The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-25
ARCTIC SEARCH
The Subject Reviewed by Mr..
D. Melville Brown.
AID FOR THE EOTHEN.
Lost Records of the Franklin
Polar Expedition.

The announcement that Mr.. G. Melville Brown
would deliver lecture at Chckering Hall on the
sSearch for the Franklin Expedition in aid of the
Franklin record search party commanded by Lieu
tenant Schwake. in the Arctic regions attracted
a very large audience to Chickering Hall
last evening. Among those present were Chief
Justice DAILY General George W. Cullum, I. G. Acton,
Frederick De Peyster, General Egber L. Viee, Elial
+. Hall, William G.. Hamilton, Francis Baker and
many others taking deep interest in
geographical science and Arctic exploration.
The fair also largely represented.
Mr.. Brown began his lecture without being
formally introduced. and held the attention of the
audience until the close. The stereopticon views
with which the lecture was interspersed were much
applauded for the werd ideas they afforded of strange
Arctic and novel phases of Polar life. Mr..
Brown substantially spoke as follows:-
THE LECTURE.
1t is nearly thirty-four years since the govern
ment of Great Britain despatched Sir John Franklin,
in command of the ships Erebus and Terror. on his
last expedition to the Arctic The main object
of his expedition was to discover what is known q
northwest passage The achievement of this discov-
cry life dream of Franklin. and to him was in
trusted the new and so IT was hoped, final expedi-
ton and for thirty the world has been seeking
to obtain information regarding the work accom-
plshed by the expedition prior to the abandonment
of the ships.
THE LADY FRANKLIN EXPEDITION.
In April. 1857, after having made an unsuccessful
appeal to the British government to aid her max
ing last attempt to ascertain the final fate of the
lost expedition, Lady Franklin purchased the steam
yacht Fox, and from her means and aided by the
generous contributions of her friends and others in
terested in the succeeded in fitting the vessel
Tor a cruise of twenty-eight months. The command
of the expedition given to the gallant Captain
McClntock, who had served previously in the Arctic
under Sir John Ross and Captain Austin,
and had signally distinguished himself. es-
pecially in his extensive journeys the
ice when associated with Captain Kellett.
NcClntock passed the winter of 1858 and 1859 at Port
Kn,,v afx-o tha nf Ra11 lot fraife I'm
morning of the 18th of February, with the ther-
mometer indicating temperature varying from 81
to AN degrees below zero, he left the vessel with
sedge and party OF four men to examine the shores
of BoothiaFelix On the 1st of March. at about the
position Of the magnetic pole. he met
upon the dress of one of them o naval button.
inquired where they obtained it, They informed him
that from some white people who had starved
upon island where there were salmon. 1t is sup
posed from this that the island referred to in
river. They also stated that the iron from which
their knives were made came from the same place.
From this tribe he obtained by barter six silver
spoons and forks, silver medal part of gold chain
and numerous articles supposed to be made from
portions of the wrecks Of the lost vessels. Satisfied
for the present with the results OF his journey he
returned on board, having been absent twenty-three
days and travelled $50 geographical miles, equal to
APO English miles.
On the I'd of April 1852 McClintock. in company
with Lieutenant Hobson, started another siedge
journey Each of them had sledge drawn by four
men, besides dog sledge and a dog driver.
While prosecuting his part of the search Lieutenant
Hobson found paper relating to the Franklin party
at Point Victory the northwest coast OF King WILL
lam Land. This record or paper one of the
printed forms used in discovery ships for the purpose
Of being enclosed in bottles and thrown overheard
at in order to ascertain the direction Of currents
blanks being left for the date and position 1t
the date the 18th May 1S47 and at that time Sir
John Franklin commanding and all we'll
1t signed by Graham Gore, lieutenant,
and Charles +. Desvaux mate But also around the
margin of the paper upon which Lieutenant Gore in
1S4 wrote these words of hope and promise another
hand had subsequently, written the following
@ d the q S as sns ErsSas
west Of this having been beset since the 18th Of September
the Captain r. R. NJ crosler landed here Sir
loss by expedition been to This date nine
officers and fifteen men.
1t signed by F. r. NJ Crozier, captain and
senior officer. and James Fitzjames captain of Her
Maiestys ship Erebus. Below it stated that they
to start the next day for Backs Fish River. The
the note stating where they were going in the
handwriting of Captain Crozier. There some ad-
ditiona information relative to the transfer the
document to its present posion-viz the site of Sir
James Ross pillar, from the spot miles to the
northward near Point Victory where it had been
originally deposited by the late Commander Gore
This little word late shows us that he, too, within
the twelvemonth had passed away.
THE EoTHEN sEAIscH PARTY.
We will turn to the expedition tor the benefit Of
which this entertainment is given. and with q few
words regarding 1t will bring my remarks to q
close. You will most of you remember, and espe.
cally those among the audience who read the news
papers, how on the 10Th of June last there sailed
from this port the schooner Eothen. under the com
mand of Captain Thomas +. Barry having on
board party of men despatched tor the purpose of
searching for the missing records of the Franklin
expedition. This party fitted out by the AID of
public subscription and private enterprise.
WHAT CAPTAIN HEARD.
Captain Thomas I. Barry, shpmaster Of high re-
pute and large experience the whale is merry
in Hudson Bay III the bark Glacier from 1871 to
1873 and in the winter OF 1872, while his vessel was
in winter quarters in Repulse Bay the Esquimaux
built their huts close to the vessel and remained
there during the winter. Among the Esquimaux
several belonging to tribe called the Notchilli
From these men Barry learned that many winters
ago-how long they had 10 means of indicatlnp-a
large party OF white men had their winter set
Element; several OF the white had colored
stripes ON their arms and shoulders, different
from the rest and the natives supposed them to be
chief. One large man in particular they respected
greatly, both on account OF his size and from the
obedience the rest rendered to his orders. The win
ter was very severe. and no game was to be had.
When spring all the white men had persisted
After good many of them had died the rest made a
cairn Oh stones and put under 1t some books and
papers. The natives offered to go and point
out the spot where the cairn still remained
1t involved 4 journey OF indefinite length. as
the natives have no idea of distance, and the offer
therefore. declined Some articles OF siIyerware
were obtained from this party which bore the crest
of Sir John Franklin Barry told a similar story
in 1876, and he then made an agreement with the
natives to meet him in the following spring prepared
TO make the journey to their country.
THE STORY OF EXPEDITION.
Barry attaching considerable Importance To these
stories told him by these two different parties of
men, though belonging to the tribe, immedi-
ately On lork, III tie TALL 1871,
communicated with our Arm. laying before us the
statements OF the facts given by the natives
On hearing his story and after careful consid-
Grafton OF the subject we communicated
with Chief Justice Charles p. DAILY, presi-
dent of the American Geographical Society,
aud with his cooperation and that OF other pronii.
nent members of the Geographical Society and hers
we ereenabled TO provision and equip the expedition
for eighteen months but as il will take from two and
half To three years to accomplish the work we feel
ourselves under the moral obligation to send out adj
ditionh supplies to those brave men this spring.