Phoenix in 1854, nor have any wrecks ever drifted 
upon their shores. 
It was not until 27th July that we reached 
Pond’s Inlet owing to a most unusual prevalence 
of ice in the northern portion of Baffin’s Bay, and 
which rendered our progress since leaving Hol- 
steinborg one of increasing struggle. Without 
steam power we could have done nothing. Here 
only one old woman and a boy were found, but 
they served to pilot us up the inlet for 25 miles, 
when we arrived at their village. For about a 
week we were in constant and most interesting 
communication with these friendly people.— 
Briefly, the information obtained from them was, 
that nothing whatever respecting the Franklin 
expedition had come to their knowledge, nor had 
any wrecks within the last 20 or 30 years reached 
their shores. 
The remains of three wrecked ships are known 
to them; two of these appear to have been the 
whalers Dexterity and Aurora, wrecked in 
August, 1821, seventy or eighty miles southward 
of Pond’s Inlet. The third vessel, now almost 
buried in the sand, lies a few miles east of Cape 
Hay. This people communicate overland every 
winter with the tribes at Iglook. They all knew 
of Parry’s shipshaving wintered therein 1822-3, 
and had heard of late years of Dr. Rae’s visit to 
Repulse Bay, describing his boats as similar to 
our whaleboat, and his party as living in tents, 
within snow-houses, smoking pipes, shooting 
reindeer, &c. None died. They remained there 
only one winter. 
No rumor of the lost expedition has reached 
them. Within Pond’s Inlet the natives told us 
the ice decays away every year, but so long as any 
remains whales abound. Several large whales 
were seen by us, and we found among the natives 
RETURN OF LADY FRANKLIN’S EXPEDITION. 
For more than two hundred years the attention 
of the principal nations of Europe has been di¬ 
rected to the Arctic regions. Of this cold clime, 
locked in everlasting ice, little was known, and 
that little so strange, so romantic, as to excite a 
strong desire for further knowledge. Expeditions 
of hardy and courageous adventurers, aided and 
encouraged by Governments, Geographical and 
other Associations, have from time to time been 
sent on perilous voyages of discovery to these 
inhospitable seas and shores. The earliest at¬ 
tempts to navigate the Arctic seas were induced 
by the hope of finding a north-west passage to 
the East Indies, a problem that for a long time 
engaged the attention of the commercial world, 
but as the hope of any practical advantage in this 
direction decreased, the love of science — the 
desire to add to the sum of human knowledge— 
was found quite sufficient to induce men of science 
and courage to peril their lives in this hazardous 
work. The extension of trade in oils and furs, 
the principal products of the polar regions, how¬ 
ever, was one of the objects sought and gained by 
these expeditions. Of late years eur own country¬ 
men have taken an active share in these perilous 
adventures, impelled partly by love of excitement, 
partly from hope of profit in the whale and seal 
fisheries. 
Among the noted adventurers in these regions 
may be mentioned the names of Peipps, Deshnew, 
Behring, Billings, Vancouver, Forbisher, Baf¬ 
fin, Barrow, Parry, Ross and F ranklin. Frank¬ 
lin sailed from England on the 20th of Hay, 1845, 
with 138 men and two ships, the Erebus and Terror. 
The expedition was not expected home, 
pillar, which had not been found. The Erebus and 
Terror spent their first winter at Beechy Island, 
after having ascended Wellington Channel to lat. 
V N., and returned by the west side of Cornwallis 
Tsland. On the 12th September, 1846, they were 
beset in lat. 70° 05' N., and long. 98° 23' W. 
Sir J. Franklin died on the 11th of June, 1847. 
On the 22d of April, 1848, the ships were aban¬ 
doned five leagues to the N. N. W. of Point Vic¬ 
tory, and the survivors 105 in number, landed 
here under the command of Capt. Crozier. This 
paper was dated 25th of April, 1848, and upon the 
following day they intended to start for the Great 
Fish River. The total loss by deaths in the expe¬ 
dition up to this date was nine officers and fifteen 
men. A vast quantity of clothing and stores of 
all sorts lay strewed about, as if here every article 
tIl, ’''"n away which could possibly be dispen- 
pick-axes, shovels, boats, cookiDg uten- 
trr.r- blocks, canvas, a dip circle, 
Fredric Hornby, R. N.,” a 
was thrown 
sed with; p 
sils, iron-work, rope, blocks, canvas, 
a sextant engraved “ 
small medicine chest, oars, &c. 
