The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-02 00:00:00

IMPORTANT DISCOVtRIES.

The New York Herald of September 19th says :
-'-It is now nearly a quarter of a century since the
lamented Sir John Franklin and his crews embarked
on the ships Erebus and Terror on their heroic and
ill-fated expedition to the Arctic regions in quest
of a north-west passage to Asia ; and the years of
almost breathless anxiety that followed his depar-
ture, while awaiting information of the result of his
explorations, were succeeded by a still more anxious
yearning to learn the fate of himself and his fol-
lowers, when the world had ceased to hope for tid-
ings of the progress of his enterprise, and looked
earnestly for news of the personal well-being of the
adventurous party. Several expeditions were fitted
out to search for the lost navigators, but none were
able to find any positive evidence of the safety or
existence of any of Frairklin's command, and ob-
tained only vague rumours from the Esquimaux
that parties of Caucasians had been among them.
When these had failed the attention of Henry Grin-
nell, of New York, became involved in the subject,
and an expedition was fitted out by him, and Cap-
tain Hall was entrusted with the arduous under-
taking of endeavouring to clear up the mystery,
which had become at once painfully sad and ro-
mantic. To his energetic investigation of the fate
of the Franklin explorers, and to the liberality of
one of New York's citizens, the world is indebted
for such information as has furnished positive evi-
dence of the result of Sir John's hazardous attempt.
Various reports have from time to time appeared
chronicling the latest data received from Mr. Hall
touching his discoveries, which have confirmed the
conclusion that no survivor is left to tell the tale of
their privations, failure, and deaths.
On Thursday last, Dr. Goold, of Dublin, a gen-
tleman widely known, and who has been during
the past two years in the Polar regions, arrived in
this city, and furnished the latest detailed informa-
tion of Captain Hall and the object of his search.
Dr. Goold arrived at New London, Connecticut, a
few days since on board a whaling ship from Cum-
.berland Inlet, and states that in August, 1867, he
spent some considerable time with Mr. Hall, who
was then at Repulse Bay. Mr. Hall has traced
the fate directly of two of the last survivors of
Sir John Franklin's party, and has obtained
valuable information regarding the relics and
some records reported by the natives to have been
left by the lost expedition in King 'William's Land.
Captain Hall learned from some of the Esquimaux
in 1866, that about two years prior to that time
Captain Crozier and one of the Franklin crew had
died in the vicinity of Southampton Island, while
endeavouring to make their way to that place, in
the belief that they would be there able to meet a
whaler to convey them back to England, or, in fact,
anywhere to escape from their Arctic prison. Capt.
Hall is confident of the identity of Capt. Crozier
with one of the men so described to have perished,
as the natives not only gave Capt. Crozier's name,
but were in possession of certain articles that be-
longed to him and to his companion. Mr. Hall ob-
tained from these Esquimaux Capt. Crozier's watch,
a gold chronometer, made by Arnold and Dent,
of London, besides some small articles of silver
and trinkets belonging to their outfit. These
relics Mr. Hall now holds, and they have been seen
and handled by Dr. Goold. Capt.tin Crozier's
companion, who died with him, is believed to have
been a steward of either the Erebus or Terror, as
the natives say he was a server of food, hut could
not recollect his name.' The natives a!so state that
they have among them, near Southampton Island,
a piece of gold lace and a piece of gold bullion
which belonged to Captain Crozier, and is believed
to have formed part of one of his epaulettes. They
also stated that a number of others had started with
Capt. Crozier from a place very far north to reach
Southampton Inlet, b'ut had perished one by one on
the way. They had been passed from one band of
Enewits to the other, and when Captain Crozier
had passed through two tribes the natives say
all further traces were lost, but Capt. Hall himself
traced the remainder there. Capt. Hall also says :
—" The opinion most entertained is that the natives
killed them. 'They say themselves there was no
difficulty in Captain Crozier getting through, be-
cause he was accounted among the natives a first-
rate hunter for that country, and could at all times
keep himself in food." The records which Captain
Hall hopes to be able to secure are in King Wil-
liam's Land, and considerable difficulty is antici-
pated in the effort to reach them. According to
native information the last six survivors built
a cairn, or rude vault of stones, on the rogks,
and deposited within it some documents and
such articles as they had no further use for
or would have been au encumbrance on their jour-
ney. For some time past King William and his
tribe have been hostile towards the native followers
of King Albert, who inhabit the region about
Repulse Bay, where Mr. Hall was quartered, and
would allow no incursions into their country. The
place where this cairn is described to be situated is
about 450 miles northward from Repulse Bay, and
in order to roach it Captain Hall has formed an
alliance with Albert and his people, and, together
with his own escort of Europeans, was preparing
an expedition of about 90 persons to march in quest
of the records. It was Mr. Hall's intention to start
in February or March of this year, and be ha I
already accumulated supplies of provisions and other
necessaries for the purpose.

