Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-06-26


"produo I'd in tie steel work Of the watches, that
they have the power Of the magnet SO lar, as 10
act The same as the loadstone.
ARCTIC LAND EXPEDITION.
Extr,ct of letter from Gentleman attached to the
expedition.
3GREXr SLAVE LAKE, Nov. i2th, 1870.
aThe principal object Of the Expedition was
to discover nayigab.e passage, westward rom
the mouth ofthe Mackenzie, TO Behring's Straits,
and His Maiesty's ship Blossom was despatch
ed round Cape Horn for the purpose oil meeting
ii, al Icy Cape, or in Kotzebue,s SOUND. al
Capt FrankIin's means permitted, he was also
directed 10 send detachment TO the eastward
to survey the coast between Mackenzie ana
Coppermine rivers, and toreturnover land rom
the mouth Of the latter 10 the establishment on
Bear Lake.
"From the skill with which captain Frank
Inns engagements were made, he was enabled 70
descend the Mackenzie and visit the Arctic oea,
last year, within six months oil his departure
from England, and to return again up the river,
TO our destined winter quarters al rort FRANK
lin in Bear Lake, by open water. In the mean
time had sailed round Bear. Lake, and ascer-
tanned the distance between its-eas'ern extrcml-
,y and the Coppermine river The knowledge
Of the country gained by those excursions, 'ena'
cd much TO perfect the plans OF operation for
Ills YEAR, and the liberal supplies Of provisions
furnished by the Hpdson's Bay Company this
spring, enabled captain Franklin 10 equip both
parties, Three boats were built Tor the service
in ENGLAND of mahogany, a wood considered 10
be we II adapted for the pupose. They were ne
cessarlv small and of light construction, that
they might be more easily carried over the nu-
merous portages which occur on the route from
York Factory, Hudson's Bay, 10 Bear Lake, but
from the care bestowed in building them, they
reached that place without material injury, and
eventually answered even better than they were
ex pccied 10 do. A fourth, o! a similar size and
form, was built at Bear Lake Of fir, and proved
as good as the others. The main part of the
expedition, which was 10 proceed 10 the west
ward, under captain Franklin's immediate com
msnd, i'm two ofthe boats, which we're named
the Lion and Reliance, consisted OF Lieut. Back,
eleven British seamen, marines and tandsmen,
two Canadian vcyagcurs and an EsquimauX IN
,crpre,er The Eastern detachment comprls-
ing Mr. Kendall, Assistant Surveyor, one SEA
man. two marines, six landsmen and an Esqui-
maux embarked in The Dolphin and Union, aud
were pu, under The charge OF Dr. Richardson.
ave lett our winter quarters M the 2lst OF
June, descended the Mackenzie till the 2d oil
july, and AS far as latitude 60 80 in n. long.
1852 SIS M. W-.At this place, named Parting
Poin, by Captain Franklin, the river divides IN
TO- number of widely diyerging branches sepa-
ra,ed from each other by low and partly flooded
lands Itwas determined tina, the two divisions
of the expedition should separate here, and that
each party should follow the channel which &C
corded best with their respective routes.-Cap'
tain Franklin, in The preceding autumn, had de-
/ .lo.l LII. 81. a,I hpH hp
| He now entered the most W, s;erly arm which
winds round the base Of the Rocky mountains,
and reached its mouth on the 9Th Of July -
| is outlet is so barred by sand banks, that he
crews were compelled TO drag their boats for
miles, even at the top OF high water. In This
uspleasan, situation they visited by large
party of Esquimaux, who at first behaved qui
eily aud carried on barter in an amicablc man
ner, but at length prompted by the desire Of
plumber, and confident in The superiority OF mum
bers, on a preconceried signal, upwards OF $50
stout fellows, armed with knives, rushed IN The
water al once, and Selling on The boats, dragged
Them on shore. The judicious measures pur-
sued by Capt. Frank lip,eAowever, well second
cd BY the prompt obeEs and determined con-
dact of Lieut. Back and the crews Of the boats,
| rescued the provisions and all the property OF
conse quence from the hands at these ireeboot-
ers and the boats were ultimately got aHoat
without sho, having been fred, or any person
al injury received on either side. The same par
" came twice tina, night and next day with hos
tile intentions, when the expedition had put "a
shore to repair The rigging OF the boats which
had been cut in the ARRAY bu, the posture o! de-
fence in which Cap. Franklin drew up his small
force deferred them from renew wing the attack.
The smaller parties Of Esquimaux, that were
subsequently met with, on the sea coast, behav
ed in friendly manner.
"On the 9th Of July Captain Franklin was
stopped by ice, unbroken from the shore, and
from that date up 10 the 4th OF August, he
could advance only as the separation took place
and seldom more Than a mile or two day In
this tedious way, he reached the l4lst degree
of longitude, by which time the ice rad given
way as TO give passage to the boats, but
other obstacles ola most serious nature now
opposed themselves to his progress. The coast
was SO low and difficult ofapproach, from the
shallowness oil The water, that a landing on The
main shore was effected only once after passing
the lSeth degreee Of longitude, though il was
Frequently attempted, by dragging the boats Tor