The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-31 00:00:00

THE SUN,

Captain Beechey—The farthest point you reached
up the channel was Cape Becher in the Queen Vic-
toria Channel ? Captain Penny—Yes.
Captain Beechey—What was the latitude ? Cap-
tain Penny—lt was 76.25 N.
Sir E. Parry—Mr. Stewart gave me a long list of
latitudes that he took. He travelled round the east
side of this channel, and came to Cape Becher.
Chairman—Did you observe at this point ? Cap-
tain Penny—No, but Captain Stewart did; and I
could depend upon his observation.
Chairman—Which side of the channel was that ?
Captain Penn
y-
Chairman-11 That was on the north-east side.
Penny—
Chairman—How far did you get on the north-
west side ? Captain Penny—l could not get farther
that Baring
Island.
Chairman—Then before you turned about to return
how
did you consider yourself from the main
points of Sir John Franklin and Cape Lady Franklin ?
Chfaairrrn
Captain Penny—No one can judge well of distances
without knowing the height of the land ; probably
sixty or seventy miles.
Chairman—Do you think the water was all clear
and open ? Captain Penny—l have no doubt of it
from the way the winds prevailed.
Chairman—What sort of weather was it when you
turned back ? Captain Penny—lt was a clear day
when we turned, but came on very moist weather
afterwards. We had some days clear, but the greater
part of them were moist.
Sir E. Parry—Do you think a ship could have
navigated any of these channels ? Captain Penny—
Yes, in clear water I have no doubt of it. I have
navigated worse.
Admiral Fanshawe—l think you expressed your
opinion that Sir John Franklin passed that way ?
Captain Penny—Yes, that was my conviction, and
has ever been. . . .

Chairman—There is another question that you
must expect to be asked. How was it you wrote a
letter to Captain Austin stating that Wellington
Channel was thoroughly searched, and that nothing
more could be done ? Captain Penny—Wellington
Channel was searched, but not beyond Wellington
Channel.
Chairman—Let us just read the letter from you to
Captain Austin.
(The letter was here read by the Chairman.)
Captain Penny—Captain Austin knew very well
what I had done in Wellington Channel. I had ex-
pressed to him my opinion that Franklin had gone
away through the channel in clear water. I could do
no more with my means.
Chairman—lt is necessary that you should explain
this. What do you mean when you say, " I could
do no more with my means ?" Captain Penny—l
meant what I had told Captain Austin before, that I
could do no more with the means I had at command.
Chairman—You meant then by that expression to
separate Wellington Channel from the Upper Chan-
nel ? Captain Penny—Will you allow me to ask you
a question ?
Chairm an—l think you bad better answer mine first.
Captain Penny—l told Captain Austin I could not
undertake the fearful responsibility of saying beyond
the channel was searched ; why ask me what I could
not tell ? I mean, why should Captain Austin ask
me what I could not tell ?

Chairman—All we want is an explanation ; you
had better confine yourself to that. Captain Penny—
In that remark I confined myself to Wellington
Channel.

Chairman—Very good. Did you explain to Cap-
tain Austin at that time that a search should be made
nigher ? Captain Penny—l asked him for a steamer,
and would pilot her up the channel to the ice, and
wait till the ice should clear away. I would have
waited there a month.

Chairman—That was your reason for asking for a
steamer ? Captain Penny—Yes ; most undoubtedly.
Chairman—And you are still of opinion that if the
ice had cleared away you could have gone up ?
Captain Penny—Moat unquestionably.
Chairman—Did you explain that to Captain Austin
at the time ? Captain Penny—Yes ; and he refused
me that steamer to go up with.
Chairman—Did you explain to Captain Austin at
that time Sir John Franklin had gone up that channel?
Captain Penny—Most unquestionably.
Chairman—That is a sufficient answer. You meant
by asking for a steamer that it would be the best vessel
to prosecute the discoveries if the ice had cleared
away ? Captain Penny—Yes, the only vessel.
Chairman—And you ofFred to pilot the steamer
on account of your own experience ? Captain Penny—
Yes.

