ARCTIC EXPLORATION..

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2105, 2 October 1875, Page 3

ARCTIC EXPLORATION..

A lecture on this interesting subject, illustrated lay views exhibited on a twelve foot screen by means of Mr Severn!i oxyhydrogen lamp, was delivered by that gentleman in the Academy of Music last night, in aid of the Miners' Accident Relief Fund. There seemed to have been some misunderstanding regarding the hour at which the lecture was to commence, some of the audience evidently having been .under the impression that 8 o'clock was" the hour to commence, and not 7.80 as advertised. This was represented to those who were already in their ■eats, v ari<T at about-ten minutes to eight Mr Severn commenced, tbe pit being well filled, though tkere., were not nearly as many as v we should have liked or expected..,to have seen in the front seats, considering the desert of the objert ais the popularity of the lecturer. Mr Severn commenced his lecture by referring to the object for which Arctic exploration' had been undertaken, viz., to find out the North-West Passage to the iLEast;. -He mentioned some of the 163 expeditions Jwhich had taken place during the 40Q%ears which had elapsed since the Dutch made the first essay in the matter, down ■ to ■ the time of the present expedition which has just started from home. But'the main portion of his lecture, and the most interesting was that which related to Sir George Franklin and his, attempt at the age of 59 with Captains Crozifei',and Fitzjames,.to find that passage which we hope those whom we have last sent out will succeed in doing. In this, part of the lecture maps were placed upon the screen, showing the Admiralty "Chart of the Polar JRegions from an ideal bird's eye view, and the route taken by Franklin in the Erebus and Terror in 1845. The lecturer "dealt-fully and well with his lecture, describing the sufferings the crew must have undergone ; their unfortunate deviation from their westerly route to a north-westerly one, which resulted in their losing the only fortnight. in which it was supposed they could have had an open sea to navigate ; the ultimate death of their commander; the taking to sledges ofl.be whole party when provisions failed them ; their increased weakness daily increasing; and final loss of the whole party, leaving behind them as monuments of their bravery and sufferings but one record subsequently found in a cairn by Captain McClintock, of the steam yacht Fox in 1857. A fac-simile of this document Mr Severn exhibited on the screen, and we certainly deemed it the most interesting of all the views presented. Besides this there were many other pictures shown of the ice master, iledging parties, &c, all of which were exceedingly clear and well-defined. After the conclusion of the lecture Captain Bichards gave a reading and Mr Severn exhibited insects. &c, magnified to a large extent on the screen.