The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

sessarily amenable to public criticism. Nothing which
has ever appeared in the Times has overstepped the fair
limits of such criticism, and Mr. Dundas may rest assured
that nothing will ever appear which will deserve from less
partial judges such epithets as " persecuting venom" or
" continued abuse."

FATE OF SIR J. FRANKLIN.
Tax obscurity which has so long rested over the
destiny of Sir J. Franklin and his companions who
left our shores on their voyage of Arctic discovery
has at length been unexpectedly dispelled. Un-
certainty is now at an end; and the sad forebodings
which have latterly prevailed respecting their fate
have received melancholy confirmation. Dr. Rae, of
the Hudson's Bay Company, has arrived in England,
bringing with him various memorials and articles
belonging to Sir J. Franklin and his crew, together
with accounts, of apparently undoubted correctness,
touching the circumstances under which the last
remains of the gallant band perished amid the snows
and privations of the Arctic regions. Dr. Rae
states that in the course of last spring, while prose-
cuting his task of completing the survey of the
coast of Boothia, he fellin with a party of Esquimaux,
in whose possession he found various articles of
plate and other property that had evidently belonged
to the commander or other members of the Franklin
expedition. When questioned as to the way in
which they became possessed of such articles, the
Esquimaux said that the vessels had been crushed in
the icebergs, and the crews forced to set off over the
snow on their way towards the territories of the
Hudson's Bay Company. In 1850, they added, a
party of forty Englishmen belonging to the expe-
dition were met near King William Land dragging
a boat over the ice, and subsequently the dead bodies
of all the party were found on the ice near Back
River, under circumstances proving that they had
undergone the severest privations, even, it was in-
ferred, from traces then discovered, to the extent of
being driven to cannibalism to sustain life. The
Esquimaux helped themselves to the property of the
dead, finding many articles of plate, books, in-
struments, guns, and gunpowder in considerable
quantity.
Dr. Rae, on obtaining this information on a sub-
ject which had excited such anxious interest, thought
himself justified in postponing his surveying duties
and returning to England forthwith with the news.
He arrived on Saturday night, and immediately for-
warded the following report to the Admiralty :
Repulse Bay, July 29, 1854.
I have the honour to mention, for the information of
my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, during
my journey over the ice and snows this spring, with the
view of completing the survey of the west shore of Boothia,
I met with Esquimaux in Pelly Bay, from one of whom I
learnt that a party of " white men " (Kabloonans) had
perished from want of food some distance to the west-
ward, and not far beyond a large river containing many
falls and rapids. Subsequently further particulars were
received and a number of articles purchased, which places
the fate of a portion, if not of all, the then survivors of Sir
John Franklin's long-lost party beyond a doubt—a fate as
terrible as the imagination can conceive.
The substance of the information obtained at various
times and from various sources was as follows :
In the spring, four winters past (spring, 1850), a party
of " white men," amounting to about forty, were seen
travelling southward over the ice and dragging a boat with
them by some Esquimaux, who were killing seals near the
north shore of King William Land, which is a large island.
None of the party could speak the Esquimau: language
intelligibly, but by signs the natives were made to under-
stand that their ship, or ships, had been crushed by ice,
and they were now going to where they expected to find
deer to shoot. From the appearance of the men, all of
whom, except one officer, looked thin, they were then
supposed to be getting abort of provisions, and they pur-
chased a small seal from the natives. At a later date the
same season, but previous to the breaking up of the ice,
the bodies of some thirty persons were discovered on
the continent, five on an island near it, about a long day's
journey to the N.W. of a large stream, which can be no
other than Back's Great Fish River (named by the
Esquimaux Oot-ko-hica-lik), as its description and that of
the low shore in the neighbourhood of Point Ogle and
Montreal Island agree exactly with that of Sir George
Back. Some of the bodies had been buried (probably
those of the first victims of famine) ; some were in a tent
or tents ; others were under the boat which had been
turned over to form a shelter ; and several lay scattered
about in different directions. Of those found on the
island one was supposed to have been an officer, as he bad
a telescope strapped over his shoulder, and his double-gun
lay underneath him.
From the mutilated state of many of the corpses and the
contents of the kettles, it is evident that our wretched
countrymen had been driven to the last resource—
cannibalism—as a means of prolonged existence.
There appeared to have been an abundant stock oflam-
munition, as the powder was emptied in a heap on the
ground by the natives out of the kegs or cans containing
it, and a quantity of ball and shot was found below high-
water mark, having probably been left on the ice close to
the beach. There must have been a number of watches,
compasses, telescopes, guns (several double-barrelled),
iScc., all of which appear to have been broken up, as I saw
pieces of these different articles with the Esquimaux, and,
together with some silver spoons and forks, purchased as
many as I could get. A list of the most important part of
these I eagles*, with a rough sketch Of the crests awl

