SEARCHING WELLINGTON CHANNEL. 509 



CHAPTER III. 



penny's search and discoveries in WELLINGTON CHANNEL. 



The main object of Penny's expedition was to prosecute the search for 

 Franklin in Wellington Channel, and it was with the view of carrying out his 

 instructions to that effect, that he organised a number of sledge expeditions 

 to examine the shores of the great channel in the early summer of 1851. 

 During the first week of May, six sledges, manned by over forty officers and 

 men, and including the captain, were actively engaged in this search. 

 Leaving Assistance Harbour, the winter quarters of the " Lady Frankhn " 

 and " Sophia/' the different sledge parties proceeded north in company to 

 latitude about 75°, where it was arranged two sledges should cross over to and 

 examine the east shores of Wellington Channel, two more should continue 

 the search northward along its western shores, while the third sledge party 

 under Penny himself should strike off across the frozen inlet in a north-west 

 and north direction. Of the journeys of Penny's officers, important as they 

 were as resulting in accurate surveys of the islands and inlets of this channel, 

 and thus mapping out the ground for the whaling and sealing vessels, which 

 have never yet failed to follow and to reap splendid harvests in the wake of 

 Arctic discovery ships, it is needless here to make more than passing mention. 

 Chief of these sledge excursions was that commanded by Penny himself — an 

 excursion in the course of which the old captain was fortunate enough to 

 achieve a number of surprising and valuable discoveries. 



On the 5th of May the sledges and men had gone on in advance, to 

 travel northward along the east coast of Cornwallis Island, to be afterwards 

 joined by Penny at the advance dep6t situated about forty-five miles north 

 from the ships' quarters in Assistance Harbour. On the 9th May, Captain 

 Penny, accompanied by Mr Petersen, the interpreter, and two seamen, left 

 the ship at four a.m. with two dog-sledges, and after travelling eight hours, 

 arrived at the advance depdt. No time was lost. The sledges were filled 

 up out of the depdt — to which stores had been conveyed during the previous 

 month — and at eight p.m. the whole force started northward. Penny accom- 

 panied them along the land, and parted with the three sledges that were to 



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