The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-10-12
made search after search over all the

when the snow had nearly all disappear
ed from TIE land.
My sledge company from Rcpulse Bay
to King Williams Land consisted OF
eleven souls, all Esquimaux. Although
they are az untamable rs eagles by na
ture. vet by their aid alone ! was enabled
to reach points otherwise inaccessible
and when~tlere to gain much important
Information relative to the fate of Sill
John Franklin's expedition. | tried
hard to accomplish far more than did
but not one Of the company would, on
any account whatever consent to remai.
with me in that country and make q
summer EGarch over that island, which,
from information ] had gained of the
natives, had reason to suppose would
be rewarded by the discovery Of Che
whole OF the manuscript records that
had accumulated in that great expedition
and been deposited in a vault little
way inland or eastward of Cape Nicto-
ry. Knowing, AZ Inow do, the charac-
ter Of the EsquimauX in that part Of the
country i'll which King Williams Land
is situated, | can not wonder at nor blame
the Repulse Bay natives for their refusal
to remain there as | desired. 1t is quite
probable, had VIC remained as l wished,
no one Of us would have got out of the
country alive How could we expect,
# we had got into straitened circurhstan-
ces, that we should receive better treat
ment from the Esquimaux Of that Goth
try than the los souls who were under
the command of the heroic Crozier, some
time after landing on King William
Land? Could l and my party,with rea-
sonable safety, have remained to make
summer search on King William Land
it is not only probable that we should
have recovered the logs and journals oi
Sir John Franklin's expedition, but have
gathered up and entombed the remains
of nearly one hundred of his compan
ions; for they lie about the places where
the three boats have been found, and al
the large camping place atthe head o
Terror Bay and the three otherplace5 tha
| have already mentioned. La the Cove
west side Of Port Richardson, however
Nature herself has opened her bosom
and given seputure TO the remains o
the immortal heroes that died there
Wherever the EsqumauX have fouuC
the graves Of Franklin's companions
they have dug them open and robbed tn
dead, leaving them exposed to the raw
aces of wild beasts. On Todd's Islan(
The remains Of five men were not buried
but after the savages had robbed them o
every article that could be turned to any
account for their use, their dogs were al
lowed to finish the disgusting work,
Wherever I found that Sir John Frank
Inns companions had died | erected mon
uments, then fired salutes and waved tn
Star Spangled Banner over them in mem
DRY and respect of the great and tru
discoverers Of the North west Passage
| could have gathered great quantities
very gleatvariety of relics of Sir job
Franklin's Expedition: for they are nov
possessed by natives all over the Arctl
regions that visited or heard of-tror
Ponds Bay to Mackenzie liver. As
was, had TO be satisfied with taking up
on our sledges about 125 pounds, tota
weight, of relies from natives about Kin
Williams Land. Some of those l wi
enumerate: 1st. y portion Of one sid
(seyeral planks and ribs fast together
of boat, clihker built and copper-fas
tened. This part of boat is of tn
one found near the boat found by Nc
Ciintock's party. ID A small oak sledg
runner, reduced from the sledge on whic
'. the boat rested. Sd. Part Of the mas
, of the North west Passage ship. 4tl
Chronometer box, with its number, r,nam
of maker, and the Queens broad arro'
engraved upon it. 9Th. Two long heav.
sheets of copper, three and four inche
wide, with counter sunk holes Cor screN
nails. On these sheets, as well as o.
most every thing else that came tror
the North west Passage ship, are numel
Gus stamps of the Queens broad-arroW
9TH. Mahogany writing-desk, elaborate
ly finished and bound in brass. 9Th
Manv pieces of silver plate-forks an
spoons-bearing crosts and initials o
the owners. 7th. Parts Of watches. Sth
Knives, and very many other things, al
of which you, Mr.. Grinncll, and other
interested in the fate of the FRANKLIN
Expedition, will take u sad interest il
inspecting on their arrival i'll the States
l must now tell you of the heart-ren
dering tragical part Of my expedition
before conclude this rapid, and l mus
add an incomplete report. for after all
is but a drop in the bucket to giving yo'
a full idea of the vast amount OF inter
esting and important informationI hav
gained of the natives about Repulse Bay
Ig-loo-lik, Pelly Bay, Neitchille, Grea
Fish. or Back River and King William
Land, relative to the fate OF Sir Johl
Franklin's Expedition. IN the spring o
1865 / started from Repulse Bay on ;
dog -sledge journey to King Williams
Land. Ny company was entirely of ma
tives, and on our getting abouttwo hun
dred miles on our way we met q party o
Pelly Bay natives who were fleeing from
Inelf country on acCouiI VI W." Ii
ging there. The effect on my company
was that on no consideration could they
be induced to proceed further, and, there
fore, terrible as was the blow to my plans
l had to turn back, trusting that coul(
succeed in getting small band of faith
full white men out Of some whale-ships
if they should happily make into Repulst
Bay. Not until the fall Of 1867 was
able to get the desired number of white
meuto accompany me, besides my Es
quimaux interpreters Joe and Hannah
as an escort of defense, while making
thelong- delayed sledge journey to Kins
Williams Land, and even then it was a
the very last moment-that is while the
whaling vessels were weighing anchors
and starting for the States-that | wa;
successful. The result Of my taking
seamen that neither | nor their captains
knew much about proved as many woul(
expect One Of the men, Frank Lailer
ever proved, during the year l employed
the party Of FIVE men. most faithful
hard working and energetic man, fulfill
ing every position in which ! placed hin
At, ,L,I:%,, ,,l ln,Ar TrrO ,,,op n