[LETTER FROM LADY JANE FRANKLIN.] 



IJppEK Gove Lodoe 



Kensington Gove, 



Oct: 30"* 69. 

 My dear Mr. Grinnell, 



I had not received M: Hall's report when 1 wrote to you last 

 by Denis, or I should have had much more to say to you. This 

 I have delayed, however, because I felt it was a moment when 

 your mind must be fully occupied not only with M: Hall, but with 

 the still nearer and more heartfelt business of overlooking all your 

 dear son's relics and papers. — I wished also to hear the opinions of my 

 Arctic friends on M: Hall's report; but in this I have had but partial 

 success, as at this season friends are dispersed, and very few at hand 

 with whom details can be discussed. — My own impresssion is that Mr 

 Hall has done his best with the means he had at his command ; but 

 his statement is full of omissions and so devoid of order and dates as 

 to leave much confusion and perjjlexity in the mind. He makes no 

 distinction between the places he visited himself, and what he saw him- 

 self — and what he only heard of. What are the places he really set foot 

 on in K. W. Land and the dates on which he did so 1 Did he merelx 

 touch the Eastern shore, or did he go along the Southern coast by Cape 

 Herschel, and visit the other places, where he says tliey finally perished ? 

 I presume he did not visit Montreal Islaiul, but his assertion (dciivcd 

 no doubt from certain Esquimaux) is at variance with what otlier 

 Esquimaux told D'^ Eae and afterwards McClintock, and w itli the coii- 



S. Ex. 27 II ^^i 



