Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-01-04

h From The St. Paul Pi0ncsr' I. Democrat.
The Death OF Sir John Franstlfn ana 1,fs
Party Ascertafned.

4 ~ From ths ST Paul Pioncer Demoefst. I'd
The Death of Sir John Franklin ana his
Party Ascertained.
1 We enjoyed the pleasure yesterday, the
1 llth inst, Of heightened Conversation
with Mr.. James Green Stewart, q Chief
Trader of the Hudson's Bay Company. and
learned from him interesting facts concern
ing an exploration of the Afctic region, late
/ y made by q party, under the joitt com
mand Of himself aud Mr.. James Anderson,
another employee of the Company.
On the return Of DR.. Rae, the celebrated
overland explorer Of the Arctic region, in the
summer Of 1854, bringing with him the
4 report that the Esquimaux of the extreme
northern latitudes had in their possession
\ relics Of the Frnnklin expedition, tho Brit
ish Government determined to. make one
further effort to penetrate the mystery
which had SO long enveloped the fate Of
that expedition, and which had been parti-
/ ally solved BY the information thus gained
by DR.. Rae. In fJIrtherance of this desire
l.lof the British Government to follow up the
clue thus Unexpectedly obtained BY tho ad,
venturous explorer, to rescue if possible, the
survivors of anYof the party of whites who
were reported by the Esquilnadx to have
been seen near the outlet Of Blacks river.
in latitude about 68o north, or at Iaast to
| procure any records they might have depos-
tied, the Hudson's Bay Company was direc-
ted to fit out a party Of tried men, accus-
toned to the hardships of a polar life, to
explore the region indicated BY Dr.. Rae,
Acting under, this command Of the home
government, the Governor. of the Hudson's
Bay Company, on the 18th dayof Noven-
Der, ! 854, issued instructions to Messrs Stew
art and Anderson, to man and equip a par
ty for the purpose stated. Mr.. Stewart,
with party Of fourteen men, therefore,
started from his post the Carlton House, in
! $40 North latitude, on the 7th dayof Feb
ruary, 1855, and proceeded to Fort Cbippe-
wyan, at the head of Lake -Athabasca, in
latitude $50 North, at which point they ar
rived on the 18th day of March. 1t had been
determined to make the trip to the Arctic
sea by water, so far as was practicable, and
the party, therefore, remained at this post
until the 26th of MAY, busily engaged in
constructing boats, and making other prepa-
rations for their dreary journey. AT that
date the party left Fort Chippewyan, and
journeyed by canoe on the Peace river. which
connects Lake Athabasca with Slave Lake.
some three hundred and fifty miles in a
Northwesterly direction, till. on the 3oth
day Of May, they arrived at Fort Resolution,
which IS situated on an island in Slave Lake,
about latitude 6Io North.
At Fort resolution the party was Joined
by Mr.. Anderson, who, with Mr.. Stewart,
had been appointed to the command of the
expedition. Here another delay was made,
for the purpose of reorganization, and max
ing the last preparations, before attempting
to penetrate the iHterminable frozen North.
These arrangemets completed, the party
started out on the 22nd day of June for the
head of Great Fish river, or as it IS known
on the map. Black river, in latitude about
640 north. Thence they followed the course
of the stream to the Arctic ocean. Mr..
Stewart representes the navigation of this
river as exceedingly dangerous-b OBJ
structed by over one hundred difficult rap
ids. Over all these, however, with nothing
more substantial than birch bark canoes,
they passed in safety, and arrived at its
mouth on the 80 Of July. bees
Here they met with Esquimaux, who cor
roborated the reports of DIR. Rae, and di-
rected them to Montreal Island, short dis
tance from the mouth of Black river, as the
spot where according to-the- instructions
| they were to commence minute exploration.
From this time until the of August, the
party were industriously engaged in search
es on the Island, and on the main land be-
tween go north latitude. We cannot re-
captulate the perils escaped and privatious
endured, by the brave band, while seeking
to find traces of their countrynen who had
perished on those desolate shores. Three
times they providentially escaped being
"nipped," )" as Mr.. Stewart expressed it, or
crushed between moving mountains of iee
At last on Montreal Island, where their ex-
plorations commenced, they found snow
shoes, known to be of English make, with
the name of DR.. Stanley, who was surgeon
of Sir John Franklin's ship, the Erebus, cut
in them by knife. 3 :. IS ett
Afterwards they found on tho same island
boat belonging to the Franklin expedition,
with the name "Ierror" still distinctly visi-
bic. 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 bearing the mark Of the
British Government. Other articles known
to have belonged to the expedition, were
obtained from the Esqui1naux, and brought
by the party for deposit with British Gov
ernment- No bodies, however, were found,
or traces of any. The report of the Esqui- !
maux 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 fatigue and star
walton, they ono by one, laid themselves
down and died too.
The Esquimaux reported further that In
dians far to the north Of them who had !
seen the ships of Franklin's party, and visi-
ted them, stated that they had both been
crushed between the iccbergs. Mr.. Stew
art took especial pains to a certain whether
the party came to their death by fair means
or foul. But to every inquiry, the Esqui- /
that they died Of starvation.