus was attached, got under weigh and moved to an anchorage in seven and a half fathoms, to the south- ward of a shoal called the Middel Grund, and only about a couple of miles from the main defences of the capital. The navigation among the numerous shoals off Copen- hagen is at all times exceedingly difficult and intricate, and it was rendered all the more so on this occasion, from the fact that the Danes had caused all the buoys and beacons, that usually marked the channels, to be removed. It is not my object, or intention, to give a detailed account of the great battle that was fought on the ensuing day, and which Nelson himself characterises as " the greatest victory he ever gained " x — the " most hard- fought battle and the most complete victory that ever was fought and obtained by the navy of this country ; " 2 suffice it to say that the Polyphemus bore herself bravely, and took a very prominent part in that day's glorious but sanguinary engagement. Young Franklin, ever since he left the grammar-school at Louth, had been yearning for active service ; he must have experienced it to his heart's content when the old Polyphemus, in charge of brave Captain Lawford, in her appointed station in the line of battle, stood in and engaged the Danish block-ships, Wagner and Provesteen, besides receiving a very fair share of attention from 1 Vide Lord Nelson's letter to the Crown Prince of Denmark. 2 See Lord Nelson's letter to the Lord Mayor of London, 21st June 1802. 180].] BATTLE OF COPENHAGEN. 13 the guns of the formidable Tre Kroner battery. Her loss on this occasion was six killed and twenty - four wounded, among the former being one of Franklin's messmates, Mr. James Bell, midshipman. The total loss of the British during this engagement was 255 killed and 688 wounded; but this does not include those who were slightly wounded. 1 Rear -Admiral Graves, whose flag was flying on board the Polyphemus, was invested with the Order of the Bath as a reward for his services during the battle. On the 12th of April the English squadron left Copenhagen, and passing through the tortuous and shallow channel in the Sound, known as the Drogden, entered the Baltic. In order to effect this passage, the heavy-draft vessels had to be considerably lightened, the majority of them had consequently to transfer their guns temporarily into merchant ships, while special 1 The following is an extract from the official log of the Poly- phemus for the 2nd of April 1801: — "At 10.30 A.M. the division weighed per signal, the Edgar leading, the van consisting of Edgar, Elephant, Monarch, Ardent, Glutton, Defiance, Isis, Polyphemus, Bellona, Russell, and Ganges. At 10.45 tue Danes opened fire upon our leading ships, which was returned as they lead in. "We lead in at 11.20. "We anchored by the stern abreast of two of the enemy's ships moored in the channel ; the Isis next ahead of us. The force that engaged us was two ships, one of 74, the other 64 guns. At half-past eleven the action became general, and a continual fire was kept up between us and the enemy's ships and batteries. At noon a very heavy and constant fire was kept up between us and the enemy, and this was continued without any intermission until 45 minutes past 2, when the 74 abreast of us ceased firing ; but not being able to discern she had struck, our fire was kept up 15 minutes longer ; then we could perceive their people making their escape to the shore in boats. We ceased firing, and boarded both ships and took possession of them. Several others also taken possession of by the rest of our ships; one blown up in action, two sunk. Mustered ship's company, and found we had 6 men killed and 24 wounded, and 2 lower-deck guns disabled." 14 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1736- officers were employed in laying down buoys to mark the channel and point out the dangers. This, we may be sure, afforded our young friend valuable experience in the practical work of his profession ; it may reason- ably be inferred that it was among the shoals and sand- banks, and rapid irregular currents of the Baltic, that Franklin acquired his first lesson in that art of marine surveying in which he afterwards became so proficient. On the 13th of April, affairs between Denmark and England having, at any rate for the time, been amicably adjusted, young Franklin was discharged from the Poly- phemus to the Ms for passage to England. After a quick run home we find him, on the 27th April 1801, entered on the books of the Investigator as one of six midshipmen appointed to that ship, which had been specially brought forward and commissioned for dis- covery in the Southern Hemisphere. Her commander was Lieutenant Matthew Flinders, an officer who had already made a name for himself in the scientific world as an energetic explorer and a talented and skilful navigator. Flinders was appointed as lieutenant in command of the ship on the 26th January 1801, and on the 16th of the following month was promoted to the rank of com- mander. Being related to Franklin, he had, no doubt, used his influence in getting the boy home and ap- pointed to his ship. The Investigator (late Xenophon, an armed ship used for the purpose of convoying merchant vessels in the Channel) was an old vessel of about 330 tons burthen, somewhat of the size and description recommended by that eminent and successful navigator Captain Cook, as best adapted for voyages of exploration. She had 1801.] JOINS THE "INVESTIGATOR." 15 been purchased into the Royal Navy some years pre- viously, and having been newly coppered and thoroughly equipped, was considered as the most suitable vessel that could at that time be despatched for the contemplated exploration of Terra Australis and adjacent seas. She carried a complement of eighty-three officers and men. No better selection for the command of the Investi- gator could have been made, for Captain Flinders, besides being an officer of great experience, had already achieved much valuable and important geographical work in Aus- tralian waters. Matthew Flinders, like his young rela- tive Franklin, was a Lincolnshire man, born and educated at the small town of Donington, where his father was in practice as a surgeon. Living in the immediate vicinity of the sea, and constantly associating with seafaring men, it is not to be wondered at that he was soon imbued with the desire to become a sailor. His earnest entreaties were complied with, and at the early age of fourteen he was bound apprentice in the merchant service; join- ing a ship shortly afterwards, he sailed on a voyage to the South Seas, where he had the rare treat of beholding and visiting the lovely islands of the Sandwich and So- ciety Groups. This trip to the Pacific only served to whet the appetite of young Flinders for the sea, and to arouse in him a desire for further exploration and adven- ture. On his return to England from this first cruise, so persistent was he in his importunities to become a sailor, and above all a naval officer, that he succeeded, through the influence of Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, in obtaining, in the early part of 1795, an appointment as midship- man on board the Reliance. This ship was at the time fitting out for the purpose of conveying Captain William Hunter to New South Wales, in succession to Captain 16 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1786. Phillip as governor of the newly-formed colony. The Lincolnshire boy was delighted with his appointment, believing that the Australian station of all others would offer the best opportunities for the exploration of un- known regions, and would, therefore, the better enable him to gratify his cravings for the discovery of new countries. Perhaps it will be as well to give in the next chapter a very brief sketch of the geographical work that had already been accomplished in the Southern Hemisphere, prior to the departure from England of the Reliance in 1 795 with young Flinders on board. CHAPTER II. EXPLORATION OF AUSTRALIA. 1567-1795. " Ye lonely isles ! on ocean's bound Ye bloom'd through time's long flight unknown, Till Cook the untrack'd billow pass'd, Till he along the surges cast Philanthrop's connecting zone." — Helen M. Williams. Fnosi earliest times there had always been some vague idea of the existence of a large southern continent in the immediate neighbourhood of the South Pole, to balance, as it was believed, the great accumulation of land in the Northern Hemisphere. Imbued with this idea, the Spaniards were the first to attempt a practical realisa- tion of the theory that had been so long held and ac- cepted. With this object in view, namely, the discovery of the supposed great southern continent, an expedition consisting of two ships was despatched from Callao in Peru in 1567. The command of it was intrusted to the nephew of the governor, a young soldier named Don Alvaro Mendafia. After a voyage across the Southern Ocean, extending over a period of three months, the welcome report of " Land ahead " was received from the advanced ship, and in February 1568 the vessels cast anchor in a large and commodious harbour. It was 17 B IS LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- not, howevei*, Australia ; after discovering and naming many islands in the Solomon Group, the expedition returned to Peru. In 1595, twenty-seven years after his return from the voyage above alluded to, Mendana, still bent on dis- covery, again sailed from Callao in command of a squad- ron of four small ships. In this voyage the Marquesas and the Santa Cruz islands were discovered, but they failed in finding that great southern continent which was the principal object of their search. This expedition terminated disastrously. Mendana died, and only one vessel, on board which was his widow and the pilot Quiros, succeeded in reaching Manilla in safety. In 1606 another expedition was despatched from the port of Callao under the command of Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, who was Mendana's pilot during his last voyage ; the second in command was Luis Vaez de Torres. The expedition consisted of two well-armed vessels and a cor- vette. On the 30th April 1606, land was sighted, and so extensive did it appear, that the explorers had no doubt it was the great Australian continent of which they were in search. The discovery was hailed with joyous accla- mations, and the name of Australia del Espiritu Santo was given to the land. But alas ! it was not what they hoped and expected ; it was simply the largest island of the New Hebrides group, which still retains the name given it by Quiros. After leaving this island, they encountered heavy weather, during which the ships separated. Quiros then made sail for South America. Torres, however, continued the voyage, and in August sighted the island of New Guinea, and discovered the strait between that island and the continent of Aus- tralia which now bears his name. Although this is the 1795.] THE DUTCH DISCOVER AUSTRALIA. 19 first authentic record of the coast of Australia having been actually sighted, it is quite certain, from old maps that are still in existence, that the continent of Terra Australis, as it was then more generally called, had been sighted by Dutch, and perhaps also by Portuguese, navi- gators. At the same time that Torres was prosecuting his discoveries, a small Dutch vessel called the Duyfhen was, it is reported, sent from Bantam for the purpose of exploring the coast of New Guinea. It is alleged that this vessel sailed along the west coast of an extensive continent (supposed to be in the Gulf of Carpentaria, and which they thought was New Guinea), to as far as 13° 45' S. latitude. If this be true — and there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of the captain's statement — the credit for the discovery of Australia should be awarded to the commander of the Duyfhen, who actually sighted and sailed along the coast, four months before Torres saw the northern part of the continent. In 1686 a Dutchman named Dirck Hartog of Amster- dam, in a ship called the Eendragt, outward bound from Holland to India, sailed along the west coast of Aus- tralia from 23 to 26|° S. latitude. A record of his dis- covery, cut with a knife on a plate of tin, was found in Sharks Bay in 1697, and subsequently in 1801. It bore the following inscription : — "Anno 1616 the 25th October arrived here the ship Eendragt of Amsterdam ; the first merchant Gilles Mibais Van Luyck, Dirck Hartog of Amsterdam, captain. They sailed from hence for Bantam the 27th Dec." One or two other Dutch outward-bound ships sighted the west coast during the next few years; and in 1622 the Dutch ship Leeuwin sighted the south-west point of Australia, which fact has been permanently established 20 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- by that headland still bearing the name of Cape Leewin. In the following year, two ships under command of Jan Carstens sailed from Am boy n a on a voyage of discovery. At New Guinea, Carstens with eight of his crew were treacherously murdered by the natives. The vessels, how- ever, proceeded on the voyage, and made some discoveries to the southward ; but the accounts are too vague to ascertain accurately the exact track of the vessels. In January 1627, the south coast of Australia was dis- covered by Pieter Nuyts in the Dutch ship Guide Zeepaard, and was called by him Nuyt's Land. The most important Dutch voyages made at about this time were those of Abel Janz Tasman, who w T as despatched in 1642, and again in 1644, on voyages of ex- ploration by the Dutch governor-general of Java, Antony Van Diemen, " who sent us out to make discoveries." Tasman sailed from Batavia on his first voyage in August 1642, in the yacht Heemshirk, accompanied by the fly- boat Zeehaan. In October he reached Mauritius, thence he steered to the south-east, and on the 24th November sighted land which proved to be the island now known as Tasmania, but to which Tasman gave the name of his em- ployer, Van Diemen. Sailing round the south end of the island, they eventually came to an anchor in a sheltered harbour on the east coast, to which they gave the name of Frederik Hendrik's Bay, a name it still retains. Here they landed to search for water, wood, and refresh- ments. Although traces of men were found, and human voices it was supposed were heard, they did not succeed in establishing communication with, or even seeing, the natives. On the 4th December they weighed anchor and continued their course to the eastward, and on the 13th sighted the high mountains on the west coast of New 1795.] TASMAN'S VOYAGES. 21 Zealand, in latitude 42° 10' S. Tasman anchored his ships in a bay at the entrance of the strait separating the two islands. Here his boat was attacked by the natives, and several of his men were killed : he named the bay, in consequence, " Moordenaars " (Murderer's) Bay; it is now known as Massacre Bay. Tasman gave the name of Staten Land to this newly-discovered country, after the States-General of the Netherlands, imagining it was part of the great southern continent. Its name was, however, subsequently changed to New Zealand, by which it is now known. Steering to the northward, he sailed up the east coast of Australia, but without sighting it, and returned by the north coast of New Guinea, arriving at Batavia on the 15th of June 1643. Tasman was again despatched the following year on a voyage of discovery, but it is much to be regretted that no accounts of this voyage have ever been made public. It seems, however, clear from his charts that he made a careful exploration of the Gulf of Carpentaria, so named after Carpenter, who was the President of the Dutch East India Company. Tasman was a bold and fortunate navigator, but he was also a careful and a skilful one, as is evidenced by his surveys, which, con- sidering the somewhat rude appliances that were in use in those days for determining and fixing positions, are very fairly accurate. In 1688, our famous buccaneering navigator, William Dampier, made a voyage round the world, and anchored on the north-west coast of Terra Australia Incognita, as it was then called, in a harbour in the neighbourhood of King Sound, for the purpose of careening and repairing his ship, an operation which occupied the crew about two months. Dampier writes : " New Holland is a very large 22 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- tract of land. It is not yet determined whether it is an island or a main continent ; but I am certain that it joins neither to Asia, Africa, nor America." In 1696, another Dutch captain, named William de Vlaming, visited the west coast of Australia in the ship Geelvink, and discovered and named the Swan River. 