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THE JEANNETTE

COMPLETE AND AUTHENTIC

a
u

H
H
id
Z;
Z
<

NARRATIVE ENCYCLOPEDIA

OF AU. VOYAOES AND EXPEDITIONS TO

THE NORTH POLAR REGIONS,

CONTAIXINO A

COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF THE MOST REMARKABLE EXAMPLES OF HEROISM,
ENDURANCE AND SUFFERING ON RECORD.

EMBRACING THE IlIOGRAPIIV AND VOYAOES OK

RANKLIN, KANE, HAVE?, HALL, AND DE LO|v(Q,

WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCTIC NAVIGATION THROUGH THE VOYAGES Ol IHI.

NORSEMEN, THE CABOTS, GILHERT, DAVIS, BARENTZ, HUDSON, BAFFIN, BEIIHING, MACKENZIL,

COOK, SCORESUY, PARRY, WRANOEM., ROSS, NARES, NORDENSKIOLD, SCHWATKA, SMITH,

YOUNG, AND MANY OTHERS; A?: ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF ALL IMPORTANT

SCIENTIFIC AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES EVER MADE IN THE

FROZEN NORTH.

CAPT. RICHARD PERRY.

ELEQANTLY ILLUSTRATED WITH TWO HUNDRED ENQRAVINQS.

THOMPSONVILLE, CONN.:

HORACE KING.

18S2.

/-/-

S:(r. f^L//^

l-OPVRHillTEI) IIY
THK COnURN .V COOK PUBMS.IIX,; CC.MPA.VV,

■1

'^'^

1 1

<£

ft I'

^^^

PREIFAQR.

I,;.

h ^

'l!

■i>r'

o
^

\r:

T*
^

The uiii\(.Ts:il intiTc;s( in Arclic c-xploralioii whicii li;is ocuii jiroiiscd
l)y tlic im-l;inch()ly (;itc' of tlu- |iMiiiicttc, Iilt coinmiiiulcr, ;iiul so larj^c a
))'!iiioii of licr crow, has su^f^cslcd the w riliii<j: of this work. While this
has hfcn its (hrcct and immediate inspiration it was deemed advisal)le to
eidar<ife its scope so as to include similar and correlated voya<^es from tiie
earliest ])eriod.

[t has heen written in sympathy with the heroic efForts of the
explorers who in every aj^'c have lahored in this field for the enl:ir,t,'e-
ment of hnman knowledt^e.

The ireneral interest in literature of tliis kind is le,i,dtimate and even
commendahle. A wholesome and hracin-,' intellectual tonic, it enerj^izcs
the mind. The reading- of such works cannot produce o'.her than j;ood
results. Free from the tedium of mimite chronoloo-v and hurdcnsome
detail, they possess all the most attractive elements of history, hio^^raphy
and travel — a triple combination unsurpassed even hv poetry, iictiun
or romance.

The taste of the artist and the skill of the en<,n-aver liave l)een
hrou<,'ht into requisition to enforce and illustrate the information con-
veyed, addinj^ a charm and value that will be readily appreciated bv
every reader.

In the hope that this \vnrk will contribute its share toward driving
out of ji^cneral circulation the mass of poisonous trash that is suH'ered to
represent, or misrepresent, our current literature among such multitudes
of the youth of oiu' land, it is herewith respectfully submitted to the kind
consideration and patronage of the public.

LIST OF AUTHORITIES.

The FoIIowinjr Works have 1

'ccn iisi'd in the Preparation of this Vohi

Kncyclop.tdiii Uritannica.

Applcton's AiiHTicun Cyclopx-dia.

Ch; nibLTs' Kncvclopa'dia.

Zl'H's Kncyclop;i'(lia.

Johnson's Kncyclopxdia.

Newman's America.

Bancroft's History of tlic United States.

Lippincott's I'ronouncinf,' Gazetteer of the World

J..pi»ncott's I'ronoun.-inK' Jlioirraphi,.,! Dk-

tionarv.
Hates' Countries of the 'Worh!,
Ilhistraled Travels. (Six vols.)
Whymper's Sea. (Four vols.)
Jleeren's Works.
Wheaton's Kxplorations.
Irvinjr's Cohimlms. (Three vols.)
I-'robisher's Three \'oyaj^es. .

Voyages to Catliay and India.
Ralcifrh, Discovery of CJuiana.
liakluyt's \'oya^ru to America.
De Veer's Three Voyages to China.
Hawkins' Voyages.
Maynarde's Drake's Voyages.
De Veer's Voyages of Wm. Harentz.
Cooley's Maritime Inland Discoveries. (Three

vols.)
IJfe of Krobishcr.
Phijjp's Voyage to the North Pole.
Uic of Sir John Franklin.
Franklin's First Voyage.
Franklin's Second Voyage.
Wrangell's Arctic Vovages.
Parry's Tliree Voyages.

Voyages of Sabine and Clavering.
Back's Arctic Land ICxpedition.
Lyon's Private Journal of Arctic Xoyiigus
Hartwig's Polar World.
Verne's Historie des (irands Vovages.
Inglefield's Summer Search for Franklin.
Richardson's Search for Franklin.
Mayne's \'oyages to Arctic Ilegions.
•M'Clure's Discovery of Northwest Passage.
Elder's Life of Kane.
Kane's First Grinnell Expedition.
Kane's Second (irinnell Expedition.
Hall's Arctic Researches.
M'Clintock's \'oyage in the Arctic Seas.
Tytlcr's Discoveries in the Polar Seas.
Leslie's Discoveries in the Polar Seas.
Adventures of Hritish Seamen.
Hayes' Open Polar Sea.
Hayes' Pictures of Arctic Travel.
Markham's Arctic ''Vorks.
Sonntag in Search of Franklin.
Tyson's Arctic Experiences.
Koldewey's German Expedition. (Two vols.)
Wcyprecht and I'ayer's Voyages.
Nares' Polar Voyage.
Nu!vi,;nskiold's Voyage of the \'ega.
Ilisto-y of Shipwrecks.
The New York Herald.
Harper's Magazine.
Scribner's Monthly.

The Library Magar.ine, and Conlem,,oraneous
Papers ai»;l Magazines generally.

Ci
Ju

CONTENTS.

PAJW I.

oliimc:

'«•'••

.Is.)

Kaki.y E,xim.orek.s.

i7-(iS

CHAPTKIl I.

T>„iw '^?"f?P"""« "* ^''t^ AncicMts-Vovaife of Pythcas-Discovors Thulo- Origin of 111,. Xorsuman-
' f N.Sh Ameiiri'"''"" "'' P^'""<^V-^"'«^'n'''"'l •'"'' I^^^'l.""! C,.l„ni/..,<l-ln. i.lontal Disrov.ry

I — Voracity of the
ijfe Around the World

CHAPTKK H.

. Port'itrucse and Spanish piscoveries-Portuifucse \'„yaKo,s to North A.ncricii
Spanish— Kesults of Columbus' Discovery— Vovajft; of the Ciibots— First Vovate I
—Voyage to La Plata — French Voyajfes. ' "

CHAPTKK III.
Search for Northeast Passajfc— Voyage of Chancellor -ICnterprlse of Muscovy Coinpany.

chaptp:r IV.

,■11 ^^^^^ ^"' ^"'■'hw'^s' T'lssage Rcsumea-Frobisher's Load of (iold-Two Voyams of (^.ilb.Tt-
(..Ibert Shipwrecked— Hawkins, the Slave-Trader— Drake Sails around Cape Horn.

CHAPTER V.

Davis Sent Out-Trades with Natives of Greenland -Great Danger in the I.e-Passes Hudson's
Itay— Raleigh in Search of (jold— Disappointment— Contined in the TcVwer.

CHAPTER VI.

M ,,^"y-'y'"'f °^ the Dutch-Northeast Passage Ag.iin-narentz Reaches Orange Islands-Gcrrit
De Veer-Sickness and Dc^ith-Surrojinded by Hears and Foxes-Reappearance of t1,e Sun-Bur al of
Jlarentz— Voyage of Van Noort— Fight with Patagonians— Defeat the Spanish.

PART II.

Eaki.v Arctic Vovaoks.

'.SS

CHAPTER VII.

First Arctic Voyage under Bennet-Kill Many Walruses- Walruses Brought to England-
Voyage of Hmfson.'" lI"P"V'="-Attacked by Savages- Voyages of Hudson-tFourth al^d Last

CHAPTER VIII.

Voyage of Poole- --Biscayan Whale Fishers-Button in Search of Hudson-Hall's VovaLa^ to
Greenland— Commercial Voyage Under Baffin— Fotherby—Bylot-Discovery of Baffin's Bay.

CHAPTER IX.

Voyages of Dutch Resumed— Manhattin Island Occupied— First Voyage Around the Horn-
Voyage of Munk— Casks Burst by Frost— Voyage of the May Flower, iiorn—

CHA PTER X.

Voyages of Fox and James-Enterprise of Bristol Merchants-Marvelous Escape from Iccbera-s-
Keach Open Water-Land on Charlton Is and-Tlie Ship Sunk-Building .a Boat-siffering and D^ah
— The Boat Launched— Poem of James— The Return Voyage. ^ " i laui

CHAPTER XL

An interval between Arctic Voyages- Wintering in the Arctic Region-Death of Maven-
finm-J"''"^^'^ '*''"' "■■^'''^' "* '' ^"^'-'' <^-'I>t:ui.-Which Is the

CHAPTER XII.
Northwest Voyage of Gillam-Alleged Discovery of a Northwest Passage-Hudson's Bay

&'K-'i 1 ;"■ »''''''~.'^*^T'°i ' ^^°A^ "^ ^^'^ ^Z^^' Pole-Voyage of Wood-Wreck^of Wood's Shi- 1
James Knight— Report of Indians Concerning Mines. «

CHAPTER XIH.

-An^^l^Z:'^e^i:^X^°'"'^'"' ^''^ ''"'''"''' Deshniev-Conquest of Kamchatka

VIL

Other .

Way to India?

vrrr.

CONTENTS

< MAITKR XIV.

CHAPTIiH XV.

S)>it/.l,frj{fii.

,f l>..^;"i ■—'"■'"'',"■ -Arctic Explorati,in by Mciirnc—
■f Ksqu,„m„x-Arct>c Voyage' of lMUp,,i-I{eache»

CHAPTER XVI.

*-iiArrEK XVI

CHAPTER XVII

PART III.
TI.K First Akct.c Vovaoes „k r„„ ..^tw Ckntuhv. .

CHAPTER XVni.

• '.S^— ,17"

CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XX

^:^^^£i£S'?^-=-4^'^al^ ^^-^^ New.paper-An

sun.s More Theatricals-Extracts from an Arctic JournallAStowcr of'llaln''""'"'" " *^'^"".v-M..ck

CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXII,

Three .
the Shi)

^y^^^^^^^^^i^tr^^^^:^^ oi the Objects of Franklin-s

up-Trade with Esquimaux- Arrlv^ at ^^'^^1^:0::^^%^^!^^^ ^"^^ '"

ciiaptp:r XXIII.

^^"^^^P^t^-^^^S;^^^^ of an InCian Chiof-The Re-

the Copperm.„e.-A Pedestrian TripiReturn of Both Partic" "'"' '° Proceed-Canoe Party Sent to

CHAPTER XXIV.

ardson^l'SaJ^ki;,'^'^ ^Z'"^^^^'' '^,' %"PP" Mount.jins-Curiou
Party-Dr. Richarfson Risks^llrLff^rs-a^^h'eX^l^i^R^^

'-P ^^^enture of Dr. Rich-
;lernb e Sufferings of the
iinterprise.

CHAPTER XXV.

^'^y^^'m^^^^T^^^^^ir^l;^'' "' Schalarow-Remains of Mam.oth- V
-Unwelcome HospitaTity-A Unique 18^.^^'""^ °^ '^"""'^' Remains-KotzeE X)^;^

CHAPTER XXVI.

COUTKNTS.

/.v.

C^IIAITKR \XVII.

n...„.jN,7"'\l''\^'i'"r'' •;l«''«r'"J!'""";y-Knc(nintcr with ii Be.ir-A Salt Moor-Si.rpl.is l»rovl«|,mi.

CIIAI'TKU XXVIII.

Wriinsrcll's Third SIcdifc-Ioiirncy-KiiHter Suniluy- Views the Open Se;i-Kx|il.>r.' the ruiulrn
-Meet Kosinin-In.port.uutv ..? HeruHWl-tk-nen.sity oj ,i Jiik,it-ri..t..rn t<. K.llXk.

CIIAI'TKU XXIX.

XVranjrell's FounhSlc-JKO-Jnurncy- Start for (Jrcat narimichii-Kuinors o£ a Northern Contl-
■.^V'";',',-^_^^i".'K^'" ^'-•';;'. tT.e^.Arctic-D:.nKcr-.Meet ^vlth Matinschkln-A .Nutlvc Specula^." -

ncnl

Serfdom— Close

/ niiiifel
of \Vni

antfeirs Kfforts.

CHAI'TKU XXX.

I .irrv 3 Second Voyaire to the Northwest-Sharp Natives— Cairns Discovered— \'umerf)us DIs-
cover.es_Lxplorat.on in Hoats-ln Winter (luartersLrUc.atricals as a I'asUnK'-EsmZaur
Huts-IuteUiKcncc Anions Natives-A Northern (Jeo>frapher-Killed by a Fall. '^'"'"""•""' ^"'"''

CHAPTER XXXI.

PoHr Sp.7''u "f!"'''l I" I^fcc His Shins-Iiflooklik Islanl-A Necropolis-Supposed Discovery of the
Polar Sea-Hec a and bury Strait-(;lutt(.nv-Unusual Khenornenon-MelviUe Pen nsulaExn^^
Successful AnshnK-StiU fieset-Death from Scurvy-\Vclcu,„c at Shetland Ishiml" '-"I'K'rcd-

CHAPTEK XXXII.

FranklnTwi7e"^'l?r.nklin7'r:n!^^^^^ "^ Arctic Science-Preparations and Plan-Death of

rranKun s vy lie rr.inKlin 1 l.ints Ills l< lajr on an Arctic Island-- -Fort Franklin- --Descend the M ., -
ken/.ie--Sepanition of the Two Parties- -Serious Adventure with Esuuimaux...The ut s P^^^^^
dered— Franklai's Return ---Success of Richardson---Return to England.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

W!nt,.r"'*ff''p Tt'^'n'' Expedition-Slow Pro-ress-New Ice Encountered— The Fury Swept Awav—
Winter at P,.rt Howen---01)servations---HuntinL'-- -Capture of a Whale- -.Th..J?„rv,\r.'.L'^i
specting the Ships-The Fury Ab.mdoned--RepSrt to tlie Ad.niralty. ^ Aleak.-l„.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

J^i:^^^^. Siirj.ui^j^^trlif^ab'^r'""^''^^'---^"''-''^'^'"^---^'--"^ -^ p-'""-

CHAPTER XXXV.

England""'' ^'^^'^ Voyajfe-Rowe's Welcome- Lyon's Prayer for Help-Safety- Return to

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Return Hee£=-':joVrniyT^^^^^^^^ ''''"" ■'^■""--l-Kot,.ebue Sound-Remarkable Phenomena-

CHAPTER XXXVII.

lum Isl

Parry in Search of the Pole---Plan for Sledire-Journev---ReindeerTriv,.| r .-,,•.„ ni .= .

Mussel liay-Fine Weather--The "Knterprise'^ .^JS"rrj|ydg,"'-"?.'"='=r.T"ycl- -Graves Disrovered-

at Hecla Cove---Relief---The Ch.iracter of Polar Ice.

:",X' . "^"'">^>;i i ravel- - -oraves uisrovered —
tndeavor" - - -Reindeer Abandoned- - -Am ve

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Ross' Second Vovag'e— Employed by Felix Booth— Times r Rnso Tri,.=f rr- * o* • » .•

Voya)res-Lanc..sterSound-NippeJ in tL Icelln Wintc4 qiriVS^s^IvTsitea 1^^^^^^ '" '^"'u''"''

hausted Teams-Provisions Reduced-Magnetic Pole Discovered 1 Esquimaux-Ex-

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Back'sArcticJourncy— Leaves Liverpool— Fort Resolution— Great Fish Rivf-r A„ A, >• n •

CHAPTER XL.

cape ^?pi:;i,^iK" '^'^^^Ti:^!^^^^-^

^Taim";. '""^'^'^-"""''"^ ButterHies-ArcUc Animals-Taimur Lake-i^.Ttllo^e^F^'^reu'el l' to

.Y.

CONTENTS.

'••"^VKI.IN ANI.Sk.u..,, Vova„K«.

I'AR r /]'.

tHAI»lK|{ xi.l.

.<7'-<Vi

* IIAi'TEIl Xt.ll.

V v,au»t— .vicnducious liiquimimx. .in.tru.i -a n)iib|cH..mi: Sotufxter— Mcthy l'.>r-

CIIAI'TKIt XMil.

CHAPTKK \I,\-

CHAPTE,! \I,\I.

sa^c Predicted. '^''--"-A Cool Uccc,..ion-,N Vov., Ch^rolo'^yill^-LVi'i:;;^!:^^:^^^^^^^

fllAI'TEa XLVII.

Ab.,uio„,„.,u of the! i^^s^i;;:!;:^^'^'' ^curd-nu ' ^^^'^'^'^^-v^::.^t;:^i^);!^^^^^i^

CHAPTKK XLVIII.

CH A PI

CHAPTER LI.

CHAPTER Lir "^ "^'■'"'

CHAPTER I.m
CHAPTER LIV.

COJVTEAr7\S.

CHAPFKR I,/.

CICAI'Ti.:*. I. VI.

DiflltultloH -If Ar.tir <)I.HtTV; t Ln-II .' M .1, II, . '".V^,"'^ ^i"'"' » "rty-A<ci.limts at the Hri^ -

CUAI'TKU r-VH.

an Allcifoil l'.,l:,r S.-.i, I "wrr ..f Kane -I tavfs' Kx|K.,lltion -Morton OiscuverH

CHAITKIl LVIII.

ItavLsan.l I'artv-A Danuer us 'im.r ,, ., o "'■•'•^•; -.">-V H.'.or.l Deposited-nopartur? „f

Uiaholical IMot-Iis Dcfe'il W..n(li.r.,.ifs-Kal»tui.ah-K.am;'H Womlerful Uuoyancy-A

CHAPTKH I.IX.

Oil ii:f,f. ,urivai a.'up'jrik^Hiu'::::.'.-; s' ■:^:?l^;:;^i:fi::it'^i:-'^ '^-" Kincd-m. AnLai

C'HAI«TKIl I.X.

aty-^wfc^,l^..^r:!i:?;l;:^:;:'ki;;r^Mru!;'7'r.;:^"^ '"^^^ '--•^"^ "^''^"■'

fill Inf.Tc.tuH. -Wvn Skwta. ri7-A Ciirious Mt i V .,"'■'"''-' I'"',^"" discovers a llccord-A Mourn-
tan.cof M.Llint.Hk's InvLulratio,^: MmUcv-I c'stunony of the Ksquimaux Woman-Impor-

CIIAPTICU I.XI.

CIIAI'TICK I.XII.

A strange Custou,-In a >^^^^^^U., L.,(:(:::;L^;^;^!-:t'u!^^-^^^^^

C'HAl'TKU I, XIII.

HcKions-An Unsafe Boat- An Important J.mrneyt'os^Jon.a '''""' -Subsistence in Arctic

CHAPTER LXIV.

Wate;'3l^.'!i;)'l^;^^rK^l?!er^lr'iu^:;;^o!f'[V'-^^ Stcons-Frcsh

ward Hound. '^"^ '""'-<- "'I -Lountes.s of \Varwick's Sound— llome-

UkCE.NT PoLAK KXPEDITIO.VS.

CHAPTER LXV.

•SS7-736

CHAPTER LXVI.

Olacli^f^^j^^St^^^i'-r ^^^^ w!:;if ^ilfT?-;;^ ^J'Tl ^'^P-^'-^ Brother John's
U,^su^ Weather-A Serious Cau-nity-L^ H^e:^!i!^^-;;i^^,;^;ril:;;^!^;;?^

CHAPTER I.XVn.

?o..I}:i^^^l'i^(:;tll''n;:;^^ ""PF-THo Perseveranco_A Snow

Lltitude-A Prudent Return-The ShZ IniMrL \f» l"T ^ *''\J'','"P'-''''""''''-Un«''f<-' Ice-High
Sound-The Return Home-s"arta.\''jr NelU-Xatlrofiiuyef. '" ^^^"••"^— ^'^'P« Isabella-Wh.fle

XII

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.XVIII.
CHAPTER I. XIX.

CHAPTER I.XX.

Uaujr.r~.V.„.tcc., Persons heft ...-v tl.e Ice-A l^'ift of NeftHy T« o^s^^^ "" Hall_T)ie

CHAPTER LXXI.

CHAPTER LXXH.

iii.iii »vh:iIor.

'rorriblu Witch— A He

Ishjorn— Inferences— TeffotthofT-

AXecess.:yc;;;;^f..i;;-^^--^^,^.3^^^.^Dp^

CHAPTER I.XXIII.

CHAPTER I. XXIV,

Scliwatka Expe<Iition-The Eotlu..,,-

"f Kae. iw^n ■r-ar;:^:;:^ u:^:^S^::c^ '^^z-t:^^y'^-^^.}^^~c^^^..

> n A nenca and Great Britain.

CHAPTEP^ LXXV.

sssissasss~iis£^^

CHAPTER I.XX\'I.

CHAPTER LXX VII.

Ai
pros

chapti;k i.xxv'iii.

1^^SSl£BBBfS^imB^^^Sm^_

CHAPTER LXXIX.

K-vpeditioa. '"•" '^ ll'-'cci.tion at Boulojrne-Ti.e fir u d Cold r"^,Vn 7^ """•^'''''■'^'"'''^ ^"

i^cicDr.Uion- -Comments on the

CONTENTS.

XIII.

PART VI.

Till'. Jeannkttk

■ m-H%

CHAPTER I.XXX.

CHAPTER I.XXXI.
CHAPTER LXXXII.
CHAPTER LXXXin.
CHAPTER LXXXIV

CHAPTER LXXXV.

■A Disas-

The Jeannette in the Extromitv of Peril-
Soundinps- -Extracts from the Jeaimettc's Lo"
A I hick l-og-.-Tlic Lust Entry in the Log.

Anxiety on Shipboard --Near Wrangell La.Kl--Chipp's
-Uie Ice Borod--A Party of Explorers--Discoyeries--

CHAPTER LXXXVI.

CHAPTER LXXXVIL

CHAPTER LXXXVHI.

CHAPTER LXXXLX.

I-

of
md

UST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

(Frontis|)iece.).

(l-'ull PagJ.;.'
(Full Page.).'.'

NoK.sK Snii's. (Full Pa.V;.',

^/■o.vK Tower at New °ok r

C(>lu.m„l:s' lMK,sr Sight ok lAVd

CilK..sloi.,IEK CoLUMliU.S
COLLMUU.S iJxi.KK AKKE.ST".";Kuil"

i>t.iiASTiAN C.MJOT. (Full Pa- . )
Jacques C.vrtikr ^ "" ^ ''»' 0- • •

|Koiii.s,rER Pas.si.xg GreexwIc,'; "
Po.tTKArv OE FRom.sHFR

S;:^l'/S,^oJ^-- --B^KE.:,:;; -(F^if Pag^o:

View ox the PIld.son

Cape Horn

-LaxVding of the Ma y*Flo\vkk

;il^lLOING A EOAT. (Full P,.,. )

IcHUKTciiis Blilding A llt-i n''uU ;;

Jsc,.i.MAu.x House. (Full PaX- f "" ^ •''■''" '^

Straxi.eu Whale. Full Pa|e

William ScoREsuY ^ ''

ym JOHX Ros.S

Dorothea axd TrVvt-V' ' */ v' IT "i*.

«n. NVI.LI AM imSu -pi^R V "^^'^^"^

MockSlx.s. (Full Page.)

Oroup of Childricx CFuiV u' "\ '

Sm JoHx Fraxklin ^ ^ ''^''•>

Fort ExTERPRisE. (FulV Pa,;^ )

Si/SS^£^S;:;^^-'--Se\viVh woLVe;

^---ox^^^iHr^---:^^^^

J^IliERlAX DoG-yLEDGE. VfuII P;,,;.';

Attacked hy JJkars. (Full >■ o'!^. -*

t-KA Bears of SiiiERiA ^ ^ ^ "^

i)RE.s,s OF Native.

Ax Arctic Scexe. (i'uU \'nZ \

^-Qc;iMAuxsxow v,LAG,ri1.^;n •]..;:,;•,

k^quimauxfI^hI;;;;; "(fuh pJ,;j ;

i-«Qt;iMAi;x Child',. Dr.-ss " ^^

i>UN at Midxi(;ht rFMll P.,V ;

A.CHIX W:Ticl4j^;!!!/;ai— •

Plax of Arctic Sledge.' " rFullPu'r:/^

Mtchex at Fort R.-xiaxc . ^ ''''"•^

The Terror Ni.pkdixthe Ice/' "f -u'p -J;;

XIV.

(Fuil Page.y.

(FulV Pag

o.j. . . ,

l-.K,.

-.•)

2>S

3-'

3.3

3<^

.S5

til

'J<->

•■■ 93
• . . . loo
• . . . I jj
....127
....134

I ^0

....1G2

...163
. . , .l6y

. .181

...lyj
...lyy

- ..20 J

...J13
...217
...224
...231

■•■^33
...247

. ..26S
...270

••-73
..27.J

..264
••^9.3.

..2<JiJ

•■3'.S
••3-i-;
•3-\S
■3-7
•3.SO

•355

!fJMSTRA7IONS

Samoveo Chieftain. (Full Page.) ''"§'-'•
Blstoi'Fran-klix. (Full Page.). . ........... ^^

ESQUI.VIAUX Ol XORTH A.MEKICA. ^1^

Bear Attacked hy wolve.s. (Full Pa.rc'i ^

In A Lead. (Full Page.) , "^ 393

Perils or Sledge Travel '. ■^°'

Arctic Hakes ^^^

n. M. S. Intrepid Iced in. (Full* Pac're ) " '>'%

Cutting Ice Dock.s. fFull Page.) . . . ^../.i.'. V. ^

Relics oe Franklin. (Full Paia' ') '^^^

Arctic Tools ' 4.3^'

Arctic Plant (actual size). ..".'..'... 44.'?

On Beech ey Island ..'. 447

-Shooting Seals ".'.'. . ..'.".'. 4.S-

Fiskern.es. (Full Page.) 4.S''<

Dr. E. K. Kane. (Full'Page.) '.'.'..'. ^IP

S.MiTii's Sound ' ' _ 4c>3

Glacier Seen uy Kane ....."..'.. ^^%

Kane in Winter Quarters. (FulVpa'o-e i ^'-^

William Mouton ' S»'

Watching eor a Seal ..'.".' " •'>'"

Catching Birds !!!..!!.!!!!' •''

Kalutunah, an Esqui.maux Chief. (Full* Page") ^^^

llAN.s, Wife, and Relatives. ^-3

Off to the Oi'EN Sea 5-°

Statue of Franklin. (Full Page.) .'..!.'" ■''3°

Charles Francis Hall ...'.'.....'..*.*..'..! \ \^Z.

Caft. Sidney O. Buddington •''47

Innuit Wo.man's Head Dress .......*.*.'. \)^

Oi'HiuRiD OF Northern Seas. ^Fiin"p'n!/„\' 5"9

EuiERlilNG, TOOKOOLITO, AND ChiI

Dr. I. I. Haves

(Full Page.).

•.S79
■58.3

Brother John's Glacier ■^'•^'

-.- ** f.^ *

f)OI

604
619
620

STLE. (Full Page-) "^'^

SLAND Village p>

"•'•••■' "^ (Full"" ^"

The Little Auk

Po'NT Isabella

Whale Sound. (Full Page.)

Devil's Castle. '

East Green

Encou.xtkr with Walruses. (I'uii ratro.)

HiGHEsr Point Achieved uv the Polaris

Burial oi- Hall

Grave of Halt " '^45

Cai't. Georcje E. Tyson.".".'!'. !'.'...... '.".'.'.'.'.'..'.'."■ ^47

Group of Survivors of Tyson's R.\ft ( l"\iil' Pi'crJ ) )^^

Perilous Situaton of the Polaris "' ' '-^4

Stxrtof Payer's Sleikje Expediton. '('Fuii'ivre ) t'p'^

Transporting Wood for the House »•/••• o^s

Fall of Sledok. (Full Page.). . . ' )'"'

■ ' 670

33
642

Discovery Bay.

Grave OF Lieut. Irving

Prof. a. E. Nordenskiold

Samoved Encampment. (I'uil Pago.)

The Cloud Berry ... ..?...

Dwarfed Trees in Siiieria ..

Barkm/' House, Exterior and 1ni

Sa.moyi:!) Sledge

Arctic Hair-Star ...'*. ........

Star-Fish OF Northern W.vrERs '.'.

Christ.mas Eve on Board the Ve(;a. (Full
Auroral Display Seen from the Vega.

ERioK. (l''ull Page.)

Page.).

.r,M

.6Sy
. 692

•'''95
.702

•703

• ro.s
,707
.712
.714

7^3

(Full Page.) \,l

A'V/.

ILL UHTRA TIONS.

Esi'ssA!:^ f:,:-ir.",r"'" ""■ """' ""s') '"f:i

Lieut. John W. Danexiiovvkr. . . T^(^

LIE' T. ClIARLliS W. ClIII'l' 7<x>

V. • lAM M. DUXUAR ." 78J

Bur.' iNGOKTifE Rogers (FulVpatr") 785

Parliament HoL'SE at Reikiavik 798

ArcticSledge 801

Dr. J. M. Amuler ....*" 804

Departure (jf Ninderman and Noros.' " VfuiV PaVre 1 ^"^'

Raymond L. Nevvcomh. . . ^ ^^\i^) 808

Geo. W. Melville Sii

E.XTERioROK Convict Hut'in' Siberia S16

Group oe Survivors of Jeannette ExPEDrno'v ' ' >Fn'''l p'." ' \ ^-'

Melville Finding De ^n.^ and Fartv F n' A , ' ' "^"'^ f'^5

Grave ok De Long and Party. (Full Pa .4 1 ^-8

JE ..NNETTE SEARCH EXPEDITION §31

Commander Cheyne's Plan for REACHiNG'-iuE Pole f-^°

Map oe Polar Regions. (Full Pao-e \ ^Zl

" '^ 835

TAIL PIECES

Tin-RE Ships

Head OF Native '.' 28

Head of Native i;i

Sledge Party 57

Native ON Snow Shoes'" '. 68

Greenland Pilot 81

Gulls " ' 9.^

Iceberg 104

Sledge Party iii

Dragging the Boat 119

Gothic Iceberg .' 124

Arctic Dress .......'. 167

OoMiAK 1S7

Camp Life 203

Head of Tchuktchi 219

Seal-Skin Cup ..." 228

Child's Sledge 256

EwEk \T, a Sorceror 265

The Walnut Sheli ".".'.'.'. -71

Bale of Pemmican 295

Esquimaux Knife 310

A Great Auk 330

Esquimaux Mother. .......'.'. 345

1 1 ead of Walr us 379

Head OF Esquimaux Dog.!..!.. ... 387

Head of Reindeer " 414

The Arctic Owl \'' 431

Esquimaux Spear 4*^9

Caught IN A Trap... . 459

Arctic Aquatics '. 48S

Dog Shoe ' 496

Kane's Favorite Dog <^o^

Esquimaux Woman's Knife..'.. .^12

Si^

PART I.

NEARLY EXPLnHEHS.

»^

"5*

" VVhcn szvords arc i^lcamino^- you shall sec
The Norseman'' s face flash gloriouslv^
With looks that make thefoeman rcel^
His viirrorfrom of old ivas steel.
And still he zvields in hattlc\^ hour

That old Thor''s hammer oj Xorse power'
Strikes with a desperate arm of might.,

And at the last tug- turns thcfght.,
For never yields the Norseman. "

•3

CHAPTER I.

CONCHl.TKmS OK TIIK ANCIENTS— VOYAGE OK I'YTIIE AS— mscoVKUS
TirULK— OUIOIN OF THE NORSEMEN— I'OhlTICAI. DEVELOPMENT
—A CAKEKK or I'lK AC Y-GUEENLAND AND ICELAND COLONIZED
—INCIDENTAL DISCOVEUY OK NOKTII AMERICA.

Altliou-h vvilh tiic discovery and colonization of Greenland and Ice-
land by the Norsemen, practically bc-jins our knowledge of the Arctic
seas, the secrets of the hidden North had long been a favorite theme of
speculation. The fruitful imaginations of the ancients attached marvel-
ous features to this mysterious region.

It was the region of darkness, but as in the succession of events day
spru.ig from nigiit, so in their tiiought did light and its benefits emanate
from the North. Here the Hindoos located the dwelling-place of their
deities, where those divine beings veiled their godlike attributes in
misty obscurity. Here dwelt the gods of Scandinavia ; and from here
they directed watchful eyes to guard and protect the interests of their
worshipers. When the Aurora Borealis shed its soft light over the
frosty earth, .lispelling with its radiant glory the gloom of night, then
the simple minds of the people discovered in the sky the dreadful shapes
of their gods, and trembled and lejoiced.

Thus, too, the father of history relates how the Hvperboreans-" of all
the human race, the most virtuous and happy, dwelt in perpetual peace
and del.ghtful companionship with the deities, under cloudless skies, in
fields clothed with perpetual verdure, where the fruitful soil yields twice-
yearly harvests, its blest inhabitants attain extreme old age, and at last,
when satiated with life, joyfully crown their heads with flowers, and
phmge headlong from the mountain steeps into the depths of the sea."

But all this belongs to tradition and song rather than to history.
The happiness we crave is histinctively located in some far-off, unattain-

ror^u.B OF rrriiEAs.

al.lo place, a.i.l the existence ..fthis tendency may explain the facts
above reconled. Ail the certai.i kn<.vvle,lf,.e which nations of antiquity
had of northern tenitories ma) he very hrieHy summarized, for as yet
compass and sextant were unknovvii, and the few intrepid adventurers
that dared at all to brave the fury of the sea, did so almost blindfolded,
and at the peril of their lives. The Tyrians an.l Phci..nicians had left
their native shores to fh.d in other re-ions, the wealth which their own
ru-rcd coasts yielded so scantily. Cartha-e had been founded on the
coast ofAfrica; and the Greeks, in the traditional voyage of the Ar-o,
had wreathed themselves with glory and given a subject for many a'
pleasing song ; but none as yet ha.l ventured to try the dark regions of
the Xorth, and its secrets remained its own, to be unlocked by the
genius and bravery and invention of more modern times.

Thus, all records by northern historians of the events occurring
before the Christia.i era may be set down as mythical or inicertain ; for
classical antiquity exhibits a very obscure notion of the geography of
Europe beyond the German Ocean. This is illustrated in th^ fact that
the ancient Greeks and Romans considered Scandinavia an island, or
cluster of islands in the Northern Seas ; and other ideas, equally erroneous,
-^nlfice to .how the .obscurity in classic times which clothed this unex-
plored region.

The first, and for a long tim. the only voyage to northern regions,
recorded by any nation of letters, was made by Pyiheas of Marseilles-a
Greek colony in France.

The date of Pytheas, who was the most celebrated navigator of his
time, is approximately placed at 330 B. C, making him about contem-
poraneous with Alexander the Great. lie is the o.dy explorer of the
pre-Chr,stian period, who, so far as we n.ay judge from authentic
records, at all approached in spirit the heroes of modern navigation
Regarding his birth and the circumstances of his private life we" have
I.ttle or no trustworthy hiformation ; but what is more in.portant to us
m th.s connection, we know that he exploded the Northern Seas of
Europe. The ancient geographers, like conservative pedants of a more
recent period, professed to place little reliance o,t his staten,ents. ,V,..

DrSCOVRRS TIIULE.

Polyblus and Straho treat him with the utmost seventy and ridicule,
and nvMition his accounts as absurd and incredible— a proceeding quite
customarily followi'i«r any important discovery on land or sea, in mind
or matter, philosophy or art. "Absurd" has echoed throu<,'h the ages,
as the response of the ignorant to what has been contrary to their pre-
conceived notions.

Modern writers are inclined to set more value on the accounts of
Pytheas, as well as on all of the best known ancient writers. We
gather that he sailed through the English Channel, and, :ifter leaving
P>ritain, a voyage of six days to the North brought him to an island
which he called Thule, where he says the sun never descends below the
horizon for a certain 25eriod at the summer solstice. This statement
would apply to Iceland, but the incredulous are supposed to identify
his island with one of the Orkneys, because it seems unlikely that Pyth-
eas could have reached Iceland in six days. In Greek enumeration,
as in our own, an error of transcription is very easy ; and it is more
rational to look for a mistake there than to reject a fact of observation
which is certainly not applicable to the Orkney Islands ; these, more-
over, are several in number, and are so close to the mainland, as not
properly to fall under the description of being six days' sail from Britain.
Some have thought that he had come upon a portion of Norway or
Denmark, but the evidence of this is not conclusive. He visited some
island at least, and probably named it from his native telos, meaning the
goal or the farthest point.

Pytheas afterward entered the l^altic, and reached a river which he
called Tanais, which critics believe to be the Elbe. Here he found a
people who made use of amber instead of wood, and as that substance is
still found in large quantities in Prussia, there is little doubt that he must
have visited that joart of Europe. H^^ gave an account of his voyages in
two works—" Description of the Ocean "—which contains his voyage to
Thule, and " Periplus," or circumnavigation. He seems to have been
the first to determine the latitude of a place from the sun's shadow, and
the first to suspect that the tides are influenced by the moon. It is safe
tosaythat he had more of the spirit of discovery and observation Lhan

OlilGlX OF THE NUIiTIIMEN

h..s untn.vclc.1, though scholarly, critics, and with the- li.^ht of n.o.lcrn

research and the aid of modem appliances, suci, a spirit woul.l d.,nhtless

have done mnch to unravel the tangled skein of northern mysteries.

Thetrue inception of Arctic discovery has already been referre.l to

the Norsemen, whose .levelopments and achievements we may now do
well to consider.

VOYAGES OF THE NORSEMEN.

The Norsemen, or Northmen, were known to the ancients as Scan-
dniavums, a nn.re distinctive and appropriate designation which again
bids fair to become current '"""^

in our own dry. Some
words are like fashions in
clothing, they are discarded
for a time, but in a genera-
tion or two are once more
hrought into use because of
some special appropriate-
ness or utility. Every town,
city, county, state, nation,
or other geographical dis-
trict may have its North-
men, but Scandinavians or
Norsemen are a special
class of Northmen. Norse-
men is to l)e preferred for
its ters.'ncss, and because

NORSK VI-KINO.

Sca„<, „uvi„n ,„„ „„ „p,„,,„„^, „, „^,„„ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ .^ ^ ^

.hey ,pn,„. scorn., .„ „.„„ ,,,, „„„^, „,^, ,^,^^ __^. ^^^^

wh,ch ™,n,.e„ fro,„ ,„e hi,h,,,„.,s „f C„„.n„ Asi,., ,„e ,„,■,„„ „,„„„ ,„
h. I .I..E,„-„„„,,„ ,„ An.an fa.nily „f ,,,,,. j,, „„„, ,,„, ,,,^.,
they 1,0,..,, .„ ,„„, „„„„, ,„„„ f„,. ^ „^^^ ,^,,,_^^._ ^,^^^ J^^^ - J

m,g,:u„,y experience, if ,„„ otherwise, that thelr ehler h,„lhor,,, L Pe,-

SEA-LIFE OF THE NOliSF.MEN.

sians, Greeks, Latins, Celts and Sclavs, had seized the southern and cen-
tral portions of Asia and Europe, and theie remained hut the laiHls of the
inhospitahle North. These they overspread, suhduin}^ tlie earlier inhab-
itants, the stunted and swarthy Finns of tlie great northern peninsula.
This was an overland mij^ration, and the iniinij^rants had no knowledije
of ships.

In the ei{,'hth century of our era they had so lu oased and multiplied
that they mi<i;ht he said to have been compelled to renew their travels,
this time by water. Meanwhile they had learned to build and use sliips.
The cold hillsides of their native land liad been brou_<,'ht into rude culii-
vation to supplement the more fertile plains. Hut still they jjrew and
multiplied and necessity tau<,dit them to find in their inlets and bavs a
valuable addition to their stores of food. Fishinj,', the natural introduc-
tion to seafaring, is calculated to jiroiluce hardy and dexterous seamen.
And we find that the Norse leaders andaheir crews, when they sprun"
into the foreground of mediioval history, were bold and skillful mariners,
brave and active fighters, and ever ready to face danger in pursuit of
spoils. They were more than a match for the agricultural, manufactur-
ing and commercial nations round about them. Their agriculture was
scant, and of trade and manufacture they were ignorant. If to t'^^se be
added the all-pervading infiuencc of a religion which taught that death in
battle was but a passage to the happy immortality of Valhalla, we have
a combination of the conditions necessary to form a conquering people.
As is usual in the early history of nations, they are fouml divided into a
number of tribes or clans under petty kings or chiefs. At the actual
period of their historic inroads they were just passing into the more pre-
tentious form of consolidated monarchies, with the chiefs of the old reg-
ime crystalizing into the hereditary nobles of the new, a*ul especially of
the rank known in their language as jarls, in ou' earls. Though jiolit-
ically subordinate to the sovereign, these earls retained much of their
former power in their relations to those beneath them. Wheth^ . n.
term vikings we are to understand these chieftains— as if" vice s-- -

or, as seems more probable, " fiord-folks," it is certain that leaders and
people a.like were ent(>rprising and brave.

!'//fACr.

It wa. .oo„ fou.ul that the relatively h.xuriot.H a.ui efTemina... <len|.
.ens of Houther., la.uls couhl he easily in.h.ce.l hy a little show of vio.cnce
to purchase their lives hy the surren.ler of a portion of their wealth, or
be made easy victims to the hardihoo.l ,,.,.1 clari.i^r of those

"Orlni vikings, wlio foiirul rupture
In tin- sea-fipht, and the capture,
And the h'le of Ninvery,"

to which .hey ,.eclu<:«l such a> wore „o, rich enough to „ , r.,„.,„m.

TiK. Norse vil<i„„.s, „i,l, „o wealth hut tl,eir ,l,ips, „„ I,,,,,,. |,„t ,heir
.words swannci up..,, the occnn, plun.lereci every clistrict they could
»pl.ro„ci,, ,u,<l for several ceuturies spread hlood, ,api„e aud ,n,se;y over
ho na.,o„, of Euro,x.. All their habits, feeliug, a,„l assoeiatiou, we,o
ferocous. Tl,ey re!;a,ded pi,-aoy aud pl,„,der as the most houorahle
n>etho,l ,,, securi,,. wealth. Raw Hosh was a ,o„thso,ne .loliccy, pity
was weakuess, a„d ,oa,s were „u,uauly. They .elieved ,l,e m„„o,„„y
of the regular occupatiou of killi,,,, au.l pluuderiuj; a,lults l,y a „„., „f
»portive «„,„- iu which they tossed f,.„,n lauce to lauce, with wonderful
dexlonty aud precisiou, helpless infants wrenche,! f,on, the a,™s „t their
s an,h,e,.ed ,u„,ho,s. They knew „o „|o,.y hut the destructiou of their
"ene,.,es..o,. victi.us, Wheu they fell upon a disfict they uot o„lv
rohhcl ,t o( ,ts acc„,„ula,e,l wealth, hut dostroyd the growiu,, co,;,
wn I, ruthless harhari,.. Peaceful. p,.osperous aud civiii.ed Co.:,,:,::
h.u a ,.y ,„,,,„ ,„|„^, „^„,.,^,,^ |^__^.^.^,^^ ^^ he gathced all the ,„„,.o
eas,ly hecanse ofihe iefi,icment <if the owueis.

With ,1,0 exception of the warlike Franks i.uncd .o wa,-.s alarn,,
. e couraged In a l„„g „r,.„y „f ,„i,i,a,,, ,„,_,„ „„„„ ,,^. .
Ka, (Charlemagne), Europe lava, the feet of the freohooter. , . , „;
Wt . To do ,he,„ justice, however, or .-athcr to enforce the law
wh,ch ,mpels n,a„ to postpone the ha.a,<l of his life nu.il m peaceful
n,oans of suppo,, „,„ exhaustetl, we call the ,.eado,-s attention to • foN
ow„,s fact. Before onteriug on a career of piracy, .ho No,,hu,o„ , ^1

X :„;::"■" •*= "^ -'".>-"'-p:tahie ..ogions of icd.,

and G.ccland, as .,, , .s .no ,„„re genial hut ci,.ou,„scril,e,l .-egions of

GREENLAND AND ICELAND COLONIZED.

the Faroe, Shetland, and Orkney Islands. It was an age when the neces-
sit.es of a surplus population appealed to the law of the strongest Our
more civilised .nethods of piracy do not so harrow human sensibilities,
but the law of "might gives right," may still be traced by any one
givc'i to reflection.

At first the marauders paid only flying and stealthy visits to unpro-
tected coasts; but afterward, emboldened by success, and strengthened
hy the acccosions which the fame of their exploits and the resultinc.
harvests of booty brought to their support, they made deeper inroads^
and finally effected permanent lodgments in Russia, England, Ireland
and France. In Russia they .vere known as Varangians, that is, - .ea-
warnors," who gave a king and <lynasty, Rurik and his successors, to
that country. In England and Ireland they were known as Danes; and
m France as Normans, where they because possessors of Normandy
whence too, under their Duke William, their descendants invaded and
conquered England in 1066.

Their first permanent settlements in the Faroe, Shetland, and Orkney
Islands are supposed to have been made about the middle of the ninth
century. In Iceland the date is more authentic, being placed by the best
authont.es in A. D. 874. The accidental discovery of Greenland fol-
lowed two years later, but no effort at coloni^ation seems to have been
ma<lc unfl 985, two years after its re-discovery by .Eric the Red Ice-
land became self-governing in 928, and remained independent until 1,87
when it submitted to the king of Denmark and Norway. Greenland
_ prospered for several centuries, receiving its first bishop in 1121, and
■ts last one in ,406. The population was decimated by the " black
death -and that of Iceland, also-and it could no longer support the
expens,ve luxury of a bishop. With the bishop, in ,409, doubtless went
the annahst of the colony, as there is no further record of Greenland for
nearly two hundred years. The truth probai^ly is that as onlv the pre -
sure of over population at home could ha^-e reconciled them ti, an abode
- dreary Greenland and n-o.en Icelan.I, so when that was removed bv
^- 'black death," which swept off 35,000,000 of the populati<,n I,
Europe ,n three years (.348-5,), there were no new accessions, and the

'y^^^mmmmmmfK^mMl^^m,

»*4«%v

»-*«aa#^Pt>

and

TNCIDENTAL DISCOVERT OF NORTH AMERICA. ffj

more enterprising and active of the survivors in botii colonies may have
found more congenial homes among their kindred in Europe.

Besides these authentic voyages of the Norsemen to Greenland and
Iceland, there are some alleged voyages to the latter made by more
southern navigators. There is a story of the Zeni brothers, of Venice,
who are said to have explored those Northern seas, and to have discov-
ered certain northern islands, one of which is conjectured to have been
Iceland. And it is even possible that Columbus himself visited those
latitudes fifteen years before his great discovery; for in one of his letters
is found this statement: » In 1477 I navigated one hundred leagues
beyond Thule." A favorite identification of the Thule of Pytheas of
Marseilles has been with Iceland; but it Is thought that medieval
wnters may have rather inclined to identify it with the largest of the
Shetland Islands.

An incidental result of the discovery and colonization of Iceland and
Greenland referred to above, was the discovery of the continent of North
America, and some of the smaller islands along the coast, although, as
IS well known, this fact led to no very permanent results. Biarne
Herjulfson is said, by tradition, to have sailed from Iceland for Green-
land, in 9S6 A. D., but on account of fogs and north winds, los^ his
course and came upon the coast of a strange land, which he sighted at
d.fferent times i,i a northern direction. It is thought that he came upon
the Atlantic coast of North America, perhaps at Newfoundland or
I-abrador, and sailed along it until he arrived at the colony of Eric. He
did not land, hcv.'ever, until Greenland was readied.

In the year 1000 this discovery was repented by a son of Eric the
Red, who, with tiiirty-fivc men, explored the coast of North America
for a long distance from north to south. After landing at a spot sup-
posed to have been Labrador, he sailed to the south, and discovered a
pleasant country, which was called Vinland, from the abundance of'
grapes found upon it. Here tlicy spent the winter, and two years later
Thorwald, a.iother son of Eric, visited the place and discovered Cape
Cod. After this Vinland was quite extensively colonized from Green-
luP.l ..,nd was variou.!y.^ visited by Norse voyagers. The colony was

^ » ■ T ' »t ' H ' waa'fc?i|.< i -} i k»i.afe j |Mty iia?«.g5^

SUPPOSED RELICS OF THE NORSEMEN.

supported for a few years, but owing to the fierce attacks of the natives,
the enterprise was finally abandoned. A son born to Karlscfne, the head
oftheVinland colony, was t he first child born to European parents on

guished families of ^^S^SHt old Zl to^^^Zt

Newport, Rhode Island, and the inscription upon Dighton Rock, which
hes upon the bank of Taunton River, are memorials of the visits of these
Northmen.

Such a beginning, then, had the series of adventures to whose de-
scription this volume is devoted-adventures which, made in the cause
of scence, and requiring the highest degree of manly courage, must
thrill all with their dangerous and desperate character.

»*«»SW»!^.«^S«J^f^

CHAPTER II.

I'OKTUGUESE AND SPANISH DISCOVEKIES PORTUGUESE VOYAGES

TO NORTH AMERICA VORACITY OF THE SPANISH RESULTS OF

COLUMBUS' DISCOVERY — VOYAGES OF THE CABOTS FIRST

VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD — VOYAGE TO LA PLATA — FRENCH
VOYAGES.

The gradual way in which the maritime enterprise of the Portuguese
led them to the discovery of the ocean route to the East Indies, marks
tlio distinctive character of their voyages. The final result was the slow,
deliberate and laborious outcome of several previous adventures carried
on in a systematic manner. To Prince Henry, surnamed the navigator,
because of his patronage of these enterprises, Portugal was largely in-
debted for her early naval supremacy among modern nations.

Madeira was discovered in 1420; Cape Bojador was passed in 1439;
and Cape Verd in 1446. The Azores were discovered in 1448 ; the
Cape Verd Islands in 1449, and St. Thomas in 1471. In 1481 the Pope
granted to the crown of Portugal all the countries which the Portuguese
might discover beyond Cape Bojador. In i486 Bartholomew Diaz,
while on an expedition to explore the west coast of Africa, was driven
by high winds to the mouth of the Great Fish River, actually, but un-
consciously, doubling the most southern point of Africa. On his return,
in 1487, he named the headland Cape Tarmentoso. In 1497 Vasco da
Gama doubled Cape Tarmentoso, which he named the Cape of Good
Hope, and in 1498 arrived in India. By this discovery of an ocean route
to India, the trade of the East was diverted from the old channel of the
Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and the commerce of the world was
revolutionized.

Eariy in 1500 Pedro Alvarez de Cabral, on a voyage to the East
Indies by t'.o wMy of (he Cape of (iood Hope, fell in with the land now

•M

CORrEREAL--COL UMB US.

known :.s IJnuil, and promptly took possession of the sa.nc for the crown
c^f Portuj,.al. Two Portuj^uese voyaj,a-s to North America, un.icr Caspar
Cortereal, ni 1500 a.,.! 1501, Jcft no memoraI)le incidents, except his cruel
kidnappinjr of natives on the first, and his own disappearance on M.e
second. A third voya-c, in 1502, under Miguel Cortereal in search of
h.s brother Gaspar, resulte.l in a similar disappearance; and I'ortu.^al
never gahu..! a foothold in North America. The success of Da Ganv,
and Cabral had found a more profitable outlet for Portuguese commerce
and colonisation, and their va-ious enterprises in South America, West
and South Africa, and the adjacent islands, as well as in the East Indies
afforded ample scope for all the surplus energies of prince and people.'
Before dismissing Portugal from the field of observation, we wotdd re
mn.d the reader of the well known voyage of Magellan, a Portuguese
.n theservceof Spain, in 15.0, and the discovery of the straits called
by h. name-a southwest passage to India, or rather to the islands of
(lie 1 acific atui to Australia.

SPANISH VOYAGES.

The greatest and most wid.-rcachi,,,- i„ influence of all the voya.rcs
of<l.scovco', was that of CoIunAus, in ,49=, In scare* of a western J,,.
Base to In,lia. His great discovery was not like so ntany of the preced-
.ng ones, an aeci.lcn.al ],appcni„g or a lucky hit, „or tl,c direct consc-
qucncc of other epilations innt.xliatcly preceding, a, was Da (Janra^s ;
but the restdt of an intellectual conception carefully elaborated and ,o,n,d-
«1 on geographical data. Any nn^hcr of discoveries ,,y stornt-driven
No,se,„en or cod-fishing Bretons, or adventt.rous Welsh.nen-were the
facts established beyond all doubt-eould not rob Colt.„,bns of the pecu.
bar glory of his great achievement.

By birth a Genoese, hn. failing of proper encouragenren. at hotnc

. .n o, er conntnes to which he ba.l subn.itted his projects, C rbus,

the, .n the serv.ec of Spain, sailed front the port ofPalos ,„ flnd a
western passage to In.lia, an.l in ten weeks came in sight of ,

i^;'; """ " ' ''^""■"" -O-i" "..n,e rcpeatcl here, as oulv its

."Huence and beanng, upon later voyage, fartner nh, eo.ne within

•«**S^Kiiii^^^^j,;,^t^jli,,j^^^^

COLUMBUS FIRST SIGHT OF LAND,

■]

t»

SPA.V/S// EXPLOIlArWN OJ- NOIir,, AMEIIICA.

.lK..c,,pc..f„,„...„,.k. ],„ .lie.l f„„„„e„ ,..„rs ,a,o,-, i„ p„ve«y ,,„J
ncgk-ct, alUT f„„r v.,va(;o, ,„ ,h„ Now W„,I.I, „i,, ,„„|,r „,, i,^,,,,,.

W,.h,„fif.,, ,..,» ofh„ di,covc,j,,h..go„gn,phicd k„„wlodgc h, ...^

possession of mankind
was doubled ; and the
foundations of modern
accuracj- and fullness in
that ie^r;„-(l were deeply
laid.

PORTUGUESE AND
SPAXISJI EXI'I.OKEKS.

Spanish navigators in
great nmnbers followed
in the wake of Colum-
bus, some originally his %
subordinates and asso-
ciates, others not spec-
ially connected. When
the way is opened by
genius, talent is ever

CHRISTOPHER COLLMBUS.

;T;^ '"*." i" ^""' «""^^-- ^=™"'- Ojeda, Vcpucius Pi,„„„, Baseidc,
Ba,b.,a, Gnjalva, Dc So.' . Do Loo.,, D. Cordova, Co„c,, D. AyUon

! ::r -"'7"«™-'"" -.y other, increased .he area orSpa.dle.'

mfamy of he,r ,a„el oppression and heartless e„sh,ven,en. and depopu-
la. o o he na.,ve raees, in Cen.ral and Son.h Ameriea, in mUC
-d.heWes. Indies. The Spanish e.plora.ion of Nor.h AnreHrC
Gon,e., n, ,53,, led .0 h„p„r,an. resnits, h„. .as si.nali.ed l.v .he e, '
.on,ary Span.sh barhari.y .0 .he na.ives, several of who,, were Id
napped and sold in.o slaver,, „,akin, .he ven.nre eo^nereiall/;. ."
able, h„. morally ,„fa„,„„,,. ,^,,,1 so i. ha.h ever been-
" Regard „. „„r],||^ ,„„^k ,,„„, j,,!,,^ |_|^^^
And low aba.e Ihc l,l„l,, IktoIc spiril. "

o
o
r
c

r,
>

^ijhatsM-Jii-'

RAPACITY OF SPAIN.

The wealth which Spain wrenched with heavy hand from the luck-
less natives who fell under her sway, was lavished in wasteful luxury and
expensive wars. Like others, her growth would have been more solid
and her prosperity more enduring had she been content with fair retiuMis
froin her American possessions. But her voracious greed and atrocious
cruelty pUicked out the eyes of the New World — and her own. Mexico
and Peru were extinguished, their civilization destroyed, and their wealth
confiscated by the unwise, as well as cruel, policy of her conquerors.
Liberty and justice are the two pillars of national prosperity which no
violence of brute force can pull dov.n, and which alone can defy the
assaults of internal and external foes. After nearly four hundred years
of mistaken j^olicy, a new generation of nobler sons have begun to guide
the ship of state on wiser principles.

After the discovery of America by Columbus, and the recognition that
the land surface of the globe had been considerably enlarged by a long
stretch of territory, the width of which, however, was not ascertained till
long afterward, the search for a passage through it to the Indies was not
relinquished. In 1513 Balboa had found the "South Sea," now the
Pacific Ocean, and after having with immense labor, patience, and perse-
verance, built some vessels on tlie Gulf of Panama — "an enterprise no
leader save he could have carried to a successful issue " — he cruised on its
waters beyond St. Michaels. But his premature death at the hands of
his rival Davila, of Darien, in 151 7, deprived him of the opportunity of
further exploration. The reports sent by Balboa to Sp'^.in in relation to
the great wealth of the regions south of Panama inflamed the zeal and
avarice of the Spaniards, and manv expeditions were organized with a
view to exploration and conquest. In their search for gold they enlarged
tlie area of geographical knowledge, but their destruction of the civiliza-
tions of Mexico and Peru has robbed humanity of an inheritance for
which that is no recompense. That would eventually have been reached
without their aid, but the loss referred to can never be repaired.

One of the first results of Columbus' discovery of the New World
was the re-discovery of North America. The English " Society of
Merchant Adventurers," was established in 135S under the name of "The

ruide

CABOT DISCOVERS NORTH AMERTCA. 8S

Thomas a Heckct Society," and the whole body of E.i-hsh traders were
ea-er to share in the commerce of India, China and the East -enerally.
The Pope ha<l early -ranted, ahnost as soon as the discovery was fully
authenticated, a sort of monopoly of the advantages of the Eastern dis-
coveries to the Portuguese, and of the Western to the Spaniards. Jiy a
l)ull of 1495 the meridian of 100 le ivrues west of the Azores was estab-
lished as a line of demarcation between the two powers. By the treaty
of Tordesillas, in 1494, and a confirmatory bull in 1506, the line was ex-
te.ided to the coast of Brazil, or 375 lea-ues from the Azores. The
adjoining country inland, extent unknown, was understood to follow the
fortunes of the coast. The method of division was unscientific and un-
fortunate, but as far as oth.;r nations were concerned it was supposed to
cut them off from all share in the great discoveries of the period. The
English were determined to find, if possible, a solution which, while it
would not formally antagonize the high authority of the Pope— at that
time an accepted and important element in international law— would let
them into a substantial share of the results. This was the origin of the
celebrated theory of a Northwest Passage to India and Cathay, or China,
which will be more fully treated in a succeeding chapter.

In pursuance of this theory the Cabots, John and Sebastian-father
and son-sailed with three vessels, in 1497, from Bristol, then the lead-
ing commercial port of England. They virtually discovered North
America, as it is not known that the discovery of the same region some
5ooyearsbefore, had any influence on their course or its results. As
t.early as can be now determined, the region actually discovered, and
which they loosely designated by the name of " The Land First Seen,"
was Labrador. Though not signalized by large immediate i.-^sults, and
in a commercial sense unprofitable, this voyage was one of the most mo-
mentous in the history of the world. It was the corner-stone of Eng-
land's colonial system and indirectly of the greater glories of the
American Union, with itr, incalculable contributions to the elevation and
progress of mankind. Our minds cannot grasp the immensitv of these
results, but the effort h. seize the dim outlines of the mighty fobric will
amply repay.

■

' Vx ^\ '\> vs. \.

SEBASllAN CABOT.

. II

SECOJVD VOrAGE OF CAliOT.

In u second voyajje, about a year later, Seliastian Cabot, in command
of two vessels and 300 men, explored the coast from Labrador to Chesa-
peake Bay, perhaps to Florida. He named Newfoundland and noted
the <freat iunnl)ers of codtisii to be found on its banks— a discovery,
however, in which he had been anticipated, it is thou<,'ht, l)y the fisher-
men of France. He reached latitude 58% and perhaps hij^her, but en-
countered so much floatinj,' ice,thou«,'h it was in the month of July, that
he concluded to return to Enj,Wand. Nothin<^ more is heard of Sebastian
Cabot until 15 13, when he entered the service of Spain, where he re-
mained until the death of his patron, Ferdinand V., in 1516, Soon
afterward he is again found in the service of England, being given the
command of an expedition to Labrador, iu 1517, by Henry VHL To
the cowardice or malice of an associate, Sir Thomas Perte, is usually
attril)uted Cabot's failure in this third voyage to North America. But
it can hardly be just to attribute it to such a cause. Complete success
was impossible at that early stage— step by step man prog; esses. He
explored what is now Hudson's Bay, ascending to 67° 30', and naming
several places. Dissatislied with the result, or innuenced perhaps by the
dissatisfaction of his principal, Cardinal VVolsey, who was at that time
emphatically "the power behind the throne," and far more interested
in Ihuling a passage for himself to the papacy than in promoting the
efforts of the merchants of London to discover a route to India, or for
some cause not clearly ascertained, Cabot left Engl uid and re-entered
the service of Spain. The unexampled prestige of its young king
Carlos, elected emperor under the historic name of Karl or Charles V.,
ni 1519, n)ay have inspired C:'l)ol with the hope of securing in that pow-
erful tjuarter liie necessary patronage for his cherished project, the
Northeast Passage. It is said that he iiad secured a favorable hearing
from the late king for that fantastic dream, but in l-:nglan(l the North-
west Passage was still in the ascendant. He was ajjpointed pilot-major
of Spain, and was for some years engaged in (piietly discharging the
duties of that ofHce, for which his exact knowledge of detail and liirge
experience in naval matters from his boyhood, specially qualified him.
With Cabot we turn again to Spain and its maritime enterprises.

.fc,»V--r'»-!l.t &^

VOTAGE OF MAGELLAN,

FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD.
Fcrnaiulo Mafralliacns .,.• Ma-dlan ( 1470-1521 ), a I'oitu-uesc nav-
igator, had attainctl some dlHtiiictioii in tl;c service of his country in the
East Imlies, and had taken part in tiie conquest of Malacca in leii.
While servinjr under Alhuquerciue he had made a voya<,'e to the Mc
luccas or Spice Islands, which he afterward learned were witliin the
jurisdiction of Spain as estahlished by papal adjudication and the treaty
of Tordesillas. In 151 7 he opened his project of fmdin;r a West
passa-e to the Moluccas, to Charles V. of Si)ain, and an a-reement
was entered into, March 23, 151S, whereby the Kin- was to defray the
expenses, and receive the lion's share of such commercial advanta<,a's as
should accrue. Magellan received command of five vessels and 337 men
for the expedition, and having finally got all things in readiness, he
sailed for the New World in 1519, The expedition had to struggle
against l)ad weather, insubordination and mishaps of various kinds, the
details of which would be foreign to this stage of our narrative. Ma-
gellan discovered and traversed the Strait called by his name in 1520;
and was killed in battle with the natives of one of the Philippine
Islands, in 1531. His subordinate, Sebastian del Uano, completed the
voyage, reaching Spain Sept. 6, 1533. lacking fourteen days of three
years since the departure of Magellan.

CABOT'S VOYAGE TO LA PLATA.

Cabot conceived the project of reaching Peru by a more direct route
than that discovered by Balboa from Panama, or by Magellan through
the Straits which arc called by his name. He secured the command '^.f
an expedition to explore the La Plata, in 1536, and search for a South-
west Passage to the South Sea or Pacific Ocean, and thence to the East.
In 1527 he ascended the La Plata 120 leagues, and discovered Para-
guay. He was feebly sustained by the home govertiment, and returned
to Spain in 1531. As with the cardinal in England, so with the emper-
or in Spain, the pre-occupation of more congenial pursuits dwarfed the
interest in maritime exploration, and Cabot concluded to again try Eng-
land, whither he went, in 154S. He perhaps hoped to be able to in-

FRENCH vor Annus.

tcrest the viiforous and cnterprisiti^j Duke of Somerset, protector of
Eiij,'laii{|, ill his now favorite project. lie was crcateil inspector of the
navy, and instructor of the youn<j Kinj,' Edward VI. in tlie nautical
science of tile day, whce we will leave him, while we call atten-
tion to another branch of our subject.

FRENCH VOYAGES TO NORTH AMERICA.

Durin}^ the fifty years succeedin<; the disco^'cry of America i)y Ct)-
lumbus, Cabot, and Vespucius, France was too deeply involved in Euro-
pean wars to give much attention to maritime discovery. Louis XII.
(1498-1515), Francis I. (1515-47) and Henry II. (1547-59), successive-
coast of North Amer-
ica. After the peace
of Cambray, Francis
— failing to find, as he
said, any claui.e in
Adam's will disin-
heriting France in
favor of Spain and

ly struggled with
Austria for the pos-
session of Lombardy.
The defeat of Francis
at Favia, in 1525, by
throwing the nation
into financial and po-
litical disorder, put an
end to \'errazzano's
otherwise successful
cxploi.ition of the

Portugal — renewed

v;^^--NxsJ<^ his interest in Ameri-
jAct^L'Ks cARTiKR. cau cxploralioiis. In

1534 he sent out Cartier, who discovered the Gulf and River of
St. Lawrence, and in a second voyage, in 1535, ascended the river to
what is now Montreal, where he wintered peacefully with the
natives. In two other voyages (1541-1543) he maintained the most
friendly relations between the French colonists and the Indians. Pont-
grave in 1599, De Champlain, from 1603 to 1635, De Monts (1604)
and other French explorers of North America followed the example of
Cartier, or the natural instincts of their race, in the humane treatment of
the American Indians, winning a place in iheir good graces which no
other Europeans have been able to reach. The story of these events,
however, belongs to the history of colonization, not to that of Arctic
voyages, but being the most northerly voyages of the period which left
abiding results, they are at least worthy of brief mcntit^n.

\kS&ad^

..:A

i: I

CHAPTER III.

SEARCH FOR NORTHEAST PASSAOE-VOVAOK OP CHANCELLOR- K>,l
TERPRISE OF MUSCOVY COMPANY.

In the .ncantime Cabot had elaborated his pot scheme of reaching
I.Kha by a Northeast Passage, evidently having no adequate conception of
he extent or configuration of the north coast of Asia. But however
ludicrous it may now appear, the project led to important results It
opened the way to commercial relations with Russia, then starting out on
an mdependent career; and it has also exerted great influence on the his-
tory of Arctic voyages.

Under the auspices „f Caboe an.l his royal pa.ron, the search for the
Northeast P,.sage was „o„ beg,,,,. I„ ,553 three ships were fitted out
a. the expcse o, the -. Me,ch„„t Adve„.,„.ers „£ London," and under
the s„per,n,e„de„ee of .he aged Cabot. The ve..,els we.e na.ned Buona
bpe,a„.,, or G00.I Hope; ,;„„„„ Confideneia, Good Confidence; and
Buona Ventu,,, ,;„„d .Success; and were co.n^anded, .espective v, by
^r Hu,h W,l,„u,hby, CornCius I>u,.fo,,h, and Richan, Chanedlo,"

Wall?:, r """'."" *" ^°"' "' ""'">■• --«• "'■' ■" "- Loffoden
islands, oi after rouncimg the North r-..-.^ fi.„, i

.u„r. ,r ^"''" *-"'P^' tliey became separated, and

.he Bnona Ventura entered the White .Sea, till then unknown o Euro;ean
nav„a,o,,. The o.her .wo held .o.e.he,- son.c .i,nc longer, dri.Z
around between .he north coast of Lapland and .he Arc^c slan of
Nova Ze,„b ,. Be,„,e the close of .he year .he . Confi.lcnce " .e.nrne"
.0 England, having hecon,e separa,e.l f,.„,„ her consort in ano.hcr s.o, n
T e ensun,g year some Russian fishermen found .he G„o<l Hope
hen,™cd „, by ,ce a. the ,no„.h of .heDwina, in Lapland, a,,,, her en.ire

554, and .hat was „„ douh. .he date of thei, ,lestr„c.ion-.he fl s. of .'
long ser,es of vieti,ns .0 .he sevc-i.y of Arcc seas, and .heir ow,! ine.;.

WRECK OF THE BUONA VENTURA.

periencc. Had they been skilled in the resources of the north, tlicy
could have j^rotected themselves against the severity of the weather by
laying in a stock of the mossy turf or peat, for fuel, and have secured by
hunting, ample provisions to sustain them through the winter. The in-
telligence of the most advanced nations must be combined with the hard-
ihood and experience of the rude inhabitants of the North before Arctic
exploration can be other than a useless sacrifice of human life.

Chancellor, more fortunate, reached the mouth of the Dwina, antl
landed at the monastery of St. Nicholas, near where Archangel was
founded in 1584. Notwithstanding the hardships of the journey, Chan-
cellor proceeded to Moscow, the residence of the sovereign, who was no
other than Ivan IV., VasilievitchlL, that is, son of Vasil or Basil, and
surnamed " The Terrible." Some ten years before he had changed the
modest title of Duke of Russia for that of czar and autocrat. However
well Ivan may have deserved his surname because of his excessive cru-
elty to his enemies, the Tartars, and his abuse of unrestrained power
over his subjects, he was quite gracious to the English navigator. It was
in reality a " good venture " for both parties— the merchant advcnturcis
of London and the autocrat of Russia.

The realm of Ivan was strictly continental and the trade with West-
ern Europe was through the dominion of his enemies, the Poles. Chan-
cellor therefore received every encouragement to renew his venture, and
obtained an excellent market for his wares. He returned to England in
1554^ '"^"d the next year made a second voyage to Saint Nicholas, with
four ships and accompanied by two agents who made an advantageous
treaty with Ivan. On the return voyage, accompanied by a Russian
ambassador to England, he lost one ship on the coast of Norway, and a
second in quitting the harbor of Droutheim. He was soon afterward
driven by a violent storm into the Bay of Pitsligo, in Scotland, where the
Buona Ventura was wrecked. He succeeded in getting the ambassador
into a small boat with himself, but the boat was upset and tlie navigator
diowned, while the inexperienced landsman escaped with the loss of •
some wares and gifts which he was taking to England.

In 1556, the Muscovy Company — as the Merchant Adventurers of

ikte^:^':

VIEWS REGARDING NORTH COAST OF ASIA.

London were now called — dispatchcxl the Serchtrift in command of
Stephen Burrough, who had served as pilot, or sailing master, of the
Buona Ventura in 1 553, to make further search for the Northeast Passao-e
and the mouth of t!ie' Obi. Burrough reached the strait between Nova
Zembla and Vaigats Island, now known as Kara Gate or Strait, but was
driven back by the ice and returned to England. Burrough wrote an
account of his voyage.

It was thought that the promontory forming the eastern cape of
the Gulf of Obi was the northeast corner of Asia, and that therefore
Nova Zembla and tne Kara Strait were distant only some 400 miles
from the east coast of Asia. In this view the great geographer of the
day, Mercator, concurred; and this naturally gave fresh impetus to the
unavailing search. But the best authorities are liable to err, even in the
line of their special investigation.

« I do not know," says Milton, « what I may seem to the world, but
to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore,
and diverting myself in now and then finding a smooth pebble, or a
prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undis-
covered before me."

All attempt to explore the route to Asia by the way of the White
Sea and the Gulf of Obi was now abandoned for nearly a generation,
and English enterprise was again directed to the Northwest Passao-e
which they had given up in 1517. This change in the direction of ex-
periment is the best evidence of the strong hold the problem had taken
of the public mind. England had as yet no hope of becoming mistress
of the ocean, and she wished to have a route to the East which would be
less exposed to the attacks of an enemy's fleet. It is thus that a "Teat
part of a nation's efforts and resouices are wasted in j)reparing to defend
itself against the hostility of other sections of the human family.

CHAPTER IV.

SEARCir KOR NORTHWEST PASSAGE RESUMED— FRORISHER's LOAD OF
(,OI.D — TWO V0YA(;KS of GILBERT — GILBERT SHIPWRECKED —

HAWKINS, THE SLAVE-TRADER DRAKE SAILS AROUND CAPE

HORN.

It was almost fifty years since the failure of Cabot, when Martin
Frobisher succeeded in again turnihg the British mind toward the
Northwest Passage. In 1576 Sir Humphrey Gilbert published his
" Discourse to Prove a Passage by the Northwest to Cathaia." This
was the year of Frobisher's first expedition, but he had been some years
laboring to secure the acceptance of his views; and Gilbert's pamphlet
shows the bent of public opinion rather than the source from which, as
has sometimes been alleged, Frobisher received his inspiration. It is
more probable that his fifteen years' pleading with the merchants and
nobles of England for aid to enable him to attempt the execution
of what he called " the only great thing left undone in the world," was
the origin of the " Discourse."

Frobisher had at length found a patron in Ambrose Dudley, Count
of Warwick, and a favorite of Queen Elizabeth; and set sail on
the 8th of June from Deptford, now a part of the city of
London, with three vessels, two of which were only of twenty-
five and twenty tons burden, the third a man-of-war; or as others say,
with three small barks of 35, 30 and 10 tons. As he moved down the
Thames he was graciously saluted by the queen from her palace at
Greenwich. The smallest vessel went down in tlic first storm, as might
have been expected, and all her crew perished. The second returned to
England, while the largest, under the immediate command of Frobisher,
safely reached the coasts of Greenland and Labrador. After coasting
around the Savage and Resolution Islands, he entered the strait which

,,; «.>-• .irf

(Ki~;-«'.--'<<tasHi< ti,.,.

s
o

a
»

a
o

K
Ix

ALLEGED GOLD—SHIPWRECK. 45

he named after himself, and which is so called to this day, near 63°
north. He was hindered hy the ice from extending his voyage farther,
but before returning to England he went ashore and took possession of
the country for Queen Elizabeth, and established some slight but friendly
intcn-ourse with the natives, whose land he named Meta Incognita, that
is, Unknown Boundary.

Taking with him some dark, hard stgnes, the luster of which
was erroneously attributed to the presence of gold, he set sail
for England, where he was enthusiastically received. The report
that Frobisher had brought back some gold-bearing stones intlamed the
public mind; and there was no danger that he would be compelled to
languish another fifteen years, waiting for patronage. A second expe-
dition, with three vessels of goodly size, was soon m.-ule ready and set
sail under his command in May, 1577. At the entrance of Frobisher
Strait his passage was again blocked by the ice, but he took aboard 200
tons of the " precious ore," and returned to England with the blissful
consciousness of having made a j^rosperous voyage. In 1578 a fleet of
fifteen vessels were placsd at his disposal, and he hastened away before
Portugal or Spain should learn of the great " find" that was destined
to dwarf the treasures they were draining from the East and West
Indies.

" The best laid schemes o'tnice and men

Gang aft a-glee ;
And leave us nauglit but grief and pain

For promised joy."

One of Frobisher's largest vessels was crushed by an iceberg at the
entrance of the strait, and forty lives lost, while the whole fleet was
strained and injured by the ice floe. It had been intended to establisii a
military colony of 100 picked men, and to build a fort for the protection
of the rich surface deposit that Frobisher had the good fortune to have
discovered lying around loose on the shore of his famous Meta Incognita.
On a survey of the situation it was found that a considerable part of the
wood destined for the fort would l)e required to repair the injured ships;
and as the eflTcctive force of men had been seriously diminished by the

^jjitlakS&a^''^',

FROBISHEI^S HOPES DESTROTBD.

losses .-.hx.a.ly sustuincl, it was thouj^ht best to abandon tbat project
NVc M,ay well inia,^Wne that tlie dreary, desolate and forbiddinj. aspect of
the country, in a season of excessive severity, woul.l so chill the ardor of
th..sewhoweretobcleft hchin.l, that they took counsel of their f ears
a.id preferred to retur.i with the lleet whiic they had the opportunity.

I'oKTK.ur OF rKonisiiF.n.
The dreams of Frobisher, and other san^^uine participators in his delus-
.«.., ^vere rudely dissipated on his return to England, when it was fbnnd

L^Bs ■'

svflSfe. ■>.. ' .,A4,.,- .,f,

GILBERT TAKES POSSESSION OF NEWFOUNDLAND.

rojL'ct.
cct of
lor of
fears,

us-
iiul

that his tons of precious ore were so much worthless stone, hrought 3000
miles to swell the rock piles of England. His last voyage had heen the
.severest of the three, and the 500 tons hrought home, while they might
have compensated for the sacrifices and trials, had they proved valuable,
were hut an aggravation of the general sense of injury felt by the people
of England at the bursting of Frobisher's bubble. Ten years later Fro-
bisher redeemed his name from any obloquy that might otherwise have
attached to it because of the great and almost ludicrous disproportion be-
tween his sanguine anticipations and the meager results. In the contest
with the Spanish Armada, in 15S8, he was captain of the Triumph, and
did such signal service in the discomfiture of the arrogant ^Spaniards, that
he was knighted for his bravery. All honor lo Sir Martin, and a genial
smile for his quaint conceit that the finding of a Northwest Passage was
the only thing of note left undone in the world. It was found a genera-
tion ago, yet the array of notable things still undone, wonderfully sup-
plemented as they have been by discoveries and inventions never dreamed
of \^y honest Sir Martin, remains substantially undiminished, for " the
thouo-hts of men are widened with the process of the suns."

TWO VOYAGES OF GILBERT.

Sir Humphrey Gilbert, already referred to, received from the queen in
1 5 78, a patent to make discoveries in North America, and to take pos-
session of any part found unoccupied. In .579 he sailed for the New
World with the purpose, as is generally supposed, of colonizing New-
foundland, but tliis opinion Is based mainly on what is known of his sec-
ond attempt. One of his vessels was lost, but he arrived safely in
England. Four years later he resumed the undertaking under more en-
couraging auspices, but with a more disastrous issue. " On the eve of
his departure," says Bancroft, "he received from Queen Elizabeth a
golden anchor guided by a lady, a token of the queen's regard." He
sailed with ^\\c vessels and 360 men, and arriving in Newfoundland, dis-
covered by Caliot in 1497, he proceeded to take formal possession in the
queen's name, and issued leases to such of his company as desired them.
But the spirit of colonization, with its hard work and slow results, was

j^^^- ^

cn<i

vvi

isl

F//fS T E.Var. /S/f SL A \ 'E- T/iA DER. 49

al)scnt.; and he s,,,,,, proceeded witli liis whole company to seaicli Cor
silver mines. Soon the lar-est ship was wrecke.l throujrh the ne-li-ence
of the crew, and .nosl of those on hoard were lost. Gilhert now" con-
cluded to return to I':n-lan<l with what remained. On the voya-e a
severe storm arose, an.l he was earnestly entreated to take refuj,'e in^he
lar-er of the two remainin- vessels, from tiie little hark of^'oniy ten
tons in which he had set out tor the coastin- voya-e. His reply has l-e-
come historic, and has elicited much admiration for the calm intrepidity
it <lisplays. It savors, however, fully as much of fatalism as of piety,
and thoujrh his action may he re-arded as heroic in declinin- to ahand<m'
his associates, the princii)le implied in what is itself a mere truism, is
more poetic than praiseworthy. The scene is thus descrihed, with 'all
proper accessories :

" The general, sittin-ahaft with a hook in his haml, cried out to
those in the 'Hind': ' We are as near to heaven l,y sea as by land.'
That same night about twelve o'clock the lights of tiie ' Squirrel' sud-
denly disappeared, and neither the vessel nor any of its crew were ever
seen again."

HAWKINS, DRAKE AND CAVENDISH.

These three were famous English navigators of the period we have
now reached, being contemporaries of Davis. But as they were chiefly
engaged in combating Spanish domination oa the ocean, they hardly
come within the scope of this work.- In prosecuting their paramount
purpose of crippling Spain, they contributed some little to geographical
knowledge, and on that account deserve passing mention.

Sir John Hawkins has the bad distinction of being the first English
slave-trader, and in pursuing that infamous business lie became fanriliar
with the west coast of Africa. He suffered heavy loss in an encounter
xyith a Spanish fleet in 1567, which closed his "commercial" career,
but gave him the opportunity of winning distinction by his services
against his personal and national enemies. He helped to rout the Span-
ish Armada in 1588, and for the rest of his life, to 1595, his efforts were
directed aguitist Spanish trade with the West Indies. His voyages in

li-'^ktu^^ ■

50 PHAKES RECEPTION BY INP/AXS.

those waters increasc-a the sum of knowledge in relation to that portion

of the American coast.

Sir Francis Drake was with his kinsman Hawkins, n, .567, when
they were overwhelmed hy the Spanish fleet, and like hin. ha.l h.s na-
tional antipathies influenced by the sense of personal loss. From 1570
t„ his death, in :S9S, he did his utmost to spread havoc among the Span-
Ish-American fleets, and was frequently successful. In 15?^ he gamed
n view of the Pacific Ocean, from the Isthmus of Darien. In 157S ^^
s.uled through the Straits of Magellan and plundered the coasts of
Chili and Peru. He sailed north to 48° in the hope of finding the
Northwest Passage on the Pacific ^'de. Failing of that expedition, he
returned to what is now San Francisco, which had been previously d.s-
covered by the Spaniards. He took possession of the country for the
Queen of England and named it New Albion, and spent several weeks m
friendly intercourse with the natives. He gives this account of h>s re-

''^u When we landed they appeared to be greatly astonished, aiul
showed us great respect, thinking that we u ^re gods, and they
received us with a great deal of reverence. As long as we remained on
shore they came to see us, bringing us bunches of beautiful featners of
all colors, and sometimes tobacco, which the Indians regard as an herb,
.nd make great use of. Before approaching us "they would remani at
some distance in a respectful attitude, then, making a long harangue
accordinc. to their custom, they would lay down their bows and arrows,
and approach, ofl-ering their presents. The first time they came they
were accompanied by their women, who remained at some distance; but
they commenced to scratch their cheeks and tear their flesh, makn.g
sicns of lamentation, which was altogether inexplicable, but we after-
ward learned that it was a form of sacrifice or offering which they made

*° Teavinc. California, Drake crossed the Pacific to the Moluccas,
and thence^-eturned to England by the Cape of Good Hope, v.s.t.ng
manv points, most of them previously discovered, and reached home,

Nov' 3d, 15S0, after an absence of nearly three years, being the

arid
they

CA VENDISH PL UNDERS THE PACIFIC COAST. 81

first Rncjlish circumuavijrator of the jrlc.h.. 1 U afterward took an active
l)art .„ tlie .lefeat of the Spanish Armada, an.l in the English rava.^es on
Spanish commerce in the West In.lies. He was so engage.r with
Ilawlcins in the last voya«>e of hoth in 1595.

Thomas Cavendish, or Candish, was also en-aged mainly In con-
flicts with the Spaniards on the sea; and in 1^87, with three small ships
fitted out at his own expense, he wrenched ,nuch plunder from the
Spanish settlements on the Pacific coast of South America. The towns
of I'araca, Cincha, Pisca, Paita, an<l the island of Pmia, were made to
disgorge over $3,000,000. At Aguatulio he seized a Spanish galleon
or treasure-ship, with $133,000 and other booty on hoard. He then'
proceeded to the Philippine Islands and returned home by tiie Cape of
Good Hope, arriving at Plymouth, Sept. 9, 15S8. He was the
second Englishman to make the voyage around the world. In 159, be
set out again with five vessels, but failed i.i his efforts to replenish his
wasted wealth, and died in 1593 before reaching the English coast He
.s credited with having rendered some services to the sciences of geo-ra-
piiyand hydrography. '^

,-iaaat( ''St*

CHAPTER V.

DAVtS SKNT OUT— TUADKS WITH NATIVES OF OKKKNKAND — (iHKAT
DANi.l.K IN TMIC KK — I'ASSKS IIUDSON's HA Y — II Al.rw; II IN
SKAUCIl OK (iOLI)--l)ISAI«l'()rNTMKNT— CONFINED IN TUK TOWKIl.

Notwrithst.iiiJiiij,' previous disappointments— so tenacious is the pub.
lie inintl of an idea once ardently embraced— the London merchants
could not entirely abandon the hope of finding,' a passa«re to Cathay.
Onee in-.re, after a respite of seven years, several of them "cast iii their
adventure" and dispatched Captain John Davis, in 1585, with two ships,
the Sunshine and the Moonshine, of fifty and thirty-five tons respect-
ively. Thou,i,'h the El Dorado of Labrailor had disappeared in the
flumes of the assayer of Froliisher's ore, there was yet no invincible dem-
onstration that a Northwest Passa;^e could not be found. They pn.bably
felt, as men have often felt before and since, that if they hail not allowed
themselves to be diverted from their oriijinal purpose by the <?old mania
of 1576-S, the route to China mii,dit have been laid bare, and the wares
of the East brou<,'ht to London by way of Labrador. It was worth an-
other efTort; and so they sent out Davis, a navigator of unquestioned
ability; and witli a refinement of thou<,'htful attention supposed to l)c for-
cijrn to the minds of mercenary traders, they furnished him with a band
of music— the number and Uiml of instruments not stated— " to cheer
and recreate tlie spirits of the natives." Cunnin-,' traders, had they
learned that to bewitch the natives with music was a good investmeni
toward getting furs clieap?

[uly the 20th, forty-three days out, Davis discovered what he
named the Land of Desolation, which is a much more ajjpro-
priate designation than the m.snomer Greenland, which it bears. In
Gilbert Bay he traded advantageously with the natives, giving glass
beads and other trinkets for valuable furs. A few days afterward, allured

DAV/S AlilifVES IN C.REENLAND, 88

(loulUlcHs by the im.sic of the band so thou-lufully sent forward by
their London nympathizcrs " to recreate their spirits," and of which the
first lot of native traders had spread the fame ta. and near Ihron-h the
camps of the Ksquiniaux, no less than thirty-seven canoes surronndcd
tiie Enjrhsh ships. On the 6th of Anjrnst they came in sijjht of a hi-h
mountain— the Snkkertoppen— and sailing' still northwest they reached
land at 66^' 40' free from « the pesters of ice, and ankered in a very
fair rode." Davis th<)n<,'ht he had reached the entrance to the sea wliich
commnnicated with the Pacific Ocean. He explored the re<rion of Cum-
berland Sound and the entrance to Frohisher and Hudson Straits, jriy.
uij.' names to tlie Hay of Tatness, and to the Capes Dyer and VValsing.
ham, and returned to Iviifrland.

In i^SO Davis was put in command of four vessels — the two of the
previous voyage, tofrcthei with the " Mermaid" and the "North Star."
On June 39, when fifty-three days out, he again reached Greenland,
at r^*'', whence he sent the "Sunshine" and "North Star" along the
east coast to seek a passage farther north, while with the other two he
proceeded to foilov/ ;ip his investigations of the previous year on the
west side through the strait called after his name, advancing as far as
69". The ice was found more massive than on the previous year. One
great field was encountered in the middle of July which it took thirteen
days to pass. The wind from olF the ice so froze the ropes and sails
that his men became discouraged and pathetically admonished him that
"l)y his <n-er-boldness he might cause their widows and fatherless chil-
dren to give him bitter curses." He thereupon retraced his course, and
after souk- further exploration of the region of Cnmberland Sound and
a conflict with the Esquimaux, in which three of his men were killed
.'iiid Iwo wounded, he returned to England, unsuccessful but hopc-fiil.
He wrote to a friend that he had reduced the discovery of the Northwest
Passage almost to a certainty.

May 15, 15S7, he left London with the " Sunshine," "Elizabeth, "
"Darlm.nith" and "Helen," and arrived on the coast of Greenland,
June 15th. This expedition was fitted out on the express condition
that the

('Xi)eiises ^\m\\

lid be ligbtencf! liy fish

ing wlienevt-r practicable.

IMPORTANCE OF DAVIS' VOTAGES— RALEIGH.

For this purpose two ol' their vessels were left near the scene of their
former explorations, while with the others he pushed forward in Baffin's
Bay as far as 73° 12', naminj^ the highest point he reached Sanderson's
Hope, in honor of his chief patron — falling short of the latitude of Uper-
navik about italf of one degree. Again stopped by the ice and forced to
go back, he made some further explorations lower down. He passed
the entrance to Hudson Tiay, and failing to find tlie two vessels at the
appointed rendezvous, he returned to England whither they had pre-
ceded him. Though unilaunted, and hopeful of final success, he could not
secure an outfit for a fourth trial, and was compelled to relinquish the
joroject. The results of his voyages were important geographically,
but the English merchants were more affected by the financial aspects,
as their ardor had been efTectually chilled by six successive disappoint-
ments in twelve years.

VOYAGES OF RALEIGH.

It is not as the founder of tiie Roanoke Colony, in America, nor as
soldier in France or Ireland, n(M- yet as a favorite of the Queen of Eng-
land, or member of the British Parliament, nor even as one of the most
renowned and remarkable men of his age, that Sir Walter Raleigh
finds a place in this history of great navigators. His two voyages to
Guiana and persevering attempts to find the El Dorado of the age, the
fabled paradise of gold-seekers, entitle him to a place in the list.

On the 9th of February, 1595, Raleigh sailed from England with
five ships and 100 scldicrs, besides seamen, officers, and some gentlemen
volunteers, on his first voyage to Guiana.

Arrivinsr at Fastaventura in the Canaries, he took on board fre:;h
supplies of water, and after a stay of four days, proceeded to TenerifFe,
where he was met by one of his captains. Waiting eight days in vain
for the appearance of Captain Brereton, he sailed for Trinidad, where
he met Whiddon, another of his captains. De Berreo, Spanish com-
mander of 'frinidad, suspicious of the designs of Raleigh, forbade, under
pain of death, all intercourse with the English. Raleigh landed under
cover of night with 100 men, burned the town of St. Josci^h, and took

RALEIGH ASCENDS -^IIE ORINOCO.

Berreo, with some of the principal inhabitants, aboard his vessel as
prisoners. He was here joined by two vessels of his squadron under
command of Gifford and Knynin. They proceeded at once to the
mouth of the Orinoco, and after passing through a number of islands at

SIR WALTER RALKIGJ!.

its mouth, ascended the river a distance of 400 miles. He failed to find
Manoa, the city of gold and gems, unsurpassed in grandeur and magnifi-
cence, and in comparison with which, the riches of Mexico and Peru
dwindled into insignificance. All this and more, Raleigh learned from
his Spanish captives and Indian visitors. To which they kindly added

RALEIGH CONFINED IN THE TOWER.

\.\ ■■>

it costs but little to enlarge, when one draws on his imagination for
facts — that there was no winter at Manoa, and no sickness ; that the soil
was excellent ; that there was abundance of game ; and that the songs
of birds filled the air with a perpetual concert. The emperor of Manoa
was, however, a inighty potentate, and Raleigh with his handful of men
would be foolhardy to attempt to cope with him. His people were high-
ly civilized and jealous of their immense treasures — within their
territory there existed a mountain of gold — and it would be rash to at-
tack them. Raleigh felt otherwise, anu pressing his Indian informant
to act as guide, he was astounded to learn from his lips that Manoa had
been submerged and was then under water, as was no doubt the golden
mountain. He might have added that it was the native version of the
story of Atlantis, as paraphrased from what they had heard from the
Spaniards or other visitors. Though Raleigh may not have believed all
that he had been told, it is clear that these marvelous stories had their
influence upon his imagination and judgment, for he says :

"Some may perhaps think that I am enthusiastic and visionary; but
why should I have undertaken this enterprise if I was not convinced
that this land of Guiana was a country abounding in gold.'' Whiddon
and Milechappe, our surgeon, have brought me many precious stones
which resemble sapphires. I have shown these stones to many people
in Orinoco, who have assured me that there is a mountain full of
them."

He returned to England before the rlose of the year i 595, but through
all the honors as well as trials which intervened between his first and
second voyages, he does not seem to have lost the hope of making rich
discoveries on the Orinoco. Upon his release from the Tower in 1615,
after a confinement of thirteen years, we find him at once busying him-
self about an expedition to Guiana. He sailed in 161 7 with thirteen
vessels and a considerable body of men, for the expectation of great re-
sults ran high, and his personal jiopuhirity had been much increased
through sympathy for his undeserved punishment. Arriving on the
coast of Guiana, he dispatched an exploring party up the Orinoco. At
St. Thomas they encountered the S Miiards and were driven back with

|4V

HE NEWS THE SEARCH. ^

loss, among others that of the eldcsi and favorite son of Raleigh Nor
had they heard anything further of the sapphire or gold mountain, or of
the cty and people of Manoa. On their return, Raleigh sailed for New-
foundland to refit and revietual, purposing to renew the search, but his
men ,m>tm.ed and insisted on sailing bac]< to England, where thev
arnved in July, i6iS. Raleigh, broken in spirit and fortune, soon found
that h.s English enemies were as unrelenting as his Spanish foes- and
through their united eftorts consent to his execution on the old sentence
was obtanied from the weakly compliant James I.

Vv. *iS«Si*« ~^

CHAPTER VI.

VOYAGKS OF THE nUTCH— NORTHEAST PASSAGE AGAIN— BARENTZ
REACHES ORANGE ISLANDS— GERRIT DE VEER— SICKNESS AND
DKATH— SURROUNDED KY BEARS AND FOXES— REAPPEARANCE
OF THE SUN— RURIAI. OF RARENTZ— VOYAGE OF VAN NOORT—
FIGHT WITH PATAGONIANS— DEFEAT THE SPANISH.

This l>rHve, enterprising, and incUistrious people had scarcely suc-
ceeded in establishing their independence, when they began to turn
their attention to the question of the age— another route to India. In-
deed, that independence was not yet acknowledged by their late masters,
and the f.n-mal recognition of the right of the Netherlands to a place in
the family of nations, was stubbornly resisted by their oppressors until
1609. The narrow limits of the "Seven Provinces" naturally impelled
them to seek a position among maritime Sta^'^s. And as the southern
avenues to the coveted commerce of the East were controlled by Spain,
they were driven, like the English, to search in northern latitudes for a
route to China. Their first efforts were directed to the exploration of
the Northeast Passage. And as a practical convenience toward the ex-
ecution of that project, they proceeded to establish trading posts at Kola,
in Lapland, and at Archangel, in Russia. The fLiilure of the Englisli to
penetrate the Straits of Kara suggested the idea of going to the north of
Nova Zembla, in which they were encouraged by the counsels and sug-
gestions of Peter Plaucius, an adept in the nautical science of the day, as
well as a distinguished theologian and astronomer.

THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE AGAIN.

In 1594 the merchants of Amsterdam, Enkhuyscn and Middelburg
fitted out a squadron of three vessels to institute a search for the North-
east Passage. The command of these they gave to Cornelius Corne-

liARENTZ REACHES ORANGE ISLANDS. 59

li.oon, „,„« Y*n,„t.oon, and Will„,„ Daren,., „f whom .he last
ha, become .he ,„„,. fan,„n,. They left .he Texel on Jnne 6.h, with
Baren.. n, con„na„J of the .Merenry." Having reaehed the eoas. of
Lap and, d,ey proceeded eastward toward Nova Zembia, where tirey
■v. e, I arent. .eepin, to .he we. of that i„and, s.rnck toward

" *• "r """^■- '-" ™"""-l i" "« »a.ne direction as before nntil

^,ey reache, wl,at tirey called Vaigat, ( Win.Uhole) Strait, .sonth of
K S ra, ro,„ wlJcl, it is separated by Vaiga.,, Island. I. was .his
K..,a Stn„. that the English had found impassable by reason of the ice
gorge wh,eh they there encountered. The Dutch, more fortu„.ate in
hnv,„g gone farther south, an.i i„ experiencing a more favorable season,
nrade then- way througl,, though with .he u.most difficulty

Arr, v„,g at the cas.ern entrance of the strait, they saw to their great de-

TL ^r'r/T;'" -' "'"^ °P^" -^ *=>=hing to the horizon, now known
as the Culf of Kara. Fin.ling, too, .hat the land to their right receded
.apK ly to the soutlreast, they felt triumphant. They had solve.l the
great problen,; the prouronlory they had jus. doubled coul.l be no
o her than the famous Cape Tabis of Pliny, and but four hundred miles
of sea separated them from Canton, in China. They did not know
that hey were d.stant from tl,e northeastern point of Asia ,20= or
one-thn-d of the whole circumference of the globe. Entirely sa.is'hed
ot the nnmense value of .heir discovery, they hastened back full of
pa.not,c enthusiasm for the fame and prom of their youMg country, to
ena le the government to take proper measures for seeur' g the fruits
of .hen- pnx ...ous success. Meanwhile Harent. had .loubled Cape
Nassau .and, July ,oth, encountered great fields of ice, through which
e ought h,s arduous way until he reached Orange Isla^ls at the

the lattu les of several points with rare precsion for those days, and
proceede.1 to make the homeward voyage. On his way he me hi!

f»™er companions on the coast of Lapland d the disguLd Ba „'

w.th the ex„l..an. Bran, and Cornelius, rcurned togetlJto the Tell '
lite merchants of Rof.erdam now combined wi,h those of 'h
'h.-ee cities interested in the former venture, and together' they fi,.U

lil

!l )

LOCKED IN THE ICE.

out six vessels for :i second voyaj^'e, laden with wares for the Eastern
market. This scjuadron was placed under the supreme command of
James Van IleemskerUe, with Barentz as chief pilot. To it was added
a yacht, the sole duty of which was to serve as a dispatch boat to
bring back the tidin<,rs that the fleet had safely entered the Gulf of
Kara. But merchants and voyagers were doomed to disappointment.
The Vaigats Strait was found impassable, being blocked l)y huge
masses of ice which defied the continued efforts of the determined mar-
iners. Findnig that the impossible would no^ yield to their wishes or
exertions, they sadly retraced their course, and arrived in the Texel,
Sept. iS, 1595, with feelings quite different from their predecessors' of

the previous year.

Yet another trial was decided upon, and May 16, 1596, two vessels
were sent out under command of Heemskerke and John Cornelizoon
Rijp or Ryp, with Barentz again as pilot, and Gerrit de Veer, who
became the historian of the voyage, as mate. Passing the Shetland and
Faroe Islands, they encountered ice on the 5th of June before reaching
Bear Island, where they landed on the nth, and which they so named
because there they had found and killed a bear. On the 19th they discovered
the land which they named Spitzbergen, and which they supposed was
a part of Greenland. They explored the west coast for a considerable
distance to the nc^rth, but were compelled by the ice to fall back on Bear
Island. Here the vessels separateil, Heemskerke and Barentz slowly
making their way through the ice toward Nova Zembla, having heard
that from the highest points of Orange Island the open sea had been
seen to tlie southeast.

On tlie i6thof July they readied the west coast of Nova Zembla,
then known to western navigators as Willoughby's Island. Pro-
ceeding northward they douliled Cape Nassau on the 6th of August,
and the Orange Islands some days later. Having reached the
same latitude previously attained by Barentz in his first voyage, they were
compelled by the ice to turn south on tlie eastern coast, where they soon
became ice-locked in a small harbor, latitude 75^' 4/?'' >" which they had
taken refuge. " 'I he cakes of ice, " says De Veer, " began to pile up

11 ;.,..SB**^^'

DE VEER-DIii APPEARANCE OF THE SUN,

around the ship on all sides, and pressed against it so closely, that it com-
menced to crack and give way, and it seemed as if the vessel would
break into a thousand pieces ; and when the ice moved it pushetl
and rais-d the ship as if some huge machine were elevating it in

the air."

Giving tip all hope of extracting themselves from the ice, they pro-
ceeded to effect a landing, and transport provisions on shore for a
winter's sojourn in that inhospitable region. A few days later some
of the men discovered a river some nine miles in the interior, on which
they found floating a considerable quantity of wood. They also found
tracks of the bear and the saiga, a species of antelope. A quantity of
driftwood, probably from Siberia, was found on the shore, and they were
enabled to build a warm cabin, large enough to hold them all, besides
having abundant firewood, « for all that cold winter, which we knew,"
says De Veer, " would fall out to be extremely bitter." They were sev-
enteen in number, and under wise, careful and competent leadership.

By the 33d of September the ground had frozen so hard that they could
not dig a grave for their deceased comrade, the carpenter, who, though
he would have been specially useful in the construction of their winter
quarters, was the first to succumb to the rigor of the climate. They
buried him in a cleft in the rocks. On the 2d of October their house was
completed, some of the ship's furniture being used in its construction.
As they grew apprehensive thi-.t the vessel would soon go to pieces, they
began to sleep ashore on the 1 3th of October; and soon after they
carri^-d ashore everything that could be of use to them. They began
immediately to reduce the daily rations, fearing their supplies would not
hold out. A chimney was erected reaching to the top of the house, and
a place was reserved near the central fire-place for a sick comrade. On
broad shelves, or bunks around the walls, they placed their beds, and
from a large cask they extemporized a bath tub, the surgeon insisting on
cleanliness as absolutely necessary to the preservation of health. The
sun soon disappeared entirely, and they had fairly entered on the long
and dreary winter. " We looked pitifully one upon the other," says Dc
Veer," being in great fear that if the extremity of cold grew to be more

The

MERRIMENT IN DANGER. gg

and more, we should all die there of cold, for that what fire soever we
made, would not warm us."

A Dutch clock transferrcl from the ship helpe<l to remind them of
honie, as well as to mark the slow march of time. The house ^vas soon
covered with snow several feet de. p, and to get out thev had to ttuu'.el a
pathway. During one period of adverse winds for four .lays the fire
would not burn, and the ice grew two hiches thick on the sides of their
bunks, while their clothes were thickly covered with frost. In a short
time they began to be surrounded by bears and foxes, who threatened to
tear the roof ofl^ the house; and the foxes learned to climb down the
chimney. They trapped several of these, and shot some bears, the skins
of both proving a great help in warding o{^ the intense cold. They
used the flesh of the foxes for food, but through some unaccountable
prejmhce they failed to utilize the more valuable bear's-meat, which
would have been a great preventive of the scurvy, from which they
suffered.

Early in December a violent storm arose, blowing from the northeast
and producing intense cold, when they made a great fire of coal, which
they brought from the vessel. Closing every crevice, and eJen the
chimney, to retain the genial warmth, they soon began to co,«plain of
dizziness, whereupon one ran to open the door and another the chimney
when they recovered. Notwithstanding their constant privations, and'
often intense sufferings in exceptional weather, they labored to maintain
a cheerful spirit. On January the 5th (1597), the eve of Twelfth NLWit
a feast long celebrated throughout all parts of Europe, they propose,? t,!
have a little merriment suitable to the occasion. « We prayed our
Master," says De Veer, "that we might be merry, and said that we
were content to spend some of the wine that night which we ha.i spared
and which was our share (half a pint) every second day, and whereof for
certain days we had not drunk. And so that night wc made merry, and
drew lots for king. And thereof we had two pounds of meal, whereof
we made pancakes with oil, and every man had a white buiscuit, which
we sopt in the wine. And so supposing that we were in our own coun-
try, and amongst our frien.ls, it comforted us as well as if we liad made

REAPPEARANCE OF THE SUN.

a ^rrcat banquet in our own house. And we also made trinkets, and our
gunner was ma<le kinj? of Novaya Zenilya, which is at least 800 miles
lonjj, and lyeth oetwecn two seas."

lanui.ry 34th the sun reappeared, and (hou<rh they lost, the same
day, one ..f their number who had been ill all winter, their ho,)es rose
hi-her; and on the 2Sth, the .lay bein- fine, they played a game of ball
in'the bracing northern air. Ivuly in March the ice began to move, but
they c.uhl not yet leave thc-ir <,narters. April 15th they visited the
ship, wiiich they found in bottc-r condition than they had anticipated.
May 1st the men thought they might leave, but the more experienced
Barenlz declared they would have to wait a month, as the vessel could
not he liberated sooner; and that it was doubtful whether she would be
found seaworthy. In the event of her proving unsafe he promised
that they would rig out the two boats for the liomeward voyage. On
the 20th, becoming satisfied that the ship must be abandcmed, they began
with a will to get the boats in readiness. It was, however, the middle
of June before they took leave of their late residence, and, doubtless not
without misgivin-s, trusted themselves to tlieir fVail crafts for so long a
voyage liarcntz inclosed a record of their piishap in a gun barrel,
which he fastened to the chimney, that shoulil a search party be sent,
they miglit learn their fate. They proceeded by the way they had come
and in a short time reached Orange Island.

In the interval, and when only four days out, the boats got hemmed in
hy enormous blocks of ice, and giving themselves up for lost, they silently
took leave of each other. Hut I)e Veer, with the instinct of self-preserva-
tion, taking the end of a strong rope in bis hand, clambered from block to
block initil lie reached a large Hoc, on which they sut-ceeded in getting first
tiie sick, then the stores, and finally the two boats safely landed— a feat often
performed since, but for those days of inexperience it can be regarded as
nothing less than a liriliiant stn^ke of genius. The boats had been badly
nipped, and they repaired them as well as they could on the ice floe. He-;
it was that Barentz, and one of the sailors, Nicholas Andrien, died. On
the 3oth of June, while floating northward with the ice, on the west coast
of Nova Zembla, the worthy pilot closed the voyage of his life, <lying

niRIM. OF n ARE NT/..

vcrv unex,H-ctc.<lly t., th. ,„cn, th<n.j,l, apparctly not to hi.nsolf. ^< The
death ..f Willia.n Uarent. .„acK- us all fed very sa<I, seein,. that he wa.
our pr.nc.pai j,nmlc and pilot, and one in vvho.n we had every c.mfidenee
Hut we could not resist the will of God, a,.d this thoujfht ,nade us cahu,"
says the faithful chronicler.

After conunittinjr the reniains of Uarenl. to ,he deep, an.l fre
qnently baling, their repaired boats ,o keep then, fron, sinkin-s .1k-v
succeeded in reaching. Cape Nassau. Haulinj, the larj;er boat ashorl-
for repau-s, she was upset, and they lost nearly ..11 their provisions and
came very near losin;^ their lives. On the igth of fuly they a-^in put
to sea, and on the 28th they had reached the southern poin^ of the
island. In the ope.i sea beyond the boats became separated in a fo..
and d.d n<,t again meet until they reached Cape Kanine, at the entrance
to the White Sea. Meanwhile, their scanty stores had been supple-
mented from time to time l)y the kindness of Russian fishermen with
whom they chanced to fall in. This, with rigid self-denial in the use
of what remained of their original stock, prevented them from dyin-^
of starvation. They now learned that at Kola they would find three
vessels of their country getting ready to return to Holland.

Sending one of their number across the gulf with a Lapp guide, he re-
turned in three days with a letter signed John C. Rijp, the commander
of the second ship, from which they had become separated thirteen
months before. Sept. 30, Rijp followed with a boat-load of provisions,
and conveyed his countrymen to Kola, and thence to Amsterdam'
They had been 104 days in performing the trip from their winter
quarters to Cape Kanine. Four of the seventeen had died; the
thu-teen survivors were welcomed home with much enthusiasm, and
entertamed at the expense of the city until they had received the money
that was due them. Ten years later, in 1607, Heemskerke received
the co>pmand of a flc. ^ of twenty-six vessels, and lost his life in a naval
battle with the Spaniards.

VOYAGE OF VAN NOORT.

On the .d of July, 1598, Oliver Van Noort, a young but
experienced navigator, left Amsterdam with two ships, two yachts and

01 ATTACKED Br I'ATAGONIANS.

248 men. The second in command win James Claaz d'Ulpenda, and
nn able Enj,'lish seaman named Melis, was pilot. The Northwest Pas-
sa^'e had been sou^'ht in va'n by the En^'Hsh, and the Northeast one
by both En},'lish and Dutch, with substantially the same result. For,
althoujjh a route had been discovered, it proved impracticable or uncer-
tain on .'iccount of the ice blockade to which it was subject. It became
necessary then to abandon all hope of share in the profitable traffic
with the East, or else break up the Spanish monopoly of the southern
route by the Cape of Good Hope.

The latter alternative was chosen, and Van Noort, with his little
band of 248 men, umlertook to fight his way to the Spice Islands, if he
could not succeed in eludinnf the watchfulness of his enemies. Knowing
that the route by the Straits of Magellan was the least frequented by
the Spaniards, he determined on pursuing that course. After touching
at Gorcc, they landed on Prince's Island, on the Gulf of Guinea, where
they lost twenty-one men including the pilot and a brother of Van
Noort, at the hands of the Portuguese. They discovered Annobon
Island on Jan. 5, 1 599, and sailed thence for the coast of Brazil. Driven
off by the hostile Portuguese and natives with the loss of seven men,
they reac bed a small island off the coast, where they found fresh pro-
visions and water, of which they were much in need. The admiral's ship
was injured by being driver on the rocky coast of the Island of Santa
Clara, and one of the yachts was abandoned for want of men. Noort
also lost one of his captains, who was buried at Port Desire. Here they
were attacked by the Patagonians, losing some men, but wreaking a ter-
rible revenge; thry annihilated the whole tribe. This was but a few
days before the close of the year 1599. Some weeks later they lost one
of the two larger vessels in a storm, and the squadron was reduced to
the flag-ship and one yacht.

But now their fortunes began to mend. They were kindly received by
the natives of some islands on the Pacific coast which they had reached
through the Straits of Magellan. The rich settlen^ents of the Spaniards in
Chili and Peru afforded opportunities for plunder of which Noort and his
men were not slow to avail themselves. In those days English and Dutch

BATTLE WITH SPAJVIAKDS. „

.. »aM ,„ Sp„„l„„N „„,, p,„,,„,,„,,,, „„„ ,_,.^,^^_^^,_.^^

on ,,o„ .„,„ba.a„., „„,, .h.> ,„„,„„,,., ,„,,_ „„^^,, ^,,^,_j J^"

.r„ .„„„„,. .hrou,,,,,,,, ,hc. civilize., wor,.,. Thoir „„„ .,,. .„„, „
.he .s„,h.e,e p,c.su,npHo„ of i„,„bordi„atio„ ,. ,,i,e„„,c.„., „„,. „,;,j

Ik „..,».» abamloncl them „„ desert Uia,,,!,, ,„.- ,„„., |„„„„„, ,„. ^,|,
the penal.,.. kn„„n ,o that bl„,„ly pcri,«i_p„e >hem to death.

I. w„, ab.,ue .he ,nid.ne „f S.p,e,„be,-, ,6o„, „hcn ,hey bore away

pn,e Wand, OC ,,, where .h.y .,.„k vc.eanee „:, .he ,.„„„,J1
for .he ,,a„, .er of tbeh- comrade. ,.„. .hey were swayed ,„„r ',
sp,r,. o. eruehy an.l rapaei.y .ha„ of re.ribu.ion for injuries receive,! „
even. be Chinese ,,„.» which. hey eneo„n.ered in .hL eas.: .

sha,ed ,he ,an,e ,a,e a, .bo ship, and see.le^ents „f .heir wes.ern ene.

";7; ""^ ^' '•''' ""•' Po^-K'-e, In .ru,h, .be au.horize,! naval force,

o .hose day, were bu. Ii..ie be,.er .ban freeboo.ers and pira.e,, and
often ,e below .he s.andard of ,|,e „„„„wed bnccaneer,. Finally . e
D.,.ch lell n, wi.b .wo Spanish ships which ,ave .be. ba..le. .,f ,1 i
en,a,e,nen. .bey los. „ve n,e„ ,<i,led, and .wen.y.five .akcn prisoner,;
and abo,.. a, many woun.lcl. They also los. one of .heir ships; bu. .he
Spaniard, 1„,. .wo b„„dre<: n,e„, and .heir flas-sbip .o„U Hre and wa,
dcroyed Noor., now in con,n,and of only a ,in,de vessel, had .be pecu-
har Ro,.l forU,ne .o fall in with a rich pri.e, a vessel of .he enemy laden
w,.h a valuable cargo of spices which be cap.ured in .he wa.er, o£ Bor-
neo. He n.ade all has.e .o reach home by the Cape of Good Hope, and
.-.mved a. Ro.,crdan,. An,. .6, ,&,, after a vova.e of over jhree
years. He was .he firs, of his coun.ry .o circumnavigate .he world ; and
h,slas.p,eceofs„cces, reimburse.1 hi. pa.rons for .be on.l.ay incurred.
Bu. wha. was of more impor.ance he had shown his coun.rymen .ha.
.he Spaniards were no. more invincible on .be ocean .ban .hev had

.shed .he follow„,g year, and attracted so much attention that it was
ranslated n,.o several languages. Van Noort survived his return at
least ten years, beinj. on record as late as .6i i.

VOl'AGE OF MAHU.

But, although this famous voyage attracted the attention of the world,
and won great ere lit for Van Noort among his countrymen for the skill
and coura.cre he had displaycii, it was of little commercial advantage.
Almost simultaneously with Van Noort's expedition, a squadron of five
sliips, fitted out mainly at the expense of the merchant Verhagen, left
Rotterdam under the command of James Mahu, with the famous Eng-
lishman, William Adams, as pilot, and Sehaldde Weert as captain of one
of the vessels. They lingered too long on the African coast, losing
Mahu and some of the crews. Reaching the Straits of Magellan they
were detained therein five months by adverse winds, and suflfered much
from scarcity of provisions, and the severity of the climate. They were
reduced to the necessity of eating raw herbs and shell-fish, which pro-
duced disease, and added to their misery. Some of the ships finally
effected a passage into the Pacific, but were dispersed in a storm. Adams
succeeded in reaching Japan in one of these vessels, with only five men
able to work on their arrival. His fortune, and that of his companions
in Japan, possesses much interest, but is foreign to the scope of this
work. Sebald de Weert, detained in the strait four months longer,
where, too. Van Noort passed him by without rendering any assistance,
finally effected his escape into the Atlantic, and discovered the islands
now known as the Falkland, but which he named the Sebaldine. After
a tedious voyage homeward he reached the Meuse some time in the year
1600, with only thirty-five men out of a crew of one hundred and rive.
This'expedition, or the part of it which arrived in Japan, led to the sup-
planting of the Portuguese by the Dutch in the lucrative trade with that
countr-y.

I i

^'ik ,jj^ i

le world,
the skill
vantage.
1 of five
Lgen, left
)us Eng-
in of one
it, losing
Han they
•ed much
ley were
lich pro-
)s finally
I. Adams

five men
mpanions
)e of this
s longer,
issistance,
le islands
e. After
1 the year

and rive.
:) the sup-
with that

PART II.

NEARLY flHETIE VnYflEES.^

« up! tcp! let us a voyage take!
Why sit we here at ease ?
Find its a vessel tight and strongs

Bound for the northern seas.
There shall we see the fierce white bear;

The sleepy seals aground.,
And the spouting whales that to and fro
Sail with a dreary soundP

— HOWITT.

CHAPTER VII.

P.KST .»c™ VOVAOH »„.„ -K..C._..., ,,,., ,,.„„,,,_
WALRUSES BROUGHT TO ENGLA.V.,_VOVAOE „K KmOHT ,„ „,^
HOPEW,E._.„ACKE„ .V S. V,.„ES -VOV.OES OK H„„sO. _
FOURTH AND LAST VOYAGE OK HUDSON.

I.. .60. ,l,e English r=,«w.d Aeir attempts .„ fl„a ,,, j,„,,„^^^,
Passage, .he search fc- which had been abandoned afte,- ,he las. voyag
of Dav.s ,n ,587. Cap.. Wey.no„.h was intrusted wi.h .he new ve!-
ure Pass.„g .hrongh Hudson's S.rai., he reached .he en.rance .0 Hud-
.ons B y w,thou. d.sas.er; but was d.iven back by „ violcn. s.onn and
returned wt.hou. achieving any definite result.

Distinctively Arctic vovao-pn nnrlw,- v. \- i.
fir,,v„ re ^"^^ ""''=' English auspices began wi.h the

fi s. oyage o. Steven Benne., in ,603. He sailed wi.h one small ves-
se^ .he .Gotlspecd ," fi.ted out a. .he expense of. the worshipful Fran s
atKU ,7^*7'''- -S-Wch he was iustruc.ed to' dispose o
a. Kola the Dutch trad.ug post in the north of Lapland. After sellin.
his goods he was to proceed to the Arctic Ocean on a voyage of discov!
ery. Bennet complied with his instructions in both particnirars. On J,
voyage fronr Kola northward he rediscovered the island which Z
rent, had discovered nine years before, and called Beat Island. Here
Benne. fotn,d foxes, but „o inhabitants, and named the islan.l Cherry
Island. He determined its latitude .0 be 74" 30'. He „,..,de a second
voyage thither in ,604, and found it covered with wild fowl and ,ea
horses or walruses. The teeth of the la.tei were a valu.able article of
commerce and Bennefs crew endeavored to secure a return cargo of
hem They crnelly blinded the animals with small shot, and then at-
emp.ed .0 kill .hem with ha.che.s. Bu. .heir cruel.y did no. av 1
h m much, for out of a thousand which .hey maimed, .hey killed only
fifteen. In ,605, being be,.er equipped, they succeeded no. only in .^e.-

ENTERPlilSR OF THE MUSCOVV COMPANV

ting a carjjo of teeth, but in boilinj,' the blubber into oil. In 1606, Ben-
net collected in a iortnight three hofrsheads of teeth and twenty-two bar-
rels of oil. In 1608, he was again on Cherry Island, and in seven hours
he and his companions killed 1,000 walruses. A couple were brought
alive to England, and the male was exhibited at court, "where the king
and many honorable personages beheld it with admiration for the
strangeness of the same, the like whereof had never before been seen in
England. Not long after it fell sick and died. As the beast in shape is
very strange, so it is of strange docility, and apt to be taught, as by good
experience we often proved."

The weather at Cherry Island at the end of June, was reported to be
calm and clear, and about as warm as in England at the same time of
year. Three lead mines were discovered; and in 1609 five English ships
were there at one time, with crews numbering 182 men, all loading with
furs, oil and walrus teeth.

Meanwhile, John Knight had been sent out by the Muscovy Com-
pany, April 18, 1606, in command of the " Hopewell" of 40 tons, to
resume the search for the Northwes^Passage. He had previously com-
manded a Danish vessel on a voyage to Greenland, and was a brave
and experienced seaman. Detained for a fortnight in Pentland Firth,
he struck across the Atlantic on a due west course. May 12, and about
the middle of June found himself on tlie coast of Labrador. Here he
encountered stormy weather, with a north wind which brought down
upon him huge masses of ice. The ship was soon surrounded with it,
and her rudder was carried away. Her hull also had been severely
nipped, and Capt. Knight was fain to take refuge in the first inlet, to
overhaul his ship and examine the stores and provisions.

His first chance not proving satisfactory, he crossed the inlet on the
next day, the 26th of June, with his brother and one of the crew. They
were seen to ascend a small hill not far from the shore, and before passing
to the other side they waved their hats as a parting salutation. Disappear-
m-.r on the other side, the boatmen waited on the shore for their return.
The day wore on, the sun went down, and evening darkened into night
without bringing any sign of their return. The men fired ofl' their

ATTACKED KT SAVAGES.

muskets, slKHitcd long and loudly, and blew their trumpets, but no
answer came. Disheartened and alarmed they pullai back to the ship
with the sad news that the commander and his companions were doubt-
less lost. To add to their mishap the night grew excessively cold, and
ail their efforts to reach the shore next morning proved unavailing. Ice
hemmed them in on every side, and despite their anxiety to go to the
relief of the missing, the most sanguine were compelled to yield to the
impossible, and leave the absent to their own resources. After two days
of this painful uncertainty, rendered doubly dreary by their apprehen-
sions for the safety of their friends, the knowledge of their fatn came
to them.

On the night of June 28 they were themselves attacked by the
savages, to the number of perhaps fifty, who appeared determined
to make them share the same fate. They were only eight, but they
made up their minds, if die they must, to sell their lives dearly. With
a large mastiff, the companion of their voyage, in front, they attacked
the fierce savages, and soon dispersed them. The volley of musketry
created havoc in their ranks as well as a superstitious dread, and they
fled to their canoes and made off in hot haste. They got entangled in
the ice-floe, and were long in getting beyond range of the muskets, and
as volley after -volley from the weapons of the besieged struck them,
cries, groans and lamentations rent the .lir, and aade the night hideous.
They were small of stature, of a tawny color, and slightly built, with lit-
tle or no beard, and flat noses. Dreading the return of the savages in
increased numbers, the Englishmen preferred to trust their lives to the
ice-covered sea in their disabled ship rather than take tlie chances of a
second onslaught from the barbarous savages, whom they suspected of
adding cannibalism to their other atrocities. Without a rudder, and
kept constantly at the pumps for three weeks, they reached the island
of Fogo on the northeast coast of Newfoundland, July 23, aided
chiefly by the current and their exertions at the oars. Here they were
assisted by the'fishermen, and after a delay of four weeks spent in repair-
ing the vessel, they set sail for England, where they arrived in safety
on the 34th of September of the same year.

I! iO*** ^

VOr/.GE Br WAT OF NORTH POLE ATTEMPTED.

VOYAGES OF HUDSON

In 1607 Henry Hudson sailed from England in command of one
small vessel with ten sailors, furnished by some merchants of London, to
search once more for a route to China. This time it was neither the
Northwest nor Northeast Passage that was to be sought, but an entirely
new route by the North Pole. This was therefore the first poi.au
VOYAGE, properly so called; and, like the preceding ones by the other
routes, was projected in the interests of commerce. The plan had been
suggested eighty years before by Robert Thorne, who may therefore be

regarded as the first visionary
who indulged in uttered dreams
of reaching the Pole. It remained
in abeyance while repeated efforts
were put forth to find the desired
rente through more southern and
less forbidding waters. Whether
now revived by Hudson or his
patrons is not known, but he was
intrusted willi its execution. He
soon reached latitude 73^ on tlie
east c(jast of Greenland, antl pro-
ceeded thence to the nortliern
point of vSpitzbergen, in latitude So°. Despite his most strenuous efforts
to ])ush forward to the Pole, he could only reach Si'^ 30', his further pas-
sage being blocked by the ice. He returned to England, with the con-
viction, often shared by many since his time, that the passage to the Pole
was forever made impassable l\v the ice.

In 1 60S he made a second voyage, followed by Barentz — an internie-
diiite route between what might be called the North Passage of the pre-
ceding year, and the Northeast Passage by the Straits -of Vaigats. He
reached Nova Zembla and went as high as 72" 25', but was again driven
back by the ice. In 1609, in the service of the Dutch East India Com-
pany, he tried the Northeast Passage and was again baffled by liie ice.

IIENHV lllDSON.

DISCOVERY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND. f^

He gave up all hope that that route could ever be made available for the
purposes of commerce, and proceeded at once in the opposite direction,
aiming to make Davis' Strait and search for the Northwest Passage'
Striking the western continent in the region of Nova Scotia, he sailed to

VIBW ON THE HUDSON.

the south and explored the coast to Chesapeake Bay, hoping perhaps to
find a West Passage to the Pacific. Retracing his course, he had the
good fortune to discover the island of Manhattan, now New York, and
the important river which now bears his name. He explored the Hud-

KENNEBEC COLON T.

I '!f

son almost to the site of the present city of Albany, and took possession
of the country in the name of the Netherlands.

THE FOURTH AND LAST VOYAGE OF HUDSON.

Almost simultaneously with Hudson's lirsl voyajife of discovery to
Arctic seas, in 1607, under tlie auspices of the Muscovy Company, two
voyages of colonization to the coasts of the North American continent,
were undertaken at tlie expense of two other English companies, the
London and the Plymouth, May 13, 1607, twelve days after the depart-
ure of Hudson, a squadron of three vessels, under the command of
Christopher Newport, was sent out to Virginia. There were 105 col-
onists; and these founded ainid great suffering and despite much disun-
ion, the first permanent English settlement in America, at Jamestown.
Among them were Bartholomew Gosnold, who had sought to establish
a colony, in 1602, in the vicinity of Cape Cod, but failed; and John
Smith, who explored Virginia ami Chesapeake Bay, and the coast of
New England, some years later, in 1614,

The second English colony of the year 1607 was the Kennebec col-
ony, on the coast of Maine, which was sent out under the command of
George Popham, three months later, in August. They were forty-nine
in number, and failing to find the mines, which were the primary object
of their venture, they returned to England in 1608. The French also
had made several voyages of colonization, and in 160S founded Quebec.
But we cannot turn aside to record the numerous voyages of this sort
that soon became an almost everyday occurrence; and we must return to
our subject. On the 17th of April, 1 610, Hudson left London for his
last voyage. His ship was named the Discovery, of but fifty-five tons
burden, and provisioned for only six months. Li all but the skill, cour-
age and experience of Hudson, this expedition lacked the chief elements
of success. It was specially unfortunate in the crew selected who, as the
sequel showed, were utterly unworthy of their brave commander.
On the I St of May they lef» Harwich on the southern coast of
England, and sailed for the Shetland and Faroe Islands. Leaving
these behind, they sighted Iceland on the nth, and bein<'- en-

HUDSON BAY DISCOVERED.

velopcd in a fog, and in clanger of running ..n the rocks, they cast
anchor.

When tiie fog lifted they proceeded along the .oast until they
reached VVestnianna Islands. They saw the Jokull, che Snaefell
and grandest of all, Hccla, tlie n..ted volcano, in the blaze of an'
eruption, and landing farther o,., tiiey bathed in one of the outflows
ot the great geyser, which they found hot enough to boil a fowl
Leaving Iceland, tiiey reached the east coast of Greenland in foi„-
days, and found it lined with a barrier of ice. " This <lay," says
Hudson, "we saw Greenland perfectly, over the ice; and this night
the sun went down due north, and rose north-northeast, so plvin- the fifth
day, we were in 65"." Turning Cape Farewell, and running toward
DaN-s' Strait, they encountered a large number of whales in the vicinity
of Cape Desolation. They now proceeded west-northwest, and at the
end of June discovered Resolution Island. Proceeding through the strait
that bears his name, and driven by turns to all the points of Ihe compass
to escape the icebergs, Hudson discovered and named several islands and
capes. Sailing around, buffeted by storms and ice floe, and threatened
with destruction from icebergs which were never out of sight, and land-
ing occasionally on an island or promontory, he readied the entrance to
the great bay that was destinCd-with the river and strait previously
d,scovered-to preserve his name. This sea, as it proved to b., he called
Michaelmas Bay, because discovered on the feast of St. Michael, the
39th of September. It has since been .lamed Hudson, in his honor
With equal modesty he had called this discovery of the previous year
the great North River, through which he had vainly hoped to reach' the
Pacific, the River of the Mountains.

Beclouded by fogs, stranded on shoals, <h- lodged on shelving rocks, the
ship made slow progress, and was fast becoming leaky and unsafe. The
nights were long and cold, and the ground was covered with snow. Giv-
nig up all intention of retracing his course, doubtless in the hope of find-
nig the coveted No-thwest Passage in the spring, Hudson now prepared
to go mto winter quarters. November first thev found a suitable
place to haul the vessel ashore, and by the tenth they we-e frozen in

SUPPOSED DISCOVERT OF SOUTH SEA.

On examination, the provisions were found so nearly exhausted, notwith-
standing the occasioita! .light assistance derived from huiitin--, that it be-
c:imc necessary to j it the men on short rations. A reward for every ad-
dition to their supplies was offered bv the commander in the hope of stim-
ulatinji^ the men to extraordinar\ ux-ruons in hunting. The alternative
of making an effort to escape before iliey had been compietf^ly hemmed
in seems to have been the choice of the greater portion of his crew, and
his adverse decision irritated them.

About the middle of November the gunner died, and the mal-
contents attnl)utcd his untimely end to the st verity of the commander.
Being filled with the sublime anticipation that in this broad, expand(.d sea,
was to be found the outlet so long desired and so patiently sought ff)r more
than a century by the chief navigators of Europe, may have rendered Hud-
son somewhat insensible to the more commonplace aspirations of his su-
bordinates, who in the midst of such dreary surroundings could not help
longing for the sight of home. And they felt that if there was now but
little chance of their ever enjoying that gratification, it was all due to the
perverse obstinacy of their commander. f hey might ere this have been
safely under cover of their respective roofs in Merrie England, instead of
facing death by starvation on the dreary shores of this inhospitable land, had
he yielded to their suggestions four months earlic,

When they had passed through Hudson Strait and entered the
great sea in August, most of them believed that the coveted passage
and South Sea had alike been found. Three months were wasted,
as they felt, in explorations which should have been left for the next
season's work, and the six months for which they had undertaken
service would have expired by the time tlicy arrived in England.
The reasoning was specious, but defective. It ignored the funda-
mental principle of associated action. Executive authority may rightly
be counseled or even remonstrated with, but mr-tnot be contravened
under penalty of disaster. The smoldering fires of discontent burned
secretly through the winter, ready at any moment to break -nto
inextinguishable flame by the fanning of any fresh breeze of disaf-
fection which might arise. Meanwhile, they had been able to subsist

"*!■

BARTERING WITH SAVAGES.

fa.rl,- well on .hdr »ca„, ..ore, and ,hc proceed, oi ehoir hunting. They
k.lcd .nunnbero, wild fowU-.^ do^en of •• white p„,,ridgcs"alo„ei
and wctc thei,. „i„d, „„. dise.,,.- hy the taint „£ ,n„,i„y ,hey would

ground. ,... h. acfon. Indeed, it i, h.^hly probable that he hatl hoped

to reaeh the ,en,al elin.e of China before the season wa, over; and when

he found no outlet to the south or wes, fron, the bay, hn nterely resigned

■mse f to the .evitable. The hope of success ba.l held hi^, captive

unttl ,. was ,„„ late to set out. It w.as an untoward ,nishap, and led to

.s unt,„ely .,„, undeserved fate-a„ error 'of jt„l«,,.eut for which he

should not h;ivc been lield responsible.

In the sprin,. they were visited by the .savages who traded valuable
furs for kn.vcs^ buttons and trinkets, but who unfo- unately had no surplus
prov.s,ons to barter. On the breakin,-up of the ice .".ht -nen were
deta.led to eateh T ., in whieh they had some success, affbniing temporary

but precarious relief. It i^ iinnn«Mrl fV,^«- *.u •

^ '^ ^jpposccl that the consj n-acy against the

commander was distinctly formulated on that •ccasion. He took an
other bo t and attempted to open communicatio vith the natives where
be had seen fires occasionally during the winter, in the hope of rcplen-
-sh.ng his stores from what he conceived were permanent settlements
But he l.nle<l to find any, and determined to leave James Bay. The stock
ofprovsions was almost ex hau.sted, and after being on short al owance
dunng the whole wi.aer, actual starvation now threatened them On
the eve of resuming th. voyage with the purpose of returning to Eng-
lan<l by the way they ha<l come, Hudson doled o what remained of
the provsions brought from home-a loaf of bre. ^ u. ead., and five
cheeses, equally divided among them. Eighty s, fis.cs were taken

soon after ; and with strict self-denial thev might, .t ,,s said, have lived
on these short rations for two weeks. How short they ^vore .s sho^^ n
by the statement .a, ^n one day the boatswain consumed his whole al
1.- ance, with the usual penalty for such excess when followinu on th^>
heels of continued privation, that he was . tor several "davs in
consequence.

The spring had passed, and they had fairly entered on their second

■^'i*

ffUDSON AND CUE IV r.OST.

summer; when, on the Jlst of Jinie, ihret.' of the (lisiifFected suddenly
pounced upon Hudson as he came on deck, an<l securely hound him.
Witli his son John, and the sick, si\ in number, and the ciU'penter, sturdy
John Kin^, whom tliey were unahle toenhst in their wicked seheme, the
jjaihmt commander of thi' " Discovery," the immortal Hudson, was thrust
into the ship's hoat, which was cut adrift, and left to shift for itself The
mutineers then stood to sea, steerin<x to the eastward tVoin their late
winter (juarters. In a few days they ran into the iie in a storm, and
were held fast fourteen days. It was probably in this storm that Hud-
son and his companions were lost, as they were never afterward seen or
heard from. So perished toward the close of June, i6i i, Henrv Hud-
son, one of the most able and distinjjuished navifjators of any aji^e
With very inadequate resources his fjreat talents secured the hiy;hest
results. One after another he tried the several proposed passajjes to
China, and his clear judijfment pronounced them all impracticable, at least
for commerce. He searched the Atlantic coast from the Chesapeake
to Greenland, and satisfied himself that there remained but one chance
for reachin}^ the Pacific by the Northwest, namely, bv the open sea
south of Greenland. He probably died in the conviction that Hudson's
Bay was not the openin;^^ soujjht, and had he not been cut ofTby the
treachery of his men, he mij.^ht after one or two more voya<ijes have an-
ticipated McClure's discovery by over two hundred years.

By the 37th of July the ship had reached the entrance of the Bay,
and on the 3Sth some of the men landed to shoot fowl. On makinjj the
land at Cape Dudley Dij^^fs — so named Mie year before bv Hudson in
honor of one of the patrons of the expedition, as was Cape Wolsten-
holme for another — they encountered some natives bound on the same
errand, with whom they trafficked peaceably. The next day, however,
when, unsuspicious of danger they resu iied the intercourse, they were
attacked liy the natives, and four out of the six engaged in the enter-
prise were either killed outright or died within a few days, of their
wounds. Others of the mutineers died on the homeward voyage, and
all suflcred dreadful privations. They finally reached Bere Haven, in
Bantry Bay, on the southwest coast of Ireland, whence, with the help

7-//^ SUtiV/VORS HE AC// ENG/.A/VD.

i.f frcHh seamen t<, work the ship, they were e.mhlecl to reach EiiKlaiul.
Ilahl.akuk I'ricket, who wrote an account of the voya-e, and Robert
IJillet or Hylot, mate and acting' master ..f the vessel on her arrival,
were the only ones wh.. presented themselves before the auth.,rities, the
other survivors slinkin;,' away into obscurity.

'mm

CHAPTER VIII.

VOYAGES OF POOLE BISCAYAN WHALE FISHERS BUTTON IN SEARCH

OF HUDSON hall's VOYAGE TO GREENLAND COMMERCIAL

voyage under baffin fotherby bylot discovery ok

Baffin's bay,,

In 1610, 161 1, and 1612, Jonas Poole, in the emjjloy of the Mus-
covy Company, made three distinct voyages to the Arctic regions, or
Northern Ocean. Like four others of the same class by Steven Bennct,
1603-8, they were all divested of any strong claim to scientific or
geograjohical voyages, though projected in part for that purpose, mainly,
no doubt, by the forco of circumstances. On their arrival in those waters
the commanders found very little to discover or explore. Seeing no
avenue to new discoveries in the wide waste of water studded with ice-
bergs instead of islands, they are not to be blamed, if, deeming it of more
advantage to return laden than empty, they turned their attention to the
hunting of seals and walruses on the coasts already discovered, especially
on Cherry Island, the Bear Island of Barentz, of which the Muscovy
Company took formal and exclusive possession in 1609. In his first
voyage as commander, in 1610, Poole went as high as 78'-^ and in his
report emphasized the observation of some of his predecessors that the
climate in the open sea toward the Pole is more temperate than in lower
latitudes. " A passage," he says, " may be as soon attained this way by
the Pole as any unknown way whatsoever, by reason the sun doth give
a great heat in this climate, and the ice that freezeth hero is nothing so
huge as I have seen in 73'."

He finally reached 79'-' 50' on this trip whicli was iiiti nded not
only to "catch a whale or two" but also for northern discovery.
These were his instructions : " Inasmuch as it hath pleased Al-
mighty God, through the industry of yourself and others, to discover

FIRST VOrAGE IN SEARCH OF A LOST EXPLORER.

unto our nation a land lying in eighty degrees toward the North
Pole; we are desirous not only to discover farther to the north-
ward along the said land, to fintl whether the same he an island or
a main, and which way the same doth trend, either to the eastward or to
the westward of the pole; as also whether the same be inhabited by any
people, or whether there be an open sea farther north than hath been
already discovered," etc.

In 1611 Poole again proceeded to the Arctic in company with
the first English ship expressly intended for whaling. Si\ Biscayans of
experience in killing whales wore added to the crew. Leaving the
whaler at work, Poole proceeded northward to So*?, and then crossing
westward, he explored the east coast of Greenland to a point about two
degrees north of any previously reached, or at least noted on the charts.
On liis return to the whaler, he found that, with the aid of the Biscayan
experts, they had caught thirteen, and they proceeded together to
England.

In his voyage of 1613-13, Poole found no less than twenty whalers-
six of tlieni Englisli, and one of these in command of the afterward cele-
l)rate(l William Bathn— in the sea of Spitzbergcn. French, Biscayan,
Spanish and Dutch were all represented; and all quietly submitted to the
ordcir of the English, who took exclusive possession of the island and
contiguous sea for the cnnvn of England, in 1613.

BUTTON IN SEARCH OF HUDSON.

The first voyage in search of a lost explorer was undertaken, in 1612,
by Sir Thomas Button. Ke was accompanied by Pricket, the historian
of Hudson's last voyage, and Bylot, who had served on the same voy-
age, as mate. Button was placed in command of two vessels, the Reso-
lution and Discovery. He foUowt-d tlie route pursued by Hudson
through the strait till he reached Southampton Island. Sailing west he
fell in with tlie main land at 60" 40', to which part of the west coast of
Hudson's Bay lie gave the name of Hopes Checked. He then sailed
towartl the south and discovered the bay called after his name. Farther
south, at 57" 10', he discovered Nelson River, on the 15th of August.

■M

...^^

VOTAGE TO GREENLAND.

Here, near the point of York Factory, lonef the chief center of the
Iludson's Buy Company's fur trade, he made his preparations
to winter. Some: of the crew died from the intensity of the cold. In
spring they were ahle to kill a plentiful supply of game, especially of
"white partridge," of which no less than iSoo dozen are said to have
been taker, and consumed liy the crews of the two vessels.

In April, the ice disappearing early, he sailed northward along the west
coast, discovering what are now called Mansfield's Islands, in 65°. He then
proceeded homeward, and arrived in England in the autumn, in thirteen
days, from Cape Chudlcigh, without having found any trace whatever
of the lost navigator. He carried with him a conviction, hut on what
based is not stated, that the Northwest Passage would be found leading
from Hudson's Bay. The iuHuence of his name did much toward hold-
ing his countrvmen in the trammels of this error for generations. As
will be seen presently, a navigator of more experience; birt lc«s influence,
attempted to correct the mistake a few year* later; but p«*4ic opinion
was swayed by tiie authority of a great name, and England chose to err
witii Button rather than to be set right by IJylot. Such things happen
yet, and in Animca as well as elsewhere. " 1 he influential" still carry
weight, not aidy as they should in matters of which they are fully cog-
nizant, and (lualified to pronounce upon, but also in matters entirely for-
eign to their line of thought and experience. Herein lies the mistake of
the public, " ravished with the whistling of a name." The world has
l)een long hekl in tl> tiiraldoni of various errors by the authority of
"•reat names, for<retting that one cannot mention a single delusion in the
history of humanity for which the autiiority of some great man may
not be quote<l.

HALL, BAFFIN, GIBBONS AND FOTHERBY.

In 1612, also, Capt. James Hall, with William Baflin as pilot, in
the service of the Muscovy Company, made a voyage to Greenland.
Hall had previously seived as pilot to a Danish exploring expedition of
three vessels, which had been sent to (rreenland in 1605, to search tor
the old Norse colonists in that quarter. On that occasion he hud reached

COMMERCIAL VOYAGE OF BAFFIN.

latitude 69% Init the crews refused to proceed farther, and in 1606 he
had also served as pilot to another Danish scpiadron of four vessels,
which were dispatched in search of gold aiid silver mines in Greenland.
At Cunningham's Ford they " landed to see the silver mine, where it
was decreed," says Hall, "we should take in as much as we could."
They kidnapped live natives from a settlement they found on the hanks
of the river in 66° 25', and took them to Denmark. In 1607 he was
compelled, hy a mutiny of his Danish crew, to return, unsuccessful, from
his third voyage to Greenland, under Danish auspices. He then seems
to have returned to his native country, but did not come into notice again
as an Arctic navigator until 1G13. On that ill fated voyage, having
landed at 66" 35', the scene of the kidnapping venture \\\ 1606, he was
recognized hy one of tlie natives, who \V\\\ at him and wounded liim
with his lance before he could defend himself, or even perceive his
danger. He died soon after; and all intercourse with the natives having
ceased with the attack upon Hall, HaiHn anil the crew returned to Eng-
land. It was in his report of this voyage that Bathn first indicated the
method of lliiding tlie position of a vessel at sea by obser\ation of the
heaveidy Iwdies.

In 161 3, as lias been stated, William Uallin was in the sea of Spitz-
tft»f<fcn with ttvc other captams, in the employ of the Muscovy Com-
pany, Like hii. predecessors in that line— IJennet and Poole— and his
cow^^y^^mfk of tlia«» season — names indcnown— Hallln turned the vovage
of 1613 ifXik-lU' into a commercial \eiUure for his employers. It was,
liouever, on this voyage that he remarked the extraordinarv refraction
of the atmosphere in nortliern latitudes, and deterniined its (piality at the
horizon to be twenty-sivc miiiates. He modestly lulds: " I suppose the
refraction is more or less according as tiie air is thick or clear, which I
leave for ])ettei- scl-iolars to (fecuss." He also entertained the hope, based
on an o])en sea l)etween (jreenland and .Hpitzlu-rgen, that a passage to
the Pole miglit be disc/wered. lie recommended to the company an an-
nual appropriation of $750 or .^i,cx)o for th;rt pur(X)se, deeming a small
vessel with a crew of ten men adeijuate to the uiMlcrtaking. He meant
l)erliaps that sucli a \essil detaciie'l from the whaling ileet for an

ARCTIC VOTAGE UNDER BAFFIN.

annual experiment might in some favorable season achieve the desired
result.

In 1614, Captain ()il)l)ons, a rehitive of Sir Thomas Button, and a
comixmion in tlie search voya-?e of 1612, proceeded ro Hudson ]?ay in
search of the Northwest Passajjfc. The season {jroved very different
from that of 161 2. lie was iiarassed incessantly by high winds, floatin<j-
ice, dense fogs and tlie resulting discouragement of the men, and re-
turned in safety without accomplishing anything.

In 1614, also, Robert Fotherby, with Willinm HafTin as pilot, made
an Arctic voyage, still in the service of the Muscovy Company. Reach-
ing latitude So'-'', tliey were repulsed by the ice and compelled to return.
And again, in 1615, Fotherby, on another Arctic voyage and in the ser-
vice of the same company, essayed the route of Hudson in 1607, and
like him was batlled in the effort to proceed beyond Spitzber"-en. He
had opportunity to correct some calculations made by Hudson, and more
definitely establish some of his observations. In 1615, also, Robert Bv-
lot, in company with BafKn, maele a voyage in search of the Nortliwest
Passage. They proceeded to Ihulson's Bay and searched in vain for an
outlet on the west coast of that great interior sea, whicli thev iiad sup-
posed was a gulf of the Pacific. How little they andd have imagined
that were the way as open as that by wiiich they had come, they would
yet be but little more than half way from Enghuul to the " South Sea"
in the latitude they were exploring. All analogy pointed the other
way; sea and land alternated at comparatively short distances. There
was no such lireadtli of unbroken continent within their knowledge.
Northern Asia presented a similar, and with Northern Europe, a broader
continuity uninterrupted hy ocean or sea, but tliose regions were as much
unknown to the men of tliat age as the recently discovered New World.
Captain Bylot's report was unfavorable to tlie theory based on Sir
Thomas Button's opinion, that the Nortluvest Passage was lo be found
leading out of Hudson's Bay.

It would have been a great gain had Bylot's opinion prevailed
instead of Button's, and had Hudson's IJay been thenceforth
avoided by all in s>earch of the long-sought passage. The limits,

BAFFIN'S BA T DISCO VERED.

one might say, within which it can alone be found, if at all, are
being narrowed; but the distance is long and the way lies through a lab-
yrinth of straits and islands. And every mile of tl\e way is more or less
liable to be blocked by the ice according to the changes of the wind and
the seasons. Yet the isroblem remains, and challenges humanity for a
solution; and so generation after generation of heroic navigators nerve
themselves to the task. Each successive aspirant for the distinction of
discoverer of the hidden pathway, dwells on the difficulties, ponders over
them carefully, studies all the pros and cons until he has solved the puz-
zle in his closet. He then enlists some government or wealthy in-
dividaal in his project; inspires them with a share of his enthusiasm or
magnetism, and the outfit is provided. Arriving at Greenland, he finds
ice-floe and icebergs utterly impenetrable to enthusiasm, and almost
equally so to sails and oars and sledges. And thus for generations
the work progresses. Brave, skillful and hardy navigators snatchmg at
the risk of their lives, and of the lives of men under their charge, here a
headland, there an expanse of water; again an island or a river, and
ever the problem remains unsolved; but ever, too, the possible limits are
narrowing, and man becomes satisfied that if to be solved at all, he is
evermore nearing the solution. Such problems have their uses in the in-
crease of knowledge and the development of the race.

In 1616, Bylot and Baffin, giving the entrance to Hudson's Bay a
wide bertli, pushed northward through Davis' Strait und discovered
what they named Baffin's Bay, and thus in their turn gave currency to
an error which had as much influence as that of Button, in retardiii"- the
actual discovery of the Northwest Passage. They seemed to have been
deceived by the western trend of Greenland, and to have on that account
concluded that the broad expanse of water which they had discovered,
was land-locked on the north. They entered Lancaster Sound as well as
Jones' and Smith's Sounds, and yet did not doubt the correctness of their
conclusion. They bclicvcl all three to be inclosed gulfs or inlets to the
bay ; and so, lacking c^.portunity to explore them more thoroughly
they returned to England, and Bylot's report of the voyage gave cur-
rency to the error. Bylot and Baffin had earned their reputations iis

' I i

VOrAGE OF THE DISCOVERr.

to II

caiLful and experienced navi{,':itors ; and where their observations could
be verified they were found to be exceptionally correct. What more
natural than not to suspect the fallacy tiiat had deceived them ?
Whether Lancaster, Jones or Smith Sounds were straits, or gulfs, was
not a question to be determined by conjectures of even experienced navi-
gators, but by actual exploration. And in this way are errors often
generated and perpetuated. In this famous voyage the crew consisted
of only fourteen men and two boys, besides Rylot and his mate or pilot,
Baffin. The vessel was the Discovery, the same that had so often
braved the dangers of tliose seas. They saw icebergs— fortunately they
did not meet them at close quarters— which they computed to reach 240
feet above the water, and to be probal^ly in all, 1680 feet high. In the
neighborhood of Resolution Island, Baffin witnessed the phenomenon of
seeing the sun and the moon at the same time, and availed himself of the
opportunity to compute the longitude. He adds : « If observations of
this kind, or some other, were made of places far remote, as at the Cape
Bona Speranza, Bantam, Japan, Nova Albion, and Magellan's Straits,
I suppose we should all have a truer geography than we have." Ob-
serving the tide to flow from the northward they were at one time con-
fident of success, but finding the water shallow in the inlets they had
entered, and being threatened by the ice, they returned, passing Resolu-
tion Island in the l)cginning of August, and arriving in England a
month later, without tlie loss of a man.

CHAPTER IX.

VOYAGES OF DUTCH UESUMKO _ MANHATTAN ISLAND OCCUPIED-
FIRST VOYAGE AUOUND THK HOUN-VOYAGE OK MUNK- CASKS
nUUST liY EKOST— V0YA(;E OK THE MAYFLOWER.

The defeat ami death of Sebastian of Portugal by the Moors at Al-
cazar-Kebir in 1578, and the extinction of the old line of soverei-ns, hy
the death of his uncle, the archbishop, Kinjr Henry, in 15S0, led^y'the
union of that kingdom with Spain, and the decay of its maritime and col-
onial power. The Dutch exerted themselves, with success, to seize the
Portuguese trr.de with the East, without, however, embarrassing them-
selves by establishing military colonies or waging wars of subjugation.
The trade, not the territory, was what they sought, and this they adroit-
ly slipped into. Their late sovereign, Philip H., who had just imited
the crowns of Portugal and Spain, had exhausted his finances in the long
effort to subdue them; and was more interested in quarrels with France
and England, than in maintaining the maritime supremacy of his
dominions. This pre-occupation furnished the enterprising Dutch with a
favorable opportunity to prosecute their schemes of commercial aggrand-
izement. They soon secured a virtual m.mopoly of the coasting^trade
of the East. Within a few years of the organization of theh- great
trading corjooration, known as the East India Company, in 1602, "they
had established central entrepots, for revictualing and repairing, as well
as for influencing the natives and controlling their trade, at the Cape of
GoodHopeJava, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Moluccas. They secured
exclusive control of the spice trade with these last named islands.

Meanwhile, through the good fortune of the discovery, in 1609, by
Hudson, while temporarily in their employ, of tiie Delaware and the
Hudson, or as they called them, the South and North Rivers, the Dutch
gained a foothold in North America, which they were not loner in mak-

V02'AGE AROUND CAPE IIOHN.

\\v^ use of ;is a center of trade with the savajifcs of the New Worhl. In
1613 they sent out a mercantile colony to occupy Manhattan Islaiul,
now New ^'ork. In 161 f Adriacn Block explored Lon<^ Islaiul Sound,
in a small vessel l)uilt l)y him in American waters; and the same year
Cornelius Jacohsen Mey was sent out from Amsterdam to explore the
coast north from the Delaware. The (ixclusiveness of the Dutch I'^ast
India Company in relation to the specially j)rofitahle spice trade of the
Moluccas, led to an important maritime discovery,

FIRST VOYAGE AROUND THE HORN.

The States-General of the Netherlands were sharers in the profits of
the trading company they had established,, and had ordained that none

CAPK IIOKN.

hut tlie servants of the company should <^o to the Spice Islands. As an
at'.leil protection, llie routes by the Cape of Good Hope and the Straits
of Magellan were by law reserved for their exclusive use. The other
merchants might traUk- all the world over with these trilling restrictions,
but to ste( r their barks l)y either of tliese routes entailed the penally of

■I

A' I

SCANDINAVIAN VOYAGES. 91

confiscation of the vessels, and arrest of the owners. Schontcn, a navi-
f^-ator of experience and ability, conceived the project of (hulin- a passa<re
south of the Straits of Maf,a>llan. Assisted in the enterprise by Lemai^e,
who also accompanied him as snpercar<.o, or perhaps as captain of one of
tiie vessels, and some other merchants „f Horn in Holland, Schonten,
i<. 1615, Htted out two vessels, and made the first voya-e by way of the'
American Cape, which he called Hon, in honor of the town in Holland
where the expedition had been or^janized.

The strait between Terra del Fue^^o and Staten Island-that is,
.stand of the States of Holland, also so named by Schonten_he
named m honor of bis companion, Lemaire, who, for all that it
appears was himself its actual .liscoverer. After many adventu'res
and discoveries in t],c islands of the Pacific, they arrived "n safety
at the Moluccas, in sixteen months from the day of their rleparture
trom the Texel. Their vessels were confiscated bv the East India
Company, an,l ofik-ers and erew sent home for trial. Lemaire
cl.sappomted and excessivel'y cha.<.rinecl at such a reward for the services
rendered, and the discoveries nuule by himself and companion, died on
'He voya<^e home, at Mauritius, in ,616. Schontcn, less sensitive than
h.spatron,then.erchant,and, as an experienced captain, more accus-
tomed to tile arbitrary proceedings of the officials of the great Dutch
company, lived to perform several routine voyages to the East, and died
■n ^(^^S. "i tlie Hay of Antongil, on the east coast of Madagascar, where
he liad taken refuge from tempestuous weather on his last return voya<^e
-a liero of maritime exploration not so celebrated as some, but wonhy
ol benig rescued from olilivion.

VOYAGE OF JENS MUNK.

Christian IV., of Denmark and Norway,made an advanta<aH,us
peace with Custavus Adolphus in .6,,^; an.l was thus enabled to turn
Ins attention to the welfare of his sul^jects. Kc strengthened the mari-
tnnc uuerests and power of his kingdom, a,ul extende.l its commerce to
t'H' I.ast Indies, where be was the first sovereign of Denmark to gain
possessions. \\^- curbing the encroachments of the Ilause towns he en-

STOJiES DESTIiOVED liV I'liOST.

lar<ijc(I llii> splicrc of inland trade- for liis snlijcct' . I'^ioni a soverciijfn of
such I)roa(I ideas and niaj^uanimoiis purposes it was nnlnial lo seek for
cncouraj^L'incnt in nortlicni exploration, lie had anthoii/ed a^ early as
1605 the search expedition under Admiral Lindeinan, with the Enj^lish-
nian James Hall, as pilot, and tin; other (rreenland voya'^es of that
period, wliieh have heen previously mentioned. And now, in 1619, an
able navijj^ator named Jens Munk was sent out in command of two ves-
sels, one with tortv-eii^ht seamen and tiie other with oiUy sixteen. He
left Elsinore on the iSth of Mav and maile foi' the south coast of (irecil-
land. He pioceeded from Cape Farewell lo HudsoiTs IJav directly
throu<:fh Iludsc^i's Strait, which he named ChristiaiTs Strait in honor of
his sovereign. The new name was not retained. DaiiiNli voyai^ers were
too few, and I^iiLi'lish too man\- in those waters, to permit it. He met a
yreat deal of 'ce, and on the 7th of Septemhcr entered what is known
as Chesterlield Inlet on the northwest coast ol" Hudson's l>ay, wiiere he
was compelled to winter. The ice closed in rapidly around him, and
he l)e<,'an at once to erect huts. As soon as these wei'c completed they
bet^'an to provide winter su[)plies hy lumtinLT.

I'^ortunately .i^ame was abundant. Hears, foxes, hares, parlridijjes,
and various wild fowls were made available, and they collected
a ;_;()odlv store, yet not enough for the loni;- winter. With the
perversitv born of superstition thev interpreted some unusual appear-
ances thev noted in the sun and moon as ill omens. And when
their brandv, wine, and beer, expanded by the frost, hurst the
casks, a part of the evil pro])hec\- was fulillled because of^
their ignorance. They consumed these to excess to keep them from
bein!4- entirely lost, not knowiuL;' that to lose them wouKl ha\e piox-ed a
great .Li^ain, since imprudence in their use rapidlv lirouL^ht on disease,
and this hastened the fuliUlment of their wor>t forebodinn-s. The rei^u-
lar supplies of food were rannin;^- low, and the scuiAy and other diseases
to which they had fallen a prey throuijjh over-indulLjence in spirituous
and malt liquors, untilted them for replenishiuLf their stores. Wild fowl
was still abundant, but they could not kill or capture them. IJefore the
end of May, 1620, sixty-two out of the sixty-lour men had jierished by

ifi .

ENGLISH VurAuE OF COLONIZATluN,

9<I

famine an iiscnsc, ami only Munk and two seamen survived. liy su-
l)crlii \iitions they inana.i^ed to obtain some means of suhsiHtetice;

"lid l> rajua;^ away tlic snow icy found some jjrasses, roots, and
iierhs, lii' relieved tl in o*" the -y. They crawled to a nei;^h-

1)1 inj,' stream and cauj,'hl fM nod by this healthful food, and

free fi in thi- (hm^'er of :iK()hoiK sli nilants, they soon were able to kill
birds and aiiiii ds, '''hey now proceeded to fit the smaller vessel for the
homeward vc^ i^je, I actually accomplished the feat, arriving in Nor-
way on the 25th of ,Sepleml)er.

COLONIZATION VOYAGES.

Amoii<r the vovai^es of
;^j coloni/atioii of this period,
.: ' "^^y none is more notew thy
- - than that of the " May»
flower," which arrivetl at Cape Cod,
with the " Pilgrim '' colonists Nov.
i.A.Nni.NG 01 tut: MAvi'i.owKK. 2 1, 1620. "^riierc were fortv-one

adult male- besides wunicu and children, and lormed the nucleus of the

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

/i "^Md ///// ^

;/,

1.0 Iria IIM

I.I

11.25

I^ 1^ 12.0

1-4 llli 1.6

FliotDgraphic

Sdences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

..*

^cT C'?

NEWFOUNDLAND COLONIZED.

fill

New England settlements. These first arrivals were r. branch of the
Puritans, and had souglit refuge in Holland from the persecutions to
which they were subjected in England. Not finding their associations
and surroundings congenial in Holland, they conceived the idea of set-
tling in America. They obtained a grant from the southern branch of
the English colonization company, known as the London or Virginia
Company, but haj.pened to land on the domain of the northern or
Plymouth Company.

In 1 62 1 a colony was established in Newfoundland by Lord Balti-
more. Several other colonization voyages to various points along the
Atlantic coast of America were inaugurated under English, French and
Dutch auspices, in the time which intervened between the northern
exploring voyage of Jens Munk, the Dane, and the next one of the
same sort which merits our attention. Some of these were to foimd
new settlements, and some to strengthen those already established; but
all are alike foreign to the scope of our work, and though full of
interest, must be omitted.

iijlH;.:

CHAPTER X.

VOVAOES OK KOX AND JAMES-ENTrUPHISK OK BKISTOI. .VKUCi.ANTS
-MARVELOUS ESCAPE FROM ICEBERGS-REACH OPEN V^ATKR-
I^AND ON CHARLTON ISLAND _ THE SHIP SUNK -HUILDI.Vc; A
BOAT-SUFFERING AND DEATH-THE BOAT LAUNCHED-POEM
OF JAMES— THE RETURN VOYAGE.

In 1631 Captain Luke Fox was given command of cnc of the
kmg's ships, to search for a Northwest Passage. On taking leave the
kmg furnished him with a chart exhibiting all his predecessors^ discov-
eries, a letter of instructions, and a letter of introduction to the Emperor
of Japan. Fox says " he had been itching after northern discovery ever
smce 1606, when he wished to have gone as mate to John Knight " In
h.s account of his voyage, he warns -'the gentle reader not to expect
here any flourishing phrases or eloquent terms; for this child of mine
begot in the northwest's cold clime, where they breed no scholars is'
not able to digest the sweet milk of rhetoric."

In Hudson's Strait, Fox was much hampered with ice, and yet the
masses he met were " seldom bigger than a church." At Salisbury
Island, in Hudson's Strait, 63°, 37', he observed that the needle became
sluggish, which he ascribed to "the sharpness of the air interposed
between the needle and the attractive point." He gave the name, Sir
Thomas Roe's Welcome, to an island on the northwest coast of Hud-
son's Bay, but the channel dividing Southampton Island from the main-
land ,s now known by that name. It has not yet been definitely ascer-
tained whether Southampton is one or many islands. On the island
discovered by Fox was found a burying-ground of the natives; and it
was ascertained that they had deposited with the dead, bows, arrows and
da.ts, miny of them with iron heads, and one with copper. At Nelson's
River he fcund the cross erected by Sir Thomas Button. It was in

i til

W I

BOAT DESTROrED IN THE ICE.

this neighborhood that he met Captain James' vessel on the 29th of
August, which he visited with a few of his men. He seems to have
sailed directl\ homeward after that interview, for he arrived in Eno-.
land on the last day of OcLober, " not having lost one man or boy, nor
any manner of tackling, having been forth nearly six months; all
glory be to God." At Roe's Welcome he had observed the tide set
in from the north, and this, together with the great number of whales
met there, leil him to think he was near the Northwest Passa<re. or
entrance to the South Sea. He contributed to keep up the theory that
in Hudson's Bay would be found the coveted route to Japan.

Bylot and Baffin had pronounced against it, but they had also de-
clared against Baffin's Bay, and public opinion in England was divided,
but with a preference for the former. It certainly opened far to the
south and west, which was as certainly the direction in which lay the
South Sea. What is more natural then than to connect the two in im-
agination, and infer their connection in fact.?

Not to be outdone by the London merchants, who supplied Fox's
outfit, those of Bristol furnished a similar exiDcditiou on the same errand,
in the hope of winning the glory of the coveted discovery for the good
city of Bristol, from which the Cabots had sailed five generations before.
Their sliip was intrusted to Captain Thomas James, who was kindly
furnished liy the king with a duplicate of the documents given to Fox.
James selected a crew of twenty-two picked men for his vessel of
seventy tons, or twice as many as were absolutely necessarv. They
were all active, sober young men, and unmarried, and had been chosen
from a body of seamen who had never made a voyage to those regions.
They left Milford on the 17th of May and sighted Greenland on the
4th of June. One of the boats was ripped by the ice, but soon
repaired, the ship being carefully provided with all things necessary to
meet such accidents, as well as with a supply of provisions for eighteen
months. This was largely due to the wise forethought of the com-
mander. Around icebergs and through ice hoes, with sails and cord-
age frozen, they threaded their weary way to Resolution Island, which
they reached on the i8th. For five days they hung between life

! S

D/SCOVEIil' OF yAMES BAT. qT

and death, engaged in an incessant struggle to keep tiie ship from
being crushed by the icebergs, which somotimes overhung her deck
and gratecl her sides. In gratitude for their escape from destruc-
tion they named the place the » Harbor of God's Providence." Cap-
tain James, with great exertion and at great risk, found a sheltered
cove at 6i?24',to which they now succeeded in working the boat.
The rise of a favorable wind on the next day induced them to leave
this secure refuge and renew the battle with the ice floes. Not an
acre of open sea could be discerned from the masthead, and the ice-
pack crunched against the sides of the ship with such violence that
they feared it would tear away the planks and break her to pieces.
It was the 6th of August before they got into the open sea, and on
the nth they saw land on the western shore of Hudson's Bay, in
latitude 59%o'. On the 22d, while at anchor, tho ship was dri'ven
by a gale, but fortunately the anchor again caught, while the sudden
shock nearly proved fatal to several of the crew. Eight of them were
hurled from the capstan, and all were more or less injured. One, the
gunner's mate, had bis leg so crushed that it became necessary to
amputate it.

After the visit from Captain Fox, whom they entertained on board
as well as circumstances would permit, on the 29th of August, some-
where in the xicinity of Nelson River, they continued to explore the
southern coast, moving eastward. On the 3d of September they
sighted the cape at the entrance of the bay which has been called James'
Bay in honor of the navigator. This headland James named Cape Hen-
rietta, in honor of the Queen of England. Proceeding south, he next
discovered an island, in latitude 52^' 45', which he named Lord Weston's
Island; and in 52^ 10', one to which he gave the name of his patron.
Sir Thomas Roe. James had some hope of finding a passage to the
" River of Canada," the St. Lawrence, from the foot of the bay. They
landed on several small islands m search of an eligible spot for winter
quarters, a^- it was growing late in the season and their ship had received
some injury in its battles with the ice, rocks, and shoals. On the 2d
ofOctober,^four months after they had sighted Greenland, a landing

■ 'I ! i

J;'

if;,.

*• !.■ 1

SCUTTLING THE SHIP.

was effected on a well-wooded coast which they first named for the Earl
of Derby, but this name they afterward changed, for some unexplained
reason, to Charlton Island. From its highlands they could see nothn..
more suitable to the south, tne bottom of the bay being studded with
rocks and shoals.

They now cut a large quantity of wood, enough at least for three
months' fuel, and at the request of the sick, erected a hut on the island
They explored the island carefully, among other objects to ascertain if
there were any savages. They found traces of them, but none were then
on the island. A party of six proceeded into the interior on a hunting
expedition, Oct. 14, and returned the next day with one deer
which they had brought twelve miles. They reported havin^ seen'
some others. A few days later another p.irty set out to explore thelsland
and returned unsuccessful and disabled by the cold. They lost one m.n
who, in crossing a pond, broke through the ice and was drawn under
They dug a well near the hut, obtaining drinkable water but of a pe
cuhar taste. On r he 12th of November the hut took fire, but they were
able to save it. Thenceforth they kept up a regular fire-watch; for as
they required great fires to protect them from the cold it was necessary
to use every precaution to prevent the disaster of being burned out. On
the 32d died one of .heir number who had lost a leg at the time the
eight had been hurled from the capstan.

Not finding a sheltered spot for the vessel, she lay at anchor off the
.slar J, exposed to the ice, and on the 24th she was driven by the pressure
toward the shore and stopped a mile from the land in twelve feet of
water. Finally, on the 29th, after the ship had been forced close to
the shore by the wind and ice, they scuttled and sunk her. They saved
most of the provisions, but lost their clothes and the medicine chest
The seventeen that had remained now joined the sick in the hut, and
thawed themselves out by a rousing fire. The captain encouraged them
to hope for the best, reminding them that if the worst came they wei-
as near to heaven there as in England. They pledged themselves to be
faithful to one another, to do their utmost for the common welfare, and
obey their commander to the death. Should the ship prove irrecovera-

iil

or the Earl
nexplained
ee nothinj^
idded with

t for three
the island,
iscertain if
were then
a hunting
one deer,
ving seen
the island,
: one man
k^n under.
: of a pe-
thej^ were
:h; for as
necessary
out. On
time the

r off the
pressure

s feet of
close to

ey saved

le chest.

but, and

ed them

sy were

es to be

are, and

icovera-

BUILDING A BOAT. jg

ble or unseaworthy in the spring, they would build a boat from the tim-

bers and the wood on the island, and try to return to the haunts of civil-

ized men, if not to England, by that means.

On the .oth of December the carpenter began to work on the new

boat. The crew were busily engaged from the first to the twenty-first
of the month, rescuing goods from the hold of the vessel, and taking
them to the shore with great difficulty. The well had frozen, but they
found a spring of water under the snow at a short distance, which served
them better. They constructed three more huts, one of which was to
serve as a kitchen. The snow covered their houses, adding to the
warmth, and they celebrated Christmas as joyfully as could be expected
Knowmg nothing of Gulf Stream or isothermal lines, they were at a
loss to understand how the climate could be so much more severe than
in the corresponding latitude at home. They were about on a line with
the port of Harwich, and not quite one degree and a quarter north of the
latitude of London.

By the end of January the ground was frozen to a depth of ten feef
and the men were terribly afflicted by disease, accompanied with sores,'
pams and swellings ; fully two-thirds being ut.der the surgeon's care.
They bore up manfully, and despite their privations and sufferings, strug
gled bravely for their common safety. With feet frost-bitten and shoe-
less, and wrapped in rags as a substitute, they walked into the forest to
gather their daily supply „f u'ood. And so thev fought the battle
through February, with the special discouragement' of thT> illness of the
carpenter, around whom chiefly clustered their hopes c.f seeing their
native land again, l^ut the brave carpenter managed to make some
headway with his boat and kept at Nvork even when so ill as to require
to be carried to it. He supplied models of the timbers he wanted, and
the men searched for suitable trees through the forest, cut them down
and brought them to him. By Easter, April ist, he was entirely dis-
abled, with four others; of the remainder only as manv more retained
strength and appetite to consume their daily allowance of food. The
well waited on the sick, the sick did what service they could, and so they
continued to fight the good fight, and do their duty one to another.

Il.'l

100

THE NEW VESSEL LAUNCHED.

101

\r\wg April those wlio were st

am in

injjf the vessel, trying' to

ronjTcst busied themselves wit!

h ex-

tiew boat was about half built, but th

ascertain it" she was seaworthy. The

both f;

le car

brok

:ul It would be necessary to cross to the mainland

penter was dying, and should

eup. They celebrated the last ni<fht o/ April,

on the ice, before it

the eve of May-day,

wuh the observances customary in those days in En,.land, thus trying to
keep up their spirits by feignino- a jollity they .lid not feci, and uncon-
sc.o.,sly n^cogni^ing a law of human liti- that cheerfulness promotes
health. Ihe uKuster's n>ate died on the sixth, and the carpenter on the
eighteenth of May, reducing their number to eighteen besides the cap-
tmn Still they worked at the ship, and to their industry and activity is
probably to be ascribed the survival of so large a proportion of them.
The captam seemed born to lead under adverse circumstances. And he
was ably seconded by his men. The dying carpenter kept at his work
t.ll the last moment, and left the boat in so forward a state that the men
could nnish it, should the ship be found unfit for use. All honor to the
memory of William Cole, one of the earliest heroes of Arctic exploration'
On the 22d they succeeded in pumping the ship almost drv, and on the
24th the >ce broke all along the bay with a tremendous noise With
then- habitual foresight they cleared a spot for vegetables a month earlier
and these, together with some wild vetches, were given to the sick, who
were much benefited thereby.

By the Sth of June they had pumped the ship entirely drv and
she floatcl in the dock she had excavated by her own weight "in the
sand. On the nth they were enabled to hang the rudder, which had
been lost months before in the storm, and which they had hunted for
with great labor under the ice, and rescued three weeks b >fore On the
16th they got the vessel into deep water, and on the 19th ihev saw a
considerable expanse of open sea, and towed their vessel to where thev
had originally anchored her, about a mile fron. the shore. They now
got the ballast which they had previously thrown overboard, and placed
It and the provisions again on board. June 21 Capt. [ames erected a
cross on which he inscribed the names of the King and Queen of Eng.
land, with the added title of Sovereigns of Newfoundland, and of ^these

102

POEM OF JAMBS.

torntones to New Albion," still .....e.- the i.nprcssion that they were
near Cah ornia arul the Sonth Sea. ()„ the 35th he built a Hre on the
.snn. n.the hope ..f attracting the natives, if there were any ..n the
■slancl, and had ditHcuhy in escaping nnharn.e.l. TIk- fire spread rapidly
and bnrned the honses they had constrncted, but they had fortunately
removed everything of value in advance. My the last of the month they
a.l the.r sh.p full .,,,..., an.l everything, in order, not for^ettin,. their
dead comrades, over whose .raves they raised n.emorial cairns. The
body o the one buried a, sea had been thrown up n.eanwhile, an.l was
-n erred w.th the others. July the ,irst the captain n.ade a record of
what ha<l transpired and of his future intentions, and left it at the cross
he had erected. They paid a ,lna! visit to the to.nbs of their dead,
where mormn, and evenin, prayers were read, and the last meals on
and were prepare.l an<I eaten. The captain, with characteristic ^ood
feelm-, composed the following lines:

I were unkind, unless that I did shed
Hoiorc I j,art, some tears „pon our dead ;

And when my eyes he dry, I uiH „ot cease

In Iioart to pray their i,ones may rest in ,>eacc.

'I'heir better parts, good souls, I know wcmo -iven

With the intent that they return to Heaven.

'i'hcir lives they spent to the last drop of hlood,

•Seekin- (Jod's glory and their eo mtry's good ;'

And as a valiant soldier rather dies

Tha.i yield his courage to his enemies,

And stops their way with his hew'd tlesh, when death

Hath quite dei^rived him of his strength and breath ;

■So have they spent themselves, an<i here they lie,

A famous mark of our discoverv.

We that survive, perehanee may end our ilays

In some employment meriting no praise;

They have outlived this fear, and their brave ends

Will ever be an honor to their friends.

Why drop you .so, .nine cyes.^ Nay, rather pour

My sad departure in a solemn shower.

The winter's eold that lately froze our blood,

loe

DANGER FROM STORM.

Now. were it so extre.no, ,ni«ht do this «ood
Ah make these tears bright pearls, wnica r w'ouid lay
rombMsatelv with vou. til, d..o,...s ratal da,; '

rhat .n this solit^try place, where none

VV.ll ever eon.e to breathe a siKh or ,,roa„.
^o.„e remnant nu^.u be extant of the true

And faithiul love i eve, tender-d you.

On! rest in peace, dear friends, and-let it be
No Prule to s„y_the sometime part of ,ne.
What pain and anj,nush doth artliet the head
1 he heart and ston.aeh, when the li„,hs are dead ^

i>o grieved I kiss vour m-.-e. „ .

- """^ K''i' es, and vow to die

A foster-father to your n,emoryr

/■pi

Wind and icebergs in rrmes' 1^'!"".' '^"^"^"'' ^'"' '^'"'■'' '''''■'-'" "bout by
.hey pa.cd Cape il.i..::„ '' ^j'^^ ''^ """'^ -""'• <■"■■ "-..h
it on eho 30th. On the d^hth of A u^^ ""'' "^"^"^ ''"'"" ""«»

'-l^ing ,h.ee week,, ..Le-a .:"! ,f ■?"■, ;''• '-'- —"»
grea. danger a, ever, for the ship fcLcl' si, In 7 ""'" "'"' "' "

were they ,e. free of .heir p rsi, „. „ ' T'^' •'^'"""" '-• ^or

.n«:"hesai<,.ohavebee,/„e HetTo^r '" '"" '^'"^■" '^^^
'he .7.h, .hey go. clear of .he ice nd I .h 7 '"'"'*'• ^'■"""^' ""
-« 'wodays,a.eri„ 63" 30' ibo ' Th "' "^" "' "^^ ° -'•

«" ie. .hey „igh. he e!™p' ed' .„ rl ^ Lr";'" "' ""*^"'' ''"^•
energy .0 p„. .,,e„ fo„h hj^| ,,;„ ' '~" "'"'^" """ "'e

».°™ arose o„ .he .,.h ,„ , , 7"°" ''™'" "^= '''^'-" "-«

'we„.y.fo„r hours. To a d h ■','° """'" '"' ""-'-1' '-

>'~eo„ch,dod .0 .urnti:::" r ."•", ''^ ■"- '->'•

eo„.i„„ed .0 warra„.„„. ......her effo,,, 't e, , "'" ""'" """""»

1'he year had been exce„.io„,„ / ''""°" '""'='" '"'"'^'i''"^-

--red on .he ,6.h .^Z'Z:;^"' """ '"^^ """ '^'-""^
When .his resolution was .akenTl ,^ "^ ""' '" '"«'■'"<■■ '^5° 30',

taken, .,nd s„II among icebergs which over.

104

ARRIVE AT liRlsroi.

topped the mast.hca.l. In :. week dw-y reached Resolution Island, at
the mouth of Hudson's Strait, and it was not until Oct. 2Z, ,6», that
they reached Bristol, harassed to the very last by adverse win.ls, after
.n absence of seventeen months and five days, or very nearly the period
for vvh.ch Capt. James had provided .tores a, d supplies in .-..Ivance

Gl'I.I.V,

CHAPTER XI.

AN mTKKVAL ..KTVVKKX AKCU VOV A<;ks _ wrXTKnrNr. ,X T„K
ARCTIC UEOION-nHATH OK M A V KN-.nHKU DITCH VOV Xc;ks_.
CAPTAIN ,:aVEN U,SES ,ns .S,n,._,.HUTAMTV «,. A m cu
CAPTAIN—WIllcit IS TIIK WAV TO INDIA?

A \onir interval in Arctic voyaj^cs of exploration now eusuai. The
labors of Capuuns Fox and Janu-s had increased the probability that the
Northwest Passa,a. shonld he so.:,ht elsewhe.e. Th. one had failed to
nnd ,t n, the extreme north, the other in the extrcn.e south, and they
and the.r predecessors, in the west of Hudson's Hay. And, as we have
seen, Baffin's Bay had been declared against by its discoverers. Public
opmion ceased to be occupied with the question, and in England it was
very earnestly engaged in discussing the great religious an.l political
questions of the day. The persecution of the Puritans, the beheadin.. of
Charles I., the rise and fall of Cromwell, the restoration of diaries H
the revolution and expulsion of James n.,with the turmoil and confusion'
and pre-occupation incidental to these various changes, left little leisure
for outs,de enterprises. "The tight little island" itself supplied an ample
field for the enterprise and daring of her most adventurous sons. It is
only m tunes of peace that man occupies himself with discovery, or
makes any important advance in the arts of hfe. The art of w^r is .
deadly avs and all its tendencies are to destruction. It may sometimes
be necessary, but even then is only a choice of evils.

In France, " the wars of the Fronde," the struggles of the parlia-
ment and of the nobility ..gainst the encroachments of the crown, the
burdens of taxation and administration, and later on the militarv erup-
tions of the " great monarch," with the attendant glory, produced the
same results as in England, in relation to voyages of exploration.
Meanwhile, the -Phirty Years' War," 1618-48, had embroiled all

105

106

FROZEN UP.

Europe. And so the remainder of the seventeenth century, stormy
enough on land, was marked by a complete lull in maritime exploration.
Such voyacres as were undertaken to America had colonization, not dis-
covery, for their object; and in them were engaged some of the most
enterprising spirits among the English, French and Dutch of that age.
But commerce, besides supplying the wants of the belligerent hosts con-
tending on almost every battlefield of Europe, was not unmindful of the
peculiar riches of Arctic seas. Accordingly we find that Dutch and
English whaling voyages continued uninterruptedly, and from among
the-i a few have been selected as most noteworthy for the stirring ad-
ventures, hairbreadth escapes and tragic endings which characterized
them. Through such experiences, in great measure, has been slowly
and painfully gathered a knowledge of the methods and precautions
neLC.-nry to tlie preservation of human life in those northern latitudes.

WINTERING IN THE ARCTIC.

The Dutch had offered prizes to such as would volunteer to spend
a winter on Mayen Island, the headquarters of the whale fishery. This
island had been discovered and taken possession of for the States of Hol-
land, in i6ii,bythe captain of one of their whalers, Jan Mayen, for
whom it was named. In the summer of 1633, before the return of the
whaling fleet, seven men volunteered to winter there, in latitude 71°, not
quite midway from Iceland to Spitzbergen. Their sojourn began with
the 26th of August, and they sulTered no inconvenience until the 8th of
October, when a fire first became necessary to their comfort. After that
date the winter approached rapidly, and on the 19th ice began to form
on the shore. The cold and ice grew in severity until the 19th of No-
vcnber, when the sea became frozen as far as the eye could reach.
Afterward the weather grew mild for about three weeks, but on the 8th
of December the cold set in with renewed severity, and they confined
themselves to the luit for nearly four months, idle and inactive. They
had lived meanwhile, on salt meat, and had killed but few bears, and
their supply of beer and brandy was, perhaps, too liberal for their
welfare.

DEATH FROM SCURVr. 107

About the middle of January they succeeded in killing a single
bear, the flesh of whicli aflfbrded a healthful change in their diet. It was
the middle of March before they killed another; but scurvy had set in
and taken such hold by that time that the relief derived was only pallia-
tive, not preventive nor curative. On the 3d of April only two of the
seven could stand erect; and on the i6th one of them died. This entry
was made on the record a few days later: « We are now reduced to so
sad a state that none of my comrades can help themselves, and the
whole burden, therefore, lies on my shoulders. I shall perform my duty
as long as I am able, and it pleases God to give me strength. I am
now about to assist our commander out of his cabin; he thinks it will
relieve his pain; he is struggling with death. The night is dark, and the
wind blows from the south." On the 23d he died; and on the 26th they
killed their dog, a poor substitute for bear's meat. On the 2Sth the ice
left the bay, and on the 30th the sun shone brilliantly. But it was yet
thirty-five days before the whaling fleet appeared, and when at last it had
arrived none of the seven were found alive, and the record of April
30th was the last made. A little of the energy and forethought of Capt.
James and his crew in James' Bay, two years before, would have saved
them all, for though they were almo.t twenty degrees forther north, the
winter was comparatively mild, and the genial breath of spring visited
tliem early. It is now understood that the chief danger from Arctic
winters does not arise from the high latitude, but from the neglect of
proper precautions. This principle is enforced by the result of a similar
experiment farther north, the same year.

Seven other Dutchmen had volunteered to winter in North Bay on
the north coast of Spitsbergen, latitude So?, and began their trial four
days later than those on Muyen Island. No sooner had the fleet left
than they set to work to collect fresh provisions to last them until the
return of the fleet in 1634. They hunted the reindeer and caught wild
fowls, and gathered herbs. They killed whales and narwals, or sea-
unicorns, and thus secured both food and exercise. When the sea began
to freeze in October, they broke throu-h the ice and let down their nets
to catch fish. And when toward the close of October the cold had be-

108

CONTINUED HARDSHIPS.

come so intense and the ice so thick that they could no lon-er fish or
even go abroad, they exercised themselves as actively as they could in-
doors. And so they passed throu<.h the winter without a death, or
even serious illness; and o., May 27, ,634, only eight days earlier than the
arrival of the fleet at Mayen Island, they were taken aboard safe and
sound, after a sojourn of nine months, lacking five days, in latitude 80^.
If further illustration of the principle referred to be desire.!, it may
be obtained from the annals of the same people. Before the fleet re-
turned to Holland in 1634, seven otlier men were left at North Bay to
renew the experiment. They were supplied with an abundance of salt
provisions, liquors and medicines, and began their sojourn on the nth of
September. Either because they were of the indolent disposition of the
men left on Mayen Island, or because of the eleven days' later advent, or
possibly because the denizens of the forest, anticipating a keener winter,
withdrew earlier to their winter quarters, they failed to provide a store of
fresh provisioi s. They soon became victims of the scurvy, which they
tried to guard against by eating separately, and avoiding contact with
each other, foolishly supposing it was caught by infection instead of
recognizing that its fruitful source was the salt provisions, which they
had not the energy to vary with the fruits of the chase. On Jan. 14
one died, and on the 17th another, and soon a third followed. The
surviving four busied themselves in making coffins for their dead com-
rades—an unprofitable industry which showed their good feeling, but
not their good sense. In the early part of February they killed a single
fox; and bears prowled around for whom they should have made living
coffins in their stomachs. On the 22d of February only one was in a
condition to feed the fire; and on tiie date <.f the last record made, four
days later, the four were still alive, but the fire-tender had succumbed
with the others. « We cannot long survive," writes the penman,
"without food or firing; we are unable to render each other the least
assistance, and each must bear his own burden." On the arrival of
the whalers for the season of 1635 they were dead, not one having
survived, thus completely reversing the record of their predecessors on
the same spot.

BRUTALirr OJ^^ A DUTCH CAPTAIN.

109

- ;- s„„„ ..... „ .M:::::i:rr:it:T7T'"'

Enghshmsn were rescued fr„,„ ,he fee bv C , , '"'''°

Mu„:.e„, after ..e, „., Been e.polltur.: it " xr^r,?"
a deep hole in the iee and piled block, of ice r ' "^ ' ''""

ficm the weather. They had for " , '"°'""' '" """""=' '^""

the time of year was , «/?"""' ""■""™"' """ '■""».'«<'
year was not unfavorable, beincr the enri «r a/t

.beg.nning of June. Bu, three died in a few " i [ ' "'

^c=,':n..tern:::;;t ';;r;i~:^^^^^^^^^^^^ 7- .. -

less than fourteen Dutch whalers Z 1. u ^" '^^5 not

Be.en. Capt. Corneliustl'e'ri: Zr onbi!;:;'"-'' "" '""■
saved after being tossed about for fourteen dl, „ ' ""'"' ""■■=

years before. This ,ear his ship „„d ot fh n!'" ""'" "' '°™'
to the border of the in,Benetrahle i ^ """'P-'"^ ''°'^

breaking loose of the iX;, " " '^^' ""■= =^"^'^"' "^ " -"'^-

The crews ra.anaged to scramble on to the ice before the
entirelv submerged, and they .aved the bo,ts and ""'

Bille, with a few of the mor'e enterpri^: Vthe coX:"""" ''''"■
persons, took two of thf>l,n..f. ^ « ^ tne combined crews, sixty

ten da; those w ,o h 1 ' T'" ""'' "^ °*"^'- "''••""^- ^f-

w.est,:,d they:t t: ' "r rxir rr ^--^^ "^^ '^^

wbaler, and were humanely taken a Wtl. E d^ f'",l ""^ " '""'''
to trespass on tho F.v.., t . " ^'''-"'" "°^ wishing

overcro:dc::id:;r;:t!:::::urr'"*^^"

"'™^->- ">^ '■-a. capt. etWed : ;:' r::;;;^^""; ,^-'"='^

compelled to t.ake refuge on the ice Thl ' " "•' ""=

der the shelter of a saif, within sil ht of " ' """" ""^ """" ""•

was a. anchor. Owin.to the em , <^'>""">">en whose ves.,e,

. w,n„ to the remonstrance of his men, or dreading that

THE OLD QUESTION.

I \

his misconduct might be reported at home, the surly captain relented so
far as to permit his shipwrecked countrymen to sleep on board. A few
days later, while on the ice, he weighed anchor, leaving them behind.
They pursued in their boat, and were at last taken on board another
vessel. In 1676 a fleet of Dutcli whalers was suddenly caught by the
ice in Vaigats Strait on the eve of their return, and were saved by the
resolution and jMesence of mind of Capt. Kees, who allayed the panic.
After a detention of nineteen days, the weather grew mild, a thaw set in,
and ihey found themselves free as suddenly as they were previously locked
up. Coolness and courage, patience and energy, a keen insight, good
judgment, and tjuick execution, together with abundance of fresh whole-
some food— which the canning process has .now made easy— are the
chief requisites to success in Arctic voyages. But the examples given
also show tliat while these precautions reduce the risk to a minimum
there is always gr^-at danger, which only the best trained and hardiest
can hope to cope with successfully. Arctic explorers should be selected
with great care; and no unfit volunteer should be permitted to endanger
the lives of others and his own.

AGAIN, WHICH IS THE WAY TO INDIA?

It was now nearly seventy years since Hudson liad pronounced
against the availability for commercial purposes of a northeast route to
China and India, and exactly one hundred years since Frobisher had
tried in vain to accomplish » the only great thing left undone in the
world," a Northwest Passage to 1' same countries. Many attempts
had been made in both directions, some new geographical information
had been gleaned at infinite cost and labor, but the problem remained
unsolved. The latest trials had been made in the west, and there too,
they were resumed. Baffled and disappointed, but not entirely cast down,'
civilized man would not give it up and rest content. The ocean should
yet be made to surrender its seci :ts to the lord of creation. This was
more than a hundred years before Byron sang, '^ Man marks the earth
with ruin; his control stops with the shore,"— a dictum which man will
not accept. Man's control of the sea is different, but it is also very real;

THE

ENTERPRISE OF MARINERS.

" Britannia rules the waves • "

:-:;:;:j::;t;;rr;r::r:;;:: fr-

CHAPTER XII.

NORTHWEST VOYAGE OK (;iLLAM ALLEGED DISCOVERY OK A NORTH-
WEST PASSAGE — Hudson's hay company chartered a

pilot's story ok the north pole — voyage ok wood — wreck

OK wood's ship— JAMES KNIGHT REPORT OK INDIANS CON-
CERNING MINES.

A generation had passed away since the voyages of Fox and James,
and Hudson Bay iiad begun to pass into oblivion, as no other than a
dreary and dangerous waste of water in the midst of inhospitable and
uninhabited landi,, when in 1669 ^^^^ attention of England was again
turned to it.

The fur traders of New France had penetrated through the forests of
Canada in every direction in pursuit of that very profitable branch of
commerce. One of these enterprising adventurers, Grosselier, reached
the shore of Hudson's Bay. Believing he had made an important orig-
inal discoveiy, he returned to France to lay it at the feet of his sovereign.
But t\-\Q grand monarque — Louis XIV — was more concerned about ex-
tending his home dominion to the Rhine than his transatlantic domains to
the Hudson Bay or elsewhere. So Grosselier's story fell on deaf ears,
until it reached those of the English ambassador, who encouraged him
to try the Court of .St, James, and gave him a letter to Prince Rupert,
cousin of Charles II., who had been admiral in the war of the Restora-
tion, and a few years later against the Dutch. He was favorably re-
ceived, and intrusted with one of the king's ships, for the purpose of
founding a colony on the shore of Hudson's Bay, and searching for the
Northwest Passage. Henry Oldenburg, first secretary of the Royal
Historical Society, established in 1662, and correspondent of Milton and
Boyle, thus wrote to the latter in relation to this voyage:

♦' Surely I need not tell you from hence what is said here with great

FORT CHARLES.

118

joy of the discovery of a Northwest Passa-e made by two English and
one Frenchman, lately represented by them to His Majesty at Oxford and
answered by the royal <,nant of a vessel to sail into Hudson's Bay and
thence into the South Sea; these men affi^minf,^ as I heard, that with a
boat they went out of a lake in Canada into a river which discharged
Itself northwest into the South Sea, into which they went and returned
northeast into Hudson's Bay."

In .670 the king -ranted a liberal patent, or charter, to the Hud-
son's Bay Company, which consisted of his cousin Rupert, and a few
specified associates. The company was actually invested with absolute
proprietorship and a real though subordinate sovereignty, and the
exclusive traffic of a territory of unknown extent, loosely described as '
Rupert's Land, and ordained to coverall that had been discovered or
might yet be discovered within the entrance to Hudson's Strait-a
magnificent grant, truly ; there was nothing mean about Charles •' I„
consideration," says he, "of their having undertaken, at their own cost
and charges, an expedition to Hudson's Bay for the discoverv of a new
passage into the South Sea, and for the finding of some trade in furs
minerals and other commodities, whereby great advantage mi.^ht prob'
ably arise to the king and his dominions, His Majesty, for better pro-
moting their endeavors for the good of his people, was pleased to confer
on them exclusively all the lands and territories in Hudson's Bay
together with all the trade thereof, and all others which they should
acquire," etc.

Though discovery was one of the primary objects of this princely
endowment, Capt. Zachariah Gillam, who was placed in command of
the expedition, seems to have added but little to the geographical knowl-
edge of the regions of Hudson's Bay. He wintered at the mouth of
what he named Rupert's River, in honor of his patron, and built a small
stone fort at its mouth, which he named Fort Charles, in honor of the
king. This was the first English settlement in the Hudson Bay Com-
pany's territory; and for about a century they confined themselves to the
coast, and are not known to have made a single eftbrt at additional dis-
covery. The indisposition of monopolists to diminish their dividends by
8 '

114

STOJi}' OF A GREENLAND PILOT.

ill

unprofitable expenditures, acconnts for the omission. I„ 1770 they
explored tiie basin of tiie Coppermine, and toward the close of the cen-
tury, that of the Mackenzie. In the first half of the present century
they patronized two or three overland expeditions, all of which will
receive attention in. .lue tin.e. In .S69 the company was finally bou^^ht
out by the British <,^ovcrnment for $1,500,000, and its territory formrily
incorporated with the Dominion of Canada in 1S70, on payment of the
same amount.

Capt. Gillam spent a more tolerable winter, owing probably to its

bemg a .nilder season, than his predecessor, James, had done on Charl-

^ton Island, in nearly the same latitude, and returned to E.igland with-

out havin- received any clue from his supercarj^o, Grosselier, or any

one else.

THE NORTHEAST VOYAGE OF WOOD.

Turn we now to the eastward to see what the navigators were able
to achieve in that direction. Joseph Moxon (1637-1700) hydrographer
to Charles II., and manufacturer of globes and maps, as well as writer
on mathcr.uitics and navigation, and Fellow of the Royal Society
theorized about the Northeast Passage to China until he satisfied him'-
self and some others that i: was feasible, and a new interest was awak-
ened. He adduced many arguments, mainly from his inner conscious-
ness, as was the custom in those days, and not to any large extent from
demonstrable facts, which is the modern and scientific method. He
added the following story, which doubtless proved convincing, but it
lacks one clement of persuasion with even the most incredulous-truth
He relates that the pilot of a Greenlander, or whaler in Greenland seas'
declared to him that he sailed to the North Pole, and continues thus:

"Whereupon, his relation being novel to me, I entered into dis-
course with him, and seemed to question the truth of what he said- but
he did assure me that it was true, and that the ship was then at Am'stcr-
dam, and many of the men belonging to her could justify the truth of
It; and told me, moreover, that they had sailed two degrees beyond the
Pole. I asked him if they found no land or islands about the Pole. He

CAPTAIN yoiIX WOOD.
replied, «No; it was a free, onen sei ' r n i . i • ..

wha. wche,. ,he, h,„, „„,' ',J ' "'T.:''" "" ''■'■ ' ^-'-' '""■

LcnKini 111 the simmer tune, aiui as hof '" tm
lonj,aM- he anv .l.,ul,t. The hirdv nil ^ . '" "*"''' "^

. ho„', c«.. "'"■" "'"■""' ""» -■"""" ^' l>-l "» I--.- as

orsans. In ,6„ „e „„„ .,„ „ ,„„„„,,„, ,„ ,|,^ ^

RU,„c e.pecea.ton, „f .,u,™<„a,.!„g all .lilHcul.ie, U ,W. , ,'

,,<..,.c.l that h„ p,cdocos,„r,, ,„ay liav. missel the proper „■,.,-, J H

^ l™. a,u, hi. ,„.otho. the D„.e „f Yo,-,, .he fat,, e , I \

^™.-. ea^: :rr;zr ,:;:;:::::::■ ^f^:- ---■-

1 . V ^""' loute. 1 roinment inoinh-inf.

and .,av,ga.o,, were eo,.„,te„ h, .he Ui„g, hut the „eh,»i„,. , . ': ^
tl'em a, well as Moxon „„.l w„„,l. [t w.:- i„ the ,i,- III-
..iarhat foolish enterprises hefore a„„ since. T^Z^::' """i
.i^e .in,.s Shi,., w.s plaee.l at h,s .lisposal, an,, Htte.i ^ iTl. :;:
,lockya,<ls at Deptford, at .he Idn..', exoense .<1, '

».. ..e hes. ,^„ianees of the peri^, an^ r^h::,:: Z ^ :"
e..ht ,„e„. The Dake of York a„,l seven associates fl.te,, Z I

expense a s.naller vessel of , ,o tons, na.ned .he "P,o,„e,„„s " „ ,1
paiiy the " Si)ecdwell " «l,.. . "°'1"-"»'N t" accom-

J opecuwell. bhe was raanne,! by eishtce,, mc„ Mom

- »aj„ hkely ,o find a ,eu,ly ,„arke. in Japan. Capt. Fla,„es

^11

^^^^■j 1

i^^^^^^^^^Hj

^^^H^^^^^ra

luniniyKBiH^^BE ^

'IMHI^^^BH j

HVii

Hill

^^^^^^Hk| pB

116

WRECK OF WOOD'S Sl/fP.

took a.mma.ul „f the "Prosperous"; an.I it was agreed between the
comiiiaiulers that they should direct their course hctvveeu Nova Zembla
and S,,it/.her-en. '« My idea was," says Wood, « to follow exactly thl
track of Marcnt/, a.ul proceed <h.c> ....rthcast after reachin- the North
Cape, in order to get between Greenland." Spitzbergen was then sup-
l)osed to be a part of CJrcciiland.

May 3S, 1676, the vessels left the Nore, and on the 2,1 of June took
refuge from a northwest gale in IJrassa Soun.l in the Shetlands. On the
tenth they weighed anchor, and on the 23d had rounde.l North Cape,
whence they sailed northeast and immediately encountered the ice in
latitude 76 = . For five days they skirted this great mass of ice vainly
seeking an opening. Wood conclude<l it was one vast ice continent
stretching from Nova Zembla to ''Greenland," and that IJarentz and
others were mistaken in the opinion that there was lanil to the north of
Soo . On the 29th of June he changed his course to the west, abandon-
ing his cherished theories. They had jn-occeded but a little way when
the "Speedwell" struck upon' so.ne hidden rocks, the extensio.i of
which, in sarcastic contrast with tiie name of his ship, he named Point
Speedill, in 74' 30', the most western promontory of Nova Zembla.
The ship lay heating on the rocks for several hcnn-s, the crew lalK.ring
in vain to save her. The weather clearing a little, they were amazed to
find land right un.Ier their stern. A boat was sent to ascertain if a land-
ing could be elfected, but it returned unsuccessful. The fog lifting more
completely, the captain descried a clear stretcii of beach, which the long
boat with twenty men was enabled to reach. The boat returned. Some
provisions and supplies were now put aboard the small boat, but she
was upset, and her cargo, including the captain's papers and money,
and one of the crew, were lost. Another seaman was left aboard so ill
that he could not be removed. All the others were taken ashore by
the long boat, and a tent was erected and a fire built. On the 30th
the ship began to go to pieces and much of the wreck Hoated to the
shore, supplying them with material for huts and firewood. The next
two days they secured some provisions that were washed ashore from
the wreck. Finally on the eighth their more fortunate companion who

Kfipo/rrs OF A cophEit mine. wn

had cs-..pe.l the shoals on the 39th of June and jrono out to sea, returned
in se- rch of her consort, and took the survivors s.fely on hoard. After
thi^ great misfortune and fortunate deliverance; Capt. Wood almndoncd
the pursuit of the success of which he had heen so sanfruine a few nionths
before, and on the very next day the "Prosperous" sailed for England,
where she arrived on the 23d of Auj^'ust.

KNIGHT, BARLOW AND VAUGHAN.

The fate of Wood's expedition in 1676 very naturally dampened
not only his own ardor hut that of the English people for the discovery
of the Northeast Passage; and indeed, his was the last attempt under
Enghsh auspices in that direction. The burden of searching for the
Northwest Passage had been officially laid on the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany in their charter of ,670, and the rest of England was virtually
debarred from trespassing. After the manner of monopolists, the com-
pany seem to have interpreted their charter stringently as to privileges,
and loosely as to obligations. In ,719 the governor of their trading
colony at the mouth of the Nelson River was James Knight. He was
almost e.ghty years of age, or old enough to have gone out with their
first colony in 1670. He was now at least al the head of affairs, and ap-
parently had been in those regions some years. He had learned from
the nafves that at some distance to the north and on the bank of a navi-
gable river was to be found a rich mine of copper. This inforn.ation
stnnulated him to undertake a voyage of discovery, .„d he applic-d to
the Company for the use of two ships for that purpose. Preferring
the ddigent prosecution of the fur trade, they .leclined; but Knight, who
apparently had been awakened to a sense of duty by bis desire to Hnd
copper, now reminded them of the obligation imposed by their char-
ter to u^stituce voyages of discovery, and to n.ake the reminder
effective, threatened an appeal to the kings ministers.

The company finally yielded to Knight's peculiar powers of persua-
sion, and fitted out two vessels which were placed at his disposal. They
were called the "Albany" and " Discovery," and were respectively under
the nnmediate command of George Barlow and David Vaughan

.^^1

118

/.OSS OF hWKtllT AMD PARTY.

Knii;J,t, witl. his captains an<l crewn, ««ilc,l in the summer „r autumn of
l7'9."l>y(io.|'s pc-nnission t.. Hml ,.ut the Straits of Ainan, in order
to .hscover jroi.l an.! other valuahle commo.nties to the northward "
Havn.jr won i,i. point. Kni^jht seen,s to have eared as htth- about the
Northwest l'a,ssaKe as his c-.nploycrs. The ships never returned. In
•7-!^ the "Whalehone" was dispatched umler Capt. S,toj,.jjs to seareh
for K..iKht an.l his companions. They saile.l from Churchill River in
l^'tton's May, to the northwani; hut in his report Scro^^j^s ,««,,,, no
.nent.on of havin- instituted any search whatever for the lost navi^fa-
tors or tor the Northwest i-assa^'e. Hnt he hrou^^ht hack confirn,ation
of the reports ahout copper. He .' had seen two northern Indians, who
told l.Mu of a rich copper mine somewhere in that country, upon the
shore, near the surface of the earth; and they could direct the sloop so
near as to lay her side to it and he soon loaded. They had hroujjht
some pieces of copper to Churchill that made it evident that there was a
mn.c tiK.rcah,.uts. They had sketched out the country with charcoal
before they left Churchill, and so far as they went, it a.need very well "
Nothin,,^ was heard of Kni,,Hu or his comrades until the overl.nd
explorn,,. expedition of Samuel Hearne, tnuler the auspices of ,he I Ind
son W.y Company, in .769, just lifty years after they ha.l set out
Ilearne oleaned the following account of them from the Esquimaux o*'
Marble Island:

" When the vessels arrived at this place, it was very late in the fdl
(of .719), an<l in ..retting them into the harbor, ,he largest received
much ,lamage; but on being fairly i„, the English began to build a
house, then- number at ti.u time seeming to be about fifty. As soon as
the ,ce pennitted in ,1. fV.llowing summer ( .7,0), the Escpmnaux paid
then, another visit. In- which time the nun.be, of (he English was verv
^vatly rclnced, and those that we,e living seenu-d very unhealthy.
Acconhng to the account given by the Esquimaux, ,hey were '
n.s,ly en,pIoye<l, but about what they could not easily describe; proli
b ly n. lengthening the long boat, fbr at a little <listance fVon, the house
there was now (.769) lying a ..eat quantity of oak chips, winch most
assuredly had been made by carp- ,;,''.,«.

LAST SUliVIVOJiS.

110

"A Hickness ami famitie occasioned such havoc nmonj? the EnjrliHh
that by the settmjr in „r the second winter, 1730, some of the Esqui-
maux took up their abode on the opposite side of the harbor to that on
which the EnKdish had buiU their houses, , ul fie<iuently supplied them
with such provisions as they had, which chielly consisted of whale's
bhd)ber, and seal's flesli anil train oil. When the sprinj,' advanced, the
Esquimaux went to the continent; and on their visitinjr Marble Island
again, in the summer of 1721, they found only five of the En<,'lisli alive,
and those were in such distress for provisions that they ca^jerly ate the
seal's flesh, and whale's blul)ber (piite raw as they purchased it from
the natives. This disordered them so much that three of them died in
a few A:iy<,; and the other two, thou<,'h s(. very weak, made a shift to
bury them. Those two survived many days after the rest, and fre-
quently went to the top of an adjacent rock, and earnestly looked to the
south and east, as if in expectation of some vessels comin;^' to their
relief. After continuinjj there a consiilerable time to«rcther, and nothin*,'
appearin«r in sij^ht, they sat down close tojjrcther and wept bitterly. At
lenjjth one of the two died, and the other's strength was so far exhausted
that he fell down and died also, in attempting to dig a grave for his
companion. The skulls and other large bones of these two men are
now (1769) lying above ground, close to the house. The longest liver
was, according to the Esquimaux' account, always employed in working
iron into implements for them; probably he was the armorer or smith."

ill

]i- -I

CHAPTER Xlir.

ARCTIC VOYAGES OF THE HUSSIANS _ VOVAGK OF THE COSSACK
DESHNIEV-CONQUEST OF KAMCHATKA-ATTEMPTED REDUCTION
OF THE TCHUKTCHIS.

The solution of the question that iiad so Ion- pressed on the minds
Of the natives of Western Europe would have been of the utmost im-
portance to Russia, if that state had been in a condition to enga-e in the
commerce of the East. But the Northeast Passage was too big a ques-
tion, and its discovery too great an enterprise for the feeble Russia of
three centuries ago. She did not even feel an interest in maritime ex-
peditions until the advent of Chancellor, in 1554, showed her a way to
obtam West European goods without having to receive them through
her rivals and enemies, the Poles. Even as late as the begi.ming of the
seventeenth century nothing was known of the Arctic regions of^Siberia
east of the Yenisei River. The country beyond had doubtless been
often traversed by companies of Russians analagous to what the French
in Canada had named forest couriers or wood rangers, that is, private ad-
venturers in search of furs and game. But such information as these
were able toglea.) remained scattered, and had never been collected so as
to be made available to the public, or serve the interests of geography or
commerce.

It was in 1646 that the first Russian voyage of exploration in the

Arctic was n.ade, and that was simply a coasting voyage, eastward from

Kolyma, by private adventurers. They found a clear channel between

the land and the ice, which was firmly grounded on the shelving, coast

leavmg room for their small vessel to ply along under sail. After sailing

two days they anchored in a bay and became acc,uainted with a native

tnbcthe Tchuktchis (Chookchecs), a branch of the Esquimaux race

Neither party understood the language of the other; but they be-an to

120 "

EXPEDITION OF THE COSSACK DESHNIEV.

121

traffic after the manner described by Herodotus in relation to the barba-
reus tribes of Africa. The Russians displayed their wares upon the
strand, and withdrew ; the Tchuktchis took what they wanted, leaving
sea-horse teeth, carved and whole, in exchange. These the Russians
gathered up and returned home.

In 1648 seven vessels left the Kolyma, under the command of Semoen
Deshniev, a Cossack, to discover the river Anadir. Four of the seven
vessels were soon lost, but one or more of the others went throusrh what
is now Behring's Strait, or more probably were hauled across the pro-
montory, for they reached the mouth of the Anadir, in the gulf of the
same name, south of Behring Strait, on the Asiatic side. Deshniev's
narrative begins with the great cape of the Tchuktchis, which is sup-
posed to be Cape East in Behring Strait. « It is situated, " says Desh-
niev, « between the north and northeast, and turns circularly to-vard the
river Anadir. Over against the cape are two islands, upon which were
seen some men of the Tchuktchi nation, who had holes pierced in their
lips, through which were stuck pieces of the teeth of the sea-horse "—
evidently American Esquimaux. Two of the three remaining vessels
were either lost in making the voyage or lefl behind before getting to the
strait, for Deshniev arrived with only one, and this was wrecked a little
south of the river's mouth. The crew of his vessel consisted of twenty-
five men, and they now proceeded to return overland. They wandered
ten weeks through a woodless and uninhabited country, until they came
to a river on the banks of which they encountered a small tribe called
Anauli, whom they, notwithstanding their own desolate condition, did
not hesitate to exterminate— a piece of wanton cruelty which very de-
servedly added to their own distress. This discovery led to considerable
traffic with the barbarous tribes north of Kamchatka, which, however
was mostly carried on through the interior.

In 1696 these Russian or Cossack adventurers penetrated south to the
Kamchatka River, plundering the native villages under the pretext of col-
lecting tribute; and in 1697 Vladimir Atlassov, a Cossack officer, un-
dertook the conquest of Kamchatka. He traveled overland from
Irkoutsk to the Anadir, but states from hearsay or observation that be-

'■

CONQUEST OF.h'AMTKCf/ATKA. jgg

tween the Kolyma and Ana.lir there are two ..eat eapes, the west of
vvh.ch, probal>ly what is eallecl Cape North, coul.l never l,e douhh-.l l,y
any vessel, beeause of the quantity of ice that lines its shores at all seasons
of the year. The Kamchadales were easily eonquerecl, and before ,706
the more warlike Tehuktehis shared the same fate. The former are cle-
-nbnl as smaller than the latter, with small faees hut ^reat beards.
Ihey hved .mder.nound in winter, and in cabins raised from the <.rotmd
on post., n, summer. These cabins were reache.l l,v la.l.lers. ^Thev
lnn-.ed their n.eats in the earth, wrappe<l in leaves, until it was quite
putnd. For cooking it, they use.l earthen or wooden pots, heatin<r the
water by throwing into it stones which thev had ma.le red-hot " Their
cookery smelt so strong," says Atlassor, » that a Russian could not sup-
port the odor of it, "

The next Russian navigator to the Arctics was Taras Staduchin,
who eft the Kolyma a few years later, to explore the (ireat Cape of the
IchuktchKs, which, however, he was unable to reach by water. Aban-
< onn.g his vessel, he crossed the Isthnu.s at its narrowest point, leavin-.
•he land to the north and east, as f^.r as Behring Strait, tn.expIorecL
Rnss.an activity was now uKiinly directed in those northeastern re-nons
to overhaul military expeditions for the more complete subjugation of
the rude tribes in that section of Siberia.

In 171 1 a Russian embassy was sent to the Tehuktehis to demand
hostages, which were refused, and it was not tmtil ,7,8 that they for-
mally made their submission at the Russian fort, which ha<l been erected
at the mouth of the Anadir. The chief of the embassy of 17, ,, I>eter
S.n Topov, a Cossack, gave a description of the people, their American
neighbors and the country, of which the following is an abstract-

The Tchuktchi « Nos" or Cape, is destitute of trees. On the shores
near the Nos were fotmd sea-horse teeth in great ntn),bers. The
Tchuktchi, in their solenn, engagements, invoked the sun to guarantee
their performances. Some among them had flocks of tamc^reindeer
which obliged them often to change their place of residence; but those'

wlio had no reindeer inhabited the

banks where the sea-horses were wont t(

eoasts on both sides of the N

OS, near
eomc, on which with fish

184

TCHUKTCIII IDEA OF AMERICANS.

they mostly subsisted. They had habitations hollowed in the earth.
Opposite to the Nos, they said, an island mi<rht be seen at a great dis-
tancc, whieh they called the Great Country, and which unquestionably
meant America. The inhabitants of that land pierced holes throu<rh
then- cheeks, in which they inserted large ornaments made of pieces cut
from the teeth of the sea-horse. These people had a diflerent language
from the Tchuktchi, with whom they had been at war from time im-
memorial. They used bows and arrows, as do the Tchuktchi. Popov
saw ten men of that country, with their cheeks jiierced as described, who
were prisoners with the Tchuktchi. In summer they could reach that
land in one day in their boats or canoes, which are made of wh.-lebone,
covered with sealskins; in winter also in one day, with good reindeer,
and no obstruction or r.ccident to their sledges or teams. At the Cape
were to be seen no wild land animals but wolves and red foxes; but on
the other land, that is, in America, there were many more, as sables,
martens, bears, otters,* and many kinds of foxes; and the inhabitants had
large herds of tame deer. Popov computed both classes of the Tchuktchi
at over 2,000 adult males, and the Americans from what he learned, at
about 6,000. The Tchuktchi reckoned the journey from the Cape to
Anadir at ten weeks with laden leindeer, provided no storm of wind or
snow should arise. They mentioned also a smaller island about hj-.lfway
between the Cape and the Great Country— probably St. Lawrence or
Clark Island— from which the Great Country might be seen on a clear
day.

'•m

Wfe^.

CHAPTER XIV.

VOYAGES OK REHRING START FOR KAMCHATKA RIVER DISCOVERY

OF HKHRINg's STRAIT REACH LAND ON AMERICAN SIDE IN-
VESTIGATIONS OK STELLER-^KRIGHT OK A NATIVE AT THE
TASTE OF HKANDY— REDUCED HY SICKNESS — REHRING BECOMES

DISABLED THE SHIPs' COMPANY DIVIDED A STRANDED

WHALK DEATH OK REHRING.

It is clear that the Russians were in a fair way to reach America by
sea or land, as the case might prove to be, in the neighborhood of what
soon became known as Behring Strait. Just before his death in 1725,
the greatest of the Russian monarchs, Peter the Great, occupied himself
with the details of an Arctic voyage of discovery, the chief object of
which was to ascertain definitely whether or not America and Asia were
divided by water at the extreme north. His instructions were these:

1. That one or two ships should be built at Kamchatka, or elsewhere
on the Eastern Ocean.

2. That when constructed and fitted out they should proceed north-
ward and ascertain if there was a waterway between the continents.

3. To ascertain if there were in those jiarts any harbors or trading-
posts belonging to Europeans.

4. That another exioedition should proceed from Archangel to the
Arctic Sea, and move eastward to meet, if practicable, the one movino-
north from the coast of Kamchatka.

5. To keep a record of what should be discovered, which was to be
brought by the commander to St. Petersburg at the close! .pf the voyage.

The expedition from Archangel proved unfruitful. Qfie of the two
ships was soon hemmed in by the ice, and was unable to advance. The
other started on the voyage but was lost among the Jlce, and was
never heard ot.

135

120

6'TAA'T FOIi KAMTKCHATKA HI V Eli.

