'The Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society. From December 1854 to March 1856. (New Issue.) Edited by the Secretary. Volume XII.' [‎44] (155/258)

44
DR. G. BU1ST
miles to the northward, till the beginning of August, only abandoning the ves
sels as the autum approached, and they believed the Phanix to be at hand.
The officers and crews of the Resolute and Intrepid had abandoned their
ships in the middle of May. Captain McClure and his people had been on
board of the former vessel since June 1853. They proceeded together as
directed, and reached their destination about the middle of June 1854, with
out accident, and were cordially welcomed on board the North Star.
In the beginning of July 1852 Captain Inglefield started with the screw
Steamer Isabella of thirty horse-power, and 149 tons, the property of Lady
Franklin, and the vessel shortly before destined for Bherring’s Straits, under
Captain Beatson. The steamer was prepared by Lady Franklin, to be consi
dered as his property, and all the charges of the voyage were to be met out
of his pocket. She was equipped and provisioned for a five years’ sojourn
in the Arctic Regions. Captain Inglefield proposed proceeding up Baffin’s
Bay as far as Smith’s or Jone’s Sound if possible, returning down along the
western shore of the Bay, and along the coast of Labrador. He left Upernavick
in Greenland, on the 10th August, taking dogs with him for the use of sledges,
and then passed on towards Cape York, steaming through that archipelago of
islands in the midst of innumerable icebergs. On the 20th August he reached
Cape Athol, and visited the spot where Franklin and his crew were asserted
by Adam Beck to have been murdered. The only traces that could be dis
covered of a visit from Europeans was a rag of cloth, a piece of rope, and
the hoop of a cask—to all appearance left the previous year by the North Star',
and he came to the conclusion that the story of Beck was a fable. Though
starting three weeks later than the expedition of the preceding year, he reach
ed a higher latitude (78 ° 35’) than had been attained by previous voyagers.
He was able to lay down 600 miles of coast line wholly new to us, and ascer
tained that Whale Sound was an opening, in all likelihood into the Arctic
Ocean, rendering Greenland an island. Here he found himself in a great
sea, only partially encumbered with ice, and the entrance to which was thirty-
five miles across. As he was about to enter this in the hope of reaching Bher_
ing’s Straits, he was forced back by a storm. On the 1st September he
sailed from Jone’s Sound, and reached Beechy Island on the 7th. He now
proceeded with his explorations on the western shores of Baffin’s Bay, when
he was driven over to the east by the ice and currents. Near Disco Island he
encountered a series of violent gales, and having failed to reach the quarters
where he intended to winter, started on his return on the 14th October, reach
ing Peterhead exactly four months from the time he had passed it north,
wards, but without any information as to the missing expedition, and without
having communicated with any one during the voyage.