xii PREFACE. 



not closely attended to the results of other arctic voyages 

 may be informed that rarely has an expedition in the first 

 year accomplished more by its ships than the establishing 

 of good winter quarters, from whence the real researches 

 began by sledge-work in the ensuing spring. Franklin, 

 however, not only reached Beechey Island, but ascended 

 Wellington Channel, then an unknown sea, to 77 N. lat, a 

 more northern latitude in this meridian than that attained 

 long afterwards in ships by Sir Edward Belcher, and much to 

 the north of the points reached by Penny and De Haven. 

 Next, though most scantily provided with steam-power, 

 Franklin navigated round Cornwallis Land, which he thus 

 proved to be an island. This last discovery of a navigable 

 channel throughout, between Cornwallis and Bathurst 

 Islands, though made in the very summer he left England, 

 has remained even to this day unknown to other navi- 

 gators ! 



Franklin then, in obedience to his orders, steered to 

 the south-west. Passing, as M'Clintock believes, down 

 Peel Strait in 1846, and reaching as far as lat. 70 05' N., 

 and long. 98 23' W., where the ships were beset, it is clear 

 that he, who, with others, had previously ascertained the 

 existence of a channel along the north coast of America, 

 with which the sea wherein he was interred had a direct 

 communication, was the first real discoverer of the North- 

 West Passage. This great fact must therefore be inscribed 

 upon the monument of Franklin. 



The adventurous M'Clure, who has been worthily honoured 

 for working out another North-Western passage, which we 



Franklin was last seen. In Map No. 2, B is the winter rendezvous at 

 Beechey Island; C, the greatest northing of the expedition, viz., 77 N. 

 lat. ; Z, the final beset of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ; ' the extreme north 

 and south points of their voyage being represented by two small ships. 



