SEABCH FOB FRANKLIN. 231 



the utmost speed at Aberdeen by her original builders*, 

 and a small body of twenty-five men, seventeen of whom 

 had previously served in the search, carefully selected for 

 her crew. The difficulty, indeed, was to know whom 

 to prefer from the number of volunteers who came 

 forward. 



"Expeditions of this kind," says M'Clintock, "are 

 always popular with seamen, and innumerable were the 

 applications made to me ; but still more abundant were 

 the offers ' to serve in any capacity,' which poured in 

 from all parts of the country, from people of all classes, 

 many of whom had never seen the sea. It was of course 

 impossible to accede to any of these latter proposals ; yet, 

 for my own part, I could not but feel gratified at such 

 convincing proofs that the spirit of the country was 

 favourable to us, and that the ardent love of hardy 

 enterprise still lives among Englishmen as of old, to be 

 cherished, I trust, a the most valuable of our national 

 characteristics as that which has so largely contributed 

 to make England what she is." 



The Government, though declining to send out an 

 expedition themselves, liberally contributed to the pro- 

 visioning of the vessel. 



By the end of June, the preparations were complete ; 

 and on the 30th, Lady Franklin, accompanied by her 

 niece, visited the vessel to bid farewell. The 

 the vessel set sail. 