EXCLUSIVE, VERY IMPORTANT, RARE, AND VALUABLE
are the properties of Lamplough's Pyretic Saline, curing the
worst headaches, sickness, skin, or biliary affectipns. Pleasant.
palatable, and invigorating. Bold by all Cheluists.—[Advt.]

BLOWING UP OF A SHIP WITH A CARGO

OF NAPHTHA.

The British consul at Drammen has forwarded to
the Board of Trade the report made to him by
Captain Henry Wells, late master, and one of the
survivors of the crew of the British ship Tom
Volkes, belonging to Liverpool, which was de-
stroyed by an explosion of naphtha while on her
voyage to St. Petersburg :

" The ship was laden with 770 barrels of naphtha.
Nothing remarkable occurred until the 6th of
September. When about forty-eight miles to the
N. W. of -Heligoland a fearful explosion took
place on board. At the time I, with %be,
mate, were in the cabin, and the remainder 01
the crew were on deck. For a few minutes l
was insensible. When I came to myself I found
everything in the cabin destroyed, the bulkheads all
collapsed together, and the ship split in her water
way, so much so that I and the mate got on deck
through the water way. On looking forward I ob-
served that the lifeboat had been blown off from the
main hatchway and was split to pieces. All tlis
hatchways were blown off, and the timbers of
the deck of the ship were forced up about two
feet. Observing that the ship was all but s
wreck, and her cargo on fire, I • ordered ber
mainmast to be cut away as the only chance t°
make a raft to save our lives, but before this could
be done the flames rose from the hafchways in such
volumes that it became dangerous for any one
to remain on board, and most of the Lode
plunged into the sea to save themselves from being
burnt to death. We, however, managed to cat
away the main boom, which we. got overboard, and
to this I clung. I could not swim. A seaman
named William Miller swam and got on to it. Au
the crew except myself managed to divest then'
selves of their clothing. I found mine was drag'
ging me under, and Miller assisted me in getting
off the heaviest portion of my clothing. On look'
ing round I saw about five seamen swimming is
various directions for pieces of the wreck'
William Newton, a seaman, managed to reach
the boom we were clinging to. The ship Nag
now burning furiously, like a volcano,
flames rising more than 300 feet high, and 1
continued so to burn for about a quarter (/',
an hour. I then saw her settling down in the water'
and almost instantaneously disappear through the
vortex of the flames, as if she had broken up, fera
the whole of the cargo rose to the surface, a°
spreading itself for a considerable distance barn°
tremendously, the sea for at least half a mile le
length presenting a sea of fire. Many- of the peer
fellows whom we had seen swimming got cr
tangled with the burning naphtha, and thus
perished. I also lost sight of the mate, steward'
and one seaman who happened to be close to the
boom. The cook, Ralph Nichol, I heard call oat'
he was lashed to a piece of wreck. I heard biel
during the night join with us in calling out es
loud as we could, in the hopes of being heard b., ;
some passing vessel, but we did not hear hipa after
ten o'clock that night. We afterwards succeeded
in getting a piece of wreck, which we lashed to 014
boom, so as to prevent it turning round. 08
enabled us to get across it. 1% hen the moon r°"
the night became fine, but very cold, with a light
wind from the south-east. We still continued sing'
ing out all night at the top of our voices,
a-hoy ! ship a-hoy when between one and t"
o'clock in the morning I perceived a vessel to lee'
ward. The moon's rays lighting up her sails, '
sung out, Ship a-hoy I' more loud than ever'
never ceasing for one moment, and we were gla'a'
dened by the sight of her shortening sail an
slacking, our cries evidently having been bear
When the vessel got abreast of us, as 4
supposed by the voices, he lowered his boa"
and succeeded in rescuing us from a terrible fate.
The vessel proved to be the German schooner Ir°
Leotila, Captain S3hon, from Hamburg. On geAP
dug aboard he treated us with the greatest Wu'
ness. I immediately pointed out to him the P°6/,
tion, as I thought, the last time I saw anytbiose
of the crew. He then bore to windward until li
came among fragments of the wreck, all the tleie
calling out and blowing a fog horn, to attract
attention. He continued cruising about unto
e
daylight, when, nothing being seen or heard, 1'
proceeded on his voyage, and arrived at Dramo3e:
on the 11th inst , and at once apprised the Englief,
consul of the loss of the ship, and his picking .e
myself and two of the crew. On the folloviieb
morning the consul arrived with a surgeon, who
dressed our wounds and burns, when we landed'
and we were conveyed to *the infirmary.
much scorched about the head and face; my eye'
lids, eyebrows, and nearly all my hair burned OPO
Aly bands and arms were scorched fearfully, so
much so that I am deprived of the use of them. lip
lower limbs I cannot use, in' consequence of tP
length of time they were in the water. The tWo
sailors, Newton and Miller, are in a very weak
state. Newton was much burnt about the arm
and face, and received a hurt in his head. Miller
was much shook by the explosion ; but the l°,/3°
exposure he endured in the water has rendered bivr
in a very exhausted state.

