The sad fate of Sir John Franklin and his gallant companions is rendered still more melancholy by the reflection that some at least of them might have been saved. When no news arrived in 1846 prompt measures should have been taken, but the Admiralty asked advice and did nothing.

Dr King, who accompanied Sir George Back down the Great Fish River in 1833, made earnest and repeated appeals to the Admiralty and to the Colonial Office in 1847 to send a relief party down that river, and he pointed out quite correctly the position where the Erebus and Terror had been beset. His letters were not even answered. For Sir James Ross told them there was not any reason for anxiety and gave a strongly expressed opinion that the crews of the Erebus and Terror would never under any circumstances make for the Great Fish River. Other authorities concurred. This sealed their fate. Admiral Beechey alone thought that a boat should be sent down that river.

The year 1848 arrived, but no news reached England. Sir John Richardson was accordingly sent out to examine the coast between the Mackenzie and Coppermine rivers, but not to extend his voyage to the mouth of the Fish River, where even then he might have saved a few. Two ships, the Enterprise and Investigator, were also fitted out to go to the relief of the lost expedition, and Sir James Ross received the command. He was on board the Enterprise, and his old Antarctic first lieutenant Bird, who had been his companion in three of Parry’s voyages, was Captain of the Investigator. But Sir James went in the full conviction that he would meet the Erebus and Terror, or that they would pass him and that he would find them in the Thames on his return.

In his ship were M’Clure, who had been with Back in the Terror, and M’Clintock, greatest of sledge travellers, who was then entering upon his glorious Arctic career. M’Clintock found a good friend in Sir James, who took a great liking for the young lieutenant. Sir James was then forty-eight, with an experience of polar work unrivalled by that of any living man, but he was somewhat shaken by Antarctic work, and lacked elasticity and the qualities of his youth, when he was foremost in keeping his shipmates in high spirits and good health. In person he was short but powerfully built, and was remarkable for his aquiline nose and very piercing black eyes.

The expedition was unfortunate. It was stopped by closely-packed floes across Barrow Strait and across Prince Regent’s Inlet. There was nothing for it but to take refuge for the winter in Port Leopold, at the north-east end of North Somerset.

From this position Sir James could only send a travelling party in the spring for 80 miles to Fury Beach, to ascertain whether any of Franklin’s people had visited the shore there; while he himself made a more extended journey along the northern and western shores of North Somerset. This journey is specially memorable as the initiation of M’Clintock in that art of sledge travelling which he afterwards brought to such perfection.

Sir James Ross arranged for an absence of 40 days, travelling with M’Clintock and two sledges, each dragged by six men. The two tents were 9 feet by 6. They travelled at night, starting after a cup of luke-warm cocoa. Luncheon at midnight consisted of a few mouthfuls of biscuit and frozen meat, with some snow water and half a gill of rum. After the tent was pitched supper consisted of 1 lb. of meat, and 1 lb. of biscuit and the other half gill of rum with lime-juice. But the meat was pork including bone, or preserved meat not weighing nearly what was pretended. It was really less than half a pound of meat, and was quite insufficient.

On reaching Cape Bunny, the north-west point of North Somerset, which proved to be an island, they left the coast discovered by Parry in 1819 and, turning south, entered on a previously unknown region. The furthest point to the south in 72° 38′ was reached on June 6th, whence land, seen at a distance of fifty miles, was named Cape Bird. They little knew how near they were to the solution of the Franklin mystery.

The sledge travellers reached the Enterprise again on June 23rd. The strength of all the men was much impaired, mainly from insufficiency of food. Four broke down altogether, one having to be carried on the sledge. The return journey had been a period of intense labour, constant exposure, and insufficient food. M’Clintock alone returned well. They had gone over five hundred miles in thirty-nine days. The weight to be dragged per man was too great, and the whole scheme required revision. Still, it was the greatest Arctic sledge journey that had ever been made up to that time. M’Clintock noted everything, down to the minutest detail, and with the eye of genius saw the numerous improvements that might be made, and the great future that sledge travelling had in the work of polar discovery.

