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Lea diagrammas suivants illustrent la mithoda. y errata )d to (It ie pelure. pon il 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ] Whoi NAl " mui "Toi •• the " gavi "lofl •• iiihi " ieer ROYAL m^/^ NAVAL BIOGRAPHY; OR, iltemoirjer of tl^e ^ttli^itt^ OF ALL THE FLAG-OFFICERS, SUPERANNUATED REAR-ADMIRALS, RETIRED-CAPTAINS, POST-CAPTAINS, AND COMMANDERS, Whose Names appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea-Officers at the commence • ment of the year 1823, or who liave since been promoted ; Illustrated by a Series of HISTORICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, Which will be found to contain an account of all the NAVAL ACTIONS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT EVEN'i'S, FROM THE COMMBNCBMENT OF THE LATE REION, IN 17^)0, TO THE PRESENT PERIOD. WITH COPIOUS ADDENDA. By JOHN MARSHALL (b), LIXUTr'NANTfN THE ROTAL NAVY. "Failurctf however frequent, may admit of extenuation and apology, lonavc atKn|i< •■ much is always laudable, even when the enterprise is above the strength that undertalces it. " To deliberate whenever I doubted, to enquire whenever I was iguorant, would have protracted " the undertaking without end, and perhaps without improvement. I saw tliat one enquiry only " gave occasion to another, that book referred to book, that to search was not always totind, and "to And was not always to be informed; and that thus to puisne perfection, was, like the flrst " inhabitants of Arcadia, to chase the sun, which, when they had reached the hill where he *' seemed to rest, wm itlil beheld at the same distance from them," JuKntQ*. VOL. III.- PART I. Loittion : I'HINTEn FOIt LONU.MAN, KEES, OKMU, IIKUWN, AND GKEEN, lATERNOSlEK HOW. 1831. -^fr ■K jti- /♦■ X)^ V ' ■ - I 9 1'( R I / J i 1 r,- . ./ ' V I ' ; '■•'• ■ ■•■ ■■■•-■.:■ i, 1..', .,. , • 1 . j( ><..i\ I ..• .1 . J. , I 1 ,1 ■ ' '. I t I'llllllii . 't ■''•! f III ,VJ I li I Ul'j W. Poplc, Primer, (17, Chancer)' Lane. J APPENDIX. 'I,,!, (■ 11 Pageir, 22, 53, 66, 72, 90, 107, 129, 130, 158, 159, 165, 166, 246, 248, 250, 314, Appendix, ERRATA. line 19,/or Company's rearf Companies' 1 1 frum the bottom, dele the comma after be 10,ybr 24 r/e>r Suazos rfCH/Suazo — 2 1 ,for Lacey read Lasey — 12,/or KhahanreorfKhdhan — 22, far a plain read a small plain 1 1 from the bottom, for fiumaras read fiumare ? ~~2. — 7T^ '•^'"" ^enna read Grenna — - b, after Iphigenia insert a comma — ^ from the bottom, fw yards read y&rd — 7, afier master insert a semicolon — 13 from the bottom, after carronades,/or 354 read 3b2 — 1,/br suveyor »ca - 195 Baird, Wynne - - - 298 Barber, Daniel - - - 223 Barclay, Robert Heriott - 186 Barrington, Hon. George - 283 Beechey, Frederick William - 302 Blackwood, Henry Martin - 297 Blackwood, Price - - - 73 Bowen, Charles • - - 271 oxer, Edward - - - 92 Buchan, David . - - 83 Burton, James Ryder - - 178 Carew, Charles Hallowell - 295 Chads, Henry Ducie - - 237 Chapman, kham Fleming • 196 Churchill, Lord Henry J. S. - 885 Clowes, Thoipas Ball - - 83 Colchester, Right Hon. Lord 280 Couch, James - • > 134 Curtis, Timothy . . - 290 Curzon, Edward - - - 68 Denman, Edmund - •317 Devon, Thomas Barker • 227 Dundas, Henry - • - 211 Dundas, Hon. Richard Saunders 183 Eden, Henry ... - 300 Edwards, Henry . • -284 Fead, Francis - - -288 Filmore, John ... 184 Fitz-Clarence, Adolphus - 195 Franklin, Sir John - - 1 Fremantle, Charles Howe - 285 Gore, John (6) - - - 271 Gosling, George ... 273 Grace, Percy - - - 199 Graham, Joun George - • 278 Hire, George Augustus - - 225 Hope, Charles Hope • • 281 Hoppner, Henry Parkvns - 279 Hotham, William • ' - -212 Jane, Henry - - - -223 Johnstone, Charles J. Hope • 290 Johnstone, William J. Hope - 96 KcaU, William • - -283 Lambert, George Robert - 272 Page Lambert, Henry - - - 256 Leeke, Henry John - - 2»^3 Leith, John - - - - 279 Lempriere, George Ourry - 227 Litchfield, Henry - - - 289 Lyon, George Francis - « 100 Marryat, Frederick - - 261 Martin, Henry Byam - - 298 Martin, Thomas - - - 284 Martin, William Fanshawe - 182 Mitchell, Charles • • .215 Montagu, James - . - 182 Nixon, Christopher - - 217 Paget, Lord William - - 287 Pakenham, John . - - 287 Patton, Robert - - - 299 Pettman, Thomas - - - 9i Phillips, Charles - - . 7G Prickett, Thomas - - - 185 Randolph, Charles GrenviUc " 295 Rich, George Frederick - 94 Roberts, John Walter . - 90 Rochfort, William . - 282 Rous, Hon. Henry John - 74 Saumarez, Richard • > 179 Seymour, Michael - - 28(i Shannon, Rodney ... 284 Simeon, Charles > - - 291 Simpson, William - - - 185 Skekel, John - ■ - 223 Smith, Thomas - - - 272 Smyth, William Henry - - 125 Stoddart, John - - - 227 Stopford, Hon. Montagu - 216 Strangways, Charles - - 296 Tait, Robert - - - - 294 Thornbrough, Edward Lc Cras 292 Thornton, Samuel - - 300 Trefusis, Hon. George R. W. - 182 Vidal, Alexander T. E. - - 278 Walker, Charles Montagu • 225 Warrand, Thomas - - 270 Webb, William - - - 289 Wetherall, Frederick A. - 289 Williams, Edward Richard - 297 Yates, Richard Augustus 291 Yorke, Charles Philip - - 236 ^ '5 ROYAL NAVAL BIOGRAPHY. POST-CAPTAINS OF 182i. (Continued). I ^ SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, Knt. Doctor of the Civil Law ; Fellow of the Royal Society, Sfc. SfC. ^-c. THfs officer is a brother to the hite Sir VVillingham Frank- lin, Knt., one of the Puisne Judges at Madras, and was born at Spilsby, co. Lincoln, in the year 1786. He entered the royal navy, at the age of fourteen years, as midshipman on board the Polyphemus 64, Captain (now Admiral) John Law - ford, which ship was attached to Lord Nelson's division, and sustained a loss of five men killed and twenty-five wounded, at the daring and successful attack on the Danish line of defence before Copenhagen, April 2d, 1801 *. We after- wards find him proceeding to New Holland, in the Investi- gator sloop. Captain Matthew Flinders, under whose com- mand he continued until that vessel, proving unfit vif further service, was laid up at Port Jackson, in July, 1803. He was then received as supernumerary master's-mate, on board the Porpoise store-ship. Lieutenant (now Captain) Robert Mer- rick Fowler, with whom he suffered shipwreck on a coral reef, in lat. 22° II' S. long. 155° 13' E., Aug. 17th follow- ing. " His activity and perseverance in assisting to save the stores and provisions on that occasion, were truly praisc- • Sec Vol, I. pp. 3C5— 3/1, und id. p. 498, VOL. ril. PART I. B 2 rOST-CAP FAINS OF 1822. worthy ;" and his suhscquent behaviour on board the Earl Camden, East Indiaman, where he had the superintendence of the signals in Captain Dance's celebrated rencontre with Mons. Linois, was such as to gain him the warmest com- mendations. The loss of the Porpoise, and the discomfiture of the French squadron, are described in pp. 36/ — 'SJS of Suppl. Part. II. Mr. Franklin next joined the Bellerophon 74, and " had diarge of the signal department, the duties of which he per- formed with very conspicuous zeal and activity," at the me- morable battle of Trafalgar. The loss then sustained by that always highly distinguished ship amounted, according to the official returns, to 27 officers and men, including her captain (John Cooke) killed, and 123 wounded*; we are informed, however, that at least ten men received wounds, some of a severe nature, who did not report tliem- aelves injured. Of about forty persons stationed with Mr. Franklin on the poop, not more than eight escaped un- hurt. Among the fortunate few was a veteran sailor, named Christopher Beaty, yeoman of the signals, who, seeing the ensign shot away a third time, mounted the mizen-rigging with the largest union-jack he could lay his hand upon, de- liberately stopped the four corners of it, with as much spread as possible, to the shrouds, and regained the deck unhurt, the French riflemen in the tops, and on the poop of I'Aigle 74, seeing what he was about, and seemingly in admiration of such daring conduct, having suspended their fire for the few seconds that he remained aloft : this forbearance on the part of the enemy was the more noble, as they had pre- viously picked off every man that appeared before the Belle- rophon's mizen-mast. . . Mr. Franklin continued in the same ship until Oct. 180/, when he joined the Bedford 74, Captain (now Rear-Admi- ral) James Walker, of which latter he was appointed an act- ing lieutenant on the 6th of December following : his first commission bears date Feb. 11th, 1808. * Sec Vol. II. Part H. p. %!>. we l'0«T-C ATTAINS OF 1822. 3 The Bedforii formed '^irt of the s(iuadroii sent, by Sir W. Sidney Smith, to eseort the royal family of Port igal from Lisbon to South America, Avhcrc she was communded for several months by the late Cai)tain Adam Mackeii/ie, but latterly by Captain Walker. On her return to Europe, she was attached to the North Sea fleet ; and principally em- ployed in the blockade of Flushing, until the peace with France in 1814. She then assisted in escorting the allied sovereigns from Boulogne to England ; and afterwards pro- ceeded with the expedition against New Orleans. On the 14th Dec. in the same year. Lieutenant Franklin was slightly wounded, while leading the Bedford's boats to the attack of five large American gun-vessels, stationed in Lac Borgne, the capture of which force has been described at p. 4, et seij. of Suppl. Part IV. The laborious exertions and great privations of the offi- cers and seamen employed with the army during the subse- quent operations against New Orleans, very few of whom ever slept one night on board their ships for a period of about seven weeks, have seldom been equalled : an outline of the services they performed is given at p. C37, et seq. of our first volume ; but it is here necessary to add, that a party under Lieutenant Franklin assisted in cutting a canal across the entire neck of land between the Bayou Catalan and the Mis- sissippi, of sufficient width and depth to admit of boats being brought up from Lac Borgne, for the purpose of transport- ing a military detachment, with 300 sailors and marines, to the right bank of the river, as a diversion in favor of the main attack upon the enemy's entrenched position. The fatigue undergone, in the prosecution of this work, no words can sufficiently describe ; yet it was pursued without repin- ing, and so far effected as to enable boats enough for the con- veyance of COO men to reach their destination : the soil through which the canal was dug being soft, parts of the bank gave way, and, choking up the chf.nnel, prevented the heaviest of the boats from getting foru ard : otherwise it was intended to have pushed over 1400 men. The brilliant re- sult of tlic dash acroKs the Mississippi, on the morning of B 2 4 POST-CArXAINH OF 1822. Jan. 8th, 181.5, is stated in our memoir of CaptJiin Rowland Money, C. B., under whom Lieutenant Franklin was then serving, at the head of the Bedford's small arm men. After the failure of the principal .ittack upon the ene- my's lines, the armament proceeded to Isle Dauphinc, where Sir John Lamhert, who had succeeded to the com- mand of the army on the fall of Sir Edward Pakcnham, ad- dressed the following letter to Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrnne : '* The oporiuions on whicli the two services are engaj^ed being inter- rupted for tlie present, and as there is snnne uncertauity whether they may again he resumod, I wish to take the opportunity, previous to your sailing, of expressing how much tlie army is indebted to the active co- operations and zealous services of the navy. " It would he presumption in me to call to your notice the distinguished ftag-olficcrs and captains of the fleet under your command ; but there are u few individuals of junior rank whose exertions and intelligence have so repeatedly been the admiration of the general and superior ofliccrs under whose orders they have been acting on shore, at every service, from the first arrival of the forces under the late Major-General Ross on the coast of An»c- rica, that I (eel I should be deficient in my cfore you, in the hope that they may be transmitted by you to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, sanctioned by your appro- bation and recommendation for promotion, viz.; Lieutenants Curzun and Haymes, who have each acted as aide-de-camp to general officers ; Lieu- tenants Fletcher, of H. M. S. Norge ; Franklin, of the Bedford; and Fos- ter, of the Asia. Lieutenant Haymes received the last words of the much lamented JMajor-General Ross, and afterwards was attached to the late Major-Giucral Gibbs. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " John Lamoert.** A copy of this letter was transmitted by Sir Alexander Cochrane to the Admiralty. • Lieutenant Franklin's next appointments were, — Sept. 7th, 1815, to be first of the Forth 40, Captain Sir William Bol- ton, which ship was paid off after conveying the Ditchess d' Angoul^me from England to Dieppe; — and, Jan. 14th, 18)8, to command the Trent hired brig, under the orders of Cap- tain Edward Buchan, to whom was assigned the task of in- quiring into the state of the Polar Sea, to the northward of Spit/borgcti, while another expedition, under Captain John ohu rosT-cAprAiN5 OF 1822. 5 Ross, was directed to examine the unexplored part of the cast coast of North America, within the Arctic circle, and to endeavour to pass along the northern shore of that continent to Beiiring's St-ait. On his return from the above service, of which an authen- tic account will be found in our memoir of the officer who conducted it. Lieutenant Franklin volunteered to y John HeplMirii, anl |»r(>vidrd 8 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 11 Willi two cariolcs and two sledges : their drivers and «logs were furnished ill equal proportions by the two trading ('ompanies *. Fifteen days' pro- visions so completely filled the sledges, that it was with difficulty we found room for a small sextant, one suit of clothes, and three changes of linen, together with our bedding. Notwithstanding we thus restricted ourselves, und even loaded the carioles with part of the baggage, instead of going in them ourselves, we did not set out without considerable grumbling from the drivers, respecting the overloading of their dogs. The weight usually placed upon a sledge, drawn by three dogs, cannot, at the com- mencement of a journey, be estimated at less than three hundred pounds, \yhich, however, suffers a daily diminution from the consumption of pro. visions. The sledge itself weighs aboui thirty pounds. When the snow is hard frozen, or the track well trodden, the rate of travelling is about fifteen miles a day. If the snow is loone, the speed is necessarily much less, and the fatigue greater. "At eight in the morning of the Idth Jan. 1820, we took leave of our hospitable friend. Governor Williams, whose kindness and attention I s! all ever remember with gratitude. Dr. Richardson, Mr. Hood, and Mr. Connelly (the resident partner of the N. W. Company), accompanied us along the Saskatchawan until the snow became too deep for their walking without snow-shoes. We then parted frcm our associates, with sincere regret at the prospect of a long separation. Being accompanied by Mr. Mackenzie, of the Hudson's Bay Company, who was going to Isle ^ la Crosse, with four sledges under his charge, we formed quite a procession, keeping in an Indian file, in the track of the man who preceded the foremost dogs ; but, as the snow was deep, we proceeded slowly on the surface of the river. At the place of our encampment we could scarcely find sufficient pine branches to floor 'the hut,' as the Orkneymen term the spot where travellers rest. Its preparation, however, consist* only in clearing away the snow to the ground, and covering that space with pine branches, over which the party spread their blankets and coats, and sleep in warmth and comfort, by keeping a good fire at their feet, without any other canopy than the heaven, even though the thermometer should be far below zero. " The arrival at the place of encampment gives immediate occupation to every one of the party ; and it is not until the sleeping place has been arranged, and a sufficiency of wood collected as fuel for the night, that the fire is allowed to be kindled. The dogs alone remain inactive during this busy scene, i)eing kept hdrncsaod to their burdens until the men have leisure to unstow the sledges, and hang upon the trees every species of • The cariole is merely a covering of leather for the lower part of the body, affixed to the common sledge, and painted and urnumcnted accord* lug to the taste of the proprietor. P08T-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 9 provision out of the reach of these rapacious animals. We had ample cxperleiiro, bcfure inorninjc, of the necessity of tiiis precaution, as they contrived to steal a considerable part of our stores, almost from underneath Hepiiurn's litad, notwithstanding thtir liavini( been well fed at supper. "Jan. 19. — The task of beating the track for the dogs was so very fatiguing, that each of the men took the lead in turns, for an hour and a half. The termination of the next day's journey was a great relief to me, who had been suffering during the greater part of it, in consequence of my feet having been gulled by the snow-shoes : this, however, is an evil which few escape on their initiation to winter travelling ; it excites no pity from their more experienced companions, who travel on as fast as they can, regardless of the pain of the sufferers. " On the 26th, after a fatiguing march, we halted at the Upper Nip- p6ween, a deserted establishment ; and performed the comfortable opera* tions of shaving and washing, for the first time since our departure from Cumberland, the weather hitherto having been too severe. We passed an uncomfortable and sleepless night, and agreed to encamp in future in the open air, as preferable to the imperfect shelter of a forsaken house without doors or windows. The wtdves serenaded us through the night of the 27th with a chorus of tiieir agreeable howling, but none of them ventured near the encampment. Mr. Back's repose was disturbed by a more serious evil ; his buffalo robe caught fire, and the shoes on his feet, being contracted by the heat, gave him such pain, that he jumped up in tlie cold, and ran into the snow as the only means of obtaining relief. " On the 28th, we had a strong and piercing wind in our faces, and much snow-drift. We were compelled to walk as quick as we could, and to keep constantly rubbing the exposed parts of the skin, to prevent their being frozen ; but some of the party suffered in spite of every precaution. The night was miscral)ly cold ; our tea froze in the tii» pots l)eforc we could drink it, anbrced, who had been brought up amongst the Dog-ribbed and Copper Indians, some satisfactory intelligence, which we afterwards found tolerably correct, respecting the mode of reaching the Copper-mine River, which he had descended a considerable way ; as well as of the course uf that river to its mouth. The Copper Indians, however, he said, would be able to give us more accurate information as to the latter part of its course, as they occasionally pursue it to the sea. He sketched on the door a representation of the river, and a line of coast according to his idea of it. Just as he had finished, an old Chipewyan Indian, named Black Meat, unexpectedly came in, and instantly recognized the plan. He then took the charcoal from Beaulieu, and inserted a track along the sea-coast, which he had followed in returning from a war excursion, made by his tribe against the Esquimaux. He detailed several particulars of the coast and the sea, which he rq)rescnted as studded, with well wooded islands, and free from ice close to the shore, but not to a great distance, in the month of July. Ho likewise described two other rivers to the eastward of the Copper-mine, which also fall into the Northern Ocean ; but he represented them both as being shallow, and too much interrupted by barriers for being navigated in any other than small Indian canoes. " Having received this intelligence, I wrote immediately to the gentle- men in charge of the posts at the Great Slave Lake, to communicate the object of the expedition, and our proposed route; and to solicit any infor- mation they possessed, or could collect from the Indians, relative to the cimntrics we had to pass througli, and the best manner of proceeding. As the Copper Indians fre(|uent the cstublishment on the north side of the POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 11 Lake, I particiiliirly rt'q'.icstctl them to explain to that trilic the oliject of our visit, and to cndi-avour to procnre from them some jjuiiles ami hunters to accompiiny our party." " On tlie lOlli of May we were gratified I»y the appearance of spring ; the trees he^jan to put forth their leaves, and the mosquitoes visited the warns rooms. On the 1 7th and 18th there were frequent slmwers of rahi, and much thunder and lightning. This weather caused the ieo to waste so rapidly, that, hy the 24th, it had entirely disappeared from the Lake Athahasoa. The gentlemen belonging to both the companies quickly arrived from the posts in this ns. jerienced iients in account ther, to- ress was ve at the s for the 113" C s, before ans from iragging idvanced madians aggra- lay they hem five crossed ir winter traverse each portage four times, with a load of 180 pounds, and re- turn three times light, they walked in the whole upwards of 150 miles. We cannot, therefore, be surprised, that these men, who had been accustomed to live, when at the trading Companies* forts, entirely on animal food, the daily allow- ance of which is eight pounds per man, should be disheart- ened, and exhibit symptoms of insubordination, when they found themselves reduced to one scanty meal a day. Lieu- tenant Franklin's narrative informs us, that for some days they murmured at their meagre diet, strove to get the whole stock of provision to consume at once, and at length, on the 1 1th of August, broke out into open discontent, threatening that they would not proceed unless more food was given to them. "This conduct," says he, "was the more unpardoiiiiblc, as they saw we were rapidly approacliing the fin^s of the hunters, and that provision might be soon expected. I, therefore, felt the duty incumbent on me to address them in the strongest manner on the danger of insubordination, and