278 GREENLAND 



retreated, after making several deposits of stores at 

 Cape Sabine and elsewhere. In July, 1883, the Proteus, 

 making a similar attempt to reach Greely, was crushed 

 in the ice off Cape Albert, her side opening with a 

 crash while the men were working in the hold, the ice 

 forcing its way into the coal-bunkers and then pouring 

 in so that as soon as the pressure slackened she went 

 down, escape to the south being effected in the boats. 



Next year, matters having become serious, a naval 

 expedition consisting of the Thetis, the Bear, and 

 Nares's old ship the Alert, presented by the British 

 Government, was placed in the capable hands of 

 Commander Winfield Schley, who had with him George 

 Melville of Jcannette fame as engineer of the Thetis, 

 and matters were conducted in quite a different way 

 under much more favourable circumstances. Schley 

 intended to find Greely, at all costs, and he did so. 

 First he found a cairn at Brevoort Island, in which 

 were the papers deposited by Greely relating how he 

 had had to come south owing to shortness of supplies, 

 and how his party were then 21st of October, 1883- 

 encamped on the west side of a small neck of land 

 distant about equally from Cape Sabine and Cocked 

 Hat Island. 



As it was then the 22nd of June, 1884, and they had 

 had only forty days' complete rations to live upon, 

 Schley hurried off at once. Had he been two days 

 later he would have been too late. There was a tent 

 wrecked by the gale, with its pole toppling over and 

 only kept in place by the guy ropes. Hipping it up 

 with a knife, a sight of horror \vas disclosed. On one 

 side, close to the opening, with his head towards the 



