JOURNAL OF THE SEARCH 



FOR 



SIR JOHN FRANKLIN 



CHAPTER I. 



Cause of delay in equipment — Fittings of the 'Fox' — Volunteers for 

 arctic sendee — Assistance from public departments — Reflections 

 upon the undertaking — Instructions and departure — Orkneys and 

 Greenland — Fine arctic scenery — Danish establishments in Green- 

 land — Frederickshaab, in Davis' Strait. 



It is now a matter of history how Government and private 

 expeditions prosecuted with unprecedented zeal and perse- 

 verance the search for Sir John Franklin's ships, between the 

 years 1847-55 ; and that the only ray of information gleaned 

 was that afforded by the inscriptions upon three tombstones 

 at Beechey Island, briefly recording the names and dates of 

 the deaths of those individuals of the lost expedition, who 

 thus early fell in the cause of science and in the service of 

 their country. 



In this manner were we made aware of the locality where 

 the Franklin expedition passed its first Arctic winter. The 

 traces assuring us of that fact were discovered in August, 

 1850, by Captain Ommanney, R.N., of H.M.S. 'Assistance,' 

 and by Captain Penny of the ' Lady Franklin.' 



In October, 1854, Dr. Rae brought home the only addi- 

 tional information respecting them, which had ever reached 



B 



