THE SEARCH FOR FRANKLIN. I.
The sad fate of Sir John Franklin and his gallant companions is
rendered still more melancholy by the reflection that some at least
of them might have been saved. When no news arrived in 1846 prompt
measures should have been taken, but the Admiralty asked advice and did
nothing.
Dr King, who accompanied Sir George Back down the Great Fish River in
1833, made earnest and repeated appeals to the Admiralty and to the
Colonial Office in 1847 to send a relief party down that river, and
he pointed out quite correctly the position where the _Erebus_ and
_Terror_ had been beset. His letters were not even answered. For Sir
James Ross told them there was not any reason for anxiety and gave a
strongly expressed opinion that the crews of the _Erebus_ and _Terror_
would never under any circumstances make for the Great Fish River.
Other authorities concurred. This sealed their fate. Admiral Beechey
alone thought that a boat should be sent down that river.
The year 1848 arrived, but no news reached England. Sir John Richardson
was accordingly sent out to examine the coast between the Mackenzie
and Coppermine rivers, but not to extend his voyage to the mouth of
the Fish River, where even then he might have saved a few. Two ships,
the _Enterprise_ and _Investigator_, were also fitted out to go to
the relief of the lost expedition, and Sir James Ross received the
command. He was on board the _Enterprise_, and his old Antarctic
first lieutenant Bird, who had been his companion in three of Parry’s
voyages, was Captain of the _Investigator_. But Sir James went in the
full conviction that he would meet the _Erebus_ and _Terror_, or that
they would pass him and that he would find them in the Thames on his
return.
In his ship were M’Clure, who had been with Back in the _Terror_,
and M’Clintock, greatest of sledge travellers, who was then entering
upon his glorious Arctic career. M’Clintock found a good friend in Sir
James, who took a great liking for the young lieutenant. Sir James was
then forty-eight, with an experience of polar work unrivalled by that
of any living man, but he was somewhat shaken by Antarctic work, and
lacked elasticity and the qualities of his youth, when he was foremost
in keeping his shipmates in high spirits and good health. In person he
was short but powerfully built, and was remarkable for his aquiline
nose and very piercing black eyes.
The expedition was unfortunate. It was stopped by closely-packed floes
across Barrow Strait and across Prince Regent’s Inlet. There was
nothing for it but to take refuge for the winter in Port Leopold, at
the north-east end of North Somerset.
From this position Sir James could only send a travelling party in
the spring for 80 miles to Fury Beach, to ascertain whether any of
Franklin’s people had visited the shore there; while he himself made a
more extended journey along the northern and western shores of North
Somerset. This journey is specially memorable as the initiation of
M’Clintock in that art of sledge travelling which he afterwards brought
to such perfection.
Sir James Ross arranged for an absence of 40 days, travelling with
M’Clintock and two sledges, each dragged by six men. The two tents were
9 feet by 6. They travelled at night, starting after a cup of luke-warm
cocoa. Luncheon at midnight consisted of a few mouthfuls of biscuit
and frozen meat, with some snow water and half a gill of rum. After
the tent was pitched supper consisted of 1 lb. of meat, and 1 lb. of
biscuit and the other half gill of rum with lime-juice. But the meat
was pork including bone, or preserved meat not weighing nearly what was
pretended. It was really less than half a pound of meat, and was quite
insufficient.
On reaching Cape Bunny, the north-west point of North Somerset, which
proved to be an island, they left the coast discovered by Parry in
1819 and, turning south, entered on a previously unknown region. The
furthest point to the south in 72° 38′ was reached on June 6th, whence
land, seen at a distance of fifty miles, was named Cape Bird. They
little knew how near they were to the solution of the Franklin mystery.
The sledge travellers reached the _Enterprise_ again on June 23rd. The
strength of all the men was much impaired, mainly from insufficiency
of food. Four broke down altogether, one having to be carried on
the sledge. The return journey had been a period of intense labour,
constant exposure, and insufficient food. M’Clintock alone returned
well. They had gone over five hundred miles in thirty-nine days. The
weight to be dragged per man was too great, and the whole scheme
required revision. Still, it was the greatest Arctic sledge journey
that had ever been made up to that time. M’Clintock noted everything,
down to the minutest detail, and with the eye of genius saw the
numerous improvements that might be made, and the great future that
sledge travelling had in the work of polar discovery.
