The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-11-24
SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.
Probable Discovery of the Bdies and
Records of His Expedition.
From the New York Tribue.

From the New York Tribue
/ Thomas Barrett, second offer of the
| Whaling bark A. Houghton, st in Hud-
son Bay on June II, 1876, haarrived in
New York, and has in his ossessioh a
solid silver spoon, bearing te. Sir John
Franklin crest, which he claimed from
an Esquimaux Indian, nee Hudson's
Bay. Mr. Barrett says thatthe native
from whom he purchased tie spoon in
formed him that the ship rom which
the spoon was obtained wascrushed by
the ice at an island near cape Halo
well: and that the natives tok the crew
to a point near Cape EnglefiId, and kept
them until, one by one, tey persisted
from cold and hunger, or dl.ase. The
natives are very superstlbus," added
Mr.. Barrett, "and the inter being
severe, and game very scarce they ascrib-
ed the cause to the anger ( the Great
Spirit at the presence of thwhite men,
and it is not impro bable TIT they may
have killed and eaten some G the crew :;
but | believe from what the say that
most, if not all of them perised.
The only food the natives ad at that
time, they stated, was sealsln." Mr..
Barrett states that he firstmet these
natives at Whale Point, wher they were
hunting. "During the wintrs of 1876
4" he said, these natiyes gathered
about our winter quarters t Marble
Island, where they remained IL winter
and until our ship sailed. Thy had two
other spoons, one with the Franklin
crest-a fish head enclosd with a
wreath-ahd the other havin s. S. S."
engraved on it. These wer purchased
by the United States Consulat st. John.
The EsquimauX say that ne vessel be-
came total wreck, and tat Sir John
Franklin was with them, aid they recog-
nized him as the "Hilta' or leader.
They also said that the ihite men who
died were buried by themlby being sewn
up in shirts and laid on ,fe ground, af-
ter which stones were piled all around
and over each body, to KEEP the bears
and wolves away. The INST important
fact they communicated vas that this
crew of whites left lot # books with
writing on them, which wee also buried
at Englefeld This spots about 900
miles inland, and has pt yet been
reached by any of the explcing parties ;"
Mr.. Barrett says that it is proposed to fit
out an expedition from Nef York in the
spring, to secure the records of the
Franklin Expedition.
The matter has been lal before Pro-
fessor Nourse, of the Smithsonian Insti-
tute, and he has written % the British
government to ascertain the reward of
100000 offered by Parliment for the
restoration of the record will be paid.
If favorable response 5 received, Mr..
Barrett signifies his willingness to take
command of the expedition. He has
been twenty years in thu whaling bust
ness, and has spent for winters and
summers in Hudson's Bay. He says:
81 would 90 direct to Hudson's Bay,
landing at Repulse Bay. Here ! would
purchase dogs, prepare sleds, employ
guides, and go overland o Englefeld, a
distasce inland of abou 500 miles. 1t
would take fully four O. five weeks to
make the trip, and once there, not only
the records could be scored, but the re-
mains of the crew. Che natives at
Englefeld, numbering about 120, are
peaceful, and for small consideration
would surrender all the relics in their
possession If vessel fitted out ex.
pressly for the purpose it would cost
about $50, 900, and shout we start from
New York in the springof 1878, we could
not hope to return soon han the summer
of 1879"