New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1859-10-17
atu Geaas aalv Gresttnt oaaay aoung oobr IT, 1853.

/ piece OF blank paper folded up was found in TIL,
! earn, and two broken bottles, which may per
4 haps, have contained records lay beside j
4 among some stones which had fallen off the top
| The most interesting Of the articles discovere,
here, including a boats ensign, were broght ava,
| by Mr.. Hobson. About two miles further to Thu
! southwest, small cairn was found, bat neither
! records nor relies obtained. About three mile:
north Of Point Victory second small carn was
examined, but only a broken pickax and an empty
/ canister found
son the 9Th of May, Lieut.. Hobson pitched his
1 tent beside a large cairn upon Point Victory. Ly-
| ing among some loose stones which had fallen from
i the top of this carn, was found small tin case,
| containing a record, the substance OF which is
| briefly as follows: This cairn was built by the
4 Franklin expedition, upon the assumed site Of Sir
James Ross's pillar, which has not been found,
! The Erebus and Terror spent their first winter at
I Beechy Island, after having assembled Wellington
west side Of CORVALLIS Island On the 18th of
September. 1876 they were beset in lat. 10 05 N,
/ and long 93 % w. Sir John Franklin died on the
18th Of june lS47. On the 22d of April, ls4S, the
ships were abandoned five leagues to the N. N. W.
of Point Victory, and the survivors, los in number,
landed here under command of Captain Crozier.
This paper was dated April IS, 1913, and upon the
following day they intended to start for the Great
Fish River The total loss by deaths in the expe-
dition to this date was officers and Is men. A
vast quantity of clothing and stores of all sorts Law
strewed about as if here every article was thrown
away which could possibly be dispensed with !;
plchdSeS, SlloNcis, COOKING utensils, ron
work, rope blocks canvas, dip circle, seNtant
engraved Frederic Horribly, R. NJ a small niedi-
cine chest, oars etc.
- few miles southwark, across Daek Bay, a
second record was found, having been deposited
by Lieutenant Gore and NJ. DIES VoeuX, in May,
lS47. 1t afforded no additional information.
Lieut. Hobson continued his search until within
a few days march of Cape Herschell. without
finding any trace of the wreck or of natives. He
left full information of his important discoveries for
me: therefore when returning northward by the
west shore of King Williams Island, l had the
advantage of knowing what had already been
found.
..Soon after leaving Cape Herschell the traces of
natives became less numerous and less recent, and
after rounding the west point of the island they
ceased altogether. This shore is extremely low
and almost utterly destitute of vegetation. Numer-
Gus banks of single and low isets lie off it, and
beyond these Victoria Strait is covered with heavy
and impenetrabe packed ice.
When in lat. go deg. 6 n. and long. 80 deg. u
W., we came to a large boat, discovered by Lieut.
Hobson a few days previously, as his notice had
informed me- 1t appears that this boat had been
intended for the ascent of the Fish River but was
abandoned, apparently, upon return journey to
the ships, the sledge upon which she was mounted
being pointed in that direction She measured
% feet in length by d feet wide, was most care
fully fitted, and made as light as possible but the
sledge was of solid oak, and almost as heavy as
the boat.
A large quantity of clothing was found within her,
also tw human skeletons. One of these lay in the
after part ofthe boat, under pile of clothing the
other, which was much more disturbed probably
by animals, was found in the bow. Five pocket
Watches a quantity of silver spoons and forks, and
few religious books were also found, but no jour-
mails, pocket books or even names upon any article
of clothing. Two donble-barreled guns stood up
right against the boats side, precisely as they had
been placed eleven years before. One barrel in
each was loaded and cooked; there was ammu-
milton in abundance, also 80 or 40 pounds of choco-
late, some tea and tobacco. Fuel was not wanting;
q drift tree lay within 100 yards of the boat
Captain NJ Clintock says, from all that can be
CLEANED from the record papers, and of evidence
afforded by the boat and various articles of clothing
and equipment discovered, it appears that the
abandonment Of the Erebus and Terror had been
deliberately arranged, and every effort eAerted dur
ing the third winter to render the travelling equip
ments complete. 1t is much to be apprehended
that disease had greatly reduced the strength Of all
on board far more, perhaps, than they themselves
were aware Of The distance by sledge route from
the position of the ships when abandoned, to the
boat Is 50 geographical miles, and from the ships to
Montreal Island is 22O miles. The most perfect
order seems, to have existed throughout.
Accompanying this report are complete invento
ries of the articles found and though the relics re-
covered will be preserved with religious care the
mere enum m, OF them possesses no special
interest They consist principally of such articles
as belong to ships furniture, the personal out
tit of Arctic yoyagers. Knives, forks, spoons,
silver ware some bearing Sir John Franklin's
crest-carpenter tools, articles of clothing, pocket
SoHPdSseS, SuHlc Watches, pieces OF telescopes,
pocket books buttons, and the fragments of arti.
Giles of various kinds.
There were also found in one parcel small
Prayer-book, cover of small book of " Family
Prayers" Christian Melodies" an inscription
within the cover to &C. G )" Vicar of Wake
field" small Bible interned in many places,
and with numerous references in the margin, and
New Testament in the French language.
There were also many articles discovered which
we're not brought away. Of the wrecks of the two
ships, the expedition failed to find any portions
It would however be most foolish enterprise to
prosecute the search further
All hope that any of Franklin's party survive is
IT an end It is over eleven years since they aban-
Toned their ships and they doubtless all persisted
within short time after the abandonment in the
ounded them.
Their noble commander did not live to see them
educed to the last terrible extremity, and perhaps
us loss made certain fate which his experience
md counsels, had he lived longer, might have
verted.