The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-02 00:00:00

INTELLIGENCE FROM CAPTAIN AUSTIN'S

EXPEDITION.

The public are indebted to the Admiralty for the
following intelligence of Captain Austin's and Captain
Penny's expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin and
his companions of the Erebus and Terror. Knowing the
great anxiety of all ranks and classes for the latest and
most correct information of the expeditions sent out to
the Arctic regions by the Admiralty, their Lordship;
immediately on the arrival of Lieut. Power, with the
Admiralty dispatches last evening, communicated the
following intelligence to the papers, and at once gave
directions for stamping and forwarding to the relatives
and friends of Captain Austin's expedition, to whom
they were addressed, between 300 and 400 letters that
had been sent with the Admiralty dispatches by the
officers and men of the Resolute, Assistance, Intrepid,
and Pioneer, forming the squadron under the orders of
CaOlin Austin, C.B.:—

"Admiralty, August 1, 6 P.n.
"Lieut. Power, of the Emma Eugenia, transport, has
just arrived from Captain Austin.
" Captain Austin lef; Whale Fish Islands on the 23d
of June—all well, perfect in every Equipment, the
steamers with six weeks' coal on board.
" The day after Captain Austin sailed, the American
expedition, consisting of two schooners, arrived at the
Whale Fish Islands, and sailed to the northward on the
29th—all well.
" Captain Penny passed Disco on the 4th of May—all
well."

Their Lordships also directed copies of the following
official dispatch to be mad,!•, and to be forwarded to the
press for the information of the public:—
" Her Majesty's ship Resolute, at the Whale Fish
Islands, June 23, 1850, One o'clock, Eat.
" Sir,--I have the honour to acquaint you, for the
information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admi-
ralty, of the arrival at these islands cf the vessels of the
Arctic Expedition under my orders, they havinr, left the
Orkneys (as reported in my letter of that day's date) on
the 15th ult.
" 2. Cape Farewell was sighted at noon on the 28th
ult., bearing N. 25 W., distant 63 miles; and in the
afternoon of the 30:h, in lat. 59 N., long. 47 IV., the
transport Emma Eugenia was fallen in with, and con-
tinued in company.
" 3. On the morning of the 10th inst., the wind having
fallen to acalm, with every appearance of its continuing,
Whale Fish Islands being 280 miles distant, I deemed it
advisable to cause the Resolute to be taken in tow by the
Pioneer, and the transport by the Intrepid, lotving the
Assistance to make the best of her way. The four vessels
arrived here just before noon on the 14th instant ; and
early on the morning of the 15th the Intrepid was dis-
patched to attend th Assistance, which ship she met in
the offing, and returned with her in tow about noon.

"4. Since the arrival of the vessels every exertion has
been used to clear the transport, which would have been
earlier accomplished but from th© actual necessity of
placing ballast on board for her safety, as the last of the
coals came out.

" 5. Each ship is now complete, between her and her
tender, in provisions, stores, and warm clothing, to fully
three years, and the tenders have on board coals to the
amount of 310 tons cacti..

" 6. Although the ships are somewhat crowded, they
are at a comparatively light draught, the mean being, of
the Resolute, 14 feet 6 inches, and Assistance, 16 feet
6f inches, leaving them fully equal to a considerable in-
crease of weight when recollecting the statements con-
nected with their immersion as merchant vessels with
cargo on board.

