The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-25 00:00:00

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

Dialer
Females

705
703

Total .

1,408

THE ARCTIC EXPLORERS.

TESTIMONIAL TO DR. ARMSTRONG, OF THE
INVESTIGATOR.
Yesterday the crews of the Investigator, Resolute,
Assistance, Intrepid, and Pioneer were paid off at Wool-
wich. The men were upwards of 200 in number. Their
appearaice did not give the slightest indication of the
hardships and privations which many of them are known
to have endured for several monthi in the Arctic Re-
gions. On the contrary, they seemed much more like
men fitted to take part in a new enterprise than persons
who had just returned from one of the most perilous
and vexatious expeditions that man could be exposed to.
The amount of money distributed amongst the crews
was between 20,0001. and 30,0001. The wages of the
Investigator's crew, after five years' service, averaged
about 1501. per man. The crews of the other ships of
coarse received less, their period of service averaging
only about 2i years. Notwithstanding the temptations
which the possession of such a considerable sum of money
must have offered, it in highly creditable to the moral
discipline of the crews that scarcely a Case of drunken.
noes occurred during the day.
Advantage was taken of the occasion to present Dr.
Armstrong, the surgeon of the Investigator, with a gold
chronometer and appendages, which the petty officeri.,
seamen, and marines determined to purchase fur him
previous to quitting the ship, as a mark of their high
estimation for kis services as medical officer during the
•oyage. The gift, which had a representation of the
Investigator imbedded in the ice chased on one side, and
on the other an appropriate inscription acknowledging
Dr. Armstrong's professional skill and uniform kindness
to the crew. It was accompanied by the following ad-
dress, which was read by Mr. JAMES NELSON in the
Ship Hotel :
" We, the undersigned petty officers, seamen, and
marines late of her Majesty s ship Investigator, cannot
part after so lengthened a service is the Arctic regions,
without havine, the gratification of expressing to you, sir,
in a body, and,a es publicly as possible, the unqualified
respect and admiration which we all entertain of the
manner in which you have always acted towards us,
under circumstances of the most trying nature.
"There are few, if any of us, who have not at corns
time experienced your kindness at the sick-bed ; ;mine
who have, under Providence, to thank your skill awl
attention fur their lives ; but above all your constant
assidsity and unwearied zeal, to those departed ship-
mates, whom it has pleased the Almighty to take from
us, can never be forgotten.
•'Those who have never experienced, like ourselves,
so lengthened a period of hunger, monotony, and total
deprivation of all communication with the world, cam
form n• idea of the eensolatioa your untiring goodness
has afforded ; more than half the horrors of sickness,
under such circumstances, have thus been spared us, for
which alone you are more than entitled to our affection
and esteem, and we do assure you such feelings will ever
remain fre-di in our hearts ; but we wish you also, air,
to retain a remembrance of your humble but grateful
admirers, and that, when (as will soon be the case) we
are widely separated, you sometimes think of those with
wham you have passed so many years, not unprofitably.
" We, therefore, in the name of the ship's company
(who have affixed their signatures), beg your acceptance
of this little testimonial, hoping that you may be spared
to retain it mazy years in your possession, and wear it
for our sakes.
" In wishing you good bye, sir, we all unite in the
fervent hope that God may bless you.
" James Williams, C.H., Michael Flynn., Gr. Ms.,
Robert Tiffany, C. M. Top, Cornelius Hullott, C. Cox,
H. Stone, armourer ; Samuel Relf, Samuel Mackenzie,
James Evans, Joseph Facey, Joha Ramsay, Charles
Steel, Henry H. Sugden, Henry May, George Breast,
Ellis Griffiths, David Harris, Henry Gauen, T. Toy,
James Nelson, Isaac Stubberfield, Frederic Taylor, Jas.
M`Donald, G. Luke Milner, Samuel Bounsall, John
Wilcox, Joha Keefe, Mark Griffiths, William Batten,
Thomas Sparrow Carmichael, George Gibbs, Peter
Thompson, William Carroll, William Whitfield, Edward
Fawcett, George 011ey, H. Bluff, Richard, Ross, John
Calder, Cr, Serjeant John Woon, G. Parfitt, T. Ban-
croft, Elias Bow, Thomas King, James &under's, J. B.
Farquharson."
Dr. ARMSTRONG, in reply, said :—I feel deeply
touched by the very flattering address which you have
just now read, and the presentation of the valuable gift
by which it is aecompanied. That during our long and
trying service together, you should consider me in any
degree worthy of being thus so highly honoured, is to
ins, I assure you, most truly gratifying. Until a few
days ago T was not aware of your intention, nor had I
the slightest idea that such an honour awaited me, when
an earnest request was made that I would allow this
act of yours to become public, to which I have felt
bound to accede. (" You deserve it.") I can lay claim
to no higher merit than an anxious desire which I ever
felt to be my duty, but that, even under our worst cir-
cumstances, was made to me a comparatively easy task
by the bravest and the best ship's company that ever
left England. The world knows something of what
you have done, but nothing of what you have suffered.
(" That's true, sir.") I .have witnessed your courage
and your daring when destruction so often appeared
inevitable. I have seen you in health, and I know you
in sickness, and but too truly have I known the hunger
which you so leng felt, when it lay not in my power
to allay it. Then it was that you displayed all the
higher qualities of our nature by the heroic patience
and fortitude with which you bore your privations and
suffering, and manifested in such a remarkable degree
that discipline and noble conduct which proved you to
be true British sailors. These are deeds worthy to rival
any recorded in the brighest page of the history of our
navy, and certain do I feel that when they aro fully
and truthfully known, you will receive not only the gra-
titude but the admiration of your country, and well may
that country be proud of such defenders. The loss of
our departed shipmates we must always deplore ; they
fell from the effects of what we all more or less
suffered from, and that, too, at a time when the
dark and dreary days of trial and adversity had
passed, and when relief had so providentially reached
us. Your valuable gift is one of which any man
may be proud, and believe me I am, tut more par-
ticularly coining from such a body of men as the petty
officers, seamen, and marines of the Investigator have
proved themselves to be. I shall always wear it, as
you wish me, although it is unnecessary to possess
aught to remind me that I once served with you, and
well may I be justly proud of such a grateful offering
from such generous hearts. You will not only now ac-
cept my sincere thanks for being considered to have in
any degree merited this handsome proof of your grati•
tilde, but be eaten ed that I shall ever remain sensible of
the respectful kindness and attention which I have al-
ways received from yon throughout our long and event-
ful-commission. Our voyage, unparalleled as it is, has
not, I hope with you, been (at least in one respect)
unprofitable, hut made us all wiser and better men, and
that in our future lives and conduct, we shall remember
how often and miraculously Providence protected us, and
from that we have not been unworthy of His mercy and
gcolnefs. It only remains for me to say farewell ; we
may never meet again, but from ray heart believe me
that you carry with you my best and warmest wishes
that every comfort and happiness may be yours.
(Cheers.)
The chronometer and chain having been presented to
Dr. Armstrong,
Mr. Num:at turned round to Lieutenant Bedford