As the summer advanced scurvy broke out, and it was only kept in check by the very large number of birds (2300) that were shot. A long lane had to be cut through the ice, and it was not until quite the end of August that the ships were clear of their winter quarters. Sir James Ross had intended to continue the search in Barrow Strait, but on the very day after leaving Port Leopold the ships were closely beset and drifted helplessly down Lancaster Sound into Baffin’s Bay. They were not released until September 24th, having been firmly fixed in the drifting ice for 24 days. There was nothing for it but to return to England, which they did in the full expectation that they would find the Franklin expedition safely returned before them. Bitter was their disappointment.

In the spring of 1849 the old North Star frigate, under Mr Saunders, the Master who served in the Terror with Sir George Back, was sent out with stores to enable Sir James Ross to continue the search, but he too was unfortunate. Unable to get through the ice of Melville Bay in time, he was obliged to winter in Wolstenholme Sound on the Greenland coast. In the summer of the succeeding year Mr Saunders landed a depôt of provisions at Admiralty Inlet in Lancaster Sound and returned to England.

The results of Sir James Ross’s expedition were the discovery of 150 miles of coast on the western side of North Somerset, the certainty that none of Franklin’s people had been to Fury Beach, and above all the experience gained by M’Clintock. Ross and Bird, who had commenced as Parry’s faithful and loyal midshipmen, had now completed their polar careers128.

The country was now thoroughly alarmed when it was too late; the warmest sympathy was felt throughout the civilised world, and the Government was forced to take steps on a large scale. The Enterprise and Investigator were re-commissioned and despatched to search by way of Bering Strait, under the command of Captains Collinson and M’Clure, while the Plover was stationed near Cape Barrow as a depôt ship. Two strong bluff-bowed, barque-rigged vessels of 410 and 430 tons, named the Resolute and Assistance, were strengthened and fitted out in the yards of Green and Wigram respectively, and two sharp-bowed screw steamers were bought as tenders, and named the Pioneer and Intrepid. These four vessels, under the command of Captain T. H. Austin, were to search by way of Lancaster Sound. Captain Ommanney was to have the Assistance, with M’Clintock, Mecham, and Vesey Hamilton. Sherard Osborn was to command the Pioneer, J. Bertie Cator the Intrepid. The Admiralty also bought two brigs, which were named the Lady Franklin and Sophia, for another expedition under Captain Penny, a well-known whaling captain in those days. Old Sir John Ross, with some aid from Sir Felix Booth and others, managed to fit out a small schooner called the Felix, towing the Mary, a decked boat.

Sir John Ross declared that Franklin had promised to leave a record for him at Cape Hotham. He had with him Lieutenant Philips, who had been in Ross’s Antarctic expedition on board the Erebus, and that old polar veteran Abernethy. Lady Franklin, with marvellous intuition, felt very strongly that one important route was being omitted—that by Prince Regent’s Inlet. She therefore equipped another schooner named the Prince Albert, under Commander Forsyth, to search in that direction. That warm-hearted and philanthropic American, Mr Grinnell, also fitted out and despatched two small vessels from New York, the Advance and Rescue. Thus no less than twelve vessels were despatched in 1850 in search of Franklin’s expedition.

Since the Enterprise was paid off, M’Clintock had been studying all the details of sledge travelling. He joined the Assistance at Woolwich directly he was appointed, and was absorbed in the work of fitting-out. In Captain Austin he found an officer with a genius for organisation who had been brought up to Arctic work in the splendid school of Parry. He examined into every detail; if care and forethought availed anything there would be no scurvy where Austin commanded. He secured the health and comfort of the men in the winter by fixing the Sylvester stove on the keelson, and sending warm air from it round the living decks, while bathing and all washing was done in the holds, so that the living decks were kept dry and wholesome. Austin was a short, stout man, of florid complexion, fifty years of age and thus rather too old for sledge-work, but he was full of vivacity and life, very kind-hearted, and most sympathetic and thoughtful for those under his command. If there ever was justification for employing an Arctic commander at the age of fifty, it was in the case of Austin. The perfect health of all in the four ships was due to him.

