BELCHER'S EXPEDITION. 463 



stances permitted, but without discovering any clue to 

 the fate of Sir John Franklin. Belcher differs from 

 M'Clure and other explorers in regard to the abundance 

 of animal life in Arctic climes. " By extraordinary good 

 fortune," he says, "bears might fall in the way of the 

 traveller ; but, having killed and eaten his proportion, 

 I much doubt if his strength would enable him to drag 

 the remains until another piece of similar good fortune 

 befell him. The assertion, therefore, of any 'teeming 

 or abundance of animal life ' in this north-eastern dis- 

 trict, is utterly untenable." 



On his return from this journey, Belcher first learned 

 of the safety of Captain M'Clure and his crew in the 

 Bay of Mercy. 



The ships were liberated from the ice on the 14th of 

 July. Belcher did not persevere in his attempts to 

 push further north, notwithstanding his belief in an 

 open Polar Sea, but shaped his course for Beechey 

 Island. Cape Majendie was reached at an early day. 

 Some time was then spent in surveying the Bays of 

 Baring and Prince Edward, when the further advance 

 of the ships was stopped by a solid floe of ice. After 

 much warping and blasting to no purpose, in which 

 many serious risks were encountered, the vessels were 

 beset for a second winter (1853-4) at the southern horn 

 of Baring's Bav. 



O v 



When the spring came, Sii Edward's whole thoughts 

 seem to have been turned towards getting himself and 

 crews safe back to England. lie determined, at all 

 events, that they should not remain another winter in 

 the ice. With this view, he sent the order to Captain 

 Kellett, which we have related, and proceeded to manage 

 his own vessels in a similar spirit. 



On the 6th of August, 1854, the Assistance and 

 Pioneer broke out of their winter quarters, and advanced 



