184 VOYAGE AND DEATH OF FRANKLIN 



most interesting and authoritative of all written in that period. Moreover, it 

 was this volume, full of the romance of the mysterious north, that first fired 

 Peary, the pole discoverer, with zeal to visit the Arctic region. The following 

 chapter is given to Dr. Kane's work. 



Thrilling in the extreme were the experiences of McClintock, McClure, 

 Rae, and others. Not the least dramatic were the discovery of records of 

 earlier expeditions. 



McClintock, in 1850, tells of finding the place where Parry camped thirty 

 years before. This was in a cove on Melville Island. 



"On reaching the ravine leading into the cove," he says, "we spread across, 

 and walked up, and easily found the encampment, although the pole had fallen 

 down. The very accurate report published of his journey saved us much labor 

 in finding the tin cylinder and ammunition. The crevices between the stones 

 piled over them were filled with ice and snow ; the powder completely destroyed, 

 and cylinder eaten through with rust, and filled with ice. From the extreme 

 difficulty of descending into such a ravine with any vehicle, I supposed that the 

 most direct route, where all seemed equally bad, was selected; therefore sent the 

 men directly up the northern bank, in search of the wheels which were left 

 where the cart broke down. They fortunately found them at once; erected a 

 cairn about the remains of the wall built to shelter the tent; placed a record 

 on it, in one tin case within another. We then collected a few relics of our 

 predecessors, and returned with the remains of the cart to our encampment. 

 An excellent fire had been made with willow stems ; and upon this a kettle, 

 containing Parry's cylinder, was placed. As soon as the ice was thawed out of 

 it, the record it contained was carefully taken out. I could only just distin- 

 guish the date. Had it been in a better state of preservation, I would have 

 restored it to its lonely position." 



Capt. Inglefield, in the Isabel, a steamer fitted out by Lady Franklin in 

 1852, tells of a gale during which he attempted to land on the coast of Smith's 

 Sound in latitude 78 :28. After describing the impossibility of landing Ingle- 

 field says: 



"The rest of the 27th and the following day were spent in reaching, under 

 snug sail, on either tack, whilst the pitiless northerly gale drove the sleet and 

 snow into our faces, and rendered it painful work to watch for the icebergs, 

 that we were continually passing. On this account, I could not heave the ship 

 to, as the difficulty of discerning objects rendered it imperative that she should 

 be kept continually under full command of the helm. The temperature, 25°, 



