God’s Mercy. Here the “Investigator” remained, never to
move again. After the winter of 1851–1852 M‘Clure had 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 preparing to abandon the ship with all
hands, and attempt, like Franklin’s crews, to reach the American
coast, but succour arrived in time.
The Hudson’s Bay Company continued the search for Franklin. In 1848 Sir John Richardson and Dr Rae 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 Rae’s journeys.journey in the spring of 1851, and a boat voyage in the summer, he examined the shores of Wollaston and Victoria Lands, which were afterwards explored by Captain Collinson in the “Enterprise.”
In 1852 the British government resolved to despatch another expedition by Lancaster Sound. Austin’s four vessels were recommissioned, and the “North Star” was sent out as a dépot ship at Beechey Island. Sir Edward Belcher commanded the “Assistance,” with the “Pioneer”Belcher. under Sherard Osborn as steam tender. He went up Wellington Channel to Northumberland Bay, where he wintered, passing a second winter lower down in Wellington Channel, and then abandoning his ships and coming home in 1854. But Sherard Osborn and Com. G. H. Richards did good work. They made sledge journeys to Melville Island, and thus discovered the northern side of the Parry group. Captain Kellett received command of the Kellett.“Resolute,” with M‘Clintock in the steam tender “Intrepid.” Among Kellett’s officers were the best of Austin’s sledge-travellers, M‘Clintock, Mecham, and Vesey Hamilton, so that good work was sure to be done. George S. Nares, leader of the future expedition of 1874–1875, was also on board the “Resolute” Kellett pressed onwards to the westv ard and passed the winter of 1852–1853 at Melville Island. During the autumn Mecham discovered M‘Clure’s record, and the position of the “Investigator” was thus ascertained. Lieut. Pim made his way to this point early in the following spring, and the officers and crew of the “Investigator,” led by M‘Clure, arrived safely on board the “Resolute” on the 17th of June 1853. They reached England in the following year, having not only discovered but traversed a north-west passage, though not in the same ship and partly by travelling over ice. For this great feat M‘Clure received the honour of knighthood, and a reward of £10,000 was granted to himself, the other officers, and the crew, by a vote of the House of Commons.
The travelling parties of Kellett’s expedition, led by M‘Clintock, Mecham and Vesey Hamilton, completed the discovery of the northern and western sides of Melville Island, and the whole outline of the large island of Prince Patrick, further west. M‘Clintock was away from the ship with his sledge party for one hundred and ive days, and travelled over 1328 m. Mecham was away ninety-four days, and travelled over 1163 m. Sherard Osborn, in 1853, was away ninety-seven days, and travelled over 935 m The “Resolute” was obliged to winter in the pack in 1853–1854, and in the spring of 1854 Mecham made a remarkable journey in the hope of obtaining news of Captain Collinson at the Princess Royal Islands. Leaving the ship on the 3rd of April he was absent seventy days, out of which there were sixty-one and a half days of travelling. The distance gone over was 1336 statute miles. The average rate of the homeward journey was 2312 m. a day, the average time of travelling each day nine hours twenty-five minutes.
Fearing detention for another winter, Sir Edward Belcher ordered all the ships to be abandoned in the ice, the officers and crews being taken home in the “North Star,” and in the “Phoenix” and “Talbot,” which had come out from England to communicate. Inglefield.They reached home in October 1854. In 1852 Captain Edward A. Inglefield, R N., had made a voyage up Baffin Bay in the “Isabel” as far as the entrance of Smith Sound. In 1853 and 1854 he came out in the “Phoenix” to communicate with the “North Star” at Beechey Island.
The drift of the “Resolute” was a remarkable proof of the direction of the current out of Barrow Strait She was abandoned in 74° 41′ N. and 101° 11′ W. on the 14th of May 1854 On the 10th of September 1855 an American whaler sighted the “Resolute” in 67° N. Drift of the “Resolute.”lat. about twenty miles from Cape Mercy, in Davis Strait. She had drifted nearly a thousand miles, and having been brought into an American port, was purchased by the United States and presented to the British government.
In 1853 Dr Rae was employed to connect a few points which would quite complete the examination of the coast of America, and establish the insularity of King William Land. He went up Chesterfield Inlet and the river Quoich, wintering with eight men Rae’s Discovery.at Repulse Bay, where venison and fish were abundant. In 1854 he set out on a journey which occupied fifty-six days in April and May. He succeeded in connecting the discoveries of Simpson with those of James Ross, and thus established the fact that King William Land was an island. Rae also brought home the first tidings and relics of Franklin’s expedition gathered from the Eskimo, which decided the Admiralty to award him the £10,000 offered for definite news of Franklin’s fate. Lady Franklin, however, sent out the “Fox” under the command of M‘Clintock (see Franklin). M‘Clintock prosecuted an exhaustive search over part of the west coast of Boothia, the whole of the shores of King William Island, the mouth of the Great Fish river and Montreal Island, and Allen Young completed the discovery of the southern side of Prince of Wales Island.
The catastrophe of Sir John Franklin’s expedition led to 7000 m. of coast-line being discovered, and to a vast extent of unknown country being explored, securing very considerable additions to geographical knowledge.
The American nation was first led to take an interest in Polar research through a noble and generous sympathy for Franklin and his companions. Mr Grinnell of New York gave practical expression to this feeling. In 1850 he equipped two vessels, the Grinnell Expedition.“Advance” and “Rescue,” to aid in the search, commanded by Lieuts. de Haven and Griffith, and accompanied by Dr E. K. Kane. They reached Beechey Island on the 27th of August 1850, and assisted in the examination of Franklin’s winter quarters, but returned without wintering. In 1853 Dr Kane, in the little brig “Advance,” of 120 tons, undertook to lead an American expedition up Smith Sound,Kane. the most northern outlet from Baffin Bay. The “Advance” reached Smith Sound on the 7th of August 1853, but was stopped by ice in 78° 45′ N. only 17 m. from the entrance. Kane described the coast as consisting of precipitous cliffs 800 to 1200 ft. high, and at their base there was a belt of ice about 18 ft. thick, resting on the beach. Dr Kane adopted the Danish name of “ice-foot” (is fod) for this permanent frozen ledge. He named the place of his winter quarters Van Rensselaer Harbour. In the spring some interesting work was done. A great glacier was discovered with a sea face 45 m. long and named the Humboldt glacier. Dr Kane’s steward, Morton, crossed the foot of this glacier with a team of dogs, and reached a point of land beyond named Cape Constitution. But sickness and want of means prevented much from being done by travelling parties. Scurvy attacked the whole party during the second winter, although the Eskimo supplied them with fresh meat and were true friends in need. On the 17th of May 1855 Dr Kane abandoned the brig, and reached the Danish settlement of Upernivik on the 5th of August. Lieut. Hartstene, who was sent out to search for Kane, reached the Van Rensselaer Harbour after he had gone, but took the retreating crew on board on his return voyage.
On the 10th of July 1860 Dr I. I. Hayes, who had served with Kane, sailed from Boston for Smith Sound, in the schooner “United States,” of 130 tons and a crew of fifteen men. His object was to follow up the line of research opened by Dr Kane. He wintered Hayes.at Port Foulke, in 78° 17′ N., but achieved nothing of importance, and his narrative is not to be depended on.
