Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-11-09
Com. RKccfure's Despatches.
4 4 'llErleS EHIeSH1 ! 'tINrrRrsrIINe KARRAr1vE.

Com. McCIurc's Despatches.
aiIHnH1 HnIeH17 7 7iissrEERsEsrINe NARRATIVE. - !
i The ALandon Times of the 9th, publishes the
dispatches from Commodore Mcclure, to the Brit
!, ish Admiralty, relative to the discovery of the
Northwest Passage, to which cursory reference
, was made by the previous steamer These des-
. matches are very numerous and very voluminous
We present below their most interesting and i'm
: portant features. The great point settled by
Commodore Mcclure is this-he has manNeed to
force his ship the Investigator, far enou trough
the icy mountains of Behrings Straits, to point
from which she could communicate with others
which had entered the Arctic Seas by the Attain
tic passage 1t is we'll to note this fact, particu-
larly-the impression having been created that
the Investigator had sailed from ocean to ocean,
which is not the just yet-but it will be seen
by Com. McClure's despatch below, that he has
no doubt he will be able to make passage to
England now through Davis Straits. Practlcal-
w. therefore he is entitled to the credit OF having
accomplished the voyage from ocean to ocean,
The Investigator, while forcing her way through
Barrow's Straits, (September "A, l8520 from the
west, was run ashore, the Commodore making his
winter quarters therein the Bay of Mercy we
give below an interesting extract And it Is from
that point, be it remembered, that he now writes
Com MeC. is sangnine of returning home to Eng
land, by way of Bafins Bay, in 1854. Portions
of the dispatches are exceedingly interesting.
There are two remarkable discoveries mention
ed in Com. Mcclure Journal, viz: Some smok-
ing hillocks, and petrfed forest. He also states
that during his intercourse with the natives, he
only once met with any hostile demonstrations.
This occurred at Port Warren, near the Macken-
zie, where, on attempting to land, two natives.
with threatening gestures, waved them off 1t
was not without much difficulty that they were
pacifed, and then they related that all their tribe
but the chief and his sick son had fled on seeing
the ship, alleging reason that they feared the
ship had come to revenge the death of a white man
they had murder ed some time ago. They (through
the interpreter) related that some white men had
come there in boat, and that they built them
selves house and lived there at last the natives
murdered one, and the others escaped they knew
not where but the murdured man was buried in a
spot they pointed out. A thick fog coming Oh
prevented Capt Mcclure from examining this To-
cality, which is much regretted, as here is the
probable position where a boat party endeavoring
to return by the Mackenzie would have encamped
Below we extract from the Commodore's jour
nal
esssThe current along the coasts of the Polar Sea
appear to be influenced in their direction more OF
less by the winds but certainly upon the wes
side of Barring Island, there is permanent set te
the eastward At one time we found it as mucf
as two knots during perfect calm; and that the
flood tide sets from the westward, we have ascer
,bt tho fford
ed during our detention along the western shore
Of this island gare ample proof.
"The prevailing winds along the American
shore, and in the Prince of Wales Strait, fount
to be N. E., but upon the coast S. S. w. to N. w
-nA-ship stands no chance eff getting to th
westward by entering the Polar Sea, the waite
along shore being very narrow and the wind con
trary, and the pack impenetrable ;; but throug
Prince of Wales Strait, and by keeping along tn
American coast, I conceive it practicable. Drill
wood is in great abundance upon the east coast @
Prince of Wales Strait, and on the American
shore, also much game.
In this vicinity the hills abound in reindeer an
hares, which remain the entire winter we hav
been very fortunate in procuring upwards of 4,
900 lbs.
ssThe health of the crew has been, and still
continues, excellent, without any diminution G
numbers, nor have we felt the slightest trace q
the scurvy.
at is my intention, if possible, to return t
England this season, touching at Melville Islam
and Port Leopold, but, should we not be agai
heard of, IN all probability we shall have bee
carried into the Polar pack, to the westward c
Melville Island, in either of which cases any al
tempt to send succor would only be to increas
the evil, as any ship that enters the Polar pack
must be inevitably crushed; therefore, depot c
provisions, or ship at Winter Harbor, is the bes
and only certainty for the safety of the survivin
crews.
"No, trace whatever has been met with, or an
informatio obtained from the natives, whic
could by any possibility lead to the suppositio
that Sir John Frankns expedition, or any of hi
crews, have ever reached the shore we have Wis
tied or searched, nor have we been more fortunat
with respect to the Enterprise, not having see
her since parting company at the Straits of Ma
gellan on the goth of April, 1850.
Tee Danger of Musical Titles; OF
lone Kiss at Parting
lady of fashion (the we'll known Marchiones
of Finsbury) had been lettering for nearly a
hour in fashionable music shop. She had pu
chased copy Of nearly every piece of mus