The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-22 00:00:00

. ......

The Pagrie of Berne of the number
of votes for and against the revocation of the council
known up to that time. In some of the districts the
radicals had a majority, but in others the conserva-
tives were triumphant, and the total of the votes
known showed a large conservative majority, viz.,
13,200 to 9,300.

A telegraphic despatch from our Paris correspond-
ent states that the result of the voting is a majority
for the revocation of 36,000 against 42,000.

THE SHIPS AND THE ICEBERG.
ADMIRALTY REPORT.

We publish the further report received by the
Admiralty respecting the ships seen In the ice by the brig
Renovation.
It is known that three whalers were wrecked in Tlaffin's
Bay, in 1849—viz., the Lady Jane, of Newcastle; the
Pence of Wales, of Hull; and the Superior, of Peter-
head. Inquiry is being made as to the particulars of these
wrecks:—
"Limerick, April 10, 1652.
" Sir —I beg to acquaint you, for the information of the
Bight Hon. the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
that agreeably with their desire contained in your letter of
the 10th inst., I was enabled to proceed direct to Limerick,
Hellen I have found Mr. Simpson, late mate of the
Zenavation, sad Thomas Davis, seaman of the same
ens& Having made every inquiry into the circumstance
retired to, the result is herewith submitted to their lord-
ethos.
The statement made to me by Mr. Simpson, in the pee-
-1 sense of Commander J. J. Palmer, R.N., Commander Wil-
liam Bilis (a), R.N., and the Inspector of Police' Captain
William Caldwell, is herewith transmitted. That two ves-
sels were seen in the position described, there seems to be
no shadow of doubt, though it is to be regretted that, owing
to the distance at which the Renovation passed the piece of
Me with the ships laying on it, no fact can be elicited by
which the vessels can be identified, though I have put every
gaieties which my experience dictates.
"The evidence of Thomas Davie, seaman, who was at
the helm when the ships were first seen, and all the time
when they were in sight, confirms the fact of such vessels
being seen in the position referred to, as while at the wheel
he could distinguish them with his naked eye. The rest of
his information confirms what has been stated by Mr.
Simpson.
'Che fact of having passed these vessels without exa-
mining them, mast appear strange to many. It has been
my earnest desire to obtain some satisfies:icily reason for this
apparent act of supineness, and to extract the feeling which
existed in the minds of those on board the Renovation at
beholding such an extraordinary sight. The duration of the
time while the vessels were visible appears to be no more
than three quarters of an hour. The Renovation at the
time was working abort • W. by N. (true) course, running
six or seven knots an hour through the water.
" Mr. Simpson appears en unassuming person, and en-
tertaining a very proper deference to the authority of his
superior, would not presume to alter the course without the
muter's sanction, who lay ill in bed at the time, and did
not come on desk when the dramatises was reported. He
made known the fact to him, and he fully expected to re-
ceive orders to bear up and ascertain what they were ; but
receiving no instructions, continued on his course. The
impression which struck him when looking at the ships was
that they were wrecks, but felt an inward desire to over-
haul them, which he mentioned to Mr. Lynch, the only
passenger =board, wise, when the vessels were nearly out of
sight astern, expressed an opinion to Mr. Simpson that they
were Franklin's ships. He saw Mr. Lynch go down to
Mr. Coward, but does not know the result of the interview
on that occasion.
" Thomas Davis states that there was no curiosity or in-
terest evinced among the crew after seeing the vessels, but
there were a ((rest many icebergs seen, and they felt more
anxiety for the safety of their own ship. It was his first
trip to Quebec; had never seen icebergs before. It is his
opinion that no one in the ship knew of any reward for the
discovery of the musing expedition, and that he never
knew anything of Franklin's expedition until last January,
when at Plymouth.
" The circumstance of a ship's crow being ignorant of the
reward held out by government for the discovery of Frank-
lin's expedition may at first sight appear incredible ; in con-
sequence I have made the most searching inquiry in this
town if the reward ever obtained publicity; but even the
principal merchants, the chide(' polies, the postmaster, the
editor of the Limerick Chronicle, the Chamber of Commerce,
and the tradespeople immediately connected with the mer-
cantile community, brokers, and masters of Quebec traders
—they never heard of such reward being offered until the
peseat moment.
"I have bad lengthened conversations with Mr. Lynch's
Inek, Mr. Creilly, ship chandler, and his sister. They can
beth certify to the accuracy of the extract from their rela-
