tei-hi c11">CHAPTER XXI.

VOYAGE OF THE TERROR. Back’s effort to reach Repulse Bay—Nine Months in the Ice—The Terror Nipped and Crushed—A General Disruption—Extreme Peril—Increase of Pressure—Providential Delivery—Another Nip—Bow of the Ship Split—Preparations for Emergencies—The Crew—An early Break-up—Frozen Again—A Tremendous Rush of Ice—The Day of Release 196 CHAPTER XXII. FRANKLIN’S LAST VOYAGE. Sir John Franklin and his Career—His Last Expedition—Takes the Command as his Birthright—The last seen of his Ships—Alarm at their Long Absence—The Search—A few Faint Traces Discovered by Parry—A Fleet beset in the Ice—Efforts made to Communicate with Franklin—Rockets and Balloons—M’Clure’s Expedition—Discovery of the North-West Passage—Strange Arrival of Lieutenant Pim over the Ice—The Investigator Abandoned—Crew Saved—Reward of £10,000 to M’Clure and his Ship’s Company 201 CHAPTER XXIII. THE FRANKLIN SEARCH. The Franklin Expedition—The First Relics—Dr. Rae’s Discoveries—The Government Tired of the Search—Noble Lady Franklin—The Voyage of the Fox—Beset in the Ice for Eight Months—Enormous Icebergs—Seal and Bear Hunts—Unearthly Noises under the Floes—Guy Fawkes in the Arctic—The Fiftieth Seal Shot—A Funeral—A Merry Christmas—New Year’s Celebration—Winter Gales—Their Miraculous Escape—Experience of a Whaler—Breakfast and Ship Lost together 215 CHAPTER XXIV. THE LAST TRACES. M’Clintock’s Summer Explorations—The Second Winter—Sledging Parties—Snow Huts—Near the Magnetic Pole—Meeting with Esquimaux—Franklin Relics Obtained—Objection of Esquimaux to Speak of the Dead—Hobson’s Discovery of the Franklin Records—Fate of the Erebus and Terror—Large Quantity of Relics Purchased from the Natives—The Skeleton on the Beach—Fate of Crozier’s Party—“As they Fell they Died”—The Record at Point Victory—Boat with Human Remains Discovered—The Wrecks never Seen—Return of the Fox 223 CHAPTER XXV. KANE’S MEMORABLE EXPEDITION. Dr. Kane’s Expedition—His short but eventful Career—Departure of the Advance—Dangers of the Voyage—Grinding Ice—Among the Bergs—A Close Shave—Nippings—The Brig towed from the Ice-beach—Smith’s Sound—Rensselaer Harbour—Winter Quarters—Return of an Exploring Party—Fearful Sufferings—To the Rescue—Saved—Curious Effects of Intense Cold 232 CHAPTER XXVI. KANE’S EXPEDITION (continued). Arrival of Esquimaux at the Brig—A Treaty Concluded—Hospitality on Board—Arctic Appetites—Sledge Journeys—A Break-down—Morton’s Trip—The Open Sea—The Brig hopelessly Beset—A Council Called—Eight Men stand by the Advance—Departure of the Rest—Their Return—Terrible Sufferings—A Characteristic Entry—Raw Meat for Food—Fruitless Journeys for Fresh Meat—A Scurvied Crew—Starving Esquimaux—Attempted Desertion—A Deserter brought back from the Esquimaux Settlements 238 CHAPTER XXVII. KANE’S EXPEDITION (concluded). A Sad Entry—Farewell to the Brig—Departure for the South—Death of Ohlsen—Difficult Travelling—The Open Water—The Esquimaux of Etah—A Terrible Gale—Among the broken Floes—A Greenland Oasis—The Ice Cliff—Eggs by the Hundred—An Anxious Moment—A Savage Feast—The First Sign of Civilisation—Return to the Settlements—Home once more 247 CHAPTER XXVIII. HAYES’ EXPEDITION—SWEDISH EXPEDITIONS. Voyage of the United States—High Latitude attained—In Winter Quarters—Hardships of the Voyage—The dreary Arctic Landscape—Open Water once more—1,300 Miles of Ice traversed—Swedish Expeditions—Perilous Position of the Sofia 255 CHAPTER XXIX. THE SECOND GERMAN EXPEDITION. The First German Expedition—Preparations for a Second—Building of the Germania—The Hansa—The Emperor William’s Interest in the Voyage—The Scientific Corps—Departure from Bremerhaven—Neptune at the Arctic Circle—The Vessels Separated among the Ice—Sport with Polar Bears—Wedged in by the Grinding Ice—Preparations to Winter on the Floe—The Hansa lifted Seventeen Feet out of the Water—A Doomed Vessel—Wreck of the Hansa 258 CHAPTER XXX. ON AN ICE-RAFT. A Floating Ice-Raft—The Settlement—Christmas in a New Position—Terrible Storms—Commotion under the Ice—The Floe breaks up—House Ruined—Water on the Floe—A Spectre Iceberg—Fresh Dangers and Deliverances—Drifted 1,100 Miles—Resolution to Leave the Ice—Open Water—Ice again—Tedious Progress—Reach Illuidlek Island—Welcome at the Greenland Settlements—Home in Germany—Voyage of the Germania—Discovery of Coal—A New Inlet—Home to Bremen 263 CHAPTER XXXI. HALL’S EXPEDITION—THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EXPEDITION—NORDENSKJÖLD. Captain Hall’s Expedition—High Latitude Attained—Open Water Seen—Death of Hall—The Polaris Beset—An Abandoned Party—Six Months on a Floating Ice-floe—Rescue—Loss of the Steamer—Investigation at Washington—The Austro-Hungarian Expedition—The Tegethoff hopelessly Beset in the Ice—Two Long Weary Years—Perils from the Ice Pressure—Ramparts raised round the Ship—The Polar Night—Loss of a Coal-hut—Attempts to Escape—A Grand Discovery—Franz Josef Land—Sledging Parties—Gigantic Glaciers—The Steamer Abandoned—Boat and Sledge Journey to the Bay of Downs—Prof. Nordenskjöld’s Voyage—The North-East Passage an accomplished Fact 268 CHAPTER XXXII. THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS. Has the South Pole been Neglected?—The Antarctic even more Inhospitable than the Arctic—The Antarctic Summer—Search for the Terra Australis—Early Explorers—Captain Cook’s Discoveries—Watering at Icebergs—The Southern Thule—Smith’s Report—Weddell’s Voyage—Dead Whale Mistaken for an Island—D’Urville’s Adélie Land—Wilkes Land—Voyages of James Ross—High Land Discovered—Deep Beds of Guano—Antarctic Volcanoes—Mounts Erebus and Terror—Victoria Land 276 CHAPTER XXXIII. DECISIVE VOYAGES IN HISTORY.—DIAZ—COLUMBUS. An Important Epoch in the History of Discovery—King John II. of Portugal and his Enterprises—Diaz the Bold—Ventures out to Sea—Rounds the Cape—Ignorant of the Fact—The Cape of Storms—King John re-christens it—Columbus and the Narrative of his Son—His Visit to Portugal—Marriage—An un-royal