"it will be seen Spitzbergen is as near the probable position of Franklin (if he went north about), on the east as Behring's Strait is upon the west." Surely we have now reached the eastern limit for search by the north; imagination can no further go! A northern limit is here assigned to Greenland; it is converted into an island. Parry's experience of the sea north of Spitzbergen seems not to have been consulted; but we now leave this plan. Having endeavoured to do justice to it by copious quotation, how far, if adopted, it presents in its details any reasonable hope for the recovery of the gallant Franklin and his companions, who were ordered in a contrary direction, we must leave to our readers more conversant with the subject than ourselves; for ourselves, we believe it does not; on the contrary, we think such plans allure attention from the true direction for search, and may lead us to bitter reflections and painful endless regrets. Other enclosures are from John Russel Bartlett, Esq.* to the Rev. Dr. Scoresby (Nov. 27th, 1849), enclosing a plan (but which does not appear in the Blue Book), also a letter from Capt. W. F. Lynch, U.S. Navy, dated Baltimore, Maryland, Nov. 17, 1849, late of the U.S. Expedition to Syria, expressing a wish to volunteer for the search. It contains also a notification that Capt. Wilkes, U.S. Navy (late commander of the U.S. Antarctic Expedition), had tendered his valuable services to his Government. These expressions of our American brothers in favour of Franklin and his companions cannot fail to be appreciated. * See Parliamentary Papers, No. 107 "Arctic Expedition, 1850," p. 154. 144 CHAPTER VIII. DR. KING-REMARKS-PENNY AND STEWART SAIL-INSTRUCTIONS SIR JOHN ROSS -"PRINCE ALBERT SAILS REMARKS" PRINCE ALBERT" SAILS DR. KING, in a letter, dated February 18, 1850, to the Admiralty, again urged his plan of search by the way of the Great Fish River: as the Dr. reiterates merely the same views, already fully noticed, we need not recapitulate them here. That the British Parliament were not unmindful (February, 1850), of the fearful position of our long absent countrymen, we quote the following. Sir Robert Harry Inglis, in moving for any reports that might have been made by any of the officers employed in the late expeditions, and for copies of any plans of search, &c., &c.,* said he was "desirous of exciting an expression of sympathy for those who were now passing a fifth year-if God should have spared their lives -amid the horrors of an Arctic winter. He earnestly urged upon Her Majesty's ministers to take such measures for the relief of their fellow countrymen as their own zeal, and the science of those by whom they were surrounded, might teach them to be most applicable for the purpose. The Government ought but lightly to esteem that person who could move for even a bit of paper in reference to future proceedings, who did not at the same time acknowledge what they had already done upon the same subject. At the same time he was bound to urge upon them not to lose a month, a week, a day, or even an hour, in seeking to release those gallant men from their perilous position. For every former expedition had failed, if not entirely or principally, yet in some measure, at least, from not having been sent forth from this country at an earlier period. In order that the search might be effectual, it ought to commence in Baffin's Bay, at the end of May or the beginning of June, so that it might take advantage of the first opening in July.. He had not said a word on * Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, March 5th, 1850, No. 107. the subject as being one connected with humanity, with national honour, or with science; but the feeling of humanity ought to compel them, and a feeling of national honour ought to induce them to do what he now urged on Her Majesty's Government, without a word being said about science. For what did they hear at the close of last session? That the Governments of two other States were engaged in making preparations for rescuing our countrymen. He believed there was no precedent in history of one nation sending forth an expedition to rescue the lives of the subjects of another nation. He did not know whether, either in the case of Russia or of the United States, their hopes had been realized; but the honour of England required that efforts should be made by England herself to rescue our own countrymen. . . This was not a private question, he would not therefore introduce private considerations; but when he reflected on the extraordinary conduct of the wife of Sir John Franklin, of her self-denying efforts in the cause of her husband and his companions: when he considered the hundreds of persons who were interested in the fate of the husbands and brothers now engaged in that expedition, he thought he did not unreasonably prefer his suit to the First Lord of the Admiralty, when he expressed a hope that he would take the subject into consideration, not merely from a sense of humanity towards those who were missing, or from a sense of national honour, or from a consideration for the cause of science, but also from a sympathy for the anguish and suspense that had been felt by so many of those who, though breathing the same genial air with ourselves at home, were suffering for those who were now separated from them, and were existing in the regions of an ice-bound zone." The First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Francis Baring, stated in reply that it was the intention of the Government to send out again in search of Sir John Franklin, by Lancaster Sound, and that the various plans submitted to them had received their most anxious consideration. He thought it right to state that he