RECOVERY OF FRANKLIN RELICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5314, 6 April 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

RECOVERY OF FRANKLIN RELICS

WHERE THE CREWS OP THE EREBUS AND TERROR PERISHED. Mr. Thomas M. Barry, second officer of the whaling barque A. Houghton, which was wrecked iu June last in Hudi on’s Bay, has, according to a Scotch paper, arrived at St. John’s, Newfoundland, with some interesting relics of the Franklin expedition, as well as authentic information as to how and where the crews of the Erebus and Terror perished. Mr. Harry, in a communication to the American Consul at St. John’s, to whom he presented some of the relics, states that, in the early part of October last year, the barque was laid up for the winter at Marble Island, at the mouth of Rankiue's Bay, and while there a number of Esquimaux came down to the vessel from Nachilli, near Cape Inglefield, aud Mr. Barry, who has been twenty years iu the whale-fish-ing business, was able to converse freely with the natives, some of whom arc very old men aud women. The old Esquimaux told him that a very loug time ago-—how long they had no method of indicating—a large party of white men came to their settlemeut aud lived for a time among them. Several of them had colored stripes different from the rest upon their arras and shoulders. They supposed they were the leaders. One large man in particular they called the “Hiteta,” ayreat chief, and he seemed to have authority over the others, and the natives respected him especially because of his size, aud by reason of obedience which the other white men paid to his orders. The old men described to Mr. Barry how cold the winter was which followed the arrival of the whites among them. No game of any kind was to be had, and the settlement was reduced before Song to the last extremity of destitution. The natives cron chad shivering ia their huts, without tiro or food, except some miserable sealskins, pieces of which they chewed. With the exception of those bits of raw skin they had absolutely nothing to eat ; and although they shared this wretched food with the strangers, the white men were unable to endure the' miseries of the winter. The natives were inured to hunger and cold, but many of their tribe perished, although the whites suffered the most, and died the soonest. One after the ether the whites melted away, until all—officers and crew—had perished iu the Weak huts of the Esquimaux settlement. When spring cam i the starved natives were able to procure food for the settlement, but the relief came too late to be of service to the English crews. The Esquimaux wrapped the bodies of the dead ia skins, aud buried them near the settlement under heaps of stones. Before all of the whites died a cairn was erected among the huts, and the books and papers belonging to the explorers were carefully placed in it. Other valuables were also placed in it, and the natives told Mr. Barry that they still remained untouched, as they looked upon the deposit as being sacred, and feared to break into the mound or in any way to disturb the relics. They had, however, a number of articles in their settlement belonging to the expedition, made of silver, copper, and iron, and many pieces of wood which had been used to construct boats or sledges. Some of these articles they had with them, and Mr. Barry obtained three large silver spoon--, two of which he gave to the American Consul at St. John’s. The spoons are engraved with the Franklin crest—a fish’s head surrounded by a wreath, with three letters like “S’a” or “ L's” in a row. The natives were willing to guide the crew of the whaler to their settlement, where the cairn is ; but as the journey was nearly 1000 miles, the offer was not accepted. The Esquimaux remained by the barque until the ice broke up. Mr. Morison (Mori-on and Brown, shipowners, New York), who fitted out the Polaris, in a letter received iu Liverpool ou Monday proposes to send off a vessel next spring, and make an attempt to recover the relics of the Franklin expedition, and Professor Nnurse, of the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, has communicated on the same subject with our Government. The vessel will be under the charge of Mr. Barry, aud he proposes to enter Hudson’s Bay, and land at Repulse Bay, on the western coast. From thence the journey to Cape Inglefield can easily be made with sledges aud dogs, which can be procured at the point of landing. Travelling at the rate of about forty mile-i a-day, the settlement of Nachilli can be reached in about ten weeks. Here ho expects to fiud the cairn untouched, and bring back the precious relics of Franklin’s memorable expedition.