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of  ilje 

af 


The  Estate  of 
The  Late  John  Brundle 


? 


Motive  (Sreat 
anfc  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  SIE  JOHN  FEANKLIN. 


The  World's  Great  Explorers  and  Explorations, 


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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. 

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should  do." — Saturday  Review. 

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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 
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SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 

(From  a  lithographed  copy  of  the  painting  by  Negelin.) 


LIFE   OF 

SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN 


AND 


THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE. 


BY 


CAPTAIN  ALBERT  HASTINGS  MAKKHAM, 

.,  A.D.C. 


LONDON: 
GEOKGE  PHILIP  &  SON,  32  FLEET  STKEET; 

LIVERPOOL:  45  TO  51  SOUTH  CASTLE  STREET. 
1891. 


945709 


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 


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  geographical  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  difiiculties.  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,  I  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  ascertain  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  reli- 
able information  in  connection  with  his  life,  have  been 


Tiii  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   .        .        .         .        .  17 

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 71 

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        .        .        .146 
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 

XHI.   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  NORTH-EAST  PASSAGE— LEIGH  SMITH 
— GREELEY — VALEDICTORY 278 


INDEX 316 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  MAPS. 


FULL-PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

1.  Sir  John  Franklin Frontispiece 

(From  a  lithographed  copy  of  the  painting  by  Negelin,  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  of  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 .     ,,     197 

(From  a  photograph.) 

7.  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell  .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .     ,,    241 

(From  a  photograph,  kindly  lent  by  Mrs.  Ruxton,  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.) 


xii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTKATIONS. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  TEXT. 


Spilsby  Church 

(From  a  photograph.) 
Louth   Grammar  -  school 
(pulled  down  1869)  . 

(From  a  photograph.) 
Seal  of  Louth  Grammar- 
school 

Encampment  on  Wreck 
Keef 


59 


(From  a  pencil  sketch  in  the  pos- 
session of  Captain  Markham.) 

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  .       „  276 

(From  a  photograph.) 


MAPS  (Printed  in  Colours]. 

1.  Arctic  Regions to  face  page  78 

2.  Spitzbergen ,,            96 

3.  Arctic  America— exhibiting  progress  of  discovery.  „          193 

4.  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  hunt  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  third 
Lord,  who  was  at  the  battle  of  Poitiers ;  of  the  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  3ist  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  3ist  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.KG.  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  3ist  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,  Gr.  and  J.  Houlden,  and  T.  and  Rd,  Martin. 


4  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [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.  n,  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  FKANKLIN  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  i,  1824. 

James  Franklin,  who  was  born  in  May  1783,  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  Pindari  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  (1815-21),  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 
3ist  August  1834,  aged  fifty-one,  and  was  buried  in  St. 
John's  Chapel,  Marylebone. 

Isabella,  the  ninth  child,  was  born  on  the  i2th 
April  1791,  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. 


[1786- 


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 


LOUTH  GRAMMAR-SCHOOL,    1796. 

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  1814.  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  GRAMMAR  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  1789,  and  is  very  prettily  situated  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  school.  Although  this  scho- 
lastic establishment  was,  as  already  stated,  founded  so 


SEAL  OF  LOUTH  GRAMMAR-SCHOOL. 

far  back  as  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the 
building  in  which  Franklin  was  educated  was  only 
erected  in  1710.  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  1818.  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  SIK  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [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.  Yincent,  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  pth  of  March  1800. 
The  Polyphemus  was  a  fine  two-decked  ship,  carrying 
sixty-four  guns,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain  George 
Lumsdaine.  On  the  ist  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  ist  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  Qth  of  August  the  squadron  to  which  the 
Polyphemus  was  attached,  consisting  of  the  Monarch, 
Romney,  Ardent,  Ms,  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  2oth  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  i2th  of 
March  1801,  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.  [1786- 

off  the  island  of  Hven  on  the  3oth  March,  about  six 
miles  from  Copenhagen. 

On  the  ist  of  April  a  division  of  the  fleet  under  the 
immediate  command  of  Lord  Nelson,  and  to  which  the 
Polyphemus  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  "  * — 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,  2ist  June 
1802. 


1801.]  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  1 2th  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  tne  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  rnooi-ed  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.  [1786- 

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  1 3th  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  Isis  for  passage  to  England.  After  a 
quick  run  home  we  find  him,  on  the  2yth  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  i6th  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  y 
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  FKANKLIN.  [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 
1795  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. 

FROM  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  Mendana.  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 


18  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1567- 

not,  however,  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,  Mendaiia,  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.  Mendaiia  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  3<Dth  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  JEendragt,  outward  bound  from 
Holland  to  India,  sailed  along  the  west  coast  of  Aus- 
tralia from  23°  to  26J°  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  Yan  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  Amboyna  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  was 
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  Heemskirk,  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, Yan  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  i3th 
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  I5th  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  Australis  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 
Geelwnk,  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  inscription  commemo- 
rating the  discovery  of  Dirck  Hartog  in  1616  (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  Yan  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  Venus  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 
1 3th  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  SIE  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [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  i8th  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  loth  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  FEANKLIN.  [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  loth  June  1771,  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. 


1795.1  COOK'S  SECOND  VOYAGE.  27 

It  was  not  likely  that  so  experienced  and  skilful  a 
navigator  as  Captain  Cook  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  final  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  I3th  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  the  country 
with  these  useful  domestic  animals,  whilst  potatoes,  car- 
rots, onions,  parsnips,  cabbage,  beans,  turnips  and  other 
edible  vegetables  were  planted.  On  the  iyth  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  2ist  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  yist  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  i8th 
of  October.  Leaving  New  Zealand  on  the  loth  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  3oth 
July  1775,  after  an  absence  of  a  little  over  three  years. 
His  consort,  the  Adventure,  had  reached  England  on 
the  1 4th  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  loth  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  I2th  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  SIK  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [1567- 

botfcle,  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  which 
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  Equate 
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  yth  of  March,  and  on  the  2gth  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  1 2th  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  2yth  of  June,  and,  after  a  stay  of 
a  few  days,  the  ships  resumed  their  voyage  northwards. 
On  the  pth  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  iyth  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  2Qth  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  3oth  of  November,  the  island  of  Owhyhee 
(Hawai)  was  discovered,  and  seven  weeks  were  spent  in 
sailing  round  and  exploring  its  coast.  On  the  i  yth  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  1 4th  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 5th  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  i3th  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  return^! 
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  days. 

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  iQth  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 
Arabic  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 

perseverance,  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- 


1803.]  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  only 
carried  with  him  provisions  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  ist  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- 

charge  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  pth  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  yth  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  explored,  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,  <kc.,  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  such  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  i8th  of  July 
1 80  r.  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. 


CAPTAIN  FLINDERS. 


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  geographers  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  be  spared  from  the 
service  ;  and  his  anxiety  to  complete  the  investigation  of 
the  coasts  of  Terra  Australis  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.  Kef  erring  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.]    SUKVEY  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  earth." 

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  wag 
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,  and  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  Franklin  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  DISASTEE.  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 

l  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  Geographe,  employed,  like 
themselves,  on  a  peaceful  voyage  of  discovery.  She 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Nicholas  Baudin,  who,  with 
another  ship,  Le  Naturalists,  also  under  his  orders,  had 
been  recently  engaged  in  examining  the  south  and  east 
coasts  of  Yan  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  1800,  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  Qth  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 
necessary  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 
satronornical  observations  were  taken.  This  observatory 


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  1802,  and  steering  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  aoth  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  1801. 


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  weather,  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  loth 
June  1 803,  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  dysentery,  that 
it  was  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, due  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  2ist 
July  1803. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

WRECK   OF    THE    "PORPOISE "— REACH    CANTON- 
DEFEAT    OF    LINOIS    BY   DANCE— ARRIVAL   IN 

ENGLAND. 

1803-1804. 

*'  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." 

—Childe  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  Bridgeicater,  and  by  the 
ship  Cato  of  London,  both  bound  to  Batavia,  the  captains 
of  those  vessels  having  expressed  a  wish  to  be  piloted 


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  i  yth  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  Bridgeicater  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  Cato's  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. 


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  KEEP. 


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 
Goto  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  by  Mr.  Westall 
are  still  in  existence,  and  are  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Royal  Colonial 
Institute  in  London.  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  sand  ! 


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  yth  of  October,  when  they 
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  truth,  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  grati- 
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  Holla,  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  vid  Torres  Strait,  Mauritius, 
and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  while  Lieutenants  Fowler 
and  Flinders,  with  the  remainder  of  the  officers  and 
crews  of  the  Porpoise  and  Cato  (including  John  Frank- 
lin), embarked  on  board  the  Rolla  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  i  Qth  July  1814,  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  Holla,  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. 

Alfred.  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, 
however,  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 


1804.]  FKENCH  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  3ist  January  1804. 
No  event  of  importance  happened  until  the  i4th  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 


66  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [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.  [1803. 

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  yth  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  Y. 

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." — DRYDEN. 

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  2oth  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.  [1804- 

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  Betterophon  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  Belleroplwn 
by  Captain  John  Cooke,  and  on  the  2pth  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  2ist  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 


1815.]  BATTLE  OF  TEAFALGAR  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  AB.'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  i  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  1813,  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- fathom  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  1810,  aged  fifty-nine  years. 

Early  in  1813,  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  1813.  For  the 
succeeding  nine  months  the  Bedford  was  stationed  on 
her  old  cruising-ground  off  the  Texel  and  Scheveningen, 
but  in  September  1814  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 
1 3th  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- 


naral  force  at  his  disposal.  Accordingly  a  division  of 
boats,  containing  about  1000  officers  and  men,  belonging 
to  the  British  ships  that  were  stationed  off  New  Orleans, 
left  on  the  night  of  the  i2th  of  December  1814,  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  defeated, 
he  was  officially  and  very  warmly  recommended  for 
promotion.  The  Bedford  sailed  on  her  homeward 
voyage  in  March,  and  reached  Spithead  on  the  3oth 
May  1815.  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  Cochrane.  He  was  sent  home  with  despatches,  was 
posted,  and  made  a  C.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  1818  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 


T  i  ^L;S 


A  n  t  £. 

S  e  a 


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  1817,  the  hitherto  almost 
inaccessible  eastern  coast  of  Greenland,  it  was  stated, 
had  been  actually  visited  by  whale- ships  between  the 
yoth  and  8oth  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  SIE  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 
Sgfh  parallel  of  latitude.  In  1818,  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  ^1000;  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  noth  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  Ross,  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  noth  meridian  in 
the  discovery-ships  Hecla  and  Griper  in  1819. 


1773.]    HENKY  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  achievements,  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  Hopeicell,  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°  N.,  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 

p 


82  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [1607- 

Spitzbergen,1  which  he  sighted  on  the  2yth  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  80°  30'  N.  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  1 5th  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  80°  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  purely  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  SIK  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [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- 

reporfc  himself,  and  he  was  specially  directed  to  be 
careful  to  make  all  necessary  observations  that  would 
assist  in  improving  navigation  and  promoting  general 
knowledge. 

On  the  i  Qth  of  June  the  Arctic  Circle  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  loth  of  July,  after  great  toil  and  incessant 


1773.]  THE  TWO  SHIPS  BESET.  87 

labour,  and  not  without  severe  bufferings  from  the  ice, 
the  latitude  80°  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 
1 8th.  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,  80°  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  3oth  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  the  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  loth  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  further  could  be  achieved  that  year  in  the  way 
of  exploration,  wisely  decided  upon  returning  to  England. 
Spitzbergen  was  left  on  the  i9th  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  i3th  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. 

1818. 

"  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  Hen  tenant  on  the  2pth  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  i4th  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  FKANKLIN'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  Beech  ey  (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  his 
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  KEACH  LEEWICK  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  ist  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  loth  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  layiiig-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 


1818.]  MAGDALENA  BAY  SUEVEYED.  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  SIE  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- 


1818.]  CREATION  OF  AN  ICEBERG.  97 

mous  piece  of  the  glacier  sliding  down  into  the  sea  from 
a  height  of  at  least  two  hundred  feet.  This  was  accom- 
panied by  a  loud  grinding  noise  and  the  overflow  of  a 
large  volume  of  water,  which  having  previously  formed 
and  lodged  in  the  fissures  of  the  glacier,  now  made  its 
escape  in  numerous  cascades.  The  boat  in  which  the 
two  commanders  were  seated  was  kept  with  her  head  to 
seaward,  and  by  this  precaution  they  succeeded  in  avert- 
ing a  disaster  which  would  probably  have  ensued  in  con- 
sequence of  the  violent  agitation  of  the  water,  and  the 
succession  of  heavy  rollers  that  swept  across  the  bay,  the 
roaring  of  which  was  heard  at  a  distance  of  four  miles. 
The  fragment  that  had  been  detached,  and  whose  plunge 
into  the  water  had  caused  all  this  commotion,  disap- 
peared entirely  for  the  space  of  some  minutes,  during 
which  time  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  the  surface  of 
the  water,  violently  agitated  and  covered  with  foam  and 
clouds  of  spray.  Suddenly  it  appeared,  shooting  up 
rapidly  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  feet  above  the  sea, 
with  torrents  of  water  pouring  down  its  sides;  then, 
after  rocking  about  for  some  moments,  it  rolled  over, 
eventually  becoming  quiescent,  and  drifting  out  to  sea 
under  the  influence  of  wind  and  tide  as  a  newly-formed 
iceberg.  It  was  ascertained  to  be  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
in  circumference,  and  its  height  sixty  feet  above  the 
water.  Its  weight  was  computed  at  about  421,640 
tons. 

On  the  7  th  June  the  ships  sailed  out  of  Magdalena 
Bay  and  steered  a  northward  course,  in  order  to  resume 
the  examination  of  the  pack.  It  was  found  in  much 
the  same  state  and  condition  as  they  had  left  it,  namely, 
impenetrable.  At  this  time,  owing  to  the  wind  sud- 
denly failing,  the  ships  were  left  helplessly  becalmed  and 


98  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1818. 

quite  unmanageable  in  close  proximity  to  the  pack, 
which,  in  consequence  of  a  heavy  swell  that  prevailed, 
was  in  a  violent  state  of  agitation.  In  spite  of  every 
effort  to  prevent  it,  the  ships  were  driven  into  the  ice, 
where  they  experienced  some  rough  treatment  from  the 
heaving  pack.  Towards  morning  a  light  breeze  sprang 
up,  which  enabled  them  to  effect  their  escape  from  a 
somewhat  critical  and  perilous  position,  after  a  night  of 
great  anxiety  and  incessant  toil. 

Having  unsuccessfully  attempted  to  find  an  opening  in 
the  ice  to  the  westward,  Captain  Buchan  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  best  chance  for  the  successful  accomplish- 
ment of  the  enterprise,  was  by  keeping  close  to  Spitzber- 
gen,  so  with  this  object  in  view  the  course  of  the  ships  was 
once  more  shaped  to  the  eastward.  On  June  loth  they 
sighted  Prince  Charles's  Foreland,  and  on  the  following 
morning  were  off  Cloven  Cliff,  where  they  were  extremely 
gratified  to  find  a  navigable  lane  of  water  existing  be- 
tween the  land  and  the  main  body  of  the  pack.  Think- 
ing that  this  channel  would  possibly  lead  to  an  open 
and  navigable  sea,  the  ships  boldly  entered  it,  but  had 
barely  passed  Red  Bay  before  the  ice  closed  in,  the 
channel  was  blocked,  and  the  ships  were  helplessly 
caught  and  beset.  In  this  position,  without  being  able 
to  extricate  themselves,  the  vessels  remained  for  a  period 
of  thirteen  days,  when,  under  the  influence  of  a  fresh 
north-east  breeze,  the  ice  loosened,  and  they  succeeded 
in  getting  into  open  water.  The  place  where  the  ships 
were  beset,  was  in  about  the  same  locality  in  which 
Hudson,  Baffin,  Poole,  Phipps,  and  other  navigators 
had  invariably  been  stopped. 

Their  late  besetment  had,  at  any  rate,  one  very  bene- 
ficial effect,  for  by  its  means  they  were  led  to  the  dig- 


1818.]         VESSELS  ANCHOR  IN  FAIR  HAVEN.  99 

covery  of  the  cause  of  the  leak  in  the  Trent,  which  had 
given  them  so  much  trouble  and  anxiety  ever  since 
they  left  England.1  It  appears  that  one  night  when 
they  were  lying  quietly  in  the  ice,  the  surgeon's  assist- 
ant thought  he  detected  the  noise  of  water  rushing 
into  the  ship  below  where  he  slept.  On  this  being  re- 
ported, the  spirit-room  was  at  once  cleared,  and  on  cut- 
ting through  the  inside  lining  of  the  ship,  the  water 
poured  through  in  a  stream  fully  four  feet  in  height.  It 
was  then  found  that  a  bolt,  through  the  culpable  neglect 
of  some  dockyard  shipwright,  had  been  left  out,  and  the 
hole  being  covered  with  pitch,  its  omission  was  not  at  the 
time  detected.  The  defect  was  at  once  rectified,  and  they 
had  the  happiness  to  find  henceforth  that  the  Trent  was 
as  tight  and  safe  as  any  ship  afloat;  but  the  wretched 
shipwright,  whose  negligence  had  caused  them  so  much 
wearisome  labour  and  fatigue,  was  not  easily  or  quickly 
forgotten,  or  forgiven,  by  the  men,  who  up  to  this  time 
had  been  constantly  employed  at  the  pumps  during  more 
than  half  their  watches ;  the  discovery  and  subsequent 
stoppage  of  the  leak  was  therefore  a  matter  of  great  joy 
and  relief  to  all  concerned. 

On  June  the  28th  the  ships  anchored  in  Fair  Haven, 
in  order  to  await  a  more  favourable  opportunity  of 
pushing  northwards;  they  hoped  that  by  the  display 
of  a  little  patience  the  pack  would  in  a  short  time 
loosen  and  enable  them  to  proceed.  The  anchorage  at 
Fair  Haven  is  free  from  hidden  dangers  of  any  kind,  and 
is  tolerably  well  sheltered  from  south  and  westerly  winds, 
but  is  exposed  to  the  north.  Here  they  were  fortunate 
enough  to  obtain  some  fresh  meat  in  the  shape  of  rein- 
deer, about  forty  of  these  animals  falling  victims  to  the 
1  See  page  93. 


100  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1818. 

prowess  of  the  sportsmen  of  the  expedition.  Four  were 
driven  into  the  water,  captured,  and  taken  alive  to  the 
ships,  but  the  unfortunate  beasts  were  so  wild,  that  they 
broke  their  limbs  in  their  frantic  efforts  to  escape,  and 
had  to  be  shot.  Large  numbers  of  eider  ducks  were 
also  procured,  and  afforded  a  very  welcome  change  to 
the  ship's  provisions  on  which  they  had  for  so  long  been 
subsisting. 

On  the  6th  July  the  ships  again  put  to  sea,  and  sailed 
as  far  north  as  80°  15',  but  here  again  they  were  stopped 
by  the  same  impenetrable  barrier  of  ice  that  had  already, 
on  more  than  one  occasion,  so  successfully  impeded  their 
advance.  In  their  endeavours  to  extricate  themselves 
from  the  loose  fragments  by  which  they  were  surrounded, 
the  ships  received  some  rather  severe  blows  from  the 
larger  pieces.  On  the  following  day  they  had  the  in- 
tense pleasure  of  seeing  the  pack  loosen,  exhibiting 
lanes  of  water  radiating  in  all  directions  through  it. 
All  was  now  bustle  and  activity,  and  the  wind  being 
favourable,  the  ships  crowded  on  all  possible  sail,  and 
pushed  onwards  with  joyful  anticipations  of  success. 

But  changes  occur  very  quickly  and  very  suddenly 
in  ice-encumbered  waters,  and  bitter  and  keen  disap- 
pointment soon  followed  their  short-lived  joyous  aspira- 
tions, for  in  a  few  short  hours  the  channels  of  water, 
which  they  thought  might  lead  them  even  to  the  Pole 
itself,  gradually  diminished  in  size,  until  they  disappeared 
altogether,  and  the  ice,  with  its  accustomed  and  erratic 
rapidity  of  motion,  encircled  the  two  ships  so  closely 
that  they  were  soon  completely  beset. 

For  the  succeeding  three  weeks  they  remained  in  a 
perfectly  helpless  state,  although  strenuous  efforts  were 
made  to  free  themselves,  by  boring  through  the  ice 


1818.]  ROUGHLY  HANDLED  BY  THE  ICE.  101 

whenever  the  pack  loosened,  and  by  dragging  and  warp- 
ing the  ships  whenever  opportunities  presented  them- 
selves, in  this  way  they  succeeded  in  making  some 
slight  progress  in  a  northerly  direction,  until,  however, 
they  discovered,  to  their  great  mortification,  that  a  strong 
current  was  setting  them  to  the  southward,  at  a  greater 
rate  than  they  were  advancing  in  the  opposite  direction. 
The  following  extract  from  Captain  Beechey's  narra- 
tive will  give  some  faint  idea  regarding  the  dangers  and 
difficulties  they  were  at  this  time  exposed  to  :  — 

"On  the  evening  of  the  loth  the  Trent  sustained  a  squeeze 
which  matle  her  rise  four  feet  and  heel  over  five  streaks  ; 
and  on  the  i5th  and  i6th  both  vessels  suffered  damage, 
especially  the  Dorothea,  from  her  being  larger  and  more  wall- 
sided  than  the  Trent.  On  that  occasion  we  observed  a  field 
fifteen  feet  in  thickness  break  up,  and  the  pieces  pile  upon 
each  other  to  a  great  height,  until  they  upset  when  they  rolled 
over  with  a  tremendous  crash.  The  ice  near  the  ships  was 
piled  up  above  their  bulwarks,  to  the  great  danger  of  the  bow- 
sprit and  upper  works.  Fortunately  the  vessels  rose  to  the 
pressure,  or  they  must  have  had  their  sides  forced  in  ;  the 
Trent  received  her  greatest  damage  upon  the  quarter,  and  was 
so  twisted  that  the  doors  of  all  the  cabins  flew  open,  and  the 
panels  of  some  started  in  the  frames,  while  her  false  stern-post 
moved  three  inches,  and  her  timbers  cracked  to  a  most  serious 
extent.  The  Dorothea  suffered  still  more  :  some  of  her  beams 
were  sprung,  and  two  planks  on  the  lower  deck,  were  split 
fore  and  aft  and  doubled  up,  and  she  otherwise  sustained 
serious  injury  in  her  hull.  It  was  in  vain  that  we  attempted 
any  relief,  our  puny  efforts  were  not  even  felt,  though  con- 
tinued for  eight  hours  with  unabated  zeal ;  and  it  was  not  until 
the  tide  changed  that  the  smallest  effect  was  produced.  When, 
however,  that  occurred,  the  vessels  arighted  and  settled  in  the 
water  to  their  proper  draft." 

It  was  during  this  besetment  in  the  pack  that  the 


102  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1818. 

ships  reached  their  most  northerly  position,  but,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  thick  state  of  the  weather,  it  was  only 
ascertained  by  dead  reckoning;  and  as  there  was  an 
unfortunate  difference  in  the  calculations  of  the  two 
vessels,  the  Dorotliea  computing  the  latitude  to  be  80° 
31',  and  the  Trent  making  it  80°  37',  the  mean  of  the 
two  results,  viz.,  80°  34',  was  the  highest  position  claimed. 
Captain  Buchan  now  resolved  to  examine  the  edge 
of  the  ice  to  the  westward,  having  so  signally,  and  so 
repeatedly,  failed  in  all  his  efforts  to  advance  either  in 
a  northerly  or  easterly  direction.  No  sooner  had  this 
determination  been  made  known,  and  the  necessary 
orders  for  acting  upon  it  been  issued,  than  the  two 
ships  were  caught  in  a  furious  gale  of  wind,  which 
necessitated  their  resorting  to  the  desperate  expedient  of 
taking  shelter  in  the  pack,  a  step  that  can  only  be 
justified  as  an  extreme  measure,  and  as  offering  the 
sole  chance  of  escaping  destruction.  In  order  to  protect 
his  ship  from  the  heavy  ice  floes  that  skirted  the  pack, 
and  through  which  he  must  necessarily  pass,  Franklin, 
fully  alive  to  the  perilous  nature  of  his  contemplated 
action,  gave  orders  to  cut  up  one  of  the  largest  hemp 
cables,  in  lengths  of  about  thirty  feet ;  these  pieces,  with 
some  walrus  hides  and  iron  plates,  were  then  placed 
round  the  outside  of  the  ship  to  act  as  fenders  so  as  to 
protect  the  hull  from  the  huge  fragments  of  ice  with 
which  it  would  have  to  come  into  contact.  He  also  gave 
orders  for  the  masts  and  other  spars  to  be  secured  with 
additional  tackles,  and  all  hatchways  to  be  battened 
down.  Everything  being  in  readiness,  Franklin,  in  a  loud 
clear  voice,  ordered  the  helm  to  be  put  up,  and  the  brig 
in  obedience  to  the  action  flew  round  and  dashed  before 
the  gale  towards  the  pack,  which  presented  "one  un- 


1818.]  SEEK  SHELTER  IN  THE  PACK.  103 

broken  line  of  furious  breakers,  in  which  immense  pieces 
of  ice  were  heaving  and  subsiding  with  the  waves,  and 
dashing  together  with  a  violence,  which  nothing  ap- 
parently but  a  solid  body  could  withstand,"  occasioning 
such  an  uproar  and  noisy  confusion,  that  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  Franklin  could  make  his  orders  heard 
by  the  men,  though  given  in  his  customary  cool,  bold, 
and  decisive  manner.  As  the  brig  dashed  into  that 
awful  seething  mass  of  ice,  Captain  Beechey  tells  us 
that — 

"  Each  person  instinctively  secured  his  own  hold,  and, 
with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  masts,  awaited  in  breathless 
anxiety  the  moment  of  concussion.  It  soon  arrived — the 
brig,  cutting  her  way  through  the  light  ice,  came  in  violent 
contact  with  the  main  body.  In  an  instant  we  all  lost  our 
footing,  the  masts  bent  with  the  impetus,  and  the  cracking 
timbers  from  below  bespoke  a  pressure  which  was  calculated 
to  awaken  our  serious  apprehensions.  The  vessel  staggered 
under  the  shock,  and  for  a  moment  seemed  to  recoil ;  but  the 
next  wave  curling  up  under  her  counter,  drove  her  about  her 
own  length  within  the  margin  of  the  ice,  where  she  gave  one 
roll,  and  was  immediately  thrown  broadside  to  the  wind  by 
the  succeeding  wave,  which  beat  furiously  against  her  stern, 
and  brought  her  lee  side  in  contact  with  the  main  body,  leav- 
ing her  weather  side  exposed  at  the  same  time  to  a  piece  of  ice 
about  twice  her  own  dimensions.  .  .  . 

"Literally  tossed  from  piece  to  piece,  we  had  nothing  left 
but  patiently  to  abide  the  issue,  for  we  could  scarcely  keep 
our  feet,  much  less  render  any  assistance  to  the  vessel.  The 
motion  was  so  great  that  the  ship's  bell,  which  in  the  heaviest 
gale  of  wind  had  never  struck  by  itself,  now  tolled  so  con- 
tinually, that  it  was  ordered  to  be  muffled,  for  the  purpose 
of  escaping  the  unpleasant  association  it  was  calculated  to 
produce." 

By  making  more  sail,  Franklin  succeeded  in  pushing 


104  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1818. 

his  vessel  farther  into  the  pack,  and  this  greatly  improved 
their  situation.  In  about  four  hours  the  gale  moderated, 
the  swell  subsided,  and  the  weather  clearing,  those  on 
board  the  Trent  were  much  relieved  by  seeing  their 
consort  not  far  from  them,  for  great  apprehensions  had 
been  felt  during  the  gale  concerning  her  safety.  They 
soon  ascertained  by  signal  that  she  had  also  suffered 
very  severely  in  her  encounter  with  the  ice,  and  was 
in  a  somewhat  crippled  condition.  On  the  following 
morning  open  water  was  reached,  and  the  two  battered 
ships,  in  a  leaky,  disabled,  and  almost  sinking  state, 
sought  refuge  in  Fair  Haven,  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
extent  of  their  injuries,  and,  if  possible,  repair  their 
damages.  The  Trent  though  seriously  damaged  had  sus- 
tained less  injury  than  the  Dorothea,  which  latter  ship 
had  the  greater  part  of  her  timbers  broken,  besides 
several  of  her  beams  sprung.  The  larboard  side  of  the 
ship,  it  was  found,  had  been  forced  in  by  constant 
collisions  with  the  ice;  the  spirit-room,  which  was  in 
the  centre  of  the  ship,  was  crushed  in ;  while  the  casks 
stowed  in  the  hold  were  actually  stove !  It  is  hardly 
possible  to  imagine  how  the  ship,  after  sustaining  such 
serious  injuries,  was  capable  of  remaining  afloat. 

As  it  was  quite  out  of  the  question  that  the  Doro- 
thea in  her  present  condition  could  again  risk  an 
encounter  with  the  ice,  but  must  either  return  to 
England  or  be  abandoned,  Franklin  tried  very  hard 
to  be  allowed  to  proceed  alone,  in  the  Trent,  in  the 
execution  of  the  service  on  which  they  were  engaged ; 
but  as  his  vessel  was  in  nearly  as  unseaworthy  a  condi- 
tion as  her  consort,  Captain  Buchan  wisely  declined  to 
entertain  the  request,  giving  as  his  reason  that  the 
Dorothea  was  not  in  a  fit  state  to  undertake  the  voyage 


1818.]  KESULTS  OF  THE  VOYAGE.  105 

to  England  unless  accompanied  by  another  vessel.  In 
consequence  of  the  unserviceable  condition  of  the  two 
ships,  it  was  reluctantly,  but  prudently,  decided,  to 
abandon  all  further  attempts  at  discovery,  and  to  return 
to  England  as  soon  as  the  vessels  could  be  repaired 
and  made  seaworthy.  Indeed,  any  other  course  would 
have  been  as  unwise  as  it  would  be  hazardous.  During 
their  stay  at  Fair  Haven,  Franklin  was  busily  occupied, 
not  only  in  superintending  the  repairs  of  the  Trent,  but 
also  in  surveying  and  projecting  a  plan  of  the  anchorage 
and  adjacent  islands,  and  also  in  assisting  Mr.  Fisher  to 
determine  the  geographical  position  of  the  place.  The 
ships  put  to  sea  on  the  3oth  August,  and  after  making 
a  cursory  examination  of  the  ice  to  the  northward  and 
westward,  steered  homewards ;  after  a  somewhat  long 
and  anxious  passage,  they  reached  Deptford  on  October 
22nd,  and  were  paid  out  of  commission  on  the  i4th  of 
the  following  month. 

The  results  of  this  voyage  were  of  a  negative  kind ; 
the  expedition  examined  about  the  same  extent  of  the 
pack  edge  as  did  Phipps  in  1773,  and  found  the  ice 
equally  as  impenetrable  as  he  did.  It  was,  however,  the 
first  expedition  sent  to  the  Arctic  regions  during  the 
present  century,  and  it  was  the  forerunner  of  those 
subsequently  despatched  by  England  in  search  of  the 
north-west  passage. 

Thus  ended  this  plucky  attempt  to  reach  the  North 
Pole,  in  which  everything  was  achieved  that  human  skill, 
perseverance,  and  courage  could,  under  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances, have  effected.  Dangers  and  difficulties  of  a 
novel  and  a  terrible  description,  were  successfully  grap- 
pled with,  and  hardships  and  privations  of  no  ordinary 
kind,  were  uncomplainingly  endured  by  that  small  but 


106  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1818. 

heroic  band  that  sailed  under  the  leadership  of  Buchan 
and  Franklin.  The  failure  to  reach  a  high  latitude  was 
due  to  that  vast  barrier  of  ice,  which  has  always  proved 
an  insuperable  obstacle  to  advance  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion in  the  neighbourhood  of  Spitzbergen.  This  great 
belt  of  impenetrable  ice,  has  been  invariably  met  with 
by  all,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  who  have  endeavoured 
to  push  northwards,  and  it  has  so  far  successfully  defied 
penetration.  One  most  important  result  of  this  expedi- 
tion, was  the  experience  gained  by  Franklin  in  Arctic 
exploration,  for  it  was  during  this  voyage  that  he  won 
his  spurs  as  a  Polar  explorer,  and  gained  that  insight 
into  ice  navigation  which  subsequently  proved  of  in- 
estimable value  to  his  country  and  to  the  science  of 
geography. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

FRANKLIN'S  FIRST  LAND  JOURNEY. 
1819-1822. 

"  How  shall  I  admire  your  heroicke  courage 
Ye  marine  worthies,  beyond  names  of  worthinesse  ?  " 

— PURCHAS. 

THE  return  of  the  two  expeditions  in  1818,  although  they 
had  been  unsuccessful  in  accomplishing  the  main  objects 
for  which  they  had  been  despatched,  viz.,  the  discovery  of 
the  North  Pole,  and  the  achievement  of  the  long-sought- 
for  north-west  passage,  so  far  from  throwing  cold  water 
on  the  prosecution  of  further  research  in  high  latitudes, 
appeared  to  stimulate  the  Government  into  renewed 
action  in  the  same  direction.  The  reports  of  the  leaders 
of  the  two  expeditions  were  well  considered  and  dis- 
cussed, and  with  such  a  satisfactory  result  as  to  induce 
the  Government  to  decide  upon  sending  out  another 
expedition  to  continue  the  work  of  exploration  to  the 
westward  by  Baffin's  Bay,  while  a  party  was  to  be  sent 
to  explore  by  land  along  the  northern  shore  of  Arctic 
America. 

The  command  of  the  first-named  expedition  was  in- 
trusted to  Lieutenant  Parry,  who  had  recently  been 
employed  in  command  of  the  second  ship  in  the  late 
expedition  under  Captain  Ross.  The  vessels  appointed 

to  carry  out  this  service  were  the  Heda  and  Griper, 
107 


108  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

Lieutenant  Liddon  being  placed  in  command  of  the  last- 
named  ship.  They  sailed  on  the  nth  of  May  1819, 
with  instructions  to  proceed  up  Baffin's  Bay,  and  so 
endeavour  to  reach  the  Pacific,  through  any  channel  or 
opening  that  might  be  discovered  to  the  westward. 

The  other  expedition,  although  it  was  in  a  measure 
intended  to  act  in  conjunction  with  Lieutenant  Parry, 
was  of  a  totally  different  character,  for  it  was  organised 
with  the  object  of  penetrating  by  land  to  the  Arctic 
Sea,  at  or  about  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River; 
thence  it  was  to  trace  the  shore  of  the  north  coast  of 
America  in  an  easterly  direction,  and,  if  circumstances 
should  admit,  to  act  in  concert  with  Commander  Parry, 
in  the  event  of  falling  in  with  that  officer. 

In  the  choice  of  leaders  for  these  two  expeditions, 
it  is  not  surprising  to  find  that  Franklin  should  be  the 
one  selected  for  the  conduct  of  that  which  must,  of 
necessity,  be  of  a  particularly  arduous  and  perilous 
nature.  He  had  now  made  a  name  in  the  scientific 
world,  and  he  had  also  established  a  reputation  for  him- 
self in  the  navy  as  an  accomplished,  skilful,  and  energetic 
officer.  That  such  a  man  was  not  permitted  to  remain 
long  inactive  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  especially  when 
work  of  such  a  congenial  nature  as  geographical  ex- 
ploration was  to  be  undertaken.  The  man  who  had 
braved  the  elements  in  their  fiercest  moods,  and  who 
had  faced  death  in  many  forms  in  all  parts  of  the 
world  and  under  various  conditions,  was  not  likely  to 
remain  unemployed  when  such  interesting  and  hazar- 
dous service  as  exploration  in  high  latitudes  was  re- 
quired to  be  carried  out.  Who  so  fit  to  undertake  the 
conduct  of  such  an  expedition  as  John  Franklin?  and 
who  so  competent  to  conduct  an  enterprise  requiring 


1822.]  FEANKLIN'S  COMPANIONS.  109 

courage,  energy,  and  ability  as  the  late  talented  com- 
mander of  the  Trent  ?  It  was,  therefore,  almost  a  fore- 
gone conclusion,  when  the  expedition  was  decided  on, 
that  it  should  be  intrusted  to  the  guidance  of  Lieutenant 
Franklin.  The  only  wonder  is,  that  he  was  not  promoted 
to  the  rank  of  commander  in  order  to  lead  such  an 
important  enterprise ;  for,  in  spite  of  his  excellent  ser- 
vices in  the  junior  branches  of  the  navy,  he  had,  at  the 
time  of  his  appointment  to  the  command  of  the  proposed 
expedition,  served  no  less  than  eleven  years  in  the  grade 
of  a  lieutenant,  eight  of  which  had  been  actual  service 
in  a  ship  at  sea. 

With  Franklin  was  associated  Dr.  John  Richardson,  a 
surgeon  in  the  royal  navy  and  a  gentleman  of  consider- 
able scientific  attainments;  also  Messrs.  George  Back  and 
Robert  Hood,  Admiralty  midshipmen,  both  of  whom  were 
accomplished  artists.  Mr.  Back  had  already  seen  service 
in  the  Arctic  regions,  having  served  with  Franklin  in  the 
Trent,  in  which  ship  he  had  displayed  so  much  zeal  and 
ability,  that  his  old  commander  had  no  hesitation  in 
selecting  him  to  take  part  in  an  enterprise  which,  he  was 
well  aware,  would  prove  both  trying  and  hazardous.  They 
were  accompanied  by  John  Hepburn,  an  old  man-of-war's 
man,  as  their  sole  attendant.  It  was  to  the  exertions 
of  this  gallant  fellow  that  some  of  the  members  of  the 
expedition,  during  the  latter  part  of  their  journey,  under 
Divine  Providence,  owed  the  preservation  of  their  lives. 
He  was  a  splendid  specimen  of  a  British  sailor,  steady,  / 
faithful,  willing,  always  cheerful,  and  possessing  bulldog  / 
tenacity  of  purpose. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that,  at  this  time,  the 
northern  coast  of  North  America,  from  Icy  Cape  north 
of  Bering's  Strait,  as  far  as  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  east, 


110  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819. 

was  practically  unknown.  In  two  places  only  had  the 
veil  been  lifted  along  the  northern  shore  of  Arctic  Ame- 
rica; these  geographical  feats  were  accomplished  by 
two  officials  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  Messrs. 
Hearne  and  Mackenzie,  who,  at  different  times,  had 
successfully  worked  their  way  to  the  coast,  and  who  were 
the  only  white  men  who  had  ever  beheld  the  Arctic 
Sea  from  the  north  coast  of  America.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  two  positions  gained  by  these  travellers,  a 
line  of  coast,  extending  over  eighty  degrees  of  longi- 
tude, was  an  absolute  blank  on  our  maps  and  charts. 
One  of  these  explorers,  Samuel  Hearne,  had  been 
despatched  from  Fort  Churchill,  a  post  belonging  to 
the  Company  in  Hudson's  Bay,  in  December  1770, 
in  consequence  of  vague  reports  that  had,  from  time 
to  time,  been  received  from  the  Indians,  relative  to 
the  existence  of  an  extensive  sea  to  the  northward. 
He  was  ordered  to  proceed  to  the  coast,  directing  his 
route  as  far  as  practicable  along  the  banks  of  a  large 
river  which  was  known  to  flow  to  the  northward,  and 
which  had  been  named  the  Coppermine,  on  account  of 
the  reports  that  had  been  brought  in  by  the  Indians 
of  the  discovery  of  that  metal  in  its  neighbourhood. 
He  was  also  directed  to  express  his  opinion  on  the 
possibility  of  using  this  sea,  if  he  succeeded  in  reaching 
it,  as  a  practicable  route  for  the  Company's  ships,  and 
to  report  further  on  the  territory  through  which  he 
journeyed,  relative  to  its  capabilities  and  value  as  a  fur- 
producing  country.  He  was  accompanied  on  this  expedi- 
tion by  several  Indians,  who  acted  as  guides ;  he  was  the 
only  white  man  in  the  party,  and  he  appears  to  have  been, 
more  or  less,  in  the  hands  of  the  natives,  being  entirely 
dependent  on  them  both  for  guidance  and  sustenance. 


1822.]         ESKIMOS  MASSACRED  BY  INDIANS.  Ill 

Hearne  returned  to  Fort  Churchill  after  an  adventur- 
ous journey  of  nineteen  months'  duration,  during  which 
time  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the  sea  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Coppermine  River.  This  position  he  fixed  with  a  fair 
amount  of  accuracy,  considering  the  means  at  his  disposal. 
Near  the  mouth  of  the  river  they  discovered  a  party 
of  Eskimos,  encamped  in  their  summer  tents,  and 
peacefully  engaged  in  hunting  seals  and  fishing.  Under 
cover  of  darkness  these  poor  people  were  all  brutally  mas- 
sacred by  the  Indians  in  their  tents,  in  spite  of  Hearne's 
earnest  pleadings  and  remonstrances.  It  appears  that 
a  bitter  feud  had  existed,  from  time  immemorial,  be- 
tween the  Indians  of  the  plains  and  the  Eskimos  of 
the  coast,  and  that  no  lapse  of  time  had  ever  been  suffi- 
cient to  heal  the  breach.  A  rapid  near  the  spot  where 
this  outrage  occurred  was  called  by  Hearne  Bloody  Fall. 
The  hardships  and  privations  experienced  by  Hearne 
during  this  long  and  remarkable  journey  were  very 
severe. 

Mackenzie  made  a  somewhat  similar  journey  in  1789 
to  the  shores  of  the  Polar  Sea,  during  which  he  success- 
fully traced  the  river  that  now  bears  his  name  to  its 
embouchure.  These  were  the  only  white  men  who  had 
traversed  the  barren  lands  of  North  America  northward 
to  the  sea;  Captain  Cook,  it  will  be  remembered,  had 
only  succeeded  in  advancing  in  his  ship  a  very  short 
distance  to  the  northward  of  Bering's  Strait  in  1776. 

The  instructions  that  were  issued  to  Lieutenant 
Franklin  were,  briefly,  as  follows  : — He  was  to  proceed 
to  Hudson's  Bay ;  thence  he  was  to  travel  northward 
with  the  object  of  determining  astronomically  the  posi- 
tions of  all  capes,  headlands,  bays,  harbours,  and  rivers, 
and  also  to  sketch  in  the  trend  of  the  coast-line  of 


112  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

North  America,  between  the  eastern  extremity  of  that 
continent  and  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River.  He 
was  left  at  liberty  to  select,  according  to  circumstances, 
the  best  route  that  would  enable  him  to  reach  the  shores 
of  the  Arctic  Sea  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

In  the  adoption  of  the  route  to  be  followed,  he  was 
in  a  great  measure  to  be  governed  by  the  advice  and 
information  he  might  obtain  from  the  officers  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  that  he  should  meet  during  the 
course  of  his  wanderings.  These  officials  had  been  re- 
quested to  afford  Lieutenant  Franklin  all  the  assistance 
in  their  power  towards  promoting  generally  the  success 
of  the  enterprise,  and  especially  in  the  way  of  providing 
him  with  necessaries  for  the  journey,  and  in  procuring 
an  escort  of  Indians  to  accompany  him  as  guides, 
hunters,  and  as  a  means  of  protection  against  the 
Eskimos,  or  any  predatory  hostile  bands  of  Indians 
that  might  be  fallen  in  with.  Franklin  was  further 
directed  to  deposit  any  information  he  might  consider 
of  importance  in  conspicuous  places  along  the  coast,  for 
the  guidance  of  Lieutenant  Parry,  in  the  event  of  that 
officer  being  successful  in  reaching  the  Arctic  shores  of 
North  America  with  his  two  ships.  He  was  liberally 
supplied  with  instruments  for  determining  the  dip  and 
variation  of  the  magnetic  needle  and  intensity  of  the 
magnetic  force,  also  others  for  registering  the  tempera- 
ture, and  other  important  meteorological  observations. 
On  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River,  he 
was  ordered  to  institute  inquiries  relative  to  the  presence 
of  native  copper,  which,  it  had  been  alleged,  had  been 
discovered  in  the  locality,  several  specimens  having  been 
brought  by  the  Indians  to  the  Hudson's  Bay  posts. 
He  was  to  endeavour,  if  practicable,  to  visit  and  explore 


1822.]    ARDUOUS  NATURE  OF  THE  ENTERPRISE.        113 

those  places,  so  as  to  obtain  specimens  in  situ,  and  so 
afford  Dr.  Richardson  an  opportunity  of  making  "  such 
observations  as  might  be  useful  in  a  commercial  point  of 
view  or  interesting  to  the  science  of  mineralogy." 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  geographical  exploration  was 
not  the  sole  object  of  the  expedition,  but  the  interest  of 
science  in  other  branches  was  also  to  be  carefully  studied. 
The  task  that  Franklin  undertook  to  accomplish  was 
not  only  difficult,  but  it  was  an  extremely  hazardous 
one,  for  it  entailed  a  journey  through  an  unknown  and 
barren  country,  of  the  resources  of  which  he  was  totally 
ignorant ;  and  yet  he  was  well  aware  that  he  would  be 
entirely  dependent,  not  only  for  the  bare  necessaries  of 
life,  but  for  the  existence  of  himself  and  that  of  his  party, 
on  the  products  of  the  chase.  He  was  also  not  ignorant  of 
the  fact  that  he  and  his  companions  would  be  exposed  to 
the  merciless  rigours  and  attendant  hardships  of  more 
than  one  Arctic  winter.  The  magnitude  and  novelty  of 
the  enterprise,  and  the  possible  dangers  and  privations 
that  would  be  experienced,  rendered  it,  however,  all  the 
more  acceptable  and  fascinating  to  the  gallant  little 
band  that  set  forth  full  of  resolution,  determined  to 
carry  to  a  successful  issue,  and  to  the  best  of  their 
ability,  the  work  intrusted  to  them. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  expedition  em- 
barked at  Gravesend  on  board  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany's ship  Prince  of  Wales,  the  master  of  which  had 
been  directed  to  convey  Lieutenant  Franklin  and  his 
party  as  far  as  York  Factory  in  Hudson's  Bay.  She 
dropped  down  the  Thames  on  the  23rd  May  1819,  but, 
in  consequence  of  bad  weather  and  head  winds,  did  not 
reach  Stromness  in  the  Orkney  Islands  until  June  3rd. 
Here  Franklin  engaged  the  services  of  four  men  to 

H 


114  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

accompany  him  in  the  capacity  of  boatmen  whilst  ascend- 
ing the  rivers  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory.  More  were 
required,  but  there  was  a  general  unwillingness  evinced 
on  the  part  of  the  men  to  join  the  expedition,  on  account 
of  the  supposed  dangerous  service  on  which  they  would 
be  employed. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  i6th  the  Prince  of  Wales  put 
to  sea,  and  commenced  her  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  to 
Hudson's  Bay.  The  passage  was  a  somewhat  protracted 
one,  for  it  was  not  until  the  yth  of  August  that  Resolution 
Island,  situated  off  the  north  extreme  of  the  entrance  to 
Hudson's  Strait,  was  sighted.  The  wind  dying  away,  left 
the  ship  drifting  about  helplessly  at  the  mercy  of  the 
strong  and  variable  currents  that  usually  exist  in  that 
locality,  and  they  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  ship- 
wreck. The  circumstance  is  thus  alluded  to  by  Franklin : — 

"At  half-past  twelve  we  had  the  alarming  view  of  a  barren 
rugged  shore  within  a  few  yards,  towering  over  the  mastheads. 
Almost  immediately  afterwards  the  ship  struck  violently  on  a 
point  of  rocks  projecting  from  the  island  ;  and  the  ship's  side 
was  brought  so  near  to  the  shore,  that  poles  were  prepared  to 
push  her  off.  This  blow  displaced  the  rudder  and  raised  it 
several  inches.  ...  A  gentle  swell  freed  the  ship  from  this 
perilous  situation,  but  the  current  hurried  us  along  in  contact 
with  the  rocky  shore,  and  the  prospect  was  most  alarming. 
On  the  outward  bow  was  perceived  a  rugged  and  precipitous 
cliff,  whose  summit  was  hid  in  the  fog,  and  the  vessel's  head 
vas  pointed  towards  the  bottom  of  a  small  bay  into  which 
we  were  rapidly  driving.  There  now  seemed  to  be  no  proba- 
bility of  escaping  shipwreck,  being  without  wind  and  having 
the  rudder  in  its  present  useless  state." 

At  this  moment,  however,  the  ship  again  struck 
in  passing  over  a  ledge  of  rocks,  and  by  a  curious  and 
lucky  coincidence,  the  second  shock  had  the  effect  of 


1822.]        THE  SHIP  ENTERS  HUDSON'S  STKAIT.  115 

replacing  the  rudder,  and  rendering  it  again  service- 
able. A  light  breeze  springing  up  at  the  same  time, 
filled  the  sails,  and  they  were  thus  enabled  to  draw 
gradually,  but  surely,  away  from  the  danger.  The  ship 
had,  however,  made  but  little  progress  before  the  current 
forced  her  in  the  direction  of  a  large  grounded  iceberg, 
against  the  steep  and  rugged  sides  of  which  she  was 
driven  with  such  amazing  rapidity  and  force,  that  they 
expected  every  moment  to  see  the  masts  go  by  the  board. 

Fortunately  this  particular  danger  was  also  averted, 
and  the  ship  again  escaped  destruction,  but  she  was  left 
in  such  a  crippled  and  leaky  condition  that  the  crew  were 
unable  to  keep  her  free  of  water  by  the  pumps  alone, 
and  the  officers  and  passengers  were  obliged,  in  order 
to  keep  her  afloat,  to  bale  the  water  out  with  buckets. 
On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  the  water  had  gained  to 
such  an  extent,  that  upwards  of  five  feet  was  reported  in 
the  hold.  Luckily  the  carpenters  were  able  to  get  at 
some  of  the  damaged  parts;  these  were  temporarily 
patched  up,  and  a  sail  being  drawn  underneath  that 
portion  of  the  injured  part  which  could  not  be  repaired, 
the  influx  of  water  was  materially  diminished,  and  the 
leaks  eventually  mastered. 

On  the  evening  of  the  loth,  the  ship  entered  Hudson's 
Strait,  and  without  any  hindrance  from  ice — indeed 
without  even  seeing  any — reached  the  Savage  Islands 
the  following  day,  where  they  remained  for  a  few  hours 
for  the  purpose  of  bartering  with  the  Eskimos,  who 
came  down  with  their  sledges  and  kayaks  laden  with 
skins  and  other  products  of  the  country.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  entire  absence  of  ice  in  the  strait,  they 
were  compelled  to  stretch  over  to  the  Labrador  coast  in 
order  to  replenish  the  ship  with  water.  On  the 


116  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

Digges  Islands  were  passed,  and  on  the  3oth  the  Prince 
of  Wales  anchored  off  York  Factory,  where  the  mem- 
bers of  the  expedition  landed.  Here  they  obtained 
from  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  the  use  of  one  of 
their  large  transport  boats,  in  order  to  enable  them  to 
continue  their  journey,  for  with  the  amount  of  stores,  &c., 
they  were  compelled  to  take,  the  ordinary  mode  of  travel- 
ling in  canoes  was  quite  out  of  the  question.  They  were 
also  fortunate  enough  to  secure  the  services  of  an  experi- 
enced steersman ;  the  remainder  of  the  crew  was  com- 
posed of  the  men  hired  for  the  purpose  at  Stromness. 

The  boats  in  use  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for 
the  transport  of  their  goods  on  the  rivers  and  lakes  in 
their  Territory,  are  called  York  boats.  They  were  (and 
even  are,  for  the  same  description  of  boat  is  in  use  in 
the  present  day)  constructed  as  lightly  as  possible,  with  a 
view  to  navigating  shallow  rivers,  and  were  consequently 
of  exceptionally  light  draft,  barely  drawing,  when  loaded 
with  a  heavy  cargo  of  furs,  more  than  about  twelve 
inches  of  water.  They  were,  and  continue  to  be,  exten- 
sively used  in  conveying  the  peltries  and  necessary  stores 
from  one  trading  post  to  another.  They  are  about 
forty  feet  in  length,  sharp  at  both  ends  and  very  full 
amidships,  requiring  about  nine  or  twelve  men  as  a  crew. 
When  the  rapids  are  not  too  fierce,  these  boats  when  un- 
loaded, can  be  dragged  and  pushed  along  with  poles; 
but  where  the  rapids  are,  from  their  velocity,  impas- 
sable, the  cargoes  have  to  be  landed,  and,  with  the  boats, 
"  portaged  "  round  the  falls.  This,  with  such  unwieldy 
craft,  is  oftentimes  excessively  laborious.  Going  clown 
stream,  and  also  when  on  the  lakes,  they  are  propelled  by 
oars ;  but  when  pursuing  their  course  against  the  current, 
they  are  invariably  tracked  by  the  crew,  who,  walking 


1822.]       ROUTE  SELECTED  FOR  LAND  JOURNEY.        117 

along  one  bank  of  the  stream,  drag  the  boat  after  them. 
Although  fitted  with  rudders,  they  are  usually  guided  by 
a  large  steer-oar.  I  have  been  thus  minute  in  describ- 
ing these  boats,  for  it  was  in  one  of  them,  that  Franklin 
and  his  companions  accomplished  the  greater  part  of 
their  journey  towards  the  Arctic  Ocean. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  the  members  of  the 
expedition  were  received  with  kindness  and  courtesy  by 
the  Hudson's  Bay  officials  stationed  at  York  Factory, 
who  did  all  in  their  power,  by  communicating  with  their 
brother  officers  stationed  at  the  various  posts  in  that  por- 
tion of  the  country  through  which  Franklin  must  neces- 
sarily travel,  to  facilitate  the  despatch  of  the  party,  and  to 
promote  the  success  of  the  enterprise,  besides  assisting 
them  with  all  the  available  means  at  their  disposal. 

The  route  selected  by  Franklin,  after  due  consultation 
with  the  acknowledged  authorities  on  the  subject,  was 
the  one  by  the  Great  Slave  Lake.  By  the  adoption  of 
this  particular  route,  the  expedition  would  pass  several 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  stations  that  had  been  estab- 
lished for  the  collection  of  skins,  &c.,  and  they  would 
thus  be  able  to  keep  their  communication  open  with 
the  outer  world,  for  a  longer  period  than  would  other- 
wise be  the  case. 

The  necessary  preparations  for  the  journey  having 
been  completed,  the  expedition  started  from  York  Factory 
on  the  Qth  of  September  1819,  and  after  a  toilsome 
journey  of  nearly  700  miles,  reached  Cumberland  House, 
on  the  Saskatchewan  River,  on  the  23rd  of  the  follow- 
ing month.1 

1  For  about  400  miles  of  this  distance,  namely,  from  York  Factory 
to  Norway  House,  situated  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the 
shores  of  Lake  Winnipeg,  the  writer  of  these  pages  has,  quite 


118  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

The  voyage  thus  far  was  not  altogether  devoid  of 
exciting  incident  or  danger,  for  on  the  2nd  of  October 
Franklin  had  a  narrow  escape  of  losing  his  life  by 
drowning,  having  accidentally  lost  his  footing  whilst 
standing  on  a  rock  endeavouring  to  force  the  boat  up 
a  rapid ;  falling  into  the  river,  he  was  rapidly  swept 
away  in  the  swirling  torrent.  In  consequence  of  the 
rocks  being  worn  smooth  by  attrition,  the  result  of  the 
action  of  the  water,  his  efforts  to  regain  the  bank  were 
ineffectual,  and  he  was  carried  down  the  stream  for  a 
considerable  distance.  Fortunately  he  succeeded,  after 
a  time,  in  arresting  his  progress  by  grasping  the  branch 
of  a  willow,  and  he  was  eventually  rescued  from  his 
perilous  and  critical  position  by  some  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  people,  who  hurried  to  his  assistance. 

On  arrival  at  Cumberland  House,  he  found,  to  his 
great  mortification,  that  the  guides,  hunters,  interpreters, 

recently,  followed  along  the  same  road  that  was  traversed  by  Franklin 
and  his  companions  ;  tracking  up  the  same  rivers,  paddling  over  the 
same  lakes,  breasting  the  same  rapids,  and  transporting  his  light 
birch-bark  canoe  and  necessary  impedimenta,  along  the  same  portages 
over  which  they  transported  their  more  cumbersome  boat  and  heavier 
cargo.  He  can  testify  to  the  excellence  of  the  sketches  that  were 
taken  by  some  of  the  members  of  the  expedition  (one  of  which,  Trout 
Falls,  is  here  reproduced)  of  various  parts  of  the  route,  and  of  the 
faithful  accuracy  of  the  description  of  the  country  through  which 
they  travelled.  This  description,  written  seventy  years  ago,  is  now 
so  applicable  to  the  country  recently  visited  by  the  writer,  that 
it  might  have  been  written  yesterday !  The  running  survey  of  the 
rivers  ascended  by  the  expedition  was  carried  out  by  Lieutenant 
Franklin  and  his  assistants,  and  remains  unaltered  and  unchallenged 
on  the  maps  of  the  present  day. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  remark  that  at  Norway  House,  the  writer 
found  a  sundial  in  the  exact  position  that  Lieutenant  Franklin  had 
placed  it  in  the  gai-den  of  the  Chief  Factor  at  that  post  in  1819.  On 
the  leaden  dial  plate  is  engraved  the  initials  J.  H.  F.,  which,  it  is 
asserted,  was  the  work  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  own  hands,  and  there 
is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  accuracy  of  the  assertion. 


1822.] 


PUSH  ON  TO  FORT  CHIPEWYAN. 


119 


&c.,  whose  services  he  hoped  to  obtain,  were  not  to  be 
had  for  any  consideration.  He,  therefore,  resolved  to 
proceed  at  once  to  Fort  Chipewyan,  another  Hudson's 
Bay  post,  situated  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Athabasca, 
where,  he  was  informed,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  the  services  of  men  who  were  intimately 


THE   EXPEDITION   MAKING   A   PORTAGE   ROUND  TROUT  FALLS. 


acquainted  with  the  nature  and  resources  of  the  country 
lying  to  the  northward  of  the  Great  Slave  Lake. 

In  accordance  with  this  resolution,  leaving  Dr. 
Richardson  and  Mr.  Hood  to  pass  the  winter  at  Cum- 
berland House,  Franklin,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Back  and 
Hepburn,  started  on  the  i8th  January  1820,  with  a 
couple  of  dog-sledges,  and  with  only  fifteen  days'  pro- 
visions. Before  leaving,  Franklin  had  made  the  neces- 
sary arrangements  for  the  Stromness  men,  who  did 


120  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

not  evince  any  inclination  to  accompany  the  expedition 
further,  to  return  via  York  Factory  to  England. 

This  trip  to  Fort  Chipewyan  was  a  bold  undertaking 
on  Franklin's  part,  for  the  time  selected  for  making  the 
journey  was  in  the  very  depth  of  winter.  The  cold  was 
intense,  for  we  read  that  the  mercury  in  their  thermo- 
meters remained  frozen  during  the  entire  journey  !  The 
privations  endured  may  be  imagined,  when  we  read  in 
the  official  narrative  such  sentences  as  the  following : — 
"  Pro  visions  becoming  scanty;  dogs  without  food,  ex- 
cept a  little  burnt  leather." — "Night  miserably  cold; 
tea  froze  in  the  tin  pots  before  we  could  drink  it." 

On  the  ist  February  Carlton  House  was  reached,  and 
here  they  remained  for  the  space  of  a  week,  to  recruit 
their  strength  and  to  recover  from  the  severities  of  the 
journey.  They  left  again  on  the  8th,  and  after  visiting  a 
few  Hudson's  Bay  posts  that  lay  on  their  line  of  route, 
they  eventually  reached  Fort  Chipewyan,  on  Lake 
Athabasca,  on  the  26th  March,  having  traversed  a  dis- 
tance of  857  miles  since  parting  from  their  companions 
at  Cumberland  House.  Here  they  busily  occupied  them- 
selves during  the  remainder  of  the  winter  and  spring  in 
making  the  necessary  preparations  for  the  continuance 
of  the  voyage. 

Having  been  joined  by  Dr.  Richardson  and  Mr.  Hood, 
who  had  been  left  behind  at  Cumberland  House  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  on  the  stores  and  provisions  directly 
they  could  be  transported  after  the  rivers  and  lakes 
were  open  to  navigation,  the  expedition  took  its  de- 
parture from  Fort  Chipewyan  on  the  i8th  July,  and 
proceeding  down  the  Slave  River,  reached  the  waters  of 
the  Great  Slave  Lake;  on  the  29th  they  arrived  at  Fort 
Providence,  a  post  situated  at  the  north  end  of  the  lake. 


1822.]  LEAVE  FOKT  PROVIDENCE.  121 

Their  journey  thus  far  had  been  chiefly  remarkable 
for  the  number  of  rapids  they  encountered,  and  the 
numerous  portages  that  had  consequently  to  be  made ; 
and  also,  it  should  be  recorded,  for  the  sufferings  they 
endured  from  the  pertinacious  attacks  to  which  they 
were  exposed  from  myriads  of  mosquitoes  and  sand- 
flies.  These  pestilential  insects  were,  during  the 
journey,  a  source  of  very  serious  annoyance  to  the 
travellers. 

At  Fort  Providence  their  party  was  supplemented 
by  the  addition  of  a  clerk  belonging  to  the  North- West 
Company,  a  Mr.  Wentzel,  who  had  placed  his  services 
at  the  disposal  of  Lieutenant  Franklin;  he  was  also 
accompanied  by  an  interpreter  and  a  hunter.  The 
expedition  now  consisted  of  Franklin  and  his  five 
European  companions,  twenty-six  men,  principally  Cana- 
dian half-breed  voyageurs,  three  women  and  as  many 
children.  The  women  were  specially  engaged  for  the 
purpose  of  making  clothes  and  shoes  for  the  men  whilst 
in  winter  quarters. 

On  the  2nd  August  they  left  Fort  Providence  in  four 
canoes,  and  steering  to  the  northward,  entered  a  country 
that  had  never  previously  been  visited  by  Europeans. 
On  the  following  day  they  reached  the  Yellow  Knife 
River,  where  they  were  joined,  as  had  been  arranged, 
by  a  flotilla  of  seventeen  canoes,  containing  Indians  who 
had  agreed  to  accompany  them  some  distance  to  the 
northward,  and  hunt  for  them  during  the  time  they 
were  together.  Leaving  the  Yellow  Knife  River,  they 
proceeded  by  a  chain  of  lakes,  necessitating  innumerable 
long  and  tedious  portages,  until  Winter  Lake,  situated 
in  latitude  64°  30',  was  reached  on  August  2oth.  The 
season  being  well  advanced,  it  was  determined  to  con- 


122  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

struct  a  house  on  the  south-west  side  of  this  lake,  to 
be  called  Fort  Enterprise,  in  which  to  pass  the  winter. 
The  distance  travelled  from  Fort  Chipewyan  to  this  posi- 
tion was  553  miles. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  know  that  the  united  length 
of  all  the  portages  crossed  by  the  expedition  since  leaving 
Fort  Providence  was  twenty-one  statute  miles ;  over  this 
distance  everything,  including  canoes,  had  to  be  carried  ; 
and  as  each  portage  had  to  be  traversed  no  less  than 
seven  times  in  order  to  transport  their  goods  across, 
a  distance  of  150  miles  had  necessarily  to  be  walked. 
Up  to  the  period  when  the  expedition  went  into  winter 
quarters  at  Fort  Enterprise,  they  had  travelled  a  dis- 
tance of  over  1500  miles. 

