so 



THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS. 



[1863 



Having to tow the Breadalbane transport ship, his passage 

 across Melville Bay was a difficult and tedious operation. Seldom 

 during any part of the open season has so much ice been seen as 

 was observed during this year. When in the middle of the bay, 

 scarcely any water was visible from the mast-head, — and the 

 Phoenix had already sustained so much damage from the pressure 

 of the ice, as to render it necessary to shift the screw. On the 

 8th of August the Expedition arrived at Beechy Island ; but so 

 late was the season, that no water was seen from Cape Riley the 

 clay before. The ice was too abundant and hummocky to ad- 

 mit the possibility of landing the stores on Beechy Island ; — and 

 accordingly Cape Riley was selected for that purpose. 



It became now an object of great importance to communicate 

 ■with Sir E. Belcher, — and Capt. Inglefield resolved on being 

 himself the bearer of Sir Edward's despatches. With this view, 

 lie started in his whale-boat, with a month's provisions, on the 

 10th of August, — leaving orders, in case of any unforeseen casu- 

 alty preventing his return to the Phoenix by the time the trans- 

 port was cleared, to run no risk of the ships being caught for the 

 winter, but to proceed to England without him. 



Wellington Channel was full of ice, — and so rough with large 

 cracks and pools, that it defied sledging excepting with a strong 

 party. An attempt was made to carry a small punt over the ice ; 

 but this proving ineffectual, Capt. Inglefield determined on pro- 

 ceeding by land with an officer and two men to Cape Rescue. 

 Each man carried a blanket, a bag, and a fortnight's provisions. 

 The Cape was reached, with much exertion, on the 13th of 

 August ; but further progress was arrested by open water. At 

 this juncture, a notice was found stating that Capt. Pullen had 

 returned to his ship after having commimicated with Sir E. 

 Be'c'ier. 



Having deposited duplicates of their despatches in the cairn, 

 the party commenced their return to Beechy Island; — which was 

 reached five days after their departure, — they having during this 

 time travelled 120 miles. It was in a second attempt to convey 

 the original despatches to Sir E. Belcher that one of the saddest 

 episodes recorded in these last Arctic papers occurred. The gal- 

 lant Lieut. Bellot, who, it will be remembered, accompanied Capt. 

 Inglefield in the Phoenix — here lost his life. He had been sent 

 by Capt. Pullen on the above duty : — having volunteered his ser- 

 vices. A heavy gale having suddenly sprang up, he and 

 two of his men were driven from the shore on a floe; and 

 while reconnoitering from the top of a hummock of this floe in 

 search of the means of escape for himself and his party, he was 

 precipitated by a violent gust of wind into a deep crack in the ice, 

 and there perished by drowning. Quite aware of his imminent 

 danger, we are informed than in the face of death, he expressed 

 his satisfaction that he was engaged m the performance of an 

 important duty. His two companions were saved ; and after 

 driving about on the floe for thirty hours without food, they were 

 enabled to regain their ship, bringing back the despatches in safety. 

 Lieut. Bellot had won the friendship and esteem of all the offi- 

 cers on board the Phcenix. His loss wDl be deeply lamented here, 

 -. — as doubtless it will be in the native service to which he was an 

 honour. He had made a great number of magnetic and other 

 observations, which will be placed in the hands of Col. Sabine for 

 publication. He was at all times foremost in the offer of his ser- 

 vices for any difficult or dangerous undertaking. Indeed, he 

 sacrificed his life to a sense of duty. We are glad to learn that 

 there is a design of erecting some testimonial commemorative of 

 the loss of this excellent and able young officer. Such a step 

 will, we feel sure, be duly appreciated by the French Government : 

 — particularly if it should receive the countenance and support 

 of our Admiralty. A meeting of the Royal Geographical Society 

 will shortly be convened to take into consideration the best means 

 of testifying the sympathy of the British public. 



Shortly after Captain Inglufiild's return to his ship, he had the 

 misfortune to witness the total destruction of the Breadalbane 

 transport. This event happened in the middle of the night of 

 the 21st of August. The ice had been in motion for some clays, 

 — causing the greatest uneasiness respecting the safety of the ves- 

 sels. At length a nip which the Phcenix resisted, proved too 

 powerful for the less strongly constructed Breadalbane ; and in 

 less than fifteen minutes after she was struck she disappeared in 

 thirty fathoms of water, — giving the people on board barely 

 time to save themselves. Fortunately, nearly all the Govern- 

 ment stores had been landed. — Another episode this, illustrating 

 the terrible accidents of those se?s which keep the dark secret of 

 Sir John Franklin and his crews! The catastrophe shows, how 

 important it is that ships should be efficiently strengthened for 

 Arctic navigation. The voyage of the Investigator from Behr- 

 ing's Strait to her present position near Melville Island, is a proof 

 how successfully a ship may be made to battle with thick-ribbed 

 ice. 



Captain Inglefield now resolved, in obedience to his instruc- 

 tions, on returning to England. With the crew of the lost 

 Breadalbane in addition to his own, he left Beechy Island on the 

 24th of August ; and after encountering many difficulties, he 

 passed through Lancaster Sound, and into Baffin's Bay, roundino- 

 Cape Farewell on the 21st of September, and arriving off Thurso 

 on the 4th of October. 



It is worthy of mention that at Lievely, on the coast of Green- 

 land, information was obtained of the existence of a coal mine 

 twenty-six miles from the harbour, where coal may be obtained 

 in large quantities. Captain Inglefield states that the Danes pre- 

 fer it for burning in stoves to English coal. 



Such are the principal and most interesting features of the des- 

 patches brought home by Captain Inglefield ; — and under the 

 head of geographical discovery, their importance cannot be over- 

 estimated. 



It is of course quite possible that intelligence may yet arrive 

 from Sir E. Belcher or Capt. Kellett, announcing either the dis- 

 covery of our long-lost countrymen, or that of further tracks of 

 their route and their possible whereabout. We have yet to learn 

 the result of the explorations of Captain Kellett's officers ; and we 

 must not forget that Captain Collinson, who entered the ice at 

 Behring's Strait in 1851, may by keeping a high north latitude 

 strike their track. At the same time, although we have always 

 leaned to the side of hope, bearing in mind the amazing quantity 

 of animal life existing for the subsistence of the lost party in the 

 Arctic regions, we cannot lose sight of the facts that the head 

 waters of Wellington Channel have been partially explored with- 

 out finding any vestige of Franklin or of his ships, — and that the 

 explorations of Capt. M'Clure to the south-west of Melville Island 

 prove beyond a doubt that they cannot be entangled in the ice in 

 that locality. Our heart begins to faint, we must avow, beneath 

 the burthen of hope deferred. Vast, however, as is the area which 

 has now been swept by our searching ships, a much larger field 

 yet remains unexamined. We cannot expect, after all that has 

 been done, with the now faint chance of saving life if discovered, 

 — that the Admiralty will continue the search until the ground 

 shall be exhausted ; but we would fain have the promising route 

 by Nova Zembla tried, and the Siberian coast explored. Then, if 

 the result of Sir E. Belcher's deliberations at Beechy Island shall 

 be, his return to England, and consequent abandonment of the 

 search for Franklin in the waters to the north of Wellington 

 Channel, shall we be satisfied with the very imperfect search in 

 that direction which still holds out the greatest promise ? Surely, 

 when we are told of an open sea in May, and of a Polar basin free 

 from ice, its navigatian cannot be either difficult or tedious. 

 Captain M'Clure has shown us that one north-west passage exists ; 