As the summer advanced scurvy broke out, and it was only kept in check
by the very large number of birds (2300) that were shot. A long lane
had to be cut through the ice, and it was not until quite the end of
August that the ships were clear of their winter quarters. Sir James
Ross had intended to continue the search in Barrow Strait, but on the
very day after leaving Port Leopold the ships were closely beset and
drifted helplessly down Lancaster Sound into Baffin’s Bay. They were
not released until September 24th, having been firmly fixed in the
drifting ice for 24 days. There was nothing for it but to return to
England, which they did in the full expectation that they would find
the Franklin expedition safely returned before them. Bitter was their
disappointment.
In the spring of 1849 the old _North Star_ frigate, under Mr Saunders,
the Master who served in the _Terror_ with Sir George Back, was sent
out with stores to enable Sir James Ross to continue the search, but he
too was unfortunate. Unable to get through the ice of Melville Bay in
time, he was obliged to winter in Wolstenholme Sound on the Greenland
coast. In the summer of the succeeding year Mr Saunders landed a depôt
of provisions at Admiralty Inlet in Lancaster Sound and returned to
England.
The results of Sir James Ross’s expedition were the discovery of 150
miles of coast on the western side of North Somerset, the certainty
that none of Franklin’s people had been to Fury Beach, and above all
the experience gained by M’Clintock. Ross and Bird, who had commenced
as Parry’s faithful and loyal midshipmen, had now completed their polar
careers[128].
The country was now thoroughly alarmed when it was too late; the
warmest sympathy was felt throughout the civilised world, and the
Government was forced to take steps on a large scale. The _Enterprise_
and _Investigator_ were re-commissioned and despatched to search by way
of Bering Strait, under the command of Captains Collinson and M’Clure,
while the _Plover_ was stationed near Cape Barrow as a depôt ship.
Two strong bluff-bowed, barque-rigged vessels of 410 and 430 tons,
named the _Resolute_ and _Assistance_, were strengthened and fitted
out in the yards of Green and Wigram respectively, and two sharp-bowed
screw steamers were bought as tenders, and named the _Pioneer_ and
_Intrepid_. These four vessels, under the command of Captain T. H.
Austin, were to search by way of Lancaster Sound. Captain Ommanney was
to have the _Assistance_, with M’Clintock, Mecham, and Vesey Hamilton.
Sherard Osborn was to command the _Pioneer_, J. Bertie Cator the
_Intrepid_. The Admiralty also bought two brigs, which were named the
_Lady Franklin_ and _Sophia_, for another expedition under Captain
Penny, a well-known whaling captain in those days. Old Sir John Ross,
with some aid from Sir Felix Booth and others, managed to fit out a
small schooner called the _Felix_, towing the _Mary_, a decked boat.
Sir John Ross declared that Franklin had promised to leave a record for
him at Cape Hotham. He had with him Lieutenant Philips, who had been in
Ross’s Antarctic expedition on board the _Erebus_, and that old polar
veteran Abernethy. Lady Franklin, with marvellous intuition, felt very
strongly that one important route was being omitted--that by Prince
Regent’s Inlet. She therefore equipped another schooner named the
_Prince Albert_, under Commander Forsyth, to search in that direction.
That warm-hearted and philanthropic American, Mr Grinnell, also fitted
out and despatched two small vessels from New York, the _Advance_ and
_Rescue_. Thus no less than twelve vessels were despatched in 1850 in
search of Franklin’s expedition.
