Polar Explorations. 137 



lin frequently remarks that " the conduct of the men was a 

 striking exemphfication of the character of British seamen, 

 for courage, resolution, patience, obedience, and ambition 

 to achieve their purpose."* 



The greatest degree of cold was on the 1st of Jan. 49** 

 below zero. In May the spring began to dawn, swans and 

 geese arrived ; on the 16th mosses began to sprout, on the 

 1st of June the dwarf birch and willow, were in leaf, and 

 anemonies and Lapland roses were in flower. 



On the 15th the equipments were ready, and the expedi- 

 tion proceeded in four row boats to the mouth of the Mc- 

 Kenzie. Capt. Franklin detached Dr. Richardson, surgeon 

 to the expedition, and Mr. Kendal, with a party in two boats, 

 to survey the coast eastward, towards the Coppermine river, 

 while he himself and the remainder of the expedition, direc- 

 ted their course westward towards Icy-Cape. Capt. Frank- 

 lin discovered two large rivers issuing from between different 

 ranges of the Rocky Mountains, bringing down large quanti- 

 ties of drift wood, which are carried by currents and eddies 

 to remote parts of the coast, and to distant islands. 



On the 10th of August, they had attained nearly 150°W. 

 long, and were nearer to Icy-Cape than to the McKenzie. 

 Their progress, from the nature of the coast, which was mud- 

 dy and shallow, with naked, sandy, and gravelly reefs, pro- 

 jecting among the ice had been hazardous, and extremely la- 

 borious. It cost them nearly a month to push through oc- 

 casional openings, and it was not until August, that they 

 obtained a clear passage. On one of those naked reefs, 

 they were detained for eight days. They suffered much for 

 want of fresh water, and in one instance were without any 

 for forty eight hours. It is not intended in this paper to eu- 

 logise the travellers in the various expeditions under notice ; 

 but to show very briefly some of the results of their labors ; 

 in this instance however we can scarcely forbear the expres- 

 sion of astonishment and admiration, at the zeal and perse- 

 verance of these adventurers. 



Vast floes of ice now came down upon them from the 

 North, with evidences of the rapid approach of winter ; and 

 it was with great reluctance that Capt. Franklin relinquished 



* That no part of the experience of the several expeditions by sea, may be 

 lost in any future attempts of the same kind in either hemisphere, Capt. Parry 

 is preparing a book of minute directions, for the entire equipment of ships em- 

 ployed in similar service. 



Vol, XVI.— No. 1. . 18 



