﻿10 franklin's expedition. 1845—1847. 



following day, which had he done, he would doubt- 

 less have been the bearer of letters for England, 

 but a favourable breeze springing up he separated 

 from them. The ice was then heavy but loose, 

 and the officers expressed good hopes of soon ac- 

 complishing the enterprise. Captain Dannett was 

 favoured with very fine weather during the three 

 following weeks, and thought that the expedition 

 must have made good progress. - This was the last 

 sight that was obtained of Franklin's ships. 



In January 1847, a year and a half after the above 

 date, Captain Sir John Ross addressed a letter to 

 the Admiralty, wherein he stated his conviction 

 that the discovery ships were frozen up at the 

 western end of Melville Island, from whence their 

 return would be for ever prevented by the accu- 

 mulation of ice behind them, and volunteered his 

 services to carry relief to the crews. Sir John 

 also laid statements of his apprehensions before the 

 Royal and Geographical Societies, and, the public 

 attention being thereby roused, several writers in 

 the newspapers and other periodicals published 

 their sentiments on the subject, a variety of plans 

 of relief were suggested, and many volunteers came 

 forward to execute them. 



The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 

 though judging that the second winter was too 