While  some  of  the  party  were  engaged  in  building 
the  houses  in  which  to  pass  the  winter,  others  were  em- 
ployed on  hunting-parties  in  order  to  procure  game  for 
their  subsistence  during  the  winter,  and  also  for  their 
requirements  during  the  spring  travelling.  There  was, 
fortunately,  no  lack  of  fresh  meat,  as  large  herds  of  rein- 
deer were  frequently  found  grazing  along  the  shores  of 
the  lake.  The  officers  during  this  time  were,  of  course, 
well  occupied,  chiefly  in  the  general  superintendence  of 
the  work  and  in  organising  the  hunting-parties,  and  also 
in  the  examination  of  the  adjacent  country,  with  a  view 
of  ascertaining  the  direction  that  would  afford  the  best 
facilities  for  making  good  progress  when  the  travelling 
season  began.  During  one  of  these  expeditions  the 
Coppermine  River  was  reached. 

By  the  i5th  September  all  parties  had  returned  to 
Fort  Enterprise,  and  the  necessary  preparations  for 
passing  the  winter  were  made.  On  the  6th  of  the 
following  month  they  moved  into  their  houses.  The 


1822.]  MR.  BACK'S  ARDUOUS  JOURNEY.  123 

one  erected  for  the  officers  was  a  log  building  fifty  feet 
long  by  twenty-four  wide,  divided  into  a  large  hall, 
three  bedrooms,  and  a  kitchen;  this  was  occupied  by 
Franklin  and  his  companions.  There  was  also  another 
house  constructed  for  the  men,  besides  a  storehouse  in 
which  the  provisions  were  kept. 

The  winter  was  a  long  and  cheerless  one,  and  the 
privations  they  endured,  cut  off  as  they  were  from  all, 
save  their  little  community,  were  of  no  ordinary  nature ; 
extreme  cold  and  a  scarcity  of  provisions  being  the  prin- 
cipal enemies  they  had  to  contend  with,  the  reindeer 
having  entirely  deserted  their  neighbourhood  shortly 
after  the  occupation  of  their  winter  quarters.  Before 
the  winter  had  actually  set  in,  their  store  of  provisions 
was  so  reduced  that  it  became  absolutely  necessary  to 
communicate  with  Fort  Chipewyan  in  order  to  replenish 
their  exhausted  stock.  For  this  purpose  Mr.  Back, 
always  ready  to  proffer  his  services  when  any  under- 
taking of  a  particularly  arduous  or  dangerous  character 
had  to  be  performed,  was  despatched  during  the  month 
of  November.  He  returned  on  the  1 5th  of  March,  having 
most  satisfactorily  executed  the  duty  entrusted  to  him. 

During  the  period  of  his  absence,  this  intrepid  young 
officer  travelled  a  distance  of  more  than  uoo  miles 
on  snowshoes,  with  the  temperature  frequently  down 
to  -40°,  and  on  one  occasion  as  low  as  -57°.  All 
this  time  he  had  no  covering  at  night  but  a  single 
blanket  and  a  deerskin,  and  he  was  sometimes  without 
food  of  any  description  for  two  or  three  consecutive 
days.  This  will  perhaps  give  some  idea  of  the  hard- 
ships and  sufferings  endured  by  this  gallant  young  mid- 
shipman during  his  long  and  arduous  journey. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

FRANKLIN'S  FIRST  LAND  JOURNEY— (continued}. 
1819-1822. 

"Oh,  the  long  and  dreary  winter  ! 
Oh,  the  cold  and  cruel  winter  ! 
Ever  thicker,  thicker,  thicker, 
Froze  the  ice  on  lake  and  river  ; 
Ever  deeper,  deeper,  deeper, 
Fell  the  snow  o'er  all  the  landscape, 
Fell  the  covering  snow  and  drifted 
Through  the  forest,  round  the  village. 
Hardly  from  the  buried  wigwam 
Could  the  hunter  force  a  passage  ; 
With  his  mittens  and  his  snowshoes 
Vainly  walked  he  through  the  forest, 
Sought  for  bird  and  beast,  and  found  none, 
Saw  no  track  of  deer  or  rabbit, 
In  the  snow  beheld  no  foot-prints 
In  the  ghastly  gleaming  forest." 

— LONGFELLOW. 

AT  length,  after  endless  troubles  with  the  Indians 
and  the  half-breed  voyageurs,  the  party,  having  been 
augmented  by  the  addition  of  a  couple  of  Eskimo 
interpreters,  took  its  departure  from  Fort  Enterprise 
on  1 4th  June  1821,  with  two  large  canoes  and  several 
sledges.  The  rate  of  progress,  however,  was  not  at 

first  very  rapid,   for  each   man   had  to  carry,  or  drag, 
124 


1821.]         EMBAKKED  ON  COPPERMINE  RIVER.  125 

a  weight  of  180  pounds,  a  serious  obstacle  to  quick 
travelling.1 

Crossing  various  lakes  that  lay  in  their  route,  trans- 
porting their  canoes  arid  stores  over  long  stretches  of 
barren  land,  and  even  sometimes  over  high  and  rugged 
hills,  launching  their  canoes  again  into  the  rivers,  and 
shooting  dangerous  rapids,  the  expedition  pushed  onwards 
until  it  was  fairly  embarked  on  the  turbid  waters  of  the 
Coppermine  River. 

That  their  task  was  a  difficult  and  a  perilous  one 
goes  without  saying,  and  we  are  not  surprised  to  hear 
of  the  sufferings  they  endured  from  swollen  knee  and 
ankle  joints,  the  result  of  continuous  marching  through 
soft  snow,  combined  with  a  predisposition  to  scorbutic 
attacks ;  their  shoes  also  were  much  torn  by  the  ice  and 
sharp-pointed  stones  over  which  they  had  to  travel, 
causing  their  feet  to  be  painfully  lacerated,  and  they 
were  also  subjected  to  the  almost  unbearable  and  never- 
ceasing  persecutions  of  their  relentless  enemies,  the 
mosquitoes.  Still  they  pushed  on  uncomplainingly,  re- 
garding these  torments  as  a  necessary  part  of  their 
daily  routine,  and  determined,  so  far  as  in  them  lay, 
to  carry  out  to  the  letter  the  particular  object  of  the 
enterprise,  namely,  geographical  research. 

Fortunately,  although  the  country  through  which  they 
journeyed  was  barren  and  sterile  in  appearance,  they 
saw,  and  succeeded  in  killing,  many  reindeer  and  musk- 
oxen,  and  were  thus  able  to  eke  out  the  somewhat  scanty 

1  Prior  to  their  departure,  arrangements  had  been  made  with 
one  of  the  Indian  chiefs,  named  Akaitcho,  for  depositing  a  large 
supply  of  provisions  at  Fort  Enterprise  during  their  absence,  so 
that  on  their  return  they  would  find  a  good  store  prepared  for 
them,  in  the  event  of  their  having  to  pass  another  winter  at  the 
station. 


126  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [1819- 

stock  of  dried  provisions  with  which  they  were  furnished 
on  leaving  Fort  Enterprise.  The  scenery  along  the 
banks  of  the  Coppermine  River  was  bold  and  rugged. 
Ranges  of  lofty  hills  were  visible  on  either  side,  while 
broad  valleys  stretching  between  them,  afforded  excellent 
shelter  and  pasturage  for  the  herds  of  reindeer  that 
were  constantly  seen.  On  the  I4th  June  a  high  hill 
was  ascended,  and  their  hearts  beat  with  joyful  ex- 
pectation of  future  success,  as  they  obtained  their  first 
view  of  the  Arctic  Ocean.  Four  days  subsequently  they 
had  the  extreme  gratification  of  making  their  camp  on 
the  shore  of  the  Hyperborean  Sea,  and  had  the  satis- 
faction of  feeling  that  they  had  almost  reached  the 
11  Ultima  Thule  "  of  their  journey. 

They  found  the  geographical  position  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Coppermine  River  to  be  somewhat  different  to  that 
assigned  to  it  by  Hearne,  but  everything  else  agreed 
well  with  the  account  given  by  that  traveller.  The 
most  conspicuous  headland  seen  to  the  northward  was 
named  by  Franklin  Cape  Hearne,  as  a  just  and  deserv- 
ing tribute  to  the  memory  of  that  persevering  and  ener- 
getic Hudson's  Bay  official.  Ever  mindful  of  old  friends 
and  patrons,  a  group  of  islands  was  named  the  Lawford 
Islands  after  the  commander  under  whose  auspices,  in 
the  old  Polyphemus,  Franklin  had  gained  his  first  expe- 
rience in  the  navy.  Nor  were  Flinders  and  Buchan 
forgotten  by  their  old  friend,  when  considering  the 
nomenclature  of  the  newly- discovered  land. 

On  June  2ist  the  canoes  were  launched  on  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  and  their  voyage  to  the  eastward  commenced. 
The  coast  along  which  they  sailed  in  their  small  and 
frail  barks  was  a  sterile  and  inhospitable  one ;  cliff  suc- 
ceeded cliff  in  tiresome  and  monotonous  uniformity; 


1822.]  ON  THE  ARCTIC  OCEAN.  127 

the  valleys  that  intervened  being  covered  with  the  debris 
that  fell  from  the  cliffs,  to  the  exclusion  of  any  kind  of 
herbage.  Occasionally  their  progress  was  temporarily 
impeded  by  ice,  whilst  a  strong  ice-blink  was  invariably 
seen  to  seaward. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  expedition  was 
navigating  a  rock-bound  coast,  fringed  with  heavy 
masses  of  solid  ice,  that  rose  and  fell  with  every  motion 
of  a  rough  and  tempestuous  sea,  threatening  momentarily 
to  crush  the  light  frail  canoes,  fit  only  for  river  or  lake 
navigation,  in  which  Franklin  and  his  party  were  em- 
barked. This  voyage  along  the  shores  of  the  Arctic 
Sea,  must  always  take  rank  as  one  of  the  most  daring 
and  hazardous  exploits  that  has  ever  been  accomplished 
in  the  interest  of  geographical  research.  Following  all 
the  tortuous  sinuosities  of  the  coast-line,  and  accurately 
delineating  the  northern  shore  of  North  America  as 
they  pushed  onwards  in  an  easterly  direction,  naming 
all  the  principal  headlands,  sounds,  bays  and  islands  l 
that  were  discovered,  the  expedition  reached  a  point 
on  the  1 8th  August  in  latitude  68°  19'  N.  and  longi- 
tude 110°  5'  W.  on  the  coast  of  North  America,  whence 
Franklin  reluctantly  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they 
had  reached  the  end  of  their  journey,  and  must  return 
from  the  interesting  work  on  which  they  were  engaged, 

1  It  is  somewhat  significant  that  a  small  group  of  islands  discovered 
by  Franklin  at  this  period  in  the  Arctic  Sea  received  the  name  of  the 
Porden  Islands.  Miss  Eleanor  Anne  Porden  was  the  daughter  of 
an  eminent  architect.  As  a  young  girl  she  developed  a  talent  for 
poetry,  and  on  the  despatch  of  the  expedition  commanded  by  Captain 
Buchan  in  1818  she  wrote  a  short  sonnet  on  it.  This  was  the  means 
of  an  introduction  to  Franklin,  who  must  have  been  so  impressed 
by  the  charms  of  the  young  poetess,  that  he  not  only  named  these 
islands  after  her,  but  on  his  return  to  England  he  made  her  his 
wife. 


128  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

and  for  the  following  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  they 
had  only  three  days'  peminican  left,  and  the  Canadian 
voyageurs  had,  consequently,  manifested  a  very  decided 
reluctance  to  continue  the  work  of  exploration,  believing, 
and  not  unnaturally,  that  great  difficulty  would  be  expe- 
rienced at  that  late  season  of  the  year  in  replenish- 
ing their  fast  diminishing  store  of  provisions.  In  the 
second  place,  the  gales  of  wind  which  were  so  prevalent 
were,  they  thought,  sure  indications  of  the  break-up  of 
the  travelling  season,  and  therefore  that  in  itself  appeared 
sufficient  reason  for  them  to  be  thinking  of  wending  their 
way  in  a  southerly  direction.  The  absence  of  all  traces 
of  Eskimos,  from  whom  they  had  calculated  upon  obtain- 
ing supplies  of  food,  was  also  discouraging,  while  the 
amount  of  time  that  had  already  been  occupied  in 
exploring  the  various  bays  and  sounds  that  lay  in 
their  route  was  so  great,  that  it  entirely  precluded  all 
hope  of  reaching  Repulse  Bay  before  the  arrival  of 
winter,  a  hope  they  had  always  cherished  might  be 
realised. 

Although  on  the  chart  the  position  reached  by  the 
expedition,  which  was  very  appropriately  named  Point 
Turnagain,  was  only  six  and  a  half  degrees  of  longitude 
to  the  eastward  of  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River, 
so  tortuous  and  winding  was  the  contour  of  the  newly- 
discovered  coast,  that  they  were  actually  obliged  to  sail 
and  paddle  in  their  canoes  a  distance  of  555  geogra- 
phical miles  in  order  to  accomplish  the  journey ;  this 
would  be  about  equal  to  the  direct  distance  between 
the  Coppermine  River  and  Repulse  Bay.  It  was  there- 
fore obvious  that  the  only  prudent  course  that  could  be 
pursued,  was  to  return  as  soon  as  possible  in  order  to 
reach  the  Indians,  who  had  been  directed  to  procure  a 


1822.]  THE  RETUEN  JOURNEY  BEGUN.  129 

supply  of  provisions  for  the  expedition,  before  the  next 
winter  should  set  in. 

From  their  researches,  up  to  this  point,  Franklin 
had  arrived  at  the  conclusion  (subsequently  proved 
to  be  a  well-founded  one)  that  a  navigable  passage  for 
ships  along  the  coast  by  which  they  had  travelled  was 
practicable;  and  although  he  was  disappointed  in  not 
meeting  his  friend  Captain  Parry  and  his  vessels,  he 
felt  convinced  that  they  stood  an  excellent  chance  of 
satisfactorily  clearing  up  the  long  unsolved  problem  of  a 
north-west  passage. 

It  is  not  in  the  scope  of  this  work  to  enter  into  all  the 
details  connected  with  Franklin's  remarkable  journey, 
but  the  story  could  only  be  considered  as  half  told,  if 
an  allusion  to  the  return  voyage  was  omitted.  The 
determination  to  return  was,  it  may  well  be  imagined, 
hailed  with  delight  by  the  voyagenrs,  who  for  some  days 
had  manifested  a  growing  spirit  of  insubordination,  due 
in  a  measure  to  the  serious  apprehensions  they  felt  for 
their  safety  if  the  voyage  was  continued.  Instead  of 
returning  by  the  way  they  came,  namely  by  the  Copper- 
mine River,  Franklin  determined  to  push  up  Arctic 
Sound,  and  thence  proceed  by  way  of  a  large  river  (which 
he  named,  after  his  young  companion,  Hood  River),  to 
Fort  Enterprise,  for  he  thought  by  so  doing  he  would  pass 
through  a  country  in  which  the  chances  of  obtaining  game 
would  be  greater  than  by  adhering  to  the  outward  route. 

In  accordance  with  this  resolve,  the  expedition  left 
Point  Turnagain  on  the  22nd  of  August.  At  this  time 
the  ground  was  covered  with  snow  and  the  pools  of  water 
were  frozen,  while  other  indications  of  the  approach 
of  winter  were  only  too  evident.  Their  provisions  at 
this  time  were  so  reduced  that  they  had  to  content 

I 


130  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

themselves  with  one  meal  a  day,  and  this  consisted 
of  a  small  amount  of  dry  and  mouldy  pemmican.  On 
the  24th  they  succeeded  in  killing  three  very  lean  and 
scraggy  deer;  but  beggars  cannot  afford  to  be  choosers, 
and  this  addition  to  their  larder  was  both  welcome 
and  acceptable,  more  especially  as  they  had  already  con- 
sumed their  last  remaining  meal  of  pemmican.  On 
the  following  day,  after  an  exciting  run  before  a  gale  of 
wind,  in  which  both  canoes  nearly  foundered,  they  left 
the  sea,  and  entering  the  mouth  of  Hood's  River,  en- 
camped that  night  as  high  as  the  first  rapid. 

Thus  terminated  their  voyage  on  the  Arctic  Ocean, 
on  which  they  had  sailed  over  650  geographical  miles ; 
but  their  troubles  and  their  sufferings  did  not  cease 
when  they  turned  their  backs  upon  the  sea ;  indeed,  they 
can  barely  be  said  to  have  commenced.  Finding  the 
canoes  too  heavy  and  unwieldy  for  their  mode  of  tra- 
velling, especially  as  the  rapids  were  numerous  and  the 
portages  long,  two  smaller  boats  were  constructed  out  of 
the  materials  of  the  larger  ones;  having  thus  reduced 
their  weights  and  discarded  all  unnecessary  stores,  books, 
&c.,  which  were  carefully  deposited  in  a  cache,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  making  better  progress.  Ascertaining  that 
Hood's  River  trended  too  much  in  a  westerly  direction, 
and  being  also  somewhat  difficult  of  navigation,  they 
quitted  its  banks  on  the  3rd  of  September,  and  tra- 
velled as  nearly  as  they  could  in  a  straight  line  towards 
their  wished-for  goal  and  haven,  Fort  Enterprise. 

Henceforth  the  journey  had  to  be  performed  almost 
entirely  on  foot  over  a  stony  and  barren  country,  but 
they  carried  their  canoes  with  them  in  the  event  of 
having  to  cross  any  lakes  or  rivers  that  might  lie  in 
their  route,  or  that  flowed  in  the  right  direction.  On 


1822.]    DISTRESSING  CONDITION  OF  THE  PARTY.       131 

the  evening  of  the  4th  their  stock  of  provisions  was 
exhausted.  On  the  two  following  days  a  violent  gale  of 
wind  was  experienced,  which  necessitated  a  confinement 
to  camp;  as  they  had  absolutely  nothing  to  eat,  and 
were  even  destitute  of  the  means  of  making  a  fire,  they 
remained  in  bed  the  whole  time.  The  temperature  at 
this  time  was  as  low  as  20°,  and  they  found  their  blankets 
quite  insufficient  to  protect  them  against  the  cold.  On 
the  morning  of  the  yth,  the  wind  having  moderated 
slightly,  and  anything  being  preferable  to  inactivity,  the 
tents  were  struck  and  the  march  resumed.  So  violent, 
however,  was  the  wind,  that  the  men  carrying  the  canoes 
were  frequently  blown  down  by  its  force ;  and  on  one  of 
these  occasions  the  largest  of  the  two  canoes  was  so 
injured  as  to  be  rendered  utterly  unserviceable.  It  was 
thought  at  the  time  that  it  had  been  purposely  thrown 
down  and  damaged  by  those  who  had  to  carry  it. 

For  some  days  all  they  had  to  subsist  on  was  a  lichen, 
called  by  the  Canadians  tripe  de  rodie,1  with  perhaps  an 
occasional  partridge  shot  by  the  hunters.  Their  suffer- 
ings were  great,  for  the  temperature  was  very  low, 
always  below  freezing-point,  and  they  were  frequently 
wet  to  their  waists  from  having  to  ford  the  numerous 
rivers  and  swamps  that  lay  in  their  path  ;  their  remaining 
canoe  was  in  such  a  leaky  condition  as  to  be  practically 
useless.  On  the  i  oth  they  sighted  a  herd  of  musk-oxen, 
and  were  so  fortunate  as  to  succeed  in  killing  one  of 
these  animals. 

1  Called  by  botanists  Gyrophora,  on  account  of  its  circular  form, 
and  the  surface  of  the  leaf  being  marked  with  curved  lines.  Dr. 
Richardson  says — ""We  used  it  as  an  article  of  food,  but  not  having 
the  means  of  extracting  the  bitter  principle  from  it,  it  proved 
nauseous  to  all,  and  noxious  to  several  of  the  party,  producing 
severe  bowel  complaints." 


132  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

The  event  is  thus  alluded  to  in  Franklin's  narrative 
of  the  journey  : — 

"  About  noon  the  weather  cleared,  and  to  our  great  joy  we 
saw  a  herd  of  niusk-oxen  grazing  in  a  valley  below  us.  The 
party  instantly  halted,  and  the  best  hunters  were  sent  out. 
They  approached  the  animals  with  the  utmost  caution,  no 
less  than  two  hours  being  consumed  before  they  got  within 
gunshot.  In  the  meantime  we  beheld  their  proceedings  with 
extreme  anxiety,  and  many  secret  prayers  were,  doubtless, 
offered  up  for  their  success.  At  length  they  opened  their  fire, 
and  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  one  of  the  largest  cows 
fall ;  another  was  wounded,  but  escaped.  This  success  infused 
spirit  in  our  starving  party.  To  skin  and  cut  up  the  animal 
was  the  work  of  a  few  minutes.  The  contents  of  its  stomach 
was  devoured  upon  the  spot,  and  the  raw  intestine?,  which 
were  most  attacked,  were  pronounced  by  the  most  delicate 
amongst  us  to  be  excellent.  This  was  the  sixth  day  since  we 
had  had  a  good  meal.  The  tripe  de  roclie,  even  where  we  got 
enough,  only  serving  to  allay  the  pangs  of  hunger  for  a  short 
time." 

This  providential  supply  of  food  revived  their  droop- 
ing spirits,  but  death  stared  them  in  the  face  in  more 
ways  than  one,  and  Franklin  himself  had  a  narrow 
escape  of  his  life,  being  capsized  whilst  attempting  to 
cross  a  rapid  in  their  crazy  canoe;  his  escape  indeed 
was  almost  miraculous.  By  this  accident  he  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  his  journal,  and  the  numerous  and 
valuable  scientific  observations  he  had  made  since  the 
departure  of  the  expedition  from  Fort  Enterprise. 

In  order  to  lighten  their  burdens,  everything  but  the 
clothes  that  were  actually  on  their  backs,  their  guns  and 
ammunition,  and  the  instruments  necessary  for  deter- 
mining their  position,  were  abandoned,  and  rewards  in 
money  were  offered  to  those  who  were  successful  in 


1822.]  MISHAP  TO  DR.  RICHARDSON.  133 

shooting  game.  On  the  lyth  the  pangs  of  hunger, 
we  are  told,  were  somewhat  allayed  by  eating  pieces 
of  singed  hide  mixed  with  a  little  tripe  de  roche  !  On 
the  following  day  they  supped  off  tripe  de  roche,  and 
on  the  next  day  had  nothing  at  all ! 

On  the  2ist  the  remaining  canoe  was  irreparably 
damaged,  and  was  therefore  abandoned  as  useless  lumber. 
On  the  same  day  they  picked  up  the  horns  and  bones  of 
a  deer  that  had  been  devoured  by  wolves  the  previous 
year.  These  were  made  friable  by  burning,  and  with 
some  old  shoes  was  the  only  food  they  had  that  day. 
On  the  25th  they  fortunately  succeeded  in  shooting  five 
small  deer  out  of  a  herd;  and,  two  days  after,  they 
were  lucky  enough  to  find  the  putrid  carcase  of  a  deer 
that  had  fallen  into  the  cleft  of  a  rock  the  previous 
spring.  We  are  informed  that  the  intestines  of  this 
animal,  which  had  been  scattered  over  the  rock,  were 
carefully  scraped  together  by  the  more  than  half-famished 
men,  and  added  to  their  meal.  On  the  2pth  September 
Dr.  Richardson  nearly  lost  his  life  whilst  gallantly 
attempting  to  swim  across  the  almost  frozen  Copper- 
mine River,  with  the  object  of  establishing  communi- 
cation with  the  opposite  bank,  in  order  that  the  re- 
mainder of  the  party  might  cross.  He  was  hauled  on 
shore  in  an  almost  lifeless  condition,  and  being  rolled 
up  in  blankets,  was  placed  before  a  fire  that  had  been 
kindled  for  the  purpose.  He  gradually  recovered  con- 
sciousness, but  his  anxious  attendants  were  horrified  to 
find  that  his  entire  left  side  was  deprived  of  feeling; 
this  was  due  to  the  fact  that,  in  their  anxiety,  they  had 
exposed  him  too  suddenly  to  the  heat.  Perfect  sensation 
did  not  return  until  the  following  spring. 

On  the  ist  of  October  the  antlers  and  backbone  of  a 


134  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

deer  killed  the  preceding  year  were  found,  and  although 
they  had  been  picked  clean  by  the  wolves  and  birds, 
the  spinal  marrow  still  remained,  and  this,  though 
in  a  partially  decomposed  state,  was  regarded  as  a 
valuable  prize  by  the  starving  party.  The  marrow  was 
so  acrid  as  to  excoriate  their  lips  and  mouths.  On  the 
4th  of  October  affairs  were  so  serious  that  Mr.  Back, 
the  most  active  and  vigorous  of  the  party,  volunteered 
to  make  his  way  as  speedily  as  possible  to  Fort  Enter- 
prise, in  order  to  give  information  regarding  the  help- 
less condition  of  his  companions,  and  to  send  the 
chief  Akaitcho  and  his  Indians,  whom  he  hoped  and 
expected  to  find  at  the  fort,  back  to  their  succour 
and  assistance.  With  this  humane  object  in  view  he 
started  off  at  once,  accompanied  by  three  of  the  most 
robust  of  the  voyageurs.  The  remainder  of  the  party 
plodded  wearily  after. 

Mr.  Hood  at  this  time  was  excessively  feeble,  conse- 
quent on  the  severe  bowel  complaints  which  the  tripe  de 
roche  never  failed  to  give  him.  This  diet  was  occasionally 
varied  by  old  shoes  and  whatever  scraps  of  leather  could 
be  obtained.  Some  of  the  men  being  even,  if  possible, 
in  a  worse  state,  and  so  weak  as  to  be  almost  unable 
to  proceed,  it  was  decided  that  Dr.  Richardson  and 
Mr.  Hood  should  remain  behind  to  look  after  them, 
while  Franklin,  with  the  remainder  of  the  party,  should 
push  on  to  Fort  Enterprise,  twenty-four  miles  distant, 
and  endeavour  to  obtain  relief.  This  was  considered  as 
the  wisest  disposition  of  the  party  that  could  be  suggested, 
and  was  accordingly  acted  upon.  The  seaman  Hepburn, 
with  four  Canadians,  namely  Michel,  Belanger,  Credit, 
and  Vaillant,  were  left  with  Dr.  Richardson,  and  they 
were  soon  after  joined  by  another  voyageur  named 


1822.]        NO  SUPPLIES  AT  FOKT  ENTERPRISE.  135 

Perrault,  who,  starting  with  Franklin,  found  himself  too 
weak  to  proceed,  and  therefore  returned. 

On  the  nth  October,  Franklin,  with  his  more  than 
half-starved  companions,  after  a  long  and  painful  journey 
of  five  days'  duration,  during  which  time  the  only  food 
that  passed  their  lips  was  some  old  shoe-leather  and  a 
little  tripe  de  roche  (for  even  the  latter  form  of  diet  was 
scarce  and  not  easily  obtainable),  reached  Fort  Enterprise, 
where  they  fully  expected  that  their  sufferings  would 
end,  and  that  they  would  be  able  to  despatch  relief  to 
their  more  helpless  comrades.  Their  feelings  may  be 
better  imagined  than  described  when,  on  their  arrival, 
they  found  a  perfectly  deserted  habitation — no  traces 
of  Akaitcho  and  the  Indians  they  expected  to  find,  and 
with  whom  they  had  arranged  for  supplies,  and  not  a 
scrap  of  food  to  be  found,  not  even  a  letter  to  inform 
them  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  Indians.  There  was, 
however,  a  short,  hurriedly  written  note  left  by  Mr. 
Back,  who  had  reached  the  house  two  days  previously, 
informing  them  that  he  had  started  in  search  of  the 
Indians,  and  in  the  event  of  his  failing  to  find  them, 
it  was  his  intention  to  walk  on  to  Fort  Providence, 
whence,  at  any  rate,  he  hoped  he  would  be  able  to  send 
help  and  succour  to  the  remainder  of  the  expedition ; 
but  a  significant  clause  in  the  note  added,  that  he 
much  questioned  whether  he  and  his  party,  in  their 
weak  and  debilitated  state,  would  be  able  to  accom- 
plish the  journey. 

This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  Franklin  and  those  with 
him,  for  they  well  knew  that  assistance,  if  it  was  to  be 
obtained  from  Fort  Providence,  would  be  long  in  reach- 
ing them,  and  they  were  fully  aware  that  immediate  aid 
was  absolutely  necessary  for  their  salvation.  They  were, 


136  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 

however,  somewhat  relieved  by  finding  some  old  deer- 
skins, which  had  been  thrown  away  by  them  during  the 
preceding  winter,  and  which,  with  some  old  bones  that 
were  raked  up  from  the  dirt-heap,  and  the  addition  of 
a  little  tripe  de  rocJie,  would  serve  to  prolong  existence 
for  a  few  days.  At  this  time  the  temperature  was 
ranging  from  15°  to  20°  below  zero. 

The  condition  of  these  poor  fellows  was  now  truly 
distressing.  They  were  so  weak  and  emaciated  as  to 
be  unable  to  move  except  for  a  few  yards  at  a  time; 
they  were  afflicted  with  swellings  in  their  joints,  limbs, 
and  other  parts  of  their  bodies;  their  eyeballs  were 
dilated ;  they  spoke  with  hollow  sepulchral  voices ;  and 
their  mouths  were  raw  and  excoriated,  the  result  of  the 
fare  on  which  they  had  subsisted.  The  story  of  the 
sufferings  endured  by  this  party  is  one  of  the  most 
harrowing  on  record.  It  is  impossible  to  imagine,  much 
less  describe,  the  terrible  hardships  and  privations  they 
experienced,  borne  as  they  were  with  manly  fortitude 
and  Christian  resignation. 

On  the  2oth,  as  there  were  no  signs  of  the  approach 
of  the  Indians,  from  whom  alone  relief  could  be  obtained, 
Franklin  started  with  the  intention  of  looking  for  them, 
taking  with  him  two  men.  The  other  three  were  quite 
unable  to  move.  On  the  following  day  he  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  break  his  snow-shoes,  which  necessitated  his 
return  to  Fort  Enterprise.  The  two  men,  however, 
went  on  by  themselves  in  search  of  the  Indians.  The 
state  of  those  left  behind  was  now  very  deplorable. 
The  little  strength  remaining  to  them  was  declining  day 
by  day ;  when  once  seated  it  was  only  by  exerting  the 
greatest  effort  they  could  rise ;  and  then  only  with  the 
assistance  of  one  of  their  equally  helpless  companions. 


1822.]  MUKDER  AND  CANNIBALISM.  137 

Whilst  in  this  wretched  condition  a  herd  of  reindeer 
was  suddenly  seen  one  evening  close  to  the  house — 

"  The  crescent  moon,  and  crimson  eve, 

Shone  with  a  mingling  light ; 

The  deer  upon  the  grassy  mead 

Were  feeding  full  in  sight  ;  " 

but,  alas  !  they  were  too  weak,  poor  fellows,  even  to  at- 
tempt to  shoot  at  them,  and  the  animals  were  permitted 
to  graze  and  pass  on  unmolested.  The  sufferings  of  Tan- 
talus could  not  have  been  worse  than  those  experienced 
by  these  starving  men  when  they  beheld  plenty,  which 
to  them  meant  existence  and  life,  at  their  door  within 
gunshot  range,  without  being  able  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  supply  which  had  apparently  been  so  providen- 
tially sent  to  them. 

On  the  2pth  Dr.  Richardson  and  Hepburn  suddenly 
and  unexpectedly  made  their  appearance,  bringing  with 
them  a  sad  tale  of  woe  and  horror.  Of  the  eight  men 
who  were  left  behind  at  the  last  encampment,  these  two 
were  the  sole  survivors.  Poor  Hood  had  been  foully 
murdered  by  the  man  Michel,  who,  a  few  days  later,  was 
shot  in  self-defence  by  Dr.  Richardson.  The  remainder 
had  died  of  cold  and  starvation.  It  was  a  terrible  and 
a  ghastly  tale  they  had  to  narrate — a  story  of  murder 
and  cannibalism,  combined  with  almost  unheard-of  suffer- 
ings. Although  it  was  never  properly  proved,  it  is  more 
than  certain  that  the  man  Michel  had  taken  the  lives  of 
two  of  his  companions  (Belanger  and  Perrault),  and  had 
satisfied  his  unnatural  appetite  by  feasting  on  the  bodies 
of  his  victims.  He  had  then  murdered  poor  Hood  by 
shooting  him  through  the  head,  while  Dr.  Richardson 
and  Hepburn  were  absent  from  the  camp  gathering 
tripe  de  roche.  He  subsequently  conducted  himself  in 


138  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

such  a  threatening  and  domineering  manner,  that,  under 
the  circumstances,  the  Doctor  felt  fully  justified  in  de- 
priving this  monster  in  human  form  of  life. 

This  was  the  dreadful  and  mournful  story  they  had  to 
tell,  and  it  was  one  that  naturally  produced  a  melancholy 
feeling  of  despondency  in  the  minds  of  Franklin  and 
his  party.  They  were  all  much  shocked  at  beholding  the 
emaciated  and  haggard  appearance  of  the  Doctor  and  his 
companion,  who  were,  however,  in  no  worse  condition, 
if  so  bad,  than  they  were  themselves.  Hepburn  having 
had  the  good  luck  to  shoot  a  partridge  before  reaching 
the  post,  it  was  held  before  the  fire  a  few  minutes,  then 
divided  into  six  equal  portions  and  ravenously  devoured. 
It  was  the  first  morsel  of  flesh  that  had  passed  their 
lips  for  thirty-one  days !  Although  herds  of  reindeer 
were  frequently  seen  in  close  proximity  to  their  quarters, 
and  were  even  fired  at  on  several  occasions,  they  never 
succeeded  in  killing  one,  and  they  were  far  too  weak 
to  go  in  pursuit. 

On  the  evening  of  November  ist,  one  of  their  party, 
Peltier,  succumbed  to  starvation,  and  he  was  followed 
the  next  evening  by  Semandre,  another  of  the  voyageurs. 
The  united  strength  of  the  party  was  unequal  to  in- 
terring, or  even  removing,  the  corpses  of  their  two  com- 
panions, and  the  bodies  had  therefore  to  remain  in  the 
house,  and  in  the  same  position  in  which  the  poor  fellows 
had  breathed  their  last.  The  party  was  now  reduced  to 
four,  viz.,  Lieutenant  Franklin,  Dr.  Richardson,  Hep- 
burn, and  a  Canadian,  named  Adam,  all  in  a  state  of 
great  extremity.  As  their  strength  declined,  so  their 
minds  exhibited  symptoms  of  weakness  and  decay,  and 
they  feared  their  intellects  were  going.  But  their 
deliverance  was  at  hand.  On  the  yth  November,  when 


1822.]  BELIEVED  BY  THE  INDIANS.  139 

they  had  almost  made  up  their  minds  that  death  must 
speedily  release  them  from  their  terrible  sufferings,  three 
Indians  unexpectedly  made  their  appearance,  having 
been  despatched  by  Mr.  Back,  with  all  possible  speed, 
to  their  succour.  They  brought  with  them  some  dried 
deer's  meat  and  a  few  tongues,  which  being  placed 
before  the  famished  party,  it  is  needless  to  say,  was 
eagerly  and  greedily  devoured ;  but  the  feeling  that 
they  were  saved,  that  deliverance  from  a  long  and 
painful  death  had  actually  arrived,  acted  with  even 
more  beneficial  effects  than  the  food  that  was  thus 
providentially  provided  for  them.  It  undoubtedly  saved 
the  life  of  Adam,  whose  death,  prior  to  the  arrival 
of  relief,  was  momentarily  expected.  From  this  date 
their  sufferings  may  be  said  to  have  terminated.  The 
Indians  not  only  procured  game  and  fish,  but  watched 
over  them  with  tender  care,  and  ministered  to  their 
wants  and  comfort. 

On  the  1 6th  November,  their  health  and  strength 
having  been  sufficiently  resuscitated,  they  took  their 
departure  from  Fort  Enterprise.  Their  feelings  on  quit- 
ting this  place,  where  they  had  experienced  a  degree  of 
misery  scarcely  to  be  paralleled  in  history,  must  have 
been  indescribable.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  kindness 
of  their  attendant  Indians,  who  prepared  the  encamp- 
ments, obtained  food,  cooked  it,  and  even  fed  them, 
while  treating  them  at  all  times  with  the  greatest 
tenderness  and  solicitude.  At  length,  on  the  nth 
December,  the  poor  wayworn  and  suffering  travellers 
reached  Fort  Providence,  where  they  once  again  experi- 
enced the  agreeable  sensation  of  being  in  a  comfortable 
dwelling  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  comparative  luxury, 
so  different  to  the  miseries  and  hardships  they  had  so 


140  TJFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

recently  undergone.  Four  days  only  were  spent  at  Fort 
Providence,  and  on  the  i8th  they  reached  Moose  Deer 
Island,  where  they  had  the  happiness  of  meeting  their 
companion  Mr.  Back,  without  whose  energy  and  perse- 
verance they  must  inevitably  have  perished. 

The  sufferings  endured  by  this  gallant  young  officer, 
during  his  long  and  arduous  journey  in  search  of  assist- 
ance, were  quite  equal  to  those  of  the  party  he  had  left 
behind ;  they  may  perhaps  be  better  imagined  when  it 
is  stated  that  for  many  days  he  and  his  three  men  sub- 
sisted on  an  old  pair  of  leather  trousers,  a  gun-cover, 
and  a  pair  of  old  shoes,  with  a  little  tripe  de  roche  that 
they  succeeded  in  scraping  off  the  rocks  !  On  the  i6th 
October,  twelve  days  after  he  had  left  Franklin  and  the 
remainder  of  the  party,  one  of  his  three  men  died  from 
starvation  and  exhaustion.  This  loss,  very  naturally, 
created  a  feeling  of  depression  in  the  hearts  of  the  sur- 
vivors, but  still  they  persevered,  resolutely  determined 
to  push  onwards,  knowing  that  the  lives  of  the  party 
they  had  left  behind,  depended  entirely  on  their  exer- 
tions. On  the  4th  November  they,  fortunately,  fell  in  with 
a  party  of  Indians,  and  were  thus  able  to  send  help  and 
succour  to  Franklin  and  his  companions,  as  has  already 
been  stated,  at  a  most  critical  moment.  Having  made 
the  necessary  arrangements  for  the  despatch  of  further 
supplies,  Back  pushed  on  to  Fort  Providence,  which  he 
safely  reached  on  the  2ist  of  November.  Here  letters 
for  the  expedition  were  received,  and  among  them  was 
the  welcome  announcement  of  the  promotion  of  their 
gallant  leader  to  the  well-earned  rank  of  commander,  and 
the  advancement  of  Back  and  poor  Hood  to  the  equally 
well-deserved  rank  of  lieutenant.  Franklin's  commis- 
sion to  a  commander  bears  date  January  i,  1821. 


1822.]  KETUKN  TO  ENGLAND.  141 

The  winter  was  passed  by  the  members  of  the  expedi- 
tion at  Moose  Deer  Island,  and,  under  the  circumstances, 
a  very  pleasant  and  happy  one  it  was.  Nothing  could 
exceed  the  kindness  and  hospitality  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  officials  stationed  at  that  post,  and  under  their  care 
Franklin  and  his  companions  gradually  recovered  their 
usual  health  and  strength.  On  the  26th  May  they  left 
their  hospitable  quarters  at  Moose  Deer  Island,  and 
visiting  Fort  Chipewyan  on  their  way,  reached  Norway 
House  on  the  4th  July.  Ten  days  later  they  arrived 
at  York  Factory,  thus  bringing  to  a  conclusion  their 
"long,  fatiguing,  and  disastrous"  wanderings  in  North 
America,  in  accomplishing  which  they  had  journeyed, 
by  land  and  by  water,  a  distance  of  5550  geographical 
miles. 

On  their  arrival  in  England  Commander  Franklin 
was  immediately  promoted  by  the  Admiralty  to  the 
rank  of  captain,  in  recognition  of  his  extraordinary  and 
eventful  journey,  in  the  accomplishment  of  which  he 
had  displayed  so  much  ability,  courage,  and  energy. 
His  captain's  commission  was  dated  November  20,  1822. 
He  was,  at  about  the  same  time,  unanimously  elected 
a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society,  for  his  great  and  in- 
valuable exertions  in  the  cause  of  geographical  science, 
whilst  conducting  one  of  the  most  remarkable  journeys 
that  had  ever  been  achieved.  The  history  of  it  is  of 
such  thrilling  interest  that  it  is  almost  unnecessary  to 
offer  any  apology  for  having  referred  to  it  at  such 
length — at  greater  length,  perhaps,  than  is  warranted 
in  a  work  professing  to  treat  more  of  geography  than 
of  the  personal  incidents  connected  with  the  lives  of 
those  who,  by  their  dogged  perseverance  and  undaunted 
courage,  have  materially  added  to  the  greatness  and 


142  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1819- 

prosperity  of  our  country.  The  detailed  and  official 
narrative,  written  by  the  leader  of  the  expedition  after 
his  return,  should  be  read  by  all  who  appreciate  a 
truly  heroic  story,  told  in  a  modest  and  unassuming 
form.  It  cannot  but  fail  to  impress  those  who  read  it, 
with  that  strong  and  marked  feeling  of  Christian  reliance 
in  an  all-merciful  Providence,  that  self-abnegation  and 
devotion  to  those  entrusted  to  his  charge,  and  above  all, 
that  cheerful  and  reliant  disposition  which  was  so  con- 
spicuous in  Franklin,  and  which  stamped  him  as  a  born 
leader  of  men. 

His  companion  and  fellow-sufferer,  Dr.  Richardson, 
who  was  intimately  acquainted  with  him,  writes  of  his 
chief  in  the  following  terms  : — 

"Franklin  had  a  cheerful  buoyancy  of  mind,  which,  sus- 
tained by  a  religious  principle  of  a  depth  known  only  to  his 
most  intimate  friends,  was  not  depressed  in  the  most  gloomy 
times." 

Sir  John  Barrow  also,  in  reference  to  this  marvellous 
journey,  writes : — 

"It  adds  another  to  the  many  splendid  records  of  enter- 
prise, zeal,  and  energy  of  our  seamen — of  that  cool  and  in- 
trepid conduct  which  never  forsakes  them  on  occasions  the 
most  trying — that  unshaken  constancy  and  perseverance  in 
situations  the  most  arduous,  the  most  distressing,  and  some- 
times the  most  hopeless,  that  can  befall  human  beings  ;  and 
it  furnishes  a  beautiful  example  of  the  triumph  of  mental  and 
moral  energy  over  mere  brute  strength,  in  the  simple  fact 
that  out  of  fifteen  individuals,  inured  from  their  birth  to  cold, 
fatigue,  and  hunger,  no  less  than  ten  (native  landsmen)  were 
so  subdued  by  the  aggravation  of  those  evils  to  which  they 
had  been  habituated,  as  to  give  themselves  up  to  indifference, 
insubordination,  and  despair,  and  finally  to  sink  down  and 


1822.]  DESCRIPTION  OF  FRANKLIN.  143 

die  ;  whilst  of  five  British  seamen  unaccustomed  to  the  severity 
of  the  climate,  and  the  hardships  attending  it,  only  one  fell, 
and  that  one  by  the  hands  of  an  assassin." 

In  such  a  well-merited  eulogy,  every  Englishman 
must  heartily  and  cordially  concur. 

Immediately  on  his  return  to  England,  Franklin  set 
to  work  to  write  an  account  of  the  expedition,  which 
was  published  the  following  year.  This  narrative,  sup- 
plemented as  it  was  by  a  valuable  appendix  from  the 
pen  of  Dr.  Richardson,  assisted  very  materially  in 
increasing  the  slight  knowledge  possessed  at  that  time 
of  the  geography,  geology,  and  natural  history  of  the 
northern  portion  of  North  America,  and  especially  with 
regard  to  that  great  extent  of  coast-line,  hitherto  prac- 
tically unknown,  that  is  washed  by  the  waters  of  the 
Polar  Sea. 

Franklin's  personal  appearance  at  this  period  is 
thus  described  by  one  of  his  relatives  : — "  His  features 
and  expression  were  grave  and  mild,  and  very  benig- 
nant ;  his  build  thoroughly  that  of  a  sailor ;  his  stature 
rather  below  the  middle  height;  his  look  very  kind, 
and  his  manner  very  quiet,  though  not  without  a 
certain  dignity,  as  of  one  accustomed  to  command 
others." 

During  the  period  he  was  employed  in  compiling  the 
narrative  of  his  adventurous  journey,  he  was  not,  appa- 
rently, prevented  from  finding  some  little  time  to  devote 
to  his  private  affairs,  and  especially  to  cultivating  and 
developing  the  friendship  which  he  had  formed  with  the 
young  poetess  (see  note,  page  127  ante),  whose  acquaint- 
ance he  had  made  prior  to  his  departure  in  1818  in  the 
Trent.  So  well  did  he  press  his  suit  that  he  succeeded 
in  winning  the  young  lady's  affections,  and  on  the  igth 


144 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 


[1819- 


of  August  1823  Captain  Franklin  was  married  to  Miss 
Eleanor  Anne  Porden.  This  lady,  as  has  already  been 
observed,  possessed  great  poetic  talent,  and  had  pub- 
lished an  epic  poem  in  two  volumes  entitled  "  Cceur  de 
Lion."  She  had  also  written  a  clever  scientific  poem 


MRS.    FRANKLIN. 
(From  apaintiny  in  the  possession  of  Rev.  John  Philip  Gell.) 

called  "The  Veils,"  for  which  she  received  the  unusual 
distinction  (at  least  for  an  English  lady)  of  being  elected 
a  member  of  the  somewhat  exclusive  "  Institut "  of 
Paris. 

Shortly  after  her  acquaintance  with  Captain  Franklin 
had  ripened  into  friendship,  she  wrote  a  little  poem, 


1822.]  FKANKLIN'S  MARRIAGE.  145 

which  was  published  over  the  nom  de  plume  of  "  Green- 
stockings,"  in  which,  assuming  the  character  of  an 
Eskimo  maiden,  she  implores  the  return  of  Franklin  to 
the  wild  north-land  she  loves,  where  she  has — 

"Gathered  thee  dainties  most  rare — 
The  wild  birds  that  soar,  and  the  fish  of  the  sea, 
The  moose  and  the  reindeer,  the  fox  and  the  bear, 
In  a  snow-mantled  grotto,  I  guard  them  for  thee." 

It  is  credibly  reported  that,  prior  to  their  marriage, 
a  mutual  agreement  was  made  that,  under  no  circum- 
stances, was  their  union  to  preclude  him  from  accepting 
any  service,  no  matter  how  dangerous  or  perilous  it  might 
prove,  that  might  be  required  of  him.  His  country 
was  to  be  his  first  love,  and  his  wife  must  be  prepared 
to  allow  him  to  go  wherever  duty  and  his  country 
demanded.  It  is  well  known  how  well  and  faithfully 
the  compact  then  entered  upon  was,  in  so  short  a  time, 
to  be  put  to  the  test  and  scrupulously  adhered  to. 

On  the  3rd  June  1824  their  only  child,  a  daughter, 
was  born,  and  was  named  after  her  mother.  Mrs. 
Franklin's  health  from  this  time  gradually  declined, 
and  when  Franklin  started  on  his  next  expedition,  it 
was  only  too  apparent  he  would  never  meet  his  accom- 
plished wife  in  this  world  again.1 

1  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Franklin  died  before  they  were  married.  She 
had  an  ouly  sister  married  to  Mr.  Kay,  whose  daughter  was  Franklin's 
favourite  niece.  Her  brother,  his  nephew,  entered  the  navy,  aud  sub- 
sequently served  with  Franklin  in  the  Rainbow. 


CHAPTER  X. 

FRANKLIN'S  SECOND  OVERLAND  JOURNEY. 
1825-1828. 

"  Ours  the  wild  life  in  tumult  still 
To  range."  — The  Corsair. 

WE  will  now  turn  to  the  expedition,  under  the  command 
of  Lieutenant  Parry.  He  was  despatched,  it  will  be 
remembered,  for  the  express  purpose  of  attempting  the 
accomplishment  of  the  north-west  passage,  by  sailing 
through  Baffin's  Bay  and  Lancaster  Sound,  Franklin 
having  been  directed  to  co-operate  with  him  in  the 
event  of  their  meeting  in  the  Arctic  Seas.  The  ships 
selected  for  this  service  were  the  Heda  of  375  tons,  and 
the  Griper  of  180  tons,  the  latter  being  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  Liddon.  They  were  equipped  and  prepared 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  Lieutenant  Parry,  who 
spared  no  trouble,  or  pains,  in  order  to  render  them 
thoroughly  efficient  for  the  important  service  on  which 
they  were  to  be  employed. 

The  expedition  left  England  on  the  nth  of  May  1819. 
On  the  1 5th  of  June  Cape  Farewell,  the  southern  extre- 
mity of  Greenland,  was  sighted.  The  ships  then  sailed 
up  Davis  Strait,  and  entered  Baffin's  Bay,  where  they 
encountered  much  ice,  and  experienced  great  difficulty 

in  forcing  a  passage  through.     At  length,  after  much 
146 


1819.]  LIEUT.  PARRY'S  EXPEDITION.  147 

incessant  labour,  requiring  constant  and  unceasing 
vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  officers,  the  ships  entered 
Lancaster  Sound  on  the  4th  of  August,  sailing  over  the 
so-called  Croker  Mountains,  which  Captain  Ross  had, 
the  previous  year,  hypothetically  placed  across  the 
entrance.1  Propelled  by  a  fresh  and  favourable  breeze, 
the  ships,  sailing  in  a  westerly  direction  without  meeting 
with  ice  either  of  sufficient  magnitude  or  quantity  to 
impede  their  progress,  entered  a  large  strait,  which  was 
deservedly  named  after  Sir  John  Barrow,  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Admiralty,  the  indefatigable  promoter  and 
supporter  of  Arctic  research.  Hopes  ran  high  as  they 
proceeded,  and  some  even  nattered  themselves  that  the 
north-west  passage  was  almost  an  accomplished  fact,  but 
their  joyful  aspirations  were  soon  to  be  abruptly  and 
rudely  shattered,  for  on  reaching  the  neighbourhood 
of  Leopold  Island  their  progress  was  arrested  by  a  large 
barrier  of  ice  which  stretched  in  a  solid  mass  across  the 
strait,  and  appeared  to  defy  penetration.  Being  unable, 
therefore,  to  proceed  any  further  in  a  westerly  direction, 
Parry  turned  to  the  southward,  and  sailed  up  a  large 
inlet  which  he  named  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  when  was 
observed  for  the  first  time  "  the  curious  phenomenon  of 
the  directive  power  of  the  needle  becoming  so  weak  as 
to  be  completely  overcome  by  the  attraction  of  the  ship, 
so  that  the  needle  might  now  be  said  to  point  to  the 
north  pole  of  the  ship."  The  fact  being  that  they  were 

1  When  the  truth  connected  with  this  discovery  was  made  known 
in  England,  it  gave  rise  to  the  following  epigrammatic  lines — 

"  Old  Sinbad  tells  us,  he  a  whale  had  seen, 
So  like  the  laud,  it  seemed  an  island  green  ; 
But  Ross  has  told  the  converse  of  this  tale, 
The  land  he  saw  was— very  like  a  whale  I " 


148  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

approaching  the  Magnetic  Pole,  and  its  influence  on  the 
needle  was  felt  to  such  an  extent,  as  to  render  the  com- 
passes so  sluggish  as  to  be  comparatively  useless.  It  may 
be  of  interest  here  to  remark  that  Sir  James  Ross,  who 
subsequently  discovered  the  North  Magnetic  Pole,  was  at 
that  time  serving  as  a  midshipman  on  board  the  Hecla. 

Being  again  stopped  by  the  ice,  the  ships  returned  to 
the  northward  to  find,  to  their  intense  surprise  and 
delight,  that  the  barrier  of  ice  in  Barrow's  Strait  which 
had  shortly  before  checked  their  progress  had  altogether 
disappeared,  leaving  a  broad  channel  of  open  water  to 
the  westward,  in  the  direction  of  which  the  ships  were 
steered.  Light  and  adverse  winds  and  fogs,  however, 
rendered  their  progress  slow.  On  the  22nd  of  August 
they  passed  the  mouth  of  what  appeared  to  be  a  broad  and 
extensive  inlet  to  the  northward,  to  which  the  name  of 
Wellington  Channel  was  given,  and  on  the  3rd  of  Sep- 
tember they  had  the  extreme  satisfaction  of  crossing  the 
i  loth  meridian  of  west  longitude,  thus  becoming  entitled 
to  the  reward  of  ^5000,  granted  by  Parliament  to  any 
person,  or  ship,  who  should  succeed  in  penetrating  so  far 
to  the  westward  inside  the  Arctic  circle  (see  page  80). 
A  headland  oft'  Melville  Island,  off  which  they  were 
at  the  time,  was  named  Cape  Bounty  to  commemorate 
the  event. 

Although  they  had  thus  succeeded  with  comparative 
ease  in  crossing  the  noth  meridian  of  longitude,  they 
found  the  ice  beyond  of  such  a  nature  as  to  entirely 
preclude  all  possibility  of  further  advance,  and  as  the 
navigable  season  had  come  to  an  end,  Parry  secured 
the  ships  in  a  snug  harbour  on  the  south  coast  of  Mel- 
ville Island,  which  he  named  Winter  Harbour.  Before, 
however,  the  vessels  could  be  placed  in  a  position  of 


1828.]  PARKY'S  WINTER  QUARTERS.  149 

absolute  security,  it  was  found  necessary  to  cut  a  channel 
in  the  ice  more  than  two  miles  in  length,  through  which 
the  ships  were  dragged  into  their  winter  quarters,  an 
occupation  that  occupied  the  crews  the  greater  part  of 
three  days. 

Owing  to  the  care  and  ingenuity  of  Lieutenant  Parry, 
the  winter  passed  pleasantly  and  happily.  Theatrical 
entertainments  were  instituted,  plays  were  written  and 
acted,  and  a  newspaper,  Tlie  North  Georgian  Gazette 
and  Winter  Chronicle,  was  periodically  published.  In 
the  spring,  and  before  the  ships  were  released  from  their 
icy  bondage,  Parry  explored  the  country  in  the  vicinity 
of  their  winter  quarters,  taking  with  him  a  light  cart 
dragged  by  men,  in  which  the  provisions,  tent,  &c.,  were 
carried.  He  had  not  then  commenced  the  system  of 
sledging  which  he  subsequently  introduced,  and  which 
was  afterwards  brought  to  great  perfection  by  Sir  Leo- 
pold M'Clintock.  Parry  returned  on  the  I5th  of  June, 
having  travelled  about  1 80  miles,  at  an  average  daily 
progress  of  about  twelve  miles.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that 
more  than  thirty  years  after,  the  marks  of  the  wheels  of 
his  cart  were  found  by  Lieutenant  M'Clintock,  as  plain 
and  distinct  as  if  they  had  only  then  recently  been  made. 

On  the  ist  of  August  the  ice  cleared  away  suffi- 
ciently to  enable  the  ships  to  make  a  start,  and  every 
effort  was  made  to  push  to  the  westward,  but  with- 
out success,  their  progress  being  effectively  stopped 
by  an  interminable  barrier  of  "  thick-ribb'd  ice."  As 
the  season  was  greatly  advanced,  and  as  the  ships  were 
not  provisioned  or  prepared  in  any  way  for  a  second 
winter,  Parry  determined  to  relinquish  further  attempts 
at  discovery,  and  announced  his  intention  of  returning 
to  England,  being  satisfied  with  having  accomplished 


150  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

more  than  half  the  distance  to  Bering's  Strait.  In  arriv- 
ing at  this  conclusion,  Parry  acted  with  that  judgment 
and  prudence  which,  combined  with  daring  and  energy 
at  the  right  moment,  were  the  conspicuous  characteristics 
of  this  accomplished  and  successful  navigator.  On  the 
return  of  the  expedition  to  England,  Parry  received  his 
well-earned  promotion  to  the  rank  of  commander,  and  in 
the  following  February  was  unanimously  elected  a  Fellow 
of  the  Royal  Society. 

Commander  Parry  was  not  the  man  to  remain  idle,  or 
content  with  what  had  been  achieved,  when  there  was 
yet  so  much  to  be  done,  in  the  way  of  geographical 
exploration,  so,  immediately  on  his  return,  he  advocated 
very  strongly  the  desirability  of  prosecuting  further 
search  for  a  north  west  passage,  but,  he  contended,  that 
the  greatest  chance  of  success  would  in  his  opinion  be 
obtained  by  the  despatch  of  an  expedition  through 
Hudson's  Strait  and  Bay,  and  thence  to  skirt  along  the 
northern  shore  of  the  continent  of  America.  So  much 
confidence  did  the  Admiralty  repose,  and  very  deservedly, 
in  his  opinion,  and  in  his  capacity  as  the  leader  of  an 
expedition,  that  although  his  two  ships,  the  Heda  and 
Griper ',  were  only  paid  off  on  the  2ist  of  December  1820, 
Commander  Parry  was  appointed  on  the  3oth  of  the 
same  month,  to  the  command  of  an  expedition  consisting 
of  the  Fury  and  Ileda,  with  directions  to  carry  out 
the  search  for  a  north-west  passage  through  Hudson's 
Strait  and  by  Repulse  Bay.  Lieutenant  Lyon  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Griper. 

Franklin,  it  must  be  remembered,  had  not  yet  re- 
turned from  his  wonderful  land  journey  towards  the 
shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  and  Parry  hoped  that  he  might 
possibly  be  afforded  the  opportunity  of  meeting  his  old 


1828.]  PARRY'S  RETURN  TO  ENGLAND.  151 

friend,  as  he  sailed  along  the  northern  coast  of  the 
American  continent. 

It  is  needless  to  enter  into  the  details  relative  to  this 
second  expedition  of  Parry's.  It  was  carried  out  with 
all  the  energy  and  ability  for  which  that  distinguished 
officer  was  so  famed,  but  he  had  many  difficulties  to 
contend  with,  and  although  the  expedition  did  not 
return  to  England  until  the  autumn  of  1823,  the  chief 
geographical  result  was  the  discovery  of  the  Hecla  and 
Fury  Strait.  Beyond  this,  the  ships  were  unable  to 
proceed,  and  Parry  was  reluctantly  compelled  to  abandon 
all  further  attempts  for  the  discovery  of  a  navigable 
passage  in  that  direction. 

Immediately  after  his  return  to  England  he  was 
attacked  by  a  serious  illness,  and  was  for  some  time  in 
a  very  precarious  and  critical  condition.  On  his  re- 
covery, one  of  the  first  letters  he  wrote  was  to  his  old 
friend  Franklin,  in  reply  to  a  letter  from  that  officer 
congratulating  him  on  his  safe  return.  It  is  inserted 
here  to  show  how  much  he  admired  and  appreciated  the 
work  accomplished  by  Franklin.  It  was  as  follows  : — 

STAMFORD  HILL,  October  23,  1823. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRANKLIN, — I  can  sincerely  assure  you,  that  it 
was  with  no  ordinary  feeling  of  gratification,  that  I  read  your 
kind  letter  of  congratulation  on  my  return.  Of  the  splendid 
achievements  of  yourself,  and  your  brave  companions  in 
enterprise,  I  can  hardly  trust  myself  to  speak,  for  I  am 
apprehensive  of  not  conveying  what,  indeed,  can  never  be 
conveyed  adequately  in  words,  my  unbounded  admiration  of 
what  you  have,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  been  enabled  to 
perform,  and  the  manner  in  which  you  have  performed  it. 
To  place  you  in  the  rank  of  travellers,  above  Park,  and 
Hearne,  and  others,  would,  in  my  estimation,  be  nothing  in 


152  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

comparison  of  your  merits.  But  in  you  and  your  party,  my 
dear  friend,  we  see  so  sublime  an  instance  of  Christian  con- 
fidence in  the  Almighty,  of  the  superiority  of  moral  and 
religious  energy  over  mere  brute  strength  of  body,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  contemplate  your  sufferings  and  preservation, 
without  a  sensation  of  reverential  awe  !  I  have  not  yet  seen 
your  book,  and  have  only  read  the  Quarterly  Review.  Your 
letter  was  put  into  my  hand  at  Shetland,  and  I  need  not  be 
ashamed  to  say  that  I  cried  over  it  like  a  child.  The  tears  I 
shed,  however,  were  those  of  pride  and  pleasure — pride  at 
being  your  fellow-countryman,  brother  officer,  and  friend  ; 
pleasure  in  seeing  the  virtues  of  the  Christian  adding  their 
first  and  highest  charm  to  the  unconquerable  perseverance 
and  splendid  talents  of  the  officer  and  the  man.  I  have  a 
promise  of  your  book  this  day  from  my  brother-in-law,  Mr. 
Martineau,  with  whom  (surrounded  by  all  my  family)  I  am 
staying  for  a  week  at  Stamford  Hill.  I  cannot,  at  present, 
enter  into  any  shop  business — I  mean  geographical  details ; 
but  I  long  very  much  to  see  the  connection  between  our 
discoveries.  Ours  are  small,  for  our  success  has  been  small 
on  this  occasion.  Briefly  (for  the  doctors  insist  upon  it),  the 
north-eastern  portion  of  America  consists  of  a  singular  penin- 
sula, extending  from  Repulse  Bay  in  66|°  latitude  to  69!°,  and 
resembling  a  bastion  at  the  corner  of  a  fort,  the  gorge  of  the 
bastion  being  three  days  of  Esquimaux  journey,  across  from 
Repulse  Bay  to  Akkoolee,  one  of  their  settlements,  or  stations, 
on  the  opposite  or  Polar  Sea  side. 

"This  great  southern  indentation  corresponds,  I  imagine, 
with  your  route,  which  led  you  into  66|°,  I  think,  in  pro- 
ceeding eastward  ;  but  I  have  really  so  vague  an  idea  of  your 
proceedings,  geographically,  that  I  can,  at  present,  say  very 
little  to  gratify  curiosity  concerning  the  connection  of  our 
discoveries. 

"  I  shall  have  volumes  to  say,  or  write,  to  you  hereafter,  but 
do  not  be  alarmed  at  the  supposition  of  my  expecting  volumes 
from  you  in  return. 

"  I  shall  only  add  that  I  am,  my  dear  Franklin,  your  ever 
faithful  and  most  sincerely  admiring  friend, 

"W.  E.  PARRY." 


1828.]        SECOND  LAND  JOURNEY  PEOJECTED.  153 

Parry  was,  for  his  service  while  in  command  of  this 
expedition,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  post-captain,  his 
commission  being  ante-dated  to  the  completion  of  his 
one  year's  service  as  a  commander. 