to assure them of my determination to inflict the heaviest punishment on any that should persist in their refusal to go on, or in any other way attempt to retard the expedition. I must admit, however, that the present hardships of our companions were of a Kind which few could support with- out murmuring, and no one could witness witliout feeling a sincere pity for their sufferings. Just as wc had encamped, we were delighted to scvj four of the hunters arrive, with tlie flesh of two rein-deer. This seasonable supply instantly revived the spirits of our companions, and they immedi. ately forgot all their cares. As we did not afterwards experience any defioiL'ucy of food, during this stage of our journey, they worked extremely well, and never again reflected upon us as they had done leforc, for rashly bringing them into an inhosptablc country, where the means of subsistence could not be procure white fisli* from two to three pounds eatli." But this stock of provision was barely sufficient for tlic party at Fort Enterprise, including the Indians and their families, who returned from hunting before the end of the month, and gave scope to their natural love of ease as long as there seemed plenty in store. On the 18th of October, Messrs. Back and Wentzel set out for Fort Providence, accompanied by two Canadians, two Indians, and the wives of the latter. Mr. Back had most handsomely volunteered to go and make the necessary arrangements for transporting the stores expected from Cumberland House, and to endeavour to obtain some addi- tional supplies from the establishment at Slave Lake. If any accident should have prevented the arrival of the stores, and the Company's establishments at Moose-deer Island should be unable to supply the deficiency, he was, if he found himself equal to the task, to proceed to Chipewyan. • "Ammunition," says his commander, "was essential to our existence, and a considerable supply of tobacco was also requisite, not only for the comfort of the Canadians, who use it largely, and had stipulated for it in their engagements, but also as a means of preserving the friendship of the Indians. Blankets, cloth, and iron-work, were scarcely less indispensable to equip our men for the advance next season. Mr. VVcntzel accompanied Mr. Back, to assist him in obtaining from the traders, on the score of old friendship, that which they might be inclined to deny to our necessities. " Towards the end of October, the men completed their house, and took up their abode in it. It was 34 feet long and 18 feet wide, divided into two apartments, and placed at right angles to the oflicers' dwelling ; as was also the store-house. The weather in December, 1820, was llie coldest we experienced during our residence in America. The thermo- meter sunk on one occasion to 57° below zero, and never rose beyojid fio above it : the mean for the month was — 29.7*. The trees froze to their very centres, and became as hard as stones, and more difficult to cut. Some of the axes were broken daily, and by the end of the month we bad but one left that was fit for felling trees. By entrusting it only to one ot the party, who had been bred a carpenter, and who could use it with dexterity, it was fortunately preserved until the arrival of our men with VOL. III. PART I. C 18 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. Others from Fort Providence. A thermometer, hung in our led-room at the distance of sixteen feet from the fire, but exposed to its direct radiation, stood even in tlie day-time occasionally at \5° below zero, and was observed more than once, previous to the kindling of the fire in the morning, to he as low as — 40°. " As it may be interesting to the reader to know how we passed our time at this season of the year, I shall mention briefly, that a considerable portion of it was occupied in writing up our journals. Some newspapers and magazines, that we had received from England with our letters, were read again and again, and commented upon, at our meals ; and we often exercised ourselves with conjecturing the changes that might take place in the world before we could hear from it again. The probability of our receiving letters, and the period of their arrival, were calculated to a nicety. We occasionally paid the wood-cutters a visit, or took a walk for a mile or two on the (Winter) river. " In the evenings we joined the men in the hall, and took a part in their games, which generally continued to a late hour; in short, we never found the time to hang heavy on our hands ; and the peculiar operations of each of the officers afforded them more employment than might at first be supposed. I re-calculated the observations made on our route ; Mr. Hood protracted the charts, and made drawings of birds, plants, and fishes, which have been the admiration of every one who has seen them. Each of the party sedulously and separately recorded their observations on the aurora ; and Dr. Richardson contrived to obtain from under the snow, specimens of most of the lichens in the neighbourhood, and to make himself acquainted with the mineralogy of the surrounding country. *' The Sabbath was always a day of rest with us : the woodmen were required to provide for the exigencies of that day on Saturday, and the party were dressed in their best attire. Divine service was regularly per- formed, and the (Canadians attended, and behaved with great decorum, although they were all Roman Catholics, and but little acquainted with the language in which the prayers were read. I regretted much that we had not a French prayer-book, but the Lord's prayer and creed were always read to them in their own language. "Our diet consisted almost entirely of rein-deer meat, varied twice a week by fish, and occasionally by a little flour ; but we had no vegetables of any description. On the Sunday mornings we drank a cup of choco- late; but our greatest luxury was tea (without sugar), of which we re- gularly partook twice a-day. With rein-deers' fat, and strips of cotton shirts, we formed candles ; and Hepburn acquired considerable skill in the manufacture of soap, from the wood-ashes, fat, and salt. Such are our simple domestic details." On the 1st of Jan. 1821, Messrs. Franklin, Back, and Hood, were promoted : the former to the rank of command- POST- CAPTAINS UF 182?. 10 ir l;eJ>room to its direct >w zero, and e fire in the : passed our considerable 5 newspapers letters, were and we often it take place ibility of our L'ulated to a )k a walk for nk a part in )rt, we never ir operations night at first route; Mr. plants, and I seen them, observations |n under the ood, and to ing country, odmen were ay, and the gularly per- lat decorum, tainted with iuch that we creed were •ied twice a 0 vegetables ip of choco- hich we re- s of cotton ble skill in . Such are ack, and ommand- er, and the two latter to be lieutenants. At this period, nine more men were employed in bringing np supplies from the southward. On the -7th, Mr. Werit/.cl returned from the Great Slave Lake, with two Esquimaux interpreters, who had been sent thither by (Jo\'criior Williams ; but the 17th of March arrived before Mr. Back iigain made his ap- pearance. His journey on foot, in flic depth of winter, as far as Fort Chipewyan and back, is amoiij( the many in- stances of extraordinary exertion and determined persever- ance which this expedition afforded. He thus concludes his interesting report, from which, in another part of our work, we shall, probably, give some other extracts : — '• I ha'l the pleasure of meeting my friends all in good health, after an absence of nearly five months, during which time I had travelled one thousand one hundrc- creatures, and cut oft' their retreat across the plain, they move more(iuickIy, and with hideous yells terrify their prey, and urge them to flight by the only open way, which is tliat towards the precipice ; appearing to know, that when the herd is once at full speed, it is easily driven over the clitF, tiic rearmost urging on those that are before. The wolves then dcscentl at iheir leisure, anil least on the mangled carcases." This stratagem was attempted on Dr. Richardson, near the above encampment. " Having the first watch, he hud gone to the summit of the hill, and remained there coiitemplatin>( the river that washed the precipice under his feet, long after dusk hud hid diftant objects from his view. His thoughts were, perhaps, far dist.mt froiu the surrounding olijecl?-, when he was roused by an indistinct nnisc behind him, and on lt>okin^ round perceived that nine white wolves had ranged themselves in f>rm of a cres- cent, and were advancing, apparently with the intention of driving him into the river. On his rising up they bulled, and when he advanced they made way for his passage down to the tents. He had a gun in his hand, but fcrebore to fire, lest there should be Esquimaux in the neighbour- hood. During the middle watch, the wolves appeared repeatedly on the summit of the hill, and at one time they succeeded in driving a deer over." The first view of the Polar Sea was obtained by Dr. Rich- ardson, from the top of a lofty hill, which he ascended after supper, on the 14th of .lidy. Next day, the expedition ar- rived at the " Bloody Fall " of Hearne, situated in lat. 67" 42^ 35" N., long. 115«' 49' 33" W. The appearance of many different bands of Esquima'^x, in the neighbourhood of this place, terrified the Indians to such a degree, thtit they determined not to proceed any farther, lest they shoidd be si'rrovuuled and their retreat cut off. Captain Frjiiiklin en- deavoured, by tlie offer of any remuneration they M'ould choose, to prevail upon one or two of them to go on, but in vain ; and he had much difficulty even in obtaining their promise to wtiit at the Copper Mounttiins for Mr. \\'entzel, and four men whom he intended to discharge on his jirrival at I he ocean, then only nine miles dibtunt. The fears which the I 1 il I '^ 22 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1822. two Canadian interpreters now entertained respecting the voyage were also so great, that they requested to be dis- charged, urging that their services could no longer be requi- site, as the Indians \vere going away ; but these were the only two men of the party on whose skill in hunting Captain Franklin could rely, and he therefore peremptorily refused to part with them. " Our Canadian voyagers," says he, " were amused with their first view of the sea, ami particularly with the siglit of the seals that were swimming about near the entrance of the river; hut these sensations gave place to despondency i)efore the evening had elapsed. Tliey were terrified at the idea of a voyage through an icy sea in hark canoes. They speculated on the length of it, — the roughness of the water, — the uncer- tainty of procuring provisions, — the exposure to cold where we could ex- pect no fuel, — and the prospect of having to traverse the barren grounds, to get to some estal)lishment. The two interpreters (St. Germain and Adam) expressed their apprehensions with the least disguise, and again urgently applied to be discharged. Judging that the constant occupation of their time, as soon as we were enabled to commence the voyage, would prevent them from conjuring up so many causes of fear, and that famili- arity with the scenes on the coast would, in u short lime, enal)lc them to give scope to their natural cheerfulness, the officers endeavoured to ridi- cule their fears, and happily succeeded for the present. Tiie manner in which our faithful Hepburn viewed the element that he had been so long accustomed to, contributed not a little to make then) ashamed of their fears. "The despatdies being finished, were delivered this evening to Mr. Wentzel, who parted from us at 8 p. m., with the Canadians whom I had discharged for the purpose of reducing our expenditure of provisions as much a.s possible. The remainder of the party, includin<> otticers, amounted to twenty persons. The situation of our encampment was ascertained to be, in lat. 6/° 47' 50" N., and long. 1 15" 3G' 49" W.; the variation of the compass 46" 25' 62 " E., and the dip of the needle 88" 6' /"• "It will be perceived, that the position of the mouth of the river, given by our observations, differs widely from that assigned by Mr. Hearnc; hut the accuracy of his dosiription, conjoined with Indian information, assured us that we were at the very part he visited. I have, therefore, named the most conspicuous promontory we then saw ' Cape Ilearne', as a just tribute to the memory of that persevering traveller." A strong N. E. gale and a dense fog detained Captain Franklin at this resting place until noon on the 21st of July, when he embarked his party in two canoes, and commenced # iting the ) be dis- be requi- were the r Captain r refused their first I that were sensations Tliey were oes. They -the uncer- e couUI ex- en grounds, ermuin an it was doubtful whether it would be sufficient to carry us across the river. I may here remark, that our people had murmured a good deal at having to carry two canoes, though they were informed of the necessity of taking both, in case it should be deemed advisable to divide the party, in order to give the whole a better chance of procuring subsistence, and also for the purpose of sending forward some of the best walkers to search for Indians, -and to get them to meet us with supplies of provisions. The power of doing this was now at an end. As the accident could not be remedied, we turned it to the best account, by making a fire of the bark and timber of the broken vessel, and cooked the remainder of our portable soup and arrow-root. This was a scanty meal after three days' fasting, but it served to allay the pangs of hunger, and enabled us to proceed at a quicker pace than before." # l'8 1 POST-CAPTAJNS OF 1822. 29 langing to d were desti- all the day ; ■ the severity the snow into ly ; our tents n to the depth ral inches on but the wind unusual con- all its rigour, accumulation ;h we were in and our gar- i fire to thaw ered with ice lip the frozen i could keep 3 seized with posure to the d so far as to th snow, and but the ice hI knee-deep ivn down by an insecure St canoe was his we felt nistake been to carry us murmured a armed of the to divide the subsistence, t walkers to f provisions. could not be of the bark 9ur portable lys' fasting, >rocccd at a On the morning of the 8th, our travellers were obliged to ford a rapid stream, in consequence of which their clothes soon became stiff with the frost, and they walked with much pain the remainder of the day : the thermometer at night was no higher than 17°. On the 9th, they arrived at the Congecatha-wha-chnga of Hearne, when the canoe being put into the water was found extremely ticklish ; it Mas, how- ever, managed with much dexterity by three of the Cana- dians, who ferried over one passenger at a time, causing him to lie flat in its bottom. On the following day, a herd of musk-oxen was seen, and approached with the greatest cau- tion, no less than two hours being consumed before the best hunters got within gun-shot. At length they opened their fire, and the rest of the party had the satisfaction of seeing one of the largest cows fall. " To skin and cut up the ani- mal was the work of but a few minutes. The contents of its stomach were devoured upon the spot, and the raw intestines, which were next attacked, were pronounced by the most de- licate of the party, to be excellent. A few willows, whose tops were seen peeping through the snow in the bottom of the valley, were quickly grubbed, the tents pitched, and supper cooked, and devoured with avidity." On the 12th, the snow was two feet deep, and " the whole of the men complained more of faintness and weakness than they had ever done before; their strength" says Captain Franklin, ** seemed to have been impaired by the recent supply of animal food. Our supper consumed the last of our meat." Their only resource now was lichens of the genus gyro- phora, which the Canadians term tripe de roche ; but this unpalatable weed soon became quite nauseous to the whole party, and in several persons it produced severe bowel com- plaints : Mr. Hood, in particular, suffered greatly from this cause. On the 13th, the expedition reached the borders of Rum Lake, connected with which was a river, about 300 yards wide, flowing with great velocity through a broken rocky channel. Here a serious and nearly fatal accident occurred, which is thus related by Captain Franklin : 30 POST-CAPTAINS OP 1822. li ,1! 1 i ;! " Havins^ searched for a part whore the current was most smooth, the canoe was placed iu tlje waier at the head of a rapid, and St. Germain, Solomon Bidanijer, and I, emharked in order to cross. We went from the sliore very well, hut in mid-chaiincl the canoe Iiecanie dillicnlt to niana<(e under our hurden, as the hrecze was fresh. The cnrrent drove us to the edge of the rapi'l, when Behinjfer unluckily applied his paddle to avert the apparent danijcr of Iteing forced down it, and lost his Italaiice. The canoe was overset in consequence, in the middle of the rapid. We fortunately kept hold of it, until we touched a rock where the water did not reach higher than our waists ; here we kept our fooling, notwithstanding the strength of the current, until the water was emptied out of the canoe. Belanger then held it steady whilst St. Germain placed me in it, and after- wards embarked himself in a very . The raft was finished by seven; but as the willows were green, it proved to be very little buoyant, and was unable to support more than one man at a time. Several at- tempts were made by Belanger and Benoit, the strongest men of the party, to convey ?t across the stream, but they failed for want of oars. The tent poles tied together proved too short to reach the bottom, at a short dis- tance from the shore ; and a paddle which had been carried from the sea- coast by Dr. Richardson, did not possess sufficient power to move the raft in opposition to a strong breeze, which blew from the other side. All the men suffered extremely from the coldness of the water, in which they were necessarily immersed up to the waist, in their endeavours to aid Belanger and Beuoit ; and having witnessed repeated failures, they began to consider the scheme as hopeless. " At this time. Dr. Richardson, prompted by a desire of relieving his suffering companions, proposed to swim across the river with a line, and to haul the raft over. He launched into the stream with the line round his middle ; but when he had got a short distance from the bank, his arms were be- numbed with cold, and he lost the power of moving them : still he persevered, and, turning on his back, had nearly gained the opposite bank, when his legs also became power- less, and to our infinite alarm we beheld him sink. We in- stantly hauled upon the line, and he came again on the sur- face, and was gradually drawn ashore in an almost lifeless state. Being rolled up in blankets, he was placed before a good fire of willows, and fortunately was just able to give some slight directions respecting the manner of treating him. He recovered strength gradually, and through the blessing VOL, III. PART D m I li * iii 34 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. of God, was enabled in the course of a few hours to converse, and by the evening was sufficiently recovered to remove into the tent. We then regretted to learn, that the skin of his whole left side "was deprived of feeling, in consequence of exposure to too great heat. He did not perfectly recover the sensation of that side until the following summer. I cannot describe what every one felt at beholding the skeleton which the Doctor's debilitated frame exhibited. When he stripped, the Canadians simultaneously exclaimed, * Ah ! que nous sommes maigres !' I have omitted to mention, that when he was about to step into the water, he put his foot on a dagger, which cut him to the bone ; but this misfortune could not stop him from attempting the execution of his generous undertaking. "On the Istof October, we were rejoiced to see Mr. Back and his party. Tliey had traced the lake aliout fifteen miles farther than we did, and found it unconnected with the one we foil in witli on tlie 22d of Sep- tember. St. Germain now proposed to make a canoe of the frajfrncnts of painted canvass in wiiidi we wrapped our hcddinp. In the afternoon, we liad a lieavy fall of snow, which continued all nijjht. A man, who had been nuntinf]^, brought in the antlers and back bone of a doer. The wolves and birds of prey had picked them dean, but there still remained a quan- tity of the spinal manow, wliich they had not been al)le to extract. This, although putrid, was esteemed a valuable prize ; and the spine being di- vided into portions, was distributed equally. After eating the marrow, which was so acrid as to excoriate the lips, we rendered the bones friable by burning, and ate them also. " On the following morning the ground was covered with snow to the depth of a foot and a half, and the weather was very stormy. It continued 80 all the day and night, and during the forenoon of the 3d. Having persuaded the people to gather some tripe de roche, I partook of a meal with them, and afterwards set out with the intention of going to St. Oer- main to hasten his operation!* ; but, though he was only three-quarters of a mile distant, I spent three hours in a vain attempt to reach him, my strength being unequal to the labour of wading through the snow ; and I returned quite exhausted, and much shaken by the numerous falls I had got. Aly associates were alt in the same debilitated state, and poor Hood was reduced to a perfect shadow. Back was so feeble as to require the support of a stick in walking, and Dr. Richardson had lameness super- added to weakness. The voyagers were somewhat stronger than ourselves, but mor" indisposed to exertion, on account of their despondency. The sensation of hunger was no longer felt by any of in«, yet we were scarcely <'blc to converse upon any other subject than the pleasures of eating. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 35 0 converse, •emove into skin of his sequence of ;tly recover summer. I the skeleton When he i, * Ah ! que lention, that : his foot on 1 misfortune iition of his Dack and his er tbun we did, he 22d of Sep- lie fragfinents of e afternoon, we . man, who hud 2r. Tlie wolves inained a quan- extract. This, spine heing di- the marrow, bones frialtle ith snow to the It continued le 3d. Having took of 8 meal ing to St. Gcr- iree-quartcrs of reach him, my the snow ; and irous falls I had and poor Hood to require the tmeness super- than ourselves, ondency. The e were scarcely of eating. "Oct. 4. —The canoe being finished, St. Germain embarked, and amidst our prayers for his success, succeeded in reaching the opposite shore. The canoe was then drawn back again, and another person transported, and in this manner we were all conveyed over without any serious accident. By these frequent traverses the canoe was materially injured ; and latterly it filled each time with water before reaching the shore, so that all our garments and bedding were wet, and there was not a sufficiency of willows upon the southern side of the river to dry them." That no time might be lost in procuring relief. Captain Franklin immediately despatched Mr. Back, with three men to search for the Copper-Indians, directing him to go to Fort Enterprise, where it was expected they would be, or where, at least, a note from Mr. Wentzel would be found to direct him in his search for them. Junius, the Esquimaux, had previously strayed in search of the remains of animals, and never rejoined the expedition. The remainder ot the officers and men went supperlessto bed. " Showers of snow fell frequently duiing the night. We were all on foot by day-break, but from the frozen state of our tents and bed.clothcs, it was long before the bundles could be made, so that it was eight o'clock before we started. I kept with the foremost men, to cause them to halt occasionally until the stragglers came up. All of us were much fatigued, particularly INIathew Credit ; the tripe de roche disagreed with this man and with Rcf,n8te Vaillant, in consequence of which, they were the first whose strength totally failed. We had a small quantity of this weed in the evening, and the rest of our supper was made up of scraps of roasted leather. The distance walked to-day was six miles. " As Credit was very weak in the morning, his load was reduced to little more than his personal lugijage, consisting of his blanket, shoes, and gun. Previous to setting out, the whole party ate the remains of their old shoes and wliateverscrapsofleather they had, to strengthen their stomachs. We left the encampment at nine, and pursued our route over a range of black hills. The wind having increased to a strong gale, became piercingly cold, and the drift rendered it difficult for those in the rear to follow the track over the heights ; whilst in the valleys, where it was sufficiently marked, from the depth of tlie snow, the labour of walking was proportion- ably great. About noon, Fran(;ois Samandrd coming up, informed us that Crddit and Vaillant could advance no further. Some willows being dis- covertMl in a valley near us, I proposed to halt there, whilst Dr. Richardson (Weak as he was from his late exertion) went back to visit them. He foiuul Vaillar.t about a mile and a half in the rear, much exhausted with cold and fatigue. Having rncouraged him lo advance to the fire, after o 2 11 \'k l! ' i « 1 86 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. repeated solicitations he made the attempt, but fell dowu amongst the deep snow at every step. Leaving him in this situation, the Doctor went about half a mile farther back, to the spot where Credit was said to have halted ; but the tract beinjj nearly ol»literatt!d by the snow drift, it l)ecame unsafe for him to g-o further. Returning he passed Vaillant, who, having only moved a few yards in his al)sence, was unal)le to rise, and could eicarcely answer his questions. Being unable to afford him any effectual assistance, he hastened on to inform us of his situation. When J. B. Belan- ger had heard the melancholy account, he went immediately to aid Vail- lant, and found him lying on his back, benumbed with cold, and incapable of being roused. The stoutest men of the party were now earnestly en- treated to bring him to the fire, but they declared themselves unetjual to the task." As there was every reason to fear that other men would speedily sink under the combined pressure of famine, fatigue, and inclement weather ; and as those who were strongest urged Captain Franklin to allow them to throw down their loads, and push on with their utmost speed for Fort Enter- prise, though they knew not a foot of the way, and none of the officers were sufficiently strong to keep up at the pace they would then walk ; Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood generously proposed to remain, with a single attendant, at the first place where sufficient wood and tripe de roche should be found for ten days' consuniptioii, and that Captain Franklin should proceed as expeditiously as possible to the house, and thence send them immediate relief. They strongly mged, that this arrangement would contribute to the safety of the rest of the party, by relieving them from the burden of a tent and several other articles, and that they might afford aid to Credit, if he should unexpectedly come up. Captain Franklin was distressed beyond description at the the j'^t of leaving them in such a situation, but there was no other alter- native, and therefore he reluctantly acceded to their wishes. This resolution M'as communicated to the men, who promised, with great appearance of earnestness, to return to those offi- cers upon obtaining the first supply of food. The remainder of the Oth of October was spent without even their usual nauseous repast, as the we.ither did not permit the gathering of tripe de roc/ie ; and, says Captain rrunklin, "the painfid J amongst the Doctor went said to have ft, it liccame who, having e, and could any effectual 1 J, B. Belan- y to .lid VaiU jnd incapable earnestly en- 3 unequal to men would ne, fatigue, e strongest down their Fort Enter- ind none of at the pace Mr. Hood I attendant, oe de roche [hat Captain sible to the icy strongly the safety burden of a it afford aid Captain tht -'-tof other alter- lioir wislies. |o promised, those offi- riMuaindcr their usual athering of the painful VOST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 37 retrospection of the melancholy events of the day banished sleep; and uc sluiddered as wc contemplated the dreadful effects of this bitterly cold niglit on our late companions, if still living. Some faint hopes were entertained of Credit sur- viving tlie storm, as he was provided with a good bhuikef, and had some leather to cat." " The weather was mild next morning. We left the encampment at nine, and, a liuie before noon, came to a pretty extensive thicket of small willows, near which there appeared a supply of tripe de roche on the face of the rocks. At this place, Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood determined to remain with Jotin Hepburn, who volunteered to stop with them. Their tent was securely pitched, a few willows were collected, and the ammuni- tion and all other articles deposited, except each man's clothiuif, the other tent, a sudJciency of ammunition for the journey, and the «)flicera' journals. / had only one blanket, which was carried fur me, and two pair of shoes. The offer was now made for any of the men, who felt themselves too weak to proceed, to remain behind ; but none of them accepted it. Michel, the Iroquois, aUme felt some inclination to do so. After we had united in thanksgiving and prayers to Almii'hty God, I separated from my friends, deeply afUlcted that a train of melancholy circumstances should have demanded of mc the severe trial of parting, in such a condition, from persons who had become endeared to me by their constant kindness and oo-operatiuu, and a participation of numerous sufferings. *' We set out without waiting to take any of the tripe de roche; and the labour of wading through the snow so fatigued the whole of us, that we were compelled to halt, after a murch of four miles and a half. J. B. Belauger and Michel were left far behind, and, when they joined us, ap- peared (juite exhausted. The former, bursting into tears, declared his inability to proceed, and both of them begged mc to let them go back next morniug. Tlie sudden failure in the strength of these men ca»t a gloom over the rest, which I tried in vain to remove, by repeated assurances that the distance to Fort Enterprise was nhort, and that we should, in all proba- bility, reach it in four days. Not being able to find any tripe de ruche, we drank an infusion of the Labrador tea plant {ledum puliistre), and ate a few morsels of burnt leather for supper. We were unable to raise the tent, and found its weight too great to carry it on ; we therefore cut it up, and each person took a part of the canvass for a cover. The night was bit- terly cold, anil though wc lay as close to each other as possible, having no shelter, we could not keep ourselves sudiciently warm to sleep. " In the morning of the Hth, Belanger and Michel renewed their request to be permitted to go back to the oflicers' encampment, assuring me they were still weaker than on the prec<»difig evening, and urging that tiio •lopping at a place where there was a 8up;ily of tripe dc roche wis their 38 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. IB :«^ :i'- *l ouly chance of preserving life. Under these circumstances, I could not do otherwise than yield to their desire. Michel was very particular in his enquiries respecting the direction of Fort Enterprise, and the course we meant to pursue ; he also said, that if he should be able, he would go and search for Vaillant and Credit. " Scarcely were our arrangements finished before Ignace Perrault and Vincenza Fontano were seized with a fit of dizziness, and betrayed other symptoms of extreme debility. Some tea was quickly prepared for them, and after drinking it, and eating a few morsels of burnt leather, they re- covered, and expressed their desire to go forward ; but other men, alarmed at what they had just witnessed, became doubtful of their own strength, and, giving way to absolute dejection, declared their inability to move. After much entreaty, I got them to set out at ten a. h. " By the time we hud gone al)out 200 yards, Perrault became again dizzy, and desired us to halt, which we did, until he, recovering, offered to marcit on. Ten minutes more had hardly elapsed before he again desired us to Btop, and, bursting into tears, declared he was totally exhausted, and un- able to accompany us further. As the spot at which we rested last night was not more than a quarter of a mile distant, we recommended that he should return to it, and rejoin Belanger and Michel, whom we knew to be still there, from perceiving the smoke of a fresh fire. He readily acqui- esced in the proposition, and turned back, keeping his gun and ammunition. During these detentions, Augustus, becoming impatient of the delay, had walked on, and we lost sight of him. The labour we experienced in wading through the deep snow induced ua to cross a moderate sized lake, which lay in our track, but we found this operation far more harassing. As the surface of the ice was perfectly smooth, we slipt at almost every step, and were frc(|uently blown down by the wind, with such force as to shake our whole frames. " Poor Fontano was completely exhausted by the labour of this tra- verse, and we made a halt until his strength was recruited, by which time the party was benumbed with cold. Proceeding again, he got on tolerably well for a little time } but being once more seized with faintness and dizzi- ness, he fell often, and at length exclaimed that he could go no further. I cannot describe my anguish on the occasion of separating from another companion under circumstances so distressing. There was, however, no alternative. The extreme debility of the rest of the party put the carry- ing him quite out of the question, as he himself admitted ; and it was evi- dent that the frequent delays he must occasion, if he accompanied us, and did notgnin strength, would endanger the lives of the whole. By returning he had the prospect of getting to the officers' tent, where tripe de roche could be obtained, which agreed with him better than with any other of the party, and which he was always very assiduous in gathering. After some hesitation, he determined on going back (instead of remaining where he P06T-CArTAINS OP 1822. 39 could not do ticular in his le course we he would go PerrauU and jtrayed other red for them, her, they re- men, alarmed )wn strength, iity to move, le again dizzy, ered to march desired us to isted, and ua- sted last night tended that he ive knew to be readily acqui- d ammunition, the delay, had iced in wading id lake, which ssing. As the ivery step, and 18 to shake our ir of this tra- by which time )t on tolerably less and dizzi- jo no further. f from another ), however, no put the carry- and it was evi- lanied us, and By returning tripe de roche ny other of the After some ining where he ..;( A was, which he at first seemed desirous to do), and set out, having bid each of us farewell in the tendercst manner. " Tiie party was now reduced to five persons, Jean Baptiste Adam, Joseph Peltier, Joseph Benoit, FranQois Sainandrc, and myself. "Next mornini( the wiud was moilenite and the weather mild, which enaliled us to collect some tripe de roche, and to enjoy the only meal we had had for four days. Without the strength it supplied, we should certainly have been unable to oppose the strong breeze we met in the afternoon. At length (on the 11th of October) we reached Fort Enterprise, and to our infinite disappointment and grief, found it a perfectly desolate habitation. There was no deposit of provision, no trace of the Indians, nor no letter from Mr. VVentzcl to point out where they might be found. It would be impossible to describe our sensations after entering this miserable abode, and discovering how we had been neglected : the whole party shed tears, not so much for our own fate, as for that of our friends in the rear, whose lives depended entirely ou our sending them immediate relief. " I found a note, however, from Mr. Back, stating that he had reached the house two days before, and was going in search of the Indians, at a part where St. Germain deemed it probable they might be found. If he was unsuccessful, he proposed walking on to Fort Providence, and sending succour from thence; but he doubted whether he or his party could perform the journey to that place in their present debilitated state. " We now looked round for the means of subsistence, and were gratified to find several decr^skins which had been thrown away during our former residence here. The bones were gathered from the heap of ashes, and these, with the skins, and the addition of tripe de roche, we considered would support us tolerably well for a time. As to the house, the parch- ment being torn from the windows, the apartment we selected for our abode was exposed to nil the rigour of the season. The temperature was now between 15° and 20" below zero. We procured fuel by pulling up the flooring of the other rooms, and water for cooking by melting the snow. Whilst we were seated round the fire, singeing the deer-skin for supper, we were rejoiced by the unexpected apptMrance of Augustus, lie had followed (juite a different course from ours, and the circumstance of hid having found his way through a part of the country he had never been in before, must be considered as a remarkable proof of sagacity. "When I aroie the following morning, my body and limbs were so swollen that I was unable to walk more than a few yards. Adam was in a still worse condition, being quite incapable of rising without assistance. My other companions happily experienced this inconvenience in a less degree, and went to collect bones and some tripe de rovhe, which supplied us with two meals. On the 13th, the wind blew violently from S. fc)., and the snow drifted so much that the party were coiiliiied to the house. In the afternoon of the following day, Solomon Ui'lafi^fcr arrived with n note t 1 1 40 POST- CAPTAINS OK 1822. ' i ♦ from iVIr. Back, stating that he had seen no trace of the Indians, and desiring further inatructions as to the course he should pursue. Belan<,'cr'9 situation, however, required our first care, as lie came in ahnost speechless, and covered with ice, having fallen into a rapid, (on his way from Round- Rock Lake,) and, for the third time since we left the sea-coast, narrowly escaped drowning. *' The absence of all traces of Indians on Winter River convinced me that they were at this time on their way to Fort Providence, and that by proceeding towards that post we should overtake them, as they move slowly when they have their families with them. This route also of- fered us the prospect of killing deer in the vicinity of Rein-Deer Lake. Upon these grounds, I determined on taking the route to Fort Providence as soon as possible, and wrote to Mr. Back, desiring him to join me at Rein-Deer Lake, and detailing the occurrences since we parted, that our friends might receive relief, in case of any accident happening to me. Belanger did not recover sufficient strength to leave us before the 18th. " In making arrangements for our departure, Adam disclosed to me, for the first time, that he was affected with oedematous swellings in some parts of the body, to such a degree as to preclude the slightest attempt at marching. It now became necessary to abandon the original intention of proceeding with the whole party, and Peltier and Samandr^ having volunteered to remain with Adam, I determined on setting out with Benoit and Augustus, intending to send them relief by the first party of Indians we should meet. Having patched up three pair of snow-shoes, and singed a quantity of skin for the journey, we started on the morning of the 20th. " At first we were so feeble as scarcely to be able to more forwards, and the descent of the bank of the river through the deep snow was a severe labour. After walking six hours upon the ice, where the snow was less deep, wa had only gained four miles, and were then compelled by fatigue to halt on the borders of Round-Rock Lake. We found the night bitterly cold, and the wind pierced through our famished frames. " The next morning was mild and pleasant for travelling, but we had not gone many yards before I had the misfortune to break my snow- shoes by falling between two rocks. This accident prevented me from keeping pace with Benoit and Augustus, and in the attempt I became quite exhausted. Feeling convinced that their being delayele, that he was reading it at the moment of his death. We passed the night in the tent together, without rest, every one being on his guard. " Next day, having determined on going to the fort, we began to patch and prepare our clothes for the journey. We singed the hair off the buf- POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 47 iofhisAlini^'hty lichel soon gave confirmed when, :ntere(l the hack it the muzzle of ii;lit-cap hehind. idianc, could not :ept hy a second •eplied, that Mr- that during his ;r hy accident or } speaking to inc. eport of the gun, in elevated angry hid from him by loked up and saw where Mr. Hood the gun had been o the fire at first ; vas dead, several ) evince any sus- e repeatedly pro- , kept constantly me together. He ate, and whenever mler. It is to be yet sufficiently to resence. We re- and, returning to ing prayers. The talents and appH- t characters under which he contem- promise, and the ituretosay.unpa- panions of his dis- ably had, when he [ly of the survivors r open beside the )able, that he was night in the tent we began to patch hair off the buf- falo robe that belonged to Mr. Hood, and lioiled and ate a part of it. In the afternoon, a flock of partridges coming near the tent, Michel killed several, and shared them with us. " Thick snowy weather and a head-wind prevented us from starting tlic following day J but on the morning of the 23d, we set out, carrying with us the remainder of the singed robe. In the course of the march Michel alarmed us much by his gestures and conduct, was constantly muttering to himself, expressed an unwillingness to go to the fort, and tried to per- suade me to go to the woods on the Copper-mine river, where he said he could maintain himself all the winter by killing deer. In consequence of this behaviour, and the expression of his countenance, I requested him to leave us, and to go to the southward by himself. This proposal increased his ill-nature ; he threw out some obscure hints of freeing himself from all restraint on the morrow ; and I overheard him muttering threats against Hepburn, whom he openly accused of having told stories against him. He also, for the first time, assumed such a tone of superiority in addressing me, as evinced that he considered us to be completely in his power ; and he gave vent to several expressions of hatred towards the white people, some of whom, he said, had killed and eaten his uncle and two other of his relations. In short, taking every circumstance of his conduct into consideration, I came to the conclusion that he would attempt to destroy us on the first opportunity that offered, and that he had hitherto abstained from doing so from his ignorance of his way to the fort, but that he would never suffer us to go thither in company with him. In the course of the day, he bad several times remarked that we were pursuing the same course that Captain Franklin had done, and that by keeping towards the setting sun he could find the way himself. Hepburn and I were not in a condition to resist even an open attack, nor could we by any device escape from him. Our united strength was far inferior to his, and, beside his gun, he was armed with two pistols, an Indian bayonet, and a knife. In the afternoon, coming to a rock on which there was some tripe de roche, he halted, and said he would gather it whilst we went on, and that he would soon overtake us. Hepburn and I being now left together, for the first time since Mr. Hood's death, he acquainted me with several material circumstances which he had observed of Michel's behaviour, and which confirmed me in the opinion that there was no safety for us except in his death, and he offered to be the instrument of it. I determined, however, as I was thoroughly convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to take the whole responsibility upon myself ; and, immediately upon Michel's coming up, I put an end to bis life by shooting him through the head with a pistol. Had my own life alone been threatened, I would not have purchased it by such a measure ; but I considered iK^self as entrusted also with the protection of Hepburn's ; a man who, by his humane attentions and devotedness, had so endeared himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for his safety than for my own, Michel had gathered no tripe de roche. 