A few miles southward, across Back Bay a 
second record was found, having been deposited 
by Lieut. Gore and M. des Vceux, in May, 1847._ 
It afiorded no additional information. 
Lieut. Hobson continued his search until within 
a few days’ march of Cape Ilerschel, without find¬ 
ing any trace of the wreck or of natives. He left 
full information of his important discoveries for 
me; therefore, when returning northward by the 
west shore of King William Island, I had the ad¬ 
vantage of knowing what had already been found. 
Soon atter leaving Cape Ilerschel, the traces of 
natives became less numerous and less recent, and 
after rounding the west point of the island they 
ceased altogether. The shore is extremely low, 
and almost utterly destitute of vegetation. Numer¬ 
ous banks of shingle and low islets lie off it, and 
beyond these V ictoria Strait is covered with heavy 
and impenetrable packed ice. 
When in lat. 69° 09' N., and long. 99° 27' W., we 
came to a larger boat, discovered by Lieut. Hob¬ 
son a few days previously, as his notice informed 
me. It appears that this boat had been intended 
for the ascent of the Fish River, but was aban¬ 
doned apparently upon a return journey to the 
ships, the sledge upon which she was mounted be¬ 
ing pointed in that direction. She measured 28 
feet in length, by 7>£ feet wide, was most carefully- 
fitted, and made as light as possible, but the sledge 
was of solid oak, and almost as heavy as the boat. 
A large quantity of clothing was found within 
her, also two human skeletons. One of these lay 
in the after part of the boat, under a pile of cloth¬ 
ing; the other, which was much more disturbed, 
probably by animals, was found in the bow. Five 
pocket-watches, a quantity of silver spoons and 
forks, and a few religious books, were also found, 
but no journals, pocket-books, or even names upon 
any articles of clothing. Two double-barreled 
guns stood upright against the boat’s side, pre¬ 
cisely as they had been placed eleven years before. 
One barrel in each was loaded and cocked; there 
was ammunition in abundance, also 30 or 40 lbs. 
of chocolate, some tea, and tobacco. Fuel was not 
wanting; a drift-tree lay within 100 yards of the 
boat. 
Many vory interesting relics were brought away 
by Lieut. Hobson, and some few by myself. On 
the 5th of June I reached Point Victory, without 
having found anything further. The clothing, 
&c., was again examined for documents, note¬ 
books, &c., without success; a record placed in 
the cairn, and another buried ten feat north of it. 
Nothing worthy of remark occurred on my re¬ 
turn journey to the ship, which we reached on the 
19th of June, five days after Lieut. Hobson. 
The shore of King William Island, between its 
north and west extremes, Capes Felix and Crozier, 
has not been visited by Esquimaux since the 
abandonment of the Erebus and Terror, as the 
cairos and articles lying strewed about, which are 
in their eyes of priceless value, remain untouched. 
If the wreck still remains visible, it is probable 
she lies upon some of the off-lying islets to the 
southward between Capes Crozier and Herschel. 
On the 28th of June, Capt. Young and his party 
returned, having completed their portion of the 
search, by which the insularity of Prince of Wales 
Land was determined, and the coast-line interven¬ 
ing between the extreme points reached by Lieuts. 
Osborne and Browne discovered; also, between 
Bellot Strait and Sir James Ross’ furtherest in 
1849, at Four River Bay. 
Fearing that his provisions might not last out 
the requisite period, Capt. Young sent back four 
of his men, and for forty days journeyed on thro 
fogs and gales with but one man and the dogs, 
building a snow hut each night; but few men 
could stand so long a continuance of labor and 
privation, and its effect upon Capt. Young was 
painfully evident. 
Lieutenant Hobson was unable to stand without 
assistance upon bis return on board; he was not 
in good health when he commenced his long 
journey, and the sudden severe exposure brought 
on a severe attack of scurvey; yet he also most 
ably completed his work; and such facts will more 
clearly evince the unflinching spirit with which 
the object of our voyage has been pursued in these 
detached duties than any praise of mine. 
We were now, at length, all on board again. As 
there were some slight cases of scurvy, all our 
treasured resources of Burton ale, lemon juice, and 
fresh animal food were put into requisition, so that 
in a comparatively shart time all were restored to 
sound health. 
