FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN EXPEDITION 265 



"Awarded to John Irving, Midsummer, 1830. Second Mathe- 

 matical Prize." This identified the remains as being those of Lieu- 

 tenant Irving, of the "Terror." As this was the only case of possible 

 identification, the remains were carefully gathered and conveyed to 

 New York, whence they were forwarded to Edinburgh, Irving's 

 native town. Here they were given a public funeral on January | 

 7, 1881. 



Coming now to what we know of the voyage of the last party 

 and what we can reasonably conjecture by piecing out the informa- 

 tion obtained and weaving it into a consecutive narrative, we may 

 present the following account as probably representing the general 

 facts : 



When the "Erebus" and "Terror" parted company, on July 4, 

 1845, with the despatch -boat that had accompanied them, they 

 shaped their course through Baffin's Bay towards Lancaster Sound. 

 Continuing their way, they passed Cape Warrender and ultimately 

 reached Beechey Island at the entrance of the then unexplored 

 waters of Wellington Channel. They passed through the channel, 

 taking such observations as were necessary as they went, until they 

 had progressed one hundred and fifty miles. Further advance being 

 stopped by the ice, they passed into another unexplored channel 

 between Cornwallis Island and Bathurst Island which led them 

 into Barrow's Strait, nearly one hundred miles west of the entrance 

 to Wellington Channel. 



The ice was now forming thickly around them, and attention 

 was directed to discovering a comfortable haven where they could 

 remain while the winter ice closed in around them. A suitable 

 harbor was found on the northeasterly side of Beechey Island and 

 the ships were made snug. All the spars that could be sent down 

 were lowered on to the decks, and the rigging and sails stowed away 

 below before the ice surrounded them, so that when the floes began 

 to pack and lifted the hulls of the vessels, there should be no "top- 

 hamper" to list them over. On the frozen shore huts were built for 



