The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-07
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.
Interesting Meeting OF the British Geo.
graphical Socicty-Opinions or the nus-
a. M


graphical Socicty-Opinions or the hus-
Sian Nevigators.
A very nun erously attended meeting OF the Royal
Geograph;cal Society was held at their rooms, in
Waterloo Place London, on the 18th ult., at which
several interesting communications were made with
reference to the efforts now in progress for the dis
coyery Of Sir John Franklin expedition; Sir Rode
rick Nurchson, as president, toek the chair, and
amorg those present was lbrahim Khan Bahadour,
accom- panied by his secretary.
The following letter, addressed by his Excellency
Barren bIuaow to the President was first read
AsHBuRSHAM Housr, Jan q 1852
Ny dear Sir Roderick--In wishing you with all my
heart happy new year shall begin 1t by communca
Ting 10 you the enclosed paper a subject in which
know you feel deeply interested BY the perusa Of the
copy Of the letter from Count Neselrods to Sir Hamilton
Seymour, you will perceive the earnest desire ernced
the part q the imperial government 10 operate in the
Sir j. Franbln'; expedition You viii also learn with
great Subtraction how willingly and cordially the impe.
rial government has enteredinto mature deleraton as
to tne mesture contemplated by Lieut PIN for the &C.
COMP shuent Of his object But, st the time you
must not be surprised 70 hear that serious doubts have
arisen az st. PeterbuTsh in regard 70 the possibility OF
carrying iuto effect Lieutenant Pins noble enterprise.
These dcubls ere more than mere copjectures; they
amount almost 70 certainty as you viii colcuee
The perutd q the statement az facts which accompanies
Count Nesselrode's letter 70 Sir II. Seymour.
Uneer those circumstances Il to be expected
thatthe imperial government should be induced TO put
IN jeopardy the lie Of British officer racrfcnr his
safety 70 bold experiment. without any reasonable
On ne Other hand yen viii BE gratiaea to hear that
the imperial government has once suggested to put
lieutenant PIN in Communication with your friends
Bser and Middendol 10 order to ascertain what can be
done towards the discovery Of the trace az Sir Frank
Inns expedition in far further IN be adoptea
on our pa.t 70 meet the generous wishes AMI Jealous
beavers Of her hsjstys government and the British
public.
Believe re with the highest esteem ana rsrs.d
Faithfully y yours
TO Six Roderick Murchon President Of the Royal Geo
graphical Society
The statement of the imperial government aud-
Cd 10 in his excellenoy's letter, commences with
notie OF tho lively interest which the Emperor IS
not ceased 70 take in the generous Efforts made by
tie british government 70 discover traces Of the
Franklin expedition, as evnced by the co. operation
Of his Imperial Majesty; distinct orders having been
given 70 his officers and people on the coasts OF
Asia and America, TO assist in every way the Bri-
tish explorers, while instructions have been given
TO obtain any information Of sAipUrecks on the
northern shores Of Siberia.
Tie rcport then proceeds =
with similar sentiments Of sympathy the Emperor
heard q he expedition proposed by Lieutenant PIN Of
the Rsitsh navy But unfortunately between the con-
ception 9. such project and lie realization physical
Rr PIN guided by his generous devotion, does not
70 have sufficiently fore.ecn and concerning which
tits the duty Of the Russian government TO enlish.en
him.
