The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-09 00:00:00

THE FATE OF SIR JOBN FRANKLIN.

We extract from the Montreal Herald of the
21st ult., the following deeply interesting commu-
nication from Dr. Rae to Sir George Simpson, the
Governor of the Hudson's Bay territory, which
contains some facts not yet made known in this
country :
DR. RAE'S LETTER TO SIR GEORGE SIMPSON.

" York Factory, Aug. 4, 1854.
"My dear Sir George,---Your several letters, public
and private, of dates 15th June and Ist December, 1853,
and 13th and lfith June, 1854, were handed me on the
28th ultimo, on my reaching Churchill, and I rejoiced
to learn that your health had benefited so much by your
visit to the north.

" Let me now allude to the expedition affairs. I ar-
rived here on the 31st ult., with my small party, in ex-
cellent health, but I am sorry to say without having
effected our object. At the same time, information has
been obtained and articles purchased from the natives,
which places the fate of a poet on, if not the then
survivors of Sir John Frankr*vntnitswable party beyond
a doubt--a fate the most deplorable=—death from starva-
tion, after having had recourse to cannibalism as a means
of prolonging life.
"I reached my old quarters at Repulse Bay? on the
15th of August, and preparations were immediately com-
menced for wintering. On the Ist of September I ex-
plained to the men our position, and stock of provisions
we had on hand (not more than three months' rations),
and the prospects we had of getting more, &c., pointing
out all the danger and difficulty of our position. All
readily volunteered to remain, and our exertions to col-
lect food and fuel went on with unabated energy. By
the end of September 109 deer, 1 musk ox, 54 brace of
ptarmigan, and one seal had been shot, and the nets
produced 190 salmon.
" Of the larger animals above enumerated, 49 deer and
the musk ox were shot by myself; 21 deer by Mistegan
(the deer hunter), 14 by one of the men, 9 by Ouligbuck,
and 10 by the other four men. The migration of the deer
terminated about the middle of October, and 25 more
animals were added to our stock.

"On the 28th of October, the snow being sufficiently
hard for building, we were happy to exchange our cold
tents for the more comfortable shelter of the snowhouse.
The winter was very severe, but the temperature in our
snow huts was never so low as in my winter quarters of
1846-7. Up to the 12th of January we bad nets set
under the ice in the lakes, the nets were taken up on
that date as they produced nothing.
" On the 31st of March my springjourney commenced,
but in consequence of gales of wind, deep and soft snow,
and foggy weather, we made but very little progress.
We did not enter Pelly day until the 17th. At this
place we met with Esquimaux, one of whom, on being
asked if he ever saw white people, replied in the nega-
tive, but said that a large party (at least forty persons)
had perished from want of food some ten or twelve days'
journey to the westward. The substance of the informa-
tion 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 40, were seen
travelling southward over the ice, and dragging a boat
with them, by some Esquimaux, who were killing seals
on the north share of King William's Land, which is a
large island, named Kei-ik-tak by the Esquimaux. None
of the party could speak the native language intelligibly,
but, by signs, the natives were made to understand that
their ships or ship had been crushed in the ice, and that
the 'whites' were now going to where they expected to
find deer to shoot. From the appearance of the men,
all of whom, except one officer (chief) looked thin, they
were supposed to begetting short of provisions, and they
purchased a small seal from the natives.
"At a later date of the season, but previous to the
disruption of the ice, the bodies of about thirty white
persons were discovered on the continent, and five on an
island near it, about a long day's journey (say thirty-
five or forty miles) to the north-west of a large stream,
which can be no other than Back's Great Fish River,
(named by the Esquimaux Out-koo•hi-ca-lik) as its de-
scription 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 .hose of rite firekvittams of famine),
some were is a tont or tents, others under a boat that
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 had a telescope strapped over his shoulder and his
double-barrelled gun lay underneath him.
" From the mutilated state of many of the corpses,
and the contents of the kettles, it is evident that our
miserable countrymen had been driven to the last re-
source—cannibalism—as a means of prolonging life.
" There appears to have been an abundant stock of
ammunition, as the powder was emptied in a heap on
the ground by the natives, out of the kegs or cases con-
taining it, and a quantity of ball and shot were found
below high water mark, having been left on the ice close
to the beach. There must have been a number of
watches, telescopes, compasses, guns (several double-bar-
relled), &c., all of which appear to have been broken up,
as I saw pieces of these different articles with the Esqui-
mau; and, together with some silver spoons and forks,
purchased as many as I could obtain. A list of the
most important of these I inclose, with a rough pen-and-
ink sketch of the events and initials on the forks and
spoons. The articles themselves shall be handed over to
the secretary of the Hon. H. 8,, &c., on my arrival in
London.

