Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-04-25
Search for Sir Jobn Franklin.
COMMANDER PULLEN'S EXPE-
nlTI0N

SearCn kOr Ssr JODn FRANKLIN.
COMMANDER PULLEN'S EXPE-
DlTlON.
The following is an extract from let
Ter by Lieut.. Hooper, TO relative: i, is
dated
"FoRr Coon HoPE, McKESzrE RrvER,}
Tuesday, July l6, 1850.
"In my letter of the 2Sth nli, | told
you OF orr intended second trip TO sea.
and that we were just returning from
Great Slave Lake to Fort Simpson 10
prepare for the voyage al tina, place. A
quarter OF an hour after that letter was
sealed we were on our road, the epistle
also proceeding in an opposite direction.
We re ached Fort Simpson on the 3d
inst, and until the l,h were buslly EN-
gagged in getting our bwa,s and all matters
in readiness, which With few hands and
small resources took up raueh tGse. On
that day Ne quhted For, Simpson and
descended the river 10 Fort NurGa,
which We rssched o. the NIGH. of the
l3sh; stayed thsss the sight, aad started
The next incoming fcr THIS place, where
we arrived this rHssnisS. Tomorrow
we leave: this 10 .hs last post on the
river, as also the Ias, piAcs from which l
can commuaicas vilA yes until our re-
turn, which viii probably be about the
end Of September or beginning of Oc-
iober.
sour boats are two-ihe larger one
brought from the Plover; the other is
river boat Of the Hsdsoa Day Company,
and called the Try AgaiR, with reference
to our attempt this tisse. We are seven
teen persons in ail-CsP.ain Pullen, my
self, ten Of our old hands, three new
ones Of the company, and two Indians
for hunters. We may expect to reach
the sea about the 23d of the present
month, and if we meet with no deien-
lion ough, to get to Cape Bathurst in a
few days, then across TO Woolas,on or
Banks Land as opportunity may hes.
serve. Ii is not impossible that We may
winter in one of those lands shosld Iro.
visions be plentiful there. in ords. 10 .s-
tend our search az far az may be. There
fore il you do not receive froM me N
announcement Of our return, which |
shall not fail 10 give il We rstUra back
this year, you must not be alar,aed al
our absence, nor fancy \ thousand hor.
ribie contingencies; bot on the contrary,
rejoice tina, we have fallen upon upon =
nsves-beiore troddeR land, ard sre pros
ecutinG with aEaor a prolonged search.
instead Of combining our operations to
one brief sumsser we are AS safe you
know, IN the gr.al.., danger as IN fsa-
the v-bed in the security of Cur native
land, and be assured net msny Of our
party are easily d.unted ~ith tribes
1--WE are not ssnguine of success, but
We look forward ~iih great hope, a. the
region We propose ,i-iling 10 one which
has no. befure been explored, and in =
direction which the most experienced Of
Arctic voyaIeYs imagine 10 be the most
Probable situation for The miscing sf,Ys
Should we find thea, ~ha, delight . euld
be ours could we tut succeed in restor.
ing the distressed and gallant party 70
their anHiou.iy -sorro sinx friends.
"Sir J. Ross lef. u. Port Leopold. on
the land OF North Somerset, provisions
surheient fr s;sty men for twelve lson,hs
with a steam launch.
Nov, should We reach Banks Land,
which 10 about three hundred miles from
Cape Bathurst, and find the sea to the
eastward clear of ice, with y fine wes,er-
ly breeze, we might perhaps make for
that place, where the provisions would
support our party for four years nearly,
and enable us to search away properly.
But this n only remote chance, ~ it 10
impossible to cay what we shall do, de-
pending as We must, on the weather,
which in these hyPerborean regions can
never be determinately calculated upon.
We take energy and determination - the
tack, and hope TO the onset; these should
smooth oil di2icultiss; the issue is in the
hands Of IN all wise God. TO Hin Let
us leave IL.