THE FIELD 
1029 
they beat the English hollow. The difficulty was to get 
them to move at all. (Laughter.) He felt sure that by 
acting as he proposed the charity would be raised in the 
estimation of all who were anxious to meet the crisis, and they 
would, at all events, have the satisfaction of having done 
their duty. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. ti. Bradshaw seconded the resolution. 
Dr. Halley said the institution was capable of accommo- 
dating nearly three times the number it contained at present. 
In England £7,000 had been raised in one week for medical 
assistance, and why should they fear in the present temper 
of the country that they would 'fail in raising a few thousands 
iu the course of several weeks. If they put aside prudence 
and acted with energy, prudence would follow it. (Hear, 
heai 1 .) 
Lord Kinnaird said that, as he understood that the 
children could not be admitted in the ordinary way till 
June next, and as they must overstep the bye-laws in one 
way or the other, he thought the best course was to 
admit the applicants at once. He had just come up from 
Scotland, and they knew that there was 400 widows of sol- 
diers there who had fallen. The resolution was agreed to. 
Lord Kinnaird begged leave to propose that the court be 
authorised, at the monthly court of directors, to admit 100 
children of Scottish soldiers, sailors, and marines, killed, 
wounded, or disabled, during the war. and that they be ad- 
mitted to all the advantages of the institution. 
The rate of admission was then altered, iu conformity with 
what appeared the general wish of the meeting, to £52. 10s., 
and the resolution was then carried. The usual change has 
been £105. 
The Chairman desired to have his name put down for 
£100. (Hear, hear.) A vote of thanks to the chairman 
terminated the proceedings. 
Muni. 
and spoons. The articles themselves shall be handed over 
to the Secretary of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company ^on my 
arrival in London. 
“ Noue of the Esquimaux with whom I converse^ had 
seen the 1 whites,' nor had they ever been at the place w here 
tho bodies were found, but had their information from 
those who had been there and who had seen the party when 
travelling. 
“ I offer no apology for taking the liberty of addressing 
you, as I do so from a belief that their Lordships would bo 
desirous of being put iu possession at as early a date as possi- 
ble of any tidings, however meagre and unexpectedly ob- 
tained, regarding this painfully-interesting subject. 
" I may add that, by means of our guns and nets, wo ob- 
tained an ample supply of provisions last autumn, and my 
■mall party passed the winter iu suow houses in comparative 
comfort, the skins of the deer shot affording abundant, warm 
clothing and bedding. My spring journey was a failure in 
consequence of an accumulation of obstacles, several of which 
my former experience in Arctic travelling had not taught 
me to expect. — I have, &c., “John Rae, C.F., 
“Commanding Hudson's Bay Company's 
Arctic Expedition." 
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 
Intelligence which, says the Times, may be fairly con- 
sidered decisive (?) has at last reached this country of the 
sad fate of Sir John Franklin and his brave companions. 
Dr. Rae, whose previous exploits as an Arctic traveller 
have already so highly distinguished him, lauded at Deal 
yesterday, and immediately proceeded to the Admiralty, and 
laid before Sir James Graham the melancholy evidence on 
which his report is founded. 
Dr. Rae was not employed iu searching for Sir John 
Franklin, but in completing his survey of the coast of 
Boothia. He justly thought, however, that the information 
he had obtained greatly outweighed the importance of his 
survey, and he lias burned home to satisfy the public 
anxiety as to the fate of the long-lost expedition, and to 
prevent the risk of any more lives in a fruitless search. It 
would seem from his description of the place in which the 
bodies were found that both Sir James Ross and Captain 
Bellot must have been within a few miles of the spot to 
which our unfortunate countrymen had struggled on in their 
desperate march. A few of the unfortunate men must, he 
thinks, have survived until the arrival of the wild-fowl about 
the end of May, 1850, as shots were heard and fresh bones 
and feathers of geese were noticed near the scene of the sad 
event. 
We subjoin Dr. Rae’s report to the Admiralty, and a letter 
with which he has favoured us : — 
The following is Dr. Rae'a report to the Secretary of the 
Admiralty : — 
11 Repulse Bay, July 29, 1854. 
“ Sir, — I have the honour to mention, for the information 
of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that, during 
my journey over the ice and snows this spring, with the 
view of completing the survey of the west shore of Boothia, 
I met until Esquimaux in Pelly Bay, from one of whom I 
learnt that a party of ‘ white men’ (Kabloonans) had perished 
from want of food some distance to the westward, and not 
far beyond a large river containing many falls and rapids. 
Subsequently, further particulars were received and a 
number of articles purchased, which places the fate of a 
portion, if not all, of the then survivors of Sir John Frank- 
lin’s long-lost party beyond a doubt — a fate as terrible as 
the imagination can conceive. 
