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Tous las autres exemplaires originaux sont filmAs e t commengant par la premiere page qui comports une empreinte d'impreaaion ou d'illustration at en tarminant par la darniirc page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un dea symboles suivants apparaltra sur la darnlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le aymboia — •- signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent itre film«a A das taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atra reproduit en un seul clichA. il est film* i partir de i'angle sup^^ iaur gauche, de gauche A Jroite. et de haut en baa, en prenant le nombre d'imagea nAcassaire. Lea diagrammes suivants ilSustrent Ic mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 6 6 ^ 3 / _ ■ ygy^ ^^ a i^j/^ -^ THOMAS HlC N A-RKA^TIV OF THE LAST ARCTIC EXPEDITIOH 3 r^ ^ (Pll . KANE » • <3e •X1.XOX: 7£3I!g- OSESIXTT'SI. Copyriglit Secu.r< NEWARK DAILY MERCURY OFFICE, 185 8. \v% TH LAS' NE THOMAS HICKEY'S NA-KHi^TTVE OF THE LAST ARCTIC EXPEDITlOff OF DR. KAINE. NEWARK DAILY MERCURY OFFICE. 1858. !/ ■ N ai "J ai tL lit sh w] it w] tic to of cl< hil pr loi pr th( tai ano of I err pla tiai NARRATIVE. !■■ Mv connection with Dr. Kane commenced at St. John's, Newfoundland, where I entered his service as second stew- ard. Seven years spent in this region in hunting seals upon the ice, had prepared me somewhat for the trials of an Arctic life ; and it was, in fact, chiefly for this reason that Dr. Kane desired me to join his party. 1 shipped with little hesitation, expecting, it is true, to encounter hard- ships, but not with a full sense of the horrors through which I was about to pass. Indeed, had I been aware of it all, I could not have hesitated to follow a commander whose eye indicated so much bravery and benevolence. During his stay at St. John's, Dr. Kane won the admira- tion of everybody ; and not a few woul dhave been found to risk their lives and fortunes in his service. Compliments of every kind were heaped upon him, and many little arti- cles calculated to promote and cheer his voyage, were sent to him. The hospitable Governor, Mr. Hamilton, among others, presented him a noble Newfoundland dog team. Intent upon pursuing his voyage, Dr. Kane stopped no longer at this place than was necessary to procure such provisions, cooking-utensils and dogs as he needed ; and on the I7th of June, 1853, escorted to the vessel by the mili- tary of the town, we bade farewell to home and civilization, amid the most entiiusiastic cheers, mingled with the tunes of *' Hail Columbia " and " Yankee Doodle." Our next port was Fiskernaes, the first and most south- ern Danish settlement on the coast of Greenland. At this place Dr. Kane engaged an Esquimaux hunter, Hans Chris- tian, a lad about nineteen years of age, who proved to be of great service to the expedition. Here, iil»o, Dr. Kane encountered tlio first diflTiculty with his men, two of whom, William Godfrey and Jolin lihike, were put in irons for dis- obedience. Their place of confinement was under the booby hatch, where they comforted themselves by tapping a bar- rel of whiskey, and passing the litpor down their throata by means of a straw. Leaving Fiskernaes, we touched at Sukkertop«in, where the settlers surrounded our vessel in boats, offering for sale large quantities of furs, of which Dr. Kane laid in a good supply for our Arctic journey. The Danes were expecting us all along the coast, for government dispatches had been sent from Copenhagen informing them of our intended jour- ney, and directing them to assist us as far as they were able. Just one month from our departure from St. John's we arrived at Proven, where we met with a hospitable re- ception, which we retur led by giving a ball to the inhabi- tants. Our men declared the dancing of the Esquimaux ladies to be little short of perfection, and thought that their costume might suggest valuable and economical improve- ments to the Bloomers of civilization. After remaining two days at this place, and obtaining good supplies of furs and Esquimaux dogs, we proceeded to Upernavick, the last and most northern Danish settlement on the Greenland coast. Here Dr. Kane engaged Mr. Petersen, as an inter- preter between the Esquimaux and ourselves. He was by birth a Dane, and appeared to understand perfectly the Esquimaux language, while his English was almost unintel- ligible. Except as an interpreter, he was of very little ser- vice to tlie expedition. At this place we completed our supplies of furs and dogs, and, just previous to our depar- ture, the priest and his family, together with the Governor, came on board of the Advance to partake of the banquet prepared for them by Dr. Kane. Our passage through Baffin's Bay was rendered exceed- ingly rough and dangerous by the numerous ice bergs which rose up around us. It was however accomplished, and wc entered Melville Bay to encounter still greater dangers from the pack ice. or large floating Gelds of ice several miles in diameter, which make this body of water almost impassa- ble. Finding it impossible to make any progress, we moored our vessel to an ice berg, and, at the expiration of four days, found ourselves in the North Water. Here we floated about, surrounded bv iK^mense bergs, and unable to move, as there was not the sMghtest breeze to fill our sails. Unwilling, however, to remain stationary, the whale boats were launched, and the vessel thus slowly towed along by means of oars. In