The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-22 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE FOX.

Captain M'Clintock landed yesterday at Ports-
mouth from the Alarm pilot-boat, which vessel had
brought him ashore from the Fox screw discovery
vessel, arrived off the Isle of Wight from the Arctic
Regions. _ _

On landing Captain M'Cliutock at once proceeded
by train for London, taking with him two cases
containing relics of the long missing expedition of
Sir John Franklin.

Captain M'Clintock stated that he was in posses-
sion of papers that would fully elucidate the mystery
which has so long hung over the fate of these brave
men.
The Fox proceeded up Channel.

The Secretary of the Admiralty presents his
compliments to the Editor of The Sun, and for-
wards the accompanying letter for insertion.
Sept. 22, 1859, 10 30 a.m.
" To THE SECRETARY OF THE ADMIRALTY.

" YACHT FOX, R.Y.S.

" Sir, —I beg you will inform the Lords Commis-
sioners of the Admiralty of the safe return to this
country of Lady Franklin's Final Searching Expe-
dition, which I have had the honour to conduct.
" Their Lordships will rejoice to hear that our
endeavours to ascertain the fate of the ' Franklin
Expedition' have met with complete success.
" At Point Victory, upon the northwest coast of
King William's Island, a record his been found
dated the 25th of April, 1848, and signed by Cap-
tains Crozier and Fitzjames. By it we were in-
formed that her Majesty's ships Erebus and Terror
were abandoned on the 22d of April, 1848, in the
ice, five leagues to the N.N.W., and that the sur-
vivors—in all amounting to 105 souls, under the
command of Captain Crozier—were proceeding to
the Great Fish River. Sir John Franklin had died
on the 11th of June, 1847.

" Many deeply interesting relics of our lost coun-
trymen have been picked up upon the western
shore of King William's Island, and others ob-
tained from the Esquimaux, by whom we were in-
formed that subsequent to their abandonment one
ship was crushed and sunk by the ice, and the
other forced on shore, where she has ever since
been, affording them an almost inexhaustible mine
of wealth.

" Being unable to penetrate beyond Bellot Strait,
the Fox wintered in Brentford Bay and the Search,
including the estuary of the Great Fish River and
the discovery of 800 miles of coast line, by which
we have united the explorations of the former
searching expeditions to the north and west of our
position with those of James Ross, Dease, and
Simpson, and Rae to the south, has been performed
by sledge journeys this spring, conducted by Lieu-
tenant Hobson, R.N., Captain Allen Young, and
myself.

" As a somewhat detailed report of our proceed-
ings will doubtless be interesting to their lordships,
it is herewith enclosed, together with a chart of our
discoveries and explorations, and at the earliest op-
portunity I will present myself at the Admiralty to
afford further information, and lay before their
lordships the record found at Port Victory.—l have
the honour, to be, &c.,

" F. L. M'CLINTOCK, Captain, R.N."

PROCEEDINGS OF THE YACHT FOX,
CONTINUED FROM MAY, 1858.

It will be remembered that tho Fox effected her escape
out of the main pack in Davis' Straits, in lat. 63k dog. N.,
on 25th April, 1858, after a winter's ice drift of 1,194 geo-
graphical miles.
The small settlement of Holsteinborg was reached on the
28th, and such very scanty supplies obtained as the place
afforded.

On May 8 our voyage was recommenced ; Godhaven and
Uppernivik visited, Melville Bay entered early in Juno,
and crossed to Cape York by the 26th. Here some natives
were communicated with. They immediately recognised
Mr. Petersen, our interpreter, formerly known to thorn in
the Grinnell expedition under Dr. Kane. In reply to our
inquiries for the Esquimaux dog-driver " Hans," left be-
hind from the Advance in 1858, they told us he was resid-
ing at Whale Sound. Had he been there I would most
gladly have embarked him, as his longing to return to
South Greenland continues unabated.

