sts of
Asia, Europe, and North America.

In the "forties" of last century, English and American explorers were
occupied in searching for a north-west passage, or a navigable channel
for vessels making by the shortest route from the North Atlantic to the
Pacific Ocean. Let us look at the story of a famous expedition which set
out to find this passage.

Sir John Franklin was an officer in the Royal Navy. He had led
expeditions by land and sea, in both the northern and southern
hemispheres, and in particular had mapped considerable areas of the
north coast of America east of Behring Strait. Most of the coast of the
mainland was thus known, and it remained only to find a channel between
the large islands to the north of it. Such a passage must exist, but
whether it was available for navigation was another question. A number
of learned and experienced men decided to send out a large and
well-furnished expedition for the purpose of effecting the north-west
passage. The whole English people took up the scheme with enthusiasm.
Hundreds of courageous men volunteered for the voyage, and Admiral Sir
John Franklin was appointed leader of the expedition, from which neither
he nor any of his subordinates was ever to return.

[Illustration: THE NORTH POLAR REGIONS.]

The ships chosen were the _Erebus_ and _Terror_, which (as we shall see
later) had already made a voyage to South Polar regions, and which were
now refitted from keel to topmasts. Captain Crozier was the second in
command and captain of the _Terror_, while Franklin hoisted his flag on
the _Erebus_, where Captain James was under him. The members of the
expedition were chosen with the greatest care, and when they were all
mustered, the vessels had on board twenty-three officers and a hundred
and eleven men. Provisions were taken for three years, and the vessels
were fitted with small auxiliary engines, which had never before been
tried in Polar seas.

The constituted authorities drew up a plan which Franklin was to follow,
but he was left free to act as he thought proper when circumstances
demanded alterations. The main thing was to sail north of America from
the Atlantic side and come out into the Pacific Ocean through Behring
Strait.

The _Erebus_ and _Terror_ left England on May 19, 1845. All officers and
men were full of the most lively expectations of success, and were
resolved to do all in their power to achieve the object of the
expedition. They passed the Or