ARCTIC VOYAGES, FROM BAFFIN TO M'CLINTOCK, 



359 



crashed furiously against it: unless they instantly returned to shore, any mo- 

 ment might prove their last. A bitter cold night (September 10, 1851), with 

 no shelter but their boat, under which each man in turn took an hour's rest — the 

 others, fatigued as they were, seeking safety in brisk exercise — was spent on 

 this inhospitable shore, and on the following morning they discovered that the 

 ship had disappeared. The drift-ice had carried her away, leaving Kennedy 

 and his companions to brave the winter as well as they could, and to endeavor 

 in the spring to rejoin their vessel, which must have drifted down the inlet, and 

 was most Hkely by this time imprisoned by the ice. Fortunately a depot of 

 provisions, left by Sir James Ross at Whaler Point, was tolerably near, and 

 finding all in good preservation, they began to fit up a launch, which had been 

 left at the same place as the stores, for a temporary abode. Here they sat, on 

 October IV, round a cheerful fire, manufacturing winter garments and complete- 

 ly resigned to their lot, when suddenly, to their inexpressible joy, they heard the 

 sound of well-known voices, and Lieutenant Bellot, the second in command of 

 the " Prince Albert," appeared with a party of seven men. Twice before had 

 this gallant French volunteer made unavailing attempts to reach the deserted 

 party, who soon forgot their past misery as they accompanied their friends back 

 to the ship. In the following spring Kennedy and Bellot explored North 

 Somerset and Prince of Wales' Land, traversing with their sledge 1100 miles 

 of desert, but without discovering the least traces of Franklin or his comrades. 

 Yet in spite of these frequent disappointments the searching expeditions were 

 not given over, and as Wellington Channel and the sounds to the north of Baf- 

 fin's Bay appeared to offer the best chances, the spring of 1852 witnessed the 

 departure of Sir Edward Belcher and Captain Inglefield* for those still unknown 

 regions. 



The voyage of the latter proved one of the most successful in the annals of 

 Arctic navigation. Boldly pushing up Smith's Sound,which had hitherto bafiled 

 every research, Inglefield examined this noble channel as far as 78° 30' N. lat., 

 when stormy weather drove him back. He next attempted Jones's Sound, and 

 entered it sufficiently to see it expand into a wide channel to the northward. 



The squadron which sailed under the command of Sir Edward Belcher was 

 charged with the double mission of prosecuting the discoveries in Wellington 

 Channel, and of affording assistance to Collinson and M'Clure, who, it will be 

 remembered, had sailed in 1850 to Bering's Straits. 



At Beechey Island, where the " North Star " was stationed as depot-ship, the 

 squadron separated, Belcher proceeding with the " Assistance " and the " Pio- 

 neer " up Wellington Channel, while Kellett, with the " Resolute " and " Intrep- 

 id," steered to the west. Scarcely had the latter reached his winter-quarters 

 (September 7, 1852) at Dealy Island, on the south coast of Melville Island, when 



* 1852. " Isabel." Captain E. Inglefield. Lady Franklin's vessel, 



1852-1854. "Assistance," Sir Edward Belcher, to Lancaster Sound, Wellington Channel. 



1852-1854:. '* Resolute," Captain Kellett, Lancaster Strait, Melville, and Banks's Island. 



1852-1554. " Pioneer," Lieutenant Sherard Osborne. 



1852-1854. ' ' Intrepid,'^ Captain M'Clintock. 



1852-1854. "North Star," Captain PuUen. 