Although  Captain  Parry  had  failed  on  two  occasions 
in  his  attempts  to  discover  the  long  sought  for  passage, 
he  was  still  fully  persuaded  not  only  of  its  existence, 
but  of  the  feasibility  of  its  discovery  by  way  of  Lancaster 
Sound,  and  thence,  either  by  Prince  Regent  Inlet  to  the 
southward,  or  by  Barrow's  Strait  to  the  west.  These 
views  were  fully  laid  before  the  Government,  the  members 
of  which  had  such  confidence  in  the  judgment  and  ability 
of  this  distinguished  officer,  that  they  resolved,  and 
without  loss  of  time,  to  despatch  another  expedition,  on 
the  lines  indicated  by  him,  in  quest  of  the  north-west 
passage,  and  the  entire  conduct  of  it  was,  very  properly, 
entrusted  to  Captain  Parry.  It  would  surely  be  a 
valuable  aid  and  assistance  to  our  existing  geographical 
knowledge  of  the  unexplored  and  unknown  regions  of 
the  world,  if  the  Government  of  the  present  day  shared 
the  same  liberal  and  enlightened  views,  regarding  re- 
search in  high  latitudes,  as  influenced  those  that  procured 
the  despatch  of  Parry's  third  expedition  in  1824. 

In  order  that  the  search  for  the  passage  should  be 
complete,  and  also  to  guard  against  failure  as  much  as 
possible,  it  was  resolved  to  send  a  second  expedition  to 
carry  out  exploration  by  land,  along  the  northern  shore 
of  the  North  American  coast.  This  was  in  accordance 
with  a  scheme  submitted  by  Captain  Franklin,  who 
proposed  that  an  expedition,  on  somewhat  similar  lines 
to  his  last  one,  should  be  sent  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Mackenzie  River;  there  the  party  were  to  divide,  and 
while  one  portion  of  it  was  to  proceed  by  sea  along  the 


154  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

coast  to  the  westward,  the  remainder  would  be  detached 
and  sent  to  the  eastward,  with  directions  to  survey  the 
coast  as  far  as  the  Coppermine  River,  and  so  connect 
previous  discoveries. 

Nothing  daunted  by  the  terrible  sufferings  he  had  so 
recently  experienced,  Franklin  sought  for,  and  obtained, 
the  supreme  command  of  this  expedition ;  while  his  old 
friend  and  companion,  Dr.  Richardson,  who  had  volun- 
teered to  accompany  him,  was  selected  to  take  charge 
of  the  exploration  of  that  portion  of  the  coast  alluded  to 
above,  situated  between  the  Mackenzie  and  Coppermine 
Rivers.  Not  content  with  the  despatch  of  these  two 
expeditions,  orders  were  sent  to  Captain  Beechey  to 
proceed  with  H.M.S.  Blossom1  under  his  command  to 
Kotzebue  Inlet  in  Bering's  Strait,  with  the  object  of 
meeting  Captain  Franklin,  in  the  event  of  a  successful 
termination  to  his  journey,  and  to  convey  him  and  his 
party  to  Canton,  or  the  Sandwich  Islands,  as  might  seem 
most  advisable ;  or  to  carry  out  any  other  instructions 
that  Captain  Franklin  might  think  proper  to  issue. 
Lieutenant  Back  was  again  associated  with  his  old 
chief;  and  Mr.  Kendall,  Admiralty  mate,  who  had 
recently  served  under  Captain  Lyon,  in  Parry's  last 
expedition,  formed  one  of  the  party.2  Mr.  Drummoncl, 
on  the  special  recommendation  of  Professor  Hooker, 
was  also  appointed  in  the  capacity  of  assistant  naturalist. 
All  the  details  connected  with  the  fitting  out  of  the 
expedition,  and  even  the  particular  route  to  be  followed, 

1  The  Blossom  was  at  that  time  stationed  in  the  Pacific,   under 
the  command  of  Captain  Beechey,   who  served  as  first  lieutenant 
under  Franklin   when   that   officer   was  in  command  of  the  Trout 
in  1818. 

2  Mr.  Kendall  subsequently  married  the  favourite  niece  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Franklin's  only  sister. 


SIR  EDWARD  PARRY  AND  SIR  GEORGE  BACK. 

(From  an  engraving  of  Stephen  Pearce's  future  of  tke  Arctic  Council  in  the 
possession  of  Co(.  John  Barrow,  by  permission  oj  Henry  Graves  6*  Co.) 


1828.]  DEATH  OF  MRS.  FRANKLIN.  155 

were  left  entirely  to  Captain  Franklin,  who  personally 
superintended  the  equipment,  and  made  the  necessary 
arrangements  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  officials 
for  the  conveyance  of  his  people,  stores,  and  provisions 
to  the  Great  Bear  Lake.  In  accordance  with  his  wishes 
three  boats  were  specially  constructed,  combining  light- 
ness and  portability  with  seaworthiness  and  stability, 
with  a  view  of  their  easy  transport  over  the  numerous 
portages  and  various  rapids  that  would  be  met  with 
before  reaching  the  Arctic  Sea,  on  which  it  was  intended 
they  should  be  used.  The  largest  of  these  boats  was 
twenty-six  feet  long,  and  was  capable  of  carrying  eight 
people;  the  other  two  were  each  twenty-four  feet  in 
length,  and  would  hold  seven  men. 

These  boats,  with  all  the  men  and  stores  required 
for  the  expedition,  were  sent  out  by  the  annual  Hud- 
son's Bay  ship  sailing  to  York  Factory  in  1824,  whence 
they  were  immediately  despatched  to  the  Great  Bear 
Lake.  The  officers  of  the  expedition  did  not  leave 
England  until  February  16,  1825.  They  went  out  by 
way  of  New  York,  and  travelling  through  the  States 
and  Canada,  reached  Fort  Cumberland,  on  the  Saskat- 
chewan, on  the  1 5th  June.  Before,  however,  this  stage 
in  their  journey  had  been  accomplished,  Franklin,  to 
his  inexpressible  sorrow,  received  the  mournful  intelli- 
gence of  the  death  of  his  beloved  wife,  who  had  breathed 
her  last,  six  short  clays  only  after  her  husband  had  bidden 
her  farewell.  This  was  a  great  blow  to  Captain  Frank- 
lin, although  he  was  not  altogether  unprepared  for  the 
distressing  intelligence,  for  he  was  well  aware  of  the 
delicate,  not  to  say  critical,  state  of  Mrs.  Franklin's 
health  prior  to  his  departure  from  England.  She  was 
only  twenty- nine  years  of  age  when  she  passed  away. 


156  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [1825- 

Fort  Cumberland  was  left  the  day  after  their  arrival. 
Pushing  rapidly  on  they  overtook  the  boats  and  the 
remainder  of  the  party  that  had  travelled  vid  York 
Factory,  on  June  29th,  in  the  Methye  River,  arriving  at 
Fort  Chipewyan  on  the  i5th  of  the  following  month. 
This  post  was  left  on  the  25th,  and  four  days  afterwards 
the  expedition  reached  Fort  Resolution,  the  only  estab- 
lishment of  any  kind  situated  on  Slave  Lake.  Here 
they  remained  for  six  days  making  the  necessary 
arrangements  with  the  Indians  for  the  supply  of  pro-- 
visions, &c.,  to  last  them  during  the  forthcoming  winter. 
Embarking  in  their  canoes  on  the  3ist  July,  they 
crossed  the  lake  and  steered  for  the  Mackenzie  River. 
Hitherto  they  had  been  travelling  along  the  same  route 
that  Franklin  had  adopted  when  journeying  to  Fort 
Enterprise  in  1820,  but  after  leaving  Fort  Resolution 
they  inclined  more  to  the  westward,  entering  the  Mac- 
kenzie River  on  the  2nd  August.  In  a  couple  of  days, 
they  made  such  good  progress  that  they  arrived  at  Fort 
Simpson,  the  principal  depot  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company  in  that  locality.  They  left  the  next  day 
and  pushing  onwards,  obtained  their  first  view  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  the  general  appearance  of  which  much 
resembled,  in  Franklin's  opinion,  the  east  end  of  the 
island  of  Jamaica.  The  river  was,  in  many  places, 
over  two  miles  in  breadth,  flowing  smoothly,  though 
swiftly,  towards  the  sea.  They  were  not  troubled  or 
inconvenienced  by  either  rapids  or  their  attendant  por- 
tages— indeed,  one  is,  as  a  rule,  the  corollary  of  the 
other — and  they  were  therefore  enabled  to  proceed  with 
such  rapidity  that  they  reached  the  Hudson's  Bay  post 
at  Fort  Norman  on  August  7th. 

As  there  yet  remained  a  few  weeks  of  the  travelling 


1828.]       EXPLOEATION  OF  MACKENZIE  EIVER.  157 

season  in  which  exploration  could  be  carried  out  before 
the  winter  set  in,  Franklin  determined  to  lose  no 
time  in  prosecuting  the  work  entrusted  to  him.  He 
therefore,  with  this  object  in  view,  made  the  follow- 
ing arrangements,  which  were  duly  carried  out  by  the 
parties  concerned.  Lieutenant  Back,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Dease,1  was  ordered  to  proceed  at  once  to  Great 
Bear  Lake  (a  distance  that  would  take  him  about  four 
days  to  accomplish),  on  the  banks  of  which  he  was 
to  select  the  site  for  a  house,  and  immediately  to 
set  the  men  to  work  on  its  construction.  He  was  also 
directed  to  make  all  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
passing  as  comfortable  a  winter  as,  under  the  circum- 
stances, it  was  possible  to  do.  Dr.  Richardson  was 
despatched,  at  his  own  special  request,  to  explore  the 
northern  shore  of  Bear  Lake ;  whilst  Franklin  himself, 
with  Mr.  Kendall  as  his  companion,  started  in  one  of  the 
boats,  with  a  crew  of  six  Englishmen,  a  native  guide,  and 
an  Eskimo  interpreter,2  for  the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie, 
in  order  to  endeavour  to  obtain  information  regarding 
the  state  and  condition  of  the  ice  on  the  Arctic  Sea, 
and  their  prospects  of  pushing  on  the  following  year. 
He  was  also  desirous  of  ascertaining  the  general  trend 
of  the  coast,  east  and  west  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Mackenzie  River,  and  of  satisfying  himself  as  to  the 
chance  of  their  being  able  to  obtain  a  supply  of  pro- 
visions along  the  coast. 

The  different  parties  separated  to  carry  out  their 
respective  instructions  on  the  8th  of  August.  Two  days 

1  Mr.  Dease  was  an  officer  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  who  had 
volunteered  for,  and  been  attached  to,  the  expedition  at  the  special 
request  of  Captain  Franklin. 

-  This  was  Augustus,  who  was  with  Franklin  in  his  previous 
expedition  to  the  Arctic  Sea. 


158  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

subsequently  Franklin  reached  Fort  Good  Hope,  the 
most  northern  Hudson's  Bay  station  in  the  territory, 
much  pleased  with  the  speed  and  general  handiness  of 
his  English  built  boat,  in  which  he  had  accomplished  a 
distance  of  no  less  than  312  miles  in  about  sixty  hours ; 
but  this  rapid  travelling  was  in  a  great  measure  due  to 
a  fair  wind  and  a  swift  current.  Fort  Good  Hope  was 
left  the  following  day,  and  the  sea  was  eventually  reached 
on  the  1 4th.  Captain  Franklin  bears  testimony  to  the 
general  accuracy  of  Mackenzie's  survey.  Some  of  this 
traveller's  positions  were,  it  is  true,  found  to  be  some- 
what at  variance  with  those  determined  by  Franklin, 
but  the  differences  in  latitude  and  longitude  were  ascribed 
to  the  possibility  of  their  having  been  laid  down  by 
magnetic  bearings,  and  not  by  astronomical  observa- 
tions. Franklin  pays  a  just  and  generous  tribute  to 
the  energy,  courage,  and  skill  shown  by  Mackenzie 
during  his  arduous  and  trying  journey.  During  their 
voyage  down  the  river  they  met  several  parties  of 
Indians,  with  all  of  whom  they  had  friendly  intercourse, 
and  from  whom  they  received  small  supplies  of  fresh 
provisions,  although  at  first  they  were  somewhat  shy 
and  suspicious  at  the  unexpected  approach  and  appear- 
ance of  the  white  men. 

The  sea,  to  their  great  joy,  was  found  to  be  entirely 
free  of  ice,  while  "  seals  and  black  and  white  whales  were 
sporting  on  its  waves."  Altogether  it  was  a  sight  that 
gladdened  their  hearts,  as  it  gave  rise  to  hopeful  antici- 
pations of  ultimate  success. 

On  reaching  the  coast  a  silk  Union  Jack,  worked 
by  the  weak  and  feeble  fingers  of  his  sick  wife,  was 
unfurled.  This  flag  was  given  to  her  husband,  as  he 
was  on  the  point  of  leaving  England,  with  strict  in  June- 


1828.]  HIS  WIFE'S  FLAG  UNFURLED.  159 

tions  that  it  was  not  to  be  displayed  until  the  expe- 
dition had  reached  the  Polar  Sea.  When  Franklin 
bade  her  farewell  it  was  with  the  conviction  that  the 
hand  of  death  was  upon  her,  and  that  he  should  see 
her  no  more  in  this  world ;  but  obedient  to  the  call  of 
his  country,  and  exhorted  by  her  own  earnest  pleadings 
that  he  should  proceed  on  the  important,  though  dan- 
gerous, service  for  which  he  had  been  selected,  with  his 
heart  overflowing  with  feelings  of  sorrow  and  despond- 
ency, he  accepted  the  gift,  assuring  his  wife  that  he 
should  not  fail  to  think  of  her  when  he  planted  it,  as 
he  felt  sure  he  would,  on  the  wild  and  inhospitable 
shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea.  It  must  therefore  have  been 
with  mingled  feelings  of  joy  and  sorrow,  that  he  saw 
this  last  souvenir  of  his  dearly  loved  wife  fluttering  out 
bravely  in  the  wind,  in  full  view  of  the  Polar  Ocean, 
in  fulfilment  of  his  promise.  In  a  letter  to  his  sister- 
in-law,  written  shortly  after  his  return  to  their  winter 
quarters,  Franklin,  in  alluding  to  his  having  reached 
the  sea  on  the  i6th  of  August,  writes — "  Here  was  first 
displayed  the  flag  which  my  lamented  Eleanor  made, 
and  you  can  imagine  it  was  with  heartfelt  emotion  I 
first  saw  it  unfurled;  but  in  a  short  time  I  derived 
great  pleasure  in  looking  at  it." 

The  position  of  the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie  River 
was  found  to  be  in  latitude  69°  29'  N.,  and  135°  41'  W. 
longitude.  Depositing  a  record  of  the  progress  of  the 
expedition  thus  far  for  the  information  of  Captain  Parry, 
in  the  event  of  that  officer  reaching  the  neighbourhood, 
and  making  it  as  conspicuous  as  possible  by  the  erec- 
tion of  a  long  pole,  to  the  top  of  which  was  hoisted  a 
blue  and  red  flag,  and  having  thoroughly  explored  the 
country  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  they 


160  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

commenced  the  return  journey,  and  without  any  event 
worthy  of  special  record  reached  their  winter  quarters 
on  the  Great  Bear  Lake  on  the  evening  of  the  5th  of 
September.  They  found  that  Dr.  Richardson  had  re- 
turned a  few  days  before  them,  having  made  a  successful 
survey  of  the  lake  to  its  north-east  termination,  where 
it  is  nearest  to  the  Coppermine  Eiver. 

Here  at  Fort  Franklin,  for  so  the  post  had  been  named 
in  compliment  to  their  leader  during  his  temporary 
absence,  the  members  of  the  expedition  were  for  the 
first  time  united.  They  found  the  houses  that  had  been 
erected  for  their  accommodation  by  their  comrade  Mr. 
Back,  both  commodious  and  comfortable,  and  all  that, 
under  the  circumstances,  could  be  desired.  The  estab- 
lishment consisted  of  three  buildings,  which  were  so  con- 
structed as  to  form  the  three  sides  of  a  square.  The 
centre  one  was  appropriated  to  the  officers,  one  was 
allotted  to  the  men  as  their  quarters,  and  the  other  was 
used  as  a  store  and  provision  house.  The  number  of 
persons  to  be  accommodated  in  this  establishment  was  no 
less  than  fifty,  viz. — five  officers  (including  Mr.  Dease), 
nineteen  seamen  and  marines,  nine  Canadians,  and  two 
Eskimos,  the  remainder  being  made  up  of  Indians,  men, 
women,  and  children,  whose  services  were  required  for 
the  purposes  of  hunting,  fishing,  and  for  the  general 
supply  of  game  and  other  provisions.  The  position  of 
Fort  Franklin  was  ascertained  to  be  latitude  65°  n'  56", 
and  longitude  123°  12'  44". 

The  winter  passed  pleasantly  enough,  and  although 
the  cold  was  great  it  was  not  insufferably  so,  the 
lowest  recorded  temperature  being  49°  below  zero 
(Fahr.).  The  Indian  hunters  succeeded  in  procuring 
a  fair  amount  of  game  and  fish  during  the  winter, 


1828.]  PLANS  FOR  SUMMER  CAMPAIGN.  161 

although  in  February,  in  consequence  of  a  temporary 
failure  in  obtaining  supplies,  they  were  necessarily  re- 
duced to  a  very  short  allowance  of  provisions.  The  officers 
occupied  their  spare  time  in  taking  thermometrical, 
magnetic  and  atmospheric  observations,  besides  others 
of  a  scientific  nature.  They  likewise  superintended  the 
school  that  Franklin  established  during  the  winter  months, 
as  well  as  the  strict  observance  of  the  regular  routine 
that  was  wisely  instituted.  As  another  boat  was  con- 
sidered desirable,  the  carpenters  were  busily  employed  on 
the  construction  of  one  on  somewhat  similar  lines  to  the 
Lion,  the  boat  they  had  brought  out  from  England  with 
them.  This  boat,  when  completed,  was  called  the  Reliance. 
The  arrangements  for  the  summer  campaign  were 
briefly  as  follows  : — Captain  Franklin,  accompanied  by 
Lieutenant  Back,  was  to  explore  by  boat  along  the  north 
coast  of  North  America  to  the  westward  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Mackenzie  River,  if  possible  to  Icy  Cape.  Dr. 
Richardson,  with  Mr.  Kendall  as  his  colleague  and  com- 
panion, was  to  undertake  the  eastern  line  of  exploration, 
including  the  examination  of  the  coast  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Mackenzie  to  the  Coppermine  River,  returning  to 
Fort  Franklin  before  the  winter  set  in.  Mr.  Dease 
would  remain  at  Fort  Franklin  with  directions  to  keep  the 
establishment  well  stored  with  provisions  for  use  during 
the  ensuing  winter,  in  the  event  of  Franklin  failing  in 
his  attempt  to  communicate  with  the  Blossom  (see  page 
154  ante).  It  was,  therefore,  necessary  to  make  provision 
on  the  chance  of  the  entire  party  having  to  pass  another 
winter  at  the  post.  Fourteen  men,  including  two  Cana- 
dians, with  Augustus  the  Eskimo  interpreter,  under  Cap- 
tain Franklin  and  Lieutenant  Back,  with  the  two  boats 
Lion  and  Reliance,  formed  the  western  party ;  while  ten 

L 


162  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

men,  with  the  two  smaller  boats,  the  Dolphin  and  Union, 
under  the  command  of  Dr.  Richardson  and  Mr.  Kendall, 
were  entrusted  with  the  eastern  line  of  exploration. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  a  start  was  made  on 
the  24th  June.  The  two  parties  travelled  in  company 
down  the  Mackenzie  River  until  the  3rd  July,  when 
they  reached  that  part  of  the  river  where  it  bifurcated 
to  the  east  and  to  the  west,  Franklin  pursuing  his  course 
along  the  latter  route,  while  Richardson  proceeded  by 
the  former.  They  were  all  supplied  with  provisions  to 
last  an  anticipated  absence  of  one  hundred  days. 

Franklin  reached  the  coast  on  the  yth  of  July,  and 
on  the  same  day  met  a  tribe  of  Eskimos  numbering 
about  three  hundred.  At  first  their  intercourse  was 
friendly  enough  ;  but  the  cupidity  of  these  savages  being 
excited  by  the  articles  of,  to  them,  priceless  value  that 
they  saw,  an  attempt  was  made  to  pillage  the  boats, 
but  this  outrage  was  frustrated  by  the  coolness  and 
forbearance  of  Franklin  and  his  men.  It  afterwards 
transpired  that  a  massacre  of  the  whole  expedition  had 
been  arranged,  and  was  only  prevented  by  the  vigilance 
and  preparedness  of  the  party.  On  arrival  at  the  sea  they 
were  intensely  mortified  to  find  that  their  progress  to  the 
westward  was  checked  by  heavy  masses  of  ice.  These, 
however,  in  the  course  of  four  or  five  days,  during 
which  time  the  expedition  was  compelled  to  remain 
inactive,  cleared  away  sufficiently  to  leave  a  passage 
along  the  coast,  and  so  enabled  them  to  push  on.  Gales 
of  wind  and  fogs  were  unfortunately  very  prevalent, 
and  sadly  interfered  with  their  progress.  The  boats 
were  also  very  roughly  handled,  and  were  frequently 
in  danger  of  being  crushed  by  the  large  fragments  of 
ice  with  which  they  were  constantly  coming  into  con- 


1828.]       ONWARD,  IN  SPITE  OF  DIFFICULTIES.  163 

tact,  and  which  had  the  effect  of  causing  them  to  leak 
considerably.  In  spite  of  all  these  drawbacks,  they 
steadily  persevered,  using  oars  and  sail  according  to 
circumstances,  watching  and  taking  advantage  of  every 
opportunity  for  pushing  onwards,  battling  against  all 
difficulties,  and  striving  to  their  utmost  each  day  to 
beat  the  record  of  the  last  in  the  distance  accomplished. 
Their  general  course  was  as  nearly  as  possible  in  a 
westerly  direction,  along  a.  low  flat  shelving  coast,  in 
water  so  shallow  as  to  compel  them  to  keep  at  a  distance 
of  from  two  to  three  miles  from  the  shore.  As  accurate 
a  survey  of  the  coast  as  was  practicable  was  made  as 
they  proceeded ;  it  was,  however,  found  to  be  devoid  of 
all  bays  or  harbours  in  which  a  ship  could  obtain  shelter, 
or  remain  securely  at  anchor. 

They  were  not  infrequently  detained  by  bad  weather, 
fogs,  and  impenetrable  ice,  and  on  one  occasion  the  deten- 
tion was  for  no  less  a  period  than  eight  consecutive  days. 
During  these  unavoidable  stoppages  the  members  of  the 
expedition  were  not  inactive,  for  they  would  seize  on 
these  opportunities  to  take  astronomical  observations, 
as  well  as  those  to  determine  the  magnetic  inclination, 
variation,  and  intensity,  besides  observations  on  the  rise, 
fall,  and  direction  of  the  tides.  The  geology  of  the 
country  along  which  they  travelled  was  also  carefully 
studied,  and  many  valuable  specimens  of  natural  history 
were  added  to  their  collection. 

During  all  this  time  the  torments  they  endured  from 
the  pertinacious  attacks  of  countless  swarms  of  musqui- 
toes  were  indescribable ;  they  were  regarded  as  quite  the 
greatest  of  the  sufferings  they  were  called  upon  to  endure ! 
It  is  a  somewhat  significant  fact  that  a  point  of  land  on 
the  north  coast  of  America  was,  during  the  journey, 


134  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

named  Point  Griffin  by  Captain  Franklin,  presumably 
after  the  lady  who  subsequently  became  his  wife. 

At  length,  on  the  i8th  of  August,  having  traced  the 
coast  westward,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie  River, 
for  374  miles,  Captain  Franklin  very  reluctantly  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  further  advance  would  be  im- 
prudent, taking  into  consideration  the  lateness  of  the 
season,  and  the  self-evident  fact  that  he  had  only 
traversed  half  the  distance  between  the  Mackenzie  River 
and  Icy  Cape.  Before  he  could  hope  to  accomplish  the 
remainder  of  the  distance  that  intervened,  winter  would 
have  set  in,  and  the  Blossom  would,  in  consequence, 
have  sailed  to  the  southward.  He  therefore  wisely  de- 
cided to  return.  To  the  most  extreme  point  seen  to 
the  westward  he  gave  the  name  of  Cape  Beechey. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  here  that  the  Blossom  had 
successfully  carried  out  her  part  of  the  programme, 
and  was  off  Icy  Cape  during  the  middle  of  August. 
Thence  Captain  Beechey  despatched  one  of  his  boats  to 
the  eastward,  in  the  hope  of  meeting  Franklin.  This 
boat  actually  arrived  on  the  25th  of  August  within  160 
miles  of  the  position  reached  by  Franklin  when  he 
resolved  to  turn  back  a  week  before.  It  would  not,  how- 
ever, have  been  possible  for  Franklin  to  have  accomplished 
the  distance  that  lay  between  them,  before  the  Blossom's 
boat  returned  to  the  westward,  so  that  had  he  persevered 
in  hopes  of  meeting  it,  he  and  his  party  would  in  all 
probability  have  perished  during  the  winter.  It  was 
therefore  a  wise  and  discreet  resolve  on  Franklin's  part 
to  return.  The  extreme  position  reached  was  latitude 
70°  26'  K,  and  148°  52'  W.  longitude.  The  return 
journey  was  very  similar  to  the  outward  one,  except 
that  they  suffered  more  from  cold  and  less  from  mus- 


1828.]        RETURN  OF  THE  TWO  EXPEDITIONS.  165 

quitoes  !  Through  the  friendly  warning  of  the  Eskimos, 
they  were  able  to  frustrate  a  plot  to  assassinate  the  whole 
party  that  had  been  laid  by  a  tribe  of  hostile  Indians 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie.  This  diabolical  scheme 
was  prevented  by  their  taking  a  different  route  on  their 
return  to  the  one  along  which  they  had  travelled  on 
their  outward  journey.  The  Mackenzie  was  reached  on 
the  3oth  August,  and  the  expedition  arrived,  intact  and 
in  good  health,  at  Fort  Franklin  on  the  2ist  September. 
The  total  number  of  geographical  miles  travelled  by  the 
party  since  leaving  Fort  Franklin  until  their  return  was 
2048,  a  third  of  which  distance  was  through  a  perfectly 
unknown  country. 

They  were  much  elated  to  find  that  the  travellers  to 
the  eastward  had  also  made  a  very  successful  journey, 
having  succeeded  in  tracing  no  less  than  863  miles  of  un- 
discovered coast-line  situated  between  the  Mackenzie  and 
Coppermine  Rivers ;  they  returned  to  Fort  Franklin  by 
way  of  the  Coppermine  River,  reaching  that  post  on  the 
ist  September.  Like  the  western  party  they  reported 
having  experienced  strong  gales  of  wind,  and  their  pro- 
gress was  much  hampered  by  ice,  in  which  their  boats 
were  often  seriously  injured,  being  frequently  exposed  to 
the  risk  of  being  crushed  altogether.  They  met  several 
parties  of  Eskimos,  all  of  whom  afforded  convincing  proofs 
of  their  dexterity  in  the  art  of  pilfering,  and  it  was 
only  by  the  exercise  of  great  tact  and  forbearance,  on 
the  part  of  Dr.  Richardson  and  his  people,  that  an  open 
rupture  was  avoided.  An  accurate  survey  of  the  coast 
was  made  by  Lieutenant  Kendall,  while  Dr.  Richardson 
made  many  valuable  observations  in  connection  with  the 
geology  and  natural  history  of  the  country. 

A  large  bay,  discovered  on   the  22nd  of  July,   was 


166  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1825- 

named  Franklin  Bay;  in  conferring  this  name  upon  it,  the 
Doctor,  in  his  narrative,  indulges  in  the  following  eulo- 
gistic remarks  regarding  his  able  and  talented  leader : — 

"In  bestowing  the  name  of  Franklin  on  this  remarkable 
bay,  I  paid  an  appropriate  compliment  to  the  officer  under 
whose  orders  and  by  whose  arrangements  the  delineation  of 
all  that  is  known  of  the  northern  coast  of  the  American 
continent  has  been  effected ;  with  the  exception  of  the  parts 
in  the  vicinity  of  Icy  Cape  discovered  by  Captain  Beechey. 

"  It  would  not  be  proper,  nor  is  it  my  intention,  to  descant 
on  the  professional  merits  of  my  superior  officer ;  but  after 
having  served  under  Captain  Franklin  for  nearly  seven  years 
in  two  successive  voyages  of  discovery,  I  trust  I  may  be 
allowed  to  say,  that  however  high  his  brother  officers  may 
rate  his  courage  and  talents,  either  in  the  ordinary  line  of  his 
professional  duty,  or  in  the  field  of  discovery,  the  hold  he 
acquires  upon  the  affections  of  those  under  his  command,  by  a 
continued  series  of  the  most  conciliatory  attentions  to  their 
feelings,  and  an  uniform  and  unremitting  regard  to  their  best 
interests,  is  not  less  conspicuous.  I  feel  that  the  sentiments 
of  my  friends  and  companions,  Captain  Back  and  Lieutenant 
Kendall,  are  in  unison  with  my  own,  when  I  affirm,  that 
gratitude  and  attachment  to  our  late  commanding  officer  will 
animate  our  breasts  to  the  latest  periods  of  our  lives." 

On  August  4th,  Wollaston  Land  was  discovered  to 
the  northward,  and  the  channel  between  it  and  the 
mainland  was  called  Dolphin  and  Union  Strait,  after 
the  two  little  boats  in  which  they  were  embarked.  On 
the  yth  they  had  the  extreme  satisfaction  of  entering 
George  4th  Coronation  Gulf,  and  so  connected  their 
discoveries  with  those  of  Captain  Franklin  during  his 
voyage  in  1820 — 

"  Thus,"  as  Dr.  Richardson  writes,  "  completing  a  portion  of 
the  north-west  passage  for  which  the  reward  of  ^5000  was 


1828.]  DR.  RICHARDSON'S  SUCCESSFUL  JOURNEY.    167 

established  by  His  Majesty's  Order  in  Council ;  but  as  it  was 
not  contemplated  in  framing  the  order  that  the  discovery  should 
be  made  from  west  to  east,  and  in  vessels  so  small  as  the 
Dolphin  and  Union,  we  could  not  lay  claim  to  the  pecuniary 
reward." 

The  successful  issue  of  their  voyage  enabled  them 
to  return  by  a  shorter  and  a  better  route  than  that 
adopted  for  the  outward  journey.  On  the  following  day 
the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  River  was  reached,  and 
after  proceeding  up  it  for  some  miles,  the  boats  and  every- 
thing that  was  not  absolutely  necessary  to  be  transported, 
were  abandoned,  and  the  journey  commenced  on  those 
same  barren  lands,  over  which  Franklin  and  his  party 
had  toiled  and  endured  such  sufferings  during  the  pre- 
vious expedition,  but  this  time  under  more  favourable 
conditions;  the  load  carried  by  each  man  was  72  Ibs. 
Without  any  further  event  worth  recording,  the  party 
reached  Great  Bear  Lake  on  the  i8th  of  August, 
and  on  the  ist  of  September  arrived  at  Fort  Franklin, 
having  accomplished  a  wonderfully  successful  journey, 
during  which  they  traversed  a  distance,  by  land  and  by 
boat,  of  1980  geographical  miles,  of  which  1015  were 
new  discoveries.  Immediately  on  his  return  to  Fort 
Franklin,  Dr.  Richardson  started  off  to  prosecute  his 
geological  and  natural  history  researches  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  where  he  passed  the 
following  winter. 

Franklin  and  his  people  were,  of  course,  compelled  to 
spend  another  winter  at  Fort  Franklin ;  but  having  a 
plentiful  supply  of  provisions  and  other  necessaries,  and 
also  plenty  of  work  to  do  in  the  way  of  plotting  the 
charts  connected  with  their  discoveries,  and  arrang- 
ing their  scientific  observations,  it  passed  quickly  and 


168  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1827. 

pleasantly  enough,  in  spite  of  the  temperature  falling 
during  the  month  of  February  to  58°  below  zero,  the 
lowest  that  any  of  the  party  had  hitherto  experienced. 
By  a  packet  of  letters  which  was  conveyed  to  them  by 
an  Indian  messenger  during  the  winter,  they  were  all 
much  pleased  and  gratified  to  find  that  their  popular 
companion,  Lieutenant  Back,  had  been  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  commander. 

On  the  2oth  February  1827,  Captain  Franklin  being 
desirous  of  reaching  England  as  speedily  as  possible,  left 
the  Fort,  in  company  with  five  men,  leaving  instructions 
for  Captain  Back  to  proceed  to  York  Factory  with  the 
remainder  of  the  party  as  soon  as  the  ice  should  break 
up ;  thence  they  were  to  sail  for  England  in  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company's  ship,  which  it  was  anticipated 
would  be  leaving  in  the  autumn.  Franklin  reached  Fort 
Simpson  on  the  8th  of  March ;  here  he  remained  a  few 
days  in  order  to  rest  and  recruit  the  health  of  his  dogs, 
and  arrived  at  Fort  Resolution,  on  the  Great  Slave  Lake, 
on  the  26th.  The  return  to  this  neighbourhood  must 
have  brought  vividly  to  Franklin's  mind  the  terrible 
sufferings  and  privations  he  had  endured  in  that  same 
locality  only  a  few  years  previously.  Fort  Chipewyan 
was  reached  on  the  i2th  of  April,  and  here  a  stoppage 
of  six  weeks  was  made.  This  place  was  left  on  the  3ist 
May,  and  on  the  i8th  June,  Franklin  and  his  small  party 
arrived  at  Cumberland  House,  where  he  had  the  inex- 
pressible happiness  of  meeting  with  Dr.  Richardson  after 
a  separation  of  eleven  months.  From  him  he  learned 
that  Mr.  Dmmmond,  the  assistant  naturalist,  had  been 
most  indefatigable  in  collecting  natural  history  speci- 
mens. He  had  travelled,  with  that  object  in  view, 
as  far  as  the  Rocky  Mountains,  having  been  exposed 


JANE    LADY    FRANKLIN. 
(At  the  age  of  24.) 


1828.]       HONOURS  BESTOWED  ON  FRANKLIN.  171 

during  his  wanderings  to  very  great  hardships  and 
privations. 

From  Cumberland  House,  Franklin  and  Richardson 
travelled  together  to  Montreal  and  New  York,  and 
arrived  in  England  on  the  26th  September  1827,  after 
an  absence  of  two  years  and  seven  and  a  half  months. 
Commander  Back,  with  the  remainder  of  the  party, 
reached  Portsmouth  fourteen  days  later. 

The  geographical  result  of  this  expedition  was  the 
discovery  and  accurate  delineation  of  over  a  thousand 
miles  of  the  north  coast  of  the  American  continent, 
hitherto  absolutely  unknown.  The  geological,  mag- 
netical,  meteorological,  topographical,  and  other  scientific 
observations,  made  by  the  different  members  of  the 
expedition,  were  of  the  greatest  value  and  interest, 
more  especially  those  relating  to  the  Aurora  Borealis. 
The  important  work  performed  by  the  members  of  the 
expedition  was  fully  appreciated  on  their  return  to 
England,  both  by  the  Admiralty  and  the  learned 
societies,  who  were  unanimous  in  their  acknowledgment 
of  the  value  of  the  services  rendered,  and  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  skill  and  ability  that  had  been  displayed 
by  officers  and  men  in  carrying  them  out. 

France  also,  not  to  be  behindhand  in  her  admiration 
at  the  way  in  which  the  leader  of  the  expedition  had 
achieved  such  a  signal  geographical  success,  presented 
Captain  Franklin,  shortly  after  his  return  to  England, 
with  the  Paris  Geographical  Society's  gold  medal,  valued 
at  1 200  francs,  for  having  made  "the  most  important 
acquisition  to  geographical  knowledge  "  during  the  year. 
On  the  2 Qth  April  1829  Captain  Franklin  received  the 
honour  of  knighthood;  and  on  the  following  ist  of  July 
the  honorary  degree  of  D.C.L.  of  Oxford  was  conferred 


172  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1828. 

upon  him,  at  the  same  time  that  a  similar  honour  was 
bestowed  on  Sir  Edward  Parry. 

These  events  are  thus  alluded  to  in  the  prize  poem 
recited  in  the  theatre  at  the  Commemoration,  on  the 
occasion,  by  T.  Legh  Claughton — 

"  But  fairer  England  greets  the  wanderer  now, 
Unfading  laurels  shade  her  Parry's  brow ; 
And  on  the  proud  memorials  of  her  fame 
Lives,  linked  with  deathless  glory,  Franklin's  name." 

On  the  5th  November  1828  Franklin  married  Jane, 
second  daughter  of  John  Griffin,  Esq.,  of  Bedford  Place, 
a  lady  of  great  culture  and  rare  intellectual  powers,  and 
one  who  was  in  every  way  qualified  to  be  the  friend, 
adviser,  and  helpmate  of  a  man  of  Sir  John  Franklin's 
energy  and  disposition.  Her  life  and  character  as  a 
woman  and  a  wife  are  written  on  the  pages  of  the 
history  of  our  country. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

PARRY'S  THIRD  EXPEDITION  — HIS  ATTEMPT  TO 
REACH  THE  POLE— SIR  JOHN  ROSS— DISCOVERY 
OF  MAGNETIC  POLE— FRANKLIN  IN  THE  MEDI- 
TERRANEAN—GOVERNMENT OF  VAN  DIEMEN'S 
LAND. 

1824-1844. 

"  Where's  the  coward  that  would  not  dare 
To  fight  for  such  a  land  ? " — Marmion. 

ALTHOUGH  Captain  Franklin  had  failed,  through  no  want 
of  energy  or  fault  of  his  own,  in  the  actual  accomplish- 
ment of  the  north-west  passage,  he  was  fully  impressed 
with  its  practicability,  and  openly  maintained  on  his 
return  his  own  views  regarding  the  feasibility  of  its 
achievement  in  ships.  But  from  his  recent  observations, 
especially  those  relative  to  the  general  drift  of  the  ice  in 
the  Polar  Sea  and  the  prevailing  winds  that  were  ex- 
perienced by  his  party  during  their  sojourn  in  that 
locality,  he  was  of  opinion — an  opinion  that  was  not,  how- 
ever, shared  by  his  distinguished  brother  officer,  Captain 
parry — that  the  attempt  should  be  made  from  the  west- 
ward through  Bering's  Strait,  instead  of  from  the  East. 
Recent  experience  has  proved  that  he  was  not  far  wrong 
in  his  conclusions,  and  the  remarkable  voyage  made  in 
1850,  and  two  following  years,  by  Captain  Collinson  in 

the  Enterprise  proves  in  a  great  measure  that  his  opinions 
173 


174  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1824- 

were  formed  on  sound  and  well-considered  principles, 
and,  as  such,  were  worthy  of  due  consideration. 

Parry's  third  expedition,1  which  had  been,  as  will  be 
remembered,  directed  to  act  in  concert  with  Franklin, 
in  the  event  of  falling  in  with  any  of  his  party  on  their 
line  of  exploration,  also  unhappily  ended  in  failure. 

Sailing  from  England  in  the  Heda  and  Fury  on  the 
1 9th  May  1824,  Parry,  in  consequence  of  unavoidable 
detentions  in  Baffin's  Bay,  caused  by  the  unusual 
amount  of  ice  that  was  collected  there  during  that 
particular  season,  did  not  reach  Lancaster  Sound  until 
the  loth  of  September.  The  season  was  then  far  ad- 
vanced, and  he  found  to  his  intense  mortification  that 
the  young  ice  which  was  rapidly  forming  proved  such  an 
impediment  to  his  advance,  that  he  was  reluctantly  com- 
pelled to  relinquish  further  attempts  to  push  on,  and  was, 
therefore,  obliged  to  seek  winter  quarters ;  he  eventually 
secured  his  two  ships  on  the  2yth  September  in  a  small 
harbour  named  Port  Bo  wen,  on  the  east  side  of  Prince 
Regent  Inlet.  Here  the  winter  was  passed,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1825  sledging  parties  were  despatched,  which 
added  largely  to  our  geographical  knowledge  of  those 
parts.  On  the  2oth  July  the  ships  succeeded  in  breaking 
out  of  their  winter  quarters,  and  standing  across  to  the 
west  side  of  the  inlet,  pursued  a  southerly  course.  They 
were,  however,  almost  immediately  beset  by  the  ice,  in 
which  they  were  drifted  rapidly  up  the  inlet.  Being 
powerless  to  direct  their  course,  the  unfortunate  Fury 
was  after  a  time  driven  on  shore,  and  completely 
wrecked.  Her  stores  and  provisions  were  landed  at  the 
scene  of  her  disaster,  which  was  named  Fury  Beach, 
while  her  officers  and  crew  were  received  on  board  the 
1  See  p.  153,  ante. 


1844.]      SCHEME  FOR  BEACHING  NORTH  POLE.          175 

Hecla,  for  conveyance  to  England.  They  arrived  at 
Sheerness  in  October,  and  the  Hecla  was  shortly  after- 
wards paid  out  of  commission. 

Parry  was  much  disappointed  at  the  unfortunate  result 
of  a  voyage  from  which  he  had  expected  so  much ;  but 
although  it  was  not  in  his  power  to  command  success, 
yet  no  man  ever  deserved  it  more  than  Sir  Edward 
Parry,  especially  in  Arctic  enterprise.  In  concluding  his 
account  of  the  narrative  of  this  voyage  he  writes — 

"  May  it  still  fall  to  England's  lot  to  accomplish  this  under- 
taking,1 and  may  she  ever  continue  to  take  the  lead  in  enter- 
prises intended  to  contribute  to  the  advancement  of  science, 
and  to  promote,  with  her  own,  the  welfare  of  mankind  at 
large.  Such  enterprises,  so  disinterested  as  well  as  useful  in 
their  object,  do  honour  to  the  country  which  undertakes  them, 
even  when  they  fail ;  they  cannot  but  excite  the  admiration 
and  respect  of  every  liberal  and  cultivated  mind,  and  the  page 
of  future  history  will  undoubtedly  record  them,  as  in  every 
way  worthy  of  a  powerful,  virtuous,  and  enlightened  nation." 

In  less  than  two  years  after  his  return  from  this  un- 
successful attempt  to  achieve  the  north-west  passage  by 
Prince  Regent  Inlet,  the  energetic  Parry  was  again 
employed  on  Polar  exploration,  being  entrusted  with  the 
command  of  an  expedition  that  had  for  its  object  the 
discovery  of  the  northern  terrestrial  pole  of  the  earth. 

This  enterprise  was  in  accordance  with  a  scheme  of 
his  own,  plans  of  which  he  had  previously  submitted  for 
the  consideration  of  the  Admiralty.  His  idea  was  to 
proceed  in  a  ship  as  far  as  Spitzbergen,  whence,  leaving 
the  vessel  securely  established  in  some  snug  anchorage, 
a  party  with  boats  and  sledges  were  to  be  despatched 
for  the  purpose  of  reaching  the  Pole.  The  Hecla,  Parry's 
old  ship,  was  selected  for  this  service,  and  he  was  accom- 
1  The  north-west  passage. 


176  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1824- 

panied  by  many  old  shipmates  who  had  served  with  him 
on  previous  expeditions.  They  sailed  from  England  on 
the  3rd  of  April  1827,  and  after  touching  at  Hammer- 
fest,  arrived  off  the  coast  of  Spitzbergen  about  the 
middle  of  May;  but  it  was  not  until  nearly  a  month 
later,  that  they  succeeded  in  finding  a  harbour  in  which 
the  ship  could  be  safely  secured.  All  the  necessary 
arrangements  being  completed,  the  exploring  party, 
consisting  of  the  two  boats  Enterprise  and  Endeavour, 
under  the  command  respectively  of  Captain  Parry  and 
Lieutenant  James  C.  Ross,  with  a  crew  in  each  of  two 
officers  and  twelve  men,  left  the  Hecla,  and  proceeded 
northwards.  So  long  as  the  sea  remained  fairly  open 
good  progress  was  made,  but  when  the  ice  was  closely 
packed,  and  the  boats,  with  all  the  necessary  impedi- 
menta, had  to  be  dragged  across  the  floes,  the  toilsome 
and  irksome  nature  of  the  work  began  to  tell  upon 
the  men.  The  roughness  of  the  ice  added  materially 
to  the  arduous  nature  of  their  work,  and  their  diffi- 
culties culminated  when  it  was  discovered  that  a 
strong  current  was  carrying  them  to  the  southward 
at  a  greater  rate  than  they  were  advancing  to  the  north- 
ward. Under  these  mortifying  circumstances  Parry, 
convinced  of  the  futility  of  further  perseverance,  de- 
cided to  return,  having  reached  the  latitude  of  82°  45', 
a  higher  northern  position  than  had  been  attained  by 
any  previous  navigator.  The  ship  was  reached  in 
Treurenberg  Bay  on  the  2ist  of  August,  the  party  having 
been  absent  sixty-one  days.  On  the  28th  the  Hecla 
sailed  for  England,  and,  by  a  strange  coincidence,  Frank- 
lin arrived  at  Liverpool  from  his  journey  along  the  Arctic 
coast  of  America  at  the  same  time  that  Parry  reached 
Inverness.  These  two  gallant  explorers  arrived  at  the 


1844.]  SIR  JOHN  ROSS'S  VOYAGE.  177 

Admiralty  within  ten  minutes  of  each  other,  and  great 
was  the  mutual  surprise  and  joy  of  the  two  friends  at 
such  an  unexpected  meeting  after  so  long  a  separation. 

With  the  return  of  these  two  officers  from  their  ad- 
venturous voyages  in  1827,  public  interest  in  Arctic 
exploration  appears  generally  to  have  languished.  Pro- 
bably the  supposed  risk,  combined  with  the  cost  con- 
nected with  the  equipment  of  these  Arctic  expeditions, 
were  considered  too  great  and  serious  to  justify  any 
further  attempts  being  made,  at  the  public  expense, 
with  the  view  of  discovering  either  the  Pole  or  the 
north-west  passage.  But  although  the  Government  of 
the  day  evinced  a  strong  disinclination  to  prosecute 
further  research  in  high  northern  latitudes,  private  enter- 
prise, as  will,  we  hope,  always  be  the  case,  stepped  in 
to  attempt  that  which  previous  Government  expeditions 
had  failed  to  accomplish.  In  1829,  a  small  vessel,  named 
the  Victory,1  fitted  out  at  the  expense  of  Sir  Felix  Booth, 
sailed  from  England,  under  the  command  of  Sir  John 
Ross,  with  the  object  of  discovering  the  north-west 
passage.  With  Captain  Ross  was  associated  his  nephew, 
the  gallant  James  Ross,  who  was  the  companion  and 
colleague  of  Parry  in  his  eventful  voyage  towards  the 
North  Pole  in  1827. 

Sailing  up  Lancaster  Sound  and  Prince  Regent  Inlet 
without  experiencing  much  difficulty  from  ice,  the  Victory 
was  secured  in  winter  quarters  on  the  east  coast  of  Felix 
Boothia.  In  the  following  spring,  a  sledge  party,  under 
the  command  of  James  Ross,  succeeded  in  discovering 

1  The  Victory  was  fitted  with  a  small  auxiliary  engine,  and  with 
paddle-wheels,  eight  feet  in  diameter,  so  arranged  that  they  could  be 
lifted  out  of  the  water  when  under  sail  or  in  ice-encumbered  seas. 
Steam,  therefore,  would  only  be  of  use  in  calm  weather,  and  when 
the  sea  was  free  of  ice. 

M 


178  LIFE  OF  SIB  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [1824- 

and  reaching  the  position  of  the  North  Magnetic  Pole, 
in  latitude  70°  5'  17",  and  longitude  95°  46'  45"  W.,  on 
the  western  coast  of  Boothia.  For  three  long  years  the 
unfortunate  Victory  was  inextricably  frozen  up  in  her 
first  winter  quarters,  although  every  attempt  was  made 
to  release  her.  She  was  at  length  abandoned  in  1832, 
and  the  party  proceeded  northwards  down  Prince  Regent 
Inlet,  in  the  hope  of  falling  in  with  some  stray  whaler. 
Unsuccessful  in  their  search  for  relief,  they  were  com- 
pelled to  pass  a  fourth  winter  at  Fury  Beach,  where  the 
stores  and  provisions  saved  from  the  Fury  when  she  was 
wrecked  in  1825  l  materially  aided  in  their  support  and 
sustenance.  In  the  following  year  they  were  providen- 
tially rescued  by  a  whaler  in  Lancaster  Sound,  which 
was  reached  by  them  in  their  boats ;  they  were  eventually 
brought  to  England,  where  they  were  regarded  as  men 
risen  from  their  graves,  for  hopes  of  their  safety  had 
almost  been  abandoned.  It  is  a  curious  coincidence  that 
the  whaler  that  rescued  Captain  Ross  and  his  men  was 
the  Isabella,  the  same  ship  that  he  commanded  in  1818 
when  he  made  his  first  voyage  to  the  Arctic  regions. 

Sir  John  Franklin,  having  enjoyed  a  well-deserved 
repose  after  his  long  and  almost  continuous  service  in 
the  furtherance  of  Arctic  exploration,  was  engaged  all 
this  time  on  duties,  if  not  of  the  same  arduous  and 
perilous  nature,  of  at  any  rate,  great  importance  and 
responsibility.  On  the  23rd  of  August  1830  he  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  twenty-six  gun  frigate 
Rainboiv,  then  fitting  out  at  Portsmouth  for  service  in 
the  Mediterranean.  This  vessel  had  been  paid  off  the 
previous  year  after  a  four  years'  commission  on  the  East 
Indian  and  China  station,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
i  See  p.  174,  ante. 


1844.]          SAILS  FOE  THE  MEDITERRANEAN.  1?9 

the  Hon.  H.  J.  Rous,  who  subsequently  made  a  reputation 
for  himself  by  the  skilful  and  masterly  way  in  which  he 
succeeded  in  navigating  the  frigate  Pique  safely  across 
the  Atlantic,  without  a  rudder  and  in  an  otherwise  help- 
less condition.  He  is,  however,  perhaps  better  known 
from  his  long  connection  with  the  Jockey  Club,  where 
his  good  influence  was  felt  for  many  years. 

The  Rainboic,  being  ready  for  sea,  sailed  out  of  Ports- 
mouth Harbour  under  double-reefed  topsails  on  the  nth 
November  1830,  and  after  touching  at  Plymouth,  pro 
ceeded  to  her  station.  Mr.  Kay,  a  nephew  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  served  in  her  as  a  lieutenant,  and  Owen 
Stanley,  who  became  a  skilful  and  accomplished  sur- 
veyor, was  a  mate  in  the  ship.  Two  days  after  leaving 
Plymouth,  a  little  excitement  was  caused  by  sighting 
the  wreck  of  a  brig  with  only  the  stumps  of  her  lower 
masts  standing,  rolling  heavily  in  the  long  Atlantic 
swell.  Franklin  at  once  bore  down  to  her  relief,  with 
the  object  of  succouring  the  crew,  in  the  event  of  any  of 
the  unfortunate  people  being  still  in  her.  On  approach- 
ing the  wreck,  they  hailed  to  know  if  any  one  was  on 
board,  but  as  no  reply  was  given,  Franklin  determined 
to  satisfy  himself  by  a  nearer  inspection,  and  took 
his  ship  so  close  that  they  actually  came  into  collision, 
when  the  Rainbow  received  some  slight  injuries  to  her 
mizen  chains  and  quarter  gallery.  They  remained  by 
the  wreck  for  a  couple  of  hours,  repairing  their  own 
damages,  and  endeavouring  to  attract  the  attention  of 
any  one  who  might  be  on  board,  the  state  of  the  sea 
and  weather  rendering  communication  by  boat  im- 
possible. Having  satisfied  themselves  that  the  wreck 
had  been  abandoned,  and  that  there  was  no  possibility 
of  saving  life,  the  Rainbow  proceeded  on  her  course. 


180  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FKANKLItf.  [1824- 

For  a  long  time  Franklin  carried  out  the  onerous 
duties  of  senior  naval  officer  in  Greece,  and  especially  at 
Patras,  during  the  disturbances  in  that  country.  During 
those  troublous  times  he  was  frequently  called  upon  to 
land  his  men  for  the  purpose  of  preserving  order  and  for 
the  protection  of  the  inhabitants ;  he  had  also  to  organise 
a  defence  against  the  rebellious  irregular  soldiery,  whom 
he  prevented,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  from  pillaging 
and  destroying  the  town.  He  likewise  did  good  service 
in  embarking  refugees,  and  conveying  them  to  places  of 
safety.  For  his  successful  exertions  in  maintaining  law 
and  order,  and  generally  for  his  efficient  and  important 
services  during  the  War  of  Liberation,  he  was  created 
by  King  Otho  a  Knight  of  the  Redeemer  of  Greece. 

On  his  return  to  Malta  the  Rainbow  flew  the  flag, 
temporarily,  of  Rear- Admiral  Briggs,  who  succeeded  to 
the  command  of  the  Mediterranean  station  on  the  death 
of  Admiral  Hotham.  The  log  of  the  Rainbow  during  her 
commission  is  replete  with  useful  sailing  directions,  and 
other  interesting  hydrographical  information. 

That  Sir  John  had  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  his  men 
at  heart  is  evident,  for  the  name  of  his  ship  was  pro- 
verbial on  the  station  for  the  happiness  and  good  feeling 
that  prevailed  on  board.  She  was  called  the  Celestial 
Rainbow,  and  the  sailors  used  to  allude  to  her  as  Frank- 
lin's Paradise  !  She  returned  to  England  in  December 
1833,  and  was  paid  out  of  commission  at  Portsmouth  on 
the  8th  of  January  following.  In  recognition  of  his 
services  off  Patras,  Sir  John  Franklin,  on  his  return 
to  England,  was  made  a  Knight  Commander  of  the 
Guelphic  order  of  Hanover. 

Before  leaving  the  Mediterranean,  he  received  the 
following  letter  from  the  Commander-in-Chief,  Admiral 


1844.]       HIS  VALUABLE  SEKVICES  IN  GEEECE.  181 

Sir  H.  Hotham,  written  a  short  time  only  before  his 
death.  It  is  dated  on  board  the  Royal  Alfred  at  Malta, 
March  29,  1833.  After  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  Sir 
John  Franklin's  letter  reporting  proceedings,  he  writes — 

"  In  the  concluding  operations  of  the  service  you  have  so 
long  and  so  ably  conducted  in  the  Gulf  of  Patras  and  Lepanto, 
I  have  great  satisfaction  in  repeating  the  approbation  which 
I  have  already  at  different  times  expressed  of  your  measures 
in  the  interests  of  Greece,  and  in  the  maintenance  of  the 
honour  and  character  of  the  English  nation  and  of  H.M.'s 
Navy  on  that  station ;  wherein  you  have  entirely  fulfilled 
my  instructions  and  anticipated  my  wishes.  I  also  take  this 
opportunity  of  commending  the  judgment  and  forbearance 
which  you  have  exhibited  under  circumstances  of  repeated 
opposition  and  provocation  ;  and  to  your  calm  and  steady 
conduct  may  be  attributed  the  preservation  of  the  town  and 
inhabitants  of  Patras  ;  the  protection  of  commerce  ;  and  the 
advancement  of  the  benevolent  intentions  of  the  Allied 
Sovereigns  in  favour  of  the  Greek  nation." 

These  were  high  encomiums  from  his  Commander-in- 
Chief,  and  plainly  show  the  great  estimation  in  which 
Franklin  was  held  by  his  superiors.  A  copy  of  this 
communication  was  forwarded  to  the  Admiralty  by  Sir 
John,  in  an  official  letter  dated  June  18,  1834,  written 
from  21  Bedford  Place,  in  which  he  made  an  earnest 
appeal  to  be  employed  on  futher  active  service. 

Prior  to  leaving  Patras,  Sir  John  Franklin  received 
the  following  letter  from  Mr.  G.  W.  Crowe,  the  English 
Consul  at  that  place  : — 

"BRITISH  CONSULATE,  PATRAS, 
24th  March  1833. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR  JOHN, — While  I  beg  leave  to  offer  you  my 
congratulations  upon  being  at  length  released  from  the  anxious 
and  wearisome  duty  that  has  detained  you  before  this  town 


182  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1824- 

for  the  last  twelve  months,  I  cannot  refrain,  at  the  same  time, 
from  expressing  the  regret  I  feel  upon  my  own  account  in 
losing  your  society  and  that  of  your  officers,  which  has  so 
agreeably  relieved  a  period  that  would  otherwise  have  been 
of  unmitigated  annoyance  and  vexation. 

"The  humane  object  of  your  mission  is  now  completely 
fulfilled.  You  have  the  satisfaction  to  witness  the  termina- 
tion of  the  miseries  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  city,  and  of  the 
misrule  and  violence  that  so  long  and  heavily  oppressed  them  — 
violence  restrained  from  the  worst  and  grossest  excesses  only 
by  your  presence,  being  awed  into  respect  by  the  dignified 
calm  which  you  ever  preserved  under  circumstances  of  great 
irritation. 

"  But  for  your  forbearance  the  city,  just  rising  from  its  ruins, 
had  ceased  to  exist.  You  now  see  tranquillity  and  order  re- 
stored to  their  homes,  arid  a  few  days  have  been  sufficient 
to  reanimate  the  activity  of  commerce. 

"Patras  owes  you  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude,  and  I  trust  feels 
the  obligation.  For  myself,  I  hope  I  need  not  assure  you  that 
I  can  never  forget  your  unvarying  kindness,  and  that  I  am 
sensible  of  the  high  value  of  the  friendly  and  cordial  regard 
with  which  you  have  continued  to  know  me.  For  weeks 
together  your  ship  afforded  a  home  —  a  kind  home  —  to  my 
family,  and  the  Rainbow  will  ever  be  remembered  by  them 
the  feelings  which  home  excites." 


These  letters  plainly  show  the  high  appreciation  in 
which  the  services  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  whilst  in 
command  of  the  Rainbow,  were  held  by  those  who  were 
perhaps  the  best  qualified  to  judge. 

It  was,  in  all  probability,  in  consequence  of  the 
aptitude  displayed  by  Sir  John  Franklin  in  carrying 
out  the  delicate  services,  more  or  less  of  a  diplomatic 
nature,  that  he  was  called  upon  to  render  on  the  coast 
of  Greece,  that  induced  the  Government  to  offer  him, 
shortly  after  his  return  from  the  Mediterranean,  the 
Lieutenant-Governorship  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,  in 


1844.]        GOVERNOE  OF  VAN  DIEMEN'S  LAND.  183 

succession  to  Colonel  Arthur.  This  he  accepted,  but  it 
was  on  the  express  understanding  that  he  might  be 
allowed  to  resign  his  appointment  in  the  event  of  war 
breaking  out,  and  his  being  selected  for  a  command. 

Taking  passage  on  board  the  ship  Fairlie,  and  accom- 
panied by  Lady  Franklin,  his  daughter,  and  niece,1  the 
new  Governor  landed  at  Hobart  Town  in  January  1837, 
when  he  immediately  assumed  the  reins  of  Government, 
relieving  Colonel  Kenneth  Snodgrass,  who  had  been 
acting  temporarily  until  his  arrival.  Ever  mindful  of 
the  value  and  importance  of  hydrography,  one  of  the  first 
acts  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor  was  to  make  a  requisi- 
tion to  the  Imperial  Government  for  means  to  enable  him 
to  carry  out  a  more  perfect  survey  of  the  channels  lead- 
ing towards  the  anchorage  at  Hobart  Town.  This  appli- 
cation was  viewed  with  favour  by  the  home  authorities, 
and  Lieutenant  Burnett  was  appointed  by  the  Admiralty 
to  carry  out  this  service  under  the  directions  of  Sir  John 
Franklin.  The  new  Governor's  attention  was,  for  some 
time,  much  occupied  by  the  presentation  of  various 
memorials  from  the  settlers  claiming  grants  of  land, 
which,  they  averred,  had  been  allotted  to  them  without 
title-deeds  or  other  documents  by  which  their  claims  could 
be  substantiated.  All  these  had  to  be  thoroughly  sifted 
in  order  that  justice  should  be  impartially  administered.. 

One  of  the  most  popular  measures  introduced  by  Sir 
John  was  the  admission  of  the  public  to  the  debates 
of  the  Legislative  Council.  While  interesting  himself 
in  the  general  well-being  of  the  community  at  large,  he 
also  devoted  much  time  and  reflection  to  the  welfare  and 
discipline  of  the  convicts  on  the  island,  for  at  that  period 

1  Miss  Sophia  Cracroft,  the  constant  companion  and  devoted  friend 
of  Lady  Franklin. 


184  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [1824- 

a  very  large  penal  establishment  existed  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Hobart  Town. 

Shortly  after  he  assumed  office,  Sir  John  Franklin, 
realising  the  want  of  sufficient  means  for  educating  the 
rising  generation  in  the  colony,  made  strenuous  exer- 
tions to  obtain  from  the  Home  Government  a  charter  for 
the  formation  of  a  college  on  a  large  and  liberal  scale. 
In  this  he  was  supported  by  his  Legislative  Council, 
who  voted  the  substantial  sum  of  ^£2500  towards  the 
institution.  On  the  recommendation  of  the  late  Dr. 
Arnold,  head-master  of  Rugby,  who  warmly  espoused  the 
cause,  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Gell  was  sent  out  from  England 
for  the  purpose  of  organising  such  an  establishment  as 
should  meet  the  requirements  of  the  colonists,  and  on 
the  7th  of  November  1840,  with  imposing  ceremony, 
the  foundation-stone  of  the  proposed  building  was 
laid  at  New  Norfolk  by  Sir  John  Franklin,  in  the 
presence  of  all  the  local  officials  and  a  large  assemblage 
of  the  inhabitants.  In  consequence,  however,  of  dissen- 
sions and  disputes  with  the  various  religious  denomina- 
tions, and  the  selfish  opposition  of  those  who  wished 
the  college  to  be  built  in  Hobart  Town,  instead  of 
at  New  Norfolk,  the  Imperial  Government  withdrew 
its  support,  and  the  scheme  fell  through.  Mr.  Gell,1 
however,  proceeded  to  establish  a  superior  school  in 
Hobart  Town,  on  such  a  scale  and  system,  that  it 
would,  he  hoped,  if  properly  supported,  eventually  develop 
into  a  college,  and  so  be  the  means  of  giving  a  liberal 
education  to  the  sons  of  colonists,  and  thus  prepare 
them  for  entering  the  learned  professions. 

1  Mr.  Gell  married  Sir  John  Franklin's  daughter  by  his  first  wife. 
She  died  in  1860.  Mr.  Gell  was  Vicar  of  St.  John's,  Netting  Hill, 
from  1854  to  1878,  when  he  was  given  the  Rectory  of  Buxted  in 
Sussex. 


1844.]     REFUSES  INCREASE  OF  SALARY.       185 

So  impressed  was  Sir  John  Franklin  with  the  necessity 
of  an  institution  of  this  description,  that,  before  leaving 
the  island,  he  presented  a  donation  of  ^500  towards 
it,  while  Lady  Franklin  made  the  munificent  gift  of  400 
acres  of  land  which  she  had  purchased,  with  a  museum, 
which,  under  her  direct  auspices,  had  been  established 
on  it,  in  trust  for  the  benefit  of  any  collegiate  institu- 
tion that  might  be  established  with  the  approbation  and 
sanction  of  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese.  On  an  increase 
to  the  Lieutenant-Governor's  salary  being  voted  by  the 
Colonial  Legislature,  Sir  John,  in  fitting  terms,  declined 
to  accept  it  during  his  tenure  of  office,  but  took  pains 
to  ensure  the  augmentation  of  it  being  secured  for  his 
successor.  Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  the  colony,  he 
founded  a  scientific  society  at  Hobart  Town,  which  is 
now  called  the  Royal  Society  of  Tasmania.  The  meetings 
were  held  at  Government  House,  where  the  papers 
(which  were  afterwards  printed  at  Sir  John's  expense) 
were  read  and  discussed. 

