Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-10-08
THE AMERICAN SEARCHING ExprDriIoK:.

The brig .4duance, one Of the vessels sent out by
Hon. Henry Grnnell to search FOR Sir John Frank
lin, returned TO New York on Tuesday the 30lh'
ult. She is under The command of 1t. De Haven,
of the u s. Navy, who commanded the expedi-
ton. 'Phe Commercial Advertiser publishes tho
subjnined particulars Of her cruise, derived from
DR.. L. X. Kane, the surgeon Of the expedition
1t will be seen with regret that nothing has been
learned Of the fate of Franklin
IL will be remembered that the latest previous in
lell'gence from the American vessels, The Reseue
and The .4iraace, was to The 18Th Of September,
1850, received through the English papers. On
that day they parted company with the English
squadron, as mentioned in the dispatches Capt.
Penny.
On the same night they were frozen in at Well
lington channel. From that point commenced their
nolhern drift, and they were carried M the cham
mel to latitude Is 25,lhe greatest norhng ever at
tanned in that meridian.
From that latitude they commenced drifting a.
gain to the SOUTH and 10 November, 1850. entered
Lancaster Sourd. During this time the violence
of the eruplous CT the ice was 81 great that they
could keep no fires regularly lit on account Of the
motion of the vessel. The mercury in The tler-
momeler fell beIuw Zero The bedding froze IN
every apartment, and even the coffee and, n be-
came congeaed as soon as taken off the fire. .:s.~
1t was at this time that the scurvy broke +
lacking all the crews and officers, Capt. =
and DR.. Kane included. BY dini Of -
tenton and constant vigilancau 4! Df Kane
succeeded in keeping down The disease, and foriu-
nately brought them all through the disease With
out losing single man. Any one who saw Or.
Kaae's eye when he modestIy mentioned this graf
flying fact. would readily believe that his aten-
ion 10 his charge would be alike enthusiastic and
unremitting.
The principal eruptions in the ice. we nay here,
mention, occurred On the llthof November and
the 9Th of December, 1850, and the 18th Of Janu-
airy, 1851, on which latter day the expedition en-
tered Baffin'S Bay. During their continuance
in this ice the vessels Were lifted up by the sterT
as high as six feet seven or eight inches, with a
lift to starboard of two feet eight inches, the dis
comforts and inconvenience OF which may well be-
imagined.
During this whole time also the men had 10
have their knapsacks constantly prepared, as well
as sIeighs, Sc, not knowing but that 1t any mo-
ment The vessels, strong as they were, might be
crushed by the ice They were three weeks with
oul taking of their clothes. Fortunately, The ice
lifted up rather than crushed The vessels, which lay
upheaving ice.
From this ice the vessels emerged on the 10Th
Of June, 1851, after an imprisonment of nine'
months During this time they had drlfted one
thousand and sixty miles, polar drlft OF unpre-
cedenled extent.
During the nine months in which the expedition
was ice bound. no human being approached them j;
nor could excursions TO any distance from the yes-
sells be venturfd upon. the drifting Of the fields of
Ice in which The vessels were encased making their
position for any twenty. fur hours altogether un-
certain Short hunting expeditions were undertake
en-. and some polar bears, deer, foxes aud birds
were taken.
The expedition found no secure kaFbor while
cruising in The Arctic regions. As an Illustration
of the ease with which life may be sustained 10
these ATTITUDES, Surgeon Kane mentioned that he
met with Dane, upwards Of seventy years OF ages
who had spent fay five years of his life North OF
70 degrees, subsislng during that period entirely
on birds, fish. bears and other animal food. lie
had not seen vegetable the Whole time
The breaking mp Of the ice is described by the
officers Of The expedition as commencing win
mise resembling The whistle of locomotive, fol-
lowed by singular and constant pusaIloa OF the
ice
For eiehty.one days of their ice bound condition
except at midday for few moments, when pa
per might be read by holding i! up to the faint ghs
in the South.
II il somewhat remarkable that the English and
American expeditions win'ered within hieen miles
of each other, without either knowing II. The Amer
lean officers only learning IL on their arrival az 'lis'
port. The return Of the English squadron was al
50 entirely unexpected by the officers Of The Amer
lean expedition.
CAN'T De Haven was again hemmed in BY ice,
and detained Till the l4th of August, when he re-
IuclanlIy determined TO return home.
The Advance called at the CIR eenland ports,
where she obtained full supplies OF fresh meals,
vegetables. fruits, &C.; and DR. Kane s"n had me
happiness of seeing the scnrvy entirely disappear:
Capt De Iaven's wasihe most severe aiiack, and
afforded singular illustration oi one OF Inc pecu-
liar features Of The disease. small wound On
his finer. made hen school boy, by blow
from cane and many years sgu completely heaiee
and forgotten, was 70 opend by the disease. Il
similar result attended wound which DR.. Kane
received in the Mexican war. and indeed every.
man exhibited similar illustration Of this phase Of
the disease.
DR.. Kane thinks, after seeing the regions ana
the resources On shore. that Sir John Franklin and
his crews are probably yet alive: The advance
has brought hume the relics of Slr John WISH 70
the place where three OF his men were burieo al
so, Two or three Esquimaux dogs, one oil mem not
many weeks old, apparently very h"e ana ih'eh'-
gent animals.
We learn from Mr. Grnnell that Lady Frank
lin cniertains The same opinion as Dr. Kane VIII"
respect TO her noble husband.