Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-10-22
SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.


gard to the question Of Sir John Franklin's po-
sition:
RENSSELAER,, near PHILADELPHIA,
Tuesday, Oct 6, 1851.
Nv dear Sir; You ask me whether have
changed the views expressed to you when we
parted in May of last year as to the fate and ac-
tual position of Sir John Franklin's party, and
you remind me that then thought the north
ward passage, by Wellington Channel as the
one which they had most probably taken.
have seen nothing since to change this opin-
ION, but many things to confirm it. You know
that Sir Johns instructions gave him the alter
native of this course, after making decided eff
fort to proceed to the southwark and westward
from the neighborhood of Cape Walker, and
need not renew to you the arguments that have
demonstrated his purpose to avail himself Of his
discretion. n
Now our own observation, as well as all the
information which we have derived from other
sources, makes it seem an almost unvarying fact
that the ice holds much longer in those parts of
the Sound, which are to the West and South
of Wellington Channel than in the Channel it.
self. I should think it quite safe to say that,
under ordinary circumstances, the navigation,
though INSTRUCTED and difficult, would be prac-
ticable some weeks earlier by the northern than
the western route. 1t seemed to me, too very
nearly demonstrable from ascertained facts that
the earlier leads occur on the eastern side Of
Wellington Channel. The currents from the
pole toward the equator are modified OF course,
by the rotary movement of the earth, and our
own experience during our long drift down the
western shore Of Baffin's Bay confirmed the rep
reservations of all the whaers we met, that in
the FIRST months of the season the greater mass
es of polar ice track their way along the west
ern coasts, leaving the eastern comparatively
free
The position of Franklin's party in the winter
of 1866 has now been defnitively ascertained.
1t was in the Cove between Cape Riley and the
so-caled Beechey Island, which is in fact, Pc
ninsula forming the Southeastern Cape ofWe-
lington Channel. His encampment occupied
the narrow strip of low land between Lancaster
sound and this Channel and commanded full
view of the ice-clad waters of BOTH The traces
of his parties continued northwardly. We even
discovered the unmistakable marks of sedges
extending to the North. These were, in one
place, well defined on the single limestone, and
farther on, in the hardened snow of former
years. There can be no doubt, then, either that
Sir John did in fact proceed north, from his first
wintering ground, or that at least he made OBJ
servations in that direction to considerable,
and we do not know how great distance.
So much for deduction from the immediate re-
suits of your expedition, jointly with the British
exploring parties:-I say jointly, Tor you are
aware that all moved together, and that the dis
coveries at and near Cape Riley were made at
the same time by gentlemen of both nations.
Whether Sir John Franklin had penetrated to
the southwark and westward, before making
harbor at this point is question of minor i'm
portance. We know that he wintcred near the
great channel, and from what all the world
knows of the character of Sir John it is not in
the slightest degree probable that he would rest
at Beechey after the ice had opened along the
eastern shores of Wellington Inlet, in the mere
hope of being able to penetrate to the south and
west at some later period. If the ice did be-
come detached he would avail himself Of the
earliest leads even if he was resolved to return
on his track when the season should be more
advanced, in order then to push his way toward
Cape Walker He certainly did leave his quar-
tiers early in 1916, and there are some marks
which might support the idea that he did so
somewhat hastily, as if avaing himself of an un-
expected pathway. If there are no traces of
him in the direction of Cape Walker, as there
are none Of later date than 1856 in the neigh
borhood of Beechey, the inference seems to me
irresistible that he passed northward by yelling
ton Channel, and that he did not return.
He might be able to do so without having en-
countered any fatal accident We were our
selves, as you know, caught nearly opposite
poor Frankln's first sojourn, and borne north
ward in the ice for fifteen days, directly against
the theoretical currents, and with great rapidity.
We saw at this time high and dome-like ranges
of land tending north-westwardly ahead of us in
the latitude Of 76 deg, at least and probably
much farther The axis Of Polar drift must
then be more or less from the northwest, and
must have its seats of greatest ice accumulation
along the northern coast of what we call Corn
wallis's Island. In the region north and west
of this, which for aught we know may be open
always, and which must be open sometimes, as
we know, continuance Of our drift, for few
days longer would have carried the American
Squadron; and it is not difficult to imagine that
Sir John, if caught in the ice Of Wellington
Channel, may have been impeled by like cause
in the same direction; as certainly if he was not
so caught he would follow the open water.
should say that he is now to be sought for north
and west of Cornwals's Island.
As to the chance of the destruction of his par
ty by the casualties Of ice, the return of our own
party, after something more than the usual
share Of them, is the only fact that can add to
what we knew when we set out. The hazards
from cold and privation of food may be- almost
Looked unon "a auhoydinofn Tho on ou lint tho