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 