eve's letter, which was published in the Limerick Chronicle,
emil which was purposely inserted for information by the
Mete of a f>rimd elite. Creilly's to whom he showed the
WIN. Mr. Leash is a person of intelligence and good
In his youth he passed three years at sea, and
doer has been engaged in business and agricultural par-
iah.. While employed under the Board of Public Works
el • sleek, be meshed • reward for his gallant conduct
is I>f Woolf egad a peaty who attacked him for
lag peeress of eobidesldi et Ghent 1,2001. of government
theang ander hie lamp which he was instrumental in
{this
gentiles's app to have manifeeted more
end lateral Meeting the two ships than any
elm en angl e , almeestion for during the re-
uof lie mime he frequent discussions with Mr.
Coward en the sahjest, which vexed him, feeling that he
might to have searched the vessels.
" On arrival at Quebec he remained two or three days on
beard the Renovation, during which time he asked Mr.
Simpson to aceompany him, and return to the search of the
two ships.
" I submit that this gentleman may be communicated
eias his lakeside. wfti be very useful in stating all
trait; le is saw resi at P
s Jahn Supplde in
Lg rescott, in Upperynch.
"It i a natter edema importance to know that the po-
mades stele BenovMs. so lest reported appears incorrect,
and *bah else wesesatillealft to the northward of her reek-
-10 mil* which will bring the ice on which
latildrinpi needy as Ile 47 parallel ; this fact is clear
teem the dmianialeate tint the Renovation was nearly run
on inn wise to Ws care. About 10 p.m. of the same
day, mina Ste ship sew posed, Mr. Simpson was called
up us 17 1j taraseuzst mate
ass ArthrtnlA light.
bet
t. 111151W7r four miles di tent ; they int-
geM hir.t.lidgy and put
they toilitt,ton
right I,tlsir;
Pm* lnig as to their position ; t sly bore up, the wind
braiagisitted to the N. 8.; after running along the coast
Oeps Sao. at abed p.m. Mr. Simpson
else
the owe aimed bean the Mr was about W. by
N. siesigg at the rate Mix or seven knots for
14 thia -deb the polies of the ships when
eon it bad NUR. by 8. of 81. Isla's, about 90 miles.
boa Med on the mains day with 60 fa-
lees a( 41-= die anestal petition of the
ships b heretelli
" In the elesase d the log, Mr. litopeen is unable to
tarnish any ; a annitiorable nveaber of icebcms were
poised the pselbas N.( the at" sad tame
ime in Albs time Ido seentibral N.N.
holy, of paned through a dolt et barge ca the
16th of April, 1851, about the sues miehlba as the Reno-
vation, but further to the southward,
" I have endeavoured to ascertain Item Mr. Daniel
Gorman, the most experienced seaman in this pert, who has
been employed in the American trade Mese WI, and em-
ployed under the same owners here in essmood of vessels
sines 1829, such information as may be ea the point, to
show the drift of the current and iceberg near the bank of
Newfoundland; I beg to enclose it.
On reaching the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Renovation
was detained by the ice foe several days with the other ships
bound to Quebec at that time, which is mentioned in Mr.
Lynch's letter ; the second mate and several of the crew nn
from the vessel at Quebec. Although Mr. Simpson is satis
lied that each vessel had three masts, but, owing to the
distance, he cannot affirm whether they were ships or barks,
from the NM circumstance he can give no satisfactory an-
swer to the other details respecting their fittings, except he
is very clear that the vemel with her yards up had no sails
bent ; and, respecting the boats, there were none suspended
to davits or to be seen outside the ships.
" Whatever ships they may have been, whether Frank-
lin's or not, the fete of the crews must be a subject of public
empathy, and many surmises will result. My firm convic-
tion is that those vesicle drifted a considerable distance on
that piece of ice ; from the description given, I cannot de-
nominate it a berg the most elevated part being no more
than 30 or 40 feet high, while it was five miles long, which
appears very like a portion of a heavy floe, with a hummock
upon it ; from the fact of being found drifting with the cur-
rent, which sets along the coast of Labrador from Davis'
Straits, I infer they came from a high northern latitude ;1
the removal of the spars, and absence of the boats, indicate
that the abandonment of the ships had been a work of time
and deliberation ; the fact of the ships being close together
has the appearance of being consorts.
" If the hulls were in a floating condition when released
from the ice, there is yet a chance they may be fallen in
with some day, as timber ships have drifted to the coast of
Portugal and the Bay of Biscay.
"I have spared no pains to obtain every particle of in-
formation on this important circumstance, and it is to be do •
;doted that no measures were taken to examine the vessels.
It appears to have been a subject of deep regret on the minds
of Mr. Coward and Mr. Simpson ever since, and Mr. Lynch