the midst of this work, Mr, Godfrey, becoming somewhat disgusted with the exercise of rowing, gave an exhibition of his talents as a pugilist. He made an assault upon Mr. Wilson, but was arrested before much blood had been spilt, and sent for a second time under the booby hatch, where he enjoyed a week's rest from 'abor. After passing these bergs we had fair sailinf? as far as Smith's Sound, near which, on Littleton Island, we burie- our metalic life-boat, together with a quantity of provisior to be used in case of a retreat. Dr. Kane called this plac Life Boat Cove. The boat was buried, or rather protect- ed against the claws of the polar bear, by piling heavy rocks along her gunwale and then filling the spaces be- tween with sods and small stones. Over the whole, sand and water were poured at intervals, until all be-.ame a solid mass. While gathering rocks for tliis purpose, we found the remains of human bodies, together with other indica- tions that this lonely spot had been, at some period, inhabi- ted. As the surface of the earth is, in this region, almost impenetrable, the Esquimaux generally enclose theii dead in a sack of skins, place them upon the snow or ice, and then cover them with a pile of stoneb. Trinkets of different kinds, bits of wood and ivory, are often buried with them. Proceeding about thirty miles wo encountered the heavy pack-ice of Smith's Sound, and while waiting here 6 for the wind to clear a passage for iha vessel, Dr. Kane disrovercd upon the shore a dead unicorn, or nar- whal. Wo fried out the fat of this animal and made two barrels of oil. At the end of four days a severe gale car- ried us thirty miles up the Sound, breaking our hawsers and robbing us f our best anchor. Off Capo Cornelius Qrin- neU, we encountered a severe nip. Au ice berg drove our little brig high and dry upon the shore. For a tinoe we thought her to be a perfect wreck, but the next high tide set her dancing as bravely as ever upon the waves. Our passage now was very slow, as we were compelled to track, or draw the voasel along with ropes. Making about one hundred yards in twenty-four hours, we managed at the ex- piration of twenty days to tow her into P^nsselaer Ilatbor, our winter quarters. This was about the 20th of Septem- ber, a little more than four months after leaving St. John's. Oar vessel being snugly harbored, we prepared to battle with an Arctic winter. In the first place, we put all our provisions on Butler Island, n very convoni^nt retreat, about one hundred yards from the brig, and named by Dr. Kane after Butler Place, in Philadelphia. Here also we built a house of canvass for our dogs, which we found afterward to be a waste of labor and materials, for the dogs being determined to share our company upon the brig, compelled us to set apart a portion of the hold for their especial benefit. In- deed, we were glad enough to get them under lock and key, for, while upon the island, the improvident brutes broke ioose from their house, and destroyed about thirty beautiful hams, which constituted nearly our entire stock of palatable meat. The vessel was very poorly fitted out, there being on hand not a single pound of preserved meat besides what Dr. Kane himself had purchased in St. John's, and along the coast of Greenland. The spot which our noble brig seemed to have chosen for her resting-place was, perhaps, as favorable as any that could have been selected. Indeed Dr. Kane came to this ^y y 1 conclusion, after lookii.;^ nbout sevoral days for the aafest .'inter quarters. In speaking of it ho says : "It was securo h^rainst the moving ice ; lofty headlands 'vnlled u in beauti- fully to seaward, enclosing an anchorage with a moderate depth of water ; yet it was open to the meridian sunlight, and guarded from winds, eddies and drift. The space enclosed was only occupied by a few rocky islets and our brig." Not a hundred yards north of us was an icebergs while at the south stretohed a mountain ridge. On the 10th of September a depot party was .sent out with 1400 pounds of provisions. This party was under James McGary and Mr. Bonsall, and consisted of Riley, Baker, Whipple, Godfrey and myself. After traveling three '.^"s c r sledge cut through the ice, compl.jtely drenching our sleeping bags and uuffaL robes. It can easily be imagined that, with the thermometer below zero.» we must have sutTered somewhat under such circumsLanc^s. Before proceeding any farther, it was necessary to repair the damages cl^ne by the water, and we accordinorlv hjuil'il our sledge upon the shore, and spent three days in reducing our frozen garments tc their original pliability. The cold was intense, and the whole party growled over their misfor- tunes like a puck of starved wolves. Mr. Grinnell, the United States government, and all the Geographical and Scientific Societies in the civilized Vi'orld were cursed by turns as murderers and cut-throats, for sending men to per ish so cruelly amid ice and snow, against which it WR& almost impossible to contend. At Cape Frederick, sixty miles from the brig, we buried one hundred parcels of pemican, a kind of food composed of pulverized meat mixed with lard. This relieved us some- what, but it was still toilsome work to draw the sledge over the ice and snow. "We persevered, however, and, at a dis- tance of fifty miles further north, made another depot. This was the spot which waa afterwards called by Dr. Xane Bear Point, in honor of my adventure with a polar bear, of ■W^- 8 which I shall speak in its appropriate