was now sinking fast; he was unable to eat the tripe de roche, (and they had nothing else), on account of the constant griping it produced.

"At this period we avoided", says Dr. Richardson, "as much as possible conversing upon the hopelessness of our situation, and generally endeavoured to lead the conversation towards our future prospects in life. The fact is, that, with the decay of our strength, our minds decayed, and we were no longer able to bear the contemplation of the horrors that surrounded us. Each of us, if I may be allowed to judge from my own case, excused himself from so doing by a desire of not shocking the feelings of the others, for we were sensible of one another's weakness of intellect, though blind to our own. Yet we were calm and resigned to our fate, not a murmur escaped us, and we were punctual and fervent in our addresses to the Supreme Being.

to us.

Through the extreme kindness and forethought of a lady, the party, previous to leaving London, had been furnished with a small collection of religious books, of which we still retained two or three of the most portable, and they proved of incalculable benefit We read portions of them to each other as we lay in bed, in addition to the morning and evening service, and found that they inspired us on each perusal with so strong a sense of the omnipresence of a beneficent God, that our situation, even in these wilds, appeared no longer destitute; and we conversed, not only with calmnness, but with cheerfulness, detailing with unrestrained confidence the past events of our lives, and dwelling with hope on our future pros pects."

Five days more passed on without any food except a little tripe de roche collected by Hepburn, the Iroquois continuing sulky, and, though strongest of the party, refusing to contribute to its relief; but it was strongly suspected he had a hidden supply of meat for his own use. Seeing the deter◄ mined obstinacy and refractory spirit of this man, Dr. Richardson had told him, that if no relief came from Fort Enterprize before the 20th, Hepburn and himself should be dispatched thither with a compass, by the direction of which they might be enabled to find the house. On that very day however, as Hepburn was cutting wood near the tent, and Dr. Richardson was collecting tripe de roche, the miscreant assassinated Mr. Hood while sitting over the fire in the last stage of disease and debility. The ball entered the back part of his head, and set fire to his nightcap. Hepburn had heard them conversing together in an angry tone, and immediately after, the report of a gun; and on looking towards the spot, observed Michel rise from behind the spot where Mr. Hood had been sitting, and dart into the tent. It was at once clear, from the great length of the gun which had been discharged, that such a wound could only have been inflicted by a second person; and if any doubt could have existed as to the murderer, Michel's own conduct would at once have removed it. From this time he would never suffer the two remaining of the party to be together for a moment; he was constantly asking if they suspected him of the murder? sometimes he made use of threatening language; at other times muttering to himself, and throwing out obscure hints of free

ing himself from all restraint. In short as they proceeded on their journey to join their companions at Fort Enterprize, his conduct became so violent and outrageous, as to convince both the doctor and Hepburn that he would attempt to destroy them the first opportunity that offered. His strength was superior to theirs united, and he had, besides his gun, two pistols, an Indian bayonet and a knife. On coming to a rock, he, for the first time, left them together, saying he would stop to gather some tripe de roche, and desired them to go on. Hepburn now mentioned certain circumstances, which satisfied Dr. Richardson that there was no safety for them but in his death, and he offered to be the instrument of it. I determined, however,' says Dr. Richardson, as I was thoroughly convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to take the whole responsibility upon myself; and immediately upon Michel's coming up, I put an end to his life by shooting him through the head with a pistol: "had my own life alone," he continues, "been threatened, I would not have purchased it by such a measure; but I considered myself as intrusted also with the protection of Hepburn's, a man who, by his humane attentions and devotedness, had so endeared himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for his safety than for my own." Michel had gathered no tripe de roche; and it was quite evident that he had halted for no other purpose than that of putting his gun in order, to destroy them that same evening while engaged in setting up the tent.

After dragging along their famished bodies for six days, existing on lichens and pieces of the skin

cloak of Mr. Hood, on the 29th they came in sight of the fort at dusk; "and," says Dr. Richardson, "it is impossible to describe our sensations, when, on attaining the eminence that overlooks it, we beheld the smoke issuing from one of the chimneys. From not having met with any footsteps in the snow, as we drew nigh our once cheerful residence, we had been agitated by many melancholy forebodings. Upon entering the now desolate building, we had the satisfaction of embracing captain Franklin, but no words can convey an idea of the filth and wretchedness that met our eyes on looking around. Our own misery had stolen upon us by degrees, and we were accustomed to the contemplation of each other's emaciated figures; but the ghastly countenances, dilated eye-balls, and sepulchral voices of Mr. Franklin and those with him were more than we could at first bear."

