THE FRANKLIN^ EXPEDITION 453 



them that all these had come from a boat which had belonged 

 to white men who had died of starvation. Unfortunately 

 the expedition had no interpreter and the party could not 

 cross over to King William's Land from Point Ogle owing 

 to the drifting ice and the frailty of their craft. A close 

 search for ten days in that neighbourhood failed to afford 

 any additional informtaion, nor did they find a record of 

 any kind. 



" On the return of Anderson with this rather indefinite 

 confirmation of Rae's Eskimo report, the Admiralty consid- 

 ered the fate of Franklin determined, and consequently 

 awarded to Dr. Kae and his men ten thousand pounds 

 sterling, which had been the offered reward to any one setting 

 at rest the fate of Sir John and his companions, which had 

 now been done indirectly. Thus ended the exertions of the 

 British Admiralty to determine the exact fate and extend 

 succour to the unfortunate members of its official expedition 

 for the discovery of the ISTorth-West Passage. It remained 

 for a wife's devotion, however, at private expense, to ascertain 

 that which the Government of Great Britain acknowledged 

 was its duty, but which its officialism was unable or unwilling 

 to accomplish." 



As the British Government declined to incur further ex- 

 pense, or risk any more brave lives in what they viewed as a 

 hopeless course, Lady Franldin resolved to spend all her 

 available means (already much exhausted by her own several 

 independent search expeditions) in a thorough exploration 

 of the limited area to which the search must now be restricted. 

 In this final attempt, however, she was handsomely assisted 

 by many naval men, and was fortunate in securing for this 

 important duty Captain (later Admiral Sir Leopold) Mc- 

 Clintock, who had signally distinguished himself undeB Ross, 

 Austin and KeUett. On Ist July, 1857, McOlintock sailed 

 from Aberdeen in command of the steam yacht Fox, of but 

 IT'O tons burthen, with two energetic and experienced assist- 

 ants — Captain Allen Young and Lieut. W. R. Hobson, R.IST. 



