Weekly Trinity journal., 1859-11-19
Certain Fate of sir John Franklin and thc
Northwest Explorers.

The London .Ntws of Sept goth first published
the announcement of the return of the discovery
vessel, FoX,' sent out at the expense OF Lady
Franklin, and the certain intelligence that the
noble Franklin had slept the sleep of death amid
/ Arctic SHOWS for more than twelve years. Every
| American is familiar with the object Of the
] Franklin eXpediton--the discovery of a north
west passage, in which the "Erebus" and "Terror"
were employed. We believe we are correct in
stating that the Franklin expedition sailed from
England early in the year 1915. Once or twice
within the succeeding four years the expedition
was heard from, which was the last authentic n-
teligence until the recent return of the search
ing vessel, Fox" Early in 1850, Henry Grin
nell, of New York, fitted two vessels, the Ad-
vance" and "Rescue," and placed them under
the immediate charge of Lieut.. De Haven, to
search for Sir John Franklin. The expedition
returned, unsuccessful, in the following year, and
in the month of May, 1853, DR.. L. X. Kane
received orders from the Secretary of the Navy
to conduct an expedition to the Arctic seas in
search of the long absent and unheard OF explorer.
Again Mr.. Grinnell placed the " Advance" at the
disposal of our Government, to assist in the
search. Dr. Kane sailed from New York on the
30th of May, 1858. After an absence of two
years, without Intelligence, (wth one or two eX
ceptions, before entering the Arctic seas,) the
American Government ordered Lieut.. flartstenc
to the command Of the Release" to ascertain,
if possible, the Whereabouts of DR.. Kanc's party.
Lieut.. IIartstene sailed from New York in June,
1855, and arriving at Disco Island on the 18th of
October, found Dir. Kane, and what remained Of
his party, returning, having deserted their vessels
far to the northward, and escaped from the region
of perpetual winter Kane was greeted on his
return as q second Columbus, and he deserved it,
for no one who has read his Arctic Explora-
tions" can say that he had equal in manly
daring, or a superior in pcrsstcncy of purpose
The report of Capt. McClintock is deeply in
teresting, and we regret that necessary space
covercs made by the 81 FoX'' expedition are con-
toincd in the following summary from Captain
McClinock's report
The searching party arrived at Ponds Inlct on
the 18th Of July, 1913, but so far had obtained
no information respecting the Franklin expedi
ton, the natives assuring them that no wrecks
were remembered for thirty years. On the 9Th
of September they passed through Bellot strait,
and placed their vessel in winter quarters, at u
point by them named Port Kennedy. Dividing
into companies, the spring journeys commenced
in February to search the coast Of Boothia, and
Prince Of Wales Land. At Cape Victoria the
Esquimaux informed them that two vessels had
drirted ashore on King Williams Island, several
years before that the people landed safely, aud
went away to the Great Fish River, where they
died. and that the vessels were crushed by ice.
A tedious journey OF several days brought them
to Cape Norton, on the cast shore of King vii.
liam's Island, May Sth, 80, where they found a
snow village of thirty inhabitants. They told
Capt. McCintock that four days march, over
land, would bring him to the wrecks, although
they had not been there for ten years. their
countrymen having carried everything away
previous to that time. An intelligent old woman
toll them that one ship went ashore in the Fall
of lhe year, and that the white men dropped by
the way as they went to the Great river, where
their bodies were found on the following year
On the 2lth of May, on the south shore Of King
Williams Island, the first actual discovery was
made--a bleached skeleton around which were
found fragments Of European clothing, and a
small pocket. book, containing letters, which were
so much decayed they could not be declphercd.
From the dress the remains were believed to be
those of an officers servant. Simpsons cairn
was found at Cape IIerschell, but every thing had
been removed by the natives. A short distance
west of Cape Felix Lieut.. ITobson found large
cairn, and near by several others; close to the
first was three small tents, blankets, old clothes
and other relics. The most interesting portion
of the report we give in Capt. McClintock's own
words:
"On the 9th of May, Lieut. Hobson pitched
his tent beside a large cairn upon Mount Victory.
Lying upon some small stones which had fallen
from the top Of this cairn, was found II small tin
case containing Il record, the substance OF which
is briefly as follows: This cairn was built by
the Franklin Expedition, upon the assumed site
OF Sir James Ross pillar, which had not been
found. The Erebus and Terror spent their first
Winter at Beechy Island, after having ascended
Wellington channel to latitude u deg. n, and
returned by the west side of Corvallis Island.
On the 18th Of September, 1885, they were beset
in latitude sc deg. 05 min. N, aud longitude %
deg % min. W. Sir John Franklin died on the
llth of June, 1877. On the 22d OF April, 1913,
the ships were abandoned five leagues to the n.
n. w. of Point Victory, aud the survivors, one
hundred and five in number, landed here under
command of Capt. Crozer. This paper was da-
ted April 25 1913, and upon the following day
they intended to start for the Great Fish River
The total loss by deaths in the expedition up to
this date was nine officers and fifteen men,
f." When in latitude 90 deg. 90 min. ~, and
longitude 90 deg. II min W., we came to a large
boat, discovered by Lieut.. llobson, few days
previously, as his notice Informed me. 1t ap-
pears that this boat bad been iateuded for the
ascent Of the Fish river, but abandoned
apparently upon return journey to the ships,
the sledgc upon which she was mounted being