of consisting of a mass of ice (as was currently reported) about eight
feet in thickness, did not in average depth exceed that of the floes of
Melville Bay, although a great deal of old ice was mixed up with it, as
if a pack had been re-cemented by a winter's frost; in which case, of
course, there would be ice of various ages mixed up in the body; and
much of the ice was lying crosswise and edgeways, so that a person
desirous of looking at the Wellington Channel floe, as the accumulation
of many years of continued frost, might have some grounds upon which to
base his supposition. A year's observation, however, has shown me the
fallacy of supposing that in deep-water channels floes continue to
increase in thickness from year to year; and to that subject I will
return in a future chapter, when treating of Wellington Channel.
The closing chapter of accidents, by which the navigation of 1850 was
brought to a close by the squadrons in search of Sir John Franklin, is
soon told.
The "Resolute" and "Pioneer" remained, unable to move, in Wellington
Channel; a northerly gale came on, after a short breeze from the S.E.;
and imagine, kind reader, our dismay, in finding the vast expanse, over
which the eye had in vain strained to see its limit--imagine this field
suddenly breaking itself across in all directions, from some unseen
cause, farther than (as appeared to us) a northerly gale blowing over
its surface, and our poor barks, in its cruel embrace, sweeping out of
Wellington Channel, and then towards Leopold Island. At one time, the
probability of reaching the Atlantic, as Sir James Ross did, stared us
disagreeably in the face, and blank indeed did we all look at such a
prospect.
A calm and frosty morning ushered in the 9th of September. The pack was
fast re-knitting itself, and we were drifting with it, one mile per
hour, to the S.E., when Penny's brigs, that had been seen the day
before crossing to the northward of us, were observed to be running
down along the western shore, with the American squadron ahead of them,
the latter having just escaped from an imprisonment in Barlow Inlet.
About the same time, a temporary opening of the pack enabled the
steam-power again to be brought to bear, and never was it more useful.
The pack was too small and broken for a vessel to warp or heave
through, there was no wind "to bore" through it, and the young ice in
some places, by pressure, was nigh upon six inches thick; towing with
boats was, therefore, out of the question.
The "Resolute" fast astern, with a long scope of hawser, the "Pioneer,"
like a prize-fighter, settled to her work, and went in and won. The
struggle was a hard one,--now through sludge and young ice, which
gradually checked her headway, impeded as she was with a huge vessel
astern--now in a strip of open water, mending her pace to rush at a bar
of broken-up pack, which surged and sailed away as her fine bow forced
through it--now cautiously approaching a nip between two heavy floe
pieces, which time and the screw wedged slowly apart--and then the
subdued cheer with which our crews witnessed all obstacles overcome,
and the Naval expedition again in open water, and close ahead of the
Government one under Penny, and Commander De Haven's gallant vessels,
who, under a press of canvas, were just hauling round Cape Hotham. A
light air and bay-ice gave us every advantage.
[Headnote: _ALL THE VESSELS MEET._]
Next day, in succession, we all came up to the "Assistance" and
"Intrepid," fast at a floe edge, between Cape Bunny and Griffith's
Island. That this floe was not a fixed one we were assured, as the
"Intrepid" had been between it and Griffith's Island, nearly as far as
Somerville Island; but, unhappily, it barred our road as effectually as
if it were so. Penny, with his squadron, failed in passing southward
towards Cape Walker; and Lieutenant Cator, in the "Intrepid," was
equally unsuccessful.
I was much interested in the account of the gallant struggle of the
"Assistance" and "Intrepid" in rounding Cape Hotham. They fairly fought
their way against the ice, which at every east-going tide was sweeping
out of Barrow's Strait, and grinding along the shore. It is most
satisfactory to see that all risks may be run, and yet neither ships
nor crews be lost; and it is but fair to suppose, that, if our ships
incurred such dangers unscathed, the "sweet cherub" will not a jot the
less have watched over the "Erebus" and "Terror." Of course, the
"croakers" say, if the floe had pressed a _little_ more--if the ship
had risen a _little_ less--in fact, if Providence had been a _little_
less watchful--disasters must have overtaken our ships; but when I hear
these "dismal Jemmies" croak, it puts me much in mind of the
midshipman, who, describing to his grandmamma the attack on Jean
d'Acre, after recounting his prowess and narrow escapes, assured the
old lady that Tom Tough, the boatswain's mate, had asserted with an
oath, which put the fact beyond all doubt, that if one of those shot
from the enemy had struck him, he never would have lived to tell the
tale.
