The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-12-29

From the St Paul rioneer and Democrat Dec r.
Return Of the Last Party OF Arctic En-
plOrers. ...
We enjoyed the pleasure yesterday. ~
llth inst, of a heightened conversation Wit
Mr.. james Green Stuart, u chief trader =
the Hudson's Bay Company, and learneD
from him interesting facts concerning an e3
ploration of the Arctic region, lately mad
by party under the joint command Of hiuf
self and Mr.. James Anderson, another cni-
ployee of that Company. 4.
On the return Of DIR. Rea, the celebrated
overland explorer Of the Arctic region, in
the summer Of 1854, bringing with him the
report that the Esquimaux of the extreme
northern latitudes had in their possession
relics Of the Franklin expedition, the British
Government determined to make one further
effort to penetrate the mystery which had 80
long enveloped the fate Of that expedition,
and which had been partially solved by the
information thus gained by DIR. Rea. In
furtherance Of this desire Of the British Go.
vcrnmcnt to follow up the clue thus unex.
pectedly obtained by the adventurous cx.
plorer, TO rescue, If possible, the survivors
Of any Of the party Of whites who were re.
ported by the Esquimaux to have been seen
near tho outlet Of Backs River, in latitude
about $50 north, or at least to procure any
records they might have deposited, the Hud.
sons Bay Company was directed to fit out
q party Of tried men, accustomed to the
hardships Of polar life, to explore the rc-
gon indicated by DIR. Rea. 3
Acting under this command Of the homp
government, the Governor Of the Hudson1
Bay Company, on the 18th day Of Novent
Der, 1855, issued instructions to Messr3
Stewart and Anderson to man and equip
party for the purpose stated. DR.. Stewafk
with party Of fourteen men, therefore,
started from his post, the Court House,
81 deg north latitude, on the Ith day d
February, 1856, and proceeded to Fort Chis
pewyan, at the head Of Lake Athabasca, iu
latitude 5S deg. north. at which point they
arrived on tho 9Th day Of March. 1t had
! been determined to make the ti to the
Arctic sea by water, SO far as was practica.
bic, the party, therefore, remained at this
point until the 26th Of May, busily engaged
in constructing boats, and making other pre-.
parations for their dreary journey. At thai
date the party left Fort Chipewyan, and
journcyed by canoe on the Peace river, which
| connects lake Athabasca with Slave lake
some three hundred and fifty miles in I
northwcsterly direction, till, on the 30th day
| Of May, they arrived at Fort Resolution,
which is situated on an island in Slave lake,
about latitude Gl deg. north. 4
At Fort Resolution the party was joined
| by Mr.. Anderson, who, with Mr.. Stewart
had been appointed to the command Of thI
expedition. Here another delay was madl
for the purpose Of reorganization, and max
ing the last preparations before attempting
! to penetrate the interminable frozen north
These arrangements completed, the part
started out on the 22d day of June for thl
head of Great Fish river, or as it is know
on the map, Back river, in latitude about
deg. north. Thence they followed
course Of the stream TO the Arctic ocean.
Mr.. Stewart represents the navigation OF thu
river as extremely dangerous-being OBJ
I structed by over one hundred difficult rapids
Over all these, however, with nothing mor'
substantial than birch bark canoes thel
passed in selcty, and araiyed at its moutl
on the 30th Of July.
Here they met with Esquimaux, who coz
roborated the reports Of DIR. Rca, and di
rected them to Montreal Island, u short dis
tance from the mouth Of Back river, on th'
spot where according to their instructions
they were to commence minute exploration
From this time until the 9th of August, tn,
party we-e industrioulsy engaged in searches
on the island, and on the main land, betweer
6S deg. and 81 deg. north latitude. w,
cannot recapituIate the peris, escapes am
privations endured by the brave band Will
seeking to find traces Of their countrymel
who had perishcd on these desolate shores
Three times they providentially escaped be
ing "nipped," as Mr.. Stewart expressed it
or crushed between moving mountains o
ice. At last, on Montreal Island, wher
their explorations commenced they foun'
snow shoes, known to be Of English make
with the name Of DR.. Stanley, who was sur
geon Of Sir John Franklin's ship, the Erebus
cut in them by knife. s.- 'l .
Afterwards they found on the same ISLAM
boat belonging to the Franklin expedition
with the name "Tcrror" still distinctly Wis
iblc. piece Of this boat containing thi
name was brought along with him by Mr
Stewart. Among the Esquimaux we're foun'
iron kettles corresponding in shape and siz
with those furnished the Franklin expedi
ton, and bearing the mark Of the Britis
Government. Other articles known to hav
belonged to the expedition, were obtaine
from the Esquimaux, and brought by tn
party for deposit with the Rritish Govern
ment. No bodies, however, were found o
traces Of any. The report Of the Esqu
maux was, that one man died on Montrea
Island, and that the balance Of the part
wandered on the beach OF the main Ian
opposite, until, worn out by fatigue an
starvation, they, one by one, laid themselve
down and died too.
The Esquimaux reported further that Ir
dams far to the north Of them who had see
the ships Of Franklin's party, and visited ther
! that they had been crushed between the ice
bergs. Mr.. Stewart took especial pains
ascertain whether the party had come
their death by fair means or foul. But
every inquiry the Esquimax protested tina
they had died of starvation.
Gathering together the relics found, th
party set out on their return on the 9th da
Of August last The return route did NO
vary materially from thct taken on their wa
north. Mr.. Stewart has occupied the Who'll
timefsince in reaching our city-having com
by the way of the Red River country, an
having been absent in oil about ten months
| Mr.. Stewart left St. Paul yesterday an roul
+ to the Hudson's Bay Company head quar-
, ters at Lachine, Canada, to submit On a,
count Of his adventure. A.''a
And SO, at last, the mystery is solvet
Brave Sir John, whose fate has awakene
, the sympathxing curiosity Of the civilize
f world, it is now known Sleeps his las
sleep" by the shores OF the frozen seas thr'
whose icy islands no had vainly sought /,
pass. Four winters back, rs the Esqu
maux said, the noble party, after escapin
from the ships which could no longer ao'
on those dangerous seas, found release frol
, suffering in death. Died lnanfully, too, .
, they had lived; bravely, like true English
. men; this much We may believe, for cons'
lation that they met their fate as bccan
. spirits adventurous and noble. No trac,
were found by the Esquimaux to indica'
, that even in their last extremity they ha
A IL 4. ...l