Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-15
JEhSXgTTE RELICS.
RE FirdIss Of Mere Stores Of the Lsss
sses mer- Co psasn wiisss's Discoveries.

Ths FirdisG Of Mere stores Of the Lest
steamer-cspss'n wiisss's D;scevsries
The Herald Of yesterday says: Blueeyed
and tan-faced Captain Charles b. Dix
glowed with enthusiasm yesterday a. be
announced to Herald reporter in the Of
fee OF Mckay q Dix, No. Al South street.
that he had received letter from one OF
his captains, In which was information to
the effect that q quantity Of relics from
the lost Jeanette had Just been found.
Flourisbing bit Of manuscript the Cap
tain added that the letter was from Captain
Alexander Wilson, OF the bark Fluorine,
and that IL had been written on September
18th at Iryigtut. Greenland, and forwarded
to Philadelphia by the 1ryola.
ARE TUE RELICS GENUINE?
"When Captain Wilson arrived from
Iryigtut last June. you remember" said
Captain Dix, "he then brought the news OF
great discovery OF Jeanette relics, de-
scrirtion Of which was published at the
time in full In the Herald. A great con-
troversy then arose also between Engineer
Melville, DIR. Bassel, the seient,c man OF the
Hall expedition, and myself as to the genn-
ineness OF the supposed relics. i have
made thirteen trips to the Arctic. For
twenty years ! was a commander at
sea. At the time OF the discovery
held that the alleged Jeannette relics were
very probably genuine, and 1t was held
in opposition 20 my views that they could
not have drifted so great a distance rs from
the place Of the Jeannette wreck 10 the spot
where they were found. Captain Wilson
returned IRON Philadelphia to Irvigiut on
August 22d with Instructions to bring back
with him all information concerning the
newiy-found Jeanette relics aud. II pos
sible, TO bring the relics with him."
Captain Dix then allowed the reporter TO
see the letter he had received from Captain
Wilson. but. owing 10 the fact that In the
main IT was OF a personal nature, only the
following extract could he obtalnod;
TIE LETTER FROM GREENLAND.
In addition to the articles brought the
news OF on my last voyage l believe Gov
ernor Lytzen took home with him from
Julian's Haab in Danish Government yes-
sci quantity OF other articles that were
found recently, and which believe will be
sent 10 the American Government soon.
Since the first discovery the EsquimauX OF
Julian's IIaab have found at Minarsoit,
forty miles northwest. q quantity Of articles
on large piece Of ice. The articles are a
slop-cbest OF clothing; over twenty hare
overcoats, lined with deerskin and without
buttons, but with scalskin straps for ias-
tening in front; over twenty pairs OF warm
trousers, and sundry other things. The
Governor OF Julian's Haab procured most
OF these from the natives. and has taken
them to Copenhagen with him.
A big chart lay on the desk in front OF
Captain Dix. and with bis finger he traced
the course the supposed Jeanette relics
must have drifted. The course was from
latitude - degrees 10 minutes and longi-
tudc lj5 degrees, westerly along the Sibe-
rian coast, between Franz Josef Land and
Nova Zembla. south OF spitzbergen, across
to the eastern cud OF Greenland, and down
by Cape Farewell to the place where toe
relics were found, distance OF about $500
miles.
sUPERSTITIOUs EsQJIMAUx,
"When the first lot OF relics was found"
said Captain Dix, " IL was learned that the
EsquimauX had seen what they supposed
was body wrapped in skins on piece OF
floating ice. Owing TO their supersfitious
dread Of a dead human being the Esqul-
mauX did not attemp ito recover the sup
posed body. think that the articles Cap
tain Wilson writes to me about now were
those seen at that time by the Esquimauy
and which they supposed was dead
body"
Captain Wilson, OF the Fluorine, sailed
from Irvigtut on September 10th, and is
expected at Philadelphia on the Goth in
slant, with further particulars OF the dis.
cONery.