Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1852-02-07
Sir John Franklin.

Tho Artic brings US further interesting in
telligence relative to the lost adventure. Capt
Penny published a letter in the London Times
few weeks since alluding to conversation he
had with Capt Martin in relation to Sir John
Franklin. The following interesting document
is the deposition of Capt. Robert Martin:
Robert Martin, now master and commander
of the whale ship Intrepid, of Peterhead, de-
clsres, that on the 22d day of July, 1845 when
in command of the whaleship Enterprise Pc
terhead, in latitude 76 10, longitude &c west,
CAIN weather, and towing the Erebus and Ter
ror were in company. The ships were along
side the Enterprise for about fifteen minutes
The deelarant conversed with Sir John Franklin
and Mr.. Reid, his ice Master. The conversation
lasted all the time the ships were close. That
Sir John, in answer to question by the ds-
clarant if he had a good supply of provisions,
and how long he expected them to last stated
that he had provisions for FIVE years, and if it
we're necessary he could make them spin ont
seven years, and he said, further that he would
lose no opportunity of killing birds or what
ever else was useful that came in the way to
keep up their stock, and that he had plenty of
powder and shot for the purpose.
That Sir John also stated that he hadaready
two shooting parties out-one from each ship.
The birds were very numerous; many would
fall at single shot, and the declarant has him
self killed forty at sing shot, With small peas
That the birds are very agreeable food, are in
taste and size somewhat ike young pigeons,
and are called by the sailors "roehes."
That on the 26 or 28th of said month of Ju-
ly, two parties of Sir Johns officers, who had
been out shooting, dined with the declarant on
board the Enterprise. There was boat with
six from each ship. Their conversation was TO
the same effect as Sir Johns. They spoke of
expecting to be absent four or five or perhaps
six years These officers said also that the
ships would winter where they could find a
convenient place, and in the spring push on as
far as practicable, and so on year after year, as
the determination was to push on as far as
practicable. ,r
That on the following day an invitation as
brought TO the declarant, verbally, to dine with
Sir John, but the wind shifted. and the Enter
prise having cut through the lee about mile
and half, the deelarant was obliged to decline
the invitation. That he saw the Erebus and
Terror for two days longer; they were still ly-
ing at an iceberg and the Enterprise was NOV
ing slowly down the country. That so humer-
Gus were the birds mentioned and so favorable
was the weather for shooting them. that very
large number must have been secured during
the time the declarant was in sight Of the two
ships The Prince OF Wales vhaler was also
in sight durug most OF the time. That from
the state of the wind and weather for period
of ten days, during part of which the declarant
was not in sight of the two ships, the best op
portunity was afforded for securing the birds
The birds described are not to be found al
all places on the fishing ground during the
whaling season, but are met with in vast mum
bers every season on certain feeding banks
and places for brooding, and it appeared all
the time, to the declaraut, to be most fortu
nate circumstance that the Erebus and Terror
had fallen with so many birds. and that the
state of the weather was so favorable for secu
ing large numbers of them. The declarant
himself kept fresh supply of the same de-
scription of birds, which kept fresh and good
during three months, at Davis Straits, and the
last were as good as the first.
Which declaration, as above written is now
made conscientiously, believing the same to be
true ROBERT MARTIN.
Declared before me, at Peterhead this goth
day Of December, 1851. R. GRATH.
Provost of Peterhead.