The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-11 00:00:00

CAPTAIN FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION.

We copy from the Quebec Gazette of the
Bth June, which reached us yesterday, the fol-
lowing interesting extract of a letter, from a gen-
tleinan connected with the expedition under
Captain Franklin, R. N., dated, Great Slave
Lake, 12th Nov, 182 G :

" The principal object of the expedition was
to ;discover a navigable passage, westward from
the mouth of the Mackenzie, to Behring's Straits,
And his Majesty's ship Blossom was despatched
3rotind Cape Horn, for the purpose of meeting it
t Icy Cape cr in Kotzebue's Sound. If Cap-
tain Franklin's means 'permitted, he was directed
also to send a detachment to the eastward, to
survey the coast between Mackenzie and Copper-
mine Rivers, and to return over land from .the
latter 1 tJiaitablish men t on Bear
Lake.

" From the skill with which Captain Frank-
arrangernents were made, he waS enablCd to
descend the Mackenzie and visit the Arctic Sea,
last year, within six months of his departure from
England, and to return again up the-river, to
our destined winter quarters at Fort Franklin, in
Bear Lake, by open water. In the mean time
had sailed round Bear Lake, and ascertained
the distance between its eastern extremity and
'the Copper-mine River. The knowledge of the
rountry gained by these excursions tended touch
to perfect - the plans of operation for this year,
and the liberal .supplies- of provisions furnished
by the Hudson Bay Compan: this spring, ena-
bled Captain, Franklin to equip both 1
Three boats were built for the service in England
of mshogany, a wood considered to be well
adapted for the purpose. They were necessarily
small and of a light construction, that they might
be more eaEily carried over the numerous

-nortaefes which occur on the route from
Jr
York factory, Flitec,:on's Bay, to Bear Lake,
but from the care bestowe m d.' b ~them,
th,,,y reached that pi ace without.materiaiinjuiy, and
eventually answere3d even be!-ter thqn they were ex-
pected to do. A fourth, of a similar size and
form, was built at aearLake, of fir,and proved as
good as the other. The main part of the ex..
pedition which was to proceed ,to the westward,
under Captain Franklin's immediate- command,
in two of the boats, which were named the Lion
and Reliance, consisted of Lieutenant Back,
eleven British seamen,: marines, and landsmen,
two Canadian voyagers, and an Esquimau', in,
terpreter. The eastern detachment, comprising
Mr. Kendall, assistant surveyor, one seaman, two
:marines, six landsmen, and an. Esquimaux, em-
barked in the Dolphin and Union, and were put
under- the charge of Dr. Richardson.
cc We left our winter quarters on the 21st of
June, descended the Mackenzie till the 2d July,
and as far as' latitude 67 deg. 38 m. N, long.
103 deg., 53 m.'W. At this place, named
Parting Point by Captain Franklin, he river di-
-vides into a number of widely diverging branches
separated from each other by low and partially
flooded lands. It was determined that the two di-
visions of the expedition ahould separate here, and
that each party should follow the channel which
accorded best with their respective routes. Cap-
tain Franklin, in the preceding autumn, had
descended a, middle channel, and reached the seat
at Garry's island, in lat, 69. 30. deg, N. long.
135,45. W. He :now -entered the , most wes-
terly arm which winds round the base of the
rocky mountains, and reached its mouth.on the
7th of July. Its outlet is so barred by sand-
banks, that the crews were compelled to drag the
boats for miles, even at the top of high water.
In this' unpleasant situation they were visited by
a large party of Esquimaux, who, at first be-
haved quietly and carried on a barter in an ami-
cable manner, but at length prompted by the
desire of plunder, and confiding in the superiority
of numbers, on a preconcerted signal, upwards of
250 stout fellows, armed with long knives,•
rushed into the water at once, and seizing on
the tioits, drgged them_ on shore. The judi-
cious measures pursued by Captain. Franklin,
bowever, well, seconded by the prompt obedience
and determined conduct of Lieutenant Back and
the crews of the boats, rescued the provisions
and -all the property of consequence -from the
hands of these freebooters, and the boats were
ultimately got afloat,Without a shot having been
fired, or any personal injury received on either
side. The same party came twice that night and
next day with hostile intentions, when., the expe-
dition had put tashore tO,repair the rigging of the.
j)oata had been cut in the affray, but the