Since the _Enterprise_ was paid off, M’Clintock had been studying
all the details of sledge travelling. He joined the _Assistance_ at
Woolwich directly he was appointed, and was absorbed in the work of
fitting-out. In Captain Austin he found an officer with a genius for
organisation who had been brought up to Arctic work in the splendid
school of Parry. He examined into every detail; if care and forethought
availed anything there would be no scurvy where Austin commanded. He
secured the health and comfort of the men in the winter by fixing the
Sylvester stove on the keelson, and sending warm air from it round the
living decks, while bathing and all washing was done in the holds,
so that the living decks were kept dry and wholesome. Austin was a
short, stout man, of florid complexion, fifty years of age and thus
rather too old for sledge-work, but he was full of vivacity and life,
very kind-hearted, and most sympathetic and thoughtful for those under
his command. If there ever was justification for employing an Arctic
commander at the age of fifty, it was in the case of Austin. The
perfect health of all in the four ships was due to him.
The present writer served on the _Assistance_ under Ommanney. Sir
Edward Parry, now near the close of his well-spent life, visited the
ships at Greenhithe, and bade us God speed with a few earnest words
which went to our hearts. Owing to constant adverse winds in the
Atlantic we did not reach the Whale Fish Islands until the 15th of
June. We filled up with stores from the transport and on the 25th
reached the edge of the Melville Bay ice, where we overtook Penny’s
brigs. Then on to battle with that ice for many arduous days, and to
come out victorious.
Parry had twice attempted the middle pack. The first time he was
successful, but the second time he suffered long detention. It is
better to stick to the land floe in Melville Bay and run no risks.
Forty days of hard work, towing, tracking, blasting, and cutting
docks amidst the fairy scenery of refracted icebergs saw our squadron
through the ice and off Cape York, in company with Penny’s brigs,
the _Felix_ and the _Prince Albert_. We gazed on “the crimson cliffs
of Beverley,” which were a very pale, scarcely perceptible pink, but
dear old Sir John Ross, who was visiting us, staunchly defended the
brilliant crimson as correctly depicting, in his book, the colour the
snow had in 1818. Here too we were visited by a party of Sir John’s
“Arctic Highlanders,” and one of them, a lad of about eighteen named
Kalahierua, who also received the names of Erasmus after Captain
Ommanney and York after the cape, accepted an invitation to cast in
his lot with us, and came on board. Like the Eskimo of Igloolik who
drew the Melville Peninsula with such accuracy for Parry, our friend
Kalahierua had a wonderful eye for topography. When asked to draw a
map of his country he took the pencil and delineated the coast-line
with marvellous accuracy, making marks to indicate islands and
bird-frequented cliffs, leaving a space where glaciers reach the sea,
and marking the places where his people had winter stations, mentioning
the names. The northern part of the map was then unknown, but it was
afterwards proved to be quite correct.
The _Resolute_ and _Pioneer_ went to Pond’s Bay for news, while the
_Assistance_ and _Intrepid_ proceeded direct to Lancaster Sound,
discovering a fine harbour near Cape Warrender, with some interesting
Eskimo remains.
On the 19th of August, before sunset, it was blowing a stiff gale with
thick weather. The _Assistance_, under close-reefed topsails, drifted
rapidly to leeward, rolling her lee boats into the water. The chief
anxiety was whether there was ice to leeward, and whether the gale
would last long enough to drive the ship down upon it, in which case
the heavy sea which was running would effect her destruction in a very
few minutes. Next day the wind moderated, and we passed between Leopold
Island and the mainland of North Somerset. Crossing Lancaster Sound on
the 20th, Captain Ommanney proceeded on board the _Intrepid_ to land
at Cape Riley, which, with Beechey Island, forms a good harbour. This
cape is a cliff rising from the sea, with a talus of fallen rocks and
stones at its base. Strange things were reported on shore. There were
numerous remains of a camping party, and among the relics a long staff
with a cross-piece at the end, secured with spun yarn, and four bent
pieces of cask hoop fastened to it. This had probably been used with a
net for catching specimens. The officers of the _Assistance_ thought
that the winter quarters of Sir John Franklin must be off Beechey
Island, but Captain Ommanney seeing open water before him resolved to
push onwards.
