The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-16
TEE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.


a. Sir John Franklin, to the Secretary Of the Navy
Our little party have returned in health and safety
We reached the Danish settlements of upernivk
hundred miles. During this journey, which embraced
alternate of ice and water, transported our
Soas by sedges and sustained ourselves on animal food
exclusively BY our guns We entered port after eighty
four days exposure in the open air.
have the honor to suboin hurried outline of our
operations and results in advance Of detailed COM
Guncatons.
Ny previous dispatches make the department acquant-
ed with arrival at the northern settlements of reen
land. Thence crossed Melville bay without accident
and reached smiths Sound on the 5th Of August 1853
Finding Cape Hatherton the seat Of my intended beacon
shut out from the sound by the prominent head
land OF Ltteton island selected this latter spot for my
sa,rn erecting flagstaff and depositins dispatches
To The north the ice presented dfung pack OF the
heaviest description the actions hummocing having
IN some instances reared barEcades Of sixty feet in
height In my efforts penetrate this drift being driven
only means Of continuing the scarcely 20 attempt pas
sage along the Land where the rapid tides here OF twelve
70 sixteen feet rise and fal) had worn precarous
opening Previous to this responsible step, depot OF
provisions with metallic life boat (rancs)
fully concealed In large inlet in latitude rs deg 20 min.
The extreme strength Of the Advance enabled her to
sustain this trying navigation. Although aground at
the an OF the tides and twice upon ner beamends from
the pressure of external ce she escaped any serious
disaster. After month of incessant labor cheered,
However, by small daily progress the new ice SO closed
around us to make further penetratian impossible
With difficulty found winter asylum at the bottom
Of bay which opened from the coast in latitude 7s deg
~ min Into it thankfully hauled our battered little
brig on the 10th Of September, 1853 From this point,
as q centre issued the explorations of my party
The winter was OF heretofore unrecorded severity.
whiskey froze early November, and mercury re-
manned solid for nearly four months The range Of eleven
spirit thermometers selected as standards gave tempera-
tures nOt yet reduced) Of sixty to seventy degrees
below zero and the mean annual temperature was deg
min. Fahrenheit the lowest ever registered
This extreme cold, combined with one hundred and
twenty days of absence Of gave rise to obscure
but fatal form of etanus lockjaw The exertions of
subdued the scurvy but these fearful tendencies to tonic
rpasm defed our united efforts This disorder extended
y our dogs ftty-seven Of which pershed thus COM
pletey breaking up my sledge organization.
The operations of search carried on under cir
sumstances of peculiar hardship. We worked at
sledges as late as the oath November and renewed
labor in March. Much of this travel in darkness
and at temperatures low 80 deg The earlier
winter travel undertaken by myself in person. but
by the aid Of single team of cogs and the jealous
alton Of my officers enabled to replace the
parties as they became exhausted aud thus continue the
search until the 18th Of July II believed that pre-
vies parties have been long in the field. Messrs.
Brooks, McGeary BonsaI Hayes and Morton successyey
contributed to the general result The worked with
6delity and endurance.
briefly detail the explorations Of our party
Smiths Sound has been followed and surveyed through
out its entire extent. ttermnaes 70 the northeast in
gulf ITO miles in its long diameter.
Greenland has been traced to its northern face, the
coast tending nearly due east and west &c. II deg.
ls further penetration towards the Atlantic arrest
ed by glacier, which offers impossible barrier TO fu
ture exploration This stupendous of ice issues
90 degrees west longitude 1t is concident with the axis
q the peninsula and Is probably the only obstacle to The
lar face and has been followed along base for so miles
IN unbroken escarpment This glacier runs nearly
due NORTH and cements together by icy union the
continental masses OF Greenland and America
II explains the broken and permanently frozen charac
ter of Upper Smiths Sound its abundant icebergs and
70 certain extent its rigorous climate As spectacle
il was one OF the highest sublimity.
The northern laud into which this glacier merges has
seen named washington, ana the pay wnicn inerposes
between IL and Greenland have named after Mr.. Pea
body.
