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1072 THE LEADER. [No. 496. Sept. 24, 185...
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SIR JOHN'S FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. RETURN...
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THE REVIVALS IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND. Th...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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1072 The Leader. [No. 496. Sept. 24, 185...
1072 THE LEADER . [ No . 496 . Sept . 24 , 1859 .
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Sir John's Franklin's Expedition. Return...
SIR JOHN ' S FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION . RETURN OF CAPT . M'CLINTOCK , R . N . The Fox screw discovery vessel ( Captain M'Clmtock ) , which was sent to the Arctic regions at the expense of Lady Franklin , to discover traces of the missing expedition , arrived off the Isle of Wight on Wednesday . On landing Captain M'Clintock at once came on by train from London , bringing with him two cases containing relics of the long missing expedition of Sir John Franklin . We have received the following from the Admiralty : — ¦ - . ¦ ¦ " Sept . 22 , 10 30 a . m . " The Secretary of the Admiralty presents his compliments to the Editor , and forwards the accompanying letter for insertion . " ~~ " Yacht Fox . R . Y . S .
« Sir —I beg you will inform the Lords Commissioners ' of the Admiralty of the safe return to this country of Lady Franklin ' s Final Searching Expedition , which I have had the honour to conduct . " Their Lordships will rejoice to hear that our endeavours to ascertain the fate of the ' Franklin Expedition' have met with complete success . "At Point Victory , upon the north-west coast of King William ' s Island , a record has been found , dated the 25 th of April , 1848 , and signed by Captains Crozier and Fitzjames . By it we were informed that her Majesty ' s ships Erebus and Terror were abandoned on the 22 nd of April , 1848 , in the ice , five leagues to the N . N . W ., and that the survivors—in all amounting to 105 souls , under the command of Captain Crozier—were proceeding to the Great Fish River . Sir John Franklin had died
on the 11 th June , 1847 . . " Many deeply interesting relics of our lost countrymen have been picked up upon the western shore of King William ' s Island , and others obtained from the Esquimaux , by whom we were informed , that subsequent to their abandonment one ship was crushed and sunk by the ice , and the other forced on shore , where she has ever since been , affording them an almost inexhaustible mine of wealth . . ¦ ' '¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - " Being unable to penetrate beyond Bellot Strait , the Fox wintered in Brentford Bay , and the search —including the estuary of the Great Fish River and the discovery of 800 miles of coast line , by which we have united the explorations of the former
searching expeditions to the north and west of our position with those of Sjr James Ross , Dease , Simpson , and Rae to the south—has been performed by sledge journeys this spring , conducted by Lieutenant Hdbson , R . N ., Captain Allen Young and myself . " As a somewhat detailed report of our proceedings will doubtless be interesting to their Lordships , it is herewith enclosed , together with a chart of our discoveries and explorations , and at the earliest opportunity I will present myself at the Admiralty to afford further information , and lay before their Lordships the record found at Port Victory .. " I have the honour to be , & c , " F . L . M'Clintock , Captain R . N . " To the Secretary of the Admiralty . "
Long and highly interesting details follow of the proceedings of Captain M'Clintock and his brave followers , from which we learn that the record of the death of Sir John Franklin , and of the departure of the 105 survivors for the Great Fish River , was found in a cairn upon Pojnt Victory , in King William ' s Island . Round the cairn lay , strewed about , clothing , stores , boats , oars , cooking utensils , and everything that was likely to impede their progress . The track of their subsequent wanderings was marked out by several cairns , most of which had been disturbed . No further recprds were found . But at long intervals relics were found which left no doubt of the ultimate fate of the party ; and which completely bear out the testimony of the Esquimaux . Here a . skeleton was found with tattered European coatwith the
clothing clinging to it . Farther on a , remains of two more Europeans , was discovered . Two guns were lying by its side- — -one loaded and cocked— silver spoons and forks , a fow religious books , chocolate and ammunition , and fuel in abundance . A sad but interesting light is thrown on the memory of those gallant- sailors in the following description ot the relics found in the boat : ~ "Inone-parcel—A small Prayer-book , cover of a small book of ' Family Prayers , " Christian Melodies , ' an inscription within the cover to « G . G . ' (? Graham Gore )} ' Vicar of Wakeflold , ' a small Bible , interlined in many places , and with numerous references written in the margin t a New [ Testament in the Fronqh language . " The natives statod that the white men had gone up to the Fish River , and had dropped one by one in the attempt to reach it . From first to last , says Captain M'Clintock , " norfoot order seems to have
existed . " The arrangements for the abandonment of the ships were deliberately entered upon during the hard winter , and carried but with careful forethought . He concludes that their strength had been greatly reduced during their protracted stay in the ice fields , arid that they sank from the effects of exposure and fatigue . From the horrors of starvation and the attacks of Indians we may fairly believe them to have escaped . The tracing out of the last relics of the Franklin expedition , as a contemporary well observes , has added to the reputation of the British
navy , riot more by the proofs it has given of the fortitude of the brave men who have perished , than by the evidence it has afforded of the high resolve and the self-sacrificing energy which has brought Cap tain M'Clintock and his little band , twenty-three in all , through so many perils . In our naval annals there is no instance of greater devotion to a noble cause , nor of a more triumphant success over overwhelming obstacles . It is to be hoped that it will be the last of Arctic enterprises . Enough has been done for science and for reputation . It is time that the cause of humaity made itself heard .