1 He brought back two live black swans to Batavia with him, the earliest notice that we have of the existence of these birds. Whilst exploring along the coast to the northward, the tin plate with the insci'iption commemo- rating the discovery of Dirck Hartog in 16 16 (see page 19, ante) was found. This expedition made a thorough examination of the west coast from the mouth of the Swan River to the North-West Cape. Three years afterwards, namely, in 1699, the west coast was again visited by Captain William Dampier in H.M.S. Roebuck, who was sent out on a voyage of discovery by William III. It was, however, barren of important results, as he simply followed in the footsteps of those who had preceded him, verifying their work but making no fresh discoveries. In spite of the numerous voyages that had been made to the great southern continent, some of which have been here briefly alluded to, our knowledge of the coast of Terra Australis was very incomplete and very limited, when Captain James Cook sailed on his first voyage of discovery in 1768. The western coast of Australia was then known as New Holland ; it had been more frequently sighted and visited by navigators than any other part of the continent. The east coast was entirely unknown. New Guinea to the north, and Van Diemen's Land to the south, were believed to be portions of one 1 It was named, by de Vlaming, the Black Swan River. 1795.] COOK'S FIRST SOUTH SEA VOYAGE. 23 and the same continent, the latter being supposed to be a prolongation of the land discovered by Pieter Nuyts to the southward. Even the Australia del Espiritu Santo of Quiros was, if in existence, supposed to belong to the mainland. All was vagueness, uncertainty, and con- jecture. It remained for our great navigator Cook to lift the veil of doubt and uncertainty which still enshrouded the great southern land, and by his ability and energy to give to his country a continent that in riches and importance is now second to no empire in the world. Captain Cook sailed from England in the Endeavour on the 26th August 1768 ; the principal object of the expedi- tion which he commanded being a voyage to the South Sea for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus. This being accomplished, the Endeavour was ordered to prosecute discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, and make a more accurate examination of the Pacific Ocean. Cook was accompanied by Sir Joseph Banks, afterwards President of the Royal Society, a great scholar and an ardent investigator in the pursuit of science, and by Dr. Solander, an accomplished botanist and naturalist. The transit of Yenus having been satisfactorily ob- served on the 3rd June 1769 at Otaheite, the Endeavour, after a stay of three months at that island, sailed on the 13th of the following month, and after cruising for a short time among the islands which were named by Cook the Society Group, a course was shaped for New Zealand, which was sighted at daylight on October the 6th. 1 On the 8th the ship dropped anchor in a large bay, which received the name of Poverty Bay, on account 1 The look-out at the masthead, who reported this land, was a boy named Nicholas Young ; it was named, after him, by Captain Cook, Young Nick's Head. 24 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- of the inhospitable, not to say hostile, reception the expedition met with at the hands of the natives. Some months were profitably employed in the exploration of the coast of this little known land, during which New Zealand was completely circumnavigated, and found to consist of two large islands ; after much valuable and important geographical work had been accomplished, the Endeavour sailed to the westward, bent on further exploration and research. On the morning of the 18th of April 1770, land was observed by the first lieutenant, and was named, after him, Point Hicks. Thence Captain Cook sailed northwards, and rounding the south-east point of Australia, which he called Cape Howe, he anchored in a safe and capacious bay on the 26th, which was subsequently named Botany Bay, in consequence of the great variety and richness of the plants collected there by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander. Here they remained for ten days, engaged in scientific pursuits and in endeavouring to conciliate the natives, many of whom were induced to come down to the ship. Sailing on the 6th of May, they proceeded to the northward, discovering and naming Port Jackson, on the shores of which is now situated the important city of Sydney, the capital of New South Wales. Moreton Bay, at the head of which now stands Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, was also discovered and named. During this voyage Captain Cook sailed along the entire eastern coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales, taking possession of it in the name of His Majesty King George the Third. Hitherto the En- deavour had been safely navigated among dangerous shoals and hidden rocks, and other unknown dangers, with a surprising immunity from disaster. This exemp 1795.] COOK'S SHIP IN GREAT PERIL. 25 tion from casualties was, however, not to last ; for at about eleven o'clock on the night of the ioth June 1770, the ship struck heavily on a rock, and remained im- movable. The situation was certainly not a pleasant one, for the loss of the ship meant the possible loss of all on board, as the chances of saving themselves by their boats alone, so many thousands of miles from any place where they could hope to obtain relief and succour, were very small indeed. Everything was, however, done that skill and experience could suggest in order to ex- tricate the ship from her perilous condition, but for some time without avail, and she continued to beat with great violence on the rocks upon which she had struck. By the dim light of the moon that prevailed, they could see portions of the false keel, and other parts of the bottom of their good ship, that had been torn and wrenched off by the sharp, jagged edges of the rocks, floating around them, and it seemed extremely impro- bable that she would hold together for another tide. Fortunately there was but little wind, and as the tide fell, the ship settled down more quietly in her rocky cradle. Every effort was then made to lighten her ; six guns were thrown overboard, as well as a quantity of iron and stone ballast and other stores, and the water was also started. When daylight broke, they found the ship was making a considerable amount of water, which the pumps were unable to control. Their great fear now was that as the tide rose, the ship might float off, and immediately sink in deeper water ; but, to their great surprise, and no less gratification, they found, when she floated, that not only were their fears groundless, but also that the pumps gained considerably on the leak. In order to obtain this advantage, however, the men had to 26 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- remain unceasingly at work, a duty which entailed hard and incessant labour. Being unable to get at the leak from the inside of the ship, and being naturally desirous of ascertaining its extent, and, if possible, taking such steps to prevent the great inflow of water, which caused - such harassing and severe physical exertions on the part of the crew, Captain Cook, at the suggestion, he tells us, of Mr. Markhouse, one of the midshipmen of the ship, ordered a sail to be thrummed, 1 and, thus prepared, hauled under the bottom of the ship. The suction of the water at the leak dragged the sail into the injured part, and thus materially reduced, to their no small comfort and joy, the amount of water that found its way into the Endeavour. The ship was then brought in close to the land, and anchored in a snug little har- bour at the mouth of a river, which received the name of Endeavour River, and here she was thoroughly overhauled and repaired. The point of land in the immediate vicinity of the scene of the disaster was called Point Tribulation, to commemorate the unfortu- nate event. It was during the time the ship was in Endeavour River that kangaroos were first seen, killed, and eaten. The repairs being effected, a start was once more made; and sailing through Torres Strait, though not without experiencing many dangers and no few difficulties, Cook returned to England, passing the Lizard on the ioth June 177 1, thus completing his first voyage of discovery in the South Seas, during which time he circumnavigated New Zealand, sailed along the entire east coast of Australia, and performed altogether one of the most remarkable voyages on record. 1 A sail is thrummed by stitching yarns and oakum of the neces- sary dimensions on to the sail. 1795.] COOK'S SECOND VOYAGE. 27 It was not likely that so experienced and skilful a navigator as Captain Cock would be allowed to remain for any length of time inactive and unemployed. Im- mediately on his arrival in England he was promoted to the rank of commander, and in the following year was appointed to the command of an expedition, that had for its object the h'nal determination of the existence, or otherwise, of a southern continent. He was also directed to circumnavigate the globe in as high a southern latitude as possible. The expedition consisted of two vessels, the Resolution, under the immediate command of Captain Cook, and the Adventure, commanded by Captain Furneaux. The ships left Plymouth on the 13th July 1772, and after touching at the Cape of Good Hope, crossed the Antarctic Circle, and reached the latitude of 67° 15' S., when their further progress to the southward was effectually im- peded by ice. After vain endeavours to penetrate to a higher latitude, during which time the ships got sepa- rated, Captain Cook sailed for New Zealand, which he reached on the 25th March 1773, after having been at sea for 117 consecutive days, during which time he sailed over 10,000 miles without seeing land. Two months later the Adventure was fallen in with at an appointed rendezvous, after a separation of fourteen weeks. During that time Captain Furneaux had suc- ceeded in exploring some portions of Van Diemen's Land. New Zealand was left on the 7th of June, after various animals, such as sheep, pigs, goats, cocks and hens, and even a couple of geese, of each sex, had been landed, with the view of eventually stocking tho country with these useful domestic animals, whilst potatoes, car- rots, onions, parsnips, cabbage, beans, turnips and other edible vegetables were planted. On the 17th of August 28 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- the ships arrived at Otaheite, where much-needed rest and refreshment were obtained by the crews. After visiting several islands in the Society and other groups, the expedition again directed its course towards New Zealand, which was sighted on the 21st of October; shortly afterwards they experienced a furious storm, during which the ships were again separated, never to meet again during the remainder of the voyage. Captain Cook sailed from New Zealand on the 26th of November, and proceeded to the southward to renew his search for the great southern continent ; but he was again baffled by ice, and after reaching the 7 1 st degree of south latitude, he relinquished all further attempts, and pursued a northerly course. Easter Island was reached on the nth March 1774, and the Marquesas during the early part of the following month. On April 22nd the Resolution anchored at Otaheite, more for the purpose of determining the rate of the chronometers than for any other reason, although they gladly availed themselves of the opportunity to furnish the ship with a much-needed supply of fresh provisions, which were, it is needless to add, highly appreciated after their long sea-cruise. After a stay of about four weeks, Captain Cook took his departure from Otaheite, and after visiting some of the adjacent islands sailed to the westward, and passing through the New Hebrides Group (so named by him), and visiting and naming several of the islands in it, he discovered and named the large island of New Caledonia, as also Norfolk Island, eventually anchoring in Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand, on the 18th of October. Leaving New Zealand on the 10th of the following month, Captain Cook rounded Cape Horn in December, and after making another attempt to reach 1795.] COOK'S THIRD VOYAGE. 29 a high southern latitude, during which time he dis- covered and named New Georgia, he sailed for England, and finally anchored his ship at Spithead on the 30th July 1775, a fter an absence of a little over three years. His consort, the Adventtire, had reached England on the 14th July the previous year. It is needless to allude here to the great skill, the remarkable energy, and the perseverance that were displayed by our great navigator during this wonderful voyage, for they are matters of history ; immediately on his arrival in England he was advanced to the rank of post-captain and appointed a captain of Greenwich Hos- pital ; he was shortly after elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and presented with the Copley gold medal of that institution. Captain Cook, however, was not permitted to enjoy his comfortable appointment at Greenwich for any length of time, for on the 1 oth February 1776 he was selected for, and appointed to, the command of an expe- dition that had for its primary object the discovery of a north east passage by Bering's Strait, a project the successful execution of which had so long baffled the boldness and skill of many enterprising navigators. The vessels selected for this important service were the Resolution and the Discovery. Captain Cook was appointed to the command of his old ship, while the command of the Discovery was intrusted to Captain Charles Clerke. Captain Cook sailed from England on the 12th of July 1776, and calling at the Cape of Good Hope in November, proceeded on his voyage to the south-east, spending two or three days, including Christmas, at Kerguelen Island, where they found a record in a 30 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- bottle, which clearly proved they were not the first people, as they had supposed, who had landed on this sterile and inhospitable island. Van Diemen's Land was reached on the 26th January 1777, and the neces- sary supplies of wood and water obtained. The next stage was to their old anchorage in Queen Charlotte's Sound in New Zealand ; thence the expedition proceeded to the Friendly Islands and Otaheite, at all of winch places officers and men were regaled with fresh pro- visions, while a considerable stock was laid in for their forthcoming cruise. The Society Islands were left on the 2nd of December, and three weeks after, the Equator was crossed. The Sandwich Islands were reached and named towards the end of January 1778. Continuing their course northwards, the ships sighted the coast of New Albion on the 7th of March, and on the 29th of the same month anchored off Vancouver Island, in a large inlet which Cook named King George's Sound, but which they subsequently found was called Nootka by the natives. The ships sailed again on the 26th of April, and, in spite of tempestuous weather, slowly but surely worked their way in a northerly direction. On May 12th the expedition anchored in a large bay on the south coast of Alaska, which received the name of Prince William Sound. The island of Oonalaska was reached on the 27th of June, and, after a stay of a few days, the ships resumed their voyage northwards. On the 9th of July, Cape Prince of Wales was named, and on the following day the expedition had the satisfac- tion of passing through Bering's Strait. Steering first to the east and then due north, the latitude of 70 33' was reached on the 17th July, when, after proceeding ten miles farther in a northerly direction, their prog- 1795.] CAPTAIN COOK'S DEATH. 