The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-11-12
RELICS OF FRANKLIN,s nEN.

The New York Tribune saws: q. In the
rooms OF the American Geographical
Society. on Twenty-ninth street. are
collected the last relics of the men who
accompanied Sir john Franklin il his
Arctic search. Lieutenant Schwatka
has carefully preserved the smallest
| objects In any way connected with that
illfated expedition, and they are now
being carefully labelled. preparatory
TO being placed on private exhibition.
before they are sent TO England. Some
of these articles were picked up by
Lieutenant Schwatka and his compan
ioas themselves; others were obtained
by barter from the Esquimaux; aud
the searchers were directed TO places
where they found Others by the tales Of
the Esquimsux whom they met. For
a generation these mementoes have
been lying in the sand or now. or have
been in the possession of the Esquimaux,
and their battered. unsightly appear
sncs can hardly fail to add something to
the pathetic interest that envelop them.
Some of the earliest discoveries were
made at Irving By. and the first ar
ticle found there was q rusty plckaXe.
bearing the broad arrow of England
still distinctly visible. A wooden
block. part OF I. o tackle OF a ship or
boat. some copper pipes, a canvas belt.
pc pail. and some pieces of sus-
pender buckles were also found OF
Irving Bay. Near Lieutenant Irving's
grave the explorers picked mp rusty
tin box. q prize medal. the object lass
Of a telescope, some brass buttons,
pieces of cloth aud small shoe buckles
The most melancholy interest attaches
u n large hsnkerchlef from Lieutenant
Irving's grave, which. judging from its
position. was probably placed under
his head when he was laid to rest by
his weary and discouraged companions.
This is very large, apparently of silk.
with dark background. oil which are
fsncifui designs. apparently once Of
brilliant red. When unfolded. the
hand dkerchief il seen TO be tatteTed and
incrusted in spots with u heavy mould.
Many wooden articles. ~"nderfuily
well preserved. have been brought
back They are part of boat found
10y the natives at Wilrnot Bay. the bow
of boat from Erebus Bay, the blade
of an oar picked up at Washington Bay,
aud some snow-shoes made by the
natives from wood belonging to the
wrecked ships and hoats. Then. there
are nm old b:at and shoe. gaping open
so widely at the seams that their ap.
pearanoe would be ludicrous did one
forget their history.
From Cape Felix have been brought
the top of tin can, marked Edwards
Preserved Potatoes, and bearing the
English coat of arms; the top of q glass
can. maj ked Powell, Bristol a pair of
scissors. some buttons. piece of por
celsiD tesoup, some shot, piece OF
anthracite coal and forlorn Old hair
brush At the boat place in Grebus
Bay razor was found. The broken
blade, half eaten up by rust. still
swings on its pivots, although the
handle 10 broken and Clipped to the
last point Of diispidstion. There are
also two combs, or rather the remains
Of two combs, and some fish lines. The
top of boat mast. with the small iron
block aud ring still in place. and
piece Of O. measuring stick have been
brought back from Starvation Cove.
Some wire game. once used IN Snow
goggles, came from guge east Of the
Pfeffcr river. A sled. rope and buckle
were fourd at Erehus Bay. the latter
being from q grave. At Wall Bay were
discovered some bullets. the slaves OF a
cask aud an axe. The latter was found
through the directions of Esquimaux.
From the same place are a tin can
marked j Coweo. Ironmongei. Wool
wich, some tin cups, canteens and
boxes. The bowl OF q spoon in this
collection was given to Lieutenant
Schwatka by an Inuit A large roll OF
lead a. probably carried by the Sur
vivors Of Fraaklin to aid in repairing
their boat. The uses OF mouldy
strip of leather are not clearly indi-
Gated. Some heavy blue doth. half
deosyed, was taken in part from graves.
Among several piece OF iron. belonging
to various implen.,r.ts. are some sharp
ly notched spear heads.
Thscopper that Franklin's men either
took from the ships for repairing pur-
poses when they started south~ard, or
else abandoned with other articles in
the ships. has been turned to . variety
OF uses chiefly. il not entirely. by the
EsquimAux. In addition to the COP
per plate. there are some rude fish
hooks fashioned out Of copper, with
bone and lead sinkers. The copper
appears again 10 some curious knives.
The heavy handles, Of whale or walrus
bone, are from six to eight inches in
| length. In some cases the handles
have been cracked, and are wound with
small strips Of hide. One knife has q
blade only two or three inches 10 length.
while in another the blade is crescent-
shaped. like the domestic chopping
knife, end the handle is Of driftwood.
The most curious among these knives
is q dagger made entirely Of bone. The
handle is slightly nstcbed. and the
long narrow blade 10 concave on one
side. Among these knives appear au
! instrument OF bone aud iron resembling
souswhat q three pronged fish spear
| tho iron and copper in these instru
meuts undoubtedly originally came
from the Erebus and Terror, but they
we're made generally, If not in everI
case, by the Esquimaux. The same II
true Of some heavy hammers and one
or two little axes of copper.
Among the other relics of franklin
men are the shaft of Q spear. some lit.