On the 12th July communicated with the Capo War-
render natives, near Cape Horsburgh ; they had not seen
any ships since the visit of the Phoenix in 1851, nor have
any wrecks ever drifted upon their shores.
It was not until 27th July that we reached Points Inlet
owing to a most unusual prevalence of ice in the northern
portion of Baffin's Bay, and which rendered our progress
since leaving Holsteinborg one of increasing struggle.
Without steam power we could have done nothing. Here
only one old woman and a boy were found, but they served
to pilot us up the inlet for 25 miles, when we arrived at
their village. For about a week we were in constant and
most interesting communication with these friendly people.
Briefly, the information obtained from them was, that
nothing whatever respecting the Franklin expedition had
come to their knowledge, nor had any wrecks within the
last 20 or 30 years reached their shores.
The remains of three wrecked ships are known to them ;
two of these appear to have been the whalers Dexterity and
Aurora, wrecked in August, 1821, same 70 or 80 miles
southward of Pond's Inlet. The third vessel, now almost
buried in the sand, lies a few miles east of Cape Hay. This
people communicate overland every winter with the tribes
at Igloolik ; they all knew of Parry's ships having wintered
there in 1822-3, and had heard of late years of Dr. Rae's
visit to Repulse Bay, describing his boats as similar to our
whale boat, and his party as living in tents, within snow-
houses, smoking pipes, shooting reindeer, &c. None died.
They remained there only one winter.
No rumour of the lost expedition has reached them.
Within Pond's Inlet, the natives told us the ice decays
away every year, but so long as any remains whales abound.
Several large whales were seen by us, and we found
amongst the natives a considerable quantity of whalebone
and many norwhals' horns, which they were anxious to
barter for knives, files, saws, rifles, and wool ; they drew us
some.rude charts of the inlet, showing that it expands into
an extensive channel looking westward into Prince Regent's
Inlet.

We could not but regret that none of our own whaling
friends—from whom we had recently received so much
kindness—were here to profit by so favourable an opportu-
nity. Leaving Pond's Inlet on the 6th Aug. we reacha
Beechy Island on 11th, and landed a handsome marble
tablet, sent on board for this purpose by Lady Franklin,
bearing on appropriate inscription, to the memory of our
lost countrymen in the Erebus and Terror.
The provisions and stones seemed in perfect order, but a
small boat was much damaged from having beon turned
over and rolled along the beach by a storm. The roof of
the house received some necessary repairs. Having em-

barked some coals and stores we stood in need of, and

touched at Cape Hotham on the 16th, we sailed down Peel
Strait for 25 miles on 17th, but finding the remainder of this
channel covered by unbroken ice I determined to make for
Bellot Strait on Aug. 19, examined supplies remaining at
Port Leopold, and left there a whale-boat, which we brought
away from Cape Hotham for the purpose, so as to aid us in
our retreat, should we be obliged eventually to abandon the
Fox. The steam launch had been forced higher up on the
beach, and somewhat damaged by the ice: Prince Regent's
Inlet was unusually free from ice, but very little was seen
during our run down to Brentford Bay, which we reached
on the 20th August. Bellot Strait, which communicates
with the Western sea, averages one mile in width by
seventeen or eighteen miles in length. At this time it
was filled with drift ice, but as the season advanced be-
came perfectly clear ; its shores are in many places faced
with lofty granite cliffs, and some of the adjacent hills
rise to 1,600 feet; the tides are very strong, running
six or seven knots at the springs. On the Gth of Septem-
ber we passed through Bellot Strait without obstruction,
and secured the ship to fixed ice across its western outlet.
From here, until the 27th, when I deemed it necessary to
retreat into winter quarters, we constantly watched the
movements of the ice in the western sea or channel. In
mid-channel it was broken up and d: ifting about; gradu-
ally the proportion of water increased, until at length the
ice which intervened was reduced to three or four miles in
width. But this was firmly held fast by numerous islets,
and withstood the violence of the autumn gales. It was
tantalising beyond description thus to watch from day to
day the free water which we could not reach, and which
washed the rocky shore a few miles to the southward of us!
During the autumn attempts were made to carry out
depots of provisions towards the magnetic pole, but these
almost entirely failed in consequence of the disruption of
the ice to the southward. Lieut. Hobson returned with
his sledge party in November, after much suffering from
severe weather, and imminent peril on one occasion, when
the ice upon which they were encamped, became detached
from the shore, and drifted off to leeward with them.
Our wintering position was at the cast entrance to Belloi,
Strait, in a snug harbour, which I have named Port Ken-
nedy, after my predecessor in these waters, the commander
of one of Lady Franklin's former searching expeditions.
Although vegetation was abundant, and ow two Esqui-

maux hunters, Mr. Peterson, and several sportsmen con-
stantly on the alert, yet the resources of the country dur-
ing eleven months and a half only yielded us 8 reindeer, 2
bears, 18 seals, and a few water fowl and ptarmigan.
The winter Nies unusually cold and stormy. Arrange-
ments were completed during the winter for carrying out
our intended plan of search. I felt it to be my duty per-
sonally to visit Marshal Island, and in so doing proposed
to complete the circuit of King William's Island
To Lieut. Hobson I allotted the starch of the western
shore of Boothia to the magnetic pole, and from Gateshead
Island westward to Wyniatt's furthest. Captain Allen
Young, our sailing master, was to trace the shore of Prince
of Wales' Land, from Lieut. Browne's furthest; and also
to examine the coast from Bellot Strait southward, to Sir
James Ross's furthest.

