The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-29 00:00:00

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

Yesterday the anniversary meeting was held at
the society's room, in Burlington House, the Earl
de Grey and Ripon presiding. Amongst the mem-
bers present were the Earl of Sheffield, Lord Ash-
burton, Sir R. Murchison, Sir George Back, Sir E.
Belcher, Sir J. Login, Sir F. L. M'Clintock, Colonel
Sykes, Captain Sherard Osborn, Captain Collinson,
Colonel Schaffner; Captain Allen Young, Mr.
Whiteside, M.P., Mr. Roebuck, M.P., &c.
The report of the council for the past year was
read, and upon the motion of Lord Ashburton, se
conded by the Right Hon. H. M. M'Kenzie, was
unanimously adopted.
PRESENTATION OF THE MEDALS TO LADY FRANK-
LIN, AND SIR F. L. M'CLINTOCK.

The PRESIDENT said—Desirous of commemora-
ting in an especial manner the Arctic researches of
our associate, the late Sir John Franklin, and of
testifying to the fact that his expedition was the
first to discover a north-west passage, the council of
the Royal Geographical Society has awarded the
founder's gold medal to his widow, Lady Franklin
—(cheers)—in token of their admiration of her
noble and self-sacrificing perseverance in sending
out at her own cost several searching expeditions,
until, at length, the fate of her husband has been
finally ascertained. (Hear, hear.) The council
has further adjudicated the council's gold medal to
Captain Sir F. L. M'Clintock, R.N.—(cheers)--for
the consummate skill and unflinching fortitude with
-which, in the Fox yacht, he and his gallant corn-
panions have not only enlarged our acquaintance
with Arctic geography, but have also brought to
light the precious " Record" which has revealed to
us the voyage and final abandonment of the Erebus
and Terror. (Cheers.) In making these awards,
it is but right to call attention to some of the lead-
ing facts connected with this subject. Having
already taken part in two of Nelson's glorious
victories, and in other battles of the old war, Sir
John Franklin began his Arctic explorations in the
year 1818 to 1822, and subsequently by his re-
searches in 1825 to 1827 he had already acquired a
renown second only to that of Parry. (Hear, hear.)
Aspiring, however, to the supreme object of his am-
bition, the discovery of a north-west passage, he
again left our shores in 1845 to accomplish that
great mission. In ascertaining the date and place
of the death of Franklin, Captain M'Clintock has
also effected several important geographical dis-
coveries. Lands and seas which had hitherto been
entirely unknown to geography were, by his
energy tied ability laid open. (Hear.) Owing
thus to the devotion of Lady Franklin, and the
skill of Captain M'Clintock, it is now demonstrated
that the Erebus and Terror ascended Wellington
Channel to 77 deg. of north latitude, that the two
ships were navigated round Cornwallis land.which
was thus proven to be an island, and that finally,
steering from Beechy Island to the south-west,
they were on the 12th of September, 1816, beset in
the ice, in which they wintered, in latitude north
75 deg.. min., and long. west 98 deg. 23 min.,
having reached a position never before or since at-
tained by any other ship. (Hear, hear.) Having by
this great feat rendered his name illustrious, the
council deem it an act of justice that
.just as Iloss,
Back, Simpson, Rae, Inglefleld, MeClure, Kane, and
Collinson, have each been rewarded by a medal of
this clay for their distinguished Arctic researches
so the list of such worthies cannot be more appropri-
ately enriched than by offering the patron's medal of
the year to the of the deeds of Franklin.
(Hear, hear.) In so doing the council have indeed a
peculiar satisfaction in awarding this medal to the
relict of the great navigator, in admiration of the
single-minded and undaunted energy which have
animated her endeavours, and which have fermi-
natedin clearly ascertaining that in sacrificing their
lives Franklin and his brave companions died in
solvieg the long-sought geographical problem. The
council, therefore hope that Lady Franklin will
consider the gold medal now awarded to her not
only as the merited recompense of her husband's
discoveries, but will also accept it as a testi-
mony of the admiration entertained by British
geographers for her who has devoted 12 years of
her life to the glorious object in accomplishing
which she has sacrificed so large a portion of her
worldy means. (Hear, hear.) Bat all the devotion
of Lady Franklin and the efforts of the British na•
t ion might well have failed in unravelling the fate
of the Erebus and Terror had not such a com-
mander been selected for the Fox as Capt. M'Clin-
tock. Inured by previous explorations to the risks
and dangers of Arctic life, this brave officer has so
modestly and clearly told his stirring tale, of how
in a yacht of 170 tons Imrthen he successfully
worried out his great mission, that he has already
enli,ted the sympathies of Europe and America.
(Hear, hear.) lie has also imperishably chronicled
in the exploits of the expedition the names of his
worthy associates, Hobson, Young, and Walker, in
a work that will doubtless endure as long as men
