138 BERING STRAIT 



1848, Captain Henry Kellett, in H.M.S. Herald, with 

 Commander Thomas Moore in H.M.S. Plover, forming 

 the western detachment of the first series of search 

 expeditions. There were three detachments, one to 

 follow the Erebus and Terror from the eastward, 

 another under John Richardson to descend the Mac- 

 kenzie and search the northern coast, the other coming 

 in from the west to meet the ships should they have 

 made the passage. On this duty the Herald and 

 Plover were hereabouts for three seasons, the Plover 

 wintering, the Herald going south when the naviga- 

 tion closed. 



In October, 1826, Beechey had buried a barrel of 

 flour for Franklin on the sandy point of Chamisso 

 Island, ample directions for finding it being cut and 

 painted on the rock, and to call the attention of the 

 party to the spot the name of the Blossom was painted 

 on the cliffs of Puffin Island. When the Herald was 

 at Chamisso Island in 1849 Captain Kellett searched 

 for this flour and found it. A considerable space was 

 cleared round the cask, its chimbs were freed, and, only 

 adhering to the sand by the two lower bilge staves, it 

 required the united strength of two boats' crews, with 

 a parbuckle and a large spar as a lever, to free it 

 altogether. The sand was frozen so hard that it 

 emitted sparks with every blow of the pickaxe. The 

 cask itself was perfectly sound and the hoops good, 

 and out of the 336 Ib. of flour which it contained, 

 175 Ib. were as sweet and well tasted as any he had 

 with him ; so good indeed was it that Captain Kellett 

 gave a dinner party, at which all the pies and puddings 

 were made of this flour. 



