Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-10-20

not carry away all we might have purchased
They pointed to the inlet We had crossed th,
day before, and told Us that days march Up j
: and thence four days overland brought them tt
. the wreck.
, None of these people had been there sine,
1878. at which time they said but little re-
manned. their countrymen having carried away
almost everything.
Most of our information was received from
an intelligent old woman. She said it was il
the fall of the year that the ship was forced
ashore. Many of the white men dropped by
the way. as they went toward the Great River
but this was only known to them in the wintel
following. when their bodies were discovered
They all assured Us that we would fad natives
upon the south shore, at the Great River, and
some few at the wreck but unfortunately this
was not the case. Only one family was met
with off Point Booth, and none at Montreal Is
land, or any place subsequently visited.
Point Osle, Montreal Island. and Barrow Is
land, were searched without finding anything
except few scraps of copper and iron in an
Esqaaniaux hiding place.
Re-crcssing the Strait to King William Is
land. we continued the examination of Its
southern shore without success until the 24tb
of May. when. about ten miles eastward OF
Cape Herschel, bleached skeleton was found,
around which lay fragments of European
clothing. Upon carefully removing the snow a
small pocket-book was found containing few
letters; these. although much decayed, may
yet be deciphered. Judging from the remains
of his dress, this unfortunate ?ours man was a
steward or ofiecTT servant, and his position ex-
actly verified the Esquamaux's assertion that
they dropped as they walked along.
On reaching Cape Herschel next day. we cx-
amined Simpsons cairn. or rather what re-
mains of it, which is only four feet high, and
the central stones have been removed, as il
seeking within it. My impression at tie time,
and which l still retain. is that records were
deposited there by the retreating crews and
subsequently, removed by the natives.
After parting from me at Cape Victoria on
the 2Sth April. Lieut. Hobson made for Cape
Felix; at short distance westward of it, he
found a very large cairn, and close to it three
small tents, with blankets, old clothes, and
other relics of 4 shooting or magnetic station !;
but although the cairn was dug under. and a
trench dug all around it distance of ten fee,
no record was discovered. A piece of blank
paper folded up was found in the cairn, and
two broken bottles, which perhaps may have
contained records, lay beside it, among some
stones which had fallen from off the top. The
most interesting of the articles discovered here.
including boats ensign, were brought away
by Mr. Hobson. About two miles further to
the southwest a small cairn was found, but
neither records nor relics were obtained. About
three miles north of Point Victory, small
cairn was examined, but only broken pickax
and empty canister found.
On the 9Th of May Lieut.. Hobson pitched
his tent beside large cairn upon Point Victo-
nv. Lying in some loose stones which had fall
len from the top of this eairn was found asmall
tin case, containing record, the substance of
which was briefly as follows: This cairn was
1,,f1 IL III, Al
surned site of james Ross pillar, which had not
been found. The Erebus and Terror spent
their first winter at Beechy Island, after having
assembled Wellington Channel to lat 10 deg. N.
and returned by west side of CORVALLIS Island.
On the 10Th of September. 1916, they were be-
set in lat. 20 deg. min. N, and Ion. SO deg.
% min. W.
Sir J. Franklin died on the 11th June, 1S47.
On the 22d April, 1S48 the ships were aban-
doned FIVE leagues to tho N. N. W. of Point
Victory, and the survivors, los in number, land
ed here uGder the command of Capt. Crozier.-
This paper was dated 25th April, lS4S, and up
on the follow ing day they intended to start for
the Great Fish River. The total loss by deaths
in the expedition up to this date was nine Off
GERS and fifteen men. A vast quantity of clo-
thing and stores of all sorts lay strewed about,
as if every article was thrown away which
could possibly be dispensed with piek-axes.
shovels boats, cooking uten lis, iron work, rope,
blocks, canvas, dip-circle, sextant engraved
"Fredric Horribly" R. N, q small medicine
chest. oars. DC.
A few miles northward, across Back Bay, a
second record was found, having been deposited
by Lieut.. Gore and NJ. dcs Veux, in May, 1S47.
1t afforded no additional information.
Lieut.. Hobson continued his search until
within few days march of Cape HerseheI,
without finding any trace of the wreck or of na-
tives. He left full information of his import
ant discoveries for me therefore, when return
ing northward by the west shore of King Will
liam Island. l had the advantage of knewing
what had already been found.
Soon after leaving Cape Herschel, the traces
OF natives became less numerous and less re-
cent and after rounding the west point of the |
island they ceased altogether. This shore is |
extremely low. and almost utterly destitute of
vegetation. Numerous banks of shingle and |
low islets lie off it. and beyond these Victoria
Strait is covered with heavy and impenetrable |
packed ice.
When in lat. 60 deg. min. N. and Ion. SO |
deg. 81 min. W., We came to a large boat. dis /
covered by Lieut.. Hobson a few days previous
ly. as his notice informed me. 1t appears that
this boat had been intended for the ascent of
the Fish River, but was abandoned apparently |
upon a return journey to the ships, the sledge |
that direction. She measured % feet in length.
by Z l2 feet wide, was most carefully 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 with
in her, also two human skeletons. One ofthese
lay in the after part of the boat under pile of
clothing; the other, which was much more dis
turbed. probably by animals, was found in the
bow. Five pocket-watehes, quantity of sill
were also found, but no journals, pocket books,
or even names upon any articles of clothing
Two double -barreled guns stood upright against |
the boats side, precisely as they had been
placed leven years before. One barrel in each
was loaded and cooked, there was ammunition
in abundance. also 30 or 40 pounds of choco-
ing a drift Tree lay within 100 yards of the
boat.
Many very interesting relics were brought |
away by Lieut.. Hobson, and some few by my
self. On the 5th of June l reached Point Vic
tory. without having found anything further
the clothing, de-, was again examined for doc
uments, notebooks. &c without success.
Nothing worthy Gremark occurred upon my |
return journey 10 the ship, which VIC reached |
on 18th June. five days after Lieut.. Hobson.
The shore of King William Island, between
its north and west extremes, Capes Felix and
Crozicr, has not been visited by Esquimaux
since the abandonment of the Erebus and Ter
ror, as the cairns and articles lying strewed |
about, which are, in their eyes, of priceless val
ue, remained untouched.
If the wreck remains visible. it is probable