LADY FEANKLIN. 415 killing of the first, bear, that its skin should be presented to her as a joint gift from the officers and crew, all of whom had assisted in the hunt. At last the " Fox " escaped from the ice and proceeded upon her way. In May, 1859, one of her officers, Lieu- tenant Hobson, discovered a cairn containing a record of the lost expedition. This record consisted of a note, written in 1847, stating their success up to that time, and adding that all were well. But around the margin another hand, writing a year later, gave a sadly different story. From this writer, who was Captain Fitzjaraes, we learn that Sir John Franklin died June eleventh, 1847, and that in April of the next year, only two days before the date of this record, the "Erebus" and "Terror" were abandoned, and their crews landed under the command of Captain Crozier. A note in Captain Crozier's hand- writing added that they were to start the next day for Back's Fish River. To this river, accordingly, the searchers of the " Fox " proceeded ; and there they found numerous relics of the party, including silver articles marked with Sir John Franklin's crest, a boat, watches, clothing, and several skeletons. The Esquimaux' of the region remembered the coming of these strangers, and said that all of them had perished of cold and hunger ; which was, indeed, but too evident. " They would fall down and die as they walked along the ice," said an old Esquimaux woman to Captain M'Clintock. With this news the " Fox " returned to England. Sad as the certainty was, it must have been a relief to Lady Franklin to receive it. She learned from the earlier of the two notes in the cairn, that her husband had attained the great object of his expedition ; he had discovered the Northwest Passage. From the second note she learned