The present writer served on the Assistance under Ommanney. Sir Edward Parry, now near the close of his well-spent life, visited the ships at Greenhithe, and bade us God speed with a few earnest words which went to our hearts. Owing to constant adverse winds in the Atlantic we did not reach the Whale Fish Islands until the 15th of June. We filled up with stores from the transport and on the 25th reached the edge of the Melville Bay ice, where we overtook Penny’s brigs. Then on to battle with that ice for many arduous days, and to come out victorious.

Parry had twice attempted the middle pack. The first time he was successful, but the second time he suffered long detention. It is better to stick to the land floe in Melville Bay and run no risks. Forty days of hard work, towing, tracking, blasting, and cutting docks amidst the fairy scenery of refracted icebergs saw our squadron through the ice and off Cape York, in company with Penny’s brigs, the Felix and the Prince Albert. We gazed on “the crimson cliffs of Beverley,” which were a very pale, scarcely perceptible pink, but dear old Sir John Ross, who was visiting us, staunchly defended the brilliant crimson as correctly depicting, in his book, the colour the snow had in 1818. Here too we were visited by a party of Sir John’s “Arctic Highlanders,” and one of them, a lad of about eighteen named Kalahierua, who also received the names of Erasmus after Captain Ommanney and York after the cape, accepted an invitation to cast in his lot with us, and came on board. Like the Eskimo of Igloolik who drew the Melville Peninsula with such accuracy for Parry, our friend Kalahierua had a wonderful eye for topography. When asked to draw a map of his country he took the pencil and delineated the coast-line with marvellous accuracy, making marks to indicate islands and bird-frequented cliffs, leaving a space where glaciers reach the sea, and marking the places where his people had winter stations, mentioning the names. The northern part of the map was then unknown, but it was afterwards proved to be quite correct.

The Resolute and Pioneer went to Pond’s Bay for news, while the Assistance and Intrepid proceeded direct to Lancaster Sound, discovering a fine harbour near Cape Warrender, with some interesting Eskimo remains.

On the 19th of August, before sunset, it was blowing a stiff gale with thick weather. The Assistance, under close-reefed topsails, drifted rapidly to leeward, rolling her lee boats into the water. The chief anxiety was whether there was ice to leeward, and whether the gale would last long enough to drive the ship down upon it, in which case the heavy sea which was running would effect her destruction in a very few minutes. Next day the wind moderated, and we passed between Leopold Island and the mainland of North Somerset. Crossing Lancaster Sound on the 20th, Captain Ommanney proceeded on board the Intrepid to land at Cape Riley, which, with Beechey Island, forms a good harbour. This cape is a cliff rising from the sea, with a talus of fallen rocks and stones at its base. Strange things were reported on shore. There were numerous remains of a camping party, and among the relics a long staff with a cross-piece at the end, secured with spun yarn, and four bent pieces of cask hoop fastened to it. This had probably been used with a net for catching specimens. The officers of the Assistance thought that the winter quarters of Sir John Franklin must be off Beechey Island, but Captain Ommanney seeing open water before him resolved to push onwards.

The other ships soon afterwards arrived at Beechey Island, and discovered Franklin’s winter quarters: first Penny’s brigs, followed by the Resolute and Intrepid, then the Felix and the two American vessels. The Prince Albert had gone home, nobody knew why. After the most exhaustive search, no record could be found. The cause of its disappearance will never be known.

The Assistance was beset for some days in Wellington Channel, and then rounded Cape Hotham, the south-east point of Cornwallis Island. Again the ship was stopped by the ice, within 150 yards of a low gravelly promontory where the ice was piled up to a height of 20 feet. On the morning of September 6th, the tide setting rapidly to the eastward, a heavy floe struck the ship, which sustained severe pressure and was listed over to port, forced astern, and raised 3½ feet out of the water. The kedge anchor was set in the ice to hold the ship, but the fluke gave and snapped off and the rest of the anchor was hurled into the air. The shank was then imbedded in the ice and the chain secured to it, and this, with four large hawsers, at last held the ship. Next day a northerly wind drove the ice off shore. The Intrepid discovered a bay suited for winter quarters on the south coast of Cornwallis Island, which was named Assistance Harbour.

