The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-11-01
The Northwestern Passage

The Philadcl phia American cites rs one ofthe'
most interesting items in the late fore On news.
the following from the Office of the British Ad-
miralty, showing that the problem of the North-
west Passage has been solved ut. last. and that
q ship has actually safledroundsthe American
continent through the Arctic Ocean. Con,-t
mander Mcclure carries off the honor Of this
remarkable exploit:
ADMIRALTY, Oct. 7, ls53.-Commander In
gefeld, who, it will be remembered, was des.
patched in her majcstys ship ePhGnix in the
spring of the year, with supplies to Sir Edward
Belcher's squadron, arrived at the Admiralty
to day, having left the Phoenix at Thurso, New
Brunswick.
Commander Inglefeld brings no intelligence
of Sir John Frankns expedition; he has. how
ever, succeeded in depositing the supplies as
directed, and we are happy to say, is accompa-
MED by lieutenant Croswell of the Investigator
with dispatches from Commander Mcclure
who sailed in December, lS40, in search of Sir
John Franklin in her Majesty's ship investiga-
tor, and from Captain Kelett who sailed in the
spring of 1852, in her Majesty's ship Resolute,
on the same mission.
We regret to say that no traces towards sue
cess in the main object of their mission have
been discovered; but we have been favored
with communication of a letter from Com
mandcr Mcclure, dated Her Majesty's ship In
vestigator; Bay of Mercy, Baring's Island,
April 1853, which announces his success in ac-
complishing the long problematical enterprise
of the Northwestern Passage.
The gallant writer states that during the
winter of 1850 his vessel wntered in pack with
out sustaining any damage, (and surprising TO
say, he was to report the same result at the
end of the third winter, and without the loss
of single man of his crew in the frozen
waters called Prince of Wales Strait, and COM
muncatng with Barrows, as he ascertained on
the 2Gth Of October of that year. July, 1851,
he states, 'such body of ice came down upon
us with strong cast wind, and set the vessel
so far to the south, that we determined to at
tempt Il passage by the cast end of the ellis
of I;anks Land, forming the north entrance of
the large Island under which we now are"
The difficulties and dangers Of this passage
nav be estimated from his statement that tho
ice ilocs encountered measured from 46 to 70
feet beneath the water, only 6 or feet above.
The London correspondent of the American
stated, in addition to what is contained in the
above, that natives have been discovered fur
thcr north than ever have been seen belore-at
Woollaston Sound, at Victoria Cand and Prince
Roberts Land. Copper of the purest dcscrip-
ton was found in Jumps, and the natives who
were friendly, wero much amused at seeing the
sailors run to pick up the Jumps of metal with
which they edged their spears. Commander
Mcclure is coming home by Ba!in's Bay.
STocK OF GRAIN At Sr. Louls.--1he St.
Louis lntcll:gcncer of the 18th says:
We notice an unusual amount Of wheat, corn
and oats in store When we say unusual, we
mean more than there has been at any time be-
fore the present or past season. We have no
definite statement of the amount, but would
say there is at least eighty thousand bushels of
wheat, perhaps as many of oats, and half tho
quantity of corn. The most Of this is held by
speculators, who anticipate further advance
in prices and consequently a handsome profit.
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