I posture of defence in which Captain Franklin
drew up his small force, deterred them from re-
newing the attack. The smaller parties of Esqui-
naux, that were ,-, subsequently met with, on the
sea-coast, behaved in a friendly manner.
" On the 9th of July, Captain Franklin was
topped by ice, unbroken from the shore, and
from that date up to the 4th of August, he could
advance only as the separation took place, and
Seldom-More than a mile or two a day. In this
tedious way, he reached the 141st degree of
longitude, by which time the ice had given way
so as to give a passage to the boats, but other
obstacles . f a most serious nature now opposed
themselves .to his progress. The coast was so
low and difficult of approach, from the shallow-
ness of the water, that a landing on the main
shore was effected only once after the passing of
the 139th degree of longitude, though it was fre-
quently attempted, by dragging the boats for
miles through the mud. On all other occasions
he had.to land on the naked reefs ' that skirt the
coast, where, after the departure of ice, the party
suffered severely from the. want of fresh water,
and once passed two entire days without that ne-
cessary article. Thick fogs and heavy gales of
wind prevented the expedition from quitting this
inhospitable part of the coast; and it was detain-
ed on one spot for eight days by a fog so dense,
that all objects were obscnred at the distance of
a few yards, stormy weather prevailing all the
time. 'Notwithstanding these almost insur-1
Mountable obstacles, the resoluti•3n and perse-
terance of Captain Franklin and his party en-
abled them to reach nearly the 150th degree of
tiOngituile by the 18th of August. ' They had
tllien performed more than half the distance, along
ithe coast, to Icy Cape—had plenty of prow-
ons, boats, in good order, and an open sea be-
le them—and although, from the fatigues they
ad undergone, the strength of the crews was
somewhat impaired, yet their spirit was un-
4roken ; but the period had now arrived when
' was-Captain Franklin's duty, in pursuance of
' is instructions, to consider the probability of his
''eing able to reach Kotzebue's Sound before
.ie severe weather set in ; and, if he did not ex
ct to attain` that object, lie was prohibited from
ie
azarding the safety of the party by a longer
thef.racshonasets.s
tlote
hwavoeuldat"themaypetebdeetno
I
.;
entinuextranemciety"o'
get to Kotzebue's Sound by. traversing an un-
tinown coast at that advanced season, even had
;le been certain that the Blossom had reached
' iat place ; but the uncertainty attending all
1,
oyaaes in high latitudes made it extremely
oulitful whether that vessel was actually at the
ndezvous or not. It Was, therefore in con-

iunity with Captain' Franklin's usual judgment,
.yid the almost paternal anxiety he has always
fvinced for the safety of those who have had
.:ie happiness to serve under his command, that
-',e, decided upon commencing his return to Bear
li,ake at that period.
` ~ It was a matter of the deepest regret to him-
:
--jf and his whole party that they turned their
'll.-„lcks upon an unsurveyed part of the coast. The
.ly feeling that will be excited in the minds of
Tiers will be surprise that he was able to sur-
e ,-,:unt the obstacles opposed to his progress to
f: 3 extent that he did. The propriety of Cap-
tif:n Franklin's determination was evinced by a
accession of stormy weather, which speedily set
. - ; and by intelligence he received from some
. iendly Esquimaux lads, that their countrymen
Irre,follecting, in- numbers about the mouth of
.-1. ~.q...:::llenzie ; and that a -1:.;t: part of Ire
-4ountain...Ari4iaris were on the march to inter-
t'pt him, on, sv • ~
it pposed to interfere \yidi the trade of the Esi-jui-
-1 Aux. Had he been only a few days later it is
1. - I)re than probable that he could not have escaped
ii- *it. numerou, enemies without a contest. He
1 .-:!..i.ved with 1•!s party in perfect health at Bear
1 f? •
~Ae, on the 21st of September, and despatched
-* express the following morning with an ac-
7:.;tnit of his proceedings to Government. As it
._.
as necessary that the express should set out
About delay, to enable it to ascend the Mac-
11,zie whilst the navigation continued open,
1., ptain Franklin had merely time to write me a
.:.'iort a&ount of his proceedings. The preceding
-fi,'etch is, therefdre, necessarily very imperfect. I
cc omitted to mention that the trending of the
.. ' 3.3 t carried the expedition into 714 degrees of
Jrth. latitude. • -
. ' 'With regard to the eastern detachment of
~ expedition, on patting.from.Captain Franklin
.-Y pursued the easternmost channel of the
::4r. which is that by which Mackenzie returned
.... - •
itto the. sea, and is accurately and ably described
. hitt. They reached ''the sea on the 7th of
..rlv, in lat. 69 deg. 29 min. N. long. 183 deg.
_.,
min.. W., having, on that day, falen in with
Aorde of Esquimaux, who, whilst the boats
sure, in a similar situation to Captain Franklin's,
4 'found nii the flats at the mouth of the river,

