Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-26
From the Baltimore American.

From the Baltimore American
Discovery OF the Actual and Wretehed
Fate of the Long-Iost Sir John Franklin,
and his Companions I'm Misery.
Though we have published all the main
facts in the annexed statement, yet the matter
to which it refers is one Of such general in
terest that readers will be glad to have it placed
before them in a complete and connected
form.
From the Montreal Herald, Oct. 81.
We are indebted to Sir George Simpson, go
vernon of the Hudson's Bay Territory, for the
privilege of first publishing to the civilized
world, the at length ascertained fate of the
noble, but ill7starred Sir John Franklin, and
his gallant company. Alas that the fate
should have been so sad and that the prob
lem which has so long occupied the thoughts,
and engaged the energies of the great naviga-
tors countless friends and admirers in Europe
and America, should be solved by so painful,
SO distressing narrative as is contained in
the following letter, which only reached Sir
George Simpson yesterday afternoon, it having
been forwarded from York Factory, via Red
river. Our own hopes of Sir John Franklin's
restoration to the world had, we confess, long
ceased but who could have been prepared
Tor the fearful reality--a miserable and linger-
ing death from literal starvation-possibly, as
DIR. Rea conjectures, worse than starvation
on the frozen and desolate shores of the Arctic
| ocean. But we shall not detain the reader, by
any reflection of ours, from the perusal of DR..
Rea's intensely interesting narrative-we shall
merely mention that York Factory is situated
at the mouth Of Hayes river, in Hudson's Bay,
in about $50 N. l.. 1892 w. L.
DR.. RAGS LETTER TO SIR GEORGE SIMPSON.
YORK FACTORY, dug. 4th, 1854.
My DEAR GEoRGE:-Your several letters,
public and private, of dates 18th June, and LIST
December, 1853, and 18th and 10th June,
1854, were handed me on the 18th ultimo on
my reaching Churchill, and reioiced TO learn
that your health had been benefited so much
by your visit to the North. y
On the 3lst of March my spring journey
commenced, but in consequence of gales of
winds, deep and soft snow, and foggy weather,
we made but very little progress. We did not
enter Pelly Bay until the 18th. At this place
we met with Esquimaux. one Of whom, on
being asked if he ever saw white people, re-
piled in the negative, but said that large
party, lat least 40 persons) had persisted from
want of food, some 10 or II days journey to
the westward. The substance of the informa-
ton, obtained at various times and from va
rious sources, was as follows:
In the spring, four winters past (spring,
1867 q party of white men, amounting to
| about forty, were seen travelling southwark
over the ice and dragging boat with them,
by some Esquimaux who were killing seals on
the north shore of King Williams Land, which
is large island named Kei-ik-tak by the Es-
quimaux. None of the party could speak the
native language. intelligibly, but by signs, the
natives were made to understand that their
ships or ship had been crushed by ice, and that
the "whites" were now going to where they ex-
pected to find deer to shoot. From the appear
ance of the men, all of whom, except one
officer, (chief) looked thin: they were then sup
posed to be getting short Of provision, andthey
purchased a small seal from the natives.
At later date, the same season, but pre-
vious 10 the disruption Of the ice, the bodies of
about thirty white persons were discovered on
the continent, and FIVE on an island near it,
about a long days journey (say thirty-fve or
forty miles, TO the northwest of large stream,
which can be no other than Backs Great Fish
River, manned by the Esquimaux 0ut-koo.hi-
ca-hk,) as its description, and that of the low
shore in the neighborhood Of Point Ogle and
George Back. Some Of the bodies had been
buried. probably those of the first victims of
famine some were in tent or tents, others
under boat that had been turned over to form
a shelter, and several lay scattered about in
different directions. OF those found on the
island, one was supposed to have been an off,
Ger, as he had telescope strapped over his
shoulder, and his double-barrelled gun lay un-
derneath him.
From the mutilated state of many Of the
corpses, and the contents of the kettles, it is
evident that our miserable countrymen had
been driven to the last resource-canibalism-
as a means Of prolonging life
There appears TO have been an abundant
stock Of ammunition, as the powder was emp.
tied in heap on the ground by the natives, out
ofthe kegs or cases containingit, and quantity
Of ball and shot was found below high water
mark, having been left on the ice close to the
beach. There must have been number Of
watches, telescopes, compasses, guns, several
double-barrelled,) &C., all of which appear to
have been broken up, as saw pieces Of these
different articles with the Esquimaux, and, to-
gether with some silver spoons and forks, pur-
chased as many as / could obtain. A list of
the most important Of these enclose, with
rough penandink sketch Of the events and
initials on the forks and spoons The articles
themselves shall be handed over TO the Secre-
tary Of the Hon. II. b. &C., on my arrival in
London.
None Of the Esquimaux with whom con.
versed had seen the whites" nor had they
ever been at the place where the dead we're
found, but had their information from those
who had been there, and those who had seen
the party when alive.
From the head Of Pely Bay-which is bay,
spite Of Sir II. Beaufort opinion to the contrary
Il crossed GO miles Of land in westerly d.
rection, traced the west shore from Castor and
Pollux river to Cape Porter Of Sir James
Ross, and could have got within 30 or 40 |
miles Of Belot Strait but thought it useless |
proceeding further, as ] could not complete
the whole.
Never in my former Arctic journeys, had l |
met with such an accumulation Of obstacles. |
Fogs, storms, rough ice, and deep snow we had /
to fight against. On one occasion we were
~ days unable to get glimpse at the sun, or
even to make out his position in the heavens.