ch. xxiv] Discovery of N. coast of America 227 
voyageurs, and some Indians with their families. Another 
boat was built and named the Reliance. 
The two parties, led by Franklin and Richardson, 
left Fort Franklin on the 24th of June, 1826, descended 
the Mackenzie River together, and parted west and east 
where the delta commenced, on the 3rd of July. In 
making his way along the coast to the westward Franklin's 
boats were often in danger from heavy masses of ice, 
and suffered long detentions from foul weather. On the 
18th of August he found it necessary to give up any 
attempt to proceed further, having discovered 374 miles 
of new coast. He named his furthest point Cape Beechey. 
Captain Beechey in the Blossom was off Icy Cape by the 
middle of August, and sent a boat to meet Franklin, 
and the two boats were within 160 miles of each other, 
but Beechey and Franklin were not destined to meet. 
Beechev discovered Point Barrow. 
Franklin and Back returned to Fort Franklin on the 
21st of September. Meanwhile Dr Richardson and 
Kendall had discovered and surveyed the coast between 
the mouths of the Mackenzie and Coppermine, returning 
to Fort Franklin by the Coppermine River. 
The large island facing the north coast has received 
several names, but the Dominion Government wisely de- 
termined that it shall be known by one only— Victoria 
Island. The strait between Victoria and the mainland 
was named after the two boats in which Richardson and 
Kendall embarked, Dolphin and Union. 
The expedition returned to England in September, 
1827, after ^ absence of over 2\ years, having surveyed 
a coast-line of more than 1000 miles, hitherto unknown. 
Back was promoted to the rank of Commander, and 
Franklin was knighted in 1829. On the 5th of November, 
1828, he married en secondes noces Jane the daughter of 
John Griffin of Bedford Place, who both on her father's and 
mother's (Jeanne Guillemard) side was of Huguenot stock. 
He commanded the Rainbow frigate in the Mediterranean 
from 1830 to 1834, and was appointed Governor of 
Tasmania in 1837. Franklin's narratives of his two 
expeditions were published in quarto volumes beautifully 
illustrated by Captain Back's drawings. 
The next expedition to the north coast of America 
15—2 
