The lands of silence

by Sir Clements R. Markham

Sir John Franklin

Fitzjames was an orphan, an excellent sailor, full of zeal and devoted to his profession. He was exceedingly popular, and an officer of rare ability, with a talent for organisation and the management of men, the beau ideal, in short, of an Arctic leader. But Sir John Barrow reckoned without his Lords. They approved the scheme, but pronounced Fitzjames, who was 33, and four years older than Parry in his first voyage, to be much too young to have the command.

Sir John Franklin had just returned from Tasmania, where he had made an excellent Governor. But in the last year he had suffered much annoyance from the insubordinate and disloyal intrigues of the Colonial Secretary. Lord Stanley, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, took the part of the intriguer and not only treated Sir John Franklin with great injustice but with flagrant discourtesy. Franklin came home very sore at heart, and when he heard of the expedition he pressed for the command. But he was nearly 60, at least 20 years too old. Sir James Ross, fifteen years younger, had been offered it, but declined on the score of age. Lady Franklin wrote that “such an appointment would do more than anything else to counteract the effect of Lord Stanley’s tyranny and injustice.” “I dread exceedingly the effect on his mind of being without honourable and immediate employment.” Lord Haddington, the first Lord, then consulted Sir Edward Parry, who represented that the refusal of Sir John’s application would be a severe blow to him. He was appointed with some hesitation and misgiving. Sir John Barrow then assured Fitzjames that he would have the command of the second ship. But Captain Crozier, who was at Naples, came back and laid claim to the second ship as an experienced Arctic officer. He was appointed, though much too old. All this was a bitter disappointment to Fitzjames. But when Sir John Barrow told him he could go as commander under Franklin if he thought it worth his while, he at once accepted. He was delighted with Franklin and they worked together in perfect harmony.

Fitzjames naturally had a good deal to do with the appointment of officers. The First Lieutenant of the Erebus was Graham Gore, who was at the battle of Navarino, and with Sir George Back in the Terror. He served in the China war under Nias, who had been Parry’s midshipman in his first two voyages and was “a man of great stability of character, a very good officer, and the sweetest of tempers” wrote Fitzjames. The second Lieutenant was Le Vescomte, who was First Lieutenant with Fitzjames in the Clio; the third, Fairholme, had been through trying adventures in Africa. When in command of a prize slaver he was wrecked on the African coast and captured by the Moors, who carried him off as a prisoner, but he was ultimately rescued by some French negroes on the Senegal. He next served with Fitzjames in the Ganges in the Mediterranean, afterwards volunteering for Trotter’s Niger expedition. He went up the river as far as Egga, but was invalided. Afterwards he was in the Excellent and Superb until he joined the Erebus. He was a zealous, smart young officer, as also was Des Voeux, who was with Fitzjames in the Cornwallis. He was then “a most unexceptionable, light-hearted, obliging young fellow.” Of the two youngest officers, Sargent and Crouch, many good things were said. In the Terror were Hodgson, who was with Fitzjames in the Cornwallis, and Irving, a relation of Sir George Clerk of Penicuick[125], who had had experience of roughing it in the Australian bush. Hornby—a good officer and messmate but a little disappointed at having so long to wait for his promotion—and young Thomas, were the mates in the Terror. Dr Goodsir, a man of considerable scientific attainments, was the naturalist in the Erebus, and Macdonald, the Assistant Surgeon of the Terror, had been for a cruise in a whaler, and had some knowledge of the Eskimo language.

Sir Edward Parry was often down at Woolwich when the ships were fitting out, giving Fitzjames the benefit of his experience. The Erebus was an old bomb vessel of 370 tons, very strongly built, and with a capacious hold. The Terror was also a bomb vessel, rather smaller, of 340 tons, repaired after Back’s voyage, and specially strengthened. Fitzjames was very anxious to have steam power. There was little time, but it was arranged that each ship should have a small auxiliary engine and screw, to propel them a few knots during calms. This was the first time a screw steamer was used in Arctic service.

Crowds of visitors came to see the ships before they left Woolwich. On the 18th of May Sir John Franklin performed divine service for the first time, off Greenhithe, and on the 19th the expedition started with the brightest prospects.

Franklin’s instructions were to make for the coast of North America by passing west of Cape Walker, high land seen by Parry at a distance, to the south of Barrow’s Strait. He was also authorized to try a route by Wellington Channel, if he found it free of ice.

At the Whale Fish Islands the observatory for magnetic observations was set up on the same little island where Parry had done similar work in his third voyage. From here they sailed away to battle with the ice. The Erebus and Terror were last seen by the Prince of Wales whaler, Captain Dannett, in 74° 48′ N., 66° 13′ W. All were well and in remarkable spirits.

The expedition reached Lancaster Sound. Wellington Channel was found to be clear of ice, and Sir John Franklin was persuaded to try that route. Passing Cape Riley, Fitzjames must have noticed the excellent winter quarters formed by Beechey Island. Reid, the Greenland pilot of the Erebus, and Blanky of the Terror, who had served with Ross, were in their respective crow’s nests, reporting “Water ahead! large water!” So the ships sailed gaily up the channel for a hundred miles, reaching 77° N. There they were stopped by impenetrable floes of heavy ice. The ships’ heads were accordingly turned to the south and they sailed down a strait which they discovered between Cornwallis and Bathurst Islands, finally taking up winter quarters in the snug harbour formed by Beechey Island. Great discoveries had been made, and no expedition had ever accomplished so much in a first season.

The winter at Beechey Island was no doubt passed happily. There was scientific work, and such a genial commander as Fitzjames would be sure to have provided plenty of amusement for officers and men. In the spring a workshop and an observatory were built on shore, and a garden was laid out with all the flora of North Devon. The naturalist had a station at Cape Riley. Shooting camps were formed at Cape Bowden to the north, and Caswall’s Tower to the east, sending in supplies of fresh food for the ships’ companies. But a cloud loomed upon their horizon, for the terrible discovery was made that the greater part of the tinned provisions were unfit for food. A third winter would be fatal.