Year: 1870

OF Sir John Franklin The People oi


Greenland -CrOzIer.- King Williams
Land.


In 1S45 Sir John Franklin and his


expedition, in the ships Erebus and


Terror, left England for the purpose
Of discovering, if possible, the great


Northwest passage. At this time il


was not known to the civilized world


whether the Atlantic Ocean was con-


nected with the Pacific or not. From


Greenland he sailed into Baffin's Bay,
and from thence he made into Lancas-
ter Sound, and wintered at the en-
trance of Wellington Channel. There
the civilized world lost sight of Sir
John Franklin. The object Of Cap
tain Halls expedition was to ascertain
the ultimate fate Of Sir John Frank
lin and his party. From the Cleve-
land Leader of the 24th inst, we take
the following synopsis of Captain
Halls lecture delivered in that city
J The large audience drawn together
last night at Case Hall to listen to the
lecture of Captain c. +. Hall was sur
prised as eight o'clock rolled around
at not seeing the lecturer appear. AT
quarter past eight the audience was
informed that the captain had been
belated, but would be in the hall in q
few moments. On his arrival the lee
turer briefly explained the reason OF
hi. delay. He also described the con-
dition of the "live Esquimaux" he
brought from the Arctic regions
Some of them were so overcome by
the present heat rs to be unable to ap-
pear on the platform. The others be-
ing somewhat acclimaUed, he said,
would appear, but would be able to
remain before the audience but short
time.


In starting out on his journey, he
said he thought there were survivors
Of Sir John Franklin's expedition, but
he is now certain that there was none
of his crew living. If franklin had
discovered the northwest passage, it
would have redounded 10 the benefit
of the world. The captain pointed out
the different spots he had visited, ex-
planned the journeys and all the cir
cumstances connected Herewith. In
Greenland he found very Christian
people, and education generally dis
seminated among them. Among the
natives he heard rumorS of the pres
ence of white men, and on visiting
the different countries found many
relics left by Crozier.


In speaking Of Hudson's Bay, he
said he thought that even at this late
day it ought to be called HudsOn's
sea. Among the islands here he met
with number of natives, who spoke
to him Immediately OF Crozier. He
changed names with an Esquimaux,
and the name of Crozier was known
throughout the region. He was dear
ly loved by the natives.


Making his headquarters at Repulse
Bay, where he arrived in the spring of
1865, he spent the summer there in
seal hunting. During that time they
| killed a whale, which gave them about
fifty tons of food. The people are
very sociable, and on the occasion OF
having so much food they sent all
over the country to invite the natives
to partake of their feasts. The speak
er described the manner of eating OF
/ the Esquimaux substantially as it is
given by writers who have visited
their country.


The Esquimaux will never travel
without taking their families with
them, and on leaving Repulse Bay he
took party with their families with
him. Near King Williams Land his
party refused to follow him in eonse-
| quence Of the great danger. On every
/ side the natives counselled him to de-
sist in his journey, and he concluded
J - vould be foolhardy and returned to
/ Repulse Bay after a journey of four
/ hundred miles. Then for three months
they changed their huts for seal skin
tents. 1t was said by the Spirits, the
advisers of the nation, that blood must
be shed, and according to their super
| stition a woman was hung by her son.
Later an old man was hung by his
father to satisfy the offended gods.


In a village of perhaps two hundred
souls, as soon as the lecturer was seen,
the cry of "white man" arose on every
side. The children ran from him,
but after he had been seventeen days
there the people from all the country
fiOcked in to see him and surrounded
him with every comfort. 1t was nee
essary to remain a long time with
them, as they have not the facility of
telling at once what they know. He
was with them long time, and it vas
only during the last year he was there
that he received from them infOrma-
ton of white men.


Then he was told by woman that
white men had been there, and she
described them. She saw the white
men pass and wanted to aecost them,
but her eountrymen thought they
were Indians and frightened her into
silence.


The Esquimaux dogs, he said, are
each capable of drawing three hun
dred and fifty pounds, and on starting
off on a second voyage to King VIII
liam's Land he had 5000 pounds to be
drawn by his troop of dogs. The ma
tives on this spot often died of starva-
ton, and his company objected to go
there with him. On the way there,
however, he met with Musk oxen and
reindeer, and everything promised a
fortunate journey. Just south of King
Williams Land he found persons who
had known Crozier. Families here
asserted that they had supplied Crozier
with every necessary, but the people
here are very wicked and cannot be
trusted or believed.


The natives related to him that once
they saw something white in the dis
tance and supposed it to be bear
Loving a bear fight they drew their
bows and prepared for an attack. On
its approach they saw it was a sail, on
q sledge, drawn by Crozier's men, and
loaded with provisions. They de-
scribed Crozier's men as being very
fat. The truth was the men had lived
on salt meat so long they had the
seurvy. The lecturer lived, while
there, on the produce Of the country,
took large quantities of oil, and was
then healthier than now. He thought
none of Franklin's men were spared
because they had all lived upon the
ships food, and were cursed with the
scurvy.


The EsquimauX related to Mr.. Hall
q meeting between the white men
and themselves. Crozier's party stood
once on the edge of an ice crack, the
natives opposite them. He told Fitz
James to put down his gun, and then
he saluted the natives. Crozier ex-
amined their packs, they did the same
to his, and he soon went into camp
among them. He drew pictures of
the natives, and entered into all their
sports with them, which he would not
have done had he been in want, as
had been supposed. Soon after the
natives left, and that was the last they
saw Of CroZier and his party.


In the spring Of 1s49 ship was seen
near King Williams Land, and the
EsquimauX visited it. On entering