Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-18
DISCOVERY OF SIR JOHN ERANKLIN-DR. RAE'S
REPORT TO THEIADMIRALTY.

IONS Dr. RAE at the time of the discovery in the
employment of the Hudsons Bay Company, surveying the
coast Of Boothia and not in search of the missing
party. He has gone to England, and made report to
the Commissioners of the Admiralty which is substan
italy the his letter Sir GEORGE srsos hereto
fore published The following extracts from Dr. RAE
Journal
son the morning of the Goth we met By very
intelligent Esquimaux driving dogsledge laden with
musk-ox beef This at consented to accompany
two days. journey, and in few minutes had deposited
his load on the snow and was ready to join Having
explained to him my object he said that the road by
which he had the best for and having light
ened the mans sledges travelled with facility
.sWe Joined by another of the natives, who
had been absent seal hunting yesterday, but being anx
ious to had visited our house early this morn
ing and gg 9ap rae I; Hha Tss
n man 10 before sau or any ships y
boats ne replied in the negative but said that party Of
Kablounans had died Of starvation long distance to
the west Of where then were and river
He suited he did know the exact place. that he had
never been there and that he could not accompany us
SO far The substance of the information then and sub
sequeny obtained from various sources was to the fol-
lowing effect
AIN the spring four winters past, (1850) while some
Esuuimaux families killing seals near the north
shore Of large island named in Arrowsmiths charts
King Williams Land, about forty white men were seen
travelling in company southwark the ice, and drag
ging boat and sedges with them They were passing
along the shore Of the above-named island None
Of the party could speak the Esquimaux language SO well
as to understood but by signs the natives were led to
believe that the ship ships had been crushed by ice
and that they going to where they expected to
find deer to shoot From the appearance Of the menal
of whom, with the exception Of an officer were hauling
on the drag-ropes Of the sedge and looked hin-they
then supposed to be getting short of provisions and
they purchased small seal piece of seal from the ma
tives The officer was described being tall, stout
midde-aged man. When their day journey terminated
| they pitched tents to rest in.
later date the same season, but previous to the
disruption Of the ice, the corpses Of some thirty persons
and graves discovered on the continent and
FIVE dead bodies island it, about days jour
ney to the northwest Of the mouth of large stream
which be other than Backs Great Fish river,
(named by the Esquimaux Ootkoo- -hi-calik as its de-
cripton and that of the low shore in the neghborhood
Of Point Oge and Montreal Island agrees exactly with
that Of Sir George Back. Some of the bodies were in
tent tents; others under the boat, which had been
turned to form shelter; and some lay scattered
about in different directions OF those seen on the island
it supposed that that OF an officer, (chief
he had telescope strapped over his shoulders and
i double -barrelled gun lay underneath him.
From the mutilated state of many of the bodies and
the contents of the kettles it is evident that wretch
ed countrymen had been driven to the dread alternative
Of canibalism as means of sustaining life few o.
the unfortunate must have survived until the arrival
Of the wild fowl (say until the end Of May shot were
heard and fresh bones and feathers of geese noticed
near the scene of the sad event
There appears to have been an abundant store of
ammunition Us the gunpowder emped by the natives
in heap the ground Of the kegs contain
ing it, and quantity of shot and ball found below
hgh-water mark, having probably been left on the ice
close the beach before the spring commenced There
must have been number of Telescopes saysral Of
them double barrsed,( watches, conlpasses, &c., all OF
which seem have been broken up as saw pieces Of
these different articles with the natives, and purchased
many possible together with silver spoons and
forks order Of merit in form Of star, and small
. silver plate engraved Sir John Franklin, X c. B.
ssNone of the Esquimaux with whom | had communi-
Gated saw the white men, either when living after
daaih nd ever at
corpes found but had their information from those
who had been there and who had seen the party when
: travelling on the ice.
Fron what could learn there is to suspect
any violence had been offered to the sufferers by the
natives"
1t would from Dr. RAEs description of the places
in which the bodies were found that both Sir JAMES
and Capt BELLoT must have been within few miles of
the spot which the lost explorers had struggled in
their desperate march.
The interesting memorials Of the psrty, such as silver
forks spoons coins, &C., which Dr. RAE obtained from
the Esquimaux, had all been by them ornaments
the coins being pierced with holes be suspended
medals large number Of books also found but
these not being valued by the natives they had been
either destroyed or neglected DR.. RAE has no doubt,
from the careful habits of these people, that almost every
article which the unhappy sufferers had preserved could
be recovered but he thought it better home
w
of having to spend another winter in the snow.
In reply writer in the London Times, who thinks
DR. RAE reprehensbe for not having verified the report
of the Esqumaux before giving publicity, Dr. RAE says
TO have verified the report which brought home
would believe, have been difficult matter but could
not possibly be done by my party in any other way than
by passing another winter Repulse Bay, and making
another journey the ice and in the spring of
1866 This could have easily done, without exposure
to pfvations than persons accustomed to the Hud
sons Bay Companys service in the habit Of enduring
but had deeper motive in returning to England with
the information had obtained than the selfish feel
ing of regard for my comfort which is point have
never much studied.
i "My reason for returning from Repulse Bay without
having effected the survey had contemplated was to
prevent the risk of valuable lives being sacrificed in
useless search in portions of the Arctic hundreds
ef miles distant from the sad scene where the lives of
aany of the long lost party terminated and happy
soy that my conduct has been approved by all those
whose opinion value and with whom have conTersed
on tAe subject
In further reply to the writer who endeavors to
dscret the report by suggesting that where Esqumaux
could hye and where Dr. RAEs party could find album
iant means there nothing to prevent Franklin 5
part from subsisting, DR.. RAE says:
yo man but one perfectly with the sub
ect ,uld ask such question. AT the when Sir
Johrp rranklins party travelling the ice
the STA holes covered with snow, and only be
scov ed by the acute of smell Of the native dogs
and ar the seal hole is discovered much patience ex-
perence and requisite to kill the seal As soon
as the sa thaws say in June the seals show them
selves on ,the ice, but they then difficult Of ap-
proach tiaa not of my men, 0ugbuck the interpre
ter excepA d. although they often made the attempt,
N CHI yoft