CHAPTER V. PLOVER-CAPTAIN MOORE SAILS FOR BEHRING'S STRAITS-REPORTED RUMOURS FROM PEEL RIVER-SIR JOHN RICHARDSON'S FINAL PLAN-DR. KING'S LETTER-SIR EDWARD PARRY'S AND SIR J. C. ROSS' REMARKS ON IT. ** NOTHING having been heard of the Franklin Expedition up to 1848, now absent nearly three years-the time for which it was provisioned the Government, as we have said, having matured their plans, now set to work in good earnest to adopt the most complete and effectual means for their relief. The Plover, Commander Moore, was ordered to Behring's Strait, there to be joined by the Herald, Capt. Henry Kellett, C.B.† The Instructions may be briefly given thus: "They" are to proceed along the American coast as far as possible, without "being beset." Having found a harbour for the Plover, "two boats are to proceed along the coast in search of the voyagers (Franklin's Expedition), and to communicate, if possible, with the party which it is intended shall descend the Mackenzie River, under the command of Sir John Richardson," and "so soon as symptoms of . . winter appear to return to the Plover. The Herald will then return to the southward for provisions, &c., and return northward about July, 1849; re-equipping the Plover for passing a second winter on that part of the coast, and for re peating the same operations for the search after and for the relief of Sir John Franklin." These instructions seem to have been framed to meet every contingency should Franklin have succeeded in getting to the American coast west of the Mackenzie River. The Plover sailed from Sheerness, January 1st, 1848. The following extract of a letter, dated from Peel River, December 17th, 1847, from Mr. Peers, excited a good deal of attention at the time:-"I have reason to believe that some white men were off the coast last summer; as a party of Indians, who came here this fall, * See Parliamentary Papers, No. 264, "Arctic Expedition, 1848," pp. 7–16. + Instructions of a similar tenor were sent to Captain Henry Kellett, C.B., of H.M.S. Herald. See "Nautical Magazine" for 1848. stated that they were some days in company with the Esquimaux east of the Mackenzie River, in the summer. The latter showed the former knives (like our scalpers) and files, that they said were given to them gratis by some white men whom they saw in two 'large boats,' and who spoke to them in a language they did not understand.” Sir John Richardson, in submitting his final detailed plan of proceedings, London, February 18th, 1848,* says:-"Section 6. If we reach the sea in the first week of August, I hope to be able to make the complete voyage to the Coppermine River, and also to coast a considerable part of the western and southern shores of Wollaston Land." And in Section 11:-"A second summer (1849) I propose . to examine the passages between Wollaston and Banks' and Victoria Lands, so as to cross the routes of some of Sir J. C. Ross's detached parties." We have been particular to notice these arrangements, as they go to show that parties were to be despatched from Barrow's Strait from the north-east in search of Franklin to the south-west; rightly, in short, searching for the Franklin Expedition in the direction in which it was sent: folly had not then taken a final stand on the vision of a Wellington Channel route. We shall now give extracts from a letter of Dr. King's† to the Admiralty, dated February 16, 1848, on the subject of the Arctic Expeditions: "The old route of Parry, through Lancaster Sound and Barrow's Strait, as far as the last land on its southern shore, and thence in a direct line to Behring's Strait, is the route ordered to be pursued by Franklin.§ . The gallant officer has thus been despatched to push his adventurous way between Melville Island and Banks' Land, which Sir Edward Parry attempted for two years unsuccessfully. He reported :-"The navigation of this part of the Polar * See Parliamentary Papers, No. 264, "Arctic Expedition, 1848," p. 39. + This gentleman was with Sir George Back down the Great Fish River in 1833-4-5; Sir George thus speaks of him :-"I cannot close this preliminary statement without conveying the public expression of my thanks to Mr. Richard King for his uniform attention to the health of the party, and the readiness with which he assisted me in all cases where his services were required," &c., &c.—(“ Arctic Land Expedition," by Captain Back.) Notwithstanding this testimonial, Dr. King's services appear to have been overlooked. Dr. King has made many offers of service to the Government, and we should have noticed them before but they embody the same views as the one above, which, being official, we select. (See his "Narrative of a Journey to the Arctic Ocean," published 1836, and “The Franklin Expedition, from First to Last," 1855.) See Parliamentary Papers, No. 264, "Arctic Expedition, 1848," p. 41. § See Barrow's "Arctic Voyages from 1818," p. 11. Sea is only to be performed by watching the occasional opening between the ice and the shore, and therefore a continuity of land is essential for this purpose; such a continuity of land was here about to fail us.'* Assuming, therefore, Sir John Franklin has been arrested between Melville Island and Banks' Land, where Sir Edward Parry was arrested by difficulties which he considered insurmountable, and he has followed the advice of that gallant officer, and made for the continuity of America; he will have turned the prow of his vessels south and west, according as Banks' Land trends for Victoria or Wollaston Lands. It is here, therefore, that we may expect to find the expedition wrecked, when they will make in their boats for the western land of North Somerset, if that land should not be too far distant. In order to save the party from the ordeal of a fourth winter, when starvation must be their lot, I propose to undertake the boldest journey that has ever been attempted in the northern regions of America, one which would be justifiable only from the circumstances. I propose to attempt to reach the western land of North Somerset, or the eastern portion of Victoria Land, as may be deemed advisable, by the close of the approaching summer; to accomplish, in fact, in one summer that which has not been done under two. I rest my hope of success in the performance of this Herculean task upon the fact that I possess an intimate knowledge of the country and the people; the