It  was  during  Sir  John's  term  of  government  that  the 
island  was  visited  by  the  ships  of  the  Antarctic  expedi- 
tion under  Sir  James  Ross,  to  which  it  will  be  desirable 
to  make  a  brief  allusion. 

In  1838,  at  a  meeting  of  the  British  Association  in 
England,  a  resolution  was  passed  to  the  effect  that  a  re- 
presentation should  be  made  to  the  Government  regard- 
ing the  importance  of  despatching  an  expedition  to  the 
Antarctic  Seas,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  synchronal 
magnetic  observations  in  connection  with  other  stations 
established  in  various  parts  of  the  world;  also  to  en- 
deavour to  obtain  observations  in  terrestrial  magnetism 
in  a  high  southern  latitude,  of  which  there  had  hitherto 
been  a  great  deficiency — in  fact,  none  at  all  of  any  value. 


186  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1824- 

This  representation,  having  received  the  approval  and 
support  of  the  learned  societies,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
leading  scientific  authorities  of  the  day,  was  favourably 
received  by  Her  Majesty's  Government,  who  seemed  to 
be  fully  imbued  with  the  opinion  that  practical  naviga- 
tion would  undoubtedly  derive  important  benefits  from 
the  results  that  would  assuredly  accrue.  An  expedition 
was,  in  consequence,  ordered  to  be  fitted  out,  and  the 
command  of  it  was  entrusted  to  Captain  James  Ross. 
It  consisted  of  the  Erebus,  an  old  bomb  ship  of  370  tons, 
and  the  Terror,  of  340  tons.1  The  command  of  the 
latter  vessel  was  given  to  Captain  Crozier. 

The  Terror,  it  may  be  observed,  had  only  the  previous 
year,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Back,  returned  from 
an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  reach  Repulse  Bay.  Her 
narrow  escape  from  destruction  by  the  ice  in  Hudson's 
Bay,  and  her  subsequent  marvellous  passage  across  the 
Atlantic  in  an  almost  sinking  condition,  although  of 
thrilling  interest,  need  not  here  be  repeated.  The  in- 
juries she  sustained  were  repaired,  and  when  selected 
to  form  one  of  the  ships  in  Ross's  expedition  she  was  in 
every  way  fitted  for  the  hazardous  service  on  which  it 
was  decided  to  employ  her. 

Captain  Ross,  in  his  sailing  directions,  was  ordered  to 
place  himself  in  communication  with  Sir  John  Franklin 
on  his  arrival  in  Van  Diemen's  Land,  while  Sir  John 
was,  at  the  same  time,  instructed  to  render  all  the 
assistance  in  his  power  to  Captain  Ross,  to  select  the 
most  advantageous  position  for  the  erection  of  a  magnetic 
observatory,  and  to  prepare  the  necessary  instruments. 

i  These  two  ships,  it  should  be  remarked,  were  the  identical  vessels 
that,  subsequently,  under  the  command  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  com- 
prised the  ill-fated  expedition  that  left  England  for  the  discovery 
of  the  north-west  passage. 


1844.]       PKOMOTES  ANTARCTIC  EXPLORATION.  187 

One  of  the  principal  objects  of  the  expedition  was  to 
endeavour  to  determine,  if  possible,  the  position  of  the 
South  Magnetic  Pole. 

The  ships  sailed  from  England  in  1839,  an(^  were 
absent  for  a  period  of  four  years.  It  is  not  my  object 
to  record  the  doings  of  this  most  important  expedi- 
tion, the  only  one  on  a  large  scale  that  has  ever  been 
despatched  from  any  country  for  exploration  in  the 
Antarctic  Seas.  It  is  simply  alluded  to  here  because  of  its 
connection  with  Sir  John  Franklin,  who  was  Lieutenant- 
Go  vernor  of  Van  Diemen's  Land,  during  the  time  that 
the  vessels  were  engaged  on  this  particular  service,  when 
they  spent  two  winters  at  Hobart  Town.  It  may  be 
safely  inferred  that  Sir  John  took  the  keenest  interest  in 
the  ships,  and  did  all  in  his  power,  not  only  to  promote 
the  scientific  work  of  the  expedition,  but  also  exerted 
himself  to  the  utmost  in  endeavouring  to  make  the 
time  pass  pleasantly  for  the  officers  and  men  during 
their  stay  in  Tasmania.  The  magnetic  observatory  was 
erected  under  the  personal  superintendence  of  Sir  John, 
and  many  of  the  observations  were  actually  taken  by 
him,  assisted  by  his  son-in-law,  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Gell. 
When  the  expedition  sailed,  after  the  first  winter  spent 
at  Hobart  Town,  Franklin's  nephew,  Lieutenant  Kay, 
was  left  behind  in  charge  of  this  observatory. 

Captain  Ross,  in  his  exceedingly  interesting  narrative 
of  the  expedition,  thus  alludes  to  the  great  assistance 
he  received  at  the  hands  of  the  Governor : — 

"  If  the  deep-felt  gratitude  of  thankful  hearts  be  any  grati- 
fication to  our  excellent  friend  Sir  John  Franklin,  who  not 
only  evinced  the  most  anxious  desire,  but  sought  every  oppor- 
tunity of  promoting  the  objects  of  our  enterprise,  and  con- 
tributing to  the  comfort  and  happiness  of  all  embarked  in  it, 


188 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 


[1824- 


I  am  sure  there  is  not  an  individual  in  either  of  our  ships, 
who  would  not  most  heartily  wish  to  express  those  sentiments 
towards  him,  and  also  to  every  member  of  his  family,  for  their 
great  kindness  to  us  during  our  prolonged  stay  at  Hobart 
Town." 

Alluding  to  the  excellent  administrative  qualities  of 
Sir  John  Franklin,  Captain  Ross,  in  the  same  work, 
writes  : — 

"Under  the  wise  and  judicious  government  of  Sir  John 
Franklin,  the  revenue  of  the  colony  had  so  greatly  increased, 
that  although  involved  deeply  in  debt  when  he  arrived  in  the 
country,  by  prudent  and  well-arranged  measures  the  debt  had 
been  liquidated,  and  a  superabundant  income  produced." 

But  it  was  in  all  probability  due  to  the  undoubted 
success  he  achieved  whilst  administering  the  government 
of  Yan  Diemen's  Land,  that  a  bitter  and  vindictive  feel- 
ing was  raised  against  him  in  the  hearts  of  some  few 
of  the  colonial  officials,  who  regarded  with  jealousy  the 
increasing  popularity  of  the  Governor.  This  feeling 
found  expression  in  attempts  to  place  difficulties  in 
his  way  while  carrying  out  the  duties  that  devolved 
on  him  in  the  proper  administration  of  the  government, 
and  commenced  as  early  as  1841,  when  the  Director 
of  Public  Works  was  dismissed  from  his  office  for  the 
unsatisfactory  way  in  which  his  duties  were  performed, 
combined  with  "an  obstinacy  of  temper  and  a  disposi- 
tion to  enter  into  long  and  unnecessary  correspondence." 
In  1843  the  police  magistrate  was  suspended  from  his 
duties  for  incautious  and  partial  administration  of  justice, 
for  want  of  temper,  and  for  various  other  complaints 
with  which  he  was  charged.  This  was  done  with  and  by 
the  advice  of  the  Executive  Council. 


1844.]     DISMISSES  THE  COLONIAL  SECRETAKY.         189 

These  acts  led  to  the  appearance  in  the  local  press, 
of  some  very  hostile  criticisms  of  his  government,  and 
also  of  himself  personally,  in  which  Sir  John  was  openly 
accused  of  resorting  to  all  sorts  of  unscrupulous  means  in 
order  to  attain  his  own  ends.  These  scurrilous  attacks 
were  believed  to  be  inspired  by  the  Colonial  Secretary, 
who  was  accordingly  called  upon  by  Sir  John  for  an 
explanation,  which  was  of  so  unsatisfactory  a  character 
that  Sir  John  suspended  him  from  his  official  duties. 

This  was,  of  course,  a  very  strong  measure  to  take, 
especially  with  an  official  holding  such  a  high  position 
as  the  Colonial  Secretary,  and  could  only  be  justified 
by  extreme  provocation.  The  charges  brought  against 
the  Colonial  Secretary  by  the  Lieutenant-Governor 
were — 

1.  Assumption  of  undue  influence. 

2.  His  having  threatened,  and  subsequently  put  in 
practice,  a  species  of  passive  resistance,  by  not  giving 
proper  assistance  in  the  transaction  of  official  business. 

3.  Having  neglected  to  take  any  notice  of  articles 
in  a  local  newspaper  (said  to  be  established  under  his 
patronage)  reflecting  on  Sir  John  and  the  members  of 
his  family. 

4.  The  tone  of  his  communication  when  charged  by 
Sir  John  with  these  offences. 

A  long,  and  somewhat  acrimonious,  correspondence 
with  the  Home  Government  ensued  with  regard  to  this 
unfortunate  affair,  resulting  eventually  in  the  removal 
of  the  Colonial  Secretary  to  a  similar  post  at  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope.  Sir  John's  action  in  this  matter  was  not 
supported  by  the  Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies 
(Lord  Stanley),  who  informed  the  Governor  in  an  official 
despatch  that  he  "  was  not  justified,  on  his  own  showing, 


190  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1824- 

in  dismissing  "  his  Colonial  Secretary.  He  was  further 
informed  that  this  officer  "  retires  from  the  situation  he 
has  so  long  filled  with  his  public  and  personal  character 
unimpaired,  and  with  his  hold  on  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  Her  Majesty's  Government  undiminished. " 

This  despatch  was,  practically,  a  censure  on  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor,  and  it  was  a  rebuke  all  the  more  keenly 
felt  in  consequence  of  its  having  been  published  without 
authority  in  the  local  press.  On  the  2oth  January  1843, 
Sir  John  wrote  a  masterly  vindication  of  his  conduct  in 
reply  to  this  despatch,  concluding  with  a  request  that 
as  he  did  not  possess  the  confidence  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government,  so  indispensable  for  his  own  honour  and 
the  due  discharge  of  his  functions,  he  hoped  Lord  Stan- 
ley would  relieve  him  from  his  government  as  early  as 
possible.  Sir  John  also  addressed  a  confidential  letter 
to  his  lordship  on  the  26th  July  1843,  urging  his  re- 
consideration of  the  case,  and  hoping  that  he  would  give 
it  his  serious  attention ;  at  the  same  time  expostulating 
against  the  system  of  persecution  to  which  he  had  been 
subjected  in  consequence  of  Lord  Stanley's  despatch,  and 
the  machinations  of  the  late  Colonial  Secretary  and  his 
adherents  in  the  colony. 

In  the  following  month  he  was  suddenly  relieved  of 
his  office  as  Lieu  tenant- Governor  of  Van  Diemen's  Land 
by  Sir  Eardley  Wilmot,  who  arrived,  unexpectedly,  on 
the  same  day,  indeed  in  the  same  ship,  that  brought  the 
announcement  acquainting  Sir  John  of  his  successor's 
nomination.  He  was  therefore  placed  in  an  extremely 
embarrassing  situation  by  the  sudden  advent  of  the  new 
Governor,  being  in  actual  possession  of  Government 
House  at  the  time ;  he  was  also  naturally  much  annoyed 
at  the  want  of  courtesy  that  was  thus  shown  him,  as 


1844.]      ABLE  VINDICATION  OF  HIS  CONDUCT.  191 

well  as  the  great  injustice  that  was  done,  in  placing  him 
in  such  a  painful  and  humiliating  position.  He  left 
Hobart  Town  in  the  same  ship  that  took  him  out,  the 
Fairlie,  and  reached  England  in  May  1844,  having 
been  Governor  of  Yan  Diemen's  Land  for  a  period  of 
over  six  and  a  half  years. 

That  the  views  of  the  Secretary  of  State  for  the 
Colonies  were  not  shared  by  the  people  of  Hobart  Town, 
is  evident  from  the  demonstrations  of  regret  that  were 
made  by  all  classes  at  his  departure,  and  from  the 
numerous  addresses,  both  public  and  private,  expressing 
satisfaction  at  the  way  in  which  he  had  administered 
the  government  of  the  colony,  and  regret  at  his  departure, 
that  poured  in  upon  him  from  all  sections  of  the  com- 
munity. The  feelings  expressed  by  the  colonists  at  that 
time  were  subsequently  emphasised  in  a  more  practical 
manner  some  ten  years  later,  by  the  substantial  assistance 
sent  to  Lady  Franklin,  in  the  shape  of  a  sum  of  ^1700, 
to  aid  her  efforts  in  endeavouring  to  discover  the  fate 
of  her  husband,  and  also  by  the  fact  of  the  erection,  at 
the  public  expense,  of  a  statue  in  his  honour  at  Hobart 
Town. 

Sir  John  Franklin,  on  his  return  to  England,  wrote  a 
complete  vindication  of  the  way  in  which  he  had  carried 
out  the  high  and  important  duties  that  devolved  upon 
him  as  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Yan  Diemen's  Land,  but 
this  publication  did  not  appear  until  after  he  had  sailed 
on  what  proved  to  be  his  last  voyage.  In  this  article  he 
severely  criticises  the  action  of  Lord  Stanley,  whom  he 
stigmatises  as  "  haughty  and  imperious." 

In  alluding  to  this  painful  incident  in  the  career  of 
Sir  John  Franklin,  Sherard  Osborn  writes  : — "  His  sen- 
sitive and  generous  spirit  chafed  under  the  unmerited 


192 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.          [1824-44. 


treatment  he  had  experienced  from  the  Secretary  of 
State  for  the  Colonies;  and  sick  of  civil  employment, 
he  naturally  turned  again  to  his  profession  as  a  better 
field  for  the  ability  and  devotion  he  had  wasted  on  a 
thankless  office." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

FRANKLIN'S  LAST  VOYAGE. 
1845- 

' '  We  are  well  persuaded 
We  carry  not  a  heart  with  us  from  hence 
That  grows  not  in  fair  consent  with  ours  ; 
Nor  leave  not  one  behind,  that  doth  not  wish 
Success  and  conquest  to  attend  on  us." 

—Henry  V. 

THE  subject  of  Arctic  exploration,  more  especially  with 
regard  to  its  relation  to  the  discovery  of  a  north-west 
passage,  had  been  permitted  to  remain  in  abeyance  by 
the  Government  for  some  years — in  fact  since  the  return 
of  Sir  Edward  Parry  from  his  unsuccessful  attempt  to 
reach  the  North  Pole  in  1827. 

It  is  very  true  that  the  interest  of  the  public  in  the 
far  north  was,  for  a  short  time,  revived  by  the  prolonged 
absence  of  the  two  Rosses,  to  which  a  brief  allusion  has 
been  made  in  the  preceding  chapter,  and  a  land  expedi- 
tion was  despatched  by  Government,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Back,  in  1833,  for  the  purpose  of  seeking  for 
them.  This  officer  was  ordered  to  proceed  by  the  Great 
Fish  River  to  the  northern  shore  of  Arctic  America, 
whence  he  was  to  endeavour  to  reach  the  neighbourhood 
of  Cape  Garry,  where,  it  was  anticipated,  intelligence  of 

the  missing  expedition   might   be   obtained,  for  it  was 
193  N 


194  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1845. 

well  known  that  Captain  Ross  in  some  measure  relied 
for  support,  in  case  of  undue  absence,  on  the  stores 
that  were  landed  from  the  Fury  when  that  vessel  was 
unfortunately  wrecked  in  1823.  The  Rosses,  as  has 
already  been  narrated,  were  picked  up  and  brought 
home  by  a  whaler  in  I833;1  and  this  intelligence  was 
communicated  to  Captain  Back  in  a  despatch  that  was 
forwarded  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  and  which 
was  handed  to  him  before  he  was  altogether  out  of  reach 
of  letters.  The  main  object  of  the  expedition  having 
therefore  been  otherwise  happily  accomplished,  Captain 
Back  proceeded,  in  accordance  with  his  instructions,  to 
explore  the  Great  Fish  River  to  its  mouth.  This  was 
successfully  achieved,  the  expedition  reaching,  on  the 
1 6th  August  1834,  its  most  northern  point  in  King 
William  Island.  It  returned  to  England  the  following 
year,  when  Captain  Back's  efforts  in  the  furtherance 
of  geographical  and  scientific  research  were  acknowledged 
and  appreciated  in  a  fitting  manner. 

On  the  return  of  Captain  Back,  the  Royal  Geogra- 
phical Society  urged  the  Government  to  undertake  the 
exploration  of  the  North  American  coast  between  the 
Point  Turnagain  of  Franklin  and  the  position  reached 
by  Back  to  the  eastward,  maintaining  that  the  suc- 
cessful performance  of  this  exploration  would,  doubtless, 
result  in  the  completion  of  the  north-west  passage. 

The  Government,  fully  endorsing  these  views,  gave 
directions  for  the  fitting  out  of  the  Terror,  and  selected 
Captain  Back,  who  had  but  recently  returned  from  his 
land  journey,  to  the  command.  His  orders  were  to 
proceed  through  Hudson's  Strait  to  the  Wager  River 
or  to  Repulse  Bay ;  thence  he  was  to  endeavour  to  pene- 
1  See  page  178. 


1845.]         INTEREST  IN  POLAR  EXPLORATION.  195 

trate  into  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  and  make  a  thorough 
examination  to  the  east  and  to  the  west,  with  the  object 
of  connecting  his  own  discoveries  with  those  of  Ross 
and  Franklin.  The  Terror  sailed  from  England  on  the 
24th  of  June  1836  ;  she  was  beset  by  the  ice  in  Hudson's 
Strait  in  the  following  September,  in  which  she  drifted 
helplessly,  daily  expecting  destruction,  for  the  ensuing  ten 
months.  When  released,  the  ship  was  found  to  have  re- 
ceived such  injuries  as  to  necessitate  her  immediate  return 
to  England,  but  she  was  in  such  a  crippled  state  that  she 
had,  after  a  perilous  and  eventful  voyage,  to  be  run  on 
shore  on  the  west  coast  of  Ireland  to  prevent  her  sinking. 

The  return  of  the  Antarctic  expedition  in  1843  once 
more  aroused  public  interest  in  matters  connected  with  ex- 
ploration in  high  latitudes,  and  this  interest  was  kept  alive 
by  the  writings  and  efforts  of  English  men  of  science  and 
naval  officers,  who  urged  the  necessity  of  the  continuance 
of  further  exploration.  In  the  words  of  worthy  old 
Master  Purchas,  who  wrote  250  years  ago,  the  discovery 
of  the  north-west  passage  was  the  only  "thing  yet  un- 
done wherebye  a  notable  mind  might  be  made  famous." 

This  long  sought  for  passage  was  at  last  to  be  dis- 
covered, and  the  "  notable  mind  "  that  was  to  achieve 
the  distinction  which  the  solution  of  the  problem  would, 
according  to  Master  Purchas,  entitle  him  to,  was  no  less 
a  person  than  Sir  John  Franklin,  who  had  already  suc- 
ceeded in  mapping  out,  by  actual  personal  exploration, 
a  very  large  portion  of  the  passage.  He  had,  as  we 
have  endeavoured  to  trace,  by  patient  perseverance,  by 
great  ability,  energy,  and  indomitable  pluck,  in  spite 
of  unparalleled  difficulties  and  unprecedented  sufferings, 
in  a  rigorous  climate  and  in  an  inhospitable  and  barren 
country,  succeeded  in  showing  to  the  world  at  large, 


196  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1845. 

that  there  was  no  service  which  Englishmen  were  not 
capable  of  undertaking,  and  no  hardships  or  privations 
that  would  make  them  waver  or  flinch  in  the  performance 
of  their  duties  and  in  carrying  them  out  to  a  successful 
issue. 

In  fact,  Sir  John  Franklin  had,  as  we  have  already 
shown,  written  his  name  with  no  light  or  feeble  hand 
in  large  and  unmistakable  characters  along  the  entire 
face  of  our  North  Polar  map,  and  he  was,  even  at  that 
time,  the  actual  discoverer  of  all,  but  a  very  small  portion 
that  yet  remained  to  be  explored,  of  the  long  talked 
of,  but  yet  undiscovered,  north-west  passage. 

Our  geographical  knowledge  of  the  hitherto  almost 
mythical  regions  that  centred  at  the  northern  apex  of 
our  globe  was,  in  1845,  considering  our  ignorance  at 
the  beginning  of  the  century,  considerable.  Parry  had 
succeeded  in  pushing  to  the  westward  with  his  ships 
in  a  high  latitude,  through  Lancaster  Sound  and 
Barrow's  Strait,  as  far  as  the  ii4th  meridian  of  west 
longitude,  while  the  northern  coast  of  North  America 
had  been  thoroughly  explored  from  Bering's  Strait  to 
the  94th  meridian  of  west  longitude.  The  discoveries 
therefore,  eastward  and  westward,  overlapped  each  other 
by  twenty  degrees  of  longitude. 

To  Franklin,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  due  the 
exploration  of  the  north  coast  of  America  from  Cape 
Turnagain  westward  to  Cape  Beechey,  a  survey  extending 
over  forty  degrees  of  longitude.  Captain  Beechey,  it 
will  also  be  remembered,  explored  from  Bering's  Strait 
to  the  eastward  as  far  as  Point  Barrow,  leaving  only  160 
miles  undiscovered  between  his  furthest  eastward  position 
and  the  most  western  one  of  Franklin's. 

These  two  positions  were,  however,  connected  in  1837 


THOMAS  SIMPSON. 


1845.]  KENEWAL  OF  ARCTIC  RESEARCH.  199 

by  Messrs.  Dease  and  Simpson,  two  officers  of  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  Company,  who  had  been  specially  despatched 
for  the  purpose  of  completing  this  portion  of  the  un- 
surveyed  coast-line.  In  the  two  following  years  they 
turned  their  attention  to  the  eastward,  and  connected 
the  coast-line  between  Cape  Turnagain  and  Back's 
Great  Fish  Biver.  They  also  explored  the  south  coast 
of  Wollaston  or  Victoria  Land,  as  well  as  the  southern 
shore  of  King  William  Island,  from  Cape  Herschel  to 
Point  Booth.  The  extreme  eastern  position  reached 
by  these  able  and  indefatigable  explorers  was  the 
Castor  and  Pollux  River.  The  entire  North  American 
coast  line  had  thus  been  delineated.  All  therefore  that 
remained  to  be  discovered,  in  order  to  make  the  north- 
west passage  un  fait  accompli,  was  the  finding  of  a 
channel  running  in  a  north  and  south  direction  for  a 
distance  of  a  little  under  300  miles,  or  about  half  the 
distance  between  John  o'  Groat's  and  the  south  coast  of 
England.  That  such  a  channel  existed  there  was  but 
little  doubt,  but  whether  it  would  be,  when  found,  prac- 
ticable for  ship  navigation,  was  a  question  yet  to  be  solved. 
It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  an  attempt  should  be 
made  to  complete  the  discovery  of  the  passage. 

Sir  John  Barrow,  who  was  at  the  time  Secretary  of 
the  Admiralty,  and  who  has  so  happily  been  termed  the 
"  father  of  modern  Arctic  discovery,"  we  may  be  sure, 
was  not  idle.  He  was  fully  sensible  of  the  necessity  for 
a  renewal  of  Arctic  research,  and  he  was  as  keen  as  ever 
in  his  advocacy  regarding  the  importance  of  exploration 
in  high  latitudes.  When  a  man  like  Sir  John  Barrow, 
who  was  prepared  with  a  plan  for  the  prosecution  of  the 
search  for  a  north-west  passage,  and  who  was  supported 
in  his  views  by  such  authorities  on  Arctic  matters  as  Sir 


200 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 


[1845. 


Francis  Beaufort,  Sir  Roderick  Murchison,  Sir  Edward 
Parry,  Sir  James  Ross,  Captain  Sabine,  and  even  Sir 
John  Franklin  himself  (who  had  just  returned  from  his 
administration  of  the  government  of  VanDiemen's  Land), 
advocated  the  resumption  by  England  of  Polar  explora- 
tion, it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  earnest  and 
logical  pleadings  of  these  great  and  eminent  geographers 
met  with  a  favourable  response.  An  expedition  was  in 
consequence  decided  upon,  and  it  was  resolved  that  its 
main  object  was  to  be  the  forging  of  the  last  link  that 
would  connect  the  chain  of  previous  discoveries,  and  so 
achieve  the  actual  accomplishment  of  the  north-west 
passage. 

The  decision  was  a  popular  one,  not  only  in  the  country, 
but  also  in  the  naval  service.  The  announcement  was 
no  sooner  promulgated  than  hundreds  of  gallant  hearts 
sent  in  their  names  as  volunteers  to  accompany  the 
expedition,  and  to  serve  in  any  capacity  in  the  event 
of  their  services  not  being  required  in  the  particular 
rank  they  held  in  the  navy.  Candidates  also  for  the 
post  of  leader  were  not  wanting,  but  this  post  Sir  John 
Franklin  claimed  as  his  special  right,  as  being  the  senior 
Arctic  officer  alive  in  a  position  to  assume  it.  "No 
service,"  he  said,  "  is  nearer  to  my  heart,  than  the 
completion  of  the  survey  of  the  north  coast  of  America, 
and  the  accomplishment  of  a  north-west  passage." 
Lord  Haddington,  the  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty, 
on  being  informed  that  Sir  John  was  desirous  of  being 
appointed  to  the  command,  at  once  sent  for  him,  and 
gladdened  his  heart  by  complying  with  his  wishes ;  but 
thinking  that  Sir  John  might  have  become  somewhat 
rusty  in  matters  connected  with  his  profession  after  his 
long  sojourn  on  shore,  and  also  perhaps  wishing  to  afford 


1845.]  SIR  JOHN  CHOSEN  AS  LEADER.  201 

him  the  opportunity  of  declining  the  command,  in  the 
event  of  his  only  having  proffered  his  services  from  a 
keen  sense  of  honour  and  duty,  suggested  that  after  the 
good  and  useful  geographical  work  he  had  already  per- 
formed, he  might  now  deservedly  rest  on  his  well-earned 
laurels,  and  intimated  that  perhaps  his  age  might  be  a 
bar  to  his  being  selected,  as  he  was  informed  that  he  was 
sixty  years  of  age.  "  No,  my  lord,"  was  Franklin's  ready 
but  earnest  response;  "you  have  been  misinformed — I 
am  only  fifty-nine ! "  This  decided  the  question,  and 
Franklin  was  accordingly  appointed  to  the  command. 
The  selection  of  the  leader  having  been  satisfactorily 
arranged,  Sir  John  drove  home,  and  on  his  arrival, 
suddenly  announced  to  his  wife  and  niece  that  he  had 
been  offered,  and  had  accepted,  the  command  of  the  ex- 
pedition. He  was  wild  with  delight  at  the  honour  thus 
conferred  upon  him,  and  could  hardly  conceal  his  enthusi- 
astic impatience  to  get  away  as  speedily  as  possible. 

The  ships  selected  for  the  service  were  the  Erebus  and 
Terror.  They  had  only  recently  returned  from  the  ser- 
vice on  which  they  had  been  engaged  under  Sir  James 
Ross  in  the  Antarctic,  but  they  had  been  completely  over- 
hauled and  thoroughly  repaired  after  the  hard  buffetings 
they  had  received  from  the  southern  ice,  and  were,  in  con- 
sequence, prepared  in  every  way  that  human  skill  and 
ingenuity  could  devise,  to  undergo  similar  or  even  worse 
treatment  from  the  ice  floes  of  the  north.  Captain 
Crozier,  who  was  second  in  command  in  the  Antarctic 
expedition,  was  selected  to  act  in  a  like  capacity  to 
Sir  John,  and  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  his 
old  ship  the  Terror,  while  Sir  John  flew  his  pendant 
in  the  Erebus.  Commander  James  Fitzjames,  an  able, 
popular,  and  accomplished  officer,  was  appointed  to  the 


202 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FEANKLIN. 


[1845. 


Erebus  as  second  in  command  under  Franklin.  As  the 
principal  object  of  the  expedition  was  the  advancement 
of  science,  the  remainder  of  the  officers  were  selected  as 
being  specially  suited  by  their  scientific  acquirements, 


CAPTAIN  FITZJAMES. 


professional  knowledge,  and  robust  and  vigorous  constitu- 
tions, for  the  service  on  which  they  were  to  be  employed. 
Among  those  appointed  was  Dr.  Goodsir,  an  eminent 
naturalist.  The  complement  of  each  ship  was  sixty-seven 
officers  and  men,  making  a  total  of  twenty-three  officers 


1845.]  FRANKLIN'S  SAILING  ORDERS.  203 

and  in  men — in  all,  134  souls.  Stores  and  provisions 
were  put  on  board  the  ships  for  an  anticipated  absence 
of  three  years.  The  vessels  were  also  fitted  with  screws 
and  auxiliary  engines,  capable  of  working  up  to  about 
twenty  horse-power.  This  was  the  first  time  that  the 
screw,  as  a  means  of  propulsion  in  ships,  was  ever  used 
in  the  Arctic  Seas,  but  it  was,  as  may  be  imagined  from 
the  power  provided,  only  to  a  very  limited  degree. 

Sir  John  Franklin's  orders  were  to  the  effect  that  he 
was  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  up  Lancaster  Sound 
to  the  neighbourhood  of  Cape  Walker,  in  about  74° 
N.  latitude,  and  98°  W.  longitude.  Thence  he  was  to 
use  his  utmost  endeavours,  by  working  to  the  southward 
and  westward,  to  push  on  in  as  direct  a  line  as  possible 
towards  Bering's  Strait ;  but  much  was  left  to  his  own 
discretion,  and  he  was  to  be  guided  by  any  circumstances 
that  might  incidentally  arise.  That  these  orders  were  in 
accordance  wifh  Franklin's  own  views  and  wishes  is  quite 
certain.  Sherard  Osborn,  writing  in  1859,  m^kes  the 
following  remarks  — 

"  That  this  southern  course  was  that  of  Franklin's  predilec- 
tion, founded  on  his  judgment  and  experience.  There  are  many 
in  England  who  can  recollect  him  pointing  on  his  chart  to  the 
western  entrance  of  Simpson  Strait,  and  the  adjoining  coast  of 
North  America,  and  saying,  '  If  I  can  but  get  down  there,  my 
work  is  done  ;  thence  it's  plain  sailing  to  the  westward.'" 

All  the  arrangements  being  completed,  the  expedition 
sailed  from  England  on  the  iQth  of  May  1845,  officers 
and  men  in  the  very  best  of  spirits,  and  all  fully  resolved 
to  do  their  utmost  to  bring  the  voyage  to  a  successful 
issue,  and  so  set  at  rest,  and  for  ever,  the  long  vexed 
question  of  the  existence  of  a  north-west  passage.  Sir 
John  Franklin  was  specially  careful  to  promote  this 


204  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 

proper  and  commendable  spirit  evinced  by  those  under 
his  command.  Shortly  after  their  departure  from 
England,  he  called  all  his  officers  together,  and  carefully 
explained  to  them  the  objects  of  the  expedition,  and  his 
views  as  to  the  course  that  should  be  pursued  in  order 
to  obtain  the  most  successful  results.  He  read  out  to 
them  a  portion  of  the  instructions  he  had  issued  to 
the  officers  of  the  Trent,  on  his  first  Polar  expedition, 
and  pointed  out  to  them  the  necessity  of  noting  every- 
thing that  occurred,  no  matter  how  trivial  it  might  at 
the  moment  be  considered,  for  future  reference  and 
study.  He  also  informed  them  that  their  journals, 
remark  books,  sketches,  &c.5  would  be  required  of  them 
on  their  return  to  England,  for  transmission  to  the 
Admiralty.  As  Captain  Fitzjames,  in  a  letter  to  his 
friend  Mr.  John  Barrow l  writes — 

"He  spoke  delightfully  of  the  zealous  co-operation  he 
expected  from  all,  and  his  desire  to  do  full  justice  to  the 
exertions  of  each." 

With  such  a  pleasant  and  happy  feeling,  and  such  a 
perfect  understanding,  pervading  the  minds  of  Sir  John 
and  those  under  his  command,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
all  were  cheerful  and  enthusiastic  regarding  the  ultimate 
success  of  the  expedition. 

We  obtain  a  little  insight  into  the  friendly  and 
harmonious  feeling  that  existed  among  those  on  board 
the  Erebus,  and  the  manner  in  which  their  time  was 
passed  on  the  voyage  to  Greenland,  from  some  charm- 
ingly written  letters  sent  home  by  Fitzjames,  which 
have  been  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal  by  his  friend 
Mr.  John  Barrow.  As  these  epistles  contain  many  allu- 
1  The  son  of  Sir  John  Barrow. 


1845.]     EXTRACTS  FROM  FITZJAMES'S  LETTERS.         205 

sions  to  the  esteem  and  respect  in  which  Sir  John 
Franklin  was  held  by  all  on  board,  no  apology  is 
necessary  for  the  insertion  here  of  a  few  extracts  from 
them,  illustrative  of  the  private  character  of  Sir  John 
and  the  happy  feeling  that  reigned  on  board  his  ship. 

So  confident  were  they  of  accomplishing  the  north- 
west passage,  that  Fitzjames  gave  explicit  directions  for 
his  letters  to  be  sent  to  Petro-Paulowski  in  Kamchatka, 
via  St.  Petersburg,  in  the  event  of  no  tidings  of  the 
expedition  being  received  before  the  ensuing  June.  He 
also  tells  his  friend,  Mr.  Barrow,  to 

"  Write  on  speck  to  Panama  and  the  Sandwich  Islands  every 
six  months."  "  Have  a  letter  waiting  for  me  at  Panama  on 
speck  next  January."  "  Mind,  I  say  we  shall  get  through  the 
north- west  passage  this  ?/ear,and  I  shall  land  at  Petro-Paulowski 
and  shake  you  by  the  hand  on  the  22nd  February  1846." 

On  the  day  they  left  Stromness,  he  says — 

"  We  drank  Lady  Franklin's  health  at  the  old  gentleman's 
table,  and  it  being  his  daughter's  birthday,  hers  too." 

Alluding  to  Sir  John,  he  writes  : — 

"  1  like  a  man  who  is  in  earnest.  Sir  Jolm  Franklin  read 
the  church  service  to-day  and  a  sermon  so  very  beautifully, 
that  I  defy  any  man  not  to  feel  the  force  of  what  he  would 
convey.  The  first  Sunday  he  read  was  a  day  or  two  before 
we  sailed,  when  Lady  Franklin,  his  daughter,  and  niece 
attended.  Every  one  was  struck  with  Ms  extreme  earnest- 
ness of  manner,  evidently  proceeding  from  real  conviction." 

Again  : — 

"  Sir  John  is  delightful,  active,  and  energetic,  and  evidently, 
even  now,  persevering.  What  he  has  been,  we  all  know.  I 
think  it  will  turn  out  that  lie  is  in  no  ways  altered.  He  is 
full  of  conversation  and  interesting  anecdotes  of  his  former 


206  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1845. 

voyages.  I  would  not  lose  him  for  the  command  of  the  ex- 
pedition, for  I  have  a  real  regard,  I  might  say  affection,  for 
him,  and  believe  this  is  felt  by  all  of  us.  In  our  mess  we  are 
very  happy;  we  have  a  most  agreeable  set  of  men,  and  I  could 
suggest  no  change,  except  that  I  wish  you  were  with  us." 

In  a  subsequent  letter  he  tells  us  : — 

"  Sir  John  is  full  of  life  and  energy,  with  good  judgment 
and  a  capital  memory — one  of  the  best  I  know.  His  conver- 
sation is  delightful  and  most  instructive,  and  of  all  men  he  is 
the  most  fitted  for  the  command  of  an  enterprise  requiring 
sound  sense  and  great  perseverance.  I  have  learnt  much 
from  him,  and  consider  myself  most  fortunate  in  being  with 
such  a  man,  and  he  is  full  of  benevolence  and  kindness  withal." 

Again  he  writes,  in  much  the  same  strain  : — 

"  We  are  very  happy  and  very  fond  of  Sir  John  Franklin, 
who  improves  very  much  as  we  come  to  know  more  of  him. 
He  is  anything  but  nervous  or  fidgety — in  fact,  I  should  say 
remarkable  for  energetic  decision  in  sudden  emergencies  ;  but 
I  should  think  he  might  be  easily  persuaded,  when  he  has  not 
already  formed  a  strong  opinion." 

That  his  nerve  was  as  good  as  ever  is  apparent  from 
the  following  extract  from  one  of  Fitzjames's  letters — 

"  I  can  scarcely  manage  to  get  Sir  John  to  shorten  sail  at  all " 

— so  anxious  was  he  to  push  on,  and  take  advantage  of 
every  available  day  of  the  short  navigable  season. 

Of  course  the  main  object  of  the  expedition,  viz.,  the 
discovery  of  the  north-west  passage,  was  ever  uppermost 
in  their  thoughts,  and  frequently  formed  the  principal 
topic  of  conversation  at  the  dinner- table,  and  in  the 
officers'  mess.  We  obtain  a  glimpse  into  Sir  John's 
views  on  this  important  subject  from  the  following 
sentence  in  another  of  Fitzjames's  letters : — 


1845.]     VESSELS  REACH  COAST  OF  GREENLAND.         207 

"  At  dinner  to-day,  Sir  John  gave  us  a  pleasant  account  of 
his  expectations  of  being  able  to  get  through  the  ice  on  the 
coast  of  America,  and  his  disbelief  in  the  idea  that  there  is 
open  sea  to  the  northward.  He  also  said  he  believed  it  to  be 
possible  to  reach  the  Pole  over  the  ice,  by  wintering  at  Spitz- 
bergen,  and  going  in  the  spring  before  the  ice  broke  up  and 
drifted  to  the  south  as  it  did  with  Parry  on  it." 

Lieutenant  Fairholme  also,  in  a  private  letter,  thus 
alludes  to  their  leader  : — 

"Sir  John  is  in  much  better  health  than  when  we  left 
England,  and  really  looks  ten  years  younger.  He  takes  an 
active  part  in  everything  that  goes  on,  and  his  long  experi- 
ence in  such  services  makes  him  a  most  valuable  adviser. 
We  are  very  much  crowded— in  fact,  not  an  inch  of  stowage 
has  been  lost,  and  the  decks  are  still  covered  with  casks. 
Our  supply  of  coals  has  encroached  seriously  on  the  ship's 
stowage  ;  but  as  we  consume  both  fuel  and  provisions  as  we 
go,  the  evil  will  be  continually  lessening." 

Stromness,  in  the  Orkney  Islands,  was  reached  on 
June  ist,  and  left  two  days  after.  Boisterous  weather 
and  head  winds  were  encountered  during  their  passage 
across  the  Atlantic.  On  the  24th  June,  Cape  Farewell 
was  rounded,  and  on  the  following  day  they  saw  their 
first  ice,  consisting  of  numerous  large  icebergs,  through 
which  they  had  to  thread  their  way,  "  some  of  them  fall- 
ing with  an  awful  roar  and  rising  of  the  sea ; "  but  the 
scenery,  especially  to  those  inexperienced  in  Arctic  navi- 
gation, was  grand  and  majestic. 

On  the  4th  July  the  expedition  came  to  an  anchor  off 
the  Whale  Fish  Islands,  near  the  island  of  Disco,  on  the 
west  coast  of  Greenland.  Here  they  completed  with 
stores  and  provisions  from  a  transport,  the  BarreMo 
Junior,  which  had  accompanied  them  out  from  England 


208 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 


[1845. 


for  that  purpose,  and  to  which  they  discharged  five  of 
their  men  who  had  been  invalided  and  sent  to  her  for 
passage  to  England.  As  the  transport  just  alluded  to 
was  the  last  vessel  that  communicated  with  the  ill-fated 
discovery  ships,  it  will  be  interesting  to  insert  a  few 
extracts  from  a  letter  written  by  Lieutenant  Griffiths, 
who  was  in  command  of  her,  to  Mr.  John  Barrow,  on 
his  arrival  in  England.  He  writes  : — 

"The  two  ships  were  perfectly  crammed,  and  were  very 
deep,  drawing  seventeen  feet.  I  felt  quite  low-spirited  on 
leaving  Sir  John  and  his  officers — better  fellows  never 
breathed.  They  were  all  in  the  highest  possible  spirits,  and 
determined  on  succeeding  if  success  were  possible.  I  have 
very  great  hopes,  knowing  their  capabilities,  having  witnessed 
their  arrangements,  and  the  spirit  by  which  they  are  actuated 
— a  set  of  more  undaunted  fellows  never  were  got  together,  or 
officers  better  selected.  Never  were  ships  more  appropriately 
fitted  or  better  adapted  for  the  arduous  service  they  have  to 
perform.  Yes,  indeed,  certain  I  am  if  there  be  a  passage,  and 
that  icy  barriers  will  be  only  sufficiently  propitious  to  give 
them  but  half  the  length  of  their  ship,  force  themselves 
through  they  will  at  all  risks  and  hazard.  God  speed  them 
and  send  them  back  by  Bering's  Strait  to  their  native  Eng- 
land, covered  with  imperishable  fame." 

Lieutenant  Griffiths  also  reports  that 

"  He  left  them  with  every  species  of  provisions  for  three 
entire  years,  independently  of  five  bullocks.  They  had  also 
stores  for  the  same  time,  and  fuel  in  abundance.1' 

Sir  John,  in  his  last  despatch  to  the  Admiralty,  written 
at  this  time,  says — 

"  The  ships  are  now  complete  with  supplies  of  every  kind 
for  three  years.  They  are  therefore  very  deep,  but  happily 
we  have  no  reason  to  expect  much  sea  as  we  proceed  further." 


j.  FRANKLIN'S  TRACK. 


^ptsH 


?„  1  AsecJ^fS 

"SM^femcaA 


S0' 


1845.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  SHIPS.  209 

•  On  the  loth  of  July,  they  parted  company  with  the 
transport,  and  sailed  from  the  Whale  Fish  Islands ;  on 
the  26th  of  July  the  two  ships  were  seen  made  fast  to 
the  ice  in  Melville  Bay,  in  about  74°  48'  N.  latitude,  and 
66°  13'  W.  longitude,  by  Captain  Dannet,  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  a  whaler  from  Hull,  who  received  a  visit  from 
some  of  the  officers  of  the  expedition ;  this  was,  so  far  as 
is  known,  the  last  time  the  unfortunate  vessels  were  seen, 
at  any  rate  by  Europeans.  After  this  date,  although 
traces  of  the  missing  ships  were  discovered  many  years 
after,  all  is  conjecture,  all  must  be  left  to  the  imagination, 
to  complete  one  of  the  saddest  stories  that  has  ever  been 
told  in  connection  with  Arctic  enterprise. 

We  will,  however,  endeavour  to  dovetail  together  the 
various  scraps  of  information  that  have  subsequently 
come  to  our  knowledge,  and  so  trace  the  proceedings  of 
the  expedition  from  the  time  when  it  was  last  seen  by 
the  whaler  Prince  of  Wales  until  the  sad  and  bitter  end 
came,  but  it  must  be  clearly  understood  that  the  greater 
part  of  what  is  here  set  forth  must,  of  necessity,  be  purely 
conjectural. 

The  ships,  we  know,  pursued  their  solitary  way 
through  Baffin's  Bay  towards  Lancaster  Sound.  Enter- 
ing this  broad  channel,  they  sailed  along  the  coast  of 
North  Devon,  continuing  their  course  to  the  westward ; 
but  ice,  that  unconquerable  foe  with  which  the  Arctic 
explorer  has  to  battle,  effectually  barred  the  passage, 
and  prevented  further  advance  in  that  direction.  Well- 
ington Channel,  however,  to  the  northward,  appeared 
to  be  open,  and  up  this  they  sail,  hoping  that  it  may 
eventually  lead  in  a  westerly  direction,  and  carry  them 
into  the  eagerly  sought  for  passage.  But  they  are 
doomed  to  disappointment,  for  after  sailing  up  this 


•210  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1845- 

chaimel  for  a  distance  of  about  150  miles,  they  are  again 
stopped  by  their  relentless  and  implacable  enemy  the 
ice,  and  are  compelled  to  turn  to  the  southward ;  but 
their  return  is  made  by  a  different  channel  to  that  up 
which  they  sailed,  a  newly-discovered  one,  which  they 
found  to  exist,  separating  Cornwallis  and  Bathurst 
Islands,  and  which  ultimately  brought  them  again  into 
Barrow's  Strait,  about  one  hundred  miles  to  the  westward 
of  the  entrance  to  Wellington  Channel,  up  which  they 
had  previously  sailed. 

Unmistakable  signs  of  the  closing  in  of  the  navigable 
season  were  now  apparent;  the  hills  and  valleys  were 
already  covered  with  their  snowy  mantle,  and  the  young 
ice  was  beginning  to  form  on  the  surface  of  the  water 
to  such  a  thickness  as  to  materially  impede  the  progress 
of  the  ships.  Taking  all  these  circumstances  into  con- 
sideration, and  finding  that  there  was  no  prospect  of  ad- 
vancing further  to  the  westward  that  season,  the  ships 
retraced  their  steps  a  short  distance  to  the  eastward, 
and  were  ultimately  secured  in  snug  winter  quarters 
in  a  partially  protected  harbour  on  the  north-east  side 
of  Beechey  Island,  the  adaptability  of  which  as  winter 
quarters  had,  in  all  probability,  been  remarked  and  noted 
by  Franklin  as  he  passed  up  Wellington  Channel. 

The  ensuing  winter  probably  passed  as  most  Arctic 
winters  do,  in  a  pleasant  and  cheerful  manner.  The 
officers  busily  occupied  themselves  in  their  various  scien- 
tific pursuits,  looking  after  the  health  and  welfare  of  their 
men,  and  earnestly  discussing  among  themselves  their 
future  plan  of  operations,  and  their  prospects  of  ultimate 
success ;  the  men  in  the  meantime  being  actively  engaged 
in  those  multifarious  duties  that  are  incidental  to  a 
winter  in  the  Arctic  regions,  such  as  banking  the  snow 


1845.] 


FIRST  WINTER  QUARTERS. 


211 


against  the  sides  of  the  ships,  building  snow-houses 
for  various  purposes,  keeping  the  fire-hole  clear  in  the 
ice,1  and  other  minor  details  connected  with  the  routine 
and  ordinary  duties  of  a  man-of-war.  We  may  safely 
infer  that  everybody  was  profitably  employed,  and  that 
they  were  also  happy  and  cheerful.  As  the  rays  of  the 


SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN'S 
WINTER  QUARTERS, 

1845-46. 

From  a  Survey  by  Com.  W.  J.  <S'.  Pvllen, 
2854. 


fte&ot's  Gr-a 

C.Riadle 

Franklins  & 


E  R.EB  US 

UJ\ 'orth  Star  J35  2  3 
•Jforth  Star  1853  4 
So 


Ibane  Foundered 
Autf.171853 


Hou 
Lot .  7*  *        Z  onff.  91' & 


C.RiLej 


yoiutical  Miles 


FRANKLIN  S  WINTER  QUARTERS,    BEECHEY  ISLAND. 


returning  sun  shed  their  beams  on  the  distant  hills, 
sporting  parties  were  doubtless  organised  for  the  purpose 

1  The  "tire-hole''  is  a  large  hole  that  is  made  in  the  ice,  iu  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  ship,  from  which  to  obtain  water  in  the 
event  of  fire  breaking  out.  This  fire-hole  has  frequently,  day  and 
night,  to  be  kept  clear  of  the  ice  which  forms  on  its  surface.  This 
is  the  only  way  by  which  a  constant  supply  of  water  can  be  kept 
ready  in  the  event  of  fire  breaking  out,  for  the  pumps  of  a  ship  are, 
of  course,  rendered  useless  in  winter  from  the  pipes  all  being  choked 
by  the  water  becoming  frozen  in  them. 


212  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FKANKL1N.  [1845. 

of  scouring  the  adjacent  country  in  search  of  game,  for 
fresh  animal  food,  they  were  well  aware,  was  essential  to 
the  perfect  preservation  of  health.  A  man  like  Sir  John 
Franklin,  with  the  experience  of  several  Arctic  winters 
to  look  back  upon,  knew  well  that  in  order  to  preserve 
his  men  in  health  he  must  keep  them  cheerful  and  in 
good  spirits,  with  their  minds  and  their  bodies  fully 
occupied. 

Although  perhaps  the  ardent  and  enthusiastic  Fitz- 
james  was  somewhat  disappointed  at  the  failure  of  the 
expedition  to  reach  a  more  advanced  position  before  seek- 
ing winter  quarters,  still,  on  the  whole,  they  could  regard 
with  satisfaction  the  result  of  their  work  during  the 
preceding  autumn,  for  in  their  passage  up  Wellington 
Channel  and  down  the  New  Strait  to  the  west  of  Corn- 
wallis  Island,  they  had  explored  and  mapped  300  miles 
of  new  coast-line,  and  they  were  keenly  sensible  of  the 
fact,  that  only  250  miles  of  the  unknown,  intervened 
between  their  furthest  point  and  the  accomplishment  of 
the  north-west  passage,  namely,  the  distance  between 
Cape  Walker  to  King  William  Island.  They  were 
therefore,  presumably,  elated  with  the  cheering  prospect 
that  was  before  them,  of  satisfactorily  solving  the  great 
problem  that  had  so  long  puzzled  and  vanquished  the 
many  bold  navigators  who  had  preceded  them,  and  they 
all  looked  forward  with  eager  excitement  to  the  termi- 
nation of  winter,  when  they  would  be  able  to  continue^ 
what  they  felt  assured  would  prove,  a  most  successful 
voyage. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE  LAST  DAYS. 
1846-1848. 

"  O  world  !  so  few  the  years  \ve  live, 
Would  that  the  life  that  thou  dost  give, 

Were  life  indeed  ! 
Alas  !  thy  sorrows  fall  so  fast, 
Our  happiest  hour  is  when  at  last 

The  soul  is  freed." 

THE  long  Polar  night,  with  all  its  monotony  and  cheer- 
lessness,  at  length  came  to  an  end,  and  in  the  month 
of  February  they  hailed  with  joyful  delight  the  return 
of  the  sun  which  had  been  absent  for  so  many  weeks, 
and  which  they  knew  heralded  the  approach  of  summer, 
and  was  the  harbinger  of  that  navigable  season  during 
which  they  hoped,  and  expected,  to  carry  to  a  successful 
issue  the  ardent  aspirations  that  animated  the  breast  of 
each  individual  member  of  the  expedition.  Death,  how- 
ever, had  not  been  idle  in  the  little  community  during 
its  sojourn  at  Beech ey  Island,  for  they  had  to  mourn  the 
loss  of  three  of  their  number — two  seamen  who  died  in 
January,  and  a  marine  who  died  in  April.  They  were 
buried  on  the  island,  and  the  finding  of  these  solitary 
graves,  with  their  simple  head-boards  and  appropriate 
epitaphs,  were  among  the  first  indications,  discovered  five 

years  afterwards,  of  the  expedition  having  wintered  there. 
213 


214  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1846- 

On  the  release  of  the  ships  from  their  winter  quarters, 
which  event,  in  all  probability,  did  not  occur  until  July 
or  August,  a  course  was  shaped  to  the  westward  towards 
Cape  Walker,  the  furthest  point  reached  by  them  in  a 
westerly  direction  the  previous  year.  We  may  assume 
that  the  usual  difficulties  inseparable  from  ice  navigation 
were  experienced  by  Franklin  and  his  gallant  followers ; 
we  may  also  rest  assured  that  these  obstacles  were  re- 
solutely grappled  with  and  manfully  overcome.  Their 
chief  was  not  a  man  to  shrink  from  either  difficulty  or 
danger,  and  he  well  knew  he  could  safely  rely  upon  the 
support  of  his  officers  and  men  in  the  hour  of  trial. 
Yet  the  difficulties  in  pushing  on  in  the  required  direc- 
tion must  have  been  very  great  in  his  heavy,  slow-sailing, 
bluff-bowed  ships,  for  the  steam-power  at  his  disposal 
was  so  limited  as  to  be  only  of  use  in  perfectly  calm 
weather,  and  in  a  smooth  sea  free  of  ice. 

We  know  well  from  the  records  of  previous  navigators, 
and  also  from  subsequent  experience,  that  the  ice  to  the 
westward  of  Barrow's  Strait,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Cape  Walker,  is  of  an  exceedingly  formidable  description. 
In  spite,  however,  of  the  ponderous  nature  of  the  ice, 
Franklin  persevered  in  his  endeavours  to  get  through, 
and  seeing  a  channel  open  to  the  southward  he  pushes 
into  it,  for  surely,  he  thinks,  it  will  eventually  lead  in 
the  right  direction.  He  knew,  if  this  channel  did  not 
end  in  a  cul  de  sac,  and  if  the  ice  permitted  him  to 
force  his  ships  through,  that  the  last  link  in  the  chain 
would  be  forged,  and  the  north-west  passage  would  be 
triumphantly  achieved.  This  channel,  separating  North 
Somerset  from  Prince  of  Wales's  Land,  is  now  called 
Peel  Strait. 

All  went  merrily  !  everything  pointed  to  a  speedy  and 


1848.]  VESSELS  CAUGHT  IN  THE  ICE.  215 

successful  termination  to  their  voyage.  Sailing  past 
the  west  coast  of  North  Somerset,  they  fight  their  way 
bravely  mile  by  mile,  and  almost  inch  by  inch,  along  the 
coast  of  Boothia  Felix,  until  they  perhaps  get  a  glimpse 
of  King  William  Island,  and  almost  feel  that  success 
is  actually  within  their  grasp.  But  alas !  although  the 
distance  that  intervenes  between  their  ships  and  absolute 
success  is,  perchance,  only  a  little  over  one  hundred 
miles,  their  further  progress  is  suddenly  arrested,  their 
vessels  are  caught  and  held  fast  in  the  rigid  embrace  of 
the  ice,  and  thus,  fast  frozen  in  a  solid  and  impenetrable 
pack,  they  are  doomed  to  pass  their  second  winter. 
Little  did  the  poor  fellows  then  imagine,  when  they  were 
busily  engaged  in  making  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
passing  that  winter,  that  their  ships  were  inextricably 
frozen  in — never  again  to  cleave  the  blue  water  of  the 
ocean,  never  to  rise  and  fall  on  its  heaving  billows, 
never  to  be  released  from  their  icy  fetters,  until  their 
poor  battered  hulls  are  rent  and  riven  by  their  victorious 
enemy,  the  ice. 

To  winter  in  the  pack  is  known,  happily,  only  to  a 
few — to  pass  two  successive  winters  in  the  ice  is  an 
experience  that  has,  fortunately,  been  vouchsafed  to 
fewer  still;  yet  the  brave  survivors  of  the  Erebus  and 
Terror  were  destined  not  only  to  pass  one,  but  two  long, 
weary,  successive  winters,  helplessly  beset,  and  firmly 
frozen  up  in  their  icy  bondage.1 

Who  can  describe  the  sufferings,  the  dangers,  the 
monotony,  the  eager  hopes,  to  be  succeeded  by  bitter 
disappointments,  experienced  by  those  unfortunate  men 
during  those  two  fearful  winters  ?  They  are  known 

1  The  position  in  which  the  ships  wintered  was  latitude  70°  5'  N., 
and  longitude  98°  23'  "NV. 


216  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1846- 

only  to  Him,  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  and 
will  never  be  revealed  to  mortal  man.  How  keen 
must  have  been  the  suspense,  and  how  intense  the 
disappointment,  felt  by  all  when  the  following  summer, 
that  of  1847,  dragged  out  its  weary  length,  and  still 
the  ships  remained  irrevocably  frozen  in  their  icy 
cradles,  without  any  symptoms  being  apparent  of  the 
disruption  of  the  pack.  This  feeling  must  have  been  all 
the  more  quickened,  when  they  remembered  that  only 
a  few  short  miles  lay  between  them  and  the  successful 
accomplishment  of  that  grand  achievement,  "  the  only 
thing  whereby  a  notable  mind  might  be  made  famous," 
which  they  had  undertaken  to  risk,  and  if  necessary  lay 
down  their  lives,  in  order  to  bring  to  a  successful  issue. 
Once  clear  of  the  ice,  and,  they  thought,  all  further  diffi- 
culties would  be  overcome  and  every  obstacle  removed 
from  their  path. 

As  day  succeeded  day  during  that  long  summer  and 
equally  long  and  weary  autumn,  so  did  hope  animate 
their  hearts,  but  at  length  the  days  began  to  shorten  and 
despondency  succeeded  hope  as  the  sun  sank  below  the 
southern  horizon,  to  be,  alas !  seen  no  more  by  many 
on  board  the  two  ill-fated  ships,  its  last  rays  flicker- 
ing intermittently  in  the  heavens  with  bright  pris- 
matic colours  as  it  disappeared,  not  to  return  for 
long  weary  months,  ominously  symbolical  of  the  fate 
that  was  so  soon  to  overtake  them. 

The  winter,  we  may  be  sure,  was  not  one  of  ease, 
comfort,  or  enjoyment.  There  was  little  now  to  cheer  the 
drooping  spirits  of  this  still  undaunted  band.  Their  pro- 
visions were  getting  low,  their  ships  were  helpless  logs 
firmly  fixed  in  a  relentless  grip,  and  they  whispered 
among  themselves  that  help,  to  be  of  any  avail,  must 


1848.]  WINTER  IN  THE  PACK.  217 

be  forthcoming  before  a  third  winter  seized  them  in  its 
dread  and  inhospitable  grasp.  During  those  long  dreary 
winter  months,  the  ships  were  exposed  to  all  the  dangers 
inseparable  from  a  winter  in  the  pack,  subjected  to  severe 
ice-pressures  which,  for  all  we  know  to  the  contraiy,  so 
strained  and  damaged  the  hulls  of  the  already  sorely 
stricken  vessels  as  to  render  them  almost,  if  not  wholly, 
un  seaworthy. 

And  so  the  second  winter  came  and  went,  and  the 
summer  sun  once  more  shone  forth  and  gladdened  the 
hearts  of  those  on  board  with  joyful  anticipations  of 
release,  and  the  hope  that  they  might  yet  live  to  see 
their  efforts  crowned  with  success.  As  the  daylight 
returns,  King  William  Island,  covered  in  its  white  garb 
of  winter,  was  occasionally  seen  to  the  southward.  Once 
past  that  sterile  and  dreary- looking  coast,  and  the  north- 
west passage  would  be  accomplished,  for  they  would  then, 
they  well  knew,  connect  with  Simpson's,  Ross's,  and 
Back's  discoveries ;  but  alas !  an  ice- encumbered  sea 
intervened,  choked  with  thick-ribbed  ice,  through  which 
it  was  impossible  to  force  their  heavy  and  perhaps 
seriously  damaged  ships. 

The  summer  was  not  allowed  to  pass,  however,  with- 
out some  attempt  at  exploration,  for  in  the  month  of 
May,  a  travelling  party  was  organised  and  despatched 
with  the  object  of  exploring  the  shores  of  King  William 
Island.  It  consisted  of  two  officers  and  six  men,  and 
was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  Graham  Gore,  the  first 
lieutenant  of  the  Erebus.  The  officer  that  accompanied 
him  was  Mr.  Charles  F.  Des  Voeux,  mate,  belonging  to 
the  same  ship.  Of  these  two  officers,  Fitzjames,  in  one 
of  his  letters,  written  to  Mr.  Barrow  on  the  passage  to 
Greenland,  writes : — 


218  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1846- 

"  Graham  Gore  is  a  man  of  great  stability  of  character,  a 
very  good  officer,  and  the  sweetest  of  tempers.  He  plays  the 
flute  dreadfully  well,  draws  sometimes  very  well,  sometimes 
very  badly,  but  is  altogether  a  capital  fellow." 

He  died  on   board   the   Erebus  during  the  succeeding 
winter. 

Of  Des  Vceux  he  says  : — 

"He  is  a  most  unexceptionable,  clever,  agreeable,  light- 
hearted,  obliging  young  fellow." 

The  party  left  the  ships  on  Monday,  24th  May,  and 
succeeded  in  reaching  Point  Victory l  on  King  William 
Island ;  thence  pushing  on  towards  Cape  Herschel  they, 
perhaps,  saw  in  the  distance  the  continent  of  North 
America,  and  realised  that  the  long  sought  for  passage 
had  been  discovered,  and  could  be  actually  accomplished 
if  they  were  but  able  to  force  their  ships  through  the 
short  icy  channel  that  intervened.  Depositing  a  record,2 
containing  a  brief  account  of  their  visit,  they  hurried 
back  to  their  ships  to  impart  the  joyful  tidings  to  their 
comrades,  in  order  that  they  also  might  share  in  the 
exultation  that  they  could  not  but  help  feeling  at 
having  ascertained  the  successful  result  of  the  voyage. 
The  record  was  simply  a  few  lines  written  on  a  printed 
form  supplied  to  ships  for  the  purpose  of  being  corked 
up  in  a  bottle  and  thrown  overboard,  with  the  object 
of  ascertaining  the  set  of  tides  and  currents. 

The  lines  written  by  Graham  Gore  on   this  printed 

1  This  point  of  land  was  named  by  Captain  James  Ross  in  1830  after 
his  ship ;  it  was  the  furthest  point  to  the  westward  reached  by  that 
distinguished  navigator  on  King  William  Island. 

2  This  record  was  discovered  by  Lieutenant  Hobson  in  1859,  while 
serving  in  the  Fox  under  Sir  Leopold  M'Clintock. 


1848.]  FKANKLIN  ON  HIS  DEATH-BED.  219 

form  were  to  the  effect  that  the  Erebus  and  Terror 
wintered  in  the  ice  in  latitude  70°  5'  N.,  and  longitude 
98°  23'  W.,  having  wintered  in  1846-7  l  at  Beechey 
Island  in  latitude  74°  43'  28"  N.,  longitude  91°  39'  15" 
W.,  after  having  ascended  Wellington  Channel  to  lati- 
tude 77°,  and  returned  by  the  west  side  of  Cornwallis 
Island.  It  adds,  somewhat  significantly,  that  Sir  John 
Franklin  was  still  in  command  of  the  expedition,  but 
that  all  were  well.  This  paper  is  dated  the  28th  of  May 
1847,  and  is  signed  by  both  Gore  and  Des  Yoeux.2 

On  their  return  to  the  Erebus  they  found  a  scene  of 
sorrow  and  mourning  which,  perhaps  judging  from  the 
somewhat  ominous  wording  of  their  record,  was  not 
wholly  unexpected.  They  found  their  beloved  chief,  he 
who  had  before,  so  often  and  in  so  many  shapes,  been 
face  to  face  with  death,  stricken  down,  fighting  his  last 
battle  with  that  unconquerable  foe  to  whom  the  bravest 
must  eventually  strike  their  colours  and  yield.  Sir  John 
Franklin,  after  a  long,  honourable,  and  distinguished 
career,  after  a  life  more  eventful  and  adventurous  than 
usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  man,  lay  on  his  death-bed. 
Silently  were  their  hands  pressed  by  their  sorrowing 
shipmates  as  they  crossed  the  gangway,  and  sorrowfully 
was  the  sad  news  whispered  in  their  ears,  in  response 
to  the  anxious  inquiries  as  to  the  health  of  their  leader, 
who  they  knew  would  have  been  the  first  to  welcome 
them  on  board,  had  not  the  hand  of  sickness  been  upon 
him.  The  end,  however,  had  not  yet  come,  and  Sir 
John  Franklin  was  permitted,  before  he  passed  away, 
to  receive  from  the  lips  of  Graham  Gore  the  announce- 
ment that  the  north-west  passage,  for  the  successful 

1  This  is  evidently  an  error,  and  should  be  1845-6. 
2  See  page  270. 


220  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1846- 

achievement  of  which  he  had  sailed  from  England  two 
years  ago,  and  for  which  he  was  now  willingly  and 
cheerfully  laying  down  his  life,  had  been  discovered, 
and  that  he  was  the  man  who,  by  its  discovery,  had, 
according  to  old  Purchas,  made  himself  famous. 

