The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-28

I pIaCts
stones placed if they had been used for keeping
the lower part of the tents down; also great
quantity of beef pork, and birds bones, piece of
| rope, with the Woolwich naval mark in it, (yel-
low part of which have enclosed. Her ma lesty 3
| ships assistance and Intrepid, when last seen by
me- on the Goth August, whilst off Point Innis APP
| peared to be well over with Cape Hotham, carry
ing press of sail, with strong breeze from the
westward Penny's vessels also in the en-
| trance of the Straits, and two American brigan-
| tines, working over towards Cape Hotham.
''As an officer belonging TO her majesty's service,
although not having been especially sent out by her
majesty's government, deem ii incumbent me
to Inform then lordshps OF the part this vessel has
| taken in the search
| "rhe Prince Albert under my command left
! Aberdeen on the 9th of June last. On the % of
| July, after experiencing succession of westerly
| gales, we arrived OF Cape Farewell. On the 10Th,
| met some whalers off the Black Hook, returning to
| the southwark, not having been able TO accomplish
| the passage round Melville Bay. On the 10Th, en-
| tered the ice and, on the 2lst, up with Sir
John Ross in labyrinth OF heavy icebergs. On the
23d, met the remainder of the fleet of whaers COM
ing to the southwark
= On the Goth made out Captain Austin's and Mr..
| Pennys vessels beset in the ice, about fifteen or
| twenty miles 20 the northward of US. From this
time to the 9Th OF August we generally beset
occasionally experiencing some very heavy Shocks
| when we succeeded in getting into lead and
passed Captain Austin within few miles still be-
set. On the 10th his ships, by the aid of steamers
| got into open water, and were towed past in
| calm. The same evening they were again beset
| On the 18th the steamers assisted by blasting
| forced passage through II being calm, Captain
| Austin very kindly offered myself and Sir John
| Ross a tow clear of the ice, which most thank
fully and gladly availed ourselves of. On the 18th
we communicated with the natives at Cape York,
| who gave TO understand that chip answe erin q
| the description of the North star had wintered
| somewhere about Wolstenholme Sound. The same
evening the assistance despatched TO ascertain
the truth Of this report.
| 90 On the l7th parted company with her maics-
tvs ships RfSOlute and Pioneer, having previously
| arranged with Captain Austin to undertake the
examination OF the south side OF Lancaster Sound
! and Barrows Strait, from Cape Liverpool 10 Port
| Leopold, whilst he visited Possession and Ponds
| Bays On the 18th we made the land five miles to
| the eastward Of Cape Liverpool closely inspecting
the coast, keeping within quarter of a mile of the
| shore, as far as the Wollaston Islands When off
| Cape Hay it was blowing gale to the eastward;
we therefore found it impossible to land. to
tain if the fuel or provisions had been touched since
they were deposited there last year by Mr.. Parker,
| of the TfueLOre. From what we could see from our
deck, they did not appear to have been nolestcd.
! The flagstaff had been blown down, and was lying
| on the top of the Goals. On the outer western
| Wolaston Island notice was left recording our
visits and the disposition OF her maestys ships &C.
| 'The gale having increased would not admit Of
| our further examination of the coast at this time;
| we Were obliged in consequence of its violence to
stand out in the strait, and heave the vessel to in
| the midst of drift ice On its moderating the next
day we found ourselves oil Cape York. As it was
| still blowing strong, bore up for Port Leopold
| but found 1t closed with heavy ice. With much
difficulty our boat succeeded in getting in by being
hauled some distance over the ice. 1t appeared by
document left at the flagstaff that the North Star
had called here the 18th, but from the state of
the ice was unable to land her provisions and had
left this to attempt to land them at Port Power or
Mel; otherwise every thing appeared to have been
untouched since her malcsty's ships Investigator
and Enterprise left last year. As it intended
by the parties who fitted this vessel out that she
| should proceed to Brcntford Bay and commence
operations from that place, made the best of my
way up Prince Regents Inlet III order to effect that
object. AS we drew up towards Fury Beach, the
| land ice gradually extended off the shore, com
mencing little TO the southwark OF Port Leopold,
up 10 within ten fifteen miles of Fury Point
when it stretched directly across the inlet, appa
rently in front of Port Bower. Finding great
quantities OF diit ice setting up the inlet, and like
ly TO close me in with no port 10 take refuge in
stood out to northward with the intention Of pro-
cceding down the western side of North Somerset
On reaching the north end of Leopold Island
found the pack extending from thence across Bar
rows Strait, towards the entrance of Wellington
| Channel. After having forced our way throuc h
great quantities of heavy drift ice the vessel re-
celvlng many severe conclusions, got in with
| the land between Capes Herschel and Hurd, and
| examined the coast as far as Point lnniss in the
| Wellington Channel, without finding any further
traces OF the missing parties with the exception Of
| those already mentioned at Cape Riley.