health to stand the rigour of the climate, and the strength to undergo the fatigue of mind and body to which I must be subjected. It is because I have these requisites, which I conscientiously believe are not to be found in another, that I hope to effect my purpose. A glance at the map of North America will make it apparent that to render assistance to a party situated on that coast, there are two ways by sea and one by land. Of the two seaways, the route by the Pacific is altogether out of the question; it is an idea of bygone days; while that by the Atlantic is so doubtful of success that it is merely necessary to put this assistance aside as far from certain, to mention that Sir John Ross found Barrow's Strait closed in the summer of 1832. To a land journey, then, alone, we can look for success. To the western land of North Somerset, where Sir John Franklin is likely to be found, the Great Fish River is the direct and only route; and, although the approach to it is through a country too poor and too difficult of access to admit of the transport of provision, it may be made the medium of communication See Parry, "Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage, 1819-20," p.242. between the lost expedition and the civilized world, and guides be thus placed at their disposal to convey them to the hunting-grounds of the Indians. The fact that all lands which have a western aspect are generally ice free, which I dwelt largely upon when Sir John Franklin sailed, must have had weight with that gallant officer; he will, therefore, on finding himself in a serious difficulty, while pushing along the eastern side of Victoria Land, at once fall upon the western land of North Somerset as a refuge ground if he have the opportunity. The effort by Behring's Strait and Banks' Land is praiseworthy in attempt but forlorn in hope. In the former effort it is assumed that Sir John Franklin has made the passage, and that his arrest is between the Mackenzie River and Icy Cape; in the latter, that Sir James Ross will reach Banks' Land, and trace its continuity to Victoria and Wollaston Land, and thus make the passage (?) . . First, we have no reason to believe that Sir John Franklin, or Sir James Ross, will be more fortunate than their predecessors. Second, we are unable to assume that Sir James Ross will reach Banks' Land: Sir Edward Parry was unable to reach it, and only viewed it from a distance; much less are we able to assume that the gallant officer will find a high road to Victoria Land, which is altogether a terra incognita.” ** "The main point, then, for consideration, is the effort of Sir James Ross along the western land of North Somerset, from his station in Barrow's Strait, for it is that alone can supersede the plan which I have proposed. It is not in Sir John Richardson's power . . to search the western land of North Somerset. Mr. Thomas Simpson has set that question at rest. . . A further exploration, remarks Mr. Thomas Simpson, 'from the most eastern limit of his journey, would necessarily demand the whole time and energies of another expedition, having some point of retreat much nearer to the scene of operations than Great Bear Lake;'"+ and Great Bear Lake is to be the retreat of Sir John Richardson. The Doctor then asks, "What retreat could Mr. Simpson have meant but Great Slave Lake, the retreat of the land party in search of Sir John Ross? and what other road to the unexplored ground, the western land of North Somerset, could that traveller have meant than Great Fish River; that stream which I have pointed out as the ice-free and high road to the land where the lost expedition is likely to be found?" The Doctor continues, "if Mr. Simpson, in the youth of his life, . could not * See Parliamentary Papers, No. 264, “ Arctic Expedition,” p. 29. make a greater distance from Great Bear Lake than Castor and Pollux River, can more be expected of Sir John Richardson, at his period of life? It is physically impossible that Sir John Richardson can occupy the field which I am proposing for myself: this is evidently a question of importance. . Does the attempt of Sir James Clarke Ross to search the western land of North Somerset in his boats from his station in Barrow's Strait render that proposal unnecessary?" The Doctor sums up :— "Here the facts will speak for themselves:-1st, Barrow's Strait was icebound in 1832, it may be in 1848; 2nd, Sir James Clarke Ross is using the same means to relieve Sir John Franklin which has led the gallant officer into his difficulty; the relief party may, therefore, become themselves a party in distress; 3rd, The land that is made on the south shore of Barrow's Strait will be of doubtful character, the natural consequence of discovery in ships; the searching parties, at the end of the summer, may find they have been coasting an island many miles distant from the western land of North Somerset, or navigating a deep bay" or "sound. The plan which I have proposed, is to reach the Polar Sea across the continent of America, and thus to proceed from land known to be continent, where every footstep is sure." In extracting these passages, we have, with the desire to do justice to Dr. King, been sorely puzzled; the assertions, the assumptions, and the inferences, are so bold, so questionable. Their Lordships seem to have laboured under, the influence of a similar feeling, and therefore referred his letter to Sir Edward Parry and Sir James Ross for their opinions. Sir Edward Parry replies from Royal Hospital, Haslar, February 23, 1848:"My former opinion, quoted by Dr. King, as to the difficulty of ships penetrating to the westward beyond Cape Dundas, remains unaltered; . and I should expect that Sir John Franklin, being aware of this difficulty, would use his utmost efforts to get to the southward and westward before he approached that point; that is, between the 100th and 110th degree of longitude. The more I have considered the subject, . . the more difficult I find it to conjecture where the expedition may have been stopped, . . but as no information has reached up to this time, I conceive that there is some considerable probability of their being situated somewhere between the longitudes I have just named. How far they have penetrated to the southward, . must be a matter of speculation, depending * See Parliamentary Papers, No. 264, "Arctic Expedition," p. 43. |