place. Thence we continued our route as far as the Great Glazier of Hurabolt, having traveled on foot, a^d drawn our sledge a distance of about 180 miles from the brig. Here we deposited the re- mainder of our provision, and, after resting two da3's and two nights, sleeping upon the rocks, we started upon our return to the brig, carrying with us scarcely a morsel of food, as we did not wish to diminish the provision depots. Contrary to our expectations, we found but little game upon the route, and a fox which we managed to get, soon became so frozen that it was impossible to skin it, McGary, how- ever, put it in the pot, skin and all, and contrived to make of it a very respectable stew. This, with a few biscuits, was the only food which we were able to get during the next eight days. In the mean time, the difficulties of travel- ing had greatly increased. The ice appeared to be break- ing up before us, and frequently immense chasms, a hundred yards in width, would stop all progress, On these occa- sions, we were obliged to make a boat of our sledge and ferry over. During the last three days we had marched more than fifty mues, and were now almost exhausted Avith cold and hunger. Still we continued to cheer one another's spirits by songs and jcies, though they were often made with very wry faces. While trudging slowly along, on th«. 15th of October, we discovered some distance ahead of us, a dark object, which we concluded must be a tent belong- ing to some of the party sent out from the brig i*\ search of us. It was a joyful sight; and, with renewed spirits, we sprang forward, singing to the top of our voices. As we drew nearer to the tent, what was our deligrht to hear the well known voices of our beloved commander and John Blake, who were watching our approach and cheering us forward. They had, in reality, set out in search of us, ind were fully prepared to comfort us with hot coffee nnd other u8iiCaCi€ After resting a little while, and telling our ad- ventures, we set out altogether for the brig, Mr. Bonsall 1 taking a seat with Dr. Kane in the sledge in which he had journeyed to meet us, drawn by his Newfoundland dog team. Twenty-eight days had elapsed since our departure from the brig, and, during all tlis time, we were constantly ex- posed to the searching cold of an Arctic winter. Still we received no injury beyond frosted hands and feet. Dr. Kane, in speaking of this expedition, says : " Like good fellows they postponed limping until they reached the ship." A few days' rest made us all sound again. Arrangements Avere now made for the Arctic night of four months' duration, which was close upon us. The building of ice huts for various scientific purposes, together with a hundred other little things, kept us Occupied, and enabled us to forget our lonely situation. And when the long night, with all its horrid dreariness, began, Dr. Kane contrived all sorts of games and amusements to keep us cheerful. Foot balls were set in motion upon the ice, and theatrical repre- sentations were got up in the cabin. On Christmas day Dr. Kane gave a grand Fancy Dress Ball, at which all the fashionable people of the brig were present, dressed in every variety of costume. Hot coffee and other good things enlivened the occasion, Mr. Godfrey, however, who had alvv'^ays a liking for something strong, tapped a keg of alco- hol which Dr. Kane had put aside for preserving specimens of Natural History. Partaking rather freely of this de- lightful beverage, he was discovered, and compelled to exchange his ball jewels for a pair of iron bracelets. The utter darkness of our Arctic night began about the middle of December. At this time there was no difference between noon-day and midnight ; and at either of these periods it was impossible to see an object a single foot from the eyes. All was total darkness ; and for months we saw nothing except by the feeble light of our lanterns. The influence of this upon us was sad enough, especially as we had but very little to occupy our time and thouffhts. Even the poor dogs, though natives of this region, were unable to \>l 10 withstand it, and most of them died, doubtless as much in consequence of the absence of light as from the severity of the cold. It was not until ths latter part of January that the darkness began in the least to diminish. Then the southern sky became slightly tinged with yellow, and, gradually, the objects around us exhibited their forms. Towards the close of the ensuing month, the tops of the icebergs began to sparkle, and in March perpetual day at last arrived. Still the weather was intensely cold. As soon as the brightening of the skies announced- the -approach ^t' the Polar spring, we began to prepare for ex- plorations. All hands were in excellent health, having suffered but little from sickness, and having been well sup- plied by the Esquimaux with walrus, seal meat and blubber. These articles were not eaten simply from necessity, but were really relished, either cooked or raw. But our good health and spirits were, in a great measure, due to the care and counsels of our brave commander, who, with a cheerful heart, undertook anything that he thought would keep us from desponding. He was captain, nurse, physician and cook, constantly forgetting himself in order to add to the comforts of others. On the 19th of March everything was ready for another sledge journey for the purpose of making dopots of pro- visions for the use of Dr. Kane on his long trip. The party detailed for this