Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/25

 II. SIR JOHN FRANKLIN

1818

Sir John Franklin was one of the greatest explorers the world has ever known. We owe to him most of our knowledge of the northern coast of America and of the far North.

Franklin was born in 1786 at Spilsby, a small town in Lincolnshire, England, about ten miles from the coast. As a boy, he one day visited the seaside, which so delighted him that he then and there made up his mind to be a sailor.

Franklin's parents wished him to become a clergyman, and in the hope of curing him of his new passion, they sent him on a trial voyage. This plan did not succeed, for the young man learned to love the sea so much that at last the father yielded to his son's desire, and obtained a position for him in the Royal Navy. While in the navy, John Franklin took part in several of the hardest naval battles the English ever fought. He made a brilliant record as a fearless sailor and a wise and determined leader.