Peabody bay gives exit at It's western curve latitude
80 deg II mn to large channel which forms the most
interesting geographical feature Of travel. This
channel expands the norhward into open and ice
less Astounding in animal life and presenting every
character Of open Polar sura Of 800 square
miles at various elevations free from Ice with
northern hoi equally Free north wind, fftytwo
hours IN DURATION failed bring any drift int this are
1t is with pain that mention to the department my
inability to navigate these waters One hundred and
twenty-five miles OF solid ice, rough to be impassa
bic to boats separated them from the southern
laed. Ny personal efforts in April and May failed to
miles of the channel.
Ny party, including myself, completely broken
four Of them had undergone amrutaton of toes for fros
bite; nearly all suffering from curyy and the
had far advanced 70 render another journey i'm
possible. To the north Of latitude 81 deg II min the
shores Of the channel became precptous and destitute
OF passage 10 the sledge. William Morton, who
with one Esquimaux and small team OF dogs, had
reached this spot, pushed forward on foot until mural
gress.
II vas on the western coasts OF this SCI that Ihad hoped
10 find traces of the gallant martyrs whose search nst
gated this expedition. The splendid efforts Of Dr. Ray
first known 10 me-would have given such travel a
the COL oon Of my party, IL is perhaps provdental
thai we failed in the embarkation.
The land washed by this to the northwar and west
ward has been chaIted high latitude 81 deg 80 min
and longitude 10 deg This forms the nearest land to the
Grinnen.
As the advanced became evident that our brig
would not be liberated Our immediate harbor gave few
rgus Of breaking up and one unbroken ice surface
tended to the sound II too late to attempt an
escape by boats; our fuel deficient, and prov
sions although abundant in Wise calculated tc
resist scurvy At this juncture started with five volun
teers attempt TO reach the mouth of Lancaster
Sound where / hoped TO meet the English expeditions
and afford relief to my associates. During this journey
we crossed the nothernmost track Of William Blfin
III but finding solid pack extending from Jones
Sound 10 Hakuyt Island. with difficulty reganed the brig
The second winter was Of extreme trial We were
obliged, measure Of policy TO live the lives Of til,
Esquimaux, enveopea In walls Of moss burning lamps
and eating the Of the warus and bear At
time every member Of our party, with the exception
Mr. Bonsah ana ny.e was pr2stale win scurvy' an
Vigorously organized hunt and the aid Of dogs in pro
curing warus from the Esqaimaux, the nearest settle
nent Of which people was seventy miles distant from our
hartor.
with these Esquimaux--a of the highest interest
I've formed valuable alliance sharing our resources
and mutually depending upon each other. They were
never thoroughly 10 be trusted, but by mixed
If intimidation and Kindness became OF Essential service
have to report the loss of three OF my comrades
brave who persisted in the direct discharge o their
duty. Two of these-acting carpenter Christian ohseu
and Jefferson BaEer--ied OF lockiaw; the third Peter
Shubert OF abscess following amputation OF the foot
Mr.. Ohlsen n valuable adviser and personal friend
lie acted IN command OF the orig during my absence
upon the sledge Journeys.
knowing that third winter would be fatal, and that
too much invested by ice for expedition from
the Sound to beFate in time for the present season.
abandoned the Advance the 18th Of May, and
menced travel 20 the south The sick--iour in
ber-were conveyed by dog sledge. had TO
fee my collection natural history but saved the do:g-
ments Of the expedition.
The organization Of this journey was carefu y a.ured
10 meet the alternating contingencies of ice and water
consisted Of boats Graded upon wooden runners with
lesser edges for the occasional relief cargo with the
exception of reduced allowances OF powdered breadsnf
and tallow depended upon guns for food: but
small reserve of Bordens meat biscuit kept unused
for emergencies. Orr clothing vigorously limited
our furs. We walked in carpet moccasius.
Our greatest difficulty was the passage OF extensive
OF ice which INTERVIEWED between the brig and the
nearest southern water Although this belt was but
eighty miles in linear extent, such the heavy
nature Of the ice and difficulties IL transportation
that It's transit cost hiryoBe days Of labor and
actual travel Of three hundred and sixteen miles
From Cape Alexander advanced by boats with only
occasional Ice passages AZ the base Of glaciers At Cape
York erected carn and pennsut with dispatches for
the information Of vessels crossing Melville bay: and