The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-20 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

WOOLWICH, SEPT. 19.—The Lady Franklin, com-
manded by Captain Penny, arrived at Woolwich yes-
terday afternoon, and was brought up at moorings,
alongside the Salsette, receiving ship, opposite the
dockyard; and the Sophia, her sister vessel, is daily
expected at this port. The Lady Franklin has come
home safe and sound, and in excellent condition, and
remarkably clean, and with as healthy and robust a
crew as ever sailed in any region, and without a
single complaint amongst the men on board, if it is
excepted that they say they cannot now eat so much
meat as they used to do of fat pork and other rich
edibles—their appetites having greatly abated since
they left the Orkneys for Woolwich. The Danish
interpreter has returned with them, and appears a
very decent and passably intelligent person, and ex-
presses his belief that the discovery ships, Erebus and
Terror, are still safe.
On going on board the Lady Franklin this morn-
ing, the first objects of attraction were five remark-
ably fine Esquimaux dogs, brought home by Captain
Penny, all reposing or moving about on the decks, as
in this climate it would be prejudicial to the health of
these animals to allow them to go below.
The crew of the Lady Franklin appear a fine and
generally intelligent body of men, and zealously at-
tached to Captain Penny. In the course of conver-
sation with some of them, they all expressed their
decided belief that the Esquimaux had never visited
the spot where the three graves of the sergeant of
the Royal Marines, and the two men of the Erebus
and Terror had been found, and it is therefore ob-
vious that, in that case, they could not have re-
moved any documents left by Sir John Franklin at
that place.
At the departure of Sir John Franklin and the
Erebus and Terror for the Arctic regions, 600 tin
cases, hermetically sealed, with instructions in six
different languages, were furnished to the expedition,
to be thrown overboard, or left at any place on land
at which they might touch. It is almost certain,
therefore, that Sir John Franklin left sealed docu-
ments at the same spot where the three graves were
found ; and vs it is now satisfactorily stated that
the documents could not have been removed by the
Esquimadx, the great probability, and almost cer-
tainty, i 4, thlt they were found and removed by
some enterprising whaler or other vessel, tempted to
search that high latitude by the Admiralty offer of
20,0001. for the discovery of the missing vessels and for
assisting them. It would have been contrary to hu-
man nature, where a prize of 20,0001. was in view, to
expect the finders of the documents near the three
graves would leave any traces of documents to en-
courage others to follow in the same track, as they
might have been the first to discover the missing
officers and crews, and afford them the relief that
would entitle them to the prize and honour of aiding
their fellow-creatures so long absent from this country.
The present season is described as being remarkably
open in the Arctic regions, and hope may yet be en-
tertained that the Erebus and Terror may make their
appearance. The Danish interpreter of the Lady
Franklin, in describing the piece of wood found up
Wellington Channel, says it was of elm, and had been
painted, and, to use a homely expression, he said it
must have been "chucked" on shore by a passing
vessel, asit was found above the highest water-mark.
The crow's-nest is still up in the Lady Franklin,
where the persevering Captain Penny has spent
sometimes as many as ten hours in a day searching
with his telescope for the missing ships. The vessel
was to be taken alongside the wharf at the basin to-
day, to have the remaining provisions put on board a
lighter and taken to Deptford.

-
THE LATE CATASTROPHE ON THE
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE RAILWAY.
BICESTER, FRIDAY ETENING.--The sufferers from
the late railway catastrophe aro all somewhat better,
but Mrs. Collis, Mrs. Terry, and Mr. Nevill are not yet
out of danger. Directors and officers of the company
visit the sufferers daily, and orders are given that all is
to be supplied that is necessary, and that every attention
be paid them. Mrs. Moore, the wife of the gentleman
who acted as foreman at the inquest, and other ladies of
Bicester, are diligent in kind offices towards the injured.
They have this week been seen by Messrs. Acland,
Hester, and Allen, medical gentlemen of Oxford, as well
as by Messrs. Woodward and Dawson, the resident me-
dical practitioners. There is now a much more careful
mode of driving than before the disaster, and it is evi-
dent that passengers are less exposed to danger. It is a
gratifying fact that all the patients can now get up, with
the exception of Mr. Sheldon and Mr. Nevill. Work-
men are still employed in making good the injuries done
to the station approaches by the crash of the engine and
carriages, and in a few days the station will present its
wonted appearances.

From Singapore accounts have been received to the
Ist of August. Produce continued in good demand, and
there had been considerable activity in imports, especially in
cotton manufactures and twist. There were no later dates
from Labuan.

The commercial accounts by the Overland mail are
not on the whole regarded as unfavourable, the sales of ma-
nufactured goods having been large, although at lower prices
in China, and at scarcely any improvement in the Indian
markets.

The accounts from the continental cities state that
the exchanges are everywhere becoming more favourable for
this country. Should the advance continue, arrivals of gold
may be expected. A small amount was received to-day from
Holland.

Silt W. P. WOOD.—A communication has been
received from the Solicitor-General, by W. Brunner, lan,,
his agent, stating that he has determined not to accept the
appointment of ice-Chancellor, preferring to retain lam
connexion with the city of Oxford.—Banbury Guardian.