, 1860-10-12
LADY FRANKLIN.


has for years been linked with all that is
noble, heroic, and Christian; and it seems
not inappropriate that We should briefly
sketch the events that have brought her so
prominently before the public. Lady
Franklin was the daughter of John Griffin,
Esq, f. S. A., and became the second wife
of Sir John Franklin, on the 18th Of March,
1918, in the 2Sth year Of her age. In
1886 she accompanied her husband to Tas-
mania, or Van Diemau's Land, over which
he had been appointed Govern, aud re-
turned with him to England in lS43. The
people of Tasmania have ever held in CRATE
ful memory the kind deeds Of Sir John and
his wife, and long after their departure they
sent Lady Franklin the sum Of 81, to
assist in defraying the expenses Of the
search for her absent husband.
On the 10th day of May, ls45, Sir John
set out from England in search Of North
west passage, expecting to return in q
couple of years, at the furthest. Towards
the close of l847 alarm began to be felt
for the safety of the party, and early 10 the
following year three different expeditions
were dispatched by the British Govern
ment in search Of the missing navigators.
The failure of these 10 find any traces Of
FraDklin's party induced the Government,
in lS49, to offer reward Of GOO, 900 to
any private exploring party Of any country,
which should succeed in aiding the lost nav
igators. AT this time began the efforts Of
Lady Franklin, which have won for her the
admiration of the world. From her own
private purse she caused to be transported
to Cape Hay, on the southern side Of Lam
caster Bay, cargo Of Goals and provisions,
to be at the service Of any who should ven
ture upon search for her husband.
In the year 1850, no less than eight ex-
peditions were fitted out, which may be
briefly enumerated as follows: That Of DR..
Rae; the Behring's Strait expedition, con-
sisting of the Enterprise, Capt COllinson,
and the Investigator, Commander Mcclure;
the Government Bafin's Bay expedition,
consisting Of the Resolute, Capt. Austin.
and the Assistance, Capt. Ommauey, to-
gether with the propellers Pioneer and In
trepid, in charge Of Capt. Osborne; the
schooner Felix, with a small tender, the
Mary, put forward by public subscription,
and commanded by Sir John Ross; the
Lady Franklin, fitted out by lady Frank
lin, and commanded by Captain Penny; the
schooner Prince Albert, two-thirds Of the
cost of which was betrayed by Lady
Franklin; the American expedition, con-
sistiDg Of the Advance and Rescue, under
command OF Lieut De Haven; and lastly,
the North Star, transport ship, contain
ing stores for the expedition Of Sir James
Ross None Of these were successful, and
both the British and American nations
were inclined to relinquish all further efforts
to determine the fate Of Franklin and his
party, who had now been absent over six
years. But not so with Lady Franklin
The report brought back by Sir John Ross,
that the Franklin party had been murder
ed by the Esquimaux in Wostenholm
Sound, induced this devoted wife to send
in the summer Of 1852, the screW-steamer
Isabel, Commander IngIefeld, to make
thorough examination Of the Sound. Three
months, Previous however, Sir Edward
Belcher was sent out by the government in
command Of FIVE vessels, the Assistance,
Resolute, North Star, Pioneer, and Intrep-
i'd In the spring Of the year following,
the celebrated Kane expedition sailed from
New York, and at nearly the same time
Lady Franklin despatched the steamer Isa-
bel and the ship Raitlesnake, while the
Lady Franklin aud Phoenix we're sent to
Barrow's straits TO aid Sir Edward Beleh-
er. Excepting the valuable scientific dis
coveries made by these several expeditions.
particularly by that of DR.. Kane, little pro-
gress was made in ascertaining the fate Of
the Franklin party, and the hopes Of the
most sanguine were given up. Still, the
wife Of the explorer, with that womanly
feeling which knows no such word as de-
spair, determined to make one final effort
to settle the question. Cheerfully empty
ing her purse, now very low, because Of the
repeated drains upon it-and persuading
her friends to aid her, she fitted out the
little steamer Fox, and in 1857, Capt. Nc
Clintock, with twenty-eight stalwart British
seamen, bid farewell to England uptil they
should ascertain, if possible, the fate Of
Sir John Franklin. The search proved q
successful one On the northwest coast Of
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