536 THE FRANKLIN SEA RCff— 1848-51. 



reached the entrance to Regent Inlet, Leaving the neighbourhood of 

 Leopold Island, De Haven stood over for the north shore, and on the 25th 

 he was off Cape Riley, on which he visited the encampment which had 

 originally been discovered by Captain Ommanney. On the 26th he passed 

 Beechey Island, and pushed north into Wellington Channel. Here, he says, 

 he found the ice "fixed and unbroken from shore to shore," and looking like 

 as if it "had remained so for at least three years." Progress in a northward 

 direction was consequently out of the question; he therefore turned back, took 

 shelter under the lee of Point Innes, and waited for a change. " On Point 

 Innes," writes De Haven, " distinct traces of an encampment were found, 

 together with many relics similar to those found at Cape Riley. Captain 

 Penny (whose squadron we met here) picked up a piece of paper containing 

 the name of one of the officers of Franklin's expedition, written in pencil, 

 thus proving beyond a doubt that some of his party had encamped here ; 

 but when, or under what circumstances, it was impossible to say. The 

 preserved meat cans, moreover, bore the name of the person who had sup- 

 plied his ships with that article." From Point Innes, De Haven returned 

 to Beechey Island, and joined Penny and Ross in searching the newly dis- 

 covered winter quarters of Franklin for documents. He visited the graves, 

 the observatory, armourer's shop, etc. ; but, as has already been stated, 

 without any satisfactory result. 



Returning to Wellington Channel, De Haven continued to beat about its 

 entrance without being able to make way to the north, for ten days. On 

 the 9th September, he entered a lead extending along the south side of 

 Cornwallis Island, and reached GriflBth Island, where the lead closed. Here 

 the ice was so unfavourable, that after consultation with Mr Griffin, De Haven 

 resolved to return to the United States. He was detained, however, for days 

 at the mouth of Wellington Channel, and a south wind springing up and drift- 

 ing him northward, he found himself on the 18th off Cape Bowden, the most 

 northern point seen on the east shore by Parry. He continued to drift to the 

 north-north-west until the 22d, and now, " between Cornwallis Island and 

 some distant high land visible in the north, appeared a wide channel leading to 

 the westward. A dark misty-looking cloud which hung over it (technically 

 termed frost-smoke) was indicative of much open water in that direction. 

 . . . Nor," continues De Haven, " was the open water the only indication 

 that presented itself in confirmation of this theoretical conjecture as to a 

 milder chmate in that direction. As we entered Wellington Channel, the 

 signs of animal life became more abundant ; and Captain Penny, who after- 

 wards penetrated on sledges towards the region of the ' frost-smoke ' much 

 farther than it was possible for us to do in our vessels, reported that he actu- 

 ally arrived on the borders of this open sea." For the remainder of Septem- 

 ber, and until the 4th of October, the vessels drifted but little; but all 



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