31 ress was stopped by a large field of ice, so compact as to defy all efforts at penetration. Captain Cook perse- vered in his endeavours to penetrate the pack in several different directions until the 29th July, but always with- out success, for every day the ice seemed to increase and offer a more effective obstacle to advancement. Think- ing, therefore, that the season was too far advanced, he relinquished further attempts to explore in a northerly direction for that year, and returned to the southward, collecting much valuable geographical information on the way. On the 30th of November, the island of Owlryhee (Hawai) was discovered, and seven weeks were spent in sailing round and exploring its coast. On the 17th of January 1779 the two ships came to an anchor in Kara- kakooa Bay, and here Captain Cook determined to refit his ships and refresh his men, preparatory to making another voyage to Bering's Strait. The details of the lamentable death of our great navigator in this harbour, on the 14th of the following month, are so well known that further allusion to it here is rendered unnecessary. The voyages and discoveries of Captain Cook bear so intimately on the work of Sir John Franklin in both hemispheres, that I have touched upon them somewhat more in detail than I had intended. It is only neces- sary to add, that after the irreparable loss sustained by the death of their commander, the two ships, under the command of Captain Clerke, left the Sandwich Islands in prosecution of the main object of the expedition on the 1 5 th March. On the 28th of the following month the vessels anchored off Petropaulowski in Kamchatka, where the officers and men were most cordially received and hospitably entertained by the Russian authorities, who provided them with every necessary that the place could 32 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1567- supply, even at the cost of much inconvenience and privation to themselves. Leaving Petropaulowski on the 13 th June, the expedition sailed through Bering's Strait on the 5th of July, but their further progress was arrested two days afterwards by a solid barrier of ice. They continued to search for a passage until the 27th, but, in spite of all efforts, they were unable to penetrate to within ten miles of the latitude reached by them the previous year under Captain Cook. Realising the impracticability, under the existing conditions of the ice, of accomplishing the much wished- for passage that season, they reluctantly returned to the southward, when, after achieving some useful geographical work in the Pacific, the ships sailed for England, where they arrived in October, after an absence of four years two months and twenty-two clays. Other navigators, at different times, visited the coast of Terra Australis, and even made the passage through Torres Strait ; but as the amount of exploration and the work accomplished by them were, for the most part, comparatively unimportant, it is unnecessary to make any further reference to them here. One of the chief and most important results leading from the discoveries of Captain Cook, was the formation of a colony in New South Wales. On the 19th of January 1788, nine years after the death of the great navigator, Captain Arthur Phillip, of the Royal Navy, arrived at Botany Bay in H.M. brig Supply, and established the first settlement in Australia. He was soon followed by Captain Hunter in the Syrius, with six transports and three store-ships. The settlement was shortly afterwards removed to Port Jackson, a much better harbour situated about ten miles to the northward, where the present 1795.] FIRST AUSTRALIAN COLONY. 33 town of Sydney was founded, and Captain Phillip thus became the first Governor of the colony of New South Wales. In the year 1795, Captain William Hunter was appointed to relieve Captain Phillip in the government of the new colony, and sailed from England in the Reliance, taking with him, as was mentioned in the preceding chapter, young Matthew Flinders as one of his midshipmen. CHAPTER III. FLINDERS AND BASS— EXAMINATION OF THE SEA-BOARD OF AUSTRALIA. 1795-1803. " As when to those who saile Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past Mozambie, off at sea, north-east winds blow Sabean odours from the spicie shore of Arabie the blest." — Paradise Lost. On the arrival of the Reliance at Sydney Cove, young Flinders found that the existing knowledge of the coast in the vicinity of Port Jackson was exceedingly limited. No detailed survey had been attempted, nor was there even a correct delineation of the coast-line, except in the case of those discoveries that had been published in Cap- tain Cook's general chart. So keen an interest did this young and enthusiastic midshipman take in the work of geographical research that he at once determined to use his utmost exertions in striving to supply the deficiency. Fortunately there was on board the Reliance a kindred spirit in the person of Mr. George Bass, the assistant- surgeon, whose enthusiasm for the promotion of geo- graphical discovery was equal to, if not greater than, that of his younger friend. These two officers, although, incredible to relate, they met with no encouragement from their superiors, set to work with resolution and 34 1795.] SURVEY BY FLINDERS AND BASS. 35 pei'seve ranee, fully determined, to the utmost of their power and ability, to complete the examination of the coast of New South Wales so far as the limited means at their disposal would admit, and whenever, be it noted, they could be spared from their own particular duties on board the Reliance. The success attending the praiseworthy attempts of these young officers to throw light on the darkness that surrounded this hitherto unexplored and almost unknown coast, was commensurate with the energy and resolution displayed. By their own unaided efforts, they equipped a small boat only eight feet in length, and not inappro- priately named the Tom Thumb, and with a crew con- sisting of themselves and one boy, they sailed from Port Jackson on their first surveying expedition. Thus the somewhat anomalous picture is presented to us, of a young midshipman and an assistant- surgeon in the navy, undertaking to execute what must be considered as a very important survey of the hitherto practically un- known coast of Australia, entirely on their own resources, unaided and unassisted by those who were better able, and perhaps, from their experience, better qualified to undertake the service and bring it to a successful issue. The result of their first attempt was the exploration, for a considerable distance, of George's River, which falls into Botany Bay, and an extension of the knowledge of this river to some twenty miles beyond Captain Hunter's previous survey. This was a work of some importance, for it led to the foundation of a new settlement, which was called Bank's Town, after Sir Joseph Banks, the companion of Cook in his first voyage, and the learned President of the Royal Society. Their second venture was of a more extended character 36 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795- than the first, although their means were just as limited, for it was carried out, as before, in the little Tom Thumb. Their objective on this occasion was the exploration of a large river that emptied itself into the sea some miles to the southward of Botany Bay, but of the existence of which there was no indication on the chart of Captain Cook. Sailing from Port Jackson on the 5th March 1795, a thorough and careful examination of the coast was effected by these young officers, until a heavy gale of wind springing up from the southward, not only neces- sitated a temporary discontinuance of their work, but threatened to overwhelm their tiny boat. The dangers to which our young explorers were thus exposed were materially increased by the intense darkness of the night, the strong and irregular currents that prevailed, and their ignorance of any sheltered bay or harbour in their vicinity. During all this long, anxious night, Flinders remained at the steer oar, and it was only by his constant watchfulness and skill, that the little craft did not broach to and capsize. Bass attended the sheet, an important duty, on the vigilant execution of which their lives depended, whilst the boy was kept fully em- ployed baling out the water that was constantly breaking into the boat. At length, when their strength was almost exhausted, breakers were discovered ahead ; the mast and sail were quickly struck, and bending valiantly to the oars, they succeeded in carrying their little craft into smooth water under the lee of an extensive reef, and thus reached comparative safety, after being for some hours in a very perilous and critical position. This was only one of the numerous dangers and perils, voluntarily faced in the cause of geographical research by our ardent and brave explorers. The bay in which they so miracu- 1303.] BASS'S STRAIT DISCOVERED. 37 lously procured shelter was named by them Providential Cove, in remembrance of their deliverance on this occa- sion — a name it still bears. Three years later Dr. Bass, in an open whale-boat with a crew only of six seamen, explored over 600 miles of coast-line to the southward of Port Jackson, 300 miles of which were entirely new. In his small and frail craft, exposed during the greater part of the time to very tempestuous weather, accompanied, as is invariably the case in those latitudes, by a high and raging sea, this energetic officer persevered until he discovered the strait separating Australia from Tasmania, and which now, very properly, bears his name. Although he ouly carried with him pi-ovisions to last for an anticipated absence of six weeks, he was able, with the assistance of petrels, fish, geese, and black swans that he succeeded in obtaining, and also by parsimonious economy and abstinence, to prolong his voyage to eleven weeks ! The farthest point on the mainland reached by him was Western Port. This voyage, in a small open boat, was a feat that for fearlessness and determination has scarcely been equalled in the annals of geography or maritime enterprise. During the period that Dr. Bass was absent on this expedition, his young friend Flinders was not idle ; for, having first obtained permission from Governor Hunter, he embarked on board the schooner Francis, and sailed in her on the 1st February 1798 to Preservation Island, one of the Furneaux group. This vessel, it should be observed, had been despatched for the purpose of saving the cargo, or some portion of it, of a vessel that had recently been wrecked there, as well as with the object of bringing back the few men who had been left in 38 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795- cliarge of the wreckage. During this cruise young Flinders did excellent work in fixing the positions of various parts of the coast, and in obtaining valuable and important information on many points relative to the places visited, their inhabitants, natural history, geo- logical formation, &c. He returned to Port Jackson on the 9th of March. Writing of the Furneaux Islands, and referring to the noise made by the thousands of seals that infest the group, Flinders says : — " Those who have seen a farm-yard, well stocked with pigs, calves, sheep, oxen, and with two or three litters of puppies with their mothers in it, and have heard them all in tumult together, may form a good idea of the confused noise of the seals at Cone Point. The sailors killed as many of these harmless and not unamiable creatures, as they were able to skin during the time necessary for me to take the requisite angles, and we then left the poor affrighted multitude to recover from the effects of our inauspicious visit." At length, after earnest and repeated solicitations, the zeal and perseverance of Bass and Flinders received some official notice. A small sloop of twenty-five tons, named the Norfolk, was placed by the Governor of New South Wales at their disposal, for the purpose of com- pleting the survey and exploration of Bass's Strait. They sailed from Port Jackson on the 7 th October 1798, with a crew consisting of eight volunteers, and with provisions to last for a contemplated absence of twelve weeks. During this cruise Twofold Bay was carefully examined, and the northern coast of Tasmania was thoroughly exploi'ed, besides many adjacent islets, the habitat of seals and albatrosses innumerable. In- deed, on some of the islands on which they landed, the explorers had to fight their way up the cliffs through 1803.] COAST OF TASMANIA SURVEYED. 39 crowded masses of seals, who indignantly resented the strange, and, to them, unwarrantable intrusion. On reaching the summit, they were frequently compelled to use their clubs and staves in order to clear a way through the albatrosses, which they found sitting on their nests in such large numbers as to literally cover the surface of the ground. All the different positions of the various prominent head-lands, capes, &c, were accurately fixed by our young explorers by careful astro- nomical observations, and the fact of the insularity of Tasmania, previously reported by Dr. Bass, was now actually verified by the Norfolk sailing through Bass's Strait. This Strait, it may be noted, was named at the special request of young Flinders, after his companion and colleague. The Norfolk returned to Port Jackson on the nth January 1799. Flinders was next engaged on an exploring expedition to the northward, when Moreton and Harvey's Bays, discovered and named by Captain Cook, were thoroughly examined. He returned to England in the Reliance in 1 800, after an absence of over five years, during which time he had, by sheer industry and perseverance, quali- fied himself as a skilful and expert sailor, and had gained the reputation of being an experienced and accomplished navigator. On the arrival of the ship in England, the charts containing all the new surveys and discoveries were published, and a scheme was submitted for completing the examination of the coast of Australia. This plan met with the cordial support of Sir Joseph Banks, the President of the Royal Society, and other men interested in the science of geography, who were all strongly im- pressed with the importance and necessity of completing 40 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1801. the work. Backed by suck eminent authorities, it is not surprising to find that the scheme was favourably received by, and met with the hearty approval of, Lord Spencer, the First Lord of the Admiralty, who having received the sanction of His Majesty, gave the necessary directions that an expedition, as proposed, should be despatched. Mr. Flinders was, as a matter of course, selected as the most fitting person to command it. The Investigator, as already related in a previous chapter, was the ship chosen for this important service, and everything being ready, she sailed from Spithead on the 18th of July 1 80 1. In addition to her complement of eighty-three officers and men, she had on board an astronomer, 1 a naturalist, a landscape painter, 2 as well as a natural history painter, a gardener, and a miner. The instructions that Captain Flinders received were to make as complete an examination as was possible of the coast of New Holland, as Australia was then called. The south coast was in the first place to be thoroughly explored between King George's Sound and Bass's Strait, and diligent search was to be made for any " creek or opening likely to lead to an inland sea or strait," 3 Sydney Cove (on the shore of which our first Aus- tralian colonists had been established for about thirteen years) was selected as the head-quarters of the expe- dition, and here they were ordered to refit, and provide 1 Mr. Crosley, but this gentleman was subsequently relieved by Mr. Inman, who was the Professor of Mathematics and Nautical Science at the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth for many years. 2 This was the eminent painter "William "Westall, who afterwards became an Associate of the Royal Academy. 3 Extract from the instructions received by Captain Flinders from the Admiralty. CAPTAIX FLINDE1IS. 1801.] FRANKLIN UNDER CAPTAIN FLINDERS. 43 themselves with all the necessary supplies procurable. On the completion of the survey of the south coast, Captain Flinders was directed to turn his attention to the exploration of the north-west coast of New Holland, where valuable harbours, it was thought probable, might be discovered. He was then ordered to examine the coast to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and make an exhaus- tive survey of Torres Strait. This being accomplished, he was instructed to carefully examine the east coast, with permission to visit the Fiji, and other islands situated in the South Sea. It will thus be seen that the work he was required to undertake, was of a gigantic and elaborate nature, for it was, in reality, an examination of the entire sea-board of Australia that he was expected and ordered to carry out • he was, it may be observed, significantly enjoined not to return to England until this was satisfactorily accomplished ! With such an enthusiast in the cause of geographical science for his captain, it is not surprising to find that young Franklin took kindly to his new duties, and speedily gave practical evidence of his skill as a sailor and his ability as a surveyor. Home associations were undoubtedly a bond of mutual sympathy and connection between the man and the boy, and the friendly inter- course that, in consequence, existed between the captain and the midshipman must have been greatly to the advantage of the latter, and, doubtless, aided to mould the mind and guide the thoughts of the younger to those scientific pursuits which ultimately so distinguished him. It is very reasonable for us to infer that it was, in all probability, in exploring miles of practically un- known coast-line, and in surveying hitherto undiscovered 44 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795- bays, reefs, and islands in the Southern Hemisphere, that John Franklin's mind became imbued with that ardent love of geographical research, which formed such a marked and prominent feature in his future profes- sional career. Flinders was the example, and the Aus- tralian exploration was the school, that created one of our greatest Arctic navigators, and one of the most eminent geogi'aphers of his day. Before the Investigator had been many days at sea, palpable evidence was afforded of her general unsea- worthiness, for before even Madeira was reached, she was making as much as three, afterwards increasing to five, inches of water per hour, and her general unsuita- bility as an exploring ship, in a part of the world where boisterous weather was sure to be experienced, was only too plain. Captain Flinders, ever loyal to his superiors, endeavours to apologise for the unseaworthy state and general unfit condition of his ship, and explains as an excuse for her selection and adoption for the work on which she was to be employed, that " the exigencies of the navy were such, at that time, that he was given to understand that no better ship could he spared from the service ; and his anxiety to complete the investigation of the coasts of Terra Austral is did not admit of refusing the one offered." It may be here remarked that the distinct and appropriate appellation of Australia was given to the great south land at the suggestion, and on the re- commendation, of Captain Flinders. Referring to the name by which it was then known, namely, Terra Aus- tralis, he writes, in a footnote at page 3 of the introduc- tion to his valuable and interesting work entitled " A Voyage to Terra Australis," " Had I permitted myself any innovation upon the original term, it would have 1803.] SURVEY OF SOUTH COAST OF AUSTRALIA. 