During our sojourn in Port Kennedy we were 
twice called upon to follow a shipmate to the grave. 
Mr. Geo. Brands, engineer, died of apoplexy, on 
the 6th of November, 1858; he had been out deer¬ 
shooting for several hours that day, and appeared 
in excellent health. On the 14th of June, 1859, 
Thomas Blackwell, ship’s steward, died of scurvy; 
this man had served in two of the former search¬ 
ing expeditions. The summer proved a warm 
one; we were able to start upon our homeward 
voyage on the 9 th of August, and although the loss 
of the engine driver in 1857, and of the engineer in 
1858, left us with only two stokers, yet with their 
assistance I was able to control the engines and 
steam the ship up to Fury Point. For six days we 
lay there closely beset, when a change of wind re¬ 
moving the ice, our voyage was continued almost 
without further interruption, to God-beaven, in 
Disco, where we arrived on the 27th of August, 
and were received with great kindness by Mr. 
Olick, Inspector of North Greenland, and the local 
authorities, who obligingly supplied our few wants. 
The two Esquimaux dog drivers were now dis¬ 
charged, and on the 1st of September we sailed for 
England. 
From all that can be gleaned from the record 
paper, and the evidence afforded by the boat, and 
various articles of clothing and equipment dis¬ 
covered, it appears that the abandonment of the 
Erobus and Terror bad been deliberately arranged, 
and every effort exerted during the third winter to 
render the traveling equipments complete. 
It is much to be apprehended that disease had 
greatly reduced the strength of all on board—far 
more, perhaps, than they themselves were aware of. 
The distance by sledge route from the position 
of the ships when abandoned to the boat, is sixty- 
five geographical miles; and from the ships to 
Montreal Island, 220 miles. The most perfect 
order seems to have existed throughout. 
F. L. M’Clintock, Captain, E. N. 
Commanding the Final Searching Expedition. 
Yacht Fox, E. Y. S., off the Isle of Wight, Sept. 21, ’59. 
! snow village containing about 30 inhabitants.— 
They gathered about us without the slightest ap¬ 
pearance of fear or shyness, although none had 
ever seen living white people before. They were 
most willing to communicate all their knowledge, 
and barter all their goods, but would have stolen 
everything had they not been closely watched. 
Many more relics of our countrymen were obtain¬ 
ed—we could not carry away all we might have 
purchased. They pointed to the inlet we had 
crossed the day before, and told us that one day’s 
march up it, and from thence four days overland, 
brought them to the wreck. 
None of these people had been there since 1857- 
8, at which time they said but little remained, 
their countrymen having carried away almost 
everything. 
Most of our information was received from an 
intelligent old woman. She said it was in the 
fall of the year that the ship was forced ashore.— 
Many of the white men dropped by the way, as 
they went toward the Great River; but this was 
only known to them in the winter following, when 
their bodies were discovered. They all assured us 
that we would find natives upon the south shore, 
at the Great River, and some few at the wreck; 
but unfortunately this was not the case. Only 
one family was met with off Point Booth, and 
none at Montreal Island, or any place subsequent¬ 
ly visited. 
Point Ogle, Montreal Island, and Barrow Island, 
were searched without finding anything except a 
few scraps of copper and iron in an Esquimaux 
hidiDg-place. 
Recrossing the Strait to King William Island, 
we continued the examination of its southern shore 
without success until the 24th of May, when, about 
ten miles eastward of Cape Herschel, a bleached 
skeleton was found, around which lay fragments 
of European clothing. Upon carefully removing 
the snow a small pocket-book was found contain¬ 
ing a few letters; these, although much decayed, 
may yet be deciphered. Judging from the remains 
of his dress this unfortunate young man was a 
steward or officer’s servant, and his position ex¬ 
actly verified the Esquimaux’s assertion that they 
dropped as they walked along. 
On reaching Cape Herschel next day, we exam¬ 
ined Simpson’s Cairn, or rather what remains of 
it, which is only four feet high, and the central 
stones have been removed, as if by men seeking 
something within it. My impression at the time, 
and which I still retain, is that records were de¬ 
posited there by the retreating crews, and subse¬ 
quently removed by the natives. 