The following are copies of original papers found by Captain M'Clintock on Prince of Wales Island : — "^ of May , 1847 . " Her Majesty ' s ships Erebus and Terror wintered in the ice in lat . 70 deg . 5 min ., long . 93 deg . 23 min . W . . . " Having wintered in 1846-7 at Beechey Island , in lat . 74 deg . 43 min . 28 sec . N ,, long . 91 deg . 39 min . 15 sec . W ., after ascending Wellington Channel to lat . 77 deg ., and returning , by the west side of Cornwallis Island . " Sir John Frankxin , :: Commanding the expedition . " All well . " Whoever finds this paper is requested to forward it to the Secretary of the Admiralty , London , with a note of the time and place at which it was found , or , if more convenient , to deliver it for that purpose to the British Consul at the nearest port . "
The same in French . The same in Spanish . The same iri Dutch . The same in Danish . The same in German . " Left the ships Monday , the 24 th May , 1847 , the party consisting of two officers and six men . . " G . M . Gore , Lieutenant . " Chas F . Des Vdsux , Mate . " The words " wintered in 1846-47 at Beechey Island " should be " in 1845-46 , " as in 1846-47 they were beset in the ice , and the ships abandoned in April , 1848 . The same mistake occurs in both papers .
The Revivals In The North Of Ireland. Th...
THE REVIVALS IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND . The new " movement , " which has created such a sensation in the neighbourhood of Belfast has at length apparently reached its climax , and is approaching the decline which eventually becomes the fate of all impostures . The hysterical symptoms which are the most remarkable developments of this pseudo-religious mania have been explained by several medical men and other philosophers on perfectly rational grounds , and the absurdity and wickedness of fostering these germs of disease both of mind and body have been fully demonstrated .
The crowning humbug of the affair has probably been the getting up of a " monster revival meeting , " at Armagh , last week , on the 14 th instant ; the affair being doubtless intended to put a large sum of money into the pockets of the Ulster Railway Company , and though not so successful as was expected , the scheme did credit to the clever managers of that railway . From the Irish correspondent of a contemporary we condense the following account : —The " friends of the cause "in Belfast had made arrangements with the managers of the Ulster Railway Company to run a cheap train to Armagh on the occasion ; the distance , about thirty miles , and the return , were covered by a fare of Is . 6 d . It was a very cheap excursion . The fare , of course , did not permit any luxury of accommodation , so the
train consisted wholly of third-class carriages and cattle vans . It was announced that the company would not issue a single ticket beyond the number of pagsengora it could convey comfortably . In this community , at this time , and on this occasion of all others , it might have been expected that the railway managers would have kept faith with an anxious public , But I am sorry to say the besetting sin of all railway boards is as strong at Belfast as anywhere ejise . As many tickets were sold , as possible , and the engagement ; kept ; with the minimum of wear and tear to the rolling stock . Money was taken just as readily as if a mere profane spectacle awaited , us at the end of the journey , and the most reprehensible pleasure excursionists could not have been kept longer waiting or boon moro tightly paoked . This was the case in starting from Belfast . At the
intermediate stations , where tickets had been sold with the most cheerful readiness all the morning the diflBculty was solved in the coolest manner — -by leaving the expectants behind ; arid the train passed along amid howls of disappointment from those who were ' staying for waftage . " They were picked up I-heard , two hours later , by a " scratch " train of cattle waggons and ballast trucks , and arrived on the prayer ground when the proceedings were more than half over . The company promised too much arid the delay produced an unchristian amount of bad temper .