The other ships soon afterwards arrived at Beechey Island, and
discovered Franklin’s winter quarters: first Penny’s brigs, followed by
the _Resolute_ and _Intrepid_, then the _Felix_ and the two American
vessels. The _Prince Albert_ had gone home, nobody knew why. After the
most exhaustive search, no record could be found. The cause of its
disappearance will never be known.
The _Assistance_ was beset for some days in Wellington Channel, and
then rounded Cape Hotham, the south-east point of Cornwallis Island.
Again the ship was stopped by the ice, within 150 yards of a low
gravelly promontory where the ice was piled up to a height of 20 feet.
On the morning of September 6th, the tide setting rapidly to the
eastward, a heavy floe struck the ship, which sustained severe pressure
and was listed over to port, forced astern, and raised 3½ feet out of
the water. The kedge anchor was set in the ice to hold the ship, but
the fluke gave and snapped off and the rest of the anchor was hurled
into the air. The shank was then imbedded in the ice and the chain
secured to it, and this, with four large hawsers, at last held the
ship. Next day a northerly wind drove the ice off shore. The _Intrepid_
discovered a bay suited for winter quarters on the south coast of
Cornwallis Island, which was named Assistance Harbour.
But the cry was still Westward Ho! Pushing onwards, the _Assistance_
and _Intrepid_ were finally stopped by an immense field of ice
extending from Griffith Island to Cape Walker, entirely precluding
further progress. On September 10th the _Resolute_ and _Pioneer_ joined
company, then Mr Grinnell’s schooners, and Penny’s brigs were seen
in the offing. It was then that I made the acquaintance of Dr Kane on
board the _Rescue_. But progress for that year was finally stopped. The
American vessels were unprepared for a winter and parted company to
return home. Like Ross’s ships, however, they were beset in Lancaster
Sound and were forced to winter while being drifted down Baffin’s Bay,
their crews suffering great hardships and privations. Penny’s brigs,
and the little _Phoenix_ with Sir John Ross on board, wintered in
Assistance Harbour.
The squadron of Commodore Austin--a brevet rank universally given to
him by his followers--had to winter in the pack between Cornwallis and
Griffith Islands, but within a short walk of the latter. Never, before
or since, had so large a body of men assembled together in the Arctic
regions, never for a nobler purpose, and never better organised. The
arrangements for keeping the living decks dry and sweet, for bathing
and washing clothes, for ventilation, and for exercise, were admirable,
and perfect health was maintained. All hands were kept fully employed
and amused. The chief work was the preparation for the search by sledge
travelling. There were various classes of instruction for the men,
and a class for navigation. A fine theatre on the upper deck, with a
beautiful proscenium and appropriate scenery, was erected on board
the _Assistance_. There were plays every fortnight, one acted by the
officers and another by the men, winding up with a pantomime and songs
composed for the occasion. For the play-bills, printed on silk, wood
blocks were cut of the Royal arms and other adornments. A monthly
newspaper called the _Aurora_ appeared on board the _Assistance_,
the _Illustrated Arctic News_ in the _Resolute_, and another more
short-lived paper called the _Minavilins_. The Commodore revived the
_bal masqué_ on board the _Resolute_, in memory of those in which he
had taken part in the winter of Parry’s third voyage; and there was
also the “Intrepid Saloon.” Ashore the ravines of Griffith Island were
explored in the winter walks, and collections of fossils made.
Captain Austin had a permanent Sledge Committee of heads of
departments. But he was a good judge of character; he had the great
merit of appreciating M’Clintock, and every detail was practically
left to that officer. He had inaugurated autumn sledge travelling and
depôts had been established for the spring journeys.