The Eastern expedition, which w.s n.-t re.-ulv mUil . 72S, w.-,s ,n.t
""''^''- '"nnn.-u-.I ..f \'i„„ Hdiring, . !):,„. hv i.irth, l,u( for sonu. yc-rs
■H the service ..f Russ.a, where he ha.i risen ,0 ,he rank of conHn...lore.
A Russ.an, Alexis Tchirikov, was imrn.tnl with ,W- n.nunan.l of one of
the vessels. Three years were cons.nne.l in preparation. Mdnin-, with
h.s oIlK-ers, crews an.l ship-hu,l,icrs, proceeded overland lo Okhotsk
'"""' '"• ''^■•^'■•""•■'^>'l •" '».ild one of the vessels, i,, which to c ,nvey thJ
Mien and snppli.s to Kamchatka, where he was to h.nld the other "

(>■• July ,,, .7.S,every!hin^ hen,^ in rea.liness ,hev set sail iVom
Kamchatka River. Ahout the ,th of Au,,n.s,, when in latitnde 6, 30'
c.i^ht rch,d<tchis approached in one of thdr leather hoals, and sent
(orwanl one of their nMnil,er, on sealskins filled with air, ,0 demand who
they were, whither they were ^oinj,, an<l what they wanted. They
ponUed ont to the Russians the island which these afterward calle.i the
Isle of St. Lawrence, and which has since heen name.l Clark's Island
Sat.sfying his cmestioners that his designs were pacific, Hehrin^ proceede.l
on h.s voya,^e and reached 67' kS ' without obstruction, "whence he
nghtly nd-erred that the continents were divided hv water, hecause no
lan,l was visible to the north or east. He had sailed thron-h the strait
which was afterward called after his name. lie ukuIc a second vova^^e
in .7.9, m the same waters, hut without obtainin,^. anv additional inf.'n--
m.fon. He does not seem to have seen the coast of An.erica on either
voya-rc.

In .73r a vessel was .lispatched und r Krupishev from Kamchatka

R.ver to co-operate with a land force for the subju-^ation of the Tchuk-

tch.s. A ,.ale of wind forced the ship fron. the point of land where

Behnn.s voyage had terminated; and bein^ driven east, Krupishev

^-nnd an .sland, and afterward a country of ^reat extent. A uku, c nne

aboanl fron, the shore in a canoe, whon> they understood ,0 sav that he

bclom^ed to a great country abomulin,,. in wild animals and forests The

Russians coasted it for two days, wben another storm comin-, on, they

cl.rected their course hon.eward to Kamchatka. This vova<.e left no

doubt of the discovery by Behrin^ of the strait <lividin. th^ ^ntinents.

Hniiself and officers received many rjisiinctions

and

several exijloring

l:v'7

128

n Ell RING REACHES THE CONTINENT.

ill

expeditions were projected. As before, the more important were two:
The Western was from Arclian-el alonj^ the northern coast to the east-
ward; hnt this an<i many successive attempts in tiie same direction failed,
manily because the promontory and cape called Taimur, exten.linjr to 78"
and encompassed by an immense ice barrier, constituted an insunn(,unt.
able obstacle. The other, which was intrusted to Ik-hrino, was the
continuance of his former enterprise, with the specific purpose of
ascertaining the distance from Kamchatka to America in the same
parallel.

All preparations bein- duly made, IJehrinj? an.l his former Heuten-
ant, Tchirikov, set sail in the St. Peter and St. Paul from Avatcha Bay
in Kamchatka, June 4, 174,. Sixteen days later the St. Paul, under
Captain Tchirikov, was separated from the Commodore's vessel in a
gale, and a fo- arisinor soon after, they entirely lost sight of each other
for the whole season. July the 15th Tchirikov found himself near the
mamlandon the American side, in latitude 55 O 36'. He cast anchor
and sent out the long boat with orders to make a landinj. where they
could on the rock-bound shore. Several days having elapsed without
then- return, he grew alarmed and sent his other boat in search. But
the same fate doubtless awaited both-probably destruction by the na-
tives. Neither was ever heard from, and Tchirikov lost seventeen men
and both his boats. Some Americans made from the shore in their
canoes some days later an<l siu-veyed the ship from a distance; but they
did not dare approach her. Had they been kindly disposed thev proba-
bly would not have held aloof. It is almost certain that they had killr-J
or taken captive the seventeen Russians. Tchirikov now held a council
of his remaining officers, and it was deemed advisable to return. The
St. Paul was headed for Kamchatka, where she arrived in safety early in
October. Here the thoughtful Tchirikov made preparations for the
reception of Behring and his crew, should disaster overtake them.

Meanwhile Behring's ship had fallen in with the continent in lati-
tude 58 o 38', on the iSth of July. The prospect v.as grand, but
gloomy. Ilijrh mountain ranges, ndge beyond ridcrc, covered with
snow, stretched away to the utmost limit of vision. Towerin- over all

•tl

/NVEST/GATfONS OF STELLER, jgg

15,000 feet hijrh, rose the lofty peak which George William Steller, the
German naturalist and physican of the expedition, named Mo.u.t St
Ehas, by which it is still known. On the .9th they anchored in a safe
bay near the small island of Kaiak, in what is called Behrinj; Bay, ahot.t
latitude 59O ^5'. The capes on either hand they named St. Elias and
Hermogenes.

July 20 a boat was sent ashore for fresh water, and Steller with
d.fticulty obtained permission to accompany the crew with his Cossack
attendant. On landing, Steller struck boldly into the interior, an.l at the
distance of a mile he discovered the hollowed trunk <,f a tree in which
the natives had but a few hours before cooked some meat with r.,1 hot
•stones, after the manner of the Kamchadales, whence he inferre.i that
they were probably of the san.e stock, an.i that the two continents nn.st
nccessardy approacii each other to the north, as the frail canoes of the
natives were not fit to traverse a wi.le expanse of water. At the dis-
tance of another mile he found a cache or cellar, which he t„,covered
and found full of smoked f.sh, and a few bundles <.f the inner l>ark of
the larch, which in case of necessity serves as food throughout all Sibe-
na. There were also some arrows, carefully s.noothcd and .V^ black
which were superior to those of the Kamchadales. Steller now se.it
back his servant to obtain an extension of time and a small escort to con-
tinue his exploration. In his absence he ascende.l a hill and saw smoke
ns.ng in the distance, which satisfied him that some natives could soon
he lound. lint Hehring was inexorable for his return, and Steller couhl
only obey, under penalty of being left behind. In the bitterness of his
disappointment he was excusable for giving utterance to the sarcasm
that the Russians traveled a great way at great expense to carry a little
American water to Asia. Steller took away samples of what he had
lound, leaving some knive.'

On the 2 1 St, Behr

inkcts and tobacco in exch

insre

cabin through illness, appeared on decl

ing, who had hitherto almost constantly kept his

and return as <

nn.ess, appeared on <lcck, gave orders to weigh anchor,
lirectly as might be to Kamchatka. They soon found that

the coast trended southwest, and

they

it was with the utmost difficulty that

were able to extricate the ship fn,m the labyrinth of islands which

'A
il

s I

180 ArA7Vr,2s FIUCIITENED AT THE TASTE OF BRANDT.

line the peninsula ..f Alaska. Six weeks later, <,n the 3,1 „f September,
they ha.I an a.lven'.nv with a few natives. Seeinj. nine of them f.shinc.
on an ■slan.l-pn,»,ahly ..ne of the smaller ontlyinj. islands of the Aleutian
Kinup-they ,M.,lertook to ope., communication with them. Hy si<rns
each partv invile.l the other to approach; finally three Russians, ..ith the
Kanak nncrpreter, rowed ashore, but the North-Siberian found himself
amonj,r,st,,,n.irerstohis lan,tiuajre, and could render no assistance. The
Americans, however, seemed t<, like their Asiatic brother, evidently rec-
oj,Mn.n>jr i„ hi,, , „,,,,, ,,,,tionship than in his European companions.
1 he leader of the abori,i,nnes was invi.e.i aboard the Russian boat, and as
^. token of confi.IcMce complied. The hospitable Russians now handed
h-.n a oh.ss of ]„,..,Kly, the taste of which so appalled the unsophisticated
.K.Uvc, that he exhibited the ^n-eatest alarm and an evident anxiety to be
pi.t ashore anu,n.,. his fellows. This w.as done in all haste; and the Rus-
s.ans .Ireadinj,^ the spread of the ,,anic among his companions, rowed for
the ship, leaving the Kariak among his new-found friends. He, how-
ever, set up such a lamentation and made such piteous signs not to be
abandoned, tliat the Russians concluded to have recourse to a stratagem
for his recovery. They fired two shots in the air, which, reverberadn.r
from the Inlls, so affected the imaginations of the astonished natives, that
they ofTercd no hindrance to the departure of the interpreter, who, h.nsten-
ing to tiie shore, was soon alioard the vessel. The next day the natives
presented themselves in their canoes at the side of the vessel, bearin- the
ohve branch of peace, that is, a rod ornamented with feathers, and hlart-
ily cheered the departing strangers, who ha.l already weighed anchor,
and were being rapidly borne away on the freshening breeze.

r.nvard the close of September, they encountered one of those fierce
storms, exceptional even in northern latitudes, lasting seventeen days
and surpassing i,i violence anything their pilot had ever seen. He had
been at sea, boy and man, for fifty years, and of all the storms he had
w.tnesse,l,this was the worst; an.l very severe it proved to Rehring and
h.s crew. They were <lr,ven south to about the latitude of the no.thern
l.ne of what is now the United States, exclusive of Alaska. They dis
cusse<i among themselves whether to seek refuge on the American coast

THE CREW BECOME DESPERATE.

181

or ».,.,„,,, ,„ „,„„, ,„ K,,„«h,,.k.n. The l„„„ c„„r,c w.„ .Icermmo ,.

Mcanwh, c »„,„., ,,,„ ,,„„, , „^„„^, „,^ ,^^,,_ ^__^ ^^^^ ^^_^^^, ^

.he „e ,„ ,al, ,„„vi,i„„„ „„„ „|„„,,| ,., „,„ ^.^^^.^^,^.^, ^

wc... he,.. Ahn,,.. eve,.y ,,,., .hey l.,s. „„e ,„ „.. ,,,.„, ,„ „J,„

Ily ."...« „e,.e left i„ he.l.h ,„ „.,„„e the vessel. ,.ehH„,

■ «IK n..„».e,„e„l „r ,he vessel. The I.ehns,,.,,, was ,„ liek
"at -e ,e,,u,n,,l ,„ he su,,|,„,-,e,l ,„ his ,,„„; .,,,,1 ,vhe„ „„ |„„,a.r
able ., s„.e,. he „as .-elieve.l ,,v „„e nea,!, as weak a, hhnsdr.

en .,.e„ a. the ^e.y „r .„e „.,„„. The ,„en l„s. e ,,,e a„,l ,at .hen,!

-Ive:., „„ .„,|cspai,.. The „i,h., ,rew l„„«e, l,„. ,he „.,„e i„„„i„e„.
Wca,„e.he,r<lan,a.,-,,he ,,„„. helpless a,„l hopeles. I,eea..e the ere„

When ■e.ineste.l t ,hei,-,l„ty, .hey were seareely able t„ nn.lcnake i.

""":; ..''-"'^ "-<' '"- l'-^"- They p,,,„„nnee.l I. in.posslhle il

save ,he ,h,p ,„. .he^selves; ,n,.l severity „f ,|iseip,ine was of n„ avail, f.,,-
.h .vpreferre, even .lea.h ,„ .he sffleri,,,. they e„.l„re,l. The „mce,-s
of he sh„. wh„n, the necessities „r petpetna, „ve,si,ht ha,l kept l,.„y

;".<■ achve escape, .lisease vere n,.w the „„ly hope „f s Ivation'

rhey ,n.,e<l the ess .,espai,,n„ „f the crew to fnrnish snch assistance as
they con , „„.,„„.» ,,„, ,„„ ,„. , „,, „, ^,^^. ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ,,.,,,,^..,,y..,
F.nally „„ the fonrth of >J„vc„,l,er, in al,„„t la.itn.le 55", a, ei.^ht

o clock „. the ntornin,, h ,ove ,h,, l,„t at a consi.lera.,.: .list,,;

lor they conl.1 only see the »„„„.e,a,l n.o.n.tains. They stecre,! ,„r th-'

,nhosp,tal,le shore all .lay, an.l at night hel.l back to avoW bein, wreckcl'

).. he tnorni,,,. of the llfth, a .rea. wave threw the ship over a reef an,l'

lamlcl her, ,lisahle<l, in s „th water, after they ha.l lost two anchors in

a .c;n,ptn,, to .save her front r,.„„i„,, „„ .„„ ,„,,, „^^

.hen.. h,r.l anchor, a„.l. he sha..ere,l ship ro.le at ease in the sheltered

of VV '■™ ""'""7' "'"' "■^■'■'- ■"'"< ■''•l'--.-™t ashore nn.ler the c„n„„an,l

Wasall, on whon, ,|,c .lirec.ion of .he ship an.l crew ha.l .lcvolve.1,

•■" tchtn,, h..con,i,„. entirely .lisable.l. They fenn.l the cnn.ry barren

an,l eovercl w,tb snow; bn. had the goo<l fortnne to discover a stream

las

SEA OTTERS CAPTURED.

of .xcc-llc.U wa.cr. Hous., hut, or sl,dtc-r of any kimi, coul.l not he
fouM.I, c-xc-cpt san.l hol.s,..vcr which ihc-y .sp,Ta.l s,„nc- sails to make them
I'-'l'.tMl.le lor the sick. ()„ the eij,H,th sume were InwU-.l, an.l ..„ ,he
■ H-M .lay Mc.hrin^r ,vas lake,, ashore a„.I ,,n,vi,ie.l lor with special care
'.. ..Me of ihe excavatc.l san.l holes. Six .lays later all were provide.! for
o" lan.i as well as circumstances would permit. The interior of the Ian,!
swarme.1 with hh.e an.l white foxes, which were so hold as to convince the
Uussians that they had fallen on an nninhahited rejrion. Sea otters were
also seen, which proved they were not .,n the cast of Ka.ucha.ka, from
wh.ch these animals had disappeare.l. Killinjr some of these they found
the flesh tonsil and unpalatahle, l.n. Steller, the physician, ,n-ed its con-
sn,npti.,n, however tn.pleasant, as an anti.lote to the scurvy; and nearly
all llic crew, except those who were sick on landinj,s were saved fn.ni
disease l,y his persistence. M )n all sides." says Steller, .lescrihino the
experiences after landin-, u „othin- was t.. he seen hnt misery. Before
thc.lea.l conl.l he ...nie.l, they were man-led l,y the f..xes, who even
vcnt.ncl to approach the helpless invalids who were lyin^ without cover
on the heach. Some of these wretched sufTerers complained hitterly of
the col.l, others of hun-er and thirst-for many had their -urns so
swollen an.l ulcerated with the scurvy as to he unahle t., cat.

"On November the 13th, I went out huntin- for the Ihst time with
Mcssiem-s Plenisner and J5et.^a-; we killed four sea otters, an.l .li.l „ot
return before ni.L,rht. We ate their Hesh thankfully, and praved to (iod
that he mi-lu co.itinue to provide us with this excellent food.' The costly
skins, on the other han.l, were of no value in our eyes; the onlv objects
wh.ch we now esteemed were knives, needles, thread, ropes,' etc., on
which before we ha.l not bestowed a thought. We all saw that rank,
science, and other s.,cial distinctions were of no avail, and coul.l n..t in'
any way contribute to our preservation; we therefore resolved, before
wc were fbrced to do so by necessity, to set to work at once. \V^> in-
troducc.l amono- us five a comm.mity of <roods, an.l re-nlated our house-
keeping in such a manner as not to l,e in want betbre the winter was
over. Our three Cossacks were oblicred to obey orders, when we had
decided upon something in common; but we began t.. treat them with

'1 STiiANDED WIIALK

ia<)

grcatcT poliu-uoHs, calIin},Mln-.n hv ll
floon found th.it IV-tiT M

H'ir iiiiiiu-s ;iii(| snriia

formerly I'ftruclia | IV.tcrkin|.

ixiiiKivitch siTvt'd

nu's, ami we
tis with iiK.iv alacrity ihau

thr

vmhcr the- I ,th till- whole sh

ce parties. Tlu. ,„,^. |,;„i ,

<> CO

^liip; thesccondhmi.^rht wood; the thini
"<l niyself, remained at home— the f

ips company was ronned into

iivey the sick and provisions fioin tl

, coiisistinu- of ;, i;i,nc s.iilor

acted

as cook

ormer busy makin.-- a s|

U our

parly was the first t

•'•<:^,'e, while

also iH-rforiiud ilu- diKv ..f I
"Mlil tlu-v had so I

)rin'nii-r war

<) or^raiii/c a hoiisdioM, I
in soup to some of our sick

•arracks hiincr this d

H- recovered as to he al.le to help ihunscl

trail

!iy ready to receive 'the sici

ves.

'he

sported under roof; hut I

Iv, inaiiv (

.f (1

le ^'roiiiid

'or want of room, iIh-v I

lem Were

otiier, and iiothin<r

, covered with ra-s aiul clothes. N

ly cvervwh

ere on

afToi

was heard hut I

o one could assist the

(hnjj so wix-tched

:imcntati()iis and curses— -tl

:i Ni;,'ht, as to mal,

eoura<re.

c even the sli

lie whole
<>n;^M;st la-art lose

'On Xovemher 15th all the sic!

one o

f tl

H-m named IJaris Sand into our I

k were at len-th landed. We took

covered within thre

e months. The foil

liiit, and hy (iod's help h

as the mcsscii^a-rs we liad M-iit out 1
were on a desert island, witi

owin^r d;,ys added t

I' re-

o oiir misers

"■'H'-ht tis the intelliircnce that

, witliout any communical

vVe were also in constant fear that tl
sliil) ""1 I" sea, and alon- with ,t all our prov

'"11 wiih Kamchatk

le stormy weather mi"lit d

ri\e our

ever leturniiio- (

isior.s, ;^nd ev

crv ho

o our homes.

vessel tor several d

"•onietinies it was ini

I pi' of

:i\s to'jfethe

possil

)lc to <.et I,, t

r, so

ten

or twelve men, who had hitherto been al.l

boisterous was the sui'

^'; and about

"• Want, nakedness, 1

c to wor

now

our daily companion-.

, Irost, ram, illness, impat

ience, and despair, were

AmoiiL!- the

was a dead whale t

provisions on which they ha.l to rel

witi

irowii on the coast of the island

}' 111 emer'^-eucics

1 t,'rim jocularity thev called th

9th -of Deccmhe

cir maLraziiie,

r, exactiv four

111 a storm. This
J5ehrin<r died ,,i, the

almost he said that 1

weeks after bein^- landed. It

hous!

the 1

le was buried alive. In ij

mitr

oose s.inc

c sandpit in which he was

liadually piled up around hii

11 until he was

i I

DEATH OF li EI Hi INC.

i;r).

more than lialf covcm-chI, lie would not allow it to he romovcd, hut kept
tifatluTiuL;- it u|), uiuicr the fonvictiou that it helped to keep him warm
and prolon,!^- life. When he died it heeame necessary to uiieartii him
hel. le he eonld hi' deeenlly hu^' 'd. lie was respectl'ully interred on the
island and in sioht of the sea, which were thencelorth to hear his name.
lie was only in his sixty-second year, and mij^iil have survived the shi|)-
wreck had hi- not heen enteehled hy disease arising- from exjiosure and
till' want ol" fresh proxisions. He had heen thirtv-six years in the Rus-
sian navy, which he entc'red in 1703. In 1 707 he had heen made lieu-
tiaian!, and in i7if) captain. His last expedition failed of satisfactory le-
suhs, no donht throunh his lon<4 continued illness. Beyond his piime man
lacks that \ital powci- wliich enahles him to withstand tlie hardships of
such adventures. Three weeks later the St. Peter was wrecked in si^rlu
ol the survivors. Her cahle <j^ave way in a violent storm, and she was
driven on the rocks. There was no lou'^er anv ho|)e of usin;^- hei' on the
voyage to Kamchatka in tlie s])rin<;-, and to add to their misfortune a con-
siderahle ])ait of their provisions were spoiled hy the sea water.

In March, 174^, tlu sea otters disappeared from those waters, Thev
liad killed 900 of them and sa\e(l the skins. Of these ahoul 300 eventu-
ally came into the possession oi' Steller, hy harter and through the i;ener-
osily of tlie sick, who felt deeply indehted to him for his services so dis-
interestedly renderi'd in their hour of need. Thirty of the crew died on
thi' island; hut nearly all had heen sick hefore landini;-. l''ort\-live
survived. Seals, sea lions and sea horses now took the place of sea otters
on the coast of Uehring's Island, and their ilesh was much more palata-
hle. A walrus w i.^hiiiL,'- Soo pounds was found sufficient tor a lort-
ui;j;ht's consumption. The ilesli resemhles heef, and that of the yonnj^- is
as tinder as veal. The health of the men now improsed rapidh', and
their i^ieat concern was to s^row stroni^- enough tor the work of deliver-
ance which they were to undertake in the summer.

VVaxall now he^an to turn their attention to the task of '^ettint^
ready. This he did with connnendahle discretion, A virtual dcmocracv
had sprunt;- fiom their necessities, and one had as -jjood riL;ht to iiis opin-
ion as another. Their projects tor escape were of coin-se xarions, hut they

186

RETURN TO KAMTKCIIATKA.

were gradually induce., to concur in Waxall's ,,esi,.n of breaking up the
oV\ sh.p and c-ons.-uctin. a new hut sn.aller one Horn her timhers, In^-

The .nonth of April was consu.ne.l in preparations; and on the
s.xth of May they began to l,uild the new boat or ship. Hv the first of
June the tin.hers were ready for the planks. She was fbrty bv thir-
teen feet; had but one mast, and one deck.

"On the ,4th, in the morning," says Steller, » we weighe.l
anchor, and steered out of tl,e bay. The weather being beautiful,
and the .-uul favorable, we were all in good spirits, and as wJ
sade,l along the islan<l, we pointed out to each other the well-
known mountains and valleys which we had frequently visited m
quest ot game, or for the purpose of reconnoitering. TowanI evenin..
we ^vere opposite the furthest point of the island, and o„ the
i5tH, nu> wind continuing favorable, we steered <lirect towanl the
-y ot Avatcha. About midnight, however, we perceived to our .^reat
cLsmay, that the vessel began to fill with water from an unknown leak
wh.ch n> consecp.ence of the crowded au.l overloaded state of the vessel'
;t was extremely diificult to find out. At length, after the lighten'
>ng of the sh.p, the carpenter succeeded in slopping the leak, and thus
we were once more saved from imminent danger."

On (he .5th they sighted the longed-for Kamchatka, entered the ^-.y
"( Avatcha on the 36th, and anchored in the harbor of Petropanlovsky
- the .7ti, where they fbund that provision had been kiudlv UKule L
then- anfe.pated wants through the forethought of Capt. Tchi'rikov

Russian expeditions to Arctic seas now fell into the han.ls of merclruUs
-Hi a.lventurers; and were prosecuted f^on, Archangel as whalin.. voy-
ages, and in the east, fron. Petropaulovsky and Okhotsk, as ventm-es in
the lur-trade, in svhich they built up a profitable con.n.eree with China
and Japan.

SWATNK STARTS FROM

ARCTIC KXl'I

CHAPTER XV.

IMiri.ADKLPHIA— EXPLORATION-

ORATION l!V IIKARN'K IN

liV WIXD— MAI.TRKATMKX

OK I.AIiRADOR

STRir.MKNTS I)|.;STI!()^• I I)

I" f)K KSQUIMAUX-

IMIIPPS RKACIIKS SI'irziSK

-AirtTIl- \-OYA(;i.; oi.-

R(JK\,

del pi

In the sprin- of i 754 Capt. Charles S

waine

lia, ill Pennsvlvania, t^

jft th

> search for the Nortl

e port of Phil;

in command of the schooner A

hwest Passaire. II

e was

Farewell in Ji

r.Ljo; and (Irst encountered

line. Leavinji;- the caster

ice off Cai)e

western ice in latitude sS

■n ice he i\<^n]n fell in with tl

it, hut could not; it th
ward he met two Danish
up Davis' Strait, which had 1

5^% and cruised to the northward to 6 ^ c
len extended to the eastward. R

clear

eturnin<r south-

vessels hoim.l to Ball River an;l Disco Island

K'en ni the ice fourteen davs off C

wel

aiK

1 had then stood to the westward. Th
e ice was fast to the shore all above Hudson's S

ipe I"a re-

forty leajjfues out, and that there had not 1

ey assured Swaine that
trait to the distance of

ast, these twenty-four years that thev had 1

>een such a severe winter as the

)een eii,t,r:i,n^ed in that trade.

1 hey were then nine weeks from Copenha.^.en. The An^.o, (Indin-. she
could not ,,.et around tiie ice, pressed through it au.l .-ol to the mouth of
Hndson's Strait on the 26th of June. She reached Resolution IsPuul
l.tit was forced hack by vast <,nantities of .hiving ice, an.l <,ot into clear
sea onjuly ,st. Cru.sin,, alon^ the border of the ice, seeking an open-
ni,Mo.,.et throu<,h it, she met on the 14th four vessels of Ih.dson B-,y
endeavorm,^. to .^^et in, and continued with them till the ,yth, when they
P=n-te,i in thick weather, in latitude 62 O 3,,'. The thick weather lasted
t'll An.nist 7. The Hudson's Bay men before thev were separated
tn.m the Arj^o computed the distance to the western coast ,.f Ihulson's
Bay .It forty lea<ifues.

The Artro ran down the ice from about 63 t<, 57 O 3,,'^ .,„^j

137

llii

.11

138

S/:.IM// FOli NORTHWEST PASSACR.

aftc-r n-]H\-ik'(l ;ittc

C'lMll'MXOr.

mpts to oiitcT the Straits relinquished the

Ih' moiv as (he season C,,,- niai^in'j- disc

em side oC tht' h

(>\riv on the

vain
west-

'.ly woidd he over l)efore ihev eould I

Swaiiie now direeted his vessel to lit

lopi' lo reach it.

<■• coast of Lai

pert

eeliy lo iatitiidt" ^i |. O

hi' lliorouniily expiori'd, nia

certainin- all he could of the soil, proihue, and

nadoi-, and I'xplored it
c found no less than six Inlets, all of whieh

kin^- an excelli-nt charl of

he coast, an(

as-

thought it much like .\

I H'ople (>

f 1.

alirador,

orwav, and satisi

f<l linnsc

thei

\\a\' aiross it to \\m\

i' \Nas no waleV'

son's |5av. It had I

route could he lonnd, hut S\v

found

heie was a hii^h mount

teen K-njectured that sueh a
line's careful sinviw settled thai point. He

north to south, alxuit liftv 1
foiuid a deserted w

lad heen I mi It

:iiii ran^e whieh tiavcrsed t

ic land from

ca-nes inland. In one ofthese harhois th,

ooilen liouse with a

line

'V ICn.t^Iishmen, as ajjpeared evid

•y

chimney which they jiuh'-ed

left hehind. Afterward in another of tl
a i)ark or snow so called from the L()w-(
London. He informed them (hat the s
175,:;, and had landed some Mor
inteiidiuL;- (o remain there. Ihil t

ent fiom sundry relies
u- Inlets they met Captain (iofl' in

xerman snau, or

:nne vessel had I

snout — from
cen there in

artfully coaxed awav hv the nat
tance in their hoat, and

avian brethren who had huilt the house.
H- captain and six of his n

ives under pretence of trail

icn had heen
Ic, to some dis-

nnarmed

cr wailiu'-' tlieii' reti

(lays ni \ani, the 1

l)v the Morav

emainder concluded to sail for lOn-land

urn for sixteen

lans, who were necessary to work the vessel and

, accompanied

coura_i;ed in their benevolent nndertal
the natives. Part of (JofPs 1

were dis-

kni'

by the unexpected treachery of

what he could of the fate of th

)usiness on this voya-e, he said, was to I

earn

icse men

vva

me's M()o(l fortune, who seei

a pleasant addition ((

his si

ns not to ha\e lost a m

lips equipment, he discovered a line llshinu-bank al

111 or any pari of

miles od'shoie and stretching- 57 o to ^\^ . \'
safety at Philadelphia about t

'out twenty

cssel and crew ariived

le middle of

111 I 77-' the b

. vox'ember.

/ /

S'cntlemen of X'ir'dnia ti

)ii.L!: l>>iii,i,'ciice was dispatched 1

search for the Northwest P

n- a company of piiv.ate

iced in charge of C

as^ a''e.

but

iptain Wilder, who followed tl

ic was

uicceeded in enterin- Hudson's Bay, th

ic route of Swainc,
e season beiny more favora-

>3il

EXPEDiriON OF HEARNE. ,gy

l)lc'. Tin. I)ili<rcncc plied al....it the l.roMd expanse of the -.-eat hay, es-
pcrially t.. the north an.l west, ulml, were now the accreclite.l point's cf
sc-a.eh (or the Northwest Passa-^e. They were (Inallv driven haek l>y
>'"• ircan.l retreated ll.ron.uh 1 In.lson's Strait to Davis'Strait, whieh they
.•.sr..ndc.d to ,he latilnde of Diseo l.land in UjO , ,', whence they ret,n,>e,l
to Virginia.

ARCTIC EXPLORATION BY HEARNE.

Samnel I learne had entered the ICn.^lish navy as a midshipman in
Captain 1 lood's vessel, at the a-e of eieve.,. At the eh.se of the I'^reneh
war in 1763, he took serviee .n,d..r the 1 Indson's P.av Company as
•in.rlennaste,-, at Iw.r, Chnrehiil. I„ , ^r.S ]„. ,,vi„ee,I special ahilitv in
ins exploration of the northern coast of llu.ison's iJay, and the improve-
"Knt of the fisheries in thai ,,uarter. The same year the Indian story
of copper nn-nes to the north, which had Inred Kni.^ht to destruction in
.7'9, Mn<l which ha<l heen repeated toCaptain Scro<,rj.s in 1722, was put
l-yondall (p.estion hy .some rich specin.ens of ore hronoht hv Indian
".adersto Fort Churchill. Hearne was now sent out with a "twofold
con.nnssion, to search for tlie Northwest Passao-e and the n.ines of cop-
IHT. He left V.n Churchill Novemher 6, 1769, accompanied by two
wh.le n,en and son.e hxlians. When he had proceeds about two
Innxire.l miles his provisions beoan to fail, and the native guides deserted
Inm, when he was obline.I to return. In the beginning of February,
I77<', I'^'ing^ again ready to start, he resumed his jouruev, taking with
l.iin no white men an.l only five Indians. He had found that the natives
ridic.ded his two white companions because of their inabilitv to endure
the hardships of the trip .as well as they could. Some white men have
been known to pride themselves on similar qualifications. When they
had gone about live hundrc.l miles they began to sulFer great distress
iVon, exposure to the severity of the weather, and thc^ scarcity of
pio\isions.

Mtwas," says Ilearne, " either all feasting or all famine; some-
tunes we ha.l too much; seldom just enough; freciuently too little; and
«-''-" "one at all. It would bo only necessary to say that we have fasted,

140

FIGHT BETWEEN ESQUIMAUX AND INDIANS.

I<^

''i-/

\\\

many times, two M-hoIc days ami ni^jhts; twice, upwanl c.f three clays
and once,near seven clays, clurinj. which we tastc.l not a niouthCJ ofanv-
thm^^ except a few cranherries, naler, scraps „f ..1,1 leather, an,! hurnt
bones." Finally, in Angust, he arrived amon^r ,, t,ihe „f frien,liv In-
clK.ns, in latitnde (.^' ,o' and longitu.le ,o"4o' west fron, J^.rt Churchill
where i,e proposed to winter. One day a <cust of wi.ul upset his ,jua.l-
r■^^n^. breaking it to pieces, and the hrave explorer pickcl up his efleCs
and started hack to the English settlement, notwithstanding .i ,•-. ,.,iva-
tion he ha,l .nulergone on the way out. Eqnippe.l one- „ l^,,t

Churchill, he set out on the 7th of Decemher, accompanied ...non.. the
rest by an intelligent Indian named Motannahi. Thev procecied this
tmie m a less northerly direction, an,l in latitnde 6o». After ha^■in.^ tr-.v
eled about 600 miles, they came to a lake; here thev built a cuJc ..„>.l
pushed northward, by a chain of lakes an,l streams, tn.til, on the ,3,h of
July, 177', they struck the Coppermine River, which he ,lescen,le,l.o
>ts month in the Arctic Ocean, or rather in Coronation (n.if, one of its
.nlets,in latitnde 68" 30'. Meanwhile, llearne's ban,l of In,iians had
been n.creased by the accession of some tra- ,s of the forest, frien,lh to
each other, but all hostile to the Ks,,ui,„anx. Seeing a sn.all encan,pn;ent
of then- ,leteste,l enemies on the bank of the great river, ihcv attacked
then,, on tl,e ,7th of July, u pj,,,- ,g all the Esquin,aux .jui^t in their
tents," says I learne, » they rushed n.rth fi-om their ambnsca,le, an,l .ell
on the ].oor, unsuspecting creatures, unperceivcl till clos. to ihe eaves of
then- tents, when they soon began the bloo.lv massacre, while 1 stoo,I
neuter in the rear." They spare.l neither age nor sex, an,l of the twen.v
or n.ore nu.ates of ,he hut, but few escape,!. An ol,I won,au whon,
tluy toun.l peacettdly fishing was to.t.ne,! bv having her eves ph.ckcl
out before she receive,! iu.- .leath blow. A y.,ung girl s..u,ht the pro-
lect,on of Ilearne, which he was powerless to give; an,l the n.iscrean.s
soon attertheir horri,! work of slaughter, " sat down," savs Hearn,. u,,,,
made a goo,l ,neal of t^-esh salmon," the fruits, perhaps, of the ol.l
woman s uKlustry. The " Arctic Ocean," as ,lescribe,l bv Ilearne uas
full of islan,ls and shoals, as f^n- as he could discern with a g.>o.! teles;:op;..
On the 30th of June, ,773, after an absence of o„e vear an,l s.-ven

ill

ENLARGEMENT OF THE ENGLISH NA VT. hj

months lacking, one week, Hearne arrived in safety at Fort Churchill, of
vvh,ch ho was ,nade Governor, in .775. Q,, its capture l,y a French
-l-<<->, ""<le.- Pcrouse,in ,783, he returned to England, where he
^I.cd ten years later, in his forty-eighth year. His " Voyage to the Cop-
permine River," was published in 1795. ^

ARCTIC VOYAGE OF PHIPPS.

Since the loss of Knight in .7.9, there had been by common con-
sent a vn-tual abandonment of voyages of exploration in the Northwest
At mtervals some slight revival of interest arose, but only to be damp-
ened by repeated failures. In ,743 Captain Middleton discovered Wa-
ge. "R.ver"„r Bay, opening westward from Rowe's Welcome md
for a tm,e he n.ust have fancied he had made the great discovery, but it
was soon found to be a land-locked inlet into an uninhabited wilderness
A few years later, in ,746, Moore and Smith, after a fruitless search in
the same direction, pronounced the quest of « a Northwest Passac^e as
chnnerical as Don Quixote's projects." But now the success^ i^f
Captam Cook and the growing power of England gave a fresh
.mpetus to voyages of discovery on a scale commensurate with her
greatness. It has not escaped the notice of our reader how insig-
nificant and paltry were the outfits of the early English navigators.
He has also doululess divined the reason. While under more arbitrary
governments such enterprises were usually controlled bv the state and
niaugurated with the eclat and fullness of equipment which are wont to
characterize government ventures, in England they were almost entirely
"1 the hands of private merchants. Occasionally the use of one of the
King's ships was obtained, but even then the equipment was supplied by
private persons. This was in accordance with the genius of free institu-
tions and constitutional liberty; and the Englishman felt more pride in
the growth of freedom than in big ships. The necessities of war had
just brought the crown a navy worthy of the name, and the succeedino-
epoch of peace left it at fhe disposal of the ministers for the furtherance
of tile pursuits of science and commerce. The British government, full
of anticipation of the glory to be achieved among the nations of the earth

142

VOTAGE OF PH/PPS.

? J

by the discovery of the Northwest Passage, the dream of her .ncrchants
for nearly three eenturies, proceeded first to dispatch an expedition ,h<e
north to nivestigate the possihilities of that ronte.

On the 35th of May, ,773, Captain Constantine John Phipps, who
wasra.sed.o the peera<,e as Lord Mul^^rave in 17S4, received formal
.nstrncfons for a voyage to the North Pole, or as far toward it as possi-
ble. He was to prosecute the voyage as nearly as ice and other ohsta-
cles would permit, on a meridian. His observations were to h. .uch as
■night prove useful to navigation, and promote science. Should he reach
the Pole and find open sea beyond he was not to suffer himself to .n. on
but was to get back to the Nare before winter. A discretionary clause was'
added, empowering him to follow his best ju.lgment in such unforeseen
cn-cim.stances as might arise. He was to command the Racei.orse, and
to her ^vas joined the Carcass under Capt. Lutwidge, who was sub-
ject to h.s orders, with the proviso that should evil befall the Racehorse
he was to assume command of the Carcass.

They got fairly under way on Jime 4, and anchored in a small bay
between Magdalena and Hamburgher Bays, off Spitzbergen, on July 4
On the 9th they were as high as 80^ 36', and were caught 'in the
ice on tiie 31st. They forced their way southward through the ice
reachmg Seven Islands' Bay, on the northwest coast of Spitzber<.en'
Aug. 6, and the Nare on Sept. 34. In 1774 Captain Phipps published I
dctadcd account .,f this Arctic expedition under the title of a "Journal
o[ a Voyage Toward the North Pole."

ill

'it ' '' ■

i'fi

<ii|:'
f

iu;'

CIIAl'TRR \vi.

COOK'S ,.:vr,.:,„.,„s„ ,.„„ ,„sc.n-,,,„.„ ^„„,„„,,,,,, ,.,,„,„_, ,„^^^.,,^
.■.v„o„.n.-K.xn.v.,v„ „.„,,„ ,,,,„ ,,,,,„„_„„,;";
«.v-vK„ ,s,,..„_,„,„„,, ,,, ,„^„^^j;'^

z^rr """ "'"'"" °'-'"" «-"-.°.-'-m;„k..,.

iUI{S IX CANTON.

Phipp.' fi„h„. ,„,. „„,,„ ,,1 „„. exti„,„i,h tlu.h„po„, n„„i„„a
>". f." n the A,I„,„.c ,„ ,„,. ,>,,ifi, i„ ,„^. , =

Cap.,,,,, Cook ,™, ..vo„ fr«h ,,„„,,. ,„ „,„„,,„„„, „ "

..cc... awanled .ho Cop.oy „,o„,., fo,- ,„ .,eccs» I„ p..e,,e..vi ^.H o

o „s .„o„ .„„.,„, „, ,.„„„, „,.„„„„ ,„^ ^^„_.,^, ;^. ^„,„; ^^^^ ''

CO,,,,,.., ,1. „„ „„„,,e.,„,„ „,,, ,„ p„^^^,j ,^ ^,^^ ^
co,,,,„e„ce „„ ».„,,,, „„ .ho „o,,„we.. coas. of A,.e,ic. i„ ,a,.„.,o 6 ' "

-H„ .ho »„„„.,„„„„ ,„„„,„„„„ ^,„^,,^,._ ^_,^^^^^._^ ^,^^^^^

. A„c,o,,o„ co,„pa„,o„. of ,„« f„,,,,, ,„^„^,^_ ^,^^^„^ . ■ •

a.s.,-ono„,oi a,i,l „a.,iialis..

J"l.v .3 ,776, Captai,, Cook loft I'ly,„o„.l,, EnRla,,.!, a„<l was
.,™.K.., hy Cap.ai,. C,o,.ko l„ Tahio ,.,y, „..„• .ho Cape of g;o<, Ho^
»o.no vvock,s la.er. I. was ,ho las. .lay of Novo„,l,o.. bcfo,. .hoy lof . .he
Capo who„oe .hoy pn,ooo.lo.l oastwaM through tho I„.lia„ Oooa.,, pa.,-
a.K' n.,oo E<lwa,,l-,s ,.la„.l Doco.nho,- ,3, a,..l .oaohi,,, Ko,.„!olo„
U,Klo,.tho.,.h. ,,0,0 Cook ,.oo.ifio.l .1,0 ,.«ako „, tho .liso^co,-
Kors,,olo„ hy asoortai„i„s il .o ho an i.la,,.,, „ot ., co„.i„o„., a.,.l cha,ao-
tc,.zod .. a. ,ho ,,,la.,.l of licsok.tio... l.-„, „„.„, |,„,„|,,,| , ^,^,^^

144 '

COOK DISCOVERS SANDWICH ISLANDS.

Kcrjjuelcn flicy were s„ beset by io^ that it was necessary t.. fire signal
{?uns to avoid jrettinp separate,! in the ,lark. They arrived at Adventure
Hay on the south coast of Van Diemen's Lan.l, now Tasmania, on the
36th of January, ,777, and in Queen Charlotte's Sound, New Zealand, on
the i.th of February. On the 35th they proceeded north war.l, reaching
Manga.a and Atioo, two of the Cook Islands or Ilervey Archipelago, on
the .9th of March. The season was now considere.l too far advanced
to venture into unknown seas with the prospect of achieving anything
nnportant, and Captain Cook deci.led on further exploration in the
tropics, postponing his northwanl trip until the following yc-ar. They
spent nearly three months in peaceable interco,n-se with the natives of
the Tonga and Fecjee groups, to which Cook gave the collective name
of Friendly Islands. On the .2th of August they arrived at Tahiti or
Otaheite, one of the Society Islands, to the southeast of the Friendly
Islands. On the Nth of December they again directed their com-.se to the
northward from liolabola, the most northern of the Society group; arid
on the iSth of January, 1778, they discovered the islands of the IlavJaiian
Archipelago. Cook named these the Sandwich Islands, in honor of the
first lord of the British admiralty, John Montague, Earl of Sandwich, the
chief promoter of the voyage in which he was now engaged.

After a stay of several weeks Cook now directed his" course for the
mainland of America, reaching the New Albion of Drake, in latitufle 44'-
33', on March 7. Coasting north, they arrived at Nootka Sound in lati-
tude 49" 35 ' • The inhabitants were found clad in furs, which they offered
for sale, and were civil to the strangers. They evinced an almost En-,
lisii appreciation of the rights of property, expecting pay for everythin^g
that was taken, even the wood and water necessary for the ships. They
were acquainted with iron, but preferred brass, whence it came to pass
that the sailors bartered all their buttons for furs. In latitude 59° the
natives were found to resemble the Esquimaux of Hudson's Bay in Ian-
guage as well as in physical appearance; and were not so graspin-in
their dealings. In what has since been named Cook's Inlet they thought
to have found a passage to the Northern Ocean, but found it penetra'^ed
only about 200 miles. Cook then sailed westward, and on the 9th of

COOK- SU/iVErs UAH^A/f.
Aug. ,t ,„a,lc. Che c«,a„c n„r.lnvostcm „„i,„ , r A •
i"^ Bavu ,1,0 „™„ <,f cpe ,vi„„ , ,■ W ""■'"• '" *""'^''

. On .Ho ,..„,. A,,,,,,, ,„ ,,„;,!: r;:";;'-; -' "-■ --'-
' '-"".. for ,. »o J: :;;;:;;::t ,^'>«''^'- '"■^■' " '

'«laM,ls. On tho .6th „f N„vo,„l,o ''""'"" '"' ""■' «""""''^''

-•> o.. .ho 3o.h .ho ,a.«o ,-.,..,r:; : ;:: ::':;•■■" ':."''""^- --'o'-

»l-n. sovon wooks i„ circu™,«vi,.„i„., , , , ""'"' ""'=" ^'""''

woro v,s,lod hy cn,wd, of „„,ivo, ri, T -'"""aOS • 779. ""U

ofoiviHzod Enjrlisl, a,ul somi hnh ' i!'' ' ' "' ''"''"'■'' "'"' ^'i-'i."!.

"-"« ooo„™, .„ r::::;:: :;:::::-'-'-■'«:

"pin,on,s formo.l by ouch „,rlv „f h . '".orcourso; „„,| ,ho
- weeks of „c.,„i.,„„:.'„,;""'^: '"" "'"'^ ^^' «--">'^'.

failuro to pe„e.,.a.o .ho Nonhorn f Vo "■"'' '"-'"^ '■^■" "»' 'h"

hy .ho ,n.ovory „f .„o»o ::;: ""rvrrT ""■" ^'"""^■"""'"' ^^

"we owed our having i. |n our powo,- .o vi 1 th' s"'";""?""'" "^' '"•

f=..;.can.h„n,hou..H::.— ;:;:::r:.'^^^^^^^^^^^

'"""".y of P".k for soa ,.„:, F ;* "T ""'" """"''"' "' """'" "

-chor„„.ho ,.ho£ .o,.en,bo... iiu. ^.I ^ ' "™""' ™'' '^'"'^'^-^
10 ' '' ^^°"" ^"-"se soon after, which

110

Ml! tin Eli OF COOK.

scrioiisly sprim^r the- mainmast of the Resolution, and Ihcy re-entered the
harhor for neeessary repairs. In the short interval that had elapsed, the
better disposeil of the native population, with most of their lea<!ers or
chiefs, had withdrawn into the interior. The erews now eame in con-
tact witii the more thievish and nnprincipled of the Ilawaiians, and (piar-
rels became almost incessant. A serious feud arose throujrh the theft ot
a p;iir of tonj^s from the fori,a- of the ship's smith by an nnprincipled na-
tive. The En<?lish sent in pursuit of the thief were rou<jhly handled by
a mob, and on the heels of this redoubled ()utra<,'e followed the theft of
one of the ship's boats. Captain Co»)k hereupon determined to seize the
kin«,s Tcrceoboo, and hold him as a hostage for the good behavior of his
people, and the return of the stolen property.

On the 14th of February, 1779, he landed with a body of armed ma-
rines to carry out this resolution. The king ofTend no resistance, but with
his two sons peacefully accompanied the English to the shore, when the
excited natives gathered in crowds and prevented the embarkation. An
accident precipitated the impending conflict. One of the armed English-
men at the other end of the bay fired a gun to stop a native canoe that
was about to cpiit the shore. Unfortunately, through misdirection of aim
or oscillation of the canoe, the shot that was intended to pass overhead,
killed a chief named Kareeinoo. The natives, taking this for a gage
of battle, prepared for war, brandished their knives, and put on their war
mats. Captain Cook restrained his men, and they held back their (ire
till it was too late. Threatened by a native. Cook himself fired his mus-
ket loaded with small shot, which only rendered his assailant more furi-
ous. The marines and the crew now fired on the mob, but these were
so closely packed at the water's edge that they crowded each other on
toward their assailants, and in the melee four of the English were
killed. The jam became so great that firearms were of but little use,
and C ^ok was at the mercy of his enemies. He was seen to make an
effort to reach the boat, with one of the natives in close pursuit, who,
dealing him a stunning blow on the head with a club, precipitately re-
treated. Cook fell on one knee and dropped his musket, and as he was
rising, another native stabbed him ia tlic back of the neck vvith a da"-'—-

'oB^

IWLOUr UN COOK

147

He then fdl int.) tin. vvitcr .t-l,,.., .1

-"- "^-wi,„:,:t:;:;;;':;— "i::;: -■'■.-"

assail.uil, was „, ,|,-„<,. I .'i ""■ "'""" "' l"«

Uu, ,... ,,, „ :;," ' ;■ ^■'"^- - -"■-' -■' P.u„..„ncl<e„,

«". i.i» ...„ . . : : ■ , "^' :'"''''"'■ "-'''■ "•■"■ ■■-

"""""■■I "- ^l",j;,.|c. Tlu.y ,lK,, h.,„lc.,l l,i, ,1 • " "'■ '"■

vicl will, ™d, ,„|K.,- in ;„,r ,■ '■"""""' ^"'""•^- ""'I

vi«i,„. '"""-■""^' ""■— y wuu„.l, „„„„ .„,i, ,,„,„

inittcd tothedcenvvith fh . ^ " ""rul. 1 hey were com-

-"--. o;r:;;;: :r'-^:r^^^^ -^^^ - ---

tous of the welfare of his, nen In.,,,' V "" ^^""^"^ ^•''^■'■

Copley .e., Joh. I.in.rP^r:; ^ ^^ S" ^^'^ ^'^^
phasi^e.l his merit in that particular: ^' ''"" "^■

" What i,K,uiry can be so useful as that which has for ,> . • ,

savin^Mhe lives of men? And where sh-,11 7 ^ •"'' "^'^

than that before us Pro 1 ' "'' ""^' '"•"■^' ^"^••"^^■^'^f"'

.u ocroic us. [Cook's account of his mcthorl for .
health of his men.! Here u'e no v.- . P'-cservn,^. the

J '^^'^^ aic no vani boastuijrs of the em.-,;,-;
Srcn.ous and delusive theories of the docnn-ttisfl^ut V "^""V"'' '""
a'Hl an uncontested rehtion of H ''"-'"'^''^*' ^''' =» '^""c.sc and artless,
Cm. r 1 • , """''"' ^>' ^^'^''-''^' ""^1^"'- divine f .vor

Capt Cook, w.th a con.pany of : .8 men, performed a voyage of th ee v

ancc.,hteen days throughout all the climates tVom 5 '^ ^h rCtT
:-^^; '^'ftude, with the loss of only on. man by sickness woul ,

'"qiure of the most conversant with the bill J "^''

- ».na„ „ .,.,„„„, „f .,,,.,, „,„. _ ^ ' Ij^'j h ve ever f„.,„.,

a-recable, then must on,. • , P'-'ce ot time . How <,neat and

* i

CLEIiKE ASSUMES CO MAT AND.

to health, than a common tour in Europe." And it may be added that
with all the modern appliances of preserved meats, carefully prepared
pemmicaii, canned fruits, lime-juice and sundry other anti-scorbutics no
navlj^ator has succeeded in leavinu^ a better record. He not only cared
for his men, but he also knew how to elicit their confidence and esteem.
He was kindly and considerate, but also decided and eneriretic, and knew
how to rule as well as conciliate. He probably erred in attempt-
in<r to enforce the ri<j^iil rules of stern tliscipline a<^ainst the savaj^es of
Hawaii, and paid the penalty with his life. Iloldinj^ races of infantile
simplicity mixed with adult cunniny; to the responsibilities of civilized
men was an error of the times, which has not even yet been (^uite out-
jj^rown. And tlie fame of Cook cannot be dimmed by an error of judg-
ment. Such criticism wcndil rob humanity of all its heroes.

Captain Clerke now assumed command of the expedition, intrusting
his ship, the Discovery, to the immediate command of Lieutenant Gore.
They proceeded to the Northern Ocean, touching at Petropaulovsky, in
Avatcha ]3ay, on the coast of Kamchatka, where they were received by
the Russians with marked hospitality. Passing thence through Behring's
Strait, they reached latitude 70' 33', where they encountered the ice some
twenty miles lower than on the previous occasion. They relinquished
all further attempt in that direction, and set sail (uv the homeward voy-
age. When they again reached Kamchatka, Captain Clerke died, and
was b\iried on shore. The command of the expeilition then devolved
upon Captain Gore, witii Lieutenant King in charge of the second
vessel. They airived at Macao, at the moutli of the Canton River, in
China, December third, when they learned of tlie war between
England and lier American colonies, aided by the French; and at the
same time of the generous order of the latter government that the vessels
of Cook's expedition should be treated as neutrals by the cruisers of
France.

In Canton tlie English seamen enjoyed an episode that formed an
agreeable contrast lo their late experience. They found an unexpected
market for the furs for \/hich tiiey had bartered knives, trinkets, and
even tiieir brass buttons two vcars before on ilie norlhwesi coast of

youHNET HOMEWARD ,49

alo f„, $Soo; a,>,l „ ,e„ pri,,,.. «Ui,„, „„;„, ,,^„ ^,^„„ ,_,__, ,^^^ , ,
well prescrvcl, wore sol.l f,„. $,30 each. The whole amount „f ,he
value ,„ speeie a,„l s„„.|,,, ,hat vva, g„, f,„. ,he f,,,-., i„ h„,h »hip, I am
com, en. ,li., „„. rail „h„. of .C30CO .erUn,, a„„ i. wa« gene-'i; ^^

Ta ^" ■■'' '"""' ' °' '"^ ""'"""■' - ' ""^'■"■^»y .-t^.l

•Ik Ame,-,ean» „e,c »poile,l a„,l won, o,„, o,- ha.l been .ivc„ away o,-
■>*e,w,se ,l.p„se<l of h, Kameha.Ka. When, in a,l.li,i„n .0 ,hc»e faos
.. .» ,en,emhe,e,, that the f,n» were a. n,.,t colleete,! without on,- havinJ
any ,dea of thei,- ,..,1 valne; that the ..-cate,- pa,t ha.l l.een wo„, hy th^e
In<ha„» £,„m who,,, we ha.l pinehased then,; that they we,e afterward
pre»erve.l with little ea,e, a„,l f,-e<,„e„tly „,,e<l for he.l-clothfs and other
pn.-poseH ; and that probably we ha.l not received the fnll value for them in
Cl„na; the advantages that ,nish, he ,lerive,l f,„,„ a vova^e ,0 that pa,t
of the A,„er,can c„a„, undertaken with eomn,e,-clal views, appea,-e.l ,0
,™ of a .lej;,-ee .,f i„,p.,rt.,„ee sulHeient ,„ eall f.,r the attenti.,,, „f „,e

A few of the scamon were so .lecply imprcssc.l with the same con-
v.ct,oa that they <,esertecl the ships and were an.o.,,tht. ,1,-st English.nen
to en-a-e in the Pacific fur trade.

Leavin. Canton with replenishe.l purses they (Inally arrive,] in salbty
at the Nore on the fourth of Octoi.r, ,780, after an absence of fo,,!-
years, two n.onths and .wentv-three ,Iays. Five n.en ha.l died on the
Resoh.t,on three of whon, were sicUly before leavin, England; the
Discovery hail not lost a man.

i I

til.

:i 1

i*1
I It

•11'^ I

CHAPTER XVTI.

ENGLrsU AXn DAMSir VOVAOKS-FUOIUSUKM-PONn-MACKENZIK —
IMSCOVEKS MACKKXZIK'S U, VER^(;(,nTH A AM COLO.NV FOUNDKD-
SfOKKSnv MAKKS FIRST V(,VA<;K TO C;K KKNLA ND-WM. SCORKSMV,

.)>{., inanxs skafaiuxc; i.ifk-vova.;k to sitiv v,«;kn skas—

Xl-.MKKOUS KKMAINS OF ANIMAI, I.IFK _ SCOK KSH Y PUMLISIIES
ACCOUNT OF ,„S TKAVKLS-XKCKSSITV THK MOTUKK OF IX-
VKXTIOir-DISCOVKRS CAI'K HOPE _ INAU.iUIiATES THE VSK OF
nOATS AND SLEDGES.

In 1775 Joseph Frobishcr, cnoraored in the fur trade, reached the
Mississippi or Churchill River, in the interior, throu.^di the rei^non north-
west of Lake Superior, and made a second successful trip the ensuin-
year. His brother, in 1777, reached Lac de hi Croix, now Lacrosse
Lake, at the hea.l waters of the Churchill; and in 177S, a Mr. Pond
following- in their footsteps, and proceeding farther north, had discovered
Lake Atliahasca.

From Fort Cliippcwyan at the west etui of Lake Athabasca, Alex-
ander Macke.izie set out o . the third of June, i 789, attended l,y a party of
Canadians and some Indians, to discover another -reat river to the no'rth-
west, of which he had heard from the natives. One of .he Indians had
been in the service of Hearne eight or ten years before. Having found
the river, he proceeded to descend it to its mouth. On tlv> 12th of fuly
they entered what they took to be a lake, from the shallowness of the
water, though they saw no land ahead. "At a I'.w leagues from the
mouth of the river, my people," says Mackenzie, "could not, at this time,
refrain from expressions of real concern that they were obliged to return'
without reaching the sea." But noticing a rise of eighteen inches in the
water, they conclude<l they had reached the ocean, as it could (miy be as-
cribed to tlie tide. This opinion was confirmed by the appearance of

150

aoDTHAAl! FOUNDED.

sevoral whales sportms on tllo irn H
^ ' H', and named the i , , ^^'^"'■^'""' 'h'= latitude ,„ be

The ,,•:; has h :j, ";; °" ""'"' ^'^ ^"" -"O^" Whale Island.
." be in latitude 6S " l' !, ^ T;' '";" ''» ™«" '' — ^-nnined
fcction of his in,t,.„,„en°, ' ' , *" "*""' "^"'"'"^"•""^ ">= ™P-

™-"... With th;::c: ; ::.tr: "" ' '-■' =™'""'^- "'>"■•-'■

a...I rivers with which tl,e mS '"'""'' '"'"'"" =''"'" <>' '■■''"••»

l>a..ys territory east of lelil'^ ""'"'''' *° ""*""'' "^'^ ''■<'-
"-lined, and theletl q j "'^ "'"""' '""^ '" »»'" '" "••- '-n
™. .b^ A^eriea,: for ^^ ^T* T'T' '"f "''' «™ '^^ "^ 'and
.^iver, crossed the RoC, Mo^i^nd ,::::, T's-"" '"' "'^
'" '793. rcaehing the P icific Or ■ "-'"'"'' *= ^"mp'on River

I^lands, Where he roll trd,°:;" '"' T'"" "' "' '''•"''^' "^ ^ales
A/r 1 . ^ '^^'^^ "'^ "'i'"'^ on the face of a rock uai

Macken.e, n-o. Canada by land, the 3.d of Jul/ ^ L^'^"'"^'"

returned by the same route, arriving at Fort CU ^ "" ^''

basca, on the 24th of August. ^^'Ppewyan on Lake Atha-

DANISH VOYAGES TO GREENLAND.

Besides the voyages previously mentioncd^f the Nnr
the close of the tenth cent,,,-,. .\, Norsemen toward

rv • .u , '^^"tuiy, and those under the ausnices of ru,- .•

J V. ni the ear V nartnf fl-.« o . , *- •"'■"'piccs ot Christian

"vP'^" or the seventeenth— there worn ., c

--osti- coi^irr^:^::: -;--;-- -es
-a few friends, iodei^!:;; :c:'trr ■":' :"' "■^' ""•

with a cash capital of $3,000; and .,„ .nn ■ "' '"""'""^

.1-0 missionary f„„d, to whic w r d *' o" "T"';' *^°" '■'■'•■"

Who. however, died nine years late .KliTe. '«!:"" m''"^ '^••

•■"■rived o„ the western const nfr , , ''• " ^''^ '-' '""I

n- '

ins

CLA VEIUNG-anAAIl.

'ii

;jt: : .L

the faih.re to find any trace of the old colonists, not only withdrew its
paltry endowment, hut ordered the colony to he hroken up.

In 1733, through the zeal of the celehrated Count Zinzcndorf, Kin-
Christian VI. was induced to countermand the order for the extinc"
tion of the Godthaal, Colony. Not confining himself to this act of jus-
ticc, he endowed the mission with an a.muity of $2,000, and intrusted it
to the care of three Moravian hrcthren, memhers of the religious com-
munity founded hy Zinzcndorf. With his mission thus strengthened
und its permanence assured, Egcde returned to Denmark in 1735" where
he died in 175S, at the age of seventy-two. He had heen ahle to find
ruins of churches and other huildings here and there along the coast, hut
no trace of survivors of the old Norse settlements, nor any tradition
among tlie Esquimaux that they had ever existed. Fifty years after his
return an expedition was sent out in 17S6, under command of Capt.
Luwenorn, to search for them on the cast coast. I3ut neither he, .lor the
Scoresbys, in their many voyages to those coasts from 1 791 to iSj2, nor
Clavering in 1823, were ever ahle to discover any traces of European
settlements in Greenland. The explorations of the Scoreshys and Clav-
crings were, however, too far to the north, hut there yet remained to be
examined the southeastern coast, north of Cape Farewell. This was
undertaken in 1S38, under the auspices of King Frederick VI. who
commissioned Capt. Graah to make a careful inspection of that coast.
Proceeding from the most southern point, in 1829, he made frecjuent
landings as high as 65 " iS'. It was deemed useless to prosecute the
searcli farther, as it was believed no colony cotdd have existed farther
north. The result of his careful investigations was tiie conclusion that no
Norse settlements had ever been founded on that coast. Not a trace of
church or other building, not tlie faintest traditio.i among the natives, not
a word in their language, not a tool or implement in their hands, could
be found to furnish the slightest suspicion that the country had ever had
any European inhabitants. It was inferred that the "east bygd" (or
hight) of the old chroniclers was therefore not the east coast of Green-
land, but only tl-j most eastern portion of that pa.t which was known to
Ihem. Th- " east l)yg<l " was probalily identical with the extensive dis-

EAIi:,r LIFE OF SCORESBT. 153

^^^i "y^u, with Fiskernaes, to the northwest.
VOYAGES OF THE SCORESBYS.

Capt. William Scoreshy, the elder mwl,. i,- « .
II- •^' t-"!^', m.icle Ills hrst vova"-e to (Jronn

, , c. . "- ^"'^^°^'i'-''-''''»'-^lie<la.shi<rhas8i^ I3'in Green

■an.. Sea a h^hc la.ie.le t„a„ had be™ .eaehed by any preced „^

..a.o, wbere he saw .a great ope„„„,,„,.,ea of waL." ,ei„. t, ed

no h, .hu. los.„s a„ exceptional opportunity perhaps of reaehin,, the

wha or , he steered west throngh tl,e ice to the coast of Greenland
wh,e be reached so,ne .inutes north of ;o». Mere be eon,.::^

s^ ed :r • ''""°"' '°"'^' -'-'-»->"«. not exploration, h^

-led bacL a,a,„ ,„to the open sea to secnre a cargo. In one of hi,

w bng v^tnres he is said to have taken the large number of tbirty-six

one of b,s later voyages. He made some improvement, in the detail, of
whahng; an „ credited with the invention of the f„,n „f ^^„^^

Hrr; '"f ™""" '"■'■«" " --Vnest," used as a lookout station

He ,bcd m 1S29, i„ bis seventieth year.

Capt. \Villiam Scoresby, the youn;;cr so,, of tl,e preceding, was born
■n .790, and began a seafaring life when in bis olev.utl, ye^-. ,u i
seventeent be was first mate to his father in tlK- fautous voya.. o
06 to wh.eb we have already referred, before be was <„nte nv: ty
one, be was ,n command o£ the whaler Resolution, In one of bi, voy.
age, to Sp,..bergen seas, he landed near Cape Mitre, an.l ascended a

:""'" ^"»° '■"=' "'""• A' ^ --.". point of this laborious ascent th

.«lgevv:.s,o narrow and the side, so precipitou, that be coultl advance
With safctv on V bv ,tr addlinir If .,.,,1 .■ , auvance

anJI,.,,, 'r, >" ^'/•"■'"•"'"S't and working forward with hi, hands
anJ legs. I, cost bun several hours of hard w.uk to reach the suntmit
■ "•■^- "^^" ■' *'«'^- '■"'- -P would have precipitate, , ,o "is

1.04

Nir.U/cmurs /.'EAIA/IVS OF AXIMAL UFE.

1 ■

■ . K

imf'

death in the abyss honoath. IJut he was delighted with the result of his
achievement.

" The prospect," says ho, "was .no.t extensive and errand. A (Ine
sheltered bay was seen to the east of ns; an arm of the se^ on the north-
east; and fhc sea, whose -lassy surface was unrnlHed by a bree/e
formcMl an immense expanse on the west. The icebergs, rearing their
proud crests almost to the tops of tiie mountains between which they
were lodged, and defying the power of the solar beams, were scattered in
vanous directions about the sea-coast an.l in the adjoining bays. Beds
of snow an.I ice, filling extensive hollows, and giving an enam'eled coat
to adjounng valleys-one of which, commencing at the Ibot of the motui-
tarn where we stood, extended in a continued line toward the soutii as
far as the eye could reach; mountain rising above mountain, until by dis-
tance they dwindled into insignificance; the whole contrasted by a cloud
less canopy of deepest azmv, and lightened bv the rays of a bl-,/in<r
sun, and the effect aided by a feeling of danger-seated as we were on
the pninacle of a rock, almost surnnuuled by tremendous precipices-ail
united to constitute a picture singularly sublime.

" Our .lescent we found ivall, a very hazardous, and in some in-
stances, a pamful undertaking. Every movement was a work of deliber-
at.nn. Havmg by much care and some anxiety made good our descent
to the top of the secmdary hills, we took our way down one of the steep-
est banks, and slid forward with great facility in a sitting posture
Toward the foot of the hill, an expanse of snow stretched across the line
of descent. This being loose and soft, we entered upon it without fe,,-
but on reaching tlie middle of it we came to a surface of solid ice per'
haps a hundred yards across, over which we launched with astoni'siiin<.
velocity, ],ut happily escaped without injury. The men whom we lefl
below viewed this latter movement with astonishment and fear. "

In his further explorations along the east he found many skulls and
iarge bones ofwhales,narwals, sea-horses, seals and foxes. Two Rus
sian lodges, giving tokens of recent habitation by quantities of fresh chips
a.ul other tokens lying around, and the ruins of an older one, were fomid
upon a shingly ridge adjoining the sea. Amid the boulders which Ivul

B/GirrEENT,, vorAon o,.- scom.sjir. ,„

i" lhc|,r„c<..„„f„g,,, rnllcl ,!„„„ „,„,„ i|,„ ,,,„

IhillicT l,y icchcr.r, .,,1,1 i,-,. ,1 ■ conveyed

tl-i,- „c.,.s .„„,'; ; ",'" ""■"" """""■■"• ™-'-* ha.i built

.c,:,^^^^^^^ , r^^^^ "-f ■'='-'<'^<' »i"' --. c„„n„e

w., a specie, „r . ^ ' ""'T' '""^ *•'■'"»• T''^' -'^ --' «-

n»he,.,„e„ ,.. .„e „.„uU, of U,e E,„e an, H ', ^ ,' T; "'^'^f " ">■

mehstanili,,,, its „„,„,,| ,„ , ' ""'l>"l 't* way „„rt|,, „„i.

t ts wou,„i, ,„ ,|,e spot where ,t u-as foun.l. I, „,„ ., |,u„,,
"^ "•«l< '■' 'aU. the ..i, a„<. ,,„„„,e,. al.oan, tite ship whieh ,r„ , , ff Z

.;;.-.™™,ai,..p.a,,ets. wi.,:i:::;::j::.t,:---

cl>a,. he .^„p, „h,ch they fo„„„ great .liffleulty i„ overtaking.

Al,c,- Se,„esl,y l,a,| „„„,,. seventeen voya..es to Arrtie . ,

liHl-d. in ,S.o, .A., Aeeount of the A,.etic Re il T, ' " ""'-
-..y .0 the rather seant stoe,< of ,e„er„^ •::,;::,,.„ i'.:::;; ^

:: ::::t:;: 'T" r"""""™ '- "-^ "-'"-■»""- ■"'"■--:

.'".I natural h,M„,-y of n„,.,|,e,-n|„„,|,,„„| [niS-h,. , 7

c..h.ee„,h voyage, arriving o„ the coast of Gree I.n7i„ "'•

.Sco,.eshy.„ Sou,..,, ,vhere his father ha.i hee„ s„,nc ^i ,:f '''^' '"

-eyco,,r:r;,;::::::— 3^^^^^^^^^^

:::r:irt;:r:;:~:~^^^

^4u, o.- ;u,y he ,a„<,c,. on I .::;z:::-z:r^'- ^-, •-

nanu,l Cape Lis.c, in honor of the fantous Loin LX'

--.'■-p-'>c,<so„ Lister. He Cunhe., to it. s„,„,:r:':,::;,;t

"'"' KS^ir/AfAUX CAMP.

florn of .hi, coast, which l,o .Iccrihcl in hi, account „f .ho v„y„,,c a,„l its
res„l.,,, puhlishcd i„ ,823 a. aiinhuii-h.

A little farther „n-„t what ho „amo,l Cape .Swai„,o„, in |,„„„r
o. ho ,„t„,«u„ho,l natural!,., William Swai„,on_ho .le,co„,le,l
'■■ 'Ik. shore. Hero ho fou.ul a recently .lesertcl camp of .ho

WILLIAM SroRESBY.

Esquimau. Charrc, .Iriftwoo ashes lay „„ the hearths of

. e several huts. N , lau.l anin.als were seou, hut a numher of
g.eat auks ami other sea-fowls animated the waters. Mo.n itoo,
.>u«orfl,o„ hees,an,l so.no other „.„., , i„.cct, |low ahout am :

JAN MAYEN ISLAND. jg,y

crass on .ho hillsKle,, i„ ,hl, ihe solitary su™™„r ,„„,„h of Grc.„l„„„
^:Z. '" """ "^■'■'^ ' "" '"""• ^"^^ '^"•'"-- '"■- ''»-
cxyve,,. sever., specal p„„e.,io„ a,.,i„,t the coW ha,I to he <levi,e,l
y he s,,„,,,e,,,, tK.es. -Necessity prove,, to he. he tnother ofinvcti "
iKreas ,se„here,a,„„„,-,heehil.henof,nen. A tunnel lifteen fe t
. .^ and opentn. to the south, was found leading to eaeh hut. This i
. . .^hdy ....sed ahove .he ,eve, of .he ,„„„d, hein, so ,„. .ha. even
he s„n,te.l l..s<|unnaux are compelle.l t., crawl through it on their

^■;' » -I rcct. Its h„t.„,„ is usually a li.tle lower than ^he floo o
"'." w,„ch,. leads, and is fnr.her depressed abou. .he cen.er, so .
hoc. dcr and eavier outer air is Kep.fron, ,he hu., ins.ead of Howl

<l.rec.ly hron«h on the same level. E.xperience had .a„,h. these Z^.

.ensof a.,t„de7.c what nren in happier cli.es and with the adv .

.«es of schools and colleges, and the accun.da.ed wisdo. o, Z.

«^red ,n books, recognise as a fundamental principle in the sciene:":f

Rc-.ur„i„,, .o his ship,, Scoresby proceeded still northward, an,l on the
-t<lay landed at what he nan,ed Cape Hope, in honor of Tho™,
Hope, a chs.n,,Mnshed writer of the perioKl. „ere he found son.e n,o e
"aces of Esqu,maux_boncs of the hare, and reindeer horns. The skull
" a dog was raised on a small mound, it being a fancy „f „,u »!,„„,„ pe„.
pie that the dog, who everywhere follows the footstep, of „,an i, the
eave„.ord„,ne.l gui.le of deceased children to .he land of souls. ' Th
heat was now so great that ,„any of .he plan.s had shed .heir seeds, and
so,nc were already shriveletl an.l dead. Scoresby now proceeded h n,e-
uar,l, an,l .h,s was his last voy.age to Arctic seas.

An.ong his geographical explorations, he paid sonte attention to J.,,

Mayen sland, about ntidway between Iceland an.l Spitsbergen. This

- I-...1 ahnos. perpetually envelopcl in „,is,, and its chief points of in-

erest were the lieerenberg Mountain at its northern extremity, risin.. to

the hcght o. 6,S7o feet, and .he volcano Esk. I.s .Ireary soli.ude w^dd

seUlon, he d,».„rl.d were it no. for .he herds of seal and walrus which

la'ciuciit Us icc-l)omu| .shor

'CS.

JJc

ars and sca-fovvls

urc its only iuhabi-

1.18

tailts; and ill

r.Asr DArs oj.- scoiii^sBr.

sevci

larnctcriseic fcaturos ,.f ie, landscape are l
Klaceis which sweep ,low„ hs ,i,les to Ihe wa.er's edge

•m b „f AiCe cxpl„ra.i„n, a„,l ihc hnpossihili.y ,.f rcachi,,. L V,.i
1 ad he,.,,, ,„ he accepted hy the general pnhlic L a fact iC.,^^.!
. eav„.d .„ prove that there .„s „„ .„: ,^^^,:: .^ l^ ^^ ;-
ch,,,ned , lat a voyage to the Pole ,Ii,, not necessarily involve ,.;„. ,li

culty or danger. He pointcl out that the chief ohstaCe was tl e ai.e
o of , „„., „,„ „p^„ ^^.^ ,^„„ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ .

« was only necessary to be ready ,o use, alternately, h„„„ ,„„, „„,,Jf
Th, s.,K,,e, ,on attracted attention, and has since been acted upon "i"

,;;t:i:r ""^ ""-'''"'' '■■"^"•■■^p.-'withou. suchZh;:

Scorcsl.y afterwanl became a clergyman in the Church of En,.hnd

'zz t: '"T "• °- " "''' """ ''■ °- '" ■^3. :.. the ;!::!'

cution of h,s .esearchcs ,n terrestrial magnetism in relation to ,iavigatio„
he ,nade a voyage to the United State, in ,8,7, and to Australia in ,85
He d,ed a Torquay, in En^lan.l, in ,357. That portion of the no t

H i

PART III.

THE FIRST flHCTIE
VDYflEES EF THE IHlh EENTUHY.

"OVv the iriad xvatcr-s of the dark blue sea,
Our t/ioui^fhts as bomidless and our souls as free,'
J^ar as the breeze can bear the billozv's foam,
Survey our empire, and behold our homer

— HYltON.

'^ Go forth ami prosper, then, cmprisin^r l,a„d,
May He who i„ the hollow of His hand
The ocean holds, and rules the whirlwind's sweep,
Assua^re its wrath and guide thcc on the deep^

— ANON.

CHAPTER XVIII.

nUCHAN IN nOKOTIfKA avi, ■rui.-K,-,. ^

IS T.,K u: '""^l-nOHOTI.EA NKARLV nESTROVRD

1a.'""' '"' -'-— H UNHKU COMMA.Sn OK
OSS A.n .AUKV-HNCOU..HK KS....... _ ..„,,,,,,„^ ^,.„

;;::,::;^ - ^^-^'^ — -- — - -oss o.... a

''< nc h> the nnt,.sh ..overnmc-nt tovvani the solution of th. problem i„
which the ministry were so much interested in ,77, The A

War of Inciependencc, .77c_8, .nd the r f' "'"'

,^ o , 'yZS-^S^'inU the Contmental or French W-ir

.7V3-.8.5,c., .he, „•„,.,.,„„.„„ „,, .,„.,^..,„ ,„ ,,„j,;;;''

.e.,.., cxpon,.io„,-„.he Arc.ic, c- e„ovvh„e. .Soon a .c- ^^Z
h.mly c,tab,.„e„ by .„„ Troa.y of Vienna, in .8,5, cncon,,.. ir
n>A,„na.,on wl,ich ha<l heon, mcanwhi,e„aeherc,l .hro,„h .h.rs „ 1
.-n o.,u. whale., .he n,inis., ,.»„,„„, .he eonsi.lera.i;, of .I^ ,
.c:.l a„<l .c,en.inc voyages ,„,.le,. .he a„spicc,s of .he cown '

I" .b.S .wo Aretic expeili.ions were Ht.e,l on. .0 seek a pa,sa.,e be
ween .he A, n„ie anU .he Paeifie-.I.e one by .be nonh an ." . I,"

.he o.her by .he nonhwes. .ou.e-eaeb eo.nprisin, .wo vessels.

Cap an, Davul I!uel,an was p,„ i„ co„,„,„„„ of .he n„r.he,„ e.p«li.

' ' ■';'"'' ^^-^ -"= "- Dorothea an,, Tre,,., .he h^.te,- ,.n„:,'

n'e,ha e co,n,„an„ of Lie,,.. John FranWin, „„w be.,e,- known „„
- I«e,- ,. c of .S,r John F,a„khn. Itnehan's ins.n,e.io„s were .„ „,

'":;■ ■'""" '"\ y^'--^ ■■' ■'""'>""« ■'- "or.ber„n,os. he , I o

. ea„w.u-,l ,h,,.„,h .he A,c.ie Oeean, and reach .be Paeif.e .h,.o,..h

.ci>n.,,s.S.,.a„s. This ,.„„.e is easy .0 .n.ee on any ,00,, n,ap, ul

"- d„even,en. has hi.her.., ,lefle„ ,he bes. naviga.o,,. U ,l,e J„i„n

enu. only be b,.o,„h. un.ler .be e.p.a.or for a ,e„e,,,.i„„, „„, .lifliX

wo„l„ e removed; b,.. .he iee, .ho i.npencabie, ,o„, acc„,„.„a,i„, i e^

} n

a ri ,' i i

i<\'''-

.:li';-

162

/iOSS AND PARRY.

is there supreme, and likely to be so henceforward, unless some potent
cosmical revohition should chaii<,'e its relative position.

On the 30th of July both ships were caught in a storm to the north-
west of Spitzbcrgen, and the Dorothea was so much injured by contact
with the ice that it was thought advisable to return to England, and her
consort accompanied her. This failure, though free from serious disaster,
had a most discouraging effect upon the public mind.

SIK JOHN ROSS.

Meanwhile, the other expedition had set sail on the iSth of April.
It consisted of two ships, the Isabella an<l Alexander, under command of
Captain, afterward Sii John Ross, with Lieut. William ICdward Parry in
charge of the Alexander. Ross' instructions were to make for Davis'
Straits and Halhirs l}a),aiid, if possible, to penetrate into the Arctic

Pi
lii .1

fi'i'i

■If

'^i

164

ASTONISHED NATIVES.

III

Ocean by that route, after which he was to reach the Pacific by way of
I3ehring's wStraits.

Reaching the west coast of Greenland they encountered much ice,
and v/cre told by a Danish official that the winter had been exceptionally
severe. Beyond Disco Island Ross was enabled to make some correc-
tions in the observations previously made, finding, among others, an error
of 5" of longitude in the location of Waygat Island as it apjDcared on
the charts of the llritisli admiralty. lie determined with greater exact-
ness the northwest coast from Melville Bay to Smith's Sound. Haviu"-
passed Upernavik in yz'^.p', the most remote of all the Danish settle-
ments on this coast, they were not a little surprised when .they encoun-
tered some Esquimaux three degrees farther on, in 75''' 54'. They had
some difficulty in striking an acquaintance with these isolated and coy
representatives of humanity.

Their astonishment was very great on finding that this people did
not even know that there were other denizens of the earth besides
them.selyes. They were as ignorant of the Danish settlements 200
miles away as of the Danish and other nations beyond the Atlantic.
Their idea of the English navigators seemeil to be that they were super-
natural beings, inh.-ibitants of another world. One of them, with much
reverence and solemnity, addressed the moving and apparently livin<r
shiji, asking, " Who are you? Whence come you? Is it from the sun
or moon?" They had no canoes, and seemed to have no conception of
the nature of the ship. It was not to them as to others of the same
race, a big canoe, but something entirely beyond the reach of their intel-
lects to grasp. And yet, though behind many of the aboriginal tribes in
this respect, they were aheail of mosi in their knowledge of the use
of iron, which tends to show that the ages of tlie archtGoln<rists
are to be understood as stages of progress in the development of human-
ity, but by no means synchronous nor successive over the whole earth.
They had rude knives, the manufacture of which they explained in this
way: They had found a huge mass of it — which the interpreter, per-
haps, erroneously translated a mountain, but which was probably a
meteoric body— and bad chipped oft' the pieces which they had ham'

ClilAfSON CLIFFS. jgg

mered with stones into the shape in which they saw them. Ross na.ncd
them the Arctic Highlanders.

Proceeding farther up the coast, they entered the phenomenon of red
snow, which the great Swiss naturalist, Saussnre, had observed in the
Alps at least thirty years before, but which was none the less stran-e to
<nn- explorers. When melted, it presented the appearance of mml.ly
port wme. For eight miles along the Greenland shore of Hafhn's P,ay
tlu^ cliffs were covered v ith this peculiar snow, and in some ,)laces to the
depth of twelve feet. In ,819, some months after their return to T.:n<.-
land, the coloring matter of ihe red snow was subjected to careful analy-
sis by Robert Brown and Francis Bauer, who, however, .lifTered slightly
n. opm.on. Brown pronounced it a one-cell plant of the sea-weed order-
Bauer named it the snow-uredo, a species of fungus. Afterward Baron
Wrangell, the Russian explorer, declared it to be a lichen. Later still
B.shop Agardh, the Swedish naturalist, and Dr. Robert Kaye Greville'
a famous British botanist of Edinburgh, have given the weight of their
recogmzcd authority in support of the opinion of Brown.' These have
been followed by several other scientists, and the minute plant is now
scientifically known as ihc palmclla nivalis, a little snow-palm, <nven'it
by Sn- William Hooker. The motions of this microscopic object in the
earher stages of its existence have led some eminent naturalists to re-ard
tlie coloring matter in red snow as animalcula,, not plants. Audit is
not un,x)ssible that such may have been observed; but the essential char-
acter of the object is vegetable. In its mature state it consists of brilliant
globules hke fine garnets, seated on, but not immersed, in a gelatinous
mass. Saussure had rightly conjectured thafthe red colo,- was owin- to
the presence of son.e vegetable substance, but wrong in supposing I to
be the pollen of a j^lant.

Captain Ross was an experienced naval commander, having been in
active service in the Continental War, but he was somewhat opinionated
in this h.s first Arctic voyage, and inclined to follow tiie old school. He
deeded by his personal opinions questions of geograj.hy which required
to be ascertained, not prejudged, and to which a little actual investica-
tion would have furnished a diflerent answer. He sailed by Wolsten-

riii

!R. ,:; I W.

166

CItOKER'S MOUNTAINS.

holm, Whale and Smith Sounds without (Icisninj. to examine them,
arh,trarilydecla>, ; them to be bays, the heads of which he thou<dit
were v.s.ble in the distance. In.t a worse mistake of the same kind was
st.ll to be made l^y the otherwise blameless Captain Ross. Passin- to
the west side of J5affin's Bay, the sea was fouml clear of ice, and the land
free from snow, except on the distant motnitain ra.iscs. The tempera-
ture rose, and tlie chance was favorable for achievin- some -reat result.
On the 29th of Au.^.u.t the ships entere.l Lancaster Sound, so named by
J;.-dlin in honor of a distinguished En-lish navi-ntor in other seas, but
who had always shown ,i,n-eat interest in the- disco^•c■ry of the Northwest
Passage, and had made a collection <,f documents tendin- t., prove its
feasibility.

Into this spacious sound, nearly fifty miles wide at its eastern
entrance, now passed the ships of Captain Ross, but they had advanced
only thirty miles when, to the wonder and disappointment of officers and
men, he ordered the vessels to t,n-n back. Deceive<l by refraction or
some atmospheric illusion, he thou-ht lu- had seen a mo.mtain ran..-e at
a distance of about twenty-five mnes ahea<l, which he inferred was the
head of the bay, and which he even name<l Croker's Mountains, in
honor of John Wilson Croker, then at the heij^ht of his fame. It is'but
justice to the memory of Ross to remind the reader that t hou,i.h tiie body of
water in question, as well as the more northern ones kncnvn as Jones'
and Smith's Sounds, had been discovered and named by Jiaffin, it had not
been yet ascertained that they were sounds. It was, however, a ques-
tion that had been discussed, and opinions were divided. Some of Ross'
own officers believed that this water in which they were was a channel
communicating with a lar-er body or sea to the west, if not with the
Arctic Ocean itself; and his error consisted in not makin- the test when
circumstances were favorable.

Passing down JJaffin's Bay alon- its southern coast, of which
but little was known, he failed to explore it; and reachin- Cum-
berland Sound he exhibited the same fatal indifference? The
aggravation of the unconscious offense lay in the fict tiiat the season
was an exceptionally favorable one for making a thorough examination

o
cc
B

vvi
en

^OSS ORDERS A RETURN. jg^

of that coast. For, notwithstanding what he had heen told by the Danish

}* - i'

iil

CHAPTER XIX.

A„CT,C C,„C,.._„KSBT ,. T„. ,CK -_ „,,^c„ POSSKSSmN „AV_
PRINCE HEOENT inlet NAMED—CAIM! vobk.

Amonj, those who incline,! ,„ ,hc opinion tha. L.,nea».o,- Sound

IT ;"'"n" '"' '""'' '° "" "--'' """ '-•'^""» ™,„„nn,ieate., „i
the Arc.,c Oeean, was I.icntenant Pairy, secon,, in coninian,, .o K„„

He ha,l entered ,l,e navy in ,803, while ye. a lad, having heen horn
Dec. 19 1750. tie devote,! his ,, .re time on boar,! .0 selr.e,lnea.
..on, and e.,pee,ally ,„ the mastering of the nau.ieal an,! .astronomical sci-
ence of h,s ,!ay. He receive,! hi, conimi-slon of lientcnan, in iSio, and
was given command of a vessel ,0 the Arctic regions for the .lonhle pnr-
pose o afl-or,h„g protection to British whalers, a„,l perfecting the a,Li.
Kahy harts o those .se.as. In 18,3 lie was reealle,! and sent .0 Join the
British fleet then hloek.ading the ports of the United States, and after tlie
war eontinned attached .0 the North American sqnailron till iS,,.
While w,.h Ross in ,8,8, he was impressed with tlie great depth and
hig emperatnreof the w.ater in Lancaster .Soun,!, and was disLisHe,!
with the conclnsion arrived at !,y his chief. Though mo<Iest in the ex
pi-ession of his dissent, it reached the ears of the ministry, an,! to him"
was now lutrns.e,! an expedition to go over .he .same ground. Tho„„h
he general pnbhc ha.l a!,out given ,ip all hope of a Northwcs. P,ass.a:e
being ever found, the leaders of thought, aiul the authorities, as well I
Parry an,! some other of Ro,ss- officers, were not dispo,se,! ,0 give up
the search until Lancaster .Sound, a. least, had been properly e;iore,L
1 he new expedition, like so many other,, of the recent ones, eon-

sisted o, two ships the Hecla of 375, the Griper of ,80 tons burden.

Both were victualed for two years , amply provided with stores of

knids, including canned meats and extra elotWng for the men

168

BEAR KILLED.

169

Though .ho n,a!n ohjec, „f ,he voyage was ,„ search for .he Nchwc.
!' had l,eo„ co„si,„e.l ,„ ,ho , lee, A ,'" '""""" "'""

o. u. eoa. o, No„h A...ca ;:: .r:::::;ri;::^

"n.o„ jack, and deposit at the ^^^ a Ibi^-slail, luMsltho

foot a record of what they had
iichieved, and their future inten-
sions, in a simihu- sealed bottle.

Parry's expedition left London
May 5, iS,5, but did not clear
the Orkney Islands until the 20th.
On th^ 30th they took soundings
for the alleged " Sunken Land of
Huss," on the direct route to
Greenland, but failed to find any
evidence of its existence. On
the 15th of Jiuic they sighted
Cape Farewell, but at the dis-
tance of perhaps 120 miles. On
the xSth they encountered the

"■•St .ce strean. of fioating ice, and saw several icebergs." The.-
-.cod several kinds of sea .,wls and in greater nu-^^^ers '
ual, and found the water 3" lower in temperature, and of a dir
ovvn.sh tn,ge. On the 34th the ice was seen extending clear
he western hor.on; and on the 35th they were towed slovly alon!
by the. boats through the ice-floe. An easterly wind now c Ls d
he ,ce aroun the. so that they were forced to desist from their row^l
and the vessels remained ice-locked until the 3,th, making such pro^rJ:
as the ice made, and no more. "

They saw a whale and a bear, the latter of which they killed, but the

170

ENGAGED IN ICE.

Xxvm^A .nul the .lead disappcaml beneath the ice. On the 30th, after
eight hot,rs ,>f incessant lahor, they were enabled to work the ships into
clear water to the cast. They skirted these ice-packs for three days
looking in vain for an opening to the west side of Davis' Strait; an.l i,i
constant danger of being driven into the ice by the cast wind. On the
3<1 of July they entered within the Arctic Circle off the northern penin-
sula of Cumberlan.l, having passed not less than fifty icebergs during
the <lay. Towanl mi.lnight a chain of icebergs appeared to the north",
and tiie wind dying down, the ships were in imminent danger of con.ing
into close quarters with them, being carried forward by a southerly swell^
and unable to cliange their direction in the calm. By putting out their
boats they succeeded in towing back the Ilecla, which was ahead, into
open water, and out of the way of the icebergs on the morning of the
4tb, and at noon were in the middle of Davis' Straits, with the ice to
the westward. A day or two later they killed a walrus, and saved its
blubber for lamp-oil. On the tenth they killed a bear and succeeded in
getting it aboard. On the ryth they took the ice, that is they sailed into
it, in order to keep as close to the westward as possible, the commander
being still bent on not going too far from that side of the strait. They
succeeded in getting twelve miles, when, on the iSth, they encountered
a body of ice right across their bows. This they attempted to bore, or
push through, but the wind not being favorable, they stuck fast after
having penetrated it about 300 feet.

For 'C-^vi, hours they labored, hither and thither, backward and
forward, before they could succeed in crossing this ice-belt of only
300 yards' wi<lth. The fog by which they had been long beset
having lifted on the 21st, they descried on the distant coast of
Greenland, the headland just south of Upcrnavik, and which Davis
had named Sanderson's Hope, in 15S7. The commander aga.n grow-
ing uneasy at the distance he was compelled to keep from'' the
western shore of BaHin's Bay, determined to make another effort
to push through the ice to the west. The struggle so bravely
entered on, lasted seven days, and after prodigies of endurance and
long-continued exertions, sometimes lasting without intermission for

i^rSAPPEARANCE OF Clinh'R,^^<' «,.,

^JvOKERK^ AfOUNTAlNS. yi^

eleven Ik«„s .-,t a stretch, l,y backin.r ,,,,1 . •

t'- ice-pad., and oti..- devic ^v Tl ""' '"'""^^

^•^a.- wa... on U.e western s.^.^'h . " ^ , ^"^"^ ^"-

ei..hty,.iles of almost continuous ice ,1, f , "' '"' '''^''""^^''

sea u-as deep-^thcy were unahle ,.. n-ach Iv.tton, 'H

n.H-ms; the U.„pe,-atu,-o of tin- watc.- J '/' ''"""•^'"

-••^•-y soon can. insight or la,;;. ^^ '^^ '"^'-' ^^ "^^-^ "'.'-,

On the last day of July,, 8.,, the co.nn.ander and a few of hi
went ashore in Possession Ho, i "'"* '"'-""

osstssion Bay, where on the prdvious ^car Cant T? .

had raised a fla<r-SLafr Tl-,;. <i r , -^ '-ipt. Koss

^^'tan, ,( the land was a wood-bearin.. one as Iv.d 1

f-ivor-.h^ . A ., possinic. J he wnid lieconi n<>-

^ound. .s more easy to m,a<,ine than describe," savs Parry u,He al

most hreathless anxiety which was now visible in ev"

while IS the 1„. ■ . ^'-'>' countenance,

.n, . The ,„ase hea„» wore cow.lcc, ,,, .,,„ „«,„, ,„„ „;„ , „ . ,,
l"-wlK..o .„on,„„„; ,,.„, a,. „„c<.,K.c.™„,, o^rvc, if any coul.l I :

:; '""'^T' "" ™^" - --i». w„,„a Have ,.e„ a „,. J ,

c.«c.,„c,. .,.„, >v„leh .he vanou. ,.ep„„, f„,„ ,„, ,,.,„^, „^,^^ ,^ j '

-vo ; A howeve, „.heno favon.We .„ „„ ,„„, .„„, , „„,,^,;,

I.ofo,en.«h„hey had passed ehe pohu re«hed .he previous y a.- and

wide and,. , " , ^ " ' "'"^ «"> '■*»'>nrf "b„„t r„r.v miles

".dc, and as deep as a. the e„.,.„„ee. The wa.e,- had .he eol,,," „f ,he

an „, a ereepUhle sweU r,-,„n .he son.h and eas.. Thev s ,„.:

".„ "f C„.Ue,., Mountains which .heneCbrth disappean-d' f,,an -eo-

li' '

179

CAPE rORK.

graphical nomenclature. They l.e<,'an to inia-ine fliey had aheady
reached the open polar sea, an. 1 ,, ,,p the very eve cf solvui},' the
(louhle ])r<)l)leni of flndinjr the N..rthwest Passaj-e and tlie Pole. They
were soon undeceived, (or thonjrh the fancied in-nmlpius had disappeared,
they encountered a \iry real ohstacle in an I -e-puck. To the south (hey
ol)serve<l an openin- thirl\ miles wide, whicli lUey entered in (he hope
of still pushin- westwanl. In ll.is, however, they were .lisappointed,
lindiiio themselves in whal Parrv named Prince Ke<ren( Fnlet, which,
with its wide continuation, the (Julf of Moothia, stretched away to the
south, some 450 miles. In .lescendin^^ the inlet the ships' compasses
lost their wonted enertjy, and they witnessed for the first time "the cu-
rious phenomenon of the <lirective power of the necHe hecominn so
>veak as to he completely overcome hy the attraction of the ship; so
that the iieetlle inij^Hit now he properly said to i>oint t(. the north pole of
the ship."

They sailed through the inlet to where it widened into the gulf already
mentioned, and Ihiding the northwest corner, which was the direction
tliey sought to take. Mocked hy an impenetrahle ice '.mrier, they re-
traced their course. On the 13th they discovered on the east shore of
the iidet a harhor one mile wide and three deep, which they named
Port Howcn. The narwals were here found in <rieat luimho'-;, and also
dovckies and ducks. They landed on what Parry descrihes as the most
harrcn spot he had ever seen, Being here detained two days hy the ice,
they made some slight exploration of the harren coast, and deposited on
a little hillock a record-hottle, which they coveretl witii a pile of schis-
tose limestone. Of this there was an ahundance, but there was neither
soil nor vegetation to be found. On the 17th they reached the head-
land at the northeastern point of the junction of Prince Regent Inlet
with Lancaster vSound, to which Parry gave the name of Cape York.
At nine o'clock in the evening of the 1 8th, after beating around f rseveral
hours among ice-tioes, they reached clear water near the north shore of
Lancaster Sound. In a few days they found the channel so clear of ice
that it jvas impossible to believe it to be the same part of the sea, which
but a day or two before had been completely covered with floes to the

i; ^1

ESQUIMAUX HUTS.

178

utmost extent of our view." Here they picked up a spar which a sea-
man had dropped overhoard some two weeks hefore, indicatini,- the
absence of current and tlu> extent of their dij^ression.

Entering the continuation of Lancaster Sound, to which Parry gave
the name of Harrow Strait, in honor „f Sir John Ba row, second lord
of the admiralty, they passed IJeechey Island, Cape llotham and Cape
Bowd.M . On the2id of 4ugi, t, in longitude 92^: 15', they saw an inlet
about twenty-five miles in width, which opened to the nortli, and in
which they could see neither land nor ice from the mastheati. 1" this
Parry gave the name of Wellington Channel; and this break in the con-
tinuity of the coast on that side had the effect of making him think that
he "had actually entered the Polar Sea. Though two-thirds t.f the
month of August had now elapsed, I had every reason to be .satisfied,"
he says, " with the progress we had hitherto made. I calculated upon
the s.-a being navi-^^able for six weeks to come, and probably more, if the
state of the i' Nvould permit us t., edge away to the southward in our
progress westerly. Our prospects, indeed, were truly exhil ing; the
ship, had sutn red no injury; w. had plenty of provLsions; crews in high
health and spirits; a sea, if not opetj, at least navigable; and a zealous
and luianimous determination, in both officers and men, to acoomplish by
all possible means the grand object on which we had the happiness to be
employed."

Still sailnig westward through H.-.rrow's Strait along the south coast of
Cornwallis Island, they reached CJriffith, nov^ Bathurst Island. The
former has since been ascertained to be a peninsula of the latter, ut they
were supposed at this time to be distinct islands. Here they font traces
of an F quimaux encampment, which Captain Sabine examined with
care. He found six huts " on a level, sandy bank, at the side of a small
ravine near the sea," and eon urtcd « of stones rudely placed in a cir-
cular or elliptical form. They were ,m seven to ten feet in diameter;
tht broad, flat sides of the stones standing vertically, and the whole
structure, if such it may be called, being exactly similar to that of the
summer huts of the Esquimaux which we had seen at Hare Island the
preceding year, Attached to e^tch of them was a smaller drclc, generally

Hi f

174

AfE^r LOST.

four ,.r five feet in .liameter, whicii had probably been the fireplace
The small circles were place.l in.liderently as to their .lirection fron> the
huts to which they belonj^ed; ami fro.n the moss and sand which covered
some of the stones, particularly those which composed the floori..^. of the
huts, the whole encampment appeared to have been deserted for "several
years."

The ma-netic observations made here, compared with those of I'rince
Re-ent Inlet, already noted, " led to the conclusion," says Edward Sa-.
bine, the mathematician of the expedition, "that we had in sailin- over the
space included between the two meridians, crossed immediately to the
northward of the magnetic pole, and had undoubtedly passed over o..e of
those spots upon the globe where the needle would have been found to
vary iSo% or, in other words, where its north pole would have pointed
due south. This spot would, in all probability, at this time be somewhere
not far from the meridian of loo? west of Greenwich."

Contijiuin- their voyage to the westward, without divergin<r to the
south in the wide expanse of Melville Sound, they skirted the colt of a
yet larger island, which Parry named Melville Island. On the 4th of
September they passed longitude i io<^ west, thus becoming entitled to
the reward of ir5,ooo offered by order of council "to such of His
Majesty's subjects as might succeed in penetrating thus far to the west
w.thin the Arctic Circle." They named the neighboring headland'
i:5ounty Cape, and continued their course to the westward. Checked by
the .ce, they made several excursions on shore in search of game, and for
purposes of exploration, from the Sth to the 13th. In one of these
seven of the men got lost, .md afterward separated into two sections of
three and four. The four returned in three days, being guided by a fla-.-
staff which the commander had ordered raised for that purpose; and th^e
other three after au absence of ni.iety-one hours. Relavs of search
part.es were sent out, ,lay after day; and all the wanderers' were finally
brought safely to the ships. By the care and attention of their comrades
and the medical staff, they soon recovered from their exhaustion.

On the 30th a council of officers was held, who concurred with the
commander in the opinion that, as the ice continued to close in upon them

WlNTBli ^U ARTE US.

170

""'' '"'•■'■7"" '"" "'"^' "-»■-' "« ™.kin, „„y headway „, .„. wc„ i.
was limu til seek fill wiiitei-ciiiii-f,.,-. t i . '"'- west, it

CO,,™ .1,1,1 I q".irtfls. rw,i .lays late- thc-y ,ctra™l their
cm„,c .„ ,1 hc,ai, „, ,„ake their way .lowly e„„war.l, .„ M.i,,,,., Ca,K.
hey ,,„„ ,revi„„,„y „„„,„ .,^ ,^, . „^,^ ,,_^ , . j- t- -

".I Onper „„„ h.re they „„„ ,,,.,„,„„„, , ^., ,^^.,. „ ^^^^

.h,.o,i,h . ,e i,ew iee, the ave,,,,. ,hiek„e,s of which w,. ...
1 ck „„ .s,i„„ay, Septcnhcr .6, .i,ey ha,l ivachd thdr m, orin ,

t, , :,."r' r'""'- "■":•"■ -'""^ ■ -■ ^- - -.,.„.:;;

ica , they were now relatively safe. The .hi,,, „„„,„ „„,.

ockul ha,hor ,„ fiv fath„,m of water ami a, a cahic', Icn-th fron, .he
a., w, ... .he iee.„oe c„„kl ,„.. i,„„„,, ,„„„. .,„„ ^,^., „„; J^^^

::;:;,""'" -'-'-- »"- - "-•)• .cfu,. , „„, ...er w.hich the.;

H". hu,„a„ joy i» aK,.,y, „ „ ,„^,. ,.,„|,^„. ^^ ^,„ ,^,
*»l...eco,.fo,... These ,„e„ were,,,, the eve of an Actio win. ,f
,-„l,„ nine month. „„ratio„, a,„l ., „ three „f .he.e .hey we

he,. We,e they .eek,,,,. ,0 fin.l ,.elief r,.o,n ,l,e hear...ici<e„i„. which
.he .,.,.,,„„ wa, .„ we,, e,.,c.„:,te„ .,. pro„„ce.. More ,„.„„;„„ .„„

-seo, „av„„ c,.„„,ere.. .he .ea „„.l .he ice, a„.l assc-.e. ce a,ai„

h„„,a„ |„.ero,.a.ive of .„l„l„i„., a.l.erse ci,c„m.,a„ee., „„.ur;nv
-vakeel .„„ ,|e„„, „f ex,„ta.i..„. S,.,,,. „,„„ ,.,,.,., j,,,., „,„, ^

Z"::;: '" ■' ■t'"""'"' "■'"'" " ■■"" '^"" "^ -"— -■' 'hi., oeca.

'"'-h na.wav„,.,„r .he H,-.. .!,„„ i„ .hese ,.e,i..„s, which had
l.ce„ „„l,er,o ciosidced heyoi,,, the N,„i.. .,f .„, „„„;,, ;„,,;„

:«»*

CHAPTER XX.

TH:..s ..n ...STXMHS ok .. .hcT.C WI.XKK - HKA.TH UKOU.A-

rK>xs_A.v AHcrrc nkwspapkk_an akctic thkatkk _nA,x.v

OCCU.ATK,XS_To.A. ABSKNCK OK THK SUN-THK An-KAKANXK
OK SCUKVV-MOCK SUNS-MO.K THKAT.UCAI.S-KXTKACT KKOM
AN ARCTIC JOOKNAL—A SHOWEK OK RAIN.

No ti,„e was lost; the security of the ships and the preservation of
the stores and provisions received prompt attention. The vessels were
unn..ed, and partially dismasted; the lower yards were lashed fore and
aft, to support the planks which were to constitute the outer shell of -m
extemporized house on shipboard. Boats, spars, sails, ropes, and eve,y-
thmg not hkely to be needed were stored away on shore, and the hou'e
on each sh.p was covered with a cloth by way of roof. Parry next ..ave
h.s attention to provi<Iing eveiy possible safe.n.ard against sickness. For-
tunately the men had hitherto shown no symptoms of that scour.^e of
seamen, the scurvy; an.l it was of the utmost importance to anticipate
lb. a,^,roach by the use of all known preventives that were accessible.
1 he first care was directed toward utilizing the heat from the -al ley-
range and copper-boilers of the ships, and by some ingenious but simple
contrivances this was made to warm the sleeping berths ,>f the men A
large stone oven, cased with cast iron, used for baking their bread, was
placed H. the n.ain hatchway, and the pipe carried fore and aft on the
lower deck, tiie sm,>ke ascending through the forward hatchway With
an ordmary lire and these appliances they were able to secure a' temper-
atureotSyo Fahrenheit, at a distance of seventeen feet fn.n. the fire-
place. Tl.e steam from the coppers was intercepted on a curtain of
dreadnaught reaching to within eighteen inches of the deck, which suf-
fered the heat to pass beyon.l, while the steam Nvas con.lensed into water
on the hanging cloth. Provision was made for the distribution of suffi,

179

AllCT/C JOURNALISM. ,_

cien. food but .educed one-third f,„„, the stated allowanee The dnil.
mt,o„ of h.e,-„icea„d „„,a,. .ni.ed to.ethe.and with a p ;pe^ , „
of water, was .Irank- in presence of „, „fli,,„. , ■ ' ^

, .His precautionary re.ui.l.ion of th! r,:,: ; ; "^L 7:^ "'?
.cal staff e.a„,i„ed the „,e„ for s,.ptonrs of scurvy ""'

Parttes were sent out to hunt, who at firs, fo.nal an abundance of
grouse and rein.lecr, but before .he close of October these Iv
-. ^.n M,.,vi„e I.and; but woi.es and tb.e: .:^::r " :r
I .s f.-esh n,..at, when obtainable, was served instead of the c !

■•'>»..S.o n,sure its consumption ; for, although otlen less palatal lei:
.n...o wholesome. To promote contentnre ,t amon./ h t ! "

;;: :,;';,:-r"^ •■■■ " •>■ -^ -' - .-.r -., wa: iz:::;^

Recogn,.n,g the value of hygienic cheerfulness and la„:htcr .h

7",'" '"■■• '" «-'■' -ith his principal olflccrs, now proi 2

"' '"eatrieal representations, at intervals of abou twow e J X'"'

;"m,senK.„t,," says Parry, . I „,adly undertook a part" s ^f T

•"■^ .1-- an e.a„,ple „f cheerfulness, by .ivin- direct
--■ythins .l:at conld contribute to it „ .; ^ " 'T'^' '"

^' sfll f.uthe, t.. promote ,<,nK„I \nuunv a,n<,n<.- <.m,-sHv .

:::::::':;:';::"''^'T'"-'""-^"'^" --•""'---

I nppoitcd li, onumal .■.nuributions from ll, y. , ,

'"■-I"PS! and I can safciv sav Iha, d, , " "' "'"

i-ppvwic,-,,.rc„, IZ^^'" ''';';'' '"•"'"""■"•" -

-'•'ivcr,in,,l,e,,indfr,; , ' "f "- "ho furnished ,l,c„„

"'."■...:>■ iiscif hcs,„ : :''^'''-'"''^'^-'"^

■^^ .

Il 1 1

■11

ijl

178

i;
i > I )

milf I

DA/Lr OCCUPATIONS.
Meanwhile Capt. Salnne had erected an ohservatory about

to the west „f the ships, and a house fur the instruments

700 yards

made with

, I , , . .^-iiLo, nmuu Willi a

double sheetn.ff of planks. The intervening space being packed with
moss, this house cot.ld l,e kep: comfortably warm in the worst weather
by a single stove. They had expected to make important observations
on the 4th of November., the last day of the sun's appearance above
thehonzon; but the weather was too foggy, and they were unable to
calculate the amount of refraction as anticipated. On the 5th they pre-
sented to an a.lmiring and enthusiastic audience their first play, " \ Miss
ni Her Teens," which was loudly applauded. Besides afFordin<. the antici
pated amusement to the n.en, it was found that putting the play on the
boards, as well as running the machinery and properties afterward,
afforded pleasant and exhilarating occupation to a number of them
which, perhaps, was not the least beneficial result of the original design,'
The commander wisely "dreaded the want of employment as one of tl.J
worst evils that was likely to befall them."

In pursuance of this idea the men were .s.. busily engajjed that they
complained of not finding tin.e to mend their clothes, whereupon the
commander set apart one afternoon in each week for that purpose " The
officers and quartermasters were divided into four watches, which were
regularly kept as at sea, while the remainder of the ship's company
were allowed to enjoy their night's rest undisturbed. The hands were
turned up at a quarter before six, and both decks were well rubbed with
stones and warm sand before eight o'clock, at xvhich time, as usual at
sea, both officers and men went to In-eakH^st. Three-quarters of an hotu-
being allowe<l after breakfast for the men to prepare themselves for nn.s-
ter, we then beat to divisions punctually at a quarter-past nine, when
every person on board attended on the quarter-deck, and a strict inspec-
tion ... the men took place as to tlieir personal cleanliness, and the- good
condition as well as warmth of their clothing."

While the commander examined the Mvver ,leck and visited the
s.ck, those he had left, occupied themselVes with a walk or run
abotit the vessel; and on his return were dismissed for a trip
ashore until noon. These stated walks afforded no amusement

TWILIGHT AT NOON.

and but little interest TN . "^

iiiicrest. ihe dreary samenp^ ■ «f h

«^lent and unehan^nng landscane fh . '""""' ^^e

I-ve otherwise tl.n ;ono ^ ' ^ f ^'f '^ ^^ ^w, eould not

-^^ -1 -i -nopin,, i. recnr;en ^L r::! T '^"^ "^'"
exccufon afforded the .^ratification of a d t , ^:^''^^'^

frequent occasion," says Pnrrv u • ^ Performed. « We had

objects when viewed over an unvaried s^, iTf '" '""° "''' '"'

common for „, to direct o„r , ""*■ " ""» "ot u„.

Of stone at a d«ta. o^ Z^:Z7" '''X ''' """ '''" " '^'^^ "'-
-e ,> in ,.„r .md. a.er on:' :!:.!:: 2^ ;::: '- -' -'^' '"
ia.ly tl,o case wl,en ascending ,l,e brow o, 7 I -^ ™ore particu-

the ^leception became less on ace „ . / i ' ""' ' ^" """ •"^"

experienced its effects," ' ''"'"'^"^7 vviti, vvhid, we

The afternoons were <lcvotcd h„ ,r,„
or ^»kets used in fnrlin. sal r , """""' "'° "'"'"'' -*

a...in ,^,„„„ed for ^cCuns , H" "' l'^"'''' ^' ^^'^ '"^^ "--

- -n .„^d .l:i rrtX:.:::.^ '-^ --•

u«,l n,„e o'c(.«k, when .l,ey went to be,i i' """"' «"""''

•Ice. ever, baif^. ,„ J„^, „„ J:';, ';;■";" ^i-' "- l-wer
fl- l.real< „„t, a lr<,le >v., cu, twice a d ,v ,' ' *■' '■""'^' *"•"""

Stn,<,ays,,ivine servic w,. re^ r v , ' '"' "^™- ^'^'^'-WP- «"

-"• These religions e»,._: I , : „:. "-']. '"^i" ^ ^' -™..n

"" "-^- '"■■""" "i..^ and condt,; ar' c' ^ Z^^'r' """'^
'nu.,p.i.i.in, the spirits and sustaining ., e 1 . . T"' """"■'■ "■
men in dilHcnlt situations " "' '"''"^ ''">"'■•» "!

^-'S:!:n::;:~::--";>^^'."- -.. ..ted that

with conttWt, but ,,,.„ ,„ ,,,,1 „.l ' '■''-'""^"■»"«"me,l walk

•Voreveuontb,, shortest ia;".?,;:'"- f'^"^ "'^^^^^ '."u.
■lepHved „, this ,wih.,hf L ,■' ^ ' ""'" ""•■' '*'"'>

"•"-■■ '■".■a.ho,..;,:.';;; :::;ir;;;: '■■'-■■-•"'"• ■•■»■'-■-

.•".-.age direct, toward the ..nb^n^rrrrr::::

180

A WELCOME VISITOR.

"111

1 i

iiiLflit ill this coMiiL'ctioii is l!;il)le to convey a wrong impression. The
rc'llicUuii of lijj;-iil from the snow and the moonhi^hl were snfKcient even
in the lliickc^i \ve;ithci' to dispel liie leehii;^ of L?!<Joni that aecoinpanies
a dark iiiu;!)! in tein[)L;iate zones. They ohsurved Christmas on hoard
with as near an approach as possil)k' to tlie customs of their conntry,
and the play wrij^dits and actors prepared and performed a Christmas
piece, expressly adapted to the audience and the circnmstances. Dnrinc^
January the tiieriiionieter ram^'-ed from 30'-' to .|.o'-' l)eh)w zero, and occa-
sional!) sank to 30'"', so that in L^oin::^ asliore tlie chan^j^e of temperatnre
was sonu'times ijo , lint hy nsiuLC tlie necessary precautions no injury
was recei\i'd, and tliey kept ui) tlieir daily ramhles.

At lem^tli the ■i^nnner of tiie llecla was taken down with scurvy,
contracted thi-ounh th.e moisture deposited 1>\' the steam on his
jiedclothes, notwithstandiuL;- all the care that had been taken to
<4uard against this evil. J>y the free nse of the reco<i;nized remedies,
especially the fresh mustard and cresses, which the commander
with liis usnal f )rethonij^ht had procured, the t^unner was restored
to health. A few others were sli<j^htly afTectcd, and more easily
cured. It was found that the men became easily frost-bitten in
their feet, and with his customary spirit of investigation the comman-
der sought out the cause and the remedy. It was found that the hard
thick leathiM- of which their b-uots were made cramped their feet and
I)re\enle(l the circulation, tlius inducing frost liites of the joints. '* l>eing
very desirous," says Parry, " of avoiding these accidents, which, from
the Increased sluggishness with which tlie sores healed, were more and
more likely to alFect the general health ol' the patients by long conline-
nienl, I (lii'ected a pair of can\'as boots, lined with blanketing or some
other woolen siulf, to be made for each man, using rawhide as soles; this
completely answered the desired purpose, as scarcely an\- I'rost bites in
the leei alterward occurred, e\ce])t undei' circumstances of ver\ severe
eN])osuri.'."'

.\l noon on I'eii. \i\ the sun was setai lift\'-one fi'ct aboxt' ||n' hoi'i-
/on fi'oni the maintop of tin- llecla for the lirst time since \o\. 11;
and at the s.mie houi on the ylh its full orb was lii'st \isible al)o\c tlic

181

183

A BLAZE.

»'1 :

ill

horizon, with a mock-sun 32*^ to the cast. The daylight was sufficient
from eight to four o'clock for outside work, and they hegan the task of
preparation for their departure. They collected stones for iiallast, of
whicli the Ilecla would require seventy tons, licsides twenty of additional
water to replace the wei<,Hit of provisions and stores consiuned durin;^
their stay. February jjroved the coldest month, the mercury descendinj^
to 55^' below zero on the night of the. i.|th. But even then no inconven-
ience was suffered from exposure to the open aii in ralm weather. If,
however, there was occasion to face even a light wind, severe pains in the
face and head were sure to ensue. On the i6th a mock sun appeared on
each si.le of tlie sun, visible for half an hour. On the 34th the house
which had lieen built on shore for astronomical instruments, was iliscov-
ercd to be on Hre. 'The men from lioth snips hastened to the rescue, and
by tearing off the roof and throwing snow on the burning interior, they
extinguished the flames without injin-y to the more valuable instruments.
Tlie thermometer was at 44*^ below zero, and tiiey were at work three-
quarters of an hour. " The men's faces presented a singular spectacle;
almost every nose and cheek was frost-liitten, and became (juile white in
five minutes after being exposed to tiie weather; so that the medical
men, with some others appointed to assist them, were obliged to go
constantly round while the men were working at the fire, and to rub
with snow the parts affected in order to restore animation. Capt.
Sabine's servant, in his anxiety to save the dipping needle from the
observatory, ran out without his gloves; his fingers, in consequence, .vere
so completely frozen that on his hands being plunged into a basin of cold
water, the surface was immediately covered with a cake of ice from the
intensity of the cold thus communicated to it; but animation conld not
be restored in this instance, and it was founil necessary to resort to ampu-
tation." This hero of duty and victim of imprudence was John Smitli.
He lost parts of four fingers on one hand and three on the otiier.

.Sunday, the 5th of March, was the first day to which they could at-
tach the idea of spring, and they noticed with peculiar gratification the
thawing of a little snow on the stern of the Ilecla, which lav due south,
this being the first time such a thing had occurred for moi-e than five

EXTRACT FROM AN ARCTIC JOURNAL.

183

months. On the 8th, "it will scarcely be credited," say's Parry, "that we
removed about loo buckets full of ice, each containing from five to six
gallons, being the accumulation which had taken place in an interval of
less than four weeks; and this immense quantity was the produce of the
men's breath and of the steam of their victuals during meals, that from the
coppers were being cfTcctually carried on deck by the screen which I have
before mentioned." JJut though March "came in as a lamb," before the
middle of April the weather again grew very cold. The i6th, however,
was mild and pleasant, and is worthy of mention as being the date of
their last theatrical performance, consisting of two farces— "The Citizen"
and "The Mayor of Garratt"— with an original epilogue by one of the
ship's poets. A week later they tested the newly formed ice in Winter
Harbor. The depth of water was only twenty-five and a half feet, and
the ice was found to be six and a half feet thick. This had been pro-
duced in six months, and allowing for six weeks more to the close of the
season it was thouglit fair to estimate the rate of formation as seven feet
and a half for the whole winter. Toward the close of April the weather
again grew mild and genial, but on the first of May under the influence
of a strong gale from the north, it suddenly became as cold as before.

"The Winter Chronicle and North Georgia Gazette" appeared
daily, Sundays excepted, from the first of November, 1S19, to the 30th
of March, 1S20. It reported the different excursions, hunting expedi-
tions, explorations, discoveries, accidents, and adventures. It contained
criticisms of the latest theatrical performance and annc.tuncements of the
next one. Stories, original and otherwise, correspondence and poetry,
were not wanting; antl altogether it must be regarded as one of the most
successful ventures in journalism ever attempted. It was eagerly
perused by the whole community; such as could not read had it read to
them ; and there was not a single resident of Winter Harbor who did
not take the Gazette. The following letter, which appeared in the first
number, graphically describes the interest awakened, and therefore is
given ill full:

" Mr. Editor: — Your proposition to establish a journal has been re-
ceived by us with the greatest satisfaction. 1 am convinced that, under

184

A lie TIC TlilD UL A TIONS.

liili

your d.rcctiou, it will be a <,rcnt source of amusement, and ^o a lone,
way to lighten otw hundred days of .larkness. The interest I take in
the matter myself, has led me to study the effect of your announcement
on my .on.rades, and I can testify-to use reporters' lan<n.a.e-that the
thmg has produced an immense sensation. The day after your pros-
pectus appeared, there was an unusual and unprecedented demand for
.nk amou,. us, and our .green tablecloth was deluged with snippings and
paru,gs of quill-pens, to the injury of one of our servants, who ^ot a
piece driven right under his nail. I know for a fact that Sergeant Mar-
tni had no less than nine penknives to sharpen. It was quite a novel
^'^ to see all the writing-desks brought out, which had not made their
: ppe.-ance tor a couple of months; an<l judging by the reams of paper
v.. hie, ,nore than one visic must have been ma<le to the depths of the

"I must not forget to tell you, that I believe attempts will be naade to

s hp M.to your box sun<lry articles which are not altogether ori<nnal as

they have been publishe.l already. I can declare that no later than last

n.ght, I saw an author bending over his desk, holding a volume of the

'Spectator' open with one hand, and thawing the frozen ink in his pen

. at the hunp, with the other. I need not warn you to be on your .n.anl

^^ such tricks, f;,r it would never do f;,r us to have articles '. our

VVnUer Chronicle' which our great-grandfathers read over their break-

f-'ist tables a century ago."

"Arctic Tribulations_To go out in the n.orning for a walk, and the
n.on.ent you put your foot outside the ship, fbul yourself In.nersed in
the cook's water-hole.

"Togo out hunting, and nUIin with a splendid reindeer, take ..im
and hnd your gun has gone off with a flash in the pan, owing to damp'
powder. '

"To set out on a n.arch with a good snpply of soft new bread in
your pocket, and discover when you want to eat, that it has fro.en so
hanl tl.at you would break your teeth if you attempte.l to bite it th,ou..h

" To rush from the table when it is reported that a wolf is i,. si.;i,t"
and on coming back to find the cat has eaten your dinner " " '

THE IIECLA BECOMES FREE. 195

« T(. he returnino: quietly home from a walk, absorbed in profitable
meditation, and suddenly find yourself in the embrace of a bear."

On the r)th of May, with the thermometer at only 8r^^ above ^cro,
they bo-an to cut the ice from about the ships, the men as usual bein-^
carefully looked after, an.l supplied with special cpupments to protect
them a.^.ainst the weather. On the I3th, the first ptarmi-^^m appeared,
a.ul on the 13th, the northward tracks of reindeer and musk-oxen were
notice.1. On the ,5th, two or three Hocks of ptarmi-ans were seen, and
thence on "a brace or two were almost daily secured for the sick, for
whose use they were exclusively reserve<l." They had vv(,rked twelve
days in cuttin- the ice from around the llecia wiien she disen-a-ed her-
self, like a thin- of life burstin- its liirhter bonds after tlie ciiief"i)bstruc.
tions had been removed. Seven days later they had a shower of rain
which created as much surprise as if they had never seen one, every one
hurryin- on deck to revel in the almost forgotten sensation. Witj-i the
cutting of ice to liberate the ships; the hauling, the breaking, weighing,
and stowing of stone to ballast them; the making and repairing of sails
and cordage; and the various labors of carpenters, coopers, caulkers, and
armorers, the vessels and the shore now presented an a.iimated appear-
ance; and the general health was promoted by the abundance of work
a.id the change in temperature. On the last day of May, the commander
took a survey of the landscape from an adjoining hill, but it was not very
encouraging. "The sea still prese.ited the same unbroken and co.itinu-
ous siu-face of solid and impenetrable ice, and this ice couhl not be less
than from six to seven feet in thickness, as we knew it to be about the
ships. When to this circumstance was added the consideration that
scarcely the slightest symptoms of thawing had yet appeared, and that
in three weeks from this period the sun would again begin t<. decline to
the southward, it must be confessed that the m.ist sanguine and enthusi-
astic among us had some reason to be staggered in the expectations they
liad formed of the complete accomplishment of our enterp -ise."

On the firstday of June, leaving orders to Lieuts. Liddon and Heechey
to prosecute the work of preparation, the commander, acconinanicd by
Captain Sabine, Messrs. Fisher, Nias, Reid and seven others, proceeded

180

ES^UlAfAUX ft UTS.

to explore Melville Island tovvanl the north. Their provisions an,l s..p.
pl.es wei-l e,l Soo poumls,ancl were borne on a cart made for (h. ptnpose
and drawn hy the ukmi. In a.ldition to this j^eneral ecjuipnu nt each .nan'
earned a knapsack cntainin- clothin.i,^ an.I blankets, and wei-hin- abo„t
seventeen ponn.ls. Ilavin- reached the northern coast of the IshMul on
the e,,i,rhth, they erected a cairn, twelve fe-.>t wide and as manv hi-h in
which was deposited a tin cylinder containing an acconnt of the trip and
a few |.:nj,.lish coins. On the 9th they crossed a small nn,nin^r stream
the (n-st they had seen. Fonr days later they discovere.l in the north-
west of the .sland the rcniains of six Esqnimaux huts, u Thev consisted
of n.dc cn-cles, abont six feet in .liameter, constrncted irrc-ularly of
stones of all s,.es and shapes, and raised to the hci-ht of two feet from
the ,n-onnd. They were paved with lar,.e slabs of white schistose sand-
stone, which is here abundant. The ,noss had spread over this Hoor, and
appeared to be the ,nowth of three or four years. In each of the huts on
one sule was a sn.all separate compartment formin,,. a recess, projectin.^
outwanl, which had probably been their store-room; and at a few fee'J
fron. one of tiie huts was a smaller circle of stones, which ha,l composed
tl^c hre-place, the marks of (Ire beins still perceptible upon them." Du-
uv^ the trip, which occupied j.st fourteen days, they had been able to
kdl some ,,^ame, thus securin,,^ a healthful and pleasant chanj^e from the
preserved meats which fonned their re^a.lar fare. Their onlv ndshap
was tile breakmn; down of their cart in descendinj,. the side of a ravine on
the loth, after which they carried the remainder of their provisions and
supphes on their b.cks, the officers being burdened with about tlftv
pounds each, and the men, as more robust, takin^, some twentv pcnn.ds

more.

On h,s return to the ships Parry found the preparations had pro-
gressed fhvorably in his absence; an<l what was equally gratifying, that
the md.genous sorrel plant was so far advanced as to be fit for eatin..
The n..n were sent out for an hour or two every afternoon to collect the
leaves of th.s plant, which was found growing all around in ..reat abtnul
ance, and of which they consumed a great quantity as a preventive of the
scurvy. On the 30th of June their only chronic patient, William Scott

nUR/AL OF SCOTT

(lic'l; and on Siimlay, tl
olemnity an<l respi rt.
hifjhcst point marki
the month af July w
could })c said to be at

held thi'in t-aptiv luitil the 30th of July, w
move out of the harh.ir.

'' '»f July, Ik' was buried on land with <^reat

the T 7th the thermometer reached 60"-', the

1111,' their entire stav in Winter Harbor; and

I'olannl to be the only one in the year which

1 I -mfortablc ii that 'im" \nd yet the ice

le body be^Mu to

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TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 873-4503

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A, Icnstl, .l,.y „e,,. ,,,,,„;„„,, ,,, „,^, ,„„^^^,,.,, ,_^^^^._,^^_.^^^ ^_^ ^^^^_
t.. pass ..,.,. .l,c s.n.ies .,„, ,,„„„ ,|,c .,r,„., ,„ ,„,„,,„ ,„,„„. „^.„, „
.mme„,e q„„„t,.ie, „f „,,„;„, ice u,,,, .„„ ,,„,„^,„.,, „f ,,^, ^,,,,„,_^,, ,

..hclt. At , o'clock ,„ tl,o „f.on„,o„ „f .,,. „. „f ,^ ,<,^„

. ey we,ghe< anchor, „„., „„„. hopefully o„ to contend „„ thai
OKI cnen,y, the fl„,„i„, ;„.. The channel was f„,„„, open to Within
...Ic or two, „„,, at intervals ,,o,.ewhat mofe. In a few instance,
the ,cc had been driven so fa,- south as to leave a sIk,,. stretch of
open water five ,„iles wl.le, winch was the nttnost l.readth they had
foun at any tn.e on that coast. With the wind fron, dK- west-
war.,, and the ice-floe ever and anon driven nrore or less across
th.s channel, then- a.lvance could not he rapid. On the ., the
w,ndvee„„, to the south, a heavy floe was driven clear., the o,.,.

.•.he.a.1 o the sh.ps, which n.ade it necessary to stop short , seek a te.,

porary harhor. This they foun.l „. ,he shelter of ,e heavy shore ic

wh,ch protect.! then, against the ntain hody of the lloatin, ice. »:,;
he crews o, both ships went ashore t„ collect sorrel, which was found
o be too old to be of „,„ch value. They heard the ,rowlin<. of a sol
tary hear bein, only the secon.l that they had any knowled^e^f , t
regions during a stay ofover ten month,

w,de was ,lr,veu .owar,l the.n by the win „,, ,„,,,„,

1S8 ^

PARnr DECIDES TO SAIL EASTWARD.

189

the shore ice.

which was lodsred

SIONS DE-
FOXS I'Olt
Ql'l.MAUX
{lil\'K I\

f tlie ice
est. ]?iit
uinel left
slow and
St, 1S20,
ith tiieir
o within
instances
tretch of
they jiad
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i across
2(1, the
le coast
V a te.n-
lore ice,
. Here
IS found
f a soli-
in tliosc

a half
<ed by

,^ , -»— oi'tsifle of the ships, and soon

after n.oved ofl a<,ain. Later on, the' ice ahead also fell away fron,
he sh,,re, leaving them a narrow channel varying in width iron, a
-• ' .n.le to tw<, which they hastene.l to penetrate. The wind soon
a-ied them, and thongh they coul.l see a greater expans. ot open water
bcyon. , they were unable to reach it. On the 5th, the cahn still contin-
"■"g, they landed, and ascende<l a hill which they ascertained to be 847
teet above the sea level, when a ihvorable wind arising, they hurrie.l
aboard and scudded to the west for two hours before an easterly bree.e
Agam the floe loomed to the west of them, closing in toward the land
and they had only time to seek refuge behind some grounded ice along-
shore, .lore they were detained by the ice and adverse winds until the
33CI. it was the n.ost westerly point they reached, and its situation was
a-scertamed to be in latitude 74° 36' 25", and longitu.le ,,3° 46' 4.' '
In view of the dilHculties that beset them, and shortness of the season
i- effort ,n those waters, the commander had already determined on the
.6th, w.th the full concurrence of his officers, that the wisest course left
was to sail to the east before it was too late. It was proposed to cross
the channel to the north coast of America, if an opening could be found
.n the ice, m the hope that possibly in a more southern latitude ' they
could yet procee<l farther to the west than they had reached. To the
land he had discovered on the 8th of August, lying to the westward, but
wh.h he coul<l not reach, he gave the name of Banks' Land, in honor
of bn- Joseph Hanks, president for over forty years of the Royal Society
an<l a great patron <,f travelers an.l explorers. From time to time men-
t'on has ],een made of the active watchfulness of the con.mander in
sectu-n.g the health of his men as well as the safety of his ships. He hul
the gratification of now fin.ling his officers an.l men substantiallv in as
Sood health as when they had left London more than flfteen months
l^cfore. 1 bey had secured in the twelve months 3,766 pounds of fresh
nieat-3 musk-oxen, 24 deer, 68 hares, 53 geese, 59 ducks and , ,4 ptar-
ni.J^ans, and, as has been see-,, they gathered anti-scorbutic plants whenever
practicable. Rut the stock oi" remedies and preventives of tiie scurvy had
been scnously din,i„isiKd by a peculiar accident which bcfcU the.r

«• S!

180

J^LTLL RATIONS ORDERED.

stores (,r lime-juice. In the early part of the winter it was found that
over tvvo-tliirds of the stoc.v had been lost by the hurstin- of the bottles,
and the remainder had been rendered almost worthless by the frost.
Where the juice had been frozen, only a small portion of concen-
trated acid remaining in the center, and when thawed, the iuice was but
little better than water.

As to the ships, in the last refuge sought, the Hccla got one serious
nip from an ice Hoe forty-two feet thick, and the Griper had her stern
thrown up two or three feet by a cake of ice forced in beneath her by
the outer floe; but they were substantially as effective as when they left
home. It was therefore wisely decided not to jeopardize the measure of
success already obtained, and especially the freedom from disaster, l,y
remaining another winter on tliat dreary coast, with only the prospect of
a few weeks of uncertain effort and inadequate results, after ten months
of weary waiting.

Sailing east, they encountered the same difficulties as on the previous
season, in getting into winter quarters; but by careful handling they made
some headway, and on the 3Sth were abreast of Cape Hearne, th,,- west-
ern headland of the Bay of the Hecla and Griper. In five hours they
reached the opposite headland of Cape Bounty, and tive hours later the
channel was free of ice to the width of five miles from the lan<l. On tlie
evening of the 29th they were within four or five miles of where they
had been at the same hour twelve months before, going west; and could
not help reflecting on the vicissitudes they had since experienced. Passing
Prince Regent Inlet, which they had explored the previous year, and fimU
i.ig no other entrance to a more southern latitude, the commander now
definitely announced that they were bound for England, and placed the
men on full rations. For eleven months they had been restricted to two-
thirds of the regular allowance of the British navy, and had also been
very sparing in the use of fuel, which contributed even .norc to their dis-
comfort. Both restrictions were now removed. They had searched in
vain through twenty-four degrees of longitude, from 1 14 to 90°, for an
opening through the ice and land to a more southern latitude, an(i Parry
now concluded to proceed homeward to report results, and, if duly

I4«.

VISIT FROM ESQUIMAUX.

101

authorized, to rcHt for another voyage. The mouth of Septemher, how-
ever, they would devote on the way to a careful scrutiny of the western
shore .,f Hallui's ,Jay, still in the hope of fiudhag an inlet that would lead
in some future voyage, to a more practicahle westward route than that
they had heeu exploring.

They left Possession Bay on the ist of September, resuming the use
of the mariner's compass, which had been discontinued about twelve
months before on account of its inactivity and sluggishness in the more
northern regions they had traveled. On the 3d they passed some of the
lughest icebergs they had seen, being nearly two hundred feet above the
surface of the water. The next day, having landed to make so.ne ob-
servations, they saw over sixty of those huge icebergs in the distance;
and from the masthead far more welcome objects, the masts and rigging'
<^f the whalers. These proved to be British, and on the fifth they "poke
another, whose captain gave them some news from England, the first
they had received since their departure just sixteen months before.

On the sixth, from the islands at the mouth of the River Clyde they
were visited by four Esquimaux who approached the Hecla in their
canoes without any sign of fear or hesitation. They expressed thei;
astonishment at what they saw with loud cries, accompanies! by a sort
of jumping pantomime which lasted about a minute. The ensuing day
they Nvere visited on shore by the commander and some of his officers, and
were found to have their tents on the mainland, about forty or fifty'feet
from the beach. These were their summer quarters, and their huts for
winter residence were found farther up toward the head of the cove in
a sheltered spot. These were in part excavated out of the side of the
clifF, tlie remainder of each inclosure being constructed of stones after
tlie usual maimer. The tents are thus dcscrilvnl by Parry: '^ They are
I'lincipally supported by a long pole of whalebone Iburtecn feet high,
standing perpendicularly, with four or five feet of it projecting above UiJ
skins which form the roof and sides. The length of the tent is seven-
teen, and its breadth from seven to nine feet, the narrowest part being
nc'Nl tlie ,l()or, and widening toward the inner part, where the hvx\,
composed of a cpiantity of the small shrubby plant, the A,uiromcda

199

;!:r: *

PARUrs EULOGT ON THE NATIVES. 193

rctragona [a species of heath plant], occupies about one-third of the
whole apartment. The pole of the tent is fixed where the bed com-
mences and the latter is kept separate by some pieces of bone laid across
i.e tent from side to side. The door, which faces the southwest, is also
formed of two pieces of bone, with the upper ends fastene.l together
and the skins are made to overlap in that part of the tent, which is n-,uch
lower than the inner end. The covering is fostened to the ground by
curved pieces of bone, l,eing generally parts of the whale." These rude
barbanans were found to be scrupulously honest, exhil,iting not the
shghtest disposition to abstract anything surreptitiously, though opportu-
n.t,es were furnished them to make the attempt. They exchanged their
wares to the best advantage, holding back for higher ofTers, 1,ut always
y.ekhng when they found they could not carry their customers farther
What presents were made them were received with pleasure and thank-
fulness; but they could not be induced to drink rum, however much di-
luted. Detecting it instantly by its smell, they respectfully but unhesitat-
mgly declined to taste it.

The oldest of the four men was over sixty, and being somewhat
bent by age did not measure quite five feet in hci..ht, and the
younger men from five feet four and a half to five feet six inches
The women were four feet ten and foin- feet eleven inches. The faces of
both were round and plump in the younger individuals; skin smooth;
com. :x,on not very dark; teeth white; eyes small; nose broad, but not
Hat to deformity; hair black, straight and glossy, and worn by the fe-
males hanging loose over their sho.dders. The youngest of the -n-own
females evinced much timidity and natural bashfulness, and from this
fact and the absence of tattooing which marked the other women she
was judged to be unmarried. The encampment consisted of eight adults
-four men and four women_and some children. These, Parry says
" were generally good looking, and the eldest boy, about twelve years of
age, was a remarkably fine and even handsome lad." Their means of
sulxsistence were judged from their appearance and other indications, to
be ample, and there was no evidence of disease or suffering. " Upon the
whole," says the enthusiastic Parry, « these people may be considered in
13

1=:' 1

1 '

104

ARRIVE [IV LONDON.

7 )■■■

possession of every necessary of life, as well as of most of the com-
forts and conveniences vvhicli can he enjoyed in so imlc a state of society."
Leavin- their Esquimaux friends of the River Clyde, with whom in
two days they had an intercourse on ship and shore of only seven hours,
they made hut slow progress until the i3th, when a favorahle hreeze'
siM-in-injr up from the southwest, they advanced toward the ice. They
were again caught i.i the floes, hut got loose after the usual struggle.
Four days later in a fog they made the ships fast to the floes and floa'ted
with them; and on the iSth, to an iceherg, when they were repeatedly
struck by the loose ice, hut suffered no serious damage, being strongly
built. On the 24th they j^assed out of the Arctic Circle after havhig
been within it almost fifteen months. All this time they were kcp't
away from the western shore by the accumulation of ice on that side, and
could seldom see, much less explore, the coast as they had proposed.
Finally, on the 26th, finding all eflbrts at exploration in that quarter
futile, the boats were hauled on deck, and all sail made for home. On
the 2d of October the ships parted company in a gale; and on the i6th,
the Ilccla lost her bowsprit, foremast and maintop-mast; ^nit the wreck
was soon cleared away, and ]>y the iSth tliey had raised the necessary
jury-masts. On the 29th they made Buchan Ness, on the northeast coast
of Scotland, and on the 30th, the commander, accompanied by Captain
Sabine, left Peterhead for London, where they arrived on the 3d of
November, the Ilecla and Grii^cr reaching the Thames about two weeks
later. Both ships and crew were but little the worse for their trip of
eighteen months. This alone would have entitled the expedition to be
regarded as a success, Init was far from being the only claim it had to
consideration. Great additions had been made to geographical knowl-
edge; Lancaster Sound had been' explored; Prince Regent Inlet, Bar-
row's Strait, and a number of islands, ha<l Ik'cu discovered; important
meteorological and magnetic phenomena liad been ()l)scrved; and the im-
practicability of the route tlirough Lancaster Soimd for everyday commer-
cial voyages, at least, was amply demonstrated. For, though Parry
thought he had reached (he Arctic Ocean, and may be regarded as virtu-
ally havmg done so, it was ob\ious that the passage could not be con-

/iAS/S FOR ARCTIC SEARCH. y^

sidcre.1 a hij^lnvay for ocean traffic, which was after all, the basis of the
lonff-continued search for the Northwest Passage. He had <,one far he-
yond h.s predecessors, and, like Bylot and Baffin, with their humble
equ.pment two hundred years before, had returned without serious injury
o sh.ps or crew; the death of the invalid Scott bein,. fairly attributable
to consftutional weakness rather than to any neglect, exposure or disease
nicident to the voyage.

ciiApTicR xxri.

EAK..V ,.„.„: ,„. KKANKLIN-W,.UN,„.:i, AT SK^^' CRLK ANS - STATK-
^'H^T „K T„K (.njKCTS «,K I-KANKI.In's TirUKK VOVACnCS-
KMMAKKS us K.KST VOVACUC-THK K.KST KKMKIU; - ■ VTKU EST-
IV<; KX,.KK.MKNTS_A I.KAK IN TMK S„n.--TUA.,K W,T„ KSQ,'.-
MAVK-AUniVK AT KOKT VOKK-MAKK KKAOV VnH OVKKLA.M.

joritXKv.

It is .louhtful whether,!,, the history of En^rh,„,,, ,> p,-o,„i of he,-
titles, a„(l of the po,iip a.ul ,n;,,^r„ifi,,„,, .^i^j,,^ .,^,,^,^. ^,,^,, ^^.^^,^,^ ^,^^^^
give, there can he foi,„cl a ,i,o,e ,emarkahle p,-oof of the possihility of
r.s.n- alx.ve aclvei'se chcumsta.ices thai, is seen in the life of the persona^^e
whose aehieve,nc,its will oecupy the next few ehapteis. l?orn in eo,^.
parative ohscurity, and l,c,^n„„i„„ ,if, ,•„ ,^,^ performance of its lunnhler
(lut.es, he n.se to a place in the affections of his count.ynien, of which
any E.i-lishman ,ni-ht well have heen p,-oncl. He was horn at Spilshy
L.ncolnshi,e, Ap.il, ,jS6, a,ul was intended hy his father for the chu,ch'
fo, whose duties he e„te,-ed, at an early aj^^e, upon a p,-eli,ni,iarv cou.-sc'
ol study. While ve,y youn- however, he showed a decided taste for
the sea; and his father, thinking that a voyaj^^e or two would cu,-e hhn of
th.s nntowaid i,icli,.ation, decided to let him -o. His (Irst voya-e was
on a mccha.it vessel bou.ul to Lisbon. His return home fomuHiim so
confirmed i,i his taste that he decided to follow the life of a sailor.

At the age of fifteen, accordingly, he entered the Roval Navy, and
sailed in iSoi, to Australia, with Capt. Flinders. From this point his
life presents a constant succession of noble deeds and brilliant achieve-
ments. He served with ccdit in the war with America, in ,8,2, and
was wounded in the fatal attack upon New Orleans, in Januaiy, ,815.
Having obtained the ,-ank of Lieutenant, he was appointJd c(„n,nander
of the Trent in the A,ctic cxpeditio,!, which sailed under Capt. Buchan

106

onyBCTS OF fkankun-s vorA<jEs. ,„

■■" .S.S. After .his l,e w„s sucnessivcly rai^..l ,„ ,,,0 rank „r Cap.ai,,,

ecu., a ,„e„„.er ,.r ,„e Ro,a, S„cie„, an,, « , kni,.„.e„ in vi'v „;

aluahle serv.ee, ren,lere,l. He „as ,vvice n.arrie,!, ,he firs, ,i„,e ,„ Mi»
Ucan„r I „r<len in ,S.,,,an,l ,he seeon,! .in,e ,„ Jane (iriflin, i„ „S.S,

^ ..nu.rw„e havin, .lie., J,., a. „e was se„i„, «„ „ ,,„,„;

■/victic voyage.

Kranldin wa» ,he ,ea.,er .,r three „is.i„ee v„ya.e„ w,,ioh ha,, r.,r

..onn ,. ,,,,, „r«, ,„„ v„ya,cs ha., f.,r ,heir par.ie, • „hieet .„ .ie.vr.

n>.ne ,,e lar,u,.,e an.l ,„„,-i.u.,e „f .he n„r.he„. shore „, Nor,,, A.nerie.,
a... .he „.e„„in, o,' .ha. eoas. ,r„,„ ,„e nu.n.h .„■ .he Co„per,„ine ea„.'
"';:'";' "':7 •■ -«'-"l '- .1- m,n,.h „f .he MaeKe„.ie.

" , : ;"; '"'■ '"''-" ""^ """' -' f"'- "» P-pose „,■ .,ise.,vering a
No,.hwe» l.assa,.e, which ha.l heen ,„pp„s,.|, ,„„ ,„„ ,„„„, ,„ ^,^,,«

To „l,jee.s of .,re lirs, voyage „,„re „,„.„,,, „„„ ,„ .,,^„,„^ ,,,^
U.....,ie an,, ,„n„,.„,,e „r par.icular place, ,.n .he ArCic lace „f Nor.h

.t ;:'"'• "'"' "'"'""'" "- •™"'"'- "'■ '"a, o„a„ ,r.,n, ,l,e n„„„h ..f

h C„pp,,„„ne ,„ .he eas.ern ex.re.ni.v of .he eon.inen.; ,en,l .he

> ■> Icfec.ne ^eo^raphy of ,hi, e„a,. I,y particularly nolinj; ,he l„ea.i„„

;:: """""^r ""■■:- '"■""- .--■ »....,:.„.».;

. ->--uch ..l,.,erva„„„s „p.,„ ,„, ,„,„„, „„ ,.,,_ ^„„, ,„^, ^^_ .^^^^^, ;

z Tr:;,:;"' ,'"■ "'""' ■■■■ "■"^■™'™'' ■'■"- "-'^'i- »..» ....e,.

:;:'"-'' ""^- ■■''''■■■ "■'■''"^■' l>'"ve,l .he „is,l„n, ,„• .1.. choice. I(ef,„-e

:,","""7;"";: '»"-"'"-"'vicea,„la,si.ance,.r.l,e,liree.o,,o,.

""""' '"'- ^"■""•"'>' ■'^"- ••^'- - ^'-Ke,.ie, a previons explorer

..vat sne,.es„ a,„l „,a„y o.hers who c„n„l ,,,,. „in, i,,,,,,,.,, ,1,,,„,

■"'"'■,""" ■ "■'•■""'''"' ^"™- "■' ">'» --"" "-lar-ely n,

, .... . e,,hanee,l ,, „. ,„„„„„ .,„^.,„„ ,,„.,,,„„,,„,„„„;„

-,e D,. R.e ar.ls„n an,l M,. Hack, .he,„»elves ho.h navi.a.or, .,r ex-

per,e„ee .,„ ah.h.y. To .hesc ,„er,s who acco.pa, e,l hin. ,e

tcrwar acknowie,,,..,, his „,,,;,,„.„.„ ,„, .„,,,. ,,,,„^„„ ^,^^ ^ ^

::.::"""" ■• "^'- '- - -- ~^ ■- -^ »•■ -any .^:;

108

CAUTION OF NOliTHERN SAILORS.

The whole party emliarkod at Gravcscnd, „n Sunday, the 3^1 of
M.'.y, iS'y. The I'ri.ue .,f Wales, which was t.,> cunvev the oi.tflt
belonKcl to the Hudson's Bay Company, and was accompanied I. two'
others, the ICldystone and tiu. Wear. As the wind wa. untavorahlc.
the vessels anchore.l a. Yarmouth for several days. At this point Lieut.
Hack went on shore two or three n.iles from Yarmouth to attend to
some matter of which his presence (here reminded him, intenoin.^ to he
ready, l.y watcinnf; the signals, lo ,et,n-n as soon as the vessels were
ready to leave. The wind, however, suddenly chan^a-d soon after his
de,)arture, and the Captain, thinkinj,^ it necessary to avail himself of the
present fortime, accordinj^ly weifrhe.i anchor, an.l Mr. I^ack was left on
shore. A note was sent hy a returning sinp requestinjr Mr. Hack to
take the coach across to Pentlan.l Frith; fron) thence to cross to the Parish
of Stromncss on one of the Orkneys, and there rejoin the party. When
the httle fleet reache.l Stromness several .lays were spent in waiting for
Mr. Jiack, afFording, in the meantime, a <jood opportunity for testinr^ the
.nstruments, and also of hiring more men, which Franklin foresaw wmdd
be necessary to do. A notice to the effect that men were wanted ^vas
ported up on the church door at Stromness, this hcin- certain to strik-
the attention of every person in the parish. To Fra.iklin's surprise only
four uK-n were foun.l in the whole parish who could be persuaded to
accompany the expedition. Franklin's narrative says:

"I was much amused with the extreme caution these men used before
they would sign the agreement; they minutely scanned all our intentions
vve.ghcl every circumstance, looked narrowly into our plan of route, and'
stdl more circumspectly to the prospect of return. Such caution on the
part ot the northern mariners forms a singular contrast with the ready
a..d thoughtless manner in which an English seaman enters upon an'y
enterprise howeve; hazardous, without inquiring or desirin.r t,; know
where he is going, or what he is going to do." It was late in Jime before
the fleet was really under way and had come out into the Atlantic.

July seems to have been more favorable to their p;-o<.ress -.s
the twenty.flfth of that month found them at the entrance of Haffin's
Bay. Here a whaling vessel was met whose nu.ster gave thrillir.<.

riiE riiisT iciiUEiid.

10»

accoiii

Mils or tilt. thickiK-ss and <lanj,aTc.i.s diameter .,f tlu- icv onn.un.
tcmi in Davis' Strait an.l llir .,|,|H-r Lay this year, and oCtlu. loss of sev-
eral vessels in the ice. Moth passengers and crew now I.e-an K. ualch
nervously for si;.ns of iteluM-s, often mistaking the elou.ls for mountains
of ice, in their feverish enriosity. [„ a short linu- it heca.ne necessary to
tack the ships in .n-der to avoi.i a lar-e mass; ;u,.l on the llfth of .\t,-,ist

SIR JOHN- I KA.NKl.IN.

a hu-e iceher- was si-hted. Upon rearhin- it, several of the officers
ni.uie an attempt to dimh up its side, hut were unsuccessful on account
of its steepness and smootluiess. The liei-iit of this her- was ascertained
to he ahout 150 feet. It will he readily seen that as iee is nearly as
heavy as water, only a very small portion of the actual hulk of the ice is

If'

jilt

800

/I /-£'^A' /AT THE SHIP.

seen above the water. Allowing one-eignth, as the portion of the hulk
visible, and supposing the average height of this berg to be 135 feet, its
whole vertical side must have been about .,000 feet, or nearly one-fifth
of a mile. The peculiar character of the atmosphere in these regions,
however, is said greatly to magnify all physical appearances, and deceive
the observer in regard to the size of objects.

About this time some interesting experiments were also made
respecting the temperature of water at different depths. A bottle well-
corked, was fastened to the sounding-line, and was let down 450
fathoms. The register thermometer was also fastened to the line
and was supposed to descend a distance of 650 fathoms. The change in
temperature indicated by the thermometer during its descent was from
46" to 40.5°, and -> stood at tlie latter point wi.en taken out of its tin
case. The temperature of the water brought up in the bottle was 41°
-being half a degree higher at 450 than at 650 fathoms; and 4° colder
than the water at the surface which was 45°, while the air was 46°.
TIvs experiment in showing the water to be colder at a great depth than
at the surface, and to fall in temperature in proportion to the descent,
was in accordance with observations of certain other voyagers of those
seas, but is stated by Franklin to disagree with his own previous experi-
ments, in whicii he had always found the water at the surface colder than
that at great depth.

On the 7th of August the ship Prince of Wales struck violently on
a reef near the coast of Greenland. The rudder was displaced, and there
being now no way of guiding the ship, it seemed certain to founder.
Recourse to the tow-boats was thought of, but these world be- insigniH-
cant among tho great masses of ice, and the thought was abandoned.
Moreover, the shock had produced a rent in the ship's bottom, and the
water poured in at u great rate. Another shock, experienced soon after,
fortunately restored the rudder to its proper place, but its leak was still
a great source of danger. To complete the distress of the now sinking
ship, the -ale just past had separated her fr<,m her associates, and even
in case of the last extremity, no aid could be expected of them. The
pumps were worked all the time without any apparent diminution of the

m '

BAKTERmo WITI, BSl^umAUX. jo,

nay coI.„„e„ „..„„,, a„<l a» Franklin an„wa„l sai,l, .heh- cxa„,„. ,,

.'7" '" ;'7 '= "- -«»• A. la., jn« a» .he s./ength a, 1;

■1 scc,„e,l about .„nc, a .iu.licion. nso of „al.nn an.l ca, va, rcdu " ,
^a .„ ..„ ,;„„,, ,,.. , ^„„,^ „^ ^^^ , ^^___^^^_^ -

ol Wale, wa, enabled ,„ .ejoin her corava.les in safety

On the ,..b of An,... eho ,hi,» l„n.le., „n the ^oast of Greenland
fo. the purpose ol tradinj, with the natives, or rather of .,11 •
natives to .rade with then,, whieh by ,i„ ,,, ' I '

were anxious to ,lo The I^ • ^ ' '''"'"' ""■>■

accompanied the^ I tir „d ' t;::;':' "'^'" ": '"* -^"^^ -"

"ot to exhibit too manv articles at once Tl • '' "'"'"

were oil, sead,o.e tee., wHaie i::::i,:':r r:;;:"::';'"':

*c..bed as amustnsr to see t],e exultation and to hen- ,1, ,
la-Shter of .he whole par.y, when a .rade u.s „ , ! , ^ """"^

..ally through the cereutony. The w ' , I ""''"'' '"''""'■

«■„„„.„ ,„i . , "- '™">-" l'.-".wlit imitations .)f men

""" •'" """"^"«- '^a.-ved careftdly out of sea-horse tee.h T e
.l.-esses and the ll,.„res of ,|,e „nin,als were not hadlv ev , ,
seemed to he no atteun>t „ ,1„. 1 r ^ ^ cxeeuted, bnl there

.i.e n....-es u-ere wiU u. .:...' ":;,";:■' "' ^ '— -" -' "'•

,,,,,,,,,,,,„ I . , '>'-"•'■'>«, an ..^-ers, .o make which w

""l-l'l-> l.a^■.■ .-eqtnred n.ore .lelieate ins.rnnu.u.s ,lnn, auv wln'eh thev
})ossessc(l. - ^vlllL^ rney

The men set most value on saws- A',,//r„ w- / / ,
""^^" tl.cy distinguished then,, hei ::/,::"''" " """"' '^'
'" "" '-•• An OI.I sword 'w..s .Pa ,e I , J E^:r '"^^"7'

'""■:; r.>"^, -- ■-■- When the happy n,a: tJ^^T"" ""'' "'^'

i ■•'Icin- leave <;!• their Mongolian friends fh,.,. i •, .

« '"* ""-"'If', tne vessels sailed away for

.m/^

if I

(

.11 '

fit

\i i

H'.

202

1'0/?K FACTOR r.

Hudson's Ray, for it was by this route that the party were to arrive upo.i
the field of their investigations. At this time the great British fur com-
panies were flourishing, and i,i the height of their prosperity. Tradino--
posts had been estabhshed ail the way from Canada to the frozen lakes of
the north, and it was along the line of these posts that the partv hope.l
to lind assistance to further the prosecution of their voyage. The prin-
cipal companies were the Northwestern Compa.iy and the Hudson Bay
Company, the previous kindness of whose agents has already been men-
tioned. The most considerable dejoot of British trade was Fort York,
<»• York Factory, as it was then called, situated on the Hayes River
about five miles from its mouth. Remnants of the old fort still remain
as a dim reminder of that primitive industry.

To this point, then, the Prince of Wales, having parted company
from the otlier ships, took her course, where a schooner was to be fm--
nished to the expedition, and where Franklin hoped to obtain advice, in-
structions, and a native interpreter. Having reached York Flats, where
they were treated to the honor of a salute, the next step was to supply
themselves for their northern tour.

Failing to find any Esquimaux or Indian interpreters here, they were
ol)liged to run tiie risk of having one sent to them, or of picking one up
on the way. As no schooner was available, the best boat belonging to
the Hudson ]3ay Company was fitted out for them, and duly supp"^lied
with the necessaries which the combined experience of all told them
the occasion would require.

The reader would not thank us to give the minute details of this
journey, nor is it possible, within the intended scope of the present vol-
ume, thus to enlarge upon unimportant experiences. Only tiie leading
fact,'-., therefore, and such of the salient features of ihe expc-dition as it i^
possible to give without the risk of being tedious, will be narrated.

Hayes River was ascended to its source— the confluence of the Sham-
matawa and Steel Rivers. The latter named stream and Hill River were
next successively ascended. Owing to the rapidity of these streams it
was necessary to walk upon the bank the most of the way, and haul the
boat, with its load, up over the rushing current. At this rate their pro-

A REMARKABLE ISLAND. 203

Sress was only ten or twelve miles a clay, and even thus every man sank
<lown exhausted at ni.<,rht. Mar.y thrilling episodes mi<,d.t he related of
this slow and tedious journey. At one time, on the hank of Hill River,
Franklin was superintending the tra.isportation of supplies ,wer some'
rapuis, when a stratum of loose roek ^^ave way under his feet, an.l
he lia<l the misfortune to step from the summit where he was standing
into the river below two of the falls. His attempts to rej^ain the hank
were for a long time unavailing, and it seemed as if the expedition were
fated to he deprived of its gallant leader. The roeks within his reacli
were worn so smooth by the action of the water that, although he
.nyde .lesperate efforts to stay his downward course, it was impolible.
Finally he grasped some willows, and was able t<. Inold on until some
gentlemen came to his rescue in a boat. It was a very narrow escape,
;\nd an experience which he did not care to repeat.

We must not omit to mention briefly a small island noticed in one
of these rivers, which is so strongly magnetic as to render a common
compass entirely useless anywhere in the range of its influence. Havin-
been previously informed of its existence, they watched their compasses
carefully, and found that they were afll^cted at the distance of three
hundred yards, both on the approach to and departure from the center of
the inlet. On .lecreaslng the distance the instruments were rendered
entirely powerless, and upon landing it was evident that the general
.magnetic influence was entirely overpowered by the action of the'ore in
the island.

CHAPTER XXIII.

niANKLIN's JOURNEY TO FT. CHIPEWYAN — PROCURING GUIDES —
SPEECH OF AN INDIAN CHIEF— THE RESOURCES OK THE PARTY
—START FOR THE COPPERMINE — THE CHIEF REFUSES TO PRO-
CEED— CANOE PARTY SENT TO THE COPPERMINE— A PEDES-
TRIAN TRIP RETURN OF ROTH PARTIES.

Swampy Lake, J;ick River— all the chain of rivers and lakelets up
as far as Ft. Chipewyan, were slowly and with difficulty ascended. Some
terrible hardships were experienced. It was necessary, for a considerable
portion of the distance, to draj,^ the boats and canoes, and to carry by
land this bulk of supplies over the « porta<jes," or places where the
rapids were too extensive to permit of navigation. Those who took
upon themselves the difficult task of supplying fresh provisions from the
settlements, traveled thousands of miles back and forth, amid frightful
dangers from threatening famine, from imfriendly natives, and from the
unfamiliarity of the way. The miseries endured during the first journey
of this kind are said to be so great that nothing could induce the sulFerer
to undertake a second while under the inHuence of present pain. He

feels his frame crushed by unaccountable pn re; he drags a galling

and stubborn weight at iiis feet, an<I his track is marked with blood.
The dazzling scene affords him no rest to his eye —no object to divert
his attention from his own agonizing sensations. When he arises from
sleep half his body seems deail, till quickened into feeling by the irritation
of his sores. But, fortunately for him, no evil makes an impression so
evanescent as pain. He soon forgets his suir-rings when once removed
from them, and at each future journey their recurrence seems to be
attended with diminished acuteness.

The arrival at Ft. Chipewyan, however, was but the beginning of ad-
ventures and hardships. The plan was now to journey northward to

204

SPEECH OF AN INDIAN CHIEF, gj^

Ft. Providence on Great Slave Lake; to build a larj^e canoe, suitable
ior traversinj, the northern rivers; to engage Indian guides, and if
j)Oss,ble, Esquimaux interpreters; to proceed to the mouth of the Copper-
.n.nc, and from that point to address themselves to the particular service
lor which the expedition was planned, viz., the exploring of the Ameri-
can coast on the north, and the systematic arrangement of the knowl-
edge thus gained.

Their principal canoe, when completed, was thirty-four feet lon-^ four
leet WKle in the middle, and about two feet deep. It was capable of
carryu,g about a ton and a half, including the weight of the live or six
MK-n necessary to man ,t. IJesides this there were other and smaller en
noes, fitted for the more rapid and easy conveyance of the officers uul
guides. The agents of both companies, in the meantime, did the party
the greatest courtesy possible-furnishing them all the necessaries they
could possibly spare, and showing a disposition to ai.l them in every
way m their power. Particularly was the agent of the Northwestern
Company useful to them in the matter of procuring guides fron. an.on-.
the Ch.pewyan Indians. This was of necessity a n.atter requirinr.
the utn.ost caution. U was necessary to take every possible n.easmC
to gam the confidence of the Indians, not only for the sake of ...ttin.^
-t of them all the ai.l an.l infonnation possible, but also for th^e s.ke
ol safety; for among the northern tribes of American Indians the le.st
departure from truth or supposed consistency is esteeme.l a positive
l-vach of faith, and is never fbrgotten. On .the occasion of ^.^^^..
.uKles at this tin.e, the chief of the party interviewed advanced ^ith
the utmost gravity and began his harangue, which Franklin understoo.l
lia.l been several days in preparing. This chief proved to be a shrewd
P-etrat,ng man, and left a favorable impression upon the minds of the'
I.a.ty as to his intellectual qualities. He began by stating that he was
.lad so powerful a chief from among the pale-faces had come amon.
.hen, and assured him that the Indians loved those wh,)se purpo. •, wa'^s
-> assist them. He said that when the party first arrived he was ..-eatiy

cnif

•appointed; for he had heard ther
man who possessed the power of rcstoi

e was among them a mighty medi
■ing to life tlie dead and de

i t

S06

COMPACT BETWEEN WHITES AND INDIANS.

parted; and he had felt so c^reat delight in the jM'ospect of meeting
witii his friends, that his sorrow in finding himself mistaken could n(rt
be described. He was ready, however, to assist the new comers in
whatever reasonable enterprise they might engage. He closed his
speech by demanding to k.iow minutely the object of the adventurers,
and their plans for the future.

In his reply Franklin took pains to assure him that their purpose was
nothing but good; that they saw the difficulty under which their red
brethren labored, and that he hoped by becoming more familiar nn ith
the coast a.ul the wilds of the north, to be able to relieve not only their
embarrassments but those of all the inhabitants. He informed them that
he came from the greatest chief in the world, who was also the sover-
eign of the companies with whom they were in the habit of trading. He
further warned them of the folly of making war with the Esquimaux
and promised them, in case of faithful service, a reward of cloth, beads,'
and useful implements of iron.

The chief admitted that his tribe had made war upon the Esqui^
maux, but promised to desist; recommending, however, that their ad-
vances toward them should be conducted with the utmost caution ; and
signified at last their willingness to accompany the party and co-oper-
ate with them in every particular.

An agreement having thus been arrived at with the Indians, the
expedition at once i^repared to set out. The Indians were sent out
ahead, and were to encamp upon the Yellow Knife, a small stream
whose ascent lay in their way; while the residue of the party were to
pack the provisions and supplies. This process could not" be gone
through with in thej^resence of the Indians, as they were in tlie habit of
continually begging for everything they saw. The store consisted of
two barrels of gunpowder, one hundred and forty pounds of ball and small
shot, four fowling pieces, a few old irading guns, eight pistols, twenty-
four Indian .laggers, some packages of knives, chisels, axes, nails, and
fastenings for a boat, a few yards ,.f cloth, some l,lankets, needles, look-
ing-glasses, and ]>cads; together with nine fishing-nets of diirerent sixes.
The provisions included two casks ..f fiour, two hundred dried i

leer

l\ IL

ASCENT OF TUB fELLOiV KNIFE. 307

!rr!:,T7'™" "T "'^'•"' """••*" '"■•■" """ "— -' »<«*'«

."Ul ..v., ca,.,,,.e,. o, .oa. The p„„y „„„ ,,„,„,,, „,- .,,„„,.„,„„. ^^.,.

suns, iiicludiMj; the wives oC thiec of Ih,. (■ r ^ ^ " l»-i

, ' '""-cot the Ciiiwdiaii voyaL'cr.1 who had

CO,, c„«aged .. Ft. YoH. I. had heen decided hest .0 take .he won.cn,
- they n,.,h. he ,.ef„l i„ ,he making of shoes a„<, Cothi,,., i„ ca,-
iiig for the s,ck, and in many other way,

.on. On the ... of August, ,S.o, the whole partv, inch.dn,,, the In-
ns^ hegan the ascent of the Yellow Knife. The prospect of reachin-
. Coppe™„,e hat season, and of exploring a portion of country hitlC
.CO nntrod by wh.te men, was „ source of the .Meatest elation t
pan., .nd the star, was made 1„ high spirits. The rh::: ; ' "J:
whose course .t w.as necessary for then, to traverse, w.as snch tha fre-'
.-"t portages, or transporting of the bo.a.s and Lading ahove the rapl s
.y l.n.l, waK tl,e only method of procedure. Great care w.as taken f'n
-e o .„ne to replenish their stock of provisions so far .as posslh e, I
lu l.,kcs, and hy means of the rifles of the hunters. In spite o this
Iwever, the ..onrney, made longer hy the necessarily slow pro-ress r

loo<l. They were at last reduced to such strait, that the Can a.lia,,
:..or, absolutely refused to go farther, unless more foo v^ 1 T"
™cd to then,. Frauldin took occasion here to warn t'hem h" i . "'
:...yo. then, should .Icsert or refuse to accompany the L ^ it ,; ,:

~ ;"'""^ -'- --- l'"-"ment to he inflicted upon th 'a

: ave them ., . orough admonition uot to further hinder t L pro^re,
K. party. Th,s discussion had the desired effect, and the reaft t

'™ ■^^'^■•: '"""^" "f -I— -'.I ""thfulness. The hunters

. ;■ .nean me, became more successful ; flsh w.as more abtn.dant; and't
;-> ..r .IK. party being rai,e.l by the prospect of plentv of food, so
■iManee was co,opie,e,l in the n,ost cheerful m.anner possible

''."^. "ow .lifficlty aro,e which eirectually thwarted the' purpose of
I ^- iea er to approach .he seaboard this season. <,„ the ,,-,h ,',f Lj
"" l-.v I- u,g advanced so.ne live hundred utiles Iron, Ft. Chipewrvau'

li!:

8 J 'i

Hit

SOS

T//E CHIEF KEFUHES TO HO FC/IITIlEli.

w,„.c.r lK..gan .„ „„pear. The litelc pools „r „.,.,,. ,,^ .„, ,,v„ side were

:::; tt '"r -«^-'""™ »'">-■' »'»-- <.f i-r„, „ee„ ..a-ei:;;

. OS . These s.^i.s soon passe,! .way with the ,i,i,„, of the s„n ami

ha, he an,l h,s hunters would .o „o further. He s„U, that it would he
n- usee, saenfice of life to attempt to go so far north in the win.'

wc the, l,eforehan,l; an.l that he was not iuelined to believe the winter
" 1.C so near at han.l as the oltief apprehended. He also told hi™ that
«ley should at leas, reaeh the river, in order to take ohservations as t.
^ss.e,.lep.h a„.l the char.ac.er and t, «ity of ti„,her upon its hanks.

1 .ha. ,. could be nruch more favorably wi.ncsscl fron, .he la.i. d„ o
the Copper,„n,e. These re„,ark,, however, Ira.l no elfec. upon the chief
who contiiuie( : " If .tftcr ill tlv,^ r , ., * 'i- cnici,

ii iiici .III inac ; liavc s;ii(l vr^n .■■•,, it • •

sac hce your l,fe and the ,iv.s .„■ y,.„, „,„, „„„^. „, ,

s.^.U,ow,th you; for it shall not be , .ha. „e ,ed you hith; an

W you to pens,, alone. Hut if they ,o, I and .y friends will fron,
■lay they depart ,.purn them as dead." Findin, .he chief s.ill averse o
gomg on and feari„. „ rup.ure wi.h tlte ludi.ans, witich would be di,.as.
™r,;»*en, in their ,rea. need of guidance, Franklin determine c.
1. cant ly to encamp there for the winter. This arrangement completely
»a.,sficd .he chief, wl,o now renewed his p,.„fe,ssio„s of loyal.y „ the
expedition. ^ -^ "-"^

to ti^Co" ™""""'"" """ "" ""=°" " "•■'^ ''•=='"«' "' -"'I " party
to the Coppermnte, to ascertain its distance and size. When .hi, plan

was comm„„,ca.cd : .he chief he re.adily concurred, and ofcrcl .o end

so,ne of h,s hunters to procure food for .hem. Mr. Hack : M

Hood who h.ave already been men.ioncl in .he natra.ive, were chosen .„'

take charge of .he par.y. An Esquimaux in.erpre.er having been in .he

mean.n.e secured, he, wi.h one Indian as guide, and eight C nat , voy-

^ -%•

l-OKT KNTERrKlSK.

209

210

A PEDESTRIAN TRIP TO THE COPPERMINE.

a^rcrs, ccmstitutcl their attendance; fitted ,.p with canoes, and furnished
in tiK- most comfortahle manner possihle ,n,.lc-r the cireumstances, they
set ont toward tiie last of Au-ust. Franklin's rejjard for l)is n)en, an.l his
wisdom in phnniintr,are ah'ke seen in his instructions to the party. They
were to proceed as far as the Coppermine, a.id if the weather was not
too tineatening, to emhark upon it and descend it for s<,me .hstance, the
object bein- to j^ain more definite knowled-e of its rapidity an.l the 'best
method of navi-atin- it. In no case, liowever, were they to <r„ so far as
not to be able in a short time to return; and if the water proved as cold
as 40" they were to return at once, as it was feared that the can(,es mi-ht
be frozen in, thus compelling them to return a long distance on foot. "

The portion of the party that remained immediately prepared to es-
tablish permanent winter quarters at the spot where they were en-
camped. Ih.ts wore made, which in achlition to the tents, were to serve
as shelter. The flesh and skins of animals were gathered to serve as
food and clothing which the Canadian women were busy in preparing;
and the barren, deserted plain presented, this winter at least, the appca'^r-
ance of a bustling, thriving village. Here, in the reach of hostile natives,
and greeted nightly l,y the howling of wild beasts, in a latitude 20°
north of where they were accustomed to spend the winter, these hardy
men made ready to endure six months of the northern blast. This spot
was fitly termed Ft. Enterprise.

Shortly after the party above referred to had been dispatched, Frank-
lin and Dr. Richardson decided to take a pedestrian trip to the nearest
point of the Coppermine. They started off on this daring project accom-
panied by three attendants, carrying camp kettles and provisions. Their
guides led them from the top of one hill to the top of another in as <Ii-
rect a course as the numerous lakes with which the country is inter-
spersed, would permit. At noon of the first day a remarkable rock with
precipitous sides was reached, named by the Indians Dog-rib Rock, from
a ferocious tribe of Indians who inhabit the north and west. The lati-
tude of this place was observed to be 64° 34'. They were now trav-
eling through a country almost dcstitnte of vegetation or animal life.
One of the guides killed a reindeer, and offered the rest of the party, as

REPORT OF HACK AND HOOD. 3,1

a ,^reat treat, the r, w ,na,n,w fro.n ,h. hind loj^s of the animal, of which
='" •"" i'-n.nklin partook. IL, too, however, afterward conc,ucml his
fastidious appetite and pronounced it delicious.

The- small quantity of hedclothinjr hrou^Hu with them, induced most
.)f llK- p:.rty to sleep without undressing. 01<1 Kes Karrah, the In.lian
,^Mn,!e, followe.1 a dilFerent plan. He stripped himself to the skin, and
Having toasted himself over the emhers of the fire for a short time crept
...ider his ,leerskin and rags, previously spread out, and coiled himself up
... a circular form, and was sound asleep almost instantly. So the journey
t.. the Coppermine continued, the travelers sometimes lying, and somJ-
t..nes sitting down to sleep at night, according to the accommodations
wiuch the rough ground alFonled. The fall of snow was almost constant-
^'.Hl, hin.lered and perplexed by this, and by sprained and swollen ankles'
the httle band were well nigh exhausted when at last they arrived oncj
in<,re at Ft. Enterprise. They had walked about 150 miles.

Upon their arrival at the winter cjuarters thev found that the party
headed by Hack and Hood, had ],receded them by several days. This
party had reached the shores of Point Lake, through which the Copper-
mine River flows, on the first of September. They proceeded along its
sliores westward, round a mountainous promontory, and pcrceivin- the
course of the lake to be northwest, they encamped near some pine^ and
enjoyed their first good fire since they left.

The principal object of their investigation, now, was *to discover
whether any arm of the lake branched nearer the tort than that upon
which they had fallen, to which the transport of their goods might be
made llie following spring. Having satisfied themselves bv the appear-
a.ue c,f the.mountains that furtiier examination on the west was need-
k-ss, they then proceeded eastwanl until the 6th. Not finding any part of
the lake nearer, they encamped to observe the eclipse which was to occur
"" 'liat day, hut a violent snowstorm obscuring that phenomenon, they
.■ctrace.1 their steps toward the fort, where they arrived the dav after
the other party had set out.

Thus closed the voyages of ,820, the expedition having traveled
t.hcen hundred and twenty miles, since leaving Ft. York in Sept., i8iy.

C'lIArTKK WIV

.lOIKMN' Id IMI';

< (MM* I : It mini;

\isir lo riii.:

t oi'i'i.K Moi \ r.\i\s

IN I I HI'; Ol Dli. |[UII.\I{|)S()\- |,.\

l'"l..\l! ni l..\.\-- IT. riU.NACAlN III

IHAIiKI.NC, ()\ i|||,;

i; Hl;'HH\.--i|;|

l•l:l{|^(.^ Ol' iiii:
^.\\i; iiii; i'aimv

tiiiiii.i; siFK

I'AinS — |)|{. |{I(IIAI!1)S()\ |!|

^'KS HIS M|.|.: I

Ai;i!l\A!. Al IT. KNTKItntlSK

fia

111 llif Mimiiu'i- of iSj I till' parlv

w.ik h wa^ ivarhi.l, without atridiMit or ad

i.i::iiii set out lor tlif C'o|)|HTiniiu

I);irt of fuiK'. 'I"lu' liiiu' I

ill

Mlllllll' of lloU',

111 llic lali

l;l<l now lOIlK' wIkii ||h'\- Wvk

illilimnl of \\ic\y rluMislu'd projivt, and

to ri'ali/r th(j

n\rr and woiv on tlu-ir \va\ t

tln'v sodii I'lnliaikc'd apori tlio

|> tl.f Polar Ocfaii. I)

«l'>\vu the e-opiHTininc tlu- Indians wcrt- invalual.k

Ihi' party, hy their skill in

nrini;' tlu' iotirnc"

in i)roL'iiiinM- (ood fof

Inn

ltm,L,^ For this sfr\ ice tl

take notis on the Xorthwcstern C

u-\- consented to

an older i;a\in"- a

l-o 1

onipaiiy, payable at !• t. Chipewyai

'(-•en (liawii tor a sin:

III a

iiiounl of elotliiii.

midilional present. This inelh.ulor reiinhiirsin..- thei

as ail

lieeaiise those artielcs with which tl

Lfrowni:

n was lesorti'd tc
icy were aci-iistonied to he paid wei\

scanty, and it N,as desired to retain ihcni (or trade aHI

1 the

-uuiinanx.

As t

ic party desceni

cd, the river irradiiallv hoc,

Iwccn lofty hanks to ahout

line contracted he-

c hundred and t\vent\' \ard

icciirient hccanie rapid in proportion to tl

s in width, and

Ahonl the middle of (nl\- they

the iheine of

le narrowness o(" tin. str
arrived at some rapids which had

cam.

Keen

discourse amontr the Ii

whicli had

ulians for several days jirevions, and

I'ceii occlared hy them to he impassahle f

or canoes.

Tin

river .here was f

oimd to descend for thrce-citiartcrs of

narrow and crowded channel,
flv

;i niile in a deep hut

which it had cut Ihrr :iv;'.i tj

!«• foot of a hill

ye or six huiHlred lect in height. I, is conlhv. ,,,,.,, perpen.licular
dills, reseml)Iiii«,r artitlcial stone walls, \ar\ini

?12

■i' iicr^^ln Iroiii eij^htv to

■iiiut

- *^ -.ffrj^Sfe

jipe-'Tirr-

"!'■ I'.K liAliliMiv's A!>

M'Vh.NTLHIC WITH Will.

±J'£LLIDCe .

21 ;{

11^

iiJlUIIIHil

214

ADVENTURE OF Dll. KICIIAIIDSON.

- h..".l™i fee, „„ „hi,|, „,, , „„„ „, „„^ ,^^„,, ^^^ __^

r.vc.,- ,,™. „„ „i.hi„ „„•« ,„,,„„, „„„„„,,.,„,,, ,,^,„„,,^. „.,_,_,^_, ^,^^ _^_
J.C ,ng ,.„e, ,„„„„„„ „,„, ,,.,^|,,^„.^^^,, .^^_^,^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^_^^ .^^^^_^ ^^^_^^^^^^l ^^^

-^ sheet .„ f,.,,,,. u i, prohaWe ,1.,. ,he I„,n,„,s i„ .valitv knew lit,,;. „,■

-e ..„p„ls; ,„,. ,„e c,.„„e, wl,e„ li,,,,.,,.., „,■ ,,„,, ,„„,;,„ ,.,,„ ,„.^^^
this ilclile without siistainiuK -"i.V injury.

In the c„,i,,. „r the „e.ecnt-a visit wa, „,a,,o f, the Coppc,. M„,.„.
t...ns. 1.. lK,e lulls the Coppe,- I„.,iai,,s, a,,,,, it was icp„,.,e.l, the Es.
<1"."™« *.., -veie aceastoined to come an.l ..aich foi- this nt.tal, „f

which, when found in a free stutc flu>v ,..„) i , •

. ; "'^ ■''^■'t^' tliev could make vanous useful arti-

clc. Bu the nnpracticability of navi<,atin<, this river hon. its source
and the absence of nuUerial for makin. and operating a smelter, proved

oFrankhnand his men that an, considerable mercantile speculiln i!
this entcipnse w-as imjiossilile.

As the Esquimaux country was approached, the oxpe,li,io„ a.lva„ce<l
V, ,rea. caution, to prevent any serious collision of the rc.l n,c„ uith
tlK . Monsohan nc^hhors. Constant watches were Uep, day and ni.h.
and the olhccrs cheerfully took their turns with the res, in this .Inty " It'
was on one „f these occasions that Dr. Richanlson, the surseon „, the
party, „,ct „,,,„„ f„„„„„„^, ^.,„„,.^ ^^^^^^ __ ^_^^

he rst watch, he had seated hiniselr on a hill overha„,i„, the river;
h.s thoughts wore po.sihly occupicl with ,ar distant scones, when he was
aroused hy an indistinct noise hehind him, and, on lookin, round, saw
'hat mnc white wolves had „rran,,ed themselves in the form of a crescent
■"""'I him. and were ailvancin,- apparently with the intention of drivin.,
hm, into the river. lie had his ,,„„ ;„ his hand, h,it did not dare lire tin-
fear o, alarmii,„ any Esquimaux who migh, he in the iiciKhhoihood,
Upon h,, risn,,. Uiey halted, an.l ,vhen he advanccl toward them in a
meniicin,. manner, they a, .mce made way for his passage down to the

I Ia« ill, reached the month of the Coppermine, the journey of explor-

o„ eastward, and the „„al return to the west sotith, wi/one

muirokeu series of terrihle snirerings, hardships, and privations.
O.. the .,st of July, with only fifteen days' provisions on hoard, , hey

POINT TURN AG Am. glS

omharked upon the open sea, intending, if possible, to read. Repulse
IJay, a distance of some six or seven hundred miles to the east. But they
cneountered frightful storms. Their boats were badly shattered, and
then- i.rov.sions, to whieh they had bc^en unable to add any amount
were almost gone. The erew eomplained bitterly, and it would seem'
that the elimax of discourar.-r-.ent had been reached when their best
boat sank; the crew, and what scanty supplies they had, narrowly escap-
"ig destruction. Accordingly, when they reached a place, now perti-
nently called " Point Turnagain," it was decided to steer westward at
once, to Arctic Sound, and by ascending Hood's River, to gain once
more the interior. Thence they sought to reach Point Lake and Ft
Lnterpnse, their previous winter quarters. The prospect was discoura...
nig m the extreme, for winter seemed to be already setting in The
Innuers found no -game, and their stock of pemmican was exceedin^^ly
l.m.ted. In spite of the threatening weather, their dilapi<lated canoes
.nd exhausted larder, they managed to push on till at last they entered
Hood's River.

The Canadians could not restrain their joy at having turned their
backs on the sea, and they spent the first evening in talking over their
past adventtn-es with much humor and no little exaggeration. They had
cLsplayed great courage in encountering the dangers of the sea, ma<nd-
hcd to then, by their novelty. The poor Frenchmen, no doubt, fotuKl a
cbstressmg .lilFerence between the frozen plains of the North, and the
vmeyanls of their "Sunny France," which some of them, perhaps
remembered. . ^ ' '

After remodeling two canoes from the remains of the old ones, which
liad been rendered almost useless, they proceeded on foot from near the
mouth <,f Hood's River toward Point Lake, 150 miles distant, and as will
1.C remembered, in the neighborhood of Ft. Enterprise. It is impossible
f .Icscnbe iSe sufferings of the exhausted crew from this point. They
liad scarcely set out when a bewikiering snowstorm arose which so em-
barrasse<l their progress that they were oblige<l to encan,p for several
days VVhenatlast the storm abate.I, and they attempte,' to advance,
Iranklu, tainted fVon. hunger and sudden exposure. He soon revive.l

n I

210

^ (IS EL ESS TNA/VSPO/rr.

IiowevcT, l)v tal
l)v I he kindness

their h.iel';
crahlv on.

'"■'".U -'i ■'^mall .|iianlity of poiiahl

ol 1

H- men. .So, witli th

<-■ soup, pressed upon liim

s, and hnii)s totterin-- from si

rir wet .^-arnients (Veezini;- tc

H'er exhaustion, the\- went

niis-

c men wlio carried th

over, and at one of these ti
Th

e canoes were oCtei

1 hlown

ines the best

canoe was

l)rol-

is was soon nlili/ed 1

ven ni ])ieces.

>\' niakniLT a ii

soiij) and arrow ro

IV <>t It to cook the little renia

nnn<r

ne only source of suhsiste

tnpc-iic-roc/H\ a species of lid
earth. This, alth

nee

left

neni \va> the

len which urows ujion the rod

vs or fio/en

)ii,L;ii It

ser\ed to

Keep

life

and luiwholesonie. An incident

in th

L'ln, was dehilitalin-

occurred at this time which sh

even \\\ circumstanc

ov.s

that

c's as trying- as those which

utmost .i^enerosity and disinterested
officers stood si

we ha\e descril

)e(l, the

iiverniLf aroun

(1 a smal

le i)anL;s of Inni-er, V

nL-,s may he shown. One day, as tl
lie, and suflerino- intensel\- fr

errau

meal which he had

It, ,1 Canadian, produced

saved (Vom his own al

or them with a ]jiece of pe
"with ^-reat thankfulne
ness iillc

:i small amount of

owance, and presented each

mmican.

It was recei\e<

ays

"raid<lii

ss, and such an instan

ce of self-denial and kiiui-

<l our eyes with tears.
At len^-lh thev reached

a iir

width and i-apidit\- th:il
streams whicli they had 1

anch of the C

o])pernnne, of su

cli y-reat

It could not 1

le crossed as readily as tl

le smallei-

>een in

ne nvMW, whose construct

he hahit of lording- daily. A raft I

lad to

several da\s.

What

ion, in their present weakened state

, occupied

was their

(heir new t

'lisappomlinent and dia-rin to lind tl

lat

i-ansport was useless; they could not

Aiiotlu'r exhilntion of self-

id It ai-r

OSS the river.

volunteered to make ll;

sacrillce was then made. Dr. Richard

son

him a line, I

'\' wliidi the laft

(-' attempt to swi

m across the n\-er.

i'arr\iii''- with

coulil he (Irawn acros

laimdied into the stream with tln> 1

lie had -oi within a short

iiie aroimd his wai^t ; Imi when

lisiance of tlu'

o|)

posU

e iian

nunihi'd with

<, Ills .inns liec.imi

loKi, and h

e lost ilif

jxiwer of mo\ in-- them. Still I

U' per.

severed

when his

••iii'l, liiniin- on his hack, ha.l nearl

\ .i^anu'd the o|)posite shore,

comrades on slior(

line and

ic-s, loo, iHvame powerless, ami to \W- lullnite al,-,rm of hi-
lu'he-an to sink. They instantly haulcl upon IIk

!<-■ came up(m the surface, ;m

•I was t^radualh-

iiMwn ashore ii

^'^ a

(

218

ail iilinost lifcl

MURDER OF HOOD.

CSS st:iU

fore :i "ood (Ire of willow

Joiiiij^ rolled up in blankets, he was placed hc-

s, and rortuiiately was just ahle lo speak

enoii-h lo o-ive some sli.<,rht directions respectinjr tl
■ecovered stien<,rth after a time, and in tl

liini.

le manner of treatin"-

to l.e leinoved to his lent. Il was then found that

was deprived of t

lie- evening- was ahle
his whole left side

Ileal.

eciiiio-, in conseciuence of sudden exposure to t

e did not recover from this until the foil

ownn

fell, upon seeini;- the skeleton shown by the d

•nnnier,

<><> ,i;reat
What

caunol he told in words,
he best explained 1

ly the doctor when he sliijjped,

s condition, as well as that of ll

le icvst, may

It may he \vortliy of

ly an extract from his own journal;

remark, that I should have had little h

csitatioii

ni any tormer peri.)d of my life at ph.ngin- into water,_eyen below 38^

Fahrenheit; but at tl

lis time I was reduced almost to a skelet

the rest of the party, suITered from d

on, and like

(lisrei^ardcd in health and

ej,n-ees of eold that would

vifTor. Duriui,' the whole of our

experienced that no (piantity of eloth:
fasted; but on those occasic

liave been
inarch, we

irni while we

with full stomachs, we passed the ni.rht

would keep us w
)ns on wdiich we were enabled to ..■,, 1,, bed

in a warm and comfortablt

manner,

1-1 '

! : tlMMMlUI

he liver was at last crossed, I

in the case of every 01

le.

nit a ij;-reat depression of spirits existed

oou

iehardso

and weal

n, and IJack, were all la

le vovanc/irs w

ere somewhat more viLrorous, 1

hope to eoine out of the wild

>iit (hd not
erness alive. Finaiiy, JM-anklin and ei-^ht

men decided to j)ush on toward I't. I':nternrise. T

iiree ol

almost at once. Franklin su

cceeded in reachiiii,^ the house,

neither oci'u

lese <lied
l>ut found

lianls nor jirovisions. In ei-hteen days I Jack and Dr. Rich-

ardson came up. Hood had set out will

one Indian. A short lime after 1

he had been murdered. The three Canadi

1 a party of three Canadiai
lis body ^yas found with evidencL

IS and

that

As Michel, the Indi

nis were never seen a"-.

un.

lan .<i,uide, remained stron

thouL-ht he I

and yi'/oroiis, it was

hodies.

'ad murdered the rest of the party and feasted

s soon as this s

ui)oii their
spicion was eonlirnied lie was promptly shot
l>y Dr. Richardson. A partrid.^.e, killed by ITepburn, was all the meat
that the parly last arrivin- al the Fori had tasted for six weeks. Parts

RETURN TO

219

of their boots and clothiiu' hiid 1

)ecii

sotip made out of old Ijoi

ENdLAND.
consumed diiiiufr the march, and

c's and skin wa

Help and siipjjlies at last arrived, I

s considered a Inxni

■y-

••■ifnrt.n.ate party had perished. The hanlsl
ever, were now over. C'onimunicat

•lit not until several m

oie o

r tl

!iil)s of tile suivivors, 1

liow-

oflhe f'ln- c

ion could now he had wi'.h ti

strained to the

"mpanies, and the persons eniploved at the

le posts

p'eatest kindness j)ossil

■se points were eon-

condilion of tile unfortunat

Ic when they saw the pitiai)lt

c crew. The Canatlians were sent home
•" '"He, heino- paid in orders upon the Hudson's Hav Company
1 I.c ollieers of the party were ohli.^^ed to remain son>e tinu- at one oftii'e
iorts hetore they were ahle to travel fhr. Their ibet and limhs were
swollen, ,hj.estion and assimilation were impaired, and racking rheuma-
l.sm was eommon fron. the severe an.I prolon^rcl exposure. Throu-di
I'H- l^nulness of tiie company's a;^ents, their health was at last n-storc^l
and they proceeded to ].:n<,dand, where they arrived safely in the sum-
mer o( .,S3.-with the exception of the ,,^allant Hood, whose fate we
have related al)ove.

Thus terndnated Franklin's firs, voyage, hein^ as far as p<,ssil)le a
laithlul execution of the plan, as i, has alrea.iy been communicate.l to
the reader.

An account of the next vovat^e of this j^allant explorer will he ^iven
ill a lollowiiiL;' chapter.

>^siiai^

CHAPTER XXV.

RUSSIAN ARCTIC VOYAGES-I.APTKU- nilOTHKUS-FAILUH ]• OK SClfA-
I.AUOVV— REMAINS OF MAMMOTH — ARCTIC VOVAGKS OK mi.IASC.S
— PI.UNDKRKn ItV NATIVES — KREQUKNCY OK ANIMAL REMAINS

— kotzebue's voyage — unwelcome iiosittaeity— a unique

ISLAND.

Our last reference to Russian Arctic exploration was an account of
the Hnal voyage of Bchrin- in 1741. But little was afterward done by
the Russians in the way of organized effort in this direction, until the
period at which we have now arrived. The whole of the Arctic coast of
Russia, including Siberia, had, however, been discovered piecemeal by
fur traders and adventurers. "These skins," says a Russian writer,
"were the golden fleece of those days and of those regions, an<l tempted'
not only Cossacks and fur-hiniters to brave the severest hardships, ])nt
even induced jjersons of much higher rank to leave their families and
abandon the conveniences of life, in order to plunge into the fearful and
unknown wildernesses of Siberia in the licipe of enriching themselves bv
this trade. It is to the credit of the national characc.-r, however, that
their desire of gain never diove them t.. the atrocities of whicii the gohl-
seeking coiujuerors of Mexico and Puru were guiltv."

Thus gradually had been explo'-ed two-fifths of tlie whole Arctic
coast, from the White Sea to Ik'hring's Strait. Piece by piece, too,
had a great portion, if not all ;.f it, been surveyed by orders of tlie gov-
ernment; and much valuable information in relation to the country and its
various aboriginal tribes had been gleaned and collected through officials
and private adventurers. At the very date of Pehring's voyage, the
brothers Laptew were winning distinction as explorers in those regions.
Lieuteruuit Charlton Laptew, in May, 1741, sailed down the Taimur
River to its moiitli, which he ascertained to lie in latitude 75° 36'. He

220

FAILURE OF SCHALAROW. 031

Ha.U-eca e„;^.a,,..d .si„cc 1730, i,, cxplorinj,. the coast west of th- Lcr,
lK.nn. ],,ea appointed to succeed P.ontschischtschew, who had tried i..'
va.n to do„„ie ,hc icy cape of Tain.,,- Peninsula, an.l had heen cnploye.l
- .x,>h.nn;, those inhospitahle shores since .73^. Du^itn Laptew had
l>een snndaHy en^a^ed ,a,-the,- to the east since ,736. Having douhled
ll>c Sv.ato, X..SS of Sihena, he spent his (hst winter on the Indi-nrl^u
Kuer, ahout ten decrees farther east, and in latitude 71". Proceeihn.^
•hence he exanune<l and surveyed the coast and the Bear Ishn.ds, winte,"
m-- on the Kolyma River.

lie had heen preceded in those re.^nons l,y I'aulusky, in ,75, F,,,
.uo successive seasons Laptew now lahored in vain to douhle Haranow
Kocks,andreUn-ned at length to lakoutsk in ,743, after a sojourn of
seven years on the shore of the Araic Ocean. In 175S Schalarosv, a
■ ncrchant of lakout.k, sailed fron. the Yana River, in a vessel huilt at
Ins own expense, an<l succeeded in douhling the ,Baranow Rocks, hut
failed to n,ake Cape Schelagskoi. Ag.yn he tried and a^ain was driven
hack from that icy goal of his amhition ; and the third time, in ,760
h,s crew retuscl ,„ support hin.. In ,763 Sergeant Andrejew, a Cos-
sack, who had heen on the 7 uligirka and the Bear Islands, reported
that he ha.l discovered, thir. lilcs north of the mouth of the Krcstovoi
... the estuary of the Kolyma, a group of inhahited islands, with the re-
n>an.sof a fort, an.l traces of a brge population at some previous tin.e
1.. .764 Schalarow started anew t.. solve his personal prohlem of ,loul,-
ln,g Cape Schelagskoi, hut ,lid not return. "His unfortunate death (from
starvation it is sai.l) is the more to he lamented," savs Wran-dl u,^
he sacrihccl his property and life to a disinterested aim, a,ul united intel-
li.Ue.K-e and energy in a .eniarkahle degree." The same vear Admiral
rsclntschagow failed in his effort to sail around the Spitzhergen .n'oup
I.. .7^7 Leo.ujew, Lyssow, and Pushkarow surveyed the ccj near
the Kolyma.

Meanwhile, on the Kamchatka side, the fur-traders in quest of prod-
ucts for their profita])le commerce with China and Japan, had .n-ulu-
ally .hseovered the islands of the North Pacific; Norvodiskow, the
Uest Aleufan, in ,745; Paikovv, the Fox, in 1759; Tojstvch, the cen-

.»U*i;^'

•?:

223

VOrAGES OF BILLINGS.

tral -roup called hy his name, in 1760; Glottow, Kadiak, in 1763; :m,l
Kreinitzin, Aliaska Peninsula, in 176S. In 1770 a merchant named
Lachcnv or Liakov, while gatherinff a cargo of fossil ivory ahout Svia-
toi Noss, saw a herd of reindeer making for the Siherian coast from the
north, and rightly judged they must have come from land. Proceeding
in his sledge over the ice, guided by their tracks, he discovered at a
distance of forty miles from the cape he had left, an island, and twelve
miles farther a second, both wonderfully rich in mammoth teeth. Duly
reporting to the government and securing from it the exclusive privilege
to dig for mammoth bones in the islands he had found, Lachow Te-
turned, in 1773, ''»<! li:"' the good fortune to discover the largest of the
three which still bear his name. "The whole soil of the first of these
islands," says Saunikow, "appears to consist of the-e remains."

BILLINGS' ARCTIC VOYAGES.

The great Empress of Russia, Catharine II., in her numerous projects
for the promotion of commerce, with the comprehensive sagacity for
which she was distinguished, could n(.t fiil to recognize the value of ex-
ploration, especially within what she regarded as her empire. In fur-
therance of her design, Joseph Billings, who had been with Cook in his
last voyage, was induced to enter the Russian naval service, and in 1787
was intrusted with an expedition for the examination of the north coast
of Siberia from the Kolyma River to Behring's Straits. Captain Saryt-
chew, a Russian, was phice.l in subordinate command of one of the two
vessels constituting the expedition. They sailed down the Kolyma on
the opening of navigation, and were much harassed by ice and overllow,
which drove them sometimes into the inundated bottom-lands. Reach-
ing the ocean they pushed to the east, getting, however, to only a few
leagues beyond Baranow R.xks. The Russia.i captain volunteered to
proceed further by boat, but P.illings deemed the project unfeasible be-
cause of the ice, and returned to lakoutsk, leaving^ his vessels aground
in the Kolyma. He was, however, intrusted with a second expedition
to explore Uic islands of the-North Pacific, two vessels being built for
that purpose at Okhotsk. In June, 1790, JJillings visited the Aleutian

DEHCIUPTION OF NATIVES. ggj

Islands,, whore he found the natives so cruelly treated by tiie Russian and
Cossack fur-traders, that he felt compelled to .nake a.i ener-ctic re.
monstrance to the home government. Despite his efforts and "those of
tiie central authority, the local oppression continued without serious
abatement, and there, as elsewhere, the aborigines have been almost to-
tally extinguished by overwork and virtual slavery to the whites. From
Ihi- iJay of Saint Lawrence, Billin-s proceeded overland on the 13th of
Au-ust to explore and survey the Tchuktchi Peninsula. His efforts
were weak and fruitless; his journeys short, and stoppa-es frequent; and
he won no tavor with the natives. Jealous of the Russian surveyors'
chains, which they considered typical of the chains of slavery, they did
not hesitate to wrest them from their unwelcome visitors, whom they
would not suffer to write any notes or observations as far as they could
prevent, so that the exploration proved abortive. Sauer, the histori;in of
the expedition, relates a few incidents: "We passed three villages, and
halted at a fourth for the ni-ht. The huts were du- under tn-ound,
covered with earth, of a square form, with a fireplace in the middle,
■.xm\ four lar-e stones made the hearth. We were obli-cd to treat with
them for water, and for fuel to boil our food, and to pay for it imme-
diately. Ohservin- our good nature and want of power, they took a
liking to the buttons on our coats, and cut them off without ceremony.
The men were tall and stout, and the warrior had his legs and arms
punctured. The women were well made, and above the middle size;
healthy in their appearance; and by no means disagreeable in their per-
sons; their dress was a doe's skin, with the hair on, and one garment
covered their limbs and the whole body. They wore their hair parted,
:iii<l in two plaits, one hanging over each shoulder, their arms and face
iK'ing neatly punctured." Captain Billings was still in lakoutsk in 1 793,
l)ut his explorations I)y land or sea did not add much t<. the volume of
geographical information, and his chief merit lies in his humane effort to
ameliorate the unhappy conditiorx of the oppressed natives in the Aleu-
tian Islands.

The group of islands known as the Archipelago of New Siberia,
' -overed bv Sirawatskv In 1S06, and exnlored

edenstrom in

li'

224

S'i

A MAMMOTH. 228

1.S09. They • almost due norlli from Vaiia Hay, east of the deUa of
llie Lena, between hititude 73^' and 76% and lonjjitude 135' to 150".
They are j,'enerally roeky, and are covered all the year round with snow,
without busii or tree anywiiere. They are uninhabited, but with traces
of former population, as well as of large trees and fossilized charcoal.

Their chief importance now is due to the immense (piantities of fossil
ivory, or bones of ihe mammotli, which are found embedded in the soil.
According to lledenstrom's account, the tusks are smaller and li-hter,
but at tile same time more numerous toward the north of the islands,
and often wei-h only tliree ..r four poods— loS to 144 poiuuls— while on'
tlie main land of Siberia, it is said, there have been found tusks which
wei-:hed twelve poods, or 433 pounds avoirdupois! To this larj^er
-rowtli must have belon-ed the mammoth discovered in 1799, '"by
Schumachow, one ol the Tun-usian nomads, while searchin- f.,r f„ssii
ivory near Lake Aucoul. In 1803 the ice iu which it had been enveloped
havin- gradually melted away, this hu-e carcass fell on a sand bank,
where its flcsli was so well preserved that ii afTorded acceptalile food for
do-s and beasts for at least three seasons. In iSo.| the ori-inal .liscov-
crer carried away llie tusks, which he sold f„r alxnit forty dollars. In
iSor, Adams found it where it had fallen, in a mutilated condition, but
not entirely divested of flesh. The skeleton was, however, complete,
except one forele- and some joints „f the tail. About one-fourth of the'
skin had disappeared, but the remainder recpiired the united efforts of ten
men to remove it to the shore, a distance of only fifty yards. It was of
a .lark -ray color, and was covered with a short, curly, reddish wool,
besides some Ion- black hairs, resemblino- bristles, which varied in'
len-th from one to ei-hteen inches. The animal was a male, and had a
Ion- mane; and the whole body was eventually taken to St. Petcrsburjr
to -race the imperial museum, while samples of its wool were sent to
the principal museiuns throu-hout Emope. The tusks were repurchased
by the -overnment, and replaced in tlieir ori-hial sockets. Its chief
measurements are: From the loivhead to the- end of the mutilated tail,
sixteen feet, fonr inches; hei-ht to the top of the .lorsal spines, nine feet,'
iuurinehes; the len-th of the tnsks alon- tlie curvature, nine feet, six'
15

996

THE RURIK,

ill ^

inches. Mosidt'H thi' remains of the Elcphas Pntmirctuus, as it is scien-
tifically iiaine.1— (,r primo^^'cnial elephant, as it mi;,'ht he popnhnly called,
had not the word mammoth taken its permanent place hi otn- literature'
—the hones of the rhinoceros, hufTalo, horse, ox, and even sheep, have
been fomid, all demonstrating that there was a time when the Arctic
regions couhf have been easily explored had there only hcen men to do
il. And when the men came— thou<,Hi, according to the native legend,
" there were once more hearths of the Omoki on the shore of the Kolyma,'
than there arc stars in the clear sky "—they were hardly the men to husy
themselves overmuch with scientific researches, or to leave records to
posterity. The Omoki have now disappeared from even the mainland,
and the islands of New Siberia are alike untenantable by man or beast.

KOTZEBUE'S ARCTIC VOYAGE.

To these surveys of the northern coast and islands of Siberia was
added a genuine Arctic voyage of exploration in 1815. To the public
spirit and /.eal for knowledge of Count Nicholas Romanzof, or Riov-
mantsof, who had been made Secretary of State in 1S07, was Russia in-
debted for this expedition. It consisted of one vessel of iSo tons, which
was intrusted to Lieut. Otto Von Kotzcbue, son of the celebrated
German dramatist of that name. He had accompanied Kiuscnstcrn in
his voyage around the world, 1803-6. As his chief companions the
scientific count had secured the poet -.m^X naturalist, Chamisso, and the
physician and naturalist, Eschscholtz. Twenty-two men constituted the
crew of their ship, the « Rurik," so named in honor of the first king
of Russia, the famous \'araiigian chief or Norse Viking, who founded
the first Russian dynasty 953 years before. They left Plymouth, Eng-
land, in October, 1S15, and in March, 1S16, arrived ofi^ Waihu or
Easter Island, about Soo leagues west .,f Chili— 27° 6' south, by 109"
17' west— where they were prevented from landing by the natives, who
were embittered by tlie injuries received a! the hands ..f foreign visitors.
On the 17th of June they reached the Hay of Avatcha, and pushing
norfi, laiidal on St. Lawrence Islaiul on the 27th. The inhabitants

UNWELCOME llOSPlTALlTr. ^

lia<l nc'vcT iKul nny intomnnsc wifli IC.uv.poans :m„I now rcccivr.l tlu.
vis.tc-H with -rc.-,t fricM.IIincss a,,,! trnwrlcnu- hospitality.

"So lonjx as thi. nalMiahsts waiKJeml ah„„t „„ the hills," says Kot/t-
I'lic,"! stai.l with ,ny aa,uaintaMccs, who, when they fo.nul that I was
tlH- o.Miman.icM-, invitc.l mo i,.to their tents. Here a .Mrty skin was
spread on the lloor, on whieh I ha.l to sit, an.l then tiu-y ean.c in, one af-
t^'. lheotiK-r,emhraee.l me, rnhi,e.i their noses hard aj,^n-nst mine, an.!
finished their earesses hy spittin- on their hamls, and then slriUin-^ n,e
several times over the faee. Ah honj^h these proofs of friendship'^.ave
mcvcry littie pleasure, I hore ail patiently; the only thin,. 1 did to
l-^'hten tl,e,r earesses somewhat, was to distrihnte U.haeco leaves. These
the natives received with j^reat pleasure, hut they wishe.l immediately to
renew their proofs of frien.lship. Now I ),etook .nyself with speed to
knives, scissors, and hea.ls, and hy .listrihntinj. so.ne, succeeded in avert-
-i-U- :. nc-w attack. I>nl a still jrrcatcr calamitv awaited, when, In onler
to reh-esh me l,o,Iily, they hrou.^du forwani a woo.ien tray with whale
l.l.-hher. Nauseous as this food is to a ICuropean stomach, I hol.lly at-
taeke<l the <!ish. This, alon- with new presnUs whieh I disl nn.ted im-
pressed tlie seal on the friendly relations hetwccn us. After the meal
our hosts made a. ran.^^cments for dancin,. and sin^nnjr, which was ac-
companic<l on a little tamho,„-ine." Two days later, as they sailed away
to the north, past the island, the n^Uives killed a .lo,. in vi'ew <.f then,
pirliaps as a sacrilice to the departin- Europeans.

I'assin,!,. throuf,.h Ik-hrin,,r\ Strait, they arrive<l on the ,st of Au.rust
withn. a hroad hay or inlet, he-innin- at 66" 4,' 3,," ),,. ,6, ", ^'
50", which they proceeded to explore with j,n-eat .eal, hopin.^ per-
cliance to lin.l ih. lon,i,-soui,Hu communication with the Atlantic. '"^They
sjKnt a fortni.c,rht in its survey, and thought at one time to find a passa.^e
south ,0 Xor.on Soun.l. It prove.l, however, to he evervwhere stn--
••""•>'l-l ''V land, and was name<l Kot.ehue Sound, while a considerable
.^I.Mul an,! hay discovered dnrin.^Mheir exploration were nanied respec

Cv^lv diamisso and Eschscholt/, in honor of his companions, the natural-
ists. The attention of these -entlemen was attracted to a rema.ka],ie_
^n.<l as fn- as known uniciue-island. h ha.l an elevati.Mi of about ico

228

D BAT I I OF KOTZEBUB.

fee , „,„, „,„ ,,ppc.ar„„c„ „,a chalk cliO; InU „n closer observation proved
.. i.e a „,a» of ice, on which had lx.e„ deposited i„ the eot.rsc of ages, a

■■'^"■.""""^- '■'">■ ■-' "■'■-"■. ""ly - i-hes .hick, hat covered wih

.,.„r,ant vegctatio.,. .The ice ,„ust have hcen several h„„dred tho„.
-...I years old, says Nordenskioid, i„ descrihi,,;; this fi„d; ..foron its hc-
m.- ..K. he, a lar,.c ,u„„„cr of h„„c, a„d .„sk, of the ,„ammo,h appeared,
■•"." wh,ch we,„ay draw the eo„cl„sio„ that the ice stratun, was fonnc.1
■I'"-...!,' the period i„ which the ,„a,n„,oth lived l,t these re^^ions " Its
»cer,,„„c,l la.ittale vvas ,5fi" ,5' 36-, and it was thorough'lv re^ex-,,,,
med by Dr. Collie, the s„rgco„ of lieeehey's e.peditlo,, 1„ tS,,, „„,, l,;,,
later l)y the traveler Ball.

Leaving Kot.ehue Sound on ti.e 15th of August, for the Asiatic side,
they beheld the wide-spread Aretic Ocean, quite free fron. ice as far as
tnc eye could reach, an.l n.ight perhaps have reached what is now
known as Wrangell Land, had they pushed boldly to the north A
contrary course was taken, an<l returning through Behring's Strait, they
wnuered far to the south on one of the group of islands to which Chat^
ham Calvert, and Nautilus belong. In ^Si; Kot.ebue set out for the
^"-th, hut being violently thrown against one of the ship's timbers in a
sale, he lost his health and courage, and other difficulties not bein^
vv.nt.ng, he returned to Europe without having again penetrated tl,:

wo.ld, 1S33-6, wh,ch ,s foreign to our subject, and died in .846, i„ hi,
fiftieth year.

CHAPTER Wvr.
«.A-,.AT„K„ MK„..:,,_c„„n„.„ „.„„ „,„,„ ,.„„„,„„„__■

STAIIT lOli CAPE SCltlSI.AIJSKOI -A «, T.-,,,,, ,„.„,.„

TliADraO IIUANDY TO MATIVl-S—l «fi„„,.,.

'-^ \ SIKJ.IilAN r-AIIt UNWHI COM!.-

HOSI.,TA,,,TV-A TCUKTCI HANCE.

Two ,,„„„ ,,,,,„,„„ e.pc,«„„„„ „,. raehor „„c o.pedi.i™, ,•„ ,„„
•la M„„s, „.» ,,,,„„„,,, ,,,. „,, „„^,^„_ ,_,,^^^, _|^^ ^^^_ wo

, wh., „„. „„„ .„ ,., , ,„„„„„,^ ^,„_, ,^^,^^ ^^^^^^^_^ ^^_^ ^ ^_^^^^^ ^

the „.,K.,. „ ca,pc„.c,.. Tl,.i,. i„»,„,cH„„,, i,,,,,,,,,^, ^

c, wc,.o :,. ,„„„»: .. r,.„,„ .„, ,„„,,„,,, l^ .,„

<l...on» „„„e„a,<e„ ,„ .„. P„,,,. Oce..,„, , .„„e.,, ,„, ;, ,, i,„p„,,„„' „

..I n„mo,„sc ,„a„t,ti„., „r „,,«,,,, „„ „„ ,„„,, ,„„„,_ ,, .^ ,^^_ j^^^^ ^^^
Scr^c-anl Amh-oiow .Irovo over .Ik- ice i„ ,ho ,,pn„„ „f ..g, „,„,

-yn .n .So, ,S,„ a,„l ,S,,, „,,.„ ,„c f,,,-,,..,. .„„,.,,, „,, „„„.
I»l-.l»,a,„l ,ho lau-r ,lK. I,aoh„„. ,.,„„,. a,„l Ncnv Sihoria. V, ,h^
^;,.,K.,» ... ,.e ,,K. „.„, p,.a.Uca, p,a„ r,„- .„. „.,,,„,,„ „, ,„ , ,^:.

".™, ,., ,„o a.l,.i,.al,y wi,„ ,.,,p,,, ,„ „„ ,,„„,.,,,,, _,^;^. ^_^ ^ ;

Accord,,,,,, „K. ,„,e divisio,, „r .ha, o.poditio,, ,» ,,irocee.l .„ p,.„,„.., ,■„

»le.l,.c, ,„ »„„oy eho coa.e oa«twar,l ,V,„n .ho „K„„h o,' .he K„lv,„a a,

;"• - Cape Schola,.l<„i, a,,., .he„ce .0 p,„cce.l i„ a nonhcly' ,lirec-

"V" "'■''"■ '" '^"'''"' "•'- ■■ -' "'habi.ecl co„„.ry exists i„ that

qii.„-te,-, as assc,-.u<l l,y .he Tch„k.cl,i an.l o.he,-s."

The n,s. clivisi,,,, was i„„.„s,e,l ,„ l.ie,„c.„a,„ l.-enli„a„,| Von

.i'.tl

it-

WOOD HILLS.

Wran<,'ell, with tlic midshipm.ni Mati

inschkin, the mate K

seamen — one a ear

o.smni, tvvo

pcnter and the other

gcon and naturalist, as suhordinates. T

sur-

of I

ieut. I'eler Feodoroviteh Anjou, wit

a smith— and Dr. Kyher,
lie second was placed in char<,'-e

h the mate Ilirin and I)i-. !•

rm, sini^-eon and naturalist

itrn-

, as subordinates. The results attained l.y Ihi

second division were never fi
dcntalh' liuint. I

ormally published, as their papers were acci

t IS, however, known that thev failed to d

"iidiabiled country in a northerlv direct

isco\er the

tch

i and others," wl

ion, as alleifed by t

!ie -rchul

iich was the main ol

expedition, and that tl

)ject of both sections of (

lie

ley surveyed tl»e New Sil

remarkable Woo<! Hills of those island
"They form a steep declivity twentx f:

leria IslancU

s are thus referred to by Anjou;

ithonis hi"ii, extendin;

versts (three miles) alon- the coast. In this I

aluiut live

•ank, which i

s exiiosed ti

e sea, beams or trunks of ti

■ees are found, -enerally in a horizontal

tion,

lar

but with o-reat irre,L,nilarity, lifty or i
nit ten inches in diameter.

ircst beiii;

posi-
nore of them to^-ether, the

ah(

hard, is (v

wood is not yer\-

lahle, iias a bla

civ color, and a

the (Ire it does not 1

ll;^rht „■

OSS.

hen laid on

)urn with a llame, liiit

inous odoi-,

limmers, and emits a res-

iSi

ey had been similarly deseribed by I led

enstrom in

I, wh

I' aods some particulai

s not ^iven

miou

thirty fathom

I ley are

s lii^li, and consist <jf

^.orizontal strata

natiuii- with strata of I

sandstone, alter

'ituminous bea

iui,'- these hills fossilized

ins or trunks of trees. On

ascend-

charcoal is everywhere met \v

cntly with ashes; but on cl

ith, coyere<l ai)iiar-

)ser examination this a

])etrifaction, and

sh is also found t

i> l)e a

hard that it can scarcely 1

On the summit anoti

)e scraped o(I with a

niife.

resenil

ler curiosity is found, namely, a loi
but fi

!''■ row (

.f 1

>i I'cams

1)1111- the former, but flxc.l perpendicularly in the san.lstone. The
ends, which project from se^ ,n to ten inches, are for the most part
broken. The whole has the appearance of a ruinous dike." These cu-
rious remains allord stron- presumptive evi.lence, that sometime in the
vast -eolo-ical a-es (,f the past, those iv.^ions enjoyed a far more tem-
perate climate than now. It is not impossible that another revolution of
the -lobe is slowly Jiro-ressin-, whereby all parts ..f the earth's surface
successively pass under the north pole of the heavens.

DESCENT OF THE LENA. ggj

The members of i he expedition left St. Petersburg on iho 4th of
April, 1S30, and proceeded together as far as Moseo^v, where Anjou and
Kosmm remained behind to procure the necessary instruments for both
chv,s,ons. Wrangell and Matinschkin pushed on to Irkoutsk, n.akin<.
the journey of 3483 English miles from St. Petersburg in fifty-six days^
In June they were rejoined by the other members of the expedition, an,i
o.. the 7th of July Wrangell's party left the capital of Siberia. ()„ the
nnath, having made a rapid land journey of 136 n.iles, they reached

UARON VON WRANGELU

Kotschuga, on the Lena, which there becomes navigable. The next day
they began the descent of the great river, and on the 4th of Au-^ust
arrived at lakoutsk, having been twenty-five days making a distance of
. \ 11 n.iles. This city is the great center of the interior trade of Eastern
S.lH.r,a. About the middle of August Anjou's division reached la-
koulsk, a..I Mati.ischkin went forward in advance of his chief to Nishni
that is, Lower-Kolymsk, Wrangel! following on the .4th of Septem-
l.n. His route now lay across country to the northeast, and measured

r i

232

FATHER MICHEL.

over i,3oo miles, occii

of operations, Lower Kolymsk— latitude 6S
the 14th of November, h

pyin.,^ fifty-one days. Wran-cll arrived at h

lis base

Pctersburjrin 234 days, of which
forty-

, )-iavui<,r made a journev of 6

lys
nine at lakoutsk, besid

thirt

32 ', lonjritude 160" 35'_on
,300 miles from St.

y-six were spent at Irkoiitsk and

es mnioi

horseback, Wran<rcll and his t

stopp,

aLTcs.

e journey was made on

wo companions headiii"- a

pack-horses strun<r to-ether. the first and last only I
tween that city and the Aldan River tlu- people were [

ca\alc.ide of te

n;L,nn; beyond the Verchoiausk M

liavniq- drivers. ]Je-
dvuts of Tartar

of Tartar ori<

in. I

ountains they met some T

unLfuses,

dilHculty in climliin;

n crossin^j the mount,

also

unsthey encountered about eciual

snow in the rav

•ecipices ami clearin- a passa-e throu-h the .1

ines. On the ninth of October th

eei

ey crossed the Y

, , , ".' ^■"■^■^Lu iiie 1 ana,

and on ,he :5th, at the suation of Tabalo,, n:et Dr. Ton,aschewski, who

was on h,s return to civilization after three years' service at Xishni Ko

lyrnsR. On the ..d they crossed the Indi^irka at Sasclm ersk, where thev

enjoyed.br, wo .lays the hospit.nlity of ,he venerable Father Michel

a^ed e.^hty-seven, who, in a residence of fbrty vears ha.l bap.i.ed an.!

