The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-01 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

The following dispatches from Captain Sir John
Ross and Captains Penny and Ommanney have been
addressed to the Secretary of the Admiralty :
Extract of a letter from Captain Sir John Rossi
R.N., to Captain W. A. B. Hamilton, R.N., Secre-
tary, of the Admiralty.
Felix discovery yacht, off Admiralty Inlet,
Lancaster Sound, August 22.
Sir,—l have to acquaint you for the information
of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that
I the Felix discovery yacht, with her tender, the
Mary, after obtaining an Esquimaux interpreter, at
Holsteinburg, and calling at Whale-fish Islands, pro-
ceeded northward through the Wargatt Strait and
overtook her Majesty's discovery ships under the
command of Captain Austin on the 11th of August;
and on the 12th the senior officer and the second in
command having cordially communicated with me on
the best mode of performing the service-on which we
were inutudly embarked, that arrangements were
made and co..cluded for a simultaneeue examirrition
of every part of the eastern side of a --north-west
passage in which it was probable that the missing
ships could be found, dccumente to that effect were
exchanged, and subsequently assented to by Cepta'es
Forsyth and Penny.
On the 18th of August natives were discovered on
the ice ricer to Cape York, with whom it was deemed
advissble to couunueicate. Oa this service Lip ut.
Cater, in the Intrepid, Was detached on the part of
Captain Austin, and on my part Commander. Phillips,
with our Esquimaux interpreter., in the whale boat.
of the Felix. It was found by Lieutenant Cater that
Captain Penny had left with the natives • a note for
Captain Austin, but only relative to the state of the
navigation ; however, when Commander Phillips
arrived, the Esquimaux, seeing one apparently of their
own nation in the whale boat, came immediately to
him, when a long conversation took place, the purport
of which could not be made known, as the interpreter
could, not explain himself to any one either in; the
Intrepid;or the whale boat (as he understands only the
Danish besides his own language), until he was
brought on board the Prince Albert, where John
Smith, the captain's steward of that vessel, who had
been some years at the Hudson's Bay settlement of
Churchill,!and understood a little of the language, was
able to give some explanation of Adam Beek's infor-
mation, which was deemed of such importance that
Captains Ommanney, Phillips, and Forsyth pro-
ceeded in the Intrepid to the Resolute, when it was
decided by Captain Austin to send for the Danish in-
terpreter of the Lady Franklin, which having been un-
successful in an attempt at getting through the ice:to the
westward, was only a few miles distant. In the
meantime it was known that, in addition to the first
information, a ship (which could only be the North
Star) had wintered in Wolstenbolme Sound, called by
the natives Ourinak, and had only left it a month ago.
This proved to be true, but the interpretation of the
Dane was totally at variance with the information
given by the other, who, although for obvious reasons
he did not dare to contradict the Dane, subsequently
maintained the truth of his statement, which induced
Captain Austin to dispatch the Intrepid with Captains
Ommanney and Phillips, taking with them both our
interpreters, Adam Beek and a young native who had
been persuaded to come as one of the crew of the
Assistance and examine Wolstenholme Sound. In
the meantime it had been unanimously decided that
no alteration should be made in our previous arrange-
ment, it being obvious that while there remained a
chance of saving the lives of those of the missing ships
who may yet be alive, a further search for those who
had perished should be postponed, and accordingly
the Resolute, Pioneer, and Prince Albert parted
company on the 15th. It is here unnecessary to give
the official reports made to me by Commander Phil-
lips, which are of course transmitted by me to the
secretary of the Hudson's Bay Company, which,
with the information written in the Esquimaux lan-
guage by Adam Beek, will no doubt be sent to you
for their Lordships' information; and it will be ma-
nifest by these reports that Commander Phillips has
performed his duty with sagacity, circumspection,
and address, which does him infinite credit, although
it is only such as I must have expected from so in-
telligent an officer, and I have much satisfaction in
adding that it has been mainly owing to his zeal and
activity that I was able, under disadvantageous cir-
cumstances, to overtake her Majesty's ships, while
by his scientific acquirements and accuracy in sur-
veying he has been able to make many important cor-
rections and valuable additions to the charts cf the
much frequented eastern course of Baffin's Bay,
which has been more closely observed and navigated
by us than by any former expedition, and much to
my satisfaction confirming the latitude and longitude
of every headland I had an opportunity of laying
down in the year 1818.
I have only to add, that I have much satisfaction
in co-operating with her Majesty's expedition. With
such support and with such vessels so particularly
adapted for the service, no exertion shall be wanting
on my part. But I cannot conclude this letter with-
out acknowledging my obligations to Commodore
Austin and Captain Ommanney for the assistance
they have afforded me, and fur the cordiality and
courtesy with which I have been treated by these
distinguished officers and others of the ships
under their orders. Animated as we are with
an ardent and sincere desire to rescue our
perilled countrymen, I confidently trust that our
united exertions and humble endeavours may, under
a merciful Providence, be completely successful.
I am, with truth and regard, Sir, your faithful and
obedient servant,

JOHN Roes, Captain, R.N.

