ndian hunters
with their wives and children. In honour of the commander it had been
called Fort Franklin, and here the party of explorers settled down
for the long months of winter.

[Illustration: FORT FRANKLIN, ON THE GREAT BEAR LAKE, IN THE WINTER.
From a drawing in Franklin's _Second Expedition to the Polar Sea_,
1828.]

"As the days shortened," says Franklin, "it was necessary to find
employment during the long evenings for those resident at the house,
and a school was established from seven to nine for their instruction
in reading, writing, and arithmetic, attended by most of the British
party. Sunday was a day of rest, and the whole party attended Divine
Service morning and evening. If on other evenings the men felt the
time tedious, the hall was at their service to play any game they might
choose, at which they were joined by the officers. Thus the men became
more attached to us, and the hearts and feelings of the whole party
were united in one common desire to make the time pass as agreeably
as possible to each other, until the return of spring should enable
us to resume the great object of the expedition."

April brought warmer weather, though the ground was still covered with
snow, and much boat-building went on. In May swans had appeared on
the lake, then came geese, then ducks, then gulls and singing birds.
By June the boats were afloat, and on the 24th the whole party embarked
for the Mackenzie River and were soon making their way to the mouth.
Here the party divided. Franklin on board the _Lion_, with a crew of
six, accompanied by Back on board the _Reliance_, started westwards,
while Richardson's party was to go eastwards and survey the coast
between the mouth of the Mackenzie River and the Copper Mine. On 7th
July, Franklin reached the sea, and, with flags flying, the _Lion_
and the _Reliance_ sailed forth on the unknown seas, only to ground
a mile from shore. Suddenly some three hundred canoes full of Eskimos
crowded towards them. These people had never seen a white man before,
but when it was explained to them that the English had come to find
a channel for large ships to come and trade with them, they "raised
the most deafening shout of applause." They still crowded round the
little English boats, till at last, like others of their race, they
began to steal things from the boats. When detected they grew furious
and brandished knives, they tore the buttons off the men's coats, and
for a time matte