The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-17 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

The following despatches have been received at
the Admiralty, on December 18, from the Behring's
Straits division of ships in search of Sir John
Franklin.
It will be observed from the following reports that
the Enterprise was seen by the natives in the sum-
mer of 1851, upon the track pursued by the Investi-
gator the preceding year.

" Her Majesty's ship Amphitrite, San Francisco, Oct. 31.
*. Sir,-1. I hare the honour to acquaint you that 1 sailed
from Honolulu is het Majesty's ship under my command

a the 16th et Jaw.

"2. It was my intention to have passed through the
Alentian Chain by the An:oughts Channel, but the wind
headed us off, and on the 28th we made the Islands of the
Four Mountains. Thew islands are very remarkable,
having conical peaks from 3,000 to 4,000 feet in height—
they were covered with snow fully three fourths of their
height, and partially to the water's edge. The weather
being moderate and tolerably clear, I determined on trying
the channel between these islands and the island of
Younailta ; it is 10 or 11 mart wide, and apparently fres
from dangers. We stood through about mid-channels, and
had no soundings at 16 fathoms ; there was a rippling of
the water, but not any strength of current.
3 On the 6th July we made King's Island, end the
. _

same evening anchored o 6 Point Spencer, Port Clarence.
" 4. Oa the following day examination was made of the
caches of provisions and coals. Everything was found
as we left it last year, wit► the exception of the Plover's
storehouse, which was partly knocked down by the snow.
"5. Oa the 16th we sailed; beat through the straits the
following day, and arrived off Cape Lisburne on the morn-
ing of the 19th.
"6. To my surprise, the shore both to the southward
and north-eaetward of the Cape was blocked with ice. The

souther, peek intended from the Cape as far as could be
seen, and about 15 miles deep from the land. The other
pack as far so could be seen to the northwatd sad outward,
with a lane of water between it sod the land, the wind
being southerly. There wilt a large open space between the
two packs, into which we stood to within four or fin miles
of the Cape and close to the edge of the ice ; but there was
no apparatus of any people or boats. A gun was fired,
mad we remained until quite satisfied there was no ens at
the rendezvous. We then stood out and worked along the
edge of the southern pack until the weather became thick.
This continued the whole of the neat day, with a fresh
southerly wind.
.7. On the 21st we stood in and nude Point Hope, close
to the northward of which we again observed the ice, but
much broken.
8. On the 22nd we stood for Caps Lisburne. The ice

was still off it, but moving fast to the northward ; and on
the 23rd the shore to the southward of the Caps was free
from floe. Two hoiden with natives same off; they had
non nothing of the Plover's boon. ♦ boat was sent to
bury a notice at the rendezvous.
" 9. The ice still continued to hang about the land to the
north-eastward of Cape Lisburne until the 28th, when a
stroag southerly wind came on, which lasted till the 31st,
and cleared it away.
" 10. We cruised off Cape Lisburne till the Ist August,
on which day, the weather being settled, we anchored. on
• beak to the northward of the Cape. This bank has
either grown up sines Captain &satin's survey, or wee not
noticed by him. We had 61 fathoms, the Cape bearing
8.8.11. (Meg.), five mike.
" 11. We remised at anchor till the 4th, when I began
to Isar that some accident had happened either to the
Plover or her boata, sod therefore determined to proceed to
ley Cape, and thence to and a boat to Point Barrow, for
which purpose I prepared the planate of this ship. A
eaciai 'of provisions was buried at the western part of the
'little bay of readnvous previous to oar leaving.
" 12. On the bth we mad* the land about Point Lay, and
observed a stream of ice to the N.B. The nest cloy we
stood through large quantities of ailing ice, and as it be
came much lea oyes ea we advanced to tin northward, and
there being some streams of coaaiderabls intent, heavy
enough to Lave rubbe 1 away our chamiels had we come is
@obtain in a keens (which in nick weather would have been
probable), I bore up again for all • Lisburn*, resolving
not to send a host at that time; the ice being so far to the
southward at this advanced period of the season appeared
Ito me quite sufficient to account for the non-arrival of the
Plover's boats. We had stood through the loose ice about
ran
_