45 been to convert it into Australia, as being more agreeable to the ear, and an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the earthy After touching at the Cape of Good Hope, the Inves- tigator anchored in King George's Sound, in Western Australia, on the 8th of December. Here they remained for four weeks, a period that was profitably employed in refitting the rigging and sails and repairing the ship generally, also in examining and surveying the Sound. Thence Flinders sailed along the south shore of Australia, hitherto known as Nuyt's Land, from the Dutch skipper who first discovered it, and carefully examined the coast of what is now called the Great Australian Bight. The running survey that was carried out on this occasion was so complete and so accurate, that the coast-line, as de- lineated by Captain Flinders, remains unaltered on the charts of the present day. The land along this coast was fringed by a range of high cliffs, estimated at from four to six hundred feet in height, and so uniform was the appearance of the shore in the neighbourhood, that it was found to be almost impossible to define, and name, any particular points, or capes, in consequence of the similarity of one headland to another. Captain Flinders was under the impression that this bank, or fringe, of cliffs, which extends for a distance of about 500 miles, was, in all probability, the exterior line of a vast coral reef, which, from a gradual subsidence, or perhaps by some sudden convulsion of Nature, had attained its pre- sent position and height above the surface of the sea. The examination of this interesting coast afforded much new and valuable information. We may take it for granted that young Franklin all this time, was not only rapidly acquiring valuable expe- 46 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795- rience in, arid a practical knowledge of his professional duties, but that he was also able to afford substantial assistance in the surveying work that was being carried out. Indeed, we may be assured that this was the case, for we find his name associated with a couple of islands belonging to the St. Francis group, situated off the coast of what is now known as South Australia, and which Flinders named the Fr-anklin Isles, after his young protege. It must have been a proud day for our Lincolnshire midshipman when he was informed that his name was thus, for the first time, to be immortal- ised as a discoverer and explorer. Another island in Spencer Gulf was named Spilsby Island, presumably after the home and birthplace of Franklin ; whilst a large bight on the coast was called Louth Bay, and two low islands in the same locality were called Louth Islands, after the town in Lincoln- shire in which our young friend received the rudiments of his education. We may, I think, safely infer, from the nomenclature thus conferred on these places, that Franklin was, in some way, instrumental in their dis- covery, or subsequent examination. The harbour in Spencer's Gulf, which formed the most interesting part of the discovery, received the appellation of Port Lin- coln, in honour of the county from which both Flinders and Franklin hailed. During this cruise a sad affair occurred through the accidental capsizing of one of the Investigator 's boats, resulting in the loss of Mr. Thistle (master), Mr. Taylor (midshipman), and six men forming the crew of the cutter. This disaster cast a deep gloom over the ship for some days, while it deprived Franklin, and the other members of the midshipmen's berth, of a mess- 1803.] A SAD DISASTER. 47 mate and companion, a young officer of great promise, one of their immediate circle. Mr. Thistle, the master, whose loss they had to mourn, was a most worthy man and deserving officer. He had accompanied Dr. Bass as one of the six men comprising the crew of his whale- boat during his wonderful boat-journey, 1 and he had subsequently formed one of the crew of the Norfolk, when that vessel was despatched, under Flinders and Bass, for the exploration of Bass's Strait. For his ex- cellent behaviour, and the ability, intelligence, and zeal displayed by him on those occasions, he was promoted to a midshipman, and was afterwards advanced to the rank of master's-mate. He was subsequently promoted to master, and in that capacity was appointed to the In- vestigator, at the earnest request and recommendation of Captain Flinders. On the afternoon of April 8th, intense excitement was caused on board the Investigator by the somewhat unusual, and certainly unexpected, report of a vessel being in sight. What ship could possibly be sailing about in those unfrequented and hitherto unknown waters ? Was she a friend, or could she possibly be a' foe ? These were questions hurriedly asked, but not easily answered. In anticipation of the latter eventuality, the drum beat to quarters, and the Investigator was, as expeditiously as possible, cleared for action, and prepared to meet an enemy. Guns that had been dismounted and struck below, for convenience in carrying out the special and eminently peaceful service on which the ship was em- ployed, were quickly brought on deck; the rust was hurriedly scraped from them, and they were mounted in i See page 37. 48 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795- their proper ports, and made as serviceable and efficient as the short time at their disposal admitted. Fortu- nately, however, the fighting capacity of the ship and the courage and bellicose propensities of her officers and crew, were not destined to be put to the proof, for the stranger, that had caused all this excitement, turned out to be the French ship Le Geograplie, employed, like themselves, on a peaceful voyage of discovery. She was commanded by Captain Nicholas Baudin, who, with another ship, Le Kaiuraliste, also under his orders, had been recently engaged in examining the south and east coasts of Van Diemen's Land. Having accidentally separated from his consort, Captain Baudin was then employed in exploring along the south coast of Australia. After friendly visits had been exchanged, and before he had fully realised, or even ascertained, the identity of Captain Flinders, the French commander pro- ceeded to make some adverse criticisms on an English chart of Tasmania published in 1S00, that was in his possession. He was overwhelmed with confusion when he found that Captain Flinders, to whom his criticisms were addressed, was the author of the maligned chart, and was therefore responsible for its accuracy or other- wise ! The ships parted company on the following day, the Investigator resuming her examination of the coast to the south-east, while the Frenchman pursued his in- vestigations in a westerly direction. The place of meet- ing between the two ships was subsequently called Encounter Bay, to commemorate the event. The next important piece of work connected with the voyage was the supposed discovery of Port Phillip, which was surveyed and examined with great care. Captain Flinders was so impressed with its admirable 1803.] «' INVESTIGATOR " AT SYDNEY. 49 situation and the importance of his discovery, that he felt confident it would not be long before it would be selected as a site for a future settlement. His astonish- ment would indeed be great if he could now see the rich and flourishing city of Melbourne, which has sprung up on the shores of that inlet he was the first to explore. It was only after his arrival at Port Jackson, that he received the somewhat mortifying piece of intelligence, that his discovery had been already anticipated by Lieu- tenant John Murray, who, ten weeks before, had dis- covered and named this magnificent harbour. On the 9th of May 1802, ten months after her depar- ture from England, the Investigator anchored in Sydney Cove, Port Jackson. All on board were in the enjoy- ment of perfect health, and this satisfactory state of affairs in connection with the sanitary condition of the ship, was largely due to the constant and unremitting attention that was paid to cleanliness, a good and nourishing diet, and a free and proper circulation of air between decks. Captain Flinders was one of those officers who had the happy knack of combining strict discipline, with a kindly consideration for the happiness and comfort of those under his command. There was, of course, much to be done on their arrival at Port Jackson. The ship had to be thoroughly over- hauled and refitted ; new spars and sails had to be made, and old ones repaired ; water had to be obtained, and provisions and other stores purchased. While these necessaiy duties were being performed, the scientific work connected with the expedition was not neglected. An observatory was set up on shore, to which all the chronometers were removed, and where all the necessary Batronomical observations were taken. This observatory D 50 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795- was placed under the charge of Mr. Samuel Flinders, 1 the second lieutenant, and young Franklin was appointed as his assistant. Here he was kept closely at work, and was probably afforded but few opportunities of rambling about and exploring on his own account, the interesting country in the vicinity of the newly-found colony of Sydney. In consequence of the particular occupation on which he was employed at this time, Franklin jokingly re- ceived from the Governor of New South Wales the appellation of " Tycho Brahe," after the eminent Danish astronomer. In two and a half months' time, the Investigator was again ready to resume her work of exploration along the coast of Terra Australis ; but in order to carry out this important service in a more thorough manner, a brig called the Lady Nelson, of light draft, and com- manded by Lieutenant John Murray, was, at the express wish of Captain Flinders, attached to his command, with directions to co-operate and assist in the exploration. The two vessels sailed in company from Port Jackson on the 22nd July 1S02, and steei'ing in a northerly direction, made an exhaustive examination of the eastern coast, in accordance with the instructions received from the Admiralty. During this trip, Port Bowen was dis- covered and named. Whilst carrying out this service, officers and men were landed at every convenient oppor- tunity, and as much information of the coast as could be gathered was obtained. 1 Samuel Flinders was a brother of the captain's. He was appointed to the Investigator on the 20th November 1800, and appears on her books as having joined as an A.B. from the Atalante on 28th February 1801. He was rated midshipman the same day, and was promoted to a lieutenant a week after, namely, on the 6th March i8or. 1803.] GULF OF CARPENTARIA SURVEYED. 51 The Lady Nelson, however, instead of being of assist- ance, as was anticipated, was found to be such an indif- ferent sailer, and was so leewardly, that she was sent back to Sydney in October, for she proved herself to be, as Captain Flinders reports, " more a burthen than an assistant." After examining various portions of the Great Barrier Reef, the Investigator sailed round the north-east point of Australia and entered the Gulf of Carpentaria. The shores of this extensive gulf were minutely examined, and the whole of its coast-line was delineated on the chart. It was while cruising in this neighbourhood that they had their first, and only, serious conflict with the natives, on which occasion Mr. Whitewood, master's- mate, one of Franklin's messmates, was wounded by spears in four places. The old Investigator, at about this period, exhibiting unmistakable signs of decay, besides making water some- times at the rate of fourteen inches per hour, Captain Flinders gave orders for a careful survey of her hull to be made, when it was discovered, to their great mortification, that her timbers and planking were in such a terribly rotten condition, that it was not con- sidered likely that the ship would hold together, in ordinary weathei-, for more than six months, and that in the event of being caught at sea in a heavy gale of wind, she would, in all probability, founder ! This was, it must be acknowledged, a very serious state of affairs. Under the circumstances, Captain Flinders decided that he would complete the survey of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and then make the best of his way to Sydney, by sailing round the west coast of Australia, which he thought would be more easily accomplished than by returning 52 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1795- along the east coast. He hoped to be able to procure another ship on his arrival at Sydney, in which to con- tinue, and, if possible, to complete, his interesting work of discovery and exploration. After a somewhat perilous and anxious voyage, he succeeded in carrying his crippled and sorely stricken ship to Port Jackson, which he reached on the ioth June 1803, after an absence of eleven months. In con- sequence of the scarcity of fresh provisions, the severity of the work on which they had been engaged, and the privations they had been exposed to, the ship's company was so much debilitated by scurvy and dysenteiy, that it vvas with difficulty they succeeded in working the ship into harbour. No less than five of the crew died a few days prior to the ship's arrival, and four succumbed shortly after their admission to the hospital on shore. Flinders was himself attacked with scorbutic affection, and doubtless Franklin was not himself in a more envi- able state, and was in all probability suffering from the same terrible wasting disease. Shortly after their arrival, a careful survey was held on the old and crazy ship by a board of competent officers, specially selected and appointed by the Governor; the result being that she was found to be in such an unsea- worthy and rotten state that she was reported to be "not worth repairing in any country," 1 also, that it was absolutely impossible to " put her in a state for going to sea," with the facilities for repairing ships then existing at Port Jackson. She was found to be incapable of further service, and it was strongly represented by the board to the authorities, that in the event of her being 1 Extract from the report of the board ordered to survey the Inves- tigator relative to her sea-worthiness. 1803.] FRANKLIN JOINS THE "PORPOISE." 53 caught at sea in a hard gale of wind, she would inevit- ably go to the bottom. Under these circumstances, and after numerous con- sultations, it was eventually arranged that the old Investigator should be abandoned, and converted into a storehouse hulk, and that Captain Flinders, with a portion of his officers and crew, should be sent home as passengers in the armed vessel Porpoise, in order to report the facts of the case to the Admiralty, and endeavour to obtain another vessel in which to continue the exploration of the coast of Australia. Twenty -two officers and men, in which number Frank- lin was included, embarked with Flinders on board the Porpoise for passage to England. This was all that re- mained out of a complement of eighty officers and men that sailed from England in the Investigator only two years before. This alarming reduction was not, how- ever, clue to deaths alone, for many were invalided, while some few were permitted, at their own request, to remain out and settle in the new colony. Franklin was discharged as a midshipman to the Porpoise, and was entered on her books as a master's-mate on 21st July 1803. CHAPTER IV. WRECK OF THE " PORPOISE"— REACH CANTON- DEFEAT OF LINOIS BY DANCE— ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND. 1803-1S04. " I am as a weed Flung from the rock on ocean's foam to sail, Where'er the surge may sweep, the tempest breath prevail." —ChiMe Harold. The Porpoise, under the command of Mr. Fowler, late first lieutenant of the Investigator, sailed from Sydney on the nth of August 1803. Although she was nomi- nally under the command of Lieutenant Fowler, that officer was directed to conform to the wishes and orders of Captain Flinders, who, though a passenger, was really in absolute charge. Flinders decided upon returning to England by the route which, it may be said, he was the first to discover and to recognise its practicability, namely, by Torres Strait, for he would then, he thought, be afforded an opportunity of checking, and perhaps elaborating, a great deal of the work that he had already accomplished in those waters whilst in command of the Investigator. On leaving Sydney, the Porpoise was accompanied by the East India Company's ship Bridgewater, and by the ship Cato of London, both bound to Batavia, the captains of those vessels having expressed a wish to be piloted 54 1803.] WRECK OF THE ••PORPOISE." 