M’Clintock’s two large sledges, when loaded, weighed 2000 lb., or 228 lb. per man on starting. Of the sledge crew of 1851 Salmon was still well and hearty. George Green, ice quartermaster, was captain of the sledge, an excellent man; Henry Giddy, boatswain’s mate, was almost equally good. May 4th, 1853, was a day to be remembered, the beginning of the greatest sledge journey but one on record. The sledges were drawn up in two lines with their banners displayed, and started. M’Clintock and his depôt sledge advanced over the land to Cape Nias. Mecham and Nares went away under sail to the westward, with a fair wind.
M’Clintock and De Bray, a young French naval officer lent to the expedition, proceeded with the depôt sledge along the north coast to Cape Fisher, the extreme point seen by Parry. Here De Bray and the depôt sledge returned, while M’Clintock turned south to make sure of connecting his work with that of Mecham. He travelled along the west coast of Melville Island and considered that it presented the most beautiful Arctic scenery he had ever seen. A great unknown land had long been in sight to the westward to which he gave the name of Prince Patrick Island. It was on May 14th, 1853, that M’Clintock landed on his new discovery at Point Wilkie, named after his old sledge captain, and geologically a place of great importance, as exhibiting a patch of has formation with fossils. The north end of Prince Patrick Island was reached on the 11th June, and M’Clintock went on to some islands which he named the Polynia Isles. In the offing there was a line of very heavy pack ice, with hummocks 35 ft. high. The most northern point reached was 77° 43′, and here, sending back the sledge to the depôt, the explorer proceeded down the western coast with a satellite sledge over flat sand-banks, with a continuous line of stupendous hummocks in the offing. They rejoined the parent sledge on the 25th June. M’Clintock’s next discovery was named Emerald Isle, most of the usual Arctic plants and abundant moss being found on it. The return journey entailed terrible work owing to the water on the floes.
M’Clintock had been away 105 days and the sledge had gone over 1030 geographical miles in 99 marches, at a rate of 10½ miles a day.
The examination of bays and inlets with the satellite sledge amounted to 62½ miles, making the whole distance 1210 geographical or 1408 statute miles. The lowest temperature was -24° Fahr.; the number of positions fixed was 22. This journey was by far the greatest Arctic effort with sledges that has ever been made by men alone.
Mecham did splendid work to the eastward. Nares[132] commanded the depôt sledge, and Mecham’s sledge captain was James Tullett, a capital sailor, who was in the Assistance. Travelling over the south-west part of Melville Island Mecham crossed a strait, and discovered an island which received the name of Eglinton, where Nares left the depôt and returned. Another journey across a strait brought Mecham to the south-west point of Prince Patrick Island. He then explored its southern and western coasts until he reached a point within 16 miles of M’Clintock’s furthest, coming from the north. Mecham’s principal discovery was the remains of trees. At Cape Manning, on the south coast, there were a considerable number of stems of trees with the bark on, 90 feet above the sea. Returning, Mecham crossed the land during the three last days of May and found, in a ravine, a tree protruding 8 feet, and several others with a circumference of 4 feet.
The young explorer then connected his work with that of M’Clintock on the east side of Prince Patrick Island, thus making these vast discoveries complete. He got plenty of fresh food for his people, killing four musk oxen, seven reindeer, sixteen hares, forty ptarmigan, twelve ducks and geese, and two plover. He was absent 91 days, and went over 1006 geographical or 1173 statute miles, thus averaging 12½ miles a day. His discoveries amounted to 785 miles of new country.
Vesey Hamilton explored the northern extremity of Melville Island, called the Sabine Peninsula, starting on the 27th April with a seven-man sledge and a satellite sledge. The captain of his sledge was Ice-Quartermaster George Murray, who had served in both the expeditions of Ross and Austin. He was a seaman of long experience and great ability, with literary talent of no mean order, as his contributions to the Aurora Borealis show. Having explored the whole eastern side of Melville Island, Hamilton crossed the channel with his satellite and two men to Bathurst Island, where he met Sherard Osborn, who had explored the northern side of this island with its two deep inlets, and sighted another large island to the north which was named after Mr Findlay, the cartographer. Hamilton then returned to his main sledge, and reaching the extreme northern point of the Sabine Peninsula, discovered two islands which were named Vesey Hamilton and Markham after his old messmates in the Assistance. He returned to the ship after an absence of 54 days, having covered 663 statute miles, and made some interesting discoveries. This completed the extensive explorations of 1853, comprising 1800 miles of coast line.
The officers and crew of the Investigator had been rescued from the fate of Franklin and his people by Mecham’s discovery of M’Clure’s record. On the arrival of the sledge with the good news at the Bay of Mercy, Captain M’Clure travelled to the Resolute to discuss arrangements with Captain Kellett. It was determined to abandon the Investigator, officers and crew being housed on board the Resolute and Intrepid. Thus was a third North West Passage discovered.
Lieut. Cresswell of the Investigator with 26 officers and men were despatched to the North Star at Beechey Island to be sent home at the first opportunity. The Admiralty had sent out the Phoenix, commanded by Captain Inglefield, and the Breadalbane transport, under Mr Fawckner, Master R.N., to communicate. The Breadalbane was crushed by the ice off Beechey Island and sank. Captain Inglefield had brought out with him Lieut. Bellot, the young French officer who had been with Kennedy. Most unfortunately the ice floe on which he was, with some men, got adrift. It was never known exactly what happened, but he must have slipped off the ice and was drowned. Lieut. Cresswell and his party went home in the Phoenix.
Mindful of the possibility that Captain Collinson might reach Melville Island in the Enterprise, Captain Kellett built a large house, 40 feet by 14, of stone with a wooden roof covered with painted canvas, in which a depôt was placed of seven months’ provisions for sixty men, and a cairn was built on Dealy Island, 42 tons of stone being used in its construction.