expedition were Mr. Brooks, Mr. Ohlsen, Mr. Sontag, Mi'. Peterson, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Baker, Mr. Schubert and myself. We started off in very good spirits, although the thermometer was between 40 and 50 degrees below zero. It required all our strength to pull along the Esquimaux sledge, whose thin runners were constantly cut- ' ting through the snow^crust, and, at the end of the day, we had proceeded but four miles. Dr. Kane observing our slow progress from the brig, guessed correctly at the cause, and got in readiness a large sled, with broad runners, upon which he placed a quantity 11 of pemican and a uoat. This sled was called " The Faith." At midnight, while we were sound asleep upon the ice, he and a party of men from the vessel brought this sled to our tent, and without disturbing us, transferred to it the load from our Esquimaux sledge. Then, having allowed us to take a good rest, they woke us up with three hearty cheers, and soon after started for the brig. The sled " Faith," even with an increased load, was far easier to draw than the one with which we had started ; still, it was a toilsome business, and our progress was slow enough. After another journey of about two hours, we deposited two kegs of pemican upon an iceberg. The cold during the day was intense, arid Wilson and Baker broke down. We wished to send them back to the brig, but they would not consent to go. Our destination, at this time, was the west coast of Smith's Sound, where we were instructed to make a cache ; but^ after traveling seventy-five miles from the brig, we found it impossible to make any further progress, and havinsr held a consultation, determined to return. The next day, while slowly retracing our steps, a violent hurri- cane, blowing from the north-west, compelled us to take shelter under the lee of a.i iceberg. Before we could pitch our tent, nearly all of the party became senseless with the cold ; and I, being most accustomed to such weather, was compelled to put my comrades in their buffcilo sleeping bags. Four of the party were severely frozen — Baker, Brooks, Wilson i..nd Schubert. Their cries and moans were heart-rending. My own hands were frozen in taking off their boots, and rubbing them into life. They were all, however, snugly stowed away, and, notwithstanding the fury of the gale, I had the pleasure of contributing still further to their comfort by preparing for them a cup of hot coffee and a good supper. Two hours afterwards, I gave them hot chocolate, when Brooks, who acted as our com- mander, ordered three of the party to go to the brig and ii! i{ ! i y I. 12 notify Dr. Kane of our condition. It whs determined that thebc three should be Sontag, Ohisen and Peterson, while I was to remain and take care of our frozen companions. It vas a dreadful journey, and the poor fellows started with sad hearts. In thirty-two hours they reached the brig, where, upon arriving, Dr. Kane says, they were scarcely able to speak. Our noble ('aptain was frightened by their appearance, and shocked by their sad story ; but, without the least de- lay, he set off with a suitable party in search of us. According to his own account the thermometer was seventy- eight degrees below zero. Mr. Ohisen was strapped in a bag, placed upon a sled, and drawn along as a guide. He was, however, of very little service, as the cold had nearly deprived him of sense and speech. During the three days that we were thus waiting for relief, I was cooking for my frozen companions, and watch- ing them with scarcely an hour's rest. It was, however, a comfort to me to know tliat my beloved commander would certainly come to our aid, if alive, and aware of our condi- tion ; and in order to direct him to our tent, I hoisted close by it an American flag together with the Masonic emblems. At the close of the third day, while looking out for the expected aid, I saw dark spots at a distance moving upon the snow. As they drew nearer, I became certain that they were our deliverers, and, then, firing a gun to guide them to us, I began to prepare coffee and other refresh- ments to offer to them. On their arrival, Dr. Kane, in an exhausted condidon, was supported by Morten and Hans Christian. At the desire of the party he entered the tent alone, where he was received with a shout of joy by the poor frozen men. They told him that they had expected him, and that they knew he would come to their relief. There was room in the tent for only foiir of those who had com.e to our rescue. Of these Dr. Kane was one, as he had suffered more during nined that son, while mpanions. s started ichcd the hey were >pea ranee, J least de- ;h of us. 3 seventy- jped in a ide. He ad nearly liting for id watch - )wever, a er would ur condi- ited close Bmblems. i for the ing upon ;ain that to guide refrcsh- ondi(ion, At the e he was 1. They ey knew the tent me. Of ! during 13 the journey than any other of the party. The tent being full, the rest of us slept in our buffalo bags upon the ice outside. We suffered extremely from the cold, and were most of the time unable either to sleep or walk. In the morning, preparatic ns were made for our return to the. brig. Several hours were spent i:i this work, as it was necessary to secure our frozen companions comfortably upon the sledge ; and the operation was, of course, slow, with the thermometer seventv-five derrrees below zero. We were obliged to leave our guns and most of our provisions behind us, as there were no accommodations for them