" None of the Esquimau' with whom I conversed had
seen the `whites,' nor had they ever been at the place
where the dead were found, but had their information
from those who had been there, and those who had seen
the party when alive.
" From the head of Pelly Bay--which is a bay, spite of
Sir H. Beaufort's opinion to the contrary—l crossed 60
miles of land in a westerly direction, traced the west
shore from Castor and Pollux River to Cape Porter of
Sir James Ross, and I could have got within 30 or 40
miles of Belot Strait, but I thought it useless proceeding
further, as I could not complete the whole.
" Never in my former Arctic journeys had I met with
such an accumulation of obstacles. Fogs, storms,
rough ice, and deep snow we had to fight against. On
one occasion we were for 4i days unable to get a glimpse
of the sun, or even to make out his position in the hea-
vens. This, on a level coast, where the compass was of
little or no use, was perplexing in the extreme.
"The weather was much finer on our return journey
than when outward bound, and our loads being lighter,
our days' marches were nearly double the distance, and
we arrived at Repulse Bay on the 26th May, without
accident, except in one instance, in which one of the
party lost a toe from a frost bite.
" The commencement of spring was very fine, but
June and July were colder. We were unable to get
out of the bay until the 6th August.
" Our progress along the coast as far as Cape Fuller-
ton was much impeded by ice ; but on getting to south-
ward of the cape we had clear water, and saw no ice
afterwards.
"The conduct of the men, I am happy to say, was,
generally speaking, good ; and we had not a single case
of sickness all the time of our absence.
" Being anxious to send this to Red River by the first
boats, I write in haste and briefly, but shall have the
pleasure of sending a more detailed account by some
future opportunity.—With the utmost respect, I have
the honour to be your obedient servant,
"JOHN RAE."

NEWS FROM SIBERIA AND KAMSCHATKA._
INTELLIGENCE FROM THE WHALING
FLEET.
(Front the San Francisco Herald, Sept. 30.)
By the schooner Eudorus, Captain Seaman, 33 days
from the Ochotsk Sea, we have received interesting in-
telligence iron' the northern Russian settlements and
from the inamease whaling fleet in that region. We
congratulate the hardy fishermen on their success ; for
though there has been one ship totally lost, and severe
damage sustained by several others, as a general thing
the fleet has been most successful. For a number of
years there has not been near so much oil obtained so
early in the season ; and the probability is, that on its
ending there will have been more oil caught than in any
previous year. We regret that Captain Seaman is un-
able to give us any information of the ship Monongahela,
of New Bedford, which our readers will remember was
carried into the Arctic by the ice in the fall of 1853. He
states that none of the ships he spoke or heard from had
obtained any intelligence from the missing whalers. Of
course much interest was felt, and every inquiry had
been made by their brother mariners without success.
This will dampen the hopes of friends, lessening the pro-
bability of their being in existence. As it is an open
summer, perhaps later in the season some vessel may
penetrate far enough into the ocean of ice to, at least,
obtain some clue to their fate, if not in time to rescue
them.
Captain Seaman reports great fields of ice in the Bay
of Shanta this season. He did not encounter much of it,
having had no occasion to go in amongst it. On July 4
ho reports having been among ice as high as the mast
head of the vessel. The ice did not get out of the Bay
of Shanta until about July 22, when it began to break
and float oat to the ocean. He also reports that there
are only a few weeks during the year that the Sea of
Ochotsk is clear of ice.

The ship Silas Richards, Wilcox, of New Bedford,
was driven on shore by the ice on the southwest side
of Shanta Bay ; vessel a total loss. All the oil and
bone were saved, and put on board the ship Hibernia
2d. Captain Wilcox was going to the Sandwich
Islands on board the ship John,Coggeshall, of Fairhaven.
The ship Massachusetts, of New Bedford, had been
ashore, but got off without damage. There was a
report that the ship Morea had arrived in the Ochotsk
Sea from the Arctic, in charge of the first officer, the
captain having shot himself while in a state of mental
derangement. The ship Copia, Captain Newell, reports

