The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-03

lslanda, commonly called wellington Strnit, pro-
vided il appeared open and clenr olce. Its evident
that ei ability 10 follow either Of these courses,
must have depended upon local circumstances Of
which we have no cognixance.
The discovery ships sailed from England on the
10Th Of May 1876, and were last seen on the 26lh OF
July Of the same year ID lat. IA deg 40 min. NORTH
long 66 deg. Is min. west, fastened TO an iceberg,
waiting for the opening Of the ice to cross into Lam
caster Sound
The ships have never since been heard Of and Il is
for the purpose Of relieving Them and al least Of
pertaining their fate, that In 1876, IL. M. Govern
men agnin fitted ou m expedition. II was Ia three
| divisions.
The first Gin point of lime) consisted Of single
ship called the Plover,n commanded by Captain
Moore which LEFT England In the latter end Of jan
luary for the purpose of entering Behring's STRATA
on The westward passage. II was Intended that she
shonld arrive there In the month Of July and having
looked out for winter harbor, should send out her
boats northward and eastward, In which directions
the discovery ships II successful would be met with
last year the place Of her destination and whatever
search she may yet be able 10 make has to be accom-
pshed this summer The Herald" surveying vessel
In the Pacific" has orders II possible, to supply
her with additional stores.
The second division Of the expedition WAS one Of
boats 10 explore the coast Of the Arctic Sea between
the Mackenzie and Coppermine rivers, Or from the
l36h 70 the lbh degree Of west Longitude togeiher
supposed that II Sir John Frankin's party had been
compelled 10 leave the ships and take 10 their boats
they wond make for this coast. The non-arrval
BY this time tApri l649) ofan express from Sir John
Richardson, proves that his last summers search
was fruitless. 5
The third portion of the expedition Of search con-
siss Of two ships the Enterprise and inyest.
gator under the command Of Sir James Ross and
Captain Bird, which sailed In May, le48, for Lam
caster Sound. They were Inst heard OF on The 2oth
Of August last, when they were at the entrance OF
this Sound.
Sir James Ross intended to proceed in The " Enter
t.tt. hn nl
Sound and Barrow Strait, on his way TO Melville
Island, or 10 Banks Sand, and thence TO send out
exploring parties i. boats.
His I'd ship, the investigator under command
of Captain Bird, appears to have received instrnc-
lions from Sir James Ross 10 watch Lancaster
Sound, for the purpose both of communicating with
the whaling ships from England this Summer, and
Of looking out for stragglers from the Erebns and
Terror should any be endeavoring 10 reach the
neighborhood of the fishing grounds.
From the late period of the season, however, at
which The Enterprise and investigator reached
Lancaster Sound, il Is calculated that they can
scarcely have had more than fortnight for their
operations during the last Summer, and thus wide
field for search remains open dnlng the approach
ing season. for which, however, the means az present
in activity are by means adequate. II is the gem
eral belief Of those officers who have served In the
former Arctic expeditions that the discovery ships,
Erebus' and Terror whatever accident may have
befnlen them, cannot have wholly disappeared from
those seas and that traces Of their fate II not
reward the search of the dilgent investigator. II Ia
possible that they may be found in quarters the least
expected, but In the first instance, the attention OF
ships engaged in the search should be directed to the
quarters pointed at in the Admiralty Instructions
given to Sir John Franklin, and especially 10 the
channels leading ont Of Burrows Srnt TO the North.
The chief of these is that called Wellington Strait,
which II is probable Sir James Ross has not yet OK
plored, and where il entanged in The ice, and ex-
hausted for want Of provisions their condition must
be in the highest degree dangerous. II Is also very
desirable that the coast OF Boothia and North Som
erset should be carefully examined as well as the
shores ofthe Gulf OF Boothia and Regents Inlet and
the conA eastward Of the Coppernine to Great Fish
or Backs River; alse the Sounds and lnlets North
and West OF Bafiin's Bay, which are supposed to
communicate with Wellington Channel 10 the West.
Some Of these parts might be explored by boats OF
land parties, would all that part also unprovided
for, which lies between the Mackenzie River and Icy
| Cape TO the West.
| II Is the opinion Of several experienced officers
that two small vessels of the size OF 100 or le0 and
Of so IONS respectively, drawing not above ~ feel
water might answer the purpose OF careful search IN
these seas as well as larger vessels.