The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-04
The American Searching Expedition.
ARRIVAL OF THE ADVANCE


ARRIVAL OF THE ADVANCE.
The Advance, Capt De Haven, one of the
vessels sent ont by Mr.. Henry Gfinnell to search
for Sir John franklin, arrived at the navy yard I,
Brooklyn, on Tue Sday morning.
1t will be remembered that the latest previous
intelligence from the American vessels, the
Rescue and theN Advance was to the 18th of
September, 1850 received through the English
papers. On that day they parted company with
the English squadron as mentioned in the des-
patches of Capt. Penny.
On the same night they were frozen in at
Wellington channel From that point COM
menced their Northern drift, and they were car
red up the channel to latitude 1925, the great
est Northing ever attained in that meridian.
From that latitude they commenced drifting
again to the South, aid in November, 1850, en-.
tered lancaster Sound During this time, the
violence of the eruptons OF the Ice was so great
that they could keep no fires regularly lit on ac-
count fthe motion of the vessel The mercury
in the thermometer fell below zero. The bed
din froze in every apartment, and even the cof-
fee and soup became CONCEALED as soon as
taken off the fire.
1t was at this time that the scurvy broke OUT
attacking all the crews and officers, Captain De
Haven and Dr. Kane included BY dint of as.
siduons attention and constant vigilance, how
ever, DR.. Kane succeeded in keeping down the
disease, and fort rnatey brought them all through
the disease without losing single man. Any
one who saw Dr. Kane's eye when he modestly
mentioned this gratifying fact, would read ly be.
lieve that his attention to his charge would be
alike enthusiastic and unremitting.
The principal eruptions in the ice, we may
here mention, occurred on the lth Of Novem.
Der and the 9Th of December, 1850, and the 10 h
o a, l,tt, L., ~
dition entered Baffin's Bay. During their con-
tnuance in this ice, the vessels were lifted up by
the stern as high as six feet seven or eight inches
with list to s,arboard of two feet eight inches,
the discomforts and Inconvenience of which may
well be imagined
| During this VIII ale time also the men had to
have their knqpsacks constantly prepared, as well
as sleighs, &c, not knowing but that at any
moment the vessels, strong as they were, might
be crushed by the ice. They were three weeks
without taking off their clothes. Fortunately
the ice lifted up rather than crushed the vessels,
which lay often ut considerable elevation on the
crest of the upheaving ice.
From this ice the vessels emerged on the 10th
of June, 1851, after an Imprisonment of nine
months. During this time they had drifted one
thousand and sixty miles,-a polar drift of IN
precedent extent. The only one in any way
analogous with it, we believe, was that of Capt
Back, in Hudson's Bay, which, however, did not
compare with it in extent. During this whole
imprisonment in the ice the two vessels suffer
ed comparatively little damage The Advance
lost her bob-stays and part of her false keel;
the Rescue had her cutwater and bowsprt liter
ally chiseled off.
Having got both his vessels liberated, Capt
De Haven determined again to try to prosecute
his search, and turn the Advances head to the
| Northward. He succeeded in reaching the
upper Melville Bay region, but was there again
| hemmed in by ice.
| From this he was not liberated until the 10Th
Of August, at which time the season was so far
advanced that it was impossible for him to pro-
coed and accomplish his purpose, even suppos
ing everything should be favorable and no ice
| intervene.
He therefore reluctantly determined to return
home. The Advance called at the Greenland
ports, where she obtained full supplies Of fresh
meats, vegetables, fruit &c, and DR.. Kane
soon bad the happiness Of seeing the scurvy en-.
tirely disappear.
Capt De Ravens was the most severe attack.
and afforded singular Illustration of ono of
the peculiar features of the disease small
wound on his finger, made when a school boy,
by blow from cane, and many years ago
completely healed and forgotten, was re-opened
by the disease. A similar result attended a
wound which DR.. Kane received in the Mexican
war, and indeed every man exhibited a similar
illustration Of this phase Of the disease.
The expedition has returned without the loss
; of man, which speaks volumes alike for the Of.
icers and men; and is no mean praise for the
surgeon Of the expedition.
Tire American vessels last saw the English
snip Prince Albert at eleven o'clock A. m. on the
18th Of August, standing south southeast, hav-
ing given up, as Capt De Haven concluded, all
hope Of getting round the bay ice and making
the Southern passage. Capt De Haven thinks
il probable that she would reach Prince Regents
inlet
Not having had time 10 visit the vessel Ter
self, we cannot speak of her appearance after
her hazardous voyage. DIR. Kane, an exceedingly
intelligent and affable gentleman, looks we'll, al
though somewhat weather. beaten.
He thinks, after seeing the regions and the
resources on shore. that Sir John Franklin and
, his crew are vet alive. The Advance has brongh:
home the relics Of Sir Johns visit 10 the place
r where three Of his men were buried.
I Also two or three Esquimaux dogs, one oi
/. them not many weeks old, apparently very fine
, and intelligent animals.
DR.. Kane speaks in the hi ghest terms Of Capt
De Haven, and we are sure that Mr. GrnueI
must feel proud satisfaction in having set or
foot the expedition.
We lc m from Mr.. Grinnell that Lady Frank
lin cRtertainS the same opinion as DR.. Kan,
with respect 10 her noble husband.