Expeditions in search of Franklin--The _Fox_ commissioned by Sir L.
McClintock--The search by Hobson--Relics found--The fate of Sir John
Franklin's expedition--The North-West Passage discovered.
While Doctor Kane was away in 1853 the North-West Passage had been
demonstrated by Captains McClure and Collinson, who it may be remembered
went on in 1850 in the _Investigator_ and _Resolute_ to carry out the
"Behring Strait Expedition." In 1853 Lady Franklin sent out the
_Rattlesnake_ and _Isabel_ to find McClure. Captain Inglefield also
went out, as already stated, to aid Sir E. Belcher in Barrow Strait. It
was on this voyage that Lieutenant Bellot was lost (August, 1853).
Belcher found no traces of Franklin, but they found McClure and his
ships' company, who had been in the ice for three years. They had gone
in by Behring's Strait and returned by Baffin's Bay, which established
the fact of the so long doubted passage parallel with the American coast
between these pieces of water. In 1854 the ships _Assistance_,
_Resolute_, _Pioneer_, _Intrepid_, and the _Investigator_ were all
abandoned. The crews were taken on board the _Talbot_, _Phoenix_, and
_North Star_, and reached England in 1854 without having found any true
trace of Franklin, though it had been ascertained that he wintered upon
Beachey Island in 1845-6.
The crews of the _Erebus_ and _Terror_ were given up. War was
threatening in Europe, and the relics of Franklin were obscured in the
smoke of the Crimean battles. Nevertheless, the idea that Sir John
Franklin and his devoted followers were in the Arctic regions, and still
alive, was entertained by a good many people. The Admiralty declined to
inquire farther, but Lady Franklin again found means to equip and
dispatch a fourth expedition. In 1857 the preparations were made.
Captain McClintock, who had commanded former expeditions, undertook the
post of leader. The _Fox_ was purchased, and on the 1st of July, 1857,
the search again was entered upon.
After an interesting voyage, the _Fox_ arrived off Upernavik, and
procured some dogs for the sleighs. On the 6th of August letters were
sent home, and the yacht bore away for Baffin's Bay. Ice in quantities
was encountered; and the ship was then steered along the "pack," till on
the 12th of August the _Fox_ was moored to an iceberg. On the 16th, the
floes began to move off; but the vessel was soon beset by the floes
again after a short progress; and on the 7th of September the _Fox_ was
quite hemmed in, and had to remain where she then was until the 17th of
April, 1858. Then ensued the terrible silence and darkness of the
winter, and the monotonous, weary cycle of the days, while drifting
helplessly in the ice.
On the 26th of February daylight superseded the candles, and in March
the ice showed symptoms of breaking up. The disruption at length came.
The _Fox_ was in imminent danger from the closing up of the ice, and the
force with which the floes come together cannot be estimated by any who
have not witnessed the scene. The dogs were alarmed, and many were
lost. The _Fox_ drifted and sailed on, was again beset, and in danger.
At length the ice broke up, the vessel was put under steam, and before
the wind; she pushed her way out, and on the 28th of April the _Fox_
dropped anchor in Holsteinberg harbour, in Greenland, where the crews
met with a warm and cheerful reception.
After many struggles and escapes Cape York was reached on the 26th of
June, and then many places were visited, but no traces nor information
concerning the lost expedition could be obtained. So, in August, the
_Fox_ sought Beachey Island, and erected a tombstone over the remains of
those who lay there, close to Bellot's monument. Many days were
occupied in endeavouring to pass Bellot's Strait, but again and again
were carried back by tides and ice-drift. Some land expeditions were
made and surveys taken, but at the end of September the strait was
quitted, and a refuge sought within Kennedy Harbour.
Hobson, who had been exploring, had a very narrow escape of being
carried away on the floating ice; but he got back safely to the ship.
After this the ship's company sat down in winter quarters until the 10th
of February. Captain McClintock and Lieutenant Young then left the
_Fox_ on searching expeditions. McClintock came back on the 14th with
intelligence concerning some white men who had been seen off the
north-west coast of King William's Land. Young returned early in March,
and was off again on the 18th to Fury Beach. Afterwards three search
parties were formed. Lieutenants Hobson and Young and Captain
McClintock all started. The last resigned to the first-named the most
likely field of discovery in King William's Land. McClintock went
towards the Fish River, and subsequently found the dead man we have
already mentioned, lying face downwards in the snow, near Cape Herschel.
He then came across a boat which Hobson had already found, and left in
it a memorandum to the effect that he had discovered the records of the
_Erebus_ and _Terror_, and had returned to the _Fox_. Along the shore
by Cape Victoria Hobson had searched and found the memorandum left in
the cairn which told of the death of Franklin on the 11th of June, 1847,
and that, after quitting the ships, the one hundred and six survivors,
under Captain Crozier, would start for the Great Fish River. Many
relics were found by Hobson, and near Cape Crozier he discovered a boat
with two skeletons, with matches, spoons, and money, prayer-books,
etcetera.
Further investigation proved that all had perished in the attempt to
make the North-West Passage, an attempt which may be said to have
succeeded, though the poor men themselves never lived to tell of their
success. They came down Franklin Straits, and had found the Passage
they sought. The searchers were satisfied, and the _Fox_ returned home.
Captain McClintock had well accomplished his mission. He found that the
lamented Franklin had reached within ninety miles of success, for just
that distance intervened between him and the place reached by Messrs.
Simpson and Deane in 1838-9. Franklin's men died "in accomplishing
their last great earthly task, and but for the energy and devotion of
the wife of their great leader, it would in all probability never have
been known that they were indeed the first Discoverers of the North-West
Passage."