PREFACE. ix 



yacht ' Fox,' which she had purchased ; for that officer had 

 signally distinguished himself in the voyages of Sir James 

 Ross and Captain (now Admiral) Austin, and especially 

 in his extensive journeys on the ice when associated with 

 Captain Kellett. With such a leader she could not but 

 entertain sanguine hopes of success when the fast and well- 

 adapted little vessel sailed from Aberdeen on the ist of 

 July, 1857, upon this eventful enterprise. 



Deep, indeed, was the mortification experienced by every 

 one who shared the feelings and anticipations of Lady 

 Franklin when the untoward news came, in the summer of 

 1858, that, the preceding winter having set in earlier than 

 usual, the ' Fox ' had been beset in the ice off Melville Bay, 

 on the coast of Greenland, and after a dreary winter, various 

 narrow escapes, and eight months of imprisonment, had 

 been carried back by the floating ice nearly twelve hundred 

 geographical miles — even to 63^° N. lat. in the Atlantic ! 

 See the sketch-map, No. 1. 



But although the good little yacht had been most roughly 

 handled among the ice-floes (see Frontispiece), we were 

 cheered up by the information from Disco that, with the 

 exception of the death of the engine-driver, in consequence 

 of a fall into the hold, the crew were in stout health and full 

 of energy, and that, provided with sufficient fuel and pro- 

 visions, a good supply of sledging dogs, two tried Esqui- 

 maux, and the excellent interpreter Petersen the Dane, 1 

 ample grounds yet remained to lead us to hope for a 

 successful issue. Above all, we were encouraged by the 

 proofs of the self-possession and calm resolve of M'Clin- 

 tock, who • held steadily to the accomplishment of his 



1 Since his return to Copenhagen, Petersen has been worthily 

 honoured by his Sovereign with the silver cross of Dannebrog. 