-strucce.1 In the .l.>ctrines of Christanity, about is,<kk. |aku,s, Tun^uses

-< Jukahires. Next reaching f.ake Orinkino, they entered the .list.^t of

Kolymsk, and traveling 150 n.ilesover an cntirelv uninha],i,e.i waste, fbr

the n.ost part In.t little better than a ^r...,, n.>rass, (hev arrive.l at ,he

Alase, Range, which constitutes the watershed between the river of that

name an.l the Indigirka.

At Sar.lach station ..n the ..1 of Noven.ber, Wrangell luvn-.l (he first
tKhngs of Matinschkin's salb arrival at his .les.ina.ion, and of .h.. prepa
-t.ons be was there n.aking fbr ,he expedition. Crossing a low ran.^e
of hdls which divi<le the waters ofthe Alasei tron. ,l,e KoUuk., thev n-
.W a, the latter river on the 6,h, a, the .own of Sre.ine K..lvn,si:, the
oftcal headquarters of the .listric. Here a .lav was spent in pr.Hurin..
the heavy fur clothing necessary f.,r ,l,e eol.ler region ,l,ev wcae hasten"
-"g .0, though .he teniperature was lar from genial where thev wer.-
the thermometer ranging on the .lay of tluar arrival (Von) ,;o .0',, ],,'
low .en.. At length on the ,yst of October, on the banks of thc'on.o-
Ion, having ma.ie their last trip .>f ,85 miles .,n lu.seback, they .dadly

l^.ir

;!,'?

234

PREPARATIONS FOR SLEDGE JOURNET.

exchan<,.ccl that .ncans of travel for the doK-sledgcs of the country, a.ul
reached Lower Koly,„.sk two .lays I.ter. Here they wintered to recu-
perate and prepare for the exploring expedition in the sprin-. Tlie
Kolyma at this point is usually frozen over heforc the middle of Septem-
l>cr, and so continues tuUil June. Durinj,^ the three summer months, the
sun remams for fifty-tvvo days constantly above the horizon, hut so near
>t tliat he gives but little heat, and may usually be gazed upon with the
naked eye w.thout serious inconvenience. The inhabitants are very jeal-
ous ot the distinction of the seasons, and insist that it is spring when the
sun becomes visible at noon, though the thermometer is usually 35" be
low zero at night; and autumn begins with the freezing of the "river
when the thermometer often points to 47^^. But visitors are content to
d.vule the year into nine months of winter, and three of summer. In
June the temperature sometimes rises to 73°, but before the close of
July .t sinks to the genial warmth of a pleasant autumn d.-v in more
favored climes. In January the thermometer goes down . . 65" below
zero, thus showing a range of 137" in five months. Clear days are
very rare .n winter, vapors and fogs almost constantly prevailing ^ And
yet the climate is not unhealthy; catarrh and ophthalmia are conimon, cs.
pecally in the foggy period, but scurvy and other dangerous diseases are
very rare.

It was the 3<1 of March, .S21, before they set out for Cape Schela-^s-
I<o>. 1 be mtervening coast is uninhabited, the Russians makin-^ occa-
^>nal hunting excursions as n.r as the Baranow Rocks, .uul the
Ichuktchi, from the other side, to the greater Baranow River, while the
unsubdued Tchuktchls, with their numerous herds of reindeer, roan, over
the nuervening moss-covered plains, and are an object of dread to those
who have occasion to cross their territory. Reaching Sucharnoi
Island - latitude 6y" 31', longitude .61°. ^'-at the mouth of the
cast branch of the Kolyma, on the 5th they made their final arran-a^-
ments for the trip. There were nine dog-sledges with their drivers; a>ul
tlic ecpupuK-nts were as follows: A tent of reindeer skin, witi, a skele-
ton frame of ten poles, and the necessary cooking utensils; a bear-skin
apiece to he on, and a double coverlet of reindeer skin fo,- each pair- the

^ SLEDGE LOAD. ggg

outer clothinj, of each comprised a f\„- shirt, or kan.lcia, an overcoat or
outsKle wrapper of double fur, called a kuchlanka, fur-lined boots, a fur
cap and j,doves of reindeer skin, with some changes of linen. Each per-
son was supplied with a gun, filty cartridges, a pike, a knife, and the
-ncans of .f.iking fire. The instruments were tw.. chronometers, a sec-
onds' watch, a sextant and artificial horizon, a spirit thermometer, three
a.nnuth con.passes_one having a pris>„-two telescopes, and a measur-
-ng iMie. The provisions for each ,ness of five for one month were .00
11.S. of rye biscuits, 60 lbs. of meat, 10 lbs. portable soup, 3 lbs. tea, 4 lbs
candy, 8 lbs. grits, 3 lbs. salt, 39 rations of spirits, 13 lbs. tobacco, and
smoke<Iy..^W« equal to 1,000 herrings. The food provided for the do^s
consisted of frozen and dried fish of difibrent kinds equal to 8,150 dried
herrings.

Each sledge carried about 900 lbs. avoirdupois, besides the driver
I he whole was so carefully covered and tied down with thon.^s and
straps that nothing could be displaced or injured in the event of a'^sled-.e
l.c.ng upset. The driver sits about mi.lvva^, holding on by a thon.r
wh.c!i runs from end to ..,,\ of the sledge, and carryu.g in the odier hand
a long staff with a prod or spike at one ^n.\ and small I>ells at the other
w.th which, an.l his voice, he .Inves an.l guides his team, and which he'
uses also as a support in an emergency. The six provision sled-^es ear-
ned most of the stores, and were to return as soon as unloaded; but a
portion was also placed on the traveling sle.lges of tiie explorers as a
.ncasure of precaution. The latitude of the islaml was found to be 69-
3.', and the longitude 161" 44', and the thcrmonaeter, at noon, showed
hall a degree below zero. On the morning of March 6, ,821, they
started for the lesser P.aranow Rock, tvventy-four miles distant, and ar-
nvcdata hut erected by Capt. Billings, some thirty-three years before,
which ihey found in a good state of preservation, but filled with snow
and .ce. Dislodging the boards which formed the roof, they cleared
tlK' hut in half an hour, but it proved only large oiough to accommo<late
lour persons. The j.arty at this time consisted of Lieutenant Wrangell,
tlie mate, Kosmin, and nine drivers. Seven were housed in the lent."' It
was found that their observations corresponded with the careful surveys

i I';

980

TENTTNG TN ARCTIC REiilONS

of Capt. nillinprs. On their way they had scvn tin- woodiii tower
erected hy Lieut. Laptew, in 17,^59, at the incuth ..f the Kolyma.

Tile next day, witli the tiiermonieter at jo helow zero,at noon, thev
readied tlie vicinity of the -reater iJaranow Kock, havin- made ai.oiil
twenty-five miles. Here they saw the enormous masses of n.ck noticed
by Sarytschew, some of which looked like ruins of vast huildinj^-s, and
others, colossal fi<,'ures of men and animals. On the Stli, Iiavin-- made
about twenty miles, with the thermometer n.nirin^- from fom- to eleven
degrees lower than at noon of the day before, they pitched liie teni on
the bank of a small stream of .rood water, beyond which no Russian
had penetrated since the ill-fated expedition of Schalarow. Here also
they erected a depot of provisions for the return trip. This consisted
of four ])osts (h-iven into the snow, on which was placed a rou-h box
made of driftwood at a hei-rht „f nine feet. Tn this were p'aced the
stores, covered with wood and snow. The tent was twelve feet wide at
the bottom, and ten feel lii-h at the center; and around the central lire,
with their feet toward it, and their Ixxlies radiatin- from it like the
spokes ot a wheel, they lay down to sleep, and i^rcnerally rested ell.
Risin<r :it six they were ready to start at nine, and usually made their
day's journey of twenty miles in eij,rht hours, includin,t,r stoppajres fo,
observations. At ni<,rht they laid the sledges bottom upward, and pomvd
water on the runners to form an ice-coating, l)y the help of wiiich thev
could glide more smoothly over the snow, the drivers always making a
special effort to keep on the snow to preserve the smoothness of the
runners.

On the (jtli they made only twenty miles, a severe snowstorm ex-
hausting the dogs, and the next day their route lay over the sea ice at
the distance of a few hundred yards from the shore. As far as the eve
could reach they could see nothing ])ut a level sheet of snow, which made
traveling much easier for the dogs, l)ut very monotonous for the men.
They halted early to make observations for ihe longitude, which was
ascertained to be 166° 11', and to erect another depot of provisions.
At noon on the nth, a mile from the coast, tlie latitude was ascertained
to be 69" 30', the longitude 166" 27'. The temperature falling to

5 t

TCHUKTCHl H ITS.

287

37" hulow zero, it became necessary to protect the (lo<rs l,y clothing
their bodies and feet, while the s.iow became less smooth, and thus the
progress of ih,- animals was ,lo„bly hin.L^rcd, so that they were able to
make- only fifteen miles. The travelers had now reached the crreat Ha-
raiiicha, where the coast jrradually rises as it trends to the north. In the
distance, to tlie south and southwest, could be seen the hazy outline of
some mountains, and f. the north the white <rlint of a line of ice hum-
mocks. Observations 'became dilHcult and uncertain, the instruments
bcin- alFected by the intense ct.ld, and at a temperature 36" below zero,
uvrc discontinued. On the I3th they encampe.l, after a journey of sixteen
miles, at tiie foot of a hill in latitude 69" 38', and lon^dtude 167^' 43',
with tiic temperature at 29". Here was <leposited another lot of pro'
visions. At noon of the 13th they were 5' farther north, and at the foot
of a low bluir they saw a Tchuktchi hut, which had tlie appearance (,f
havin- been recently occupied. About three miles farther on they en-
tcrc.l the strait lyin- between the mainland and tiie Sabadei Island of
Schalarow, in the middle of whicii they fell in with several Tchidvtchi
huts, built of drift larch wood, in latitude 69" 49' ajul lonjritude i6S°
4'. At no,m of the 14th, in latitude 69^53', they saw from the top
of a hill which tiiey ascended for the purpose, a stretch of open water in
the distance, extendin- east and west as far as the eye could reach, with
-real hummocks of ice to the north, which they had at first supposed
vvas lan<l. Within two miles they identified Laptew's Sand Cape, in
lon-itude 16S ', where the low, Hat coast gives way to the more elevated
surface. At the end of a journey of twenty miles they made a fourth
and last deposit, and dismissed the last of their provision sledges.

There now remained Wrangell, Kosmin, and three drivers, and their
point of departure was now 69" 58' by 168° 41'. They gave the
dogs a (lay's respite, and on the i6th of March they proceeded toward
the hills of the east, but after making thirty-five miles they were com-
pelled t.) hail for the night among some ice hummocks. Finally, on the
lyth, having traveled some eighteen miles, they reached the northwest
point of C'ape Sclielagskoi, with ice hummocks and icebergs all around.
Pushing on for live hours longer, during which they had only made live

RETURN RIVER.

milt-s, oviT hummncks, ;in)Uii(l l)er,<,'s, tliroujj^h loosi' snow, and n<,'litin[^
("or fviM V loot of the way, they reached a sheltered cove and encanipe<l
for tlie \\\'^h\. Here they had the jLjood fortune to find some drift-
wood, and l.nildinj,' a rousiiifr lire— a privile<re they had not enjoyed
for some days—they recruited their stren,<>:th, with tlie .Scheia<,'skoi tow-
erini;- west of them to the iicifjhi. of 3000 feet.

Willi only three days' provisions remaining,', Wran<jcli and Kosmin,
ieaviuL,'- one sledije fiehind to await their return, proceeded to test, as fin-
as mi<,'ht he possil)Ie, the theory of Admiral James Bnrney, recently ad-
vanced in ICn-rland, He conjectured that an isthmus mi<,rht l)e found ex-
tending- from Schela<,rskoi to the main land of America, north of Uehr-
inji^'s Strait. I[avin<^- ^hmic ten miles east from the camp, at noon of tlie
18th, they Ibund the latitude to he 70" 3', and seven miles farther on,
with twenty-four miles of coast in view to the east, the main trend «.f ijie
land was southeast, and therefore not confirmatory of nnrney's views.
Namint,' the farthest point seen Cape Kosmin, in honor of his compan-
ion, and markinj^ the limit they had reached by a can-n on a hill, in lati-
tude 70" i' and longitude 171" 47', on tiie bank of a stream signifi-
cantly named the Return, Wran<,'ell with his three companions returned
to camp. They had traveled 341 miles since leaving,' Snchanioi Island
—an averap^c of twenty miles a day. They erected a memorial cross at
the cape, and set out on the retuin trip the next morniny. They reached
Staduchin's Wolok (porta<,fe) three miles from camp, but farther inland
than the route previously taken, and at noon were at 69" 44' by 170'
47', and to a cape three miles away in a southwest direction, Wrant^all
<,^ave the name of his midshipman'Matinschkin, then absent on a nii-^^ion
of peace and inquiry amon<:j the Tchuktchis. Next dav they made
across Tschaun Hay to Sabadei Island, and late in the eveninj^ of the
2 1st reached their fourth depot of provisions — none too soon, for thev
had used U[i all they had taken with them, h proved their salvation,
havinc: escaped the <lcpredations of foxes and wolverines, b\- wliich the
other three were successively found to lia\e been rilled. To add to tlirir
disappointmiMit, no supplies were found at Sucharnoi Island, as ordered,
and the hungry travelers — men anil dogs — had to wend their way to

A IWSS/AIV FArrf.

230

Lower Koly.nsk, svIkmv llu-y ar,ivc-,l ,.„ ,ho .r.th, l.avin,. l.v„ ..I.s.nt
Ufmiy.iwu days, the- h.sl (wo without Too,!.

'>^'- '••"■".I «np, as .na.lc, was 6j7 ,nilcs, or a,, avc-ra^e ofncarlv ihir-
ly-oM. ,n,k-s a .lay lor tl,c twcUy-onc .lays actually consunu..! i„
li'avi'IiiiLf.

On the last , lay of March Wran^^cll was rcjoincl l.y Matinschkiu
who ha.l hccM. well receivcl l.y the Tchuktchis, an.l pro.nisc.l a kin.l re-
ception whenever the expe.lition shoul.l reach their settlements. They
l.^.'l never seen or hear.l of a lan.l to the north of their coasts, an.l here
■^'^■^^n Unrney's theory faile.l of support. He ha.l left [..nver K..lyniKk
-.the ,6th ..f March, accompanied ],y an eccentric British naval ..Ihcer
C'aplan, jolm Dun.las Cochnuie-sunuuneU "The I'e.leslrian Traveler"'
'iH'n on his fam.n.s trip an.nn.l the w.,rl.l-a Cossack servant an.l 'a
.h'l^i't uuerpreter, an.l in f.,ur .lays arrive.l at Fort ()str.>wn..i, where an
^".nnal fair is hel.l f.,r tra.lin,^^ with the Tchuktchis. This fort comprises
:i k-u- hnts snrr..nn.le.l hy a palisa.le, an.l is huilt .,n an isla.ul in the
lesser Aniuj River, in latitu.le 68 ' an.l lon-itu.le njG' ,./.

On the 3ist a caravan of Russian merchants arrive.l with 135 pack-
Imrscs I.Kule.l with commo.lities suitahle f.,r the Tchuktchi tra.le. " These
ueret..hacc...l,ea.lsof various c..l..rs an.l hardware, the last cmsistino-
mostly 01 hatchets, knives, an.l kettles, with other culinarv utensils, hi
si.les some smu-de.l hran.ly, very si<r„incantly calle.l hv the Tchuktchis,
"w:l.l-n,akin,^-water"--.a much n,..re appn.priate name than the French
"water-..i:iitl," i^iven it in the earliest peri.,.l of Iun-.,pean a.-.,uaintance
wilh,.s,lelusive stimnlatin,^^ p.nvers. IJut th.,u,^di unfortunately nu.de
^H.inanUe.1 with its frenzyin.L;- properties, the n,is.^M.ide,l ahori^nnes will
i.-l hesitate to exchan,i,^e their preci..us fm-s to the value of two hun.lred
'l<.ll:ns f..r a few Ix.ttles ..f ha.l hran.ly costin,^. perhaps tw., dollars at
i.il^oiitsk.

IJesi.Ies this race, the fair is visitc.1 hy the other native trihes within
n nulins .,f six h.m.lre.l miles-the Jnkahiri, T.m,t,n.si, Tchnwan.i an.l the
knraki -together with a few scattered Russians, for wh.,se hen.'llt the
"•^•'vhants hrino- :, small stoek of tea, su-;,,-, el.,th and hran.lv. To trade
m this last with the ah..ri,rin..s i. duly !orhidd.-n hv the Russian c^ov-

11 !

^ N

840

A/AT/NSC//h'/.V IXTEIiViniVS THE CHIEFS.

eminent, luit incaiiH are easily louiul to evade tlie law, ami the pdor
sava;;es are only the more heavily lleeied because of the eontrahand
charaeli-r llnis ^'iven to the tralKie.

The i-onunndities hroiij^ht lo this market hy the Tehuktchis consisted
chielly of \\\c furs of various animals intli;,fenons to iheir tonntry and the
opposite shores o|" North America, hesiiles the skins of hears, reindeer,
seals and walruses, as well as walrus teeth. Most of these they barter
for with the American tribes, ^iviiii^ them in exehan^'e tlu- lob.ueo
and trinkets which they procure from the Kussians, The ehii-f arliiles
of their own manufacture are sledfjfe-rumurs made of whalebone, cloth-
ing; made from reindeer skins, and seal skin bail's. IJefore the open-
inij of the fair, a basis of barter is settled by the principal personaj^es
on both sides. The value of i^oods exchanj(ed annually was estimated
at this time at about $1^0,000. The Russians make a profit of about
60 pi'r lent. on what the i^oods cost them at liie homt- market, and
the 'I'chuktchis about x^iHt pi'r cent, on wliat thev .u'ive for the ftns to
the American aborit,nnes. HiU tiu' laltei' are several months on the
road, while the Russians are only a few weeks from bomi'. The lair
lasts only tinre days. The Russians are vehement and noisy; the
Tehuktchis calmly wait for wliat they consi<lei- an eciuitable olFer, which
they at once accept. I'he noise, press and bustling- activity on the
j)art of the too career Russians, together with the jarj^on of mixed
Russian, Tchuktchi and jakut words, in which they proclaim the value
of their wares, creates an indescribable confusion and uproar, in
marked contrast with the silent composure always maintained by tiie
b..rba

Here Matinschkin took occasion to introduce his mission to the
notice of the chiefs of the Tchuktchi. These were Makamok and
Leutt, from the Bay oT St. Lawrence, Waletka, whose mmierous herds
of reindeer crop the <:^reen moss of the plains to the east of Cape
SciielacTskoi, and Ewraschka, whose tribe of nomads roams the lowlands
round the Tchaun Hay. lie explained to tiiem that the miu^bty Czar
of all the Russias wished to ascertain if his ships could reach his
Tchuktchi friends by the northern sea, and brinj^ llieiu the wares they

UNWEl. COME 1 1 OS PI TA L I TV.

2-11

lunlid l.y tlut r.M.U- i„ j.,eaUT ;.l..in<l;in<v, .-.n.! Mt ,. rhcipiT rali-. I le
iM.|'«iinl uliHlur i„ |,n,si-niti..M <,f UmI .Irsi-,, tl.f ..crvaiils of Hk^ lO.u-
IKHM ...ul.l ,vly ,.„ a tVa-n.lly .v.cptiun an...,,- tlu-i,- ,.c<,,,lc, a„.l ,„„.
ii..v lu, ||k„, s„cI, supplies as they ,ni-l,t „ee.l, l.y payi„jr f,„- ,1,,. same
in Slid, ru„u„.,<lities as the Tchiiktchi we,e w..„t t.. p.iivhase.

'I'm all llirse ..vertures, amm.paiiied l.y p,vse„ls ki,„|lv s.„t ihi.„, |,y
"'^' i:.npn<.,, tlu- chiefs ;.avc thei,- willi,,,;,. asse„l, pn„,",isi„j. that ihc
cxp.(li,l„„ w..„l,l reedve ihei,- o„clial supp..,i vvhe„eve.' a„.| wherever it
mi.Lrht he lecjuired.

Lemi ieceive.1 hi,,, with -real .,.r,Iialityal his (er,t, whe,-e he par-
tonk of his h,.spitality which, however, he vv.ul.l have I.ee,, ;^la.l tu dis-
pense with, a,ul wheie he was ah.u.sl snllbeated l.y the finnes'^of sli„kl„jr
oil .m.l the evapi.ratic, f,„m six dirty, and alm(.st naked people. His ilN
concealed squinnishness excited the hilarity of the wife and dau-hter of
his l,..st, who we,e l.nsily enj^,-ed decoratin- their pe,s<.ns with niany
coh.red heads in honor of his visit. Makom<.l invite.l hi,,, to witness a
sled-e-i-aee in which the three pi-ize.s were, a hlne fov skin, a heaver skin,
;.nd a pair of walrus teeth. The spee.I of the ,eindeei-, and the dextcity
of the drivers elicited his admiration, and the applause ..f t n.ultitudc
was as sincere as it was well -deserved. This was snpple,nente<l i.y a
foot-.ace, in which the contestants wo,e their usual heavy fur clothin-,
hut seenied, nevei-theless, to run <.ver the course of „ea,ly nine miles,
with as nuich ileetness as the li-ht-dad runners of ,n(.re -enial clinies.'
Matinschkin „(.ticed that the Tchuktchi evinced a ,iuich hi{,rher appred-
atioi, of the previous performance, which is ,„ harmony with what niay
also he ohserved amon- civilized men. At the close of the -a,nes, spec-
l;itois and peitormeis were entertained with princdy hospitality at a l.an-
MHct of l.oiled reindeer, cut i,p in small pieces, and served in lai-e wooden
lu.wls .list,-il,ute.l a,-ou„d over the snow. The <iuietness and -ood onler
Mianifeste.l l.y the jieople who pa.took of this wide-spread repast, elidted
thr a(linirati(.n of Matinschkin, who could not fail to contrast it with the
joNlliii- and cnishin- and sul.dued (luarrdinj,^ which so often character-
i/e puhlic l.aiKiuets in civilized communities.

lis \is,ts \v

1«

e,v toiinally ivturned hy a party „f the Tchuktch

h I i-

•■H\

242

A TCHUKTCHI DANCE.

on the followincr day, to the ladies oi which he presented red,
white and lihie lieads, and for refreshments, some tea and candy;
of the hitter onl}- did they partake, tea having no cliarms for
the fashionable ladies of Northeastern Asia. Then they danced, if
dance it may l)e called, where the feet and bodies are moved
back and forth, without change of place or evolution of any kind, while
the performers beat the air with their hands. In the next stage of the
performance, three of the most competent dancers signalized themselves
in a \'ery energetic and complicated series of evolutions — dignified with
the title of the national dance of the TchuktchI, in which jumpings,
grimaces and contortions formed the chief attraction — until forced by ex-
haustion to desist. Thereupon it was whispered in the ear of Matinsch-
kin, by the interpreter, that the etiquette of the occasion required him to
give to each of the three distinguished artists, a cup of brandy and some
tobacco, which was accordingly done, when the whole partv took leave
of the Russian, charging him to remember to return the call in their own
country. The chiefs also made him a formal visit, to renew their assur-
ances of friendliness, and disposition to forward the cxplcation of the
Icy Sea. Leaving on the 2Sth, he rejoined his chief, as has been said, at
Lower Kolymsk, on the 31st of March, 1831. Dr. Kyber, the remain-
ing officer of the expedition, had arrived from Irkoutsk the day after
Wrangcll's departure on his first sledge journey ; but was so feeble that
he was not able to take part, even in tiie second, for which they now
began to make preparations.

■ ^t "^ • ■'■■^

CHAPTER XXVII.

WRANGELlJs SECOND SLEDGE JOURNEY— ENCOUNTER WITH A HEAR —
A SAI/r MOOR— SURPLUS PROVISIONS DEPOSITED— ATTACKED RY
REARS-RETURN TO LOWER KOLYMSK - SUMMER OCCUPATIONS
—ALMOST AN ACCIDENT— WINTER AT NISHNI KOLYMSK.

The outfit for this journey was substantially the same as for the pre-
vious one, with some few improvements and additions. The most im-
portant of these was a portable boat made of skins for crossing open
cbainels in the ice, a crowbar for breaking through the ice when nec-
essary or desirable, and whalebone shoeing for the sledge-runners to be
attached where the loose snow or the crystals left by salt water overflow,
made the passage diflicult. To the instruments were added a dipping'
needle and sounding-line. The traveling sledges were six, and the pro-
vision sledges fourteen, besides two sledges belonging to the merchant
Bcrcshnoi, who had asked to be permitted to accompany the expedition,
making in all a train of twenty-two sledges, with 340 dogs. The load
of each sledge at the outset was nearly i,,oo lbs. avoirdupois. Wrangell's
immediate companions were Matinschkin, Reschetnikow— a retirecrscr-
geant who had joined him at lakoutsk, and who some twelve years be-
fore had accompanied Hcdcnstrom in his exploring expcditi(,u to the
New Siberia Islands— and the sailor Nechoroschkow, who had accom-
panied him from St. Petersburg.

On the 7th of April the start was made, as before, from Sucharnoi
Island, and the first halt was at Billings' hut near the lesser Baranow Rock,
whence a more northerly direction was taken than on the first jourtiey.'
A mile and a half from the siiore, on the second day, they encountered
.nuch difficulty in threading their way among the ice-hummocks, but
setting clear after three hours' labor, they found themselves five miles
n-n.n shore on a level plain tmbrokcn as far as the eye couhi reach, save

243

1 j

. ';

:'. IS

' .1
1 f

':■ 1!

' '4

244

FOUR-PJLLAR ISLAND.

wlierc an occasional small hummock stood like a rock above the surface.
Having made seven miles farther, the traveling sledges stopped to await
the coming-up. Here they encountered an enormous hear which they
succeeded in killing, mainly through the dexterity and courage of one of
the Cossack drivers.

When the i)rovisi()n sledges arrived, they reported two of their
numhei- missi.ig, having had their sledges upset among the hum-
mocks. Three sledges were quickly unloaded and sent back to
their relief, and in two hours the rescuers and the rescued re-
joined the otiiers umnjured, but tired and cold. It was therefore deemed
advisable to camp for the night where they were. Wrangell's tent was
accordingly pitciied in the center with four smaller tents belonging to
the merchant and the wealthier drivers, round about, the whole being
encircled by the twenty-two sledges, with the dogs tethered on the int
side. On the ptlr, one provision sledge returned homeward; and at noon
they found themselves in latitude 69° 58', with the greater Baranow
Rock to the southeast. By night they had made twentv-eigiit miles,
reaching latitude 70° 12' 30". On the 10th, after a journey (if twenty-
seven miles, they camped in a small bay on an island which they judged
to be the most eastern of the Bear Islands, though they found the lati-
tude only 70° 37', while Leontjcw, in 1769, had determined it to be
7i"5S',and the longitude iGz' 25'. VVrangell named it the Four-
Pillar Island from the remarkable pillars of granitic porphyry, the tallest of
which measured forty-eight feet in height and ninety-one in circumference.
The form was somewhat like a gigantic human Ixxly with a turban on
its head, but without arms or legs. Finding here an 'abundance of drift-
wood, they concluded to remain one day, which was devoted to making
observations and collecting a store of firewood.

Two provision sledges returned from this point, when 0.1 the 12th
of April our travelers set out toward the northeast, and at n.jon Ibund
themselves 5' north and 4 ' east of the island, having made between six
and seven miles. All this time the temperature kept a few degrees above
zero, usually between seven and fourteer.. Now they encountered the
salt covering on the ice surface, which made progress slow, :,m,| a thick

A SALT MOOR. g^j.

fog, which ma,le then- clothing wet a„,I „„c™f„„„bk., B„eh circm.
s a,K.o,, ,, ,„ ,„„icatc.l ,,„ :,pp,.„„ch ,„ „„en „:„„■; a,„, .„ „a,l .„ their
;K.ng„,, the w,„d h,ew a ,alo, threatening the .ii.nption „f the iee.
. • , ^ ^'"' ^'''''*''' "^ •■' linmmodv thirty feet hi.rh, and

:::,. ;; ^-7': :!'""^' -™- - ^^ -■-'> "-.v wejah. t;,,;.:;,

vate, ht f,„- .lr,nk„,. and eookin,. The ten, wa» torn, an,l w„nl,. have
>oe„ swept away l,y the win.l ha.l they a„t ,ee„re<l it by extra fa*ni„„
... t e hnntmook. By four in the ,n„n,in,. the stornt ha.l ™bside<l, and
.he temperature rose to .3". By ^^^ ,„„ ^,,^,^„„,_^

rnnnersan., walKin, heside the sled^eMhey continued to aavaLe, hnt
the surface was ,0 ron.h that i, took seven hours to ,nake nineteen „,ilc,
witde the provision sledges were away beltind, out of sight In the
evennrg the temperature again sank to 7", but rose on the morning of
A,>. .4 .0 ,8", when thcy again took the road. Eight miles further
on hey saw hrce seals, which, however, got safely away to their hole,
... .1 e .ce. Havmg traveled twenty miles, they camped at 7," 3,' by

•SS -'.....d sent back three more sledges. I i ^

They now adopted the plan of trav'eling by night, and started after
sunset on Apnl ,5, hut after traveling nine miles they found them.,elve,
...;vhat Vrangel, calls a deep sal. moor, with the fee o.ly five i„che
*,ck, and s„ rotten that it could be cut through with a common knife
Hastemng on, of „» dangerous place two miles to the southeast, they
fon.,d the ,ec sntooth an.l so.ntd an,I fourteen inches thick, and the sea
■lopth twelve fath„m.s. They camped at ■,.' ^y ,,y ,630 ,, „„j
»pc... the n,ght in great alar.n, as a high northern wiu.l so li.ated the
"1.0.. sea somewhere .0 the north, that the ice benealb the^r fee, was
made to vd.rate by .he disturbance of the water. Leaving this camp,
W.angell w,tb two sledges only proeecled fo.n- miles farther, when I
"......1 . .e ,ce so broken by lissures, and so unstable, that he eonelude.1 to

seek s.afety u, quitting the neighborhood. The highest point reache<l was
7. 4.? , a. an air line distance of ,.4 miles from the lesser Baranow
ivOck.

iviiiir

made al)oiit thirteen miles to tl

limit, they encamped for tli

10 south-.southea'^t i

le n

i^ht of the 1 6th of April

rom t!ic
in a circular hoi-

t?^'

246

EASTER SERVICE.

lo^v foi-med by ice hills. At noon the next day they were at 70° 30'
hy ^63" 39'; and resuming their journey after sunset toward the east
they soon fell in with a labyrinth of hu.nmocks, with what they con-
ceived to be an island i.i the distance. Breaking througii the intervening^
obstacles by the free use of the crowbar for three hours, they reached the
foot of the towering mass, which proved to be only an ice hill of uru.sual
dmiens.ons. Here were carefully deposited the surplus provisions, thus
rchcvmg eight sledges, which, with their drivers, in charge of Ser-t
Reschetnikow, were sent on to Nishni Kolymsk. There remained ten
persons including the merchant Bereshnoi, who wished to see the adven-
ture through to the end, with six sledges and provisions for men and do-^s
for fourteer. days. On the iSth at noon the point reached was 71" 15"
by 164° 4', and at night they encamped about 600 yards from a recent
ice fissure, in the shelter of a large block of ice, still moving in a south-
easterly direction along the margin of the fissure, with the clefts becom-
mg more and more numerous.

^ Having made thirty miles they halted, at sunrise, on the 20th, at 70°
56', by 164° 49'. In the evening they ferried themselves across a wide
fissure on a floating block of ice, and at a distance of eighteen miles
from the halting place of the morning, they sighted the greater Baranow
Rock, about sixty miles away to the southeast. Ile,.^ while on a short
excursio.i from the main party, in pursuit of a bear, Wrangell and
Matmschkin, in two unloaded sledges, got among the breaking ice, and
w.th the utmost difficulty and haste succeede<l in rejoining their compan-
ions on the stronger ice, at 70° 46', by 165' 6'. After resting for the
night they resumed their course to the southeast on the 31st, but findino-
the hummocks impassable t<. their broken sledges, they returned to the
same place, and rested on the next day, which was Easter Sunday, and
which they observed as nearly in accordance with the customs of their
country as they found practicable. They made a block of ice do service
as an altar, before which they burnt the only wax taper they possessed,
while Bereshnoi read tiie prescribed service, and the Cossacks a.ul
sledge-drivers sang the customary hymns. On the 23d one of the drivers
was suddenly takcn^sick, causing a <Ictention of another day, which was

247

'.^•<i'hB«{iiifc*^'

f I

!■

d48

ATTACKED Br BEARS.

devotcl to repairing sledges, with the temperature at iS° above, and
the stiUncss relieved from time to time hy the thunder of crashing ice in
the distance. It was now determined to go back, and having" made
thirty-seven miles due west, they encamped at 70° 39', by 163° 39', with
Four Pillar Islands twenty-two miles to the southwest. Then turning
north they fell in with the tracks of the sledges dismissed homeward,
and having made twenty-eight miles, they halted in latitude 71" 4'.

On the 36th, after eleven hours of dangerous traveling — Wrangell's
eight dogs were once precipitated in the water, and he was saved from fol-
lowing them only by the length of the sledge-they reached their depot
of provisions, which they found intact, though numerous tiaces of bears
and other animals were found on all sides of the ice hill. The next day
they rested, and found the latitude to be7i° 2S'. During the night
they were awakened by the barking of the dogs, and on'getting "up
saw two bears, which they pursued without success until morning, leav-
ing Wrangell a solitary guard over the camp. A third bear soon put in
an appearance, and, after a moment of painful suspense to the beholder,
scampered off, soon falling in with two of the 'mnters, by whom he was
wounded, but without being prevented from making his escape. This
fruitless night's hunt necessitated another day's rest; and on ^hc 29th they
crossed their own tracks of April ist. They noticed three halos around
the sun,and made over twenty-three miles before encamping, at 71° 26'
by 162° 27'. Finding himself on the scene of Plcdenscrom's labors in
iSio, Wrangell now concluded to direct his attention to the land they
had seen from Four Pillar Islands. " The inhabited country to the north,
as alleged by Tchuktchi and others," had failed to heave in sight, and
he lost all hope of finding it on the present trip. Having made Uvcnty-
four miles in a driving snowstorm, during which they tied the dogs of
one sled to the end ..f the one preceding, so as not to become separated
.n the thick darkness, and being guided only by the compass, they halted
on the oiDcn ice plain, In.t were unable to pitch their tent or light a fire,
thus spending the worst night they had experienced on the trip?

On the 1st of May they reached a bay on the north side of Four Pil-
lar Island after a journey of thirty miles in the continued darkness; show-

SUMMER OCCUPATIONS. j^g

ins the accuracy of compnss-,.uida„cc. Two blazinj, fires which they
soon -.ncled on the lan.l, restored their spirits, and on the ..ornins of
the 3d, they were re,.aled by the notes of some linnets as they an-
proached the secon.l island of the ,roup_the first cheerful sound they
had heard since taking to the ice. On the 5th they examined the west-
ernmost of the Rear Islands, and found that the group comprised in all
S.X >s ands, including the one they had previously named Four Pillar
Island. Proceeding south-southwest on the 6th, they reached Cape
krestowoi, having traveled only twenty-five miles, and enjoyed the lux-
ury of resting under a roof, and within walls. Provisions runninc. low
and the season being well advanced, it was now deter.nined to maL the'
hest of their way to Nishni Kolymsk, which was reached on the zoth of
May, after an absence of thirty-four days, and a journey of 700 miles
w<th the same dogs, and without serious accident of any k,nd to men,
dogs, or ijrovisions.

SUMMER OCCUPATIONS OF WRANGELL'S PARTY.

The scarcity of provisions at Nishni Kolymsk rendered it necessary
for Wrangell to make special efforts to secure supplies for the expedition.
F.shn.g parties were dispatched under Sotnik Tatarinow, Wran<.ell's
Cossack sledge-driver, in whose intelligence and experience he'^had
earned to place great confidence. A party was placed in charge of
Alatmschkm to survey the coast from the Kolyma to the Indicirk-, A
small dwelling and depot of provisions was to be erected by another
party under Sergeant Reschetnikow, at the mouth of the Great Bara
n.cha River. Dr. Kyber, who had now recovere.l, was at his own re-
quest to explore the banks of the Greater and Lesser Aniuj. A fourth
section under Wrangell's imme.liate oversight, was to survey the mouths
01 the Kolyn... The mate Kosmin, Wrangell's companion on the first
sledge journey, had been occupied during the second, in making a laroe
hoat or shallop, which was successfully launched on the 33d of June and
ngged with sails and anchor from those which had been used by Cap
tan, Bdhngs a generation before. A small boat had also been con-
structed, cajjablc of holding three persons.

n i

2S0

A BLAZE.

The whole party now embarked in the shallop, but were pre-
vented by contrary winds from making much headway. With
four oars they laboriously made their way three miles down the
river, when, in inakin<j a landing, one of the dogs fell overboard,
and becoming entangled in a rope, would have been strangled
had not Matinschkin sprung to the rescue. Unfortunately in
cuttnig the rope he cut his own thumb so severely that Dr. Kvber
thought it migiit easily become dangerous; and Wrangell insisted that
patient and physician should return to Nishni Kolymsk, also instructing
them to explore the Aniuj together as soon as the wound became healed.
On the loth of July Wrangell and Kosmin, with their companions, ar-
i'.ved at the Tschukotschie River, whither the fishing parties had been
sent forward, ami where they were glad to see that success had crowned
their efForts. Here they landed, proposing to make the coast journey to
the Indigirka on horseback, and while waiting for the arrival of the
Jakut o'.vners and the horses, they succeeded in killing three reindeer.
With only five animals— all that could be procured— two to serve as
pack-horses and three for himself and two companions, Kosmin under-
took to traverse the desert waste between the two great rivers, and
started off on the 14th of July. His companions were a Jakut and a
Cossack, and they took with them two light canoes for crossing streams.
Wrangell occupied himself with determining some positions on the
river, the north being still blocked with ice. On the 27th of July, while
absent in the middk' of the river with the two companions who alone
remained with him, the tent on shore took fire and was destroyed before
they could reach it. Wrangell had, however, the good fortune to save
his papers and instruments; but the survey of the Kolyma was aban-
doned, and he returned to Nishni Kolymsk. He found Matinschkin and
Kyber ready to start for the Aniuj, as previously agreed, and under the
advice of the latter he retired to the more genial climate of Sredne
Kolymsk, in the hope of being relieved from the rheumatism, which for
some time had been growing more troublesome, and now threatened to
unfit him for prosecuting his future sledge journeys.

After spending nearly seven weeks among the hospitable Jakuts, near

WINTER AT LOWER KOLTMSK. jgl

Sredne Kolymsk, Wrangell, much invlj^oratcd by the repose and kincily
treatment he had enjoyed, proceeded down the river in his shallop, arriv-
■ng at N.shni Kolymsk on the ..th of September. Here he found Res-
chetn.kow returned fn.n his mission to the Haranicha River, wnere he
had completed the recjuired buiUlings. Soon Nechoroshkow joined
then, from the fishin, .rounds, and reported exceptional .access in that
wMdertakm,. On the nth of October Matinschkin and Kyber, and a
week later Kosmin, arrived in safety from their respective expeditions,
and the whole party was thus re-united for the winter at Nishni Kolymsk

CITAPTEK X.WIIT.

\VI!.\N(;F.I.I.'s TIIIUI) SI.ICDCK jOUUNKY EASTICU SUNDAY VIEWS THE

OI'KN SKA KXI'I.OUK [UK TirNDKAS — MKKT KOSMIN — IMl'OU-

TUNI'I'Y OK UKKKSHNOI — OKXEIIOSITY OK A JAKUT — IIETUIIN TO
KOLYMSK.

In prcparinjir for the third journey, VVranijcll and liis party encoun-
tered a very serious difficulty. An epidemic broke out amonjf the do<rs,
in which four-fifths of the whole stock perished. Ry great exertion they
were able to procure forty-five dojrs instead of the ninety-six Wran<?cll
had (icsif^ned to use on his third trip to the north. The Cossacks, who
were the fortunate owners of most of the do<^s tiiat had survived the
epidemic, now volunteered, in conjunction with some of the other inhab-
itants, to fit out twenty sledjjfcs, eat-h with twelve doj^s, for tlie use of the
expedition. Wranfjcll now selected five traveling sledges, and ninetei !i
to carry provisions, which last were to be sent back as soon as possible, as
out of the whole number of dogs, amounting t^ nearly three hundred,
only enough for the traveling sledges could be found which were fit
to make the whole journey, His immediate companions for the trip
were Matinschi-in, Kosmin and Nechorovvsky, Kyber being again pre-
vented, very much against his wishes, liy the weak state of his health,
from accompanying them. Wrangell proposed to make this journev a
continuation of his former one by proceeding as directly as possible to the
limit previously attained, and prosecuting his labors from that point.

With forty days' provisions for the men, and thirty-five for the do'^s,
they set out once more from Sucharnt)i Island on the 36th of March,
1832, reaching the greater Baranow Rock on the next day. On the 3Sth,
after clearing the rock, they directed their course toward the northeast
for the intersection of 71° 30' wilh the meridian of Cape Schelagskoi,

at a distance from the same of a'lout ninety miles. At a point about

252

f:ASTEJi S UNO AT.

U&8

cm
oh

c^htcen .n.les .ast of tl. .i.„it of th. p..vi.,us j..,..-..,, they .„ade the
iMtcn.Ie.l deposit ..t'pn,visions on the 6th of April, an.l next .lay dismissed
tl>elast th.rtecu of the provision sle.l.es, si. havin,. l.een already sent
•-^'i^ -"> '>ne intennediate .leposit ..f provisions havin^ bee.. estal.lishe.l
on .ho .St, at 70' ,,' l,y , ^' ,,,st of ,he ,nvatc-r Maranow Rock. M-,-
t.Mschkn, was sent to ,i,o ....rthoast on the 6th, with live days' provi-
sions an.l two sied,..s, and Wranj^ell and Kosmin set ont on the 7th
w.lh the three remaining sledges and three days' provisions, toward tin'
-•'^'-th parties ,0 .vf-n on .he ...h to the depot. No land had
l.vn discovered hy ei.her p.ny. On .he , .,!. ,hev .-esumed their explo-
-.H.a together towanl the nor.h, having fonnd hv .he p.evions short
M-.,,s .hat the way was more open in that direction. The , ^.h was
K:.s.er Snnday, which .hey devoted .0 rest, the nnld weather an,l hri-du
sunslnne adding, to their enjoyment of the occasion. It was the i8th of
Apnl before they a.-.-ived a. the limit reached hv Wran,.cll and Kosmin
the y.h, newly.fonne.l hnmmocks, as well as the enlar<,cment of the
1 ones, hein:^ the chief cause of this ^reat <lisparitv in the .-ate of pro-
j^rcss. A s.ck sledj^e-driver was se.U hack with two compa.dons and a
.louMe .can. of twenty-fonr do<,s, releasing, one sledge, which was used
for .epa.r:n,g the others. A small <leposit of p,-ovisions was also made.

Ti^eix we.-e now hut five men, with three sled<rcs a.ul two small tents,
tlu. lar^.est tent havin.^ been turne.l over by Wrangell to the use of thJ
inval.d. On the 3.st of April, havin- reached ^x^ ^z' by 3-^ 23' east
of U,e ,<,n-eat IJaranow Rock, and .I,e increasing number oV new hrm-
n.ocks ren.lerin,^. further pro^^ress ext,-e,nely dhBcnlt, it was detcrniined '
to .vlurn. They had about reached the limit of the shore ice of Sibe.-ia
as .hey judged, but before turning their backs to the threatenin.'
north, Matinschkin i,i a lightly-equipped sledge jn cecded six milc^s
farther .0 the north, where ail fui-ther advance was stopped by the com-
ple.e breaking up of the ice, and the near a,,p,-oach to the open water of
th. Polar Sea. Jle here ^' beheld the icy sea breaking its fetters; c.um-
."on. hehis of ice, raise.l by the waves into an almost vertical position,
'Invn, against each other witi, a ..vmendous c.-ash, pressed downwanl
by the force of th

le foaming billows, and

reappearmg agam on the sur-

Plis:

IN THE TUNDRAS,

face, coverctl with the torn-up green mud which everywhere here forms
the bottom, and which we Iiad so often seen on the hij,'hcst hummocks.
On his return Mr. Matinschi<in found a great part of the track he had
passed over already gone, and Large spaces whicii he had just traversed
now covered with water." He had been gone six hours. Now striking
to the west-northwest, they reacheil 72" 2' on the 24th, at a distance of
151 miles in a straight line from the nearest land, the great Haranow
Rf)ck, and about 2° 50' east of its meridian. Progress in this direction
was stopped by the same obstacles as before, and it was now determined
to make for the central depot of provisions.

On the 4th of May at the distance of forty-six miles from Cape
Schelagskoi, with a clear sky and an open horizon to the north and cast,
extending twenty-nine miles, and no land in sigl they concluded that
the "inhabited north country" was probably not to be found in the me-
ridian of that cape, nor of the Baranow Rocks. Five days later they
reached their provision depot, which they found uninjured, and resting
one day for the refreshment of men and dogs, they started for Nishni
Kolymsk. On the i6th of May, at Pochotsk, they met Lieutenant
Anjou and party on their return to the Yana River from the islands of
New vSiberia; and on the 17th arrived without serious disaster of anv
kind, at Mishni Kolymsk, after an absence of fifty-three days, and a jour-
ney of 7S3 miles.

EXPLORATIONS IN THE TUNDRAS.

The only important expeditions of the summer of 1S22 were Matinsch-
kin's journey across the Eastern Tundra, and Wrangell's own trip
through the Hilly Tundra. They parted company on the 13th of July,
at Pantelcjewka, a few miles north of Nishni Kolymsk, the proposed
scene of Wrangell's exploration lying almost due north of that point, and
Matinschkin's away east toward Tchaun Bay and Cape Schelagskoi. The
'ntter was accompanied by the merchant Bereshnoi, who was bound on a
trading journey to the Tchuktchis of Tchaun Bay, taking Ostrownoi on
the way with the hope of securing an interpreter. v\rriving there on
the 2 2d, they hired Mardowskij, a Tchuwanzian chief who under-

TJtACES OF TCHUKTCIIl 355

stoo<I the Tchuktchi language, to accompany them. A week later they
nrnvecl «t the Fedoticha River, on the confmes of the wide-spreading
ttnulra.s. Ry this name are designated the mossy flats or vast plains
uh.ch border on the Arctic Ocean, chiefly in Siberia, but also alon^^ .he
nor*.h coast of Europe. The word originated with the Finns, who" call
these wastes tunturs. Th^ are of the same general character every-
where, being great tracts of swamp-la.Hls, partly covered over with a
th.ck layer of bog-moss, and partly with a dry snow-white coverin.. of
rcMuleer-mossand dilFerent kin.ls of lichens and similar Arctic vegetation
There are no trees, or even shrubs, and it is only the reindeer that ren-
ders these frightful wastes habitable for the hordes of aboriginal nomads
A great portion of them can onl> be traversed in winter when fro.en
over; and to these belong the tundras of Northern Siberia which retain a
covering of snow throughout the year.

On the 2d of August Matinschkin rejoined Wrangell, who had mean-
tnne reached the buildings previously erected on the Great naranicha-
and on the 12th crossed the three arms of that river in Kosmin's boat'
On the 14th they met Kosmin himself, in the shallop, who had come to
fish in those waters, accompanied by four companions. With his aid
a l.ght boat was co.istructed for Matinschkin, who pushed forward on
the 15th with Bereshnoi, the interpreter, three Jakuts, and sixteen horses
On the 26th of August when they had about determined to abancfon the
li.thcrto fruitless search for the Tchuktchi and turn back, they reached
the Taunmeo River, and the ensuing day, on the other side, found
aluMKlant as well as recent traces of that people, who, however, had all
disappeared some short time before their arrival.

Bereshnoi was now importunate to turn homeward, and proceedin-.
..p the river until the first of September, they then turned their faces to
the west for Nishni Kolymsk, striking the route of the Tchuktchi to the
■n.nual fair, at Ostrownoi. On the 3d they were without food of any
kind except a single wild duck which one of the Jakuts had killed un

;ii()

wii to the rest of the party. This h

■saying: « There, take and eat it alo

of us and you a

e furtively ofltred to Matinschl

kin.

you are very tired." The jrcnero

ne; it is too little to do good to all

us offer was, of cour

"se, re-

iiiiiii

■jii

M !

|vi''

25G

RETURN TO KOLTMSK.

fused, and the Jakut's duck was put into the kettle, the broth makinc. a
rcfreshn.g, thouj,.h U.^^ht repast for all. On the 5th, after three days' fast-
ing and jrreat labor in crossin- snow-covered lulls and ravines, they l-.y
down at ni,,d.t on the bank of a stream, in which they exerted ti.eni-
selves to place a net. xVIatinschkin ha.l sngj,.ested the kiUin.^^ of one
of the horses, but this was overruled, as the [akuts declare.l that in
the heated state of their blood the use of their flesh would cause serious
:Ilness. Hopin-, and yet fearin- the downfall of tlieir hopes, they hesi-
tated to draw the net next morning, and were delic^hted to find three
large and several small fishes. They reached the Aniuj the same day
anu found more fish than they could consume. The surplus they were'
thoughtful enough to place as a deposit for some future travelers- and
were rejoiced to learu, some months later, tliat the 5000 fishes they had
thus taken the trouble to store, were found by some distressed wanderers
and supplied them with food for a n.onth. And as if in direct retur-. tor
then- thoughtfulness, they themselves found a similar deposit of clothin-
which they much needed in the daily increasing cold. On the I3th they
resumed their journey, and four days later arrived at a sn.all settlement
where they rested. Math.schkin now concluded to devote the remainder
of the season to a survey of the country from the Aniuj to Nishni
Kolymsk, a dista.ice of n-early 300 miles, and took his departure on the
iSth. lie reached Molotkowo on the 25th, in the boat of his friend
Karkni, by whom himself and Dr. Kyber had been hospitably enter-
tamed the year before. Finally, on the r>tli of October, he reached
^.shni Kolymsk, after an abse.ice of eighty-six days since leavin-
Pantelejewka. °

CHAPTER aXIX.

\\l!.VN,,KI.J,',s lOUKTII SI.,,;,,,;,,. „,n,-V.v

."o, with Li„,„. A„j„.„ who... ho„.,^„anc,. we, ' . h '• "r,"
"... "l..ainc,I .he p,.„,„lse of nftoc. „ood te-un, s^ ' ' ""•

K..,„n ..,,.o<, o„ ,, „eci.> e.po,n.io„, wlh .„„ 1, . "^ T''^

l«l»...l», 1.. »s<:o«.i„ Joilnildy whether the.,. u '

lluv ha,l helbie ,ee„ TT , " "*^''' """ "'"«■■

"- - .."- isia,.., e.i.te., i„ thrw:;:.' "' """ ^^'"^""' "'"'-"•

All preparations hciim made Wrmm.ll i- ■ i . , •
*ctio„s, one ,„uler M-tH„r I, ■ ' ''" P""y'-'»" '««

-.... ,0 :;"■ : , ':'::-;:;r ": ";;"- '" - '■■™""-

"■111, innabited country " hi flio L-.r «
noitli. ^ '" ^"'' ^'-y >^ca to the

patches ,Vo,n the ^oven^or-^encrnl o S ''"""''"- ^"^■

^'e<l'.^c.s. They,e-.ch,cnh 1 , ^ '"' ""' "'"' '^^"^'^ ^^^^

AMC} it.ichod the buildin<.s the s-itdp n;,r!-. s •
17 25^ •""'' "'S''^ '"Hi loinul the extra

258

RUMORS OF A NORTHERN CONTINENT.

shelter very desirable, the thermometer having sunk to 42" below zero.
Three clays were consumed in final ,M-eparation, repackin-,^ the nineteen
remaining sledges with what they had brought along, and what had
been previously stored in the buildings. The Ibtn-tii day was so stormy
that they could not set out, and it was therefore tiie 17th of Mmcii before
they were fairly under way on the fourth and last sledge jomney over
the ice of the Polar Sea. In three days they reache.i Cape Schelagskoi,
where they met a kabnakai, or chief of the Tchuktchi. A sul,.,rdin-,tJ
governor in Turkey is known as kahnakam, which suggests a possible,
relationship between this remote aboriginal tribe; or possibly tiie word
in that form may have been borrowed from some of the Tartar hordes ,.f
Siberia.

Our travelers found tlie Tchuktchi chief friendly and serviceable, as
soon as he became satisfied that their intentions were entirely paci'lic
From him they learned that the region of the cape was only tcnporariiy
ndiabited by his people for bear hunting purposes, a.ul that it iiad been
previously „ecupied by the Schelagi and Tchewani tril,es, wliose names
survive in Cape Schelagskoi and Tchaun Bay, but wlio had themselves
migrated westward many years ]>efore. Wben cjuestioned about the
".nhabited country to the r.o.th," he said: "There is a part of the cast
between the capes, where from some cliffs near .Ik- mouth .,f a river one
might, on a clear summer day, descry snow-covered mountains at a -reat
distance to ilie north, but that it was impossible to see so f.r iu win'ter."
These distant mountains, in his opinion, belonged t.. an extensive coun-
try, not to islan.ls; and he had heard from his father that a kain>akai of
then- race had migrated thither with his horde years before in boats, b„t
what had become of them was never learned in the o„mtrv lluy had'lell
He had himself ^een herds of reindeer conn,.g from that land on the iee"
an<l lan.ling on the Siberian rontinen,. He also attributed to the inhahi-
tants <,f thai land the wounding of a whale whieh was f„und stranded un
an .slan.loirihe coast, with slate-pointed spears still adhering f, its body
Hut Wrangell thought it nn.re likely that it had been attacke.l by the
mhabitants of the Aleutian ishuuls, who are known to use just such
spears.

CAPE KrUEIi.

aso

'^Jic latitude of the isthmus l.-.nl- r /.

cucdiiij.- cast

-y ^'i-nvcd at Cape Kos

111111,111 70 '^ I' ],y

171

'' '^ -"""oiiiul theruasl line |u ,),,..., .

""•"- \v..ko„, „,,,,, , , , ""' ""™ •""' '•illy... ,hc

^.'^' Kvl.,, ii, , ,;,"''''^'''''';'''"' '•'"-'>-'• ^V.a„,.nna...d

'''^''-i^lcveaaudah, V T'^'''''^'^'^''''^'-'- ^' '^^^^ '-

" ^-^-Pl-al iiulc. distant in.m ,,,, ,,,, ,,^^

,;iit""

260

AFLOAT.

PI'

cm l);iiil< of (lu- river. To the small island two miles to tin- iioitli lie
gave the name of Sehalarow Island, in lionor of the menhani navigator
of tliat name, who perished in this \ieinity in 1765. Ahoul Ihrei^ miles
from the shore and in the loiiL^dtude of the east hank of the Werkon, tliev
eonslrneted a depot of provisions, on the i^th, and sent l)aek (he em])ly
sledges to Xishni Kolymsk.

The next day they fell in with Innnmoeks at the dista

nee o

f (

miles Iroin the depot, where the c-rowhars were lir()iiL,dit into reti-
ihe 27th was eonsiuned in making- llni'e miles.

uisition :

and

Anotl

ler deposit was now made to liijiiten the sledges, and

t'l'-lil

of these were sent homeward. A twenty-three days' snpply for men and
<loj4s \vas here hnried, and only lour sledt^^es and live men remained in
VVranj^elTs section. This was at 70" 12' hy 174' . On the zi)\\\ the ice

on which they were hecainc detached from the main 1)od

V ill a storm, Init

on its snhsidence became a-^ain united. On th" ^ist thev mad

e onl\' SIX

miles, and were on

lyt

en miles

rom

liie coast. Fin(lin<^ the way d

rth or northeast lilockcd by impassable hummocks, thev struck

out

'401U' ahotit

m, new ice.

toward the west-northwest, on the ist of April, and havin.i;-

llv • miles they came to a phice wdiere the coverini,^ was th

loo fr.,]l to venture on, and encamped on its inar<,nn. !>ut the next day

seeiiiL,'- no alternative, they risked the new ice, and had the _L,^ood fortune

to j^et across in safety, owiiiiL,'- largely to the alertness of the do^s and llie

lijj^htncss of the s]cd,!::es, which liore at this time oidy a few days'

■

)royisions.

Notwithstanding^ these advantnijcs the trial w;

IS extremely dan

i^crous, as shown by the fact that the heaviest of the sledi^^es broke
thi()u,t,^h the thin crust several times, l)ut only to be whisked out ll

nio

re rapidly by the doq-s, whose encrj^ics were evidently stimulated 1

y a

cecn sense ot danp^cr,

lis was at 70 20 i)y 174 13 , as ascertained

after crossing-. On the ni^ht of the 3d, after havini^r madi' twenty miles,

they

camped amoni

uimmocks and surrounde(

1 by t

y lissures, yv'here the

j^ot detached, hut succeeded in reaching;' the main body in the moinin^- by
a pontoon brid'j^e of ice blocks. Two slcdj^es were here ordered hack
to the depot, and their provisions transferred to the rcmainint; two, with

m ■'

DANGER.

261

wh,ch W,-„„KoU .lc,cr,„i„e,i i,' ,„ssi,,,, ,„ ,„„,, „„ ,„ „,^ _^^_^,^ ^^^
the .,,h, a, 7„" 5, - I,, ,;-. 3y,_ „,„, ,|.^,,,_„ .,_ ^^ ^^^,^.^^1^^ |,^^ ^_^^^^^ __^^^^

.'l-o... »My ,„ilc,, „K,. c„c„u„teml UK. open w,„c,-, not los, than 3C0
yan Is w., ., an,l ox.uncih,,. .«t a„,l wc,, a, far as the eyo could ,c„ch.

VV . ohmh„l one of the ,„f.i,st i,„ ,^,,. ,„^, Wrangdl,"aff„„,i„„ a„
.■..c„»,ve v,c„ towa„l ,hc north, an.l fr„n, thence we heheld the wide,
■mmeasnrahle ocean spread on. hefore onr ....e. It was a fearful a„c
n.a,,„.hcent spectacle, though ,0 „s a n.elancholy one. Frasn.ents of ice
o. ononnons si.e were „„at!n, on the surface of the agitated ocean, and
were dashed hy .he wave, with awfid violence against the edge of the

"^■' ' '"•■■ "'■■'"^■»' »"'<' '"-'l- •^'-'-■l l-'-o..e ,„. These collisions wc,-e

so .remendo.,s .ha, large n.asses were every ins.ant In-cken away, an.l it
was ev,den. that the po.-tion of ice which stil, dividcl the channel fron,
he open sea would soon he con.pletely dest.oyed. Had we ,nade
the attempt to ferry o.nsehes across upon „„,. of ,he detached pieces of
K;e, there wo.dd have heen „o lirn, footing „„ reaching the opposite side.

Uven on our own side fresh lanes of .vater were eons.autlv Torn, , and

e.tendmg thcnselves in every direction in the field hchind" ns. We^-onld
,l;"<» no farther."

"■■ Ihc nigh, of the 5th they canrped at the second depot of provi.
^-sw e,.e they found the two ret.uned slc.lges and the supplies in.ac.
0".l,e,S,h .heywcvn, innninen, danger, having heen dcached , Von,
e u,an, 1,0, y „„ a ,l„e of only „„ ,a,-ds wide. . Eve,,. ,„„n,en,," says
\Vrangell,..h„ge .nasses of ice lloa.ing a,.ound us wc-e dashc.1 a-ains. .
■■■■"■I. "tl.e, .-u,,! hroken in,o a thousan.l frag,„o„ts. Meanwhile, we wc-e
.ossed ,0 and ,Vo l,y the waves, and ga.ed, ,„ helpless inactivi.v, o„ .he
-ld.,,„he,o, the clcnrents, expecting every „,on,e„t ,0 he swallowed

"|.. U e ha.l heen th.-ee long hours in ,his painful position, and s, „r

;'"," '"''' "'••'•■'"-■• ""™ - -">■ i' "-as caught hv the s.onn and

-1-1 ^..-..st a la,-ge liel.l of ice. The crash was tc^rilic, and we felt

■•■ ."-s hcncath us giving way, and separating in everv direction. At

' ;" 'l'-"'"l n.on.en,, when .Icsfncion see.ne.l incvi,al,le, .he in,p,dse

"l-l,.preserva.ionin,pla,„e evcy living heing saved ns. rus.inctively,

""' """ "'^- '""^■'"'-» "'■ "-"="». "-0 sprang on ,he sledges, and .rZl

962

GRAVE OF SCIIALAJiOW.

the (logs to their utmost spcetl. They flew across the yielding,'' fraj^ments
of the (ickl against which it hail hecn straiulod, and safely reached a
part of it of (inner character, on which were several hummocks, and
here the dogs immediately ceased running, ajji^arcntly conscious tiiat the
danger was passed."

Proceeding forward they soon reached the first depot of jirovisions,
and taking with them all they could, tliey hastened to tiie shore and
camped under a clilF near tiie mouth of the Wcrkon. Thev spent the
night in hringing away the remainder of their jirovisions from tiie first
depot; hut some they had left at the second coukl not he reached. On
the loth they rested, and ascertained tlie location, uhich was found to he
^9'\Si'J'y 173" 34', on the east side of the Werkon. On the nth
tiiey made anotiier efFort to reach the second depot .^f provisions, hut
encountered too many water lanes, and returned in six hours, Wrangell
occupying tlie interval in examining and naming Cape Kekurnoi, in 69 '
51' hy 174" 3|.'. They started eastward on tiie i^tli in the iiope of
falling in with Matinschkin, as their |)rovisions were running low, and
their northern depot on the ice c(Mild not he reached. Tliev had gone
over forty miles witiiout meeting Iiim,wlienit hecame necessary to make
for the ci'utral depot at the Greater IJaranicha, two himdred miles to tlie
west, witli a very poor jirospect of heing ahle to reach it, as tiieir pro-
visions were nearly exhausted. They had scarcely proceeded six miles
when, to their great joy, tliey fell in with the ohject of their seaicli,
whom they found, as anticijiated, in possession of full supplies. ATatinsch-
kin, during his survey of tlie tundra t ast of the Werkon, discovered a
hut on the coast, which hotli lie and Wrangell concluded was the hist
resting place of Schalarow, in 1765, wlio, therefore, succeeded in (lie great
ohject of his amhition, the douhling of Capi- Sciieiagskoi, hut did uot
live to return to civllixatiou.

Before leaving, they here, 69" 4S' hy 176" 10', cstai>iisiied ;, depot uf
provisions, and sent hack eight sledges, retaining tiircv for Matiuschkiu's
party, and four for WrangeU's. On tlie 2otli the latter r..;ulie(l Cajie
Yakan, 69' .|j',hy 176 32 ', whence, according to certain I'chuklrliis,
"the northern countrv " was sonicliincs vlv;ilil,j. \\n\ \\ j-iiUv! 1,, :inj)e:ir

A NATIVE TRADER. g^g

.^ v:..„l 'V; 1 '■' "' ""'■ ^" '"■'" '''• "^ ''^'" 5'^'- ""- --"'I. "
. vca lK.,„l„„o„ U,e,„ .„ ,.,„..• „„, ,|,ey o,„orv.,l .,„„.,„,■„,.
wh .o,.,.ck „,„.,„„ „,. „„„,„,„ „^ ,,^, ^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^

h,ch ha,, ,»a„poa,.c.l. T,,,vdi,„, f„«, „„., f„„„ .Ik-I,. I.al.in, place
y ar„ve a. ,■• ..S-, „, ,„.. ,^,, „„„,.^. ,„ ,_^,„ ,,_^^

'" '■." m w,th a lot „f ,lriftwoo.l, mostly llr and pi,„

0„ the .,«t MatlnschUin ,„a,le „,., „„„,, ,,,,,„ f„,. ,„^,

k„„ ho .., ,vith his throe s,o.„os, a.,., p,.,„,s„a.s „„. nftoo,,'

• «. wh,.o Vyn.,„on, K„s,„i,„a„.. Kyho,. p,.„coo,.,,, oa„ „,,h tho

""' '." »>e<l..os, a,„, provisions fo,- thirtoon .lays. Tho last-nanu-,,

. ..sso,,^ K,.yo.an ,.i.o,., .won.y-oi.ht ntilos .„ .l,o oast, a..,, .oaoinn^

■- . '.y .79 .3', »von an.l a half ,„iles farthor, hy ,ivo oVlook

I- next n„„.,.n,., they hal,o,l. Havin, j,„„.„oye,l thirteen an., a

'f -'.■» a -n, the ooast, which here tre„„s a ,i.t,o sonth ..f oast,

hey reaehe, o„ .he n,.,rni,„ of t,to 33.,, the ,,0: „„, „,,io,, Cap.

C... . ha., „,h.e,, in ,„,S. an., ,ro,. Cape North. Irco thoy no

■"•I -' - trihe .„■ Tohnluchis, „,,., evince., a frion.lly ,„„,. 'i.i.,n
— . Wra.,,,o„ to his .en., .. Thc-e," s. ,e, .. ,„„„ J, „„ „" '

T' vr '''^™ "'"' ^•™' '"'^■' "■■■' '^-^ ---■"■■••■•-". ™

''7 :;■" t"' ": ' ■"'■ ""'■>■ ''"■'" "'■ ""■^'. -' -.« »..- 1 c;„. „so

.-....„ hotter than the ,n.,„„tain TchnUtchis, an,on« vvhon, 1 „nce saw

""";"".:' ■'■"• -''"'"^"- "- ^-n---' '■"■■"-•.-.. sea,, , a

;"'''■'■ '" T""''- '''-* --- — v..,na,,le than a„ the ho„seh.„,
;-,„.s .,r the chier. Wi.h Etc a, ,ni.,o, they set on. on the .

'""T""'- ^' ^ ' '■"■■""' ""->'-I«la...l, .n., havin. ,oa,, ,i,t

;•■'-' -Mte,.i,,.,,c,,i,,,. at .,te,,,.ts,.,- two Tc,,,,,;,,i,.:
-- - .No Cnet. Twenty-thrco ,„i,os farther ..n .hoy erosse., „
;■-•;-. R,ver,a,so.hroe snral.or s„v.a„,s, which .,„ „,„ ^ „,„,,, ,

■"." ''"""■^"" "'"■'■• '--i"'" "'il- '-•.v.,n.,, whor.. .he t,„„,ra .a-a

:::"" "■;'[ "■ .'"'7 f™'^-' ' '• "-y -certaino., the ,a,itn.,e ... ..o^S'^

•I'- ■ *". .v--h.n, a s,„al, scttie.oent .,n the west ,,ank ..f .,,c \Vanka,e,.,

;a^^

264

A ST/iANGE INSTITUTION.

R.vor, an<l near the Capo nf that na.nc. « There is a remarkable simi-
larity," says Wran,irell, "between (he three promonu.ries of Schel- -skoi,
Ir-Kaipij a.ul Wankarem. They ail consist of line j^raine.! syenite, with
J,n-eenish white feldspar, dark j,n-ecn hornblende and mica, and are united
to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The elevation of the headland
.■n.<l breadth of the isthmus are -reatcst at Cape Schelaj,rskoi, and least
at Cape Wankarem."

On the 27th, doublin- Cape Onman, they sij^hted Kolyutschin,
or Hurney Island, about twenty miles to the southeast in the en-
trance to the bay of the same name, lookin<,r like a circular moiu.-
tain. On the southern shore was a Tchuktchi villa-e, xvhcre
•some seventy men soon -athered around the stranf,^ers, ea-er to trade
Whale's flesh, of wliich they ha.l an abundance, for tobacco and trinkets.
They rested two days on the islan.I, and not bavin- wherewith to con-
tinue his barter witli the natives, Wran.i^^ell now determine.! to re-tra-
verse tiie 600 miles tliat separated him from Nishni Kolymsk. He had
reached the jx.int where Captain JJillin^rs' siu'vey from the east ha.l left
off, a -eneratio.i before. Ascertaining the location of tlie southern point
of the islan.l to be 67" 27' by 1S4" 34', they set out on the ret,n„
trip on the evenin,<r of the 29th, and tliree days later arrived at Etel's
villa-e, back of Cape North. A peculiarity n.)ticed anion- the Tchuk-
tchis of the coast was the existence of a class of servants, entirely depen.l-
entupon the weaUhie, of the natives, by whom they were fe.l and clotlu.i
in return for tiieir services, and not entitled to hold jM-operty of anv kind;
in fact, slaves. Of this institution no history or explanation was offered'
other than that "it had always been so, and must always continue to
be so."

On the 6th of ^ray tliey reache.l the point whence ^ratinschkin
had started norlhwanl, an,l found a cross erected by him, with a notice
attached statin- that he ha<! not been able to -et farther than ten miles
from the coast, owin- to the breakin- up of the ice. On the 7tl> thcv
■slept at Schalarow's hut, and six days later reached the villa-e t<. the rear
of Cape Schela-skoi, with their provisions for men an.l do^s exhauste.l.
The natives had had a bad season of huntitig a.ul lishin- since their de-

PL' ) i

^ CLOSE OF WRAWGBLL^S EFFOliTS. 305

loarturc, and could ,,mvc then hut Httl. assistance. So .hero was nothin-^
to 'lo except to push on for the Greater Baranicha, with doj,.s foot-sore
:..Hl weary, l,ut ea^er to .,et ahead as ft.st as possihle. Reaching their
supphes on the .5th, they remained two days in camp to rest the over-
worked animals, and on (he ,7th resumcl their iourney. On the^>d
they arrived at Nishni Kolyn.sk, after an ahsence of seventy-ei<Hit <lavs
and a round trip of 1330 miles. Matinschkin ha.l arrive,! on the ^M^
\v.xvnv^ taken occasion to sm-vey Tchaim IJay on iiis return fro.n his fruit-
less journey to the north. He and Kyher left for St. Petersbun- about
the middle of July, and Wrangcll and Kosmin followed toward the vnA
ot Aujji-ust, rS23.

Thus closed this remarkable series of sledj^e jotn-neys over the ice of
tlie Polar Sea, leavin- the parties enga-cd therein still disposed to believe
n. the existence of the alle-e<l northern country, the discoverv of which
was .lenicd to their Ion- continued e/Torts a.id heroic en.hnanee. Wran-
-ell su-rested that if the attempt should be resumed. Cape Vakan ou-ht
t.. l>c« selectcl as the base of <,perations. T.)o much time, enerc,ry Tn,!
provsH.ns were necessarily wasted before -ettitig fairlv under way from
Xishni Koly.nsk. The ice kin.i,r of the north had proved tmconquerablc.
I'om- well-planned campai.^nis had been fou-ht and lost, the va.uiuishcd
.vtirin,,. with only the sense of havin^^ bravely done their utmost to obtain
an aim. .0 impossible victory. Had they started from Cape Vakan there
is little reason to doubt that they would have discovered the object of
their search, of which the southwestern corner was only about one ,le-ree
to the east, and a de-ree and a half (o the north of that poiut, or about
10,^ miles in a direct line to the northeast.

IfflBI

CIIAI'TKH \XX.

.'..

PAiiKvs sKiovn v(.va(;k to thk NoirnrwKST — shaki' vativks —
rAiKvs nrscovKUKP- xumickous i,isi f)VKurKs— Kxi-i.oitAiroN

IV 1U)ATS-IN WIXTKIt CJU AKTKK S— THK ATiac AI.S AS A I'ASTIMK
— KSQiriMAUx SNOW HUTS_mTKLI.I(;KNCK AMOX(; MATIVKS V

xoiniiKitN (;ko(;i{apuki{— A sokceukr— kim^ko mv a t-ai.t,.

The second expedition undei- Commander Parry comprised the Fury
of 377 tons, and the Ilccla, of the previous expedition, of 375 tons, to !>,■
accom])anie(l l^y tiie transport Nautilus until they reached the ice. The
instructions were to proceed to Hudson's Strait, an.l thence throu-h
Hudson's Hay to Rowe's \V\-lcome, or throu-h Fox Channel to Repurso
J5ay, on the soutli coast of Melville Peninsula. From the neiohhorl ul
thus indicated it was hoped a channel mi^^ht he found to the Pacific, and
if they should succeed in reaciu-n,tr that ocean hy any route, they were to
proceed throu-h Tlehrin- Strait to Kamchatka, and thence to the Sand-
wich Islands, „r to the Canton River, in China, where they were I.,
refit and re-victual hefore returnin- to En-land. Thou-h Parry's
commission was dated Dec. 30, 1S30, they did n..t leave the coast ..f
En-land until May i, 1821. The Hecla was under the immediate com-
man<l of Capt. Geor-e Francis Lyon, and the Nautilus was in char-c
of Lieut. Scym-our. On th.- 14th of June, in latitude 60 48', and Lm-
-itude53^ 13', in the entrance to Davis' Strait, they met the first ice-
her-, and in obedience to instructions took the surplus stores of the trans-
port al)oard the Fury and llecla.

The Nautilus was ready for dismissal on the first of July, when
she proceeded on the homeward voya-e, and her late consorts made
for the ice. Two days later these were stopped hy the ice-lloe,
with over thirty icel)er-s in si-ht, .■md on the 5th were completely
heset hy the ice, against which they were often driven willi some

206

ffJVNA TURA I. IW niiN VS.

2fl7

violence, Imt willionl

MTMiiis iiijiuN , !)(>ih heiii"

well adapted (or ilu- lou-,--!! iis,,l;i' (1
si,i,dited t\v<, vessels „r tl,o Iluds,,,, 15;, y C

very sln)ii,L,rlv l„|ii|'^ .,,„i

U'v i\eeiveil

iiL'lit (lavs I,

Hit Ilu

l-'ird VVelliii^rfon, with 160 set 1 1
(.r the North. .\ wrrk later, I

oinpaiiy, and on the 1 iil

1 'It-

ers, mostly roreij,niers, \\ ,■ ilu- U,.,l Ki
y iiiiislanl i-d'orl fn t;

\ er

i:iKin-- a<lv;mta'4c ol

--.y opeu.,^, an.l In l-ren,^ th.i: .,,y ,vhe s.uh opening ..IR-re.!,

tlH'.- rea.^ d 6, 50' ,^" 1„ ,,7 ■ ^> ^..^ ;,, j,^^. ^.^.^^..^^^^ ^_ ^^^. , ,^^_,^,^^__,^

S.ra,t,an,ll,;si^h. r s.ddled-ack Island. I lere, while, anehored t., .„
'"■"''" "''""'^ '•""■ '"■ "^•^- "'il' ' '-".n land, M>ev were vi.i.ed hv over n„e
l-.'dred !■ .inimaux, ,„ale and lanaK. dl verv ea^er to traflie," hut l-v no
-ans wdlin,. .„ p.,t with their wares at a saeridce. I'arrv lound'this
"•'•-"^•'^"•■''^•-'u„h less honorahle than the small h.U he had .un-nn-
•'•'-lliio previous ^ear. They were rea.ly .,. ..al all . hev eonld, and
c'V.n ofTl-red to hart.r their ehiKhvn lor ^oo,i. ■ I'm. nn to h.ve
-•.|"n-ed," says Par-y, u ,,3. ,„ ^,„„„^,, ;,„,,.^^,„., „ ^^,. ,, ^^_^, ^,^.^^^ ^,^^,

.H.irlv a Innulred vears, ,na, . ofthe .-es whirl, unhappilv at.eful a first
•nl-v.„n-se with the elvilix.d , orl.l, without Iku ,n^ imhilu.d any of the
vntn.'s or relinemenis which adorn an.I ren.ler it happy."

On Sunday, the ..d orjulv,a I'.n orahle wind arose, and tlu-vpro-
avde.l rapully, un.lerall sail, through tlu Strait., fin.l .■■ . .K/open-
in^s hetween th.- iee-lW. Thev weie .ot a attle .nrpris.d at th.
•■"no>n,t ol roeks, shells and wcvds whieh thevnoiieed on tia.se Hoes
"Masses of roeks," ^vs the ol.servaut eonnnander. -m,.,,- 1,.s thn, a
l"""l'vd pounds in weight, an M.nn.times ohserved iu the middh of a
"'H-, n.easurin^ half a nule or ,nore eaeh way, an.l of whieh the whole
surface ,s more or less cvered will, suiaMer stones, sand and shelN."

<)ii ihe first

ol .\n,i,nisi thev arrived n

uerr visited hy sonie natives with who
" Ma

•inliamptou Island, and
'" ' ^ - \;'ed eonnnodities.
'.Many of , In- jackets of these people, and particniarlv thos. ,., ,h,
l-nalcs, were liued with the skins of hirds, h.vin;, the ll-athers inside"
Skn-tn,^ thenorlh coast of this lar^e island or ^roup, ih^v arrived on
'iH' .S>h, at a hold hea.lland, which Parrv named C >e I5ylot. jud.dn.- i,
'" 'h. the most wa-stern point seen hy the navigator of that nanu. i^, I^,,
U,anucl,in .r,,^. I lavin,,; soon arrived within liv miles of tl •

Ill I

I ' 1 r ''I

inn

/l.V AfiCTlC xi:ch

\'npor./s.

-m.v,n^ il-n..s, line, lor al..H,t 600 .nil.s. Tlu-y .lisone.v.l Ih.ni's

ntFFlCUL TIBS OF ICE NA W/GA T/OJV. ^

Channel^ ... calU.1 i. l,.,,,.,. „f Thomas Hnr.!, hy.|.-o,n,.lu., ,.. „,.
MrmsU A.I,„M-aUy, (io.c Hay, I.you I.Het, Iloppun .„,., ...., „,.., „.. ,
Lcsulcs n..h,n...„, V..,n.ittar,, a.ul Stu,,.. M„„nu. IsI.n.Is, Can. Mo -
...u. a,ul M..OOI.V Mh.n;na,nc.Ii..„ono.ortlu. o„loc..•sorUK..xpc,li-
'-"• IlH-y l,c-,.an ,lH.ir slow nur.hcMn progress o,. the .,1 ..f Au'a.st
a.ul went i.uo ui.uc.,- quarters on the Sth of Octoh..-. M.„,, „... ^h.J
. K, ha.l lo,n..I ,u.v. i.c of the seaso,. he^nun,.;, ,o ,>„■„,, ,„., p,,,,, „,„^
.k-scnhes ,ho ohstnictioM i, p,,scnts to successful .>avi.ratio„ •

"'''''^' '"''"''l'"" ••'■ youn;, ice upon the surface .,C ,he water
- .he cn-cunistance which „.os, .Icci.lcliy he,^i„s to p,., a stop ,o

"- nav,;,a.ion of these -as, an.l warns the seaman, ha. his J

':'-"-• "l-'-tions i. nearly a, a., cn.l. I, is in.leed scarce! v pos-
^''''^' •" ---- .he decree of hindrance occasionc.l hy this in.-

I^'dnncnl, Irillin- as it always aDpears hcfor.. I. ; "

.... , , •' •'|'F'-''is nctoiL It IS eiK-onn.cred.

Ul.en the sheet has ac.p.ired a ihickness of ahout half an inch
.nul isol considerahle extent, a ship is liahlc to I. stoppd hv i. unless
l.'v-.red hy a strong an.l ireewiud; and even when s.ill re.ainin.^ her
u.iy.hron^h the water at the rate of a mile an hour, .nir conrs. i^ „.,
always under the control of our hehusman, hi.t depends upon son-e acci-
''^■'•<='' 'l-ease or increase in the thickness of the sheets of ice with
-l--'^ <""e how or ,hc other comes in contact. A ship i„ this helpless
^'."cJKM- sails in vain expanded to a f.vorahle hreexe, her ordinarv re-
-nces .ailing, and suddenly arrested in her course upon the eluaei.
tln-..u;;h which she has heen accustomed ,o move without restraint has
""- reminded n.e of (Julliver tied down hy ,hc techle hands of LiUi-
MU.uns. Xor are the stru^^^les she makes ,o efll-ct her release, and the
■Tl-vn. insi^nillcauce of the means hy .vhich her eflbrts are oppose.l
'!"• leas, just <,r least vexatious part of the resemhlance."

They were at one time driven across to Southampton Island, flndinc.
|.nse.vcs,on the .1 of Septemher, almost a, the spot thev had
•^" '••> the r.tho, Au,a,st, which serves u ^o show," says Parrv," "the
-1- o, even the snudlest geographical inn.rmation in sc:,s where not an
'-"- must he thrown away, or unprodtahly employed." On the .th of
bcptemher they again sailed nortluvani, and leaving the ships in as

r-r-r

IfliiMI

n.i.^ mmn

jfi.

1 ' 1

[ i is ■ ;

ny WINTER QUARTERS. g^j

cas ,„ ,.op..a.., .,,„» ,., 1,,,,., „,,„„,„„ .„,,„, „ ,,l.,, I

- ■! .1 S h „f Octobo, whe„ ,hc now ice was al,..„lv .h,-ce ..,.1 ^ „i-
.....on ,.,« P.,,,, „„,„., ,,„„.,^,„^ ^^,^^^^

".■■ .■„,.„ ,„. „,,j.,, „,,„. ,„,,„,.„. „„ „_^. ^.,^^^ ^^^^^ ^^_ ^ .

;:":':"": t :'"';"■• '-"" ^'^ ""■ -" *•-- '»" '- ...».,

sccunty lor the season."

IN WINTER QUARTERS.
TIK. ,v,v .etectal r,„. „,,„,,- ,,„„,„,, „^„ „ .^^

'■'-■'.- 'l.-™-nc. .. Ly,.nV I,,,e,, .Mvas," savs ,.,,,.,,,..,. ,i,K

■;'.'''■"" V "f" '■' ™-"""''-'™ ---i« "-" r-n .ho .,„;„,

■...„s >W„ol, ll,o, ,„i„„ ,„ ,„,,,„ ,.,„,„ ,-.,„„ „_^.,. ,^_^^^^^. _ •

■""■ "';■ .-"1.. Tho ohier p,,„ccu„„ was „.„,„ Hk- „ow.,„a,,o- i™ ho

; '■ 7 '■'■ "- P-i"..^ .•xpcii.io,,, ,„„ wi,„ ,ho i.np,,,vo,„o,„s'.„.,.
..-■^1 hy .ha, o.pono„oo_„u,v uv,... ,.oa,lv ,„ „o ann.sC. AHo. a a.;
''•'y^ n.u,. ,„ ..„,,,„, ,„o u,oa.o,," ,1,0 .season .,r „S„.. „,,,„,,, ,,

373

ESmi/MA (rx SNOW-// UTS.

cioiisly on llu- cjih of NovcmhIht, willi SuTid.iirs romcdy of » Tli

iv;i

Is," Capt. Lyon lakinL;- tlif place of iiianaiLi^cr,

o atiH'ptahl)' lillfd l>y

usical c-oiu-tTls all(.'riiat(.'<l

Lii'iil. iK'c'chi-y of llu- roinior cxpcdilion M

with tlu-atric-al i-cpivscMitations, and a m.'1ioo1 was opened, hnt ll

papiT vrnlnro does not seem 1

o hvw lu'en lenewei

i. Clirisl

eelcliialed with sneh of tlie usnal oIis.tx anres and festixities as ti
eoinniand, and the ■'eiieral iiealth was e\

le news-

nias was

ie\ eonid

eellenl, lliere heiu''- only a sin

Ic ease ol sickness, tlie eariunter

s mail'. "

1 1 nieiease onr ordinal"

issue of anti-seorI)utics, lilie

ral as it alrea(!\- was, sav:

anv

we liad

lioni

tlie eoinnieneeineiit of tlie winte;- adopted a re'^'ula

r s\slein <

it ^IDW

ni''- niiistar(

1 and cress, wliiili the ,Mi|)erior wanntli of the slii]

)s now ena

hied us to do on a lan^ir scale than hefore, IC.-idi mess, hoth of the olli
cits' and slii|)\ lompany, was lor this pui|

)ose lurnislied witii a s

hall

l)o\ lilled with mold, in which a crop could ,i;eiierall\- he r;tise(l in fr
I'i'^hl to IfMi days." On the iSth of |

(itn

iiiuar\- I. Si J, ihf St.

i>ve-pipe in t lie

commaiidir's cahin toolv ll

re, creatiiiL;' a momentary alarm, hut ao daiHi-

ai^e. On the ist of I\'hruar\- thev

were \c rv aL;"reeahlv sninrised 1

• V a

i|uarters

visit hom a party of ICscpiimanx, who liad settled in wiuti'r

ahoul two miles from the sliijis. A small party of i:n-lish accompanied

them to the xillan'e, which consisted of lr\-e huts recenti\- erected. The

.tahl

ishmeiit comprised sixt\' person--

with their

(lo;_;s, sieil'^'es ;iiid

canoes.

examination it war, found that the hnl- were m,

ol snow iiiHt ice.

A I

ler creepiii''- throu'''h tw

o low ])assa;j^es iia\iiiL;- eat'h

ide cut 1 rely

Its arilied doorwa\-, wc canu

^mall

ciix'ular ai)artment, ol"

winch I he

roof was a perfect arched dome. I'lom this three doorwavs, also arched,
and of lari^-er dimensions than tiie outer ones, led into as nianv inhahitt'd
apartments, one on each sidr, and the other facin-- us as we entered. 'I'he

woiiU'ii were seated on the heds at the sides of the hnl
little lireplace or lanii). with al

s, eac:h havin<'- hi'

her doim-stii- utensils ahout

tier,

children crejjt hehiiid ihi'ir mother-, and

llie

doLi^s slunk jiast us ni dis

maw
that of th

he construction

.f t

Us iiiiia

hited pari of ihe hul w

IS similar to

lat ot the .niter apartment, heinir a .Ionic loinu'd hv sfpanu,. l,lo( ks of
snow laid with ure.at rc'^nilarily, an.i n,, small art, each luan- ent into
the shape rcjuired to form a siihstantial arch, from seven to ei'rh.i fee!

^■1

''•1
111

!Sk

:''«*.*. :r^

;is

..- _ J:

il -

374

PAimr'S EULOGT ON THE NATIVES.

hij^h in tho center, and having no support whatever except what this prin-
ciple of buildin;.^ supplies. Sufficient light was admitted into these curi-
ous edifices hy a circular window of ice, neatly fitted into the roof of each
apartment." The imexpected cleanliness of these huts astonished the vis-
itors, Init they afterward found that it was largely due to their newness.
The usage of a few months made them much less attractive, but the tribe
were nevertheless judged to be more neat than most of their race. With
one or tv/o exceptions they were found to be honest, and in their domes-
tic relat'ons (juite afFectionate. One of the boys declined all overtures to
leave his parents because it v/ould make them cr^. The women were
occupied with the usual domestic cares, and not required to take part in
fishing or hunting. But few of them could count 1t)eyond five, and were
slow to learn English. Yet within the range of their own experience
they were sharp and alert. They kept themselves comfortably and
neatly clothed, and were ingenious in devising means of 2:)i'oviding for
their wants. When their supply of food ran low for a few days, and the
ship's bounty was extended to them, it was noticed that their first care,
before partaking of any of it, was to hurry back to the village to feed their
little ones.

There was noticeable among them the usual variety of disposition
and intellect; and Parry grows enthusiastic over one of the boys in
whom lie recognized an aptness to learn, which would have made him a
famous scholar in England. His sister, Iligliuk, also attracted their no-
tice by her marked intelligence and love of music, and became useful as
an interpreter between the English and the more stolid or indifFercnt of
the tribe. Having observed that they were acquainted with the four car-
dinal points of the compass, tlic commander marked them on a sheet (jf
l^aper, on whicli he designated also a spot to represent the location of the
ships. Iligliuk was then requested " to complete the rest, and to do it
mikkec (small), when, with a countenance of the most grave attention
and licculiar intelligence, she drew the coast of the continent beyond b"r
own country, as lying nearly north from Winter Island. The most im-
jiortant part still remained, and it would have amused an unconcerned
looker-on to have observed the anxiety and suspense depicted on the

SOUVENIRS.

275

countenances of our part of the ...roup till this was acco.uplished, for
never were the tracings of a pencil marked ^vith more earnest solicitude.
Our surprise and satisfaction may, tiierefore, in some- de-ree he imagined,
when, without takin- the pencil from the paper, Iligliuk hrought ihJ
continental coast short round to the westward, and afterwanl to the south-
southeast, so as to come within a few days' jomney of Repulse P,ay.
The country thus situated upon the shores of the Western or Polar
Sea is caW^d Akkoolcc (now Melville Peninsula), ami is inhahited ],y
numerous Esquimaux; and halfway between that coast and Repulse
15ay, Ili<rliuk drew a lake of considerable size, havin- small streams
from it to the sea on each side. To this lake her countrymen are annu-
ally in the habit of resorting during summer, and catch there large fish
of the salmon kind, while on the banks are found abundance of reimleer.
To the westward ofAkkoolcc, as far as they can see from the hills, which
she described as high ones, nothing can be seen but one wide, extended
sea. Being desirous of seeing whether Iligliuk would interfere with
Wager River (about loo miles to the south of Wi.iter Island, opening
to the west from Rowe's Welcome), as we know it to exist, I requested
her to continue the coast line to the southward of Akkoolcc, when she
immediately dropped the pencil and said she knew no more about it."
" Others of the more intelligent of the tribe being tested on the sa.ne
subject, " their delineations of the coast made without any concert among
them, agreed in a surprising manner." Fmm the head of Repulse Bay
to (he northern sea of these Esquimaux, now known as the Gulf of
Hoothia, was three scnicks (sleeps), or days' journey.

"Considering it desirable," says Parry, " to increase by all the means
in our power the chances of these people giving information of us, we
distributed among several of the men large round P.elaUions of sheet
cojjper, having these words punched through them: ' j !. B. M. S. Fury
a.ul liecla,all well, A. D. 1S22.'" Smaller medals with " Fury and
llecla, 1823," only, were given to the women, to be shown to any Kab-
Ioo»a ( Europeans) they might tall i,i with. Five or six of the most de-
serving men were i)resented with st

for their spe

;irs, uito the wood fjf

Inch w ere driven small nails forming tlu

g the words "1' ury and llecla, 1833."

•iaii^Hi^

fill! I
III

[t I ifK VI' i

376

A SOJiCEROR.

As the weather grew warmer, tlie huts were felt to l)e too conlincd,
and they proceeded to euhirj^e them in a manner his^hly creditable to
their injfenuity. They built the new around and over the old, which
they tlien removed iVom within. They had early exhibited to their vis-
itors, at the commander's retjuest, the method of construGtion, erectin"
one in their presence in a few hours, i'arry and some others accom-
l)anied them in one of tlieir seal-l]silin^• expeditions, and noted with sur-
prise and admiration the skill, patience and endurance with which they
carried on that imi)ortant business. -'It was impossible not to admire the
fearlessness as well as dexterity with which the Esquimaux invariably
pursueil it." Among other noteworthy characteristics of these jjeople it
was observed that, although tlie seal or walrus, or whatever else they
succeeded in catching, was invariably taken to the hut of tlie party im-
mediately concerned in securing it, all others were made pa'lakers of
this good fortune. Early in March a number of them tiarisferred their
residence to the ice, some live or six miles from the ships, perhaps for
greater convenience in lishing, and ipiickly erected four new huts.
Some two weeks later they were joined by others from the old village,
and a few erected huts near the ships; but far or near, intercourse was
kept up. The English noted many superstitious practices among them;
and one was found to l)e an acknowledged angetkook, or sorccror, who
was liclieved to have a ioorngoxL', or familiar spirit, lie was about
forty-five years of age, and 1)ore tlie name of Ewerat. He did not seem
to be a conscious impostor, Init on ihe contrary, was a sensible, obliging'-
man, and a lirst-rate seal catcher. When appealed to on occasion of ill-
ness, or for other purpose, to exercise his art, « his lips l)egan to cpiiver,
his nose moved up and down, his eyes gradually closed, and the vio-
lence of his grimaces increased until every feature was hideously dis-
torted; at the same time he moved his head rapidly from side to side,
uttering sometimes a snuffling sound, and at others a raving sort of cry.
Having worked himself into this ridiculous sort of frenzy, which lasted
perhaps from twenty to thirty seconds, he suddenly discontinued it and
suffered his features to relax into their natural form; but the motion of
his head seemed to have so stupefied him, as indeed it well might, that

Pi !

DEATH FROM A FALL ^

.hero ,.™„i„e,, ,,„ „„„,„„, ,,,,,^„^y ^,,,, .^ ^^^^^

-anc. f„.. ,„™ .„„e .fterwur,!. To,a..,, hi. wife. ., J| ,„„ „, ,"; .
no„, .one some questions .ospecing me, wl,ich he „s seriously answered »
Early n, May Cap.. Lyon, aeeompanie,, hy Ueu,, Pal.ner, fivHl
."cn an., three n.arines, was <,ispatche„ „„ „n exploring expedition, with

.".0". to prooee.1 a,„„, .ha. eoast .o the northward, careful,; exa.nininl
=";y hen or ,„,et he n,i«ht ,„eet with, so as to leave „o d„„h , if possi I?

;:;:::",""""' "-:' ^^ ''-'-- '^^-"^ .-^...in; .,:. nee :

• ',"" '^'"" '■■'"■■■"'« " "■> "- rival there." The result of this

ped,t,„„ frou, whieh .hey returned i„ safety on the evenin, of the

-.».,was tocounrn, what they ha.l learned fr„,n Ili.liuU, of tire cou-

.rn,at,„n o, the ntainland, around the northern ex.re.ni.y o whieh th '

H- ... find the eoveted passage ,o the .ol.ar Sea. (. 'the , ,th Ta.nes

nn.de, a seaman was instantly killed l.y fal,i„,, f,„„, ,„, , „,;^, ,„

Aedeekof the Hecla; and f.rty days later they lost two m '„ „n the

rury l,y d,sease; Willia.n .S er, „.,ar,er,naster, after a short illness

i'lKl tho invalid, Roid. 'uncss,

EWEUAT

I in; i

CHAPTER XXXI.

PAURY ATTEMPTS TO KRKK HIS SHIPS — lOI.OOKMK ISLAND — A NE-

CUOPOMS SUPPOSED DISCOVERY OK THE I'OEAK SEA ItECLA

AND FURY STRAIT — OLUTTONY UNUSUAL PHENOMENON

MELVILLE PENINSULA EXPLORED SUCCESSFUL ANGLINO STILL

RESET - OE \TH FROM SCURVY WELCOME AT SHETLAND

ISLAND;-^.

From the 3(1 to the 3ist of June they were cn<2^agcd in cuttin-,^ canals
for the ships to escape to sea whenever an opportimity ofTercd. This
opportunity Avas supplemented 1)y tlie action of the ice itself toward the
close of their labors. On the 19th a body of sea ice was driven by a
southerly breeze aj^ainst tiie bay ice, which, weakened l)y their labors,
broke asunder, forminjr a new channel, l)ut closin<,r the canal tliey had
constructed. In a few days the action of the wind and tide reversed, re-
opening the artificial channel, into which they hastened to float some
loose masses of ice to keep the sides from bein<,r aj^ain driven to<:fethcr.
It was not, however, till the 3d of July, after almost nine months' deten-
tion, that the ships were able to leave the roadstead. Sailing northward,
they were in <,n-eat dauLjer from ice-floes and iceber-rs until the 12th,
when they reached, in latitude 67° iS', the mouth of a river, where they
anchored. This they named Barrow River, in honor of Sir John Bar-
row, secretary to the admiralty, and an active promoter of Arctic voy-
ages. On tile next day, in pushing their exploration up stream, they
found a beautiful cascade of two falls of ninety and fifteen feet, respec-
tively. Higher up they fouuc' two other smaller cataracts; and were, alto-
gether, much delighted with the novelty of the experience. Their
pleasure was further enhanced by the richness of the vegetation on its
banks, and the killing of some reindeer. Leaving Barrow River with a
favorable wind they soon reached a headland, which they named Cape

IGLOOKLIK ISLAND.

279

Pcnrhyn, .ind on the next day encountered great numbers of walrus, as
they had been led to expect from the accounts jDreviously given by Ilig-
liuk and the other Esquimaux. They were seen lying in large herds
upon loose pieces of drift-ice, huddled close together, and .-ven upon one
another, not less than two hundred being in gunshot. They killed a few
and found the flesh palatable, though somewhat objectionable at first,
because of its dark color.

On the 1 6th they arrived at the entrance of the channel which Ilicr.
link liad marked on the chart as opening to the west, but only to find it
closed by an unbroken sheet of ice. Here they encountered some Esqui-
maux, with whom they landed on Iglooklik Island. The encampment
comprised sixteen tents, in two divisions
of eleven and five, half a mile apart.
These natives were found willing to
exchange commodities, but altogether
uiKiccustomed to receiving anything
without giving an equivalent. Unfor-
tunately the visitors, in tlieir desire to
win the confidence of these simple ~^
]x'ople, began to bestow piesents, and
naturally they soon became as willing
■as tiicir kindred on Winter Island, and
others of the same race elsewhere, to take gifts

in the tents, to which they had been driven back from the sea
by the stress of weather, the visitors gained their ships and stood
to tlie west. They, however, made but little progress, and landed
a-ain on the 33d, to visit the village, having meanwhile been
visited on shipboard by the Esquimaux. This time they had an
opportunity of inspecting tiie permanent villages at tiie distance of less
tlian a mile inland from the tents. These were of the same shape
as the snow huts on Winter Island, but of different material. Here
the lower part of the circle was of stone, and the rest of bones of
the whale and walrus, gradually inclining inward and meeting at the top,
with the interstices filled with turf, a layer of whicli also covered the

ILIOI.IIK.

After a night spent

J-.'

280

SUri'OSED DISCOVERT OF POLAR SEA.

whole of the outside. This, with the added layer of suow which envel-
oped the whole structure in winter, made these huts (juite warm. The
entrance is always from the south, and consists of a passaj^e ten feet \mv^
and not more than two in heit^ht and width, tln-oti^h wiiich, therefore,
it is necessary to crawl to <rain the hut. Tiiese passages are made of flat
slahs or lar<ife stones, and like the huts, are covered with turf to keep out
the cold. Lying all arounil were seen great quantities of bones of the
whale, walrus, seal, as well as bears, wolves and dogs. The visitors
were not a little shocked to find human bones among the others. HiU ,i
greater surprise was in store for them; for as soon as they were seen to
put a skull or two into their bags, the natives volunteered to hunt up
some more, which they thrust into the s:nne receptacles, with no more
compunction than if tliey had been the skulls of wolves, instead of p';r-
haps their own grandfathers.

On the 24th they were able to get some salmon from a late arrival in
the village, who stated that more could be <)l)tained at a distance of three
days' journey. Capt. Lyon, accompanied by George Dunn, volunteered
to go with the new-comer, Toolemak, in search of the coveted salmon.
Equipped with the necessary supplies and Ibtn- dav^' provisions, tliey set
out, but were prevented by open water from reaching tlie designated
fishing-ground in their sledges. On tlie 27th, wiiile on tliis I'xcnrsion,
Lyon discovered o\er thirty small islands, \-arving 'wi size from a hun-
dred yards to a mile or more in length, which he named Coxe's (iron]).
Meanwhile, the ships wailed in vain f )r the breaking iip of the ice, and
could onlv gain at intervals of several davs a half-mile or so, as an occa-
sional break would occur. On the 14th of August the commander, with
one otHcer and four men, and ten davs' provisions, set out to reach, if pos-
sible, a point on the mainland whence he could overlook the strait. On
the iSth thev reached tlie desired point, whence, looking to the west, thev
coukl see no land, and quite naturalh' inferred that thev had discovered
the Polar Sea, in what is now known as the (iulf of IJoothia. The nar-
row chamu'l at their feet, comiecting I'^ox Channel with tiiis sea, Parry
named the Strait of the Fury and Ilecla, which it still retains. It varies
in width from eight to forty miles, and is studded with islands. Its west-

". „ i

I r EC LA AND

erii ciUrancc is i„ latitude

Joth, th

le s

hips slowly lahorc.

y STJiMT.

'iijritinlc ,Sk . Rot

ic einraiice lo th

I he west, :in<l

281

uminpf on the

'•II ihc

•til

o narrows.

were at

l)loeive(l hy a continuous lii
This they tried to hore ti

leir w

■'y

as .1 liii

)f unhrokcM ice lyinj^

I a

lly

r rii'-li

11 II!

hy '■r()^•,•dinff sail, and .,,1

si rait,
"ced in

C. .■„«„„.,„,,. „„ .,,0 .,«„ ,„■ ,„„ „„.. ,„., .„„„i„.l ,,„ "^

wcM, ,„ ,„e v,ci„i,v „f „„ae „,„ artc-wa,-., „a,n..., a',„„.,.. I,,,

'.- c..pl,„.„„ „a„ie,, „„.L.,. Capt. Ly,.„ an.l ,.io,.,. R, ,u

.... .0.. ,,,,„ ,.pa.e,.., i„ „.. .,, „ , „„„ , ;

:^j:: : :,^';::";;;~;7'--"---^-e.,.a,,..

I>ail}, a„<l K,t,sfii,l h„„.,„lr ||,,„ ,1,^,,^ ^^,,^ ,_,,
..a lo ,„.„,,.. ,■„,.»,,,,„ |„ ,„„ ,„„„,„. ,,,,,^. i,,,,, ,,,,,„,^ ,„.
.. , lc„, c,.„„n„ ,hi, „„i„i,„„ ,. ,.„,„^ ,.,. .,^.,, ,^^^^ ^^^

tat »ea»„ „ ,„ „.,■ >av „,„;, I,,., .y.h.wi.ho,,. any ..pponanitv ,„

■"'";7; "■'"■- ' >"' - -P«"y f-nnin,, an,„„.l ,l,o .hip., .I.c-v

"■•■>■ ^■'■nv.,, ,,, f,,„, .„■ ,.„„, .,,, ,,^,„,,„.,„^ ^,,,^^^^,^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ -+

""™ ""■^- ""'' '"■»' ---I ">- "-.-», and , , »a„. .hci,- „l,| nU-,.*

M-ainpi.,-,,,.,. 1V„,„ tl,, |,„„ „, ||,„ |„,,,|, ,„ ^.^.^,^,j ^|_^^^_^

AfU-r »,„„,,,,„ ,,„,„ i„ „,„,„., ^, ,,^ „„i,H,„„H„,, i,,,„„ ,,„^,

-I —■„,. a,,,,,i„„„ ,„„„,,„„„„ „„,,^ „,^ „^,.^.^_^^, ^1^^ j,_^^^ ^^ ■

:;■''■' 7:" '";■ ■■"'-'■ ^''"^'' "■ "- »»«. •"-• -"i^ w„ .„ ,„o „,.*

"I l.cr,l„n,, .,.. sh,p,. Thi, „„,„,„.„, ,,^, ,,,^^^ ,^^^,,. ^^^, ^ ^^^__^

»."nc- P.-..V,.,,,, „.,,. ,„a,lc r,„. ,„„ scanity „r ,hc ships a,„l storos, as n-dl
»» "- tiK- hc,.l.h „,„, „,„„•.„, ,„■ .„, „„„_ ^,^ „,_ ,,,,.,,^^^. _^^^,__^.^^^^^^ ,

-I- > >,s,u „r ,„e r,.ic,„lly „a.ivc.s u-cv a ncvor-cali,,. »„.„.,„ „r i,,,.,,,.
-' -— -n. ..,„ni™,, a,„l ,„.„, „.|,id, „„ ,vs,„„a, ,.fth.i,. „„„

;■';'"'' ■;;'7'"-" -Pl"-I- This cabled ,hcn,. sp,„s„„.i.h .h,

W- "I llu.a„,cal ,x.pros..„,a,i„„s, whiol, ha.l al,„ l„s, .h,ir „„vd,v a„.l
|;H,ao„v..„c,s. They sc.c,„.o.l a shcl.ored space f,,,- oxcoiso and recrca-
I'-n I'V .avcl,,,,!;- hi-li s,„nv wall,, which „„l „„

■ ly

Iccl se

nsihly to the

'^ri%

«. ^' .%

rv ^JV

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

5r ^/.

#/. %

1.0 Ifritt IIIM

I.I

I «- IIIM

IL25 III 1.4

1.6

Sciences
Coiporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4503

283

GLUTTO.yr.

warmth of the sliips, but was moreover a protection against snow
drifts.

The Esquimaux suffered from scarcity of provisions before the close
of the winter, though with anything like economy they could easily have
lived on the supplies they had provided in advance, as it seemed to their
English friends. It had already been often noticed what immense (,uan-
tities of food they could consume; and it was now thought worth while
to make a careful test of their powers in t\vM direction. For this pur-
pose a young man, scarcely full grown, was selected, and left at entire lib-
erty to eat all he wanted ot staple food previously weighed. It was
found that in twenty hours he had consumed Sj^ lbs. of sea-horse flesh
—half being supplied frozen and half boiled— and 13^ lbs. of bread, be-
sides 11^ pints of gravy, soup, i gallon of water, i tumbler of whisky
and water, and three wine glasses of raw spirits. There was no evi-
dence of gorging or over-feeding in this performance, and the party con-
cerned did not manifest any sense of having consumed an al^iormal
quantity of food. The English had, however, noticed a tendency to de-
liberate gorging in other instances, especially when plenty succeeded
privation. Some were seen in the huts so distended by the quantity of
walrus-meat they had eaten, that they were unable to move, and com-
plained of severe pain, which the observers could only ascribe to that
cause. They inferred that a great part of the illness from which the in-
habitants of Iglooklik suffered, and of the deaths which ensued, was due
to the frequent changes from excessive to insufficient feeding. On Win-
ter Island, where there was less fluctuation in this respect, there had been
but little sickness and no deaths, the preceding winter, among the natives.
P^or the first time in Parry's Arctic experience, he frequently saw
"hard, well-defined clouds, a feature he had hitherto considered as almost
unknown in the winter sky of the Polar regions." And in the spring,
about the time of the sun's reappearance, "the glowing richness of the
tints with which they were adorned," excited his admiration. "An-
other peculiarity observed in this winter, was the rare occurrence of the
Aurora Borealis, and the extraordinary poverty of its display whenever
it did make its appearance. It was almost invariably seen to tlie south-

ainst snow

e the close

iasily have
ed to their
inse (juan-
orth while
this pur-
entire lib-
. It was
lorse flesh
bread, be-
if whisky
3 no evi-
oarty con-
abnormal
icy to de-
succeeded
jantity of
and com-
e to that
:h the in-
, was due
On Win-
had been
e natives,
lit)}' saw
as almost
le spring,
ss of the
n. "An-
;e of the
vhencver
le south-

MELVILLE PBmMSULA EXPLORED.

serve, ,„ the c„,„,e „f the preceding winter; ,„ul did not p„K|„ee .nv
sensible effect „„ .|,e gold leaf i„ tl,e electro„,eler " ^

On the .oth„f April the c,„„,„„„dcr announced to the officer, and
-■w of both »h,p, that the Hecla was to return to England on the p "

..yfnav,g„.,On, and, ,„.r.„„it, was given to Ih of h=r olC

n -^a, cho»e to volunteer ,„ regain with the expedition, o .^
.* "- May, w,th the ai,l of their dogs, the necessary transfer of ' ovi
-n. and stores for one year was ,nade fro™ the Hecla to tl e P rT
w..hou any exposure or lahor to .he crews outside their respective ^ps'
As an „l„s r„t,on of what the dogs could achieve. Parry state hat'
-..ogs of Captain Lyon's dragged ,,6„ pound, a distance o ^t
■d .n„,ne ™n„tes, and that they worked in a similar way hetv "
.he sh,ps for seven or eight hours a day." The road was, howeeer ve !
good at h,s t™e, and the <logs the be.,, that could be pro^red '

O'- the 7* ofjune, having previously made all neecary' prepara
..ons, Cap.a.„ Lyon, accon^panied by .wo ,nen and .en dogs, n l^e
ec.sa,, provisions for a trip of thirty days, set out ,„r an tjplo ,t o
o Akkoolee, wb.eh they had named Melville Peninsula. A , gh. ex
P ,™,o„ Of .he land aero,, .he stral.-which .hey named c! b I
'sl..nd. behevmg .. .„ be ,„eh from informa.ion received of .he E,<,„i
-ax had been made before going into winter quarter,. P„„y at m
pa,ne.l Lyon for a few days with a small party in the hope of .

*.*mak's salmon lake on .he route. They found .he lake, but a 'r
twenty.four hou.-s fishing through a hole in the ice, they failed to 1
..»y salmon or fish of any kind. Lyon had started south on t e
.-..ng company with Parry and hi, companions, who oecuple he '
ve,,nshoot.ngd„cks and making observations until the ^.h, n

cy .e.urne<l to the ships, with thirty or forty duck, each. On the 11

coast .ft! 7 "■"' "" ''"^""' """''^" - 'heir na.ive

of Toonoonck, and their sledge wa, m.rde from piece, of

that coast, of two ships, which h= afterward ascertained

BSqpiMAUX PISHING.

284

APPEAL ro THE GODDESS OI^ F/SIIING. ^

wore .he I)..u.-,itv of Leith, and the Aurora of Hull, which were
.■.I'-Kloned on the .8th of Au,.,.st, .83t,ahout the latitude of 7. ^ on the
;-t coast of Hamn's Hay. O, u.e 34th Parry set out a.ain, this ti.e
- -ni.any with Toleen^ak, f,r ... sahnon .Isiun-y, and reaching it as
';— -"- .w. <1 .ys, hy sled,e, the, succeeded, .fter several ' hours'
l.sluu^ on the .5tl. ...d .6th, in catching one small Msh-only one, not-
wnhstandh.^ the earnest supplications of Toolen.ak and his wifb to the

f ''^^ " '"'^"^-' ^^'•'••^"^'"^ '--P-ial Siraciousness to the <,ood Kab-

l""na who had done so nn.ch for her f.ithful Esquinianx. On the ^.th
■n another pool, Toolcn.ak had l,etter success, and hetore leaving for thJ
sh.ps on the 38th, he directed the Enj^lish to a s.rean. at son.e distance
wli.ch proved to he the true sahnon Irshery. 0,i the ist of July they
">und the spot and saw the remains of two sahnon that had been thrown
"1-n tile >ce, and returned on tiie 2d to the ships, intending, to send ou^ a
l.shn,,. party for whose use they left behind their fishing equipment. On
th.s tr.p, when they had <,one into camp at ten o'clock the first ni-^ht out
I^'ny lound that his tean. of ten do^,.s had drawn his sled,.e, loaded with
alH.ut ,,.00 pounds, a distance of forty statr.ce miles, half of the road
bcino- very nuiilFerent. Lyon had however, returned tmsuccessful from
the mainlanil.

They ^vere now visited by a party of twenty Esquimaux from
tlu. shores oi Baffin's Bay, and the same region as their forn.er visitors
These also were acquainted with the story of the abandonment of the
tNvo Nvhalers. Lieutenant Iloppner now conceived the idea <,f crossing
Cockburn Island to the scene of the disaster, with one of the twenty at
..nude, but found the whole party, together with what might be termed
>lH' rcsHlent Esquimaux, had abandoned Iglooklik on the 4th. It now
bccauK- necessary for the English to provide walrus-meat for their doc^s,
and tour boats were so engaged for three weeks.

On the .6th Ilopp.ier returned, having only reached the south coast
o( Cockl,urn I.aand, beyond which his guides had not yet determined to
proceed. Two of the Esquin.aux accompanied Hoppner's party to the
«hil)s, loaded with various useful presents, and returned the nexi <lay to
then- hshn.g grounds. On the lyth the party which had been sent to\he

280

T//E HECLA FREED.

salin.,,, stream ivlunu.l, uKh an.;;!.. ,„•„„(• that Tcok-mak ha.l „„t la-c-n
.Ic-cc-ivin- tlR-in will, an lOsciuiniaux lisl, story; for tlu-y hrou-ht had;
f)|() p„tMuls of salmon, hcsidi-s niiu-ty-tive ..rvrnison. The- (ish varii-.l in
kM.-ihrroM, twenty to twcMly.six inches, an.l one of the lar-est, when
cleane,i, wei-he,! eight and a half pounds. Towar.I the end of the .nonth
symptoms of scurvy appeared in four ..r five of the crew of the Fmy, l.ul
soon yielded to medical treatment.

The 1st of August, KS23, had now arrived, and yet the ships were as
securely held by the ice as in mi.I-winter. On the ,|th they hegan to saw
the ice, and on the Slh the ice al,(,ut the Fury hega.i to move m.der a
northern bree/e, when, crowding sail on the ship, she was got entirely
five; hut the Ilecla still remained ])eset. On the next day she, with the,
Hoc in which she was embedded, was carried out to where the swell of
the sea soon broke away the ice girille, and she was also free. Mean-
while, Parry, with the concurrent a.lvice (,f his oflicers, ha<l determined
not to risk another winter in these regions, with the small hope there
was of penetrating to the west in the short season that remained. Moth
ships returned to their late winter <p.arters, which they named Tur.on
Bay, to ligliten the Fury by the re-transfer of the surplus stores, an.I to
make their arrangements for final departure from the scene of their ton
months' detention. On the 12th they sailed away to the southeast un.ler
a favo able wind, and on the morning of the 14th were ofFOoglit Island,
twelve leagues distant from Iglooklik. Here they received a final visit
from a number of their Escp.imaux frienils, whom they loaded down
with gifts, being more free to give what they would no longer need,
as the ships were now bound for home and plenty. Full raUons ha,l
been restored to the men, anil entire freedom in the use of anti-scorbutics,
the recognized tendency to scurvy in numbers of the oilicers and men'
having been perhaps the most weighty influence in determining tiic
commander to forego his contemplated purpose of spending another
season in the attempt to get through the Strait of the Fury and the
Hecla. On the 27th they were able to leave Owlittcewik Island, having
made but little progress for the preceding fortnight. Now, however, 1k^
ing less beset by ice, and again favorctl by a breeze from the north, they

1 Il<>( l)l'(.-ll
Hf,'lit l);ul.
1 \:ilic'<l ill
,^ost, wluMl
llir inoiitli
Fury, l)iit

)S Wflt.' ;iK

:;iii to saw
i iiiuIcT a
>t c'litirciv
, with (lui
c swell of
Mcaii-
JtLTiniiu'd
ope there
•(I. IJotii
I Turtoii
■s, and to
their ten
ast under
it Island,
iiial visit
L'tl down
er in:cd,
ions had
'orhutics,
ind men
linj,^ tlie
another
and the
, haviiii^r
.'ver, l)e-
•th, they

WELCOME AT LERWJCK. gg^

pn.ccc.le.I ...ore .apidly ,o ,he south, au.I o.. the j.st they .cached Wi.-te.-
sl.md. liie .listance froni ()oj,Iit was ahout i6o .t^iles; of these thev
iK..I .eally saile.l only forty, having, .h-iftcd the rcMuain.ler with the iee hi
whuh ,h,y vve.-e beset, showing, an averaj^e drift .ate of llfteen u.iles a
.fay, and live of sailiu,. On the 6th of Scptc.nher, Fife, (;,.ee.,laud or
- -.aster of the llecla,die.i of the scurvy, owinj. pa.-tly ,o his ow.. aver-
S.O.. to the use of nnpalalal.ie .e.ne.lies. They continued to he embar-
rassed by the ice-o,.e or the other of the ships bei..^ in i.n.ne.liate .la..-
.-.uf dest.-uction, or at least serious i,.ju.y, or penrianent detentio.,-
"nt'l the ,7th, when at len,.th they we.e able to .nake <h.e east h. an
open sea acoss Fox Channel for Hudson's Strait.

I'assiuKH.y T,-inity Tshmds on the i8th, a.Kl mcctincr no obst,-uction
fro.„ ,ce or other cause i,. IIu,lso..'s or Davis' Straits, they .„ade a c,uick
voyage ac-oss the Atlantic, .-eachinj, the Orkneys in three weeks f.o,T.
the weste,-n ent.-a.,ce of nudso.,'s Strait, o,. Oct. 9, after an absence
of twenty-seve.. .„o..ths. On the ,oth they entered the ha,bor of I.er-
wck in the Shetla..,! Isla.uls, f.ndi..<, it impossible to p,-oceed south be-
cause of adve.-se wh.ds, which also kept them weather.]K>un,l for three
.lays, ,., Hressa Sound. » O,. the first informatio., of our arrival " s-iys
l'ar,y,u,h, ,,,„, „■ L,,,,;,,, ^,,, ^^^ ,,^^,.^^^^ the h.habitants /locked
fn.u. the count,y to exp,-ess their joy at ot.r unexpecte.l return, and the
town was at nij^ht illuminate.!, as if each hidividual had a b.-other or a
son an.on.,. us." (),. the .3th they p.-oceeded south, a.-rivinK off IJuchan
Ness on the next clay. On the .6th Par.y lef^ the ships, ^oin^ ash».-e at
Wh.tby, whe.ice he p.-oceeded by land to Lon.lo.,. Arrivin.^ o.i the
.nornin,. of the iSth, he went at once to the Admiralty to ,nve a.^ account
-.1 h,s secon.l voyage to the northwest. The ships soo.i arrived safely In
"H- Thames, with M3out<,f u.S .Mlicers and men in good health, after
spen.lni.^. two consecutive winteis i.i the ice, with the .nea.. temperature
several de<rrees below zei-o.

CHAI'TICR XXXII.

SKCONI, V<.VA(;K (...■ FKANK1.,N_STATK <»K AKCTIC SlIKNCK-PK KPA-
KATK.NS AND .'LAN- DK ATM OF MtAXKl.lv's WIKK -_,.,; A N K IJ V
I'l.ANTS IMS I.LA«; (,V AN AHCTIC ISI. A M, - ,.<„rr KU A N K 1.1 N -,
DKSCKNI, Tl.K MACKKNZIK—SKI.AUATK.N CF THK TWO I-AWTIES
— SKIUOUS AI.VKXTUKK WITH KSQUIMAU X --TM K MOATS PLUN-
DERED — FHANKMn's KETUKN — SUCCESS OF KICUAH DSON - RE-
TURN T(J KNCiLAND.

Anivod in England, Franklin, Hack, and Richardson were hr.noie.l,
congratulated, and feted, in a manner somevvhaf resembling the trinmphs
given to the ancient Latin heroes. Upon Franklin was also bestowed
the rank of Captain. It would naturally be supposed that these bold
men, after sulFering the agonies of hunger and braving the dangers „f
Boreas for three long years, would be content to rest on their laurels.
Such, however, was not the case. The explorations of the early part of
the nineteenth century, particularly the events just narrated, had whetted
the appetites of scientillc men for more accurate knowledge concerning
the mysterious regions of the earth's axial termini. Investigation, too,
was beginning to take a more definite form, and to strike at a more'deli-
nite object. The existence and possible commercial value of a North-
west Passage was more firmly believed in, and operations in the 1-ne of
exploration were largely conducted with reference to its discovery, or to
its utility in that important event. It was desired to know more fully
the character of the land bordering on the Polar Sea— of the resources
which it possessed, of the people who inhabited it, and of the probable
future value to civilized nations of this hitherto unexplored wild. More-
over, Arctic explorations had been hitherto fostered almost wholly by
Great Britain, and that, too, it may be said, in a disinterested way, and
not wholly nor chieHy for her own political or mercantile aggrandizement.

2»8

THE WAL'srUT SHELL

flfiO

"-«»iK..., ,.nv..„,::::,; 3^^^^^^^ ■

•'i»'"«.n»i>c.., ,„.„„,„„„„ .,.,;„,.4: " ;7>'- -■"'■ ^'^ li.^.

-'-..-I ju,,. a. .hi» .i,„. f™„ ,,, v^„,. ': '■ ' ;'"'• '-"'• 'i-k

-■on, somewhat familiar with A,- ,• ' '"""• ^"^ "" ''•"'•■

-..,.he „„, e„«a,.,l ■"'"^""'■''■'' '"» -"■■- -e,o also

«I-M .h,cn, ,.oc„J hi''' "™^- "';"^- l"-^--- -y^«^-. -I a» w.

■'■-■ ..-» L .he o^e Lti:;:,:,:-;^ t-t'--' ^" ^^- .-«-ia.

™von„«, ma.i,„"it ,, I I, '"'""T- " "^ «""' -"" ■' "■■.!-

woatho,-, A xZ „r,hr ■■" "" '■'■'"" """■'"» -"I '-"

™y ,.,. impo.,, '"^^' ""' '''•■^ ''"■^- <■"• "■ -l-o 'vol,

-wh„ie„ar,,rx:::r::;:ir7:: . .

siiiuiiier of ■S-'c -m,! .., "ucrioi ot America in the

MacKo„.v. k;; :' ;t '" -''^ -•■""■ << -'■> ™-who..,.. „:

«>-■• viciniev, as iv„l „„l ,„. ' "' "'"' ">°"'"^'i"H in

"-.-vos ;. .a is ,' " f '^'^ -"•""-'.-" vvoro,,, hold

3!)()

AT FORT CIIirEWYAN

I ,

lri|) to llic iiioulh of the MacKcn/.ic, in order to have as imicli of the sum-
mer as possihle I'or tlic important woiii which tliey were about to un-
dertake. Arrived at the mouth of tlie -jfreat river, Capt. Frani<iin, with
Lieut. Mack' and a part of tiie men, was to explon- the coast westward,
until he should meet a party who were to arrive l)y way <>f IJehrin^'s
.Strait, ;nul were to co-operate with him in iiis investijjfatioiis. In tiie
meantime, Dr. Richardson and Lieut. Kendall, witli the residue of the
men, were to procceil eastward from the MacKen/ie to the Coppermine,
which will be remembered as the point of departure of their previous
coast survey. This would make an unbroken and nearly complete
chain of surveys between east and west; and thus the preliminary work
of proving the existence of a Northwest Passa<;e from liaiHn's Bay to
Behring's Strait, would be in substance .accomplished.

The death of Franklin's wife on the day after his departure has al-
ready been referred to; she had been very low for some time, but in
spite of her condition, she, with remarkable ambition, urged him to leave
her, and to sail on the day appointed by the Admiralty. Notwithstand-
ing this cahimity, Franklin, when the news was brought him, concealed
his sorrow as far as possible, so that he might not be the means of de-
pressing the spirits of his officers and men.

The expedition having been duly conveyed to Hudson's Bay, the
boats .and crew all the way by water, and the officers liy land through
New York and Canada, the whole ]jarty met about 1,200 miles in the
interior, on the 29th of June, 1S35. This junction took place in the
Alethye River (latitude 56" 10' north; longitude ioS° 55' west) which
is almost the head of the waters that How from the north into Hudson's
Bay. After traversing this river with much difficulty, on account of its
rapidity and shoals, the expedition pushed on to Fort Chipewyan, where
it arrived about the middle of July. The inhabitants here were much
surprised to see the adventurers so early in the season; being only two
days later than a former party, who had spent the prece<ling winter in
Canada. At Fort Chipewyan, the party received material addition to
their store, and also secured the service of several Indians, whose faithful-
ness they had had ojiportunity to jjrove upon the jjrevious voyage.

PLANTING THE FLAG ON THE ARCTfC. 391

As there was still consi.lorahle time l,ef„rc winter wcuM set in, I'.-.nk-
l.n pn,cee.le,l ace.^nlinj. t.. a plan which he ha.l cherishe.l ever since he
set out fn.m ICnj^land. He llrst eon.lnete.l the partv to the MaeKen.ie
-..I .leseen.le.l ,0 a point whieh he deemed suitahle Cor win.er .p.ar.ers'
IK. then instrueted Ur. Riehanlsou to proeeed across the country and dis^
c-..ver some convenient point on tlie Coppermine to reach, when he
should traverse that river in returning fVon. his pr.^ecte.l trip ib,- the tbll..w-
n.^ sunmier. He, himself, thou.^ht it ,,ruden. for hin, to .l.scen.l the
Mackenzie to the sea, and make with a selected crew some ohservations
prelnnn.ary to lea<li>i^. the whole party there in the followin-^ summer
Th.s plan was executed, an.l Uie sea was reached after an evcM.tful iour-
ney; The occasion of then- arrival at the seahoard is thus descrihed ],v
Franklin: ■'

"Immediately on reachin- the sea, I caused to he hoiste.l the sHk Wvr
wluch n,y deeply-hunented wife had uKule, an.l presented to n,e -.s \
partnijr j,nft, under the express injunction that it was not to he tn.furied
untd the expedition reache.l the sea. [ will not attempt to .Icscrihe my
emotions as it ex,,anded to the hree.e; however natural and irresistihle
r felt that it was my duty to suppress them, and that 1 had no ri.rlu hy
an in.Iuli,rence of my own sorrows t.. cloud the animated coimtenances of
.ny companions. Joinin,t,r, therefore, with the hest <,rrace 1 could com-
M.and, in the .^^eneral excitement, [ endeav<.re,l to return wif h correspond-
ing cheerf.dness, iheir warm con,t,M-atulations on havin- thus planted
the IJritish flai,' (.11 this remote island of the Polar Sea."

As the autumn drew on, hoth parties returned to the point which hal
heen previously selected as cp.arters for the winter. Suhstantial huts of
wood an.l stone were erected, an,l every precaution taken to make the
c-onun,^. winter as tolerahle as could possihly he ,lone. The place was
..ame.1 Ft. Franklin, after the .^^allaut leader of the expedition. The
whole estahhshment now nu.nhcre.l ahout fifty persons; includi.u,
live ofHcers, nineteen Jiritish seamen, mari.iers, and voyaj^ers, nine Cana^^
.l.ans, two Esciuimaux, three women, seven children, an.l one Indian
Ia.l;l,:.-sides several infirm Imlians, who rec,uire,l temporary support
llie wniter was spent according to the instructions of the admiralty, in

i :

t.1

1 ^1

. J

808

SLPAHATION.

cxploriiit; •iiid suiveyiiiiL,' the ;(iL'al lakc-s and tliu atljaceiU innuiitalns, ami
ill making; t()p()','raj)hical HUctche; of the co'miry. Of this woik, Dr.
Richanlson chiclly hat I cliai-ji[e; and his rcpcrti. have heeoine clashics up-
on the j^eo^^raphy of (lie portions examined.

The summer of 1826 found them preparin<,' tr» descend the MacKenzie.
Before startinj;, the ho.it and all the supplies were divitled hetweeii the
two j)arties which were to separate at tiie mouth of tliis river. The
men were eiioseii out, and complete preparations made, in order to avoid
the ilelay and inconvenience of doiiij^ it in a less comfortahle place.

At the mouth of the Mackenzie, as at the mouths of most <,n-eat
rivers, there is a separation of tiie main stream into two principal part ;,
inclosinj; land to a considerahle extent l)ctween them. Before this di-
vision was airiveil al the expedition encjunped to spend the ni<,du, and to
allbrd ail opportunity for the two parties to say their adieus, as they
would naturally descend hy the two difrerent mouths, accordiii<^ to iheir
instructions. As the parties entertained for each other sentiments of
true friendship, the evenin-,^ hetbre their separation was spent in the
most conlial and cheerful manner. They t'elt that they were onlysep-
aratiiii; to he employetl in services of e(pial interest; and tiiey naturally
looked forward wilii Lcreat delij^ht to their next meetiii<^r when, after a
successful teriuiiiatioii, they mi,L,dit reh.earse the incideius of their respec-
tive voyaj^es.

It is im[)ossil)le, for obvious reasons, to iLfive tii«; minute di'tails of llieir
interestiiiL;- and successful enterprises. The jud^i^meiil of IJrilish sliip-
wri«^hts seems to have been well taken, for the boats used on these oi--
casions provctl exactly adapted to tlie service reipiired of th( m, and
carried tlieir valiant crews thnnigh all the stoiins and ice-iiound liays
with no fatal and few serious disasters, Franklin explored evei\ ba\
cape, luountain, river and inlet, as far as he went to the westward, but
dill not succeed in iuidiiit;" a siiij^le L,^ood iiarlior. He was tiie lust lo
discover that tiie Rocky AL)uiitaiiis are not a contiif-ious chain l)ut con-
sist of several parallel rani^es of i^n-eater or less extent.

During- this season of tiie year ICsciuimaiix -/ere verv fivtiiieiit and
anxious to trade. A diiliculty occurred with llieiii 011 lliis trip whicli

H.i

BNCOUNTliR WITIT /VATrVES.

198

Itin' '° '^ T"'"- " ''^-"^ "^■'"^' "^•^'"« "^ "- "f ""• '

o.^, ,t» owner w„, pl,„„.c,l „u„ ,1K. w.,.,. „,„ „» „.,„, ,, „,,,

^-'^^"^^'•"-^>^.»^....„,^,„,,^„,,,,,,,„„^,.^^ ,,;,,^

"..INK. wa,c.,.c„„l,n,c.,h™v„ „,u „rch„ U„y,,k;a„.l A,„.,„„M,|

... I... own ,,rc„. c„a,. A. ,ir„ „„. TcHow wa, .xc-cc Jy a,,-, v .„

soon ..can... .concilo,, .,. hi, ,,„„.,,„ .„„ „„„.„^ „„;;,^ ,„: ^
I he, ha„ ™a„, hale, of „o„,,s an,, o.her anicK, In ,h,. h„a. .hioh

i,a,l l.een ca,ef„,ly eovcre,! and c„„,.,.a,e,l ,Vo,n Che „a,i, ,.. ,

bcjjfanrl.-ing for every. f •

.•; .li-^posses, .ho crew! ^„„,„ e,„.,., .„„ t^^!!'Tl!:;!:,

,.n to eatch hi, ha„,„ wheneve,- he ae.en,p.e„ ,o hf. hi, „„., ,„. ,h,. „ ,
.l....or wh,.h lan, a. hi, ,i.,e. The whole way ,o .ho ,,l„ ,.. .he,- U-
.cpea.,„« .he wo„l ..Tcy„a,.M,ea.ln, ,en.Iy „„ „-,„,„„,, ,,,,„.'

-■..I pro,„ng h,s h.,n.l, a,.a!n,. .heir own. A, .ho hoach w ., • |

.- oo,„|aK, full of won^on anivcl, a„„ .ho ,hon., were re„„„l.,o,l. T
ochcrboa..|oad foll„wo.l, an,, „„.„ „,.,, „„„ ,„.„„^„„ ,^ ,^^, ^^^^^^

.ccmenw ohad hol.l F,.an,di ,„„„.„, „,,„,,.,..,„„ ,„„^„ ^^.,,_,

. .na,ne<, .,, .he.r canoe,, .a.in, .„e,n on. „r .he wa.o,,oar,ie., ,he,n

A numerous pnr.y „„w ,,row .l,oir ,.nivo,, a,„, ,.,,ppi„„ „„„„„,,,„
tc. .ho wa,,. ,.an .„ .he R,,,.,,,, („„ „^„^,^, ,,,_^^,^_^^^_| .^_^ ^.^^^

1^93.1

i i

MOUNTAIN WAKlUOliS.

hauled her as far as they could, bcjjau a icjjfular j)illa<ifc, handing the arti-
cles to the women, who, ran<j;ed in a row behind, ([uickly conveyed them
out of sight. Lieut. ]?ack ordered the muskets to he drawn on them, hut
not to he tired till the word of command. This display frightened the
natives, and they quickly dispersed. They afterward gave as a reason
for their actions, that they had never seen white men before, and seeing
so many things together, they could not resist the temptation to steal
them. They strenuously promised better behavior, and wished to be
restored to the good graces of the commander. A plot was also laid at
one tini" to murder the whole party, including Augustus,, the interpreter,
but it was fortunately frustrated before any attem])t was maile to carry
it out.

Franklin had intended and hoped to reach Jiehring's vStrait,orat least
to proceed far enough west to meet Capt. Jiecchey and his party, who
were supposed to In- a]:)proaching in that direction. Having seen no
traces of liim, ho^vever, and the summer being well gone, he decided to
return to tl-.e AfacKenzie. Two ether important facts also justified his
discontinuing tiie voyage. The instructions of tiie Admiralty iiad b-jcn
to return at a certain time, which time was now nearly at hand. An-
other reason was found in tiie following generally believed report: The
mountains along tiie shore were inhabited by a savage and cruel tribe of
Indians, of whose numbers and ferocitv ilie !Cs(|uimau\ gave thrilling
accounts. Tiiey b;id been accustomed to trade \vilh the ICsciuimaux, and,
on hearing of the white men's approach, and seeing tiie tilings wliich the
Es(|uiniau\ had obtained in barter, tliey feared that their own trade \vith
the :! itives would be ruined. Accordinglv, a plan wr.s laid to come
down and destroy the whole party of whites, and take jjossession at once
ot tJK ir stoics and trade. This could be I'lisily accomplished, as thev
were determined and powerful wari-iors. All things consitlered, Frank-
lin thoiigl.t it j)rudent to reverse his course, aiul was soon on his wav
back to the mouth of the great river. In spite of storms and ditliculties,
he had traced ;lii! coast to the one hMudred and llftieth meridian, and
seventieth parallel. Nearly 400 miles of coast were thus more accu-
rately traced and located than it had hitherto been ])ossible to do.

EULOGY UPON KENDALL.

29.'

In th<; meantime, Dr. Richardson had been equally successful in his
trip toward the cast. He explored the coast all the way from the Mac-
Kenzic to the Coppermine, besides examining much of the interior.
His untiring perseverance, uniform justice, and jrreat nautical wisdom,
did much to make Franklin's expeditions successful. His foresight was
seen in all he undertook, and his party always found in him an example
of diligence and of manly courtesy. He eulogized Lieut. Kendall as a
very accurate and companionable gentleman, and as an instance of the
former quality, cites tlie following fact:

Having been deprived of chronometers by the breaking of the two
intended for the eastern detachment, during the intense cold of winter,
the only resource left them for correcting the dead reckonings was limar
observations, whenever circumstances would permit. Yet when they
approached the Coppermine River, Mr. Kendall's reckoning of the posi-
tion of that place differed from the previous location by Franklin only
l.y a few seconds— being a very trifling disparity when the great distance
is taken into consideration.

Richardson secured 1,500 specimens of floral and animal life, many
of wiiich ]ia<l never been classified before. His report of his voyage was
very full and complete, and was completely satisfactory, both to Frank-
lin and the admiralty. Having joined Franklin's party in the interior,
llu' winter of 1S36-7 W..S spent ''i Canada; and the party having suc-
ceeded beyond the general expectation, returned to England in the sum-
mer of 1827.

TIIK WALNUT UUKU..

CHAPTER XXXIII.

PAHRv's Tiiiun Kx-PKorrroN — six)\v progrkss — nkw ick encoux-

TKKKD THK KUKV SWICl'T AWAY

-WINTKK AT VOHT l!()\VK\

onsKijvATioNS — mi;n'ii\'(; — captuhk ok a wuai.k iiik iukv

ALKAK INJSPi;CTr\G TIIK SIIII'S — IIIK I^UKY A I! A N DONKD — 1! IC-

I'OKT TO TIIK AOMrUAI/rV

l-l,!

The third expedition to the Northwest, in eliai\<,'e of Commander
Parry, was soon ecjuipped. To the usual stores were added preserved
carrot>^, jiarsnips, and sahnon, to<,rethcr with pickled onions, beets, cab-
bai^^e, and split ])eas; also a small quantity of beef pemmiean, made after
Capt. P'ranklin's recipe, ])y cuttinj^f the meat into thin slices, which, l)ein<,r
dried in the sun and pounded, are mixed with a small (piantity of melted
fat, and compressed into bags. The ships were the same as before; but
the Ilecla was tnider the immediate command of Parry, and the Furv
under Captain Iloppner, promoted from the rank of lieutenant, which he
held in the jirevious expedition; Captain Lyon ])ein_i,r detailed, as we will
see farther on, for a special exploration in the (iriper. The William
Harris, under Lieut. Piitchard, was joined to the Ilecla and Fury as a
transport until they should reach the ice. They left Deptford near Lon-
don, May S, 1S24, and on the loth took aboard their ammunition and
powder at Northlleet, near (iravescnd, :it the mouth of the Thames,
whence they proceeded on their voya'/c. On the 3d of July tliev dis-
missed the William Harris, after having transferred her surplus stores to
the Ilecla and Fury amid the ice-floes of Davis' Strait, out of which she
was toweil by the sliip's boats into clear water. With their now heavilv-
ladeii vessels, under light northerly winds they made l)ut little progress
for several days. Once or twice it became necessary to tow the ships
with their boats from a dangerous proximity to icebergs, of which ihev
couulc-d lit one time no less than one hundred and three from the

206

s/.oir p/foa/ffiss. ^,^

•Icck. TI,c crows ^vc,•o k.p, constantly ;.,, work, lu-avinj,, warpn,^, savv-
-n^, an,l nsn,. every <lcvicc known ,.. their craft in Arctic navigation, to
keep clear of tlie icc^l^er^r.s, an.I n,ake a little headway.

V.y the en.l of Jnly they n.a.le l,„t seventy n.ile; to the west, since
l-.'.n. with the transport. Five weeks l..,..er they kept up the .lailv and
1-urly strt,j,.]e with the ice, s.nne of which was over twentv feet t'hick
nbove the snrface of the water, an.I reaching, o„t of si^ht H-on. the n,as,'
He-1. Fhroush snch harriers an.I o],stacles they could o,w-„ only work
I.y towing with l>oats an.l warping with hawsers, ^aiuin^ hen-" an en-
trance hy sawinolhe ice, an.I there I hron,,.h some natural openin.^ he-
tween the Hoes. Hy such toll an.I lal,..r ,li.l they achieve a pro^.-e^s ..f
about lour huudre.] .niles, arriving, at length in si<,ht of tiu- hea.lhn.ls of
Lanca.tor S.>nnd, in open water, .,n the ,oth ..f Septend.er. I, was no-
t.ccl that lor some tinu- the ic. ha.l heen ^n.win^ less in thickness as
well as in the extent of the lloes, s., that ..n the whole the tarth..- they
^ot t., the northwest, the easier was their pr.>^ress, the .>hstructi..n lu-in..
greatest ah.n.t the n.i.l.Ue ..f the ice-pack, where also were seen the
larnesl number of iceber'-'s.

They ha.l n.,w accmplishe.l only the preliminary sta-^e of the voy-
a.Lre, I.ancaster Soun.l beins a-ain the preconcerte.l startini,^ point of the
exploration. It was h.,pe,! that the ice-barrier encountere.l live vears
i>el..re, alter penetratin.^^ Prince Re.^.ent Inlet, woul.l prove to have'been
pecuhar t.> the seas..n; an.I that a jK.ssa-^e woul.l now be fotm.l practica-
ble by that r.n.te. It was .leterminc.l that the trial shoul.l be made, and
tius was the direct object of the present expe,liti.,n. Unfortunately it
ha.l set out too late, or ha.l been to., l„n,,. .letaine.l in the ice-pack .,f
ISafbn's IJay, to have .nuch chance of success the first season. On the
I3tlb in si,irht of Cape York, the eastern lieadland of Prince Recent In-
k-t, they encountere.1 new ice, which formed very rapidly, and '^^.-ew in
thickness from day t<, day. Towinj,. with the b.,ats, backing a.id veer-
.".^•, an.I haulino. the ships, they kept movin,i,s but often as much l>ack.
wanl as Ibrward, until the ni^H.t of the 17th, when they were completely
'HMnmcl in. The ice cxtende.l in ..ne mass t., the sh..re, thickene.l by
ll^^' natural process .>f continual iVeezi.i^, .n.i stili more by the action ..f

308

rill' Firm- swlil'T AW.\)-

hf >»

the wind mikI swell, which rolli^l il unoii itself, 1

, iMver upon layer, some

times to a himdred leel in thickness, formiuL;- impenetrahle hinnmoeks.
'riiey now l)e,i;an to saw a canal so as to t;et the ships nt-aivr the shore.

in Ihi- event of heinu' unal

)lc to '>el out of the ice. On the 2isl, throuLrh

the o;ienin,tC ''i""^ partially cfrected, tlie ships were slowly sipiee/ed
to\sard the laud hy tlu' pressure of the ice from witliout, hut on the

H'ui^ driven with the suiroundmtr ice out

next day were thieati'iied with I

to sea hy a chan^-e of wind. Hawsers were now run out to the laiid-ii-e,

and the ileida was thus secured; hut the Imiiv, which la\- farther out.

\\'

as swe])t oir with the ice. The hawsers of the II

ecla were soon cut

one alli-r aiiot

her l)y the driftinu: Ice, hut not hefore they had

succi't'ded

in castiii"- anchor,

In an hour the mo\iiu

oe was iiartei

1 in t

'V it^

own action aLjainst the chain cahle, and tine sawiu'.
crew, U'a\in-- the llecla ailoat in clear water, ahoiit hall

operations of the
a mile from the

sliori'.

eanwnile

le 1' ur\-

icehei'"- '•rounded oil" a small

had
(11

t>een earned h\' the wind heyond an

leadland, and was cleared Irom the

loe !)\'

nx-at e\ei tion on the i)art

ot lier commander an

d crew, some li\e or si\

miles away, where she was joined hy the I lecla hefore ni^ht. On tl
moruiii^^- of the 37th they found tlieniselves at 1

eii'>'th WvL' of

ice, and

within a tew miles , if the western shore of I'rince Kceiil Inlet. At

noun ihey were ahreast of )ackson Inlet.
Port r>oweii, which 1' rr\- had now d

and

lelore in''ht had made

elermmed to maju' their winter

(piarters for tlu' season.

Ileri' the usual arrann'cmcnts were made, with

some unnro\ements

for heatiuL;- and ventilatim;- the ships, and with maN(|ucradi

theatru:al represiaitations, a

s amuscuK'n

t for t

le men.

msteai

ne si'iioois

wi're lesiime.i with ycr\' satislactor\- result-

md less dist rai'tion, as then

well' no I-^scpiimaux in the yicinity. Tauij;-!!! hy cxperienci', thev had
learned to place tlie stoves in the very hottom of the hold, w liicli, with
er appliances, enahled them to keep the temperature of the ships

leir otii

at ail a\eram' ol" ^6 ; so that with imi)ro\'ed

heatni''- ani)araiUN and the

i)reserved and nn'kle

d vc'-eta

I.K

already relenvd to.

reneral health

of the men sullered less deraiiLrement than ou a

ny of the p

receding;'

e.\

pi<hl

lolls.

:S M

200

o/rfifri

mi "■

800

OBSERVATIONS.

An incident related by Parry is worth reproducing? in illustration
of the distance which the voice can reach in favorable circumstances.
Lieut. Foster havinj? occasion to send a man from the observatory to the
opposite shore of the harbor— a measured distance of 6,696 feet, or
about one statute mile and two-tenths— in order to fix a meridian mark,
Iiad ])laced a second person half-way between, to repeat liis directions;
but he found on trial that this precaution was uiniecessary, as he could
without difficulty keep up conver.vition with the man at the distant sta-
tion. "The thermometer was at this time iS" below zero, ihe barometer
30.14 inches, an<l the weather nearly calm, and (|uite clear and serene."
It was noticed that the meteors or fallini,^ stars were n'aicli more freciuent
especially in December, than in any previous winter of their residence in
the Arctics. They also observed a particularly brilliant disjilav of
Aurora F?orcalis on the 33d of l'\-burary, the next day after the sun had
become visible at thi> ships. Owin.t^ to tlie hei,<,rht of the hills snrround-
int,'- Fort Bowen, the sun had been hidden from the harbor for 131 days,
thou,<rh to those who took the trouble to ascend the hills his reappearance
was made manifest twenty days earlier. " It is very lon<r after the sun's
reappearance in these ret^fions, however, before the cfTect of his rays, as
to warmth, became perceptible," says Parry; " week after week witii
scarcely any rise in the thermometer except for an hour or two durinLC
the day; and it is at this period, more than any other, perhaps, tliat the
lenjifthcned duration of a Polar winter's cold is most wearisome, an<l
creates the most impatience." It was not till the middle of June that
there was any considerable amount of water from the meltin,^- snow on
shore.

There were more bears killed by the crews this winter than in all the
previous seasons put together. From October to June, twelve were se-
cured, and many more seen that they were unable to kill. On two oc-
casions they witnessed the strcn<,'th of parental aiFection in these animals,
the mothers staying to protect their young wiien they might easily have
escaped. One or two foxes were killed, and fo in- were caught in traps.
" The color of one of these animals, which lived for some time aboard
the Fury, and became toleral)ly tame, was nearly pure white, till the

A WHALE CAPTURED.

801

month of May, wlicn he shed his winter coat, and became of a dirty choco-
late coh)r, with two or three h-ht brown spots." Only three hares were
killed, whose fur was " thick, soft, and of the most l)eautiful whiteness
inia,<rinable." One ermine and a few moose, complete the scanty hst of
quadrupeds at Port Howen. No deer or wolves were seen, but toward
the end of June they were able to kill several hundreds of dovekies,
which made an acceptable chanj^e in their diet. On one of the nume-
rous excursicMis for shootin,<.- these, John Cotterell, a seaman of the Fury,
was drowned in a crack of the ice, on the 6th of July.

Six days later the ice be<,'an to detach itself, and they succeeded in
killin,ir a small whale, the oil of which they needed for another winter's
consumption, in the event of their beinjif detained so lon«,' in the Arctic
rci^nons. They be<ran the usual operations of sawinjr a canal for the
ships, the work provin<j an unusually heavy task, as the ice was in
some jjlaces over ten, and <,'enerally from five to ei<,^ht feet thick. On the
Kjth a welcome stop was put to this arduous labor, by the separation of
tlic ice across the harbor, not, however, without a final tu<^^ at the saws
all ni;^rht to cut away the intervening^ ice. In two hours of the ensuinjr
(lay they succeeded in towinj^- the vessels into the open sea of Prince Re-
,t,'eut Inlet, after twenty-six hours of continuous work. Parry now made
for the western shore, inteiulin.t,^ t(^ coast North Somerset to the south,
jiid;^nng from his former inspection of that rei^non that it would be found
to trend to the west. Trying,' i,, vain to penetrate the ice-barrier, they
moved northward until the 24th, when a channel was found alon-- the
western shore about two miles wide, the ice having,' been driven to the
east hy a nralc. They were llien at Leopcjld Island, in Harrow's Strait,
wheiKv theyi)ri)ceede(l a,i,^iiii to the south alon,i,r the channel tlnis opened
aloii^- the coast of North Somerset. On the 28th their further pro-,n-ess
w.isl.locked by the ice in latitude 72^' 51' 51", within about twelve miles
ol' the most southern point sii,dUed on the same coast in i8iy. On the
301 ii, the llecla was worked a mile and a half further to the south,
a narrow chamiel bavin."- been opened in the ice by the action

III ihf wind

The next dav the Fmv

was

^en at^rouiu! by th<.

pressure of the ice unilei' the inlluenee of a northern "-ale, but was

rot

thi:' '

I III

■

802

Tl//i FUnr ALEAK,

oil .t In^.h water hy the exertions of both crews, without serious injury.
On the ist of Au-ust h.,th ships were hemmc.l in hy the ice
a.ul .h-ivcn with it to the shore, cm which they f^rounded, the F,u-y
ben,^. severely injtne.l hy an extra presstu'e from tlie cniin.^ ll„o
after she ha.l ah'ea.ly struck, which force.l her heavily a.^ain^t the
l-<l-,ce of the hcach. The Hecla was j^otten ..fF a, hi^.,, ,,,,,,
the .ce fortunately recedin.^s and anchored to a line at mi.ini.rht.'
The Fm-y also succeeded in gettin- aHoat, hut was Coiuul to" l,e
Icakn,,,. ha.liy. They now made a strenuous elFort to enter a
small harbor, which they opportunely discovered at a short .listance
The way beinc, fortunately clear of ice at the tin^e, they succee.le.i in
.^UKhnj, both vessels into the only two coves out of twentV, exan.ined by
1 any ,n a small boat, of suihcient .lepth to float them at low water
These ewes were formed by o-rounded masses of ice, and afforded l,ut a
precarious refu-e, especially as it ^vas now evident that the Fury wouhl
rcqun-e to be thorou,i,dily repaire<l before she could be considered sea
worthy. Four pumps were at this time constantly en<rajred in the effort
to keep he, f^-on. sinking;. In these coves, the slij^htest presstnv from
the ontsule ice would be snlHcient to drive the ships ashore, as they had
only about two feet of water unde. their keels. Parrv and Iloppner
bestn-red thenrselves to seek a n.ore sectn-e anchorage, and bad the .-ood
fortune to find, withh, a mile, another, but deeper cove, ^vhere tliree
masses ol grounded ice were so situated as to afford an ice-locked harbor
But notwithstanding their activity, heightened if possible, bv the-
supreme mgency of the situation, before the ships could be n,oved, the
.ce, bke a watchful enemy, closed in and again held them f.st i,i bis
tightening grasp. A narrow lane of water affording a passa-^e for bo.ts
between ships, some of the Fury's dry provisions were taken aboard the
Hecla, and a quantity of heavy ironwork and other not easily i„iured
stores were conveyed ashore. On the 5th of August they st.ccee.led; dur-
.ng a temporary opening of the ice, in running the ships into the harbor
already chosen, In.t were prevented from reaching the n.ost desirable
anchorage, and in twenty minutes after their arrival the ice again close.l
arouml them.

UNLOADING TUB IWlti: ™j

They „,nv proc-cclcl with the li«IUonin„ „f .he Fury, ,„„l i„ „„co
.l.Vsl.„l „„l„acod he,„.,„„ch .1.,. :„•„ „u,„p, wee sumdu.t .<, koc,,
.c- n-ce; spa,.., I,„„.. a,„i evcy.hi,,. r„„„ off her „ppcr .leek, a, well a,
o pn,v,.,„„» a,„, „„re„ l,„vi,„ l,ee„ ,.e„„,ve,l. These were ,e„,p„ra.
.. y ho„,,e,l ,„„ er .he ship', .e„t, „„ ,h„re; and a. .he same .!„,„ pl-epa-
n. ".-vere,h ,,e„.,y,„a,e.„ heave .he F„ry over o„ .he ieo for re-
.a".. Mea„„h,le, „„ .he S.h, a sou.hwar.l movemen. of .he ice in
n„ce Kesen. ,„le., <lr„ve .he „.,.er ice of .he harhor a.ains. a„., „„,ler
. A.PS .hm,.e„„„ .o keel over .he Fury hefore .hey were ready, „„,!
.l"vn,,Mhe Hecia ou a pr„iec.i„. .o„,ue of ice a..aehe,l .o „ue of .le iey
l..crs ,, .h,s ra.her .lanRerous harhor. 0„ ,he ,„„„ l.y eu.tiu, four „r
l.ve ,ee. of ,ee a. .he s.ern ,.f .he Hecla, she slid off .he .ougue, an.l was
....» ,„„,.e e„.irely alio,... A li.tle ...o,.. r„o„, heiu« soo., „b.„i„e,l l.y
"..o of he eve,-,-ee,„-ri„g „,oven,c„.s of ,he iee, .hey eleare<I .he basiu If
ho .sca..ered masses of broken ieo, pieoe by pieee, loavins .ho ships a few
CO, „ spare „, eu«.h, bu. none in wi.i.h. The F.ny, ou .ho insi.le of
.Ins harbor, had eishteou feet of wale,-, au.l .he Hecla, ou .ho ou.,ide
.won.y.fo„,.. The cloaruoss of .he wa.er now euable.1 .hen, .o for,u a„
"p™.m o ,he i„j„,.ies received by bo.h vessels in .heir lo„..co„.i„ued ■
iK.ttlc w,th .ho ,co. They discovercl .ha. iu .ho Fu,y u bo.h .he s.orn.
pos, and forefoo. wco broken and turned np on one side with .he pros.
s,uc We also could pceoivo, as far as we wore able .„ sec alo,,,, .ho
--. l-oel .1,,,. ,. was ,„„ch .or,,, an.l we ha.i .hore,b,-e ,„ueh reason to

' ^■''* f" ""' "■"'""' ""■"'' ^""'--"-'- P'"vo serious. We also .lis-

oovc-ed ,ha. sevo,al fee. of .he Ilecla's false keel wee .orn away
al-as, ,„ ,he ,b,eol,ains, iu cousequouoe of her ..ouudin. forwa.l so

lrc(|uciilly."

'nK> Fury was completely cleami of everything on the i6th,
-" -> ""successful attempts had been made to lay her down, when
-"he H,th the iee onee more peremptorily decided against further
'-;- '" "-t direction. A huge outside Hoe, driven southward bv a
^aie, so pressed upon the harhor ice as to .lislodge the ice piers and de-
^^'••>y .he basin prepared with so n,uch labor. IJoth ships were now in
'i-'^- o, being again lorced aground by the next pre. . ,Vom the un-

U04

! t

Tim Funr ahaivdoned.

certamicc.m.l it was dctcnnincl to save tlu- Ilcdafn.m Ihat ,lis-.stcr
I.y prc-parin^^ l.cr lb,- sea. An.l, if ti.no vv<n.i,l pcr.nit, .Ik- 1.'„,v too'
Hhoul.l he .owe.| out aa.I staunched with sails u.U.l a more secure harhor
c.n.l.i he reached, ^^y the ..st they had piace.l ..hoard the Fury ahout
fifty tons wei^iu of cal and pr.>visi.>ns, and her anchors, cahics, rudders
-.1 spars-ail ,ha, was dcuned a hsoh.tely necessary lb r her e,M,pn,ent,
sh.n.ld they succeed in ^ettin^ her out to sea. IJnt the ice a^ain can,c on
and dr.,ve her ashore, the llech. havin;, harely escape.l the san,c disaster
by luvn,,. ,,.one out to sea one hour and live minutes hefore. At ei-dit
o clock the last n,an had lelt the Fury, and at eleven half a n.ile of packed
_.ce lay hetween her and her consort. In the nH.rninj, the distance had
increased to four or live n.iles, the Ilecla having, heen horne south hy
the current, and during the ensuing ui^iu f .ur or live leagues Ihrther
Ihe wmd now chan-^in-., they were enabled to retrace their course, hut
a>uld j,et no nearer to the Ftny than twelve nnles. This was at noon of

the 24th, in latitude 7.J' 31' r^" .,,,,| ,,„ ,1,,. • ,- ,

' i4 :>! •> -""l "11 llie niornmj^r ol the 2:;th thev

were at leas, (irtcc, ...ilc. awa,, th.. ic. ,,avi,„. p,.,,s..l l.-.w..,, then
and the shore where she lay.

Stiil hovering in her ;icinity an,I watching every opportunity to

reach her, I arry and lloppner were llnally enabled to make an ex

amn.at,on into her condition. Getting within seven or ei^ht nnles of her

and a narrow channel opening, the way for the boats. Parry and lion, -

ner ^ot aboard the Fury Ibr the last tin.e, at hall^past nine. It w!.

reluctantly decidcl that l,er cou.Iition was hopdess in view of all the cir-

cun)stances, and that it woul.l only endan^^er the Ilecla and the lives of

l>oth crews to waste anymore tin,e in a.ten.p.in. ,0 rescue and repair her

vvuh no secure harbor in view, even should they succeed in lloatin^ 1 J

o/n She was therelbre abandone.l where she lav,in latitude 7. , ,' ^o"

-^'1 longitude ,. • 5..' 5^ ,,,.,, ,,,,- , ,^^,.^^ ;,^,^,^ ^^,. ^,^^._ j^^^^ ^^^

qna.-ters, but on the opposite side of Prince Recent Inlet, and just above
where the coast of North SouK-rset wears rapidly to the west

Ihey now proceeded ,0 n.ake both crews as con.lbrtable as possible
on he I ccia, and sailed across the inlet .0 Neill's Harbor, a little south
Of 1 ort howen, to relit and ^et ready ,br ,he return ^ oya.e to England.

PARRY ARRIVES AT THE ADMIRALTY. 805

all f.n-lhcr attempts to continue their explorations i.ein;. neeessarily
abandone.!. John Pa^'c, a seaman of fi,c Fnry, wiio ha.l sufFercl lor
several months from a scrofnlons <lisorcler, now died, and was In.ried with
the nsnal marks of respect. By the 3,st all neeessary arran^^ements,
.ncludinj,^ a fresh supply .,f water, having been perfected, th.y sai' ' „,
the northward, gaining, the open sea of Harrow's Strait on Sepc .st
They found HalKn's Hay very difTerent from what it was the precedin<.'
year, wthin four rlays of the same date. Wlu-rc on the 9th of Septem"
bor, ,824, they experienced the utmost .liniculty in escapinj. from the
.ce, on the 5th of September, 1835, a.ul within thirty miles of the same
spot, there was no floe whatever, and only one or two solitary icebergs
On the 7th, in latitude 7." 30', and lon<,itnde 60 ' 5', they first encoun-
tered .ce, w,th .hirty-nine iceberj^s in si.^Hn, but also with plenty of se-.
room to the east. Next ,lay, in latitn.le 7, ' 55', they fell in with three
whalers <roing north, t<, whom they were able to <,Mve no encotn-ajre.nent
as they had not seen a sin-le whale since they left Neill's Harbor" Their
advance to the east was now much .nore retanled by contrary winds
and they did not pass the Arctic Circle until noon ,.f the 17th, but for the'
ensuing week the winds were favorable. On the 35th and 36th they
encountered a very severe gale, after leaving Davis' Strait, and whi' •
southeast of Cape Farewell. After the gale they had a week of remark,
ably fine weather, and though somewhat hindered afterward by stron<.
southerly winds, they reached Mull Ilea.l, the northwestern point of the
Orkney Islands, on the loth of October. Two days later, encountering
a southerly wind off Peterhead, Commander Pan,-y went ashore at tha^'t
pomt and set olT for London, arriving at the admiralty on the i6th TJie
Ilecla arrived at Sheerness on the Thames on the 30th, where Capt.
Iloppner, his officers and men, being put on trial for the loss of the ury'
were honorably acquitted, the abando.nnent of the ship bein<r amply'
justified. * ' ■'

III.,
li!' ^

CITAl'TKR XXXIV.

AJHTU \<)V,\(;K ()|- SAItlNK AND I I,A V lilt I N<; M A M MIC II K EST — lOD-

K!SIIIN<; — niSCOVKItV <)|- I'KNDULUM ISLANDS — PIIOCKKI) To i AI'E
I'AUKV — MKIC OK SAUINK.

The main purpose of this voyage was to further the " penduhim ex-
periments " of Captain, a»*terwar<l Major General, Sir Edward Sahine,
for the completion of which he obtained the nse of the ship (iriper of
the royal navy, whicli had been one of Par-y's vessels in his first voy-
a<(e in search of the Nortliwest l'assa«j;e. She was now placeil in com-
mand of Capt. Claveriiifj, who in the intervals occupied by Sabine on
land, made some few discoveries in Arctic seas. They sailed from the
Nore on the ! itli of May, 18^3, and arrived at Ilammerfest in .S^«r^/
Oi\ or Whale Island, on the north\>'est coast of Norwav, 70° 40' 7" bv
23" 35' 43% <'» the 4th of June. Here Sabine prosecuted his scien-
tific experiments until the 23d, and leavinj; him thus en<,M«,red, the
reader is invited to take a survey of Ilammerfest, which is a town of
much interest in connection with Arctic exploratio... ,

Ilammerfest is situated on the west coast of the island, and is the mo^ t
northern town of its size in the world. Sixty years a^o it had only fortv-
four inhabitants, l)ut has now a settled population of about 1600. It is
the capital of the province of Finmark, which has an area of over kS,ooo
square miles, and a population of only 34,000. The town comprises one
lonj^s windiiii,' street alonj,^ the shore, the houses of which, made of
wood and painted, present the striking; peculiarity of havinj^ j^rass plots
on the roofs. The warehouses are built on piles driven into the water,
ffivinj^ ready access to ships and bo.ds. -i :d, with the adjoininj^ sheds, are
usually well filled with skins of r'.:; . . mdofiv, bear and wolf, reindeer
Iwrns, walrus tusks, dried fish a-;,! w^^n u\\. These the merchants obtain

from the Finns— more properly Lapps— from whom the province ile-

•6m

rrAAfMEIiFEST—NORTIf CAPE. •««

rives its na.nc, in oxchaM^^e f,„- hn,„,|y, tcba.a.^of l>oth „f whici, the
p...... "at.vcs arc very fun.l _|,ar.lvvare, and cl<,th. Some .,f the resi.Icnt

merchants fit ,n,t annual expeditions for walrus an<l seal-hunting, at Cherry
I.s!an.l an.1 the Spit.l,er,.en j^roup. The seal and walrus hunters ..father
..at.ons also make it a place of out.it and point of departure for the ...,rth-
crn seas. A lar;., tra.L with Archanj^el, on the White Sea, in Russia
■s als.. carried on. The vessels used in this trailic are peculiar, heinj,
supphe.1 with three Jmost perpen.licular n.asts, each furnished with a
larj^e three, ornered sail, ^^y these are exchan.^e.! the train oil an,: fish
..I lh6 Northern Norwegians for the rye, meal and candles of the Kus-
s,ans. A Unt.sh ship occasionally puts into Ilamn.erfest with a carj^o
"f cal. an.l takes hack one of co.lfish, which constitutes the most im-
jxTtant sn.-le article in the commerce of the town.

Thou.d, so far north, the temperature is jjenerally mild enou.d. ,o
permit the hanly fishermen t<. prosecute their labors through the fishin^
season. The number of cod annually taken is l>etween twenty an.l fifty
nidhons, a lar^^e part of which are taken by the Russians as cau<.ht The
remanuler is prepared for the markets of the worM and sc,ld^,s <lried
codfish, Spain being the larjjest buyer, her annual purchases amountin.^
to over forty n,illion pounds. The winter is j,iven to n.erry-makin., and
scarcely a night passes without a f.olic of some sort. The day when
the sun reappears, is one of general rejoicing, and everybody ru. hes into
the street to congratulate his neighbor. The summer is short ukI
sometnnes cpnte oppressive for a little while; but the cool air from the
snow-covered hillsi.les an.l ravhies, in some of which it always lies -uui
tro,„ the soa, soon reduces the temperature. The chief subject of .'cMct
is not tlK.t .( .s son.etimes hot, but that it is cold so \.ng. North C>c
tlu. extreme n..rthern point of Europe, is only sixty miles from Ham-
merfest, an.l is generally an object <,f great interest to sojourners or trav-
elers n. those regions. This rocky promontory, a thousand feet in hei-^ht
ahnts upon the sea, an.l is .HlHcult of ascent even at its most accessible'
points m the rear. Ft is, hovyever, frequently visited, and n.. doubt am-
ply repays the labor to persons who like to dream of the sublime, away
from the busy haunts of men.

i-i

' .-^'m

308

DISCOVERIES OF CLAVERING.

Hul Icaviii;^ lliimmcrfest and North Cape, it is our duty to rctiuii to
Captains Sabine and Claverin-,', and their "-rood ship," the (rriper, wliicli
set sail tor Spitzherj^feii seas on the ^.^d of June, They encountered ice
in latitude 75° ^\ off Cherry Island, on the 37th, and three days later
reached the vicinity of Hakluyt Headland, the northwestern point of tiie
Spitzberj^en Archipela<?o. On one of the smaller <rroup of islands, known
as the Seven Sisters, they landed Capt. Sabine with his necessary equip-
ments, and immediate attendants, while Capt. Claverin<>^ continued his
course to the north. But having made about thirty miles in that direc-
tion, he was driven back by the impassable ice-pack. Sabine was a,t,'-ain
ready on the 24th of July, when they set sail for the east coast of Green-
land, which they struck at a headland named by them Cape liorlase
Warren. Here they discovered two islands which received the name of
Pendulum Islands, because Sabine chose them as the tiehl of his experi-
ments. Clavcrins^ proceeding northward, discovered and named Shan-
non Island in latitude 75° 12'; and descried land as high as latitude
76'^. They discovered Ardcncaplc Inlet, the coast-line of which they es-
timated at about fifty mdes. The latter half of August was spent ashore
by Clavering and nineteen others of his ship's company.

The temperature was much milder than anticipated, falling at no time
lower than 23° above zero. At a short distance inland, a circle of moun-
tains almost surrounds this bay, rising at some points to a height of four
to live thousand feet. They met a small tribe of twelve Esquimaux,
with whi)m, however, they had l)ut little intercoin-se. On the 39th of
August they returned to the ship, and on the last day of the month, hav-
ing taken aboard Capt. Sabine and his party, they proceeded southward
along the coast to Cape Parry, in latitude 72" zi' , longitude 32' 2'.
The clilFs were here observed to he also several thousand feet high.
Finding tlie coast-ice likely to prove troublesome, if not dangerous, they
determined to return homeward. I^eaving the coast on tiie i :;th of Sep-
tember tliev were driven southward in a gale, iiut succeeded in crossing
the Atlantic in safety, reaciiing Christianscnd on the first of October.
Here the sliip struck a rock, hut was got ofTat high water without seri-
ous injury. Coasting to the northeast they arrived at Dronthcim or

DRONTHEIM

309

Tromlhjem, on the 6th, when Sahinc resumed his pendulum ex-
peiimenls.

Drontheimor Trondhjcm (Tronycm), the capital of the old monarchy
and center of Norwegian literature, is situated in 63" 25' by 10" 33' east.
The city looks as if it were only of yesterday, as its wooden houses have
been frequently destroyed by fire and as often rebuilt of the same
material. It presents a pleasinjj^ appearance, the houses being paimed in
a variety of colors; and is a thriving place, with about 23,000 inhabi-
tants. Its prosperity is mainly due to tlie risheries and the iron and
copper mines in its vicinity. The lofty chimneys of its furnaces and
foundries afford a cheering evidence tb.at modern industry with its inces-
sant activities, has found its way t<; the ancient seat of tin; skalds. The
bay, on the peninsula of which it stands, is remarkable for its beauty,
and is dotted with numerous shipping. On its banks are the villas of its
wealthy merchants, and on a small island is the fortress or stronghold of
iMunkholm, facing the city, which is further graced by a magnificent
cathedral of the eleventh centuiy, tiie most venerable ecclesiastical struc-
ture in tlic kingdom. Ship-building is carried on to a considerable extent,
and the vessels there constructed rank high for sailing qualities. The
inner harbor is rather shallow, not admitting vessels which draw more
than ten or twelve feet of water.

ICdward .Salnne, the naturalist of several Arctic expeditions, is worthy
of more than passing mention. He was born in 17S8, and entered the
military service at ;\\\ early age. Having attained the rank of lieutenant
he was commissii;-ied to accompany Sir John Ross and Sir Edward Parry
on their fu'st voyages in search of the Northwest Passage, in 1S19-20,
respectively. On his return from the latter he communicated the
results of his magnetic observations to the Royal Society, and became so
much interested in that and kindred topics of scientific investigation that
lir devoted iiis whole time to the prosecution of researches and experi-
ments. In 1821 he l)egan a series of xoyages to several points between
the ICquator and the Pole, of which the one now under consideration
ioi med. the last, making at each place visited a careful set of observations
on the length of the seconds' pendulum — hence called pendulum experi-

If!

i J

810

SA li/NEKS liXPElilMENTS.

iiK'iils Oil (Ir; inU'iisilv of tenvstiial niaj^iu'tisin, the dip of tlio 111:1;^;-
netic iiccdic, :i:i(l ivlalcd subjects. The results were puhhslied l)y him in
1S25, iu a work cutitled " The I'eucUihun and Otiu-r ICxperiuients," and
were refjarded as liitjflily valualile. With one hrief episodi; IjeloULjiiij^ lo
his niihlarv profession, (huiu;^ whicii he served in Irelaml, liis liistory is
that of a student and observer of llie hiws and phenomena of nature,
cspeeiallv in tlie department of terrestrial ma<;uetisin. His labors ha\e
led to tlio discovery of the laws of niatj^netie storms, tiie connection be-
tween sun-spots and certain ma,<j^netic phenomena, and the maujuetic
inllucncc of the snu and moon on the earth. To his edbrts have been
largely i\\\c tiie establishment of inaLjnetic observatories all over the
world, and the collation of the most important facts tlius obtained. lie
filled the several otliccs of secretary, vice-president and president of the
Roval Societv,and was successively promoted in his profession to captain.

maior, aiu

1 tin;

illv, n

1 iS:;^), to majoi-ti^eneral. In 1S69 he was created

Kni"ht Commander of tlu- Uatii, whence his title, Sir lOdward Sabine.

Sal

line havmiLi' prosecnti-d ins sen'

iitilli' oliservations Ibi s<.'\i'ral weeks

at Droiitheim, the (iriper set sail for ICiiL;:l;nid and arriwd safely at
Deiitlbrd, near I^ondoii, on tlu> iijtli of Decc-mber, iSi3.

\M -v.

CHAPTER XXXV.

i.von's aiutic \'c)YA(;i.; howic's \vi.;i,( o.vii; - i.yon's imjayki! ioit

lli;i,l'— SAI'IOI ^- — UK-ruH N to IC.VCJLANI),

NotwithvtaiKliiiL,' llic poor sailiii^r f|ualitics of the (iripoi-, she was
soon aj^aiii put to use for purposes of exploration in tlie Nortiiwest, he-
uvj; \i\:wv(\ in ciiarj^'e of Capt. (Jeorj^re Francis Lyon, wiio had aeconi-
])auie.l Parry in one of liis Northwest voya<,'cs. With forty-one ofTicers
an.l men, Lyon set sail June 30, 1S34, with instructions to complete the
sinvey or exploration of Melville Peninsula. He was to make for
Wiv^cv River oil' Rovve's Welcome, whence he was to cross the peninsula
and attempt to reach Franklin's Point Turna<,'ain. He was accom-
panied by a small vessel named the Snap, with extra stores, which
were (ransf erred to the (iriper as soon as they met cne ice in Hudson's
Slrait, and the tender sent hack. This was successfully done, but the
(iriper havinj; taken aboard the extra load, made slow progress, which,
added to tlie lateness of their dejjarture from Enjifland, rendered failure
almost inevitable from the outset. It was the end of Au;^aist before they
were able to reach Rowe's Welcome, which they entered from Hudson's
P.ay. Here they encountered storms and fo<,'s, while no trust could be
placed in the compass, and the destruction of the ship became imininent.
Tliey were obliged to Ijring her to "with three bowers and a stream
anchor in succession," while she was all the lime pitching her bows un-
der. The danger grew so menacing, that they loaded the l)oats with
])r()visions and supplies, fearing they would have to take to them any
monu-nt. Two of tiiem were almost sure to be destroyed as soon as low-
iiid, and lots were cast, mainly to insure the safety of such as should
have the good fortune to draw the most reliable of the boats, the unsuc-
cessful ones accepting their fate with the magnanimity of true lierocs.
Heavy seas 'swept the decks, and they were approaching a low beach,

lil

,^,~»;.'K»ai<'

813

L TON'S Pit AT BR.

"whcit; IK) hiiinaii power,'' says Lyon, "could save us if drivi-n u]iom it,"
when the fo^' opportunely liftini;-, showed them tiie dani^-ei'. Uiil ihey
were soon laee lo faee with anotlier. A -^reat wave lilted the vessel
bodily, talviuj;- her apparently alonj,^ the \vh()K' lenj^th of her Ueel, and
her hreakiui^-up was monientarily looked for, ])ul their alarm Ibrtunatcly
proved i^noundless.

"And now that everything;- in our [)ovver had been done," says
Lyon, "1 ealli'd all hands aft, and to a niereiful (iod oU'ered pravers for
our i)reservatiou, 1 tiianked every one for their excellent conduct, and
cautioned them, as we siiould in all prohahility soon appeal" helbre our
!Maker, to enter 1 lis presence as men, resijrncd to their fate. We then
all sat down in j^roups, and sheltered from the wash of the sea by what-
ever we could llnd, many of us en.leavoreil to obtain a little sleep."
They hail been three nijj^hls without any, and exiiausted nature will
snatch repose, even when in the verv jaws of death. "Never perhaps,"
continues Lyon, "was witnessed a luier scene tlian on the deck of mv lit-
tle ship, wiien all hope of life hail left us. Noble as the characlei- of the
British sailor i-s always allowed to be in cases of dan^-i-r, yet 1 did not be-
lieve it to be i)ossibIe, that amouLj forty-one [icrsons not one repiniuLC
word shouUl have been uttered. The ollicers sat al)out wherever thev
could lind shelter from the sea, and the men lav down conversing,' with
each other with the most perfect cabuness, b^ach was at peaci' with his
neighbor and all the world; and I am firmly persuaded that the resi-;na-
tion which was then shown to the will of the Almiij^htv, was the means
of obtaining- His mercy. Ood was merciful to us; and the title almost
miraculously fell no lower." The "three bowers and stream anchor, ' or
some of them, had held the ship, and when the weather cleared thev
found themselves in a bij^dit of Rowc's \VekH)ine, which they ,t,M-atefullv
named the Hav of God's Mercy.

On the I. Mb of September they reached the mouth of \\'aL,HM-
R'ver, where they encountered a secoiul terrilic i^ale, in which the
Griper could make no headway, but " remaineil actuallv i)itchin_<4- fore-
castle under, with scarcely steera^-e way." .She was brouj^ht to liy ras!-
iny her anchors, which fortunately held, while thick fallinu- sleet cov-

m -x

THE aiill'Jih' UNFIT FOli DUTY.

818

crcd the deck to a (lei)th of several iiuhes. Tlie spray froze as it lell on
the (leek; the iii^rhi ^as one of pileliy darkness; and to add to the
danger, several ice streams drove down upon tiie ship, (jreat seas
washed over them at short intervals, and their wet elothes were frtx/en
stili; while they held to the ropes which were streteheil across the
(leek to keep them fVcjm heinj,^ wasiied overhoard. As the morniii<^
dawned the dan<(er hecame appallin<,r, for all the cahles <(ave way, and
the siiip was lyinj; <,n her hroadside. ikit each man did his dnty, and
the captain's experience in northern latitndes, coinhined with the Tertility
of resource learned in the school of Parry, thus reinforced, triumphed
o\cr the dan-^-ers of the deep, and they were saved.

When the storm had abated, after its two days' fury, Lyon held a
consultation with his oHicers, and it was wisely determined to return lo
Eni^land. The season was almost spent; the Griper was witiiout an-
chors, and at the best was not adapted for battling- with the ice, as
Parry iiad ascertained live years before. Nothing,' had been achieved,
but tile heroism and courajife of ollicers and men rec(!ived, as they richly
deserved, the hi<rhest praise. They did not winter in llepulsc IJav, as
predetermined, Rowe's Welcome havin<,r proved suiliciently repulsive
in the early autumn.

Lyon survived his return only eiji^ht years, dyinjj^ at the early age of
thirty-seven. His contribution to Arctic exploration was not notewor-
thy, but the saving (jf his men and ship under such difficulties, leaves n(f
room to doubt that under more favorable circumstances he would have
achieved success, and is a notable illustration of the great value of i)er-
fect discipline in all such expeditions.

? .1

CFIAPTHR XXW'I.

lUCKCIIKV S AKCTIC V()VA<;K — SAir. F.JOM S IT Til K A 1.— K OTZ KI!K K SOCN,,
-UKMAItKAMI.K I'M K VOMKN A— UKTU K N U KKK —Joint X KV lloM,..
WAUI).

William Fmloriciv Bccchcy ( 1796-1S56) had accompanied I'ranklin
in iSiS, and ]>a.Ty in iSiy, and was now, in 1825, deemed a suitable
commander for an expedition to tiie Arctic Ocean, tlie main purpose of
whicli was to carry succor to both those celebrated ex])lorers, then en-
gajred, as previously related, in pushin- their discoveries in North Amer-
ica, by sea and land. It had occurred to the home authorities that if
the expeditions of Parry a.id Franklin had proved successful in reaching
their respective destinations, and prosecutin- their intended researches",
their stores w.nild be exhausted, or at least need replenishing, by the'
time they reached the prearranged rendezvous at Chamisso Island,
in Kotzebue Sound. Franklin, in any event, would need transportation'
home, in a way that would obviate the exposure and hardship of simply
retracing his overland journey. Bcechey, therefore, was intrusted with
the comman<l of the ship-of-war Blossc >, of twenty-six guns, but carry-
ing for this voyage only sixteen. A large boat or barge, decked .and
rigged as a schooner, was added, to be used as a tender, and in narrow
or shallow water where the large vessel could not venture. His instruc-
tions were to survey the islands or coast of the North Pacific, if time
would permit, but to use every effort to reach Chamisso Islan.l before
July 10, 1S26. Should he find on liis arrival there that Franklin had
not reached it before him, he was to procee.l north and east to and he-
yond Icy Cape, in the hope of falling in with him somewhere along li.e
coast of North America, west of the MacKenzie River. He was lu.t !o
return through Beiiring's Strait until the cud of October, in the event of

not meeting Franklin; and was to renew the ellbrt in the summer ol
I Si'

1837, after spending the winter

in some more southern latitude.
814

315

II |H

jj II 1 ^H

■

U Ul^^H

3^1

^^^^^^H

' ^1

H I^^^^^^^^^Hl '

' 1

i^l

llflHHBHHHIHS

"' 1

1 ^^^^IH

816

SAIL FROM SPJTHBAD.

The- Ulossom sailed tVoin Spithcad <„i U.c 19th of May, 1S25;
but the earlier incidents of tiie voya-e do not come within the scope of
this work. On tiie 2.1 of June, 1S36, she left the Samlwich Islan.ls, an.i
on the 27th was becahued within six miles of Petropaulovsky, in Kam-
chatka, \vhich, however, was reached on the next day. Here they full
in with the Russian ship-of-war Modeste, commanded by Capt.
Wran-ell of Arctic sledge-journey fame. Here Beechey learned of Par-
ry's return to En-land, which reduced his mission to the siufrlc object of
meeting Franklin, it being already too late to spend any time in explor-
ing the islands of the North PaciHc. Here they had the opportunity of
seeing the active volcano of Avatcha emitting huge, dark volumes of
smoke, anil from the black spots seen on the snow, they judged that there
had been a .piite recenc eruption. This peak is about 1 1,000 feet high,
but farther inland, towers above it the Streloshnaia Sopka, 3,000 feet
higher still; and the peninsula of Kamchatka has no less than twenty,
eight active volcanoes, besides many that are extinct. Many of the]jeaks
of this Alpine chain which traverses the whole length of the peninsula
arc of the height indicated, and some as high as 16,500 feet, presenting
a beautiful panorama of lofty, fantastic, snow-covered peaks of variou'^s
outlines, interspersed with volcanic cones emitting their dark columns of
smoke, like huge banners floating their waving folds high in air.

Beechey left Petropaulovsky July ist, but did not get clear of ibo
Bay of Avatcha until the 5th, when he proceeded north for Behring's
Strait. " We approached," says Beechey, » the strait which separaL
the two great continents of Asia and America, on one of those beautiful
still nights well known to all who have visited the Arctic regions, when
the sky is without a cloud, and when the midnight sun, scarcely his own
diameter below the horizon, tinges with a bright hue all the northern
cu-cle. Our ship, propelled by an increasing breeze, glided rapidly along
a smooth sea, startling from her path flocks of aquatic birds, whose fliglit
in the deep silence of the scene, could be traced by the car a great dis-
tance." Approaching the American shore just beyond Cape Prince of
Wales, they were visited by some Esquimaux from a small neighboring
island, who were as usual quite noisy and energetic as well as <roocl-

liEMARKABLE PHENOMENON. 817

iiumorcd ami cheerful hi their eagerness to exchange their varlc.us little
coiniiiodities for the trinkets, heads and knives with whicii their visitors
had supplied themselves hefoie leaving England. On the 23d of July
tlicy anchored in Kotzehue Sound, and explored a .leep hay on its north-
ern shore, which they named Ilothani Iidet. Three days later they
arrived at Chamisso Islan.l, and not finding Frarddin, they set sail for
tiie Icy Cai^c on the 30th, dispatching the harge with instructions to keep
close to the shore to watch for Franklhi's overland party. The Blossnjn
(louhled Cape Krusenstern and surveyed the coast to the north and east,
successively passing Cape Thomson, Hope Point, Cape Lishurne, Cape
JJeaufort and the Icy Cape— Captain Cook's « limit." Dreading the
closing in of the ice ahead, they now sent forward the barge under Messrs.
Elson and Smyth, and returned with the IJlossom to Chamisso Island-
While on this return voyage on the night of the 35th of August, they
saw an aurora borealis, which lieechey thus describes: "It first apjieared
in an arch extending from west-by-north to northeasf; but the arch
sliortly after its first appearance broke up and entirely disappeared. Soon
nfter this, however, a new display began in the direction of the western
foot of the first arch, preceded by a bright flame, from which emanated
coruscations of a pale '^traw-color. Another simultaneous movement oc-
curred at both extremities of the arch, until a complete segment was
formed of wavering perpendicular radii. As soon as the arch was com-
plete, the light became greatly increased, and the prismatic colors, which
had before been faint, now shone forth in a brilliant manner. The
strongest colors, which were also the outside ones, were pink and green,
on the green side purple and pink, all of which were as imperceptibly
blended as in the rainbow. The green was the color nearest the zenith.
This magnificent display lasted a few minutes; and the light had nearly
vanished, when the northeast quarter sent forth a vigorous display, and
nearly at the same time a corresponding coruscation emanated from the
opposite extremity. The western foot of the arch then disengaged itself
from tiie horizon, crooked to the northward, anil the whole retired to
the northeast quarter, where a bright spot blazed for a moment, and all
was darkness. There was no noise audible during any part of our ob-

818

AX ESQUIMAUX MAP.

■ u

SI rxjilioris, iiiii- vvL'ii: the compasses pcicuptil)!)- allcctcd." They arrived
at tluir immediate destination two (hivs later.

MeamvhiU' ihe haiLje, wiiieh had set torwaid on llie 17th, made its
way slow ly aloii^ I lie siiore, IClsoii laiuliii;^ at intervals to erect posts and
deposit instructions for Franklin. On the jjiI an eflfective bar to their
further pro<fress was presented hy the lon^ spit of land, tiie heail of
which neechey afterward named I'oint IJarrow. The ice here closed
in. to the siiore, and was seen extendinjf to the nortl?, as far as the eye
could reach, without an opeuin;^. Hack of this point they now jjroposed
to erect tlie last <^uidc-post for Franklin, hut were prevented hy the h )s-
tile demonstrations of some Esquimaux. It was afterward ascertained
thai they had reached within one hundred and forty-six miles of Return
Reef, whence Franklin had set out on the iSth, to return to MacKen-
/ie Ri\(. r, ahandonin<,r the hope of meetinj^ Heechey. Considerinjjf the
immense dislance traversed hy both — -constituting^ in fact a circuit of the
j^lohe — the wonder is that they should come so near meetinj^, not that
they sho'dd fail to niak'C ;ni actual connection. The harj^e havin<^ hecu
driven ashoie hy the ice, and the natives sh()win<^ an inifriendly spirit,
Klson and his seven companions determined to set out on their return.
Their alarm at the threatenin;j^ attitude of the Es(iuinianx and the
uri^^ency of their need, stimulated their exertions, and thev succeeded in
lloalin^ the hart^^e. They now hastened to return, but after procecdin<r
some distance, they found th( ir way blocked hv the ice. Around a jut-
ting point which they named Cape Smith, they were oblij^ed to haul the
bar<4e thronnh a nairow lane, with tlie ice-Hoe monii'ularilv threatening^
to close in, and cut ofTtheir retreat. Thev, however, succeeded in leacli-
iuLT Chamisso Island in safety on the yth of September, after an absence
in all (if forty-one ilays, and twenty-three from the Hlossom.

The ICsiiuimauK who visited Bcechey on the island, exhiliited their
iiifijciniity by drawinLj a clia.t of the coast on the sand. The coast-line
was InM marked out with a stick, and the distances rcij^nlatcd b\- davs'
journeys. Tin liiils and mountains were shown bv little mounds of sand of
varyinLi,- hcicfhts, and the islands by collections of pebbles of proportion-
ate dnnensions. They were much surprised when Capt. IJeechey

' Ji J-

TUB ULOSSOM AGROUND. 810

d.:in-c(I the position of one of the Diomcde Ishinds, hut soon came
h. rcco<,Miize the correctness of the new location when tiiey hx.ked
ill it from another point of view. Their wonder was none the less that
the stran-cr could set them ri^rht. They then proceeded to desijrnate
Hie location of die Esquimaux villages and Hshin- stations l,y hundk-s of
sticks placed upri-ht; and altogether, the " map" elicited the admiration
of tile visitors.

It was MOW necessary to move south to avoid the dan-er of <,'etting
frozen In, as also, hecausc their provisions were running l„w, andlt was
determined hy a council of officers that, though the prescrihed period of
their stay-thc end of Octoher-had not arrived, it was their duty to
.Upa.l. A harrel of Hour and some other supplies were secretly huried
fur the use of Franklin, should he reach the island, and the usual hottle
inclosing instructions, was placed at the foot of a jjost or flag-stafF. They
accordingly set sail for Hehring's Strait, and after a wint'er's cruise to
California, the Sandwich Islands, the Houin Islands, the Loo-Chow
Islands and others, they returned t„ Chamisso Island on the 5th of July,
iS.'7, where they found the deposits of the previous year untouched.

The barge was got in readiness and dispatched to the northward
under Lieut. Belcher, and the ship soon followed. It was hoped they
c.Mild extend the survey heyond the point reached hy Elson, and per-
haps obtain tidings of Franklin. They found the posts and bottles as
tluy had been left, and the state of the ice and weather more unfavorable
than i,efore, and returned before arriving at Icy Cape. On the 9th of
SLptcmber the Blossom got aground on a samlbar off Hotham Inlet,
but came off at high wate. without injury, and arrived at Chamisso on
the unh. Not finding the barge as expected, they carefully scanned the
cast in all directions, when they noticed a Hag of distress flying from a
peninsula of the sound. Ilastenmg to the rescue, they learned that the
l.argc bad been wrecked and three of the men lost, au<l took the surviv-
nrs aboard. On the 29th, an ,nifortunate collision with the natives
resulted in the wounding of seven of the English, and the killing of one

i>r thi

^sqinmaux. In a thorough survey of the island they d

iscov

iw- harbors na.nc<l by IJeechey Port Clarence and G

ercd

rantley Harbor.

U30

yoUR^Er llOMEWAliD.

Lcav.n^r the customary deposits for the ff„i.la„ce of Franklin, not
knowinj, that he was ah'ea.ly safe in En^Maml, they finally took their
departure from the Polar Sea on the 6th of Octoher, .8.7, narrowly
escapn.^. disaster from breakers, on which they were unexpectedly driven
by the wind. On the 29th they were off the coast of California, and
proceeding southward, they touched successively at Monterey and S.n
lilas, „. Mexico, and arrived at Valparaiso, Chili, on the .9th of April.
1828. On the last day of June they crossed the meridian of Cape Horn
m a snowstorm; and arrived at Rio de Janeiro July 31st, where they
remau.ed until the 24th of Au.n.st. Leaving, the coast of Brazil, they
arnved at Spithead on the ,3th of Octoher, after an absence of three
years anci live n.onths, less seven days. They now learned that Franklin
had reached home more than twelve months before.

m'w

^HSiJUi.^iiS ijl \ \

'1 i

' '11^

CHAPTER WWII.

.•A..UV ,V SKAKCM CK n,K .'OKK _ ,.,.A N KoK S,.Km;K J,Hr„NKVs_
UK.NOKKU .KAVEL-.;UAVES mscoVKKK,, - MUSSKL HAY...,.,nK
UKATUKK-T„K » KNTKKP.USK " AM. " KN ...CAVOU "-_,„., suKMt
AHAN0.,NK„-AU,<.VK a. MKC1.A COVK-K KUK.-T..K CUAUAc.
TKK Ol- I'OI.AH ICE.

Sir Edward Parry conceived the i.lea „f r.aciiinjr the North P„Ie I,y
a cMuhination ,.f sledge and boat travel, alternately, over the ice and
uater iane.s from such points as he should find impassable to his ship \s
early as the month of April, ,8.6, he communicated this desi-n, to the
Inst Lord of the Admiralty. Heinj. submitted to the Roval Sodety and
rece.vm^rits approval, orders were jrive., .' its execution, which was
...trusted to its author, his commission dating Nov. n, ,836. His old
Hh.p, the Hecla, was to convey the expedition to the Spitzl^ergen
feeas; and two boats were constructed for the more northern trip o„ ..
specific plan, under the superintendence of the great navigator. Vhev
were twenty feet long and seven wide, >^ having great flatness of floor,
w.th the extreme breadth carried well forward and aft,and possessin-Uhe
utn^ost buoyancy, as well as capacity for stowage." The wood fhune
was of the lightest an<l best material, and was covered with Macintosh's
water-proof canvas, tarred on the outside. Over this, ,1,- p,a„k onlv
three.s,xteenths of an inch thick, then a sheet of fblt, and finally oak
plank of the same thickness as the fir, were firn.ly fastened witl> screws
from without. On each side of fl, . l-,., i i • •

, , . '""- "^ *''- '^^'-'' '"»'• pi-ojectmg considerablv

below .t, was attached a strong runner, sho.l with smooth steel for ice
t.-avel. Two wheels, five feet in diameter, with a sn.aller swivel wheel
aft, were also attached, but afterward rejected as unserviceable. There
were also provided

waste of time, attach th
31

pes and collars whcrebv flii> m,>n ---..1 1 -i-i

..nLiLi)_y rnc men Coukl, without

emselves to the boat to d

•.m

rag it over the

ice or

PL AX FUR SLEDGE JOURNEl'.

through water hiiics, when necessary. A locker at each end aiTorded
storage tor iiistrinnents and some stores, and a slight framework along
the side would liold bags ofljiscuil, pemmican, and clothing. A 1- mihoo
mast nineteen feet long, a tanned duck sail, answering also the purpose
of an awning, one boat hook, fourteen paddles, one for each of the boat's
crew, and one steer-oar, completed I he equipment. To each boat were
assigned two oflicers, and two sledges, weighing each twenty-six pounds.
The aggregate weight of a boat, with its supplies and equipment, was
3753 pounds, or 26S pounds to every one of the crew.

SI.KICII DKAW.V UV SIMGI.E REINDEER.

All things heing in readiness, the Hecla was towed down the Thames
March 35, 182, , and on the 4th of April left tlie Nore. With favorable
winds they were ofF Hammerfest on the 17th, and reached its harbor
early in the morning of the 19th, wliere they remained ten days. While
Parry, assisted by Lieut. Foster, prosecuted magnetic and other scientific
observations, Lieut. Crozier was dispatched to Alten, sixty miles away,
to procure the eight reindeer p.eccssary for tiie sledges. " Nothing can
be more iK^autiful," says Parry, " than the training of the Laplan.rrein-
dcer. With a simple collar of skin round his neck, a single trace of the
same material attached to the sledge and passing between his legs, and
one rein fastened like a halter about liis neck, this intelligent and docile

'H, i'

REINDEER TRA VEL. ggg

anunal is perfectly under the eo.nman.I of an experienced dnver and
performs astonishinj, journeys over the softest snow. When the rein is
thrown over on the off side of the animal, he in.nediately sets off at -.
full trot, and stops short the instant it is thrown hack to the near sidJ
Shakn,., the rein over his back, is the only whip that is require.l. In a
short time after setting off they appear to he gasping n>r breath, as [f
qtnte exhausted; but, if not driven too fast at fbst, they soon recover and
then go on without difficulty. The quantity of clean moss considered
re,u,s.te for each deer per day, is four pounds; hut thev will go five or
s.x days withot,t provender, and not sufler materiallv. ^Vs Ion-, as they
can pick up snow as they go along, which thev like to eat q Jte cle-,n
they requn-e no water; and ice is to them a comfortable bed "

Having procured the reindeer, and some supplementarv Arctic enuip-
nients, they set sail on tiie 29th of April. ()n the 5th of May, in 73" ,0'
by r 3S' east, they met loose ice; and ,,0 miles further to the n.n-th-
northwcst, in 74" 55', by a few miles east of the n.endian of Greenwich
on the n.orning of the 7th, they encountered a continuous ice stream On'
the toth they fell in with whalers, who were endeavoring to push to the
n<.rth to atuude 7S", south of which they never expected to catch whales.
1 he Hecla, accompanied by the whalers, made ilftv miles to northward
chnutg the night, sometimes " boring " through with difficultv. 0>i the
.4'lbpassmg Magdalena Bay, they arrived off Ilakluvt Headhnul and
worked to the southeast to reach Snterenburg IL.rbor, which they fi,und
c.nplctely fl-ozen in. Walruses, dovekies and eider-ducks were seen in
great numbers, an<l four wild reindeer came near rhe ship on the ice
rhey now endeavored to n.ake a deposit of provisions on the Headland!
hu. were driven o(F by a high wind, which put the sh.p almost on her
hcan. ends. As the safer alternative they drove the ship throu<.h the
K-e, and at four in the morning of the 15th fbun.l themselves in a pJrfectly
scene situation, hall a n.iie within the ice pack. On the 3.d Lieut
J.nnes C. Ross, with a party of ofHcers and men, eflbcted a landing over
the ,ce, and found on a hillock two graves with the dates 174, and ,762
and a considetable quantity of ,i, driftwood, btit no harbor for the ship '
On the .7th an attempt svas made to proceed northward with the

Ijl

;!.'(

/'V.VA" WKATllER.

s1c'(Il,'i'-1)();iIs on tlio ic-(j, which arouiul the ship ruscmblcd :i sloiu'-iiiasoii's
yiinl, with the diirei-eiiee liiat ihe blocks were ten times t
sioiis. The trial was made, Imt soon al)andone.l as
hie, because of the hiti^li an i sharp anLjular
tlie ''stone-mason's yard." On liie 29th and ^oth tiie -,M-ealer part of tin:

)orionsl\' oeen-

le usi.al iluui'ii-

utterly impraetiea-

masses ot ice liiat constituted

siiip's company, under Lieuts. Foster and Cro/.ier, were lal

pied in transporting,' a l)oat load of provisions over the ice to Red He

icli.

six miles distant. On tiic 1st ol"

ne P

■ry was aDout to make a secoiK

attempt to proceed to the north, wiien tlie Ilecla 1
east witli tlu- l1oe in which she was eml)ed<led, and

)e''-aii to move to tlie

continued to dnlt

itil the 6th, when she reached ^[ussel Hav, wiiere Parr'

V, witii some

)lHci'rs and men, landeil to make a smaU dt

it of

eposit ot proNisions, and seek a

harbor for the ship, but failed in the latter object. The drift
tinned until the evenin;^- of the Stli, when, under the innuei

111'.

con-

ice ot" a -outh-

erl\- wiiu
lour days

1, they Ihially jjfot clear of tiie ice al'tcr a detention of t

wen

ly-

" I do not remember,

savs

irrv

ave experienced 111 these re

ijions such a continuance of beautiful weather as we

tlu

now

)een on the northern coast

more than three weeks that we had 1

ber^-en. Dav after dav we hail a clear and cloudless sk

duriii'''

i)it/,-

\', scarcel\' any

wim

1, and with the exception of :i few davs previous to the ix^A ol" M

i\ ,

a warm temijerature in the sliade, and (piite a scorciiin;^ sun. On tlu' :;d
of June we had a shower of" rain, and on the 6tii it raiiu'd i)rettv hard I'or

two o

r tlu

ec I lours.

But now the weather was t

lie

ami so con-

tinued until the loth, when under a west-southeast wind Ii cleared
thev made for i>randvwine iiav, with the islands Low and NVald

and

en ni

re-ice, extendni'.

slight, but found every cove and harbor blocked with sin
ill some places six or seven miles from land. I'lishin^- norlliwaid to So
43' 32", the Seven Islands were seen to the east, and I.
Little-Table Island, nine or t

nl'''rave

en miles to the east-northeast.

ins Is a

ere cvw-^^ rising about f^oo feet above sea-lc\el

with a low isli-t o

11" its

rth

northern exlri-mitv,

"This isf

nut

savs

irrv

,» 1

icui''- the nortliernmost

much of our curiosity ; and

known land in the world, natnrallv excited

bleak, and haneu, and rugged as it is, one could not helj) i,Mziii,L; at it

IlECLA COVE.

325

with intense interest." At midnijrht on the 14th they were ;it Si 5'
32" hy 19' 34' east, with n()thiii.t,r visihle to the north, hut loose (h-jft-
iee. Doulilin- hack they tried to Imk! a harlwr on Walden Ishmd, l)ut
railed, leavin.LC, however, a small deposit of provisions; then, on Little-
Tahle Island, where they also failed to find an open harhor, l)nt left some
provisions on one of tlio islets. Now sailinj^r sonth they found on the
joth, a secure refu-e for the Ilecla in Treurenhur<,r Hay, near Verle<rcn
IIo,)k— hoth so named by the Dutch— and named it Ilecla Cove, in lati-
tude 79" 55' and lonjjfitude ir>" 49' cast.

*^*¥g5j«jf^.« i^M^ft;,'

MUSSKI. HAY.

i-eavin- the vessel in char-e of Licin. lM)ster, Parry now set
nul Nsiih his two l.oals. which he named the 'd':nter])risc" and "I':n-
dci.vor," himself in command .,f the one, with Mr. Beverly as compan-
ion, and Lieutenant Koss in command of the otiier, with Mr. Hird as
companion. Lieutenant Cro/.ier in one of the I lecia's hoats, accom-
panied the parly to Walden Island witii part oftheir provisions, to^^elher
with s,)me to he deposited on Low island. j^.ster was to make a simi-
lar deposit near Ilecla Cove, to meet the contintrency of (indin>,r it neces-
s;uv to iTct away with the ships, and to leave ore of the ship's boats on
Walden Island for the use of Parry and his party, in tiie event of their.
I'cni- compelled to retm-n without their own. All possible provision

^..^mmi^-^

,' f. '

'•"'1

U'\

M I

32(1

///(.// LATITUDE.

haviiii,' lu'iMi llius iiKidc ill ;i(lv;iiu-i', tliL- <.'X|)l()rin<j^ ]);irt v scl out. on llie
Jlftcniooii ()("(lu' -'I si, .111(1 took lliclr final (Icpartiin- for the Nortli Pole
from tlicrii- inosl nortluTii (li-|)ot on tlic- isk'l alivady incntioiicd on the
nijjht of tlic 2^1, at liall-pasi ten oVloek, roacliiii.<r hy iiii(hii.Lrht tlu- hiti-
tiulc of 8o" 5! ' r^". Tims it had taken ei.jfhty days at sea, hesides six
months of" j)re|)ai-at ion, l)eloi\' they loiild i^i.t fairly started for the Pole,
whieli helps to show that, if that jxjiiit ean ever he reached, the starling
jioiiit must he as far north as possihle. 15y noon of llie next day, at Si"
'-' 5'"i>'i'^'y \\'>.'iv stopped h\ the ice and ii)a<k" tiieir fh-sl portage. To
avoid as much as possihle the diseomfort of" ''snow lilindiu-ss," they trav-
eled hy ni.<,'ht and rested hy day, that is, while the sun was lowest and
highest, respectively, for they had constant daylight. The daily allow-
ance of proxisions for each man \vas as follows: Hiseuit, ti-n ounces-
peinmiean, nine; sweetened cocoa powder, one sullicient to make one
pint; rum, one q-ill; and tohacco, threi- onnces a v/eek. The fuel was
spirits of wine — two ])ints a liay lor the whole coiupanv.

I'roin the natnre of the ice encountered, thcv had ,L,Mven up the idea
of usiiio the reindeer; and so the men did the hauling-, while the ollicers
acted as scouts or pioneers. It rciiuired an enthusiasm little short of fa-
naticism or insanity to strnq-ijle as the\- did for the thirtv-three davs thcv
spent in reachim^^ theii' utmost limit -Sj j.^'. Arriviiii,'- at a lane of
water, they launcheil their hoats and paddled across to the luarLjiu of the
floe. Landing' slowly and carefully -for the ice was iisuallv weak at the
edt^e -they hauled them across the rid<j^es and hummocks, and rou^h ice
until they L;ot to another lane. This process was usuallv reneated several
times a day, and was so slow as well as lahorious, that at one sla'^e of
their proi;i-ess they made only iM^hl miles in live davs. On the jj<1 of
July they made their hest run of sevenieeii miles, and on the j ^d had
reached the limit already mentioned -82' 45'. The\' continued their
efforts for three days lonjj^er, i)ut the wind havin<; unforlunately veered
to the north, the lloe was found to he driftint^ south faster than thcv
could advance in the contrary direction. At noon on the 26th they ascer-
tained that they were three miles south of the pcjint reached at midnight
of the 22d. It was clearly useless to prosecute the attempt farther.

lie

IK-

11-

six

IK"

;is

M.!J

828

Alilt/VAL AT 7/ EC LA COVE.

Even the energy aiul enthusiasm, tliC "enterprise and endeavor," of Parry
and liis men, could not but succuml) to such an untowanl ohstruction.
Thou-h zealous to fanaticism in pursuit of the object of their ambition,
neither commander nor men were without sterling common sense. The
task was hopeless; and their duty was now to return. They were only
173 miles from Ilecla Cove, in a northwest direction. " ; , .,plish
this distance," says Parry, "we had traversed, by our re... .Mig, 392
miles, of which about 100 were performed by water, previous to our
entering the ice. As wc traveled by far the greater part of our distance
on the ice, three, and not infrequently five times over, we may safely
multiply the length of the road by two ami a half; so that our whole
distance on a very moderate calculation, amounted to 5S0 geographical,
or 668 statute miles, being nearly sufficient to have reached the'pole in a'
direct line." Among the drawbacks of the season it was noticed that
there had been "more rain than during the w'nole of seven previous sum-
mers taken together, though passed in latitudes from 70 to 15" l.,wer
than this."

Devoting a whole day to rest, they set out to return to tlic siiip at
half-past four in the afternoon of July 27th, and arrived at Ilecla Co\o
August 2 1st, the drift materially facilitating their southward progress.
For instance, on the 30th, though they had traveled but seven miles'they
found themselves twelve and a half miles farther south tiian on the pre-
ceding day; and on the 31st, though in eleven and a half hours they had
made only two and a half miles, the traveling being very laborious,
they had with the help o-f the drift, moved south tour miles more. Even
when the wind again changed to the south, it did not entirely cut ofT,
though it sensibly lessened, the gain by the drift. This help, iiowever^
in nowise lessened the labor and fatigue of the journey, only to thJ
extent of shortening its duration. Every mile of the way actually made
by the travelers was won in the same slow and distressing manner as „n
the outward trip, by alternate paddling in the water and dragging over
the ice. The constant wet and cold had also alFected sevend of the
meivwith chilblains, and the tediousncss as well as fatigue of the weary
journey iiad l)egun to tell on their strength and energy.

Lii

RELIEF.

329

The kdlino. „f a l,ear l.y I.ieut. lioss on the 24th, procuml then a
LcnchcMl a.ui nnu-h apprcciaU.! change ,.f diet, thou-h, as usual in such
rases, they sufllM-ed s.Mnewhat Ironi a too free use of the fresli meat
On this trip they ohserve.l the phenomenon of re.l snow, .lescrihed in a
pivcedin^r ehapter. Finally, on the mornin<,. of the 12th, they reached
their depot off Little Tahle Island, where they found that the hears had
<lcvo.n-e.l all the l,read, hut Lieut. Crozier had recently deposite.l some
ant,-scorhutics and delicacies, whicli proved very seasonahle, as symp-
toms of scm-vy had hcgun to appear in some of the men; and also an
account hy Lieut. Foster of what had occurred at Ilecla Jove to fuly
33d. From this it was learned tiiat the Hecla had l,een <lriven ashore
hy the ice on the 7th of July, hut iia.l heen ^^ot off hy the exertions
of ofHcers and men witiiout havin- sustaine<l any injurv. Taking the
remaining stores ah(,ard, they next proceeded to Walden Island, wiierc
they landed, after having "],een fifty-six hours without rest, and forty-
eight at work in the hoats "-their lirst repose on land for iiftv-two days.
A hla/Jng (ire of driftwood, a hot, ahundant supper, and a" few hou'rs'
quiet rest, soon restore.l then. ,-,ec,n-ing the extra hoat and provisions
tH^'t l.a<l iK-en left on the islan.l, they had hopes of soon rejoining the
ship, hut adverse winds and had weatiier so delayed them, that it^took
a week to make what had cost tiiem hut a day on the outgoing trip.
Arming Ihially on hoard the Ilecla after an ahsence of sixty-on^days,
they justly felt assured that if perseverance and energy could have won
success, they \vould certainly have attained the ohject of their amlntion,
and floated the union jack at the North Pole.

O., the 28th they left Hecia Cove, and securing the provisions de-
posited svith so nu.ch lalx.r on Red Beach on the way, thev rounded
Ilakluyt Headland on the ^otli, an.l stood south for England. On the
.7th of Septemher they reached the Shetlan.l Islands, mul anchoring
ill the Voe, enjoyed the welcome hospitality of tjie inhahitants. The
Ilecla heing detained in the north hy contrary winds. Parry, on the
25th, Nvent ahoanl the revenue cutter Chichester, which thev had fallen
ii. with two days hefore at Long Hope, in the Orkneys, and was
i.nuie.i at Inverness on the 26th. He proceeded overland to London,

^11

nun

1 1 1 f

8S0

CLOSE OF PAJy'/irKS CAREEli.

■11 ;, ''

.'MTivin- on the 39th „f ScpteinlH-r, ihc same day on which .lie.l ,,l,„anl
the Ilecla his "Greenland master," vviio ha.l accompanied hi.n on live
Arctic voyages. The vessel linally reached the Tiiames on the r,th <.f
October, and with her arrival ended the career of Parry as an explorer,
though he survived to .855. lie had contributed n.ore than his share'
by effort and achievement toward the solution of the two great prob-
lems—the Northwest Passage and the Discovery of the Pole; and it
was through no fault of his that he did not solve both. His attention
to every necessary detail, and his constant use of every i)recaution
against mishap to his men and ships, was remarkable. In this last Po-
lar voyage he gave-as Wrangell had done before in more eastern lon-
gitudes—a clear conception of how uneven and almost impassable, and
broken by water-lanes, is the ice of the Arctic Ocean, and Iiow entirely
unlike any frozen surface with which the denizens of more southern
climes are familiar. It was conjectured that around the Pole, and tar
to the south, would be found a solid, uniform crust of ice, on \vhich,
with the proper outfit, progress would be as easy an.: -apid as on one of
the more southern frozen lakes. This illusion was rudely broken by
the stern logic of very unwelcome and very obstructive facts.

chapti:r wxvih.

.OSS' SKCO.O VOVAOK-KMPU.VKn MV KKMX HOOTH-JAs. C. HOSS-
— .. ,:sK OK STKAM .M AKCTK. VOV A.HCS -. A ^e ASTKU SOUND

-NUM..:,, r.v run ick-zn wintku quautkks _ visirnn nv

KSQU.MAUX-KXHAUSTED TEAMS - I-KOVISIOVS UEDUCED-MAG-
NETIC I'OI.K DISCOVEKED.

CMpt. John Ross, naturally desirous of vin.licatinj. his title to fame as
an Arcfc explorer, which had been eloude.l, if not obliterate,! hy his
so.newhat i,^nion,inious failure in nSiS, solicited the command of a fresh
expedition in ,839, which was refused on the ,.ronnd of retrenchment in
'ha. d,reo,ion. He was now in his fifty-second year, and as has been
.nlMnate.1, had distinguished himself for bravery and skill in the French
-ar ol .793-.S.5. Horn in ,777, he entered the navy while yet a boy
served l.heen years as a midshipn.an, seven as a lieutenant, seven as com -
nian.ler, and was promote,! to a captaincy in 1818, before proceedin-^ on
1.S hrst Arctic voya.^^e. The government declining to defray the expense
01 an exploring expedition where so many had proved imsatisfactory, Ross
sought and found a patron in Felix I3ooth, a wealthy distiller, at that
t.nu. filling the ofiice of sherilF. IJooth was not unwilling to defray the
expense, but as the parliamentary reward of $100,000 to whoever
should discover the Northwest Passage might give a color of possible
interest or tar-s.ghted speculation to Ifis support of the enterprise, " vdiat
ni.gln be .ieemed by others," he said, « a mere mercantile speculation,"
he n.sisted on the withdrawal of the prize. Tliis being done, and the
government being unwilling to be outdone, he was created a knight for
his munificence.

Capt. Ross-he was not yet Sir John-was now empowered by
Booth to provide a vessel and the necessary equipment; and he soon
proceeded to Liverpool, where he purchased a side-wheel steamer for

:}:!''

F//fSr AliCTlC STEAM NAl/dAriON.

the voyajjc. He i.^ therefore entitled to the credit of hcing the first to
contcnipiate the use of steam power in Arctic naviffatioii. It was rather
an unfortunate selection, as nothinjr more unpractical than paddle-boxes
to encounter ice-floes and ice-packs, can well be conceived. He, how-
ever, took the precaution to strengthen his ship, and added various im-
provements to adapt her to the voyage upon which she was about to
enter. The supply of provisions and stores was calculated on a liberal
basis for twenty-eight men for i,ooo days, and cost, nicluding price of
vessel, $85,000. When fitted she was of 150 tons burden, and received
the name of the Victory.

The second in command was the nephew of the Captain, James
Clark Ross, now a commander only, afterward Sir James Ross, who,
like his uncle, had entered the navy at the early age of twelve, and had
served under him in the Baltic, the ^Vhite Sea, and the coast of Scotland,
and his first voyage in search of the Northwest Passage, in iSiS, being
then in his nineteenth year. He had since been with Pany in all his
voyages from 1S19 to 1S27, and was now in his thirtieth year. It
will be seen that his Arctic experience was large, and he p-n-ed an
efficient aid to his uncle and chief

As the government contiibution toward the success of the expedi-
tion, the admiralty furnished a deck-boat of sixteen tons bunieii, called
the Krusenstern, and two strong boats whicii had been used by Frank-
lin, together with some books and instruments. The ship and outfit at-
tracted considerable attention, and among a host of less distinguished
persons was visited by Louis Philippe, the future king of the French,
and many otiier notables. The Victory was to have been aecm-
panied l)y a teiuler or store-ship to lighten her burden until they reached
the ice, but a mutiny on tiiis vessel in Loch Ryan, at the entrance to 'he
Firth of Clyde, broke up that arrangement; and she steamed off without
a consort, from Woolwich, England, on the 23d of May, 1829. Her
engines, however, proved a source of anxiety to Capt. Ross, and their
use was soon aband(>ned. Steamships had as yet been but little used f.,r
ocean voyages, and the timidity of inexperience was ready to take refuge
in the old and tried method of sailing. It is true, Fitch and Rumsev, in

LANCASTER SOUND.

Amurica, liad made experiments in tiie line f)f propelliii^f vessels by
steam as early as 17S3; and in 17.SS Fitch ha<l launched a paddle steam-
lioat in whicli he made a trip from MnrMn-^tdn to Philadelphia and re-
turn, at the rate of foin- miles an hour. Symin<;ton, on the Clyde, had
made his first trip the same year; an<l in 1S07 Fulton made the first real-
ly successful voya;jfe by steam from New York to Albany, in the Cler-
mont, makin<^ one hmidred and ten miles in twenty-four hours a<jainst
wind and tide. In 180S Stevens made a short ocean voya<ife by steam
Irom New York to Philadelphia. A steam voya<j;e from Glasj^ow to
London followed in 1S15; and one from New York to New Orleans, in
iSiS. The fust steam voyage across the Atlantic was made by the
Savamiah from New York to Liverpool, in 1S19, but having ex-
hausted her supply of coal, she was ol)liged to have recourse to her sails
toward the close of the voyage. Indeed, it was not until 1S33 that the
route was considered entirely prarficable for steam navigation. Now,
when even whalers use steam power at least as an auxiliary, one
is liable to wonder why Ross diil not carry forward his original concep-
tion. It is, therefore, but justice to him to draw the reader's attention to
the state of the (piestion in that day.