0 rf^ ar^ 48 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. m :W t\'- I m, and it was evident to us that he had halted for tlie purpose of putting W\< gun in order, with tl>c intention of attacking us, perhaps, whilst we were in the act of encamping." On the day after his arrival at Fort Enterprise, the Doctor scarified the swelled parts of Adam's body, when a large quantity of water flowed out, and he obtained some ease, but still kept his bed. In less than 48 hours afterwards, the only other Canadians there, Peltier and Samandr^, breathed their last J and Captain Franklin himself was so dreadfully reduced, that he could scarcely render the least assistance in collecting bones and fuel. The strength of Dr. liichardson and the faithful Hepburn also rapidly declined, and was very nearly exhausted when, providentially, on the 7th of November, the long-expected relief arrived, by the hands of three Indians, from Akaitcho's encampment. "They hrought but a small supply, that they might travel quickly. It consisted," says Captain Franklin, "of dried deer's meat, some fat, and a few tongues. Dr. Richardson, Hepburn, and I, eagerly devoured the food, which they imprudently presented to us in too great abundance, and in consequence we suffered dreadfully from indigestion, and had no rest the whole night. Adam, being unable to feed himself, was more judiciously treated by them, and suffered less ; his spirits revived hourly. The circumstance of our eating more food than was proper in our present condition, was another striking proof of the debility of our minds. We were perfectly aware of the danger, and Dr. Richardson repeatedly cautioned us to be moderate ; but he was himself unable to practise the caution he so judiciously recommended. " The youngest of the Indians, after resting about an hour, returned to Akaitcho, with the intellig(- whilst we were in se, the Doctor when a large some ease, but [rards, the only breathed their dfuUy reduced, ;e in collecting rdson and the as very nearly November, the three Indians, ;ravel quickly. I' t, some fat, and a devoured the food, ibundance, and in d had no rest the 5 more judiciously ved hourly. The sr in our present our minds. We inlaon repeatedly ble to practise the hour, returned to iveyed a note from soon as possible. to take care of us, about every thin:r of our apartment, in us a scusatiun d a letter from y htid fallen a the middle of lusion of this brt Enterprise tv'cre again reduced to the necessity of c;itiiig putrid deer- skin, ere a second supply of provisions coidd be conveyed to them. Tliey were then rejoiced to learn, by a note from Mr. ]iack, dated Nov. II th, that he and his two surviving com- panions, St. Germain and Solomon Belanger, had so recruited their strength, that they were preparing to proceed from the Indian hunters' encampment to Fort Providence. On the 16th, Captain Franklin and his party set out for the abode of Akaitcho, which they reached in safety after a painful, but gradually improving march of ten days. Tlieir feelings on quitting tlic house where they had fornurl}- en- joyed much comfort, if not happiness, and latterly experienced a degree of misery scarcely to be paralleled, may be more easily conceived than described. A short extract from the published narrative will enable the reader to form an idoa of the dreadful state to which they had previfjiuly been reduced. "The Indians," says Cuptain Franklin, " troato.l im with t!i,^ nhiinsi tenderness, gave us their snow-shoos, and walked witliout any thcinselvc:^ keeping by our sides, tint they mijjfht liit us when '.ve fell. They pr.'pared our encampment, cooked for us, .inil fed us as if wc ha«l been cliiMrcn ; evincing humanity that would have done honor to the most civilized people. \Ve were received by the parly assembled in tlie h aler's tent with looks of compassion and profound silence, winch lasted about a quarter of an hour, and by which they meant to express their condolence for our sufl'eriiigs." Captain Franklin and Dr. lliehaidson continued to sojoitni with Akaitcho, who was moving very slowly to the south- ward, until Dec. 8th : and then pushed on for l'(M't Providence, where they met with a hearty welcome. On the Ifhh they arrived at Moose- Deer I'jiand, and there found I.ieu- tenant Back, whose sulTerin,;s had scarcely heen less tlian iheir own, and to whose exertions, under Almighty guidance, they felt the preservation of their lives to be owing. IJy the end of February, 1822, the swellings of their limbs had en- tirely subsided, and they were able to walk to any part (if the island. Thi'ir appetites gradually moderated, aiul they nearly regained their ordinary state of body before the spring. Hepburn alone suffered from a severe attack cf rhrumati.sm, vol.. ril. PAIIT I, K t|iii t •»!, ii ■«i(; 50 POST- CAPTAINS OF 1822. which confined him to his hed for some weeks. On the 26th of May, the whole of the surviving officers and men, with the exception of Adiini, who had formed an alliance with the Copper Indians at Fort Providence, embarked for Chipewyan, where the remainder of the Canadians, then only three in num- ber, were discharged. Captain Franklin, Lieutenant Back, Dr. Richardson, John Hepburn, and Augustus, the Esquimaux, returned to York Factory, on the 14th of July. "Thus," says the commander of the expedition, " terminated our long, fatiguing, and disastrous travels in North America, having journeyed by water and land (including our navigation of the Volar Sea), 5550 miles." Capti'in Franklin obtained post rank, Nov. 20th, 1822; and married, Aug. l(>th, 1823, Eleanor Anne, youngest daughter of William Porden, Esq. of J5erners Street, London. In April follov.ing, Dr, Richardson was appointed Surgeon of the Chathan) division of royal marines ; and, about the eame period. Lieutenant Hack proceeded to the Leeward Islands' station, in the Superb 7^j Captain Sir Thomas Staines. The manner in which these hij^hlv di;jtinguishcd travellers were next emplMycd will be seen by the following extract from Captaii. Franklin's " Narrative of a Second Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea:" " His Majesty's Government hnvin^, towards the cloic of 1^23, tloter- miiiiMl II [till-, another atteiiint to clTrct u northorn passairc liy sea l»et\veca the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and Captain I'lirry, the eomnianilcr of tin two prccedinj; expeditions, havinj( liecn aijain iiUnistod willi its execution, success, as far as ability, enterprise, and experience coiUd ensure it, appeared likely to he tlie result. Vof, as the object was one for wlilcli <;rcat Britain had th\ the ;)iupii^';d lourse, siiiiiii.r 'f "*»y> POST-CAPTAINS OK 1822. 51 On the 26lh men, with the imce with the n* Chipewyan, three in num- lant Back, Dr. le Esquimaux, ly. "Thus," ated our long, lerica, having vigation of the . 20th, 1822; nnc, youngest treet, London. )inted Surgeon \u(\, about the the Leeward I Sir Thomas r diritiuf^uishcd the foUowinp; ; of a Secoiid ic of 1823, doter- r(i by sea lictwccii foininaiulor of tin villi its execution, could ensure it, ras otic for whlcli ipuards of tlinc pursue it !>y uioir for an expedition ucp, by sea, to tiic d object, also, of uiine Rivers, itirth pul)lic Iiy the edition, and of llic I like fate ; l>«it ! I (.our^o, !>liiiiii.r daiipers wore not to be apprehended, while the objects to he attained, were important at once to the uaval character, scienti(ic reputation, and cotn- luercial interests of Great Britain ; and I received directions frotn Earl Bathurst to make the necessary preparations for the e(|uipuient of the expedition, to the command of which I had the honor to be nominated. " My much valued friend. Dr. Riclnrdson, offered his services as na- turalist and surgeon, lind also volunteered to undertake the survey of the coast to the eastward, while I should be occupied in cndeavourinff to reach Icy Cape. Lieutenant liushnan, who had served under Captains Ross and Parry, was likewise appointed to accompany mc ; but, long before the party was to leave England, I had to lament the premature death of that excellent young officer, who was eminently (|ualitied for the service, by his skill in astrononucal observations, surveying, and drawing*. Many naval ofticcrs, distinguished for their talent and ability, were desirous of fdling the vacancy ; but my friend and former companion, Lieutenant Back, having returned from the West Indies, the uppuintinciit was offered to him, and accepted with his wonted zeal, Mr. Edward Nicholas Kendall, admiralty mute, and recently assistant-surveyor with Captain Lyonf, was appointed to accompany Dr. Richardson in hU voyage from the mouth of the Mackenzie to the eastward, and to do the duty of assistant-surveyor to the expedition at large, whilst it contimied united. Lastly, I\Ir. Thomas Dniminond, of Forfar, was appointed assistant-naturalist. " A residence in the northern parts of America, where the party must neccssarilv'lepend for subsistence on the daily suppl> of fish, or on the still more pp ca. m»s success of Indian hunters, involves many duties which re(piirc tl atcndenoe of a person of long experience in the manage- ment of th lies, and in the arrangement of the Ouuulian voyagers and Indians : we had many opportunities, durin.,' tlie former journey, of being acaii tl»e spring of 1825; hence, ir was not proper that tin; main Itody of the expedition shouki reach the Fur Countries licfore tiio latter period. Some stores were forwarded from I'ngland, by nay of New York, in March, 1824, for the pvu-pose of relieving the expedition as much as possil)le from the incumbrance of heavy baggage, and thus enaltling it, by moving quickly, to reach its intended winter quarters at (Jreat Bear Lake, as well as to provide for its more comfortable reception at thr.t place. Tliese stores, with the addition of other articles ol)tained in Canada, sufficed to load three north canoes, manned iiy eighteen voyagers ; and they were delivered, before the winter set in, to Mr. l>ease, at tlie Athabasca I/ukc. "Three light boats were also sent out to York Factory, in June 1824, together with a fiu'ther supply of stores, two carpenters, and a party of men, with a view of tlieir reaching Cumberland House the baine season; and, starting from thence as soo'i as the navigation opened in the following spring, that they might l)c as far as possiI>le advanced on their way to Bear Lake before they were overtaken iiy the ollicers of the expedition. The latter, proceeding by way of New York and Canada, would have the advantage of an earlier spring in travelling through the more southern districts ; and, further to expedite tlieir progress, I directed two large canoes, with the necessary ecpiipments and stores, to be deposited at Pcnctanguishene, the naval depot of Lake Huron, in the autumn of 1824, to await our arrival in the following spring; having been informed that, in ordinary seasons, we should, by commencing our voyage at that place, arrive in the N. W. country ten days earlier than by the usual way ot proceeding up the Utawas River from Montreal." The three boats mentioned by Captain Franklin were con- structed at W^oohvich muler his own superintendence. To fit them for the aseent and descent of the many rapids between York Factory and Mackenzie Hiver, and to render their transport over the numerous portages more easy, it was necessary to have them as small, and of as light a construc- tion as possible; and, in fact, as nuich lilve a birch-bark canoe as was consistent witli tiic stability and capacity required for their voyage at sea. They were built of maho- gany, with timber.-^ of ush, both ends exactly alike, and fitted to be steered either with a sweep-oar or a rudder. Each of them had two liii;-sail-!. The largest boai, 2G fi'ct long ami 5' bron'l, w ,is r.d»ited f >r nix ri-wer^-, a -tcerMniin, and : ' m ing the cxti'a Jnglanil by the he summer of 1825; hence, nnUI reach the orwarded frotn lie purpose of ncumbrance of y, to reach Us I provule for its ith the addition ; north canoes, efore the winter , in June 1824, , and a party of le bume season; in the followinsf heir way to Boar xpcdition. Tlic would have tlie J more southern rected two lar^'o he deposited at autumn of 1821, n informed that, acje at that place, the usual way of lln were con- (Iciicc. To fit puis bctwcoii render their easy, it was ht a construc- u birch-bark anil capacity built of maho- ilike, and fitted tlder. Each oi ) r.'ct lonjx ami M•^ I'mWI, iuh! ;.' ^ I'OST-CAI'TAINS OK IH'JJ. T).! ofticer ; it could be borne on the shoulders 'of six men, and was found, on trial, to be capable of carrying three tons weight, in addition to the crew. The others were each 21 feet long, 4 • broad, and capable of receiving five rowers, a steersman, and an officer, with an additional weight of 5G()() pounds. Captain Franklin and his officers, with four marines as attendants, embarked at Liverpool, on board the American packet-ship Columbia, Feb. ICtb, 1825 ; and about the same period, the Blossom 21, was commissioned at Woolwich by Commander F. VV. lieccliey, and ordered to proceed round Cape Horn, for the purpose of mectiiig the western branch of the expedition in Behring's Strait, and conveying that party either to the Sandwich Islaiuls or Cant(ni, as might seem most advisable to Ca[)tain Franklin, who was instructed to take a passage to England in any merchant ship that he might find about to sail for Europe. The eastern branch was to return overland from the mouth of the Copper-mine River to Great JJear Lake, where alone a sufficient supply of fish could be procured for the support of so many persons. When Captain Franklin left London to proceed on this expedition, he had to undergo a severe struggle between the feelings of alTcetion and a sense of duty ; his wife then lying at the point of death, and, with iieroic fortitude, urging his departure at the very day appointed — entreating him, as he valued her peace and his own glory, not to delay a moment on her account. She expired on the sixth day after his em- barkation, leaving a daughter, eight months old. Previous to her union with Captain Franklin, this amiable lady had published two poems, or.e entitled " IVie fci/.s, or the Tri- unip/i of Coustauci/ ;" and the other, *« 'r/ic ^Intic Exjtedi Hon." She sub.sequently published a very spirited " Ode on the Coronation of His Majesty Gcorirc the Fourth ;" and a poem in sixteen cantos, entitled, " Cuur de Lion, or the Third Crtf.sade." Her father was the architect who erected the King's stables at Jirighton, ai:d other buii lings which placed his name high in the line to which he belongs. The bouts of the expedition, accompanied by Augustus I 1 III ft • i 54 POST-CAPTAINS OF 182*2. I li ami another Esquimaux interpreter, named Ooligbuck, had advanced from York Factory into the interior, 1200 miles, before they were joined by Captain Franklin and Dr. Richard- son ; whilst the latter, from taking a more eircuitous route, by New York and Upper Canada, travelled 2800 miles, to reach the same point. This junction took place on the 29th of June, 1825, in the Methye River, which is almost at the head of the waters that run from the north into Hudson's Bay. In no part of the journey was the presence of the officers more requisite to animate and encourage the crews. The river itself, besides being obstructed by three impassable rapids, is usually so shallow, through its whole course of forty miles, as scarcely to admit of a flat-bottomed bateau floating with half its cargo. This river and its impediments being surmounted, the Methye Portage, lOf miles long, which is always held up to the inexperienced voyager as the most laborious part of the journey, was at no great distance. But whatever apprehensions the men might have entertained on this subject, seemed to vanish when the captain and his able coadjutor landed amongst tliem. Lieutenant Back and Mr. Kendall were at this time employed in bringing up three heavily laden canoes from Lake Superior ; and Mr. Drum- mond, who had been left bcliind at Cunjberland House, had already commenced his botanical labours, between the Sas- katchawan River and the Rocky Mountains. On the 7th of August, having reached Fort Norman, situ- ated on the left bank of the Mackenzie, in lat. 64'' 40^ 30" N., long. 124° 53' 22'' W., and within twelve leagues of the stream that runs into that river from Great Bear Lake, Cap- tam Franklin resolved on ontinuing his course to the sea, in the largest boat, accompanied by Mr. Kendall and the faithful Augustus, for the purpose of collecting whatever information could be obtained from the Louchcux Indians and Esquimaux wanderers, a« well as from personal observation, respecting the general state of the ice, in tiie summer and autumti, and the trending of the coast, cast and west of Whale Island, — the limit of Mackenzie';? voyage. In the meantime, Dr. Kichardbou employed himself in t>iirveying the siiorrs ot f POST-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 55 >ligbuck, had , 1200 miles. Dr. Richaid- ;uitou8 route, 800 miles, to e on the 29th almost at the ito Hudson's esence of the igc the crews, ee impassable lole course of :tomed bateau 1 impediments I miles long, voyager as the ffreat distance. Lvc entertained iptain and his iiant Back and nging up three ul Mr. Drum- nd House, had ween the Sas- Norman, situ- (34" 4.(y 30" N., eagues of the ;ar Lake, Cap- c to the sea, in and the faithful k'er information md Esquimaux ion, respecting d autumn, and /hale Island, — meantime. Dr. the siiorcs nt Great Bear Lake, and fixing upon a spot, the nearest to the Copper-mine River, to which lie might conduct his party the following year. The important operations necessary for the comfortable residence and subsistence of the expedition dur- ing the fast approaching winter, were superintended by Messrs. Back and Deasc. The descent from Fort Noruum to the mouth of the Mac- kenzie, including a sliort stoppage at Fort Good Hope, the lowest of the Company's posts, and which had been but recently established, for the convenience of the Loueheux tribe, occupied oidy six days. The river was found to dis- charge itself into the Arctic Ocean through many cluHmclH, formed by low islands, which ai certain seasons are quite inundated. Tiie north-eastern extremity of tlie main chamiel is in lat. (59- I i' N., long. 135" 57' VV. ' From this point, at which the coast begins to trend to the southward of east, an island was discovered much farther out, and Captain Franklin iuunedititely difccted his course towards it, in search of salt water, none that he had yet tasted beijig at all brackish. " In the inid'Ilo of the traverse," says he, " we wore wiuglit hy a strong contrary wind, ajauHt wliieh our crews cheerfully contended for five hours, though drenehed hy the spray, and even Iiy the waves, which cuuie into the boat. Unwilling to return without attaining the ohjcet of our search, when the strenirtli of the rowers was nearly exhausted, as a last resource, tlie sails were set (hnible-rcefed, and our e:ceeilcnt boat mounted over the wavi-s in the most buoyant manner. An opijortune alteration of the wind onaltled us, in the course of another hour, to fetch into smoother water, under the shelter of the island. Wc then pulled across a line of .strong ripple which marked the termination of the fresh water, that on the seaward side being brackish ; and in the further progress of three mik'8 to the island, we had the indescribable pleasure of finding it decidedly salt. " The sun was setting us the boat touched the beach, and we hastened to the most elevated part of the island, about 250 feet high, to look around. ^ Never was a prospect more gratifying than that which lay open to us. The Rocky Mountains were seen from S. W. to W. § N. j and from the latter point, round I)y the north, tlie sea appi'ared in all its ma- jcsty, entirely free from ice. and vitliout any vlail.le obstruction to it ; navigation. Riany .seals, and black and white whales, were sporting on its waves; and the whole ceuc wii- calculated to excite in our minds the d ::^ If j . 1 1 :;:; \k ] ''} r i % ■ li:'! 1 li •r I ' I itiii; hf 58 POST-CAPTAINS OF 182*2. by the officers. By thus participating in their amusements, the men became more attached to their superiors, at the same time that the latter contributed to their health and cheerfulness. The hearts and feelings of the whole were united in one common desire to make the time pass as agree- ably as possible to each other, until the return of spring should enable them to resume the great object of the expedition. Every thing seems to have gone on pretty well till the end of the year ; but, owing to the extreme severity of the wea- ther in the months of January and February, 182(>, the sources from whence they had derived their food failed them. All the animals but the wolf and the fox had migrated to the southward ; the stock of (hied meat was expended ; the fish cauglit did not allow more than three or four small herrings to each man per day, and, being out of season, not only afforded verj^ little nourishment, but caused frequent and general indisposition. Under such circumstances, they were obliged to have recourse to the pcmmican, arrow-root, and portable soup, which had been set apart for their voyage along the sea-coast. Towards March, however, their situation be- gan to improve. Mr. Back had by this time been promoted to the rank of commander. On the 24th of May a new boat was finished, and named the Reliance. It was constructed of fir, with birch timbers, after the model of the Lion, but with a more full bow, and a finer run abaft. Its length was 26 feet, and breadth of. It was fastened in the same manner as the other boats, but with iron instead of copper. To procure sufficient nails the black- smith was obliged to cut up all the spare axes, ice-chisels, and other impler:ents. Being without tar, the carpenters, one of whom hrd had the misfortune to break his leg in the spring of 1825, substituted strips of water-proof canvas, soaked in some caoutchouc varnish, to lay between the Beams of the planks ; and for paint, they made use of resin (procured from the pine-trees in the vicinity), boiled and mixed with grease. On the 1st of June, the preparations for the voyage along tlie coast being in a state of forwardness, Captain Franklin's atten- f I I V 4 muscments, ors, at the health and whole were 9S as agree- iring should ledition. i till the end of the wea- , 182<>, the food failed lad migrated 5 expended ; )r four small [ season, not frequent and ?s, they were )w-root, and voyage along situation be- en promoted , and named irch timbers, 11 bow, and a jadth 04. It ats, but with ils the black- , ice-chisels, e carpenters, lis leg in the >roof canvas, between the use of resin , boiled and 'age along the nklin's atten- POSr-CAPTAINS OF 1822. 