Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-11-05
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE.


plishment by Com MCCLURE of the North,cest Pas
sage and goes to confirm the facts and views taken
in this paper some days ago on the subject Of Nc
CLURE's voyage. The chief interest which we feel
IN the solution Of this geographical problem "
arises from the hope that it may put end to any
further attempts to explore those frozen regions so
destitute Of all reward for the prvations perls and
sacrifices which have for centuries past been ex-
pended in exploring them and which Nature her
self would seem to have forbidden.
THE Discovery NORTHWEST PAssAGE-From our
files of European papers which have hand by the
last arrival gather the following interesting descrip
ton Of the voyage of the British ship Investigator Capt
MCCLURE, in the Northern 1t will be by the
account that although Capt Mcclure has undoubtedly
demonstrated the existence of channel, leading from
Barrow Strait into the great Northern sea- about which
SO much has been said by previous explorers and
meeting thence directly with the Pacific by Behring's
Straits, still he has succeeded carrying vessel
through and is exceedingly doubtful if the nvestga
tor will be able to accomplish the passage
The last which heard of the Investigator,
before her arrival ut her present location stated
few days since the 9th of August, 1850, off the
northwest coast of Russian America, when she
ming to the norheastward with sudding sails She
Founded Point Barrow with but little difficulty, after
and contrary Winds which last however, proved rather
advantage than otherwise as they kept ice open
and the necessity of working to windward between the
polar pack and the gradually opng shore gave them the
means of avoiding dangers On the 2Gth August they
reached the mouth of Mackenzie river, finding this
point channel of ninety miles in width between the ice
pack and the shore On the 30h they passed Cape Ba
thurst Soon after when off Cape Parry view of open
water to the northward induced Capt Mcclure push
Tor Bank LAM hen will ;Iaa Of
they fell in with unknown coast, which they called
Barring Island. Passing up strait between this island
on the west and which they called Prince Aberts
land the east they reached the latitude 3 degrees
when their passage INSTRUCTED by ice and they
forced to prepare for wntering in the pack and
drifting to the southwark about twenty miles, final
y frozen up for the In the succeeding autumn
and spring travelling parties sent out in every di
rection, and much Of the adjacent coasts explored On
the 14th of July the ice broke up and attempt
Immediately made push the ship to the northward
wards Melville Island but mpenetrable pack Of ice
which opposed their progress in latitude - degrees 50
minutes north longitude lis west prevented this explo
ration Of what their exploring parties had in the previous
October proved to be the real northwest passage They
then rounded the southern shore Barring Island and
coasng its side succeeded in reaching far
latitude Il o. longitude III T. where they frozen
in the oath September 1851 and have remained firm
y fix in the ice up the date Of the dispatches in
April last
Subsequent the freezing up of the Investigator
record deposited Winter arbor by Capt McCLunE
while on exploring expedition, which record af
forwards discovered by party from the ship Resolut
Capt KELLETT, which during the cold Of 1923
Wntered in harbor of Melville island Acting upon
the information contained in the dispatches thus found
early in the spring of the present year travelling party
dispatched the straits greet the long
ing wanderers They reached the Investigator about the
first of April last and the surprise and JOY which
appearance excited board that vessel be
easily ina gined than described; and how this JOY
heightened when it ascertaned that vessels and
large supplies were close hand The spirits Of the
seemed to revive Even the sick forgot their maa
dies and jumping their hammocks rushed deck
to assure themselves that the strange apparons
actual flesh and blood and denizens Of another world
surgeon accompanied the strangers, assist if neces
sary, in mnistering to their comfort On the eth Of
April Capt Mcclure left the Investigator and arrived
board the Resolute on the 10Th.
During the perlous voyage of the Investigator nothing
definite was heard Of Sir John Franklin On one
occasion, at Point Warren the mouth Of the Mac
kenzie river they were told by the natives through the
interpreter, that white had visited them before
in boat and that they built themselves house and
lived there at last the natives murdered one and the
others escaped they knew not where thick fog coming
on prevented Capt Mcclure from examining this locality
which is much be regretted, this the probable
position where boat party endeavorng to return BY
the Mackenzie would have encamped.
Capt. Mcclure mentions in his journal remarkable
discoyeries-some smoking hocks and perifed forest
As above stated, it was party from Captain
KEILET's vessel, which had wintered at Beechy |
Island, who discovered the despatch of Captain
MCCLURE, at Winter Harbor, and was thus led to
the position Of the ship Investigator. The meeting
with Capt. Mcclure is thus described in private
letter from Capt. Kellet, dated
HER MAJEsTY's SHIP REsoLUTE
"MELvILLE ISLAND APRIL 49, 1853
Z" This is really a red-etter day in our voyage and
shall be kept HOLIDAY by heirs and successors
forever. At nine o'clock Of this day lookout
made the signal for party coming in from the westward
All went out TO meet them and assist them in second
party was then seen.
+" DR., Domyille was the frat nerson mot con,o,
describe my feelings when lie told me that Capt Mcclure
among the party. / was not long in reaching
him. and giving him many hearty shakes no purer were
ever given by two in this world Mcclure looks well
but is very hungry His description OF Pins making the
Harbor Of Mercy would have fine subject for ,be
pen Of Capt Marryatt. he alive
Mcclure and his First Lieutenant were walking On the
foe. Seeing person coming very fast towards them
they supposed he chased by bear or had seen
bear Walked towards him; getting EDWARDS hun
dred yards they could from his proportions that he
was of them. PIN beganto screcch throw up
his hands, (hs face black my hat This brought
the captain and lieutenant stand they could not
hear sufficiently to make out bis language.
= At length PIN reached the party, quite beside him.
SELF and stammered out, on McCure's asking him who
md do ucome from ieute