He  fell  asleep  peacefully  on  the  nth  of  June  1847, 
with  the  news  of  the  successful  result  of  the  enterprise 
ringing  in  his  ears. 

k<  His  soul  to  Him  who  gave  it  rose, 
God  led  it  to  its  long  repose, 
Its  glorious  rest." 

We  could  not  wish  a  more  glorious  or  a  more  noble 
termination  to  a  life  of  fame  than  was  his ;  to  die  on  the 
scene  of  his  discoveries,  surrounded  and  beset  by  the 
ice  with  which  he  had  so  long  been  battling,  and  with 
the  shout  of  triumph,  the  cheer  of  victory,  lighting  up 
those  dim  eyes  with  a  bright  and  lustrous  radiance 
before  they  closed  to  be  opened  no  more. 

Spenser's  lines  in  the  Fairie  Queene  are  very  appli- 
cable to  the  death-bed  of  Sir  John  Franklin : — 

"Is  not  short  payne  well  borne,  that  bringes  long  ease, 
And  layes  the  soule  to  sleepe  in  quiet  graine  ? 
Sleepe  after  toyle,  port  after  stormie  seas, 
Ease  after  warre,  death  after  life  does  greatly  please." 

Sherard  Osborn,  in  his  brief  but  graphic  description 
of  the  Franklin  expedition,  in  alluding  to  the  death  of 
the  leader,  writes — "  Oh,  mourn  him  not !  unless  you 
can  point  to  a  more  honourable  end  or  a  nobler  grave. 
Like  another  Moses,  he  fell  when  his  work  was  accom- 
plished, with  the  long  object  of  his  life  in  view.  Frank- 
lin, the  discoverer  of  the  north-west  passage,  had  his 
Pisgah,  and  so  long  as  his  countrymen  shall  hold  dear 


1848.]  THE  LAST  SAD  SCENE.  221 

disinterested  devotion  and  gallant  perseverance  in  a 
good  cause,  so  long  shall  they  point  to  the  career  and 
fate  of  this  gallant  sailor." 

Thus  died  Sir  John  Franklin — a  man  of  great  force 
of  character ;  one  of  indomitable  energy  and  courage ;  an 
ardent  geographer ;  an  enthusiastic  devotee  of  science ; 
a  good  officer  and  seaman ;  and  above  all,  a  sincere  and 
true  Christian — one  who  placed  a  steadfast  reliance  and 
implicit  faith  in  an  all- wise  and  beneficent  Providence. 

We  can  picture,  in  our  imagination,  that  last  sad  and 
solemn  scene  on  the  ice  floe;  that  hushed  assemblage 
of  wan  and  famine- stricken  men,  whose  pinched  features 
and  attenuated  forms,  clad  in  strange  garments,  tell  of 
hardships  and  privations  nobly  and  resolutely  borne. 
They  stand  with  hushed  lips  and  bated  breath,  with 
their  heads  bent  in  silent  sorrow  and  prayer,  round  a 
grave  that  has  been  dug  out  of  the  solid  ice,  into  which 
the  mortal  remains  of  their  beloved  chief  are  quietly 
and  reverently  laid.  The  funeral  service  for  the  dead 
is  read  by  Captain  Crozier  (who  has  succeeded  to  the 
command  of  the  expedition),  or,  perhaps,  by  his  more 
intimate  friend  Fitzjames,  who  was  now  in  command 
of  the  Erebus,  whilst  that  flag,  the  glorious  flag  of 
England,  under  which  he  had  served  so  long  and  so 
faithfully  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  against  many 
foes,  fluttered  half-mast  from  the  mizen  peaks  of  the 
two  ships. 

It  must  indeed  have  been  a  sad  gathering  of  sorrowful 
men  that  assembled  in  that  wilderness  of  ice  and  snow 
on  that  June  day,  in  1847,  to  pay  their  last  mark  of 
respect,  love,  and  devotion  to  their  deceased  leader. 
They  were  not  onty  lamenting  the  loss  of  a  revered 
chief  who  had  endeared  himself  to  them  by  his  many 


222  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1846- 

acts  of  kindness  and  forethought,  one  who  had  instilled 
into  the  hearts  of  those  under  him  his  own  enthusiastic 
desire  for  the  welfare  and  success  of  the  expedition,  but, 
regarding  their  bereavement  from  a  more  selfish  point 
of  view,  they  could  not  help  feeling  that  with  his 
death  their  own  chances  of  being  saved  were  rendered 
all  the  more  remote  and  precarious.  They  knew  that 
if  necessity,  as  seemed  very  probable,  compelled  them 
to  abandon  their  ships,  and  seek  for  aid  and  relief  at 
some  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  posts  on  the  con- 
tinent of  America,  they  had  lost  one  whose  experience 
of,  and  intimate  acquaintance  with,  those  regions  would 
have  been  invaluable,  and  who  alone  would,  in  all  pro- 
bability, have  been  able  to  guide  them  to  where  the 
assistance  and  the  succour  that  was  so  essential  to  their 
salvation  could  be  obtained.  They  were  also  well 
aware,  poor  fellows,  that  famine,  rendered  ten  times 
more  terrible  by  disease  and  the  rigorous  nature  of  the 
climate,  would  have  to  be  endured,  if  a  third  winter  was 
to  be  passed  in  their  present  situation ;  and  as  they  gazed 
around  on  the  sad  and  sorrowful  faces  of  their  comrades, 
the  painful  reflection  was  unconsciously  forced  upon  them, 
as  to  who  would  be  alive,  if  not  relieved,  in  another 
year  ?  Who  would  there  be  left  to  tell  of  the  death  of 
their  great  and  good  leader,  and  of  the  terrible  suffer- 
ings and  privations  they  had  all  endured  ? 

But  time  did  not  permit  them  to  indulge  at  length  in 
these  or  similar  reflections,  for  the  navigable  season  had 
arrived,  and  their  utmost  exertions  must  be  put  forth  with 
the  view  of  releasing  their  ships  from  the  icy  thraldom 
in  which  they  were  imprisoned.  The  freedom  of  their 
vessels  must  be  their  first  thought,  for  it  really  was 
their  only  prospect  of  salvation.  We  may  be  sure  that 


1848.]          SURVIVORS  IN  DIRE  EXTREMITIES.  223 

everything  was  done  with  this  end  in  view  that  could 
possibly  be  accomplished.  Ice  saws,  we  may  reasonably 
infer,  were  in  constant  use ;  powder  was  doubtless  em- 
ployed in  futile  endeavours  to  break  the  frozen  bonds 
that  held  their  ships  so  securely,  and  every  expedient, 
we  may  be  certain,  was  resorted  to  that  science  or 
human  ingenuity  could  devise ;  but  all  were  fruitless — 
the  ships  remained  fixed  and  immovable.  But  although 
their  vessels  remained  stationary,  the  ice  in  which  they 
were  held  captive  was  not  so,  and  they  soon  discovered 
that  they  were  drifting  slowly  with  the  whole  body  of 
the  pack  in  a  southerly  direction.  This,  at  any  rate, 
was  promising,  and  served  in  a  measure  to  revive  their 
drooping  spirits,  for  they  thought  they  might  perhaps 
drift  down  to  the  American  continent,  when  their  chances 
of  rescue  and  succour  would  be  materially  enhanced. 

But  as  the  autumn  advanced  they  had  the  mortifica- 
tion of  finding  that  their  daily  drift  to  the  southward  was 
gradually  decreasing,  until  alas  !  it  ceased  altogether. 
They  were  then  only  fifteen  short  miles  from  Point 
Victory,  and  not  more  than  about  sixty  from  the  Ameri- 
can coast.  God's  will  be  done  !  for  they  know  that — 

"  Winter  with  his  naked  arms 
And  chilling  breath  is  here  ; 
The  rills  that  all  the  autumn  time 
Went  singing  to  the  sea, 
Are  waiting  in  their  icy  chains 
For  spring  to  set  them  free." 

They  are  indeed  now  in  dire  extremities.  It  is  too 
late  in  the  season  to  think  of  abandoning  the  ships  in 
order  to  seek  for  succour  by  attempting  to  reach  the 
American  coast,  and  thence  to  travel  by  the  Great  Fish 
lliver  to  some  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  establishments  in 


224  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [1840- 

that  neighbourhood.  They  knew,  from  Franklin's  former 
terrible  experiences,  that  game  was  not  to  be  obtained 
during  the  winter  months  on  the  barren  lands  of  the 
continent,  so  that  they  were  well  aware,  in  the  event  of 
being  unable  to  reach  the  Hudson's  Bay  posts,  starva- 
tion must  be  the  inevitable  result.  Only  one  course  was 
open  to  them — namely,  to  pass  another  long  and  dreary 
winter  in  their  ships,  and  then  abandon  them  in  the 
following  spring,  and  this  of  necessity  was  the  one 
decided  on  and  adopted. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  attempt  to  picture  the  miseries  of 
that  third  winter.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  cold,  want,  and 
disease  did  their  cruel  work,  and  the  sun  of  1848  rose 
upon  an  emaciated,  weak,  and  alas !  a  diminished  party, 
for  we  know  that  no  less  than  nine  officers  and  twelve 
men  passed  away  during  those  two  terrible  winters  besides 
the  three  who  died  during  the  first  winter,  and  were 
buried  at  Beechey  Island.  Among  those  who  died  was 
the  first  lieutenant  of  the  Erebus,  "  the  sweet-tempered  " 
Graham  Gore,  who  was  the  first  to  discover  and  report 
the  existence  of  the  north-west  passage,  and  who  had 
been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  commander  in  the  vacancy 
caused  by  the  death  of  Sir  John  Franklin.  Poor  fellow, 
he  did  not  live  long  to  enjoy  his  well-earned  step.  The 
number  of  officers  who  perished  up  to  this  time  seems 
to  bear  a  remarkable  and  unusual  proportion  to  the 
number  of  men  who  died  during  the  same  period,  and 
can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  supposition  that  the 
former  exposed  themselves  more  than  the  latter,  in 
their  endeavours  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  those 
committed  to  their  charge. 

The  survivors  now  number  105,  but  we  may  safely 
infer  that  the  greater  part  of  these  poor  fellows  were 


1848.]  THE  SHIPS  ABANDONED.  225 

sadly  reduced  by  weakness  and  disease,  and  some,  we 
may  also  be  assured,  were  in  a  perfectly  helpless  condi- 
tion. Nevertheless,  having  made  the  best  arrangements 
that  were,  under  the  circumstances,  possible,  these  brave 
men,  in  response  to  the  decision  to  abandon  the  ships, 
cheerfully  manned  the  drag-ropes  of  the  sledges  that 
had  been  previously  prepared  and  packed,  and  under 
the  leadership  of  Crozier  and  Fitzjames,  bade  farewell 
to  the  Erebus  and  Terror  on  the  morning  of  April  22nd, 
and  started  on  their  long  journey  towards  the  Great 
Fish  River,  where  they  hoped,  at  any  rate,  to  meet  with 
Indians,  who  might  possibly  supply  them  with  food. 

Had  they  but  known  that  Sir  James  Ross,  with  a 
couple  of  ships,  would,  in  four  short  months,  be  within 
three  hundred  miles  of  the  position  of  the  Erebus  and 
Terror  when  they  were  abandoned,  and  that  relief  parties 
from  his  ships  would  actually  approach  more  than  one 
hundred  miles  nearer  to  them,  how  different  might  the 
result  have  been ! 

The  necessity  for  abandoning  the  ships  so  early  in 
the  season  seems  somewhat  unaccountable ;  it  may  have 
been  due  to  the  fact  that  they  were  running  short  of 
provisions  on  board,  or,  which  is  quite  possible,  to 
their  anxiety  to  make  an  early  start.  It  is  estimated 
that  they  were  not  able  to  carry  away  with  them  on 
their  sledges  provisions  for  more  than  about  forty  days, 
so  that  even  had  they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  con- 
tinent of  America,  they  would  have  been  without  food 
for  some  considerable  time,  as  their  provisions  would 
have  been  expended  before  they  could  possibly  hope  to 
find  game  in  sufficient  quantity  to  supply  their  party  with 
food,  for,  as  a  rule,  the  animals  do  not  begin  to  frequent 
the  barren  lands  of  the  continent  before  the  latter  end 

p 


226  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1846- 

of  the  summer.  It  would  therefore,  it  seems,  have  been 
better  for  them  to  have  deferred  the  abandonment  of 
their  ships  until  the  month  of  May,  when  they  would 
have  had  warmer  weather  for  travelling,  provided,  of 
course,  they  had  on  board  the  vessels  the  wherewithal 
to  sustain  life  for  that  duration  of  time ;  of  this,  how- 
ever, we  have  no  knowledge,  nor  will  the  information 
now  ever  be  forthcoming. 

In  addition  to  the  provisions  and  stores  with  which 
their  sledges  were  loaded,  they  also  carried  a  couple  of 
whale-boats,  which  were  each  secured  on  a  separate  sledge. 
That  these  sledges  must  have  been  heavily  weighted,  as 
seems  more  than  probable,  or  that  the  physical  capa- 
bilities of  the  men  were  much  reduced,  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  it  took  them  three  days  to  reach  Point 
Victory,  a  distance  of  only  fifteen  miles.  This  pain- 
ful fact  appears  to  have  been  realised  by  them  on 
reaching  the  land,  for  at  this  point  they  seem  to  have 
lightened  their  sledges  by  abandoning  everything  that 
could  possibly  be  spared,  or  that  might  be  considered 
superfluous,  carrying  with  them  nothing  but  those 
articles  that  were  absolutely  and  essentially  necessary 
for  their  sustenance.  This  was  ascertained  in  after 
years1  by  finding  this  particular  spot  strewn  with  an 
accumulation  of  articles  of  all  sorts,  such  as  clothing 
in  great  quantities,  stores  of  various  descriptions,  blocks, 
shovels,  pick- axes,  red,  white,  and  blue  ensigns,  and  even 
the  brass  ornaments  of  a  marine's  shako,  the  fragment  of 
a  copper  lightning-conductor  and  a  brass  curtain -rod ! 
It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that  so  many  useless  articles 
should  have  been  carried  away  from  the  ships — articles 
that  could  not  possibly  be  required  (unless  they  were 

1  In  1859,  by  Sir  Leopold  M'Clintock  and  Lieutenant  Hobson. 


1848.]        LAST  KECOKD  OF  THE  EXPEDITION.  227 

specially  taken  for  the  purpose  of  barter  with  the 
natives),  and  which  could  be  nothing  else  than  lumber 
on  their  already  heavily  laden  sledges. 

On  their  arrival  at  Point  Victory,  Lieutenant  Irving 
of  the  Terror  found  the  record  that  had  been  left  the 
previous  year  by  Graham  Gore.  Unrolling  it,  Crozier 
and  Fitzjames  wrote  the  following  words  round  the 
margin,  which  tells  us  briefly  all  we  shall  ever  know 
of  the  proceedings  of  the  expedition  to  that  date  : 1 — 

"April  25,  1848. — H.M.  ships  Terror  and  Erebus  were 
deserted  on  the  22nd  of  April,  five  leagues  N.N.W.  of  this, 
having  been  beset  since  I2th  September  1846.  The  officers 
and  crews,  consisting  of  105  souls,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  F.  R.  M.  Crozier,  landed  here  in  latitude  69°  37'  42" 
N.,  longitude  98°  41'  W.  A  paper  was  found  by  Lieutenant 
Irving  under  the  cairn  supposed  to  have  been  built  by  Sir 
James  Ross  in  1831,  4  miles  to  the  northward,  where  it  had 
been  deposited  by  the  late  Commander  Gore  in  June  1847. 
Sir  James  Ross's  pillar  has  not,  however,  been  found,  and  the 
paper  has  been  transferred  to  this  position,  which  is  that  in 
which  Sir  James  Ross's  pillar  was  erected.  Sir  John  Franklin 
died  on  the  nth  June  1847,  and  the  total  loss  by  deaths  in 
the  expedition  has  been  to  this  date  9  officers  and  1 5  men. 
Start  on  to-morrow,  26th,  for  Back's  Fish  River." 

The  document  is  signed  by  F.  R.  M.  Crozier,  captain 
and  senior  officer,  and  James  Fitzjames,  captain  H.M.S. 
JKrebus.  Regarding  the  allusion  in  this  record  to  the 
paper  deposited  by  the  sledge  party  under  Graham  Gore 
the  previous  year,  it  should  be  observed  that  the  month 
May  was  originally  written,  and  then  subsequently 
scratched  out  and  June  substituted.  This  is  evidently 
an  error — it  should  have  remained  May,  for  Sir  John 
Franklin  died  on  the  nth  of  June,  and  we  know  he  was 
1  See  page  270. 


228 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 


[1848- 


alive  when  the  travelling  party  left  the  Erebus  on  the 
24th  of  May;  the  paper  was  written  and  deposited  in 
the  cairn  four  days  afterwards. 

Having    relieved    their    sledges    of    all    superfluous 
weights,  the   retreating   party   left   Point   Victory   on 


MAP  OF  KING  WILLIAM  ISLAND,   SHOWING  FRANKLIN'S  LINE  OF 
RETREAT. 

the  26th  April,  and  pushed  on  in  a  southerly  direction, 
adhering  to  the  coast-line  of  King  William  Island.  We 
will  not  say  that  with  their  lightened  loads  they  were 
able  to  make  rapid  progress,  but  we  may,  at  any  rate, 


1848.]          PARTY  DIVIDED  INTO  TWO  BANDS.  229 

assume  that  their  advance  was  less  slow  than  when  they 
left  their  ships  ;  but  what  a  cheerless  and  a  dismal  route 
was  theirs — 

"  All  waste !  no  sign  of  life 
But  the  track  of  the  wolf  and  the  bear  ! 
No  sound  but  the  wild  wild  wind, 
And  the  snow  crunching  under  their  feet." 

Poor  fellows  !  their  march  was  indeed  a  hopeless  one, 
and  as  such  they  must,  one  and  all,  have  regarded 
it;  but,  at  the  same  time,  they  knew  it  was  their  last 
and  only  chance  for  life,  and  who  will  not  fight  bravely 
and  gallantly  ..when  Jais  existence Js the_stake  for  which 
heiscontending  ?  Day  by  day  did  the  strength  of  these 
sorely-stricken  men  diminish,  and  day  by  day  were  their 
hardships  and  privations  increased  by  want  and  disease. 
Can  we,  or  shall  we  ever  be  able  to  realise  the  sufferings, 
both  mental  and  physical,  endured  by  that  half-famished 
band,  as  they  bravely  struggled  onward  ?  It  is  certainly 
impossible  to  pen  a  description  of  them  that  would  in 
any  way  convey  an  idea  of  the  reality. 

Before  they  had  proceeded  many  miles,  it  became 
only  too  palpable  that  in  order  to  afford  a  chance  of 
salvation  to  even  a  portion  of  the  party,  a  division  must 
be  made — their  rate  of  progression,  hampered  as  they 
were  with  the  sick  and  helpless,  was  so  slow,  that  it  was 
evident  all  must  perish  unless  some  such  arrangement 
was  made.  It  is  therefore  conjectured  that  the  party 
separated  into  two  bands,  the  fittest  and  the  strongest 
being  selected  to  push  on  with  the  object  of  procuring 
assistance,  if  indeed  aid  was  forthcoming,  whilst  the  re- 
mainder, comprising  the  weak  and  the  sick,  should  return 
to  the  ships— better,  it  was  thought,  to  linger  in  their 


230  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1846- 

vessels,  where,  at  any  rate,  shelter  from  the  inclemency 
and  rigour  of  the  climate  could  be  obtained,  than  to  die 
of  cold  and  starvation  on  the  barren  snow-covered 
shores  of  King  William  Island.  One  boat,  it  is  assumed, 
was  left  with  the  party  that  remained ;  the  other  was 
taken  on  to  the  southward. 

All  the  knowledge  we  have  been  able  to  gain  of  those 
poor  fellows  who,  unable  to  proceed,  had  been  left  behind, 
was  the  discovery  of  their  boat,  with  her  bow  pointed 
to  the  northward  in  the  direction  of  the  ships,  and 
containing  two  human  skeletons.  It  is  not  difficult  to 
guess  the  terrible  fate  of  this  party,  for  although  the 
boat  contained  a  large  assortment  of  clothing  and  stores 
of  all  kinds,  there  was  an  entire  absence  of  provisions, 
unless  a  very  small  quantity  of  tea  and  sugar  could 
be  considered  as  such.  At  any  rate,  there  was  nothing 
in  her  that  was  capable  of  supporting  life.  The  boat 
was  found  about  fifty  miles  from  Point  Victory,  and 
about  sixty-five  from  the  position  the  ships  occupied 
when  abandoned.  It  is  surmised  that  the  men  com- 
posing this  party,  finding  their  strength  unequal  to 
drag  the  boat  any  further,  pushed  on  to  the  ships,  and 
that  the  two  poor  fellows  whose  skeletons  were  found  in 
the  boat,  being  too  weak  or  ill  to  accompany  them,  were 
left  behind  until  relief  could  be  sent  to  their  aid.  That 
succour,  alas  !  never  came. 

The  southern  detachment  pushed  onwards.  They  were 
but  a  small  party,  and  probably  did  not  number  more 
than  fifty.  After  struggling  painfully  onward,  knowing 
that  on  their  exertions  the  safety  of  their  more  helpless 
companions  depended,  Cape  Herschel  was  reached,  and 
here,  it  is  supposed,  they  must  have  passed  close  to  the 
cairn  erected  by  Simpson  in  1839.  This  cairn  was 


1848.]         DISCOVERY  OF  A  HUMAN  SKELETON.          231 

in  after  years  examined  by  Sir  Leopold  M'Clintock,  but 
in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  discover  some  record  con- 
cealed within  it,  no  paper  or  document  of  any  description 
was  found.  Had  any  been  deposited,  it  must  have  been 
destroyed  or  thrown  away  by  the  Eskimos,  who  would,  of 
course,  be  ignorant  of  its  value.  All  that  was  discovered 
was  a  human  skeleton,  whose  bones  were  found  bleach- 
ing about  ten  miles  to  the  eastward  of  Cape  HerscheL 
These  human  remains  told  with  silent  eloquence  a  sad 
and  mournful  tale,  for  its  position — it  was  lying  face 
downwards — fully  bore  out  the  words  of  an  old  Eskimo 
woman  who  had  seen,  so  it  was  reported,  the  party  re- 
treating to  the  southward,  and  who  said  "  they  fell 
down  and  died  as  they  walked  along."  From  Cape 
Herschel  the  remnants  of  this  wretched  band  of  poor 
wayworn,  starved,  and  scurvy-stricken  Englishmen 
crossed  over  to  Adelaide  Peninsula,  where  it  is  sup- 
posed they  all  perished  on  their  way  to  the  Great  Fish 
River,  where  they  hoped  to  obtain  assistance  and  relief. 
At  any  rate,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  relics  found 
at  Montreal  Island,  which  may  have  been  carried  thither 
by  the  Eskimos,  no  further  traces  of  the  party  were 
ever  found  to  the  southward — all  is  wrapped  in  darkness 
and  mystery. 

A  faint  gleam  of  light  is  thrown  over  the  last  days 
of  these  unfortunate  men  by  information  collected  from 
the  Eskimos  by  Dr.  Rae  in  1854,  Sir  Leopold  M'Clintock 
in  1859,  Captain  Hall  in  1869,  and  Lieutenant  Schwatka 
in  1880.  From  what  could  be  learnt  from  the  members 
of  these  nomadic  tribes,  a  party  of  about  forty  white 
men  were  seen  during  the  spring  of  the  year  (supposed 
to  be  1848)  travelling  southwards  dragging  sledges  and 
a  boat.  They  were  very  thin,  and  appeared  to  be  in 


232  LIFE  OF  SIB  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [1846- 

want  of  provisions.  None  could  speak  the  Eskimo  lan- 
guage, but  by  signs  they  gave  the  natives  to  understand 
that  their  ship,  or  ships,  had  been  destroyed  by  the  ice, 
and  they  were  journeying  to  where  they  hoped  to  get 
deer  or  other  food. 

All  this  information  it  must  be  remembered  was 
obtained  at  second  hand  from  the  natives,  who  had 
received  the  intelligence  from  others.  They  affirmed 
that  "  several  years  ago  a  ship  was  crushed  by  the  ice 
off  the  north  shore  of  King  William  Island,  but  all  her 
people  landed  safely,  and  went  away  to  the  Great  Fish 
River,  where  they  died."  A  second  ship  also,  we  are 
told,  "  had  been  seen  off  King  William  Island,  and  that 
she  drifted  on  shore  at  the  fall  of  the  same  year." 
When  the  ship  was  seen  by  the  natives  she  was 
apparently  intact — one  boat  was  on  deck,  and  four 
others  were  hoisted  up  outside.  Subsequently  she  was 
crushed  by  the  ice  and  destroyed.  It  was  further 
reported  that  in  one  of  the  ships  was  the  body  of  a 
man,  "a  tall  man,  with  long  teeth  and  large  bones." 
The  remains  thus  found  might  have  been  those  of  some 
poor  fellow  who  had  perhaps  breathed  his  last  as  the 
ships  were  being  abandoned,  or  he  may  have  formed  one 
of  that  forlorn  hope  that,  as  has  already  been  surmised, 
separated  from  the  remainder  of  their  shipmates,  and 
attempted  to  return  when  they  were  midway  between 
Point  Victory  and  Cape  Herschel,  only  to  reach  the  shelter 
of  his  ship  in  time  to  die.  In  spite  of  the  most  diligent 
search  that  was  made,  no  vestige  of  either  ship  was 
found  by  M'Clintock  or  subsequent  explorers,  so  it  may 
reasonably  be  inferred  that  they  had  been  destroyed  and 
completely  swept  away  by  the  ice,  as  stated  by  the 
Eskimos.  From  the  west  extreme  of  King  William 


1848.]  THE  WHITE  MEN'S  GKAVES.  233 

Island  to  Cape  Felix,  the  low  barren  shore,  destitute 
of  vegetation,  was  strewn  with  traces  of  the  disastrous 
retreat  of  our  helpless  countrymen. 

In  1869  Captain  Hall  was  informed,  by  the  natives  he 
met  in  King  William  Island,  that  the  graves  of  two  white 
men  were  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Pfeiffer  River, 
and  that  there  was  another  white  man's  grave  on  a  long 
low  point  jutting  out  into  the  sea,  some  five  or  six  miles 
further  to  the  eastward.  The  remains  of  five  white  men 
were  also  discovered  on  a  small  islet,  called  Todd  Islet, 
about  two  or  three  miles  off  this  point.  Hall  was 
further  informed  that  in  a  bay  to  the  west  of  Point 
Richardson,  which  has  subsequently  been  named  Starva- 
tion Cove,  a  boat  covered  with  an  awning  and  containing 
the  remains  of  thirty  or  thirty- five  men  was  found.  It 
was  also  reported  that  a  tent  had  been  seen  in  the 
vicinity  of  Terror  Bay,  "the  floor  of  which  was  com- 
pletely covered  with  the  bodies  of  white  men."  In 
fact,  the  line  of  retreat  of  these  unfortunate  men 
was  clearly  defined  by  the  skeletons  of  those  poor 
fellows  who  had  dropped  down  and  died  as  they  walked 
along. 

Thus  perished  that  gallant  band  of  heroes  who,  so 
full  of  hope  and  enthusiasm,  left  England  in  1 845  under 
the  leadership  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  resolved  to  do  all 
that  lay  in  their  power  to  deserve,  even  if  they  could  not 
command,  success. 

How  well  and  nobly,  in  the  face  of  unparalleled  hard- 
ships and  difficulties,  they  carried  out  that  resolution, 
has  been  abundantly  proved.  Glorious  as  is  the  story 
of  this  ill-fated  expedition,  it  is  a  sad  and  harrowing 
one.  But  it  does  us  good  to  think  of  it,  for  it  excites 
our  admiration  and  kindles  our  respect  for  those  brave 


234 


LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FEANKLIN. 


[1848. 


men,  "the  World's  Great  Explorers,"  who  have  cheer- 
fully and  willingly  borne  great  sufferings  and  priva- 
tions—aye, and  have  unhesitatingly  laid  down  their 
lives — in  the  interesting,  useful,  and  great  cause  of 
exploration  and  geographical  science. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ANXIETY  RESPECTING  SAFETY  OF  FRANKLIN- 
EXPEDITIONS  DESPATCHED  IN  SEARCH. 

1847-1859. 

"  In  battle  fearless,  and  in  danger  brave, 
Bearing  his  country's  red-cross  flag  aloft, 
Triumphant  over  foes  and  elements, 
No  peril  stopped  him." 

As  the  year  1847  arrived,  and  brought  with  it  no  in- 
telligence of,  or  from,  Sir  John  Franklin,  and  those 
serving  under  his  command,  considerable  anxiety  was 
naturally  felt  in  England  regarding  their  safety,  for 
the  fact  that  they  were  only  supplied  with  stores  and 
provisions  to  last  until  the  early  part  of  1848  was  well 
known.  There  were  not  wanting  those  who  already  took 
a  gloomy  view  of  affairs,  and  predicted  disaster ;  while 
others,  in  responsible  positions,  looked  upon  the  matter 
in  a  more  practical  light,  and  judging  that  the  time 
for  energetic  action  had  arrived,  brought  pressure  to 
bear  on  the  Government  to  induce  it  to  consider  the 
necessity  of  not  only  sending  relief  in  the  shape  of 
supplies  to  various  parts  of  the  North  American 
continent,  but  also  urged  the  desirability  of  at  once 
instituting  an  organised  search  on  an  extended  scale 
for  the  absent  expedition.  So  impressed  were  the 

Admiralty   with   the   views  thus   set   forth,  and   with 
235 


236  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

the  necessity  of  adopting  some  measures  of  immediate 
relief,  that  in  the  summer  of  1847  they  made  arrange- 
ments with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  for  the  despatch 
of  a  large  supply  of  provisions l  to  their  most  northern 
stations  in  North  America,  in  readiness  for  the  crews 
of  Franklin's  ships,  should  they  have  abandoned  their 
vessels  and  be  retreating  in  that  direction. 

Instructions  were  also  sent  to  the  various  Hudson's 
Bay  Company's  posts  to  warn  the  Indians  to  look  out  for, 
and  assist  the  survivors,  if  fallen  in  with.  Large  rewards 
were  likewise  offered  by  the  Government  to  the  masters 
and  crews  of  all  ships  employed  in  the  whale  fishery  in 
Baffin's  Bay,  should  they  perchance  "  succeed  in  obtain- 
ing any  information  or  record  of  the  progress  of  the 
Erebus  and  Terror  through  Lancaster  Sound  and  to 
the  westward."  This  was  supplemented  by  a  reward 
of  ^2000  offered  by  Lady  Franklin,  to  anybody  who 
should  obtain  reliable  information  regarding  the  fate, 
or  otherwise,  of  the  missing  expedition. 

"When  the  year  1847  passed  without  bringing  any 
tidings  of  the  absent  ships,  the  Government  lost  no 
time  in  adopting  what  they  considered  to  be  the  best 
means  for  ascertaining  the  whereabouts,  or  the  fate,  of 
the  missing  expedition.  In  the  first  place,  it  was  decided 
to  institute  a  search  by  following,  very  wisely,  as  much 
as  possible,  in  the  footsteps  of  Franklin.  With  this 
object  in  view,  two  vessels,  the  Enterprise  of  471  tons, 
and  the  Investigator  of  420  tons  burthen,  were  selected 
and  commissioned,  and  the  charge  of  them  entrusted  to 
Captain  Sir  James  Clarke  Koss.  With  him  was  asso- 
ciated Captain  Edward  Bird,  who  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  second  ship.  These  officers  were  ex- 

1  The  amount  sent  was  seventy-five  days'  provisions  for  120  men. 


1859.]  SEARCH  EXPEDITIONS.  237 

perienced  ice  navigators,  and  had  taken  part  with  Parry 
during  his  memorable  attempt  to  reach  the  North  Pole 
in  1827.  The  latter  served  also  as  first  lieutenant  of 
the  Erebus  in  Ross's  Antarctic  voyage. 

A  second  expedition,  under  the  command  of  Franklin's 
old  friend  and  travelling  companion,  Sir  John  Richard- 
son,  with  Mr.  John  Rae  (an  official  belonging  to  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company),  was  sent  with  orders  to  de- 
scend the  Mackenzie  River,  and  examine  the  coast 
thence  to  the  Coppermine  River,  as  also  the  southern 
and  western  shores  of  Wollaston  Land.  In  order  to 
render  the  search  as  complete  as  possible,  another 
expedition,  consisting  of  the  Herald,  under  Captain 
Kellett,  and  the  Plover,  under  Commander  Moore,  was 
sent  to  Bering's  Strait,  with  instructions  to  proceed 
along  the  American  coast  as  far  as  possible  to  the  east- 
ward, and  to  endeavour  to  communicate  with  the  party 
under  the  command  of  Sir  John  Richardson. 

Thus  it  appears  that  everything  was  done  that  could 
possibly  be  accomplished,  in  order  to  afford  relief  and 
succour  to  the  absent  explorers,  or  to  obtain  intelligence 
of  their  fate  in  the  event  of  any  untoward  catastrophe 
having  befallen  them. 

The  first-named  expedition,  that  under  the  command 
of  Sir  James  Clarke  Ross,  sailed  from  England  on  the 
1 2th  June  1848.  Proceeding  without  much  difficulty 
up  Baffin's  Bay  and  Lancaster  Sound,  it  was  ultimately 
stopped  by  an  ice  barrier  across  Barrow's  Strait,  and 
they  were  compelled  to  seek  winter  quarters  in  Port 
Leopold,  on  the  north-east  coast  of  North  Somerset. 
During  the  ensuing  spring,  travelling  parties  from  the 
ships  reached  Cape  Hurd,  on  the  north  shore  of  Barrow's 
Strait,  while  the  eastern  and  the  western  coasts  of  Prince 


238 


LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FKANKLIN. 


[1847- 


Regent  Inlet  as  far  south  as  Fury  beach  were  carefully 
searched. 

Had  the  survivors  from  the  Erebus  and  Terror  made 
for  Fury  beach  instead  of  attempting  to  reach  the 
Great  Fish  River,  the  probabilities  are  they  would  have 
been  saved,  for  they  would  there  have  found  all  the 
stores  and  provisions  that  had  been  landed  from  the 
Fury  when  that  vessel  was  wrecked  in  1825.  These 
would  have  been  more  than  sufficient  to  sustain  the 
party  until  the  following  spring  (that  of  1849),  wnen 
they  would  have  been  found  and  relieved  by  the  search 
parties  sent  out  by  Sir  James  Ross  from  Port  Leopold. 
Captain  Crozier  must  have  been  well  aware  of  the  exist- 
ence of  this  large  dep6t  of  provisions,  for  he  was  serving 
in  the  Fury  at  the  time  of  her  loss.  It  is,  however, 
assumed  that  he  did  not  feel  justified  in  conducting 
his  unfortunate  men  some  seventy  or  eighty  miles  out 
of  their  course,  when  there  was  the  possibility  of  the 
provisions  having  been  discovered  and  appropriated  by 
the  Eskimos.  He  was  not  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  Sir 
John  Ross,  with  his  small  party,  wintered  at  Fury  beach 
in  1832-3,  and  that  when  he  left,  there  was  an  ample 
supply  of  provisions  remaining.1 

During  this  spring  of  1849,  Sir  James  Ross,  accom- 
panied by  Lieutenant  M'Clintock,  travelled  as  far  as 
Cape  Coulman  in  Peel  Strait,  in  latitude  72°  38'  1ST. 
They  were  then,  although  they  were  ignorant  of  the 
fact,  in  the  direct  track  of  Franklin's  ships.  Had  it 


1  Sir  L.  M'Clintock  visited  Fury  beach  in  1859,  and  found  every- 
thing intact. 

The  Editor  also  of  this  work  paid  Fury  beach  a  visit  in  1873,  when 
he  found  the  remaining  stores  and  provisions  in  a  perfect  state  of 
preservation. 


1859.]         RETURN  OF  SEARCH  EXPEDITIONS.  239 

been  possible  for  them  to  continue  their  journey  they 
would,  in  all  probability,  have  seen  the  deserted  vessels, 
but  their  provisions  being  nearly  expended  necessitated 
their  return  from  this  point  to  Port  Leopold.  On  the 
arrival  of  the  Enterprise  and  Investigator  at  Port  Leopold 
in  the  autumn  of  1848,  those  ships  were  actually  within 
300  miles  of  the  position  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror, 
four  months  after  those  unfortunate  vessels  had  been 
abandoned ! 

Eoss  returned  to  England  somewhat  unexpectedly  in 
the  autumn  of  1849,  having  been  beset  by  the  ice  off 
Leopold  Island,  in  which  he  had  drifted  out  of  Lancaster 
Sound  into  Baffin's  Bay.  He  missed  a  store  ship,  the 
North  Star,  that  had  been  despatched  in  May  to  meet 
him,  laden  with  provisions  for  his  use.  She  wintered  in 
Wolstenholme  Sound,  on  the  west  coast  of  Greenland. 

Sir  John  Richardson  also  returned  in  1849,  having 
been  unsuccessful  in  his  efforts  to  discover  any  traces  of 
the  missing  expedition,  although  he  had  made  a  thorough 
examination  of  the  Arctic  shores  of  America  between 
the  Mackenzie  and  Coppermine  Rivers.  His  attempts 
to  cross  over  to  Wollaston  Land  were  frustrated  by 
heavy  ice  being  packed  in  the  channel.  This  accom- 
plished and  indefatigable  officer  subsequently  assisted  in 
the  preparation  of  the  pemmican  for  nearly  all  the  search- 
ing expeditions,  and  personally  superintended  the  supply 
of  the  other  provisions  and  stores  required  by  them. 

At  this  time  the  Government  offered  a  reward  of 
^20,000,  to  which  Lady  Franklin  offered  a  further  sum  of 
^3000,  to  any  "  exploring  party  or  parties  as  may,  in  the 
judgment  of  the  Admiralty,  have  rendered  efficient  assist- 
ance to  Sir  John  Franklin,  his  ships,  or  their  crews." 

On  the  return  of  Sir  James  Ross,  the  Government, 


240  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

with  commendable  promptitude,  resolved  upon  the  im- 
mediate examination  of  those  places  in  the  Polar  basin 
where  it  was  thought  most  likely  that  traces  of  the 
missing  expedition  might  be  discovered.  With  this 
object  in  view,  the  Enterprise  and  Investigator  were  at 
once  re- equipped  and  re-commissioned,  but  this  time  for 
the  purpose  of  entering  the  unknown  area  from  the 
westward  through  Bering's  Strait.  The  command  of 
this  expedition  was  given  to  Captain  Richard  Collinson, 
C.B.,  an  accomplished  surveyor  and  a  distinguished 
officer,  who  hoisted  his  pendant  in  the  Enterprise,  while 
Commander  Robert  J.  Le  Mesurier  M'Clure,  who  had 
served  as  a  mate  in  the  Terror  with  Captain  Back  in 
1836,  and  was  first  lieutenant  of  the  Enterprise  in 
Ross's  late  expedition,  was  appointed  to  the  command  of 
the  Investigator.  These  vessels  left  England  in  January 
1850,  with  orders  to  pass  through  Bering's  Strait  during 
the  following  navigable  season,  and  thence  proceed  with 
the  utmost  expedition  to  the  eastward,  and  examine 
Melville  Island,  Banks  Land,  Wollaston  and  Victoria 
Land,  or  otherwise  according  to  the  discretion  and  judg- 
ment of  Captain  Collinson.  The  Plover  was  also  ordered 
to  winter  in  Kotzebue  Sound  in  order  to  act  as  a  depot, 
whence  assistance  could  be  obtained  in  the  unfortunate 
event  of  any  serious  calamity  befalling  the  two  ships. 

Four  months  after  the  departure  of  the  Enterprise 
and  Investigator,  a  goodly  squadron,  consisting  of  the 
ships  Resolute,  Assistance,  and  the  steam  tenders  In- 
trepid and  Pioneer,1  sailed  under  the  command  of 


1  This  was  practically  the  first  occasion  on  which  full-powered 
steamers  were  employed  in  ice  navigation.  The  result  was  so  favour- 
able that  steam-whalers  were  gradually  introduced  in  the  Baffin's  Bay 
whale  fishery  to  the  total  exclusion  of  sailing  ships. 


HENRY   GRINNELL,  ESQ. 
[From  a  Photograph  by  Alex.  Eassano.] 


1859.]     BKITISH  AND  AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONS.         243 

Captain  Horatio  Austin,  C.B.,  with  Captain  Eras- 
mus Ommaney  as  his  second,  with  the  object  of 
carrying  out  an  exhaustive  search  through  Lancaster 
Sound  in  the  direction  of  Melville  and  the  Parry 
Islands. 

In  addition  to  these  vessels,  a  couple  of  whaling  brigs, 
under  the  command  of  Captains  Penny  and  Stewart,  two 
successful  and  experienced  whaling  skippers,  were  also 
despatched  by  the  Government,  with  orders  to  under- 
take the  examination  of  Jones  Sound  and  Wellington 
Channel ;  whilst  an  American  expedition,  fitted  out  at 
the  expense  of  that  munificent  and  philanthropic  citizen 
of  New  York,  Mr.  Henry  Grinnell,  and  manned  by 
officers  and  seamen  of  the  United  States  Navy,  was 
sent  out  to  Lancaster  Sound  in  order  to  assist  in  the 
search,  and  to  co-operate  with  their  English  brethren  in 
the  humane  and  important  work  entrusted  to  them.  This 
expedition  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  De  Haven  of 
the  United  States  navy.  Lady  Franklin  also,  at  her 
own  expense,  equipped  the  Prince  Albert,  a  schooner  of 
ninety  tons,  which  sailed  under  the  command  of  Com- 
mander Forsyth,  R.N.,  with  instructions  to  explore  the 
shores  of  Prince  Regent  Inlet.  And  finally  that  gallant 
and  intrepid  old  veteran  Sir  John  Ross,  who  was  then 
in  his  seventy-fourth  year,  and  had  reached  the  rank 
of  admiral,  went  up  in  a  small  schooner  called  the 
Felix,  accompanied  by  a  little  yacht  of  twelve  tons 
named  the  Mary.  This  latter  expedition  was  equipped 
and  fitted  out  partly  at  the  cost  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company,  and  partly  by  private  subscription.  It 
passed  the  winter  of  1850-1  off  the  coast  of  Cornwallis 
Island. 

Thus,  in  the  autumn  of  1850,  there  were  no  less  than 


244  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

fifteen  vessels,  directly  and  indirectly,  engaged  in  the 
search  for  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  missing  ships. 
To  these  various  expeditions  must  be  added  a  boat 
journey  made  by  Lieutenant  Pullen,  who  was  sent  by 
Captain  Kellett  from  Point  Barrow  to  the  eastward 
along  the  north  coast  of  America  to  the  Mackenzie 
River,  which  he  ascended  as  far  as  the  Great  Slave 
Lake ;  while  Dr.  Rae  was  also  employed  in  exploring 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  Coppermine  River  and  the 
shores  of  Wollaston  and  Victoria  Land.  It  will  thus 
be  seen  that  the  entire  continental  coast-line  between 
Bering's  Strait  to  a  position  in  latitude  70°  on  the 
east  coast  of  Victoria  Land,  was  to  be  thoroughly 
examined. 

Everything  was  conducted  on  a  most  liberal  and 
generous  scale,  and  in  such  a  way  as  to  satisfy  the 
country  that  no  stone  would  be  left  unturned  in  order 
to  find  some  trace,  if  any  existed,  of  the  missing  ships 
and  their  gallant  crews.  The  Polar  area  explored  by 
these  several  expeditions  was  very  extensive,  and  great 
and  important  geographical  work  was  necessarily 
effected ;  but  they  failed  in  the  accomplishment  of  the 
main  object  for  which  they  were  despatched,  namely, 
the  relief  of  Franklin  and  his  companions,  and  their  fate, 
unhappily,  continued  to  be  wrapped  in  dark  and  pro- 
found mystery. 

The  ships  under  the  command  of  Captain  Austin 
wintered  at  Griffith  Island  in  Barrow's  Strait ;  but 
before  seeking  winter  quarters,  great  joy  and  no  little 
excitement  was  caused  by  the  discovery  that  the  miss- 
ing expedition  under  Sir  John  Franklin  had  passed 
their  first  winter  (1845-6)  at  Beechey  Island.  The  first 
traces  of  the  lost  ones  were  discovered  by  Captain 


1859.] 


SEARCH  BY  SLEDGING  PARTIES. 


245 


Ommaney  of  the  Assistance  at  Point  Biley,1  and  the 
graves  of  three  of  those  who  had  died  during  that  winter 
(vide  page  213)  were  subsequently  found  by  Captain 


GRAVES   ON  BEECHEY  ISLAND. 

Penny.     The  neighbourhood  was,  as  may  well  be  ima- 
gined, thoroughly  searched   in  the  hope   of  finding  a 

1  At  Franklin's  winter  quarters  were  found  several  heaps  consisting 
of  preserved  meat  tins  filled  with  gravel,  raised  to  a  height  of  two 
feet,  and  varying  in  breadth  from  three  to  four  yards. 

Dr.  Sutherland  computed  the  number  of  these  tins  to  be  about  700, 
while  many  more  were  also  found  scattered  about  during  the  search 


246  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

record,  or  document,  that  would  afford  some  clue  as  to 
the  direction  it  was  intended  that  the  Erebus  and  Terror 
should  take  after  breaking  out  of  winter  quarters,  but 
although  diligent  search  was  made  nothing  could  be 
found.  From  this  point  all  traces  of  the  missing  ex- 
pedition ceased,  and  the  veil  of  darkness  and  obscurity 
was  again  lowered,  only  to  be  lifted  by  Rae  and  M'Clin- 
tock  at  a  later  date. 

In  the  spring  of  1851,  under  a  careful  and  elaborate 
system  of  sledging,  organised  by  Captain  Austin  on  the 
lines  originally  laid  down  by  Parry  and  James  Ross, 
travelling  parties  were  despatched  to  search  in  various 
directions.  The  only  method  by  which  the  search  could  be 
efficiently  arranged  was,  of  course,  to  follow  the  general 
tenor  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  instructions,  in  which  both 
Wellington  Channel  and  a  route  to  the  southward  and 
westward  of  Cape  Walker  are  mentioned ;  but  it  was  also 
necessary  for  Captain  Austin  to  provide  for  exhaustive 
searches  in  other  directions.  With  this  object  in  view 
Captain  Penny  undertook  the  examination  of  Wellington 
Channel,  while  Austin  despatched  three  extended  sledge 
expeditions  to  the  westward — two  were  sent  round  Cape 
Walker  to  the  south-west,  and  one  went  due  south  into 

for  records.  These  tins  were  labelled  "Goldner's  patent,"  and  had 
been  supplied,  under  directions  from  the  Admiralty,  to  the  expedition 
as  "preserved  meat."  From  the  fact  that  an  enormous  quantity  of 
these  tins  supplied  to  the  navy,  were  subsequently  found  to  contain 
putrid  meat,  and  from  the  fact  that  so  large  a  quantity  of  meat  as  these 
empty  tins  were  calculated  to  hold,  could  not  have  been  used  by  the 
members  of  the  expedition  during  their  first  winter,  it  is  supposed 
that  the  defective  condition  of  the  contents  of  the  tins  was  discovered, 
and  a  survey  of  them  ordered.  If  this  surmise  be  a  correct  one,  the 
loss  of  so  large  a  proportion  of  what  would  be  considered  fresh, 
in  contradistinction  to  salt,  provisions  would  be  most  serious,  and 
would  so  cripple  their  resources,  as  to  lead  in  all  probability  to  the 
disastrous  fate  of  the  expedition. 


1859.]  STRANGE  ABSENCE  OF  CAIRNS.  247 

the  channel  now  called  Peel  Sound.  One  of  these,  under 
Lieutenant  M'Clintock,  explored  to  the  westward  as  far 
as  Melville  Island,  while  two  parties,  under  Captain 
Ommaney  and  Lieutenant  Sherard  Osborn  respectively, 
searched  from  Cape  Walker  to  the  south-west  along  the 
north  and  west  coasts  of  Prince  of  Wales'  Land.  Lieu- 
tenant Mecham,  travelling  in  the  same  direction,  dis- 
covered Russell  Island,  and  Lieutenant  Browne  explored 
the  western  shore  of  Peel  Strait  as  far  south  as  latitude 
72°  49'.  The  latter  searching  party,  like  that  of  Sir 
James  Ross  in  1 849,  only  on  the  other  side  of  the  same 
channel,  was  actually  directing  its  energies  along  the 
same  track  taken  by  the  Erebus  and  Terror  ;  they  were, 
however,  at  the  time  ignorant  that  they  were  following 
in  the  footsteps  of  Franklin,  for,  unfortunately,  no  cairn, 
no  record,  not  even  a  trace  had  been  left  by  the  missing 
ones,  that  could  afford  a  clue  to  those  who  were  in  quest 
of  them  as  to  the  direction  they  had  taken.  Lieutenant 
Browne's  travelling  party  actually  reached  within  150 
miles  of  the  position  where  the  Erebus  and  Terror 
were  abandoned.  The  different  searching  parties,  de- 
spatched by  Captain  Austin,  examined  no  less  than 
1500  miles  of  coast-line,  850  of  which  were  hitherto 
unknown. 

Thus  everything  that  human  forethought  and  human 
exertions  could  possibly  devise  or  accomplish,  appears 
to  have  been  done  to  facilitate  the  discovery  of  some 
traces  of  the  missing  expedition ;  but  it  was  unhappily 
without  avail — the  various  searching  parties  returned 
one  after  the  other,  only  to  report  that  their  efforts 
had  not  been  crowned  with  success,  and  the  fate  of 
Franklin  remained  as  mysterious  and  as  impenetrable 
a  secret  as  ever. 


248  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [1847- 

The  total  absence  of  cairns  along  the  route  pursued 
by  Franklin  is  most  unaccountable,  for  this  well-known 
form  of  Arctic  beacon  is  easily  constructed  from  material 
always  at  hand ;  they  form  conspicuous  landmarks,  and 
their  importance  as  such  was  well  known  to  Franklin 
and  his  officers.  If  they  had  been  erected,  the  direc- 
tion for  the  search  would  have  been  indicated,  and  an 
enormous  amount  of  labour  would  have  been  saved, 
while  a  successful  issue  of  the  search  would  possibly  have 
been  the  result.  The  only  reason  that  can  be  advanced 
for  this  apparent  neglect,  of  what  has  always  been  con- 
sidered as  one  of  the  most  important  duties  of  an  Arctic 
explorer,  is  the  supposition  that  the  channels  were 
comparatively  clear  of  ice  when  the  Erebus  and  Terror 
passed  through,  and  that  it  was  in  consequence  deemed 
inexpedient  to  delay  the  progress  of  the  vessels  by  stop- 
ping to  build  cairns — a  serious  omission,  however,  for 
their  absence  necessitated  the  expenditure  of  much  in- 
valuable time,  besides  a  great  waste  of  money  in  the 
prosecution  of  a  long  and  fruitless  search. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Enterprise  and  Investi- 
gator, the  ships  that  sailed  from  England  in  1850  in 
search  of  Franklin,  returned  the  following  year ; — indeed 
the  Prince  Albert  did  not  even  remain  out  a  winter, 
but  came  home  in  the  autumn  of  1850,  bringing  the 
earliest  intelligence  to  England  of  the  fact  that  Franklin 
had  passed  his  first  winter  at  Beechey  Island. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  proceedings  of  the  Enterprise 
and  Investigator.  Sailing  from  England  on  the  2oth 
January  1850,  these  vessels  passed  through  the  Straits 
of  Magellan,  and  touching  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  Bering's  Strait ;  shortly,  however,  after 
entering  the  Pacific  the  two  ships  accidentally  sepa- 


CAPTAIN  SIR  ROBERT  MCCLURE. 

(From  a  painting  by  Stephen  Pearce  in  the  possession  of  Col,  John 


1859.]        NOKTH-WEST  PASSAGE  DISCOVEEED.  249 

rated,  and  they  never  joined  company  again  during  the 
remainder  of  the  cruise.  Both  these  vessels  made 
remarkable,  and,  so  far  as  Polar  navigation  is  concerned, 
wonderfully  successful  voyages.  The  Investigator,  under 
Captain  M'Clure,  sailed  along  the  north  coast  of  the 
American  continent,  and  may  be  accredited  with  the 
discovery  of  the  existence  of  two  north-west  passages, 
viz.,  one  through  Prince  of  Wales'  Strait  (where  the 
ship  wintered  in  1850)  into  Melville  Sound,  and  the  other 
from  the  westward,  round  the  north  coast  of  Bank's 
Land  to  Melville  Sound.  The  last-named  passage  was 
actually  accomplished  by  Captain  M'Clure  and  his 
officers  and  crew;  for  after  having  passed  two  con- 
secutive winters  in  the  Bay  of  God's  Mercy  on  the 
north  coast  of  Bank's  Land,  where  their  ship  was  irre- 
vocably frozen  up,  their  position  was  luckily  discovered 
by  a  sledge  party  from  the  Resolute,  to  which  ship 
they  retreated  when  they  abandoned  the  Investigator.1 
They  were  subsequently,  but  not  until  after  a  fourth 
winter  had  been  spent  in  the  Arctic  regions,  trans- 
ferred to  the  Phcenix,  in  which  ship  they  were  brought 
to  England.  They  thus  had  the  supreme  satisfac- 
tion and  honour  of  being  the  first,  and  only,  people 
who  had  crossed  from  the  Pacific  Ocean  to  the  Atlantic 
to  the  northward  of  America.  In  acknowledgment  of 
this  service  the  sum  of  ;£i 0,000  was  awarded  by  the 
English  Government  to  Captain  M'Clure  and  the  crew 
of  the  Investigator. 

1  Had  the  sledging  parties  from  the  Resolute  not  found  the  Investi- 
gator when  they  did,  it  was  the  intention  of  Captain  M'dure  to 
abandon  his  ship  and  attempt  a  retreat  on  the  Mackenzie  or  Copper- 
mine Eivers.  The  result  would  inevitably  have  been  as  fatal  to 
his  crew  as  was  Franklin's  unsuccessful  attempt  to  reach  Back's 
River. 


250  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

In  the  words  of  the  Select  Committee  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  appointed  to  consider  the  amount  of  the 
reward  that  should  be  given  to  the  officers  and  crew 
of  the  Investigator  for  the  discovery  of  a  north-west 
passage — 

"They  performed  deeds  of  heroism  which,  though  not 
accompanied  by  the  excitement  and  glory  of  the  battle-field, 
yet  rival,  in  bravery  and  devotion  to  duty,  the  highest  and 
most  successful  achievements  of  war  ! " 

The  intelligence  of  M'Clure's  success  was  first  brought 
to  England  by  Lieutenant  Cresswell,  one  of  the  officers 
of  the  Investigator.  At  a  public  reception  given  to 
this  officer  on  his  arrival  at  his  native  place,  Lynn  in 
Norfolk,  Lord  Stanley,  in  referring  to  the  discovery  of 
the  north-west  passage,  thus  addressed  him — 

"  It  was  a  triumph  that  would  not  be  valued  the  less  highly 
because  it  was  not  stained  by  bloodshed — a  triumph  that  was 
not  embittered  by  any  single  painful  or  melancholy  reminis- 
cence— a  triumph  not  over  man,  but  over  nature — a  triumph 
which  inflicts  no  injury,  and  which  humiliates  no  enemy— a 
triumph  not  for  this  age  alone,  but  for  posterity — not  for 
England  only,  but  for  mankind." 

The  voyage  of  the  Enterprise,  under  Captain  Collinson, 
was  no  less  remarkable.  Like  the  Investigator,  she  also 
sailed  along  the  north  coast  of  America,  and  wintered 
in  1851  at  the  south  extreme  of  Prince  of  Wales'  Strait. 
Thence  she  worked  her  way  to  the  eastward,  spending 
her  next  winter  in  Cambridge  Bay,  at  the  east  extreme  of 
Dease  Strait,  and  not  more  than  150  miles  from  the  posi- 
tion reached  by  the  Erebus  and  Terror  when  those  ships 
were  abandoned.  In  the  spring  of  1 85  3,  travelling  parties 
from  the  Enterprise  actually  passed  within  a  very  few 


1859.]  LADY  FRANKLIN'S  EFFORTS.  251 

miles — not  more  than  twenty — from  the  spot  where  the 
unfortunate  vessels  had  been  left,  but  unhappily  without 
discovering  any  remains  of  them,  or  traces  of  their  crews. 
It  is  most  unfortunate  that  the  western  shore  of  King 
William  Island,  which  was  only  about  forty-five  miles 
distant,  should  have  been  neglected ;  for  had  it  been 
visited,  the  traces  that  were  afterwards  discovered  by 
Rae  and  M'Clintock  would  assuredly  have  been  found 
by  Collinson,  although  we  cannot  think  that  any  sur- 
vivors of  the  expedition  could  at  that  time  have 
been  alive.  The  Enterprise  returned  to  England  on 
the  6th  May  1855,  after  one  of  the  most  adventurous 
and  remarkable  voyages  that  has  ever  been  made  in 
the  Arctic  Seas. 

On  the  return  of  the  ships  from  Lancaster  Sound  in 
1851,  much  disappointment  was  not  unnaturally  felt  at 
the  unsuccessful  result  of  the  search,  more  especially 
when  the  hopes  and  expectations  of  the  public  had  been 
somewhat  raised  by  the  news  taken  home  in  1850,  by 
the  Prince  Albert,  relative  to  the  traces  found  at  Beechey 
Island.  Immediately  on  the  return  of  that  vessel  she 
was  re-equipped  for  Arctic  service  by  Lady  Franklin, 
and  despatched  in  the  summer  of  the  following  year, 
under  the  command  of  Mr.  Kennedy,  for  the  purpose 
of  exploring  Prince  Regent  Inlet.1 

During  this  voyage  Bellot  Strait,  a  channel  separating 
North  Somerset  from  Boothia  Felix,  was  discovered. 
Thence  Mr.  Kennedy  prosecuted  the  search  to  the  west 

1  The  veteran  John  Hepburn,  Franklin's  faithful  follower  and  com- 
panion in  his  adventurous  land  journey  in  1819,  served  in  the  Prince 
Albert  on  this  expedition  ;  also  Lieutenant  Bellot,  a  gallant  officer  of 
the  French  navy,  who  had  volunteered  for  the  service,  and  who  was 
afterwards  unfortunately  drowned,  while  leading  a  sledge  party  in 
Wellington  Channel. 


252  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [1847- 

and  north,  as  far  as  the  north-east  point  of  Prince  of 
Wales'  Land,  which  is  only  about  thirty  miles  from  Cape 
Walker.  He  regained  his  ship  by  making  the  complete 
circuit  of  North  Somerset. 

Here  again  the  searching  parties  seem  to  have  been 
actuated  by  the  same  unfortunate  fatality  as  in  former 
expeditions.  Had  Mr.  Kennedy  directed  his  steps  to 
the  south-west  in  accordance  with  his  instructions,  instead 
of  exploring  to  the  north-west,  traces  of  those  he  was  in 
search  of  would  assuredly  have  been  discovered.  It  seems 
almost  incredible  that  so  many  of  our  searching  parties 
should  have  examined,  and  thoroughly  explored,  the 
region  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  disastrous 
retreat  of  our  fellow-countrymen,  and  yet  just  missed 
finding  traces  of  them,  or  any  evidence  to  show  that 
they  had  visited  the  locality. 

Lady  Franklin,  not  satisfied  with  what  had  been 
accomplished,  or  rather  with  the  want  of  success  that 
had  attended  the  various  efforts  to  obtain  tidings  of 
her  husband  and  his  brave  companions,  fitted  out  the 
little  screw  steamer  Isabel,  and  despatched  her  under 
the  command  of  Commander  Inglefield  in  the  autumn 
of  1852.  He  returned  after  an  absence  of  three  months, 
having  sailed  to  the  head  of  Baffin's  Bay,  and  having 
looked  into  Smith's  Sound,  but  without  adding  or 
obtaining  any  information  of  importance,  relative  to  the 
missing  expedition. 

In  the  early  part  of  1852  elaborate  preparations  were 
again  made  by  the  Government  for  a  renewal  of  the 
search.  The  ships  that  had  recently  returned  under 
Captain  Austin,  the  Assistance,  Resolute,  Intrepid,  and 
Pioneer,  were  brought  forward,  refitted  and  again  made 
efficient  for  Arctic  service.  These  vessels  were  placed 


1859.]  MISDIEECTION  IN  THE  SEAKCH.  253 

under  the  command  of  Captain  Sir  Edward  Belcher, 
who  flew  his  pendant  in  the  Assistance.  The  other 
three  vessels  were  commanded  respectively  by  Kellett, 
M'Clintock,  and  Sherard  Osborn.  The  North  Star,  under 
Captain  Pullen,  was  also  attached  to  this  squadron  as  a 
depot  or  relief  ship.  They  sailed  from  Woolwich  in 
April  1852. 

Sir  Edward's  instructions  were,  briefly,  to  despatch  one 
of  his  vessels,  accompanied  by  a  steamer,  up  Wellington 
Channel,  while  the  other  ship  and  remaining  steamer 
were  to  push  westward  in  the  direction  of  Melville  Island. 
These  orders  were  ostensibly  based  on  the  knowledge  that 
Sir  John  Franklin  had  passed  his  first  winter  at  the 
entrance  to  Wellington  Channel,  and  it  was  therefore 
hoped  that  by  searching  that  strait,  traces  of  the  miss- 
ing expedition  might  be  found.  The  object  of  sending  a 
portion  of  the  squadron  to  the  westward,  was  with  the 
view  of  meeting  any  of  the  travelling  parties  from  the 
Investigator  and  Enterprise,  which  might  possibly,  it 
was  supposed,  have  reached  positions  in  the  vicinity  of 
Melville  Island. 

The  directions  given  to  Sir  John  Franklin  for  his 
guidance  in  the  route  he  was  to  pursue  were  again 
ignored,  and  the  searching  vessels  were  particularly 
ordered  to  devote  their  attentions  to  the  north  and  to 
the  west,  and  not  to  the  south-west,  the  course  that 
Franklin  had  been  expressly  enjoined  to  take !  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  Sir  John  had  been  specially  warned  to 
avoid  attempting  the  passage  to  the  westward  by  Melville 
Island,  in  consequence  of  the  difficulties  from  ice  expe- 
rienced and  reported  by  Sir  Edward  Parry,  yet  it  was 
to  Melville  Island  and  its  vicinity,  that  the  attention 
of  Sir  Edward  Belcher  was  especially  directed.  It  must 


254  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

not  however  be  forgotten  that  these  orders  were,  in  all 
probability,  issued  in  view  of  the  apprehensions  then 
being  felt  regarding  the  safety  of  M'Clure  and  Collin- 
son,  and  the  expedition  was  intended  to  succour  and 
relieve  them  equally  with  the  prosecution  of  the  search 
for  Franklin. 