But the cry was still Westward Ho! Pushing onwards, the Assistance and Intrepid were finally stopped by an immense field of ice extending from Griffith Island to Cape Walker, entirely precluding further progress. On September 10th the Resolute and Pioneer joined company, then Mr Grinnell’s schooners, and Penny’s brigs were seen in the offing. It was then that I made the acquaintance of Dr Kane on board the Rescue. But progress for that year was finally stopped. The American vessels were unprepared for a winter and parted company to return home. Like Ross’s ships, however, they were beset in Lancaster Sound and were forced to winter while being drifted down Baffin’s Bay, their crews suffering great hardships and privations. Penny’s brigs, and the little Phoenix with Sir John Ross on board, wintered in Assistance Harbour.

The squadron of Commodore Austin—a brevet rank universally given to him by his followers—had to winter in the pack between Cornwallis and Griffith Islands, but within a short walk of the latter. Never, before or since, had so large a body of men assembled together in the Arctic regions, never for a nobler purpose, and never better organised. The arrangements for keeping the living decks dry and sweet, for bathing and washing clothes, for ventilation, and for exercise, were admirable, and perfect health was maintained. All hands were kept fully employed and amused. The chief work was the preparation for the search by sledge travelling. There were various classes of instruction for the men, and a class for navigation. A fine theatre on the upper deck, with a beautiful proscenium and appropriate scenery, was erected on board the Assistance. There were plays every fortnight, one acted by the officers and another by the men, winding up with a pantomime and songs composed for the occasion. For the play-bills, printed on silk, wood blocks were cut of the Royal arms and other adornments. A monthly newspaper called the Aurora appeared on board the Assistance, the Illustrated Arctic News in the Resolute, and another more short-lived paper called the Minavilins. The Commodore revived the bal masqué on board the Resolute, in memory of those in which he had taken part in the winter of Parry’s third voyage; and there was also the “Intrepid Saloon.” Ashore the ravines of Griffith Island were explored in the winter walks, and collections of fossils made.

Captain Austin had a permanent Sledge Committee of heads of departments. But he was a good judge of character; he had the great merit of appreciating M’Clintock, and every detail was practically left to that officer. He had inaugurated autumn sledge travelling and depôts had been established for the spring journeys.

The sledges were made of Canada elm, the cross-bars of ash. The upper and lower pieces were called the bearer and the runner, the uprights being tenoned through them. A shoeing of ⅛-inch iron, 3 inches wide and slightly convex on its under surface, was riveted and clinched to the runner. The length of a ten-man sledge was 13 feet, of a six-man sledge 9 feet. The cross-bars were lashed on with strips of hide whilst warm and wet, so that drying would shrink them and make all tight. The width of the bearer was 2½ inches, and there were six uprights, and six cross-bars 3 feet long. At each corner there were light iron stanchions dropped into sockets, forming supports to the sides of a canvas tray or boat capable of ferrying the sledge crew across water. The weight of the sledge was 125 lb. The tents were 15 feet long by 8 feet high, of closely woven duck, the head-rope of horsehair. The four tent-poles were of ash, pointed at one end with metal, 9 ft. 8 in. in length; the weight of tent and poles 55 lb. Seven flannel or felt sleeping bags weighed 42 lb., and a wolf or buffalo robe over all 40 lb., waterproof floor-cloth 12 lb., and shovel 5½ lb.

The cooking apparatus consisted of a spirit-lamp holding 1½ gills, a kettle with a short spout and two handles fitted on it, and the stand, all weighing 17 lb. Then there were knapsacks for spare clothes, and a sundry bag. The irreducible constant weights amounted to 440 lb.

The scale of diet per man per day was as follows:

besides salt, pepper, curry, and onion powder. The fuel for this ration would be 21½ oz. of spirits of wine, or rather over a pint. The provisions and fuel for seven men for forty days weighed 876 lb., which in addition to the constant 440 lb. gave a total of 1316 lb., or 220 lb. per man at starting, the weight being reduced by 22 lb. each day.

