Fitzjames did not work the ship’s company hard and looked after them. He relished his first command and his letters are full of fun. His high spirits are reflected even in the captain’s log, which he was required to complete daily. Every day the ship was at anchor Fitzjames draw in a little picture of an anchor, making him one of the very few nineteenth-century Royal Naval captains to illustrate his logbook with cartoons. Under him, the Clio also acquired a mascot: a pet cheetah. The ship’s company fed the big cat, which became acclimatized to life at sea and even used to climb up into the rigging with the men.
James Fitzjames, Mystery Man of the Franklin Expedition by William Battersby
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James Fitzjames, Mystery Man of the Franklin Expedition by William Battersby
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