A relic of Sir John Franklin's last expedition 1845-8. A cotton neckerchief found in an abandoned boat at Erebus Bay, King William Island, in May 1859 by the McClintock Search Expedition 1857-9. The pattern is small white spots on a blue background with white diamonds on the border. It is tied in a reef knot.
McClintock's party reached this site on the 30 May and discovered that Hobson had been there a few days before on the 18th. The boat was 28 foot long and mounted on a heavy sledge. McClintock found it just above high tide mark pointing back in the direction of the ships and containing a large quantity of abandoned personal possessions and two skeletons. More handkerchiefs and many other items of clothing including boots were left on site by McClintock's party.
F. L. McClintock 'The voyage of the Fox in the Arctic seas' p.366 'fragment of a silk handkerchief'. It is shown on - 'Stereoscopic slides of the relics of Sir John Franklin's Expedition' photographed by Lieut. Cheyne RN at the United Services Museum, Whitehall, No. 6.