' leavoured to seize udon Mr. Kendall's boat,
q) doubt for the purpose of plundering it. The
'..'terr,i)t; hoWever, which was, perhaps, merelythe
, t •
itnpulse of the moment, was not participated in
by the whole horde, and was instantly frustrated
if; the cool colirge of iltir. Kendall and the de-
-4 riniiiet attitude assumed by the party, without
the necessity of having recourse to violence.--
They gave no farther trouble, and the party left
them with the show at least of friendship. The
parties of that nation which were met afterwards,
tieing inferior in numbers to the expedition, were
very civil. They displayed, however, much cou-
ilage in opening an intercourse.
I " After reaching the sea, considerable diffi-
tilty .was .experienced in coasting a shore of a
ery peculiar nature, to lat. 70 deg. 37. min. N.
tong. 126 deg. 52 min. W. The coast, thus
til., consists of islands of. alluvial (or perhaps in
(he present language of Geologists, of diluvial)
!brigin, skirted by sandy banks running far to
leaward, and intersected by creeks of brackish
yvater, and separated in part by wide mstuaries,
ouring out at that season of the year large
odies of fresh water. These alluvial lands are
inundated by the spring floods, and covered with
drift timber, except a number of insulated mounds
of frozen earth, which rise considerably above
the highest water mark, and are analogous to the
frozen banks or ice-bergs described as bounding
Kotzebtte's Sound.- Betwixt them and the main
shore there is a very extensive lake of brackish
water, wh:ch perhaps communicates with the
eastern branch of the Mackenzie, and receives, at
least, one other large river.
" This party subsequently tracked a rocky and
bolder shore, rounded Cape Parry in lat. 70
deg. 18 min. N. long. 123. W. Cape Krusen-
stern in lat. 68, deg. 46 min. N. long. 114 deg.
45 min. W. and entered George the Fourth's
Coronation Gulph, by the. Dolphin and Union
Straits, which brought them nearly to the 113th
deg. of West longitude. They then steered for
the Copper nine river, and entered it on the Bth
of August.
" They suffered some detention on this voy-
age, frOin bad Weather, and had, on several :oc-
casions, to eut a passage through tongues of ice
with the hatchet, andto force a way for the boats

with much labour and some hazard. The ice
attains a great thickness in that sea, some of the
floes being aground in nine fathoms water, but
under the powerful radiation of a sun constantly
above the horizon, in the summer monthi, it de-
cays with an almost incredible rapidity. As the
boats drew only twenty inches of water, the party
were on several occasions enabled to sail through
shallow canals, worn on the surface of these floes
by the action of the waves, when, from the ice
being closely packed on the shore, they could
fnd no passage betwixt the masses of which it
was composed. They had fortunately clear wea-
ther for these attempts. Had they experienced
the fogs which Captain Franklin met with to the
estward, . they must of necessity have remained
du shore. Not Withstanding the quantity of ice
they encountered thus early in the season, they
were convinced that towards the end of August
there is a free passage for a ship along the
northern coast of America, from the 100th to
the 150th degree of west longitude ; and to the
eastward of the Mackenzie, there are some com-
modious harbours, although there are none on
the part of the coast surveyed by Capt. Franklin
to the westward. The whole difficulty in per-
forming the North-west passage in a ship seems
to be in attaining the coast of the continent
through the intricate straits which lead from
Baffin's or Hudson's Bays. The flood tide
*as found setting everywhere along the coast
from the eastward.

" The rapids, which obstruct the navigation
of the Copper-mine, prevented them from bring-
ing their boats above eight miles from the sea,
and they therefore abandoned them there with
the remainder of their stores, tents, &c. a pre-
sent to the Esquimaux, and set out overland to
Fort Franklin, carrying,(exclusive of instruments,
arms, and ammunition, and a few specimens of
plants and minerals) merely a blanket and ten
days' provisions for each person. They arrived
On the eastern arm of Bear Lake on the 18th of
August, and at the Fort on the Ist of September,
after an absence of 71 days, in excellent health
and condition.

" The two branches of the expedition have
thus surveyed the coast through upwards of 36
degrees of longitude, which, together with Capt.
Franklin's former discoveries and those of Capt.
Parry, render the Arctic Sea pretty well known,
as far as the 115th degree of west longitude.
There remain only 11 degrees of unknown coast
lietwixt that and Icy Cape, and Captain Beechy
has perhaps by this time traced a considerable
portion even of that in the Blossom, so that a
complete discovery of the North-west passage, so
long an object for which Britain has contended,
is now brought within very narrow limits.