7'13. Oa the 7th we were again off Cape Lisburne, but
the boats had not arrived. For two days, the wind having
blown fresh from the southward, I hoped the ice night be
cleared away, and, therefore, on the Bth, again made sail to
the northward.
"14. Oa the 9th it blew strong from the N. 8., and we
stood off and on Point Lay, in the track of any vessel coming
ihrom Point Barrow. At 9 a.m. of the 10th, a sail was re-
ported to the northward, which woe soon made out to be
the Plover, and shortly after I had the satisfaction of hear-
ing that they were all well on board.
" 15. The boats had been wrecked on the 13th July in
attempting to come down, but the whole party regained
their ship in safety. Commander Maguire's despatch
gives the details of this accident. We arrived, in company
with the Plover, at Port Clarence on the 16th.
" 18. The Plover was reeompleted Recording to the ac-
companying report, and sailed on the morning of the 22nd.
Very fortunately she met the Rattlesnake at the entrance
of the port. Both vessels were anchored under Point
Spencer, and the additional supplies (a list of which I have
appended to the Plover's report of state and condition) were
put on board her. Some of the provisions also supplied
from this ship were exchanged for newer from the Rat-
tlesnake. The Plover finally sailed on the morning of the
24th.

" 19. On the 25th, the Rattlesnake came to the upper
anchorage, and, having been lightened, two attempts were
made to tako her into Orantley Harbour without success.
Commander Trollop* then decided upon keeping her in
Port Clarence. I quite decided with him as to the propriety
of this decision.
" 20. During our absence from Port Clarenoe the British
schooner Koh 1-Nur, G. E. Levies, muter, had arrived on
a trading voyage, and had made a notation, dated Aug. 2,
' on one of the hurried papers in Greadity Harbour.
" 21. On the 4th September. we dropped down to Point
Spencer to take in wood. The Kodiak, barque, belong-
ing to tha Russian-American Far Company, arrived at
Port Clarence on the sth. We sailed on the afternoon of
the 6th.
"22 On the 161, we pained thrones the Amoughta
Channel without seeing the land, and on the 16th arrived at
lat. 40 deg. 10 min. N., lon. 150 deg. 30 min. W., where an
island was reported to have been seen last year by a Swedish
vessel, and for which i had orders to search from the Cum-
manderin-chief. We t d between the parallels of 40
deg. and 40 deg. 20 min. from 151 deg. 30 min. to 149 dog.,
the weather being generally clear enough to tee land from 12
to 14 miles, and always from seven to eight, but none was
seen, nor any indication of it, and I feel satisfied that there
is no land within the above limits.
"23. On the Ist of October we arrived at Honolulu;
having procured refreshments, which ware much required
by the people, we sailed on the 9th for San Francisco, in
prosecution of orders from the Commander-in-Chief. We
arrived at this port on the 28th, and it is my intention to
sail in a few days for the coast of Mexico, is pursuance of
my orders.
I have the honour to be, air, your most obedient sa-
vant, " CHatLL FILIDIRICK, Captain.
" To the Secretary of the Admiralty, London."

" REPORTING PROCZEDINOI4.
" Her Majesty's Ship Plover, Port Clarence,
August 21, 1853.
" Sir,—l have the honour to report to you, for the infor-
mation of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, my
proceedings since my last communication of the 21st of
August, 1852, in as brief a form so I can, omitting she de-
tails of the necessary ship's duties and arrangements, awl
beg to refer to the accompanying abridged journal for some
account of our intercourse with the Esquimau:, and other
lam& ntal occurrences.
" Proceeding to sea from Port Clarence., early on the
morning of the 21st of August, we pawed through Behring's
Straits by the eastern passage the following day at 030 D,
with a favourable breeze. A succession of contrary winds