Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-08-21
Tidings of Sir John franklin,

The following communication appeared
in the Dundee Advertiser of the 25ih ult {;
DUNDEE, July %. 1851.
Mn. EDITon: Through the medium of
your highly respectable paper, beg leave
to lay the following important particulars
before the public:
Discovery q The bodies Of four Sailors, supposed
10 DC part Of The crew who accompanied Sir
JOHN Franklin.
On Saturday, 10Th ult, the whaler, Flo.
IA, of Hull, J. Robb, master, who has been
out one and half wears, cast anchor at
StromnesS, and sent her letters and papers
by post. a letter was received in Aberdeen
on Monday by Mr.. John Douglas, King
street, from his brother, MIR. G. Douglas,
mate OF the aforesaid ship. 1t contains the
following affecting narrative:
"ln February last our ships crew par
TALLY abandoned the vessel, and erected a
large snow house on the shore, it being in
board, and better suited for hunting opera.
tons. We had been at that time five
months irozon up in Lancaster Sound. In
one OF our excursions we fell in with a par.
~ Of Esquimaux Indians, nine in number;
they. had slight knowledge Of our Ian.
guage; they inquired whether we were A
mericans or Euglish. On being satisfied on
that point. they inquired if we belonged to
Chief Frankan. / he idea now flushed 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 towering heap of snowy noun
h1i -. q 4
they had gone TO sleep. We brought them
TO our snow house, when instantly re-
ported the case to Mr.. Robb, our captain,
and it was agreed that a party of twelve
men would accompany the Indians, and
probe their story to the foundation. The
party consisted OF Mr.. Page, our surgeon,
}. Brown, carpenter, Wilson, Blair, Hall,
Murray, Agrew, Corsley, Jones, Jenkin-
son, Rafferty,. (seamen) and myself. We
had plentiful supply Of provisions, which
were packed into a flat-bottomed boat,
which was covered with seal skins, land sew
eral rifles, spears, &c. We started on our
dreary journey on March 9th. Our route
was one OF the widest which can be con-
jeclured. We proceeded in zig-zag
course up one hill, down another, then to
the right, then to the left, then TO the right
again. On the fourth day symptoms of
discomfort began to be manifested bv our
hardy tars, our ieet were cut and wounded
with the sharp projecting fragmnts Office
the lhaw was setting in, and we were but
apPerhensive of being buried by the falling
avalanche OF snow, which descend, like
lighting down the sides of the mountains.
On the 10th day, April 9th, our guides
led Us into u large natural amphitheatre
among the mountains. After Journey
OF some miles we deserted something way
ing over the snow-it was a black silk
handkerchief tied to the top Of a walking
stick. We eagerly drew out the staff,
and commenced operations by digging a.
bout two feet deep. We came on the
body OF a man and in few minutes after
we discovered other three bodies. They
were frozen like icicles; decomposition had
not commenced. Their boards were long
and shaggy while their rigid features and
wasted limbs spoke in the language of ma.
ture-they died from want.
Their dress was that of British seamen in cold lati-
tudes. One man had his name written, or rather en-
grayed, on his arm, III. Carr The rest were all more
OF less marked some had their breasts others
saIs ships, letters, &c, Our heats sckencd at the
sight We replaced them in hei' cold desolate graves
and set up the sad men,ento mort. Poor fellows,
exclaimed, You have attempted TO regain your homes
by an overland journey but you are lett in the.desert
The Indians could give us more Intelligence, so
we returned. The most probable conf ecture is,
large party had set out from Sir John Franks expe.
don; four had thus persisted; in all probability The
whole OF them are now dead.
Extracts from the letter of Mr.. &. Douglas at Mr. |
John Dou gas, Aberdeen, on board the Flora
BY i,se ring the letter, you will oblige, yours res.
peciully THOMAS REID.