Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-05-10
From the National Leiehigcacer.
HIGHLY INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE.
LETTER FROM THE
LADY OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.
I ohe President Of the United Statcs.

baby mol unEnnvn 70 yuu. Il Is intimately connected
with the northern pari Of that continent Of which tie 4.
nerican republic forms ~ vast aud conspicuous a PARTON.
W h-n visited the niied Safes. .tree years ago. a
mongst the many prSfs | received of respect and cuurt,-
sy,iherf was none which touched and even surprised me
more than the appreciation every where expressed 10 me
"i MS 'cT'ner services IL geographical discovery, ana te
Interest iell IN the enterprise IN which he wasiiieh KNOW"
10 be tngired.
The expedition. fitted out By our Government fnr the
discovery of the Nurfhwest passage Chat question y which
fr three hundred years has engaged the interest and bat-
I'D the energies Of he mar Of science and Tie n~aviga'or)
sailed under my husbands command in May 1915 he
two ships, "Erebus" and Terror containtd I3S men,
(off1cers and crews and were victualled for three years.
They were not expected home unless success had early
rewarded their eifuris, or some casualty FASTENED their
return, before the elise Of lS47. nor were any tidings ex-
Pected fum them in the interval. But when the autumn
OF le47 arrived. without any INTEL geIce Of the ships,
the attention OF her Majesty's Government was directed
To the necessity Of searching for and conveying relief to
them, in case Of their Icing Imprisoned in ice OF wrecked,
and In want of provisions and means of transport. For
this purpose an expedition, in three divisions, was fitted
ont IN the early part of last year, directed to three differ
ent quarters simultaneously, viz:
Fist, 10 thai BY " hlch, IN case IF success, the ships
would come out Of lie Polar Sea to the westward, (ur
Behring's Slraii.)
Second, 10 that BY which hey entered N their course
ofdlsc"very, on he eastern side. (or Davis's Strait
And third 10 all Intervening portion If he Arctic shore.
approachable By land iTuin the Hudson Bay Conpany's
settlements. on " hich 1t was supposed the crews, II obll-
ged t. abandon their SHIPS. might be found.
The last division of the ex petition was PLACED under The
command of my husbands faithful friend, the Companion
OF his former travels, DIR. SIR John Richardson, who land
ed at New York IN April Of last year, and hasted To Iln
his men and boats, which were already in advance to-
wards the a rctic shore Ofthis portion of the expedition
may briefly say that the absence Of any Intelligence
from Sir john Rlchadsnn, al -his season, proves he has
been unsuccessful in the unIrct Ufhls search. The expe-
ditlon intended for Behring's Straits has hitherto been a
complete failure. II consisted d OF d single ship, the Pluver.
which lowing 10 her setting off too late and % her bad sailing
properties. did not even approach her destination last wear.
i he remaining aud most important portion Of Tie seach-
ing expedition consists Of luU ships. under the command
Of Sir James Ross, which sailed list May for DavIs's
Strate but did not succeed. owing to the state Of the ice,
In getting To Lancaster Sound Til the season for opera.
tons had nearly closed. These ships are now wintering
in the ice. and a store h is about to be despatched
1"in hence with provisions and fuel tl enable them to stay
out anuiher year but one Of these vessels is. in a Great
degree, Withdrawn from active search, BY the necessity
Of watching al Tie cnttace If Lancaster SQUAD for the ar-
rival of Intelligence and instructions from England by the
WhaltrS.
! have entered into these details with a view Of prov
Inc that though the British Government has not furgutton
the duty 1t owes to the brave men whom il has sent On a
letiiouS service, and has spent a very large snn in pro-
vldlng the means Tor their rescue yet that, owing to var
ionS causes, the means actually in operation for this pur-
PSe, are quite Inadequate to meet tie extreme eXiuence
ct The case for il must be remembered thai the missing
ships were yictualled cor three years only, and thai near
~ 'udr years have elapsed, 50 that the Survivors Of 50
many winters IN me ice must De a the last extremity ;and
al~p 1t must be ixrne in mind that the channels by which
'he Ships may have attempted 10 force d passage TO the
westward OF winch they may have been COMPELLED
by adverse circumstances to take, are very numerous
and complicated, and that one or two ships cannot pos
sihiy IN the Course Of the next short summer explore them
all.
~ D"afu ni Admiralty, under a conviction Of tins
iac'' mas oeen Induced TO offer a reward OF t2O,UOJ SIer-
."S !" ""y sup OF ShIPS OF any country, or to any eNPoT-
my parry Whatever, which shall render efficient aSSlS-
'aIrce TO The missing ships, or their crews. or TO any pur-
Non of them. lhls announcement, which, even if the
sum had been doubled or trebled, would have mt public
appreciation. comes, however. too late for our whales,
"nlch hd unfortunately sailed before IT vas issued, and,
Mhicn' even u me news should 1veTlake them at their
hstiih" grounds, are iotily unified for any prolonged
adventure having only a few munIhs' prJvisu ns On board
aiu NO additional Clothing L" The American WhaltTs,
Dun III me Atlantic and Pacific, | look Win more hope
"s o""Pe''"rs hm me prize, being we'll aware nj tlelI
numbers and strength. their thorough equipment and The
b'Iu sPtrit ct enterprise which aninateS their crews
Du' venture to look even beyond these. | am not with
out nope That Won Will deem 1t not unworthy of great
ana kindred nation to take up The cause Of humanity which
l piead IN national spirit, and thus generously make II
Soafowh;
mus mere IN gratitude adduce the example OF the I'm
Fciiai nuSslah Government, which, as am led to hupe,
by his eXcellency, the Russian Ambassador in London.
WIN forwarded a memorial On the subject, will send out
exploring parties his summer frun, tho A>ianc sida ot
Behring's Strait, uorthwards, in search Of the lost YES
erest "auohSI possessed 81 the widest empires on The race
" " g"oe. were mus 10 unite fheir Efforts IN the truly