The  western  expedition,  under  Captain  Kellett,  was 
ordered  to  establish  depots  of  provisions  on  Melville 
Island,  and  they  were  likewise  directed  to  send  "travel- 
ling parties  in  a  westerly  direction  for  the  purpose  of 
searching  for  traces  of  Sir  John  Franklin,"  and  pre- 
sumably also  with  the  object  of  obtaining  intelligence 
of  Collinson  and  M'Clure.  Both  parties,  it  will  be 
observed,  were  ordered  to  search  localities  to  the  north 
of  Barrow's  Strait,  for  an  expedition  that  had  been 
specially  directed  to  proceed  to  the  south-west  of  that 
channel !  These  apparently  extraordinary  orders  were 
issued  in  accordance,  it  is  stated,  with  the  views  of 
experienced  Arctic  officers,  and  the  existing  popular 
feeling  at  the  time. 

It  will  be  unnecessary  to  enter  into  any  detailed 
account  of  these  expeditions.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that 
Sir  Edward,  with  the  Assistance  and  Pioneer,  wintered 
in  Northumberland  Sound,  having  successfully  taken 
his  ships  up  Wellington  Channel  to  latitude  76°  52'. 
Kellett,  with  the  Resolute  and  Intrepid,  wintered  at 
Dealy  Island,  on  the  south  side  of  Melville  Island,  while 
Captain  Pullen,  in  the  North  Star,  passed  the  winter 
at  Beech ey  Island.  From  these  several  stations  both 
sledge  and  boat  expeditions  were  despatched  to  search 
in  every  direction,  and  much  good  and  useful  geogra- 
phical work  was  achieved.  Commander  M'Clintock, 
with  his  usual  energy,  explored  Melville  and  Prince  Pat- 


1859.]  THE  SHIPS  ABANDONED.  255 

rick  Islands  to  their  northern  extremities,  while  other 
officers  examined,  and  accurately  delineated,  the  coasts 
of  Bathurst,  Melville,  and  Cornwallis  Islands.  It  was 
during  one  of  these  expeditions,  in  the  autumn  of  1852, 
that  a  record  was  found  at  Winter  Harbour,  in  Melville 
Island,  containing  the  important  information  that  the 
Investigator  was  frozen  up  in  the  Bay  of  Mercy;  she 
was  discovered  the  following  summer,  and  the  officers 
and  crew  rescued  and  taken  on  board  the  Resolute,  as 
has  already  been  related.  In  the  summer  of  1853  Sir 
Edward  Belcher  ordered  all  the  ships  to  rendezvous 
at  Beechey  Island ;  but  before  reaching  that  place 
his  ship  and  the  Pioneer  were  beset  in  the  ice  in 
"Wellington  Channel,  where  he  was  compelled  to  pass 
the  second  winter.  A  similar  fate  befell  Captain  Kel- 
lett,  who  also,  with  his  two  ships,  was  caught  by  the  ice, 
and  compelled  to  winter  in  the  pack  in  Melville  Sound. 

In  the  following  year,  for  some  unaccountable  reason 
best  known  to  Sir  Edward  Belcher,  the  commander  of 
the  expedition  issued  directions  for  the  abandonment  of 
all  four  ships,  and  the  officers  and  crews  were  conveyed 
to  England  in  the  North  Star,  Talbot  and  Phoenix.  The 
last  named  steamer  had  been  despatched  from  Eng- 
land under  the  command  of  Captain  Inglefield  in  the 
summer  of  1854,  accompanied  by  a  transport  with 
stores  and  provisions  for  Sir  Edward's  ships. 

The  subsequent  wonderful  drift  of  the  Resolute  out 
of  Barrow's  Strait,  Lancaster  Sound,  through  Baffin's 
Bay,  and  into  Davis  Strait,  where  she  was  picked  up 
by  an  American  whaler,  and  afterwards  presented  by 
the  United  States  Government  to  our  Admiralty,  fur- 
nishes a  remarkable  proof  of  the  force  and  direction 
of  the  current  in  that  region. 


256  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

The  wholesale  abandonment  of  a  fine  squadron,  without 
apparently  any  reason,  was  a  great  blow  not  only  to 
the  search  for  Franklin,  but  also  to  Arctic  exploration 
generally.  The  Government,  on  the  return  of  Sir 
Edward  Belcher,  regarded  the  fate  of  Franklin  as  con- 
clusive ;  they  decided  that  no  further  steps  should  be 
taken  in  the  matter,  and  they  allowed  private  enter- 
prise to  step  in  and  solve  the  problem  of  that  fate, 
the  solution  of  which  should  undoubtedly  have  been 
the  work  of  the  nation.  The  apathy  displayed  by 
England  at  this  time,  in  its  bounden  duty  to  use  every 
effort  to  obtain  reliable  intelligence  regarding  its  missing 
sons,  was  in  striking  contrast  to  the  feeling  that  ani- 
mated the  hearts  of  our  American  kinsmen,  who  had 
already  done  so  much  to  assist  us  in  our  search  for  the 
lost  expedition. 

In  May  1853  the  schooner  Advance,  fitted  out  by  private 
subscription  (the  main  burden  of  the  expense  being  borne 
by  Messrs.  Henry  Grinnell  and  George  Peabody),  and 
under  the  auspices  of  the  United  States  Government, 
sailed  from  New  York  under  the  command  of  Dr.  Elisha 
Kane,  an  accomplished  and  enterprising  officer,  who  had 
served  as  surgeon  under  De  Haven  in  the  same  vessel, 
the  Advance,  in  1850.  Under  the  impression  that  Frank- 
lin had  proceeded  in  a  northerly  direction,  for  reasons 
that  it  is  needless  to  discuss  here,  except  that  the  sup- 
posed existence  of  an  open  Polar  sea  was  the  principal 
reason  for  determining  the  direction  of  the  search,  Dr. 
Kane  sailed  up  Baffin's  Bay  into  Smith's  Sound. 

This  expedition,  so  far  as  the  search  for  Franklin  is 
concerned,  was,  as  might  be  anticipated  from  the  direc- 
tion in  which  it  was  ordered  to  proceed,  a  failure ;  but 
it  led  to  important  geographical  discoveries,  the  prin- 


1859.]  EAE'S  DISCOVERIES.  257 

cipal  being  the  exploration  of  the  southern  part  of  Smith's 
Sound.  The  little  Advance,  after  many  narrow  escapes 
from  being  destroyed  by  the  ice,  was  eventually  secured 
in  winter  quarters  in  Rensselaer  Bay,  in  latitude  78°  38' ; 
this  was,  at  the  time,  the  highest  northern  latitude  in 
which  any  ship  had  passed  a  winter. 

Here  two  winters  were  spent  when,  as  they  were 
unable  to  extricate  her  from  the  ice,  she  was  abandoned. 
After  many  perils  and  privations,  Dr.  Kane  and  his 
half-starving  party  succeeded  in  reaching,  by  boats,  the 
Danish  settlements  on  the  west  coast  of  Greenland, 
whence  they  eventually  took  passage  to  New  York, 
arriving  in  that  city  on  the  nth  October  1855. 

Meanwhile  Dr.  Rae  was  sent  in  1853  by  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company  to  connect  his  discoveries  round  Com- 
mittee Bay,  with  those  of  Sir  James  Ross  on  the  western 
coast  of  Boothia  Felix,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Magnetic  Pole.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  having  passed 
the  winter  in  Repulse  Bay,  he  started  in  prosecution  of 
his  orders.  On  the  2oth  of  April  he  met  some  Eskimos 
in  Pelly  Bay,  from  whom  he  received  much  of  the 
information  detailed  at  page  231,  et  seq.  From  these 
people  he  also  obtained  various  small  articles,  such  as 
silver  spoons,  forks,  &c.,  which  had  undoubtedly  belonged 
to  the  officers  and  men  of  the  ill-fated  ships  Erebus  and 
Terror  ;  the  finding  of  these  articles  seemed  to  place  the 
fate  of  our  unfortunate  countrymen  beyond  all  doubt. 

Having  collected  as  much  information  as  could  be 
elicited  from  these  nomadic  tribes,  and  also  having  pro- 
cured as  many  relics  as  could  be  obtained,  Rae  pro- 
ceeded to  carry  out  the  main  object  of  his  expedition, 
in  the  prosecution  of  which  he  succeeded  in  establishing 
the  insularity  of  what  had  hitherto  been  called  the  King 


258  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847 

'William  Land  of  Ross.  He  then  returned  to  England 
in  order  to  report  the  important  information  he  had 
obtained  to  the  authorities. 

The  account  brought  home  by  Rae  was  considered  by 
the  Admiralty,  already  lukewarm  regarding  the  desir- 
ability of  further  search,  conclusive  evidence  as  to  the 
inutility  of  any  further  expenditure  of  money,  in  follow- 
ing up  the  traces  thus  revealed  of  the  missing  expedi- 
tion. The  discovery  of  the  relics  was  considered  by 
them,  as  final  evidence  of  the  fate  of  the  entire  party, 
and  by  paying  Rae  the  reward  offered  to  any  person  who 
should  produce  positive  intelligence  of  the  actual  fate  of 
Franklin  and  his  followers,  the  Admiralty  thought  they 
would,  finally  and  for  ever,  settle  the  matter  of  further 
search,  and  thus  be  relieved  of  further  responsibility  in 
the  matter.  It  was  therefore  decided  to  pay  Dr.  Rae 
the  sum  of  ^10,000  as  a  reward  for  his  discovery. 

But  although  the  Government  appeared,  or  pretended, 
to  be  satisfied,  popular  feeling  was  still  clamorous  for 
a  continuation  of  the  quest,  until,  at  any  rate,  more 
conclusive  and  satisfactory  evidence  regarding  the  actual 
existence,  or  otherwise,  of  some  of  our  countrymen  could 
be  ascertained.  With  this  object  in  view,  and  in  order 
to  allay  public  feeling  on  the  matter,  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  acting  under  orders  from  the  Government, 
despatched  Mr.  James  Anderson,  a  chief  factor  in  their 
employ,  down  the  Great  Fish  River,  for  the  purpose  of 
communicating  with  the  Eskimos  and  thus  obtaining 
reliable  information  relative  to  the  report  brought 
home  by  Rae.  This  expedition  was  undertaken  in  the 
summer  of  1855.  Anderson  reached  Point  Ogle,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  and  examined  the  coast  and  island 
in  its  vicinity,  and  though  undoubted  traces  of  the 


1859.]      LADY  FRANKLIN'S  FURTHER  EFFORTS.  259 

missing  expedition  were  apparent,  he  failed  to  dis- 
cover the  remains  of  any  of  our  unfortunate  country- 
men, nor  did  he  succeed  in  finding  the  slightest  scrap 
of  paper,  document,  journal,  or  record  that  could  throw 
any  further  light  on  the  fate  of  those  poor  fellows,  who 
had  travelled  thus  far  after  abandoning  their  ships,  in 
the  hope — a  vain  one  as  it  proved — of  obtaining  succour 
and  relief. 

Lady  Franklin,  it  may  very  justly  be  surmised,  was 
far  from  satisfied  at  the  stand  taken  by  the  Govern- 
ment at  this  juncture,  and  at  the  apparent  apathy  with 
which  the  Admiralty  received  all  suggestions  relative  to 
further  endeavours  to  unravel  the  mysterious  entangle- 
ment which  surrounded  the  fate  of  the  lost  explorers. 
She  had  already  fitted  out  four  ships,  almost  entirely 
at  her  own  expense,  which  had  been  despatched  with 
the  object  of  discovering  traces  of  the  missing  expedi- 
tion ;  in  spite  of  Rae's  discoveries  she  still  felt  that  the 
work  was  unaccomplished,  and  that  further  efforts  should 
be  made  to  dispel  the  mystery  in  which  the  fate  of  her 
beloved  husband  and  his  brave  men  was  still  wrapped. 
Her  views  were  warmly  supported  by  the  leading  men 
of  science  of  the  day,  besides  all  those  naval  officers  who 
had  been  engaged  on  Arctic  service,  and  whose  opinions 
were  therefore  of  unquestionable  value.  On  the  5th  of 
June  1856,  a  memorial,  signed  by  numerous  scientific 
men  and  Arctic  officers,  was  presented  to  Lord  Palmer- 
ston,  urging  the  necessity  of  further  research — 

"  To  satisfy  the  honour  of  our  country  and  clear  up  a  mystery 
which  has  excited  the  sympathy  of  the  civilised  world." 

Detailed  plans  as  to  the  locality  to  be  searched  and 
the  prospects  of  success,  were  all  clearly  and  succinctly 


260  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FRANKLIN,  [1847- 

expressed  and  submitted;  but  all  to  no  purpose — the 
Government  had  fully  made  up  its  mind  that  no  further 
search,  at  the  public  expense,  should  be  undertaken,  and 
they  resolved  to  abide  by  their  decision.  This  memorial 
was  followed  by  a  letter  from  Lady  Franklin,1  the  noble- 
minded  widow  of  the  gallant  commander  of  the  lost 
expedition,  dated  December  2,  1856,  and  addressed,  as 
the  memorial,  to  Viscount  Palrnerston.  In  it  she 
urged  the  necessity  of  continued  search,  pointing  out 
that  as  the  locality  was  now  practically  known,  the 
area  of  exploration  would  necessarily  be  considerably 
limited,  and  she  hoped,  and  expected,  that  a  renewal 
of  the  search  would,  at  any  rate,  result  in  obtaining 
satisfactory  evidence  of  the  actual  fate  of  the  lost  expe- 
dition. 

These  touching  appeals,  affecting  a  country's  honour 
as  well  as  arousing  its  sympathy,  were,  however,  of  no 
avail ;  the  Government  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  all  entreaties 
for  further  research,  and  intimated  that  as  the  reward 
for  ascertaining  the  fate  of  the  missing  expedition  had 
already  been  paid  to  Dr.  Rae,  they  were  not  prepared 
to  reopen  the  question,  by  the  further  expenditure  of  a 
large  outlay  of  money,  and  the  probable  sacrifice  of 
many  valuable  lives,  in  vain  and,  what  they  supposed 
to  be,  quixotic  endeavours  to  obtain  more  definite  infor- 
mation regarding  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his 
lost  companions. 

Under  these  discouraging  circumstances,  Lady  Frank- 
lin resolved  to  endeavour  to  accomplish  by  private  en- 
terprise, that  which  the  Government  had  declined  to 

1  Lady  Franklin  bad  also  written  several  letters  to  the  Admiralty 
urging  the  necessity  of  continued  search,  and  protesting  against  the 
reward  of  ,£10,000  being  paid  to  Dr.  liae. 


1859.]         M'CLINTOCK'S  SEARCH  EXPEDITION.  261 

undertake  the  responsibility  of  attempting  to  carry  out, 
although  backed  by  the  resources  of  a  wealthy  country. 

Aided  by  private  subscriptions,  but  principally  at 
her  own  expense,  she  purchased  and  fitted  out  the 
little  steam  yacht  Fox,  of  177  tons  burthen.  The  com- 
mand of  the  vessel  was  given  to  that  able  and  most 
energetic  of  Arctic  navigators,  Captain  M'Clintock, 
than  whom  no  better  man  could  have  been  selected 
for  the  appointment.  With  him  were  associated  Lieu- 
tenant Hobson,  R.N.,  "already  distinguished  in  Arctic 
service,"  and  Captain  Allen  Young,  an  experienced  cap- 
tain in  the  mercantile  marine,  who  not  only  offered  his 
services  gratuitously,  but  also  contributed  largely  from 
his  private  fortune  towards  the  expenses  of  the  expedi- 
tion. Dr.  David  Walker  was  the  surgeon  and  naturalist. 
Provisions  and  stores  for  twenty-eight  months  were  put 
on  board,  and  the  little  vessel  sailed  from  Aberdeen  on 
the  ist  of  July  1857.  The  only  instructions  received  by 
M'Clintock  were  to  act  according  to  his  own  judgment 
in  endeavouring  to  rescue  "  any  possible  survivor  of  the 
Erebus  and  Terror,"  and  to  leave  no  stone  unturned  in 
his  exertions  to  recover  some  of  the  documents  or  records 
of  the  lost  expedition,  and,  as  Lady  Franklin  enjoined, 
"  the  personal  relics  of  my  dear  husband  and  his  com- 
panions." 

Everything  went  well  with  the  little  craft  and  her 
gallant  crew  until  Melville  Bay,  a  locality  that  has 
proved  so  fatal  to  many  a  well-found  whaler,  was 
reached,  when,  in  attempting  to  cross  to  the  north 
water,  M'Clintock  was  stopped  by  the  ice  in  the  middle 
of  August,  and  eventually  the  Fox  was  frozen  firmly 
in  the  pack.  For  242  days  was  she  beset,  drifting 
all  that  long  cold  winter  helplessly  to  the  southward, 


262  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

until  released  on  the  25th  April  1858,  after  having 
been  carried  in  her  icy  fetters,  from  latitude  75°  30' 
to  63°  30'  N.,  a  distance  of  1194  geographical  miles! 
It  is  impossible  to  imagine  the  suspense  and  anxiety 
passed  by  all  on  board  during  that  fearful  winter.  As 
M'Clintock  significantly  writes,  after  one  more  than 
usually  exciting  day  of  danger — 

"After  yesterday's  experience  I  can  understand  how  a 
man's  hair  has  turned  grey  in  a  few  hours." 

Immediately  his  ship  was  released,  this  energetic  officer 
pushed  northwards  a  second  time,  regretting  the  delay 
entailed  by  the  besetment,  but  in  no  way  daunted  by 
the  dangers  he  had  encountered,  and  the  hardships  and 
anxieties  he  and  his  men  had  experienced. 

More  fortunate  this  time,  the  little  Fox  succeeded  in 
passing  through  Melville  Bay,  and,  without  much  diffi- 
culty, proceeded  up  Lancaster  Sound  to  Beechey  Island. 
Here  they  erected  the  marble  tablet  sent  out  by  Lady 
Franklin  to  be  set  up  to  the  memory  of  the  lost 
crews  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  place  where  they  had  passed 
their  first  winter.  This  tablet  was  left  at  God- 
haven  by  the  American  expedition,  that  was  sent 
in  search  of  Dr.  Kane  in  1855,  where  it  was  found 
and  brought  on  by  M'Glintock.  It  bears  the  following 
inscription  : — 


1850.]  MONUMENT  ON  BEECHEY  ISLAND.  263 

. 

TO   THE    MEMORY    OF 

FRANKLIN, 
CROZIER,  FITZJAMES, 

AND   ALL   THEIR 

GALLANT   BROTHER   OFFICERS   AND   FAITHFUL 
COMPANIONS    WHO   HAVE   SUFFERED   AND   PERISHED 

IN    THE   CAUSE   OF   SCIENCE  AND 
THE   SERVICE   OF   THEIR   COUNTRY. 

THIS   TABLET 

IS    ERECTED   NEAR  THE  SPOT    WHERE 

THEY   PASSED    THEIR   FIRST  ARCTIC 

WINTER,    AND    WHENCE   THEY   ISSUED 

FORTH   TO   CONQUER   DIFFICULTIES   OR 

TO   DIE. 

TO   COMMEMORATE   THE   GRIEF   OF   THEIR 

ADMIRING   COUNTRYMEN   AND   FRIENDS, 

AND   THE   ANGUISH,    SUBDUED   BY    FAITH, 

OF   HER   WHO    HAS   LOST,    IN   THE   HEROIC 

LEADER  OF   THE   EXPEDITION,   THE  MOST 

DEVOTED   AND   AFFECTIONATE   OP 

HUSBANDS. 


And  so  He  bringeth  them  unto  the 
Haven  where  they  would  be" 

1855. 


This  stone  has  been  entrusted  to  be  affixed  in  its  place  by  the 
officers  and  crew  of  the  American  expedition,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant  H.  J.  Hurtstein,  in  search  of  Dr.  Kane  and  his 
companions. 


This  tablet  having  been  left  at  Di.cco  by  the 
American  expedition,  which  was  unabie 
to  reach  Beechey  Island,  in  1855,  was  put 
on  board  the  Discovery  yacht  Fox,  and  is 
now  set  up  here  by  Captain  M'Clintock, 
R.N.,  commanding  the  final  expedition  of 
search  for  ascertaining  the  fate  of  Sir  John 
Franklin  and  his  companions,  1858. 


264  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

On  the  morning  of  the  i6th  of  August  the  little  Fox 
steamed  away  from  Beechey  Island,  a  locality  fraught 
with  many  interesting  associations,  and  pushed  gallantly 
on  with  the  object  of  passing  through  Peel  Strait ;  but, 
in  consequence  of  the  great  accumulation  of  unbroken 
ice  in  the  channel,  this  intention  was  abandoned,  and 
a  course  was  steered  up  Prince  Regent  Inlet  towards 
Bellot  Strait.  The  adoption  of  this  route  appeared  to 
M'Clintock  to  offer  the  best  prospect  of  getting  to  the 
place  which  he  was  desirous  of  reaching,  namely,  the 
mouth  of  the  Great  Fish  River  and  the  western  shore 
of  King  William  Island,  for  this  was  the  locality 
indicated  by  the  Eskimos  at  Pelly  Bay,  from  whom 
the  relics  and  information  had  been  obtained  by  Dr. 
Rae  five  years  previously,  where,  it  was  hoped,  further 
intelligence  would  be  forthcoming. 

On  the  ipth  of  August  they  were  at  Port  Leopold, 
and  on  the  following  clay  were  off  Fury  beach,  with 
very  little  ice  in  sight ;  shortly  afterwards,  however, 
they  encountered  much  loose  ice  coming  out  of  Brentford 
Bay.  Here  they  had  a  narrow  escape  from  destruction, 
being  beset  by  heavy  pack  ice,  which  carried  the  little 
Fox,  at  the  rate  of  nearly  six  miles  an  hour,  within  200 
yards  of  the  rocks.  Fortunately  this  particular  danger 
was  averted,  and  they  succeeded  in  extricating  their 
vessel  from  the  pack,  leaving  the  huge  masses  of  ice 
to  be  dashed  violently  against  each  other,  and  carried 
wildly  hither  and  thither,  by  the  various  whirlpools 
caused  by  the  rapidity  of  the  tides  and  currents  in 
Bellot  Strait.  Eventually,  after  numerous  unsuccessful 
attempts  to  proceed,  during  which  she  passed  three  times 
through  the  strait,  only  to  be  stopped  by  heavy  ice  held 
fast  by  rocks  and  islets  situated  two  miles  beyond  its 


1859.]  PLANS  FOE  SPEING  JOUENEYS.  265 

western  outlet,  the  Fox  was  secured  in  winter  quarters 
in  Port  Kennedy,  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  strait,  on 
the  28th  September  1858. 

Sledging  expeditions  were  at  once  undertaken  for 
the  purpose  of  exploring  the  country  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  their  winter  quarters,  and  also  with  the  object 
of  laying  out  depots  of  provisions  as  far  as  possible  on 
the  routes  to  be  followed  during  the  spring,  when  the 
extended  travelling  parties  would  be  despatched  to  fulfil 
the  main  object  of  the  expedition,  viz.,  to  ascertain  the 
fate  of  Franklin  and  those  under  his  command. 

The  winter  was  passed  in  making  the  necessary  pre- 
parations for  the  arduous  work  of  the  spring  and 
summer.  The  plan  for  the  preliminary  spring  journeys 
was  as  follows : — Captain  M'Clintock,  accompanied  by 
two  men,  with  a  couple  of  dog-sledges  dragged  by  fifteen 
dogs,  and  provisioned  for  an  absence  of  twenty-four 
days,  was  to  travel  towards  the  Magnetic  Pole  with 
the  object  of  communicating  with  the  Eskimos,  who, 
it  was  expected,  would  be  found  in  that  locality,  while 
Allen  Young,  with  a  dog-sledge  and  four  men,  was  to  ad- 
vance depots  of  provisions  in  readiness  for  his  main  jour- 
ney along  the  coast  of  Prince  of  Wales'  Land.  Hobson 
was  left  in  charge  of  the  Fox,  with  orders  to  send  out 
in  search  of  these  two  parties,  should  they  remain  absent 
beyond  the  period  for  which  they  were  provisioned. 

On  the  i  yth  February,  the  temperature  at  the  time 
being  about  40°  below  zero,  M'Clintock  and  Young  left 
the  little  Fox  to  carry  out  their  allotted  and  self-imposed 
tasks.  In  spite  of  the  intense  cold,  and  the  lameness  of 
some  of  the  dogs,  and  the  repeated  fits  with  which  these 
animals  were  frequently  attacked,  they  were  able  to 
accomplish  an  average  daily  distance  of  about  fifteen 


266  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [1847- 

or  eighteen  miles.  For  several  days  the  weather  was 
so  severe  that  the  mercury  for  their  artificial  horizons 
remained  in  a  frozen  state,  and  the  rum  had  to  be 
thawed  before  it  could  be  used.  On  the  ist  of  March 
M'Clintock  reached  the  position  of  the  Magnetic  Pole, 
where  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  meet  the  Eskimos 
he  was  in  search  of.  One  of  these  men  was  found  to  be 
in  possession  of  a  naval  uniform  button.  When  ques- 
tioned regarding  it,  he  said  it  had  come  to  him  from 
some  white  men,  who  had  died  from  starvation  on  an 
island  at  the  mouth  of  a  river,  and  that  they  had  ob- 
tained the  iron,  from  which  the  knives  in  their  posses- 
sion were  made,  from  the  same  source.  Being  joined 
by  the  remainder  of  the  tribe,  M'Clintock  was  able  to 
obtain  by  barter  more  relics  of  the  lost  expedition,  con- 
sisting principally  of  silver  spoons  and  forks  belonging 
to  officers  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  a  silver  medal  the 
property  of  Mr.  A.  M 'Donald,  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
Terror,  and  other  articles,  thus  setting  at  rest  all  doubts 
that  might  have  been  entertained  regarding  the  fate  of 
Franklin's  unfortunate  ships  and  their  unhappy  crews. 

The  Eskimos  on  being  closely  interrogated  denied 
having  personal ly  seen  any  of  the  white  men,  although 
one  man  acknowledged  to  having  seen  their  bones  on 
the  island  where  they  died.  Another  said  that  a  ship 
with  three  masts  had  been  crushed  by  the  ice  to  the 
west  of  King  William  Island,  but  that  all  the  people 
had  landed  in  safety ;  the  vessel,  however,  sunk,  so  that 
nothing  of  value  was  obtained  from  her.  The  informa- 
tion thus  obtained  corroborated  the  statements  made  by 
the  Eskimos  to  Dr.  Rae ;  it  also  accounted  for  the  dis- 
appearance of  one  of  the  ships,  but  gave  no  information 
regarding  the  ultimate  fate  of  the  other. 


CAPTAIN  SIR  LEOPOLD  MCCLINTOCK. 

(From  a  painting  by  Stephen  Pearce  in  the  possession  o/  Col.  John  Barrow.) 


1859.]         STAKT  OF  THE  SLEDGING  PARTIES.  267 

Having  obtained  all  the  information,  and  collected 
all  the  relics  that  could  be  gathered  from  these  people, 
M'Clintock  returned  to  the  Fox,  in  order  to  prepare  for 
the  more  extended  and  important  journeys  that  were 
in  contemplation.  During  this  journey,  of  twenty-five 
days'  duration,  he  travelled  a  distance  of  360  miles,  and 
added  to  our  charts  no  less  than  120  miles  of  coast-line 
previously  unknown.  The  mean  temperature  during 
the  time  the  sledging  parties  were  away,  was  62°  below 
freezing-point  (Fahr.).  Young  had  also  successfully 
accomplished  the  work  allotted  to  him,  having  advanced 
depots  of  provisions,  some  seventy  miles  from  the  ship, 
on  the  coast  of  Prince  of  Wales'  Land. 

On  the  2nd  of  April,  the  two  principal  sledging  parties, 
under  the  command  respectively  of  Captain  M'Clintock 
and  Lieutenant  Hobson,  left  the  Fox,  provisioned  for  an 
absence  of  about  eighty-four  days.  Each  party  consisted 
of  a  sledge  dragged  by  four  men,  besides  a  dog-sledge 
and  dog  driver.  Allen  Young  left  the  ship  five  days 
later  in  search  of  the  ship  supposed  to  have  been  wrecked 
on  the  coast  of  Prince  of  Wales'  Land. 

The  two  parties,  those  of  M'Clintock  and  Hobson, 
travelled  together  until  they  reached  Cape  Victoria  on 
the  28th,  when  they  separated,1  the  latter  to  explore 
the  western  shore  of  King  William  Island  from  Cape 
Felix  to  the  southward,  and  to  make  a  diligent  search 
for  the  ships  and  records;  while  M'Clintock  proceeded 
to  examine  the  east  coast  in  a  southerly  direction, 

1  This  arrangement  was  due  to  the  generous  resolve  of  M'Clintock, 
who,  knowing  from  his  spring  journey  that  Franklin's  crews  had 
landed  on  the  west  coast  of  King  William  Island,  magnanimously 
sent  Lieutenant  Hobson  in  that  direction,  feeling  sure  that  the  first 
traces  of  the  lost  expedition  would  be  found  there  ;  he  did  this  in 
order  to  ensure  that  officer's  promotion. 


268  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

to wards  the  Great  Fish  River.  Before  separating, 
they  ascertained  from  some  Eskimos  whom  they  met, 
that  two  vessels  had  been  seen  by  the  natives  of  King 
William  Island ;  that  one  had  been  crushed  -by  the 
ice  and  sunk  in  deep  water,  and  that  the  other  had 
been  forced  on  shore,  and  was  much  injured.  In  the 
latter  ship  was  found  the  body  of  a  tall  man,  who  was 
reported  to  have  had  long  teeth.1 

The  Eskimos  are  unable  to  comprehend  or  realise 
intervals  of  time,  but  it  was  supposed  that  these  vessels 
had  been  seen  by  them  some  years  ago,  and  in  the  fall 
of  the  year,  i.e.,  August  or  September.  M'Clintock  was 
further  informed  that  a  number  of  white  men  from 
these  ships  were  seen  journeying  with  a  boat,  or  boats, 
in  the  direction  of  the  Great  Fish  River,  at  the  mouth 
of  which  their  bones  were,  it  was  said,  found  the  fol- 
lowing winter.  This  was  all  the  information  they  were 
able  to  obtain  from  the  natives,  but  it  was  of  a  most 
important  nature,  for  it  informed  them  that  the  exist- 
ence of  the  missing  ships  was  actually  known  to  the 
Eskimos ;  that  one  had  disappeared  under  the  ice,  and 
that  the  other  had  been  stranded ;  it  was  therefore  safe 
to  infer,  with  regard  to  the  latter  ship,  that  it  was 
within  the  bounds  of  possibility  to  discover  the  locality 
in  which  she  had  been  wrecked,  in  which  case  they 
might  perhaps  find  some  important  records  or  docu- 
ments relating  to  the  expedition. 

On  the  8th  of  May  M'Clintock  reached  King  William 
Island,  and  visited  a  snow  village  in  which  he  found 
some  thirty  or  forty  inhabitants.  From  these  people  he 

1  This  appearance  of  "long  teeth  "  is  supposed  to  be  attributable 
to  the  disease  of  which  the  unfortunate  man  had  probably  died,  i.e., 
scurvy. 


1859.]         RELICS  RECOVERED  FROM  ESKIMOS.  269 

purchased  several  pieces  of  silver  plate,  on  which  the  ini- 
tials, or  crests,  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  Captain  Crozier, 
Lieutenant  Fairholme,  and  Dr.  M 'Donald  were  engraved, 
besides  other  articles  that  had  undoubtedly  been  ob- 
tained from  the  missing  expedition.  The  silver  forks  and 
spoons  were  readily  exchanged  for  a  few  needles. 

The  natives  informed  M'Clintock  that  the  wreck  of 
one  of  the  ships  was  about  five  days'  journey  from  them, 
on  the  west  coast  of  King  William  Island,  but  that 
little  remained  of  it,  as  everything  of  use  had  been 
appropriated  and  carried  off  by  their  countrymen.  No 
books,  documents,  or  printed  matter  had  been  saved, 
they  said,  from  the  wreck,  but  had  all,  long  ago,  been 
destroyed  by  exposure  to  the  weather.  They  further 
said  that — 

';  The  white  ineii  dropped  by  the  way,  as  they  went  to  the 
Great  River  ;  that  some  were  buried,  and  some  were  not.;>  * 

No  satisfactory  approximation  of  the  numbers  of  the 
white  men,  or  the  interval  of  time  that  had  elapsed  since 
they  died,  could  be  ascertained. 

Pushing  onwards,  Point  Ogle  was  reached  on  the  1 2th 
of  May,  and  the  same  night  the  party  camped  on  the 
ice  at  the  entrance  of  the  Great  Fish  River.  Montreal 
Island  was  subsequently  carefully  examined,  but  with 
barren  results,  for  there  was  a  total  absence  of  all 
relics,  and  no  vestige  of  a  cairn  could  be  found,  or  any 
indications  that  our  missing  countrymen  had  even  visited 
the  island.  It  must,  however,  be  remembered  that  the 
country  had  not  then  emerged  from  its  wintry  garb  of 
snow.  On  the  iSth  M'Clintock  crossed  over  to  the 
mainland  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Point  Duncan,  and  on 
1  Voyage  of  the  Fox,  by  Sir  Leopold  M'Cliutock. 


270  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1847- 

the  following  day  commenced  his  return  journey.  He- 
crossing  the  strait  to  King  William  Island,  the  southern 
shore  was  examined,  but  without  finding  any  traces  of 
those  whom  they  were  seeking,  neither  did  they  find  any 
signs  of  the  wreck  spoken  of  by  the  natives,  until  they 
reached  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Herschel,  when,  shortly 
after  midnight  on  the  25th  of  May,  M  Clintock  suddenly 
came  upon  a  human  skeleton  lying  face  downwards,  on 
the  crest  of  a  ridge,  with  its  head  towards  the  Great 
Fish  River.  The  bones  were  bleached  perfectly  white. 
It  was  supposed  to  be  the  remains  of  a  young  man,  and 
from  the  dress,  was  thought  to  be  a  steward,  or  officer's 
servant.  M 'Clintock  was  under  the  impression  that  the 
poor  fellow  had  selected  the  bare  ridge  top  as  offering 
the  easiest  road  for  walking,  and  to  have  fallen  on  his 
face  and  died  in  the  position  in  which  his  remains  were 
found.  Although  diligent  search  was  made,  no  records, 
or  other  relics,  could  be  found,  until  a  spot  about  twelve 
miles  from  Cape  Herschel  was  reached,  when  a  small 
cairn  that  had  been  constructed  by  Hobsou  was  dis- 
covered, in  which  was  found  a  note  from,  that  officer 
addressed  to  M 'Clintock,  containing  the  important  and 
interesting  revelation,  an  account  of  which  has  already 
been  given  in  a  previous  chapter,  namely,  the  discovery 
of  the  only  known  record  left  by  the  survivors  of  the 
Erebus  and  Terror,  that  tells  us  the  sad  mournful  his- 
tory of  the  missing  expedition. 

This  touching  but  interesting  document,  a  reduced 
fac-simile  of  which  is  here  produced,  was  found  by 
Lieutenant  Hobson  at  Point  Victory,  on  the  north-west 
coast  of  King  William  Island.  The  important  and  ex- 
citing news  it  communicated  was  written  round  the 
margin  of  a  printed  form,  usually  supplied  to  ships  with 


]]  ^^ 


i&tZ^D 


fi*r 


^ 


WHOEVER  finds  this  paper  ra  requested  to  forward  it  to  the  Secretary  i 
tKe  Admiralty,  London,  with  a  note  of  ike  time  and  flace  at  which,  it  was  & 
frund:  or,  if  more  convenient,  to  deliver  it  lor  that  purpose  to  the  British  -^s 
Consul  at  the  nearest  Port.  | 

^J; 

£j£y  inarquer  Ic  terns  et  lieu  ou    _  ' 
r  au  pHitot  au  SecretaireUe  1'Araii 


QUIMCOXQUE 
il  I'auratrouve,  et  de  Ic 
Bntannique  a  Londres. 


que  hallare  este  Papel,  se  lesuplica.  de  eliviarlo  al  Secreta 
fc  en  Londres,  con  una  nota  del  tiempo  y  del  lugar 


> 

j 
he^ 


i,  wordt  hiermedc  vcrzogt,  om 

den  Heer  Minister  VJui  dt?     , 
of  vvel  aau  den  Secretaris  detS 

by  te    vocg-en  eene  Nota>  Jfj 
•  de  tyd  e^HHIHH|^^^t  Papier  is  gcvondcn  jevordenl  ~"~TS 

FINDEREN  af  dette  pSpPsS^wS.  iwar  Leilighed  gives,  at  setide  I ' 
samme  til  Admiralitets  Secreferiren  i  London,  eller  noermestc  Embedsrnand  "^ 
i  Danmark,  Norge,  eller  Sverrig.  Tiden  og  Stoedit  hvqr  de»te  er  fundct  "^ 
6'nskes  venskabeligt 


ersucht  denselben  ati  den 
den,  mit  gefalliger  ajl{(al>e 
worden  1st.  ' 


REDUCED   FAC-SIMILE   OF  FRANKLIN  S   LAST   RECORD. 

Reproduced  from  "  The  Narrative  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Fate  of  Sir  John  Frank- 
lin," by  kind  pet-mission  of  Mr.  John  Murray. 


Tofacepaye  270.] 


1859.]  KECOKD  FOUND  IN  CAIRN.  271 

the  object  of  being  enclosed  in  bottles  and  thrown  over- 
board in  various  localities,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertain- 
ing the  set  and  general  drift  of  oceanic  currents.  They 
are  generally  called  "  bottle- papers,"  and  are  printed  in 
six  different  languages,  each  conveying  a  request  that 
any  person  finding  the  paper  will  forward  it  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Admiralty,  noting  the  date  and  place 
at  which  it  was  picked  up.  The  marginal  notations  that 
revealed  the  sad  fate  of  the  expedition,  were  written 
and  signed  by  Captains  Crozier  and  Fitzjames;  the 
greater  part  of  it  being  iu  the  handwriting  of  the  latter 
officer.  This  document  had  originally  been  deposited  in 
the  cairn  by  Lieutenant  Graham  Gore  in  the  spring 
of  1847,  when  all  was  well  with  the  expedition,  and 
when  they  had  every  prospect  of  bringing  their  labours 
to  a  successful  termination.  One  short  year  had  altered 
all  these  bright  and  hopeful  anticipations — twelve  brief 
months  from  the  time  the  first  few  lines  were  penned  on 
this  precious  document,  were  sufficient  to  effect  a  change 
in  their  joyous  aspirations,  and  to  reduce  the  party 
from  a  band  of  eager  and  expectant  explorers,  buoyed 
up  by  a  feeling,  almost  amounting  to  a  certainty,  of 
shortly  accomplishing  the  great  work  they  had  set  them- 
selves to  achieve,  to  a  throng  of  struggling,  half-famished 
men,  fighting  the  great  battle  of  life,  with  disease,  starva- 
tion, and  death  staring  them  in  the  face. 

Having  made  a  careful  and  thorough,  but  unsuccessful, 
search  in  the  neighbourhood  for  records,  journals,  or  other 
relics  of  the  lost  expedition,  M'Clintock  pushed  onwards, 
and  on  the  2  9th  of  May  reached  the  west  extreme  of 
King  William  Island,  which  he  named  Cape  Crozier, 
after  the  leader  of  that  ill-fated  band  of  men,  to  ascer- 
tain whose  fate  he  was  evincing  such  extraordinary 


272  LIFE  OF  SIK  JOHN  FEANKLIN.  [1847- 

exertions.  From  this  point  of  land  the  coast-line  trended 
somewhat  abruptly  to  the  north-eastward,  and  early  on 
the  following  morning  they  pitched  their  tent  alongside 
a  large  boat,  another  melancholy  relic  of  the  lost  ships, 
mounted  on  a  heavily  constructed  sledge.  Deeply  inte- 
resting as  was  this  discovery,  it  was  rendered  still  more 
so  by  the  fact  that  the  boat  contained  the  portions  of 
two  human  skeletons.  One  was  that  of  a  slightly  built 
young  man ;  the  other  was  apparently  a  large,  power- 
fully built  person  of  middle  age,  and  was  supposed  to 
be  that  of  an  officer.  In  the  boat  was  also  found  a 
number  of  books,  chiefly  of  a  scriptural  or  devotional 
character,  five  watches,  a  couple  of  double-barrelled 
guns  (one  barrel  in  each  being  loaded  and  at  full 
cock),  besides  numerous  other  articles  of  various  descrip- 
tions, principally  clothing.  A  little  tea  and  chocolate 
were  all  the  provisions  that  could  be  found,  thus 
almost  establishing  the  fact  that  the  poor  fellows  had 
succumbed  to  starvation,  and  perhaps  when  in  the  very 
act  of  protecting  themselves  from  an  attack  by  polar 
bears,  or  other  wild  animals,  for  their  guns  were  by 
their  side  and  ready  for  instant  use ;  indeed  the  appear- 
ances suggest  that  either  for  the  supply  of  food,  or  for 
their  own  protection,  they  had  been  already  driven  to 
the  necessity  of  having  recourse  to  their  firearms,  as 
one  barrel  from  each  gun  had  been,  apparently,  dis- 
charged. 

There  is  little  more  to  relate  regarding  the  last 
moments  of  our  unfortunate  countrymen.  The  remark- 
able absence  of  all  records,  journals,  log-books,  or  other 
documentary  evidence,  surrounds  their  fate  with  a  myste- 
rious halo  which  it  is  impossible  to  clear  away,  and  is 
difficult  even  to  penetrate.  All  must  therefore  be  left 


1859.]  RETURN  OF  M'CLINTOCK.  273 

to  conjecture,  and  we  can  only  surmise  that  the  unhappy 
members  of  the  lost  expedition,  fell  victims  to  sickness 
and  starvation  before  they  had  succeeded  in  getting 
many  miles  from  their  ships ;  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
boat,  with  the  ghastly  remains  of  its  crew,  was  found 
only  sixty-five  miles  from  the  position  of  the  Erebus  and 
Terror  when  they  were  abandoned,  although  seventy  miles 
from  the  place  where  the  first  skeleton  was  discovered. 

Having  collected  all  the  most  interesting  and  port- 
able relics1  they  could  obtain,  but  having  failed  in 
finding  traces  of  the  two  vessels,  M'Clintock  returned 
to  the  little  Fox,  which  he  reached  on  the  igth  of  June. 
Hobson  had  arrived  five  days  before,  and  Allen  Young 
returned  some  eight  days  later,  having  successfully  deter- 
mined the  insularity  of  Prince  of  Wales'  Land.  Both 
these  officers  had  made  wonderful  journeys,  in  the  face  of 
unparalleled  hardships  and  difficulties. 

The  amount  of  new  coast-line  discovered  during  the 
spring  journeys  by  M'Clintock  and  Hobson  was  nearly 
420  miles,  while  that  explored  by  Young  was  380  miles, 
making  a  total,  altogether,  of  800  geographical  miles  of 
entirely  new  coast-line  to  be  added  to  our  charts.  On 
the  loth  of  August  the  Fox,  having  been  liberated  from 
her  icy  bonds,  steamed  out  of  Brentford  Bay,  and  with- 
out any  further  event  worthy  of  particular  notice,  reached 
London  on  the  23rd  of  September,  when  the  important 
and  interesting  nature  of  the  discoveries  was  made  gener- 
ally known. 

1  Among  the  relics  found  and  brought  home  was  a  sextaut  belong- 
ing to  Frederick  Hornby,  who  was  a  mate  in  the  Terror.  This  was  in 
after  yeai's  presented  by  his  brother,  Admiral  "VVyndhnm  Hornby, 
to  Lieutenant  "Wyatt  Kawson,  R.N.,  who  served  as  a  lieutenant  in 
the  Discovery  in  the  Arctic  expedition  of  1875-6.  This  gallant  and 
promising  officer  was  mortally  wounded  while  leading  the  British 
army  to  the  attack  at  the  battle  of  Tel-el-Kebir. 

S 


274  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [IS  47- 

Thus  ended  this  last  and  most  successful  of  all  the 
numerous  expeditions  that  had  been  despatched,  with 
the  object  of  ascertaining  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin 
arid  his  brave  companions.  Its  success  was  due  to  the 
untiring  energy,  the  ability,  and  skill  displayed  by 
M'Clintock  and  his  officers  and  crew,  and  to  the  fact 
that  he  had  decided  to  search  in  the  right  direction,  and 
not  proceed  on  a  quest  without  any  definite  information 
to  guide  him,  as  was  the  case  in  the  expeditions  that  had 
preceded  him.  A  large  share  of  the  success  is  also  due 
to  the  devotion  and  persistence  of  Lady  Franklin,  and 
the  unselfish  spirit  that  formed  one  of  the  chief  char- 
acteristics of  her  heroic  nature. 

M'Clintock's  discoveries  revealed  the  fact,  as  an 
eminent  author l  has  expressed  it — 

"  That  to  Sir  John  Franklin  is  due  the  priority  of  discovery 
of  the  north-west  passage — that  last  link,  to  forge  which  he 
sacrificed  his  life." 

Valuable  geographical  information  was  also  the  result 
of  this  remarkable  voyage.  The  existence  of  Bellot 
Strait  was  confirmed.  The  shores  of  King  William 
Island  were  thoroughly  explored,  as  well  as  the  west 
coast  of  Boothia,  whilst  the  insularity  of  Prince  of 
Wales'  Land  was  definitely  established,  besides  the 
existence  of  a  channel,  a  continuation  of  Peel  Sound, 
leading  down  to  Bellot  Strait.  Thus,  it  will  be  seen 
that  much  good  and  useful  geographical  work  was 
accomplished  by  this  expedition.  This  was  fully  recog- 
nised by  the  Government;  ^5000  was  voted  to  Captain 
M'Clintock  and  his  officers  and  men,  while  ^2000  was 

1  John  Brown,  in  his  "North-west  Passage  ami  the  Search  for  Sir 
John  Franklin." 


1859.]     HONOURS  CONFERRED  ON  M'CLINTOCK.          275 

given  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  in  Waterloo  Place 
to  the  memory  of  Sir  John  Franklin.  Engraven  on  the 
pedestal  of  this  monument  is  the  following  inscription  :— 

FRANKLIN. 

TO   THE   GKEAT   NAVIGATOR 

AND    HIS    BRAVE    COMPANIONS 

WHO    SACRIFICED    THEIR    LIVES    IN 

COMPLETING  THE  DISCOVERY  OP 

THE   NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE 

A.D.    1847-48 


ERECTED    BY    THE    UNANIMOUS     VOTE 
OF   PARLIAMENT 

Her  Majesty  was  also  pleased  to  confer  on  Captain 
M'Clintock  the  honour  of  knighthood.  The  freedom 
of  the  City  of  London  was  likewise  conferred  on  him, 
whilst  honorary  degrees  were  bestowed  upon  him  by 
the  different  universities  of  England  and  Ireland. 
The  Patron's  Gold  Medal  of  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  was  subsequently  awarded  him — 

"For  his  unflinching  fortitude  and  skill,  by  which  the 
precious  Record,  unveiling  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin 
and  the  abandonment  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  was  recovered, 
and  for  his  geographical  discoveries." 

while  at  the  same  time  the  Founder's  Medal  was 
happily,  and  with  exceptional  favour,  awarded  by  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society  to  Lady  Franklin — 

"  In  token  of  their  admiration  of  her  devoted  conduct  in 
persevering  until  the  fate  of  her  husband  was  finally  ascer- 
tained." 

The  devoted  and  heroic  widow,  the  fit  consort  of  the 


276 


LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN. 


[1847- 


equally  devoted  and  heroic  Franklin,  died  in  1875,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-three  years.  One  of  her  last  works, 
if  not  the  very  last,  in  connection  with  her  husband's 
memory,  was  the  erection  of  a  marble  monument  of 


STATUE   OF  FRANKLIN  IN   THE   MAHKET-PLACE,  SPILSBY. 

Sir  John  Franklin  in  Westminster  Abbey.  It  was 
unveiled  only  a  fortnight  after  her  death.  It  was  her 
great  wish  to  write  the  epitaph  herself,  but  dying 
before  this  was  accomplished,  it  was  written  by  Alfred 


1859.]  STATUES  OF  FRANKLIN.  277 

Tennyson,  who  was  a  nephew  of  Sir  John  by  marriage. 
It  is  as  follows  : — 

"  Not  here  !  the  white  North  hath  thy  bones,  and  thou 

Heroic  Sailor  Soul ! 

Art  passing  on  thy  happier  voyage  now 
Towards  no  earthly  pole." 

The  late  Dean  Stanley  added  a  note  to  this,  to  the 
effect  that  the  monument  was  "erected  by  his  widow, 
who,  after  long  waiting  and  sending  many  in  search  of 
him,  herself  departed  to  seek  and  to  find  him  in  the 
realms  of  light,  i8th  July  1875,  aged  eighty-three  years." 

A  statue  of  Sir  John  Franklin  was  also  erected  in  the 
open  market-place  of  his  native  town,  Spilsby. 

Sir  John  Franklin,  it  may  be  mentioned,  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  rear-admiral,  in  his  regular  place 
of  seniority  on  the  Navy  List  on  the  26th  October  1852, 
somewhat  over  five  years  after  his  death.  His  name 
was  not  removed  from  the  Navy  List  until  the  exact 
date  of  his  death  had  been  ascertained  by  the  dis- 
covery of  the  record  by  M'Clintock. 

In  the  year  1846  he  was  elected  a  correspondent  of 
the  Paris  Academy  of  Sciences. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

VOYAGES  OF  DR.  HAYES— NORDENS KIOLD— LEIGH 
SMITH— THE  GERMANS— CAPTAIN  HALL— THE 
AUSTRO-HUNGARIANS  —  SIR  GEORGE  NARES  — 
ALLEN  YOUNG  —  SCHWATKA  —  THE  "  JE AN- 
NETTE"—NORDENSKIOLD  ACCOMPLISHES  THE 
NORTH-EAST  PASSAGE  — LEIGH  SMITH  — GREE- 
LEY— VALEDICTORY. 

1860-1884. 

"  The  bodies  and  the  bones  of  those 

Who  strove  in  other  days  to  pass, 
Lie  withered  in  the  thorny  close, 

Or  blanched  and  blown  about  the  grass." 

— Sleeping  Beauty. 

SINCE  the  return  of  Sir  Leopold  M'Clintock  in  1859, 
various  expeditions,  under  different  flags,  sought  to  pene- 
trate the  icy  solitudes  of  the  north,  in  furtherance  of 
geographical  discovery,  and  in  the  elucidation  of  inte- 
resting questions  appertaining  to  various  branches  of 
science.  These  were  all  more  or  less  successful,  while 
several  penetrated  far  into  the  unknown  area. 

In  1860,  Dr.  Hayes,  who  had  won  his  spurs  as  an 
Arctic  explorer  under  Dr.  Kane,  in  the  Advance  in  1853 
and  two  following  years,  sailed  from  Boston  in  a  schooner 
of  133  tons,  named  the  United  States,  with  the  object  of 
continuing  the  line  of  exploration  up  Smith  Sound  fol- 
lowed by  Dr.  Kane.  Without  any  event  deserving  of 
278 


1884.]  SUBSEQUENT  ARCTIC  VOYAGES.  279 

special  notice,  he  reached  the  entrance  to  Smith  Sound, 
when  his  further  progress  in  a  northerly  direction  was 
stopped  by  ice.  Being  unable  to  push  on,  he  secured 
his  ship  in  winter  quarters  in  latitude  78°  18',  just 
inside  Cape  Alexander,  and  about  twenty  miles  south  of 
the  position  in  which  Kane  had  passed  his  two  winters. 
In  the  spring  of  the  following  year  sledging  parties 
were  despatched  to  examine  the  west  side  of  the  channel 
in  a  northerly  direction.  The  highest  latitude  stated 
to  have  been  reached  was  81°  35'.  Animal  life  was 
abundant  in  the  vicinity  of  their  winter  quarters,  and 
no  difficulty  was  experienced  in  procuring  a  constant 
supply  of  fresh  animal  food.  The  United  States  returned 
to  Boston  in  October  1861. 

The  Swedes,  under  Professor  ISTordenskibld,  sent  seve- 
ral expeditions  to  Spitzbergen  between  the  years  1858 
and  1872,  for  the  purpose  of  scientific  research,  and  more 
particularly  with  the  object  of  making  investigations  with 
a  view  to  future  operations  connected  with  the  measure- 
ment of  an  arc  of  the  meridian.  In  the  course  of  these 
tentative  voyages  they  succeeded  in  rounding  Cape 
Platen,  to  the  east  of  the  Seven  Islands,  a  point  further 
to  the  eastward  along  the  northern  coast  of  Spitzbergen, 
than  had  ever  before  been  reached.  In  September  1868 
they  attained  in  an  iron  steamer,  named  the  Sophie, 
the  latitude  of  81°  42',  on  the  i8th  meridian  of  east 
longitude. 

Mr.  Leigh  Smith,  an  energetic  and  enthusiastic  Arctic 
yachtsman,  also  on  several  occasions  made  very  successful 
and  interesting  expeditions  to  Spitzbergen  and  adjacent 
seas;  his  observations  and  discoveries  had  the  effect 
of  considerably  altering  the  hitherto  assumed  shape  of 
North-East  Land. 


280  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

In  1869,  the  Germans,  with  praiseworthy  zeal,  fitted 
out  an  expedition,  consisting  of  the  Germania,  a  steamer 
of  140  tons,  and  a  small  brig  called  the  Hansa,  with  the 
object  of  exploring  the  north-east  coast  of  Greenland. 
As  scientific  investigation  was  to  form  a  special  feature 
of  the  work  to  be  carried  out,  several  scientific  gentle- 
men formed  part  of  the  personnel  of  the  expedition. 
The  ships  were  under  the  command  of  Captain  Karl 
Koldewey,  who  was  in  the  Gfermania,  Captain  Hege- 
mann  being  the  commander  of  the  Hansa.  They  sailed 
from  Bremen  in  June,  provisioned  for  a  contemplated 
absence  of  two  years. 

Shortly  after  reaching  the  Greenland  coast,  in  latitude 
70°  46',  the  ships  were  unavoidably  separated,  and  on 
the  22nd  October  the  little  Hansa  was  unfortunately 
crushed  by  the  heavy  ice  floes  by  which  she  was 
encompassed.  With  materials  saved  from  the  wreck 
the  crew  succeeded  in  constructing  a  shelter  for  them- 
selves on  the  floe,  in  which  wretched  abode  the  winter 
was  passed,  not,  however,  without  considerable  anxiety 
and  excitement,  for  towards  the  end  of  the  year  the  floe 
cracked  right  across,  thus  effectually  causing  the  ruin  of 
their  somewhat  fragile  and  insecure  domicile;  another 
one  was  however  improvised  from  the  remains  of  the 
materials  saved.  Finally,  in  June  1870,  having  drifted 
in  a  general  southerly  direction  a  distance  of  noo  miles 
on  their  extremely  precarious  raft,  the  dimensions  of 
which  were,  day  by  day,  being  gradually  reduced  by  the 
melting  of  the  ice,  until  it  was  only  300  feet  in  breadth, 
they  succeeded  in  launching  their  boats,  which  had  pro- 
videntially been  saved,  and  were  thus  able  to  reach  the 
little  Danish  settlement  of  Friedrikshal,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Cape  Farewell ;  here  they  were  well  taken  care  of 


1884.]       CAPTAIN  HALL'S  ARCTIC  EXPEDITION.  281 

by  the  hospitable  Danes,  and  eventually  sent  home  in 
the  annual  vessel  trading  between  the  Greenland  ports 
and  Denmark. 

Meanwhile  the  Germania,  by  the  aid  of  her  steam- 
power,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  latitude  of  75°  30', 
when  her  further  progress  in  a  northerly  direction  was 
checked  by  heavy  ice,  and  she  was  compelled  to  retrace 
her  steps  to  the  southward  until  the  Pendulum  Islands 
were  reached,  where  the  ship  was  made  snug  for  the 
winter.  Sledging  parties  were  despatched  during  the 
ensuing  spring,  which  reached  the  yyth  parallel,  the 
highest  latitude  on  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  that  has 
ever  been  attained.  The  most  northern  point  was 
named  Cape  Bismarck.  On  being  released  from  their 
winter  quarters,  exploration  was  carried  out  in  a  south- 
erly direction  along  the  coast,  and  the  Germania  eventu- 
ally returned  to  Bremen  in  September  1870.  The  result 
of  this  expedition  was  to  finally  set  at  rest  any  hope  that 
might  have  existed  of  attaining  a  high  latitude  along  the 
east  coast  of  Greenland,  for  the  ice  encountered  was  of 
such  a  heavy  nature  as  to  utterly  preclude  the  possibility 
of  navigating  a  ship  through  it. 

In  1871,  Captain  C.  F.  Hall,  a  native  of  Cincinnati, 
sailed  from  New  York  in  an  old  steam  gunboat,  which 
had  been  handed  over  to  him  by  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment, and  renamed  the  Polaris.  His  object  was  to 
reach  the  North  Pole  by  way  of  Smith  Sound.  Dr. 
Ernil  Bessels,  a  German  professor  of  great  ability  and 
scientific  attainments,  accompanied  the  expedition  as 
chief  of  the  scientific  staff,  while  Moreton,  who  served 
with  Kane  in  1853,  and  Hans  the  Eskimo,  who  was  with 
both  Kane  and  Hayes,  were  also  on  board. 

Captain  Hall,  it  should  here  be  observed,  had  always 


282  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [I860- 

been  firmly  impressed  with  the  practicability  of  obtain- 
ing more  complete  and  fuller  details  relative  to  the  fate 
of  Franklin's  expedition  than  were  brought  home  by 
M'Clintock.  With  the  object  of  throwing  more  light  on 
this  interesting  subject,  he  had  voluntarily  passed  five 
years  with  the  Eskimos  on  the  north  side  of  Hudson's 
Strait,  for  the  express  purpose  of  habituating  himself  to 
their  mode  of  life,  and  acclimatising  himself  to  the 
severity  and  hardships  incidental  to  an  Arctic  winter, 
so  that  he  might  be  the  better  fitted  to  prosecute  his 
researches  for  the  missing  expedition.  Having  this  in 
view,  he  was  landed  in  1864  from  a  whale  ship  near  the 
south  entrance  of  Sir  Thomas  Howe's  Welcome  in  the 
north  part  of  Hudson's  Bay,  with  only  two  Eskimo 
companions,  and  a  boat  laden  with  stores  and  pro- 
visions. For  the  succeeding  five  years  this  enthusiastic 
explorer  lived  entirely  with  the  Eskimos,  with  whom 
he  cultivated  friendly  relations.  During  this  time  he 
visited  and  explored  Hecla  and  Fury  Strait,  and  eventu- 
ally reached  the  south-eastern  shore  of  King  William 
Island,  where  he  obtained  some  relics  of  the  Franklin 
expedition,  but  was  unsuccessful,  as  others  had  been 
before  him,  in  his  efforts  to  find  any  of  the  documents  or 
journals  belonging  to  the  missing  ships.  The  evidence 
that  he  obtained  from  the  natives,  simply  confirmed  the 
statements  brought  home  by  Rae  and  M'Clintock,  but 
threw  no  further  light  on  the  ultimate  fate  of  the  officers 
and  men  who  had  abandoned  the  Erebus  and  Terror. 
He  returned  to  New  York  in  1869. 

Proceeding  up  Smith  Sound,  the  Polaris  encountered 
but  little  obstruction  from  the  ice,  which  was  unusually 
loose  and  open,  and  Hall  had  the  extreme  satisfaction 
of  carrying  his  ship  to  a  higher  northern  latitude  than 


1884.]  DEATH  OF  CAPTAIN  HALL.  283 

had  ever  been  reached  by  any  previous  vessel,  viz.,  82°  16'. 
Having  attained  this  unprecedented  success,  his  diffi- 
culties commenced,  for  his  ship  was  almost  immediately 
beset  by  heavy  ice,  in  which  he  was  carried  some  dis- 
tance to  the  southward.  She  was,  however,  in  a  few 
days  extricated  from  her  somewhat  critical  position  in 
the  pack,  and  was  eventually  secured  in  winter  quarters 
on  the  east  side  of  the  channel,  in  a  harbour  protected  at 
its  entrance  by  a  grounded  iceberg,  which  was  appropri- 
ately named  Providence  Berg,  while  the  harbour  itself 
was  called  Thank  God  Bay.  This  was  in  latitude  8 1°  38'. 
In  the  month  of  October  Captain  Hall  started  off 
on  a  reconnoiteririg  expedition  with  a  dog-sledge.  He 
was  away  for  a  few  days  only,  and  was  taken  ill  almost 
immediately  after  his  return;  he  died  on  the  8th  of 
November.  The  loss  of  Captain  Hall  was  a  death-blow 
to  the  enterprise.  The  command  devolved  on  the  sailing- 
master,  an  old  whaling  skipper,  quite  unfitted  for  the 
conduct  of  such  a  service.  Dissensions  cropped  up 
amongst  officers  and  men,  and  it  was  consequently 
decided  to  return  to  the  United  States  directly  the 
ship  was  released.  But  little  exploring  work,  as  may 
be  imagined,  was  effected  during  the  spring,  and 
although  the  ship  was  liberated  in  June,  it  was  not  until 
August  that  the  homeward  journey  was  commenced. 
The  conditions  of  the  ice,  however,  in  Robeson  Channel 
were  vastly  different  to  what  they  had  experienced  the 
preceding  year,  for  shortly  after  their  departure  from 
Thank  God  Bay,  the  Polaris  was  beset  in  the  pack,  in 
which  she  drifted  helplessly  down  Smith  Sound  into 
Baffin's  Bay.  On  the  i5th  of  October  they  encountered 
a  violent  gale  from  the  south-east,  veering  to  south,  and 
finally  settling  down  at  south-west.  After  many  and 


284  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [I860- 

severe  bufferings,  the  already  sorely- crippled  ship  was 
seriously  squeezed  between  two  heavy  masses  of  ice, 
which,  raising  the  vessel  bodily,  threw  her  over  on  her 
port  side.  Her  timbers,  from  the  violent  pressure  to 
which  she  was  subjected,  cracked  with  loud  reports,  and 
her  sides  seemed  to  be  breaking  in.  In  this  critical 
situation,  when,  perhaps,  the  destruction  of  their  ship  was 
but  the  matter  of  a  few  moments,  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  her  immediate  abandonment.  Pro- 
visions and  stores  were  hastily  thrown  on  the  ice ;  coal, 
provisions,  clothing,  and  stores  of  every  kind  that  were 
accessible,  were  hurriedly  passed  out  of  the  ship,  and 
placed  as  near  as  possible  in  the  centre  of  the  largest 
floe  to  which  they  were  attached,  while  a  couple  of  boats, 
fortunately,  as  it  turned  out,  were  also  lowered  and  hauled 
up  to  a  place  of  safety  on  the  ice. 

