Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-01-10
u T.. r. U RN
OF THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY'S
ARCTIC EXPEDITION
IN SEARCH OF
R HN FIRM LIN.
Confirmation Of DR.. Rae's Reports.
From the Montreal Herald of Dee 81

we have been favored by +. NJ. Hop-
kinS, Esq, Gn the absence of Sir Georg,
SlmPson,) with the following outline ol
of the proceedings of the Arctic EXPEDITE.
on, which by instructions of her -Majest y
Government, was employed by the Hud.
sons pLE-ltomP.ry 70 fot,uw up the clue
discovered by DR.. Rae while engaged on
another exploring expedition, also fitted
out BY the Hudson's Bay Celapany, of the
fate OF Sir John Frankin' 3arty.
1t will be in the recollection of our
readers that it is scarcely year ago that
we published to the world the frs, authen-
| tic information which had been received
OF the Iamentable fate of the gallant Frank
I'm and his brave comrades. The inteIli-
gence which was conveyed 10 DR.. Rae in
the winter OF lS53-54 by tho Esquimaux
and in the accuracy of which that distln-
gushed Arctic traveller placed perfect re-
lance, was received by the public in Eng
land with great hesitation, arising, probably,
from an unwiIiiness to believe the mourn-
| iul Facts.
That intelligence was in substance tha:
in the Winter of 1850 the Esqumaux saw
a party of whites travelling from the north
ward toward the Arctic coast, dragging
boat over the ice, intending to use it as
! soon as they reached open water; hat the
party, about toTlg in all, made the land
near the mouth of a large river, (the
Great Fish River of Black) and there peri
shed of starvation to which were added a
number of frightfal details OF their suffer-
ing, which we will not again infict on
our readers. In proof Of the truth Of these
reports the Esqulmaux exhibited and sold
to DR.. Rae great variety Of relics, prin-
cipally silver forks and spoons, marke
with the crests 4nd Initials of various
officers Of :he ships Erebus and Terror
(Franklin's,) and among other articles, a
small order or star, with Sir John Frank
Inns lame engraved upon it. These were
the tangible proofs conveyed to England by
DR.. Rae in confirmation of the tale he
collected from the Esquimaux; but his pro-
ceedings and conclusions have been ire
quently called in qaeston, and therefore it
will hs-ss'sss- iifR'sca- gratifying to hfa. now
that they are traly .,oorroba--,oJ,~ ,~<y--n - to
Minute details of, locality, &C.. in which
he might possibly have been mistaken.
AS soon as Dr. RE had laid his report
befure Her Majesty'S Government, il was
decided that an attempt Should be made
to follow up the trace he had Obtained,
commencing at the point indicated by the
! EsquimauX of the scene OF the last 'sulfei-
ings of the party of whites seen by them
in 1850.
The organization aud management OF
this new expedition we're wisely nlrusted
to the Hudson's Bay Company. Oh the
9th of October, 1854, the instructions of
Her Ma!esty's Goverpment and the Com
pany were forwarded from London TO Sir
George Simpson at Lachine, where he re-
ceived them in the middle of November -
His great experience and well known a.
biiity in affairs, OF the nature enable him
to decide with prompttuGe on the mode OF
carrying out the expedition, the men to be
employed as sieaders and in subordinate
capacities, the amount OF supplies, craft,
and all other requisites fpr the undertaking;
and on the Goth of November, last year,
his instructions were dispatched by special
messenger to the Hudson's Bay Territories,
all parts of which were put under requs
tion to furnish material. the whole to be
collected at the rendezvous, Fort Resolui-
on, in Great Slave Lake, by the lst o.
June following; and so complete were the
plans, and so carefully had all contingent
cies been provided against, that in no point
was there a failure IN carrying out his
arrangements.
The officers selected to lead the party
were Mr.. Anderson, chief factor of the
Company, and Mr.. ]. G. Stewart, a chief
trader-both well qualified by experience,
courage, physical strength, &c, for the
ardious duty. The party consisted of these
two officers and fourteen men, and LETT
Fort Resolution, a PsYoF the ii. Com
pany on Great Slave Lake, on the 22d of
June last IT, two barl canoes, in which
they performed the perilous voyage down
Great Fish Rivera river known to the
world for its dangers and horrOws by Sir
George Bac&'s narrative. From Mr.. Stewart
: we learn that he doubts that the party
ever could have got safely down the stream
TO the coast had 1t not been for the won
derlul dexterity of the three Iroquos uoya-
oeurs whom Sir George Simpson had pru-
IDENTIFY forwarded from Lachine to join the
expedtion-the three best men of his own
canoe.
The party reached the outlet or estuary
! of the river on the 3oth OF July, and skir-
ted along its enstern shore as far as Point
Beaufort, but found no traces TO reward
their search Thence they crossed over to
Montreal Island, twelve miles distant, ly-
ing near the western shore OF the estuary
probably, IN that crossing, incurring as
great peril as any in the gloomy record o'
Arctic travels, pushi~g their bark canoe
boldly out into the Arctic Ocean, and for
eng their way through drifting masses O.
Arctic ice seven or eight feet thick. But
. they were prepared to make any effort IL
:, reach the island, which, as we'll as Poin
!. Aitls. near it, had been the places DR.
Ras understood the Esquimaux to meal