Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-11-08
NO. A..
FATE OF SIR JCH HN FRANKL1N'S EX-
PETITION.

E PETITION.
] The Richmond Daily Dispatch says: The
Mon read ira i of Sa ur lay last contains an
extended account Of the discoveries of DR..
Rae, atridgements Of which have been furn.
ished BY telegraph. The letter of DR.. Rae to
Sir George is given IN full. We extract the
following:
/ On the 3lst. of March my srfng journey
eommenteA, bat in consequence of gales of
.awinl, deep and soft snow aud fozgy weather;
we made but very little progress. We did not
enter Pellv Bav mt the 17ih. At this place
we met with Esqrrimaux. one of whom. on be-
ing asked # he ever saw white people, replied
! in the negative but said that large party lat
least forty persons) had perished for want Of
food some ten or twelve days journey to the
/ westward. The substance of the information
obtained at various times and from various sour
ces, was as follows:
In the spring four winters past. (spring of
ls50,) a party of white men, amounting to
about forty, were seen travelling southwark over
the ice. and dragging boats with them. by some
Esqumaux who were killing seals on the north
| shore of King Williams Land, which is large
island named Kei-ik tax bv the Esquimaux.-
None of the party could speak the native Ian
guage intelligibly, but by signs the natives
we're made TO understand that their ships or
ship hid been crushed bv ice, and that they
we~p now going where they exrected to find deer
10 hot. From the appearance the men. all
-of whom, pxcept one officer (chief) looked thin,
t1pv purchased small seal from the natives.
, At later date. the same season. hut previous
10 the disruption Of the iee,Sthp bodies Of about
thirty white persons we're discovered on the
continent and on. the islard near it, about a
long dav's iourner, (sav 35 to 40 miles, to the
n, W. Of large stream. which can he no other
than Backs Great Fish River, tnamad hy the
Esqnimaux Out-koo- hi-ea-Gk,) rs its descrip-
ton. and that of the low shore neighborhood of
Point Ogle and Montreal Island exactly agree
with that of Sir ,GeOrye Back. Sore of The
bodies had been buried, probably those of the
| first victims of famine,) some were in a tent or
tents. othnrs under boat that had been turned
nvpr to form shelter. and several Law scatter
| ed about in diff. rent directions. Of fhose
found on the Island. one was supposed to have
been an officer. rs he had telescope strapped
over his slcu'd,r. ard his double -h"---''o-
oun l.,z nnfAraAAasL- -L;--7----------
eorpses and the contents of the kettles, it is ev
ident that our miserable countrvmen had been
driven to the last resorrce-ca canni6alism-as q
! means of proonging life.
There appears to have been an abundant
stock of ammunition, as the powder was emp'
tied in a heap on the ground hy the natives,
out of the keys or cases containing it, and a
quantity of hall or shot was fourd below high
water mark having been left of1ihe ice clo7e
to the beach. There must have been a num-
her of watches, telescopes, compasses, guns,
! several double barrelled.l &C., all Of which
of these different articles with the Esquimaux,
and. together with some silver spoons and forks,
aud purchased as many as could obtain. A
list Of the most important of these | enclose,
with rough pen and ink sketch Of the events
and initials on the forks and spoons. The arti-
ces themselves shall he handed over to the
Secretary of the Hon. B. i Co., on my arrival
in LONDON. -.- % -gsI
None of the Esfnimaux with whom con-
yersed had seen he whites nor had they ev.
er been at the place where the dead were found,
hut had their information from those who had
been there, and those who had seen the party
when alive. asl- d, ls1
The list of articles referred to above is as
follows: ----s-s