The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-11-23

HE. DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH
WEST PASSAGE-FRANKL EX-
Petition AND MCLURE's vOY-
AGE.
We have glanced at the intrepid adventure
hat traversed nearly the entire Arctic coast be-
ween Behring's Straits and Barrow's Straits
caying il certainty that northwest passage
must exist, though no navigator had accom-
,lished it, 1t was the noble enthusiasm of Sir
ohm Franklin that induced the British admiral
~ to fit out the most complete expedition that
lad ever sailed for the frozen regions.
Sir John Franklin, having the command of
he EREBUs of 3S7 tons, the TERROR of 326
ons, and the Boretto transport. sailed from the
mouta of the Thames on the Goth of May. lS45.
1t was three centuries since Sir Hugh Wlllough
by 1888 with the same greetings from his
government and wi h the same object, sailed on
his memorable and fatal voyage i'll his bark OF
less than fifty tons. But franklin supplied
with every means that science or experience
could suggest or that skill could execute, to
enable him to encounter the perils OF the con-
fident passage, " from tho Atlantic to the Paci.
fic ocean" His ins,ruc'ions-now before us
directed him TO proceed to Lancaster Sound,
and through Burrows Straits, to Melville ISL
and, and thence to make a straight course
through the remainder OF the passage to Beh-
ing's Straits. His ships were seen on the 25th
of July, lS45, by the whaler Prince Of Whales
in latitude "A So N. and longitude 60 l3 W.,
moored to an iceberg, waiting for an opening
in the ice in Baffin's Bay in order to enter Lam
caster Sound The crew were well and all
were in high spirits They had provisions for
three years and fuel in abundance. They never
have been seen since
And when time wore away and no tdings OF
this expedition came, two objects became blend.
ed together--succor to these brave men who
were perishng from eviction to this service and
the search for the northwest passage. 1t would
require far too much space to detail accounts oil
the noble enterprises SO honorable TO our COM
mon humanity. Three independent expeditions
first made the most thorough search; one through
Behring's Straits; overland to the mouth OF
the Coppernine River; one through Baffn's
Bay and Barrows S;rats These expeditions,
with incredible labor and peril, pursued their
humane work through 43 and 40, but with no
success. 1t was at the same time that the
American expedition and private British ex-
petition went on the same object The only
authenti. trace Of Sir John Franklin, up to
Aug. %, 1850, was the discovery of an encanp
ment in Lancaster Sound, which beyond doubt
indicated that he bad been there in 1S45 and
1896 Near by this cape is Beechy Island
Here three graves were discovered, with stones
on which were inscriptions of two men OF the
Erebus and one of the Terror; and l24 articles
were found indicative of camp equipment. And
these are all the authentic tdings up to this
time that have been received of Sir John Frank
lin. The inscriptions put beyond doubt that in
1856 party at least from the expedition was
at this place. One is as follows:
"Sacred to the memory of w. Braine, r
IA, II. M. S. Erebus, died Sd April, 1916
aged 80 years. Choose We this day whom you
will serve.
repress the noble resolution to do all that was
in the limits OF human possibility to succor
franklin and his companions. Fresh expedi-
lions were soon projected. Two ships, the In
vestigator and Enterprise, had no sooner return
ed from Lancaster Sound to England, than they
were ordered under Captain Collnson and
Commander Mcclure to Behring's Straits to
search beyond Point Barrow in such direction
as such information they should obtain might
lead them They had orders to reach, if pos
sibe, Melville Island. They sailed from Ply
mouth January 90, 1850. passed through the
Straits of Magellan to the Sandwich Islands
and theEce made their way to Behring's Straits
1t will be sufficient to state that the Enterprise
Capt. Collinson, reached wainwright Inlet or
18th of August, and attempted TO reach Point
Barrow and meet the Herald: but soon she
left these regions and made for Hong Kong
The Herald, Capt. Kellett, also, on Sept. Sd
1850, sailed for the Sandwich Islands
The Investigator, Capt. Mcclure, arrived al
Kotxbue Sound in July, 1850. While the Her.
aid under Capt. Kellett, and the Enterprise
under Capt Collinson, returned towards Eng
land; the officers of the Herald and lnvestigat-
or bdd ny adeu to each other at Behrng'
Straits-Commander Mcclure, in the spirit OF
the most Intrepid of navgators, went on TO
achieve the great feat of a north west passage
An account printed in 1851 gave the last word
that was last heard IF this navigator, until now
in the following terms :-s' Commander Nc.
Clure, with great decision and enterprise, hav-
ing found the ice favorable, dld not seek Grant
ly Dor, but boldly pushed the investigator
into the Arctic Sea, .and was last seen off Vain
right Inlet, and was about to pass the winter
among the ice at Cape Bathurst or Point Bar.
row. And thus another vessel and another
brave crew were los, TO the eyes of the world
Captain Coinson of the Enterprise, July 3
1851, arrived at Port Clarence, in these regions
the Pl,ver, which had wintered in these trozeG
seas amidst all their terrible perils was at the
same port on the 30th Of July; the Daedalus
Capt Wellesley, had been also ON the search
but could gain no intelligence OF the lnvesiigat
or And the last look of this ship was that OF
August 6, 1850; with her studding sails set she
was running to the north eastward.
We have not space to detul the subsequent
expe dltions that were sent out. Suffice 1t to
say, in order to give a clear idea of what ensu
ed, that the Herald, Captain Kellct, returned
from Behring Straits to England, and was sen'
to Barrow Straits: that other vessels were
L.. IL. int he RI
the Res,lute.
The chief point of interest is in the lnves.i-
gator, under Capt. Mcclure. She pursued her
way boldly into the Arctic Sea from wainwright
Inlet. With great difficulty she rounded Point
Barrow; on the Goth of August she reached the
mouth Of Mackenzie River; on the Both OF
August she was off Cape Bathurst; al
Cape Parry, the open water stretching
to the north, induced Capt. Mcclure to
push boldly on. An unknown coast he called
Baring's Island. Passing up strait and an un
known coast called Prince Albert's Land, he
reached 70 degrees of latitude, when the ice
impeded further progress. His ship Sept. ~
was beset with ice. Here is the entry for Oct
s, by Capt. Mcclure, in his journal:-
"Oct S-Since the It'll of last month have
been drifting in the pack-narrowly escaped
destruction several times, until, with heavy
nip at 3 A. M. this day, which listed the ship
81 degrees, we were firmly fixed for the space
Of nine months, in lat. 70 AZ, Ion. III, "a.
Now exploring parties went out from The ship
We copy here few items from the journal and
the record of THE FIRST DISCOVERY OF THE
NORTHWEST PAssAGE:-
"Oct. IS And to-day of the Princess Roy
al Isles; lying in the centre Of the Prince OF
Wales Strait, distant fou. miles from the ship
There is erected large cairn, pole and ball
upon its summit, in lat u 40 NJ. long, III "A
10 w, and have deposited three months pro-
visions for sxty-s men, besides leavinga boat
and some ammunition
Oct. 81 The captain Mr.. Court, and party
started to t:ace this strait towards the north
east.
Oct. 26-Discovered the entrance into Bar
rows Strait, in lat. 70 80 N long Id IA W.,
which establishes the existence of a north west
passage.
Oct 30-Five musk oxen shot upon Prince
Albert's Land which terminated our operations
for $780,
On the 18th of July, 1851, the ice opened,