“ The substance of the information obtained at various 
times and from various sources was as follows : — 
“ In the spring, four winters past (spring, 1850), a party of 
‘ white men,’ amounting to about forty, were seen travelling 
southward over the ice and dragging a boat with them by 
some Esquimaux, who were killing seals near the north 
shore of King William’s Laud, which is a large island. None 
of the party could speak the Esquimaux language intelligi- 
bly, but by signs the natives were made to understand that 
their ship, or ships, had been crushed by ice, and that they 
were now going to where they expected to find deer to shoot. 
From the appearance of tho men, all of whom except ono 
officer looked thin, they were then supposed to be getting 
short of provisions, and they purchased a small seal from 
the natives. At a later date the same season, but previously 
to the breaking up of the ice, the bodies of some thirty 
persons were discovered on the continent, and five on an 
island near it, about a long day’s journey to the N.W. of a 
large stream, which can be no other than Back’s Great Fish 
River (named by the Esquimaux Oot-ko-hi-ca-lik), as its 
description and that of the low shore iu the neighbourhood 
of Point Ogle and Montreal Island agree exactly with that 
of Sir George Back. Some of the bodies had been buried 
(probably those of the first victims of famine) ; some were in 
a tent or tents ; others under the boat, which had been 
turned over to form a shelter, and several lay scattered 
about in different directions. Of those found on the 
island one was supposed to have been an officer, as he 
had a telescope strapped over his shoulders and his double- 
barrelled gun lay underneath him. 
“ From the mutilated state of many of the corpses and 
the contents of the kettles, it is evident that our wretched 
countrymen had been driven to the last resource —canni- 
balism — as a means of prolonging existence. 
“There appeared to have been an abundant stock of 
ammunition, as the powder was emptied in a heap on the 
ground by the natives out of the kegs or cases containing it ; 
and a quantity of hall and shot was found below high-water 
mark, having probably been left on tho ice close to the 
beach. There must have been a number of watches, com- 
passes, telescopes, guns (several double-barrelled), &e., all 
of which appear to have been broken up, as I saw pieces of 
these different articles with the Esquimaux, and, together 
with some silver spoons and forks, purchased as many os I 
could get. A list of the most important of these I enclose, 
with a rough sketch of the crests and initials on the forks 
“ Lilt of Articles purchased from the Esquimaux, said to 
have Iren obtained at the place where the bodies of the 
persons reported to have died of famine were found, viz.- 
“ I silver table fork— crest, nu animal's head with wings, 
extended above ; 3 silver table forks— crest, a bird with wings 
extended ; 1 silver table spoon— crest, with initials ‘ F. R. 
M. C.' (Captain Crosier, Terror) ; 1 silver table spoon and 
1 fork — crest, bird with laurel branch iu mouth, motto, 
* Spero meliora; 1 silver table spoon, 1 tea spoon, and 1 
dessert fork— crest, a fish's head looking upwards, with laurel 
branches on each side; 1 silver table fork — initials, ‘ H. D. 
S. 0.' (Harry D. S. Goodsir, assistant-surgeon, Erebus); 1 
silver table fork— initials, ' A. M‘D.' (Alexander M'Douald, 
assistant-surgeon, Terror) ; 1 silver table fork— initials, ‘ G. 
A. M.’ (Gillies A. Maebean, second-master, Terror); 1 silver 
table fork— initials, ‘ J. T.’ ; 1 silver dessert spoon — initials, 
* J. S. IV (Johu S. Peddie, surgeon, Erebus) ; 1 round 
silver plate, engraved, ‘ Sir John Franklin, K.C.B.' ; a star 
or order, with motto, ‘ Nec aspera terrent, G. R. III., 
mdcccxv: 
“ Also a number of other articles with no marks by which 
they could be recognised, but which will be banded over 
with those above-named to the Secretary of the Hon. Hud- 
son's Bay Company. “John Rae, C.F. 
“ Repulse Bay, July, 1854." 
looked remarkably well, and none more so than the men of 
tho Investigator, who had been longest in the Arctic regions, 
having joined that ship iu December, 1849, for the purpose 
of proceeding through Behring's Straits iu search of Sir John 
Franklin and his companions. The ship’s company of the 
Investigator subscribed seventy guineas for their surgeon, 
Dr. Armstrong, and, immediately on being paid off, a depu- 
tation of ten of their number proceeded to the Ship Hotel and 
presented to him, in the presence of a number of his brother 
officers, a gold chronometer and gold chain, valued at seventy 
guiueos, as a testimony of their sincere respect and affection 
during their five years arduous service while discovering tho 
North-West Passage. Tho gift was handed to Dr. Armstrong, 
with an appropriate address, signed by each man, which was 
answered by Dr. Armstrong in a neat speech. The men 
then turned round to Lieutenant Bedford Pim, and said — 
" If it had not bocn for you, Sir, many of us now present 
would never hnvo seen old England again. All of us look 
upon you as a deliverer, and wo shall never forget the joy 
we felt when you reached us." Lieutenant Pim answered — 
“ Thank you, my luda ; I shall never forget our meeting. I 
congratulate you on your having escaped a similar fate to 
that of Sir John Franklin. I hope you will now enjoy 
yourselves to your hearts’ content, and next spring I dare 
say we shall meet again under tho walls of Cronstadt — per- 
haps in St. Petersburg itself." 
