FIUST TRACES DISCOVERED. 605 



'Lady Franklin,' we all learned that the 'Assistance' had found traces of 

 the missing ships at Cape Riley and Beechey Island, hut of such a nature as 

 not to leave the slightest impression on the mind at what thne or under what 

 circumstances the expedition had been there." In the evening Captain Penny 

 cast loose, and steered toward the eastern side of Wellington Channel, 

 along the edge of the fixed ice, which was hummocky from recent pressure. 

 At one o'clock a.m., on the 26th, the ships were made fast to the floe. 

 Afterwards, Mr Penny and Mr Stewart, who commanded the "Sophia," 

 accompanied by Mr Goodsir and Mr Petersen the interpreter, went ashore 

 to explore the coast northward from Cape Spencer, on the east side of the 

 entrance to Wellington Channel. At six in the evening the party returned, 

 bringing with them indubitable traces of large parties belonging to the 

 missing expedition. The site of an encampment was discovered at the dis- 

 tance of about six miles north of Cape Spencer. Here there was a hut built 

 of, and neatly paved with, stones. It was four feet high, and twelve feet in 

 diameter. On one side of it was a recess which had evidently been used as 

 a fireplace, from the ashes and the d6bris of ancient feasts it contained. " A 

 great many articles," says Sutherland, "were brought off by the party. 

 These included soup canisters, some of which had been used as cooking 

 utensils, while others had the labels entire. ' Goldner's Patent ' — a variety 

 of preserved meat which had been furnished in large quantity to Franklin's 

 expedition — was a very common form of label ; and there was one bearing 

 the name ' Mr M'Donald,' written in a business style. Some of them — the 

 canisters — were a good deal corroded, especially where the paint had been 

 removed in the opening, which in most cases appeared to have been very 

 roughly performed. . . . There were pieces of oak, such as staves oi 

 small casks ; the end portions of a small cask, with the words ' mixed pickles ' 

 scratched on them; also larger pieces of oak, such as might have been 

 procured by splitting up the knees or the doubling of a ship, and they were 

 charred at the ends as if they had been in the fire ; the bones of birds also 

 a little burned ; but there were no beef bones ; part of the leaves of a book 

 (MS.), with some markings on them, and a part of a newspaper bearing date 

 September 1844 ; portions of rope, very much chafed, but easily distinguished 

 as belonging to the Royal Navy by the middle yarn; also torn mittens, 

 cotton rags, and blank paper, all of which the wind had driven beneath the 

 stones. The wall of the tent or hut had been rendered impervious to the 

 wind, by the interstices being packed up with moss and bits of paper. Mr 

 Petersen said it was about four years since the hut had been built, from the 

 appearance which everything connected with it had assumed by the action 

 of the weather. In this respect Mr Petersen's opinion would be of great 

 value, as it could be relied upon, from his extensive experience within the 

 Arctic circle. There were a few handfuls of coals in the fireplace, together 

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