H.M.S. INVESTIGATOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 129, 30 May 1908, Page 16

H.M.S. INVESTIGATOR.

HALF A CENTUItY IX THE ICE. In the autumn of 1851 her Majesty's ship Investigator was frozen in the ice in "The Bay of God"s Mercy," in the Far North, while endeavouring to find traces of Sir John Franklin and his courageous companions. Now all the memories of those anxious, heroic times hiive been once more revived by the report that whalers have found the abandoned ship, and hope it may be possible to fre» her from the ice-gvip after the lapse of fifty-six years. A New York correspondent has suggested that the old man-of-war may be even sufficiently sound to be navigated across tbe Atlantic to her old home country. Packed away In the frozen North, she has been practically in a refrigerator, maintaining her youth and the stout heart of her veDerable timbers, while in less frigid zones the world has been getting older and older: sails have been superseded by steam; wood has been replaced by steel; the old salt of Captain Marryatt's novels bas had to make way for the modem sailor-mechnuic. In the lore of the sea everything has changed since her Majesty's ship Investigator began her loug rest in the ice. If she is really rescued, she will be the Rip Van Winkle of the world's fleets. She will need to be refitted, of course, at some Canadian or other British port on the other side of the Atlantic, and then, under sail, with the White Ensign aud the Tjnion Jack battling with the breeze, she should make her furrow once more across the water to her long-lost home. A FAMOUS EXPLORER. Practically all who sailed in her have gone, though Admiral Sir Vesey Hamilton, who was the mate of the companion ship Assistance, is still alive to tell the story of the struggle with the elements over fifty years ago. The Investigator was commanded by one of the heroes of Arctic exploration—the iaie Vice-Admiral Sir Uobert Johu Le MesTirier McClure, who was born at Wexford fifteen months after the battle of Trafalgar. After passing through Eton and Sandhurst, he entered the Navy in 1524, at a rather advanced age, as age ot entry was regarded at that time. He wss a born p-ioneer and scientist rather than an ordinary uava* officer. "Stern, cool, and bold in all perils," one- of his friends described him, "severe as a disciplinarian. seLf-reliunt, yet modest as became a Daval officer." After twelve years' service as a Junior officer, his eyes turned northward, aud he obtained the appointment of mate in the Terror, which in 1836 was fitted out by Captain Sir George Buck. T*hn sbip was forced to winter in the drifting pack, and in the following year, her crew having had an altogether unpleasant experience of the Arctic regions, thi> ship returned to England in a sinking condition. This was the young officer's first introdm--t.ion to the l*olnr regions, unci lio wjis not dismayed. For the time he returned, nitli lieutenant's rank, to the routine of the sea service., but in 1848 ho obtained an opportunity of again sailing away to the mysterious north. lie was offered and accepted an appointment as first lieutenant in Her Majesty's ship Investigator—the Rip Van Winkle of the British tieet. She had l>ooll purchased from the merchant service, and was about to leave England to make the first of many attempts to pierce the veil which hid from the world's view all traces of Sir John Franklin and his companions. England at the moment was in a fever of nervous excitement; all eyes were on the pathetic but courageous figure of Lady Franklin, hoping against hope, and prepared to risk her all on the faint chance of rescuing her husband and his daring party from death, or at least finding some traces of them. Sir James Clark Ross was the cap tain of her Majesty's ship Investigator. This officer, his first lieutenant, and Admiral Sir Leopold McClintock, one of his most dariug assistants, have all passed away. The Investigator, in company with the .Enterprise, went out by way of Lancaster Sonnd, and wintered at Leopold Island, near the northeast point of North Devon. The two ships maae a fruitless search, and la the {following year c*»e back.. - , ( ,