While sailing up Davis' Strait, the Victory, having received some
injury to her spars and rigging, put into llolsteinberg, on the Greenland
coast, just within the Arctic Circle, for repairs. Leaving on the 26th of
June, tiiey found clear sailing through Bafhn's Bay and Lancaster
Sound, with the tiiermometer at about 40°, and the weather so mild and
genial that the officers could dine without a fb'e, and even with the sky-
ligiil jiartially open. They s;iw no ice or snow except on the mountain
tops; and at the entrance to Harrow Strait, where Parry at one time en-
countered such v)bstruction from the ice, there was seen neither iceberg
nor ice-lloe.

Passing Cape York on the loth of August, they entered Prince
Regent Inlet, and making for tlie western shore they finallv fell in with
impeding ice between Sepping and Elwin Hays, on the 1 3th. The en-
suing day they arrived at the place where the Furv had been aban-
doned, but could see no trace of the disabled vessel. Her supplies and

(.V, : .. ^.^t^r

884

NIPPED IX THE ICE.

provisions, which, it will bo iviniMuhcrcd, had been put ..shore pivpaia-
toi V to heavin- her on the ice for repairs, were fouiul intact and unin-
jured, and now rurnisiicd seasonai)Ie replenishin- to those of the Victory.
They left some Cor tlie use of |„,ssil)le future navi-jators, and made
their own stock <,'ood f„r lo.-o days from <\aW. On the i^th ihev
reached Cape (Jarry, just beyond I'arry's " limit," but si;,r|„c-,l ;md
named by him. Since leaving' IClwi!-. Ray they bad eneounlered almost
constant obstruction from ice-floe :ind iceberj,rs, but not to the same extern
as their predecessors, liavin.i,r arrived earlier, and the season provin-
much more favorable. Like them, however, they were often con.pelled
to make fast to the smaller iceber^js, or to ice-lloe, and drift with them,
now backward, now forward, from the shore or toward it, as (he wind
drove or the current ran, with hu-je towerinj,^ masses of iee plun--
\\vr around on every side. The Victory was at times sorely pressed
and received several hard knocks and crushinj,' s(pieezes, besides be-
injj carried out of her course on several occasions. Once she lost nine-
teen miles in a few hours, the current si)ceding fast in a contrary direc-
tion; yet no serious damajje was sufFered.

" Ima-,nne," says Parry, " these mountains hurled throu^di a narrow
strait by a rapid tide, meetin,ir with the noise of thunder, breakiii-- fn.m
each other's precipices hu.i;e fraj,'ments, or rendin- each other asunder,
till, losinjj their former ecpiililirium, they fall over heaillon- liftin- the
sea around in breakers, and whirlinjr it in eddies. There is not a monuiii
in which it can be conjectured what will happen in tlie next. The atten-
tion is troubled to fix on anythin.i,' amid such confusion; still must it be
alive that it may seize on the sin.L,'le moment of help or escape which
may occur. Yet, with all this, and it is the hardest task of all, ih.re is
nothi..- to be acted, no effort to be made. One must I)e patient, as if he
were unconcerneil or careless, waitiuij as he best can for the fate, be it
what it may, which he cannot influence or avoid."

Despite all obstacles they continued to make sonn- proi,n-ess to the
south, anil by the middle of September had explored loo leagues of
previously undiscovered coast. They had discovered and named Ihent-
ford Bay, thirty miles beyond Cape Garry, with several fhie harl)orN,

TEiiih\s/N.

san

whidi were named Ports Lo^r;,,,, FJizahetli, and Eclipse. Lan.Iinjr on
tlu' cast they took possession of the connliy for the Uritish crown, and
naimdil Hoothia Felix, in honor of tiie patron of the expedition, Sir
I'chx Uooth, with Uellot Strait on tlic north, the Gulf of Huolhia on the
east, and Franklin Strait on the northwest.

THE VICTORY IN WINTER QUARTERS. »

In what they called hy the unpoetic name of Mary Jones Hay, they
found a secure rcfu-e for the ship, on the 17th of Sepfemher, 1829, only
I 1 S days out fro.u Woolwich. To re.-ich it, however, it was found neces-
sary to cut through the ice, and this I)ein<r done, they made n-ady for win-
ter. Tlie steam machinery was entirely removcil, the vessel housed, and
every precaution adopted to secure the safety of the vessel and the 1 ealth
of tlic men. They were al)undantly supplied with necessaries, and the
iiarhor was exceptionally safe for those latitudes. Soon they were frozen
in, with hu<,'e masses of ice surrounding,' them to «eaward, and the whole
landscape covered with snow. The thermometer sank several de<rroes
below zero, and liiey were fairly entered on an Arctic winter, hut full of
hope and hrijjht anticipations of what could he done after the usual nine
ur ten iiioiiths' detention.

On the ytli of January, 1S30, they were visited hy an unusually lar^'e
niheof Escpiimaux, who seemed to he cleaner and hrijrhter, as well as
l)elter dressed, than the others of their race hitherto encountered. They
were alile to draw for Ross, as others had done elsewhere for Parry and
r.eeeliey, fairly accurate sketches of the land and sea for many miles
an.tm.i Thonrs Harbor, now Felix Harbor, where they lay. As ten
years before Parry had found the female Ili<,rliuk the most intelli<,'ent of
the i:squiniaux on Winter Island, so here the woman Teriksin proved to
have the clearest ideas of the contigurat'ion of the coast of Boothia,
Felix an<l the nei-,'hborini,' lands, bays and inlets. With two of the Es-
(luiinaux as j^aiides, Capt. Ross, accompanied hy Thomas Blanky, first
mate, set out on the 5tli of April to explore a strait to the west, which it
was lioped mi<,rht prove a channel to the Arctic Ocean. On this jour-
ney, as was afterward learned, they had approached within ten mil

"III
vi i

es ot

, i^l-i^r^^i^j^SUStll^'

(ur

EXHAUSTED TEAMS.

the point which the younger Ross designated the ensuing year as the
magnetic pole. But the present party were on an entirely different er-
rand, and though they discovered a hii<e and bay, and surveyed the coast
some sixty miles farther south, the expedition led to no important re-
suits. The younger Ross set out on the ist of May, and from an emi-
nence descried a large inlet, which promised an outlet to the Arctic
Ocean. Returning, he fitted out an expedition to » consist of himself and
three companions, with a sledge and eight dogs, and provisions for three
weeks." These set out on the 17th of May, and encountering the lake
already referred to, and the river-which thev na.ned Garry-Ross -.s
cendc.l the hill which he had previously used for h,s o])servations and
saw a chain of lakes lea.ling hack almost to the harbor he had' left
Moving along tiie shore of the western inlet, which has since been
named Sir James Ross' Strait, the party reached Matty Islan.l, and cross-
ing a narrow strait to the west, landed on what they believed was the
mandand, and called King William's Land, but which the exploration of
Smipson has since shown to be an island, separated fron> the continent
by the strait called by his name.

Pushing north, their dogs became exhausted, and the men ha<l to
depend mainly on their own exertions. MVhen all is ice," says Ross
" and all one dazzling mass of white-when the sm-faee of 'the sea itself
IS tossed up and fixed into rocks, while the land is on the contrarv very
olten flat-it is not always so easy a problen. as it n.ight seen/ on .
superfic.al view, to deter.nine a f.ct which appears in w.nds to be ex
tremely simple." Hut despite exhaustion of dogs and men he kept on
to the north, and on the 39th reached the most northern point of Kin..
Wdham's Land, and named it Cape Felix. Here he beheld the wide
expanse of sea now known as McClintock Channel, exten.lin . auav to
the northwest, and to the southwest the narrower channel lo., ^,^
Victoria Strait. Proceeding along the latter thev arrived on the 30th .t
a headland which Ross named Point Victory, and to another which he
saw n, the distance, he gave the name of Cape Franklin. They were
about two hundre<l miles distant from Felix Harbor, wit!, onlv a few
days' provisions left, and it became necessary to return at once: The>

'.'* '\.

I^ADT MELVILLE LAKE. 33^

erected the usual cairn, depositin,. a ,ea„cl of their experience and procu-
res, and turned their faces to the east, with son.e .nis,ivin,s that th^
iKul already gone too far for their resources. This proved to be the c.se
lor, though the men survived, they lost six of the dogs, and were them-
selves ahnost exhausted and helpless, when they had the good fortune to
tall .n with some Esquimaux on the 8th of June. Hospitably enter-
t.med and supplied with a store of f.sh by these poor children of the
tro.en north, they rested one day among them, and reached the ship on
the .3th, having been absent four weeks instead of three. Capt Ross
had nu-anwhile stn-veyed Boothia Isthmus, and discovered another lar^e
body ot fresh water, which he na.ned Lady Melville Lake.

To Iheir surprise and disappointment they were unable 'to leave their
w.nter quarters until the ve.y anniversary of their entrance therein it
beu.g the 7th of Septen.i,er, 1S30, when they were set free. Advancin<.
only three n.iles in six <lays, they were a^ain fro.en in on the 33d o^f
.Septen.bcr; and the remainder of the month and the whole of October
were consun.ed in getting her into secure quarters. Here another
dreary winter had to be passed, and as a precautionary measure, it was
decMued prudent by Capt. Ross to reduce the allowance of provisions
I he wnuer proved exceptionally severe, the thermometer goin<. down
on some occasions as low as 93° below the freezing point, .n- (Z^ below
.ero. Son.e surveys and local explorations were made in the sprint
01 .N^^., but the most important expedition was the one in relation to
the Magnetic Pole.

DISCOVERY OF THE NORTH MAGNETIC POLE.

The scientists „,-E„„,pcha.la.ccr,:,i„c,l by theory „„.l oxperi,„c„.

'"' ""■ ■"■ ■■"•>'"-''i^- 1'"'^^ """I'l 1« f"....<l sontowhne in ,1,0 nci.*-

".I,,.„.l or where the Vietoty „., ,„,„ ,„,, „„, .,, ,„, ,,,_;

Kv <>S 30 west. The yo,„„e,. Ross, arterwanl k„ow„ „s Sh- |a,„es'
I ..ss, ava, e.l hunselror.he „pp„,,.,„!ty now lurnishe.! hy their enforced
*.y ... Lch. Ilarhor to otake the ol,se,va.i„„s a,„l eaIculatio„s oceessarv

to (letermiiie its exact 1

ocation.

The

)f M;

y. i^^^ii, It i

expeilition set out toward tl

lavmg been previously ascertained that they

lie entl

were not

5 I

838

DISCOVER r OF MAGNETIC POLE

far (Hstaiit from the desired point. The weatiier had turned stormy; hut
their zeal took small notice of the chan<>e, and they hurried forward
toward the place indicated hy Ross' calculations. On the 31st they were
within ahout fourteen miles of it; and on the next moriiin;^% leavin<;- iheii-
Inifjfjjfai^e and provisions on the heach wiiere they had camped, tiiey ar-
rived at the spot at eight o'clock. "The place of the ohservation," says
Ross, "was as near to the majjjnetic pole as the lir-iited means which I
possessed enahled me to determine. The amount of the dip, as indi-
cated hy my dipping-needle, was S9" 59', being thus within one mimite
of the vertical; while the proximity at least of this pole, if not its actual
existence where we stood, was turther confirmed hy the action, or rather
by the total inaction of the several horizontal needles then in my pos-
session. These were suspended in the most delicate manner possible,
but there was not one which showed the slightest elfort to move from
the position in which it was pfaced." The very force which attracts mil-
lions of free compass-needles all over the northern hemisphere in its di-
rection, was Iiere inactive. The corresponding South I'ole of terrestrial
magnetism has been computed to be at 66' south latitude, and i.|6"
east longitude — not diametrically opposite therefore, as the geograpliical
2)olcs of the eartii are. The fimous (Jerman mathematician. Gauss, com-
puted that the theoretic location of tiie north magnetic pole, in iSn
should have been three degrees farther north; but the point determined
by Ross ililTcred only eleven minutes from Parry's calculations.

" As s(H)n," says Ross, "as I had satisfied my own mind 011 llie sub-
ject, I made known to the party this gratifying result of our joint labors;
and it was then that, amidst mutual congratulations, we lixed tiie Uritisli
Hag on the spot and took possession of the North Magnetic Pole and its
adjoining territory in the name of Great Britain and King ^V'illialn 1 \'.
We had abundance of materials tor l)uilding, in the fragments of lime-
stone that covered the beach, and we therefore erected a cairn of some
magnitude, under which we buried a canister containing a record of the
interesting fact, only regretting that we had no*^ 'he means of construct-
ing a pyramid of more importance, and of strengtii sulHcient to with-
stand the assaults ot time and of the Esquimaux. Had it been a pvia-

1111(1 as lai

-<e as that nf Cheops, I am >,ot .luitc-

<loiic more than satisfy our ainhitio.i und

889

have

(lay. The latitude of tl

liiite sure that it would
cr the feeliiiirs „f that excitin<'

west.

us spot is 70 ' 5' ,7", ;i„a it, lon,rit.,de (/, ■ 46'

riilL,^es

The laud at this plac
lifty

:e is very I

•y low near the coast, hut it

♦)!• sixty feel hijrh, ahout
wished that a plaee so iuiportaut had

It was scarci

^ly

a mile inland. W
possessed more of mai-

rrses into

c could have

k or note.

censurahle lo rei^-ret that tli

(licate a spot to which so much of interest

(Diild (.'ven have [jardoned any on

'>!• al.sunl as to expect that the Ma-.netic Pol

iL-re was not a mountain to in-
must ever he attached; and I

•^ amoiii,' us who had 1

)een so romantic

innis

a.id mysterious as the fahled mountain of Sinhad

lo v/as an ohject as conspic-

a niounlani of iron, or a maj^net as 1
had here erected n

ii-f^e as Mont lil

, that it was c-veii
inc. Hut nature

o moi

IS the center of one of Ik

lument to denote the spot which she had cl
■I- .i,n-eat and dark powers, and wl

chosen

do little ourselves toward this c\u\.''

.eavin- the ma-netic p(,le, and the abandoned 1

which they had th

1^ ili'i'nl fortune to find tl

arrival, they set out for the si

lie re ready f

!iip. IJlinded h

liere we could

'^s(iinmaii\ hnis
or use on their

was slow and dilHcuIt, hut tl

y snowstorms their ])ro;j^ress

icy reached the harl

al)

scnce of twenty-ei-rht days. Tl

'or m safety after an

iiia'jiK'tic pol

he reader should l)ear

tile t

poles are variahie points, not llxed positi(ms.

nnc

ol the discov

in mind that the
was supposed at

sliip, llic\- were detained

;iii imprisonment of eleven niont

cry o( the northern one by Ross. Arrived at thi
some weeks loii-er in winter (piarters; hut after

is since their futile atlcmnt t

"• previous year, they succeeded on the 2Sth of Au-ust i,S

\^ict

to escape on

,^aist, i.S,:5i,iii workiii<r

■y into open water. On the 39th they set sail in tl

cllort to push tiiroii-rh t

le vam

he ice, hut found the t

continued exertions for a whol

isk impracticahlc. Hv

Ic month they had won only t

and were a-ain frozen in on the ^ytli of Septeinl

V loin- miles

:'pi>iopiiatcly have named Infel

ptemher, in what they miirht

l\v

ix (Unhappy) Ilarhor. S

I years

was such hopeless pro.jrress that the di

'(.'Veil miles in

statu hills of th

«'ir native

'-'I nuist have seemed heyond their reach t^.rever. Hut the hrave min
'""I- at the impossible as calmly as he may, and turns his attention else-

340

ABANDONMENT OF THE VICTOR T.

I » J ' *

where. It was therefore determinccl that on the return of spring their
energies slionhl be directed to effecting their escape in another way. It
was recollected that on the beach where the Fury had been abandoned
by Parry, and where they had, it will be rcmeinliered, replenished their
stores in 1839, there were, among the other supplies, several boats which
belonged to that ill-fated vessel. It was now designed that they siiould
make the best of their way to that point, and availing themselves of the
boats, provisions and supplies there to be found, make an effort to reach
the whaling grounds in BaiHn's Bay, and thus return, if it might be, to
their native land. It was ;i great and arduous undertaking, but not (itiite
as hopeless as the attempt to extricate the Victory had been. It was a
chance for life and liberty, and was worth striving for.

On the 2 ^(1 of April, 1S32, they entered on the task. Having collected
the necessary supplies, they set out to remove them over the ice. " The
loads being too iieavy to be carried at once, made it necessary to go
backward and forward twice, and even oftener, the same day. They
had to encounter dreadful tempests of snow and drit't, and to make sev-
eral circuits in order to avoid impassable barriers. The result was that
by the 12th of May they had traveled 339 miles to gain thirty in a
direct line." This preliminary work having been laboriously executed,
they returned to the ship, and on tiie 29th of May took their final leave
of her. The colors of the Victory were formally hoisted and nailed to
the mast; the officers and men left her, and last of all, the cominaniler
bade her adieu. " It was," he says, " the first vessel that I had ever been
obliged to abandon, after having served in thirty-six during a period of
fbrlv-two years. It was like the last parting with an old friend, ami 1
did not pass the point where she ceased to be visible without stopping to
take a sketch of this melancholy desert, rendered more melancholy bv
the solitary, abandoned, helpless home of our past years, fixed in immov-
able .ce till time should perform on her his usual work.''

On the 9th of June James Ross, with two companions and provisions
for two weeks, struck ahead of the main body to ascertain how matters
then stood at Fury Heach. Fortunately, though some of the boats had
been washed away since 1S39, ^'■'^''■^' were still enough left for their pur-

!■?

TENTING ON FURT BEACH. z\l

pose, and the provisions had remained uninjured. Rejoining the main
i)ody on the 35th they hastened forward an.l reached their immediate
t(oal on the ist of July. They ^erected a hwge tent which they named
Somerset House, and began to put the boats in readiness.

On the 1st of August they took to the boats, a considerable expanse
of open water being available for their northern progress. They, how-
ever, as was expected, encountered many obstacles from the ice, but
sL.wly a.ul cautiously they threaded their way amidst the dangerous floes
and packs, reaching the northern entrance of Prince Regent Inlet ])y
the close of the mo.Uh. Arrived there, further progress Jas barred by
tlK- impenetrable masses of ice which encumbered its entrance and the
adjoining portion of Barrow's Strait. They were obliged to haul their
boats ashore and await a more flivorable opportunitv. The tents were
pitched, and Barrow's Strait was scrutinized day by day, but it refused
to yield tliem an opening. After watching nearly three weeks for the
chance that it seemed would never come, with their provisions running
low, and starvation staring them in the face should they remain, i* was
■lecided to turn their backs once more on England, and go back to
Fury Beach, where at least an abu.ulance of provisions for their small
parly could still be found. They reached Batty Bav, about half way
on the return voyage, in the boats, when their further progress l)y
water was stopped by the ice. An overland trip to Somerset ITm.se was
a repetition of the labors „f the spring, but it was safely accomplished
.-> twelve days, and on the 7th of October they were again housed in
the eapai'ious tent on Fury Beach.

To make tliis refuge tenantable during the approaching winter,
tlH'V built a wall of snow four feet thick all arou.ul, an.l placed a board'
roof overhea.l to receive a deep covering of the same. Stoves were
l"""n.l among the abundant stores of the Fmy, and by their help this
cxte,np.,ri/ed habitation was made fairly com(ortal)le. ' They got along
verv well until the increasing severity of the weather an.l "th^e intense
col.l n.nllne.I them in.loors, when sciuvy began to appear. On Feb.
'"^ i^S^v Mr. Tiiomas, tiie carpenter, .lie.l, an.l two ..thers soon fol-
i>'we.i. - Tiieir s,tuati.>n was becming truly awful, since, if thev were

849

A S/IIP /AT HICHT.

il i^;

I Ii1ht;iU-(1 tin- I'lisuiiiir simiiiu-r, Iil(U> pn^spt'ct appoinvd of ll

H'lr siir-

viviiii; iiiiotluT yi-;ir. ll \v;is m\vss:irv lo mil

;iiu\- (>r pivsoivi'd iiUMis; hivad \v;is soiiU'\vli;il d

wiiu- and sjjirils was I'liliirlv i-\l);nisti'd. 1 lowcvi-r, as ll

foxc

ki' a ivdiii-lioii III llu'

low

I'liciiMil, and llu' slock ol

u'v i'aii''lil

low

s, wlui'li Wl'll-

i-onsidfivd a dflii-ai-y, and iIil-iv was pU>nlv of Mom,
suivar, soups and VLMVtal)k>s, a dii-t i-onld W t-asily anan-c-d siill'u-ii'nl |„
suppoil llu- parly." WliiU- llu- iir ivmaiiu-d Mini, il was di-mu-d ad\ isa-

I- lo irinovt- siu-li provisions as llu-v wi-iv iiol lila-iv to lu-t-d to I:

ally

Hav, to 1)1-

in n-adiiu-ss

for I

u- smnnu-r fxiji-diiion lo llu- norlli. Th

distaiui- was hut thirl y-t wo inilos, yd il took

a luonlli with tlu- irdiui'd

foivi- to inaki- the Iranst

or, most of llu-in .-j^oiiii,' oyer the ,L,n<)iind ci-dit

timc!

Phoy left Sonu-rsot House onco more on the Slh of [uly, and on ll
eiu-amped at l^atty Hay, only to repeat the tedious operal

1 Jth wi-i-i

10!1

ol" wateiuiij^ for the openintj;- of the wat

eis, as on llu- previous year at
was rewardi-d hy

Harrow's Strait. Thirly-thn-e days' patient seruiiiiy
the diseovery of a lane into w.ich they eould venture with
reachino- the head of the inlet. On the istli of Au,<,nis| they |,„,l
boats, and with patient skill and

some hopt' (>f

k to tlu

ener-'v, t!

*UL;Ii llu sea wa

s lor tlu- most

part eneumhered with iee, they reached Harrow's Stiait two days I

Iter,

ere an a-,n-eeahle surprise awaiteil them; for where t

u- year hefore ll

most tortuous e-^iess was fouiul impraetieahle, this year, tl

, thonnh only Uyo

ei\- side

weeks earlier in tlu- season, an open sea greeted them on ev
Pushin- east they approacheii Cape York, and a week later reached a
safe harhor on the eastern shore of Na\y Hoard Inlet.

On the mornin- of 'he ^()tii, at ( o'clock— none too early for such
joyful news— they were awakened from their heavy and almost hopeless
slumhcrs to learn that a ship was in si-ht. (^uick as men escapin- from
imminent peril, they jumped to their oars, hut the vessel disappeared in
the ha/e hefore they could reach her, or attract the attention of those on
Itoard. Aiui now the revulsion of fcelint; was fast sinkiuj,' into desp;-ir,
w-hoii a few hours later they had the <,'ood fortune to si^^Hit another vessrl
lyiii.ij in a calm. Hurriedly and encrj,retically rowini,^ (..ward lur with

their eyes fixed in a steady

azc on

e <>•

ad vision, and their heaits

m i.

THE RESCUE.

:m:i

vvavc.rlMjrbdwccM, Iiope mul foar, thc-y soc.„ reached the stately sl,ip
wimh proved (., he the Isahella .,f Hull, n..w a whaler, hut llfteeu years'
iHlorc , the ship in whieli lt„ss uia.le his lirst Arctic voya^a^ 1 ler captain
ai..i eiew c..ui<l with dilliculty he persua.led liiat tiieir ^^ucsts were what
theyrepreseute<ltiiemselvest.,he-Capt. Rossaud his parly of Arctic
explorers-fur had they not l.ecn reported dead two years hefore? It
was a queer story, aud one with which it was useless to try f. deceive
liie hoiie>.t whalers.

lin-lish, they were, of course; any one could sec that, despite their
uue-he-one and weather-heaten appearance, an<l the hospitality of the
IsalKlla should he -ladly exten.led to them; hut Capt. Ross ami his
party were <lead and -one, alas! never more to he seen in the llesh, on
water or on land! With such .lenn.nstration as it was in their power t<,
-ive, the new-comers soon dispelled the .louhts and misjrivin-s of their
n.untrymen, and as soon as it hc-came clear to them that "they were

^''■'' "'^" "'""^' "''"• ''••"• ''^•^■'> '....urned for in I':n;,dan.l as dea.I, the

ri-Mn- was .p.ickly manne.i to do them honor, an<l with thiee hearty

cheers Ross an, I his party were formally vvelcome.l on hoanl the Isahella.

" Thou-1, ,ve ha<l not heen supported I,y our names and characters,"

says Ross, " we should not the less have claime.l from charitv tiie alten-

li.H.sthat we received; for never were seen a more miserahle set of

wretches. U.ishaven since I know not when, dirty, dressed in the ra-s

<'!• u'ii.l Leasts, an.I starved to the very hones, our -aunt and .irrim looirs,

whou contrasted with those of the well-dressed an<l well-fed men around

.IN nia.le us all feel-I helieve for the Ih-st time-what we really were, as

well as what we seemed to others. Hut the ludicrous soon took the place

"I" all other feelin-s; in such a crowd and such confusion, all serious

thought was impossihle, while the new huoyancy of our spirits made us

al.-M.dantly willin- to he amused hy the scene which now opene.l. ICvery

man was hungry, and was to he fed ; all were ra-r,,i, and were to he

^■lothnl ; there was not one to whom washin- was not indispensahle, norone

whom his heard did not .lepriveof all human semhlance. AU-everythin-,

too. ' '

to l)e done at once; it

was washin<;,dressiu<r,sl

iiiteiinini^rjed. It was all th

iavm<i,eatm'r. al

e materials of each jumhled to-eth

er, while

"■/ f wiiffflff •'»^'

|li|

; ! J

■III

Mil,
ffi

111

34-1

I/O NO Its I IV ENGLAND.

in the midst of all there were iiUermiiiahle (jiiestions to be asked and

answered on both sides; the adventnrcs of the Vietory, our own escapes,

th,> politics of Enj,^land, ami the news which was now four years old.

But all subsided into peace at last. The sick were acconiniodateil, the

seamen disposed of, and all was done for us which care aiul kindness

could perform. Night at len<,^th brou<,'ht quiet and serious thouj^ht, and

I trust there was not a man among us who did not then exjjress where

it was due, his gratitude for that interposition which had raised us all

from a despair which none could now forget, and had brought us from

the borders of a most distant grave, to life, and friends, and civilization.

Long accustomed, however, to a cold bed on the hard snow, or the bare

rocks, few could sleep amid the comforts of our new accommodations.

I was myself compelled to leave the bed v/hich had been kindly assigned

me, and take my abode in a chair for the night; nor ilid it fare much

better with the rest. It was for time to reconcile us to this sudden change,

to break through wliat IkuI become habit, and to inure us once more to

the usages of our former days."

The Isabella prosecuted her fishing for five weeks longer, and did
not set out on her return until the 30th of September. They made the
Orkneys on the i.'th, and Hull on the 18th of October, where the free-
dom of the city was bestowed on Capt. Ross, and be and bis men were
entertained at the jjublic expense. On the i<)th he set out for London to
report to the admiralty, and was soon presented to the king at Windsor.
London, Liverpool, and Bristol Jollowed the example of Hull in bestow-
ing the freedom of tiie respective cities on Capt. Ross. The officers and
men receixed the customary double pay allowed to Arctic explorers, up
to the dale of abandoning the shij), and the regular pay thereafter. I?y
a vote of parliament in 1S34, Capt. Ross received a grant of $^:;,o(XJ,
and was raised ])y the king to the dignity of a Knigiit Companion of ihe
I?ath. Other honoiv, followed from various quarters, foreign and domes-
tic, and in 1S35 he published "Residence in Arctic Regions," -tc.,— an
account of his second voyage. In 1851 he was created a rear-admiral,
and (lied in 1856. James C. Ross was raised from the rank of com-
mander ;o thai of captain, and was ^oon after engaged in the magnetic

M-'l

AJV ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION, 345

sn,^y of Great Britain an.l L-dan.!. ,n .836 he .nacie a v..va,e to
15aft„ s Lay ,„. the .eiieCof .he rn,.e>. whalers ,.f that yearra.ui in
.S,S9-4,? was n, command of an Antaretie expUition, in whieh he reached
-^'^'■> <"-' 'Hnuh-ed -.n.X sixty miles of the Soutl, Maf^netie Pole, an.l on
the return from whieh he receive.! the honor of kni.^hthood. In iS^, he
puhhshed his uVoyaije of Discovery in Southern Seas, .839.43" H,
u-di aj^ain con,e hefbre the reader as one of the searchers A.r Sir John
Franklin, in 1848. ^

i % ■

SJl

CIIAPTKR \\XIX.

,^i.-V

PACK S AIUTR- JOUHNKY — I.KAVKS I.IVKUPOOI KOKT IIKSOLHTION— -

(;UKAT KISII inV|.;il_AN AKlTIf HKSII)KNt|.:-^AKAITlll()_A
SI.ICmMC-lomtNKY — I'ASSIN(; HAIMDS — iAI'K IUIIIAUDSON —
VOVAl.K I\ TIIK TKItKOU— TIIK Ti:KKOU NUM'Kl) IN TIIK Ic i; —
IMI'ltlSONKD— A MASQUKUADli — INCKKASK OK I.K AK Aii K — FH KK
AlJAIN.

When Ross had been jroiir three years on his second voya<(e without
any tidin-s leacliiu- linjrland, hi. coimtrynien hecame sohcitous alx.ul
his fate. Dr. Riciiardson first called public attention to tlie matter, and
volunteered his services. As tiie expedition of Ross was not under -ov-
cnunent auspices, a sullklent justification of the expense to be incurred
would be found in he proposed survey of a portion of the unexplored
coast of North America. His project was to strike out from Hudson's
Bay by the northwestern route to Coronation (nilf, where he was to
connnence his search for the missuijr ship, proceedino- in an easterly di-
rection to Melville PiMiinsula, thus completing,- the survey from the Re-
turn Reef of Franklin, to the iMuy and Ilecla Strait, of I'arrv. 'j^ie
proposition was favorably received by the authorities, but n.. action was
taken, tlie ministry nf that i)eriod beint,- too much pre-oci'upied with the
intense political activities which then prevailed in En<,dand.

In November, I. S32, a public meetin,i,r was called at London, to set
on foot a pojndar subscription to lit out a private exnedition for the re-
lief of Ross. Twenty thousand dollars were thus raised, to which the
,<,mvernment, at the sujrj,restion of Lord Goderich -afterward ICarl ol
Ripon, at the time colonial Secietary of State— added ten thousand.
Capt. Hack, who, it will be remend)ere(', .lad already made two.,\er-
land journeys to the coast of North America in company with l■^•ald^lin
and Kichanlson, oOered his services, which weri' pr<>mpt!v acrepted.

346

/^v

I^EFT LIVERPOOL. .,47

IIcMU once set about his p.-eparatio,.s, and to n.cilita.. ,hc cxccutio,, of
iHs plans, In- was formally commission^ hy the Ihulson's HayCon.pany,
-. ,vcc.v.cl instructions f^-o... ,1,. ..lonial oHicc. Accompanied l.y I),-.
<-••'•"•;' K.n. as naturalist, and .hrcc- nu. wh,. ha.l l.ccn with hin. and
I'-ankhn n. ,8.5, Mack left Liverpool f..,- N,w ^'ork on .he .7th of Feb-
••->-y. .83,^, arriving in safety hy one of ,he regular packet ships ailer a
^'<;nny voya... of thirty-ilve days. Procecdin,. to Montreal, he was
.;..M.cd 1^ tbnr volunteers Horn the royal artillery, and en.a^ed some
!• rench Canadians as boatmen an<i porters. Th.y set out in two canoes
•'•' the .5th of April, an,l lost .wo men by desertion on the Ottawa
K.ver. '^-chin,. Norway II,n.se, a post of the Hudson Hay Company, at
the northern extremity of Lake Winnipf.,., H.ck nnule his llnal prepar.-
..ons andset out from that point on the 3,Sth of Jm,e, .0 continue the
--■-■'-"I trip to the northwest. A. l'i„e P,,,,., ,,, ,,,, ,, ,- ,^,,, ,,^. ^,_^
employe of the Hudson Hay Con.pany, .leputed bv ( lov. Simpson' for
"- l-pose. His nan.e was A. R. McLeo.l, and he had jus. returned
no.H Ihc AL.cKen.ie River with a valuable car^., of fu,.. He was ac-
-.npanie<l by his wi,b, three chihlren and a servant, all of whom were
-- .1"--' to Hack's party. They arrived at Ft. Chipewvan, on the
western end of Lake Athabasca, the 3oth of July; an.l at Ft. Resolution,
"H (Meat Slave Lake, the Sth of Auj^ust. Hack thus describes his imn,e-
diate siuToundn.-s in camp at Ft. Resolution:

"At n,y feet was a rolle.l bundle in oil-cloth, containin-.^ some three
M-nkets, called a bed; near it a piece of ,lried bullalo, fancifullv or-
-neu.cd with lon^ black hairs, which no art, alas! can prevent h-om
.ns.nuatin,,^ themselves between the teetl>, as von laboriously masticate
tl- .ou,h,hanl ilesh; .1,.,, a tolerably clean napkin, spread by wav of
•'''''-'""•' "-"-1 piece of canvas, au.I supporting a teapot, soniel-is-
cmts,an<l a sah-cellar; near this a tin plate: close bv a square kind of
iH.x or sa.e of the sam. .material, rich with a pale, <,reasy hair, tiie pro.l-
uco o, tlK. colony at K..\ River; an,l the last, the tar renowned pcMiuni-
c-an, ,nu,uestionably the best food of tiie country for such expeditions as

ours.

P.el

^\\\d me were two boxes

and a m xiani iviiiir on il

containniLC astronomical instrument^

le .<(round, while the did'erent

coi-ners of the tent

fll

111

|{ S ; i

/1 7' I\nir HESOLUriON.

were occupied I.y a washing apparatus, a <^m\, an Iiulian shot-pouch,
l)a},'s, basins, and an unhappy Icokin;,' japanned p.it, whose melancholy
bumps and hollows seemed to rejjroach me for many a bruise endined
upon the rocks and porta<,'cs between Montreal and Lake Wiimipefr.
Nor were my crew less motley than the furniture of the tent. It in-
sisted of an Kni^rjishman, a man from Stornaway, two Canadians, two
metifs or half-breeds, and three Iroquois Indians. Habel could not have
produced a worse confusion of inharmonious sounils I ban was the con-
versation they kept uj)."

Here Back separated from McLeod and his family, five of his men
bciii;r detailed to accompany them, while with the other foin- he pushed
forward to the northeast in search of the upper waters of the Thiew-ee-
Choh, or Great Fish River of the North. On Au-. ly they be-an the
ascent of the series of rapids and waterfalls which form the Hoar Frost
River; and on the 27th— after eight days of weary stru-jrie with forests,
swamps, portaj;es, streams, lakelets, rapids, aid cascades— Hack, from
the summit of a hill, saw to liie northeast the v.ide expanse of water now
known as Aylmer Lalvc. Scndiufr forward three men with a canoe (..
explore the eonnectinj,' river, Back proceeded to search the vicinity of
the camp, and discovered the source of :iie oreat river he sou.yht, in
Sand Hill, now Sussex Lake._ The men returned on the Jyth, liaviii-
reached Aylmer Lake on the second day out ; and Bar'., eelehratediiis
discovery with them. "For this occasion," i.e says, '^ I had reserved a
little jrrous and need hardly say with what cheerfulness it was sIkiu,!
amon<rthe crew, whose welcome tidin<,rs Iiad verified tiie notion of Dr
Richardson and myself, and thus placed beyond doubt tlie cxisteiue of
the Thlew-ee-Choh, or (ireat l''isii River."

Attemptin>r t,, push on to the river proper on tlie 30th, thev found
the rapids of Musk-ox Lake inipracticaiiie witli tiicir present e(|uipment,
and concluded to return to (ireat Slavi' Lake for the winter. Tlicv
struck the lakes Clinton-Colden and Artillery on {\\v retiuii trip, and
abandoning,'- their canoe, set out across the \\v;^<^c(\ and broken eoinilrv
for tile appointed rendezvous. Climbing- over precipices aiul picking-
their w.iy through gorges and laNincs i-ncuinbered witli massi-K of

'T.'in-

AhA/TCIIO.

aiii

ilc, tiK-y rcaclu-(l the exfrcinc northeast corner of Groat Slave Lake
helore tl,e middle „f Septeini)er. Here they found McLcod and his
party returned; and the framework of a comfortahle residence set up l.y
ihcin. With the increased help, it projrresse.l rapidly; and here, on the
■ "111, tl- y were joined l.y Dr. Kinjr, with two hateaux laden with sup-
l.lifs. On the 5th of Novemher the house was ready f„r occupancy,
.ui.i they -ladly exchanj^ed their tents f„r its welcome shelter. It was
liliy feet lon;r I'v thirty wide, and was .livided into four rooms, besides a
central hall, where they received their Indian visitors. To it was attached
a ;nore rudely constrncte.l kitchen. It prove.l a very severe winter, th-j
tlKimonieter .lescemlin- to 70 ' I.elow zero, an.l tiiey were surrounded
l.y starvin- In.lians, whom they were hut little able to assist from their
Innited stores. Iluntin-, their only resource, failed them, an.l they
luiintc.l the camp of the whites for tiie occasional relief that could he
^paivd llu-ni. "Famine, with her -aunt and bony arm," says Back,
•• piesse.l them at every turn, withered their ener-ies, an.l strewed them'
i-oM an.l lifeless on the bosom of the snow. Often .11.1 I share my
own plate with the children, whose helpless state and piteous cries were
[Kvuliarly .listressin-; compassion for the full -n.wn may ..r may not be
IMI, but that heart must be cased in steel which is insensible to" the cry
111' a rhil.l foi- food."

Akaitcho, an Indian chief of the rejrion near Artillery Lake, now
opportunely ma.le his appearance at F.,rt Reliance, the abode of Mack
.ni^l Iiis party, with supplies of fresh provisions, which enabled them
to -ive some aid to the starvin- Indians. They ..Iso reduced their
own allowance, the otHcers contenting themselves with half a pound of
pciuinican per .lay. The cold grew more intense, and the hunters could
scarcely handle their weapons. It was found necessary to wrap the
triggers in leather thongs, the pains arising from the touch of cold steel
were s.. excruciating. " Such, indeed, was the abstraction .,f heat," says
n.ick," that with eight large logs of dry wood on the tire, I could not
get the thermometer higher than 12" below zero. Ink and paint froze.
The sextant boxes and cases of seasoned wood, principally fir, all snlit.

e skin of tiie hands bee;

uue drv, cracked, and

spli
Oldened into unsightly

..11. .^. .

ill

850

NEWS OF JiUSS.

J?ashes, which wc were (,hli<.e.l to anoint with grease. On one occasion,
alter washin- my face within tiiree feet of the Hre, niv iiair was actually
clotted with ice before I liad time to ch-y it." The whites were now
themselves in <Ian-er <,f perishing, their hunters hcin- unable to replen-
ish their fast-dwindlin- stores; I„-t Akaitcho, with his more iiardy ,-,nd
experienced Indians, succeeded in procuring considerable game, which
he freely shared with the strangers. "The great chief trusts in u.s," bo
sai<l, uand it is better that ten Indians shouhl perish, than that one wiiite
man should perish through our negligence and breach (,t faith."

On the .4th of February, iS,:;,., McLeod removed his famiiv nearer
to the Indian hunting grounds in the hope of being better able to supply

KITCHEN AT FORT KtUANCE.

their wants. Six of the natives near his new camp died of st.uvation,
and his party were for a time in some danger of meeting the same fate.'
On the 25th of April a messenger arrived at 1< ort Reliance, to inform
Hack of the arrival m lingland, <.f Capt. Ross an<I the survivors of his
party. "In the fullness of our hearts we assembled together," .says
JJack, "and humbly ofFered up our thanks to tnat merciful I'rov'idenee,
who, in the beautiful language of Scripture, hath sai.l: ^Mine own will
I bring again, as [ did sometime from the deeps of the sea.' The
thoughts of so wonderful a i)rescrvation ovcrpowere.l for a time the com-
mon occurrences of life. We had j.ist sat down to breakfast, but om- ap-
petite was gone, and the day was passed in a. feverish state <>f excitement."

A SLEDGE yOURNET.

Back, however, did not relax in his preparations for explorin.^^ the
(ir...t Fish River, to which he could devote himself with the kj dis-
irac-tion, now tliat he was relieved fro.n all apprehension ahout Ross,
ilavin,!,^ sent McLeo.l .n<l his party ahea.l to hnnt, with instructions to
n.al.. deposits of provisions at proper intervals, and havin- hnried
al Fort Reliance such stores as they desired to take along, Back set
out on the 7th of June, accon^xinied hy Dr. King, four attendants, and
an In.lian guide. At Artillery Lake he found the hoat builders he had
di.patclied in advance, and the boats they had constructed. Taking the
host of these, lie fitted it with runners after the niau.ier of Parry's boats
in .Sj;. They took a fresh start on the 14th, with six dogs attacked to
li,e boat-sle.lge, but encountering severe snowstorms and strong winds,
I heir progress was slow. 0>i the 33d they found one of McLeod's de-
ports containing a supply of deer and musk-ox flesh, and two days later,
a second-in all, eleven animals. To overcome the squeamishness of the
men, P.ack ordered that his own rations and those of the officers, sho.ild
comprise a due share of the objectionable musk-ox flesh, and impressed
upon them tlie necessity of combating their prejudices, and using with
thankfulness such food as the country supplied.

, Keaciiing Sand Hill Lake on the 37th, they found McLeod's party
encamped there; and the next day, after a short portage of only a ip.ar-
tcTofa mile, the boat was launched (m the upper -vaters of the Great
iMsh River. They soon reached Back's limit of the preceding year, and
haNing successfully accomplished the long portage of four miles beyond,
iiaek made his llnal dispositions before proceeding to descend the river.'
lie .lireeted MeLeod with ten men and fourteen dogs to return to Fort
i^'solution to take charge of the supplies to be forwarded to that point
U the Hudson's Bay Company; to select a permanent fishing station,
and erect a suitable buil.ling; and to return by the middle of September
t- the (ireat Fish River to aflford such assistance as might lie required by
the exploring partv on its return fnim the north. The earpeuters, with
a:. InH,,u,is gui.le, were sent a day or two later to join McLeod; a'n.l on
the Sih of July Back, accompanie.l by ten persons, took his departure in
the hoat, with 3,360 pouiuls of provisions for the round trip.

853

PASSING RAPIDS.

Now began a series of remarkable feats of dexterity and courage.
Rapid after rapid had to be passed, always with elements of danger, and
often bristling with chances of disaster. For about a hundred miles they
had the exciting alternations of cascades and rapids in quick succession.
In many of these a slight miscalculation, or what in other circumstances
would be a trifling negligence, would h.ive proved fatal; but the skill
and quick dexterity of tlie men was never at faidt, and the boat was
safely guided through the most precipitous rapids. Sometimes it was
necessary to unload her, am! carry the provisions ahead to be again put
aboard as soon as the plunge was successfully made. At one time, wliere
the river trends to the south, it seemed as if it woukl conduct them to
Chesterfield Inlet and Hudson's Hay, but soon it again turned to tiie
north, and there remained no doubt that it was the Great Fisii River.
After a time they reached the wide expansions which IJack successively
named Lakes Felly, Garry, Macdougall and Franklin. On the 28th of
July they fell in with a tribe of thirty-five Esquimaux, who proved of
great service to them in making the last long portage, worn out as they
were by their previous labors. Hack descried in the distance the head-
land at the mouth, which he named Victoria, and concluded that he had
at length reached the estuary of the river.

"This, then," says he, "may be considered as the mouth of the
Thlew-ee-Choh, which, after a violent antl tortuous course of 530 geo-
graphical miles, running through an iron-ribbed country, witliout a single
tree on the whole line of its banks, expanding into ^wc large lakes, with
clear iiorizon, most embarrassing to the navigator, and broken into falls,
cascades and rapids, to the numl)er of eighty-tiiree in the whole, pours its
water into the Polar Sea, in latitmle 67" i i ' N., and longitude 9 4 ' ,^0'
W., tliat is to .^ay, about thirty-seven miles more south than tiie Copper-
mine River, and nineteen miles more south than Hack's River (of
Franklin), at the lower extremity of Hathurst's Inlet," which opens
south from^ Coronation Gulf. Ptishing forward along tlie eastern shore
of the estuary with great dilliculty, without lire, and alm<.st witliout
water, in cold, foggy weather, tramping through slush and snow, they

reached, in ten days, 68' i^' k"" h\- a\" -S' 1" .^-1-.;--!-. P ■ -i- \ \ \

' j^ ' "-' M 3/ 'O y4 O'^ i ,%vnit_n l>ack eonelucied

VOrAG£: IN THE TERHOli. 353

to .nake the lin.it of his exploration. Across the estuary to the north-
v.est he saw a headland at 68" 46' by ,6° 30', he „a..ed Cape Richard-
son havn,. before nan.cd Capes JJeaufort and Hay on the eastern side
I ...nun,, nve weeks were cons„n.ed in ascendin, the river to
band Ildl Lake, where they arrived Sept. .6, an<l fonnd McLeod await-
|n. then, wuh n.uch needed supplies, as n.any of their provision depots
ad been niled by the volves. Q, the .4th they fell in with son.e In-
< -as, and soon after abandoned their boat because of the dilliculty of
the ascent, taking, their provisions on their ],acks, about seventyl-e
pounds to each. On the 37th they reached their old cjuartcrs at Ft Re-
l.nnce, ^^ truly ^rateful for the nnunlbld n.ercies they had experienced in
.he course ot their Ion,, and perilous journey," after an ai.ence of . . .
.lays on the part of JJack and his in.mediate attendants. All but six were
sot w.th McLeod to the fishin<, station he had selected, and Parry's
s.nall party settled A,r the winter, the monotony of which was relieved
l>y lunun,,. an.l occasional visits from Akaitcho and other Indians

On the 3.stof March, 1S35, loavin. Dr. Kin^ with instructions to
proceed to York Factory, on Hudson Hay, when the season opened
.here to take ship for England with his companions, i3ack set out to re^
trace the <werland route to Canada. He visited McLeod and party at
the l.shery, and arrival at Norway House, on Lake Winnipc, on the
-'.flh. Here h,s accounts with the Hudson's Hay Company were ad-
justed, an<l he pushed forward throuoh Canada to New YoH., whence
he sa.led to Ln.dand, arrivin,^ a, Liverpool on the Sth of September
.N35, alter an absence of t^vo years and seven months, less nine davs V
-nth later Dr. Ivinj, and the others of the party arrived in I^n.-huul by
one oi the Hudson's IJay Con.pany's ships. Hack was awarded the ...Id
uicdal ot the Koyal (Geographical Society, and promoted to the ra,>i of
post-captain in the navy. The river he discovered wa. alterward called
by h,s name, without, however, entuvly losing its older designation.
BACK'S VOYAGE IN THE TERROR.
At the instigat.on of the Royal Geographical Societv, Capt. Back
undertook a voyage of exploration, or survey, mainly to supply some

; J

flff^;-

854

NIPPED IX THE ICE.

t \:

mis^illo links in the chain of former discoveries ip North America. He
was to malcc for \\Aagor River or Repulse Bay, as mij,'ht be found most
practicable; and thence to dispatch exploring- parties to reach Franklin's
Point Turna,<jain to the northwest, and Parry's Fury and Ilccla Strait
to the north, along the western coast of Melville Peninsula.

The Terror wa" made ready for sea with the proper equipment of
men and supplies, and in nine months after his return Hack set sail for
the northwest on the 14th of June, 1836. About the ist of Au-nst they
encountered the ice in Davis' Strait— Back noticed one icel)er- u th^, j,^,,..
pendicular face of which was not less than 300 feet hic^h "— and soon be-
came entangled in the ice-floe. Pushing through Hudson's Strait, tiiey
reached Salisbury Islan 1 on the 14th of August, and made across the
lower portion of Fox's Ciiannel, for the Frozen Strait, on tiu-ir way to
Repulse Bay. On the 5th of September they had to force their way
into open water, and Back thus describes the scene: " The liglit-iicarted
fellows pulled [the obstructing masses of ice] in unison to a cheerful
song, and laughed and joked with the unreflecting merriment of school-
boys. Every now and tiien some luckless wight ])roke through the ice,
and phniged up to his neck; another, endeavoring to remove a piece of
ice by pushing against a larger ma^s, wouKl set himself adrift with it, and
c\ci-\ such atlventure was followed l)y shouis of laughter and vocil'erous
mirth."

" On the 20th of September, shortly after 9 o'clock," says Baek, " a
floe piece split in two, and the extreme violence of the pressure ciale.l
and crumpled up the windward ice in an awful maimer, forcing itagain>t
the beam fully eighteen feet high. The ship cracked, as it were, in agony,
and strong as she was, must have been crushed had not some of
the smaller masses l)een forced under her bottom, and so diminished
the strain by actually lifting her bow nearly two feet out of the water
In this perilous state steps were taken to have everything in readiness
for hoisting out the barge; and, without creating ininecessarv alarm, the
oflicersand men were called on tlie ([uarter-deek, and desin.l, in ease of
emergency, to be active in the performance of their duties at tlie respec-
tive stations tlien notliled to them. It was a serious monuiit for all, as

lost

un .s

trait

It of

tor

lie

|)LT-

OL'-

IK'V

ihv

nul

n>t

oiiv,

355

856

IMPRISONED.

the pressure still continued, nor could we expect much if any al)ateincnt
until the wind chany^ed." The next day, after beinj^ more than twenty-
four hours in iinminent peril of bein<j crushed by the pressure, " One
mass of ponderous dimensions burst from its imprisonment below," and
the staunch Terror, " after several astounding thumps untier water,"
regained iier upright position, substantially uninjured. They had now
been a month beset, and had concluded to cut an ice-dock for the ship,
when the ice-continent began to break up into detached masses and hum-
mocks. For several days the ship was out of position, with her stern
seven feet and a half too high, her bow correspondingly low, and
her deck a slippery inclined plane. On the first of October the vessel
righted, with a snug dock, just her size, ready made by tiie ice-kiiig.
They now i^roceeded to surround the ship with snow-walls, and to erect
an observatory on the floe, thus extemporizing winter quarters.

On the 33d a masquerade party was held on lioard, and theatrical
entertainments followed, to the great delight of the heterogeneous crew.
A few of these were men-of-war's men; half a dozen, perhaps, had seen
service in Greenland vessels; and the bulk of the remainder, seanuii
only in name, had served in the coasting colliers of England. \\\(\. so
the winter wore away with tiie Terror "securely locked in the ice, but
with no guaranty against sudden and dangerous surprises, while she
helplessly driited — slowly or rapidly, according to circumstances — liither
and thither, under the iutluence of the wind and the movement of the
surrounding ice. Christmas came and went; the first of Januarv, 1S37,
followed; January gave way to February, and there was vet no change.
As the 19th of that month passed the dividing line into the ^oth, a
new danger arose. For three hours after midnight, the ice alteniatelv
opened and shut, threatening to crush the stoutly-built Terror, like an
egg-shell. At 4 o'clock great fissures appeared, and the ice began to
move. After eight it grew more quiet, and at nine Back summoned the
men to the quarter-deck to give them such exhortations and advice as
the occasion required. He reminded them that as British seamen they
were called upon to conduct themselves with coolness and fortitude, and
that, independently of the obligations imposed by the Articles of War,

A CRITICAL HOUR 357

every one ou-ht to he influenced by tlie still higher nature ol a eonscien-
tious desire to do his duty. They were Ave to eight miles 'mm the north
coastofSouthampt..n Island. Extra clothing was dealt to the me.i;i
bales of blankets, bear-skins, provisions and fuel Nvere pilc.l on deck, to'
Ik- in muliness at a moment's notice. At noon the floe began to drift to
tlK. north. " Though T h.-.d seen," says Mack, '• vast bodied of ice from
Spitsbergen to 150'' west longitude, under various aspects, some beauti-
ful, and all more or less awe-inspirin^ I had never witnessed, nor even
imagine.l, anything so fearfully magnificent as the moving towers and
ramparts that now frowned on every side.'

For three hours the ship remained unmolested, except by the usual
pressure of the ice; but at 5 o'clock an extra nip was received by the
opening and shutting of the floe in which she ^vas ,, n,bedde<l, and an-
other an hour later seeme.l to make every plank groan in agony, while
she was lifted up eighteen inches. A similar squeeze was experienced
at seven from the closing of a narrow lane astern; an<l tlun for nine
ho.us there was quiet. A movement of the ice at 4 o'clock released
the ship, an.l she nxle once more in the water, only to be again lifted, an
hour later, eighteen inches as before. At intervals, there was a jerk
from the ice imderneath, and a squeak from the ship's timbers, but no
iniix.rtant change till the 15th of March. Back thus records what then
happene<l: "While we were gliding quickly along the land-which I
uiav here remark had become more broken and rocky, though without
attaining an altitude of more than perhaps one hundrJd to two hundred
feet-Mt . =45 ,.. M., without the least warning, a heavy rush came upo.i
the ship, and with a tremendous pressure on the larboard quarter, ])ore
her over upon the heavy mass on her starboard quarter. The strain was
severe in exx-ry part, though fro.n the forecastle she appeared to be mov-
ing in the easiest manner towanl the land ice. Suddenlv, however, a
loud crack was heard below the mainmast, as if the keel were broken or
carried away ; and simultaneously the -niter stern-post from the ten-foot
■nark was split down to an unknown extent, and projected to the lar-
l"'ard side upward of three feet. The ship was thrown up by the stem
to the seven and a half feet mark; and that da.nage had been done was'

Ilil

'•■ii' i.

P-':t

808

liELEASE.

soon placed beyond doiilit hy llio increase of l<-ik;i,<,'e, which n(.\v
amounted to three feet per hour."

Extra pumps were worked; and tlie cutters with two whale-
boats were loaded and hauled oil' to places of >rreater security. An
ever-increasin<,r rush he<,'an about S o'clock; and at 10:1:5 it cann-
on with a roar toward ihe slii)), upturnin'^ the ice in front, and rollin^■
layer upon layer to a heij^ht of twenty-live feet. This hu<,'e mass
was pushed forward until it reached the stern, where it stopped, Inn-lin-f
however, a considerable fraj^ment on the larboard quarter, creatiniL,^ a
temporary leakajj^e by the strainin<^ of the stern. Two iiours later, a
similar rush with a like consequence took place, with the a(klitional result
of lifting the ship's stern, and breakinjif up their "cherished courtyard, its
walls and arched tloors, j^allery, and well-trodden paths, which wrre
rent, and in some parts jjlou.t,'-hed tip like dust. Within fifteen minutes
another sur<rin<,r mass, thirty feet high, was driven toward the star-
board (piarter, creating also a temporary leakage, but the main body
falling short of the ship as before. The ship cracked and trembled and
groaned violently; and the rushes continued at intervals, but with dimin-
ished force until 4 o'clock in the morniiif^ of March 16, when it ""-rew
still. They were only three miles from a spit of land, which was brist-
ling vvith shore ice surmounted by a ridge of rolled-u[) ice perhaps sixtv
feet in iieight, and which they named Point Terror.

Now another season of comparative rejiose set in, lasting almost
three months, the vessel still drifting with th( ice-several hundred miles
from first to last- when, on the 1 ith of July, while the men were occii-
l)ied with the labor of cutting her loose, they were startled by various
crackings and noises underneath. Soon a loud rumbling was heard, and an
instant later tlie ship at length floated free in her natural element, ha\ing
finally burst the icy bonds which held her i.ist nine months. l)uring
four of these sl;e was held out of the water in an ice-cradle, or Hoatiiig
ice-dock; and tor weeks before being frozen in, she was so closely beset
that she may be said to have been imprisoiiid for almost eleven months
out of the thirteen that had passed since she left Englai.,1 They had
cut the ice to within four feet of the steni-post before she broke Ioom , .wvX

AT HOME.

850

then slic was almost capsized l.y the upheaval of the loosened mass be-
neath. She rijrhted on the 14th, l)ut there was nothinjr k-ft except to
ivturn to Encrland, fortunate if, in her disabled condition she could make
the voyage. Calkinj,r, patchin^r, and stannchin<,r her .t,^'ipinjr woimds
as best Ihey could, they sailed for home, relin(iuishin<,' all attempt to ex-
tend the scope of jreojrraphical knowledjre of North America. The Ter-
ror not only nia.le the voya-c in safety, but will be a-ain heard of in a
-croud encounter with Arctic daimcrs.

^i: /

* .

i U

f.fti

CHAPTER XL.

PRASK AXn SIMPSON IV XOKTM AMI- If IC A — WINTKR AT lOKT «.0\.
MDKXCK — SIIOOTIN(; KSCAIMC K API P — C AI'K PKM.Y— RICH M{ p-

son's i{i\-i;k — moxtukai. islaxd — MiDnKXDoin ix taimli{
PRXiNsui.A — nKsc-iixns the YKxisra — sAMovKns — ih ntixo

BUTTKIU-T.IKS — AltCTIc: A X I M ALS— TAIMUU I.AKK — I.KKT AI.ONK
KAREWELI, TO THE TAIMUK.

Back's land jdiirncy and sea voyage Icfl the lircaks in tlic coast sur-
vey of Nortli America unclosed, and the task of completin,<,r the explora-
tion was intrusted hy the Hudson's Hay C(»mpany to t\, -of their ollirers,
Peter Warren Dease and Thomas Simpson. At the very time when the
Terror was floatin- helplessly in the ice of Frozen Strai; and Fox's
Channel, these overland explorers, with a company of twelve men, were
swiftly descendin.i,^ the MacKcnzie, and in July and August of that year
(1837) they surveyed the 146 intervening miles between Franklin's Re-
turn Reef and the spot just beyond Point Barrow, whence Elson returned
to the Blossom in 1836, as stated in a preceding chapter. The groinid
was found frozen to a depth of several inches, and the sprav froze on the
oars and rigging of the boats. Two rivers, the Garry and the Colville,
were discovered. The ice-floe from the north closing in to the shore ice,
they were compelled to abandon their boats, when tiic hardier of the
leaders, Simpson, with some of the more robust of the men, pushed for-
w.-ird on foot, carrying their provisions on their backs, and on the 4th of
August reached the goal already referred to. Thomas Simpson was
well adapted to the arduous undertaking, having once performed tiie feat
of marching in mid-winter from York Factory on Hudson's Bay to Ft.
Chipewyan, on Lake Athabasca, a distance of about 3,000 miles, with no
protection against the cold but a cloth cloak.

360

SHOOTING TlUi hWr/DS 381

They now u.t..rnc<l to Fort Confulccc on (irc.t Mcar Lak. to spc-ml
the winter, with instructions t<, .L-vote thc-nsuintj ,., ,so, to cxtcn<!l„.r
the- survey from Fra.,klin's Point Tunuj^ain, of kS..,i,> ih, eastward
until th.y met Hack's party expected in that re-^non, nvoriand from then-
projected quarters at the head .f Hcpulse liay .,r Wa.L^er River, which,
;is has heen sen,, they were unahle t<, reach. On the 6ii, ..f |i„R-. ,,S^s'
ihcN left Fort Contidence, and ascended a river whici, emptied into . .reat
r>ear Lake fnnn the north, and which they named Dease River in ho.u.r
ol one of the leaders of the expechtion. Makin- thence for the Copper-
mine, they descended that river to Coronation (inif, which th. reached
on the 1st of July, after a dan-crous passa-e thnn.-h the rapids. The
sho<,:in- throu<,^h Escape Rap 1 is thus descrii.ed hy Simpson: «A
,^lan -e at the overflowing dilF told ns tha, here was no alternativ hut
to run down u ith ,, full car-,,, h. an instant we were in • • vortex-
and hefore vo were vare, my hoat was hor.ie tovvani an isou.ed rock'
which the ho,:„.^r sur-e almost oncealed. To clear it on the outside'
was no \nxv^,v possihie; our only chance of sale.v was to run lu-tween it
a..d the lofty eastern dim The word was passed, and every hreath was
hushcl. A stream which dashed dow, upon us over the hn.w of the
prccp.ce, more than a lumdred fc. t iu hei.^.ht, min<,ded with the spray
that uhn-lcd u])ward from the rapid, formin,t: a .crrilic shower-imth The
pass was ahout eight feet wide, and the error of a single f ,ot . cither
side would havc< heen instant destruction. As,guidc<l by Sind-. V e. n
stnnmatc skill, the boat shot safely through those jaws of .Icvnu an ui-
vohuua cheer arose. Our next impulse was -o turn ,ound to view the
fate of our comrades behind. Fhey had profited bs th. peril wc itt-
currcd, aiKi kept without the t oacherous rock in time."

Here they awaited the opening of the ice until the . 7th, n-hcn they
proceclcd east, reaching Cape Harrow on the 29th. Un, . to cross
Bathurst Inlet because of the ice-pack, they pushed northeast through
Arctic Sound, doubling Cape Flind. -s__6S° 15' bv to,/ ..s'-inKc^it
Penntsula, on the 9th of August. Here, in a little bav, which they
named Hoat Haven, about three n.!, ^lu.t of Point n.nagain, their
Hu-ther progress was blocked l>v the ice ; and here the, ,aited in vain

III

■>HU

m «

iliu.

•'

IS :•

, 1 Sti.,

lli'll

HMIIt

862

Ji/a/AJWSOJV'6 liiVEii.

for an opcnin- till the 2<.tl,, when Simpson, with seven men an.l uro-
visions for ten .lays, set out ..n fool. They arrived at FrankUn's -limit"
the first .lay, and ..., the 23,! they reached a hold, elevated headlan.l, ..f
which Simpson says: "1 ascended the hei-ht, f,,,,,, whence a vas. an.!
splendid prospect hnrst sn.ldenly upon me. The sea, as if Iransfonne.l
by enchantment, rolle.l its fierce waves at my feet, and beyond the reach
of vision to the eastward, islands of various shape and size .,versprea.l iu
surface; and the northern land terminated to the eye in a bold and lofty
cape, bearin- cast-northeast, thirty or f ,rty miles distant, u hile the con'-
tinental coast trended away southeast. 1 stood, in fact, on a remarUahk.
headland, at the eastern outlet of an ice-ohstructed strait. On the exten-
sive land to the northward I hestovve.l the name of our most -racions
sovcrei-n, Queen Victoria. Its eastern visible extremity I called Cape
Pclly, in compliment to the -overnor of Hudson's Bay Company.

Simps.M, now retraced his steps to IJoat Haven, which he reached on
the 30th, havinjr surveyed one hundred and forty mdes of coast-line to
the east of Point Turna-ain. Preparations were rapidly made for the
return to Fort Confidence, an.l they he-an the ascent of the Copper-
mi.ie River on the 3d of September. Arrivin- at tiie m.)ulli of the Ken-
dall River, they struck out across the country to the west-lea vin- the
boats until they should need them in tiie spring-and reached their win-
ter quarters on the 14th.

SettingoutinJune,iS39, for their third expedtion, they devoted a
week to exploring Richardson's River, which enters Coronation Gulf \n
longitude 115° 56', and arrived at the gulf toward the end of the month.
To their great surprise and delight they found it almost free ..f ice, and
pushing rapidly east, they doui)led Cape Barrow on the 3d of July.
Reaching Cape Franklin, Simpson's limit of tlie previous year, a m'uuih
earlier than^on that occasion, they doubled Cape Alexander, at the
eastern entrance of Dease's Strait, in latitude 68" 55' and lon-iiudc
106^ 45', on the 3Sth. They now coasted the large bay or gulf extend-
ing five or six hundred miles to the east, still unnamed," in.til tlie lolh of
August, when they entered the narrow strait which separates the conti-
nent from King William's Land-now proved to he an inland- and

MUliDEli or S/MPHON,

which has been named in honor of the i-xplorer, Simpson's Strait. On
Ihf i.^th tiiey passed Richardson's Point and Point (J-le, on the estuary
ol the- (iie.t Fish River—Uaclv's limit in i.S,vf. On the iT.th, *till foilovv-
iii- the soiitiiern trend ..f tiie estuary, tliey reaciie.l Monfreal Islan.l,
where Hack ha<l left a deposit of provisions. The pen.miean was
r-'ind i.ndl for use, and the ciiocolate also for tiie most pari, l.iil they
inaiK.-ed to scrape up enou^rh ,„ ,„;,lve a kettle full, and picked up a tin
casr lui.i a few lish-hooks, "of which," says Simpson, "Mr. Dease and I
took possession as memorials of ,„„• having' hreakfasted on the very spot
where the tent ..f our -allant, thou-ii less successful precursor, had stood
that very day live ^ ears before."

Still pushin- eastward, tiiey reached Alierdeen Island four days later,
and their li.nit ou the 25th. This was near Cape Ilerschel, and was
ni.nked l>y the usual cairn and deposit of documents. From a monu-
ment t..p three miles inland they . .held Boothia Felix to the north and
SOPH, isla.uls in Boothia Gulf to the east, and were in fact on what is now
known as Bootliia Isthmus, but which for a time was supposed to be a
peninsula, atxi named after Simpson. They were about ninety miles
south of the North Ma-netic Pole as ascertained by Ross ei-ht years
bclure. Retracing their course a.ul makin.t,^ a digression to the t'lorth
tliion-h Victoria Strait to explore the east coast of Victoria Land about
150 miles, they reached the Coppermine on the i6th ..f September, and
Fort Co.tlulence on the •24th, after a boat voya-e of .,600 miles and an
absence of not ,pnte four niunlhs. Simpson, the hero of these expedi-
tious, did not Ion- survive, bavin- been assassinated the ensuin- year,
Mt the early a-e of thirty-six, by his Indian -uides, betwee.i the head'
watets of the Red River a.,.1 the Mississippi, while on his way to
England.

MIDDENDORF IN TAIMUR PENINSULA.

On tl-.e 4tb. of April, 1S43, the academician, Th. Von Middendorf,
aocompanied by a Danish forester tiamed Brandt, and a sin-le servant,'
li:«l arrived on the Yenisei, below Turuchausk— 61 '' by 90^ V', oast—'
with .:i commission from the Acadei.iy of Sciences at St. Petersbur.4- to

:li\^

•Mi

DESCENT OF THE TENISEI.

cxplo, the northernmost peninsula of Asia, known as Taimin-. Tt has
been stated in a precedinjr chapter how one of the lirothcrs Laptew had
reached the mouth of the Taimur River, in 1741. It was now deemed
desirable in the interests of science to ascertain the eflbct of summer in
the most nortiiern continental climate of the <j^Iobe. Middendorf, an em-
nient naturalist, volunteered his services, which were t^ladlv accepted.
He was eminently (lualified for the undertakin.i,^ beini;- possessed of -real
physical strenj^'th, manual dexierity and powers of endurance, besides his
recognized intellectual ability, untirinj,- zeal for science, and indomitable
determination.

Descendin-,^ the ^'enisei to the j^oint whence lie determined to strike
across the country, he was joined by the topographer of llie expedition
and three Cossacks, and some native Tun-usi o-uides. These prelimina-
ries were scarcely adjusted when some of the company were taken
down witli the measles. A primitive amlnilance was provided for them,
m the shape of lioxes lined with skins, and placed on sledi^a's. Cleariiio-
the forests on the i,>th, they struck tile open tundras with the thermom-
eter 36 ' below zero. Pushiui,' to the northeast they crossed (he Pasina
River, and fallin- in with one Samoyed horde after another— tiie tempo-
rary and only residents of those cold re.i,n()ns_they reached Filipowskoi-
Karonoi. in latitude 715', on the P.o-anida, which ilows south and
joins the Cheta, an affluent of the Chatan-a. This flows northeast to the
Polar Sea, on the eastern coast of the Taimur Peninstila, and Midden-
dorf was anxious to reach it before the meltinLT "("the .now. Here, how-
ever, he was compelled to lialt, as all of his party were sick witii the
measles. Makiui,-- an excursion to the Chatanya to start tlie necessu'v
preparations for his voyai,a> down that river, but lln<iin- the epidenn'c
prevailing at Chatangskoi, he (luickly change<l his purpose, and deter-
mined to proceed almost due north for Taimur River Returnin- to
Filipowskoi-Koronvi, he (piickly procured tiie construction of the frame-
work of a boat of twelve feet keel, and set out on tlie 19th of Mav,
with the topographer, an interpreter ::nd two Cossacks, and sixty-ei-hl
reindeer, in company witli some Samoyeds who were bound that way.
Brandt and the others were left behind, with instructions to occui)y tlicm-

SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS.

365

selves, as soon as able, with making meteorolu«,ncal observations, ami col-
lections of the fanna and flora of the country.

Reaching the Novuya River, a tributary of the Taimur, the party
suirered severely from a terriHc snowslorni from the 37th to the 3()th.
Resuming tiieir journey on the 31st, they made slow jM-ogress over
the fresh-fallen snow, and did not strike the Taimur until the 14th of
jiuK, in lalilude 74^ Middendorf now i^itched his tents, and ],roceeded
to complete his boat, which he named the Tundra, the ice began to
break up on the 30th, and on the 5th of July siie was launched by the
li-hl of the midnight sun. \orth winds delayed his progress to and
through Taimur Lake, but beyond the increasetl rapidity of the current,
hurried him on. On the 6th of August they had the Hrst frost, and on
the 24th they reached the sea, in 75'' 40'.

The statement of the eminent Swiss naturaliM, De Saussure, that the
(lillerence l>etween light and shade is greatest in summer and in the
higher latitudes, received conlirmation from the observations of Midden-
dorf With Ihc thermometer at 37 ' below zero in the shade, the hill-
sides exposed to the sun were dripping with wet, and toward the end of
juue, Willi the mean temperature below the freezing point of water, the
snow had already disappeared from the sunny side of the Taimur. Tor-
lVllt^ swept down the hillsides, and the great rivers rose forty feet above
tile winter level, sweeping the ice along to the sea. On the 3d of
August, Middendoif, in ligju underclothes and barefooted, hunted Init-
icrllie. iu latitude 7) 13', the thermometer rose to 68 \ and near the
ground to So , while at a spot e\i)osed to the iiortlieast wind it fell to 27'.
The moisture of tlie air was very great ; iu May thick snow fogs ob-
scuivd the atmosphere; in June these changed to vapor fogs, which daily
turned to light, intermittent showers, but toward midnight the atmos-
l)heiv UMially grew clear and serene. Contrary to Aiago's opinion, it
was tbund that thun.lerstorms occur within the Arctic, and winds rose
very suddenly. Toward the eiul of August the south and lunth winds
seemed to struggle awhile for the supremacy, but the north wind soon
gained the ascendency. The fill of snow is comparatively light, and for
the most part is swept by the licrce wintls into ravines, and to the great

IIS

...r^

u,. i.ihftfifim4AK

I'\

< ^ . ,!■

' ^' . |-

'« ';

i ' 1

i ' '

3P0

/17V EPIDEMIC.

ridt^resofsiiow-diift which tV.nn tlic tlividin;,' I
deling- Sarnoycds do not pcactnitL-. Middendorf
on the ttiiuh-a, toward the '.nd of wint
and in tlie lakes and rivors only four t

iiic ])cyou(l wiiich the wan-

was astonislied to find

er, onl\- two t

<) SIX inches of snow

I) eij^Wit feet of ice, accordinu" to tl

quantity of snow wi'Ji which it was covered, as far north as
land was found to c wsist of l)arren phiteaux, with occas

<cant \x\iretation scaicelv concealc'<l the l)oul(i

hciifhts, wiiere tlie

sand whicii formed the underl
)f th

lonal uiKhnatni'.

ers and

VI n<.

rust. A

lirownisli ir.oss is tlie ehiel

coverin-,^ ot the sod, except wiiere aloiio- the streams and in d

the

rrass <rains the ascendency, and in speciallv fivorahl

epressioiis

e situations at-

tains a 'jfrowth of three

e or four iiiclie-

Ou tl

and river, Middendorf found

le ])r()tecte(l slopes of hike

considerahie patches of ^rcen sward, will

1 a

trooi

I ,i;rowth of ;j^rass and llowers. If

one wislK

to see tl

'T.l -■

},n-ow," he should visit the Taiinur, where the \n
prol)ahIy the most rapid in the world. Thi

O'TC • ol

vei^^'etatioi

il* U

e animal* ifnnid weir ti,e

s as 111'.

bume as are encountered in hoth hemisphere
snow-hares, foxes, wolves, reindeer; hees, hornets, hutterti
lars spiders, flies, i^niat'^; .ind last, tlion^'-h not lea4, tiie w,
j)tarmi<x;ni.

\otwith>landin,L,^ the cnerg-y and cjuickness of M
mulated result of luimerous petty del:i\ -^ was, that he onl

alitude 7=^ —

/,■)

les, calerpil-
n-y ;;-uI! ami

uldendorl, the accii-

\- reached llie

limur at a date when he sh

oirwi

ave heeii on liis wa\- had

lie

epidemic had iiul only struck 1

lis own iinmedial

e party, hut the iiiiiahi-

tants of Cliatan-->k, whence he had oiii,Miially proposed to lak
([nickel route hy ri\-er, and aUo the horde of Saiiio
ance and aid he had relied. Deyotiiii;- a siii'^'le
to the ')l)-,er\ation of the Polar S

(ia\-

\'e(h, on wiiose
the JStii of

fUK!

ai''ii4.

ea, he saw it fi

ee ironi ice as lar a-- the

eye could reach from an elevated point on the coast, and mi the i(\\\\ scl

out oii) his reluni

lie '-reat distance.

111' sa\-:

Iroiii aii\ luinian hah

italioii, ihe rapid strea n. a.Miiist wJiicli he had imw Im loiitei
ad\aiice(l sca-oii, with iN appioai'liiiii; dark ni^lil - and |V<>-!-

1(1, ami

made iiiir

return an imperative nece'>>il\

and

coil

Id 1

law lui

t litll

e reliaiici' on mir

remaiiiiiiL;- streii'^lh. The iiisujlicienl food and the fali'.'Ue^ of (Uir j.aii"-
ne\-, often prolon^re(l to extreme evhausf ion, liad reduced our vin'or; ami

''i#£.i-

TKISCIIl'N- A SAMOVEI) IIIIKI rA

tN.

««:

868

LEFT ALONE.

\vc all began t(} feci the elleets of our frequeiU wading through cold
water when, as often happened, our boat h:id grounded upon a siiallow,
or when the Hat mud hanks of the river gave us no alternative for reach-
ing the dry land. It was now the second month since we had not slept
under a tent, having all the time passed the nights behind a screen,
erected on tlie oars of the boat as a shelter against the wind."

The north wind helped them forward, and with oars and sail they
proceeded to the south, passing two rapids which they at first thought
insurmountable. On the 31st a gust of wind drove them on a rock, di^-
abling their rudder; and on the 5th of Septemlier another drove them on
a sand bank in the northern end of Tainiur Lake. With the tempera-
ture at only 37" at noon, tiieir clothes were covered with a solid ice-
crust; and scarcely a day passed without sleet or snow. On the 8th they
left the sand bank, the storm having at length subsided, but on the <jih
were dismayed at linding the new ice tbrming in their rear. While
putting tbrth every effort to reach the river, the boai was crushed be-
tween two ice-Hoes, anil with dilKculty was got ashore, disabled and
worthless. Making a hand-sledge they pushed forward on the loth; Inii
on the morning of the nth, Micklendorf was unable to proceed. Hut
with a heroism worthy of an Arctic explorer, he ordered his compan-
ions forwanl to reach, if possible, the Sainoyeds hetbre the period „f
their annual return to the south, and thus save themselves, and possibly
him too, if they should fall 1,1 with the nomads soon. The scant su])ply
of provisions, supplementetl by Middendorfs dog, was divided into live
C([ual rations, and his tour cQmi)an;()ns set out, leaving the brave Mid-
dendorf to struggle alone with his disease, and the surroundiu-
desolati(jn.

"My companions had now left me twelve days," savs Middcndorf;
"human assistance could no longer be expected; I was convinced that I
had only myself to rely upon, that I was doomed, and as good as num-
bered with the dead. And yet my courage did not forsaki^ me." Thus
he lay three da>'s longer until his sail thoughts threatened m unseat his
reason, when, as he says, a saving thought liashed upon him. "My hiM
pieces of wood were quickly lighted, some water was thawed and

Tii/sciiiry.

360

wanned; I poured into it the spirits from a flask contaiuiufT a specimen
ol natural history, and ih-ank. A new life seemed to awaken in me; my
th()Ui,Hit^ returned a,i,rain to my family. Soon I fell into a profound sleep
—how \oxv^ it iastetl 1 know not— hut on awakenin<r, \ felt HUe another
ni;in, and my hreast was filled with gratitude. Appetite returned with
recovery, and I was induced to eat leather and l)irch-hark, when a ptar-
m'v^an fortunately came within reach of my .<run. IIavim< thus ohtained
some food for the journey, I resolved, though still very feehle, to set out
and seek the provisions we had h iried. Packing some articles of dress,
my gun and ammunition, my journal, etc., on my small hand-sledge, I
proceeded slowly, and frequently resting. At noon I saw, on a well-
known declivity of the hills, three hlack spots which I had not previ-
ously noticed, and as they changed their position, I at once altered my
route to join them. We approached each other, and—judge of my de-
light—it was Trischun, the Samoyed chieftain whom I had previously
assisted in the prevailing epidemic, and who now, guided by one of my
companions, had set out with three sledges to seek me. Eager to serve
his benefactor, the grateful savage had made his reindeer wander with-
out food over a space of one hundred and fifty versts (eighty-seven miles)
where no moss grew.

" I now lieard that my companions had fortunately reached the
Samoyeds, f)ur days after our separation; but the dreadful snowstorms
h.id prevented the nomails from coming sooner to my assistance, and
had even forced them twice to retrace tiieir steps. On September -^oth
the Samoyeds brought me to my tent; and on October 9th we l)ade the
Taimur an eternal firewell. After Wvc months we hailed with delight,
on October ^o, the verge of the forest, anil on the following day we
reached the smoky hut on the 'Joganida where we had left our friends."

Middendorf fell short nearly t\^r,> Jeg-ees of reaching the north jjoint
of the peninsula, and of Asia, called Cape Chelyuskin, in honor of a
Russian explorer of that luu^ie who reached it by land in 1742. Six
years earlier Prontsciiischev had reached within a few minutes of it, and
one of the Laptews, in 1759, within 50', in their coasting vessels. But
even had there been time to make the trip, Middendorf might have pre-

870

OBJECT OF THE JOUR NET.

ferml to s|,cn,l it in extending his observations on the fauna and
flora, the meteorology and elimate of Taimur. It will be remembe-ed
that these, and not geographical discovery, were the objects of his
expedition.

and
beifd

.r his

F-ARO^ IV.

FRANKLIN flNH SEflHEH VnYfiEES.

^" 'Sfe

" Oil the frozen decfs repose,

' 7'A" a dark and dreadful Iiour,
WJicn round the sJiip the ice-fields close.

And the northern ni<s]it. clouds lo~,.vcr.
But let the ice drift on!

Let the cold blue desert spread,
7 heir course zvith mast and flai;- is done —

Even there sleep England\s- dead.''''

MRS. IIK.MANS.

CHAPTER XLI.

franklin's last voyagk— temerity ok franklin ano party—

CHOSEN IIY TlIK ADMIRALTY— THE EREHUS ANO TERROR—LAST
INTELLIGENCE OF FRANKLIN — FRANKLIN's FAVORITE THEORY
THE SEARCH— COMMENTS ON ARCTIC SCIENCE.

Surely "through desire, a man having separated himself, secketh auf'.
intermcddlcth with all wisdom."

When the wise man, three thousand years ago, made this profound
deliverance concerning the investigating spirit of mankind, he certainly
must have cast a prophetic eye down the ages, and anticipated the march
of science and the coming tread of universal knowledge. Doubtless, he
saw the New World discovered, and peopled with an enterprising race
of beings, whose aims and intelligence were not restricted to the obser-
vance of a few lifeless forms. He must have seen Bacon, who, as the dis-
ciple of forgotten Aristotle, set in motion the now irresistible ball of in-
ductive science, to be given a fresh impulse by its more modern expo-
nent, J. Stuart Mill. Possibly, too, he descried the inventions of our re-
cent times, and the crowning triumphs of Edison, iJell and Gvnv. At
any rate, enough lias long ago been realized to justify the wise old sage's
encomium upon human enterprise. Men, fov the sake of the truth, have
separated themselves, not only in the sense of l^eing students of it, but in
some cases this separation lias been literal and complete, involving total
isolation from society and its advantages, and often a sacrifice of life itself.

It is, perhaps, dilHcult for the average mind to appreciate the feeling
which prompts men to suflTer in the cause of some favorite theory. It is
easy to understand the mipulses which induce men to fall for che sake of
their firesides, or to bleed for the honor of their native coimtry. The one
feeling is the domestic or paternal instinct which naturally shields its
own; and the other is the almost universal sentiment of patriotism. But

87a

Ml.';*

374

^ir

TEMERrrr of frankltn and cue

tf) walk fcrwanl into .k-atli or danfrcr i;

)!• the sake of demonstral

truth whose, very utility is n..t made wholly eertain, i.nplies a feeUn;!,'
not so coininou, nor so easy to analyze.

Such a spirit was tliat shown by Sir John Franklin ami his faithful
followers, in their last eventful voyage, which, so far as the limited data
wdl permit, we are now ahout to describe. It has already been related
how Franklin, from the son of a poor freeholder, and the position of
midshii)man, rose successively to the ranks of fJeutenanl and Captain, and
finally, havin,i,r been chosen a member of the Royal Society, was knijrhted
and became a rear-a.lmiral of the Royal Navy. I lis international renown
appears from the ftct that the Frencli (xeo.i^raphical Societv awar.led
him their j^^old medal, and at a subsequent time elected him Jorrespond-
nig meml,er of the Institute of France. The (ireek nation, also, whom
he had materially aided in their war of Iil,eration, gave hi.n formal an,!
substantial token of their appreciation and gratitude. In 1S36 he was
appointed Governor of Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, as it was then
called, and although political diiHcuIties disturbed his achninistration to
someextent, his wise an.l moderate control secured for him the warm
approbation of the government, and the lasting affection of his colonists
The latter established a college and a philosophical societv in bi> honor-
and years after they testified that the memorv of his' rule was still'
cherished by subscribing €,,700 toward an expedition designe.l bv
Lady Franklin for his rescue or diseovery.

The ]>elief in a Northwest Passage, which had in the earlv part of
the nineteenth century been merely vague or conjectural, had now ..,,,u,,
u,to a.settled conviction. Franklin's own researches ha.l done much to
ehmmate the mysteries which had hitherto enshrouded the northern co.st
of the New World, and only the last ^.sy links in the chain of discoverv
were supposed to need forging before the long cherished project could rj-
ce.ve .ts ttdl reah.ation in the proof of a passage from Baffin's Bay to
Behrmg's Strait.

In 1845, acconlingly, the 15ritish Admiralty organized a new expedi-
t.on to make another attempt at the Northwest Passa-e. The leulin.^
scientilk n.en <.f England had been urging the step fbr more than a yeai^

IPW:

UUST OK FRANKLIN.

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iiiid the necessary appropriation having finally been made, definite steps
were soon taken tc; l)e,!^ri„ Uie enterprise. Durin<,r the time which tlie
admiralty had taken to choose a commander, Sir John, who had lately
arrived from Tasmania, was heard to remark that he thought it due t(^
him as the senior Arctic explorer of England.

« As soon as i; was known that he would go if asked, the admiralty
were of course only too glad to avail tliemselves of the experience of
such a man; hut Lord Haddington, with that kindness whicii e%er dis-
tinguished him, suggested that Franklin might well rest at home on his
huirels. ' 1 might find a good excuse for not letting you go. Sir John,
said the peer, 'in the telling record which informs me that you are sixty
years old.' 'No, no, my lord,' was Franklin's rejoinder, 'I am only
fifty-nine.' Jiefore such earnestness all scruples vanished. The offer
was ollicially made and accepted. To Sir John Franklin was confided
the Arctic expedition, consisting of H. M. S. Erebus, in which he hoisted
his pennant, and II. M. S. Terror, commanded by Capt. Crozier, who
had recently accompanied Sir James Ross in his wonderful voyage to the
Antarctic Seas."

The two vessels were thoroughly refitted and furnished with all that
exi)erience could suggest as useful or necessary. Provisions for three
years were made ready, and ;. crew of oser a hundred men were clioscn
fi-om the very cream of the British navy. Among the officers were
Lieuts. Gore and Fitzjames, whose genius and energy stamped them as
no common ofiicers.

The sliips left England in May, ami were known by the third of
July to have reached a point near Disco, Greenland, where a small ship
which had accompanied them, took on board the last letters of the
officers and crews for home. They were afterward seen in the latter
part (;f July I)y a whaler, who described them as " moored to an iceberg,
M-aiting for a chance to enter Baffin's Bay." From that day till the
present not one of tliat gallant band has ever been seen aiive, and not
tdl years afterward was anything definite discovered concerning tiieir
fate^ All tiiat historians can do is to follow the ships in Hie imagina-
tion by file aid of the plans laid down beforehand for the guidance of the

FliAiYKLlN'S FAVORITE TIIEORT.

877

party; to conjecture as best they may cone.'niiii<,r tlie particular circum-
stances of those last trying hours; and to relate the sad stories of those
whose mournful discoveries complete the melancholy scene.

From the instructions of the admiralty, and from the scanty record
lea by the lost explorers, we are able to trace with comparative assur-
ance the course of Franklin after he entered upon the special object of
the expedition. We find that, after the last intelligence of Sir John
Franklin was received, bearing date of July, 1845, from the whalers in
Melville Bay, his expedition passed on to Lancaster Sound and entered
Wellington Channel, of which the southern entrance had been discov-
ered by Sir Edward Parry in 1S19. The Erebus and Terror sailed up
that strait for 150 miles, and reached, in the autumn of 1S45, the same
latitude that was attained eight years subsequently by II. M. S. Assist-
ance and Pioneer. Whether Franklin intended to pursue this northern
coin-se, antl was (vuly stopjicd by ice in the latitude of 77° N., or pur-
posely relinquished a route which led so far away from the already
known seas off the coast of America, must be a matter of speculation*
but tile record assures us that the expedition having accomplished this
examination, returned southward from latitude 77°, which is at the head
of Wellington Channel, and re-entered Barrow's Strait by a new chan-
nel between Bathurst and Cornwaliis Islands.

It was a favorite theory of Franklin's that the best way of securino-
a passage from the Atlantic to tlie Pacific was by following as nearly as
possible the coast line of North America. Indeed, it was his opinion
and subsequently that of McClintock, that no passage by a ship can ever
be accomplished in a more northern direction. Since, therefore, when
Franklin sailed in KS45, the discovery of a Northwest Passage was re-
duced to the finding of a link between Parry's discoveries on the east
and his own on the west, it is probable that, in obedience to orders, he
steered for the southwest. Passing, as is thought, down Peel's Strait in
1816, and reaching as far as latitude 70° 5' north, and longitude 98^ 33'
west, whern the ships, as the record shows, were beset, it is clear that he,
who with others had previously ascertained the existence of a channel
along the coast of America, with which the sea wherein he met his,death

878

THE SEARCH.

had a direct communication, was the first real discoverer of a Northwest
Passage. As will be seen in another place, the gallant McClure had
worked out another passage long before the course of Franklin came to
light. This fact, while it is a worthy source of honor to the adventu-
rous Irishman, must not be allowed to detract from the fame of those
who, as their epitaph fitly says, " Forged the last link with their lives."
The account which it is possible to give of the last c'ays of Franklin
is, of necessity, very limited. As the expedition was provisioned for
three years, a year and a half elapsed before any anxiety was felt con-
cerning its welfare; but after a council of naval ofiicers had been held, it
was decided that, should no news arrive that summer, preparations should
be made for its relief. As is generally known, the British Government
afterward fitted and sent out a whole series of vessels, and spent immense
amounts of money in prosecuting the search. Lady Franklin spent the
greater part of her private fortune, and the United States came bravely
to the front in the Grinnell expeditions. Aside from their importance in
relation to the grand object, these expeditions added immensely to geo-
graphical knowledge, and in general, were invaluable for their contrlbu-
tions to science.

An account, as extended as space will jDcrmit, will be given of each
ot these daring ventures in their turn.

The writer deems it proper at this point, to comment briefly upon
the results to the world at large of the voyages of Franklin and others.
The young student and 'he unthinking of any age, are apt to look upon
tiiese discoveries as isolated in time and causal relations from the every-
<lay knowledge which they jjossess on these subjects, and which they
easily glean from the popular text-books. They should remember that
the first certain knowledge of these regions was gained by these self-sac-
rificing men, a.id many of the now well-known individual facts were
gathered by them under the trying circumstances which we have been
describing. The result of Franklin's researches for example are not
alone nor chiefly seen in the account of his voyages, but in the map, per-
fected by his bravery and diligence, from which the school-boy of every
nation cons his lesson. The conclusions on the subject of terrestrial

:^.i\

ii. ,

i ;.

,^lL

COMMENTS ON ARCTIC SCIENCE. 379

magnetism are not alone found in the reporis to tine a.lmirally, hut the
tacts chscoverec) and principles deduced form part of the physics and the
astronomy of the common school and coUej^^e. Ohservations taken here
upon the subject of botany have not their solo lodgin<,.-place in the arch-
ivcs of the Royal Society. They :nay be formulated and pcriiaps veri-
l.cd by Wood, Gray, an.l other modern d.sciples of Linnaeus; but it was
the stron,^ faith ami daring of Kane an<l Richardson, that f.rst plucked
the llowers, and made the tacts respecting them take their places amono-
tiie vast assemblage of Nature's witnesses. The relatio.i between the
lives of these men and the individual thought and action of the present
time, is far more real and intimate than is commonly admitted. Hence
the propriety of becoming acquainted with these heroes, in the story of
their careers; enabling us to give them due homage, and stimulating us
as they have done, to sacrifice something for the commcm brotheriiood.

each

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Kltlf.

U'J

CHAPTER XLTI.

^mm

SKAIUII KOK KUANKLIN Iw\ST NEWS— TI[I{ ICK KXPEDITIONS I'l.ANNKI)

KXlMOOniOX ir.\l)|.;|{ lUCIIAKDSON AND KAK INSTRUCTIONS OF

TIIH ADMIKAf.TV AXKIVK IN AMKIUCA— A TKOUliLKSOMK SONG-

STEK MKTirv I'OKTAOTC — A CACHK MIvNDACIOUS ESQUIMAUX.

Tlic proloujrcd :il)suiicc of Fniiiklin, and the entire lack of knowled^^c
rcj^arding his condition and exact vvhercal)outs, at last gave rise, as we
have seen, to serious apprehensions on the part of the admiralty. It was
true tile last letters received from tiie party were of the most hopeful,
huoyant tone. The expedition, it will be rememliered, sailed from Eng-
land on the I9tii of May, 1S45, and early in July had reached Whale-
fish Island, near Disco, on the Greenland coast of Davis' Stra'ts, where,
having found a convenient port, the transport which accompanied it was
cleared and sent home to England, liringing the last letters that havelieen
received from the oihcers or crew. The following extract of a letter
from Lieul. Fairholme of the Erel)us, will serve to show the cheerful
anticipation of success which prevailed througliout the party ami tiic
happ'- terms on whicli they were with each other.

" We have anchored in a narro\»^ channel between two of the islands
protected on all sides by land, and in as convenient a place for our pin-
pose as could be possibly found. Here we are, with the transport along-
side, transferring most actively all her stores to the two shi])s. * * *
" Of our prosj)ects we know little more than when we left Eiiirland.
but look forward with anxiety to our reaching 73", where it seems we
are likely to meet the iiist ol)structions, if any exist. On board we are
as comfortable as it is possible to be. T need hardly tell you how much
we are all delighted with our cajitain. lie lias, I am sure, won not only
tne respect, but the love of every person on board by his amiable man-
ner and kindness to all; and his iniluence is always employed for some

880

ANX/ETT.

381

i,roo(l purpose, both among the officers ami men. lie has been most suc-
icsslul in his selection of officers, and a more a<,'reeable set could hardly
lie found. Sir John is in much better health than when we left Enuland,
and really looks ten years younger. He takes an active part in every-
thing that goes on, and his long experience in such services as this makes
him a most valuable adviser."

Letters from most of the other offi.cers, written in a similar tone,
were received in ICngland ;:'. the same time with the above. An extract
of a letter from Franklin himself to Col. Sabine, deserves to be quoted,
as expressing his own opinion of his resources, and also his intention of
remaining out more than a second winter, should he not be successful be-
fore. The letter is ckited from Whalefish Islands, July 9, 1845; -i"*^!
after noticing that the Erebus and Terror had on board provisions, fuel,
clothing, and stores for three years complete, from that date, he adds, "I
\\o\K my dear wife and daughter will not be anxious if we should not
return by the time they have fixed upon; and I must beg of you to give
them the benefit of your advice anil experience when that time arrives,
for you well know that, without success in our object, even after the sec-
ond zvintcr, we should wish to try some othei- channel should the state
of our provisions and the health of our crews justify it."

The above extracts will give a fair idea of the prospects and hopes
of the parties when heard from the last time before entering Barrow
Strait. But nearly two years having elapsed without tidings, certain
experienced navigators, among them Capt. John Ross, expressed a fear
that the party had become entangled in the northwestern ice, whence
they could not advance nor retreat. The Lords Commissioners of the
Athniralty, though jndging that the second winter of Sir John's absence
was too early a period to give rise to well-founded apprehensions for his
safety, lost no time in calling for the opinions of several naval officers
who were well acquainted with Arctic navigation, and in concerting
plans of relief to be carried out when the proper time should arrive.

It is impossible to give, in our limited space, even a synopsis of the
opinions which were the response to this call on the part of the Lords
of Admiralty. It must suffice to say that after weighing all suggestions

;

\ 1

; 1

888

RICHARDSON APPOINTED.

and fully consi.lonn- the- nmncro.is plans snhmittc.I to them, the a.hiu-
ralty cl.tcrmincl that if no intelH-c-nce ,>f the missin- ships arrived l,y
the close of autumn, 1847, they wo„I,i send ,.,„ three searehin- expe.H-
tions: f )„e lo r.aneaster S..,,,.,!, another down the .MacKen/.ie River, and
a tiiird to i}ehi-in',''s Strait.

The distin^a,ishe,l serviees of Dr. John Richardson, in the expediti.nis
made l.y Franklin in iS.y.j6, espeeially iiis a.lventures fr<,m the Mac-
Ken;iictothe Coppermine, will not have I.een for-ottcn l.y the reader,
and it is necessary only to say of him that he was a hrave an,l skillf„|
voyager, an eminent and thorough naturalist, and an enthusiast in the
project of <liscovering and perhaps rescuing his friend a.ul former com-
panion. Sir John Franklin. lu him, therefore, the admiralty saw a per-
son well fitted to take charge of one of the proposed expeditions. Rich-
ardson was already familiar with the <letails of overland travel in Brit-
ish America, and particularly in the region of ihe MacKen/.ie and the
intricate maze of streams and lakes which diversify the face of America
north of the 55th parallel. He was, therefore, wisely intrusted with the
expedition destined for the descent of the MacKenzie. This appoint-
ment was announced in the f >rmal instructions issued to him by the Lord
Admiral, the opening paragraph of which is appended:

" Whereas, we think you fit to he employed in an overlan<l expedition
m search of Her Majesty's ships Erebus and Terror, under the comman.I
of Capt. Sir John Franklin, which ships arc engaged in a vovage of dis-
covery in the Arctic Seas, you are iiereby required and dirJctcnl to take
under your orders Mr. Rae, who has been selected to accompany you,
and to leave England on the 35th inst., by tlie mail steamer for Halifax,'
in Nova Scc^ia, and New York; and on yocn- arrival at the latter place,'
you are to proceed imme<liately to Montreal, for the p.n-pose of confer-
ring with Sir Geo. Simpson, Governor of the Hudson's JJay Company's
settlements, and making arrangements with him for your ft.ture supplies
and communications."

The general drift of the instructions was to the effect that from Can-
ada, Richardson was to cross the country as rapidly as possible to the
MacKenzie, which he was to descend in any way which had been pro-

u .

ARRIVE IN AMERICA.

888

vidcd. lie was then to coast al

oiijr the h;i

•ays and sounds of the Arctic
care not to extend the time of his search beyond the linuts
prudence. The appointment of Mr. John Rae as .secon.i odk-er was the
su,.est.on of Dr. Richardson, who ..new him to be pecuharly .nahfed
io.- 1 o sen.ce on which he was to be employed, lie had resided up-
war. of fifteen years in Prince Rupert's Land, was thoroughly versed
... a 1 the methods of developing and turning to advantage the natural
IHoducts ot the country, a skillful hunter, expert in expedients fo.- tem-
peru,^ the severity of the climate, an accurate observer with the sextant
-.1 other instruments usually employed to deternnne the latitude and
on,,,tude, or the variations and dip of the magnetic needle, and had just
iMou.^U to a successful conclusion, under eircumstances of unusual priva-
(.on, an expeditio.i of discovery fitted out by the Hudson's Bay Com
pany for the purposes of exploration. The choice, then, seemed a wise
one, and ,ts wisdom was confirmed by subsequent events.

O.. the 35th of March, 1S4S, Richardson and Rae left Liverpool, and
landed at New York on the mornin<, of the loth of April. From this
P'-t they departed as soon as convenient, journeying by way of Lake
Chan.p un, the St. Lawrence, and the chain of great lakes, until the
C.unherland House, on the Saskatchewan, was reached. They ha.l been
accompanied up to this point by an escort of French, Indians, and half-
l^.ecds, procured in Canada, who had served as guides and had trans-
ported then- goods. Their baggage included only their clothing, instru-
ments and camping utensils, as provisions for the expedition were to be

the Hudson's Bay Company. A party of boats under the supervision
of Mr Bell had aheady preceded them, and was to co-operate in the
cstahhshn,g of quarters, and the procuring of provisions. This party

K>y hoped to overtake, so as to relieve the monotony of their journey'

1 hen- journey, however, was not destined to be excessively monotonous,
fo.- the v-aned scenery and the dangers of canoe navigation, soon be-
cauK. suftciently enlivening. A thorough survey of the country through
-h.ch they passed was made by Dr. Richardson, both as to its botany
-Hi geology, and so far as their limited means of conveyance would al-

I i

■ i

884

A TROUBLESOME SONGSTER.

low, specimens of the plai.ts and rocks were secured and placed in their
little niuseum.

Many thin-,'s, curious and unwonted, were noted by Ur. Richardson,
who k'jpt a faitliful diary of each day's proceediuj^'s, and of each new oh-
ject discovered and cxainiiud. ()rnithoioy[y as well as other branohes of
science, received liis attention.

"Constantly," says iiis journal, "since the 1st of June, the song of the
Fn'norilla /cucop/in>s has been heard day and ni^^'ht, and so loudly, in
the stillness of the latter season, as to deprive us at lirst of rest. It
whistles the fn-st bar of 'Oh, dear! what can the matter be?' in a clear
tone, as if played on a piccolo life; and, thou.i,di the distinctness of the
notes rendered them at first very pleasinj,', yet, as they haunted u up to
the Arctic circle, and were loudest at miduij^ht, we came to wish occa-
sionally that the cheerful little son<,'ster would time his serenade better.
It is a curious illustration of the indiflerence of the native population to
almost every animal that does not yield food or fm-, or otherwise con-
tribute to their comfort or discomfort, that none of the Iroquois or Chip-
peways of our company knew the bird by :,irrht, and they all declared
boldly that no one ever saw it. We were enabled, however, after a little
trouble, to identify the son<^ster, his sonjj, and breedinj^-place."

On the 27th of June the jxirty came to the vicinity of Methy Port-
age referred to, as the reader will remember, in one of the first of
Franklin's voyatres. An Indian had built a home at the mouth of the
Methy River, and was in the habit of lettin-,^ horses to the Hudson's
Bay Company for facilitating the portage of goods. Our parly
of explorers, however, received from him the very unpleasant informa-
tion that his horses had all died from murrain, and that the Companv's
animals were also all disabled. This news was received by Richardson
with great disappointment, for he had planned to reach the sea as soon as
possible, so as to explore Wollaston Land (across the strait from tlic
mouth of the Coppermine) thic season. This new circumstance seemed
to represent a delay of several weeks, and his scheme was likclv to be
thwarted. Coming up with Mr. Bell before the portage was reached,
be found several of iiis (Bell's) men enfeebled and lame from previous

A CAC//E

385

'^''-••'"l>"rtaj,c.s,a,ul unlittcl fnr rculcrinj, any assistance. Rich„-.l-
M>n s own voya,.crs, t.,o, ha.l hccn on<r,^.a with the- ,.n.l.rst..„ii„. that
they were t<. return as soon as Hdl's hoats wnv overtaken. With a
I'-n.se of extra pay, however, they were in.h.ee.i to stav an.l assist in
.1.. conveying of the goo.ls ac...ss to the next attainable waler-a distance
ol ahoiif Join-teeii miles.

I" the e.,nal distribution of the ba;,jra.., each nun, bad live nieces of
nM.etypoun<ls'weij,ht each, exclusive of his own bedding and clotbin-.,
-.1 ol the boats, with their nu.sts, sails, oars, anchors, etc., which coukl
..... l>c transports in fewer than two journeys of ,he whole par.v The
praccal Canadians could carry tw<. pieces of ninCv pounds a( Jacb Irip

"^^'' '""- '""■'^'-^■^' '"•'• '■• ^'^o'-t-'- «>nes even a ;,rea,er load than .his

''he I.nopeans, however, could carry only one piece, and .bus had to
.nakc l.vc .rips with the 1.,^^.,.^ besides .,vo with .he boa.s. Tin., de
laye,l, iU.le prospect was le.t of completing their sea-voyage this season
\V..l. the usual quota of advemures the boa.s at last reached Point
Separation -n.arkin^ the parting of the two principal u.outbs of the
Mackenzie, on the .^.st of J„,y. , le.e, according to instructions .hey
h:.lted to 1 ury a case of pcn.n.ican. The pit was .lu^ :a the distance of
ten feet irom .he best-,,n-own tree on the point, and beside, the food the.-c
was placed nv ,1 a bottle containing, a n^emorandun, of .he obiecls of the
ovpeduiou, an.l such other information as i, was ,ho„.lu would be use
"•' "• '"h.r parties, should they happen to reach this river. Thi, poi„t
w.n be rcmen.bere.l as the place ..f separation ..f .he parties of Franklin
^....1 K.cbardsonin ,8.6, when the former explore.l toward neb,in..\
S.ran, and Richar.lson esamine.l .he coast between the AlacKenxie an.l
Coppermine. Apropos of performing bis duty at this time and place
Richardson savs: '

''WV were .hen full of joyous anticipa.ion of .he discoveries .b >t lay
... -nr several pa.hs,an.l our crews were elated with .be hope of n.akin-".
then l.rtunes by .he parlianuMuary rewar.l pronnse.l .,. those wb,. should
..av.^ate the Arctic' Seas up .o eer.ain -neri.lians. \Vi,en we pushed olt
the beach .,n .he m..rnin,,,. of .he p h of July, .S.o, ,o follow onrseparate
routes^we cheered each .>ther with hearty ^ood will, and no misc^ivim^s

. s

noU'.V THE MACKENZIE,

Sir JdIim's party fell sonie miles siioit of the parliamentary distaiioe, ami
he made no elaim. N[y party accomplished the whole space between the
assiijned meridians, Iml llie authorities deeided tiiaf the reward was not
meant for hmtts^ Imt ships."

IIavin<,r Innsiu'd operations at the cdr/u., tiie voyaj^e was rcsumeil,
and tlic lioats passi'd down tlie eastern branch of tiic MacKen/ie.
W^iti'ii now bejfan to be Uept fur ICsquimaux, for Kiehardson's previous
experience lauj^hl him tliat tlii-v were in tin- liabil of frei|nentinLj the
coast at this tinu- of year. AI)omI Iwd hinidrrd natives were soon seen

KbHJ I.MAIX Ul' NOKHI AMtKlCA.

pa(l(llin^• out nitiieii- kavacks and ooniiaks. The boalmi'n were i-autioncd
to keep :loNt' loj^ether so as not to allow thi' I''s(|uiniau\ to o\L'rpowcr
\\\\\ out- if tlie\- should s"eiu '>o disposed. A lively barter was carried
on with ihcni li\- Richardson and Rat', who traded all manner of iron
implcnunis for the ruiU- productions of the iiati\c's. Tliesi- were of no
use to the whites, but it had been foinid a plan of poucy to make no ^ifi
to the ICsipiimaux, as the American tribes rei^rarded it as a mark of inferi-
orit\' to recei\i' a '^\\\.

The innuiries of the party were of course chieily directed to ob'.ain-
inj^ inforn-.ation of th'; missin;j^ \esseb,, but the Esquimaux, one and all,
denied L'ver having seen any whites, or heard of any ships aloiiL; the

MENDACIOUS EfZUIMAVX. ^

CO,,,. V„„, „f ,„„^ ,„„„, ,,„„„^,„,,,„ ,,^.,_^, ^__.^,^_^^^^^ _^^ _^_^ _
whcnthc utecnp, wa, ma,|c t,. ,,l„„,lcr I.Vanklin', I,,,,,,, i„ ,,S^rti ,,„h „,
^IK- . :.,c,„„„ancc, of .ha. .„co„„.„ „revc„.o,l .l,.,,, ,V,„„ c.n Ji„. 'L

-n,cc.,o,, ,,, ,l,c.„,,elvc,o,. ,l,c.i,. ,vla.ivc. with .ha, ,,,,co,nplc..c.,l ,ra.;,iy
... ...a., ... a,„„e,. ,„ ,h. i,„,ui,,v r,.,- whi.c „„.,„ , , „„i,„i„; I

":"""f ';'""■- -" ■^'^■' .i-' ■" 'he .n„„.h ,.r .h. m!,.Kc.„1._

A |>arty of „.h„c. ,„cn arc livi„i, .hcc." Thin was k„ow„ „, l„. ,,

alsd,o,x , a, ,h. c„„„„, „ ha.l la,,,!..! .here .ho day prcvio„s „i,h„„.

i.av„„ .„covcrc,. any .race. The sava,c-, ,„...ive wa,, .,vl,,c„„v ,„

....1..CC .he,„ .„ h„„l, which .hey ha,l hoc, h.vi.cl r,,„„ .he f,.. „f

.he,.- ,„.e,v,cw. wi.h ,ho aative,. Accordi,,. ,„ Ri.hanl,,,,,, „ei,he,. .he

"'';"""""• ""'•,"■'■'" '■ "- '"■-■■■ 'ril.c, of A, ..;. A,n..lea feel .he

-'■„ (itttctcd 111 a falsehood, ;,n<! uivaiiahly practice it

." ":' "" .'^"' '""^".V "-y -" .a y or .hei,. pe..y 11. Z,

' he- ,„„ ha,- „„ereo„r,e „i.h each o.he,- .he r„,lia„, ,eld,„„ .ell .h„
-."... H1.C hr,., .,„„„ce,a„d if .hey, „coee,l i,. e.ci.i,,, a.l,„i,.a.i„„ or
..*....shn.c„.. ,hc„- i„ve„.i„„ ,.„,„ „„ wi.ho„. c„d. !.>„„ .he ,na„„e, .,f
.l..-,.cal<c,-, ,a.he,- ,ha„ hy hi, woni,, i, hi, .r„.h or falsehood arrived a.-
-.1 ..I.e., a eo,„i„,,„„, c|„e„i„„h,. i, „ece„ary .o elici. .he facts.

Mo ,a.„fac.o,y i„,-„r,„a.i„„ having bee,, jja.herc.l fro,,, .he „a.ives
.1.. ,o,.r,,cy ea,.ward alo„, .he coas. wa, co„.i„„e,l ; ,a„di„,„ ,,ei„:

; ;' " ''":,""^ "'"■' '" ™^>-' ™'"l"<-e -.1 .hor„,..h h„.h ,he ,,ca,eh

I"' .l.c losl llec, a„d ,hc ,cie„.i,ic exa,ni„,,.i„„ of the c,.„„try.

1 1 :";■!!

iMllai

■li , k

CHAPTER XLIII,

lUCi'AKDSO.v's JorKNKV lOWAHI) TIIK C()IM'EI{MINI': AN KAKLY

WINTlilt A KKASONAIiLK THEOKY CONJhCTURKS — KKTUKN lO

'OUT CONKinKXCK — I'l.AN FOK THE SUMMEIJ — liAJi's EXPEDITION

CONKEH WITH ESQUIMAUX llETUKX TO THE COl'PEH MINE —

IN'TEKPKETER DKOWNEI) — LOST IN THE WOODS AIM'KOVAI, OF

IHK ADMIKAI/IY.

As has already '.;jen intimated, Dr. Richardson's account of his jour-
ney abounds with vivid jjicturcs of the natural features, productions, and
people, of the re<jions through which he passed. Rocks, Howers, trees
anil natives were all carefully studied, and their habits, peculiarities and
anomalies faithfully jjortrayed. In fact, most Arctic navigators have
done the sam:;, and it is to their energy, zeal and ability that Arctic sci-
ence, in its various branches, owes its jiresent advanced status. As the
2Kirpose of the present volume, however, is not to treat of natural history,
nor geology, as such, an incidental mention of the facts relative to these
sciences must suffice.

Dr. Richardso>\ had hoped to reach the Coppermine River, and from
there to cross over and explore WoUaston Land the first summer. lie
was disappointed to find that the new ice began to form early in Septem-
ber, so as not only to impede his progress by its own resistance, but by
cct.ienting together in impenetrable solidity the immense floes of pack-
ice, which hiia not succeeded in forcing their way through the narrow
channel between the continent of America and the islands, or lands on
the north. The unavoidable conclusion of the sea-voyage, while still at
some distance from the Coppermine TUver, was contemplated by the
commander and the entire crew with the deepest regret. It had been
hoped, that even if no time was left to exjolore Wollaston Land, the Cop-
permine, at least, could be reached, and the boats left somewhere along

888

A REASONAULE TIIEORV. 399

its banks, where they wouhl he available f..r another s.nn.ner's use But
.f they were n.,w ahandoned „m the eoast, it eouhl net l,e expeeted that
they would escape the searches of the htuuin.,. parties who would follow
up the explorers' Ibotmarks, an.l uho were certain to ],reak up the IkkUs
"•>■ tlu. copper fosteni„c,s. The unusual lateness of the sprin<,, an.l the
unexpected delay at Methy Portaj^e, had n.ade the arrival at the sea latc-r
t'^^'u had been anticipated, and in a region where summer holds swuv
only SIX weeks, even a few days are often of the utmost importance
Notwithstanding, the brevity of the sumn.er, neither that, nor the late-
ness of their arrival, would have prevented the party fron. crossin<. to
Wollaston Land, ha,l it been possible to effect such a crossing. The
only hmdrance was the unnavijrable condition of the close-packed ice-
<l.dt. A Hat, smooth floe is often of assistance in protectin<. a vessel
i.-um pressure, and, in case of extreme necessity, a boat can be drao-.ed
over.ts surface with good headway; but the ice that obstructecr U.e
progress of our explorers at this time, was composed of hummock v pieces
of n-regular shape, and consequently ready to tur.i over and crush boat
or person u]K)n the least disturbance.

Richardson plainly remembered th.t on both of his former voya-es
to these seas, .leither he nor Franklin had found this condition present
■" the channels under consideration. Oti those occasions onlv small
packs were visible here and there, the general openness of the sea alTonl.
ing a.nple opportunity for passage up to a later period than the ist of
September. In seeking a reason for the existing state of affairs, Rich-
ardson f<,un<l himself able to establish a reasonable conjecture regarding
the prolonged absence of the missing crew.

The theory of a cycle of good a.id bad years had alreadv been
■nooled by several meteorologists, and observations on the temperature of
a series of years had seemed to confirm its reasonableness. Ei-hty years'
observation at London showed that groups of warm years altrrnate with
groups of cold ones in such :, way as to render it most probable that the
mean annual temperatures rise and fall ;„ ^uch a manner as may be
represented by a series of elliptical curves, corresponding to periods of
irom twelve to fifteen years; although local or casual circumstances

CONyECrURES.

1 u

i I'

.1;

cause tht! means t<j change in particular years, and, indeed, in particular
places also.

The conjecture, then, was that Franklin entered Lancaster Sound at
the close of a group of favorable years, when the ice ^vas in the greatest
state of (limituition, and that, having boldly pushed on in one of the clos-
uig years of the favorable cycle, unexpected ice was produced during
tlie unfavorable years following, and thus an insurmountable barrier to
his return was made.

This conjecture, while it could not, of course, descend to detail in
this particular case, seems to have been the correct one; for (to anticipate
our narrative) it \v;is afterward found tliat Franklin's vessels actually
were beset ])y ice in .September, 1S46, and that too in a much lower lati-
tude than was at this time reached l)y Richardson. It will he found,
also, that the explorers for the next few years, from 1S4S-57, found the
s])rings very biekward, and tiie winters exceedingly long and severe.
The experiences of Kane in northern latitudes for three difTerent winters
may be hereafter cited as cases in jjoint. We have here to do, however,
not with theories, but with facts, and the practical problem of how to
luid Franklin and convey relief to him, was the all important question
which presented itself to the admiralty and those representing thcni
upon the seas.

As we have seen, circumstances compelled the party to desist from
further undertakings this fall, and preparations were made to journev by
land back to Ft. Confidence, where Mr. Bell was supposed to be pre-
paring winter quarters for the voyagers. Burying a quantity of pem-
mican, and also of ammunition, near the places where the boats were to
be left, they started on the third of September, carrying evcrythino-
which their strength would permit. After a tedious journey, made more
so by the heavy burdens which they bore, they arrived at Ft. Confidence
on the 15th. Here they found Mr. Bell, who had reached the site on
the 17th of August, and hail immediately set to work. Since that time
he had Iniilt an ample storehouse, two houses for the men, and a dwell-
ing house for the officers, consisting of a hall, three sleeping apartments,
and a storeroom. Dispatches and letters were now made readv, m\<.\ on

'!?

PLAN FOR THE SUMMER.

801

tlic 1 8th wore taken in eharse by men chosen for the purpose, to be
conveyed to the British settlements.

Here, then, at Ft. Confidence, the winter of 1S4S-9 was passed;
nothing of striking importance occurring to break the monotony of a
characteristic season in the wilds of North America.

Tile return of summer brought with it the necessity of deciding upon
some course of action for the further prosecution of the search. It was still
thought best to visit Wollaston Land, but in the absence of their boats,
the method of procedure grew into a perplexing problem. Had they
succeeded in taking their boats up the Coppermine, beyond the reach of
tiie Esquimaux, according to their expectations when the plan of search
was formed, the voyage might have been resumed in the summer of 1S49,
with two or three boats; and in that case, the whole party might have
gone, and so have aided one another among the floes. But as they had
been compelled to leave their craft in September, without the smallest
liope of its being found again in a seaworthy condition, and having only
one boat remaining that could be employed on the service, it became nec-
essary to determine which of the two leading officers. Dr. Richardson or
Mr. Rae, should take charge of tliat vessel and the small jjarty it could
contain. Setting aside personal considerations, and looking only to the
means if providing for the examination of as large a portion of the Arctic
Sea as could be accomplished, Dr. Richardson had not much hesitation in
deciding in tavor of Mr. Rae. His ability and zeal were unquestiona-
ble; he was in the prime of life, and his personal activity, and his skill as
a hunter, fitted him peculiarly for such an enterprise.

Mr. Rae had already during the winter explored the country be-
tween Ft. Confidence and the Coppermine River, in order to select the
best route for dragging the boat over in the spring. In April he con-
veyed provisions, boat-stores, and other necessaries across the country to
one of the streams tributary to the Coppermine, and a convenient jolace
for landing, in tlie event of the ice breaking up. These he left in charge
of two of his men and two Indian hunters, who were to be engaged in
the meanlime, in obtaining and curing the flesh of the reindeer and
musk-ox, for summer use. Having to wait many weeks for the opening

;j93

fNTEliVIEW WITH ES:^UIMAUX.

of Ihe nvers, it was ,1. .ni.ldlc of J..,, ,„,,,, ,„. sea was rcachccl, and
asth.K-cin tho channels was s.ill inMx.nc.traI>Ie, suv.ra! weeks n.ore
were occnpied in exploring the various rivers which had their n.ouths
near the ponit where the Coppermine llncls an outlet.

Their advance along the coast, when once it l.egan, was verv slow
own,g to the still comparatively in>penetrahle condition of the ice- uul
the place where the boats were left the prece.ling autumn, was' not
reached until the 34th of July. The boats were found nn.ch broken up
by the action of the ice, which had invaded the inlet where thev were
left, and also Iw the Esquima.,x, who had dismantled them of hin^e por
tions of ^voodwork, that they n.ight obtain the iron an<l copper used in
then- construction. The tents, oil-cloths, and part of the sails still re-
mamed unmjure.l, and were made extremely useful to Mr. Rae who
was dl supplied wi,' these articles. The r«r/}. of pemmican and pow-
der was also unt.>uched, its covering of snow probably causing it to es-
cape detection.

Passing on to the west, they soon came to the point where the search
had ],ecn concluded the previous season, being also the most convenient
though not the nearest point from which Wollaston Land could be
reached. Indeed, it ^vas not only unnecessary to go further, but also im-
possd^le; ior the junction here of the rough hummocks on one side and
the steep clifl^ on the other, made further thought of passage useless.
They p.tchecl their tents on the top of a clilT and waited for the first
favorable change in tlie sea.

A fesv days after this the Esquimaux interpreter and one of the men
when some distance inland lookitig for game, overtook live Esquimaux'
who were traveling toward the interior with a lo.ul of iish. From these'
It was lound that the sea-ice had begun breaking up onlv the day before
the party had arrive.l at the mouth of the Coppermine. These natives
also testified that they had been, dming the winter, in company with the
Esqun.iaux of Wollaston Land, and that the latter had never ^een Euro-
peans, large ships, or boats.

Their detention here was very long and tedious. Several <rales of
wind occurred from the south, but the space of open water was so s.nall

!|:

304

RETURN TO THE COPPERMINE.

'•'i

I -

that little cnTect upon the ice was ohservahle. The situation was tanta-
lizin- in the extreme to all the party. Occasionally at tiie time ..C tlu-
tide a lead of water would appear, a mile or so in length, and wide
cnoufrh to admit of the passa<,'e of a boat. Everything would be ;,t
once prepared for launching; when suddenly, some adverse circumsiant-e
would cause the opening tcj grow narrow, until no longer safe for boat
or man to venture in.

The ice continued drifting to and fro with the tides, without separat-
ing sufficiently to allow of passing among it, till the 19th of August,
when there seemed to he more oix;n water to seaward than liatl yet bet'n
seen. After waiting for some hours for a troublesome pack near the
shore, to disperse, they at hist pushed off; and after many narrow escapes
from being squeezed, they at last reached comparatively open water-,
where they had soon to use their oars. They had pulled more tliaii
seven miles, when they came to a stream of ice, so close packed and so
rough that they could neither pass over nor through it. Under thoc
circumstances it was thougiit advisable to return to the mam shoiv,
where tiiey landed the next day. On the very next day wind began to
blow from the northeast, and in four hours not a perch of open water
was to l)e seen— nothing but a continuous sheet of white, solid drift ice.
As the fine weather had now evidently broken uj), no course remained
but to retreat to tlie Coppermine and Ft. Confidence. An accident oc-
curred in ascending the Coppermine wiiich had even more effect in
dampening the spirits of the party than the failure to reach Wollaston
Land. They liad successfully ascended the river to what wa^ known as
the "Bloody Falls," marking the beginning of a series of intricate an.l
dangerous rapids. It had been the custom, in former ascents of these
rapids, to draw the boats along the bank, till the most dilHcult portion was
23assed,and then to launch the boat and tow it up over the remainder of the
distance. As the boat of our voyagers was exceedingly woin am! unsul)-*
stantial,it was thought best to do the same in this case. All that appeaiv.l
to be of any difficulty was easily accomplished, and there was only .me
short place to be ascended, which was so smooth that a loaded ])oat mi^ht
have passed it; here, liowevcr, from some unaccountable cause, the

'1,1

THE INTERPRETER DROWNED. 808

steersman was seized with a sudden panic, and called to those towin-
the boat to slack the line. This was no sooner done suiHcientlv to allovv
iiun to get llrm footing, than he leaped on shore, followed by the Ix.w-
man, and allowed the boat to sheer into the cnrrent, when the line broke,
and the boat was hurried down stream into an eddy. To this point Rae'
and Albert, the i.iterpreter, ran, and stationed themselves at two points of
rock near which the wreck would pass. Misunderstanding an order of
the commander, the Esquimaux leaped into the boat when it was near
enough, and both were swept away together. The native was finally
thrown out and sank, not to appear again. The occurrence was much
regretted, as the young man was greatly liked for his activity, lively and
amiable disposition, and extreme goodness.

Rae's failure to cross to Wollaston Land, is attributable, not at all to
lackof skillorbravery-buttothe impassable condition of the ice in
the strait which it was necessary for him to traverse. His mortifica-
tion from his failure was very keen, and much more severe than he saw
fit to <lisplay in his official report. lie was, in realitv, a vcrv brave an<I
intelligent man, and received, as he deserved, the approbation of the
Ihitisli Government.

Having now finished the story cf Mr. Rae's search vovagc, we
revert to the experiences of Dr. Richardson, and the remainder\.f the
party, during the summer of 1849. On the 7th of May they took their
leave of Rae, who had not yet left Ft. Confidence to descend the Cop-
permine, and proceeded to Ft. Franklin, on the opposite side of Great
Hear Lake. As they anticipated some difficulty in na.vigating Bear Lake
River, which flows out of Great Bear Lake into the MacKenzie, a few
miles below Ft. Norman, a barge had been ordered which was to meet
them at the head of the river. They waited over a month for the barge
when some men appeared who reported that the river was not yet open.
They now decided to descend the river at once, and send the barge,
back for the stores. Most of the expedition started in a fishing-boat';
l)ut two of them were instructed to follow along the bank of the river
on foot, each carrying with him his own bedding and provision. One

the men, named Brodie, struck into the inter

ior to avail himself of a

!1 !

' a

lij

300

APPIiOVAL OF THE A/)M/RA//rr.

short c-ut, and iiol soon lejoiniii-j^ tlu- party, was supposed to i.c lost, ami
consuierahlc apprehension was fl-U lor his safety. It was afterward
found that, wiien lie detected the faet of his wailvin- in the wron- di-
rection, he he.t,'an to run, as is nsnal in snch eases, till he came to the
bank of a tortuous stream, and bein<if a fearless swimmer, swam aeross It,
carryin<j his clothes on his head. The river comin<,' a.Lcain in his wav,
he crossed it a second time in like manner, hut on the last occasion hi^
Inmdle slipped away from him, and lloated oil", while he re,i,Mined the
bank in a state of perfect nudity. After a few moments' reflection he
came to the conclusion that without clothes he must jjerish, and that hi-
mi<,dit as well he drowned in tryin<r to recover them, as to attempt pn.-
ceedinjj: naked. On this he plun<,n;d in aj^ain, and this time succeeded in
landinjr safely w.th his habiliments. He soon discovered his whereabouts,
and rejoined tlie partv.

This adventure is related to illustrate what a traveler in these wilds
was liable to encounter, and as an example of what happened to all ,.|
the seamju of this expedition. None of them could be tau<rht that they
were liable to such accidents, till they learned it })y experience. One
man who thus strayed wa^, wh^n found, c(mtentedly steenn<,r f,,r the
moon, which l)ein<,r near the horizon, and streaminj,^ red throu<rii the for-
est, was mistaken l)y him for the fire of the men'^ bivouac.

The ascent of the MacKen/ie, and the subsequent journey to Can-
ada, and finally back to (ireat Britain, was not attended with any inci-
dent worthy of note, and the party of Richardson landed at Liverpool
on the 6th of November, after an absence of nineteen months, twelve of
them passed in incessant travelinjr. Richardson made no delay in pre-
sentin;^- himself to the admiralty, and makin- a full report of his pn.-
cecdin<4-s, which elicited from their lordships a uniform expression ,,f
approbation. His narrative was afterward published in book form,
which volume, with its rich fund of incident and adventure, and thor-
ough analysis of all observed phenomena, stands among the classics of
Arctic literature.

CHAPTER XLIV.

KX.MU>,Tn,N VSVKH SIK .,AMKS r. U„SS_,NSTUUCTI«NS OK TMK AD-
M.KALTV-,.UK,.AKATr(..VS-UPKHNAVIK-IN A ..ACK-MAXWKI.,.
HAV- -A .VOVK,. KXI-EUIKXT-SPKINO OCCUPATIONS— rUKKK SUU-
VKVINC; I-ARTIHS-AN ARCTIC MOUSK— WKI.MVG TON CHANNEL—
MPS-.MP.USONK,) -A MIUACUMurs KSCAPK-A KOHckO HK-
TKKAT COMMKNTS ON ARCTIC' NAVKJATION.

I'n..ni.,c..l anion- those who en-a-cd in tlic discussion cnccrning
llu. probable whereabouts of Frankh-n, and in the eventual efforts made
I., relieve that distin-uislied navi-ator, was Sir James C. Ross, of whom
special mention has already been made. The three expeditions planned
in ..S47,an.l execute.l in 1S4S, have been referred to in a preceding
chapter. They were based mainly upon tb.e instructions under which
!• ranklin sailed, upon known conditions existing in the northern seas,
and upon the conjectured course of Franklin, in case of failure or
cnuM^Ljencv.

The expedition which was regarded at the time as of most impor-
tancc, was the one destined to Lancaster Sound. It had for its object to
take up the route followed by Franklin, and by diligently searching
for any signal-posts he might have erected, to trace him out and carry
the required relief to his exhausted crews. For such an enterprise as this,
none were thought to be better fitted by ability and experience than the'
<laring commander whose name heads the chapter. In company with
hi. distinguished uncle, he had already traversed many portions of the
globe, and iiad acquainted himself extensively and m a practical manner
witli all branches of the nautical science. Pertinent to this particular
undertaking, he had planted the British Hag upon the magnetic pole, and
iK'ul learned by experience the peculiarities of Arctic sailing, and the

:iarriers of the north. Considt

ianceu\

necessi

amoi

897

nng

308

INSTPUCTrONS.

these ciiijilillcjitions, as well as the practical wisdom exhihitcrl in Ross'
discussion of the then alUnhsorbinf,' questit .1, the admiralty had no ht-si-
tation in piacinj^ him at the head of this important expedition.

The facts upon which his plan was based will siiiliciently appear from
the followiiifj ((notations, drawn from his letter of advice to the admi-
ralty: "As vessels destined to f)l!ow the track of the expedition must
necessarily encounter the same diiKcultics, and he liable to the samo se-
vere pressure from the great body of ice they must pass throu<,'h in their
way to Lancaster Sound, it is desirable that two ships of not less tliaii
500 tons ])e purchased for this service, and fortified and eciuipped in every
respect as were the Erebus and Terror for v\ntarctic seas.

" Each ship should, in addition, be supplied with a small vessel or
launch of about twenty tons, which she could hoist in, to be fitted with a
steam engine and boiler of ten-horse power, for a purpose to be hereafter
noticed.

"The ships should sail at the close of April, 184S, and proceed to
Lancaster Sound with as little delay as possible, carefully searching Ix.ih
shores of that extensive inlet, and of Barrow's Strait, and then progress
to the westward.

"As soon as the formation of water along the coast between the land
and the main hody f)f the ice admitted, the small steam launch should
be .lispatched into Lancaster Souutl, to communicate with the whale
ships at the usual time of their arrival in those regions, by which nieaiis
infonnation of the safety or return of Sir John Franklin might be eon-
veyed to the ships before their liberation from their winter quarters, as
well ;;s any further Instructions the Lords Commissioners might he
pleased to send for their future guidance.

" The easternmost ship having been safely secured in winter quarters,
the other ship should proceed alone to the westward, and endeavor to
reach \Vintcr Harbor, in Melville Island, or some convenient port in
Bank's Land, in which to pass the winter.

« From this point, also, parties should be dispatched early in sprin<T,
before the breaking up of the ice. The first should trace the western
coast of Bank's Land, and, proceeding to Cape Bathurst, or some other

PliEPARATlONS.

800

ronspuv,.o,.s point on tlu- continn.t, previously asrcc.l on with Sir [ohn
K.c-hanlson, .vach .1,. Ihuison's May Cnipany's settlement of Ft. (Jood
Hope, on the MacKen/.ie, whence they may travel sonthwar.l I,v the
-M.al route of ,!,. tra.lers to York Factory, an.l thence to Kuj^laml, as
soon as convenient.

" The second party should explore the eastern shore of Hank's I...
a.Kl inakin- lor Cape Krusenstern, communicate with Sir [ohn Rich-
.r.ison's party on ils dcscen.linjr the Coppermine River, and 'either assist
l>i.n m cnmpletin^^ the examination of Wollaston and Victoria Land, or
return to Hn.^dand hy any route he should direct.

"These two parties would pass over that space in which most proba-
bly tin. ships have become involved, if a. all, and would, therefore, have
the iK-st chance of communicatin- to Sir Job., Fra.ddin information of
the measures that have been adopted for his relief, and of .lirectino- him
to Ihc hcst point to proceed, if he should consider it i,ccessary to abandon
hi-- ships.

"OlIuT part.es may be .hspatched, as mi-ht appear desirable to the
connnan.lcr of the expedition, accor.lin- to circumstances; but the steam
hnnuhcs should certainly be employed to keep up the communication
^cl^^cen the ships, ,o transmit such information for the -uiuance of each
elhcr as n.i^ht be necessary Ibr the safety and success of the u.uler-
t;ikin<,f."

This plan has been ^iven thus fully, partly because it foreshadows
and exphnns the voyage about to be describe, and partly because it
shmvs with what completeness of detail and j^n-asp of the subject these
.•..te.pnsm- statesmen were wont to project their schemes. Owing to
varyin.^- circumstances all the details of this scheme could not be tt.ily
^■='nird nut; for, as we have seen already, Richardson did not be-in he
csploration of Wollaston Land, nor di<l he have opportunitv to conv
ninnicate with Ross' vessels at all, a.id it was not until after his retur.i to
I'-.'.-l.MHl that he became fully apprised of the proceedings of that otHccr,
and of the state of the search.

The xvork of fitting up vessels for the use of the expedition becran
eany ,n the season of ,848; but as very elaborate preparations were

i t (tl I'i

VIU

' i

(|>> ' ' ' 1 iBi H

fij:

III

||j

* 9

11'

lIRn

,'i

ff f ' '

1 k

400

/A^ t I'ACh

(Ir, ll

ni.KU-, liic iiiiiiiiiLjcMmMiK wciv 11..1 rom|)l.li<l mitit )mu-. Tlic vi«sm-I>
clioscii wi'iv 111, lliit. rprisc, ..r |v Inns, m.l ih.' Iiivt-sli-;,t,,i , ..f |,S(,

I'ls mimlicii'il 1^:^ MiiiK,
|'^iiii;inl ill \\\v |';Mli'r|iri«,t'; mikI with him sviTc Liciils.

Ions luiilluii, ;itiil III.- ( (iiiiliitu'd iifus .iihI .>lli

«>ss |;||St(l III-

M'C'liiiv, M'C'liiihHk .iikI li

lowiu', 111' ilu- riMMici iwii (>r whom iiinri

ill In- lu-;ii(l luiiMrUr. IMic Iiivi-sli'Ml

or \v

!•:. ). Uinl.

;is loinm.iniird hy C';i|)t.

Thi' i'\|u-(lilioii Misc! sail Mil ihi- iJlh ..riimc, ;m<l iiMdic.l the Dan
prniav iU, siiiiaii'd dii oiicuriJu- -_;r,)n|) ol' Wniiiair

isji M'llli'iiun

I Ml' I

IsiaiKJs, oil thi' wi'sU-iii shoif of lialliiiV r.a\, <iii llu- hih ,.1' )iiU. |'
iii'4 liiioii-h ihis iiia/c t.r islands and ii <• lhc\ wcic made I'asi
jolh to an ii-riuT- a'^iomid ol' C'api' SharkK^lon. Dmiii- ihc nr\l I
(liiys M'ssids wiMr lowed l.\ llinr lamuhrs ihroii-h sIhmiiis ol"
iiiid oil Ihc .'Olh of |iil\ had rcaclud the llncc isjan

on .111'

f\V

loose lee

(Is (.1 |>alliii, III Jali-

liidi' 71

\. r

u- season liad now iieeonu'sd lai ad\ aneed, and

|)i'o:;^ri'ss

as so malerially impi'ded liy lahns and li-iil winds, 1 jial Ixipe oC

;U( oiii-

plishiii'^ mik-h lielore winUT should sc>| in, was preehidi

o jiains were spaii-d, liowi'\-er, lo use eveiv opporiimii v of piishin.

lu'a\ \- hrt'e/.e arose wh

U'll

forward; and liiiall\, on ilu' joth ol" An^iisi,

drovi' the ships thi-ou-h a ihiik pack of iee, in llu- midsl of whieh, had

tlu'\ l.ei'ii eompelli'.i to stoj), Itoth ships wonid ha\c hei-ii iiie\ilahl\'

ciiislied

As il was, some daniaLTr was nei'ivi li)v llu-ni, lhon"li I

or-

tunaleU lu-illuT was disahlcHl. lIa\in->- n

ow i Tossed Uallm

liav. the

Uiips slood ill lo Pond's Inlet; lint lhou;^h they ki-i)t close to shore, and
nade ii-|)(.-aled signals, no vt'sli;4e of ICstpmn iii\ or other 1

could hi' seen. On ihe jhth lhe\- arrived oil" 1

imnan iieni^s

ossi--sion I5ay, and a paitv

:iriv, on that mmv

was sent on shoit.' to seanh for any Irai'i's ol" ihe evpedilioii having-
touched at this general ])()inl ol" rc-iidczvoiis. NothiiiL;- was found liere
oxci pt Ihe paper iiH-orditi^- tlu' visit of Sir lalward 1'
day (the :;()th) in iSk). Thoy examined the coast wi-slward l"rom this
point with -n-al care, and on (i.c ' : ' ol" Septcmhcr arrived oil" f
\'oik (on Lancaster Sound), !ca\ :;•. iien abtuidant land

:ine

marks toi 1 he

l)ciiolit of anv vvlio niitrht folio

IV : ,I.J i' I.

c now," says Koss, "stood over toward Northeast Cajjc, until wi

i|l|f|'|f|('^l;!P'|l!|j!|ij-||i(|jf||iM

2(i

40t

ill' ,l'«

f,..j

4(3

A NOVEL EXPEDIENT.

;rlr

•m

came in with the edge of a pack too dense for iis to penetrate, lying' be-
tween us and Leopold Island, about fourteen miles broad ; we therefore
coasted the north shore of Harrow's Strait, to seek a harlx). further to
the westward, and to examine the numerous inlets of that shore. Max-
Aveil Hay and several smaller indentations, were thoroughly explored,
and, although we got near the entrance of Wellington Channel, the firm
barrier t.f ice which stretched across and had not ])roken away this sea-
son, convinced us that all was impracticable in that direction. We now
stood to the southwest to seek for a harbor near Cape Rennell, but found
a heavy body of ice extending from the west of Cornwallis Land in a
compact mass, to Leopold Island. Coasting along the pack durin;--
stormy and foggy weather, we had ditliculty in keeping the ships free
during the night, for I believe so great a quantity of ice was never before
seen in P>arrow's Strait at this period of the season."

Fortune at last smiled upon them, and the pack was passed in safety.

The ships were secured in Leopokl Harbor on the nth of September

a most desirable situation, being at the junction of the four great chan-
nels of Barrow's Strait, Lancaster Sound, Prince Regent Inlet, and
Wellington Channel. In case Franklin, having abandoned his ships,
should attempt a retreat through any one of the above-mentioned chan-
nels, it was plain that he must be apprised of the presence of these ships
in the vicinity.

On the very day following this fortunate occurrence, the main pack
closed in with the land, and completely sealed the mouth of the liarbor.
As the beginning of the long Arctic night was near at hand, haste was
now matle to complete tKe preparations for the winter. This was acconi-
l)lishcd on the i3th of October, about the time when the sun sank out of
sight for his long period of alienation. The winter was usefully spent in
exploring on foot all the iidets and unknown points in reach, both witii
reference to discovering traces of Franklin, and also in order to promote
the accuracy of the British charts. A novel expedient was adojjted for
the 25urpose of extending to the lost navigators knowledge of the prox-
imity of assistance. Ross caught large numbers of white foxes, and,
after inscribing copper collars with information concerning the where-

PRINCE REGENT'S INLET. 453

abouts of the ships and the depot of provisions, and clinching them about
.he ncci<s of the animals, released them. It was known that a party, in
case oclearth of food, would naturally seek much after these animals," and
■t was hoped that the four-footed naessengers mij,ht be of service in trans-
.n.ttn.g the desir.' intelligence. The same idea was used by Parry
years befbre. He had left medals with the Esquimaux on the shori
wh.ch he v,s,te,l,so that in case a rescue party was necessary, they nught
the more readdy come upon the desired data.

The months of April and May ue.e occupied by Capt. Ross, Lieut.
MChntockand a party of twelve n.en, in examining and thoro.^h,.
explonug all the inlets and smaller indentations of the northern^nd
western coasts of Boothia Peninsula, in which any ships nnght have
-und shelter From the high land in the neighborhood of Cape Bunnv,
Capt. Ross obtained a xery extensive view, and observed that the whole
space between it and Cape Walker to the west, and Wellington Chan-
nel to the north, svas occupied by very heavy, bummocky ice'

" The examination of the coast," says Sir James, "was pursued until
the 5th of ]..n., when, having consumed n.ore than half our provisions
an.l the strength <,f the party being n.uch reduce.l, I was reluctantly'
con,pelled to abandon An-ther operations, as it was, moreover, necessary
to g.ve the men the day of rest. But that the time n.ight not be wholly
lo.< I proceecled with two hands to the extreme south point in si-dnt
I'o.n our encampment, distant about eight or nine miles "

This extren.e poh. is situate.1 in latitude 7- 38' N., and longitude
9. 40 ^^--' -on the west face of a small elevated peninsula.' The
state o, the atmosphere being, at the tin.e of Ross' observation, peculiarly
avnahle for d,stn,ctness of vision, land of any great elevat.on n^LdU
have oeen seen at the distance of .00 n.iles. Bearing nearly <U,e so^th
.|-n here, about fifty ndles away, Ross discovered the highest cape on
the coast. Prince Regent's Inlet was fbund to be separated from the
western seas by a narrow neck of land. Upon examination the ice in
th.s <,uarter proved to be eight feet thick. A conspicuous cairn of stones
u-..,s erecte<! n, the vicinity, and on the 6th of June they began their re
t-" to the ships. Here they arrived after a journey of seCenteen days

Uil

l.=*

404

RELICS OF FORMER VOYAGES.

'i%-^V

SO completely worn out ])y fatigue that for several weeks every man was,
for some cause or other, in the doctor's hands. Upon their arrival
they found that during their alisence Mr. Matthias, the assistant surgeon
of llu' ICnterprisc, had died of consumption, and that the health of many
mori' was declining.

While iioss was alisent Commander Bird hatl dispatched several sur-
veying parties in dilFerent directions. Lieut. Barnard took charge of the
first, which proceeded along the north coast of Barrow vStrait, cross-
ing the ice to Cape Ilurd; Lieut. Browne led a second to the extreme
shore of i'rince Regent's Inlet; and a third party of six men, conducted
hy Lieut. Rohinson along the western shore of the inlet, extended their
examination of the coast as far as Creswell Bay, several miles to the
southward of Fury Beach. The house in wliich Sir John Ross had
wintered in 1833-3, was found still standing, together with a quantitv of
stores and provisions of one of the ships lost in 1S27. On opening some
of the packages, their contents of flour, peas, and meat were found in a
state of excellent preservation, and the portable souj) as wholesome as
when first manufactured. The labors of all these parties were curtailed
and hindered by the sufFerings of the individuals from snow-blindness,
sprained ankles, and debility.

By these excursions taken in connection with the expedition incident-
ally referred to of Mr. Rae in 1S47, t'^'^ whole of Prince Regent's Inlet
and the Gulf of Boothia was examined, with the exception of 160 miles
between l'"ur\' Beach and Lord Mayor's Bay, and as there were no indi-
cations of the ships having touched on any part of the coast so narrowly
traced, il seemed to Commander Ross certain that they had not attempted
to fnid a passage in that direction.

On this accoiuit he decided that it was hest to press on to the wc^t
as soon as his ships should become liberated. The chief hope now cen-
tered in the efforts of Sir John Richardson; for he concluded that Sir
John I'ranklin's ships must have penetrated so far beyond Melville
Island as to induce him to prefer to make for the continent of America,
rather than to seek for aid from the whalers in Baffin's Bay. The crews,
weakened hy excessive exertion, were now in a very unlit state to

nESEr.

40,->

accomphsl. the heavy lal^or which they were obliged ,o undertake,
'•"t all hands wh., were strong enough to use an ax or a saw, were set to
uork to cut a channel towanl the point of the harbor, a distance of son,e.
what n.ore than two nules. ^^y dint of extra exertion the passa-^e was
completed, and the ships cleared <,n the .8th of August. Jie^.re '^akin..
Ilnal leave of the harbor, however, a house was built and covere.l with
such of the ship's housing material as coul.l be dispensed uith. fn the
h<.use were left provisions, fuel, etc., for the twelvemonth's supply of a
large party, an<l in a convenient place was n^oored the steam humeh
helonging to the Investigator. This being seven feet longer than the
other, made a fine vessel, capable, if necessary, of convevh.g Sir John
Prankhn's whole party to safe quarters with the whalers in JJanin's"liay
U was now decided to proceed to the north side of Barrow's Strait
t.T the purpose of examining Wellington Channel, and of penetrat'
.n,.,d possible, as tar west as Alelville Island; but when about twelve
n..Ics Iron, the shore the ships came upon the land ice, an<l it was
nnposs.ble to proceed further. As they were struggli:g through the ice-
packs and endeavoring to proceed westward, a heavy gale brought upon
then, the loose ice through which they had been making their way and
th:s close beset them for several days. The vessels sustained severe' nips
tor son,e time, and were also endangered by the piling up around them
01 great hummocks, which threatened at times to cover an.l overwhelm
then,. The temperature at last fell to zero, and the pack froze around
llK'.n nuo a solid mass. The experiences of the next weeks are thus
described by Ross:

" We were so circtnnstance.l that for some days we could not unship
the .udder, an.l ^vhen by the laborious operation of sawing and ren.ovinl
tlH' hummocks from under the stem, we were able to do so, we fcnnul i'^
tw.stcl and .lauK.ged; and the ship was so nn.ch strained as to in-
crease the leakage iVom three inches in a tV,rtnight, to fourteen ,laily
IhcKv was stationary fbr a lew days; the pressure had so tokled ti,e
l.^ht.r pieces over each other and they were so interlaced as to form
•H.c cntn-e sheet, extending from slmre to shore of -Barrow's Strait uuX
a^ lar to the east and west as the eye could discern from the mast-lUul

*■'

40(1

DELIVERANCE.

while the extreme seventy of the temperature had cemented the whole
so firmly together thai it appeared hi-hly improhahle that it could breaic
up again this summer. In the space which had been cleared away for
unshipping tlie rudder, the newly formed ice was fifteen inches thici<,
and n some places along the ship's side, the thirteen. feet screws were
too sliort to work. We had now fully made up our minds that the ships
were fixed for the winter, and dismal as tne prospect appeared, it was far
preferable to l)eing carried along the west coast of Baffin's Hay, where
grounded bergs are in such lunnbers upon the shallow bank., of that
shore as to render it next to impossible for ships involved in a pack to
escape destruction. It was therefore, with a mixture of hope and anxiety
that, on the wind shifting to the westward, we perceived the whole bodv
of ice begin to drive to the eastward, at the rate of eight to ten miles
per day. Every effoil on our part was totally unavailing, for no human
Ijower could have moved either of the ships a single inch; they were
thus completely taken out of our hands, and in the center of a field of
ice more than fifty miles in circumference, were carried along the south-
ern shore of Lancaster Sound.

".After passing its entrance, the ice drifted in a more southerly direc-
tion along the western shores of Baffin's Bay, until we were almost
abreast of Pond's Bay, to the southward of which, we observed
a great number of icebergs stretching across our path, and pre-
senting the fearfi.! prospect of our worst anticipations. But when least
expected by us, our release was almost miraculously brought about.
The great field of ice was rent into innumerable fnigments, as if bv
some unseen power."

Every resource was immediately brought into active use, and hy
packing, \/arping, and sailing, the ice was cleared, and the ships reached
an open space of water on the 35th of September.

"It is impossible," says Sir James, "to convey any idea of the sen-
sations we experienced when we found ourselves once more at lilierty,
while many a grateful heart poured forth its praises and thanksgiving to
Almighty God for this unlooked-for deliverance.

" The advance of winter had now closed all the harbors against us,

COMMENTS OiV AliCTIC NAVIGATION.

407

.111(1 as it was impossible to penetrate to tiie westward throu'^h the pack
In.in which we had just been liberated, I made the sij^rnal to the
Investigator, of va\ intentions to return to l':n<rland." After a tavora])lc .
;ind imeventful voyage, the ships arrived in England early in November,
on the fifth of which month, Ross reported to the admiralty the result
of his vo^'ag'j.

The accident which prevented this party from examining the waters
nnd coast toward Melville Island, is a good illustration of the versatility
of the elements in Arctic regions, and the extreme nncertaintv of the
future, even for a short time, with which a polar navigator must, of
iRccssity, enter those unknown waters. In ordinary seas, a few hours of
adverse wind simply drive a ship from her course a few miles, or hinder
for an hour, or a day, her direct progress; a return of favorable breezes
sutlicing in a short time, to counterbalance the temporary misfortunes.
I5ul in the latitude of almost perpetual ice, no one can predict what hour
the pack may close about the hapless craft, and crush her sides or im-
prison her for dreary months in a desolate, frozen mass. When the
peculiarities of Arctic navigation are considered, the marvel should l)e,
not that so little, but that so much, has been brought to light of the
mystery surrounding the " Storied Pole."

IIP]' \' v\

I -

■

, \

I ■ ■

■ 1

« 1

■i

[ ' ■(

' i

>V'>\

CTT AFTER XLV.

KXI'KDIItCJN \l.\ lii:ill{|\(;'s STHAII' TiriC KHKAI.I) AND l'I,()\-KK

]'lM.l.i;.\'s lioAl' jOHHNF.V I,A\l.ASli;i! SOUND (JKKAT IMiKI'A-

KATioNs - - Dist<)\'i;ini:s — iiip; rKiNiK Ai.iii;i!i' i{i;rrii \s lo
KN(;i.A\D si.i;d(;i; J()i;k\|.;ys — riii: I'laNtK Ai,i!i:i{ r--A t inri-
CAi, sni'ArioN — \\iN'ii;i{ on ijoakd iiii-; I'lnMic amuoki',

Tlic sciirch expedition 7>/a Hchrin^-'s .Strait, was suj^gestcd and or.
ganizcd upon tho ground, that it" Franklin succeeded in pusliint;- his way
througli the western ice, and thus proved tlie existence of a Northwest
Passa<,fe, lie would likely be found at or near the coast of Russian Amer-
ica, frozen up in the waters of that re^^iou, or cruisinjif a])out to add to the
gco<,'raphical knowledij^e of those comparatively unknown parts.

This expedition was composed of the Herald, under Capt. Kellet,
and the Plover in charge of Coniniander Moore. The vessels were ex-
pected to arrive in Hehring's Strait about the ist t)f July, 1848, and were
directed to i^roceed along the American coast as far as possible, consistent
with the certainty of preventi-ng the ships being beset by the ice. A har-
i)or was to be sought for the Plover Svithbi the strait, to which that ves-
sel was to be conducted, and two whale-boatg were to go on to the east-
ward in search of the missing voyagers, and to communicate, if possible,
with tile Maclvenzie River party. The Plover was fitted out in tlie
Thames in December, iS^y; I)ut baviiig been found unseaworthy, was
compelled, when she went to sea, to put into Plymouth for repairs, and
did not liiially leave l-^iglaiid until February, 1S48. This lardy depart-
ure, conjoined with her dull sailing, prevented her from passing Hch-
ring's Strait at all in iS|.,S, but she wintered on the Asiatic coast just out-
side of the strait.

The Herald visited Kotzebue Sound, repassed the straits before the
arrival of tlie I'lovei-, and returned to winter in South America, wiih the
intention of going northward again next season.

408

GREAT PliEPARATlONS.

409

The summer of ,Sjo was spent l.y the two ves .Is in a series of faith-
ful explorations, whose resnits a.t.le.l ,n-eatlv to otn- knowled-^e of the
Russian seas, without, however, disclosinj^ any traces of Franidin .„■ his
men. Especially remarkahle in connection with this vova.^e was -, l.o.t
journey to the eastwani l>y I.ieut. PuUen. Son.e details of this advo-
turons voyage are ^iven hy lAn,,. Harper, in his private correspondence.
In tour open hoats they had set out for MacKen.ie's River, which they
.cached after a perilous voya^^e of thirty-two days. Ascendn,^ this river
thcv came to Fort Simpson, where they met Mr. Rac, an.l rcccive.I an
account o( h,s r.wn proceedin^rs atid those of Dr. Ricliar.lso,,.

On the 30thofjune of the followino- summer, the whole partv <.f
Pullcn, with the servants of the Hudson Hay Con.panv an.l their Jiock
ot four, started f;,r the sea to emhark for Fnt^land. On the .-,,\. how-
ever, tiicy were met hy a canoe containinjr dispatches from admiraltv or.
-Icnn^ the search for Franklin to be resume.I alon^ the Arctic ^oast
Stopped l,y the ice, and shatterin<, one of his l,oats in the perilous at'
tempt to cross the northern channels, PuUen was also .nrsuccessftd in this
undertakmo", and subsequently returned to En<,dand.

In the n. :;, time, preparations fi.r the search by wav of Lancaster
Sound were :..ule on a lar^e scale. The Resolute waJ con.nissioned
oy Capt. Horatio L. Austin, and the Assistance, Cap,. On.nanev, was
put under h.s onlers, to.^.ether with the Pioneer and Intrepid, stean'. tu^^s
comn.an.led l,y Lieuts. Osborn and Cator. Capt. Willian, Fennv Tn'
experienced whale-fisher, was also en^a^ed fbr the search, an.l plam- in
— i of the Lady Franklin an,l the Sophia. In addition to these ex
P-l.-ons futclout hy the a<imiralty, others furnished fVon. private sources
showed the interest that was widely and deeplv felt in the cause Capt
Snjohn Ross, In spite of his advanced years, sailed in the Felix schooner'
an.l, as we shall see, the United States came forward in the first of the'
Onnnell expeditions, a full account of which will be o-jven in its place-
Lady Frankhn likewise, with that untiring energy and conjugal devo-
f- ^vlm:h marked her conduct throughout, dispatched the Prince Albert
-'<lcr the onlers of Con.mander Forsyth, of the Royal Navy As
n.anv o, these were largely subordinate m thur objects, and unattended

410

D/SCO VElifES.

r,'r:^r\r

by important results, the reader will not W Ixirdcncd with a detailed ae-
coimt (.f tlu-ir adventures. They were all sent out in ( iS^o) and en.-4a,',re(I
in searchin<r the same traet, the eoasis on hoth sides of Lancaster Sound.
Overcomin-jf all dimculties from tlie Hairm's 15ay ice hy the powerful
aid of the steamers, Capt. Austin's sijuadron readied the enlram-e to the
sound in July -Capt. I'eiuiy's vessel foliowin-,' in their wake. There
they separated, and while the Pioneer and the Resolute remained to
examine the nei<rhhorhood of Pond's May, Capt. Ommaney proceeded to
Hccchey Island and enjoyed the distinction of discoverini^- the first traces
of Franklin's expedition yet hrou^'ht to lijrht. Capt. Austin, his attend-
ant steamer. Penny, and tlie American squadron, soon joined the Assist-
ance at Cape Riley, and minute investigation only proved the
importance of tlie discoveries, and demonstrated this to have been the
scene of Franklin's winter quarters. The site of the encampment was
plainly marked by the various signs of the former occupants. \o record
was found, however, and concerning the whereabouts or fate of tlie
missing voyagers, the crews were no wiser than before.. Papers were
left at Cape Riley by each ship in its turn, and the Assistance landed
provisions at Whaler's Point tbr the succor of Franklin's crew, sliould
they ever reach that place.

These discoveries were made in August, and, as winter was rapidly
approaching, little more could be done this season. Penny pushed up
Wellington Channel as far as Cornwallis' Island, but turned back l)efbre
an impassable barrier of ice, beyond which he was chagrined to dis-
cover open water as far as the eye could reach. Thi' Lady Franklin
and Sophia sought winter cpiarters in Assistance Harbor, at the south
extremity of Cornwallis' Land, and they were speedily joined by Sir
John Ross' Felix, while the Resolute and Assistance, (.f Austin, soon
became fastened in the pack which filled up the channel between (Grif-
fith's Island and Cornwallis' Land. The Prince Albert sailed for l^ng-
land before winter set in; and her example was followed by the Advance
and the Rescue of the Americans, though, as subseciucnt chapters will
explain, fate had reserved for these two a more pcrilcus passage than a
simple journey to New York.

- (iJ

AUSrrN ItETVRNS TO RNGLAND. 411

As the winter advanced, the hollows between the lunnn.ocks in the
.ce about the vessels beca.ne lille.i up wi.h snow, an.l sled^nn-,. parties
were orJ,^■nn^e.l. In all, fifteen sle,l,.es were sent out with lo^ ,nen so
that only seventy-five remained to take el^n-e of the sl.ips. Itis in.pos-
sihle to .ive any .letailed account of these well-p.a,-.ned and brave
atten.pts, ihe prosecution of which involve.l more hardship than had been
endured ihrouj^hout the whole of the winter preceding;. Fati.rue from
-Irawinj. heavily loa.le.l sledj^es over ice often rou^d, and precipitous, suf-
)ormj,. from exposure to the intense cold, from which no an.ount of eloth-
n.,^ could protect the traveler, and more than all, the terrible snow blind-
ness ot an Arctic winter; all these told heavily upon them, and to these
was added the heavier weijjht of disappointment. Each party retm-ned
Willi the same sorrowful response, " No si<rns!"

Several parties from the Lady Franklin were se.it up Wellin-^ton
Ciiannel; one of them Penny commanded himself, and finding the chan-
■K-I too open to admit of sledj^e traveling, he returned to his vessel, pro-
VHlcd hunself with a boat, commenced his journey anew, and after a
scnes of adventures and difficulties, which he overcame with coura<.e
worthy of a hero, he penetrated up Queen's Channel as far as Barin<r's
Island and Cape I3eecher, where, most reluctantly, he was compellarto
t.nn back. A fine open sea stretched away to the north as far as the eye
could reach, but his boats were weak and small, his men were few, and
he ^vas obliged to withsta.ul the temptation to embark on the bosom of
lii.s n.viting water. Penny really thought that Franklin had followed
th.s route, an.l tiiat his ships, if ever fbund, must be looked for on the
untracked waters of the Polar Ocean. Capt. Austin, however, could not
be persuaded of the truth of this theory, and as nothing could be done
without his co-operation, Pe.my was compelled to follow the course
])o,nte<l out by the ad.niralty scp.adron, which, after two InefFectual at-
tempts to enter Smith's and Jones' Sounds, returned to England.

I.uiy Franklin's vessel, the Prince Albert, did not stay "to share with
luT companions the inclemencies of an Arctic Christmas, but leavlno-
them m preparation for winter, she brought home the welcome hitclir.
gcnce of the discoveries at Becchey Island, which inspired all interested

Jllliti-

4Vi

A CRirrcAL srruATrox.

in Hie laiisc witli a lively 1i..ik-, aii<i si-rvid not a little to expedite prepa-
rations for a comini,' season. No time was lost in refittin;^' the 1- ive lit-
tie craft, which was placed in char^^e of Mr. Kennedy. His secoml in
command was f.ient. IJellot, that nohle volunteer in the cause of hinnan-
ily, whose j,'encroiis self-devotion procured for hini a fraternal n -ard
from all En-,dishmeii. The ol.ject of llu' present voya^'e was to exam-
ine- into Ke-,-nt\ Inlet and the coasl of \orth Somerset, an important
district for which no provision seemed to have heen made in tlu' admi-
ralty ])Ian of search; for nothini,^ could then he known in ICn.udaiid of the
sled-re parties hy means of which C'apt. Austin was at that verv time
in part supplyinuf tlie deliciency.

The easterly ;,^des had formed a 1)arrier of ice across Harrow's Strait,
cuttin^r„(r;,ii access to Cape Riley or (iriilith's Island, so that the Alhert
was fain, to turn at once into Re,s,rent's Inlet, ami take temp<;rary refu.!.ce
from the wind in I'ort Bowen. As it was very undesirahle, however, to
winter on the coast opposite to that along which lay their line of searcli,
Kennedy, with four men, crossed to Port Leopold amid masses of ice, to
reconnoiter the western line of coast, as well as to ascertain whether any
documents had heen left at this point by previous searching parties.

After an hour sper.t in examining the locality and seeking for papers
they prejiared to return, hut to their d-smny found their passage cut ofT
by the ice, which, opening only in dangerous crevices, proved a hopeless
obstacle when they attempted to reach the vessel on foot. It is ditllcult
to conceive of a more deplorable situation. Darkness was fast coming
on, the doe on which they stood was passing rapidly down the channel,
and the ear was deafened hy the crashing of huge ice-blocks, which
(k'shcd furiously against each other, and threatened momentarily to hreak
in fragments the portion they occupied. The only alternal\-e was to re-
turn lo shore as best they could, ai'.d tluis, separated from their ship,
clothing, and jjrovisions, tl;ey passed the night; their (.nly shelter being
their boat, under which each man in turn took an hour's lest. To these
disagreeable experiences was added in the morning the mortification of
finding that their ship had disappeared! Their course was nowllxcd;
they must endure the winter a; well as they could. l'\)rtnnately, the

U'INTEli OV lUiAIil) THR PRINCE .\LHEliT.

418

<lop..( ..fpiovisions Ic-fl l,y Sir Janu-s K„ss at WhaU-r's I'oiiit, wns easily
:KTossiI,lc', and InuliM- evcM-ythin- in a -o,„I stalo of prcsiTvalion, they
iinnu-diatdy pn.i'cc.K-.I to make- ihcnisolvc.s as o,n,r..ttahlo as p(,ssil,Ie.
Thfv tittr.l up ilu- stc-ani-la.nidi, wlurli, it will W ivnuMnluMV-l, was left
l.y Sir jatucs lor ilu. possil)!,- transportation of Sir John' Franklin, am!
ukuIl' a I'omfortahk- temporary liwc-llint,'.

Thus rc-si,tr,H.,l I,, the- i-xijri-ncii's o|- tlu-ir situation, tlu-y wcmv joyfully
surprisc-.l 0,1 the lylh of (Mohrr, l.y the appearanee of Mr. iJelJot with
;i party of srven men, who lia.l .lra,-.^ri.,l ii,r jolly hoat with tlu-m ail the
way from the ship. It seemed that this jrallant olVieer had ma.le two

I'J KIUS or SLKDGBTKAVl.t..

previous attempts to reach the unfortunate party, who now forj^^ot their
ln)iil)les in accompanying,' their friends hack to the vessel.

The lon.i,^ winter passed on l)oard the Prince Alhert in the ordinary
routine; its monotony l)ein<,r somewhat relieved hy the liarrel-or-^ran pre-
sented liy the hbcral Prince from whom their vessel took its name. A
lew excursions took phiee from time to time, to form provision depots for
:i contemplated journey of exploration, or to calculate how soon they
mi-ht start. On the 35th of February the <rnni(l expedition departed.
It consisted, exclusive of the reserve party, which accompanied it some
distance— of Kennedy, Dellot, and six men, together with four sledges,

414

A NEW S::iUADIiOX.

(Iniwii partly by dojrs, and partly hy tlic men. It is truly surprisiiifj to
find what these men accomplished with this slender equipment. Thev
traced the course of North Somerset to its southern extremity, crossed
Victoria Strait, explored thorou,<,'hIy Prince of Wales' Land, and fol-
lowed tlie coast of North Somerset hack a;,'ain to their starting,' point,
havinjjj, in an absence of ninety-seven days, performed a journey of
eleven hundred miles, without illness or accident.

Atk-r the breakinjjf up of tlie ice, the Prince Albert repaired to Cape
Riley, where the North Star, under our friend Capt. Pullen, was sta-
tioned as depot-ship to a squadron which had, in the meantime, been sent
out inider Sir Edward Belcher. Kennedy and IJcUot were at first anx-
ious to remain out another season, and projected the plan of sendinjj the
vessel back, while they remained with tiie present expedition. Circum-
stances, however, induced tiiem to ehanjre their i)lan, and they reached
Aberdeen, with their full number of men, on the 7th of October, 1853.

1^^ ^

CIIAPTKU XL VI.

SKA.UH irxniCK mVlUHK AN,, rOI.MNsoN - TMK KXTKUPIUSK AND

invi:sti<;at()h sent out A.-Arv-Auoux,, caim.; houn-sand-
\vu II isi.ANi)s_,N K(vr/i.:iu;i.: souni,_alonk ,n tiik aiut.c-

A CAIHN KKKCTKl. -A I.K WIT- riNGK« Kl, V ATI V K - AGUOUN I, ^

A r,„M. uixKPTroN-A x.u'EL cruoNouH; v _ „• ai.sk iioim.:s_
Noi! iii\vi;sr i'As.sA(;i.; i'i<i:i)ic' iko.

Ilos.' (liscovviy squa.ln,,. was scarcely wclcomc.I honio from its
|K.riln„s operations of 1848-9, wIum, it was at once decide! hy the K„...
lish (Government to retlt the yes^els, fo,- ,i,e purpose of resumin.^ the
srarrh (or FrankUn hy way of Behrinj^'s Stra , -the scene of the search
on .he part of the Ployer and the Herald. It will he rememhcrcd that
llH' I.nlrrpnse and Inyesti,!rator liad failed in their attempt to .^et west
"t Leopol.l Island, in the summer of ,8^,;, and only escape.rfrom a
sv.HU-.'s imprisonment in tiiat inhospitahle spot, to he swept with the ice
in Harrow's Strait out into lJalli,rs Hay, so that they ha I just time to
r.'treal to ICn-land hcfore the -cncral closin- of all Arctic seas.

Snaken and worn as the two ships were, a little Judicious work in the
'I'H-kvard soon put then, into a proper condition once inore to coinhat
tiu' uv of Arctic manufacture. Capt. Richard Collinson was appointed
as s.nior olKcer and leader of the expedition, to the Enterprise, and
Co.nnmnder Rohert Le Mesurier M'Clure to the Investigator. The
tonner enjoye.l a hi,,,.h naval reputation, and in China his ahiUties as a
M.•^^yor had done the State good service. The latter, the destined <Iis-
-vcrer of the Northwest Passage, having p.assed a useful apprentice-
^h.p n. the British service for twenty years, received an appointment to
<!-• I..vest,gator,as a reward f.y valuable service as lientenant under
Ivo'-s in 1S48-0.

415

41G

AROUND THE HORN.

iii

Up ':<

ISL

Til 1849-50 there was iki lack of volunteers for Arctic service.
The voyages of tlie precediiii^^ seasons liad attracted tiie attention of
all; and an interest in tlie cause, coupled with a desire foi- adx^nture
greatly hastened the completion of the preparations. On the loth of
January ihe I wo ships set out; hut heing, as Arctic-hound ships must lie,
heavily laden with jjrovisions and lixtures, it hccamc necessary to stop
at Plymouth and do bome sliglit repairing — a measure which gave them
an opportunity of securing several more good seamen.

No delay was allowed here, however, for the great distance hetwcen
England and Behring's Strait had to he traversed hy way of Cap- Horn.
This iu\oh.-ed a journey of six months hefore the sea could he reached-
and it was fully realized that tlie delay of a month might cause the gate
to the highwa)- they sought to be closed against them. The services of
a German clergym;in, who had l)een a Moravian missionary, were duly
engaged as interpreter, ami he was dispatched on hoard the Investi-
gator at Pl\-mouth.

A few hours afterward the Arctic squadron weighed anchor and s liled
forth with a fair and fresh wind. As the greater interest attaches to the
Investigator, on account of her connection with the discovery of the
Northwest Passage, it will he our aim particularly to follow her fortunes
over the northern seas.

It was not until the I Sth of March, 1S50, nearly two months after
leaving England, that the Investigator crossed the Southern Tropic in
the Atlantic Ocean, although the greatest possible speed had been made,
and the two vessels, having parted company from the first, had not been,
as is usual, the means of detaining each other. After being towed
through the Strait into the'Pacific, she landed on the 17th of April, at
Port Famine, on the coast of Chili.

Here Capl. M'Clure learned that the Enterprise had already passed,
and what was still more to be regretted, had taken with her all the beef
cattle, so that the Investigator's prospect of fresh meat was no nearer
than the Sandwich Islands, to reach which the wide Pacific had to be
traversed, as the Atlantic had already been. At Fortescue Ray, how-
ever, the Investigator fouiul the Enterprise lying at anchor, ami aa

ALONE IN THE ARCTIC.

417

opportunity was ufTordcl f„r comparing notes upon their respective ,our-
neys. On the 19th of April the weather permitted of their again startin-r
out. Once in the broa.l Pacific the two vessels separated, never again to
rejoin.

Crossing the Equator on the ,5th of June, the vessel of our nar-
rative was aided by the S. E. tra.les into 7 ' N. latitude. O.i the .st of
July they anchored gladly enough outside the harbor of Ilonoh.lu the
wind not being favorable for entering it. They foun.l that Capt. Col-
li.ison had already called at this port and proceeded on his way. After
purchasing as speedily as possible all necessary supplies of fruit and vege-
tables, they departed, fully equipped for their Arctic voyage, o., tlie .ftl^of
July, 1S50. The ice, however, was still 40" distant, the Enterprise un-
doubtedly far ahead, and the season would be closing in, in about sixty days.
Capt. M'Clure might well be anxious to devise the best means of reaching
Jkhring's Sf.-aits. It was rumored at Honolulu that the Enterprise, in
case of arriving at Kotzebue Sound, on the coast of Russian America! in
advance of the Investigator, proposed to take with her the Plover,
anchored since 1S48 in that harbor, and leave the ship of M'Clure in her
place on the American coast.

To prevent an occurrence which would prove so damaging to the
ardor of his men, M'Clure made every breeze do him service, and arrived
in Kotzebue Sound on the 29th of July. As no traces of the Enterprise
had been seen by the Plover's men, it was inferred that she had either
passed in a fog, or had not yet come up. Capt. M'Clure's impulse was
t<. push on and either join the Enterprise or, failiug in that, at least spend
the remainder of the season in profitable exploration. Capt. Kellett of the
Plover, although M'Clure's senior, did not feel that he had the authority
to detain him, especially in the uncertainty of the whereabouts of the
Enterprise. The InvestigaK.r, then, at once set sail, and in fortv-eight
hours was out of sigh, and alone on the rough surface of the stormy
strait. Running northward as far as it was safe on account of the icJ,
M'Clure retraced his course southward and eastward, until he reached'
Wainwright Inlet, and again sighted the Plover for a time.

Keeping now very close .„ tho Ameriean coast, or as near as the
37

S:i„.<

418

A LIGHT FINGERED NATIVE.

ice- woul.l permit, tlic vessel made lapui progress toward Point Barrow.
At midnigiit they rounded the northwest extreme of the American con-
tinent, and he-an their progress toward the eastward. On the morning
<.r the r,th of August, 1S50, the officers and crew felt free from all anxiety
on the score of being able to enter the Arctic Ocean from Behring's Strait.
Tlieir lirst aspiration was to reach Melville Island, Init as a waste of
ice stretclied before them in that direction as far as the eye could reach,
it was <lecide(l to reach if possible, the "landwatcr," on the comparatively
safe sea between the main land and the main body of ice; and once in
that water to struggle eastward for that open sea off the MacKcnzie
River, spoken of by Sir John Richardson.

On August S, when about one hundred and twenty miles east of Point
Barrow, a man was sent ashore to leave a notice of the passage of the
Investigator., and to erect a cairn. Here some native Esquimaux were
found, of whom incjuiry was made concerning the character of the water
to the eastward. Communication being generally established with tlie
tribe, it was admitted by some of the men that they had seen a ship in
Kotzebue Sound (no doubt the Plover). They gave promise of an
open channel from three to five miles in width, all along the shore until
winter; but they could give no idea of what time that season began.
M'Clurc told them that he was looking for a lost brother, and made
them promise that if they ever met the wandering party they should he
kind to them, and give them "deer's-flcsh."

The chief characteristics of this tribe seemed to be obesity, dirtiness,
and dishonesty "Thieving, performed in a most artless and skillful
maimer, ajjpeared their principal accomplishment. As Capt. M'Chne
was giving out some tobacco as a present, he felt a hand in his trousers'
pocket, and on looking down found a native, receiving a gift with one
hand, and actually picking his pocket with the other. Yet, when de-
tected, the fellow laughed so good-humoredly and all his compatriots
seemed to enjoy the joke so amazingly, that even the aggrieved panics
joined in the general merriment."

Working on to the eastward the Investigator had reached, on Aug.
14, longitude 14S" 17' west, and became much hampered amonir the

A COOL RECEPTION. 4^,

l.nv islands, which, for a ship in f„..y weather, wore exceeclin..ly .lan-
.onerous. They liad now passed the point at which Franklin had^u-rived
n. h,s jotn-ncy westward iVon, the MacKenzie, and might be said to be
iipproachmg tlie delta of that .<,rreat river.

After several narrow escapes on the 14th of Auj^ust the good ship
lound herself quite beset with the shoals surrounding the individual
.^lan.ls of this little archipelago; and at last, in attempting to escape
through a narrow s.rait of three fathoms depth, she unfortunatelv took
the ground. All sail was at first put on, in the hope of dracr^i,;. her
through it ; but the effort proved fruitless. Even the laying ou^of all the
anchors failed to float the vessel. All the load possible was now put
into boats, several tons of water were let out of the tanks on board and
at last, after being aground five hours, the Investigator was once more
got afloat.

On the night of Aug. 7 new ice was found for the first time upon the
siulace »t the sea, a certain indication of the speedv approach of winter
and some doubted whether the MacKenzie could be reached. The c^en-
cral embarrassment was augmented by a mistake of the officers in change
In the io^.ry weather prevalent at this season along the coast, a blh.d
lead through the ice was followed for ninety miles, being mistaken for
tin- channel l^etween the main ice and the shore. Retracing their steps
thev lortunately found a passage out of the ice, and were soon off the'
MacKenzie fifty miles distant from the mainland.

On the .4th of August the Investigator approached Port Warren
and a party landed, hoping that the natives at this point traded ^vith the
H.uison's P.ay Company, presuming that in this way another dispatch
could be sent to England. Their surprise, therefore, may be ima-nned
at hnchng themselves received with bra.ulished weapons of all sorts \n.\ a
goeral expression of defiance. A friendly footmg at last bein</estab
l.^hc-,1, a brass button of European manufacture was seen suspended from
the ear of the chief. In reply to inquiries he candidly confessed that it
iH'longed to a white man, one of a party who had arrived at Port War
rcn Irom the westward. They had no boat, nor other means of convey-
hut had built a hoi - - - ^

;nci

and finally dejiarted inlanil. Th

e owner of

4','0

NATIVE CUPIDITT

m 11

\\ p

1 1

the brass button Iiad wandered iVoni the rest of Iiis partv, and been
U-ille<l by a native, wlio now, seein-,' the ^reat ship, had iled. The white
man liad been Inn-ied hy the chief and his son. Witii regard to time,
ho\ve\er, the chief's aecount was sinL,nihirly va-ne, and he could liy no
means be induced to '[\^ the (bite witli any more accnracv than " It nii^jhl
l)e last year and it mij^ht be when lie was a child."

This tale ol course Ljave rise to many conjectures, many were of the
opinion that the wanderiuLj whites could be no other than members of
Franklin's party; and all a<,nved as to the propriety of makin<,'- thoroufjh
investi;^'-ation before leaviu'^ the vicinity. A thick fo':^ which warned
them to return to the ship, did not allow them to visit the white man's
<,M-ave, but on followiut,^ the direction indicated by the chief, a hut was
discovereil. They were disappointed to find that the hut was old, and
that the occupants had vacated it years before, while the decayed wood
of which it was made bore not the slijrhtest trace by which to glean infor-
mation of the former tenants. There was at least nothing upon which
to base the slightest connection with Franklin's fate, and therefore noth-
ing to cause further delay in their onward voyage.

Another tribe of Esciuiniaux was encountered about the close of
August o(F Cape Bathurst, who, being friendly, undertook to convey the
dispatches to the Hudson's IJay Company, which it had been found im-
possible to transmit from Port Warren. It was of course necessary to
make some trilling presents in return, and M'Chu-e gives an interestiii'--
account of the manner in which the women, excited by what thev had
already receivetl, and tempted by the display of articles before them, at
last became unmanageable and rnshetl upon the stores, seizing what they
could reach, and carrying it off apparently without compunction.

The 1st of September found the Investigator still laboring to the
eastward. From the 1st to the 5th the \essel was occupied in
rounding the I?ay formed by Capes Bathiu-st and Parry. On the
4th large fires Nvere seen on shore, and at first were supposed to
have been built by the natives to attract attention. It was not
likely, however, that natives would indulge in so la\ish an expenditure
of fuel, and the appearance was at last attributed to (he presence on shore

NOh' TinvEs r p. i.s.s . u.i. j -uon 1 7 /./;.

of Franklin a,ul his con.nules. Figures in white wcc seen n.ovin..
ahont, and various suggestive objects wore descried hv the anxiotrs
scatchers. Bitterly wen our voyagers disappointed to find upon exan.in-,
..on only a few small volcanic moun.ls of a sulphuric nature, while the
tracks of reindeer, coming for water to a neighboring sprin-., ck-nlv
explanied the mystery of the moving ficrures.

A n-esh breeze an<l clearer weather^vith n.ore open water enable.!
.he Invesfgator to set away from the Continent more than she ha.l clone-
->-l OM the 7th of September Capt. M'Clure landed on a newlv-dis'
covere,! p.ece of hnul, to take possession of it in the Queen's name. ^This
U..S ,,amed Baring's Land A-om the Lonl of the Admiralty, in ignorance
of Its bemg connected with Banks Land already discovered

rWnce Albert Land was at last reached, and exhibited, in its interior
...nges of mountains covered with snow. Gulls an<l other birds were seen
i ymg southward - a certain indication that winter was soon to set in
A hope began to possess the n.ariners that they were to accomplish wha^

others had heretofore failed in achieving __ namelv .he A\^ r ,

' ".-. 'i'"ii'-i\, llie (hscovery of the
N..,-,lnvc.». l.»,„«c. The ,l„„.o,-s ,„■ U,c cxpclitio,,, „,,, „„„„„,. ,„,„.

sh,,,-.ll wee f„.K„e,o„. -Only give us ,i„,c," thcv «,i,l, ..,„., „e
"MM nuke ,he Northwest Passaic." X„„„ „f Septen^her cj.h place.l
Ihe.n ,.nly ,t/v/i- miles from liarrow's Sirail.

"Icaanot," say, M'Clure's joar,.,:, ..leseribe n,y anxious feelings
(.a„ ,, I,e possible t],at tltis water communieates witl, Harrow's Str-Ut'
-. shall prove to he the l„„,..so„.,ht Xorthwcs, ,.assa,e? Can it h„ tha^
so h„,nhle a ereattu-e as I „.ill he pemutte.l to perform what has hafflcl

;" '*;""■■; '' "-'^^^ '■"■• '"'"■'-* "'■.-n-s.= lint all praise he ascrihe.l to

ll.n. who has eou.lnctcti u, so far on „,„- way i„ safetv. His wavs are

"■-nn- ways, nor are the ,„eaus that He uses to aceontplish Hi^ ' end,
». nn o,„. eo,„prohe,„io„. The wi,.l„„, „f ,he worl.l is foolishness

\\ "n I lim.

•'.

CIIAPTF.K XLX'II.

SKJNS f)I- WIVTKK ItlCSl'T IMt KI'A I{ KI) I'OK DAXCKK WI :■ ..i! F V<; rv

IIIH AlU IK- I'OIwVIt IIUN II\(;-(;i{Oi;\l)S — SUM.MKK AfiAlN

I'KiNri-; Ai-iticur's caim; -riii.; knii;i!im{im.: - axxikty i\ i;.\(;

LAM) I<KI,Ii:i-- ICXIMiDITIONS A SICfONI) WIN'TKK I\ ril|.;

ARCTIC TIIIC SICAUCII - THIC DISCOX'KU V — PI M ' S K i:ci;i'll()\

A IIAIM'Y IKKVV AH AN DONMKNT OK Till': I NVICSTU; A TOH,

!i ■'

Scptombor i i, 1S50, broii_<rht with it iinclouhtecl si<,nis of v/inter. The
thermometer fell to i r' iielow the freezini,^ ^int; and a northwest <^r;,lc
rolled the ice ilovvii into the channel, and rendered it almost nnnavi<,'ahle.
No harbor was in si;4ht, and the Ion-; dark nif^ins rendered pr()i;ress
peculiarly danjj^crons and diirunilt. On the uth of September M'Clure's
journal is to the followini^r clfect :

"The teinperatnro of the water has now fdlen to zS" Fahrenheit
(freezinjr point of sea-water.) The l)ree/.e has freshened to a -ale, luiu---
in;4 with it snow, and sendini,^ down hw^e masses of ice npon us. The
pressure is considerai)!e, Usthvj; the vessel several de,L,n-ees. Forlunatelv
a lari,re floe, which was fast approaching- the vessel, has had its pro^ness
arrested by one extreme of it taking- the Lj^mund, and the other lockiu'^
with a '^rounded floe upon our weather l)eam. It is thus coinpletelv
checked, and forms a safe harrier ajj^ainst all further pressure. As the
rudder was likely to become damai^ed, it was unluuii,'- and suspended
over the stern. We can now do nothing, beinj,^ rej^-ularlv beset, hut
await any favorable chani^e of the ice, to which we anxiously look for-
ward, knovvin.<r that the navi.gable season for this year has almost
reached its utmost limit, and that a few hours of clear water will in all
probability solve the problem of the practicability of the Northwest
Fassa-e."

422

PliEPAIfED FOR nAXaiilt.
Till- 13th :iii(l 14th l)rou<,Hit no chaiifre for ilic 1

K'ttcr, hut on tl

423

=;th

tlu. wind vccvl to ilic southward, and tlic vessel hc-an to ,h-ift up the
channel. On the 16th a point was readied only thirty miles (Von, the
he-innin- of the water, whieh, inuler the name of Harrow, Melville, an.l
LancastL-r, eonneets with the waters of the Atlantic thron-h the' ice-
sti.dded waters of Baffin's JJay. For some reason, tlie ice in which they
had heen driftin- would go no farther, and thus at this tantalixin- dis-
tance from Harrow's Strait they were compelled to stop, and for Ttime
rclinquisii their hope of reachin«r the Northwest Passa-re.

11 was necessary now to decide whether they would re'race their
steps to the south and Ihul a suitahle place for wintering, or remain in the
pack and l.rave the dangers long since declared fatal by alleged compe-
tent authorities. " I decided," says M'CIure, "upon the latter"course, en-
c.)urage<l by the consideration that to relinquish the groini.l obtained
through so much difficulty, for the remote chance of finding safe winter
.|uarlers, would be injudicious, thoroughly impressed as I was with the
al^olute importance of retaining every mile, to insure any favorable re-
sult while navigating these seas."

The ice now closed about the Investigator, and her peril for a time was
imminent. As t lie massive floes came crowding against her, causing her to
surge back and forth in her narrow bed, the noise was so deafening That the
orders of the officers, although delivered through trumpets, could scarcely
l.c understood. Anticipating the worst that could happen, Cap't.
M'CIure ordered a large quantity of provisions and fuel to be placed on
deck, the officers an<l men to be carefully told off to their boats, and
every one to be in readings for a final catastrophe. ICvery precaution
was taken to save life, even if the ship coul.l not be preserved. At
length, however, the old floes became so strongly cemented by the young
ice, that the element around the vessel assumed a state of quiescencr,
and the danger which had been threatening was for a time averted.

The housing was now stretched over the ship, and the customary
preparations for winter were made. Care was taken to leave the sunny
side of the vessel uncovered, in order that the light might be enjoyed
as long as possible, for Capt. M'CIure was well aware of the scorbutic

S 4 J

V'' J

C'!

II i :■;

L^l

wiNTEiitm; IX run arctic.

<I.lhcul,.cs with which he must co„tcM..l, :,n,l sou^lu to ..ntido,. ih.-m ,s
tar as possible in advance. Aitoj^ether, the crew was ,„a<ic much ,no,c
••^- •"•.l.narily comfortable, an.l the usually cheerless prospect of a win-
ter u. the ice was brighcene.l to a wonderful de;,n-ee by hopeful spirits
and willin^r hands.

The winter was well spent in evplorin- the coast adjacent to ,hc ves-
sol's position, and in battlin.r the temlency to scurvy, bv killin-- what-
ever could ],e found. On the „Sth of April, „S,-,, three explorin-.
sled-c parties were sent out imder Lieut. Haswell, Lieut. Cresswell^

AHCTIC IIAKKS.

and Mr. Wynniatt, respectively to the southeast, northwest, an.l north-
east, with six weeks' provisions each. Hy these observations the sur-
rounding coast lines were accurately trace.l, but no si-^ni of the missin.^
vessels could be discovered. The party Hrst mcntioncl discovere.l a
tribe of Esquimaux who subsequently visited Capt. M'Clure; they
proved remarkably intelli.i,rent, and readily trace.! on paper the coast
hne of Wollaston a,.d Victoria La.ul, therel)y determining the Ion-.
disputed point, whether or not these districts really belong to the Con-
tinent of Xorth America. Above eight hundred miles were traversed
by these three parties, who .liligently cTcctcd cairns and .lepositcd in-

slrnctions wherever they would he lil<dv to ..Test the attention ..f wan-
.l-vrs; an.l all returned to hea,l<,uarters eonvinee.l, In.n, the total ah
s<aue ot trace or sij^n, that Franklin o.ul.l not have penetrated these
iX'LCions,

Hetween the 5th and ..d of May those on l,oard the Inves,i...,o,-
1-1-i w.th delight the sij,ns of eon.in^ summer. The ves^er^s
cnllce<l an.i painted, and hatchways opened to dry up lon^ accumulated
-i-np hetween decks; the stores were exa. ' .1 an.l culle.I wi.h ..v „
care, an.l the health of ollicers and crew was thorou^hlv looke.Mnto
Not a trace of scurvy was <liscovere<I, u, ,,,„,, „„j,„;,„,i,,, ;„ „,,
h.story of Arctic voyages." This wonderful exemption fron, disease
W.-.S largely due to the prevalence of j,ame, and the skill exhihited hy
.he crew ,n the seci.rin,. of it. One valley visited hv then, was liter-
:niv ahve w.th ptarmigans an.I ha.es, an<l the keen appetites of the
seamen eventually made them keen sportsmen.

In the latter part of May a lar<,e hear passing the ship wa shot hy
M Clure, and irs stomach was found ,0 contain an astounding, medlev
" There were raisins that had not lon<,. heen swallowed; a few sma'll
p.eces of tohacco-leaf; hits of t^.t pork cut into cuhes, which the ship's
cook declared must have heen use.l in n^akin^, mock-turtle soup, an
-tu-le often found on hoard a ship in a preserved form; and lastlv fr..^
ments of stickino^ plaster which, Uou. the tonns m which thev ha,i h.ei,
cut, nn.st evidently have passed throu^^h the hand of a" sur<>eon "
Lapt. M'Clure, heing ignorant of the ships which ha.l heen sent
on. from England, could think of only two wavs in which this
phenomenon was possihle, namely, that the hear had come over
-n>e floe of ice visitecl hy the Investi-^ator last autumn, or that
•he Lnterprise must he wintering somewhere in the vicinity. B„t
ue know, or might, if we had followed the Enterprise on her
c"urse Iron. South America to Russian A.nerica, that she had returned
to the south, and was at this time in China. The first theory was ren
;!--' nnprolKihle hy the f^,ct that no vestige left hv the Investigator in
'-■ HMu-ning of the previous autumn, could have avoide.l destruction in
the en<lless grinding of the moving ice. A meat-can containing all the

420

Tin: /:x //.h'/'u/s

artick's mciitioiied above, was at'tcrwanl (oiin.l.

which could render thcin no service, -thai
tcrcd ill their immediate neiyhhnrhood.

coiivincinj'' all of ;i fm't

some other party iiad win-

The Ice which had so loii<r held the v

about the middle of July, and M'Clure shaped
east, iutendinj;, if possible, to soiuid the northern coast of
At the outset ..f her vova^je the Investij,fator had
doe to which sii

essel a prisoner, be<'an to vield

liis course for the nortl

el VI lie

Island

e \v

a narrow escape; the
as temporarily attached -ave wav, and the detached

portion hc'iwr whirled

round and crushed to<^'ether hv the press

ure of

.snrr()uiulin<,' ice, l)ore down with tremendous vel
the sturdy vessel. The cl

elocltv and t'orce

upon

lains and lines were at once lei '■•,, ami f

e event ; for the vessel no

blow

and so esc

ipei

ont^er
from

ship thus freed from the floe —a fortunat
held stationary, was driven onward bv thi
the influence of the lloe.

Escaped from this danjrer, the Investit^Mtor followed her course with
comparative case until the Joth of Au-ust, when they were driven be-
tween the ice and the beach, a little nortii of Prince Albert's Cape.
Here they lay till the ist of September, in comparative safety. \i this
time, however, they were threatened with imminent peril from an im-
mense floe to which they were attached, beino- raised by surround, n-
pressure, and elevated i>erpendiciilarly thirty feet. A few moments ,.f
suspense and anxious watching;- showed all on l-.oard how small an ad-
ditional force would turn the -lassy rockin,i;-stone completely over, and
crush the helpless vessel in that awful tall. Gradually the iloe slipped
down and ri'^hted itself, and the ship so Ion- and severely tried, a,i,^ain
sailed level on her course. After a series of such experiences as we
have just narated, the Invcsti<jfator was compelled once more by the ad-
vance of winter to seek winter (piarters. A harbor on the north oC
Rarinj,' Island was chosen, and the winter of 1S53-3 was bc-nm.

Havin,i,r nov,' brouj^ht to a close the narration of the Investi^i,'ator\s
experience up to 1S5;?, let ns turn to the course of the Enterprise, which
started with the Investi.L;ator under such ])romisino- circumstances. I lav-
ing^, as before intimated, wintered in China in iS50--i,she had the iieM
season again approached the north coa.st of America, a^id on the ^^tli of

ANX//:/ r /.y Km: LAND. 407

.h.Iy was foILnvin^r i„ tluMrack „r the Invcsti^rator, an,u...i l'.,i,u Bar-
row. Strujrfrlin^ .-.lon- as far as slic could, sl.c wintered in the
i^v ill iSsi^j, at the southeni end of i'rjuce of Wales Strait. It was
not until September, 1852, that the linteiprise seems f. have made any
pn.-ress eastward from lu-r winterin-.place-a direction which Capt.
Collinson naturally decide.l upon attempting, with a view to penetrate
Uu- distance between him an.l Cape Walker. He reached on the 26th
of September, Wollaston Land, where he passed the winter of ,852-3,
of which we are now writin>r. I„ these winter <iuarters they were'
visited by Esquimaux, one tribe of whom numbered over 300. In their
possession was found a piece of iron, which many still believe to have
come from the missin- ships. This seems very probable from what we
know of the place of Franklin's death; but Capt. Collinson, bein- igno-
rant of that fact, could have no idea of how close his ship was to the
place where Dr. Rae's informants afterward stated that they had seen
the. remains of Franklin's ,nen. Leaving now the Enterprise, presuming
iliat siie experienced a very severe winter, we turn once more to the In"
vcstigator, wiiose adventurous crew and officers were spending their
second wniter in the ice.

rheir story from this point may be told in few words. All the
ICnglisii vessels which had sailed in^the same year with the two ships of
our narrative, had returned home, and great anxiety was beginning to be
felt for tile long-absent fleet. The commander of the Investigator had
])aMnise(i tiic necessity of eventually abandoning his ship; bu" as a pre-
liminary step, selected a party of men who were to make the best of
their way out of the ice and get to England if possible. A fortunate
combination of circmnstances, however, was about to make this danger-
ous journey unnecessary.

In accordance with the "Arctic Committee's Report," an expedition
for tile relief of the Enterprise and Investigator was sent out from Eng-
laiul in the spring of 1S53. It consisted of the Assistance and the ResolutI,
under Sir Edward Belcher and Capt. Kellett; two steam-tugs. Intrepid
an.! Pioneer; and a iM-ovision-ship, the North Star, under Commander
I'lilleu. The northern waters

were reached by way of ]^,affin's 1

>av

ili±_sir.

*1?

428

imr. FEF EXPK nrrrny.

■

alx.iit tlu- 1st of SoptcrnljLT, 1853, and tlu- sciircli iiniiKvliatcly W'^wx.
Mflville Island was rcuclu-d by Capt. Kfllrlt ..f tlu- l<.es()lmc, a-d C'..in-
iiiaiukT M'CliiUock of tin; Intrepid, 011 'tin; 5th -.f SL-ptc'inl.L-f, and thu
vossfis in;idc' fast to r-c which still iinijciv.l in Winter Harbor, thi- well-
known wnitcrin-^-place of Sir iCdward Parry in the year 1819.

Ilavini,' hcrome securely frozen in Ibr the time, parties were sent
nut durin-,' the fall an.I winter for discovering- traces (.f either ..f tlie
>hips s(ni,i,rht. On one of these occasions, Lieut. Meachani of the Reso-
lute, happened to inspect more closely than usual tlie famous mass of
sandstone on whieh Parry had caused his' ship's name to he en-n.ved.
lie could scarcely credit his senses when he discovered a document
upon its summit, detailing' the practical accomplishment of the North-
west Passaj^'c, and the position of II. M. S. Investi-jator in Hanks I. i.id.

Impressed with the belief that the Investi^jator had <,mt out of tlie
IJayof Mercy and passed to the northwest of Melville Island, M'Clin-
toik and Meacham chose routes which would intercept her supposed
track; consequently, Lieut. Pim of the Resolute, was, with Dr. Dom-
ville of the same ship, chosen to make a journey with sledj^es from
Melville Island to Banks Land; and on March 10, 1S53, they started,
amid the prayers and cheers of their shipmates.

In the meantime, April, 1S53, j,rreeted the iimiates of the Investi.i,^-
tor. All preparations had been made' for the departure of the party be-
fore referred to. On the 5th of April a fine deer was hnn- up rea.Iy to
I>e .livided for a hearty meal, of which all hands were to partake bJf.re
their separation. The events of this day are <,Mven in the lan-ua-e of
M'Clure's journal: " VVhlle walkinj; near the ship * * * •1= * -j,.
we perceived a fi<,rin-'j walking,- rapidly toward ns from the rou-h ice at
the entrance of the bay. From his face and jrestures we l)oth naturally
supposed at first that he was some one of our party pursued by a bear,
but as we approached him, doubts arose as to who it could be. He was
certainly unlike any of our men; but recollectin- that it was possible
s-.nie one mi-ht be tryin- a new tra.,elin- dress, preparatory K, the
departure of our sled,tres, and certain that no one elsu- was near, we eon-
liuucd to advance; when within about two hundred yards of i,., this

4^0

P/Ars RECEPTION.

it i i \ li

.strange figure threw up his arms, and made gesticulations resembling
those of Esquimaux, besides shouting at the top of his voice, words
which, from the wi.id and the intense excitement of the moment, sounde.l
like a wild screech; and this brought us to a stand-still. The stranger
came quietly on, and we saw that his face was black as ebony, and really
at the moment we might be pardoned for wondering whether he was a
denizen of this world or the other, and had he but given us a glimpse of
a tail or a cloven hoof, we should have assuredly taken to our legs; as it
was, we gallantly stood our ground, and had the skies fallen upon lis, we
could hardly have been more astonished than when the dark-fiiced
stranger called out:

"'I'm Lieut. Pim, late of the Herald, and now in the Resolute.
Capt. Kellett is in her at Dealy Island.'

"To rush at, and seize him by the hand, was the first impulse, for the
heart was too full for utterance. The announcement cf relief at hand,
when none was supposed to be even within the Arctic circle, was too sud-
den, unexpected, and joyous, for our mn.ds to comprehend it at once.
The news flew with lightning rapidity, the ship was all in commotion;
the sick forgetting their maladies, leapt from their hammocks; the artifi-'
cers dropped their tools, and the lower deck was cleared of men, for
they all rushed to the hatchway to be assured that a stranger was' ac-
tually amongst them, and that his tale was true. Despondency fled from
the ship, and Lieut. Pim received a welcome-pure, hearty, and grate-
ful—that he will assuredly remember and cherish to the end'of his days."
M'Clure at once decided to visit Capt. Kellett to make arrangements
with him for conveying to England all the sick on board his vessel. It
was still his purpose to remain by the Investigator another season if
necessary, rather than abandon her while any possibility of her release
remained. We can easily conceive of the nature of his .iiecting with
Capt. Kellett. They had last parted on that eventful day in 1S50 when
Kellett had felt tempted to restrain M'Clure until his consort came up-
a course which, if it had been adopted, would probably have prevented the
happy achievement of the Northwest Passage.

Capt. Kellett, however, did not feel it to be in accordance with his

THE IN VES r/GA TOR ABANDONED. 431

duty to allow M'Clure to once more peril the lives of his crew hv rashly
remaining in the ice durin- the winter of ,853-4. A consulta-
tion hetween Dr. Donn-ille and Dr. Armstronj,^ resulted in condemnin^r
the measure as impracticable, considering the health of the Investigator's
crew; ami M'Clure himself, f„un<l to his surprise and mortification that
only four of his whole number felt able and willin- to go throuj^h
another winter. Much, therefore, as he rej^retted the step, he felt justified
in leavin- the Investigator and proceeding with his disabled crew to the
hospitable Resolute and Intrepid, where he arrived June 17. Their
troubles, however, wore yet by no means at an end; for the gallant
squadron which had volunteered their rescue, in tm-n found itself" beset
an<l unable to leave its doubtful harbor until another summer-that of
.S54.

The events which led to their final release, and the circumstances of
the (lucstionable desertion by Sir Edward Belcher of several ships in
good order, will i,u fully presented i.i the succeeding chapter.

HEAD OP REINDERR,

iiiii

CHAPTER XLVIIL

KKLCIIKK'S INNOVATION -HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO CAPT. KELLETT _
KKTUKN TO ENGLAND_A COUKT-M ART! AL_A HRITISII WRITEr's
KANCY— OSBORN AND CATOR — TRACES — REPORT OF Uae's
DISCOVERIES— A THRILLING STORY.

The abandonment of a number of ships in good condition, well-
provisioned, and with good promise of release within a reasonable period
certainly constituted, nt the time, a novel conclusion to a series of Arctic
ventures; and one which subsequent repetition has never justified; so that
in pursuing this course, Sir Edward Belcher may at least have had the
satisfaction of complete originality. It is not the purpose of this chapter
however, to pronounce final judgment upon the wisdom of choices, nor
to attempt to criticise motives, but simply to give the facts as 'they
occurred; from which the reader will be free to form his own conclusions
While M'Clintock and Kellett had been pushing their investio-ations
.n the direcdon of Melville Island and Banks Land, the remainder of
Belcher's squadron had continued at or near Beechey Island, and had
made it the center of operations. Although some good service was
rcndercHi in the way of surveying and exploration, Sir Edward's coinse
appears to have been timid and unsailorlike throughout. His ships
Pioneer and Assistance, having become temporarily beset fifty mdes north
of Beechey Island, surprising arrangements for the abandonment of the
whole fieet were at once made by Belcher.

Totally ignorant of such an arrangement on the part of the senior
oflicer, the commanders of the Resolute and Intrepid, which we left frozen
up in the winter of .853-4, h'^l so carefully and judiciouslv husbanded
their resources that they were prepared for f-. possible "contingency
o< being compelled to remain still another year in the ice near Barrow's
Strait.. This fact was all the more t<; their credit because the

483

•y nad added

BELCHER'S INSTRUCTIONS.

483

to their list of consumers the exhausted crew of the Investigator. Capt
Kcllett was therefore sm-priscd to receive from Sir Edward,'in the spring
of 1S54, a confidential letter containing the following remarkable
passage :

"Should Capt. ColHnson, of the Enterprise, fortunately reach you
you will pursue the same course, and not under any consideration risk
the detention of another season. These are the views of the .overn-
ment; and having so far explained myself, I will not hamper vou with
ttn-thcr mstructions than, meet me at Beechey Island, with the'crews of
all vessels, before the 26th of August."

Determined not to take such a course hastily, Capt. Kellett sent Capt
M'Chntock to inform Sir Edward Belcher of the perfect possibilitv of
savmg h,s ships; to advise him of the stores of provisions which ^had
hccn saved up; to assure him of the health of the men; and to express
h,s disapproval of so unnecessary and unwise a movement. These rep-
resentations, however, were unavailing. Sir Edward sent back by
M'Chntock an .,-^.;^for abandoning the Resolute and Assistance, and the
Investigator's brave crew, « who had lived through such trials and hard-
ships for four winters, stared to see all hands gradually retreating upon
IJccchey Island, ready to return to England as speedily as possible " "

Thus, leaving Capt. ColHnson to steer the Enterprise safely out as
best he might, and abandoning the good ships Investigator, Resolute,
Assistance, Intrepi.i and Pioneer, Belcher ordere.l the combined crews
.>f those five vessels to seek quarters on board the North Star provision
ship, andembarked for England in charg. of many chagrined and dis-
satishod Englishmen. All, including the Enterprise, reached En-Wand
.n September, 1S54, being welcomed home by a sympathizing but dis-
appointed people.

The matter of the abandonment of the Investigator was of course
tormally examined, aiul Capt. M'Clure was tried by a court-martial- a
l)iocccding which resulted in his ir.ost honorable acquittal. Not knowing
what might in the meantime have been accomplished bv Sir John Franir.
l.n, the admiralty, agreeing that M'Clure had virtually achieved a
Northwest Passage, were unanimous in bestowing upon himself and

4:! I

i ' t

A IV ENGLISH VVlilTER'S FANCT.

crew ,€io,(x.c,, ,„• lialf of the stamlin- reward. In addition to ti.is ,iis
tinction, M'Clure was kni-lited l.v tlu- Qnec-n, and several of his ollicers
received merited promotion.

Sir Edward Relcher was also tried l.y a court-martial, hnt, althou.^h
he wasl,arely acquitted, the venerahle chairman of the judicial body be-
fore whom he was ],rou-ht, han.led him his swonl in u si,<.nincant
silence." Concerning the justice of the acciuittal, it seems .lifficult to
determine, but his eonrse in this particular case seems to l)e in contrast
with the usually o-cuerons, com-a-eous spirit of the :?ritish sailor. A
writer contemporaneous with the events just narrated, tln>s feelin-ly de-
scribes the condition of the al)andoned vessels:

"Meantime, it is sad to think of those poor doomer] vessels, which we
have invested with so much personality in r.ur nautical fashion, deserted
thus in that lone white wilderness! We can fancy in the lon,^- comin-.-
winter, how weird an.l stran-e they will appear in the clear moonlioht
—the only dark object in the dazzlino; plain around. How solemn and
oppressive the silence an<l solitude all around them! No more broken
by the voices, and full-tone<l shouts, and rin-in- lau-hter, which so often
wake the echoes far and near; varied only by the unearthly sounds that
sweep over these dreary regions when a llssure opens in the -rcat ice-
fields, or the wild, mournful wailin- of the wind amon- the slender
shrouds and tall, taperin- masts, that stand so sharply deline.l in their
blackness upon the snowy l)ack-roun(l. An.l so, perchance. Ion- years
will pass, till the snow and ice may have crept roimd and over them, and
they bear less resemblance to noble En-lish sailors than to shapeless
masses of crystal; or more likely some comin- winter storm may ren<l
the bars of their prison, and drive them out in its fury to toss upon the
waves, until the an-ry ice -athers around its prey, and, crushin- then^
like nut-shclls in its mi-hty -rasp, sends a sidlen boomin- roar ov^r the
water— the knell of these intruders on the ancient Arctit solitudes!"

VOYAGE OF LIEUT. OSBORN. •

In followin- the fortunes of the various expeditions sent out in tlie
year i,S5o, we must not omit to speak of the adventures of the Pioneer

435

iilJii'iLfflim

430

OSBOPJV AND CATOR.

.111(1 IiUrcpid, under LIcuts. Osborn and Cator, l,otli of whom proved
themselves l)rave and efficient navij^'ators. As will be seen by their in-
structions, the object of their voyage was essentially the same as that of
the other expeditions. which were prepared and sent out almost at (he
same time. They received orders from the admiralty to examine Bar-
row's Strait, southwesterly to Cape Walker, westerly toward Melville
Island, and northwesterly up \Vellin,t,'ton Channel.

Startinnr from En-land early in May, the coast of Greenland was
si-htcd on the 26th, and the Whalefish Island, their first stoppin- place,
soon arrived at. May .and June were both spent in cruisin- up the west
coast of (ireenland, and cndeavorinj,- to effect a safe passajre to the
opposite shore of I?affin's Bay. During the first days of July, Osborn
had his first experience of the real perils of the Arctic world. The
hands were -all at dinner when the startling announcement was made
that a large body of ice was bearing down upon the ship, and threaten-
ing to crush lier in its surging mass. The best security in emergencies
of this kind, is the preparation of docks in the body of the ice, cut in the
portion which is firm and olid. The shijis are then thrust into these
artificial « leads," as it were, and thus are protected by the very element
to whose tender mercies they were but a short time before exposed, fn
this case the combined crews were instantly on the ice, their triangles
were rigged, and their long ice-saws werfc at work. The relief was
much needed, for the floe was coming with terrible force, and the col-
lisions between pack and berg were frequent and prodigious.

After struggling through almost impenetrable ice for several weeks,
they reached Lancaster Sound on the zzA of August, and began the
search. They soon reached Beechcy Island, on which the three graves
of Franklin's men were to be found, together with other evidences of his
having wintered there during 1845-6, the first winter of his absence.
When about to leave Beechey Island Osborn fcnind it difficult under
his directions to determine what course to pursue. Franklin had evidently
chosen one of three routes on leaving Beechey Island. He must cither
have proceeded southwest by Cape Walker, west by Melville Island, or
northwest through Wellington Channel. In the meantime, vague reports

STIUCKEN FROM THE NA VT LIST. 4..,^

lH'ca.„o current tl,at Pen,., .„• his n.en had ..iscovered sledge-tracks ,.n

the west coast of Beechey Island. He therefore deter.nined to explore

th,s ,sh„Kl in person, hetbre ad<,ptin. any other course. First findinl the

siedfje-marks he divided his party, and each followed the sled-^e-marks in

an opposite direction. Amon^ other things he .liscovered ,1^ site of .

circular hut <.r » shack," which ha.l apparently been i,nilt and used hv '.

si..otM,. party Iron, the ]^rebus or Terror. The stones used instead' of

stakes, wh.ch could not be driven into the fro.en ..round, lay scattere.l

around, and son.e well-blackened boulders indicated where the Ineplace

iKul been. iJones, en.pty n.eat-cans, and porter bottles were strewn

-•"•■n.l, and told offcasts and ,.,.d cheer, but no written wonl helped to

solve the mystery which occupied so fully the minds of ,„„• searchers

Soon atter this the Intrepid and Pioneer fell in with the other En.^-
hsh vessels which, together with the two American brij,s, were en^^a..^!
iu evpl.nnj, the san,e regions as themselves. Nothing further of hUeLt
nccurrcl save the hardships and adventures connnon to anv crew
expenencn^j, the nj^or of an Arc.ic winter. After spending thJ wintc.-
... .S50-, u, the ice an.l narrowly escapin-, a seond in.prisonment, the
squadron reached Enj^land in Septen.ber, ,85., after a successful trip of
Ihice weeks. '

DISCOVERIES AND REPORT OF DR. RAE.

Early in the year 1854, before the return of M'Clure and IJelcher
the foliown.o- notice appeared in the London Gazette:

"Notice is hereby jjiven that if intelligence be not received beA.re the
3.st of March next of the officers and crews of II. M. S. Erebus ..nd
Terror being alive, the names of the officers will be removed from the
Navy List, and they and the crews of those ships will be considered as
havn.g died in Her Majesty's service. The pav an.l wages of the officers
and crews ofthose ships will cease on the 3, St of March next; and all
!)ersons legally entitled, a.ul qualifying themselves to claim the pav and
wages then due, will be paid the same on applicatio.i to the Accountant
General of Her Majesty's navy.

"By command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty."

438

A THRILLING STORT.

,1 ■■>

Itfiril
iiiiiiiiii

111 a kttcr full of anTection an.l hope for her lo^t consort, Lady Frank-
liii .Icpre-iatL-d to ihc admiralty the necessity mider which they had felt
compelled to take this summary step. In gracious terms ihe a.lmiralty
explained to he;- ladyship the exigencies of the case. Their sympalhi.;"s
and fniances were all needed for the prosecution of the Russian war; and
the particular date announced had heen chosen since it was the close of
the liscal year, an<l it was necessary to close the accounts for that period.
However cruel it may seem to have thus classed amon.i,' the dead those
of whose .leath no certain tidin-s had heen -ained, the intelligence re-
ceived fron, Dr. Rae a few months later, seems to have conhimcl as ap-
propriate, the decision of the admiralty. His story is hrielly this: He
ha<l l)een sent ],y the Hudson's Hay Company in 1853 to complete the
survey of the lon,L,r isthmus of hmd which coimects North Somerset with
the American continent under the name of Boothia.

Repealing his plan of ..|K-ralions in iSp;, Rae wintered al the lakes
on the i.thmus which divi.le Re-ent's Inlet from Repulse May, an<l early
in the sprin- of .85 | started with his sled-e party to accomplish hi"s
task. While tn.ikin- his way to the northwest, he met ,.n the 20th ,,f
April an Kscpiimaux, who, upon hein- asked if he had I'ver seen aiiv
ships or Nvhite men, replied no, hut that "a party of while men had died
of starvation a Ion- distance to the west of where he then was, and l,c-
yond a lar^e river!"

After questioning,- this Esciuimaux further, Rae .<,deaned the following

iuformation, whicli we -ive as it was presented in his report: 'Mn the

sprin-, four winters since (1S50), while some Ivs.piimaux families were

killin- seals near the north coast of a lar-e island, named in Arrow-

smith's charts Kin- W^illiam's Land, ahout forty while men were seen

travelin- in company southward over the ice, and dra--in,- a hoal and

slcd,i,'es with ihem. Tliey were passin- alon- the west shore of the

ahove-named i.land. None of the ahove partv could speak the lOsijui-

maux lan-ua-c s., well as to he understood; hut hy si-ns the natives

were led to helieve that the sliip or ships had heen crushed hy ice, and

that they were now goin- where they expected to find deer to shoot.

From the apioearunce of the men, all cjf whom, with the exception of

439

440

CANNIBALISM.

a" olhccr, woro haulinj, ..,. ti.e clra^r.,„pes ..f the slcl^^c, an.l lookc-.i thi,.
t hoy were then ft.pposc.i to he f^ettiuj,. short of provisions; an.l they pur-
chased a seal, ,.r pieee of seal from the natives. The officer was de
scnhed as hein.,^ a tall, stout, middle-aj^ed man. When their chiv's jour-
ney terminated, they pitched tents to rest in.

"At a later date the same season, hut previous to the disruption of the
-ce, the corpses of some thirty persons, and some .^^raves, were discov-
ered on the contine.it, and Hve dead bodies on an islan.l near it, al)oul .
Ion- day's journey to the nortinvest of the month of a lar-e strenn
wh.ch can he no other than Hack's (Jreat Fish River, as its description'
:'nd that of the low shore in the neighborhood of Poiut O-le and Mon
treal Island a.^^ree exactly with that of Sir (ieo. liack. ^ Some of th.
Ixnl.os were in a tent '.r tents; oth.-rs were under the boat, which hul
,l.een turne.l over to form a shelter, and son.e lay scattered aI,out in dif-
terent d.roctions. Of those seen on the island, <me was supposed to have
been an olhcer, as he had a telescope strapped over his shoulders, an.l ■.
douhle-l)arreled ^run lay beneath him.

" From the mutilated state of u.any of the bodies, and the contents of
the kettles, it is . vident that onr Nvretched countrymen had been driven
to the dread alternative of cannibalism as a means of sustaining life.
There must have been among this party a number of telescopes, .nnis
watches, compasses, etc., all of which seem to have been broken np"as I
saw pieces of tiiese articles with the natives, and I purchased as many as
possmle, toy:ether with some silver spoons and forks, an Order of Me-it
..1 the form of a star, and a small silver plate engraved -Sir John Frank-
lin, K. C. J}.'"

In this report Dr. Rae sent a list of thin.gs bofgju from Mie Esciui-
maux, and afterward on his return to England brought the articles them-
selves, and received the proffered reward of ,tio,ooo. He had not proved
the death of Frank|»i, l,ut his account bore terribly painful evidence to
the now generally received opinion that the whole combined crew, ly^
in number, had miseral,Iy perisiied. From Rae we revert to the details
of the adventures of the American Grinn.-ll Expedition, alrea<iy referred
to in a previous chapter.

CIlAl'TI'k MAX.

"■ •'"""••"■'■ -—."->-—,■ „„.„,„, _,„,,,,,„,,„,,,„

V,,,,,,.: „„v^,.v A ..KA,..-,c,...NAv,„.n„._.„,„, ,„,„„„^;^

J'OlrrUN'ATK KSCAl'K.

■'"'" ;'."::'-"V"' "'' ""■' "^■'■'"^ '"' "'-' ""' »-• ehc ,csc„. ,„. ,ii,.

cove,,,., S. Jo,. P..„,H,., wa, w..,„,, „„,„«„„„ „„„ ,„^^,„ ;

po,„. .h. ,„eovory of „ N„,-.l.wos. Passaic ,,!,, ,.ot, fo,- |,,„i„ ,,,
havo.. .,...,.., ,,,.„, u,.i.,, .S.„e. .haU. ha,. .. ,i ,.,„., I;
A,„.„ca a,, ,,,„,., .,K ,„„„,,„„., „„„„ „^,. ^,, ,_,. ^

--vh,cl, ha ha,l s,.cha .n.^ica, ,o,™i„a.i„,„ a„„ he,- ...a. h- t
ea„. .,,„pa.hy ,.. ,he b.reav.l „atio„ a,.„ the amic.o,, „1... ^^

wc ,„„. pnva... bcncvolcce co-opc-ati.,, wiU, eh. p..,,h-c ,„„,. „

cat .. PC, .,0,. ,„ behalf of .he ,.hjece co,.„„„„ .„ ,, „,, '.„„ ,„„,„;'■"
The ch,ef A,„cnca„ expeditions fo,- this p„,.p„.e vve,e .h.ec h. ,u„n, er

...... h.ue,,.,o:;^::;.:r;^:::::--;.--

a..,l the th,r,l by Mr. C. F. Hall, „r Cincinnati An ! '

vo.va,cs „i„ be ,ive„ in thei. .L.^,.;::^^ ""' "' ""'°

Lady Jane Franldin bad personally applici to the United State, for
a.; -;;. he enterprise of snatchin, .he lost navigators fro.'n !'r,
„.- . The .natter was eonsid re,l by Congress, but ovvin. to the ei,

.-..,. above .nentioned ^...eron!, n^r: '^ r;:::

:i ,r::i,r;;it*c"""""'=^''°^

y l.be.abty, Co„g,ess accepted the gift, and i,„,ne,liatelv

441 ■^

4«l

Dnsch'/rrrox of run adv.wcr.

