No. II. APPENDIX. 361 



No. II. 



MEMORIAL TO THE RIGHT HON. VISCOUNT 

 PALMERSTON, M.P., G.C.B. 



London, June 5th, 1856. 



Impressed with the belief that Her Majesty's miss- 

 ing ships, the 'Erebus' and 'Terror,' or their re- 

 mains, are still frozen up at no great distance from 

 the spot whence certain relics of Sir John Franklin and 

 his crews were obtained by Dr. Kae, — we whose names 

 are undersigned, whether men of science and others 

 who have taken a deep interest in Arctic discovery, or 

 explorers who have been employed in the search for 

 our lost countrymen, beg earnestly to impress upon 

 your Lordship the desirableness of sending out an Ex- 

 pedition to satisfy the honour of our country, and clear 

 up a mystery which has excited the sympathy of the 

 civilised world. 



This request is supported by many persons well versed 

 in Arctic surveys, who, seeing that the proposed Expedi- 

 tion is to be directed to one limited area only, are of opinion 

 that the object is attainable, and with little risk. 



We can scarcely believe that the British Govern- 

 ment, which to its great credit has made so many efforts 

 in various directions to discover even the route pursued 

 by Franklin, should cease to prosecute research, now 

 that the locality has been clearly indicated where the 

 vessels or their remains must He, — including, as we 

 hope, records which will throw fresh light on Arctic 

 geography, and dispel the obscurity in which the 

 voyage and fate of our countrymen are still involved. 



Although most persons have arrived at the con- 

 clusion that there can now be no survivors of Franklin's 

 Expedition, yjet there are eminent men in our own 

 country and in America who hold a contrary opinion. 

 Dr. Kane, of the United States, for example, who has 



