The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-27 00:00:00

THE SEARCH FO it FRANKLIN.

THE BEIIRING'S STRAITS AND THE NORTH
AMERICAN OVERLAND EXPEDITIONS.
The following official documents, detailing the re-
sults of the North American expedition, left by Dr.
Sir J. Richardson under Dr. Rae, and of the boat ex-
pedition from her Majesty's ship Plover, under Com-
mander Pullen, from Bebring's Straits, were received
by Captain Austin before he left Greenhithe. The
interesting narrative of Dr. Rae, and the no less
interesting journal of Captain Pullen, which we now
subjoin, will be acceptable to our readers. Dr. Rae's
expedition was for the purpose of examining the
shores of Wollaston and Victoria Lands to the north-
ward, and it will be seen he states that last winter
none of the natives of Wollaston Land had ever seen
white men, large boats, or ships.
Captain Pullen states that his " voyage has been
successful with the exception and main object of not
finding any traces of our unfortunate countrymen."
THE OVERLAND EXPEDITION.
DR. RAE'S REPORT.
Fort Confidence, Great Bear Lake,
Sept. 1, 1849.
Sir,—l have the honour to acquaint you for the infor-
mation of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty,
that the expedition under my command that descended
the Coppermine River this summer to the Arctic Sea,
for the purpose of examining the shores of Wollaston
and Victoria Lands to the northward, in search of Sir
John Franklin and party, returned to this place to-day,
having been quite unsuccessful in its object, and with
the loss of Albert, the Esquimaux interpreter, who was
drowned at the Bloody Fall, the particulars of which
melancholy accident I shall mention hereafter.
Having made every requisite arrangement at Fort
Confidence for facilitating our progress across land to
the Coppermine, I waited impatiently for the disruption
of the ice on Deese River, to which our boat was hauled
on the 7th of June.

Next day we learnt that the upper parts of the river
were clear of ice, and on the following morning I started
in company with four men and two Indians, and a couple
of sledges that contained our baggage and provisions.
The Deese was still covered with strong and solid ice
for two miles up its course, over which we had to haul
the boat before getting to open water.
Our ascent of the stream was extremely slow, owing
to the many barriers of ice (some of them six or eight
miles long), over which we had to launch the boat,
and it was the 15th before we arrived at the forks of
the river, where it was my intention to diverge from
the route of Deese and Simpson. They followed
the north branch whilst we ascended the south-east
one. This stream was also much obstructed by ice,
and so very shallow, consequent on the coldness of
the weather, which prevented the snow on the high
grounds from thawing, that the whole party were almost
continually up to their knees among water and snow
whilst proceeding up it. In ordinary seasons it was
evident by marks along the banks, that there is sufficient
water for a boat drawing some inches more than ours
throughout its whole length, which is little more than
15 miles, including its various curves.
On the 17th we passed over the ice on the lake from
which the stream flows. It contains many islands, and
its breadth where we crossed it in a nearly south direc-
tion is three miles and a half.

Indian report had led me to believe that there was a
creek having sufficient depth of water for the boat, flow-
ing from the lake into the south branch of the Kendall,
which we were to descend to the Dismal Lakes;
but in this we were disappointed, and consequently had
portage of six geographical miles to make overland nearly
duo east. I had examined this place in the winter, but
the ground being then covered with snow and ice, I
could not form a correct opinion on the subject.
The west end of the portage is situate in lat. 67 10.48
N, longitude, by account,* 117 18 W. and the variations
of the compass 50 49 E.
Crossing the portage occupel us two dap. The ice
had not yet broken up in many places on the river on
its east side, and the water was ten inches lower than
when Sir John Richardson and party forded it last au-
tumn; we consequently found some difficulty in
descending it. Its general course is north-east by east
(tr.); and length, from where wo entered it to its influx
too west end of the most easterly of the Dismal Lakes,
17} miles. . . . .

