Washington sentinel., 1853-11-09

or driven on shore by the ice coming in with a
heavy pressure from the Polar sea, driving her
along within one hundred yards of the land for
4 hall mile, heeling her Is deg, and raising her
bodily onosfoot eight inches, when we again be-
came stationary and the ice quiet.
Sept. l0-ice again in motion, and ship driven
from the land into the main pack, with heavy gale
\ from the southwest
!. Sept III Succeeded ID getting clear ofrhe pack,
and secured to large grounded foe. Lat IA 90
| N, long. 122 20 w.
i Sept 19.--Clear water along shore 10 the east
/ ward; cast of and worked in that direction with
occasional obstructions, and several narrow es-
capes from the stupendous Polar ice, until the
evening OF the 23d, when we ran upon a mud
bank, having six feet water under the bow and
FIVE tathoms astern hove of without sustaining
any damage.
Sea 24--At daylight, observing Barrow's Strait
fuif OF ice, ma argc masses setting into this bay,
determined upon making this our winter quarters.
and, finding well sheltered spot upon the south
side of the shoal upon which we last night ground
ed, ran in and anchored in four iathoms, lat "a
~, long, 1T 5iW. This night were froaen ia,
excellent being well projected from the heavy ice
by the projection ofthe reef which throws Il clear
of the ship 600 yards
The currents along the coasts Of the Polar sea
appear TO be influenced in their direction more or
/ less by the winds; but certainly upon the west
side Of Barring Island there is a permanent set 10
| the eastward. AZ one time we found il as much
| as two knots during perfect calm; and that the
Hood tide sets from the westward we have ascer-
tanned beyond doubt, the opportunities afford
| ed during our detention along the western shore
| OF this island gave ample proof
Ihe prevailing winds along the American shore,
and in the Prince or Wales Strait, we found TO be
Ne, but upon this coast SSW. 10 NV.
ship stands no chance Of getting 10 the west
ward by entering the Polar sea, the water along
shore being very narrow and wind contrary, and
the pack impenetrable but through Prince Of
Wales strait, and by keeping along the American
coast, conceive It practicable. Drift wood Is in
great abundance upon the east coast of the Prince
Of Wales strait and on the Americap shore also.
much game. 'saass fb s~
In this vicinity the hills abound in reindeer and
hares, which remain the entire winter we have
been very fortunate in procuring upwards of 1000
pounds.
The health fthe crew has been, and still con-
tinues, excellent, without any diminution of num-
bers, nor have we fel the slightest trace Of
scurvy. arstal
Il is my intention, if possible, to return 10 Eng
land this season, touching at Melville island and
Port Leopold, but should we not again be heard
of in all probability we shall have been carried in
TO the polar pack, or to the westward of Melville
island IN either OF which cases any attempt to
send succor would only be to increase the evil,
as any ship that enters the polar pack must be in
evitably crushed therefore, depotof provisions,
or ship al Winter harbor, is the best and only
certainty for the safety Of the surviving crews.
No trace Whatever has been met with, any
information obtained from the natives, which
could by any possibility lead to the supposition
that Sir John Franklin's expedition, or any Of his
crews have ever reached the shores we have vis-
tied or searched, nor have we been more fortunate
with respect TO the Enterprise, not having seen
her since parting company at the Straits Of Magel
Ian on the Goth of April, 1850.
This notice was deposited by a travelling party
in 1852, consisting of Captain Mcclure, Mr.. Court,
second master; John Calder, captain of the fore
~
Gibbs, "A. b.; George Bounsal "A. b.; John Da-
Wis, A. b.; and Peter Thompson, captain of the
iforetop.
Whoever finds this. il is requested that il may
be forwarded TO the Secretary OF the Admiralty.
Dated on board her Britannia Majestys discov-
cry ship Investigator frozen in in the Bay Of Mer-
icy, lat. IA q N. long. LII 81 W., April 10, 1852
5.ll, ROBERT MCCLURE, Commander /
Unless there is q vessel now at Melville island,
IL is not my intention To revisit il, but make the
r. MCCLURE.
The first meeting of Lieutenant Bedford PIN
with the party from the Investigator is thus de-
scribed in private letter from Captain Kellett,
G. B., dated her Majesty's ship Resolute, Mel
vile island, April 9th, 1853. .s
This is really ared letter day in our voyage and
shall be kept as holiday by our heirs and sue
cessors forever AT nine clock this day our look
out man made the signal for party coming in
lIOm liic WcStWdru, ufI Went 10 meet lnem and
assist them in. "A second party was then seen.
DIR. Donvlle was the first person met. i cannot
describe my feelings when he told me that Capt.
Mcclure was among the next party. / was not
long IN reaching him, and giving him many hearty
shakes-no pnrer We're ever given by two men in
this world. Mcclure looks well, but is very hum
cry. His description of Pins making the harbor
of Mercy would have been fine subject for the
pen of Captain Marryatt, Were he alive.
Mcclure and his first lieutenant were walking
on ha a
wards them, they supposed he was chased by a
bear, or had seen bear. Walked towards him
on getting onwards a hundred yards, they could
see from his proportions that he was not one of
them. PIN began TO screech and throw up his
hands, this face was as black as my hat j this
brought the captain and lieutenant TO stand as
they could not hear sufficiently 10 make out his
language. ts
AT length PIN reached the party, quite beside
himself, and stammered out, on McClures asking
him, Who are you, and where do you come
iromP Lieutenant PIN, Herald, Capt. Kellett."
This was the more inexplicable 10 Mcclure, as j
was the last person he shook hands with in Beh-
rings Straits. He at length found that this sol-
tary stranger was a true Englishman--an angel
of light. He Says He soon was seen from the
ship, they had only one hatchway open, and the
crew were fairly jammcd there in their endeavor
to get up. The sick jumped out of their ham
mocks, and the crew forgot their dependency; in
fact, all was changed on board the Investigator
Mcclure had thirty men and three officers fully
prepared TO leave for the depot at Point Spencer.
What disappointment il would have been to go
there and find the miserable yacht Mary with four
or five casks ofprovisions, instead of fine large
depot. IN iI1s3
Another party Of seven men were to have gone
by Mackenzie, with request to the Admiralty 10
send out ship to meet at Point Leopold in 1854.
The thirty men are on their way over 70 me now.
shall, ifpossible, send them on TO Beechy Island
with about ten men of my own crew, to be taken
home the first opportunity.
May y2.--lnvestigator's second party, consisting
of Lieutenants Cresswel and Wynniatt, Mr.
Piers, and Mr. Miertsching arrived, bringing two
men on their sledge. They made an extraorii.
nary passage across for men in their state. The
greater part ofthem are affected with scurvy, but
are rapidly improving.
The Sandwic h islam ds The Daniel Web
ster also brings some very important information
from the Sandwich Islands, the details of which
Will be looked for with anxiety II is said that
another and decided step has been taken towards
the annexation ofthe islands to the United States