Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1859-10-15
THE FIRST NEWS.


drawn by six dogs. This was all The
force we could muster. Before separa-
ting We saw two Esquimaux families liv-
ing out upon the icein snow huts; from
them we learned that second ship had
been seen off King Williams Island, and
that she drlled ashore on the fall of The
same year. From this ship they obtained
great 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 Is
LAND.
STRANGE PEOPLE.
Accompanied by 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 a snow
village containing about thirty inhabitants.
They gathered about us without the
slightest appearance OF fear or shyness,
although none had ever seen living white
people before. They were most wiling
to communicate all their knowledge and
barter all their goods, bat would have sIo-
len everything had they not been very
closely watched. Manv more relics of
our counuymen were obtained; we could
not carry away all We might have pur-
chased. They pointed TO the inlet we
had crossed the day before, and told us
that one days march up TO it, and thence
four days overland. brought them 10 the
wreck. None of these people had been
there since 1878, at which time they
said but little remained, their countrymen
having carried away almost everything.
AN INTELLIGENT OLD WOMAN.
Most Of our information was received
from an intelligent old woman; she said i'll
was on the fall of the year that the ship
was forced ashore; many of the white
men dropped by the way as they went 10
the Great River, but this was Onl y known
10 them in the winter following, when
their bodies were discovered.
SKELETON FOUND.
Recrossine the Strait TO King William s
Island, we continued the examination OF
lis southern shore without success until
the Oath of May, when about ten miles
eastward Of Cape HersheIl beached
skeleton was found, around which lay
fragments Of European clothing. Upon
carefully removing the snow smalI peck
ct book was found containing lew letters
These, although much decayed, may yet
be deciphered. Judging from the remains
of his dress, this unfortunate young man
was steward or officers servant, and
his position exactly verified The EsquI-
maux's assertion, that they dropped as
they walked along.
DISCOVERY OF THE RECORD.
On the 9th of May, Lieut.. Hobson
pitched his tent beside large calrn upon
Poiut Victory. Laying among some
loose stones which had fallen from the
top of this carn, was found small TN.
case containing record, the sub
stance of which is briefly as follows =
This cairn was built by the Franklin eX'
petition. upon the assumed slle OF Sir
James Ross pillar. which had not been
found. The Erebus and Terror spent
their frs, winter at Beechy Island, after
having sscended Wellington Channel to
lat. II deg. N. and returned by The west
side of CORVALLIS Island. On the 18Th
September, 1916, they were besei in lat
20 O5 NJ, and long. 90 % w. SIR }.
Franklin died on the lllh of June, lo47.
On the 22d of April, lS49, the ships
were abandoned FIVE leagues 10 the n. n.
w. of Poin, Victory, and tie survivors,
los in number, landed here under the
command of Capt. Crozier.. This paper
vas DARED priI 25Ih, lS4S. and upon The
following day they intended TO start Tor
the Great Fish River. The total loss by
deaths in the expedition, up 10 this date,
was 9 officers and 10 men. A vast guam
,ity OF clothing and stores Of all sorts lay
s.rewed about, as if here every article
was thrown away which could possibly
be dispensed with; Pickaxes, shoVels,
boats, cooking utensils, iron work. rope,
block, canvas, dip circle, sextant en-
graved frederick Hornby, K. NJ" a
small medicine chest, oars, &c.
VARIETY OF RELICS.
When in lat. 60 deg. 90 n, and long
90 deg. 81 W., we came 10 large boat
discovered by Lieut.. Hobson few days
previously. as his notice informed me. A
large quantity Of clothing was found WIN
in her. also two human skeletons. One
of these lay in the after part of the boat
under pile Of clothing; the other, whief
was much more disturbed. probably by