OLD DOCUMENT FOUND

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 52, 25 November 1929, Page 6

OLD DOCUMENT FOUND

NORTH POLE EXPEDITION LETTER FROM AN ADMIRAL ■ A valuable contribution to Polar exploration has been revealed, by the recent discovery among the New Zealand Government dispatches of a letter written by Sir Robert McClure, on board 11.M.5. Investigation, Bay of -Mercy, Polar Sea, and dated April 10, 1853. It is believed that the letter has never hitherto been published, and how the letter came to New Zealand or how it came among the official dispatches is not known. Sir John McClure was commander of the expedition sent in search for Sir John Franklin from 1850 to 1854. Sir Robert McClure discovered the North-west Passage, but had to abandon his ship in the polar ice in 1854. He subsequently served in China,'and the Straits of -Malacca from 1856 to 1861. He was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral, and retired in 1873. The letter is addressed to "My dear John,” and was probably a private letter sent to a son of General John Le Mesuricr, Governor of Alderney, Channel Islands. General Le Mesurier was an old comrade of Sir John McClure’s father, nnd was Sir John McClure’s godfather and guardian. Following is the first portion of the letter: — 11.M.5. Investigation, Bay of Mercy, Polar Sea, April 10, 1853. My dear John, — In these days of invention and discoveries, not the least important will be considered the finding and accomplishing the wonderful and almost sceptical North-west Passage; but nevertheless such is the case, and its bona fide existence is now most fully established. Whether I shall, succeed in bringing the ship safely through, which I am exceedingly anxious to do, is another affair. I shall now give you a very short epitome of our transactions since entering the ice in August, 1850, which will be sufficiently dull for you' to wade over; but if it is not. the Admiralty will, I have little doubt, publish my dispatch, which occupies about 40 sheets of foolscap, and to which you. may refer for further particulars. On Shore at Point Drew. On the 2nd of August, 1850, in hit. 72 deg. Im., long. 166 d. 12m., IV., we first discovered the ice, which was the margin of the terrible Polar Sea ice that we afterwards became more fully acquainted with. Its first appearance was not such as to deter us from entering it, there being much water among it; but a very short distance into the mass undeceived me, as we only found one solid surface of ice, varying in depth from 18 to 42 feet. Many of the large flocs were covered with walrus, both young and old. A gun was loaded with grape and canister to annihilate a score of them, as we passed close and slowly by; but really they presented such an interesting scene, with their little ones hanging about their necks, and crawling over their , high homes, and so unsuspecting were they of danger, that it went against the grain to fire, so they were left in undisturbed happieness, much to flic horror of an old Greenland mate, who could not understand this forbearance; and I have no doubt he considered me a "regular sooney.” IVc, however, got out, and continued coasting along the edge of the paek until the sth, when an opening was found a little to the eastward of Wainwright’s Inlet, which carried us round the redoubtable Point Barrow, about midnight, but it was so foggy it was not discovered. On the Sth we sent a party on shore at Point Drew to erect a mark and deposit a notice of our having passed—in case the Enterprise, whicii has evidently divorced us, should come the same road. The First Esquimaux. Here we met the first Esquimaux, who hafLpnly arrived three days previously for their summer fishing and hunting. We learned from them that during the season we should have open water along the coast about three miles in width, but beyond that the ice never went. This we found correct; also, that last summer three boats had gone by with white men, which was, of course,, the party from the Plover. On the following day, passed the entrance of a very large river, the Colville. Some distance up, the Russian Fur Company have posts. We had much difficulty in getting round a point which formed the western side of the bay. having a beating wind, which sent large quantities of ice upon us, which, with thick snowdrift, rendered onr position extremely precarious. .Strewn With Driftwood. On the 11th were off Jones Island, which was thickly strewed with driftwood; some trees of large dimensions. Indeed, the entire north coast of America is covered with this valuable commodity. which would be a great assistance to any travellers along its black shores. In the afternoon two ladders came alongside with a couple of dozen natives. The chief had a gun with “Barnet, 1840.” on the lock. 'This he obtained from the Russians. Although a vigilant lookout was kept on the natives, they succeeded in slipping into their boats a winch-handle and a small anchor, about 201 b. in weight. Their anxiety to obtain iron is very natural, for their spearheads and arrow points are all bone, and they know the value of iron. We bartered tobacco for ducks, and some axes and saws for skins, I got a handsome silver fox. To some we gave presents of beads and other trifles, but the pilferers were excluded, at which they were evidently mortified. Very Good Friends. After leaving them, we met upon a low sandbank a very intelligent, clean set. Upon observing the vessel, they attracted our attention by hoisting a pair of sealskin inexpressibles upon a pole. I proceeded, with a couple of boats 1o hold a conference; but no sooner did we ap-»-oaeh than they appeared to rdgret their ..•nierity. for down came pole ami sealskins, and off their scampered. However, by making signs of peace, they were reassured and returned. Upon landing., we rubbed noses and became very good friends. These were very superior to any that had previously been met. IVe ascertained that their tents, wives, and other encumbrances were upon an island at some distance; that they trade with a conterminous tribe, and 'not with the Russians, which accounts for their superior morality—so true it is that the further from civilised man. the greater purity.' I sent dispatches by them which I would not trust to the oth'er. The Esquimaux interpreter, who is a Moravian Brother from the Labrador Mission, and who is most perfectly conversant with their habits and language, tells me if it depends upon these people, they will arrive safely.