New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-11-02

streets.
Il. A. TYLER. 80 Camp street
Paints-E, j. HART L Co.. los and loI Tchoupitoulas
street
G. C. BoesRr s. Co, So Camp street.
Wines, Liquors s-W. L. LErERicH It Co., "a Old
sEwE1L T. TAYLOR, Is Royal street.
2. W CosLER. Common street. opposite the st
Charles Hotel. |
Sir John FrankIin's Party Letter of DR..
Rae
The Montreal Herald of the 22d contains the
following letter from DIR. Rae, which will be
found extremely interesting, and embraces the
full particulars of the information obtained by
him in relation to the fate of Sir John Frank
Inns party. DR.. Rae has been engaged in ex-
petitions of discovery in the Arctic rsgisns since
1919, principally with o view of obssiHing infor-
nation upon this subject:
We are indebted to Sir George Simpson, Gov
ernor of the Hudsons Bay Territory, for the
privilege of first publishing to the world the at
length ascertained fate Of the noble, but ILL
starred Sir John Franklin and his gallant COM
pany. Alas that that fate should have been
so sad, and that the problem which has so long
occupied the thoughts and engaged the ener-
gies Of the great navigator's countless friends
and aamirers in Europe and America, should
he solved by so painful, SO distressing narra-
tive as is contained in the following letter,
which was forwarded from York Factory, ria
| Red River Our own hopes Of Sir John Frank
Inns restoration to the world had long ceased !;
but who could have been prepared for the fear
| full reality--a miserable aud lingering death.
| from literal starvation--possibly, as Dr. Rae
copjectures, worse than starvation --on the
| frozen and desolate shores of the Arctic Ocean.
| But we will not detain the reader by any re-
! Elections of ours, from the perusal of DR.. Rae's
intensely interesting narrative York Factory
is situated at the mouth of Hayes River, in
| Hudsons Bay, in about 56 N. lat
DR. RAE's LETTER TO SIR GEORGE SAMPSON.
l York FAcroRy August A. 1854.
Ny Dear Sir George-Your several letters public and
private Of dates 18th June and lst December 1853 and
18th and 10th June 1854 were handed the 2Stt
ut on my reaching Churchill and reoieed toearr
that health had benefited SO much by your visit to
the North
Let me now allude to the expedition affairs arrivet
here the Slst ut with my small party in excelen
health but sorry to say without having effected
object At the time information has been ohainst
and articles purchased FROM the natives which places th
fate of portion if not ALL the then survivors of Sir Jo
Franklins miserable party beyond doubt-a fate tn
most deplorsbedeath frem starvation, after having ha
recourse to cannibalism as means prolonging life
reached my old quarters at Repulse Bay the 15t
of August. and preparations were Immediately commence
for wnterng. On the 1st September explained to tn
|
mot than three months raons and the pros pect
had of getting more etc, etc, pointing out all tn
danger and difficulty of our position All readily volun
tered to remain and exertions TO collect food an
fuel went with unabated energy. By the end OF Sep
tember l0a deer musk 81 braces Of ptarmtgan an
seal had been shot aud the nets produced 100 salmon
Of the larger animals above enumerated 4a deer au
the musk shot by myself 40 deer by Mistesa
the hunter) Al by of the men, by Oulgbuck, an
is by the other four The migration Of the deer te
minated about the middle of October and % more an
mats were added to the stock
- np thaD hpfD
to commence building, were happy to exchange 0,
Geld tents for the comfortable shelter of the sno'
house The winter very severe but the temperatu
= in snow-huts so low as in my winter qua
ters of 1sl6l7 Up to the 18th of January we hai
under the ice in the lakes; the nets taken
= on that date, as they procured nothing.