had never done the House of Commons or the country the injustice to suppose that expense would be an obstacle when the lives of their fellow countrymen were at stake (an expression received with acclamation by the House), and that everything that human power could do should be done to save the lost expedition; while he was glad "to say that His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Russia, the United States of America, and the Hudson's Bay Company, had most cordially entered into these views, and manifested the most earnest sympathy." L The First Lord might well say, in speaking of the plans submitted to them, that they had received anxious consideration: they were so numerous, so contradictory, and so widely extended, it demanded the exercise of every anxious thought and consideration, that they should be enabled to distinguish between those which had reason and probability for their basis and those which were merely the plausible emanations of heated thought. The Admiralty must have presented at this time the similitude of a very Babel; such the "confusion of tongues," vieing with that confusion of old. Would they had been scattered, and completed the resemblance! Their lordships saw the chaos around them, and probably dreaded the evil that might arise out of such conflicting elements; but out of them, we are bound to say, they sought to "educe good." They saw the danger of delay, and out of the discordant maze, the distracting elements before them, endeavoured to elicit Fact and Truth. Perplexed they were on all sides; the wonder, then, is, not that Cape Walker, and thence to the south-west, should have received only a secondary consideration, but that the first point of Sir John Franklin's Instructions should have been remembered, or, if remembered, been considered at all. The advocates for the search by the north certainly contributed their share to this chaotic result; those advocating the search southward of Barrow's Strait, however erring in detail, must be considered comparatively as harmless; inasmuch as they looked in a more reasonable direction. However, false as many of these opinions were, they led to the equipment and despatch of two expeditions by the way of Barrow's Strait, as will be noticed, in due course; each independent of the other, but, anomalous as it may seem, both under the direction of the Government. In March intelligence was received from Lieut. W. J. S. Pullen and Dr. Rae. Lieut. Pullen,* accompanied by Mr. W. H. Hooper,† with three boats, left the Plover off Wainwright Inlet, July 25, 1849, to examine the coast between it and the Mackenzie River, where they arrived on Sept. 5th, 1849. Having achieved this adventurous voyage in safety, they encountered several mishaps, all of which, with the usual ready expedients of our sailors, were soon overcome, but without discovering any traces of the Franklin Expedition, nor had any of the Esquimaux with whom they communicated seen anything of ships or men. Mr. Pullen and his party were accompanied by the * See Blue Book, "Arctic Expedition, 1852," pp. 23-33. + Author of "Ten Months among the Tents of the Tuski." Nancy Dawson, yacht, owned and commanded by Robert Sheddon, Esq., to and beyond Point Barrow. This gentleman rendered them every and valuable assistance, the more praiseworthy as it was done in defiance of a most unruly, mutinous crew. Dr. Rae, in a despatch dated Sept. 1, 1849,† details his unsuccessful attempt to reach Wollaston Land from the Coppermine River, during the past summer. It will be remembered that this indefatigable traveller had been intrusted by Sir John Richardson with the exploration of a strait then supposed to exist between Wollaston and Banks' Lands; and, if possible, to reach Banks' Land. "He accomplished the journey to Cape Krusenstern, but all his attempts-and they were numerous and daring-to effect the traverse to Wollaston Land were baffled, by the heavy pack ice which entirely barred the progress of his boat. Having waited in hopes of a change as long as he could, taking into consideration the imperative necessity of returning before the closing up of the Coppermine River, he was reluctantly compelled to abandon the enterprise." One might regret this failure of success, but could not blame: a perusal of this despatch will convince the most exacting there was no lack of exertion on Dr. Rae's part. Mr. William Penny was now (April) appointed to the command of the Lady Franklin and the Sophia; the latter under Mr. Alexander Stewart. Well manned and provisioned, they sailed from Aberdeen April 13th, 1850. The reasons assigned by the Lords of the Admiralty for appointing Mr. Penny to this anomalous command, thus be given in brief extracts from their orders to him, dated April 11th, 1850.§ may "Section 2.-In entrusting you with the above command, we do not deem it advisable to furnish you with minute instructions as to the course you are to pursue. In accepting your offer of service, regard has been had to your long experience in Arctic navigation, and to the attention you have evidently paid to the subject of the missing ships. We deem it expedient rather that you should be instructed in all the circumstances of the case, and that you should be left to the exercise of your own judgment and discretion. This gentleman had formerly been in the Navy. He died on his return, at Mazatlan, much esteemed and sincerely lamented. He was the first to circumnavigate the globe in a yacht. Parliamentary Papers, No. 97, " Arctic Expedition, 1851," p. 44-50. See" Anniversary Address of the President of the Royal Geographical Society," Capt. (now Admiral) W. H. Smyth, May, 1850, pp. 1., li. § Parliamentary Papers, No. 397, "Arctic Expedition, 1850," p. 2. |