192 KANE, MODEL OF PEARY 



Temperature readings were made hourly, and the lowest found was in Feb- 

 ruary, when seventy degrees Fahrenheit was reached. At this temperature 

 chloroform froze and even chloric ether, never before known to freeze, became 

 congealed. The ship was then in latitude 78 



By March, 1854, the party showed heavy signs of their privation. Scurvy 

 spots mottled their faces, and many could do no hard work. Dr. Kane him- 

 self, never a very strong man, was much exhausted. But he never relaxed 

 in his determination to push north. He organized a party of men, placed 

 himself at their head, and planned to force a way over bergs and mountains. 

 First, however, he sent out an advance expedition with supplies — and this 

 party came to grief, owing to a heavy gale, accompanied by a temperature of 

 57 degrees below. Three members of the party managed to force their way 

 back, and on hearing their story Dr. Kane sought to go to the rescue. He 

 started out with nine men* 



His own story of the trip contains this : 



"We had been nearly eighteen hours out without water or food, when 

 a new hope cheered us. I think it was Hans, our Esquimaux hunter, who 

 thought he saw a broad sledge-track. The drift had nearly effaced it, and 

 we were some of us doubtful at first whether it was not one those accidental 

 rifts which the gales make in the surface-snow. But, as we traced it on to the 

 deep snow among the hummocks, we were led to footsteps; and, following 

 these with religious care, we at last came in sight of a small American flag 

 fluttering from a hummock, and lower down a little Masonic banner hang- 

 ing from a tent-pole hardly above the drift. It was the camp of our dis- 

 abled comrades; we reached it after an unbroken march of twenty-one hours. 



"The little tent was nearly covered. I was not among the first to come 

 up; but when I reached the tent-curtain, the men were standing in silent file 

 on each side of it. With more kindness and delicacy of feeling than is often 

 .supposed to belong to sailors, but which is almost characteristic, they inti- 

 mated their wish that I should go in alone. As I crawled in, and, coming 

 upon the darkness, heard before me the burst of welcome gladness that came 

 from the four poor fellows stretched on their backs, and then for the first 

 time the cheer outside, my weakness and my gratitude together almost over- 

 came me. 'They had expected me ; they were sure I would come !' " 



This is Dr. Kane's account of the retreat of the party, now consisting of 

 fifteen men : 



"It was fortunate indeed that we were not inexperienced in sledging over 



