2rrtir Exithratunt.

Sad news of the, fate of Sir John- Franklin and his-crows was eom- munieated to the public journals-on Monday.. Dr. John Rae, -.the well- known Arctic explorenandeommander . of the,Hudson'a Tay Company's Arctic Fsxpaditiea,.leudedat Deal on Sunday-; and immediately.proaeed- ing to the,Admiraity, laid.the folloesingre,port. -hefore.the Board, through "-Sir—I have the ! honour to mention_ for the information_ of, ray Lords Commissioners of the.Admicalty, that, during, my journey over the legend snow this spring,-with-the view of completing the -survey of.the.West shore of Boothia,-I met with Esquimaux in l'el Bey, froone of whom Ilearnt

I!m

that a party, of 'White men', (Kabloonans . had perished from want of food some distance to the Westward; and not fir beyond a large river containing many falls and rapids. Subsequently, further particulars were received, and nnumber of ortioles-purchaseds which places the. fate of a portion if not of all of-the . then, survivors-, of 'Sir- John Franklin's I long-lost party beyond -a doubt,—a late as terrible as theimeginationcarseonaeive..

" The substance, of the information obtained at‘various limes, 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 Esquimaex, Who were killing seals near the North shore of King William's Land, which, is a large island. None of the party could speak the Esquirnaux language intelligibly; but by signs the natives were made to understand that their ship, or ships, had been.cruslied by ice, and that they were now going to where .they expected` to find deer to shoot. From the appearance of the men, all of whom except one officer looked_ thin, they were then supposed to begetting short of provisions; . and they purchased a small seal from the natives, .At whiter date, the same-sea- eon, but previously to the breaking.:up.4 the: ice, the.bodieisiof some thirty persons were discovered on the oontsuent, and five on an island near it, about a long day!s.journey to the N. \V. of a. large stream, which, can be n,o other than Tack's Great Fish River, (named the Eseniimaux Oot-ko-hi-ca. as its description, and that of the low shore in 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 hail been turned over to form a shelter' and several lay scattered about in different directions. Of those found on the island, one was supposedtehave been anofficer, ae.he had a telescope strapped over his shoulders and his-double-heti-relied gun lay underneath him. -

"From the mutilated state of-many of the eorpsesi-ami the contents ot the kettles, it is evident that our wretched.countrymen-had'beenalriven to the last resource—cannibalism—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 groundby the natives out'of the kegs or eases containing it; and a quantity of ball and shot- was found 'below high-water-mark, having probably been left on the ice close to the beach. There must 'save been a number of watches, compasses, telescopes, guns, -,(several double-barrelled) Sceyis all of which appear to have been brokenup, Bei saw pieces of these,differentrartales with the Esquimaux, and, together with some silver spoons and fOrks,asprebasedne, teeny asa.coultl get.. A. list of the most important of ' these Vendor*, with a ,rough sketcb. of the crests and initials on the forks and specinii,-J The articles themselves shall be handed over to the Secretary of the Honoprahlealudion'e)34 Company on my4intiafal in London. -, , . ' - "None of the-Esquimeut with iiblinal.T itinyereed had seenthe 'V nor had they ever been at the -plittsi-411ifefte- VOthei1Wate .flitirids-

their informationifeete-tiebe 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 Lardships would be desirous of being put in posses- sion at as early a date as possible of any tidings, however meagre and un- expectedly obtained, regarding this painfully interesting subject

"I may add, that by means of our guns and nets we obtained, an ample supply of provisions last autumn ; and my small party passed the winter in snow houses in Comparattbe comfort; the skins of the deer shot affording abundant warm clothing and bedding. My spring journey was a failure in conseguence of an accumulation of obstacles, several of which my former experience in Arctic travelling had not taught me to expect. "I have, 8cc. .Tona RAE, C.F., "Commanding Hudson's Bay Company's Arctic Expedition."

List of Articles purc. hased from ilte Esquimaux, said to have been ob- tained at the place where the bodies of the persons reported to have died of famine were found : 1 silver table-fork—crest, an 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.' (Cap- tain Crozier, Terror) ; 1 silver table-spoon and 1 fork—crest, bird, with laurel bran th in mouth, motto, 'Spero itheliora ' ; 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, 'II. Di. S. G.' (Harry D. S. Goodsir, assistant-surgeon, Erebus) ; 1 silver table-fork—initials, 'A. M‘D.' (Alexander M'Donald, assistant-surgeon, Terror) ; 1 silver table-fork—ini- tials,. `G. A.. M.' (Gillum A..Macbean, second master, Terror); I silver table- fork—initials, 'J. T.' ; 1 silver dessert-spoon—initials, 'J.. S. P.' (John S. Peddle, surgeon, Erebus); 1 roued silver plate, engraved, 'Sir John Frank- lin K.C.13.'.; a star or order, with motto, 'Nee aspera terrent, G. It. MI5CCCXV.'

"Also, a number of other articles, with no marks by which they could be recognized, but which, will be handed, over with those above named to the Secretary of the HoneurahleHudson's Bay Company. "Repulse Bay, July 1854. Joni; RAE, C. F."

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 severity of the climate. Some of the corpses had been sadly mutilated,' and had been stripped by those who had the 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 Faquimaux ; the coins being pierced with holes, so as to be suspended ae mediae. A large number of books were also found, but these not being valued, by the natives had either. -been destroyed or ne- glected. Dr. Rae has nes doubt, from the careful habits of these people, that almost every article which the unhappy sufferers had preserved could be recovered; but he thought it better to come home direct with the intelligence he had obtained, than to run the risk of having to spend another winter in the. snow.

