THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 355, 15 September 1849, Page 3

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Tub following paper has been laid before the House of Commons : — " Admiralty, March 23, 1819. " The Lordi Commissioners of the Admiralty are under t ho necessity of laying a supplementary estimate for the relief of the Arctic Expeditions under Sir John Fr<mkiio and Sir Jumes Robs upon the table of the house. 11 i'heir Lordships having been apprised by the la-t letters received from Sir Jnincs Ross that it wai hii intention to dinct tha Investigator to Und all the »up. Pl e» that she could spare at Whaler Point, and to proceed to England, if no tidings of the expedition under Sir John Franklin were received l>y the whale ships now about to sail, leaving the Enterprise t~> prosecute the search alone, have consulted ths highest natal authorities as to the probable consequm.es of tliii step. " They find it to be the unanimous opinion of those most conversant with the Polar Seat that such a separation of the ships um.'er Sir Juines Itoss would be most peril iui to the iliip remaining in the ice, and would probably neutralise the cntiie object of the expedition* if Sir John Franklin's parly were to be discovered at a time when the enterprise had nearly eibuusled their own storei. They have, therefore, detet mined upon tending out a freiU supply of provisions lor both i!)i| « by the Noith Star, which is now fitting for this purpose at Sheerneis, with orders to proceed across to Baffin's Bayj and as much farther as practicable in the direction of Luncaster Sound and Burrow Stiaits, looking out for the Investigator or her boats. " In the event of the Investigator not being fallen in with, the commander of the North Star will be directed to land the supplies at tuch points on the south ■ide "f Lancaster vSound, or other places indicated by Sir James Ross, aa may be accessible to the Noith Star, in sufficient time to tecuic his return across Baffin' * Bay, before the winter sets in, " The expense of fitting the North Star for the ice will be £0,086, and the wages of the crew, stores, and provisi ni on hoard, £'6,602, making j£ 12,688 in all, which constitutes the supplementary estimate now submitted to the house. But, in addition to thi*, Icr Majesty's government has determined to on"Vr a reward of £20,000 to be given to such private chip, or distributed aiaougst such private ships, of any countryi a; may, in the judgment of any Bjard of Admiralty, have rendered efficient assistance to Sir John FiankUn, hi* bh-ps, or their crews, and may have contributed directly to extricate them from the ice."

Ture Arctic Expedition. — The measures in opelation loi the relief of Sh John Frunklin and the ]iai ty undci Ins command, It must be admitted, are of a nature worthy of the greatest maritime country in the world. It would be idle, and apart from the ohj etof this article, to sncculite on the position and circumstances of Franklin and his party. We may, however, slate that it i-. the opinion of eminent Arctic voyagers, that until the Autumn of 1849, no apprehensions need cxiit respecting the fate of the party from starvation. In a letter from Sir Juines Ross to Isir Edward Parry, written in the tour c of lait year, Sir .Tamci cays, alluding to Franklin and dossier:— "Their last letters to me from Whaleh'sh Islands, the day pievious to their departure from them, inform me that they had taken on board provisions for three years on full allowance, which they could extend to four years without any serious inconvenience, 10 that wo may feel assured they cannot want from that cause until after the middle ot July, 1849 ; it therefore does not appear to me at all desirable U> eend after ihwn until the spring of next year." It is a remarkable fact, and one particularly

cheering at tliif moment, that the Polar expeditions have been attended with a lingularly slight loss of life. Out of nine despatched to the Arctic regions, which employed six hundred and nine officers and men, only seven persons died from causes directly or indirectly connected with the expedition, although these were absent from England an average pet iod of three years. There is, probably, more duiigcr to be apprehended from the well-known energy and Z/3.11 of the parliea than fiom any other cause. Franklin left our shores feeling that the eyes of the civilised world were on him, and that it was hoped and expected he would accomplish what our most learned hydrographcrs regard ah feasible, although failure has eh iracteriscd so many attempts to pass from the Atlantic to (he Pacific Ocean lound the noi th co.ibt ol Ainenc.-i. Captain I''itzj mien, in the last Jo tor received fiotu him, expicssx'sa hope that he may he sent home through Sibeiia from Uehnng's Stiait; aud adds, "Get through I firmly believe we shall ; " nor, as we well iciiiomuer, was lie the only onu of the party who indulged in tins expectation. To compare great things with small, the position o( Franklin and his party is much Hka that of un Alpine traveller, who aspiies to surmount some peak untrodden by the foot of man, that lifts its rocky cicst fiom out of pathless snows and glaciers many thousands of feet above the vale. His track is vagerly and anxionsly followed by aching eyes, lunging to sec the intrepid adventurer's /lag wave on the dizzy point. lie knows tins, and is well aware that if he succeed his fame will be heialded abroad. Will he abandon his enterprise as long as strength remains? Not so, for tosuimounta stupendous Alpine peak, or plant the English flag on Polar snows, are alike based on the acquisition of func. " Paine is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise, To scorn delights and live laborious days." Nor will Fraukhn abandon the struggle with mighty icebergs and thick ribbed ice, at long at the smallest chance of obtaining the mudi-desired prize remains. It is recorded that when attempt! were made to dissuade Sir Martin Frobisuer to engage in the discovery of a north-west passage, he answered, " It is the only thing in the world that is luft yet undone whereby a notable mind mi^ht be made famous and fortunate." Let us hope, however, that the cff>rt may not rashly be prolonged. If the leaders were youths instead of veterans grown old and wise, we might almost suy in the icy regions of the I'olar Seas, we should tremble for the fate of the long absent put ty ; but the case is otuei.w-.e, and we are warranted, therefoie, in hoping, nuy more, in expecting, that the autumn ol 1819 will restore the gallant band, headed by Sir John Franklin, to their native country. The •» Great Chief," as the Indians fondly called him, who was v» nh Nelson amidst the thunders of Trafalgar, and withal is so gentle as not to crush a stinging fly— an art of forbearance rcinembertd for years by the Indians— is too dear to Englishmen to be suffered to perish amidst frozen rcus} and when we contemplate ths helping nnd wiling hands now stretched forth to relieve him, we have uo fear* for the result.— Frazcr's Magazine.