55 through Torres Strait by Captain Flinders. All went as " pleasant as a marriage-bell " until the evening of the 17th August, six days after leaving Port Jackson, when the terrible cry of "Breakers ahead!" resounded throughout the ship, and brought everybody on deck. The helm was at once put down, too late, however, to save the ill-fated ship from destruction, for she struck heavily on an unknown reef, the masts went by the board, and falling over on her beam ends, she lay exposed to the fury of the waves, which broke over her mastless hull with irresistible violence. Before any warning of the appalling disaster that had so sud- denly, and so unexpectedly, overwhelmed the unfortunate Porpoise could be given to her consorts, the Cato, fol- lowing closely at the distance only of a couple of cables, struck on the same reef ; her masts broke short off, she fell over on her broadside, and soon became a total wreck. The Briihjeicater escaped, but, incredible as it may appear, made no effort to rescue or to render any assist- ance whatever to the crews of her unfortunate consorts, although she remained in close promixity to the reef for a period of twenty-four hours, when she heartlessly pro- ceeded on her voyage to Batavia. That those on board must have been fully cognizant of the perilous situation of their unfortunate friends in the wrecked ships is evident, from the fact that on her arrival at Bombay, the captain of the Bridgewater reported the total loss of the two ships with all hands ! It may not be out of place to note here that this ship, with the same dastardly captain, sailed from Bombay a few days after her arrival there on her homeward voyage, and was never afterwards heard of. Thus the selfishness and 56 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1803- inhumanity of the captain and those on board, met with speedy and retributive justice. The night that followed the disastrous stranding of the Porpoise was one of intense anxiety and suspense to all on board, and was spent in strenuous endeavours to construct a raft, out of the available masts and yards and other spars, capable of receiving the crew, in the not unimprobable event of the ship going to pieces before the morning. This was a new, and by no means pleasant, experience for John Franklin. Although so young in years — for he was only seventeen at the time of the catastrophe — he had braved many dangers and had encountered many perils; but this was the first time he had been brought face to face with shipwreck, and in one of its worst and most dreadful forms. When, at length, the long-wished-for daylight broke, and that " Miserable night, So full of fearful dreams," had passed, they observed a dry sandbank about half a mile from the wreck. Although its superficial extent was not very great, it was, at any rate, large enough to accommodate the crews of the two ships, with as much of the provisions and stores as they hoped to be able to save. The wretched people in the Cato were even in a worse plight than those on board the Porpoise, for the fore- castle with the bowsprit attached, was the only portion of the vessel that remained above water, and to this the unfortunate crew had clung all that long and weary night, until rescued in the morning from their perilous and distressing condition by a boat from the Porpoise. 1804.] THE CREWS LANDED ON A REEF. 57 The only place to which they could secure themselves, and avoid being washed away by the raging surf, was the port fore-chains. In this trying situation, clinging to the wreck and holding on by the chain-plates and dead-eyes, they passed the night, and were found all clustered together in the morning. In consequence of the terrific sea that was breaking over the wreck, it was impossible to take the boat alongside to effect their rescue, and the men were only saved by throwing them- selves into the water, trusting to those in the boat to pick them up. Three poor lads were drowned in unsuccessful attempts to reach the boat, and all were more or less bruised and cut by the sharp points and edges of the coral reef in their struggles to get on shore. In a few hours after the men were landed the Cato went to pieces, and not a vestige of her remained visible. Unlike this ship, the Porpoise had, luckily, when she struck, heeled over with her upper deck towards the reef, which was to leeward, thus exposing the hull of the ship instead of the deck to the violence of the waves that broke over and against her, and this being stronger and more capable of resistance, she held together. The reef, the direct cause of their disaster, was fortunately nearly dry at low-water, so they had but little difficulty in landing all the available stores and provisions, besides a few sheep and pigs that had escaped drowning. The bank on which they had been wrecked proved to be 900 feet in length by 150 feet broad, and was about three or four feet above high- water ; not a very extensive or comfortable place of residence, more especially when it is remembered that the nearest known land was quite 200 miles distant, and that Sydney, the only place from 58 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1803- which they could hope to obtain succour or assistance, was about 750 miles off. They were, however, for the time in comparative safety; they had escaped a great peril, and, like good sailors, they looked forward with hope and trust to the future. It does not even appear that they were at all down-hearted or depressed at the appalling catastrophe that had overtaken them, for a great deal of merriment, we are informed, was caused by some of the Gatds men, who had saved absolutely nothing from their ship, attiring themselves in officers' uniforms that had been saved and landed from the Porpoise. Their first work was to set up a tall spar on the highest part of the bank, on which a large blue ensign was hoisted, with the Union Jack down, as a signal of distress. This was done in the hope of attracting the notice of those on board the Bridgewater, which, it was still believed, would come to their assistance directly it was known that survivors had escaped from the wrecks and had reached the bank. They knew very well it was hopeless to expect aid from any other source, for in those unfrequented seas it was not probable that any ship would be cruising in the neighbourhood. Franklin, it may readily be supposed, experienced his full share of all the dangers and privations to which he and his shipwrecked companions were exposed, and there is but little doubt that he bore himself bravely and manfully, and worked willingly and zealously in assist- ing to preserve order, and to maintain cheerfulness and good feeling in the small community. With the aid of sails and spars saved from the wreck, tents were erected on the sandbank, and they succeeded in making themselves as comfortable and as happy as, under the 1804.] ENCAMPMENT ON WRECK REEF. 59 circumstances, could be expected. A reprieved convict, who formed one of the crew, was alone guilty of mani- festing a spirit of insubordination, but this was quickly and effectually suppressed by the culprit being publicly flogged at the flag-staff. Strict discipline and a due obedience to orders were almost essential to their ulti- mate salvation. By the 23rd of August, everything that could be saved ENCAMPMENT ON WRECK REEF. was landed from the wreck; an inventory was then taken, when it was found that they had sufficient water and provisions to last, with care and economy, the ninety- four survivors for a period of three months. All the books and most important documents, as also the charts and plans that had been made during the past two years in the Investigator, were fortunately saved, 60 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1803- although somewhat damaged by rough usage and salt water. 1 Having taken all the necessary steps for the preserva- tion of the stores, &c, a council of officers was called, in order to consider what action should be taken for the purpose of obtaining relief. After much consideration, it was decided that one of the six-oared cutters saved from the Porpoise, should be despatched to Sydney with as little delay as possible, to give information relative to their situation and to endeavour to obtain assistance. As an extra precaution, and as they could not conceal from themselves the more than possible contingency of such a small boat failing to accomplish the distance (750 miles) in safety, more especially at that particular season of the year, when strong winds were prevalent, it was resolved to commence, from materials saved from the wrecks, the construction of a couple of decked boats, capable of transporting the remainder of the people. This decision being arrived at, the next question was to decide as to who should be selected to conduct the voyage to Sydney. As it was one of the utmost import- ance, and also one of no little peril, Captain Flinders determined to proceed on this duty himself. Acting on this resolve, and accompanied by the commander of the Cato and twelve men, with his small boat stored with provisions and water to last for three weeks, he sailed on the 26th leaving eighty officers and men on the bank, 1 Some of the original drawings and sketches made hy Mr. Westall are still in existence, and are now in the possession of the Royal Colonial Institute in Loudon. They bear evidence of the damage they then sustained from immersion, and some few show slight indentations, caused, it is said, by Franklin and the other midshipmen thought- lessly driving the sheep saved from the wreck over them, as they were spread out to dry on the saud ! 1804.] A TIMELY DELIVERANCE. 61 which had so providentially been the means of their salvation after their vessels had been destroyed. It is hardly possible to conceive the feelings that animated the breasts of those poor fellows who were left behind, and who were well aware that several weeks must necessarily elapse before they could expect, or even hope, to obtain succour. They could not banish from their thoughts the possibility, almost amounting to a probability, of the loss of the small frail boat whose occupants they had just bidden God-speed, as they started on their long and venturesome voyage. In order to prepare for the worst, and also, perhaps, with the object of occupying the minds of the men and thus drown their thoughts in employment, they were set to work to build two boats, which, as a dernier ressort, were intended to transport them to the mainland of Australia, in the event of no tidings of the cutter being received in two months ; by that time their provisions and water would be nearly expended, for, as has already been stated, they had only saved sufficient from the wreck to eke out a bare subsistence for three months. In spite, however, of their critical situation, the utmost harmony prevailed, and all worked cheerily together, having a common end in view. At length, on the 7th of October, when tliey were already beginning to despair and to give up all hope of obtaining that help which they so sorely needed, the joyful cry of a ''Sail in sight" burst upon the ears of the little community, and aroused its members to a state of enthusiastic excitement, as they rushed out to satisfy themselves of the accuracy or otherwise of the report. Yes! there was no doubt of its trutli, for there, on the horizon, as they strained their eyes to seaward, one, 62 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1803- two, three sails could be seen making their way, with a favourable breeze, towards their island-home. In a very short time they had the extreme satisfaction, and gi-ati- fication, of greeting, which they did most sincerely and heartily, their old commander, who had brought his perilous voyage to such a successful and expeditious issue, having returned to their aid and succour only six weeks after he had bidden them farewell. His voyage in the six-oared cutter, for a distance of 750 miles, had been an extremely hazardous one; but Flinders, by constant care and watchfulness, succeeded in reaching Port Jackson in safety. Doubtless his early experiences in the little Tom Thumb stood him in good stead during this voyage. Immediately on his arrival at Sydney, and the tidings of the disaster becoming known, the necessary arrangements for the relief of the shipwrecked men were made, three ships being at once despatched on this service. They were the Rolla, bound to Canton, and the two Government schooners Cumber- land and Frances. The captain of the first-named ship had generously volunteered to accompany Flinders, who was on the point of sailing with the two schooners only, and he voluntarily agreed to call at the reef on his way to China, so as to convey the majority of the shipwrecked people to Canton, where they would have no difficulty, it was thought, in finding some homeward-bound India- man, in which they could obtain a passage to England. It is needless to say that but little time was lost in getting away from the scene of their unfortunate adven- ture. Everything being ready by the nth, and all the stores worth saving having been embarked, the three ships took their departure from the reef. The Frances returned to Sydney with those officers and men who 1804.] CAPTIVITY AND DEATH OF FLINDERS. 63 were desirous of settling in that colony; the Cumber- land, with Captain Flinders, two officers, and eight men, sailed direct to England rid Torres Strait, Mauritius, and the Cape of Good Hope ; while Lieutenants Fowler and Flinders, with the remainder of the officers and crews of the Purpoise and Cato (including John Frank- lin), embarked on board the Holla for passage to China. Captain Flinders elected to return to England in the Cumberland, as he was anxious to get home as soon as possible, in order to report his discoveries, and to pre- pare his notes and charts with a view to publication. On his way home he touched at Mauritius for water and provisions, when he was made a prisoner of war and his vessel seized by the French Governor. This act was a direct infringement of international law, and con- trary to the established and recognised usages of civi- lised nations, for it has always been held that marine surveyors, and scientific expeditions of all descrip- tions, whose work is of importance, not only to the nation that employs them, but also to mankind in general, are invariably specially exempted from capture, or detention, in time of war. To the discredit of the French nation, Captain Flinders, although he was in possession of a passport from the First Consul, was not only made a prisoner, but he was detained on the island for a period of no less than six and a half years ! On his liberation and return to England, he wrote the narrative of his memorable voyage, and, sick at heart and weary at the unjust treatment he had received, died on 19th July 1 8 14, on the very day that his work, recording the labours of his life, was published. Under the command of such a man as Flinders, an officer who possessed high scientific attainments, combined 64 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1803- with the practical knowledge of a skilful seaman, and with whose professional pursuits he was closely connected for a period of over two years, it is not surprising that Franklin, although a very young officer, acquired during his service in the Investigator a thorough knowledge of a sailor's work, and was rapidly becoming an experienced surveyor. The Rolla, with Franklin and his companions on board, in due course of time reached Canton. Here they fortunately found a large squadron of Indiamen on the point of sailing for England, under the command of Commodore Nathaniel Dance of the Honourable East India Company's service. No difficulty was experienced in obtaining a passage home for the officers and men of the Investigator, who were distributed among the different vessels composing the squadron ; Franklin, with his late first lieutenant and commander, Mr. Fowler, being appointed to the Earl Camden, which flew the broad pendant of Commodore Dance. The squadron consisted of the following ships : — Earl Camden. Earl of Abergavenny. Royal George. Henry Addington. Warley. Bombay Castle. Coutts. Cumberland. A If red. Hope. Wexford. Dorsetshire. Ganges. Warren Hastings. Exeter. Ocean. These vessels were all over a thousand tons burthen, and carried from thirty to thirty-six guns, the majority, howevei', being of light calibre. Their hulls were painted in imitation of line-of-battle ships and frigates, the more easily to deceive the enemy's cruisers and 1S04.] FRENCH SQUADRON SIGHTED. 