The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-10-27

Il,
Capt. McCintock, which vessel went out in
search of the remains of SIR.JoHN FRANKLIN's
expedition, known to have left their bones on
King Williams Land, in lat 10 n. and Ion. SO
lost naygators, and was once directly in the
vicinity of King Williams Land, but they, at
that time had not left Wellington Channel In
1854, he went over nearly the same ground again,
and obtained from the Esquimaux the relics of
Sir John Franklin's party, which he took to En-
gland, and which was the first authentic evil
dence of the fate of the party. Lady Franklin
then fitted out the Fox, which steamed as low
as Belot's Straits, from which place parties on
sledges went down to King Williams Land
From this point we commence this interesting
narrative of discoveries -
The winter was unusually cold and stormy
Arrangements were completed during the win
ter for carrying out our intended plan of search.
felt it to be my duty personally to visit Mar
shall Island, and in so doing, purposed to CON-
plete the circuit of King Williams Island. To
Lieut. Hobson I allotted search of the western
shore of Boothia to the magnetic pole, and from
Gateshead Island westward to Wynniatt's furth-
est Capt. Allen Young, our sailing master,
was to trace the shore of Prince of Wales Land,
from Lieutenant Brownies furthest, and also to
examine the coast from Bellot Strait northward
to Sir James Ross furthest Early spring jour-
ueys were commenced on the 18th of February,
1859, by Capt. Young and myself; Capt. Young
carrying his depot across to Prince of Wales
Land, while went southwark towards the mag
netic pole, in the hope of communicating withthe
Esquimaux, and obtaining such information as
might lead us at once to the object of our search.
[ was accompanied by Mr.. Peterson, our inter-
prefer, and Alexander Thompson, quarter-mas-
ter. We had with us two sledges drawn by
dogs. On the 28th of February, when near
Cape Victoria, we had the good fortune to meet
a small party of natives, and were subsequently
visited by about forty-fve individuals. For
them, obtaining many relics, and the information
that several years ago ship was crushed by the
ice off the north Shore off King Williams Island,
but that all her people landed safely, and went
away to the Great Fish river, where they died.
The tribe was well supplied with wood, obtain
ed, they said, from boat left by the white men
on the Great River
We reached our vessel after twenty-fv days
absence, in good health, but somewhat reduced
by sharp marching, and the unusually severe
weather to which we had been exposed, For
several days after starting the mercury continued
frozen On the End of April, our long projected
spring journeys were commenced; Lieut. Hob
son accompanied me as far as Cape Victoria !;
each of us had sledge drawn by four men, and
an auxiliary sledge drawn by six dogs. This
was all the force we could muster. Before sep
Grating wesaw two Esquimaux families living out
upon the ice in snow huts from them we learn
ed that a second ship had been seen off King
Williams Island, and that she drifted ashore in
the fall of the same year. From this ship they
had obtained vast deal of wood and iron. /
now gave Lieut.. Hobson directions to search for
the wreck, and to follow up any traces he might
find upon King Williams Island. Accompanied
by my own party and Mr.. Peterson, / marched
along the east shore of King Williams Island,
occasionally passing deserted snow huts, but
without meeting natives till the 9Th of May,
when off Cape Norton we arrived at snow VII
lage containing about thirty inhabitants. They
gathered about us without the slightest appear
ance of fear or shyness, although none had ever
seen living white people before. They were
! most willing to communicate all their knowledge,