One party, probably led by Fitzjames himself, went east for magnetic observations, passing Cape Felix of Ross. The other, under Graham Gore, advanced southwards to the Cape Herschel of Simpson, and thus discovered the North West Passage. Franklin’s party was thus the first to discover the connection of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. When the travelling parties returned they found that Sir John Franklin was dying. He heard of the discovery of the North West Passage, he was confident that the ships would get clear in the summer, and he was in comparative comfort. Doubtless he bade farewell to officers and men, sent messages to Lady Franklin, and died happy and full of hope. His funeral is admirably portrayed in the bas-relief below his statue, by one who knew the Arctic regions well. The beautiful epitaph in Westminster Abbey is by Franklin’s nephew-in-law, the poet Tennyson[127]-- Not here! the cold North hath thy bones, and thou Heroic sailor soul Art passing on thy happier voyage now Toward no earthly pole. The date of Sir John Franklin’s death was the 11th of June, 1847. [Illustration: WHOEVER finds this paper is requested to forward it to the Secretary of the Admiralty, London, _with a note of the time and place at which it was found_: or, if more convenient, to deliver it for that purpose to the British Consul at the nearest Port. QU’INCONQUE trouvera ce papier est prié d’y marquer le tems et lieu ou il l’aura trouvé, et de le faire parvenir au plutot au Secretaire de l’Amirauté Britannique à Londres. CUALQUIERA que hallare este Papel, se le suplica de enviarlo al Secretario del Almirantazgo, en Londrés, con una nota del tiempo y del lugar en donde se halló. EEN ieder die dit Papier mogt vinden, wordt hiermede verzogt, om her zelve, ten spoedigste, te willen zenden aan den Heer Minister van de Marine der Nederlanden in ’s Gravenhage, of wel aan den Secretaris der Britsche Admiraliteit, te London, en daar by te voegen eene Nota, inhoudende de tyd en de plaats alwaar dit Papier is gevonden geworden. FINDEREN af dette Papiir ombedes, naar Leilighed gives, at sende samme til Admiralitets Secretairen i London, eller nœrmeste Embedsmand i Danmark, Norge, eller Sverrig. Tiden og Stœdit hvor dette er fundet önskes venskabeligt paategnet. WER diesen Zettel findet, wird hier-durch ersucht denselben an den Secretair des Admiralitets in London einzusenden, mit gefälliger angabe an welchen ort und zu welcher zeit er gefundet worden ist. _J. Netherclife Sen^r. Farsun 6th 113 S^t Martin’s Lane_ London. John Murray, Albemarle Street. 1859]