shall continue to revere the deeds of persevering
and skilful explorers. Of the events of this narra-
tive, there is no one which has drawn forth more
commendation than the calm resolve with which the
gallant commander, after having been driven back
1,200 miles in the pack, and carried out into the
Atlantic, returned to combat with the obstacles of
frozen seas, and nothing disheartened, steered back
his little yacht once more into Baffin's Bay. Mark-
ing the judgment and sagacity he showed through-
out the whole of an expedition which terminated
in making known the extent of the discoveries of
Franklin, as well as the place and date of his death,
and the almost certain fele of those gallant com-
panions—Crozier, Fitgjaines, and others—who sur•
vived him—the council have the satisfaction of re-
cording that the commander and officers of the
Fox have also added vastly to geographical know-
ledge. (Hear, hear.) In proving that Bellot
Strait is navigable they have demonstrated that its
southern shore really constitutes the most northern
promontory of North America, in rounding which,
and in. sledging along the western shores of
Boothia, M'Clintock has given us reason to be-
lieve that in some favourable season the pas-
sage even by a ship may possibly be effected
from Baffin's Bay into the long and tortuous
channel which Capt. Collinson so recently navi-
gated. Again, while the resources of Lieutenant,
now Commander Hobson, not only delineated for
the first time the western shores of King William's
Island, but were signalised by the detection of the
precious "Record" of the discoveries and last days
of Franklin, with many relics, the indefatigable ,
journals of the gallant and generous volunteer,
Capt. Allen Young—(cheers)—have not only deter-
mined the outline of a large portion of Prince of
Wales's Island, hitherto entirely unvisited, but have
gone to satisfy geographers that the ice-choked
channel, to which, the name of M'Clintock has been
attached, rarely if ever offers a free passage for
ships. (Cheers.) For these successful results, ob-
tained with very slender means and under the
severest trials, the patrons' medal is bestowed on
the leader of this last expedition, whose services
have already received the warmest approbation of
his Sovereign and his country, and who will doubt-
less rejoice in knowing that he is on this occasion
the recipient of the same honour as that which is
adjudged to the noble-minded widow of Franklin.
(Cheers.) Turning to Sir R. Murchison, the pre-
sident continued—l have sincere pleasure in en-
trusting to you, Sir Roderick Murchison, this letter
to Lady Franklin, with the founder's gold medal,
which the council have awarded to her as proof of
the deep appreciation felt by the Royal Geogra-
phical Society for the services rendered to science
by her late gallant husband, and also as a token of
respect and admiration for the devotedness with
which she has pursued those inquiries which have
resulted in clearing up the fate of the crews of the
Erebus and Terror, and at the same time in making
important additions to our geographical knowledge
of the Arctic regions.
Sir RODERICK MURCHISON replied—Connected
as I have been with the Royal Geographical Society
since its foundation, I can assure you, my lord, that
no event relating to our body has given me greater
satisfaction than the unanimous and hearty ac-
quiescence of the council in the proposal which I
made to them to grant our founder's medal to
Lady Franklin. (Cheers.) Having presided over
the geographers 15 years ago, when my dear friend
Franklin last left our shores, it naturally became
me in the following years, when we began to be
anxious about the fate of the Erebus and Terror,
that I should advocate every search, both public
and__ private, which might throw a light on the
voyage of these vessels, and I have thus had abun-
dant
li
°Pliartunities of observing and testing the ster-
g qualiti n
eof a woman who has proved herself
to be worth?j the admiration of mankind. (Hear,
hear.) Nothing daunted by failure after failure—
through 12 long years of hope deferred did she
persevere with a Binagrleentess of purpose and a sin-
cere devotion which
unparalleled— (hear,
hear)—and now that herruloy7enulast expedition of
the Fox, under the gallant M'Clintock, has realised
the two great facts, that her and had traversed
wide seas unknown to former navigators, and died
in discovering a North-West Passage,then surely
I be hailed
the adjudication to her of this medal will
by the nation as well as by this society as one of
entitled. (Loud
of the
those many recompense) to which the
illustrious Franklin is eminently
cheers.) Lady Franklin's gratitude for this, the
highest testimonial we can offer, is thus feeling
ly
expressed in a letter to myself, the only drawback
to my reading of which is, that she dwells too much
on my poor though zealous services:—
" 5, Park-place, St. James's, May 24, 1860.
"My dear Sir Roderick,—As you were the first
to communicate the great honour that has been
conferred upon me by
the council of the Royal Geo-
graphical Society, and as I know you were also the
first to make the suggestion which was kindly and