4r7. The tenders may be said to be deep, the mean
draught being, of the Pioneer, 12 feet 11i inches, and
Intrepid, 13 feet 1 inch. They leave this tally efficient'
in their engines and boilers. Some slight repairs and
adjustmens have been made here.
"8. I have to observe, with reference to the perform-
ance of these vessels, that, except in light winds, by
the wind' they have been able fairly to keep company,
the Pioneer having shown a superiority; her consump-
tion for that purpose during the passage was 81 tons,
and that of the Intrepid 411 toes.
" 9, In the operation of towing under the then exist-1
ing circumstances of medium draught of water in a
calm, with the sea perfectly smooth, their speed may be
considered as approaching four knots; and against a
moderate royal breeze, with a more than proportionate
head swell, about two knots.
" 10. The sailing of the two ships has been, under
their late trim, nearly equal, the Resolute having had a
little advantage in running, and the Assistance by the
wind.
" 11. In the passage up from Cape Farewell the
straits were found to be tolerably clear, the extreme of
the stream of land ice' having been met with about the
latitude of that place on the 30th ult.; and that of the
stream from the pack in lat. 66 N., lc'ag. 56 W., on
the 11th instant. Bergs were not very numerou3 until
this date, from which, up to the time of our arrival,
they were found in considerable numbeve. Being unable
to obtain at this place any information as to the state of
the ice further to the northward, Captain Ommaney
visited the Danish settlement at Livcly, Isle of Disco,
and states, the season is considered fairly open.' No
records have been found or information obtained of the
missing
vessels. The ex
Paleinwnyell.coamndmueniaietatgedrea edition under the charge of
wt
ethi,ittliitayt
p
shown to him by the authority there, who promised
that any records met with, or information procured,
apnldace on
attentionth e 2
was 3
should be preserved and forwarded.
"'l3. It is my present intention in proceeding to the
northward to communicate with Irpernevick, for the
u
purpose of obtaining any information that may be there,
as well as a supply of Esquineaux boots, very desirable
for travelling partie:=.
" 14. I regret to say that of the six bullocks brought
from England by the transport, five died during the
Passage._

.15. The vessels composing the Expedition may be
considered in every way
efficient
pleasure and satisfaction that I report, that excellent
; and it is with much
health and spirits, good will and unanimity prevail
throughout.

" 15. We procoed onwards at two o'clock, P.M., this
day.

"I am, Sir, &c.,
lionATlo T. AUSTIN,
" "Captain in chargo of the Expedition.
J. Parker, Esq., M.P., Secretary of the Admiralty."
We subjoin our private correspendenea from the
squadron:—

"Her Majesty's Ship --, Whale Isl.:111th,
" Greenland, June 14, 1850.
"It is not very often that you receive a letter from
such an outlandish place as this, but I suppose you will
like to hear how we are all getting on. All our squad-
ron are anchored, as well as the transport, which we
picked up off Cape Farewell; We have had rather a
long passage, but withal a pleasant one; the steamers
did us good service in the light winds, and the Pioneer
towed us upwards of four knots. We have not seen
much ice, but a good many bergs. The opinion here is
that it is not a very open season as yet, but there is no
saying what a month may do.
" Penny was at Leively (or Disco) a month ago, and
" We are working night and day to clear the transport,
has proceeded northward.
and start again, but it is a heavy business.
"The natives (Euv
iinaux) hero are just as ugly and
dirty as ever.
" When we leave here we shall have our provisions
piled upon our decks, for there is a tremendous lot of
things for us. If we can only get ti Melville Island
this year we shall, I think, settle the question about Sir
J. Franklin. I suppose the other expeditions are all on
their way by this time. I hope we shall not have to look
after them.

" Jane 22.

for good luck in the
"I wind up now. -- has been very busy taking
magnetic observations, but all is now done. Grub and
9staoiireosnatlhl
eon23bio
jaradn,
.eNaondfarhtohpeirng
news
on this coast. We
ice, and to see you well in eighteen months or two
years, believe me, Bze."

(FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.)
June 22.
Since we arrived here we have been as "busy as the
devil in a gale of wind," the ships getting provisions and
stores and the schooner's coals (to the amount of 150 tons
each) from the transport. There could not be a
- more
commodious harbour for our purposes than this formed
by the Whale Llands. Wild ducks, looms, and dovekies
are to be had in abundance, affording shooting amuse-
ment for the officers every night. We are not as yet far
enough advanced to the northward to enable us to judge
whether this season will be whit is termed an " open
ono" or not. Neither have we had an opportunity of