From my gallant comrade of the "Intrepid," we heard of the search that
had been made in Wolstenholme Sound, and along the north shore of
Lancaster Sound. In both places numerous traces of Esquimaux had been
seen, at Wolstenholme Sound especially. These were numerous and recent,
and the "Intrepid's" people were shocked, on entering the huts, to find
many dead bodies; the friends, evidently, of our Arctic Highlander,
Erasmus York, who, as I before said, had shipped as interpreter on
board the "Assistance." In Wolstenholme Sound, the cairns erected by
the "North Star" were discovered and visited, and, whilst speaking of
her, it will be as well for me to note, that Captain Penny, on his way
up Lancaster Sound, met the "North Star" off Admiralty Inlet, August
21st, gave Mr. Saunders his orders from England, and told him of the
number of ships sent out to resume the search for Franklin. Captain
Penny left Mr. Saunders under an impression that he was going to Disco,
to land his provisions.
There was one remarkable piece of information, which I noted at the
time, and much wondered at; it was derived from Captain Penny, and the
officers of the "Lady Franklin" and "Sophia." It appears they crossed
Wellington Channel, about ten miles higher up than we did; the ice
breaking away, it will be remembered, and drifting with the "Resolute"
and "Pioneer" to the south. From a headland about twelve miles north of
Barlow Inlet, Captain Penny observed with astonishment that there was
only about ten miles more of ice to the north of his vessels, and then,
to use his own words, "Water! water! large water! as far as I could
see! to the N.W." How this water came there? what was beyond it? were
questions which naturally arose; but it was not until the following
year that the mystery was explained, and we learned, what was only then
suspected, that we had overshot our mark.
[Headnote: _THE COMING ON OF WINTER._]
_Sept. 11th, 1850._--The winter of the Arctic Regions came on us, in
its natural character of darkness, gale, cold, and snow. First, the
wind from the S.E., with a heavy sea, which sent us careering against
the floe-edge, and gave all hands a hard night's work to keep the
anchors in the firm floe, as the edge rapidly broke up, under the
combined effects of sea and shocks from our vessels; then, with a gust
or two, which threatened to blow the sticks out of our craft, the wind
chopped round to the N.W.; and a falling temperature, which Arctic
statistics told us would not, at this season, ever recover itself, said
plainly, that winter quarters alone remained for us.
Happily, the "Intrepid" had discovered a harbour between Cape Hotham
and Martyr, on the south side of Cornwallis Island. This place, and
Union Bay, in Beechey Island, offered two snug positions, from which
operations in the spring with travelling parties could be well and
effectually carried out. Action, action now alone remained for us; and
earnestly did we pray that our leader's judgment might now decide upon
such positions being taken up as would secure all directions--viz. to
the south-west,--north-west and, lastly, west being provided for.
_Sept. 13th._--Found the four vessels of our squadron, and one of
the American brigs,--the "Advance" under Lieutenant De Haven,--all safe
at the floe-edge. The floe had drifted during the gale considerably
towards the shores of North Somerset; and the wedge-shaped island,
called Cape Bunny, was distinctly visible: the other of the American
brigs had, in the height of the gale, blown adrift and disappeared in
the darkness and snow-drift. For her, as well as Her Majesty's brigs
under Captain Penny, much anxiety was entertained. The American leader
of the expedition, I heard, finding farther progress hopeless,
intended, in obedience to his orders, to return to New York. This he
was the more justified in doing, as no preparation or equipment for
travelling-parties had been made by them, and their fittings for
wintering in the Arctic Regions were, compared with ours, very
deficient. The gallant Yankees, however, could not return without
generously offering us provisions, fuel, and stores; and the officers,
with a chivalrous feeling worthy of themselves and the cause for which
they had come thus far, offered to remain out or exchange with any of
"ours" who wanted to return home. We had no space in stowage to profit
by the first offer, nor had enthusiasm yet become sufficiently damped
in us to desire to avail ourselves of the proffered exchange; both were
declined, and it was said that Lieutenant De Haven was told by our
leader, if he could land any thing for us in Radstock Bay as a dépôt,
he might render good service.
