or fourteen feet above the water. The cliff formed in that part of the earth, mixed with fragments of the adjacent and underlying limestone, is ascended by successive terraces, and on the first, six feet above the spit, or twenty feet above the water, the piece of rope was found. It had escaped the notice of Captain Ommanney, who on the preceding day collected and carried away the evidences that he found of the visit of Sir John Franklin's people, for such is the tenor of the note which he left. "The bones were picked up by the seamen of Mr. Snow's boat, around certain rings of stones on the spit, while that gentleman was busy transcribing Captain Ommanney's note of the 24th, with Lieutenant De Haven's of the 25th, and adding to the originals a notice of his own visit. Captain Forsyth, on interrogating the seamen, learnt that they left behind many birds' bones, and brought away only the beef bones and such as looked most like the relics of ships' provisions. "The tide rises there from three to four feet, and Captain Beechey found the rocks worn smooth and hollowed out by the action of the waves and ice to the height of thirteen feet. The influences of these agents, with the effects of the strong rills emanating from melting snow, and pouring down the sides of the cliff, will account fully for the bones having been so rolled since they were left. "The rings of stones, five in number, vary, Mr. Snow says, from twelve feet in diameter to twice as much.* They did not strike his eye on landing, but his attention was called to them by the men, who also observed two or three stones placed so as to rest a kettle on. Captain Beechey says that had circular stones been on the spit when he landed, he would have noticed them. Their subsequent formation points to the visit of Sir John Franklin's party. On the other hand, if that party made fires either of coal or wood, the remains of the fires, if sought for, would certainly be found. The Esquimaux use oil lamps, which produce much smoke, for cooking, and place stones for the support of their stone kettles, so that unless the encampments had been examined with reference to these points, and to the indications given by the surfaces of the stones as to whether they had been turned within a few years, no very certain deductions can be made, especially as the rings were not so conspicuous as to strike the eye at once. But there is nothing to invalidate the opinion formed on other grounds of the spot affording traces of the discovery ships. "In the examination of the wood and animal matters, I have availed myself of the experience of my assistant, Dr. Clark, in the use of the microscope, and beg to inclose a note of some of his observations. 66 "I have the honour to be, Sir, "Your most obedient servant, Captain Superintendent Sir W. E. Parry, R. N.” * See note, page 318. COLONEL SABINE'S REMARKS. 399 66 "OBSERVATIONS BY COLONEl Sabine. Perhaps it may throw some light on the fact of there being five tents that the magnetical instruments supplied to Sir John Franklin's expedition would require more tents than any previous or any subsequent expedition. "There were three magnetical instruments, each of which would require a separate tent, and these three tents would only be entered at stated periods for observation. "Besides these three, there would be required a fourth tent for miscellaneous observations, and a fifth for the protection of the ob servers. "I was, therefore, always prepared to expect that whenever the traces of a winter station of the Erebus and Terror should be found there would be some appearance discovered of five tents in the locality where the instruments of the Erebus should be placed, and five for the Terror. "I think it probable that the two ships would establish their observatories at some little distance apart from each other, because it would contribute to convey a character of independence to each. I think it far more probable that the traces which have been discovered are those of a winter station, than of a station occupied for a few days during the season of navigation, from the quantity of the remains of provisions which I understand to have been found, and which are much more than are likely to have been consumed by an observing party during the very short time that the instruments would have been put up at a temporary station. It is quite possible, however, to suppose that the ships may have been stopped during the season of navigation, and without any immediate prospect of getting on, about the time of the monthly term days*, and the tents may have been established and the instruments landed for observation on the term day. that is to say, they may have all been in order for commencing about twelve hours before, and the observations continued for twenty-four hours. But at the close of the term day they would without doubt have been embarked with all convenient despatch." * "A term day is one day in the month on which it was pre-arranged that simultaneous magnetic observations should be made in all parts of the world; these days were known to Sir John Franklin, and they were the only days on which during the season of navigation those magnetic instruments requiring the tents above alluded to would be employed." Tu. 25 58 40 0058 42 00 34 36 0034 31 00 Fr. 28 59 25 00 Sat. 29 58 51 00 38 37 00 41 07 00 Southerly S. E.; N. E. to Westerly Sth. Wstly; Nthly; light E.N.E.; East; N.E.; moderate 36 29 00 36 14 00 04 00 S. Estly; North; moderate N.E.; N.W.; strong Sun. 30 58 23 00 58 25 00 42 19 00 40 Tu. 258 44 00 58 37 00 45 49 00 45 13 00 Westerly; moderate S.; W.; N.W.; light; strong * Tuesday, 2nd July. Passed the first iceberg at 2 A.M. Sun. 7 63 12 00 M. Tu. 864 42 00 64 965 17 00 65 W. 10 65 45 00 65 Th. 11 68 14 00 36 13 41 о " 53 05 00. S. W.; fresh 00 53 18 00 53 30 00 S.S.W.; N.N.E.; light N. Estly.; strong 0052 23 00 55 17 00 Fr. 12 68 48 00 Tu. 23 W. 24 74 57 00 175 8 00 59 9 00 N.E.; do. 59 33 45 N.E.; N.W.; do. Nthly; light and calm 60 12 00 Calm; Nthly; light 60 30 00 N.E.; S.W.; light; strong S.W.; E.; N.; moderate light Calm |