The republic., 1851-07-15
From the London Chronicle, June 2T.
Confirmation OF the Traces of Sir John
Franklin.

We are happy to learn that the fact lately an
nounced by of the exiHtence of cairn contain
ing undouDted intelligence of Sir John Franklin's
expedition, lying in Joncs'5 Sound, hae received
additional confirmation by the testimony Of ano-
ther witness named George Moore, of Orkney. He
was in the same watch with William Millar, on
board the Prince of Wales; was also of the party
which landed and not only saw the cairn, but was
engaged in pulling it down when recalled to the
ship. The evidence of these two witnesses differs
In some unimportant points; but they agree, not
only i'll the existence of the oairn but also to its
positon-namcly, on the south shore, about ono
hundred and Fifty miles from the entrance to the
sound; and equally that little higher up the
channel widened, and apparently entered an open
We therefore look forward, with increased anx-
iety, to the decision of the Admiralty respecting
the steamer which il is greatly to be hoped they
will send for the earliest possible examination
of this deposit.
We learn, by way OF corroboration, that Will
liam Nlillar repeatedly mentioned that he had seen
cairn on his return to Orkney; but his statement
received little or no attention, although he is man
OF known integrity and truthfulness, from the fact
that lite importance not understood.
We are also enubled TO state that Lady Frank
lin, accompanied by DR.. Scoresby, was at Hull in
February, lSi9, investigating the report that a
carn had been found, which had reached her, and
heard from the master OF the Prince of Wales that
he had bcen the preceding season in unknown
sound, north of Lancaster Sound, having entered
il by mistake in q fog; that he went up about one
hundred and fifty miles, that some of his men said,
on their way out, they had cairn, but that it
was not possible for him then TO go back In the
summer of the same year, lSf9, Lady Franklin en-
gagged the owners of the AbraIn, W whaler, Captain
Gravill, of Hull, 10 search Joness Sound, for the
sum of $500 The ship arrived at the entrance,
but a gale of wind blowing down the sound, and
no fish being in sight, the captain abandoned the
idea o examining 1t, and proceeded south in quest
OF whales. The sound was quite open for fifty or
sixty miles up, as far could be seen from the
headlands. These facts prove that if tho informa-
ton before US was not circumstantially known un-
t know, the evidence which did transpire was not
disregarded. but acted upon as far ns possible.
As 10 the cairn having been erected by natives,
il is we'll known that natives have never been found
on the west side OF Bsffin's Bay 10 the north
of Lancaster Sound; neither do they ever erect
cairns; and we may remind objectors that shoe
prints not p-re foot marks were observed near to
IL. IL is alsy1nntier Of certainly that no whalers
had been up Jones's Sound; had they ever done 90,
the circumstance would have become well known
whereas the result of inquiries proves that mono
have penetrated in this direction. Besides, whsl-
ers do not erect cairns, that being the signal en-
Joined by official authority upon her majesty's
ships sent out for purposes OF geographical dis
covery and survey.
II is, perhaps, not generally known, that Sir
John Franklin, before starting, declared his in
tenton, if foiled in other attempts at gaining his
object, to look into the sounds lying west and
north of Baffn's Bay, meaning by this Jones's and
Smiths Sounds This is one way, amongst others,
Of accounting for traces of him having been found
on the spot in question.