The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-10-22 00:00:00

ARCTIC EXPLORATION,

Captain Adams, of the Dundee whaler Ardis, who
has just returned from the Davis Straits fishing, fur-
nishes some interesting information in regard to his
voyage in the Polar seas. He states that in the course
of his search for whales he went up Wellington
Channel as far as the water has ever been penetrated
by any expedition, and his further progress was only
checked by encountering the heavy ice of the Polar
barrier. This occurred in August last. No whales
were seen in that quarter, and the Arctic steamed 1.113
Barrow Straits till the Polar barrier was encountered
a second time. A course was then taken down Peel
Sound to within a few miles of where the Erebus and
Terror were lost. Beachy Island was visited, and there
Captain Adams saw the monument erected to Sir John
Franklin and five of his crew. He found the house
erected in the vicinity in a wretched condition, and
the provisions left by former explorers not at all ser-
viceable. Accompanied by a few of his men he made
some search in the locality, and just as the party
were coming away they were confronted by a Polar
bear, which Captain Adams shot within a few yards
of the graves. The skin of the bear he intends to pre-
sent to some of the relatives of Sir John Franklin.
No whales were seen in this direction, and accordingly
the Arctic proceeded up towards the Gulf of Boothia,.
An attempt was made to reach this sea earlier in the
year, but no advance was possible owing to the heavy
ice. About the end of August, however, the ice was
in a totally different condition, and the i rctic got up
as far as Cape Nordenskjiild, on the west side of
Boothia. Here several whales were got.
Before coming away the captain tried to get to the
other side. A heavy fog was experienced, and when
it cleared away the ship was found within 15 miles of
Fury and Hecla Straits, and in very shallow water.
In this district the captain got on board a very in-
telligent Esquimaux, from whom he obtained a
good deal of interesting and valuable information.
The native stated that when he was a young man
in his father's hut three men came over the land
towards Repulse Bay, and that one of them was
a great captain when he died. The other two were in
sore distress and cried very much, stating that
he was the " aniguk," or great captain. These
two lived some little time in his father's hut, and he
showed Captain Adams the spot on a chart where
hey were buried. The Esquimaux, continuing his
narrative, said that 17 persons started from two ves-
sels which had been lost far to the westward, but only
three were able to survive the journey to his father's
hut. From all the information furnished by the
Esquimau; Captain Adams has no doubt that the
vessels referred to were those of the Franklin Expe-
dition, and that the great captain mentioned was
Lieutenant Crozier. Assuming that what theEsquimaux
stated was correct, it is beyond doubt that the mem-
bers of the Franklin Expedition were attempting to
reach Hudson Bay Territory. Judging from the
present age of the native, Captain Adams is of
opinion that his allusion to having seen the men when
he was a young man, must refer to a period some 35
years ago. It was Captain Adams's intention to bring
home the native, but circumstances occurred which
prevented this resolution being carried out, but he is
in a position to furnish information of a very detailed
nature and calculated to throw considerable light on
the movements and ultimate fate of the members of
the Franklin Expedition.

_
Captain Adams also brings home a few papers found
in the vicinity of Fury and Hecla Straits, and these
have been forwarded to the Admiralty.

While in those high latitudes Captain Adams had
the greatest possible difficulty in navigating his vessel.
He was without (—arts, and his compasses were prac-
tically of no use and did not indicate the course
steered. He was only able to guide his ship through
these waters by the use of the lead and the keening of
a sharp look-out, and when the fogs, which were ex-
ceedingly prevalent, cleared away he always took the
opportunity of ascertaining the position of his ship by
the sun.

Captain Adams has given frequent proofs of his de-
votion to Arctic discovery, aad it will be remembered
that some years ago Captain Markham, of the Royal
Navy, who had a command in Sir George Name's
Expedition, accompanied him to the Polar Seas. He
was also fortunate in being able to render assistance
to the members of the unfortunate American Expedi-
tion under Captain Hall, and brought to Dundee
some 25 members of it.