TO THE EDITOR. 
Sir, — As auy information, however meagre, regarding Sir 
John Franklin and his party must he of deep interest to 
every one, I take the earliest opportunity of communicating 
the following particulars ; — 
During my journey from Repulse Bay this spring over 
the ice, with the view of completing the survey of the west 
coast of Boothia, I then and subsequently obtained informs 
tiou, and purchased articles of the natives, which prove 
beyond a doubt that a portion (if not all) of the then survi 
vors of Sir John Franklin’s long-lost and ill-fated party 
perished of starvation in the spring of 1850, on the coast of 
America, a short distance west of a large stream, which, by 
the description given of it, can be no other than Back's Fish 
River. 
Among the articles purchased (all of which aro now m 
my possession), which the Esquimaux found where the 
corpses of the “white men" were discovered, are a small 
silver plate, with “Sir John Franklin, K.C.B." engraved 
upon it, several silver spoons and forks, with initials of the 
following officers — viz., Captain Crozier, Lieutenant G. 
Gore, Assistant-Surgeon A. M*Donald, Assistant-Surgeon 
J. S. Peddie, and Second-Master G. A. M’Beru. 
Further particulars on this melancholy subject will appear 
in my report to the Hon. Hudson’s Bay Company. 
I may add that my small party wintered in snow-houses 
comfortably enough at Repulse Bay, after some very hard 
work in the autumn iu laying up a supply of venison and 
fuel. We returned to York Factory all well on the 30th of 
August, but without having completed the contemplated 
survey. — I have the honour to be, Sir, 
Your very obedient servant, 
John Rae, M.D., 
Commanding Hudson’s Bay Company's 
Arctic Expedition. 
Ship Prince of Wales, in the English 
Channel, Oct. 20. 
P.S. We have had a very rough passage of thirty-one 
days from York Factory, saw a great quantity of ice in 
Hudson's Straits, and in a storm in the Atlantic split three 
or four of the principal snils, and very nearly had the life- 
boat washed away. I fear the season has been a most try- 
ing one for the ships in the far north. 
Dr. Rae adds, that from what he could learn there is no 
reason to suspect that any violence had been offered to the 
sufferers by the natives. It seems but too evident that they 
had perished from hunger, aggravated by the extreme seve- 
rity of the climate. Some of the corpses had been sadly 
mutilated, and had been stripped by those who had tho 
misery to survive them, and who were found wrapped in two 
or three suits of clothes. The articles brought home by 
Dr. Rae had all been worn as ornaments by the Esquimaux, 
the coins being pierced with holes, so as to be suspended as 
medals. A large number of books were also found, but 
these not being valued by tho natives had either been de- 
stroyed or neglected. Dr. Rae has no doubt, from the care- 
ful habits of these people, that almost every article which tho 
unhappy sufferers had preserved could be recovered, but lie 
thought it better to come home direct with the intelligence 
he had obtained than to run the risk of having to spend 
another winter iu the snow. 
SIR E. BELCHER’S ARCTIC SQUADRON. 
Tho crews of the Assistance discovery ship, Captain Sir 
Edward Belcher, C.B., the Resolute discovery ship, Captain 
Henry Kellett, C.B., the Investigator discovery ship, Captain 
Robert J. L. M. M'Clure, the Pioneer screw-steam tender to 
the Assistance, and Intrepid screw-steam tender to the Reso- 
lute, were paid off at Woolwich on Tuesday, on their return in 
the Phccnix steam-screw sloopand North Star ami Talbot store- 
ships from the Arctic regious. Captain Sir E. Belcher, Captain 
Kellett, Commander Richards, Commander Osborne, of Sir 
Edward Belcher's expedition, and Captain M'Clure, of Cap- 
tain Collinson’s expedition, with almost all the officers of the 
five vessels, and a brother of Captain Collinaon, the still 
absent navigator, were in the dockyard for several hours on 
Tuesday while the men were being paid. The crews all 
ha( 
The PhtBnix screw-steam sloop, Captain Edward A. Ingle- 
field, at Woolwich, was paid off on Wednesday. 
ADMIRAL DUNDAS AND THE TIMES. 
The son of Admiral D undos has addressed tho following 
letter to the editor of tho Times ; — 
“ Kintbury Vicarage, Hungcrford, Oct. 24. 