Early aping- journeys were commenced on the 17th
Feb., 1859, by Captain Young and myself. Captain Young
carrying his depot across to Prince of Wales' Land, whilst
I went southward towards the magnetic pole in the hope of
communicating with the Esquimaux, and obtaining as
much information as might lead us at once to the object of
our search.

I was accompanied by Mr. Petersen, our interpreter, and
Alexander Thompson, quartermaster. We had with us
two sledges drawn by dogs. On 28th February, when near
Cape Victoria, we had the geod fortune to meet a small
party of natives, and were subsequently visited by about
45 individuals.

For four days we remained in communication with them,
obtaining many relics, and the information that several
years ago a ship was crushed by the ice off the north shore,
off King William's Island, but that all her people landed
safely, and went away to the Great Fish River, wheze they
died. This tribe was well supplied with wood, obtained, they
said, from a boat left by the white men on the great river.
We reached our vessel after 25 days' absence, in good
health, but somewhat reduced by sharp marching, and the
unusually severe weather to which we had been exposed.
For several days after starting the mercury continued
frozen.

On 2d April our long projected spring journeys were com-
menced. Lieut. Hobson accompanied me as far as Cape
Victoria ; each of us had a sledge drawn by four men, and
an auxiliary sledge drawn by six dogs. This was all the
force we could muster.

Before separating we saw two Esquimaux families living
out upon the ice in snow huts; from them we learned that
a second ship had been seen off King William's Island, and
that she drifted ashore on the fall of the same year. From
this ship they had obtained a vast deal of wood and iron.
I now gave Lieut. Hobson directions to search for the
wreck, and follow up any traces he might find upon King
William's Island.

Accompanied by my own party and Mr. Peterson, I
marched along the east shore of King William's Island,
occasionally passing deserted snow huts, but without
meeting natives till the Bth of May, when off Cape Norton,
we arrived at a snow village containing about 30 inhabi-
tants. They gathered about us without the slightest ap-
pearance of fear or shyness, although none had ever seen
living white people before. They were most willing to
communicate all their knowledge, and barter all their
goods, but would have stolen everything had they not been
very closely watched. Many more relics of our country-
men were obtained—we could not carry away all we might
have purchased. They pointed to the inlet wo had crossed
the day before, and told us that one day's march up it, and
from thence four days overland, brought them to the wreck.
None of thesa people had been there since 18574, at which
time they said but little remained, their countrymen hav-
ing carried away almost everything.

Most of our information was received from an intelli-
gent old woman; she said it was in the fall of the year that
the ship was forced ashore ; many of the white men dropped
by the way, as they went towards the Great River; but
this was only known to them in the winter following, when
their bodies were discovered. They all assured us that we
would find natives upon the South shore, at the Great
Ricer, and some few at the wreck; but unfortunately this
was not the case. Only one family was met with off Point
Booth, and none at Montreal Island or any place subse-
quently visited.
Point Ogle, Montreal Island, and Barrow Island, were
searched without finding anything except a few scraps of
copper and iron in an Esquimaux hiding place.
Recrossing the strait to King William's Island, we
continued the examination of its southern shore without
success till the 24th of May, when about 10 miles eastward of
Cape Herschel a bleached skeleton was found, around
which lay fragments of European clothing. Upon carefully
removing the snow, a small pocket-book was found, con-
taining a few letters—these, although much decayed, may
yet be deciphered. Judging from the remains of his dress
this unfortunate young man was a steward or officer's ser-
vant, and his position exactly verified the Esquimaux's as-
sertion that '• they dropped as they walked along."
On reaching Cape Herschel next day, he examined
Simpson's Cairn, or rather what remains of it, which is
only four feet high, and the central stores have been re•
moved, as if by men seeking something within it. My im-
pression at the time, and which I still retain, is that records
were deposited there by the retreating crews, and subse-
quently removed by the natives.
After parting from me at Cape Victoria on the 28th April,
Lieutenant Hobson made for Cape Felix ; at a short distance
westward of it he found a very large cairn, and close to it
three small tents, with blankets, old clothes, and other relics
of a shooting or a magnetic station ; but although the cairn
was dug under, and a trench dug round it at a distance of
10 feet, no record was discovered. A piece of blank paper
folded up was found in the cairn, and two broken bottles,
which may perhaps have contained records, lay beside
it amongst some stones which had fallen from ofl the top.
The most interesting of the articles discovered here, includ-
ing a boat's ensign, were brought away by Mr. Hobson.
About two miles further to the S.W. a small cairn was found,
but neither records nor relics obtained. About three miles
north of Point Victory a second small cairn was examined,
but only a broken pickaxe aid empty canister found.
On 6th May Lieut. Hobson pitched his tent beside a
large cairn upon PoinyVictory. Lying amongst some loose
stones which had fayen from the top of this cairn was found
a small tin case containing a record, the substance of which
was briefly as follows :—This cairn was built by the Frank-
lin Expedition upon the assumed site of James Ross's pil-
lar, which had not been found. The Erebus and Terror
spent their first white/ at Beechy Island, and after having
ascended Wellington Channel to let. 77 deg. N., and re-
turnbd by the west side of Cornwallis Island, on the 12th of
September, 1846, they were beset in let. 70.05 N., and lon.
98.23 W.

