The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-21 00:00:00

CAPTAIN FRANKLIN.

In the last Literary Gazette we had the satisfac-
tion
of connecting together the interesting accounts
of Captain Franklin's and Captain Beechey's pro-
ceedings within the arctic circle ; and at the same
time we promised our readers some further details
of the voyage performed by the latter intelligent
and enterprising officer. Of this pledge we now
hasten to acquit ourselves, without preface, as we
cannot but reckon every circumstance connected
with the subject to be of sufficient public importance
to recommend itself to attention.
From Woahoo the Blossom sailed on the 31st of
May, 1826, and made an excellent voyage of thirty-
seven days to Awatoka Bay, in Kamschatka. The
sudden transition from the parched-up hills of the
Sandwich- Islands to the snow-capped mountains of
their new quarters, with a depression of fifty degrees
of the thermometer, was very sensibly felt by our
countrymen. Still, however, the scene was exhili-
rating beyond the natural concomitant of a keen,
bracing atmosphere ; and the more so, as it encou-
raged a hope that it world speedily stop the effects
of an insidious disease of the stomach, which had
onfortunately carried off several of the crew, and
still hung over their commander, as well as other
officers and seamen. Here, it is curious enough to
remark, letters and packets from England were re-
ceived, one of which had travelled overland through
Russia, and another had been brought from South
America by Baron Wrangle !
From this point, on .July 4, as stated in our last,
the Blossom proceeded to Kotzebue Sound, Beh-
ring's Straits, where our voyagers remained till the
frost. set in, having previously been left, though not.
finite alone, by all animated nature. The birds, in-
deed, had all migrated, and the caverns and cliffs,
which were Wont on a fine sunny day to reverberate
with the chorus and cries of the feathery tribes, were
now mute; but still the baying of the seals, as they
scaled their slippery resting-places, nightly broke
the silence of the scene, and reminded the solitary
ship that there were other living things on the lonely
shore besides its hardy and gallant navigators.
The preceding parts of the voyage, as we see by
another private letter (dated November, 1826, Port
Francisco), from a youthful mariner, to whom the
whole was new and strange, were not devoid of
interest.

" We left Valparaiso," says onr correspondent,
" on the 29th of October, 1825, and ran down the
trade wind till we made Easter Island, where we
met with so uncivil a reception from the natives, that
broken heads were the consequence. Luckily none
of the wounds of either Officers or men were fatal.
The cause assigned for the attack was, the shameful
manner in which the islanders had been treated by an
American South Sea trader, which attempted to
carry off several of them to another island. They
escaped, it seems, by jumping overboard, but some
were drowned. Owing to the hostile spirit thus
engendered we saw very little of Easter Island. In
the passage to Pitcairn's Island, we surveyed two
low coral rocks, covered with stunted trees, where
the surf beat with too great violence to admit of•
our landing. Here we lost one poor fellow from in-
flammation' of the stomach, On Pitcairn's Island
only one of the much-talked of mutineers of the
Bounty now remains. Christian was cruelly mur-
dered by a black man of the party, brought with their
wives from Taheite. On approaching, we were
hailed by a whale-boat, with what ship, a-boy ?'
and soon after a respectable and reverend-looking
personage, the patriarch of the place, John Miami,
stepped up the side, and cordially saluted us all. The
same was done by his followers, the offspring of him-
self and his companions, whom he has trained up in
habits of exemplary order, morality, and virtue:
From this time to our quitting the island our em-
ployment was very agreeable in visiting them
a-shore, and walking over the high cliffs, which are
beautifully wooded with a great variety of trees, the
most conspicuous of which are the cocoa-nut, cloth-
tree, &c. After our day's fatigues we were excel-
lently regaled with roasted pigs, and the finest yams
in the world. The whole number of inhabitants
does not exceed sixty or thereabouts ; but the popu-
lation is increasing so rapidly, that Adams confessed
he felt considerable alarm lest. the produce should be-
come insufficient for their support*. From morning
to night they were almost constantly at prayers, and
appeared surprised that we were not the same. We
left them in December, leaving a good stock of pre-
sents ; and, on our course to Taheite, carefully, exa-
mined and laid down the low coral islands, which
run all the way to the westward. These are all of
the same form, and covered, as I have noticed, with
stunted trees. Gambier's excited most of our atten-
tion, from their fine appearance, and being so little
known. We anchored in the midst of them on the
31st. of December, and observed vast numbers of
the inhabitants, who had collected on the nearest
land to us, and were all armed with long spears.
" On the previous day we had the misfortune to
lose the cutter, and one man, who was swallowed by
the surf: the rest of the Officers and crew had a
narrow escape. I passed new year's night dull
enough, on board the little schooner, being ordered
to remain there, and keep a look-out against the na-
tives, who were hourly becoming more troubleiome.
On the following morning the Captain, with a party
of Officers and marines, came on board of• us, and
we proceeded to a village, in order to have some
communication with these people. The Captain,
before our reaching the shore, went away in the gig,
and finding it unsafe to land with so small a force in
the face of two or three hundred savages, pulled
along shore to a place which was rather - more de-
serted, where he landed, and walked up to a party of
the natives. That he might inspire them with the
greater confidence, he laid down his fowling-piece,
which being seen by one upon the watch, was imme-
diately seized and carried off, the fellow being vainly
though closely pursued by one of the Officers. The
whole concourse of natives, whose attention were
heretofore taken up by us, now rushed towards the
scene of tumult, and commenced a general action by
discharging volleys of stone, which was very oppor-
tunely put a stop to by a few shots from our twelve-
pound carronade, which astonished them the more
from their being totally unacquainted with fire-arms.
After this affray, we of the schooner contrived to
effect a landing, and have a view of their huts, being,
to all appearance, perfectly good friends, salUting
each other, not with hearty shakes of the hand, but
by a warmer mode (the sun nearly vertical), that is,
by rubbing noses, and finishing with a sort of grunt.
This amicable understanding lasted till we were
about to depart, when they again became very an-
noying, and tried to detain one of the Officers, by
seizing his cutlass ; but having disengaged himself,
he regained his companions, and we could not quit
ourselves without a volley of musketry, by which a
few of these ignorant creatures were stretched on
the ground.
" Taheite is a delicious island—the fruits various
and exquisite. They proved fatal to poor Crawley,
however, owing to his indulging in them too freely.
He fell a victim to the inflammation on the 3d of
May, after six weeks' suffering, and was much la-
mented by his brother Officers. Three days later
the Captain's steward died of the same complaint.
Mr. Lay, the naturalist, was also severely affected,
but recovered."

Our young friend goes on to mention the arrival
of the Blossom at Owhyhee (we believe), esteemed
the capital of the Sandwich Islands, which has
much flat land fit for cultivation, but is not so beau-
tiful and picturesque as the luxurious Taheite.
There are many Americans resident here, and the
missionaries are proselytizing the natives, not much,
it would seem, to their advantage. The young King,
about fourteen years of age, paid a visit, to the
strangers. He was accompanied by all his Chiefs,
in a double canoe, and was received with a royal sa-
lute, and every other mark of respect due to sove-

* By reference to the Quarterly Review (LXX.) it will
be seen that letters from Captain Beechey, quoted by the
Reviewer,e
taoraticruleoroei:ebieSaann:Vabiclhindlsalnatndte:sa,
tiac:ne,
precisely in the spirit of this paper. From the statement
Island
there made, and guessing the author to be an official person,
we anticipate the removal of Adams and his colony from
Pitcairn