The meeting itself was to be " for all Ireland , " and it was expected that eminent divines would attend it , specially , from " the three kingdoms . " Rumour even included Mr . Spurgeon and—singular combination—the Bishop of Exeter in the list . The result , in the present state of the public mind , might have been anticipated to be something extraordinary , but on the closest observation I could not so rate it ' Belfast is a city of some 130 , 000 inhabitants , and is the head and centre of this movement ; yet it would have been a very liberal calculation that could hare
made 800 of the number that filled the " great prayer meeting " train . The platform was not inconveniently crowded , and the " unusual excitement" described in the local reports exists only in the prevailing disposition in all who are mixed up with the agitation to see an excitement in everything . Even a congregation that exhibits the ordinary external appearance of people in a place of worship , I have seen described as " solemnly impressed . " The same might be said with quite as much truth of any London congregation at this moment , except St . George ' s in the East .
Some time after the hour appointed , the train started ; it was : a slow one , but in due course , leaving the flax fields and bleaching grounds of the country round Belfast , and also the expecting passengers at the intermediate points , behind , it pulled up at Portadown , and made a long stop . As time wore on without moving ^ the thing was growing tedious . At last a small party struck up a hymn , but the effect was not quite what I should have expected . So far from all joining in , some persons in another compartment hooted and whistled , and expressed unmistakeable contempt of the manifestation . The pious sang on steadily ; so the opposition gave out two lines of a burlesque hymn , the words of which will riot bear type , and sang it , with
Without mitigation or remorse of voice , a running accompaniment of more hoots and more vile noises and whistling . So it proceeded , " strophe" and " antistrophe "—a very unseemly contrast , for some time . Finally , the train moved on again , the singing ceased , and the comparative harmony of silence was restored . The vein , however , had been touched , and bursts of vocal fervour were heard occasionally during the rest of the journey from different carriages along the line . The malcontents were satisfied by getting on again , and offered no further interruption . The effect of all this was not edifying , but the reverse . The opposition was indecent j but what provoked it was execrable as music , and as sentiment out ot
place After this incident , there could be no doubt that all the passengers by the great prayer-meeting train had not the same object . On arriving at Armagh , fully half the number , instead of turning into the prayer field , close to the railway station , left it behind them , walked into the town , ana dispersed into the houses and side streets , l saw them go certainly ; I did not see them return . Why should they have como at all , then , it may be asked ? " Sixty miles for eighteen pence" is the answer . The prayer-meeting train was a cheap opportunity of doing a little worldly business . Ana i felt slightly " sold" after hearing so much ° 1
, Belfast piety , to find it so much alloyed by Belfast The Armagh meeting might have opened their eyes as to the sort of men who will bo the raw leaders of this movement among the lowest class , ii is regretted » that on this great occasion the people could not be kept at the centre of intelligence ana piety combined . They broke into separate nu " " ™? round more violent and moro exciting PVOttcners . There were at one time flvo smaller circles in uw flold , besides the main body . And I can as sort tuat +. lin meat , mlrvwnfiftil T . rnftrthGVH . tested by tllO UH 10 lim >
, _ _ . „___„ ......... weed in the llstpnors , wore not the ten ordained ministers , r i' «» fP ' K of internal suffering is regarded as tho pvopf ol tno " operation of the Spirit , " which is not supposed w triumph entirely until the spirit is •• btruck down , ust short of this are those " deeply affected . « was in the oircles round the wildest and nwst mcohorpnt preachers that the moat numorous onaosoi tho « deeply Affected" werfe to bo seen . Whoro aivine religion" was actually being made " a . rlmpaouy of worda , " there the most effect was produced . An one group I counted twenty poor wretches on uw knees at the foot of an Ill-looking , vulgar , un < l ° >* -
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 24, 1859, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24091859/page/4/
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