526 THE FRANKLIN SEAECH— 18^8-51. 



the tin packets of frozen pemmican had been crushed by them. The dep6t 

 having been replenished and secured as completely as possible, M'Dougall 

 returned to the ships and reported. Meanwhile the two great sledge-parties, 

 that were to prosecute the search for Franklin far to the south and west, 

 under the commands of Captain Ommanney and Lieutenant M'Clintock 

 respectively, were mustered on the 15th April, and after having been briefly 

 addressed by Captain Austin, the divisions separated at once with mutual 

 cheering, the one party setting out south-westward toward Cape Walker, 

 the other proceeding west in the direction of Melville Island. 



Captain Ommanney's division consisted of two " long-party sledges," or 

 sledges for distant travelling— the " Eeliance " (Captain Ommanney and six 

 men), and the " True Blue " (Lieutenant Osborn and seven men). To accom- 

 pany these part of the way there were five " supporting sledges," the " Suc- 

 cour," " Enterprise," "Adventure," " Inflexible," and " Success," the chief pur- 

 poses of which were to keep up the resources of the long-party sledges, and 

 to form provision depdts for the return march. Lieutenant Osborn explains 

 the manner in which it had been arranged to take full advantage of the 

 supporting sledges. " The junior supporting sledge, ' Success,' " he writes, 

 " was capable of feeding all the division for five days (by which time we 

 hoped to be at Cape Walker), and then have sufficient food to return back 

 to the squadron, where it would again replenish, and, returning to the same 

 point at which we had separated from it, form such a dep6t that each of 

 the sledges in return would find five days' provisions to carry them home. 

 By this means six out of the seven sledges in the southern search will be 

 seen to reach a point fifty miles from their original starting-point in perfect 

 condition, so far as their provisions are concerned. We will, for the sake of 

 clearness, cause these six sledges to form into three divisions, of two each, 

 viz., a 'long-party' sledge and a support. In each case the support can feed 

 the long-party for another ten days, and then a depdt of provision equal to ten 

 days more, yet have sufficient left itself to reach back to Cape Walker, and 

 thence home. The * long-party ' would thus be still complete, after receiving 

 two supports, equal to fifteen days or 150 miles, and two dep6ts stand in 

 their rear, the one for ten days, the other for five days. The ' long-party ' 

 now starts, consuming its own provision (forming its own depdts for the 

 returning march), advances for twenty days, and accomplishes 200 miles ; 

 which, with that done whilst supported, makes in all a journey outward of 

 thirty-five days, or 350 miles from the ships. Of course with an increased 

 number of supports, this distance and time may be carried on as long as the 

 strength of the men will endure, or the travelling season admit of" 



Starting on the afternoon of the 15th April, Captain Ommanney's sledges 

 were soon enveloped in darkness, for the grey twilight of the night was so 

 darkened by a snow-storm from the south-west that the men, dragging at 



Digitized by IVIicrosoft® 



