FATE OF SIR JO PIN FRANKLIN EXPEDITION 275 



"Lieutenant Pirn, of the 'Resolute/ Captain Kellett," the 

 strange figure managed to reply, as he seized McClure's hands and 

 shook them frantically. 



The story told by Pirn was the following: In the winter of 

 1851-52 McClure had made a journey across the ice to Melville 

 Island and left a record at Parry's winter harbor. To this island 

 the "Resolute," entering by way of Baffin Bay, came in the following 

 year and found McClure's record, learning from it where the "In- 

 vestigator" might be found. Accordingly, Lieutenant Pirn was sent 

 across the straits with a sledge party on March loth. For a month 

 they had been wandering in search, and he happened to be on ahead 

 of his men when he caught sight of the "Investigator" in the dis- 

 tance. He had pushed on to his expected goal, when he saw and 

 recognized Captain McClure. His excitement overmastered him 

 and he could only halloo and shout and jump about in his glee. 



The noise of his shouts reached the vessel, where the crew, 

 hearing a strange voice, came tumbling up from below to see who 

 it was that had arrived. The sight of the "Resolute" sledge-party, 

 who soon afterwards came up, completed their surprise and gratifi- 

 cation, for it meant that close at hand was all the help they needed 

 to insure their liberation. The whole ship's company journeyed 

 across to where the "Resolute" lay, and, in the interchange of yarns 

 and the assurance of abundance of food and rest till the ice broke 

 up, they found the requisite stimulus to overcome all the evil effects 

 of their past trials and privations. 



The remainder of Captain McClure's adventure may be briefly 

 'told. The "Investigator" was abandoned, as in hopeless straits, and 

 her captain and crew wintered on the "Resolute," which was obliged 

 to remain in the pack until the following year. In the spring of 

 1^54 a remarkable journey was made. Captain Collinson, of the 

 "Enterprise," who had parted with McClure at Bering Strait four 

 years earlier, remained like him in the ice, having come within a few 

 miles of Point Victory, where the record of the Franklin party was 

 afterwards found. 



