THE LAST EECORD. 229 



be read in the original by all interested in Arctic adventure, for tbe modest and graphic 

 account of it given by M'Clintock bears the impress of absolute truth, without the slightest 

 attempt at fine writing or exaggeration. 



About twelve miles from Cape Herschel M'CKntock found a small cairn, built by 

 Hobson's party, and containing a note for the commander. He had reached this, his extreme 

 point, six days previously, without having seen anything of the wreck or of natives, but 

 he had found a record the record, so ardently sought for, of the Franklin expedition 



RELICS BROUGHT BACK BY THE FRANKLIN' SEARCH EXPEDITION. 



at Point Victory, on the north-west coast of King William's Land. It read as 

 follows : 



" ' 28th May, 1847. H.M. ships Erebus and Terror wintered in the ice in lat. 70 05' N., long. 98 23' W. 

 '"Having wintered, in 1846-7, at Beechey Island, in lat. 74 43 28" N., long. 91 39' 15 ' W., after having 

 ascended Wellington Channel to lat. 77, and returned by the west side of Cornwallis Island. 

 '"All well. 

 " ' Party, consisting of two officers and six men, left the ships on Monday, 24th May, 1847. 



" ' GM. GORE, Lieut. 

 '"CHAS. F. DBS VCEVX, Mate.' 



" Had this been all, it would have been the record of a grand success. But, alas ! 

 round the margin of the paper upon which Lieutenant Gore, in 1817, wrote those words- 

 of hope and promise another had subsequently written the following words : 



