96 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 
in the navy. The crews leaving England amounted to one 
hundred and thirty-four persons, of whom five were sent home 
from Greenland, leaving a total of one hundred and twenty-nine 
on board the ships when they entered Lancaster sound, and 
were seen for the last time. The fate of the expedition remained 
for a number of years unknown, although the British govern- 
ment spared no expense in the attempt to rescue the unfortunate 
crews, and, when the hope of succouring was gone, in a search 
for proof of their fate. Official relief expeditions were supple- 
mented by others under private auspices, due either to Lady 
Franklin or to her appeals to the sympathy of the public for 
convincing evidence as to the terrible fate of her unfortunate 
husband and his companions. America joined forces with 
England in the attempt to rescue the expedition, and sent 
out a number of ships to act in conjunction with the others, 
while France sent two gallant officers, one of whom, Lieutenant 
Bellot, lost his life while engaged in this work. As the condi- 
tions under which the searches were made were exceedingly 
difficult and haZardous, much time and energy were spent, and 
many risked and lost their lives. Twelve years passed before 
M'Clintock discovered undoubted proofs of the complete loss of 
the ships and the death of the entire crews. During this time 
thirty-five ships and five overland expeditions carried a host of 
eager searchers to the Arctics, where, incidental to their main 
object of rescuing the crews of the Erebus and Terror, they 
explored the entire northern coast-line of America and the 
shores of the Arctic islands, with such minute care as only their 
mission would warrant. To these search expeditions our inti- 
mate knowledge of Arctic America is largely due, and when the 
search was finished only the most northern islands remained for 
the future explorer. 
Before entering upon a short statement of the work of the 
search parties, the work and fate of Franklin's expedition may 
be traced. His instructions were to enter Lancaster sound, and, 
