Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1851-08-23
Tidings Of Sir John RANKIN.
The following communication appears in
the Dundee Advertiser Of the 25th:--H $500


the Dundee Advertiser Of the 25th:--a sa73i
a.4oH 7H29 g Dundee, Jnly 22d, l s51. %
MEssRs EDIToRs Through the medium
of your highly respectable paper, i beg to
lay the following important particulars before
the public. 77tI Ita.27l sd! y 59a,'f sa9d
Discoveries Of the Bodies Of -Four Sailors.
supposed to be part ofth Crew iCAo ac-
conpanied Sir John Fr05akIii, IgoU a5dT
On Saturday 10th ult, the swhaler Flora.
Of the Hull, ]. Robb, master, who has been
out one and half years, cast anchor at Strom-
ness, and sent herletters and papers by post.
A letter was received in Aberdeen on Mon
day by Mr.. John Douglas, King street. from
his brother, Mr., G. Douglas, bmate of the a..
forsaid ship. Il contains the following affec-
ting narrative e:I3oea5p F Hin5aaiif1 1E5se s6
iIniFebruary last our ships s1crew partial
ly abandoned the vessel, and erected a large
snow. house on the shore, it being in many re-
spects more comfortable than on board, and
better suited for hunting operations We had
beenat that time five months frozen up IN
Lancaster Sound. In one of our excursions
we fell1insWith party Of Esquimaux Indians
nine in number; they had slight knowledge
of our language; they inquired whether We
were ERglish or Americans. .ba On being satis.,
fed on that poiht,they inquired if we belonged
to ChieflFrankan. The idea now flashed up
on our minds that they knew something OF Sir
John and his crew, and we answered in the
affirmative. They then pointed to the right
to a towering heap of Mountains and by the
gestures they had gone to sleep. We brought
them to our snow house, when instantly re-
ported the case to Mr.. Robb, our Captain,and
il was agreed ihata party of tweReG men
would. accompany the Indians. and probe their,
story to the foundation The party consisted
Of Mr.. Page, our surgeon, J. Brown, Carpens
ter, Wilson, Blair, Hall. Murray AgneW,
Crosley, Jones. Jenkinson, Rafferty,, (seamen,1
and myself Wehad plentiful supply OF
provisions which was covered with seal skin.
and several rifles, spears, de. 400 Eas9 5s.i q
I'VE started on our dreary Journey on
March 9th. Our ronte was one Of the Wild
est which can be conjectured. We proceeded
in zig-zag course, up one hill and down,
anotherth then to the right and then TO the left
then to the right again. On the fourth day,
symptoms Of discomfort began to be manifes-,
ted by our hearty tars; our feet were cut
and wounded with the sharp::projecting fFag-
ments of fice-the thaw was setting in, and
we were apprehensive of being buried by the
falling avalanche of snow, which descendslike
lightning downitheo mountains On the 10th
day, April 5th, our guides led US into large
natural amphithe atre among the mountains
After journey of some miles, we described
something waving over thea snaw--it was q
black silk handkerchief tied to theend of walk
ing stick. We eagerly drewout the staff and
commented operations by digging about two
feet deep. We came on the body of a man,
and in few minutes after we discovered three
other bodies. They were frozen like ieicles
decomposition had not commenced. Their
boards were long and shaggy, while their
rigid features and wasted limbs spoke in the
language Of nature--they had died from
want -8ta zaa,s s1t q z53jae
Their dress was that of British seamen
in cold latitudes. One man had bis name
written. OF rather engraved, on hsi arm, H
Carr The rest were all more or less mark
ed, some had crosses on their breasts, Others
stars, ships, letters, &C. Our hearts sickened
at the sight, We replaced them in their cold
dosolate graves, and set up the same sad
menehto naori Poor bellows, exclaimed
you have attempted TO regain your home by
an overland journey, but you are left in
the desert. a am, lI-5H t4EsT7s ~ {B37i
1.-The Indians could give us no more intellii
genee, so we returned. The most probable
conjecture is large party had set out fruu
Sir John Franklin's expedition; four had thus
perished; in all probability the whole of them
are now dead" Egsg. ID ....flsb 9ap
Extracts from the letter of Mr.. 6. Doug
lass 10 Mr.. John Douglass. Aberdeen. on
board the Flora. seed llaida .iua
By inserting the letter, you viii oblige
yours respectfully. ,aJ THOMAS REID. i