Washington telegraph., 1851-10-29
From the NJ Y. Tribune.
Ihe Expedition in Search Of SIR John

oeHaKen u P9lianthropy, full OF peril, full of in
cldents, and successful in everything but the grea
object q her search. The first grand cause 10
triumph is that all her hardships, enterprise an,
danger have not cost the sacrifice of single life
How eminentlx thia bessing is owing to protect
ing and ever powerful Providence will be apparen
| from simple narrative of the incidents that befe
the Expedition and the peculiar trials by " hicl
| the Advance was tested, in those hitherto un
known and untraveled seas Truly God was on
the waters, shaping the destiny of this great mis-
sion of Charity even though fated not to discover
the long lost wanderer. But let us begin our mar.
| rative:
The. American Expedition entered Wengson's
Sound the 9th of August, 1850, where they
met Captain Perry with the Lady Franklin, and
Sophia, and were afterwards joined by Sir John
Ross and Commodore Austin. On the 9th, Capt
Perry discovered unmstakable evidence of Frank
Inns FIRST winter qnarters--three graves with in
scriptions on wooden headboards dating as late as
April, 1916. Their inmates, according to these
Inscriptions, were of his crew-.wO from the
Erebus and one from the Terror. There were be-
sides fragments of torn canvass, articles Of cloth
ing, wood and ccrcages undoubted evidence of
large and long encampment; but atfording in
dcations which would serve guides 10 the
searchers or give assurance to hope. @
On the 9Th of September the Expedition forc-
ed through the ice to Barlow's Inlet, where they
narrowly escaped being locked in the ice. But
they far succeeded, and OIL the llth reached
Grffilh's Island, the ultimdte limit of their west
ern progress. From this they set sail on the lSth,
with the intention OF returning to the United
States, but locked in, near the mouth Of
WellDgtons Channel. Here commenced those
Perilous adventures anything comparable to
which, were never encountered and survived. By
force of he northern iceurilt they were hepessly
drifted to Is deg 25 min. n lat, aud thence
drifted again into Lancaster Sound, somewhat,
We should say, in south-easterly direction. The
agitation Of the ice elevated the Advance nearly
seven feet by the stern and keeied her 2 feet
inches starb'rd In this position she remained,
with some slight changes, for five consecutive
months. And while in it the depth Of winter
closed its frozen terrors around The expedition.
The polar night fell upou them, and for eighty
days no ray Of solar light broke upon them. The
thermometer (Fahrenheit) ranged 40 degrees be-
low zero, and sometimes sank to 46, Early in
this awful night, (Nove,n6er 5th,) the Rescue
abandoned, for the purpose Of economizing the
fuel, and the crews of both vessels determined to
brave their fate togetEer They every moment
expected The embracing ice would crush the vessel
to atoms, and consequently stood prepared, sleep
ing in their clothes with knapsacks their backs,
to try chances OF the ice, mid storm, and terror,
and night. For this terrible trial they had made
every preparation, had provisions sledged and
everything in readiness which might be useful for
such Journey. They then 80 miles from
land, and so certainly did they expect they should
make this alarming tsia that Oh two occasions,
18th December and 23d January,) the boats were
actually Lowered and the crews assembled Oh the
ice to await the catastrophe.
During this period the scurvy became epidemic,
and assumed alarming character. lis progress
defed all the ual remedies, and only three men
escaped the attack. Capt. De Haven was himself
the greatest sufferer. The constant use of fresh
water obtained from melted ice, active mental
and physical exetion, and the care of Divine Pro-
vidence, arrested any fatal result; and the disease
yielded TO beverage composed Of a sort of apple
tea nd lemon juice. After entering Baffin's Bay,
January I3, the ice became fixed, and the little
expedition became stationary and fast in the midst
of a vast plain of ice, 80 miles from any land.
The stores, materials and cordage were slowed
away in snow houses erected on the ice, and
sort of encampment was formed, with I'LL the ap-
pearance, if not the soiidty Of terra frma. The
tables Of ice varied from three 10 eight feet IN
thickness
Nor was this sitsl alton of peril and awe without
its attractions Auroras Parhelia-(mock suns
and mock moons, Of the most vivid lustre succeed
ed one another without intermissiOn, and as day
approached the twilights, streakmg the northern
horizon, were vividy beautiful. AT length he God
Of Day showed his golden face (lSth Feb.) and
was hailed with three hearty American cheers.
Gradually his influence was felt, and the waxen-
like color of the complexion, which the long night
had superinduced, gave place to freckles and tan.
The disease, tOo quickly disappeared.
On the 18th of May the Rescue occupied.
The disruption of the ice was sudden and ap-
pallipg. In twenty minutes from its moving the
vast field, as far as the eye could reach, became
one mass OF moving foes, and the expedition once
more drfted southwark. BY contlnued provi-
dentia assistance it passed The perlls of Lancaster
Sound and Raffin's Bay, and on the 10th of June
emerged into open water, lat. IS deg 80 min. NJ,
a little south oil the Arctic circle, being thus re-
leased from an imprisonment of nearly nine
mouths, during which they heplessly drifled LOGO
miles. While in Lancaster Sound the roar of the
rolling water and tumbng ice exceeded all earth
ly tumut, and was sometimes SO loud aud stun
ming as to render both voice and hearing useless.
Capt. De Hayen's first care on his escape was
to repair damages and restore the health and vgor
of the crews. With that object he visited Green
land, where he ref,ted After short delay, with
unaba,ed courage and unfnching purpose he once
more bore northward. On the 9Th July the ex
pedilion spoke 10 some whaIers, and on the 9Th
passed the whaling feet by the Dutch islands.
there ARE sted by the ice. BY the lth the Ex-
pedition reached Bafin's Island, ami entered
through vast masses of loose ice. Here the Prince
Albert Joined. They continued in company till
August Sd, warping through the ice, when the
Prince determined to try the southern passage.
Capt. De Haven persevered in his course until the
9th, when he became completely entangled in
foes and bergs. Here again the Expedition en-
counte red perlls oi the MOST alarming kind. The
floating ice broke in The bulwarks and covered the
deck in bloken masses like rocks tumbled pell
neil by mountain torrent. The more than iron
endurance of the gallant ships was severely test
ed by the crash of the closing ice, but they rose
to the pressure as if defying the elemental strife,
baffled its fury, and somewhat disabled, but still
without plank yielding in amy vital part r"de
safely in an open road on the 18th day Of August:
Here, finding the north and west already closed
AGAINST them, The American expedition set their
| sails and bore home ward, after having dared and
suffered, and overcome difficulties and DANCE RS
such as scarcely beset the path of the mariner
II is supposed the English Expedition wintered