It would seem from his description, of the .plaeein which, the bodies were found, that both Sir James Ross and Captain Bellot must have been within a few miles-of the which- our unfortunate countrymen had struggled on in their desperate march. ' A few-of. the men must, he thinks, have survived until the arrival of theWild-fowl,jahout 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.--/Itnes.

Dr. Rae, at the request- of Sir Francis- Beaufort, the Hydrographer of the Navy, has drawn up a plan for a proposed expedition in search of the remains of Franklin and his crew. It will consist of two parties, who will go together as far as Slave Lake ; there one party would go Westward, to look out for Captain Collinson, securing their retreat by Bear Lake ; the other wouldgo Eastward, and descend the Back River, retiring for the winter to Slave Lake. No time, he says, should be lost, in setting this expedition on foot.

The Admiralty has published despatches from Lieutenant Meecham, with enclosures from Captain Collinson. These documents have partly been published before, but their reappearance is interesting in connexion with the intelligence respecting Sir John Franklin's party. Lieutenant Meecham started with a,sledge party from the North Star at Beechey Island; oar the 3d of April 1864, in search of traces of Captain Collinson ; and he returned by the 14th of June. He found despatches left by Captain Oollmson at Princess Royal Island, dated 30th August 1851; also in latitude 7035' North longitude 173'40' West, dated 15th April 1852, and Ramsay Island as late as 27th August 1852., Captain Collinson then in- tended to pursue the Che.nnel separating Wollaston from Prince Albert's Land.

Dr. Ring, who.accompanied the expedition in search of Sir John Ross, publishes a pamphlet containing, his correspondence with Earl Grey in June November, and' December 1847, and subsequently in February and March. 1850 ; the last letter -being addressed to Lady Franklin. Dr. King's offer to proceed on a journey, at a considerable sacrifice, was peremptorily though courteously declined by the Admiralty. The main purpose of his correspondence was to show that a land journey in search of Franklin would, according to past experience, have a better chance than a sea Journey; the failure of land Journies being the exception, not the rule : and he pointed out the particular direction which he would take- " To the Western laud of North Somerset, where, I maintain, Sir John Franklin will be found, the Great Fish River is the direct and only route ; and although the approach to it is through a country too poor and too diffi- cult of access to admit of the transport of provision, it may be made the me- dium of cetumenicetien. between the hat expedition and the civilized world ; and Indian guides he thus placed at their disposal to convey them to the hunting-grounds of the Red Men."

The crews of the Arctic ships Assistance, Investigator, Resolute, Pioneer, and Intrepid, were paid off at Woolwich on Tuesday. The wages of the crew of the Investigator amounted in some eases to 150/. each man. The crew of this ship presented Dr. Armstrong, their sur- geon, with a gold chronometer, as a testimony of their respect and af- fection. At the presentation a pleasant incident occurred. Lieutenant Bedford Pin, the officer from Captain Kellett who first discovered the position of the Investigator, was present ; and, turning to him, the spokesmam of the. mew staid— Were it not for you, Sir, many of us now present would IleVer have seen Old England again. All of us look upon you ass= deliverer, andl, none of us will forget the joy, we felt when you reached

To which Lieutenant Pim replied- " I thank you, my lads. I shall never forget our meeting. I congratulate you most heartily upon your escape from a fate similar to 'that of poor Sir John Franklin. I hope you will now enjoy yourselves to your hearts' con- tent; and next spring I dare say we shall meet again under the walls of Cronstadt, or perhaps in St. Petersburg itself." The men looked "remarkably well," and fit for anything.

The following promotions have been made for Arctic service— Commanders George Henry Richards, of the Assistance discovery-ship, and Francis L. 1PClintock, of the Resolute discovery-ship—to be Captains. Lieutenants James E. Elliott, of the Pbcenix screw steam discovery-sloop ; Walter W. May, of the Assistance discovery-ship ; George F. Meecham, First Lieutenant of the Resolute ; George A. Phayre, First Lieutenant of the Enterprise discovery-ship ; and Samuel Gurney Cresswell, the first officer who accomplished the North-west passage, and brought home the in- telligence of the safety of Captain fil'Clure and the officers and crew of the Investigator, and who is now serving in the Archer, 14, screw steam-sloop, in the Baltic—to be Commanders. Mates Francis B. Herbert, of the Assist- ance discovery-ship ; George S. Nares, of the Resolute discovery-ship; and Robert P. Jenkins, of the North Star Arctic stor-eship—to be Lieutenants. Acting-Mate Frederick William Pym, of the Assistance discovery-ship—to be Acting-Lieutenant Second-Master William Shellabeer, of the North Star Arctic store-ship—to be Master. Assistant-Surgeons John B. Ricards, borne on the books of the Assistance discovery-ship, for service in the Pioneer, her screw steam tender ; Robert C. Scott, of the Resolute discovery-ship ; and Edward Adams, of the Enterprise, Captain Collinson's discovery-ship, still in the Arctic regions—to be Surgeons. Clerks James Lewis, clerk in charge of the Assistance, and private secretary to Captain Sir Edward Belcher ; Wil- liam Elliott, clerk in charge of the North Star ; and William T. Richards, clerk in charge of the Plicenix—to be Paymasters. Lieutenant William Has- well, of the Investigator, was promoted to the rank of Commander on May 5, 1854.