on the 21st we arrived at the station on the banks of
the Kendall River, to which provisions for the see voyage
had been hauled on dog sledges in April, and found the
two men that had been left in charge quite well.
We descended the Kendall the next day to the Cop-
permine, which was still covered with ice so firm and
solid that a person might have crossed the river without
being more than ankle deep in water.
During five days that we were detained here, we were
occupied repairing the injuries received by the boat,
shooting deer preserve the pemican, and making ob-
a,rvations when the weather would permit. The result
of three meridian observations of the sun gave mean lati-
tude 67 deg. 7m. 20s. N, and the mean variation of the
compass, from five sets of azimuths on different days
(the extremes being 49 deg. 38m. and 51 deg. 55m.) was
50 deg. 37m. 48s. E.
On the 28th the dwarf birch was observed to be in
leaf, and the leaf-buds of the willow began to develope.
In the afternoon of the same day the river was thought
sufficiently open to permit us to descend it for some
distance among the driving ice, but after proceeding six
miles we found the stream again blocked up.
We were so often and so long detained by interrup-
tions of this kind, that it was the 11th of July before we
arrived at the Bloody Fall, having been fourteen days
in doing the work of one.
Notwithstanding the inefficiency of our steersman,
James Hope (one of D:lase and Simpson's men), we
ran all the rapids, including the Escape, without ship-
ping much water, and with all the cargo in the boat.
Hitherto deer had been so numerous that we could
have easily shot enough for the maintenance of a party
double or treble our numbers. Here they had become
more scarce and shy, which could be easily accounted
for by the proximity of the Esquimaux, no recent traces
of whom could, however, been seen.
From the fall to the sea the ice remained fixed until

the 13th, when it cleared away; a circumstance that was
very boo❑ indicated by the numbers of fish that appeared
below the fall. With the aid of Halkett's air-boat,
which had been brought from a hill some miles distant,
where it had been left last season, a net was set in one
of th• eddies, and before the men had finished arranging
it seven fine salmon and two white fish were caught,
and we afterwards obtained a supply sufficient fur seve-
ral days' consumption.
On the 14th we entered the sea, and found a narrow,
and very narrow,, channel along the shore of Richard-
son's Bay, until w' came to its north side, where the ice
lay against the rocks.
Hen) the latitude 67 deg. 51 min. 19 see. N., was ob-
served, and the azimuths of the sun—the one on the meri-
dian, and the other, when on the prime vertical, gave
variations 57 deg. 4 min., and 56 deg. 25 min. E.
Whilst encamped at this place we were visited by
seven Esquimaux, one of whom I at once recognised
as the active intelligent man who had afforded Sir
John Richardson's party such efficient assistance
last season, when crossing the river at the head
of Back's Inlet. On inquiry, I learnt that they had
been well supplied with provisions in the early part of
winter and in spring, but that in the interval they
had nearly stnrved, owing to the scarcity of seals, having
had to subsist for some time on the skins of the larger
species of those animals, which they had been preserving
for making boots. In the winter they had communicated,
directly or indirectly, with the natives of Wollaston Land,
none of whom had ever seen white men, large boats, or
ships.
They were all made happy by some small presents and
a supply of fish, which they ate raw and appeared to
relish much. It was near midnight when they left us,
promising to return next day with some boots and shoes
for sale.

On the 16th, by making a number of portages over the
ice, we rounded Point Mackenzie, and entered Back's
Inlet, which was partially open. Having s fine breeze
from east we set sail, and soon ran to its head, entered Rac
River (discovered and named by Sir John Richardson
last autumn), and on proceeding three miles up it, came
to the lodges, six in number, of our Esquimaux visitors,
who said that they had been so much alarmed at seeing
the boat under sail, that they were on the point of run-
❑ing away.
As there was no possibility of our making much pro-
gress along shore, until the ice wasted a little more, I
devoted the two following days to an examination of the
river; the Esquimaux whom I have already mentioned
as our active assistant last year, willingly agreeing to
accompany us. At the distance of nine miles and
a half from the river's mouth, there is a per-
pendicular fall of ten feet, which extends across
the stream, except a few yards on its north
side, where the rock slopes so much, that salmon and
white fish are able to ascend during the spring floods,
affording the natives a fine opportunity of spearing them.
Here I left the boat and four of the men ; whilst
in company with the other two, and our Esquimaux
guide, I traced the river 19i geographical miles far-
ther. Its course is nearly due west and straight, about
the size of the Deese, and varying in breadth from 80
to 200 yards, with a very strong current, and sufficient
depth of water for a boat drawing 14 or 15 inches. It
flows over a bed of limestone, and is bounded on the
north, at the distance of half a mile or less from its

r The rate of the chronometers bad become so irregular.
or had altered so muck, that they were of Po tlee, until rated
AlagiTt—J. R.