Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/709

ARCTIC DISCOVERY 673 1838. In an expedition the following year they sailed through Dease strait, and not only settled the coast line np to the spot which Back had reached in 1834, hut went beyond, and explored the estuary of Back, which here forms a deep indentation in the northern coast of the American continent. In fact, they joined their discoveries very nearly to those of Ross, and were at one time within 90 m. of the place he fixed upon as the locality, during that year, of the magnetic pole. The entire American coast, along the polar sea, was now explored, except that portion lying between Dease and Simpson's extreme point on the west of Boothia and Ross's winter quarters on the east side of the same land, and that tract lying between Ross's winter quarters and the extreme point reached by Parry in 1822, at the entrance of the strait of the Fury and Hecla. The main question now was on the possibility of passing with ships between Boothia and the American mainland, as, if this were possible, the passage down Prince Regent channel would be the easiest one for the accomplishment of a voyage to the north- west. To settle this question the Hudson Bay company in 1846 sent out Dr. John Rae. He and his party reached Chesterfield inlet July 13, 1846, passed Repulse bay safely, and conveyed their boats thence into Committee bay, at the bottom of Boothia gulf. "Wintering at Repulse bay, the result asked for from their expedition was not attained till 1847. On April 5 of that year they started again into Committee bay. On the 18th they reached an inlet which Sir John Ross had before discovered, in one of his land excursions, during his two winters' sojourn on the coast of Boothia, and (Ross having estab- lished the continuity of the coast to that point) thus proved that Boothia is connected with the American mainland, and that consequently there is no outlet toward the west through Prince Regent inlet. Returning to recruit, May 12, Dr. Rae set out to explore the E. shore of Committee bay, and connect his sur- veys, if possible, with those of Parry (1822) in the Fury and Hecla strait. On May 27 the party reached a point from which, during an interlude in the storm, they saw a headland, which Rae calls Cape Ellice, and computes to be in lat. 69 42' N. and Ion. 85 8' W., that is to say, within 10 m. of the Fury and Hecla strait. This completed the entire survey, with the exception of Fury and Hecla strait itself; and thus was finished, with this exception, a geographical exploration of the N". coast of the entire American continent, on May 27, 1847. "We come now to the last voyage of Sir John Franklin. The achievement of a northwest passage was his life dream, and to him was in- trusted a new and so it was hoped final ex- pedition. The Erebus and the Terror, long tried in arctic navigation, were the vessels chosen for the voyage. Each was fitted with a small steam engine and screw propeller. Sir John Franklin commanded the Erebus, Capt. 44 VOL. i. 44 Richard Crozicr the Terror. The vessels sailed May 19, 1845, in company with a tender, with additional stores. This tender was relieved and sent home in Davis strait, where the ves- sels were fully provisioned and equipped for a three years' stay. On July 26, 1845, they were seen by a whale ship, in lat. 74 48' and Ion. 66 13', about the centre of Baffin bay, moored to an iceberg, and awaiting an opening into Lancaster sound. This is the last time the vessels were ever seen. The instructions of the admiralty directed Franklin, after send- ing home the transport from Davis strait, to make the best of his way to Baffin bay, and through this into Lancaster sound; then to push westward in about lat. 74 15' as far as about Ion. 98 "W. From that point Franklin was to penetrate to the southward and west- ward toward Behring strait. Toward the close of 1847, nothing having been heard of the expedition, alarm began to be felt as to its safety, and early the following year (1848) three different expeditions for succor were despatched by the British government. The first of these, in the Plover, Commander Thomas Moore, and the Herald, Capt. Kellett, was to enter Behring strait, and advance at least as far as Chamisso island, in Kotzebue sound, and then to examine the coast further to the eastward in boats. The expedition was joined by the Nancy Dawson, a pleasure yacht owned and commanded by Mr. Robert Shed- don, who took a very active part in all the operations. The vessels reached Chamisso island, July 14, 1849, proceeded immediately on to Icy point, and thence sent the boat ex- pedition on to explore, if possible, as far as the Mackenzie river. The vessels meantime stood to the north, until, in lat. 72 51' and Ion. 163 48', they were brought to by densely packed ice. Still exploring, on Aug. 17 they discovered some islands, and a large body of land, in about lat. 71 30'. On Aug. 24 part of the boat expedi- tion rejoined the vessels, the remainder, two whale boats, having been despatched, accord- ing to previous instructions, up the Mackenzie river, to proceed homeward by way of Fort Hope and York Factory. The returned boats had explored the shore as far as Dease inlet, but had found no traces of the lost voyagers. The following summer (1850) the two vessels reexplored the same ground, but again without meeting with any traces of Franklin. The Plover, Capt. Kellett, was left to whiter in Grantley harbor, and the Herald returned home. Meantime part of the land party, under Sir John Richardson, reached the polar sea, Aug. 4, 1848, making deposits of pemmican by the way, at convenient points, along Mackenzie river. They then explored the shore to the east for 800 m., to the mouth of the Copper- mine, but found no traces of Sir John Frank- lin. The next summer (1849) Sir John Rich- ardson having returned to England, Dr. Rae explored the shores of "Wollaston sound, and in 1850 he repeated his explorations,, but with