would go far to avert the chances of war, and is eminently calculated to promote the cause of general peace." Indeed there appears to have been, as there can only be, but one opinion on the subject, and the announcement, as our readers are aware, was received with hearty acclamations from all parts of the house.

The beautiful letter which has already appeared in print addressed to Lady Franklin, by Mr Clayton, does honour to his heart, and with the view of making it more generally known a copy is subjoined.

By the next account from Washington we may hope to hear whether any progress has been made in the equipment of the expedition, but the lateness of the season will probably prevent anything being done this year, as it would be next to impossible to fit out an expedition in time to enter Lancaster Sound this present summer. Yet we are not altogether without hopes. The well known energy and vast resources of that great nation may already have been called forth, and even this summer an expedition, under command of Captain Wilkes, the enterprising navigator of the Antarctic Seas, may be towed up to Baffin's Bay, and reach the threshold of their enterprise 'ere the door be closed for the winter months.

All that humanity, zeal, science, and fortitude can command we feel assured will be nobly carried out by Captain Wilkes, and his gallant party. Though we should regret, as Lady Franklin has remarked, that our own brave countrymen in those seas should not be the parties rewarded with success, yet we should cordially rejoice with herself and the relatives and friends of all who are embarked with Franklin if it should be to the humane, liberal, and enlightened conduct of America that they owed their restored happiness; and in either case the noble conduct of the United States will form one of the brightest pages in history, and will, we are sure, be read by our children's children for ages yet to come, and till that period shall arrive

"When granite moulders, and when records fail,"

with feelings of the deepest admiration.

"Bedford Place, London, April 4. "Sir.-I address myself to you, as the head of a great nation, whose power to help me I cannot doubt, and in whose disposition to do so I have a confidence which I trust you will not deem presumption.

"The naine of my husband, Sir John Franklin, is probably not unknown to you. It is intimately connected with the northern part of that continent of which the American Republic forms so vast and conspicuous a portion. When I visited the United States, three years ago, amongst the many proofs I received of respect and courtesy there was none which touched and even surprised me more than the appreciation every where expressed to me of his former services in geographical discovery, and the interest felt in the enterprise in which he was then known to be engaged.

"The expedition fitted out by our Government for the discovery of the north-west passage (that question which for 300 years has engaged the interest and baffled the energies of the man of science and the navigator), sailed under my husband's command in May, 1845. The two ships, Erebus and Terror, contained 138 men (officers and crews), and were victualled for three years. They were not expected home, unless success had early rewarded their efforts, or some casualty hastened their return, before the close of the year 1847, nor where any tidings expected from them in the interval. But, when the Autumn of 1847 arrived without any intelligence of the ships, the attention of her Majesty's Government was directed to the

necessity of searching for, and conveying relief to them, in case of their being imprisoned in the ice, or wrecked, and in want of provisions and means of transport.

"For this purpose an expedition in three divisions was fitted out in the early part of last year, directed to three different quarters simultaneously,viz. 1st, to that by which in case of success the ships would come out of the Polar Sea to the westward (or Behring's Straits); 2dly, to that which they entered on their course of discovery, on the eastern side (or Davis Straits); and 3dly, to an intervening quarter, comprising a portion of the Arctic shore, approachable by land from the Hudson's-bay Company's settlement, on which it was supposed the crews, if obliged to abandon their ships, might be found.

"The last division of the expedition was placed under the command of my husband's faithful friend, the companion of his former travels Sir John Richardson, who landed at New York in April of last year, and hastened to join his men and boats, which were already in advance towards the Arctic shore. Of this portion of the expedition I may briefly say that the absence of any intelligence from Sir John Richardson at this season proves that he has been unsuccessful in the object of his search.

"The expedition intended for Behring's Straits has hitherto been a complete failure. It consisted of a single ship, the Plover, which, owing to her setting off too late, and to her bad sailing properties, did not even approach her destination last year.

"The remaining and most important portion of the searching expedition consists of two ships under the command of Sir James Ross, which sailed last May for Davis' Straits, but did not succeed, owing to the state of the ice, in getting into Lancaster Sound until the season for operations had nearly closed. These ships are now wintering in the ice, and a storeship is about to be despatched hence with provisions and fuel, to enable them to stay out another year. But one of these vessels is, in a great degree, withdrawn from active search by the necessity of watching at the entrance of Lancaster Sound for the arrival of intelligence and instructions from England by the whalers.

