The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-03 00:00:00

SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,-I have just received the inclosed deposition of
Captain Martin relative to his interview with Sir
John Franklin, and r;qucst that you will give it a
place in your columns.
I am, Sir, your humble servant,
C. R. WELD.
Royal Society, Somerset-house, Jan. 2.

(Copy.)

" DiPOSITION.

"Robert Martin, now master and commander of the
whale ship Intrepid, of Peterhead, solemnly and sincerely
declares, that on the 22d day of July, 1845. when in
command of the whale ship Enterpris of Peterhead,
in lat. 75.10, long. 66 W„ calm weather, e,
and towing, the
theere declarantclose.
if
fhhaet
Sir Erebus and Terror were in company. These ships
were alongside the Enterprise for about fifteen minutes.
The declarant conversed with Sir John Franklin
and Mr. Reid, his ice master. The conversation
lasted
i
r John, hn all, in
h w
ehad a good supply of provisions,_ and how long he
the time
r to
a the
question
0 sshaiocins
by
were
ex-
pected them to last, stated that he had provisions for
five years, and if it were necessary he
~ could' make them
spin out seven years; and he said, further, that he
would lose no opportunity of killing
birds,
and whatever
else was useful that came in the wa to keep
u p their
stock, and that he had pleatof y,
perpo •
se That Sir John y powder and shot for the
tilso stated that ho had al-
ready got several casks of
birds salted, and had then
two shooting par ties out—one from each ship. The
birds were very numerous; many would fall at a single
shot, and the declarant has himself killed forty at a shot
with white peas. That the birds are very agreeable
food, are in taste and size somewhat like young pigeons,
and are called
"That by the sailors ' roches!
on the 26th or 28th of the '
officers
month of July
two parties of Sir John's who had been out
shooting dined with the declarant on board the Enter-
prise. There was a boat with six from each ship. Their
conversation was to the same effect as Sir John's. They
spoke of expecting to be absent four or five, or perhaps
six years. These •officers also said that the ships would
winter where they could find a convenient place, and in
spring push on as far as possible, and so on year after
year, as the determination aas to push on as far as
practicable.
" That on the following day an invitation was brought
to the declarant, verbally, to dine with Sir John, but the
wind shifted, and the Enterprise having cut through the
ice about a mile and a half, the declarant was obliged to
decline the invitation. That he saw the Erebus and
Terror for two days longer; they were still lying at an
iceberg, and the Enterprise was moving slowly down the
country. That so numerous were the birds mentioned,
and so favourable was the weather for shooting them.
that a very large number must have been seeured during
the time the declarant was in sight of the two ships.
The Prince of Wales whaler was also within sight dur-
ing the most of the time. That from the state of the
wind and weather for a period of ten days, during
part of which the declarant was not in sight of tbe
two ships, the best opportunity was afforded for seeurng
the birds. That the birds described are not to be found
at all places on the fishing ground during the whalin
season, but are met with in vast numbers ever,' se‘ur et
n
on certain feeding banks and places for brooding, nu l
a MOS* Wl,t
appeared at the time by the declarant to be
d Terror had
tunate circumstance that the Erebus he
fallen in with so many birds and that the state of the
• large numbers
weather was so favourable for securing
of them. The declarant has himself had il•eepPly of the
kept fresh and good
same description of birds, which
straits, and the last were
during three months, at Davis
as
,good as the first of them.
written, is now
' Which declaration, above made con-
e to be
seientiously, believing the sate „ „ true.
itOBERT MARTIN.
"Declared before me et Peterhead this 29th day of
December, 1851.

„B. GRA.TH, Provost of Peterhead.”
(Seal of Peterhead affixed).

THE ---opERA T 1 VE STRIKES.
SouTsAmproN,,JAN• 2.—lt appears from a letter ad-
South.ampton branch of the Amalga-
obbcyolettoyheofia ngtr( era to their employers in this
rife amongst others. the two great
mdpiralectseesd,edsw
i
.assoetattors, the Royal West Inaia
sat:a
thed Peninsular and Oriental Sham Companic!P
that the Southampton engineers have announced their
intention not to strike.
TUE ENGINEERS' STRIKE.—MANCELESTER, FFRIDAYNIGHT .—There has been a large meeting of master en-
gineers this evening at the Clarence Hotel, and they
have resolved to bring the question between them suid
the operatives to an issue at once by giving the wh?
of them a week's notice from to-morrow. Tiler •9
consequently, close their workshops on the Ugh 1119. t.,
rk-ien be
unless in thc meantime the demands of the
withdrawn.

WOODS FOR SHIP-BUILDING.—The Lords Com-
missioners of her Majesty's Treasury have authorised the ad-
mission, duty free, of stringy bark wood and'red anJ blue
gum wood, imported for the purpose,3 galip-buiLunt;
this country.

CrIUSTMAS A3IUSEIIENT FOR THE JITVENIGES-
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UNRIVALLED COMBINATION OF ATTRACTIONS.
MAGNETISI4.—SOIREES LASSAIGNS ev,.ry Eve-
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.s• ty, 27, Old Bond-street; and at the Manager's Office, Hanger-

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