having been struck by ice on the 15th of June, which
stove six of her planks and broke four of her timbers,
and obliged her to put into Port Ayan for repairs, where
the captain was kindly received by the governor, who
rendered every assistance necessary. While in port the
ship Herald, Slocum, of New Bedford, came in, having
split her stem among the ice, end leaking about 800
strokes per hour. Also the ship Cowper, Fisher, of the
same port, with four planks stove and several timbers
broken. They reported two other ships having sustained
damage —one, a French ship, having good pumps, re-
mained out ; the other was unknown. These ships were
all injured in the vicinity of Junis Island. The Herald
and Cowper also:rendered every necessary assistance.
Captain Seaman touched at Ayan, Russian American
Company's settlement, Ochotsk Sea, situated in lat. 52
36 north, and long. 138 20 east. It has a population of
250 inhabitants and a governor, who was very kind to
Captain Seaman, as he was to all captains and crews of
American vessels thatput into that place. The governor
invited, through Captain Seaman, all American vessels
to touch at that place, it being an excellent one for re-
pairing vessels in the summer season. Three whale
ships had repaired there, and the officers and crews of
each were all treated kindly by the authorities. The in-
habitants of Ayan were prepared for an attack, having
constructed a battery of nine guns, and were well aware
of their position, as they received their news monthly,
by pack mules in the summer season, and in the winter
by sleds drawn by dogs, from St. Petersburg. There
were no provisions to be had at Ayan, although the in-
habitants'were well off for the necessaries of life. The
Russian-American ship Sitka was in port, discharging
stores for the settlements. When the Eudorus entered
that place, the governor had an idea that it was a French
vessel, but soon after found his mistake by seeing the
stars and stripes unfurled to the breeze.
The Governor of Ayan, previous to the news of the
declaration of war being received by him, but when it
was anticipated, sent word to the French whalers who
might be cruising in that vicinity, that they might visit
that port without fear, and obtain supplies and repairs.
One of thein had accepted the invitation and made re-
pairs, every facility being afforded.
The Silas Richards, whose loss is reported above, was
a good ship of 450 tons, belonging to Messrs. Swift
and Allen, of New Bedford. She was formerly a Liver-
pool packet, and valued at the time of her loss at about
$15,000. She was last heard from as having sailed from
Tahiti March 6, with 2,100 barrels whale oil.
(Front the San Francisco Herald, Sept. 19.)
The Trincomalee, Captain W. Hanstom, arrived yes-
terday in 33 days from Port Clarence, Behring's Straits,
where she communicated with her Britannic Majesty's
vessel Discovery, and the ships Rattlesnake and Plover,
the crews of which were all well, with the exception of
several invalid officers, who came passengers on the
Trincomalee. There was no news of Sir John Frank-
lin's ill-fated vessels. The Plover sailed on the 19th of
August from Port Clarence for Point Barrow, to take
up her winter quarters. The Rattlesnake will winter
at Port Clarence.

The Trincomalee carries 25 guns and 250 men, and
appeared in excellent fighting condition when she came
in-yesterday. She has anchored at Saucelite. The fol-
lowing officers from the ships Rattlesnake and Plover
came passengers in the Trincomalee :—Lieutenants
Myre and Miller, Masters cordon and Young, Second
Masters Wiikinson and Stephenson.
We are indebted to one of the officers of the Trinco-
malee for some interesting incidents of her voyage. This
vessel remained at Honolulu from May 19 to June 1,
during which time the Diana was at the same port. En-
tire good feeling existed between the British and Russian
officers, attending balls and fraternising heartily together,
notwithstanding it was supposed at the time that war
was declared, although no official notice had been received
to that effect. This made no difference, however, as re-
garded the Trincomalee. Being attached at the time to
the discovery squadron, and carrying supplies for their
relief, she was, by the usages of nations, not liable to
any attack. As in the Ochotsk Sea, the ice broke up
much earlier in the Arctic than usual, thus relieving the
Plover from her detention at Point Barrow much sooner
than expected. No news had been obtained of the Inves-
tigator, aid there is but little hope of the rescue of those
on board from this side of the continent, and search for
them is to be abandoned after this season. It is to be
hoped that, like Captain M'Clure and associates, we shall
hear of them on the Atlantic side of the continent. Not
a word was heard of the missing whaleship by any of the
Arctic squadron, and the representations made of the
great scarcity of provisions in that region in the winter
time is very disheartening to the friends of those on
board.

The Trincomalee arrived at Port Clarence, situated at
the entrance of Behring's Straits, on the southern side of
Cape Yrtnee of Wales, on the 25th of June, 1854, hav-
ing passed through the Pass of the Four Mountains, one
of which, bearing south-south-east, is a volcano. The
snow caps these islands, which all assume a conical form,
to within about forty feet of the water—the mean
height of the four being about 1,500 feet. This pass
is recommended, there being less current than in
Amoutka or Segouan. The of jeet of the Trincomalee's
voyage was to deliver stores to the Arctic squadron.
The Rattlesnake has built a store to receive the provisions
which must be left at Port Clarence for her Majesty's
discovery ship Investigator. As the Tricomalee bore
orders for both the Rattlesnake and ;the Plover to re-
turn in the summer of 1855, we may therefore conclude
that should not Captain Collinson's vessel, or any of her
crew, fall back on either Pointßarrow, where the Plover
winters, or be heard of at Point Clarence, no further
search will be made on the Pacific side beyond this season.

