POLAR REGIONS 321 Keiedy kt. to make his way along it to Behring Strait. This channel leading south, now called Peel Sound, pointed directly to the south. He sailed down it towards King William Island, with land on both sides. But directly they passed the southern point of the western land, and were no longer shielded by it, the great palseocrystic stream from Melville Island was fallen in with, pressing on King William Island. It was impassable. The only possibility of pro gress would have been by rounding the eastern side of King William Island, but its insularity was then unknown. It was not until 1848 that anxiety began to be felt about the Franklin expedition. In the spring of that year Sir James lioss was sent with two ships, the " Enter prise " and " Investigator," by way of Lancaster Sound. He wintered at Leopold Harbour, near the north-east point of North Devon. In the spring he made a long sledge journey with Lieutenant M Clintock along the northern and western coasts of North Somerset. On the return of the Ross expedition without any tidings, the country became thoroughly alarmed. An extensive plan of search was organized, the "Enterprise" and "Investigator" under Collinson and M Clure proceed ing by Behring Strait, while the " Assistance " and " Resolute " with two steam tenders, the " Pioneer " and " Intrepid," sailed May 3, 1850, to renew the search by Barrow Strait, under Captain Austin. Two brigs, the "Lady Franklin" and "Sophia," under Captain Penny, a very energetic and able whaling captain, were sent by the same route. He had with him Dr Sutherland, a naturalist, who did much valuable scientific work. Austin and Penny entered Barrow Strait, and Franklin s winter- quarters of 1845-46 were discovered at Beechey Island; but there was no record of any kind indicating the direc tion taken by the ships. Stopped by the ice, Austin s expedition wintered (1850-51) in the pack off Griffith Island, and Penny found refuge in a harbour on the south coast of Cornwallis Island. Austin, who had been with Parry during his third voyage, was an admirable organizer. His arrangements for passing the winter were carefully thought out and answered perfectly. In concert with Penny he planned a thorough and extensive system of search by means of sledge travelling in the spring ; and Lieutenant M Clintock superintended every minute detail of this part of the work with unfailing forethought and consummate skill. Penny undertook the search by Wellington Channel. M Clintock advanced to Melville Island, marching over 770 miles in eighty-one days ; Captain Ommanney and Sherard Osboru pressed southward and discovered Prince of Wales Island. Lieutenant Brown examined the western shore of Peel Sound. The search was exhaustive ; but, except the winter-quarters at Beechey Island, no record, no sign was discovered. The absence of any record made Captain Austin doubt whether Franklin had ever gone beyond Beechey Island. So he also examined the entrance of Jones Sound, the next inlet from Baffin s Bay north of Lancaster Sound, on his way home, and returned to England in the autumn of 1851. This was a thoroughly well-conducted expedition,- especially as regards the sledge travelling, which M Clintock brought to great perfection. So far as the search for Franklin was concerned, nothing remained to be done west or north of Barrow Strait.
- In 1851 the "Prince Albert" schooner was sent out by
Lady Franklin, under Captain Kennedy, with Lieutenant Bellot of the French navy as second. They wintered on the east coast of North Somerset, and in the spring of 1852 the gallant Frenchman, in the course of a long sledging journey, discovered Bellot Strait separating North Somerset from Boothia, this proving that the Boothia coast facing the strait was the northern extremity of the continent of America. The "Enterprise" and "Investigator" sailed from Collinson. England in January 1850, but accidentally parted com pany before they reached Behring Strait. On May 6, 1851, the " Enterprise " passed the strait, and rounded Point Barrow on the 25th. Collinson then made his way up the narrow Prince of Wales Strait, between Baring and Prince Albert Island, and reached Princess Royal Islands, where M Clure had been the previous year. Returning south wards, the "Enterprise" wintered in a sound in Prince Albert Island in 71 35 N and 117 35 W. Three travelling parties were despatched in the spring of 1852, one to trace Prince Albert Land in a southerly direction, while the others explored Prince of Wales Strait, one of them reaching Melville Island. In September 1852 the ship was free, and Collinson pressed eastward along the coast of North America, reaching Cambridge Bay (September 26), where the second winter was passed. In the spring he examined the shores of Victoria Land as far as 70 26 N. and 100 45 W. He was within a few miles of Point Victory, where the fate of Franklin would have been ascertained. The "Enterprise" again put to sea on August 5, 1853, and returned westward along the American coast, until she was stopped by ice and obliged to pass a third winter at Camden Bay, in 70 8 N. and 145 29 W. In 1854 this most remarkable voyage was completed, and Captain Collinson brought the Enterprise " back to England. Meanwhile M Clure in the " Investigator " had passed M Clure. the winter of 1850-51 at the Princess Royal Islands, only 30 miles from Barrow Strait. In October M Clure ascended a hill whence he could see the frozen surface of Barrow Strait which was navigated by Parry in 1819-20. Thus, like the survivors of Franklin s crews when they reached Cape Herschel, M Clure discovered a north-west passage. It was impossible to reach it, for the branch of the palseocrystic ice which stopped Franklin off King William Land was athwart their northward course. So, as soon as he was free in 1851, M Clure turned south wards, round the southern extreme of Baring Island, and commenced to force a passage to the northward between the western shore of that land and the enormous fields of ice which pressed upon it. The cliffs rose up like walls on one side, while on the other the stupendous ice of the palaeocrystic sea rose from the water to a level with the " Investigator s " lower yards. After many hair-breadth escapes M Clure took refuge in a bay on the northern shore of Bank s Land, which he named " The Bay of God s Mercy." Here the "Investigator" remained, never to move again. After the winter of 1851-52 M Clure made a journey across the ice to Melville Island, and left a record at Parry s winter harbour. Abundant supplies of musk ox were fortunately obtained, but a third winter had to be faced. In the spring of 1853 M Clure was pre paring to abandon the ship with all hands, and attempt, like Franklin s crews, to reach the American coast. But succour providentially arrived in time. The Hudson s Bay Company assisted in the search for Rae s Franklin. In 1848 Sir John Richardson and Dr Rae journeys, examined the American coast from the mouth of the Mackenzie to that of the Coppermine. In 1849 and 1850 Rae continued the search ; and by a long sledge journey in the spring of 1851, and a boat voyage in the summer, he examined the shores of Wollaston and Victoria Lands, I which were afterwards explored by Captain Collinson in the "Enterprise." In 1852 the British Government resolved to despatch j another expedition by Lancaster Sound. Austin s four vessels were recommissioned, and the " North Star " was sent out as a depot ship at Beechey Island. Sir Edward Belcher commanded the "Assistance," with the " Pioneer " Belcher, under Sherard Osborn as steam tender. He went up Welling-
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