" The expedition returns to England next
year by the Hudson's Bay Company's ship, with
the exception of Capt. Franklin and Dr. Richard-
son, who propose to go home by the way of
Canada and New York. As Captain Franklin
intends to travel the winter on the ice, he hopes
to reach Montral towards the end of August,
1827."

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FRENCH PAPERS.

(From the Gazette de France, dated Monday, July 9.)

STUTGARD, JULY I.—ln the Sitting of the States,
the 26th of June, a Decree of the Privy Council, of
the following tenor, was communicated to them

" The Government has taken into consideration,
that a longer duration of the present Assembly of
tba SeClttla might prnv ievecLs
to most of the Members—for this reason, the Go-
vernment has resolved soon to dissolve the Assem-

jAy
the course of the winter, to discuss and decide upon
the project, which it has not been able to do hitherto.
But, that the business of the new Assembly may
be sufficiently prepared when it meets, .and that it
may immediately commence, and uninterruptedly
continue its operations, the Government intends to
appoint for these preparatory labours a Committee of
about 15 Members, selected from the two Chambers.

PARIS, JULY B.—The Bishop of Friburg has ad-
dressed to the Government of the Vallais, Schweitz,
and several other Catholic cantons, a circular letter,
in which he invites them to require from the Diet
measures-to repress the attacks in which the Swiss
Journals indulge against the Catholic religion. It is
supposed that, in consequence of this circular, an
application will be made to the Diet, petitioning it
to increase the rigour of the resolutions of 1823.
(From the Quotidienne.)
PARIS, JULY B.—Letters from Madrid, of the
25th June, say, " the affairs of Portugal occupy our
Cabinet very much. A few days ago an extraor-
dinary courier from Lisbon arrived with despatches
of the highest importance, and immediately after the
Charge d'Affaires of Portugal went to Aranjuez,
ii-here he had a conference with the Minister Sal-
mon. A Council of Ministers was held, after which
a courier was despatched to the Commander-in-Chief
with directions that the Army of Observation should
resume its' former position. In consequence, the
Infantry and Cavalry of the Royal Guard have re-
• turned to Caceres."
VERA CRUZ, APRIL 10.—(Private Leiter).—
The commerce of this place is in a state of perfect
stagnation. The concourse of foreigners, and the
quantity of merchandize they have imported beyond
the demand, have' generally been productive of loss.
During February, ten French merchant vessels were
in the Road, which contained principally passengers
and ventures. As these latter could not be disposed
of on the spot, the greater part were carried into
the interior. There are two houses where public
sales take place every Monday and Thursday. I have
seen a number of articles sold at less prices than
those of Europe. Paper, wine' cloth, silks, mercery,
and hardware, are without value at this moment, in
consequence of the immense quantities imported by
the English, the French, and the Anglo-Americans.
The taxes are enormous, and the law for their re-
duction, proposed to the Chambers in the last year,
has not been put in force. It is said even that af-
fairs will remain on the same footing. In a
pamphlet, printed in France, with respect to the
commerce of that country and South America, some
errors have appeared, which may make merchants
speculating in that country miscalculate. The prin-
cipal is that it is there stated a single tax of 17 per
cent. is paid on all merchandize coming directly from
Europe. There exists a Tariff according to the
price on provisions and merchandize. It was calcu-
lated when every thing sold very dear, and thus many
articles are valued at present far above their real
value. Every article not contained in it is estimated
by the visitors of the Customs according to the
market-price, but commonly according to the cost
price, when it is reasonable, and it is augmented
from 25 to 30 per cent., for the difference of the
price which the commodity ought to bring for the
European prices.
(From the Journal des Debats of Sunday.)

PARIS, JUL; 7.—Montesquieu, who was travel-
ling in 1729, in England, and who left the peaceful
atmosphere of France and Italy, was singularly
struck by the great number and extreme liberty of
the journals published in London, in which, by a
guilty abuse, the person of the Monarch himself was
not always respected. Montesquieu adds, with his
lively and familiar expression, " As one sees the
devil in the periodical papers, one thinks that the
people is about to revolt to-morrow; but one must
consider the human mind : as in other places, the
people is displeased with the Ministers, but the
people write there what is thought in other places."
That great observer makes another remark, prov-
ing that already the reading of journals was a po-
pular habit. " A slater," say& he, " has the Gazette
brought him on the roof to read it."