The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-10-20
... From the CT cinnaii Alas.
The Search for Sir John Franklin.
.s . MAcklNAc, Oct 1st, 1849.


GENTLEMEN. arrived here this morn
ing from the Lake Superior region. Sir
John Richardson was fellow passenger
with us from the Sault. He is on his way
to misunderstanding from an unsuc-
cessslul search the ill-fated expedition Of
Sir John Franklin, whittier he was sent by
the British Government some time ago
His route has been long and tedious one.
He arrived at the outlet Of Lake Superior
on his way out. about eighteen months
since. Thence he proceeded along the
Northern coast as far as Fort William
ascended the Kaministiquia River passing
through Rainy Lake, and the Lake of the
Woods-thence crossed to the Siskatchaw-
en-, which flows into the olumbia, decend-
ed that stream for some distance--thence
proceeded up its Nothern Branch. He
then crossed over to the Mckenzie River,
and decended it to the Artic Sea.
Along the shores ofthis sea, he coasted
between five hundred and thousand miles
without meeting any traces Of Sir John
Franklin. The Indians who frequent the
coast west Of McKenzie's river, only con-
frmed his sad forebodings. The distance
trave I'd by him, from the head OF Lake
Superior to the Artic Ocean. is about $500
miles. He passed last winter at Bear
Lake where he erected house. and laid
in an abundant supply Of fish. IS early
as the 9Th of September. the streams and
small lakes were closed with ice, and re.
mained in this state until the lst OF May
He proceeds Immediately to England
the bearei of unwelcome tidings.
The whole number ofmen who compos.
ed the expedition of Sir John Franklin,
was about one.hundred and ity-dstrib
uted in two ships: they had provisions Tor
three years on board. There is now but
little doubt that they were enveloped and
crushed in the ice. Had they been wreck
ed and cast ashore, it is thought that some
fragments Of the wreck would have been
picked up by the Indians. lad the crew
succeeded in getting ashore, they could
have assembled Mckenzie s or the Copper
mine river and reached some of the Hud.
son Bay Co.'S. posts. The streams and
lakes abound in fish, and starvation would
be among the least ills to'be apprehended.
l4 Sir John Richardson is a man past six.
ty years of age-but still hale and yigor.
GUS. He accompanied Capt. Franklin in
his first voyage TO the Polar seas, and il
/ is to him that the Scientific world is almost
entirely indebted for the information il has
Of the Geology, Zoology, and Botany Of
that hyperboreon region. His appendix
OF Sir John Franklin's work--his memoirs
o: the quadrupeds and fishes of that region,
are monuments Of industry and research,
, which will confer on him durable repu.
tation. He does not yet despair OF discov-
ering some traces Of the Expedition.
DIR. Ray, of the Hudson's Bay Compa-
ny, has also explored another portion Of
the Artc Coast--but the result of his ex.
ploration will not be received till March.
, The Report Of the Expedition through
Behring's Straits will be received as early
r. as November. There is still hope that
Sir John Franklin survives--but that hope
hardly amounts to probability.