INTRODUCTION. xxvii 



was not unmindful of those brave men by whose zeal and 

 devotion I was enabled, under Providence, to bring our 

 expedition to a successful issue. The document expressly 

 records " their thanks to the officers and crew composing it, 

 for the bravery and self-sacrifice which distinguished their 

 conduct on this patriotic occasion." 



Many other most honourable and gratifying recognitions 

 of our common services might be mentioned ; but I forbear 

 from doing so. To say less, however, than I have done, 

 would be a failure of respect to the public, as well as an 

 inadequate expression of my own feelings and those of my 

 companions. 



Ten years have elapsed since the discoveries made during 

 the voyage of the ' Fox ' were made public. Gallant efforts 

 have not been wanting during that period to glean further 

 information of the lost crews of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ;' 

 yet no additional light has been obtained, and beyond vague 

 rumours current among Esquimaux remote from the scene 

 of the final catastrophe, nothing whatever has come to our 

 knowledge. We must, therefore, I greatly fear, relinquish 

 all hope of recovering any of the official documents or 

 private journals of the officers ; the long interval of twenty- 

 one years since the abandonment of the ' Erebus ' and 

 ' Terror ' almost precludes the possibility of their existence. 



As a fitting sequel to the subjoined list of the officers of 

 the Franklin expedition, I have endeavoured to give an 

 outline of their services. This outline in some instances is 

 necessarily of the briefest description. 



The ships selected were the 'Erebus' and 'Terror.' 

 Originally constructed for bomb vessels, they were enor- 

 mously strong, their timbers being as massive as those of a 

 seventy-four-gun ship. Moreover, they had been especially 



