Washington sentinel., 1853-11-08


between Behring' s, Straits and Barrow's Straits,
leaving it certainty that northwest passage
must exist, though no navigator had accom-
plished it. 1t was the noble enthusiasm of Sir
John Franklin that induced the British admi
rally to fit out the most complete expedition
that had ever sailed for the frozen regions
Sir John Franklin, having the command Of
the Erebus of 378 tons, the Terror of 326 tons,
and the Boretto transport sailed from the mouth
of the Thames on the 26th Of May, lS45. 1t
was three centuries since Sir Hugh Willough-
! by, 1885, with the same greetings from his
government and with the same object, sailed
on his memorable and fatal voyage in his barque
/, of less than fifty tons. But Franklin was sup
piled with every means that science or experi-
ence could suggest or that skill could execute,
to enable him to encounter the perlis OF the
confident passage, "from the Atlantic to the
Pacific ocean, His instructions--now before
us-directed him to proceed to Lancaster sound,
and through Barrow's straits, to Melville island,
and thence to make a straight course through
the remainder of the passage to Behring's
straits His ships were seen on the 10Th OF july
lS45, by the whaler Prince of Whales, in lati
tude IA AS north, and longitude 66 Is west,
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 tidings of
this expedition came, two objects became blen-
did together -succor to these brave men who
were perishing from devotion to this service and
the search for the northwest passage. It would
require far too much space to detail accounts of
the noble enterprises undertaken to relieve Sir
ToLr ha ff,o o,,r
common humanity. Three Independent expe-
dtions first made the most thorough search; /;
one through Behring's Straits; one overland to
the mouth Of the Coppermine river; one through
Baffins Bay and Barrow's Straits. These ex-
peditions, with incredible labor and peril, pur-
sued their humane work through AS and 49,
but with no success. 1t was at the same time
that the American expedition and private
British expedition went on the same object.
/. The only authentic trace Of Sir John Franklin,
up to August 23, 1850, was the discovery Of an
encampment in Lancaster Sound, which beyond
doubt indicated that he had been there in l845
and 1916. 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 tidings up to this
time that have been received Of Sir John Frak-
!. lin. The inscriptions put beyond doubt that in
1866 party, at least, from the expedition was
at this place. One is as follows:
"Sacred to the memory of w. Braine, r. M,
H. M. S. Erebus, died Sd April 1916, aged 81
years. Choose ye this day whom you will
serve" M
But the failure of these expeditions did not
repress the noble resolution to do all that was
in the limits Of human possibility to succor
Franklin and his companions Fresh expedi
tons we're soon projected. Two ships, the In
vestigator and the Enterprise, had no sooner
returned from Lancaster Sound to England,
than they were ordered under Captain Collin
son and Commander Mcclure to Behring's
Straits to search beyond Point Barrow in such
direction as such information as they should
obtain might lead them. They had orders to
reach, if possible, Melville Island. They sailed
from Plymouth, January 20, 1850, passed
I. through the Straits Of Magellan to the Sand
wich Islands, and thence made their way to
Behring's Straits. It will be sufficient to State
that the Enterprise, Capt. Collinson, reached
wainwright Inlet on 18th Of August, and at
tempted to reach Point Barrow and meet the
Herald but soon she left these regions and
made for Hong Kong. The Herald, Capt Kel
lett, also, on Sept Sd, 1850, sailed for the Sand
wich Islands. rl
The Investigator, Capt. Mcclure, arrived at
Kotxbue Sound in July, 1850. While the
Herald under Capt Kellett, and the Enterprise
under Capt. Collinson, returned towards Eng
land the officers Of the Herald and !nyestigaa-
tor bidding adieu to each other at Behring's
Straits--Commander Mcclure, in the spirit of
the most intrepid of navigators, went on to
achieve the great feat of northwest passage :?
An account printed in 1851 gave the last word
that was heard of this navigator, until now, in
the following terms -" Commander Mcclure,
with great decision and enterprise, having
found the ice favorable, did not seek Granty
Harbor. but boldly pushed the Investigator into
the Arctic Sea, and was last seen off wainwright
Inlet, and was about to pass the winter among
the ice at Cape Bathurst or Point Barrow
And thus another vessel and another brave
crew were lost to the eyes of the world. Cap
tain Collinson of the Enterprise, July 3, 1851,
arrived at Port Clarence, in these regions the
Ployer which had wintered in these frozen
seas amidst all their terrible perils, was at the
sama port on the 30th of July; the DRdalus,
Can't. Wellesley had been also on the search,
but could give no intelligence of the Investiga-
tor. And the last look of this ship was that of
August 6, 1850; with her studding sails set she
was running to the northeastward. ss3s y
We have not space to detail the subsequent
exnedtions that were sent out. Suffice it to
saw. in order to give a clear idea Of what en-
sued, that the Herald, Captain Kellett, returned
from Behring's Straits to England, and was
sent to Barrow's Straits that other vessels were
despatched to the same point and among them
the Resolute.
The chief point Of interest is in the Investi-
pator. under Capt. Mcclure She pursued her
way boldly into the Artic sea from Wainwright
Inlet. With great difficulty she rounded Point
Barrow; on the 26th Of August she reached
the mouth Of Mackenzie river on the 3Oth Of
August she was off Cape Bathurst Mt 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 unknown coast
called Prince Albert's Land he reached 73' OF
latitude, when the ice impeded further progress.
His ship (Sept. III was beset with ice. Here
is the entry for Oct. 8, by Capt. Mcclure, in his
iournal:--
anx C;r,o tba III ne laet month have