upon the sledge. Every thing being ready, the terrible journey began, and for a few hours we went on bravely and with little hindrance. The wind blew with frightful fury, and when, at night, it became necessary to encamp, there was scarcely enough strength in our arms to pitch the tent. So intense was the cold that a bottle of whiskey froze solid, although wrapped up in buflklo skins and placed at the feet of the sick men upon the sledge. There was, of course^ nothing for us to drink, and it was almost impossible to put any thing to our mouths to eat. We travelled onward in a sort of dream, mechanically dragging our sledge, and, half of the time, scarcely know- ing what we did. Our rests were frequent, and indeed we would all have been contented to lay down and die, had not Dr. Kane urged and cheered us on. He watched us while sleeping, and woke us at intervals, so that wo should not sleep the sleep of death. When within a few miles of the brig, he sent Bonsall forward to obtain relief. Peter- son and Whipple responded to the call, and came to us with a dog team and a supply of restoratives. We were all of us so crazy with the cold that we did not know of their arrival, but crawled along like animated stones until we reached the vessel. How we got on board none of us could ever tell. Every possible assistance was rendered to the frozen men. i , ii I 14 Dr. Kane himself was, for a time, unable to do anything for their relief, as he was completely exhausted by the dreadful journey. Poor Baker was the greatest sufferer, his feet being frozen above the ankles. He lingered some time in dreadful agony, and was finally carried off by lock-jaw. We all mourned for him as a Irave fellow, a true friend, and an efficient workman ; and wi*h sad hearts we built upon Butler Island a stone tomb, ^vhere we placed his remains and covered them with stones But this was not the end of our sad work. Pierre Schubert, the good-natured French cook, was so badly frozen that it became necessary to amputate his foot above the ankle. Mortification subsequently took place, and we were obliged to make another visit to Butler Island, to bury him by the side of the lamented Baker. Mr. Brooks and Wilson were more fortunate, each escaping with the loss of three toes. The brave Wilson held his own foot while Dr. Kane performed the operation. At the time Baker was lying dead in the forecastle, a great commotion arose among us in consequence of the arrival of strangers, who proved to be Esquimaux, The first notice of their appearance was given by a man on watch, who said that there were people on shore calling to us. We went to the deck, whence we could perceive at no great distance upon the ice, a number of stout figures tossing themselves about, and making strange noises in order to attract our attention. Dr. Kane, accompanied by Peterson, the interpreter, went from the vessel to ascertain their wishes. They were met about half way upon the floe by the chief of the strange party, and in a few moments were surrounded by the entire band. But as this was not agreeable to our commander, he invited the chief to follow him on board the brig, requiring, at the same time, his company to remain behind. To these he requested me to furnish some food, and. accordingly. I carried ouL- to them a large quantity of nice Avheat bread and corned pork, with y^thing for ! dreadful •, his feet e time in lock-jaw. le friend, we built laced his . Pierre so badly 30t above 3, and we Island, to r. Brooks with the own foot ecastle, a e of the Lix, The man on sailing to irceive at t figures noises in lanied by ascertain I the floe moments was not to follow time, his ed me to to them^ ork, with 15 plenty of white sugar ; but the fastidious creatures, shrug- ging their shoulders and grunting, refused to touch a raorsel of it. Dr. Kane, soon after, invited them to the cabin, where a number of them entered without tht least hesitation or apparent fear. They were fine looking, tall fellows, of pro- digious strength and muscle. The only arms about thera were knives, which they carried in their boots. They also had lances made of the bones of the narwhal and bear, but these were lashed upon their sledges. Although quite inoffensive, they gave us a great deal of trouble upon the vessel, talking incessantly, several at the same time, going about in all directions, peeping into boxes, casks and bunks, and rendering themselves annoying in every possible man- ner. Dr. Kane did everything in his power to keep them quiet, but all to no purpose ; and we began to think serious- ly of ejecting them by force, but this would no doubt have been a difficult matter in our feeble condition. Satisfied, at length, with their examination of our domes- tic arrangements, and having stolen all they could lay their hands upon, they finally threw themselves down upon the floor of the hold and went to sleep. They did not sleep, however, in a recumbent position, but sitting, rather, Avith their heads resting upon their brea.sts. In the morning, expressing a determination to go away. Dr. Kane made a treaty with them, purchased of them a large quantity of walrus meat and several (logs, and, in return, gave them needles, beads, and old cask-staves, which they greatly prized. They promised to return in a few days, but failed to do so. In the midst of our discouragements Dr. Kane made preparations for another sledge party to the North. But the weather was now becoming more mild, and we could travel with less dread of the intense