The sledges were made of Canada elm, the cross-bars of ash. The upper
and lower pieces were called the bearer and the runner, the uprights
being tenoned through them. A shoeing of ⅛-inch iron, 3 inches wide
and slightly convex on its under surface, was riveted and clinched to
the runner. The length of a ten-man sledge was 13 feet, of a six-man
sledge 9 feet. The cross-bars were lashed on with strips of hide whilst
warm and wet, so that drying would shrink them and make all tight. The
width of the bearer was 2½ inches, and there were six uprights, and six
cross-bars 3 feet long. At each corner there were light iron stanchions
dropped into sockets, forming supports to the sides of a canvas tray
or boat capable of ferrying the sledge crew across water. The weight
of the sledge was 125 lb. The tents were 15 feet long by 8 feet high,
of closely woven duck, the head-rope of horsehair. The four tent-poles
were of ash, pointed at one end with metal, 9 ft. 8 in. in length; the
weight of tent and poles 55 lb. Seven flannel or felt sleeping bags
weighed 42 lb., and a wolf or buffalo robe over all 40 lb., waterproof
floor-cloth 12 lb., and shovel 5½ lb.
The cooking apparatus consisted of a spirit-lamp holding 1½ gills, a
kettle with a short spout and two handles fitted on it, and the stand,
all weighing 17 lb. Then there were knapsacks for spare clothes, and a
sundry bag. The irreducible constant weights amounted to 440 lb.
The scale of diet per man per day was as follows:
Lime-juice ½ oz.
Pemmican[129] 1 lb.
Biscuit 12 oz.
Boiled Pork for luncheon 6 „
Rum ½ gill
Biscuit dust 1 oz.
Tea and Sugar ¾ „
Chocolate and Sugar ½ „
Tobacco ½ „
besides salt, pepper, curry, and onion powder. The fuel for this
ration would be 21½ oz. of spirits of wine, or rather over a pint. The
provisions and fuel for seven men for forty days weighed 876 lb., which
in addition to the constant 440 lb. gave a total of 1316 lb., or 220
lb. per man at starting, the weight being reduced by 22 lb. each day.
M’Clintock’s plan was that each division of sledges should have an
auxiliary sledge to fill them up at a distance of 50 miles from the
ship; and each extended sledge was to have a limited sledge to fill it
up at a hundred miles further. At an average rate of only ten miles a
day this would enable the extended sledges to advance 350 miles from
the ships, picking up depôts as they returned.
The dress consisted of flannel waistcoats and drawers, woollen socks
with a square of blanket folded over them, and duck boots with leather
soles or moccasins in extreme cold. Box-cloth trousers, waistcoat with
chamois leather sleeves, and a box-cloth monkey jacket were worn, and
over all a white duck jumper as a snow repeller, with chamois leather
on the shoulders, and pockets for ammunition, watch, and note-book.
The head covering was a fur cap with ear-flaps. A water-bottle covered
with flannel was carried next the flannel waistcoat, but until June the
water always became ice. The weight of an entire suit was from 16 to 20
lb.
March was the coldest month, the mean being -34° Fahr, and the minimum
-53° Fahr. From March 10th nothing was thought of but making the sledge
equipments complete. The Commodore issued a series of questions in
minutest detail relating to the various requirements.
These details are of the greatest importance, because they constitute
the original basis of sledge travelling, of which Leopold M’Clintock
was the founder. He placed a most comprehensive means of search for
our missing countrymen in the hands of the Commodore. Nothing to be
compared with it, in magnitude and efficiency, has ever been seen in
the Arctic regions before or since. There were, including Penny’s
crews, no less than 220 men ready to start, all full of zeal and
enthusiasm.
Commodore Austin had no clue as to the position of the missing crews,
and at that time little was known of the region to be searched. He
accordingly resolved to explore in every direction to the utmost
extent of the means at his disposal. Penny undertook Wellington
Channel. He had a team of dogs and the best dog driver in Greenland in
the person of a Dane named Carl Petersen, a man of large experience
and full of ancient lore as well as modern knowledge. M’Clintock and
two other parties, led by Aldrich and Bradford, took the direction
of Melville Island. Captain Ommanney led another division to Cape
Walker, and smaller parties were to examine the intermediate coasts and
islands. Altogether, search parties were despatched in eight different
directions.
