to decide on the further mode of proceeding either to strike overland to the north in search of the sea-coast, or to return along the coast and travel westward, in hopes that some one of the spaces of Wollaston Land which were left blank in the charts would prove to be the desired strait. As it appeared that the ridges of the opposite land lay across their track, and would therefore render the draft of the sledges impracticable, the latter course was chosen. The party were greatly aided in their return by retracing their outward track, as they found their snow huts standing, and it was unnecessary to pause to take observations. Soon after passing to the westward of their former point of departure, they fell in with some Esquimaux who were harmless and friendly, but from whom no information could be obtained. On the night of the 23rd of May, Dr. Rae reached a high cape, which received the name of Sir George Back, and which was fully 300 feet high. The prospect afforded from the high land was an expanse of water, bounded by land 15 or 20 miles off, the view of the eastern extremity of which was cut off by Cape Back. From the information obtained from the Esquimaux, Dr. Rae believed this water to be a strait; but the time destined for this exploration had now expired, and he was unable to examine further. He therefore retraced his route, and reached the Kendall River on

the 10th of June, 1851, having been absent 42 days. The result of the journey amounted to an examination of the shore of Wollaston Land to the eastward of latitude 110°, and westward as far as long. 117° 17′ without finding any strait or passage leading to the

north, and without discovering any traces of Sir John Franklin's party or obtaining any tidings of them from the Esquimaux. The distance travelled over amounted to 942 miles.

The narrative of the proceedings of the national and private squadrons through Baffin's Bay and Lancaster Sound, broke off with the interesting discovery, by Captain Ommanney, on the 23rd of August 1850, of an encampment of Sir John Franklin's expedition on Cape Riley. This cape is the very point of land which divides Barrow's Strait from Wellington Strait, and may be considered as the threshold of north-west exploration. Intelligence so interesting was speedily made known to other ships of the squadron:-all hastened to the spot, and with renewed hope and spirit began a further search on the traces thus opened up. Their diligence was speedily rewarded. Close under Cape Riley is an island called Beechey Island, which closes in a small bay and secures it from the drifting of the ice from any quarter. It fell to the lot of Captain Penny, of the Lady Franklin, to discover that this island and bay had been the quarters of Sir John Franklin's expedition in the winter of 1845-6. The traces indicated most distinctly the encampment of a large and well-equipped civilized party; and what that party was was put beyond doubt by the existence, on the inner side of the island, of three graves, having the following inscriptions on their

head-boards:

"Sacred to the Memory of W. Braine, R. M., H. M.S. Erebus.' Died 3rd April, 1846, aged 32 years. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.'

"Sacred to the Memory of John Hartnell, A. B., H.M. S. Erebus.' Aged 23

On the south-eastern point of the island there were the marks of two or three tents; on other parts were the foundation of a store-house, dug out of the shingle, 20 feet by 7 or 8 feet; foundations of wash-houses; traces of the forge and an anvil block; a little garden, of an oval form, about 7 feet long, surrounded by a border of native flowers. On the inner shore of the island was a finger-post made to correspond with another on the shore of the main land, from which latter numerous sledge tracks led into the interior. The shore bore evident marks of a large party; and many valueless fragments of articles were strewed about, such as coal-bags, empty canisters for preserved meats, some of which had been used for marks to fire at; pieces of clothing, wood, casks, iron;-in all 124 articles are enumerated. Besides this main encampment there were found several outposts, of which that on Cape Riley was one; another on Cape Spencer, further up Wellington Channel, a point well situated for observing the state of the ice. This was surrounded by a wall of stones 18 inches high, the area was paved, and between the stones were many small shot, some fragments of newspaper, and writing in the hand of Captain Fitzjames and Mr. M'Donald, and outside a rough cooking apparatus. The United States squadron discovered another shooting station on Cape Bowden, where a bottle, scraps of newspapers, small shot, and other articles, had been left behind; other small stations occupied prominent