: On the 3lst of March my spring journey commence
but consequence of gales of wind deep and soft
and toggy weather we made but very little progress
did enter peiy Bay until the l7th At this place
!, with Esquimaux of whom, on being asked if
ever saw white people, replied in the negative but a
that large party at least forty persons had pesh
for Of food about ten or twelve days journey to
westward The substance of the information obtain
: various times and from various sources was as #
TX lows:
the spring four winters past (prng 1860 party
white amounting to about forty were seen trayeli
W southwark over the ce and dragging boats with them
y Esqumanx who killing seals on the north shore
: King Williams Land which is a large island named b
lie ktak by the Esquimaux of the party could spe
the native language ntegiby, but by signs the natlI
- made to understand that their ships or ship h
~ been crushed by ice aud that the whites u
going to where they expected find deer to shoot Ere
the appearance of the men, all Of whom except one O
re (chef looked thin they were then supposed to
getting short of provisions and they purchased SIN
- seal from the natives.
I'M At later date the season, but previous to
disruption of the ce the bodies of about thirty white
. sons were discovered on the continent, and five on
island it, about long days journey (say thrtyf
forty miles1 to the northwest of large stream, VIII
can other than Backs Great Fish River (named
the Esquimaux Out-koo-hca-lk as its description
on that of the low shore in the neghborhood of Point
o Montreal Island agree exactly with that OF Sir
40 lsuck. Some of the bodies had been buried (preba
7 those of the first victims Of famine some We're in t.
O. OF tents others under boat had been turned
nv form shelter and several lay scattered about in diff
ent directions. OF those found on the island, one
= supposed have been officer. as he had telesc
by strapped over his shoulder and his barreed
it. lay underneath him.
from the mutilated state of many Of the corpses
by contents Of the kettles it evident that our misers
countrymen had been driven to the last reseurce-can
~, | talism-as means Of proonging life
There appears to have been an abundant stock OF
,s muuitiop, the powder empted in heap on
ground by the natives out of the kegs cases cont
ers it, and quantity Of ball and shot was found be
high mark having been left the ice close to
et beach There must have been number of watches
"a scopes cempssses guns. (seyera double barreled
ed, All Of which appear to have been broken up as
pieces of these different articles with the Esquimaux
together with silver spoons and forks purchased
and many could obtain list of the most importan
these enclose, with rough pen.and-ink sketch Of
% events aud inlals the forks and spoons. The art
themselves shall be handed to the Secretary of
" Hon, II. Il. & Co, on my arrival in London
70. None Of the Esquimaux with whom eonyefsed
- seen the whites,' had they ever been at the
where the dead were found but had their informa
from those who had been there, and those who had
- | the party when alive
ano From the head of Pelly Bay-whoh bay, in spi
es Sir H. Reauorts opinion to the contraryl crossed
h;s miles land in westerly direction traced yhe
~ shore from Castor and Polux River to Cape Hortsr
et James iioss, aud could have got within thirty
miles of Belto strait but thought Il useless proeee
Q fuItht. as could not complete the whole.
Never in my fugmer Arctic journeys had met
W snch an accumulation of obstacles. Fogs storms,
ET ice and deep snow had to fight against. On
t,aff. tn uf
of the sun or even TO make his position the hea
This on level coast, where the compass was OF lit
no use, was perpexing in the extreme,
The weather was much finer return jou
ud for e @ 49, ~ nsarv double the dsta nce
we arrived at Repulse Bay the 10Th OF May, wit
Dbs accident except in one instance in which one Of the
casks lost a zoe from frost bite.
The commencement of spring WAS very fine, but
As St and July were colder We were unable to get ont
bay until the 9th of August.
our progress along the coast as far as Cape Full
was much inpeded by ice but on getting to the S
Dy ward of the cape had clear water and ice
rect wards.
The conduct of the men, am happy to say was
orally speaking, good and we had not single G,
sickness all the time Of our absence.
Being anxious to send this te Red River by tn
boats write in haste aud briefly, but shall hav
pleasure of sending q detailed account by
further opportunity.
With the utmost respect, nave the honor TO q
eses very obedient servant JoHs