1852.] THOUGHTS ON BEECHEY ISLAND. 79 



probable in August, when Franklin would be bound up 

 Wellington Channel, or homeward ; and only in August, 

 or later, when thaw had removed the ice, would we find 

 men groping, with savage adaptation of rakes, in search- 

 ing the bottom for objects of natural history: one of 

 three objects only placed them there game, amusement, 

 or distress ; I fear the latter. I cannot, painful as the 

 conclusion is, divest myself of the feelings which were 

 impressed on my mind on searching that so-called wash- 

 house. The indelible features of a catastrophe were 

 there : painted canvas, panels, mouldings, oakum from 

 the side-seams of a vessel (wide seams too), pill-boxes, 

 surgeons' phials, rags, all indicated a house of shelter 

 or hospital ; moreover the internal inclination was falling 

 to the centre, as if the casks had formed the side bar- 

 riers, and the sleepers had slept with their feet towards 

 the common fire. Now, taking into consideration the 

 earliest moment that the ships would embark observatory 

 tents, and with tent-peys, any ground into which they 

 were driven would yield them easily in June, July, and 

 August. I ask, what hurry? And again, in colder 

 months, what would they be employed about in tents ? 

 and then, whence the confusion? They could not get 

 out in July. Indeed every suggestion of hurry is abso- 

 lutely untenable. A collection of the articles found was 

 piled up, and ordered to be preserved, and unfortunately 

 was not attended to ; for, to my mind, the most impor- 

 tant article, the oakum from the seams, was lost.* 



* These remarks were penned in August, 1852. I see no reason 

 to alter my opinion now, in 1855 : I still believe that position to mark 

 a disaster. 



