The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-05

KeIlett had decided on making one further Effort q
search back On the traces Of Captain Mcclure for
rotices Of Cspain Collinsop, and the brill an ex Lott
81 Lieutenant Ne han. unparalleled " Arssic tra'
scn furnished me With intelligence Of his positive
fecurity II that IL tsgenoe had not been received
should have decided on leaving . vessel II
Beechey Island, under the command Of Captain
lar se Vice before the arrival Of the Pnenx Blu, one
point appeared clear to the minds of Captaia
kellett and myself, and others with whom |
conversational Captain Colinsons parties could
mot By any possibility reach Bsesasy Island
stores, boats, DO, were quite inadequate to their
comfort and convenience until relief, IL neces.
sary, should be cent from England. But IL was
clear to my conception, an their lordships had re
lied fully and solely on my ability to 9dge Of these
under his feet, no want of provisions ard the know.
ledge OF safe egress by Point Barrow aad BshrIne
Straits, would Dot bindly tempt Providence by any
further attempt to advance towards Barrow Straits.
Previous to the arrival Of the Pe9nix had sug-
gested as will be apparent In my despatch Of No. 5,
iso4 unces date Aug. is, 1854, that, in the event
OF his meeting with Dr. Rae he would obtain COM
petent guide to conduct him and his Grew to
the Huson Bay posts. The r0R appearance OF DR..
Rae last year seems to warrant my icion that he
would meet him, as Captain Colnson proposed las
stated in MS record) to advance eastward aud
southeriy towards the Dolphin and Union Strait
Under these circumstances think 1t highly pro-
bable that We shall zee either Captain Colinson or
one Of his officers, within fouite days accompanied
BY Dr. Rae, at the admiralty. My final despatch,
No. 4. 1854, 2sth Of 6ept Cork, will give my final
peocetdings; but it will be neces ssry for me 70 re-
haik ON wha. Is there 30 distinctly set NTH. had
fully Intended awaiting the arrival of the expected
relief from England, It Beechey Island, and ascer.
tanning the latest wishes Of my Lords Commission
ers Of the Admiralty before deciding on the final
step of Withdrawing the crew Of her Maesty's ship
A.. n.xk hal ~
matter with Captains Kellett and Mcclure, &C., it
sesmed to be the opinion that 70 safety Of return to
England (and at that period unsided by steam)
could be rtck0ned on after the 26th Of August, and
and exc ute all that was necessary TO be done BE-
fore that date. deferred until the 23d, calculating
that the full moon Of the 25th (or the spring tides
have little influence on the weather thsre) would
{ effect any change which could be hoped for during
August. Ny expectation Of the release Of the ship
this eason was crushed at each successive stage
which we made noitherly. The young winter had
set in there, as it did on the previous years at
Northumberland Sound and Port Refuge; aud,
therefore, without some extraordinary sonvul
sion Of nature, not now to be expected before
the first week in October, no hope remained of re-
lease. Still mindful Of my position, and Of the posi-
bic wishes Of their loldships, left my ship (on
be their pleasure. At all events, toleave her under
q proper commander It must be apparent to the
mind of every naval officer that the fact OF crew
leaving their mess places, almost annihilates every
chance Of comfort should they return T. was a.
the decks before took my final leave, and saw that
che was creditab.e to the officers aud crew should
fire hands be sent to take possession She leaked Ct
the time regularly seven inches per diem. On reach
ing the southern foe LEDGE thrty.four miles from the
ship, over which the boats had been dragged, was
found that much property must be abandoned, as
the boats could not carry the crew, and eighteen
men had TO travel BY land until relief was sent from
Resolute and Assistance. were now to be added TO
those belonging to the North Star, an aggregate
OF 26S souls, to be conveyed In one ship to England
ana all other duties complete, we quilted Beechey
Island By the to pre- vious Arctic commanders
i Was the custom Gas Will be seen by the twenty
first paragraph Of those addressed to Sir John
Franklin, as well as to Sir Edward Parry, &c.) to
take command Of the consort, should the vessel Of
the senior be injured:"ln the event Of any irrepa
rabe accident happening to either of the two ships
you TO cause the officers aud crew OF tae disabled
ship to be removed into the other, and with her
eiDgly to proceed 10 prosecution OF the voyage, or
return to England, according as circumstances shall
appear to require, understanding that the officers
ana crew of both ships are hereby aushoriz I'd aud
required to continue to perform the duties according
to their respective ranks and stations on board eli er
ship to which they may be removed, in the event OF
an occurrence Of this nature. Should, unfortun Ate
y, your own ship bs the ono disabled, you are 10
that case to take command Of the Terror" Sir
James Ross was similarly directed 70 make such ar
engagements for the officers and Gre ws as may be
most c0nsonant to the rules Of the SERVICE and most
conducive to the objects Of the expedition. Captain
Collinson had similar ORDERS allude to these last
especially to show that their ordships considered the
rules OF the service In Arctic service to be as have
extracted in the order to Sir John Franklin. II had
OF lost her Msjest,s ship AssistsI CO. it
would clearly have been my duty TO have taken COM
mand Of the North Star. But had previously,
and still continued TO command the squadron from
my eg from the 18th Of July to the 24sh Of August
tok fnp yvnv oAoNt <6a
course adopted By Sir Gordon Bremen, when he
quilted her Msjestys ship Wellesley, in China aud
proceeded with bis gig on board the 6esostris steam
er to Calcutta. And - considered that 1t would
the service by interference with the
books and accounts, II took the command Of the
North Star, / directed Commander Pollen "to re.
ceive me, as well as the other officers Of the expedi
ton, with my gig, for conveyance TO England"
Thus, commanding from her Majesty's ship North
Star, the Phoenix and Talbot hove In sight, and
bad to consider the latest instructions for warded to
me from their lordships. II will be seen by the
second paragraph they required the lat once with
drawing possible, the Whole Of the force now en-.
Polar seas" Next, II Il crews Of the Enterprise
and Investigator are at Banks Land, they must
abandon their ships. Captain Kellett is also to
abandon his ship; but in case this cannot be effect
ed in time the officers and men are not to be
detained at Beechey Island, but sent home. II no
tidings should have been heard OF Captain Collin
cod. measures ave to be adopted for his relief. But
those suggested were impossible, a. trust have
sho IN that no steam tenders were available. Next
ard "the great object" impressed "by their lord
ships" being TO recall with "ths least possible de-
lay, the whole Of the ships or crews named in the
margin, il IL can be DONE" Their lordships, then,
having the fullest confidence in my unaba:el zeal
and integrity, give me such full powers to act,
under every circumstance, "a may consider most
conducive to the best interests Of the servie and
the objects they had in view. I had, therefore,
fully to weigh and consder the only point involved
That was, the care for the safety and welfare Of
Captain Collinson. That question had loEg occu-
pied the thoughts and been the constant theme Of
conversation between Captain Keett ar M self for
six weeks. had, therefore, no hesitation in coming
az once to the decision for the late arrival Of the
PtGnix, and the startling report Of her captain
ard the icemaster that the passage through the ice
this season vas problematical, called for decision
and promptitude in . ton. The first point was
that NO safe quarters for any vessel could be found
at Be echey Island or in the vicpty next that We had
already proof that the Moth Star was pered, and II
the ship left be lost then her must be sab listed
on the supplies intended for Captain Collinson;
next that II q vessel Say the Talbot, had been left
behind and cut into winter quarters, now impera
- frnta utap ~hA init