Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-10-28
Discovery of the actual and wretohed fate of
the long-lost SIR JOHN FRANKLIN and
his companions in misfortune

We are indebted to Sir Geo. Simpson, Gov
ernor of the Hudson's Bay Territory. for the
privilege of first publishing to the civilized world
the at length asccrtained fate Of the noble, but
ill-starred Sir John Franklin aud his gallant
company. Alas that the fate should have been
80 sad and that the problem. which has So long
occupied the thoughts and engaged the energies
of the greet nav gator countless friends and adj
mrers in Europe and America, should be solved
by painful, distressing a narrative as Is
contained in the following letter, which only
reached Sir Geo. Simpson yesterday afternoon
il having been forwarded from York Factory, via
Red River Our own hopes of Sir John Frank
ns restoration 10 the world had, we confess long
ceased but who could have been prepared for
the fearful reality-a miserable and lingering
death from literal starvation-possibly. as DIR.
Rea conieotnres, worse than starvation--on the
frozen and desolates shores of the Attic Ocean.
But shall not detain the reader, by any re
fection of ours, from the persua of DIR. Rea's in
tensely interesting narratve-we sha merely
mention that York Factory is situated at the
month of Hayes River, in ludson's Bay, in about
JG2 y. l.. 9.}s- W l..
DIR. RAGS LETTER TO SIR GEORGE SIMPSON.
YoR FACTORY, Aug 18th, 1854.
Ny DEAR GEORGE Your several letters,
public and private, of dates 18th June, and lst
December, 1853. and 18th and 10Th June, 1854,
were handed me on the 18th ult.,on my reaching
ChurehiIl,and rej,iced to learn that your health
had benefited so much by your visit to the
north.
Let me now allude to the expedition affairs
] arrived here on the Bis ult. with my small
party, in excellent health, but am sorry to shy
without having effected our subject. At the
same time, information has been obtained aud
articles purchased from the natives, which places
the fate of portion, il not all of the them snrvl-
vors of Sir John Franklin's miserable party be-
pIf Iapi futn tla, dor ,la Itn
from starvation, after having had recourse to
eannlbalism u means of prolongng life.
reached my old quarters at Rcpulsc Bay, on
the 18th August, and preparations were i'm
meniately commenced for winering. On the list
September explained to the men our position,
the stock of provisions we had ON hand, mot more
than three months rntions) and the prospects we
had Of getting more, &c, &c, pointing out all
the danger aud difficulty -four position. All re-
adiy volunteered to remain, and our cxertlous to
collect food and fuel went on with undated encr
~. by the end Of September, lOo deer musk
OK, 81 brace of Ptarmigan, and one seal had been
shot, and the nets produced 100 salmon.
OF the larger animals above enumerated, ~
deer and the musk ok were shot by myself, 81
deer by Mistrgan, (thc deer huntc") II by one
81 the men, . by Ouigbuck and IL by the other
tonr men. The migration of the deer terminated
about the middle of October and % more ami
mails were added To oCr stock.
On the 18th of October the snow being sutii-
eenlly hard for building, were happy to
change our cold tents for the more comfortable
shelter Of the snowhouse. The winter very
severe, but the temperature IN our snow huts
was never so low AS IN my winter quarters of
l7i67. Up to the 10Th January we had nets
set under the ice in the lakcsthe nets were taken
up on that date rs they produced nothing.
On the 3lst of March my spring journey com
menced, but i'll consequence of gales of winds,
deep and soft snow, and foggy weather,we made
bat very little progress. We did not enter Pelly
Bay until the 9Th. At this place we met with
EsquimaX, one of when, ON being asked if he
ever saw white people replied in the negative,
but said that large party, (at least 40 p"rsons)
had persisted from want of food, some 10 or Il
days, journey to the westward. The substance
81 the information, obtained at various times and
from various sources, was rs follows
In the spring four winters pnst, (spring ls5oO
party of white men, amounting to about forty
were seen travelling southwark over the ice, aud
dragging boat with them, by some Esquimax
Who were killing seals on the north shore of King
Williams Land, which is large island named
kei ikitnk by the EsquimauX. None of the party
could speak the native language inteligibly, but,
h. signs, the natives were made to understand
TINT then ships or ship had been crushed by ice,
aud that the "whitcs" were now going to where
they expected to find deer to shoot. From the
appearance of the men, all of whom, except one
'sheer, (chicf) looked thin; they were then sup
posed 10 be getting short of provisions, and they
purchased II small seal from the natives.
At n later date, the same season, bat previous
To the disruption of the ice. the bodies of about
| thirty white persons were discovered on the con-
! tinent, and five an island near 1t, about long
! days journey (say thirty five or .orty mlcs) to
! the northwest of large stream, which can he no
other than Backs Great Fish River, (nnmed by
the EsquiniauN, Out koo hi ca lik) rs its deSerip.
ton, and that of the low shore in the neighbor-
| hood of Point Oglc and Montreal Island, agree
exactly with that of Sir George Back. Some of
the bodies had been buried, probably those of
| the first victims of tnminc) some were in n tent
or tents. others under boat that had been turned
over to form shelter, and several lay scattered
about in different directions. OF those found ON
the island, one was supposed to have been an of
heer as he had telescope strapped over his
shoulder and his double barrelled gun lay under
meath him.
From the mutilated state of many of the
corpseS, and the contents of the kettles it is evil
dent that our miserable cuuntrymen had been
driven to the last Observation-Disclosures n
means of proongmg life.
There appears to have been an abundant stock
of ammunition, as the powder was cmpted in n
heap on the ground by the natives out of the
kegs or eases containing 1t. and quantity of ball
aud shot was found below high water marx. hay
ing been left on the ice close to the beach There
must have been number of watches, Telescopes
compasscs, guns several double barrcllcd0 Nc
alto which appear to have been broken up as
saw pieces of these different articles with the
E>qnimaux, and together with some silver spoons
and forks, purchased many a could Obtain
\ list at the most important of these nclose
with n rough pen Link sketch of the events
and initials on the forks and spoons. The articles
81, IL. /