Letters were therefore hurriedly closed, letter-bags made up, and
pleasant thoughts of those at home served to cheer us, as, with the
temperature at about zero, and with a fresh breeze, we cast off
together, and worked to the northward, towards Griffith's Island.
[Headnote: _THE AMERICAN SQUADRON._]
Rubbing sides almost with the "Advance," who courteously awaited with
the "Pioneer" the heavy-heeled gambols of the "Resolute," day was
drawing on before the squadron reached Griffith's Island, from the lee
of which the missing American schooner was descried to be approaching.
Lieutenant De Haven now hoisted his colours for home, and backed his
topsail. We did the same; and after a considerable time he bore up with
his squadron for New York, doubtless supposing, from no letters being
sent, that we had none.
It was far otherwise; and throughout the winter many a growl took
place, as a huge pile of undespatched letters would pass before our
sight, and blessings of a doubtful nature were showered on our ill
luck.
To the ice, which extended unbroken from Griffith's Island to Cape
Martyr, we will leave the Naval expedition secured, whilst we briefly
recount the most striking points in connection with the American
expedition that had now left us on its voyage home.
In 1849, Mr. Henry Grinnell, a merchant of the United States, actuated
by the purest philanthropy that ever influenced the heart of man,
determined to devote a portion of his well-deserved wealth to the noble
purpose of relieving Sir John Franklin, who, it was much to be feared,
from the desponding tone of a portion of the English press on Sir James
Ross's failure, was likely to be left unsought for in 1850. He
therefore, at his sole expense, purchased two vessels, one of 140 tons,
the "Advance," the other 90 tons, the "Rescue," and, having
strengthened, provisioned, and equipped them, Mr. Grinnell then placed
them under the control of his Government, in order that they might be
commanded by naval officers and sail under naval discipline. The
American Congress passed the necessary acts, and Lieutenant E. De
Haven, who had seen service in the Antarctic seas, took command of the
"Advance," as the leader of the expedition, and another distinguished
officer, Mr. Griffin, hoisted his pendant in the "Rescue." On the 23d
May, 1850, the two vessels sailed from New York, touching at Disco,
where I am sorry to say they found my worthy friend "Herr Agar" to have
died shortly after my visit; they reached the pack of Melville Bay on
the 7th July, and, tightly beset until the 23d, they did not reach Cape
York until early in August.
The 7th August they reached Cape Dudley Digges! (at that time we were
still beset off Cape Walker in Melville Bay), thence they stood to the
south-west, until they reached the West Water.
On the 18th August, when we had a thick fog and almost a calm off
Possession Bay, the American squadron was in a severe gale in Lancaster
Sound; and on the 25th August, after visiting Leopold Island, the
gallant Americans reached Cape Riley close on the heels of the
"Assistance" and "Intrepid."
From that time we have shown that they lost no opportunity of pushing
ahead; and if progress depended alone upon skill and intrepidity, our
go-ahead friends would have given us a hard tussle for the laurels to
be won in the Arctic regions.
As a proof of the disinterestedness of their motives, men as well as
officers, I was charmed to hear that before sailing from America they
had signed a bond not to claim, under any circumstances, the £20,000
reward the British Government had offered for Franklin's rescue; we, I
am sorry to say, had acted differently. America had plucked a rose from
our brows; but in such generous enterprise, we for the most part felt
that no narrow-minded national prejudices could enter, and I gloried in
the thought that the men who had so nobly borne themselves, as well as
he, the princely merchant who had done his best to assist the widow and
orphan to recover those for whom they had so long hoped and wept, were
men who spoke our language, and came from one parent-stock--a race
whose home is on the great waters.
Looking at my rough notes for the following week, I am now puzzled to
know what we were hoping for; it must have been a second open season in
1850,--a sanguine disposition, no doubt brought about by a break in the
weather, not unlike the Indian summer described by American writers.
