The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-06
Letter from the Lady or Sir John Franklin
10 the President or the United States.


to the President or the United states:
BEDFORD PLACE, London, April :, lS49
Sri address myself to you as the head OF great
nation whose power help me cannot doubt and in
whose disposition to do so have coincidence which
trust you will not deem presnmptuous
The name of my husband, Sir John Franklin, is pro-
badly not unknown to you II is Intimately connected
with the northern part OF that OF which the
American republic forms so vast and conspicuous por
ton When visited the United States three years ago
among the many proofs received OF respect and cour
tesy there that touched and surprised
than the appreciation everywhere expressed to
OF his former services In geographical discovery and the
interest felt in the enterprise in which he was then
known to be engaged.
The expedition htted out by our government for the
discovery OF the Northwest Passage, chat question
which for three hundred has
and baed the energies Of the of science and the
navigator) sailed under my husbands command, in
May 1S45 The two ships. Erebus and Terror, contain
ed 13S Officers and crews and vic tualled for
three years. They were not expected home, unless
atty FASTENED their return before the close of ls4 nor
any tidings expected from them in the interval
But when the autumn Of ls47 arrived without any in
teligcnce the ships the attention of Her Majes-
tys mt was directed the necessity search
ing for and conveying relief to them in of their
being prsoned In ice wrecked and njwant OF pro-
visions and means of transport For this purpose
expedition. in three divisions fitted out in the
early part last year directed the three different
quarters simultaneously, viz =
First to that 10y which, in case Of success the ships
would come out OF the Polar Sea to the westward Tor
Behrnr Strait W.
Second to that by which they entered on their course
~ Siscnvsrv ~, Tho ..starn s;d Ior nav Strait
XmS thiya 70 an ;mtor,aning nortion of tha r.,i.
shore annroacbablc NV land from the Hudson Raw Com
s.oiu "Pt ., 1as ~ ~ ~, a, - 1901 a. 10y IN.
e nI,ed ~ aha ndop Their Sims migh, he found
Th;s Iast division Of The ex natop was naced unaer
MS ias. a'ls,on vi .ne Wa p,cea uhaer
.,e s ~; , g. 10y ,i n s' ih W.. gon,
phn Irdd Na, vnrt In MI 81 ~, .ar ana hos'
tened 70 ;on his men and hoats which were a,readv in
aono tnmo , th Ar Az her az ,hi a,iy ~
~ nSnoa;,nn ,noy hr;nev CO., ,b., ,ha ahsan.a ~,
m. ;ntPoe~n fn SIR InS ihardson a, MI; o ~
con nroyes he has hecn unsnccessn In ,ha object Of
| IT, I;' pu 80 Thn n.,;,ia ;,rii ~. py ~.
r,s sea h or pon,'ng
s;staS ~ snaia sb;n tho p,oyar Witch ayn, 20 M
ttn off tn iat nd It 90 her baa aiIn nrensr,is
d;S ,ne, go onnro.h har aas,;,a,, Ia, srIa
anu most % P :, .ne *
oonsies VI wv sPe, .ue, .'c VI
pr lanes moss wn,ch saea as, nay ,or Jaws Stra
tt; ~ Sd ~, ins ~, 90 Gu, a .e
se.'lnS o L'hc"e,ei SUM- VII ue season Ior oPera-
lions 9su nearly closed nese snips are now WINTER
s ns ne ee ;h anu p u aoyu. 20 pe
rom ehoe WIN anu ls., 10 enaoe .hem 10
stay Out ano'net o1. one OF these Vessels Is, IN
great ueEpee Wthura"h rom ACTIVE search py 'he ne
Sessy Oh watclng NJ he entrance OF Lancaster sound
ior the arrival OF intelligence ana instructions from
| England by the whaers M
nave entered INTO these details with view oil prov
bs that tnougn the BRUSH government mas not ior-
gotten the duty it owes to the brave men whom has
sent on perious service ana mas spent very large
sum ia ptosrung ne neans ior .hcir rescue, ye. .nar
owhg 10 various causes the means actually In opera
on ior ts purpose are quite Inadequate 10 meet the
extreme exigence OF the case for II must be remem
Una. sns missing SHIPS were ror ,nree
20 bat tIo srvi~ors Of 80 ,ay ;ntrs in ,h i
60 ho ~ ~ Ias, ~tr.ro;tn - q, 80, ' h
hn T.; u,;S th. ~ hy9i s"h ~ a, hh INV %
how a
10y h;b thv ,np y ~. H p Ill b $3.50, w.
cumstances 70 take arc very numerous and comnca
course If the newt short snmmer n,ore thow all WIG
Tho Roard of Admiraitv umder a fconvc,inr ~ ,h;s
fact has been Induced to Offer reward Of coo GOO tr
linc ~ .nv slim or shns NJ anv countrv or 10 onv
nlnrnc narv xbateyer which sba ror,ar .a,.ry, "a
sstanse 10 Tho ,nissnT sh;ns or thai crovs nr a., 49,,
nort;on of tber, This annrnnncowomt wh;,h 49, I,
The snm had been doub,ed or trebnd would hav. mat
with public apnrobation comes however too late for
our whaers which had nfortunnteIv sailed hafore a.
them nj tbe;r fshing aronnas sre nsttad for
anu rrn,om,ad nan r b. has;r on,. ,,. 49, -,
any ; G hs Ia ~ lily ,,h; TN US
twar;nan uhos"rs 10th an ~ Atiant;. anJ S.a,sn
look with hone AS competitors for the prize
,roii awaro ~ t,a;r nTn,har I'd strann,h ~
eoupment land the bold shirt of cnternrise wbich
animatcs their crews But venture to iaot evcn ho'
yOnd these am not whOu. , hope that you viii deem
tona spirit and thus generously make il Your own
must here in gratitude adduce the example Of tho
imperial Russian government which, as am led to
hope by his excellency the Russian Ambassador in
Lonaon VINO ,orwaraeu Hemorai ON .ne subject VIII
sshI "a. r1PLoins pGrus ns SUMMER rom .he ass
lost vessels II Wonld he noble srectscie 70 tbe word
if three great nations possessed of the widest empires
on the face of the globe thus to unite their efforts
in the truly christian work of saving their pershng
felow-men from destruction.
not for me suggest the mode in which such benc
Violent EFFORTS might best be made will only say how
do not venture to give uterance were realized and
tnat In the noble competition which followed Amer
can seaen nad the gooo fortune TO wrest from us tho
glory MS might be the solving the problem Of the
unbound passage or the still greater glory saving
adventurous navigators from lingering fate which the
mind sckens to dwell on, though should in either
case regret that it was not my own brave counrymcn
in those seas whose devotion was thus rewarded yet
should rejoice that it to America owed
stored happiness and should be forever bound to her
by ties Of affectionate gratitude
am not without some misgivings while thus ad
dress you The intense nxicties Of n wife and of
daughter may have led me to press too earnestly
your notice the trial under which arc sufcring-yet
not only, but hundreds of Others-and tn nresume
TOO much on inc sympathy which, we assured, Is
eit peyonu the limits OF our own land fet you deem
is 10 be the case you Will still ind, am in
Una, personal intensity OF feeling an excuse for the
eeriessness with when have thrown myself on your
generosity ana VIII pardon the homage thus pay to
your own Sh character ana 10 that OF the people
~nom you nave the high distinction to preside