CH. XX VI] 
The Franklin Expedition 
245 
The date of Sir John Franklin's death was the nth of 
June, 1847. 
Lieut. Graham Gore, his warm-hearted and steadfast 
friend, soon followed his beloved commander. With the 
rest there was hope of release during the summer months, 
but, as the month of September came to a close, hope 
must have given way to something like despair. For the 
ships had been much knocked about in their slow drift 
from off Cape Felix to about fifteen miles from Cape 
Victory of Ross, a distance of about 30 miles. If they 
ever got free of the ice it was doubtful whether they would 
float. There was scarcely sufficient food for the third winter, 
and what remained was slow poison. Nine officers and 
thirteen men died during that fearful winter, and the rest 
were much reduced and very weak, 
Crozier and Fitzjames must have known the danger 
only too well. There must be a retreat by Back's Fish 
River, but only the strongest would be able to get so far 
and none were really strong. Fitzjames set to work to 
prepare two boats for the ascent of the river, taking as 
his model the boat described by Sir George Back and 
Dr King. The boats were originally carvel-built. For 
the seven upper strakes thin fir planks were substituted 
clinker-fashion, for the sake of lightness. Above the 
upper strake a weather-cloth, nine inches wide, was 
battened down round the gunwale, supported by 24 
stanchions, so placed as to serve as thole pins for rowing. 
Six paddles were made for each boat, and they were 
provided with masts and sails, and sloping canvas 
awnings. The boats were 28 feet long and 7 feet 3 inches 
in beam. The sledges on which they were to be 
carried until they reached the open water required very 
careful consideration. There might be very rough 
ground, and it seems to have been thought that it would 
not be safe to sacrifice strength for lightness. The 
sledges, therefore, consisted of solid oak runners 23 feet 
4 inches long, 8 inches high, and %\ inches thick, with 
five oak cross-bars 4 feet long, bolted down to the 
runners, which were shod with iron. On the cross-bars 
there were supporting chocks for the boat, securely 
lashed. The drag ropes were 2§-inch whale lines, the 
weight of the sledge 650 lb. Food and fuel for 103 men 