[Headnote: _GO INTO WINTER QUARTERS._]
_September 14th._--I went in the "Pioneer," with some others, to see if
the floe had opened a road to the south of Griffith's Island; it had
not, nor did it appear likely to do so this season, though there was
water seen some fifteen miles or so to the westward.
One day the "Assistance" and "Intrepid" started for Assistance Harbour,
to winter there, but came back again, for winter had barred the route
to the eastward as well as westward. One day after this, or rather,
many days, we amused ourselves, with powder, blowing open a canal
astern of the "Resolute," which froze over as quickly as we did it. At
other times, some people would go on the top of the island, and see
oceans of water, where no ship could possibly get to it, and then
others would visit the same spot after a night or two of frost, and,
seeing ice where the others had seen water, asserted most confidently
that the first were exaggerators!
At any rate, September passed; winter and frost had undoubted dominion
over earth and sea; already the slopes of Griffith's Island, and the
land north of us, were covered with snow; the water in sight was like a
thread, and occasionally disappeared altogether. Fires all day, and
candles for long nights, were in general requisition. Some cross-fire
in the different messes was taking place as the individuals suffered
more or less from the cold. Plethoric ones, who became red-hot with a
run up the ladder, exclaimed against fires, and called zero charming
weather; the long and lethargic talked of cold draughts and Sir Hugh
Willoughby's fate; the testy and whimsical bemoaned the impure
ventilation. A fox or two was occasionally seen scenting around the
ships, and a fox-hunt enlivened the floe with men and officers, who
chased the unlucky brute as if they had all come to Griffith's Island
especially for fox-skins; and the last of the feathered tribe, in the
shape of a wounded "burgomaster," shivered, half frozen, as it came for
its daily food.
_October 2d, 1850._--Lieutenant M'Clintock had very properly urged
the necessity of sending travelling parties to forward dépôts of
provisions upon the intended routes of the different parties in 1851:
these were this morning despatched,--Lieutenant M'Clintock, with Dr.
Bradford, carrying out a dépôt towards Melville Island; Lieutenant
Aldrich taking one to Lowther Island, touching at Somerville Island on
the way.
Lieutenant Mecham was likewise sent to examine Cornwallis Island,
between Assistance Harbour and Cape Martyr, for traces of Franklin.
We, who were left behind, felt not a little anxious about these parties
whilst absent, for winter was coming on with giant strides; on the 4th,
frost-bites were constantly occurring, and the sun, pale and bleary,
afforded more light than warmth. Our preparations for winter were
hurried on as expeditiously as possible; and the housing, which, like a
tent, formed a complete covering to our upper decks, afforded great
comfort and shelter from the cold bleak wind without.
[Headnote: _LIEUTENANT MECHAM'S ADVENTURE._]
On the 5th, Lieutenant Aldrich returned from his journey; he had not
been able to go beyond Somerville Island--the sea between it and
Lowther Island being covered with _broken packed ice, half-frozen
sludge, and young ice_. On the 7th, Lieutenant Mecham arrived with
the intelligence that the "Lady Franklin" and "Sophia" were, with the
"Felix," safe in Assistance Harbour. Captain Penny, after his failure
in reaching Cape Walker, had a narrow escape of being beset on the
shores of North Somerset; but by carrying on through the pack, in the
gale of the 11th September, he had happily secured his ships in
excellent winter quarters.
Lieutenant Mecham had an adventure on his outward route, which had some
interesting features: as he was crossing the entrance of a bay, since
named Resolute Bay, he observed a bear amongst some hummocks, evidently
breaking the young ice by a sort of jumping motion; and he then saw
that he and his party had unconsciously left the old ice, and were
travelling over bay-ice, which was bending with the weight of the men
and sledge. Bruin's sagacity here served the seamen in good stead, and
the sledge was expeditiously taken to firmer ice, whilst Mr. M. went in
chase of the bear; having mortally wounded it, the brute rushed to
seaward, and the sportsman only desisted from the pursuit when he
observed the bear fall, and in doing so break through the ice, which
was too weak to sustain its weight.
Captain Penny, on the following day, sent over his dog-sledge to secure
the flesh for his dogs, by which time the unlucky bear was frozen to a
hard and solid mass.