. nor were 
tidiDgs expected from it, until the close of the 
year 1847, but when that time arrived without 
bringing any intelligence, the public became 
alarmed for its safety. Since that time, the expe¬ 
ditions to the Arctic have been undertaken with 
higher and holier motives,—the desire to rescue, 
if possible, these noble men from their icy prison 
house. In 1848 three expeditions were sent by 
the British Government in search of Franklin; in 
1850 three more were sent out by the Government, 
beside two by Lady Franllin, two by public sub¬ 
scription, and one by Henry Grinnell of New 
Tork. Franklin’s first winter quarters were 
found, but nothing more. In 1852 Sir Edward 
Belcher sailed from England, in search of him, 
with five vessels, and Commander Daylefield 
with a screw steamer. In 1853 Dr. Kane went 
out as commander of the second Grinnell Expedi¬ 
tion; Lady Franklin sent a steamer and sailing 
vessel; Dr. Rae started for a second exploration 
norw'hals’ horns, which they were anxious to 
barter for knives, files, saws, rifles, and wool; 
they drew us some rude charts of the inlet, show¬ 
ing that it expands into an extensive channel 
looking westward into Prince Regent’s Inlet. 
We could not but regret that none of our own 
whaling friends—from whom we had recently re¬ 
ceived so much kindness—were here to profit by 
so favorable an oppportunity. Leaving Pond’s 
Inlet on the 6th August, we reached Beechey 
Island on the 11th, and landed a handsome 
marble tablet, sent on board for this purpose by 
Lady Franklin, bearing an appropriate inscription 
to the memory of our lost countrymen in the 
Erebus and Terror. 
The provisions and stores seemed in perfect or¬ 
der, but a small boat was much damaged from 
having been turned over and rolled along the 
beach by a storm. The roof of the house received 
some necessary repairs. Having embarked some 
coal and stores we stood in need of, and touched 
at Cape Hotham on the 16th, we sailed down Peel 
Strait for 25 miles on the 17th, but finding the re¬ 
mainder of this channel covered by unbroken ice, 
I determined to make for Bellot Strait on the 19th 
of August, examined into supplies remaining at 
Port Leopold, and left there a whale boat, which 
we brought away from Cape Hotham for the pur¬ 
pose, so as to aid us in our retreat should we be 
obliged eventually to abandon the Fox. The 
steam launch had been forced higher up on the 
beach, and somewhat damaged by the ice. Prince 
Regent’s Inlet was unusually free from ice; but 
very little was seen duriDg our run to Brentford 
Bay, which we reached on the 20th of August._ 
Bellot Strait, which communicates with the west¬ 
ern sea, averages one mile in width by 17 or 18 
miles in length. At this time it was filled with 
drift ice, but as the season advanced became per¬ 
fectly clear; its shores are in many places faced 
with lofty granite clifis, and some of the adjacent 
hills rise to 1,600 feet; the tides are very strong, 
running six or seven knots at the springs. On 
the 6th of September we passed Bellot Strait 
without obstruction, and secured the ship to fixed 
ice across its western outlet. From here, until 
the 27th, when I deemed it necessary to retreat 
The winter was unusually cold and stormy.— 
Arrangements were completed during the winter 
for carrying out our intended plan of search; I 
felt it to be my duty personally to visit Marshal 
Island, and in so doing proposed to complete the 
circuit of King William Island. 
To Lieut. Hobson I allotted the search of the 
western shore of Boothia to the magnetic pole, 
and from Gateshead Island westward to Wyn- 
niatt’s furthest. Capt. Allen Young, our sailing 
master, was to trace the shore of Prince of Wales 
Land, from Browne’s furthest; and also to exam¬ 
ine the coast from Bellot Strait northward, to Sir 
James Rae’s furthest. 
Early Spring journeys were commenced on the 
17th of February, 1859, by Capt- Young and my¬ 
self, Capt. Young carrying his depot across to 
Prince of Wales Land, while I went southward, 
toward the magnetic pole, in the hope of commu¬ 
nicating with the Esquimaux, and obtaining such 
information as might lead us at once to the object 
of our search. 
I was accompanied by Mr. Peterson, our inter¬ 
preter, and Alexander Thompson, quartermaster. 
We had with us two sledges drawn by dogs. On 
Feb. 28, when near Ca^pe Victoria, we had the 
good vortune to meet a small party of natives, 
and were subsequently visited by about forty-five 
individuals. 