. ' 1

niithori/L'il llic executive Id dctaili iiu-ii iiul oHiiiTs liom the ii.ivy i .
nccompany and take chai-j,'e of tlio i-xpcditioii. Lieut. ICdward ). Dc
IlavLMi was (.hosfii as coinmaiuU-r, and Dr. lO. K. Kaiu>, svlm was sinii-
inoiu'd by tclcjrram from liis field (»f labor mi the (iulf (.f .Mexico, as
medical olHccr.

It may l)e well to state here, tliat Lieut. Dellaveii decliniiij,' tu mak.'
more than aii ollicial report of the voyaLfe, an extended account was
written and |)ul)lished i)y Dr. Kane, hein,,' compiled lap^'ely from his
join-iial. VVe shall feel free, accordin.,dy, wiien occasion presents itself,
to (piote from his copious observations in his ovvn clear and <,'racefiil
style.

Thf two vessels proffered by Mr. Griniiell for the u'^c of the i)arty,
were the bri<rs. Advance and Rescue, and were admirably calculated for
their intended service. In an enterprise of this kind stren-rth rather than
\veij,Hit or size seems to be the dcsidcriituin, ami the followint^r descrip-
tion of the Advance, j,dven by Dr. Kane, well shows tiie i^ood iud'^nuiil
of Mr. Grinncll in the mattei- of selection:

"Commencing,'- with the outside, liie iuiU was literally double, a bri--
within a brij,'. An outer slieathiny of two and a half iiuli oak was
covered with a second of the same material ; and strips of heavy slat'i
iron extended from the bows to the beam as a shield aj^ainst the cuttiii'^-
action of the ice. The decks were waler-ti,q:ht — made so by a packing,'
of tarred paper between them. The entire interior was lined, ceiled with
cork, which, independently of its low conductin<,' powei-, was a valuable
protection a_:j^aiust tiie comlcnsin^ moisture, one of the -reatest evils of
the [jolar climate.

"The strcnjrtheninj,' of her skeleton — Iier wooden framework -was
admirable. Forward from keelson to deck was a mass of solid lii.ibe'rs,
clamped and dovetailed with nautical wisdom, lor sevei> feet from the
cutwater; so that we could spare a foot or two of our bow without spring-
ing aleak. To prevent the ice from forcing;- in her sides >he was built
with an extra set of beams runnin,;^ athwart her len>,nh at iiUersals of
four feet, and i-o arranged as to ship and unship at pleasure. From the
Samson posts, strong, radiating timbers, called shores, diverged in e\ri v

fNHTJWCTlONS.

44C

VI' r

iliivction; ami oaken kuft-s, !ian;;^ii-,' aixl olilique, were added vvhcrc
space would permit."

Tlie plan of the V()yaj,'e, as indicated hy tiu' foiinal n\essair,. ,,»
instrnction lV;)'n the Secretary ol" the Navy lo Lieut. Dellaven, was
lirielly as IoIIowh:

The main oliject of the expedition was understood to he tiie tliscov i-i v
(il'Sii jno. I'raiddin and liis companions; sniijecfs of scieniilic in(|u:rv
were to he considered only so far as tiiey miyhi not interfere with the
urand ohji'ct of the search.

The ships were to steer for Marrow's Straits, and decision was to he
tiieii made as to whether they should separate; in case of separation a
place of rendezvous was to he a^need upon witii Commander (Jrillin,
who was to have chars^e of the Rescue.

In case Harrow's Strait could not he approached or jjenetrated, atleii-
ti.in was to l)e directed to Smith's Sound or Jones' Sound; and in case the
ice should materially ohstruct these, makinj,^ entrance impossii)le or dan-
herons, tiie expedition was advised to return at once to New York, (ir
make further searcii at liie discretion of the leader.

vVs the entile Arctic face of tlie Continent had heen traversed in
search of tile missin-^r navi},'ators, it was thou^'ht useless tore-examine
tliose points.

The commander was enjoined not to take any course which would
hazard his own life or that of the crew, and was advisi-d to spend only
one winter in the Arctic re<(ions.

On tile 22(1 of May, 1S50, the two ships were towed out of New
York harhor and after taking- leave of Mr. Grinnell and his s(ms, who
had accompanied the ships out to sea, the)* tacked away in j^ood earnest,
and were soon out of .si<^ht of the metropolis. The course alonj,' up the
Atlantic till the 'coast of Greenland was reached, was varied hy the new
experiences of iceher<,'s and driftwood from the far north. An occasional
school of whales was met, to amuse the crew with their porpoise-like
tumhliuLC about the ship. The len-jthening days, also, as <,M-atlual advance
was made toward the north, was a novel experience, and when at last the
:<un ceased alto<jethcr to disappear below the horizon, the usual order of

:1j

].h)i

'Xi t t ! ■

. , i , '

4)4

A lie TIC TlilfMS.

thiii-s seemed quite subvertcci. To these thin-s the crew quickly became
accustomed, and routine on board the ships being perfect, the ei)thusiasm
(or discovery soon caused these disturbing elements to be forgotten.

The 1st of July found the little squadron approaching Melville
Bay— that well-known wholesale depot of ice, both new and old.
It was the fate of the Advance and Rescue, as it had been of many ships
before tliem, to become engaged in a large ice-pack; and for weeks they
lay witiiout being able to advance or recede, except with tiie pack. It
may not be generally known that ice-navigation, or .he mano'uvering of
a vessel necessary when involved in a pack, has become a recognixed
l»anch of the nautical art,— being, as it were, a science in itself, and
having its own terminology to designate tlie difficulties peculiar to such
;ni event, and the movements necessary to gain relief. Dr. Kane's de-
sc:iptiou of a scene in this particular time of extremity is too vivid and
lyiMcal to omit or abridge:

" Let us begin by imagining a vessel or, for variety, two of them
speeding along at eight knots an hour, and heading directly for a long,
low margin of ice about two miles off. ' D'ye see any opening?' cries
the cajitain, hailing an officer on the fore toji-sail yard. 'Something like
a lead a little to leeward of that iceberg on our port-bow !' In a little
while we near the ice; our light sails are got in, our commander taking
the place of the officer, who has resumed liis station on the deck. * *
" Now commences the process of ' conning.' Such work with the
helm is not often seen in ordinary seas. The brig's head is pointed for
the open gap; the watch ari> stationed at the braces; a sort of silence
])revails. Presently comes down the stentorian voice of our commander
'llard-a starboard..' and at the same moment, the yards yield to the ready
hamls on the braces. The ship turns her nose into a sudden indentation,
and bangs her quarters against a big lump of smashing ice. 'Steady,

there!' For half a minute not a sound, until a second yell, 'Down

down! hard down !' and then we rub, and scrape, and jam, an<I thrust
aside, and are thrust aside; but somehow or other find ourselves in an
open canal losing itself in the distance. This is a lead. * *

iioKui"" a

head, we see that «)ur lead

IS gettnig narrower, its sides

IN A LEAD.

445

K'ln

c.ls.ns .„„a„, each other; ie Is ,„,„, It. »„,,„,,„„», .^, ,„„ „,„„

lo,.! 'l^».vps„l'. S.e,,,l..ee!.. «„,,,-,.,,„„!..,,.,,, h„,,,,ha,,l!'
(Scrape, scratch, thumn ^ 'Fiio-hn .„ , » , u.

■nnmvl f .K / " anomalous grunt, and ux- are

i.anmcd fast between two "-ro-it iV,. (\,.\a.. c i

^reat icc-fields of unknown extent. The cm

tani comes dow.i, and we all go quietly to supper '

"Next comes some processes unconnected with the sails, our wings.
These w,ll explam, af^er Arctic fashion, the terms M.cave,' and ^ wa^'

AKCTIC TOOLS.

'™-'! '':'•''-''•■ '"'"■--"•'"■l-ctmi.e, :,,,.! ..,«,i,,,e „;,,,,

"■-■ I--, .» .I>M,I al,ea,l. A „,„,,le „r ha„.ls, u,,,,.,- .,„l.,.s, .,f ,,„„.,.
-«.,.,„ ,,-„„ |,„„,„,„. ;„„,„,„„, „,. ,^.,^.^,_ ^^_^ ,^^^^^ ^^^^^ si..., „„e „;
' ••r^"""''"'-"'' ^''•''"' ■•- '-■"''-h»..n*; with ,his ,l,.v i,,,,,p

'"""'" ■»■■'"'''•'-'■'"'''«- *H Hose ,., ,h. „,,;,,f , he

n-:|cl< al,„„ .vhieh u-e uish „. ,■„,-„ „,„■ wav. T„ „,a,„ a„ iee' ,„„-, a

1>. .^ .s c„. „ „,.,„e,, .., ,„e sarfaee .,f „,e „„e, ei„,e,. with an iee-chisc, or
-ih the anchor „self use.l pick-axe fashion, and into this Itole the lar,.cr

J. t'

Pii

410

MELVILLE BAT.

conuT of tlic anchor is hooked. Once fast, you slip a liawscr arouiid the
sinallcr end and secure it from further shp hy a ' mousinj^ ' of rope-
yarn. The shiclv of the hawser is passed around the shaft of our jxatent
wineii,— an apparatus of co<;rs ;md levers standing,' in our how, and
cvcrythin.rr in far less time than it takes me to describe it, is ready for
'lieaviui^.'

" Tiien comes the hard work. The hawser is hauled taut; the strain
is increased. Everybody, captain, cook, steward, and doctor, is takin-^r ^
spell at the pump-handles, or overhaulincr the warping gear; for dignity
does not take care of its hands in tiie middle pack, until at last if the
Hoes he not too ohdm-ate, they separate hy the wedge-like action of on,-
hows, and we force our way into a little cleft which is kept open on eillKr
side hy the vessel's beam. But the quiescence, the equilibrium of tb.c ice
which allows it to be thus severed at its line of junction, is rare enough.
Oftentimes we heave and haul and sweat, and after parting a ten inch
hawser, go to bed wet, and tired and discontented, with nothing but ex-
l-)ericnce to pay for our toil. This is 'warping.' "

For twenty-one days they were in this narrow strait between two
continents of ice, part of the time immovalile in relation to the pack, and
part of tl-.e time edging their way al(Mig, a yard an hour, hy means of
their "eternal warping." It was now August, and the season f.t for
search was passing away; the prospect of success was rapidly vanishing
and the ice-locked mariners were becoming nca'ly desperate; when a
fortiuiate combination of winds, currents, and temperature released them,
and they were able once more to continue their course.

J5ut it was no quiet lake into which they made their escape from tlicir
icy besetmcnt. Melville Ray presented itself to them in all its terror
iM-om the dark headlands looming up in the distance, u solid shore of ice
projected itself for miles into the bay. Along this solid ice the great
drift moves, impelled i)y the varying winds and currents, sometimes close
to its edge, sometimes at such a distance as to leave a passable channel of
open water. Down this ehaimel the great icebergs came sweeping along;
and more than once during their f'rst night in the bay, all hands weie
callecl on deck to warp the vessels out of their course. Througli ilic

AN ARCTIC GARDEN.

aiul

447

channel, between the advdncinc. floes and solid ice, the vessels made
'i^-'-'a''onoMs way, sometimes hy towin,,^ sometimes by their sails; In.t
l.ol.hn^ always upon their northwestward eourse. This transit acn.s
MHvlle Hay, a distance of not more tiian three hundred miles, consumed
"veent.re weeks of a voyage whose success depends upon days, and
^■v-' 1-nrs. A sn.all steamer would have towed them across in a counlu
ot days.

AKCTIC IM.AN-T. fACTfAI. SIZE.)

As they sldrte<l these icy shore., thev not infrequently found oppor-
tumnes.o leave the vessels, and sonu-times came upon spots amid snow
-..1 uv where the reflected rays of the sun formed a delicious little AU
P'Mc garden, ^reen with mosses and cariccs, and stirrounded with shrubs

448

A jYahrow escape.

,J ll

and trees—what passed for shrubs .uid trees, in the meagcrness of Arctic
ve-etatioti; plants like those dwarf specimens produced by Chinese art.
There was the wild blueberry in full flower and fruita-e, yet so small
that it mi-ht have been inclosed in a wine glass; wild honeys.^ckles, au
entire plant ..f which might have been worn in one's button-hole; wil-
lows like a leaf -.f clover; trees, not one of which reached to the level
of a .nan's knees, while the majority, clinging along the groinul, scarcely
rose to the height of the shoes of the navigators who towered above
them like the giants of IJrobdignag among the vegetation of Lilliput.
The processes of nature, hampered or rather modified by the Arctic
temperature, produce results cp.aintly difTcring from those to which we,
reared in the chmate of 40^-50% are daily witnesses. Kane had opp,,,-'
tmnty to measure tlie depth of the accumulating mosses (,f many years.
In many places he fnmd it five or more feet in height, and counted sixt> -
eight difTerent layers indicating the fertilizing accumulations of as maiiy
years.

The auks had built their nests upon the rocks overhanging the min-
iature hot-beds, and the apparently easy ascent invited adventure.

" Urged by a wish to study the habits of these little Arctic onigrants
a^: their homesteads, I foolishly clambered up to one of their most populous
colonies, without thinking of my descent. The angle of deposit was
already ^•ery great, not much less than 50", and as I moved on, with a
waikmg-pole substituted for my gun, I was not surprised to find the fra-
ments receding under my feet, and rolling with a resounding crash, to
the plain below. Stopping, however, to regain my brenth, 1 foun<l t'hat
evcrythi.ig, beneath, around, above me, was in motion. The entire sur-
face seemed to be sliding down. Ridiculous as it may seem to dwell
upon a matter apparently so trivial, my position became one of d.-ui-rer.
The accelerated velocity of the masses caused them to leap off in dellertal
lines. Several uncomfortable fragments had already passed by me,
some even over my head, and my walking-pole was jerked from nn'
Hands and buried in the ruins. Thus helpless, I commence<l mv own
half-.nvoluntary descent, expecting momentarily to follow my pole, when
my eye caught a projecting outcrop of feldspar, against which the stron^^

OFF TO LANCASTER. ^jg

currcu split into two minor strca.m. This, with some hard jun^ns I
succeeded ill reaching," '

% the ..iddle of August it became evident that the expedition
would be able to pass ,he ice, and would winter iu the almost unknown
re^-ons of the Northwest. Their spirits rose when the ice-pack was
cleared, and instead of threading the winding, cha.mels among the ice
they ba.le good-bye to the bay of the "famous Mr. William Baflln "' and'
with full sails headed toward Lancaster Soun<l.

THE ARCTIC OWL.

1 I

CHAPTER L.

A .„M,.A,nsnN_MKKT W.T,, ..NOMSH SUUAUKON SKAiUM , ,N .CN-

(|.;iri-^.,;KAVKs ..iscovkkki. — vahyin.; conclusions--, kni, ,„,

SUMMKH-T«,;KT„KH ONcK MOHK -UN.M.KASANT INKOUMA-noN
-AN UNl'inXI'DIlNTi:!) DIUI T.

I iii I '

I'n)I)al)Iy most oCllu.sc- wlio read (liis Ix.ok have 1

H-eii 1 eared

/oiii' (.('the oak, tlie maple, and waviiij^^ fields of
liave passed their lives i:i .i still

111 the

riaiii ; or some

])i.'rli.ips,

more L,>-eiiial leLrioii

nourishes and t

, where the oraii-

u- sun invites to a V.

indoU'iu'i'

and

ineiil
(lit

'I' \at

sensuous en

ure's lavish -ilts. Such will (Ind it hard to reali

joy-

i/.c th

<-' eoii-

(lition and si'iisations of those who HI

, hki.' themselves, aceustoiiu

to ll

variety of temperate re^;ions, ha\e he

wlu-re coiuimious ni<rii

It or ])roloii^ed day is t

en transported suddenlv to the 1
1 d;

iiitl

hr rule.

I'he readt-r has heiai aei-iistoiued 1(
soothin.- inlluLMiee of the twilij^ht
wli

nit^ht and (la\-

lias lei I the

nLM\i:,ri„„- jrradnallv into darl

ose more somber hnc-s invite repose and sleep; and

speedy return of day whose stimnlatin-
activity. Uul in the lonj^- watches of A
picas! II -r varietv.
chance advi'utiirei-

k 11 CSS,
he is used to the

sunli'dit uiLTcs once

more to

rctic life there (om

cs no such

'or six months the henii^rhted Es(iui

motinis the ahsencc of the li'dit-'Mv

as wi

•11

maux oi- the

iMLT orh; hfe-'dvin'

IS .i,-j:ht-.,'-iviii.,r, for ill his ahsencc hcaltli fails and

in depression and melancholy. On th
ajjpearance, when once he cstahlishcs 1

the spirit sinks

ic other hand

>V()us as is ll

IIS course above the horizoi

constant ])resence stimulates t

1, Ills

) unnatural and ex

)urs of rest are broken. Meal-limes tread

cessne activitv
thi.

upon I'ach other's heels, a

only till' most rij^id sclf--rovernment

ot the act-ustomed or

can preveni. a disastrous sul

111(1

)\'ersioii

der of

everyday events. Such are

some of the

necessary obstacles in the way of those xvho would unravel the mysteries
of Arctic life.

450

MEET WITH EXdLrSI/ SJ^UADUON.

451

Wi; left our little sciiiad

Laiu::ister Sound. At three 1

■•'Ml spee.iin,- tlieir way as l.e.t (hey c.ul.l t<

Jisl, Ihey overhauled the l'\;li\, (lie I
Ihitish search expedition, tuid

lours after iiiidni<'ht on tl

ic inorninj' oC the

Icr eoniiiiaud of tl

John Koss. ''You and f are ahead of tl
I'^ui^-lishman in (ones tl
chips' ri.i^'-.ifin;;. Hi- h.ul 1

"ore most ,. tlu vessels of the
le l)ravi- old ve(eran Sir

ILMM all !" shouted the hale .,1,|

ia( rose alxjve the noise oC ll

u winds and the

years I)elbre; had spent liCe and f
lni<- he was a,«,Min in a (Vail hark se

^cvn cast away in this san)e eount

ry seventeen

lost ronirade. Tin; next d

oi'tnne in service of hi
II. liin<r I r the <n-iv.

ly, while checked hy th

lin- up thepassa-e to Port Leopold, th<

s country; and
-', l>erhaps, of a
(• harrier of ice sliut-

lilll

I'lincr Alhert, [..idy iM-anklin'

•y were overtakt n l)v th

II' "-fallant

ill sli

search lor hei- niissiu"- lord

1]), lilted out to prosec ute tl

aiie says of this inter

view

Ins was a wr

y pleasant nieetiii;

llie I'rince

Albert, and Mr. S

apt. l''orsytii, w

lo coniniandec

ii'>\v, who acted as

a o

hmi, were wvy aLrreeahle "enlle

men.

TIk

'■I "f adjutant under

Mr. S

now has renienihered kindl

•y spent some hours witl

V I)

iihl

Mihlislied since ins return to 1

his journal which 1

1 us

le lias

'Inland. Their lilt

■rlcctU' lilted than

le vessel wa

ours to encounter

^ much less

rcsjji'ct at

iL' iKTils of the ice; hut

least

111 one

o list' a

, tlicir expedition rcsemhled ot
^^'*-'-^'''i''i phiasi, ilu'v had

ir own.

ev had t

o roii'ri,

what a hast V out

no faiK'v flxiiii

ll and a liniitc

-iiothino l,i,t

Icilcd

to ahovc' reveals what Ka

disclosed— with what -allantrv th

'lj>Mrse coul.l supply." The jonrnal re-
's modest narrative would

lie

never have

hroutjh till! \cc

■ vinerican stpiadron led

tlu

; and especiallv the hrav

way

ery o(

liaiil ventiii

I's 'j-amed

.'or him amoiiLr the \i

ane himself, whose h,il.

IIKK

^■

iiiikec

I'itish the appellation of tl

')ii the i7lh tl

le N-aryiU'.-

waters had hroiiLrht to'-etl

chances of the scare

1 111 the

coiitratled

icr within

lead, li\

t' vessels heloii"-

Cant.

a <i"arter of a niile i
^- lo three separate searching

icar neech

•y

•""ly s, and their own. T!

expeditions:

Milercstcdii

e .LCreaiest ^^wh\ feelii

less pii'vailcd amoii>r all. Ti

I'-f and dis-

SOOll

prepared a plan of action t

u- wdiole-souied Cant. P

or the tl

^vas suni)os

>set!., o

f t!

pi.
ii'ce parties. Some tr

cnny had
lees as it

ic missing mariners, had

l)een discovered on Jieechey

4r,2

TIUUL L fNG NE WS,

Isl.uHl. Pciinv's plan was to assi<,ni difTcrcnt pail, of (ho islan.l to
(liinruiit parties; l,e himself would take the western search ; Ross shoui.i
run ..ver to I'rinee Re-ent's Sound, and the American Expediti.m was to
])ass throu-h the first openin-s in the ice l.y \Vellin-ton Channel to the
north and east. These projects were just receivin- preliminary dis-
eussion when a messcn,i,'er was reported ha^teniui^r o%-er the ice.

" The news he hrouoht was tiirillin-. Kiraves, Cajjlain Pennv!
Graves! Franklm's winter quarters!' We were instantly in motion.

0\ HKr:( IIKY ISLAND.

Cai)t. I)e Haven, Capl. Penny, Commander I'hilli ,s, a-, i myself, with a
JKHty from the Rescue, hurried on over the lu-.^ed .lope that extends
from IJeechcy to the shore, and scraml)lin- over the ice, came after a
weavy walk lo the crest ol the isthmus. I Fere amk! the sterile nniformilv
of snow and slate, were the headhoards of three ^.raves, made after the
<>l<i orthodox fashion of gravestones at home. The .nounds which
adjoined them were arranged with some pretensions to symmetry, coped
and defended with limestone slabs. They occupied a line facin-- toward

RELICS. 4J.3

Cape Riley, which was distinctly visible across a little cove at ihe dis

t.nce of so,ne tour ht.ndred yards. Upon these stones were inscrip.ions

uh.ch conveyed important information; the Urst, cut with a chisel m.
thus: '

' Sacred
to tlie
memory
of
N. Braiiie R. M.
H. M. S. Erebus,
Died April 3d, 1S46,
aged 3j years.
Choose ye this day wiioin ye will serve.

Joshua, chap. 24 — i v' "

The other two epitaphs were very sin.ilar to the one just transcribe,!.
I he words of one_uI),parted this life .;. /,...,/ the Terror," proved
tl-'^ -n the spring of ,846, at least, Franklin's ship had not been
wreci<cd. The evidences were plentiful that the expedition had passed
a safe and comfortable winter. There was the anvil block and the traces
of fhe armorer's forge and carpenter's shop; the trough which had servcl
l..r washmga rude garment fashioned by a sailor's han<l fVom a blanl.-t
a key; fragments of paper; the gloves of on olKcer washed and laid'
out to dry under two stones to prevent them from blowin-. away There
was a httle garden-plot, with its transplanted mosses and anen.oncs.
1 here were the three graves already described, the headstones in-
scr.bed with scriptural text. Yet not a trace existed of anv men.oran-
^lu.n or mark to throw the least ray of light upon the condition or desL^ns
'" the party. A melancholy interest attached to these relics, fron, Ihe
tact that they were the latest mementoes of the lost navigators j and
every day was deepening the apprehension that thev were tiie last tkl
"15^-s which would be ha<l of them until the grave gave up its dead
Strangest of all was that Franklin, the practical, experienced navh^ator
^.-nwn gray in the perils of Arctic sailing, should have left no record of
h.s ach.even,ents in the past months, nor of his needs or plans tbr the
future.

'I'

W",

484

EJVD OF SUMMER.

MMc, ever san-ui.us nd ful! ..f conjcrluics, .li,! „,.t soc- .«vi,Ic-,ucs nf
sorrow or extremity !„ the traces disco vc-rcd, nor in tiic fact ll.at r... rcr-
ord was left, a,,.! thou-iit it probahl. . ,,„ llu- party ha.l left tluar .p.ar-
tcrs witii llu- intention of rcturuin-. -A -arden," says he, "implirs ,,
pin-pose either to remain or return; h... who makes it is looi<in^r ,.. the f.,-
tmv." He thonjrht that the party, tenipted hy an oprnin.^- in Wellin.^r,,,,,
Channel, l,ad sailed away witli the pn.mptness that had aisvays eh:n-ac-.
tcri/ed the hrave ohi commander, and were possibly explorinji (he open
sea heyon.l, if livin.^,- or if not, that their remains wonld he found anion-
the ice lie!,!,. „f the frozen north. And he accounted for the absence .T
a rcconl, in the haste with which snch a departure mi.uHit naturallv he
made. These conclusions seeme.l very reasonabl.'. That they were
wron- everyho,Iy knows, but the course of reasonin- by whiJh they
were arrived at, shows both the hopefulness an.l ready l.v^nc of ih,,;
author.

With the close of Au-u.st the brief Arctic sn-umer bc-an to come to
an end. The sun traveled far to the south, an.l the northern ntidni-ht
bc-a., to ass.mie the sotnber hues of twilight. The ice was .l^. ow'hi.^r
thicker and closer around the vessels, which vainly aaempted "'to ^^y^^
their way to the western shores of Wellington Channel. The thickness
of the tables of iee sometimes reached fourteen feet, and hu-c hinn-
mocks were heaped up by the force of their impact to a hei-ht"of fortv
feet or more, overtoppin- the decks, and threatening to topple d<,wn up-
on them. The -real masses drifted past the vessels, usually just missin.r
contact with then. On one occasion, however, the Rescue was cau.^rh";
bodily up by a driftht,^^ iloe imtil the moorin,^- cables parted, when she shot
ahead into an open patch of water. The Advance escaped the impact
by hu-^n„j. dose to the sohM ice. The British vessels xvere less fortu-
nate, bein- swept on by the resistless force of the movin- mass.

Dmin- the early September days the cold Ix-an rapidlv to increase.
The thermometer fell by ni.^^ht to 2 , ', and rarely in the davtime rose
above the freezin- point. No fires had been lijrhtcd below. The historian
of the expedition retirinu; to his narrow berth an.l drawin- close the
India-rubber curtains, lighted his lamp and wrote his journal in a free.in-

m •

UNWELCOME TIDINCS.

•IW

temperature.

i.H is not viTv cold," lu

says, uiuU-r date of Septemhcr
S,'M,<. .lot.1,1 to you> 45" minus men of Arctic winters; but to ns from
Ihc /.one of liriodench-ons and peaclios it is rathei cold for the Scptrmher

montii of watermelons." On this same 8th of S

:aii .'xpedition had tiic mortification of

•pteml)er the Ameri-

seeinj^ the i:n''lish \ossels in t

of heir steamers shootin^^ ihead of ihem ri-r|u in tiie h c-th of tlie wind.
They felt tliat they were now the hindmost of all the searchers. "All
have the lead of ns," is the <lespondin<,' entry in Dr. Kan. journal.
Two days later, however, the two American and all the Knfrlish vessels
found themselves fo<rether once more, auchord fast to the .olid ice, with
the way to the westward impassably blocked up before tb in.

Now iH-an the real and earnest perils of the expeilii,.,n. On the

-'til a storm arose, which \vept tlie Rescue from her nioorln-s, an.l

.hove her out ..fsi^rht oflui eonsort. t soon became evident that the

,n-eat mass „f ice to which il, • were moored, was sl-.wlv drifting',

whither they kne^v not. The cold increased. The th. .melers sanl'

t.) 14 ', til. n to 8 ', then to _, . yet no fires were li,<,riUed in the cabins of

the Americans, thou-h those in the British vessels were under full blast.

The next day I lie Advance fell in with her lost consort, partially dis-

al)led. It l,ein- evi.ieiU that all fiull,.. pro-rcss to the north and west

was impracticable, the (-.mm;. ,dei decided to turn his course homeward.

iUil uumy a Ion- and dreary Arctic ni-ht was destnie.l to elapse before

the vessels escaped from VVellinj^ton C'haniiei.

Toward eveniu},r on the 14th ..f September, while th. x .-1 was
rapidly cruuchinj,- her way through lue ice that was formin ,,, .,1, the
Do. .r had retired below, hopin^^ to restore some xvarmth to in. stiffened
limbs. It was a somewhat unpromisin- task, for the temperature in the
eal)in was close upon zer. The dull, grindinj,^ sound < the vessel labor-
in- tin-ou-h the ice, grew jerkin- .ad irregular; it stopped, ])egan again,
grew fainter and fainter; at last all was still. Down to 'le cabin went
tile commander with the words: «Doct..r, the ice has caught us; we are
frozen up." And so it proved. There was the American Searching
expedition fast embedded in the ice m the very center of Wellington
Channel. Here commenced that wroiwlcrful drift, which lasted n^ore tiian

inm

■r

S.ill -i

4S6

A Ar//\

-J,'lit .n.M.ths, Lack an<l furth, thn,u,d, tlu- vVrctic seas, wherever ,|,e
wnuls a.nl currents i.npellecl the c.,„ti.,ent ul' ice. No vessel was .ver
l.cleaj,n.ered s., hefore; and probably no otlier one that h.u! ever flo..tc..|
woul.1 have escape,! from such a belea^^uerment. Hcibrc this tl,e explor-
ers ha<l l,een so thoroughly busie.i in carrying, out the objects of their
voya,^e, that they ha.l bestowed hardly a thouj^h, upon their own per
snnal CHUfbrt or safety. With the thern.o.neter at .ero, thev had no
■ncansofproducin,. artificial heat in the cabin. The .noisturJ f,on, so
many breaths had condensed till the beanrs were all a-drip, .nd every
thing bore the aspect of having been exposed to a drenching mist. The
clelay occasioned by their involuntarv detention was put to some t.se by
fttn.g up a lard lamp in the cabin, by which the temperature was raised
to twelve .legrees above the freezing, or 44" above .ero. This de-nee of
warmth was accounted a positive luxury. So, in uncertainty and gloom,
they dnlted to and fro, sometin.es to the north, and sometimes to ,he
south, m the "waste of waters."

The animal life with which the region had heretofbre been teemin.^
now almost whcdly disappear^, and ,0 this fact was added the appar-
ently precarious condition superinduced by tl>e bondage of ice. Some
of the smaller and more hardy animals an.l birds still remained, but these
were n, small numbers, while the n)ost of the seals, the polar bear, and
all that gave occasion for exercise, and aironle.l nourishment and incident
had vanished. As the weather bec.nne n.ore severe, the danger of bein.>^
"nipped" or caught between two masses of i. . an<l perhaps crusheci
became more ami >nore imminent. Ten days after they were frozc-n in'
occurred the first of the fearful nips ^vith which thev were soon ,0 he-
come familiarized. A field of ice fburteen inches th.ck, overlaid with an
additional half foot of snow, is driven, with a s. .w an.i tn.iform motion
directly down upon the helpless vessel, xvhich is half buried be.ieath thJ
shattered fragments. The force beiiin.l impels the broken fra-nnents up-
ward in great tables rising in large mounds al,ove the level of the d.ck
and threatening to topple over and overwhelm tlie vessel. Other frag-
ments take a downward direction, and slide i,elow the bri.r whiciiis
htted sheer out of the water, and rests unevenly upon shatteHng blocks

//V

4.'57

()' ICl",

Amid ilarkii

t'ss an

;iiv called aloll withciovvs and picks, to " fijrlu tl
Well was it that the ice which tiiun drifted d(

WINTER ^UAHTEIiS.

«l cold, and snow, and deadly peril, all hands

ic ice" that rises arouiid.

lown uj)(>:> them was tiie
Mc.v ice just forn.in^r. Had it heeri the solid mass or later .vinter, no fah-
nc that man has framed of wckxI or iron coi.ld have withsto(„l it. As it
was, the ice which was now their assailant, hecame afterwanl their pro.
lcct..r, an.l warded off the eollisio., with other packs against which
they sul,secp,ently drifted. By the tst of Octoher the icy settinj^ around
tlu'.n had l,ecomc so Hnn, that for a time they expenence<l somethin-^r
like repose.

Deliberate preparations .low be-an to he made for passin- the winter
in the ice. Sto.es and fuel were broi./Wit up from the hol.l, au.l with
the thermo,T,eter at 20" below (he freezitt,^. point, the work of n.anu-
taclunn,i4- a stove pipe was undertaken. ICnbankments ..f snow an.l ice
were ma<le about the vessel, in which was deposited coal an<l stores. Ht.t
alas, for the stability of Arctic s..,.ather! Hardly was this accomplished
■vhcu the Hoe be-an brcakin- up, and all hands, ollicers an.l men, set to
work to replace the stores upon the vessel. So insecure was still the po-
sition of boih vessels, that it was not till the tyth of October that they
were able to set up stoves i.i the cahi.i, and for warmth thev were still
fnrce.1 to rely upon the lard lamp. So accustomed had tnev become to
a temperature but a few dej^rees above the free.injr poini, that they
would have been quite content had it not been for the pernetual mois-
lure .hippin- from the roof and sides, a circumsta.ice full of dan-^re,- to
those havi..- a .c<,rl>utic tende.icy. This was at last miti,^.ated in'^some
dc-ree by canvas -utters, by which several cans full of water were
daily collected, which would otiierwise have fallen upon the floor.

The experience <,f Kane well illustrates the power of the huma.i
system to adapt itself to varied circumstances. Only a few months be-
f.-re he was i,i the warm re-ions of the Gulf, luxuriating in its tepid
waters, and baskin- in its sunshine. Now he contentedly watched for
limirs by a seal liole in the open air, witii the thermometer 20" de...,rees
below the freezin- point, and if successful in shoolin- it, ate of its'raw
flesii with a relish.

lit! I I '

458

KILLING A SEAL.

'If!

The Ions Arctic \\vj\\V, or rather succession of nights and days (lor,
although midnight and noon were scarcely distinguishahle, they still
managed to separate them in their chronology ), was varied as tar as
possible by races, games and seal hunting, although the seals had become
scarce and more tiian usually shy, Kane speaks, in his characteristic
maimer, of killing one of these reticent animals:

" To shoot seals one must practice the Esquimaux tactics, of mucli
patience and complete immobility. It is no fun, I assure you, aft-.-r full
experience, to sit motionless a, id noiseless as a statue, with a cold iron
musket in your hands, and the thermometer lo" below zero. ]iv ano

^'fasT^w

.SllOOTINl, SK.M.S.

by I was rewarded by seeing some oNcrgrowii (Jreenland calves come
within shot. I missed. After another hour of cokl expectation thev
came again. \'ery strange are these seals. A countenance between the
dog and the wild African ajx', an exi)ressioii .so like tb.at of humanii\-,
that it makes gun-murderers liesitate. At last, at long shot, \ hit one.
God forgi\e me I

" The ball did not kill outright. It was out of range, struck too low.
and entered the lungs. The poor beast liad ri.sen bivast-higli out (.f
water, like treading-water swimmers among ourselves. He \vas lookiii"-
alH)ut with curious and expectant eyes, when the ball cincrcd bis lunu^s.

COURSE OF THE SHIPS.

459

"For a moment ho oozed a little bri<,'ht lilood from his mouth, and
looked toward me witli a startled reproachfulness. Then he dipped; an
instant after he came up still nearer, looked ajj^ain, bled aj,'ain, and went
''"^''■"- * * * The thin«; was drownini,^ in tlie element ot' his sport-
ive revels. lie did drown finally, and sank; and so 1 lost liim.

"Have naturalists ever noticed tiie expression of this animal's jihi/.?
Cariosity, contentment, pain, reproach, despair, even resij^nation, I
tlioui^dit I saw on this seal's face."

Thus passed the month of October, durinjif which the expedition was
(hiftin,!4 about near the outlet of Wellini^ton i^av, in a jreneral southern
direction, altliou':,'-]! a south wind would occasionally f)rce tliem back to
the nortii. Hut it soon appeared that the projj^ress in this direction was
impeded by more compact ice, and Iw a steady current ; while a noitli
wind drove steadily before il the thick lloe in whicli tiiey were embedded.

:; '^m^

i a

jW|%i?=^|fff

CHAPTER LI.

ai{uavc;kmk:.ts-uv anau„;iks- ukpukssinc; influkncks -- r^.

•iK.NXn S UKMKI.IKS—Tl.K lIISTHIONIc: AKT- TIIKE ATKNKI. UV .\
HKK..-TM,.; SUX KK-A....KAKS -TUK ICH-SAW-THK CKAM.
MUKAlv-.I. — TOVVAKD TIIK GKEENLAXU COAST — A SII,,,;-,.

Kicsi-ni:.

Thcythof \..ve.nl)LT r.mml the arnm,<remcnts for tl.c wintcT n„„-
plotc-. ()v.rtlK..,uiro<lcck.,f the A.lvancc wa. thrown a housi.ij. „,•
thick fdt, rcstiu- on an improvisetl rid-c-ij^ rtuinin- fore ari^ralt
In.lcT ,hc niaiu hatch was tl,e ax>k\ .^^alley, '^ith its j^ipe .w..„i„J
'l>n.u^h;h.lolt roof above. Aronnd the pipe was built an appara..^;
I'" nu-hin- ice, t., supply tlieni witii water. The hulk-hea<ls l)etween
llu' forecastle an,! Ou- cabin were re.noved, throwin,^- both into ,.„o
apartnunl, occupie.i i,y both oificers and men in common. As the crews
"'■ I'olh vessels were collecte.l in the A.lvance, this small room was the
''<'■"<• of thirty-one persons. Warmth was distributed throu-h the
^•al.iu by .inee stove, beside- the cookinj^ <.alley; and as the unbroken
»i-ht sei in, fonraP-and and three bear's fat lamps supplied the place of
Miuli-lu. N'eed enouo-h ^vas there tor all this heatin- apparatus, for he-
'">v the svinler was f.irly be:^nm tlie ten^jcratm-e was 40 > below zero.

'■ ;incy a day in tile ice, as .pent l)y the ice-fettered explorers. At
I'^'ll-pa^t six- by ,he chronometers, the crew are called; the officers a half
='" '"""• '^'"■■■■. Their ablutions must be perfor.ned lirst, to wash olf the
soot and ,^Mim accumulated duriu- the ni-ht. This is accomplished in
hrtll-fro.en snow water. Then the toilet must be made. Three pairs of
socks, several un<lershirls an<l outer robes of fur, the u hole complemented
J'V n cap and hood of .ealskin, nu.st be donned; and all hands take a
turn on ,Kvk. to ^et up an appetite for breakfast. This is foun.l news-
s:n-y. for the nanudess stenches connected with the sleepin- room, ki.che,.

400

DEPRESSING [NFLUENCES. 491

...Hi iMHlcr cmbincl, suffice to completely nauseate the " stoutest sh.nr.ch
<>r tliem all."

Nothin<,n>etter showed the extremity of the weather than the con-
<i.t.on and appearance of the various articles of provisions. ICverythin-
was transformcl into some -rotescjue a.ialo<.y of itself. All ve-HaMcs
u-ere pehbles of assorted varieties. Fro.en meat was liard a. h'i.ildin..
stone. The tat of the hear and the seal-liquid at respectahlv losv wZ
pcM-atmc, were like marble; a pleasing assemblage of figures n.onhled
and carved from nature /))' nature.

The extren.e temperature and the absence of the s,ni be-^n to ,cl'
upon the health an.l spirits of the ,nen. In more temperate regions we
learn ... recognize the tendency to rheumatic .liseases and <Iepression of
>pirits ..ccasioncl by even a few days of cloudy weather. This condi-
lion was fulillled to perfection in the case of .„n- explorers. All faces
:-. -an to assume a livid paleness, like plants growing in darkness. The
nK.ugrew moody an.l dreamy. They bcanl strange soun.ls in the nLdit,
:mu1 1kk{ wonderful visions in their sleep. One .Ireamed of vvandeWn-g
'ira.iion • :,.c and returning laden with watermelons; another had
rm.,uISirj.>.m Fr^wfelk. in a beautiful cove line.I with orange trees:
a.-d .1 thir.l, in «1tc h-M-A^\\r\um .,f his mental wanderin.gs, ha.l iLn-.l his
witV .m.\ child.,'eH crying f ,• help. All were particularlv sensitive
..> M.pp.,sed slights .>r^.«,tery 0,1 the part of the rest. This led 1., un-
I)le:,sa.,t f.vlings and painful scenes. The ..ilicers alone, bv stri<-t guanl
'.l'<"i tiuir tongues, managed to keep up a show of goo.l fJeling. Sick-
..essappean.l in new and peculiar forms, an.l t he genius of ..ur phvsician
an.l author was taxed to the utmost to pr.>vide for th.' sanitary nec(>ssities
"I- the narly. As i. usually the case, th... scurvy-alH.o^d adhered f, the
ralal.liet..f salt meat, an.l cunning had to be resorted to, in onler to
save them from themselves. As they wouM not e^t the anti-s.-orbutic
f"od pr.,vide<l, the doctor prcpare.l a sort of beer from hi-, httic st.,re .,f
vegetal,les. Olive-oil and lime-juice, raw p<rtato..., .anr-kraul and
Nlii.garc.mbined, ma.le,. .lelcctahlecompouml which fhc men .irank
gr.vdily. So successful was tiiis treatmcM.t that, as w .1, Hi sec. no, .^k-
iif tite crew was lost.

T-

WHH

li I. L' 1

\di,, s

462

THE HISTRIONTC ART.

Christmas Day was spent with as much merry-making as could ho
coi.trived in the ahnost t..tal ahscnce of resources. Some hottles of
chan.pa,t,me remained, and the French cook prepared an ehihorate dinner.
Mr. Hrnce, one of the crew, ami possessed of .Hvers .luahHcations, h,„i
contrivcl a play, and the crew had undertaken to pro.h.ce it upon an
cxteniporized sta^je. " Never," says Kane, "had I enjoved the tawdrv
•luackery of the sta-^^e hah'so much. The theater has always heen to ,ne
a wretchcl simulati.,n of realities; and I have too little sympathy with the
unreal to \\n,\ pleasure in it Ion-. Not so our Arctic tiieater. It was one
continual frolic from hegiiuiinj; to end.

'• The 'Blue Devils' : Gr,d hle.s us! hut it was very, very funnv. None-
kneu- their pans, an.l the prompter could not read .glihly enouoh to d,.
hisolKce. Kverythin-, whether jocose or indi-nant, or conunon-place,
«.r pathetic, was .lelivered in a hi-h tra-edy monotone of despair; llvj
words at a time, or more or less, according to the facilities of the
prompter. Me-rim, with a pair of sealskin ho.^ts, hestowed his o„Kl
t.pon ,i,.enlle Annette, and Annette, nearly six feet hi.gh, received II u-ith
mastodonic -race. Annette was an Irishman named Dalv; an<l I mi-|n
defy lunnan hein- to hear her, while halanced ..n the heel of her Ivn.t,
exclaim in rich masculine hro-ue, 'Och, feather!' without roarin-."

Other amusements followed in like style, hut the desolateness of their
condition, their separation from h.mie and friend's, and the ahsence of the
means an.l opportunity for ohtainin- help and sympathy, uearlv siitlal
all atte.npts at merriment. New Year's Day was passed in much the
same way, varied hy a race for a purse of three ilannel shirts. This
elfort exhauste.l most of the men, sh.)win,o- the dehilitated condition inf.
which they had f.llen. In the meantime Lieut. Dellaven had -n.uu
almost helplessly sick, and l.ein- conllned to his hed, Omimander Grillm
hecame the e\ecu:ive ollicer of the comhiiied crews.

I' rom the Sth of Decemher to the nth of Jamiary, the lloe in which
they were fistened ha<l steadily increased in solidity till it seemed scarcel\
less f.rm than the -ranile ran-es which -n-.lle a continent; and firmlv
cmh.,-dde<l in it the vessels enjoyed a season of comparative respite fnun
dan-er. The Advance all this time lay with her hows sunk in the. sn,,w

APPROACH OF DAT.

via

-.Hcc, a,ul he «,„,.„ elevatcl »,„„. ,K,. ,„• .i. fcct; »ho aU .,„„, ..vcr

...»tarb„ar.l, .„,„„,„„,„,„. „,,.,^,^, „,,^ _,^ ,^.,_ ^^_^^^^ ^^^_ . ^ _

"7 ""■ ";'■'-• »'''°» '""' '-' '"-'<"" "P" "-!> "■ a« NV.W K,;,a,„,

»n.l o he- a^crs bank.,,, .heir „„,.,,, a,. „, „,„„,„,,, ,„. „.„^.J ^^^

ho ..th of January a s,,,,,,,,, .,|,„ek brought all han.ls „p„„ ,,_,k A

f,»su,c appearcl in the iccplah, which ,„„„ „i,|,„„, huo a h,,,a,I pa.^.^c

. ron,h wh,ch the la,-.e f,,,,n.e„,s bore ngh. .lown upon thj >.;:.;

A. ....e h„„, p,« ,„i,lnl,H,. .he c,-cw stoo,, on .lock ..,,,ppc,l and han.e,:

- V, .„ tak. to the Ice. Right ,k„vn upon then, ho.o the large h,u„.

...ock upon the .e^el. .te„,,_a ,„as,, s , as .narhle, thirty fej «,„„„

;>t tlK. base and r„n,g twelve feet „n. of water; it ..,„p», .„„„ „,vaL-

.. .q.l.ioaehes so near ,l,e vessel that hardly enongh roon, is left to a.hnit'

"I a n,an s walkutg between. That narrow channel crosse.I, and no

1".M-.. an cnnid eonstrnct a fabric which wonld resist ,hc icchill's ,er

nHo "og .. That passage was never crossed. The huge ntas. stopped-

*...... the stern; bccantehnpaccd there; and fn- „,„n,hs rcnainL, i,'

.0 .an,e place as a ghostly n.en.en f the ..ato.wly-escaocd .les.rnc.io,;.

.vcnwh e thev had prepared to leave the ship, the „„estion arose

^^ ";'":;'■;"••■•' "-T .-.^ The Rescne. their dis , „,;,, „,,„ ^^^^^

™ vhgdde place of satety, a, ,ey Ic ifted far, far, f, the coasi.

'"''7;'' ""■;■ ''■■"' '"'■ '>■ 'I"'' -11 toward lianin-s Kav. What

_;;;:;,;';' '" ""■ ^ -^ ■- "■'"■'■ ""■ •■ ..'.•™. ocea„s of-ce sho„id

,■'■";■■"'':"'■'' '"' -^"''''^ ■'''■ ™"^ "■■ -"■ :-"-t iov ■ anxietv

:;"" -"- -•' •■-"■ ,-1-vd , ake suitable dcnons,. ,;

'"■;''""-^'™"""""^-^-- '■•'"-- '>-l..vday,,hcro.v tints shot up

:"'7, 7" ;?"'■'' '■- •-■-'— to bodJau end to al

'"•'-""'■■I '" '- .1-"-- -..I,-,:. e.. ., absence of eightv-sis davs The
-cw u.cre o,n ready to give three .• eers ,„ t.he great pi,;,.., .„ i.' n arked
;":*""''"■'■ "' i""'-"" --.rise, noon ™nse,. „rKa

r "'■;"'"'■","■ ."*■ '■-'• ---I •'-■ ^oenc by hinrself N'e^er did

""■ ™l'-' "H. .-cecve n.ore hearty wclco.ne front devout Parsce than

"■^^^-^■^ '-'^y- •" '-^"'-h-.-s.tys Kane,... ban, nIK,

4m(mim^l

l4Tr-f-r-4+4

:''i

404

THE ICE-SAW.

with :i -jrcat orlobus m my throat. Then came the shout from tlio ship
— three shouts — cheering- the sun."

We must pass over the foUowinp: «l:»ys during which, althouj^h tlie
sun was constantly rising higher, tlie temperature was still insupportahly
low. It was not till near the close of March that the broad ice-pack Iks
gan fairly to open, and a broad reach of water spread before the eyes of
the voyagers, weary of the perpetual gaze upon ice, stretching beyond
the reach of vision. From this time the process of their liberation wont
slowly but surely on. The prevailing northerly winds drifted the Hoc
toward more genial latitudes. Frost-smoke began to arise from the ice.
A slight moisture became perceptible; the paths along the vessel's side
became soft and pulpy. i'he men, long accustomed to an Arctic tern-
perature, complain that "it is too warm to skate, though the thermom-
eter indicates a temper iture of im^ below freezuig. At last, on the
loth of A])ril tiiat imerring monitor rose to 33" at noon-day. Up to
fiee/ing again! Very soon the cabin-lamps were put out. The crews
cut the ice from al)oiit the Rc-scue, and she was once more manned in
n\uliiicss for release. The felt covering was taken from the deck of
the Advanci', and daylight j)i-evailed throughout the Arctic regions.
ICarly in May the ice-saw was put in operation as a prcliminarv at-
tempt at freeing the vessel. Parallel tracks were cut of convenient
width, and the ice sawed away in blocks, and hauled to the edge of the
floe. Thus the ojxm lead was daily brought nearer. In a short time
tile Advance was surrounded on all sides l)y these floating barricades.
Shortly, too, the ship showed signs of changing iier position, grating a
little on the moving ice, and seeming to advance a few inches ujion the
remainder of the floe. Desperate endeavors were made to wrench the
vessels clear from their icy moorings by means of strong tackle and de-
termined pulls, but in vain; they would not float level upon the water
till the grand break-up occm-rcd. Meantime the summer w^as hastening
on. Evidences of coming final disruption were multiplying about them.
Animal lite increased, birds were flying in every direction, and seals and
whales were playing on every hand. The floe on which the ship- were
<;ast had iK-comc reduced to a small patch.

THE a HAND niUiAK-UF.

415

On tlic 39th of May land was scc-n—one of the capes of Greenland,
for they had been driftin- down l?at1in's liay with the wind and current
for several months. How suddenly and completely they had been cut ofT,
not only from tlie means of search for Sir John Franklin, but also from
the place where it was now evident that search should be made!

The 5tli of Juno witnessed the -rand break-up. Commander CJriihn,
the commandin.iT otHcer of the Rescue, iiad walked across the ice for a
call on his friends in the Advance. He had just started for home when
a cry arose that there was a crack in tlie Hoc. Sure enou-h, there ap.
pcared a crevice in the ice between the two ships, an.l water flowinjr
between the ice-sheets. Reaching,' tlie crack hurriedly, lie had just time
to sprin.ii: across its ^/idenins surface, and escape to his ship. In ten
minutes more there was water all around the Rescue, and in half an
hour both vessels llo/ited in their element. A lart^^o piece of ice, how-
ever, clim.i,^ to the .tern of the Advance, and by its -reat buoyancy held
her posterior up almost out of water, while lier bows suffered a corres-
pondinjr depression. Finally, about noon on the Sth of June, one of the
otHcers was in the act of clamberint,^ down on tliis attached mass. Hardly
had his foot touched it when it parted from the vessel. He scrambled
hurriedly up the side, tearini; his nails and clothin- in his haste, just in
time to escape the huge block as it su"gcd up to the surface. The Ad-
vance was free at last, and Moated level with open water all about her.

Although now clear from any direct attachment of ice, the remain-
ing portion of the journey to the coast of Greenland was a somewhat
uncomfortable task. It was too warm to liave fires in the cabin, and yet
the gn)wing dampness of the warmer climate, increased ]>y the pressure
of icebergs, made (h-es extremely desirable. In spite of the seal meat,
of which they now had some reinforcement, the scurvy, deep-seated and
persevering, broke out again; and it was evident that the tedious pro-
cess of regaining lost health must be gone througii with before any new
adventures could be attempted. Many of the sailors were ill from'shore
excesses \vhen the vessel let\ New York, ;ui,I the circumstances of the
winter were such as had been most fivorable W. the reopening of old
wounds, an.! liie revivification of slumbering virus. Iceber-s in -reat

Ii! '

" II

460

OJV LAND.

miinhcTs, worn and carved liv \hc wat

ct's aftioii iiilo many 'jrn'tcs

shapes, iT(!\V(k'(l around tlu-in, and imiK-dc-d tlu-ir proj^M-

iqik'

ess; and nisi>r.

niflcant as tlu- rcniainin!-- distanc-e \v

IS, il i-aused a painlnl cdort, in ll

exhausted and del)ilitaled condition oC

Ihi

])arty

T.ieut. Dellaven, who had now n-covered sullicientlv to take chap

of the expedition once nion-, iiad decided 1

o 1

ecnperate at Whaiel

ish

Islands, ofT the coast ol" (

rreenland, t'oi" a lew davs, and hasten hacis !<

Melville Bay, Barrow's Strait and Lancaster Sound, and
search which tiieir unt

renew tl

unelv l)esetnn-nt had curtailed

r^ver\- man con-

curred heartily in the plan. It is true, they wer

e worn and weary

luit

they had had th

e seasonni"- which a \yinte

r m the ice alone can "iye.

and considered ihemselyes as veterans,
tinned service. As thev drew near t

scnted itself which tiiey had w

well lilted hy I'xperience for con-
ic coast the same appeai-ancc ])rc-

iln

essed a year a,i,n); only they thi-nisehi

had lost the freshness and huoyancy with \yhich they had app

roachcd

e same coast in the precediiiL;- summer. The d

on the i6t!i of June. I)i-. K

ore.

estincd port was reached
with riyi> others, was dispatched to the

^scpumaux cro\vdc'i

1 th

e hank, do^^s harkc

(I, and chddrcn sclk

(1.

So, after a short pull, ended that marveh

'Us nine months of hcsetmcnt.

drift, toil and di

sease,

}m^\

nhlblf':"'

CHAPTrCR LII.

A IM.KASANT PAKTY

t:iri/n\'Ari;i) iastics — Hanoi;

ItOtrs KKATS

iiii'; NATioNAi. nw

i!Oir\i) |.()i< IIII.; xoiciii A(;Ar.\ icscaimc

IKOM MICLXII.MC liAY MOM ICW A l{ 1)--

UKsiri/rs ()|.- rill.; \-()VA(;ic

hv ivniMindcM- of t lie .story of tin- fxpcditioii ini'^H

up. After iillowin^- Uieinselves five d;

It 111- easily suinmed

on their way to the north. Th

lys lor recniitinL;, thev wei

(■ airani

incident and in c-xi

IS second journey was peciiliarlv rid

1 in

)erieiKe with the nativ

the past year had not allowed lliem in

es, with whom the fortunes of

ucli eoinmunieation. All of t!ie

principal places on that coast were touched at
of pleasiii'^- happen in,<,rs. As the lleet landed
(piiinaux town well to the nort

, each one f'urnishin;^ its list
near PriU-en, a Danish ICs-

;"reet them, drai^^.^ini,'' th

1, a merry party of ICs(|uiniau\ came out

I'lr

avaks after the

m o\er seven miles of the

pack, and then spmnin-- out to them over the narr

()W chamu'l of water.

These were soon followed hy a yawl load of the oe„trv of the dI
The reader will best enjoy the account of tl

)iace.

lis occasion in Dr. Kane

s own

words:

She (tl

le vaw

Drou'.

:ht

a pleasant t'omjiain-

lias.

the

schoolmaster and jiarish priest, Louisa,

his sister, llu

reii

tie A

nialia.

^ouisa s cousin and some

others of humhler noti

waters had but partially rej^'eiierated th
at least, did not conform

ese sava'j'es.

1 lie baptismal
leii deportment.

to our nicest canons. For the lirst

few minutes.

to he sure, the

adi

es kept their faces close covered with their hand
withdrawing- them to blow their noses, which they did in the most

s, on

pnm-

iti\c ai

id picturesqur manner. IJut their modesty th

that it needed no further illustration. Th
to us conildeiitially that they had cultivate
smoked, Louisa, that she tolerated t

us assured, thev felt

ey volunteered a daiict-, avowed
lastes — Amalia, that she

le more enlueiim

both that their exer

iuiuids, and

CISC 111 the open air made a sli;^rl,t refection alto-etl

ler

acceptable. 1 lospitality is the virtue of these wild

re^^nons; our hard tack

aiu

cranberries, and rum, were in retjuisitioii at once.

467

' I

I! >

! 1 i

408

THE NATIONAL DAT.

■<■ It is not for the host to tell tales of his after-dinner company; l.iu
tlu- tnitli of liistory may he satisfied without an intimation that our
^Micsts paid ni^rjjranl honors to the jolly ^rod of a milder clime. The ver-
iest prince of l)ottle memories would not have (puirrcled with their
heel-taps.''

Some of the feats performed hy the natives in their kayaks were truly
remarUahle, The ])rocess of turnin^^ a somersault in the water, hoal and
all, seems an imi)ossihle one, hut its jn-aeticahility amoni,'' the I>.(iuimau\
is attested hy many witnesses. An active male will seize a lar.L^e stone
m lioth hands, and leaninjr hackward, will disappear, t<. return almost
instantly, still holdinL^ the stone. But this species of acpiatie perform-
ance is hardly more remarkable than the process of catchinii,' a seal, and
is certainly not as dan-^rtsrous. The former feat "s exhibited liy the half-
day for a chew of tobacco or a j,dass of jrro^r. The latter is dared be-
cause huuL^a-r and the domestic necessity <leman(l it.

Here at PrrA'en the parties celebrated the national anniversary in the
best manner tb.t their limited means permitted, liy wav of salute, and
in lieu of <,runpowder, the seamen rolled a bu.^'c boulder down the clifl's,
"spliced the main brace by means of egj^-no},', made from the e.^i^rs ,,f the
eider-duck, and wound up with a ball in which sonn of the E <|ui-
maux belles li,L,'in-e(l conspicuously, Pnttin.t,^ to sea on the ^th, thev suc-
ceeded in working- their way nortiiward, and on the i :;th thev encoun-
tered their old accpiaintance, the Prince Albert, from which they had
I'cen separated in the l)esetment of the month befbre. This vessel, tlion^li
under a new command, was back more once upon the same mission as
tiiemselves. The two expeditions kept together tbr three weeks. Hv
watch^iL,'- every openin.i,^ in the ice tiiey manaj-ed to make a few miles of
northiuL,^ every day, which brouLclit them early in Aui^nist to the dreaded
Melville P.ay, over which the "Devil's Thumb" kept solitary ,i,aiard.
Here they found the ice more impracticai)le than the vear before. The
icebero^s came down, threatening- them with instant destruction. The
leads were all closed, and solid ice lilocketl up the jjassa^^e across the bay.
The British abandoned the idea of succeedinir in that direction, and
j)rocee(led to the soutli, there to continue their unsuccessful search.

^o-^

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

^y M^e

#^.

5^ /^/.

1.0

I.I

■^IIIM 12.5

■« 1M 111112.0

11-25 i 1.4

- A."

1.6

Sdences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

470

COUESB OF THE DRIFT.

.Ik- 30.1, „f s.„.e,.,,.,.. The Roscuo ,.,n-ivo,l s,.,felv ,„vcn ,,ay, ,.„,,. „„
Srctost Kr«it,„lc provalUn.,- araon-, all f,„. ,|K-ir v,r I 1- '

»" ."■•.„. „a,„o. ,„■.„„„.„,, .,,.;,, ,;„., ;„:;;-,. -^- ""'■-™- r,,„„

ft n„>v reraai,,, ,„ speak brieHy of ecrtain lhl„.„ ,hat V.ve K
™«i.u.„,. „,„, eo^pleee, „.. a„e„p, ,.. ,„.„ ,„„ ' ^ , t;,:;:;-

wc will now attempt to do. ' '"'''''■'

The slightest attention to the oY.ncrr.,,.u., r xt , .

;n\:;r::::;.:- r r =■« -= >;-;:r^^^

t.on of the northern coast of Morth Am...-- ^^'^'^'''^^'^ f'^^" "avij^^a-

Kn.eH„.La..ea.e.S„„,,.,aeeo„,;:;::-,Z::::;;:-~
pursued a course al.no.. JireCly west .,„•„„.„ Uan,! S, ! ' "°"

Beeche, I.a.,.,, uea.- „.„ic„ plaee ,„e ,nee.l , „ l ! [.r '" ^

rro. here a . g.ag e„u,-,e „a, p,„.»,,e,l alon,, ,he islands „„ ,„e ,„„d,

dntt he,gan whose pnncipal events have heen reeor.led in ,1.
pa.^e.s. The con.se of the drift dnrin, the nu.nth S 1 , ' '

wholly northward and th. '^^•p' on her was almost

y "uiwaiu, and the upper extrem tv of the (^h..n„ i i

". •;■ ™.i,„, the ehauuel. F„|,„„i„, „,, ,„„,^^, .„. „^^, ,,„-,^,„^;

P""™ ^^h--'- l> -""• aeeumulated ahou, ,he„, ,hev I ■

eastward i„,„ Maffi,,., ,5,, ,,„ , ,,, ' ""'"' ""-^ ''""«' »1<>»I.V

■"i.ii s uaj, and thence southeast until -s w,- lv,,„.

>" "- .-antintc, in the drift ,„ the northward, certain natn.al

AN UNFORTUNATE CONTROVERSr, 471

'iivisions had l.ecn discovered, and received names from the American
j>arty. These discoveries, while they were of no great practical value,
wcrestill supposed, at that time, to he of importance in confirmmg a
theory which was chaining ground durin- the middle of the nineteenth
century, namely, that about the Polo were land and water of comparative-
ly mild temperature— perhaps inhabited, and certainly capable of sus-
taining animal life

These discoveries were announced in Lieut. De Haven's formal
report to the vSccrctary of the Navy, in substance as follows:

" Between Cornwallis Island (already long since discovered) and a
large mass of elevated land to the north, was seen a large open channel
leading to the westward. To this was given the name of ' Maury's
Channel,' in honor of the then chief of the Hydrographical Bureau,
and the National Observatory. The large body of hign land seen to
the north between N. W. and N. N. E., was termed 'Grinnell Land,»
in honor of the head and heart of the man in whose philanthropic
mind originated the i.lea of this expedition, and to whose munificence it
owes its existence."

A remarkable peak on the eastern visible extremity of the unknown
land was termed Mt. Franklin, with obvious fitness, \severa! other un-
important discoveries were made; among them a small island which was
named after Mr. Murdaugh, the acting master of the Advance, and an
inlet, discovered by Mr. Griffin, the commander of the Rescue, was
aptly named from its discoverer.

It is proper to remark in this connection that the matter of pre-
cedence in the discovery of tlie so-called Grinnell Land above men-
tioned, became a subject of unfortunate controversy between English
and American geographers and explorers. English geographers, i.rcer-
tain maps published in the latter part of 1S51, plotte.l this tract of land
and named it Prince Albert Lan<l, announcing it as the discovery of
Cap^ Ommaney, confirmed more recently by the explorations of Capt.
Penny. This map was supplemented by a foot-note mentioning the fact
of the American claim, and stating that a certain other tract of land
bearing some 6o'^ „r 70" to the westward must have been the Grinnell

473

THE AMERICAN CLAIM VINDICATED,

i. 'fie: J, : "o"""^' '" '" ^""''' '-- -'-"' -' ^"•■" 'he ioLow.
»„; ;■„,', T""^' "^'" '"'""" "■ '-- been „ ,n,„.lrc..l „,,,.

. A .he Amonca,, .q„.,„„ w„, „„,,. f„„, „;,,, f,„„, , ,„
s .cade,. „.. ».„„„., .He new eoa., a.,., a» it wa, hare,, vi.,ih, ^
1. .ppea„n« „p„„ .he vessels ,e..ea.i,„ „„;, . ,,w ,„i,es ,. .he ,„., '
o <,„., .„, Cap.. «,n,„a„e,., si«, ,..,, ,„, „.„„,, ,„.,,^ J ;
^ ve, as was professed, seen a,,., „a,„e,l .his new ver«e <,f a p,„si
A e.,e ec,„.,„e„.. A«,„, as .he America,, squadro,, wa^ well „p, '^

E^..«h asp.ra„.s for preeedenee a„d pres.i„e wo„,d Have a..rih:.ed

W lo I,e sure, the Amerieans were earriod .hi.her witho.tt ,„v
hoee „. .he,r „w,., and i. was ,.„der eirc.,„s.a„ees he,o„d .heire „ „

^ha. .hey preceded .he Bri.ish party in .he ™a..er in eon.roversv; b„. „
D . Kane laeon.cally observes, -They */ precede .hen,," and .h, s, wi'.
o... do, ,. es.abnshed .he eiain, of discoverers, and .he ri,h. „, do

-'• '.. '^"n.,ns forward .his disenssion, the wri.er has endeavored" .

!' ■." ■■»""■;" >-'*e ... inflncncc bin, i„ presenting „„. f„„,, „,„

h .s n. eonscons of bavin, vioia.ed any r,.,e of international eti, e..e.
A A er,ean .geographers, and wc are glad .o no.e, son,., also of E„..
l.«h an.l,„rsh,p, eon.inne .ogive .he lan.l in ,p,.s.i„n .he A,nerican del
.gna..on, .hns vindiea.ing, a.ler three .leea.les, the An.erica,. elai.n

CHAPTER Lin.

DBV,. S .r„„M„_VA,„OUS D,SCOVEn,.S_..A„,v S„„.W„.CK.U
—A WATCHFUL BEAR.

The .screw schoono,-, Isabel, wa.,, It »ee.., „,,„i„anj. ftte.l .„.t by
. D„,u„. lieatson fo.- a en,i,e .„ .he Arctic regions i„ .,,.,,„ „f s^^
Jo.,„ I. .a„kl,n by way „f liehrin-A Strai.. This e.p„,i,i„„, however
"W,n, .„ „navo,dab,edirtieu„ies, was abandoned, and .he shi, , wi.h i ve
years prov.s.on, for .welve ™en, and a s,.a„, high p, .are engine of
s,..ecn horse power, which had been fi..ed .„ drive an Archi;edia„
so .„., bes, es havn,. been doubled, s.rcng.hened, and covered as f,r ,,
.. K. boa s w,.h ,„,vani,ed iron, wa- .hrown back „p„„ .he hands „'
Lady Franldn,, .he originai owner. ,. was .l,e„ ...fered .„ .head-nir „. '
.,.r Arce scrv.ce; bn. .heir lordships „„. earin, .o inau.nra.c any ,nore
Autic expeditions, declined the offer.

A pr,^osi.ion was ,he„ ,na.le by' Lady Franldin .o Commander E
A ..„lc„e., .o . e cffec. .ba. he should .„.e .be vessel, provide a crew
^.nd such „.her de.ails of equip.ncn. as .ho vessel should reonire Z

' '■ '"'"" :»'-■ *^- '--^»i- V ■>.. hoard, and, joinin, T s '.i ^

™-epresen. n, .be ArCic regions, deposi. wi.h .hen, bil provi ils"
-I return .he san,e season .o England. Cap.. I„g,efleld had 1 ..le relish'

. c,„g e,„ploye,l .nerely as a .rauspor. cap.ain, h„. seeing bow w
h ted .be vessel was for Arc.ic cruising, be aceep.ed Lady FrauM „
"'>.;™i .. «-o.-.o give hi,n. he ship in con,pensa,io„ ' for bis I..^ ^

V. n,gd-,a. be could be ,dlowc<l .o condnc. a search in any .nana:
.n ,. „ov,ded,also,.ba. he could oh.ain leave of absence ,Vo„, .he
L.,,d ..W,„,ra,, and be allowed .„ have his vessel n..ed np in a govern-

473

474

IN THE DOCK-TARD.

As he had already expressed his taste and willin-ness for Arctic
explorations hy volunteering on several previous occasions to joi,, ,
search for Sir John Franklin, and as he further helieved that Frankli,,
could he found, or that he could he followed over the route which he
had chosen, he regarded this opportunity as too tempting to he lost; and
as the admiralty granted him in full the permission he desired, he' lost
no time in acquainting Lady Fraiddin with his decision.

With the divers appliances on hand at the navy yanl it was a com-
paratively short task to fix up the little schooner,'and with the engine
thoroughly examined, provisions well stored, sails dtdy repaire.l, ^an.i
ship considerahly strengthened, together with the addition of sledges,
tents, traveling and cooking apparatus, and innumerahle articles which
many friends found the means of supplying, Inglefield was ready to nio\e
out of the hasin on the 4th of July, 1852.

After taking leave of his friends, the Lord Admiral and Lady
Franklin, Inglefield caused his vessel to he towed out of the harh<,r,and
was soon speeding up along the coasts of England and Scotland. His
plan of search was hriefiy as follows: His first ohject was to arrive at
Whale, Smith and Jones' Sounds hy either the eastern or western slmres,
ascending as he might find that the state of th- ice would ena])le hiui t.i
do, and having thoroughly examined these sounds, hays, inlets, or what-
ever they turned out to he (for there was then no accurate kno-..,le.l-
of them), he would, if not forced to winter so far north, proceed (io- ..
the western coast of Bafiin's J]ay, exploring its shores as far south as
Lahrador.

In order that he might intelligently comnumicate witli the natives,
he hoped, at llolsteinherg, or some other Danish town, to procure an
interpreter, and with this in view he had taken with him a letter to the
Danish authorities of Greenlaml, requesting for him their assistance,
should he he in \\ciii\ of it.

If the lateness of the season or any other cause should ohligc him to
winter at Lancaster Sound or north of it, he hoped hy means of his
sledges to he ahle to communicate with the royal sc|uadron, as well as
to make a careful search of all the deep Inlets of P,alfin's IJay; an.l thus.

lar south as

THE CREW. ^^j.

o..,, if ,,,,.™ece.sf„, in ,he «rca. objoc. „f hi, vov„,o, he hoped .„ .,t,e
..-e, .he vexed c,„e™„„„fu,e entrance in.,, .he Gre,,. Vohtr „„,

"■,.,„h .he s„.eahe., S,.i.,,. s, , „hich before hi» voyage had nev

been approached nearer .han vvi.hin .even.y miles

After stopping f„r .heh- las. Ie..er,s a. Pe.erhead, on .he coas. of

.coland, ,hey ,.ean,cd away, and were so „.. „f ,,.^, ,„ ,„„.

I eerewand o.Hcer, who composed .his ..n..le band of spiri.ed
». c,n,.ers,"„,, .he newspapers sp„.e of then, a. .he .i.e. n.niered
sc-entee„,andc„„s,stedof.wo ice-mas.e,-, and a n,a.e, a surgeon an
......ncer a stoker, who was also a b,aeksmi.h, .wo carpen.ers,"a c;ok,

™.l e,,h. able seamen. Of .hese every one of .he officers was a man o
e.|x.,ence and abdi.y. Dr. Sn.herlan.l, the snr^oon, was particularly a
va aable m.., havn,, been e„,.a,ed i„ the previous Arctic c.pcdi. „n
." ic Mr. Penny, and hcin, versed in the sciences a knowledge of
ul.,ch >vould be calle,! into pl.ay in the ArCie regions.

The accommodations of .ho Isabel were vcry"scan.y. "My cabin"

-v^ t;ap,. I„,defiel.l, .-was not ntorc than six fee. square, having .', sk!..

.-uattctopofakindoftrnnk, which passed throngh a s.oreroo,,.

' ' "" ,""■ """*"'■■ '" "^''- 'l'-'-- -l-k- My *-.X, or sleeping berth

>vas on the starboard side, fonr feet above the ,leck, and conid only bj
approachcl through an aperture in a kin.l of wooden screen; and cer.ain
cnve.ncn. book-shelves an.l lockers were fi.tcd in all .he an^^lcs and
corners, ,vhicl, none bu. those accustomcl to a seafaring life cotd.l have
s„ n,gennn,sly appropriated. A t.able two feet by .wo a,al a half was
hxcd against the bulkhead which separated the .doctor's cabin' front .he
ca,,.an, s.s,a,eroom;'. he fo,,„ersome.hi„g smaller .ban .he latter the
bunl. the sante size, bnt arranged as the sleeping berths of .he doctor
™l Mr. Manson, one of the ice-m.asters. The engineer's cabin, an.l
.N . Aherncthy s (the other ice-master), occpicl positions on either side
of .he engnte.room hatch, so that when .steam was up, tltev enjoyetl a
Itmperalure of ioo° Fahrenheit."

The boiler an.l engine were as conveniently placet as possible It
«» nnpossible, however, on so small a ship so to arrange the binn'aclc,
'1>»> Ihe comp.ass shoul.l no, be disturbed by the presence of so much

470

J'/^KI£JiN^ES.

ffi ! ' '] '!

t(\m'>

• E

meal. I,„U..,i, ,hc w.i.c,- Is ,|i,„o,e,l h, „„ril„„. ,hc <li»c,c„.„Kic.

<■.- ly .„ ... „c.cc».„., i„„..e,.n,cy ,„■ .„. ,on„... i„»„,„„,„,„ ' .^ '
d. „,,„..„ ,,„„,,,, ..o„,„ ,„ ,„„ ^„„ , ,„. ..,,__ ,,^ ^ "» ■

l..ca. n.tn,c.,„,. u-as vo,-, „,„, ,,,. ., .,„„., »„,,„, ,, ,„ ' , ^

«c-a,„.,, .„„„,,„ „,h l,K. i,.„n „.a.l,i.,„ .vcv ,„..„,,„ ,„^, ;

..C.S wh,ch .„„.,.„.■,. c..„ai„ „.. .,i»„epa„ci., „f Cap,. .„.,,.«.,'

Araoc,,,,,, with ».v-o,,,l English sails, a„,l a scvco a„,l ,a,.l,„;„.,,
enco,,.,.,. ,r Cap.I,..we„, „..,. „,,. „,„„„, ^.,.^,„ ,„, '^ «
occ,„.„„, .,„„,„ „.. v,,va,e to .ho „,,. ,.„ppi,„ „,„„ „„ „,. J:^
-.. <„, .„e j.h ,.f A„,„s., as .„. vessel „as Keepi,,, i,. ,„„„,,

'"'""* :'"""■• "'■"- '--incss .„-„K.sc.a, s„„K. natives...,: I

scvc e,„n„„ ,„r i„ .hoi,. ,i,„. ka.alcs. ,. „as s, , „s.,„„i . .

vessel was on- Fisl<e,.n,es, „ Danish se..lcme„., , „,| Cap. I„„le

soon ahle .o ven.V his posi.i..,. f, , his ins.n,,'...,,,,. ,1; ' .f. I', r

E qu,„„.,„. a,„l Chei,. canoes on I .„, o„e .„. „„„„, ,,^.,„. ,^„ . ^J "^

.Kl,.h nl.n, „ p,.„,,,„. ,„ .,„„ ,,, ,,^^ „.^„,^_ .,

'V'^"': ' -'- -I--., :n,„ p,.oeec ,an,Mn,he

ha..|.o,.. .So ve,v sn,al, „.as ,he ,„, .,, i,.;,,,,,.,,,,^^ ^

f'"-^'"'"' ---'-"M-in. U.„,o,ishe,, he,. ,n.,.,e,.. This „

f..m,ne „.as ,.epai,.e„ i„ a sl,„,.. ,i,„, „,„. ,^,„, ,„^, ^ _ ^

^ '>-^;i^ 0„ve,.„o,., M,.. La..e„. „e,.e .he ..eates. hospi.ah.v ua

l>""n h,n, and a„ho.„h nei.he,. .he ,,„ve,. his see e.a,.v eo,„„

spca.. a,,v, „„ oxeep. Danish, so„,e i,„-„,.n.,.io„ .as ,a.he,.e., o,- .,,

.oso,,,,e,,,.ese,.e,io,,s. ..\,„o,„ o.he,. .hi„,s ,hev To ha,.:

. c ,easo„ sled,o„., was no. p,.:,e.iee,l i„ .his l,a,, h„. „,e „.ave, :

Ic u.e,.e pe,.,o,.,.e,l wholl, in .he wa,e, ,, n.eans o,- ,„e l.ava,.,

; ""':"f '" —-1'™'.^- Thefi,.ew ,,eo„sis.in, „,■..,;„„„.»

■"" ""■" '" ''■^'■-'-■' -"I «"">■ ^.' ".«, was .a.l,e,.e

<li.scrcj);nu-ius i,,
'• ''V Dr. K:uK.,
"uinc'iits. Iiiu-l^,.

1 the VL-HSCI, the

-'vv, its shiitt and
rc-rfiil ;i<rcMits to
* ^<-'<-'n that Dr.
chapter), how.
iiiul hasftl upon
■ I'l-lefidd.
'""' lastincr crale
^ "i" importance
1 the Greenhnul
in toward sonic
itives were ob-
^'i"sto()(i that the
Jno-lefield was
\-iii- taken the
I'lj^'ly more in-
;i>i aiu'horai^e,
licld yielded lo
ii'l in the little
•"'ver, that the
L'r. This nn's-
- ■'^'lip up pre-
led to wait on
ispitality was
Jcretary eonld
thcred of the
bund that Ibr
he tra\el and
" the kayaks,
r '>(" willows,
'''-''I in these

47?

478

GREENLAND PIETT.

i !l i!i\

oom.aks. Tlu. principnl export sccmcl ,„ ,,c co,lfi,h, „f which ,. .|,i„
ioa, h,„l „..„ .„„ ,„,,, ,„ ,>,„„,„., „,„,. ^, ^^,^^ _,^^^_^ ^^^_^^.^^^^^ '.P-

Cunm,, ,„ „hsc.rvc ,!,„ mc.h„,l „r „.„rsl,ip h, ,h,s o,„.of.,|,e.«..,v
piace, .n,.|cnol,l oheycl ,ho «,™n,„„,, „f a ,,„|„ „,„ „ „,^, „^,. ;>

oo,l,a,„ ,„„k hi, place in .he vilia.-e church ,„ vva.ch .he „.„„hi;,. ."
they flocked in. '

"Softly, but rapidly, the little meetin,^.hou,se filled, and then the do.,,-
closed, and an Esqnin.aux with the n.ost fo.-bid<iin^ exteno,- of .„, j
had seen, slowly .-ose, and with n..ch sole,.nity ,ave out a hyn.n, .u, i„
a few ..on.ents the melodious hannony of „.any well-tuned voiees hrok
forth I was delighted with the strain, for though not a word was i„.
clh. .le to ..e I could nevertheless feel that each person was littin, his
hear to h,s Maker, and I unconsciously joined in the harm >n v with J,rds
wh.ch, havmg been learnt in childhoo.l, now rushed into n.v mind ukI
hade ,ne^.in.le them with the hallelujahs of these poor scmi-sav:..
* * A sermon followed, and there burst from the prc.ch
ershps a flow of elocution that I have seldom heard equaled; with„„t
^cst,cu afon he warmed to his subfect till the lar^e drops of perspiration
ic on the sacred volume, and hi. tone and emphasis proved that he was
gifted w,th eloquence of no ordinary nature." After exchan-n-n^. court
es,es with the authorities, by giving and receiving several cHn.^rs, „.
party bade a final adieu to the little harbor of Fiskern.s and steanu.l
away to the north. Capt. Inglefield intended to touch at Holsteinhor. i,,
order to take on, if possible, one Adam Heck, a Dane, who had beo 'me
responsible for a report of Franklin's murder. Inglefield desired ,o
make hnn prove his statements by actually visiting the scene of the al-
leged tragedy. A gale, however, drove the vessel bv IIolsteinI,or.
w.th such force that the town could not be made, and so U.e project re-
ferred to above had to be abandoned.

It was now resolved to push for Godhaven on Disco Island for the
purpose of securing dogs and an interpreter. On reaching this port it
was found that Sir Edward Belcher, who had preceded Inglefield, had
taken all the <logs there were to spare. The governor, however, ...ve
Capt. Inglefield a letter to the authorities at Upernavik, directing'that

DEVIL'S TIIUAfB. ,^

479

'■■^ "•,,„„ ,„o„i,l„e .upplicl .h„e. Fin,li„, hero .he mnil ,,,,„, „r s;,

A,,.,., .he, were „„. ,,„„ ,„ ,„.„„„,„, ,„„ ,,^,^ ^^, .^„ J^

■^"•^'T'"" ■'■' -"'erne,,,,".,,, I„,,enel.,,.„„,„„ he,,,,,

.,.c,f „..„., .,r „„e ,„ ,he,,e Greo„l:,n,l village, i, so ex,,e.l, .he e,„. .e

' ;," ■■'■■:";■'• '-\r ""- "-'>'-" '"• "'^■■•■- "-- -'i '--■« »„, L

.,...", ,„ ..„ e „ ,.1 ; .„„ „,. .h,,.e w„„„e„ h„..e, for .he se..,ers a,,.,
I..^.m,.. huts for .he E,.,„i,„aux, are .he general features of .hese

A s.in- so„,herly hreeze .oo„ hrou.h. ,he„, h, si,h. „f .he ea.ranee
...NMuleBay. 1. was now .^..-one ,lay, ,i„ee .he, left Pe.erhea.1,
:.... .lv,v ha,, reache.1 .h.s poi„. on,, „ few .,„,, ,„.„, ,„,„ .„^ ^ ^

- ' l» ,.-v.....s vear, wi„, apparc.l, a ,,e..er season, „„e„cu,nhere<, wi.h
:..... sort, a,„, w,.l,o„. o,,e,.s. The Devi,'s Th.n.h a,,., Crh.s„„ Clilf
u.ro s„ccess,vel.v passe,,, a sharp ,„„ko„. hein^ Uep. in .he ,.ea„.i™e for
v,s.,,es ,., wrecl<s a,„, .raee» of hnn,a„ ,,Te. A we„,,e of a ship's ,„as.
a .a-,,, a cor,<, a,„, so,.,, s.aves were pieke,, „p, a„,| a, .he .in,e seen,e,
"""I..V. „o.,ce w,. refe,.ence .„ the ,„,ssin,. .„„„„,.„„; h,,., ,.s was
'"■ "--.l l.>""<l, tho ,h.,as.ers of ,he whalers in Melville liav accounted
I"! ihe presence anil conili.ion of .hese ar.ieles.

After ,lisc.„veri„g an., nan,i,,^- Nort,„n„l,eria„cl Island an.l M„,.ehis„n
Cha,„K ,„,„1 ace,„a,elyflxinK Makl,,,. Isla„,ls, .liscovere., bnt wronHv
l"-";l '■>■ "^"li" ">a„y ,ears ,,efo,.e, stea.n an,, sai, we,e p„t on, a,,,, U^o
v,,,el spe,, awa, .o .he northwanl, an,l S.ni.h's S.rai, ,„„, Son,,,, u,.,e
.-.I.,,,. Here ,nan, points of interest were ,!iseovere,l an,l „a,ne,l
I lu. western coas. showed a. so„,e .lis.,n,ce hack a hi,h ran,-e of ,n„„n-
la.ns, which were callcl after Ills R„,al Highness .he Prince „f Wales-
,m,, those .er,„i„a.ins •', the ,„„s. n-n-tiu-n, point visible, reccive.1 thei,'
i-amc l,-,)n, titc English Qneeii, Victoria Ilea.l.

IV- hay intervening between that an.l Cape Albert, was natne., after
»• I ro.ces, Marie, then DnCtes,, of IIa„,i„on. Other eapcs on the west
>l-.^ ue,e callcl after the Ear, of Cu,nper,,own, Col. Sabine, an.l Mis,
<^ nidolt, a uiccc of Sir John Franklin.

■ I'lM

Xi,

lilt i'

480

VAR/OCrs DlSCOVEPrES.

On the eastern land, the furthest northern point ohserved was c-.lld
after his Danish Majesty, Kin,^ Frederick VII., heing the most northn„
pon,t of his dominions. Tt:e >.ater ne .rest this point was ealle.l .(kr
Lady Franklin, Franklin Hay, and other eapes, hays, gulfs, and mown
tarns of less nnportance were designated after distinguislicl En-lish ,li.
n.tar,es. As has been seen, Inglefield's loeations, espceially Ws rep,"
sentation of the trend of Smith's Strait, were faulty, hut the traein-^ of
the eonfiguration was mainly eorrect, an.l with the new la(itu,le".„„|
longitude afterwanl given, the points noted hy him di.l not receive new
names.

A violent gale rising soon after Victoria Head was discovere.l
prevented any further progress to the north, and a ret.n-n to Jones So,„,.i
was now contemplated. The highest latitude reached l.y Uk- Iv.IhII.,
was, according to Inglefield's reckoning, 78" 30', being farther nor.h
than any vessel had yet attained in this Sound. As Kane ifterv ,nl
found that Inglefield had made the coasts of the strait tren.l too nuah" to
the north, it is probable that the latitude reached at this time was less
than reported by him.

The ship was ,.ow directed along the north coast of Jones So.md •„„!
Ingbs I'eak and Cape Maxwell were successively noticed, and named
«n,m English personages. After attaining a western longitude of Sf
.0', the ship scudded before a gale over ^ - the south shore, and the party

once more proceeded eastward, surveying and charting the coast as (Lev

went.

After reaching the e.,stern extremity of Jones Sound an<l neariv s„f.
fermg shipwreck on Cape I'arker, it was necessary to decide what
should be their next step; an.l after deliberation, i, was determined ,0
nsk the chance of being caught by freezing up, and of spending the win-
ter >n the ice, for the benefit that might be conferre<l on the govenur.ent
service, by carrying the surplus stores of provisions and coal to the
squadron of Sir Edward Helcher, whose provision-ship, the North Star
was known to be in the vicinity of Bee- hev Island. In this ea^e Sir
Edward might be benefited by Inglefield's discoveries, and on the otiier
hand, the latter coidd carry back to England, which could probably be

IS (Iisc-(niTc(|,
) Jones Soiiiitl

tlic- Is;i1h-1|;i

farther north
lie afteruani
' too much to
ime was luss

A WATCHFUL UBAli.

ached l)efore winter, the latest inte
liiiuh-on, and of tlieir cha

i^'ence of the movcnie

tliS ()

nees of success.

481

f the

Upon reachinjr Ik-echey Island, it
Capl. Kelleit had sailed from that nl
three weeks previons!}-, the f(
tn Melville Island; nothing,' since

was f.unid that Sir Edward and

place with their steani-tenders al

)OUt

'liner up Wellin-ton Channel and the 'atte.

It was

supposed that Sir lulward had ;,'

I'.irry Strait. The of]

had been heard of either of ihein; and
one away into open water beyond

icers of the North St

rceut an

y considerable amount of the st

ir could not be induced t(

ores olFerci

ahhoujrh the fact that he was jibout t

InjLflelield,

for bin) to part wit!-, tlic i.)ost he had

> return to En-rland made it pos-

laro

Here they showed lnj,r|eliel(l
d I

the tliree j^M-aves of I'

uliicli liad l)een discovered i)y I'eiinv and Dell

111(1 told him of the I

ranklin's men.

i\-en ;-vo years previous,

ic of tile ,i,n-aves, sittiuLT "l)"ii it ev

>ear winch was said to keep a conti

erv niifht.

'V\

le mail ba<,^s bein- all prepared, and the kind

nuous vijfil over

farewells said, tl

a prepared to bei^rj,, l^.r j

omc'.'.ard journev.

tended to la.i.l at Holsteinber-, but Wbalelish Island^

uiivenieiit j)oint, a landin,','- was e.Tected h

It was at first hi-
proviiiL,^ a more

the homeward journev.

Aft

ere, and the ship refitted f

er a rest of several davs, dnr

tiiiu' a reception and ball, -iven by the Danish C

llie party set out for home, where they landed in Noveml

iiKiiiths from the time of startin<(.

pon arrivin- i„ ICn-land Capt. In-lcficld published
aibeiitures, and received the

m<r which

rown. Were enjoved,

)er, just four

an accotmt of

Ahhou-l,throu-h causes over which he ba<l n
n.aiiN of them, inaccurate, his vova
cause of -^-eo^M-aphical science, and d

ipprobation of iiany pi.blic i

nen.

o control, his results were.

,re was still a valuabi

e service to the

eserves due mention in our list.

1 !

CHAPTER LIV.

lUOGKAPIIY OF KANE— EARLY QUALITIES —FORMAL EDUCATION— iv
WRETCHED HEALTH — DECIDES UPON A LIFE OF CELIBACY— ins
LOVE-LIFE — CRITICISMS.

It Is the misfortune of son.e men to outlive their reputations, at least
so far as their noble, worthy features are concerned. On the other hand,
it has often been observ-d that real worthiness of character, and even
<,'enius, have not received full recognition nor due homage until the car
of the possessor " has grown too dull to hear." Fortunate is the man
who, like the subject of our sketch, listens in life to the praise of his
own heroic and virtuous deeds, and dies with affectionate and honorahle
tributes still oflbred him on every hand. Admiration for .,o distinguished
i,n American, and a knowledge of his popularity and thorough
appreciation in every part of America, must be the excuse (though none
were needed) for giving his biography so large a place in this series of
narratives.

Elisua Kent Kane was born on the 3d of February, 1820, on W'al-
luit St., Philadelphia. In respect to nationality he was descended fnmi
fom- distinct ancestral stocks. He numbered as his progenitors ihe
(irays, of English, the Van Rensseljers, of Lmv Dutch, the Leipers, ,){
Scotcii, and the Katies, of Irish extraction. His immediate ancestors
were John K. Kane of Philadelphia, and a daughter of Thomaj^Leiper,
ail parties being prominent and well-known in the politics and public
events of the days in which th.- lived.

As a child, as a youth, and as a man, Kane exhibited striking (|ual-
itics. His musculai- and nervous characteristics were such as to (it him
for all manner of athletic exercises, and in these he especially delighted
to engage. His freedom and independence of spirit, with his intense
aversion to arbitrary authority, gave him, in the estimation of prini-

48!i

'fW''

't 'HI

"K. E. K. KANE.

488

484

EARLT 'qualities.

.l.v-c people, the eh:,n.eter of a " 1,^,, h,,, ," though he mdly h.ul none

of the ciualities by virtue of whieh he shoukl have merite.l this title

There was nothin.i,^ of the hypocrite in his nature, and he scorne.l to

resort to those little lyin- suhtertu-cs whieh " -oodish" boys arc apt to

employ in order to shield themselves from the results of bad behavior.

His frank and open character surprised the -ood people of his nei-l."

I'orhood and acciuai.Uance, who did not interpret him as they grew^o

'1<> afterward; and who, n..t understanding him at all, chose to as"-ribe t„

lii>n those ciualities which many boys possess. Many incidents of l,is

early life well illustrate his manly disinterestedness and -enerosity. V^s.

pecially <Iid he establish himself as the guardian and '^l^rotector "of hi.'

younger brothers. ()„e day, when about nine years of age, bein- ,t

school with his little brother >nuch younger, the latter was abou^t io

sufler a whipping for some slight olfense, when lOIisha sprang up, ex-

clai.liing: "Whip me, don't whip l.im, he's so little!" The'teacher,

thinking that this was another exhibition of the boy's rebellious spirit,'

sai.l, "I'll whip you too, sir." The struggle which followed showe.l

youngKane'snotionsof justice, although he- left the room with marks
that recpiired explanation.

He was of that wiry, nervous physique which enables people I., ,|„
a.id en.lure in a manner which surprises not only every one else, but
oftentimes themselves, also. Commonplace feats he was 'never satislld
to attempt. He m.ist undertake that which was dilHcult, daring, and in
his earlier life, many times what was reckless and useless. it was j„m
this g..-ahead, energetic spirit which enabled him in after years t„ walk
over <lillicidty, and accomplish his undertakings, fre(iuently in thc^ midst
of untold peril, and in a co.ulition of physical weakness amomiling al-
most to prostration. Like many other men who have risen toemin.Mue,
he did not, in his earliest youth, show a taste for learning, aiul certainlv
not a fondness for lessons set by teachers, but having chosen to follow a
given com-se of action, convinced of its reasonableness or necessity, no
dislikes, or ditlirulties, or importunities sulHced to shake him from his
purpose.

His father, afterward Judge Kane, was a shrewd lawyer, literatcur,

BEGINS ACTIVE LIFE. ,0-

a.ul connoisseur in scicn.o, and sccin^, with his keen pcnetn.tion, that
hc,-e were occnlt possibilities, wisely let hin. choose hi's course for him-
selu. regard to his f;,rnK.l education. He had inten.led his s„n for
^aIe College, and took hin, to New Haven for entrance, hut it was
he,^ soon discovered that he was already smitten with the heart <lisease
wh.ch hun,,. about him all his life. The Universitv of Vi^nnia in pre
sentin., the plan of elective studies, ^ave n.ore n-cedon. to a ' uti. of
poor health, and here, for a time, he prosecuted his studies. There was
nothm,^ peculiar about younj, Kane's colle.,.e course except that he nvm-
.feste<l a c,,.eat deli,,.ht in the concrete realisation of what he ..,t in the
abstract Irom books. Geoloj^y, chemistry, botanv, must all receive body
and naeanin;, to him by actual examinations on the rocks, in the woods
-• i" t'- lalx,ratory. Thus, though he did not take a decree, his knowl-
-l,e ot all the subjects which he investi.^.ated was marvelously com
plete and thorough. His j,reat command of lan^ua^e, his happ; choice
.>! words, and his wonderful knowlecl^^e of the terminolo-.y of" the sci
cnces, are well seen in the descriptions which he has written of his voy-
ai^i's to liie Polar regions.

Although in wretclK-d health, an.l without prospect of anv cban<^e
'•'■■ -IH' better, it l>ecame necessary tbr Kane to choose ^ profession ; such
a lcu)perament, and such actiVity of mind, could not be satisfied without
M.,ne .lellnite aim. His studies in chemistry, and his thorough insight
into the methods of scientific investi<rati

on, made his subse([uent choice
of the study of medicine a wise one, and at the a,e of twentv-two he
i.ra,luated m that profession at the iiea.l of his class, and with" a thesi,
wh.ch ^ave him ^reat celebrity and n.ade bin, mu,ucsti<,ned authority
on the subject treated.

He entered a hospital as senior officer soon after .^n-aduation, but it
was seen that his health demanded a chanj,.e. He therefore be-
came a can.hdate for the position of assista.U surgeon of the United
States navy. Havin- received this appointment, bis life thereafter was
to a oreat extent, a life of travel. With the <iuestions how this suited'
l""b and to what results some other .nanner of life wouhl have led we
have nothing, to do. We can only record here that, placed a. \v was he

486

LOVE-LIFE.

■ti:|l

made the best of every circumstance, and became the polished scientist
and brilliant writer that his published works show him to have been
Mex.co, every part of Europe, many parts of Asia and Africa, n.ost ot"
the important islands of both oceans, and, as we have seen, the extren.
ity of America, became the scenes of his observation, and their interest
nvr features received successively the attention of his brilliant and well
balanced mind. "Some persons," says Pres. Fairchild, in his Mor-.l
Philosophy, "Without physical health, or foundation for it, //.. becu^e
they deem it to be their duty." We are aware of not havinc, quoted
hus words exactly, but this idea of the predominance of the soxd over
the body, of the will over corporal weakness, was embodied truly in
Kane. He rose from a sick bed to his adventures many times when ris.
mg seemed indeed a resurrection.

It is impossible to go into the details of his eventful life up to the
time ot those events with which this volume has particularly to <lo It
remains, therefore, to mention briefly some matters connected with his
private life, before continuing the narrative from which this biography
IS an incidental, though necessary digression.

Kane's great physical weakness had determined him in early m.n
hood to lead a life of celibacy. It is said that as he was one day" ...oi„..
the rounds of the poor-house hospital in his junior service as phvsici-u, to
that n.st.tution, he came across a diminutive, scjuali.! pauper, \vho had
married rather a come! .voman in the house. The senior physician
who was with him at the time, asked bin. what he prestmied. must he
the feelings of that woman when slie looked upon this disgusting speci-
men, an<l reflected that lie was her lord an.l master. To "which Kan.
very seriously replied: "It is to save some la<ly just such thoughts as
those, that 1 have determined never to marry." In spite of this"<Ietcr-
mination, however, anc. in spite of his physical infirmities, he ])rove(l
susceptible in after years to the charms of the fair sex. In the h.ttcr
part of KS52 Kane became acciuainted with the celebrated Margaret Fox,
whose name has long been familiar in connection with the "spiritu;il
manifestations" which were such a source of wonder and scientific com-
ment at the time. Although she was but a very young girl at the time

CR/r/C/SMS. ^g^

Ik- first n.et her, he fell in love with her at first .sight, and resolved to
;;•'■; ->'■ -.rry her. The remainder of his Hie was crowded tull of af-
ccfon and brotherly tenderness. Probably a more devoted couple never
!.ccan,e engaged than these two, though circumstances were against the
•...alloyed and unbroken enjoyment of each other's society

The necessity compelling the Doctor's continue<l absence as well as
the precarious condition of his health, prevented their marriage for many
vcars; but this separation resulted in a rich legacy of correspondence
wh.ch nuheates more clearly than any other circumstance could do the
sincere, pure, noble character of the affection of each toward the oJher
They were at last n.arried a short time before his death, but the affair
Nvas so quietly conducted, that many for a ti.ne doubted its reality and
thus placed the unhappy widow in a most undesirable light before' the
world. It was partly for the purpose of vindicating her own puritN and
that ot her sainted dead that she afterward allowed his correspondence
to he published. His letters reveal a depth and warmth and steadfast-
ness of affection, which is rarely if ever excelled. No aspect of a nuan's
htc so thoroughly reveals his character as the relation which he holds to
the object of his affections, and for the same reason, in no way does the
p.ibhc come so close to a man's inner life as in the correspondence crow-
H>g out of such relation. Thus if there had ever been anv doubt of the
sincerity and purity of Dr. Kane, or her whom he honored with the best
love of his. life, it surely was dispelled upon presenting to the public eye
the correspondence of his private life.

!• cw distinguished persons escape entn-ely the attacks of calumniators,
an,l we fmd that our hero was no exception. In his voyage to the Arctic
.v.^ions, certain diffculties in government of the crew arose, the particu-
lars of which will appear in their proper place. We refer to them here
tor the purpose of showing in what way the cliarges of injustice brought
a-ainst him, as the commanding offcer, h.d been refuted. His com-se
on one <.f the occasions referred to was - trongly condemned after his
.cuun by certain persons, who, not knowing the circumstances, and
l-cng natural and chronic croakers, felt called upon to express a gra-
tuitous ojjinion upon the subject. A letter from Wm. Morto„. „„,, of'the

488

VINDICA TION.

c;«^vv, and a j.c„ctrati„., sajjacious nK.n, fully vindicates fh .•
• I-o^-.".- in each or the clitHcultics which .J W " '"" ^'^^

;-<-<edt.nn.chati.candunde...r:ir: :^^^^^^
fiimincsiKr.rests- and ;f'M. ,. 'Lumstanccs as an Arctic

'.^.^tsts, an.l If measures which seemed extn-m,.

'". '-^ seems tliat the Doctor shoul 1 .- • "'■' '■''"'■^^■''

■H'ss an.l hraverv instead nf ■ ^"^^ercsm^. pronipt-

celchritv. " '■'^''-^>' J^^'V'^'i iiini

&;>

If i

CHAPTER LV.

IIIKOKY OK KAVB- -nrr. ,

MENT AND INSTUUCTIOXS - ,„s piav AM,u^^.

''-' ms J'LAX — iv MEL VII I F n\^-
SMITH'S SOU.Vn-OKEAT LKKII^ k VTKKMV : a -,
AnVANCK AT AXCIIOK. '" '""""^ " ^""^

« K „,crdv , . ■ ' '•■^■^"-■-"•f -> open Poh.r Soa. This „pi„i„„

c.McnM%c,u.ss„f l„s previ,,,,. researches bei,,.. well

- ca,, G.^,ra„h,ca, Soeie.,, :,„„„„..ei„, ,, ,.,„, ,„,„ ,„^ .„,_ J

,. He .eferrc, ,„ h,, u,,„„ .„ .,,^ „„^, „,,^^ ,^.^^

>-.t th p<„e „ ,„ax„„,„„ cUl is „.H identieal wi.l, ,,e North I'-ole 11
»h..u-c,, tha. .here arc .v„ p„,es „, e«re,ne eo,.,, „„e f.,r each he,"
s,>hcre,-„,,c ,., Asia an., .he o.her i„ America; a.,„ .ha. each is ^Z
.c para,.., He fur.her ..hservc., .ha. .he ,.ea,. .Cpera.ur
A,,,u,c...P„,e,ssevera„e„.ees h.^cr .ha„ .ha. of .he isia.ic I^o.eJ

I-tonde., .h„„.h. a,ul <,bserva,i„„ l,a.l Ic, hi,, to behove .ha. ahoat
.1. M ,.,e was a.. „„„„/„,, ,« i. wee, „r .i,,, of „„a, „f c„,„pa,,.tive
.1 u,r.pera.„,.e, ,s„r,-„„,u,i..g a., open polar sea, which presu,, ah,v c
"> K, „o,,her„ .e,.™i,„,s o,' the ea.h. a.is. This opiLn, share , a, „
.. Her e,„,„c,.. „re,„ was fou,K,e., t,p„„ sevcal si,„i„ea.,. ;ae.s, an,™.

:!:::,;■:''. vo,: r-t '"■": t " -"-'"''- -"■• "° -"-

.K-„at,„„ ha,l bee, see,, ab,.,u,a„. ...rest s„„ke," alwa,s inCicaUve of

40v

Iff jliffflH

m I ^

400

INSTliUCriONS.

a mil(U;r climate, and hicrhly sii^rj^estivc of open water. Resid
liad l)L'cn remarked both hy Lieut. Dell
the North Pole
This, a<r

es this, it

iven and many others that

was approached, the eviderces of animal life

increased.

Cert

:dn, su<r<rested vcfretable life as the ultimate means of subsiste

ncf,

lin facts reu'ardi

the

:urrents and winds as observed by Liciit.
Dellaven, were pertinent to the subject in hand. He announced furtlier ,k
his opinion that Franklin had sou-ht and found tiiis supposed open polar
sea, an.l tliat, if found dead or alive, it would probably be upon the limits
of this hitherto undiscovered water.

Whether tlie views of Kane upon these subjects were coincided with
or not, he was seen by all who heard and knew him to be a person emi-
nently fitted to conduct an expedition to the Arctic regions, whether f„r
the purpose of finding Sir John Franklin or for purposes of scientific in-
vestigation. He possessed skill, bravery, experience, and great scientilic
knowledge, all of whicii were qualities essential in the trying scenes im-
plied in an Arctic voyage.

Accordinglv, in December, 1853, Dr. Kane received the following
formal message from the Secretary of the Navy:

" Nov. 27, 185.'.
Sn< :— Liui.v Franklin h.ivin.,' iirsfed you to undertake a search for her liushaiul and
his companions, and a vessel, the Advance, havin- been placed at vour disposition l,v
Mr. Grinnell, you are hereby assi^med to special duty, for the purpose of conducting
an overland journey from the upper waters of BaiTin's Bay to tlie shores of the I'oLu-
seas.

" Relying ui)on your zeal and discretion, the Department sends you forth upon an
undertakinjr which will be atte.ided with .rreat peril and exposure. Trustin- tiiat vou
will be sustained by the laudable object in view, and v/ishin<,' you success and u safe
return to your friends, I am respectfully your obedient servant,

"Jon.N- W Khn-nkdv

He was also formally directed to give his "attention to scientilic in-
quiry;" and "to transmit to the Department when opportunities allonled,
reports of his progress, and the results of the search." To tiie enter-
prise in hand contributions were also received from Mr. Geort^a- Pea-
body, noted for his genero.sity to the London poor. Various scientific
institutions aided in furnishing the expedition with suitable instnunci.Ls

PLAN OUTLINED.

491

:mi(I other articles useful for the expedition. Ten officers and men were
detailed hy the United States Government to accompany the party, and
these, with seven others specially chosen for the occasion, completed the
siiip's crew. They were not under the laws which <rovern the United
States Navy, hut they had excellent rules am! rej,ndations, which were
ri.i,ndly adhered to throujrhout all the exi<rencies of the journey. These
were, mainly, to he in complete suhordination to the officer in command
or his representative; to use spirituous liquors only when dispenseil hy
the special order of the commandinj^' officer; and to ahstain hahitually
from profane lan<^ua<;e.

Kane's plan had heen outlined in his address hefore the American
(}eo<(raphical Society; and was based upon the theory that thj; northern
part of Greenland probably formed jiart of the a?nm///s which has been
sjjoken of as theoretically surroundinjjf the Pole. His "general plan, then,
was to pass up Baffin's iJay to the hi.<rhest attainable point, and then
l)ressiii:4- on toward the Pole as fir as boats or sled;^'es could carry them,
examine the coast line for vesti<jes of the missinj,' partv. It was with
reference to this plan that their simple equipment was chosen. It con-
sisted of a cpiantity of rou_t,di boards to serve for housing over the vessel
(iurini^r the winter, a few small tents, and several carefully built sledges.

Leaving New York on the 30th of May, 1853, the ship, in eighteen
(lays, had reached Newfoundland, where they received a team of lar"-e
(logs from the governor of the province; and ])r()ceeding, without inci-
dent reached the harbor of Fiskcrnics, on tiie coast of (Jreenland, Jidy
I.'. Here, understanding tiiat both the party and tlie dogs woidd re-
<|uiro fresh meat, and knowing that a skilled hand for tliis service woxM
he necessary, an Esquimaux boy of nineteen, named Hans Christian,
was secured for trilling wages, and a premium of bread and meat for his
mother. This boy became very useful to the [)arty, both as caterer to
the (logs, and as it came to jxiss, to the party also. Thus the expedition
proceeded up the coast, stopping, as a matter of course, at the various
ports, Pr()ven, Lievely, and Upernavik, to procure dogs and clothing,
and establish a friendly feeling among the natives and resident Danes.
Going on among the dangerous fogs and shoals, Melville Bav was

f n

w ■

Mil

II'

j»/,i

402

A GALE,

reached, :mc! preparations were inaile to strike out to the northward .nid
Smith's Sound.

After entcrin,ir Smith's Sound Kane deposited several caches and
erecied several cairns for the douiile purpose of supplyin^r tiii-ni with
food if ohli,t,'ed to traverse that way a5,'ain, and of ^niidin- any who
mif^ht foUow on their traciv. Throuj^'hout all tiie ionrney up this pas-
sa-,re the lirijj was in the most imminent peril. On oi;.- occasion the vesstl
was moored to an iceherf^ for the nit^iit, and was supposed to he- in a po-
sition of safety, when suddenly the water ahout tiiem heiraii to Ir. cov-
ered witli pieces of ice as lar<re as a walnut, and lar-er. Tiu're was
hareiy time to ]Mit oil" from the her- before it fell to atoms willi a iiash
lashin.i,' th,e ocean into foam for many yards ahout. Thus capricious did
they fmd tiie ice of Smith's Sound.

Workint^r their way up with ditHculty, they ha.l reached, o,, Au-u.t
19, the extreme latitude of 7S'. Here an event occurre.l which modi-
fied elFectually their whole future journey. Indications of a -ale ap-
proachin- induced the commander to moor tlie ship as secureiv as pcs^-
blc, and await the result. Three stron- i;,,blcs were employc-d in tlils
service, and it was hoped that hy thus apparently fastenin- ,ian-iT or
disaster, at least, mi-ht lie averted. The -ale arose, until the second day
the strainin- of the cables was intense. The six-mcii hawser, the wIiuIl'-
line, and the ten-inch manila successively parted, with reports like
musketry, leavin- the vessel and her imperiled crew to the mercy of the
wind and the iloatin- ice. For reasons -iven before, and siilKcieiitly
obvious, we (piote tiie scene in Dr. Kane's own -raphic lan-na-e:

" Ahead of us, fn-ther to the nortii, we could see the strait still -n.w-
in- narrower, and tlie heavy ice-tables -rindin- up and cl()--ino- ;, i,^,.
twecn the shore-cliirs on one side and the led-e on the other. There
V.'::- ])ut one thin- left for us: To keep in some sort the command of the
helm, by -oin- freely where we must otherwise lie driven. We allowed
her to scud under a reefed fore topsail; all hands waitin- tlie enemy, as
we closed, in silence.

" At seven in the mornin- we were close onto the pilin- masses.
We dropped the heaviest anchor with the desperate hope of wliidin-

SAVED nr AN ICEUEliG

403

tlu- hri-r; h.it there wns no withstamlinj,' the ice t.)rr',-!it which rolinvved
us. \Vc had only time to fasten a spar as a h.ioy to the chain, and let
her shp. So went our hest hower.

" Down we went upon the -ale a-ain, helplessly scrapin- alon- ;, loe
of ice seldom less tiian thirty feet thick; one lloe measured, l>y a^ine as
we tried to fasten to it, more than forty. 1 had seen such v ,m\y „nce
hcfore, and never in such rapid motion. One- upturned mass rose above
()Mr,i,nuiwaIc, smashin- in our bulwarks, and depositinj,' half a ton in a
hnnp upon our decks. Onr little hri..^ l,,„v herself, throu,<,'h all this wild
adventure, as if she had a charmed life.

" Hut a new enemy came in sijrju. Directly in o.u- way, just beyond
tlic line of lloe-ice a.tjainst which we were alternately slidinj,' and
thtunpin-, was a -,•„„,, ,,f hu-e ber-s. We hud no power to avoid them;
the only (|uestion was whether we were to be .lashed in pieces a-ainst
them, or whether they mi;^rht not offer us some protection from the storm,
r.ut as we neared them w.- perceived that they were at some distance
iVom the Hoe's ed'^^e, aii.l separated from it l)y ;m interval of (loe water.
Our hopes rose, and the -ale drove us toward the passa<,'e and into it;
an.l we were ready to exult, when, from some unexplaine^ cause, proba-
bly from an eddy ,-f the wind a-ainst tiie lofty ice walls, we lost our
headway. Almost at the same moment we saw that the ber.j^s were not
at rest; that, with a monientiun of their own, tiiey were bearin.^r ,l()vvn
upon tlie otiier ice, and that we were fated to ]>e crushed between the
two.

"Just tlien a broad sccmcepiece, or low, v»^ater-washed ber<,r, came
driviu- up from the southward. The thoui,rht (lashed upon me of one of
our escapes in Melville I?ay; and as the sconce moved rapidly alon-rside
of us, Mc(rary mana'^red to plant an anchor on its slope, a'd hold onto
it by a wiiale line. It was an anxious moment. Our noble tow-horse,
whiter than the pale horse that seemed to be pursuin,<,r us, hauled us
hravely on, the spray dashin^i,- over his wiiulward Hanks, and his fore-
head tearing, up the lesser ice as if in scorn. The beri,vs encroached upon
us as we advanced; our channel narrowed to a width of perhaps forty
feet; we braced the yards to clear the impenduiji '^'t- wall. * * ♦

litiHi

lilp^

In !

'If

II' j'

Pf "lllllrli.

404

HEROIC CONDUCT,

Wc passed c-lcar, l)iit it \v:is a ilosc shave— so close tliat om- port w.-itor
boat \\-.ul«I have been crushed had we not taken it from the davlls ;,,„|
found ourselves under k\w Ice ..f ;i htM-,' in a coinparativciv npiMi l,.;„|.
Never did iuart-tricd men aikno\vled;,'e with more «;nuitnde their nur-
ciful deliverance from a wri'liiu'd deatli.'"

Thus the narrative conlinues; a lon.L,' and thrillin,<j; account of narn.w
escapes from hcin^- crushed in the mountains nf ice. Kane t,'oes on :

" Durin-tlic wiinlc of tin- scenes 1 h.ive l.ecn descril)injr, I cuid not
iiclp hcinjjr sti-.ick hy the composed and maidy demeanor of mv comrades.
The turmoil of ice luidcr a heavy sea often conveys the impression of dan-

smith's SOI nd.

,s,n'r when the reality is al>sent; but in this fearful passa^s^u-, the i^artin- .,f
our hawsers, the los^ uf our anciiors, the al)rupt crushing- of our stovcn
bulwarks, and the actual deposit of ice u|)on our decks, would have trieu
the nerves ol'thc nn.si expcrieiucd ici' man."

It must not be supjjosed that during,- all this terrific scene no ednrts
were put forth by the men to anchor the bri- and avert the hazard of the
perilous ice-strait. F.epeatt-d ellbrts wen- made to ,i,n-apple the pas iii.^r
ice-blocks, and in such . !r it-^ four of the crew became separated from the
bri<r and had t<; be rcf-uc-: 'm a h .at after the -ale subsided. Mr. Mon-
sall, one of the icc-n-.s,, ,>, avoided iiein.-,^ crushed i)y a perilous leap to a
floating fraj,nnent, and like intrepidity was exhibited on all hands.

TliACKlNi;.

405

Tlu' jxnlliiiit little l)n}r, h

lowfvcr, was tint yot out ofd.-iivai

iDciisc aiTuimilatioii

K- nil-

'.sol .(val..M.t ha,hon,f<,n t.. ,Ik. n,.,lh l.v llu' rM„,r
^'alc, hcj^au, to the. horn.,- of the crew, to f.,nv her sc,uare over ,hc her,
in whose lee she ha.l lande.l. As she rose slowly o,. i.s ru,,e.I sum.:;
..ni,elle.l hy the tre.nen.lous .no.nentu.n oftlKMuovin.^ iW hehhul the
suspense as ,o the result heeau.e oppressive. Sonu-tinu-s a shock more
-i<l^'.. au.l severe tlK.u the rest woul.l turn her ou her si.le, au,l Ihreat.n
'" I.rcap.tate erew au.l all iuto ,1,. seethiu;,. chaos of ice and u-ater \s
shc-.lescemled its windward slope and .p.ietly took her place anuMe- th..
l".'Ken ruhhish, the excitement of.h. ,,,w was n.arke.l hv silence ,^uh.-r
than iNclanialions; they were too tlia.dvful lo speak.

I- was uo, ,ill ,hc ,„, of Au^nrs. that this terrihie storm ahated sulli-
ncu.ly to en,l the period of ina.tion consequent upon the adventures ius,
descnhed. As soon as possihle, however, all han.ls took hold of the l-nv
I""- au.l " harnessed like mules on a canal," proceeded hy " trackin^^ " to
• Ira^^ the vessel toward a place of supposed safety. After proceedin- iu
Ih.s way tor some miles, a pohtt was reached where at least temponuy
secn-ity could be relie.l on, and the comman.ler an.l olKcers were enahled
In look about then) and plan for the future.

-riKT ha.l now attained a latitude of nearly 7c/, hein,^ further north
■lian any 01 their predecessors except Parry, in his tramp on foot on the
island of Spit/.be,-en. This element of success at least, was theirs.

''^1^'- '>"''' -..nmander was hanlly satisHe.l to pass ti,e winter without
In-t atlannn,,^ a more northern point, hut yo.mj,. Ice was formin.^ snow-
s,o,n>s were hecomin,^MVe.,ucnt ; the j,n-owinj,^ severity of the weather
a'l<l-i ... what they had ahva.ly passc-d throuj^h, was be:,innin.. to tell in
t. ..epressmj. eflbct upon ollicers and crew A <^enerous re^^ard lor the
l-l.n,,rs an<l opinions of his officers led Kane to consult with thent upon
thc.,ucst,on of their future action. All, with one exception, were of
'>l~ that all attempts to secure a n.ore northern position were unwise
an.l useless. D,, Kane, however, ur<,ed upon thent the necessitv of
niaknt.ur a pomt from which it would be convenient at least to .iispatch
^Kd,n,. parties, and proposed to procec.l by warpin;^, u.Uil such a place
" '" ^"■'■'^■'■'' ^"- 'f^'^ l'^i^='" =':-r'vol, an.l entered heartily into the

I'niilil

496

THE FORLORN HOPE.

work of conveying the vessel to a desirable harbor. After makin- a
few miles by availing tliemselvcs of wind ancf tide and lever, a bay was
reached. Here Dr. Kane determined to leave the vessel until he should
explore the northern region in a boat and determine the practicability of
further advance with their well-tried brig. Fitting out a boat with the
suggestive name of the Forlorn Hope, the commander, with seven
tn:stv and able men, started on the 39th on their tour of investigation.

ARCTIC AqUATICS.

CHAPTER LVI.

KANK LKADS A BOAT AND SLKDOE EXPEDITION - A GREENLAND
RIVER-TIIE EIGIITIETII PARALLEL-«TIIE SAME ICE SURROUNDS
HER STILl"_i.rePARATIONS for WINTER_A cache PARTY-
ACCIDENTS AT THE nKlG- DIFFICULTIES OF ARCTIC OBSERVA-
TION—HANS, THE HUNTER— RETURN OF A WARM FRIEND—
A PRELIMINARY SURVEY — AN UxNEXPECTED RETU'lN — KANE
SAVES THE PARTY.

I'assin- on throu-h the narrow strait openin- in front of them, the
liltlc party was able by breakin- the young ice whicii kept constantly
forming, to make about seven miles on the first day. Cold and wet from
the necessities of this doubtful navigation, night was eagerly welcomed.
'l\venty-four hoiu's' absence from the ship brought thcin to the end of
tluir boating. The ice-pack had closed with the belt, and was thus on
one side and in front of them, while on the other side was the ice-
-irt shore. Advance with the boat was impossible. The carefully
packed sledge was therefore taken out and set up, and the boat snugly
slnu'c.l away in a convenient gorge. The sledge was now laden vvith
a fcxv necessaries, and the march again proceede<l. Interesting notes
were taken </• the topography and glacial appearance of the rugged re-
-inn over which tlieir patli lay, and many an amusing and excil'ng inci-
dent served to relieve the monotony of the [..urney. Its difficulty may
hv conceived from tlie fact that five days' absence (.nly found them forty
tnllcs from the l)rig. Tlie tortuous course which it was necessary to
pursue with the sle.lge was a great .lraw]>ack to tlie commander in his
liastc' to mal^e latitude, an.l he determined to leave the sledge and pro-
ceed on foot. The undesirable feature of this method was, that not
enough food coul.l be carried. The average weight of the men's bunlen
was thirty. live pounds, inchiding a quantity of pemmican ami one U\iMo

41)7

iW""^"

ii<

h 'liiJ;

4!)S

A GREENLAND RIVER.

robe aiiiccc, and even tliis was found to weigh tlicm down. It was
found, however, that greater progress could lie made in this way than
with the whole outfit, and one day they succeeded in making twenty-four
miles.

A river was at last reached which emjjticd into a large bay, and w;
presumed by Kane to 1k> the largest river of North Greenland.

"Here," says Kane, "protected from the frost by the infiltration .,f
the melted snows, aijd fostered by the reverberations of solar heat fioin
the rocks, we met a flower-growth, which, though .Irearily Arctic in its

OI.AC IKK MKKN UV KANK.

type, was rich in variety and coloring. Amid festuca and otiier (uttcl
grasses twinkled the purple lychnis and ihc wliite star of the chick-
weed, and not without its pleasing a^Mui;, lions, 1 rccogni/ed a single
hespcris, the Arctic representative of the wall-llowers of home."

After reaching a rocky headland which overlooked a wide expanse
extending far beyond the Soth parallel, this was made the (iwal point ^^^.
reconnoissance, and the party proceeded back to the brig. Kane an-
nounced to the waiting nu-n that he had discovered no spot better suited
for winter -luartci-s ihun the bay iu Nvhich the brig w;is now michored,

AN ARCTIC OBSERVATORT.

and gave instructio.is to tow her between two small islands. Here, then,
she was anchored amidst the ice; destined to he her resting place for a
long time indeed, for "the same ice surrounds her still."

The little party in Rensselaer Ilarhor, as their retreat was called,
now foun<l winter rapidly approaching. The old ice was soon so firmly
cemente.l in the hay l)y that which was newly formed, that it would
hear sledging jxirties which coasted out around tlie brig from time to
time. Much was to he done, and d.)ne at once; for the stm could not ])e
(lepe.ided on much longer. The mountain range to the south would ob-
scure him tNVo weeks before his regular time for disappearance. The
hold was to be unloaded of its supplies, wliich were to be placed in the
storehouse upon liutler's Island. This was done by means of loaded
hoats, through a channel which must be recut every morning. A com-
fortable kennel must be erected for the canine rabble, which, however,
would not occupy it. Wild as they were, they preferred to sleep on the
snow in calling distance of the men. A deck-housing had to be planned
and built, care being taken to make as warm as possible their winter resi-
(lence. An observatory was constructed of stone, which the men hauled
across the ice on sledges. There remaine.l, moreover, to plan and estab-
lish j)rovision depots for (he convenience and safety of exploring parties
as they should now and then be sent into the interior. The food to be
deposited in these places was chieHy pemmican. and as little or no game
had been seen in Smith's Soun.l, it was necessary to freshen their salt
provisions, which, in their isolated condition and tendency to scorbutic
.lisease, it would not do to use. Acconlingly, a fresii water lake having
heen ibun/l in the interior of one of the islands, poles of the meat sus-
pended by strings were brought successively to receive the freshening
baptism. Tlie instruments, also, must be placed and adjusted. The
magnetic observatory was duly ecpiipped with its magnetometer and <lip
iiiMruments. The transit and telescope were adjusted in the observatory
proper. The tide gauge was upon the brig itself, and the meteorolog-
ical observatory was placed in the open field, duly protected. So sensi-
tive were some of the thennometers, that when they indicated 40 or 50 '
bdow zero, the mere approach of rui observer would cause « dwnge.

500

JiAVAGES OF BEAIiS.

I ; ' ■'

()

nc- of tlu'iii could l,c road to the tenth of a d

tioiis foi- the winter

ctrrec. So th(

s ()hs( rvations went

on, as

ouit sank lower and 1

pi-epar,

^ sun in his dail

V cir-

ower,

In th

e m

cantiinc, a tlcpot party had 1

<livd pounds of peinmiean to d

)c'en sent out, with several 1

lUll-

Jjarted ,)n the C(nli of St

eposit in three places. Tl

lis party dc-

L'nil)er, and

(la\'s.

Oui

ni''- their

d)sence

several

dents occun-ed to tl

hd not return for twent
curious and nearlv dan"-ei

v-ei-,rht

the hold had 1

little party remaining'- at the 1

>ri'

cvn scriouslv trouhled wit

oils nici-
or sonii' tinie

1 rats

tlieni out with a ddectahl

leather had fn'lcd, and

L- conii^oiuid of hrinist.)!!

it was determined t(

■ -n attempt to huni
L', arsenic and liurnt

hoiui.

acid

i>piiy\iate them wit

1 car

^as. A .piantity of charcoal was hurne.l helow, and ,|

iialches securely closed. The cool

to attend to (;uisiii
nioi-e dead t

Iv with unfortunate temei-itv

sio:

t' duties, and was hauled forth I

c iiclow

rom the

adl

lan alui

Ahoiit th

}■ (-•lenient

something- 1

le same time. Dr. Ivai

tricated

>clow was on lire, went down, and

K', suspectino- that

liom death h\- sull

he, too, was fore

ocation.

and was only

he hrt: prov

>''iy ex-
<-'(! to he on the deck.

<l"cnclied with the -reatest difiicultv. S

his circumstance

do;;- was ohscrved to 1
dispatched hv a rille. '
hefore thought of.

On the I Nth of Octoher the expl
report .f their proceedintrs. The

everal days aft

ia\'e symptoms of hydroi

Hiohia, and was

(luic

•'ULr''-ested a 1

cr a

lori-ilile ilansrer nut

pl<)nn;jf party returned and

ave a hil

V had with "i

n-cat dilllculty, executed tl

cat i)ains, aiuj oft

leir chiel'care

ic commission upon which they had

was to

en with

heeii sent.

leave th

c provisions in suital

secuie them from the inv

)le ])hu

liMtiii''' and sa-'ac

isions of the polar lu-

es, and to

II", w

hicl

1 IS very

does not consume. I

ions, and Ljencrallv destro\

pene-

1 s])ite of theii- car

'ys what stores of this kind hi

returnini,^ aloii-- their tr
])letely demolished. T

■c in this re^-ard,
ick that one of their caches w,

cy foil I

IS almost

hcv had heen wet t

111 on

coin-

rrcatest nei

I' t he skin, an

1(1 c

pen! from crackin

xposed to the

,i;lacieis, and from t

ic extreme cold.

e sun at la-

disappcarc

li, and the in

came on.

'>nie of the prohlems and

eiise cold of an Arct

ic winter

lillicult

ill this frijriil solit

11(1

ies presenting thcmselvo

iilc, are tlnis shadowed hy Kaijc; "Fircsid

c astronuiiu'fs

502

INTENSE COLD.

can harcily realise the diffict.ltics In the way of observations at sucli l„w
temperatures. The mere hurnin- of the Iiand from frost is obviated l,v
covering, the metal with chamois-skin, but the breath and even the
warmth of the face and body, cover the sextant arc and j,Wasses with t
fine hoar frost. Though I had much clear weather, I barely succeeded
by mngnifiers in reading the verniers. It is, n-.oreover, aii unusual fVat
to measure a base-line in the snow at fifty degrees below freezin-.

" The great difficulty is to keep up a cheery tone among the men
Poor Hans has been sorely hon.esick. Three days ago he bundled up
h.s clothes and took his rifle to hid us all good-bye. It turns out th.t
besides h,s mother there is another one of the softer sex at Fiskernrs
that the boy's heart is dreanring of. lie looked as wretched as any lover
ofam.lder clime. I hope I have treated his nostalgia successfullv bv
givmg him first a dose of salts, and secondly, promotion. He now'h.^s
all the dignity of henchman. He harnesses my dogs, builds my traps
and walks with me on ,ny ice-tramps; and, except hunting, is excused'
fro.n all other duty. He is really attached to me, and as happy as a fat
man ought to be."

The reader would not care for the details of this somewhat monotonous
night and winter. The most striking feature was the unexampled col.i
which was experienced ab^n.t the ist of February. The spirit tl^rr-
mometers indicated a temperature of 67° below zero, or 99° below the
freezing point. " Spirit of naphtha froze at_54^ and oil of sassafras at
—49°. Theoil ofwintergreen was in a flocculent state at-56" and
solid at-63° and_65"." Every expedient was trie.l that a.uid he
thought of to relieve tiie dreary dcsolateness of the scene. Checkers,
chess, cards, an,l other games were introduced, and served for a time to'
enable the crew to fb.get their unpleasant surroun.lings. An Arctic
newspaper was projected and successfully manage.l, some of the best
articles being from the Ibrecastle. The vignette of this novel io,n-nal
was a picture of a ship fast in the ice, and its motto: "//. ienc^nS srrvar,
Jidem.''''

But the longest night has an end. The sun gave promise of his
coming by crimson bands shooting up from the horizon, and growing in

RETURN OF SLEDGERS.

no;)

bnshtncss a>u; ,ua-„itucle with each successive day. Febrt.arv bnH.-.ht
then, momentary glimpses of his glory, and March gave them day itself
-a long needed tonic. «' It was," says Kane, " like bathing in perftmied
water." The ambitious lea.ler began to prepare for an extended trip on
slclges to the north and east. Of his fine stock of Newfoundland and
l':squmiaux dogs, only six remained; the es'cessive cold and the absence of
light had brought on melancholia and inaction, which, without the mental
sinnulants with which men are wont to overcome their complaints
ciuickly overcame them. IJut a new sledge was built, suited more fully
to the capabilities of that portion of the faitb!-ul pack which remained
The coming of the sun was not attended at f.rst with an increase of
temperature. Throughout March and later the thermometer indicated
-40% making travel abroad dangerous to the inexperienced in Arctic
weath^M-. But Dr. Kane felt that he had not yet accomplished his pur-
pose, and he was anxious with that anxiety which ever cliaracterizes the
true scientist, to extend his obser^atio.is. A party for preliminarv search
was, with some difficulty, organized and sent out. This party was to be
supp'^ mented after a time by the exploring party itself, which was to
uicl"' Dr. Kane, an<l was intended to make imijortant additions to the
alre.uiy rich results of the expedition.

The preliminary party had been absent eleven days, and preparations
were nearly complete to follow it, when an event occurred which gave
:in unexpected color to their projected expedition.

« We were at work cheerfully sewing away at tlic skins of some moc
casins by the blaze of our lamp, when, toward midnight, we heard the
noise ofsteps above, and the next instant Sontag, Ohlscn and Petersen
came down.into the cabin. Their manner startled me even more than
their unexpecte.1 appearance on board. They were swollen, haggard, and
scarcely able to speak.

" Their story was a fearful one. They had left their companions in
the ice, risking their own lives to bring us the news. Brooks, Baker,
\\-ilson, and Pierce, were all lying frozen and disabled; where, they
couhl .lot tell. Somewhere in among the hummocks, to the !,orlh and
cast. It was drifting heavily around them wiicn they parted. Irisii Tom

/RESCUE OF TJIE l'AliT2\

. „.un»e them. It „„, ,,,,„ ,„ ,|„^,^,. ,,^ ||_^^__ |.^
...ly ..,vo,o„ . ,a.„t „..„„., ,„,„„^ „„^. ^.„^,.„

^ ^* ^^ '''''''^''-" was made rcudv, Ohlscn nl„. i
upon ,t ..„,.„ .,,,p„e., I„ ru,, , ..,„ ;,„„„,,, , J^ ^ '" ;;'

K.,c c„„t,„„.s: . R,.,,„i„, ,„„,„, .,, „^ ^,___, .

some ™,,ed ,c..p„„,, r ea,„.. „. . ,„,., ,,.,, „„„, ,„,.^„ , „, ';

havo attracted the e,cs of „ea,v ,„e eifcm^tanccs like ,„.,:„„"

wa, a l,.ht conjecture, 1,u. i, was e„o,..l, to t,.,n the .scale, ,■„,■ thete'u.
nothing else to b.aIanco it. "'Lie „.,s

.«arU. We raised .,„r tent; placcl our pemraica,, in each,, exc •
smal, allowance Tor each n,.an to earr, on L person, a ,,1'.' "
"ow j„. ahle to keep hi., feet, wa„ lihcra.ed tron, his ha- "' ,. ™'
...possihle .as, with the thermometer at .S,r he,„„. «,.:„, i. ,;.„„:;
b,.l< e.ert,on to keep fron, peri.shin,. The n,en were nrde';,, t,. s
out ,o as to multiply the chance, of discover,, hut U-p. ,:c.v„,.,u' ;
.... ..p .-., „ ,n fear even .,r„. „n,ch ,„,i.ude. .Several were sel,e; I

severe tremhln.nt,, I.r. Kane Tainted twice h , the eirec.

-posnre. I. man,, after: hro.en n.areh of twentv-one h -s a ,

wa,d„covered which prove e that of their „„f. ,„„,„„ „„„,,„„'

Ihc „.elcon,c which greeted the rcenin, party nearly ,„,rcanu. the
Stoutest heart of them all. '

The tent, the ,ick, and all th.at conl.l he carrid, wa, loade.l „„ ,„ ,he
sled,,e, and preparation, ntad.- to depart tin- the hri,,. The load, when
complete, weighed eleven hundred ,,„,„„1,.

that'^'";!"!'" ''■■!'"'"■"'"' "■""""''-■ ""■''-' ""-■ '-»' f'-f"i -.T-in-

that can be dccnbcl. The ",lcepy comtint" of free.in,, which l,a,l hith!
erto been treated as a tuere sentintent l.y most of the n,e„, was now re ,1.

< were soiclv
'hey h;i(I cvj.
I l";iti,<,nic .111(1
ion ill which

f a!)ility was
•hlscii placed
made. The
Jioiirs they
'ili;ir toliini,
l)eriii;r over
»i,'ht inijrl,t
iir own. ft
'I- tliere was

l"ch of l':>n[.
t', excc|iL a
or Ohiscii,
Halt was
it i"e(|iiirc(I
1 '<> NJ)rca(i
OUsly clos-
L'ized with
ect of the
>iii's a tent
(••■omradcs.
'Ciunc the

on to the
'•KJ, wlieii

OEAr// OF Tllli Suri'EKEHS. „a-,

"■' "'"'"' '-•^'""-•^'- Tl"; ""-"".^-t n,c.„ .„,„. ,„ K,„u. ,„Mn. po.nis.

s,„„ ,„ sleep. .They were not e.,1,1 now; only tired an,! sleepy." K „,e
.•,e,l t e result of tl,ree-n,ln„,e naps hy tnrns, an.l thon.lu the exp^lien.
.|,-on the whole usefnl. The Doctor and a sfn.jlc n,..,„ wen, „„ ahead ,o

.1.C tent an,l caCu, left the day l,efore, in order to prepare sonte ho, ,

lor tlie re.st.

" I cannot tell," says Kane, ^how Ion, it took us .o make the nine
ni.lcs, for we were in a strange sort of stupor, an.l had little apprei,en-
Monof time. It was prohably about four hours. We kept ourselves
awake hy ,mposin<r on each other a continue,! articulation of words
Ihcy must have been incoherent enough! T recall these hours as amon-.'
the most wretched I have ever gone through."

The brig was at last reached, most of tl.e men being in a half-deliri
ous state, and having a confused recollection of what had taken place
In spite of the prompt and elHcacious treatment by Dr. Hayes, the limbs
of several of the party had to be amputated, and two sufferers die,! It
was four days before Dr. Kane was able once more to record pa.in.
events, and perform the other functions of his office.

DOG-StiOE.

suffering
had hith-
low leal-

CHAPTER LVir.

VIS, , lUOM KSQUrMAUX—XATIVK DISIION KST V — A J(,„Kx,.:v ,0 l,|rM.
i:()M)T (il.ALIKK — tKNNYSON's MONUMKNT — K ANK's STIiKN,;,,,
KAILS— MOKAI. f'OWKlt OK K A V K -M A Y Ks' KXI'KOITIO.N — MOli T„,v
DISCOVKKS A.\ ALI.KUKI) I'OLAK SKA.

Within a week after the return ..f the unfortunnte party descrihe.l in
our last chapter, tlie brig was favored by a visit from Escpiiniaux- -the
first yet met in this extreme latitude. Ahnost before the ship's company
were aware of it, they were surrounded hy a swarthy crowd conxcy,.,!
thither on peculiar lookin- sled-cs drawn l)y handsome dogs. Pickct-
in.i,' their teams by means of their lances, they were ready to treat Nvi,h
(lie commander. Dr. Kane sin-led out a burly lookin- fellow a liead
laller than himself, and made motions for him to come forward. At fusi
only this one was allowed to come on board, but at last lie was p,,riniiu,l
to si-nal the rest. These were hospitably received, and a feast was
spread before them. As food, however, they preferred -orgin- them-
selves on walrus- meat 1-ather than eatin- the ;-ood, wheaten bread ami
loaf sucrar which were set before them in abundance. Many thin-s „„
board the ship greatly astonished and amused them— amon<;- them the
coal, whicli presented to them a strange consistency. They were al-
lowed to sleep in the hold, and seemed much pleased with their night's
entertainment. In the morning a treaty was made between the two par-
ties, which provided that the Esquimaux should furnish them with hhih-
ber, and rent them their dogs and sledges for j.roposed expeditions.
Kane iiad heard too much of the versatility of the Esquimaux niin<l t,.
lie surprised when he found that the treaty was xwt kept. Not only did
the party never return, but several articles of value about the ship and store-
house were found to be missing. Their disappearance could only he
traced to the greed and dishonesty of the savages. From this time, how-

506

HUMBOLDT GLACIER.

607

ever, they were visited by various parlies c,f the Esquimaux, with vvh,.,n
ti.ey cs.ahhshed a.nieable relations, and vvlu.n, i,, tlu- sMderinjrs an.l priv.-
iK.ns ..t Liter ,h.ys they came t.. re,iranl as fVie.uls a.ul CeUows.

April was n.nv about to close, a„d the litiK. .iuR. allowed l.y the
Arctu- summer for sate traveling, must he used to ,iu- iu-s, a.lvaM.a-.e
Aceordinj,dy, a journey to the .^M.-at ^daeier oC Ilundml.lt (o .!,. north-
east was planne.l hy Kane, and the odieers and er.w were soon l.usv
w.lh the little .letaiis of .h^ir indivi.lnal preparations. K.ne hin.sdf
was oeetip.ed n, heeominj,. expert in tin- us. of the do,..whlp, ,!,. only
means <,t guidanee in eanine locomotion. lie had now a smart team of
seven dojrs, ft,ur houj^ht of the visdin;, ICsquimai. an.l the remainin.^
three of his old stoek. These he was husy training, every dav as lon^
as his strenorth would permit. ] L- remarks that one nn.st he able to on^
ploy both stren,nh and exeeedin,. dexterity, or else ^dve up the idea of
<lnvmj, .loj^s. It is necessary to be able to hit anv do^ in the team in
any plaee-ear, nose, or hoot; The edieaey of a suceesstul hit is attested
at .>nee by a dismal howl an.I aceelerate.l speed. ^ The Soeietv f;,r
i'reventin,,^ Cruelty to Animals," says Kane, u ,,„,,,, ,,,,.^, ^^^.^ ,;^^, .^
custody d they had been nearenou^d.; but, thanks to a merciless wln^p
Ircely admnds.ered, I have been dashin;^ alon^ twelve ndles in the last
I""..-, and am back a^^ain; harness, sledj^^e, and bones, all unbroken.'"

The party chose April .7 as the occasion of slartin-. Two sled ^cs
equipped with all that a varied experience in the fri-^dd .one su-^.^esLl'
constituted their convevance. Kane hoped, by the help of the un,visio„'
caches .leposited alon^^ the route dnrin,^^ the previous autumn, io be able
to reach a hi-her point on the Greenland cast than had yet been at-
tained. Indeed, he surmised that he nn,^dn ^^a.n a point stdfidentlv norih-
ward to enable him to discover whether Greenland was connected with
North America, an,l thus was, n. .^a-o^rai^hical parlance, a ^reat ,-.enin-
sula, or whether it was st,tliciently isolated to ,^dve it the character, and
justify the name of island.

Various points alon- the coast were successively reached an.l named,
and -reat care taken to project the eonfi-uration upon carefully wrou<rht
.naps. A wo.iderfid column of green stone, standinjr solitarv in a nic

III

*. I

.1 1

nos

hA/VIi's STJUimiT// FA/LS

t.ircs(|,R' nuuU, w.is i;,||c-.l "Tennyson's MuMMnn-nt." ,\i k.„.^r,i, ,,
sij,'lu was ..aini.l of tlu' (Jival (Jhuicr. I lev was to ho scon tiJana.
lok'ne of the rivt-r systems „r Anieiiea an,l Asia. The sn(nv,> of (;,ve„.
land's almost perpetual winter .leseen.l int,. this immense hasin with all
tlie leism-ely .h-nity of Xat.ne,an.l seekin- every li.,nl an.l recess i,, their
majestic course, (ill them whii minor streams, whieii, in.ppin- ..iil i„i„
the sea, furnish the ieeher-rs, tile terror of northern navi.t,Mi,,rs. The
1-iilU uf this hu-e stream Hows --n, pr.nrin- out its - frozen torrent," at
hist into unexplored Arctic waters.

It was a somve of the j^^reatest annoyance to the party, now far fnnn
the hri- to IMUI that tin- stores rn rar/ir, had all heen .lestroyed hy llu'
polar hear; thron-ii no fault, however, of the oilicers to whom hadlurn
intrus cd the service of depositing them the fdl before. Suhstantia!
cairns had heen erected over the provisions, consisting of stones reciiiir-
in-thestren-th ..ftliree men to put them in place. The hears, with
their immense stren-th had pushed the stones aside, and shivered llio
barrels containinLC the pemmican and alcohol into atoms. Thus failinjr
to replenisii their odiuusted stores, their pro-ress was consi(lerai):y
emharrassed.

The .lelicate health of Dr. Kane has been referred to, in previous
paj,res. Overcome with tlie -reat rcfiuirements of the occasion, he >aulc
just as he was takin-,^ o!)servations upon the ice river described al)()ve.
Only the tender nursin-,' of live of his best men availed to save his life
till the l)ri- could he readied. The narrative of Dr. Hayes, wh<. artnl
as recorder durin- Kane's sudden and severe illness, says that he was
brou^rht on board between his men, apparently in a dyiii- i-ondition Hi,
symptoms were dropsical ellusion, ni-ht-svveats and delirium, and Dr.
Hayes' (lia,L,niosis supposed him to be suirerinLf from scurvy and tvplmid
fever combined. For several ilays he Ibictuated lietween life and death;
but finally rallied enou-h to plan once more the schedule of coniiu-
ojjcrations.

Here, a<,rain, is observed the principle referred to in the bioj^raphv of
Dr. Kane— the influence exercised over disease by a dc... mined state of
the mind. Two of Kane's men, physically abler an.l stron-cr than ho,

and with symptoms no worse than his at first, had succiunhed to death
in spite of the l)fst care and inc.lical treatment that coul.i possihly he
•/n-cix them. Hut the jrcnius of Kane seemed to c..,nprehc-nd the fact
that tiie safety of the party was conditioned upon his own ahility to
.lirect. He was, in fact, withont l,ein- ostentatious, a philaniUropist in
a very real and practical sense. So, with a stren-th that seeme.! ... he
;.nd '.vas superhuman, he clun- to life ami rose t.. l,e a-ain the ,novin-
spirit of iiis party. It may he remarked in passin-, that in his n.edica"l
practice Dr. Kane had stron- faith in the uses of ,noral power, in func-
'i-.al .liseases. His own case had led him to he soni.wliat skeptical
with rc-ard to the olHces of medicine; and he was loth to confess Lhe
direct action of any remedy, thou-h, if the credulousness (,r superstition
of any patient re,,uired it, he iiad ahnndant expe.lients t.o disjruise his
pal opinion. For example, he jud^^ed at one time that \L scurvy
patients needed simply a diet of ve-etahles. They, however, shrank
tVoin the olive-oil and raw potatoes olFered them. Whereupon he made
a i,ause<nis-i.,okin- compound from the .ne materials and dijruified it
Willi the name of medidne, which was swallowed with the dcsiral effect.
Their faith saved them.

Althou-h hy no means satisfied with iiis tour to the northeast (for
he had hoped to reach the north coast of Gree.iland), Dr. Kane felt that
hi. operations must now he conducted in another direction. Capt. In-le-
ficld, an account of whose voya-e appears in another ciiapter, had cal-
culated inaccurately tlic trend of the coast on hoth si.les of Smith's Strait.
This was shown hy Kane's theodolite, which indicated a disa^n-eement
with In-leliel<l's results of 60" an-ular measurement. It was\hou-ht
necessary to cfoss Smith's Strait to the western side, locate more
accn-alely the Cape Sahine of Capt. In-lefield, and co.npare the con-
fi-uraiion of the coast to tlie .lo.-th as laid down hy him with their own
reckoning at tiiat point. Dr. Mayes was chosen for this service. He
was comparatively fresh, liavin- as yet undertaken no journey, and Wil-
ham(;odfrey,oneof thestunliest travelers, was ciiosen to accompany
him. It was decided to travel almost exclusively with the aid ..f the
do-s^awisedecision, for Dr.. Hayes afterward reported cncounterinjr

11 i

510

KENNED r CHANNEL.

l JCMItWWi:;!

places which could not have been traversed at all without their valuable
assistance.

The little party set out on the 30th of May, and proceeded directly
across the strait (the ice bcin- solid) to Cape Sabine. Examination dis-
closed the fact that a channel still to the north of Smith's Strait conveyed
its waters to some point beyond, and that the broadening of tliis passa<ro
was not, as had been supposed, the llnal receptacle of the waters from
the south. This cliannel, when more fully explored, was named Kvn-
lU'dy Channel.

The journey abounded
in incident and tlirillinjj;'
experiences, (jod frey,
the driver, became ex-
hausted, and was obliiijed
to lay up. The harness
<)| the d o L,^ s 1) e c a m e
broken or hopelesslv en-
tani'led, and Dr. Hayes
was compelled to iindcr-
lake part ol bis jouriiev ;':
on loot. Upon his return
lie found that the d();j:s,
iniled as thev were,, had
eaten all of the harness
witi 'i their reach. He himself was stricker. with snow blindness, .nid
unable l^ proceed. When at last they were once more able to travel, a
slice from (rodfrey's pantaloons re]xiired the broken harness, and < hey
returned to the ship worn out and sick. They had traveled two hundred
and seventy miles, and had made many valuable discoveries.

One of the most imi)()rlant journeys of this season was undertaken by
Mr. Morton, often mentioned in Kani-'s narrative as a most faithful and
trusty man and able voya^'^er. His companion on this occasion was
Hans, the Esquimaux, whose services jjroved indispensable. Thev lel't
the bri- on the 4th of June and proceeded ut oijce to McGary's UUiid,

WM. MOH ri)N.

where, it will 1

MORTON'S ALLEGED OPEN SEA.
renumibcrcd.

as constructed the principal cache of the

om Mr. Bonsall, Mr. McGary,

joinetl by Hans, pro-

previous year. Here Morton separated fr
iuid others who had accompanied him thus far, and

c.c<led northward on the 15th. After he had traveled a'considJra...
.listance over a soli<l area, the ice indicating hy the cracks a thickness of
s.nenty-two feet, he was startled by its <,n-owing weakness. It became
decidedly rotten, and the snow on its surt-.ce wet and pulpy. Then the
reality of the pole of maximum cold, and of a warmer climate beyond,
lun-st upon him. It now for the lirst time occurre.l to him that a "ion-
dark band seen to the north, beyond a penetratin.i,^ cape, was watei^.
Climbin,^^ an eminence which gave him a full view of the stn-roundin<r
situati.,n, he was rejoiced at the sight of what appeared to him a.i opo'^
extended ocean.

- It must have been an imposing sight, as he stoocl at this termination
of ills journey, looking out upon the great waste of waters. Not a speck
of ice, to use his own words, coul.l be seen. There, from a height of po
feel, commanding a horizon of almost forty miles, his ears Jere -dad-
<lenedwlth the novel music of .lashing waters, and a surf l,reaking in
:nnong the rocks at his feet, stayed his further progress. The hi.rh
ridges to the northeast dwindle.l away to low l>lue knobs, which
I'Knded finally with the air. Morton called the cape which bafMe.l his
lalH.rs after his commander, lu.t [ have given it the more end.n-ing na.ne
.r Cape Consti- .lion. I <lo not believe there was a man an,on<^ us

who (

i'i not long for the means of embarking upon these bri-ht and

ln\rlv water:

bus liax iiig reache.l an elevati

nllained

ion of So" ,30"— a latitude never bet

ly navigators of (Jreenland

seas-

-Morti

)n returned hoi

be received with warmth and gratitud

ore

neward

(1 tl

e by his comrade^

lue more the time for northern expeditions w,

is orawniir ti

» a close.

le continued lirmne:

e ice about the br:

was an occasion of

serious mis''i\-in<>-s.

imothei- winter of daikncss,
|>l" natural (U'arth? The I

Coul.l it be that they weiv .lestined
an.l bnnger, aii.I famine in that cheer!

spend

lought was horrible, and \ et

t.ji- 111.

ij) Nvliicii nine montlis before had h

ess region

no exit a|)peare.!

luntl here an icy prison,

U3k .

11)

612

A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

All Mioiind as tar as the eye could reach, was a fro/cii waste. It waslria-
that the latest time for the ice to hreak ha<I not yet appeared; hut thcT
had to reme.nher how far north they were, and how unfavorahlefi season
for meltin- ice the present, one was provin,-- itself to he. Hesides, the ice
had collected in -reat hummocks ahout the spot where they had warped
(heir way in, niakin- it apparently impossihle to retreat. The specula-
tions an.l incjuiries of the rest indicated that they also were he-innin- to
have anxious thou-hts ahout how and where they should spend tliecon,-
iuj;- year. It i.e-an to seem as if winter would he upon them a-ain he-
fore the sm-i could thaw a path for their e-ress. It was with ^ lieavy
heart that the coura-eous commander set ahout solvin- tiie prohjen, of
Iheir liheration.

oi.u (.KIM ^^^Nli;'s kavdiuti'.)

CHaXPTER t.viit.

ATTF.MPTKO JOURNKY TO liKKCIIKY ISI. AN D— I'l! KI.IM IN AI« Y iOVSClU
—GOOD KORTUNK — COKinXTS IN(;LKMKLd's KKKORS — A STORM

ON TlIK HAY AN KFFOHT KOK FREEDOM A HECOHD DKl'OSnED

—DEPARTURE OF HAYES AND I'AKTY— A DANGEROUS EXPERI-
MENT—ESQUIMAUX FUIENnSIIII- -^ A PltlMITIVE CONTRACT

IIAYES' I'AHTY |{ETUI{NS \ DKSCHIPTION OF TIllilR WANDER-

1N(;S — KAEITTUNAII
liOEUAE PLOT ITS DEFEAT

KANe's \V()NI)i;i{l'liI, liUOYANC-S- — -A DIA-

Lou",^ experience had made Dr. Kane's wisdom very extensive,
ainc)untin.i,r, indeed, almost lo instinct. The present serious cxifrcncy
received his l)est tliou,i,riit, 1Mie experiences of that awful ni<^ht-v/inter of
1S53-4 led him to sin-ink from exposin-- himself and his crew to another.
If none too well provided then with food and necessaries, they were now
almost destitute. How could iiis dispirited, diseased little hand endure
a-ain the strain whicli a ft w months' ai)sence of the sun imposed.' On
the other hand they were now in no condition to attempt an escape or
ohan-e of residenci' f.)r tlu; winter. Half the men were on the sick list,
and it was not certain where relief conhl ]h- lound. l^esidcs, how could he
ahandon the Advance when any possihility of savinj^nier remained.' It was
true that tliis summer had hrou;^-ht the open water oidy four miles nearer
than It had heen in the sprin^^ ; l,i,t the fortunes of another summer mi'^^^ht
prove more propitious. If lu- couM reach Heechey Island he mioht fuid
some means of replenishin-- his stores, or possihly fall in with some vessel
to whose comi)any he could communicate the whereahouts of his unfor-
tunate party, and thus lirin^' them succor. After cxaminin<; all the arL;u-
iienls for and a,i,^ainst, hv concluded that to leave the shij) was impossi-
llis last remaining;- expedient was to communicate with Hcechev
Maud if possihle, and, hy reachin<,r the British search s.piadron, obtain
relief in that manner.

i? ^

3li

51!J

514

ATTEMPTED yOURNEl' TO BEECHET ISLAND.

Preliminary to so hazardous and doubtful an undertaking, a mcetin-
of the officers was called, and the possibilities and impossibilities of the
plan were carefully considered, and the ice charts for the proposed r„i,te
were shown. Concurrence and co-operation were not urged upon ihc
officers; they were left to a voluntary choice as to their action in the
matter. All, however, seemed satisfied and relieved when tlie i,n,ject
was divulged to them. Every man ..n lu.ard volunteered, hut only
five active men were chosen to particiixite in the fortunes of the
journey.

^ The equipment, which had been preparing for some time, though
without the oliject being understood, was now completed. A boat twenty-
three feet long, and six atid a half wide in the middle, was fitted xvith
sails, and remodeled as well as the carpenter's limited resources would
permit. A quantity of food was placed on board, and a party consist-
ing of all except the sick, was detailed to "sledge" the boat and draw it
to oi^en water. This proved a most arduous task. The ice was tr(,ul)lc-
some, being loose and rough; and the repeated straining of the sie.lge
caused it to lireak down, and this led to a tiresome journey of twoscore
miles in quest of another. Through untiring perseverance the open
water was at last reached, and the boat launched on its ])osom.

Journeying southwanl through Smith's Strait, a piece of goo.j fortune
befell the voyagers. Upon a snu.ll island near the eastern coast, it was
found tiiat large numbers of ducks of various kinds were nesting. ' S„,ne
of these were feeding upon the animal life of the sea, while thev in their
turn were being picked ofT by the dozen by members of a stronger va-
riety. 0,n- navigators, i„ predatory sympathy, ^^'.\ v<.raciously ".„ all,
and promptly laul l)y a store for future use.

Observations upon the coast confirmed tiie inferences already an-
nounced, vi/: That the projections of Capt. Inglefield upon the" map
of the admiralty had been faulty and inaccurate. Dr. Kane w<.iil<l haw
hesitated in making such an announcement had not the observatory iVnni
which be was in tlu habit of checking his instruments and results hcrii
constructed with rareful reference to astronomical observations, aii.Mts
position determine.l to a nicety. Capt. Ingleliel.l had made the coast

•A STORM ON THE BAT.

trend some 3o" <lcsrccs too much to the north, thus -ivin- the capes
;iiul inlets discovered too hi.t^h a hititude, by some miles.

At last the time came for the party to bear westward across the
channel, and they soon jiassed out of the Strait's protection into the open
sea. Out of sitrht of land, in a mere cockleshell of a boat, and with a
iVeshcnin- wind l)odin<r an appreachin-,^ -ale, their feelin>rs may be bet-
ter ima.irined tlian described. Baffin had traversed that -ulf 230 years
I.efore, but his ships were far lar<,-er and better fitted for heavy waters
than the little boat in which our heroes ventured. The ^^ale arose, and
(br twenty-two hours they were driven to and fro upon the troubled
waters. Only the consummate skill of Mr. McGary— than whom, Kane
declares, " there is no better boatman in the world," the l)oat would
have been swamped in an hour, and even he, hardy old whaler as he
was, often lost hope, and jj^ladly hailed the moment when an approach-
in- Hoc odered tliem a temporary protection. Anchored to this, they
lode out the storm.

It now became necessary to look about them and find in what con-
diiion the storm had left them. They seemed, at first, permanently
I.eset. The ice had closed around them from every direction, and the
hori/on in every part of its circle was jrirt with it. Kane knew tiiat
they nii'^ht depend upon the warm winds from the south to scatter the
pack and j^ive liiem means of exit ; but he saw that his officers had no
such hope. At last tlie sim ap|)eared, and leads bcLjan to open in every
direction. As tht'v worked tiieir way tiirou,uh the openino- pack each
l)()inl around whicli they turne.l bron-ht tliem nearer tiie Greenland
shore. I'o cross the channel seemed now impossible, and it was deter-
luined to try and ivach some southern point on tlie east side of Baffin's
iiav. The next week was filled with almost constant exposure and dan-
ger. The rain fell in t<»rrents, and drenched them to the skin, while the
hoal was so filled with the fdlin-- water tiiat it reipured almost constant
!':ilni-. A-aiii the elosin- ici' on every hand threatened constant nips
I-' the uuiiroleeti'd boat. Not an iiour passt'd witlioul witnessing- the
necessity of haulin-- tlu^ boat on the ice to escape a eiosin- lead. In the
midst ,■[ it all, one of the number I

sick troiH exposure

ami

(cu or

Slfi

AN ATTEMPT FOR FREEDOM.

sleep. Perseverance and ph-ck, however, .t last overcame the many
ohstaclcs, a.ul they foiuid themselves close to the coast of Greenland
within ten miles of Cape Barrow. Coasting for some distance amon-.
the islands alon- the eastern shore ..f the Strait, and meetin- with no
important adventnre nor hopeful si-n, they decided to return to the hri-^^
and report their adventures and failure.

One last desperate attempt to liherate the ship - ..ow resolved on.
The hri- ha<l heen now nearly a year confined hy the ice, during which
time she had not chan-ed her position an inch. It was hoped that hy ;,
judicious use of hlastin-.powder, a lead mi-ht he suiHciently opened" to
admit of her safe passa-e (,ut into the open water. The hope was a
feehle one, tor the ice to he encountered was of massive thickness, nieas-
urin- sometimes nine feet ahove the water level-indicatin- a whole
thickness of sixty-tiiree feet.

At first some pro^r.-ess was e/T'-ted. One canister of powder, con-
taining five pounds, was sufficienc co remove two hundred square 'yards
of ice. As fast as tiie way was opened the ship was warped along .a f,u.
yards at a time. Finally she was towe<l into a small hight, where she
would be in safety until more extensive measures should he taken for her
release. It was observe.l in the meainime with the greatest concern that
new ice began already to form. The birds began to \\y to the soud,.
The progress througii the deep tloes was insignificant at best, and the
laces of all lengthened as the prospects of release dwindled away and
fi.ially seemed altogether to vanish. After one final and thorough
examination Dr. Kane decided to move the ship no fmther. Hope "of
complete liberation must be abandoned, and to remove the ship from her
present secure position might expose her to mmeeessary danger and per-
haps destruction.

The ch-max of the expedition being now reached, it was deciried, as a
prudent step, to make a full record of procedures in a concise form' and
deposit it where it coid.I not fail to be discovered by searcher in that
vicinity, if, as was possible, the party should all perish before they could
make or Cmd a means of escape. The experience on Heechev Islan<l live
years before impelled him to he particularly careful about this olFice.

SEPARATION.

517

On a large rock, tlicn, facing the opening from the west, was painted in
bold, black letters, " Ti.k Advance." A hole was drilled in this n.ck
and in it was placed a bottle caretully sealed with melted lead and con-
taining a brief record of the experience and discoveries of the expedition
from the time it was beset nntil the date of the record.

Kane now reflected that it would be unjust, and perhaps inhuman,
to require the whole party to remain at the brig against their wishes and
better judgment. As for him, he felt that honor re(|uired him to aJMde
by bis vessel, and he presumed that with a party of determined men the
result need not be feared, in spite of the gloomy pro.pcct. But he felt
as he always had, the greatest deference for tlie feelings and opinions of
his men, and he decided to make it optional with each one whether tiiey
should go or stay.

Calling them together, he lai.l before them the situation, advising all
to remain with the ship, hut giving any and all the lilicrty of choosing
their course. Those who should decide to go, were to choose their own
officers and abide by their counsel and commands; relinciuishing for the
time all claim upon Dr. Kane an.l those who might remain w"^ith him.
The roll was called, and each was allowed to speak for himself. The
result was that Dr. Hayes, with eight others, decided to attempt an es-
cape to the south.

- I divided to them, " says Dr. Kane, "their portion of our resources
justly and even liberally ; and they left us on Monday, the 2Sth of August,
with every appliance our narrow circumstances could furnish to speed
and guide them. One of them, George Riley, returned a icx,- days af-
terward; but wtarv months went by before we saw the rest :gain.
They carried with them a written assm-ance of a brother's welcome
should they be driven back; and this assurance was redeemed when hanl
trials had prepared them to share again our fortunes."

Their friends having departed, the remainder of our little band set
about making their winter home as tolerable as possible for the coming
severe season. Large quantities of nioss were gathered, and brought in
sledges to be used in banking up the brig, making it very like an Es-
The \\cc<\ of fresh meat bc^an to be real

qniniauv "igloe

.*M';if'

i f

1- )

518

iiitr. Tl

PERILS OF THE TIUNT.

10 sick, wlio now i-oiuprisi'd most of tlicir iuiinl..T, i„„|,i ,„„ ),,.
susti.i.K'd upon a scinvy-pro.Iurin- ,l,cl ..f pork an.l IkvI'. Tin. ncv.l K,]
t.) an a.ivrntuiv which was Nvcll-ni-l, falMl lo all conccrnc.l in il. 1),,
Kane an.l rians, ti,c ICscpiinianx, scL out one day t,, lool< f,,,- ,eals. I,
was their intention to remain .,ut four or live days, tentin- in the op,,,
air, for the liiermometer still showed some de-rees alx.ve zero.

At lirst they were surprised to llnd how f.r they ha<! to ,m„ ,„ ,,,,^,|,
the ..pen water. The swiftly advat.cin- winter had ma.le"!, soli.] ice-
plain of the spot wliere they had hoped to lln.l seals pla\ In- In -rcat ,unn-
bers. At hist tiio edge of the water was reached, and several of ii„,

WAICIIINO I'OK A tiliAL.

polar beauties were discovered -amboliii- alnnit in their native elonent.
To their -reat consternation, Kane an.l Hans sn.l.lenly became aware
that they ha.l .Irlven upon a belt of unsafe ice which threatene.l to oivo
way at any moment, and precipitate them into the freezin- Hood. Any
St.)]) was fatal. Fear an.l vi-orous applicati..n ..f the whip crave Hie
do-s their -reatest rapi.Hty, and they spe.l hke an arn.w .,ver llu' \ iel.l-
in- mass. Hut such an effort could not last. One of the nnn.ers broke
in, and then .lo-s, sle.l-e, and mefi, were successively precipitat..,! into
the on-cailn- mass al..,ut them. iM.rtunately ibr the I'squimauN, he
had l)r.)uoht his kavak, and in

n It wa^^

prej

)areil

lor

-ucii an

L-niei-

VARIOUS OPINIONS. r,l9

-cMcy; l)Ut Kane, after cuttiii- the doi^s loose, rounil liimsclf slni<,r<rlin<;
in llic water, aiui -rowiii^r weaker with eaeli new attempt to escape,
Tlie Es<,ui.nai.x, in the ineaiitinie, lii<e a -ooil Moravian, was prayin-
loudly upon the soli.l ice. "At every fresh erushin^-in of the ice, he
wmiid ejaculate 'Oofir and when I re-commenced my paddling he re-
ciiinmenced his prayers."

It was oidy after a series of the most desperate cfTorts, tiiat Kane at
l:isl succeeded in cstal)llshin<r himself a-ai,i npon the solid ice. Here he
was "frictioned" hy the Esquimaux to an extent which caused him to dis-
miss all fear of evil results from his duckin<(. The do-s were saved, I.nt
the entire equipment of sled-e, tent, -uns, and robes, was lost in the
water.

It may interest the reader to note the manner in which our party of
explorers was a-ain brought in contact with the Esciuimaux ; and to
mark the subsecpient chain of events which, through cMnmon hardships
and sullerings, seemed t<. bind natives and seamen together in enduring
friendship. It is curious to observe the dilFerent characteristics which
.lillcrent explorers have attributed to this peculiar people. Franklin and
Kane, as we have seen, tbund them dishonest, having the idea of prop-
erty, at least as regards other races than their own, almost wholly want-
ing. Hall, on the other hand, as we shall duly relate, found them as he
says, "scrupulously honest," though not scrupulously clean. It is proba-
bly t! ue that their dishonesty, as indicated in the cases of Franklin and
Kane, was rather due to a shallow knowledge of international laws,
and a very limited experience in the matter of contact with other races,
than to a depraved moral condition.

During Kane's absence, in his futile attempt to reach Beechey Island
his remaining men ha<l had free intercourse with those of the neighboring
natives who were inclined to be friendly. In spite of the unpleasantnes^s
occasioned by their pilfering, Kane, upon his return, encouraged this
intercourse iind took steps to make it mutually profitable. He saw that
the only danger of the crew was in the absence of fresh meat. If an alli-
ance could be made with these natives, accustomed to the rales of Arctic
hiuiting, tliis perplexing problem of anti-scorbutic food might be easily

iff

020

A /'A'/A////r/i IRIiATV

solvol. A litlli- (lotLM-miii.d ;icli

Hill (»ii tho part of tin- wliitcs l)roii;,'lit il

two iKirlios lo ;ni tm.lorstaiKiiii.;-. Cortain artirks haviii-- 1
carric-d o.T, Ivaiic dispalclud two active nu-ii
briiiL; the nilpiits liacl

11;' 1)0011 stolon
■ith

ami

m pursuit, witli onlors t

v, and lo oonipol llioin lo rosion- I

10 stolon >r()(

)11S.

IS was promptly dono, and rosnltoi

coniod. Stolon Li'oods wa-io ri'inrnod

I I'l a oonipaol satisfactory to all 0011-
Voni all cpiartors, and a troal\' oiitond

into with v\^-\\ triho within tlio social rad

Ills.

I-'

C'AICIIINK, IIIKDS.

o ])rovisions of this novc'l and primitivo froatv wore as fol

ows:

'On tho part of tiio liiiuiit or i{

s(|uiman\: '\Vo ])roiniso that wo will hriiur-

you fresh meat. Wo proiniso that wr will soil or loud you doi,rs. W^,
koop you company whorovor you want us, and show you whoio lo

will

find the t^.ime.'

" On the part ot tho whit

o mon, tho stipulations wore of th

IS amnio

equivalent: 'Wo promise that wo will not \isit

you with (loatli or sur-

ARCrrC DIET.

(H-rv, nor do \()ii any liiiit

>r inisfliii'l' wlial

i'V( r

f will sllDdt Inr \,,ll

nil (.111 limits. ^^„l shall l,r made; wdcoiiic aliuan! ship. Wt> will .^^Ivi;
V'Mi |)ivsciits.,riu.,-,!k.s, pins, ivv , l<i,„ls(,C knivrs, a hoop, lluvc l.iis of

''■"''' ^^' '' -"""^' •"■''> ;'!• :i\vl, and soiiu' si-win.^r tlirrad; ami wi- will liadi-

^'■'''' y •ftli^-"^'' :Hid I'VLTythin- I'lsc you want lor walrus and seal im-at

nlllir lirsl .pialily.'" 'I'., the i-rcdil of holh parti, -s lu- it sai.l that in all
\Uv iuliTcoursi. of that wiiilt-r of 1S51 .-, this treaty was luv.'r hroki^ii.

It is curious to iiotiiv the t-xtraordiuary chau^jfc; in appetites and hah-
ils whicli a few mouths' sojourn in so rij^-orous a leinperatuiv had cflected.
The dis.^rustiu-- hlul.her and -aw walrus meat of the natives had <^m-owii
to he a luxury. 'J'hus do tlie fivliu'^-s adjust themselves to the physical
iv(iuireineiitsof the diirereut /.ones. '• The liver of a walrus eaten wilii
slices of his fat, of a verity, is a dehcious morsel! Fire would ruin the
curl, pithy expression of vitality wliicli l)elonos to the uiu-ooked piece,.
Charles Laml.'s roast pi^- ,vas nolhin,^^ to it. I wonder liiat raw heef is
not eaten more at home. Deprived of extraneous lii)er, it is lu'ither iiuU-
«,rostil)le nor difHcult to masticate. With acids and coudiimnis it makes
a salad which an educated palate cannot help relishin.^-; and as a heal-cre-
■A\\\\<x and anti-scorhutie food, it has no rival."

Pile rcadiM- would he wearied hy the detail of events whicli occurred
(liirin-- tiie last months of 1854. [t is sullicient to say tliat amid increasini,-
privations, and with disease threatefiin;^ to hopelessly weaken the little
hand, the close of the year drew near.

On llie 7th of Decemhei the weary watchers at the hri-- were sur-
prised hy the appearance of several sleih^n;- loads of liscpiimaux, hriu:,'-
iii-- anion-- them lionsall and Petersen, two of the parly who had "-one
out with Dr. Hayes dnrin;^- the last days of the i)revious summer.
Tiiey leporliMl the remainder of the party two hundred miles away,
tiicir resources wasted, health hroken, and themselves divided in counsel,
and hesitatin.,'- as to their hiture course. Kane's lu-st liiou^^dit, of course,
was of relieviiiL;- tiieir necessity. But he had to mei't liie .piesiion, ''Who
could i^o to llieir relief?" Not a man exccDt Mr. McOary, Hans, and
hnnsell, was ahle to stir. His only hope lay in Irustiiii;- what provi-

hiOlb

he CiUikl s|j;;te lo the Mscjuii

nan.., and depending; upon them to con-

^'mL,,

Vi2

/iETU/i.V OF ir l.V/JLA'liA'S.

vcv llu- ili-siri'il .issist.iiuv. IK' would williu'^U haw lJoik" liimscll' I
it lii'i'U |)i;n.-lii.'aliU' Id K-avi- liis liospilal. As il was, Ik' had manv <l

i.wl

iitilil-

;md ini>;j;iviii!^^s as to wla-lhiT ihi' natives, iiiuli'i- temptation, lonid 1,
trnslc'd witii liic pinions iVcii^lit wiiiili thuy wi-ii- now carryiu';-.

TIr'si' ivI loot ions wore (.•ndi'<l on thr i Jlii hy tiu' return of tl

le wan-

ini-

(li'iiTs. Thi'v were snUeriii'^- teiTil)ly iVoni lold, and were nearly I'
ished. " I 'oor fellows," says Kani-, "I eonid only ,i;rasp tluni 1>\ iln
hand an<i L,n\e them a Inothei's welcome.'"

Tiieir story was an alnn'st I'onlimions record (

)l siilliMini;- and Inri

ini;- adventure. Theii' plan had heen to leach Upernavik on
(irceidani! coast, and iVom tlnne to send assistance to tii
\)v'i'j;. 'IMiey iiad hoped to ri'ach open water at no j^reat dist,

llu

e lesKlnr ;,l llu

nice, lull ill

this they weiv disappointeil ; l)i'sides, the ice was so rouj^h and hidkeii in
one |)lace that it took tlu-m three days to make six miles, dra"-"-iii.' as
they were i-ompelled to do, their boat and provisions over Its iii"..r(|

^urlal

Some ol" llu'in wi'i

e naturally read\' to ri'Inrn almost

I HI ore

tlu'v were l'aiil\- under wa\'. Wiiite

r was coming;- on, starvation stared

them in the lace.

md liieir ener'nes were last

lien

hrok

en.

Alt

I'l- liiey

had lahored on lor se\eral weeks it hi;came evident that th

ev mil-.

some place ol shelti-r.

and

A hut was improvised from boulders and an old
sail, wilh such other articli-s as could servi- any purposi-. As l-'ianklin
had done, tlu'y atti-iiipted to lenj:;-then out their scanty [jrovisions ]>\ the
nsi.' of the tripe Jr roclic^ or rock lichen, hut il acted as a laxativ.
prodnciiiLj: still ^jreater debility, added to their embarrassment. Some lls-
(luimaux i-anu- to tiieir wretched hovcd, and brou;^rht ihcm a limilc'd sup-
ply of iVesh meat, hut would not acci'de to any rccpicst to sell or lend
their teams. A plot on ih.e part of the natives to destroy the eiitiiv
parly ha\ini;- been defeated, Dr. Hayes ai^'aiu tried to treat with them in

relerence to their tea

ms.

e says;

■\ now re])ealed to Kahitunah, their chieft,

lin, a recpiest which had 1

leen

made on previous occasions, namely, that the people should take us
their sledi^-es and carry us northward. His answer was tl

iinoil

le same that it

had been hitherto. It was then proposed to him and his compaipons that

we should hire their teams fromlhem; but this they also il

eel 11 led to

h.wl

MDIlIll,

)lll(

111' Willi.

I\ 1,1111-

|\ ihi

111 i.iri

•Ml llu'

H' ai llu.

'I', lull ill

irokni 111
■;.^iii-, as

l'U'_

I'l'idi

siainl

llNl iliid

an old

aiikliii

l>v Ilk'

■T, and

)I1H'

.'ll Mll)-

)!■ 1

(.'11(1

I'lllUV

iL'Ill 111

Id hci'M

IS upon

that It

) M

m \ i

KAl.i; IXNAH.

)11S tl

lat

iiR'd to

623

524

HATES' STORY.

comply with. No offers which wc could make seemed l., have the
slightest effect upon them, and it was plain that nothing would induce
them to comply with our request, nor even give any reason for their re-
fusal. In fact, they thoroughly understood our situation, and we now
entertained no doubt that they had made up their minds with a unanim-
ity, which at an earlier period seemed improbable, to abandon us to ,nn-
fate, and to profit by it.

"The question to be decided became an easy one. Here were six civ-
ilized men who had no resort fen- the preservation of their lives, their
usefulness, and the happiness of their families, except in tiie aid of
sledges and teams which the savages obstinately refused to sell „r hiie.
The expectation of seizing our remaining effects, after we should have
starved or frozen to death, was the only motive of their refusal. The
savages were within easy reach of their friends, andcould suffer litHe I,y
a short delay of tiu-ir rctur.i. For their property, compensation could he
made after (^\w arrival at the brig."

A plan to secure the services of the teams was at once organised,
and steps taken to carry it into -xecution. Tlie natives were gathered'
together, and shown the utmost ki.uhiess in order to remove the susni-
cions recently entertained of llie whites. Pictures were given them'as
presents for their children, and a great feast was promised.^ While this
was preparing. Dr. Hayes managed u.iobserved to e.npty the contents of
a small vial of laudanum into their favorite soup, hoping that it would as-
sist in making them sleep, thus facilitating the escape "with the dogs a.ul
sledges. Everything w.s covertly put in readiness, and after the dinner
had been eaten, signs of dnnvsiness among the Esquimaux Nvere anx-
iously looked tor.

" Our guests were in a few moments asleep, but I did not know how
much of Lhcir drowsiness was due to fatigue (for they had been luu.ting)
and how much to the opium; nor were we by any means ass.n-e-l that
their sleep was sound, for they exhibited signs of restlcss.iess which
greatly disturbed us. Every .noment had therefore to be conducle.l with
the utmost caution."

i\.t last evervthill"" wi^; in rfirlini-ji;.^ fill I <' i 1

^ivLiHii^ w.is 111 it.Kimesh, ami tnc party started on. Some

fii

BUOYANCr OF KANE.

S25

(iisturbance had been made in starting, and they were not, therefore,
surprised to see, before they got out of sight, those whom they had
clandestinely left behind, come toward them with full speed. They
were obliged at once to take some definite action. They leveled their
rifics at the approaching savages. These, seeing their danger, made ges-
tures of submission, and at last promised to do all that was asked of
them. They took the whole party on their sledges and brought them
to the brig, where, as we have seen, they arrived on the 12th of
December.

Words cannot describe the horrible experiences ot the remainder of
that Arctic winter. Sickness had prostrated nearly every one, and the
results of this were intensified by the depression of spirits which it
seemed impossible to shake off. It was all that the commander could do
to bear up under the jiressure, and sustain the feelings of his men, whom
a settled melancholy seemed to have seized. Bright and liopcful as he
always managed to appear, his journal records some fearful " sinkings of
his heart within him." lie had often to perform the fourfold duty of
nurse, physician, cook, and provider of fuel, besides taking his place as
watchman nearly half of the time. There is recorded no more marvel-
ous sustaining of the soul than is shown in the case of this man. This
was the third time that he had witnessed the spirits of his men die out
witii the light of the departing sun, and had been compelled to see them
sinking under disease during a long and tedious winter night; and this
was the third time that he had lieeu first and ablest of all his company
to iiail the return of the day-god.

In the mitlst of all trials, Kane was resolved to preserve the most
rigid discipline and the most perfect routine. It was at least a remem-
l)rancer of civilization, aud it served to promote the confidence of the
men, weakened by disease. It would hardly seem that mutiny or deser-
tion need be feared in this dreary waste, but we find that both occurred;
and of the most diabolical type. The description of this experience will
recall the circumstance referred lo in the chapter of Kane's biography.
One William Godfrey, a sailor, had, it seems, been particularly trouble-
some throughout the voyage. He and a shipmate, John Blake, were

Ml ' i :

r)2«

A PLOT.

t's

bad fellows, of whom Kane declares that he was curious to know whu
mvr\,, have been their past life. Certain iorebodinj,. whisperin<,.s ha.l led
Kane to suspect a plot, and put him at once on his <,ruanl. One d-.y -,
sailor reported having overheanl a conversation between the two dis
affected seamen to the effect that they woul.i leave the ship as soon ..
possible. Bein.^r able-bo<Iied men, and nearly well, they could not ho
spared from service, and their desertion would also probably have a pre-
judicial influence on the nei.<,rhl)orin<r Esquimaux.

When the two came to leave the ship, they were promptly co„.
fronted, apprehende.l, and put in irons; and Godfrey, the instij^^ator and
leader m the step, was severely punished. At first he confessed all, and
made fair promises for the future; but bein.^^ released, he went on'deck
ostensd)ly to work, and deserted again within an hour. It happened
that Hans, the Esquimaux, ha.l -one out with the sledge a few day.
before, and was supp,)scd to l,e at the Esquimaux settlements some
seventy miles away. The plan of (Godfrey was supposed to inchule ilie
seizure of the dogs and sledge, thus .lepriving the f unine-visite.I partv
at the bng of the last precarious means of subsistence. Kane at onc'c
saw tile necessity of suppressing such a proceeding al the first start. He
accordingly dressed as an Es,,nimaux, appeare.l mvsteriouslv in the vil-
lage, ■^^v\ hefbn; Godfrey could recogni/e him, had him in irons.

The winter of ,854-5 wore away, and the advancing sun bnn.-dit
a.nprovci symptoms to the sick, and a measure of hopefulness to all The
Situation even yet was ,hvadfui. All ha,! long since conclndcl that the
bng never could be lih.rated, an.l escape, in that wav was out of the.,„es-
l.on. The men Nvcrc still so reduced in strength that when a deer w.s
kdled, it was a matter of serious dilfienlty t„ transport the bodv to the
ship. A .Icarth of fresh meat was still at limes a .iillicultv hard to over-
come. The Escpnmaux themselves were in a starving con.Iition, su that
aui from that source was not to be hoped for. (),u- of the stoutest oili-
cers on board, on l.H.king at hin>seh- in the glass lor the first time since
h.s diness, hurs, i„,o tears to ^\nA how rc^luced and wretched In appear-
ance he ha.l become. There wassa.l truth in Kane's sumndn- up of the
.natter, '^ With.-ut a sp.c.ly change the ...a- of the party was i.,evilahle"

CHAPTER L!X.

RANK DKTERMIXKS TO AHANDON TIM'; liUU; UEMOVAI. OI' IJOATS

AND SLEDOES TO TIJK WATEu's EDGE I'AimNO !■ KOM

KKIENDS HANS PROVES SUSCEPTIHEE — EM liA I{ K INd— A KEAST

A SEAE KIEEED THE ANNUAE OIL BOAT AUIUVAE AT UI'EK-

■vavik—iiaktstene's seakch— Kane's east days.

The party had now been in the ice about two years and the day of the
liiiij^'s release seemed as far away as ever. A careful reference to the re-
ports of Dr. Kane and his officers reveals some important facts relative to
the necessity of their abandoninjr the Advance. Dr. Kane had recjucsted his
ice-niastcrs to examine the ice surrounding the brif^ and shuttiuf^r h^r from
the open sea, in order to determine its condition compared with that of
the previous season, and the probaliility of its allowin-,^ the Advance to
effect an exit this year of 1S55. The above mentioned officers repoi-ted
tliat the ice was thicker and stron<i:er than it was the year before, and ex-
ti'uded for miles further out, and that a breakinjr up under these circum
stances, which would allow the brig to escape, was not to Ik; looked for
as the result of a single summL'r.

It was further found that all the fuel had been taken from the sub-
sl;ince of the Advance which could he taken and still leave her sea-wor-
tliy in case of subsequent release; and that not above half a month's fuel
could be gathered from the whole store. Moreover, their stock of pro-
visions had become so reduced that not over tliirty-six days' food
ivmaiued. These discouraging facts were certainly sufficient to justify
Kane in making immediate preparations to leave his vessel and dejjart
tor the south in whatever way was deemed practicable.

After due consultation it was decided to put the boats, supplies and
sick men upon sledges, and transport thein to what was consitlered the
open sea, and then proceed southwan! until some fortune should drive

527

TAKING LEAVE OF THE BRIG.

them upon fi-icnds, „r until they should reach Upcrnavik, trustinq- to
Providence to supply them with food when it siiould crive out. This
agreed upon, the officers and crew proceeded to take final and formal
leave of the brig. A portion of Scripture ^vas read, and a few ^^ords
spoken by Dr. Kane, reviewing their past experience, and speaking of

MANS, Wiri- AMI m:i.ATrVHS.

hope for the future. They marched an.uiul the lirig, commenting „n
her appearance, and rehearsing the time and place wiien certain scars on
her surf ice were given. The ligure-head, a representation of a little girl
with painted cheeks, \vas taken from the how. Dr. Kane was at first
doubtful about adding this to the alreadv heavy burden, but the men

'i. ! *

HANS, THE UNFAITHFUL.

529

.vns„.,e.l that i. co,„., ,« ,„.,,„, f„, ,„, ,f ,, ^„„,„ „^, ^^,
«-M>u. upo„ the ,,„„,,. ,„ ,, ,„,„,,,„„^,, ,,, ^^^ ^^^^^^^,^ ^^___^ 3 , . . .t

The.,, b..,a„ . ,„„„ ,,,ic. .,f hu„l day.. „.„.,, for whLh the ,.en
.'^•"..1-tcd hy „„ff.„,., „„., „„,,,„ ,„ ^, .,_ ^^^,,.^ ^^^ __ n

;» ovision.s ami necessaries had to l.of-,1', f,. ., ,- • -^ "e

I ^ r . *'""^ ^''''^ ^'"P '«"'! transported

pitable denizens of th(> ic<- Ti. ^-

otthcuc. The natives ,^.ave abundant proof that their
tcelnip-s were sincere Tli,>,r ... i i

^ sinterc. 1 hey ei„,v.le,l aroi,,,,! the m,„;„ers, p,.e.,i„„

--- .hei,. ,.e,tet at thei,- c,„„h„ ,,e,-elve,„e,:t '•'■"""

'■ ^'>- .'-" w;'"-." -y. K.„e, " to ,he.. p , ,,;,,,,, ,„.,,„.^,,„,

■ IK.„ ,. „o arrocta,,,,,, ,„■ ,,,re,. The,, a,. t>ve„. v-t .f he,,, .„■ , '

■..-." 'H,.,y„.,. ,,Hce.t„ the.D„et,. Kaye,,., a,,., ..e.-e ,-

Wc cook for thetn ni our hri- camn 1-,.h) .1
--^- '- .U-a l=.-ie; a he,,- e„„,e at ha„„ .,„„„; Z^::^CZ.

'"':';;•'/•" ' "-' •<-yvah,e-.,eep, ,■„,.,, a„<, e„„,p ,1

"-l.,he„-„-ea»,„.e.l sh,„-t.Hve,l »u„„ne,- s„„ above , he,,, the/, T^

^ ;'7'^-'^------'-T^ce,.,.,,.e,.,e;; ;:,:;:■'''' '■''•"

l.'","l.. of a„ l.»,,„„„a„x eh,eftai„, he ha.l „„e Jay left ,he .hi„V
l""y""tl.,,vt„,„. .\ClhetN„e„r k- ■ , ^'t the .ships „„„.

--r-^-'> ---:^;--X;:;r ;:;;;::::;:

»J".i c.pene„co he ha„ hee,„„e the ..at ,„a„ „f h, eh„se„ t, e wj
Af,e,. U.avh„ theh. f,ae,„ | en.ha.-kh,, „„ the sea, the Heath,, iee

f.t I -I

s.*n

A RARE FEAST.

Of flic sound came upon them in dancrerous quantities for many days.
Ovcrcomin-r these diffieuities, after a time they caut,'ht si,<?ht ..fa nocI< ,,f
eider-(hiel<s, and soon luraine awan- that ll.eywciv at the l.rc-cdin- place
of these acinatics. A recess was found ainon- ihr icr-c..vc-ri><l rooks
alou- the shore, and int.. it thi> crew pulled tlieir littk' Ik-c!, and srt apart
several days for the replenishini-- of their stock of catahles.

« We remained almost three days at our crystal retreat, <,rathenn<r

PiUidJijl

OFF TO THE OPEN SEA.

eggs at the rate of 1 300 per day. Outside the storm raj^^od without inter-
mission, and oin- c^ij: hunters found it dilHcult to keep their feel; hut a
verier set of gourmands than were gathered within, never reveled in
genial diet."

W'iien at length they started again on their wav new ohstailes were
met with. In passing into the less dense atmosphere, ihev <^n\\\A difli-
eulty in hreatiiing, and their feel swelled so that it liecanic necessary to

A WELCOME SOU.VI}

c,. open U,eir canvas booe. A .,.„nWc,o.e Tonn „f insomnia a,.„ a,-
I..CU.1 thorn, and did much to .leprivc thcra of rc« Tl ■

.ppetitc, ha,l made fearful .nroads L their K^r ZL '""'"""^

"'''^' ''"•' the scrimn n<rf>nn
».qucn. upon th„ ™adc all weak, and s„,ne of then, nearly prosf "^

" rt »as at this crisis of our fortune, that .vo saw a lar" " ^V
on I siTviIl ,^..f^i, <• • . laigc seal floatin'j

.... Mn 11 patch of ,ce-„s ,s the custom of these ani,nals_a„d seen
....ly a»leep S„na, was made for one of .he ,,„ats e„ follow aster, 1
ho,nhh„,„.than.let,we prepared to craw, down upon hi.n. Pe
,™ w ,. the large English rifle, was stationed in .he how, and stoc' ,
uce .l.aw„ over the oars as unUHers. A, we neared the animal our t
c„e,nen. hecarne so m.ense that .he men could hardi, keep stroke.

I had a set of signals for such occasions, which .spared us the noise of
tl. vou:e, and when about three hundred yards away the oars were t^ e
off, and we moved on in silence with a single scull as.ern. Me was .
aslep. or he reared his head when we were almost within rifleshot

"°.""' ''"'r ■■— -■ 'he h.ard, careworn, almost despairin '

express-on upon .he men's thin faces, as they saw him move. Thei;
lives depended on his capture."

The seal W.S killed, .and was torn in pieces .and devoured almost raw
V ,he ha , am.she.l men. Every part of this annnal was saved. Even
.he cn.rads foun.l .heir way in.o .he po. without the preliminary trc,,
.nen. common in civilized par.s. Thus a rare and savage feast was sum.
manly enjoyed.

A few days afterwar.l, as they were laboring across the heavy sea a
">>...r sound came to them over .he water. It was not the-Hnl'.
i.uk. of the nat.ves, nor the screeching of a gull. I, had, to ear, ,„„'
.....rntsy .acute to he mistaken, the well known ring „f a healthy
" llo How the men bent to their ashen oars, and how every „.,„k
... .he foggy horizon was scanned for any trace of the source whence i.
,..-..cecded It proved to be a Danish shallop_.he annual oil ship from

Here they got their first idea of what had transpired in the world
s.ncc they be,nm, as it were, their hernutac^e. Not much news could he
^a:.K.d ,., .\n.eri.a, Ina it n'as ascertained that Lieut. I lartstene had re-

-im

083

JiESULTS OF KANE'S VOrAGE.

yij

ccntly passed up the bay in search of the party supposed from their lon^
absence to he lost or perishing. And Sir John Franklin, what of him"
How their own little specialty came up into mind, as they thought of
then- fr.ilure! Traces of him or remains of the party, had been found a
thousand miles to the south of their searching-ground.

Still they rowed on, and the next day came t(, Upernavik, the upper
most town of Greenland. Here they were showered with kindness by
the .nhabitants, who regarded them as having been almost miraculouslv
saved. They were so weather-hardened and used to exposure, that thcT
could hardly endure to stay within walls, so suffocating was this novel
expcnence. A ?^w ,norc days fbund them at Godliaven, where they
met the rescuing party.

" Presently we were alongside. An officer whom I shall ever re
member as a friend, Capt. Ilartstene, hailed a little man in a ra-^-a.!
flannel shirt, 'Is that Dr. Kane?' and with the 'Yes!' that followed^Uie
nggmg was manned by our countrymen, and cheers welcomed us back
to the social world of love which they represented." It was well into
September, 1S55, before they were "finally on their wav to their homes
which had missed them so long.

It is proper in closing to mention briefly the scientific results of this
remarkable voyage. Kane ha.l no, found Franklin, nor had he explored
tlie fairy land and water which surround the Pole. But his bravery mkI
perseverance had added immensely to the limited knowled-^e o"f 'the
north ot Greenland. Over a thousand miles of the coast had been .e
curately surveyed and projected, and many of the glacial wonders of
this fngid region had been investigated and explained. The brave cm
mander had not only been exceedingly zealous himself, but had planned
and se.it out numerous expeditions for the purpose of investic^atin-^ p n
ticular phases of the polar life. Each n.an seemed to catch tl.e e.u-nest
enthusiastic spirit of his chief, and the carefully compiled reports of .11
these expc.Ut.ons have proved invaluable. The observations on tlie ,ne
teorology of the country, were perfectly taken and classilied The
mathematical operations used in making geographical location.
conducted with the utmost care and skill : niMkin- the re

were

i-esnits authe

iitic (in

itni'

JTAATE^S EARr^r DEATH.

all points dealt with. The flora of fU u

, .• ^ ^'^'-' "«"h was treated in a nio> t ov

.hings were done under ciruZc "'" "" ""'""'°"- ''" "'^•»"

rew,vo„,d have had ZZ:^::^"'^"''^^^'"'^''^

returned adven.nrt , „ ll, ''^^ T "^^ "^^' "^ *"' ^'">'' "f
s to iDass away. H,s f^ul form could not endure the

shocks n^posed upon it by three northern winters Broken

and weighed down by the cares to which he h.i been ", '

sailed for England in 18.7 R. • ^' ^"""^ '° ^°"-' '^^

where he die! the s J. y' ;.. .^r'"^^ "^'"^^ :^-^'' ^^ ^P^^^^ ^ ^^'^a,
^'UTiL ycai at the early age of tliirty-seven.

CHAPTER LX.

M'CLINTOCK I.V COMMAVD OK niK KOX - ,ris CHOICE OP OKK.CEUS^
CAUGIfT I.V T.IE PACK OK HAKKIN's HAV _ A VVINTEK IN THK

icE_A,unvK o.v KING vvilmam's islaxd _ hobson discovers

A HECOHD_A MOURNFUL INFERENCE _ TWO SKELETONS - v
CURIOUS MEDLEV-TESTIMONVOFTHE ESQUIMAUX WOMAN _
IMPORTANCE OF m'cHNTOCK's INVESTIGATIONS.

We are now about to descnbe an expedition which, while pcM-h.ps
not equaling so.ne others in the thrilling character of its details never
theless achieved the long wished-for result of bringing back cert-.in
knowledge of the circumstances under which Sir John Franklin n.et his
death.

At the time of the inception of this enterprise, the interest in such
undertakmgs on the part of leading nations, and the sacrifice of li,b
a-i n,oney in their pursuit, had become matters of history. Traces of
the .11-starred voyagers had been discovered, but no definite record „f
the probable fate of the expedition had, as yet, rewarded the efforts of
explorers.

"^^heclevotion of Lady Franklin, which had already received ample
■histrafon HI the large amounts of money expended by her in pursu.t
of knowledge concerning her lost consort, was also instrumental in the
httn^gout, and .iispatching of this vessel; and on the iS^h of April
.H57, she did Capt. Leopold M'Clintock (before mentioned as a bnve'
and efhcent officer) the honor to oTer him the leadership of the pro
posed expedition. As might be expected, it was accepted. As a post of
honor and difficulty, it would quite naturally possess sufficient charts
for a naval officer who had already served in several such expeditions.
M Chntock was a gallant officer, whose heart was in the cause, and
whose previous experience had n.ade him perfectly conversant with all

5;{4

OFFICERS CHOSEN. ^.j,

the details of Arctic sailin. It see.neci, a.ul uulccd, the event proved,
that MO .nore fortunate choice couhl ha.e heen made. The screw-yacht
I-x, ot .77 tons burthen, was purchased and fitted out for him, and full
pcrm.ss.on obtained for hi.n from the admiralty to con.plete the search
m his own way.

Not only did M'Clintock receive aid and support from Lady Frank-
1"., but the Royal Society contribute<l money for the purchase of suit-
.1.1c mstruments, and the London Hoard of Trade donated several
articles. In fact, Capt. M'Clintock found that he had only to ask for
what he wanted, to receive it if it was in store. He recjuired, however
only such thin-s as were absolutely necessary.

He was peculiarly forttmatc also iu the choice of his olHcers and
crew. Amonj,. them were Lieut. Ilobson, an officer of much experience-
Capt. Allen Younj,^ of the merchant marine, who not only threw his
services into the cause, but subscribed ,£500 in furtherance of it; and Dr
David Walker, an accomplished surgeon, and scientiHc man;_all these
were volunteers whose services were secured, u Many worthy ol,l ship-
■na...,," says M'Clintock, " my companions in previous Arctic vova<^es
n.ost readily volunteered their services, and were as ,n-atefullv accepted
tor ,t was my anxious wish to gather around ,ue well-tried",ncn, who'
^verc aware ol the duties expected of them, and accustomed to naval dis-
c.pline. Hence out of the twenty-five souls composing our small coin-
pa.iy, seventeen had previously served in the Arctic search." J ust before
starting, Carl Petersen, mentioned in connection with Dr Kane's
.n.m.rable expedition, joined the vessel as interpreter. The ship was
a:n,,ly provisioned for twenty-eight months, an.l the supplies inchuie.l
the custon^ary stock of preserved vegetables, lime-juice, :uul pickks tbr
.la.ly consumption. The adnuralty caused 66S. pounds of penunican
to he prepared, and the Hoard of Ordnance furnished the arms, powder
and shot, and giant-powder for ice bL.sting. M'Clintock, beii,.^ anxious
to retain for his vessel the privileges she formcrlv enjoved as^"^a yacht
was enrolled a member of several of the leading clubs.

Upon JtMie 3, .S57, the Fox left the harbor, Tiul, wi'tii tavorin-^ winds
the coasts of (Greenland and Cape Farewell were sighted on tlj i.th of

836

CAL\.IIT IN THE MIDDLE PACK.

II!

atVki.'Jiii ?

Ilij

■vn

July. It may he well to state what, perhaps, is not clearly iin.lcrstood,
that HalKn's Bay freezes over every winter. Diirinj,' the followiui^r sum-
mer the ice hreaks up, and finds its way downward tlirou<,'h Davis' Strait
frequently ohstruciinj,' the passa,-,'e from east to west. Tiie North I'as-
saj,'e is accomplished hy sailin;,' around the western end of the pack as it
comes tlown; the Soutii Passa<,'e hy pursuin<j a similar course with re-
gard to the southern end; :mu1 the Middle Passage is ellected hy pushiu'r
through the ice. It was M'Clintock's misfortune, after trying all these
courses, to become fastened in the pack, and thus he was delayed for
several months.

The disappointment of a crew eager tbr result;,, and still obliged to
spend several months in fruitless drifting, may be better conceived than
portrayed. The thought was unbearable that they must spend the win-
tor in the ice, and then, even if they escapeil being crushed, perhaps be
obliged to return to a waiting nation without tidings of the missing and
looked for. During all the z\z days, however, that they were ice-hound,
the best of discipline was preserved, and the brave commander himself
still remained sanguine o'i success. Many times the destruction of the
Fox seemed inevitable. A sea of heavy ice crowded continuously about
her, threatening to crush in her sules, or by sweeping over the deck to
sink her, or destroy members of the hapless crew. » Every tloe," as
Dr. Kane explains it, "took upon itself the *'.tnctioiis of ocean;" and
thus the perils of an Arctic sea were made doubly terrible by the waste
of ice.

Whenever it was possible to employ or amuse the men among these
dreary scenes, M'Clintock was desirous that it should be done. An
evening school for the men was arranged by Dr. Walker, and carried on
with genuine success. Later on, lectures and readings were organized
and subjects of scientific interest discussed, such as the trade winds, at-
mospheric phenomena, and tlie uses of the various instruments. On
November 5, being still in the pack, the men proposed to celebiate the
preservation of their ancestors from the well-known gunpowder plot.
An cIHgy of Guy Fawkes was prepared, and burnt on the ice. " Their
blackened faces, extravagant costumes, glaring t(jrches, and savage yells

CIIUISING ON THE COAST. m

friKlnoncl ,h„ ,|0B, away; ■„„■ wa, i, ,il| art„ ,hc lirow„rk, wcr. lot off
a...l.ho,ra„„r c„„,u,ne,l, .ha, ,h.y crop, ha.k a,a;„. U wa, Hchool-

"'"1; ' ■""' '"""^ "P '■'■'■ '""• "" "'^'V- .he D„c„„. a holiday."

rho F.,. had a.aohc,l Melville Bay when she hecaav loekcl i„ ,he
pac , and dun,,,- .he ei,,h, ,n„„.hs ,ha. »he wa, a„ ice.bo„„d prisoue,,
,he had dr„.e,l southward .,ve,- ,oo„ ,„i|es. \Vhe„ a, las. release ca.ne
"-.t .he i,en„.,l l,ree.es of .S„„.her„ Oree„la,„l, it wa, deci.led .,. s.ea,,,
." 1 *.-.,He,« io re,., ,.e. refreshn.cn.s a..d ,.,pplle,,an,l e„j„y .he h„s.
,-,i."0, of . e Danes. Thence i. wa, proposed .o ,.ar. anew npon

,e., ph,lan.hr„p,e ,nis,ion. I. was April .S, ,858, when .hey foln.d
.l,omselvcs salely aneho,e.l a. Ilols.einber,, and o„ May 8 .hey onee
,nore spread their ,ail,, for .he north. The plan now wa, to keep a,
close as p„s,.He to the Greenlan.l shore a, far up a, Melville Bay, a,.l it
was hope,l that it woul.l be possible ,0 cu, acro,s .he north end of .he
P|,ck and s;a.„ the British side of Baffin', Bay wi.hon. nruch lossof ti.ne.
On several occasions it seemed a, if they were fated .0 experience the
,n,slortnnesof the preceding su,n,„er. Escape, however, wa, ,„ade fro,„
,he,e d„bc„l.,e, wi.hon, serious delay, and July foun.l .hem eruisin.
about the British coast. "

Car. wa.s taken to question all nat.ves old and youn. concerning any
whites who hac ever visited their coast; especially concerning thewreck'
m^ o ships, and the time, place, and cause of the death of anv who had
been known to perish. Thus the whole distance from Meiville Bav
through Lancaster Sound and the shoals and inlets of the British side
was gone over as far down as King William's Island. At nearly everv
point rumors were furnished concerning certain ill-fated ships that wer'e
s:ud to have heen wrecked, and the crews reduced to starvation and death.
But, although the stones thus far listened to might furnish keys to the
.solution of some other problems interesting in their time and place, there
was too much uncertainty and vagueness in them to be relied npon, or to
form the basis of any hypothesis of discovery.

Upon King William's Island, however,"they hoped for better results,
some forinei

111

blfthat Sir [,>hn had met his deati

vigators pointed to the fact as proba-

fit

{ i H

1 on this island, and it

was ho'jjcl to

ON KINd WfLLfAM\S ISLAND.

II'

find some record or trace that should settle the matter beyond the dis-
pute of cynical theorists. How successful they were will appear in the
foUowin;^ pai^es. It was the morninij of the 24th of May, when the little
jiarty crossed over to Kin^^ William''s Ishunl. Nearly two years had
elapsed since the expedition left England, and as yet not one fact had
been gauied in the accomplishment of their object. What but the sincer-
est devotion to a cherished purpose could have induced these men to
sacrifice so much time in the voxy prime of their manhood, and spentl it in
danger, .and dilficulty, and sufferings.''

Tile information gained from natives on this island, although j'^n-tak-
in<r in some dc'jfree of the vague character of that obtained from other
sources, nevertheless sulBciently confirmed their jjrevious suspicions. Be-
sides, certain trinkets and small articles in their j^ossession were identified
as having at some time belonged to members of Franklin's crew. Thus
it was concluded that here or in this vicinity, would be found a positive
answer to the troubled query.

On arrival at King William's Island the party was subdivided for
purposes of sledge-travel. Capt. M'Clintock and Mr. Petersen, his inter-
joreter, lieaded one party, and Lieut. Hobson the other. Each division
was well ecjuipped with clothing and other essentials to their comf )rt and
safety. Capt. M'Clintock does not seem to have had as good success in
discovering indications as Hobson, not having inet natives who could give
him any intelligent information; ami we find him in a few weeks on the
track of that officer, partly for the purpose of giving him aid in case of
need, and partly to confirm anything of importance that Mr. II. might
have come upon. At various points olijects were now discovered, sliow-
iug the track cf the retreating party.

Near Cape Herschel, on the south of the island, Capt. M'Clintock at
last found a cairn built by Lieut. Hobson. No wreck had been found
and no natives interviewed, but he had discovered a record so long ami
earnestly sought for of the Franklin expedition. Refore giving the details
of this record it may be well to explain that documents of this character
are made on l)lanks fuf'nished for the purpose by the British Govern-
ment — of the kind suitable for inclosing in bottles and dropping into the

A RECORD. ggg

sea, in case of wrecked or sinking vessels. On these blanks is printed, in
six different languages, the request that the finder shall forward the same
to the admiralty. The reeord here found was of the kind described; it
was written by Lieut. Gore, and read as follows:

"MAY2S, 1S47.

" H. v.. S. Erebus aad Terror wintered in ice in latitude 70" ,-' north, longitude
9b -'3', west. Having wintered in 1S46-7 at Beecliev Island, in latitude 74° 43'
:S" north, longitude 91" 39' 15- west, after having ascended Wellington Channel
to 77" and returned by the west side of Cornwallis Island.

"Sir Jno. Franklin commanding the expedition

"All well.

"Party consisting of two officers and six men left the ships on Monday, 24th
May, 1S47.

" Gr. Gore, Lieut.
"CiiAs. DeVoeux, Mate."

There is manifestly an error in tlie record given above. The winter
spent at Beechey Island must have been 1845-6, for the record itself
makes a point of stating that, 1S47 (i.e. 1S46-7) was spent in the ice.
This is plain, and the party's success is briefly summed up in the remain-
der of the record. Certain wlialers brought intelligence in 1S45 t^-it the
two ships of Franklin entered Wellington Channel bv Lancaster Sound,
au.l sailed uj) 150 miles. As is shown by the record Franklin returned
southward, probably not caring to risk tlie fleet in the unknown waters
so far f >om the coast of America. Tiiese results, however, the exploring
of Wellington Channel and the addition to the charts of admiraltv ,^-
the lan,l on both sides must be regarded as remarkable for the work of
a single season. It is thought tiiat Franklin had demonstrated witiiout
doubt the existence of a Northwest Passage, although he was destined
never to make liis discovery of practical importance.

If the above record had l)een all, or if the remainder had been as
cheering in tone as that already given, how gratifying must have been
these disclosures to our weary searchers. But alas! around the margin
of the record, whose contents have been partially given above, were
inscribed the following words in another hand:

^■'i'ii^i

II .

U'l

'n^

if.i. '

640

MOUia^FUL INFERENCES.

'Al'RII. 25, 1S48.

VV. of tl

•II. M. S. IViror ;iiui Krel)us won- iicsi;itc(i on tliu in\ April, live loa<,nu!s \. \'

Ills, luivm- liOLMi iK-sct siiuc \i\\\ of SopteriilHT, \\^^^(^. Tlu' olV

iciTs aiui iTi'

consisting; of uj;, sonis iinuer tlio coinniand of Cipt. Crozier, l:nuli-(l iu-ro in ImI

69 ,57' .|.<' N'.. ion-itiRie vS' .|i' W. Sir [no. I''r:nikliii died on ti

iliiii

1S47, and llic total loss hv deaths in the exjiedition has heen to this date

K- iith of' 1 1

<■) olll

icers am:

(Sijrnetl.

(Signed.)

' F. R. M. C

KOZIKH.

'Fas. I'

"Capt. aiui Sr. Ollicer.

Ami start (on) to-morrow, jrjth, for Hack's Fish liivor.

ITZJAMKH,

Cajit. ICrehus

o\v 1110

luntul it was to fi-ccivi- tlitis tlir (.•oinpletc assurance of

a fact

vvhosf loivshadowiii^- had lon^ Wqw over ihcin! .V sadiltT tal
fold ill few words. Tli

was iirvci-

leri' is soiuctliiii'f decpU- loticl

liiii'-- 111 t

U'lr

(.•\lrenu; siinpiit-ity, and they show in the slroiiLjest nianiur that 1
ers of this retreatino- ])arty were aetnated i)\- the loftiest

>olh ihf

leail

sense

duty, and met willi calmness and liecision the fearful alternative of
bold stmL,^i;le for life rather than perish without edbrt on hoard
ships. We well know that the iM-ehtis and 'I
for more than three years, or tip to July, iS^S.

a last
llieir

error were not ur

pr()\-isi()iie(

M'Clinloelv afterward went I

o tlie wi-stern evtri'inily ot" Kiii"- W

liam's Island. Here he found that llohson had heen heibre ii
discovered a lar'-e l)()at willi

un and had

various oilu'r articles, such as clothin-- and

the ])araphernalia of t!ie Arctic toilet.

"15ul, " says M\diiitoek, "all these were aftei ol
was tliat in the boat which translKed

iservalioiis; t

lere

us with awe. It was ])oriioiis ,,f

two liiunan -keletons. ( )ne

was that of a sii'dii yonn.

person ; tlic oiIrt

er wa-, louiid in

llM|.,|)ll

lere; Jar'je and uowert'iii

of a lar^e, stron;^-ly-made, middle-a-ed man. The form

the bow of the bo.il, hut in too mneh disinrhed a stale to t'liahle 1

to determine whether the siillerer had died t

animals, probably wolve-, had destroyed much of this skeleton, w liirli

may ha\-e been that of an ollii-iM'. \

pair ol" woiked slippers. *

ear it wi' found the U-

e'liieiii III ;i

resides the

se slippers, there were a pair of small, strong, siiooiiii'.

half-boots. The olh

er skt'lelou was In a somewdiai

moi'e perleet slate,

RELICS OF Tim LOST.

541

il was iMivi-loped witli clothes and furs; it 1
CI- tliwai-t. Close beside it were found

• 111

IWi) (

loiil

ly across llie boat under tht
live watciies, and there were

iK--l)arreIed

r,„is_„nc- barrel in eacii loaded an<l cocked, stand-

-■ niu/,/le upward a'_,rainst the boat side. It

;hat (1

may be iina'Mued with

eep niterest tiiesc sad relics were scrutinized, and i

tiow anxious

UTV Iraj^niient of clothiiiL;- was turned

potlii'l -l)0()ks,

over in searcli of pockets and

ournais, or even nauK

i\'e or si\ i)

all of iheni scriptural )r devot

oolvs were lonnd

loiiai Works, except the Vica

r of

held

One little b

ive-

'Christian Melodies; 1

, ooiv an inscription on the

title pa-e, from the donor to (1. (>. (( Jraham (iore?) A small I'.ible
contained mnnerous mar-inal notes and whole passa-es underlined. P,e-
sidc's thc-se works, the covers of a New Testament and Prayer Book were

I'oiiiid.

-Amon-sl an ama/.in- ,p,anlily of cloihin- there were seven or ei-ht
p.iir. of boots of various kinds -cloth winter boots, seadxx.ts, bc-rvy
ankle-boots, an<l stron- shoes. I noticed that there were silk handker-
ciiiefs-black, white, and li-ured; towels, soap, spon-e, tooth-brush, and
iMir-co.nbs; Macintosh -nn cover marked outside with paint, A i.^, and
lined with ])lack cloth. Besides these articles, we found twine, nails,
snvs, liles, bristles, wax-ends, saihnakers' palms, pow.ler, bullets, shot,
cut nd-cs, wads, leather cartrid-e-case, knives— clasp ami dinner .,nes —
neclles and thread, slow match, several bayonet scabbards cut down into
knife sheaths, two rolls of sheet lead, and in short, a ([uantity of articles
of one description and another truly astonishin,-,^ in variety, and >uch
as f)r the most part, modern sled'^re-travelers would consider a mere
accuninlation of dea<l-wei,L,rbt, but sli,<rhtly useful, and very likely to break
down the streuL^tli of the sledjj^-e crews.

"The only provisions we could (Ind were tea and chocolate; of the
former very little remained, but there were nearly forty pounds of the
latter. These articles alone could never sujjport life in such a climate,
and we found neither biscuit nor meat of any kind. A portion of lo-
h.irco, and an empty pcmmican-tin, capable of containing twenty-iwo
pounds wei-ht, were found. The tin was marked with an E. It had
probably bclon-ed D the Crehus. None of the fuel ori-inally brou-hl

i n

^^^^Ht^^^^^^^^^^^^^ll

AN- OLD WOMAN'S TEST/A/OXr.

in.n, the ships rc>mairu..! in or about the boat, bnttlK-re was no lack of.t
!-• a dntt-trcc was lyi„. on the l,each close at han.l, and had the party
been ■>. need of fuel, they would have used the sides and botton. of the

boat. '

Hcsides the thin.^.s mentioned above, there were discovercl several
pieces of plate evi<iently havin,^^ belon-cd to the oIKcers' mess The
.nclaneholy relics were placed in the hospital at (^rec^nvicb, where ,hev
nK,v be seen to-day. No vesti<,e of a wreck was Ibund, and i, seemed
hkely to M'Clintock and his companions ,bal the ships had been broken
up an.l carried out to sea. Although no particular skeleton was here
Hlcnt.hed, nor any further news found, it seemed likelv that a jonrnev
had been attempted to the mouth of the Great Fish River The cap
tains had evidently chosen to make this last and desperate endeavor" to
save the bves of their crews, rather than to ren.ain in the ships; whic.
course, m the absence ofprovisions and the lack of means of obtainin..
any- would have been no more nor less than suici.le. So the nuuksalon^
tlu- way seemed to justify the testin.ony of the ol,l I.:squimaux won.an"
wl- had deposed: "The white men n.arched alon,. toward the .reat'
nvcr an.l tell dea.l as they marched." Faint from lack of foo.l 'their
loved comman<ler lon.o: since gone, the last hone dyino- , .,t ,s the last
star Is obscured by the thickening, cloud, they had stru^^led on an<l nlet
then- fate m the land where their best work was done.

Of ,,n-eat importance were the discoveries of M'Clintock. Upon his
•vnnn to En.,.lan<l in the autumn of ,859, he was received with the -re at
est honors an.l warmest congratulations. He had been absent lb,- „ver
tu-o vears, during which tin,e ahnost no tidings ha.l come of bin. to prove
t'^a. he had not met the destiny of those whom he sough,. II. ...eived
manv .vwards fVon. the admiralty, and the undying gratitude of Ladv
■ rauKhn, for his valor and success. Still later he was knighted bv the
Q>--, and S,r Leopold M'Clintock has gone into historv as one of
tiu' most emment of modern explorers.

I-i us add in conclusion a word in regard to the geographical im-
l-'-ue of M'Clintock's investigations. Besides bringing to li-ht the

uiost important of th

e knowledge gained, but n

ever Dubli.

d,l)v !•

r.-i

! ; < '■

"';!''

644

GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES OF M'CLINTOCK.

lin, he himself achieved success in many ways. lie proved that Stiait
Hellot, which had hitlierto l,cen regarded as an impassahle, frozen clian-
nel, or perhaps i-iiored as a channel at all, is a navij^^ahle strait, the south
shore of which is thus seen to he the northernmost land of the continent
of North America. He also laid down the hitherto unknown coast lino
of l'.oothia southward from ikdlot Strait to the Ma-netic Pole, delineatul
the whole of Kin^f William's Island, and opened a \\^i\w and capacious,
th()u<,'-h ice-choked channel, suspected before but not proved to exist, ex-
tendin^LC i'i"<>i" Victoria Strait, in a northwest direction to Melville or I'arrv
Sound.

The latter discovery 'vwarded the individual exertions of Ca])t. Allen
Young, hut very properly, at Lady Franklin's rcMpiest, bears the name
of the leader of the" Fox" Expedition, who had himself assigned to it il,,.
name of Fraidclin's widow.

Neither was the expedition unfruitful of scientific results, for wiiileihe
popular mind is delightetl with the graphic descriptions of the native Ils-
quimaux and animal life, so copiously given in his interesting book, the
specialist in science may be grateful to fmd in Capt. M'Clintock's val-
uable appendices many and important additions to tlie zoologv, i)otanv
meteorology, and particularly the details of the terrestrial magnetism of
the regions examined.

