The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-11-18

clean water, and eventually succeeded in
clearing the pack, which was about fifty
miles wide. We now steered flr Beechy
Island, and when opposite Regent Inlet
were enveloped in a fog, which settled
down on us like wet blanket, hiding the
sun and the land The compass was so
near the magnetic pole that it became use
less. and for two days we literally CROPPED
our way through the whole length OF Bar
row Strait, with an easterly gale, accom-
panied by snow, sleet, hail, and OCCASION
ally ice streams. Then the fog lifted in
the evening, and we found ourselves at
the entrance of Radstock Bay, within sight
of Beechy Island, which showed some
good guessing on tie part OF Capt. Young
and his navigating officer. We soon could
distinguish a yacht, among many things
left here by Ross in 1880, drawn up on
the beach, her mast still upright, togeth
Ell with two lite-boats and ''NOrthumber
land House" We anchored at midnight,
the gale blowing northwest, causing a
heavy surf We went ashore next morn
ing, and quite a scene OF destruction and
ruin greeted us.
Northumberland House had been
broken into and at first glance, it seemed
as if nearly all the stores left here by for
mer expeditions had been DESTROYED. The
ground was covered with tins of meat.
pemmican, and vegetables, bales Of
clothes and rolls Of blankets, bundles of
flannel, heaps of clothing, hanks OF yarn,
hundreds of pairs of wooden socks and
mittens scattered about in the widest con-
fusion The marauders had entered by
the south window. and to enlarge it, had
torn out nearly the whole side of the house
which had been built OF boards. The snow
had drilted in during the winter. then had
partly melted in the SUMNER then frozen
and thawed during the succeeding winters
and summers, until the whole interior of
the house, to the depth of / feet. was one
solid mass Of ice The beautiful blue cloth,
50 fine and soft, and the white, soft lan-
mel blankets and clothing were AL torn to
shreds; the sides OF the meat and pemml-
can cans were punched in and pulled OIL;
and all this was the work of the Polar
| bears as the marks of their claws were
| everywhere, while q cask Of rum. stand
ING untouched near the doorway, was
! good evidence that s. Northumberland
| House was not broken into by human
house-breakers They had even gnaWed
| into some barrels of salt-hect and empticd
! them of their contents. 1t looked as if the
bears had been amusing themselves by
| playing ball with everything they could
not tear to shreds. Fortunately most OF
the provisions and part of the clothing
were safely headed up in solid lron-hoop-
ed barrels. The salt meat and sugar ap-
peared in good condition, and also nearly
all the clothing put up in barrels
Capt. Young made L survey. 50 as to
report to the Admiralty. lie nearly re-
stored everything to order, a III lett the
Goals mdistmbcd and the few stores, with
the intention of forming depot at Peel
Strait in the event of the Pandora being
abandoned.
The yacht proved on examination TO be
in good condition and capable of going to
sea with Slight repairs. The liie-boats,
although somewhat damaged, may silly
be made seaworthy, but the little wooden
boat was split and broken into fragments.
the india-rubber one had nearly dis
appeared, except the skeleton We visit
ed the graveyard containing the graz Is of
| three on Franklin's men and tNo OF the
| North Star We found the wooden head
boards well preserved and upright. The
artist made a number Of sketches and pho
to@raphs of this place.
We weighed anchor the same evening.
and steered tor Peel Strait with tlr
wind
A postmorton examination of the body
of Lewis H. Westcott, who shot himself at
the North burying ground in Providence,
two or three weeks ago, died at the hos
pital or Saturday, 23d, revealed the fol-
| lbyyinfr a1ripnS facts. Tim h.,l 1ntaraI