65 privateers, that were continually on the watch, ready to pounce upon, and snap up, any fat rich Indiaman that might fall into their clutches. Being merchant ships, they were, of course, very much under- manned for fighting purposes, no ship having more than about 140 men in her crew, the greater proportion of which were Lascars and Chinamen. The arrival and subsequent distribution of the shipwrecked crews of the Porpoise and Cato, all stalwart and well-disciplined men, must have been a welcome addition to the somewhat weak and inferior crews of the Indiamen. This large squadron, laden with the rich wares and merchandise of China and Japan, was accompanied by about twenty other, though smaller, country ships. They sailed from Canton on the 31st January 1804. No event of importance happened until the 14th of the following month, when, as they were entering the Straits of Malacca, near the island of Pulo Aor, some strange vessels were reported in sight from the masthead. These were soon made out to be a French squadron under the command of Admiral Linois, consisting of the line-of- battle ship Marengo of seventy-four guns, two large frigates, a twenty-two-gun corvette, and a sixteen-gun brig. The French admiral having received intimation of the sailing of the Indiamen, had put to sea from Batavia, with the intention of intercepting them, and, as he, hoped, swelling the coffers of France with the rich spoils he made sure he was about to capture. But Admiral Linois had reckoned without his host, for, in his calculations, he had not given sturdy Nathaniel Dance credit for opposing, much less for defeating, the strong force he had under his command. Immediately the French sighted the ships they were E 66 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1803. in search of, they bore down in hot pursuit ; but instead of seeing the English merchant ships crowd on all sail to escape, as they not unnaturally expected, they observed them form in order of battle in perfect regularity and make the necessary preparations, not only for resisting, but also for acting on the offensive. The bold front shown by the English somewhat perplexed the French admiral, and as the day was waning, he hauled to the wind, and stood off to some distance, preferring to wait for daylight before commencing hostile operations. The English ships, all well under command, lay-to for the night in order of battle, the brave Commodore scorning to take advantage of the darkness to endeavour to effect an escape. Admiral Linois was so deceived by the confident front shown by the English, that he felt con- vinced the squadron was partly composed of men-of-war, and under this impression he hesitated to attack on the following morning. Observing the hesitancy on the part of the French Admiral, Commodore Dance made the signal for his squadron to continue their course under easy sail. Seeing his opportunity, Linois also made sail and advanced with the object of endeavouring to cut off some of the rear ships of the British squadron. But Dance was fully equal to the occasion, and being determined to keep his squadron intact, he instantly ran up the signal, " Tack in succession, bear down in line ahead, and engage the enemy." This plucky signal was, as may be imagined, received with ringing cheers by the crews of the English ships, and, to the astonish- ment of the French admiral, he soon had the whole British squadron standing towards him in a formidable and resolute line of battle. It must indeed have been a wonderful sight to see a 1804.] DEFEAT AND FLIGHT OF LINOIS. 69 fleet of merchant ships steadily advancing, with a bold undaunted front, to the attack of a hostile squadron composed of smart and efficient men of war, and com- manded by one of the most talented and dashing admirals in the French navy. Young Franklin had smelt powder at Copenhagen ; he had subsequently ex- perienced many perils and dangers both by sea and land ; his brief professional career had been an adven- turous one, but on this occasion, when he hoisted the signal, by the direction of the brave old Commodore, to "engage the enemy" (for he was doing duty as signal- midshipman on board the Camden throughout that event- ful day), his bosom must have swelled with pride, and his face flushed with a glow of enthusiasm and triumph when he reflected — if he had time for reflection — that he was fortunate enough to be one of those few destined to play a part in such a gallant affair. After the action had lasted a little more than three- quarters of an hour, the French ceased firing, having had enough of it, and made sail away. Instantly the gallant Dance threw out the signal for a "general chase;" and then was seen the extraordinary spectacle of a French squadron of men-of-war, commanded by an undoubtedly brave and most distinguished officer, retreating in hot haste, and some confusion, before a fleet of English armed merchant ships ! Having pursued the flying Frenchmen for upwards of two hours, and having fully upheld the honour, dignity and credit of the British flag, and also, doubtless, considering the safety of the valuable merchandise committed to his charge, the Commodore recalled his chasing ships, reformed his squadron, and proceeded on his homeward course, and was not again molested by the valiant Frenchman. 70 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1303. This action fought by Commodore Dance stands out almost unparalleled for skill and daring among the numerous gallant deeds at sea that were constantly being performed in those days. Admiral Linois candidly acknowledged his defeat, ascribing it to the superiority of the opposing force, little thinking that the squadron with which he had been engaged was composed only of merchant vessels ! He also admitted that he was pursued by the English ships for three hours, during which time, he states, they discharged "several ineffective broadsides " at him. The promptness and decision of Commodore Dance, combined with his boldness and the gallantry of those who served under him, without doubt, saved from capture the rich and valuable fleet that was intrusted to his care. On the arrival of the ships in England, the Com- modore received at the hands of his sovereign the well- merited honour of knighthood, while other rewards and honours, of a more substantial character, were deservedly bestowed on him and his brave companions in arms. The voyage having terminated, Franklin was discharged from the Earl Camden on the 7th of August 1804, and, after an absence of a little more than three years, he had the inexpressible pleasure of returning home, and once more rejoining the family circle, and of visiting his old friends at Spilsby. CHAPTER V. APPOINTED TO « BELLEROPHON" — BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR— JOINS THE " BEDFORD"— ATTACK ON NEW ORLEANS— ON HALF-PAY. 1804-1815 " War, he sung, is toil and trouble, Honour but an empty bubble." — Drydkn. On the day following his discharge from the Earl Camden, Franklin was appointed to the Bellerophon, commanded by Captain Loring; but as she did not arrive from the West Indies until two days after his appointment was dated, and as he does not appear to have joined her until the 20th of the following month, we may assume that he spent the intermediate time with his friends on a well-earned leave. He first appears on the books of the Bellerophon, as an A.B., and then as a midshipman. In those days, it was not an uncommon occurrence for a young officer to be entered on the books of a ship, if there was no vacancy for a midshipman, with the rating of one of the ship's company, with the object of enabling him to continue to count his time in the navy. This was presumably the reason why his name is shown on the ship's books with the rating of A.B. Franklin, it must be acknowledged, had enjoyed but a short leave after his long and adventurous service in Australia before he was 71 72 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1S04- appointed to a ship ; but in those times the officers of the navy were in constant requisition. England re- quired their services, and there was but little half -pay for her sons, and less leave. The duty on which the Bellerophon was engaged was the blockade of the French fleet in the harbour of Brest, and this was rigidly maintained during the whole winter by the squadron under the command of Lord Collingwood ; this service was a new experience to our young friend. On the 24th of April 1805, Captain Loring was relieved in the command of the Bellerophon by Captain John Cooke, and on the 29th September, of the same year, Lord Nelson joined the fleet in the Vic- tory, and took over the command from Lord Collingwood. On the ever-memorable 21st of October, Franklin was signal- midshipman of the Bellerophon, and was, in all probability, the officer who saw, and perhaps reported to his captain, Nelson's celebrated signal. All who have read the account of the battle of Trafalgar will remember the prominent part that was played in that action by the Bellerophon, and how, at the end of that glorious day, she had to mourn the loss of her brave captain, the master, one midshipman, and twenty -five men killed ; while her captain of marines, boatswain, one master's- mate, four midshipmen, and 120 men were returned as wounded. No less than six of Franklin's messmates were rendered hors de combat during that eventful struggle, but his ship had emerged from it covered with glory, and many of the hostile vessels could vouch for the hard knocks and rough treatment they received, from the stout old seventy-four. Franklin was himself noted for "evincing very conspicuous zeal and activity" during that glorious day. He was stationed during the fight 1S15.] BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR. 73 on the poop, and was one, out of only four or five, in that particular part of the ship who escaped unhurt. It was well said of him that " he was in battle fearless and in danger brave." The following is an extract from the official log of the Bellerophon on the day of the battle, which may prove interesting : — "Ten minutes past noon, the Royal Sovereign opened fire on the enemy's centre. At thirteen minutes past noon, an- swered the general signal 16. At twenty minutes, the Royal Sovereign broke through enemy's line astern of a Spanish three-decker. 12.20 opened fire on the enemy. At 12.30 engaging on both sides in passing through the enemy's line astern of a Spanish two-decker. At thirty-five minutes, while hauling to the wind, fell on board the French two-decked ship L'Aigle, with our starboard bow on her starboard quarter ; our fore-yard locking with her main one. Kept up a brisk fire both on her and the Spanish ship on the larboard bow, at the same time receiving the fire of two ships, one astern, the other on the larboard quarter. At one o'clock the main and mizen topmasts fell over the side. At 1.5 the master fell. At 1.1 1 Captain John Cooke fell. Still foul of the L'Aigle. The quarter-deck, poop, and forecastle being nearly cleared by troops on board L'Aigle. 1.40 L'Aigle dropped to leeward, under a raking fire from us as she fell off. At three, took possession of the Spanish ship El Monarca. Casualties, twenty-eight killed and 1 27 wounded." On the death of Captain Cooke, the first lieutenant, Mr. William Pryce-Cumby, took command of the ship, and fought her until the end of the action. He was relieved on the 4th November by Captain E. Rotheram, who was Lord Collingwood's flag-captain in the Royal Sovereign. The Bellerophon anchored in Plymouth Sound on the 74 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1804- 3rd December 1805 ; after making good the injuries sus- tained in the action, she was employed cruising between Finisterre and Ushant, with occasional visits to Plymouth, during the following eighteen months. On the 24th of October 1807, Mr. Franklin, with 46 petty officers, no A.B.'s, and 92 ordinary seamen, were drafted from the Bellerophon to the Bedford of seventy- four guns. Franklin was entered on the books as a master's-mate, but was made an acting lieutenant by order of Admiral Sir Sidney Smith on the following 5th of December ; he was confirmed in that rank by their Lordships on the nth February 1808. Prior to joining the Bedford, Franklin received intelligence of the death of his eldest brother, Thomas Adams, who died at Spilsby, and was buried on the nth October 1807, aged thirty- four years. Leaving Cawsand Bay on the 1 ith of November 1807, the Bedford formed part of a large squadron that was employed cruising for some weeks off Lisbon ; she was afterwards engaged, in company with a squadron of Portuguese ships, in escorting the royal family of Por- tugal from Lisbon to Brazil, whither they fled for safety on the occasion of the invasion of Portugal by Marshal Junot. They reached Rio de Janeiro on the 7th of March 1808. For the next two years the Bedford was stationed on the east coast of South America, but she returned to England in August 1810. From the latter end of that year until February 18 13, she was employed with the fleet engaged in the unfortunate Walcheren ex- pedition and in the blockade of Flushing and the Texel. To a man of Franklin's energetic disposition, accus- tomed as he had been to service of a more exciting nature, this wearisome blockading, cruising in the North 1815.] DEATH OF FRANKLIN'S MOTHER. 75 Sea, or at anchor on the seventeen-fathoui bank in sight of the West Capel Church, with nothing to relieve the dull monotony, must have indeed been depressing. It was, however, excellent training for both officers and men ; the constant sea-work in a latitude where gales of wind and heavy squalls are not unfrequent, was a valuable experience that could not be otherwise than beneficial. It was during the time he was engaged on this service, that he received the melancholy news of the loss of his mother. She died and was buried at Spilsby on the 27th November 18 10, aged fifty-nine years. Early in 1 8 1 3, to the inexpressible relief and gratifica- tion of those on board, orders were received for the Bedford to convoy a fleet of merchant vessels to the West Indies, and she left Plymouth on this service on the 3rd April. Barbados was reached on the 23rd May, and after a short cruise among the beautiful islands of the West Indian group, she returned to England, arriving in the Downs on the 6th September 18 13. For the succeeding nine months the Bedford was stationed on her old cruising-ground off the Texel and Scheveningen, but in September 18 14 she was again sent with a con- voy across the Atlantic to the West Indies. Thence she proceeded to New Orleans, which was reached on the 13th December, having been despatched in order to assist in the operations about to be undertaken against the Americans. An attack on New Orleans having been decided upon, it was deemed advisable to land the attacking force at the head of Lake Borgne ; but in order to do so, it was necessary to clear the lake of the enemy's gunboats that had assembled there in some force. This service Vice- Admiral Cochrane undertook to carry out with the 76 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1804- naval force at his disposal. Accordingly a division of boats, containing about iooo officers and men, belonging to the British ships that were stationed off New Orleans, left on the night of the 12th of December 18 14, under the command of Captain Nicholas Lockyer. Franklin was present on this occasion, and was probably in com- mand of a division, or subdivision, of the boats employed. On the forenoon of the following day, after a long and toilsome pull of thirty-six miles against a strong current, the enemy's gunboats were sighted, and a desperate attack was made on them, resulting in a complete victory for the British ; but it was dearly purchased, for so desperate was the resistance, that a loss was sustained on our side of three midshipmen and fourteen men killed, while Captain Lockyer, four lieutenants (includ- ing Franklin), one lieutenant of marines, three master's- mates, seven midshipmen (two mortally), and sixty-one men were wounded. The loss sustained by the Ameri- cans was slight in comparison. For this action Franklin received a medal, and was honourably mentioned in despatches. During the subsequent attack on New Orleans, Franklin, having partially recovered from his wound, assisted in conducting the indescribably arduous opera- tion of cutting a canal across the neck of land be- tween the Bayou Calatan and the Mississippi. For his conduct and gallant exertions on the morning of the 8th of January 1815, on which occasion he com- manded a division of seamen under Captain Rowland Money, 1 when a large body of Americans strongly en- 1 Captain Rowland Money was desperately wounded at this en- gagement, having both bones of his right leg shattered by a musket shot as he stormed the battery. For his conspicuous bravery on this, 1815.] FIRST LIEUTENANT ON THE "FORTH." 