An excursion was undertaken into the interior from
Port Clarence, by some officers of the Tricomalee, who
succeeded in entering the river Agwpuc in boats. The
scenery is very tame, consisting of moorland, not a;bush
or tree to be seen for miles. The highest tree seen by
the party was after leaving their boats, which stood
about fifteen feet. Ptarmigan, wild ducks, and hares
are very numerous. To arrive at the river there is a
series of lakes, ranging twenty miles from Port Clarence
to be passed through.
Situated on the Agiepuc are some ice cliffs, contain-
ing mammoth remains, some of which are in possession
of the officers of the Rattlesnake.

The Trincomalee fell in with the ice off Norton Sound
on the 24th of June, it bad cleared from Port Clarence a
fortnight before her arrival. The straits at that time
were clear throughout. The Rattlesnake was frozen in
the previous year about the middle of November.
Our informant says that Port Clarence appeared a
better place to winter than Grantley Harbour, the pres.
sure of the ice being found less in the former place. The
mosquitoes are more numerous there than even in any
part of Central America ; a slight air carries them off,
but during a calm day it is impossible to walk without a
veil encircling the hat. Our informant states that he
inhaled mouthfuls. Salmon, salmon peal, and trout are
taken in large quantities there.
The natives are extremely docile and very intelligent ;
but, as is the case with the Esquimaux generally, very
lazy. The only wood they can procure is that drifted from
—no one knows where, out of which, by management
of walrus tusks and whalebone, they contrive admirable
spears and bows and arrows, for killing the seal and bear,
of which animals their winter stock of food is formed.
During the latter part of the winter they are reduced to
a state of semi-starvation, and then are even content to
eat the hide of animals, in which fare their dogs—a noble
looking breed—have a share.
. _ _

One mode they have of catching the bear is by a piece
of frozen blubber, in which is doubled a piece of whale-
bone. The animal greedily swallows it—the blubber
thaws, the whalebone stretches, and the brute dies in
agony.
Since the above was in type we have had an interview
with an officer late of her Britannic Majesty's ship Plo-
ver, sent to the assistance of the northern discovery
ships, and have obtained from him the following addi-
tional information :

Their ship entered at Point Barrow, in the Arctic,
during the winter of 1853 and 1854. While lying there,
a party from the ship made an excursion as far as Point
Bbering, a few miles to the eastward of the river Col-
ville, where they fell in with a party of Indians, but, not
understanding their language, could not make inquiry of
them regarding the Investigator, Capt. Collinson, 5.8.,
of whom the Plover was in search, or of any wrecked
ships. They were frozen in at Point Barrow, Sept. 23,
1853, and were entirely freed from the ice July 21, 1854,
arriving at Port Clarence Aug. 1.
About the 26th of July, off Point Hope, spoke ship
Gideon Howland, Bryant, of New Bedford, 11 months
out (had taken no oil in the Arctic), who gave them in-
formation of the probability of the European war, and
also the fact of Capt. M'Clure's discovery of the north-
west passage. There were but few whales in the Arctic.
Off Port Clarence were boarded from the ship William
Rotel), Morslander, of Fairhaven, which vessel had lost
anchor and taken one whale in the Arctic. The Plover,
after having received on board her stores from the Trin-
comalee, left Port Clarence for Point Barrow, where she
will pass the winter of 1854-55.
• Our informant thinks that if any vessel had been cast
away near the shores of America, they would have ob-
tamped some knowledge of the fact in their interview
with the natives, who had evidently travelled from the
point where shipwrecked persons would probably be, and
he is of opinion that if the mirsing whaler is ever heard
from, it will be on the Asiatic coast.
(FROM THE NEW YORK HERALD.)
THE DISCOVERY OF THE REMAINS OF THE ARCTIC
NAVIGATORS.—Thougi► the crests and initials on the
articles discovered by the Esquimaux clearly proved that
they once belonged to the officers of the Erebus, it does
not seem to us that they account satisfactorily for the
fate of the officers and crew of her consort ship, the
Terror. The officers of the Erebus were :

Captain Sir J. Franklin, K.C.H.
Commander
Lieutenants
H. T. D. Lo Vesconte.
Jas. W. Fairholme.
Ice Master
Surgeon Stephen J. Stanley.
Paymaster Robert
H. Osmer.
Mates
Charles F. Des Vaux.
Edward Couch.
Assistant-Surgeon, H. D. S. Goodsir.
Second Master H. F. Collins. •
Now, the crest given by Dr. Rae as No. s—a conger
eel'o he ad between two sprigs (or dolphin's head it is