Each sledge had a name, motto, and flag. They exercised all through
March, and April 4th was the day selected for starting, the
starting-point being at the north-west point of Griffith Island. The
sledges with their crews went in two long columns to the appointed
place with colours flying, a splendid sight, the Commodore delivered
a spirit-stirring address to the assembled travellers, paying a just
tribute to all they owed to the genius of M’Clintock, and the explorers
started in two great divisions, one to the west and the other to the
south.
The ice surface was fairly good, though sometimes interrupted by lines
of hummocks. Sails were set with the wind aft or on the quarter, the
tent poles being used as sheers and as a yard, and the floor-cloths
for a sail. Under favourable circumstances this was a great success.
Large square kites, invented by Mr Leigh Smith’s father, were partially
successful.
We travelled at night and slept in the day-time. As soon as the tent
was pitched, the floor-cloth was put down, sleeping-bags laid out, and
the buffalo robe placed over them. The men took it in turn to be cook
of the mess, supper consisting of pemmican, biscuit, and grog. Boots
were taken off, feet carefully examined for frost-bites, snow blindness
doctored with _vinum opii_ (“open eye” the men called it) and then all
got into their bags.
Songs and stories followed until all were overcome by sleep. “Is the
chronometer wound”? was the form of saying good night. In the evening
the agony of having to force our feet into boots frozen as hard as
iron had to be undergone. Breakfast consisted of cocoa or tea and
biscuit. Everything being packed, the journey began at 6 P.M., the
officer falling in to the drag-ropes except when he was wanted to
guide the sledge or shoot a bear. There was a short halt for luncheon
consisting of hard frozen pork fat, biscuit, and a tot of rum. But it
was difficult to drink out of a pannikin without leaving the skin of
the lips attached to it. The process called for considerable caution,
but I had a piece of blanket on purpose to put over the rim. The time
of marching was from 8 to 10 hours.
The region to the south was quite unknown except Cape Walker, which can
be seen at a great distance. Captain Ommanney, leading the southern
division, reached that lofty cliff. Then Mecham explored the island on
which it is situated; Lieut. Browne was sent down to the east coast
of the newly-discovered land, exactly in the direction of the lost
ships if he had only known it; Vesey Hamilton examined Lowther Island;
while Captain Ommanney and Sherard Osborn made a long journey down
to the west side of the new land which was named after the Prince of
Wales. Osborn observed the tremendous ice in what has since been named
M’Clintock Channel, and it was clear to him that Franklin could never
have passed in that direction. Captain Ommanney travelled round a
very extensive bay. The Cape Walker division of sledges did its work
thoroughly well.
M’Clintock marched to the westward[130], with two other extended
parties, one under Lieut. Aldrich of the _Resolute_ examining the
eastern shores of Bathurst Island, and the other under Dr Bradford
taking the west side of Melville Island. M’Clintock himself went along
the southern coast of Melville Island, reaching and passing Cape
Dundas, the furthest western point of Sir Edward Parry. M’Clintock was
then in high hopes of finding traces of some of Franklin’s parties,
as there was an idea that Sir John might have passed up Wellington
Channel and made his way to the north of Melville Island. It was
thought that a retreating party might have made its way to Bushnan
Cove, as Parry had given such a pleasant description of that ravine.
Thither M’Clintock went, but only to find the wheels of Parry’s cart
and the bleached bones of the ptarmigan his party had eaten. He then
marched overland to Parry’s winter quarters, and encamped at the foot
of Parry’s sandstone rock with the inscription carved by Dr Fisher.
The wayworn sledge travellers started on their return on May 27th.
They had had the advantage of fresh food from musk oxen, hares, and
ptarmigan, and additional fuel from bear’s blubber. But with the summer
the most harassing kind of sledge travelling began. Large pools of
water formed on the ice floes, and the men often got wet through in
ice-cold water. A mixture of ice and snow formed a crust over these
pools of water, but not strong enough to bear, and through these they
had to wade and struggle as best they could. At length M’Clintock and
his gallant band arrived alongside the _Assistance_ on July 4th. Up to
that date it was the greatest Arctic feat on record. M’Clintock’s party
had been 80 days away, 44 outward and 36 home, and had made 770 miles,
reaching a distance of 300 miles from the ship. Their rate was 10½
miles a day, and they were detained 2½ days by gales.