Sir, — A dmiral Dundas’s character, as an officer, has 
been attacked in your leading articles, and the letters of 
your correspondents, with such persevering venom, that 
people begin to suspect there must he some private motive. 
“ Your honourable correspondent from her Majesty's ship 
Agamemnon, I leave in the hands of Sir E. Lyons and his 
officers, who will, my* doubt, , teach the learned gentleman 
that although iu the Mouse of Commons personal invectives 
may pass unnoticed, iHere is still a code of honour among 
the officers of her Majesty's navy which oxcludes the 
slanderer from their society. 
“ Now, Sir, I do not complain of a journalist publishing 
letters, even should they emanate from an attache to the 
British Embassy, or the open enemies of the party assailed ; 
but I do consider it a gross act of injustice when a paper of 
your vast influence attacks the character of an officer in a 
leading article, founded upon mere rumour. 
“ As the editor of a newspaper, youi* object ought to be 
to promulgate truth, and not to injure an honourable man's 
name, by publishing anonymous libels and ward-room gossip. 
“ Let facts alone bo stated, ami l fear not the people of 
England will find that Admiral Dundas has acted through- 
out to the satisfaction of the Lords of the Admiralty, 
Admiral Hiunelin, his senior officer, and the generals of the 
allied army, under whose approbation all the movements of 
the fleets have been guided. My object iu addressing you 
is to claim fair play for nn absent man, a demand all 
honourable men will join me in making for my father. — 
Believe me to remain, your obedient servant, 
“James W. Deans Dundas." 
The following is tho reply : — 
“ Printing House-square, Oct. 24. 
“ The Editor of the Times presents bis compliments to Mr. 
Dundas, and Legs to assure him that his father shall receive 
all the 1 fair play ' that oven his son cun ‘ claim ' at his hands. 
" As to tho .‘.private motive ' of which Mr. Dundas writes, 
the Editor is r.wue.of none but a strong desire to put the 
moat favourable construction upon tho conduct of ira old 
acquaintance, from whom he has received many civilities, and 
generally on that of every officer holding so responsible a 
post. 
“Mr. Dundas invokes the ‘code of honour amoug the 
officers of her Majesty’s navy ’ against the correspondent who 
writes from her Majesty’s ship Agamemnon. 
“ The Editor is content to leave him under the jurisdiction 
of the same code, equally confident with Mr. Dundas of a 
directly opposite conclusion. 
“ Mr. Dundas need not be informed that the acts of an 
admiral to whom is entrusted a principal share in one of the 
greatest expeditions of modern times, are necessarily amenable 
to public criticism. 
“Nothing which has ever appeared in the Times has over- 
stepped the fair limits of such criticism, and Mr. Dundas may 
rest assured that nothing will ever appear which will deserve 
from less partial judges such epithets as ‘ persecuting venom, 
or ‘ continued abuse.’ 
“ Tho Rev. J. W. D. Dundas.” 
Sunderland.— Wages. — A large number of shipwrights 
are on strike, owing to their employers giving them notice to 
reduce their wages from 6s. to 5s. per day.. Several ot the 
builders have their men on nt the former rate, being com- 
pelled to finish their shipB by a certain time. The ship 
joiners aro also on strike for the same cause os the slup- 
wriglite. ' 
TWENTY-SIX. HOURS AT SEA ON A RAFT. 
The following stalemeht. js from Peter M'Cabe, who was 
wrecked with the; A retie, and ia the only individual, so far as 
known at present, saved from the raft. Among all the 
recorded instances of physical endurance, it would be difficult 
to find one more remarkable than that presented by the case 
of Peter M'Cabe, who, after twenty-six hours’ exposure on a 
frail raft, was rescued by Mr. Dorian, tho third mate of the 
ill-fated Arctic.* M'Cabe is a native of Dublin, Ireland, and 
is about twenty-five years of age. He has a fine ingenuous 
expression of. countenance, and has altogether the appearance 
of a man who, even under the most discouraging circum- 
stances, would hope on to the last. One ot his teet is m a 
horribly lacerated condition, large pieces of flesh having been 
torn from it by rubbing against the raft, laying the bone in 
many places quite bare. The skin has also been torn from 
his fingers, and both of his hands have a parbciled appear- 
“We left Liverpool on tho 20th of September and up to 
Wednesday, the 27th. nothing particularly worthy ot uoto 
occurred. About twelve o'clock on that day. w hen we were 
about forty miles off Capo Race, and enveloped in a fog we 
came in co'llison with some unknown vessel, which was .after- 
wards, however, found to be a propeller. The Arctic was 
running at the rate of thirteen knots an hour, but the con- 
cussion upriearod so slight that no one on board, not even 
the can tain supposed that the damage was so extensive. 
His fears were only excited by the condition of the other 
