Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-10-14

Who wsrs under the command Of, The hero
IL Crozisr, some time after the lSnding on
King Wiiisms1Apd2s Could ] and NY
party. With rsaaolabl safety. have renains
ed TO naakSsA S1pnsr seerch on King
WlliaRs md 81 i not only probable
that y sih6uld have recovered the .1oQe
aud ioureab u Sir John Fnnklins
exPediaes, ny have ;gasnes'sd nptsnl
eGtombed tho S1remains Ae: nearly 100
of his companions, for they Ito about the
places where the three boats have been
found, and at the large camping place at
the head of Terror Bay, and the three other
places that have already mentioned. In
tho Cove, west side OF Point Richardson,
however, Nature herself has opened her
bosom and given sepulture to tho remains
Of tho immortal heroes that died there.
Wherever tho Esquimanx have found the
graves Of Franklin's companions they have
dug them open and robbed the dead, leav-
ing them exposed TO the ravages OF wild
beasts. On Todd's Island the remains of
Ave men wero not buried. but, after the
savages had robbed them of every article
that could be turned to any account for
their use. their dogs were allowed to finish
the disgusting work. . !
Wherever Found that Sir John Frank
Inns companions had died erected mon
uments then fred salutes and waved the
star-spangled banner over them in memory
and respect Of the great and true discover
era, Of the Northwest Passage. could
have gathered great quantities-a very
great variety--of relics Of Sir john Frank.
Inns expedition. for they are now possessed
by natives all over the Arctic regions that
visited or heard of, from Ponds Bay to
Mackenzie river. As it was had to be
satisfied with taking upon our sledges
about 125 pounds total weight Of relics
from. tho Natives about King Williams
Land. Some. Of these will enumeate:
First--A portion of ono side Several
planks and ribs fast together) OF IL boat.
clinker-built and copper-fastened. This
part of the boat is of the one found near the
boat found by McClintock's party. Second
"A small sledgs runner. reduced from
the sledgs on which the boat rested.
Third-Part of the mast Of the Northwest
Passage ship: Fourth hronometer box.
with it's number, name of maker, and the
Fifth-Two long heavy shests Of copper,
three and four inches wide, With counter
SINK holes for screw nails. Oh these
sheets, % we'll % on most everything else
that came from the Northwest Passage ship
are numerous stamps Of the Queens broad
arrow. Fiith-8Iahogany writing de:k,
deliberately finished and bound in brass.
Sixth-Many pieces Of silver plate forks
and demonstrating crests and initials of
the owners. Seventh-Parts Of watches.
Eighth-Knives, and very many other
things. all of which you. Mr.. Grinnell, and
others interested in the fate of the Frank
lin e3pediti06, viii take Hal interest in
inspecting OF, their arrival In the States.
must now tell you of the heart-rending,
tragical part of my expedition before con-
clude this.s.pid, and, I must add, incom.
plete report ior. after oil, it is but drop
in the bucket to giving you Q full idea Of,
the vast amount of interesting and impor-
taut information have gained Of the ma
tives about Baptists Bay, Ig-loo-lik, Pelly
Bay, Neltchille. Great Fish or Back River,
and King Williams Land. relative to the
sfatept Slz,I John Franklin's expedition. : In
the speingof 1865 I started from Rspalse
Bay on q dog-sledge journey to King Will
liam . Land. My company was entirely of
natives, and on our getting about two
hundred miles on our way We meta party
of Pelly Bay natives who were fleeing
from their country ON account of ''war"
raging there. The effect ON my company
was that on NO consideration could they be
induced to proceed further, and. therefore,
terrible az vas tho blow to my plans. l had
to turn back, trusting that could succeed
in getting small band of faithful white
men out Of some whale ships, if they
should happily make into Repulse Bay.
Not until tie fall Of 1867 was I able to get
the desired number of white men to &C.
company me, besides my Esquimaux inter-
preters--Joe and Hannah-as an escort of
defense, while making the long delayed
sledge journey to King William Land, and
even then it was only at the very last mo-
ment-that is, while the Yhaling vessels
were weighing anchor and 8tarting for the
States that1 was sucoessful.
: The result Of my taking seamen that
neither I nor their captains knew much
about proved a. many would expect. One
of the men, Frank Lailer, ever proved dur
ing the year employed the party OF five
men; q most faithful, hard working and
energetic man. fulfilling every position in
which placed him with ability and honor.
Two men Of the five would, am qnite
confident, have proved better men than
they did had they not been ill-advised.
None of the men, except noble Frank
Lailer, ever accompanied me on any Of my
great sledge journeys. In the fall Of
1868, during . mutinous attack upon me,
whom my faithful man was absent, about
seven miles distant on businsss, was
compelled, in sell. ds6anse, 10 call into re-
quisition revolver. Coleman, the leader,
foil aad died In fifteen days. At once the
rebellion ended, and one Of the band came
and like . man acknowledged truly that he
and his companions were altogether the
guilty ones, and hoped that I would forgive
him, which ! did on tho instant. / feel
that had not taken the last s'dread alter
native" my fate would have been quite as
sorrowful az that of Henry Hudson.
G., F, HALL.