77 trenched on the right bank of the river was defeat ed, he was officially and very warmly recommended for promotion. The Bedford sailed on her homeward voyage in March, and reached Spithead on the 30th May 181 5. She was paid off on the 5th of July follow- ing. In spite of his long and uninterrupted service in the old seventy-four, extending over a period of nearly eight years in that ship, we find him two days after paying off the Bedford, appointed as first lieutenant of the Forth, commanded by Captain Sir William Bolton. He joined her on the gth July, and remained as first lieutenant until she was paid off on the following 2nd of September. During the short time that Franklin was in this ship, she was employed in conveying the Duchesse D'Angou- leme to Dieppe, having been specially prepared for the reception of Her Royal Highness. After paying off the Forth, Franklin was doomed for the succeeding three years to pass a period of professional inactivity. The peace of 1815 necessitated a serious reduction in the navy, and several officers were consequently thrown out of employment. Franklin was, therefore, like many others, compelled to rusticate on half-pay, waiting for something to turn up. He was not, however, a man to lead a life of idleness; he therefore turned his attention to scientific pursuits, for which he had always evinced an inclination, and which, he thought, would afford fuller scope for his talents. and other occasions, he was strongly recommended for promotion by Sir Alexander Coobrane. He was sent home with despatches, was posted, and made a G'.B, CHAPTER VI. RETROSPECT OF GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATION IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 1607-1773. " Oh, who can tell, save he whose heart hath tried, And danced in triumph o'er the waters wide, The exulting sense, the pulse's maddening play, That thrills the wanderer of that trackless way ? " — The Corsair. England in the year 18 18 being at peace with all the world, had time to turn her thoughts to eminently peace- ful pursuits, and to employ her men and money on equally glorious, and perhaps more important, matters than war. Among other subjects, that of geographical discovery was discussed, and the encouragement of Arctic explora- tion which had been allowed to slumber since the unsuc- cessful attempt of Captain Phipps to reach the North Pole in 1773, was again revived. Foremost among the promoters of geographical re- search in high latitudes at this time was Sir John Barrow, the Secretary of the Admiralty. This ardent and zealous geographer had very carefully, and with masterly skill and ability, after much tedious research, collected all the reports that had been received during the early part of the century, bearing on the condition and the locality of the ice in high northern 78 IONS ^ »K -ARCTIC REGIONS^-?- 1817.] PROJECTED EXPEDITIONS. 79 latitudes. "With this information as a basis, he drew out an elaborate and well-prepared scheme for the ex- ploration of the northern regions. His plan being warmly supported by the President and Council of the Royal Society, also met with the approval of the Board of Admiralty. So well was the idea received by the public, that it was finally entertained and approved by the Government, who resolved, forthwith, to despatch two expeditions, one with the object of endeavouring to dis- cover a north-west passage round the northern continent of America ; the other for the purpose of attempting to reach the North Pole. One of the principal reasons that led to the organi- sation and despatch of these expeditions, was the very favourable reports brought home by the whalers in 1817, regarding the state and quantity of the ice in the Spitzbergen and Greenland seas ; and also perhaps to the writings of, and arguments advanced by, the two Scoresbys, father and son, two of the most expe- rienced, skilful, and talented whaling captains that our country has ever produced. It was also reported that during the preceding three years, large quantities of heavy polar ice had drifted down from the north to un- usually low latitudes; and in 181 7, the hitherto almost inaccessible eastern coast of Greenland, it was stated, had been actually visited by whale-ships between the 70th and 80th parallels of latitude, while the inter- mediate sea between Greenland and Spitzbergen had been reported as comparatively free of ice. It was therefore, considered to be a particularly favourable time to undertake exploration in those waters. It may be of interest here to note, that in 1745 an Act of Parliament was passed, offering a reward of 80 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FEANKLIN. [1607- ^20,000 "to such person or persons who shall discover a north-west passage through Hudson's Strait to the western and southern oceans of America." In the year 1776 a sum of ,£5000 was offered by the English Government to the first person who should reach the 89th parallel of latitude. In 18 18, when it was decided to despatch the two expeditions just alluded to, pro- portionate rewards were offered by Act of Parliament for the different degrees of latitude reached. Thus, any vessel that first succeeded in reaching the 83rd parallel would be entitled to a reward of ^"iooo; double that sum would be granted for crossing the 85th parallel; ^3000 to any vessel, or person, that should reach 87° N. ; ^"4000 for the 88th parallel; and ,£5000 for the Pole. ^5000 was also offered to the first ship that should cross the 110th west meridian of longitude, north of America. 1 These large rewards were offered as incentives to whaling captains and others, who might be tempted, by the chance of gaining them, to push northwards through the ice, and so increase the limited knowledge we then possessed of the northern portion of our globe. The command of the expedition that was to be sent in quest of a north-west passage was conferred on Lieu- tenant John Ptoss, who was ably seconded by that prince of Arctic navigators, Lieutenant, afterwards Sir Edward Parry. The doings of this expedition will not, however, occupy any part cf this history. The command of the expedition that it was decided to send to the North Pole, was intrusted to Commander 1 This reward was actually claimed by, and paid to, Lieutenants Parry and Liddon, who succeeded in crossing the 110th meridian in the discovery-ships Hccla and Griper in 1819. 1773.] HENRY HUDSON'S ARCTIC DISCOVERIES. 81 David Buchan, and Lieutenant John Franklin was the officer selected as his second in command. Perhaps it will be as well here to give a brief retro- spect of the geographical work that had already been accomplished in the direction towards which one of the new expeditions — and the one in which we are more particularly interested — was ordered to proceed. Setting aside all the mythical and unauthenticated stories of voyages, that are reported to have been made with the object of discovering a short route to China and Japan in a high northern latitude, we start with the voyage of Henry Hudson, which, for skill and daring, stands out conspicuously among the many brilliant and fearless maritime acbievements, for which the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries are so pre-eminently distinguished. This bold navigator sailed from Gravesend on the ist of May 1607, in what in those days was called a " cock- boat," named the Hopexcell, with a crew consisting of ten men and a boy. This was the scale on which Arctic expeditions in the early part of the seventeenth century were equipped ! Hudson's orders were to proceed to India by sailing across the North Pole; and, with his mind fully made up to act in accordance with the letter of his instructions, he confidently started. Stretching across towards Greenland, and sighting that mysterious continent, he steered along its eastern coast in a northerly direction, with, apparently, but little hindrance from ice. Having reached the latitude of 73° "NT., he named the land then in sight " Hold with Hope," as he was then hopeful of success ; but being prevented from making any further progress northwards by the heavy masses of ice he encountered along the coast, he shaped a course to the north-east, and stood over towards F 82 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1607- Spitzbergen, 1 which he sighted on the 27th June in latitude 77 , apparently in the neighbourhood of the Vogel Sang Hoek of Barents ; but the sea was much encompassed by ice, and he experienced great difficulty in pushing on. Subsequently he sighted and named Hakluyt Headland, the north-west point of Spitzbergen, a name it still bears. The highest latitude reached by Hudson during this enterprising voyage, was about 8o° 30' K". on the 1 6th of July, probably off that portion of the coast of Spitzbergen, which is separated from North-East Island by Hinlopen Strait. After again examining the sea between Spitzbergen and Greenland, and finding it impassable to the north, in consequence of a barrier of heavy ice stretching across in every direction in which he sought to penetrate it, Hudson determined upon return- ing to England. He reached the Thames in safety on the 15th of September, after a voyage which, for fear- lessness and audacity, has no equal on record. The results of this expedition were, from a geographical point of view, eminently satisfactory, for Hudson had suc- ceeded, in his frail and poorly equipped little craft, in not only discovering portions of the coasts of Greenland and Spitzbergen hitherto unknown, but he had also navigated his little vessel to a position in a higher northern latitude than had ever before been reached. This high position was not surpassed, or even equalled, for more than 160 years, when Captain Phipps in 1773 succeeded in reaching the latitude of 8o° 48' to the north of Spitzbergen. From a commercial point of view, Hudson's voyage 1 Spitzbergen was discovered by the celebrated Dutch Arctic navigator "William Barents in 1596. 1773.] CAPTAIN JONAS POOLE'S VOYAGES. 83 must always be regarded as a great success, for the report that he made of the numerous whales and wal- ruses he had seen, led to the establishment of that lucra- tive and prosperous fishery which has, with varying success, been prosecuted to the present day. The east coast of Greenland, discovered by Hudson, was not again visited by any known navigator- for the space of 200 years, when Scoresby, an energetic and enterprising whaling captain, taking advantage of an unusual opening in the ice, sailed his ship through the pack, and thus succeeded in rediscovering that coast which had, for so long, been as a sealed book to navigators. Three years after the return of Hudson, Captain Jonas Poole was despatched by the Muscovy Company, in a vessel called the Amitie, of seventy tons burthen, with directions to proceed to Spitzbergen, and to search for " the likelihood of a trade or passage that way." The crew of his ship consisted of fourteen men and boys. Poole was much hindered by ice and bad weather, but, in spite of these obstacles to navigation, he succeeded in making a fairly good survey of the west coast of Spitz- bergen, giving names to the most prominent capes, headlands, and bays. Failing in his efforts to pene- trate to a high latitude, he returned to England in the end of August. He was again sent up the following year, with instructions to explore to the north of Spitz- bergen, and to report on the existence, or otherwise, of an open and navigable sea in that direction. This voyage was not pui-ely geographical, but had also com- mercial interests in view, the capture of whales and seals being one of its chief objects. It returned to England, however, without achieving any great success, either geographically or pecuniarily. 84 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1607- From this time the west and south coasts of Spitz- bergen were frequently, indeed almost annually, visited by ships of different nations, principally English and Dutch, in quest of whales, seals, and walruses; and although there was not, of course, any accurate survey, the coast-line was fairly well delineated on the charts of the day. The reports of these voyages, that are still extant, deal principally with matters relating to the valuable fishing industry that had then been established, and contain but little geographical information of im- portance, either in connection with discovery, or with the state and locality of the ice. It was not until the year 1773 that the English Government, at the instigation of Mr. Daines Barring- ton, 1 decided upon sending an expedition for the purpose of ascertaining how far navigation was practicable in the direction of the North Pole. In this decision they received the warm support of the President and Council of the Royal Society. The ships selected for this expedition were the Race- horse and Carcass. They were what were then termed bomb-vessels, and being strongly constructed, were con- sidered the most suitable for the special service on which they were to be employed. The command of the ex- pedition was intrusted to Captain the Hon. Constantine Phipps (afterwards Lord Mulgrave), who hoisted his pendant in the Racehorse. Commander Lutwidge was appointed to the command of the Carcass, in which ship Horatio Nelson also served as a midshipman • it was thus among the ice floes of the Arctic Seas that our great 1 Mr. Barrington was a son of Lord Barrington, and was brother of Admiral Samuel Barrington, who was a very distinguished naval officer. 1773.] EXPEDITION OF CAPTAIN PHIPPS. 85 naval hero received his first real training in a ship of ■war, and learnt how to combat with difficulties, and how successfully to overcome them. The two ships were thoroughly overhauled and pre- pared for the service on which they were to be engaged, and although of strong construction, they were addition- ally strengthened by a stout doubling of hard wood on the outside, to assist in resisting the pressure of the ice. The complement of each ship was twenty-two officers and seventy men. Captains Phipps and Lutwidge were offi- cers of great experience, and of known scientific attain- ments. The remainder of the officers were also specially selected, and a civilian, Mr. Israel Lyon, a gentleman of great mathematical reputation, was appointed, on the recommendation of the Board of Longitude, to the Race- horse in the capacity of astronomer. Stores and provisions of the very best quality were liberally supplied to the two ships, and they were each fitted with an apparatus for distilling fresh water, the invention of Mr. Irving, the surgeon of the Racehorse. This was probably the first time that water was procured in the Royal Navy by the condensation of steam. On the 23rd of May, the First Lord of the Admiralty, 1 accompanied by the French Ambassador, paid the ships a visit, and on the 4th of the following month the ex- pedition sailed from Sheerness. The orders received by Captain Phipps were to the effect that he was, with the two ships under his com- mand, to proceed to the North Pole, or as close to it as ice and other obstructions would permit, as nearly as possible on the meridian of Greenwich. If successful in reaching the Pole, he was to return immediately and 1 The Earl of Sandwich. 86 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1607- report himself, and he was specially directed to he careful to make all necessary observations that would assist in improving navigation and promoting general knowledge. On the 19th of June the Arctic Chicle was crossed, and on the 28th the coast of Spitzbergen was sighted, which Captain Phipps describes as being formed of high barren black rocks, in many places bare and pointed, and in others covered with snow. No signs of vegeta- tion were visible. Continuing their course to the north- ward, the expedition skirted along the west coast of Spitzbergen, until, on the 4th of July, they cast anchor in Hamburg Cove, about three miles south of Magda- lena Bay. The weather, however, was exceedingly tem- pestuous, necessitating an immediate departure, without giving the officers an opportunity of exploring the coast in the vicinity, or of taking any magnetic or other observations. They were not even afforded time to re- plenish their tanks with water, which, in spite of the distilling apparatus, they were desirous of accomplishing. Proceeding northwards, they encountered an almost im- penetrable ice pack in the neighbourhood of Hakluyt Headland. They made many futile efforts to push through this pack, but always without success, although they skirted along it for many miles, running into every indentation, going round every point, and forcing the ships, by carrying a heavy press of sail, through the ice wherever it appeared to be loosely packed. The out- look was as cheerless and unpromising as could be well imagined, for to the northward, as far as they could see, appeared an unbroken frozen ocean, without water or any opening in the pack being visible. On the 10th of July, after great toil and incessant 1773.] THE TWO SHIPS BESET. 