Two of the captain's party died, two days after the arrival of Dr. Richardson and Hepburn. The only remaining man and captain Franklin were so utterly unable to assist themselves that eight-andforty hours, and probably half that time, would have put an end to their misery. The whole labour, therefore, of procuring fire-wood, and scraping together the old pieces of skins, and fragments of bone, devolved on Dr. Richardson and Hepburn, whose strength was now rapidly declining, and very nearly exhausted.

"Owing to our loss of flesh," says captain Franklin, "the hardness of the floor, from which we were only protected by a blanket, produced soreness over the body, and especially those parts on which the weight rested in lying, yet, to turn ourselves for

relief was a matter of toil and difficulty. However, during this period, and indeed all along after the acute pains of hunger, which lasted but three or four days, had subsided, we generally enjoyed the comfort of a few hours' sleep. The dreams which, for the most part, but not always, accompanied it, were usually (though not invariably), of a pleasant character, being very often about the enjoyments of feasting. In the day time we fell into the practice of conversing on common and light subjects, although we sometimes discussed with seriousness and earnestness topics connected with religion. We generally avoided speaking directly of our present sufferings, or even of the prospect of relief. I observed that, in proportion as our strength decayed, our minds exhibited symptoms of weakness, evinced by a kind of unreasonable pettishness with each other. Each of us thought the other weaker in intellect than himself, and more in need of advice and assistance. So trifling a circumstance as a change of place, recommended by one as being warmer and more comfortable, and refused by the other from a dread of motion, frequently called forth fretful expressions which were no sooner uttered than atoned for, to be repeated perhaps in the course of a few minutes. The same thing often occurred when we endeavoured to assist each other in carrying wood to the fire; none of us were willing to receive assistance, although the task was disproportioned to our strength. On one of these occasions Hepburn was so convinced of his waywardness that he exclaimed, Dear me, if we are spared to return to England, I wonder if we shall recover our understandings.'"

At length on the 7th of November, three Indians, sent by Mr. Back, arrived with relief. They cleaned out the room, cooked their victuals, had the survivors washed and made comfortable, and, after leaving the fort, attended them to the spot where their tribe were engaged in hunting; giving up their own snow-shoes, keeping by their sides, lifting them up when they fell; and finally conducting them in safety to the nearest of the company's posts, where they met with their companion, Back, whose sufferings had scarcely been less than their own, and to whose exertions the survivors of the party unquestionably owed their safety. One of the two Canadians who had accompanied Mr. Back, fell a sacrifice to cold, hunger, and fatigue. With respect to the country over which the expedition travelled, partly by land, but chiefly by water; a journey not less (including the navigation of the Polar Sea) than 5,500 miles, a great sameness of surface everywhere prevails; every valley is a lake, and every river a string of lakes. There is little variety in the trees, consisting chiefly of larch, spruce, and poplar, which diminish in quantity and in size, in advancing to the northward. The shrubby and herbaceous plants, the birds, the beasts, and the fishes, are everywhere nearly the same. Neither did the few straggling tribes of Indians afford any essential characteristic differ

ence.

The climate is as bad as the country is uninteresting. For three or four days in the course of the summer, the mercury ascended to 80° or 90°, and for as many months in the winter was down to 30°. 40° or 50° below zero; once

even to-57°, or two degrees lower than the lowest that Parry found it at Melville Island.