Thus was Captain Austin’s extensive scheme of search ably and
completely carried out by the officers who served under him, with
exemplary fortitude, zeal, and intelligence. There were only three
amputations of toes, and one death from frost-bite. Of all Arctic
expeditions, Captain Austin’s was perhaps the happiest, the healthiest,
the best administered, and the most successful. Its sledge travellers
covered 7025 miles on foot, dragging the sledges themselves, and
discovered 1225 miles of new land.
It was necessary to cut and blast lanes for the ships to reach open
water. Lieut. Mecham ably conducted the blasting operations. The ships
were free on the 11th of August, after having been frozen up for eleven
months. Captain Austin then proceeded to search Jones Sound in the
_Pioneer_ as far as the ice would admit, while the _Assistance_ visited
the Cary Islands in Baffin’s Bay. The _Intrepid_ had an unprecedented
experience. She had been up Jones Sound in company with the _Pioneer_
and was making for the rendezvous on August 27th when the ice closed
round, and she was obliged to make fast to a floe. Soon the floe was
in motion and moving rapidly towards a large grounded iceberg. Before
the vessel could be extricated she was driven with a frightful crash
against the berg at 5 P.M. The vessel rose to the heavy pressure and
two whaleboats and the dinghy were at once got out on the floe. Soon
the vessel’s taffrail was 40 feet and her bow 30 feet up the side of
the berg, the masses of ice rising nearly 10 feet above the bulwark.
The crew prevented huge pieces from falling on board with capstan bars.
Then the pressure ceased, the piled-up masses sank from alongside,
and the ship was left suspended on the side of the berg by two small
wedge-pieces, one at the stern post the other at the bow. It seemed
inevitable that she must fall over on her broadside and be smashed.
At 2 A.M. the pressure began again, the ice piling up in a frightful
manner, and crushing the boats on the floe to atoms. It was blowing
hard from S.E. If the vessel had fallen over, Lieut. Cator knew that
all must perish. But at 2 P.M. the pressure ceased quite suddenly, and
the ship shot down into the water, and was safe. This is probably the
most extraordinary and appalling danger that any ship ever went through
in the Arctic regions.
The squadron returned to England on October 4th. Captain Austin
had conducted the expedition with exceptional ability and success.
M’Clintock had gained more Arctic experience. He had been first
lieutenant of the best-administered and happiest ship that ever crossed
the Arctic Circle, he had made life-long friendships, and his genius
had created Arctic sledge travelling.
Sherard Osborn, enthusiastic, accomplished, and a perfect leader of
men, was the complement of M’Clintock, of whom he was a friend through
life. Mecham possessed the qualities of both, and some which were
specially his own, a very true and perfect gentleman. Vesey Hamilton
was thoroughly to be depended upon to do all that was expected from him
and to do it well. All were genial friends and the best of messmates.
These were the rising Arctic men when Austin’s expedition returned[131].
Disappointed with Captain Forsyth’s return, Lady Franklin sent out
the _Prince Albert_ again with orders to search to the south of North
Somerset. She alone seems to have had an intuition of the right
direction. She gave the command to Mr William Kennedy of the mercantile
marine, who was accompanied by Lieut. Bellot, a distinguished young
French naval officer. The _Prince Albert_ wintered in Batty Bay on the
north-east coast of North Somerset, and a sledge journey was undertaken
in the spring of 1852. Kennedy used flat-bottomed Indian sledges and
dogs. After a long stay at Fury Beach he worked south and discovered a
strait between North Somerset and Boothia, since named Bellot Strait,
and passed through it. If he had then obeyed his instructions and gone
south he would probably have discovered the fate of Franklin. He turned
north, and returned to Batty Bay by the north coast of North Somerset.
The exact route is uncertain, as the narrative is confused, but he was
away 97 days. There seemed a fatality against the right direction being
taken.