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. . . 135

XVII.--THE FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN . . . . 144

XVIII.--THE NORTHERN ROUTE . . . . . . . . . . 150

XIX.--A WHALE IN SIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . 155

XX.--BEECHEY ISLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

XXI.--THE DEATH OF BELLOT . . . . . . . . . 170

XXII.--BEGINNING OF REVOLT . . . . . . . . . 178

XXIII.--ATTACKED BY ICEBERGS . . . . . . . . . 184

XXIV.--PREPARATIONS FOR WINTERING . . . . . . 193

XXV.--AN OLD FOX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

XXVI.--THE LAST LUMP OF COAL . . . . . . . . 209

XXVII.--CHRISTMAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

XXVIII.--PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE . . . . . . 222

XXIX.--ACROSS THE ICE . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

XXX.--THE CAIRN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

XXXI.--THE DEATH OF SIMPSON . . . . . . . . . 243

XXXII.--THE RETURN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

CHAPTER I

THE "FORWARD"

"To-morrow, at low tide, the brig Forward, Captain K. Z----, Richard Shandon mate, will start from New Prince's Docks for an unknown destination."

The foregoing might have been read in the Liverpool Herald of April 5th, 1860. The departure of a brig is an event of little importance for the most commercial port in England. Who would notice it in the midst of vessels of all sorts of tonnage and nationality that six miles of docks can hardly contain? However, from daybreak on the 6th of April a considerable crowd covered the wharfs of New Prince's Docks--the innumerable companies of sailors of the town seemed to have met there. Workmen from the neighbouring wharfs had left their work, merchants their dark counting-houses, tradesmen their shops. The different-coloured omnibuses that ran along the exterior wall of the docks brought cargoes of spectators at every moment; the town seemed to have but one pre-occupation, and that was to see the Forward go out.

The Forward was a vessel of

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