In the Arctic Regions. 475 
north of Point Victory a second small cairn was examined, but only a 
broken pickaxe and empty canister found. 
On 6th May, Lieut. Hobson pitched his tent beside a large cairn upon 
Point Victory. Lying amongst some loose stones which had fallen 
from the top of this cairn was found a small tin case containing a re- 
cord, the substance of which is briefly as follows:—This cairn was 
built by the Franklin Expedition upon the assumed site of James 
Ross’s pillar, which had not been found. The Erebus and Terror 
spent their first winter at Beechy Island, after having ascended Well- 
ington Channel to lat. 77 deg. N., and returned by. the west side of 
Cornwallis Island. On the 12th of September, 1846, they were beset 
in Jat, 70 05 N, and lon. 98 23 W. 
Sir J. Franklin died on the 11th June, 1847, On the 22nd April, 
1848, the ships were abandoned five leagues to the N.N.W, of Point 
Victory, and the survivors, a hundred and five in number, landed here 
under the command of Captain Crozier, ‘This paper was dated 25th 
April, 1848, and upon the following day they intended to start for the 
Great Fish River. ‘The total loss. by deaths in the expedition up to 
this date was nine officers and fiteen men. A vast quantity of cloth- 
ing aud stores of all sorts lay strewed -about, as if here every article 
was thrown away which could possibly be dispensed with; pickaxes, 
shovels, boats, cooking utensils,’iron work, rope, blocks, canvass, a 
dip circle, a sextant engraved “‘ Frederic. Hornby,” R. N., asmall medi- 
cine chest, oars, &c. 
A few miles southward across Black Bay, a second record was 
found, having been deposited by Lieutenant Gore and M. des Veeux in 
May, 1847. It afforded no additional information. 
Lieut. Hobson continued his search until within a few days’ march 
_ of Cape Herschel, without finding any trace of’ the wreck or of natives. 
He left full information of his important discoveries for me; therefore, 
when returning northward by the west shore of King William’s Island, 
I had the advantage of knowing what had already been found. 
Soon after leaving Cape Herschel the traces of natives became: less 
numerous and less recent, and after rounding the west point of the is- 
land, they ceased altogether. This shore is extremely low, and almost 
utterly destitute of vegetation. Numerous*banks of shingle and low 
islets lie off it, and beyond these, Victoria Strait is covered with heavy 
and impenetrable packed ice. 
When in lat. 69 deg. 09 N., and long. 99 deg. 27 W., we came to a 
large boat, discovered by Lieutenant Hobson a few days previously, as 
his notice informed me. It appears that this boat had been intended 
for the ascent of the Fish River, but was abandoned apparently upon 
a return journey to the ships, the sledge upon which she was mounted 
being pointed in that direction. She was 28 feet in length, by 74 feet 
wide, was most carefully fitted, and made as light as possible, but the 
sledge was of solid oak, and almost as heavy as the boat, : 
A large quantity of clothing was found within her, also two human 
