1908.] 



PREVIOUS EXPLORATIONS M 'CLINTOCK. 



67 



William Kennedy and Lieutenant Bellot journeyed by sledges around 

 North Somerset, crossing Prince of Wales Land on the way. The 

 ship returned to England in the autumn of 1852. The narrative of 

 the voyage, written by Kennedy, gives many natural history notes. 



The Assistafice^ one of Edward Belcher's squadron, reached Nor- 

 thumberland Sound in August, 1852, and wintered near latitude TT'^^ 

 longitude 97°. During the autumn, and in the spring of 1858, th(^ 

 adjacent coasts of Cornwallis, Bathurst, and Melville islands wei'e 

 examined. The second winter was spent near the southern end of 

 Wellington Channel, where the ship was abandoned in the summer 

 of 1854:. Li Belcher's narrative are given a few notes on natural his- 

 tory. Doctor McCormick, surgeon on one of the ships of the squad- 

 ron, made a boat journey along the west coast of North Devon in 

 the autumn of 1852. During this trip he made a great many natural 

 history notes, Avhich appeared in the narrative of his travels, pub- 

 lished many years later. 



The Fox, Capt. L. M'Clintock, reached Port Kennedy, Prince 

 Regent Inlet, in August, 1858, and went into winter quarters. Hei'e 

 a year was passed, during which the adjacent coasts of Prince of 

 Wales Land, Boothia Felix, and King William Land were examined. 

 In the course of these explorations the main object of the voyage was 

 achieved — the ascertaining of the fate of the Franklin party. M'Clin- 

 tock's parties found records deposited by the ill-fated expedition 

 showing that the Erehus and Terror had passed the winter of 1845-4() 

 at Beechey Island, and during the following summer had sailed south- 

 ward into Peel Sound, where the ships had been caught in the ice- 

 pack and had there passed the winter of 184f)-47. Sir John Franklin 

 died on June 11, 1847, and by the following April the total number 

 of deaths had reached 24. On April 22, 1848, Crozier, then in com- 

 mand, left the ships with 105 officers and men for Back River, by 

 way of which they hoped to reach the trading posts. Here the written 

 records ended, but M'Clintock by his explorations ascertained that, 

 weakened by disease and starvation, they " died as they walked " 

 along the west coast of King William Land, and not one succeeded 

 in reaching the river. In M'Clintock's narrative many natural history 

 notes are given, mainly referring to Bellot Strait. 



It is desirable to refer more particularly to the itineraries of a feAV 

 other expeditions which have to do with the larger Arctic islands 

 nearest to the Mackenzie Basin, and whose narratives are especially 

 rich in natural history notes. The expeditions selected are as fol- 

 lows : 



Those of Collinson and M'Clure, in the Enterprise and Incesti- 

 gator, for Banks, Baring, Prince Albert, Wollaston, and Victoria 

 lands; and of Kellett, in the Resolute, for Prince Patrick Island; 



