The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-10-09
To Mdj. 9oohmGn and Gtn VIA,
Hall Netc York
EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF SIR JOHN
FRANKLIN
RETURN OF THE ADVANCE.

EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF SIR JOHN
FRANKLIN
RETURN OF THE ADVANCE.
1t was noble exhibition of humanity and
enterprise, when, year and a half ago, q dis
tnguished merchant of New York announced
an expedition to the Northern Frozen Ocean,
in search of Sir John Franklin Nothing could
exceed the touching devotion of Lady Frank
lin to her husband and her appeals to all
civilized nations were well suited to- arouse
the sympathies and stimulate the efforts of
all knd-hearted and courageous men Gal
liant officers and men of our navy promptly
volunteered to conduct the expedition, well
aware of the great hazard of the enterprise,
and of the trials and sufferings to which
they must be inevitably exposed. Captain
De Haven and his mdaunted officers and
men sailed with the ieryent prayers of their
countrymen for their safety and success, and
with intense interest have they been regarded
during the multiplied perils and vicisstudes of
their voyage The Advance returned to the
navy yard, Brooklyn, on the afternoon of the
SOth September, and the Rescue from which
she was separated in a gale off the Banks, is
hourly expected merciful Providence has
watched over this expedition and none up to
the 9th Of September, when the vessels parted
company, had persisted by disease accident
The American Expedition met Captain Perry,
with the Lady Franklin and Sophia, on the 26th
of August 1850, and were afterwards joined by
Sir John Ross and Commodore Austin. On
the 9th, Captain Perry discovered evidence OF
the first winter quarters of Sir John Franklin
three graves with inscriptions on wooden head
boards dating as late as April, 1916. Two of
these graves belonged to men from the Erebus,
and one to a person from the Terror. The fol-
lowing condensed account of the dangers, suf-
ferings and almost miraculous escape of this
Expedition we copy from the New York Tn
Characterization Statesman.
"On the sth of September, the Expedition
forced through the ice to BarlOws Inlet where
they narrowly escaped being locked in the
ice But they 80 far succeeded, and on the 18th
reached Grifith's Island the ultimate limit of
their western progress. From this they set
sail on the 9th with the intention of returning
10 the United States but were locked in, near
the mouth Of Wellngton's Channel Here
commenced those perious adventures anything
comparable to which were never encountered
and survived BY force of the northern ice
drift they were helplessy drifted TO IS de-
grees 25 minutes north latitude and thence
drifted again into Lancaster Sound, some
what we should say, in n southeasterly d. J
recton. The agitation of the ice elevated the
Advance nearly seven feet by the stern, and
keeled her two feet eight inches starboard In
this position she remained, with some slight
changes, for five consecutive months; and
while in it the depth of winter closed its frozen
terrors around the Expedition The polar
night fell upon them, and for eighty days no
rays of solar light broke upon them The ther-
mometer (Fahrenheit ranged 40 degrees below
zero. and sometimes sank TO as. Early in this
awful night November 5th,l the Rescue was
abandoned, for the purpose OF economizing the
fuel, and the crews of both vessels determined TO
brave their fate together. They every moment
expected the embracing ice would crush the
vessel 10 atoms, and consequently stood prepar-
ed, sleeping in their clothes with knapsacks on
their backs, 10 try chances on the ice, mid
bIDfIn, anu tcTTOf, uuu HiSIt. TOI tIls NFTtDie
trial they had made every preparation, had pro-
which might be useful for such journey They
were then 80 miles from land; and no certainly
did they expect that they should make this
alarming trial, that ON two occasions 18th De-
cember and 23d january the boats were actu-
ally lowered, and the crews assembled on the
ice to await the catastrophe
"During this period the scurvy became cpl
demic and assumed am alarming character.
lts progress defed all the usual remedies. and
only three men escaped the attack Captain
DE Haven was himself the greatest sufferer.
The constant use Of fresh water obtained from
melted ice, active mental and physical exertion
and the care of Divine Providence, arrested any
fatal result and the disease yielded to a bev-
erage composed OF a sort Of apple tea and lemon
juice After entering Bafin's Bay January
l 9th, the ice became fixed, and the little ExIe-
ition became stationary and fast in the midst
Of a vast plain Of ice, 80 miles from any land
The stores, materials, and cordagc were slowed
away in snOw-houses erected on the ice, and a |
sort Of encsmpment WAS formed, with all the |
appearance, IL not the solidity, Of terra trina
The tables Of ice varied from three 10 eight feet
In thickness.
"Nor was this situation Of peril and awe
without its attractions AurOras Parbelia, (mock |
suns,) and mock moons, Of the most vivid lustre, |
one another without intermisson, |
and rs day approached the twilights, streak.
ing the northern horizon, were yiyidly beauti-
ful. At length the God Of Day showed his
golden face, llsth February and was hailed
with three hearty American cheers Gradually
his influence was felt, and the waxen-like color
Of the complexion, which the long night had
superinduced, gave place 10 freckles and tan,
The disease, too, quickly disappeared.
@On the 18th Of May, the Rescue was reoc-
,xpied
Tho disruption Of the ice was sudden and
appalling In twenty minutes from its first
moving the vast field, ~ far m the eye could
.aaoh lacauaa ona .uasu ~ r,l.,.iua doos and |