A REMINDER OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 146, 11 June 1908, Page 4

A REMINDER OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.

lhe Matlle ill llubarl to the famouAivlie hero'' (writes (lie London, cor i - ''-]" 1 nt[<■ 111 of the llobart Mercury| "keeps fresh ill the memory of Tasmanians the renown of their old Governor, Sir John Krauklin. Considerably over hall'-a-century ago, they may recollect, llis Majesty's ship Investigator —an old wooden English warship—pa.-s----ed through Hcliring's Straits into unknown was and iey shadows, under the command of Sir Kobert Jkl'lure, in search of the franklin expedition. The ship was frozen in the ice ill Mercy Kay. liidn iu'M- Island, and had to beabandoned. 'Last summer was such an unusually mild one in Arctic regions, that the ice relinquished its grip of the Investigator, and the famous old ship was liberated from its" long bondage. Whalers from America have visited'it. and there is a good chance of their being able to tmv the old craft- clear of the island, and bring her back to liritish Columbia. The cold and the ice have preserved her, and she seems as sound as when she was abandoned, 04 year ago. Her instrument* and fittingsare in excellent, condition, and, with (■ln' exception of her sails, she seems able to even sail home to Kn<, r land. The above is a sequel to another very similar romance, though the event lias almost pa-sed out of recollection. H.M.S. Resolute accompanied the Investigator, anil, like her, was frozen in and abandoned. But ill her case the ice was; unable to retain its hold, I'm- within a year she was released, and was picked up l>v an American whaler after drifting 1200 miles from flip place of Iter abandonment. 'She taKVn lo New London. Comiectuiif. and the T'nilc.l States Oovoinnient (hereupon did a mi nil deliealo and roiirUvms a.-t in pur ehasim; the Hesolnte from her s<dverfor a sum of -CSUOO sti'vlinfr, and. after rr-litliiiir her. hnnilinL' lior over a> Hourly ;i- po-ihle in her original condition, *ave Ilia! she li;id l>een repaired an] si)i:ivlon; i d up. to the HritMi liovernnieni. On tier return t.> tliis country in 1 S"»li. Heso!nt< was visited by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, who oxpreyed lior voimc of (lie £<mdwill «lio\vn liy the United States (.'<>vornnicnt.