59 tion ^ras directed to the providing for the return of Dr. Richard- son's party in the following autumn, and to the securing means of support for all tlie members of the expedition, in the event of the western branch being compelled to return to Great Bear Lake. Among other arrangements, Mr. Dease was instructed to keep the fort well stored with provision until the spring of 1828, in case the latter party should not meet with the Blos- som, and be obliged to winter on the coast. Fourteen men, including Augustus, were appointed to accompany Captain Franklin and Comnuuuler Back, in the Lion and Reliance; and twelve, including Ooligbuck, to go with the naturalist and assistant-surveyor, in the two smaller boats, which were nanu'd the Dolphin and Union. On the 18th of June, the whole of these officers and men assembled at Divine service, dressed in sky-blue, water-proof, uniforms, which, together with an abundance of warm clothing, had been provided in England ; and on the 24th, we find them again afloat, and descending: Great Bear Lake River, with provision sufficient for eighty days, at full allowance. In the evening of the 3d of July, having reached the expansion of the Mackenzie, whence its difterent cluumcls branch off, and being anxious not to take the Dol[)hin and Union out of their course, Captain Franklin gave orders to encamp, and made the necessary arrangements for the separation that was about to take place. As the parties entertained for each other sentiments of true friendship and regard, it will easily be imagined that their last evening together wa^ spent in the most cordial and cheerful manner. They felt that they were only separating to be employed on services of equal interest; and they looked forward with delight to their next meeting, when, after a suc- cessful termination, they might recount the incidents of their respective voyages. The best supper their means afforded was provided^ and a bowl of punch crowned the parting feast. This was in lat. 07" 38' N., long. 133° 53' W. On quitting the Mackenzie, July 7th, Captain Franklin fell in with a large body of Esquimaux, who mjule a daring attempt to plunder his boats, but only succeeded in carrying off a few articles of inconsiderable value. x\ftcr this, the wPbtcrn brnneh of the expedition mtt with no interruption H > If 1 ^Mf'. ^ iriii :i' i \ ■ 1. " 'ill it L •If'-' ' (30 rOST-CAl'TAINS OK 1822. from the natives, with whom they had frequent intercourse as they proceeded along the coast, sometimes meeting with very numerous parties. Their progress to the westward, however, was very slow, owing to the unfavorable state of the ice and weather; and it was the 31st of July before they reached long. 141", which is the boundary between the British and Russian dominions on the northern coast of America. The following extracts from Captain Franklin's narrative, will shew the nature of the dihiculties he had to contend witii in the summer of 1826 : "Tins point aeeins to be imu-h resorted to by the Esquimaux, as we fuuud here many whiter houses, and four lari^c stages. A favorable breeze uow sprang up ; and having ascertained tliat there was still a channel of open water between a low island and the main shore, we set sail to follow its course ; but at the end of three miles we found the dej)lh of water gradually decrease from three fathoms to as many feet, and shortly after- wards the boats repeatedly took the ground. In this situation we were enveloped liy a thick fog, which limited our view to a few yards. We therefore dragged the boats to the land, until wc could see our way ; when it was discovered from the summit of an eminence about two nules distant, that, though the channel was of some extent, it was very shallow, and seemed to be barred by ice to the westward. We also ascertained that it was bounded to seaward by a long reef. The night proved very stormy, and we were but scantily supplied with drift wood. " Though the 1st of August commenced with a heavy gale from E.N. E. aad very foggy weather, we proceeded to the reef, after much fatigue in dragging the boats over the flats, supposing that our best ciuuice of getting forward would be bypassing on the outside of it. But there finding heavy ice lying aground, and so closely packed as to preclude the possibility of putting the boats into the water, it was determined to examine the channel by walking along the edge of the reef. An outlet to the sea was discovered, but gulls were, in most parts, wading across it ; and there was, therefore, no other course than to await the separation of the ice from the reef. On the dispersion of the fog in the afternoon, we perceived that some of the masses were from 20 to 30 feet high; and we derived little comfort from beholding an unbroken surface of ice to seaward. " The gale blew without the least abatement until noon of the 2d, when it terminated in a violent gust, which overthrew the tents. The field of ice was broken in the ofling, and the pieces put in motion ; in the evening there appeared a large space of open water, but we could not take advan- tage of these favorable circumstances, in consequence of the bergs still closely besetting the reef. The astronomical observations place our encampment in lat. 69° 43' N., long. 141" 30' W. "On the morning of the 3d, a strong vvind set in from the cast, which •? M ■^ rOST-CAPTAIN's OF 1822. ()t intercourse leeting witli ; westward, ble state of before they jetween the rn coast of I Franklin's >s he had to uimaux, as uc ivorable breeze li u chunnel of :t sail to follow depth of water ,d shortly after- uatioii wc were cw yards. Wc our way ; when 0 miles distant, ry shallow, and .•ertained thai it cd very stormy, from E.N. E. nueh fatigue in uuiee of gettinjj c finding heavy e possibility of line the channel was discovered, was, therefore, II the reef. On at some of the c comfort from of the 2d, when , The field of in the evening not take udvan- the bergs still ions place our the cast, which .^ caused a higher flood in the channel than we had yet seen, and the hope of effecting a passage by its course was revived. As the ice was slill fast to the reef, and likely to continue so, it was consiilcred biMtcr to occupy ourselves in dragging the boats through the mud, than to continue h.r.ger in tiii? irksome spot, where the wood was already scarce, and the water indifferent. The boats accordingly proceeded with four men in each, while the rest of the crew v.alked along tlie shore, and rendered assistance wiierever it was necessary, to drag ihcm over the shallow parts. After four hours' labour, we reached the eastern part of the bay, which 1 have named after my friend Captain Beaufort, R. N., and which was then covered with ice. We had also the happiness of finding a passage that led to seaward, and cnablcc shallowness of the water. Beyond the western pan of thl. hay, (ho *vatcr being deep close to the coast, we sailed on in more sccuiily, ond <.v;.'npl(.lefl a run of 28 miles, the greatest distance we had made on one 'i.iy .-i.icr; our departure from the Mackenzie. A black whale and .^cviiai iea!,- iiavif';; been seen just before we landed to sup, the water being now deride l:v salt, and the ice driving with great rapidity to the westward^ v^.'jre'.'rcu •s-iaiv.e.s that we hailed with heartfelt joy as affording the pr..'. pcct of no.v ^^vtti 'g speedily forward." On the 4th of Atigust, the water was again found very shallow, and the boats repeatcdiy touched the :;rounfl, c/cn at the distance of two miles from the shore. Next (^;iy f'loiv progress was obstructed, for several hours, by closely packed ice, ou the outer border of a reef, in lat. 70° 7' N., [nig. 145° 27' W. ; and they afterwards received scveraj. !io;ivy blows while passing through the loose ice between that and nv. island, to which the name of Fifixman was given, in honor of the late eminent sculptor. The Rocky Mountr.in.s eillicv terminated abreast of the above reef, or receded so far to the southward as to be imperceptible from the coust a feu n.iles beyond it. The view from the S. E. part of Flaxn :,n Island, vFhijh is about four miles long and two broad, ied Capfain Franklin to suppose that he woidd be able to pioceed by keeping clo.se to its southern shore ; hvl in making the attempt, the boats often got agrouml, nnci lie was at length obliged to seek n |);i-:s;ige bv the north side. ..ft 1 62 I'OST-CAl'TAINS OK I S2'2. ill i I : !i "At the end of a mile in llmt direction. "' (•onlinii(?s lio, " we were stopped by the ice hcinjf iinl'roken from the shore, ami closely packed to seaward. Since the day alter our departure from the Mackenzie, when we lirst came to the ice, we had not witness*'d a m;ire iiiiruvorahle pros- pect than that before us. No water was to he seen, cither from the tents, which were pitched about thirty feet aI)ove ti>e horizon, or from the different points of the island which we visited. We were now scantily supplied w '» fuel, the drift tind)cr heini( covered by the ice hi^h up the bank, except just where tlie boats had landed. In the cveninjy a '^ix\o came on from the east, and blow throuc^hout the followiii!^ day : we vainly hoped this would produce some favorable r-jiaiigc. The po;iition ot our encamp- ment was in lat. 70" 1 1' N., lon^. 145" M' W, "The easterly i,mIc gave place to a calm, on tlie tnornint,' of the 7th ; and as this chanjre, thoup;h it produced no elTect in loosenini,'' the ice to he northward, caused more water to flow into the channel between the island and the main, we succeeded with little difliculty in crossing the flats that had before impeded us. Beyond this bar, tlic water (gradually deepened to three fathoms ; and. a fiivorable breeze spriiiffinj;{ up, we steered f(tr the outer point of land in siirlit. The main shore, to the westward of Flaxman Island, is so low that it caimot be seen at the distance of n league, with the exception of three small hummocks, which look like islands. " Our course was continued until we came to an island lyin ^hort interval ni clear wcallicr, to iMerlain th«' lilitude. 7*'' I'l 07' N.. r\nd lonuiiudc. 1 17" .V 20' W. Al this encunpmcnt vr. remarked the fir«t instance of reirujnri'vin ll/- ill" '• w;i' Invnalcr <\t ^-HO v. v. on th<- 7th, and Idgh POST-CAPTAINS OF 18212. <)3 " \vc wore packed to izic, when able proa- froin the r from the w scantily \g\i up the ■;;ale came linly hoped ir cncamp- if the 7th ; the ice to letwcen the 111;; the flats ly deepened stpcreil for vcslward of stance of a li look like throe miles II reef, ford- es, the surf iffh the sails hefort" the Vii the liion ixcrlions of 1 '.viiidward ; iUhcr shore, itain shelter y ind'uatod ; At, lon^lh' noted an ap- p.iit of tho prepared to ; fo ten !nt situation. . proc3 coidd ; hrokoii up, ic had lately every hrcczc id been, was jf the former south of onr s terminated ; and in the ity. looked upon exposed, ot nniTc of this inped, witli inv party in n we slioidd 1 liave been r-bouse;*, to id if we did with safety, lieiieve that, arty for any '.u doubt of now l>rinp; POST-C.\PT.\IN> OF 1822. iii i myself even to think of relinquishing the jrrcat object of my ambition, and of disappointing the flattering confidence that had been reposed in my exertions. But I had higher duties to perfor than the gratification of my own feelings ; and a mature consideration of all the above matters forced me to the conclusion, that we had reached that point l)eyond whicli perseverance would be rashness, and our best efforts must be fruitless. In order to put the reader completely in possession of the motives witich would have influenced me, had I been entirely u ♦''•ee agent, I have mentioned them without allusion to the clause in ni. instructions which directed me to commence my return on the 15th or 2')ui of August, 'if, in consequence of slow progress, or other unforeseen accident, it should remain doul)tfnl whether we should be able to reach Kotzebuc's Inlet the same season.' " In the evening I communicated my determination to the whole party ; they received it with the good feeling that had marked their conduct: throughout the voyage, and tliey assured me of their cheerful ac(|uiescencc in any order I should give. The readiness with which they would have pr coast, were ssistant-sur- their voyage lich 37 were ;cd by Euro- mouth of the may be al- testimony to I the former, ccess, an ar- ofcssion and 11, combined , which must I for general ncnt seen by . 70" 36' N., Lake until )r Fort Chi- secure pro- j rejoin Dr. ;ool()gical re- loc to Great ic sen. The eed to York m thence, by the Hudson's Bay fchip, to England. On tlic 18th of June, Captain Fratddin arrived, in a canoe, a* Cumberland House, where he had the happiness of meeting the indefatigable Doctor, lifter a separation of nearly twelve months. From thence they proceeded, by way of Montreal, to New York ; and there embarked, on the ist September, for Liverpool ; at which place we find them landing, from the packet-ship .lames Cropper, on the 26th of the same month. The rest oi the expedition, with the exception of two men, one of whom had died from consumption, and another been accidentally drowned, arrived at Portsmouth, under the charge of Com- mander Back, exactly a fortnight afterwards. We should here mention, that the reception Captain Franklin met witii at New York, both in 1825 and 1827, was kind in the extreme. Their baggage and stores were passed through the custom-hous'* without inspection ; cards of ad- mission to the public scientific institutions were promptly forwarded to them ; ajid every other mark of attention was shewn by the different authorities, as well as by private individuals; indicating the lively interest which they took in his enterprise. During his last sojourn in that city, tlie Re- corder and a deputation of tiie Corporation did him the honor of presenting him with a splendidly bound copy of "Colden's Memoir on the New York Canals," and the medal which .. ..I recently been struck to commemorate the completion of the Erie canal. Soon after his return to England the Geographical Society of Paris voted him their gold medal, value 1200 francs, which is adjudged annually, and with the liberality worthy of an enlightened nation, to the individual, whether native or foreigner, who shall have made the most important acqui- sitions to geographical knowledge in the course of the year preceding : he was, at the same time, elected a correspond- ing member of that institution. On the 29th April, 1829, Captain Franklin received the honor of knighthood. In July following, the honorary degree of D. C. L. was conferred upon him in a convocation at C).\ford. And, on the 23rd Aug. 1830, he was appointed to K 'J :^ 6S rOST-CAPTAINS OF 1823, the command of the "Ruinbow 28, fitting out at Portsmoutfi for the Mediterranean station. Lady Franklin, to whom he was united on the 5th of Nov. 1828, is the second daughter of John Griffin, of Bedford Place, London, Esq. EDWARD CURZON, Esq. <4 Companion of the Most Honorable MiUtnnj Or(hr of the Bath ; /Oiiifhf of the Imperial Russian Order of St. JVludimcr ) and Kniifht 6f the Rutful French Order of St. Louis. 'i^His officer is nearly related to Lord Scarsdale*. He entered the navy in Nov. 1804, being then fifteen years of age, as midshipman on board the Repulse 74, Captain the Hon. Arthur Kaye Leggef ; obtained the rank of lieutenanty March 14th, 1811; served as such in the Blake 74, employed on the coast of Catalonia, until 1813;): ; acted as a military aide-de-camp in North America, during the latter part of the war between Great Britain and the United States§ ; and was promoted to the rank of commander, March 29th, 1815. His subseciuent appointments were, July 22d, 1810, to the Pelican 18, fitting out for the West Indies ; Oct. 10th, 1822, to the Fly 18, attached to the Leith station, where he was serving when posted, Feb. 8th, 1823 ; arul, Oct. Cth, 1826, to the Asia 84, equipping at Portsmouth, for the flag of Sir Edward Codrington, which ship he commanded at the* battle of NavarinlT. For his conduct on that occasion, he he was nominated a C. B. on the 13th Nov, 1827; and; sul)sequently decorated with the Cross of St Louis, and the Order of St. Wladimer of the third class. Tlw Asia returned home, to be docked and refitted, Jan. 31st, 1828; and Captain Cur/.on appears to have retained the command of her until June Cth following, since which he has been on half-pay. ylgents. — Messrs. Maude and Co. • See Vol. I. p. 420. t Soo id. p. 442. X See id. pp. (i.'J'i mid 873. § Sec p. 4 of this vohime; fl Sec Suppl. Part 11. pp. 32!)— 334. POST- f ATTAINS OF 1823. m irtsnioutfi Lh of Nov. f Bedford iffi ; fCniiffif uiifht 6f I lie iule*. He !ii years of aptain the lieutenanty , employed a military part of the ites§ ; and J9th, 1815. :il6, to the Oct. 10th, I, where he Oct. Gth, ■ the flag of ided at the- x'asion, he 1827; and is, and the iia returned 1828; and land of her n half-pay. >. \i voiiitnf ; SEPTIMIUS ARABIN, Esq. Jean D'AaAniN, a branch of one of llic oldest families in Provence, was born about the year IfiOO. Hh grandson, Bartholomew, fled from France at the revocation of the edict of Nantz, in 1C85; came over to •I'lnglaad, with Kinj,' William III., in 1688; and commanded a troop of horse, under Colonel Rol^ert Rlonckton (father of the first Viscount lialway), in 1690. The said Bartholomew was grandfather of John Ara'oin, who married Judith Danicll, daughter of General De Grangucs (aide-de-camp to the Dnke of Schomberg at the battle of the Boyne), and by that lady had two sons, Ilonry and John Daniell ; the latter a lieu- tenant-general in the royal Irish artillery. Henry married Ann Grant, of the family of Grairt of Balleudallack, and had issue nine sons, four of whom were devoted to the military and naval services, — viz. George, who died a captain in II. M. 54th regiment; Septimius, the subject of the folluwing sketch ; Frederick, a ca|>tain in the royal artillery ; and Augustus, a lieutenant in the navy ; — these gentlemen arc grand-nephews to General William John Arabin, many years a lieutenant-colonel of the 2(\ regiment of foot-guards. Mr. Septi.mius Arahin entered the navy in April, 1/09; and served the greater part of his time as midshipman, under .Sir W. Sidney Smith, in tlie Tigre 80, and Antelope 50 ; tlie former sliip employed in co-operation with the Turkish forces on the coasts of Syria and Egypt, wliere she remained until the peace of Amiens ; tlie latter in Matching the ports of Helvoetsluys, Fhishing, Ostend, and Boulogne, suhsequent to the renewal of hostilities, in 1803. At this period, Mr. Arabin was often in close action with vessels destined to form a part of the flotilla collecting for the invasion of England ; and his conduct on every occasion appears to have met with the un- qualified approbation of his superiors. On the 24th March, 1801, lie Mas publicly thanked liy Sir VV. Sidney Smith, for the gallant and judicious manner in M-hich he conducted the boats of the Antelope, after every ofticer senior to himself Mas M'oiuided, in an attack on a Dutch armed schuyt, moored at the entrance of the l^ast Scheldt, and in every way pre- pared for jui obstinate resistance. The capture of this vessel '■ f II 70 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823 was effected by boarding, but not until tlic boats liad been exposed, in consequence of a strong lee tide, to a licavy fire for 45 minutes, by which many men were killed and wounded. In Jan. 1800, we find Mr. Arabin, who had previously passed his examination, serving as master's-mate on board the Pompde 74, bearing the flag of Sir W. Sidney Smith, and about to sail for the Mediterranean, in consequence of the lamented Nelson having selected his chivalrous compeer to protect Sicily from a threatened invasion. Shortly after the arrival of the Pompde at Palermo, Mr. Arabin was appointed by his patron to command a Sicilian armed vessel, in which he conveyed the first supply of ammmiition to Gaeta, at that time a post of the greatest importance, besieged by the French army, and resolutely defended by the Prince of Hesse-Philipsthal : he also assisted in disarming the coasts of Naples and Calabria, from the gulf of Salerno to Scylla ; and was present at the capture of the latter fortress. On the 1st August, 1806, Mr. Arabin was appointed acting lieutenant of the Pompee, in which capacity he passed and re-passed the Dardanelles, with the squadron under Sir John T. Duckworth, Feb. 19th and March 3d, 1807. On the first of these days, after assisting at the destruction of a Turkisli 64, four frigates, and five smaller vessels, lying within the inner castles, he was sent to cut out a gun-boat, and ordered to employ her in covering the party despatohed under Lieu- tenant (now Captain) William Fairbrother Carroll, to com- plete the demolition of a 31-gim battery, situated on Point Pesquies. For his conduct in the performance of this ser- vice he again received the public thanks of Sir W. Sidney Smith, and likeAvise had the distinguished honor of being one of the only two naval lieutenants named in Sir John T. Duckworth's first official despatch. Having thus contributed to the securing of an anchorage for the British squadron, on its return from Constantinople, Mr. Arabin followed the Pompdc into the sea of Marmora ; but liaving no pilot, and his prize being almost innnanage- nble, from the loss of rigging and other damages, added to POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823. 