For four days we remained in communication 
with them, obtaining many relics, and the infor¬ 
mation that several years ago a ship was crushed 
by the ice off the north shore, off King William 
Island, but that all her people landed safely, and 
went away to the Great Fish River, where they 
died. This tribe was well supplied with wood, 
obtained, they said, from a boat left by the white 
men on the Great River. 
We reached our vessel after 25 days’ absence, 
in good health, but somewhat reduced by sharp 
marching and the unusually severe weather to 
which we had been exposed. For several days 
after starting the mercury continued frozen. 
Sir Edward Belcher. In 1854 Dr. Rae heard 
from Esquimaux a story of forty white men sledg¬ 
ing toward the south, near King William’s Land, 
in the spring of 1850, and later, of thirty white 
corpses and some graves on the continent, and 
five corpses, considerably eaten, on an island a 
few miles to the north-west of the mouth of Back’s 
River. Dr. Rae found telescopes, guns, and 
watches among the natives. Mr. Anderson visited 
the island in 1855, and found many articles, but 
no bodies. He was unable to reach the principal 
scene of disaster. The fate of Sir John remained 
a mystery until the discovery of M’Clintock, of 
which we give a full account, with a portrait of 
Sir John Franklin, and a view of Winter Quar¬ 
ters in the Arctic Region. 
The London Times, from which we copy, Capt. 
M’Clintock’s Report, says —“The Fox screw 
discovery vessel, Capt. M’Clintock, R. N., which 
had been sent to the Arctic Regions, at the ex¬ 
pense of Lady FrankAn, to discover traces of the 
missing expedition, arrived oil' the Isle of Wight 
on Wednesday, Sept. 21. On landing, Capt. 
M’Clintock at once came on by train for London, 
bringing with him two cases containing relics of 
the long-missing expedition of Sir John Franklin. 
The following are copies of original papers left 
by Sir John Franklin, and found by Capt. 
M’Clintock on Prince of Wales Island: 
-of May, 1847. 
Her Majesty’s ships Erebus and Terror wintered in 
the ice in lat 70 deg. 5 min., Ion. 93 deg. 23 min. W 
Iluving wintered in 1S40-7 at Beechey Islaud, in lat 
74 deg. 43 minuies 28 sec. N., 91 deg. 39 min. 15 sec. W. 
alter ascending Wellington Channel to lat. 77 deo- and 
returning by the west side of Cornwallis Island. 0 ’ 
Sir John Franklin. 
AH well. Commanding Expedition, 
vv soever finds this paper is requested to forward it 
to the Secretary of the Admiralty, London, with a note 
of tne time and place at which it was found, or, if more 
convenient, to deliver it for that purpose to the British 
Consul at the nearest port. 
The same in French. 
The same in Spanish. 
The same in Dutch. 
The same in Danish. 
The same in German. 
Left the ships Monday the 25tn of May, 1847 the 
party consisting of two officers and six men. ’ 
G. M. Gore, Lieutenant. 
Cit as F. Des Yotux, Mate 
The words “ Wintered in 184G-47 at Beechey Island » 
should he “ in 1845-46,” as in 1846-17 they were beset 
into winter quarters, we constantly watched the 
movements of the ice in the western sea or chan¬ 
nel. In mid-channel it was broken up and drift¬ 
ing about; gradually the proportion of water in¬ 
creased, until at length the ice which intervened 
was reduced to three or four miles in width. But 
this was firmly held fast by numerous islets, and 
withstood the violence of the Autumn gales. It 
was tantalizing beyond description thus to watch 
from day to day the free water which we could not 
reach, and which washed the rocky shore a few 
miles to the southward of us. 
During the Autumn attempts were made to 
carry out depots of provisions towards the mag¬ 
netic pole; but these almost entirely failed, owing 
to the disruption of the ice to the southward.— 
Lieutenant Hobson returned with his sledge 
parties in November, after much suffering from 
severe weather, and imminent peril on one occa¬ 
sion, when the ice upon which they were encamp¬ 
ed became detached from the shore, and drifted off’ 
to the leeward with them. 
ashore in the fall of the same year. From this 
ship they had obtained a vast deal of wood and 
iron. 
I now gave Lieut. Hobson directions to search 
for the wreck, and follow up any traces he might 
find upon King William Island. 
Accompanied by my own party and Mr. Peter¬ 
son, I marched along the east shore of King 
William Island, occasionally passing deserted 
snow huts, but without meeting natives till the 
Sth of May, when off Cape Norton we arrived at a 