"I have entered into these details with the view of proving that, though the British Government has not forgotten the duty it owes to the brave men whom it has sent on a perilous service, and has spent a very large sum in providing the means for their rescue, yet that owing to various causes, the means actually in operation for this purpose are quite inadequate to meet the extreme exigence of the case. For, it must be remembered, that the missing ships were victualled for three years only, and that nearly four years have now elapsed, so that the survivors of so many winters in the ice must be at the last extremity; and also it must be borne in mind, that the channels by which the ships may have attempted to force a passage to the westward, or which they may have been compelled by adverse circumstances to take, are very numerous and complicated, and that one or two ships cannot possibly in the course of the next short summer explore them all.

"The Board of the Admiralty; under the conviction of this fact, has been induced to offer a reward of £20,000 sterling to any ship or ships of any country, or to any exploring party whatever, which shall render efficient assistance to the missing ships or their crews, or any portion of them. This announcement, which, even if the sum had been doubled or trebled, would have met with public approbation, comes, however, too late for our whalers, which had unfortunately sailed before it was issued, and which, even if the NO. 7.-VOL. XVIII.

3 B

news should overtake them at their fishing grounds, are totally unfitted for any prolonged adventure, having only a few months' provisions on board, and no additional clothing.

"To the American whalers, both in the Atlantic and Pacific, I look with more hope as competitors for the prize, being well aware of their number and strength, their thorough equipment, and the bold spirit of adventure which animates their crews. But I venture to look even beyond these. I am not without hope that you will deem it not unworthy of a great and kindred nation to take up the cause of humanity which I plead, in a national spirit, and thus generously make it your own.

"I must here, in gratitude, adduce the example of the Imperial Russian Government, which (as I am led to hope by his Excellency, the Russian Ambassador in London, who forwarded a memorial on the subject,) will send out exploring parties this summer from the Asiatic coast of Behring's Strait northward in search of the lost vessels. It would be a noble spectacle to the world, if three great nations, possessed of the widest empires on the face of the globe, were thus to unite their efforts in the truly Christian work of saving their perishing fellow men from destruction. It is not for me to suggest the mode in which such benevolent efforts might best be made. I will only say, however, that if the conceptions of my own mind, to which I do not venture to give utterance, were realised, and that in the noble com. petition which followed American seamen had the good fortune to wrest from us the glory (as might be the case), of solving the problem of the unfound passage, or the still greater glory of saving our adventurous navigators, from a lingering fate, which the mind sickens to dwell on, though I should in either case regret that it was not my own brave countrymen in those seas whose devotion was thus rewarded, yet should I rejoice that it was to America we owed our restored happiness, and should be ever bound to her by ties of affectionate gratitude.

"I am not without some misgivings while I thus address you. The intense anxieties of a wife and of a daughter may have led me to press too earnestly on your notice the trial under which we are suffering (yet not we only, but hundreds of others), and to presume too much on the sympathy which we are assured is felt beyond the limits of our own land. Yet, if you deem this to be the case, you will still find, I am sure, even in that personal intensity of feeling, an excuse for the fearlessness with which I have thrown myself on your generosity, and will pardon the homage I thus pay to your own high character and to that of the people over whom you have the distinction to preside.

"I have the honour to be, Sir, "With great respect, your obedient servant, "JANE FRANKLIN."

Department of State, Washington, April 23.

"Madam.-Your letter to the President of the United States, dated April 4, 1849, has been received by him, and he has directed me to make the following reply:

"The appeal made in the letter with which you have honoured him, is such as would strongly enlist the sympathy of the rulers and the people of any portion of the civilised world.

To the citizens of the United States, who share so largely in the emotions which agitate the public mind of your own country, the name of Sir John Franklin has been endeared by his heroic virtues, and the

sufferings and sacrifices which he has encountered for the benefit of mankind.

"The appeal of his wife and daughter, in their distress, has been borne across the waters, asking the assistance of a kindred people to save the brave men who embarked in his unfortunate expedition, and the people of the United States, who have watched with the deepest interest that hazardous enterprise, will now respond to that appeal by the expression of their united wishes, that every proper effort may be made by this Government for the rescue of your husband and his companions.

