THE AMERICAN FRANKLYN SEARCH PARTY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue XV, 19 November 1880, Page 4

THE AMERICAN FRANKLYN SEARCH PARTY.

Telegrams in the New York Herald give the following particulars : — "New Bedpobd, Mass. 5ept.22, 1880, The members of the ITranklin search paity, under the command of Lieut. Frederick Schwatka, United States Atmj, were picked up by Captain Michael Baker, of the barque George and Mary, of New Bedford, nt Depot Island, on the Ist of August, they having returned to that point from their se dge journey to King William Land, on the 4th- of March of the present yean During the summer and fall of 18/9 *hey made a complete search of King "William Land and the adjacent mainland, travelling over the route pursued by the crews of the Erebus and Terror upon their retreat towards Backs' Ifciver, and while so engaged the party Varied the bones of all those unfortunates remaining above ground, and erected monuments to the memory of the fallen heroes. Their research established the mournful fact that the re.cords of Franklin's expedition are lost ."beyond recovery. The Natchill Esquimaux, who had found & sealed tin about two feet long and one loot square, filled with books, at a point on the mainland near Backs River, where the last of the survivors of Franklin's party. are supposed to have finally perished, were interviewed by Lieutenant Schwatka. These natives broke open the box and threw put the precious records, which were then either scattered to the winds of thirty Arctic winters, or destroyed by the children, who took them to their tents for; playthings. This point, was not only searched by Lieutenant Schwatka'e party,: but by nearly the entire Natchill nation, inspired by a promise of a great reward for the discovery of any remnants of books or papers, ho matter what was their ; present condition. This search/ failed to discover any-of the, recorde, but resulted, in. the finding o^Va skeleton of a sailor about fiye miles i'nlarid. : Its existence was previously unknown, even to local tribes. Every native who could impart any information concerning the lost crews was hunted up and; interviewed. Some of them had not seen a white man since Captain; Crozier's party was there. The interviews' were made through the. medium, of -a competent interpreter, and in this way. much valuable information as to the loss of the Franklin records Was compiled: It also made known the; fact that one of franklin's ships drifted down ;the Victpria'Straits andwas -uhwittingly scufctled'by the Ookjoolik Esquimaux,, who found it near an island off Grant Point | during the same year the natives aaw j tracks of four white men in the : spring enows on the mainland. ; , '■ ' A 5 large quantity of relics has been gathered by the party, not to gratify l morbid curiosity, but to illustrate the last chapter of the history of Sir John Franklin's expedition. . From each spot where the. graves were found a few 'tokens were selected that may serve to identify those who perished there. , A piece of each of the boats found and destroyed by the natives Jias been brought away, together, withinteresting though mornful relics in ; the shape of the prow of one of their, boats, the sledge upon which it was transported, and part of the drag-rope upon which these " poof 'fellows tugged until they fell down in their tracks. In addition to these the party secured a board which

may serve to identify the ship which completed the north-west passage. They have also brought the remains of an officer, Lieutenant John Irving, third officer of the Terror, -which were identified by a prize medal found in his opened grave." ft 1..l i I liaMIMI«MWMaMMWIIWWj<^ I