An Earnest Appeal to the British Public on Behalf of the Missing Arctic Expedition

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 edition. Excerpt: ... tained is quite clear; it is therefore almost needless to add that Dr. Rae has Not ascertained it, neither did he make the slightest Effort to verify his Report; nevertheless, being in possession of the above official statement, he had Law on his side, and by persevering applications succeeded in obtaining the 10,000/. No mention would have been made of this transaction, but for its tendency to give a fatal blow to further search. This Appeal would be worthless if it did not place the true state of the case before the public. It now only remains to consider the present state of this painful question. On the 5th of June, 1856, a memorial was addressed to the First Lord of the Treasury, signed by the most eminent scientific men of the day, praying for a further search; and Lord Wrottesley, in a speech from his place in the House of Lords strikingly clear and brilliant, advocated the same cause, and strongly urged that some of Franklin's men might still be living domesticated among the Esquimaux.! Unfortunately the season was too far advanced to send by way of Barrow Strait, but ample time remained to equip and despatch an expedition by Behring Strait. In fact, the writer of this pamphlet urged that route upon the consideration of the Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society and others, with all the energy in his power, as the safest, best known, and most certain means of access to the missing ships,J and which could not fail of success if ordered to co-operate with a land party down the Great Fish River. This opinion was received with much favour, except by the 'Times, ' which published the following leading article: --Another expedition in search of Sir John Franklin is now meditated, and while it is yet time we would invoke the 'aid of public...