Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-10-20


friendly people. Briefly. the information OBJ
respecting the franklin expedition had com
to their Knowledge, nor had any wrecks within
the last 20 or 30 years reached their shores.
The remains of three wrecked ships ar,
known to them; two of these appear to hav
been the wbalers Dexterity and Aurora wrecke,
in August, 1921, seventy or eighty miles south
ward OF Ponds Inlet. The third vessel, nov
almost buried in the sand, lies few miles cas-
of Cape Hay. These people communicate eve
ry winter with the tribes at Igloolk. They al
knew of Perry 's ships having wintered there il
1923, and heard of late years of DR.. Rae
visit to Repulse Bay. describing his boats al
similar to our wbaleboat. and his party living
in tents, within show-houses, smoking pipes
shooting reindeer, DC. None died. They re
NAMED there only one winter.
No rumor OF the lost expedition has reached
them Within Ponds Inlet the natives told u.
the ice decays every year. but so long as any
remains whales abound, Several large whales
were seen by US. and we found among the ma
tives considerable quantity of whalebone and
norvhals horns, which they were anxious tt
barter for knives, files, saws, rifles, and wool
they drew us some rude charts. of the inlet
showing that it expands into an extensive chan
mel, looking westward into Prince Regents In.
let.
we rouiu not oul Trgreb- tnat none OF oul
whaling friends-lrom whom we had recently
received SO much kindness-were here to profit
by so favorable an opportunity. Leaving
Ponds Inlet on the 9th August, we reached
Beechy Island on the lIth, and landed hand
some marble tablet, sent on board for this pur-
pose by Lady Franklin, bearing an appropriate
inscription to the memory of our lost country
men in the Erebus and Terror.
The provisions and stores seemed in perfect
o-der, but small boat was much more damaged
having been turned over and rolled along the
beach by the storm. The roof of the house re-
ceived some necessary repairs. Having EN-.
barked some coal aad stores We stood In need of
and touched at Cape Hotham on the 10th, we
sailed down Peel Strait for 25 miles on the 18th
b1t finding the remainder of this channel COW
cred by unbroken ice. l determined to make
for Bellot Strait on the 18th of August. exam
ined into supplies remaining al Port Leo
pold, and left there a whale boat, which we
brought away from Cape Hotham for the pur-
pose, so as to aid us in our retreat should we be
obliged eventually to abandon the Fox. The
steam launch had been forced higher on the
beach, and somewhat damaged by the ice
Prince Regents Inlet was unusually free from
ice. but very little was seen during our run
down to Brentford Bay, which we reached ON
the Doth August. Beilot Strait. which commu-
nicated with the western sea, averages one mile
in width by II or Is in length. AT this time it
was filed with drift ice, but as the season ad-
vanced became perfectly clear; its shores are in
many places faced with lofty granite cliffs. and
some Of the adjacent hills rise TO 500 feet the
ides are very strong, running six or seven knots
1t the springs. On the 9Th of September we
passed through Bellot Strait without obstruc-
lion, and secured the ship to fixed ice across its
western outlet. From here, until the 9th,
when l deemed it necessary to retreat into
winter quarters. we constantly watched the
movements of the ice in the western sea or
channel In mid-channel. it was broken up
md drifting about; gradually the proportion
If water increased. until at length the ice which
was reduced TO three or four mile in
width But this was firmly held fast by nu-
nerous islets, and withstood the violence of the
.uturnn gales 1t was tantalizing beyond de-
cription thus TO watch from day to day the
rec water which We could not reach. and which
washed the rocky shore few miles to the
of us
During the autumn several attempts were
made to carry out depots of provisions toward
he magnetic pole, but these almost entirely
allied owing to the disruption of the ice TO the
outhward. Lieutenant Hobson returned with
lis sledge parties in November, after much suf-
eripg from severe weather, and imminent peril
IN one occasion. when the ice upon which they
we're encamped became detached from the shore
md drifted off to the leeward with them.
Our wintering position was at the east en-
rance to Bellot Strait, in a snug harbor, which
have named Port Kennedy, after my prede-
essor in these waters, the commander of one Of
lady Franklin's former searching expeditions.
Although vegetation was tolerabiy abundant.
nd our two Esquimaux hunters, Mr.. Petereen,
nd several sportsmen constantly on the alert,
ret the resources of the country du,ing the
leven months and a half only yielded us eight
eindeer, two bears, eight seals, and i few water
owl and ptarmigan.
The winter was unusually cold and stormy.
Arrangements were completed during the win
er for carrying out our intended plan of search.
felt it to be my duty personally to visit Mar
hal Island, and in so doing proposed to COM
,leie the circuite to King William Island.
To Lieut. Hobson | allotted the search of the
vestern shore of Boothia to the magnetic pole,
nd from Gateshead Island westward to Wyn-
iatt's furthest. Capt. Allen Young, our sailing
naster, was to trace the shore of Prince of Wales
and, from Lieut.. Browns furthest and also
D examine the coast from Bellot Strait north
7ard to Sir James Ross furthest.
Early spring journeys were commenced on
he 18th of February, 1859, by Capt. Young and
myself; Capt. Young carrying his depot across
o Prince of Wales Land, while l went south
Yard towards the magnetic pole, in the hope
f communicating with the Esguiinaux, and OBJ
aiming such information as might lead US at
nee to the object of our search
l was accompanied by Mr. Peterson, our in
erpreter, and Alexander Thompson, quarter
Master. We had with us two sledges drawn by
ogs. On February 2Slh, when near Cape
'ictoria, we had the good fortune to meet a
mall party of natives. and were subsequently
listed by abou: As individuals.
For four days we remained in communca-
ion with them. obtaining many relies, and the
Information that several years ago ship was
rushed by the ice off the north shore. off King
William Island, but that all her people landed
afely, and went away to the Great Fish River.
7here they died. This tribe was well supplied
nth wood, obtained, they said, from boat
eft by the white men on the Great River.
We reached our vessel after 25 days absence,
n good health, but somewhat reduced by sharp
marching and the unusually severe weather to
Ehich we had been exposed. For several days
fter starting the mercury continued frozen.
On the Cd of April our long projected spring
Durneys were commenced Lieut.. Hobson ac-
ompanied me as far as Cape Victoria; each of
IS had sledge drawn by four men, and an
uxilary sledge drawn by six dogs. This was
II the force We could muster.
Before separating we saw two Esquimaux
antilles living out upon the ice in snow huts
rom them we learned that second ship had
een seen off King William Island, and that she
rifted ashore in the fall Of the same year.
rom this ship they had obtained vast deal of
rood and iron.
l now'gave Lieut. Hobson directions te search
Or the wreck, and follow any traces he might