The expedition was the first to make a summer search over
the route of the lost crews of the 'Erebus' and 'Terror', and
while so doing buried the remains of every member of that fated party
above ground, so that no longer the bleached bones of those unfortunate
explorers whiten the coasts of King William Land and Adelaide Peninsula
as an eternal rebuke to civilization, but all have, for the time being
at least, received decent and respectful interment.
The most important direct result of the labors of the expedition will
undoubtedly be considered the establishing of the loss of the Franklin
records at the boat place in Starvation Cove; and as ever since Dr.
Rae's expedition of 1854, which ascertained the fate of the party, the
recovery of the records has been the main object of subsequent
exploring in this direction, the history of the Franklin expedition may
now be considered as closed. As ascertaining the fate of the party was
not so gratifying as would have been their rescue or the relief of any
member thereof, so is it in establishing the fate of the record of
their labors. Next in importance to their recovery must be considered
the knowledge of their irrecoverable loss.
It may be needless to say here that to Lieutenant Schwatka's thorough
fitness for his position as commander of such an expedition may be
attributed its successful conduct through all the various stages of its
experience.
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