LiAST VOYAGE TO THE NOKTH. By this time th eGoverament and the whole nation were in a condition of reckless determination to solve the mystery; it had to be solved. Plans for a renewed effort were immediately settled. Captain Collinson was given the command, with the Enterprise as the senior officer's ship, and McClare, who had shown himself well fitted for the post by his resourcefulness and energy, was given the command of the companion vessel, the old Investigator. The expedition also included the Assistance, in which Admiral Hamilton served, and the Resolute; but the latter ships had a more or les sindependent commission, under Captain they were to search the Barrow Strait. Our concern is with McClure and the Investigator and Enterprise. The vessels sailed from Plymouth on January 20th, 1850, and since that eventful day no one in England has cast eyes on the former little man-of-war—she is only of 500 or 61*0 tons displacement. Three months later the ships passed into the Pacific, and In a gale became separated, never to meet again. McClure reached Honolulu on July 1, to discover that the Enterprise had gone on ahead of him. The summer was waning, and the search was a desperate one. He determined to follow at once, and by some means actually got ahead of his senior officer. At Kotsekne Sound he left a letter to the Admiralty, in which he explained the route which he intended to follow. '•After passing Cape Lisburne, it is my intention to keep in the open water which appears about this season of the year to make betweeu the American coast and the mam pack, as far to the eastward as the 130 th meridian, unless a favourable opening should earlier appear in the ice, which would lead mc to infer that I might push more directly for Bank's Land, which I think it is of the utmost imporlanee to thoroughly examine." THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. With this programme before him McClure urged the Investigator forward into the Arctic region. He pressed along Ihe north coast of America, and then turned to the north-east, passing through Prince of Wales's Strait, until he was brought up by the ice in Melville Sound. lie had no alternative but to turn the uose of the Investigator South again, and determined to make all his preparations for wintering. Sledging parties set out ami surveyed Banks' Land. MrClure's efforts wore crowned with an unexpected triumph. He traversed Banks" LaDd to its extreme northoast point, and then from the top of a hill, about 500 ft. high, he and his companions looked across the fields of mo to Melville Island and to "Parry's Farthest." of IS2O, •and saw that no land lay in between. He had found tho north-west passage; solved one of the riddles of past years.

In the summer following he still found it impossible to advance with his ship into Melville Sound on account of the ice. and he hart to bo content to endeavour to make liis way rouud Batiks' Land. Tliis proved far more difficult than was anticipated, owinf; to the pack of k-e. Wherever he turned he was met with impassable barriers, and at last the Investigator was forced into what proved to be half a. century's banishment in au inlet on Iho northern shore of Banks - Land. McClure bad been so buffeted about that he accepted this fate with some amount of satisfaction, because hLs lot might have been worse. In the feeling of relief he named the inlet 'the Bay of Gods Mercy," and there the Investigator has lain, absolutely frozen up, uncergolng a process of refrigera tiou fur upwards of half a century. KODK YEARS IN THE FAR NORTH. From September, ISSI. until the following summer the frozen-ill ship was Mc Clure's headquarters. In the meantime he continued his exploration work with, the assistance uf sledges. Wherever ho went he found desolation, abje*t aud complete. At last he penetrated as far as Winter Harbour, Melville Island, only to find that McClintock had been there, but had moved away without leaving any stores. At last the situation began to assume a grave aspect. Food ruuniug short, and the crew were from illness. There was no prospect ol relief. McClure at leuyth decided that he had uo course but to abandon the little vessel to her fate, and seek safety for himself aud his companions, if such were to be found anywhere iv these silent wilds. He had come to tais determination when Lieutenant Bedford I'im appeared on the scene by clumce. He had come across from the Resolute, which, by Jlis time had got iuto 3ieiville Sound. JlcClure found all his doubts come to life once more. His hopes were centred ou waiting to save the Investigator, and he thought of getting stores from the Resolute, aud seeing the incident out to a finish. Before coming to a tinal decision, he went across to the Resolute, where he conferred with Captain Kelletu By this time the illness among his men had increased, and he had no alternative but to leave the Investigator to her fate, and couvey his men across the ice to the Resolute.

Thus it came about that the Investigator was left in the ice park, while her captain aDd crew took passage in the K^solute. North Star, ami reached England on September 'jS, 1554, after an absence o£ four years and eight months. It was an eventfnl voyage, and now the home-coming of the Investigator, after half a century, will prove an appropriate sequel to the discovery of the Nortlj-West l^ussuce.