cold. The persons so- ICUICI f_.. icd I i-iiis expediuoii were xvir. ivicuary Hans Chris- tian, George Riley, Stephenson, Morton and myself. Great i '' HI 10 importance was attached to tliis expedition which, after all, was brought to a sudden and unfortunate termination. We set out on the 26th of April, Dr. Kane and Godfrey follow- ing us the next day with a dog team. They were able to travel faster than we, and occasionally passed us upon the route, though we generally managed to encamp together. Our traveling was done by night, which differed from day only in being somewhat colder. At this season of the year, the sun was continually above the horizon, though a little lower at that period of time which we called night. For several days we progressed with little impediment, except that two or three of our men, with myself, were somewhat troubled with symptoms of scurvy. Dr. Kane also com- plained a little, though his anxiety to accomplish the jour- ney kept him up. Finally he was obliged to yield to his disorder ; and it is painful to say, that at the moment when he needed the kindest attention he was alone, and in the hands of Mr. Godfrey, with whom he had remained behind the sledge party, in order to obtain rest. His complaints of illness to Mr. Godfrey were entertained with bad humor, and nothing was done to relieve him. Godfrey, however, carried him forward to join us, when we immediately made a halt, and began to use all the remedies at hand to restore him. His symptoms, however, became worse. To proceed with him was impossible, and to leave him behind was equally out of the question. Upon holding a consultation as to what should be done, it was determined that we should return to the brig. The distance was eighty-four miles, and it seemed important to get our commander in comfortable quarters as soon as possible. We accordingly placed him upon the sledge, and at the end of the third day, once more reached the vessel. Four men carried him from the sledge to the cabin, where he remained two months scarcely able to move. On the 4th of June another party was sent northward. i-; consisting of McQary, Riley, Bonsall, Morton and myself, the only men who were able and willing to go. We carried but little provision, trusting to the caches which we had made on former occasions. In four days we reached Cape Frederick, a distance of sixty miles from the brig, and found that the bears had destroyed all the provisions that we had deposited at this place. Continuing our course, we reached, in three days more, a point fiftv miles further north where we had previously made another cache. This was undistu*-bed, and here we resolved to take a good night's rest. The tent was accordingly pitched, and we stowed ourselves away in our buffalo bags, determined to indulge in a good long sleep, of which our Aveary bodies sorely felt the need. A little past midnight Mr. McQary produced such an unearthly scream that we all simultaneously lifted our heads to see what could be the cause. " A bear ! a bear!" shouted the terrified McGary ; and, sure enough, there was the head of one of those huge monsters, quietly gazing upon us through the opening of the tent. Unfortu- nately all our guns were outside upon the sledge, and we were consequently unable to offer the least defence. Lucifer matches were, however, at hand, and these we rubbed off under his nose, fancying that he might be fright- ened into a retreat. But he paid not the slightest attention to them, and very leisurely began to make his supper upon the carcass of a seal which we had killed the day before. Thinking that he might determine to make his dessert upon one of us, I cut a hole through the tent with my knife, and getting hold of a boat hook, gave his bearship a heavy blow upon the nose. This seemed to alarm liim somewhat, for, dropping the seal, he retreated for an instant. But during this instant I darted to the sledge, snatched up a gun, and returned immediately to the tent. Meantime his bearship's head once more appeared, when a ball was oorsf. />r\mr\lof oliT- fhmnrrli 1-iim Our night's rest was somewhat disturbed by this adven- I I »l 18 ture, but we revenged ourselves in the morning by making a good breakfast upon the destroyer of our repose. We concluded afterwards that his flesh was unwholesome, for we all became terribly sick. Notwithstanding this, we car- ried away with us a hundred pounds of his meat, and par- taking more sparincrly of it at out next meal, found it in no wise injurious. On the thirteenth day afttf leaving the brig, w e arrived »t the Great Glacier of Humbolt, a distance of one hundred and eighty miles. Here we found the cache of five hun- dred pounds of pemican and bread totally destroyed by the bears, notwithstanding the immense stones and piles of ice with which we had protected it. Bears' meat was conse- quently our only resource, and hunger making us impru- dent, we eat to such an extent, that we were all once more laid upon our backs with sickness. Finding it impossible to pass beyond this point, we con- cluded to return. Morton and Hans continued their jour- ney northward, and made the discovery of the open Polar Sea, wiiich has rendered this expedition so famous. At the end of another ten days, the remainder of our party were once more upon the brig, having been absent therefrom twenty-eight days. Not long after our return, active pre- parations were made for cutting the brig out of the ice and going homeward. Our efforts were successful, and she floated for about four miles, when she became auain com- pletely and immoveably frozen up. An attempt was now made to reach Beachy Island, where a vessel had been left by Sir Edward Belcher. The party, upon this occasion, consisted of Br. Kane, McGary, Riley, Hans Christian, Morton and myself. Before reaching the ope:i water, it was necessary to haul our boat a distance of thirty miles upon the ice, and among those who aided us in this tedious business was William Godfrey, the man who had been al- ready several times placed in ironr for misbehaviourj and who has recently published a scurrilous o^tack upon our 19 brave commander. We Imd scarcely jp shin r.arnenter Those who were determined to remain were Dr. Kane,. 