The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-11-15
From The Boston 7rapslv.
Sir John ErnnkItnss ErpxditIou

We have seen detailed notice on this side of the
Atlantic of the official report upon the relics
brought home from Cape Riley by the Prince Al
bert schooner, and have, therefore, drawn up one
from the documents themselves. These relics con-
sist OF three beef bones, pig bone, and a sheep
bone, as well as piece OF .inch rope, now mea-
suring "a inches in length, and having eye
spliced at one end, piece OF old canvass with the
queens mark, and chip Of DRIFT timber. Thcse
relics were referred TO by Captain Parry and Sir
John Richardson, and have been subjected 10 a
careful mcroscopical investigation. Captain Parry
says that the only possible wsys In which the rope
could have reached the point where Il was found
these: II must have been left there the fret
discovery Of the coast in August, lsi9-have be-
longed 20 tho Fury wrecked in Prince Regents In
let in 1873; have been conveyed there by one OF Sir
james Ross travelling parties in lSi9, or else they
must have been left there by Sir John Franklin.
That neither Of the two former suppostiops ia
is shown by the fact that the rope is Of kind not
manufactured till 1924, and that IL Nv made Of Hun
garian hemp, none Of which used in the navy
till ls4l. Moreover, the rope evidently could not
have been 30 long exposed as those suppostions re
quire.
The third suppostion s dsproved by the fact that
Of Sir James Ross's parties approa he'd within
thirty miles Of Cape Riley. Therefore Capt. Parry
says: "Tho above facts appear TO me 10 lead TO the
inevitable conclusion, thatthe rope wss left at Cape
Riley by Sir John Frankln's expedition, and ia
all probability the canvas likewise"
Sir John Richardson, from his examination Of
the bones, concludes that more than four or five
uc-h O.
moved from them. and that they arc not much older
than that time Nor can the spot have been visited
by the Esqumaur since the bones left there for
they would then bear marks of the dogs' teeth. The
structure of the drft-wood differs essentially from
that of conierous tree, or OF any other tree that
grows on the banks Of the American rivers flowing
into the Arctic sea- but II closely resembles that o
ash and was most probably driitcd from the Asstie
coast-a fact which throws sumo light upon the
currents and passages Of the Arctic seas.
Sir John Richardson sums up the evidence de.
rived from the inspection of the bones rs follows:
'The whole evidence 10 be derived from their con.
dion points TO their deposit subsequent 60 Captain
Bccchey'a Welt, and prior 10 Sir James Ross win
ering Cape leopold, and therefore indicates that
they we're left by parties from Sir John Fran sn's
ships in the first year of his voyage, where the
ships were detained waiting for an opening in tn,
ice. and the officers had landed from them 70 make
observations"
Colonel Sabine shows that the number Of tents
FIVE of which traces found is exactly the mum.
Der that would be required by Sir John Franklin
for the accommodation OF party making observa.
tons and for their instruments, which we're quite
numerous. Captain Parry ys letter closes as follows:
II would, therefore, submit to their ordships
what appears to me the moot probable conclusion
namely, that Sir John Frankn's ships having
reached this neighborhcod their way out in lsa5
and being stopped there for time by the state OF
the ice, (ss was, and AZ we know the present
searching expeditions have been,) couple Of boats
may have been detached from each ship to land at
Cape Riley to make the usual observations, collect
specimens, and examine the coast-a common oc-
currencc in all such expeditions II detained for
night. each boats crew may have pitched its own
tent, and for the officers, rns king five in all
The only circumstance which cannot explain
(supposing The encampment TO have been formed
by SIR John Franklin's pcople) is the large size of
the tsnts, which Mr. Snow hss just described to ne
~ twelve feet in diameter and upwards, and which
10 certainly very large for tents generally used on
such occasions This may, in part, perhaps be ex-
pAined BY the stones being thro~n from the CENTRE