PREFACE. i\ 



Straits, which they found clear of ice, and went southerly down Prince Regent's 



Inlet to the mouth of Bellot Straits, where they arrived on the 20th of August, and 

 near which they were destined to remain for more than a year. 



Bellot Strait, which is near Latitude 72° north, is the water communication 

 between Prince Rupert's Inlet and that part of the western sea now known as 

 Franklin Channel. It separates the extreme northern part of the continent of 

 North America, or Boothia Felix, from North Somerset. The shores of this strait 

 are faced in many places with lofty granite cliffs, and some of the adjacent hills rise 

 to fifteen or sixteen hundred feet above the level of the sea. Through this channel 

 the tide runs at the rate of six or seven knots an hour, and also frequent stormy 

 winds blow from the- west which probably affect the local meteorology of the 

 country immediately around the eastern entrance. 



At the time of the arrival of the expedition, this strait was choked up with 

 masses of ice, but as the season advanced these obstacles so far gave way that the 

 voyagers were enabled to work the ship through to the western outlet. But beyond 

 this point they were unable to advance further in the same direction, and on account 

 of the exposed position they were obliged to return and seek for safer winter 

 quarters. These they found near the eastern entrance of the strait in a commo- 

 dious harbor named Port Kennedy. At this place they remained frozen up from 

 the 27th of September, 1858, until the 9th of August, 1859. 



Early in the spring, three exploring parties set out from Port Kennedy in dif- 

 ferent directions, severally under the command of Captain M'Clintock, Captain 

 Young, and Lieutenant Hobson. The routes traversed by these parties included 

 the southern portion of the coast of Prince of Wales Island^ — the western coast of 

 Boothia Felix, and the entire circumference of King William's Land. These 

 explorations furnished important additions to the map of the Arctic regions as well 

 as definite information relative to the fate of Sir John Franklin and his devoted 

 companions. On the western coast of King William's Island, several relics of the 

 lost mariners were found, and among the number a tin-case containing a record of 

 the unfortunate explorers. 



From this record, the following facts were obtained, namely, the Franklin Expe- 

 dition spent the first winter after leaving England at Beechy Island near the south- 

 western poiht of North Devon (see map). From this place it passed down Frank- 

 lin Channel to within fifteen miles of the northwest coast of King William's Island 

 (see the spot indicated on the map), where the ships were frozen in the ice, and 

 finally abandoned on the 22d of April, 1848. Sir John Franklin died on the 11th 

 of June, 1847, and several other deaths had occurred. The survivors, one hundred 

 and five in number, under the command of Captain Crozier, landed on King Wil- 

 liam's Island, where all knowledge of their subsequent journeying ceases ; they pro- 

 bably, however, all perished in their endeavor to reach a less inhospitable region. 



Although the whole shore of King William's Island was three times patiently- 

 examined by Captain M'Clintock and Lieutenant Hobson-, : no vestige of the wrecks 

 was seen, and it was doubted whether any portion of them remained above water. 



After making the explorations above mentioned, the object of the expedition 

 having been measurably attained, the explorers in the I'nx-waitcd for the advance 



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