The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-06 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION,

The following interesting correspondence has now
For the first time been made public :

?In. PENNY TO THE LORDS OF THE ADMIRALTY.
Ship Hotel, London, Sept. 12, 1851.
Mr. Lords,—On my return from the Arctic regions I
beg to lay before my Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty, at the very earliest moment, on consideration,
certain points which are of vital importance to the
search in which I and so many others have been en-
gaged ; and I beg your Lordships to excuse any undue
freedom of expression which may occur in putting before
you my convictions. First, I have, under a deep sense
of duty, to exprese to your Lordships the extreme im-
portance of the fact, which I have learnt only since my
return, that the provisions carried out by the North
Star ore lying in Lancaster Sound instead of at Disco
Island. Had this fact been made known to the search-
ing squadron ,either at the time when so deposited, or
this year, it must have very materially affected the
question of the return of the expedition, whose labour,
now that the course taken by the missing ships is known
almost to a certainty, could not have been cramped for
want of resources to fall back upon. The whole of
Captain Austin's squadron are convinced, from my re-
port, and from not having seen the North Star them-
selves, that Mr. Saunders deposited his provisions at
Disco. I feel bound to add, that had that officer per-
mitted me to see your Lordship's instructions, I should
have been aware that his interpretation of them was not
in conformity with the meaning of your Lordships.
Secondly. Your Lordships are aware that I have dis-
covered the course of Wellington Channel lies N.W., a
distance of 60 miles beyond the point which I reached,
and about 180 beyond the entrance of the channel from
Barrow Straits; and that it is my conviction that the ex-
tensive yet unavailing investigations of the coast of
Barrow Strait westward place beyond a doubt that the
missing expedition has taken this N.W. channel, and
that their course should be therein followed with the
utmost energy, determination, and dispatch.
The heavy barrier of ice which has blocked up Wel-
lington Channel near its junction with Barrow Straits
prevented all access northwards, both last year and the
present, up to the period of our return; and in my
opinion a powerful steamer only, to take advantage of
the short season, is fit for the accomplishment of the
work. It is not possible to overrate the advantages of
such a steamer; it would do with safety what nothing
else could accomplish.
Thirdly. My observations convinced me that, this
northern latitude once reached, comparative open
water would be found. The climate improves; and
in proof of this I may mention, that within Ithis
channel at Point Surprise, let. 76 deg. 2 min., long.
95 deg. 55 min., we found ducks on the 17th May—
full a month earlier than in the lower latitude;
while the sea was even then so free from ice that the
water washed our very feet as we stood upon the point.
The
ed. quantity of drift wood was comparatively large, and
among this was found a piece of drift wood of English
elm, evidently to me a bit thrown overboard from the
Erebus and Terror. Walrus and seals were also seen and
kill And i from. all these circumstances of improved
fuel food and ,it is impossible to doubt that Sir John
Franklin's
party may still be living in this most northern
region.

venture
In conclusion I
limmediateantreat steps for the prosecution of
the importance of
t you to send up a powerful
to put before your lordships
the search; and
want of fitting means to do
myself
fettered by the
steamer without delay to
have failed to accomplish f°olrww bp the work, which we
so. And on account of feeling
should°mneu:n
terms of my instructions
°Lamed
in further explanation, that yself bound to state,
the' ter
instructions I received from your Lordshipsrasthe
to leave me no alternative but to return
it not been for these restrictions I Had
t have
dared to have done so. At the same time, with
sent means, but crippled by the depots of provyistOrne;
which have been left on the coast, and with no known
resources to fail back upon, I could not have lasted
on another year -without great risk to my men.Clure and
Since my return I learn that Captain M'
Captain Collinson are proceeding eastward from Behring
Strait, intending to reach Melville Island, which I have
not the slightest doubt of their accomplishing; and being
aware also of the opinion of Captain Kellett, which is
my,ouvoewn also, that they would not return westward, I
I your Lordships to judge if such a certainty, as I
may presume to call it, does not afford additional neces-
sity for • sending to meet them at the earliest moment.
If the promptest
possible measuresd' are adopted, and a steamer
.ispatch, she may easily reach
Lancaster Sound before it is closed by ice for the season;