87 labour, and not without severe bufferings from the ice, the latitude 8o° 36' N. was reached on the 2nd meridian east of Greenwich. Four days after, the ships were compelled to seek shelter from a westerly gale in Fair Haven, where they remained until the evening of the iSth. The officers, profiting by their stay, took a series of pendulum observations, and made a rough survey of the harbour and adjacent country. On the 25th, Moffin Island was visited. Thence the ships plied in a north- easterly direction, and on the 27th were in latitude, by dead reckoning, 8o° 48', and longitude 15 E., about due north of the central part of the Spitzbergen group. This was the most northern position reached by the expedition. Here their endeavours to prosecute further researches in a northerly direction were completely frustrated by a large solid pack, which not only defied their efforts to penetrate, but compelled them to retreat to the southward, so as to avoid being beset in the broken -up ice that is invariably encountered on the out- skirts of a large pack. On the 30th of July the ships were imprisoned in a pool of water, so surrounded by ice that it was impossible to escape out of it. The dimensions of this water-hole gradually diminished, until the vessels were completely beset by the ice, nor was any indication of water seen in any direction. The prospect of releasing the ships from their icy bondage being exceedingly problematical, preparations were made for abandoning them, and the boats were ordered to be equipped with this object in view. Provisions and stores were hoisted up from below and apportioned to each boat, and the studding sails were cut up in order to make belts for the men to facili- tate the dragging of the boats over the ice. 88 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1773. In tli9 midst of all these preparations, the Carcass, driven by the erratic movements of the pack, was forced alongside the Racehorse, and it required no small amount of exertion and labour, on the part of the officers and men of the two ships, to separate and subsequently secure the vessels in safety. The hazardous expedient of abandoning their ships was, happily, not resorted to, for on the ioth August the ice suddenly loosened, and by noon on that day they had the indescribable gratifica- tion and relief of feeling, and knowing, that the peril was past. Captain Phipps being fully convinced that nothing fui'ther could be achieved that year in the way of exploration, wisely decided upon returning to England. Spitzbergen was left on the 19th August, and after sailing along the edge of the ice for a few days, the ships bore up for England, arriving at Orfordness on the 25th September, after a most tempestuous passage, during which they lost several boats, and had to throw two of their guns overboard. They were both paid out of commission at Sheerness on the 13th of the following month. The results of this expedition were, geographically, unimportant ; its failure was generally attributed to the fact that the year was an extremely unfavourable one for exploration in high latitudes. The Admiralty, how- ever, to mark their appreciation of the way in which the work had been carried out by the expedition, promoted Commander Lutwidge of the Carcass to the rank of captain, and raised the first lieutenant of the Racehorse to the rank of Commander. CHAPTER VII. EXPEDITION OF BUCHAN AND FRANKLIN TOWARDS THE NORTH POLE. " High on the northern silence, speechless things Own the bare ice, and reign the Ocean's kings." — Paradise of Birds. David Buchan, who was selected to command the ex- pedition to be despatched in quest of the North Pole, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on the 29th of January 1806 ; consequently he was only two years senior, as a lieutenant, to Franklin. He had, however, prior to his appointment to the expedition, been raised to the rank of commander. He was an accomplished surveying officer, and had done good work in mapping out the coast in the neighbourhood of Newfoundland. In 1810, whilst in command of the schooner Adonis, he had been selected by Sir John Duckworth to conduct an exploring expedition into the interior of Newfound- land, a country in those days regarded as a complete terra incognita. This service was satisfactorily accom- plished, in spite of the hostile attitude of the natives, who treacherously murdered two of his men. Whilst so employed he penetrated a distance of about 130 miles into the interior. His report of this journey is exceed- ingly interesting. The selection of Franklin, who was then a lieutenant 89 90 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. of ten years' seniority, to command the second ship was, in all probability, due to the zeal and ability he had displayed as a young officer when serving under a navi- gator of such repute as Captain Flinders. The very fact that he had served his apprenticeship in the navy under so renowned and distinguished an officer, was almost, in itself, sufficient justification for his selection to such an important appointment, irrespective of his own personal qualifications, and the extraordinary aptitude for marine surveying and other scientific pursuits, that he had evinced as a young officer. Neither Buchan or Franklin, however, were experienced in ice navigation, although the former must have been able to form some idea of the difficulties of navigating a ship in the pack from his long service in Newfoundland waters. The vessels selected were the Dorothea, a ship of 370 tons, and the Trent, a brig of 250 tons. Buchan was given the command of the Dorothea, and Franklin was appointed, on the 14th January 1818, as lieu- tenant in command of the Trent. The two ships had been specially built for the whale-fishery, in which they were engaged when chartered by the Government, but they were additionally strengthened and made as strong and durable as wood and iron could make them. The complement of the senior officer's ship was twelve officers and forty- three seamen and marines, while that of the Trent was only ten officers and twenty-eight men. A master and mate, experienced in the Greenland fishery, were appointed to each ship to act as pilots when in the ice. The ships were supplied with stores and provisions to last for an anticipated absence of two years, and both were carefully and thoroughly equipped for the impor- tant service on which they were to be engaged. 1818.] BUCHAN AND FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. 91 It is much to be regretted that neither Commander Buchan or Lieutenant Franklin published any account of this expedition in which they took such leading and prominent parts ; the former omitted to do so, because he was of opinion that the voyage was not of sufficient importance to attract the notice and arouse the interest of the general public, and the latter had no leisure on his return to undertake the work. The only narrative of the expedition that appeared, was the one written by Captain Beechey (who was first lieutenant of the Trent with Franklin), and published in 1843, twenty- five years after the return of the expedition. It is mainly from this work that the following account has been compiled. Captain Buchan's instructions directed him to make the best of his way into the Spitzbergen seas, and then to endeavour to force his ships northward between Spitzbergen and Greenland, without stopping to visit the coast of either of those countries. The authorities at the Admiralty, advised most probably by the leading men of science of the day, were evidently impressed by the vague and unauthenticated reports that, from time to time, had cropped up relative to the marvellously high latitudes attained by the whalers, and other vessels engaged in the slaughter of oil-producing animals, in those regions ; for in their official instructions they informed Captain Buchan that the sea, to the north- ward of Spitzbergen, had been generally found free from ice as far north as 83° 30' or 84° ! Therefore, they said, there is reason to expect that the sea may continue open still further to the northward, in which case Captain Buchan was directed to steer due north, and use bis utmost efforts to reach the North Pole. 92 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. If successful in doing so, he was ordered, if the weather was favourable, to remain for a few days in the vicinity of the Pole for the purpose of making observations, which, it was remarked, his interesting and unexampled situation might furnish him. After leaving the North Pole, he was directed to shape a course for Bering's Strait, or, if this was impracticable, he was to sail round the north end of Greenland and return home by Baffin's Bay and Davis's Strait. If unable to get to the Pole, he was told to direct his efforts solely to reaching Bering's Strait, and thus accomplish the long-sought- for, and frequently attempted, north-west passage. In the event of this being easily achieved, it was left to Captain Buchan's discretion to return by the same way, or to sail for England via Kamchatka and the Sandwich Islands. He was also told to arrange with Captain John Ross, who was in command of the expedition that was being despatched by Baffin's Bay in search of a north-west passage, to fix upon a preconcerted rendezvous, at which they should both meet in the Pacific. The advancement of science, other than geographical research, was one of the chief aims of the expedition, and valuable instruments were therefore supplied to both ships for ascertaining the variation and inclination of the magnetic needle, the intensity of the magnetic force, and how far the needle would be affected by the presence of atmospherical electricity. Various astro- nomical and meteorological instruments were also pro- vided, as well as those for determining the direction and velocity of the tides and currents, deep-sea soundings, &c. Among the instruments supplied was a timepiece and pendulum, by the vibrations of which latter, in a given 1818.] THE SHIPS REACH LERWICK 93 time, the form and figure of the earth was to be deter- mined. No care or expense was spared in the equip- ment of the vessels, and nothing that the commander asked for, which it was thought might promote the efficiency of the expedition, was refused. On the recommendation of the President and Council of the Royal Society, Mr. Fisher, a member of Cambridge University, and a gentleman well versed in mathematics and in other branches of natural science, was appointed to the Dorothea in the capacity of astronomer and naturalist. The ships sailed out of the Thames on the 25th April 1818, and arrived at Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, on the 1st May. Here, in consequence of a serious leak that had developed itself on the passage, the Trent was beached at high-water, and subjected to a thorough examination. Several rents in the planks were dis- covered in various parts of the ship, and these were re- paired as well as the means at their disposal would permit, but the principal leak, unfortunately, remained undiscovered, in spite of the strenuous exertions that were made to find it. This was naturally very morti- fying to Franklin and his officers. The service on which they were about to engage was of such a nature as to preclude all but stout, well-built, and, above all, tight ships being engaged in it. It was therefore a serious matter to them that they should at the outset embark in a leaky vessel, more especially when the leak was of such magnitude as to necessitate the employment of the men during half their watches at the pumps to keep her free. This was, it must be acknowledged, a very dis- tressing state of affairs, and it was rendered all the more so in a ship employed on Arctic service, where the men 94 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. are kept, night and day, constantly at work, and where a vessel is so severely handled by the ice, and subjected to such great pressures as to make even those that are strongly built leak. Having done their utmost to remedy the defect, the expedition sailed from Lerwick on the ioth May, and crossing the Arctic Circle a few days afterwards, they experienced the novelty of beholding the midnight sun, and of enjoying the hitherto unknown experience of con- tinual daylight. On the 24th, Cherie or Bear Island, as it is more frequently called, was sighted, and shortly afterwards the ships were separated in consequence of thick weather and a violent south-west gale. They met again, however, in a few days, a short distance from their previously arranged rendezvous, in Magdalena Bay. Prior to this temporary separation they were, for the first time, made acquainted with the difficulties and the novelty of navigating their ships through a loose pack. Indeed, some of the streams of ice through which they had to thread their way, were of such a nature, that combined with the thickness of the weather, necessitated their laying-to until the latter should moderate. Their position at this time is thus referred to by the first lieutenant of the Trent : — " The weather was now very severe ; the snow fell in heavy showers, and several tons' weight of ice accumulated about the sides of the brig, and formed a complete casing to the planks, which received an additional layer at each plunge of the vessel. So great indeed was the accumulation about the bows, that we were obliged to cut it away repeatedly with axes, to relieve the bowsprit from the enormous weight that was attached to it ; and the ropes were so thickly covered 1318.] MAGDALENA BAY SURVEYED. 95 with ice, that it was necessary to beat them with large sticks to keep them in a state of readiness for any evolution that might be rendered necessary, either by the appearance of ice to leeward, or by a change of wind." Encountering what they had every reason to believe was the main body of the ice, extending in one vast un- broken plain along the northern horizon, and finding it absolutely impenetrable, it was determined to wait patiently for a few days in Magdalena Bay, so as to give the pack time to break up and disperse. A wise resolution, considering the early season of the year, namely June 3rd, at which they found themselves in such a comparatively high latitude. During the stay of the ships at this anchorage, the officers were very actively, and profitably, engaged in surveying the harbour, taking observations in various branches of science, shooting excursions, and, we may rest assured, in keeping a constant and vigilant watch on the movements of the pack, from some convenient look-out station. Here, on the iron-bound shores of Spitzbergen, with its icy peaks and snow-clad valleys, Franklin was first made acquainted with the uninviting aspect of Arctic scenery. The grim and inhospitable appearance of the surrounding country fascinated the tyro in Polar exploration, and made him all the more eager to further explore the hidden mysteries of the sealed North Land. It was, in all probability, the result of this, his first voyage to the Arctic regions, that made Franklin, the already skilful sailor and talented .sur- veyor, one of the greatest Arctic travellers that the world has ever known. How different, he must have thought, was the appearance of the anchorage at Magda- lena Bay, with its dreary barren shores fringed by long 96 LIFE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN. [1818. snow-covered valleys and rugged sterile mountains, be- tween which lay huge milk-white glaciers, their opaque surfaces glistening in the rays of the midnight sun, to the luxuriant vegetation and tropical scenery of the land he had been accustomed to gaze on, while serving under Flinders in the Southern Hemisphere. It was indeed a marvellous change of scenery. In spite, how- ever, of the bleakness and sterility of their surroundings, the anchorage at Magdalena Bay was rendered cheerful by the song of countless birds peculiar to those regions ; myriads of little auks, or rotges flew, in long and never- ending processions to their breeding-places on the sides of the cliffs, whilst guillemots, cormorants, gulls, and other aquatic birds enlivened the bay by their presence. Groups of walruses were also seen basking in the sun as they stretched their huge, ungainly forms on loose pieces of ice, while the presence of numerous seals doubtless afforded pastime to the sportsmen, as well as fresh food for the officers' mess. During their detention in Magdalena Bay, the mem- bers of the expedition witnessed, at various times, the breaking-off of immense fragments of ice from the parent glacier. On one occasion this disruption was attended with some little risk and danger, for one of their boats, with its crew, was carried by the wave en- gendered by the fall of ice into the water, a distance of nearly a hundred feet, when it was washed up on the beach and badly stove. On another occasion, Buchan and Franklin were together in a boat examining the terminal face of one of these glaciers, when they sud- denly heard a deafening report, somewhat similar to the simultaneous discharge of many heavy pieces of artillery ; on looking up, they perceived to their horror an enor- SPITZBERGEK ^CT Stale 1 8 HOOOlXl 12l