The natural modesty of M'Clintock has prevented his doing justice
to himself in his own jom-nal. His conduct and prowess were sucli as
could be estimated only by those whose fortune it was to serve under
him, and who have ])een glad to testify to his great cpialities in times of
need andof extreme peril. The example of such men must indeed he
invaluable in a country where it is desired to develoj) in the lieaits
and minds of the people those qualities of independence and devotion to
a noble purpose, which tend to make the nation invincibh'.

i»J

CHAPTER L,\[.

UA.i.S KIUST VOYAOK-A <;KXKK,)US OKKKK-Mk. (HUNXKM/s
AGEXCY— Ki;»I,A(;0-SEA SICKNKSS -IC I ; lUUi . JS- A SA I I.-„K ATH

OF Ki;nLA(;o.-AT holstk,. nKuft -t„ son nwMUKiiUAso im.kt

-UUXAWAVS-THK HLAcK HAC^LK - A TK ANSKOUMATIOX _ A
NEW USE OF THE T()X(aiE.

Few men have enterc.l upon ,^.reat i.ndcrtakin- with less cnco,,,--
a-L-mcnt and means than did Charles Fra.icis Hall. An American of
;,umhle birth, without friends of influence or monev of his own with
which to fit out an expedition to the Polar Sea , he nevertheless accom-
plished much more than most of tiiose who had far superior resources.
He xvas a characteristic American. Wh A if his father had been a black-
smith? What if the smile of fortune had not fallen upon him? What
thou-h only an obscure journalist in the Western town of Cincinnati,
if conviction, coura-e :'.nd enthusiasm called him to the dan-erous work
of Arctic exploration?

Franklin had been lost; the British Government had spent $10,000,-
000 for him ; D--. Kane and others had wasted their lives in the cause with-
oi.t complete success. Franklin and his crew still linj^ered somewhere
in the ice-bound coasts of Kin- William's Land, no man knew where.
Hall's heart went out in sympathy for the lost <ines,and for years he was
nicditatin- upon the probabilities of their discovery and recovery before
lie dared to mention it. Finally, in 1S59, the "call," as he terms it, be-
came so imperative that his plan was divul-ed to a few intimate friends
ill Cincinnati, and afterward to men of more notoriety. Mayor Bishop,
Cov. Dennison, Miles (Greenwood, Senator Chase, and others, espoused
his cause at once, and -ave letters of value to aid him in securin- an
outfit. But whence was such an outlit to come? Mr. Hall at first con-
chuled to apply to the En-lish Government for a ship which had been

045

540

A GENEROUS OFFER.

f : :

llfl'

used ill exploration liefore, and was at the time on the docks awaitincj
repairs. For some reason, however, application was never made for
this vessel. In fact, it was but a short time after making known his in-
tentions that the generous-hearted firm of Williams & Havens, New
London, Conn., sent the would-be explorer the following letter, therein-
making all other efforts to secure a ship unnecessary :

"CiiARLKs Francis Hall:

"Dear Sir : — As a testimonial of our personal regard, and the interest we feel in
the proposed expedition, we will convey it and its requiretl outfit, boats, sledges-, pro-
visions, instruments, etc., free of charge, in the barque George Henry, to Northum-
berland Inlet, and whenever desired we will give tlie same iree passage home in our
ships.''

This offer was at once accepted. The George Henry had been tried
in Arctic waters and proved faithful, and it now only remained to have
a smaller boat built to accompany the larger vessel. It was not long be-
fore the contract for building the new crafl was awarded to Mr. G, W.
Rogers of New London. This ship-builder had fitted out Kane and
Dellavcn. Hence, with some jiersonal supervision by Mr. Hall, and
much valuable advice by Henry Grinnell, of New York, the old Rescue
was refitted as an attending schooner.

By this time men in various parts of the country became interested in
the new movement, and letters of encouragement were pouring in to the
adventurous journalist, while more substantial tokens of Interest and it-
<'-ard were received from several sources. Still Mr. Hall's purse was low,
and his needs great. He presented his cause to private individuals; he
went before geographical and scientific societies, .aid wherever a dollar
could be secured, there this determined man of the future was to be
found.

As has been intimated, the su^^ress of this voyage was due more to
the generous-hearted and courageous explorer, Henry Grinnell, than to
any other one person. Mr. Grinnell assisted with money, with cheering
words, with wholesome advice, and with his superior influence. Mr.
Hall's blunt manner, determined look and thorough knowledge con-
vinced the merchant that no man was better fiuod to undertake this dan-

[f^P'i'^'T^T

1, !. k I

LEAVES NEW LONDON. ...

04 (

serous oxpclition, nor did adverse opinions, li,„ite<l means, an.l the ill
success of past voya.^es deter l,im a m<,me.,t from givinj. all the aid p<,s-
s.l.k, and finally fVon, seein,. the brave crew aboard the north-bound
vessels, hlled with the hope of great discoveries.

CHARLES FRANCrS HALL.

It was May 39, 1S60, when Charles Francis Hall, on board the

<--r,^e Henry, sailed fron, New London, Conn., for the Arctic re.nons.

li^'art was .:u\ at leaviu;^ iViends, hun.e and country, whom he might

S48

SEA S/CA'JV/iSS.

ncvcTsco a-ain, |,ut filled with the -,va(, purp,...c which ha.l driven him
from his Ohio lircsidc, muI ...a . ,.,„ i!, ■ unknown sc-a of discovery.
Anuni.l hiu> were -athcml tiic (icoiyc Jlcnry's ercw, with Capt. Hud-'
din-K.u, .n. old Arctic sea captain, at their liead, and man) .stout hearts
anioii'^- their niiniluT.

Tlic Rescue was to keep in sight of the other vessel, if possible, n.d
lend assistance vvhe.i such mi,,Hu he rcc,.nre.l. I here were twenty-nine
individuals on the two ships, besides Mr. Hall and an Esquimaux by the
name of Kudlago. The means had not 1h .n sulKcie.U to supply the
expedition with many articles needed, but everytitin.^^ that was absolutely
necessary liad been secured. This included instruments for scientitic
investigations, provisions fc.t crew, presents „f ],eads, shirts, and trinkets
for natives, and a laroe sledL,n'.

The winds were favorable on the llrst day out, and the two vessels
skipped over the blue Atlantic as th,n,-l, i high glee at being o„ee
•more upon the broad ocean, with such an extet.sive field for sport be-
fore them. Most of the crew bad been on northern trips, and all were
sailors of experience. Mr. Hall, h..wever, was '.king his first voyage
upon the ocean, and hence began soon to reali/,e the bitter experience
of a nuich shake.i-up physique. This sea-sickness continued for\everal
days, during which time the brave navigator concerned himself tnore
about the temperature and peacefid condition of his ow,i organism, than
about the Polar seas. Few things transpired, indeed, to Excite the at-
tention during the lirst few days. A school of whales blowing water
high into the air was met with, but the crew not caring t,. tarry on the
way, no harpoon was thrown at the marine monsters.

About the 13th of June a terrible squall struck ;he (Jeorge Henry,
dashing the spray in wildest ftn-y, an.l ahnost submerging her^at times,'
but bravely di<l the noble ship plow through the deepert trough, climl
the in.nmtain waves, and come out of the wil.I warri.ig ele.ne.Us ttnin-
jured and undismaved.

Although well shaken, all oti ],oanl enjoyed the excitement, and,
when again they were skimming along over a beautif.d cl^-ar sea, no
merrier crowd of mariners could be f)nnd. ()u ]u'.u- ji My. Hall n--

II' "

ICBBERGS^NORTllEim T.riUlTS. 54J,

markcllhe ,l,on„„,„e,.., faUi,,,, „„„ ,„,,„i,,„, ,„. ,„,„,„.. ,„■ i,,,„„^,„_

Cp „„,.,.,„„,„ ,„„l a,. ,.„ ,,v tl. .,a,„.. ,„■ s,..nv, „„„...;,

I u,h„l a, ,he „loa of Mx-i,,,. those ArcH,: .n.voler, so soon. The ..x
po,v,- ,„ai„tainc.,l U „o,i,io,„ which, inde.,1, „a, vc-ri.ici :„„„,, „.,;

o clock .ha. „„h,. VVhc, ,h„ hu.c spectral ,i,.„,. .., ,■,,„„ ,„,.

som of, he ,lecp, 1 s,„„,l c.ctto the hei«h, „f o„e h,„„„ ,1 a,„l nftv lee.

n.. .-.a„,le,- s.^cCacle ha.l eve,- l.e„ wi.„csse.l l,v ,„„,„ v .,„.,,,, ,„^ ,,;.,,^,;
To see a ,„,,s,ive c-vs.ali.e,! form shi„i„. i„ .„e ,„o,.„li.,H„, ,„„, ,„„^^.
n.ajcs.,call,, ,,„. ....Uelessle alon,, as ,ho,„l, p,,p,-ne.. I,v ,„.,, ,„„;;
.vac „„ „ow,, fr„„, whence i, ha.l , o„k., .-as a ,i.h. .„c,„;„e,, .o
awaken the suhlnnesl feclinos of .he l,u,„an her.r.

After .hi, it hecone „„ ,o,„ ,■ a n„e occurreace ,„ ,.,ee. wi,h these
mo.„.cr ,„e„e„,.=rs fro.n ,,.ove. They were see,, ;„ all shapes, a,„l of
.'ill Sizes. ' '

Nor vve,e icohe,-, ,he o„ly .'.hjccts tha, „„„. ,.„„,,„„, „,^. ^,,.^^,

l.c„ea.h the surlace, ,„ a few i„s,a„ees ,„„ feet ,. T e u.,,, I,,,^

„eve,-|,e,o,-e.™,,nan„c animals of a„y si«, the si.,,, „f .„ese , ,o„.
a.cs „,.„,,,,„,„, ,rilli.„ h, the e.„.c,„e. Th„s .,av after , lav
sped, a,,d ,„.,„ „„.r „„„„ .,.„„, „,,, „„. ,,,„,,^,„,,^ ^.^,^., ,,^,;.
„,.*, hn„„,„„ si.Hns „ever wi.aes .,1 ,,e,o,e. I, ,„; ,„„^. ',,

«h,le.hee.plo,.erwas ou, „po„ ,he .leek e„jovi„,, , e . ..„en- ah,a,.'
m,<l,u„.h., .ha. the "X„,ther„ Lights" s„.l<|e„lv II, , , ■ ■

Startle,, at lirs, hy s.,ch „ phc„o,„e e at 'le,,,,,, 1.,.,,, T ^X.

.■|».n . e ,.a„se I. was „o, the A,,,-,.,. „,„.,,,„. .„„. ,„ ^.,„.„.,^.^,, _
|.lay o, at,„„sphe,„ ircwo,-ks_„,„../,. „„■ ,,v/, ,■„„ ,>,„„ „ „,„,,„„,

"" ""' ■'-^"■.'- ■'' '•'■"•'•■■'- ' ^"'-- ■' '-,,. I ;,„„,,, ,t, sca„ee

I- d,sc„sse.l „s prohahilit,, ,„„,,,, ^,^^,_ ,,,,^.^„, ,^^, ^;^^,^

«.cl, a s,,h,-.he e„,i,-e oorth l,ei„g al, ahla.e w„„ a flo„a ,„■ „„,,,,„

.lo,-,v. 01.I.So,,,oth.o,e,vcawor,,,,o,„„c ,.,1 ..f ,,is p,:: :

ap .,cka,asth,.,,l,ts,,,ile,„e,,eer,l,e,,,,,.ts,.f.,,„sewl,o,,, ,:

<>" .h-"or.,i„g of J„„e. ;,„„,,, ,„;„., ,,^, ^,^,,,„ ^^^^^^^_^^

"""•''*■'■ "" ^^""'» "-= "" ''-'<. -^'-ly K... ,..,. i„ t ,i,.ec,io;, ■„;

t ' filfl

MHvi,'-'

f ?

,4,
i

lawkfMrat

nr»()

lUiATII OF hUDLAdO.

tliL- si;,'liic(l ii.iCt. Tlu' A
lU'iin, ami wiTi' soon ;nK

c-Jirrii'd 111,' Danisli ll.i-. Hy die luM

mcricaii i-olors witc niii tip ,.11 ih,- (

llowled^re,! |,y IIr. ;,|,|

ll'Olir,^.

)r«>arliiii-- vi-ssci, wliiili

i-ovfi-i-d the iiaiiu' <)( till' \i,ii,,it,, l)f M
tliis to have- \wv\\ il

<>(■ a powciliil >^\nss Mr. Hall

;(is-

inaiiiu'

llc-al

ic iiaiiK' .)(■ the vessel wii

fiiice lemi'iiilieri'd

leir III

crew fiom (ireeiiland to New ^..ik after II
years hetore. Demnark annually sen.ls a vessel
provisions and neeessary artieles to her sul

ieh eonveyed Dr. Kane and
i'inorai)le voyage several

Tile Mariamu' had 1

>o (ireeiiland t

jet'ls iipo 1 I hat loneU

o eairv

island

'eeii on siieli an errand at this li

relin-nin-: t<> lier nalive port.

nie, and wa

s jllst

The siirhl of a friend I

y sail, Ihe sound of a luiniaii v

heard troin the tlnoat of a I

oiee, IhouL'h

lii"-l>onnd
appretiate,

erew whieh oiil\ ihosi' in simil,

nnnpel mik-s away, was a relief to the A

re-

II- eireunistaiiees eonid p(js

slhly

l''roin this day mitil ||

le lini

e \y|i

anchor oil" j joist

en I hi' (u'or^o II

eini)or-, ( iiienland, litll

eniy dioppf,!

, little oeenried worthy of u.ile. ()

lie

eircnnistanee, however, of -real iinp<.rtanee to t
l)e oiiiitled, vi/., the dealli of Kudl
traeted a si'vi're eold when a few d,

ne ;ia\iL;alois, in

Usl Udl

i''-o, th

, me ivscpiimaiiN.

e liad eon-

reeoxci-ed. All th

lys out from Xrw London and

e erew fell

.Utvatlv attached to ll

lis (

kind-hearled

specimen of ilu' <<c//u\ //

jiu'erdookii

iii'M'r

Olll

lli'-ht

:i ■general feeliii''- of sad

owo^ and when liis spirit t,,ok iis

ness peivaded tlu- eiit

ser\ ici's were held ovei hi

ire idiii|)a;i\ . I'

S I

eniains Mr, I| dl coiid

ropi. r

net 11 1''- li

exercises -and then the inorlal pari of K,,dl,

water's ed-e, and sunk into the hosoni of the .1

Fo.irs and ill winds ke|)t ll

le I'l'ii'' hills

i.HO was lowered to ||

eei).

pt Ihe two vessi'! away from their d

oil the (ireeiiland coast until jnly 7, kSOo, wl

estiiialioii

the heaulifiil harhor of Hoi?

leii they cast anc

lor 111

they hei

teinl)orJ,^ Forty days and fort

v iie'lits h:

11 out upon a pe

riloiis sea, where constant watch

111''- and thi

ntmost care had to he exercised to avoid 1

or (lashed t(

) pieces by the furies of a iiortl

leuiL,^ wrecked upon iceliLr^-^

and was hailed with

lern storm, and the sinlil of

Creat deliLrht.

When the crews of the Rescue and Geor-e Henry ha.l planted lluir
feet once more up<,n dry lan.l, surrounded with wanderiii,^ ICsmiiinanx,

AT liOLHTElNUOlu;.

ilu- >^nsc of loneliness fblt while out ,,..„. ,l,e ocean imme.liatelv
v..nshe.l, and a fl^elin^ of thanl^lulness an.l .aiislaction took po;
soss.on ,.r each heart. More than a th..nsan.l n.iles ...1 heen ,.ave!sc.I
-;-... the „,ost dangerous seas of the ,lohe. Hut they had eo.ne
^■y through. They l,ehel,l with their own eyes, an.l tonche.l with
"'-• own feet, the far-fan.e.l (ireenlan.l of the north. They at l.st
^"";«' >'I>«'.. tl'c shores of that conntry nnknown to the civilised world
.mt.l the tenth centnry, and ahnosl nn.lcvelope.l since that time

rhe lirst place which Mr. Hall visite<l was the ..ovornor's mansion.
Saul n.ans.on was not so palatial as conld he found in portions of
I-.-OPC or Che United States, as it consisted of but three or four rooms
-.1 these all on the fh-st floor. Mut everything, was found to he neat'
and cleanly, as, indeed, were all the houses, in this far-ofF town of HoN
s.cn.hor... Governor l.:il.cr.. had lived here for a ntnuher of years re
-vm;, a ..^ular salary ,Vum the Danish Government. His wife an.l
ch.Id had^ departed from Copenhagen hut a short time previous to the
-■-•■val o, our explorers, and the governor was rejoicing over the pros-
.-. of havn,, h. r.ni.y with hin., when the news reached Greenland
that he vessu. ha.l heen wrecke.l, an.l the h.ved ,mes lost in the cruel sea
Mr. Hal fonn.l the .,overn..r a remarkably pleasant gentleman,
obh.nn,- an.l courteons. Everything was .lone for the comlbrt an.l enter-
tannnent of the visitors which could be devised. lnfbrmati.,n rc^anlin-.
the .slan.l an.l natives, histories of former navigators, and assisUuce i^
^pamn^ U.c George Henry, were gla.lly given by the genial governor.
l..Hal nnui that .here were .,nly ten Europeans in Holsteinbor.
ahhough tiiere were fwo hundred an.l fifty in all Greenlan.l. A pric"
-<i two sclux.l teachers were among the inhabitants, and a verv
llattcrmg .level.,pn.ent in n.>rals and e.lucation was toun.l. Hov'
-.1 gn-ls, n.any of them younger than are usually fbun.l in our pubiic

l^iM-ing a stay of eighteen .lays an.ong the inhabitants of Holsteinhor-.
our her.>es atten.le.l .livine worship, several sessions of school, an.l ^.::,
dances. The latter were considered by the nafves the highest torn, .if

EM '"

552

CONTIXU()[/S DA 7:

amusement Nor were they much less appreciated by our rough and
ready sailor boys, who, with their I'air ICsquimaux partners, "tripped
the light la.Uastic toe " after the most approved style. Most of these en-
tertainments were given <,n sh.ore, but before departing preparations were
made on shipboard for a grand ball. Accordingly, when the day set
for the party had arrived, the kayaks of the natives l,egan to shoot out
from the shore, an.l long before the appointed time, nearly every family
of Holsteinborg was represented on the George Henry, The sailors
took to the sport with eagerness, and even the long-bearded Hail bin- elf,
although he had never before engaged in such amusement, was induced'
to swell the number of dancers. Thus the hours sped away. Before
leaving tlic ship, however, the company from shore joined in singing
several Danish church hymns-a practice which might not result in^'evd
among more civilized dancers.

Rut the time had come for leaving this delightful shore. Many
friendships had been formal and n^any eyes were moistened at the thouglu
of separation. The stern duties of exploration, however, demanded tl^lr
onward march, and on July 24th, ami.l a large number of natives and
Europeans, after many hand-shakings and exchanges of presents, the
noble thirty repaired to their ships, and were soon stemming the tide up
Baffin's Bay. ^

The travelers turned their course toward Northumberland Inlet. The
first day forcibly reminded them of the .Lingers to which they were sub-
jected, as the sky became overcast and (juite a gale blew for awhile, hut
the worst of its fury pas.c.l over. Icebergs of every description were
floating about, many of which were of the most fantastic and beautiful
design. The third day witnesse.l a heavy snowstorn^. However, when
the clouds i^ermitted (he sun's rays to reach the ear'h, the effect was frr-
(inently the mo.t .lelightful and startling. It will be remembered that
the explorers were now in that portion of our globe where there is per-
petual day for a large portion of the year, during which time the sua
uever disappears below the horizon. Mr. Hall graphically describes the
day that noted old SoPs non-i.Klinatiou to go out of sight, when the en-
tire crew stood upon the deck at miJuight and watched liini descen.i t..

nEFRACTIOiX.

the horizon iiiul then si
of the skies. Th

owly l)e"-in

\S,n\ his march up the ni'r.rd

most beautifully verified and ill

10 peculiar laws of refiectiou and

553

mountains

ustrated. I

refraction were

-tudv theories

, and demonstralc what

n our works

on ])hvsics wc

■ircumstances, littl

e reahxinir, Jiowev

ini<jfht come to jxiss u

nder certain

exist, and that th

er, that th

results are beheld 1

ese circumstances really

peopU

on some point

/• I ™ - i'--'|j.^ vMi some nouit

■■.->- ^i'l--. The .,.„, ,..- H,. R..„„„ „,„, o,„,.^^ „^,„ J^

l..l,d.i ,„„,„»,.„,. ,,„,„,„„, ,,.„„ „|, ., „_^ ^,^^. ^^,^^.^,^_ ^^^^^ ^. .
scv,..,„y-hve .o <,„e hundred ,„i,„ ,„,,,. ,,,„ „„,, ,,,j,^ „.^„.^ ^^_

refracted as to pick up
these mountains, which
would otherwise have
lieen invisible at such a
great distance, because
of the rotundity of the
earth, and ],lant them
high above the horizon,
where the awe-stricken
sight-seers could o-aze
upon their monstrous
forms at their leisure.

Nor was this the only
phenomenon. J}\- the
same laws of refraction

CAl'T. SIDNKY O. lirDIUNr.l OK tK

, ,, , "^<- '"f^"'> at first si<rht

''l'l'-;-l ^'" '-'<™ -"1 .li*.r„,h i.h„„ls cl,„!u.d „-i„, „,,,|,„,, „:,.„
-" n, ,hc hcavo.s i„vc,-,o,l iod„.,-,», ,;„,. |,„., ,„,,,„„„,^ ^^^^^^
"P- Uu. ,,po., a„.l „.c„ llu. vast ..a U..,r, had appaaa.tlv sl.irt.d i,:
l--;no„ .„ ,lu. cl,.ud., while ,hc „„„. ,„„.,„„„ „,,„, ,,;„,^^_,,^^.^, ^^^
™..,c. a.s™,hla.c. „r oanhly visitors, hNc a„ ,„.i..,„al ,;,i,,.|a„d phancd
"I't in Its most evtravao-ant array.

<l"o ,n„r„i„. ,hc c-cw .,r tl,c r,o,.P,,„ I,,,„y wcv sarpris. hoar

-l..^ cry .. Sh,p.a.,,„y! •• ,v,„„ ,h„ .,,ch. Th. stra,,,. ,-„«., „„.„ ea.ne

within shoutinur dist

nice, when the followiuLT

cotu'ersa.tion !

! tc

place;

'^^ . : i

fir

554

ff r:

III

yy/A- /.v/A'/i /^'/inv.

" Who are ycMi?" cried Capt. IJiuldinjrtoii.

"Crew fro,,, ll,e A„sell (nl,l,s, of Ne-.v MeilConl," was the ,-eply.

" \Vhe,e :n„n, a„,i ho„>i.| to wha< po,-t," erie.I the Captai,..

" 1' ro-n the ,io,-th a„<l l,o,„„I to the so„th," ca,„e the a„swe,-.

'• ^'ou aie i-.„ia\vays, arc you not?" th,„i<lere(I Cai)l. H.

" V "s, we are," was the ap.swer.

"Why (lid yon leave you,- ship? "

'' I5a(i tieatiiicit on hoai-.l a,i(! iiothiii.^ to eat."

- Do you kuow how far it is to the U-n-fed States?" asked the eaplain
"Ahout 1500 u.iles, we have .eckoue.i," said the spokes,na>,.

"Ai-e you all ol.l sailors?" was asked.

- No; o.ily two of us have ever hee,i to sea l)ef;>re," was the leply.
Invaiudid Capt. IJuddi„,i,rto„ a„d Mr. Hall expostul^ with them

^'l'""t their ha.anlous uudeilakM.- They .^ere hou.ul to .y^.tiuue thei,
voyao-e. Sionns an.l icehe,-s ,„;.■!„ ,Vij.|,fe„ others, but these A,iunr«
iH.ys were fearfully ho.nesick, a,.,l uotwithstaiiditi- the prospects of star-
vati..,,, of free/,«,;4, of heiu- swallowed l.y some sea in.mste,-, they a.^ain
took their departure, and were soon lost to view.

It is uot possible to follow these ."eckless sea.iUMi i„ their little hoat,
throu-h the niauy <h-ea,-y days a,ul ho.-rihle experie.ices of their cou,-se.'
Suiliee it to say that <mly three out of the seve.i ever reached their native
'^"•'1- One „f these, T1k,s. Sullivan, ;^ave a,i account of their ,nisf .,„,ncs
^n^^l desperate stra.ts. Driven Inther aud thither, without f.od .,n,l
l"-"P->- rlothino-, the rcnainino- th.ee were linally picked up In i:.-
'l•'^„an^, and went l,ack hon.e. While wrecke.i upon an „„kn,.wn
i-laudoneof their nu.nher died, when the ivst cut thellesh fio.u his
1-nes and ate it. Nor was this the ,nost horrihle ri,vu,ustanre. An
^'itenipl was nia.Ie h. n,u,-der another of the crew. A teri-il,le li..|u
ensued, in which one of the would-l.e ,„unlere,s was killed. Their
S..M-V tonned a iittiu^ le,„„nation to such a scene of insuhonlina.,,,,, an.l
had discipline.

Tlu- lon,r.s„n;.ht hay was soon appn.ache.l, an.l prepaiat.ous ,n:..le h.
l^n.d. A. s.,„n as the (n-o,-e Henry was si-hted tVoni the ha,-h.>,-, f.ve
whalcMs were sent out fn„n the IJlack l':a-le, which was lyin- at a„eh„r

^ TltANSFORMA T/OJV.

555

Ill nils lo ;i

■ssist ill hiiiiMiiiir ill the- (

JL-OIiTL-

he II

KTiy i;iii,L;liter, he:

ciirv

i-ty liaii<l-shakiii<r, and 1

111' siiilors ;is tlic\- met

each otiicr in tiiis t"

><)i>U'rous shouls t

I'oin

inr joy ol such ;i mectinic. Capt. All

if-oir land

, evinced the :,'-enii-

il Ins mates, soon

owed out to tl

iL-n, of the niack ICa-I

C', with t\V:

le nicoiniii"- \

were oiir heroes wel

coined to t

•A \essel, AWil n^-ht

conhalK-

luelve o'clock on the Sth day of A
-:il'el\- in the har!)oi-.

le harhor of (

''iiinell IJav. ^\i

)Ollt

i,t,'-ust, the (;eor<re II

L'liry cast anchor

innsl not he ror--„tten that wlial

«.-a, althou!4-

> l>rave and skilllnl

in-- vessels make tr

il)s lo this f";

iiiiist he the ii

to risk his lite in sii

i\i,Lj;ator wlio

thi>

P-"'l

)<)se.

It^

t-li an undertaking The IJlack I-

is willin"-

crew was not iar'

a,L,de was out lor

a «*i'afarin"- lif

;^', I'tit tearless of

1 It'll the sporls of the

anythin^u^ connected

111

ero-u- fhan would he i.^

will) lC.v|»jr»>»H,x

pected. A

se passaL(es wei

L' more iin-

C(|iiaiiilaiices were al

, vvhicli proved a somee of vast

wavs formed

and rcckle»»i creWs (4 a wh
I'jjoii (he .K-A'n^Um of the (

<-'iijoymeiit to the wild

diiiLf \esse:

ieori^e Henrv

) fiid w omen.

nalured iiativr^, ,.ui
tcii^e iiiteri'st in f ,-
liMi'^cd to the vessel. The I']

:ii-rival, scores

0| ''-OOi

^' Comer:

i-aiiK.' ahoaii
; lull iievei-

OSl 111-

iiiaiiifestin- tlie m

l"ucliin- aii-ht wliich 1

>iiiimaii\, aci-ordiii'

loi

biy honest -not so sea

ii|;nloiisly clean. A litl

tlii> time, which will
Kiidla'M)\ little ■drl.

) II;i
t' circnmstaiK

are scair

oe-

)ii-

servi' lo ilhistraie t

•-' oc( iirix'

ai-iii''- of" her fat

i|tiire concerniii'^- it. Kndhi"-

le lack of this latter
ii'i''^ death, c.nn

<|nalit\-

'> had lhoii"-|it

e al)oard to in-

|l;"iL;liti'r, and had iilled a chest witl
pivsenls to her and his wife.

a -/■< tl d

eal o( hi'

little

I varioii-

ri'^hi

col (lie

alHi,ii(

1, Mr. II

ill and Capt. I

U:cordiiitrly, whew t\u- hftl

articles as
c one came

lean costume. jhit the task of traiisf

'. ron.Inde.l thev \v.>ul.| drt-s- JR-r j,, A

mer

ii;vnl\cd .ilmost

as much lahor as d

toilet anion- American "-iris fan|

)rniint,r tiiK dau^^hter of
oes an ordinarv m-;ui*I

tlie lorest

iHlllh-d-

icr soiilli. lie, /,

■a mai\-elons eiit.inL^denieiit and

mixture of i

I'eri- hair all matted

orinution of

noss, -,eal, ,iid

(OM'l.tl

/!th

Coii

ipoiiiids frf uitiiu.w

111 rein-
II nature. .\or

W^i

iMl

nrto

^v•;ls !uT 1

.'/ A'/^ir irsf- OF T///C roxc, (,'/.:

U'.kI !Iu' i(ii1\'

pi'ilioii wiilcli lUH-ilcd .iticnt

on.

layn oT uortli
li.nids, wliifli I

;ui'r .ill

I'l'U llUiliuT i'.|ll!l

ii.-id ;icciJiniil;il

l<l IIMOIl luT Im

«''|nin-,l mihh s();i|) lo n-movc. I

>iil wlu.'ii, ;i('l

scnilihiii.;- ;ui I comMii,.-, |l,

i-'i' :iii(

^'l' cIlK

I' orio-rii,,! \v;is ai'rivi'd ,it

iild

im mori- 1

(.■niid CO

I.ilitudc. II

ll.l\r hri'ii liMlll

H'.-iunriii

d l)fl\VtH'll llu' _';;lll ;lll I

91 li drunx-s of

I'l-i-lnH'ks \vi.M\- as vcd

llnHil

Is I'osfs, lu'i- lips oC

niU', and lirr t-ye
<|f din an

111' inosi cxiiiiisih t.

S 01 "IU\lV(.'ll s own

lull'

f <lirl ai)j)arciitly injmvd Iut licallli. SI

'>|- had liu- outer

''ovcnii'

as the 1

Nvas .IS rohiisl and full

<•■ nn\oni niaidrii on llu- dI

"I life

)lanis o| ijliii

i:asl. K

i>is, (tr til

r nioiiiitanis of ||

nuniiloo was tin- ii;

W'iu'ii kiinm

mil- of this ronianti

ili>(» i-aiiu- oiii ,,|- iln^, cahiii .d

(• niaidcn.

:iiidilv attiR

<l'vss, l.rass ini.^s, (aiu-ilnlly arran-cl iVills and inilud

•' 111 a i(

inaiix ic-lations and tVit-nd

|>\vs, luT !•;

-IJIU-

s ian''-|iL'

d, sliontc-d, and iiiin|)i,-d ahont

iU'liu;litt-d with ih

1 .urcaliv

i- clian^t' ot' rost

nnu-

vc'i\' intcreslii

!-;ivt

'" of a i)lind 10s,,niniaiix called Hlind ( u-oi -u |:

il;' ai'founi is

/.?//-/'),.. r,7- In- the natives. Jk- claimed to I
and indeed, so proved liiinscH; Mr. Hall

'V tile sailor

-^i ;iii,

>>■■ an expert \v:tl\ the

llCCll

avi." liini a "a

niieiit

and walchci

ii> nu'inl

Ills inanoMivers. (

containiiiLr the eve hetweeii his U

^eor-c look the needle and pu

1 tlie I'll,!

li. llel

lip of his toii.j-

Will

H'li pill llu' Ihri'ad n

1 his lon^nc he hrou'-lil

coiilaii with the net'dU

Ihe I'lid of the t

poll I lie
liiead ill

until

lii'i-H'llv il stri

was threaded! \\.rilv, this is a

ick the eve, and 1

le net

Use- ot till' I

onL,Mie iie\i'r km

)\vii hel.iii

ic-e

.^<piiiiiaiix showed

;reat ea;_^t-rness to 1

iiu'iicaii iiiaiiiicrs and laii-nia'.

leconie acipiainied wit!

^iid what is St ran. 'V, vet

al\va\s tin- case, word-

iicarlv

ol prolaiiil V and ohscci

iil\- wei

learned

I' invanahlv lli-l

icii oiu' o|' them could not

|)ii.'k tipa little hall of

was daiH-niL;- aroiin

iiiercuiN ili;ii

<l, he said II had llu.

•\il in it. 1'

accounted |or h\ the fact that tl

•■'rhaps this is \n he

icse words wiM(

lieard mor. thai

1 aii\ otlu-r.-

amoiiL;- Ihe sailor

---, out II seems

a comcKieuce woitii\- o|'

note iJKii llu.

same is t rne in tli
loii-ue.

e lasi' ol I'veiv for

I'l-ner 111 Inst aeiiiiirin- the i:

U'^llsll

!H'r liicc :i,i,l

II, Mltcr ,||K'

"■^' i'raiitiriil
■''•■■s of iioril,
■N'|iiisitc Diij.
iter covcriiiM-
<l full n\ \\\^.
ilaiiis of iln;

' — ■• -...--. ,;,M,.:,.-s-nn..KK. ,..uu.,.,-kk -. ...sKu-.Kn

.ANA SAVK,.--,.A,.,, ..AKKK,<-,o..KOO,.r,.C,-A ,W.:nKK„.,s <„...,.,.
-A SU„n.. ,HAN..K A Sn<A.,.K rUST„M-^,^ . STAKV.V.:

-x-...M.x-.ouM,.:unv no.s- ham. .akks u. n.s kksummk
Willi i.wuns,

'•'''^■''^"•:""'"'""- ^'-■-'- — in.l un.il the .,st. lyuru.r

Hum- st.y the .rcw n.^a^^nl in whahn,, and M,-. ,1^11 ,,,vot.l his aU.,;:

..'HMO tile natives, and ,o visi.in, son. of the island, which ahoniulo! in
tlK' hay. Leaving this hay the eaptain shape.! his course ,o,- I^.-ohisher
S.ni.s, which wei-e reached the lollowi.,;, day, and ,he anchor was
'1-Pl-l in a heantiful lit.lc inlet which was n.nned after Richard II
Chappell, of Mew London, Conn. On <,oin^ ashore it wa. fonnd tlrU
.luT were separated iVon, ,hc waters just lelt hy a strip of land less than
-n,len.wi.Ith, and which was so low that hi^h tides would prohahlv
— -• Theistlunns was sandy in portions while in others i, w..
covered with rock an.l shale. Fron. a rid.e of rocks na,ne<i Mon^an's
ll'N, ■> l.ne vew of the heautitul strait was enjoved. Facing the par.v
:r"V"""^"*'^"-^'" '"■ '' '-'-'H-r, and hevond it in thedistanc:
''■';'. "'"^""^'' ■"'"'^"' ''>' ^^"-" '^'i-'-.h, and sailed upon hJ
In.lH.her two lunulred and ei,.-l.,v.two vears previonslv

Al.hon;,!, lortv nules dis..nf :,elandon the opposite side of the
^'-'-vas clearly seen, and had the appearance of hein;, topped w.th a
'7'"'^''V"""- ^^"- "-■-"' -s visited severaMnonths
-i-!-ntlv ,, was f .nnd ,. he an enorn.ous ,,ac,er, which was nan.ed
ann- Henry Gnnnell. To the west the n.ountains seemed to unite with
'l'^- "■•"•n.w strip, and a week later it was learned

if. ^^!,

It til

e water was a

558

A r;/{fEF-STJi/CK-EN DAUGHTER.

h I . ti

I • '

W^\S

.."V « „p, ,„.,„ „„„, ,,„,„„„ ^^^„.^ ,,^^_^,^, ^^^_^ ^^ ^_^^^^__^ n...

Geo,, „„, , „,„, , „^„.,.„^„ ^.^^.^,^^^, ,,,^^^^__ ^^^^^^ ^^_^^^ _^> ^^^^^ .

of -h. ..,■ D„n„, ,„.. .,,■,„,,„„„ ,„„„, ,„„„ „, ,,,^ „^„.^.

K'.m.- „„ 1,,„,,,|, ,„„| „„^ ,^,ri,f.»„-iokon. ' "

tr "'■^■'■'^ '"'^•M'.^.-..-s„, ,. ,,.,iaco„M.,„„.„ ; ,'

u.„„„,„„.,.,„„ „. ,,.,, ,,,„„„^., ^.^^^,^,, _,^^.^_^^^^_^^ ^_^^^^^^^^_,^ -

I-; '■— . -l-aH, a„, p,.,..i„„ ,.,. ,„. ,„, „ ,.„„, „,. ,„^.,;

illiv,:li„„ .,r I-,„l„M,c., Strait. ' "'

0...lK.n,„n,i,„,„-.hc,,„tl,a,rip wa, ,„a,L. t„ a la,-,.. Wa„| „„

:"","-"'^", I —'-■.:.„.„.„,. « ,„ .„,,,,;

:;7 ' 7" ™™' "''^ ^'*'' '''^- ''^^'' '"- ' "-i^-". tn. ,„

"' r ;-■'''-*''-•'-' '•.-'-.."i- ia ,,,.,,. „i,,,.,. ..,,,:.

-m. ";-'-"c... , a U.M.tl,,, ho „,„„.,.,„• ,.„,a,„l a I,a,ri„d,
'"7'^' ■""*"' "■"'""^■■'^ ™. ...■„.. „„aK.. Th „„„.

...a.. a,v vc-y r,.,„, ,„• tho ,ki„ ,„■ .,„. ,;,,.,„aa, „,„,., „,,;,„ ,„„ '„,
'■'».- .hey , I,. al» „K. a,.at ,.,•„.. „hal,, aa.l .-hid, tt-avol,.,- „. , In,

;,;^";' '■';";"'•■:,:; -^ "-^''"— '-- '-• .1.^ ...to,. p....na,.,„ :,■

WRECK OF THE RESCUE.

55!)
■■ .1- ).n.,.. .„■ „ Tha„k,,,lv,-„g ,„rkoy." The E«,uimnu. ,„„sHc,„c i.

,H, ,„ S.,,te„„.e,.,,,..,.,o piece „f wl« ... ,„„,_, .„ ,,„ „,, .;

"0,.1„„« ,„„e,eo„ „„,„„,„ „,. ,■„,„„, ,„, L,„„„„, „,„„, ^,„, ^^^,^ ^,

"■^".i l>n.vc.,l ,., he „ ,-eh-e ,„■ Fr„hisher'» Expe.li.i„„

r„„.;„„ eh. ,„ „f sepeemhe,., „p .„ ,„c h.„e,. p.,-,, „„„„ ,■

n,. ,ese .,ce,„.,.e„ .„ .,„. ,,,„,„;„,, ^.^ ,. ^^, ^^^_^ _^^^^^^ -

.."l<.".»ho,...„p,, ,■,„,„ ,„e»hiph,va,.io.„ .„ee.i,.,., |„ ^ ,,,.„ „

uh;ch h.,„e e„.a.e„ i,. .hen, „„ .eve,,., ,«a»,„. ,„e. „i.h ,„i„„.

-u,!c„,s a,u, ,„,.hap. Quite a ,„„„he,. „f „ative, visited M„ Hall ..,„

.|.|nn..hc..-.ay„e ,,ai,.e., fro. the. eh valuable i,.ron.a.io: ^

<>■. 'ho ^6.1. li,ht »in,ls e„,„.„e„ce.I „. ,„„„. f„„„ .,,, „„„„.
.-., sea.|,lv ,.,e,.eas,„, in f„,,e until the following ,lav, when thev a,.
M-no ,he p,.„p„,.,i„„. .„■ „ ,„,,,,,,,^, aee,™pa„ie.l ,.v.„„„, \, ^
" -cU ,n the evenn,,, all ,he aueh..t» were le, ,„. An 'hou,. late,- the
lU-ene e„„,„u.n,,e.l .Irag.in, her anchors, a„,l „„„ afte,- the Geo,-.,ia„v
—"..Id v Capt. Tyson, was in the san.c pre,liea„,cnt, Tl^ .
»>on „,c,-ease<l to a hu„,eane, an.l ,,, .ui.lni.h, the two ships na.ne.l „;,.

■" -V"";"'" ""■ ■■"=''^- ^'"^ °'---^ ' "-■■•■■"■" ■•"■<->.> a point on

'"■ l-Kl and ,0, „,t„ eon,paratively sn.ooth ua.e,, althou.H, she was ■„

';• -■7'""'- -n-o crew, cpcctin. she would ,0 .0 pL-cs. d J „

"'"'";r:'-^- r""' "" '■'""- ^'"-■•-- -^'^ '-'.-■ - '-.■ htoa.,sidcs. t,,

e.ped,.,o„ „oat npon which Mt. Hali depended so n,„ch, was also torn
"-".-. n,„o„n,H, and dashcl ,0 pieces. When n,on,i„, dawned hoth
vessels were seen pounding against the hreakets, and assistance u-as in,-
-■■ «d.v sen, ,e™. Capt. Tyson and his ctcw e.-te ten,,.-.., in salctv

"■ '7'"'^'" "'^"'•■>'- TlH' «....-.n continued with tntahated hn-v thron.-h

™ - .lay, h... ,he rollowin, n,o„,i„, the .aleaha.ed, and a panv uCnt"
-hoK. 1 he Rescue was ,„,n,d ,0 he a total wreck, and l,:,d ,0 he' let ,0
- '"-""■ ■'"'^'•' '-'"■•--- -- '-.'-.I ... he perfeclv ti.h. and con,-

paralivelv uniniuri'd.

.1 I

crew aq-ain

tool.

V iJDNsessioii of Ikt, towed

t 3|

560

TOOKOOLITO.

I'l ! ;

IfU

•I' I

!f;v'

hu.- o/F the rocks, an.l once .nore .achore.l he,- in deep water. The
escape o," the George Henry was ahnost ,nirac..lous, hut she di.i not lon^
surv.ve her partner in adversity. She was wrecked July .6, .^G, on
one ot^ the lower Savage Islands in Hudson's Strait, aho.u one hnnL,
-lesfnrthersonth than Rescue Ilarhor. The Geor^iana .nade .oo,l
her .letects, and on Oc.her ,st set sail tor Northnn.herlan.i InU^ u.
wniter.

During the months of Gctoher and Xoven'her the ti.ne passed rather
■nonotonously, and durin. that tin.e Mr. Hall devoted most of his time
to observations of the display of aurora, which were beautiful beyon.l
descnpfon. On the 1 3th of October the expedition was startled by an mh
expected arrival. A stean.er and a sailing vessel can.e up n-o.n the .;
->'I anchored on the opposite side of Fiel.l Bav. The discov- rv w.'
soon made that the strangers were the funons Capt. Parker, of the^True
Love, an.l his son, con.nan<ling the steamship Lady Celia. Thev h.,]
•"ade the trip Iron, Cornelius (irinneli's IJay in less than a dav V vi^it
^> the strangers was in.mediatch- planned and execnte.l. When seen hv
M.-. Hall, Capt. Parker wa. sixty-nine years old, and had been navi..,t-
mg the Arctic regions f,rtv-,lve years. His ship at that tin.e was a ,:;.,.
cl.-ecl years old, was built in Philadelphia, Pa., and had taken par, i,,
many ot the searching expeditions. Capt. Parker exan^ined the plans .f
he expcd.fon, in which he took a deep interest, and promised an addi-

--• '-U which was much needed in the transportation of suop.ie,
'-^ -h.ch pron..e, nn.ortunately, was never lulliiled, as the ship^ were
''■■■ven to sea by a gale a tew days later, an.l did not return

Mr. Hail relates that on Xoven.ber . he was surprised bv a visi, .,f
- I-l.unaux la<ly, dressed in iCuropean habihn.en.s and speaking ilnentlv
he Lnghsh language. She was Tookoolito, who, with her' hushand
Ll^.erhu^g, ha<l spent twenty nn.nths in England, where she ha.l n.uk
the most of her advantages. , I., ,„..,,,,„ ,,,, ,,^, accuston.ed ,0 ,he
Ln^Wish tongue, but could carry on a conversation in tha. lan-nn.^e V
v.s,t to their lK.„e a ibw davs later showed a happv state of alial^. The
tent was as comfortable as the surroundings coui.l n.ake i,, and Took,,,,.
l.to was .ngagcl in knitting socks fbr her husband. Not onlv this, n„t she

A GENE If O US OFFER
CaUKl,. :,M who wanlod ,o learn it the samo „cc„p«i„„„„„| ,„„, „„,„„,„,
... ,na„g.,ra.,„s quite a „„™l,e,- „r useful Eur„,«an habit, a,„l eu,t„™,
a.n..ng her ne„hl,„r,. She c,„„„lai„e,l that ,„a„v of ,he whaler,
were bad men, and e„„,an,i„ate,l the native. She eoinplaine-l in par.ie'
..I...- "t the Ameriean,, who ,wore n,ore and wor,e ,ha„ .heir E„.,li,h
brethren. "

While on shore for water one day in the huter part of October, Mr.
Hall was muuated into the mysteries of Esc,ni,naux worship. Seeinc.
an excted crowd gathered around a ,nan who had the. completely un!
.1- h.s control, and ,nade then, obey his every word and ,estu ■„ hJ w,s
mlormed that this important personage was an angeKo, or wi.ard.
Though young he seemed to have the unbounded confidence of the na-
t.vcs, upon whose credulity and ignorance he live.l at his ease. He carried
on h,s ceremonies in a tent, into which Mr. Hall was taken to behold the
oxhibitic, and at the close this great n.an insiste.l upon giving him one
o. I.S w.ves; to which proposition the women assented, each one tryin.
to make herself as agreeable to the stranger as possible

On the 19th of November the ice from the head of the bay com-
.ncnccl bearing down on the ship, and by the 6th of the follow inc.",„onth
she was secured in the solid ice for the winter, and the boats w'^ere dis-
mantled, not to be used again for about nine months.

The Esquimaux lamp is one of the institutions peculiar to this region
!' - n.ade of stone and is supported on three legs. Without it they Tould
notcx,st. Their homes are lighted and warmed by it ; it melt; ice or
snow for the.r drinks, and by its heat they dry their clothing, nmtens
boots, and stockings. As oil seal blubber is used, and forms a very ^ood'
substitute for petroleum. ' "

December came in w,th a calm which connnued four days. On the
Mh the thermometer stood at zero, and a day later, 15° below that point.
1 he .ce was solid around the ship in her winter quarters, and the Esqui-
.naux visited her in large numbers <iaily, often remaining on board over
n.^ln and sleeping in the cabin. They went on various errands-some
nu-Tcly as visitors, some to see what they could secure in the way of
presents, and others to do some trading. The last mentioned brou^^ht

,H-

S«2

A HTliANGE CUSTOM.

\k i

wilh them skins which tiicy cxciian-ed lor knives and other articles.
The (hesses made by the Iiuuiit women were of a superior quality in
every respect, and found a ready sale on board.

The temperature chan;,'ed very suddenly as the month drew to a
close. On the lyth the tliermometer was 20" below zero, and the ba-
rometer 30.175, yet the weather was calm and seemed no colder liiau al
tlie commencement of the season, when thr thermometer stood at 32".
On the 3()tli the thermometer had risen to 5^ below zero early in tlie
morning, and kept rising until night, when it indicated 14° above, witli
a gale blowing and a general breaking up of the ice in Field Bay, and
the harbor in which the ship was laid up. On the 21st the thermometer
stood 21", and the bay was almost clear of ice. Considerable rain fell
during the night, and next morning the thermometer was 32^", or a
half degree above the freezing point. This placed the natives in a sad
plight. It demolisluid their snow houses, and rendered them homeless.
The rain continued on the 22d, preventing the natives from seal fishing,
and causing much distress auKJiig them. What food could be spared
from the ship was distributed among them, and cracklings, which liad
been taken along as dog feed, were considered a great delicacy. On the
30th of December the thermometer had again retired to zero, and six
days later was 28° below that point. The bay and harbor were again
covered with ice, and the men resumed their seal fishin"-.

About this time It was discovered that the natives treat their friends
with the utmost neglect when they are overtaken by sickness. When
death approaches, a tomb is erected for th.' victim, to which lie or she is
carried, placed witiiin, the entrance closed svitii blocks of snow and ice,
and the person is left in this living tomb to die alone, uncared for.
They believe that shoukl any be present at the death, they must discard
the clothes then worn, and never wear them again. The fimeral service
IS very simple. Tlie corpse is carried over the shoulder, much as a
sportsman carries his gun, to its linal resting place, where a ht)le is dug
in the snow and ice, in which it is tlei^osited, covered up, and left there.

Having determined upon an exploration trip to Cornelius (iriimcll
Bay, Mr. Hall, in company with El)ierbing, Tookoolito, and Koodk)..,

A STORM.

Stan Tlu.rsday, Ja... lo, I , .led^.c and dogs, with provisions tor

scvc, la, . VVhcMi lacy , he' ,horc they started north, and h.te

. the afternoon neared the acrs of the ocean, on the niarcji,, of

wli.c. the chlfs were ahnost perpenchadar, makinj,^ it necessary for the
J.arly to lou r th. .d,^^e down to tiie ice helow. The journey was con-
t.nne<l until , ,-. .., when ^tlie party halted, erecte<I an ice hut, and
camped for the nijjht. Every article o„ the sledj^^e was taken in, and
the entrance closed, the do-s heino- left outside. Durin- each night In
these huts the clothing of the occupants is hinig over the lamp fo"r dry-
ing, and caretully attended to 1 he women, who also make any neces-
sary repairs. This was Mr. 1 lull's first night in ne of these huts, and
he records that he slept as comfortahly as he , ild wish.

The journey was resumed in the morning. The course was due
north, but owing to the innumerable hummocks in the ice it was not
direct, and the party only made five miles during the day. It was ex-
pected that the journey w(nild be ma.le in <.ne day, but the obstacles were
so great that the second night found them far away from tlieir destina-
tion. To add to the complications a storm came up, and they had just
secured shelter when it bu.st upo.i them in all its fury, in their ice abode
on the frozen sea. It continued all night long, and on tlie ti.inl morning
of their journey they foun<l it impossible to proceed. In the afternoon It
was discovered that the ice was breaking, an.i the water made its ap-
j)earance not more than ten rods from tiiem. They became seriously
alarmed, and consulted as f. whether they should attempt to reach the
land, which was three miles distant, ..r remain in their .luarters and take
the chance of being carried ..ut to sea. They decided upon tin itter
course, and eagerly awaited the coming of another day. The gale
abated alH)ut lo v. m., and in the morning the weather was favonil)le.
Proceeding on their way, they had every dilliculty to ontend with. The
ice had given away in every direction. The snow was very deep and
licaeherous, and it was with great .lithculty that tlie sledge could be
moved so as to guard it against falling into some snow-eovere.l ice-crack.
The do-s also were in a starving condition, luaeh member ..f the party

tuuk the

ad iiy turns, I

o guard against the dangers whicli beset the

Si' W^.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

f/.

1.0

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2.8

L25 i 1.4

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Priotographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14S80

(716) 872-4503

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!-r!..'4rff«Tl

lij^i^m

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■■H'

"in

564

ROBBED Br DOGS.

and to find a track through the hi

.^hich

lum mocks which met them on all sides
By 2 ,.. M. the entire party were in such an exhausted condition that
they were compelled to halt and partake of their now verv slender stock
of provisions. After this they proceeded with renewed vigor, reaching the
.sh.,re ,ce m safety, and in a short time they were alongside of U<^arn^'s
i^rloo{^.c hut), built on th. southwest side of Rogers' Island, overlook
ing Cornelius Grinnell Bay.

On the following day, Jan. 15, the explorations commenced. Rab-
b.t tracks were discovered on the hills, and in the distance were seen
the prominent headlands noticed on the first arrival of the ship. In the
meantime the provisions gave out, and the party found themselves
without food or light, with the thermometer 25° below zero. The na-
tives met with no success in hunting or seal fishing, but brought to the
hut with them some black skin and kuan^, which they had obtained
^ from a cache made the previous fall by the natives, when the ship was
ni the bay. At noon next day a lieavy snowstorm set in, which con-
t.nued nearly four days, confining the party to the hut, and compelling
thorn to live ou raw frozen black skin, kuang, and seal.

On Sunday, the 20th, they were in a sad state from actual want of
food. The weather continual so forbidding that nothing could be oh-
tanied by hunting. At 8 o'clock in the naorning, Mr. Hall and Kood-
loo, one of his native companions, started to return to the ship with
a sledge, and twelve neady starved dogs. A speedy trip was antici-
pated, but the difiicultics encountered were so great that Ebierbing fol-
lowed them on snow shoes, and taking his place, sent Mr. Hall b^-k to
the huts to await their return. The supply of food was exhausted with-
out any apparent prosj^ect of obtaining a supply. Christmas eve found
the party with nothing left but a piece of black skin, one and a quarter
inch wide, two inches long, and three-quarters of an inch thick. Dur-
ing the night one of the natives came to the hut with some choice mor-
sels cut from a seal which he had just caught, but be had no sooner en-
tered than a starving dog which had been allowed to sleep in the hut
over night, sprang at the meat and ate a fair share of it. Before the
party recoverc.l from their surpr!.:., the remaining hungry dogs made a

■

APPEARANCE OF SCURVr.

SOS

storm vvh,ch they encountered on their journey "'

In speakin, of the Innuit people, Mr. Hall savs thev are noted chieflv
'"' then- thoughtlessness and improvidence. When th;v h-.vo ,

ant supply of food they devour it all as f.st -. '^'

cringthatontheday Llowin. he m-^ ; TT ^^'^'^"" ^"-'"-
J vvM.^ cncy may be m absolute want md nn

course of re„so„i„, ea„ i„<U,ce .he. .o change in .hi. ...pee..

Febn.a,y ,6 Mr. Hall onee ,„„.e ,.,„•.«, „„ a„ c.plori,,. e.pedi
t.on, a„,v,„, .he ...e afternoon a. aa,V. Harbor, a„d proee'edi r .'
o..ee .o Allen. I.an.,, where he regained .wo dnv, a. Urarn.A V,:
c.™..,, wa.ehin, .he va,,o„s effor., .„de .o .us.idn and "enjoj I 2
* ■ -,,nlar people of .he „„r.h. He ,pe„. f„r.y.,wo nil^, l ,,
. oo, l.vn„ w,.h .he native,, ,.„.. „f .heir ,i™e on .heir food aeeo in
. 'I-.- own en..o,„s, an.l .aid he had no regrc.. in lookin, hael< , ™
'^ c.per.enee bu. on .he eon.rar,, enjo.ed his life so spen as ^J
d,< nnder .he „,„s. .avorable eire.„„s.ances. On .be 3.s. he bad
ac!.en .o h,s Innui. friends and s.ar.ed on his re.nrn .o the shi
...led b, Kblerbln,, U,ar„, and K.n.nln. .a,<i„;w:r::r:i:; 7^
and clogs The ;„„rney was devoid of aeciden. „r exci.eraen., and the
party reached .he ship on .he evening, „r ,|,e sa,„e .lav

A nnnrber of .he natives had bnil. i,„„.„ „„ ,„.. i,!, ,, ,„, .i^,,,^. „.
^csh,p,hnt at .ha. ti„,e they were deserted f„r the Hshin, „ronn 1 ;
F ob,sher Ca,. When he visited the ere. .he ne^ dav M

all onnd .wo of .he n.en afflie.etl wi.h sanvv, .he ie,s „,■ „' j-
.he frotn. he knees down bein, as blaek as .ar. Both o^ thenr Ce

t::

CHAPTER LXIII.

A DEER KM. LED liV DOOS FKOZK.V TO DEATH THE AI'PUOACH OK

SPRING HAYARD TAYLOR PASS A NATIVE HISTORIAN THE

BREEDINf.- PLACE OK THE DEER THE "DREADED LAND" SUB-
SISTENCE IN ARCTIC REGIONS AN UNSAFE BOAT AN IMPQU-

TANT JOURNEY POSTPONED.

One morning early in March one of the men reported reindeer in*
sight upon the ice. Koojesse was armed with a rifle, and sent in pursuit.
He succeeded in getting a shot, but missed. This roused the dogs and
they immecHately gave chase, in spite of all efforts to restrain them. A
fine Greenland animal soon took the lead, and maintained it. Soon all
were lost to sight and nothing further was thought of the matter until
the dog returned to the ship about mid-day, covered with blood. His
actions led a number of the men to follow- him on the ice, and he led
them to a spot where they fountl a dead deer, with its jugular and wind-
pipe neatly cut by the fangs of the dog, a feat never known to have been
accomplished by a dog before.

On the 1 yth of March John Brown, one of the scurvy patients,
determined to return to the ship with some natives who were about to
make the journey, and started with them, On the way they were com-
pelled to stop antl cac/ie some of their supplies, and, becoming impatient
over the delay, Brown decided to proceed alone. No amount of reason-
ing or persuasion would make him desist, and with a dog to guide him,
he started on his journey. The sa.ne night the natives arrived at the ship
and retired. The next morning Brown was missed, and parties were at
once sent out in search of him. He was not found until late in the eve-
ning, when his frozen body was discovered at the foot of an iceber'^
seventeen miles from the ship.

Nothing especially worthy of note occurred until March cS, when

566

APPROACH OF XPIU.VG. ,„

liruca, .he companion of B.nv,,, camo very near n,ee,i„. a si„,il„,. fa,e.
Ho sva., ».,1I affl.c,e<l with scurvy, and had bee, again sent t„ an Innui.
settlement. On the morning of the day mentioned he determined upon
reeunnng ,o the ,hi„. He was accompanied by an Innuit woman, and
Irad , no, been for l,er strenuous exertions he would certainly have lo-t
lus l.fe On tl,o same day Mate Rogers star.e<l for the whaling depot
at Frob,sl,er Bay, taking with him such articles as wore required for
spnng operations, ami a sledge and dogs, driven by Koojesso. The iour-
noy was made without dimculty until noon, when a gale, accompanied
by thrck-ftlln^ snow, sot in, and they were compelled to retrace their
stops After battling .he storm for ten hours they reached the goal, more
(lead than alive.

About this time there were unmistakable evidences of the approach
ofspnng, and on April 8 the cooking apparatus and other materials
were moved up from their winter quarters below, and four days later the
weather was described as being so "gloriously fine" that Capt. Hall
."ade a trip up Budding.on Mount, which was described as verv dan
gorous on account of the steepness of the incline, and its hard,;now-
covere sKlcs. Three days later a long tramp was taken round the head
o F.eld Bay, for triangulating and making observations, and on April
^6 Capt. Hall made his first lunar observation. Four days afterward
the snow embankment around the ship was removed, and the crew com-
raenced putting her in complete order for service.

On the morning of Monday, April 33, Capt. Hall started upon his
n-st tnp ,„to Frobisher Bay. The course fron. the ship was westerly to
the other s.de of Field Bay, from whence they went over a mounLin
i-ss wl.ch was named after Bayard Taylor. After passing throu«.h a
.o,^e they arrived at a small inlet leading up from an arm of Confess
. \^arw.ck Sound. After traversing the inlet a very short distance
hey came to an abrupt turn in the mountain, and caught sight of Fro-
l^'sher Bay, and the mountains of Kingaite beyond. Proceeding to one
"f the .slands they remained with an Innuit family all night. Next morn-
mj. Capt. Hall ascended to the summit of a mountain close bv, from
whence he had a ^.n. view of the bay, but was disappointed in cHseover-

•'fii'T ffffl

A NATIVE IIISTOlilAN.

m ■ \\'

.n,^ that the ice had broken t.p on its surface, which would prevent hi.n
frun, niakin.^^ Ins contemplated sledge-journey to the westward. He -.Iso
saw Iron. Ins pnniacle Resolution Island and Meta Incognita M„w
small p.eces of li.ncstone were found on top of the mountain Dc-
scendn,,. he again passed the night in an Innuit igloo, and next morni,,.
started lor another village. Taking a course over the hilly center of the
.sland he arrived at his destination after walking about three miles
1 wo .lays were spent here taking observations, after which the trip w.s
rcsun.ed. The breaking up and absence of sea ice caused the partv io
encounter many difficulties in making their way along the shore " .\s
they traveled forward, the mountains of Kingaite loomed up in m-i.^
nihcent grandeur, and the explorer -vas struck with the idea that n.ore
than land existed there; and in truth, it was solid ice, which the natives
said had never been known to chan"-e

About dark they reached the south point of the island of Nonyain
where they expected to find an Innuit village, but were disappointed, and'
were con.pelled to construct an igloo out of a snowbank, in which
they lodged for the night, though not without an intruder. The tide
poured m upon then, without ceremony, but retired without inrtictinc.
senous damage. In that region the rise of the tide at its full is thirty
ieet. On Saturday, AprU 34, the party started on the return journey
and on the following Monday they arrived safely on board the ship after
an absence of eight days. Immediately after arriving on board Capt
Hall had an attack of snow-blindness, which continued a few dr. On

the last day of April the ice-fetters were stricken from the ship, and she
floated two feet higher in the water, having become so much lighter
through the consumption of stores since the period of freezing in.

One day early in May, Capt. Hall went ashore at Cooper's Island, in
Rescue Harbor, to talk with an Innuit woman who was acquainted with
nearly a hundred years of the traditions of her race. Fron) her he learned
that upon Nionutelik Island she had seen bricks and coal, and pieces
of timber of various sizes, and that she had often heard from old Innuits
that, many years before, ships had landed there with a great number of
people; that when a little girl she had heard of these pe.,j,lc kiliin-^

AN OASTS.

several I

iiiuiits and takin.!.^ away tvvo I

a-ain ht-anl of, a.i.l that they came

nmiit woiiu-ii who w

ere 1

ever

then a •'■reat

•y year; first t

many ships. She also told of fi
captured hy the Innuit people at the time of the
a great many years ago; that tl

\V'), Ilien tl

uve

ve whit

e men \v

ho w

;ij:)pearance of tin

lese men wintered

l.ve<l among the Innuits; that they afterward 1
mast and sails; that they endeavored to i^et a
succeeded in doing so after much trouhl

■•^lioi-e; that

>uilt a 1

ii'ge l)oal.

:»y, and that thev 1

e, and were n

As all th

s was located

which Frobisher landed
with written historv, and th

ever again hean

upon the island

it \\.

IS COI71]),

ey Were foun

correspond, ^vhich determined Hall
Nionutelik, the island

referred to, f

o \

purpose of gaining further info

Before 1

nnadon.

eav

an examination t
of Field Bay. Travel
hours

ing for the Frobisher wat
ip was made to the h
ing was impeded, ;

seven nours were ccnsume<l in reachin - .„,.
«hore. Fmm the top of a small rock'v hill
wa:, discovered to the west a long an.l narrow
lakelet, extending in a northerly direction to
the base of Alden Mountain. After resum-
ing the journey, a beautiful grassy plain was
reached, which was quite destitute of snow
and surrounded by rugged, somber, rocky
™ WOM.VS „..„.....,,. „,,„tains, making it appear as an oasis i
S^J^ des.-t of ice and snow. Running northwest n-om .he plain
- Alden Mountan, was another plain extending in everv <lirection

tla at that tn.e Arctic navigators knew very little of the interior
o he country, as they rarely saw and explored aught but the coasts.
>l.|ng from information afterward obtained, these plains are the
b.-eeding places of the deer. After traveling about twentv-five miles the
explorer arrived on shipboard again at 3 o'clock the following mornin.

'*«* nii'r;:*"rnn

li;

rwf .pJUfd; f ! fjl

670

77/ E DREADED LAND.

Oil tlu' ^ytliol'Miiy, C'.ipl. Hail, .u-c-onipjiiiic-d l.y .'i miiiiiuT of natives
stailc-d ..II tiK- I(.ii,i(-i-\i)L'Ctt-(l i-\|H-(iili..ii, hilt l.L-torc thuy liail ;ro,H. faitlu'v
wore c-oinpclk-d to ivtiini lo the ship, as it was Cound impossihie to make
the journey hy sledi^^e. It was the intention, however, to spend a dav or
two on the islands of Opim.irnewini,^ and Nionutelik hcfore makin<,r the
refnin trip; hut this also had to he ahandoned in the face of a storm, and
the party hurried haek as fast as they could. Soon after arrivin- ,,,1
I'oani a-ain, a party of Sekoseiar Inniiils anived, and imparted some
valnahle infornialioii concernin-^ white people who had in years ^rone hy
visited their country.

Early in June liie journey to the "Dreaded Land," as it is called hv
the Esciuiniaux, was coninienced a<rain hy sledge. The progress was
very slow at lirst. The direction first taken was toward Dillon Moun-
tain, latitude 63" 3J' north, at the east end of Fox's Land, an island „„
the east side of IJear Sound and Lupton Channel, twelve miles in wi(lth,
its center l)eing in latitude 62" 29' north, longitude 64" 28' west. The
hummocks caused the party to change their course to due south toward
Lupton Channel. Had weather compelled them (o encamp on an island
which was named Sylvia, its highest point heing live hundred feet ahovu
the sea. From the elevation could he seen the open water of Lupton's
Channel, which the natives say never freezes over, in consequence of the
swiftly running tides. On the 7th of June they left the island, and the
same afternoon arrived at the hasc of Jones' Tower, latitude 62 3-'
north, longitude 64" 34' west. From the top of this mountain the vict
was extensive, but Frohisher liay could not he seen, although it was not
thought to be distant more than seven miles.

The following morning the journey was resumed, and the shore of
the "dreaded lan.r' was found to present many interesting features, on
account of its newness and associations. About six miles from [ones'
Tower they reached Cape Daly, the termination of a neck of land dis-
tinguishe.l by a remarkable gap in its ridge. Pushing forward they
reached Cape Hayes— the most northerly point of Hudson's Islaiul,
where tluy again prospected. At this time Hall's Island was less than
two miles distant, but it was impossible to reach it on account of the

NORTH Fonnr.ANn.

871

ni-recl ice with which M'Clintock Channel was lim.ly packcl. At.
t'a,H- ll:,>cswcivf,nnui circles ..f stones, which iia.i heen ph.ced there
years hciore hy the Innuils who Inrmerly inhahite.i this n„w lorsaiven
land. The next day the party pursued its journey ihrou-h Dr. Kane's
C'iiannel, which connects Frobishcr Bay and Fiel.l Hay. Seals were
very numerous in this locality, and hear tracks were also .liscvered.
When they arrived at the point from whence it was expected to see the
entrance to Frohisher Hay, there was -reat astonishment at discoveriujr
a short distance olF, open water, witli numerous icel)er<rs driftin,i,s ii
heavy sea rollini,^ in and heatinj^ on the edt^e of the Hoe.

They had now neared the land; and when within half a mile of
"Mall's smaller island" of Frohisher, Capt. Hall went on l.y himself.
Ik-ar tracks were seen on all sides, and other evidences presented them-
selves sulficient to show that that outcast re-ion was one of jolcnty in-
stead of harrenness. After a thorou-h inspection the party retraced
their steps to the encampment, where they arrived safely a day later.
From the mountain top in the rear of tiie camp bearings were taken of
various prominent places. It was determined to set out on the return to
the ship on Wednesday, June 12, but before doing so Capt. Hall visited
the utmost extreme of land— the "North Foreland" of Frohisher. The
chaiuiel between the islands was free from ice, save at its west end, and
presented an animated picture of life, fbr seals and aquatic birds in great
variety were sporting there. After a laborious walk he reached "North
Foreland," the goal of his ambition in that trip. The view was en-
chanting. As far as tiie eye could reach, the sea was open. North Fore-
land presented a bold front. Its elevation was several hundred feet, and
the mighty waves were dashing in quick succession against this rocky
rampart. Nearly south of this point are three islets, the nearest being a
(luarlcr of a mile from the shore. The largest is a quarter of a mile
long, and the others are very small. In every direction were seen traces
of reindeer and rabbits. After remaining an hour on this interestincr
spot, taking bearings of distant objects, he returned to the encampment,
where everything was found to be in readiness for their departure.

The start was made in the Ibrenoon, and the route selected was the

(»*i«i ,'.F>m

573

A niSAPPOrNTMBN'r.

one traveled hy them tliiee times hefoie. A j^'ale sj,ian<( up (luriii<r th.j
(lay, ami tears were entertained liiat it would break up the ice. Great
dilViculty was experienced in ereetin-- tiie tent, hut it was accomplished
at last, and the crevices were lilied wiih moss in such a manner that ii
was almost impossible for the tine snow to enter. They were compeild
to remain in the tent until Friday, the i,|lh, when tiie journey was re-
sumed. They pro<rressed very well until they struck out on a strai-ht
course for the ship, when they found the situation alarmini;-. The ice
was broken into every conceivable form and size, but it was their only
chance, and they seized the opportunity. The distance was accomplislK,]
safely, thoun^h with fear and trendtlini;-, and they arrived at the ship ,hi
Saturday morninj^. As an evidence of wiiat can be secured in llic polar
regions to sustain life, it may be interesting to sta'-; that during an ai).
sence of ten days the party ol)tained:

I Polar l)car i ^ooq pounds.

I ookgook (larjjest sized ^eal) i ,i;oo "

y '^i^'i'i-i i,soo '•

Total.

4-3CW

In addition to this they hail an abundance t)f skin for clothing, and oil
for fuel and light.

A few days were devoted to rest and making preparations foi- thf
long-desired visit to King William's Land About this time another
heavy gale swept across the bay for three days, but the ice reniaincci
lirm, and the ship was uninjured. Word was received from the whalin<--
depot that the otricers and crew stationed there w ere quite well, thouyh
unsuccessful, and soon after Capt. Hall, accompanied by Koojesse, startal
to join them, arriving at the destination early next morning. After an
exchange of greetings an examination of the shore was made, and every-
where along the beach fragments of limestone were found in abundance.

One of the principal objects of the visit to the tlepot was to make
preparations for the departure to King William's Land, and to coiiMik
with Capt. B. respecting it. Great was the sorrow on both sides, when
Capt. Hall was assured by his friend that the whaling lioat jiromised liim

used nim

EGG-HUNTING,

tor the expedition

n78

VV.'

1 c-vcry ro»pea i„a,lcq„„tc for the work which it
-.s propose,, to impose „po„ i,. „„ ,,„,„„, ,,e,,rly that it co„l„ not
cry the necessary quantity of provision,, for tho n,e,. reqnired, whieh
..npre„e„ the explorer with the helief ,ha, he wo„,,l have to p,,,..,

hM.™pose,l expedition for „ year, or nntil he e ,, re.nrn to the S .,te.

Mil.! procure a suitable boat.

The weather hein, „„e, a„ expedition was planned for the explora-

-. o tite surroundn,,- coast, made fan,o„» ,,y Prohisher's vova-es in

.cs,xteenthee„tnry The start was ,n„de with a yonn, n„ti;e:„ho

Lowevcr, ,.„ved to be a hindrance. The jonrney was ..edions in thj

« re ne. The shore-.ee was covered with sofl snow, and a point of land

walk of ftee,, ,n es, after which a Ion, circni. had to he n.ade aro.n.d

....ne rocks Nothn,,. was acco,„p|i.,hed on this trip ,, „,, ,„„,

returned to the depot. ^'i^paity

Much of the tinre was ,,ev„,ed .o ,lnck hnntin. and e,-,, .atherin.
A party of font sncceeded ingathering six do.en e,,s at ^.^ ^
.0.. .nn,„.es A. another place they ^ot sixteen do^en and «ve in twen.v
..».. cs The dnck, always replaced the e,,s, which ,n„de the snpply

"""""'" "•'"^ • ^^->- '--'» "«^ shot,l.nt toe swift ,i,|c ''J

vented the hnnters from scenrin^ the game. lee hrid^es were found in

..l.....dance, an,l nrany of the islands in Mcar So,„,d ar „„, , „,^,^

curious provisions of nature. ^

Oi. June =9, Captains II„I| and I!, rctnrne the Geor-e Honrv an 1

" " >^^ '•"-■ "- I'-"""l' <"■;..>>• was celehratcd hy a ..,,1 exls

;.r .. n.».y «un.harrel. At this time there was a faif p^.s ! t

rZr"'""""'"'^ — -P would get away t:

'ii

iiii'i

ciiai'Ti:k l\i\'.

Tine SIIIl' IKICE A SEllIKS t)!' AI>V KNTUUKS JHON I SLA N I) — jom, >,'

CAPK CAl'K STKVKNS KUESH WATERS I'KAI.K I'OINT ~ f()i{.

UAN's UIVKU — TIIK ItKTUHN COAL COUNTKSS OK WAKWK k's

SO'.rNI) IIOMKWAUU HOUND.

Ow July 17, iS^i, the slii[) wa^ oiicc more free iVoin the ice whiili
had hound iier for ei-jfht uioiitlis, and swui);^ her chains in Rescue ILu
l)or. Hut it was only in a pool that she was free, for ice yet reniainiil
hetwecn the anchora^'e and tiie main hay. The -greater portion of {h^.
crew were aj^ain at the whahn^r depot, when a hoat was sent tlieni, hut
tliey were meetin-^ witii no success. At this time the heat was vcrv
great, the mercury stamiiiij,' 95 ' in the sun, preventinj^ work of all kinds,
tnilcss one was clad in tlie li_i(htest <,'armeuts. On the 27th the ice in the
vicinity of the vessel he^i^an to move, and it was with ;^'reat difHcult v that
the crev/ succeeded in keepiiijr it from crushing the ship. A day latir the
men who iiad remained at the wiialinji- depot were smnmoned to return
to the ship. Tile return of the crew and l)reakiiig up of the ice were
the signal for a departure to a.iother place in search of whales.

On Tuesday, the 30th, tiic (ieorge Henry took her departure from
the hay, leaving Capt. Hall to push his explorations as hest he ini^-ht.
He took up his ahode with IChii rhing, and was the only white man left
in that locality. The next day it hlew a gale, and the ship again sou'^^hl
shekel- in the l)ay, where she remained for some time.

At this time Capl. Hall was hnsily engaged in the selection of a
crew that siiould accompany him on his expedition. He succeeilcd in
securing six good natives, and everything being ready for the start
on Friday, Aug. 9, on that day he set out from the ship. That
cMMiing they reached the entrance to Luptoii's Channel, and made lluir
Ihsi ciicainpmcut in ;. small cove on the southeast side of BachcV I'c-

574

A ShWe/ES OF ADVENTUltBa.

876

-n..sul., .„., opposite Ellis Island, whore they found relies of former
I.uuut encampments. The voya,.e was c.ntinue.l the following,
iii'.ninifr. At Cape Tnu- a rest wis (.k.... f .• ■ • *

. , , , . ^ ^^•"' ''"^'" '"1 ;ii> exannnation

■'. l.e .leserte<l plaee. At (l>at tinu- .here was mo i.. ..n Fn.hisher May.
-11. .he exception of a few her^s. The second encau.pn.cnt was at
I ..pe Cracn.ft, h.titn.le 62" .u ' 30" north, Inn^Htude G^' 7' west The
next stopping, ph.ce was at Oopun.M.ewinj, Island, where ,hc n..,„l,ers
ol the party were very nnuh annoyed hy moscjnitoes. Q,. ,!,. nth of
Aa,n.st three of the crew were selecte<l to accompany the exph.rers to
N.onntehk. which was reached i.. sa.bty, although ronj,h weather was
cnconntered. Searci- u-as m.,le io fra,.,ents of |,,ick and relics hut
"one were found. Th. journey was continued around the island, and at
la>. the rehc hunter was rewarded hy nnd=n>;- pieces of sea coal which
iKui heen taken there hy Frohisher in .578. No other relics were found
■^^^^^\ (lie parties returned to the encampn.ent. The journey was resumed'
"> the niorninjr. The examination .nade of the surroundings was not
thorough, as it was the intenti,>n to continue the journey at another time
and m a more complete manner. However, a constant record was kept
ot d.stances nm and courses steered, and landin^^s were made as fre-
qiK.ntiy as possible to take observations for latitude, lon^Mtude, and
variations of the comj)ass.

Iron Island, named so because of the resemblance of its rocks to ox-
idised iron, x.as found to be an interesting place. Innuit monumental
marks were tound; also an excellent piece of live oak timber, from some
wreck.

Jones' Cape was selected as the next place of encampment. It is in
'^''"•"l^" ^^^ ' 55' 30" north, lonj,ntude 65" 45' west. A snu^^ harb.>r was
'""-'.1, and the natives receive.l the parties kindlv. Some remarkable
."<nniinents of stone were found here, one bein;^^ about six feet hi<d., and
". Ihe form of a cross. Capt. Hall declared Jones Cape to be one of the
i'-K'st places he had seen in the north. Force's Sound is n-.nlv sur-
nnnuied by ma-nificent mountains, and is sheltered from winds and
iH'Uvyseasln uuinen.us island. On Au^. .4 a mountain in the rear of the
^■■'raiupmeut was ascended, from the summit of which could be plainly

Bfil) ']f '

576

IRON ISLAND.

sc-cn more than fifty miles of the Kingaite coast, the nearest point bcin-
distant about thirty miles. The peculiar variety of stone found upon
Iron Island was also found there, and also limestone upon the summit,
about a thousand feet above the sea level.

The expedition next pushed westerly across the east arm of the bay,
but had to change its course on account of a heavy sea, and again landed on
the island, near its center, after which it proceeded to the southeastern
extreme of Barrow's Peninsula. The next point readied was Hamlin's
Bay, which had to be crossed. The sixth encampment was made on
Hlanchard's Island, and the seventh at Tongue Cape, near the entrance
of Waddell Bay. A native was here found who had seen pieces of
iron, brick and ,oal in that locality, but who said they had been carried
away years before when he was a boy. The expedition continued its
course along the coast, closely examining its features, and noting down
everything of importance which was seen. The land was bold and
high, with much of the iron rust look about it. Scarcely any vegetation
was to.be seen. Numberless islands bordered the coast, and it looked as
though a complete chain reached across the bay to Kingaite.

Cape Stevens was the eighth camping ground. On a mountain top
close by were found shells and fossils, some of which were taken away.
Tliis particular mountain was described as being very grand and rugged.
One side was perpendicular, and contained large caverns, with huge
projecting rocks hangmg over them.

Numerous small bergs were encountered during the nexi \q\x days,
whicli had been left high and dry on the rocks near the coast by the
ehliing of the low spring tide. Capt. Hall went ashore on the n<.rth
side of the isiand, " Frobisher's Farthest," from the summit of which
the bay seemed to continue on between two headlands, one the termina-
tion of the ridge of n.iuntains on the Kingaite, and the other the tor-
mination of the ridge running on the north side of Frobisher's Bay. The
coast of Kingaite was in full view from the " Great Gateway " down to
the " President's Scat," a distance of one hundred nautical miles. A
line of islands— their number legion— shoot down from "Frobisher's
Farthest " to the Kingaite.

■i-^-iC/,, G,„,V.VE,.,. „,yE,l.

5,7

Tho next inornins, Au^ ., , °'

.'"- ■:'■ '■-'> -- - ^. co„.„„.:, ,::; ;,;;" '";-" -- -• ■,...

"- 1'- waters wo. aHv. „,,, .:„„:,"" ; ; ""- "■■•"-■ - «- .•„,„„,

' "'« -Sio", and ,he ,„„,„b„, ,„, ^, ' '^ '■-"<'-■ als,. „|, „,„,

■;-■ w-c pu,. „, „^,,.,„_ „„^, ^^ ^ ■ ^^ --. Th. „„,.„ „, ,,^.
'h^- «.■„ half „,„, f,,,, ,„„ p,.„p,, ^■":'" •^'■■"-" R'vc... F„,

^»..ks ,■„,. ..„ n,i,..,..„,-,„,,,,: , :;;f- '-■'"■^•' 1^ Ti.

»le,- the neck,,,-. ,„,,„ Ji^,, J" :—"■■- >ho so,,, <„, u^o ,«

^-^- F-."> .he p..i„.„,... ,•„::;,::;";■■■ t'V""- '" ■■'^■■^-*

V--V cv.onsive. 0„ tl,,, ,„■« side .,s , "' "'""''^ " "'»

hail- "dlo i„ „|d,|,. '"''• ""» M.Iain of a <j„,„„ j,^ ^,

I'hiirsilay jnoniiii-, \,.„ ,„ ,,

"- "•- «--,o. A,: , x:f; f;"-" -- ^•■-^"- '-■ ,.. .„ ,,, ,,

^'-.- plain, .as soon passod, p .r;'';" '"^' '-" "^ -i^.C, „..„

'-•'« "hiol, attain a sroa.or ol^-ation' '.han J ",','" 7'""' "'' "«»"'
1"-1>' • "f I'mbishor liav. Tho l.oach ' ""' ^" "''■ '"-'"'i

^-1 '-narkablo tinKMv.n l,„„,dors.' 72JT' ""'' """ "' '^""^

'l-'ael, wltl, Kingaito „„ .ho ,,„ht , ;""'"■"" ""-T -norod ,1,0

■n-,« was stoop, ,„„ in ,„:„'; 1"" ""^^ W- "" .ho ,0,,

' ■ •'•'^^- ™<. ^-e i» ab„n, .;:„ : ,: t:" * '^ ^-- -•> -.o.

■l-..e-f a ,™,o tl,o, ..oaohod a H,„. ,,. ' ■■","' """' '^""-•-l-S a

irhor

not

'^^"^'^ than t\

and

678

JORDAN'S RIVER.

half miles in diameter, on the west side of which they encamped.
Makinjr his way to the crest of a high hill, Caj)t. Hall placed there the
Stars and Stripes. This encampment \\as left the following afternoon,
some articles bein<r stored to be called for on the return. A landiu"
\vas made on the northwest coi'ner of Bishop's Ishnul. From its top the
\',hole head of Frohisher ]^aA, from Svlvia to (irinnell Ri^■er on the
northeast, to Aggoun on the west, was in view. The width was fouitceii
nautical miles. The termination is not by deep bays or fiords, lint by
slight indentations, the greatest not exceeding three miles. IJishop's
Island was well covered with vegetation. The next <lay a point was
reached from which it was definitely ascertained that Frobisher's vStrait
was a myth. The estuary of Jordan's River was fnially reached. It
was crossed, and an encampment made on the other ide. From this
point were ^■isible long and wide })lains, meadows of grass, smoothl\-
slojjing hills, and a range of mountains beyond, which, parting in one
particular spot, formed, as it were, a natural gateway. At the left, across
the river, was Silliman's Fossil Mount, a ridge of white, and behind it
the unbroken front of a line of mountains extending northwesterly to
the Great Gateway. On the northern side the mountains continued
from this singular opening on by r'robisher ]?ay to the locality around
FieUl Bav, far to the southwest and eastward. Jordan's River is not so
large as the Sylvia Grinnell, but at certain seasons it must discharije
large volumes of water. On accoimt of its singular beauty tJie land at
the head of Frobisher Bay was named "Greenwood's Land." On the
opposite side of the river was discoveretl a mount of marine fossils in
limestone, half a mile long and over a hundred feet high.

On the morning of »Sept. 6 the return jouiney was commenced.
Two days later it was evident that winter had again commenced. There
was a severe snowstorm in the morning and ice at night. On the loth
a journey over the mountains westward was undertaken, though
nothing was accomplished. Next day a start was made for the islands,
and a landing was made on Bishop's Island. The view from tl.cii'
embraced the whole coast which terminates Frobisher Bay. On the
30th there was some excitement when one of the Innuits cried out from

encamped.
il there the
■ afternoon,

A hnuhn'^'
n its top the
iver on the
k'iis t'ouiteen
rds, l)nt l)y
i. ]>ishop's
I point was
lier's vStniit
cached. It

h'rom this
s, snioothh'
tin<if in one
J left, across
d heliind it
westerly to
5 continued
Hty around
er is not so
;t discharge
tile land at
I." On tlic
le fossils ill

:oninienccd.
Jed. There
)n the I nth
en, thou^ih
the islands,
from thiTc
ly. On the
ed ont from

579

OPHIUKID OF NORTHERN SBAS.

'i !

ill

580

RELICS OF FROBISHER.

the sliorc tliat he had discovered gold, and instantly a rush was made for
tlic spot, whcMi it was discovered that the alleged article was spurious.
Further along on the island was found a trench in the rock which was
one hundred anil ten feet in length, running from the surface to a depth
of twenty-five feet at the water's edge. The Iimuits said that a shij) liad
heen huilt tliere hy the white men.

On top of the island was fomid the ruins of a house, built of stone
and cementetl with lime. It was about twelve feet in diameter
and lliickly coated with moss. A '(^\h feet from it was a sort of stone
breastwork, such as the natives erect for shelter when hunting, and also
a pile of stones, which looked as tiiough it might have been made hy
Frobisher's men to cover some memorial left by them when trviu"-- to
escape in their ship.

Leaving the island the course was next laid to the cape of land called
Tikkoon. Landing there, one of the Innuits attracted the party to where
he was standing, by loud cries. On arriving on the spot there was found
still anotlier relic of the Frobisher Exijedition — of iron, and time-eaten
with ragged teeth. The piece weighed from fifteen to twenty pounds
and was on the top of a granite rock, just within reach of high tide at
full and change of the moon. The iron stain was in the rock; otherwise
its top was cleanly washed.

The next point visited was Cape Ood-loo-ong, where many relics
of Innuits wc found, and which possessed magnificent scenery. Next
day a landing was made at Ek-ke-le-zhun, where more coal was found,
and where a i)lack stone resembling coal was also found.

A snowstorm detainexl the party on Nionutelik Island, which
enabled Capt. Ilall to extend his investigations still farther. East of the
spot where lie discovered some coal several months before, he discovered
another deposit, which was nearly overgrown with grasses, shrubs, and
mosses. Its location and surroundings led him to believe that this must
have been the landing place of Frobisher in 1=578.

A start from the island was made on .Sept. 25, the course being direct
to Kodlunain Island. This second visit resulted in the discovery of
another piece of iron, scmi-sphcrical in shape, and weighing twcntv

Am,THER wmTEn m the akctzc. .,„,

pounds. Fragments of tile and numerous other r 1- ■ ,■

civili^ed men „„d Ws.ted it, were a^: L: 7 c :' -i" "'"^" "■"'

""'''"• "■;';"- '- «>■ »-- - .He U.X ^;l ;";;:;::

.He, pressed on to ascert^tLirLn'! "-;•■"--"-- '-
ta„. .. he entranee to the harhor was roun<led, and the hu .

Geo..e Henr, loomed up before them. All reeeived a joyful wel m
.-I were soon on hoard reeounting their adventures to he oftl .L'
men, who had given them up lor lo«t

Mueh of the time ,rf.cr arriving .at the ship was spent i„ visitin. the
l.on,es o. the Innu.ts on shore, and gaining what information eould 1
obtantcd eoneernmg the white n,e„ who centuries before had visZ ,1

anomci trip to the phices recently visitorl .,„ i

T •. ^ .. "-^y ^I'^itccl, and accompan cd bv fivn

..".. s^Otpt. I-Ial, started for the Countess of Warwiek.' Sound „ ,
, . ". Oc ober. The tnp was nearly a failure. The season was too f
^..ha„ce.l for boat e.eursions; snow storms, and eol.l and „i„dy w h
.net .nem eaeh day. The Innuits were wilhng to proeeed but ,1 i
■""mated that it would not do to --o far- so fh^ , ' ^'

1 • , , '■^' a*^ I'll , SO the party returned to tl-,<.

sh.l>, where they arrived after an absenee of four days'

-Ml now wishetl to eontmence the voyage ],„me. lee ha.l be.,u„ to
for,n, an ,t was felt that the time for departure had arrived. The e^ ta

. .e whaler had determined to leave on the .oth of Oetobe ,!

.«! -de up then, nnn.ls aeeordingly. While waiting for the day
•l4K«.,re Capt.n„U visite<l a high point near Bayard T.aylor P.ass ,
-.!.■ .o enable hin, to complete the trigonometrical survey- whieh ;
-".-need. From the elevation he discovered that solid ice at the
;;;';;'<; '"c- -ay ..o.d the ship a prisoner there. Upon the return to e
1 K, eaptan. was ntformed of ,:,e tliscovery of pack ice in Davis-
«-... a was soon after announce, that the winter must be spent in
tn^' l)ohir rco-ions Thn K.>,r i - '■

.. ■, , '; ■ . ' ^'*'^ commenced freezing oyer, and on Oct.

O, ms tcad of bemg homeward bound, the ship was i„ iee seyen
-'- ^-1< -I rapidly increasing, causing i.-nediltepreparatioir;:

582

it! „

i! ji J I

GRIN NELL GLACIER

On Nov. 33 the Innuits ;()mmcncc(l to l)uil(l

into wniter quarters
their winter houses.

When it was fairly decided that the Geor<ifo Henry would remain all
winter in the ice, Capt. Hall tleclareil his intention of making sledge
journey up Frobisher Bay, for the purpose of eflecting- a complete ex-
ploration of every bay and iidet in those waters, and also of investigat-
ing still more closely the matters connected with the Countess of
Warwick's Sound, and on Dec. 15 \\v started for Jones' Cape, accom-
panied by two Innuits. No new discoveries were made, and after an ab-
sence of four ilays they again arrived at the ship.

Shortness of provisions caused the ship's company to divide them-
selves among the Innuits and try their mode of living. The privations
of Innuit life were too severe for them, and they now and then returned
to the ship. Indeed, the experience of the men was anything but pleas-
ant, and it often looked as though they would die of starvation.

The exploring sledge trip up Frobisher's Bay was renewed on the
1st of April, the party consisting of Capt. Hall, four of the ship's com-
pany, and four Innuits. They lirst visited Oopungnewing, but nothing
new was discovered. The journey was continued without any event of
note occurring, until May ist, when the course was changed to the
Kingaitc coast. The Grinnell Glacier was visited, which was estimated
to be fully one hundred miles long. Its height at tiie highest point
reached is 3,500 feet. From this point various other bays wore
visited. Thence they proceeded among many islands, and came
to a channel where they found a space of open water aboundiii<'- in
ducks and other acpiatic birds and seals. This raised the siege of huno-cr
which had been endured almost since the time they had left the ship.
The jourtic)' was continued down the bay, passing rapidly on the ri^ht
Cajje Poillon and NewcU's Sound, and on the Icll, Pike's Island; the
course being along near the Kingaitc coast, and direct for Cape Vander-
bilt. In leaving the latter point the course was almost in line with Cape
Hill, the soulli termination of Chase Island. The return journey to the
ship was commenceil on the 20th of May, which was reached early next
morning.

remain all
v^ sledge
nplete ex-
nvestigat-
iuntess of
»e, accom-
:er an ah-

'^mu^,(\^

aUIKKBINe, TOOKOOLITO, AND CHILD.

583

^3u^3SBS

084

CAPE TRUE.

A short time .■ifu-r the- n-tnni to the ship Capt. Hall secumi the con-
sent of his l.uimt o.nip.iuions, I<:hicrl)in- and his wife Tookoolito, to ,v-
ti.n. with hi.n to the Unite.! States, in ..nler tiiat he mi-ht learn more
of the lan-ua-e, manners a.hl enstoms of their rare, and liave them retnrn
with him at a tntnre time ..n his expedition to Kin.i,' William's [.and.

Earlv in jnne tvv,, more relies ..f l'^„hisher's Expedition were pro-
cured from one of the l-:s(p.imanx_a piece of hriek and a musket hail,
the latter of which tlie -iver said had heen found l.efore his race knew
anything- of ^nnis.

The ship was left June n for a visit to the whalin^r depot at Cape
True, which was reached in safety, and the captain and iiis men were
found to he fat an<l healthy. After remainin- a few days with the
whalers, Capt. Hail and an Imnu-t companion started once more f,,r
Cornelius (Jrimieil Hay, for tlie purpose of survcyin- it. Durin- the
trip they encountered xcvy severe weather. The ice threatened to hreak
up and crush them, and the wind hlew a hurricane. It was the intiu-
tion to -o to tile extreme of the hay, hut tlie season was so far advanced as
to rondcr ice-travelin- very <lan-en.us; therefore the party advanced no
farther han AHen^ Island, of which a renewed examination was com-
menced. The discoveries made were of minor imiwrtance, and the re-
turn j(mrney to the ship was commenced on the 36th of June. On the
way hack tlie time was improx.d in niakin- ohservations for the com-
pletion of the chart. On the day followin- the ship was reached, when
matters were found to Iv proceeding i,i the usual course.

Another expedition was commenced June 30. Cape True was
readied hy sled, fr..m wiience a party of eleven was secured to proceed
further hy h..al. Tlie islands which had heen visited hefore were visited
a-ain. Relics were sou-ht and a few secured, hut thin-s which il was
particularly desirous to (,htain couhl not he found. The journey was
continued until July 19, when they a-ain started for the ship. As they
proceeded alon- the coast, ohservations were renewc.l, and so far as it
could he done the link of hearings and sextant angles which now ex-
tended all around Frohi.her Bay, was completed. The next point for
which the party started was the southeast extreme— Hall's Island of Fro-

liETURN OF THE GEORaE IlENHr.

685

-- ■■'"■"-">• -.sine. „,..„ „o ,„.,,, :^'':-^-' "''"

«■■'■■''• ''-■ I^ ■! was a,,„ visited, a„„ a , , " Z'^" " '^

-Hair. l,,la„,l „f l.-r„,,i»h„_„„, ,.,,„, ' '" ""■■ "''J^'^""' I'"""

"'^■^ -^« -<ii-y n,a,U., an,, , .,;2' Xr,'" ''"IT ''-

.•..,>,..-.a„. place, wc. c„,„.c.e., „, ...,„„ ,:'"",, 7:7"'^' -'■"■

Cape True was speedily a„,l safel^ade. ■■" "''' '"

0„ Friday, A„s. S, ,vv„ .lays alter their return Can. I, • ,

i" a Imat .lirccl from Geor-e Ilenrv I! •., , """' ^''l"- "•■"'■'Ved

, "'•'"-<• "i-nry Iky, will, the aiuioimceineiil Ih.f ,1,

sh,„„as nearly free, that the iee In FieUI fiay was .,,1 I,
tl- .n..ch .,r it had drifted ont .„ sea. ,I„ ..rderej d, "'" ■'

™ l"«''l i"..ne.liately. The men were ""V " '" '"■'"■■'•■'•■''

-'"• 7'^- -- were strnc. .p.ieldy, and .veiy hi : ; r::"

'"'' "".' ""'^" - "^- ""^^-1. was plaeed'in .1,: |„ ' ^^^2

were pa,d „. many fa.niliar spots as they were passe,l The shi
s^edily reached, an.l the men were -dad again t^ tre I , ' "'"

kn..u.|ed,e that she was „„ce m„re f™ '"'"" '" "'^'

On Saturday, An,. 3, ,he weather was calm an.l clear. The ice

*■■•'■■':" ;'7'-^' »'■" «« »'"P wa» .swinging la.ily at her anchors Th

was n„ wn,d, h„t i, was no time .0 hold on, and, findin. It uscle '.o t r '
lon-cr, the captain jjavc the si<nv.l .„ i .. , ^ "^cicss to tan y

-' - .'-ci!. plac: on h:r I." T ship ::''"'' "T^' ""- '""-

'"'- ™'. »-« were manned ,0 tow l: i::,;"-';:;'' -^."'

^■■';"';-'^" >-■ -.' -.n. words .,f ,i„d re.re. wcre^ ' h.,,.;^: ':Z
parted company. .Soon a fresh hrce.e was welcomed, and the Ge !
Henry was once n,ore honreward honnd. Nothin. worth'. ^
--' .■;-n« the voyage. St. Johns, Newfonndland, I a i:!;:
o. ace, en. on Aug. .,s,, when the ship again sailed for NeLd'
vhc,,. she a,,..ved on Sntnrtlay morning, Sep.. ,3, ,S6.. T ,^ '

::ri:i:irr""" ^--■-*' ■'--'"- ----:

(I I

1 '.

END OF FRANK UN SEAFCU.

With Hall's first voy:igf closes the connected series of elTorts to dis-
cover the particulars of the Franklin tragedy, lastinj^ from their incep-
tion in iS.}S-9, till the termination of the enterprise just descrihed. A
later endeavor of Hall rcsultinj^ in partial success, will be described in
connection with his third and last voya<je. We next turn to the Icn;;-
list of recent explorers, who, from iS6o to .SSi, have made voyaj^es for
independent Arctic discv)very.

PART V.

RECENT PDLflH EXPEniTinNS.

" llic summer went, the winter came^
Wc eould not rule the year ;

But summer ivill me/t the iee a<^ain.
And open a path to the sunny main.
Whereon our ships shall steer.

." 7'he winter went, the summer went.,
The winter came arottnd;

Jhtt the hard or ecu iee was strouif us death.
And l„c voice of Hope sank to a breath,
Tet caught at every sound.''''

C'HAI'TI'.K l.W

">'"IK-sn,AV,.K »C„V,.:S--c,V,.K VOKK V ..,,

: ? ^""' "";' j"«' «-"- .i>y.icia„, „„,„ „„ j„„„„ ,„.'' ,: ' „

.s.i-lir. Isaac Israd Have, hoca,,,. ,,„ssos,c.,l „r c| . ,|,, ,„.„ I

V ,, ,. , '■'"*'"■'""■'' l'l'y«i'-'i«l« that the sea alMuttho
N.mh I .„..„„„.. I,. ,v,„„„ ,„,, „^.„ ^,^^,^ „^ "

' , ' "■;""■; .";'■ ^-'"" "'■"'■ '« " - .- :..v.,. L ■".,„::,:

W . ,n.dl, a,„, ,.a:,v, .i„ la..,- ,,, ,„ . Kane', E.„o,litio„." ''

llavcs submitted his i.kas i.iKl Dlaiis („ tl„. \

,,,,.. , ■ '"^ ^" '■'*- American Geocn-anliicil

an Ma.,,.,ca, .Soei.,, i„ a pa,.,- ..a., ,..,„.. ,„„„ ,„„„;, ,„;, "

.^.7,wh,c„a.„act.U„,„.an.n,i ,„ ApHI, ,S„S, ,,„ l„,„,„„ .J

. ScK.„c., a, „. annual „K«in,, which app„h,u,l .!«„„ ..f i„ ,„,,;

'.. Il..,c, ,,avc »cvc,-al IcCuvs N, fanhorancc ,.r .he project; a,„l ah.,„.

.... pn,n,„K.n. .cntlcntcn hnsinc.s hot.c. of Philadelphia, Xc„

,1. an, an,! ,„.„„. .hscihe., to the Arctic E.pio Jion Fnnt,.

1 lie Smithsonian Institut on made a tcndn.- »f fi

tcnclei of the necessary nstrn-

. . .1. Hayes now enrtaile.l his „,,,i„al plan, which embruccl a

""' •^•"■'"-— '-•'' -- ...U. the vova,e nn.le,. sail, reservi,,, it.

58!>

» ■'

1 ■•' 1
li ill' ! ■' !

-r-

iili! 'i' '
ii

.:i

liiifii

500

T//E UNITED STATES.

steam-power for boring through the ice-and a sailing vessel to -.ct ■^
tender or store-ship. A stauneh merchant sehooner in the West Inciic!
trade, of only 1,^3 tons burden, but an A, register, and drawn,., onlv
e.ght feet of water, was purehased for the voyage. It was already l-.t'e
in the season, in view of the distance that intervened, for su ^v ssful
exploration beyond latitude So^ where Hayes proposed to be-dn The
necessary improvements to adapt the ship to her new sphere w.re
hurnedly pushed forward; and the stowage of supplies and provisions
a< dec further delay. It was the ych of July betbre the snug little craft
wh,ch had been named the United States, was towed out from the harho^
of Boston, and the 9th before she left Nantasket Roads for the vovi.a>
to the north. Her company consisted of fourteen persons, officers^uKl
men, besides the commander and owner, Dr. Hayes. The vessel -uul
outfit had been presented to him on the eve of his departure.

On the secon.l day they ran into a fog-bank which enveloped then. .
whole week, and in which they finally ran on the rocks off the New
to.ndland coast, but had the good fortune to get away without ini.u.-
though Hayes says it seemecl as if they could touch the beetlin-. dilfs
with their hands. With favorable winds and weather thev now Lshcd
rapKlly to the west, seeing the first iceberg on the .^.X^, an.l entering
w.thn, the Arctic circle on the evening of the 30th. Thus thev Ivul
made an average of nearly 100 miles a <lay from Nantasket Ro..<K
havmg reached the region of "the midnight sun" in twentv days ^xZ
in Davis' Strait they had a narrow escape fron. a serious disaster in .
squall; the cabin was flooded at least a dozen times a day the skvli-dit
knocked to pieces and the table, standing directly under it, n.or; thn,
once cleared of crockery and eatables without the aid of the stewu-d

They made the southern extremity of Disco Island on the l.st d.v
of July, and the Nord Fiord of the san.e, in latitude 70% on the ist".-
August. Speeding past Waigat Strait, and Omenak Fiord or Tu-oh\
B.ght, they arrived off Svarte Hook on the 3,1, when the wind,' ^vhic.h
had so long favored them, died completely awa^•. The foo- urtcd nul
'■'iceberg after iceberg btu'st into view, like castles in a fairv tale The so.
was smooth as glass; not a ripple broke its dead surface; not a breath of

'h to ;)ct as
West Indies
■awing onlv
alreadj' l;,te
1- su.r<ssful
^^gin. The
[jhcre wei-e
1 provisions
;• liftlc craft,
1 tlie iiarbor
the voyage
afficcrs and
vessel and

ped them a
" the Xew-
out injiuy,
etling dills
^vv pushed
1(1 entering-
lliey iiad
:ct Roads,
y^. While
iaster in a
e skylij,dit
more than
cvvard.
c last day
the 1st of
)r Jaeoh's
nd, which
lifted, and
. The sea
breath of

7V/£: KATAK.

■■«' «.inc.l ThcdaH. headlands s.„„., boldly „„.„„„!„»,,„. »„., „,,
"-K -I -», a.Kl berg., „„d „,ou„.»i„. were baehed in „„ „.„„,;„„,
«. e,-,m,„„, and .old, and pnrplc, ,„o,„ .singularly boa„,if„l. TIne air „■.„
-;''™ ^"-.«t - a s„n,n,er-s nigh, at h„,.e; an.l ye, Ihcre were ,he ic.
^.ugsand .l,e bleak n,„nn.ai„.„ with which the fancy in ,„„- land of -reen

Mis an „.a,.„,g ,„,,,,, ,„„ „„,.^,,,^. „„,, .,_^ ,^__^ ^^ .epnlsiven^ess."

N...w..hs.„ndn,g .he „oe.ie hean.y of ,ho scene, .he prosv reaii.v of an
'"""" ''""^' •" '• ■""' '"'V - "- •".>"-».. o.„iged .hJn ,;,„ ,„

DK. I. I. HAVES.

|-- - haul Ihe vessel on, of danger. On ,he 6,h ,hey n.adc the h.r-
:" " ■■.■.••■von, ,„„, n,i,es so„,h of UpernaviU, convoyed by a „e f

(M-eenland kayaks. ^ " "Lct ot

" The k.ayak of ,bc Greonl.-.nder." say, H.aycs, Hs ,he IVailes, speci

".'7 "' '"■■'■•■™- »-"■■'-""- 'h- "-• carried „nn frei„h, ."

-.. I.en lec. long, and ., n,a„y inches wide a, its ndddle, .:nd' ,.,pers
"■■'"' >"-"' ™-i". '^-, ,o a poin. a, ci,her Th^kei::;.

u 1 1:|

' ii '

iiil.i f

HHJti;'' 't i 'fti

>W"fH'*

■■ ' '■ f

\-m

■

I J I

593

A'J PROVEN.

the i.,at is made of light woo.l; the cvering is of tanned sealskin
sewed to,<.ether by the tuitive women with sinew thread, a.ul with a'
stren-lh and dexterity cinite astonishin- Not a drop of water fnuls its
way throt.gh their seanrs, and the skin itself is perfeetly waterproof
The boat is abont nine inehes deep, and tiie top is eovered like the bot-
tom. There is no openin- into it, exeept a ronnd hole in the center
whieh admits the hunter as fn- as his hips. This hole is stuToundc-d with
a wooden rim, over which the kayaker laces the lower ed-c of his
water-ti-ht jacket, and thns fastens himself in and keeps the w^ater out
He propels himself with a sin,s,de oar abont six feet lon-^^ which termi-
nates in a blade or paddle at eitlier end. This instrument of locomotion
IS -rasped in the center, and is dipped in the water alternatelv to ri-dit
and left. The boat is <,n-aceful as a duck, and lio-ht as a feather. It Ivts
no ballast and no keel, and it rides almost on the surthce of the water
It IS therefore necessarily top-heavy. Lon- practice is require.l to n)au-
a-e .t, and no tight-rope dancer ever needed more steadv nerve and skill
of balance than this same savage kayaker. Yet in this frail crall he
does not hesitate to ride seas winch would swamp an onlinarv boat, or
to break thro,:gh surf which may sweep completelv over him'. Hut' he
IS used to hard battles, and i,i spite of every fortune he keeps himself up-
right." Six days were here spent in the elTort to secure dogs, but only
half a doxen old ones and a l.ss ntnnber of yotmg ones were all tiial thev
were able to procure, an epidemic among them having left many hu::;"-
ers without any, an<I none with their usual number. To part wi'th (luir
dogs was to nm the risk of starvation ; an.l though Haves odered a lih-
eral equivalent in pork, beet; and canned meats, they prefbrre,! to ,e,:,in
the means of bunting the sed an<l wah-us. The chief trader, a Mr.
Hansen, with great courtesy ph.:ed his own team at the service of the
explorer, but did not feel at liberty either to a.lvise or comn.and the na-
tives to ])art with tiieirs.

A government house, one story high, and plastered over with pitch
and tar, is the most conspicuous house in I'r.iven, A shop an,l a lod--
ing house for a few Danish employes stan.I next in im|>ortance. Two
or three less in.po.ing structures of the pilch and tar description, in!,;,l>.

DEATH OP CMiUTllERS

503
ilul l.y D,mo,wh„ have mnrricl „mivo w,„„..„. ,■ ,
-1 ""••; .oofed with boa,,l», a,„, over..! , ' " '"" '"' "'""'

»'- "f "^« c'o»cHp,o„,„„. wM,o„: : , .: 7' : T "" "'"'"

>kin .e„., al, p,e„.., abo,.e p,.„,„i„cuou,s„ a, , ' \ '""'-

'>- '»->. Thc-o i. a blubbchou. .,o„.„ ; ,, , ^ r' '""" ""
fl».-».aff „„ ehe hm, fro,„ which .he D :„ V . , :"; i'"" ^' »"■"'=<'
.he wi,Kl, gave .he place a show „f di.,,;., t .' T ^ "■"""' '"

wa. ranhe. p.esc^d by a„ old ca„„: Ch J . T ,: ^"'''""™

.!..■ n„,. whose ™».y ,h,,,a. ™ade the weikh, „ T" """"

the Greenland rocks. " •" ""'' ""'^'""- '<"":hed

Leaving Proven, thai is, " E^ivMi,„„„, .. .,
Uperaavik, .ha. is . Upper Harb ^ : ' "" I "*' *=^ --'-"
.1.^ ^-e day. Here .hey ,„,„,d D .ri v l.^, ...'k"" ^■^°'""^^' "'

oil and skins for Copenhagen, which ...v , '"" " ""'" '"

.;-» -e. . avik wasVonnd ^ZJIJ^Z "'^:^
a lew hat, n>ore and al,„„. .wo l,„n.lred inhabi.an.s Danes h.in 7
and E,quin,a„x, besides a cht.rch an.l parsona J G "r,', c 7 "'
-he b„a.swai„ and carpen.er of .he schooner, i,; 'n. b e, ou^T "
P-i.y dead in his berth, .he e,„n„,.. er had occa. -on v' i.l "r

tappc.l at the door, and was ushered into a cosv lift!.. . .

'■- -» •— s ot-wWch Icf. no d„a„t as to .1 ,/.'"""'"'"

..■ .he oddes. specimen of womankind that ev: ^ T^rr

-: a ...li.biown Esq„i,nau.., with coppery co.npic.ion k ^

w .ch w.as .w,s.ed in.o a kno. on the .„p of her head. Sh 1::
.laeke wh.c tended .„ her waist, sealskin pantaloons, and boo ; ,,
".. a,„ve.he knees, dyed scarle., and cnbroidcrcd in a ,„an e ."

>vo.„d a,.o„,sh .he girls of Dresden. The .-oo™ was redol f

agran, rose and ,„ig„„nct.e and he.io.ropc, which nes.,ed in h s
in „„dcr .he snow whi.e cnrtains. A canary chirped on its p r ,

-e ,„e door, a ca. was pnrring on .he l,car.h.rag, I an a„n,i Lka

e gen.le,.an p,,. „„. a soft white hand to give n,e welco.nc. Tl
Ihe Rev. .Mr. Anton, missionary of .l,e olace M,. x .

emerged from a s.ntg lit.ic chamber adioi n Uer ^^ " '°°"

38 "ujuium^. iiei Mstcr came in im-

,f,.

1 , J 1 I
tj' '

h I

mmm

594

A CLUSTER OF BERGS.

mediately afterward, and we were so„n j,n-ouped about a homelike table."
They were detained four days at Upernavik by the burial of Carufh-
ers, and procurin-'the last Arctic supplies, includin- five men, an inter-
preter with his dog team, and the forementioned team of the trader
Hansen. Leaving this limit of safe navigation and civilized existence'
l>ehmd, they soon encountered a heavy line of icebergs, some of which
were judged to be two hundred feet high and a mile long, and spent
four <lays-" now at anchor, then moored to a berg, and again keepi„.
tree from danger through a hard struggle with the oars"_in threading
tlicir dangerous Avay through this labyrinth.

I " The ice was here,

The ice was there,

The ice was all around;
It creaked and growled ,
And roared and howled

Like demons in a swound."

At one time they were in nnminent danger of being crushed l.y the
l.reaking up of one of the bergs, and only escaped by anchoru",-. to
another at a little distance and hauling on a rope, getting only twenty
yards away, when a huge mass tumbled into the sea. As it was, ihoy
lost the mainboom, and small fragments of the ice were showered 'upon
the deck. Hayes counted 500 separate bergs without exhausting the list
"Birds and beasts and human forms and architectural designs took shape
ill the distant masses of blue and white. The dome of St. Peter's
loomed above the spire of Old Trinity; and u.uler the shadow „f the
Pyramids nestled a Byzantine tower and a Grecian temple. To the east-
ward the sea was dotted with little islets-dark specks upon a hrillianl
surface. Icebergs great and small crowded through the channels which
divided them, until in the far distance they appeared massed together,
terminating against a snow-covered plain that sloped upward untirii was
lost in a dim line of bluish whiteness. Tt was the mer-dcglacc, ..r sea
of ice, which covers the length and breadth of the Greewland Continent.
The snow-covered slope was a glacier descending therefrom— tlie parent

HANS, THE MARR2ED.

595
stem from which had been discharcrr.I ..< •

i.x*crgs which trchlecl u» .^Z:^ "' """ ' "■'"'■^"'»' ■"-> <"*e

They an-ivcl at Tessiiissak, or IS.v pi,,,, , ■ ,

^-^ "-^ -- »."• P^™.-,...; h„„7„ :•;: r:.:.:""r' ^' '^^

some exchanges with the ,v„l,. ' ^ ""=>' '"•"1'^

.1.0 eveni,,, :,■ .^e , "'• ^ " ""'' ''•=' ='' H ".ift-ice „„tn

^V•"co. Point, w t ."h Do . "t, ""T .""-'''"■'"• ""-,, Head, a,„,

n^. <-.. ...e .;,, ,..h :o.": : J ::: ::r.;;;'r r- ""•'"=

less billows "-a piece of r.r. , . "^welhng nnd limit-

1-iit-cc or laie good fortune T^i.f .,
came on and after ten hon.-. f -, l^"t a snowstorm soon

--.a.,a.J:h,e:;::;:f::::::;™^^^^^^^^^

;;..;; ".""Cape V„. .a. .en "aa™.;;':^',:^ 1 1'' ::

On the 25th they encountered the first fielr! of • i

«;-. ':•■• -<>; -.. ..«.. nnaer :;r I'r; : :;r ^eri:

"-- - - - »"----"- ':"r„';; !::;;:'"■■"'■"

l.ro.egeo|- Dr. Kane, who ha,l ,leserte, ,h „ ° i-^imnianx

l.e.b,c. ,„ nurry a y„„„„ woman .f °"'°'' """"= "" ^"'"''^

;-» w:., MerUn., then- hahy, „„,:,^^,C^ "t^^^ -^ ^ ^^'^

...c D . Ihues now took l,nn, his wifc an,l ehil.l, leavin.- the wife's
■;'■-■ -" ->i,cr ,,e,n-n.,, ,vi.hont any regret on hi» part. T ^ ,
:"■. ■'•^■'■V''''-^-''»"' '-"•>• '-i<'- ""• -anniy of Hans. V,

:; '"V:"" T'-" """ """'-" "l"'".v ... the north, towr.

» .».onh„h„e Son,,,., sailing at one tin.e he,«ee„ two see.i. ,s of
.oel,e,-g eonnecte,! nn.ler water, the ,sel„,o„er twice .„-„in.. tl,e ■

Ww..,her,,ee,.On,hee.e g of the .th ^C^ -::;;

J>a\, tile comm.iivh'r'u ,.r .,f

commantler's winter quart

ers in his Ix

on the next day arrived oiY ILtkluyt I.land m Wh

>at-|()urnev of iS

54; and

lie Sound. Here thcv

S06

CHEAT DANGER IN THE ICE.

f\'

cncoiinteml an ice-pack, which they passed throu<rh in safety, though not
without danger; and on tiie morning of the 2Sth, saw Cape Alexander
at the entrance to Smith Sound, twenty miles ahead. In the afternoon,
after having actually got within the Sound, they fell in with another ice-
pack. While menaced by this danger, a greater one arose. A terrific
northern gale sprang up; the spray flew over the deck, sheathing deck,
spars and rigging, as well as men, in coats of ice. They found partial
shelter from the hurricane under the clifTs, or they would have been
driven possibly beyond Cape York, or upon the ice-pack. Off Cape
Alexander it was one mass of seething foam, whirled upward ever and
anon by the ever-changing wind gusts.

Thus detained until the 30th, the direction of the gale then changed,
driving them before it and threatening to carry them into mid-channel from
the protection of the eastern cliffs, but they succeeded in casting anchor
near tlie shore. Tlie next day the \essel dragged her anchors, losing
one; and was driven on some bergs, crushing the stern-boat and bul-
warks, and veering round, lost her jib-boom and had her bowsprit and
foremast sprung. Scudding before the wind, with mainsail spread to
get away from the icebergs, the sail was torn to pieces, but they had
been driven once more within the Sound. An effort was now made to
pass to the west side, toward Cape Isabella, but encountering the solid
pack for the seccMul time, there was no alternative but to hug the Green-
land co:rst, in an effort to gain Fog Inlet, twenty miles above C ipe
Alexander. The gale, after a temj^orary lull, set in again from the
north, and drove them once more south of Cape Alexander, on the istof
September. Another fight was made tor the Sound, during the next two
days, but only to cripple the vessel more severely. " I ler rudder was
split, and two of its pintles were broken off, leaving only one uniniiircd;
the stern-post was startetl, fragments of the cut-water and keel were lloat-
ing alongside her in the sea; and she was apparently in a sinking coiuli-
tion. As tile ice touched the schooner, she groaned like a conscious
thing in pain, and writhed and twisted as if to escape her adversary,
trembling in every timber from truck to keelson." Soon she was lifted
up by the pressure of the ice under her keel, and cradled like Hach's

CApe hatiierton.

, . . „ ow

sh,p, ,„ ,837, f„,- oighe h„„,, ,„„

rtK.„ .he .o™_H, .He ,n„ve,„e„. J^^^ th^T f "" '""' """
"-« «l- was f,„„„l ,„ leak cnsiHen, „ L ," "' *"''"-•"

It was, however, becomincr c\c-,v f,> ,v.

"•- '"- »-^ *' no. Become iZ^^:^:'!^, T ""• '''°™"™'
sm.ggle,, „„.l lived. „„,„ ,,.„, , ' '"""'' »"='' •■' -™» "I- <lc»per.,,e

."■ice failed .„pe,K..r r.r ' "■ ""'"'''' ''-^^"«- "-in,,

c,.e Ma.„en„!„ i,: r - rr';'" '"r '"-'""•• '- --0 to ,„ak:

lH)th endeavors by the wind , • ^' ' "^""^'- ^"'■•^•'' in

•-"-. ..^o. ..o„ eU:;:;.:' ,::;: c--"- ';-- - .-.■

»- -iie„ .„ .,e nonlK-a,. of Cape A, J . " ' ^ ""r'T'^' -'«>

'■""t™t to Sivo „p the »,r„„„|e for a h I " ' ^"' ■"''

"-'"- "--'. "-ye,, .;;„. :::;„"""•"; '•'■'■-^' -^'-' '-

.1- G,.ee„,a„„ ,ho,„, ,,„,„ ,„„ .^^ »'"■" '" 'I- no,,, „„

llK' lan,i ice a,„l ,he iee-paek. "'"-■" "'"''■'• '«>"-'"

Leaving Ihe sailing master to make such ro„ •
""<'-■ .IK. elrc„mstanee», Hayes went „„ the ," "" """ "■■■■'"'""■'^■

U..et„„ ,sla„.,, i.. 7S- .0', /nglefiel . :";;*: ^' ";":"^' '■-" '"

■•^"' f^odffe, shot a reindeer fht , • , '^^5^, where h,s compan-

■''"'» "■» .H^- only ...is; :;;,::,;':;''■'-' ".'^ "-'-- '»'•■ •

-- -■••' •■» ^■"pa»-..o for L set:: ^ :i'r:/- "^^' r--''

".•o.-prcter an.l Ilans ha.i also Uilld ,„„ .leerl,. """"■"'■ '"'"
•..i<liti".. to their provisions. """"'"" " '-"'""''I.--

'loth parties having re.urne.l t„ .1,
'" "-ork .o the „or.hwar.l I o „ "T'' """ """'-■ '""" "^ '-"^■

"-"- "PP'i-ces. Gainin cTe . .if ■,:",' "T'^ """ ""'-'■' -'""

l"-.^'i.l.y.l.edrif.of.hcee. ;l ?. '''' ^■"'""' "'"""™

.cc,occas,onallyah„of„pcn„,„er, and then

Kiilii

Will

598

HARTSTENE BAr.

a.squec/c or nip ,-,,„„ ,hc ice, they worked .nanfullv l.i.t hopelessly on
until they were hemme.l in hy the pack, with new ice forming,, .roumi
au.I threatci,,^. ,o inclose then, permanently in its emhrace. A favor
able wnul arisin,^^ they put hack into Hartstenc Bay, reaching; a s.fc
harbor behin.l a cluster of islets near its hea.l, and Hayes announced that
they w..nld there establish their winter (|uarters.

loimced th;it

CHAPTER LWr.

IIAYKS IN WrXTIi

It QUAUTF.US — MANIFOLD

I'UEPARATIOKS— AX ICK-

^ l-VS I UK GLACIER A WFLI -Kri t i^t,

WLLL-MLLEn LAKDKr^a.V ARCT.r

JOURXAI KNORR's sPKECII-uvir^rrAr

.-.,. '-■'<-"— UNUSUAL WEATHER v SERIOI;^

I'oiilkc, in honor of one of MiP ,'I-,wa' . . "-"ncd i oit

i'a.-ker Foul,., of Phi,., p '^"'""^ ?'^' ^"•^''^^''^'""' ^^'"-

, iniudclphM. It was exposed to tlie southwest Inu in
<'thc.r (In-cct.ons we,, she,tere(l, an,, ,itt,e tronhl.. • •

■>■ cioul)Je was antic naforl -i^ fi-,^

J^.cva,,ni,<,^ wine, was from the nort,ieast Yet th . , ""^'''''^'' ''' ^'^^

lia. bor,,ecameenth-ely closed for t,ie season Th ' ^^^^'^ the

1 .1 I season. 1 hey now proceedofl tn,

.l»r ,l,o «ci,oo„er, conveying her «tore, .n<i ri^gij ,„ . ,.ln. ■

nuntni^^ party was ororanized under the leadershin nf T

;;;■ ; i:;-';- • '-' ■-"■ '■■■ »—":::„

:-rrrcr=r;::"~::-r;:::

Imvc weeks liavincr h

icn thus busily occupied

699

iipicd in manifold prepara-

111 •

h ::

lli:i

■ 1

r I J

00(1

niioTiii-ii yoi/.vs ai.Arinn.

, ,l,oy ,„,,,< „„,„ ,„,i ,. .,^,., ^^.^,^^^. ^^^.^

o„„.. „„ „u. „, „r o...„„e,.. T.K. ,..,„.,,„„,, „„„, ,„„„ ,„ ,;

— v.. ,..„„., „o ;„..„,.,,■, ,....,„„. , ,„,., ;^^,;

voro .,„», ,.„„.,,„„ ,„. „„ .v,,:,io „i«h, „r r,,,,,- „„„.„., ,.„. .i, „.„,

;:::'•"'';'-'!•"'•">■• " -'■■• >-....■ .»: .,,,

'■'; ; ■","""^-; '"-■ "-- ^- i"-' I"".- .„ ,.,„„ „ ,: ;

ll-".» .-nv ,,„„l....l l,y „n. whip a,„l ..i... ,.f ,„, ,,„,„, ,,„„, ,,^, „," ;

-wo .»...,.„„,. „,„„„„, „„,,,„„„., ,,^

■'■";"^' ""= ■"■ ""-■'■ -"-'. wi-l, ,„ey vo,.y „a.„n,„v .U.;,,. ,

P.H--0 .i.rcc, ro,,ar,llcs. ofall hi,„s „. ,,„... . ,„„„,„, „„„,^ '

1" Cln» oxc.,„-si„„, ,lK. :,.,ai >,f which was Ka,,.', ,,,,,i„,, ,„„„„, ,,,

.lac... c. al,„ h.,1 ,„ „„h „|„„„ .„„ ,„„„|,.^.,, ,.^.. ,^|

covere,, ...ve.., Ks„.i,„a„. „...., „„.„.„.,..„ wi, .pecia, .

po,.,. .„ U... oo,„pa.. 0„ .h. .5... Sonnta, ..vevc. U,o „aci ■ „

. c h„,„ .ho so,,o„„o,.. Tho p,.,.p„- ..f this vi»i. was .„ p,aoo;,ai«,
■".<i .n;.ko ,„oa,M„.o,„o„ts „r a„.,Hos f„nno,l with l,ilh„p,„,. „,hor s,a,i„„-
-y ohjocs, „l,ioh wo,.o „. 1,0 ,.o.,™,,.„-o,l „,o „o.. yoa,-.,„ asoortai,, ,ho

^McilCO (Ml (In.

V s;iiil< to lo'
i'<''i '^n\r tluMii
ml i-.-isy .icx'CHs
'> IIh! Iiimliiij^r
<>l)er, .•111(1 liu'v
t ^lill liad iiiiif
<■ trip with his

tfst (.■xcuisioii
from (lie head
or foiii- miles,
ilfs ill twenty.

"h- slioiildci-s
'(■ liic sk'di^rc.
.'iiid the whip
lly tiirowii on
> '<> I'.e taken,
e used oil tile
'L' mitnaiiaL,'c-
raeted hy the
ally desire to

■'", named hv
d and ii;ime(i
iord and the
>f' whieli I he
■seamen dis-
ccial cliaiac-
►'minctr\- or
glacier; and
1 forty mill-
place stakes
her statioii-
■seertaiii the

yi xrrniT you n net

movcmont of the .rl ,,•!,.,• t».,.- <•

-'■-> -.:::,„:: ::,::::t";-v-'« ■

:';:!r::r^r:.:;::'-; •-'■-^^..::r:r:;:i'::;;:

-'■'■'-- :;:n;::::r :::,;.,:■::.,::%--;"■ -

l'..""l 1V.„„ Tl„. II,,,,. •,,„„., f„„,„ "":"■'• '-I l-n ..,,-

" ' J

HKOTIIKH lOMN's (;r.A( IF.R

occasions for (hem
inandei, who s.iw

">v.sl„,, a„,„„j; ,h,- ,n,-,nl„.,s „r i|„. |,,„.„, " '"'■

'•> ii" It was liLiht enoii'di (o tv,..,.! i.,. -p.

•■""}• 1 "* innijose of ihic

inirpose ot' this

A FULL l.AlilUili.

new oxpc«Iition was ,., oxplo.. the .|acic.-, a„.l .,.. n,s, .....,„,.,„.,..
was at ..s r.,<,t, with the. tlu-nnometer at ,,' hcl.nv .ero. Th. ..,....., I
<I^.y v.as spent i„ scah„« the tV.,„t, an.l progressing upwanl sonu- (iv.
.n.les, wi>en they encamped, with the thermometer several .ie.rees L.ver
"an on the previous ni,.ht, h„t so tire.l that after a hear, v supper ihev
slc-p. so..n.ily. On tne third .lay , hey ma.ie thirty .uiles/on ,he fo,.r,i,
.wen,y-,.ve the aseent hein, ..r those two .lays .p.i.e gradual, an., H.e
eh.et .h heuhy arising ,Von. .he .leep layer of snow thr.,„.h the erust of
wluch the toot sank at every step. The .en,pera,ure ha.l now fallen ,o
30 -an.l ,0 ,4 ,„,in. ,h, „„,,;„. „i.H,_,,,,„ ,^ ,,,, j,.,,^^,, ^^.^^^^
l^lc- to return. They were live th..usand feet ai..,ve the le^el ..f ,|,., ,,
-... seventy n.iles ,Von, the ship, »;„ ^.e nn.Ist ..f a vast tro.cu Sah.n
-...asurahle to the Innnan eye," with a lieree wind l.lowin. ..ver' iu
su.1ace,an.l threatening to chill the adventurers int.. helpless inaetlvi.v
;'■" ''-"^- I^".'....ately t.r th.., hy tun.in, ti^ir taces t..war.l ,1.

'-••'-• the wn„l was in their hacks, an n^h eol.l .u.l .ierce, :• h..|,..,,

tl-m to make rapi.l progress .iown the sli^iulv uu-lined plane of ,1,.
^-K-r. AlU-rarun of torty n.iles they encan.pe.l tor the ni.lu, .,,.1
the next evenn,,. reache.l the schooner, where they learne.l the thern..n>-
|-ter ha.1 sunk at no time .lurinj, their ahsence ..f tive .lays l.nver than ,-'
l)clow zer.), showing' a dilFerence of 33".

Meanwhile Sonntaj,^ had ascertained the distance from the western
.n.^t of the three islets-^they ha.l been alrea.lv nanu.l Ra.lclide, K„,„,
and St.arr in honor of three ..iHcers of the expe.lition-t., Cape Mex'
-ulcr, e.sht nautical n.iles; Cape Isabella, thirty-..ne; an.l Cap.. S:.!.,,.
the easternmost p.>int of Ellesmere Lan.l t., the northwest, in l,..,i„.,lJ
7S 45', iorty-tw., miles. 0„ the .Sth, the .lay alter their return lV,.,„
the excursion on the ^l^c-ier, their st.,ck .>f ^anu. was ioun.l t.. 1..-,
re.ndver,., foxes, ,. hares, , seal, ., ci.ler-.lucks, S .L.vekies, . ^
ami , ptarmigan, besides some tw., .I...en rein.I.er .leposited in caches
where killcl, awaitinjr transport to the vessel.

On the 3.1 ..f November, with the mo.>n-.-.vhose li.^du was now ,he
ch,ef rehance in travelin^_fi>ur .>r Hve .lays past the lull, S..nnta.^ .e,
out on a sledge-journey to Van Rensselaer IIarb..r, but was ..niv all ,..

SPEECH or KNOliii

:-:i;;;;::;:-rf::;r::r'-:ir--

'■.•c„„„.>..r.,l „ „.,„„.,.,| „,^,,. ,, . '"\'- "" ""■■ ■•-'"■■" trip ,h.y

-«".."-..,„: J:;:; ;:^:;:, :::;;:-; - --

(3th. Four days liter .h..», • ^'"" '''•''"<>"c'r <„, tl,c

v»l..al,l. c,.„,„„„lily w.s howcv. . -l """^ '" "*

'...•> a„..„c .hL,.:::-,;:,,;'t:^^ ;"'"•■- ^"'"*"'" ^-^

n Lh. ..A...... „ ; " ";r """ '""^■^"' '■■ »'* ■■■ -^-^t

<i„ii,i,ai)iL> i(> ii<ii. oiia iisairi. " ., ,,,,, »•
..Ilv ..n-aui/cl w.th , .• • . ' '""'"-'""^' ^^'''^'-•^•"^••J ami form-

" I' m-^ow-CrnzKNs:— Called hv ili,. ,

;t:;::r-,;:;r;,: r -'■"'""-:-::;

• u tllo cost () muc 1 t inc -il^-^.. 1 n<iv(,,

"". I'c-ciKclt l.y the people of Port Fo„i,,^, yVe nv f II

•"> i.'n.cr without that inalienable hirthri... r I , ; :"-'^':^^''^'
—a free nn-s^ •„, l '"^"^ ''^ ^^^''v Amcncan dti;.en

.^nvit r ;""',-^l— t of public opinion. Overcon.e witl, the

gravity ot n,y situation, I feel myself unabl,- fo .

fllcnrv W Dnrl.r .i ".\slu ami m> Bohemian brother

^iitniy W.Dod-e, the mate and editor-in-chief^ th.f ;. i

=' <I'no-honored custom vve will i-o ^ ^' ' "'''^'''^^"^■^' "<'

•.tom, we will keep our opinions for ourselves nnrl o,,,-

ai-,t,niments f,,r the nnl)Iir TJ, • i i • "--^ives and oni

piiDiic. ihe mhabitants of Port F,,i,ll-,. i •

o i'

p."

H^;,;

604

PATRIOTIC SENTIMENTS.

light; we will address ourschx's t<i the celestial orbs and point out the
opportunities for reciprocitv. =!•***#*:!:

" Fellow-citizens, this is a memorable epocii in the history c)f Port
Foulke. We are informed that its abori<^inal name is jhinyeiqucipah-
laiiah, which means — after it is pronounced — ' Thi Place of the Howl-
ing Winds,' * * * on the remotest confines of our wide-
spread country — a country, fellow-citizens, whose vast sides are l)athe(l
by the illimitable oci in. * * * Jt now ilevolves upon

TUB It I ILK Al Iv.

us to bring the vexed question (jf national boundaries to a point— to a
point, sirs! We must carry it to tlie Pole itself, and there, sirs, we will
nail the Stars and Stripes, and our llag-stafF will become the spindle of
the world, and the universal Yaidice nation will go whirling round it
like a top.

" Fellow-citizens and friends: — In conclusion, allow me to propose a
sentiment befitting the occasion — a free press, anil the universal Yankee

UT/L/rr OF THE MOON.

605

nation! May the former continue in time to come, as in times gone by,
ihe handmaiden of liberty, and the emblem of progress; and may the
latter absorb 'all creation,' and become the grand celestial \vhirli<ri,r i"

The paper comprised sixteen pages .,f closely written matter, with a
picture of Port Foulke, a portrait of Sir John Franklin, and a likeness
of " General," the commander's Newfoundland dog. Enigmas, original
jokes, items of domestic and fcjreign intelligence from " relial^le corres-
pondents," an editorial department, telegraphic summary, (jriginal poems,
personals and atlvertisemcnts, filled its columns. The enterprise had been
started at the suggestion of the commander, and received his ofKcial sanc-
tion as a useful contribution to the amusement of the company during
the dark period. A school (jf navigation was also opened.

On the 1 2th of November the temperature had gone down only to 4°
above zero, and the snowfall to date had been fifteen and one-fourth
inches. The ice at its surface under the snow showed a temperature of
19% and two inches lower down 20'' ; while the snow in contact with the
ice, was iS°. Ordinary print could still be read at noon, though not with-
out dilHculty, and only tor a brief interval. The moon and stars were the
main reliance out doors. The latter siione at all hours with almost equal
brightness. " The moon, from its rising to its setting, shines continually,
circling around the horizon, never setting until it has run its ten days of
brightness; and it shines with a brilliancy which one will hardly observe
elsewhere. The uniform whiteness of the landscape, and the general
clearness of the atmosphere, add to the illumination of its rays, and one
may see to read by its light with ease. The natives often use it as they
do the sun, to guide their nomadic life, and to lead them to their huntin<'-

'TO

uncb

On the 17th tlie temperature fell to 10 below zero, for
which the commander expresses himself duly thankfid, fnnling an im-
nuarally high range conducive neither to health nor comfort in high lati-
tudes. On the 2Sth and 29th they could use no lire except for cookin"-
and the snowfall about this time was thirty-two inches, nineteen of
which were precipitated in a single day, making the aggregate tor the sea-
son forty-seven and a half inches. This fall of snow was followed bv a
shower — also unusual in those latitudes at that season of the year.

-.i

60«

MID-WINTER.

A serious calamity now befell the expedition in the loss of twenty-
seven out of thirty-six ilo^rs, .iurin<j: the lirst three weeks of December,
by the same epidemic which had committed such havoc in Greenland
and had mad-' it so dilFicult to secure the necessary supply, none too
lari,re from the lirst. On the 3ist— liy the light of the new moon for
which he had waited, but in the very middle of tiie Arctic night— Sonn-
tag, with Hans as driver, set out with a sledge drawn by the nine sur-
vivors of the pack, and laden with the two men and provisions for twelve
days, in an effort to reach some native villages to procure more dogs.
The water in the harbor had now frozen to a depth of six and a half
feet, thus forming a continuous encasement for the lightened schooner.
Christmas was duly celebrated with a big dinner and such festivities
as their circumstances would permit— all the more necessary now that
the Arctic night had grown monotonous and wearisome, having lost all
of its novelty, and given rise to no diversity of experience. The "Weekly
News " made its appearance regularly, now with one editor, and then an-
other. New Year's of iS6i had come and gone, and had been duly
observed. The old year had been rung out, and the new rung in, after
the stereotyped formula, amid cannonading from their solitary little swivel
gun, and the fitful glare of their rockets, but no answering gun or li<.ht
relieved the dreariness; and their efforts could only serve to render the
sense of isolation more intense— Knorr's " Universal Yankee Nation,
brought to a point," indeed.

On the 6th of January they witnessed two displays of the Aiu-ora
IJorealis, the only ones hitherto observed ; and a week later the snowfall
for the season had increased to 535^ inches— an addition of 614 since
previous comiDutation. Another week passed, and at noon "a faint twi-
light flush mountetl the southern sky"— the welcome harbinger of the
Arctic day. It suggested to the commander as a text for the day,—
" Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eye to be-
hold the sun." "And yet," says Hayes, "there is in the Arctic night
much that is attractive to the lover of Nature. There is in the flashinf--
Aurora, in the play of tlie moonlight upon the hills and icebergs, in the
wonderful clearness of the starlight, in the broad expanse of the ice-

THE LOSS OF SON NT AG.

607

Iclds, in the lofty grandeur of th(

mountains and glaciers, in the naked
llerceness of the storms, mueli tliat is sublime and beautiful. But they
speak a language of their own_a language rough, rugged, and severe."
ni.t the stillness of Arctic scenery, away from the local turmoil and
small activities of the vessel, was found oppressive. The heavens above
and the earth beneath revealed only an endless and fathomless quiet No
loottall of living thing reaches the ear; no wild beasts howl throu<.h the
solitude; no cry of bird enlivens the scene; there is no tree amon- whose
branches the winds can sigh and moan. Silence ceases to be ne-^ative-
U becomes endowed with positive attributes; one seems to hear, ai^d feel'
and see it. It stands forth a frightful specter, filling the mind with the'
overpowermg consciousness of universal death. '* I have seen," con-
tinues Hayes, " no expression on the face of Nature so filled with terror
as the silence of the Arctic night."

Five weeks had now elapsed since the departure of Sonntag for the
Esquimaux encampments to the south, and no tidings had bee.rreceived.
Preparations were made by the commander to go in search of him, and
some preliminary examinations had been effected to ascertain whether lie
had gone round Cape Alexander, or had been compelled to cross the
glacier. Two days' detention from high winds had lengthened the ab-
sence to thirty-nine days, when, on the 29th of January, as the party was
about to begin the journey on foot, two Esquimaux arrived fn.m Iteplik
ill the region of Whale Sound, with the sad intelligence that Sonntag
was lost, Hans had reached their village, and was now coming behind
with his worn-out dogs. They had made the run without a halt, with
live dogs. On the last day of the month Hans arrived at the schooner
without dogs or sled, but accompanied by his wife's brother. They had
left fatiier and mother, with five broken-down dogs-all that remained
ot the team_at the glacier, and come on afoot. By the death of Sonn-
tag Hans had become master of the expedition, and utilized its resources
■n bringing his wife's fomily from Cape York, four dogs having died
tinder the strain, and the other five being utterly exhausted. His account
of the disaster to Sonntag was, that after having passed Cape Alexander
in safety, and having made two fruitless attempts to lind natives at the

' mm

III

il '

\ 1

w- mm

G08

A CLOSE BOND.

nearest fishing-stations beyond, they struck across for Northumberland
Island. Five or six mik- from Sorlalik, on the eastern shore, where
they had constructed a hul, Sonntag dismounted to warm himself by ■,
run alongside. Not noticing the weak spot, he broke through hito a
small ice-crevice, while the driver was a little way behind adjusting some
straps. Coming up almost im.uediately, Hans rescued him, apparently
uninjured, an.l .nade all speed hack to the hut which they had so lately
left. On arriving, Sonntag was stiff and speechless. Hans now hurried
hun under cover, changed his clothing, applied such restoratives as were
accessible, but his efforts proved unavailing; and after lingering about
twenty-four hours in unbroken unconsciousness, Sonntag died! Hans
closed up the hut to save the body from wild beasts, and proceeded on-
ward to fulfill the objects of the mission.

He finally fell in with the Esquimaux at Iteplik, and was only three
days' journey from the schooner; but the dead were dead, thought Hans
and he proceeded to look out for the living_the family of his wife -is
stated-very much to the chagrhi of the commander, and jeopardy to
the mterests of the expedition. How much was conscious wrong-doin-^
and how much was perverse ignorance, it was rather difficult t"> (IcIct'
mine. Hayes had lost his most valued assistant, and ha<l only five do-s
left. With the period for active exploration fast approaching, " Somi-
tag's familiar acquaintance," says Hayes, » with the physical sciences, a.ul
his earnest enthusiasm in everythi.ig that appertained to physical re-
search, both in the field and study, made him an invaluable aid, while his
genial disposition and manly qualities gave him a deep hold upon my
affections. Similarity of taste and disposition, equal age, a comnion ol,"-
ject, and a mutual dependence for companionship, had cemented more
and more closely a bond of friendship which had its origin in the dan-
gers and fortunes of travel."

Early in February the twilight began to grow perceptiblv, day by
day; on the loth it was almost broad daylight at noon, and as late Js
3 o'clock one could read ordinary print; and on the the 1 8th, they re-
joiced to see the sun from the hill-tops, after an absence of 126 days; but
its light would not directly strike the harbor for 12 days yet. With' the

, ■#*■

GRA VE OF SONNTAG. ^qj,

incrcasino. li^ht, huntin,o: received a fresh i.npetus; and Hans and his
lather-m-haw killed the Hrst walrus early in Febrnary. Reindeer,
evolves, and hares were killed i„ sufficient ahnndance by the me,i and
ihronghont the whole winter there had been no symptoms of scnrv'y or
other disease. The general health was equal to the average in more
lavored climates; and, except the <lreariness of the Arctic night, an,I the
monotony of existence, there was but little to complain of.

In the latter part of February, some Esquimaux from Iteplik, 150
.n.lcs to the south, arrived at Port Foulke, and Hayes, by barter and
presents, adde.l six dogs to his pack, and secured the use of six more
w,th the services of their owner, Kalutunah. There were now at the'
w.nter quarters of the expedition seventeen natives-six men four
women, and seven children. Early in March, with the help of Kajutu-
nah and Hans, the mate. Dodge, ],rought back the remains of Sonnta-
which were interred on the terrace near the observatory which he l.ve^d'
s.. well. Over his grave was raised a mound of stones, and at its head a
ch.seled slab bearing his name, age-28 years,--and date of death_De-
comber, 1S60.

m-n?r

CHAPTER LXVII.

HAYKS' SLEDGE-JOUUNEYS IIUMHOLDT (iLACIEH SKHITEn ini:

HOPE THE l-KKSEVERANCE A '■ 'OUSK — OKI' FOR (ilUN-

NELL LAND — A PICTURE SLOW PRv' , . ^S HIGH TEMPEUATUKK

UNSAFE ICE HIGH LATITUDE A PRUDENT RETURN THE

SHIP INJURED ATTACKED BY WALRUSES CAPE ISABELLA-
WHALE SOUND THE RETURN HOME STARTLING NEWS DEATH

OB' HAYES.

The first of these sledge-journeys began with the i6th of March,
and its object was io determine the best route for his later efforts. He
set out with two sledges drawn by nine and six dogs, and driven by Jen-
sen and Kalutunah, respc .\^ely. After a misadventure five miles away,
in which Jensen and his whole team were precipitated into a crevice,
and a return to the ship for readjustment, which took only an hour, they
set out for the north, and encamped the first night at Cape Hathcrtoii,
with the temperature at 40° below zero. At Fog Inlet, the next day,
they noticed Hartstene's cairn and record of search, dated Aug. 16, 1855,
and named the headland thus marked Cairn Point. Here also was made
a deposit of surplus provisions, consuming the remainder of the day.
They retained only enough for six days' consumption. With lightened
sledges the prospect for good headway was promising, but they soon
encountered hummocks, and after nine hours had only made twenty
miles, when they went into camp for the third night, with the thermom-
eter at 31° below zero within the snow hut, and 6S]/,'' outside. The
scene through which they now traveled northward "was like the Rocky
Mountains on a small scale; peak after peak, ridge after ridge, spur after
spur, separated by deep valleys into which we descended over a rough
declivity, and then again ascended on the other side, to cross an elevated

crest, and repeat the observation. The traveling was very laborious; it

fllO

mui.

HUMBOLDT GLACIER SEEN.

'■■ liv-lay. ,r,„n Cain, P„i„. ihey si,.h,.,l U„,„l,„l,„ o,,,,,., „„|
,, ococ „U.. «„„,, „„,e» „ei,„ .,.;»„„, ,hat ehi» „„,»„ .„. ,„:,:''
l.lc, a,„l ,ha, ho ,ho,ot„,v h ,„ alternative h,„ ,„ ,„. „,„ w. ■

"::;:'• ^-^ "-- ^" cai,.„ ,„,. . .;rr:t : :;:

.o,.to tllence across tl,o west, ami wl,ile there [e„se„ l-iM I ■ ,

^" "■" » ■'-'-•'■" ■"l.iitio.. .,. their s„p,>,ies: I, : " ^r,"-

r,.M.„rt r„„.,e.„..,era Iti,,,,,...,., Ji!,,. with ti: rl,^:;,:
..below .ero, they n.a.le the thirty ,„iles to the seh„.,„er i„ three .,„.
hai, h,.,,rs The last days of Mareh were u.ili.e eo,.eevin, '

" ' 7 ' """ ™""'"^' "- — "•>• .'-Parations Tor the w rk of Z

--.. T e tentperature was stil, aa.„ero„s,y ,„w, „„t havi.,, .„«
a. .. .ot^ewhat ,., the tirst .lays of April, the party took fi„a> leave of the
seh ,ner-leav„., Ra.lcliffe alone o, .he „ri,ina, contpany, in ehar.e-
-a he evenn,, of the 3.I of April. The eavalea.le e.„.pri ed the H^e
^le.l,ew,th e„ht ,l„gs, anti Jensen as .Iriver; the I'leveranee v th
>.»...« ^norr as driver; and hri„,in« np .he rear, : a.ned le^e

""".;- r*-":"-'^- •"■ "-»"=!'•» -,„pany,with n.as.er I n.a.e ,n

-hersKle dneet and help d laden with the twen.v-foo. n,et

■■-""» -.th w ,eh it was hoped .0 navigate .he .Open' Polar S.^^
>vhen they reached i.. The co.nntander descended front .he schconer
™ hred off the eanno,., and .he con.pany se ...,. ^j;

The inexperience.1 ,„e„ soon .ave ,r„„,,|,, „„, ,„,„ „,^ ,

a>v ..ered then.selves .0 he fro.e .,„ „„„ ,„,^, ,„„ „^,

. e.ert,„,. I,y .h. watchfulness of ,he con.n. er. Thev s.ai,. ei-h.:

"""■^ : "'^- '"". ^"™-- --- 'hese snllerers, who for,:

s ,.ed ser.ons ,„.,nry. <,n .he ,. ., ,.„,„„,,„, ^„ J

y "; '""'. ^■"'■'- "■"" ^ - ^-l-orfnl spiri,s, .nuler the infln.

, '•':'"" '-"1-ra.nre and increasing experience. On ,he 6.h

"'^:~ ■^■""^■" ^■"■■" '•"-•■ '">- -1. .he Ihs. opporttntity a. .

SOn,g ,n.o c„,np .„ reconnoiter the soun tich he proposed ., or

'.on, ,h,s po,nt. The view was anything hn, enconra.L.^was in fac

ri 1

612

OFF TO GRIN NELL LAND.

"the iioflicst scene his eye liad ever chanced to rest upon." He had
found it l)ad in 1S54, and now it appeared to he much worse; and unfor-
tiniately its appearance did not deceive him. It proved to be even worse
tlian it looked.

They were detained some days at Cairn I'oint imprisoned hy a ^t;ale,
" in which," says Hayes, " my people could no more live than in a fiery
furnace." The den in the snowbank which they occupied — a type ol
similar constructions — is thus described: " It is a pit ei^J^hteen feet lou;^'
liy eitjht wid(! and foiu" deep. Over the top of said pit are placed the
boat oars, to support the sled<re, which is laid across th.em, and over
llie sledij^e is tln'o\vn the boat sail, and over the sail is thrown loose
snow. Over the floor there is spread a strip of India-rubber cloth;
over tliis clotii a strip of InifFalo skins, which are all sipiared and
sewed together; and over this attain anotiier just like it. When wo
want to sleej5 we draw ourselves inulerneath tlie upper one of
these bulfalo strips, and accommodate ourselves to the very motlcrate
allowance of space assii^ned to each jjerson, as best we can. We 5^0 to
bed vvitiiout chanj^ff of costume exccj.t our boots and stockin<^s, whicli we
tuck luider our heads to help out a pillow, while what we call reindeer
sleeping-stockiuLi^s take their place on our feet." In this snow-hut wciu
crowded Haves and his twelvi- companions. Some stores were brou-j^lit
forward from Cape Hathertou despite the storm, and everything that
was to be left at the central depot, including the life-boat, was secmvlv
covered.

All things being now in readiness, and the wind having veered to
the south, they set out again on the loth of April, with three sledges ;is
before, except that the third was lightened of the boat — diagonally across
Smith's Sound for Grinnell Land, away to the northwest. The journey
soon lay over a surface as rugged as that previously traversed in the
experiment trip on tiie (rreenland side. "The interstices," says Ilaycs,
"between these closely accumulated ice masses are fdled up, to some
extent, with drifted snow. The reader will readily imagine the rest.
He will see the sledges winding through the tangled wilderness of
broken ice-tables, the men and dogs pulling and pushing up their respcc-

A PICTURE.

«ia

live loads, as Napol
<li;i\vin<r their artill

poleon's soldiers may he

sii

He \vi

sue

cry throii<rli \\^^. ^^^.^
tiiein claiuheriii<

pposeil to have (lone when

over th

;p and riiiro-fd passes of the Alps

through which ther

e vei

V IS no ()

■y Miinniit of l,,lty rid. res

Sl(

le, the sle(lj,re often pi

pcning, and a^-ain descend

unj'in'r over a

iiiL,^ on the other

re()nently breakii

A-

recipi

ce, sometimes cai^sizi

10 will sec tl

attempt to cross or Ihid a pass, break

sj)ike, or aL,rain, unable eve

psizin,;:,', and
10 party, ballled in their
illy; a track with shovel and iiand-
o accomplish their

11 with these appliances t

- , t ey retre.. to seek a better track; a.td they n.ay be Inckv enon^h
to InHl a sort of .ap or ^ateway, npon the winding and nnev.t surn^e
..^ whtch they will make a nnle or so with comparative ease. The snow-
.Inf.s are son,etin.es a help, and son.ethnes a hindrance. At the very
moment when all looks promising, down sinks one man to his mid<lj
another to the neck, another is bnried ont of si^ht, the sle<l,e -nves w.v'
-1 toe^ttncatethe whole tVom this unhappy predicament i: probabi;
the labor of^honrs; especially it; as oRen hap, .ns, the sled.e .nnst 1.
unloa ed Not intre.nently it is necessary to carry the car.o in two or
11.-OC 1..U1S. It wonld be dilKcult to in.a.ine any kind of labor more dis-
licartenm^, or which would sooner sap the energies of both tnen and ani-
nials. Ihe ^tren^th ^ave way gradually, but when, as often happened,
altera Ion. and hard day's work, we could look back trom an endnence
a.Hl .dn.ost tire a rifle-ball into our last snow-hut, it was truly discoura...
ni^T. Atnon^ the distinguishable tnasses enconntcre<l was an old ice-field
al-m s,x by fbur .niles in extent, and twenty fbet hi^h above the water
level, w>th hummocks risino- to a height somethnes of ei-^hty feet Its
depth under water was probably 140 feet, a.ul Haves "esthnated the
vve,,rht of tts solid contents at 6,000,000,000 tons! This thev reached on
the 24th of April, with the thermometer at I9'> below zem; and thev
wore otdy thirty n.iles fron. Cairn Point, and sixtv-six from Port Foulke
an average of just three miles a day, though they had probably traveled'
aliout two hundred miles since leaving the schooner.

"My party," says Hayes, under date of the 3Sth, "are in a very sorry
condttton. One of the men has sprained his back fron. lifting; another

as a spranied aidde; another has <rast

ritis; another a frosted toe:

and a

lif

(til

iiEMA//VS i,r A^ /iS^U/AfAl/X CAMP.

ml'

'"V ;l...n,u.,l.lv ..vnsviu-lMU..i with .;.,i.,u, Tlu- ,„.■. .1., „... .,.,,,1 i, ,,

wHI a. ,lu- .lo^.s." llayc-s l.ej,. ,.„1.. wl.otlu.,- lu- sh..,.M ,,,, ,,,^:,,

^'••"'-'"-"-'-"'>-'-l>--.v. Tlu. MK.U. nHnp.,-nl .heir un.l.r.aki,..
•-'-"—1" '"•• -OSS N.w Vo,i. ovvMhc h,.us. ,..ps," a„.l llavc^
couUl „.„ hdp hi„u-ly cxclain.in^-^^ Smith So„n.l has ;,ivcn nu- h... .^.e
success,.,,, .„• ha.lli,,,- „hslacic.s." ()„ Uu- .,s.h, aho„, .ni.lwav ..f .h,
sound, he se.U had. ,he ,ne„, except K„o,-,-, Je„se,., au.l Joh., \,,
Dounhl, a sea,„a.,. With .lu-se <o,„pa„i,.„s, ,w.. sle.l.cs, fburteeu .1.,,."
an.l Son po.nuls ..f p,ovisio„s, h. w.h,I.| s.ill „.,,,, „. ,„;,, ,„ ^^,. , ,;_;
v.ct.„v-. I„ ,on,U-e„ .lays ,.,o,-e, aHe.- eueouuteriu-, as ..-eat cli<lie„hi,s
asa,a,^vsta^eor,he joun.ey, .hey (n.allv .eaehe.l ,he west coast •,.
C.peIIawks-ei^hty,„ilesi,.thi,-,y-o„e .lays; ln,t prohnhly siv tiuu.
an:hty actually tn.vcrse.l ,.p au.l .l.,w„, ,i^ht au.l le.t, hackwanl au.l ,;„.
ward, as descni)ed.

Resting a lew iu.u.s, they p..she.l ..> the ,u,rth, crossing t., the ,>pp,.i„
heacllaud, ua.ne.l ,o,- Nap.,le.>u 111. a Ibvv years i.efbre; a,ul .„. .Ih ,,,,
sullced a se,i..„s .hawhack i„ the .lisahli,,^ .T J.,s.„. „ hecauu n.^^
-y that he sh.,ul.l ri.le hecau.e ..f a iVesh i,.i. .-y ,<, „. ,,,,,j^, j,,.,,,^;
lcg;a,unh,s„ecessitate.lthe„-a„s.er..,-s.une ,„ his sle.l^e l.>a.l ,„ ,He
other sledge. Hayes au.l his two u,.i.,iu.ed e.unp...i.„.s ,;.... huckle.l.,,,
he,r ha,-uess ... l-lp the .ea,u ..f , he ..verladeu sledge; au.l thus equipp.,
';'^^' r^'^' '''" '^^y '-^--' ^'-' P-.s ,ueuti.„.e.l. Passi,,, CapJ
Napoleou with .l.nica.hy, the ,.ext .lay tlu-y ar,-ive.I at the farthe;t p..i,u
roachcxlhv Hayes i„ .S54, l>ey..,.., Cape F.-a.e,, ..„ .he thi.-d .lav ,V,„„
Cape Hawks, au.l were u.,w withiu Ke.u.e.ly Chauuei. Crossiu.: iMl
Hay to Cape Leidy, they tbll i,. with traces ..f a,> Esqui,naux euea.un-
ment, au.l sufTcv.! .V.„„ au uuseas.>„ahly hij,h tempe.a.ure .>f 3. ■ ,,,„„
occas,.,„e.l s.„ne app,-ehension of au early ]>reakiuc,. up .,f the" ice The
spnu. was last approachiu^ The cast preseuted a Ii„e ..f l.Hv
s.lur.an rocks, .nuch hrokeu hy wi.tter frosts ..nd su,n,ner thaws In!.,,;!
could be sect lofty peaks clothe.l i,. att uubrokct coveriu,. .>f su.nv inu
no ..laoers. Here a^^alu were eucountered .-emaius of au Esc,ui,nauv
camp, a,ul on this f.nu-th .lay fro.n Cape Hawks, May .5, while helpi,,...
has teau. at a pa,-ticularly ditHcult point, Jeuseu aj^aiu hurt his le>- „.d

staiid it iis

I I-'VIM- ll'.lcll

iiiulcTtakiiii^r
■■"1(1 Hayes

"K- l)||| oi,^.

•vay ()(■ the
John Mr-

fteeii (loirs

l<) will i1k>
(lillit-iillic's

■"^t coast al
^ix tiiiu's

■<l and In,-.

ic opposite
1 t lie way
;unc iicros-
ly l)roiv(.Mi
)a(i to the
)iicklcil oil
equipped,
'iii.q- Cape

icst poilll

day iVniii
n^^ (Joiilil

t-'iicamp-
J", which
CO. 'I'ho

of IdiM'
. Inhiiid
low, hut
qiiimaiix

lK'h)iii<>-

sJ.aino.l his hack, ,n,.,vo>,np|.tc.|v.hsaI,li„,,hi,n Th . .

McI)o„al,l hdnnd with Jensen Uavcs . . " '^''''' '"^'"'''^

--■'••'•^'•'i.'-.atitu;;.nain:h^;h:.':^

-■';'^''.>^Cons,i,..io,x,,,,.,,,,„;y -''^-^^

"'"'^' '''-'^ - -nil- in nine hours ami.l s- / ''"^ ''^^•>'

""' ''-"v dc.soh.,i.>n . Vs th " •" '"•"■""^•■'^^ ^^-i"ty

-'-'p-<<.n. .onnta : t ::: :r -^'''V^'- "''-^^

■•'-"•Ponthedatk. h-ost-de J ', ^/''^''nr '^ ^^^ -'

-'■'""' -<l "verlookcl the sea and "' "'"' •''""^ "-

■■••-....v..>v..onth.n.:r^:::;:r^^^^^^

'"* Oil ui\ i.,..,,u-y,,it.s, an( saw nothin.r l,„f , r ,,
"nr strn.r.din.. do-. ;, , . , "''"'"- ''"' ^W" '^^'chle ine.i and

",-,^,iin„ (lonr-s, i( sjeeniec inc eec -is iCd-i,. m • i

upon the hills a.Hl seas/' '"'^''^'^ '^"' '''•"^■•-'

Altera ten hours' march on the i7ih •.,.,! f

»-- — , '^»a,:;;,: z;^::-:;-';-'-

i-t,,l. .> The „„e,-rins instiuc, ,„■ „,, ,1,..., " 'T "^ ^' "'"

---' -'-■■ :c., , J,;:; .::::':::::' '- °:

.greater coin-ao-e I hi,! ,, . . , "•■■^pueu vvitn

"'•i«i. 1 ha.l not P'-oceeded far when 1 found the In,. „• •
way nn.ler the stalF with vhi -h i > , ■ '•*""^' the ice g.vuicr

wnn ,vni^h 1 sonnde( ts .stren<rtli .,n,l . •

;; - '-;■ ■;'- '-; •<> ^oa, a,.., „..„ .„. .L, .;, j„S L '.":

Ih'- l"y to be perliaps ivvctv miles avvav ei.rht h„„ri J
.!>.■ vain erron .o ,i,K, „ .,fe p,„,,,„ ,„•;;'"'" '""'' «"=- "—' "■
On ehe ,„„r„i„, „f .,,„ ,,.„, .„■,„, „ ,„„,, _,^__,,___,

"■ rne ,ce, he s.y,, . was everywhere i„ the ,a,„e con.liHon as i„

"- "-.'..h or the hay aeross whieh [ i,ac, endeavored .o pass. A W d

Clack, startin.v from fho ,v,.M.n., .^,- ., , ' ^^ "'^"''^

luiiting with oth

from the middle of the hay, stretch

ler

cracks as it meandered tu

cd over the sea, and
Uie eastward, it expanded

tilft

/i/i./ZliS/' LATIT

UDE OF //a2-L\S.

as tlu> (lc«lt.i of s,,„u- ini.ri

ity rivi-i (list'h

"•.1,'iii- iiilu the ..Lvaii, aii.l uiuK

>~,, .hi,,, ,,,,,,, ,,, , ..,.,.,„,„„; ,,

: ':"';: - '-^ '"•-^^•^ •i.^iw.M,, .,,„ :

:,::; ; ;" ""■ wi,i,. .,„„:„, „..„.,„„.„;

,;:';:' ■■" ■ ■ ^' ■ ^..1..,;,, „,,„,

- ■" ; '"■ ''" ""'- '■"■"• ""^ N„„i, 1. N.,„,,. „„„„,..,. |„

:;""7' ""■■'"' ^ —.ill .lu. „.„„.,„, .■„,.„.;„,, ,. ,

ZT "■■ "■ • ' '•""'" ■--.-'-":- ,t.K....,:

""■\^' ■"■'■'"-"■» ■" ■— • Th... was 1, h,„, J

: ' "'»'--•' "'.-■k pau-hcMh... ,„.,.. hei„.ci, »,„■,,,,,„:

:;:r'7;;"" ' '-'-'> ^■'.-'.•»M n.„.;.h.., '

,:" ■; '■■" ; ■ "-""^ '■> '. L'^'i- i;u..„ic. ,„r,y ,„.,,. ,, ■

^.. y ,„ ho,„„. ,„■ UK. ,,..,. A,v,ic „avi,:..„,. ..f U,a, „a,„.. •,;., „

D ■ "^■■" ' 7- '— ^'^ "■■■'*-H^-i< v,>, i„ „.. „, ,„,,::;

Dcaunark, a,„l " Iho „,„», ,„„.,hon-l.,„w„ ,a,„l ,„„„. ih. ..„h..",.

-vcl ,h. „a,n.nic .,csi«„a.i„ Ca,. L, ,, h, h„ ,„■ ;,■„,„,„„„,.■

:■ r,"'V" ""■ """""""■"■ ■■•■ l'i« -."U.-,, ,hc.„ accallv i„jc,,„a,,U.

h^c» ,„ UK. ,,.... C,vi, ^Va... The ha, heu..., U.. h,:..,,.., i,
. .0. wa» cL, cat., „. Uk- nan,. „r \V.„„,.„; ,„, u,. .„„ ,„,,,.,„,
■ clcncU a„c L„«.„ic, ,„ .h. ..o^apha- Pcto^an,,; „hilo e„„ ,„„.,.
ow„ t,nva.,, Cap. Hawks, wuc „a,„„, h, ho„„.. of CaH Ri...,- .,„,

VVilliain Scorcshy,

I%cs now planted the fla. of the United States, an.I several s.nall

fla^^s of chlFerent patn.ns .f the enterprise, erected the usual cairn nul

ccpos.ted the toHovvin, record: .This point, the .nost northern 'l,;,„,

that h..s ever been reached, was visited by the undc..si<,ned, Mav uS

9, KS6. accompanied by George F. Knorr, traveling with a" ,1,...

slcd^e. Wc arrived here, alter a toilson.e n.arch of Ibrtv-six davs tn^n

CA/^h IIATUERTON

«17
my vvititcr harbor, near C-in,. A i,.^ i

>■> ^™, ..t':'r:;:";'r; :;■:'"""" '•

l-lu.,„.l appears ,„ ,xpan,l i,„„ llu- p„l „ I,, i """'>■

."V«al,l.,a,l.a»t ,l„, „ „',""; ^ •»'""■'■«-■'' "-' " i'

s...iH. s„ , „,„ ,„^ _^, '^j ■ ^^'-^ : ■ "• :-- .1.-,,,,,

.." '.. lunhc, achifvomunt. The „„„ , r ,"'"- l.-.^l'™,,,,;;

:::::iu:!i;::::;:;:j;-::-r'r-"-"';^^^

"H^ ve,., ev„ ,„■ ,a,„H,„ „..y „„,.. „,,„„.,„ „„ „ „;^ '"• ""

»- »....a n„:„„, ,„„,,,„,,,, ,„, -. »l-l'. »w-c.,,

I.aslc-acl aslH,ro. Fanhor „„ •„ < ■ , ',"'-""•'■'".'-'.■■'■. '^'I"-'" Hioy

Millets, ihL ICC hav.iiK l.c-cc,inc to.. l.n.Ucii n„l fi,,; i ,i

'"-. ^ -->•■".." .v..n. .he ..^ont I I "::,::;'r ';;-■; '"^■

.... .1.0 3.1 «rju„e, .. having ..-avCe.! ,.., ,,, ! Zl \ ^""T'"

■l™. .,6oo since flrs, sel.ins ..... i.. March » ' '"" '""

'.. ca,e,al c.a,„n,a.ion, i, l,a,l l,cen clca,-lv ascc,.tai„c.r ,,, ,„e „„-.,.
™" ""^' '"■"-^■'-"".Ho«.a. .he ,rU,ec...„nnan.e; .,';::;:

618

FINE WEATHER.

avocations. X^L^ ^2 ^ ""'"'' "^™-'- -i'" ™rio„s

eventful ,non.h, had passed ove,- since t„ 1' ' '"°°'"""™'--'- «-
j ..oon„ and now .c „ad .eacHed he A« J l;,:.'"^'^ f :""' "^
day was a day of wonderful brightness Thl t ' '"'''•

Hi«he. than a. any previous .i.^ ^ inj^ r!::"; ^^^ ""
sun the thermometer showe,] „• Th I ^^ ' '" ""'

3^o..a.amo.ca.mand,o:^;aiJ':::— r;-::

scape, -bnng,„<. to .„ind the Scriptural sayin^.: " The vvi„^

and o-onp- f-Kr. rt •'"'o- i'le winter is nast

W ^one, the flowers appear on the earth; the time of th. • •
birds is come." The lu.- -.^ l . , , sinj,'")- of

Hyes witnessed the catchin. of a hundred in . n^ 1,^ ^ '/""'

httle while. ' - i-^akitunah, in a

On the 3d of July their occupi.tions were varied U
'n which two a„in,a,s were selred, ten oth r , i:::. """';
many woundcl. The iK-rd attacked the bo.t of th , ' "

useless slaughter of so many animals was h^ s r^^T '"'

Fourth" was duly eeiehrated, though the weather as m I ,, """"^
-eure of hail, snow, and rain, and the thermo.nete a : ^7'
'lays later, a memorial cairn was erected on ,i, , '

rou,l.e,a„darecordof thecpeditiorrpoi: "°"" ""'' "''"■""
On the i2th the schooner was free -ifter ■. lifH

depth of ice, the coat already formed se , ',; w 7" '" '""

J u serving, as IS well Known, to j)io-

the ice-pack,
ly confirmed
mc a matter
n^S i-efit, add
isourccs, and
ites was still
■vith various
ation on the
immer. Six
hrouded us
cl this mid-
^tl gone up
Ahile in the
way up to
rctic huid-
^'^^' is past
singin,:^'- of"
lance; and
unah, in a

Si'us hunt,

sunk, and
s, and the
"Glorious
orahle— a
. A lew
t of Port

11 monlhs
I'ozen ill,
i formed
1 an ice-
L's to the
to ])ro-

CAJ-E ISABELLA

619

teel water as well as land from hein^ frozen to n • , .
"I Have never seen an ice-table," says H " 4o ^ T"^^^ ^'^P^^'
.Hat exceeded eighteen feet." Oif he ;; t T .^^^^ '"^^
•iuiniaux; and on the i^th set sail f. ( 7 """ "' ^'^ ^-

Haffled Hin.in.S6.as;i.ad ,:^^:,17:;^"^^''^^^- ^^^ ^-P-^
^letention, they were only ah.e to ^^,^' T '"'" '''"'' ^'""
tH. cape itself could not bepassed, "T e o Id' ' ""^ '"i'^'^ '^'"^^'' '-
-^-■•^egnlarcnrvenpthesonndtoa;::::™;;-

POINI ISAHKLI.A.

well use a Hudson River steain[,oat for a batterim^-ram .s thi ■ s 1

with her weakened h.,w. . ^^""« 'am as this schooner,

I- .,c,,.«, „„,...„.. ,,..,„. .„. ,,„,„„„ ,„„, , „^„„ ,,,^^„„^,,^_

Ill

■: I' a

'f '

[]

vij

■ 1 .

lU )

620

» I

STARTLING NEWS.

621

tl>erc was not the remotest trace of vec.efUion .,- .

;■- -• Ave,.no." At Gale Point we.e Z:.^;^'^ "''-

I-qu.ma„x encampment, g,vin.. the imnro • T ' '""'""'

1 'o'vui,^ tnc impression that the rm«i- 1-10,1 .--n

>nme remnants of native trihes. "^ '*'"

Some days later they anchored in Hanlen Bav off H. •

-■■'^ <>t- NetHk, on ^^rhale Sound Here H " '^ ""^"

-V, namin.. islands c.nes 7, "' "^^^'^^ '^'^^'-^'^ -tensive sur-

••-''M.nL.on;t:r;^;;^::::::;^--- -

I'onlKc, he ^nnd nine families, nnL: ^ ,r ^'^ " '""

T.>ey next set sail through Melville Hay t th^ e' t'^T'^' '""'""^•

, '':• "^" ^^^"•'''^'' ">' "^'- -- ^-- i-me;' u^,!:! ,

llu- lirst arrival .-.hoard, "deSont' Sf-if..- I • '

.I..V» plo,„j. fi,|,,. Th. Mi ■■ '° "■"'" ''^' ^■""' "'"'«■ ™'

"■ - -'''^ .1-'.^ ™pi.i ..«.,.„„ :.;,:;::: "'^- '""■;:"''"^^' "■^-

\ 1 II -^ '^^'-"ts, were sti a )l-iiil-

iiiiliN wi.lc, which di^clwp.os ;,«„., fi„,,i , . , "'•":"" ""K

'■.•"v,„llo. ,■,.,„„,„„„.. ;„„,,'■' '"" '".'""' ■•^'■'^P»-'>«ol<, ah,„,t

^vu, ^ "^"i ''ays after leav no- UneniM'il- fK .

,,i-,.,i ..(^ /-^ II *'".-> '-'l-'ci na\ Ik tnev .'uich-

- 1 at Goodhavcn on Disco Island; and in a few days iJtt tlvU s
i'^"'-- l'>r Davis' Strait. Thnm-h this th. ■ •

. ,. , ' "-'^ '^"'■'' t'l'-T were<lriven hy ua rc.nil-ir

"""'";'■-"• "■■"•«>-sc c.H*. ,h. ,,„'„_ :

"■^ ':;--'-vh:„,..vc.,.«.e„. Th. ..ho,.,,,.,. »hiv„..,, .„ n,.,: a. ,

',::,::~- '■' '" " ';■"'■ '•>■ "- '"■•"<-" Th,„ *. ,.v ,,, ,H,,.,. J

^ "■;■' ;; : "^ "'" ■" "- -""- '^ '- »--™ ^"-u-

:"':'■""■. "^""•^- ^^•"■■' ■^' ^'. "•'.-. ho, ,vo.:vo,i ,h.. ,.,,..

"- "•■„-. h„,„ h„„K.," .,„Ii.i.,„ ,„ ,„.. ,,..,, ,h. h,.,,„h, „„, „„, ,,^,.

™- .n,p,UK.,„ ,„ ,.o.d, UK-i,- r,u.,„k. inr,„„.,,„,»,™„il.i;,;„-,h.v

■' Hi

tn^lHwfl ''

'.''. ■.**

iil'ii h

:,■•' ii , :

j'jl :;

whPbIPt '''

1 - ; ii

1 ff * '^ '

1 i •

fil.^

■ ' ,' ',■

li'

*"'il:

633

DEATH OF HATES.

reached Boston, Oct. 3i, z86r, havin^ been absent fifteen months and four-
teen days. Hayes at once tendered his services and his schooner to the
government ; and he entered the United States' service as an army sun^eon
takmg charge of the hospital at West Phihxdelphia, which he built ^'^ He'
made another voyac^e to Greenland in 1869, chiefly in the interest of Brad-
ford s photographic enterprise, but not without adding something to his
previous explorations and surveys. He afterward spent five years in
poh.cal life as member of the Assembly of Pennsylvania; and also won
chstu.ct,on as a lecturer on his favorite topics-the Open Polar Sea and
Arctic Exploration. He died Dec. 17, 1881, in hi. fiftieth year

CHAPTER LXVIII.

- WRECK OP THE HANSA _ THE COA, '"''"" °'' "''^°'=«^

-- --A. -ah._„a.oe: pLrs^::::-^'- ■"-" ™

™BDER,chsTAHL_at home. ^TARVAT,ON-ARRn.E AT

Among the nations that in recent time, hnve HI,,
•■■ reach the Pole and solve its mystericrhe O T '" *" '"'""^

p. eminently persistent. It is true thT ^ ^- ™"" ^'"P"'^^" boon
-I" ■•'» nnspiceshave „ m 7°""°"' "^="-'^-' -^ -t out

'"• ="->' executed from time.: n rXt^B r""°"""'°-

I'"' 'l-y l..ve evinced a thorou^hncZof „! """ •■'"'' A™-ica,
"f conduct, second to none- and h f, "'^'^P"''""'" »■■<' » '^kiUf'-lness
■ —CCS Where •jrr:^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^'^ -d „n.

wcaknes.s or inefficiency '^''^'■'''-"" "^'^ '"^ «ign of

.-":.:r^l:'oS::.r;!-^'-"-""---

'•-•k, .hon,h without results of Ic'at^n or™""" "' """ "^■'^°'"'=''

»™ of its formal reception that h "7""' "'"'"' °"""=°-a-

l-.l-e was nrst conceived p'' " "'°"" ™^'-== *■- ■' "<"=

Capt. Koldcwey, DrPcttm n""» "'"''"'"" '°°' '"^"=^- ^"--

"«ch was ..,atl Is T;; • ""f^'^'"" '"'■™' "^ -" "'

" "-.>•» -d means, ^r „ 1 11^ I" '"•'^"™ ""'^ ' '-''"^

XM»p.an provided that the e.;diti:r h , rsiriVr '""' '""""-

'-.earner should land „„ ,he cast coast '',!"""■ "V"" P"*: That

*<-'.> push forward into the cent ^ L ," "' ' "■"'" "'""^^ "'

»■'- «l-ld from any point boZ:^-^:Z::V"'' ""' ""■

»*"„ .l,e highest latitude possible This^ r H ''P"''^'''"' '^^k to

eas hwever, provet) too ex-

Til

G24

PLAN AND CREW.

tended f,„- the limitd ,„c,,„,, „f ,h„„. ,pee,„||„ i„,„^,,^j „^

attemion directeil t„ East Greenland.

A eo,„,„u„ica,b„ ,l„ee,l ,he Sth of Mareh, ,869, brought the prncecl
.ngs 10 the knowledge of the friends of the expedition tL '

nearly as follow, • " That the ov I'.- "P""'"™- ^^e plan was „„„.

ws. Xhat the expedition should consist of a newly hnilt
»erew.s.ea.er,a„d of the sailing ,acht Greenland, a ship of T e p
neerjonrncy of a year preyious ; that the end and ai™ of the san, sh d
he chseoyery and exploration in the Central Aretie re.^ion from I" '„
at,tude upward, the East Greenland coast being thrh.! TheV
l.-nd, acting as consort and transport ship, shouM re.!™ ij,,; T'
of the same year; b„, the return of the chief shin I , """

.-n late in the autumn of ..,0. after thrintd ^ tl::" tl
heaun of the expedition should be scientific as well a u^ical tl
a.terdepa,.ment being „„der the command of Capt. Koldew " w t
the year before had proyed himself so able in eyery respect .^ ,
Character ten courage, perseverance, and self-sacrifice in the cause c.ll
for unhesitating confidence." ''' ''"""'

;;-al, to the call for funds. The new s.::: ^ IZ rr,:;'
, n<l w,as a mo,., in si.e and strength for the purpose for whicit

: ,r : °'^'""" "^■"^' -^-'^ '<> "« «-"''- -^ hem t^^

small, a Larger sh,p, the Hansa, was chosen, and like the Gern:.,nr
proyisione<l for two years. "erm.ini.i,

The scientific members of the expclitiou to ship in the f V, ■
were the following, Or, Kar, norge,'. Dr. K. Copel. d „ r,::
man, educated in Germany, and an associate of Dr. Borge, in ^,
.nves.,ga..on; Lient, Julius Payer, who.n we shall here.afL know
cmmander of a separate expedition, ,md Dr. Pansch, surgeo.r.

D G St '"t^'^''""'-'"""°«^-" «'>"'>'o.y, an.l he was joine..
Dy Ui. (justavus Laube, of Vienna.

The plan of the construction of other Arctic ships has been given

By common
>ncd, and the

he proceed,
an was now
newly-built
of the 25 io-
ame should
1 74° north
'he Green-
he autumn
take place
ig. That
utical; the
wey, who
nd whose
use, called

ng the ex-
responded
ic Genna-
I" which it
bein<r too
Tcrniania,

jcrmania
En<,dish-
scientiiic
w as the
1 to the
uted the
joined

n t,nven

i <i

630

/^V YV/E LATITUDE OF ICEBERGS.

'-■■-- "..»"=«- ;:;::. rcr;:r'':r ^';^''■^■"'■'-

"-' ■■" ™ech,„uc„l skill „.,, ,,„,,,, i„ ' ,, ' - »'"hc:.c„, „. .,,.

■ly ..f oven- urticlf. ''^' -'""' 'I"-''-

The linal ,|„p„„„,,. ,„. „,^, ^, ._,.,._^^ ^_
have,,, „„ .,K. ,5,,, „f J„„„, ,3, ,,, ,„^. '- «-m.,-

tcml the " ice circle" nC r , , -^ - ^^'ennanu, cn-

■t-c ciiclc ()( Greenland, and he-an to lo,.!- f,,,- fi 1 •
which she had eome hither to defy -Vt l" , ' "''■"■"

^^ave heard a subcU.ed roar, .rowt i T \ ''^''''''' ''' "'^"'

Ion.itnde heean. .ore a.i iZ^^:;^' "' ''''''' ^ ^'^ ^''^^'^

" ^^'''''-■'' a"^' "^'^"-e'-," says Koldevvey's accoinit »
noise. Everv man i. nn ) T , '•^count, comes the rushing.

K.-a.ui pa„„ra,na; i, „a, , „ '° ' "' ' ""'"''"™' "" ""^

, I w.i^ a gloiuni^ hut serious moment stirnvl ,

-- ,,.,.„. .,„„„,. „,„uu.,i.,,, ,,v hop. a,u, .„ '; l,;,;;

iar-reaclmio- expectations." ' ' ■""'

fc,. i!:,.7r""°" '■'■"'" "^- "™^"- "'-'^ "- '-- ■' »."-o or ,. ,,

o sevcal , ,ys, lon„,„.,tc,l o„ .he ,S.h, wh™ ,1,. ,„coU„.. o,' ,h, ,,.

::t.',r';; '*'■■'- ''™»-'« -" -'^^ <^.™.nia t;

■'i-. "-' 'hoy ha,l .aKcn .h. .„„. course ,„ U,e ice, a.ul .,.,. „„„..

TUB J/A.VSA BESET.

'■"» '"" ""■■ 'hick ,.i», which ha,l nrev„ilo,l h-, I ""

"•S the other. I„ case of „„olherl '"■""""' '""■• ''■■'"" '"X^-

» .' place of .■nde.vou, ;t ':: ::r: '""'"- '»""■" --pp"-c„

■he o,fice,s as to .heir future elurr e C '^ ""r',""""" "" ''" '-' "'
way tOKcther lo the westward. Ti;r„u..h '" '"" ""''■"*'' '""'^

"- .- ship. heea„,e once „„re sen t", "■""■"'-''""l.n.' -r signals,

-;. - foHow the fortu::\:;r„;:'; :;, ;;— -» - -p.. ko,.

Wcetur. with i,„passahle ice to .he west h"

-"■•I out of .he ice, and he«a„ afresh. Z^, . T' T"'' '" ™"-
secon,! attempt was made at penetralin., ,„ „ ° "'"•'" "■'"^^'- "

-pondin, with the instrucilns. U . J ir! T ""' '""■""'^' ^"■■•
experienced good weather, a„,i „i,h , ,, u °"" ""^ """■'■'

c<l.coftheieei.,a„ot,he„di on tT ^ "'"' '^■" ^"""» "'e

'■■Jc, it was once more thou,' hT' ' '""'""^' ""' '^"^^ ''"■-
-«-PPOm.ment ag.ain met th^e crew '^'"'^ ""' ""^■^"' -«• ""'
•hey found them,se,ves on .he morui'n. o .h ;2 T^'"' ""' '"''«• '
a" »i'lcs. fresh ice formed between .h: fl es h ej^ J'r"' '" "^'"'" ""
asje, so that the Hansa was fast ■„ • , '= "'' "'"y ?»»«-

'hccomp,e.eb,oc„n.,rp ';;";":""'" '"^^ ■'- f-ward un.i,

^ciesof tro„hies,da;:ra„rr:::::i"'° '"'"""'' '°-^-< -■-'-.

for a long time it wa.s lioned tint fho n

•"— ■ -aft to make tow ,:^ ,: ^^"^ r"" '^ ™" ^'"^ '"e

■'-a-cc or no. , note than thirty-five mle.;,., "."'" '" ■^^■°" "' "

'" -" through such channels as T^-^^' ''"'"'' °"" ""-■

^--<. .0 confirm for a time that ..2:^JrZ '"'"'""''"
...easures were taken to abandon the ship if . 7 ', " '""'""""•

The sailors- win.er clothing was disr In." " ■"'""'■^■•

a-' 'hen. respec.ive crews ol<, J^T' 7 """^ '""'= ™''>''

was discussed in view of ,l,e 1 ' ' " '"""•■"• '""'cr l,o„se

view o. the possibihty of being ohli.rod t„ r,.„„-, ,
Then- worst fears were soon realize.l On H, " , "'"•

pressure of .he ice upon .he H.,n , '» ' '" "'■'"her the

^'"Cics forced themse ves dfr" Z br " '] T '™"™"""'- ""- ^"■
«' 'he iron sheetin. thev ^ ' " °"''' ''''" ^'"' '"■"»tel

°' ""^ ™""' *" '—-'I pa.' of the ship seventeen

088

THE 11 ANSA AHANDONBD.

Ik/

iWioM. .,(• water, or rather,.,,! ..fits f.„-mfr position in the ice. Tin.
r..iuictiou >o,.n scm/c.I the >ni,„ls ,>C the cew th;„ tine Ilansa ,nust l)real<
"IN ^">.i I'u. dothlMo, ,K,„tic-ai -nnents jo,„-„als, a„.| canis, wct in all

liaste lai<cii ovei- the laiidint^-luiclMe.

Tlie ship soon hc-an to leal;, an.! it was plain that it ,n,.st he aha,,.
<i...,e,i. Ail the p,-ovisi(,ns that conld he secure,! fn„n the w.'eck, to-ether
vv.th fnel, niclicine, ci-a,-s, an.l wiiatever conlcl he easily moved in" theii-
j.ivsent inipoitnnity, xvas ch-a<,-ed ever the ice to a safe'distmice t,-o,n the
s.nkin,^. vessel. A ho,,se had al.-eady heen constrncted fVo.n pieces o|
coal, and to this, their only lesoi't, they weie (.hlij-ed to ,-epai,-.

In the >neanti,ne ihe tloe o,i wliich their ,-esidence was l)nilt ^vas d,-iii.
in,^^ steadily to the sonth. The n.ntine in the hlack honse soon heca,Tie es-
tahlishe.1, and as it closely i-ese,nhled that on hoanl ship, the lonely sailoix
readily adapted the.nselves to it. Ca,-c was take,i to niake the little
settlement as conspicuous as possihle in o,-der that it micrht he seen hy any
Esqniniaux who should happen on the coast. The food was lengthened
out In- the shooting of an occasional walrus, and tree use of this anicle
of diet was efTcctual in preventing scu'vy, fro,n which the pa,-ty continued
remarkably exempt.

The first days of Januai-y were desti,ied to bring sad cl.anges for the
exiles on the ice. " On the . ith," says the .mrrato.-, - there we.-e heavy
storms from the northeast, with driving snow. At six in the mornin,^^
Ilildebi-andt, who happcied to have the watch, bu,-st in with the alarn",
' All hands turn out!' An indcsci-ibable tumult was heaixl outside. With'
fn,-s an.l knapsacks all rushed out. But the <niter entrance was snowe.l
up, so to gain the outside quickly we b,-oke thi-ough the snow ,oof of the
lV<),it hall. The tu,nult of the elements which ,net us there was beyond
a,iything we had ah-eady experienced. Scarcely able to leave the"sp„t,
we stood huddled together for protection trom the bad weathei". Sud-
denly we hcanl, ' Water on the floe close by!' The lloe surn,unding u.
split up; a heavy sea arose. Our field began again tobi'cak up on all sides.
On the spot between our house and the piled up store of wood, which
was about twenty-five paces distant, there suddeidy opened a lai-ge gap.
Washed hy the powerful waves, it seemed as if the piece just bioken off

ILLUIDLEK.

089

was about to fall upon us. * * * ^,,

two parts. Wolv.,1 I ■ ^"^' ^'"'"'"""'ty wa. ,livi,|,-.| into

"■as . ,„i,,,,|, „„, ■ ' »'"'• '1"'«. l...t .k-spen„o. I,

from ,-,» ,„„,„,„,,,, ,„„j ,„,,^,,;_^,. „ "" "-■ "" """-^l. >vc. ,„„„, «„„,„j

I'HOuac in ,1,, l,„.,s had „, ho ..pe,i.„cc,l \ " "' '" '' '""'l""'">-

*"-.i '■... ..np,,,.., .,., ,„. hi,. •,,::;:: * ';"" ""'- '■'■'■•

ll"^^ llo..., a,„l all cxigccie, ,„ far ,» , •, , ' ""' '"''''"^- '"'

"."".h» elK. .Inrt .„ .he ;„^ . ' T '• '"■""•'"' '■'"■ •'^" '"' -"'-I

'-i-.lc. »ho.„., „pe„ a ,ha„„o, l„ .i; , n ::^ "■" ■ «■ »""'"-

1 1.e ,n,.„th .,( May a. las. arrivo,!, I,,,. .„ .he „

';:" '■■•7"^-. ■•■■ 7. " ...,-ih iau.„„ • .h., ;:, : j;::;':'-^' •";"--

"' "^'arly 700 rail..,. Thoy wcto ,.a,H„l , ,• , , """ ''"""'"^'^

starvation. - ""- ^" ^''"P ^'vvay from

A small island calleci Illiii,!l,.i- i
'!>-' was ,l...en.i„., !,"'-• '^^ t"' ""= ""^ "™>-- -' '<>
■™.l -iooUC r,„.cha„ .n:;""r '"^- :'™"" '— ■ ^-.u.lia.e

; >■ «'"i'p^'.-, ■hey:„c..e.i:; ; „:,':':;:;; ":"' t "■■■' "

II0.V .„.y,sp™. s.,™e ,ay.s look iT ^ ^ '^ """ :™'">- *■■-•

"^">i'^""- "f tlu- Bs,,ui,„a„. „,,„„: . . , '""" "■' '■•■^' ""'■ "-

'■^■■■•- ■=-^'-..-. _.„„, „, „.: ; ; ;;--«^''-. «■■-'. '.a, ,„.,„u

'-■™ .ho animals, ho.h „„ ,.„„, , ^ , "" "" '"f "™'-«-' L--.!.

"-"' '" »"'™. =-a,..,„ in .1,: ::.: ;:::;:::';";;™- ™^-

'"' "■» '"' '"".o torriblo than slow ,.•„■>• .i„n "'""' ""■'

Acco,<li„,,y, on .he 0.1, of ,„„, IXT "T" " '"'■ ' ''■""" '-'«•

-«- Of a. I..S. La^,, ::z ::::; ™:;;;:-'" -

■ "\ I liiCil iiVC'.S.

(i;H)

A T FREDEniClIS TA HL.

Their aim was Frederichstalil, the nearest colony on the soutlnvest
coast of (Irccnland, but they hoped soon to meet one or tlie other of tlu-
Esciuiniaux scal-hoats searchin}^ the Fiord. No such fortune, however
awaited them, thoujjfh the increasing,' warmth and si«,'ns of vcifctatiou
aloDf? the coast as tiiey sailed by, fjfave promise of comfort and plenty in
the near future.

Roundiufif Cape Farewell they came in sij^'lit of the lon<r wishcd-for
Hay of Fredericlistahl on the 13th of June. The little settlement situ-
ated on this bay was the seat of the most southerly of the Moravian
missions of (Greenland. In this far-away place, self-sacrirtcin;j; men from
the Fatherland had settled for a life of isolation and toil amon<r the if'no.
rant and almost sava.i,'e natives of this frozen continent. How the sij^^lit
of their iiomely red houses cheered our band of weary voyaj^ers, and
how sweet to tiicm souniled their own motlier-tonj^aie, spoken by warm-
hearted countrymen!

From this point the troubles v>f our voyajjc'-s ceased. They were
soon able to procure passaj^e in a Danisli vessel to Copenha<,aMi. From
this city they sjjcd homeward by rail, and once more trod German soil
on tile 3(1 of September.

....'- ■ ai-»8!tnt>iinnaiJi|UM

Tt^W^

•

ClIAl'TKU I. XIX.

IKK <;KRMAXrA IS KAsr (iUICKNLAND— Tin: llfKXKNKOIUI— ri.AVKR.
rN(i ISI.AVD—silANNON ISLAND -A dUKSTIo.V— A SI.RDOK-JOUH-
VICY— KI.KJKI-Y KIOUD — KUIIN- ISLA VD--TIIK (WCIIMANIA MOOKKI)
KOI? \Vr\TKK — KKI.tCS OK A DKCAYKI) COMMUNITY -A PTACKKD
IIY A lllCAIt — WIDI.: liXIMiUIKNCK \VI!II AVIMAl, MKE — AN KN-
COITNTKII WITH \V AI.RUSK :, — Tit K (IKKMANIA MKCOMKS KKKK —
KKTUKN I() (ilCUMANIA.

I.ut US now retrace our steps to the iionliward, where we left the
(ieruiania stru--lhijr witli the ice ol" Kasi (irecnlaml, an.l compare her
experience with that of lier unhappy consort.

To l)e separated for a short time iVom the sister shij) under existing
circumstances, caused no uneasiness; so that at noon of the day tlial the
Ilansa disappeared in the th<^, tiie Germania set all sail, l)ut soon strikin<j
upon ice, was ol)li.,red to turn. The hori/on was ea,<rerly scanned for the
liansa, hut without success. A whalin- vessel, however, was discovered,
and this last opportunity of sending letters home was ea<,rerly emhraced.
riieship was four.d to be the iiieneidvorh of IJremerhavim.

"On her deck,'" says the narrative, "conllned in a larije ca^je, was a
iicai' and her two cuhs; fortunately for them, on hoard a whaler ihev
were not likely to want for food. One would think that a creature so
powerful and active could never he taken alive, hut on its hunting- expe-
ditions amon-j the drift-ice, it frcHpieully trusts itself to the water, and
liere, in spite of its endurance, man is more active and clever, and with a
well-mana-cd boat, a lucky cast of the noose j^enerally falls on the neck
of the swimmin,<r bear, when, half-dra-rijfcd and half.swiinmin<,s lie is
hoisted on deck like any other animal, the noose roiuid its neck hein-- a
-uarantee for its •jrood behavior. On their return they are jicnerally
sold to sfMue mena<>^erie or zoolo,<?ical jrarden, the price of a full-<rrown
lu-ar beinj,' loo thalers (75 American dollars)."

6151

"wrT'

(;:$•>

THE PENDULUM ISLANDS.

P;iniiiL; company witli the niciienkoil), the Gcrmania now souj,Hil to
reach the coast of Grecnhuid. Her path was a tortuous one, and fuU of
danger. The day-l)ook of the captain shows that at the heginnin^r of
the journey, after leavin^- the Ilansa, stron;j^ northwesterly winds pre-
vailed, wliich of course delayed the vessel's proj^'ress toward the coast.
The easterly winds, on the other hand, drove the ice toward the shore
which thus hecame so packetl that it was impossible to reacli the main-
land. Several weeks were sjient in meetiui^ these obstacles, but the
elForts of <he shi[)'> company were at last rewarded, and on the 5th of
Auj^mst they jjlanled their lla^- on (Greenland soil.

The group of islands which tiiey hatl now reached, known as the
Pendulum Islands, were tirst discovered and appropriated bv Claverin^-,
in iS_'3. [See voyage of Clavering.] Far to the north was seen Shan-
non Island, tlie largest of the coast islands of (Ireenland, while soudi-
ward lay Sabine Island, only a few miles from the mainland. Along
these islands the expedition hoped to make its wav northward, aftei-
having, according to tlieir instructions, sought for and marked the posi-
tion of Sabine's observatory.

The condition of the ice was here lirst distinctly seen. The straits
between Sabine Island anil the maiidand, and also between the several
islands, were completely blocked \vith what appeared to be all land ice.
Further on, between Shannon Island and the mainland, as fir as the eve
could I'cach, the land \"as linn, and tlie conclusion was soon reached tliat
tiiere would be no breaking u]) tliat year. Along the coast, then, ad-
vance was impossible, and thi; only ])raclicable way remaming was aloii"-
the eastern side of Shamion Island.

"Tlie ([uestion," says Koldewey, '• has been raised se\eral times, ts-
l)ecially among inland people, as to why, being nnatile to advance aloii^-
the land-ice, I did not re-entei- the pack and work m\' way through it
northward, and. In a higher latitude, again try to reach the coast. This
is o])pose(I to all o\]X'rience; it has long bei'u i^nown that in a stivani of
lieav}' ice, in fu'l, in the so-called pack, never, nor at any i)lace, with the
strongest and best steamer, has any considerabk' ])rogress been in;i(ie
witliout the supi)oi t of the coast, or tiie I'oast islands. Had I wished In

SLEDliE-yoURIVE ) 'S.

6;i!J

liave reached tli

peiietralc the ice-h;irrler.

c coast at a more lu.rtheiiy point, I sli„ul,| have ha.l

a.^-aiii to steer aloi

force my \vay into t
would certainlv never

i,LC tile northern horder, and

le pack once ni

oi-e ni 7,S

lia\e been lol

w'oidd ha\e 1

)een unjustifiahle to 'mv

trouhle, to iollow a i)hantom.'"

ucli a proceedinL;'
lowed hy i|-,e desired result, and it
V uj) A liasis reached with so much

tmics, es-
ice aloii;^'
irou;4h it

A VI1.I..\(,1.. I.N .SiJl TUl.ASl' l.UM'.NI.A.NlJ.

After some iVuiliess attempts t,, make tlieir wav al,,n- the coast in
die (iermania, the party returned and found wiiUer q. utters on Sal.inc
Maud, a few miles t,, the s,,inh and wcM of l»cn,liihm) Maud, the laiul
which they had at first reached. It v,a. u..w planned to devote (he winter
lo sU,l.,c'-journeys. Tlie thst of these was oi-ani/ed at once, and was
readvt,.starl on the i ph of September. As on the departure from

■ill'-'-

> i

f '1 J

684

/'X/r,7i/,r F/()Rn—h'UIl\ /,

hoini- tlic- tifciKM-al cxpccl.'Dioii was lliat tlic <,n-catcst and

AND.
itcst

most sill

islaiitial

(lisfoM-rirs inusl I)L' madi' witli tlu- sh

P'-

>l)al)l

ip, tlic'ir iiistnic-tions spoke only

(-• j^iacRT excursions to tlu- inlc>ri()r

.1" ll

K' comnrN- and not

cxtcnsixo slc'dj^r-o-jonrnt'vs alon"- tl

<>l

<i|

K' roasi and llu' liani

For tlu- particular n

'jcessiiics ot' Ihcsc journcvs, tlu-rcfon

was made at the outtittino: in IJremen, and tl

I 'I" tile I'^ionl.
no pro\-isi(iii

le sledge a])paralus ( leu

coverings, and so on) \-as not (piile wlial was needed.

ley liad learned from experience durin;^- the summer tliat ih
tent with a pole in the ceuttr, which they had hrou^-ht Ironi H
was not practically useful; it was, iheref
one, and pro\ided with a roof. At
pendicnlarly, and fastened

c round

reiiicn

ore, ciiauLred into a foiir-

conier(

eacli cornel" a

pole Avas placed

ly ropes, lieh

'Yh

I. and
eir further ajiparalus consisted of necessar
ey had not yet taken to furs), provision

per-

l)ropped up with stoiu

\ woolen c()\-ei-iu<

lor

s lor eii^-ht days, of iiistruin

otablv the I

leodolite, that essential in all coast sin-ye

ys, and 11. c

Clli-.

cus-

tomary harometer and thermometer.

The sled

t^es, which carried about si

X inuulreil \vei<r

six men, the Ca])tain, I'^irsf Lieut

, were drawn hy

i a

yer, Trauwit/, Krauscl

iner, Ki

i-iii/-

ner, and Ellin<fer, traveling- wil

\ com|)aratiye ease over the almost

.iiii\\ ■

less ice. Fli<,relv Fiord and Kuhn Island

were to constitute the ol

.f tl-

Meet--

eir investii^'-ations, and these points' were lirst

SOU''! It

111' S|l(l|-,

of the Fiord,

says Copela

11(1, '•'■ w;j>

ded 1

s surrouiuled iiy heaulihil innuut;

chains — to the north

nr-iieiss— and s^raniti' cli

a; at

the foot of which wcii

slopes covered with soft ,i,n-assy veq-etatiou ; to tlie south i
rocks, the hi^•hest of which (we will call it Doml

ose ici'-crow'in

)er:

■)

was ccrtaiiih

more than V)"" l"i--'l hi>''h. K^eind

eer came troiu all sides o|' the strand

m a stale ol wonder; hut this lime .ve withstood ll

ie d;.-,ire t.

> ilUlll, 111

order to lose no time. Onl

\' o

nee was the journey iiil

erruptc<l

n :i

sli^rht topo^-rapliical incidenl. A hear wl

away hy shoulinj^-, after which Kleut/.iu'f Icll tlu

pulled out, and had to cross a loii"- hroad

ucli came near us we I

riLihtciK

OU'Ml tl

ice; lie w,i>

urcach

i'lii,ady I'iord was explored and survexed up 1

o wheiv lis inlan,

boundary becomes a ])art of ihe rui^^ed i
Island Lieut. Payer noUced a st

nainland

nex'oud

()

n Kiiltii

one ol e\ceedin^-l\' li'dil color. \

^•IliCll (111

C'l

ill

A DECAYED COMMUNITT

tlu- south side of the islan.l lonncd s.lul ..v.rhan^iu^ crystals t,. .t
least 3000 feet high. Leaving the slcd<,e, to his .,.at astonish..cnt he
stumble.! up<.u a h.ye,- of coal, its strata alternating with sandstone.
I'urther uu-estic^ations proved tlie existence of the carboniferous deposit
n. lar^^e quantlties-possihly a useful factor in the future, development
or sub,u<,ation, of ICast (ireenlan.l. The party soon returned to .heship'
iiavnig wdked a distance of 133 uiiies. ' '

The months of September and October were spent in inakin- prep,
ara.ions lor .he coming winter. The (iennania was released tVoin the
KV hands which the early Hdl ha.l cast about her, and was drawn closer
...the body of Sabine's Island, where, moore.l in a convenient bav she
could fearlessly withstan.l the shocks common to vessels winterin.-'with-
tl,c Arctic circle. On the . .th of October the ship was surrounde.I
.-.th a wall made of blocks of ice iVozeu together, and a sort of break-
water ,u- boundary to the little harbor was constructed of the same
material.

The winters spent by most American and liritish explorers in Arctic
reoumshave been somewhat ameliorated by companionship with natives
The consciousness that other luunan beings can and do ],ve in these des-
olated regions is a great source of comtbrl to sojourners in the north, es-
pecially when this knowledge is .^^aine.l by actual contact with the .leni-
zcns of the ice. Up to this point, however, our explorers had seen no
trace of natives, nor in.leed any signs of their having f .rmerly occupied
tins portion of (iree^dan.l. The conclusion, therelbre, was that the l-s-
M.ninaux had either deserted their former abodes, ..■ ha<l become extinct
Clavcring,in .S>3,had lound an Ks.p.iinaux settlement on the Island
bearing his name, but both natives and tiieir habitations had now disap-
peared. A few skeletons and rude implements alone remaine.l to tell the
story of the deiayed conimunitv.

l"alb ui.iter, and spring tbun.l the voyagers useh.llv employed in ex-
ploring and surveying the liords and gultV of ICast Greenland^ in taking
magnetic readings, ..^.^X i„ compiling tabulated statements of their scien"^
tilic discoveries. The absence of .logs and reindeer ma.le their labors
verv severe. Supplies, tents, instruments, all the paraphernalia ..fan

■f^^^...

'ill :■ !

680

ATTACKED 13 T A HEAR.

Arctic slc(l<,'e-)()iiriicy had to I)c (lra.t,'<^C(l throuLfli tliu snow hy llic nun
themselves, the ollicers i)articipatin>4- in this lahor wilii appropriate en-
thusiasm. In this way several det^rces of the eastern wall of tiie conti-
nent of (Jreenlanil were accurately exjilored and laid down.

It is prohahle that no expedition has had so varied and thrillin<,r an ex-
perience with Ihe animal life of liie north as the party of our preseni '
narration. Almost no journey was undertaken without more or less
dan,i4er from the immense hears which inhahit tiiese regions, and some-
times the creatures approached the vessel itself with ,t,n-eat l)oldness. An
incident occurred on the 6th of March, in which a valued memher .,|
the expedition nearly lost his life from the holdness of one of these
heasts.

^' We were sittinj;," writes l.ieut. I'ayer, ''fortunately silent ni ihe
cahin, when Koldcwcy suildenly lieard a faint cry for helj). We all hur-
riedly tumhled up the companion-ladder to the deck, when an exclauia-
tion from Horj^en, 'A l)ear is carry in,^- me oil',' struck painfully on our ear^.
" It was (juite dark; we could scarcely see anythiuy, hut we made di-
rectly lor the (juarter whence the cry proceeded, armed witii poles,
weapons, etc., over hummocks and drifts, wiien an alarm shot which we
lired into tiie air, seemed to make some impression, as the hear di-oijped
his prey, and ran forward a few paces. He turnetl a.i^ain, however, dra"-.
t;in^- his victim over the hroken shoie-ice, close to a licld which stretched
in a southerly direction. All dcpen<led upon om- coming;- up with him
hefore he should reach this Held, as he would carry his prey over the open
plain with the speenl of a horse, and thus escape. We succeeded, 'fhe
heai- turneil upon us for a momen!, and then, scared hy our continuous
lire, let fall his l)ie} .

" We liftcul our poor connade upon tlic ice to hear him to his cahiu,
a task which was rendered ilillicult hy the slippery and uneven snrlace
of the ice. iJut after we had -one a little way, HurL^Mi implored u> lo
make as much hasto as possihle. On procurin-;- a light the coldest natuiv
would have heen shocked hy the spectacle which poor Hur^en i)reseutc(l.
The hear had torn his scalp in several places, and he hatl received several
injuries in other parts of his hoily. His clothes and hair were saturated

OBSERVATIONS ON ANIMALS.

C:}7

-ilh I,lo.Hl. Wc i.nproviscd a coucl, lo,- hi,„ ;, ,,, ,,„. „, ,,^,^. ^^^^^^
c:il)iii, as Ins own was not lar<^c ciKnioh.

'-The lirs, operation was pcrionncd upon hin, on the cabin table.
An.l bere we nr.y brielly notiee tbe sinj,adar faet tbat, altbou^^b be bad
been earr.ed n.o.e liian one bumh-ed paces witb bis skull ain.ost laid
l...e, at a ten.perature of ---..3 Fabrenbeit, bis scalp bcaled so perfectly
•1-t not a portion was nnssin^." Dr. Jior^en's youtb and vi..n-<H;s
.onsftufon soon e,ial)[e,l bini to tlinnv od' tbe evil efFects of tbe'sboek
... vvlucb be bad been subjected, but tbe wbole party fron. tbat time were
carelul not to wander fortli alone in tbe dark.

Tbe observations of tbe party were carried on w,tb tbe cbaracteristic
(.ernian accuracy. Particular attention was ^iven by tbe naturalists to
- annual li,e botb of land and sea, as well as to tbe scanty Hora exhibited
ainon;, .be barren rocks on wbicb they bad lallen. Space tails us to -nve
m dctad tbe results of tbese investigations, but tbey tbrn. a very i,npo,Lt
cbapter n, tbe natural instory of tbe nortb. Actual contact in the hunt
w,tb nn.cb of the aninaal lite, ^ave then an opportunity to ^enerali J
bon, real observation upon liic characteristics and habits of tbe north
crn launa. Hear, n.usk-ox, hare, fox, lemnnno and sea-horse-all passed
under tbe scientilic knhb of I'ansch and P.or,,a.n, and tbe fact that their
l.l.lc stock ot provisions niust be len,y:tbened in so.ue original way, made
the opportunities for these investigations n.ore frequent than tbey would
o.berwise have been. Indeed, these animals were sought, not more for
scent.f.c purposes, tiaan for a more oi,vious and substantial utility.

The encounters with many of tbese animals are sakl to have' been at-
icnded witb the greatest danger. Tbe appearance and mode of warfare of
tlK' walrus is gra,;liically described by an eye-witness: .. If ,,,,,, ^,^,^^,^
deserve tbe name of monster, it is the walrus. It is from nine feet six
iiubcs to sixteen feet six inches n, length, weighs about two thousand
pounds, a,id its skin is three an.l a half inches thick (a sort of massive
coat of mailj, with large eye, and a head of infinite ugliness.

"Sboidd one of tbese .nonsters see a boat, h rais^ itself; astoni^^bed,
above tbe surface, utters at once a cry of alarm, swinuning toward it

as >|Uickly as possii)le. This call brii

igs n|) others, awakens the sleeper

rv ((H

■It HI

'T'l

^lil .m

"i 1

S'I'i-:! -m

the

toi

VIC

toiMi

vvl

and

onci

oil

l)lc

Ol' I(

year.-

and

tic di

638

tiial

CONCLUSION OF THE VOrAGE.

639

which tlic boat had carefully avoided -p,,! i,. o i

fn.y in .11 ,l,cU. hidooa,„o»s. ' '"= '" ""'"'"'"' "' '-'

" The creatures may p„H,ibly be „„ly actualecl l.y c.,ri„,i,v but the',
.-.n,.e,. ol .howin, it i, »„ i„.,b,„.„ ,,,. „„^ ,,^,^ obli^eT^'aet , t

aic struck w.th axes ou tl,. Hippos with which thev thr.-.. .

;"—>-•" --•^'•-•^owever,ti>e.a-h::i 1^

- s.n.a,cu. as his u.aus oHoco.otiou ou this eie.nent areve^^i^^:

As spruio. advanced, the cvc^^ of the Germania „..d
their homeward journey The vessel . P>-^P--^",ons for

J uiiit,y. J- nc \ esseJ, SO lon<'- a nr «nnf>i- ;., • i •
1 ,. , ' *""o '' prisonei 11 icv rnmnc

1-™k. „.ee about the first „.J„,,, a„d the eu,i„e belu, repaire ^ ,'
s c cu,.s.a„ee,, wou,., per.nit, ,o,„e cruisiu. „a» <,„„e as a finish ."

.ouch to „e work of the sea After e.a^iniu, Shauuou Islan, 2

v,c,u.ty tbcy eparted for Ger,na„y. .here tbey arrived ou the , tt of
e^ber, alter au uueveutfu, voyage of three weeks. They fouud
I c, cotnttryutcu at ho„,e wild with e.eiteureut ou account of recent vic-
.. -over the Kreucb,b„t uoue the less „ad to welcome the sailo

'« '-. »l".wu perhaps as ntueh dariu,, in facin, the s.eru wea.be ;
the north, ., . e regulars had exhibited before the ,„us of the enenty.

t " ""","" "" -''■'^'■^- '"-'-■> ^y^- voyagesof .he IlLa

'' '";'"" ''""''' '" >^'"> "- «"»ving coudusious : Uuinterrup.ed

..,.e..coast water alou, the coast of East Greenland had been ,.rove. .J
.cx,st; and ,. was shown .ba. .he coast water was <,ependen. ntereiy
1 - I a,e.nns.ances. East Greenland wa,, pt-oved not to form a snif .
'>^.""-«- ...chin, the North Pole, even sett.n, aside the possib
. .-clnn, a h„her latitude by ship along the coast i„ n,o..e'favorabl

; e '"; "'"■'■ '"""• '■•"■'""■"■'- ■■"" "- g-'ogy, .....ural historv,
elnnateo the country itself, and by the investigation of the ,ar.:
o, s and the,., extent north and so.uh, a uew basis f n- promoting Arl
.seover,cs had been created, promising rich results, which may even-
.....ll> assrst n, a substantia, way in solving the Arc.ie p.oblent.

CHAPTi:i< r.\.\.

HALiAsKCONO VOV AOK - niscov KKS KKMCS ,>„■ KK AXKMX _ ,-,„
POLAins-OFKICKUS SKLKCTKU KOK THIK., VOYAGE _ K..IKKmXc'
AND T<)„KC,OLnO--A niFKKKKNCK O,. OPIMON-THK MrGUKST
..0,NT-,.AST nouns PKNNKO HV H ALL - - SLKDGE-JOUH XKV To
rUE NOKTU -siCKNKSS AND UKATH OK UA1.L _ COMMENTS ON
MALI._THK POLAUXS IN UANOKK-VINKTEEN PEKSONS I.EKT ON
niK KE — A niUJT OK NEAKLV TEX DEGKEES.

Hall undertook his scc.md voya^a. to the Arctic regions in ,864 s.il
ing- from New London, Conn., in a whaling ship con^manded hy C '.pt
Buddnig.on. 1 lis o.dy companions were Ehierbing and his wife Tockoo"
Mo, tlH. Esquimaux who had accompanied hin, to America on his return
tn)n. h.s hrsi expedition. It was his ambition to reach King VVilliun's
Land and explore ,t. As soon as Hudson's Bay was reached he landed
pnshed north as tar as Uecla and Fury Jiay, after which he entered thJ
land c,| his search. He remained four winters in King VViUlam's J uul
hving with the natives during the entire time, principally near lU-pulsJ
Bay. He made himself familiar with their habits and customs, and he
came proficient in their language. From all that could be learned from
the Esquimaux he becan.e thoroughly convinced that the greater portion
of Frankhn's party had died of starvation in that country, but few <n
tiiem succeeding in reaching the mainland. Many relics of the ill-fated
Franklin Expedition were found by hhn and brought to America, hut the
most ddigent and pe-sistent search failed .0 discover any documents
which could siied any light upon the mystery, from which it is supposed
that when compelled to hastily abandon the ships the records we.clcft
behind and lost; and Hut the ships wer. left in a hurry, is evideticed I,v
the fact that no stores or provisions h.we ever been found. It did, hou-
ever, appear reasonably certain that Franklin had succeeded in passia-r

as far westward

rcall

THE POLAIi/S.

:is any point since readied, and ti

y due the discovery of the much

Of Hall

souyht Northwest P

641

';" l<> liis enterprise is

s second expedition !.ui Httle h;

iissaire.

in.^ hy liiniself. IK. had

i*^ fver hee

which he intended to f

■inned hiniselt" with ft

1 written — no

ui-

and

iirnish the puhlic upon tl

complete notes,
.k. lu.,. .,,,.,, , u,c. ,..u. ...Vice ,-„,„„,, ,, „,, ,,,„ „^.,. ^.,^.^

";."" "^ '"T: '^'---" -■'<■ >.. c.,s. „r .cci„L .«.,

•.-.vcc. .,.„ „.at..,. ,„., „.i.h a capaci., „f ,,„.,- .„,„ „„„ „„.,_ ^,„,

";;" ^-''.""'V"'" '" ■" "">- """"*■ -i-T'w...' whic „„;

I ■.l.o..sh o, „.as p,.,.vi<l., ,;.,. „K. ™,„r„n, sa,l.,v, and »„cce» .,r .,.

As»„,.„ as „u. ,..»„, ,, ..„ „„;,,„, ^„,. „^,^ appropriatolv'

iv-chn»tciic-ci iIk- l'„l,,|.i» The I'c.li. Star."

A. M,„„ as .h. c.xpc,li,i..„ l,,,a,„, a sclcd ,ac,, Capl. Hall a, „„,,

, aiai ueu. I Ik- cxpc-dilK.i, was lo be

.....I..- !..» ..........I....C c„„.,„a„d. I [,s .i,-lu yoars' .sp.ricuv i„ U,o Vrc

I..- -K.....S, a l„„.wl„l,o „r „K. |.;s,„i,„a,.. ,a„,„a,., a„d Uh- happv

;"""' '■■' •'"" »"•-■' ■li-i'i".- -vith...,, losi,,,. p„p„iariiv a,„„,;.

Ills men, c.^rtainlv

I ina.uiR

lilii.,! K

he positio/u

ic saduiij-masler,

1 i,

643

'ty.lnvy (). Muddin-r)

■/7//t .S////-S CO.

MPA.Vr

'7 """'■""' "■'""'- -.i"iu, K.,„. ,„.. ,i,v,.,i,„, ,.;

Smitl.'s ,S,„„„I- |.-,„|| ,.. , '"<-ivly.„ o,„„,.l„„„i

""""" '■"'^'- " vu. l:v ,l„, ,,„„„

Frederick Mcvi-

1, (iiiel ciiMiiuaT
■r, nieteorolo-rist • \i I) \\^ i>..

i.tin, the lvM|iiiin;mx M) crl)in..- his ,v-if, -|> , ,■
' "">' wlm was horn t.. iheni alWihe d.a

'■'"' "' " ''>iillrrHv ■' ii; ihi.
ir- llu. ,.,vw „„„„,,„,,...,,. ,„, , c „„,,,,„-„, „.

