210 Inasmuch 



be told as follows: the ships passed through 

 Lancaster Sound to Wellington Channel, and 

 wintered at Beechey Island on the West side of 

 Cornwallis Island. &quot;Many traces of a winter 

 residence were found there, including sites of 

 workshops, forge and observatory. Over 700 

 empty meat cans, all labelled &quot; Goldner s Patent,&quot; 

 were found piled in regular mounds. A large 

 quantity of similar tins supplied to the navy had 

 been found to be putrid, and were condemned. 

 This had probably happened to the tins left at 

 Beechey Island, and helped to hasten the star 

 vation of the unfortunate crews two winters later. 

 Three seamen died during the first winter, and 

 were buried on the island. 

 ivrciintock 8 The next information was found by M Clintock 



Find, 1859 Qn j^g William Island in the f orm O f a brief 



record, deposited on May 24th, 1847; with an 

 addition, made on April 25th, 1848. The record 

 noted the position in which the expedition winter 

 ed, and concluded &quot;All Well.&quot; The addition 

 stated &quot;Sir John Franklin died on the llth of 

 June, 1847, and the total loss by deaths in the 

 expedition has been to this date nine officers and 

 fifteen men. F. R. M. Crozier, Captain and 

 Senior Officer, and start on to-morrow 26th 

 for Back s Fish River. James Fitzjames, Captain 

 H.M.S. Erebus.&quot; 



The end is known with a fair degree of certainty. 

 &quot;The distance to the mouth of the Fish River, 

 from the spot where the ships were abandoned, is 

 about 250 miles. They started from the ships 