Government Free Passages at an end for somb timb to come.— » The following circular bag just emanuted from her Mujesty's Colonial Land and Emigration Commihsions s. It it addressed of course to the government agents for emigration in the various districts. We give the document in its integrity, that the fact it constitutes may rest on the highest authority : — «« Colonial Land and Emigration Office, 9, Parkstreet, Westminster, April ft, 1 849. Sir — I am directed by the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioner* to ucquaint you that the number of applications for free passages which have already been puiaed, and those which yet remain to be considered, are so large that there is no prospect of the Commissioners being ablo to dispose of a'l the cases for at least three or four months to come. Under theie circumstances, and ai it is very inconvenient in every point of view further to accumulate in thifi office applications from fresh candU dates, who, if eventually accepted, would probably have to wait fire or six months, it has been deemed advisable not to issue or receive any more application papers until the present great pressure is relieved. lam therefore to desire that you will at once abstain from issuing any more application forms until further directions, and that, after the third day from the receipt of this circular, you will not transmit to this office the paper of any candidates. You will of course explain to applicants the reason of this temporary suspension in the acceptance of applications for free passages. The cases you may ha v e already transmitted to this office will, lam to a Id, he considered in their turn, and as soon as the arrangement! of the Board will admit. I am, sir, your obedient servant, S. Walcott, Secretary.— Leeds Mercury, April 2\. Mas- Chisholm. — A Roman Catholic Jady, of rare encrpy and untiring benevolence — Mrs. Chiaholm — has returned from Au*tralia, and enthusiastically devotes henelf cmirely to the selMmpoied mission of reuniting families, some of whose members have alieady pioceeded to Australia. For this purpose she has opened offices in the metropolis, and elsewhere, furnishing gratuitous advice to all correspondents or applicants. So highly are her efforts appreciated that the colonial lpgiilature \oted her an address of thanls, wit!) a handsome pecuniary testimonial. The noble-hearted woman declined the latter. No doubt religious zoal lends to uphold her in her indefatigable labours ; but however much we may differ from her religious principles, none can withhold the tribute of high admiration of her disinterestedness and her noble deeds.—. Liverpool Mail. MoiiETeN Bay — It has been currently reported in Sydney during the last few days, that Moreton Bay is ti be sepaiated from New South Wales and mnde a penal colony. Wo have been unablu to huio the rumour to nny authentic source, and nothing is known of it in official quarters. We suspect it has arisen from the London papers of Apiil confounding Moreton Bay with Port Phillip. It is evident, however, that a new penal colony must be formed, and it is possible that Moreton Bay may be made its centre instead of Port Cuilis, but we do not think it probable. We expect to hear every day that North Australia has been re-established. —Morning Herald. Australian Fire-stone — -Some months ago we announced the discovery of a remarkable species of fire stone in the neighbourhood of the Chain of Pond^. 'I his discovery has fur surpassed in importance the anticipations then formed, and may eventually supersede the importations of fire bricks from England. In its natural state the stone may bo nawn into any form, and the only change observable after exposure to the atmosphere, or the fieiy ordeal, is increased in luudncsi. The glass makeis of England prefer the ft eclay of Stourbridge for the manufacture of their ' pots,' 1 which, after being funned methodically and with great precision, answer their purpobe admirably- For these, it is believed, the South Austrahuo fne-itone would be a faultless substitute, and coupled with modern improvements, may become of inestimable benefit to the colony, by facilitating the exorcise of many useful arts amongst us.— Adelaide Observer. Emigration. — During the last thret months" thirty large vessels have left Plymouth for the Australian Colonies, taking wiih them ,3,690 passengers : and within the past week, six ships bound to Quebec for limber, l>a,ve left with upwards of 1,058 passengers.