71 s had been to a heavy killed and previously te on board Iney Smith, aenee of the compeer to ;ly after the IS appointed , in which he at that time rench army, ilipsthal: he nd Calabria, •esent at the tinted acting passed and ler Sir John On the first jf a Turkish 5 within the and ordered under Lieu- oil, to corn- ed on Point of this ser- r W. Sidney or of being Sir John T. n anchorage istantinoplc, f Marmora; \nunanagc- s, added to % the exhausted state of the few British seamen on board, who were quite destitute of provisions, he unavoidably got aground within a short distance of the beach near Gallipoli, wlicrc he lay exposed, for upwards of two hours, to the fire of luimerous troops and two row-gallies, the latter of which continued to pursue and harass him until he arrived almost under the guns of his ship, by that time anchored near the Prince's Islands. We have before had occasion to mention, that the Pompde bore the flag of Vice- Admiral the Hon. Henry Edwin Stan- hope, in the subsefjuent expedition against Copenhagen, un- der Admiral Gambler and Lord Cathcart ; and we have now to remark, that Mr. Arabin, still acting as lieutenant of that rihip, was selected to command a division of boats at the de- barkation of the British army. During the siege, he was often warmly engaged with the Danish flotilla and batteries ; and his conduct in every affair so fully met the approbation of tlie Vice-Admiral, as to induce that officer personally to present him to the naval commander-in-chief, with the Hlronjrest recommendation for advancement. In the mean time, liowever, the Admiralty had promoted him to the rank of lieutenant, by commission dated August 4th, 1807, {^"d consequently no reward for his services off Zealand could then be expected. Subsequent to the surrender of the Danish navy. Sir W. Si(hiey Smith applied for Mr. Arabin to be appointed a lieu- tenant of the ship destined to bear his flag on the South American station, and he was consequently ordered to join the Foudroyant 80, at Brazil, from wlience he returned home with his admiral, in August, 1809. His next appoint- ment was, about Mar. 1810, to the Theseus 74, Captain William Prowsc, under whom he served, oft* Flushing and tlie Tcxel, until the summer of 1812. He then became flag- lieutenant to Sir W. Sidney Smith, and proceeded with him to the Mediterranean, where he continued during the re- mainder of the war, in the Hibernia 1 10. His advancement to the rank of commander took place August 27th, 1814. After making several unsuccessful ajiplicatioiib for an ap- ill 72 POST -CAPTAINS OF 1823. 1 Hi *i^^ n;'i: pointmcnt on the peace eBtablishment, and it having been intimated to him, by high authority, that the being so em- ployed could not be considered as giving an officer any ad- ditional claim to promotion, Captain Arabin at length re- solved to travel on the continent, with the view of gaining such local knowledge and information as would further qua- lify him for his country's service, in the event of another war. He accordingly visited the most considerable parts qf France and Italy, acquiring a practical knowledge of the languages of those countries, and passing his time with as much advantage, in a professional point of view, as if he had been serving in a sloop of war. Previous to his obtaining r-. command, he presented a statement of his services to Vit- count Melville, accompanied by the following document : — " In certifying the above statement of the meritorious and distinguished services of Captain Araliin, for the most part under my own direction and observation, I feel it but justice to him to remark, that liis beiug constantly selected for services of difficulty and danger, where zeal and ability were required, and the development of those qualities having ensured the success of the operation, the best possible earnest for the future is afforded, and the acquirements consequent of such experience, with close application and study in the higher branches of professional knowledge, being proportionate thereto, I do not hesitate to say, that his promotion to the rank which can alone afford the probability of his rising to that of flag-ofEcer, during the active time of life, promises advantage to the service, as well as to the individual whom I have it much at heart to sec in his place in the profession to which he has devoted his youth so unremittingly. (Signed) " W. Sidney Smith, Vice-Admiral." On the 2d July, 1821, Captain Arabin was appointed to tlic Argus 18, intended for the Halifax station, where he re- ceived a post commission, from England, dated March 20th, 1823. His last appointment was, Dec. 23, 1825, to the North Star 28, fitting out for the African station, where he captured several slave vessels crowded with victims to the cupidity of Brazilian and Spanish traders. Previous to his return home, he visited Rio de Janeiro, and there received on board Viscount Strangford, Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Brazil, whom he landed at Portsmouth, June 29, 1829. The North Star was soon afterwards put out of commifcsion. IS rOST- CAPTAINS OF 1823. 73 having bctMi jing so ein- ficer any ad- it length rc- V of gaining further qua- it of another lerable parts vledge of tlie time with as , as if he had } obtaining r: vices to Vit,- locument : — 1(1 distinguished ' own direction , that his beiu^ where zeal and lualitics having earnest fur the ich experience, of professional to say, that his ity of his rising cs advantage to inch at heart to id his youth so ice-Admiral." appohited to where he re- March 20th, 825, to the jn, where he ictims to the jvious to his lere received Unary to the h, June 29, put out of Captain Arabin married a daughter of the late Sir George Berrinian Rumbold, Bart, formerly British Consul-Gencral at Handiurgh, whose widow was afterwards united to Sir W. Si(hiey Smith, and died at Paris, in May, 1826, ^gent. — J. Hinxman, Esq. PRICE BLACKWOOD, Esq. Son of the Hon. Hans Blackwood, brother to Lord Duf- forin, by M. Hester, second daughter and co-heiress of Sir Robert Temple, Bart. * Mr. Price Blackwood was born at Dublin, May 26th, 1796. He first went to sea, May, 1808, in the Warspite 74, commanded by his uncle. Captain (now Sir Henry) Black- wood, imder whom he contiimed to serve, on the Mediterra- nean and Channel stations, mitil about June, 1813; when, having passed his examination for lieutenant, he joined the Goliah 68, Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland, fitting out for the North American station ; where he was promoted into the Mohawk sloop, Captain Henry Litchfield, March 10, 1814. His subsequent appointments were, — Oct. 1st, 1814> to tlie Tanais 38, Captain Joseph James; — June 10th, 1816, to the Active 46, Captain Philip Carteret (both of which fri- gates were employed in the West Indies) ; — Aug. 6th, 1819, to the Leander 60, as flag-lieutenant to Sir Henry Black- wood ; and in April, 1820, to act as commander of the Curlew sloop, then employed in the Persian Gulph, and afterwards in the China seas. In Feb. 1822, his uncle appointed him acting captain of the Leander ; and in May following he was removed to the Topaze 46, which frigate he brought home • A brief account of the Blackwood family will be fouml in the note at p. 042 of Vol. I. Part II. The Temples, of Stowe, in Buckiiighamshire, arc, according to many genealogists, descended from Lcofricr, Earl of Mcrcia, ami the famous Godiva, who is reported to have rode naked through Coventry, in order to obtain from her husbaad some immunities fur the inliubitants. iil 'iii H 74 POST-CAl'TAINS OF 1S23. I' ''If anil paid olT, in October, 1822. His Admiralty commissions as Commander and Post-Captain bear date June 4th, 1821, and April 2d, 1823. Captain Price Blackwood married, July 4th, 1825, Helen Selina, eldest daughter of the late Thomas Sheridan, Esq. Agents. — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. HON. HENRY JOHN ROUS. Second son of John, first Earl of Stradbroke, by Charlotte Maria, daughter of Abraham Whittaker, Esq. and brother and heir presumptive to the present peer. This officer was born Jan. 23, 1795. We first find hinv serving as midshipman under Captain (afterwards Sir Wil- liam) Hoste, and assisting at the capture of la Tisiphone French national xebec, two gun-boats, seven transports laden with timber for the Venetian government, and t\vo merchant vessels, by the boats of the Bacchante frigate, at Port Lema, on the coast of Istria, in the night of Aug. 3 1st, 1812. He also bore a part at the capture of the Corfu flo- tilla, Jan. 6th, 1813; as will be seen by reference to our memoir of Captain Donat Henchy O'Brien *. On the 15th May following, he assisted at the capture and destruction of the castle and batteries of Karlebago, mounting two long 12-pounders, four nines, and two brass sixes f ; and on the 12th June in the same year, he commanded the Bacchante's yawl, under the orders of Lieutenant Silas Thomson Hood, in a most brilliant affair on the coast of Abruzzi, the rcsul^. of which was the capture of seven large Neapolitan gun- vessels, each mounting a long 18-pounder in the bow, throe others armed with 4-pounders, and fourteen sail of mer- chantmen, from Ancona bound to Barletta, many of the lat- ter lying aground under the town of Gala Nova, and pro- • See Suppl. Part IV. pp. 2/7-281. t See Vol. II. Part I. p. 4/7. commisKions le 4th, 1821, 1825, Helen itlan, Esq. by Charlotte and brother irst find hint rds Sir Wil- la Tisiphonc 1 transports >nt, and two :c frigate, at )f Aug. 31st, lie Corfu flo- rcnce to our On the 15th estruction of ig two long and on the Bacchante's mson Hood, the resuK. jolitan gun- e bow, three ail of incr- y of the lat- a, and pro- posT-CAPr.MNs OF 1823. 75 tected by more than 100 soldiers, with two field-pieces, on the beach. ''This," says Captain Hoste, "wris the forca ojiposed to a frigate's boats ; but no disjmritj/ of numbers could check the spirit of the brave queers and men employed in this service. The attack was determined on instantly, and executed with all the gallantn/ and spirit which men accustomed to danger, and to despise it, have so frequenthj shewn; and never was there a finer display of it than on this occasion. The boats, as they advanced, were exposed to a heavy fire of grape and musketry ; and it was not till they were fairly alongside that the enemy slackened their fire, and were driven from their vessels with great loss. I beg leave to recommend Lieutenant Hood to the notice of the 'jommander-in-chief in the strongest manner ; I am unable to do justice to his merit. He speaks in the highest possible terms of Lieutenant Francis Gostlingj acting Lieutenant Webb, who distinguished himself so much in January last, with the Corfu flotilla ; Lieutenants Holmes and Haig, II. M. ; and Messrs. Rees, Rous, Hoste, Farewell, Walde- grave, Langton, M*Kean, and Richardson." The loss sustained by the British on this occasion was ratlier severe, though not so much as might have been ex- pected from the enemy's superiority of force, the obstinacy of the contest, and the boats' crews being exposed to a scat- tered fire of musketry while employed in getting the prizes afloat. Three men were killed, and six very badly wounded, one of whom survived only a few hours. On taking possession of the merchant vessels, the whole of which were loaded with oil, it was found that the plugs had been taken out of the bottoms of those aground, and that they consequently were half full of water. In the en- suing night, one of these vessels, under the charge of Mr. Rous, filled and upset, but did not go down, owing to the buoyancy of her cargo. The wind was then blowing strong, v,\i\\ a heavy sea, notwithstanding which Mr. Rous and his prize crew were providentially enabled to hang on by the starboard gunwale, from midnight until 4 a. m., when they had the good fortune to be discovered and picked up by the § 76 roST-CAVTAINS OF 1823. Hon. Mr. Waldegravc, conimaiiding the very sternmost vcs- Kcl of the convoy, and under a press of sail for Lissa. From this period, Mr. Rous was engaged in a variety of important operations, — including the capture of Rovigno, on the coast of Istria ; the islaiul of Lesina ; and the strong fortresses of Cattaro and Ragusa ; hy the reduction of which the allies became masters of every military post in Dalniatia, Croatia, Istria, and the Frioul, together with all the islands in the Adriatic Sea *. Mr, Roup's promotion to the rank of lieutenant took place May IStli, 1814; and on that occasion he was appointed to the Alcmene 38, Captain Jeremiah Coghlan. From Aug. 4th following until Jan. 1816, he served in the MtRander 38, Captain John Bastard. In Jan. 18I7> he received an ap- pointment to the Conqueror 74, fitting out for the flag of Rear- Admiral Plampin, from which ship he was advanced to the connnand of the Podargus 14, at St. Helena, Nov. 2Gth in the same year. 'Vhii Podargus was paid olT in Aug. 1819; and Captain Rous svibsecpiently commanded the Sappho 18, on the Irish titation, and Hind 20, in the Mediterranean, where he was serving when promoted tj post rank, April 25th, 1823. His last appointment was, July 30th, 1825, to the Rainbow 28, in which ship he visited every part of the East India station, and discovered a river to the northward of Sydney, in New Soutli Wales, where there is said to be fine and very safe anchorage. To this river he gave the name of Richmond. Tlie Rain1)ow was put oul of connnission, at Portsmouth, Aug. 25th, 1829. ylf^cnt. — C. Clementson, Es([. n CHARLES PHILLIPS, Esg. FvUuw of the Hoyul Society. Is the son of the late Dr. Cieorge Phillips, of Haverford- - Sec Vol. II. Purt I. pp. Ml—m. M rnmost vcs- issa. a variety of )f Rovigno, I the strong on of wliicli II Dalmatia, I the islands it took place ippointed to om Aug. 4th Iieander 38, ivcd an ap- flag of Rcar- vnccd to the ^ov. 2Gth in and Captain on the Irish :here he was ,1823. His Rainbow 28, ndia station, hiey, in New nd very safe f Kiehniond. Portsnioutlj, if llavcrford- I'bsT-rAPTAiNS OF 1R23. 77 UT.4t, in Pembrokeshire, and coiuiccteur gi;ns, two field-pieces, and a mortar, near lltaples. I'or tliis service he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. 1 m1 '*' i 1 I ■ % 'i ■' 11 ..it* ji ' ' ),Mi: 7H POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823. in TArgiis slonp, on the West India station, Sept. ITtl'? 18(H>. We next find Mr. Phillips commanding the Afliaiuv^ sciiooner, on the coast of Demcrara, from which vessel he was removed to the I'hoeho 36, Cjiptain James Oswald. After servinix for sometime in that frii^ate, on the I'lymoulh and Mediterranean stations, he joined the Barflenr 98, hearing the flag of Uear-Admiral Charles Tyk^r, and employed in the blotkade of Lisbon, from whence she escorted home the first division of tlie Russian squadron, surrendered l»y Vice- A(hniral Siuiavin, in the autumn of 1808. Mr. Phillips next served under Vice- Admiral George Campbell, in the Downs ; and, during the Walcheren expe- (Htion, as flag-lieutenant to Sir Richard Goodwin Keats, with whom he afterwards proceeded to the defence of Cadiz, in the Implacable 74. While employed in that arduous ser- vice, lie was successively appointed to the commantl of the Wizard and Tuscan, 10-gun brigs, Onyx 10, and Hound bomb ; which latter appointment appears to have been con- firmed l)y the Admiralty, but not until nearly two years after the date of his first acting order. In the course of this pe- riod, he was frerpiently engaged with the enemy's batteries, particularly diu'ing the last heavy Iwjuibardment of Cadiz from the forts near Matiigoida; and on one occasion he had the satisfaction of personally rescuing u Spanish vessel, which had (b'ifted on the beach, under the fire of fort Napoleon. If we mistake not, he was also employed in ^:o-operati()n with Lieutcnant-Grneral Graham (now Lord Lynedoch), uhcn that oflicer marched froui Tariff*a, and obtained a brilliant victory over Marshal V ictor, at liarrosa*. In the early part of 1812, he reported his having captured a row-boat pri- vateer, and the destruction, by the boats of the Onyx and Desperate, of a merchant brig lying on the beach near Conil, where Khe was protected both by great guns ami nuisketry. His promotion to the rank of commander took place Oct. Cth, J8I2. i * Sec (/optuiu William IIunky ^mvtii. POST CAl'TAINS OF 1823. 70 pt. l/tll, AffilUUH' vessel he lid. After n)ulh Mid <, beariiiu; ployed ill home tiic I hv Vice- al George cren expe- v^in Keats, B of Cadiz, •duous ser- aiul of the ,nd Hound been con- ye?>rs aftei" of tliis pe- hatleries, Cadi/froMi he Iratl the ssel, uhieli poleoii. If ration witli )ch), when a brilliant L> early part v-boat pri- Onyx and near C«)nil, nnisketry. plaee Oil. I 1 In 1817, Captain Pliillips submitted to the Admiralty a plan for propelling ships by the capstan; and, in 1819, another, for incn-casing the power of that machine by wheel- work, whieli waa the basis of the improved capstan now bearing his name, and for which he has a patent. The fol- lowing extracts are taken from his recently printed explana- tion and description of this very valuaWe invention : — "The cxpericiiLC of ten years, the period since Cai>taiii Phillip;i's cap- siaa was lir»t iiitrotliuxMl into His .Majesty 'i service, has enal)Iou him to suhiuii three several plans of iniproveil capstans, Ibiimleil upon his firsi iiiventifiii, enifravinifs of vvhicli are attached. His arraiijjenient of ulicfl- work produces a jjreater power wilii the same proportioned wheels than any lie has ever seen, as the power jjainca hy the diilorcncc of dianicter liclween the first and last wheel is always increased e(|ual to an entire le- vohilion of tlie first mover ; the series of wheels may in consequence he of less diameter than in any other arrangement, and necessarily lighter. This additional power is gained l>y fixing the exterior wheel, and connnu- uicating the cU'ect so produced to the capstan, hy bolts fixed to, or with- drawn from, the frame that carries the centre of the intermediate pinions. " Wiicnever it i;i necessary to use a greater power than the leverage of llic liars produces in tlic simple capstan, a resource is found in tackles ; hnt Ihcy are not continuous, very long in application, and very dillicnlt to lie removed, particularly when surges take place : with Captain I'iiillips's capstan, on tlie ctmirary, the application of the power is immediate, it is suiiject to no dilliculty in rennival, and continues its motion as long as may lie rccpiired ; whereas the motion of the tackle can but continue until the two blocks come together. The power capstan is as strong as the plain capstan, therefore there can l)e no risk in using it ; niul it does not follow that tlie power is to be applied on all occasions, more than that recourse should be had to tackles in every trilling d' .iculty; but it is highly advauo tageous that, when great obstacles arc to bo ovcrcume, such a |)ower dhould be always al hand, and ca;ialile of being applied, in the darkest night, in loss than a minute ; and as a proof that it has been of material benefit in an extreme ca^e of dilliculty, it is but fo (|uote the wocds of Captain. Parry, at the court-martial held upon the ofiicers of the Fury, for the wreck of that ship, where he di>luictly stated, that, but for I'iiillips's ca|)stan, the expeililion iinist huvc remained another winter in the ice. "The advantages and peculiarities of these capstans are, that although used with ditl'erent power;*, both capstans traverse the same way, either m a conimon or increased power capstan ; and that the people are never ol)ligcd to turn tlicmsclves at the bars, and to heave the other way, uhcn a (lilVerent power is applied, and in so doing to Ifave the capstan entirely depcndcut upou the pauU } but the capsluu is, uiulvT oil tir^umsjlanccs. 80 POST-CAPTAINS OF 182r{. 1 » 1 i 1 ' i 1 , h ^y !■ ] • '! ) liji either during the shifting the powers, or otlierwise, as much supporlcJ l)y the jtrcni>th of the people as tlic ordinary cap.stan is ; tiius clearly slieuing tliat this arrangement of the wliccl work is peculiarly adapted l(j capstans. Nor id tl"' situation of the works necessarily confined to one place, hut may he left entirely to the option of the constructor or euu ployer." Captiiin Parry, in the narrative of his third voyage for the discovery of a N. W. passage, says : " The strain we constantly had occasion to lioave on the hawsers, as springs to force the ships through the ice, was such as, perhaps, no ship ever hefore attempted; and by means of Phillips's invalualdc capstan, we often separated floes of such magnitude as must otherwise have haflleJ every effort. I cannot omit this opportunity of expressing my admiration of this ingenious contrivance, in everjr trial to which we put it in the course of this voyage. By the perfect facility with which the machinery is maon lie had only fourteen efficient men on board ; and Captain Sandom says : — " While in command of different vessels on the West India stallon, for nearly four years, I frequently experienced the great advantage arising from the power of your capstan, mere particularly when sickness had so rcdiu'cd the crew as to render an attempt to weigh the anchor with the usual meani doulitful and dangerous; and I found I could always nj)ply the increased power with safety, by using lengths of the stream chain cable in lieu of a hempen messenger, by whiih means a great saving ac- crued, US the hempen messengers, particularly in the West Indies, were always giving way." Another most important advantage to be derived from tlir use of the patent capstan has likewise been proved by Lord Napier, who, in a letter to Captain Phillips, says : — " Whilst running down the coast of Brazil iu H. M, S. Dninund, tkii m 4 POST-CAPTAIN'S OF 1823. 81 supported Uus clearly r adapted lo iiicd to one ;tor or ciu- ge for the hawsers, as aps, no ship capstan, we have baflkJ y adiniraliori lut it in the e macliincry plied to any I consequent hawsers than , independent wser." ships that rer is miide 'f C. Cour- letters to it he was tunc whon id Captain a stalitin, for ntajfc arising incsis had so ■hor with the always iipply stream chain 'at 811 vin}^ af- IndicB, were d from the -d by Lord ■ •■\inoml, tirtn I under my command, it was determined to come io an anchor for the nij^ht, under tlie Illia Franccsa. The anchor not having taken the ground pro- perly, tlie sliip drove upon a hank at the very top of high water. As tin' tiile el»l»e(l, we laid out the small liower-ar.chor, Itroad on tl;e larljoanl liow, brouijht the hower-cahle direct to the ciipstan, and started about eighteen tons of water. When tiic tide had made sufliciontly, we hove round to a heavy strain, and continuing to do so ht intervals, the sliip was literally drairged off hy the great power of tlie capstan, and tlie strength of a new cable, leaving l)eliind her on the slioal, as we found afterwards in dock, a great part of lier false keel. N'ow, had it noi been for the enormous power actpiired by the application of yotir invention, I am ol opinion tliat the sliip would not have been got off withont landing tli!! whole of the guns ii'id provisions; and as it came on to I)Iow very fre-sli the next day, 1 am <.'