Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-11-01


Tor our party which We Intended sending our
10 the spring to prosecute the search for Frank
lin. This party travelled about 400 miles in a
nOrtheasierly direction, reached latitude 80, and
at last found glazier which formed the sbor+
line Of Greenland to he north. The. party ira.
veled along this glazier for about fifty miles,
The desoation of this latitude cannot be des-
cribed with the pen.
This party having make their deposit, re.
'urned to the ship about the middle Of Octo
ber' when other parties we're sent out for the
purpose Of exploring the coast. The me rcury
at this time was forty degrees below zero and
constantly frozen. The cold and darkness
were increasing, which put an end to our send.
ing out exploring parties. We lost the sun en-.
tirely in the middle Of October.
HOW THE SEARCH PROGRESSED
We were now certainly in a dreary situation.
The sun we knew would not return tin the
Gath of February, till which time. we had TO-.
tai darkness. We had coal fres all this time
and on board the ship gained comfortable
temperature. Nothing Of moment now occur
red till March set in again. excepting all our
dogs died but three or four, from spasm Pc.
cullar to the climate. The loss of our dogs
was severely ielt. for upon these faithful ami
mails we depend to draw our sledges. In March
we again Lad twelve hours Of daylight, and in
this month we started out another exploring
party to the north; but from the heavy, rough
ice, they were not able to proceed over forty
miles from the vessel, when the party again re-.
turned 20 the vessel. This was March, 1854
On this expedition some Of the party we're frost
bitten, and two so severely they afterwards
died. One was named Shubert the cook, and
the other Baker.
Two others Of the party had their foes cut
off was in this expedition. and when thirty
miles from the vessel, myself and two others
the only ones of the party who could walk
returned on foot across the ice TO the vessel. to
report the condition ofthe party to DR.. Kane.
DR., Kane, with strong party Immediately set
out for the relief of the sufferers, but did not
succeed in giving succor ill after the party had
gone through suffering the most perllous and
intense.
The next exploring party from the ship was
in April, and headed by DR.. Kane n person.
1t consisted Of two sledges-one drawn by dogs
and the other by men. This party was out
only eight days when DR.. Kane was taken i'll
with the fever, and found it necessary 10 return
to the vessel. In May another exploring party
was formed under command of DR.. Hayes,
who succeeded in crossing to the westerly side
Of Smith Channel distance of eighty miles
from the ship. This party suffered greatly
from snow blindness. |
The party running short of provisions here,
was obliged to return to the ship, which they
reached after an absence of twelve days, and
having in this time travelled three hundred and
hfty miles. With dogs. the explorer can tra~
vel fifty miles day. DR.. Hayes, on his return
from this expedition, Travelled at this speed, bis
dog team being fed on nothing more than an
old boot for breakfast. and part of pair Of
Esquimaux pants for dinner.
The Search for Sir John Franklin, Directly
alter the return of DR.. Hayes during the
month Of June, another exploring party was
fitted out under the command of Bonsel and
Nc Geary. The object Of al! these parties was
to ascertain some traces of Sir John Franklin !
il possible. This party took north eastern
direction to the western shore Of Baffin's Bay.
A branch party from this, which was &C
compauied by an Esquimaux driver, continued
the search along the eastern coast, finding
Smith Sound terminating into a large bay. At
the bottom Of this bay was the gazier Of the
shore already mentioned. From this point
new channel was discovered extending duly
north. The party travelled up this channel a.
long the coast. until they were brought up BY
open water This open space was entirely free
from ice, and abOundng in animal life, such as
fowl, fish. walrus and seal,
a northerly gale lasting two days, brought
no ice down. proving that large, open sea was
beyond; but whether this was the great Polar
Sea or not is questionable. 1t was the opinion
Of Dr.. Kane that this was the open Polar Sea,
that is never frozen over. This party made a
char Of the coast as far north as latitude 82
3O--the most northern point of land yet dis-
covered. In July this party returned, and this
closed the operations for 1854
Soon after this Il became apparent to our
whole party the ship could not be liberated
from the ice. We all felt that we we're doom.
ed to spend the winter in this latitude, unless
relief came from Sir Edward Becher, with
whom DR.. Kane tried to communicate in per-
ches. Sir Edward was at Beechy Island. which