The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-12-26
The Death Of Sir John Eranklin
Aacertained.

A8c9IGa1uS0s
We find in the Minnesota Pioneer
and Democrat a report Of the discoye.
ries of an exploring party sent out by
the British Government, to obtain ad.
ditional information, if possible, of the
fate of Sir John Franklin's party, to that
brought back by DR.. Rae. The party
was under the charge of James Green
Stewart, a chief trader Of the Hudson
Bay Company, and Mr.. James Ander-
son, another employee of the Company.
The party started from the Carlton
House, in. 81 deg. North latitude, on
the 18th of January, 1853, and proceeded
to Fort C~hipewyau, at the head o Lake
Athabasea, in latitude So deg, where
they arrived on the 5th ofMarch. Here
they remain ed until the Goth of May,
making boats and preparing to go to the
Arctic sea by water, when they resu-
med their journey down the Peace river
and on the 30th of May arrived at Fort
Resolution, which is situated on IN is
land in Slave Lake, about latitude 81
deg. North.-Statesnram.
At Fort Resolution the party was
Joined by Mr.. Anderson, who, with Mr..
Stewart, had been appointed to the COM
mand of the expedition. Here another
delay was made for the purpose of re-
organization, and making the last prep
arations, before attempting to penetrate
the interminable frozen North. These
arrangements completed, the party start
ed out on the gid of June for the head
of Great Fish river, or as it is known on
the map, Back river, in latitude about
GA deg. North, Thence they followed
the course of the stream of the Arctic
ocean. Mr.. Stewart represents the nav-
igation of this river as exceedingly dan
rgerous-being obstrueted by 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
Goth of July.
Here they met with Esquimaux, who
corroborated the reports of DR.. Rae, and
directed them to Montreal Island, a
SuOTb ulSbduCO lIOuu bA0 ulOuLu VI DdCh
river, as the spot where, according to
instructions, they were to commence
minute explorations. From this time
until the 9th of August, the party were
industriously engaged in searches On the
island, and on the main land, between
81 deg. and SO deg. north latitude. We
cannot recapitulate the perils escaped,
and privations endured, by the brave
band while seeking to find traces of their
countrymen who had persisted on those
desolate shores. Three times they prov
identia'ly 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 En-
glish make, with the name of DR.. STAN
ley, who was Surgeon of Sir John Frank
Inns ship, the Erebus, cut in them by
a knife. Afterward they found on the
same island a. boat belonging to the
Franklin expedition, with the name of
"Terror" still distinctly visible. A
piece of this boat containing this name
was brought along with him by Nj
Stewart. Among the Esquimaux were
found iron kettles corresponding in shape
and size with those furnished the Frank
lin expedition, and bearing the mark &c
the British Government. Other artf-
eles known to have belonged to the ex-
petition, were obtained from the Esqui-
maux, and brought by the party for de-
posite with the English Government.
No bodies, however, were found, or ira.
ces of any. The report of the Esqui-
maux was, that one man died on Mon
treal Island, and that the balance of the
party wandered on the beach of the
main land opposite, until worn out by
fatigue and s~taryation, they, mi by
one, laid themselves down and died too.
The Esquimaux reported further that
Indians far to the north of them, who
had seen the ships of Franklin's party,
and visited them, stated that they had
both been crushed between the icebergs.
Mr.. Stewart took especial pains to as
certain whether the party had come to
their death by fair mea or foul. But
to every inquiry, the Esq .Imaux pro-
tested that they died of starvation,
The party began their return journey
on the 9th of August, and reached st.
Paul on the 18th inst, which place Mr..
Stewart left on the 18th for the Hud-
son Bay head quarters at Lucheve, Can
ada, to make his report.
The Pioneer says {" no traces were
found by the Esquimaux to indicate that
even in their last extremity they had
forgotten their manhood and preyed up
one another"