_October 9th._--Lieutenant M'Clintock returned; he had placed his
dépôt forty miles in advance, towards Melville Island,--three days'
imprisonment by bad weather, in the tents, having foiled his hopes of
reaching Bedford Bay in Bathurst Island, where he originally intended
to have reached. This party had, likewise, met water to the westward,
and there was now but little doubt on our minds, that, had the large
field of ice which was blocking the way between Cape Bunny and
Griffith's Island broken up or drifted away, our squadron would have
reached, in all probability, as far as Parry did in '20; but now, the
utmost we could hope to attain in the following year was Melville
Island, which would be our _goal_, instead of our _starting_ point.
Autumn travelling differs, in some measure, from that of the spring. I
will, therefore, give the indulgent reader an account of a short
excursion I made for the purpose of connecting the search from where
Lieutenant Mecham left the coast, to the point at which Lieutenant
M'Clintock had again taken it up; in fact, a bay, facetiously
christened by the seamen (who had learned that newly-discovered places
were forbidden to be named), "Bay, Oh! no we never mention it!" and
"Cape No Name."
My kind friend, Mr. May of the "Resolute," volunteered to accompany me,
and on Thursday, the 10th of October, we started with our tent, a
runner-sledge, and five days' provisions. The four seamen and our two
selves tackled to the drag-ropes, and, with the temperature at 6° above
zero, soon walked ourselves into a state of warmth and comfort.
[Headnote: _RUINS ON CORNWALLIS ISLAND._]
Three hours' sharp dragging brought us to Cape Martyr; ascending the
beach until we had reached a ledge of smooth ice which fringed the
coast within the broken line of the tide-marks, we turned to the
westward, and commenced searching the beach and neighbouring headlands.
I shall not easily efface from my memory the melancholy impression left
by this, my first walk on the desolate shores of Cornwallis Island.
Like other things, in time the mind became accustomed to it; and, by
comparison, one soon learned to see beauties even in the sterility of
the North.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Horizontal Section, 20 feet circumference.]
[Illustration: Vertical Section, 5 feet 6 inches high.]
Casting off from the sledge, I had taken a short stroll by myself along
one of the terraces which, with almost artificial regularity, swept
around the base of the higher ground behind, when, to my astonishment,
a mass of stone-work, and what at first looked exactly like a cairn,
came in view; it required no spur to make me hasten to it, and to
discover I was mistaken in supposing it to have been any thing
constructed so recently as Franklin's visit. The ruin proved to be a
conical-shaped building, the apex of which had fallen in. Its
circumference, at the base, was about twenty feet, and the height of
the remaining wall was five feet six inches. Those who had constructed
it appeared well acquainted with the strength of an arched roof to
withstand the pressure of the heavy falls of snow of these regions; and
much skill and nicety was displayed in the arrangement of the slabs of
slaty limestone, in order that the conical form of the building might
be preserved throughout.
We removed the stones that had fallen into the building, but found
nothing to repay our labour; indeed, from the quantity of moss adhering
to the walls, and filling up the interstices of the masses which formed
the edifice, I conjectured it was many years since it was constructed,
though it would be impossible to guess when it was last inhabited; for,
at Pond's Bay, I observed the remains of the native habitations to have
the appearance of extreme old age and long abandonment, although, from
the fresh seal-blubber _cachés_, there was not a doubt of the Esquimaux
having been there the previous winter.
A mile beyond this ruin we halted for the night. Four of us (for, in
Arctic travelling, officer and man are united by the common bond of
labour) erected the tent over a space which we had cleared of the
larger and rougher pieces of limestone, leaving what was called a soft
spot as our castle and bedroom. One man, who dubbed himself cook for
the day, with a mate, whose turn it would be to superintend the kitchen
on the morrow, proceeded to cook the dinner. The cooking apparatus was
a boat's stove, eighteen inches long, and nine inches broad, in which
lignum vitæ was used as fuel.
Water having first to be made from ice and snow, and then boiled in the
open air, the process was not an expeditious one, and I took my gun and
struck inland; whilst Mr. May, in an opposite direction, made for a
point of land to the westward.
[Headnote: _A WINTER'S EVENING._]