Suddenly,  in  the  inky  darkness  of  the  night,  the 
ship  broke  from  the  floe  to  which  she  had  been  secured, 
and  driving  before  the  raging  gale,  was,  in  a  moment, 
in  the  wild  commotion  of  the  elements  and  the  blinding 
snowstorm  with  which  they  were  assailed,  lost  to  sight 
to  those  of  their  companions  who  were  receiving  and 
stowing  the  stores  and  provisions  on  the  ice.  The  party 
thus  left  in  this  unenviable  situation  consisted  of  Cap- 
tain Tyson  (the  assistant  navigator),  and  nine  men 
belonging  to  the  Polaris,  besides  nine  Eskimos,  including 
three  \vomen  and  a  baby.  Fortunately,  in  consequence 
of  the  prompt  measures  taken  to  pass  the  provisions  out 
of  the  ship,  they  were  in  no  immediate  want  of  food, 
and  their  supply  was  subsequently  supplemented  by  bears 
and  seals  that  were  occasionally  shot  by  the  Eskimo 
hunters.  To  the  skill,  energy,  and  success  of  the  two 
Eskimos,  Joe  and  Hans,  the  entire  party  owed  their  lives. 


1884.]        PEKILOUS  VOYAGE  ON  AN  ICE-FLOE.  285 

Without  them  they  would  all,  undoubtedly,  have  perished 
from  starvation.  Seeing  that  there  was  but  little  hope 
of  being  rescued  by  the  Polaris,  of  whose  position,  or 
even  safety,  they  were  ignorant,  they  proceeded  to  con- 
struct a  house  from  materials  that  had  been  thrown  out 
from  the  ship,  in  order  to  afford  them  some  protection 
and  shelter  from  the  inclemency  of  the  coming  winter. 
Several  snow-houses  were  also  erected.  The  piece  of  ice 
on  which  they  were  encamped,  and  on  which  the  entire 
party  passed  the  winter,  was  about  100  yards  in  length, 
and  7  5  yards  broad.  On  this  they  drifted  down,  all  that 
long  interminable  winter,  past  Baffin's  Bay  and  Davis' 
Strait,  the  floe  gradually  crumbling  away  and  reducing 
in  size  as  it  drifted  south,  until  on  the  ist  of  April  the 
party  were  compelled  to  take  to  their  remaining  boat, 
for  the  second  one  had  long  since  been  utilised  for  fuel. 
They  were  eventually  picked  up  by  the  English  sealer 
Tigress,  off  the  coast  of  Labrador,  in  latitude  53°  35',  on 
the  3otli  of  April  1873,  having  drifted  on  their  preca- 
rious raft  a  distance  of  no  less  than  1500  miles  during 
the  196  days  since  they  were  separated  from  their  ship. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  Polaris,  which  we  left  being 
driven  helplessly  and  rapidly,  on  the  breaking  up  of  the 
pack,  in  an  easterly  direction  by  the  violence  of  the  gale ; 
those  on  board  were  quite  unable  to  do  anything  to  suc- 
cour their  companions  who  were  so  suddenly  and  so 
unexpectedly  cast  away  on  the  ice,  nor  were  they  in  a 
position  to  take  any  immediate  steps  to  afford  them 
relief,  in  consequence  of  steam  not  being  ready 3  the 
murky  darkness  that  prevailed,  and  the  speed  with  which 
the  ship  was  driven  by  the  wind.  Their  boats  also  were 
with  the  party  left  on  the  floe. 

On  the  following  morning,  the  Polaris,  being  in  a  leaky 


286  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

and  shattered  condition,  was  run  on  shore  in  Lifeboat 
Cove,  Lyttleton  Island,  on  the  east  side  of  the  entrance 
to  Smith  Sound;  and  here,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
Etah  Eskimos,  who  provided  them  with  fresh  food  in  the 
shape  of  seals  and  reindeer,  they  passed  a  comparatively 
pleasant  winter,  in  a  house  which  was  erected  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  wreck.  The  winter  months  were  occupied 
in  constructing  a  couple  of  boats ;  in  these  the  party  em- 
barked on  the  3rd  of  June,  with  the  intention  of  reaching 
one  of  the  Danish  settlements  on  the  west  coast  of  Green- 
land; they  were,  however,  rescued  on  the  2ist  of  the 
same  month  by  the  Dundee  whaler  Ravenscraig  in  Mel- 
ville Bay.  They  were  subsequently  transferred  to  the 
whaler  Arctic,  Captain  Adams,  in  which  ship  they  were 
eventually  taken  to  Dundee,  and  thence  sent  across  to 
New  York. 

The  success  attending  this  expedition  was  very  remark- 
able and  quite  unprecedented ;  it  clearly  demonstrated 
how  very  variable  are  the  conditions  of  the  ice  in  certain 
parts  of  the  Arctic  regions,  and  how  much  may,  and  can, 
be  accomplished  in  what  is  termed  a  favourable  ice  year. 
In  the  short  space  of  five  days  the  Polaris  succeeded  in 
accomplishing  a  distance  of  five  hundred  miles  through 
what  had  always  been,  and  is  still,  considered  an  ice- 
choked  sea,  viz.,  from  Cape  Shackleton  to  the  highest 
northern  position  she  attained.  But  in  twelve  brief 
months  everything  was  changed,  for  on  her  return  to  the 
southward  the  following  year  she  was  helplessly  beset 
by  heavy  masses  of  ice,  in  those  same  channels  that  had 
the  previous  year  been  comparatively  free  and  navi- 
gable, and  she  drifted  down  into  Baffin's  Bay  at  the 
average  rate  of  about  tw^o  knots  an  hour.  The  scientific 
results  of  this  expedition  were  exceedingly  valuable, 


1884.]      THE  AUSTKO-HUNGARIAN  EXPEDITION.         287 

although  much  important  data,  together  with  the  greater 
part  of  the  natural  history  collections,  were  unavoidably 
and  unfortunately  lost. 

The  next  expedition  of  geographical  importance  was 
the  Austro-Hungarian  one,  under  the  joint  command 
of  Captain  Weyprecht  of  the  Austrian  navy,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Julius  Payer,  a  military  officer.  The  first-named 
officer  was  in  command  of  the  ship,  and  was,  of  course, 
solely  responsible  for  its  navigation  and  for  all  explora- 
tion by  sea ;  but  to  Payer  was  entrusted  the  organisation 
and  the  conduct  of  all  sledging  and  travelling  parties  on 
shore.  These  officers  had  made  a  preliminary  summer 
cruise  in  the  waters  it  was  intended  to  explore,  in  a  little 
sloop  called  the  Isbjom,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
the  position  and  condition  of  the  ice.  Payer  had  also 
served  in  the  German  expedition  under  Koldewey.1  The 
leaders  were  therefore  not  altogether  unfamiliar  with  ice 
navigation.  The  main  object  of  the  enterprise  was  the 
achievement  of  the  north-east  passage,  which  they  hoped 
to  accomplish,  by  sailing  round  the  northern  extreme  of 
Novaya  Zemlya,  and  thence  along  the  Siberian  coast  to 
Bering's  Strait.  The  Tegettlwff,  a  steamer  of  three  hun- 
dred tons  burthen,  was  especially  built  for  the  purpose, 
and  everything  being  ready,  she  sailed  from  Bremerhaven 
on  the  1 3th  June  1872.  On  the  2Qth  of  the  following 
month  the  Tegetthoff  was  beset  by  the  ice  off  the  west 
coast  of  Novaya  Zemlya,  from  which  besetment  she  was 
with  some  difficulty  extricated  :  but  on  the  23rd  of 
August  she  was  again  beset  off  the  same  coast,  and  in 
spite  of  the  powerful  aid  of  steam,  assisted  by  gunpowder, 
and  the  unremitting  exertions  of  the  officers  and  men,  the 
unfortunate  ship  was  held  fast  by  the  ice,  never  again  to  be 
1  See  p.  280,  ante. 


288  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

released.  In  this  helpless  condition  she  drifted  about  at 
the  mercy  of  the  winds  and  currents  of  the  Polar  regions 
for  two  long  years.  On  the  3ist  August  1873  a  mys- 
terious unknown  land  was  suddenly  observed,  looming 
up  in  the  far  distance  to  the  northward,  to  which  they 
gave  the  name  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  thus  becoming  the 
discoverers,  although  unwittingly,  of  a  new  and  im- 
portant tract  of  country  whose  existence  was  hitherto 
unknown.  Payer  thus  alludes  to  the  discovery  : — 

"  About  midday,  as  we  were  leaning  on  the  bulwarks  of  the 
ship  and  scanning  the  gliding  mists,  through  which  the  rays 
of  the  sun  broke  ever  and  anon,  a  wall  of  mist,  lifting  itself  up 
suddenly,  revealed  to  us  afar  off  in  the  north-west,  the  out- 
lines of  bold  rocks,  which  in  a  few  minutes  seemed  to  grow 
into  a  radiant  alpine  land  !  At  first  we  all  stood  transfixed 
and  hardly  believing  what  we  saw.  Then  carried  away  by 
the  reality  of  our  good  fortune,  we  burst  forth  into  shouts  of 
joy  : — Land,  land,  land  at  last !  There  was  not  a  sick  man 
on  board  the  Tegetthofff  The  news  of  the  discovery  spread 
in  an  instant.  Every  one  rushed  on  deck  to  convince  him- 
self with  his  own  eyes,  that  the  expedition  was  not  after  all 
a  failure — there  before  us  lay  the  prize  that  could  not  be 
snatched  from  us.  ...  For  thousands  of  years  this  land  had 
lain  buried  from  the  knowledge  of  men,  and  now  its  dis- 
covery had  fallen  into  the  lap  of  a  small  band,  themselves 
almost  lost  to  the  world  \vho,  far  from  their  home,  remem- 
bered the  homage  due  to  their  sovereign,  and  gave  to  the  newly 
discovered  territory  the  name  of  Kaiser  Franz  Josef's  Land. 
With  loud  hurrahs  we  drank  to  the  health  of  our  Emperor 
in  grog  hastily  made  on  deck  in  an  iron  coffee-pot,  and  then 
dressed  the  Tegettho/with  flags." 

Strenuous  efforts  were  made  to  extricate  the  ship  from 
her  icy  thraldom  during  the  summer  and  autumn  of 
1873,  but  these  proving  futile,  a  second  winter,  if  pos- 
sible more  cheerless  and  wretched  than  the  first,  had  to 


1884.]  FEANZ  JOSEF  LAND  DISCOVEEED.  289 

be  endured.  The  general  drift  of  the  ship  during  the 
time  of  their  besetment  was  governed,  it  was  supposed, 
by  the  prevailing  winds,  and  was  not,  it  was  thought, 
due  so  much  to  tide  or  current.  This  drift  was  in  a 
general  northerly  direction.  The  position  of  the  ship 
when  she  was  first  beset  on  the  2ist  August  1872  was 
latitude  76°  22',  and  longitude  62°  3'  E.  On  the  ist  of 
January  1873  she  was  in  latitude  78°  37',  and  longitude 
66°  56'.  On  the  ist  February  her  position  was  78°  45'  N. 
latitude,  and  73°  7'  E.  longitude,  thus  showing  that  she 
had  been  carried  steadily  during  the  period  named  in  a 
north-easterly  direction.  From  the  last-mentioned  date 
until  the  ist  of  November,  when  the  ship  became  station- 
ary in  consequence  of  the  attachment  of  the  ice  in  which 
she  was  beset  to  the  land,  her  drift  was  in  a  north  and 
north-westerly  direction.  Her  positions  on  the  under- 
mentioned dates  were  as  shown  in  the  following  table : 

Latitude.  Longitude. 

April  i 79°    s'N.  66°  49' E. 

May  i 79  15  64  58 

June  i 79  2  62  43 

July  i 79  15  59  14 

August  i   ....  78  56  60  40 

September  i   ...  79  40  60  33 

October  i  ....  79  58  60  41 

November  i    ...  79  51  58  56 

The  important  and  unexpected  discovery  of  Franz 
Josef  Land,  very  naturally  instilled  fresh  hopes  in  the 
hearts  of  the  explorers ;  but,  in  spite  of  their  apparent 
proximity  to  the  land,  they  were,  much  to  their  chagrin 
and  disappointment,  unable  to  reach  the  shores  of  this 
newly  found  territory,  in  consequence  of  the  fissures  in 
the  ice  that  lay  between  them  and  the  coast,  and  the  fact 

T 


290  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

that  the  ship  was  still  drifting  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds, 
in  varying  directions  which  they  were  unable  accurately 
to  determine ;  her  position,  therefore,  would  be  uncer- 
tain, and  perhaps  difficult,  or  even  impossible,  to  reach 
on  the  return  of  any  exploring  parties  that  might  be 
rash  enough  to  leave  her  for  an  extended  trip.  During 
the  month  of  October,  however,  the  Tegetthoff  was  carried 
to  within  three  miles  of  an  island,  situated  near  to  the 
mainland ;  this  island  was,  as  may  readily  be  imagined, 
visited  by  nearly  all  the  crew.  Its  position  was  in  lati- 
tude 79°  54'.  Payer  writes  of  it : — 

"  An  island  more  desolate  than  that  which  we  had  reached 
can  hardly  be  imagined,  for  snow  and  ice  covered  its  frozen 
debris-covered  slopes." 

From  this  date  the  ship  remained  immovable,  firmly 
frozen  into  its  icy  bed,  which  was  held  stationary  by 
grounded  icebergs.  Numerous  bears  visited  the  ship 
during  the  winter,  and  not  unnaturally  paid  the  pen- 
alty of  their  temerity  and  inquisitiveness,  their  flesh 
affording  a  welcome  change  to  the  diet  which  those  on 
board  had  for  so  long  been  accustomed  to.  No  less 
than  sixty-seven  of  these  animals  were  killed  at  various 
times  by  members  of  the  expedition,  producing  about 
12,000  Ibs.  of  fresh  meat.  Several  seals  were  also 
obtained. 

Of  course  their  prospects  of  release  formed  the  sub- 
ject of  much  anxious  discussion  during  the  winter.  The 
apparently  hopeless  chance  of  extricating  the  ship  being 
generally  acknowledged,  it  was  resolved  to  abandon  her 
in  the  ensuing  summer,  and  endeavour  to  return  to 
Europe  with  the  combined  aid  of  boats  and  sledges. 
Before,  however,  the  season  was  sufficiently  advanced 


1884.]  CROWN  PKINCE  RUDOLFF  LAND.  291 

to  make  a  start,  it  was  decided  to  attempt,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  exploration  of  the  unknown  land  to  which 
they  had  been  so  mysteriously  carried. 

With  this  object  in  view,  Payer,  with  half  a  dozen 
men,  left  the  ship  for  a  preliminary  sledge  journey  on 
the  loth  of  March,  taking  with  him  three  dogs  to  assist 
in  dragging  the  sledge.  Travelling  in  a  north-westerly 
direction,  they  skirted  the  coast  of  Hall  Island  and 
ascended  Capes  Tegetthoff  and  M'Clintock,  the  latter 
being  some  2500  feet  in  height.  These  ascents  were 
expressly  made  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  general 
trend  of  the  land  and  its  physical  aspects,  so  as  to  facili- 
tate the  larger  and  more  important  work  of  exploration 
which,  it  was  designed,  should  be  undertaken  at  a  later 
period.  On  the  journey  they  experienced  great  cold, 
the  thermometer  on  one  occasion  falling  as  low  as  -58° 
Fahr.  They  returned  to  the  ship,  on  the  i6th,  fully 
satisfied  with  the  result  of  their  researches. 

Eight  days  after  his  return  Payer  started  on  his 
extended  journey  to  the  northward,  accompanied,  as 
before,  by  six  men  and  three  dogs.  Passing  up  Austria 
Sound,  between  Zichy  and  Wilczek  Lands,  the  travellers 
reached  their  highest  latitude,  in  what  was  named  Crown 
Prince  Rudolff  Land,  in  latitude  82°  5',  about  160  miles 
from  the  position  in  which  they  had  left  their  ship.  The 
coast  along  which  they  travelled  was  intersected  by 
numerous  fiords,  and  fringed  by  numberless  islands. 
The  geological  features  of  the  land  appeared  to  coincide 
with  those  of  north-east  Greenland,  some  of  the  hills 
rising  to  an  altitude  of  3000  feet.  The  valleys  between 
the  mountain  ranges  were  filled  with  large  glaciers.  A 
peculiar  feature  connected  with  this  neighbourhood 
was  that  the  low  islands  in  Austria  Sound  were  covered 


292  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

with  a  glacial  cap.  Vegetation  was  poor  and  insignifi- 
cant, but  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  country  was 
wearing  its  wintry  garb  of  snow  at  the  time  the  ex- 
plorers were  travelling.  Cape  Fligely,  the  most  northern 
point,  was  reached  on  the  1 2th  of  April ;  even  at  this 
early  period  of  the  year  a  large  water  space  was  seen,  in 
which  the  explorers  could  undoubtedly  have  gone  some 
miles  further  to  the  northward,  had  they  been  provided 
with  a  boat.  The  furthest  land  seen  to  the  north  was 
called  Petermann  Land,  and  this  was  estimated  to  be 
beyond  the  83rd  parallel  of  north  latitude.  Having 
planted  the  Austro-Hungarian  flag  at  the  highest  point 
reached,  the  homeward  march  was  commenced,  and  on 
the  24th  of  April  they  arrived  alongside  their  ship,  safe 
and  sound,  after  a  toilsome  and  arduous  journey.  On 
the  2oth  of  the  following  month  the  colours  were  nailed 
to  the  mast,  the  good  ship  that  had  been  their  home  for 
two  years  was  then  abandoned,  and  they  started  on  their 
long  journey  to  Europe,  carrying  with  them  provisions 
for  three  or  four  months  packed  in  four  boats  which 
were  mounted  on  sledges.  So  heavy  were  the  weights 
to  be  dragged,  and  so  rough  was  the  ice  and  so  deep 
the  snow  over  which  they  travelled,  that  after  incessant 
labour  for  a  period  of  two  months,  they  found  that  they 
had  only  put  a  distance  of  eight  miles  between  them- 
selves and  the  ship  !  Fortune,  however,  favoured  them 
after  this  date,  and  on  the  i4th  of  August  they  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  edge  of  the  pack  ice,  and  were  able  to 
launch  their  boats  on  the  water,  when  good  progress  was 
made.  Favoured  by  fine  weather,  they  crossed  to  Novaya 
Zemlya,  and  skirting  along  that  coast  to  the  south,  were 
eventually  picked  up  by  a  Russian  schooner  engaged  in 
the  capture  of  walruses,  which  conveyed  them  to  Vardo, 


1884.]  CAPTAIN  NARES'  EXPEDITION.  293 

which  they  reached  on  the  3rd  September  1874;  thence 
home  by  mail  steamer. 

The  next  expedition  that  merits  our  attention  is  the 
one  despatched  by  our  own  country  in  1875  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Nares.  This  expedition  is  of 
such  recent  date,  and  is  so  well  within  the  memory  of 
the  public,  that  only  a  brief  reference  to  it  is  considered 
necessary.  It  was  sent  by  the  route  followed  by  the 
American  expedition  under  Hall,  viz.,  by  Smith  Sound ; 
for  it  was  judged  and  very  rightly,  at  the  time,  that  in 
consequence  of  the  report  brought  home  by  the  officers 
of  the  Polaris,  that  particular  route  offered  the  best 
chances  of  success,  if  the  attainment  of  a  high  northern 
latitude  was  to  be  the  primary  consideration.  It  may  be 
mentioned  that  the  direction  to  be  followed  had  actually 
been  determined  before  the  news  reached  England  of  the 
safety  and  return  of  the  Austro-Hungarian  expedition. 

The  ships  selected  for  the  service  were  the  Alert 
and  Discovery,  fairly  powerful  steamers  of  from  500 
to  600  tons  burthen.  These  vessels  had  been  specially 
strengthened  and  equipped,  and  in  every  way  adapted 
for  ice  navigation.  They  sailed  from  Portsmouth 
on  the  2  gth  May  1875.  The  orders  received  by 
Captain  Nares  were  to  the  effect  that  he  was  to 
proceed  up  Smith  Sound,  and  after  establishing  the 
Discovery  in  secure  winter  quarters  in  a  high  northern 
latitude,  but  to  the  southward  of  the  82nd  parallel  of 
latitude,  as  a  relief  or  depot  ship,  he  was  to  push  on  in 
the  Alert  as  far  as  navigation  would  admit.  When 
further  progress  became  impossible,  the  Alert  was  also 
to  be  placed  in  safe  winter  quarters,  whence  sledging 
parties  were  to  be  despatched  with  the  object  of  attain- 
ing the  highest  northern  latitude,  and,  if  found  practi- 


294  LIFE  OF  SIE  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [I860- 

cable,  to  reach  the  Pole  itself.  Although  Smith  Sound 
was  found  choked  with  ice,  rendering  the  progress  of 
the  ships  slow  and  dangerous,  Nares,  with  consummate 
skill  and  ability,  succeeded  in  carrying  his  ships  in  safety 
to  latitude  8 1  °  44',  where  he  left  the  Discovery,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Stephenson,  to  pass  the  winter  in 
a  snug  harbour,  which  was  called  Discovery  Bay,  at  the 
entrance  of  Lady  Franklin  Sound.  Thence  the  Alert 
pushed  onwards,  encountering  ice  floes  thickly  packed 
and  of  a  very  massive  description,  but  fairly  good  pro- 
gress was  made  by  adhering,  especially  when  westerly 
winds  prevailed,  to  the  stream  of  water  that  invari- 
ably existed  between  the  land  ice  and  the  main  pack. 

On  the  ist  September  the  Alert  reached  the  latitude 
of  82°  24' ;  and  this  being  a  higher  latitude  than  had 
ever  been  attained  by  a  ship  before,  the  colours  were 
hoisted  "  amid  general  rejoicings "  to  celebrate  the 
event.  But  on  the  same  day  her  further  progress  was 
arrested  by  a  solid  pack  of  heavy  ice  which  defied  pene- 
tration, and  the  ship  was  hauled  close  into  the  shore, 
and  secured  behind  some  large  grounded  masses  of  ice, 
which  afforded  an  effective  protection  from  the  pressure 
of  the  pack.  In  this  somewhat  precarious  position  the 
Alert  was  doomed  to  pass  the  succeeding  eleven  months ; 
but  an  all-merciful  Providence  watched  over  the  good 
little  ship,  and  those  on  board  spent  under  the  circum- 
stances an  exceedingly  happy  and  pleasant  winter,  more 
especially  when  it  is  considered  that  they  were  passing 
it  in  a  higher  northern  latitude,  viz.,  82°  27',  than  any 
human  beings  had  ever  before  been  known  to  winter  in. 

During  the  autumn  and  early  spring,  sledging  parties 
were  despatched  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  their  winter  quarters,  and 


1884.]          ATTEMPT  TO  BEACH  NOKTH  POLE.  295 

also  with  the  object  of  laying  out  depots  of  provisions 
in  advance,  on  the  routes  that  it  was  intended  should 
be  taken  by  the  extended  sledge  parties  when  they  made 
their  final  start  in  the  spring.  It  was  whilst  engaged 
on  one  of  these  preliminary  sledging  parties  during  the 
autumn,  that  they  had  the  gratification  of  passing  the 
highest  latitude  reached  by  Captain  Parry  in  1827  dur- 
ing his  memorable  attempt  to  reach  the  North  Pole, 
and  they  thus  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  they 
had  reached  a  point  nearer  to  the  Pole,  than  it  had  ever 
before  been  approached.  From  this  their  highest  posi- 
tion the  land  was  found  to  trend  away  abruptly  to  the 
west;  no  land  was  visible  to  the  north — nothing  in 
that  direction  was  to  be  seen  but  an  illimitable  sea  of 
snow  and  ice  piled  up  in  large  and  confused  masses. 

On  the  2nd  of  April,  on  a  cold  but  bright  morning, 
the  main  sledging  parties  started,  the  temperature  at 
the  time  being  minus  30°,  which  soon  afterwards  fell 
to  45°  below  zero.  The  disposition  made  by  Captain 
Nares  was  for  one  party  to  proceed  in  a  due  north  direc- 
tion, travelling  over  the  frozen  sea,  with  the  object  of 
getting  as  far  north  as  possible  ;  a  second  was  to  explore 
to  the  westward  along  what  was  known  as  the  coast 
of  Grinnell  Land;  while  a  third  sledging  party,  from 
the  Discovery,  was  directed  to  examine  the  north-west 
coast  of  Greenland.  Dogs  were  not  used  by  any  of  these 
sledging  parties,  but  the  sledges  were  dragged  entirely 
by  men.  These  several  parties  were  travelling  for  a 
period  of  about  eighty  days,  during  which  time  the 
north-west  coast  of  Greenland  was  explored  to  latitude 
82°  1 8'  and  50°  50'  W.  longitude.  The  northern  shore 
of  Grinnell  Land  was  thoroughly  examined  to  the  85th 
meridian  of  longitude,  while  a  position  was  attained  on 


296  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

the  frozen  sea  on  the  63rd  meridian  of  longitude,  in 
latitude  83°  20'  26",  being  just  within  400  miles  of  the 
North  Pole.  In  consequence  of  the  serious  and  severe 
outbreak  of  scurvy  which  attacked  the  travellers,  and 
the  exceedingly  rough  nature  of  the  ice  over  which 
they  were  compelled  to  drag  their  sledges,  these  several 
parties  endured  great  hardships  and  sufferings. 

Chiefly  owing  to  the  outbreak  of  scurvy,  and  partly 
also  from  the  knowledge  that  further  extensive  explo- 
ration from  his  base  of  operations  was  impracticable, 
Captain  Nares  wisely  decided  upon  returning  to  England, 
which  was  reached  by  the  two  ships  in  November  1876. 

In  the  same  year  that  witnessed  the  departure  of  the 
English  Polar  expedition  under  Nares,  Captain  Allen 
Young,  the  companion  of  M'Clintock  in  the  Fox,  an  ex- 
perienced and  enthusiastic  Arctic  navigator,  sailed  from 
England  in  the  Pandora,  an  old  man-of-war  of  430  tons 
burthen,  fitted  with  eighty  horse-power  engines,  with 
the  object,  as  he  tells  us,  of  visiting — 

"  The  western  coast  of  Greenland,  thence  to  proceed  through 
Baffin  Bay,  Lancaster  Sound,  and  Barrow  Strait  towards  the 
Magnetic  Pole,  and,  if  practicable,  to  navigate  through  the 
north-west  passage  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  in  one  season." 

It  was  thought,  and  very  rightly,  that  by  following  this 
line  of  exploration,  the  Pandora  would  most  likely  be 
in  the  vicinity  of  King  William  Island  in  the  summer, 
when,  as  the  land  would  be  bare  of  snow,  a  fair  prospect 
of  finding  some  records,  or  perhaps  the  logs  and  journals 
of  the  Erebus  and  Terror,  would  be  afforded  them. 

The  scheme  was  undoubtedly  a  good  one  and  was 
well  thought  out  and  planned,  for  no  steamer,  it  must 
be  remembered,  had  hitherto  endeavoured  even  to  at- 
tempt the  north-west  passage,  and  no  search  had  been 


1884.]          CAPTAIN  ALLEN  YOUNG'S  VOYAGE.  297 

made  for  documents  or  papers  of  Franklin's  expedition 
except  in  the  early  spring,  when  the  country  was  covered 
with  a  thick  layer  of  snow.  The  Pandora  was  provisioned 
for  an  absence  of  eighteen  months,  for  although  it  was 
not  intended  to  pass  a  winter,  if  possible,  in  the  Arctic 
regions,  the  necessary  precautions  had  to  be  taken  in 
the  event  of  the  ship  being  unfortunately  detained ;  it 
was  intended  and  hoped  that  the  programme  would  be 
carried  out  in  one  season.  Passing  through  Baffin  and 
Melville  Bays  without  any  hindrance  from  the  ice,  the 
Pandora  entered  Lancaster  Sound  and  Barrow's  Strait, 
and  touching  at  Beechey  Island  on  her  way,  pushed  up 
Peel  Strait,  only  to  be  stopped,  when  near  the  western 
entrance  to  Bellot  Strait,  by  a  solid  and  unbroken  pack 
of  heavy  ice,  which  entirely  arrested  further  progress 
to  the  south.  In  fact  the  Pandora  was  stopped  by  the 
same  barrier  of  heavy  ice,  held  stationary  in  the  quies- 
cent water  caused  by  the  meeting  of  the  two  tides,  that 
arrested  the  advance  of  Franklin  in  1847,  anc^  M'Clure 
and  Collinson  at  later  dates. 

Every  effort  that  was  made  to  push  through  was 
futile,  and  after  several  attempts  had  been  made,  Captain 
Young  was  reluctantly  bound  to  confess  that  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  north-west  passage  by  the  Pandora,  for 
that  year  at  least,  was  out  of  the  question,  and  as  the 
season  was  far  advanced,  for  the  ist  of  September  had 
already  arrived,  he  retraced  his  steps  through  Peel  Strait, 
though  not  without  great  difficulty  on  account  of  the 
severe  weather  experienced  and  the  amount  of  ice  that  was 
met,  and  thence  sailed  for  England.  When  they  turned 
back  they  were  within  140  miles  of  Point  Victory,  where 
the  Franklin  record  had  been  discovered  by  Hobson. 
Thus  ended  this  plucky  attempt  to  achieve  the  north- 


298  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [I860- 

west  passage.  Although  he  failed  in  his  main  object, 
Captain  Allen  Young  can  lay  claim  to  having  been  the 
first  to  navigate  a  vessel  in  the  icy  waters  of  Peel  Strait, 
unless,  indeed,  as  has  already  been  surmised,  the  ships 
of  Franklin  had  previously  sailed  over  the  same  route. 
The  Pandora  arrived  at  Spithead  on  the  1 6th  of  October, 
thus  bringing  to  a  conclusion  this  short  but  most  in- 
teresting and  adventurous  voyage. 

In  1878  a  small  party,  under  the  leadership  of  Lieu- 
tenant Frederick  Schwatka  of  the  United  States  army, 
consisting  of  three  white  men  and  an  Eskimo,  left  New 
York  and  were  landed  by  a  whaler  near  Chesterfield 
Inlet,  in  Hudson's  Bay,  with  the  express  object  of 
attempting  to  recover  the  logs  and  journals  of  Franklin's 
expedition,  and,  if  possible,  to  clear  up  some  of  the 
mysteries  connected  with  that  sad  story.  The  winter 
was  passed  in  Chesterfield  Inlet,  at  Camp  Daly,  and  on 
the  ist  of  April  1879,  the  party  being  augmented  by  a 
band  of  fourteen  Eskimos,  consisting  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  Schwatka  started  on  his  long  journey  to 
King  William  Island,  the  sledges  being  dragged  by  forty- 
four  dogs. 

On  the  loth  of  June,  after  a  long  and  toilsome 
journey,  Cape  Herschel,  on  King  William  Island,  was 
reached,  and  here  a  permanent  camp  was  established. 
From  this  base  the  western  and  southern  shores  were 
carefully  examined  until  the  8th  of  November,  when 
the  party  started  on  their  return  to  Camp  Daly,  which 
was  not  however  reached  until  the  4th  of  March,  after 
an  excessively  laborious  journey,  during  which  great 
hardships  and  privations  were  endured.  This  expedition 
revealed  no  new  facts  regarding  the  fate  of  the  missing 
expedition,  but  it  corroborated  a  great  deal  of  the  infor- 


1884.]  GOEDON  BENNETT'S  EXPEDITION.  299 

mation  that  had  already  been  obtained  by  M'Clintock, 
and  it  brought  home  a  few  more  relics.  From  the 
fact  of  Schwatka  having  travelled  over  a  route  already 
explored,  the  expedition  was  barren  of  any  important 
geographical  results. 

The  next  expedition  that  sailed  for  the  purpose  of 
exploration  in  high  northern  latitudes  was  despatched 
by,  and  under  the  auspices  of,  Mr.  Gordon  Bennett,  the 
proprietor  of  the  New  York  Herald.  The  vessel  selected 
for  the  service  was  Allen  Young's  old  ship  Pandora, 
which  was  renamed  the  Jeannette.  She  was  equipped, 
provisioned,  and  stored  for  an  absence  of  three  years. 
Although  the  principal  burden  of  the  cost  of  this  ex- 
pedition was  borne  by  Mr.  Bennett,  the  officers  and 
crew  belonged  to  the  American  navy,  and  were  subject 
to  the  United  States  Naval  Discipline  Act,  as  if  the 
ship  had  been  a  regular  man-of-war.  Her  comple- 
ment was  thirty-two  officers  and  men,  and  she  was  com- 
manded by  Commander  De  Long,  who,  as  an  officer  on 
board  the  Tigress,  when  she  was  engaged  in  the  search 
for  the  Polaris  people,  had  acquired  some  knowledge 
and  experience  of  ice  navigation.  The  Jeannette  sailed 
from  San  Francisco  on  the  8th  of  July  1879,  with  the 
expressed  object  of  reaching  the  North  Pole,  via  Bering's 
Strait.  She  was  last  seen  on  the  3rd  of  September  of 
the  same  year,  steaming  towards  Wrangel  Land.  This 
was  in  accordance  with  De  Long's  instructions,  for  he 
had  been  directed  to  make  his  attempt  as  nearly  as 
possible  in  the  longitude  of  Wrangel  Land. 

Much  anxiety  was  evinced  when  two  years  elapsed 
and  no  tidings  of  the  ship  had  been  obtained.  Search 
expeditions  were  organised  and  despatched  by  the  United 
States  Government  with  special  orders  to  seek  diligently 


300  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860. 

in  the  neighbourhood  of  Herald  Island  and  along  the 
Siberian  coast,  in  search  of  the  missing  ship,  but  these 
efforts  were  unfortunately  without  success.  In  the 
latter  end  of  the  year  1882,  telegraphic  information 
was  received  from  Russia  that  the  unfortunate  Jean- 
nette  had  been  crushed  by  the  ice  on  the  i2th  of 
June  of  that  year,  in  latitude  77°  N.,  and  longitude 
155°  E.,  having  been  beset  in  the  ice  and  drifted 
about  helplessly  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds  and  cur- 
rents for  twenty-two  months  ;  the  officers  and  crew, 
however,  it  was  reported,  had  succeeded  in  making  good 
their  escape  from  the  ship  in  three  boats,  which  had  to 
be  dragged  over  the  ice  for  some  considerable  distance 
before  open  water  was  reached.  One  of  these  boats  was 
lost  sight  of  in  a  gale  of  wind  during  the  month  of 
September,  and  was  never  afterwards  heard  of.  The 
remainder  of  the  party,  having  endured  great  hard- 
ships and  sufferings  from  exposure  and  a  scarcity  of 
provisions,  eventually  succeeded,  by  the  assistance  of 
their  boats,  in  reaching  the  mouth  of  the  Lena,  whence 
two  of  the  seamen  were  despatched  to  the  nearest 
Russian  settlement  to  procure  immediate  relief,  and  also 
to  telegraph  the  news  of  their  safety,  and  the  necessity 
of  sending  succour  as  speedily  as  possible.  Unhappily, 
before  assistance  could  reach  these  poor  fellows,  Com- 
mander De  Long  and  the  majority  of  the  officers  and 
crew  succumbed  to  starvation.  Mr.  Melville  and  the  few 
survivors,  after  undergoing  incredible  hardships,  were 
eventually  rescued  and  taken  to  New  York 

The  result  of  this  expedition  in  a  geographical  point 
of  view  was  unimportant,  and  hardly  compensated  for 
the  great  loss  of  life  and  terrible  sufferings  of  those 
engaged  in  it,  to  say  nothing  of  the  large  expenditure 


1884.]  NORTH-EAST  PASSAGE  ACHIEVED.  301 

of  money  it  entailed.  The  most  important  service  in- 
directly connected  with  it,  from  the  standpoint  of  geo- 
graphy, was  the  complete  exploration  of  Wrangel  Land 
by  Lieutenant  Berry,  who  was  sent  out  in  the  Rodgers 
to  search  for  the  Jeannette. 

The  most  signal  geographical  achievement  of  recent 
years  has,  undoubtedly,  been  the  successful  accomplish- 
ment of  the  north-east  passage  in  the  steamer  Vega 
by  Baron  Nordenskiold,  ably  seconded  as  he  was  by 
Lieutenant  Palander,  who  was  practically  the  captain 
of  the  ship. 

This  voyage  proved  that  a  well-found  steamer,  pro- 
perly prepared  and  ably  handled,  could  without  great 
difficulty  pass  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  along 
the  northern  coast  of  Siberia.  This  was  a  matter  of 
importance,  bearing,  as  it  did,  on  the  practicability  of 
opening  up  a  great  commercial  sea  route  between 
Europe  and  the  mouths  of  those  large  and  important 
rivers,  the  Obi,  the  Yenisei,  and  the  Lena. 

The  Vega,  a  steamer  of  300  tons  register,  being  pro- 
visioned for  a  couple  of  years,  sailed  from  Gothen- 
burg on  the  4th  of  July  1878.  Proceeding  through 
the  Norwegian  fiords,  via  Tromso,  she  passed,  without 
encountering  much  difficulty  from  ice,  through  the  Jugor 
Strait  to  the  southward  of  Waygat  Island,  and  so  into 
the  Kara  Sea.  Stopping  at  various  places  along  the 
coast  of  Siberia,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  natural 
history  specimens,  and  for  general  scientific  observations, 
Cape  Chelyuskin,  the  most  northern  promontory  of  the 
old  world,  was  rounded  on  the  ipth  August;  a  salute  of 
guns  was  fired,  and  the  ship  gaily  dressed  with  flags  in 
commemoration  of  the  important  event.  The  position 
of  this  interesting  headland  was  accurately  determined 


302  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

by  astronomical  observations :  its  most  northern  part 
was  found  to  be  in  latitude  77°  41'  K,  and  longitude 
104°  i'  E. 

Advancing  to  the  eastward,  they  encountered  much 
drift  ice,  which,  though  loose  and  open,  consisted  of 
heavier  floes  than  had  hitherto  been  met  with  since 
the  Kara  Sea  was  entered,  while  their  progress  was  also 
somewhat  impeded  by  fogs,  which  materially  added  to 
the  difficulties  of  navigation.  During  the  temporary 
detentions  of  the  ship  from  these  and  other  causes, 
valuable  hauls  were  made  with  the  dredge,  resulting  in 
the  catch  of  many  unexpected  and  interesting  varieties 
of  marine  animal  types,  all,  however,  essentially  peculiar 
to  the  Arctic  regions. 

On  the  evening  of  the  27th  the  Vega  was  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Lena,  when,  steering  in  a  north-easterly 
direction,  a  course  was  shaped  for  the  most  southerly 
of  the  New  Siberian  Islands.  This  group  of  islands  was 
passed  on  the  3oth  August,  but  landing  was  found  to  be 
impracticable  in  consequence  of  the  rotten  condition  of 
the  ice  between  the  ship  and  the  shore,  which  did  not 
admit  either  of  a  boat  being  pushed  through,  or  a  man 
walking  on  its  surface.  Eastward  from  these  islands 
was  a  clear  open  channel  of  water  extending  along  the 
coast,  which  enabled  the  Vega  to  push  on  at  the  rate 
of  1 20  miles  a  day  for  three  days.  The  Bear  Islands 
were  reached  on  the  3rd  of  September,  when  the  channel 
became  more  and  more  narrow,  being  partially  blocked 
by  ice.  Under  these  circumstances  they  were  compelled 
to  keep  close  in  to  the  shore,  where  the  water  was 
unpleasantly  shallow.  Cape  Schelagskoi  was  reached 
on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  when  their  progress  was 
much  impeded  by  loose  ice.  To  add  to  their  difficulties 


1884.]      A  SWEDISH  TRIUMPH  IN  NAVIGATION.          303 

the  hours  of  daylight  were  getting  shorter,  while  their 
nights  were  getting,  in  a  corresponding  degree,  disagree- 
ably long. 

On  the  1 2th,  North  Cape  (so  named  by  Captain  Cook) 
was  passed,  but  here  their  further  progress  in  an 
easterly  direction  was  stopped  by  the  impenetrability 
of  the  pack,  and  they  experienced  great  difficulty  in 
boring  a  passage  through  the  ice  towards  the  coast, 
where,  eventually,  the  ship  was  anchored  under  the 
shelter  afforded  by  a  large  mass  of  grounded  ice. 
Here  the  Vega  remained,  unable  to  proceed,  until  the 
1 8th,  when,  as  the  navigable  season  was  far  advanced, 
it  was  determined  at  all  hazards  to  push  on,  and  en- 
deavour to  complete  the  passage  before  winter  finally 
overtook  them.  Their  progress  was,  however,  slow 
and  difficult ;  much  ice  was  encountered,  and  the  water 
was  exceedingly  shallow,  thus  necessitating  the  greatest 
caution  on  the  part  of  Captain  Palander  and  his  officers. 
On  the  28th  they  passed  Koljutschin  Bay,  but  were, 
almost  immediately  afterwards,  stopped  by  ice ;  and 
although  they  kept  the  ship  prepared  for  any  eventu- 
ality at  a  moment's  notice,  hoping  that  a  gale  of  wind  or 
some  other  cause  might  clear  the  ice  out  of  their  way, 
they  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  and  on  the  25th 
November  the  necessary  preparations  were  made  for 
passing  the  winter.  This  was  terribly  provoking,  for 
only  a  few  miles  lay  between  them  and  the  open  water 
in  Bering's  Strait,  the  position  of  the  Vega  being  about 
a  mile  from  the  coast  at  the  north  part  of  the  strait. 
Here,  however,  they  were  destined  to  pass  the  winter, 
during  which  time  much  useful  and  valuable  scientific 
work  was  performed  by  the  different  members  of  the  ex- 
pedition. They  were  in  constant,  almost  daily,  communi- 


304  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [I860- 

cation  with  the  natives  of  the  country,  the  Tchuktches, 
who  evinced  a  very  friendly  disposition  towards  them, 
and  kept  them  plentifully  supplied  with  bear  and  rein- 
deer meat. 

At  length,  on  the  i8th  of  July  1879,  the  breaking  up 
of  the  ice  released  the  Vega.  Two  days  afterwards  she 
passed  East  Cape,  and  steaming  into  the  waters  of  the 
Pacific,  succeeded  in  accomplishing  one  of  the  greatest 
geographical  feats  of  the  age,  and  one  that  had  baffled 
navigators  for  three  hundred  years,  the  achievement  of 
the  north-east  passage.  On  the  2nd  of  September  Yoko- 
hama was  reached,  at  which  port  the  successful  explorers 
were  received  with  every  demonstration  of  joy  by  the 
Japanese,  and  by  the  representatives  of  the  different 
nations  assembled  there.  Thence,  until  Stockholm  was 
reached  on  the  24th  April  1880,  their  homeward  progress 
was  one  long  triumphal  procession,  in  which  nation 
rivalled  nation,  and  port  vied  with  port,  in  doing  honour 
to  the  bold  navigators,  who  had  thus  rendered  them- 
selves famous  by  their  dauntless  courage,  their  skill,  and 
their  unbounded  energy.  Thus  ended  one  of  the  most 
successful  geographical  expeditions  of  the  present  cen« 
tury :  it  was  happily  conceived,  and  gallantly  carried 
out.  All  honour  to  the  brave  Swedes  who  thus,  for 
the  first  time,  carried  to  a  successful  issue  an  under- 
taking that  had  for  three  centuries  defied  the  persistent 
efforts  of  the  ablest,  the  most  skilful,  and  the  most 
courageous  navigators  of  our  own  and  other  countries. 
All  honour  to  the  brave  Palander,  who  so  skilfully  navi- 
gated the  little  Vega  during  her  marvellous  voyage  round 
the  north  extreme  of  the  old  world ;  and  all  honour  to 
that  remarkable  man,  and  eminent  scientist,  Professor, 
now  Baron,  Nordenskiold,  to  whose  subtle  and  inquiring 


1884.]      LEIGH  SMITH'S  AECTIC  EXPLORATION.          305 

mind  is  due  the  conception  of  the  voyage,  and  to  whose 
skill  and  energy  its  success  was  mainly  due. 

In  the  year  1880,  Mr.  Leigh  Smith,  who  enjoyed,  and 
very  deservedly,  the  reputation  of  being  a  keen  and  suc- 
cessful Arctic  navigator,  and  one  who  had  assisted  very 
materially  in  increasing  our  knowledge  of  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Spitzbergen,  sailed  from  England  in  his  steam 
yacht  Eira,  with  the  object  of  reaching  Franz  Josef 
Land.  The  Eira  was  a  vessel  of  360  tons  burthen,  fitted 
with  engines  of  50  horse-power,  and  carried  a  crew, 
all  told,  of  twenty-five  men.  But  little  difficulty  was 
experienced  in  reaching  the  south  coast  of  Franz  Josef 
Land,  the  shores  of  which  Leigh  Smith  explored  to  the 
westward  for  over  one  hundred  miles,  and  in  a  northerly 
direction  to  latitude  80°  20',  on  about  the  4oth  meridian 
of  east  longitude.  At  this,  his  highest  position,  land 
was  seen  some  forty  miles  distant  in  a  north-westerly 
direction.  In  latitude  80°  5'  he  discovered  a  snug,  well- 
protected  harbour,  formed  by  two  islands,  with  good 
anchorage  in  from  five  to  seven  fathoms,  which  he 
named  Eira  Harbour. 

As  it  was  not  his  intention  to  pass  a  winter  in  the 
Arctic  Regions,  Mr.  Leigh  Smith  returned  to  England 
in  October,  having  achieved  a  very  successful  amount  of 
exploration  in  a  very  short  time.  From  the  size  of  the 
icebergs  met  with,  besides  other  indications,  it  may  be 
assumed  that  Franz  Josef  Land  is  of  vast  extent,  and 
it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  the  dimensions  of  this 
little  known  land  will  be  found,  when  explored,  to  equal 
in  size  the  large  continent  of  Greenland.  Many  bears, 
walruses,  and  seals  were  seen,  and  a  number  of  each 
were  killed  by  the  sportsmen. 

On  his  return  home,  the  Royal  Geographical  Society 


306  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [I860- 

presented  Mr.  Leigh  Smith  with  their  Patron's  Gold 
Medal,  for  the  important  discoveries  he  had  made  along 
the  south  coast  of  Franz  Josef  Land,  and  for  his  previous 
valuable  geographical  work  along  the  north-east  coast 
of  Spitzbergen.  The  Gold  Medal  of  the  Paris  Geogra- 
phical Society  was  also  presented  to  him  in  recognition 
of  the  eminent  services  he  had  rendered  to  the  science  of 
geography. 

With  his  appetite  only  whetted  for  renewed  research 
in  Franz  Josef  Land  by  his  late  adventurous  voyage 
to  its  shores,  Mr.  Leigh  Smith  determined  to  prosecute 
further  exploration  in  the  same  direction.  He  accord- 
ingly set  about  refitting  his  little  yacht  immediately 
after  his  return  to  England.  In  alluding  to  Mr.  Leigh 
Smith's  intentions,  in  his  annual  address  as  President  of 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  delivered  on  the  23rd 
May  1 88 1,  Lord  Aberdare  thus  sums  up  his  character — 

"With  the  enthusiasm  indispensable  to  an  Arctic  explorer, 
he  combines  the  attainments  of  a  scientific  observer,  and  the 
skill  of  an  experienced  navigator.  To  these  qualifications  is 
added  that  of  indomitable  perseverance." 

The  Eira  being  in  all  respects  ready,  Mr.  Leigh  Smith 
started  from  Peterhead  on  his  fifth  Arctic  voyage  on 
the  1 4th  June  1881.  The  ship  carried  the  same  com- 
plement of  officers  and  men  as  in  the  preceding  year. 
She  was  provisioned  for  fifteen  months,  and  carried 
with  her  materials  for  constructing  a  house  on  shore, 
in  the  event  of  being  forced  to  winter.  Mr.  Leigh 
Smith's  intention  was  to  continue  his  previous  explora- 
tion as  far  as  possible  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  thus 
extend  the  geographical  knowledge  of  Franz  Josef  Land 
acquired  during  the  past  year.  After  skirting  along 


1884  ]          RESCUE  OF  LEIGH  SMITH'S  PARTY.  307 

the  pack  ice  for  some  distance,  and  after  making  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  to  enter  the  Kara  Sea,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  approaching  the  coast  of  Franz  Josef  Land ; 
but  unfortunately  at  this  juncture  the  little  Eira  was 
so  severely  crushed  by  the  ice  on  the  2ist  August,  when 
close  to  Cape  Flora,  in  latitude  79°  56',  that  she  sank, 
two  hours  afterwards,  in  deep  water.  The  loss  of  their 
vessel  was  a  terrible  blow  to  their  prospects.  Luckily, 
the  short  time  that  intervened  prior  to  her  disappear- 
ance, enabled  them  to  save  some  of  the  stores  and  pro- 
visions from  the  wreck,  and  these  were  subsequently 
eked  out  by  walrus  and  bear  meat,  which  they  were 
able  to  obtain  in  considerable  quantities,  and  which, 
happily,  carried  them  safely  through  the  winter.  Every- 
thing else  was  lost.  They  passed,  under  the  circum- 
stances, a  comparatively  comfortable  winter  in  a  hut 
built  with  stones  and  turf.  The  only  fuel  they  possessed, 
both  for  the  purposes  of  cooking  and  keeping  themselves 
warm,  was  the  blubber  obtained  from  the  animals  killed. 
During  the  spring  they  occupied  themselves  in  fitting  up 
and  equipping  the  boats,  in  which  it  was  resolved  to  en- 
deavour to  escape  to  the  southward  in  the  summer ;  in 
consequence  of  the  necessity  of  employing  everybody  on 
this  important  work  it  was  impossible  to  undertake  any 
exploration  with  sledges  on  an  extended  scale,  which 
would  otherwise  have  been  done. 

On  the  2ist  of  June  they  bade  farewell  to  their 
winter  quarters,  and,  apportioning  the  party  among 
the  four  boats,  started  on  their  adventurous  and  peril- 
ous voyage  to  the  southward,  in  much  the  same 
manner  as  did  that  brave  old  Dutch  navigator  Willem 
Barents  three  hundred  years  before,  and  from  a  locality 
not  very  far  distant  from  the  scene  of  their  retreat. 


308  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FKANKLIN.  [1860- 

Eventually,  after  undergoing  great  hardships  and  fatigue, 
they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  coast  of  Novaya  Zemlya 
on  the  2nd  of  August,  and  on  the  following  day  were 
fortunately  rescued  and  brought  home  in  the  Hope,  a 
vessel  that  had  been  specially  sent  out  to  search  for  them 
under  the  command  of  Sir  Allen  Young.  Aberdeen  was 
reached  on  the  2oth  of  August,  when  the  news  of  their 
safety  was  received  with  universal  feelings  of  relief, 
allaying,  as  it  did,  the  alarm  and  uneasiness  that  had 
been  felt  in  England  regarding  their  protracted  absence. 

The  last  expedition  to  which  reference  will  be  made 
was  the  one  despatched  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment in  1 88 1,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Greeley 
of  the  United  States  army.  It  had  for  its  object  the 
establishment  of  a  station  in  a  high  latitude,  at  the 
head  of  Smith  Sound,  where  synchronous  meteoro- 
logical, magnetical,  and  other  observations  of  a  like 
description,  might  be  taken  in  accordance  with  a  pro- 
gramme that  had  been  drawn  up  by  an  International 
Polar  Conference  which  was  held  at  Hamburg  in  1879. 
Lieutenant  Greeley  was  also  directed  to  carry  out  explora- 
tion in  the  direction  of  the  North  Pole,  as  far  as  was 
practicable. 

The  expedition  consisted  of  twenty-five  officers  and 
men,  nearly  all  of  whom  were  soldiers  serving  in  the 
United  States  army.  The  party  was  taken  up  Smith 
Sound  in  the  steamer  Proteus,  which,  without  experi- 
encing much  difficulty  from  the  ice,  landed  them  in  Dis- 
covery Bay,  on  the  i  ith  of  August.  The  Proteus  returned 
to  America  a  week  after.  Two  winters  were  passed  by 
the  members  of  the  expedition  in  Discovery  Bay,  during 
which  time  the  interior  of  Grinnell  Land  was  explored, 
as  also  the  north-west  coast  of  Greenland,  when  Lieu- 


1884.]         SUFFEKINGS  OF  GKEELEY'S  PARTY.  309 

tenant  Beaumont's  farthest  point  in  1876  was  passed, 
and  a  position,  reported  to  be  in  latitude  83°  24',  was 
reached;  they  thus  had  the  gratification  of  reaching 
a  higher  latitude  than  had  ever  before  been  attained, 
and  of  extending  our  knowledge  of  the  coast  of  Green- 
land to  a  distance  of  forty  miles  in  a  northerly 
direction. 

Two  expeditions  were  sent  out  by  the  United  States 
in  1882  and  1883,  to  effect  the  relief  of  Greeley's  party, 
in  accordance  with  previously  arranged  plans,  but  they 
unhappily  failed  in  their  endeavours  to  reach  them, 
one  of  the  vessels  being  crushed  by  the  ice  at  the 
entrance  to  Smith  Sound.  These  expeditions  were  both 
commanded  by  military  men  ! 

The  second  winter  having  passed  without  relief  coming 
to  their  aid,  Greeley  decided  to  work  his  way  south  in 
search  of  that  succour  which  was  apparently  unable 
to  reach  him,  and  without  which,  he  was  well  aware, 
his  party  must  inevitably  perish.  Up  to  this  time  the 
members  of  the  expedition  had  enjoyed  remarkably  good 
health,  and  their  numbers  were  still  intact.  On  the  9th 
of  August  1883  they  quitted  Discovery  Bay,  but  failed 
to  get  further  south  than  Cape  Sabine,  on  the  west  side 
of  Smith  Sound,  where  they  decided  to  encamp  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  cape.  Here  a  third  winter  was  necessarily 
passed,  but  in  a  far  different  manner  to  the  previous 
ones,  for  they  had  no  other  shelter  from  the  severe  in- 
clemency of  the  weather  than  an  imperfectly  constructed 
snow-house,  and  no  other  provisions  than  the  little 
that  remained  from  the  rations  brought  with  them  from 
Discovery  Bay,  and  those  found  in  the  depots  that  had 
been  wisely  established  along  the  coast  by  Sir  George 
Nares,  for  his  travelling  parties  in  1876.  It  was  not 


310  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

long  before  these  scanty  supplies  were  exhausted,  but, 
for  some  time,  they  succeeded  in  keeping  themselves 
alive,  by  subsisting  on  their  sealskin  clothing,  and  the 
lichens  that  were  gathered  from  the  rocks.  Starvation 
and  hardship,  however,  gradually  reduced  the  original 
number  of  twenty-five,  until  by  the  middle  of  June  only 
seven,  including  Greeley,  remained  alive.  These  few  were 
happily  rescued  by  the  expedition  that  was  despatched 
in  1884  to  search  for  them,  under  the  command  of  Cap- 
tain Schley  of  the  United  States  navy,  who  providen- 
tially found  them,  on  the  2ist  of  June,  when  the  few 
wretched  survivors  were  literally  at  death's  door.  A 
delay  in  their  rescue  of  two  or  three  days  would  have 
been  fatal  to  the  whole  party — not  one  would  then  have 
been  alive  to  relate  the  history  of  their  proceedings  and 
the  appalling  sufferings  they  had  endured.  With  the 
exception  of  the  exploration  of  the  interior  of  Grinnell 
Land,  and  the  continuation  for  some  distance  of  Beau- 
mont's exploration  of  the  north-west  coast  of  Greenland, 
but  little  was  added  to  our  geographical  knowledge  of 
the  Polar  regions.  The  terrible  experiences  of  the  sur- 
vivors of  this  expedition  fully  bear  out  the  necessity 
of  scrupulously  carrying  out  those  useful  and  prudent 
measures  that  have  been  invariably  adopted  by  English 
navigators  when  exploring  in  high  latitudes,  namely  the 
practice  of  establishing  depots  of  provisions  along  what 
may  possibly  be  a  retreating  route.  It  also  illustrates 
the  folly  of  employing  inexperienced  and  ignorant  men, 
in  conducting  an  expedition  that  has  for  its  object  the 
succour  of  those  whose  lives  are  absolutely  dependent  on 
the  arrival  of  relief. 

Geographical  exploration   in  the  Arctic  regions  has 
now  been  brought  down  to  date,  and  it  shows  us  what 


1884.]     FRANKLIN'S  SUCCESS  IN  EXPLORATION.        311 

a  large  share  Sir  John  Franklin  had  in  the  development 
of  our  knowledge  of  those  regions.  The  life  of  Sir  John, 
as  it  has  been  the  object  of  these  pages  to  show,  was 
essentially  one  of  usefulness  and  activity.  Joining  the 
navy  at  an  early  age,  and  being  passionately  fond  of  the 
sea  and  everything  appertaining  to  a  seaman's  life,  he 
quickly  acquired  the  rudiments  of  his  profession,  while 
his  many  manly  qualities  and  earnest  application  to  his 
studies  soon  attracted  the  notice,  and  earned  the  appro- 
bation, of  his  superiors.  It  is  not  therefore  to  be  won- 
dered at  that,  under  these  favourable  auspices,  he  rapidly 
developed  into  an  able,  active,  and  accomplished  young 
officer.  Not  content  with  the  ordinary  humdrum  routine 
of  the  naval  service,  he  invariably  volunteered,  when- 
ever opportunities  offered,  for  duties  of  a  special  and 
exceptional  nature,  and  the  more  arduous  and  dangerous 
they  were  the  more  eagerly  were  they  sought  for  by  him. 
Adventure  and  geography  are  so  intimately  associated 
the  one  with  the  other,  that  it  is  not  surprising  to 
find  that  a  young  officer  of  Franklin's  energy  and 
daring  spirit  should,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  blossom 
into  an  ardent  and  practical  geographer.  The  love  of 
exploration,  especially  in  unknown  regions  and  over 
untrodden  paths,  was  inherent  in  him,  and  was  in  all 
probability  intensified  by  his  service  under  Flinders, 
and  his  long  and  intimate  connection  with  that  skilful 
and  experienced  surveyor.  But  although  the  southern 
hemisphere  had  its  charms,  it  was  the  north,  and  the 
fascinating  mysteries  that  surrounded  the  northern  apex 
of  our  globe,  that  possessed  the  greatest  attractions  for 
John  Franklin.  To  the  exploration  of  these  little  known 
regions  he  devoted,  as  we  have  endeavoured  to  show, 
much  valuable  time  and  energy,  and  eventually,  it  may 


312  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

truly  be  said,  he  laid  down  his  life  in  his  endeavours  to 
lift  the  veil  that  had  for  so  long  concealed  one  of  the 
secrets  of  that  mysterious  portion  of  the  world. 

But  it  is  as  the  discoverer  of  the  north-west  passage, 
that  problem  the  solution  of  which  had  baffled  so  many 
able  and  daring  navigators  for  the  past  three  hundred 
years,  and  which  he  sacrificed  his  life  to  solve,  that  his 
name  must,  and  always  will  be,  intimately  connected. 
Franklin  and  the  north-west  passage  being  so  closely 
associated  with  each  other  have  become  almost  synony- 
mous terms,  for  he  was,  assuredly,  the  first  actual  dis- 
coverer of  that  long  and  diligently  sought  for  channel  of 
communication  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans ; 
he  may  also  very  fitly  be  regarded  as  having  been,  in- 
directly, the  means  of  discovering  other  channels  that  may 
very  correctly  be  termed  north-west  passages,  for  the  dis- 
covery of  them  by  Collinson  and  M'Clure  was  practically 
a  corollary  of  the  search  that  was  instituted  for  him. 

To  Franklin,  therefore,  both  directly  and  indirectly,  is 
due  the  discovery  and  exploration  of  a  vast  hitherto  un- 
known region,  the  result  of  which  has  been  productive 
of  much  valuable  scientific  knowledge,  more  especially  in 
its  relation  to  geography. 

The  time  that  elapsed  between  the  year  1845,  wnen 
Arctic  exploration,  after  a  long  interval  of  inactivity, 
was  again  resumed,  until  the  year  1859,  when  the  little 
Fox  returned  to  England  with  the  important  announce- 
ment relative  to  the  sad  fate  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror, 
may  reasonably  be  called  the  Franklin  era;  even  before 
that  time  to  as  far  back  as  1818,  there  was  but  little 
accomplished,  in  the  way  of  exploring  those  little  known 
waters  and  territories,  with  which  he  was  not,  in  some 
way  or  other,  connected  or  concerned. 


1884.J  CAUSES  OF  THE  ICE  BAKRIER.  313 

The  failure  of  the  Erebus  and  Terror  to  achieve  the 
north-west  passage  was  undoubtedly  due  to  the  vast 
accumulation  of  heavy  pack  ice,  which  was  found  to 
exist  across  the  channel  in  which  the  ships  were  finally 
abandoned,  and  which  was  of  such  a  nature  as  to  defy 
penetration.  This  agglomeration  of  ice,  which  had 
originally,  in  all  probability,  been  formed  in  that  great 
unexplored  area  to  the  northward  and  westward  of  the 
Parry  Islands,  is  drifted  into  Melville  Sound  along  the 
north  coast  of  Bank's  Land,  and  is  thence  carried  down 
through  M'Clintock  Channel  until  it  impinges  on  the 
shores  of  King  William  Island,  thus  forming  an  impene- 
trable barrier  across  the  channel.  It  was,  we  must  infer, 
this  insurmountable  accumulation  of  ice  that  stopped 
Franklin's  ships  from  proceeding  to  the  south-west,  and 
it  was  this  same  unyielding  barrier  that  successfully  defied 
the  efforts  of  M'Clure  and  Collinson,  when  endeavouring 
to  push  forward  from  the  opposite  direction. 

Professor  Haughton,  who  is  one  of  our  highest 
authorities  on  tidal  movements,  and  especially  those 
in  high  latitudes,  attributes  the  accumulation  of  ice  at 
this  particular  spot  to  the  meeting  of  the  Bering's  Strait 
tide  with  that  of  Davis'  Strait,  the  effect  of  which  is 
the  formation  of  a  "line  of  still  water,"  in  which  the 
ice  remains  packed  and  immovable.  The  same  physical 
features  were  observed  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Bay 
of  Mercy,  whence  M'Clure  made  ineffectual  attempts, 
during  two  successive  years,  to  enter  Melville  Sound 
from  the  west,  along  the  north  coast  of  Bank's  Land. 
All  efforts  to  penetrate  the  ice  in  this  locality,  either 
from  the  east  or  from  the  west,  have  resulted  in 
failure — navigation  has  invariably  been  stopped  by 
impenetrable  masses  of  ice,  remaining  practically  im- 


314  LIFE  OF  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.  [1860- 

movable  in  a  region  of  still  water.  This  meeting  of 
two  separate  and  distinct  tides  serves,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, to  illustrate  the  principal  physico-geographical 
causes  of  the  failure  of  Parry,  Franklin,  M'Clure,  and 
Collinson,  and,  at  a  more  recent  date,  of  Allen  Young, 
to  successfully  accomplish  the  north-west  passage  in  a 
ship.  It  is  extremely  improbable  that  these  channels 
are  permanently  blocked  by  ice.  Indeed  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  there  are  occasional,  perhaps 
periodical,  seasons  when  a  well-found  steamship,  under 
the  command  of  a  skilful  and  energetic  navigator,  might 
succeed  in  making  the  passage ;  but,  except  for  the  honour 
and  glory  of  performing  a  geographical  feat  that  has 
hitherto  defied  all  efforts  that  have  been  made  to  accom- 
plish it,  the  results  would  be  practically  barren,  for  the 
channels  have  already  been  thoroughly  explored  by  tra- 
vellers on  foot,  and  therefore  no  further  useful  geogra- 
phical information  could  be  obtained,  by  the  mere  fact 
of  a  vessel  steaming  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  or 
vice  versa,  by  Bering's  Strait  and  Baffin  Bay. 