points. Great was now the anxiety to discover the information which no doubt was entertained had been deposited by Sir John Franklin. On Beechey Island were several cairns. One of them, on the north tongue of the island, was built entirely of preserved-meat canisters filled with shingle to make them solid. These were emptied one by one, and were carefully examined to see if they contained any writing or had themselves been written upon, but nothing was found, neither under the cairn nor around it. On the south side of the island were three cairns built of stones, one of which was of large size and composed of masses of limestone; these were carefully pulled down, and their site and an area of 12 feet round each dug up, but with the same negative result-in fact, notwithstanding the most diligent search, again and again repeated, no writing or information of any kind could be discovered. An unfortunate fatality attended one discovery, which is calculated to leave behind unpleasant misgivings. The ship of Sir John Ross had staid three days behind her consorts. Their drunken native interpreter, Adam Beck, had run away from some seamen who were teazing him, when he came upon a post fixed on a prominent point which had a saw-cut across the head, in which was placed a plate of tin with an inscription. The savage, having a partial idea of the importance of his discovery, pulled up the post and placed it on his shoulders; on his way to the ship he fell on some loose snow, and did not discover until he had reached the ship that the tin plate had dropped out and was lost. The conduct of Sir John Ross and his officers is difficult to understand..

By means of his spy-glass Sir John had seen Adam Beck approaching the beach with the post on his shoulder. "The Felix was getting under weigh under circumstances that required my attention; and it was not until the following day, after we had succeeded with difficulty to cross the Wellington Chan nel and reached Barlow Inlet, that I learned it was found lying beside a cairn of stones on a hill north of the graves, and that a piece of tin, having fallen from the saw-cut unobserved and into the snow, was not on board; but Adam Beck declared that there was painted on it 'September, 1846.' But it appears from the deposition of Adam Beck that, most unfortunately, this is not the sum of the loss: the inscription on the tin-plate contained much more. The interpreter says, I went to the timber cross, and I saw that a brass (tin plate) was hammered (inlaid) in it, with a long inscription in the English tongue. But I did not understand it, as it is not my speech. I only knew (could read) this much: September 3rd, 1846.'" In the following year when the squadrons returned to resume their researches, the tin-plate was diligently sought for, but without effect, neither could the cairn to which it belonged be discovered.

It was the opinion of Captain Austin and other officers that Sir John Franklin's departure from these winter quarters was sudden; the coal-bags, wood, and some other of the fragments, would have been useful for fuel, and the lines of the tents that had been erected on Cape Spencer had been cut, not withdrawn. On the other hand, Captain Penny, whose first impression was that these were the signs of a party retreating in haste, after further consideration, has no impression

66

of any sudden departure." The tent lines were probably cut because the wall of stones was built over them; this, moreover, was an out-station from which the detachment might very well be recalled in haste, without implying precipitancy in the main body. All, however, agreed that, on his departure, Sir John Franklin had proceeded on his voyage either up Wellington Strait or through Barrow's Strait towards Melville Island-probably the for

mer.

A minute search was first made, so far as the ice would permit, of both shores of Wellington Strait to the northward; but nothing more could be found. With renewed hopes, the several ships which composed the squadrons now spread themselves in all directions; but the season had already become so severe that navigation was impossible: the vessels were entangled in masses of ice, and drifted to and fro helplessly; nothing more could be done in this season. In this condition it became prudent to provide for the winter. Captain Austin had intended to lay up his squadron on Cornwallis Land (i. e., the land which forms the western shore of Wellington Strait); but his ships were drifted with the ice to an island named Griffiths Island further westward, a situation which proved not inconvenient for winter exploration. Captain Penny's squadron found a safe resting place in an indentation of Cornwallis Land, named Assistance Harbour, near the entrance to Wellington Strait; and here he was joined by Sir John Ross in the Felix; his consort, the Sophia, having been left with considerable stores at Beechey Island, in case Sir John Franklin or any of his party should wander back to their old quarters

during the winter. The American squadron did not winter in these terrible latitudes. The exertions of this squadron had fully repaid the generosity which had fitted them out, and there was no lack of devotion to so noble a cause; Lieutenant de Haven had, however, received from his authorities directions, from which he could not deviate, “that, unless he should gain a position from which he could commence operations in the season of 1851 with decided advantages, he was to endeavour not to be caught in the ice during the ensuing winter (1850-1), but to make his escape and return to New York in the fall." Undoubtedly no such position had been gained; and therefore, on the 13th of September, 1850, the American squadron were seen to hoist their colours and stand to the eastward; yet such are the difficulties of Arctic navigation, that, notwithstanding the interest of their position, the sojourning squadrons could have no communication with their homeward-bound consorts, and the latter brought neither letter nor message.