| "There being no possibility of my penetrating
TO the >. W., as had intended, from the heavy ice
in that direction, back To Prince Regents In
let. The appearance of the ice being much the
| same, with no port 60 enter in the vicinity of my
future operations, most reluctantly obliged
TO give up the idea of remaining in these regions,
| more particularly as the season fast advancing
when the ice begins 60 form, and know from cx-
| pericnce, il this vessel was once caught, there
would he no chance OF our getting out again, she
has no power 10 bore through liz there fore deter
mined, after the most mature considerations 10 re-
turn TO England On the 9th ran into Eardley
Bay, near Cape York, and landed n notice with
4 some DrOVlFlOus. Before Iuc coull ret m
| board gale commenced with a heavy sea, which
| nearly drove US on shore under the Cape On the
29th examined the western side Of the entrance to
Admiralty Inlet, thence across TO Elwn Bay, keep
ing close along shore TO Possession Bay; off which
place fell in with the North Star, which found
had met with the same impeachment in Prince Re
| gents Inlet ourselves, and had, consequently,
| not succeeded in entering either Ports Bowen or
| Nut, but had landed her provisions inside the VOL
| laston Islands. We found that the Resolufs had
visited Possession Bay on the 18Th, Captain Austin
having left the night previous in the Pioneer to visit
| Ponds Bay. On the % and Sd of September OK
amned the shores Of Ponds Bay, but could discover
| no traces Of Captain Austn's having been there.
| Perhaps the North Star may have ben more ortu-
| nate, a. saw her standing in on the evening Of
my departure. On the 18th we lost sight Of Cape
Bowen near Ponds Bay, and on the let instant ar
rived here; being the ast and smallest vessel that
left England, and the fret that arrived in Barrow
| Straits.
al have, &c, CHARLES c. FORSYTH,
| "Commender, X. n.
| "To the SEc'v TO THE ADMIRALTY, Whitehall"
| True copy Of paper found at Cape Riley
CHER MAJEsTY'5 Arctic sEARcHINo EXPEDITION.
This is 70 certify that Captain Ommanney, with
the officers Of her mnjestys ships Assistance and In
trcpid, landed at Cape Riley the ed Of August,
| 1850, where he found traces Of an encampmcnt and
collected the remains Of materials which evidently
prove that some party belonging 70 her majesty e
| ships have been detained on this spot. Bccchy
! Island was also examined, where traces were found
| Of the same party
"1hi5 Is alec to give notice that 4 supply OF pro-
visions and fuel is at Port Leopold Her majesty =
| ships dssisfduce and ftfrepid were detached from
| the squadron under Captain Austin, OF Wolstcn-
| h0lmc, on the 18th instant since which they have
| examined the north shores OF Lancaster Sound and
Berrows Straits, without meeting any other traces.
! Captain Ommanney proceeds TO Cape HJtham and
| Cape Walker, in search for further traccs Of Sir
| John Franklin's expedition.
" Dated on board her majcsty's ship assistance,
| of Cape Riley, August 23i, 1850.
| " ERASMUS OMMANNEv."
| The vessels at the entrance Of the Wellington
Channel when the Primer dibtTf left were The ds.
| sisfance, Captain Ommannoy; aud the intrepid,
| scrcw- tender, Lieutenant Commander b. Gator