Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/396

 November 5,  18*9.3  THE  SEARCH  FOR  SIR  JOHN  FRANKLIN.

make his  way  to  Lancaster  Sound. Repulsed in one  quarter,  we  see  him  doubling  back  to  another, the tiny  Fox  struggling  with  a sea  of  ice-fields  and icebergs — stout hearts  and  strong  hands  carrying her and  her  company  through  many  a hair* breadth escape. The middle-ice,  however,  is too  strong  for  them. In an  unlucky  hour  they are imprisoned,  ice  surrounds  them,  water  even in holes  becomes  daily  less,  winter  sweeps  down from her  dreary  home,  and  all  that  vast  sea  of broken  ioe  becomes  frozen  together. They are beset for  the  winter,  and  must  go  with  the  ice wherever it  pleases. Twenty-five men  in  a tiny craft drifting  throughout  that  long  dark  winter, in the  midst  of  a slow-marching  pack,  which  ever rolls from  the  Pole  to  the  Equator,  was  a strange and solemn  spectacle. The calm  and  modest  en- durance of their  six  months1  trial,  as  told  by  the gallant leader,  is  a thing  to  make  one  proud  that such as  they  are  our  countrymen.

Late in  April,  1858,  the  Fox  may  again  be  seen; she has approached  the  open  sea; a furious  storm  arises, sending huge  rollers  under  the  ice,  which  heaves and rears  on  all  sides. A battle for  life  commences between the  stout  yacht  and  the  charging  floes. Under sail  and  steam,  she  works  out  against  all obstacles, and,  thanks  to  a taper  bow,  escapes  the destruction which  would  infallibly  have  overtaken a vessel of  bluffer  build. The sea  is  sighted,  and eventually entered;  all  on  board  the  Fox  are well, all  in  good  spirits,  one  of  the  com- pany has alone  perished  by  an  accident. Fortune ever smiles  upon  the  resolute,  and  the  middle-ice  no longer  barred  the  road  to  Lancaster  Sound; by  the end of  July  the  Fox  had  reached  its  entrance. The hardy  whaling-men  of  Aberdeen  and  Hull, who had  just  returned  to  their  fishing-ground from home,  cheered  the  little  craft  on  with  many a hearty “God  speed  ye! 11 and  shared  with  those on board  the  Fox  their  luxuries  of  frozen  fresh beef and  vegetables. Beyond the  haunts  of  whale fishermen, and  beyond  those  even  of  the  still hardier Esquimaux,  the  Fox  must  press  on. Beechey Island  is  reached,  and  from  the  depdt  of provisions  left  there  by  government  expeditions, the now  diminished  stock  of  the  schooner  is  re- plenished, and, favoured  by  an  extraordinarily open season. Captain M‘Clintock  was  able  to  reach Cape Walker  and  pass  down  Peel  Strait  towards King William’s  Land  until  brought  up,  on  August 17th, by  fixed  ice,  at  a point  twenty-five  miles within its  entrance. Baffled, but  not  disheartened, Captain M‘Clintock  bethought  himself  of  the route suggested  by  Lady  Franklin,  by  way  of Prince  Regent’s  Inlet  and  Bellot  Strait,  and with that  decision  which,  combined  with  sound judgment, forms  the  most  valuable  qualification of an  Arctic  navigator,  he  immediately  retraced his steps,  and  by  the  20th,  or  three  days  later, was at  the  eastern  entrance  of  Bellot  Strait, watching for  a chance  to  push  through  it  into  the western sea  around  King  William’s  Land.

The scene  in  that  strait  was  enough  to  daunt men less  accustomed  to  such  dangers. On either hand precipitous  walls  of  granite,  topped  by mountains  ever  covered  with  snow,  whilst  to  and fro, in  the  space  between  them,  the  ioe  was grinding and  churning  with  great  violence  under the influence  of  a fierce  tide. Like a terrier  at  a rat-hole,  the  Btaunch  Fox  waited  for  an  oppor- tunity to run  the  gauntlet  through  this  strait. This perseverance  was  partially  rewarded,  for  on the  6th  September  they  were  able  to  reach  its western entrance,  though  again  to  be  brought  up by  a belt  of  fixed  ice  which  stretched  across  the path, and  was  held  together  by  a group  of  islands named after  Sir  Roderick  Murchison. The winter of 1858-59  now  set  in,  and,  much  to  the  chagrin of those  on  board  the  Fox,  all  hope  of  reaching the western  sea  had  to  be  abandoned,  although separated from  them  only  by  an  ice-field  six  miles wide. An unusually  cold  and  stormy  winter  had now to  be  endured  by  men  debilitated  by  a previous  winter  in  the  packed  ice  of  Baffin’s Bay; and the  resources  of  Boothia  Felix  yielded them in  fresh  food  only  eight  reindeer,  two bears, and  eighteen  seals. Against these  priva- tions, however, there  was  a feeling  of  perfect  con- fidence that the  returning  spring  would  enable them to  march  to  King  William’s  Land,  and  solve the mystery.

On February  17th,  Captain  MHDlintock  and Captain Young  left  the  Fox  to  establish  advanced depots of  provision  for  the  summer  sledge  parties, a necessary measure  which  Lieutenant  Hobson had been  nearly  lost  in  attempting  to  accomplish in the  previous  autumn. MUlintock went  south towards the  Magnetic  Pole,  and  Young  westerly for Prince  of  Wales’s  Land. On the  15th  March they both  returned  to  the  Fox,  somewhat  cut  up  by the  intense  cold  and  privation,  but  the  cheers  which rang through  the  little  craft  told  that  a clue  had indeed been  obtained  to  the  fate  of  the  Erebus and Terror. M ‘Clin took had  met  forty-five  Esqui- maux, and during  a sojourn  of  four  days  amongst them had  learnt  that  “several  years  ago  a ship was crushed  by  the  ice  off  the  north  shore  of King  William’s  Land; that  her  people  landed  and went away  to  the  Great  Fish  River,  where  they died.” These  natives  had  a quantity  of  wood from a boat  left  by  the  “starving  white  men  ” on the  Great  River. The impatience  of  all  on  board the Fox  to  start  with  their  sledges  to  the  west- ward may be  easily  understood. The Esquimaux mentioning only  one  ship  as  having  been  sunk, gave rise  to  the  hope  that  the  other  vessel  would be found,  and  obliged  Captain  MK^lintock  to detach  a party  under  Captain  Young  towards Prince of  Wales’s  Land,  whilst  he  and  Lieutenant Hudson went  south  for  King  William’s  Land  and the Fish  River.

On the  2nd  of  April  the  three  officers  left  the ship with  a man-sledge  and  a dog-sledge  to  each. Of Captain  Young  we  may  say  that  he  made  a most  successful  and  lengthy  journey,  connecting the unexplored  coast-lines  of  all  the  land  to  the northward and  westward,  and  correcting  its  posi- tion, but without  finding  a single  cairn  or  record left by  Franklin. Captain M*Clintock  and  Hob- son went together  as  far  as  the  Magnetic  Pole, and, before  parting  company,  gathered  from  some natives that  the  second  vessel,  hitherto  unac- counted for, had  been  drifted  on  shore  by  the  ice in the  fall  of  the  same  year  that  the  other  ship was crushed. Captain M ‘Clin took  undertook  to  go down  the  east-side  of  King  William’s  Land  direct