The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-12-23
Sir John Franklin and his Fate.

We have lately been reading a narrative Of the
adve ,tures Of the British squadron which went out
in the spriay of 1850 search of Sir john Frank
lin, and return ID last fall. The book is valuable
contribution moiera English literature. II not
only makes the reader iniliarlv acquainted with the
rerils AMI modes Of travelling by land and sea- De.
cuiiar 10 high northern ,itndcs, but deveopcs the
geographical iratmes e vast regions which have
ben hitherto shroud9d i, impenerablc mystery
The auth MS stve l. easy aud graceful, his book full
Of pleasing and highly exciting incidents.
From his description Of Arctic life, and Polar
pheaon ma generally cannot rise without being
impressed with tn following conviction: That Sir
john Franklin's party the larger poi ton of il.
b, sill living. ani Ear beyond the highest lati-
tadc winch any other navigator has been known TO
reach. That he must have taken the route Of Wei
iing,oa channel, instead of going to Cape Walker or
Melville Island, Is has been generally supposed
That instead e perpetual and imrenct able barrier
extending across Wellington Channel from the accu-
undated tee al ages, open WAY occurs at long in
t-rvals and that franklin being fortunately favored
with one OF these iafe openings, proceeded uD the
channel, "a IN navi gator has been able do before.
That one at these openIngS occurred in $40, when
this expedition IN the immediate neiS ibol hood
but knew not Of the fact until after returning home
and hearing the stltcnent Of Lieut.. De Ravens
squadron, which out the same year. That an
expedition, at no very distant dav, which will prop
eriy profit by the experience "i those that have al
ready preceded H. fail penetrate as far as
Franklin has done, AM find whatever remains Of him
q his gallant associate.
Many speculative propositions, or less related
the aiorcsoiay also encouraged by the details
of this interesting narrative. No instance is on re-
cord IL is asserted, of the destruction Of ships crews
in Arctic navigation Vessels, almost without num-
ber have been lost; bat .thc foe that sinks the ship
saves the crew. lndccd, in the worst pcrs which
have 10 be encountered in that inhospitahie region
there bc nothing which absolutely threatens
human life when guarded ly ordinary sagacity and
presence of mind. 1t quite reasonable to sup
pose that Franklin aud his this day sub
sistiag upou the uneqnaied abundance Of game and
fish peculiar t. the isd zone, in region untrodden
by any other civilized foot and om which the .ics-
trnction cf his vessel have rendered it npossi
bic for him to return. Additional color is given to
such surpositon by the still accommodating evidences
Of ;in open sea, and genial temperature in the
Immediate vicinity of the Pole.
Whatever may have been the real fate Of the mis-
sing ADVENTURE, II Is certainly not Yet time for the
enterprsins and phanthropc to desisi from further
ef,rts of search. Perseverance, will accomplish, il
not their rescue, al least "a knowledge Of how they
made the last heroic lice science and the glory
OF their country.
The wo,k to which we have been referring is
called the Arctic Io.nnal'-by Lieut.. Shermd o..
bosne. Of the British Navy Ii is one Of Putnam
excellent Library series, and may be found at Mcssrs
Keith s Woods.-N. Lc,aS Int.