The Arctic Fox: Francis Leopold-McClintock, Discoverer of the Fate of Franklin

216 Pages·2004·10.42 MB·English

by  David Murphy

The Arctic Fox

The Arctic Fox
Francis Leopold McClintock
David Murphy
THE DUNDURN GROUP
TORONTO
© Copyright David Murphy, 2004
Published in Ireland by The Collins Press,
West Link Park, Dougheloyne, Wilton, Cork.
ISBN: 1-903464-58-7
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy-
ing, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without
the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested
from Access Copyright.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Murphy, David
The Arctic Fox : Francis Leopold MeClintock, discoverer of the fate of
Franklin / David Murphy.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 1-55002-523-6
1. MeClintoek, Francis Leopold, Sir, 1819-1907. 2. Arctic regions — Discovery and
exploration — British. 3. Explorers — Arctic regions — Biography. 4. Explorers —
Great Britain — Biography. 5. Admirals — Great Britain — Biography. I. Title.
FC3961.1.M33M87 2004 917.1904T092 C2004-903712-9
1 2 3 45 08 07 06 05 04
Design and layout: Dominie Carroll, Co. Cork, Ireland
Cover design: Artmark, Cork, Ireland
Printing: Creative Print and Design (Wales) Ltd
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For James McGuire
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C O N T E N TS
List of Illustrations viii
A Note on Terminology x
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction: A Victorian Icon 1
1. A Brief Irish Childhood 5
2. Wrestling the Gorgon 13
3. The Unfortunate Franklin 19
4. The First Searches 31
5. I IMS Assistance 51
6. Winter Preparations 57
7. North to Melville Island 63
8. The Admiralty Perplexed 75
9. To the Arctic with Belcher 79
10. To Melville Island and Beyond 87
11. Belcher's Failure 97
12. Half-pay Captain 103
13. Arc tic Fo* 111
14. Beset in the Arctic 121
15. A Melancholy Tragedy 129
16. A Bearer of Sad Tidings 137
17. The Fate of Franklin 143
18. Transatlantic Surveyor 153
19. Toward No Earthly Pole' 163
20. Forgotten Hero 175
Notes & References 189
Bibliography 193
Index 196
vii
L I ST OF I L L U S T R A T I O NS
page
ii Francis Leopold MeClintock (portrait by Stephen Pearce, cour-
tesy National Portrait Gallery)
xiv McGlintock (portrait by Stephen Pearce, courtesy National
Portrait Gallery)
7 Birthplace of McGlintock (photograph by David Murphy)
18 Sir John Franklin (watercolour by W. Derby, from Life of Admiral
Sir Leopold McClintock, Sir Clements Markham)
24 Portraits of Sir John Franklin and members of crew (The Illus-
trated London News, 13 September 1851)
29 Francis Rawdon Grozier (courtesy National Maritime Museum)
30 Erebus and Terror (watercolour by J.E. Davis, from A Voyage of
Discovery, 1839-43, J.G. Ross)
33 Sir James Glarke Ross (portrait by Stephen Pearce, courtesy
National Portrait Gallery)
35 Enterprise and Investigator (from Ten Coloured Views, W.H.
Browne)
38 Enterprise and Investigator beset in Barrow Straits (The Illus-
trated London News, 17 November 1849)
53 Intrepid, Assistance, Resolute and Pioneer (The Illustrated London
News, 11 May 1850)
54 Officers in Austin's expedition (The Illustrated London News, 1
May 1852)
61 Sledge parties depart Resolute and Intrepid (from Ten Coloured
Views, W.I I. Browne)
62 McGlintock's sledge parties with kites and sails (The Illustrated
London News, 29 November 1851)
68 Stuffed polar bear (courtesy Natural History Museum, Dublin)
73 Stuffed musk ox (courtesy Natural History Museum, Dublin)
77 Graves of John Torrington, John Hartnell and William Braine
(The Illustrated London News, 4 October 1851)
viii
page
80 Belcher, Kellett and W. J.S. Pullen (The Illustrated London News,
24 April 1852)
9 6 Robert McGlure (portrait by Stephen Pearce, courtesy National Portrait
Gallery)
99 Investigator beset off Baring Island, 20 August 1851 (from A
Series of Eight Sketches in Colour, S. Gurney Cresswell)
113 Fox beset in Baffin Bay (photograph by Dr David Walker, cour-
tesy Scott Polar Research Institute)
114 Fox beset close to Greenland (from Voyage of the Fox in the Arctic
Seas, F. Leopold McGlintock)
124 McClintock's exploring parties (from Voyage of the Fox in the
Arctic Seas, F. Leopold McGlintock)
127 Record from Franklin's expedition (The Illustrated London News,
1 October 1859)
128 Map depicting route of Fox and its sledging parties (drawn by
Justin and Garth May, courtesy Frank Nugent)
134 Items from the Franklin expedition (The Illustrated London News,
15 October 1859)
141 William R. Hobson and McGlintock on return from Fox expedi-
tion (The Illustrated London News, 15 October 1859)
145 Map showing Franklin's supposed track (drawn by Justin and
Garth May, courtesy Frank Nugent)
168 Home of McGlintock's brother, Dr Alfred Henry McGlintock
(photograph by David Murphy)
174 McGlintock (from Life of Admiral Sir Leopold McClintock, Sir
Glements Markham)
182 Natural History Museum (photograph by David Murphy)
ix