(Signed) " HENRY WELLS,
"Late Master of the Tom Volkes.

APPREHENSION OF A DEFAULTING BROKER }l/(9°
HULL.—Yesterday afternoon George Deane Storey, eott°',,
broker, carrying on business in Chisenhale-street, LiB"e;
pool, in partnership with a Mr. Crookes, was appr.aboo,,%
in the office of Messrs. J. and P. Planter, Knowslel;
buildings, Tittebaru-street. It seems that some time Re
Storey, who also carries on business at Hull, and resiue
at 8, Hornsey-parade, Holderness-road, at Hull, was %II;
trusted to sell 667 tons of cotton seed. He pledged tPO
warehouse warrants for £1,700. information of tilio
transaction coming to the ears of the police, a warrant /1"e
obtained for his apprehension, and yesterday De Willy
Whitelaw, of the Hull police, came to this town to I°°
for Storey. He obtained the assistance of Deteoti/-
~
Connor, of the Liverpool police, and they together sue'
needed in taking Storey into custody as stated, ttWie
The offence having been committed in Hull, the prisoner
y
will be taken there for trial. It is stated that
Crookes is at present on a pleasure trip iu SwitzerlaucV.
Liverpool Courier.

AN INSECT-EATER.—In Algeria, where consider;
able ravages have been produced by locusts, °)„,
most signal advantages were derived from the importati°ii
of a bird called by the French the martin triste, the resu
of a first experiment being so favourable that the 10138;
nal Government is about to renew it upon a still large
scale. In the Mauritius the martin triste did most effectii f
service, entirely freeing the country from the hostBL
gluttonous intruders with which it had been for some
infested. The Italians would do well to turn their atter
tion towards this useful ally, and to encourage the intr°'
duction of various other breeds of insect-eaters, for there
can be little doubt that the wholesale destruction of birds
which has been going on for ages on the Italian 0°
has not a little contributed to aggravate the damage 00
sioned by these periodical visitations.—Gardener's Ma
gazine.