The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-10-12

old clothes, and other relics of q shooting OF
magnetic station: but although the cairn
was dug under, and trench dug all around
it, at distance Of ten feet, no record was
discovered.
"on 9Th May, Lieutenant Hobson pitched
his tent beside large cairn upon Point Vic
tory. Lying among some loose stones
which had fallen from the top of this cairn,
was found small tin case containing q
record, the substance of which is briefly as
iollows:-This cairn was built by the Frank
| lin Expedition upon the assumed site of
James Ross's pillar, which hadibeen found.
The Ercbw and Terror spent their first winter
at Beechy Island, after having assembled VEL
lington Channel to lat. N deg. NJ, and re-
turned by the west side of CORVALLIS Island.
On the 18th September, 1S46, they were beset
in lat. 1905 N, and Ion. 1928 w.
"Sir J. Franklin died on the 11th June,
lS4S. On the 22d April, 1S4S, the ships were
abandoned five leagues to tho N. N. W. Of
Point Victory, and the survivors, a hundred
and five in number, landed here under the
command of Captain Crozier. This paper
was dated 25th April, 1s4s, and upon the fol-
lowing 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. A vast quantity Of
clothing and stores of all sorts lay strewed
about, as if here every article was thrown
away which could possibly be dispensed with;
plckaxes, shovels, boats, cooking utensils,
iron work, rope, blocks, canvas a dip circle,
sextant engraved Frederic Aornby, r. N.
a small medicine chest, oars, &c.
IA few miles southword, across Back Bay, o
second record was found, having been de-
| hu ont Gnhn
VOeux, in May, 1847. It afforded no add-
tional information. Lieutenant Hobson con-
tinued his search until within few days
march of Cape Herschel, without finding any
trace Of the wreck or of natives.
"When in lat. SO deg. 90 N, and long. SO
deg. ~ W., we came to largo boat, discov-
cred by Lieutenant Hobson few days pre-
Viously, as his notice informed me. IT ap-
pears that this boat had been intended for
tho ascent of the Fish River, but was aban-
doned, apparently, upon return Journey TO
the ships, the sledge upon which she was
mounted being pointed in that direction.
She measured twenty-eight feet in length by
seven and q half feet wide, was most care
fully fitted, and made as light as possibl
but the sledge was of solid oak, and almost
as heavy as the boat.
"a large quantity of clothing was found
within her; also two human skeletons. One
OF these lay in the after part of the boat,
under q pile of clothing; the other, which
was much more disturbed, probably by ami
mails, was found in the bow. Five pocket
watches, quantity of silver spoons and
forks, and few religious books, were also
found, but no journals, pocket-books, or even
names upon any article of clothing. Two
double-barreled guns stood upright against
the boats side, precisely as they had been
placed eleven years before. One barrel in
each was loaded and cooked; there was am
munition in abundance; also thirty or forty
pounds Of chocolate, some tea and tobacco.
Fuel was not wanting; q drift tree lay within
one hundred yards of the boat.
"Many very interesting relics were brought
away by Lieutenant Hobson, and some few by
myself. On the fifth June I reached Point
Victory without having found anything fur
ther. The clothing, &c., was again examined
| for documents, notebooks, &c., without sue
cess; record placed in the cairn, and another
| buried ten feet true north of it. Nothing wor-
| thy of remark occurred upon my return journey
| to the ship, which we reached on nineteenth
June, five days after Lieutenant Hobson.
"The shore of King William Island between
| its north and west extremes, Capes Felix and
| Crozier, has uot been visited by Esquimaux
since the abandonment of the EreJm and
Terror, as the cairns and articles lying srewed
about, which are, in their eyes, Of priceless
value remain untouched.
off the wreck still remains visible, is prob
able she lies upon some of the off-lyng islets to
the southwark, between Capes Croizer and
Herschel.
"On the twenty-eighth june, Captain Young
and his party returned, having completed their
portion of the search, by which the insuIarity
of Prince of Wales Land was determined, and
the coast line intervening between the extreme
points reached by Lieutenants Osborne and
| Browne discovered also between Bellot Strait
and Sir James Ross's furthest in 1849, at Four
River Bay.
Fearing that his provisions might not last
out the requisite period, Captain Young sent
back four Of his men, and for forty days jour
noyed on through fogs and gales, with but one
man and the dogs, building snow-hut each
night. But few men could stand so long a
continuance Of labor and privation, and its
effect upon Captain Young was painfully evi
dent. Lieutenant Hobson was unable to stand
without assistance upon his return on board.
'cFrom all that can be CLEANED from the
record paper and the evidence afforded by the
boat, and various articles of clothing and
equipment discovered, it appears that tho aban-
donment of the Erebus and Terror had been
deliberately arranged, and every effort cxorted
during the third winter to render the travelling
equipments complete. 1t is much to be appre-
hended that disease had greatly reduced tho
strength of all on board--far more, perhaps
than they themselves were aware Of. The dis
tanco by sledge route from tho position of the
ships when abandoned in the boat, is sixty five
geographical miles, and from the ships to Mon
treal Island two hundred and twenty miles
The most perfect order seems TO have existed
throughout.
I'm order to extend as much as possible the
public utility of this voyage, magnetical, me
neurological, andother observations, subservien
to scientific purposes, and for which instru
msnts were supplied through the liberality O.
Of the Royal Society, have been continually
and carefully taken, and every opportunity
has been embraced by the surgeon, D. Walker
M. D., Of forming complete collections in ali
the various branches of natural history"
Accompanying this report arc complete in.
ventories Of the articles found, and though the
relics recovered will be preserved with reli-
gious care, the mere enumeration Of them pos.
sessed no special interest. They consist prin-
oipally of such articles as belong to ships
furniture, or the personal outfit of Arctic voy-
ayers. Knives, forks, spoons, silver ware
some bearing Sir John Franklin's crest-car-
pentors tools, articles Of clothing, pocket t-com-
passes, some watches, pieces Of telescopes,
| pocket books, buttons, and tho fragments OF