ch. xxvn] The Search for Franklin. I. 259 
biscuit. Everything being packed, the journey began at 
6 p.m., the officer falling in to the drag-ropes except when 
he was wanted to guide the sledge or shoot a bear. There 
was a short halt for luncheon consisting of hard frozen 
pork fat, biscuit, and a tot of rum. But it was difficult 
to drink out of a pannikin without leaving the skin of 
the lips attached to it. The process called for considerable 
caution, but I had a piece of blanket on purpose to put 
over the rim. The time of marching was from 8 to 
10 hours. 
The region to the south was quite unknown except 
Cape Walker, which can be seen at a great distance. 
Captain Ommannc}^, leading the southern division, reached 
that lofty cliff. Then Mecham explored the island on 
which it is situated; Lieut. Browne was sent down to 
the east coast of the newly-discovered land, exactly in 
the direction of the lost ships if he had only known it ; 
Vesey Hamilton examined Lowther Island ; while Captain 
Ommanney and Sherard Osborn made a long journey down 
to the west side of the new land which was named after 
the Prince of Wales. Osborn observed the tremendous 
ice in what has since been named M'Clintock Channel, 
and it was clear to him that Franklin could never have 
passed in that direction. Captain Ommanney travelled 
round a very extensive bay. The Cape Walker division 
of sledges did its work thoroughly well. 
M'Clintock marched to the westward 1 , with two other 
extended parties, one under Lieut. Aldrich of the Resolute 
examining the eastern shores of Bathurst Island, and 
the other under Dr Bradford taking the west side of 
Melville Island. M'Clintock himself went along the 
southern coast of Melville Island, reaching and passing 
Cape Dundas, the furthest western point of Sir Edward 
Parry. M'Clintock was then in high hopes of finding 
traces of some of Franklin's parties, as there was an idea 
1 M'Clintock's sledge crew in his first great journey deserve a niche 
in the Arctic temple of fame. James Wilkie, captain of the sledge, aged 
33, was a splendid seaman, zealous, cheerful, and humorous. James Hoile, 
a fine, tall man of 25, excellent in all respects, a sailmaker. James Dawson, 
aged 23, was a good-looking foretopman. John Salmon, a small, wiry 
man, who was with M'Clintock in the Enterprise, was really the strongest 
of all. Hood and Jim Heels were Marines, the former a shoemaker, aged 
31, the latter, aged 24, sang a good song. 
17 — 2 
