380 ANNUAL OP SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



ice at Behring's Strait in 1851, may by keeping a liigh north latitude 

 strike their track. At the same time, although we have always leaned 

 to the side of hope, bearing in mind the amazing quantity of, animal 

 life existing for the subsistence of the lost party in the Arctic regions, 

 we cannot lose sight of the facts that the head waters of Wellington 

 Channel have been partly explored without finding any vestige of 

 Franklin or of his ships, and that the explorations of Capt. M'Clure 

 to the south-west of Melville Island prove beyond a doubt that they 

 cannot be entangled in the ice in that locality. Our heart begins to 

 faint, we must avow, beneath the burden of hope deferred. Vast, 

 however, as is the area which has now been swept by our searching 

 ships, a much larger field yet remains unexamined. We cannot ex- 

 pect, after all that has been done, with the now faint chance of saving 

 life if discovered, that the Admiralty will continue the search until 

 the ground shall be exhausted ; but we would fain have the promising 

 route by Nova Zembla tried, and the Siberean coast explored. Then, 

 if the result of Sir E. Belcher's deliberation at Beechy Island shall 

 be, his return to England, and consequent abandonment of the search 

 for Franklin in the waters to the north of Wellington Channel, shall 

 we be satisfied with the very imperfect search in that direction which 

 still holds out the greatest promise ? Surely, when we are told of an 

 open sea in May, and of a Polar basin free from ice, its navigation 

 cannot be either difficult or tedious. Capt. M'Clure has shown us 

 that one north-west passage exists ; but we are much mistaken if 

 other and more open passages far to the north across the pole itself 

 will not be found. 



MOUND EXPLORATIONS AT THE WEST. 



The Wheeling (Va.) Intelligencer, Nov., 1853, publishes the fol- 

 lowing account of some recent explorations in an ancient mound at 

 Grave Creek. 



The mound in which these explorations have been carried, is the 

 second in size of the Grave Creek group, and is distant, in a north- 

 east direction, about one mile from the Mammoth Mound. It is about 

 thirteen feet in height, and two hundred and forty feet in circumfer- 

 ence. 



In opening this tumulus, a drift was carried in from the southern 

 side to the distance of about twelve feet. On examination, it was 

 found that stone could be traced beneath, and accordingly the excava- 

 tion was borne down so as to approach it. The stone work proved to 

 have been a vault extending some fifteen or sixteen feet in its greatest 



C3 t_J 



diameter, and sinking to the depth of six feet in its center. 



It had been constructed by sinking a cist six feet in depth, in a 

 slight natural eminence, then rounding the sides up regularly, and 

 covering the hole with stone, first, however, having deposited the 

 ashes of their victims or friends, as the case may have been. Many 

 of the stones were of large size, and all have been brought from the 

 neighboring hills and creek. They were so firmly held in their places 