Her Majesty's ship Lady Franklin,
Lancaster Sound, Aug, 21.
Sir,—l beg to acquaint you, for the information of
the Lords Commissioners or the Admiralty; that the
vessels under my command got clear of Melville Biy
on Sunday, the 11th of August.
On the following day I landed at Cape York, and
had communication with the Esquimau'.
On the 18th Captain Austin's expedition came up,
and next morning I was informed of a report said to
be got from the same Esquimau' I had on board for
several hours. It was to the effect that Sir John
Franklin's ships had been lost 40 miles to the north
ward and the crews murdered. I immediately offered
my services, together with those of my interpreter,
and was happy to find that the sole foundation for the
tidings was that the North Star had wintered in the
situation referred to.

Immediately on the report being cleared up Captain
Austin left with Sir John Ross and Captain Forsyth's
schooner in tow, and we were detained by calms and
bay ice, so that we did not reach Jones' Sound till
midnight on the 18th. We were prevented from
approaching within 25 miles of the sound by a chain
of immense floes, and were obliged to haul out N.W.
(per compass) to get clear of the ice. We entered
Lancaster Sound the following night, in company
with the American schooners, having strong winds
from S.W. (per compass).
For the last 24 hours we have been dodging in the
neighbourhood of Admiralty Inlet, a heavy sea run-
ning, and very thick weather, my wish being to get
intelligence of places where provisions had been
landed by the North Star. That vessel is now in
sight a-head. _ _ _

I have prepared this dispatch for your Lordships,
to forward by Mr. Saunders, who will be able to in-
form you satisfactorily of the state of Lancaster
Sound.

From the information I have received from Mr.
Saunders it is at present my intention to put my ves-
sels into some bight on the north shore of the Sound,
allowing the ice to drive past them, and I shall then
use every endeavour to put to the westward and follow
out their Lordships' instructions in that quarter.
Before concluding, I would beg to allude to the
orders transmitted to Mr. Saunders relative to depo-
siting his provisions on the island of Disco. By such
a course being pursued an otherwise invaluable sup-
ply is rendered perfectly useless to all the expeditions
at present in this quarter, and we are deprived of
what we• bad reckoned upon—via., a deposit in the
Sound to fall back upon in case misfortune should
compel us to abandon our vessels.
The report received from the Esquimaux at Cape
York has proved correct to the letter, and I cannot
but refer to the service of my interpreter, Mr.
Paterson, has rendered on this occasion by exposing a
story of Sir John Ross's Esquimaux calculated to do
much mischief.

I have the honour to remain, Sir, your most obe-
dient servant, W. PENNY.

Her Majesty's ship Assistance, off Lancaster
Sound, lat. 75 deg. 46 sec. north, long. 75
deg. 49 sec. west, August 17.
1. Sir,-1 have the honour to acquaint you, for the
information of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty, that her Majesty's ship Assistance, and her
tender, her Majesty's steam vessel Intrepid, have this
day succeeded in effecting a passage across to the west
water, and are now proceeding to Lancaster Sound.
Officers and crews all well, with fine clear weather
and open water as far as can be seen.
2. Agreeably with instructions received from Cap-
tain 11. Austir, we parted company on the 15;11 inst.
at I A Si., off Uape Dudley Diggs, as the ice was then
sufficiently open to anticipate no further obstruction
in (fleeting the north passage. He was anxious to
proceed to Pond's Bay, and thence take up the exa-
mination along the south shores of Lancaster Sound,
leaving me to ascertain the .truth of a report obtained
from the Esquimaux at Cape York respecting some
ship or ships having been seen near Wolstenholme
Island, after which to proceed to the north shores of
Lancaster Sound -and Wellington Channel.
3. On passing Cape York (the 14th inst.) natives
were seen. By the directions of Captain Austin I
landed and communicated with them, when we were
informed that they had seen a ship in that neighbour-
hood•' in' th'e' spring, --sin& that ,;he was housed in.

