306 EEFLECTIONS ON THE RETREAT. Chap. XVI. 



Here ended my own searcli for traces of the 

 lost ones. Hobson found two other cairns, and 

 many relics, between this position and Cape 

 Felix. From each place where any trace was 

 discovered the most interesting of the relics 

 were taken away, so that the collection we have 

 made is "very considerable. 



Of these northern cairns I will write a descrip- 

 tion when I have received Holison's account of 

 his journey ; but here it is as well to state his 

 opinion, as well as my own, that no part of the 

 coast between Cape Felix and Cape Crozier has 

 been visited by Esquimaux since the fatal march 

 of the lost crews in April, 1848 ; none of the 

 cairns or numerous articles strewed about — 

 which would be invaluable to the natives — or 

 even the driftwood we noticed, had been touched 

 by them. From this very significant fact it 

 seems quite certain that they had not been dis- 

 covered by the Esquimaux, whose knowledge of 

 the " white men falling down and dying as they 

 walked along " must be limited to the shore-line 

 southward and eastward of Cape Crozier, and 

 where, of course, no traces were permitted to 

 remain for us to find. It is not probable that 



in sight, Cape Franklin and Cape Jane Franklin respectively. 

 Eighteen yeax's afterwards Franklin's ships perished within sight of 

 those headlands. 



