Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-11-07
From the Mobile Register.
Sir John Franklin.

All vessels, English and American, dis
patched in search of the daring navigator,
around whose fate such strong spell of
mystery and interest has been thrown, hav-
ing returned home,-the papers Of both
countries are specializing as to the result of
their observations and discoveries The Of
belief that Sir John and his companions
are probably safe and alive. The English
papers are most confident in this belief
They assert that their long missing count
rymen have been to point of departure
beyond which their subsequent course may
be considered certain, and that they are
known to have entered region where
there is nothing to preclude the hope that
they still live, though unable to force an
outlet through the icy barrier which hens
them IN. A simple statement of the facts
of the case compiled by the Picayune, will
show the grounds for this opinion.
The instructions given to Sir John
Franklin were that he should proceed
through Barrow's Straits, and after arriv-
ing at Cape Walker, try to reach Behring's
Straits by south westerly course. Fail
ing to do this attempt, he was to return
eastward to Wellington Channel, and
thence endeavor to force his way to Beh-
rings Straits by taking course towards
the northwest, if he should find any outlet
in that direction. 1t is certain that he fail
ed in the first object, as the coasts Barrow S
Straits, from Cape Walker westward to
Banks Land, have been closely searched.
without affording any traces of the miss
ing party.
The discoveries which have been made
show that Sir John Franklin was more sue
cessful in prosecuting the second alterna-
tive, and that, probably, he found north.
western exit fen. Wc.,ir c.,irg Ton Channel. l,
is certain from the traces found at Cape
Riley, that the missing expedition passed
the winter of l845'46 at the enterance o.
that channel, and it is to be inferred, from
Capt. Penny's discoveries, that he subse.
quently effected the Northwest passage
which was the object of his search
Capt Penny reached the field of operation:
assigned to him last spring, at a time wher
travelling oyer the ice is not only practiea
BILE but easy. Some of the parties made
their way 400 miles to the northward ane
: returned in safety to their ships. Capt
: Penny ascertained that Wellington Chan
mel bends suddenly towards the northwest
and that, as he went northward there wa
a sensible melioration of the rigors of th'
climate, a fact which gives additional hop
for the safety of franklin. At distanc,
of $50 miles. from the juction of yelling
ton Channel with Barrow's Straits, Capt
!. Penny found clear open sea drift wood
fiocks of birds, and other signs indicativ
of milder climate. For sixty miles be
/ yond, the expanse of water was uninterup
ted.
As farther progress with sledges wa
impossible, Capt. Penny returned for boats
, which on again reaching the Polar basin
he found it SO much obstructed with ice
and the sea running so high he dared no
venture into it Many of the Englisl
newspapers are confident that Franklin
made his way into this great basin, and tha
5 the ice barrier which surrounds it is no
permanent. They believe that he and hi
companions still exist in that wide sea
though incapable of forcing their way out
but that they may be reached by means Q
j powerful steam propeller, which Nigh
seize the favorable opportunity presente'
by transient openings, to make its way in
They think and say that the question no'
: lis, Shall they refuse to follow where Frank
, lin and his comrades have almost certainl,
, led /? Shall they retreat from all gates Q
! that Northern ocean, which their country
} men have undoubtedly entered Shal
/ they turn back at the very moment whel
they have made the discoveries which hav
placed the keys of the fortress in thei
hands 9