FRANKLIN'S SECOND LAND EXPEDITION. 157 



they laug-hed heartily when detected, and appeared to 

 consider it a good joke. Their persons, houses, and 

 cookery, were all exceedingly dirty, and their mode of 

 salutation was by a mutual contact of noses ; sometimes 

 licking their hands, and stroking first their own faces, 

 and afterwards those of the strangers. 



The weather proved unfavorable for further operations ; 

 there was very little open sea ; and, in endeavoring to 

 push along the shore, the barge was wrecked, and sev- 

 eral of her crew drowned ; and on the 6th of October 

 Beechey was obliged to abandon further exploration, 

 grieved and disappointed that he had not the satisfac- 

 tion of bearing with him the adventurous party whom 

 he had been sent especially to meet. He arrived in 

 England October 12, 1828, having been absent on his 

 voyage three years and a half. 



The party under Franklin comprised the third of the 

 expeditions to which we have referred. In 1824, Frank- 

 lin, undeterred by the recollection of the fearful hard- 

 ships endured in his former overland journey, proposed 

 a second, which, descending the Mackenzie River to 

 the sea, should there divide its force ; and, while one 

 party explored the coast easterly to the Coppermine, 

 the other should make its way westerly to Icy Cape, 

 or, if possible, Behring's Strait. The project was duly 

 sanctioned, and every preparation made to insure suc- 

 cess, by building boats, providing scientific instruments, 

 and supplying abundant provisions. Besides three 

 strong and light boats, better suited to navigation 

 among ice than bark canoes, a smaller one, coveted 

 with Mackintosh's prepared canvas, weighing o uy 

 eighty-five pounds, and named " The Walnut Shell/' 

 was constructed for the purpose of crossing rivers. 



In the preparations nothing appears to have been 

 omitted. Scientific instruments of all kinds, fowling- 



