The two captains and the flags

Information on the flags from a letter by Eleanor Franklin:

...we have parted with Capt Ross, and the Expedition. They are probably at the Auckland Isles whence they will probably proceed to Campbell Island, and whence to Emerald Isle, the last land they will touch till they return into civilized regions, unless they discover some new land, which I trust will be the case.

At a ball given to the Expedition flags were hung up containing the arms of the two Captains with their couplets, the one for Capt Ross was this:

“That flag so nobly won, Shall wave once more Waved by thy Hand, on th’ Antarctic Shore”

The flag alludes to the permission he received from the Queen in consequence of his having discovered the North Magnetic Pole, of bearing on his Crest, the dipping needle pointing downwards at the N. poles and the Union Jack waving over it.

The one on Capt Crozier’s flag, alludes to the great predilection he has for farming, and also to his name, Crozier or Crook, and to the Bees on his crest.

“True to thy Cause, thy Country, and thy Fame, Thy Bees are frozen, and thy Crook’s a name”

These are Mama’s compositions but no one besides ourselves knows this. The flags were afterwards presented to the Captains who seemed pleased with them. Both the Captains were very nice people so that it was quite a pleasure to us all, especially Papa, to have them here. The time of their return is quite uncertain, and they will doubtless have many perils and hardships to endure before we see them again.

Capt Ross has taken so great a fancy to the wattle, and is so pleased with our having assumed it as our National, or more properly, Colonial emblem that he always wore a piece when he was here and has promised that if he is successful, he will come up the Derwent with wattle bough.

The Courier (Hobart, Tas. Fri 30 Oct 1840)

The North Pole add-on to the Ross’ arms from a commemorative plate:

Handpainted flag (230 x 72 cm) made by the ship’s company of HMS Terror for Captain Crozier. Motto at foot of flag reads “Diligentia fortunae matrix” (“Success is born out of hard work”). The flag was displayed during a ball in Hobart, Tasmania, Oct 29 1840.