New-York tribune., 1880-10-06
11rIrVrvANT sCHWATKNs STORY.


LIEUTENANT SCHWATKAS STORY.
Sitting in bis room at the Sturtevant House yes
terday afternoon. Lieutenant Frederick Schwatka'
the lately returned Arctic explorer told the story
of hls long journey over and ice IN search OF
evidence of the fate of Sir john Franklns expedl-
tiop. He Is tall and powerfully built. HIS face
bronzed by his long life ont OF doors shows ming
ling of the man OF acton aud the man OF thought
Underneath high intellectual forehead, ms bright
blue eyes are half hidden behind his glasses
straight. large nose firmly set mouth and heavy
chin speak OF energy and determination. Although
he wears the light mustache and imperial supposed
TO be peculiar to military men, his appearance is
rather that of a German professor with an eXcep-
tonal physique than OF an explorer and asodicr.
At West Point. where he was graduated III 1871,
Lieutenant Schwatka pJlled stroke oar CT his vic-
torous class crew. aud aiterward. stationed among
the Indians on the frontier. he participated IN the
Sioux War OF 1876. In 1873 having obtained IN
definite leave of absence, application of Chlei
JustIce Dalv president of the American Geograph-
ical Society Lieutenant Schwatka Was placed in
command of the expedition to search Tor the records
Of Sir John Franklin.
As the lieutenant went on with bis tale of the
bardships encountered and the difficulties overcome,
his eyes flashed and his quick nervous gestures IN
dioated somewhat the reserved fOrce that lies b.
meath his calm exterior
You remember" he said, " that this expedition
was sent oui on account of the story tod by Cap
tain Thomas F. Barry. lie said that when on the
whacr Glacier wintcrng IN RepuSe Bay an
EsGuimau had given HIM spoon that had been
the property of sir john Franklin. He claimed
also to have learned from the natives that this
spoon from calrn. indicated
by them as being on King Williams Land where
there were many other articles including some books
For the purpose Of recovering these relics, when
were supposed 10 be the records OF the Franklin tx
pe6iti0D, our party started from New-Bedtord IN
the summer of 1873, on the whaler Eothcn But
when we had becu in Hudson's Bay for = short time
Captain Barry's story fell TO pieces. We
learned aiterward from Captain Potter, then
on the Abbie Bradford that some spoons had
really been given to him bv Netcholhk Esqui
mau But | made my headquarters at Depot Is
land, North Hudson's Bay. ami deermlned to insti-
tute thorough summer search in King Williams
Land.
WHAT WAS FOUND.
"The records OF Sir john FIanklin's expedition
we have not found, but have discovered as |
think, sufficient evidence of their destruction and
ofthe final fate Of Frankln's men. We have gwen
decent burial to their remains and brought back
number of relics. | can show you some OF the
smaller ones. picked mp near Ercbus Bay"
Rising Lieutenant SchwatNa un'crewed a wooden
box that stood upon the table 1t was hlled with
different articles carefully labelled.
:" Here Is a tournquct,' he SAID handing out
rust eaten instrument. There were tarnshed brass
buttons piece of a measuring stick the bit of an
auger the bowl Of a spoon, and a number Of broken
and rusty pieces of iron belonging to various I'M
pements used by Frauklins party.
These are Ouly a few" SAID Lieutenant Schwat-
ka; tho other relies will arrive tomorrow night
including the Prov of n boat found near Wilmot
Bay All the things left by Trankhn's have
been broken up, and many of them stolen by the
Esauimaux. These relics will be sent to the British
Adm rally. Now there is one thing abont which |
want to speak. The London Standard and some
other English papers have questioned tue propriety
Of my bringing home Lieutenant lrvings bones for
burial. The advsabiity of doing this was the only
poInt about which hestated during the journey
On my way up the coast collected tie bones
for intcrmcut where they lay. On my return, after
o long consultation with my COMPANIONS, decided
TO b.ng them to England | was decided in dong
this b. Iny own feeling that | should like to have
any bone in nv body brought home by any Nation
for interment in my native country. am sorry to
see that portion of Nation should take such ex-
ceptions 10 what another Nation does conscien-
tIousy with their bravest dead. for | believe Sir
John Franklm's men were the bravest Engiishmen
that ever lived.
"Ip my opinion. them this expedition has settled
Il
carried out on seds. and have gained subsistence
from the country through winch passed. This
is something new, believe i'll Arctic explorations,
and by some IS held TO have given Il very valuable
precedent. Tor my part, think experience OF COM
paratively li;ile vaIuc in Arctic travelling. What
is valuable is :. mans energy. determination
and pluck.
GEOGRAPHICAL RESULTS.
Geographically, something has been accomplished.
no Admiralty charts have discovered to be
widely IN error sometimes beng fifteen or twenty
miles ont OF the way. 1t would DC possible now TO
construct a correct chart Of the country through
which we pa ,sed. This Is what think has been
accomplished. OF course there were many
details in our sled journey of 5000
miles which are perhaps interesting in themselves
There were three white men besides myself IN The
marry ard thirteen Inuits i'll ALL for When the lnuItS
travel they al"ays take their women ana chlI1rei
Oar Journey was TO he oD seds, aud we followed the
addition to heavy underciothmg, We wore what was
practically iwo complete suits OF fur co'hiug THIS
was ma ls or reindeer sSn one sat having the haif
tramscrs Is called i,cooqIs aud ,c outer kok Ers We
wore long st,ckmQ,, tdA tHtS. coming up above tho
knee. The cap Is attachod 10 the outside coat, the
whole being colleI cOaietdnq. Tie cap hts closely
around he face. Tac shoes were made OF the SKIN
taken from the head 81 the reindeer.
% Tho slods were perhaps ntteen or eighteen feet
Tong The runners are Of WhsloOone and Tie
sides are inclueo out little. THIS Is Gone
makes the sheds ran i0uch moro easily. Ga thesc
cross pieces the provisions anu l9gaage are carried
wrapped uo in dcetskiE. and Hshed IN place by
sealskin thongs. started from Depot Island with
forty-:w dogs. 1 hore would bo perhaps fifteen 50
a sed They arc driven by means OF a whip wlth u
very long lash, always long enough 10 reach tue
leading dog. although he may be thirty feet away
from the siedge.
MAKING THE START.
"Our sled loads amounted to between 1000 and
5000 pounds when VIC started. We splen-
didly armed aud carried plenty Of ammunition
Then We took good deal in the way Of provisions
,uca as hard bread Eora, compressed c0rned beef
ul..n ..,,l ica md IL lLnr .rl,.lns