Sir J. Franklin died on the 11th June, 1847. On the
22d April, 1818, the ships were abandoned five leagues to
the N.N.W. of Pt. Victory, and the survivors,'los in num-
ber, landed hero under the command of Capt. Crozier. This
paper was dated 25th April, 1848, and upon the following
day they intended to start for the Groat Fish River. The
total loss by deaths in the expedition up to this date was
nine officers and fifteen men. A vast quantity of clothing
and stores of all sorts lay strewed about, as if here every
article was thrown aw2y which could possibly be dispensed
with; pickaxes, shovels, boats, cooking utensils, ironwork,
rope, blocks, canvas, a dip circle, a sextant engraved " Fre-
deric liornby," R.N., a small medicine chest, oars, &c.
A few miles southward, across Back Bay, a second re-
cord was found, having been deposited by Lieutenant Gore
and M. des Vceux in May, 1817. It afforded no additional
information.

Lieut. Hobson continued his search until within a few
days' march of Cape Herschel, without finding any trace of
tho wreck or of natives. He left full information of his
important discoveries for me ; therefore, when returning
northward by the west shore of King William Island, 1 had
the advantage of knowing what had already been found.

Soon after leaving Cape Herschell the traces of natives

became less numerous and less recent, and after rounding
the west point of the island they ceased altogether. This

shore is extremely low, and almost utterly destitute of vege-

tation. Numerous banks of shingle and low islets lie off
it, and beyond these Victoria Strait is covered with heavy
and impenetrable packed ice.
When in let. 69, deg. 09 N., and long. £9 deg. 27 W.,
we came to a large boat, discovered by Lieutenant Hobson
a few days previously, as his notice informed me. It ap-
pears that this boat had been intended for the ascent of the
Fish River, but was abandoned apparently upon a return
journey to the ships, the sledge upon which she was
mounted being pointed in that direction. She measured 28
feet in length, by 71 feet wide, was most carefully fitted,
and made as light as possible, but the sledge was of solid
oak, and almost as heavy as the boat.
A large quantity of clothing was found within her, also
two human skeletons. One of those lay in the after part of
the boat, under a pile of c'othing ; the other, which was
much more disturbed, probably by animals, was found in
tho bow. Five pocket watches, a quantity of silver spoons
and folks, and a few religious books, were also found,
but no journals, pocket-books, or even names upon any
article of clothing. Two bouble-barrelled guns stood up-
right against the boat's side precisely as they had been
placed 11 years before. One barrel in each was loaded and
cocked ; there was ammunition in abundance ; also 301 b.

or 401 b. of chocolate, and some tea and tobacco. Fuel was
not wanting ; a drift tree lay within 100 yards of the boat.
Many very interesting relics were brought away by
Lieutenant Hobson, and some few by myself. On the sth
of June I reached Point Victory without having found
anything further. The clothing, &c., was again examined
for documents, &e., without success, a record placed in the
cairn, and =Other buried ten feet north of it.
Nothing worthy of remark occurred upon my return
journey to the ship, which wo reached on 10th Juue, five
days after Lieutenant Dobson.
The shore of King William Island between its north and
west extremes, Captain Felix and Crozier, has been visited
by Esqutmaux since the abandonment of the Erebus and
Terror, as the. cairns and articles lying strewed about,
which are in their eyes of priceless value, remain un-
touched.
If the wreck still remains visible it is probable sho lies
upon some of the off-lying islets to the southward betkireen
Capes Crozier and Herschel.
On the 23th June Capt. Young and his party returned,
having completed their portion of the search, by which the
insularity of Prince of Wales' Land was determined, and
tho coast line intervening between the extreme points
reached by Lints, Osborne and Browne discovered; also