100

Flinder's Gallant Band.

pestuous coasts of Van Diemen's Land, and shared with Bass the honour of discovering the strait which bears the name of the latter. The clever, modest, and unassuming Flinders formed the character, and imparted much of his knowledge and information to the youth, whose destiny it was, in after years, to fall as the discoverer of the North-West Passage.

Napoleon I. was then, with characteristic ambition and far-sightedness, striving to establish a lien by priority of discovery upon the coast of the great continent with which Cook's voyages had only made Europe partially acquainted. Flinders and his

gallant little band of associates succeeded, however, in forestalling the French navigators in every quarter, exhibiting a rare degree of perseverance, zeal, and ability, for which he has not in Great Britain ever received due credit. At last the glorious old Investigator showed unmistakable signs of being no longer seaworthy, and her crew were likewise nigh worn out with scurvy and dysentery. She was condemned at Port Jackson, and Franklin embarked in 1803, with his captain and shipmates, on board H.M.S. Porpoise for a passage to England.

Passing north-about round Australia, the Porpoise, with two consorts, found themselves entangled amongst the reefs, then but little known, of Torres Strait. Under treble-reefed topsails they sought

Wrecked in Torres Straits.

ΙΟΙ

their way. In the darkness of the night of August 18th, the leading ship descried breakers close ahead, and, as she fell upon the reef, fired a gun to warn the vessels in her wake. The Porpoise, in a few minutes, was staved and dismasted, but happily she tumbled over with her deck towards the reef, and her bottom thus saved her from immediate destruction amongst the charging rollers of the South Sea. One of her consorts struck, and, less fortunate than the Porpoise, fell towards the sea, and broke up instantly, with considerable loss of life. The other vessel fled in a dastardly manner, and her commander only escaped the punishment due to such an offence by the vessel and crew foundering in the Indian Ocean. Our young sailor now found himself one of ninety-four souls on a sand-bank-very little more than a wash, 400 feet long, with the then inhospitable coast of Australia 180 miles distant. The nearest point at which succour was to be found was Port Jackson, 750 miles off. Thither Flinders proceeded in an open boat, and, by God's mercy, reached it in time to return with the means of rescuing all his officers and crew.

An opportunity offering for China, Franklin and some of his companions proceeded thither, under command of Lieutenant Fowler, later returning home in one of the Honourable Company's ships from Canton.

102

With Nelson at Trafalgar.

"Before another year had passed over his head, he was signal midshipman on board the Bellerophon, 74, and, on the memorable 21st October, 1805, he fought again with Nelson at Trafalgar. We see the Lincolnshire lad pass through all the phases from childhood to manhood, from the skylarking middy to the steady, trustworthy lieutenant, tempered in a school of patient perseverance, and not spoilt by constant success. He saw the failure at Flushing; he marked how the under-estimating of a foe brought down upon his profession the mischances of the American war; and, in the disastrous attempt to capture New Orleans, he was for the first time wounded."

"The young, enthusiastic, intelligent lieutenant, then thirty-one years of age, was just the man to win the kind offices of keen observers of merit like Sir Joseph Banks and Sir John Barrow. The longvexed question of a passage to the Pacific through the Arctic zone was just revived. The writings of Scoresby, an observant and skilful fisher of whales, attracted public attention to Arctic discovery. Scientific men adopted and enlarged upon his views; and at last, after long years of trial and disappointment, England achieved . . . the problem she undertook to solve-the discovery of the northwest passage to the Indies-by that same Franklin, who may be said to represent the Alpha and Omega of modern Arctic exploration."

Franklin and the North-West Passage. 103

It will be observed that Sherard Osborne always credited Franklin with the prior discovery of the North-West Passage, although fully admitting McClure's claims in the same connection.

CHAPTER XI.

Franklin's Land Journey-Hudson's Bay Territory-Intense ColdEffects of Freezing-Spring Musquitoes-Down the Coppermine River-Sea Travel by Canoe-Return-Terrible Sufferings of the Party-Deaths from Exhaustion-Murder of Hood-Retaliation— Home again-Second Land Journey of Franklin.

W

HILE Parry was so engaged by sea, Franklin was now employed in surveys connected with the northern coasts of America. Round his name how many glorious memories rise, thoughts mingled too with so much sadness! Brave, zealous, and enterprising, a whole nation-nay, every nation worthy of the name-deplores the fate against which neither he nor his little band could fight, but to which none succumbed till the Inscrutable decreed it must be otherwise. Then, "as they fell, they died."

The expedition under notice left England on May 22nd, 1819, reaching York Factory, Hudson's Bay, at the end of August. Here they were received cordially by the officers of the Hudson's Bay and North West Companies, and full orders were issued by Franklin that the quarrels of these