New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-10
SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.
ARCTIC ROMANCE AND TERROR.

John Franklin was born at the market-town OF
SpilsIy. on the woIds Of Lincolnshire. lie came
Of family not few OF whose members had
achieved distinction though the Frankllns do nos
appear t. have risen above mlddiing cir"uin-
stances. John tie youngest of ten cmldIeh'
and came into the world in l'sG. Educated az
preparatory school. and later at TIE Louth gram
mar school, where some famous men, such az
Alfred Tcnnyson and Hobart Pacha. passed their
youth TIE boy al an early age developed strong
inclination fer the sea, within ten miles Of which
he had been reared Hoping TO cure him Of this
longing, bis parents took him from school aud
sent him on board a small merchant ship, iii
which lie made trip TO Lisbon and back. But
the rough experience failed 10 disiuslonHe the
boy. and nothing would serve but that he must
enter the royal navy Finding him re>olutc. his
friends finally yielded and obtained for him. III
1900. an appointment as IA frst-clasS Noiun'oo'
on H. NJ : Polyphemus, a siNty-iour-guh
frigatc Young Franklin just in time 10 '"Nc
part in the battle of Copenhagen. lie escaped
without hurt from that ierccy fought engage
ment, and was next appointed mdshipnlan on inc
Investigator, commissioned for discovery III inc
southern hemisphere under Lieutenant Matthew
Flinders. already well known an energetic en-
plorer Flinders had seen much service WIN sew
cral of the great discoveries, and was III all ways
especially fitted Tor his work. On the coast o'
Australia he had done much useful surveying
making one occasion an expedition VI o'''
500 miles in an eight-foot boat. accompanied Only
by DR.. Bass, another enthusiast, and boy
The Investigator sailed in 1901, under IN
structons to make as complete an examination "s
was possible of the coast Of Ncw-llolahu, "S
Australia was then called. In effect Flinders was
instructed 10 examine the entire Seapoaro vi AUS
tralia, and he further cnJolned ho' 10 IT,
turn to England until the enterprise was coni-
peted. 1t was on this voyage that young riaN
lin acouircd that passion Cor exploration which
shaped his career Captain Markham gives an
interesting account of the important surveying
work done by Captain Flinders and his sclentlhc
staff. though the Investigator soon proved to De
such rotten and leaky old tub that the lives 81
all on board were constantly in peril, and 1t was
n certainty that a severe gale would send her 10
III, bottom. FINALLY she had to be condemned AT
Port Jackson and CAPTAIN Flinders and portion
of his crew were sent home in the armed VesseI
Porpose on whose books Franklin was entered as
masters mate in SOB. The Porpoise. however,
ran on an unknown reef in Torres Strait. ana the
crrw escaped with difficulty. and reached Canton
whence Franklin, with most OF the shps eoui-
pany, took passage for England on tie Last lhdla-
man Cumberland, and set out with squadron o.
richly laden shins. sixteen in number. under Tie
command of Commodore Nathaniel Dance. Now
French squadron under Admiral LIMOS was on the
lookout for this great prZo. and came upon them
Just as they entering the Straits OF Nlalacca
Iinois of course thought the capture of fleet OF
merchantmen by his own hcavy-m'talled men-oi-
war forecorc conclusion: but he had not reclS-
oned with Nathaniel Dance, who instead Of rum
ming away. sgnslled to his consorts to clear for
al, Ilt- lin IF "a
advanced upon the Frcnchmen. This bold move
pcrpcxcd LIMOS who began 70 think he had men
of-war opposed to him instead of Fast lndiamen
So lc hauled 10 the wind and stood OIL cautiously
Night was falins,. and he preferred ~ wait for
daylight.
Tn merchant fleet its side. lay TO for the
night, Dance scorning to make his escape under
cover of the darkness. Next day LIMOS at last
determined TO begin hostties, but he was in
stantly met with broadsdes, and after three
quarters of an hour of fighting the French Admiral
had enough of it, and made sail away, Dance
throwing ont the signal for a general chase. OF
course he did not desire 10 catch the enemy, but
after u couple of hours Of pursuit hc recalled his
ships and proceeded on his hOmeward course 1t
is doubtful if another example can he found Of
a merchant fleet beating OFF a squadron of liners
and frieatcs and Commodore Dance won great
rcnown In 1904 Franklin appointed TO the
Reerophon as n midshipma1 and wGS signal
mdshpInan OF that vessel during the Battle OF
Trafalgar Aftel this he saw service in various
ports OF the world. and present at the attack
on New-Oreans, from which the British retired
with 30 little glory and so much loss. The peace
OF 1915 led 10 the reduction of the navy, and
Franklin was, with many others shelvcd half
pay. In this enforced period of leisure lie turned
his attention to :, ,nthc pursuits and interested
himself especially in Arctic exploration. 1t was
in 1915 that Daniel Buchan selected 10 com
mand an expedition to bc dispatched in quest
Of the North Pole, and Franklin served as a
lieutenant on the Trent in that expedition.
1t need only be said that this voyage had no
positive results The ships were early beset IN
the ice and never got anywhere near the North
Pole There was plenty ofeXctemcnt and danger
and privation but tie outcome merely a
repetition of the experience of the earlier Northern
explorers. It's main value to Franklin was
educational.
The Government, however. was not discouraged.
and it resolved to prosecute further researches in
high ATTITUDES and to adventure again upon the
northwest passage enterprise The new eXedl-
tiOn was double party in ships was to continue
the work of exploration 10 the westward by BAT
FMS Bay and parry was TO explore by land
along the northern shore Of Arctic America Parry
was put in charge OF the naval expedition, and
Franklin of the land exploration The descrip
ton OF this journey by Captain Markham is very
interesting. The outward march carried for
ward successfully and with important acquisitions
TO the geographical knowledge Of the day. But
the return journey was terrible. Orders had been
given for the establishment Of a depot halfway,
but the Indians engaged for this work had neg
lected it, and when the travellers reached the place
where they counted OF finding fun supplies there
was nothing there. They had exhausted their
provisions already. and they had TO subsist hest
they might upon rock-lichen, the leather of their
boots, strips of scalskin, and such substitutes for
nourishng food. But for the courage and energy
of Back, who at the most desperate crisis pushed
forward found some Indians and brought them