Upon this intelligence I shipped one of the natives,
who volunteered to join us as interpreter and guide.
4. On parting with Captain Austin we proceeded
towards Wolstenholme Island, where I left the ship
and proceeded in her Majesty's steam-vessel Intrepid
into Wolstenholme Sound, and by the guidance of the
Esquimaux succeeded in finding a bay about 13 miles
further in, and sheltered by a prominent headland.
In the cairns erected here we found, a document
stating that the North Star had wintered in the bay
—a copy of which I have the honour to transmit
their Lordships.
!
5. Previous to searching the Spot where the North
Star wintered I examined the deserted Esquimaux
Settlement. At this spot we found evident traces of
some ship having been in the neighbourhood, from
empty preserved meat canisters and some clqthes left
near a pool of water marked with the Rause_of,a cor-
pbral belonging to the North Star. -
6. Having ascertained this satisfactorylt formation
I returned to IVolstenbolme I-rand, %here a &cu.
meat was deposited recording our prccee.ang.. At
G A M. of the 16th inst. I rejoined the ship and pro-
ceeded in tow to the w(stward, and, am happy to in-
Torn; you that the passage across has been made
without obstruction, to%ing through loose and
straggling ice.
7. The expedition was beset in Melville Bay, sur-
rounded by heavy Lind extensive floes of ice from the
11th of July to the 9th of August, 1850, when, after
great exertion, a release was, cflected, and we suc-
ceeded in reaching Cape Yotk by continuing along
the edge of the land ice, after which we have been
favoured with plenty of water.
8. Captain Penny's expedition was in company
during the most part of the time while in Melville
Bay, and up to the 14th inst., when we left him off
Cape- Dudley Diggs—all well.
"" 9. In crossing Melville Bay we fell in with Sir
John Ross and Captain Forsyth's expeditions. These
Captain Austin has assisted by towing them towards
their destinations. The latter proceeded with hits',
and the former has remained with us.
10. Having placed Sir John Ross in a fair way of
reaching Lancaster Sound, with a fair wind and open
water, his vessel has been cast off in this position.
I shall therefore proceed with all dispatch to the ex-
amination of the north shores of Lancaster Sound
and Wellington Channel, according to Captain Aus-
tin's directions.

I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient
humble servant,

ERASMUS OMDLANNEY, Captain.

The following is a copy of -the paper left by Mr. J.
Saunders commanding the North Star, and found by
Captain Ommanney, of her Majesty's ip Assistance,
August 17, 1850:

"This paper is placed here to certify that her Ma-
jesty's ship North Star was beset at the east side of
Melville Bay, on the 29th of July last year, and
gradually drifted from day to day until, on the 26th
of September, we found ourselves abreast of Wolsten•
holme Island, when, perceiving the ice a little more
loose and the Sound perfectly clear, we made all
plain sail and pressed her through it—anchoring in
the lower part of the Sound that evening and arrived
in this bay on the Ist of October, where she re-
mained throughout the winter. It is my intention to
leave as soon as the breaking up of the ice will
permit, and prosecute my voyage in search of the
Arctic ships.

J. SAUNDERS, Master and Commander.
" North Star Bay, Wolstenholme Sound,
lat. 76.34 north, long. 69.30 west.
" Deaths on board the North Star.—William
Sharp, A. 8., November 1, 1849; William Busby,
R.M., January 30, 1850; Richard Baker, A. 8.,
April 7, 1850 ; and George Deverell, A. 8., May 17,
l 650."