1t to trace in the mar Of the world the
which might lead the end desired 10 be rea he'd by
Lieutenant PIN; but, in executing such project, it
must not be forgotten that in addition to the
pas'ed which, buried under eternal SHOWS ofer
neither means Of transport nor provisions UNEMPLOYED
wide inteivnspeopie whom the Russian power ex-
eIcises only the slightest influence aud whose warke
character batbarous customs aud hatred of strangers
such, that the imperial government would God it
impossible to guarantee the personal security Of Lieu
To give idea Of the difficulties that such journey
presents il is well to call to mind the expedition under
taken come yesrs ago by Admiral Wrargel. Prepared
during two preceding By the local authorities this
expedition, though undertaken scale Of research
much efs extensive than that now contemplated had to
be diminished in consequence Of disease among Tie
dogs employed 10 drag the sledges and yet ffy edges
ard six hurdred dog, we're required
From this example 1t is easy to Judge OF the fate which
would attend Mr. PIN and hia companions ia the endea
your to execute journey almost treble tns extent Of
that plished by Admiral wrangel, ana in which
p!eteIs must be provided With more considerable means
Of transport
To define more precisely the nature Of these difficult
ties ard 70 establish the basis Of an approximate esti
mate It is sufficient to remember, that as Admired
Wrspge Was compelled TO employ 80 siedges and 600
dogs (each sedge being supplied with from 90 to 20 salt
herrpgs rer diem, Lieutenant PIN. expedition would
portion Now. these animals only kept in sufficient
number FOR the the Inhabitants and is doubt
dogs fthc complete ruin Of tie Datives, which
Enft ersue were entirely n. CIT q ths question
preseSt ana without having ma. the necessary pre-
Iarsons tie imperial government does 10; hesitate to
view i Is physically 'Raie,it.!tas1S') impossible
After some observations upon the imp-obability
Of the expedition Of franklin having been ship
wrecked If The glacial 20 the north Of Siberia.
without some information Of the event having been
conveyed 20 the imperial authorities By the natives,
the report concludes by stating that the imperial
government, having Il az hear: 20 neglect nothing
which might contribute ID TIE work Of humanity
which the British government has followed up with
go much perseverance,, seizes the opportunity OF
proposing TO Lieut.. PIN TO have further communi.
cations with Nj. Baer and NJ. Middendorf, in or
der that any Interior measures may DO indicated
by which tidirgs may &c obtained Of the missing
expedition.
After this statement was read,
Sir BcGerick Mu-chison observed, that Lieu
tenant PIN had assured him by etters from st.
Petersburg, that be had been most cordially well
coined By al the Russiars 70 whom he had been
addressed, but that al the persons most conversaIt
with the tracts to be explored considered his scheme
imprac,icabe, saying, that II he vent on with i.
they should never zee him again. Ill, when he
last wrote, but before tho formal decision had been
announced 70 him, Mr. PIN bad not abandoned his
hope ofprooesdilg; and Sir II. Seymour, in writ
ing 20 Sir i. MuTchison, Lad thus spoken Of that
gallant officer eff exersion Will enable Mr. PIN
10 procure The necessary permission foT his expedi-
tion, you may be sure ne will proceed. never
saw man more intent on carrying through what
he had undertaken" in one Of bis letters from It.
Petersburg, addressed to the President, Mr.. pm
thus expressed himself:-.' on cannot imagine
how anxious feel, and how | look forward to
my interview with the Emperor. ! shall use
every erdeavor 70 persuade his Majesty to
share ny confidence, ard 10 allow nc 10 proceed.
To this letter Sir oderck replied, repeating the
Injunction he gave TO Lieutenant PIN al his de-
parture, that ne must not think Of prosecuting his
design fthe Russian Authorities deemed j. imprac-
tlCaUie, anu tAab wien su-u lEtIeptu a1u expert
ercod as Aujon and Matinshkin (tne CON.
panions Of WraDgeD had assured him tnoy never
would zee him more, he must abandon it though
he ought 70 remain in Russia with the view Of CO.
operating in any other project that might be con-
sidered feasible by the Russian geograpncrs. The
President added, that his own specUaions had
never led him 70 suppose that Franklin could have
reached 60 far westTafds as the longitude Of New
Siberia bus b. had long thought that the expedi-
ton nigh! have been frozen up TO the nor.h Of the
de ant lands described by Wrsngel and Kellett,
beyond Behring's Straits IL was to those lands
thet be looked chiefly as the ultimate Destination
Of Lieutenant Pins journey, and il was to the
same tact that Captain Beatson now proposed to
eLdeavor TO proceed in his own smal screw steamer
"a project TO which, IN common with Admiral
Sir I. Beaufort, he gave his hearty appreciation,
and which be hoped would meet with the public,
encour cement due to so noble and generous an
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