May, 1859. ACCOUNT OF THE EXPEDITION. 247 



In the short space of twelve months how mournful had 

 become the history of Franklin's expedition ; how changed 

 from the cheerful " All well " of Graham Gore ! The spring 

 of 1847 found them within 90 miles of the known sea off 

 the coast of America ; and to men who had already in two 

 seasons sailed over 500 miles of previously unexplored 

 waters, how confident must they then have felt that that 

 forthcoming navigable season of 1847 would see their ships 

 pass over so short an intervening space ! It was ruled other- 

 wise. Within a month after Lieutenant Gore placed the 

 record on Point Victory, the much-loved leader of the ex- 

 pedition, Sir John Franklin, was dead ; and the following 

 spring found Captain Crozier, upon whom the command 

 had devolved, at King William's Land, endeavouring to save 

 his starving men, 105 souls in all, from a terrible death by 

 retreating to the Hudson Bay territories up the Back or 

 Great Fish River. 



So sad a tale was never told in fewer words. There is 

 something deeply touching in their extreme simplicity, and 

 they show in the strongest manner that both the leaders of 

 this retreating party were actuated by the loftiest sense of 

 duty, and met with calmness and decision the fearful alterna- 

 tive of a last bold struggle for life, rather than perish without 

 effort on board their ships ; for we well know that the 

 1 Erebus ' and ' Terror ' were only provisioned up to July, 

 1848. 



Lieutenant Hobson's note also told me that he had 

 experienced extremely bad weather — constant gales and fogs 

 — and thought he might have passed the wreck without see- 

 ing her; he hoped to be more successful upon his return 

 journey. 



Encouraged by this important news, we exerted our utmost 

 vigilance in order that no trace should escape us. 