The general line of the northern coast of America was found to lie

in the direction, nearly, of east and west; deviating little, captain Franklin thinks, from the latitudes of Repulse Bay, Hearne's River, and Kotzebue's Sound.

up

The outward voyage in 1821, was fair and prosperous. Passing Hudson's Straits, the navigators kept near the land on their South, and explored the coast towards Repulse Bay. The farthest West which they attained was 86° of longitude, and the highest latitude only 69° 48′ N.; and they finally brought up for winter quarters at a small isle which they named Winter Island, in 82. 53. West longitude, and latitude 66. 11. N. The chief part of the summer of 1821, was occupied in examining Repulse Bay, and some inlets to the eastward of it, through which they hoped to find a passage into the Polar Sea. In this they were disappointed, for all the openings proved to be only deep inlets, which ran into the continent of America. While thus occupied, early in October the sea began to freeze; and on the 8th the ships were laid up for the winter. Here at Winter Island, the expedition was frozen up from the 8th of

October 1821, to the 2nd of July 1822. The vessels were within two or three hundred paces of each other; and occupations and amusements, similar to those practised in the preceding voyage, were resorted

to.

One of the principal events worthy of notice in this period, was the beneficial effect produced by the system of heating the ships with currents of warm air. These were directed to every requisite part by means of metallic tubes. The lowest temperature experienced during the winter was 35° below zero. In the second winter it was ten degrees lower; but this was not near so difficult to endure, nor so inconvenient as the cold in captain Parry's first voyage. The provision cases did not turn out so well; for, though the meats were preserved fresh, they were found to be very insipid on constant use, and the men got as tired of them as they generally do of salt provisions. From the quantum of boiling needed in these prepar ations, the nutritious juices are extracted, and the taste so reduced that it is not easy to tell veal from beef. They, however, (like French cookery done to rags), made a change, and were so far acceptable. Fish was caught, and formed another welcome variety. They were chiefly a species of small salmon of about 7 or 8lbs weight, of which about 300 were taken; the coal-fish, and the Alpine trout, which latter was found in a fresh

water stream, on an island to the westward of Winter Island. This river, according to the native accounts, flowed from a lake, whence also another river ran into the sea on the other side; that is to say, one stream flowed in a south-easterly direction towards Hudson's Bay, and the other in a southwesterly course towards (perhaps) the Polar Sea. Nothing occurred, during the first part of the winter, deserving of any particular notice; but one morning, in the beginning of February, our people were surprised by the appearance of strange forms upon the snow-plain in their vicinity, and of persons running to and fro. This was a tribe of about fifty Esquimaux, who were erecting their snow-huts, and taking up their residence at a short distance from the vessels. They were one of those wandering hordes which roam along the shore in search of food, and make their habitations wherever it can be obtained in sufficient quantity. The great dependence of these people upon the produce of the sea for their sustenance, seems to confine their migrations to the coasts. The intercourse of the voyagers with their new and singular neigh bours, afforded them much amusement during the remainder of the winter; as, never having seen Europeans before, their manners and customs were quite original. The snow began to melt about the beginning of May, and put an end to their intimacy.

In the season of 1822, the vessels having steered along the coast to the North, penetrated only to the long. of 82. 50. and lat. 69. 40.; and after exploring several inlets, &c. in their brief cruise, they were finally moored for their second winter, about a mile apart,

in 81. 44. W. long., and lat. 69. 21. N. Here, close to another small isle, they remained from the 24th of September, 1822, to the 8th of last August. They had latterly entered a strait leading to the westward. From the accounts of the Esquimaux, and their own observations, they had every reason to believe that this strait separated all the land to the northward from the continent of America. After getting about fifteen miles within the entrance of it, however, they were stopped by the ice, but from the persuasion that they were in the right channel for getting to the westward, they remained there for nearly a month, in daily expectation that the ice would break up. In this last hope they were again quite disappointed; and on the 19th of September the sea having begun to freeze, they left these straits, and laid the ships up in winter quarters near the small island above alluded to, and called by the Esquimaux Igloolik. Thus it is evident, that the expedition failed in its leading objects. The magnetic pole was not crossed; all the electrical appearances, lights, haloes, meteors, &c. were seen to the south. In natural history, the acquisitions are very scanty. Twenty-eight botanical specimens, dwarf willow, saxifrage, grasses, mosses, &c. nearly comprehend the stunted vegetable world of these northern latitudes.

In the second winter, a more numerous tribe of the Esquimaux, about 150, including the visitors of the preceding year, settled near the ships, and were in daily intercourse with them. They are represented as peaceable and goodnatured: not stupid, but not eminent for feeling or intelligence. The first tribe lived together on