Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-01-14

The official report Of Captain De Haven
who had command Of the Grinnell Arctic
Expedition, to the Secretary Of the Navy
D is published. We take from it some ex.
tracts which will be found of interest, The
e following account is given Of the trace:
: of Sir John Franklin's expedition, which
were discovered on Point lnnes and Beechy
Island:
On the 26,h of August, 1850, with ligh
, breeze, we passed "Beechy" Island, and rur
through a narrow lead to the N orlh. In
mediately above Point shines" the ice o
"Wellington Channel' was fixed and un.
broken from shore 10 shore, and had every
indication Of having SO remained for q, leas
three years. II was generally about eigh
feet thick, aud the sharp angular humm ocks
peculiar to recently formed ice, had been
rounded down to gentle hiIIocks by The
action of the weather for several seasons
Further progress to the North was out o
the question. To the West, however, along
the edge of the fixed ice, a lead presented
itself, with a freshened wind from S. E.
We ran into it, but at half way across the
channel our headway was arrested by the
closing ice. A few miles hey ond this, two
OF the English vessels Zone s.eamer) were
dangerously besel. deemed it prudent, to
return to Poin, '.Innes," under the lee oil
whch the vessels nigh. hold on in securi
~ until favorable change should take
lp|ace.
On Point shines" distinct traces Of an en-
lcampmenl were found, together with many
relics similar to those found at Cape "Rilev."
lCsp'ain Penny (whose squadron we met
here) picked up piece Of paper containing
the name Of one of The officers Of Frank lin =
IExpedilion, written in pencil, thu. proving
beyond doubt that some of his party had
encamped here but when, or under wha,
circumstances, u was difficult to say. The
name of lhe person who had supplied his
ships with that article.
| On Point "lnnes" we also found the re-
mains of an E>quimaux's hut, hu, it had evil
denlIy been sbandnned for many yesrs. No
recen, traces Of this people were found on
any Of the shores of Lancaster Sound" that
we visited.
| The weather becoming more favorable.
We retraced our steps as far as "Beeclly"
Island. In order Ia make more minute in
vestgati"ns in that quarter. The vessels
were made fast to the land ice on the N
W. side Of the Island, on the 9Th August.
The schooner Felix" Capt. Sir John Ross.
r. N, and the squadron under Cap,. Penny
Joined us 9. this point. Consulting with
hese gentlemen, joint search was insiI-
uied along the adjacent shores, in all di-
reciions. In short time one Of Captain
Penny's men returned aud reported ,ha, he
had discovered "seueral grdueS" on exami-
nation his repor, proved to be correct
Three we'll made graves were found, with
painted head boards of wood, the inscrip-
uons on which were as follows:
(1st.)
Fl. NJ. S. ''Erebus.'' Died April Sd, 1916, aged
81 years" "Choose ye this day whom you will
serve.''
| (2nd.)
Sacred to the memory of Jno. Hartwell, A. B.,
H. NJ. S. sErebus,'' aged 90 years. "Thus
saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways
| (3d.)
Sacred to the memory of Jno Torrington, who
departed this life Jan. 1st., A. d. 1916, on board
Il. M. D. snip - leTfOT, dSeQ ~.
Near the graves were also other unmis-
kable evidences of the missing expedition
having passed its frs. winter here. They
consisted Of innumerable scraps of old rope
and canvass. The block on which stood
The armorer's anil, with many pieces Of
coal and iron around 1.-THE outlines Of
several tents, or houses, supposed to have
been the site Of mechanics. The chips and
shavings Of The carpenter still remained
short distance from this was found q
large number Of preserved meat tins, all
having the same label as those found a, Point
I"Innes.o
From all these indications, the inference
could not fail 10 be arrived at, that the Gre
bus" and s.Terror" had made this their first
winter quarters after leaving England The
spot was admirably chosen for the security
Of the ships, as we'll as for their early es-
cape the following season. Every thing,
too, went to prove, up to this point, the
expedition was we'll organized, and tba,
the vessels had not received any material
injury.
Early on the morning Of the 2Sth August.
H. B. M. ship "Res olu.e," captain Austin,
with her steam tender, arrived from the east
ward. Renewed efforts were made by all
parties to discover some written notice.
which, according to his instructions. Sir J
franklin ought to have deposited at this
place in some conspicuous position. A
carn Of stones erected on the highest part
Of The island was discovered. A most tho
rough search with crows and picks was in
slilu,ed at and about it, in the presence of
ell hands. This search was continued for
several days, but not the slightest ves,ige of
a record could be found. The graves were
not opened or disturbed.