(jiially inclined to believe liiat the safety of the ship was due, in n grcut measure, lo tlie faiilities all'ordcd ihcreby, and the p»*omptitude with wl ich they were applied." The contiimation of pc.ico since tlie fust introduction of the improved capstan, lias not permitted oi.e of its irreatest benefits to be shewn,— that of the facility which it t?ives {u the sudden e(julj)ment of an armament at the hreakimx <>i'l of a war, when but few seamen can be immediately obtained. The want of such a purchase was stroni^ly filt at the renewal of hostilities iu 18()li, when the lirst scpiadron was cciuipped at Plymouth, liut su[)posiiijr there was no want of seamen, and that the marines alone were sulVicient for the heaviest work on board, such as swayini? up the yards :md topmasts, how numy more men could be sjjared for dock-yard duty, and for other contimrencies attendant on fitting out. 'i'bis most excellent invention led to Captain Phillips's appointment, Sept. (>th, 1821, to the Spey of 20 i^uns ; and it has recently been ordered, that, for the future, all the power capstai.s used in the royal lavy shall be constructed upoji his plan, " aiul tltat any ship r.pon beini^ connnissioned, havini? the plain capstan, may exchanj^e it for one on the improved principle with any ship in ordinary havinir one of eipud size, provided the public service is not interfered with by any del.iy in the exchanne." T!u? Spi'y proving,' ('efirtive, Captain IMnllips was renuned, on the 3()th Oct. 1821, to the Bann sloop, of similar force, httini,' out for the African station, vvhere he rescued 81;i vor.. III. PAHT r. li P '1 H ^ •' I 1 ) !' ; i! ! I 1 1 i il 'liii 1 ' I' 'It il ■» ■1' II ^' ' 1 il 1 i . '■ iO 1 82 POST CAPTAINS OF 1823. •il slaves, in a cruise of four inontlis. Duriui^ liis stay tluM'i', he had four severe attackH of fever : and in the bcijinninf' of May, 1823, his ship, then at Ascension, where he was ob- liged to invalid, liad ah-cady lost her purser, gunner, an! captain's-clerk, two midshipmen, twenty sailors, five ma- rines, and four ])oys, all of whom fell victims to the climate of Africa. His post commission bears date May 15th, 182;j. In 1825, Captain Phillips invented amethodof suspendinij- ships' compasses, so as to prevent their bring aflected by the liring of guns in action, or from any other c«nicussioii, and to ensure their priscrving a horizontal position in uii sorts of weather. 1 he most favorable reports have l)eeii made on this insti'ument by (^aptains Henry E. P. Sturt and Frederick Marryat ; tbe former of whom t.ays, that the con- cussion from firing the ginis of the Phiieton frigate, whnr under his command, had no apparent effect on the steadiness of the card; and the masxr of the Ariadne 28, lately com- manded by Captain Marryat, states, that while he was em- ployed in boats, searching for some supposed rocks off tin' Western Islands, notwithstanding the shock occasioned by the oars, the vibration never exceeded half a point, ^A'hereas the compass cards supplied by the duck-yard, fur boats' uso, went completely round and I'oiuid. In 1827, Captain Phillips applied tbe hvdrostalic prin- ciple, of water r'sing to its own level, to the pumpdales of ships, by which he has enabled them to be cranked under the lower-deck, so as to free it from sncli a serious incum- brance, and vet to allow the water to deliver itself from tl.c same height as before. The pumpdale of the Asia 81, in- tended for the flag of Sir Edward (Odrington, was the fir.< phiced according to this plan. In addition totjiese, Capt;\iii Phillips has proposed several otiiei' improvements, wbieL are now on trial. lie was elected a Fellow of the Rf)y;i' Society in 182i); and has recently been appointed to tlu' conunand of the Ariadne. This scientiltcotVicer married, Sept. 25tb, 1823, EHzabetli. daughter of William Nicholson, of St. Margaret's, Rochestoi J!sq- Ha I 11 Ifi rOST-f APTAINS OF 1H2IJ. 8:j stuy then', >jrinning of ic was ob- .iimcr, and s, (ne nia- the climatf I5th,182;i. KUspcMuUnur affected by concussion, itioji in all ; have l)een l\ Sturt and hat the con- •i|j;atc, whiK' \e steaduiess kvtely coni- he -Nvaa em- rocks off thr [ccasioncd hy )int, whereas jr boats' use, ostalic prin- pinnp(hdes of Hiked under rums incu-.n- olf from the \sia 81, ill- Mas the first icse, Captiiiii nents, whicli of the Royal inted J» tlu' ■) ;j, i:ii'/abetli. 's, Ut)chestov THOMAS BALL CLOWES, Esq. Is the sou of a deceased medical gentleman, foru:erly re- sident at Sandwich. He served as midshipman under Com- modore (now Sir Edward VV. C. R.) Owen ; passed his exa- mination in April, 1809; obtained the rank of lieutenant, Dec. 2(3th, in tlic same year; and was appointed to the Hamadrjad frigate. Captain Sir Thomas Staines, about June, 1810. His commission as commander bears date Marcli 23d, 1812. Captain Clowes's subsequent appointments were, June 2d, IS12, to the Sparrowhawk brig, of 18 guns, employed in the Mediterranean; and, May 22d, 1821, to the Rose 18, about to be launched at Portsmouth, in which vessel he sailed for the above station, on the 20th August following. I Ce ob- tained post rank May 16th, 1823. yiifcnf. — W. M'lnerheny, Esci- DAVID BUCTIAN, Esq. Principal Sheriff of Xni'/uundland. This officer obtained a lieutenant's conuuission, Jan. 20th, 18(X>. The first mention we find made of liim, subseciuent to that period, is in " Barrow's Chroufdogical History of Voyages into the Arctic Regions," published in 1818 ; — Mr. Harrow says : — " Since the first establislunont of llie fisliery on the banks of Nc*v- foumlland, very little fonimniiiintion has at any time boon hud with the iiiUivcs of this large ishmd, and for more than half a century past none at all; indeed, it was coiisidercii by many as doubtCu! whether then? wcif on the island any permanent iniialritaiits, or ..L.-ther the Indians, somi-- finios seen on the western coast, did not come in their canoes across tlf straits of JV-ilisIe, merely for the pnrposc of (ishing and killlnjf deer. A settler, however, reported that, in tiic autnmn of IS 10, |u« had discovered ii storelnmse on the banks of the Uiver .T i^xpldlts. Upon this report. Sir John Duckworth sent Licntenant Bnchan, commander of the i^chooner Adonis, to the Bay of Jixidoits, for the pnrpos,' of imdertakin;,' an c.vpc •dition into the interior, with a view of opening a coniimuiioation with the (. 2 u POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823. I native IniHans, If any such were to l(c foiuid. His vessel was soon froz rr up ill tlie hny; and on the I2lh .Taimary, ISIl, Mr, IJiiclian Itc-jan lii- march into the interior, alonjf tlic hanks of the river, aoitinipani('(! iiy twenty-four of his crew, and tiiree guides; and, liavin^- penetrated aI)oiit KJO miles, discovered some wigwams of tlie natives. Jfe Mirprincd tlieni ; ann ei>tuldi.>lved n gooil nnderstaiuling with then). Four of tlie men, among whom was llieir cliief, accepted his invitatio?i to accompany liitn hark to the phue wliere, a? lie explained to tliem hy sii,ms, lie liad left some presents which he de- signed for tlicm. " The confnience hy this lime exisilng wa.i mutu::], and so great, th;it two of IMr. Uuchan's peoph; reipicitcd lo remain with the Indians till hi'* return with the prescnti. They were ])irmitte(l to do so ; and l\lr. Uurh.iii set out on his return to his depot, with the remainder of the party and tlir four Indians. They continue! to:;et!ier IV';- alioul six miles, (to the resting place of the night before, ) when the chief declined going any farlher, an'! with one of hia men took leave, direeiing the other two to go on widi ftjr. BiH'hun. They did so, till they came near the |»lace to which llirv were to be ctmdiicled, when one of them became panic-struck, and lied. Hut the tempers of the two men were different. The other remuined uii- shaken in iiis determination, and with a cheerful countenancp, and an air of perfect contidenee in tlie good faith of his new allies, motioned to them U'itii his hand to proceed ; disregarding his companion, and seeming tn treat with scorn Air. I'uchan's invilati(»n, to depart freely if he chose tn do so. Soon afterwards the party readied their rendezvous; slept tliciv one night ; loaded themselves with the |)rcsents, and r( turned again lo thi- vTfgwams," (leaving eight men behind in charge of t!ie (h'pot). " liic liohavionr of the Indian remained always the same. He continued le fihew a genercms confidence, and the whole lenof of his conduct was smli as Mr. liuchan could not witness without a feeling of c;-teem for him. <>i arriM:ig at the wig\vams they were found descried, aud the Indian beeaiiu' exceedingly alarmel. IMany circumstances determi'ied I\Ir. Diichan to k< Iiim lie at perfect liberty ; and this treatment rcvive«l liis spirits. 'I'lic party spent the night at the wigwans, and continued their route in tin' morning. Tliey had proceeded alion , a mile, when, being a little in ad- vance before the rest of the party, the Indian was seen to start suildiiily backward. He screamed loudly, and fled with a swiftness that rendcit'l pnn»uit ill vain. The cause of his flight was understood when Mr. Buclian, the ne.\t moment, beheld tipan the ice, headless, and |)ierced by tin' arrows of the natives, the naked bodies of his two marines who had hioii left with the Indians." The foUowIns? aro t>xtracts of Licntcnatit Buclian's jour- nal : — II the Ih' Tl woo havi of inn for lain (lot\ plu( spei sir. iIk i May sjtei ful .\(l. 3 soon froz rr an l)('i;an lii- niiniianif'l I'V ictratcil jihoiit rpiMHOfl tlicm ; in li'w power 1 cs«tulili.slietl 11 lioin vviis tlii'lr L> ])huo wIkmc, i wliicli he (!i- s(» great, tluit Iiidiaus till lii-< 1(1 Mr. Burliaii ' party ami tlu' (to llie restiiiir ny farther, an'l to ffo on wilii to vvhic'li lliry nick, ant! lli-'l- r riMnaiued uii- iico, iin ' if he dl()^c ti> )ns ; sloi)t tluMT lU'd acain to tin.' (Icjiot). " riie Ic continued lo oiidiict was siuli \\\ for him. (>!i 0 Iixlian Iti-canu' Ir. Bnchan to i» ' lis spirits. 'I'lii' eir roiile in tlif wg i\ little in ml- to start suddenly ess that rendcreil lien iNIr. Bucli;iii, 1 pierced liy tin' ics who hud liecii Uicluui's jfnir- ros'r cvnAiNs ok 18'23 85 "On coin'n^' up, wo rerofjfnizcd with horror the bodies of our two uu- tortunu'e conjpanicMis, lyinij ahout 100 yards apart; that of the corporal ^'.lanies Butler) was pierced liy an arrow in tlie liack ; and three others had ♦•iitercd the Itody of the private marine (Tliomas Boiithland) : they word laid out strai:r||t, with the feet towanis the river, and backs upwards, their heads were olT, and n« vestij^e of j^annents leftj several brukeu arrows were tyiii^' about, and a ijiiiniity of bread, which must have i>een ein|>lied out of the knapsacks ; very little blood was visilde. Tiiis uiclancholy event naturally much nirected a^l the party ; hut these feelini^s soon gavp way to sensations of revenge. Althoufih I was fully aware of tho possi- liility of tindini; out the route they had taken, yet pruik-nec called on mu to adopt aaotlier line of conduit; that all our inovcineuts had been watched 1 could have no doubt ; and my mind bccauie seriously alarmed for the safety of those who had been left with the sledges ; I conceived it, therefore, of the utmost consecjuence to lose not a moment in joininpjf our oilier men. Havinif given to the people with me sou'.c little refreshment, I caused tliem to be formed into a line of march, those having fire-arms iti'ing in the front and rear, those with cutlasses remaining u\ the centre, and all were charged to keej) as close together as the intricacies would permit. On opening tlic first point of the river-head, oiu; of the men said he observed an Indian look round the second point, and fall back; on coming up, we perceived that two men had certaiidy been there, and had retreated ; we afterwards saw them at times, at a good distance before us ; the tracks shewed that thev had shoes on. This caused c(tnsidorable per- idexity; tlie giiiv their fate. The two men who had !>ceu straggling were easily discovered by the sweat which still rolhd down tlan- faces Nuihing now icouiined for us bnl to make the best of our May down the riv.'r ; especially as a thaw had set in, and the ice was ^•i'^'odily breaking np. We ilierefore .et forward. a!i I after a most pain- lul journey, chiefly thron-h Si>ft snow or water, succeeded in reaching' the Adonis on the .'iOih January. "■'"lie lake o!i which the [ndiaii, weic fouml does not appear lo have !»; T ,i ■-m 86 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823. been ril 13th, he iiiha- inmanity ointed to icperlition irctic ice lis, it had em com- ns. The , to pro- :zbergen, land, in 11 ice, to :pedition, rected to raits to a 3S to the them ex- lat route, I Buchan, his occa- ieutenant POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823, 87 Captain Huchiin sailed from Dcptford early in May 1818, and, few obstacles prescDtlng themselves, the island of Spitx- bergen was approached on the 2()th of thath'month. Its shores at first present a picture of dreariness and desola- tion : craggy mountains, with tlicir summits towering above the ch)iuls ; deep glens, filled with eternal snows, and stupeii- di)us icebergs, are the pririeipal objects which attract atten- tion. The eve, however, soon becomes familiarized to such a scene, and ihe mind is then filled with admiration of its grandeur and mugnificcnce. The ships pur&ucd an idmost uninterrupted course along the western shore of this island, until they reached Chiven ClilT, its northern boundary, where they found that impene- trahle barrier of ice described by Paptain Phipps, which has hiiherto frustrated every endeavour to reach the Pole. Twice they were led into it by ilatterlng prospects, and each time the [Iocs closed upon them, so that they could neither ad- vance nor recede. These discouraging circumstances, though they threw a damp upon the most sanguine expectations, served but to redoiible the ardour of every officer and man. Finding that the sails alone were insufiicient to force a passage, the labo- rious operation of dragging the ships with ropes and ice- auciiors was resorted to ; an experiment never before made, and now attempted more with the determination of leaving nothing undone, that might afford the slightest prospect of accomplishing the important enterprise in view, than with any expectation of its succeeding to the desired extent. This fatiguing duty was at first rewarded with some degree of success ; but diiTicultiesi increased as the vessels proceeded, and at length the compactness of the ice was such, that they became quite immove,d)le. The first time, they were beset for thiiteen days, within two miles of the land, and in such shoal water tha^. the rocks were plainly to be seen in the oiling. ()\\ the second occasion they penetrated as far as SO" 11' N., and rci:i. lined among the ice nearly four weeks ; souietimcs striking against it with a \io!enee that made them rebound, and frcfjuently suffering much from its pressure, ■;f^. .1 11 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 I Uim |Z5 no "^^ IR^H us m u 2.2 US. 12.0 L25 i 1.4 I 1.6 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 93 WUT MAIN ITMIT WIMTH.N.Y. MSM (71*) •73-4S03 '^ 88 POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823. M'hich nothing but their prodigit-us strength could have with- stood. So powerful was this compression, that the planks of their decks >ere split ; and the vessels themselves occa- sionally lifted up several feet, and thrown over, very con- siderably, on their bilges. On the evening of the 29th of J ul^, being once more in the open sea. Captain Buchan, whose patience had been so severely tried, but who was still anxious to make the most of the remainder of the season, steered to the westward, in the hope of meeting with a more favorable opportunity of reach- ing a higher northern latitude in that direction ; and with the determination, in the event of failure, of making the at- tempt to the eastward of Spitzbergeii. Unfortunately for the successful issue of this project, tht' ships had scarcely en- tered upon it when a violent gale came on suddenly ; and they were reduced to the almost hopeless alternative of taking re- fuge amongst the ice, from the pressure of which, in smooth water, they had so narrowly escaped, that it appeared scarcely possible for them to survive its effects, now that it had be- come most violently agitated by the storm. The first contact with the icy barrier— the moment of al- most inevitable destruction— was deferred to the last instant ; in the hope of a change, and in order to prepare the vessels, as much as possible, for the premeditated collision, by cut- ling up the cables, and hanging- the pieces as fenders over the bows. At length the dreaded moment arrived j there was but one wave between the vessels and the margin of the ice, which hitler was buried in foam, and heaving and grinding with the effect of the tempest, to a degree that the noise it occasioned completely drowned the voices of the crews. The helm was put a-weather, and the fore-top-sail added to the head-sail upon each vessel, in order that she might the more successfully force herself past the turbulent margin of the awful barrier, and enter so far, that, in case of her destruc- tion, the crew might have some chance of saving themselves upon the ice. The reader will imagine the anxiety with which the ofticers and men awaited the first shock, and their heartfelt joy at finding it successfully resisted. The vessels, pre thii and by tioii Iti thei par Do POST-C.Al'TAINS OF 1823. S9 pressed by canvass, had acquired considerable velocity ; but this was instantly stopped on reaching the edge of the pack, and they owed their safety, partly to their being forced an-end by the violence of the sea, and partly to the fortunate posi- tion in which they had been placed by their commanders. It is needless to add, that the havoc upon them was great : their rudders were squeezed and rendered useless ; the greater I part of their timbers were either broken or sprung j and the Dorothea was stove in several places. :^ Preparations were now made for putting the boats and provisions on the ice ; but, providentially, a favorable change soon took place. An immense floe, which had impeded the progress of the Trent, was split by a blow of her stem, and the several pieces, re-uniting after she had passed between them, formed a breakwater, and afforded such protection as yet to hold out hopes of her safety. IJy 4 p. M., on the 30th, the gale had abated j the wind shift- ed, and the Trent forced her way out: the Dorothea had suf- fered too much to make the attempt. Early next morning, liowever, both vessels were clear of the ice; but in so shat- tered a condition, as to render their continuance at sea most perilous. The hopes of the expedition being now at an end, Captain Biichan reluctantly yielded to necessity, and lost no time in making for the nearest anchorage. The port of Smeerenberg being found too i:isecure to admit of the vessels undergoing a temporary repair there, he proceeded from thence to Danes' Gat, the best harbour yet discovered in Spitzbergen, where he reuiained until the end of August. In this expedition, which has never had justice done it, many interesting magnetical and astronomical observations were obtained, which have been published by Mr. George rialier, astronomer, of whom mention is made in our memoir of Sir W. E. Parry. Captain Buchan's last naval appointment was. May 24th, 1819, to the Grasshopper of 18 guns, fitting out for the Ncwfjundland station ; where he received his post commis- sion from England, dated June Pith, 1823. Previous to this B': {. .'l WM .iH :l i • na ■.fl: r n 9Q POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823, advancement, he had again undertaken the arduous task of investigating, during the winter season, the interior of that colony ; " a service never sufficiently noticed, but in which was manifested all that persevering spirit, intrepidity, and hardihood of endurance, which characterises a British seaman under every possible aspect of peril." One of his companions, on this occasion, was Mr. Charles Crump Waller, midship- man, a clever and highly respectable young officer, who afterwards served in one of the expeditions under Captain Parry *, and died at Southsea, Hants, Sept. 16th, 1826. Captain Buchan was appointed Principal Sheriff of New- foundland, in April, 1825. lie married a sister of Lieu- tenant-Colonel Adye, royal artillery; in which corps, we believe, he has a son, who accompanied him towards the north pole, in 1818. i 1, JOHN WALTER ROBERTS, Esq. Eldest son of the Rev. Wiliam Roberts, D. D. Vice-Pro- vost of Eton College, and Rector of Worplesdon, co. Surrey, by a daughter of the late Colonel John Gore, Lieutenant-Go- vernor of the Tower of London, and sister to Vice-Admiral Sir John Gore, K. C. B f. This officer was born in 179ii; and entered the navy, as midshipman on board the Medusa frigate, commanded by his maternal uncle, under whom he served, in that ship and the Revenge 74, from Dec. 1804 until Aug. 1808. During this period he visited the Cape Verd Islands, Calcutta, St Helena, and Cadiz; saw much active service off Brest, TOrient, and Rochefort; and witnessed the capture of four French frigates of the largest class, by part of the squadron under Sir Samuel Hood, who lost his right arm in the action |. • See Siippl. Part IV. p. 3fi2. t Sec Siippl. Part IF. p. 4GG. The father of the above mciiiloned Dr. Roberts was Provost of Eton. His family oiij;iiiiilly came from (ilou- ccstcrshire, but have been long sodled in the county of Monmouth. ; J^cc III. J). 181. lls(•>^. POST-CAPTAINS OF 1823. 