Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-12-26
Fate of Sir John Franklin.

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We publish below an article from the St.
| PauPs MINI Pioneer, of the 18th inst, giving
| an interesting account of the return of Mr..
Stewart, of the Hudson's Bay Company, with
precise information of the fate of Sir John
Franklin. He and his companions persisted
by starvation five years ago (after having lost
their ships In an attempt to reach the posts of
the Hudson's Bay Company by ascending
Back, or, MS some maps have it, Great Fish
river. The wolves are very numerous in that
region, and the drifting sand probably covers
the bones of the intrepid victims to science:
We enjoyed the pleasure, yesterday. of a
heightened conversation with Mr. James Green
Stewart, chief trader of the HudsOn's Bay
Company, and learned from him interesting
facts concerning an exploration Of the Arctic
region lately made by party under the joint
command or himself and Mr. James Ander-
son, another employe Of that company
On the return of DR.. Rae, the celebrated
overland explorer to the Arctic region, in the
summer Of 1854, bringing with him the report
| that the Esquimaux of the extreme northern
ATTITUDES had IN their possession relics of the
Franklin expedition, the British Government
determined to make one further effort to pen
citrate the mystery which had so long enyeI-
oped the fate Of that expedition, and which
ha! been partially solved by the information
thus gained by DIR. Rea. In furtherance Of
this desire of the british Government to follow
up the clue thus Unexpectedly obtained by
the adventurous explVrer-to rescue, if posi-
bic, the survivors Of any of the party of whites
who were reported by the E5quimaux to have
DC n seen near the outlet Of Back river in
latitude about Is dogs. north, or at least to
procure any records they might have depos-
ited-the Hudson's Bay Company was directed
to ut out party # tried men, accustomed to
the hardsaips of polar life, to explore the
region indicated by DR.. Rae.
Acting under this command, of the home
government, the Governor of the Hudsou's
bay Company, on the 18th day of November,
1894, Issued instructions to Messrs Stewart
and Anderson to man and equip party for the
purpose stated. Mr. Stewart, with q party of
fourteen men therefore, started from his post.
the Carlton House, in 81 deg North latitude,
on the 7,h day of February, 1855, and pro-
eeGded to Fort Chipewyan, at the head CT lake
Athablsc't, IN latitude 5o deg. North, at which
point they arrived on the 9th day of March.
1t had been determined to make the trip 10
the Arctic sea by water, So far q was practi-
cah'"s aud the party, therefore remained at
this post until the Goth May, busily engaged
in constructing boats, and making other prepa-
parations for their dreary journey At that
date the arty left Fort Chipewyan, and jour
neyed by canoe Oh the Peace river, which
connects Lake Athabasca with Slave Lake,
some three hundred and fifty miles in a north
westerly direction, TILL on the Both day of
May, they arrived at Fort Resolution, which
Is situated on an island IN Slave Lake about
latitude 81 dog. North.
AT Fort Resolution the party was Joined by
MIR. Anderson, who, with Mr. Stewart had
been appointed to the command Of the expe-
a rim sHax IL.
tho purpose OF reorganization, and making
the last preparations, before attempting to
penetrate the interminable frozen North
these arrangements completed the party
| started out on the I'D Of June, for the head
vi Great Fish river, or as it is known on the
map, Back river, in latitude about 81 deg.
| north. Thence they followed the course Of
the stream to the Arctic Ocean. Mr. Stewart
represents ;he navigation of this river as ey-
ceedlngly dangeTOus-beingobs BIZ over
one hundred difficult rapids. Over all these,
however, with nothing more substantial than
| birch bark canoes, they passed in safety, and
arrived at its mouth on the 30th of July
Here they met with Esquimaux, who corro
borated the reports of DR.. Rae, and directed
| them to Montreal Island, short distance
| from the mouth Of Back river, as the spot
| where. according to their instructions. thew
| were to commence minute exploration From
| this time until the 9th August, the party were
| lnduStriOusly engaged in searches on the Is
| land, and on the main land, between 67 deg.
| and 69 deg north latitude. We cannot recap.
| itulate the perils escaped, and privations en-
| dured, by the brave band while seeking TO
find traces of their cOuntrymen who had per-
ished on those desolate shores Three times
| they providentially escaped being nipped,"
as Mr.. Stewart expressed it, or crushed be-.
| tween moving mountains OF ice. At last ON
| Montreal Island, where their explorations
| commenced, they found snow shoes known to
| be of English make, with the name Of DR..
| Stanley, who was surgeon of Sir John Frank.
| Inns ship, the Erebus, cut in them by knife
Afterwards they found on the same island a
| boat belonging to the franklin expedition
with the name "Terror" still distinctly yisi
| BILE A piece of this boat containing this name
was brought along with him by Mr. Stewart.
| Among the Esquimaux were found iron kettles
| corresponding in shape and size with those
| furnished the Franklin expedition, and bear
| ing the mark of the British Government.
Other articles known to have belonged to the
expedition, were obtained from the Esaui-
meux, and brought by the party for deposit
| with the British Government. No bodies
however, were found, or traces of any. Tho
report Of the Esquimaux was, that one man
died on Montreal island, and that the balance
of the party wandered on the beach of the
main land opposite, until worn out by fatirue
and starvation, they, one by one, laid them
selSc down and died too.
The Esquimaux reported further that In
dams far TO the north Of them who had seen
the hips Of f rankin party, and visited them
stated that they had both been crushed be.
tween the ebergs. Mr.. Stewart took especial
pains to ascertain whether the party had come
to their death by fair means or foul. But "a
every inquiry, the Esquimaux protested that
they had died of starvation.
Gathering together the relics found, the
party set out on their return on the 9th day o.
August last. The return route did not var,
materially from that taken on their way north
/ Mr.. Stewart has occupied the whole time sine,
III reaching our city-having come by the y ~
of the Red River country, and having beef
, absent in all about ten months Mr.. Stewart
left St. Paul yesterday en- route, to the Hud
sens Bay head quarters at Lachine, Canada
to submit an account of his adventures
And SO, at last the mystery is solved. BRAY,
Sir John, whose fate has awakened the sym
pathising curiosity of the civilized world, it il