512 THE FRANKLIN SEARCH— 184:8-51. 



expression was perhaps a little hasty. Penny had discovered open water 

 where no open water was formerly believed to exist. He had also on the 

 same day seen flocks of birds in a latitude which he had formerly believed 

 to be destitute of animal life. There might yet be other surprises in store 

 for him. After the excitements of the day, the discoverer pushed himself 

 into his sleeping-bag, and had eight hours' comfortable repose. The 

 encampment was in latitude about 76°. 



How the discovery of open water far to the north of the barrier of ice 

 that closed up the southern reaches of Wellington Inlet affected Captain 

 Penny's plans, may be learned from the following extract from his journal : 

 " Sir James C. Eoss said he would give one thousand pounds for ten days' 

 provisions ; I certainly should have given five thousand pounds for a boat 

 to follow up the search for Sir J. Franklin. How pleasant to the eye it is 

 to see the blue open water ! Mr Petersen and I set out again for Point 

 Surprise, and while I was laying down the points and islands by the com- 

 pass card and the sun, I sent him back to let Thomson, our only attendant, 

 see the expanse of water from this point, whence only the strait could be 

 opened out. As we were thus employed going back and fore, and making 

 a tracing of the coasts, two walruses sailed passed upon a piece of ice, at 

 the rate of at least three knots. Two eider ducks and some burgomasters 

 flew past at the same time. Here we had creatures that we could only have 

 expected ten degrees farther south, at such an early date ! / shall never 

 plume myself upon experience again. Light ice and twenty-five miles (all the 

 way to Baring Island) of open water, and from the appearance of the sky at 

 least twenty-five miles more beyond the north point of the strait. To have 

 proceeded northward {i.e., by land), could only be accomplished by making 

 a very large circuit, and for this we had but barely two days' provisions for 

 the dogs. Our own provisions might last for twelve days ; but should we 

 be under the necessity of serving it out to eighteen or twenty ravenous dogs, 

 it would certainly not last three days. We might shoot seals, and walruses, 

 and birds in the water ; but when was the boat to pick them up in such 

 rapid tides ! No alternative remained but to return to the ships, and see if, 

 by any means, a boat could be got into the open water, which was so un- 

 expectedly discovered. At 9.30 p.m. (17th May) we started for the ships." 



The return to the ships was a race rather than a deliberate journey. The 

 season was wearing on, and besides, hunger was following in the wake of the 

 party. The pace was so hard that on the first day one of the dogs gave in, 

 and was shot by Penny, who was actuated by the double motive of ending 

 the animal's sufferings and using its carcass as food for the rest of the starv- 

 ing team. But hungry as the dogs were, they would not touch the flesh of 

 their late companion. In this pell-mell retreat, bipeds suffered as well as 

 quadrupeds. Both Penny and Petersen were much exhausted oh the even- 



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