The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-10-17
Relies or sir JSAn Er..x,,..

narrative Of his adventures in search Of Sir
John franklin, that he divided his party, -
signing tho command Ok one division to Lieut..
Hobson, and that 10 April last they com-
menced their final search on land.
Accompanied by my own party and Mr..
Peterson, marched along the shore OF King
William's Island, occasionally passing desert
cd snow huts, but without meeting natives
till the 9Th Of May, when OF Cape Norton We
arrived at 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 wiliing
to communicate oil their knowledge and bar
ter all their goods but would have stolen ev-
had they not been very closely
watched. Many more relics OF our country.
men were obtained We could not carry away
all We might have purchased. They pointed
TO the inlet we had crossed the day before,
and told rs that one days march up it. and
thence four days overland, brought them to
the wreck.
None Of these people had been there since
1873, at which tims they said but little re-
manned, their countrymen having carried
away everything.
Most OF our information was received from
an intelligent old woman she said it was in
the fall Of the year that tho ship was forced
ashore; many Of the white men dropped by
the way ~ they went towards the Great Riv-
or; but this Was only known to them in the
winter following, when their bodies were dis
covered.
d They oil assured us that We would find ma
tives upon the south shore, ut the Great Riv-
er, and some few at the wreck; but unfortu-
nately this was not the case. Only one fam
lily were met of Point Booth, and none ct
Montreal leland or any place subsequently
visited.
Point Ogle, Montreal Island, and Barrow
Island, were searched without finding any
thing except few scraps of copper and iron
in an Esquimaux hiding place.
Recrossing the Strait to King Williams
Island, we continued the examination OF the
southern shore without success until the Gath
OF May, when about ten miles eastward OF
Cape Herschell, q bleached skeleton was
found, around which lay fragments Of Euro
psan clothing. Upon carefully removing the
snow small pocket-book was found, con-
tanning few letters. These, although much
decayed, may yet be deciphered. Judging
from the remains Of his dress, this unfortu.
nate young man was . steward or officers
servant, and his position exactly verified the
Esquimaux's assertion, that they dropped az
they walked along.
On reaching Cape Herschell next day, he
examined Simpsons cairn, or rather what
remains OF it, which is only four feet high,
and the centre stones have been removed, AZ
II by men seeking something within. My
impression at the time, and which still re-
tain, is that records were deposited there by
the retreatlng crews, and subsequently re-
moved by the natives.
After parting from me at Cape Victoria on
the 18th of April, Lieut.. Hobson made for
Cape Felix. At short distance west Of it
he found very large cairn, and close to il
three small tents, with blankets, old clothes
and other relics Of shooting or magnetic
station but although the cairn was dug un.
der, and trench dug oil around 1t at q dis.
tance OF ten feet, no record was discovered.
A piece of blank paper folded up was found
in the cairn, and two broken bottles, which
may, perhaps, 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 small cairn was fonnd, but Meth
er records nor relics obtained. About three
miles north OF Cape Victoria second small
oairn was examined, but only broken pick
axe and empty canister found.
On the 9th OF May, Lieut.. Hobson pitched
bis camp beside large cairn upon Mount
Victory. Lying among some loose stones,
which had fallen from the top OF this cairn,
was found small tin case containing q re-
cord, the substance Of which is briefly as fol-
lows: Ihis cAirn was built by the Franklin
expedition on the assumed sight OF Sir James
Ross pillar, which had not been found
The Erebus and Terror spent their hrst
winter at Beechy Island, after having as.
cended Wellington Channel to lat. ~ deg.
N, and returned by the west side of Corn
wallis Island. On the 18th of Sept, 1916,
they were beset in let. 80 deg. min. N. and
Ion. 90 deg. % min. w. Sir John Franklin
died on the 18th of June, I847. On the 22d
OF April, l848, the ships were abandoned, S
leagues to the N. N. w. Of Point Victory.
and the survivors, los in number, landed
hers under the command Of Capt. Oroxier.-
This paper Was dated April Is, l848, and
upon the following 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 Is men. vast
quantity OF clothing and stores OF ell sorts
lay strewed about, a. il here every article
Was thrown away, which could possibly DO
dispensed with; pickaxes, shovels, boats,
cooking utensils; iron-work, rope, blocks,
canvas, dip circle, . sextant engraved
Frederick Horribly, N. Ma small medi.
cine-chest, &c. -
A few miles southwsrd, 1cross Back Bay.
second record was found, having been de-
posted by Lieut.. Gore and NJ. des Vmux, 10
May, l847. 1t affords no additional infor-
nation.
Lieut.. Hobson continued his search until
within q few days march OF Cape Herschell.
without finding any trace OF tho wreck or of
natives. He left full information OF his i'm
portant discoveries for me; therefore, when
returning northward by the west shore OF
King Williams Island, had the advan-
tage OF knowing what had alrcady been