The expedition returned to England Nov. 3, 1849, without having fallen upon any traces of Franklin. The general opinion of those best acquainted with arctic navigation, and with Sir John Franklin, was that his party was icebound among the islands to the westward of Melville island. Thither, therefore, were the next efforts mainly to be directed. - In March, 1849, the British government gave notice that £20,000 would be awarded to any private exploring party, of any country, which should render efficient aid to the missing explorers. In 1849 Lady Franklin had a supply of coals and provisions landed upon Cape Hay, S. side of Lancaster sound. In 1850 three new expeditions were sent out by the British government, with instructions mainly identical with those of 1848. The year 1850 was, however, to see many more expeditions than these three of the government. In fact, there were in all no fewer than eight. First on the list comes the continuation of Dr. Rae's expedition of 1849. He was to penetrate further to the north than he had been able to do before, and to examine the shores of Banks land, the coast about Cape Walker, and the N. side of Victoria land.

Two smaller parties were at the same time to follow the mainland to the westward, toward Point Barrow, one descending the Mackenzie, the other the Colville. Next comes the Behring strait expedition, consisting of the Enterprise, Capt. Collinson, and the Investigator, Commander McClure. They were instructed to cruise in company as far to the eastward as they could get; to make friends of the Esquimaux; to make occasional deposits of provisions; and to prevent by every means any detention of the vessels in the ice. The Investigator and Plover (the last already in the Pacific) were last in getting through Behring strait. The Baffin bay expedition, sent out by the government, consisted of the Resolute, Capt. Austin, and the Assistance, Capt. Ommaney - sailing vessels - and the Pioneer and Intrepid, Capt. Sherard Osborn, both screw propeller steamers. The instructions to this expedition were mainly of a similar tenor to those given the Behring strait commanders. This fleet sailed in the spring of 1850. The schooner Felix and a small tender, the Mary, formed an expedition put forward by public subscription, and commanded by Sir John Ross. He sailed in April, 1850, provisioned for 18 months, and designing to commence at Cape Hotham, at the W. side of the entrance of Wellington channel, and examine all the headlands to Banks land.

Finding nothing, he then intended to leave his tender and push forward for a second season in the Felix. The Lady Franklin, fitted out by Lady Franklin, and commanded by Capt. Penny, with the brig Sophia, sailed also in 1850, intending to explore as circumstances should seem to direct, but having a general plan somewhat similar to the government expedition. Lady Franklin also fitted out and defrayed two thirds of the expense of another expedition, consisting of the schooner Prince Albert, commanded by Commander Charles Forsyth and Mr. W. P. Snow, both volunteers. Their object was to examine the shores of Prince Regent inlet and the gulf of Boothia, and to send out overland travelling parties to explore the W. side of Boothia, down to Dease and Simpson strait. The Albert sailed in June, 1850. The Advance and Rescue, under the command of Lieut. De Haven, formed an American expedition, fitted out by the United States government, but at the cost chiefly of Mr. Henry Grinnell of New York. This expedition left New York May 24, 1850. Its plan was to push forward without delay toward Banks land and Melville island, and generally make the best use of every opportunity for exploring in that direction.

Lastly comes the North Star, a transport ship, containing stores for the expedition of Sir James Ross. She wintered at the head of Wos-tenholm sound, in lat. 76° 33', further north than any vessel ever wintered except Dr. Kane's, and returned to England in September, 1850. It will be seen that there ware now no fewer than 11 vessels, exclusive of the North Star, in the eastern arctic waters. - Capt. Ommaney of the Assistance came upon the first traces of the missing mariners at Cape Riley, Aug. 23, 1850. A more minute examination of the country immediately surrounding gave indisputable proof that Franklin's party had sojourned about there for some time. The site of a tent paved with small stones, quantities of birds' bones lying around, as also meat canisters, were the traces discovered at Cape Riley. At Bcechey island, about 3 m. W. of the cape, and just at the entrance of Wellington channel, Lieut. Osborn finally came upon an encampment of the party - in fact, the first winter quarters of Sir John Franklin. The objects here discovered were a large number of empty meat tins, the embankment of a house, with carpenters' and armorers' working places, and other remains of a large establishment, and finally, the graves of three men belonging to the Erebus and Terror, which bore date of the winter of 1845-'6. Further on, on the island, there were the remains of a garden, and various articles of apparel lying about.

Lieut. De Haven, of the American expedition, visited the place on Aug. 25, and made another thorough search. The officers of the Prince Albert, as "well as Capt. Penny, also examined the entire ground very minutely. Singularly, not all this searching brought to light any document which could give the slightest trace of the future intentions of the party. The government ships wintered but little distance from each other; and the spring of 1851 was devoted to land expeditions, in which the shores of Wellington channel, the coast of Banks land, and the waters leading from Barrow strait to Melville island, were to be thoroughly explored. The various parties made a thorough search on their different routes, and explored 075 m. of hitherto undiscovered coast, but found no trace of the lost, Lieut. McClintock's party reached on this occasion the furthest western limit ever attained by arctic explorers starting from Baffin bay, a point in lon. 114° 20' W. and lat. 74° 08'. From the tameness of animals found hereabout it would seem that few if any human beings had ever touched this point before.