M’Clintock’s plan was that each division of sledges should have an auxiliary sledge to fill them up at a distance of 50 miles from the ship; and each extended sledge was to have a limited sledge to fill it up at a hundred miles further. At an average rate of only ten miles a day this would enable the extended sledges to advance 350 miles from the ships, picking up depôts as they returned.

The dress consisted of flannel waistcoats and drawers, woollen socks with a square of blanket folded over them, and duck boots with leather soles or moccasins in extreme cold. Box-cloth trousers, waistcoat with chamois leather sleeves, and a box-cloth monkey jacket were worn, and over all a white duck jumper as a snow repeller, with chamois leather on the shoulders, and pockets for ammunition, watch, and note-book. The head covering was a fur cap with ear-flaps. A water-bottle covered with flannel was carried next the flannel waistcoat, but until June the water always became ice. The weight of an entire suit was from 16 to 20 lb.

March was the coldest month, the mean being -34° Fahr, and the minimum -53° Fahr. From March 10th nothing was thought of but making the sledge equipments complete. The Commodore issued a series of questions in minutest detail relating to the various requirements.

These details are of the greatest importance, because they constitute the original basis of sledge travelling, of which Leopold M’Clintock was the founder. He placed a most comprehensive means of search for our missing countrymen in the hands of the Commodore. Nothing to be compared with it, in magnitude and efficiency, has ever been seen in the Arctic regions before or since. There were, including Penny’s crews, no less than 220 men ready to start, all full of zeal and enthusiasm.

Commodore Austin had no clue as to the position of the missing crews, and at that time little was known of the region to be searched. He accordingly resolved to explore in every direction to the utmost extent of the means at his disposal. Penny undertook Wellington Channel. He had a team of dogs and the best dog driver in Greenland in the person of a Dane named Carl Petersen, a man of large experience and full of ancient lore as well as modern knowledge. M’Clintock and two other parties, led by Aldrich and Bradford, took the direction of Melville Island. Captain Ommanney led another division to Cape Walker, and smaller parties were to examine the intermediate coasts and islands. Altogether, search parties were despatched in eight different directions.

Each sledge had a name, motto, and flag. They exercised all through March, and April 4th was the day selected for starting, the starting-point being at the north-west point of Griffith Island. The sledges with their crews went in two long columns to the appointed place with colours flying, a splendid sight, the Commodore delivered a spirit-stirring address to the assembled travellers, paying a just tribute to all they owed to the genius of M’Clintock, and the explorers started in two great divisions, one to the west and the other to the south.

The ice surface was fairly good, though sometimes interrupted by lines of hummocks. Sails were set with the wind aft or on the quarter, the tent poles being used as sheers and as a yard, and the floor-cloths for a sail. Under favourable circumstances this was a great success. Large square kites, invented by Mr Leigh Smith’s father, were partially successful.

We travelled at night and slept in the day-time. As soon as the tent was pitched, the floor-cloth was put down, sleeping-bags laid out, and the buffalo robe placed over them. The men took it in turn to be cook of the mess, supper consisting of pemmican, biscuit, and grog. Boots were taken off, feet carefully examined for frost-bites, snow blindness doctored with vinum opii (“open eye” the men called it) and then all got into their bags.

Songs and stories followed until all were overcome by sleep. “Is the chronometer wound”? was the form of saying good night. In the evening the agony of having to force our feet into boots frozen as hard as iron had to be undergone. Breakfast consisted of cocoa or tea and 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 Ommanney, 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 westward130, 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 that Sir John might have passed up Wellington Channel and made his way to the north of Melville Island. It was thought that a retreating party might have made its way to Bushnan Cove, as Parry had given such a pleasant description of that ravine. Thither M’Clintock went, but only to find the wheels of Parry’s cart and the bleached bones of the ptarmigan his party had eaten. He then marched overland to Parry’s winter quarters, and encamped at the foot of Parry’s sandstone rock with the inscription carved by Dr Fisher.