91 as • ! Mr. Roberts next joined the Endyniion frigate, Captain the Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel, and continued in her until Sir John Gore assumed the command of the Tonnant 80, in Sept. 1810, when he again became one of his midshipmen. From the latter ship, he was promoted into the Armada 74, Captain Charles Grant, on the Mediterranean station, March 0, 1812. Me afterwards successively served in the Repulse 74, Captain Richard Hnssey Moubray, employed off Toulon ; rimp^rieuse frigate, Captain the Hon. Henry Duncan, on the coast of Italy ; and Revenge, as flag-lieutenant to Sir John Gore, in the Adriatic. His advancement to the rank of com- mander took place Aug. 2Gth, 1814. On the 18th April, 1820, Captain Roberts was appointed to the Shearwater brig, in which he proceeded to St, Helena, the Cupe of Good Hope, and Mauritius. While commanding that vessel, he was obliged to throw all her guns overboard in a tremendous gale of wind. The Shearwater was paid off at Portsmouth, in the be- ginning of 1822 ; and in June following, Captain Roberts received an appointment to the Thracian 18, fitting out for the Jamaica station, where his boats, under the command of Lieutenant Amos Plymsell, assisted those of the Tyne 28, Captain John Edward Walcott, in capturing the Spanish piratical schooner Zaragozana, mounting one long 18-pounder, four 9-pounders, and eight swivels, with a crew of from 70 to SO men, of whom 24 were soon afterwards sentenced to death, and executed. The particulars of this capture, and copies of documents shewing the importance attached to it, both by the commander-in-chief at Jamaica and the Board of Admiralty, have been given at pp. 392 — 395 of Suppl. Part IV. In April, 1823, Captain Roberts, *'who, on every occasion throughout the period of his service with Captain Walcott, had manifested a zeal and effort commanding the applause of all," was appointed to succeed that officer in the command of the Tyno, stationed on the coasts of Cuba and Mexico, from whence he brought home 5()0,(KX) dollars and a quan- tity of cochineal, on mcichunts' account, Dec. I5th following. M 4 Hi II i 91 rOST-CAI'TAINS OF 1823. He was promoted to post-rank, June 16, 1823; and put out of commission soon after his return from the West Indies, where the Tyne appears to have suffered much from yellow fever, and lost many of her crew. Captain Roberts married, in Nov. 1825, Frances, daughter of John Sargent, of Lavington Park, co. Sussex, Esq. for- merly M. P. for Seiiford. One of his sisters is married to Captain George Wyndliam, 11. N. nephew to the Earl of Egremont. . . EDWARD BOXER, Esq. BiioTHKRto Captain James Boxer, R. N. and Commander William Boxer. This officer was born at Dover, in 1784 ; and appears to have entered the naval service under the patronage of Charles, fifth Viscount Ranelagh, commanding the Doris frigate, early in 1798. On the 22nd July, 1801, he assisted at the cap- ture of la Chevrette French corvette, of 20 long 9-pounders and 350 men, under the batteries in Camaret bay, near Brest, by the boats of the Doris, Beaulleu, and Uranie *. He sub- sequently followed Captain Charles Brisbane into the Trent 36, Goliah 74, and Arcthusa 38. On the 28th June, 1803, we find him assisting at the capture of la Mignonne, French 18-gun corvette, near the west end of St. Domingo f. In June, 1605, he joined I'Unite 38, Captain (now Sir Charles) Ogle, who recommended him to the favorable notice of Lord Collingwood, by whom he was received on board the Ocean 98 ; and promoted, Sept. 29th, 1806, into la Sophie sloop, Captain William Manscll, on the Mediterranean station. His first Admiralty commission bears date Jan. 8th, 1807? »t llallowell pel ipti Sir Bcnjaniii; H. Carew) in the Tigre 80. (t • Sec Vol. 11. Part II. pp. 8S1— 88?. + Sfc Vol. I. Part II. p. /.'I?. Lord Ranclujrli •> lifi; 94 POST- CAPTAINS OF 1823. GEORGE FREDERICK RICH, Esq. Son of the late Admiral Sir Thomas Rich (who died at Sonning, near Reading, April 6lh, 1804), and brother to Commander Charles Rich. This officer served as midshipman and lieutenant under Commodore (now Sir Edward W. C. R.) Owen, by whom he was entrusted with the command of a division of gun-boats, at the evacuation of Walcheren, in Dec. 1809. His first commission bears date Dec. 30, 1805, from which period we find no other mention of him than the above, until his promo- tion to the rank of commander, Oct. 26, 1813. Since the peace, he has commanded the Racoon, Falmouth, and Ring- dove sloops, on the Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena, and West India stations. He was made post, July 1st, 1823. Agents, — Messrs. Stilwell. THOMAS PEFfMAN, Esq. Was born at Sandwich, of which borough his father is a magistrate. He obtained the rank of lieutenant. Mar. 19th, 1805 J and commanded the boats of the Dreadnought 98, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Thomas Sotheby, at the recapture of a Spanish merchant ship, under the following disastrous circumstances, Sept. 9th, 1810. On the 7th of that month, the Dreadnought fell in with the Snapper schooner, and was informed by iier commander that a ship was amongst the rocks on the west side of Ushaut. On the morning of the 8th, Vice- Admiral Sotheby made sail towards that spot, and, in the evening, discovered the object of his search in a small creek, surrounded by rocks, but apparently not so well protected as to prevent her being taken possession of. The Dreadnought then stood off, with- out shewing the least appearance of intending an attack, until night, when she again bore up. On tlie 9th, at 5 a. m., seven boats were manned, armed, and sent away under the command of Lieutenant Pettman, who proceeded to the at- :.j POST- CAPTAINS OF 1823. or, tack, constantly galled, as he approached, by a heavy fire of small arms, and two 4-pouiider field-pieces on the beach. On Hearing the vessel, he perceived a number of French soldiers leaving her in the greatest confusion, some of whom were drowned in attempting to reach the shore. Nothing could exceed the ardour displayed by the officers and boats' crews, who soon obtained possession ; but, unfortunately, during the time that they were bringing their prize out, a most destruc- tive fire was opened upon them by several hundred troops, situated on a precipice, and secure from any attack that could be made upon them by so small a party. Two boats, with three men in them, being shot adrift, drove on shore during the heat of the action, and were taken possession of by the enemy : the launch, in endeavouring to rescue them, had several men wounded. The loss on the part of the British was Mr. Henry B. Middleton, master's-mate, Mr. William Robinson, midshipman, three sailors, and three marines, killed ; Lieutenants Henry Elton and Stewart Blacker, Messrs. George Burt and Henry Dennis, midshipmen, eighteen sailors, and six marines, wounded ; five seamen and one marine missing. The French privateer by which this ship had been taken, was lying about a mile distant, but did not offer any opposition to the boats, and, in conse- quence of the severe loss they sustained. Lieutenant Pettman did not deem it proper to attack her. The prize, thus dearly purchased, proved to be the Maria Antonio, from Teneriffe, with a cargo of barilla, bound to London. The gallant conductor of •' a above enterprise was made a commander, June 15th, 1814 appointed to assist Captain George Fowke in the superintendence of the Ordinary at Sheerness, about June 1822; and promoted to post rank, Sept. 5th, 1823. He died in the summer of 1828. 'i:- ;i ms y^!} '(•■ PiHI ■r A|q i'«H ill !■ ifl 1 » : t/1 iS'' m POST-CAPTAIN'S OF 1823. WILLIAM JAMES HOPE JOHNSTONE, Esq. Second son of Vice- Admiral Sir William Johnstone Hope, G. C. B., M. P., Treasurer and Receiver- General of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, by Lady Anne, eldest daughter of James, third Earl of Hopetown, who, at the demise of his grand- uncle, George, Marquis of Annandale, in 1792, inhe- rited the large estates of that nobleman, and the earldoms of Annandale and Hartfield ; neither of which dignities did he, however, assume, but simply added the family name of the deceased marquis, Johnstone, to tliat of Hope *. Mr. William J. Hope Johnstone was born, July 28th, 1798; and entered the naval service, as midshipman on board the Sarpedon brig, in June, 181 1. He subsequently served in the Adamant 50, Captain John Sykes ; Venerable 74, Captain Sir Home Popham ; Stirling Castle 74, com- manded by the same officer, and employed in conveying the Earl of Moira (afterwards Marquis of Hastings) to Bengal ; Latona, receiving-ship at Leith, Captain Andrew Smitli ; Endymion 40, Captain Henry Hope; Tagus 38, Captain J. W. Deans Dundas ; Satellite sloop, Captain James Murray ; and Ramillies 74, Captain Thomas Boys. In the Venerable, he was present at the reduction of Lequitio and Castro, on the north coast of Spain ; also at the attacks made upon Pucrta Galetta, Guetaria, and Santaiider ; and at the destruction of the fortifications of Bernieo, Plencia, Galea, Algorta, Begona, El Campillo las Quersas, and Xebiles, in the summer of 1812 f . The Latona and Ramillies bore the flag of his father, as commander-in -chiffon the coast of Scotland, in 1813 and the five succeeding years. His first commission bears date May 2d, 1818. In June, 1819, Lieutenant Johnstone was appohited to the I * Sir \V. Jolmslone Hope's eldest son now claims the carlduin of An- nandale in light of his mother. t See Vol. II. Part II. pp. 523—527. POST-CAPTAINS OF 18*23. 97 Vengeur 74, Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland, C. B. which ship conveyed Lord Beresford from Rio Janeiro to the river Tagus, and the King of the Two Sicilies from Naples to Leghorn, in the year 1820*. On Sir Home Pophani's return from the naval command at Jamaica^ a short time previous to his demise, the com- mander's commission in his gift was bestowed upon the subject of this sketch, and bears date Sept. 0th, 1820. In the following year, being then unemployed, he joined, as a pri- vate, the Dumfries-shire yeomanry cavalry, in which respect- able corps he is now a captain. On the 28th Feb. 1823, hd was appointed to the Eclair sloop, fitting out at Deptford, tot the South American station. While employed in this vessel, affording protection to British property on the north coast of Brazil, the country being then in a very unsettled state. Captain Johnstone dif- fered in opinion with his Majesty's Vice-Consul at Pard, as to the line of conduct that should be taken by the English residents, and requested that they ivould forthwith withdraw their names from a cavalry corps which had been formed during the recent disturbances in the province ; urging the nature of his orders, which required him to discountenance any thing but the strictest neutrality. He afterwards re- ceived a note from Mr. Dickenson, the Vice-Consul, wherein the latter expressed himself as follows : — ** I have much sa- tisfaction in assuring you, that the British merchants have with alacrity fully adopted your advice, although not conso- nant with their individual opinions." — At a subsequent pe- riod, he had the satisfaction to receive an official letter from the Admiralty^ conveying Mr. Secretary Canning's approba- tion of his conduct. In January, 1824, the house of Mr. Hesketh, an English merchant at Maranham, and brother to the British Vice- Consul there, was forcibly entered, and searched for armsi Captain Johnstone, thinking a shew of force, by moving thd Eclair, might have the effect of producing greater circum- * See Vol. II. Part. I. p. 399, and note f at ditto; Vol, III, PART I. H ':^m 98 POST' CAPTAINS OF 1823. spection in future, sliiftcd hei* berth accordingly, and placeil her, as soon as possible, on the flank of a low battery, mounting eighteen 9 and 6-pounders. In the meantime, the Vice-Consul had obtained an apology for the outrage com- mitted ; but the Junta of the province afterwards deliberated whether they should not deprive the Eclair of her rudder, for approaching so near the shore ! On leaving that harbour to join Sir George Eyre (his commander-in-chief) Captain Johnstone received the following letter : — " Marnnham, 26ih Jan. 1824. ** Dear Sir, — I have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter which I re- ceived this morning from the British merciiants, under the signatures of their respective firms, expressive of their wisli, that the visits of His Majesty's ships to this port may he continued, and their grateful sense of the attention you l)ave paid to the protection of tlieir interests, also of their individual regrets at losing the pleasure of the society of yourself aud the officersofH. M.S. Eclair. " I comply with the wish of the merchants in transmitting the enclosed, and rejoice in the opportunity thus afforded me to express my particular thanks for the zealous and friendly disposition so sincerely manifested on the morning of the 14th instant, towards my brother and myself; and I shall ever feel proud of the acquaintance I have made from your visit to this place. I am, with great truth and regard, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely, (Signed) "Robert Hesketh, Vice-Consul." " To Captain Johnstone, H. M. S. Eclair." -, The measures adopted by this officer at Maranham were also highly approved by Mr. Secretary Canning. In Mar. 1824, he assumed the command of the Doris 42, at Pernam- buco, into which frigate he had been posted by the Admiralty, on the 2 1st of October preceding. The port of Pernambuco was then closely blockaded by a squadron from Rio Janeiro, the province having refused to acquiesce in the wishes of the Brazilian government ; and Captain Johnstone remained there nearly four months, for the protection of British property. Notwithstanding every endeavour on his part to steer a perfectly neutral course, he was formally accused by the President, of sending supplies to the royal squadron, which induced him to address a letter to his Excellency, denying that the boats of the Doris had, ** either directly or indirectly," been so employed ; and stating, that unless the President allowed he had acted on partial (S . '^^^'SStea^sff' POST-CAPTAINS OP 1823. 99 information, His Majesty's ship should receive no more sup- plies from thence. Obtaining but a very unsatisfactory answer to this communication, he thereupon sailed for Bahia, to complete his water and provisions j having only the dis- agreeable alternative of allowing the government of Pernam- buco to suppose that they might with impunity accuse a British officer of dishonorable conduct, if he remained and took sup- plies J or of leaving the English merchants under consider- able alarm, as was strongly expressed in a letter to him. On his return, however, in a fortnight afterwards, he had the infinite satisfaction to find that no British subject had been mo- lested in anyway; and he subsequently received a letter from Rear-Admiral Sir George Eyre, acknowledging the receipt of his despatches on the subject, and perfectly ap- piv;ting of his conduct. Many other disagreeable circumstances occurred during Captain Johnstone's stay at Pernambuco, but more particu- larly on the 22d of June, 1824, when two midshipmen of the Doris and a boat's crew were made prisoners, on landing, by the populace, under the impression, we believe, that her boats had assisted in an attack made on the previous night by the blockading officer. In consequence of this outrage, a lieutenant was sent with a letter to the President, demanding "an explicit and ample apology;'* and next day, Captain Johnstone received in writing "His Excellency's regrets at the occurrence," and found that a strong proclamation had been issued to enforce civ'.iity to all foreigners. The blockade bei-ig raised a few days afterwards, and tranquillity restored. Captain Johnstone rejoined his Admi- ral at Rio Janeiro, proceeded from thence to the Rio de la Plata, and then sailed for England, where he arrived in Dec, 1824, and paid off the Doris, Jan. 12th following. Captain Johnstone's next appointment was, June 6, 1828, to the Asia 84, fitting out for the flag of Sir Pulteney Malcolm, commander-in-chief on the Mediterranean station, with whom he is now serving in the Britannia 120, huving removed with him into the latter ship, April 28, 1830. Agents. -'Massts, Cooke, Halford, & Son. n f} ;' V %-^ 100 rOST-CAPTAINS ov 1823. GEORGE FRANCIS LYON, Esq. Doctor of the Civil Law. Is a native of Chichcsteiv and son of tlie late Colonel LyoiTy of that city. He was educated at Dr. Burney's celebrated naval academy, at Gospovt, co. Hants ; entered on the books of the Royal William, flag-ship at Spithead, in 1808 ; and first iji^ibarki d in a sea-going ship, the Milford 7-1) Captain {now Sif Henry William) Buyntun, Anj?. 8, 1809. After serving for several months on the French coast, he proceeded to Cadiz in the same two-decker, then commanded by Captain Edward Kittoe, and destined to receive the flag of Vice-Ad- miral Sir Richard Goodwin Keats, whom he subsequently followed into the Hibernia, a first rate, on the Mediterranean station. On the 23d Nov. 1810, we find him in one of the Milford's boats, engaged in an attack on several of the enemy's gun-vessels, near Santa Maria ; on which occasion Lieutenants Thomas W^orth and John Buckland, of the royal marines, between whom he was sitting at the time, both fell" by one unlucky shot. Mr. Lyon's next ship was the Caledonia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Pellew (now Viscount Exmouth), who Booa appointed him acting lieutenant of the Berwick 74, Captain Edward Brace, under whom he served at the reduc- tion of Genoa, in April, 1814 *. On the 8th of the sanre month, lie was wounded in an attack made by the boats of the Berwick and Riiinbow, in conjunction with two Sicilian gun-vessels, upon the enemy's posts near the pass of Ronn, with a view to favor the advance of the British army, under Lord William Bcntinck. On this occasion, two long 24- poundera and two mortars were taken r the total loss sus- tained by the boats was two men killctl, and five, including Mr. Lyon, wounded. His appointment to the Berwick was confirmed by the Admiralty, July 30, 1814, < J • Sec Vol. I. Pan 11. p. (;:j4. fOST-CAPTAlNS OF 1823. 101 During the war with Murat, in 1816, Lieutenant Lvon ap- pears to have been present at tlie siege of Gaeta, by the com- bined Austrian and Anglo-Sicilian forces, under General Baron Laner, and Captain (now Sir William Charles) Fahie*. On the last day of that year he was appointed to the Albion 74, fitting for the flag of Rear- Admiral (afterwards Sir Charles) Penrose, in which ship he bore a part at the battle of Algiers, Aug. 27, 1816 f. In Sept. 1818, Mr. Ritchie, a gentleman of great science and ability, employed by the British government on a mission to the interior of Africa, arrived at Malta (where tlie Albion was then lying), attended by M. Dupont, a Frenchman in his pay, whom he had engaged at Marseilles for the purpose of collecting and preparing objects of natural history. It •was understood that Captain Frederick Marryat, R. N. was also to have accompanied Mr. Ritchie, but that circumstances had occurred which induced that officer to relinquish his in- tention of joining the mission. Soon after Mr. Ritchie's arrival at Valette, he became acquainted with Lieutenant Lyon, who, hearing him express his disappointment at hav- ing failed to obtain Captain Marryat as his companion on the proposed expedition, offered to supply his place, " hoping that the zeal by which he was actuated would in some degree make amends for his deficiencies in other respects." Mr, Ritchie, without hesitation, accepted his proposal, and in con- sequence, lost no time in requesting Sir Charles Penrose to solicit the necessary permission for his quitting the Albion. On the 19th of November a favorable answer was received from the Admiralty ; and Lieutenant Lyon, who had em- ployed himself during the interval in acquiring the Arabic alphabet, and in otherwise preparing himself for the object in view, immediately followed Mr. Ritchie to Tripoli, where he landed on the 25th of the samo month. In 1821, he published his Journal, under the title of " A Narrative of Travels in Northern Africa, accompanied by geographical notices of • SecVol. I. Paitll. p. "IS. + Sec Suppl. Part II. p. 204. m% ' 'It. 102 rosT-cArxAiNs of 1823. Soudan, and of the course of the Niger," with a chart of the routes, and a variety of colored plates, illustrative of the costumes of the several natives of that country. The tour is divided into two parts j the first comprises a journey over the Gharian mountains to Benioleed, and the subsequent progress of the mission from Tripoli to Mourzouk,the capital of Fezzan, (lat. 25° 54' N. long. 15° 62' E.) where Mr. Ritchie died on the 20th Nov. 1819; the second embraces Mr. Lyon's proceedings between that period and Mar. 25th, 1820, when he returned to Tripoli, after an absence of exactly one year, — "it being deemed too hazardous to attempt advancing any further into the interior, without fresh authority and addi- tional pecuniary supplies from Government." During this period Lieutenant Lyon wore the dress of a Moslem, kept his head shaved, allowed his beard to grow, and travelled un- der the name of Said-ben-abd-AUah. Previous to the com- mencement o^' his journey, he was instructed in reading Arabic by a fighi (or clerk) of one of the mosques, who also gave him all the requisite information respecting the cere- monies used in prayer ; which, when he became perfect in them, he taught to Mr. Ritchie. The following extracts will enable our readers, some of whom may not have perused his narrative, to form an idea of what he had to contend with in the course of his travels : ** Mr. Ritchie felt much anxiety respecting a further allowance from Govemraent, as we had ecarccly more than money sufficient to pay the hire of OHr camels to Mourzouk, and beyond that place we were uncertain how we could procure a fresh supply for the use of the mission. He had brought with him a good deal of mercliandize ; but, from what he learnt at Tripoli, it was likely to be of little service to us, as it consisted of few- er none of the articles .of trade most commonly used in the interior. I furnished myself with a horse and the greater part of my equipments. M. Dupont thought fit to resign the office which he had plc