Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-03-01
The Fo,s Of Sir John FrankIin.


ana Capt. M unntock determined to discover,
ifpossible, the stranded ship. Continuing the
journey, he crossed wide bay on level ice,
aud remarkably smooth, hard snow. Seven
or eight snow huts, recently abandoned, were
found near the magnetic pole. Reaching
Cape Victoria on the 28th of April, Capt. NJ
Clintock separated from HObson, taking q
southerly course while the latter marched
direct for Cape Felix, King Williams Island.
On the 7th of May, the Captain arrived at a
snoW-yillage, with ten or twelve huts, and
thirty or forty natives of King Williams Is
land. From them, he purchased six pieces Of
silver plate bearing the erests or initials Of
Franklin, Crozier, Fairholme and Mcdonald;
in addition to bows and arrows of English
woods, and uniform and other buttons. Having
obtained all the relics they assessed, he bar
tered for some seals flesh, blubber, frozen ven
ison, dried and frozen salmon, and sold them
some of his puppies. He was told that it was
FIVE days journey TO the wreck; that many Of
the white men dropped by the way as they
went to the Great River that some were
buried and some were not
Having proceeded as far as Montreal Island,
on the 18th of May, the party commenced their
return journey, but for the three following
weeks the route led over new ground. On
the 25th of May, as they we're upon the shore
along which the retreating crews must have
have marched, they came upon human skel-
eton, partly exposed, with here and there
few fragments of clothing appearing through
the snow. The skeleton was perfectly bleach
ed, and lying upon its face, the liRbs and
smaller bones either discovered or gnaWed
away by small animals. The spot, of course,
was carefully examined, the snow removed,
and every scrap Of clothing gathered up. A
pocketbook was found, but it was frozen hard.
The victim was evidently young man slight
ly built, and perhaps above the common hight.
The dress appeared to be that Of steward,
or officer servant, The loose bow knot in which
his neck-handkerchief was tied not being used
by seamen or officers. In other respects the
dress confirmed the supp position as to his
rank-the blue jacket with slashed sleeves
and braid edging, and ihe pilot cloth great
coat with plain covered buttons. There was
q clothesbrush near and horn pocket-cOmb.
The young man seemed to have selected the
bare ridge top as affording the easiest walk
ing, and to have fallen upon his face when
so exhausted that he could proceed no further.
The time had now come for revelation of
the most intense interest About II miles
from Cape Herschel, Capt. MClinto K found
a small cairn built by Hobson's party and
containing q note directed to himself Lieut.
Hobson had reached this point about a week
previously, without having seen anything Of
the wreck or Of the natives, but he had found
an invaluable record of the Franklin Ex-
pedition at Point Victory, on the N. W. coast
of King Williams Island. The record was
on one of the printed forms used in discovery
ships for the purpose of being inclosed in bot
ties, and being thrown overheard at sea, in
order to ascertain the set of the currents
The writing on it stated that the Erebus and
Terror wintered at Beechy Island in 1856,
in lat. IA Q 43 min. N, after having assembled
Wellington Channel to lat. ITO N, and return
ed by the west side of CORVALLIS Island Sir
John Franklin commanding the expedition
The document, bearing the date of May %,
l847, was signed by Lieut.. Gore and Des
Veux, the mate. But the mournful sequel is
to be added. Around the margin ofthe paper,
dated April 25, 1848, the words were writted
by another hand that the Terror and Erebus
were deserted on the 22d of April, having
been beset since September II, 1876; that Sir
John Franklin died on the 11th of June, 1847;
and that the total loss by deaths in the exped-
ition to that date had been 9 officers and 10
men Such, in few words, was the sad tale
of all that we yet know Of the fate of Sir John
Franklin. The Spring of 1847 found the ex-
pedition within 90 miles of the known sea off
the coast of America confident no doubt, after
having already in two seasons sailed over
500 miles of previously unexplored waters, of
being able In the coming navigable season
to pass over so short an intervening space
But this was not to be. Within q month
after the record was placed on Point Vic
tory, the gallant and beloved founder of the
expedition, Sir John Franklin, was dead; and
the following Spring found Captain Crozier, on
whOmthe command devOlved, at King Williams
Island endeavoring to save his men from tell
bic death by periOus retreat.
On the 30th Of May, the party came upon
another melancholy relic, which HObson had
found few days before. This was a large
boat, containing vast quantity Of tattered
clothing. But not single article bore the name
ofits former owner. The party was transfxed
with awe, when they discovered in the boat q
portion of two human skeletons. One was that
of a slight young person; the other of large,
strongly-made, midde-aged man. The former
was found in the bow of the boat, but in SO dis
turbed a state that it could not be told whether
the sufferer had died there; large and powerful
animals, probably wolves, had deVoured much
of this skeleton, which may have been that OF an
officer. Near it were found the fragment of =
pair of worked slippers, and a pair Of small,
strong shooting half boots. The other skeleton
was in somewhat more perfect state, and was
enveoped with clothes and furs. Close beside
it, were found five watches; and there wsre two
dOuble~barreledg guns-ooe barrel in each loaded
and cocked-standing muzzle upward against
the boats side. Five or six small books were
II rrn-t-5
except the "Vicar of Wakefield" Among the
great quantity of clothing, there were seven or
eight pairs of boots of various kinds, silk hand'
kerehiefs, soap, sponge, toothbrush, and hair.
combs. Beside these, were found twine, nails,
saws, files b.ist!es, ,wax-ends, sail makers palms
Inns, powder, bullets, shot, cartridges, wads,
leather cartridges. case, knives Of different kinds
needle and thread-cases, slow match, several
bAyonet scabbards cut down into knife-sheatAs,
two rolls of sheet-lead and an immense variety
of other articles for the most part, such as mod
ern sledge drivers would consider useless ac-
cumulation, and very likely to break down the
strength of crews The only provisions in the
boat were tea and chocolate-nO biscuit nor
meat of any kind A portion OftObacco,a and an
eUnptv pemmican tin were discovered. In the
after part of the boat were tweniy-six pieces OF
plate, of which eight bore the crest of Sir John
franklin
The position ofthis abandoned boat was about
so miles, as a sledge would travel, from Point
Victory, 65 miles from the position of the ships,
20 miles from the skeleton ofthe steward, and
i50 niles from Montreal Island. 1t is suppos-
ed by Captsin M'ClintOck that theii boat was
rotnyninG 70 the ship; that the party were un-
abe to drag it any further; and that these two
men. not able to keep pace with their ship
mates. were left by them, supplied with such
nTovis;ops as could be spared, to last until the
return of the Others from the ship with fresh
stock.
INThe ether relics of The expedition were ofin
considerable importance, and by the middle Of
July, the brave little yacht which had endured
the trial of two successive Winters in Arctic ice
wss nearly ready for sea on her homeward voy
-. t. ,I,s not however untiI the 2lst Of Au.