The wayworn sledge travellers started on their return on May 27th. They had had the advantage of fresh food from musk oxen, hares, and ptarmigan, and additional fuel from bear’s blubber. But with the summer the most harassing kind of sledge travelling began. Large pools of water formed on the ice floes, and the men often got wet through in ice-cold water. A mixture of ice and snow formed a crust over these pools of water, but not strong enough to bear, and through these they had to wade and struggle as best they could. At length M’Clintock and his gallant band arrived alongside the Assistance on July 4th. Up to that date it was the greatest Arctic feat on record. M’Clintock’s party had been 80 days away, 44 outward and 36 home, and had made 770 miles, reaching a distance of 300 miles from the ship. Their rate was 10½ miles a day, and they were detained 2½ days by gales.

Thus was Captain Austin’s extensive scheme of search ably and completely carried out by the officers who served under him, with exemplary fortitude, zeal, and intelligence. There were only three amputations of toes, and one death from frost-bite. Of all Arctic expeditions, Captain Austin’s was perhaps the happiest, the healthiest, the best administered, and the most successful. Its sledge travellers covered 7025 miles on foot, dragging the sledges themselves, and discovered 1225 miles of new land.

It was necessary to cut and blast lanes for the ships to reach open water. Lieut. Mecham ably conducted the blasting operations. The ships were free on the 11th of August, after having been frozen up for eleven months. Captain Austin then proceeded to search Jones Sound in the Pioneer as far as the ice would admit, while the Assistance visited the Cary Islands in Baffin’s Bay. The Intrepid had an unprecedented experience. She had been up Jones Sound in company with the Pioneer and was making for the rendezvous on August 27th when the ice closed round, and she was obliged to make fast to a floe. Soon the floe was in motion and moving rapidly towards a large grounded iceberg. Before the vessel could be extricated she was driven with a frightful crash against the berg at 5 P.M. The vessel rose to the heavy pressure and two whaleboats and the dinghy were at once got out on the floe. Soon the vessel’s taffrail was 40 feet and her bow 30 feet up the side of the berg, the masses of ice rising nearly 10 feet above the bulwark. The crew prevented huge pieces from falling on board with capstan bars. Then the pressure ceased, the piled-up masses sank from alongside, and the ship was left suspended on the side of the berg by two small wedge-pieces, one at the stern post the other at the bow. It seemed inevitable that she must fall over on her broadside and be smashed. At 2 A.M. the pressure began again, the ice piling up in a frightful manner, and crushing the boats on the floe to atoms. It was blowing hard from S.E. If the vessel had fallen over, Lieut. Cator knew that all must perish. But at 2 P.M. the pressure ceased quite suddenly, and the ship shot down into the water, and was safe. This is probably the most extraordinary and appalling danger that any ship ever went through in the Arctic regions.

The squadron returned to England on October 4th. Captain Austin had conducted the expedition with exceptional ability and success. M’Clintock had gained more Arctic experience. He had been first lieutenant of the best-administered and happiest ship that ever crossed the Arctic Circle, he had made life-long friendships, and his genius had created Arctic sledge travelling.

Sherard Osborn, enthusiastic, accomplished, and a perfect leader of men, was the complement of M’Clintock, of whom he was a friend through life. Mecham possessed the qualities of both, and some which were specially his own, a very true and perfect gentleman. Vesey Hamilton was thoroughly to be depended upon to do all that was expected from him and to do it well. All were genial friends and the best of messmates. These were the rising Arctic men when Austin’s expedition returned131.

Disappointed with Captain Forsyth’s return, Lady Franklin sent out the Prince Albert again with orders to search to the south of North Somerset. She alone seems to have had an intuition of the right direction. She gave the command to Mr William Kennedy of the mercantile marine, who was accompanied by Lieut. Bellot, a distinguished young French naval officer. The Prince Albert wintered in Batty Bay on the north-east coast of North Somerset, and a sledge journey was undertaken in the spring of 1852. Kennedy used flat-bottomed Indian sledges and dogs. After a long stay at Fury Beach he worked south and discovered a strait between North Somerset and Boothia, since named Bellot Strait, and passed through it. If he had then obeyed his instructions and gone south he would probably have discovered the fate of Franklin. He turned north, and returned to Batty Bay by the north coast of North Somerset. The exact route is uncertain, as the narrative is confused, but he was away 97 days. There seemed a fatality against the right direction being taken.