SATURDAY,

initials on the forks and spoons. The articles themselves
shall be handed over to the secretary of the Honourable
Hudson's Bay Company on my arrival in London.
None of the Esquimau' with whom 1 conversed had
seen the " whites, nor had they ever been at the place
where the bodies were found, but had their information

from those who had been there, and who had seen the
party when travelling.
I offer no apology for taking the liberty of addressing you,
as I do so from a belief that their lordships would be
desirous of being put in possession at as early a date as posi-
ble of any tidings, however meagre and unexpectedly ob-
tained, regarding this painfully-interesting subject.
I may add that, by means of our guns and nets, we ob-
tained an ample supply of provisions last autumn, and my
small party passed the winter in snow-houses in comparative
comfort, the skins of the deer shot affording abundant warm
clothing and bedding. My spring journey was a failure, in
consequence of an accumulation of obstacles, several of
which my former experience in Arctic travelling had not
taught me to expect.—l have, ckc.,
Joni; Ras, C.F.,
Commanding Hudson's Bay Company's
Arctic Expedition.
Dr. Rae's journal contains some further details of
interest. He writes :

On the morning of the 20th we were met by a very in-
telligent Esquimau:, driving a dog-sledge laden with musle•
ox beef. This man at once consented to accompany us
two days' journey, and in a few minutes had deposited his
load on the snow, and was ready to join us. Having ex-
plained to him my object, he said that the road by which
he had come was the best for us, and, havinglightened the
men's sledges, we travelled with more facility. We were
now joined by another of the natives, who had been absent
seal hunting yesterday, but, being anxious to see us, had
visited our snow-house early this morning, and then fol-
lowed up our track. This man was very communicative,
and on putting to him the usual questions as to his having
seen " white man " before, or any ships or boats, he replied
In the negative ; but said that a party of " Kabloonans" had
died of starvation a long distance to the west of where we
then were, and beyond a large river. He stated that he
did not know the exact place, that he never had bee"
there, and that he could not accompany us so far. The sub-
stance of the information then and subsequently obtained
from various sources was to the following effect
In the spring, four winters past ( 1tt.50), while some Es-
quimaux families were killing seals near the north shoe of
a large island, named in Arrowstnith'e charts King Wil-
liam's Land, about forty white men were seen travelling
in company southward over the ice, and dragging a boat
and sledges with them. They were passing along the
west shore of the above-named island. None of the party
could speak the Esquimaux language so well as to be
understood, but by signs the natives were led to believe
that the ship or ships had been crushed by ice, and that they
were now going to where they expected to find deer to
shoot. From the appearance of the men, all of whom,
with the exception of an officer, were hauling on the drag-
ropes of the sledge, and looked thin, they were then sup-
posed to be getting short of provisions, and they purchased
a small seal, or piece of seal, from the natives The
officer was described as being a tall, stout, middle-aged
man. When their day's journey terminated, they pitched
tents to rest in.
At a later date the same season, but previous to the dis-
ruption of the ice, the corpses of some thirty persons and
some graves were discovered on the continent, and five
dead bodies on as island nearit, about a long day's journey
to the north-west of the mouth of a large stream, which
can be no other than Back's Great Fish Elver (named by
the Esquimaux Oot-koo-hi-ca-lik), as its description and
that of the low shore in the neighbourhood of Point Ogle
and Montreal Island agree exactly with that of Sir George
Back. Some of the bodies were in a tent or tents ; others
were under the boat, which had been turned over to form a
shelter ; and some lay scattered about in different direc-
tions. Of those seen on the island it was supposed that
one was that of an officer (chief ), as he had a telescope
strapped over his shoulders, and a double-barrelled gun lay
underneath him.
From the mutilated state of many of the bodies and the
contents of the kettles it is evident that our wretched
countrymen bad been driven to the dread alternative of
cannibalism as a means of sustaining life. A few of the
unfortunate men must have survived until the arrival of
the wildfowl (say until the end of May), as shots were
heard and fresh bones and feathers of geese were noticed
near the soene of the sad event.
There appears to have been an abundant store of am-
munition, as the gunpowder was emptied by the natives in
a heap on the ground out of the kegs or cases containing
it, and a quantity of shot and ball was found below high-
water mark, having probably been left on the ice close to
the beach before the spring commenced. There must
have been a number of telescopes, guns (several of them
double•barrelled ), watches, compasses, dc., all of which
seem to have been broken up, as I saw pieces of these dif-
ferent articles with the natives, and I purchased as many
as possible, together with some silver spoons and forks, an
order of merit in the form of a star, and a small silver
plate, engraved " Sir John Franklin, K.C.8."
Enclosed is a list of the principal articles bought, with a
note of the initials, and a rough pen-and-ink sketch of the
crests on the forks and spoons. The articles themselves
I shall have the honour of handing over to you on my ar-
rival in London.
None of the Esquimaux with whom I had communica-
tion saw the " white men " either when living or after
death, nor had they ever been at the place where the
corpses were found, but had their information from those
who had been there, and who had seen the party when tra-
veiling on the ice.
From what I could learn, there is no reason to suspect
that any violence bad been offered W the sufferers by the