"To accomplish what we have in view, the attention of American navigators, and especially our whalers, will be immediately invoked. All the information in the possession of this Government to enable them to aid in discovering the missing ships, relieving their crews, and restoring them to their families, shall be spread far and wide among our people; and all that the Executive Government of the United States, in the exercise of its constitutional powers, can effect to meet this requisition on American enterprise, skill, and bravery, will be promptly undertaken. The hearts of the American people will be deeply touched by your eloquent address to their chief magistrate, and they will join with you in an earnest prayer to him whose spirit is on the waters, that your husband and his companions may yet be restored to their country and their friends. "I have the honour to be, "Your Ladyship's friend and obedient servant, "JOHN M. CLAYTON."

MISSING MERCHANT SHIPS.

Extract from Lloyd's List, 8, Dec., 1848.

The Lahore sailed from Matanzas, 2nd, Sept., for Cork and is supposed to have taken on board part of the crew of the "Regina" from Dominica and Antigua to London, about 25th Sept., in lat. 41°, long. 54°, since which she has not been heard of.

Seven men and sundry articles were taken from the Regina on the 25th Sept., by the "John Dunlop," and arrived at Liverpool 23rd Oct., she (Regina) was subsequently fallen in with abandoned, with main and mizen-masts carried away, fore-mast standing, main hatches and cabin bulk-head stove on the 27th Sept., in lat. 41° N., long. 54° W., and boarded by the Auguste and Bertha, arrived off Falmouth 15th Oct.

1.-Madelina, Greenfell, Copper Ore, St. Jago, sailed 15th August, 1848. 2.-Hazard, Sugar, Havana or Matanzas, 25th 3.-Zaida, Sugar,

4.-Isabella Cooper, Sugar,

66

27th

7.-Lahore, Sugar, Havana or Matanzas

8.-Havana Packet, Sugar,

66

9.-Auricula, Copper Ore, St. Jago,

10.-Mary Dugdale, Copper Ore "

11.-Kelmaurs, Sugar, Matanzas,

12.-Hong-Kong, Sugar, Havana,

The above twelve vessels sailed from Cuba, between 15th August, and 31st December, and have not since been heard of.

London, 20th April, 1849.

P. T. C.

THE MARMION'S STORM.

2, Sydney Place, Cambridge Road, Bethnal Green. SIR.-I was much interested with the perusal of the letter of Mr. Freeman of the Marmion relative to the Atlantic hurricanes. The question of heaving to has I perceive engaged his attention, but if I have read the passage rightly, he appears to have anticipated the bearing down of the hurricane upon him from the west, the wind being south, so that the centre would reach his ship. Now, from the annexed diagram, in which the outer letters indicate the points of the compass, and the interior letters the hurricane winds, the whirl being shewn by the four arrow heads; supposing the ship to have hove to on the starboard tack, with the wind south, her position being in the right-hand semicircle, the hurricane would have passed her in the direction of the dotted line S., N.W., the centre being more than one-third of the semi-diameter of the storm from the ship. The vessel being in the most dangerous quadrant, heaving to, would have been preferable to scudding, as the latter proceeding would have brought her in a very short time immediately in advance of the centre. The best mode appears to have been to have altered her course, bearing away to S.S.E., so as to have kept up the barometer and taken advantage of the south-west wind, that succeeded the south; when this wind had given place to W.S.W. the barometer would have read lowest, the first half of the storm having passed,

S.,

Veering of the wind supposing the ship to have hove to. SS.W., SW., WSW., barometer falling first half of storm. NW., WNW., W., Wsw., barometer rising last half of storm.

By altering the ship's course as above suggested, it is highly probable the greater fury of the storm would have been avoided, the southwest wind taken advantage of, and the storm would have finally passed off about W. or W.N.W.

Let us now look at the proceedings which Mr. Freeman says can very rarely happen. The passage of theship on the line from S to S, indicating the crosses of the hurricane s path, until you bring the barometer to rise, and the wind hauling to E.N.E., must be one fraught with danger. She not only comes nearer the centre on this line, supposing the hurricane stationary; but is ikely to meet it much earlier than if by scudding, the centre should overtake her. In point of fact by scudding she might cross the path and get