320 THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 



On the reverse of the sheet was the following, chiefly in print: 



"Record, deposited 16th June, 1853, by a Sledge party from H.M.S. 

 Intrepid. Parties searching the NW, NE, SW & East coasts of Melville 

 Island and Banksland for the Expeditions under Sir John Franklin & Capt. 

 Collinson. 



"At Beechey Island: H.M.S. North Star, also Depot, House, Decked 

 boat. 



"Port Leopold, Depot, House and Steam Launch. 



"Navy Board Inlet — Depot. 



"Dealy Island (Bridport Inlet) H.M.S. Resolute and Steamer Intrepid 

 the winter of 1852-53. All well: Will deposit depot. Boat, Sledges, &c. 

 H.M.S. Assistance, and Steamer Pioneer went up Wellington Channel 1852 

 H.M.S. Investigator wintered north side of Banksland in long. 118° W. 

 1851-52. All well (learnt from her record left at Winter Harbour April 1852; 

 and found October, 1852. 



"F. L. McCLINTOCK, 

 "Officer Commanding Party." 



(The following in red ink in another hand) : 



"Commander . . . winter at Point Barrow ij practicable; but is to send a 

 . . . at Grantly Harbour and at Michaeloxmki Redoubt." 



It is a matter of curious interest that this record is dated "P. 

 M., June 15, 1853," and that I picked it up at 9:58 P. M. local 

 apparent time, June 15, 1915, just sixty-two years later to the 

 nearest half day. 



In the original manuscript diary shown me in London by 

 McClintock's son, Mr. H. F. McClintock, there is no reference to 

 the placing of this record in the cairn. In the diary as published 

 in the Blue Book we find in the account of the return from Mc- 

 Clintock's farthest the following entry under date of June 20th: 

 "Passed our encampment of June 15th at seven o'clock and en- 

 camped at eight beside the cairn. . . . Placed a record in the caim." 



All of McClintock's polar work, and indeed his whole career, 

 shows that no man could have been more truthful or scrupulously 

 honest. Yet we find him here apparently contradicting himself. 

 His published diary says he placed the record in the cairn June 

 20th on his return from the west. But the record itself, in his 

 indubitable handwriting, is dated "15th June, P. M." and speaks 

 of the journey to the west as in the future. ("I am about to 

 proceed to the westward.") 



Evidently what happened was this: He wrote the record on 

 June 15th and gave it to the men whom he had detailed to build the 

 cairn before they started back towards Melville Island. Then 

 he proceeded west before the others had built it. On his way 