But  there  is  still  useful  work  to  be  performed  in 
the  Arctic  regions,  namely,  to  complete  the  explora- 
tion of  that  vast  Polar  area,  comprising  upwards  of  a 
million  and  a  half  square  miles,  which  is  at  present  a 
blank  space  on  our  charts.  In  order  to  carry  this  out 
to  a  successful  issue,  our  attention  and  our  energies 
should  be  directed  towards  the  little  known  Franz 
Josef  Land,  for  it  is  in  this  direction  that  the  greatest 
prospect,  almost  amounting  to  a  certainty,  of  success 
will  be  obtained,  and  for  the  following  reasons.  It  is 
nearer  to  inhabited  and  civilised  countries  than  other 
parts  of  the  Arctic  regions,  therefore  a  place  to  which 
a  start  can  be  more  easily  made,  and  whence  retreat 


1884.]        PROSPECTIVE  ARCTIC  EXPLORATION.  315 

from  it,  in  the  event  of  a  catastrophe,  for  the  same 
reasons,  is  practically  easy  and  assured.  There  is  no 
reason  to  fear  that  any  great  difficulty  will  be  experi- 
enced in  reaching  its  shores ;  on  the  contrary,  we  have 
every  reason  to  infer,  from  the  comparative  ease  with 
which  the  little  Dutch  exploring  schooner  Willem  Barents 
sighted  its  coast  in  1879,  anc^  the  absence  of  any  real 
difficulty  that  attended  Mr.  Leigh  Smith's  efforts  to 
visit  its  shores  on  the  two  following  years,  that  a  good 
steamer,  specially  designed  for  ice  navigation,  would 
easily  succeed  in  reaching  Eira  Harbour,  or  even  Austria 
Sound,  every  year.  This  being  assumed,  it  is  evident  that 
Franz  Josef  Land  should  form  the  objective,  and  be 
the  direction  in  which  future  Arctic  exploration  should 
be  carried  out. 

But  to  ensure  useful  results  it  is  essential  to  pass  a 
winter  in  that  little  known  land,  so  that  exploration  can 
be  carried  out  by  sledge  parties  during  the  spring  and 
summer.  In  carrying  out  this  service  no  danger  need 
be  apprehended  from  that  terrible  scourge  scurvy,  for 
animal  food,  in  the  shape  of  bears,  walruses,  and  seals, 
is  procurable  in  abundance,  and  such  a  measure  of  success 
would  assuredly  be  secured  during  one  travelling  season, 
as  would  amply  compensate  for  the  expense  incurred  in 
the  despatch  of  an  expedition.  Let  us  hope  that  we 
may  soon  be  in  a  position  to  record  the  return  of  an 
English  Arctic  expedition  crowned  with  laurels  gained 
in  the  exploration  of  Franz  Josef  Land  and  beyond ! 
For  such  a  consummation  let  all  true  geographers 
devoutly  pray  We  shall  then  feel  that  the  noble  and 
gallant  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  brave  shipmates  did 
not  lay  down  their  lives  in  vain. 


INDEX. 


ACTION  between  Admiral  Linois  and 
Commodore  Dance,  65. 

Adams,  Captain,  receives  survivors 
from  Polaris,  286. 

Adelaide  Peninsula  reached  by  Frank- 
lin's people,  231. 

Advance  sails  under  Dr.  Kane,  256. 

Adventure  under  Captain  Cook,  27. 

Akaitcho,  Indian  chief,  125. 

Albatrosses  found  in  large  numbers 
by  Flinders,  39. 

Alert,  sails  under  Captain  Nares,  293; 
winters  in  highest  latitude,  294. 

Amitie  sails  for  Spitzbergen  under 
Poole,  83. 

Anderson,  Mr.,  sent  by  Hudson's  Bay 
Co.  to  discover  news  of  Franklin,  258. 

Antarctic  circle  crossed  by  Cook,  27. 

expedition  under  Ross  visits  Tas- 
mania, 185. 

Arctic  discovery,  renewal  by  England 
of,  78. 

Ocean,  Franklin's  canoes  launched 

on,  126;  reached  by  Franklin,' second 
land  journey,  163. 

regions,  knowledge  of,  in  1845, 196. 

Arctic,  whaler,  receives  crew  of  Po- 
laris, 286. 

Arnold,  Dr.,  recommends  master  for 
College,  Tasmania,  184. 

Assistance  sails  in  search  of  Franklin, 
240-252. 

Augustus,  Eskimo  interpreter  with 
Franklin,  161. 

Austin,  Captain,  commands  search 
expedition,  243. 

Australia,  early  discoveries  of,  17  ;  east 
coast  of,  named  New  South  Wales, 
24 ;  so  named  by  Flinders,  44. 

Austro-Hungarian  expedition,  287. 

BACK,  Mr.  George,  accompanies  Frank- 
lin's first  land  expedition,  109;  his 
arduous  journey  to  Fort  Chipewyan, 
123 ;  sets  out  in  search  of  relief,  134 ; 
his  sufferings  and  wonderful  jour- 
ney, 140 ;  promoted  to  rank  of  lieu- 
tenant, 140 ;  with  Franklin — second 
land  journey,  154  ;  promoted  to  com- 
mander, 168 ;  his  expedition  in  search 


316 


of  the  Rosses,  193 ;  voyage  to  Hud- 
son's Bay  in  Terror,  194. 

Banks,  Sir  Joseph,  accompanies  Cap- 
tain Cook,  23 ;  advocates  exploration 
of  Australia,  39. 

Barents,  discovery  of  Spitzbergen  by, 
82. 

Barren  lands,  Franklin's  journey  over 
the,  131. 

Barretto  Junior,  transport  attached  to 
Franklin,  207. 

Barrington,  Daines,  instigates  Polar 
exploration,  84. 

Barrow,  Colonel  John,  collection  of 
portraits  kindly  placed  at  disposal 
of  author  by,  viii. ;  Fitzjames's  let- 
ters to,  204;  letter  to  from  Lieu- 
tenant Griffiths,  208. 

Sir  John,  promotes  research  in 

high  latitudes,  78 ;  refers  to  Frank- 
lin's  land  journey,  142;  proposes 
plan  for  further  exploration,  200. 

Barrow's  Strait,  named  by  Captain 
Parry,  147. 

Bear  Lake,  exploration  of,  by  Dr. 
Richardson,  157. 

Beaufort,  Sir  Francis,  advocates  re- 
newal of  Polar  research,  200. 

Bedford,  Franklin  joins  the,  74. 

Beechey  Cape,  named  by  Franklin,  164. 

Beechey,  Captain,  his  account  of  Bu- 
chan's  expedition,  91;  in  command 
of  Blossom,  note,  154. 

Beechey  Island,  Franklin  winters  at, 
210 ;  visited  by  Fox,  261. 

Belcher,  Sir  Edward,  in  command  of 
search  expedition,  253 ;  orders  ships 
to  be  abandoned,  254. 

Bell,  Mr.  James,  midshipman,  killed 
at  Copenhagen,  13. 

Bellerophon,  employed  blockading 
Brest,  72 ;  at  Trafalgar,  72. 

Bellot,  Lieutenant,  French  navy, 
drowned,  note,  251. 

Bellot  Strait,  discovered  by  Kennedy, 
251 ;  Fox  winters  at  entrance  of,  265 ; 
Pandora  stopped  by  the  ice  in,  297. 

Bells,  peal  of,  at  Spilsby,  3. 

Bennett,  Mr.  Gordon,  equips  Jean- 
nette,  299. 


INDEX. 


317 


Bering's   Strait,  Captain  Cook  passes    l 

through,  30. 
Berry,    Lieutenant,   U.S.N.,   explores 

Wrangel  Land,  301. 
Bessels,  Emil,  accompanies   Hall   in 

Polaris,  281. 
Bird,  Captain,  commands  Investigator, 

236. 
Birds,  numerous,  seen  in  Magdalena 

Bay,  96. 

Bismarck,  Cape,  named  by  the  Ger- 
mans, 281. 

Bloody  Fall,  so  named  by  Hearne,  111. 
Blossom,  ordered  to  Bering's  Strait,154 ; 

boat  of,  sent  to  meet  Franklin,  164. 
Boats,  discovery  of  one  of  Franklin's, 

230,^272 ;  special,  for  Franklin's  land 

journey,  155. 

Boat  voyage  of  Captain  Flinders,  61. 
Booth,  Sir  Felix,  Victory  fitted  out  at 

expense  of,  177. 
Boothia   Felix,    Franklin    sails   along 

coast  of,  215. 

Botany  Bay,  named  by  Cook,  24. 
Bottle-papers,  use  of,  271. 
Bremen,  German  expedition  sails  from, 

280. 
Bridgewater,  sails  with  Porpoise,  54 ; 

heartless  conduct  of  captain  of,  55. 
Briggs,  Rear- Admiral,  hoists  flag   in 

Rainbow,  180. 
Browne,    Lieutenant,    explores    Peel 

Strait,  244;   reaches   position   near 

Erebm  and  Terror,  247. 
Buchan,  David,  Commander,  appointed 

to  command    expedition    to  North 

Pole,  81 ;  his  former  services,  89 ;  his 

instructions,    91 ;     remembered   by 

Franklin,  126. 
Burnett,  Lieutenant,  sent  to  Hobart 

Town  as  surveyor,  183. 

CAIRNS,  strange  absence  of,  248. 

Cannibalism,  story  of  supposed,  137. 

Carcass,  selected  for  Polar  exploration, 
84  ;  critical  situation  of,  87. 

Carlton  House  reached  by  Franklin,  120. 

Carstens  sails  on  a  voyage  of  disco- 
very, 20. 

Cart  used  by  Parry  in  exploring,  149. 

Castor  and  Pollux  river  reached  by 
Deas  and  Simpson,  199. 

Cato,  sails  with  Porpoise,  54;  wreck 
of,  55. 

Chelyuskin,  Cape,  rounded  by  the  Vega, 
301. 

Chipewyan,  Fort,  Franklin's  journey 
to,  120. 

Clarke, Captain,  appointed  toDiscovery, 
29;  commands  expedition  on  Cook's 
death,  31 ;  attempts  the  north-east 
passage,  32. 

Cloven  Cliff,  Buchan's  expedition  off,  98. 

Cold,  intense,  on  Franklin's  land  jour- 


ney, 120 ;  experienced  by  Back,  123 ; 
severe,  on  M'Clintock's  sledging 
journey,  266. 

College,  Franklin  attempts  to  found  a, 
at  Hobart  Town,  184. 

Collinson,  Captain,  in  command  of  En- 
terprise, 240. 

Cook,  Captain  James,  first  voyage  of 
discovery,  22 ;  sails  on  second  voyage, 
27 ;  reaches  71st  degree  of  south  lati- 
tude, 28 ;  honours  conferred  on,  29 ; 
sails  on  his  third  voyage,  29;  his 
lamentable  death,  31. 

Cooke,  Captain  John,  in  Bellerophon, 
72 ;  killed  at  Trafalgar,  73. 

Copenhagen,  battle  of,  1'2. 

Coppermine  river,  exploration  of,  by 
Hearne.110;  reached  by  Franklin,  122. 

Cracroft,  Miss,  kind  assistance  of,  viii. ; 
parents  of,  5 ;  accompanies  Sir  John 
and  Lady  Franklin  to  Tasmania,  183. 

Cresswell,  Lieutenant,'  reports  disco- 
very of  north-west  passage,  250. 

Croker  Mountains  sailed  over  by 
Parry,  147. 

Crosley,  Mr.,  astronomer  with  Flin- 
ders, 40. 

Crowe,  Mr.  G.  W.,  Consul  at  Patras, 
his  letter  to  Franklin,  181. 

Crown  Prince  Rudolff  Land,  named  by 
Payer,  291. 

Crozier,  Captain,  in  command  of  Terror 
in  Antarctic  expedition,  186;  in 
Terror  with  Franklin,  201;  aban- 
dons Erebus  and  Terror,  225 ;  signs 
the  last  record,  227 ;  is  cognisant  of 
the  existence  of  provisions  at  Fury 
beach,  238;  silver  belonging  to. 
found,  269 ;  his  notations  on  last 
record,  271. 

Cumberland,  the,  relieves  party  on 
Wreck  reef,  62 ;  seized  by  the  French 
at  Mauritius,  63. 

Cumberland  House,  reached  by  Frank- 
lin, 117  ;  Franklin  meets  Dr.  Richard- 
son at,  168. 

Current,  southerly,  experienced  by 
Parry,  176 ;  by  Resolute,  255 ;  by 
Hansa,  280 ;  by  Polaris,  285. 

DALY,  Camp,  formed  by  Schwatka,  in 

Chesterfield  Inlet,  298. 
Dampier,  William,   his  voyage  round 

the  world,  21 ;  in  the  Roebuck,  22. 
Dance,    Commodore   Nathaniel,   sails 

from  Canton,  64 ;  engages  Linois,  65  ; 

honours  conferred  on,  70. 
Dannet,  Captain,  communicates  with 

Franklin's  ships,  209. 
Dease,    Mr.,    attached    to    Franklin's 

second  land  expedition,  157;  disco- 
veries made  by,  199. 
Death  of  three  of  Franklin's  men  at 

Beechey  Island,  213. 


318 


INDEX. 


De  Haven,  Lieutenant,  U.S.N.,  com- 
mands search  expedition,  243. 

De  Long,  Commander,  U.S.N.,  in  com- 
mand of  Jeannette,  299. 

Des  Vaux,  Mr.  Charles  F. ,  accompanies 
Graham  Gore,  217 ;  Fitz  James's  de- 
scription of,  218. 

Discovery,  selected  for  Cook's  expedi- 
tion, 29;  sails  with  Nares,  under 
Captain  Stephenson,  293. 

Discovery  Bay  reached  by  Greeley,  308. 

Distilling  apparatus  invented  by  Dr. 
Irving,  85. 

Dog  sledges,  Franklin  starts  with,  119. 

Dolphin  and  Union  Strait  discovered 
and  named,  166. 

Dorothea,  selected  for  Arctic  service, 
90 ;  severely  nipped  by  the  ice,  101 ; 
critical  position  of,  103. 

Drift,  of  Resolute  in  the  pack,  255 ;  of 
Fox,  262 ;  of  crew  of  Hansa  on  the 
ice,  280 ;  of  crew  of  Polaris,  285  ;  of 
Tegettho/,  289. 

Drummond,  Mr.,  accompanies  Frank- 
lin as  naturalist,  154  ;  his  indefatiga- 
bility,  168. 

Duyjhen,  Dutch  ship,  discovers  Aus- 
tralia, 19. 

EAST  INDIAMEN,  squadron  of,  under 
Dance,  64. 

Ecndragt,  Dutch  ship,  on  west  coast  of 
Australia,  19. 

Eira,  her  voyage  to  Franz  Josef  Land, 
305  ;  sails  from  Peterhead,  306. 

Elsinore  visited  by  British  squadron,  11. 

Endeavour,  voyage  of,  23  ;  disaster  to, 
25 ;  name  of  boat  in  Parry's  Polar 
expedition,  176. 

Enterprise,  commissioned  by  Sir  James 
Ross,  236 ;  sent  out  under  command 
of  Collinson,  240 ;  name  of  boat  in 
Parry's  Polar  expedition,  176. 

Enterprise,  Fort,  constructed  by  Frank- 
lin, 122  ;  party  leaves,  124. 

Erebm,  under  Ross  in  the  Antarctic, 
186 ;  selected  for  Franklin's  expedi- 
tion, 201 ;  frozen  in  the  pack,  215  ; 
abandoned,  225. 

Eskimos,  massacre  of,  by  Indians,  111 ; 
met  by  Franklin,  162 ;  information 
obtained  from,  regarding  Franklin, 
232,  266,  268. 

Expedition  of  Sir  John  Franklin  sails 
from  England,  203. 

FAIRHAVEN,  Spitzbergen,  Buchan  ar- 
rives at,  99. 

Fairholme,Lieut.,letter  from,207;  silver 
belonging  to,foundbyM'Clintock,269. 

Felix  sails  under  Sir  John  Ross,  253. 

Fire-hole,  explanation  of,  note,  211. 

Fisher,  Mr.,  astronomer  to  Buchan,  93. 

Fitzjames,  Commander,  appointed  to 


Erebus,  201 ;  extracts  from  letters 
of,  204  ;  his  admiration  for  Franklin, 
205  ;  signs  the  last  record,  227  ;  nota- 
tions on  record  made  by,  271. 

Flag  unfurled  by  Franklin  on  the  Polar 
Sea,  158. 

Fligely,  Cape,  named  by  Payer,  202. 

Flinders,  Matthew,  commands  Inves- 
tigator, 14 ;  his  love  of  geography, 
35 ;  exploration  in  Australia,  35 ; 
sails  in  Investigator,  40 ;  his  charts 
criticised  by  French  captain,  48  ; 
sails  from  Australia  in  Porpoise,  53 ; 
wrecked  in  Porpoise,  55 ;  his  won- 
derful boat  voyage,  60 ;  takes  passage 
in  Cumberland,  62 ;  made  prisoner 
by  the  French,  63;  his  death,  63; 
remembered  by  Franklin,  126. 

Forks,  silver,  found,  belonging  to 
Franklin,  257. 

Forsyth,  Commander,  in  command  of 
Prince  Albert,  243. 

Forth,  Franklin  appointed  first  lieu- 
tenant of,  77. 

Fowler,  Lieutenant,  in  command  of 
Porpoise,  54 ;  embarks  in  Holla,  63  ; 
appointed  to  Earl  Camden,  64. 

Fox,  fitted  out  by  Lady  Franklin,  261 ; 
her  drift  in  the  pack,  262  ;  winters  in 
Port  Kennedy,  265 ;  sails  for  Eng- 
land, 273. 

Franklin,  family  of,  settled  atSpilsby,3. 

Henrietta,  sister  of  John,  5. 

Isabella,  married  Mr.  Cracroft,  5. 

James,  major  in  Indian  army,  5. 

John,  his  birth,  5 ;  love  of  the 

sea,  8 ;  makes  a  voyage  to  Lisbon,  9 ; 
enters  the  navy,  10  ;  at  Copenhagen, 
12  ;  joins  Investigator,  14  ;  sails  with 
Flinders,  43  ;  discoveries  named 
after,  46 ;  discharged  to  Porpoise, 
53 ;  wrecked  in  Porpoise,  55  ;  reaches 
Canton,  appointed  to  Earl  Camden, 
64  ;  assists  at'  the  defeat  of  Linois, 
69  ;  appointed  to  Bcllerophon,  71 ;  at 
the  battle  of  Trafalgar,  73 ;  joins  the 
Bedford,  74;  is  wounded  at  the  attack 
on  New  Orleans,  76  ;  first  lieutenant 
of  the  Forth,  77 ;  appointed  second 
in  command  of  North  Polar  expedi- 
tion, 81 ;  his  first  land  journey,  109 ; 
narrowly  escapes  shipwreck  in  Hud- 
son's Strait,  114  ;  nearly  loses  his  life 
by  drowning,  118;  his  remarkable 
journey,  129 ;  narrow  escape  from 
drowning,  132 ;  dreadful  sufferings 
experienced  by,  136;  promoted  to 
commander,  140 ;  arrival  in  England 
and  promotion  to  rank  of  captain, 
141 ;  his  marriage,  144  ;  appointed 
to  second  land  expedition,  154  ;  hears 
of  the  death  of  his  wife,  155 ;  his 
journey  on  the  Polar  Ocean,  162 ; 
return  to  England,  honours  conferred 


INDEX. 


319 


on,  171 ;  marries  Miss  Jane  Griffin, 
172 ;  advocates  search  for  north-west 
passage  by  Bering's  Strait,  173;  in 
command  of  Rainbow,  178 ;  honours 
conferred  on,  for  services  in  Greece, 
180 ;  appointed  Governor  of  Van 
Diemen's  Land,  183  ;  dissensions 
with  officials,  189;  relieved  by  Sir 
Eardley  Wilmot,  190 ;  appointed  to 
command  Arctic  expedition,  200  ; 
sails  from  England,  203 ;  his  last 
official  despatch,  208  ;  his  death,  220  ; 
anxiety  in  England  respecting,  235  ; 
first  traces  of,  discovered,  244 ;  monu- 
ment to,  at  Beechey  Island,  263 ;  sil- 
ver pieces  belonging  to,  found,  269  ; 
statues  erected  to  memory  of,  274- 
276  ;  promoted  rear-admiral,  277. 

Franklin,  Lady,  offers  reward  for  news 
of  lost  expedition,  239  ;  equips  Prince 
Albert,  243 ;  sends  out  Isabel,  251 ; 
protests  against  the  payment  of  re- 
ward to  Dr.  Rae,  259;  Fox  fitted 
out  at  expense  of,  260 ;  Royal  Geo- 
graphical medal  awarded  to,  275 ; 
death  of,  276. 

. Mrs.,  death  of,  155. 

. Thomas  Adams,  death  of,  74. 

Willingham,  brother  of  John,  4. 

Franz  Josef  Land,  discovery  of,  by  the 
Austrians,  288 ;  visited  by  Leigh 
Smith,  305-307. 

Funeral  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  221. 

Furneaux,  Captain  commands  Adven- 
ture in  Cook's  second  voyage,  27. 

Fury,  in  Parry's  second  voyage,  150 ; 
wreck  of,  174. 

Fury  beach,  named  by  Parry,  174 ; 
winter  passed  at,  by  the  Rosses,  178. 

GKLL,  Rev.  J.  P.,  sent  to  Tasmania 
for  College,  184 ;  marries  daughter 
of  Sir  John  Franklin  note,  184. 

German  expedition  to  east  coast  of 
Greenland,  280. 

Gennania  sails  from  Bremen,  280. 

Glaciers,  icebergs  formed  from,  96. 

Goldner,  his  rascality,  note,  245. 

Goodsir,  Dr.,  appointed  naturalist  to 
Franklin's  last  expedition,  202. 

Gore,  Lieutenant  Graham,  explores 
King  William  Island,  217;  Fitzjames' 
description  of,  218  ;  his  death,  224. 

Graves  of  Franklin's  men,  discovery  of, 
233,  245. 

Graves,  Rear-Admiral,  hoists  his  flag 
on  board  Polyphemus,  11 ;  invested 
with  the  Bath,  13. 

Great  Barrier  Reef,  examination  of, 
by  Flinders,  51. 

Great  Fish  River,  survivors  from  Ere- 
bus  and  Terror  start  for  the,  225. 

Greeley,  Lieutenant,  U.S.A.,  his  ex- 
pedition to  Smith  Sound,  308. 


"Green-stockings,"  poem  written  by 

Miss  Porden,  145. 
Griffin,    Jane,    married    to   Sir  John 

Franklin,  172. 

Griffin  Point,  named  by  Franklin,  163. 
Griffiths  Island,  ships  winter  at,  244. 
Griffiths,    Lieutenant,   writes  to  Mr. 

Barrow,  207. 
Grinnell,   Mr.    Henry,  equips   search 

expedition,   243;   fits  out  schooner 

Advance,  256. 
Grinnell  Land,  explored  by  Nares,  295  ; 

exploration  of,  by  Greeley,  308. 
Griper,    commanded    by   Lieutenant 

Liddon,  1819,  108 ;  sails  from  Eng- 
land, 146. 

HADDINGTON,  Lord,  First  Lord  of  the 
Admiralty,  200. 

Hall,  Captain,  his  various  expeditions, 
281. 

Hans,  Eskimo,  sails  with  Hall  in 
Polaris,  281. 

Hansa  sails  from  Bremen,  280. 

Hartog,  Dirk,  his  discoveries  in  Aus- 
tralia, 19. 

Haughton,  Professor,  theory  of,  re- 
garding ice-barriers,  313. 

Hawai  discovered  by  Captain  Cook,  31. 

Hayes,  Dr.,  his  voyage  to  Smith  Sound, 
278. 

Hearne,  Mr.,  his  discoveries,  110;  ac- 
curacy of  his  observations,  126. 

Hecla,  sails  under  Parry  to  discover 
north-west  passage,  146 ;  Parry  ap- 
pointed to,  in  second  expedition, 
150;  in  Parry's  third  voyage,  174; 
commanded  by  Parry  in  1827,  176. 

Hecla  and  Fury  Strait  visited  by  Hall, 
282. 

Hegemann,  Captain,  in  command  of 
Hansa,  280. 

Hepburn,  John,  with  Franklin  in  first 
land  expedition,  109  ;  in  Prince 
Albert,  note,  251. 

Herald  under  Captain  Kellett,  237. 

Herschel,  Cape,  record  left  at,  by  Lieu- 
tenant Gore,  218  ;  reached  by  sur- 
vivors from  Erebus  and  Terror,  230  ; 
skeleton  found  near,  231-270. 

Hicks,  Lieut.,  point  named  after,  24. 

Hobart  Pacha  at  Louth  Grammar- 
school,  8. 

Hobart  Town,  arrival  of  Franklin  at, 
183;  regret  felt  by  people  of,  on 
Franklin's  departure,  191 ;  votes  sum 
of  money  for  relief  of  Franklin,  191. 

Hobson,  Lieutenant,  sails  in  Fox  with 
M'Clintock,  261  ;  starts  on  sledge 
journey,  267. 

Hood,  Mr.  Robert,  appointed  to  Frank- 
lin s  first  land  expedition,  109 ;  river 
named  after,  129;  illness  of,  134; 
murder  of,  137. 


320 


INDEX. 


Hope  brings  home  Leigh  Smith  aiid 
crew  of  Eira,  308. 

Hopewell  sails  from  Gravesend,  81. 

Hornby,  Mr.  Frederick,  sextant  of, 
found,  273. 

Hotham,  Admiral,  death  of,  180 ;  his 
letter  to  Franklin,  181. 

Howe,  Cape,  named  by  Cook,  24. 

Hudson's  Bay, Back's  expedition  to, 194. 

Hudson's  Bay  Company,  arrangements 
with,  for  Franklin's  second  land 
journey,  155;  instructions  sent  to, 
relative  to  search  for  Franklin,  236 ; 
search  expedition  equipped  at  ex- 
pense of,  243;  Mr.  Anderson  sent 
out  by,  258. 

Hudson,  Henry,  his  daring  voyage,  81. 

Hunter,  Captain,  appointed  Governor 
of  New  South  Wales,  33. 

Hurd,  Cape,  reached  by  Ross's  travel- 
ling parties,  237. 

ICE,  Captain  Cook  stopped  by,  in  Ant- 
arctic, 28;  in  Greenland  and  Spitz- 
bergen  seas,  79 ;  heavy,  encountered 
by  Phipps,  86  ;  Buchan's  ships  beset 
in,  98 ;  belt  of  impenetrable,  off 
Spitzbergen,  106;  Franklin's  vessels 
caught  in  the,  215 ;  barriers  of,  how 
formed,  313. 

Icebergs,  formed  from  glaciers,  96 ; 
danger  from  the  formation  of,  96. 

Indians,  kindness  and  attention  of,  139. 

Inglefield,  Commander,  sails  in  Isabel, 
252. 

Inman,  Professor,  with  Captain  Flin- 
ders, 40. 

Instruments,  scientific,  supplied  to 
Franklin,  112. 

Intrepid  in  Austin's  expedition,  240. 

Investigator  commissioned  for  service 
in  Australia,  14 ;  sails  under  Flinders, 
43  ;  her  unseaworthy  condition,  44  ; 
meets  French  ship  Le  Geographe,  48 ; 
her  rotten  state,  51 ;  condemned 
at  Sydney,  52;  Captain  Bird  ap- 
pointed to  command  of,  236 ;  sent 
out  under  M'Clure,  240 ;  successful 
voyage  of,  249. 

Irving,  Dr.,  his  distilling  apparatus,  85. 

Lieutenant,  discovers  record  left 

by  Graham  Gore,  227. 

Isabel  sails  under  Inglefield,  252. 

Isabella,  Ross  rescued  by  the,  178. 

Isbjorn,  cruise  of  the,  287. 

Jeannette,  fitted  out  by  Gordon  Ben- 
nett, 299 ;  news  received  of  her  loss, 


KANE,    Dr.   Elisha,  in   command   of 

Advance,  255. 
Kangaroos  first  seen,  26. 
Karakakooa  Bay,  Cook  arrives  at,  31. 


Kay,  Mr.,  marries  Mrs.  Franklin'3 
sister,  145;  with  Franklin  in  Rain- 
bow, 179 ;  in  charge  of  Observatory 
at  Hobart  Town,  187. 

Kellett,  Captain,  sent  in  Herald  to 
Bering's  Strait,  237;  appointed  to 
Resolute,  253 ;  winters  at  Dealy 
Island,  264. 

Kendall,  Mr.,  forms  one  of  Franklin's 
second  land  expedition,  154. 

Kennedy,  Mr.,  in  command  of  Prince 
Albert,  251. 

Kennedy,  Port,  Fox  winters  at,  265. 

Kingsmill,  Rear-Admiral,  on  board 
Polyphemus,  10. 

King  William  Island,  seen  by  Frank- 
lin's people,  217 ;  one  of  Franklin's 
ships  supposed  to  be  wrecked  on, 
232 ;  explored  by  M'Clintock  and 
Hobson,  267  ;  record  found  on,  270 ; 
visited  by  Hall,  282. 

Koldewey,  Captain,  his  expedition  to 
east  coast  of  Greenland,  280. 

Kotzebue  Inlet,  Blossom  ordered  to, 
154 ;  Plover  directed  to  winter  in,  240. 

LATITUDE,  reward  offered  for  reaching 
a  high,  80;  Alert  reaches  highest, 
294 ;  highest  reached  by  Nares's  ex- 
pedition, 296. 

Lawford,  John,  appointed  captain  of 
Polyphemus,  10;  group  of  islands 
named  after,  126. 

Leewin,Cape,discovered  and  named, 20. 

Legislative  Council,  admission  of  pub- 
lic to,  in  Van  Diemen's  Land,  183. 

Lena  river,  Vega  passes  mouth  of,  302. 

Leopold,  Port,  Ross  winters  at,  237; 
visited  by  M'Clintock  in  Fox,  264. 

Liddon,  Lieutenant,  second  in  com- 
mand to  Parry,  1819,  108-146. 

Linois,  Admiral,  engagement  with 
Dance,  65. 

Lockyer,  Nicholas,  Captain,  commands 
boat  attack  at  New  Orleans,  76. 

Loring,  Captain,  of  Bellerophon,  71. 

Louth  Grammar-school,  6  ;  seal  of,  7. 

Lumsdaine,  George,  captain  of  Poly- 
phemus, 10. 

Lutwidge,  Captain,  second  in  command 
with  Phipps,  84 ;  promoted  to  cap- 
tain, 88. 

Lyon,  Captain,  in  command  of  Griper, 
150. 

Israel,  astronomer  with  Phipps,  85. 

MACKENZIE,  Mr.,  his  journey  to  the 
Polar  Sea,  110 ;  accuracy  of  his  sur- 
vey, 158. 

Mackenzie  River,  exploration  of,  by 
Franklin,  157 ;  ascended  by  Lieu- 
tenant Pullen,  244. 

M'Clintock,  Sir  Leopold,  information 
collected  by,  231 ;  his  journey  to 


INDEX. 


321 


Cape  Coulman,  238 ;  reaches  Melville 
Island,  247  ;  in  command  of  Intrepid, 
253;    explores  Melville  and  Prince 
Patrick  Islands,  254;  sails  in  Fox, 
261 ;  his  sledging  journeys,  265-267  ;    | 
results  of  his  voyage  in  Fox,  274;    I 
rewards  conferred  on,  275. 

M'Clure,  Sir  Robert,  in  command  of  In-  \ 
vestigator,  240;  accomplishes  north-  j 
west  passage,  248. 

M'Donald,  Dr.,  medal  found  belong-  i 
ing  to,  266 ;  silver  found,  269. 

Magdalena  Bay,  survey  of,  by  Buchan,  | 
95. 

Magnetic  attraction  of  needle  observed 
by  Parry,  147. 

Magnetic  Pole,  discovery  of,  by  Ross, 
148. 

Markhouse,  Air.,  stops  leak  in  En- 
deavour, 26. 

Marquesas  Islands,  discovery  of,  18. 

Munj,  yacht,  accompanies  Sir  John 
Ross,  243. 

Massacre  of  Eskimos  by  Indians,  111. 

of  Franklin's  party  by  Eskimos 

frustrated,    162 ;    by   Indians    pre- 
vented, 165. 

Mecham,  Lieutenant,  discovers  Russell 
Island,  247. 

Melville  Bay,  Franklin's  ships  last  seen 
in,  209. 

Memorial  to  Lord  Palmerston,  259. 

Mendafia,  discoveries  of,  in  southern 
hemisphere,  18. 

Money,  Rowland,  Captain,  wounded 
at  New  Orleans,  76. 

Montreal  Island,  relics  of  Franklin 
found  at,  231 ;  examined  by  M'Clin- 
tock,  269. 

Monument  to  Franklin  on  Beechey 
Island,  263. 

Moore,  Captain,  sent  to  Bering's  Strait 
in  Plover,  237. 

Moose  Deer  Island,  Franklin  winters 
at,  141. 

Aloreton  sails  with  Hall  in  Polaris,  231. 

Murchison,  Sir  Roderick,  advocates 
renewal  of  Polar  research,  200. 

Musquitoes,  sufferings  endured  from 
attacks  of,  121 ;  Franklin's  party  per- 
secuted by,  125,  163. 

Musk  oxen,  plentiful  supply  of,  125. 

NARES,  Captain,  selected  to  command 

Arctic  expedition,  293. 
Natives  of  Australia,  conflict  with,  51. 
Nelson,    Lord,    at    Copenhagen,    12 ; 

midshipman  in  Phipps's  expedition, 

84. 

New  Caledonia,  discovery  of,  28. 
New  Hebrides,  named  by  Captain  Cook, 

28. 
New  Orleans,  Franklin  wounded  at  the 

attack  on,  76. 


New  South  Wales,  formation  of  colony 
of,  32. 

New  Zealand,  Cook  arrives  at,  23. 

Nordenskiold,  Professor,  voyages  of, 
to  Spitzbergen,  279 ;  sails  in  Vega, 
301 ;  achieves  north-east  passage,  304. 

Norfolk  surveying  under  Bass  and 
Flinders,  38. 

Norfolk  Island  discovered  by  Cook,  28. 

North-east  passage,  Cook  attempts  to 
discover  the,  29;  accomplished  by 
Nordenskiold,  304. 

North  Pole,  expedition  to,  determined 
on,  79  ;  reward  offered  for  reaching, 
80 ;  Buchan  commands  expedition 
to,  81 ;  Hudson's  voyage  to,  81 ; 
Phipps's  expedition  to,  84 ;  Buchan's 
attempt  to  reach  the,  92;  Parry's 
plan  to  reach  the,  175. 

Northumberland  Sound,  Belcher  win- 
ters in,  254. 

North-west  passage,  expedition  to  dis- 
cover, 79 ;  Parry  sent  to  search  for, 
107 ;  Parry's  belief  in  the  existence 
of,  153 ;  interest  in  discovery  of,  re- 
vived, 195 ;  Franklin  appointed  to 
command  expedition  in  search  of, 
200 ;  discovery  of,  ascertained  by 
Graham  Gore,  218. 

Novaya  Zemlya,Tegcttho/l>eset  off,  287. 

Nuyts'  Land,  visited  by  Flinders,  45. 

Nuyts,  Peter,  discovers  south  coast  of 
Australia,  20. 

OGLE  POINT  reached  by  M'Clintock, 
2(59. 

Ommaney,  Captain,  second  in  com- 
mand to  Austin,  243 ;  discovers 
traces  of  Franklin,  244. 

Orme,  Dr. ,  head  -  master  of  Louth 
grammar-school,  6. 

Osborn,  Sherard,  alludes  to  Franklin's 
treatment  in  Van  Diemen's  Land, 
191 ;  remarks  by,  on  the  death  of 
Franklin,  220  ;  his  sledge  journey  to 
Prince  of  Wales's  Land,  247  ;  in  com- 
mand of  Pioneer,  253. 

Oxford,  degree  of  D.C.L.  of,  conferred 
on  Franklin,  172. 

PACK,  Dorothea  and  Trent  take  refuge 
in  the,  102 ;  Fox  beset  in  the,  261. 

Palander,  Lieutenant,  commands  the 
Vega,  301. 

Pandora  under  Allen  Young,  296. 

Paris  Geographical  Society's  medal 
awarded  to  Franklin,  171. 

Parry,  Sir  Edward,  with  Ross  in  1818, 
80 ;  appointed  to  command  expedi- 
tion, 1819,  107  ;  sails  from  England, 
146 ;  obtains  reward  for  reaching 
110th  meridian,  148 ;  promoted  to 
commander,  150 ;  commands  expedi- 
tion to  Hudson's  Bay,  151 ;  promoted 
X 


322 


INDEX. 


to  captain,  153 ;  his  belief  in  a  north- 
west passage,  153 ;  third  expedition 
in  search  of  a  passage,  174 ;  expedi- 
tion towards  North  Pole,  176 ;  advo- 
cates renewal  of  Polar  research,  200. 

Payer,  Julius,  sails  with  Weyprecht,2S7. 

Peabody,  Mr. ,  assists  in  equipment  of 
Advance,  256. 

Pearce,  Mr.  Stephen,  portraits  painted 
by,  viii. 

Peel  Strait,  Franklin  enters,  214  ;  Allen 
Young  attempts  to  pass  through,  297. 

Pendulum  supplied  to  Captain  Buchan, 
93. 

Pendulum  Islands,  Germania  winters 
at  the,  281. 

Penny,  Captain,  assists  in  search  for 
Franklin,  243 ;  discovers  graves  on 
Beechey  Island,  245. 

Petermann  Land,  named  by  Payer,  290. 

Petropaulowski  visited  by  Captain 
Clerke,  32. 

Pfeiffer  river,  graves  of  white  men 
near  the,  233. 

Phillip,  Captain  Arthur,  first  governor 
of  New  South  Wales,  32. 

Phillip,  Port,  discovery  and  examina- 
tion of,  48. 

Phipps,  Captain,  his  expedition  to  the 
North  Pole,  84. 

Phoenix,  brings  home  crew  of  Investi- 
gator, 249 ;  conveys  officers  and  crews 
of  Belcher's  expedition  to  England, 
255. 

Pioneer,  one  of  the  ships  in  Austin's 
expedition,  240. 

Plover,  sent  to  Bering's  Strait,  237 ; 
ordered  to  winter  in  Kotzebue  Sound, 
240. 

Polar  research,  renewal  of,  advocated, 
200. 

Polaris  sails  from  New  York  under 
Hall,  281. 

Polyphemus,  Franklin  joins  the,  10; 
sails  for  the  Baltic,  11 ;  at  the  battle 
of  Copenhagen,  12. 

Poole,  Jonas,  his  voyages,  83. 

Porden,  Miss  Eleanor,  Franklin's  intro- 
duction to,  127  ;  islands  named  after, 
127  ;  is  married  to  Captain  Franklin, 
144 ;  her  poems,  144. 

Porpoise,  sails  from  Sydney,  54 ;  wreck 
of,  55. 

Portage  round  Trout  Falls,  119. 

Poverty  Bay,  named  by  Captain  Cook, 
23. 

Prince  Albert,  sails  with  Forsyth,  243  ; 
returns  to  England  with  news  of 
Franklin,  248. 

Prince  of  Wales,  sails  from  Gravesend, 
113;  enters  Hudson's  Strait,  114; 
whaler,  the  last  ship  to  communi- 
cate with  the  Franklin  expedition, 
209. 


Prince  Regent  Inlet,  named  by  Captain 

Parry,  147. 

Proteus  sent  up  with  Greeley,  308. 
Providence  Fort,  Franklin's  arrival  at, 

121 ;  reached  by  Franklin  after  first 

land  journey,  139. 
Provisions   sent  to    meet    Franklin's 

party,  236. 
Pullen,   Captain,  winters  at  Beechey 

Island,  254. 
Lieutenant,  boat  journey  made  by, 

244. 
Pulo  Aor,  Dance's   engagement  with 

Linois  off,  65. 

QUIROS,  his  discoveries,  18. 

Racehorse,  selected  for  Polar  explora- 
tion, 84  ;  critical  situation  of,  87. 

Rae,  Dr.,  information  obtained  by,  231 ; 
accompanies  Sir  John  Richardson, 
237  ;  explores  neighbourhood  of  Cop- 
permine River,  244  ;  obtains  articles 
from  the  Eskimos  belonging  to 
Franklin,  257  ;  is  paid  reward  for 
ascertaining  fate  of  Franklin,  258. 

Rairiboiv,  Franklin  appointed  to  com- 
mand, 178. 

Ravenscraig,  whaler,  rescues  men  from 
Polaris,  286. 

Rawson,  Lieutenant  Wyatt,  Hornby's 
sextant  given  to,  273. 

Record,  left  by  Graham  Gore  at  Cape 
Herschel,  218  ;  found  by  Lieutenant 
Irving,  227  ;  Investigator's,  found  at 
Melville  Island,  254 ;  discovered  by 
Hobson,  270. 

Reindeer  at  Spitsbergen,  99 ;  large 
herds  seen  near  Fort  Enterprise,  122. 

Reliance,  arrival  of,  at  Sydney,  34  ; 
returns  to  England,  39 ;  boat  built 
by  Franklin,  161. 

Relics  of  Franklin  found  at  Montreal 
Islands,  231 ;  brought  home  by  Rae, 
257  ;  found  by  M'Clintock,  266. 

Rensseliier  Bay,  Kane  winters  at,  257. 

Resolute,  under  Captain  Austin,  240; 
winters  at  Dealy  Island,  254 ;  her 
wonderful  drift  in  the  ice,  255. 

Resolution,  in  Cook's  second  voyage, 
27 ;  Cook's  ship  in  third  voyage,  29. 

Results  of  voyage  of  Fox,  274. 

Rewards,  offered  for  discovery  in  high 
latitudes,  80  ;  offered  by  Franklin  for 
game,  132 ;  Parry  obtains  the,  for 
crossing  the  110th  meridian,  148  ; 
offered  for  information  relative  to 
Franklin,  236;  for  assistance  to  Sir 
J.  Franklin,  239 ;  paid  to  M'Clure 
for  discovery  of  north-west  passage, 
249;  paid  to  Dr.  Rae,  258;  paid  to 
M'Clintock,  274. 

Richardson,  Sir  John,  associated  with 
Franklin,  109;  nearly  loses  his  life, 


INDEX. 


323 


133;  his  account  of  the  murder  of 
Hood,  137  ;  accompanies  Franklin  on 
second  land  journey,  154;  his  suc- 
cessful journey,  165 ;  his  eulogistic 
remarks  on  Franklin,  166 ;  sent  in 
search  of  Franklin,  237  ;  returns  to 
England,  239. 

Rocky  Mountains,  Franklin's  first  view 
of,  156. 

Rodfjers  sent  in  search  of  Jeannette, 
301. 

Holla  sails  for  Wreck  reef,  62 ;  reaches 
Canton,  64. 

Ross,  James,  discovers  Xorth  Magnetic 
Pole,  148-177 ;  with  Parry  in  North 
Pole  expedition,  176 ;  in  Victory  with 
Sir  John  Ross,  177  ;  commands  Ant- 
arctic expedition,  185;  selected  to 
command  search  expedition,  236 ; 
his  unexpected  return  to  England, 
239. 

Sir  John,  commands  Arctic  expe- 
dition, 1818,  80;  names  the  Croker 
Mountains,  147  ;  sails  in  the  Victory, 
177 ;  in  schooner  Felix,  243. 

SABINE,  Captain,  advocates  renewal  of 
Polar  research,  200. 

Sail,  thrummed,  used  by  Captain  Cook, 
26. 

Sandwich,  Lord,  visits  Arctic  ships,  85. 

Santa  Cruz  islands,  discovery  of,  18. 

Savage  islands  readied  by  Franklin, 
115. 

Schley,  Captain,  rescues  Greeley,  310. 

School  established  by  Franklin  in  win- 
ter quarters,  161. 

Schwatka,  Lieutenant,  information  ob- 
tained by,  231 ;  his  journey  to  King 
William  Island,  298. 

Scientific  society  founded  by  Franklin 
at  Hobart  Town,  185. 

Scoresby,  Captain,  his  arguments  in 
favour  of  Polar  research,  79;  visits 
east  coast  of  Greenland,  83. 

Screw  steamers  first  used  in  the  ice, 
203. 

Scurvy,  outbreak  of,  in  Investigator, 
52  ;  Franklin's  party  predisposed  to, 
125 ;  Nares's  expedition  attacked  by, 
296. 

Seals,  large  number  seen  by  Flinders, 
38. 

Search  expeditions,  despatch  of,  243. 

Separation  of  survivors  from  Franklin's 
ships,  229. 

Sextant  belonging  to  Mr.  Hornby 
given  to  Lieutenant  Rawson,  273. 

Silver  plate  found  belonging  to  Frank- 
lin expedition,  268. 

Simpson,  Mr.,  survey  of  north  coast  of 
America  by,  199. 

Skeleton  found  near  Cape  Herschel, 
231,  270. 


Slave  Lake,  Franklin  reaches,  156. 

Sledge  parties,  leave  Erebus  and  Terror, 
22(5;  organised  by  Captain  Austin, 
245 ;  leave  the  Fox,  265 ;  leave  the 
Tefjettko/,  291. 

Smith,  Mr.  Leigh,  expeditions  to  Spitz- 
bergen,  279;  first  voyage  to  Franz 
Josef  Land,  305 ;  honours  conferred 
on,  306;  second  voyage  to  Franz 
Josef  Land,  307. 

Smith  Sound,  Kane's  exploration  of, 
256 ;  voyage  of  Hayes  to,  278. 

Snodgrass,  Colonel,  relieved  by  Sir 
John  Franklin,  183. 

Society,  scientific,  founded  by  Franklin 
in  Hobart  Town,  185. 

Solander,  Dr.,  accompanies  Cook  as 
botanist,  23. 

Solomon  Islands,  discovery  of,  18. 

Sophie  reaches  a  high  latitude,  279. 

Spilsby,  situation  of,  1 ;  birthplace  of 
Franklin,  5 ;  statue  of  Franklin  at, 
277. 

Spitzbergen,  discovery  of,  by  Barents, 
82 ;  visited  by  Hudson,  82 ;  descrip- 
tion by  Phipps  of  coast  of,  86 ;  in- 
hospitable appearance  of,  95;  Nor- 
denskiold's  expeditions  to,  279. 

Spoons,  silver,  found,  belonging  to 
Franklin's  expedition,  257. 

Stanley,  Dean,  adds  note  to  epitaph 
on  Franklin's  monument,  277. 

Lord,  refers  to  discovery  of  north- 
west passage,  249. 

Owen,  mate  in  Rairiboiv,  179. 

Starvation,  deaths  due  to,  in  Franklin's 
first  land  journey,  138. 

Starvation  Cove,  remains  of  white  men 
found  at,  233. 

Statue  of  Franklin,  276. 

Steam  first  used  in  the  Arctic  Regions, 
177. 

Stephenson,  Captain,  winters  in  Dis- 
covery Bay,  294. 

Stewart,  Captain,  assists  in  search  for 
Franklin,  -243. 

Swans,  black,  first  seen,  22. 

Swedes,  expeditions  to  Spitzbergen  by, 
279. 

Talbot  brings  home  crews  of  Belcher's 

ships,  255. 

Tasman,  discoveries  of,  20. 
Taylor,  Mr.,  midshipman,  is  drowned, 

46. 
Tegettho/,   sails   from   Bremerhaven, 

287  ;  abandoned  in  the  ice,  292. 
Temperature,    low,     experienced     by 

Back,  123. 
Tennyson,  Alfred,  educated  at  Louth 

grammar-school,  8;  writes  epitaph 

on  Franklin's  monument,  277. 
Terror,  voyage  to  Hudson's  Bay  under 

Back,  186-195  ;  with  Ross  in  the  Ant- 


324 


INDEX. 


arctic,  186 ;  selected  for  Franklin  s 
expedition,  201 ;  frozen  in  the  pack, 
215;  abandoned. 

Thistle,  Mr.,  master  of  Investigator, 
drowned,  46. 

Thrummed  sail,  nse  of,  26. 

Tigress  rescues  survivors  from  Polaris, 
2*5. 

Tom  Thumb,  equipment  of  the,  35; 
perilous  position  of  the,  36. 

Torres,  his  discoveries,  18. 

Traces  of  Franklin  first  discovered,  244. 

Trafalgar,  Battle  of,  73. 

Trent,  Franklin  appointed  to  com- 
mand of,  90 ;  springs  a  leak,  93 ;  leak 
discovered  and  stopped,  99 ;  squeezed 
in  the  pack.  101 ;  seriously  damaged 
by  the  ice,  104. 

Tripe  de  roche  used  as  food  by  Frank- 
liu's  party,  131. 

Trout  Falls,  portage  round,  119. 

Turnagain,  Point,  reached  by  Frank- 
lin, 128. 

Tyson,  Captain,  his  drift  on  the  floe, 
284. 

I  NIXED  STATES,  assist  in  search  fr.r 
Franklin,  243 ;  Resolute  presented  by 
Government  of,  255 ;  Greeley  sent  out 
by,  308. 

United  States  sails  under  command  of 
Hayes,  278. 

xi>,  discovery  of, 
20 ;  Franklin  appointed  Governor  of, 
183. 

-  ;ils  from  Gothenburg,  301 ;  ac- 

north-east  passage,  304. 
:he,  poem  by  Miss  Porden,  144. 
Venus,  transit  of,  observed  by  Cook,  23. 
Victory,  sails  under  Sir  John  Ross, 
frozen  up  and  abandoned,  178. 
Victory  Point,  reached  by  survivors  of 
Erebus  and  Terror,  226 ;  boat  found 
fifty  miles  from,  230 ;  record  found 
near 

.iliam  de,  visits  Australia, 
22. 

Voyageurs,  Canadian,  in  Franklin's 
land  expedition,  121. 

WAGER  River,  Back  ordered  to  pro- 
ceed to  the,  194. 

Walker,  Cape,  Franklin  directs  his 
course  towards,  214. 


Walker,  Dr.,  joins  Fox  as  naturalist 
and  surgeon,  261. 

Waterloo  Place,  statue  of  Franklin 
erected  in,  275. 

Wellington  Channel  discovered  by 
Parry,  148 ;  ascended  by  Franklin's 
ship-. 

Wentzell,  Mr.,  joins  Franklin.  121. 

11  William,  painter,  with  Flin- 
ders, 40;  original  sketches  of,  in 
Colonial  Institute,  60. 

Westminster  Abbey,  statue  of  Frank- 
lin in,  276. 

Weyprecht,  Captain,  in  command  of 
Teftettho/.  I 

Whalefish  Islands  reached  by  Erebus 
and  Terror.  207. 

Whalers,  favourable  report  of  the  ice 
by,  79. 

Whaling  captains,  rewards  offered  to, 
for  exploration,  80. 

Whitewood,  Mr.,  master's  mate  of  In- 

•  vestif/ator,  wounded  by  the  natives, 
51. 

Willoughby  Chapel,  tombs  in,  at  Spils- 
by.  2.' 

Wilmot,  Sir  Eardley,  succeeds  Franklin 
as  governor,  190. 

Winter,  Franklin  spends,  at  Great  Bear 
Lake,  160. 

Winter  Harbour  reached  by  Parry,  148. 

Winter  Lake  visited  by  Franklin,  121. 

Wollaston  Land  discovered,  166. 

Wolstenholme  Sound,  Sort h  Star  win- 
ters in,  239. 

Wrangel  Land,  Jeannette  seen  off,  2f>9 ; 
explored  by  Lieutenant  Berry 

Wreck,  of  brig,  sighted  by  Rainbow, 
179;  of  Eira,  31 fl ;  of  Erebv*  and 
Terror  seen  by  the  Eskimos,  269 ;  of 
Hansa,  280 ;  of  Porpoise,  55. 

YELLOW    KXIFE    River  reached   by 

Franklin,  121. 

York  boate,  description  of,  116. 

York  Factory,  Franklin  arrives; 
116;  journey  by  editor  to  Norway 
House   from,    note,    117 ;    Franklin 
reaches,  after  first  land  expedition, 
141. 

Younz,  Allen,  sails  in  Fox  with  M'Clin- 

266;   starts  on    his    s-.'. 
journey,  267  ;  his  attempt  to 
plish  the  north-west  passage  in  Pan- 
dora, 296. 

Nicholas,  sights  New  Zealand,  23. 


GEORGE   PHII.TP   AND   SOX,    LONIX>N   AXO   LIVERPOOL. 


32  FLEET  STREET,  Loyppy. 


Wortb's  <3reat 

anb  lEjplorations. 


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. 


UNDER  this   title   Messrs.    G.  PHILIP   &   SON 
are   issuing   a   series   of  volumes   dealing  with 
the  life  and  work  of  those  heroic  adventurers  through 
whose  exertions  the  face  of  the  earth  has  been  made 
known  to  humanity. 

Each  volume  will,  so  far  as  the  ground  covered 
admits,  deal  mainly  with  one  prominent  name  associ- 
ated with  some  particular  region,  and  will  tell  the 
story  of  his  life  and  adventures,  and  describe  the  work 
which  he  accomplished  in  the  service  of  geographical 
discovery.  The  aim  will  be  to  do  ample  justice  to 

geographical   results,  while  the  personality  of  the  ex- 

I 


plorer  is  never  lost  sight  of.  In  a  few  cases  in  which 
the  work  of  discovery  cannot  be  possibly  associated 
with  the  name  of  any  single  explorer,  some  departure 
from  this  plan  may  be  unavoidable,  but  it  will  be  fol- 
lowed as  far  as  practicable.  In  each  case  the  exact 
relation  of  the  work  accomplished  by  each  explorer 
to  what  went  before  and  what  followed  after,  will  be 
pointed  out ;  so  that  each  volume  will  be  virtually  an 
account  of  the  exploration  of  the  region  with  which 
it  deals.  Though  it  will  not  be  sought  to  make  the 
various  volumes  dovetail  exactly  into  each  other,  it  is 
hoped  that  when  the  series  is  concluded,  it  will  form 
a  fairly  complete  Biographical  History  of  Geographical 
Discovery. 

Each  volume  will  be  written  by  a  recognised  author- 
ity on  his  subject,  and  will  be  amply  furnished  with 
specially  prepared  maps,  portraits,  and  other  original 
illustrations. 

While  the  names  of  the  writers  whose  co-operation 
has  been  secured  are  an  indication  of  the  high  standard 
aimed  at  from  a  literary  and  scientific  point  of  view,  the 
series  will  be  essentially  a  popular  one,  appealing  to  the 
great  mass  of  general  readers,  young  and  old,  who  have 
always  shewn  a  keen  interest  in  the  story  of  the  world's 
exploration,  when  well  told.  It  is,  moreover,  believed 
that  not  a  few  of  the  volumes  will  be  found  adapted  for 
use  as  reading  books,  or  even  text-books  in  schools. 

Each  volume  will  consist  of  about  300  pp.  crown 
8vo,  and  will  be  published  in  cloth  extra,  price 
45.  6d.,  in  cloth  gilt  cover,  specially  designed  by  Lewis 
F.  Day,  gilt  edges,  price  53,  or  in  half  polished  morocco, 
marbled  edges,  price  /s.  6d. 


The  following  volumes  are  either  ready  or  are  in 
an  advanced  state  of  preparation  :  — 

JOHN  DAVIS,  Arctic  Explorer  and  Early  India  Navigator. 

By  CLEMENTS  R.  MARKIIAM,  C.B.,  F.R.S. 

[Ready.} 

PALESTINE.      By  MAJOR  C.  R.  CONDER,  R.E.,  Leader 

of  the  Palestine  Exploring  Expeditions. 

[Ready.] 

MUNGO  PARK  AND  THE  NIGER.    By  JOSEPH  THOMSON, 

author  of  "  Through  Masai  Land,"  &c. 


MAGELLAN   AND    THE    PACIFIC.     By    DR.    H.    H. 

GUILLEMARD,  author  of  "The  Cruise  of  the  Marchesa." 

[Ready.] 

JOHN  FRANKLIN  AND  THE  NORTH-WEST  PASSAGE. 

By  CAPTAIN  ALBERT  MARKHAM,  R.N. 

[Reaay] 

LIVINGSTONE   AND   THE   EXPLORATION   OF    CEN- 

TRAL AFRICA.     By  H.  H.  JOHNSTON,  C.B.,  H.M.  Com- 

missioner and  Consul-General. 

[June.] 

SATJSSURE  AND  THE  ALPS.     By  DOUGLAS  W.  FRESH- 

FIELD,  Hon.  Sec.  Royal  Geographical  Society. 

[Shortly,  .] 

THE  HIMALAYA.     By  LIEUT.-GENERAL  R.   STRACHEY, 

R.E.,  C.S.I.,  late  President  of  the  R.G.S. 

ROSS  AND  THE  ANTARCTIC.     By  H.  J.  MACKINDER, 

M.A.,  Reader  in  Geography  at  Oxford. 

BRUCE  AND  THE  NILE.     By  J.  SCOTT  KELTIE,  Librarian 
R.G.S. 

VASCO  DA  GAMA  AND  THE  OCEAN  HIGHWAY  TO 

INDIA.     By  E.  G.  RAVENSTEIN,  F.R.G.S. 


Other  volumes  to  follow  will  deal  with — 

HUMBOLDT  AND  SOUTH  AMERICA. 
BARENTS  AND  THE  N.E.  PASSAGE. 
COLUMBUS  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS. 
JACQUES  CARTIER  AND  CANADA. 
CAPTAIN  COOK  AND  AUSTRALASIA. 
MARCO  POLO  AND  CENTRAL  ASIA. 
IBN  BATUTA  AND  N.  AFRICA. 
LEIF  ERIKSON  AND  GREENLAND. 
DAMPIER  AND  THE  BUCCANEERS. 
&c.  &c.  &c. 


GEORGE  PHILIP  &  SON,  LONDON  &  LIVERPOOL. 


32  FLEET  STREET,  E.G. 
MAY  1891. 

GEORGE   PHILIP  &  SON'S 

List  of  New  and  Important  Works 

ON 

<SeoQrapb\>  anb  Gravel* 

Crown  Svo,  Antique  Cover,  price  7s.  Qd. 

HOME  LIFE  ON  AN  OSTRICH  FARM. 

BY    ANNIE    MAETIN. 


WITH   ELEVEN  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


OPINIONS   OF  THE    PRESS, 

"  Mrs.  Martin  has  furnished  one  of  the  most  charming  descriptions 
of  African  experience  that  have  come  under  the  notice  of  the  reviewer, 
weary  of  book-making  and  padding.  The  work  does  not  contain  a  dull 
page,  and  it  is  so  short  and  so  bright  in  tone  that  we  should  be  doing  an 
injustice  to  the  author  if  we  quoted  any  of  the  choicest  bits.  The  account 
of  'Jacob,'  the  secretary-bird,  which  swallowed  the  kitten  alive,  and, 
hearing  it  still  mewing  in  his  capacious  inside,  went  about  in  futile  quest 
of  another  kitten  to  devour,  is  delightfully  comic  ;  so  also  are  the  experi- 
ences of  servants  and  household  difficulties  on  a  farm  in  the  Karroo,  near 
Tort  Elizabeth.  .  .  .  Before  they  agreed  to  'combine  forces,' both  Mrs. 
Mai'tin  and  her  husband — alluded  to  as  T. — had  evidently  travelled 
widely,  wisely,  and  well ;  the  result  being  a  sparkling  little  book  of  which 
it  would  be  difficult  to  speak  too  highly.  It  contains  eleven  illustrations 
from  photographs  ;  and,  while  men  will  enjoy  it,  ladies  will  appreciate  it 
even  more." — Athenceum. 

"There  is  not  an  uninteresting  page  in  this  entertaining  book,  while 
there  are  very  few  pages  indeed  which  do  not  contain  something  genuinely 
funny." — St.  James's  Gazette. 

"  Nothing  has  been  published  for  a  long  time  in  the  way  of  light  litera- 
ture which  can  give  more  unmitigated  satisfaction  than  this  book." — 
Manchester  Examiner. 

"  The  book  is  a  rarity  altogether — rare  in  its  pretty  and  tasteful  bind- 
ing and  its  beautiful  engravings,  and  especially  in  the  amount  of  informa- 
tion it  supplies  on  that  very  remarkable  bird,  the  Ostrich." — 
Daily  Chronicle. 

LONDON  AND  LIVERPOOL :  GEORGE  PHILIP  &  SON. 

Z 


Just  Published,  super-royal  8vo,  in  handsome  illustrated  cloth  cover, 
gilt  top,  price  32s. 

ACROSS  EAST  AFRICAN  GLACIERS, 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  FIRST  ASCENT 
OF  MOUNT  KILIMANJARO. 

BY  DR.  HANS  MEYER. 
TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN  BY  E.  H.  S.  C ALDER. 


One  Volume,  450  pp.,  containing  upwards  of  Forty  Illustrations, 
consisting  of  Photographs,  Heliogravures,  and  Coloured  Frontis- 
piece, accompanied  by  Three  Coloured  Maps. 


A  limited  number  of  Large-Paper  Copies,  on  Japanese  Vellum,  with 
Engraved  Plates  in  Duplicate  and  signed  ~by  the  Author,  may  still  be 
obtained.  Price  on  application. 


OPINIONS   OF   THE    PRESS, 

"  The  production  of  the  English  edition  deserves  all  praise.  It  is 
well  translated.  .  .  .  The  volume  is  beautifully  illustrated — thanks  in 
great  part  to  the  co-operation  of  the  well-known  African  artist,  Mr.  E. 
Compton,  and  adequately  supplied  with  maps  in  which  Dr.  Meyer's 
survey- work  has  been  incorporated." — Athcnaum. 

"Dr.  Meyer's  magnificent  volume  has  more  permanent  value  than 
any  of  the  publications  connected  with  the  Emin  Relief  Expedition." 
— Daily  Telegraph. 

"  The  record  of  Dr.  Meyer's  march,  even  through  the  most  barren 
places,  is  never  dull,  because  every  page  is  brightened  with  scientific 
observations  and  deductions." — Daily  Chronicle. 

"  One  of  the  few  books  about  Africa  published  during  the  year  which 
is  of  enduring  scientific  value.  .  .  .  There  is  more  thoroughly  scientific 
work  recorded  in  a  few  pages  of  Hans  Meyer's  book  than  in  all  the 
vast  body  of  Stanley  literature  put  together." — Observer. 

"This  monumental  work  has  been  translated  from  the  German  by 
E.  S.  Calder,  who  has  done  the  work  well.  Forty  illustrations  and 
three  maps,  all  magnificently  executed,  adorn  the  work,  which  as  a 
book  of  travel  will  charm  every  one  with  its  modest,  unassuming  style. 
The  observations  made  by  the  Doctor  will  be  of  infinite  use  to  future 
travellers." — St.  Stephen's  Rtview. 

"This  work  is  the  handsomest  and  most  important  book  of  travels 
of  the  season." — Manchester  Examiner. 

"A  most  fascinating  and  instructive  story  of  adventure  and  explora- 
tion."— Liverpool  Post. 

LONDON  AND  LIVERPOOL :  GEORGE  PHILIP  &  SON. 


f  /r- 


G 

660 
M3 

1391 
cop.  2 


Markhfiiu,   Albert  Hastings 

Life  of  Sir  John  Franklin 
and  tne  North-west  passage 


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