It will here be of interest to follow the fortunes of these ships, which encountered dangers and adventures to which those of the wayfarers they left behind were as nothing. As has been stated, Lieut. de Haven hoisted his colours on the 13th of September as an indication to the other squadrons that he was on his return. In the evening of the same day, when off Cape Hotham, at the western point of Wellington Strait, the ships were brought to a stand by the closing in of the ice, and the winter soon set in with such severity as to forbid all hopes of the squadron being able to return home that season. Every

endeavour was therefore made to find a safe harbour, with a view of sending forth exploring parties during the winter. In the meanwhile, however, the wind was blowing steadily from the south, and the ships, with their surrounding ice, were drifting up Wellington Strait. On the 22nd of September their progress was arrested by a small island in lat. 75° 25′ N., having been wafted by accident to the most northern point attained by ships in that meridian-more north than all the intentional exertions of the other captains had been able to attain. Even in this perilous position the officers could not view without satisfaction signs which gave hopes of the safety of Sir John Franklin's party:-the sky beyond presented distinct indications that there was a large space of open water far beyond, in the direction Sir John Franklin would have taken, and signs of animal life became more abundant. Dangers now closed rapidly around the adventurers: the ice rose upon the ships and threatened to overwhelm them; the scurvy, too, broke out among the crews, owing to the warming apparatus not having yet been brought into use. Throughout the whole of October and November the ships were drifted to and fro without material change of position. On the 1st of November, the masses of ice were in fearful proximity to the vessels. Hummocks consisting of massive granite-like blocks would be thrown up to the height of 20 and even 30 feet; and this action was accompanied by a variety of sounds impossible to describe, but which when heard never failed to carry a feeling of awe into the stoutest hearts. The boats were launched and prepared against the

destruction of the ships. On the 1st of December the squadrons had drifted to the mouth of Wellington Strait, and into the fair way of Lancaster Sound, to be set either up or down, at the mercy of prevailing winds and currents. This doubt was soon ended; the drift was steady and rapid towards the mouth of the Sound. On the 7th of December, the ships were in great peril. The ice closed upon them and severely "nipped" the Advance; she, however, stood it bravely: she groaned and trembled in every joint; but the ice passed under her, and raised her bodily two feet and a half-the stern, five feet; the wind blew a gale, and the ice all around was in fearful commotion; they were in momentary expectation of witnessing the destruction of both vessels. Happily the danger passed away; and on the morning of the 9th it was found that the heavy ice in which the Rescue had been so long imbedded was entirely broken up and piled around her in massive hummocks. During the whole of December the ships continued to drift to the eastward at the rate of six miles a day; and on the 1st of January, 1851, they had driven entirely out of Lancaster Sound into Baffin's Bay. They now drifted more to the southward, and on the 29th of January experienced great pleasure in seeing the sun raise his entire disc above the horizon after an absence of 87 days! He continued visible for nearly an hour.

The ice now again closed into one compacted mass, in which the ships remained firmly cemented until the final break-up in the spring. In the meanwhile they continued to drift to the southward in the centre of the whole field. On the 6th of June-eight months

after they had been first frozen in!-the day of liberation arrived; during the morning a peculiar crackling sound was heard on the floe-a crash took place between the two ships, and in a few minutes thereafter the whole immense field in which they had been imbedded so many months was rent in all directions, leaving not a piece exceeding 100 yards in diameter. The rupture was not attended with any noise. The wonderful circumstances of this delivery closely resemble those of Sir James Ross's expedition in 1849 (see last volume). They were now within sight of Greenland, having drifted 1060 miles! Their dangers were not yet over: when off Baffin's Island on the 17th they were again inclosed in the ice, and had the miserable prospect of spending another winter in a similar, if not a worse, situation than the last; but happily on the 4th of August the ice loosened and they were enabled to get away, and return to the United States. They arrived at New York at the end of October, 1851.

The narrative now returns to Captain Austin and Captain Penny, who were left in their winter quarters, the former at Griffiths Island, the latter in Assistance Harbour.

These commanders, fully impressed with the value of wellarranged and combined enterprise, mutually agreed to undertake the search of separate regions. The positions occupied by their respective squadrons, and their relative strength, pointed out the area proper to each. Captain Penny undertook the exploration of Wellington Strait and the passages to which it might lead. Captain Austin chose the more extensive coasts which lie to the south