The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-21


Oceans, along HE northern coast Of America, OF
between Days's and Beliring' Straits.
The expedition consisted Of two ships the Ere
bus and the Terror" under tho command Of Sir
John franklin and Capt CTozier the compliment
of officers and men In the Two ships being about one
hundred and ihirty-cight. They wercviclnaled for
three years.
Their instructions were to proceed TO Baain's
bay, AMI as soon US the Ice permitted, 10 enter Lam
caster Sound, aud proceed westward through Bar
rows Strait ip tho latitude about a IA deg, until
they reached the longitude OF Cape Walker o. about
Us deg west, They were then 10 use every effort 10
penetrate souhwards and westwnrds towards Beh-
rings Strait, and Il was in this part that their greai
est difficulties were apprchendcd II these proved
10 Lu insrrmounuble, they were directed 10 re-
Turn 70 Barrows Strait, and proceed northward, BY
the broad channel between Devon and CORVALLIS
Islands, commonly called Wellington Strait, pro.
vded ID appeared open and clear ice. Il ID evident
that Their ability TO follow either OF thesn courses
must huyo depended upon local circumstances OF
which we have no cognizancc,
The discovery ships, sailed from England on the
18th Of May l5I5, and were last seen the Goth OF
July Of the same yearS In latitude "a deg 40 min.
NORTH longitude % deg. 10 min. west fastened 10 an
Iceberg, waiting for the opening Of The ice 10 cross
These ships have never since been heard Of and IL
Is for the purpose Of relieving Them and NJ least of
ascertainng their fate, that In lsle her AIajesty's
Government again fitted out an expedition. TWAS
in three divisions.
The FIRST I'm point Of tlIne) con. listed OF single
ship, called he Ployer, commanded by Capt Moore,
which left England In the latter end Of January, for
the purpose OF entering Behrine Strait on the west
ward passage. II was intended thai she should ar
rive 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, wculd be met with
| Unfortunately the Ployer never even approached
last year. the place Of her destination and whatever
searrh she may YET be able to make has % be accom-
sel In The Pacific, hns orders ii possible TO supply
her with additional s,ores 800
The second division OF The expedition WINS ono OF
boats 10 explore the coast Of the Arctic Sea- between
The Mackenzie and Coppermine rivers, or from the
l35th TO The 18th degree Of west longitude together
will, the south coast Of Wolnston Land Il being
compelled 10 Ieaya the ships and lake 10 their boats
they wonld make for this conal. The non arrivalby
this time (Apri eis) Of an express from Sir John
Richardson proves that h!slari sunmers search was
| fruiiless.
4 The third portion of Tie expedition of search con.
ssls Of two ships The Enterprise and the lnvestlga
Tor, under The command Of Sir James Ross and Cap
tain Bird, which sailed in May ls4e, for Lancaster
Sound They were last heard IF on The 2s,h Of All.
gust last, when they were al the entrance Of this
| Sound.
! Sir James Ross intended 10 proceed In the Enter
prise, carefully examining The shores Of Lancaster
| Sound and Rarrow's Straits on his way 10 Melville
! Island, orto Banks Land, and thence 10 send out
exploring parties In boats. {4
4
Of CAPT. Bird appears 10 have received Instructions
from Sir James Ross 10 watch Lancaster Sound for
! the purpose both Of communicating with the whal-
ing ships from England this SIMMER and Of looking
ont for straggers from the Erebus and Terror should
any be endeavorng 10 reach the neighorhood Of the
1 fishing grounds. NilAf#
From The late period Of The season. however. al
which the Enterprise and Investigator reached Lam
Sound il is calculated that they can scarcely
| have had more than fortnight for their operations
during the last smmerand thus wide field for search
remains open during the approaching season for
which, however The means at present In nctivy are
By no means adequate. IL Is the general belief OF
those officers who have served in the former Arctic
expeditions that the discovery ships "Ercbns" and
"Terror,' whatever accidents may have belaen them,
cannot have wholly disappeared from those seas and
/, that some traces of their fate II not some living
remnant OF their crews, must eventually reward the
senrch Of the dillgent Investigator
! II y possible that they may be found In quarters
tho least expected but, in the first instance, the
attention Of ships engaged in the search should be
directed To- the qulrtcs pointed mt In tho Admiralty
instructions given TO Sir John Franklin, ind espe.
chilly 10 the channels leading out Of Burrows Strnt
to The north. The chief Of thesois that called We'll
liugton Strait, which Il Is probable Sir James Ross
has not yet explored, and where, II entangled In the
| Ice md exhausted for want Of provisions, their
condition must be In the highest degree dangerous.
lis also very desirable that the coast of Boothia
aud North, Somerset should be carefully examin-
ed us well as the shores Of the Gulf Of Bo0thin and
Regentss inel, aud the coast eastward Of the Cop
permine, 10 Great Fish or Backs river; also, the
sounds and inleis north and west of Bn.iin's Bay,
| which are srpposedto communicate With Welling-
ION channel TO the west. Some Of these parts might
be explored by boats Or land parties as would all
4 that part, also uDproyidcd for which Hes between
Mackenzie river and ley Caps TO the wcst.
IT Is the opinion Of several experienced officers
! that wo small vessels OF the size Of one hun fred
and fifty OF one hundred and eighty, and eighty tons
| respectively drawing not above len feet Of water,
might tho purpose Of careful search In these
seas as well as larger vessels.