Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-11-18

- TGEYrxr In
IEREsTING NARRATIvE-The London Times of tbo
oth publishes the dispatches from Com McCI,ye ~.
the British Admiralty, relafive to the discover, of
the North est passage to which cursory reference
was made by the previous steamer These despatch
es are very numerous, and very yoluISinnIs W.
present below their most interesting and imnortant
featnTes re- The great point settled BY Commodore
Mcclure Is this,-he has managed to force his shin
'he investigator far enough beyond he icy mountain
OF behring's straits toa point from t6hicFshe could o
urcote wh others ,rhich had entered the Arct;c So
by the AAantie passage It is we'll to note this fact
partcularly-the impression having been created
that the investigator had sailed from ocean to ocean
whlch 1s not the case rust get,-but it will De seen
Dy AicCinres dispatch below, that he has no doubt
ne will be able to make passage to England now
through Davis Straits. Practically therefore. he
is entitled to The credit of his having accomplished
the voyage from ocean to ocean,
The Investigator. while forcing her way throuob
Barrow's Straits, (Sept. Gath, 1852 from the west
Was run ashore, the Commodore making his winter
quarters therein the Bay of Mercy. We give be-
low an interesting extract And it is from that
point, be it remembered that he now writes Com
McC., is sanguine of returning home to England by
way of Bafins Bay in 1854. Portions of the dis.
patches are exceedingly interesting.
There are two remarkable discoveries mentioned
in Captain M'Cfare's Journal viz some smoking
hillocks and petriied forest He also states that
during his intercourse with the natives he only onee
met with any hostile demonstration This occurred
at Port Warren, near the Mackenzie where. on at
tempting to land two natives with threatening ees
lures waved them Off 1t was not without much
difficulty that they were pacife!, and then they
related that all their tribe bt the chief and hrs sick
son had fed seeing the ship, alleging as reasoT
that they feared the ship had come to revenge the
death of W bite man tn y had murdered some time
ago. They (through the interpreter) related tha6
some white men had come there in boat, and thaB
they built themselves house and lived there at
last the natives murdered one and the Others es-
capped they knew not where but the murdered ma
was buried in spot they pointed out. thick fug
coming on prevented Captain Mcclure from examin-
ing this locality, which much regretted as here is
the probable position where boat party endeavors
ing to return by the Mackenzie would have encamr:
Below extract from the Commanders Journal:
g 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
ct Barring Island there is permanent set to the
eastward. At one time we found it as much as two
knots during perfect calm and that the food tide.
sets from the westward We have ascertained Beyond
doubt, as the opportunities afforded during our
detention along the western shore Of this island
gave ample proof
The prevailing winds along the American shore,
and IN the Prince of Wales Strait, We found to be
N. f., but upon this coast S. S. w. to N. w
sc A ship stands no chance of getting to the west
ward by entering the Polar Sea- the water along shore
being very narrow and wind contrary, and The pack
mpenetrabe; but through Prince OF Wales Strait
and by keeping aong the American coast, conceive
it practicable. Drift wood is in great abundance,
upon the east coast of Prince of Wales Strait and on
the American shore, also, much game
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 lbs
" The health of the crew has been, and still con-
tinues, excellent. without any dminution of numbers,
nor have we felt the slightest trace of scurvy
=" 1t is my intention, if possible to return TO Eng.
land this season, touching at Melville Island and
Port Leopold. but should not be again heard Of in
all probability shall have been carried INTO the
Polar pack, TO the westward If Melville Island in
either of which cases any attempt to send succoF
would only be to increase the evil as any ship that
enters the Polar Pack must be inevitably crushed
therefore, depot of provisions, Or ship at Winter
Habor, is the best and only certainty for the safety
of The surviving crews.
g" No trace whatever has been met with. or any
information obtained from the natives. which could
by any possibility lead to The suppesiton that Sir
John Fanklins expedition, or any of bis crews. have
reached the shore we have visited or searched. nor
have we been more fortunate with respect to the En-
terprise, not having her since parting company
at tbs Straits OF Magellan the goth Of April, 1850.