Sir John Ross forwarded the following dis-
patches by the same opportunity to the Governor of
the Hudson's Bay Company :
" Felix discovery yacht, August 22,
Off Admiralty Inlet.
Sir,—My dispatch No. '2, would acquaint you that
we overtook her Majesty's ships under Captain Austin
on the 11 th of August ; that on the 12th Captains
Austin and Ommanney, in a cordial communication
with me, concluded an arrangement by which a si-
multaneous examination of every portion of this re-
gion in which it was probable the missing shipe could
be found should take place ; and that documents to
that effect were exchanged and subsequently assented
to by Captains Forsyth and Penny.
On the evening of the 13th some Esquimaux were
discovered on the ice near to Cape York (lat. 76
deg. N., long. 66 deg. W.), with whom it was desir-
able to communicate, and on this service the Intrepid
was detached, with Captain Ommanney on the part
of Captain Austin, and on my part Commander
Phillips, with Adam Bee k, an Esquimaux interpreter,
in the Felix's whale boat. The Intrepid arriving
first, Captain Ommanney found that a memorandum
had been left on the day previous with the natives
for Captain Austin merely to inform him of the state
of the ice, but which gave no further information.
When Captain Phillips arrived, however, the natives,
teeing in the whale boat one of their own country-
men, came immediately to him, when a long and
earnest con versition took place, the purport of which,
however, Adam, who understands only Danish and
his own language, could not make known until
brought on board the Prince Albert, where the
steward John Smith, who had served some years at
Churchill, and knew a little of the Esquimaux lan-
guage, was enabled to make known the intelligence
contained in the inclosure No. 1, which Ras deemed
of such importance as to cause Captain Austin to
send the Intrepid for the Danish interpreter of the
Lady Franklin, which was then near us, having
lost ground by making an unsuccessful attempt to
cross the middle ice to the westward. In the mean-
time additional information had been obtained by me
from Adam, that a ship (which could be no other
than the North Star) had wintered in Wolstenholme
Sound (called by the natives Ominak), and had only
left it about a month ago. The Intrepid, with Cap-
tains Ommanney, Phillips, and Forsyth, and the two
interpreters, proceeded to the natives, one of whom
volunteered for the Assistance, as he said his father,
mother, and brother, had been murdered. The
Daniih interpreter, Peterson, confirmed the statement
about the one ship wintering in 1849-50, but with
'respect to the other statement he was totally at va-
riance with that given by Adam Beek, who, though
he did not dare to contradict the Dane, because be
was called a liar and intimidated by him, has subse-
quently maintained its truth, and wrote in his own
language what I have transmitted to you in the in-
closures Nos. 3 and 4. However, as there was no
object in remaining to search for those who were
said to have perished, while there was a chance of
saving the lives of those who might yet be found
alive if the search was not longer delayed, it was
unanimously decided that no alteration should take
place in our previous arrangement, which might de-
lay our proceedings until too late. Accordingly the
Resolute, Pioneer, Prince Albert, Sophie, and Lady
Franklin parted company, with three cheers, for
their respective destinations, leaving the Assistance,
Intrepid, and Felix to examine Wolsteuholme Sound,
the result of which will appear -on the official report
of Captain Phillips (No. 2), who performed this ser-
vice with that sagacity, circumspection, and address
which reflect on him infinite credit, though only what
I must have expected from so intelligent an officer,
and which I trust will be duly appreciated by the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to whom you
will no doubt communicate this information. As the
case now stands, I am here on my way to execute the
part I have and •.:-.taken—viz., to examine the head-
lands between the Wellington Channel and the west
end of Melville Island, and the intelligence I find, if
any, will of course guide my ulterior proceedings ;
but in the event of no intelligence being found by
any of the ships I shall feel it my duty to return to
Cape York, and to make further inquiry into Adam
Beek's statement, and then proceed to England if pos-
sible this season, and if not early in the next. After
parting company with the Assistance on the 12th, we
were overtaken by a storm with thick weather,
which obliged us to lie to on the 19th
and 20th at the entrance of Lancaster Sound,
but neither vessel received any damage ; and this,
with our detention at Wolstenholme, has given
the two American vessels, which had been hitherto
far behind, time to reach us near Leopold Harbour,
whence I am writing this dispatch. I have only to
add that, with the able support I have from my
officers and crew, and the efficiency of my two ves-
sels, I have every hope that my strenuous exertions
will be successful ; but I cannot conclude this letter
without acknowledging the cordiality and readiness
with which Captains Austin and Ommanney entered
into my views, and the courtesy with which I have
been treated by these distinguished officers and all
others of her Majesty's ships. Animated as we all
are with an unfeigned desire to rescue our unfortu-
nate countrymen, I most confidently hope that, with
a kind Providence, our united and humble endeavours
will be crowned with success.

I am, with truth and regard, Sir, your faithful and
obedient servant, JOHN Ross.
Mr. Archibald Barclay.
The North Star has appeared, and I sin obliged to
send this ctl. without personal communication.

Inclosure No. 1, in Dispatch No. 3, from Sir John
Ross to the Secretary of the Bon. the Hudson's
Bay Company, August 15:
Felix discovery vessel, off Cape Dudley
Diggs, August 14.
Sir,—ln obedience toyour direCtions to comtuuniCate
with the natives seen on the ice close to Cape York,
yesterday forenoon, I proceeded in the whale-boat,
accompanied by the Etquirnaux, Adam, your inter-
preter, and on nearing the ice observed three natives
(males) in Coinnintrllevnildeataionnd.wbiotahetshe
ship
pth fast to the ice.
crew people
of ot
fh
her
Prince3lla
jAeslAbtyesr'st,
soon as the Esquimau' observed one of their