160 FRANKLIN'S SECOND LAND EXPEDITION. 



the increasing warmth of the sun's rays the whole face of 

 nature underwent a delightful change. The snow grad 

 ually melted, the ice broke up from the shores of the 

 lake, the northern sky became red and luminous at mid- 

 night, the dwarf-birch and willows expanded their leaves, 

 and by the 3d June the anemones, the tussilago, the 

 Lapland rose, and other early plants, were in full flower. 



On the 28th June they embarked upon the Mackenzie ; 

 on the 4th July they reached that part where the river 

 divides into various channels, and the two parties were 

 to pursue different directions. The western branch was 

 the route to be pursued by the boats of Franklin's party, 

 and the eastern branch by those of Richardson : the 

 former to proceed along the northern coast westerly 

 as far as Icy Cape, where it was expected to fall in 

 with the Blossom ; the latter to examine the coast-line 

 between the mouth of the Mackenzie and that of the 

 Coppermine. 



The parties now separated. On reaching the mouth 

 of the Mackenzie, the western expedition came in con- 

 tact with the Esquimaux. Franklin proceeded to open 

 a communication with them. At first everything pro- 

 ceeded in a friendly manner. Augustus, after deliver- 

 ing a present, informed them that if the English suc- 

 ceeded in finding a navigable channel for large ships, an 

 advantageous trade would be opened. This intimation 

 was received with a deafening shout ; the boats were 

 in a moment surrounded by nearly three hundred per- 

 sons, offering for sale their bows, arrows, and spears, 

 with a violence and perseverance which became at last 

 troublesome, and Franklin directed the boats to be put 

 to seaward. 



At this moment a kayak was upset by one of the oars 

 of the Lion, and its unhappy possessor was stuck by 

 the accident with his head in the mud, and his heeJ in 