90 Brooks, McQary, Goodfollow, Hnns Christian, Morion jind myself, all of us firmly resolved to share the fortunes of our brave commander. Dr. Kane fjave the desei ters all the provisions they could carry, tojrcther with half the ammunition and guns, besides two whale boats and sledges. lie also gave them the assurance, that in case they should be compelled to return, he would receive them like brothers, and do all in his power to make them comfortable. I thought that <1us desertion of our companions, under such circumstances, waf. one of the hardest trials that I had ever undergone. Nevertheless, I cheerfully aided them with Iheir sledges as far as the open water, and, after launching them thereupon with their pro- vision, bade them a hearty farewell. This was near the end of August. We now began preparations for another dismal Arctic night which was fast approaching. Hans and Ohlsen, the hunters of our party, were continually upon the ice, se- 'during such game as they could for winter use. Indeed, fresh meat was our principal remedy for scurvy, which wys already breaking out among us. These hunters were very successful in killing rabbits, foxes and ptarmigans, and just as the sun was taking farewell of us for the next four months, we were so fortu nto at to kill two fine white bears. But while thus careful to provide food, we did no! forget that our store of fuel was very low. This could not be supplied in a region almost, destitute of vegetation ; still, much could be done to f?aT '^ what we b.td^ and to this end most 0*" our party weic i;iiiployed in getting moss for the purpose of making thick walls to our cabin. This was a very tedious and painful operation, as the moss, heathc and grasses were frozen solid. It was necessary to quarr)* it like so much rock. When, finally, we were shut up in our prison with little wcik to do. and iTiost of s Ivinirin our bunks suflferin.'"* w\*h sturvy, the time passed wearily enough, and we felt dis- \t\y 21 posed to do anything in the world to kill it. Occnsionnlly some liltlo incident would rouse us up and make us very cheerful, but those seasons occurred very rorely. A grand excitement, however, arose among us about tlie fust of De- cember. Five Esquimaux sledges, with dog teams, cama scampering over the ice towards us, bearing Peterson and Honsall. two «^f the men who had deserted us three months before. They reported that all their comrades were dick, two hundred miles away, and that they Arould be glad enough to be with us again. Our kind-hearted commander listened to their story with the greatest interest, and took measures immediately, to relieve those men who had so un- kindly forstiken h'm. He sent sledges and provisions to them, and they were all brought back in safety to us. They had travelled three hundred and fifty miles, as far south as Cape Parry, suffering intensely from cold and hunger, and living nearly half the time on frozen seal and walrus meat. Dr. Hayes was completely prostrated, and was obliged to submit to the loss of two toes. The poor fellows had paid well for their folly in deserting us. We made them, how- ever, as comfortable as our close quarters would permit. Such an increase of our numbers made it necessary to obtain further supplies of provisions, and excursions for this purpose were made to Etah, an Esquimaux settlement about seventy mi^es distant. A number of these excursions were made at diiTerent times. Upon one occasion Hans set off alone with a dog :iledge, and when it was nearly time for him to return, Godfrey and Blake formed a plan to run away from the brig, waylay Hans, take possession of his sledge and provisions, and start southward. Fortu- nately for Hans, and for us, their conversation was over, heard by Stephenson, who reported it to Dr. Kane. God- frey and Blake were both questioned by him in regard to it. The latter denied every thing, while ths former talked and acted as if he thought the plot wholly justifiable. God- frey was, accordingly, put in irons, but as there were now I I t ■ 22 only two men able to do dutj, he was soon liberated. His liberation, however, proved to be of little service to our sick and disabled party, for it had no sooner been granted than he deserted us and fled to Etah. At this place Godfrey found Hans sick, his dog-sledge being loaded with meat and ready for a start to the brig. Godfrey told him tliat he had been ill-treated by Dr. Kane, and had consequently run away. In reply Hans said to him. •' Bill, you one bad man, you no take meat to brig, me sick." Bill pondered, perhaps, upon this judgment concern- ing him by a savage, and could not probably drive from his mind the condition of his un.ortunate comrades. At any rate, he concluded to take the meat to the brig. His ap- proach ha-'ing been observed at