210 THE JEANNETTH ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



the Jeannette ready for instant use, but they were, as I said, 

 left behind, much to our detriment at a later period. Each 

 boat had been provided with a luff tackle, anchor, and 

 grapnel. Of course the anchor and grapnel had to be left 

 behind ; but the whale-boat retained the luff tackle, which 

 proved extremely useful at a later date. The order of 

 march was as follows : 



All hands, except a special detail of four men, were to 

 advance the first cutter to the first black flag established by 

 Ice-pilot Dunbar, who was to go ahead to select the best 

 road ; then the second cutter and the whale-boat and provi- 

 sion-sleds were to be brought up to the first station as rapidly 

 as possible. While this was going on the special detail of 

 four men, with St. Michael sleds, were to advance the extra 

 provisions ; and the sick, with the hospital sled, were also to 

 move to the front. 



We were ordered to sleep during the afternoon of June 

 17th, and on the anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill we 

 commenced our long retreat. Chipp was on the sick-list, and 

 I, with my eyes constantly bandaged and covered, could only 

 do light duty, so the task of leading the working party fell 

 to Melville, the captain directing. Each officer and man was 

 provided with a harness, which consisted of a broad canvas 

 strap, fashioned to go across the chest and over one shoulder, 

 and which had to be attached to the sled by a lanyard. 



At last the order was given to break camp. The order 

 was obeyed with enthusiasm, and the drag rope of the first 

 cutter was immediately manned, Melville, Dr. Ambler, my- 

 self and two other men stationing ourselves on either side of 

 the boat with harness fast to the thwarts, and then our 

 work commenced in terrible earnest. The snow was knee 

 deep, the road very rough, and the ice full of fissures. 

 Through the former our feet sank easily, soon wearying the 

 best of us ; over the fissures, if not too wide, we had to 

 jump the boats, and we had to drag the sled over lumps of 

 ice that would have taken a whole corps of engineers to 

 level. But we advanced steadily, -if slowly. We reached 



