Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/376

29, 1859.] the coast  of  America  that  Franklin  knows  of,  is  now nearly south-west  of  his  position,  it  leads  between King William’s  and  Victoria  Land. For, alas! in his chart  King  William’s  Land  [see  opposite]  was represented to  be  connected  with  Boothia  by  a deep bay, called  Poet’s  Bay. It is  true  that  to  the  southwest the  hopeless  looking  ice-stream  bars  his  way, and that  to  the  south-east  the  road  looks  clear and promising; but  then,  did  not  his  chart  say that there  was  no  channel  east  of  King  William’s Land, by  which  to  reach  the  American  shore? There was  no  alternative,  they  must  enter  the pack or  ice-stream,  and  go  with  it  to  the  south- west.

Had they  not  already  passed  over  two-hundred out of  the  three-hundred  miles  between  Cape Walker and  Cape  Herschel? Were they  the  men to flinch  from  a struggle  for  the  remaining  hundred miles? That struggle  commenced  as  the  winter closed in,  and  just  as  King  William’s  Land  was  in sight,  the  Erebus  and  Terror  became  beset,  and eventually fixed  for  the  winter  of  1846-7*  in  latitude 70°  5"  north,  and  longitude  98°  23"  west, about twelve  miles  due  north,  of  Cape  Felix. More dangerous  and  unpromising  winter-quarters could hardly  have  fallen  to  their  lot,  but  they were helpless  in  that  ice-stream. Sixteen years previously Sir  James  Ross  had  stood  upon  Cape Felix. He travelled  on  foot  in  the  early  spring of 1830,  from  Victoria  Harbour  in  the  Gulf  of

Boothia, and  explored  the  northern  coast  of  King William’s Land,  and  standing  on  the  29th  of  May, on this  very  Cape  Felix,  remarked  with  astonishment the  fearful  nature  of  the  oceanic  ice,  which was pressed  upon  the  shores;  and  he  mentions that in  some  places  the  pressure  had  driven  the floes inland,  half  a mile  beyond  the  highest  tide-mark! Such the  terrible  winter-quarters  of  those lone barks  and  their  gallant  crews; and  if  that season of  monotony  and  hardship  was  trying  to them  in  Beechey  Island,  where  they  could  in  some measure change  the  scene  by  travelling  in  one direction or  the  other,  how  infinitely  more  so  it   must  have  been  with  nothing  round  them,  but  ice- hummock and  floe-piece,  with  the  ships  constantly subjected to  pressure  and  ice-nip,  and  the crews often  threatened  during  the  depth  of  winter with the  probability  of  having  their  ships  swallowed up  in  an  arctic-tempest,  when  the  ice-fields would rear,  and  crush  themselves  one  against  the other under  the  influence  of  the  awful  pressure from the  north-west.

The God  of  storms,  who  thus  lashed  the  wintry north with  his  might,  shielded  however  those brave men; and  now,  inured  to  the  dangers  of  icy seas, they  slept  and  laboured  not  less  pleasantly because the  floes  were  rocking  their  wooden  homes; and consoled  themselves,  that  they  were  only  then ninety miles  from  Cape  Herschel,  and  that  even  a sledge  party  could  reach  it  next  spring  (1847), l>efore the  navigation  would  be  open.

Thus their  second  winter  passes. King William’s Land shows  out  here  and  there  from  its  winter livery; for evaporation  serves  to  denude  those barren lands  of  snow,  long  before  any  thaw  takes place. May comes  in,  the  unsetting  sun  in dazzling  splendour  pours  its  flood  of  perpetual light over  the  broken,  shattered  blocks  of  ice, while from  the  great  ice-stream,  drops  of  water form on  the  black  sides  of  the  weather-beaten ships, and  icicles  hang  pendant  from  the  edge  of hummocks; yet  it  is  still  intensely  cold  in  the shade. Lieutenant Graham  Gore,  and  Mr.  F. Des  Vaux,  mate,  both  of  the  Erebus,  are  about  to leave  the  ships  for  the  land; they  have  six  men with them. Why do  all  grasp  them  so  fervently by the  hand? Why do  even  the  sick  come  up  to give  them  a parting  cheer? Surely they  went