some distance" Dr. Kane iind Mr. Bonsall went out to meet him, thinking that it was Hans. " Is that you, William," said Dr. Kane, as they met. " I suppose it is," replied Godfrey. "Where is Hans?" ^'Sick at Etah," answered Godfrey, "and I have deter- mined to Lpend the rest of my days with the Esquimaux ; here is the meat and the dogs, but I am going back to Etah." " You must not do this," replied Dr. Kane ; and, at the same time, he and Bonsall marched the truant, at the point of their guns, to the vessel. Arriving at the side, Dr. Kane went on deck for irons, leaving Godfrey in charge of Bonsall upon the ice. " I am going," said the prisoner to his guard, "surely you would ; ot shoot your companion." "If you move an indi T will fire," replied Bonsall. "Then you must fire," said Godfrey, for I am going,'' and suiting the action to the word, he scampered off as fast as he could go. Very fortunately for him, Bon- ^all's gun missed fire, and when Dr. Kane returned with the irons, he was too far off to be re-taken. On the return of Hans, which took place a short time aftprwai'ds \v(i ]nnrr\aA t^^n^ fl^Ae^^.. l l -..rr j , — ■ • - !•.-••.^a mtu -uTjuizcj iiau suacrcu much during his jouriiey, and arrived completely exhausted at 23 Etah, where he was kindly treated by the Esquimaux. Here, indeed, he was living quite comfortably, and adopting the customs of the people, when Dr. Kane, some week's after his desertion, visited the settlement, and persuaded him to return to the vessel. DuriniT this terrible winter the ice increased so much upon us that we found the brig full ninety miles from the open water. To get her again afloat seemed impossible, and even if this could be done, she would be of little service, as we had been obliged to cut away her masts for fuel. But to_pass another winter in this dreadful region, was more than we could think of doing, so long as there was the least chance of escape. We had small boats, sledf^es and dogs, but no provisions. Something might be done, and now was the time for action, as the Spring once more approached. A general council of officers and men was held, and a resolution taken to abandon the vessel and attempt a journey of 1400 miles in open boats. We had, at this time, but one barrel of flour, besides a quantity of pork, beans and rice, sufficient to last about thirty days. Hans asked permission to go to Etah to make arrangements for a supply of provisions ; but we never saw him again ; and we learned, some time afterwards, that he had fallea in love with a fat, blubber-fed native girl living at Etah, and that he had determined to spend the remainder of his life in hunting for her especial benefit. It seems that Hans had been taken sick at Etah, and that a young woman named Shunghu had nursed him with so much fidelity that his tender heart was completely won. A return to bache- lor life became wholly impossible, and none of us could have the heart to wish the good-natured fellow any thing less than a happy future. We learned, also, that Godfrey had done all in his power to persuade Hans to drive oflf southward with him, and thus leave us without any sledge or doffs. Hans having refused to do it, he then consented to bring us the meat that had been obtained by our faithful hunter. n 24 About the first of May, 1855, preparations were made for a journey southward. The tliree whale-bopts — the "Faith," the "Hope," and the "Red Eric"— were brought out of their winter q'nrters and overliauled for active ser- vice. They had been severely battered by the ice, which, upon various occasions, we liad been compelled to encoun- ter, and required thorough repairing in order to render them fit for service. Two of them were whale-boats, twenty-six feet long and of proportionable width. We strengthened their gunwales and increased their depth by means of wash boards. Then stretching ridge-lines fore and aft, upon stanchions, we covered them with light can- vas housings, which hung well over their sides. They were then mounted upon sledges, and rigged with rue- raddies, or lines for hauling. Our guns, insirumenls, am- munition, extra clothing, and provisions, were snugly stowed away, and everything prepared for a long and cheerless journey. It was a very affecting moment when we left the old brig that had been so long our home. We all assembled in the cabin, where Dr. Kane read prayers and -i chapter of the Bible. He then addressed us in a solemn manner, telling us of the difficulties with which we would be obliged to contend, and impressing upon us the importance of courage and obedience to orders. After signing an agree- ment to stand by one another in the perilous journey before us, we went upon deck, raised and lowered the flags, and then walked solcmnlv once or twice around the brig. It was certainly a very difficult and tedious journey. The loaded boats were very heavy, and our party were nearly all so enfeebled by disease, that it was impossible to take alono- more than one boat at once- At the end of every two or three miles, we were, therefore, obliged to retrace our steps to bring forward another boat. It required, in i\.'.~ ,••«,. ^1^:»t^. Dr. Kane an i party abandoning the Advance after two years and six months imprisonment. 131. Sanderson's Hope — Upernavick, the first settlement seen by Dr. Kane, after traveling 1400 miles over ice and snow in 85 days. 132. The Bay of Havana. 133. Moro Castle and the steamer Cahawba. 134. Dr. Kane's Funeral in Havana. during idence I days, '.e after lement ce and