The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-10-12
by the British government in search of the
missing navigators.

The failure OF these to find any traces Of
Franklin's party induced the government,
in l849, to offer a reward of 100000 to
any private exploring party, of any country
which should succeed in aiding the lost navi-
gators. At this time began the efforts OF
Lady Franklin, which have won for her the
admiration of the world. From her own
purse she caused to be transported to Cape
Hay, on the southern side of Lancaster Bay,
a cargo of Goals and provisions, 70 be at the
service of such as should venture upon the
search for her husband.
In the year 1850 no less than eight ex-
petitions were fitted out, which may be
briefly. enumerated as follows that of DR..
Rae the Behring's Strait expedition, con-
sistiDg of the Enterprise, Captain Collision,
and the Investigator, Commander Mcclure;
the Government Bafin's Bay expedition,
consisting of the ships Resolute, Captain
Austin, and the Assistance, Captain Om-
nancy, together with the screw propellers
Pioneer and Intrepid, in charge Of Captain
Sherrard Osburne; theschooner Felix, with
small tender, the Mary, put forward by
by public subscription, and commanded by
Sir John Rose the Lady Franklin, fitted
out by Lady Franklin, and commanded by
Captain Penny; the. schooner Prince Albert,
two-thirds of the cost of which was betrayed
by Lady Franklin; the American expedi-
ton, consisting of the Advance and Rescue,
under the command of Lieutenant DeHaven;
and lastly the North Star, transport ship,
containing stores for the expedition of Sir
John 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 murdered
by the Esquimaux in Wostenholm Sound,
induced this devoted wife to send, in the
hummer of 1852, the screw steamer Isabel,
Commander Inglefeld, to make a careful
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 Intrepid. In the spring
of the year following, the celebrated Kane
expedition sailed from New York, and at
nearly the same time Lady Franklin des-
patched the steamer Isabel and the ship
Rattlesnake, while the Lady Franklin and
Phoenix were sent to Barrow's Straits, to
aid Sir Edward Belcher. Excepting the
valuable scientific discoveries made by these
several expeditions, particularly that of DIR.
Kane, little progress was made in ascertain.
ing 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 that knows no such word
as despair, determined to make one final
effort to settle the question. Cheerfully
emptying her purse--now very low, because
of the repeated drains upon it; and per-
suading her friends to aid her, she fitted out
the small steamer Fox, and in 1857 Captain
McClintock, twenty -eight stalwart British
seamen, bid farewell to England until they
should ascertain, if possible, the fate of Sir
John Franklin. On the northwest coast of
King Williams Island simple piece of
board was found, telling tale which none
had heard of before, that the ships Erebus
and Terror had been abandoned on the 22d
of April, 1848, and-saddest of all-that
the leader of the party had died on the 18th
of June, l947, the very year he expected to
return. The news reached England in Sep
TENDER, 1859.
Thus were the efforts of Lady Franklin
rewarded, though the hopes which had sus-
tanned her for twelve long years were crushed.
Since the arrival of Captain McClintock,
this estimable lady has lived very quietly,
stunning society rather than counting it, and
affordiDg in her retirement noble example
of an earnest, faithful woman Chicago
Democrat