52 CRUISE of THE NEPTUNE 
spent their last winter on land, and where the headquarters of 
the search party was established in subsequent years. 
Beechey island is comparatively small, being only a square 
mile or so in extent. It lies at the southwest end of North 
Devon, and is connected at low tide by a narrow neck with the 
larger island, thus forming the good anchorage of Erebus har- 
bour. The southern side of the island is a small hill, from three 
to four hundred feet high, with steep cliffs facing the water and 
less abrupt slopes northward, where it falls to the level of the 
low plain of the rest of the island. A flagstaff crowns the 
summit of the hill. The lower part of the island rises from the 
waters of the harbour in a succession of three or four low 
terraces each a few feet above the one in front, and all covered 
with small loose limestone shingle, where a few hardy flowers 
struggle for existence on the dry barren surface. 
the ancient settlement was placed on the' edge of the plain, 
close to the foot of the hill, and facing eastward. On the shore 
are the ice-battered remains of a small sloop, now completely 
dismantled, and a large mahogany lifeboat badly broken by the 
ice. On the first terrace, a few yards above the high-water 
mark, stands the frame of the ancient house, with a low stone 
wall along its north and west sides. Inside and between the 
walls are many casks of provisions, all of which have been 
broken open and the contents spoiled. A small platform cart, 
showing few signs of its long exposure to the weather, .stood 
beside the house, and was brought home as a souvenir. Scat- 
tered in profusion over the terrace and along the shore were the 
empty tins of the notorious goldner's Patent, which had been 
opened, found rotten and condemned by Franklin, thus reducing 
his stock of supposed tinned provisions. Old cask staves and 
hoops were mingled with hundreds of leather boot soles, evi- 
dently left by some of the relief expeditions. 
On the next terrace, a few yards in rear of the house, a 1 
