During the three summer seasons it had never been possible to get the Victory clear of the ice. She left Felix Harbour only to be driven into another hard by, which was named Victory Harbour. A third winter was approaching, and it thus became evident that it would be absolutely necessary to abandon the ship and retreat to Fury Beach in the ensuing summer. After the third winter preparations were accordingly made for a retreat, and on May 29th, 1832, the ship was abandoned. They travelled on, going round every bay and inlet owing to the roughness of the ice outside. James Ross with a sledge crew of the strongest men, Abernethy and Park, pushed on to Fury Beach, and returned with supplies of food for the sick and weak. On July 1st they all arrived at Fury Beach, and a house was built for the winter. There were plenty of birds, 50 dovekies being shot on the 7th, and 100 on the 17th.
At Fury Beach they found three of the Fury’s boats, and Captain Ross and his nephew, with selected crews, proceeded in them to see the state of the ice in Lancaster Sound. They got as far as Leopold Harbour, and on September 2nd Captain Ross climbed the hill on the south side, about 600 feet high, but could see nothing but closely-packed ice. Returning, they left the boats in Batty Bay, and journeyed on to Fury Beach, where they passed a wretched winter—their fourth. The fifth summer found them weak and desponding. Their only hope was to meet a whaler in Lancaster Sound, and for this they set out. First there was a long journey to the boats in Batty Bay, the sick being dragged on sledges. Only two men had died, a man who had consumption when he shipped, and Mr Thomas, the carpenter. Fortunately the boats met with the Isabella whaler in Lancaster Sound, the same vessel in which Captain Ross had re-discovered Baffin’s Bay in 1818. They were hospitably received, and reached England in the following October.
Never before had explorers passed four consecutive winters in the Arctic regions. The results were commensurate with their perseverance. Upwards of 260 miles of coast line were discovered in the ship, and the sledge journeys of James Ross covered another 500 miles of newly-discovered land. The position of the magnetic pole was fixed, and a large collection of natural history specimens was made.
The gallant explorers were very cordially welcomed in England. Captain Ross was knighted and all he had expended was refunded to him. James Ross was made a Post-Captain, and many of the crew received recognition of their services. A Committee of the House of Commons refunded to Felix Booth the £18,000 he had expended on the expedition, and he was created a Baronet. Sir John Ross was appointed Consul at Stockholm in 1838.
Captain James Ross was soon employed on the magnetic survey. His services were needed in 1836 for the relief of some whalers supposed to have been frozen up. He fitted out a ship called the Cove at Hull, taking Crozier with him as First Lieutenant, and Erasmus Ommanney, then a young Lieutenant, who got his first experience of ice navigation in this voyage. The mate was A. J. Smith, who was afterwards with Ross in the Erebus.
James Ross had now served fourteen navigable seasons and eight winters in the Arctic regions, a record never reached by any other man.
CHAPTER XXVI
THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION
When Sir James Ross returned from the Antarctic expedition, there were the two well-fortified bomb vessels, the Erebus and Terror, ready for Arctic work. Sir John Barrow was still Secretary of the Admiralty, and as eager as ever for the discovery of a North West Passage. There were the ships and he knew the best man in the navy to command them. James Fitzjames made the acquaintance of young John Barrow at the time when he was in the Excellent, passing out as a gunnery lieutenant, and he afterwards became acquainted with his father. Fitzjames was certainly an exceptionally fine character, and held a splendid record. He was in all the operations on the coast of Syria in 1840, and soon afterwards he and his friend Charlwood were specially selected to take out a steamer for Colonel Chesney’s expedition, transport her in pieces across the desert, and put her together for service on the Euphrates. He served for two years with Chesney in Mesopotamia, and was the gunnery lieutenant of the Cornwallis during the China War. He was in nearly all the actions, including the command of the rocket brigade at the taking of Nankin, when he was severely wounded. Fitzjames wrote a graphic and most amusing history of the war in verse, which was published. Promoted to the rank of Commander for his distinguished services, he received command of the Clio brig, and was very usefully employed in the Persian Gulf. It was at this time that John Barrow hinted to him the possibility of Arctic work, and he at once eagerly volunteered.
When he paid off the Clio in October, 1844, the proposal was further discussed with Sir John Barrow. Before long it was settled, so far as the Secretary of the Admiralty could settle it, that there should be an expedition with Fitzjames in command, and his friend Charlwood in the second ship.
