The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-09 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

A letter, dated Aberdeen, Thursday evening, says :
" The Prince Albert has just arrived from the Arctic
Regions, but brings no accounts of Sir John Franklin. The
following are the facts of this expedition:
" The Priam Albert left Aberdeen on the 22nd of May
last year, the search being under the direction of William
Kennedy, Req., who had long been connected with the Hod-
11011's Bay Company. The main object of the expedition was
to get, if possible, on the track of Sir John Franklin,
assuming that he had followed out his instructioas to seek
a passage going south-west by Cape Walker. The Prince
Albert made the ice on the 22nd of June, and crossed
to the west side in 72.30 north latitude; got to
Pondrbsy on the 24th of August, and there saw
four natives, but found that they had heard nothing of Sir
John Franklin. They then proceeded up Lancaster Sound,
where they encountered heavy gales of east wind,and by the
time they reached Barrow Straits, on September 4, the
ice had barred the mirage. They then made for Port Leo-
pold for abater, and here Mr. Kennedy landed in a boat,
with six men, and was promising to make inquiries, when
a barrier of ice got between the ship and the land, and the
weather being still bad, with • strong current, the vessel
was carried up Prince Regent's lalet as far as Batty Bay,
leaving Mr. Kennedy and his boat's crew on shore. Unable
to return to Port Leopold, Captain Leask tried to reach
Fay Point, but did not succeed, and getting into
Batty Bay came to anchor there, where M. Ballot,
the French gentleman who accompanied Mr. Ken-
nedy, left the ship with four men for Port Leopold
on the 17th of October. Here Mr. Kennedy and his men
bad remained in • state of great anxiety for six weeks, but,
getting at the provisions which were left by Sir John Ross,
they enjoyed excellent health. Returning with M. Ballot
to Batty-bey, the ship was housed for the winter, and pre-
parations made tor searching during the time she
would be fast. They started with sledges on the 24th of
February, with a party of 14 son, stopped a short time at
Fury Poiat, then aimed Melville-bay, got as far west as
Breatford-bay, and here discovered • channel, about two
miles broad, leading westward, aid opening op • bay by
the northern coast of North Somerset. A fatigue party of
six ma pushed up this new damsel, walking and sledging
it, in 72 deg. aseth latitude, sad 100 deg. west longitude,
while eight men returned to the ship from Branford
Bay. Mr. Keasedy and M. Bellat were of the advanced
party, traversing the north coast of Somerset, round by Port
Leopold, cad arriving at the ship ea the 30th of May. ,Tha
wee a mast dallied' and trying jourseiy, the weather being
thick sad stormy. The direct distance from the ship to this
channel would be: 000 miles; the distance traversed was
fully 1,200 miles. But in all this search, which included
also • search of Cape Walker, no new traces were found of
Sir John Franklin. Daring the time that Mr. Kennedy
was oat, Dr. Cowie, with a party of four men, creased
Croswell Bay to the water on the west aide of North So-
menet, but was alike unsucessetal.
• " Seamy now unfortunately appeared smog the men, and
they had a sickly tinge of it from May to July, but a party
getting down then to Port Leopold, Mr. Kennedy was able
to procure anti-scorbutic medicines and toed, and the crew
this gradually got better.
" Oa the ether August last summer they got out of Batty
Bay, and proceeded northward, intending to go to Griffith's
Island. They reached B.echy bland en the 19th of August,
and, falling in with the North Star, stationed with prod-
aims for the use of the Fraaklia expedition, and learning
that the other vends had paned up Wellington Channel,
Mr. Kennedy deemed It useless to proceed further north, and
concluded to raters home. At the time he left Beechy
Island, Wellington Chaanal was open and hes from ice as
far as the telescope meld command a view, and it is
the opinion of Mr. Kennedy, as well as of the oMoers of
the North Star, that, from the remarkable openness
of the IMMO, the searching squadron would occupy
• more advanced position than any of the previous
expeditions maid reach. Describing the state of this chan-
nel to Captain Penny, who is at present in Aberdeen, that
gentleman expressed his firm swerietion that If the steamers
are pushed forward with energy they might get through at
&Arias's Straits.

The crew of the Primo Albert Sr. all in good health
and spirits. Mr. Kennedy has brought despatches for the
Admiralty from the North Star, and proem& with them
to-morrow morning by first train for London. The expedi-
tion, it will be remembered, woo fitted out mainly at the
wpm, of Lady Franklin, and, slihough it has not been
ineesseful to the main object of its search, the discovery of
AM new channel and the search of Prince liegent's Inset
and North Somerset will mod to concentrate efforts now
entirely on Wellington Channel, as the only hope of disco-
vering Sir John Franklin.

..
Tits &comets brought by the Primes Albert from the
Dsvis's Straits Fishery, are of a very discourse:as le obstac'.
The Des.ll., of Kirkialtly, sad the Amorist= ship WU-
Lad, were wrecked ; mews saved. The Tree Lore, of
8011, had three ash; the Asa, of Da, two. The ships
did not pt to the westward, add were liking is Cumber-
land Straits. • heavy thew Mora has fallen is the north
of Bcotleod. Oa Monday the eseekataiae ea Dee-side
were severed with mew, and slake appeared to hare set
is thal early.