GREELY'S ARCTIC WINTER OF STARVATION 357 



The summer of 1882 came and passed without an appearance 

 of the relief ship promised by the government. One had been sent 

 out with a load of supplies, the "Neptune," under William Beebe, 

 but ice and storms prevented its reaching the Fort Conger station 

 and it returned, after leaving supplies of provisions at several points 

 on the route. Its failure to appear caused no alarm, as food was 

 still plentiful, but the coming on of another winter was, as usual, 

 one of the unwelcome events of Arctic life. Comfort, however, was 

 prepared for by carrying the snow, which in the preceding winter 

 had been piled against the sides of the house, over the roof, a pre- 

 caution which added considerably to the warmth of the interior. 



When winter passed and spring came again the spring of 

 1883 Lieutenant Lockwood and Sergeant Brainard made an ex- 

 ploration of the interior of Grinnell Land, covering 437 miles in one 

 month's sledging, and adding much to the knowledge of that large 

 island, hitherto unexplored in its interior. Summer at length 

 arrived and anxiety about the promised relief ship arose. If it 

 should again fail to come it would not be safe to remain another 

 winter at Fort Conger, and preparations for a retreat in their boats 

 was made. These consisted of a steam launch twenty-seven feet 

 long, an ice-boat which had been abandoned by Lieutenant Beau- 

 mont, of the Nares party, in 1876, and two whale-boats. A depot 

 of forty days' full rations was placed at Cape Baird and another of 

 twenty days' rations at Cape Collinson, as soon as the ice was open 

 enough to allow the launch to proceed. Then when it had returned 

 and all the survey parties were in, a decision was come to that if no 

 steamer arrived by July 3ist the retreat would be commenced. 



July passed and August arrived, but there were no signs of the 

 approach of any relief steamer. They could not risk a longer wait, 

 and on August 9th, with the boats loaded with the records of the 

 work done and as much food as could be stored in them, the party 

 bade farewell to Fort Conger and started on what was destined to 

 be a tragic journey. The lateness of the season made navigation 



