One party, probably led by Fitzjames himself, went east for magnetic observations, passing Cape Felix of Ross. The other, under Graham Gore, advanced southwards to the Cape Herschel of Simpson, and thus discovered the North West Passage. Franklin’s party was thus the first to discover the connection of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
When the travelling parties returned they found that Sir John Franklin was dying. He heard of the discovery of the North West Passage, he was confident that the ships would get clear in the summer, and he was in comparative comfort. Doubtless he bade farewell to officers and men, sent messages to Lady Franklin, and died happy and full of hope. His funeral is admirably portrayed in the bas-relief below his statue, by one who knew the Arctic regions well. The beautiful epitaph in Westminster Abbey is by Franklin’s nephew-in-law, the poet Tennyson[127]—
Not here! the cold North hath thy bones, and thou
Heroic sailor soul
Art passing on thy happier voyage now
Toward no earthly pole.
The date of Sir John Franklin’s death was the 11th of June, 1847.
Whoever finds this paper is requested to forward it to the Secretary of the Admiralty, London, with a note of the time and place at which it was found: or, if more convenient, to deliver it for that purpose to the British Consul at the nearest Port.
Qu’inconque trouvera ce papier est prié d’y marquer le tems et lieu ou il l’aura trouvé, et de le faire parvenir au plutot au Secretaire de l’Amirauté Britannique à Londres.