''• I'i .ili rapat'i-

llDIU WCVV Cyy.

II Km EST J'O/yr

LMiry wlicn

nte; Will.

'■•' K;iiiL-'s

■ ;.'ii ()|K'ii

piinsioii Ml

OF POLAJi/S.

,•: posi-

>')\crii.

^iiii'iT:

i'li,i|)-

rhil.l

ii; liiiv

;ip,k'i-

( ,> 1-

i!,ii.;.

was addcl M ,l,>^..,I,ivr,, ihe H,,,,^ Ch,isti-.n r r

l^is wife and ,h,vc. children. •""'""' "•''•^"■^' ^^^

64a

O" Jun. .9, „S7:, „H- I'ol,.,.. , su^uncd out of New V, ... , ,
-■-"• -.1 >i.i..-ns ..tcMuIcd ,o th \''^""'""-"-'«'. where the ,ov-

<MVenh.„d, on .he Ms. T ■''"'"' "' ""'•^tx-inhor^.,

■.*^..l:::,J':L:::::::,;'rr--'"--'---

was i-eaelied, .hi m.
ill I.'i.itiulc 70 ;o'

-■^'-•" I-nnanent sc tlcmc.Uonthe.loI,e,i.eh,j,
When .hey we.v in ri<,lsteinho.-<r , , ^,,^ „ ,..,-

'"■ - ' '"' ^ »^-i-in. ..,„„;„,» : :;:::"; ■"■ ""™""

A. »h.„,l.l I,. « ,,,;,,„, ,,, ', '" "'" ''^- -''■'^■"""."l ,l„u „M

■■— ..:::::::--,::::::'-■-- ^

;;::,r:: ::;:'■"-"■' ""---^' '"<■.■- :.:^r:::":::

-" ^' -onl was hea.-,l th.„, .h, ,,,,,i,ion I v „ ■ , '' ' ' '■^'

•I- I'olaris i.n Tessuis-d- h ' "- av.u.ed world. W

.. „ , l^-u,sak.sh.e.-oss.d the head olMdv, lie JJ., •

^"-•<lu.n n.nd Ishuui, .oino. „.-on. Sndth's Sound m\'
v<Tv little ohstru.i.-.n (Von, . I. . ^''■etm.Liwa

u- ■ ^^ " '^''■' '''^' P'-'>"-^'«l-l ..ntil si. en., d wh.f

'::;, tr:,,''™-:'- — 'v...h.„u.s.„,. '::

.he- .inu ....,.,,; :/''"'':^-'' '''•■■>■ ■■'■-■''•■''''-"■I'i^.i-.

I -9 in li.lls : .konni- and ,Sv 16' Iv M,.,. ^

"'■'■■ "''"■'■•■ ■ '«,■„,.„,„„,,. o„ \ ■" :

which h.Hl h.Tu n 'n..,! I« i ■^"-•.' Hil' channel

..^ .In-,,,,,,, ..,;,::;'/:;::■;■" ;::-"-■ "i-i- -le,, „„,„,„.

len
^ed
wa ,
It

''Jl

iti.i:

^|i

'.'s*-

014

/.A.SV n'(J/,V)S I'ENiXEI) liV HM.f.,

bay w.is ('(.tin.! closi' \^y named K.cfui'o \\:\x\

><)i', III whii-li

t.il

ki' wiiilcT <ni.iiii'r'

ii>nsiili;ili(.ii, 1m)\vc-\ci. .k-ci(lf(l

ill (Ic'sircd If)
:i^;.iiiiNt this, and

soon allrr l.ic ici- l.rc-anir inastcT oC ihc sitnalion, .IriCiin,;; tlu' I'ol

a Noiitlii rl\ dirci-lioii Tor lour days. T

K' nai-

i\ onciK'd o

II Si'|)t.

;. o.vcua-.i,K,.k.l,.ll,r c.aslwanl, uhidi .rt i,,,,. ,l,o ( ;,vciilai,d

HIS 111
;, and

II luniKMisr iii'l)cr''- slu'lk-rcd it

slioiv,

s iiK.'illi, ami licr

pass (111- wiiiUT, T

».• il was (led rinincd to

|};

H' I'ove IS in latitiidi' .So ^^"^'^ ;,iid

wa-. naiiu(

IV, wliik' tlir I

oians

Hii^T island of ici' was dcsi'nialcd I'

point IS al)oiii two hnndrt'il

i'<»\ idciict'hi rir. 'PI

lis

iiiiirs

llollll

aiif s

fain

tt-rs, and ahonl tlir

oils winliT (inar-

Of miles north ol' tin' farilu'si poim

ivachcd li\-

avcs.

c ici'Ikt;^- was iisL'd

as a moi.riiiL; j)lac:L- for the Polar

IS, an ol

vatorv was at oiuv (.■stahlishcd.

)scr.

scieiititic work w

atclv, and Hall 1

IS f()inmfiKi'd iniiiiLdi-

>ej,'aii pivparations for a sled

tion

,Ui' loiirnry in the din-iv

oie, wliK-li >vc-iv soon completed. On Oetol

Started wiili t'oi

>er lo |n'

n- sledj^es and fonrteen (lo<

tlie mate, aii<l tlie ICscpiimanx, EbJerl

accompanied liy Chest

er.

'Ill''- and

Ills.

tion was planned to last two

H- expedi-

On ll

111 wliieii to return,
words i'\er [)eiined

relary of the \av\. It

weeks, one- to -o north, and the other

eveiim-,^ of the joth II

ill wrote the last

li\- liini, which w

ere a comnumication to the S

cc-

\vas a description of their v

tmu

.■ttl

e oi settling', ilowii in ih

oyai^e up to (he

ho{

eir winter cpiarters, and was fnl) of

"te and conlidence in t

words of

le siic'-e

ss ol ih

isjiatch was placed

e expedition.

(-■o[)y ol the

111 a pillar at

l>r('\-oort C'a;

1 of the 1

)e, the noiti

icrn head

'av, where th

(Jclol)er, 1.S71,

e I'licampment was mad

c on the j/st of

he original, whici

1 was liist read in W"

nearh

I wo years after ii wa-

ishin^-ton

ntten.

iiowed coiiclnsiveh- that 1

conhdent of siiceess.
env, refuted the I'lr

le was

and, taken
ir"-es that tl

III connection wi

tl. tl

le one written I

oini-

plett.

le eqinj^ment of the Pol,

ii"is was nicom-

ic e\

pedition advanced north ten d,

ivs, makiii

menis :md pro-ressino- Movent \- miles.

SIX eni'ainn-

or ahoiit S;

point there was an ap|
prex'ented anv

^ S north.

vt thai

)earanee of |,-,nd still north ,,f

liem, Iml a elond

oDservatioii which

Wit,

would deliiiilelv settle the mailer

1 the

exteptiofi o|

a .L,'-lacier on th

e east side of t

inencin^- 'x latitude S„ ,^„ ' north, the monntains on all sid

lie strait, coin
es of Keiiiie(l\

'>/(A'X/:SS OF IIM.I.,

Ol.'i

-- ^.v. , ,:.::::";,•:;;: ";'"^"'r'

IHKl.M. iij, liAl.l..

PP".m„u-„i, ,„ .,„ ,h, ulxht of Nov, S Ik. I™I a

tiLbli attack, and \vas (omu.! i-i h.v -..,1,;,, h.- T

" ^'""" ''> -^ysuii, m^ensiMc, and breath-

was doomed •() disa

04(5

COMMENTS ON HALL.

\ f^M

in- hc;>vily. That iiio-lu he (iictl, and three days Liter he was hiid in a
shallow <,n-ave in the frozen jrrouiul. The doctor pronounced the cause
of death to be apoplexy, hut Hall believed that poison iiad lieen placed
in the cup of colTee which he drank, and in the delirium which preceded
his death he imanfined that every person who went near him was .eu-
deavorins to kill him. In rej^ard to the matter, the commission reported
without a dissentin- voice that "the death of Capt. Hall resulted natu-
rally from disease, without fault on the part of any one."

Physically, Hall was an exceptional man. His tenacity of life and
powers of endurance were far above those of ordinary men. Aljove
medium hei,<,^ht, he was powerfully built, with broad chest, muscular
limits and a lar<,^e head. He was remarkable for his temperate habits,
and after his return from his second expeilition, after passin<^ throu.^-h the
ordeal of an Vrctic winter, a more robust man could not have been
f>und. In the event of Hall's death the command was to fall upon IJud-
din^lon. The winter wa-^ passed in the usual manner in that rei,non,
but no trouble was expc'ionced from cold or want of food. The scieii-
tilic observations were made const mtly, and whenever it was possible lo
do so, the coast was surycyed. Whenever the opporcunity was faxorable,
the Esquimaux hunted with success, and in this manner an abundanci' of
skins was procured. The storerooms were also well filled with the
skeletons of animals and birds, c;j^;^^s, and many other curiosities of natural
history. Nets and lines were set, l)ut no fish could be cau<rlit. Con-
siderable driftwood was picked up, which had evidently found its way
there from a warmer climate.

A fierce i^alc from the northeast, about two weeks after tlie death of
Hall, drove the Polaris from her moorin,t,'s, and she (lra,i,',t,'ed her anchors
until she landed a-ainst the iceberi;- at the mouth of the cove, where she
was secured, and remained there until June follovvrin<,^ Later slie was
driven further on the berjr by pack ice, where her prow lemained fast,
while the stern moved up and down, as influenced by the tides. This
position strained the Ktern-piece and started a portion of the plankiii-, so
that when she once more settled in her native element it was found that
she leaked considerably. However, when ( mptied once l)y the sicain

IS lai'i in a
I tin? causf
jcii placed
1 preceded
m was ,en-
1 reported
I ted natu-

f" life and
. AI)ove
inusciilar
te haltits,
nn\<y;h the
:ave heeii
po/i IJud-
i re<jfion,
'lie scien-
lossihlr lo
avorahle,
idanci' ol'
with the
>t' natural
It. Con-
its way

death ol'
■ anchors
diere she
she was
ined last,

!S. This

iking-, so
md that
le sicain

1 /JO AT EXP ED in ON.

pnmps it was an easy matter to keep the hold clear \
minutes each houi-.

047

y workiiijT ,., fc

boat

ORAVb, OK 11 ALL.

^s^-^- circumstances this
seemed the wisei- course,
althouL;li it is not believed
that had Hall been living
he would haw consented
to it.

The ice left the I'olaris free early in An.^^ust, and she steamed slowly
>Io^vn the western shore. At the close of the first day she was f .stoicd
ill the ices and was in a very ,lan-erous jwsition. In latitude So^ 3' she
u-as made f,st to a Hoe on the i6th, which drifted her hither and thither
iu Smith\ So.md for two months, durin- which time not more than
twelve miles were ,^^ained to the south, bringin- her in the neighborhood
-I Northumberland Islan.l, in latitude 79' -^^,' . Apprehending dan.^'r,
provisi.^ns were carrie.l on ,ieck, a canvas shelter was erected on thelce^
:md everv prepa.ation made for a speedy abandonment of the vessel
should it heconie necessarv.

048

OAT THE ICE.

A very severe gale set i., tn„n I iie south .,n Oct. i S- The Ice pressed
- uncle, the ship, and she .as actually lifted out of the vvate.- and thrown
on her hea,n ends on the ice. Provisions an.l stores were thrown over
and under orders about half the crew proceeds to carrv them to a more sc'
-n-e place. The boats had been lowered, and in the middle of the
n.Sht, ni the midst of a terrific storm, the Polaris broke loose and imnu.
cl-ately disappeared, leavin,^ on the ice the nn.eteen persons who h-.d
gone there to save the provisions, at which they labored all ni^^ht In the
mornm,. they attempted to reach the shore, l,ut failed. The Polaris was
seen durin. the .lay under sail and steam, but soon changed her course
and d.sappeared. Another glimpse of her was caught a 'i..,^ hours late.'
but she agam disappeared, an.l they very naturallv believed that thev had
been purposely abandoned.

Tho ha„lsl,ips o,„l,„x,l .,y ,!„,, who wore I„f, „p„„ ,ho i,e „r. he
yond .fescnplion. P„. „„, „„,„„„, ,„, ,.,,^,^^^^ ^,^^^,^ ^^^
me,,, w„m..„, „„,, oWldren <lrifto,l „„ fl,«i„„ ;,, „„.„„„, „„ ^„;, „,,.
er, at , k- ,„„rcy .„• wi„,l a,„l vva.o,-. Th. ,,.,.. „„„„ ,,i,ich they f,.„,„„
he,„« .vs o,, Icavin,, the »hip wa. ,„„„ ^hattoted, a,.l the panv ,■„„„,,
.he„*. vos d,».rib„.cd o„ ditrcvnt „i„cc, „f i«. Thov had t„.„ hoat,
w,.h .h.ch they H„„„, ,„,_,ed i„ ,atho,.i„, a„ „„„, .he p,,,,.,,;,;'
floe, where they remained ,„ote dead than ahve, all „i,,h,. Sevetal ,
tempt, were ,„ade to reach the shore. The do.,, an.l ^d-.e, werj p,,,'
■n readiness, a«f each attempt to escape prove.1 a di,,„al faih.re. XVI.c,
.. wa, ,ee„ that there „a, „o prospect of rcachi,,. the ,l,„rc ,„o„-.
house, were bad,, and everything p„,,ible was .lone ,o ntalte the u„K.
pa,s comfortably a„.l pleasantly. Land was sec, for se>-e,,,l ,lav,. In,. „ ,l.e

weather was nnfavaa-able for ,al<in, observation,, it conl.l „;„ he r'ec

...zed Sometimes they >ve,.e in a eonditi, ..,,,„,. .„, ^ ^

saw death stann, then, in the face. Cannibalism wa, thon.ht o,; hat
each time food ,vas famished in ti,ne to save them

Meyer snceeeded in taking an „l,se, vation on .New Vear', Eve. a„,l
fonnd they were in latitndc r-" .o', lon„it„de r,o= ,„■ , showin. ,l,a, ia

mne weeks they had drifted sonthwa.d abon, „„. hnnd.vd and' ,w

five m,les. This was cheering new.s, thou.d, ,l,e ther.norae.er „ood

-' PERILOUS /'(JS/T/o.Y.

fi4))

39" below zero. This wis .-..■l.. • i

' ■'-"' --'■••" *>.•..-■ ■ o,.v CO , ::J "; '™'7 "■";■ -

■nonth found ,he,„ nearly out of -provision- T "' ""

.■.•.....l«i .he floe, and i. „.-,« .„„„ eraekiT V„ """^' ""^''^ ''"■

i" piece, .... .,.e pare, .nC. ,o Ure ,..r. ^ ,„cc 'o "if ^'^ "'•°^°"
March .... .,,,>erv.,eion showe.l ,„c,.. ,„ CL 1, " , ' ''^' '''' "'

■Inrin, the ,... fi„, .,„„,„„-,..,., drift: .", f' /' """ '""
.nilc, per d:,y. A. „.« .i,,,.. u.eir piece o ic | ' "' '"■™'>-*-

^.-.',e,„erei„e,..r.™e,.,„o„.er: ::::'■"-'--"=■■.

Kv^l

if;,.

CHAPTER LXXr.

AnvKXTUKKs OK Tvsox .x„ ,...,,■ «. -nrK rcK-MKVKH s.-,..,.,.

AWAV_AX A.OXV OK SUSPK XSK - TM K INKVITAn,.: ,.u,
AOAm-A SHW.T OK TMH STAKS - UKSCUKI, AT LAST - K V.K.M '
ENCKS OK TMK .CVKIS CKKW-THK SIU. A.AXnoXKH-OX Tn,,
OCEAN IN HOATS-.MCKKD Vl'-AUlUVV: AT nUNDEK.

The ,nonth of April ca.ne in wiLh . tcnHc stonn, an,l it he.une .vi
dent to our aavcUure.-s tl.. .hey n.ust leave ,he ice and tai<e .elu-v in
the boat. They^ot u.uie,- way early in. the n,o,-„i„., hut nnnuHh.,.
cra.t leaku.. badly, and loa.le.l ,00 deep to carry then,. Meat and elo-us
wore thrown ..verhoard, and nothing was carried ]n.t a ,ent, a tVw ski,.
to.- covering, and a little bread and pen.nican. Ahou. lifteen n.iles wcv
.na<le n, a southerly direction, when a landing was uKule to lighten ih,
l-U. The tent was pitched, and the partv remained all night,^dthou..h
the .ce was cracking and breaking up all around then,. The v,n-.^v
wasrcsun,ed again in the ■norning, 1,ut had only proceeded ab.nuu;;,
hours before they encountered a gale. They had a number ..f narn.v
escapes before a piece of ice large enough to land upon could be lb„n,l.
^'l-n landing, the boat was rapidly making water, and when clearol'
a great hole Nvas fbund in her side. Repairs were ,na.le as soon as possi'
hlc', and they took to the water, only to ,ind themselves again surnnnuiol

by .ce n, such a manner that they were con^pelled to seek reiu<a ,

Hoe. (iale succeeded gale, and as the ice continued to break thev were
constantly removing their things to a new center. On the night "of ,1,.
7th ,t broke again, carrying with it the boat, the kav ak, an.l Mr M.vcr
For a thne it seeme.l as though all were lost. The ice kept closin". i,,"
on them and they were withou- hope of saving the boa.s ,.r their unlor-
tunale companion. When daylight arrivc.d an attempt was made .„ ...
rue them, all the party, except two, ventm-ing awav on the ice. Ali ulu.

AN AGON2' OF SUSPENSE.

fi51

.»l<™ l«.c.., ,■„..! Meyc,. „a. save,,. T„„ ....ak .as U,c,! secured

'" ■■';"""^"; '"^'■'."-■- ^'- '-' -- '^.1-" .>,.„ , erece., again

- .!-■ -•n.o,. ,.. whae had .„e„ K-.o.ne a ,„„a,| „ieee ee :

a MK.«- l,„t wa, constructed at its side ,\„,,;„ ,|. ■ , '

l,,,,„.;„„ ., , , ■ *^"-"" "'^ wind coniinuiiced

, '" ■' -'""• ""*' !>'M.arati„ns were .nade ,„ take to the hoat

I I...V >vere Mteral,, washed oat of the teat and snow h,„ ThJ

"■'•;""' ■""' ^■"''''■■"' '-- I*«»l - .he l„at without a drv -.ot
»■■■' -;"-.' «. "".d. as a piece o,' fresh water iee to eat. n^. ^.^^^

". rV: "'- "- — ,.. Che eentore/ :

SIX moiitlis ot the vovi<n< oi, tli,> ; , ,

\o>a.,rc on tlie ,cc wen- cmplctul April ,-6. ■ At tint

tnnc they were slill without utiy prospeet ,.f a rescue uul s.-.w T '

. . ., . , .11 iLsLue, ana siai wition was

slana- llieni mi tile face. Seals weiv in ,;.,!,. ii , ,

, ''""""'^ "' -':^i>l^.l^""u,id them, Init none

' ''". '■"';'"■ '"">' ^' '"-'^-' 1-— were left, and cam, sn,

u.. slanii. then ,„ the face. ,„i .lie ,Sth a small hole was .liscovered
'" II- .-V »..n.e distance ofl; from which a seal lar.e c„o„,h for three

. ..vs |,rov,s,„ns was scvared, : ,dcd e,ually anion,- the parlv. On

I- ^...1. . sea struck the ice, an.l carried away cverytliiu, whieh w^ loose
|N>"" ■'• I It- «... rcpeatcl every fifteen n,inuu.s,and it kep, all hiisv
ool-u... tor a place wdiich would euahlc Ihcni to successfully withstand
the next siiock.

■riK- a^ony of suspense continuetl ten .lays lonc^er, ami in that hrief
space, u-ere crowded n.anv perilous a.lventures, which were a severe f.x
on .he entlurance of the su.lbrers. An observation showe.l that they
were ,n latitude ~,:,^^ 57', a .iistauce of ^Sy^ utiles in a straight line south
•'- the point where they started. Each day passed, as did i^s predecessor,
tin. sullerers hein^ all wet and hungry. Sonietimcs thev ean.e within si^ht
ol lau<l, hut were ahv.vs driven off a^ain. Meyer secured to fare wit
'"all, and his cha,.ce<„a- surviving more than a tew days longer were
c...>sulered slender, although all were in a <Ieplorable condition,;„d had
suderetl uulescrihahle tortures. Skins that had been tanuetl and saved Ibr
Hotb,n,.weredevoured - a dainty n.or.el, but even this diu not last Ion-.
^'Hi on Aprd .r> they found themselves without a morsel of foo,|. i.7n
that day a hear was discovered on the ice, movin- toward then. The

053

THE STARS /.V SIGHT.

Iliiiti

'' > '3

' ■ifi.'jf.f'l

Mr. .-"»

ft '■"

E.s<iui,naux, Joe and Ha.,s, took their o„„s, and at once went to
meet it, the result hein- tiint the l)ear, which came after a meal. w,s
soon the substance of one. That ni-ht another -ale sprun^^ up, accom-
panied by heavy rain an.l snow squalls. By mornin- the ice upon which
they had taken refu-e ha.l so wasted asvay that it i,ecame evident it
would not outride the .^ale, and they were compelled to take the despcr-
ate chance of a storny ocean, in a li.^Hu boat, insecurely patched, and
overloaded. The dan-er was great, but the boat survived the storm, its
occupants being thoroughly .ircnched, without any chance to drs them-
selves, having seen neither sur., moon, nor stars, for a week. Tiiey soon
struck a sealing ground, wiiere they found more seals than ihev had ever
seen before, but for some time were unable to secure any. Thev were,
however, at last successful, an.l had seal foo<l i„ abundmice. Tlie ice
soon became very thick around them. They again srarte.l in the hoat
but were soon compelled to lan.l on the ice again, where thev repairecl
the boat, and drie.I their clothing to some extent. On the .,8th „f
April the inevitable gale commenced again, and all night thev stood hy
the boat, la.mching her in the morning, but were compelle.l to haul he'r
upon the ice, where icebergs threatened her destruction, but which ihey
fortunately escaped by taking to a floe. The ice In-came slacker, and
during that afternoon they caught sight of a stea.ner ahead of them and
a little to the north. They hoiste.l tlieir colors, and endeavored incut
her off, but she disappears 1 without seeing them. Wearied with lianl-
ship and disappointment, they lande.l for the night on a small piece ,.f
ice.

For the first time in mariy nights they beheld the stars, and the new
.noon also ,nade iier appearance. A fuv was kept up all nigh, in ihc
hope that they would be seen by the steamer; though In this thev Nvcrc
disappointed. In the morning they started early, an.l at .layligh, a-ain
sighted the steamer about live miles off. The b.>at was lauudied, ,n,l
for an hour they gained on her, but in another h,.ur they hecainc
fastened in the ice, and could procee.l no further. Lan.ling <.u a piece nf ice
they hoisted their colors up.m the most elevate.l p.,i,n tliey could lind. ami
then fired three rounds fro.n their rifles an.l pistols, which were answercl

THE TIGRESS.

met! went, to
■ a meal, was
'A up, aeeoin-
e upon which
ne evident, it
e' the (lesper-
patched, and
the storm, its
t') (h-y thein-
i hey soon
ley liad ever

Fhey wei'e,
-'. The ice

ill the hoal,

hey repaired

the .-!Sth of

icy stood |)v

to liaul her

wliieh ihev
shici<er, and
>t' tlieni and
.^ored 1(1 cut

with liard-
:;dl piece of

nid tlu' new
niglit in ihu
s tliey were
■li,L,di' a;.;-ain
uiiched, 111(1
ey hecaine
piece ( if ice
lid lind, and
e answered

hy three shots from the st

earner, Sh

e was a'raiii

.mil while lookiii.,- f,„- |,

seen tile s;

line evemu"

er, anotluM- steamer 1

K've m sijrlu, ,,n the othei

IK' niornino- ..C ^Vednesdav, April

when ihc' fo^^ 1

?"> was tliK

and lb<r..v l,i,(_

irol^c> a LflorK

A st

"'■^ siirjit met the eves

earner was seen close to tl

"I" the drift

leni, ami as soon as thev

"11-- p;irtv.

were (hseo\ere(

i5f

IIDl

llol

ilili

llsfic

.K'COl

mcd

'■•it)ii

Ills

TlfE noLANis AliANDONED.

New York

n tl

'" '"-int;- llu' p,u-|y f.. Wash

)<>•>

10 inoiuh of [i„n;
Tims closes what is nml

iniftoii, where t

ley arrived larlv

lory of navi-ration. [t
were women, and

prohahly the most

" 'n.irvelous that iiiiieteei

i-emarkahic \ova<--

e 111 th

• ' his-

lue

ehildreii, mw

1 persons, tw

-lioiild have drifted
iiiiu'ty-live days ti

>f th

almost two th

em oiilv tw

oiisaiid miles

" o| who,,^

"■"ii,!^li an A

'ili\e, and in ^.■,)(„| health. T
was strikino-. m„ one had
ll"' men, ,L,'athered as th

relic winter

, lor one hnnd
extraordinarx

\\'^\

and

he harmony wh

•-e\iril V,

leh existed

•• ''Vord of Maine (

•■"'loii;-;' the nai

or any of his f

•ly

ev Were

edow

tlion.Lrht llrst of

li"om nearlv

^, and

-■hil

wliat conld he done f,

an nali

dren

II- tile F

""'•lilies, alwav;

''Capt. Tyson had
much of a lead. I

111 his testimony hefore th

'^<l"'''iaii\ \vom

le commissioiie

eommand on th

'■s, one of I

t- lee; hnt 1

en and

le' men said;

'-■vervlhin;

le never seemed

'-eeim'd 1(

to 1

ike

"ol a ,'Jrreat deal of

;■') on ver\-

not

eommandin^-; it w..

we I

icre way

no as h

e directed, il turned out

'^ not wanted. Wl

A't lis now return to th,

wrono-.

.lai

olans

after the siidd

il [lortion of th

oii'^- time she had

on separation on tl

e exjjedition rcnr

le 15th of Oct

len we did

" "n,tr oi, tii^.

1 float

nianv da\-s

■hich

I'een leakin- so hadlv tl
1 and il was resoh-ed t

'>l>er, 1873. !•

or a

lat it was evident

'> ahandon h

^'le could

lor, Evervthi

winch conid nossihlv lu. of ,, .• ■ "" '"^'-''yt'iiiif,^

'> "^ ot UM- m a sojourn in that wihierncss .f i,-,. \
Miow, was taken oni Tli,. 1 , '■"kss (,i ice and

"^ni 0111. 1 lie hawsers whu-h hel. I tl,

""■■ ■-"'. -i .^v. a,.i,K.,i ,..„, i„ , '' "'^- *'"'"■■■ '" "- i-

' --.I uv,.. ,■„ ,,.,„ „„„;„.. ■;"'":; "-;-■■ •'''-■ "- ,„■

;'"' -".."- ^^.».i.-.~: ;■■:^;;r";7"■■■
:^: ~ ■"->■•. .-v.... .M;::t'i;:;:,::r '' ■

:::::::::■■::!, ■''V'''''--^-- "■•----:":

'i-l-v-^- taken on. nid all the . I r ^le tnnhers hetween

.lns,,,a,erial..lm,;f'^^ '""•'' ''^'''-'''"^ ■---'• '™i
' "•" '""" "'•' '•-'-' "V- with sails. A partv of

lifi-

Mil

C*)(J

\w I M

'H/Ll)L\i. IU)Ars,

L»,..,n,„uv ,n„.le .u.ir appearance, a,„, r,.r s,„ne su-ip,, „f ;,,,„ „„,„„ ,„
■ ".. i..e„ ...„.c.,„e,,„,eees„„l i., .hci,- „„„«,,, expe,li,i„„, .„ev

.;-. >^l.i... wa, ,.„u„-acu,..eU wann, .„„„„;„„„,.„„„ e,„ J '", L,:
. I..... .v,„.e,. ,„ev „,„-e,.e,, ,,•„,,, The .,ow which fell ,,a, Ue,l „ uC

'"" ' '"■*""' ''» -« '■■■■"" "- -K., while .he I-olari. r„r e

' '"" "'■""^■""' '"-' ■'""■'^' '•"■■ " '-0. "« .he, knew th„v wo„U, J^

I'll

■■:i|1

PKKiLors ^>^^l;

ATIw:. (>!. Illi-: i'i;r.AIU:v.

!>-■ exhausioi, a.ui L.-canu. tVarf.,! of .h,,',- f,,. Tl, 1

le-isf I v,>-,r „ .• , "'L'V i<iiow (hat tor ;it

u..:.:,^::::n:::xt::':!;:;:;::r:;"''''-'--'''-^-^^

l"'""'l--"l l.v caeh Theivi , "•"« H'- Sa-at ,|„esli„„ ,„-„.

P-..pe.e.e.,na,a,ala..a„.„e;,,..aea.;;: „a .:;L:;:

Helped to
•is to the
ions thoy
!irty, ;ni(l

I^urini,'
wi tip tin.

"ormt'd a

needed.

"Id soon

ARRIVE AT nuyOFE

•Scurvy, th.a dre... disease „r ,]„. V,-,,;, , •
^".ce, but foil. vin. 'W- u- ,., „,- ^,^ , ''^"""^' '"•■"'^' ''^ •■•Pl-ar-

Ihe use of salt foo.l "'^ " , ''" ' ''"' '^''"' ^''^" '"^•" ahunuone.l

eradicated. '" ^"'''"^''^-'-"1 -«'- the nudady u-as

V fortiinatc thin- („,■ ,1,,. n.,,.^ ,,.„ ,,

I»'MS-..I coinracnccl thdr vv,-. I„ , -'""'' "-•

wieh 11,0 0,1,1,, fcarf„lly against ih.^i,- \ "' """"I""""""' home,

way tlic Tisrcss anil I ;„„ ,. " ""^ ""T were „„ tl^ir

wee l,anle,l up „„ „„, ;,,, „., '- ■""' '^^•"^1' "'»ht the boats'

™Joyc„. Theh- .,.ve „,.: : ^"""- "■"■"■ ■"-' «"■ "- .l»y was

l-"P.«ml theh-A,cl„a, ..il'whi?' „ """"T""" "" "'" '^'l"'"-"
.<- «.-e-p.ace a ...nanc „, i:.!: TZ:''^ ""''' """ " "'""' ^'""
'^^■•''■'" ..ay» a. i,al.,uy, I,„n„, a , «, Hn,: irT'"™ "'"'^■"' '^^■™
were at that thne hatchin.. their ' ""■■ •'"''*• "^ch

^■-■'--...■-ni.ij::,r;:/,:;;-

means of carrying it awav " P^^vcisot consumption and the

i-.wo -lay, before thTi :;,';;•"; ^'^^ ""'" ■'"'>' .o ^

«i«h.o„ a ve.e,, .hich soo^ 1 e ...v , ' "l '""'" "'' '"-"' '"^T

-■--." ™.o, an,, „,.,;,,, ,,:i':~^^

7'; '■"- '^—ai . transferre,, „ J ,,, ""''"""■' ''"

''-■»--"-u:..X;;:;ir'TL;: :;;,;;■" ^'^^™ — ^

"■ '-""-'""' -I "- «.tcty „r „,e ere„ ,„■ T^ T'" " ""'' '^'"'"l''"'
"•"-".S morning in ,he An,eriea„ paper. "" "'" '■'"'""""^"^ *e

Tll.ls eiulod one of the „„„t w,„„ler(„l' ,

">--y.nen,.o„,ena„„ehiu..n:;;:;:i::jr™^=°-"- "■""'

lie e>

•"^i

Jedition, only one

«r.'^

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

%^i^..

S^ ^ //.. "W^

1.0

I.I

11.25

IIM 112.5

1^ IIM

2.2

12.0

U. 11 1.6

rliuiugiapinL.

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

s«5r1;"'" =«!^U^

658

REGRETS FOR THE DEATH OF HALL.

death, that ofCapt. Hall, occurred, a most marvelous preservation of life
amid the greatest danger to which mariners were ever subjected. The
unfortunate decease of Hall in the infancy of the enterprise prevented the
accomplishment of such results as were desired and expected. Witn tlu'
commander died thc^ hope and heart of the expedition, and no further
attjmpt at discovery or original exploration was made. The lo.^s of so
brave and skillful a navigator may well be an occasion for the deepest
sorrow and regret amongst ail who reverence and admire American
prowess and heroism.

.*> . ^'

,-:- ^^'^^'x'

CHAPTER L.Wlr.

niE ICK_,JKEAT DISCOVERIES _ KAI I OF ^ ., ,-r.
-SAVKD „V A UUSSIAN- WIIAI.K,,.

Th,. fi,il,„.e Of ,l,c secoml Gcr„„„ E^ikxUUo. „f K„Uewov .Uroc.o.l

tc. tl,c ra,„x. „p„„ ,eas of Nova Zembla. Altl,„„..h for ,n

.hc.ov.e„„„o,uof A„.,,„ ,„, „.,„ ,„,„,„,„ f,„,„ .„„„,„;' .^
1'^ ■' ". ■>« ..-cat ,eo<,,.ap,«„, prohle,.. of t,. „■,„,„ „„: .„,^: ' ,
M^"- -oa.-clK, ,n.cU,a„,. <,eve,op„, i„.o „ ,„.„,„,„„,,„ ,„ ^.^
I.. "po„ .he poaccf,., <,..,. of „e„ .|U,„,„,o, i„ ,„. f,.„.e„ „o A

..■ge.hea,..ec, noble.a.. contributed ,o.coo florins ,o .,eb a„ , ,,,^
*- ■»* ""Iv co„«n„in. but endowing .„e .e»o,u,iou. I„ „ J'

^'--..btbe,t.„or.j:;,,::;;:;::;:— -"-■^•

Ho h o, the offiee,. i„ whose charge ,he e„.e,™ise wa, „ive„ we,e
-" of sterimg qualities a„c! undoubted abib'tv. ' Weyprech 1™,
...ven tbe eo„.n„nd of one of tbe Ge,.,.a„ c.p^li.ion, ,fi ';',:"

coo

A PIONEER EXPEDITION.

also been previously employed in the survey of the peaks and glaciers of
the Alps, lie was the better prepared to enter upon a life of active ser-
vice in the snows and hummocks of Nova Zembla. He shines as the
historian of llie expedition, his descriptions of Arctic scenes and experi-
ences bein- excelled only by those of Kane in vivid and ^naphic character.

The pioneer expedition was to sail in June, 1871, and return in Sep-
tember of the same year. It dul not aim to reacii hi-h latitudes, nor to
make -rcat discoveries. The attention of the commanders was directed
to the temperature of the air and water, to the position and condition of
the ice, and to all observable phenomena, as connected with the probable
success of tile expedition proposed for the next year. In order to reduce
expenses, so tar as possible, a light sailing vessel, the Isbjorn, was char-
tered and manned at a trifling cost. This -esscl was fifty-five feet long,
seventeen feet broad, and had a draught of six feet, with a capacity of fifty
tons. She was owned and commanded by the skipper, Kjelsen, and had
as a crew a harjjooner, four sailors, a carpenter, and a cook— all of whom
were Norwegians.

The voyage of the Isbjorn, though without thrilling incident, cr in-
dependent geographical results of importance, formed the foundation of
several important inferences bearing upon the propriety of another and
more pretentious voyage. The following are the most important of tlie
conclusions reached :

1. The Nova Zembla sea was not filled with impenetrable ice, like
that pa -t of the ocean contiguous to Greenland; on the contrary, obser-
vation and report showed it to be open every year, probably up to 78"
north latitude, and connected with the Sea of Kara, which was also
thought to be unusually free from ice.

2. The time most favorable f )r navigation in this sea fills at the end
of August, an.l lists during the month of September— this period beiii-
con.-,idcred as embracing the minimum o'" ice.

3. The Nova Zembla sea was found to be shallow — geologically,
a connection with, and a continuation of, the great plains of Siberia. In
its extreme north its depth was only loo fathoms.

4. The expeditions of the past and present centuries, which at-

THF TRGETTIIOFF. gg,

tempted to penetrate by the northwest coast of Nova Zembla, tailed l.c
cause they were upon the place of observation before the time, and also
because they lacked steam. '

5. How far the Gulf Stream had any share or influence in the fa-
vorable condition r„- the navi^^.tion of the Eastern Polar Sea could
not y< , be positively deter.nined, but the state of the ice, the observations
upon .ts temperature and color, and the character of the observed animd
Ide, seemed to testify in favor of the action of this cun-ent in those
regions.

These conclusions seemed to justify the determination to push the
proposed project of a prolonj^ed voyaj^e of discovery, and it was thus
that the Austro-IIungarian expedition originated.

It was the plar. of those who ha<l the Expedition in hand to penetrate
east and north dnrin,. the latter half of An^^ust, when the north coast of
the .reat island of Nova Zen.bla is tree f^-om ic. The places f >,• win-
lenn.g were left undetermined; they were to be chosen according, to cir
cumstances cf need or progress. In case of the loss of the shipfthe ex
pedmon was to endeavor to reach the coast of Siberia bv means of boats
and then to gain the interior by one of the gigantic water courses of
Northern As.a. No connection with Europe was to he depended on
I aver well says: "The motives of an undertaking so long and labo-
nous cannot be found in the mere love of distinction or adventure. The
object must not be the achniration of men, but the extension of the do-
■nam of knowledge. The grandeur of one's purpose alone can support
hnn, tor otherwise the dreary void of things without can onlv be an
Ullage of the void within."

The ship chosen tbr this principal voyage was the TecretthofT a
steamship of .30 tons burden, carrying an engine of ,00-horse powe,-
It was fitted with provisions and fuel for two years and a half, but was
overloaded by about thirty tons, so that the ava.ilable space was much
taken up. It was, however, as Payer says, " p,, ,,„,, ,„,„,„,ious
than the miserable hole in which eight of us liad been crowded to-^ether
on our Greenland tour." On the 13th of June, .^r^, the expedition sot
out to cross the North Sea, and reach the coast of Norway, where the

G02

ARCTIC SCENES.

last repairs were to be made, and the last adieus exchan<,'ed with Euro-
p'ea:i brethren. Tht- crew numbered twenty-four, and embraced Ger-
mans, Italians muI !Iun.Ljarians, ihou-jh Italian was the language in
which the orders were given.

After a stop of some days on the Norway coast and the LofFodeii
Islands, tile TegetthofT was at last fairly on her way to her long abode
among the icebergs of Nova Zembla. The vessel soon came upon
scenes strange and unfamiliar to most of the crew on board the Tegett-
hofT. As they came into tiie region of ice the temperature rapidly
lowered. Fogs arose in the distance from the leads in the ice-field, and
snowstorms alternated with cloudless skies and genial sun. Far to the
north was observed the " ice-blink,"— a shining band of light in the
horizon,— always a faithful monitor of solid ice, of whose radiating
power it is a portrayal. There is said to be no more solemn sound than
that made by the action upon the Ice of the elements of thaw and frost,
and no pictures more sad and ghostlv than the procession of iccber-rs
floating " like huge white biers toward the south." Great falls of thaw-
water flowed down the sides of the icebergs, sometimes rending them
with a noise as of thunder by their constant wearino-.

But when the sun came out, the fogs disappeared toward the horizon,
and the whole scene was liathed in rosy and golden splendor, the ice-
crystals flashing like diamonds in the flood of light, Occasionaliv a
whale would rise out of the water, like a great lilack mountain, and then
tliving deep beneath the surface, make the ocean tumultuous with his
awkward gambols. The icebergs presented some curious siiapes. •■onie
were ciiiseled as if by a trained sculptor into fantastic forms of Gothic
architecture, with quaint little peaks and towers, and grotesque gables.
Others represented mammoth structures supported by regular columns,
apparently of solid glass. Rarely were the regular prisms, so common
in the North Atlantic, observed in these Arctic Seas. Such were some
of the sights which greeted our voyagers as they entered the Polar
Ocean.

They had sailed over one ice-hole, and now again a broad and lofty
barrier loomed ud before them. They succeeded in forcing their way

A SURPIi/SE.

668

into .t, but after using all steam of which their vessel was capable, thus
found the Tegctthoff actually beset, and the floes crowding together, ^ave
an unbroken field for miles around. On Aug. i the vessel was^till
beset, and there being a complete calm, no efforts to release her were
availing. They were now in latitude 74^^ 39', longitude 53°. At
Ic-ngth, on the 2d, they broke through the ice which separated them
from the open water around Nova Zambia, and penetrated about 20
miles toward the coast. A belt of ice ,05 miles broad lav behind them,
while before them rose the mountainous coast of Nova Zembla. Sailin^^
and steaming on along the coast of Nova Zembla toward the north, they
came on the 9th of August to another ice-barrier i.i latitude about 75^
30' north. In the neighborhood of the Pankratjew Islands, the crew
of the Tegetthoff were surprised to descry a ship on the horizon, which
they soon recognized as their old frienil, the Isbj5rn. It was a matter ot
tlu- greater astonishment that a sailing vessel should have followed a
ship which, only with the aid of steam, and even thus with great diffi-
culty, had been able to penetrate so far in the icy seas of the frigid zone.
The object of their friends of the IsbjOrn was to establish a "depot of
provisions at Cape Nassau, at whatever risk to themselves. The two
ships remained together until the 20th of August, the iSth being celebra-
ted as the birthday of the King and Emperor of Austria, Frauds Joseph
I. On the 30th the two ships parted company, the Tegetthoff steaming
away to the north, and the IsbjOrn soon disappearing in the mist tha't
arose from the more southern water.

The Tegetthoff was now well toward the north of Nova Zembla,
the navigable water was becoming narrower every day, and the ice
seemed to increase in solidity, especially in the neighborhood of the
coast. On the evening of this day, the 30th, a barrier of ice stopped all
funher progress. As usual, the ship was anchored to a floe, and awaited
the parting of the ice. "Ominous," says Payer, "were the events of
tliat day, for immediately after we had made the Tegetthoff fast to that
lloe, tlie ice closed in upon us from all sides, and we became prisoners in
its grasp. No water was to be seen around us, and never again were ive
destined to see otir vessel in water. From day to day we hoped for the

604

rilE FLOE CRACK a.

hour r,f our deliverance. At first we expected it hourly, then daily, then
from week to week; then at the seasons of the year and chan-e of the
weather, then in the changes of new years! But that hour never came,
yet the light of hope which supports man in all his sufferings, and raises
him above the.n ail, never forsook us, amid all the depressing influences
of expectations cherished only to be disappointed,"

September came on with its increasing cold; October opened with lis
really wintry weather, and yet no signs of release. The ship, as firmly
fastened as with iron bands, drifted northward with the floe wiiich
formed its prison. Many signs indicated the insecurity of their position.
A little way off fields of ice cracked and split asunder, and huge
masses moved about them, speaking warning vohimesof the terrible pel
sibilities of ice-pressure. Thus far no harm had immediately threatened
the Tegetthoff and her crew, but the 13th of October was destined to
bring new and exciting experiences. To those among the crew at all
inclined to be superstitious, the number "13" had a profound significance.
The committee of the expedition had been chosen on Feb. 13; on the
13th of January the keel of tiie Tegetthoff had been laid; she wa.
hiunched on the 13th of April; on the 13th of June the expedition em-
barked from Bremerhaven;on tlie 13th of July from Tromsoc. After
a voyage of thirteen days they had arrived in the ice; and now on the
13th of October the temperature marked 16" below zero (Centigrade),
and the ship and crew were threatened with most terrible danger. In
the morning of that day as the men sat at l)rcakt;ist, the floe to which
the vessel was attached burst asunder directly below them.

" Rushing on deck," says Payer, "we discovered that we were sur-
rounded and squeezed by the ice; the after part of the ship was already
nipped and pressed, and the rudder wiiich was the first to encounter its
assault, shook and groaned; but as its great weight did not admit of its
being shipped, v/e were content to lash it firmly. Noise and confusion
reigned supreme, and step by step destruction drew nigh in the crushin-
together of the fields of ice. * * * * * ^Y])out 1 1 :30 in the fore-
noon, according to our usual custom, a portion of the Bible was read on
deck, and this day quite accidentally, the portion read was the historv of

1 daily, then
lanfje of the
never came,
s, and raises
g influences

lied with its
ip, as firmlv

floe wiiich
2ir position.
, and hu<fo
errible pos-

threatenod
destined to

crew at ;ill
ignificance.

13; on the
I ; she was
edition ein-
ioe. Ai'tci-
low on the
entigradc),
singer. In
) to which

were sur-
as alrcadv
:ounter its
Imit of its
confusion
3 crushiuLf
. the forc-
as read on
historv of

nurLDim; a house.

Joshua; l,ut if in his .lay the s..,, showo.l any indination t„ s.an.l s.ill i,
was more than could he sai.l ..f il,c- itv at this time." .

The \on^^ ni.^rht an.l its fearful ccl.l svas hef.,re tliem, an,! they we.c
clnttu.j., they knew n.,t whither. Daily-with sli^Wu ahatcmcnts, it is
true-^but daily, for one huuch-e.I and thirty clays they were .lestine.l „.
cxper.e.icc those terrible oncomings of the ice. They kept everythin-.
.n readiness for retreat from the ship in ease the worst came to the wors'^
Then- sIedo.es were loa<Ie,l, their bo.ts were manne.l, and their elothin-.
and provisions were distributed. They slept in their wet, frozen ^r.^.
meats expecting, to be called up at any time a.xl .Iriven forth on libelee
But whither should they <.o? The sea about them was liftin.. an,l .-nnd*
ing far beyond the view. (Ireat hummocks danced an.l whirlclfovcr-
turnmg at times with tremendous force, while chasms opene.l on every
hand, threatening to swallow up any sIodj,.e, or boat, or Person, venturin^r
on the uncertain surface. It was fortunate that these first encounters
wth the ice occurre.1 while it was yet li.^W.t. Ma.l these assaults s.n.
pnsed them amid the p.>lar .larkness, confusion an.l .lisor.ler wotd.l h.ve
taken the ph.ce of the calm preparations they were now able to ,„ake.

The pressure meanwhile continuing, it was thou-ht l,est to nv.ko
some kin.i of a habitation upon a firmer floe to which thev mi<.ht bef.ke
themselves in an emersrency. Arme.l an.l provi.le.I with hmterns th.n-
rcm..ve,l two boats, one hu.idre.l an.l fifty l.^s of wood, fifty plank.
and a supply .,f coal, t., the port side .,f the vessel, an.l there built fh.ir
house of refuge. But even this hope n.ight tail them. A storm n,i,.ht
carry away the plunks which forme.l its roof, fire n.ight consume ti.e
combustible sulxstance of its walls; an.l at any time a fissure might open
from beneath, an.l swallow up the whole communitv. So .lays, weeks
an.l months passed by, and the first .lay .,f 1873 .lawne.l up., n 'the be-
n.ghte<l party, if a .lay without sun, .,r light, or warmth, may be said ,,,
dawn. Every effort was made to keep up the t.sual festivities on Christ-
mas an.l New Year. Wine an.l grog were .listributed, games w.tc
playcl, and a box <,f gifts was apportione.l by lot. On the "ist of Janu-
ary, too, they allowe.1 the .logs the long wished-for privik-e .'.f the
cabin. "The poo,- animals," says Payer, "were so da.zled l,v Lkin.^ at

11^ tWS^i

land still it

liicy wuic
incuts, it is
ilcstiiK'd to
cverythiiij^r

the worst.
ir c-lothiii-r
TO/cil ;j;ir.
on the ire.
and i^-riiid-
rled, ()\x'i"-

on cvorv

ventnrin^r

-■nconntei-s
isaults sur-
^ould have
<) make.

to make
:ht betake
Jrns they
■y plaid^s,
Iniilt their
m mi^-ju
sume tiie
i^'lit open
s, weeks,

the l.e-
le saitl t,)
n Christ-
ies were
of Jaini-
e of the
•okinL,'- at

r//E DUiiS IN THE CAlilN. ^j^^

om- lamps, that they almost took it for the- sun itself; hut l,v -My.X U their
attention was directed exch.sivciy t . the rieh ren>ains of .n.r dinner the
s.^^h. o, whieh ap,,eare,l eon.pletely to satisty their notions of the won-
.lers o, the eabin. After behaving the.nselves wif. j,reat propriety, they
a,.nn .,nietly witlidrew, ail except ^ruhlnal,' wl,o appeare.l to he'indi.^.
"ant at the .leceitfnhiess of „nr condnct, iuasmneh as we had dlowrd
linn to starve so Ion,,, on <h-ied horsellesh and on crnsiied l,ear\ head

wliiK- we reveled in h

uxnry. He accordinL,dv made his w

IV into

nn>( a monntain

rosch's eahiii, where, discove
aiely attacked it, and warned us off ^-i
growlin.sr fiercely till he had finished it

lent.

of macaroni, he inimedi-

y attempt to lescue it, by

'Sumbu,' however, with much

)m evci

levity, sulFcred himself to be made drunk by th

everything which he had scraped together tbr weeks and buried

le sailors with nun. anc

111

tht

668

AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVEUr.

m •<

!■, *

-I4i-

siiovv a.1,1 so cMretully watched, was stolen from him l.y other do^js i„
OIK- iii^ht."

The winter of iSyj-^ slowly crept away, and the sun, by hi. reap-
pearance, j^ave promise -f summer. Summer came, but the months „(
Xray and June, in temperate climates the -lad harbin-ers of -rowth and
life-, brou-lit no relief to the waitinj; travelers. » Nichts als Eis" („(,t|,.
in- but ice), was the oft-repeated answer of those who eagerly scanned
I he horizon in every direction. The second summer of the voyage ha<l
now come and nearly gone. It had begun with promise of libcnition,
but the time of greatest heat had gone by, and no sign of the predicted'
release had come. The idea of discoveries had utterly passed out of the
minds of the explorers, an.! yet discoveries beyond their utmost expecta-
tions were awaiting them.

Aug. 30 hrougiu tliLMii in latitude nearly 8o% a joyful surprise. "At
midday," says Payer, ''as we were leaning on the bulwarks of the ship
and scanning the gliding mists, through which the rays of the sun l)n)ke
ever and anon, u wall of mist, lifting itself up suddenly, revealed to us
afar off in the northwest the outlines of bold rocks, which in a few min-
utes seemed to grow into a radiant Alpine land. At first we all stoo.l
transfixed, and hardly believing wiiat we saw. Then, carried away l.v
the reality of o-.n- good fortune, we burst forth into sliouts of joy— 'Land,
land, land at last!' '^ * * I'^-r thousands of years this land had lain'
huried from the knowledge of men, and now its discovery had fallen int..
the lap of a small band, themseK .'s almost lost to the world, who, far
from their home, rememb'^red the homage due to their sovereign,';.!.,!
gave to tile newly-discovered territory the name. Kaiser Franz-Joicfs
land."

The fall a.u' winter of the present year were occupied in dctcnni.ii.ig
more fully the extent and configuration of the island or Arctic continent
just found. This work was conducted chiefiy by means of sledgc-jo.ir-
ney.s to and over the rough surface of the country which they had digni-
fied with the name of their Emperor. Space forbids to give more than
a brief account of this exploration, though the dangers and adventu.cs
with which it was attended are equaled by those of few Arctic exploits.

ihi.i

hALL OF A SLEDGE.

One

experience in the fissures of wiiat

wa, naini-d Middcnddrf Gl

«60

icier IS

I'-pecially worthy of note.

The party after a l.rief halt w.re just settin,. out aj,ain, when tho
snow j^ave way hcneath the sle-l-.c-runners, ami driver, doj^s, ami vehicle
u-.-rc precipitated into s<„ne unknown .Icpth helow. Payer first heard
lhecontuso<lshoutin-of theman,min}rlc,lwith the harkin^^ ami howl-
.VA of the doj,rs from the hottoin of the crevasse, many feet helow. "All
this," says he, » was the impression of a moment, w! "le T felt myself
draj^ged hackwanl hy the rope. Sta^^jjerin^. hack, ami seeinj, the dark
ahyss beneath me, I could not d.uht that I should he precipitated =nto it
.he next instant. A womlerful provi.lence arrested the fall of the sleckre.
at a depth of abo.,^ thirty feet it struck just between the sides of tlie'
crevasse, just as I was Ijein- drag-ed to the abyss by its wei-ht The
sledjje havinj,. jan.med itself in, I lay on my stomach close tc^the awful
l.nnk, the rope which attached me to the sledge tightly strained, and
cutting deeply into the snow."

By incredible tact and perseverance Payer at last freed himself from
the sledge, and set about recovering the store of lost provisions, the
uMMuscripts, which could never be replace.l, and above all, about the res-
cue of the fallen comrade who was the » pride and gem of the ],arty '"
n.ing the only one of the party accustomed to glaciers. Payer was of
necessity almost alone in his exertions. Rushing back to the tent where
most of the men had remained, he hurriedly explained what had hap-
IH-ncd, ar. 1 all hastened to the spot of the disaster, leaving the tent and
stores unwatched. They found their poor comrade nearly dead from the
cold, but suificiemly conscious to be pulled to the to,, of the ice-ciifT over
wiiich he ha,l fallen. The dogs were found uninjured and ciuietlv sleep-
ing near him, but celebrated their release by joyful demonstrations. » It
w:.s a noble proof," continues Payer, " how <luty and discipline assert
themselves even in such situations, that the fnst word of the sailor saved
in.m ],eing frozen to death, was not a complaint, but thanks, accompanied
with a request that 1 would pardon him if he, in order to save himself
tVom being frozen, had ventured to drink a portion of the rum which
had fallen down in its case with the sledge to his ledge of snow."

'f3'

iil

mil

lit'

mm ; -;

670

l-AI.I, np A SI.HDGE.

A NECESSARr CONCLUSION.

G71

Fran^ Josef's Land was found to be almost as lar^e as Snit.!,.,- .

-Ki to consist of two main masses-WHe^ek Land M ' '

V 1 r , , iii-'ieK L,and oti the cast ■nifl

/.cl,y Land.,,, ,hc wce-bcwco,, whicl, n,„. a ,„,,„, ,„,,,,, „ ■ ',
.». «.. M A„„.Ha .So.,„a. A. .,.. „„. .., ,,, ..,„„,.„,:: ,^,;-
covcro „,U, ,ce ,„• .„. ,„„. pan „„. .n.,,. „„„ a 3.:,,. i„ „ .

The. fact that here ,na„y iceberg, were seen, svhich l,a,l ■„„ l,ee„ .1, .
n. .He Nova Ze.H.a .a„ warran.. „re .,pp»;,„„ .,:;'::::
,.w,y ro,n .he ,ce-pac.» i„ a „„rther,, ..iree.io,,. The ,„ap ,„a..e h/
,..-e,e. e.p« .,„„ wa, Ue»i,„e<l a,Kl c„„».n«e,. fr„„ fteen .,hs r ^
.o„s o ,ae,.u. e, ,ro,„ drawing, ,.ade on the .pot, a„d fto,„ a .,y.e mlf
tnangu a.,o„ planned and perfected by Weypreeht, the eo™,n,L,e hf
ch,ef of he expcdnion. ,„ .he northernnros. region, .nveyed. the
suhs ,na.le no pre,e„,„n, ,„ eon,p,ete exactness. Though the discover ,
n«de were Itkely never to beeo.ne important to the .natt-ria, intere t
■nanU,„d, the ,a„d and its parts were na.ed after the chief patrons t.
„e .on as the ,nost fitting way in which the gratitnde of the pa K
could be shown. l-''"'^^

The experience of two winters in tl.e ice l,ad forced tl,e party to the
conch,s,on that . e liberation of the Tegetthoff was too re.tlte for th ,^
- hope to save themselves by navigating the path over which thev 1
c™.e hy ,.s a,d. 1 ,er aba„do„„,en, therefore was nniversaliv a.,re„. „
.. .he .otb of May, the very day on which, in ,«3,, KanJ had ^
Advance on the coast of Greenland, was chosen for the first step, of
cn^ present enterprise. The day u-as hailed with joy by a„, for while
. e c„„,n,g ay,, were to be .larkened with tnnch danger and nKn.v hard-
»l",», even these were preferable to the life of ntonotony and inajtion to
"■ nch Ihey ha.l been rcdnced on board the TegettbolT. It ,vas, however
"" V wnh the deepc, enrotion that they conld part with the spo, which'
:»l l.oen then- bo.ne so long. Their stock of instruments, which bad
one them such goo.1 service, together .vith the little ntnse.nn, which all
I-.I .»ken ,„ n,„cb pride in enlarging, had to be abandoned, as the i,an.
ney southward to the ope sea coul.l only be tna.le hv relieving the mc,
-'■i <i",^'.s of everything except .absolute essentials. The pictures of

673

A JOTFUL DAT

friends and acquaintances were hun^r up on the frozen walls of the land
for the thought of their perishing with th« inevitable destruction of the
ship, was unbearable.

Boats, sledges, everything that could be taken, were at last removed,
and the march begun. For the first few days the burdens had to be
dragged over hummocks and through fissures, without even the variety
of water upon which to launch tiie boats. In a short time, however,
narrow lead^s appeared, produced by the advancing summer and a fortu-
nate combination of othev circumstances, into which the boats were placed,
and a sort of doubtful navigation was Ijegun. IJut these leads were
limited, and great masses of ice must be continually thrust out of tlie
way. Moreover, a south wind arose whicii tended to destroy what prog-
ress they had been able to make, so that after a lapse of nearly two
months of indescribable efforts, the distance between them and the ship
zvas not more than nine Eiiglish miles. Another month, however,
gave promise of better things. The leads became of greater length; the
swell of the ocean became perceptibly greater; and the thickness and
extent of the ice was evidently rapidly diminishing. It was a joyful day
fv)r our brave explorers when, on the 15th of August, in latitude 77° 49',
they bade farewell to the frozen ocean, and launched their barks on the
more genial waters of the x\ova Zembla Sea. There being no room for
tlie dogs in the boats, nor other possible means of conveying them, it
was thought humane to kill them, which was done to the infinite sorrow
of tliL' entire party.

The prol)lem of their rescue was now simple compared with the dilli-
cultics whicii they had just successfully combated. They shaped their
course by Barentz Islands, Cape Nassau, where the store of provisions
had been deposited, and the Admiialty Peninsula, hoping that they
might in tiiis latitude look for whalers or other fishermen. It was not,
however, until tiiey had reached and passed the Admiralty Peninsula, 011
the west coast of Nova Zembla, and were nearing Ganse Land toward
its southern border, tiiat the welcome sight of a ship greeted their iono--
ing eyes. Here they met on the 24th of August two Russian vessels
cruising for fish and reindeer on the shores of Nova Zembla. The scr-

the land
on of the

removed,
ad to be
le variety
howexcr,
1 a fortu-
re placed,
ads were
ut of the
hat prog-
;arly two
tJic ship
however,
ngth ; the
ness and
)yful day

77^49',
> on the

room for

them, it

e sorrow

the dilli-
ed their
"ovisions
lat they
was not,
isiila, oil

toward
ir \mv^-

vessels
rhe scr-

BMBARK FOR HAMliURG
vices „f one of these vessel, were .-eadlly engaged, and the lo„..suffen„.
crew were soon o„ .heir way ,„ Norway, after a nine.y-si. days' expert
e,.ce ... .he open air. On .he 3d of Sep.ember .hey landed a. VardJ. on
the Norwegian coast, and on .he J.h e„,barl<ed for Hamburg, wl ere
.hey ar„v«, amid .be co„gra..da.i„„s an,, app,a„se of .hou^Luls of
iiiends and countrymen.

tf^^i' _:^

CHAPTER LXXIII.

KN(;MSM KXPKDITION under NARES— THK ALEUT ANI> DISCOVKHV
— IJOKING THKOUGII TJIE PACK — THE ELYSIUM OF THE AIlCTll
REGIONS — MAXIM OF ROSS — THE DISCOVERY FINDS WINTER
QUARTERS — THE SEA OF ANCIENT ICE— WINTER AMUSEMENTS
—DEATH FROM EXPOSURE— EXEMPTION OF OFFICERS FROM DIS-
EASE — MARKHAM's SLEDGE-JOURNEY — REACHES THE HIGHEST
POINT EVER ATTAINED— PAL^OCRYSTIC ICE— NARES CONCLUDES
TO RETURN TO ENGLAND — EPITAPH ON THE GRAVE OF HALL.

One of the recurring intervals of indifference or hopelessness in rela-
tion to Arctic exploration had succeeded the great activity of the Frank-
lin search voyages in England. The field was left to German, Austrian,
Swedish and American navigators, until England was in danger of los'
ing the prestige acquired in that line by many generations of brave mar-
iners, and at great expense of life, energy, and money. Other nations,
stepping in at the eleventh hour, had actually won the laurels of more'
northern land discovery, than had been made by the representatives of
the nation whose previous efforts had largely contributed to make such
success practi<-,il>le. A generous and worthy rivalry now seized the
Royal Geographical Society, under the inspiration of Admiral Sheraid
Osborn, himself an Arctic navigator, as will be remembered; Sir R.hI-
erick I. Murchison, the eminent geologist and geographer, and president
of the society, who, however, died in 187 1, before- definite action had
been taken; Lady Franklin, whose interest in Arctic exploration never
flagged up t- her last illness and death in 1S75, and other influential
persons.

The government gave its sanction to the movement, and an expedi-
tion was duly organized and commissioned. It consisted of two vessels,
the Alert and Discovery. The former was a steam sloop of the rnval

074

"avy, of 75, ,„„, hu,-,le„, „,„! ,o„ ,,„^,„

whaler, ,„„l was ,n,rch,„c,l h„ ,hn' "iscovery had hec, a stcam

-«i fl"c-i o„t f„. his "1" ;'° """""■'"^■" "'■ "" "■ - .,„„...,

- A..n .a. c,.h,::t..™: ::r:r;'" --"-■ ^ -^

s.<lo,-abIe experience, an.l wh,. ha„ hee„ i„ , "1 r"' ■' "'™ "'' ™'-
-i«an. he ha.l C„„„„a,„le,. A. 11 M^k , ""■""'■ ■'" ^"'^■''

li'o, and Capl. M [. „,, , '^'■"''''■"". "h" »l».> l.a.I seen A,clic

i^i-'cover,. jhe ..nice. ':::;;,: ,;"""^"f^- "-" -■"'■ --

...-Who. ha., see,. A,.e.,c .servie : ,r^^": ■"™''=-' -• --r

acco,npa„ie,l thcra t., Disc, I,,.,,, , "P"™'.--. ». The Val,„„„s

-- He,. s.,,,,.s s,,,r;;tirri::rr '"'^^ '■--

•S75- On ,l,e voyage lo Diseo ,l,ev h-„l ■'"'•" "'•

Cape Farewell, and ,„„,„ he. v 1 ■""."'""■" '""^■" '"'- '^ "'r
whale boats. ' ' ""'""' '" "■''«■■'' "«=y l"»t two of their

Leaving Disco on the 3z<|, ,he Aleit .,„,! rv
Baffin's Bay,,, the northwest instetlf' '^ *'™"' ^"■■'■"»

;''"->- M-i,ie,.,y,.,,;^;;;:':::,^--;;;--d sh„,.e

'■■ ."i">-fo.n. honrs they had sneceeded 1,1 ho,,: .l;:;;:" '^'^^^
open water , .,„. .....e,. hefo,.e pe,.f,„.,ed, an, whie : he J" , "","

.nas.e,.decla,..,d ..„.„„„ .e.,.,, he cclitcl at Peterh " t^ T"'!""-
p.ove the snperio,.ity of stea,„.p„wer for .\,.,.,i . "'''"' ">

the vicinity of Cape York ,„„„ , ieCe,..., „ ' "'"'"■■"■""• '^--^"S

eiowiled, i„,licati„., ll,.„ ih,..- „. , , 'T '"''°" """"""•' "'"I <:l"»ely

-y.-n the ,,,,,;..,.::;;:,;:';;,:---:; --^^

I'"»h,nj. „o,.th they soon ar.iv,.,, ,„ f.„.ev I V , "" "'I'"-

-i-a.ii»he,,a.ie,,t,.fs,,ppiies,,,ep„i, ;:::r:.''7'-''^''-

earn, l-assin^ Little,,.,, ,s,,,„,. „, ,,^, „; ;"■" '""■;' ' " a

Fonlke, which N.nes stvles -. The Pl„ • ■ , ''''""■''• ^""' ''"'■'

""<ie for Cape Sd.ine t , • " "- Arctic ,.egi,.„s," ,hev

- ';• -at ,p,anti,ie^.,,:^n ,h! Xl;: : ;,3--y s,.w .he
Msle,l of .ietaehd Hoes, live or ,iv ,;„„ „ • , . , " "'"■

«oeof,wice,hat.hick„ess,,.„, ,,:::'", -' "-'•^""•'".>' ^

' "<-caycil, and presciifiu

076

LAD 2' FRANKLIN SOUND.

obstacle to their onward progress. At length, however, their way was
blocked by impenetraiile ice, and they were detained three days in Payer
Harbor, awaiting a practicable opening. Several fruitless attempts were
made to bore through, but at last success crowned their efforts, antl on
the 4th of August they forced tlieir way through twenty miles of Hayes
Sound. Soon, however, they got entangled in the jxick, making but
little headway, and finally were completely beset, barely escaping col-
lision witii a huge iceberg, and finding it necessary to unship their rud-
ders. With great labor, and amid many dangers for three weeks longer
in Kennedy Channel, having constant occasion to apply the advice of Sir
John Ross — "Never to lose sight of the two words caution and patience"—
they reached Cape Lieber, Hayes' Hmit of 1S60, on the 24th of August,
and entered Lady Franklin Sound.

Plere in the shelter of an island was found a good harbor, jierfectly
suitable for winter quarters; and to enhance their good fortune, they saw
on the next morning a herd of nine musk-oxen peacefully cropping the
fresh and short-lived Arctic vegetation, all t)f which were killed, form-
ing a very seasonable addition to their stores, noihwithstanding the flavor
"was so very musk." Before the loth of October they had shot thirtv-
two oi them, and had at one time over 3,000 pounds of their frozen flesh
hanging up. The Discovery was left here, remaining frozen in for 101/
months. Their first care was to take ashore and deposit provisions for
six months to guard against the contingency of disaster to the ship ])v
fire or otherwise during lier detention. Snow-walls were then con-
structed around her, after the now well-known type, but heavier than
usual, being made fifteen to twenty feet thick. These precautions, with
the ordinary provisions for heat, ke]it the temperature of the lower deck
at 48" to 56°, throughout the winter. The period of darkness, that is
absence of sunlight, set in on the loth of October, and lasted 135 days.

Leaving Stephenson and his men busy with their preparations for
winter, Nares pushed on in the Alert, and on the 31st of August reached
latitude 83" 34', in Robeson Channel -the highest point ever attained
by ship, and only 2\' short of Parry's sledge limit, 83" 45' north of
Spitzbergen. In this channel the sea ice approached the land ice so close

AROUND CAPE yoSEPIf HENRT. g„

as to leave but a narrow water wiv m,,! (v .>

Sea. A.O,., „. coast a ^^ e r ""T "" '"'° *" ''°'"'-

l«..os, rising to a„avc,.a.e Li.: r." '"' "" "'"'"""

i-r.„s ,„ .„i„es. Ha : „ ::^r:r"'^ ""■ '■""■""""■' -■

Land, ho f„„„,l l,i,nseir>vl,or;H..r h , """" "°'"' '"' «'™'

".»tcad of .he Ope. I>ola,. Sc, !n " " •■""''■°" '" ""^"' ■"«

and thickness, f„,. i„stead or the Hve „,• si".' fel ^ " "' """""' "''
the ten or twelve of the old fl , ■ , '°""""" "<"■■• ""''

r,on. of „f.ee„ „,. ..iriTi:: ::r:-::r:'^: •: ~ ■•

hundred and twenty foot-fcsen^hiin;: 4 •::;,". "' !'f'"^ '" ""=
ra.her than the Hoe, or pac.s of ^^^ sont^ it I ^Z '-'-'^

o sneh ice, where the suh,„er,ed portion. extcndi„: t:.h ^ '^^^'^
sa/hccnt water wav for the ship, Nares fou.,.1 safe tltou ,' ,

-;^.. arte., and here the, were scon .„.„ in ,:-'::; ;;:::^

LUC hiiip and stores. LuMif P am..- i
accon,pan,ed h, Ada™ A„es; set ont Sep.. .„ with'tw Li,^ f'
clo^^s and slclges for the expedition had been secured at T^ . T

orders to pioneer a rou.e round Cape Toscoh He D,sco_n„der

Gran. Land, for a iar.er par., whCh^" , ^ °" trl t "'
C»nn„ander MarUha,., wi.h Lie„,s. A. A. C. Par,: and W f u:'.'
s.arte.1 w.th three sledges to cstablisi, a depot of provision, as'f, ',
^orthw^tward as won.d he found practicaLe. ol the T ^ ..^^

Aylcs, fro.„ a .nou.ttaiu top 30CO feet hi,h, i„ h,,„„e si ,«■, ,es '
ho w,de-ex.e„d,ng ,a„d .o .he nor.hwestward a, far as ^V
o, y n,o„„ta,„s to .he south. They returned to .he Aler. on .he « o
OCobe, after an absence of fourteen day,. A week later they e,«! ed
on t e Arcfc ntght, the sun having di,appeared below the horiln d
on ite ,,th Markhan, returned after a trip of nineteen tlavs, h v „!
stahhshed the depot a. S." +,.,„„„ tracin, the cons, two .„;,: f,,.,;. ,".
to what might be regarded as the exact latitude

678

ROYAL ARCTIC THEATER.

where, nearly half a eentiny l)ef<)re. Markham's party comprised
twcnty-o.ie .nen an. I three ollkcrs, „f whuni seven men and one officer
returned ha.lly frost-bitten, three so severely as to require amputaMon,
the tliermonieter ran;,'in<r through the trip from 15" to 23° below zero.
Meanwhile, from the 2d to the 13th, Lieut. Rawson liad ma.le an un-
successful attempt to open communication with Capt. Stephenson in Lady
Franiviin Sound. The ice was fcnind impassable within nine miles of the
ship, l)ein- r,.tten and unsafe in the ciiannel, and piled up thirty feet hi-h
on the sliore, while the deep snowdrifts in the ravines made the overland
route ecpially impracticable.

The usual efforts t(i amuse and instruct the ship's company were
inaucrurated imder the auspices of the commander, who says that of fifty-
five men who composed the crew of the Alert, only two were found who
could not read. Besides the school for instruction there were lectinx-s,
readings, concerts, and theatrical representations, Thursday of each
week being devoted to these entertainments. The first theatrical j)er-
formance was given on the iSth of November, and was thus formally
annoi:.;ced: » The Royal Arctic Theatre will be opened on Thursday
iijxt, the iSth inst., bv the powerful Dramatic Company of the Hyper-
boreans, under the distinguished patronage of Capt. Nares, the mcmlx-rs
of the Arctic Exploring Expedition, and all the nobility and gentry of
the neighborhood." On the Discovery similar entertainments were
given, its theater ])eing opened Dec. i, and the plays being rendered al-
ternately by olKcers and men. Each vessel had a small printing press
which was used for issuing programmes and l)ills of fare on occasions of
great dinners. On the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, Nov. 5, they
had a bonfire on the ice, and burnt Guy Fawkes in the approved style.
Christmas was thus observed: "First of all, in the morning we iiave
Christmas waits in the usual manner. A sergeant of marines, the ciiicf
boatswain's mate, and three others, went around the ship singing Christ-
mas carols suited to the occasion, and made a special stay outside tliecap-
tani's cal)in. On the lower deck in the forenoon there were prayers, and
after that captain and ofiicers visited the mess in the lower deck, tasted
the pudding, inspected the decorations which had been made, and so .m.

SC/COESSJ'i//. nUNTIN.;. jj,

Then .he boxes of |,«e„U hy frie,„l. i„ England wore br„„,h, „„e

each box, and the ,„e,on„ were then .Us.ribated by the captain. Ri„.
.n. cheer,, which s„nnded .range enough In .ha. ,o„e place, were gie,,
.he ,l„n„r„ ,o,nc „f *e„, very dear Indeed .o .he In ^^^ „:Z

a away fr„,„ .he,r ho^e. Cheer, were a„o given for .he cap.al ,d

n„ absen. con,ra,le, on .he Aler.. A choir wa, .hen fornred, an., •• T
Roa, Bee „, Old England " had I., vlr.„e, pral„ed again. The ,1
had .hen- dn,„er a. , a o'clock, and .he olflcer, .lined .oge.her a. ,

An observatory ha.l been erefled on Discovery Bav, an,l carefnl
note, of the change, of tcperatnre were kept on bo'.h ,1,! . On .| ;
early ,n March, .he .hcrmome.er on .he Alert showed ,1 ,- ,„d 1
the Discovery ,,■ 30^ below .ero, while on .he former a 11 l^Z
...ro o, 66" ag' for five days and nine hour,, and on the latter, of cS"
.7 f...- seven coasecntivc day,, was reache.l. At one thne the variation
™.ge.l6o .nafewhonrs. In Febrnary ,he ntercury w.a, frozen for
fifteen .lays „, ,ncce„ion; an.l again, la.er in .he season, for about the
.a,ne length of ti„,e. Notwi.l.tan.llng the cold, which was not only a
.hrect har.l,h,p, but al,,o often ren.lercl titeir breech-loading „u„, tem
porarily useless the bunting parties were „uite successful in b;,, camps!
rhose o, the Alert secure.1 six musk-oxen, twenty hares, seventy geese,
wenty-s,x ducks, ten ptannigans, and three foxe,,, while the n,en of .he
Discovery had s.ill be..er success in „,usk-.,xen an.l hares, and also a
p.cce of special good f„r.tn.e in killing seven seals. They h.ad, moreover,
brough. from Englan.l Hsh, beef, an.l mu.ton, which they bun. up on
■he ,n,asts where tbey were soon frozen har.l, and perfectly prLrve.!.
1 hey l,a.l also brought some sheep, which they killed from time .0 .ime
"The s,„, re.appeare.l .,n .he las. d.,y of February From November
III i'ebrtutry, with the exception of the starlight and occa,ion.al moon-
..'l.t,we ha.l been in .larkness," says the chaplain, "not by any means
<le.«e, but sulBciently murky to excuse one for passing by a frien.l wilh-
"■■l k'H-wing hint." An.1 n.nv the time for ,le,lgc-exploratiou w.as near
.at h.a„,l; an.l ,t became important to establish an undenstanding belvveen
llie .wo ships, so as .0 secure concert of action. Accordingly, „„ the tath

[;

\i '

oso

/y/iVi u MONT'S yo uunu r.

i)C March, 1X76, sul)-lieutc'ii.iiit Rj^crton and [/leut. Rawsoii, accoin-
paiiii'il l)y Christian Petersen, interpreter, were (Hf^patcheii to aitenipt
once inore to open c-oniniunication wilii Capt. Stephenson. Foim' davs
later they returned to tlie Alert, I'etersen havin;^ completely broken
down. His liands were paralvzed, and his feet so badly fro/en as to re-
(jnire ainj: itation, which, however, did not save him, as, despite ail the
care and attention of Dr. Colan, the ship's surjjeon, he died some three
months later. E<^erton and Kawson, accompanied by two seamen, re-
sinned the attempt, and were successful ; and communication as well as
co-operation between the sled<i^e-parties of both vessels were established.
Lieut. Heaumont of the Discovery, in command of ei^ht men, crossed
Robeson Channel with j^reat dilHculty over the broken and moviufj ice,
and explored the Greenland coast to latitude S2" iS'. Scurvy broke out
amoiij^ his men, and two died before reachiu'^ I'olaris Hay. Beaumont
pushed on to his limit, l)Ut four others succumbed soon after turniiiLC tiieir
faces to the ships. The three that were not disabled hauled the sick
with the provisions on the single sled<:fe, always makint^ tiie journey
twice, and often thrice, over the rout^h, hummockv ice. "The "gallant
band," says Nares, "struj^t^led manfully onward, thankful if they made
one mile a day, but never losiniij heart." While they were thus labor-
ing on in the heart of a frozen desert, a search party consisting of Lieut.
Rawson, Dr. Coppinger and Hans, the JCscpiimaux, was dispatched;
and had the good fortune to fall in with them when the remaining as-
sistants of Beaumont were on tlie point of also succumbing to the dis-
ease. Tile three officers had now for a time a monopoly of the hauling
business, but no more lives were lost, and tlie party reached their depot
of provisions on Polaris Bay, where the well succeeded in shooting
game, and the invalids soon recruited. Licluding a lengthened stay at
that point, they were absent from the ship one hundred and thirty-two
days. Lieut. Archer surveyed Lady Franklin Sound, and found its
head, sixty-five miles inland, surrounded by lofty mountains and glacier-
filled valleys. Lieut. Fulford and Dr. Coppingcr explored Peterinann
Fiord or Bay, which also was found to terminate in a steep glacier-front.
Some gO(xl coal was found on Discovery Bay. These local trips and

EXiUrPTfOJ^ OF OFFrCEIiS FUOAf fUSIiASE. m

Bemnnont's (i.-cculan.l Division ..f A.v.ic evplonm..,, constitute! the
D.scovcM-y's quota; the Alert's ,ueu took ehar,.e of the Western .ui
Northern Divisions. Lieut. Aldrich, witi, seven men, explore.l two hun-
drcchnul twenty miles to the west side of Grant Laml, lindin,^ nothin-^
■ n s,,.ht heyomll.ut the wicle.expande.1 sea. On his return, when nu^t
l.y a rehet party under Lieut. May, only one nf his -n was in a condi
l.on to assist in hnulinff four disable,! comrades, while i..c other two feehly
strupro-led alonsr by tiic side nf the slcdcrc.

DISCOVtKV HAY.

It was noticeable that the officers in all these sledge-journeys escaped
the scurvy, while nearly all the men were attacked Capt. Nares was
severely criticised, on the return of the expedition to England, (or
alleged neglect of sanitary ^jrecautions, in failing to provide '■ r .?
supplies of anti-scorbutic remedies on these trips; l,ut it was learuec.
the same difference in health between officers and men, was manifest on
the vessels. Men ^vho had not been detailed for any of these expe-

ilw til

m»

M AUK HAM \s sr.KDGE-JOUHNEr.

«liti..„s, l,„t I.a.l all Ml.,,,;,. iK-u. within read, ..fhyfrjenic, ,„f.lical, ami
aiili-scorin.tic troalincm, were als., atlackc-,1, there hein- ,„, less tl,a„
thifty-six cases at „„e ti.ne ,.„ il,c Ak-rl. !( was thereloie pi-ohal.ly ,1,,,.
to the },'eiierally superior physical o.„,liti,H, a„.l the -reater sell-hdpC„|.
ness of the ..iHcers, that the disparity was cl„e; a.,.l the same phe.,.„„n,„„
may he .,..liee.l ii, any epidemie. The l.ette.-kept n,e.,, intellectually
moially an.l physically, always show the smallest pe.-ce.,ta;^e of death's.'

MARKHAM'S SLEDGE-JOURNEY.

The -reat ixplorin- leal ol" the expe.litio,, was pcrforme.l hy
Commander Markham's party. Accmpanied hy Lieut. Parr, I),-. Moss,
ami Mr. White, one of the en-incers, and twenty-eight men, he set <„.t
for the north on tiie 3d of Ap,-il. The eciuipment eonsiste.l of f„„r
c,Vht-n,ensled-es_so called hecauseead, was manned hy seven men
and an oiHcer, two hoats for possihle navigation in northern' waters; C,,,,,.
tents, eleven feet lon;^s and al.out seven wide; an.l hetween .70,, ^nuluSuo
pounds of provisions to each sled-e. Theslcd-es were na.ned M.,,-,.
Polo, Victoria, Hulldo,^-, and Alexandra. The costume of the n^.^^ u,.
compose.l of a thick woolen, hianket-like material, under a suit of duck
to repel external moisture. On ,heir feet, hesi.les tinck woolen h..sj
were worn hlanket-wrappers an.l moccasins; and all wo,-e spectacles as ,'
protectio.i a-ainst snow-l,lindness. Each slept in a separate ha- of ,he
same heavy woolen mate,-ia) as the day-clothin^-, an<l the ei<,rht"^ i„ „,,.
compass of the eleven feet <,f tent, which a-ain v.as of the same wann
material. B,-eakfast was taken l.efore quittinj,. the ha;,r,s, and consists
of a pannikin of cocoa, some pemmican an<l hiscuit. After fue ho.us'
travel a lunch of hiscuit, with four ounces of hacon and a panmkin of lu.t
tea, was taken; and at the dose of the .lay's journ.,w, varvh.r from te,, t..
twelve lu.urs, when the tents were pitciK-,1, an.I all, except the actin-^
cooks, were snu,i,dy enscmce.l in their ha.^.s, a supper .,f pemmicau aud
tea was serve,!. With the pennnican was always mixe.l a certain pro-
portion of pn,-e:-vcd potatoes.

Forthell;s^r"-. dav, fiurpr.,gresswasma.le,th.n.-h fr.,n, ihr onl-
set the way .„. ....^h an.l .lilHcnlt, an.l the temperaf.nv rather low Ii,,-

THE SEA OF AXC/H.VT [qR.

i'()mfort~<Mi ilio U\\

1 it was 35 |,il

"'» /.cro.

provisions ;it CaiH- fosepli If

" rcju-liii,., tho (I

(11

vioiis season, till

'v, cstal»lislu-(l iKfoiv tl

l)arly w,, iv-ai'iaii.red Fjc,

H- I'lost- (if

slc(l<'cs, and

total

'■'•'1 nuMi, wit

""'"•'""••■""'■"■ 'l-".l.,"Di».a „. , ,,...,,,M,,,

'"'"• "'""■ "'"•■• '''"'-'- '""'■'■■h-1. -vcn." ()„ „„. ,, \^..J

cK.i,tlu i^th, 1./ toiunc; an.L.ntlu. ,Sth, „„e
"••-,and,an„t.nhon,s,..doi,." '^Conrs. and dista.u. mad. ,...,.,
'""''■'^ ''''■■''''•^'•''^•™"'"--^'-^^'--<-M,d.s/'and
-n.rk In. most ,avon.i,lc proportions. Hnt ,.n,-n ..nlv a single sledge
-"1.1 Ik. .ira^^cd ov.r th. lunnmo.Ks at a tinu. with their n., ~
force, thus rc<|uirin^ live snccessive trips to cover the sanu- p
ground; an.l this was sonu-times varied hv two additional trips ,„
'-■ward a ll-w disahle.l conuades. On the ,^th it was deenu.!
sal.le to ho-hten the l-urden l.y leavin,,^ one of ,!„- hoats hehind-
""I liUcly they sho.dd need more than one for all tlu. '-Open I'ola
"'^•> -'""''' '■^'" i" ^v•itl.. This wci.irhcd ahont Son ponnds |„„ ",'
tlu' men were prostrated hy the scnrvv, and ha.l to take its pl.ee
'"'V quitting, the hoat, an oar was laslied to its mast, an,! tie
stepped, yard hoisted, an.l .lecorated with some old clothes,- to se
a si-nal wherel.y to --each it on their return.

Witli the hummocks recurrin,^. evcrv hundre.l yards or so v
-.ly in height, and the intermediate spaces coverecf with drifted '
rul.^es, an.l the temperature almost constantly helow zero, their pr.
was necessarily sl.,w-very sl.>w, snail-like, an.l tortuous. ^The
.H-y;' says Nares,u,vas cnsecpiently an incessant hattle to ove,
ever-recurring o],s,acIes, each har.l-worn success stinnilatin-. them f
"oxt strut^^le. A passage-way had alwav to he cut throu-d
s.,uec.ed-up ic with pickaxes, an extra .,ne hein^ carried for tlu-
pnse, an.l an incline picked out of thv perpendicular side ..f the
lines, or roa.lway i.uilt up, hetore the sle<l,,,res_,^.enerally one at a ti
coul.l he hrou.^.ht on. Instea.l of a.lvancin,^. with a stea.lv x.-alk
usual means ..f pro<rrcssion, more than half of each .lav wa"s expe

ill i:

684

THE HIGH EST LATITUDE EVER HE ACHED.

m I

ml !

by the whole puny fachv^ the sledge and pulli.ig it forward a few H-h
at a ti.nc." Om ti>e last day of April tliey were compelled to hall i,,
the presence of a new enemy, the fog, which endangered their heeoni-
nv^ entangled in a lahyrinth of Innnniocks. This weary work was co„
tinned throi gh the f.rst thir.l of May, with a constant increase in the
nnmher of the sick, when it was decided to leave them l.ehin.l, vdiile Ih.
stronger ones were t<, make a final pnsh for the highest point at.ainahl.
A canap was established f^.r the invalids, provisions and supplies on .Ik.
i.th, and left in charge of the cooks. ()„ the morning of the , nh
Markham an.l I'arr, with snch of the men as were still in a eomliti<,n to"
ventnre forward, set o„., encnmhered only with a few instr.nnents .nd
tl.e national colors. Markham thus relates the last advance: ^^\Vc had
some very severe walking, through which the labor of ,lra-.dn- ,
sledge w<.uld he interminable, and occasionally almost disaj^^nrin..
through cracks and fissures, until twenty minutes to noon, when a hall
was called. The artificial iioriz<,n was then set up, and the ila-^s a,ul
banners displayed, these Huttering out hravely hefore a southwest\vi„,l
winch latter, however, was dcci.ledly cold and nr.pleasant. At noon uJ
obtainc<l a good altitude, an.l proclaimed our latitude to he 83" 30' ^6"
north, exactly three hundre.i an.l ninety-nine and one-half miles fr.'.n
the North Pole. On this heing duly announced, three cheers were
given, with one more for Capt. Nares; then the whole partv in the ex-
uberance of their spirits at having reached their turning-point, san^- 'Tlic
Union jack of QUI England,' hy the grand I'aheocrvstic slcdgino- cho-
rus, winding up like loyal subjects, with Kiod Save the Queen.-' I„
the camp they celebratcl the event with increased sp'rit, even the in-
vah.is growing more cheerful in the prospect of a speedy return. Sonic
extra refreshments, reserved for the occasion, were distributed, addin-- to
the general exhilar.aion. The leaders, Markham and Parr, though tl^ev
had reached the highest point ever attained, were no more H.an halt-
content at the meager residt of so many hanlships. Hut thev were .Ics-
tmed soon 10 find that the decision to return was the salvation nf the
party, as almost all the men were stricken down with scm-vv before reach-
ing Depot Point, near Cape Joseph Henry. Hy forced .narches an.l in-

(lomitablc cncro-y th

THE POLE IMPliACTICAULE.

G85

■^mA while Markh

•y they succeeded in jrcttin<r tl

for the Alert, thirty mil

im watched and lahored for th

le men to camp „n lune

OS away,

it-'ir comfort, P;

and a

couple of lijrht rations, he trud

party, stimulated l.y the conscio
lifc-chanccs of those he Jiad

quipped wit i onb
i^'-t'd oir alone to 1

iisness that on h

c emertrencv

left ])ehind. Fortunatel

, and ni twenty-fom- 1

irr set out

walkin^-.stick

I'li-rv up a relief

1-^ exertions depended the

y he proyed tqual

midnight of the 8th, Cant. \

lours reached the ship. JJef

e head

\vitli

of a relieviu"-

•>vs was on the way to Depot 1

I ii,t,dit dog-sled<re, we

\^ party, Lieut. May, D,-. M

ore

ouit, at

OSS, an

party, and reached the

re sent forward

as a ho-

htly-

id a seaman.

camp in fifty hours from Parr's d

'-'<iuipped advance

.-„ ,„e„ „1,„ left Dcp,„ P„i,„ ,„„ „„„„|,^ ">■

cape. N:„-c, c,,„cl,.do.l .„ ,«,.,„ ,„ p.,„„„„, ,^,,^.

""V ■","""" *^'""''" "■"* "' '"'-'"-— ri:

■; '"'r, ■-.^"i-'Tou..,.,-u. .,,„„,,,„. ,„,„:,„„^

""r'^'^' :,"' '""^' '• -"' ""'- -'"Lk. Arcio „p,,„.,,.» ,„ ,„„„., „„

.i."M l.vorablc sc.a»n f,„- ,hc „„„l„g a,.c.„n>. .„ u-a,-.,..... .Ik- rcn.,!,,!,,,

686

TRIBUTE TO HALL.

\\ il^ >

A BJ ,

Iff ill

iti

iiiSi*'-

lour huiKlml miles to the Pole. But with the "Seu „f Ancient Ice" ;,s
Naivs luun.l it, no amount ..f human eneroy ,„■ heroic daring could
achie\e thi' feat of reaching- it.

Anion- tile acts perfonne.l hv tliis expedition, one -.f internatiou;,!
curtesy is u-orthy of mention. It was a pleasin- and -racetui art i„
the memory of a -reat navi-ator who has heen un<leserve<lly nnder-
rated hy s,,me, l)ecause Jiis methods were peculiar. These for-et thai
each fresh advance is made possihle only l.y the departure .,f e^ch neu-
jjioneer from the l)eaten track of his predecessors. On the i 3th of M,,v
1876, Capt. Stephenson, in the presence of twenty-four oiHcers and mui
of Nares' expedition, erected at Hall's grave an appropriate hrass tahlct
prepared foi- the jjurpose in England.

And later, in his report to Parliament, Nares hore testimony to the
accuracy of Hall's ohser-atious, though with confessedly defective l,,.
struments, m these words: ''The coast line (west from Kennedy C'lia,i'
nel) was ohs-rved to he continuous for al)out thirty miles, forming a hay,
I'ounded towanl the west l.y the United States range of mountains, uini
Mounts Mary and Julia and Cape Joseph Ilemy, agreeing so well with
Hall's description that it was impossihle to mistake their identity. Their
bearings, also, although difrering upward of thirty .legrees from those of
the published chart, agreed precisely with his published report."

Capt. Xares now conclude<l to return to England; and, encountcriii-
many tlilHculties from storm and ice, arrived home on the J7th of Octn-
ber, 1S76, after an absen^v <.f sixteen months, with his ships uniniurc.l,
an<l with only the lo,. of life already mentioned. Xot withstanding
some adverse criticism from stay-at-home navigators, closet theorist,, ami
pa])er philosophers, the expedition was properly regarded as a great suc-
cess, and its lieroes were deservedlv honored hy their country with sub-
stantial tokens of regard, as well as with tlie hearty plaudits ,,r ihe
people.

■*^-<»H»t," U\'«

Ancient Ice'' as
ic daritu,'- could

I'f intcrnalioual
i^Tacefiil atl |,,
^servedly undti--
lesc lorLCeL thai
ire (if each lU'w
le 13111 of M;iv,
ifficers and nuii
i;ite lirass, tahlc't

.'stiniony Id ihc
y defective in-
•Ccnnedy Clia,i-'

lorniinj^- a liav,
nouutains, wiih
i.U' so well with
lenlity. Their
s from those of
-port."
1, encounteriii'^r

J 7th of Octo-
liil)s iiiiiiijiiroil,
>l\vilhstaii(!iiiM-
I theoi-ist-, ami
as a L;reat mic-
ilry witli suli-
ilaudits (](■ i!;(_.

CIIAPTKK i.x.xfv

s<IIWAlKA KXJ'KDIllO.N —

'"" '^'^'•"•^N-..K..U.K.s ,VN„.,,„:v

■ WaiAIN. ' AMKKICA A.VU<;kkat

le fate of Franklin's crew and shi

'l"inn- and sympathetic mind

ps h;

IS continued

s on |)(

le j)resent.

The

)lh

'> interest

puhl

It-'s of the Atl

cease had ])een rel

'c suspense re-ardin,^r F,,^„,,i

iiitic, even u\) U

ved hy M'Clintock

ill's individual dc-

Ihe mystery „f the ships, of tl

"> '^^^59; I'ut there still

record of their ach

le' fate of th

'eniained

en- CO

levemcnts. Some id

■alhere.1 from the scanty records of (,

(-■a of their

'"p;inies, and ,,f H
Ji:eneral course could 1

islactory and va<,nie, and left a d

'>'"cand Croz

L'l', hut this was

unsupplied. The informati

eepwant^a demand i

liiined tin

hypoth

starvation; ihou'di

oil .l^'ained hy HaJl

nnsat-
or knowled'>-e

lesis of Rae (lTl^ lU .

ivae, mat tne most

•>ii his second voyage

con-

of the

concerning- the actual

party had died

l)V

Ills ships, Ilall left th

cour

li^arh' in ll

e- world no wiser th,

'•^^ "f'Fi-anklin and

the fate

111 l)efore.

tak

le summer of ,878, Lieut. Scl-

en an act.ve interest in the suhject from 1

w^'itka, U. S. A.

who had

'LMK-e Irom his j)lace of d

asked pei-mission to or^r

iity on the pi

cave of

mis

111-- tne supposed records of I'

.-•anize a search partv, t

">yhood, asked for 1

' e""e to New York an<l

I'anklin's last \'

"I- the pm-pose of d

Ins proposition, Jud^re Daly, „f the (
tlic information in his p.xsse
"f ihe inissln^- treasures
""'"i-'iii,^- liis application

ova're,

-fcoo-raphicai S

Aft

'ocietv.

iscover-

*-''■ hstenin >■ [<

'ssion concei-niu"- th

:ave him

L' prohahle wli

; commendin-- h

nil also I,) (icii, S

'> I'e di-tailed

ereahouts
lerman and

'1'' lientenanf als(

''> '■•ommand th

> conferred with M

essrs,

-h-et't
if th(

<.' exploring- partv

, I'oncernni;

I'lson S:

he use

l>ro\vn, of S

'>f a whaiini

outli

pai-ty to the scene of t

vessel f

>i- the tr

iieir lahor
C87

iiisportation

i^'i'- only availahle ship, tlu

(iSH

THE ROrilEN.

X.V\

i->

ICo,lu-M, was ,.,t sea, lu.t ,.,„„, h.r ..nival in Nc-w V„rk lu-r owmcts
""^•'•^•'l 'ht <•..,• ,h.. us., of !lK>rx,K.-,Iili.,n, an<l siu- was ,v(ltu..l i„ ,|u. I>c-s|
luamu'i- for ihc .omrorl oC tht- partw

Prior to his .U.,.a.luiv Li.ul.Srl.walka ,vceivc-.I iaslructious lur his
|.nHv.hnv as folh.ws, (V,„n \[r. Mon-is.m: ^^ U,,.,n your arrival at Kc-
pulsr May you will prepare- lor vour iulan.l jouruev hy InMldin.^ your
sie.lLrrs au.i lakin- such provisions as are necessary. As soon as sulH-
cienlsnowisonlheirn...u,l you will start iVoni Kin- William's Lan.l
-Hi the- (Juir of IJoothia. Take .laily ohservatioas, an.l whenever you
cl.seover any error in any of the eharts you will eorrec-1 the same, mark-
in- tlK-reon also any new .liseoveries you may he fortunate enou-h to
make." He was further a.Imonislu-,1 to earefully preserve all records
r"tn..l,an.l keep them safely in his own possession or to intrust them to his
I':squi,naux interpretc-r. I'^inaliy, he was a.lvise.l, even thou-h his expe-
'lition prove.l a failure in its partieular en<l, to make it a -eo-raphieal
success, as his ficilitii-s for ,l,,in- so woul.l he (-xce-llent.

TheEothen sailed from New \'ork on the i.;th of June, 1878, heiu-
a-companie.Mow.. thehavhy several lu-s containi.i- the friends and
relatives of the explorers. Her otlicers and cre\v were as follows: Cap-
l.-.in, Thomas V. Harry ; Jeremiah P.omepus, chief mate; fames Pienper

second male; janu-s Kearney, hoalswain; H. ( )menheu

ser

3per,

, coojK'?-;

Fre.lerick Woern, blacksmith; Charles Hu.lley, carpenter, and ten sea-
men. The explorin- parly was composed of live persons: la\.„t.
Fre.lerick Schwatka, commander; Col. W^ II. Gilder, a New York or-
respondent; Joseph lOhierhin,-, I':s,piimaux ,-ui<lc and interpreter; ] lenry
E. Khetchak, civil en-ineer, an.l Frank Mellers, assistant engineer.

After leavi.i- the investioatiu.o- party at the scene of their a.lvcn-
tures, the i:,)t hen cruised about for whales a short time, and linally re-
tuiiied lo New London,

Schwatka and his comrades spent the winters of iSyS-cjand 1S79 So
in i n vest i, rat in,;- Kin- William's Land, the supposed last restin- place ,.f
most of iM-anklin's ,nen. In this work they were -really assisted l,v the
activity, intelli-ence an.l willin-uess, both of Iheir native inlerprcter
whom they had brou-ht, and also of the Es.|uimanx of the nei-hl-or-

rl< luT owiuTs
Ird ill the ht-si

ictioiis lur his
arrival at l<.i;.
l)iiil(liiiij^ your

soon as sulll-
'illiam's Land
ivhciiever you
.; sanir, mark-
to cnouj^h to
vc all records
1st them to his
ULfh his expo-

t,a'ojj;-rai)hical

', 1.S7S, Iteiu--
■ friends and
bllows: Can-
ines Pie|jper,
1SLM-, coojK'?-;
and ten sea-
sons: Lieut.
■\v Yorlv cor-
retcr; ]Ieinv
i<^iiicer,
liieir advt'ii-
1 linally rc-

and iS-() So
iii.U" |)Iae(> of
listed l)y (ho
interpreter
e neighbor-

'"""' ^^''■''^'' "i^'V were exannni ,„,|u.

'■-'• "> llie siunnier of ,,s,S(,

many inter-
I'iiere wfic

'■ '-' ■ " "".. .-..,.. ...,,',. ,:.,;:, :;:•"■■;•''•

"!>"" 'I'c'.n, or hv other si.,,,s w.-r , ' ' '• """'" '"•"'^^■•l

'-'-^^^- ^'-var.■.K;::;:;:::;'•'•':-'•^•'--'-^

^— .ltes,in.onvhorn..hyK.,. . / ^/"'' "■"'^^ ^-'-li-nered. The
an^l '"any additional prooi;,„-,h. r.,'' 7i-"'' ""''''' '"""''-"-',

'•"^ '" '■'-"^''■-ndhismenw.re

luiearthed. Not onl*- ,,- , .1

•^"i "„i\ „-,.,s thr ivc-onl of .\LC'li„(,„.|' r

"■■""•"■■"■■" ■■'"••<■ vi.iswh.,i..p,.,v ;,"■'■'," '■

lity of blue

.11

rr'

0!K)

HOMAGE FROM GREAT BRITAIN.

Ujx,n one of the stones at the foot of this -rave a medal was found,
which was thickly covered with ,<rrinie, anil so much the color of tiij
clay slonc on whicii it rested as nearly to escape detection. It proved to
he a silver me<lal, two au.l a half inches in diameter, with a portrait of
Geor-e 1\'., surrounded l,y the w.mls: "Georgius III I,, D. G. Brittanni-
arum Rex, 1S20;" on the ohverse, a laurel wreath surrounded hy "Sec-
ond Mathematical Prize, Royal Naval Collc-e;" tiicse words inclos-
ni- the following inscription: " Awarded to John Irvin- Midsummer
1830."

This place, then, was proved without a douht to he tlie -rave of
Lieut. Irving, thinl oiHcer of the Terror. The hodv, as well a^all the
skeletons found, was hm-ied decently and tiie hest tomhstones which
could he improvised were set up to mark the spots occupied hy the Ihi(.
ish dead. Every endeavor was used to discover the grave of Sir John
Franklin, hut without success. The search for the records confirmed the
generally accepted theory, that those i.np.)rtant documents, if any existed,
liad hcen irrecoverahly lost or destroyed.

On his return late \n the smnmcr of ,S8o Schwatka received great
homage from the America., Government for his discoveries, ancl^also
from the ICnglish nation, tor his delicate and humane service to the re-
mains of the lost E.iglish sul)jects. This foun.l voice in the expressions
of many distinguished Englishmen, among them Capt. Snow, Sir Geo.
Nares, Mr. Clements R. Markham, Sir Leopold M'Clintock, and others
of Arctic fame. All agreed that Lieut. Schwatka had performed a val-
nahle service, and one whose performance hy an American should call for
the utmost gratitude from all Britain.

CHAPTER LXXV.

SWKDICX I\ A

ncTic Kxi'r.oi

I'OI.AK V()VA(;K.S.

!.\'l'If).Vs

Vol! I

AfOUTIf OK TIIK Olil—
'TON' SOLV'KI) X

-I'HK SOI-TA IX

•SA.MO'S-Kn I

"■:^'SKl(')I.i)

Kixt;

N''.Mi;i;()|rs

S J!AV-

-^'<>^■A(;I.; I

i;\TS A

■<> IIIK

.lOtntXKvs— Kuxi

0!n)KxSKir,M)'s

''i!oi![.i.:.\r IN

)S I'I{()An),.;,,_.

''"'■;''Ai;ati()x

VA\I(;a-

■•'"K \-H,;a

HIS SI.I,

i>(;ii.

IMIUIIASK

Thou,s,rh Swclc-n was late („ ,,,k. „,„, ■ , .

'''-iy-cheaanin,..antp..U.J.,„,,,,;^:^^^^^^^^

results actually achi.vc.l. F.,,- ,Hi I . /^ "'''"'"^ '"' "^-' ^^^1. of

"^Isia^loi-s, the capital of R.,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,^7^ ^--'l-skinl.l, a native of
t'iolic toast o-iveu l,v hi,n at a sunne,- . ! •' "*"^^''I"^''^^-^' '><' a pa-

-''-^■-■^•pHv.M.>-c::::rv::;r-^r;;''^---'^""" ■-

■":,' "llicci,, ih„ „„ivc.rsi;,, „-,,,„, . , "''"'■"-I "'"'Pal'l. on,,.,,,.

- .-vi.„ .«„,„,;„ ,.,. :, : ;:'";7' '''^ -■■'- »-■

' " "' '"^ »'"^ < '■ "- p-n,;;„„.:.,;;::,:;;;;;:: '"" ':" ' ^'

:...s;;;:::: ::::,,:::';:::--;"■' !"'f» ^^^ --...„„.

>,.>. I "1 us^.s, ;„„| c>vincin.r (V,):n the (1,- <
-•'■^' - Arctic exploration. The verv n , '" "■"""' '"■

-^a,e,I in the expclition nt,e.l out at the e" ^-^'^59, he is ,o,.,„
f-n, ,hat vear to iS-S h. , , '" ''' ''''^•■'^^" "' ^>t'" Toreil; an.l
to io^c>, h(j Ook narf In ,, i i

;--'; »• ■■ "■-'. '^^ >™ 1::;:.; :, ;: :r;;,T"" /^-^^

'^"" place. The expenses o.-n... ,,. ' '^^^1'' ^'- "npor-

;e w

111

f'l

; I

VAIilOUS POLAR VOl'AGES.

-\-^

scription, .iiid in part by the Swedish {,'overnmciit, Dr. Oscar Dickson,
a wcaltliv merchant of Othcnhurjr, beinj^ a hberal contributt)r to live of
tlicin. Tiicse expeditions were, to Spitzl)er.<,'eii in 1.S61 and 1S64; an
attempt to reach the Pole, in 1S6.S; to Greenhnid, in iSyo; to Spitzberjren
a<?aiii, in 1872-3; to the \'enisei River in Siberia, in M^ys, and a,i,fain in
1S76. Uesides these there were two Arctic voyaji^es, in 1S6S and 1871,
by l?an)n \'on Otter, Swedish Councillor of State, and Minister of Ma-
rnie. Hy all tliese voya;^res tiie stock of information in relation to Spit/-
berjijen and (Greenland and the adjoining- seas, was lar<,'ely increased ; and
the intervals were devoted ])v
Nordenskifild to studies and in-
vesti<^;itions relatin^c to what he
!ia(l from his first arrival in
Sweden made a life-work.

In the polar voyat^e of 1868,
with the steamer Sofia, latitude
81° 42' was reached, and the at-
tempt to push farther north from
the Seven Sisters of the Spitx-
bertjfen <;r()U]) is thus described b\-
Nordenski()ld: " Northwanl la\-
vast masses of ice, as yet broken,
it is true, but still so closely j^ackcd
that not even a l>oat could pass
forward, and we were therefore
obli^^ed to turn to the southwest, and seek tor another openin;^^ in
the ice; but we found on the contrary, that the ice-limit stretched iisclf
more and more to the south. On the way we had in several places met
ice that was black with stones, -jfravel, and earth, which would seem to
indicate the existence of land still farther north. Moreover, the ice itself
had a very dillerent appearance from that which we had met in these
tracts at the end of Au'j'ust. It consisted now, not onlv of lar<rer ice-
tields, but also of huj^-e ice-blocks. Already in the beginning- of Sep-
tember the surface of the ocean, after a somewhat heavv lall of simw,

I'KOP, A. E. NOKDENSKIOI.D.

.fdGHl

vorA,:. TO TUE on, ^,v^ rnms^,.

had shown itself I.ctwecu thr ,V ""'" ^^

--H. ,.._, .. ;: :L:~;:::t r"; -; -"- '"■ ^-

-as. Now (t„„„„l ,he cl,„o „f Se,,! ^ "' "" ™"^"'» "-«•
•■">'l bc^an I., Ic.„k «,. I„„u,. ,h,, „„ ,. ' , '*"' "«•""»' '»' !a.l,cT.,.,

-- - "..."• ..r .h. .,„,,. ,;.,:"':;• "'^- -- '"■■> '■«•' -r

.-ec, „, „„,„,.,^,,. „„„„^^__, -,.«...-. ,„,,.

kept Ih.n, .cachin,, ,]„. fi„.,. Th. \lC '"''■■'"""• >'»

'^^■>- — '^' -.d,i,„ „ ,„„,, .,: , :;;:„;:t-"">: ";■■«-'. '

.he .hip ,.,„, „„„, ,„^^^, wa..,...i,., "; ' ' ,,"•■'"'7 -•' -■"-■

«l'e was .adically h„„, ,„„ ,„■ ^^ ^, ° '! " "■'» '""•■''. '""Vcv.-,-, iha.

n»ion with .ho Iceberg; an,l it w ,1 ° ""' '""^'" '" "^ »'■

I., the voyage of ,875 ,„ „,, ,„„„„„, ,;,. ^,_^ ""

's '.. «^.-ye„, La,,,,., p.„„, ,e,,a..a; , f : jro:;: '".v,"'""' ■""

'H,, uic ncacli minicrons ti-idc.; ,^c „, "

-'-■•^ <io.s, ana Sa.o,ea s^: l::;r'"^0 ^ '-'-'—
I'ank WMs foun.l ■. nl-u . f ^' ^'^ ^ '""^'^-- «■' ^Ho top of the- stn.nd-

ii(.',in

:iills

fill!

'nr

Hl>

004

SAA/O TED E.VCAMPMEJVT.

im
iikI

of various a-cs place.I i„ a h..,,, a lai-c lunnlur of .vi.ulccT skulls, tin.
lower jaw of a walrus, etc. Fron, n.ost , f the hears' skulls the cauine
teeth were hrokeu out, au.l the lower jaw was frecjueutly c.Uircly want-
».-. Souie of the houes were over-rowu with moss, „„1 lay sunk in
ti>e earth; others ha.l, as the a.lheriu^. Ilcsh showed, heeu ph.ee.l there
<lunu^^ the present year. lu the n.i.i.lle of tue heap of houes stoo.l fo„,
ereet p.eees of woo.l. Two consisted of stieks a metre (^._vS feet) u,
Icn-th, with notches cut in then,, servin^^ to hear up the "reindeer and
hears' skulls, which were partly ph.ced on the points of the sticks or
ln.nj. up hy means of the notches, or spittc.' on the sticks hv four-cor
nore.l holes cut in the skulls. The two others, which clearh' were ,1,.
proper idols of this place of sacrilice, consiste.l of driftwood roots, o
which some carvin.^s ha.l heeu made, to .listiuLTuish the mouth, eyes,'an,.
nose. The parts of the pieces of wood inten.led to represent the 'evei
='"'• "louth, had recently heeu hesmeared with hlood, ami there still "lav
at the heap of hones the entrails of a uewly-kiUed reindeer. Close la'
side were foun.l the remains <.f a lire-place, ami of a n.idde.i, consistin.-
of remdecr hones of various kinds, and the lower jaws of hear^ Siif
nv^ on at some .listance from the coast, an.l :H one place passing hetween
the shore ami a Ion;, series of hloeks of ground-ice, which had stranded
alon- the coast in a <lepth of nine to sixteen metres {z^yf, to 5../ f,,., ,
chirin^ the ni^lu we passed a place where live Samoved teuK ^ve,v
pitched, in whose neiKhho,hoo,l a lai-e numher of reindeer pastuivd."

The results of those several voya^^es are thus summed up hv Xorden-
sk.oM: - The explorin.^^expe.litions, which, durii,.- the receni deea.u.
have -one out from Sweden toward the north, have lon.^^ a^o aa,i,i,v,!
a truly national importance, throu-h the livelv interest th^t has luv,
taken in them everywhere, l>eyond as well as within the fatherlan,!.
th.-ou^-h the cousiderahle sums of uioney that have heen spent on thein
hy the State, an,l ahove all hy nrivate persons; through the p.uti. 1
school they have tormed for more than thirtv Swedish naturalist.,
through the important scieutilic and ^geographical results thev !, ivJ
yielded; and through the material fhr sc.entilk research, which U .i,nn
has l,een collected (or the Swcli^h koyal Museum, and which ha. ,n.ulc

c-i- skulls, (he

:i ! :

Is tlu! fa

tlllU'

iitiiviv uaiil-

IV sunk III

placed thfiv
ic's stood f'oiii
[,^-'S Ibetj ill

I'l-'iiidccr and
■ li<-' sticks.

1)}' four-cor-
rly were iln

<>d roots.

nil

Ith

, eyes, aiK

eiit the ev(

leie sti

il 1;

ose he-

ll, coiisislii

I)ears. Sail-
iin<^ hetwitn
i.'i'I straiidfd

tent

feet

s Wric

pastured."'
I l>y NordLii-

L'lit d

ei'aui'-

;"o aeciiiiivi!

It ha. i

fallu-il,

It on 1

'le praci

nTii

iiiil

K'ln

nalnialisi-

tiiev

. fjn

ll:l\c

1 liv llinii

1 lia-. iiiailc

695

ihil

ivn/f/mjvsh'/huys r/!i.:,'A/.'A rmjvs.

.: i!' ' it.i:

. ,.. „,„,„„, , „„, „,,„^,,,„^,^.^ ,,,,^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^1 __^^^^^_^^

lo«.,..l :.,„! h^. ,.,,,., ph,cal work „r thcoxpcliti,,,,,; .lK.!,c„,„prc.hc,„ivx.

"..|""-.» rc.sja,-,l,„„ ,he .seal a,ul whale lishcrics i„ „„ ,.„,„, ,,,,. .

...."..;„.„,„ ,.r „.o p,.vi„„sly „„„.sp..o,„l nchnc,, i„ fi.h „r ,lK. «.u

"I S|....l,a..c.,„ the .liscvcrios o„ Hea,- I „1 a,„I .Spi..b„,c„ „r .„„.

sKloraM. »,ra.a „r cal a,Kl pl„„ph,„ic n,i„ual., „hi,|, „,,, „,,,, ,„ ,,^,
or «m„ economic importance lo neighhorin^, countries; an.l, al.'ovc ,„

he s,.cce» „r the „v„ ,a», e.pe,iiti„„, in teacinn,. the ,n„„ths of i,,;

arse hthenan ,iver»-thc Ohi an.l Yeni»ei_navi.a..lc ,o tlu- coniine, „,
Unna, wIktcI,,- a problcn in navigation, many centnrics ol.l, has at I ,s,
been solved."

Tlu-se experiences an.l labors had prepared Nordenskiold for the
J^roattnumph he was to achieve a few years later, .nakin,. his ..„„.,.
allele,] success the hard-earned and well -deserved result of constant n,
dcavor, not a hap-hazard achievement or h.cky hit. He fou<d.t •. Ivud
and lon<,-continued series of battles with the ice kinj,, ascertain. l,oth
h.s stron,. and his weak points. ,Six times he had met the enemy o„ ,.,„,
a.ul sea, in (Jreenlan<l and .S,,itzber,.en, before encountering, hhn <,fr ,1..
north coast <,f Siberia. With the two voyages thitherward in .87, and
'S76 Nordenskiold himself connects his seventh voya.^e in 1S78, which
was destn^cd to make bin, one of ,hc n.ost fan.ons navigators the w,„hl
iK.s ever seen. "After my return from the vova.^^,. .,f ^S^G^ he s.vs u r
came .0 the coneh,si.„ that on the j^round of the experience therehv
^anu.d, and of ,he knoul..!^. which, under the li^ht of that expe,ienc-;
-t was possible to obtain ,Von. old, especially fVom Russian explo.a.i, J
"' "- --^l— t of Asia, I was wanante.1 in asserting that the .pen
n.-.able water which two years in succession bad carried n.e across .he
Kara Sea .-lornuTly of so bad repu.e-,o the n.ou.b of the Yenisei, ex-
t-ledn, all proI>ability as tar as HebrinV. Straits, and iba, a nrnan-

uav,;,ation of the Old World was thus within , be bounds of possibiliu "'

I 1- ^reat navigator, I Indson, .70 years be " v, bad sa.islie,! hinwlf

that the Northeast Passage could never be loun,l an available ,.>,.,e ,i.,-

If V

kiold for the

,, ' ■ 607

tne commcnvof the Kicf v-.f *i

w"i"...H>. an,, c.,;;::„„ ;: ;:':^-,:«;-» '" •'- '"-"■ i.T

■•-i"". ".. -Hnin, .„„„„„,„ Jr.: ';:::;: "■ "" "■"^- "■ "■^■

'" .lie ,„„,„hs ,„■ ,|K. ,,rea. rivers „r Si,,. " ' ,""^'"'"" » '->•

' ''■ '." "-••-'">•" - .0,. a ....:;, .,::;""; ;,"■"""-•

.■•■,><.■, since .,,. Snc. Canal l,a., ,„,„„„,, ... , „ ' ■"'^' '" ^■""' I--

«'nM open ,.,„■., ,,e,nis|„K.,-e t„ c„m„,e ■■ " "" ""•"""•"••

"- ■"•a.ncu,, , an,, r ,e,> pn,, ^ ' ' "' """'"■'^' "'^- ^■^'""■'-

t'^^"— • -■■•-ttx;r:;:r'::r-r-

Canjim^- t,,e products „ril,e,„i,,vi,i,„, • , '^"""^ "'^■^'™ "I ex.

- A-n-ea, .,„,.. ,. .., , „: :;,;:;; "^;"; - ■■- -■ '■:."•..,.

fa-.,- .,,e p„„re..,,eni.ens„r ,„,.re "^ ' ' 7'''"" '"'*' "•^■'■

•'■men,. ,„ i,„r„.,„ce „n a ,ar.,e .,,1 , ' "'"' "'"""'^^ ''^'

'•■--•'■ac..n„,r;.sd;i,i:t:"' ' "'" -"»"""^"'"" ^i^.- ■>.

-ve,,,., a,„n,, „,e „„r,„ eoaj S^, ,:':'" "-,■"— -l"-«

""- --e„ an,, .„e experiences ..,ine ' ," T -'^ ""'" ""' "-

.*..>. ,.e,, ,.. n..e,,,an3. ;:!:::::— ™^^^^
' :t:'" r' "''"'' '^ ^■'"™' '"•'- '^^'" -•'■ -"-"--

est , :"■" "r"''""^"-^'- "^"' "-■'■ " -'-i-'t-fSOCraphiea, in.;,

-t/o, at, cast two .„„„sa„.| ,,,„,,. „..„„, ,ean,e,,, a, has ,,een else

6f*8

FUNDS CONTRIBUTED.

whor ,e,a „. m .h.s voh,™o, thae Russian navigators especially P„„.
seh.che., Lapeew and Chelyuskin, „i.l, very inadequate resource, "
come very near doubling .„e north point of Asia. In view of these
and h,s own experience of those regions in tS,, ,„d ,S,fi I ,

...re,™, that their failure was due rather to til iCSl^rr: ^
els nrpioyed, than to any insurnrountahle obstacles presented by the i
and tha a suong, wel|.ec,uipped steamer would be able to ,L,etr t.'
where they had faile.1. Tirese Siberian coasters were too frail t e c ot
ter he .ccpack, and being usually flat-bottomed, keelless, and held „
gether w,.h willows, were equally unfit for the open se,; N ,d .^
escaped ,r.s notice that these Russian navigators had aU strangely mi
calculated the most favorable season of the year for their el^ortr ,
.7+0 an expedition un<ler the mates Minin and SterlegofT, aitfr ,„„
expernnents n. ,73s and ,739, had succeeded in reaching 75^ ,3! Ji
of .1. month of the Yenisei, when they returned on the "of Se ^
bar, because of the supposed lateness of the season

NordenkslOld was in possession of some funds placed at bis disposal
for the purposes of exploration by the merchant A. Sibiriakoff; but co„

outfit than these funds would warrant, he applied .0 tire king to a'ccr-
^nn whether any aid might be expected from the public funds. . Kin-
Oscar wo already as crown prince had given a large contribution ,:
the T .ell exped.fon of ,S6,, immediately received the proposition with
specal warm. ." Eventually all the expenses, less, bowe'ver, the
tnbut,o„s „t the governme„t-i„ p.ay, ration, and supplies of U^rce o.fi.
cers, n,cludn,g a physician, and seventeen ,nen detailed from the nuy

ZI""T^ :r"'""""^ in equipment of the ve....| at the nation:'
ock-yards a Karlskrona, not, however, to cxcee.l ' $6,675, a.ul in naval
2^, «.elu.l.ng nredlcines, to the extent of $a,750-were de.Vaved l,.
tlK k">S,Dr.D,ckson,andMr.Sibi,iakorr. Dickson acted a, banker'
sui>plymg ready cash as needed by the expedition

Besides his .share of the general expense, Sib.riakoff authorize.1 Xor-
densk,„ld to build a small stea.ner r.t his expense, to act as tenderer
store-sh,p .0 the exploring vessel as far as the mouth of the Lena, „ hcacc

TUB VEOA.
she wa» to retum wi.h a cargo o„ hi, acco,.„f and to fi,
chantme,,, one a steamet an.l the othot . , °"' '*° '""'■-

'Ik- Yenisei, wl,ich were .„ Iv.ve c T"" ™"'' '°' "^° '"'"■* "'

out, an,l Siberian grain Lack. ' ' ""y'^Europcan goods

The next important prchniinarv wi, ih,.
'■'■• ">e voyage, and the choice felf I , """'•t °' ^' '■=''^" -'••""«
was thn, described b, the o^ner. ^^''^": ^^^^'^ ""="

to which the pnrchaser. found no tea o.^o T"' "^^'^ " •"■■'='■"■'■""
--net Vega was built at Bre,ncrl,aveu i„ ,s,, ^Z 7T"^ " '"'"
"nder special inspection. She l,a, twelve vcr^. fi ''^•^"'"''' ™!

.» ..1-357 tons gross, and .33 „,, b„ " \ " ''■"■'^''- -Ps.er, and
whale Hshing in the North Poi'ts' , "'" ""'" ""'' '"-" f"

necessary, and comntonly used for U • t' '"■'■'"•"'^"«' '" -"r way

"^•H". ..r oal. she Has 1 iccslt Z::. "r^^^ •"^- "-" "•-

he expected to con,e at Iter timbers T, e ' ""' '""' '""^

■'-■'<■ '43.3 rect. .eel, ,33,; hreadUt o'b r':!":: '"7^-"^"^ -"
•5 leet. The engine, of »i..y Itorse-povve 1 1,?;, ",, ^■'"'" °^''°'''•
excellent surface con.leusers, and rcca,i! ' "'"'■• "■«!'

h^'» p.tch-p„,c masts, iron wire ri,-.i„.. ■„„, 7 "■''"°' "'"'

■She sails and maneuvers nncommoni; .eU d ! d 'Tf '""'"'■
•■•^P-" of nine ,„ ten knots. During th '. i T, '"" ^"°"= ""™^

»cve,. and a half knots hut siv ,„ ''' ""^ ""^"■"^ "lade

e.«i.he speed unders;:-^;.. ::,::" '>"• "7- --V ^-"n^i..-
A.1 steam winch, a reserve rndder and ■, ,• > '"' ^'"''■"'■-

CHAPTER LXXVI.

SC,ENT,P,C .„.,«_,„,,„,„„ .,.„„,,_,„„,,,,,, „„^^^^ ,^_^_ ;
K«E„_cr,A„A„OVA_SAM„VH„ ..U-K - T„K,„ ,„.:a,,„.„, ;,,,,,;

TMH aU»S,ANS-.,.„K „0„SH„OI.I> „ODS OK T,,,, SAMOV,M,s _ >
TADII5K. "

Every „K„lcrn appliance l,a.l l,een leaned. Sciomific l„«„,„,e„l„;„.
a...ono,„,cal, physical, .ne.eo.olo.ieal a„,l .eo^raphical .coarclH. ,,,,,
bee,, f,,,.,„« „, by ,he Royal Aea.lcy „f Seie„ce», a,,., a.nple pn.visi,,
-de f„,. . e ealth a„<, welbbei,,, ,.r .„e ,,„.„ ,„„„„„,, I,,,^, ,
Vega, already described, left the ha,.l,<,r .,f Ka,l,kro„a „„ the .„, „f
.Iu„e, ,87s, on he,- ,„era„,-able voyage. He,- c,-cw c„„m«c,I „f seve,«o..„
me,, „f ,l,e Royal Navy, i„ cha.-.c ,.; Lieu.s, A. A. 1.. Pal„,e, a„d I' . '
B,usewi.., wi,h Pala„der i„ co„„„a„.l of *e .hip, a, „c.i,„. .aptai,,,;:;
R. N,ls,o„ a» .aili„g.,„a«e,-. Mcue. A. Ilovgaa,.!, of the l.a,„.|,
Navy, a,„I C. Rove, oC the Italia,,, who ba.l ol,tai„„l per,„is«i„„ ,„ ,,,
co„,pa„y the expedition, a„.l Kerve, ,cpeetivcly, an snpe,-!„tende„t. ofi,<
nieleo,-olosieal an.l hydrog,aphical ,vork, „e,e also o„ l,„a„| „„ ,1„.

2+th the Vega arrived at Copchagen to .hip p,-ovisl„„s, and Icavi,,

the .6th, pat in at Gothenburg „„ the .y.h ,„ ,ak, ,„oa,,l the scicuilic
equ,p,„e,„» and the ge,„le,nen in eha,ge of the scvcal depar,„,e„K „f
^.,t worU-F. R. Kiell,.a„. botanist; A. .1. ,S,nxbe,-g, .Mogi. ; ,,„„,
O. Nordqtnst, o, the Russian Guar.ls, assistant .lologis, and i„,„p,.,,o,-;
-Kl E, Alnumist, hchcnologist and nu-dieal office, of the cxpediti,,,,.
ies,dcs the Vega, with he,- c„n,pany of thirty pe.sons, of wh, „, ,„„,.
fonr we,-e seamen, the others being offices, enginecs and scictist;,

the other three vessels already referred to, an.l which be ,

the tnerchant, Sibiriakoff, were at the disposal of the con.n.ande, of

700

Tim VEGA LEAVES GOTllBNnURG.

701

..I flag-sh,,,. They were the sleam-tender Lena Ch,' »■ , u
captain; the steamer Eraser Emil Nfikf " ■'°''^""'=''™.

,r , „ '^""''^''*'»°"'':»Pta'",amlthesailin„ves.,.l

■.XP.C.S, „,„,er Captai,, G„„.,er„„„, „,.„ .heir respective corps o'f ! '
"Ihcers a„.l crew,,, „,„1 S.J. Seribrie„l<„ir as s„pere-,r.,o an ,
.ive of .„e c„,na,ercia. interests of the owner ^ZT^ T"'''''
>vere to „,ee. the Ve,a a,,., her ten.ler at Chaharlv 0,:;::^ T"'^"
Vai.ats Sonn., „in, between the isianU of that naJL?; 't:^.
■ -.ian.,, whtch was also the appoin.c rendezvous of the Lena sZu
^ e .e. separate., tro™ .„e Vega. The nanK- Yugor is derived from
. .1 name o, the adjo.ning portion of the continent, Jngaria or V^a
he s npposed n.termednde sea. of „.. „„.„,„„„„ „„^^^.„ ,„^^,. ^^
.ne ,„.,„ .„e,r ongn.al Tartar ho.ne in Centra, ..sia and their nri! 1

"'"""-""■'■ "■ '"^■"- ■"--"' '-«".", toward .he close of the nh t ,

century of our era. "^"

O.. the ,.h of ,,n,y the Ve»a left Go.henbnr., ,,„. eneounterin.
"ca.,.wn,ds „, .„e west coast of Norway, her progress was slow, andli
- ".'""...> .he ,7 , that she reached Tromsoe, where she was o tal

;- : 'T ' '■'"" "' >•'""' '"■ '''■ '-■""• ""^' 'h- shipped

-c walrns-hnnters, and sneh special Arctic ec,.,ipments as' reindeer

--. >-. cs coa, and water. On .he 3,st, about lifteen d.ays ,ator than

™.lc.l, .,u,. se. .an on the regular voyage, ,«al<ing for Maossoe, a

am ,s,and , the Northern Archipelago, where they were to have their

1-. anol ,ac,ht,es. Here .hey were detained three days ,,y adverse

"-*, ...stead of that many hours, as anticipated. Thev were hospita-

!■ >■ cntertan.ed by the Inlrahi.ants, and Nordenskiflld records as the chief

»lvaa.agc of ,he .lelay an effeCive remedy for scurvy. The cold, we.

. a-..eo, the island makes the disease an endemic, which attacks a,l

classes and conditions of the inhal,itants; but, " Aceor<li„g ,0 a statement

a.a. c by a lady resident on the spot, very severe attacks are cured with-

"". ta.l, by cloud-l,erries preserved in rum. Several spoonfuis are -dven

■he pal.ent daily, and a couple of quarts of the medicine is s.aid l bo

sall.ceut for the complete cure of child,-en severely attacketl bv the d!s.

ca«e." Pbe cl„u,l-l,crry is recogni.c.l as an efficient anli-scorbutie, and

703

SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

if! -'

perhaps ,n.,v ho tht.s more conveniently taken, hnt it owes nothing, of its
efticacy to the rum.

Amon;, the first scientific notes of the expedition was one, which was
due to their unexpected detention. It was ohserved that the sweet hire',
now grows only in favored spots so far north, while forn.erly the outer
-lands of the Archipelago were covered with a luxuriant growth, indie-,

THE CI.Ol.'DUKKRV.

ting a gradual lowering of the general tc

mpcrature. In Siherin it

grows ,o aboue a ,lofr,-ce fi„,hor ,„.,,h, „,• p V,vvi„„ ,„ ,„,. ,.,,,,, ,„,,„„„
of wa„„ .-atc,. ..„n,c. l,v the .,-o,,t rivers every sunum-, n,.,n ,h,. ,„„ro
gon,;, s.„„l,vr„ climes thn.usl, wl,iel, ,l,ey llow. The .lu^.f-hirel, i,
foun,l s,x .legree. fi„.,her, „„ „„. ,,,. Fi.„,| i„ ,Spi„l,e,-„en, jS -^ 1„„
nscs ,l,ere „„ly ,„ a fe.v inches al„,ve .he gn„„„l. U is ,„„. h.l.^e

THE VEGA ANn LENA SEP AI, ATE

any spcae. of the hh-ch that ,.ow,s Hu-thc-st t.> the „onh in S", • .
spec.es of the hnnly birch. 'Siberia, but a

Leavin- Maossoe oi, (he '-(h .1,

SounU, between the i.an,,,-;C:rT"^^'''''^

which is known as North Cane ' """ ^"^"""'^^^ "^^

Ve.aan. Lena pa...eae !,.::;,:; ^7''':'-''^ The

-dea on its .., to chabi;:::; V r^^^^^^^^

-'^'^^" =• ^^v n.,es of the ... eo^ J I^V^T^" "^ ^^ ^

si^^hted on the 3Sth at 70" ,v bv .r - ' ' "'"^'^ ^"^^-^

^_. _ -^^ ^5' >^ ' ^'■•'^t' '■» about seventy-five

nWA,(|.R„ TKKKS IN SIMKRIA.

hours from Maossoe. This u-m .,luw,< • i

J HIS was al)out midwav between fho AT <• ^ 1 •
Sohar, or Sound, and Yt.-or Schar Tl I Matotschn,

.ms; .,1 Bare,,,,. L.T„I awaylo the „.,r,l,, i„ ,a,i„„l,. „ ■ .„,. I, .

"^^•': ; ™;-- -"■ '"^ «- - ..K. ca,., "•::::::

^■™;-..i. A,, acc..„„. „r „, .,.,„^,.„ ,,,, „„„ .^,_ ^; -

i.a,c„tz Hay, o„ tho oasl cast „r |ia,v„li. L„„l , ,■ ■

76". On the yth of 8«

ptcinber, 1S71, Capt. Carl

SLMi, a Norwe-

-t i

i ill ■

j 3|

■ i ffl.

704

DISCOVER r OF BARENTZ^ HOUSE.

jian, while circuinnavigatin<? Nov:

:bh

discovered the house
w.t. ,nany intorestin,. relics, in a remarkable state of preservation'
and brou,H.t then home, whence they found their way,throu,.h the .e.l'
of Barent.'s countrymen to the Ila.a.e, ^vhere they are carefully p.-^
served. ^^ No man," says Markham, " has entered the lonely dwellin^;
where the famous discoverer sojourned during the long winter of ,-J
for nearly three centuries. There stood .'.o .o«,!dng pans over the fin.'
place, the old clock against the wall, th the tocls, the drinkin<."

vessels, the instruments and the books th.. .eguiled the wx>ary hours of
that long night 375 years before. Perhaps the most touching relic is
the pan- of sn.all shoes. There was a little cabin-boy among the crevv
who d.ed, as Gerrit de Vere tells us, during the winter. This account^
for the shoes having been left behind. There was a flute, too, once
played by that poor boy, which still gives out a few notes."

The more southern of the twin islands of Nova Zembla is separated
from Vaigats Island, to the south by the Kar. Part, or passage to 'the
Kara Sea. The part of f island which was now sighted by the Ve^.'s
con.pany is known as Gooseland, because of the great numbers of ^eese
and swans which breed there. By the end of June, or early in July the
greater part of Gooseland is free of snow, and soon the Arctic flori'dis
closes all its splendor for a few weeks. Giving themselves plenty of
sea-room, but in the main following H.e t.end of the land, they proceeded
to the southeast, and farther on, east-southeast, to Vaigats Island, of which
they had an excellent view, the air being exceptionally clear. From tlie
Murman Sea to the west it seemed a level, grassy plain, but on approach-
mg the Sound, low ridges were seen on the east side, which were re
garded by Nordenskiold as the last spurs of the great Ural Ran<.e
They foimd the merchantmen awaiting them when they arrived at Ch.'
barova on the 30th, and the Lena put in an appearance the next day
The Fraser and Express had left Vardoe Island off the northeast coast
of Norway on the 13th, and had been in harbor since the 30th.

The village of Chabarova was found to consist of a Samoved en-
campment and several cabins. These were occupied by nine Russian trad-
ers from Pustosersk, about 400 miles distant, on the Petchora, >vith liieir

the house,

■'^servation,
r'l the zeal
^'tully p.e-

■1- of 1556^
!• the fire-
drinkiiKr.

^ hours of

^S i-ch'c is

the crew,

accounts

too, once

separated
',^ to the
10 Vec^a's
of <,reese
J^b'^ the
flora (lis-
plciity of
roceeded
of which
^'I'oin tlie
jproach-
vere re-
Range,
at Cha-
cxt day.
;ist coast

ned en-
an trad-
th their

W»«;//,/,/,M(#i''*

'•>•»//"'*. !//«<, t'S'lii/'n/""-^^:

BAKENTZ' noUSli. (UXTHIUOK.)

BARENTZ' HOUSE, (l«TBR,l,R.)

[ i
I- 1

V>'A

706

S AMOVED LIFE.

SamoyccI servants. The tents wcv ..ccupied by . Samoyed tribe, which
make thi.s its usual sum.ner ren.lezvous, Vai^ats Island a/Fordin.^ ..ooci
pasturaj^e for reindeer. The Russians who Torn, a ilshinj, artel, or c.>,n
pany, quit Pustosersk ..fter Easter an.l return about the n.i.ldle of Octo'
bcr. besides their equipments fi,r fishing they brin<, such articles as ■„.,
smted tor trade with the Samoyeds; an.l with barter, fishing, and the c'.re
ol remdeer, of whicii they own several hundred, they usually m.le ,
profitable sojotun. The annual produc' of train oil alone ran-a-s fV.>,n
i,30o to 1,500 pounds, of which their patron St. Nicholas receives ■, re-,
ular tenth, bein.^r nia<lc an equal shareliolder with the nine active nicm
bers of the (Ishinff guild. The summer occupations of the Samoyeds -,rc
snndar, and in winter some retire to Pustosersk, while others proceed to
Western Siberia, where corn is cheap. They own caveat herds of rein
deer, the chief man, or elder of the tribe, ownin.i,^ a])out a thousan.l 1„
stead of dividin.g witii St. Nicholas, althou.gh most of the.n have heo„
baptized, and are nominally Christians, ,hcy reserve their pious offerings
for the shrmes, or .groves, of their ancient idols, of which there still ^Zi
several sanctuaries on X'aigats Island. They have been known to nv.l e
pdgrimages of a thousand miles to the more famous altars, or pl.ccs of
sacrifice, of the ancient religion. The Russians call the Samoyed idols
bolvani, tliat is, rude images-equivalent to the Samoye<l name, sjad.ci
from .9/,,, physiognomy; and exhibit toward them a sort of reverential
respect. Indeed, each party is getting remarkablv tolerant of the s.mcr
stitions of tiie others. The ikons or sacred images of the Russians an.l
the/Wt.r7;A.of theSamo3-eds hold alnnit the same relation in fhe rcli
gious systems of their respective worshipers. I„ domestic life there ne
two important difFerences between the two races, one in favor of each as
factors of advancing civilization. "The Samove.l has one „r more
wives; even sisters may marry the same man. Marriage is entered „pon
without any solemnity. The wives are consider^ bv the men as lu.vino-
equal rights with themselves, and are treated aecor.linglv, which i. very
remarkable, as the Rnssians, like other Christians, consider the uo.nan
as in certain respects inferior to the man." \\^x, a Suiioved
'wife-murderer has been known to plead in his own' defense th:.t

;::::;' ."""^"'' '""" '- '- ^ -->• -l. ..» i. n... .u„

Tim lilil. h,„,|„ ,„„p,„,„.i| „,j„,„,,i ,
»vc.n,: »i,„il..„- l,.,nd, i„„. „.hid, ,„.,,„, ,,;,,, '' '■"■"""' '" ™= "f

, ., . . '"'"''^ ^'^^'••'■'^'^''>o'n the White Sc-i to ,K

>^'|4?t^

S AMOVED SLKnr.E,

::;;■'■ ''"-■ '''■"">■ "•^'»'™' <"■ i"-' - n-- 1. ■.mc.s t,,,,.,. h,.,,,,,, ,,

unisl vKos,,f (1,0 I!.iroponn.;. Thov.„.„ , >''>•■" "ul the

'' • - > « vi:n..„„Hao:,v: .„ : ;ix::r' 1

''■";■"•■"■"•';:--■ •-'■^■■-....v.-.u.. : V^, C

;'::"::' ;r':™- -'--"■■"■'^" ■■> - -„ „.,..,. .„,. „::,;:

' """""' ■' '""""^' - "'"'"■«. '^ -■«. - ie were u,,. of .he ..pea!

708

A TAD/BE.

ihl

il)lo II

;imo." Certain it is tiiat they re-rard him as far ab

.t)ovc the aflfairsof

tnoM, aii.l Ihc-ir worship is mainly directed to the inferior jrods reprc
scMitf.l In- ihc i.lois above referred to. Small idols they carry about with
tlieni, and the lar<,'er ones are kept in the sanctuaries of the race. hi
every train tiiere is a sledi^e devoted to conveyinj? the idols of the wlicR.
tribe. Amon- the honsehold crods, or /uihc, of a Samoyed, is „ne to
watch over the health of liis family, another over his marital relations, a
ti'ir.I over his reindeer, and a fourth over his fishin- nets and otiicr i,'„'.
plements ,.f the chase for food „n land or water. Whenever tiie scr-
vices of any of these is reciuired, he is taken from his repository, liis
mouth is smeare.1 with blood, and a dish of f...h or blood is set before liini.
When his ai.l is no longer required he is hustled away into his receptacle,'
without ceremony. In his relations with these he is his own priest; hut
with tile invisible spirits which hover about in the air, and are hostile to
.nan, he refjuires the services of a tadibc or sorccror. This worthy, when
<lischarging the .luties of his sacred office, wears peculiar robes,' a vcl
cloth veils his face and eyes, and a plate of polished metal shines „po„
his breast. He takes his drum or tambourine and walks around in a my.
row circle, heating the instrument, at first lowly and gentlv, then with
increasing energy, while he chants a mystic hymn. Soon the freiuv
grows, his eye gleams with a strange fire, he foams at the mouth, he
pounds the tambourine with hicreasing and spasmodic violence, an-i'th.
melody becomes a raving shriek, or savage howl. He now sits down and
receives the tnessage of the spirit, and announces it to the intercstnl
party. The tadibcs do not seem to be conscious impostors; they arc in
the main, self-dcceivcd. Some, however, know how to practice the nvoII-
known feats of jugglery which have attracted so much attention nearer
home. A smart (adil>c will take his seat on a reindeer .kin, or on a chair
with his hands and feet tied, an.l having the light lowered or removal,'
wdl proceed to summon spirit help to release him from his bonds. Un'
expected noises announce the approach of the helping spirits-hears ar.
heard to growl, snakes to hiss, and squirrels to whisk their tails The
spirits never seem able to do anything without these accompaniments-
strange that they never utter any sounds but such as srg easily within

yAT/VE PECULlAIUTtES.

709

.vach .„•„,„„-, taiuuvo „„„„»;„„ „, ,„„„., „_.,_

'•""" ■" -J-'-,,.,. „„ „„,e„i,„ ,„.. ,,„ ..„ j,.,„., , :,

<!'> as, well without their ai.j. A ,vii,i i , , , "

• ">•• ,v wild |()()< h;i"-"-ir( f'l,.,. C. 1 1

Th.s.. ,„„.„a,i.„s ,„„„„. ,„.. ,„..„„.,,, ,„■ ,„.,, ,,,„, „,„, ^_,^,,.,,^,^.^
.,..1 .con,,,,,,., „„. „„,.,. ,,,,„ „,.,„ „„,. ,,^,^,^,_,^ ._ ,

'"7 ■■" '^■^" "'^- >■ '- - ^- -'i-ly ,l.c.„„„.,„„ , „,„., , '

'"""'^~- -'Vv pu. wi>„ „„^„,,,_ :„,„;;

";.' " ■'^""■'"•V" ■'" '"""• "■^' "■'- '" .^ .•-™ l.c'i... .-V,... .„. I,

' ■,'"■ """'■ '■""^■^■""■"' -'--'. ^" a „„„„.,„•, ,„„;,,. ,,„^,,.

"•-M."..n",c-„t ,.,v„ .,,id. li,„, .M.,,l„d„ „.,,,„,;,„ „„i, ,,„,„' ,,:,,,;,

«c.„K „,...,. „,a» „rn,.l,i.,„, .„d „, „„„„,,„,,■„„„,' .,,,,,„„.
.S,„„o.v., ,s c..„.e.„ if hi, ,x.i„,,c.o. ,„it U.,, „i,„ ,,,, „,„, „.,„. ^;,,^,
c,ux. 1,, Ic ,,„. .^... .,.. ,„■ e,„. ,,,,,„„„ „, ,, ^,,^.,,„,. ,^.^^^ ,^,,^^^ • _^

/c„„,lcs, how.vo,-, cvi„cc cnsidcrabk. ta^.c i„ drc. Thn,- 1,0,, ,„„:;i|,
co„s„„ .,, a l„„g .a,-,„o,„ „f ,x.i„d.,T ,ki„, fi,th,„ cl„..lv al Ih. „.',i„
an,l ha„!,n„s; i„ ^raoc-IU fol.l, ,„ „„ feet. The pctioJal ha, .n-,', ,„:

hctwoc,,; „„,! ,hc hoo.s a,v laslcfully cnhroidoro.l. I)„t it i, ,„ u,,, .,,
,..n,o,,,atia„ ..f .hci,- hair ,ha. th.y .Icvo.c- .1,. „„„. ,na,.ke,, a...„.|„,,
11 „ .hv„lc.l „,l„ ,„„ !„„,, l„,,i.l, „.hich a,-e i„,c,-u„vo„ u-itl, l„i„|,t.„,|
»r..l ribbons, beads, button,, a„,l s„,„l,.j, n^.tallic t,i„]<ot,,. Th"e,e „e
.,..,st,cal]y co„,i„nc,l by ,t,ap,, whicl, a,o si,„ila,ly o,na,„c.„tc,l a„.l nearly
loach tl,c g,-,>u„d, giving the i,n|„.e„ie„ ,bat the whole i, a lu.n.ia,,'
.i^Towth of jet-black hair.

Their manner of lite has developed a piercing eye, a sharp ear, a
steau, hand and a fleet foot, but taste and smell are either defective or
ohtuse. They are good-natured, phlegmatic, and inclined to inelanchc,] v •

V )

mtf mt I.

710

SlIUlilAKOFF ISLAND-POUT DICKSON.

.Uralcfiil, liDspitahIc, and kind ; fivi- I

arc ratlicr <,'ivL'ii Id iiulolci

Vom iiiul or ri'VLMij^fful fcclin;,'s; Imt

hii-l

icf and a sort of stoical iiidillcrcMicc

1 I'Mcnds to c-vcii the final exit from this lilt-. Like al

apatliy

and deet'ivT

111 oppresMN

people they arc suspicions of tjieir more crafty nci<,'lil

nid are opposed to all iimovatioiis, not inmat

)()] ■■

I rally

■^iispcctinj

icni of

l.enii,' <lisir,nscd nijnncs. They have hecii crowded from their I

tures and within nan

)Cst

ower limits from year t

m/m

,1,^ their inahility to cope with the st

<> year; and while reco.r.

ronjfcr

they

H-rown sidlen an.l suspicious. Their lan.i,Mia},a- is of the a--l
type, that is, tile relations of words to each other in a scute

have ncccssarilv

ntin

iti\e

lice ar

pressed hv sullixes or ten

ninations, ;,rliK.d ,,m, as it were, at th

e end

V e\-

nrcn-

ositions, prefixes and inllections I

leniL''

IV a <

listinct

ivc sidlix

nnknown, and the plin-al niarkui

closely related to the other hranches of th

IS, however, so far as yet known, n

ol \\-x^;

Nordenskiold

c so-called Attaic fa

s expedition cpiil tiicir anchora.ije o(F Clial

1st of Au-^nist, and steamed thron-h til

mil\-

KiiV)\a on tl

J^^xprcss into the Kara Se

e sound, the 1'

laser low

in-' llu

1, wl

lich extends from Nova Zenihia to T

1 eninsnia, reccivin.i,r tlie watc^rs of the Kara, Ohi, Tax, ;,iid ^
throng;!! the L,'ulfs hcarinir tl

:nniur

tlllscl

le same names.

was loinid that "n

hie portion of the mass of fresh water which t

Ihe Kara Sea, Hows throu-h Vai-ats Sound into the Atl

o Unta-

lese Lfreat rivers doi

ir mil

inlic ( )c

and that durimr autumn th

the jd thev met ii

IS sea is (|uite avai.'ahle for navi"a

tion.

'can:

o ice: or. tin

<-■ 3<l only ice that was verv o]

and m the evenin

lotten, |)rescntiii<^ no ohstacli

the lar-e island of Heli Ostn.v. The Lena had been d

with three of the naturalists, uiid

)i'u anil

i,' arrived m si'rju df

ispatcli
er orders to pass through tl

c(l alirad

10 SOlllllI

Which separates it from the peninsula of Valmal. 0\\ tl

SihiriakolF Lsland in the mouth of the Y

le 6th, nassiiiL

lerc

Dickson— 73" 30' l,y 8i°_on Dickson Island, wl
joined hy the Lena on the 7th. The reader will rcco-
patrons o

estuary of the Yenisei. Port Dickson

enisci, they anchored in Port

ie\- were re-

ni/.c the names of

f the expedition in those assi.i,r„cd to those two isl

uuls

in till

skiold's first \

ad 1 jcn So named in

Xord

(.'11-

ovaiie

thith

er in r8

/:>•

CHAPTIvR r.X.VVII.

Tin; vi:(;,\ toNTrNui;s in it \-(»\- v, . .

'"VA.,,.. ,., TIM.; NOnTTIEAST — CMM-
.•A..A.,.,.:„_K,.. „s„,. I-.V-TUK ,„.„,„„„„,,„, ,„,^,^.,"-

"•" ™— — »••■ "omT o.. .»,.-...„,,, ,,,,„_,:"::;

-.. ....:... |...,T co.M,...„-.„. ,.,. „„,,, ,„ ^,„„,, ^,_ -

""■■ vu..A_rc„UKrc,u»_u,.-. ^mo.mi t„e nat,v.s_,..«„

CAI'K OXMAN. "liACII

0„,l,o„„,.,A,..u,l the Frasei- a,„l E.pi-os, loft ,>o« Dick»„„ „„
the c„,„„„ „ ,„, „^,„^„, „^,,,^, ^.^^ . . ^^__^^ ^_ ^ ^ on

ami Lena, with which this w„,k is luoiv ..„„.,,,ocl, wcI.Ik,! inch,. ,V ?

......Mh. i,.h, while lyii,,,., in a fo«, .Voi,.„s,i„,a ami U . '

^--.whoio c,K,v,„„i,d .ilu..,is,..d.s,.,n„wc.,.i„« ,„a„.,,_eL

no. -en .he iisiia, ,„„a, hea,-. ,.,i, .„en„„.,. U,e air ha.l a.aii, ," ^ '

^K.v; a,,., al ,„,„n ihe iee iiiei-ease. ■„,. a ,i„,e I., an unpieasai,; .
''°"" '■":."-^-': " ■"' -- "> »-'. 'I-".!.,- as i„ p.l,e „i. „hs, e'

"'r'T':: "■?■"■■ '^^■'"""■- ■" '- wa,ei,. onthe.., :

p..l,ly .,1 „,a ,ee „, lar^e di,„e,isio„s, p„„|, of very n,ae„ iee of .hi.
cuiTei,. year. . „„.,ne,l, howe.ei, „„ serious „hs|ae>e ... „.,. aclvan
a .1 ..ea|.e|. .he sh.ae we pi-ohahi, wouic, have ha„ .pii.e open wa.o, , u.'
I c,...,.se ,. was i,« „J.i,,,,|, „ .,„ „„ „ea,.,a,ul,„.lefo,.aiu „r

known waters" La.ei, i. was , .1 aeeessary .„ ,„.,ve .he;!^ :

an iee.n„e, and .hey were thus held through to, and iee „,..i, the tath
when, upon a partial elearii.,.up of the atntosphere, they steamed f-'
ward toward Taiiniir .ay. .Ml detentions and stoppages Vere ofeo, I-

"tili.e.l ^.y th. l,„sy naturalists of the expedition. Numerous small
.slancis an.! ,,n-ot.ps had heen discovered since leaving Port Dickson, and
"-ncd, .generally after some of the scientists and officers. The northern
pon„ o, the West Taimur Peninsula was nan.e<l Cape Palander. But
they had not -one far under steam on
tlie ifth, when the fo<,. a-ain compelled
thcin to put into port. Fortunately an
excellent harbor was found in what the
commander named Actinia JJay, from
the laro-e nund)er of actinia', or sea-
auemones, which the dred-e hrou-ht
up there. It is an inlet of Taimur
Sound, ruimin- into the southwest
coast of the island of the same name,
at tlie entrance into Taimur Bay from
the west. Here a-ain they were de-
tained until the iSth, usin- the time in
explorations and invcstij,rations. They
found the sound too shallow to be
passed through by large vessels.
Animal life was scant ; some few rein-
deer were seen, a mountain fox was
killed, and a lemming caught; and ten
or twelve species of birds were seen,
among which were six waders. Of
these and souk- young ptarmigans,
quite a number were shot. Some
thirty-four species of ilowering plants
were noticed, besi<les the usual num-
ber ot m,.ses and lichens. A walrus had beet, seen during the vova-.
fron. I ort D.ckson, and now a number of seals were found floii,;-
on the ice in Taimur Sound. °

Again weighing anchor they skirted the west coast of Tal.nur
Island, thrcaditig their way through n.at.y sn.all isl ^ds still partially

THE OLD PROBLEM SOLVED. 7,3

enveloped in fog, requiring the ahnost constant use of their stcan.whis-
tles to keep fron. separating, but encountering no obstacle iron, ice such
as was .etbe.ng mostly rotten river and ba, ice. On the .,th th ' To.
stdl contnnnng, they steamed by a large, high, unbroken ieUl of ic:
exten :ngtro.asn,all bay on the west side of the peninsula, which'
caused en.no httle apprehension that they.. i,htfin<l it i.poliblc .,
double the great north cape of Asia, which was the ,nain pur ose of the
exped,.on. A httle farther on they had the good fortune to find, fust
west o the low-juttn.g promontory-or rather in the fork of it-_an ..oen
lxo.wh.ch they named King Oscar, and in which both steamers came
safely to anchor n. the evenn.g. They had nowhere met such old drift
■ce ...s encountered north of Spitsbergen. " VVe had now reached a
goal, says Nordenskiold, " which for centuries had been the object of
unsuccessful struggles. For the f^rst time a vessel lav at anchor o,r the
northernmost cape of the Old World. No wonder [hen that the occur
rence was celebrated by a display of flags, and the firing of salutes -uul
when we returned fron. our excursion on land, bv festivities on l.oard'bv
wme and toasts. The north point „f Asia forms a low promontc'n.-
wh,ch a bay divides into two, the eastern arn. projecting a little farther
to the north than the western. A ridge of hills with gently slopin<.
sides runs mto the land from the eastern point, and appears within \Z
ot the western to reach a height of 300 metres (984 feet). Like 'the
pla.ns lymg below, the sun.nits of this range were nearlv free of snow
Only on the sides of the hills or of the deep furrows excavated by the"
streams of melted snow, and in dales of the plains, were hu-^e white
snow-fields to be see.t. A low ice-foot still remained at most places alon..
the shore; but no glacier rolled its bluish-white ice-masses down the
mountainsides; and no inland lakes, no perpendicular elili;, no h.d.
mountam summits, gave any natural beauty to the landscape, which Z.,,
the most monotonous and the most desolate I have seen anvwhere in the
High North."

Both the cape and the immediate tongue of land back of it are now
d.stmctively known as Cape Chelyuskin and Chelyuskin Peninsula, both

ill the honor of the R

ussian

xplor

■t^i- of that II,

x\\\<^., previuusly men-

714

AN/MAL LIFE

11 :

foncd. The c^rcat Taimm- I>eninsula, of winch this ton<,.ue and cape
forni the extreme northern projection, is now further tlivided geograph
.caliy into a West and East Tainiur Peninsula by the Taimur Lalce and
R.ver; and it is to the eastern half that Chelyuskin Peninsula belon-^s
Here, facK.g the north pole and snuffing something he had never snuftl-d
before, was seen a polar bear; l,ut while Lieut. Brusewitz was preparin-.
to pm-sue Inm, the salute to Cape Chelyuskin had scared him ofT, and he
survived to lord it over the animal creation after the departure of !,]«

SI.\1( Flhll OK NOUTIIKKN W.\ 1 EKS.

cncn.es. Twenty-three species of inconsiderable flowering-plants were
found; son.e insects, chiefly the poduru), or spring-tail, a few flies, an.l ■,
beetle. Of birds, a large number of sand-pipers a.ul barnacle-^ee.e .
loon, some k.tti wakes and ivory-gulls were seen; and also some rontins
of owls. Of mammalia, the solitary bear already mcntione.l, was the
only bve representative of the land division; but traces of the reindeer
and lemming were found on the plains; while marine mammals were
represented by a walrus, severa. seals, and two shoals of white whales.

THE VEGA AND LENA SEPARATE.

715

The position of Cape Clielyuslciu was determined hv l
i^"y^^n.t.ithana.i^cia^...,,.^,.,,,I'^;;

Quittin<j King Oscar Bay on tiie ^sf fh,. ,
|.o,nt ,„ ,hc co,„p„» i„ ,,, ,„■„„ ,„ . ,„_ y ° "uy

"-■" ">■"'-"-' ' -"»■• - .'-• ic. ...CO ,„ :„: ; :;, '::"'^'

lo.-oc,l dctciui,,,,, were mndo u-iil-,!,!,. c • ■ ■ 'Wial, these

V M o. the „.awl not was cx„„„..,i„ari,, al„„„la,„, |a,.,e astcrf.. J^

""'"• ^"""^-'^■^' """"'^'"■'^" " ^"■-"^^- --.-^■r (pyc„o„:;,„,, :: ;.

-n..S cuslacva, etc. I. was the ,„„s, ah,„„,a,„ vicUl th the tnw

^- """."' ^^r" "- •■■•'™ ■'- -a -.<•■ .he ,„„.the,.„ e.u,;,„i,;

thai oa..iMell.." ]-iiiallv itS-,- ■ , "emiij „t

M.la ,hc we..; a,„l we.e „„w ahie .„ „,„, ,,,„,„, ,„ ,„^ ^,„„ '. _

;''";' ^"■'; "^■■'' 7™" •■■ •-■ '-"—-- - «„„. ,„ ,;, „„,,;_,,„,„

land, under a nortluvesierly breeze.

, ";■ "r :+'"■ '"'"" " »'"' »"""v--.l a. al„„,. the .,„.e ,li.,a„ee

""■""""'• '"^7"-'™' -"^ •- ai„. a „..,e way i,„a„„, ahj

,o„„ ,„ ,,,o„„ ,ee. ,„ he„h,, a,„, Hke .he |,lai„s „,, ,„, ,,„„, ,„,,.

"'■ '■"".' :",""•■, •'' " '• "■■* "" i- •« «i,.lu, .hev ,-eache,l vj.

.■a.ehe,„e Island a. th. e„.,.a„ee ,„ Cha„ta„,,a liay; a,,',! la,„li„. ,,;„„,,
.». hea,s a,„l .na.le ..,„„ »,,,„„;, „,„„,,„„„^, ^^^.^^.^^^ _^__^^^^^_^ ^^^

...:,50, a,„l pass,,,;, the ,„,„,.h ,„■ X„,,K,U Bay ,„ the „i,,h., thev .-eaehctl
l-.'«l-„a,. ,., the ,„ai„h.,„l „„ the ..th, a,„l proeeetletl'.!,,.. east

..---.hey ha,l sa,le,l si„ee :,e.ti„,. elea,' ..f the ice t„ the ,„„-th. ()„ the

2011, at ,i„„i, they were h. Icm.ri.mle ,2^" ■„„l .„ „■ , .

Shi.als ell .lie iii.at.h ,,( .he ()li„,eii f>,i,l., ■ ■ .

'■"<'l l.e„a pa,tc,l e,„„pa„y i„ the upe„ sea i„ aboa, l„„..i„„|c , ,S • 30',

716

THE LENA HE ACHES lAKOUTSK.

o/r Tumat Island, abo,.t 40' north of the Lena Delta. Sone rockets
were tired off, and Capt. Johannesen received his linal orders, passport
a.ul copies of Russian official letters, instructing such representatives of
that nation as he .ni<,.ht fall in with, to render whatever assistance n^i.^ht
be needed. During the whole voya-e the ships had encountered much
foo-, but no ice of any consequence until after passing Cape Chelvuskin
and then only when they struck out across the Polar Sea toward NeJ
S.beria. While they followed the coast they found open water, always
at a sate distance from the land on the one hand, and the ice-pack on the
other. It was therefore demonstrated that, at least in seasons as favor-
able as ,878, tiie whole voyage may be made without meetiu^r any
senous obstruction from ice. The Lena reached lakoutsk on the ^'^.st of
September amid great rejoici.igs, being the first ocean-steamer that had
ever reached that far inland city, about Soo miles from the sea.

After parting with the Lena, as stated, the Vega kept on to the east
reaching ,33" at noon of the 38th, and sighting Stolbovoi Island in 'the'
atternoon. The 39th was spent in xvorking around through rotten ice
causmg some detention, and compelling them to proceeu to the north of
Stolbovoi, and then southeast toward Liackov or Lachow Island re.ch
.ng .40" at noon of the 30th. Finding ice heaped up in rather'forhicl-
dmg quantity on the west coast of the island, Nordenskiokl relinquished
h.s purpose of landing; and the Vega kept on her way to the southe-.st
passing the tamous Sviatoi Noss, the northernmost point of the n.ainlnul'
opposite the New Siberian Islands, in the night. They here noiicul
new ice beginning to form, though the temperature by their instru>„e„ts
was not quite as low as the freezing point. On the 1st of Septnnher
they were at 150% about one degree north of the mouth of tlu- I.uli
girka, and on the 3d the temperature fell to one degree below xen, ()„
the 3d snow began to fall, and when they arrived off Bear Islands, north
of the mouth of Kolyma, both vessel and land were lightly covered with
it. The channel west and south of the islands, through whicli thev
passed, was almost free of ice, but a little further out ice\vas ahu.uhnt
and on the 4th, east of the islands, heavy masses were found to havc
dntted south, compelling the Vega to bear down nearer the coast toward

TCHUKTCms.
the Greater Baranow Rnrt t.,,i i

.he .e 3oe„ .„, ^z i^: *;':;::;";; T"' r'-" "-'•

had hUhorto e„co„„.„cd „„ ,hi, voya e ^ 1 or'"' ' " ""' '"''
hlock» ha,l been mo, or ,ig|«e.l O^.L " fn ^'■^'' '"■ "''''"' ""'"""■

perils and making al.„,„ flfty ,„i|e, a .lav P ' u ^'^ "'"

Tchaun Hay i„ the ni.ln thcv ro ,1 '„''''* '^ '^'""S 'h« =""-"'.co to
■ ho afternoon of the e^h. ' ^■■""•' '^''""»'''°' "" " <>'='-'' °"

The monotony of the voyage wa» at ,en,th about to be .-eliev^d
They ,oce,ved their fitst visit from native,,. Two boats not y t
..omiaL, of the Esquimaux, set out from the ,.„7fu, ' : ""

women and ehiidren, e.amor., tohe ta.en aW^r^C. Then';
course we,, the reader's o,d ac,„aintauce„ the TchuUteh of tl Tr
,.ons. " The typo of faee," says Nordenskiald, .- did not strike le as
«. unpleasant as that of the Samoyeds or Esquimaux. Some of th
youn, ,,r,s were not even absohuoly ugly. I„ oomparis„„ with
bamoyods hoy were oven rather eloanly, and had a bcautifu, mo'
™ M.sh.wh,.e e„,„p,oxion.- Th.y wore dismissed with gift, „ '. C
an p.pes hcs, es tr.nko.s and elotlung, and wont olT rejoicing. On
.S.h l,e,ng beset by fog and ice, the Vega anehored, and ho, comp ',,v
uont ashore, ,„v,ted by the natives, who oontinue,l to make a favo
nnpross,„n „n tho,r visito,,. "Children, healthy and thriving, tonde,.|'
cared or y the ,„hahitants, wore found in hn-ge „,„„bers. The you .l r

wore treated w,th marked frieudliuoss d the older ones were no^r

hear.1 to utter an ang.y wor.l. The wo.neu we,, treated as the ec.a.s

•" "". '"" '" '"^- '^''^ -'« "'-'.v» consulted by the husband wll, a

n,o,x. „,,p„r,ant b.argain than usual was to bo made. The dwellings con.
s,s,ed .„ roomy skin tents, which inclose a sleeping chamber, hexagonal
,n form ung w,.h warm, wol,.p,.eparod reiudoer skins, and ligh.o:i and
warme,! by one or ,„oro train oil Uunps. „ i, ,,erc that the family sloop
ur,„g summer, an<l hero ,nost of them live, day and nigh,, during win
er. In sum,„o,--loss frequently i„ „intor_n fire is lighted, besides, in
the outer ,«„, w„h wood, for which purpose a hole i, „po„cd i„ ,h. ,op

718

BORFNG THROUGH THE PACK.

o the raKscc. tcnt-roof. ,3ut to be compelleci to use wood for heatin^
the mner tent the Tchuktchis consider the extreme of scarcity of fuel '"
Though there was no village in the immediate vicinity, there was n'o
lack of v.^ors, and the report of their arrival seemed to have spread vcrv
'•apKlIy. The Swedes had but few articles of barter, and soon oot rid . '
hen- stock of tobacco and Dutch pipes. Gettin, ready to sad on ti.
loth, they could make but little headway, and lay to in the ice durin. the
n.ght; but by keepin.,. quite close to the shore they were able to a-ec,
along, a,.„n lying to on the night of the nth. This was at Irkaipie
Cook s Cape North, longitude ,So", whence Wrangell tried in vain to'
.ght "the alleged inhabited northern country." On the ,3th, beyoud
Cape North, the Vega at last found her way blocked by the il ' J
and tunnng back, found temporary refuge near the cape, where theJ
were detanaed by the untoward condition of the ice until the iSth iJ
sides the usual scientific investigations, some remains of the Oukiion o,-
Coast race, here occupied the attention of the scientists. "A lar-^c „u,n
ber of l.H.se-sites, an<l implements of stone, bone and slate, we^ f ...„,:
also nmldens, or refuse heaps, containing bones of several species <.,'
whale., and of the seal, walrus, reindeer, bear, dog, fox, and various kinds

Growing in.paticnt of detention, they pushed forward on the ,Sth
and .^er stn.ggling ahnost constantly with ice, reached Cape Onman oj
he 36th. At tunes boring through the ice with the strong l>ows of the
Vega; at otl^rs moore.l to a floe, or grounded mass; sometimes with
only a foot of water under the keel; at others aground on sh<.-e-ice
awa.tu.g high tide, while axes, picks and poles are brought into active
.erv.ce, they worked their tedious way, making not quite twentv n.ilcs
of actual advance in nine days, thur of which, however, were lost,"i„ ,vvo
equal periods of force.l inaction. On the 37th, steering south a little
way mto Kolyutchin Bay, to avoid the ice smrounding the island of the
^.me name at its entrance, and then east to resun.e their <iirect course,
they anchored in the afternoon to a lloe near the eastern sho-e. The next
day they doubled the headland, and crept forward, hoping to n.ake their
way through lichring's Straits to some of the Pacific islands

CHAPTER LXXVIII.
AH .,.,„.: vc,M-.„„o„.,. ,.,s,.,..vs-coMM„„s o. .,„.: ..„,.:

PKOACH OK KKLEASK.

0„ the .,.h, n„<li„R „o l„,K, ,e,„| „, „„.,„ ,,„,,,
Vo,a vva, .noorod to a n,a. „r „.„„„., ;,„, ,3^ ^e^e ,„,„ «„ .1','
.0 ,„«h, w .ch „ffo„,e., . fai,. ...,ee,., ,.„. ,„. „,.„„„, „„ ^ ^,^ ^ -
over, p,ovc.l ... „e .ho winter <,„a,.,e,., e.cop. that late,- ,.„ .„„.,„, ,he
te,- were pushed hy the outer ice t,. within »eve„-ei,h.h» „f „ Le „, .h
coast. Soon tiK. ,ce.helt which ha,l oi.tructe.! their a.lvance .rew frol
S.X or seven .0 ei.htecu „r twen.v ,„i,es wi.le, and there was! ,o„„er
any hope of gettu,,- away ,n,til the eusuiu. ,„,„„cr. Their exact po'si
..on was ascertaine,! to he in latitude r,",- ,y „„,,„,,„,„ ,„ , „;,_^,
73 33' .' west-,So" east, half the circumference fronr Greenwich
hadhee,. passed at Cape North. .Jtwas an unexpected disappoint-
ment, says Nordenskiol.l, " wl,ieh it was the more .lifllcult to he" with
equan,m,ly, as it was evident that we would have avoi.led it if we I, ,d
con,c soote ],„urs earlier to the easte,-n si.le of Kolvutcltin Bar There
were n.nnerous occasions during the preccdi„K part of our voya.^e on
whtch those hours n.iffh, have heen saved. The Vosa ,11.1 not req.dreto
stay so Ions at Port Diekson; we might have saved a .lay at Taimar
Island; have ,lred,«e>l somewhat less west of the New .Siherian Islands
aad » on; an.l ah..^.. all, o,n- Ion. stay at Irkaipie, wai.i,,,. for an im'
provement in the state of ,l,o ice, was fatal, hceausc at least three .lays
wore lost (here without .any chanRe for the Letter taking place"
It scarcely needs be said that, as soon as it was fully u",derstoo,l that

710

780

AVERAGE COLD-STATE OF HEALTH.

this was indeed their utmost limit for the year 1878, they set themselves to
work .lilinrently to make the hest of it. The ust.al preparations were
made for the health and comfort of the men ; an observatory was erecte.l,
and various scientific experiments were set on foot. To -uard a-ainst
the not impossible contingency of grave disaster to the sh^p dnrin^r ,11,.
anticipate<l prevalence of severe storms later on, a depot of provisions
was estal)lished ashore, containing necessary stores and provisions for
sixty men for 100 days. "The stores," says Nordenskiohl, "were lai.l
upon the beach without the protection of lock or bolt, covered only
with sails and oars, and no watch was kept at the place. Notwithstand-
ing this, and the want of foo<l which occasionally prevailed among the
natives, it remained untonche<l by the Tchuktchis who lived in the
neighborhood, and by those who daily drove past the place from distant
regions. All, however, knew very well the contents of the sail-covered
heap; and they undoubtedly supposed that there were to be found there
treasures of immense value, and provisions enough for the whole popula-
tion of the Tchuktchi peninsula for a whole year."

The average greatest cold for the first five months of detention-
October to February-was 35° below zero; the lowest point reached
being 45.7", on the 35th of January; and for the remaining five mouths
34", the highest being i" below zero, on the 2(1 of July. The statu of
health on board during the com-se of the winter was exceedingly good,
there being but few cases of serious indisposition, mostly stomach ''cokis
and sliglit lung inflammations, all of which yielded readily to medical
treatment, and not a single case of scurvy. There were about 300 na-
tives, in the vicinity of the ship, including those on Kolyutchin Ysland,
all, except the islanders, within a distance of five miles. " Dog team af'
ter dog-team stood all day in rows, or more correctly, lay snowed up,
before the ice-built flight of steps to the deck of the Vega, patiently
waiting for the return of the visitors, or for the pemmican I now and then
f'-om pity ordered to be given to the hungered animals. We soon had
visits from even distant settlements, and the Vega finally became a rest-
ing-place at which every passer-by stopped with his dog-team for some
hours in order to satisfy his curiosity, or to obtain in exchange for goocj

yoUDEASKlULl) , 7.S/7-.S-

PIDLI.V.

word

781

s, or

tobacco.

some more
som

acceptable wares, a 1

ittle

• Irop of spirits. We had
est triHe. Iloiiesty w;

mes, when the weath

warm food, a bit of

;is

reindeer L

not, however, to I
:is n.uch at home I

ler was very sto

rmy, a little

iment the loss of th

le mer-

apjjs.

icre as

'» the huts of the

0„ the 6(1, ihoy rcccivi.,! a visil fr,„n V»„ili M..„l, , , • .■

w.lh l,„u tr<.„, h„ cnca„,,„„e„,, „„, ,ar f„,m ,he shi„ I,. ,

■i...-, ... I,uy reindeer, and explore the coun.ry The , led , """

I..V -en, nine, and five d„«, in ehe ra.i ■ [ „ ^^ "T 7"

Me„,<„, ^>:. i::.h:;:e:r„;;::;::,::::::: !::^;-^- Thr„^

No^en. ,01 sen. e..ers .„ ehe Anadyrsk. where „e arrived „n .he ^ ,'
o. Mareh .873 Conveyed .henee .„ Iako.,.»k, „„l,„ ,„„, „„, '
,o.„ of May .he firs, news fro,,, ,„e win.er .nar.e. of .he expedi.io «
,ece,ved ,„ Swede,,, by .ele^aph, on .he ,6.h of May-..j,„. ,, , ,^
wl c,, concern for .he fa.e of the Ve,., was beginning ,0 be very ,,re-,.
,.n,l .he .|„es„o„ of ,.clief cxpe,li,i.„„ was seriously cntertaincl "

Matters l,e,„s in stood shape at the ship, Nordenskicild made an e.
c,.rs,o,, t„ the native settlen.ent of Pi,lli„, „,, .he eastern sho,. of Koly,,,"
chn, I ay, ,,.s.a„t ahont a ,,o.e,. miles, to Icarn something of the do,!.."
c Wats and pec„l,ar,.,es of .he Tchuk.chis. He enjoyed their hospl-
.l„y for a „,«h., wh,ch see,ned to be as much as he conld stand at one
tnne, an,l re.n,-ncd the next day, having noted a few of their snpersti
irons, as well as the great heat and stench of .heir lents. (,„ .he other
hand, "All sensible people among .hem had evidently come to the con
c ,s,o„ that it was profitless .rouble .0 seek a seasonable explana.io,, of
all .■ lohes wh,eh the »..»nge foreigners, ,.ichly provided with many
ea,-,hly g,.,s, but by no means with practical sense, perpetrated." Visits
... a..d from the natives, hunting and scienlilic excnsions. ,h,. ,„„.i„e „f

• \

HOPE OF RELEASE.

ES*

duties Mboanl ship, filled the days ami weeks. "One day was very like
aiiotlie.. When I ho storm howled, the snow drifted, and 'le cold ])e-
caim- too severe, we kept more below deck; wlien the weather was finer,
we lived more in the open p- -ften payin<r visits to the observatory in
tile ice-house, and amonjj the Ichuktuiiia livinjr in the neighborhood, nr
wandering about, to come, if ijossible, upon some game."

On the 15th of December there was a violent movement of the ice,
but without injury to the ship; and on the 18th a lane was seen to thj
north, hut it was soon closed by drift-ice. A week later they celebrated
Christmas in a joyous and festive manner. "A large number of sukiI!
wax-lights, whicii we had brought with us for the special purpose, wuic
fixed in the Christmas tree, together with about two hundred Christmas
boxes purchased, or presented to us, before our depai tuie. At 6 v. .\i.
all the olHcers and crew assembled in the 'tween-decks, which had been
richly and tastefully ornamented with flags, and the drawing of lots be-
gan," followed by supper, songs, toasts, and general good-fellowship. A
week later, the new year, I S79,'' was shot in with sharp explosive-shell
firing from the rifled cannon of the Vega, and a number of rockets
thrown up from the deck." With it came some hope of release. The
north winds had recently given way to the warm south winds, creatine
considerable cleadngs out to sea; but the Vega's ice-fetters remained uii'.
disturbed. Again, on the 6th of February, the thermometer rose to
alM)ve freezing point, and open water of great extent was visible to the
north; the Tchuktchis killed a polar bear and seventy-eight seals, and
reveled in temporary luxury, or abundance of food, lightening the tax on
the ship's supplies, and putting a stop to the bogging importunitj of the
poor natives; but there was still no chance of release for the ship.

On the 17th of February Lieut, Hrusewitz made a sledge excursion
to Naitskai, alongshore to the east, about ten miles from winter quarters;
and on his return reported hospitable entertainment, and abundance ot
seals in the tents of the natives. He saw eight hares, and a /ox, hui no
ptarmigans. On the 20th three large Tchuktchi sledges, drawn by six-
teen to twenty dogs, and laden with goods for Nishni Kolymsk, arrived
at the Vega. By these letters were sent, whicii it was afterward ascer-

' very li|<c
c cold l)c-
• was finer,
irvatory in
)orho()d, or

of the ice,
lecii to the
celebrated

!■ of SUKllI

pose, wure
Christmas
At 6 1'. M.

had been
of lots be-
-vshij). A
osivc-shcll
of rockets
asc. The
s, creatiiiif
laincd iin-
;r rose to
lie to the
seals, and
he tax on
it; of the
lip.
excursion

(|iiartcrs;
ulance ot
X, hul no
n\ \ry six-
k, arrived
iird a seer-

784

A HUMANE SAVAGE.

tainc<l rcachcl the Kolyma on the 4th .,f April, an.i Sweden ..n the 2d
«'(• Au-ust. Early in March a numher of la.len do{..sledjres passed to
the east on their u-ay from Cape Irkaipie to IJehnn-'s Straus for pur-
poses of trade with the natives of the islands of the \orth PaciHc, and
Alaska. Toese were followed, after the middle .,f tiie month, hy liirtjcr
reindeer-sled-cs laden with reindeer skins and Russian -oods, from •'he
fair of Ostrovnoi, for the same market.

On the .7th of March Lieut. Palander ami Dr. Kjellman made an
excursion eleven miles to the south, to buy reindeer-flesh; they found the
reindeer-camp and the owner, by whom they were hospitably enter-
tained, but who declined to sell on any terms, as the animals were, he
said, too lean to be slaughtered. His treatment of his stock won the 'ad-
miration of the visitors: ''It was not the -rim, hard savage showing in
a coarse and barbarous way his superiority over the animals, but "the
good master treating his inferiors kindly, and having a friendly word
and gentle touch for each of them. Here good relations prevaile.l be-
tween man and the animals. The owner went forward and saluted
every reindeer; they were allowed to stroke his hands with their noses.
He, on his part, took eve'ry reindeer by the horn, and examined it in the
most careful way." A trip, 30th to 35th, was made by Hrusewit/.,
Nordquist, and three others of the ship's company, with "a Tchuktchi
guide, to Lake Nutschoityin, to fish and explore.

On the 19th of April Lieut. Bove and a compa.iion made a three
days' excursion along shore to the east, reaciiing the village of Tiapka,
some tifteen miks distant; and two months later, he and Dr. AhiKiuist
made a four days' excursion to the interior, when they penetrate.l alK.ut
thirty miles southwest to near the eastern shore of Kolvutchin Bay. h
will be noticed that all these excursions from the Vega were of'short
duration, whicli was <lue to the commander's natural unwillingness to
permit long absences from the ship, because of her exposed concHtion. A
few days' violent storm from the south or southeast might at any time
place her in jeopardy. In May they had only a few hours of mil.!
weaHier; and even on tiie 3d of June the thermometer stood 14^^ below
^ero;buton tlie i.^ih it rose to 8' below, and din-ing tlie day, a southerly

AURORAL DlSPLAr.
hre«,c ,|>r„„K „,, „hid, p,,, „„ ,,„, ,„ „

HU .„„1 c c.„„„c ,„v.s„,,a,i„„ „f ,„, „„„,„„„ ^,„.,^^„ .

auroras or cxcptio,,,,, aur, ,or™», .he co„„„o„ arc K „.. , '

tiliitf anck-r their horizon. ' ^ '

I. was noeiccl „,„, „, ,„i,.,,,„„.^. , .,._,^ ^^^.^..^^^^ . _

. UC- «r...r .ari., .ha„ a. No., Z.„h,a, .Spi.Her.e,., or ^^.

1.C , .. ,.l of the lommn,,, the »me „u,„her of varieties. The .voir „„,,

w. re..,.,eerha„ a ,,„ representative,; traee, of the hiher, a

i."..l-boar ,™, ,.,ar,n„t were also see,,. The otte,-, heaver an,l weaser

::: 't^'^:^ *" ^^-^-'^^^ - -<> -^i..^ ..f .he ,ast. .ei

■"" "" '™" *•■■■"' •'■■' ■'" 'i-'^ .epresentative of any of the three w.

enco„„te,.e.i. The ."oiar bear, in a few instances, .J the hristied I
; ft ;■"-"-«..-.- --.; I of the latter ,.a„, „e,e kihe., h/ !

PC cs of p, nts we,e note,!, of „.h,eh ,„„,. ,han half are i„„i,e,„a.s

o ehe Scan.,„„v,a„ l-eniosnla; an., the earliest .late of fl„„eri,„ was

tl'o 33.1 ... June. .X few flies ha.l heen notiee.l on a pa,.tie„,a,.,v ^lea,:

-. .lay ,0,,,. weeks .,ef..,. this tin.e, ,„„ i, „.as not nnti, the en., of' „,„e

that ,nsects appeare,! in any consi.le,al,le „„n,he,-s

Ou tire ,<,„, „fj„„, ,„, ve.a was visite.! hy a Chtistianize.,
Tchulaeh,, ,,a,„e.l Noah Elisei, „h„ „„, ,„,„ ,„„ ,„„^„^j
...Cais a. N.sh„i K„ly,„sk in the hope of hein, „f se,.vice .0 the e.pe-

t! 1*

'■%■ t:

ition. The chief, if

, if not only, advantaw derived

was in the li.irter of

■*(

AURORAL. DISPLAY SEEN FROM THK VBGA.

726

A TCHUKTCnr GRAVErARD. 737

three reindeer for tea, sa<.ar, a,ul tohaeco, l.osides numerous -ratuiries to
Elisei, his two wives, and his hirjrc lamily of ehildren.

Among the last excursions was .,ne to a Tchuktchi graveyard by Dr.
Stuxberg, of which lie gives the foUowing account: "The" Tchuktchi
graves on the heights soutii of Pitlekai and Inretlen (perliaps two miles
from the Vega), which were examined by me on the 4th and 7th of
July, 1879, were nearly fifty in number. Every grave consisted of an
oval formed of large stones laid flat. At one end there was generally a
large stone raised on its edge, and from the opposite end ther"e went out
one or two pieces of wood lying on the ground. The area within tlie
stone circle was sometimes overlaid with small stones, sometimes free, and
overgrown with grass. At all the graves, at v. distance of four to slven
paces from the stone standing on its edge, in the longituilinal axis of the
grave, or a litde to the side of it, there was another small circle of stones,
inclosing a heap of reindeer horns, commonly containing also broke.!
seals' skulls and other fragments of bones. On only one grave we'-e found
pieces of human bones. The graves were evidently very old, for the
bits of wood at the ends were generally much decayed, and almost
wholly covered with earth; and the stones were completely overgrown
with lichens on the upper side. I estimate the age of these graves at
about two hundred years."

At length the moment of release approached. The temperature had
remained below freezing point to the middle of June. On the 14th,
however, there was a sudden change to milder weather. A heavy thaw
set in, ami the coast land was so covered with mud and slush that all ex-
cursions had to be discontinued. ' But the ice which bound the ship was
still so strong that the explorers did not expect to be able to leave before
August. Throughout their stay there had been open water seaward, but
usually at a great distance from the ship. « On the i6th of July," says
NordenskiOld, " a heavily ladeu double sledge could still be driven from
the vessel to the shore"; and the next day the year's ice around them
began to break up, but the ground-ice was still undisturbed, and it was
judged that several days would elapse before they could get clear. So
the commander determined to take the steam launch to sea, and visit

7?8

rilE VEGA FREE.

som.5 whalers reported by the natives to be off Seidice Kamen. But by
1:30 on the iSth, when ahnost ready to set out, there was noticed a
movement of the ice which liel.l the Vega. An hour later Palandcr,
wRo was prepared for every emergency, had steam up; and in another
hour, the ship was free. At 3: 30 she steamed away, first a little to the
west to get clear of the Hoe, a.ul then in the right direction, castwanl for
Serdze Kameu and Behring's Strait, encountering no fmther obstruction
from the ice thenceforth to the close of the voyage. The detention in
winter quarters had lasted 393 tlays.

CHAPTER LXXix

FKEKD KKOM UKU MOOKI N-,,s - nroMKo,. ,sr Vvn c

"•'Jl. IM.AMD ST, I.AWKK.VCK

ISL MD — NOROENSKinLI) liKACIIES A TKIFr,, ^,M, ' '

'V 1 ilLKGKAIMI STAPIOV \ I-

YOKOHAMA— A SEIUES OK FESTrVAlS v.- ,r

..OULO<,WE-T„U «„A.V„ CE.K„„a™^ -COMMENTS „. ,„E
EXPEDITION.

No .oo„e, IKUI .ho vessel swung: loose fron, ho,- „„„,,„,. „„„ .„j
outsK e the ,e„ ,„ass., „f ice that ha,l f„n„„.l her winter hav'en than 'Ihe
fou,,.l an ,ee.£ree lea.l ,„ the east, and enconntered no .Wther oh.tacles
on her way ... the Pacific. In ten hours .hey passe,! Scr.I.e Kanten, in
7 west „n,l s.eerins thence sou.hcas., .hey arrived „ir Cape East in
Uehnn,, sbtratt.n, the morning „f, he .oth, and a. ,, oVlnck, ,«.„,
ahnut inalway t.e.ween the Arctic ami Pacific Oceans, "The Ve... .nee.ed

. ''' '"; ■'^-^- ^^"■■'•'» ">■ " ".»pl^.y or H..S the l^in: „; ;I

Ssvechsh salute." Thus linally was reached the ,,oal towar.1 which so
many nat.nns had st,-„.gled, all aU.ns frtnn the tinre when Sir Un^h
W tUoughhy with the tiring „f salutes front cannon, and with h,nr ,l,s
irotn the festivc-elad seamen, in the pr..,ence of an innnnterable crowd of
.mlHlant ntcn, certain of success, ushered in titc long series of Northeast
Voya<res, 326 yciirs liefoic.

The prevalence ..f (o^ ren.lep..! unadvisahle a huuliuj,, ..therwise murh
cl.sn-e.i, u,, Oi,„„,,, ,,,,„,,^ ^,^ ^,,,^^^^^_^ n,arket-place of the polar tribes
situated .n the narnnvest part of the Straits, nearlv halt^wav between
As,a au<l A,neriea; and probably before the tin.e of Cohunbu;, a station
tor traihc between the " Old and New Worlds." They lirst cast anchor
n. bt. Lawrence Bay, where various expeditions and investigations
amon<,. the tribes on the east coast of the Tchuktchi Peninsula were .eal
ously taken up, but only for a sinj^le day, as the co.nmander was anxious

739

7!J0

AN ARCTIC COLONT.

u'iii

to reach ;i tclejjraph station io communicate the safety of the expedition
to the king and people of Sweden, and the world at large. Steainin"-
across to the American side they anchortii in Port Clarence, where tluv
were soon called upon by the Esquimaux for interchange of civilities
> gifts, and barter. Here they remained until the 36th, when the Ve^a
recrossed to the Tchuktchi peninsula, fartiier to the south than before
and anchored in Konyam Bay on the 38th. The mountains were hit^h
and split up into pointed summits with deep valleys still partlv iilled with
snow; but no glaciers were seen. The inner bay was still covered with
an unbroken sheet of ice, which, suddenly breaking up on the 30th, they
beat a rather precipitate retreat, just in time to escape the last chance of
conflict with the great enemy of Arctic expeditions.

Steaming away to St. Lawrence Island the Vega anchored in an
open bay on the northwest coast on the 31st. Notwithstanding its very
considerab'" size, eighty by thirty miles, the island has no good Iiarbor-
and the Vega left her exposed situation on the 3d of August. The next
anchorage was made on the 14th in an almost equally exposed l)av on
the west of Behring's Island. In the dreary, treeless land where Beh-
ring and companions met notining but desolation, sand hills, and ravenous
foxes, Nordenskifild and party found a thriving colony of American and.
Russian traders, with dwelling-houses, ofHcial buildings, storehouses, a
schoolhouse, and church. Behring, Copper, and ToporkofF Islands, he-
sides several islets and rocks, constitude the group known as Conunand-
er's Islands. " The part of Behring Island which we saw," says Xor-
denskiiild, "forms a high plain resting on volcanic rocks, which, hi
ever, is interrupted at many places liy deep kettle vallevs, tiie bottoms
which are generally occupied by lakes which communicate with the sca
by large or small rivers. The banks of the lakes and tlie slopes of the
hills are covered witii a luxuriant vegetation, rich in long gia-^s aii'!
. beautiful flowers; and might without difficulty ^qgOl large herds of c:lttk^
perhaps as numerous as the herds of sea-cows that ibrmerlv pastnivd on
its shores."

Finding here a steamer of the Alaska Company bound for Pettopau-
lovsky, Nordenski()ld was somewhat relieved of his anxiety to itaili a

low-
of

AT rOKOIIAMA.

781

telegraph station, whence to dispatch news of the safety of the expe
chtion. He had of course no means of i<nowing with certainty that his
letters through the Tchuktchis had been safdy forwarded ; and he wished
to reheve the suspense of king .nd people, and of the world at lu^e
and save the expense of .uinecessary relief expeditions. After ■. short
but pleasant sojourn at the civilized colony, they left their moorin-.s on
the 19th, and on the 35th struck the Gulf Stream of the Pacific On the
31st the mainmast of the Vega was struck by lightning, and tne vane
w.th some inches of the pole was thrown into the sea, while all on board
received a violent shaking, but suffered no serious inconuenience. On the
3d of September, at 9: 30 in the evening, the Vega anchore.l in the harbor
ot \okohoma, Japan; and Nordenskiold at length had access t.. a tele
graph station, and also a little experience of official obstruction in ..ettin-^
h>s messages off. Here he learned that a relief steamer, called by hi"s
name, had been sent forward by his friend Sibiriakoff, and had been
stranded on the coast of Yesso, fortunately without loss of Hfe, and with
a l:iir prospect of being got off safely.

With Yokahama began the series of fesdvities and celebrations in
honor ot Nordenskiold an<l his companions which soon encon,passed the
world, either actually or by sympathy of feehag. One unsolved prob-
Icm-by -nany deen.ed insolvable-had not only been worked out but
the task iiad been achieved without loss of life, and with little more actual
inconvenience, except from cold and the accidental .letention in the ice
than men often experience on an inglo.ious fishing excursion. Civilized'
■nan every wliere rejoiced. " The great things left undone in the world "
had been din^inished by one, and another hero, representative of what
can be done by man, was enthroned amid the plaudits of an admirino-
world. The first formal ovation was by a .,and .linner at the Grand
Hotel on the H,th of September, followed the ensuing dav by a break-
h.st with the Japanese ministers. On the ,3tii, the German Club, and
on llie .5th the Tokio Geographical Society, were the hosts, while on
the ■7th the members of the expedition were formally presented to the
Mikado at his palace in Tokio. With fetes, excursions, balls, and si<.ht-
seeings, their stay at Yokahama was rendered very enjoyable, but holi-

783

THE CONFUSION OF BABEL.

days must coine to a close— indeed, they derive their chief zest from the
consciousness of hard work hefore and after—and the Ve<ra wei-hcd
anchor on the nth of October, hut it was not until the 27th that iliey
finally took leave of Japan at Nagasaki. The Vega had meanwhile
been overhauled, and copper-bottomed, to protect her hull from tiie hor-
ing mussels of the tropical seas, besides receiving some light gener.il ic
pairs, and some changes in interior outfit.

On the 2d of November our voyagers arrived at Hong Kong, ami
received of course an ovation from a settlement which represents the iia-
tion that has contributed most to Arctic exploration ever since the time
of Cabot. They remained five days, and were not only well entortaiiied
by officials, but were much interested in the glimpses of Chinese life th.ey
were able to calch, especially in the neighboring city of Canton. Leav--
ing Ilong Kong on the 9th, and proceeding south through the China
Sea, they anchored in the harbor of Labuan, off the northwest coast of
Borneo on tiic 17th. On the 21st they sailed for Singapore, at the s„uth.
crn extremity of the Malay Peninsula, where they arrived on the 2Sth.
Here, as elsewhere, Nordenskiold and the scientists availed thenistlvcs
of every opportunity to study the manners and customs of the ])cople,
ethnological characteristics, and whatever strange or peculiar ihuv
were able to detect in the social or political life of the races they oiuoini.
tered, besides the direct scientific investigations they had prosecute! tVnni
the beginning. Singapore is situated exactly half way in the drcum.
navigation of Eurojje and Asia from Sweden. A Habel-like coulusion
of speech prevails in the town, owing to the great numlK-r of nationahtics
represented— Chinese, Malays, Klings, Bengalese, Parsees, Sin .halose,
negroes, Arabs, besides Americans and Europeans.

Entering on. the second but well-known half of the voyage on ihr
4th of December, 1S79, they arrived at Point de Galle, on the southwest
coast of Ceylon, on the 15th, "having had during the passage fmm
Singapore a pretty steady and favorable monsoon. While sailiii-
through the Straits of Malacca, a strong ball-lightning was often seen
a httle after sunset. The electrical discharges appeared to go on princi-
pally from the mountain hcigiits on both sides of fho straits, hi the sea-

A NEIV TEAR'S CALL.

,o,-t towns the Singhalese a.-e insunb.-anle by th. ,- he,,in,, thei.- : ...ac-
:.y, ml the unpleasant custom they have of .,skn>. .p to ten tin. s as
.nuch wh,le .nakn.g a bargain as they a.e pleased to aceept in the end.
In .he .nter.o,- of the eountry the state of things in this .cspeet is ,...ch
-■.t.M-. "Durn.,. our stay in Japan and our voyage thenee to Ceylon, I
l.ui endeavored," says Nordenskiold, " at least in some de.^ree to p,'e
scnc the character of the voyage of the Vega as a scientific expedition
an attempt which, consicU-nng the short time the Vega remained at each
place, could not yield any very nnportant results, and which besides was
rcn ercd difficult, though in ,, way that was agreeable and flatterin<. to
>.J.y I n.ay almost say the tempestuous hospitality with which "the
\ ega men were everywlu ,e received durin, their visits to the ports of
J;i])an and East Asia."

Leaving Galle on the 33d of December, they celebrated Christmas
at s.a m a modest but comn.emorative way, being tired of festive enter-
tauunents and luxurious banqueting. A New Year's call was made on
th. olHcers by the men of the f, .ecastle in the character of Tchuktchis,
ollermg the compliments of the season, and complaining bitterly of the "
uncn,lurable heat, while they lavished unstinted praise on the beautiful
lauds o( the heaven-favored Tchuktchis of the Polar Sea, where one could
wear n,ce fur clothes all the year round. They reached Aden, at the
entrance of the Red Sea, on the 7th of January, 1S80. " No place in
tlK. Ingh North," says Nordenskiold, "not the granite cliffs of the Seven
Islands, or the pebble rocks of Low Island on Spitzbergen; not the
ni'.untam sules on the east coast of Nova Zembla, or the figure-marked
;^.ou,ul at Cape Chelyuskin, is so bare of vegetation as the^nvirons of
Aden, and the parts of the east coast of the Red Sea which we saw.
No, can there be any comparison in respect of the abundance of ani.nal
l.te l.ctwee,> the equatorial countries and the polar regions we have
ua.ncd, being much richer in the latter." Setting out on the 91)1, they
traverse! the Red Sea, about ,400 miles in length, and being delayed
In- adverse winds, did not reach Suez till the 27th of January. Here
were m.>re receptions, excursions to Cairo and the Pvramids, banquets
'■•on> geographical and scientific societies, a ball from the Swedish consul,

734

AT BOULOGNE.

and a trip to the Mokaltam Mountains, for specimens of the petrilicl
wood for which they are famous. " These lie spread about in tlie desii t
in incredible masses, partly broken up into small pieces, partly \wy^,
fallen tree-stems, without root or branches, Init in a wonderfully ,t,n).„i
state of preservation."

vSteamin;^ throuj^h the Suez Canal on the 3d of February, and touch-
in'' at Port Said on the Sth, thev arrived on the 14th at Naples, the lirst
European port they were to visit. The various incidents of a most en-
thusiastic reception followed closi' on each other's heels every day and
night until the 19th, at Naples; antl from the 20th to the 35th at Rome.
National, civic, scientific and social demonstrations and courtesies of
everv kind were showered upon the members of the expedition. Drs.
Kjellman, Almquist and Stnxberg, with Lieut. Nordquist, now set
out for home by rail, and Lieut. Bove remained behind at his home in ,
Italy, so that on the departure of the Vega from Naples on the la^t day
of February, 18S0, the members of the expedition on board were the
commander, Nordenskiold, Capt. Palander, and the Lieuts. Brusewii/
and llovgaard.

The Vega passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on the (jlh of
March, and anchored in the harbor of Lisbon on the nth. Here they
were welcomed, feted and decorated as at Naples until the 15th, when
they sailed for Portsmouth, England. Meeting headwi.K's as she en-
tered the English Channel, th.- Vega put in to Falmouth on the 35th,
and the remainder of the month was occupied by Nordenskiold and
Palander in various receptions a?Kl courtesies from representative intlivid-
uals and societies of "the land whi. ,.1 stands first in the line of those that
have sent out explorers to the Polar Seas."

On the ist of April there was a reception breakfast and dinner at
Boulogne, whence tliey proceeded to Paris, arriving on the mornin;^ ol'
the 2d at 7 o'clock. "Our reception in Paris," says Nordenskiold,
" was magnificent, and it appeared as if the metropolis of the world
wished to show by the way in which she honored a feat of navii,'a-
tion that it is not without reason that she bears on her shield .1 ves-
sel surrounded by swelling Inilo.vs." Dinners, halls, receptions, iia-

THE FINAL CELEBRATIONS. 73.,

t-nal municipa. .„<! scientific, honors, attentions, decorations, wuv
crowded fast upon the two distin^nnshed leaders of the Swedish expe-
a.t.on, Nonlenskiold and PahuKler, beginning promptlv on the ,.orn-
■ng o, their arrival, and closing only on the eve of U.eir departure
On the yth they left Paris to join the Vega, which had meanwhile
hcen taken forwar<l to Vlissingen (Flushing), in the Netherlands, by
LK-t. Hrusewit.. In.nediately on their arrival aboard, the Ve.^a
wcghe<l anchor, the voyagers respectfully declining the proffered ovl
t-Ms of Holland and Befgiun., "from want of time and stren-nh to
take part .n any nu>re fbstivities." As they approached Copenha-^ei.
however, they encountered another wave of popular enthuHiasm,^hc'
co.mtrymen of Lieut. Ilovgaard of the expedition ofTering their con-
gralulat.ons in a spontaneous outburst on the 15th, fbUowed by more
formal and oflicial recognition of the already repeatedly described pat-
tern until the lytli.

The final celebratio.is were reserved for the capital of Sweden
which ha.I received such distinguished renown from the great exploit
of licr sons. Leaving Copenhagen on the evening of the Tpth, they
arrived ofT Dalarve, twenty miles from Stockholm, on the 3,d, where
they awaited the time appointed for the formal entry jnto ihe ^harbor of
the capital of the nation. Meanwhile at Dalarve they were rejoined by
then- families and the absent members of the expedition. On the 24th,
at S A. M., the Vega again weighed anchor and steamed slowly past
Vaxiiolm into Stockholm. "We met innumerable flag-decked steamers
l)y tlK- way fully laden with friends, known and unknown, who with
.houts of rejoicing welcomed the Vega men home. The nearer we came
to Stockholm, the greater l,ecame the number of steamers, that, ar-
ranged in a double line and headed by the Vega, slowly approached the
liarl.or. Lanterns in variegated colors were lighted on the vessels, fire-
works were let off, and the roar of cannon mingled with the loud hur-
■ahs of thousands of spectators. After being greeted at Kastelholmen
w.lh one more salute, the Vega anchored in the stream in Stockholm at
'" !■• M. The Queen of the Malar (Stockholm) had clothed herself for
the occasion in a festive dress of incomparable splendor. The city was

r;!«

COMMKNTS ON N()R/)!::VSl\ fOLD.

illumiiuitcd, the l)uililin,i^s around the harbor bcinjif in the first rank.
Specially had the kin;.f tionc ovcrytiiin<j to make the reception of the
Vey[a Expedition, wliioli he had so warmly cherished from the first
moment, as ma<^niliceiu as possible. The whole of the royal palace was
radiant with a sea of lights and flames, being ornamented with >vmbols
and ciphers, among whicii the name ot the youngest sailor on tiic Vega
was not omitted. An estrade had been erected from Log.iorden to the
landing-place. Here wc were received by the town-cou'icillors, ^vhose
pre.-ident, the governor, welcomed us in a siiort speech; we were thun con-
tlucted to the palace, where, in the presence of Her Majesty, the Queen
of Sweden, the members of the royal house, the highest otllcials of the
state and court, etc., we were in the grandest maimer welcomed in the
name of the fatherland b) the King of Sweden, who at the same time
conferred upon us further marks of his favor and <jcod will (commem-
orative medals, etc.) It was also at the royal palace that tlie series of
festivities commenced with a grand gala dinner on the 25th of April, at
which the king in a few magnanimous words praised the exploit of the
Vega. Th^iw fete followed fete for se\eral weeks."

And greater than all festivities, the triumphant fact was duly regis-
tered as one of the great pivotiU events in the records of humanity. The
success of the Vega is one of the grand liistoric achievements of the race,
and may lead directly to tiie discovery of the Pole. The more expe-
ditions there are wliich owe their success to well-designed, carefully-
executed plans, the more likelihood there is that a broad national or inter-
national polar expedition will be organized in such a manner as to com-
mand success. The wide experience and characteristics of NordenskiOld
mark him as the leader of that great achievement, if projected soon
enough. He is now fifty, ;uk1 there is na time to lose. The frozen north
is no Held for freezing age, but demands the vigor of manhood com-
bined with the experience of mature years. NordenskiQlcl is the man,
and the world calls him to the task. Should he fail of reaching the
Pole, he will not fail to make the feat more feasible for his successors.

P \RT VI,

THE JEflNNETTE.

♦ I

5: ]

it: .-a M

m'm

''''Thcv should have died in

their own loved land.

With friends and kinsmen, near them;
i\'ot have zvithered thus on a foreign strand^

With no thought save Heaven to eheer them.
But what reeks it now y Is their sleep le

ss sou He

In the plaee where the zvild waves swept the

Than if home

'reeii turf th

eir <>raz'es

had bou)uL

Or the hearts they loved had wept them.

' V-.„„.,.,„.„„,.,,,„: ; - '""^ """• VAC.

•\I{KI\ I, AT I'OKTSMOUTII.

Tl • carcfiil reader must hiw I,,,,,, ■

!'"«"•» Ifay, .Ik. <;r.c.„la„.|.,Spu.|,e,.,„„ So, -„„1 , ,' " ""'

llif hi-'hwav to the Pole J>.,..,. i i , '^ '■^nait, as

NIL I OIL, 1 arry had pushed thiou-rh fl-,,. . i

I'v S,,it/heprcn to 8^ ' J-' . l„. ,i t'ln.u^h the ceutral route

■ ' "^" ^" ^^- 43 , In- the western route of BamrV M, i ■

-tlcls, Nares had reache<l S- .<>' ^6"- and w , ^ '''

••^ considered a contiuuatiou >r the li , T'^ '' ^^'^" '"'^'^^

Su-ait. -the line hein.. as it were d 7 ' ' "''' "^' i^^'-".'«

••-"■,-, .IS u WLie taken un whcic it I-... i i ■

"V C'""^ -d others-ha.! arrived at 7 ^ ^^^ ^ ^r ''''

-M.^unvhiie, the \ rthwest P. 1 . ^ '''''" "'''^'•

' . ' -^ 'thwcstlassa-e had heen found and surveyed in

:'-">' ■" "- nuen.ts of ,eo,raphy and general Unowled-. : v

- "npract.eal,ihty as a eon.nereial route to the Fast Ivid

■•-'^■nix.ed. And now the Northeast Pas . " ""^

.Noithtast 1 assa-e was once more hein- tested

::'"r • "-" """""■■■"" """■■■'"*^ -■" -w. .;.„. ,„. ;

'■"';!■' 1^- '!-■- t„ ,„c,x.,so ,„o .„„, .,;■ „„„,„ ,„„„,,,,, ,, ,,

'-"'^'-'-'« -'■•lor .<■ onlm-se the vol,„„c ,„■ .«crui„ed .,uth for i„

789

-^"rmmiiiiiiiiiL

740

CIIARACTElilSTICS OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS.

own sake, have constituted the inspiration of these heroic endeavors.
All tile '^reat nations of modern times have liad their representative^ in
the loiii^ li>l of navijrator^ who.e names adorn tiiesc pa;^es, slio\vin<,^ tlmt
in tlie <^n-eater prohlems of humanity tiie whole world reco;^nii/.es a coin-
inuiiity of interest, and an instinctive unity of purpose and elFort.

Encompassed by hitherto insurmountable obstacles, ami bristlin;^' wiih
almost inconceivable dan<jers, Polar navi<,'ation has ori<>:inated and
develop'^d more varied skill and heroic darinj^ than the discovery and
exploration of all the rest of the jj^lobe. It has had and still has, a pucu-
liar fascination for the bravest and most adventurous of the race; and
offers manv of the iijrandest and most sublime attractions to conii)ensatc
for its (lans^erous and monotonous tlesolation. The North I'olar rci^nons
offer an ever-wideninij: field of investigation to the scientist; and many
problems of meteorology, light and magnetism are receiving elucidation
trom the tliscoveries made in high latitudes, while the artist Ihuls much
to enlist his enthusiasm in the grandly picturesque scenes presented in
this huge laboratory of Mature. The vastness of her operations is ex-
hibited on every hand in I'ne huge icebergs and immense glaciers, clad in
dazzling whiteness in the light of the long, unbroken Arctic day, or
glittering in the moon's silvery rays, at intervals, in the Arctic night, or
displaying a weird, melancholy beauty under the gentler radiance of the
bri<'-hl stars. Ever and anon the amoral arch, varied uith tlMating Imn-
ners of iri-hued light and fantastic gleams and fiickerings of its cvtr
active and restless forces, flashes over the scene. As the bergs, paclo,
and floes drive before the wind or lloat with the current, they are ever
assuming new appearances and presenting new combinations, demon-
strating that activity or energy is the law of the universe. In all iialniv,
inanimate as well as animate, unrest ever prevails; idleness or sloth h,K
no place. Even where man attemi)ts to i)ervert this law, he ofily ex-
hibits his utter imiMitency; the indolent are left behind, and the -.ecivt lor-
ces of nature forthwith institute a series of special activities tn di'^cn-
cumber the earth of their presence. The icebergs, under tliis resistlc-
law of force, will at one time present the outline of some me lia'v;il
cathedral or feudal castle, and at another, a park of pyramids, mountam

T\'\\\«

MR. BENNETT'S PROJECT. 741

peaks, ori<.antic broken columns, colossal fij,nires of men and animals, and
in fact, the frozen counterfeit of almost everything grand or magnificent
which man has constructed or nature produced in more tavorcd" climes.
Again they are hurled against each other with a crash like appalling
thunder or the roar of a thousand Krupp guns on a modern battlefield. ^
Much had been done; much remained to be done. America, the
voungest of the great nations, had contributed her quota of distinguished
Arctic and Polar navigators, but naturally wished, if it might be, to ,k1<1
iVcsh laurels to those already won. In conformity with the genius of
her free institutions— which tend to direct the activities of government
int.) their appropriate sphere of execution of the laws, while leaving to
individual or associated enterprise of her citizens such pursuits as the love
of tame or fortune may impel them to embrace— a new Polar expedition
was set on foot, at the expense of one of her wealthy citizens, James
Gordon Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald, and only son of
the founder of the paper, and the great fortune which those very institu-
tions had enabled him to accu-nilate, became its patron. A not dis-
similar enterprise, a short time before the death of the elder Beimett,
received the support of the Herald. It will be remembered that Henry
M. Stanley was dispatched with 300 men and all necessary supplies in
search of the African explorer Livingstone, in 1870, and that owing to
the timely thoughtful ness and public spirit 01 the Bennetts, lie was
enabled to reach the great traveler at a critical moment, on the loth of
November, 1871, and supply the resources which in his enfeebled con-
dition were absolutely necessary to his safety. In 1875 Stanley was
again sent out by Mr. Bennett on an independent expedition to the in-
terior of " The dark continent."

The vessel which Mr. Bennett now set his mind on for an American
Polar expedition had previously made an Arctic voyage in command of
her owner, Captain, afterward Sir Allen Young.

VOYAGE OF THE PANDORA.

The Pandora was bought of the British Naval Department by Capt.
Young, and specially fitted out by him for Arctic navigation. Although

J i
1

f>^'

THE PANDORA.

■" hrs „,ccc,sft,l »c.rcl, lor relics „r Fn.nkli,, i„ ,s-,

..CO ... .ce.pres,„re, an., her „„„„„, „„,,,,,.,,,„ „i, ,„„ "*
A enca,, eh. l„„r an., .,„e.ha,f ,„„,, „.,,^ ^^, .,_, ,^^^ J '^

.,..»■..-, "-ere «,pp„»e„ .„ rculor her ea,„h,e .„■ re..,,; „,; ii
«,nee.e,, ha. w„„,„ e,.,.,,h a e,„„.o„,,„i,. „•, ,1,,. a„ e^ghel, S
;- a - .r„ge., ve.e, „f f...,r h„„<,re., a„., ,hir.v.ei«,r,„„; re'
. , w,.h .oa,„,,ower „hieh e,.,„,l „„ e,„er,e„cy be w^-ke,, ,,„ .,. t.
l"..K.re.l hor,,e power. „er o.fieer.s a„.l ero.v ,„.,„,,ere., thirty a,„,
vaspr„v,,„o,.e., ,„r eighlco., ,no„ch,,. ..The promoters .,f ,he expe.

:: Zt A,r""v' "" "^'"■""■^""' ^ - "=™'" --p-™'"

-,eCapt Allen X oung, „„ wh,.,„ fell .he prineipa, bur.,e„ a,,., ex-

,-..-; Mr. Jame, Gor.l„„ Ue„„e„, ,vh.„„ 1 ,„., the ,,..„„r ,., represe,,.-

!-«»(. Innes Liilin-toii, R. N w,,o w,.„. ., ,■ H>'"e„t,

(h. I„. L«.y Fra„kl,„. .She „a., i„.si„e.l .,„ c„„.ribu.in., ,„ .he ex-

,>c,«s ^ .1^ e.xpe.,i,io„, alm„». a,.ai„s. Cap,, Young's wishes, wh., fel.

hy no ^^ eo„».„. of .loin, any.hin, .ha, w.,.„., en.i.le hin, ,., ac

«,.. her Wm^ ca„.rib„.io„," Lie.,., iieynen aceo,npanic,l her as rep-

-n,a..veV.i., On.eh navy, ,„ ,ai„ experienee in Lctie naviga.,:

w..h a v,ew perhaps ,o son... fn.nre expedi.i.,,, .„ ,ho north „„.,er .hj

aus|)ice.s .)f that Kovernment.

O., .he„r..rnin..,f,,n,y .S, ,875, they sigh.e.l Cape Farewell, and
oun.1 ,he,^selve» ,urro,„„i..,, ,,, , „„,, „f .^^^ ^,.^,_ j^.^^^, , ,^^

dangerously near, whi,e i, s.retchc.l away ,., the distance a,s fa; as the
o.ve could reach. The near ice presentcl ahnost every inraginable ap.
IK-arance-old castles with ru.ne.l towers, e«.el,«ed ba.tIe,non.s, Sow ,.
.ng fortresses with broken loopholes; massive cathedral, with fantastic
carvnrgs .an.l .lelicatc tracings; triumphal arche. with spires an., pinna-
cles as wcl as heavy architraves, frie.cs .„,d cornices. The animal an.l
u.cahlc k.ngdonrs were not without their representatives. ilu„e

■ !

744

A T DISCO— A r UPERNA VIK

imiJirDoins, with sluiKier stem .ind broad (lr()()piii<^ tops; <jreat masses of
imnuiisc r()lia<.^c-cn)\viiu(l trees; irniceful swans with slender necks poised
at case; lions, liorses, and eai^les; in short, one might faney a resemblance
in some ice-mass to anythin;g he had ever seen (jr read of, all sparklim'-
and i^leaniinL;' in the brit^ht morning sun. Treading their way labori-
ously and cautiously through the narrow, they finally got completely
hemmed in. They now drove straight through the floe, across a narrow
ice-isthmus. The wind was favorable, and they were proceeding at the
rate of five knots an hour. In a moment the iron-clad bows of the Pan-
dora plunged into the obstructing ice like a battering-ram. There was
a loud crash; the ship quivered and groaned; the masts rolled up before
her in great blocks, which fell into the water with a loud splash and an
answering spray, and she was securely jammed in the ice. A moment
of awful suspense followed, but there was scarcely time to take in tin;
situation when it was founil tliat the iron prow had quite demolished the
ice, and it only remained to squeeze <^^hrough the fissure that had been
made. The ship wriggled through like an eel, and then shot forward,
free and uninjured, into the lane of open water ahead. With many sim-
ilar experiences they worked their slow way to Irgtut, where they were
warmly welcomed by the Danish colonists. Proceeding forward they
soon arrived at Disco, and were again cordially welcomed by the colo-
nists and officials at that port. On the way they had been boarded by
some trading Esquimaux in their frail kayaks, which drew from Mac-
Gahan the reflection, "Imagine a man getting into a canoe and paddling
across the English Channel from Dover to Boulogne or Calais, to sell
half a dozen trout!" Some of them had rowed fifteen or twenty miles
to barter a little fish for cofToe, biscuit, and tobacco. At Disco Muc-
Gahan had occasion to indulge in some reflections of another kind.
Speaking of a local belle, he says, "It was a pure delight to watch her
little feet flitting over the ground like butterflies, or humming birds, or
rosebuds, or anything else that is delicate, and sweet, and delightful. It
was not dancing at all; it was flying; it was floating through the air on ;■
wave of rhythm, without even so much as touching ground."

At Upernavik they look aboard some tlogs for the expedition; ami

REUCS OF ItOSS AND DliLCIER. -j,

lean..,, ,,.,.,, .,,„. „„, ,„,„„.„,, „. ^.^^.^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ ■"

" ..h.lv. h, ,.„.„,.„ „., »i„„„l ,„c ,,..„ ,;,„, , ,„_

;"';'?:'"""' ■'■^"'■"■^ -. r„r „. A,.- „;..,„„,;

"7v "":",": ''•■"•'""■ ■"■'• ^"">- "I , ,

''T :?■ . "" ■"■■ ^'^ ""■"'■' '-'■ ^ "'■ P--.VC.,, ,„™„

an vegetable. ,„,,y,, , ,„. „, ,,„„,„,^,,„_ ^.,.^,^,, ,^,^„^ ^.

c.o.„, „a,., .„ ,„a,„<e.s an.l c„H „ ■ „„„,,,„, ,., „^,„^, ,„. ^,_^-^^

m.tto„s, ,.ese„,,,,i,,„ u,o w,x.cl< ,.,• ,.. ,■,,,„,„ ,„,„_ ,,,„„ ^^.,,^^.,^ ^ J

a...l ca,-, had ...sappear..,, 'Hk. „„,•,. „f ,„c „.,...k.. „,.,.„.,,..,„..
l.o,v haa .,„awc.d i,„„ Uu. ,„„..* „rsal. h...,; ,„• „,,,„ ,„„ , „„;,^.,, „,,,;
l.'lt beh„„,; tlK.y had punched hok. i„,„ ,h.. hcavv p.,„„,ioa„ .,.„ h,„
were n„, «,„„, ,„ ,h. ,», ,„■ ,.„„„„„.. ,„^,„ ,„. ;,^^.^, ^^^^^^^^^^^ '.^^^
.he h,n, „ ,„ ,„„„„„,„ „, ,.^^_^ ,^^,,^^^^ ^__^^^^ ^^_^__^ ,_ _^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ .

..I St John Franklin; .hre. ,nilos far.!,.,- „p are .he ,.-av.. „r Mvc ,...,
n>en„f,heEroh„»,Te,-n,r,a,.d N„,-.h S.a,-. .. Thi: A,«l.. ,„-„,,,,,;,;
.« s,.„a,e.l „„ a ,,ravolly sh.pe, „hleh rise. „p r,,,,,. ,h. h..,. I,;. ,„„:„-,,
the foo, „, a h.gh hl,.ff, U,:.. ,V„w,.s down „p„„ ;, ,.« .„„„^,, ,„^.,„,,„,

.hen,.n...o„„f.he hnn.an dea.l i„ .„, „,, „„,,, ■,^„, [^^^^^J

looked ehe p.,„,- headd,„a,-d, a. ,he l„„.-,i„ki„, ,..„ „„,„, ,, __.^,„„„. ,. ^^
...hw.,r, ,hen,, casti,,,,; „„., »h..,l„u,, .„.,■ .h. shingly s,„p., «i|.„., ,„, ,„•„,
mo„n,l,.l as eve-ythh,,, cl«. ,„ ,hi« d.-c.a,-y „.,„,,|..- ,,„„„. „„ ^.„^,,^
Somcse. .hey discvered .h. cai,-,, .,ve.„l l,y Ko.s .„„, yvuU,,„k i,.
1S49, w.lh the rcconi addrc«si-.l 1., Frankli.i.

Ar,.ivi„g .. ,he cauranc. „r ,....1 s„,,i,, ,„. ,1,,, 37^, of A,.,..s.,
'-■"""•' .e way hi.,,:.,,!,, an i,„,„.„.„ ,,„,„„,, „,„,.„ ^.^.^„ „J ■
an,„„-a„..„d „.,. h„ro .h,.,a,d,, and „..,-e in da,.,.c.,„r ,,c.in, i,„p,,.„„,.,
'or an .n.lehn.tc pcriC, wi.,„„„ a ha,-,.,,,-, ,„„, „,,h„.„ p,„.p,e, ,„■,,„„
,>en»a„ns achieven,en,. li.arinj,, „„av f,,,,,. „,i, ,,.,„,,„,,,„, ,„„,„,, . ,,,

"I ",„. t„ „s<;..pc. ..ntm.ani a,„, „„p,,,H,.,,,,, do,c,„i„n, Ih.-v a,Tiv;,, „
La ll.,g..et.e I,«i.,n,,, , ,„.„.,„ ,„ ^„i,„ „^^^, „.,_^,,^, ^_^.^.,^ ;^ __^_^^^ ^ , ^^^ _

i !'

I- .It

746

ARRIVE AT nORTSMOUTll.

fornia before the close of the season, l.y ll.e n.uU- mapped out l„, iMauk-
li„__southvvest from Cape Walker to Behring's Straits. Instead of tJc
anticipated open water and plain sailing, they encountered an immense
ice-field. After three days, vain search for a leail, Capt. Voun^. re-
linquishe<l the hope of completing the Northwest Passage, and conchidcd
to return to England.

With high winds, hea.y snowstorms an.l obstructing ice-packs, thev
had a rather diificult homeward voyage. On one occasion, ii. a monienl-
ary lifting ofthe snow-clouds, they saw close at hand, and as it were,
threatening to fdl upon them, a precipitous cliiF, presenting a most ghost-
ly appearance, siiys Young, -'the horizontal strata seeming like the huge
bars of some gigantic iron cage, and standing out from the suow-fac'c.
In fact, it was the skeleton of a cliff, an.l we appeared to be in its grasp.
For a few minutes only we saw this apparition, and then all was again
darkness." They barely had vi^nw to pass between this cliff and the ice-
pack, and after three hours of intense anxiety, a fortunate movenuMit of
the ice displayed a weak spot througli which they hastily tbrced the ship,
and thus escaped. On Sept. lo they passed through a terrihle gale, in
which the Pandora was converted into ''one huge icicle;" hut they -ot
safely to Carey Islands. This time they fnmd Xares' cairn and a record
addressed to the Britisii Admiralty, which they conveyed home, anivin-
at Portsmouth Oct. i6, £875, after a successful cruise of 100 days.

g^L'.

^^■;^

rifc^ =^ "-

5=--- -

- %_=^ --^^

- 'T;,.r=.--

'f~ '

~ ~: ■--, . - -

.: —

^S^T^-:

-' -,"^

-5^-^.

- -l^.

■- ■ —

*ji - - - -

■=iV^:=rrrs^

-.-- ••»

' ■Sr\^J-

-'-«?S:.

""^iiS-ifei^aj^p-"

CHAPTER N.VWI.

Matos navy-y.nl a, Ma,. I,,a,„| ,„,„ ,s,,,„ j-ranci, ■

■— "... .ncha„i, ,.,,, ,„,, .,.,„,„. ,1 :'"; "'"'■'■" ■' -- "«-■•

ll-o .Sec,-e.a,-v <,f the N aw ...VK " " ' h« co„clus„.„,.. ,ay,

'.^ ^^.. w., .„„...:: ;„::, :;::;::7 '--- ■"— » *=

\,. ■ •• .. "-*""'> possess oil narvslrcii.rth"

■\" ...■|.".-y <r„,„ the secretary clici,.,! ch, „„„,, ",h.,r ■

...v p,..ca,.«„,. „... ,„..„ ,„ „,.„„^,„^,„ ,„^, ji;„;'-^- -;;■;-

^- ,a„c,.,c„; .ha. ,o,. feet of »„„ .„,„„, „„, „„^„, . , „^,,. ,; 'l^

,r;,:;: :;,r- -- '--^ "■">-" ■ *■ .- «■!.> »„.,.,:„,:;:

•'11(1 mat hci hilire was stren;

748

EXPENSE OF THE EXPEDITION.

such force :is to ho raised several feet ahove the surface of the waici' Imt
she escaped vvithoul sulleriu-,' the slijrhtcst (lama<,'e. She was further
streu-rtheued aj^ainst ice pressure hy haviuL,^ teu feet of Ikt 1„,\v iUkd in
with sohd (lead wood, lieavily hohed, just ])efore leavinj^- Sau I'rancisci) "
From the outset the national American cliaracter of the expLdiiioii
was i^rovided for. By special Act of Con<rress she received an Ameri-
can re;jfister, with all the rij^hts and privile<,'-es of a .government vessel, ami
was re-named the Jeannette, in honor of Mr. Bennett's only sister. The
Secretary of the Navy was authorized to accept her without expense to tin.
,t,'overnment; the cost of the expedition to Mr. Bennett was estimated
at $300,000. Slie was put in char;.rc of oiHcers of the navv-- [Jeiil.
Geo. W. I)e Lon-^r, commander; Lieut. Charles W. Chipp, executive
oHker; Lieut. John W. Dancnhower, navigator; George VV. Melville
chief engineer; and J. M. Amhler, sm-geon. With these v/ere asso-
ciated Jerome J. Collins, meteorologist and correspondent of the llenild-
Raymond L. Newcoml), naturalist; and William W. Dunhar, ice
pilot. The other memhers of the ship's company— carpenters, machin-
ists, and seamen— were Jas. H. Bartlett, Geo. IL Bovd, \y m. Cole
Adolf Dressier, Hans H. Erickscn, Carl A, Gortz, Neils Iverson, Peter
E. Johnson, Albert G. Kuehnc, Henry H. Kaach, Geo. Laudurhach,
Herbert W. Leach, Walter Lee, Frank Manson, Wni. C. F. Nin-
derman, Louis J. \oros, W. Sharveil, Edward Star, Alfred Sweet-
man, Henry D. Warren, and Henry Wilson; and three Chinese, Ah
Sam, Long Sing, and Ah Sing, as steward, cook, and cabin-bov— in all
thirty-two persons. In selecting the crew choice was made from 1500
applicants, no one being accepted under twenty-five, or over thirty-llvL',
and care being taken that all were of average height, size, and weight,
sound in all respects, and without tendency to consumption, of L;ood
character, northern born or raised, inured to cold, and accustomed to the
sea. The seamen were to receive $25 a uKMith, and the others in
proportion.

At a farewell reception tendered the officers by the Academy of Sci-
ences of San Francisco, on the 16th of June, Commander De- Long re-
ferred briciiy to the manner in which private liberality and enterprise

Was r.)iiil)iiK'(| with

•It'i- till' husl p()ssil)lc auspices

DB LONG'S MESSAGE

f,'<)venimc-nt assistance to send ..m tl

749

tile fact tiiat lli

:<s a national undertalv

niL'.

11- present was the first atte.nnt I

le expe(h'tion nn-
lle dwell upon

uf Mehrin-'s Strait, and „„ the dilf
.irround to l)c traversed

pt I) reach the Pole 1

lenities likclv t

iy way

o l)e eneonnteiXM

ev were

was entirely new, hesai.l; f,

lie

,^<)in^r ont into a j,n-eat l)laid

; for after passinj^ 71

was water, ice, or lan.l. Ik- deemed it 1

\< space to determine wheth

ler 1 1

ey wonid do, hm

lioped to he held in rememl

•otter not to say at present wl

lal

L'li ;i recital of what thev had

'ranee until their return

done would he of

(reater interest.

On the Sth of |,ilv ,,s

y, 1.S79, De

-ori<r wrote to the Secret

:iry of the

■y— " I have the honor to inf

orni

you that the jeannette, hein- in all

res

pects

ready for sea, will sail at

o'clock this .-d'ter

to the A ret

the h

'loon, on her cruise

ic rej^rions. I have ab

'•nor to acknowledirc ,he receipt

o( \()ur

orders o

'f I he I, Sth of J

une

111 I't-'iatioii to t

ie mo\einents of the

ITllC

xpedifioii iiiuIcM- in\-

eoni-

iii;iiid; an, I while 1

'ppreeiate the

i"ra\(.' rrsni

ihil

ponsihiiuy intrusted I

ernv,

1 1.

o niv

li'a\e to a

ssure vou that

will I'lK

IKI'I. rlirf), w. ni(

^■;:\<>r to pert

orni this ii

to rellec-t credit

upon the ship, the iia

portant diii\

111 .1 nianne

r eaieulated

\\-, and t

leave to retm-ii thank

le country at lar'^e. 1 h

lor th

:u-tonl\

e eoii||,iei,ei. i>\prc>ssed i

•-'ondnet sue

11 my ahilitv to satis-

I a lia>^ardou

i'<-''''>id my coMxiitiou th;

I'^peditiou, and 1 desir

lal uoth

onteipnse and liherality of M,-. |, ,,„,., ^

^^ I'een le|i tmnn

I'lU'e o|" ,,i:r Aret

• ordon l>i-nnett

u- nn

(ii'oessor-

( )

could su'4"-est.

V to place upon

prox-ided which the

;md the experi-

\'l'l IO,<)()(

I 0,nO( ;,';()() Wat

) people \\itnes>ed the depar

vrv of tl

ehed with interest for

leannette: and

Ih- iiri'iimstances ai

hi' announeemi'nt of the event.

e i'fa

phically descrihed 1)\- ihe d

lepartin^- journalist

^ -..av^

7.10

THE JE ANNETTE DEPAUTS,

%■

of the cxpcililion, as follows: " The anchor is up, and tlie pi()[H'llfr is
slowly ruvolviii<j, givinjjf the [cannettc just enouijh motion thnniLfli the
water to make us fuel that we were oil" at last. The friendlv waving dI"
hats aiul handkerchiefs from the wliarves, the shippinL,% and even fiDin
tlie distant points of vanta<^e in San Francisco, tell us tli;rt tiie t^ood peo-
pie of the city, as well as the men ol' the sea, are ^ivin;^ us a lieariv sciid-
oir, althou;jfh we cannot hear the cheers. Oui' captain and tirst-lieutenaiit
are on the hridj^e. The word is <^ivcn. 'All hanils <^ive three cheers.'
Up into the port-ri<jf<jin,i^ scraml)le the crew, tiie steam whistle marks liiu
time. ' Hurrah,' ' hurrah!' Now we are off in earnest. The yacht cluh
of San Francisco, under the command of Commodore Harrison, accom-
pany us. How <^racefully these pretty crafts skim ahout our vessel, like
white-win;^ed seaj^uUs, as she solemnly moves toward the Narrows. Wo
will leave them at the bar. (Jnc of tiicm will take ofF from us a ladv
whom we have all learned to respect. It is Mrs. De Loulj, llic wife of
our jj^allant captain, who is now spendiuLf with him the last sacred mo-
ments before partiii;^. Tiiis amiable and charmiu':^ lady has been the
life of our Jeannette family since it was organized. If we wanted to
bu\' anvthing for any jjurpose, we went for advice to Mrs. De Lou^'.
The steamers, crowded with well-wishers, arc now closing about us, as
we wave caps and handkerchiefs to friends on board them. The Jean-
nette plows onward in tlie teeth of a smart breeze. Hill tops and wharves
in San Francisco are crowded. It is a pleasant farewell scene on the
Jeaiuiette. Now we are approaching the Narrows. The fmal leave-
taking will soon be given in cheers, then awav to the great Pacific nn
our \'ovage to the Arctic seas. Not a man on l)<)ai"d has the shadow of
a melancholy thought on his face. Feojile remark: 'What a good-
humored lot of fellows.'' We are happy in tlie knowledge that ir.illioiis
bear us friendlv wishes. The sky aheail looks foggy. We will make
ofFthe coast to avoid the |)revailing nor'wester and get into fiir weiitlicr
about fiv*,' hundred miles westward. Then our good ship will point her
prow to Ounalaska. Now we are abreast of the tortifications. We now
see the old tlag waving high on its mast over the stronghold ol' I'nclf
Sam. We >alult' it. A verv interesting meeting is taking place in tiic

''^■-:*feMj;

ifiii

U'lu

751

.•iu

.n^^

o^\^

IMAGfc EVALUATrON
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

t<>/

t/j

v..

1.0

I.I

1.25

«- ilia

J IIIIM
^ 1^

M
1.8

\A. Illlil.6

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. I4S80

(716) 872-4503

^ \ WrS

v»:^\r^

^1}

'ib

753

THE LAST ADIEUS.

c;il)i;i l)(.;tvvucii Mrs. Dc Long, Mr, Wm. Hradford, the Arctic artist, and
Mr. Brooks, of the Academy of Science. Wc discuss the future. Mrs.
De Long is enthusiastic. She ..ays we must succeed, and offers some
sensible advice on the subject of temperature.

"Puff! Bang! There's a salute from Fort Point. The barbette
battery is belching away, and fat-looking lumps of white smoke are
rolling down to the sea below. Our gallant friend. Major Hasbrock, of
the fourth artillery, is on the ramparts. We hear the cheers and re-
turn them heartily. It is a handsome compliment. Blood is thicker
than water. The army salutes the navy. Farewell, brave bpys, may
your guns always salute friends, and terrify enemies. The yachts are
now passing astern. As each passes she salutes with dipping flags and
cheers. They then scud off to come round again. The little tugs feel
the motion of the sea-, and begin to put back. The people on them cheer
vigorously, and the tugs blow their whistles. These scenes occur every
few minutes as our ship passes through the crafts around her. Wc are
now opposite the Cliff House and Seal Rocks. The sea is calming down,
and we bob along pretty steadily. Captain De Long just now asked me
to give his love to all of you. I know you will accept the offering of a
gallant seaman, who goes out to win honor for the flag. The hour is at
hand when we musi part from our shore friends. Leavetaking is the
duty of the moment. We shake hands with noble friends. We send
our warmest wishes for the welfare of those we leave behind. Time's
up. We part company with civilization for the present."

On the voyage northward the Jeannette encountered a succession of
head-winds, alternating with equally untoward calms, and after passing
45", no less unfavorable fogs, ilcr course was for Akoutan Pass, hc-
tween the island of that name and Ounalaska, both of the Aleutian group.
Thev made land in a dense fog, on August ist, which a party ^oiiij^
ashore fountl to l)e Ougalgan Island, a formation of basaltic granite, licar-
in<»- a surface deposit of scoria, and evidences of a comparatively recent
volcanic disturbance. An active volcano was observed on the :!eii,dil)or-
in*-- island of Ounalaska. Passing through the Pass and rounding C^'pe
Kaleghta, ihe Jeannette anchored at Port lliouliouk of that ishuul, i;i

latitude 5^
Collins, "
of snow;
and the de
bold heaill
variety of
which are
harbors are
formed Ijy
shore, and
whites, the
land. The
From (
Secretary o
2'\, at this
good health
States rever
George, the
paiiy, of Sa
said steamer
Timandra, 1
Nounivak L
of this place
here on the
occurring Ivj
although no
crew built a
feet beam an
having volun
on the 36th (
day to rescue
" The ste;
hringing the

northern settl

, A BRIG WRECKED.

7o8

latitude 53'- y.' ly. longitude ,66- ,3' .. tI,,. I„. ,1
Colli,,,, "is vcrvimnosin,, ti, ' ''^ '"cal sccmTy," s.ys

vuj „npo.,„g. The great gre™ hills, c-ovure<l with patches
»-w; he lu.un„.„g,,„, .,„.„,,„„„_, ,^, ^ -

... - cletae ed, peaked ,,,e,<s a.e the pfiueipa, features. Ne,„.lv al, a,-

l.old headauds. The,, i, a tot I,se„ee of ..ees. There is 'a | !

vane y „, flowenug p|a„t„ ,o,„,„o„ ,„ ,„,. ^^ J'^

w itch a,.e very pre..,. This whole .gio,, is voleauie; so™e ot^he lar^e
a,ho s are ev.den.ly old erate... Part of the harhor we „„„. ,ie i'n
....med by a„ extensive subsideuee as late as .853, has .leep water ij
si o.e, and .h.rteen ,a.ho,n,, a. the buoy. There are no. ,„al,y residen"
whnes,_th„ population being ehiefly Aleuts and Indians fron, ,he ,nai„
lanA There ,s a Russian ehapel and a priest in ,l,e settlement."

Fron, OuualasKa Co,„,„a„der De Long wro.e a, follows .„ .he
^eeretary of .he Navy : . I have .be honor ,0 ..port the arr,val, on Aug.
-'.■;' .1>.» place of the ship under ,ny eon,n,„ud, and the eontinued
Sood health o, ,he omee,s and e,ew. , found at anehor he,e the United
States revenue eutter R.,sh, the stea.ner ,S.. Paul, and .he sehooner S.
George, the las. .wo nanred belonging .„ ,be Alaska Co,n,„erei„l Cotn-
pa,,y, o, San Franeiseo. This letter i, -arrie.! .0 San P,.anciseo by the
.nd steatner St. Paul. , lea.ned upon a,.rival, of the wreek of tbJbri.
T„na,rdra, belonging to J. C. .Merrill S Co., of San Franeiseo, o^
Noun,vak Island, about four hundre.l and twen.y tniles ,0 .ho northwa-d
ot th,s place. The second n.ate and three sea.nen of said brig .eaehed
,.,.Te on the 30.1, of July, b.inging tiding, of the .lisas.er to that vessel
"ccnrriug May .5. The vessel they .-eport as being a total we „'
although no bves we,-e l,„t, an.l the ea,-go was nearlv all saved. The
crew built a boa. fon, a po,.i„n of the week, eighteen fee. long aud si.x
oe. bean, and partly deekedove,, antl .he four ,ue„ mentioned above,
havtng vo untoered to e„„,e here in ,eareh of a„istauee, left Nounlvak
on the 36tb of ,[uly, .aud ,e„ehed he,, on .be 30th. The Rush sailed ,0-
<lay t.. resene the balanee ,,f Ihe crew, eight in number.

"The,.ea,„,bipS,. I'anl ar,-ive,l from S,. Paul', I,land, .\u... ,
'■""SutSlhe en,i,e collection of fur, bom the .Seal Islands and" the'
"orthern ,e.tlen,ents-abont one hu„d,ed thousand skins-an.l will leave

rcMnMmw">^vTC

754

DE LONGS COMMUNICAXION.

to-morrow morning for San Francisco. The revenue cutter Rush, dur-
ing her visit to St. Michael's and her cruise to the northward, passed
through Beliring Strait, some twenty miles to the northward, and cast-
ward of East Cape in Siberia, without having encountered any ice what-
soever. Supposing that Professor Nordenskiold had already pa^-scd
south, no communication was had by the Rush with .St. Lawrence Hay.
No communication from St. Lawrence ]?ay had been received at St,
Michael's at the date of sailing of the Rush, July 33, and consequoiilly
there was no knowledge of the safety or movements of Professor Xor-
denskiold's jiarty.

" It was my intention originally, as communicated to you in my letter
of July 8, to step at .St. Paul's Island after leaving this place, but as the
fur clothing, which 1 was to have received at that place, can be furnished
here, I have concluded to proceed directly to St. Michael's, in Alaska,
leaving here Aug. 6.

" From all the intelligence received from the northward it appears
that the last winter ha . been an exceptionally mild one, and that no oh-
struction to navigation in the shape of ice has been encountered. I eaii
but deplore that the necessity of loading this ship so deeply at San Fran-
cisco has made our progress thus far so slow, owing also to head winds
and swell, as to make it doubtful whether we shall be able or not to
profit by the open water in the Arctic Sea in our efforts to gain a high
latitude this season.

"If, upon our arrival at St. Michael's, nothing has been heard of the
party under the command of Professor Nordenskittld, I shall proceed to
St. Lawrence Bay, in Siberia, to obtain tidings of them and shall proceed
subsequently in accordance with the general plan delineated in my letter
of July 8.

"I would respectfully call your attention to the fact that the charts of
this region are very meager. The most reliable is one published by the
Imperial Russian Plydrographic Office in 1849, which chart was fur-
nished me in San Francisco. The prevalence of fogs and the rapidity and
uncertainty of the prevailing tides make an approach to any of the passes
between the Aleutian Islands hazardous in the extreme."

!l^

St.
4%

CHAPTER LXXXII.

'■'<OM OUNAI.ASKA TO ST. KAWKFNCF Mvv

WATCHES n,-,- , "^'^ - ^WM'INC^S -„,;,., ,,..■

WATCHES -OM. sTUAKT's ISI.VNn - tHK STOCK OK uor S

cn..... ...,„,._, ,,^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^_^ „..T..;: ;:

^HOM T„K ,KA.XKTTH-A KUSSXA. ..tU - tHK „..;;;;
— -A KOKCKn TK.ATV n.T,. T„K CA.X.KS - V .^ .^

TCHUKTCHIS-I,E LONG'S msi-Arci,.

Colin. . 1 h, ,han,e t,-o,. th. s..ooth water of the harbor to th. rou^h
sea outside was very markcti ukI .. L.tntiough

K.,.e,ht,„a,u,w„*i„^ „„„;:;; ~:: '=^'7'->- <"-"•' ^-=1-

„. ,„.,r- 1 . .."lll>"l^ a,i;a.i,, rolling a„,| pitdii,,,, „, .„

." m.ke l„c„,„„„„„ „ifli„,H ,,,,,„ ,,,.,„,^,^„_ , . ^

- *„c , ,„.. .„. «,,. .,, ,.,, ,„„ .» .„. .„„.„, ,,;„„.„:';

"...Ic ..,..".lcs ,„ ,„.,«,.,,„,. h„,„.s,s,„„„„i,„u,„. ,,av. ,„ „„,c,„a„i
>».-jo,c,„«. T,,ec,„,„.„, a. 0„.,a,a.,.„ a,.h„,,,„ , ,„,JZ
an- ™.,e ,..,..., aid.,, a,K, ...„. .,„„„„ ,„„„„^„„^ „.,,,„„,.,
1.. Molvllc „h„.. ,., ,„.,, ,„„,,,, „,^,, ,,^ ,„„,,„„„„.^., J

■c o,o,x, .,., a probable ,„,,k ,,,„ .„ St. MichaelS ^ukI ,„>U,1„.. .., ,'
. .h,.oa.on cola, b.,. Uk- possible ,.o,..a,.Hval „f o„,. .,,,„ .,„:„
F.™,c.A.n.v„e, „fSa„ F,.a„c.c„. ,ia. i„ ,b.,e la.itadc, a„ce .„ ^
...» are u.. ™le .lari,,, .1,. „„„.,„.- «„,, .„ .^a. ... ,„, . „.„,„ ,„ ^
. o th„,l „,a,. ,„ .„„. ,„.di„a,v speed of fca,- k„„„, „„ich .ve carried
.... h.. por. ,„ald„« dK. r,.„ i„ »,. da>.» e.acel, fro„, Cape Kalo.h,
10 .Stuart's Island, Norton's Soin,d. °

••The i.nportance „f detern.ming the character of the bottom a, we

755

756

DA IL r OB S Eli VA TIONS.

proceeded, rendered :i daily stop necessary for soundinfj. We also
dr»jd<^ed every day except when the water was too rougfh. Soundinos
ran from eighty to five fathoms as we came north on a bottom composed
of fine jj^ray sand and ooze, covered with moss-lilce ve<jetation winch was
inhabited by an extraordinary variety of marine hfe. We also used tiie
deep sea cups and thermometers for determining the densities and tem-
peratures at various depths. These I found to work very well, consider-
ing that our men are as yet a little awkward in handling the lines, hut
are improving very rapidly. Our hourly meteorological observations arc
made each day with the utmost
regularity. We have divided up
the time into watches, und the
work goes on steadily. For
instance, 1 begin at noon and stanil
watch (meteorologically speaking)
until 6 I*. M. I am then relieved
bv Mr. Cliipp, first lieutenant, who
observes at 7 and 8; then Dr.
Ambler at 9, 10, 11, and midnight.
M\' turn comes again, so I oliserve
at 1, -, 3 and 4 a. m., and am re-
lieved bv Mr. Danenhowi.T, who
takes 5 ami 6 a. m. At 7 and 8
Mr. Chipj) observes, and from nine
to noon inclusive. Dr. Ambler.
Our hours of dutv per day in making observations are theretbre, Mr.
Chipp, four hours, Mr. Dancnhowcr, who is navigator, two hours; Dr.
Ambler eight hours, and mvself ten hours. Besides this I keep the regu-
lar meteorological record and note sea temperatures and densities, ar'l
make up my journal; so that you may see there is no time for doing
nothing left for us on board.

"On the evening of the i ith we sighted land on the starboard beam

that is to say to the eastward — and by continuous sounding determined

our locality to be off Stuart's Island, in Norton Sound. The land was

lEUOli.

CDI.I.INS.

five good d(

THE STOCK OF DOGS. ^^^

low, and discernible only hv 'I si i^rhf ,•; i •,, ,

horizon. Wc ..oamcl , ' '"' '"' ""'* "''''"'"' """^ "»

- on the ,..,, C 1 • """'"'": '"" •'^*'' »"<l V 'en A.

-.. u„o„„ . ml::::: ~i; :..;r' tt"i; '°"-

the Americ-.n. W ^^''ssians, and as St. iMichael's by

w ..,,1 a(r„„l. Co,,,. „,,h„,, ,„„„ „,,„ , -

con..c.,„,. „, „„„.„„ ,„„„„^,^, ,„,.^,„^, ^, ^,^^_„ „■„„„.,;„,:

ncrs of wh,ch a,o li„,.. ,„„„, „„„,„, „|,,^, w„ „„„„,,"„, „ ' , ""•
non „„n,,, .he R„..„ ,_«.„„ of A,a»..„ ,„. „Hic J .:':;:.

. o the poroho,.,es a,„, .,„.,„„,,, The ,«,e,. are oeo„pi„, ,,.,- M. ^^
.na„„, he co„,pa„y.., „,,.„,, an,, Mr. Nelson, a., e,„p,„;, „, ;,„ ,,^, '
"n,a„ I„s.,.„.,on a„., ohsen-e,. of the United States Si,„a, Set la
.ow Ru»,.a„ „„,,.„ten, and «,nte Indian, who „„,., abo.: the fott. Th
.,na.U.. of the agent and the Sn,i.h.oni„n eoMeotot are plainly ,n,t e! n

'*>•;-"■»"«'. ■■"'" .' i» oleat that these «ent,e,„en !„. pL,o»ph s

™ . to content .he,„.e,ve. pretty we„ with thoi,. isolated positio,!

All „.„. doss wete at St. Mieh.aol's when we artived. They are a line.
o*n« „t o annnals, hnt inelined for a general ro. at the shortest no-
.0 . They lol, aronnd the inelosnre or sit ont on the roeks near the
■t, and ooo.a„o„ally set np a long, peenliar howl that s„,n,.,s a, ni„h
l<o a sn,„,„„„s of Satan to his satraps for a general conncil. At teedh,
l.n.o the dogs ge, their daily allowanee o, .Iry Hsh, an.l while that is hj.
mg thrown to then, the sot.nds of battle rise and float on the bree.e On
genera pnnciple, the Ksc,„in,an. dogs will flght, an.l it is often a nn.t.er
wontler what .he row is abont. The dogs will he walking or Ivin..
*ont tpttetly, when snddenly one will ,nake a rush at anotbjr, and -the^
the whole paek pitches in, every .log for hinrself. In these remarkable
co.nbats nine of the .logs .niginally pr„v,.le,l f.,r ,.s by the Al.aska
Cmmorcial Company have been kille.l l,y their fellow canines We
|"o gettntg some recrnils now an.l e.peet to leave here with ab.„,t fortv-
l"o g„o.l .logs on boar.1. Of course we will have native drivers with n.

7r58

EVIL SPIRITS.

to inauM'^e these imnily brutes, and I lielieve arranjremcnts are now bc-
w^ matle with Esquimaux liuiUers to act in that capacity. The store-
house of the Alaska Company here is tilled with a collection of trade
j^oods similar to that we found at OinialasUa, except that tl-,e assortment
is not so varied, nor the (juantity as j^reat. The furs brou;^'ht to the post
aie from the lower Yukon Iliver re,i,non anil the adjacent coasts. The In-
dians come In liy villa.u^es, and under the .!^rj;nL-ral control of a chief, who
directs tlic netjotiations. In this way, foy, hear, sable, wolf and scpiirrel
skins are procured in exchan_<re for collee, sui^-ar, tobacco, powder, Kad
(shot and bullets), <runs (muzzle-loadini,'- riMes and sh()t-,i,nins ), clothing-
and notions. Whalebones for sle(i.i,'e-rnmiers are sometimes bou'^ht, but
these come frorn the northern or Siberian coasts, and are ret^'arded as
valuable. Dogs are jjurchased, as in the present instance for us, for i,ains,
the averai,re price of'a i^ood doir bein.t,' about $7 in jj^oods. Extra good
dogs are worth as much as $15, but that is a top price, and is sometimes
given for a highly trained team-leader.

"As soon as tlx; natives complete their trade they return to their vil-
lages to enjoy their newly acciuired property, and the little fort is dull
again until another party arrives from the interior. The experience of
the agent and white residents here is a favorable one as reganls the na-
tives, but sometimes the latter become restless and inclined for war. Last
year a chief residing about sixty iniles to the northwaid made repeated
threats to come in and clean out wSt. Michael's. The place was put in a
fair state of defense by Mr. Neumann, and preparations were made to give
the coming warriors a right hospitable reception at the rifle's muzzle.
Hut — they never came. The warlike chief pin-chaserl two barrels of
whiskey from some traders and went on an unusuallv heavv spree, which
resulted in his iiaving his head split open with an axe bv his lirother-in-
law, a similar fate overtaking his son. Since this domestic tragedv oc-
curred the people of the fort have heard no more threats from up the
coast, and ' Peace, gentle peace,' ])revails. The surviving relatives of
the chief, associating the valiant man's death with /the jiroi^rietorship of
two barrels of whiskey, wisely came to the conclusion that the whiskey
was the cause of the violent taking olF, so thev knocked in the heads of the

barrels, an

the deciin:

« The (

iience in si

which, in i

in some pi

surface anc

tines exhih

the beach i

into the sai

to the settle

lake. I ha

along the si

(|iiaiitities o

and on the i

River, whic

Yukon draii

iniles from i

to the bavs ;

natives haul

tide until the

vals of a few

overlying th(

bianco to pet

tation that ch

shrubs, grass(

latter, which

" Up the s
the shores are
lireeding plac
To get somet
iiuii ;i party 1

A HUNTING-PARTT.
Darrcls, and let the evil snints nn, Tn;

Hk. dcd,naei„n „r,h. X. "'"""""" "™""'"'- l>--"'"l

" The co„„try ,u,Tou„<li„sj tin- ,„»t i, wholly volcanic Ev-v •
"once ,„ ,i.he is the cone of a„ e«i„c, volcano Tl r «ks ,

". s,.,„e place, Iho evidence, of pre,„„e in the ,h,„e

^..H-..cc. an.l o.he,. „i,.„,..i.,„,. ^he e.pose,, L ' 2 a , ^ Tof"; ''"^

;;;": ='■*'' ""^= '^= ^o^^^^^ ...... „ .coon ,;„,„,;

tlie beach is composed of pulveri/cd liv. ..„ i .. ■ - ^ "^ '^•"'^1 "J

"•'"'- ----.-.e CO.. Co::;;;::;:: —r---:^

.;> me ««e™en. .he. i, a Ce. „hich now fo.,., .He ^al o^ 1

l.iko. I have rece,ve<l specimen, of lava from .liffercnt ooint, in) 7 ,
».on. .he ,ho.c which will ,o .o n,v .eolo.lcal colic Z "
'"■!"""T "' ''^"*""'' -y ''e s.'cn alon, .he ,hore of Norton"

-;>..". Cslanclbcache,. Thi, ., con,e, chiefly fro.n ,h V o i

R.ver, wh,ch empHe, In.o .he Behrin,. Sea by .overal n,„„t,„. Ah
^ ukon ,lran„ a srea. .imbcr cotnury, and i, navigable for over , Soo
- ^-^ .on, .., ,„onth, the ..nan.i.y of drift „ro„,ht down and carried ^
■ he bay, and ,o„„d, to the northward and ea,tw„rd, i, i„,„,e„,e. T e
.ue, hani on. ,he larger piece, an.l pile .hem np „,. of reach of .he
.. o u„.d they dry ,„,„cie„.,y for fnC. Snch pile, can bo seen a. t^r!
val, of a few hnndre.1 y„„l, all aro.nul .hi, great bay. The ,t,r,ace ,„il
oi-crlyrng .he lava formation i, ,no,tly peat, an.l War, a cl„,e rcem
n,ce.o pea. land, el,ewhere, excep. in .he bcanty and varie.y of vce-"
..".. .I.at clothe, .he Whole conn.ry. There are no .ree„ bn. the lo^w
l-K,, gra,,,c,, flowering plant, and mo„e, .,e very fine, cpecially .he
iw.., whtch vary ,no,e in color .ban I have ,een In any o.her placed
A HUNTING PARTY FROM THE JEANNETTE.
"Up .he ,o„n.l which .livide, S.. Michael', I,land from the mainland
.<• shore, are chiefly ,alt m„r,h tract,, .lotted with pon.ls, which a,, the
-chng place, of „i|,| ,|nck, an.l gece, ,nipe, an.l other water bird,
lo.'Ot something tbr the lanler by way of change fro,n the canned
'»-. a party of ,„,.a,-,e.l np the 'Crooke.1 Canal,' a, it i, c.dled, in the

I'!

700

// PERILOUS posiriow.

sU'.iin cutler. \Vc> airrii-d a tciit and prov

j,Mi!is am! aminunitioii, blankets, ele. Our luck

sions for two days, hcsi<l

cs our

among the wildfowls

pn.ve.l indifFet-ent, the hi.ds heing scared off hy the steam escape tVon,
our cutter. We secured, however, about fifteen ducks and some thirt.
snipes. An Indian hunter acted as jruide and pilot, In.t the uiau was i,",
poor health and did not prove ecjual to a.iy ..f us whites in eudurauce of
fati-ue. We camped for the ni-ht o., the marsh eil.iro and under a heavy
••ainfall, wiuch soaked the -round and made us about as uncomfortable a
lot of sportsmen as ever huddled to.irether under canvas. Next nin,,,-
iii,t,' the weather continued l)ad, and the Indian l,ein- nse.l up with an at-
tack of ague, we started back to the shii,. In cr<,ssing the bar in face of
a heavy sea the cutter took water so rapidly that we came near bein.^
swampeil, and reached the ship after a long and most fatiguing struggle
tor life. We had all removed our outer clothing an,l boots preparahuy
for a swim, and when we got on board the jeannette, worn out, hungry
and wet, I can assure you the cabin tire and a hot breakfast were thor-
oughly enjoyed by the party. I must say that to the pluck and skill of
Mr. Melville, the chief engineer, who had charge of the running of the
cutter's engine, and to Mr. Dunbar, the ice pilot, who steered us,^are due
the safety of the whole party. Our signals of distress ^^■ere misunder-
stood on the ship, and it was not until we were withni a hundre.l ^•a^ls
of her, with our cutter half full of water and her boiler tire extinguished
that a boat was lowered to rescue us. The party thus imperiled con-
sisted of Mr. Melville, Mr. Dunbar, Dr. Ambler, myself, and onr Indian
hunter. To show the quickness of perception of the natives on shore I
may mention that while we were struggling with the sea, and working
to keep the boat afloat, the natives recognized our position and at once
reported it at the fort. The ship was a mile nearer to us than tl.e native
village, yet no one on board seemed to understand the meaning of the
jacket hoisted on a boat-hook, which Dr. Ambler was waving for nearly
an hour before any stir was made to lower a boat.

" Our shallow bay has afl:brded us a fair supply of excellent fish, in-
cluding some superb salmon. We have a net set, and daily get a good
number of dounders and other small fish, besides an occasional boaiity

A /fC/SS/AA' BATH.

:;it:::;;:i!:t .:-''■ - • ^ • -

Hncl .lo„r ,„a,ie f, , i "' ^""''^' '""'■ '" ^' ''• "- »'-'"

"■";" " '™'>"-'™'- i» ™--i- The ,„,.„,, „„„„». , .,;':"■

CCS, <.r ,1,0 Ru»i„„ ,,.„l, i. .,,„„, „,„,„„, , . " '• '■' ""■ I'— '■ I"-
- into .,,0 a„.e: ,:„. ':':Z:": """-';■ -" *•■■• "^ ™«i.c,

""'-o<r, I an„we., .;a::: x^^^^^^^^^^^

>•""?,. i. ntse aic iihso Uitc \- ncc.>. en-,, .
thou,.h the bathhouse a St Xi , , ' '"' -,oymcnt. Al-

"O., .ho ,8,h ,„„. l„„j,.e.poc,o,l s,.pply sohoono,, ,ho Fa,,,,,- v
llxlo ..t Sa,, F,-a„cisco, hulon with coals a„,l o-a,-, „'.o, „, ", I

.;;r s..a„.s ,s,a„.,, ,.,.,„ «„. „,„. .„„„,,,^,,, ^::' : • - j -'

--. ..h.,00 proso„eo.l .„ h„pa,ic„. „,a,.i„o,.s ,ha„ ,ho ,ai„ sch„„„o, ,,",

:"■■■"""' "-l>oi....,rS,..Miehao..r,, ,„ , ,, ,„ /

■'■ ""'"-h— ■l-n.si.ie, ,0,. oap,ai„ ,„ ,.„,. , ,,,,,,„„„

~ . o,a, h, a,.Hvi„„ c, s, ,o,s. oto., ..n,,,.,, , 'a^hl: ^

"" ''"'" "'■'■""''■ "'■'■'".v-..„o .lays ,V,„„ Sa„ r-,-a„oiso„ „,a,l,. I,v

769

/t FORCED TlUiATY WITH CANINES.

one of the fastest schooiu-is niimin<,' out nfthat port. Similar c.uiis d,..
tained us, althoii;,Hi wo liad steam to propel us. Hut the Fanny A. llvdi-
had come at last, and that meant we mi},'ht ;,'o on oin- way rejoicin" in a
fow days, and it'ter tin eoals and stores have heen transferred to om
bunkers and holds. We wctaX the anthracite coal that has just come virv
much, as our present stock of so'ft coal would not last us any time, should
we need to use it. To save delay we take a heavy deck-load of coal, as
well as the cpumtity in our well packed hunkers, and the JeannettJ is
a<rain laden down to her douhlinjr, as deep as she was when leaviii- San
F'-ancisco. The schooner <roes with us to St. Lawrence liay, in Eastern
Siberia, and about thirty miles south of East Cape.

» We have oin- doj^s on board, about forty in number. They raise a
tremendous row about every tifteen minutes, space on our crowde.. ,ieck
alone <,'over-nn<,' the nmnber of combatants en<rajre(l. \ thiid< if wo
could <rive these unruly brutes room enouj^b to fi<,rht, the battle would
continue until ihe last pair died, chewinfj each other's throats. This don-
war illustrates very amusin.i,dy the value of armed intervention at the
rifrht moment. When the bitterness of the combat reaches its hcit,dil
one of om- men interferes with a rope's end, and with the utmost impar-
tiality lays about hmi vi<,rorous)y. A suspension of canine hostilities is
the immediate, but, I rejrret to say, temporary result. The do-s make
rcm;nks and confer in a lii<,rh key and retire for consultation, but like the
conferences at Ccjiistantinople these interchan<,'es of diplomatic conluleii-
ces only seem to make matters worse in some other quarter of the deck,
and the din of the battle Is heard soon a<,raiii. Still the Hismarckiau
rope's end works wonders, even thoujjh it enforces a Treaty of Ver-
sailles fifteen minutes after the Treaty of Prajjue has been ratitied by the
do<r powers, and ominously swinj^'s like a Treaty of Berlin over the
Esfjuimaux do<^s.

" We have with us for the voyage north two natives from Norton
Sound, or the St. Michael's district. One

these, Alexai, as 1

ie IS

useful as a (lo<r-

called, speaks a little Enjiflish, and is both intelli,<,re!it and

driver and hunter; Ani.iTuin, the other and younger native, is a finc-

|0()|.

fell

ow, ^vith a liroad, boyish face, and pleasant expression. lie spcik

MH. AND Mtis. ALEXAI

"" '■•"■■''"•'■■ '"■' «'■" "1""-' very well „.„|, „„. „;,, „,■ „ , ,

"..crprcc,-. The. Ca,„,„„ l,„, .,„,,,.,, ' ">™"^ «' -

llK». advcmur,,,,, MVi,.,c-, l,vw /' "S-'"'" "UTOma,! wi(h

'™'<. ." ^"PP..« .„e „;:,; '■,;,',;; '•"'"•-"■ ■ i-. m,™

""■ "•'-- ■■'■ - i.». , :,; , ; :^-^ ■■'■ -^^'^ •«

"^- --^^^^^:::::^'^::::::--'^'--

was too modest to face the pencil M.r • , • '"''*"

s.™,c,l „vcTp<nvc,-c,l wi.h ..,„.„i„„ ,, „„ „„,„;,„""■ .'"'=

t -SU.CS, and at once hid then, in the an.ple folds, or .-uhe,

places, of her fur ch-ess. ' ^''" /towage

" As we left tlie Hav of St. Mich'.(>I'« nn fi,

> I. micn.ici s on the cvenui''- of th<. -.ict fu

..".a., he ,„„ a„<, aC .he a^enc.v ,.f .he V.-e..e,.n n • ^ ,

C.npany acro« .he l,ay, belehe.l fo.U, a pa,.!,,,, v,l,„e Th .

;"."....- a» .,a., a., .he .y a,,,,., p.. A Cr'thl'X:::

;. a. nonhern h.„v. This .ve ,.,. „,. ,he ,3.1, when i eleare. S e
W ".1 a,,., c„mn,ence,, .„ e,„,s the vva-e. of .he ..n.i... „ „,;,; ^^
«a.e (n,e,oo,.„,„,iea„ f,.„,„ , ,. ,„, .„ ^ ,, , ^,„„ ,

"laau..l a. o„ee a .lis.u,ha„ce of .he wea.her .„ .he „o„h a,„l „•„.

764

MORE TCHUKTCHIS.

Later in the day the sea rose to a very -: jat hei-ht, washing our decks
and carrying away some of our light works. The forecastle got well
drenched, the bridge stove by a sea, and the captain's window broken in
and his room flooded, by another. On leek we were part of the time
knee deep in water. The wind howled for hours and sharply cut off the
wave crests, so that the spray flew like small shot across the decks. The
ship was hove to and we rode out the gale pretty well, considering that
the Jeannette had all she could carry on board. As the sea moderated
we got under way again and arrived here on the 35th, experiencing very
fine weather when entering the harbor. Skin boats (baidaras) filled
with dirty looking, skin-dressed natives of ine Tchuktchi tribe, came
alongside. They thought we were a trader. From these we learned
about Prof. Nordenskiold what I sent you by telegraph from San
Francisco. I need not repeat here what I then told you, as it was suli-
stantially as the native chief told the Captain in my presence. Our
schooner arrived yesterday (26th) with the balance of the coal which we
could not take at St. Michael's. The Captain also desired to have a
means of sending the very latest news regarding our movements ar.d
what we could learn about Prof. Nordenskiold. All before us now
is uncertainty, because our movements will be governed by circumstances
over which we can have no control. If, as I telegraphed, the search lor
Nordenskiold is now needless, we will try and reach Wrangell Land :iiui
find a winter harbor on that new land, on which, we believe, the white
man has not yet put his foot. At the worst we .r.ay winter in Sibeiia
and 'go for' the Wrangell Land mystery next s'pring. I am in -^reat
hopes we will reach there this season. We are amply supplied with fur
clothing and provisions, so that we can feed and keep warm in any event
for some time. Our dogs will enable us to make explorations to con-
siderable distances from the ship, and determine the character of the
country. Feeling that we have the sympathy of all we left at home, we
go north, trusting in God's protection and our good tbrtune. Farewell."
The following is Commander DeLong's dispatch of the aytii of
August, from St. Lawience Bay, to the Secretary of the Navy at Wa-h-
inglon: "Arrived 35th; leave for Serdze Kamen to-night. All well.

DE LONG'S DISPATCH.

7ftt

Natives report Nordenskiold passed south three month

iK-.e one day, hav.n, wintered It Ko.yutchin L ! M •"''"', ""'''"^"
^ >.• .. r-> • , ^ "i<-uin i^Ay. Mentioned one offi

cei,a Russian, who snoke tho nit;-., i " "uc om.

1*1.1, who «,i<, the ,, ip ;„ „„„: ; "•"^' »-<™P-y.n. Ncden.
1 .1 XT " '■' ^'^''^'^ ^^'-''•e to verify account

'A-,,-

■i^

^^^^?*v :^\5^

^ --— ^-'

CHAPTER LXXXIII.

lit
m

Tin: .IKANNKTTK KNTKUS TllK A KCTIC — AKIU VKs A T KOLYIMTI | , s-
HAY— FIRST UKAK AXI) SEAL KILLKD— THE JKANXr.TTK KrK.Mi.y
KKOZK.N IN— UAXENHOWEk's STATEMENT —THK WI.VTKJt NKJin

HEOINS — llEKALD ISLAM) IN SIGHT THK JKAWKTTK HI-LI'-

LESS AND CRIPPLED — CONJECTURES AS TO THE JEAWLTTk's
KATE CONTINITED A IM'REHENSION.

The ship's company was now thirty-three, one of the Chinese haviu'r
been permitted to abandon the expedition a; St. Michael's, because of
ill health, while, as has been stated, two Indians had l)een added to the
crew. With the whole company in <,rood health and excellent spirits
the Jeannette steamed away from St. Lawrence Bay on the eve-
ninj,- of the 37th, at 7:30, and passinjr East Cape on the 38th, at
3 I'. -M., reached Cape Serdze Kamen, that is, Stone Heart -so called
from a large heart-shaped rock off the cape— on the 39th, at :; i-. m. Here
De Long deposited papers and a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, which
came to hand thirteen months later. In this letter, after detailing their
departure and arrival, as above, and the confirmation of the opinion al-
ready foimed that the Swedisii Expedition had passeil safely south, he
adds, "The oiHcers and men under my command are all well, and we
expect to sail to-night for Wrangell Lantl v/a KolyutchiiL" It was now
obvious 'hat the Vega was tlie vessel reported by the natives of St. Law-
rence Bay as having been seen in the outer haven or roadstead " for one
day three months before "—in reality, for a few hours, about thirty-seven
days before. The Jeannette arrived at Kolyutchin Bay on ihe ^ist, and
it now only remained for her commander to push forward before the
close of the season, to such winter (jnarters for his vessel as fortune
might supply on Herald Island or Wrangell Land, discovered or redis-

covered by Capt. Kcllctt, in 1849. Accordingly they pushed nortliwcst

760

^rjiST BEAR AVD v//^, .,

^tvzj ^tAL KILLED.

^'t 4 •■• M. the same day. After ,<. . i • . ^^ '^^^

oral mtorvicw, with tlio native, ,„„, . , "' "'"-^ ''"'' *^-

»k,„.boat,. Among other th.n.,, „,, l' " " ""•■ J"^"">«!^' "■ 'hoh-

""■"'«•' ""'. -<1 .hoy ,bun,l ,h;n...i^e r ■ '""T' "' ''' ^''"' ~--
™no," warmly da,l and ,eemln„i, '°'P""Wo. -talwarl an,l han.l-

.-ersed a barren, rorMd<,in. rd:."""^"";"'- *""»"" "^ vi-..r, „ad

O" .he .d of Sep.en,be; . r , I'T' "'™-
.'head l,y the w,,„,er Sea Hree,e in I """ "■■"" "''"'" "'^ "'»--
channel -beeween an eastern floe and 'T"/"' ''' '''' ''■*°' '" '"'■"

'■'tlle north, malting we,t-northwe^tf„rHr,T'r'r''''™''^'"°'''"l»'=''
>"" a fe. miles nearer southeast "^ ;'""'""■ '^''-S''''^ Land,

'-^■noon of the 3d she „as seen sele ^^ ," '"" '""'"■ °" "-
'■->■ >he same bark, .hieh „a, fol Wi„,: rCI r""' '"'"" "''"'-
'" nine or ten miles. « On th,. ,ft ^ ' '*^ '' tlistance now

"'■ 'ho Sea ]iree.e, . i, elea ed T'""7 "' "" +'" '" '"^' ^apt. Barnes

'" -" -■"••" This was :::; 's::^'.;:'; "-""^ " ^'^"" ^■■' =-

-lo of her own company ■'"'""'■■"'-• ''J' '"V »"o ont-

-»■ 'ho whaler alrea.ly referred to "" "" +"'• ^hoy

"-' »he would approae exel "''""' *-'"»""■" "' "^ '"'K-

-'- .yh, to 1, u:;>:t:;::zr:T T '"""- ""- ■-"•

11.0 6th, with Commander DoLon- aloft ,. " "" "" """"" O"

'he entered a lane whiel h ° ,' ' "'"^''■"'^'^'' ™ '^o look-

.otween the east w . """T ""' ""' ""'""'"'™' "^ '"^

"-- "^- '-po.! might 1,: .lied' ;::,;:■ t" '■^■"■' '■""° «■ -■

'"■• ■ oxpanses of open w.ter f, " ""'"'«=»'■ 'ho many ^„/,..

.-.r» and sle.l.-e.e.l , T "'"■'"' '" ''^"^"»-'" -"-

'■-'".. ..ow iee"th '" "" ''''"•"■ ■'■"■■■'""'' "- "Pi'liy

rt ' '>-^ t"c lion nrow oT tK,. r •'^

"■»> ""lil I in the aft ■ """°"'-' '■■■""'""' '>'■■• "'««

'^"- '" p'ih o »,,,:::;• ""^" f ■ '-'- -ab,e. ..h

"- --. .'-oy we. "X:):":z ':;: ■-"? "-'^ ™

of the mornino-. 11,.,. ,;,. , , ' ''"'' "'^^"^ ^^'^ ^-lianccs

""»• iici nios vycre on v Kinl, i

"'^ ^''"''^•^' ■''^ ^'« l*^ be ready to push

708

THE JEANNETTE FROZEN IN.

forward at a moment's notice. The night jii'oved exceptionally cold
for even those hi<^h latitudes, and the new ice could he almost seen
to grow thick and strong as they helplessly looked on.

0\\ the morning of the 7th the Jeannette was found to he firmlv
frozen in. A full examination showed that she was surrounded by aii
accuinulalion of ice-floes frozen together by the neyv ice, and exten(iin<'-
perhaps four miles. The old ice was in pieces ranging from ten square
yards to several acres, with narrow veins of water now frozen over
with new ice. In that one unlucky night she had involuntarilv formi^d
a nucleus around which the moving floes were arrested lon<>- enou"-li
to be yvelded into one solid mass by their mutual impact, the new ii-c
serving as an effective solder. Herald Island was in sight at a distana'
of twenty-one miles; but when an attempt was made b^^ Chipp, Dun.
bai', Melville and Alexai, to effect a landing there on the 13th, it ]:)n)V(.'(l
inaccessible because of open water within six miles of land. The ik:\i
day the party returned, it being deemed inadvisable to prolong the effort
necessarily attended with much danger, for the barren achievement of
landing on the island while there was no chance of working the ship
thither into harbor. There was the further risk that such exploriii«-
partv might be left behind, as the vessel was entirely uncontrollalilc
and might be carried away with her ice-dock before their return. Drifi-
ing norlhw^esiward, they sighted Wrangell Land to the south, on the
2ist 1)1" ( )ctober, and indeed saw il frequently afterward, to the south and
west, and on the 2Stii and icjth of October were so near that thev could
distinguish some of its mountains and glaciers, which eventually grew to
be like familiar acquaintances, as they remained so long beset in those
waters. The ^vhl>le month was very cpiiet, the nights being \erv clear
and beautiful. l'2ven in September there were no e(|uinoctial gales as
anticipated.

"About the 6lh of November," says Danenhower, " the ice began to
break u]). We had previously observed considerable agitation ;il)()nt the
full and change of the moon, and attributed it to tidal action. Tliis was
ol>ierved particularlv when we were between Herald Island and \\ nin-
gell Land, and when the water was shoaleil — that is, about tifteen fath-

DAN EN no ]yp,. , „ p ,,. ^ ^

"m«_,hc. ice be,..,, ,„ ,.,„„ ,

h.-oke„ ,„„„,,„ ,„,„„„ ,„„„^^ " '^ »"■!', =.u, „ ,e.u,ar «.,„,„„ ,„■

.'-' •^PPoa.e,, „. „„if„,,„ „ ,^^, JJ^;- - - F,.„,„ ,„„, „„ „„^, ,,^^^^

be;.-.. e„ ,.„.,(,., ,,.,„„ .h, ,,i ,„ ' ' T"^.»h ..avey,,,,. Tr„ek,

••■™,„i„. were .e,.nfie, makinJ ve„ T •■""' ^"'™" "f .H«.nn,
-In,, ,,,,Hig,„ ,„■.,,, , , ; ■'- -log-s v.hi„e. Nov. ., „.

^l,„ , ., , "-^ '" ^'^'-" P"'-t side- liad

^^ ';'^;::'"^' '-in. the ship ,.„,.,,,

; ^^^^c,-adle,.n her ..,uWd bile
T'- -ate,- looked s,.ooth and he^,:

1^"'' -i there was „o „oise save

hat ot-t>n.,.do,s which had drifted
«« -tl' the port iee. VVe had pre-
--■^'y taken in the ohservatorv
'""' '^^"' l"-^M^^n-ed fo,. such an .J

-^'^^"t, hnt o„ the starboard side the

^t-" cutter and the, .en's outhouse
'""' ''^■^'" '^■^•t- We ,.ot the stean.

7"7: '•''^'>'"-"' '-t left the outhouse
stanch,i,<r. This was Nov= ,,^»

^^^^ The N-essel ^vas at all times in
""-^T. JO,,., w. i..v.vK.v„owHK. J"""" "'' ''''' '^'ninent dan-er of

•"-ve,nent in the surrou,Kii„. ice whiI^ ""'1^^^^ ^'^ '""'' ^'■"'^^"^
-l.rthechan,in, p-cssu,. ;f wL^ ^ "'^ ' '''"'' ^'^ ''^^'^

K >*11H1S lUKl CUrrpnfi.- T?

heavy tru.ss, with which she had b E,ig,neer Shock's

.-.e.vea,,e...„,,,,,,,,;r,:rnrr ;;"■''' '^'^"■■'-

spccilly severe, nippi,,., ,„.,,„„, . , "-'*'• After :, week ,„■

™ "- ...!„ „„„ . ,,ae>, ,. . X"'"it ''^- "•"' •■°-'' "•"> <-.-. «a,er

« - ...a.ie,-„.. .„ „, ,;:::". '7" ^■°"'~ '"--cin^whe,,

rt.™lv l,e,e,. '"'^^ '" "*•' "I'-e she wa, »„„„ „,,,,,

"Several <>ale- " -our r-

,„ -■- ■"'"""- Da„e,.„„we,,...„e heaviest „ei,„, ..„„„„

THE WINTER NIGHT BEGINS.

iifty miles :in hour, occurred lathe f:ill of 1879. The long night com-
inenced ahout the loth of November and lasted till the 35th of Jaiuiaiy,
iSSo. On Noveinher i the winter routine commenced. At seven, all
hands were called up, and fires started in the galleys; at nine, breakfast;
from eleven to one guns given to all hands to hunt, and for exercise on
the ice; at 3 i'. m. dinner, then galley fires put out to save coal; luuwceu
seven and eight, tea, matle from the Baxter boiler, which was used con-
stantly to condense water, we having found that the floe-ice was too sail
for use, and the doctor insistetl on using condensed water. The boiler
was originally intended for the electric light, but it was found that we
could not afford to run the light, so we used the coal in condensini,'
water. Twenty-five pounds of coal per day was allowed for heatin;,^
the cabin, twenty-five pounds for the forecastle, and ninety pounds lor
the ship's galley for cooking purposes."

From the date of imprisonment, the story of the ship and her com-
pany is one uniform record of her stout resistance, with some variation iu
incidents, and of their good conduct and sustained courage. The dis-
cipline was excellent, there being but one instance of punishment, tor
thoughtless profanity, during the whole period of detention. OlHccrs
and crew were well quartered anil fully provisioned, and the general
health was unimpaired. There was a formal medical examination on
the first of every month. With a school of uavigation and occasional
amateur theatricals, besides the routine duties and the special labors hcn.'-
after mentioned, the weary days sped on with greater cheerfulness and
contentment than could have been expected. The commander v/as care-
ful to have religious services every Sunday, it Ijeing now very generally
admitted that such devotional exercises possess a very specific value to
persons so circumstanced. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New VcarV
were observed aboard the Jeannette with subdued festivity befitting her
perilous position. Unfortunately the opening year brought them only
fresh perils. Nips and squeezes from the besetting ice became a^ain
frequent and severe, and early in January, iSSo, the fore-foot of the ves-
sel was violently wrenched out of place. On Jan. 19, after several days'
anxiety from the crushing strain of the ice on the ship, and the noise

^v^-^'^^ ni^.wa^,^r. r^.uvn.

"■»•!>.• I>7 .ho dsinj, a,„, ,,„„, „ . "'

were ho.,e., „„. „f „e ,„„ „„, ^,„ ;^ ' - '-,, f™„, „„.„, ^J
-treat to VVran.dl U,,., ,-,■ ,,,,„, ,f ""■""" ^ '"-''■- ". .nnke,,o„,, ,„„
-' - .ir:.-. ,.,«h..,, ,,,., .ea ::'°" "■^- '"■>• Th., .„,„„.

ll\'^'^°- "■•■ '" '"""P *e ship „,„i,

:;'"" "">• "■"- '■">"■ .1,0 plaoo V '^"'■""■■•" -- -ere fo„„., ,„ ho
'»'^'-;'---i''-l.^.vohoo;h, J:;."^- '-' "— . -cl Hota,,,
;""'"": -^- '"■■' •'"•fe.i ovo,. a„ i,,,; ' "^ ■"■^' •">■■ «■"■".. .ho.o „.,.

We c„„t,„„,., ,„ ,,,. . _ ^1 .^ ^,,^J •"" >- --seel i, a, U,a. ,:,„,.
»<>;P alwa,., to..,< „p ,, „„.,, „,., '" ■ -".e.-. Wo „„„,,, .,,.,. ,„^

"■"■ '-• Souunvo., wi„.l„ „„, „' • '" '''™""=" I»la..cl hcin, ,„„,,,

"■^, f;> ^" '- ^ -■ .he .,a, „:,:':;■'•;: "■■ •"^' -•' «^e, ....e

;!"-^,^'"*- ^"l ^.» .1,0 ha„„„.o, :" '«"'^- -"".■!.« on,,,,,..

•~l. Tho o„l.,o». „„,„„„ ,,„,,. ;,7 "•":'■■•« '■PPer..i„i,« ,„ th,. fc,.
'-"""" «c„n-o.l ,■„ „„ ,„„„„, ;,; —' ■'""".' .he „,„.,o p„, ,„. „^,_

"^■'p'- -" -ipp,o,, ,i„ ai,,,..:; ,:;:':' "•'":■• "■'"• "--'--euo

.^erou, pack. Ap,-!! foilowo.1 ,vi,h,„ ' " ' ""' ""^■'•■■'•"" -'>' 'la.,-

'•■'" "•■'^"-' '-, „oo ,•;:,;;;: ;:"^^''' "-■ "---.« a wa.o,..

»P--» ..oewoo,, ,„o ,„.„, ,,„„^., ,„,; ™. P-« ■;'■ 'he »„ip,a,„ e„.
'«""". '<> Keop „„t.,„ „,,„,.^ ' ' ""' ".eal, .allow, ashos „„.l

™h..wo,-,,Hvo,-opa.so.l,,.,io,u. a„.l „ " ""'' ■*°'" -« "^a,,.

"'• "--1'™... n,is,-a,i„„ ,,;,, ,.,„ ,„„ ' ""' ■^"'- '" .'s expoc.e.1 ,0 soo
■'"■-■^ '■^■" e.l,a„.o,l „oa,- .l,o »,„, ' " '"' ■■'';''"^"-- 0„o p„„,. ,„„,,

:;::' -^- ;"'n>h,i.oH,., ohio,.,„;;;,r ::::"■: -:-™ ^ho. a. i,,

bird

^ seen later in tlx

le season

inoviiu

^•u-cmnhed. There
^^ tile westward, but tli

were s

oine

>-'}' Wen

e not

773

CONJECTURES AS TO THE SHIP'S FATE.

numerous. A <jrcat many mussel shells ami quantities of mud were
often found on the ice, which indicated that it had been in contact with
land or siioals. Our hunters ranged far and wide and of en brouj-ht in
small pieces of wood — on one occasion a codfish head, and on another
some stuir that was very much like whale blubber, all of which had
been found on the ice." Early in May, under the influence of j^entle
soutii and southeast wind.; they drifted steadily to the northwest. After
iViay iS, iSSo, the water was pumped out night and day by hand pump or
windmill pump until the ship was destroyed. In June the snow nielted
from the surface of the floe, but it would have required a cargo of torpi-
does to set the ship free, so firmly was slie embedded. The birthday of tiu'
nation was duly celebrated by the usual display of bunting,the vessel ])cin<4
gail V decorated in her holida}- attire, and by a festive entertaiimient for olli-
cers and men. The thoughts of home, whicli tiiey had now ahuntlant
reason to apprehend they might never see again, must liave mingled pain-
full v or been no less painfully thrust aside, so as not to mar the current of
their transient merriment. For about fifteen da\'s in July the weather
was verv bright and pleasant; but the latter part of July and the whole
iif August were very bail, being raw, foggy, and unhealtiiv. AlUr a
short release from hei immediate ice-envel()[)e in the height of suininer,
the Jeainiette, which liad in the meantime drifted far to the northwot of
Wraiigell I^and, became again firmly embended in ice eight feel thick,
on the 6th of September, just one week before the relief ship Corwin
relinquished the search for her on the east side, as relatetl in the next
chapter.

Meanwhile, conjecture as to her fate had become life at home. In-
deed, the public alarm developed early, one might say prematinelv. It
was understood tiieoretically, that the vessel had got beyond the channels
of regular, or even occasional commimication; but even this did not pre-
vent a sort of instinctive feeling of apprehension, wiiich manifested itself
within a few months after her disappearance. Attempts were made by
press and platform to allay the public alarm, by showing its unreasonable-
ness, and drawing attention to the fact that this was exactly what had
been anticipated. " \o news is good news," was repealed again and

-'xpccted to jro, into ,viM ^'^-" Jeannctte had

7T;(

It m,„t he. confcsscl elv„ ,1, "'^^'"■".g's .Strail.

"^'ho.,. ..,ro«. M,,. .,,:,,,^, :;;«;<' - n„„.,... , _ „„,

"- --),,„.,, ,,,„„,„„ „„„„,; 7 '-'"' 'Sro hn,, rc.„„„. ,,.,.

'- ;" .hoi,. „„„„„, ,,^ ^^ - v„c.„ ,, „as f,„,H,.,. ,.„,,„, ,„^„

.'"'■'■"" '^"" '-«"len th. „„,e, „„;, ,'";'" ■■'I'l'-l-n.lo.l .!,». . ,;,,„ „„,.

-ho ice. The .,„,,. „„.;, „, . 7. ' " ■■-on,,.!, ,,.,.,,„,

P«;t.on. wore f„rvva,,,e„ ,„ „„■ , ' " "»""'' -' "' '!- »pri.„.

^"» ■--"e '" C„,„.e. h, ,he Geo. L'T:'" ^'""^- '^"»-'^ -«

"'"""- -"M he ve, h,e, i:;-:;:::::;::.;;;::-"- '" ""-^" --

CIIAl'TICR LXXXrV.

IKANXETTK RKLIKF KXPKmi'IONS IN 1 8So — TUK CORW^X CAI'T.

HOni'KK — AT ()IT\ALASKA--AN ir.tPKNKTll AHMi WAI.I. — A KHKJIIT-
KUI, SCKNK OK nKSOI.ATION A SHIP A.l'KKIIKNDED TlIK I.OTU.A

— A WRKCK — Tin; foiiwix sunns vvkaxgell laxd Tin:

EXCILISII RELIEF VACWT KIRA — KAIMMIE OK THE EXPEDITION'

— SECOXD AMKRICAX RELIEF KXPEDITIOX, THE GULXARE— .\\

ADVERSE REPORT REFITTED AXD MANNED A DISASTROUS

DELAY — FURTHJiR HINDERED HY THE ELEMENTS — AN AHORTIVE
EFFORT.

Early in April, iSSo, the steam revcnuo-cuttcr Thomas Corwin, was
ordered from Astoria, Ore<,'on, into dry-dock at San Fr-'ncisco to he re-
paired and strenjjfthened before setting ont m search of the Jeannette and
the missin,<,' whalers. She was sheathed with oak plank an inch thici<, and
was furnished with an adjustable ice-breaker made of boiler-iron. A
new steam windlass was put in, all her macliinery was thorouj^hlv
overhauled and renewed. The Corwin was built at Albina, Orej^^on, in
1S76, of two himdrcd and twenty-seven tons Custom House measurement,
one hundred and forty-five feet loni^', twenty-four feet beam, :\nd eleven
feet depth of hold. Slie was constructed entirely of Orej^on llr, copper
fastened, and unusually stronif. Capt. Joim \V. White, one of the most
experienced olHcers in the Marine Revenue cutter service, superi.iteiuled
her construction, and for once, at least, the .^-overnment '^ot the vessel
that was ordered, without "a steal.'" She is a Iteautiful craft, and with
steam up slie <,rlides tlirouL,di the water "like a thhvj; of life." Ilei- [iro-
pellin,L( power is a vertical inverted cylinder, steam jacketed, tliirty-four
inches scpiare, with a surface condenser. She has an expandin^j i)itch
propeller ten feet in diameter, and is capable of makinj? eleven knots an
hour under steam— the mean pitch of the propeller being sixteen feet.

774

She was placed iindcr thr .r. , ""*

,^'"'■-■■1 .^-c, „..,. ,. ,„::, ;';,:::::;/ '->.• ^ c. „„„,.., „, ,„„

f-y yc,,. „,.,. ca,«. a s ,;V'"';: '"'. ■""■"'"""• ""^"^' - < .i.c

-Si't otlKT,, ., nicer, a„,l ,„c„_i„ V "'' ■"^^'""l-'y campriscl thi,,,..
»i""-l for .wclvc ,„„„„„, „,„, ^,.„ ;' , -'>■ I'-™-- SI,o was pn.w.

•>""''-«■ TIK. Alaska CV, ,,,:;::' '■••^' ""'"'-' -■« "'■ ».l in Ik.
'I"«">.. ... .lK.i,. a,.,,,, ,„ „„ ' ^'""'»">: '■-■■■i»l-.l ■o„c„ ,„■ ;,„„,.

».W. assistance ,0 ,„e c.p.ain :^ZT'"'^ '' "'"" '" ■'•■""'■■ ^'" i'°-

tics i„d,„le,l attentio,, ,„ ,|„, ,„„,,, ,^ "'""'"■ ^■'l"' """P^l's i.>st,„c.

'ho alle,.e,l ,.„„,„,, e Ii,i„„ ,„. \,^^ '^^^^ "^■"•'-. -' - i...,..i,v l,„„

'-i.l- ,„akin,- s„cl, o,„e,.va.i, , s "'' "■ ''''^'''^^ ■»'-'.
•^^. '.•^. .. ei™„ns.a,,ces w,,,,,.,' pi :;:,::■;;-"'- -■-.-»-. a,.,l
:"""■ ""'•|"'« "f 'he oxpclitio,,, u,' relic,' , , ' """'""' '" "'^•

•ions, -.vhich were s„bs,„„,ia,lv 1^1 , "I"' ^'"■'^"^" "■'■ ■"'-.•

"'-"■-Mhe.Haie;:;: 7;" ;';'',''' '"^*™«'°'-

">"i.'h»' ralions a. leas,; i,- .i,,, .^ ""','"" ' ^■"' "'"'■• "'-" two
"-■ Arctic , win ,.«,„.„ 'w,,. . J: :;\; " 'r ^' "^- „„. of

'"V .n,„.h,..l ,„1,,. ,,, „ ,„^, ,X, ;:"""■ """• -' I 'hi,.k I ca,. s,a„.l a

Arrival a, 0„„alaska, (he Corwi,, shi,,,,,.,,
loft ■... the .S,l, ,-„r S,. Pa,.,, u.,.U ' ' """ '"''"'"' ^""'

i".. '■".• offices a,.,l .„e.., ,.„, „„„;„„ ,;" '"■■•;■ '"■""-l -alsW., cl„,l..

'■>■ .67" 50-, ,„„,,, .„. . -. "^'/■"™""'o,-c,l ,hc ice, .„ ,,„ .

"...voLit:„,j:r^::;::t :;; ■ — <>=,„ ,„e „„::.

"■''■■■^■'V'"'''''^-'^''--'--''ho^...o;:,i:,::;:7"::,;^'^

:;-^:;-::ri:;:;;/r;::,r-:— ^^^

'. the ^c.sscl from destruction l>y the floe, with

77rt

/f NATIVE MESSnXCER.

which thoy drifted helplessly liitljL-r and tliitlicr. Utuler a fierce iiortli-
cast wind and snowstorm on the 17th, they succeedeti in anchoriii'
in the shelter of Cape Koinaii/oir, and nnle there in comparative safe-
ty until the morninj,' of the 18th, when :he wind shiftin<^ to the 1101 ih-
west, they were in danjjer of hcinjj driven ashore hy the returning
ice. They wei<^hed anchor and stood out to meet the ice-pack whiih
presented an impenetrable wall, apparently without lead or openint,' of
any kind. Driven hack by this formidable mass, the Corwin soon fuMnl
herself well in shore in only sixteen feet of water, where they had tho
{footl fortune to spy a lead into which they hurriedly shot, anchoriiii^ to ;i
piece of ice which was ajjroimd in over thirty-two feet of water, and
covered about four acres. When the <^ale subsided the ice be<^an to drift
away from shore, K'vinf? them an open channel to Norton Sound, wluiv
they anchored on the 19th, but at a distance of sixteen miles from St,
Michael's, the sound beinjf filled with ice. The vessel came verv ntar
losing her rudder in the conflict with the pack, and Capt. Hooper now-
devised and .adjusted a contrivance whereby it might be unshipped in
two minutes. The ship had shown gootl power of resistance, and liad
come cut of the ordeal uninjured.

They were soon visited by a native messenger dispatched by tlic
agent of the Alaska Commercial Company, who reported that tiic win-
ter of 1879-S0 had been terribly severe, with an -.innsual ninnber of
heavy snowstorms a...! high winds; and that the ice iiad broken up un-
usually late. A break occurring in the ite, they were enabled to rcath
the harbor of St. Michael's on the evening of the same day, the 19111 of
June. In compliance with that pait of his instruct-'o'is, Ca])t. Hooper,
on the 3^(1 of June, steered across Behring Sea to vSt. {.v.w K.i.ce Island, 1
little over midway to the Asiatic coast, where the} 'mhik! the- reports of
destitution fully and fearfully contirmed. The inhabitants lind been in a
starving condition for two years. The first village visited was eiitirelv
deserted. The second, some miles ilistant, presented a frightful vccnc i>f
desoia'io: . Not a living being was to be seen. The dead lay unbiiricd
on t'lf 'Vli-idi <■ .nid in tiieir beds, just as they had expired. Further west-
ward, a"^ North C.ipe, a similar spectacle was witnessed. At lirst ii was

fli'n".'ht that there ha.l hcer

A Smn APl'mWBNDIiD.

'1 '"1 t'pidoinic 1

777

nit th<

'I'e «c.tleracm wore prccrv.,!. . ' ^"'^ "'' ""■ -n u ,„

I'mcuri,,. ewcuy-llv.. ,„■ „,

ar"....,l ■fr„,„ c,„« Sen,.. Ka,,,.,, , ,' •"!"•■; ^""""'"«-' "- i«,,a.k
'I- A".crica„, al„,„, „„ .h,. p,„„^, _,^ " :^-";'-- '•'>" •" I'oin. I,,,,,, „„
->;vc» an,, whale,., „„ ,,„,h ,„,, .„. „e|,H,;:;'; ":""""""=""■'"•' "i"' ".c
•■c Ocean, ,hcv fa,le,l ,„ ,,,,,„ ' ""' """"' ""'' "i.hin ,l,e Arc

H ollaston, or Vi^,ilant. " The vvhUcrs " ; ''^'""''^"'^' "^^' Mount

ception, crave it n« fho.-.. • • ' ' '"''-^''' '*""Per, "withonf ....

.p, " ^ '^ ^'''-" "P'n'"n that nothin-r wiii u '-■'^•

They also reported that i„ the Arctic f) u '"'''' ^' ^'^''^'' "^''^-"."

'-n very mild, juci^in. l,v the ye.r'si "''",' """'''' "' ''79-^^'> '^^d
This showed a .narked chflbrence hetvv " 1 "" ^^'^^P""-"y thin.
'"- I^ehrincr's Strait. Between k2 ^' "'^""^ "'"-^'^ -'' -nuh

^Valcs they Tell in with the t: din ^ '"""'' ^'^ ^''^^^ ^'■-e of

7'" '>'• anns, an..nnition, a.d ^^^ '"';:' 7'' ^"^^"^ '^ '■> l-es-
^■harjre of Lieut. W. H. Hand on the .ti f7' ''"' ''''''''' ''-■ '"

'^-- to San Francisco to be „,,,, ,^,. ' .^ '';*'>' ^^'"^ '-'e.s to take
Hooper continued his vova^e but n " :""" '^'" ^'" '•''"—• ^aws.
1-^ to .he north and re^e^a .^ "^ ' ""''-^'^^^ ^ i— . ,.

^•'Y^-' -'' ^"PP'ies, and ,i,ht repj; ~ ^^ ^^^ ^^'^'^^''^ - the
"■• the eveninc, of the ,oth, keepin-. to the K "''"" ^'"•^''"' ""'-^'^

U.shurne_6S° 56' bv .6,' ^v ^ "'"'■"'"• ■^'^"'•^ ^ ^^r - Cape

:"• '- p-'^ - ^'^^ "orthl;l~r;;:;^^^ TT"' """^ ^'^^^^'^^

'■•U- u'ithin thirty miles of he l-,tter H ," "''^ ^'^''''^'^ '^''''^'■

i- to give w.ay to the south, as fa,- •', ^o''' •",""'' ""'P'""' ''>' ^^^^
ea.st toward Kotzehue Sound M.L-- ' "■'^^•"'^^' they .struck s„uth-

'^'^'-i> the,, steered once : . ^ ^f ''""^^- ''''' ^" ^^^^ Herald

'^---"^'-ofiandonthe.;^;;^;:^^^^^^

Steaming' south to fiuO?,, •

778

THE LOT I LA.

reach Herald Island. Driving her ice-hreaker through fifteen niik-s (,f
drift ice, she was within three miles of laiul on the 3ist, when her furtlRr
progress was stopped liy pack-ice, piled forty feet high along the shoic
Unabli- to land, tiiey closely scrutinized each point and hill-top, l)iit saw
no signal, and inicrred that whatever else the barren waste?, might con-
tain, the missing navigators were not to be found there. Ti.e coast line
was seven to eight hundred feet in lieight, and the inla'ui hills rose to
about 1500 feet. On the 23d Capt. Hooper ]3ushed to the east toward
Point Barrow, and thence southwest to Cape Lisburne. Four miles
from the cape Caj^t. Smith, tlTe ice pilot of the Corwin, discovered a vein
of coal, of which, when tested and found satisfactory, a supply was taken
on board, affording a valuable saving of time. Going to and from coal-
ing stations had hitherto consumed an important portion of tlie short
cruising season; and the discover}' of this vein at such an accessible point
of the Arctic Ocean, will doubtless prove of great advantage to futnie
explorers.

On tile 39th of August, at Point Hope, they met the trading schoon-
er Lotila, and breech-loading guns being found aboard, in violation nf
the revenue laws of the United States, Capt. Hooper placed her in charge
of Lieut, fohn WyckofT, to be taken to San Francisco. She carried the
American Hag, but was owned in Honolulu; and had been seized, in 1879,
for carrying whiskey.

On the night of the .fth of September tlie Lotila, during thick, foggy
weather, went ashore on the north side of vSt. Lawrence Island, ahmit
fifteen miles to the east of Cape Chebkak. What provisions in casks
coukl l)e tiirown overboard iiaving been washed ashore were immediately
seized l)y the natives, and with ditficulty the officers and crew could get
enough to provide for their lengtiiy stay till relief might come. Lieut.
WyckofT and five of the crew volunteereil to take the whalc-l)o:it and
make for Plover Bay to get assistance from any passing .-.'lalcr. They
reached there on the 14111, after forty -eight hours' rowing, l)a:ling most
of the distance. Capt. Owen, of the Mary and Helen, took them on
board on the evening of the 1 ytli, and sailed tor the wreck. The Lieu-
tenant says the confusion and uproar on the beach were frightful beyond

descri]

posses!

ted the

liardly

fearful

natives

rifles be

placed (

:in(l the

Mea

win, but

Island,

five milt

rapidly f

safety of

tic Ocear

tlie 13th

October.

made the

she liad ti

Land and

fn En"

ioan Pohir

a gentlema

iH'ad on th(

H'areh for,

mM\ii his fii

^"iiie valual

!<> those re

second vov;

iioteworthv

Fianz-Josef

^^^/■^ vp^z/^v. r^c^^ ^^^^

description. All the n-tti • ^^^

ted .l.o,n „. ,,„ ,„, The „,,, Jj,. ,^,__; ;'• '" "- --keU Lo.Ua, pc™i..

-"vc, „o. „ ,..„.,,e ,„,„, ^^ I "• o.,:.ulf everything. The

"''=»bey„„.,.hei..,,.eh. Cpto" "^ ""' '^■"'"="-' P'-e,, ,„e

l""-l <... bo.„l ,„e J„„, i^X „„„"• "';™""""^'"°-™-.we,.e
-,l.lK.o.,,„,,p„eee.lo..„s„:p;:;;; ' ""'"'"■ '-'-'• Wyek„ff

Meanwhile, a Nftl, ..-ip .„ ,„e ,,„nhZt w, ,
W"., h.,t ],or p,,,„,.e,,s was barred •„ -, r T ""''"'"ke,, by ,he Cr-

I^l-"l 0„ the , „l, „r September thev " T' ',"' '°''-' "'"'' f™""- ""raid
«-: ;-;» *-,., and ,„ .:.,.„„„:':, »* -■ W™.o„ ,..,, .„en,..
™P"''-' formin,,,, ,hat ,„ a„en,pt ., nearer '"' '" "'"' ""^ '«

-.e.y of .he ve.e.. .She had ,„ea„,e ,:*r'°"'' ""' '" ™"-^'-- "«

r «-"■■ -'"»•■• .'^ anv tidin^: : r° '""- "^"'- "» Arc-

:^'^' 'S"' «>■■ San Franeiseo. where .L arrd """•"""'" """ ''" ™
October. Tl,e ieepil,,, and engineer, CL """'' "" "'' '4'" of
■;-'; 'l^^ ^'-win g„ .f„,. „ „: „:: ^^ •:*;-.' .bat ..Capt.Ho„per

J'- had traveled ,n.er every inch ,.f the Ar^tie S ri 7" "" "'''' """
I-an,i and P„i„e Harrow." between Wrangcll

ENGLISH RELIEF YACHT EIRA.

'"England, also, anxiety for, he weltarc of ,b
'-'" '-"lar [expedition .,f ,,s,„ e.rlv I " '™™''"'^ "'''be Amer.

a.«-tlen,an of ,or,n„e and 4: ,"""''" '" '''•■"■ ^^- L-.'b Smith

" "'""^^- ■•^'b ..^i..o. in ,r.::r:,: ■■* "":""'"- '^■'■' ''«^•-

''■■"■* '■'"■• a • " im«lu he, to snceo,: '.be , '' "' "° '"'" '""■"-'■ '"

"'■"'^- bi- nr„ Aretie vo e in ,S-, i , ''T""""" ■"'"• «'""■> ba,l

r:™"-"- ^ -^-b:':;:::;;:::'r ""■ ""^"

"■ "'"* '-^'K «■ Agah,,i„ ,8,.^, ,,, ,; '"""""■"" -lating

:~r::;rc:;:'f;-""'--^»~::■;

'!-i!

780

THE G ULNARS.

j^roup of islands or the headland of a continuous stretch of land extend-
in<^ far to tlio northwest, lie also discovered in tiie portion he \v;is able
to explore a desirable harl)or, wliich is likAy to prove of great benefit to
future explorers iu those remote regions. The eminent (rerman geog-
rapher, Dr. Petermann, hail broaclied the theory that an archipelago
would be found to surround the Nortii Pole, and Mr. Smith's impression
of Franz-Josef Land tended measurably to conlirm that opinion; but il
is almost needless to repeat tiiat theories in geography have proved of
little value in the history of mankind. The actual has ever disproved
the theoretic; and nothing can be regarded of value that has not lieeii
tested by actual discovery. In this work the reader has had placed before
him the successive stages of northern exploration, without having iiis
attention distracted by a multitude of theories which might or irfight not
be very reliable. Mr. Smith received the gold medal of the Royal
Geographical Society in appreciation of his important services; but as
mav be guessed, his course was far away from the scenes of the Jtan-
nette's weary warfare with the ice.

A second American relief-ship, the Gulnare, sometimes called the
Hovvgate Expedition, in honoi' of Capt. H. W. Ilowgate, "the lather of
the enterprise," is scarcely worthy of mention, so abortive did it prove.
The vessel had been disapproved by two boards of examiners, but the
persistence of Ilowgate succeeded in over-riding all opposition; and she
left for the north on June 33, iSSo. Slie was permitted to carry the
American flag by a strained interpretation of tiie Act of Congrc-
authorizing the expedition. She returned on the 34th of October, hav-
ing achieved the barren result of making a voyage to Disco and back.

( J

CHAPTER LXXKV.

■'■"K IK A

■V.VK'ITK I

\ TIM.: Kx-

HO.VHIi

■IKKMrTV o|. I'li

NKAK VVKAXGIiJ^

KIL

TRACTS K1{().M J

J' J^ANI)

A.VXIKTV

'I'i Jkannkttk's lo(;

CHIPp's soux

<J\ SHIP

DINGS — KX-

OI- '^-^''LOKEas— uiscoVHUXKS-
IN TllK LOG

-THE ICE RORED-

'V THICK FOG-

A I'ARTY

THE EAST E

NTRY

^Vrct

We left the Jcannctte beset

in the

10 winter of i8So-i. S

ioc at the early cl

ick.

hesides which th

lere wciv im

'"■ ^^^'^ ^>"circle,l, as stated.

osing-in <,f the

and

ic-r Dows were Hfted at

'!-> keeled to the starboanl aho

"1 aiiijlc of

ineusc masses shoved under h

ice eight feet

ler

Keel

■ihoilt Ollu dyui

ill tl

11-^ i,'i,;j;antic vise that

ul two dei,rrees. Sh

■^■0, while s

le was

loom one could

when the hla

'e was so Hrmly held

-'e th

taut. The e

o sh.ouds and st;

cksmith struck h

xecutive officer had si,

ys vibrate, and th

1^ anvil i.n the hri

\vinter, and the cont

ickeuec

raction of w

up the ri-'-o-inu- d

cy wei-e not vcvy

lie riL

"■ill,!,'- the fn-st

course very o-reat. Th
hi<rh

mil

by the int

e ice wa

^'-^ Hie plank-sheer. I

"^ piled up under the m,

euse cold w

IS o

hont in the <.-reatest

11 the vicinity of

Confusion

f'lc ship th

^I'^ility. In i|

, and travel

in^- over it w

quarters for th

^^' >"<'nth of September tlie sh

''" chains an<I as
c ice was tuml)lcd
•■^ almost a

n im-

c" second tinu

• led

house was put up |

ic was banked

that th

'"• the use of th

'P was j)ut in winter
I'P with snow, the

c spar deck w,

ic men, and the aw

IllIlL''

ivlreiu'hmeiit

were the

'« completely housed

^preac

over,

)thiii'

In ti

order of the d

-conomy and

:iy I

le latter

me the ])est time i\

part of the i

11 fuel, provi

^lons, and

nonth, when tl

comparatively littl

'"" ti-avel, but th
c snow, and what t

c outlook w

10 cracks fr

IS poor. Tl

■oze oyer.

lere w

'I'c wind and rendered salt 1;

'lore was w

" ^"^'''1 not be used for cul

y attrition on tl

IS constantly blown by

10 surface of tl

:'l'lc to .all t

mary purposes. Th

10 ice, so that

lavehn.r, and h

c several tini
781

o eaptain was very f;

ivor-

os expressed himself to the effect

783

ClIIPP'S SU UN DINGS.

that he would not abandon the ship while there was a pound of ,„„vi.
sions left, and it was crenerally understood that he would hold on ;, yx-ar
longer, and probably start when the fall traveling commenced, a ycMr
later. It was considered that if the provisions held out long enou<rh if
they were not attackeii by scurvy, and if the ship were not crushed by the
ice, she would eventually drift out after reaching the vicinity of Franz
Josef Land, either north or south of it. The morale of the ship's com-
pany was excellent, yet all looked anxiously toward the long night of the
second winter, whicii proved to be tiie most fearful part of their experi-
ence. The anxiety and mental
strain were the greatest at that
time. They were so completely at
the mercy of the ice that the vessel
might be crushed at any moment
by the thundering agencies that
were constantly heard.

The old winter routine of meals,
two hours' exercise, and so on, com-
menced on Nov. I, and all was
going well. Noveniber and De-
cember were extremely cold, but
there were no seveie gales. The
meteorological observation^ were
taken every hour during the first
year, but every two hours only,
during the second. They were very thorough, and Mr, Collins was
very watchful to add something to the science to whicii he was
thoroughly devoted. During the illness of Danenliower, from weak
eyes, the captain and Mr. Chipp took the astronomical observations,
but each officer in the ship had a round of duty as a weather oh-
scrver, and to assist Mr, Collins, 'inhere was a (luarterniastcr on
watch all the time-, and steam was kept on the P>axter boiler for
distilling purposes. Tn save coal fires were put out in tlie galk'v at j
v. M,, being used only from 7 a, .m, till that hour.

LIEUT. CIIAS. W. LIlIl'l".

fU.VUAK HOLE.
The month „f j„,„„, 71B

A ..... .ho ,nu,,„,. „f ,„^, ,_, „,„' ."'^' •"" P-io,„ ,„„„„„.

-" ».,b,eq.,o„ely .., ,h., ,i,„,. ,„, ,,;, " ; ■" -' ■'• no,„ „,, ,„„,,^,^,^

-; . hut „„„,., ,.,^„^^ .,ec,.,.; : x;l"' '""r '""-" "'^- -■"■

"<=" ■•.» ... .ho „„,,hoas.. Tho vo,,T '°'"'"'^'^' "■- »««huo„ ,,

;''o. c.*<, .Mo,w„o.» c„„. ;: :: r:;-;, '- "■■»■' ■■- ^' --...v. >. -o

':"•■'■ M. CWpp .„„, ,,„ ,„u„Ui„.J , '"".'° =^'" «'™.." .he

"■"7 >--.v .api.!, .woKo ,„i,oJ ;„ ;r'™;^-' «^-^ ■""-; .-api.!, nine

o>»onaeio„,fo.o,.on„,„oto,.on„,s ■I',;''"*"" '"•'"'■ '-^-". hn,,„-
».e iue, W0.0 .ho host. Fohn.a,, . '""V;' "^" ""P- "f J"pi.o,.,

'"""'"» ''"""!.' .ho p,.ovi„„» > oa,. C ?'■ "" """ '"'■ ■'- -"-

"-. h... ono n,on,in. Mn Dn,,!.... „ nTT '" ""■■'"-'""^ ™" '"■"v-

- P'"- ».".ha,- nolo. T„o.. ,,.'"' 'V*"'>-^"'"-^ »- -„„,

"™^' "- ,>-io,. ,oa,-. .,H ,„., „■,""■ "• •^'•■•>- "-•'» .-.o,. ,„an

''"«"■■ -n.o<. ,H.h „,o.e ,■„,. 0,0 ,n,r":"'"^' -"--"-— ho
»y...p.<.ms of ,ho ,ou,.v,, „„„ ,„r,,„, ' ; '^'--. "ho bo,.,„ ,„ ,„,^.

■*"-. On May , D,-. A.nblo,- ro,,! L ""f' '""■'>■ '«'S -.i «x

';""".- '" .....e .hon, up. Tho „,,„h 7" '*'"'' ™' "'^'^^^-.v an<,
■^'----y...... .ho,.o u.o,.o ,,.. ,,,,::,;''■» '- - .oo.,, i ,

"''■ '--"I. of , ho ,h-ift ,■„,.„,, i,,, ";""• ,

'"-->-""■<' >..vo,„o„, ,„■ nKlr";"'"^ '""•'■ ■"'■'- Thco

"":""'" "■"« -■>■ '-p'<i- Tho son,,,,,- :.. , :■ '""' '"--^ "- <-. -.x-

111

'-''Uiueen f^.thoins near \Vn

iiiLri.

'"igs were
Laiul, which

pi-ett\' even. Th

was often visi'

visihlo

it'\' Were
^eveiu\-.

784

JEANNETTE LOG.

five miles distant. Tlic greatest depth found was cii^htv fathoms
and the average thirty-five. The bottom was blue mud. vShrinins
and plenty of algological specimens were brought up from the bot-
tom. The surface water had a temperature of 30'' above zero. The
extremes of the temperature of the air were — greatest cold, 58° be-
low zero, and greatest heat 44° above zero. The first wiiuer the
mean temperature was 33° below zero. The second winter it was
39° below zero. The first summer the mean temperature was .10"
above zero. The heaviest gale showed a velocity of about fiftv miles
an hour. Such gales were not frequent. Barometric and thermomet-
ric Ihictuations were not great. There were disturbances of the nee-
dle coincident with the auroras. The winter's growth of ice was wA\\.
feet. The heaviest ice seen was twenty-tiiree feet. The telephone wires
were broken by movement of tiie ice. The photographic collection was
lost with the ship. Lieut. Chipp's 3,000 auroral observations were also
lost. The naturalist's notes have been saved.

During the month of May the ice pilot was almost constantlv in the
crow's-nest, and got blind several times. He was looking out for land,
and was the first to announce it in sight, being then by a round estimate
about five hundred miles to the northwest of Herald Island, with the
ship still beset, and drifting in thi' pack-ice.

EXTRACTS FROM THE LOG OF THE JEANNETTE.

Tuesday, May 17, 1 881. —Latitude l)y observation at noon, north 76"
43' 30"; longitude by chronometer from afternoon observations, east
161'' 53' 45"; sounded in forty-three fathoms; muddv bottom; a slight
drift northwest being indicated by the lead line; weather dull and gloomv
in the forenoon; close, bright, and pleasant, in the afternoon. At 7
1'. M. land was sighted from aloft by William Dunbar, ice pilot, and
bearing south 78 ' 45' west (magnetic) or nortii 83' 15' west true. It ap-
pears to be an island; but owing to fog hanging partly over it and partly
to the northward of it, no certainty is felt that this is all of it. It is also
visible from the deck, but no estimate can be made of its distance. As
no such land is laid down upon any chart in our possession, belief that

v.e i
kind
the ];

• east I

then e
able tc
back t(

"1 lo (ill

'•'^ fair to ;

that the w

other. An

eastward of

eral slight si

'" plain vie

;nice of higl-

^'ccted bv ;i J

00 "

786

JEANNETTE LOG,

Friday, May 30. — The island remains in plain view all day, thoii"'4
nothinj,^ can be seen of the high land beyond, the stron<^ appearance of
which is noted in yesterday's lo<>-, Tlie center of tlie island now iicais
west (true), but as no observations could be obtained to-day, its position
and distance cannot be determined by the chanj^e of bearin<^.

Saturday, May 21, — Latitude north 76" 53' 32", lons^itudc cast i6r
7' 45". The point of the island which on the i6th inst. bore north 82°
15' west (true) to-day bears south 78"" 30' west (true), from which
change of bearing it is computed that the island is now twenty-four and
three-fifths miles distant. The position of the observed point is therefore
latitude 76° 47' 38" north, longitude 159" 30' 45". From measure-
ment made by a sextant it is found that the island as secnto-dav subtends
an angle of 2' 10'.

Wednesday, May 35. — Latitude north 77' 16' 3", longitude east 1^9"
33' 30". At 8 A. M. the ice was found to have opened in numerous
long lanes, some connected and some single, extending generallv in
north-northwest and south-southeast direction. By making occasional
portages boats were able to go several miles from the vessel, but for tlie
ship herself there were no ice openings of sufficient magnitude. The
strong appearance of land mentioned on the 12th inst. proves to ha\ e
been land in fact, and for the reasons similar to those herein set forth (in
the remarks of the 17th inst.) it may be recorded as another discover\-.
The second land is an island of which the position and present distance
are yet to be determined. The interval between the two ishuuis is

-19° 55'-

Tuesday, May 31. — No observations. Crew engaged in digging a
trench round the vessel, and after 4 v. m. in getting up provisions, e'c,
in readiness for a sledge i^arty directed to leave tlie ship to-nior-.ow
morning.

Wednesday, June i. — No observations. At 9 a. m. a partv, con-
sisting of Passed Assistant Engineer G. W. Melville, Mr. William Dun-
bar, W. F. C. Ninderman (seaman), H. IL Ericksen (seaman), J. 11.
Bartlett (first class fireman), and Walter Sharwell (coal heaver), started
to make an attempt to land upon the island discovered !)y us on the 25th

yt^ANNBTTE Lor;
"It., and which bearx sn„fk . ' '^S'

" *d drawn ,,, „ft,,„^, ^ ' ,ho.„ ,,„ ,,,,he Ji„.,, ,„„,^^,,

""1- >iise»..t f,-,„„ .1,,. ,,„. , ^ "'"'' '"•■ '•'•■™ "■.™ aloft „t „,„„ ,^._^

Tl>ur,clay,.r„,„, 3._La,ie„,,c ,,«,.- .
"0.<n tho iravcli,,. ,,a,-,y „„, ;„ " '" '+ ■'"«'^- During ,l,o f„rc.
half >v»y ... „K. ,»,a,„|. "" "■'"" "'"'■•. »-™-".^l.v ,„.,rc. ,l,a„

;'^a...r,lay,./„„„_,.__La,i.„,|c.7,o ,„ „. ^

45 oast. I'ro.n Ihc crackcl „> 1 " "°«h, longitude ijS" ,, '

;-;- -... t„at t,. ..„ Jiir::: ,: '"v- --< "--. ..

'a-l..«o hor ,i»i„,, a„d to rdievo ,1,/ ' ''°"' '"=' ''" ''o-^k- To

"- -••• under the counters, in „,, „ "" ' """°°" '" ^'SS>-^X away

The said ice i, „r a flinty hard ,,f'°^"°"" "'''^^ P™Pe"or we,[
»'"- .ho grain of the wo^J J2 ^'r J: '" "'"''" '" "" ^"'P - 'o
'hip's rising has ieti open space ^^ ''"'"""• -'"= -here the

"- "-"voling party wis se!..rSo, h 'f;' '"^ ^"-' — ' -hich
end S. 6," „cs. (true), ' •■■"' '• 5^° -«' (true). North

«"""">■, J"..o5.-No„hservations. A. , , ,
the - ahead of the ship, addi„„ tar and o,l """" " «'•'•' ""

- a »i«"al .,f our location to the L T ," '" '"'° ^' '"'■='' ™°'<=
'■-•woa.herhei„gf„gg,,„,„,,^,-^ «--'-... pa-.y. At, ... „.

■■' -hale gun as a sin,:iar signal C """ ""'' °"=^ from

" • ''■■'.•P'--"ter= pnshcl repairs to. s.ea.u

'^"""">''.''-'i~No observation. At ,„
'""ster au,l read the act for th • "• "•''""' "" ha'"'» l"

-"-■- '*er then inspe::,;': :;:™;:; .f "' ->■■ ■''- -..,.

»™- read in tho cabin. At 6 A v , , ' , '° "• "• '"™»-- -omces
•"-•■ "■-'>' '«-<< to the ship; sl^\ :^'f" "' f "■"^^"■■■" "-'"^ -"'"■.'
■■■■ -^' S< A. ... .he sled arrive :,:"T ''""" ""' ^ --' 'hen;
->Pa..i«.Hy Ni„t,er,„an, eI ::"•*:■:" '^"^ ""^^ -d ac

-'^en, and Bartlctt. ^f.-, W

ilh;

ni D

ini-

788

JEANNEI'TE UHi.

b;ir, ice pilot, was hr()u;^'ht in l)y this party, havinijf been disab.cd by snow
bliiKhios-. At twenty minutes of lo v. m. linijfineer Melville and Wal-
ter Sharwcll, coal heaver, with all rcinainin<^ travelinj^ gt^:"', arrived on
board.

The party landed on tlie island at li.df-past 5 i-. m., on Friday, fwnu
3, hoisted our national eiisiu^n, and look possession of our discoveries in
the name of the United States of America. The island discovered on
May 17 lias been named, and will hereafter be known as Jeannettc
Island. It is situated in latitude 76"" 47' north, and lonjjfitude 158 ^6'
cast. The island discovered on May i~ and landed upon as above state 1,
has been named and will hereafter be known as Henrietta Island. It is
situated in latitude 77 S' nortii, and lonij^itude 157" 43' east.

Tuesday, June 7, iSSi.— Latitude 77 ' 11' 10" north; lonj^ntude, no
ol)servations. In anticipation of our iloe breakin^C "P •""! <»"' bcin<'-
launched into the confusion ra^in;jf al)(jul us, iioistcd tiic steam cutter
broufifht aboard tlie kayaks and oomiaks and removed iVom the ice such
of our lielonj^injjs as could not be secured at a few moments' notice.

\Vednesday, June S. — No ol)scrvations. So thick was the fo:^- until

10 A. M. tlKit our position with reference to Henrietta Island could not i)e
determined, but at that iiour tlie fo'j^ cleared away, and the island was
sighted rit^dit ahead, at a distance of alxnit foiu- miles. As indicated
yesterday, we were beimr drifted across the north fice. The lai\t,rc open-
inq;s near us have closed and tlie general appearance of the ice to the
west and norlhwe-it is that of an immense Held broken up in manv j)l;ices
liy tlie lar^-e ])iles of broken Iloe pieces. l)nt with no water spaces. Coii-
sideralile water sky is visible to tlie south and southwest, and several un-
connected lanes of water are to be seen in those directions. The ice
havinn^ passed, the ()l)struction caused by Henrietta Island has closed up
attain and i-esnmed its accustomed drift to tiie northwest.

Friday, June 10. -Latitude 77" 14' 20" north, loii'^ritudc i^6" 7' 30"
cast. At II 1'. M. the ship received several severe jars. At half-past

11 the ice ei^iity yards to tlie westward opened to a width of ten feet,
ai.cl after several slmcks from the ice, the siiip was found to iiave risen
an inch lorward. At midnij^dii there was considerable motion to our sur-

'■OUIldill.r /]

yii ANNETTE LOG.

'f^' "'H', ;iii(I Mr

side the ship

■"".^' indications „f

780

')re;tk

Satiird

"'^' i'!> <>r tlie i<v al

'•>■' Jiiiiu 1 1. -_L,

oil'

30' cast. At t
alonjrsidc, and the si

ititudc

'-'" ininiite"

ir '3'

JXlst I,

45" north, lon-itudc

*""' '"-"n^'lu on the fc

ai;

iown

'<> her or

"P li-hted t
"■ 'vinainiu'.- tl

•^- M. the

'55" 4^'

"■"' ^"■'I'lfuly open,,|

-•-' '<-!. Called all hand

foi

|^'')pc'r hearii

nn;;-

S (

>n th-

IN .It onee

War

■<i, and I J \

L-et r

'-■^ "^'arly, the d,

If IC(V

remainin<r under t|
biilkhe,

5 "iciies aft.

A I

"ii,i,du hei

'''11; ship sett!

e(,

II,!,' 8 tVet

keel

"'}.'i' l)l<)ek of

' I inches

■"' ''"-^vanl was close.l.

"ic first al

'P was found to d

>iit th

"in the <rat

'<-'•-■ could I)L>

seen

coid

(i l)e seen. Tl

•-•crease — a

ice h,

iL-re heiu'

^niall St

'^' 'imount of Wat

o 111 the water- ti^rjit

''^■i",^' a L'eiie

iii;iiiv lar'--

*-■ nidder to I

nillv hrol.

lip.

Aft

'f ready fb,-

''^^" "P ajjpcaranco, it

'■^••"n tricklinjr ...ft |
paces of water

L'l' coinin<' int

') the

>cnu

ill tl

lat

n^'ar us and the

LT some trouhl

an cmerjrency invol

' '^ ^^''« '-included to si

111!

J,'nd<reons the rudd

'■ '" '•^•■n-'vin- accunnil

vni.r the

niakinjr sail,
Water under th
^*'' t''L- ship. A

^s we I

^''- was shipped, and

Hions of ice

movin- of the

ever

!<-' counters thei

's could he ju,l..ed hy ,oo|.

■y'liin.i

arounil the

cleared away f

c' was no i,

knij,r down th

't out and the sh

^^ "^oon as possihie a I

ijn'-y whatc

rough tht

ver

'ow line and

c starboard sid

"P •'^-'cured temporarily to th

'■ 'o the afterb,
quarter line had I

IO(

one

iookin,i,r ,io\vn th

c, as nearly in th

>f th

rou'Wi th

c same bertl

^ 'ce, which r

otherwise no d

'^' n-ou straps near her i

c water al

'1 as she

)cen

cmanied on

n^'side the stei

oretbot w

;is

heavy ice which all al

"»a-e coul.l be detected.

seen to be

could be ph.ced.
■" "n the port side

plaid
to m

'•^ ends open on the --arl

on- bore heavih

was assumed 1

•^P'-nn.t,' oO; but

'vc from (his he

">ards, and that

«Sa,nst the stern had

'y nie that tl

much of tl

water level 1

ic opem-no-, and red

'\y ice the wood i,nCi

as soon as the sh

"^ came to^-eth

held (he
i]) was able

'cin.u-- l>elow th

ucin- (he leak. Tl

ci- ao-ain, d

osni"-

'^ecpin.^ the ship alloat, and

'c l>erth (led,

nc water I

k no

lill

be 1

I belated 1

navii-atin'

iculty was ai

nic or rather

'T-ce fathoms, hot

roiii the pac

her to s

iticipated

K-IC

■c" of the Arctic O

"nie j)ort should si

last entry in the I
writiiiM- ,,f i)^, J

'"'» '""'I, '-apid drift to nort

"-' '"»'' i-^ in pencil, and

'^'can. Sounded
i-nort Invest. Th

le ever

in thirtv-

lOnLT.

with the rest

is is the
'■^ in the haiul-

700

JEANSKTTE LOG.

The ice continued in motion, hut no seriotis injury occurred totliesliip
until tlie niorniu!^ (if the 12th, wlien the ice commenced to paclv to^^ether,
hnn;^in<f a trcnu'iidoiis strain on the ship, heehn;^ her over to starhoard,
and Corciiifj the deck seams open. This continued durinjf tiie day at in-
tervals until evening;, when it was i.-vident the ship couhl not much lonj^cr
Iiold toijfetlicr. The hoats were lowered on the ice, and provisions, arms,
tents, alcohol, sled<^es, and all necessary equipment Cor a retreat, securely
placed on the floe. My 6 w m. tlie ship had entirely tilled with water
and lay over at an anj^le of ahout twenty-two dej-rees, hein;^ kejit from
sinkinj^ hy the opposinj^f cd,<;es of the Hoc. On the morniiiij of the 13th
of June, ahout -I- o'clock, the ice opened ami the shi[) went df)wii, witl;
colors tlyini4 at the masthead.

CIIAPTICK LXXXVr.

ALLIANCE. 'A»-.HE K.KA AGAIN -- THE

Oil tlic 2(1 of Mnv i*<Qt o^ i TT

^is .CO,, vo, J:;;:: ;^: ,^":- ■-;- «;•-' <— ,.. ,„,.

» i-,c sup,,,, „,■,„„„„;, „„,,;.;;■""""»' ""■-. "-■'"<"".

c-.. TiK... ,„..,,„ a..,,v. .,„ ; : ' -":' "■ '™-™^''"" ^™- "-

-' ™---i^- CK-. or UK. spcc.a..t : : r'eo ::t':: ^"""""^

cutters Rush and Hartley. ^ '^ '''''''-'" "'^

The followin.^ were 'the omccrs of the Corwin- CI Un
tain; W.J. Herrinj., f,rst licutenuu- P U l ^'''■' '"''•

Wivson Th X r l^'Tnolds, third lieutenants; Jas. T

VVayson, Chas. A. Lawsand Fred E ()v,.n„ • .J-'^--^.

■uul I r t; Owen, en-nieer and assistants;

, ui„c,o„. lliL- Clew consisted of thirty picked men in

. u..n« a„ e.p.,.,..., .„„ „„., „,„,, ,,,,,,^^ ^^,^J , ^ "

All , p.„t,„,- c.,„,pa„y w„h ,1k- R„sI, a„.l llanlov, the Co,wi„ heack..!
'•■>■ -> wos. ,,. .„. .,,.,.,ia„ „a,„K ,,K. wcathc- f.,,- , t
■■■'""" ''•■'■^» ^^- 'l^-li-l"''"; l'"t .Ws .„,spi,.io„, ope„i„. „f u,c. vov

0„„,aska a vc, iK-av, »oa „a, o„co.„,.e,e.,, „.i,,, i,. pa,-. .„ k- .^

Ic, wh,o„ occ,.,- „K,.. a. U,a. ,,oa.,„ „f .he ,ea,.. At Ou„alaska t.,: '
uero ,.occ.,vcd „.,.„ ..ea. cordia.i.,, a,... .„„k „„ „„a,, a ,o„„ ..,„

uthceis aiK mf>n. "^ » '"'

791

793

REPORT OF TCHUKTCIIIS.

Reachiivjf St. Lawrciicc rsland on May 2.S, tlicy pushed on ,,, the
north, and entered the Aretic Ocean on May 30. In hititude G'^ ' 10'
north, by lon-ritude 173" 48' west, n> th of J'.olyutchin Ishnul, the Cor-
win had her rudder hadly shattered hyihe ice, and for several days,
while it was beinj^- repaired, she was steered by nieaiis of a jury ruddci-.
Lieuts. Tlcrriny and Reynolds, with one seaman and two natives, were
landed on the Siberian coast, with instructions to explore the shore as far
as Cape Yakan, nearly eight degrees to the west, and one and one-half
to the north, a journey of about 300 miles, and with the necessary wiml-
ings and doublings, likely to prove considerably longer. They were pro-
vided with four sledges and twenty-five dogs, a tent, a skin boat, plenly
of fur clothing for night and day, ami sixty days' food for men and (l.)-s.
With high hopes and great courage they proceeded on their melaucliolv
pilgrimage, while the Corwin returned, through much tribulation, )une
15, to Plover Bay, on the east coast of Siberia, Here Capt. Hooper got
the first tidings of the missing whalers. The captain of the bark Tom
Pope reported th;it some Tchuktchis l-id boarded the Vigilant at Cape
North, or Irkaipie, about longitude iSo , and found the dead iuKlies of
her crew, and vessel stove in an.d full of water; antl that the Mount W'ol-
laston was found in a similar ccnulition eighty miles further to the north-
west. On the wreck of the Vigilant were found a telescope, a In
gun and some lines. This would be on IJeut. Herring's route, and co
firmation might be expected from that (piarter.

^Vccordingly, his party had no sooner reached the mouth of Waii-
karem River, about forty mdes to the west of where they parted com-
pany witii llie Corwin, than they fell in with a party of Tchuklchi^ in
whose possession were found a number of articles taken from the wreck.
From what could l)e learned it was thought probable the vessel had been
wrecked in 1S79. Herring's party fmding it im[)Ossible to proceed! farth-
er to the norlliwest, retraced their course and pushed east 100 miles lo
Cape .Serdze Kamen, having made a sledge-journey of 140 mile-.
Meanwhile, the Corwin had returned from her coaling trij) to the smith,
with a rudder taken from the wreck of the L(jtila, and picked tlu
on the 2(jtli of lune.

luih-
11-

iiiir

em 111)

ousb

ri7E COmViN 7:V nA^GEIi.

ihc Corw.n conti.uicl her crui.o i •

--1 additions, of ,no,.e o. 1.., ,,i,, ;'";'"; ^^^rroctlons, verifications
previous navij^ators, as found in th. 1. ^''^'^°^'^rics and survcvs of

- -';t. Of ..,.., _J'--^^^^^^^

ilicstru-glotorcach VViai,.-iH I., r ' ■
boing a holLlay task. It i,,.,,,," , ' """' " ■■''''"■••■"■■^' ^''-''T I'ar IV„„,

kins, a,.d „v.,.y foot of t„„ a,»,.rL,;'|!;7^i '''''' '""'"" """ "■^- '-

■"■ <-^- 'w, a,.., .,.a.,„,,':„a.::', : .' ";r';/™' "- "-^ --r

conscious of |,ei„,, ,,,„, ,„ „ "» '"" '"' ■' '"-'>--y that she sccncl
-..Cio,., thoa ,,,„„ „,,,,„ „,,.;a,:„ ,t"I7"""" :"""™'^" ^''"' "-
;-'-'» '" cha,,., she ,„a.,. anot,...- r ' """'"■""°" "^ "-

by rc.pcatcl as,a„lts into „,>cn „ „ 7.="'"'' ^'"'1 »° worked forward

i"« p».v ...,a.r CO.,,...;':,. \: :'■;: :,'r"-^" ™"^- •"■'™"- a ,..„„,.

■■"■■• P-.i"..h.„a,-s.a,ri., a hi.H;I« : V'°" """ '■"""" ""'^^■^- ■
"■•■ co„tai„i„„ ,h„ ,,,„„,, ,„. ,,^ ; ';"• ■ ■"•' <''-'P»"".J,' ^.. its foot a hot-

or .ho Now York //„„,,„,. ,,„,,,, :': -;; ;' '■■:■"'- c„„tai.,i.,g a cop,
'^""''•■'1 Capt. Hooper „a,„c,i Clark" Riv'- , '"''■■'"""'-■" '"'y
Cl:.rk, chief of the Rcve„„e Mar I '"' '"' -""> "^^ W.

inte,-cst i„ the wclfa,c of the , ' ,• ^ '"'''""' "'"' '""'' ''™"''' "" ^'«ive
i.uc or inc expedition. Tii.' H-,.-

-...„.,„ of the Co,.„i„,a„.l hv,„.ce ,,„,,. "•'» ™ """'-' ''-V the

;i.b ™,wcr„., shoots fro,,, t„c par. ' ..ir";:"'" '":""""""
>-■ ■-- "'■ .Ik. Jea„„e.te, a„d Ic t fo; „ , , "" ,^""""" '" "'"

they were ,.„ah,c ,„ ,,,ach, ,.eca,.se of.,, """' ''"''' "— ''

pushed to the east, a, s.ate.l i„ (■ , , '''*'""''"" "-■^■. The Corwi,,

Wchstc ecked'o , ;'"' ^ J ^ '"•^': -""". '" "- -.ief of the

-.her effort was ,„a.l .: ;.,: W,.: tl.T:; 'T;- '"^ ™ "^ =."',

.ing .,ea,.,,r th„ twc,,;^ I "'"'"'V"' "'"" '»' ™°"- «■- .-- '

■l.cy e„co„„.ered a ,.,„:,::. '"";' ""^ "'" "-^ •"■ .^^-P-uher

i"-,sit,, a,.d h,-its vioieu ;:.;:; ; T"'' •■'-• --■■'.^ "- '■-

-■"■ The ice.h,.eaker ,.eca„,e u„ , .^ , J :;;;-"^'^-- "'• "^ ^■''■-
Ihe r.,dder was hut , ..rail „„ , , '""""' •""' """ c^«t ^'siJe; a„d

,H,.|,. ,.,,,,. , . "•"'• P''"=l'-I-"1' M,l,stit„te for her ow„. as „,„!

-"■V '^'.""1. ■"■'i ol course „ol to h,. r,.r,.„., .... ■ . • ■'" P'tM-

ol, 1,1 so d.

ui,.,^crous a„ cinci

794

rilE MART AND HELEN.

as
11-

gency. Most (^f the ship's oak-she;ithing h;ul heca \.ox\\ away hy the
jagged ice, and taken altogether, she was fortunate in being able to j^ret
away without serious disaster. Having on board nine shipwrecked
whalemen from the Webster, already referred to, and with his own ship
somewhat crippled, Capt. Hooper determined to return. Thiou^rh
masses of pack-ice, which threatened to be soon welded together by the
new ice, with good seamanship, constant soundings, occasional aiichdr-
age to ice-niasses, and unremitting watchfulness, they reached Koizcbue
Sound, where they got the first glimpse of the sun they had seen in
twelve days. Leaving the sound and proceeding through Rehriii'^'s
Strait, she encountered extremely rough weather, and arrived in safety
at .San Francisco about midnight of Oct. 20, iSSi.

The stcain-whalcr Mary and Helen had been bought of her owners
for $100,000, which, with $75,000 more, had been appropriated by Con-
gress to the purchase and outfit of a Jeannette relief expedition. She \v
dry-docked on the 23d of April, 1S81, at Mare Island to receive some i
ternal strengthening and an outer sheathing of oak plank, nearly four
inches thick. She was carefully inspected by the naval authorities, ami
pronounced well adapted for the undertaking. Public opinion declared
her to be "strong in everv part, of about four hundred tons' burden, ahle
to rest upon her center, and be lifted fore and aft, without strain, and
would present the greatest resistance to ice-pressure that could be tbniul
in anv vessel on the Pacific coast," She was renamed in honor of Ad-
miral Rodgers, and was intrusted to the following otticers of the navy:
Lieut, Robert ^L Berry, commander; Master H. S. Waring, executive
officer and navigator; Master Charles F, Putnam, W. ]. Hunt, and (i. M.
Storey, ensigns; A. V. (iano, assistant engineer; and W. H. (iilder, who
had been with Schwatka, pay-clerk. Passed- Assistant Surgeon 1). M.
Jones and Assistant Surgeon J. D, Costello, were the medical stall"; and
the crew consisted of twenty-seven picked volunteers from the navy yards
of the United States, who were all fully up to the riHiuireinents of tlio
Jean:iette relief board.

On the 16th of June, at fifteen minutes past 3, the Rodgers not
under way, going out slowly, and passed away from the Golden (iatc.

BERRT^S LETTER
All , " '''^5

All the officers and crew left ;„ „ n

men, working t„.c,he,. ,■„„„ " "'^'^"™' 'l-''». ■' ''-"l "f intrepid

or ..e e„.;i„; ::;,■'::::::;::;■-•" ;-»- - "-• «■-.

-■'' "> P-tins, Mshal, .,,;.„; '" '■'''"'''' "■ L'-'- "-■■■>■

::;''"■'" ' """" "'""■^- "" ^-r™-' -.e;„i,„ •, l,"",'^';"^;

Ih-t tl,e „at„.„ a„,| iIk- .ciontillc critics of ,l,„ , , ™'

•""• ™~» "i"- P imcrcs,, a,„, : I \, ':'*' ^T "^"''■"■■-

worthy of ,l,c„a,i„„.vlr„sc„a.,„chc.,r-. ' '" " ^' '■"""'

Co,,„na„.lcr Her,,- „r,..c iV,™ IV.tr„pa„l,.v.ki,.J,„v. .4, „SS, •

^Lii uihc, arcei a stormy nassao-o All ,^„ i ^
1 , , -^ F"^"'*n^- i\.ll on board are well 'vu

-'».x.,c..c,.c„,,,;aL..;r:::t:::::i::::::;;:;r
co.n..a..acroe,i.:,,.,;r:::-:-j™^^

„<...; h" '" """""'• "'"' -"■'■■I- '■'■■'1- Jo....

"etc. He tcKlcrol us as ,„ucl, as wo .Icsircl <„■ r,vc Inaalrd tni f
»a now in Pioccr .a,, ,, „,„ ,^,^,, _,^ ' ^ "'

;'-' -'■' » -''.'-'^ ■■■ .■>e- Unite, States ,Vo,„ „.. nearest etrapi;;'
">'■' "> As,a ,„ ,l,c. latter pa,t of Scptcnthcr. Wc l^: \

""■';■■;'-;' "- ■'-■ ■ ■- •i-.ti.;„f,-,.r.c,oti,il ,,„::'

-•nt ,.,r ,„c entire crnise. The Ro,„crs sails .„.,a,. :X St. .X,ic ,a ,"
' " -;"^->- ™- *■ -wrcnee Is, ,„■ .Scr.i.c Kan.en, Hera,,, ,s, , I

tZ:r ' """^ '-' -'-' '" — '" " '"^- '^'»' '.'

Th.. Ko,laers, a.icr leaving, St. Lawrence Uay an,, passin- „„.„,,,,
Bohr,n,-sS.rait,e,rectc„a,an„in,on Hcral., ,s,an., on An-" ^ ' 1j
>-ces o, t|,e Jeannette were seen at the northwestern c.trenrity '„f .'..e

790

NO TRACE OF THE JE ANISETTE.

island, :uul the Rodi^ers left its own record of visitation on the crc-i of
the ciilF. The next day the Rodders steamed for Wran<;fell Land, ami
after jiassinj? tlirough a dozen miles of loose ice, effected a landing;- on its
southern side. In the evening of the next day they entered a lluc
harbor wliere the vessel could remain with safety, while ex])editi()ns
were sent olF to explore the interior and the eastern and western
coasts to look for cairns or traces of the Jeannette. Capt. llerry
commanded the land party, accompanied liy Dr. M. I). Joius ami
four men. They reached a mountain 2,500 feet high, from which
they saw open water around the island everywhere, except liciwucn
the west and southwest, where a high range of mountains sccnicd
to terminate the land. Master S. H. Waring went around the eastern
coast and northern side, luitil blocked by ice, which was packed in liy
the northerly wintl. lie had to abandon his boat and make his way
overland to the ship. Ensign Hunt went by the western coast and
reached the Ice that blocked Waring, fuuling it impossible to penetrate
it. He had passed most of the northern point of the island and could see
Waring's position, so that the entire island has been .skirted, ami its insn-
lar character fully established. Though the ship coidd not possihly sail
or steam around Wrangell Land, her commander proved, by his olHccrs
boats, that it is an island, and inferentially that the Jeannette had an

opportunity of going northwest toward the Pole, and that tiie chances of
De Long's success and of his returning in safety, freighted with invalua-
ble information, were brighter ihan ever.

No traces of the Jeannette were found, nor any traces that any nu-
man being had ever been there, excepi the record left by the Corwin dm
Aug. 12. The harbor where the Rodgers last anchored for this laml
exploration was in longitude 178 10' west, latitude 70" 57' north, s.iuih
and west of Hooper's Landing, at Clark River. ICnsign Hunt's party
were provided with iifteen days' provisions and instructed to encinle thi'
island, if possible, for he felt pretty certain of its insidar character, ^iua'
making our observations from Herald Island of the varial)le cliaii,'L'
of currents and ice, which shows this to be a remarkable season in
the Arctic.

/.v//,w/.v,; „,. „M- .,oz,r.iv«.

Tlu'.l..t,il„l„am„iv.,,„. |„„ „r,|„. • . '"

'""""-I "Iml ,„;u. „,„v l,c. „™„,,,, ," '"?,'" '""'"' '"■ '"""•'*'='> to..,-
so.:»c. h.shlv cTclltaW,; !„ ,1,;, ,,,|i„r , ■ '' ' '"'"'"'• »" '" "''^.•v

i'>.>.'o.i s..ir.,,-„„. Ti,„,x. „,, ,■„ ; !" "^i"""''""- •'■'-- -vas .,„ p,,;.

'■'■"■■"•' >■>• A..,o....... :.::::;::"■ o"' ""^■^" "^- ■■^■^"' -■' -

^'|.p.-..-l. ... l.„.,| ,„ „„, „,„„ ,„.,.^,^ '"^ -^ ■"-""« f"." -.Ik.,- ,ha„ a,.

- "^"-n>.cj,;,:::;:;:':;7::::::,;:7'.-. ■«-.c.»...,a,

';— ^■■■- ---1...1":; :z:;r"r .

people on Herald Isl,„,i- tlr.t ho h 1 , • , • J^'aiuu-ttc's

.i..-,o,-, .,„ „., s -la..'.; ,;:";" 7'-" "• «""»••" -v'..-

'•'""•-•• "■^- ■'■■ .1.-. ^..■. <«;..,.: ::;; -'r " -'"""^

.1.^- '<"d.c..-s, „.. OC. ,5, i„ ,s, La„.,-,„„ . 7' ; ■■"■""■" -'"

r ;,.,„ i> ^^*'>' \^n«-'iL> she was to winter

-''•tl>e vessel in St. Lawrence H-.v 'PI '" ^""''^'"^'■'<'

—' "■' ----Cm:'j;,,;::':,;::-

K.....0.. .„ \ .,-.„„„„»,. .,„ ,„. v...,a, i„ a,„.„. ,am„„c 6S« bA,,',

l,.n.c. „...» ha, .„.. «..a,„.,. ,„„„„, „,, .„^^„ ,„, - ^

.„■> .,S,S. , a..- ^v^„-„,, a.„, .,„.. „„. a.-, a. Tiap.a, „,..,-. ..i'

......I ^....„.«i. .-,..„ ,1... Te,,,,,.,,,,. ,,,, ,„,,,„, ^,^^,._,_ • ;;;

' '^"''■''■■'-''-™'-'»™-*.-a..,..oa...tho.„f„,-;,-.

5rx

poses of
months'
Scrdze h
Mr, (

some Join
rived at
I Hind red
way from
iiij? or car
winter, a
verse it,
(lie soiitliA
the earth.

On the

Lawrenee

the ground

Master

letters to he

informin<>- t

of the stean

tei-s, and for

there on M:

I'oarded the

'ives all the

I'oots as recc

iiiiinently sa

cf wrecked i

lest assured c

speaking of t

"ig their resc

offered to la

Francisco. C

;"'<! all hands

n-here they ar

■nn.: cojcuvx ojeoE^,^n j^onwAno.

700

poses (,r l,.u-tcT with the nativ... T.

Scr(i«- Kamt-ii." ' • ' '•''>'-" '« '"-■•"■ Cape

iMr. (Jilck-r, will, o„„,„fml;,l,lc ^„„„„ ,„„, , ,

"'-' "r ca,,.va„ ,,„„,,,„„ „,„ „„„^, ,, "■""-' '"■'"» ""•'"■ ''-S'*"- trad,
w^e,., a ..a,„„ „f .„.. „.„• w I:""": '"■" "•■"'^'"°- '" ""''■
vo.» i,. Having arrived ■„ K„l '' '""'"■' ^'■'''"™ "•"-

"I- the s.oa,„ „,,,!„ Noreh S.a,. of ~,e mu ""' ''"'"• °™'

--■Sa...l ro..ce„ „i. »„„ ,H..„„,„ il 'r;; , s T"' ^"" ""^- "^ "'-^' '*
"-= o„ Ma, S. O., eho afto „„..„ I / ,'"7';" "■■'■^•' --"'"»"

l'oa,xIe,l the North Star H f , • * ''^'-''■* ''"«>■ "'"yv

lives all the unexpended t,-ul . "^^ '"'"'^^ ^" ^'^^^ "^'-

-ninontly «,ti«raclo,-,. ,o these lv„,„l,. '•eco.npenso was

"'■ --eei^e,. „,ari„e,.; eve,- I, 7 "'^"""■^^' '" "™ ^"<»"" ^' ■-■'>■

.-ki.,„,-t,.,e.c,,.it,L.„,,.H :, x\;Z ;t" ^"' """ '"

;"r-«l to ,a„„ ,„e,„ eithe,. a, ,,,„ s, i^ V", ■""''"■
'■>anci»c<,. O,. the „i,ht of the „th ,„e Co.- u,, t^'"' "'■ **•"■

" >-™l» wee i,„,.e,lia,elv tL.fe,™, tj 1 "PP-™-.

bOO

VARIOUS PLANS OF HE LIEF.

THE EIRA AGAIN TO THE RESCUE.

On the 13th of June, 1881, W. Leiorh Smith set out aj^ain for the
north in his steam yacht Eira, in the hope of being of service to the Jean-
nette. He was accompanied by Dr. Neale, Capt. Lofley and a crew of
twenty-two men, the vessel being fully provisioned for fourteen months
vv^ith a flour and bread supply for two years. On the 13th of Jul v thev
were steaming through pack-ice, and on the 33d sighted Franz-Josef
Land. Proceeding toward Cape Ludlow, close to th« pack to the north-
ward, they entered Nightingale Sound on the 2d of August, and arrivin*'-
at Eira Harbor, erected a storehouse. On the i6th they proceeded east-
ward in search of the Jeannette, but were unable to pass Barcnz Hook
because of the ice in that quarter. On the 3ist the Eira got nipped I)c-
tween a land-floe and pack-ice, a mile to the east of Cape Flora, and the
leak gained so rapidly that in two hours after it had been discovered it
was necessary to abandon the ship. Hardly had the last man left her
when the ice eased, and she sank quickly, before they were able to save
much of their stores. All the boats were saved; and most of the men
saved some clothing and ..edding. A tent was at once erected on the
ice, and for sixteen niglits they slept in it, and were at times almost floated
out by rain. Meanwhile, they constructed a hut of stone and turf at the
Cape and covered it with sails. Here they wintered in safety frcim Sep-
tember 7, iSSi, to June 3 1, 1SS2, and during the whole period were
happily free from scurvy, having plenty of fresh meat. Thirty-six bc;irs
and twenty-nine walruses were killed and eaten. On June 31, i8S3,lhev
left Cape Flora in four boats, and sailed eighty miles without seeing any
ice, but soon had enough of it, arriving, however, in safety, at Nova
Zembla on the 3d of Ausfust.

Meanwhile, tlie steam-whaler, Hope, under Sir Allen Young, was
dispatched from England in June, 1883, to the rescue of the Eira, the ex-
pense being defrayed by the family of the missing navigator, with contri-
butions of $5,000 from the Royal Geographical Society, and $35,000
from the Government. Sir Henry Gore Booth and W. G. A. Grant, the
amateur Arctic photographer, who had accompanied Mr. Smith in his

THE ALLIANCE.

801

cruise of i88c, fitted out the small vessel Kara to prosecute au imlcpciul-
ent search. The Dutch explorhis: schooner, William Barentz, also went
into the work of search— under direction of the Government; and Nor-
dcnskifild's merchant patron, Dr. Oscar Dickson, stimulated the Scandi-
navian walrus hunters to active participation in the search by the offer of
liberal rewards for news of the Eira, or any help to vessel ..r crew.
The Hope had a stormy voyage to the north, encounterin-'- hicrl;
wuuls, ice and fo-, hut arrived in safely at Karmahuld, Nova Zemhla,on

1 VUI I \MI Nr II )l SF \1 KIIMWIK

the 19th of July. The Kara was lying in the same harbor. On the 3d
of August the Hope fell in with the boats of the Eira, in Matotschkin
Schar, Nova Zembla; and the whole party arrived safely at Peterhead
on the 19th of August.

THE VOYAGE OF THE ALLIANCE.

The United States steamer Alliance, in command of Capt. Wadleigh,

left Norfolk, Va., June 16, iSSi, for the rescue of the Jeannettc. She

proceeded to Newfoundland, and thence to Rcikiavik, Iceland, being the

first vessel of the United States navy to visit that port. She was of

course received with effusive cordiality by the Icelanders, wiio entertain

a very special regard for the Great Republic. Rcikiavik is situated in
51

/.V A CUL-DE-SAC.

latitude 64" 8' 40', and west longitude 31" 50', and is the capital of the
island. The population, however, is only about 1,500, but itspc'itical
pre-eminence as the seat of crovernment makes it a .nore important town
than the numhcM- of its iniiai,itants would seem to indicate. It is also a
bishop's see, with ecclesiastical, medical and general colleges, an observa-
tory, and public library. It is c,uite an old place, having been foun<le,l in
874, and is in some respects one of the most interesting places in the
worl.l. The history and character of the inhabitants are as remarkable
as the physical characteristics of the land they live in. But their Ameri-
can visitors had no opportunity to indulge in sentimental intercourse, be-
ing anxious to push forward to the help of the Jeannette. Leaving their
Icelandic friends, they set sail for Mammerfest, in Norway, where they
adjusted to the cross-trees of the Allia.u,-e the well known Arctic contriv-
ance, the crow's-nest, a tub about five feet deep, to protect the lookout
from the cold blasts of the north, while perched aloft on the watch for
icebergs, leads, floes, and whatever else may heave in sight. Losing no
time at any point, as there was much to be done, and but a short season
in which to do it, the Alliance now steamed away into the desolate re-
gions of the north toward Spitzbergen, going as high as So'' 10' 55",
but of course found no traces of the Jeannette, which was nearly half
the circle to the east of them.

Four .nonths out from Norfolk, and having already made her first
vain tour of observation and re-coaled at JIammerfest, the Alliance was
again headed north, on the i6th of September, for a second trip. On the
23d she found herself inclosed in an ice-pocket or cul-dcsac, and in immi-
nent danger of being beset for the winter in the midst of the sea, if not
crushed by the pack-ice. Slowly steaming northward by the way they
had entered, with the commander in the crow's-nest, anxiouslv peering
through the haze for the ever-changing openings or leads in the floe",
while issuing his orders to the officer in charge below, they had tiie good
fortune to thread their way out of the labyri .th. As it was now lat^e in
the season, and the chance of being of service to the missing ship very
slim, Captain VVadleigh now judged it prudent to return, and arrived
home ia safety toward the close of October.

CHAPTER LXXXVII.

TMK JKAUNKTTI.: DISAI'IMCAKS FROM SKUn— A IM.AN OK KSCAPK —
PAHTIKS I)KTAIM.:n — llARDSTtIPS— MAKING LOK TIIK LAND —
CAPK EMMA — THE THHEK HOAT-r.OADS — TU ADDKUS ISLAND —
TIIK AOVKXTirUK OK CIUPP AND KUEIINE — A DEKK-IIUNT —

daneniiower's last talk wrni cmipp—no ot'iek hoats

IN sight.

The last direct reference to the voya-e of the Jeannette closed with
the loss of the vessel. She sank about 4 a. m. of June 13, iSSi, in lati-
tude 76'^ 15' and longitude 156^ 20' east— in round numbers, about 150
miles northeast of the New Siberian Islands, 300 from the nearest point
of the Siberian coast, the headlands west of the IndigirUa River, and
nca-Iy 600 in a direct line to the delta of the Lena. Seaman Kuehne
and Fireman Bartlctt— the one -oin- on and the other off watch— were
the only persons who actually saw her disappear. Daylight found her
company encamped on the ice about 400 yards from where she went
down. Mere they remained six days, since takin.ir their last meal aboard
the doomed ship on the evenin- of the nth, or<ranizin<r a system of
travel, determining the direction to take, and awaiting improvement in
the health of about one-fourth their number, who were sufTering tram
stomach ilisorders, supposed to Jiave been occasioned by tin-poisoning
from tomato cans. iJut the time was not wasted, the well being kept
busy in distributing and packing goods in the sleds and boats. They had
saved eight sledges of all kinds, three boats— first and second cutter, and
one whale-boat; six tents; about 3,500 pounds of pcmmican in forty-five
pound canisters, 1,500 pounds of hard bread, rather more tea than they
were likely to need, and a considerable quantity of Liebig's Extract—
an important element in their diet. There was also some canned turkey
and chicken, but these were disposed of in their first encampment. They

803

801

A /'LA AT (>/'• /iSCAP/i.

had a lilieral supply <.f alcohol for fuel, and a <,'0(k1 stock of rincs and
aminu'iition. The a-f^'rc-atc- wciffht of the Hvc loaded sleds was 6,600
pounds; the sixth was used as a hospital sUA'^v. Tlu' tlmv boats were
momiud on ship-made sleds, each <.f which coiisi^cd ..f iw<, heavy <>ak
runners, about twelve inches hi-,'h, and sli.,,1 with whalebone, and twelve
feet in lcn.i,nh, with eijrht or ten cross-pieces made from the staves of
whiskey i>arrel.s. The weifjfhts of the fn-st and second cutter and whale-
boat, with the sled and outfit of each, were respectively, 3,f)oo, 2,300 and

ARCTIC SLEDOK.

2,500 pounds— a jjrand total of 15,400 pounds, witli but twcnty-two men
in condition to work, or 700 pounds to each man. The dogs were har-
nessed to two li-bt Arctic sled-cs loaded with a lar-e amount of other
stores in excess of those more permanently stowed in the five sleds, as
already mentioned. In the boats each man had a knapsack, containing
one change of imderclothing, one package of matches, an extra pair of
snow-goggles, a spare pair of moccasins, and a plug of navy tobacco.

On the 1 6th Commander De Long issued an order, arranging details
with a view to insuring as much method as possible, distributing the offi-

IIAHli WORK

8()r»

ccrs and men in live tents, tho A\X\\ Wwv^ usi-d tor ;ni Dflicf tent, .ind
• diivclinj; that tlu; ttavclinj; bu doiu' l>y ni>;ht, from 6: ^o p. m. to 6 a.
M., to avoid the intense dayli;j;ht, and thus lessen the risk of snovv. blind-
ness. The tents were only nine by six feet, mA recjuired close stowage
for six or seven men. liach tent had a tire-pot, a heavy •,'alvanized iron
kettle, in which a copper kettle was suspended, havin<^ muler it an alco-
hoi lamp with a circular asbestos wick ten inches in diameter, and on top
a stew-pan. A cook was detailed for each tent with an assistant to melt
snow and draw rations. The sleepinj^ accommodations were a Mackin-
tosii rubber blanke' of the size of the floor, and the usual Arctic sleepinjj
bags of fur, covered with hairless sealskin. Erch boat had tlie recinired
number of oars, a liox of tools, and the articles needed for repairs, and
the arms and ammunition, as they iiad been apportioned, llavin;^ bur-
dened themselves so heavily, the rate of proj^'ress was necessarily very
slow, The ice pilot went j'head to select the best route, and at intervals
planted a black fla^. To the points thus indicated all the workin<j force,
except four, hauled the first cutter, he second, the whale-boat and the
five loaded sledfjcs as rapidly as possible, while the special detail of four
brouf^ht up the doj:f-sledges and the hospital sled<,'e.

On the 17th of June, at 6 i', m., they set oui for tlie south, having
meanwhile begun to tlrift to the northwest. Lieut. Dancnhower, who
had long been disabled through sore eyes, was only able to do light duty,
and Lieut. Chipp had not fully recovered from the efFects of the tin-
poisoning. So the active superintendence of the working force devolved
on Engineer Melville under the directions of the commander. Each
otlicer and man was supplied with a working harness similar to those
used by Parry and others. Hitherto all had been preparation, but now
the downright hard work l)egan, and the true nature of the task before
them was soon vividly rcalizeil. The snow was knee-deep, the road very
rough, and the ice full of fissures. Through the slisfht crust of the snow
their feet sank easily, making even unincumbered traveling very weari-
some. Over hummocks and huge blocks of ice, « that would have taken
a whole corps of engineers to level," they had to haul the heavily loaded
boats and sledges, while to cross the more narrow fissures they had to

80C

SJVO W-BLINBNESS

work up a special spurt ami jump them. In tliree hours they had taken
the cutter lo the second black fla.r_;i distance of only a mile and a half.
By 6 o'clock in the morning of the iSth, after the hardest twelve liours'
work that anv of them had ever performed, they liad only succeeded in
advancins,^ the second cutter three-quarters of a mile, with the whale-boat
loo yards in tlie rear, and several of the sledges, more or less disabled,
at intervals along the road, and the balance of their stock still in the
original camp. Lieut. Chipp, in an elFort to advance the hospital sledge,
drawn l)y seven dogs, fainted from exhaustion, and was only restored by
the lielp of Dr. Ambler.

Two days were now sjoent in
repairing damages, and bringing
up the rear. On the 19th Danen-
hower was t)riiered to the hospital
sledge, the commander doubtless
being apjjrehensive of the danger
of his falling into some fissure if
allowed to go witli the ;idvance
party. Apart from his partial
blind' jss he was one of the strong-
est of the party, and anxious to be
of service in the heavy work,
which now fell on twentv-one men
out of the thirty-three. On the
20th tliey again jMished to tlie south
in the same slow way, making one mile of advance while they traveled
thirteen — seven timer; forward with boats and sledges, and six times back-
ward without loads. On the 34th, after a week's progress of this sort,
the commander fouutl that they had driftetl to the northwest with the Hoe,
twenty-seven miles!

In crossing the wider fissures or lanes of water, sometimes a hundred
yards wide, they got everything on to a loose block or cake of ice, which
they proceeded to use as a rough ferry-boat. When still wider the boats
were dismounted and rowed across, loaded witii the sledges and stores.

DK. J. M. AMUI.EK.

A NEW ISLAND.

807

The sick ineanwhlle becu.ne convalescent, and Chipp was soon able to
lend very efficient aid, especially in superintending the ferrying business.
Danenhower was still kept well in the rear, and ca»-efully watched by
Melville, who repeatedly helped him out of fissures into which he had
stumbled. With one eye bandaged and the other protected by colored
glass he frequently miscalculated distances, and falling short of the
opposite bank, would fall in. Altogether, it was a dreadful retreat; so
slow, so discouraging, with about a fourth of the company able to give
little or no assistance in the heavy work, which was thus rendered a more
intolerable strain on the energies of the working force.

In the latter part of June the snow had all melted, and traveling be-
came better, but they had to wade through pools of this thaw- water, and
their feet were almost constantly wet. They were now able to advance
two sleds at a time ; but had frequently to jump with them from piece to
piece in crossing leads. Still, the reduction from thirteen to seven trips
was a great gain, and their progress was about twice as rapid. Their
course had meanwhile been changed to 17 degrees west of due south, and
while moving in this direction, on the 12th of July, they began to perceive
indications of land ahead. At the same time they could notice a heavy
" water-sky" to the south and southeast, showing the existence of exten-
sive V)odies of open water at those points, while in the tlirection they
were following, the ice became more broken, and a more active move-
ment had set in, making travel across it more difficult and dangerous.
A week later it took twelve hours to advance a thousand yards over this
mass of broken pieces, which unfortunately were not separated enough
to permit the floating -f the boats, while not close enough to allow any-
thing but the most fragmentary and spasmodic sledging. At times they
were forced to desist from all effort to advance, so utterly impracticable
was the road.

Still slowly making toward the land, which daily grew more distinct,
they were soon able to note some of its glaciers, mountain ranges,
and water courses, and could no longer doubt that they had discovered a
new island. On the 24th they were within two miles of land, but so
utterly exhausted that they were forced to encamp on the ice. On re-

808

o
z

TAKING TO THE BOATS. sO!)

suminj,^ their labors they found that the- drift hul taken theni three miles
out ot their cou,-se. They ha.l spent f.uv .lays skirting its eastern
coast witiiout bein,,. able to elll^ct a landin,,^ when, on tl,e 39th of fulv, the
fog lifted, and they behehl then.selves in elose proxin.i.v to th'e pl-ecip.
itous shore, toward which the current ha.l driven them. Alo.i.^ tlie
shore a fringe of .round ice, narrow, rugge.l and broken, .nad'e the
landmg difficult. Getting all their goods on one iloe-piece, thev made a
great effort to float it to the shore-ice, but it .Irifted off before all" could be
landed. Hy 7 ,.. m., liowever, all the n.en an<l stock were collected in one
spot, whe.i De Long unfurled the silken flag presented by his wife, took
formal possession for the United States, and named it Bennett fslan.l, in
honor of the patron of the expedition. The southeast point, in 7c. 38'
by 14S" 20' east, was named Cape Emma, in honor of Mrs. De Lon-.
There were millions of wild fowls on the clilFs, and in a few hours the
men knocked down several hundred, which were diyi.led among all
hands. Driftwood was --athered, to save alcohol; and they went'^nto
camp for a week to repair, recuperate, and explore. They divided into
small parties to examine the island, and collect geological, mineral and
other specimens, while tlic carpenters were busy effecting repairs on tiie
boats and sledges.

They left Hennett Island on the 6th of August, by the three boats,
with a fair pr-.spect of making good progress through the water-lanes
between the floes. The distnl,ution of the ofllcers and men in the three

boats, and the description of the boats themselves, is here subjoined : -First
cutter, Lieut. Geo. W. De Long, Dr. James M. Ambler, [erome f.
Collins, William C. F. Xindennan, Louis J. Noros, Hans II." ]• ricksen,
Ilcnryll. Kaach, Adolf Dressier, Carl A. Gantx, Walter Lee, Neils
Iverson, (ic.rge il. Hoyd, Ah Sam, and Alexai-fourteen persons. Lx-
treme leng:h of the boat, 20 ft. 4 in.; breadth, 6 ft.; depth, z ft. 2 in.
fromtopof^^runwale.N.thetop of keel; clinker built, copper fastened,
hiside lining; .Irew 2S inches loaded, and had the greatest carrying capac-
ity of the three; ntte.l with mast, ami one shifting lug sail;" pulled six
oars, an.l was an excellent sea boat. She had a heavy oak keel piece to
strengthen her in hauling over ice, and it was retained on reaching water.

iSi

810

THE no ATS' CREWS.

Tn the second cutter were Lieut. Charles VV. Chipp, ice pilot, \Vm
Dunbar, Alfred Sweetman, Henry D. Warren, Peter E.Johnson, EdvvMd
Star, W. Sharvvell, Albert G. Kuehne-eight persons. Extreme len-nh
ot the boat, i6 ft. 3 in.; breadth, 5 ft. i in.; depth, . ft. 6 in., from top^,f
gunwale to top of keel; clinker built, copper fastened, a very bad sea-boaf
liad o,ie dipping lug sail and four oars. She had not sufficient carrying
capacity for Chipp's allowance of provisions, so the captain had two e.-tra
tins of pemmican in his boat when they separated.

In the whale-boat were Engineer Geo. W. Melville, Lieut. J. \V
Danenhower, William Cole, James H. Bartlett, Raymond L. Newcomb'
Herbert W. Leach, George Lauderbach, Henry Wilson, Frank Mauson!
Long Sing and Aniguin— eleven persons. Extreme length of boat, 35
ft. 4 in.; breadth, 5 ft. 6 in.; depth, 2 ft. . in. from top of gunwale to 'too
of keel; clinker built, copper fastened, drawing about twenty-four inches
when loaded, this being caused by the heavy oak keel piece, similar to
those of the first and second cutters. She had one mast and one dipping-
lug sail. The master boat-builder at Mare Island said she was one of the
best fastened boats that he had ever seen, a.ul experience proved it, for the
racket she stood on the journey over the ice was aln.ost incredible.

Of their original stock of dogs some had died of starvation, and others
had been killed by their fellows. There were about twentv-three left, and
eleven of the poorest of them were now killed, the remaining twelve,
enough for one strong team, being taken aboard the boats. Ten of these'
soon disappeared, jumping on the passing floes in pursuit of game, and
were left behind by the boats.

From the 6th to the 30th of August they advanced at a fair rate be-
tween tlie floes, sometimes making ten miles a day. They would have
made much greater progress, had the water-lanes always opened to the
southwest; as it was, they were frequently obliged to haul the boats out
of one lane, make a portage over the floe, and again launch them, only
to soon repeat the same process. On the 20th the seco.ul cutter got
jammed among a .lumber of floe-pieces that were suddenly driven'to-
gethcr, and they had to make a portage of about a mile to get her afloat
again in the wake of the other two. Sometimes a passage was obtained

TIIADDEUS ISLAND.

811

only by piyinj? the floc-pieccs apart; l)ut these would often spriiii,' hack,
and cut oft the advance of the second or third boat. It was hard work,
but not quite so hard and discoura^in-^ as dragj^nng jjoats and sleds (n-er
hunimocky ice. The final result of the apparently slight detention of
the second cutter was quite serious. The twenty-five men of the other
boats encamped on the ice while waiting several hours for Lieut. Chipp
and his companions. The wind shifted, and during the ensuing night
the ice got so jammed around tliem that the only movement made for
the next ten days was such as was due to the drifting of the whole. This,

however, brought them to the north
coast of the middle one of the three
principal islands forming the New
Siberian group, known as Thad-
deus or Faddeyev Island. They
landed on the south side of the
island on the 31st, after having with
dilHculty made their wav south
through the ice-blocked sound
which separates it on the east fiom
the islaiul which gives its name to
the group. The period of detention
was utilized in making repairs, and
dividing the provisions between the
boats in the ratio of the number of
men in each.

They found the island composed of mud hills that were wearing
away rapidly, and forming shoals off the land. iJeyond the low hills
there was a wet, mossy tundra, upon which they camped for the night.
All hands were then sent out hunting. Reindeer tracks and traces were
numerous, but no live animals were seen. Bartlett reported that he
found footprints in the sand made by a civilized boot. The steward
found a hut aliout two miles west of the camp and a small piece of black
bread, as well as a small tusk and a knee piece for a boat foshioned from
a dee-- horn. The next morning they proceeded west along the shore,

KAYMOND I-. NliWCOMH.

813

CHIPP MISSING.

the water heiuir very shoal, of which remains of several huts and quan-
tides of driftwood were seen; also large numbers of ducks and wild fowls.
Newcomb succeeded in jjetting about six l)race, which were very wel-
come. That night they tried to land, but after several inefTectual clTorts
gave up the attempt, as the water was too shoal for the boats.

It was now determined to work along the shoal which divides Tlvid-
deus Island from the third of the group to the west, known as Kolteiioi
Island. There was a moderate wind from the eastward, and the cap-
tain tried to keep close in about four feet of water. The result was that
the first cutter was constantly grounding and then laboriously getting off
again. They continued on their course to the southward, the cajihiin's
boat getting in breakers at one time and calling for the whale-boat.lo pull
him out. There was not much ice at the time, and it was decreasing.
One day, about noon, they ran through a line of drift ice, and the whale-
boat struck on a tongue that was under water. She began to fill rapidly,
and had to be hauled out, but not before she was two-thirds full, could
they reach a suitable ice piece. The plug had been knocked out, but
she had sustained no other damage. Another time a heavy green' sea
swept over the whole port side and filled her to the thwarts fshc stag-
gered and commenced to settle, but every man with a baler in haiul
quickly relieved her, and she floated again.

Chipp's boat was as usual astern and in the water-hole, and the
others became anxious about his safety. The cutter hauled up about 7
P. M., and camned with the whale-boat. The next day the gale was still
blowing, and Chipp's boat still missing, so about 6 v. m. the^ commander
hoisted a black flag. On the following day Bartlett reported that the
ice was closing around, and that if they did not move thcv would be shut
in. Two hours afterward all outlets were closed. La'nd was also in
sight at this time, being Koltenoi Island. Ericksen was the first to see
Chipp's boat, and presently two men were seen making their way over the
floe, and j.uiiping across tlie obstructions. It was Chipp, with Kuehne.
His boat had been nearly swamped, and in a sinking condition; he had
reached a piece of ice, and managed to haul up. Starr was the only man
with his boat at that time who could, walk, tho others rcquirin- leu or

LAST TALK WITH CHIPP.

813

fifteen minutes to get up circulation in their benumbed limbs. The cap-
tain had previously given written orders that in case of separation each
boat should make the best of its way to Lena River, but he had recom-
mended touching at Koltenoi Island. Chipp had fortunately decided to
follow these instructions, liecause he had not his allowance of food. All
had been on half rations for some time. Chipp had remained on the ice
about twenty-four hours, and then got a chance to get under way. He
said that by making a pcjrtage of about two miles the others could launch
their boats and fetch the land. He sent his men to assist, and after six or
eight hours of terrible work they succeeded in getting the boats to the
second cutter. That night they reached the southeast corner of Koltenoi
Island and camped in a low cape extending well out from the mountain,
and forming a beautiful bay. This was Sept. 6. They staid there about
thirty-six hours. Large parties were sent out hunting, as numerous deer
tracks had been seen. Next morning they got under way again and
worked along shore until about noon, when they had to make a long and
laborious portage, during which Mr. Dunbar fell down exhausted, and
with palpitation of the heart. They continued until midnight, and then
camped on a bleak, desolate spot. Next morning, Sept. 7, they shaped
a course for the island of Stolbovoi from the south point of Koltenoi,
fifty-one miles distant to the southwest, and on the meridian of the Yana
River. They had fresh breezes the first day, and during the night got
nilo a very bad place and came very near being smashed up by drift ice.
They passed in sight of Stolbovoi; but it was not considered worth while
to land on the barren island, which was, besides, too distant.

On the night of Sept. 9 they hauled up on a piece of ice off the
north end of Semenovskoi Island, and there slept. On Sept. 10
they rounded the north end i)f this island and came down the west
shore, stopping to cook dinner, and to examine the island. They killed
a deer, and remained there thirty-six hours. That evening Chipp
came over and asked Danenhower to go out with him to get some ptar-
migan, it possible. They came upon a large covey, but could not get a
shot. This was Danenhowcr's last talk with Chipp. He was in better
health than Usuai ami was cheerful, but not altogether satisfied with the

814

LAST rCE SEEN.

outlook. On Monday morning, Sept. 12. they left Semenovskoi
Island and stood to the southward, along the west side of the island
lying to the south. About half-past 1 1 a. m. they ran through a lot
of drift ice. It was was the last piece of ice that they saw. They then
started on a southwest course, The captain kept his boat almost right
before the wind; and as the whale-boat was the faster sailor it was hard to
keep her in position. The orders were to keep astern of the captain
within easy hail, and for Chipp to bring up the rear, he being the
second in command. The wind and sea increased very rapidly, and
about 5 p. M. the whale-boat was out of position about 900 yards off the
weather quarter of the first cutter. Melville then told Danenhower to
take charge of the whale-boat. On the morning of the 13th no boat',
were in sight.

CHAPTER LXXXVIU.

DK I,()N(; S CUTT'JR UKACHES TIIK (.OAST — MIS OIAKY OK .MISI()|{-

TUNES AI,EXAI SEES A HUT — ONLY A MOUND THE DOG I()|{

SUPPIZH EIUCKSEn's HANPr, FUGZEN — EIUED DOG MEAT TIIIKD-

IIAND TEA — DEPAKTINC; OK XINDEKM \N AND NOIIOS THE

FORTUNES OF THE \VH ALE-I!OAt's CREW HOSPITALITY OF AN

EXILE LOSS OF CHIPP — DK LOXo's DIARY CLOSES DEATH OF

MOST OF THE PARTY -DANENHOWER's STORY.

The first cutter under immediate command of De Long, reached the
Siberian coast on the i6tli of vSeptember, but could not reach the shore
by boat, being compelled to wade waist-high through freezing water
and broken ice. It took the wliole day to get their things ashore, all the
company being worn out and frost-bitten, Ninderman and Noros only,
being in anything like working condition. Unfortunately they struck
one of the most northern, remote, and desolate of the mouths of the Le-
na. It seems a strange fatality that first inspired De Long with the idea
of making for the Lena. One can see of course, that the effort was to
reach L-dvoutsk by their Vioats through that navigable stream before it
would get frozen over for the winter. .Still, one can hardly forbear re-
flecting on " what might have been " hatl thev pushed directly for
the Siberian coast. In half the three months they had consumed in
making the trip by way of the New Siberian Islands, they would have
reached tiie mouth of the Indigirka,and the village of Schewelcwo, just
above its delta. Again, had they on leaving Semenovskoi Island struck
due south, tlicy would have reached the Yana River, with the town of
Ustyansk a little wav above its delta, about two hundred miles from the
sea. Entering the Lena, about eight hundred miles would have to be
traversed by land or water betbre reaching Bulun, the first point of any

importance. They traveled four days, and tlie Indian Alexai having

815

8l«i

DE LONG'S DIAIiT.

succeeded in killinj,' two dcci', the fourteen men and two dogs fared

sumptuously. Four days more brought tliem to the extremity „f a

peninsula, and it was decided to pass over the river to the western sidu.
While waiting for the river to freeze, Alexai killed a deer on the 301),,

and they were again able to get momentary relief. On (Jet. ist, they

crossed the mouth, or along which they had traveled, to the west

side, five hundred yards, on new ice. Lieut. De Long left this account:
"Saturday, Oct. 1.— One hundred and eleventh day [from the aban-

donment of the Jeannette], and

a new month. Called all hands

as soon as the cook announced

boiling water, and at 6:45 '^'^^^

our breakfast, half a pound of deer

meat, and tea Sent Ninderman

and Alexai to examine the main

rixer, other men to collect wood.

The doctor resumed the cutting

away of poor Ericksen's toes this

morning. No doubt it will have

to continue until his feet are gone,

unless death ensues, or we got to

some settlement. Only one toe

left now. Weather clear, light

northeast airs, barometer 30.15 at gko. w. mki.vuxe.

6:05. The temperature iS" at 7:30 Ninderman and Alexai were

Ncen to have crossed, and I immediately sent men to carry our load

over, r^eft the following record:

» 'Saturday, Oct. i, 1 88 1.- Fourteen of the officers and men of the
United States Arctic steamer Jeannette reached this hut on Wednesdav,
Sept. 28, and, having been forced to wait for tlie river to freeze over, are
pnjceeding to cross to the west side this morning on their journey to
reach some settlement on the Lena River. We Iiave two days' pro-
visions, but having been fortunate enough thus far to get game in our
pressing needs, v;e ha\e no fear for the future.

TWO HUTS /.V SIGHT, gj^

'•'Our party arc all well except o„e ,nan, I->:ckscn, whose toes hav.
bee., amputated i„ consequence of frost-b.te. Other records will be
found in several huts on the east side of this river, along which we have
come troni the north.

"At 8:30 made the final trip, and got our sick man over in safety
From M.ere we proceeded until 11:30, dragging our man on the sled.
Halted for dinner, half a pound of meat, and tea. At i went ahead
agan. until 5:05. Actually under way, 8:30 to 9:15, , to 1:40, 3:35 to 4,
9:30 to 10:30, I =50 to 3:10, 4:t5 to 4:35, 10:30 to 10:30, ^,^o to 3:40,
4:45 to 5 :o5, 3 to 3 :35. At 8 p. m, crawled into our blankets.

"Sunday, Oct. 3.-1 think we all slept fairly well until midnight, but
from that time forward it was so cold and uncomfortable that sleep was
out of the question. At 4: 30 we were all out and i.i front of the firee
dayhght just appearing. Ericksen kept talking in his sleep all ni^ht, and
efFectually kept those awake who were not already awakened by the
cold. Breakfast at 5 a. M._half pound of meat, and tea. Bright, cloud-
less morning, light, northern airs; barometer 30.30 at 5:33; cemperatt-re
at 6, 35°. At 7 went ahead, following the frozen water whenever we
could find it, and at 9: 20 I felt quite sure we had gone some distance on
the man. river. I think our gait was at least two miles an hour, and our
time under way 3h. 40m. I calculate our forenoon work at least six
miles.

"Two miles an hour distance make good ten to twelve milas, and
where are we? I think it the beginning of the Lena River, at last. So-
gastcr [a village he had expected to have fallen in with] has been to us a
myth. We saw two old huts at a distance, and this was .11; but they
were out of our road, and the day not h-^!f gone. Kept on the ice all the
way, and therefore think we were over water; but the stream was so
narrow and so crooked that it never could have been a navigable stream.
My chart is simply useless. I must go on plodding to the southward,'
trusting in God to guide me to some settlement, for I have long since
realized that we are powerless to help ourselves. A bright, calm,'beauti-
ful day brought sunshine to cheer us up. An icy road and one day's
rations yet. Boats frozen, of course, and hauled up. No hut in si-ht

biS

MAN'S TRACK SEEN.

and we halt en •: bluff to spend a cold and comfortless ni.^ht. Supper-
l'^''- po.uul meat, and tea. Built a rousinj? (Ire. Huilt a log bed. Set -x
vvatcb, two hours each, to keep fire jjoiuj., and j^et supper. Then wl
stood by for a secon.I cold and wretched nij,.ht. There was so much
wnul we had to put up our tent halves for a screen, and sit shiverin..
under half blankets.

"Monday, Oct. 3, .SSi._, 13th day. It was so fearfully cold and
wretched that I served out alcohol to all hands, and on this we manajjed
to l.ve along tnUil 5 a. m., when we ate our dinner, meat, and had more
tea Our morning n.eal now consists of 4-^ of a pound of pemmican
each, and a half-starved dog. May God again incline unto our aid ! How
much farthe. wc have to go before making a shelter or settlement. He
only knows. Brisk winds, barometer 30..3 at i =50 ten.perature. Erick-
scn seems failing. He is weak and powerless, and the moment he closes
h.s eyes, talks, mostly in Danish, German, and English. No one can
sleep, even though our other surroundings permitted. For some cause
my watch stopped at 10:45 last night while one of the men on w.tch
had .t. I set ,t as near as I could by guessing, and we must run by th-.t
UMfl I can do belter. Sun rose yesterday morning at 6:40 by the watch
when running all right. Total travel for two hours thirty-five minutes
say five miles. '

"Our force means work. I put as above five miles. Some time and
distance was lost by crossing the river upon seeing numerous fox traps
A man's track was also seen in the snow, bound south, and we followed'
it untd ,t crossed the river to the west bank again. Here we were
obhged to go back again in our tnacks, foi^ the river was open in places
and we could not follow the man's track direct. Another of the dozen
shoals that infest the river swung us ofF to the eastward, too, and I hast-
ened to get on the west bank again, reaching there at 10 minutes to 13
for dmner-our last four-fourteenths of a pound of pemmican

"At forty minutes past i got under way again, and made a lon<.
spurt unt.1 twenty minutes past .. While at the other side of the rive^^
Alexa. said he saw a hut, and during our dinner camp he said he again
saw a hut. Wiien reached, however, after a hard struc.le, it w..

A ooii run sui-i'uit. |j|„

""lW"« 1".. a moun.1 ,„■ „a„l,. Sick a, h.ar, I ,„,L,,j ., ,„,„,, ,., ,„

l0."f,',ana burnmg our clothes while ihc col.l wi.ul a,c i„l„ our
hack, .A,Kl „o„ for .upper „„i:,i„g rcmaind hul the .lojj. 1 o,-
acTC<l „n killed a„cl .h-ccd by Wcrsou. au.l ,oo„ after a stew sL .na.lc
of such part,, a, could „„, ,,„ carried, of which everylxKly except the
Doctor a,..l ,„y,el eagerly partook. To u, two it wa, a uauiati,,,
me . a„d-hut why .o o„ with ,„ch a <li,a.recahle suhject. Warn, wt-
c..uld no. ,et, and .e.,i„. Ury ,ee,„e,l out of question. Every one seen.cd

r ^"' ;.""""'°' ■■' ' '•"■■"-' ™- ■"■ - -"'I l--l> .iurfn,, the „i«h.

ow cold ,t wa, I do,,, know, a, ,„y ,a„ ,her,„on,etcr wa, broken ..y'
my u,a„y tails upon the ice, hut 1 think it n.nst have been below zero.

■ "■■'' ::'";'" '" ^"^P '"" "- .-"i"S. -..1 we middled arotuul it, an,l

thus our ,h,„l uisht without sleep was passe.1. Ericknon's groans and
n.m m ,„, rang out on the night air, and such a dreary, wretched
mght I hope I shall never again see.

"Tuesday, Oct. 4-, ,,t,„|„,. ,,. ,„, „.,, ^^ ^_,. ^

.d began to utove around, and the „,, ,,., .„ „„,., ,„„,.; ^^^

1 he Doctor now ,„„„e the ,u,plea.u,. discovery that ICricksen had got
l^s «loves oir .lurn,g the night, and that now his hands u-ere frozen.
Men vvere at once set at work rubbing them, and by 6 ... „. had so far
.estored circulation as to risk utoviug the u,an. Each one has hastily
swallowed a eup of tea, and got his load in readiness. Erickseu wa^
quttc unconscious, aud we lashetl him „„ ,|,e sled. At ,0 a. m. Alexai
wont off .0 hunt, hnt returned at noon we,, having broken th,„,.gh the
.c= and fallen n, the .river. A, 6 ,.. „. we roused up, and I considered it
nocessa,y ,0 think of some food for n,y party. Half a pound of do.
moa vvas Inctl for each person, and a cnp of tea given, an.l that con!
»t,.„.ed our day's footi, but we were so grateful that we were not ex-
posed to the merciless southwest gale that tore around us, th.at we did
not mtntl short rations." Ericksen died Oct. 6, a. 8:45 .v. „. The nar-
rative of the intervening d.ays consists of the same sickening .account

"Sttntlay, the 9.h._AII hands at 4:30. Half an ounce of alcohol,
Read d.vme service. Sent Xintlcr.nan and Noros alicad Cor relief"

m
^\'i

820

MEL VI L LE\S FUJiTUxVES.

They started at 7. Noros thus records De Lonjr's instructions:
"If you find jramc, return to us; if you do not, <ro on to Kumak-
suti." "All the men," says the same, "shook hands with us, and most
of them had tears in their eyes. Collins was the last; he simply said:
'Noros, when you -et to New York, remember me.' They seemed to
have lost hope, but as we left, they <,rave us three cheers. We told them
we would do all that we could do, and that was the last we saw of them.
We started without a particle of food. I had a pair of sealskin trousers.
We cut pieces from these and chewed them until we were found by the
natives. We were so weak we could hardly stand. I believe that if we
had had to endure our suiFerin:4s for two days lonj^^er we would have shot
ourselves. The natives took us to their camp and gave us plenty to eat
and drink. The result was, we were both quite sick for some time. We
were taken to a villa,ge, and from there to Bulun. At Bulun we tried to
.U^et a tele-ram sent, but could not make them understand. We supposed
that we were the only two men alive out of the whole expedition. Then
we heard of a lioat's crew landing- at one of the mouths of the Lena.
The l)oat proved to be Melville's, and as soon as they learned of our
arrival at JJulun they joined us at that place, so there were thirteen of us
alive."

HOW IT FARED WITH THE WHALE-BOAT'S PEOPLE.

Meanwhile, the whale-boat, under Melville and Daneuhower, with
much difficulty and throujj^h j,r,-cat dan,!.(ers, had entered the eastern
mouths of the Lena, landing also on the i6tli,— in loS hours from Seme-
novski, and three months from their first camp near the spot where the
Jeannette went down. Here they found a deserted hut, and soon built a
lire, and wearied as they were, prematurely huddled around its grateful
glow before the circulation had been restored bv a little inealthful exer-
cise. Daneidiower alone had sutHcient self-restraint to observe this pre-
caution; and he was soon in much lietter condition than his comrades.

On Saturday, the 17th of Seijlember, Melville's party proceeded up
the river in t!ie whale-boat, m iking about thirty miles, when they en-
camped for the niglit on the bank. On Sunday, about i i a. m., they

FRIENDS INDEED. goi

noticed fwo huts, and concluded to land, and devote the remainder ..f the
day to rest. It was the only day of real repose they had enjoyed for a
long time. The very next day they fell in with three natives, of the
Toungous tribe, and their safety was assured, though there were
yet many delays and annoying hindrances from men and nature before
they could reach the confines of civilization. On the 20th tb-^y nvulc
an unsuccessful attempt to push up the river without a pilot, and
e.icountering shoals, they returned to camp. Meanwhile, their
Toungous friends had summoned a man of some prominence in the

EXTERIOR OK COrmCT-IIUT IN SIBERIA.

tribe, Vasili Koolgiyork, or liasil Cut-ear, who now received them with
great kindness, and volunteered to serve as pilot. On the 2 1st they a-ain
set out with Vasili and two of the other Toungouses i„ three viaikal or
canoes, sounda.g the way aliead, an.l in three days reached tlie camp of
one Spiridon. Here Vasili was replaced by one of Spiridon's men as
pilot, and on the 26th reache<l the small village of which Nicolai
Shagra was chief, where they also met a Russia.! exile named Yaphcm
or Euphemius, Kopelloff. On the .7th they set forward again, with

883

yl /fl/SS/AJV EXILE.

these two as pilots, but were compelled by b.-ul weather and new ice to
rctnrn to the villaoe. It was now declared by Shaqra that their best
course would be to wait mteen days for the Ireezin., of the r,ver,and then
perform the jonrney by sledges. In point of fact, the river was frozen
tlie next day, and in a week the ice was fit for sled^ri„„ j,, ,„,„,. j,,^^^,^^
Another Russian exile, named Dimitri, or Jeremiah Kusmah, now vis-
.ted them, and took Da,ienhou-er to his hut. His wife, a Yakut woman
presented the visitor with son.e tobacco, a small \y.vr of ,ve iloi„-, some'
susar, two bricks of tea, and some salt. Knsn,ah ^^ave him a reindeer
vveighm.^^ when dressed, nincty-five pounds, all of which were very ac-
ceptable additions to their limited stores. Waitin,^. for the ice to <n-ou-
' slron..,^ the trip to the sonth was .Idayed until the i6th of October when
Kusn.ah and Shao;,a started fbr Hulun, to accjuaint the Russian Juthor-
it.es with their position and condition. A Ibw davs later, the enterpris-
n.^^ Danenhower made an e.Tort, with, the help of, he friendiv Toun-^ouses
nnd kusmah, to reach Harkin, at the extreme tu.rtheast point of th^Lena
Deha, which he was assured was only about thirtv-five miles away He
soon foutid, as the natives had asserte<l, that the ice was not stronj. Jnou-.h,
and returned, disappointed, after four davs' absence. The cmvoys^to
^'»1»" 'li'l not ^et back untd the 29th, brin^in;, Inead and supplied, and
^' I^-ul letter from the co.nmauder of Ih.lun; also a verv startlin.^ piece
of intelli^.ence to the Americans. At Hulknr, on their return, thev fell in
u uh two of De Long's party, Ninderman and Noros, who sent a letter
to Melville accp.ainting him with the conditio,! in which they had left
then- comrades. Taking \'as,li as guide, Melville set out the next day
lor iJulnu, and passed the Commander Baishoff on his way out by
another route, each reaching his destination ont.,. 1st of Novembe.'. "
De Long's diary continues: " Thtu'sdav, i3._Willow tea. No
news from Xinderman. Went down in a hole in the bank, and
■nto cantp. Sen, back for Lee. He had laid down and was waiting,
to Che. All nnite<l in saying the Lord's Prayer, and crie.I. AftcT
supper a strong gale of wind; horrible night. Fridav— Breakfast,
wd!ow tea; dinner, one-half teaspoonful of sweet oil, and willow tea.
Alexai shot <.ne ptarmigan. Ha.l soup. Wind moderating. Saturday,

CLOSE OF DE LONCPS DIART.

833
Oct. i5.-Brcakfast, willow tea, and two old boots r i ,

at sunrise. Alexai breaks down; also Lee Co. '" ""'^

h..if 1 .. vv", aiso L,ee. Come to empty o-rain raff

Alexai broke down. Divine service \r . a, """">•'-''='■ "5—

baptized hi™, read praye. f e ,ic iTc^"'^^""^'"^^^ '^"""'-

ve-ir« old a I . ' ine sick. Mr. Collins' l,irtliilay—fortv

yeais old About sunset Alexai died of e.xhanstioi, fr„,„ s.-Litioif
Covered i„ the ensign, and laid him in ,he crib. Tuesdav C 1 '

mild; snow falling; buried A.lexiii„H, f, '""'lav- Calm and

ant, covered hi.„":vi.h slabf .^ "':;^''^"^ "" *^' -'
-<e root gear. Boc.or went ahead to «„d i^X Lir:;:,:"
T u.da>^Bright and sunny, but vc,v cold. Lee a'„d KaacI d l '

d:: as gi r ; :r ■', '"" r - - - -- -^ -^

X. , *- "• ^'-^"' ''-*>— ^"« ^^'cak to carry bodies of Lee -uKl

r '° '^'"■"■"' '"" "''--'«, Then my eyes closed up. .Sunday

Everybody pretty weak; slept ..r rested lo.day, and .he,, ....:!^~
Ut enough wood in by dark. Read par. of the divine service. .S„ e
'n, n our fee,; „o foot gear. M„„day_A hard ni,h,. Tuesdav
Wednes ay Thui,d.ay,.7.h,,he one hu„d,-ed and thirt -.seveu.rty :
Iverson broken down. F,,,„y_,vers„„ died during iheearlv ,uori Tg.'
Saturday .9 h-Dressler died during .h, „i„ht, Sundav, Oct. 30

One hnudre and fortieth day. Boy id G6rt. died durhig ,hc , :„,

Ml. Colhns dym"-." ^

an,l Ah .Sa,„, ,he cook, must have died soon after the last iio.e was

CHAPTER LXXXIX.

THE LOSS OF THE JEANNETTE PKOCl.AIMED — MELVILLE STARTS IN
SEARCH OF DE LONG— HIS PLAN— MELVILLE FINDS THE BODIES
OF DE LONG AND PARTY - GILDER's STORY - THEIR COMMOV
GRAVE— NO TRACES OF CHIPP— THE SURVIVORS RETURN HOME
— CASKETS FORWARDED- FORMAL EXAMINATION OF DANEX-
HOWER AND MELVILLE— SCHEMES TO REACH THE POLE— POLAR
SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS.

And now, on the 19th of December, the news of the disaster
was flashed over the civilized world, the first telegram from St. Peters-
burg oeing: "The Governor of Eastern Siberia announces that the
American polar ship, Jeannette, has been found, and her crew succored."
Telegrams, letters and interviews followed, and the main facts came to the
knowledge of their countrymen and the government, which took speedy
measures to do everything possible for the comfort of the survivors, and
gather all ascertai.iable facts relating to the lost, being ably seconded by
Mr. Bennett and the Russian government.

The Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, who happened to be in
St. Petersburg, when he received information of the arrival of the ship-
wrecked crew of the Jeannette in the region under his command, imme-
diately proceeded to Gatschina and saw the Emperor, who personally
ordered that all supplies that were necessary for food, clothing, money
and transportation, should be placed at their disposal.

About Dec. 29 Melville arrived at lakoutsk, from his first trip
in search of De Long. He had found a larger working force neces-
sary, and also the official indorsement of the Russian authorities at that
point. He had been gone twenty-three days from Bulun, and had traced
De Long as far as a summer hunting station called Sisteransk, on the
west bank of the Lcia, and that the party must be between that point

830

hfEL VILLE AV SEARCH OF DE LONG.

and Bulkur, neither of which places is mariced on the maps. There was
no hope that they were still alive, as the region is devoid of "same as well
as of uihabitants. The commandant at Huiun was to continue the search
with such resources as he could command, while Melville went forward
to headquarters to secure the co-operation of the hij^her authorities at
lakoutsk. Two days later the rest of the men arrived from Bulun- and
on New Year's Day, 1SS3, the tiiirteen survivors of the "American Polar
Expedition" of 1S79, were at lakoutsk, the local capital of Northeastern
Siberia, in latitude 63°, and longitude 139" 44' .ast, with a resident
population-half Russian, half Yakouts and others-of about 5,000. The
most of the company were in good physical condition; but Danenhower's
left eye was completely disabled, and the right one endangered throu-di
sympathy. Cole was mentally aiFected-a n.ild type of insanity, and
Leach was suffering from frozen feet. The trip from Bulun had taken
thirty-six days.

On the 8th of January, Danenhower and nine others proceeded
southwest to Irkoutsk,the capital of Eastern Siberia, latitude 53" 17'
2", and longitude 104- ,6' 3," east, with a population of about
33,000 -a trip of over 1600 miles. On their arrival they were
received in tho most courteous and hospitable manner by citizens
and officials, being invited to social gatherings and popular festivitie-
at all of which they behaved with great care, and won golden opinions
from their hosts. They were all lodged together at the house of Mr.
Strelofsky, the private secretary of Gen. Pedachenko, the vice-governor-
general of Eastern Siberia.

On the 37tli of January, 1S83, Melville started again for the north in
search of what he felt would be the remains an<l relics of De Long and
his party. He was accompanied by Ninderman and Bartlett of the^ship's
company, and organized three searching parties. The first was headed
by Ninderman and the Russian LobokofT; the second by Bartlett and
Sergeant Koliukin; and the third by himself and Gronbeck-each with
a dog-sledge and Yakout driver.

The search was to be carried on by the three parties as follows :_« I
propose," he says, "to establish n <lepot at Bulun ior all supplies-center .i

DE LONG'S BODY FOUND.

827

operations at 'Two Crosses', near Mount Yai — one party to go as far
north as Sisteransk and worl< back to Two Crosses; one party to work
south half-way to Bulkur; oiu- ])arty to work from Bulkur north to Two
Crosses. These three parties houkl be able to search the whole of the
country between Sisteransk and Bulkur in twenty days after leavin"-
the depot. Thi^ being completed, the depot will be moved to Cathcon-
tce, between Sisteransk and Ouvina; one party to follow the northern
and west rn branches of the Lena as far as the river Olenek; second
party to follow the northwestern branch of the Lena and work up to-
ward Upper I'ulun; the third party to work from Upper Bulun on the
northwest coast southwest, to meet the second party. This \vill complete
the search loi- Lieutenants Dc Long and Chipp as far west as the Inner
Olenek."

All supplies were to have been at Bulun on Feb. 15; and the
searciier^ were to be m the wilderness by March i. "[ can search
all the coast," says Melville, "between March i and June, when the
floods set in so badly we cannot work, and everything that is on mod-
erately low ground will be swept away. I kept all useful men with me
antl have hired three others from Yakutsk, and will get additional assist-
ance from the Cossack commandant at Bulun, and if the people are on
the ground thev will be found."

March 12, 1SS2, Mr. Jackson— a correspondent f)f the Herald, who
had been sent forward by Mr. Bennett on receipt of first tidings of the
loss of the Jeannette — started north from Irkoutsk.

Mr. Gilder, who it will be remembered brought the news of the loss
of the Rodgcrs to Vcrchoyansk, and then turned his attention to the'
search for the missing members of the Jeannette Expedition, forwarded
from the Lena Delta, April 13, the following account of the fuiding of
the bodies of De Long and his ten companions, and their burial: " Mel-
ville found the bodies of De Long's party March 33d. Thev were in
two places, five hundred and one thousand yards from the wreck of the
scow. Melville's searching party first started from the supply depot to
follow Ninderman's route from Usterday to ^L^lvey, and afterward from
Maivey l)ack toward Usterday. They stopped at the place which Nind-

828

BURIAL OF DE LONG AND PARTT.

820

ermiiu ami Noros passed the first day after thev left, De Lon<^ feeling
sufe that the otiiers liad not got much furtlier. There tliey found the
wrecli, and following along the bank, th'jy came upon a rifle-barrel hung
upon tour sticks. They set the natives digging on each side of the sticks,
and they soon came upon the two liodies under eight feet of sii^w.

" While these men were digging toward the east, Melville vsrent on
along the bank, twenty feet above the river, to lind a place to take bear-
ings. He then saw a camp-kettle and the remains of a fire al)out a thou-
sand yards from the teul, ami, approaching, nearly stumbled upon De
Long's hand, stickiiig out of the snow, about thirty feet from the edge of
the bank. Here uniler about a foot of snow, they found the bodies of
De Long and Ambler, aliout three feet apart, and Ah Sam lying at their
feet — all partially covered l^y pieces of lent, and a few pieces of blanket.
All the others except Alcxai they found at the place where the tent was
pitched. Lee and Kaach were close by in a cleft in the bank toward the
west. Two boxes of records, with the medicine chest and a flag on a
stair, were beside the tent. None of the dead had lioots. Their feet
were covered witii rags tleil on. In the pockeis of all were pieces of
burnt skin and of clothing of which they had eaten. The hands of all
were more or less l)urned, and it looked as if when dying they had
crawled into the lire. Boyd was lying over the fire, and his clothing
burned through to the skin, which was not burned. Collins' face was
covered with a cloak.

All the bodies were carried to the top of a hill three hundred feet
high, alK)ut forty versts to the southwest from where they were found,
and there interred in a mausoleum constructed of wood from the scow,
built in the form of a pyramid, twenty-two feet long and seven high, sur-
mounted by a cross twenty-two feet high and a foot scpiare, hewn out of
driftwood, and conspicuous at a distance of twenty versts. The mauso-
lenin was covered with stones, and is to be sodded in the spring. The
cross is inscribed with the record autl name of the dead, cut in by the
search partv."

Toward the end of March, Danenhower, Newcomb, Cole and Long
Sing set out from Irkoutsk on the long trip for home. On the 39ti'i

830

A RECEPTION IN NEW rORK.

thc) were at KiMsuoyaisk, making easy marches to tlic west, and on
the 1st of May arrived at St. Petersburg. About a week later they
left Cronstadt f.,r Hull, Eu<,'land, and on the jSlh of M.ty, 1SS2, tlie'v
were in New ^ ork— the lirst arrivals iVoni the Jeannette— where they
were received with much enthusiasm. Similar recei^tions followed at
Philadel[)hia and Washinirtoii.

Melville wrote from lakoutsk on the 37th of March that he would
leave for IJnlun on the 29th. ] l\ liad concluded th th, .t, ,mer
Lena— which was to be turned over to him as the represe-Uativo of Mr.

TUI-. JI..V.-,.,; rli-; Si-.AKI li l.XI'hlJU'lD.V.

IJennett, by the representative of Mi. Sibiriakoir— would be useless f-r
his purpose. He preferred to enLra,t,'e a steam launch to come down to
Bulun for news, or to take him hack \\\ Jur.e. 0\\ the jd of April he
wrote from Ivara-j^a Tcrinsky, sev .aity miles north of lakoutsk, liin he
met the ispravnik who had accompanied Mr. (Wilder to Vcrciiovau-k,
and that the latter had .^one in search of the survivors of the [eamiette.

On theSth of April Secretary Hunt cabled Lieut. Harber authority
to draw f)r the funds necessary to hire the steamer Lena for a season ;
hut the conlracL was not eumplclcd, ami another was purchased, which

;l|iF''ri

Hiijil I'

831

Br"--— ■nimnninriiii

882

OFFICIAL EXAMINATION.

was t.. be found on the Vitim River, a conHucnt of the Lena. Subse-
quent dispatches told of the severe horseback journey of Ilarber, Scheutze,
and their party over the mountains from Iricout.ic to Vitimsk, the post-'
road along the Lena being impassable through water and ice. They ar
rived on the 28th of April, and it was expected the Lena would be free
of ,ce on the ist of June, and then would com.nence the voyage north
m search of the remains and rdics of Chipp's party. Meanwhile, the
party were busy building boats and dories for use with the vessel in ex-
ploring the mouths of the river. With the conse.U of the Secretary of
the Navy, the six well men of the Jeannette, still remaining at Irkouisk
volunteered to serve under Harber and Scheutze in the search for their
missing comrades.

On September 2d, eleven hermetically sealed and otherwise specially
construstcd caskets were sent out from New York, to be used in bring-
mg home for permanent burial, the bodies of De Long and his
companions.

On the i3ih of September, Engineer Melville, with Nindcrman and
Noros, and Lieut. Berry of the Rodgers, arrived in New York, where
they received a cordial greeting, followed by similar demonstrations at
Philadelphia and Wasiiington. ,

In the months of October and November a formal inquirv into the
loss of the Jeannette, and many of her officers and men, was made by
a special committee of Congress, appoints In advance for that purpose
Lieut. Danenhower and Engineer Melville were orally examined with
great minuteness of detail, and each submitted a formal and full report-
Nothing different from the foregoing narrative was developed. There
has been no serious doubt at any time in the minds of reflecting men that
they all did their duty to the best of their knowledge and ability. Nor
is there any evidence of serious misunderstanding between the officers, as
has been sometimes alleged. Mistakes and miscalculations were inevita-
ble, and they began from the first, and did not end till the close of the
ill-planned, ill-fated expedition. The careful reader of this volume or
voyages will have no difficulty in detecting many; and it would serve no
good purpose to more definitely point them out.

STATIONS FO/i OnSBliVATIONS.
POLAR SCIENTIFIC COLONIES.

888

» .„,.»tc.l a few year, ajjo, was cn.platoi in ehc summer of , SS, 'r>,
ob,orvaUo„, wc. ,.. co,„„k.„cc „„ U,„ „. of Aa,.„ ,Ss" a kI ' ,

m.n.«. ■ "'-^ "''^'"'"' investigations. The inst.i.

mental equipments of the sevHi-i I o. .. r > i hl uistui-

. j;^ ' tnest.veial corps ot observation, as well as the

COMMANDKH CKV.Vk's PI.A.V KOK RKACHNG THE POLK

abilities of the practical scientists comprising them, insure as tnoro,..u
work as will he fonn.l practicable in those hi-jh latitudes. They are clL
tribiited as follows:

Th. United States has two, both established in Au,,n.st, i88i,to afford
ample tnne for preliminary observations and parti.d acclimation before
con.nencin<, the preconcerted work nearly a year later. One is at Ladv
iM-ankhn liay, nnder Lieut. A. W.Greeley, fully provisioned for two
years, and consists of four officers, besides the commander, and rinefeen
men of the United States Signal Service Corps, and one newspaper cor-

834

THE EUROPEAN STATIONS.

respondent. The steam-whaler Neptune attempted to carry forward a
relief party and additional stores, l.-aving New York July 8, 1S83, but
was stopped by pack-ice in latitude 79° 20', or about 160 miles short of
her destination. She, however, established supply depots for the use of
the colony on their return. The other American colony is at Point Bar-
row, under Lieut. Ray, with a similar corps of assistants, and similarly
supplied. England and Canada have one colony at Fort Simpson, inter-
mediate between the two of the United States; and Denmark has one
on the vest coast of Greenland, the t.)ur covering about 100 degrees of
loncritudc, and the American division of this cir' tnipolar cordon of sci-
cntific stations. Denmark has also a Polar expedition out in the Dympna,
under Lieut, llovgaard, a volunteer subordinate of Nordenskiold, in the

Vega, in 1878-9.

Austria-Hungary has a station at Jan Mayer Island; France one at
Spitzbergen. Sweden and Norway also one at Spitzbergen, and one at
Altencraard, in Finnmark; and Russia, one at Nova Zembla. These
five, together with Hovgaard's movable station, in the region of Franz-
J(;sef Land, cover eighty degrees of longitude, and constitute the European

division.

Russia has her chief station on the Lena Delta, under Nicholas Jur-
gens, an officer of the corps of pilots, with Doctor Bangs, Mathematician
and ICngineer, nine soUliers, and two Cronstadt marines, besides such
additional help as they may need, to be supplied by the government of
Eastern Siberia. The Netherlan.ls have one at Port Dickson, at the
mouth of the W nisei; and a movable one, the steamer William Barenz,
undn Lieut, llof man, who is under orders to make a prolonged cruise
for purposes of meteon)l.)gical and other scientific ol)servations, in the Arc-
tic (Jcean. Germany has one station in the North Pacific. These four
constitute the Asiatic division, and cover very inadequately the remainin:^'
180 degrees, or as much as the otlier ten. Germany has a second station
on the Gulf of Georgia, but this of course is in no proper sense a Polar
station.

835

A
A
A

Atn
Auk

Av;l

Jiacl(

Baffl;

Rank
Banii
llarar

Barrel
Boars

Boicli

^'^ -'»ir-

I N DEX,

AtjMinl, the answer of iirnoranre
Athmralty, action of, in rcjfanl to Knmklin
stnko tlu: nunc- of Franklin
men from navv list....
Advance, the, in commanil

:>f Oe Haven.
Kane

Page.

... 21

and

• ••4.?7
••••4-ti

Jvaversc circumstances, risin^.• above "[ Jort

Aaska, thojeannetteat .1?'

Alert, the /x1

Kavenscraijjc

Beechev Island..
Ueh

Page.
••■ -452 et. al.

-■firing, voyages of

R,.i".i, i'!'''^"^'-''''* Hehring's Strait ,'11

'•''''•.,^''■„*''^""i''' '" .command of Heei: •.•.:; „

Allen, Capt. of thi

Alliance, the

Aleutian Islands

Ale.vai

Al, xander, the

Ambler, J .\I. surgeon of ihc (eann'ette
America, incidentallv (li.scovei-ed ..
_^ discoverv of, bv Columbus
results of di.scovery
North discovered .'.

•'74

• •'•w

.Soi

.i2J

. ifij
.74.S

• -7
■ ,i'>

aband.ms five ships
ISellot, Rene

[Jennet, Steven,' voVa'ge of ' '

liennett, James Gordon, purchases the Pan-'

(^7

43,1
412

liienenkorb, the ship
flock. Adriaen, vovageof.. ;"
loodyKill.s, on the Coppermine
Booh, Sir Felix, fits out Koss ..
Buchan ,n Dorothea and Trent

BuS'S"^^''''- ""'->■ "••-'hHaH.:::;::s;i

550

642

.631

• 90

•394

161

■• re-discovered'.".;;";; ^> '^""■'"''f'"^. •■^t^phe;;,'TOVage of . . .

French vovages to ''-^ ' {'""i-'''"'i^^«. hunting. .. .' 42

Ancients, ideas of, concerning/ t'i;.VMV,;;i; •?" j"'!"". «ir Thomas, vovag'J of ■'o?

, concerning the North

Andrejew'""".;;';: .7.""" *^ ""'' '"""" ' ' • ''^

■\ninj Uiver, tlie! ! ..'!.'.'; ]] -'^'

Anjou ■^5"

Annual oil lH)at ^54

\nsel Oibhs, the'.'.";;.".' -'>■''

.Vrchangel, voyages prosecuted from
Arctic voyages, interval in . . .

seas.first knowledge.
•' voyage^, earlv.......

IJcean, Siberian, explored
wintenriLr in the... 02,77 >'
ovi'rl.in 1 e\|)edition ' '

".Vryo, the (iavk sliij) . .

♦•oun 1 the woil I, first vova^'e

Asia, notions al..,ut the no'rtircoa'

Atmosphere, refraction of

•Auk, llij home of. ■•■■••

Auroral displavs

Austin, Capt

•S.?4
.136

■ '9

ylot, vovage of • ^

Cabots, vovages of

Cabot^^ Sebastian, iheoVy 'of " Nonheii^VPas-
Cabot s, second" vovage" of'

ca^S:r^:;i;;;:(r^!:':::'^'-':"*'''"'---"'"'

Cartier, Jacques, vovages of

Cator, Meat., in Franklin se

83
36

tof.

120, 12:;

'7. .S')i, et. a'l
■KV), i;o, 20S

,iS
4.!

44S

7-iS

- ,*■."'■"'',','''■ """"•'■•*. vovage...

1' Chancellor, vovage of '

u chi;^;;;;:;:;^:;;'!.::;^''^^"-''''-^---"

'^^ ' liipp. I'ieut., Chas. \V i-iVi,' t..'...".:.' ■ ' • •■ •

. . ,, I'l'imands search squadron inr,

Vustro-Hunsrai-ian expedition. . . . 1 . ' W' j^^

Avatch I Bay

Hack, Lieut;, wuh l-'ranklin' . ;'
V(>v.i,(c in In . Terror .

n a- "\';rl""''^"<l>''tlition

liaflin, William, voyages of

" Arctj<- vovages"'of .....',

•' disovers Biifin's Biv

" s;i«-ntific (/bservations of
Banks' Lm I

Baranichi River...'.

Barano.v R„k ;

Harenti, Willi, i,i,;"vo'v;igei of'

reaches Nova Zembh,

locked in the ice

in winter quarters ...

"^■'"' :"ul tnirijlof ..
Barrow Straits .
Hears, attacked hv ;;;.";.'..';;' "

destructivetendenc'v <)"f
Heechey, Capt., in search of !V«"rthwest'Pii«;-

•■»49#i.

,i33. CT.

,I.;7

■ S16
.'S4

. m

->■,,,

■•'4S

. r.j

• 'M

chrS;!tii/.;:'^i:;n^'-;;;,:)^,;:;;'|weannette:

,, " with Haves

,,, . . , " "ill' Hall .
t hristmasin the .\rctic

Church in Greenland

C'lav ■

orieSL;;;;f':."':'"'"'^--p'--'--t'coa;u;f

vering Island' ■

• 40

• 37
.440
. 20

• 39
•4.?i^

• 5'
. .40

■ -24
.204

748
•491
(xyj

066, 722
478

306
632

'■ (hscoveied bv Hall J-''

Cole, Wilham, with Je ....w',;,'.; S^o

Cold

Jeannette.

'"'/'nse polcf ^freatest...
rn !"'•■' ••■ '" -^^''''lette panv... ■■•■
Co Imson Capt. ,n the Knterprise

Colonics, Knglish, in America

Colonization vov.iyes.

Columbus, vova;L;es of

Comments on Arctic na'v'i'iratVo'n

Compasses, affected l,v iron in shii. ' '

c::;:isruti.;;rca,;:f:.':':*^^'^'""'^''"-"''"— "44.

Coppermine River ■''"

Corn lis/.n.n, CorneliuV Voyage ;;f '. .■;;'.". .;V;'^

•77.S

■54"

.6S7

74s ct. seq.

■■•■ 74i
.....41..;

■ • T\ 93

<J3

.... .50

739, 740
... 476

-^ ... ■.■-."..., ,^urneiius vovaire of

Cortere-*! Giisnar, vovaires of

Corwin. y. in search of the Je;;nne'tte" '
Cr-vicr, ( ,ipt., reconi left bv ' ' "

n..v. Judge, furthers Schwatku's Vovajre'
D.i„,,,.h,,,,,er, r.i..,,,. j„,„, yy -'K-i..

838

INDEX.

Danes, voyages of y,_ ,,,

Uaiush hospitalitv ci2

Davis, Cajn. Jolm' .\i

" arrives ii\ (licinland *. "ijj

" importance of his vovages jlj

Deasc, overland journev of " -^Cto

De Haven, I.'u-ut. K.J. in command of' (irsV

(irinneli Expedition ^.ii

De Haven, nport to Secretarv of Navv. . . . !! ..471
De Lonif, I.ieut. CJco. W. in command of Jean-

nette E.tpedition -^8

Lonf;, diarv of .^16

death of ,s^,

" found and buried liv Melville 829

•• frraveof " .'s^q

Ueshniev, the Cossack 121

De \'eer, (Jerritt, uilh Harent/, '. fx)

'.' becomes historian of vovaye 60

Devil's N'ip, De Haven's crew escapes friMn...4rx)

*' Thumb .(-^

Discovery, the ship . . 674

Discipline. Kanecompels cj6

"Docto Kavens" -^g

Do4f s. !•- sqmmaux ; ; ' ; . 257,' V;^', '.^g^j; yCi

Drake. Sir hrancis, vovajfe of cq

Drift of the pack, .vith McC'lintock..'.. '.536

" " " with De Haven 456

" " " with Tyson 655

' " " with Wevprecht 664

" '■ " with De Long- 768

Ducks, eider ....iiA

Ebierbing, Joseph, with Hall ..^60

" " with Sclnvatka 'i,s,S

Ej^ff s, feast on - ,„

Eira, voyatfe of in search of Jeaimette. . , Ntx)

Elberir, (Jovernor

Eng-lish, .\rctic vovaires of .'.

Enterprise, voyajfe of the ,

Fort

?7"
^7

.. .. ^77
. . . Sii

\0i

■■ 7 .'.^S

■ I .S'>. .(/'>
• • ,i7.i. .^'><'
•.=:'^'. 7.V

7^J

".H

-O.T

101, jV), (>74

'■•••415

209

of Muscovv Conipanv 10

Eothen the, voyay-e of " o^y

Erebus and Terror, vovatre of

Erie the lied I

Ericksen, sutlerinjfs and death of Sio

Esquimaux u)i, 274, 3S/,, 5.,,, 51;,;

Ewerat, a sorceror

Exile, hospitality of

Expedient, a novel

Expeditions, Arctic, early

" tirst of nineteenth centurv

" I-' ranklin search

Ilecent

Kanny A. Hyde

f""iords, of Oi-eenland

Kiskerna's i-s

Fotherbv, Robert, voyai^e of 4)

Fox, Euke. voyaife of. ...... y-

Fox, McClintock's vovaire in the ^^

Franklin, Sir John, bioyraphv of 'il,*,

" tirst voyaije of, to .\rcllc rei;i<ms .... r^S

" .second ^ss

last

" search for

" record of death

" name stricken from navv list

" relics of '

" I^ady, devotion of j'^s

I'ranks resist N'orthmen 24

Frederichstahl, I lansa crew arrive at (130

Frobisher, Sir .M.irtin. vovaires of 45

" his alleged j^'old 45

" his hopes di'stroved (.f,

Fury and Hecla, vovaijeof .' 2(16

" " " " Strait jSi

Geographical Soi-ietv. Kane addresses (,Sq

Geor^fc Ifenry. the whaler i;4fi

Cieor^iana, the brii; ij^y

Cjermania, the ship, vo^ aire of 651

" returns home 631)

■••,!74

...5)o
••(i7

V:\ee

German Polar expedition g^ ,

Gibbons, Capt., vovaffe of [ Sr>

Gilbert, .Sir 1 luinph'rey , voyag^e of 47

" " takes possession of

Newfoundland 47

Gilder, with Schwatka . .'.'.'.fM

(ill lam, .\';ithaniel, vovag-e of 112

^.'■aiiers ". 4,)s; f^^ ,82

fiold, I'robisher's load of 4;

Gotthaab, colony founded . . .151

Graah, observations of ..6zi)

(Jrave of Franklin's men jc'i

;; ;;"aii ::::::;:;^7

Lieut., Irvinij discovered 6yf)

" " De I.onir and partv Sio

Great Fish River .' uS

Greenland, early settlement of .'....".!] .'.10,' 27

black deathin .'.'.'.'...' 20

piety

Gnnnell. Henrv, benevolence of '. . ..

expedition, first .

" expedition, second

" expedition, third . '

" Land, discovered

_ . " " otherwise named bv liritish

(juides, procurinir |

(hilf Stream, infiiience on waters of N'o

Zembla ,,,,,

(nilnare, cruise of the ^S,,

Hall, J;iines, voyajje of '.] '

" Chas. Francis, receives "call".
" " ■'^ails in Georjre Henrv, . .

" '' returns from first vova^e

" " second voyajje of .. .i ft,,,

" " third voyaife of (V,j

" " sickness' and death of Vua

Hammerfest. descripticm of town ..io6

Hansa, voya>;e of (ierman ship .026

" wreck of . "'

Hartstcne, Lieut., in search of Kaiie .......

Hawkins, Sir John, vovai^^e of

Hayes, Dr. I. I., withKani' ..!....

" " in steamer l-nited States .

" baffled bv Smith's Sound

'• death of.

Hearne, Samuel, sails bv Hudson Hav

Hecla and Fury Straits.'

Herjulfson, Riarne

ITerodotus' account of Hvperboreans , , . '

Hesperis, noticed by Kane . . . ' ,

Hobson, I,ieut., discovers record of Cro/ier."

Holsteinborij --_

Hood, with Franklin ]

" murdered bv Indian y-uide ...2i'5

Horn, Cape, tirst voyatfe around rjo

Hudson Ray discovered -7

" Henry, voyay-es of .. .

" " attempts North I'ole route. ..

" " 'liseovers Manhattaii Island..

" " mutinv of his men

I lumboldt Glacier .... ' -o-\

Huiiijer, exhaustion from 'ju,, Sr"

Huts of Esi|uimaux 1-,

lakoutsk jji). j'o

Ice, nipiutl in

" rapid motion of. .
" Sea of ancient . . .

"Pahvocrysllc

Iceberg's, thi'ir ■■ource.
" fornix of . .

first seen jtx), ^|.)

" blink («i)

floe

field

Iceland, discovered and

men . . j'l

Iceland, perhaps discovered bv I'vtheas Jr

" self yo\ crniny: -">

black death in :o

.47^
441
.442
.4S.;
■5I.1
• 47'
•47-
.20;

^^4
• • .^4,i
••.?47

•531

. 4'l
,.5nS

.61 ^
.622

.1,!"
.2S1

• 27

• "J
.(oS

I7(
.107

• S54. 4<>>, Hi, vi". 7''**
401

0(<4

SoS

coloni/ed bv Norse-

■444

INDEX.

Idols, of Samovfds V-yxi.

Ijfloo 701

iK-looklik Island ." "Si?

ilijfliuk, intelligence of ^79

Illusions Arctic ^TQ

l.ulia, which way to' SS.?

}nj,Hefiekl, Conimander e! "\ ' vovu^.-nf "°

fnnints.see EsquiinauY ' ^">''^'"°f 47,5

Instructions, official \i',

{mn,,i^H.M.s.voya^e-of:;::^^^^:'^:^^^-44^

'"'"^' Sve i? '^-"^''"■^■^-t voyage. ^'\^

Isabella, the .-teamer ''^

Cape ;•.•;. 173

Jakiits O19

m), 1- o

■.579.

Pasre.

•••4'5
...410
...417
. ..421
. . .420
..4)0
. . . 70S
.. 38
•■ 38

.... 97
. . . 620

74S

. ... 750

•■••77J

...71,6

■ ■ . . 790

J lines, rhos., vovage of ]']

■' discovers James' iiav

Jm Ma yen Island...

Joannette, the, fitted out l.'yMn' HennetV
''-"•'yi--si>an Francisco Hav
_^ iirrivesat Ounal:.ska " ■"

enters the Arctic

■• beset

sinking of ."'._

I , ^ relief expeditions L

Jones' Sound, explored bv Inglefield '"' ''T

Kanichalka, subjugation hi "*''^'"-"' I^

•vane. Dr. K. K., ftography'of 'i'

;' with De Haven... ^ ■»^''

great Duoyancy and moral nower of r,\,

decides to abandon the Advance - ,^

;; arrives at Upernavik . ^""^''"'-^ 5^7

last siukness and death. >'"'

results of vo vane S.''

Ivara Sea " " .132

ivavak, description "of "Of

ivellctt, in Franklin .search S^'

" discovers W'ranirell r ',„'ri '>'*'

Kendall, Lieut., voyaire of tot ,.. i- •• ' •+""J

Kennedy Channel , ... ' Coppermine 205

Kingaite ' Sio

jvir.g William's Laiid 57<^

Kmght.John, murdered bvnaii'ves ^^*^

Koldewey, Capt. Curl, eulogv on '. A'

Kolvma Iliver '""""''^ """'"^'^ iixpedition":;6J^
Kolvmsk Xislini "" 2.^9.20

Ki lehne with Jeannette crew t^t

Labrador, discovery of "+^

r miiv- of k">'''«'^''^ "along "the "coast of" "."■■■ V," 11

i.amps ot li-squimaux ^■'' '

Lancaster Sound S"^' 1

La Plata, voyage to I'V', 4(xj

Laptuw IJrothers... "^

i-ititude reached by pJiVr'v ".".'.".".'.

,, '' " Kane ''

;: :: i^-'aHs ;...■;.".•;;.:

I , 'N ares . . .

Lawrence, St. Bay of

Lena Kiver, ascent of ...'.".'.' .','

Wrangell's "^IJrnevVlow;,".' '.' ' " '

Lichen, ■• >/"t!"V ^'"^■'"'"^••' J'""-»''.v to

I.otila, I) e^sh !> .

Lyon, Capt , I,. a'vJr tor "help"

Lvchius ......

MacKenzie, -Vlexa'nder'. .'.'.'.'..'.',

\T /-i". . , '^'^'■''. descent of!."

McC lintock Sir Leopold ....

" in Helclier's'fiee;

in c(>uim;ind of Fox

drift down Haffin's Hay

on King Willi.ims L.iml

t.nds relics of Franklin

results of Voyage

7'
r)S4

2 '10
260

McClurc, Capt. Robert L.

;; in command of l"n"Oe.sti"gator " "
alone in the Arctic,
predicts a N'orthwestl'assa'i^e
in search for "

". ab;indons Investigator •"•"•"

Magicians. *■

Magellan, Ferdinand'

Magnetic w;:^;i:":^^:'^':';^;^^'-it^-::.

" . I'ole discovered ! ".

Magnetism, observations on

Mahue, James, voyage of

^'''n'Hrs' linterprise, English ! ! ! ."

Markliam reaches high latitude.

I 'Matinsclikin

I -Matoischkin, .s"Jh;'ir

I Melville ISay '.■■.".'.".".".■.

^?."' ^.y-'^."ff''>i^'-'r"f "leiuinettJ
.. .. *';!>^ V'^ '-■""-' and crew
Mevers Fr,.,l "'"t'al examination of..
Vl^n '1 r ■' "arrow esc;' lie of....
.viuldendorf in laimurland"

MockSuns ^^'^■^'"'yaSamoyed"d,ief:;;;;...
Mort.-,,, U-illian,; dis;;,Ve;s "a" suppi.s^ •;,pen
Munk, Jens, vova'/e'clf '• ^'°

fcrCT"^'-^"''^'"'-'-"^--;;::::::::::^

Xares, Sir Geo Arctic journc;;",;f ^t^

;; reaches high Lililule ■ "J.-*

tonclusums regarding tlie Pole J%1

N e wcomb Ka > ,no:„l L. in J.annette l'!^

Newfoundland col.mized by Gilbert "t!

Newspaj)ers, Arctic... • o' ' ' ?7

N i.'hni Kc.lymsk '"■*' ** " '>^'>' S.3f>. 7^8

Nomenclature, Arctic 229, 2(k)

.\ ordenskiold. Prof . A ' !•: i*^

ploration''"'""'""" "^•"^-'^'^^'^tiV "exl'^'

Nordenskiold sails in the'Vega ''"^

accomplishes Northeast "Pas^ge??!
receives ovut nn^ "h>=/',«

.229,

440. 4'5S
..748
..S26
.832
.650

• 3'H

• i'xj
61

^^ receives ov^itions...

results of voyage i^,'

Norsemen, or^hr!:^ '""' ""' "^'^"^ Nindennun?!:

" .sea-iifeof "

•Norse viking, significance of "name 'A

i-'hief pursuits of ^4

Northeast Passatre. Dut,-b ;,',;;.;,;,V.:, V.,' '..■■•,■■•• ^ ?

ortheist Passage, Dut^h aiienipi^to iind",; " /-},
;;rth I ole, attempts to reach ' ,.,, „^;"'-^l' 'f.

reaching""""""''--- ^'"^■>"-'^ plan '^<'.; ''^

Northmen, see Norseman" ■'^■'•'

Northwest Passage, earlyaUempts to"tind;.";;, ,6
„ „ -M Clure discovers,.,. ^'A,

Franklin '"'''•""'^'' ''--very "by-^

N'orthumberlanii Inlet. .'7'^

Nova Zenibla, Barents'" voyage" to ^5**

;; WeyprechtandPay;'r".sai"l"by"Ji1

Stream on"'' '"""""■" "' "-" «»'f
Observations, scientiric " of " AVeiic " ;;:^pio;ers"^'

Omuuney, Capt., in Franklin search **^' ^^' *^
^,_^ " discovers first relics of Frank-"'^

Onm.m Cape; nached'by {h^ Vega t?«

Ookgoi.k, weight of • *^ 718

Oomiali .. . S/J

Open Sea, suppo.sed dLscVi^ery" of ' ' ' f^-'

On.nge Islands, Huentz' visit to V"

."•cpid""- ^'•^■'■""■''' '" •''"■neer"an"d""in: "^

Oiinalaska. . . .'. ,". 4.34

>f J

lunger

id.

•■««♦

tNDEX.

Page.

Piirry, Capt. William Edward lO,!

" first vovaije of i6S

" enters Arctic circle 170

" trials and iiastiiiics o{, in winter 176

" descriucs native dress and manners igj

" second voyajije ci£ ifjO

" in winter iiuarters 771

" third expedition 296

Passaffe, Northwest, discovered 421,37s

Northeast, accur.plished 713

Paver, Lieut., with Koldewey 034

"' in Tejfetthort' C'Si;

" beset in pack <>^i4

" discovers Fran/.-Josef 's I.and 668

Pe ibodv, (Jeo . , benevolence of 4^0

Peel's i^trait 377

Pendulum experiments 309

Penny, Capt., in Franklin search 409

Peterinann, Dr., aifency in Arctic investiffation'123

Petropaulovsky 5^9, 2rx5

Phipps, voyage of 141

Piin, Lieut 4.5o

Pole, Ma^'netic, discovered 33S

Plover, !5ritish steamer 40S

Pole ol- greatest cold A,%

Polaris, vovago and wreck of (140, (15S

Pond Bay.' 4°''

Poole, Jonas', voyage of S2

Portuguese, vovajfcs of 29

Prayer of I, von fo .iMp 312

Prohtschischtsctievv 229, 2'Vi

PuUen, I.ieut , boat journey of 409

Pylheasof Marseilles 20

Rae, Dr John P-J

" joins Richardson in search party 3'<3

'1 attempts to reach WoUastoii l-and 391

" discovers relics of Franklin...

Raleijfh, Sir Walter, voyages of

Ravenscraig

4,iS
• .St
.^'57

Becords, manner of preserving 639

Refraction, eftects of ^-fl

■■■■M'-

Soi

.•••,1S<>
\7,\ .St"
.... 5^-9

Reindeer, travel planned by Parr, ...

Reikiavik

Reliance, Fort

Relics of Franklin

" " Frobisher

Rensselaer 1 larbor 4y.'

Repulse Bay 3M

Rescue, as escort for the Oeo. Uenrv St^

in first Orinnell Expedition 442

.197
.3SJ
,214

. ('O

• 79''

• 797
.161

Richardson, Dr., with Franklin.

" in search of Franklin

'■ his adventure with woi\es.

Rijp, John C

Rodgers, the voyage of

" burning of

Ross, Sir John, voyage in Isabella....
" alleged discovery of Croke/'

tains • ■ '

" second voyage of in Felix

" in F'ranklin search

Ross, James C, discovers magnetic Pole

" search for F'ranklin

Russian Explorations

Sabine, F;dward, experiments of

Island

Moun-

16'

331

4™^

....,W7
229, 260
-(o()

Sailors, mutiny and desertion of .'126

Samoveds . . . : • ■ .^' ■(. .<7". 7«'. 7 '9

Sainoyed chief saves Middeiulorf 3"9

Scenery, Arctic ""■'

Schalafow, journeys in Siberia 221

failure and death 221^

Schelagskoi Cape 237

Schwatka, Lieut., voyage of. '>-\

" discovers grave of Irving o^o

Scoresbv, Dr. William '53

Page.

Scoresbv, voyage of, to Greenland . . '53

" " Wilham )r , begins seafaring life. ... 154

" voyage of, to Sjiit/bergcn I.S7

" pulilishes account if voyages ISS

.Separation of Polaris from floe 64^

" ofjeannette boat-parties SH

Siberia, explorations in 229, 2 o, 3 i, 370

Simpson, iourney with Dease .V "

Sledge.s, Arctic •'3t. 257- .V'

Smiili, Leigh, voyage in Lira 779

Smith Sound ..". ^P^

Snorri ^'^

Snow, Mr. W. P -tSJ^

Snow, phenomenon of red '".'^

Sofia, the ship '^^

Spanisli voyages »^^

Sonntag, loss of ''"i

Spit/.bergen '5<

Steller, voyage of, with lielinng 11 29

Sviatoi-noss 7'/

Swayne,C,'apt ' '

Sweden, in Arctic vovagis "9!

Tadibcs "f"

Taimiir River ■^'^

Taimur Land 'VJ

" " good-bvel. V>'

Tcluiktchis, habits of ^4'

" dance ^42

visits from 240

TegetthoiT, the ^_"

" abandoned <'7'

Tennyson's Monument 5°^

I'essuisak, harbor of "4.?^

Terror, in coniiuaiul o£ Hack 35 i

" nippeil in the ice 3.S4

" in command of Franklin 37"

Thermometers, sensitivem ss of 499

Thule, of I'vtheas J'

'Tookoolito 5^2

Trees in Siberia 7^3

■Tundras ■'57, 2''5

Tungusi • f'^

Tvson, Capt. (ieo. E "47. "5^

Cniipie, Island, a • 22h

United States in Franklin search 441

>' ■> in command of Hayes !;90

Unprecedented drift, an 45''

Upernavik (79,532

Vaigats Sound • • • 59

Van .N'oiirt, Dliver, voyage of... 60, 0^

" " attacked bv Patagonians <i7

•' •' battle with Spaniards <7

Vegetation of Arctic regions 44H, 49-^!, 703

\'ega, tlie, voyage of ''91,73"

Victoria Strait 7>V^

Victoria, first steamship in Arctic se.is, 3,52

" abandoned 34"

Vikings ^^

\'on Wrangell, see Wrangell

\'ovage, first search for lost explorer S3

Walruses, encoimter with 6,59

Weert, Sehald de, voyage of 6^

^\'ellingtoll Channel.' 453> 4'''"

\\ evinoulli, voyages of, to Hudson's Bay.... . ',1
Wevprec lit, in command of Auslro- Hungarian

Expeilition ^59

WhaleSound 621

Whale, stranded ■.!3

Wilioughliy, Sir Hugh 4"

Winter tpuirters 175' 2 o, 3.S0, 501

Wood, )olin "5, II"

Wranglll, Baron von 229, 260

^'en^•sei, descent of the ,3''4

N'oang, Capt. Allen 741

/cuilila. N'.va f>4

/eiii Itnilhers 27

«'Mr.M|ik

Pasre.

'5?

:c. ... i;+

'S7

■••. iSS
. ... 60

814

,1 t, .I/O

.V"

257. .V
.... 779

49-;

2jS

4S1

lO.i

(Vi

(07

157

12')

7'7

> 7

f 19 1

70S

3'H

(68

.... 241

242

240

.. . .6(>l

f'7'

.... 50S

64,?

3Si

■•••3.S4

37"

499

. ...5^2

703

257, 205

364

.647, 658
.... 228

44"

. .. .S90
4^''

479, 532

. . . 60, 6S

'7
, 49"!. 703
• '■91,730

,3,36

33-'

340

■■;:■; S3
639

4.S3. 4'''f'
*■ V

^59

62 1

1.^3

>> 3.SO. 5°'
..115, 1 16
. .229, 260

.3'>4

74'

»7