Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-10-17
Sir John Franklin-I.ast News from Him.

/ IullEtu Ouu pOuuuS uIu lie WClrll, anu great
were the rejoicing at his Obstruction.
Sir John Franklin-Last News from Him.
From The y. Y. Journal of Commerce.
The last tidings had of this distinguished
navigator were contained in his letters written
on the 9th and 18th Of July, lS45, in Bafn's
Bay, Oft the west coast OF Greenland. In one
OF them, addressed to a Col. Sabine, he says
81 hope nv dear wife and daughter will not be
over-anXious, if we should not return by the
time fixed upon and must beg Of you to give
them the benefit Of your advice and experience
when that arrives, tor you know well, that even
dtttr the second winter, without success in our
CbJect, we should wish to try some other chan
mel, II the state of our provisions and the health
of the crews justify it, He must then have
crossed that wide Bay (Batiins) and entered
barrows Strait on the north coast Of the con-
tlnent, and proceeded through it to Beechy Isl
and, on the north side OF the Strait; for here
the traces recently met with, Of the missing ex.
petition were tount.
None Of the expeditions have proceeded far
beyond this locality. Capt Perry navigated
few miles to the West Of it; the Grinnel ex
petition few miles to the North. Capt. Ross,
during one whole season, was able to advance
only Two or three miles from the spot near it,
at which he had winered. Sir John Franklin
must have proceeded either in direction to.
wards the Pole, up Wellington Straits, (our
expedition took this route) or westward in the
direction taken by Capt. Perry. Tne most 70
markable season for its openness. ever known
in the Polar seas, was the one in which Capt.
Perry proceeded a very short distance west of
Beechv Island 1t may be that s john Frank.
! &, l.,
and proceeded beyond any Of these localities.
1t will be recolIectcd that the Adrance and Res
cue were frozen in on the 18th September, and
were not liberated until the 10Th August, dates
which show the length uf the Winter. The
Summer ID consequently but llllie over a month
in duration, and It constitutes the limit within
which vessels propelled by wind can be used
for discoveries.
1t is supposed, however. that little North Of
this ice>bound region, and in the sea that suI-
rounds the Pole, called the Po!Inar Sea- the
winter ia more omen. Capt. Penny (relerred to
in Lady Frankin's letter, published yesterday !
states that he proceeded with sleds in another
meridian over the intervening ice, to that sea,
which he found open. Many navigators be-
lleye that such n open sea exists, and the otfi
GERS of the expedition Just returned, concur in
stating that with A North wind the thermometer
Always ri.es, and falls when II is from the South
ward. Whether the InlsslAg expedition reach-
ed those Ocen waters, or Was caught in the in
termed, ate ice, is matter for conjecture. 1t is
improbable that it ever returned to Barrow
Straits or Batiin's Bay, as no traces Of it were
ever found. The course OF the pack ice is
Eastward and SOutnward, through those chan
nels, toward the Atlantic. The .idraEc: and
,he Rescue, soon atter reaching the seat of Arc
tic discovery, remained locked in it for ten
months, and were carried 1910 miles toward
the Ocean. They were unable to recover their
position in time for the second summer. 1t is
very evident that steam vessel, or propeller,
is the only one capable Of doing effective SER
vice in those regions. The English talk of
sending one, accompanied by two sa ling yes
sells to supply her with coal and it is the opn-
ion OF some of those connected with the AL
rance and Rescue, that the plan is feasible and
desirable. The propeller would need 10 be alb
sent but sixty days from this port, TO accom-
pllsh all that one season would permit.
The hardshlps Of the polar seas are some
what mltlgatcd by the active sports in which
nayigators indulge. The seal appear in all
directions, and the hunt for them Is attended
with no little pleasure. They need to reach
the surface Of the water three or four times in
an hour, in order to get supply of air, when
they are shot or spcared. They remain under
the ice, and have power to scratch with their
claws hole through 1t, even when five feet
thick, to reach the surface. These holes are
watched, and the animal secured rs he ses to
the surface. Their value s scarcely to be es-
tlmated to the Esquimaux, who nhabt coun-
try Of vast extent, (somc $500 miles long J
south Of the region OF these discoveries. They
however penetrate with their slight canoes tins
polar region in search Of seal. These con-
sttutc their food and fuel and they are the
material OF which their hu,s, boats clothes and
bedding are mad a single animal supplies
their wants. In addition to the seal, deer are
found at the island tarherest West reached by
Captain Parry, and game and the Polar Bear
abound. DR.. Kane, of the .idvance, has brot
home a specimen of the largest white bear on
record, an animal which he shot in one of his
hu ting excursions He has also the only spec o.
linen in our country Of the Sea Unicorn, who
has an ivory tusk of eight feet in length pro-
jccting from the head, and hide like the
Walrus.
The presence Of these animal in and near to
the Polar seas, gives occupation to hunters.
and supplies food to those who NAV be locked
up in their fields Of ice, or who may he una
bic, from the loss of their vessels, TO reach
mora hoSDitahle rcrion