, 1877-12-26
THE FATE OF FRANKLIN.

Organised search in the Arctio regions for
traces of Sir John Franklin's expedition has
done very little towards dispslliug the uncer-
tainty connected with the fate of that gallant
explorer and his followers. THIS most impor-
tant discovery was made by Capt. McClintook
eighteen years ago, in the Western part OF
King williams Land. A paper recording the
death of Franklin and twenty three OF his
man and a boat with two b!eached skeletons
besides it were sad evidence that all bad
persisted, but in what manner. or 10 what e&'
act locality, remained @ theme for conjecture.
At length, however, light dawns unexpectedly
upon the mystery ,9and there is a probability
already eagerly hailed, that some details OF the
expedition may become known.
The baroue A. Houghtou sailed from New
Bedford in the summer OF 1876 on a wnaing
cruise, and, entering Hudson's Bay, proceeded
northward till In the early fall she reached q
place q few miles south of OApe 1nglefeld. At
this season the Ice foes began to surround the
vessel, and it was determined to lay her up for
the winter at Marble Island. In the course OF
the winter a party Of Esquimaux, nearly two
hundred in number, came from the Nachilll
settlement near Cape IngIe6eld and made quite
a village of snow huts in ths neighbourhood or
the vessel, the second mate of which, Mr.
Thomas Barry, was able to converse with them,
having learned to speak their language huently
during his previous visits TO the North. They
vers entirely harmless and very friendly and
while mingling Familiarity with the crew OF the
whAleship, they told Mr.. Barry, about . party
Of white u en- who had came among them many
years before-how long ago they could not tell,
although two old men Of the tribe distinctly
remembered and described the appearance OF
the strangers. particularly one large man whom
thew called the great chief from the obedience
and respect paid to him by the other white
men, some of whom they supposed held positions
of command from the fact they wore cOIored
stripes on their arms and shoulders. The VIM
ter following the arrival of those white men
was one of unusual severity. Game entirely
failed. Many Of the natives died. Injured though
they were to the rigors of the climate and scar
city of food. All were reduced to the miserable
necessity of eating raw sealskln wnicn' Oh
course, could not sustain life In the white meus
and one by one they succumbed to colo ana
hunger till before the opening OF spring alb
had persisted. The Esquimsux wrapped the boz
dies in skins and buried them beneath IN all
heans of stones near the settlement, but the
books, journals and some utensils of the stran-
gers were gathered and carefully deposited In
a cairn which had been built for that purpose
and which was ever afterwards regarded WITH
q kind Of sacred awe. no enc daring to open the
mound or disturb ito contents. Some articles
belonging to the explorers. however. had been
retained by the Exquimaux. and these, Mr..
Barry succeeded in obtaining three large silver
spoons, undoubtedly the property OF tne
expedition. as one of them bore the franklin
orest-a fsh's head surrounded by . wreath.
This spoon Mr. Barry has brought with him TO
New York the others engraved With letters
which could not be made out he presented 20
the American Consul at st. Johns, Nswtound-
land, ct which place helandsd on bis way N
The Exquimanx offered to conduct the whalerls
crew to the Nachilli settlement and to show
them the mound, but as the distance was nearly
one thousand miles, it was not possible. to
undertake the journey.