Sir E. Parry—Did you ask for a steamer to com-
mand it yourself ? Captain Penny—To pilot it.
Sir E. Parry—Piloting thrcugh the ice I hardly
understand. We are so much at the mercy of the ice
that we can hardly call it piloting.
. _

Captain Beechey—lf you were so certain of the
ice going away from that channel and the water
clearing, by waiting a few days, could you not con-
sistently with your orders have waited that period ?
Captain Penny—My vessel was not suited to go
further than I did. Before I could have gone any
distance, the season would have gone, whereas in a
steamer 500 miles could have been gone over in a
week, as it was very likely we should have had to pro-
ceed ti-ptt distance before we obtained any fresh traces.
Captain Beechev—How long are those seas navi-
gable? C ytain Penny—lt depends greatly upon the
seasons. In B Irrow's Straits last year the frost set
in on the 13:h of September, but this year there was
f Imre water in Barrow's Straits, and it may be later
before the frost sets in.

Chairman—There is another expression in Captain
Austin's letter to you of the 11th of August last, to
which I must call your attention. He requests you
to acquaint him " whether you consider that the
search of Wellington S-,rait, made by the expedition
under your charge, is so far satisfactory as to render
a further prosecution in that direction, if practicable,
unnecessary." What did you do in consequence of
this? captain Penny—l would not take upon my-
self responsibility
of
saying whether the channel was
sufficiently searched. lam free to confess I was very
angry at being written to at all by Captain Austin
when we had conversed so long upon the very lame
subject, and I had told him all in my power, giving
him my chart, and begged him to let me pilot one of
his steamers up Wellington Channel. Had I been
cool I should have used better words.

Chairman—What I mean by the last question is
this :—in the letter Captain Austin sent to you he
meant to ask you whether the search up the channel
was practicable—advisable or not? Captain Penny
—I explained my views to Captain Austin, and still
he sent me that letter. Captain Austin was compe-
tent to judge for himself. I am not accustomed to
write official dispatches, or probably I should have
been more cautious. Captain Austin ought to know
what to do.

Chairman—lt was hardly fair to Captain Austin
not to give a full opinion on the subject. Your let-
ter was so short that any ono on reading it would
suppose you intended to express your opinion that it
was useless to wait for the breaking up of the ice,
and that you were convinced no further search was
necessary—that all that could be done was done, and
that no further traces could be found ? Captain
Penny— Nothing oF the sort could have been intended,
and Captain Austin could not have put that interpre-
tation upon the letter, as he well knew my previous
opinions. That letter was written under strong feel-
ings of irritation, and in answer to a note from Cap-
tain Austin.

Chairman—lnstead of exciting yourself, why did
you not explain to Captain Austin that further search
ought to be made in the direction where you hal
been ? Captain Penny—l asked him for a steamer,
in order to prosecute that search.
Captain Austin rose and said—After sending Cap-
tai❑ Penny that note I sat down and wrote him a calm
request on the subject (knowing that he was an ex-
perienced person), urging him to let me have an
answer. I think Captain Penny must have had my
letter eight hours. It was two o'clock in the morn-
ing when I received his answer. I wrote a private
note to Captain Penny, which he must have.
Captain Penny—l have not got it. I have searched
for it in every quarter. I sent down to Aberdeen for
it on my arrival here in London, but it is not to be
found anywhere. lam not accustomed to tie up all
my letters, and many official dispatches have been
destroyed.

Chairman—Have you had any further correspond-
ence with Captain Austin than that which appears in
print ? Captain Penny —Yes ; there was another
latter in which I stated that I had expressed my opi-
nion to him. I told Captain Austin what I had done.
I ~told him that my orders were not such as would
all °w me to run the risk of another Arctic winter with. %„__
caz prospect of success.
ustin said he had not received such a letter
got the .
frocinapetalaain
i,,,,,,1 Penny.
Y—uaptain Stewart was present when
August.e E‘s it ? Captain Penn
About Austinparry ___,,,,t, _ n
which
it before or after that ?
h appears in print is
was there,
A datedbCohuatt
ihrternhelalnliLhthlofhoAfe
August
; wu .
foreiatp. t.
Captain Penny—After that.
Captain Sir
Penny—Yes;
rnryyTiCr
easp;t a
andi o Stewart 0 w
5 that I delivered
it to him.
Chairman—Have you the letter with you ?
Penny—lt is in London now, and I can Bend
Captain Austin—l do not exactly understand what is
the question; is it that a letter was delivered to rile?
Sir E. Parry—lt is that there was a letter delivered
to you (as an answer to your first letter) by
Penny, in the presence of Captain Stewart and Captain
Ommanney. Clptain
Sir E. Parry—Did you ever in writing state to
Captain Austin your recommendation to him to go
up Wellington Strait ? Captain Penny—Certainly
not. What was the use of writing when I was telling
him what I had done.

(Captain Stewart was called in, and was sent for
;he dispatch alluded to by Captain Penny.) •