210 RESCUE OF GREELY PARTY 



ships were forced to ram their way from lead to lead, through ice varying in 

 thickness from three to six feet, and when rafted much greater. 



"The Thetis and the Bear reached Cape York, June i8, after a passage of 

 twenty-one days in Melville Bay, and two advance ships of a Dundee whaling 

 fleet, and continued to Cape Sabine. Returning seven days later, we fell in 

 with seven others of this fleet off Wostenholme Island, and announced Greely's 

 rescue to them, that they might not be delayed from their fishing grounds nor 

 be tempted into the dangerous Smith's Sound in view of the reward of $25,000 

 offered by Congress. Returning across Melville Bay we fall in with the Alert 

 and Loch Garry off Devil's Thumb, struggling through the ice. Commander 

 Coffin did admirably to get along so far with the transport so early in the 

 season before the opening had occurred. Lieutenant Emory, with the Bear, 

 has supported me throughout with great skillfulness and unflinching readiness 

 in accomplishing the great duty of relieving Lieutenant Greely. The Greely 

 party are. very much improved since the rescue, but were critical in the ex- 

 treme when found and for several days after. Forty-eight hours' delay in 

 reaching them would have been fatal to all now living. The season north is 

 late and the coolest for years. Smith's Sound was not open when I left Cape 

 Sabine. The winter about Melville Bay was the most severe for twenty years. 

 This great result is entirely due to the unwearied energy of yourself and the 

 Secretary of War in fitting out this expedition for the work it has the honor 

 of accomplishing. 



"W. S. Schley^ Commander." 



The return voyage consumed, all told, almost six weeks. On August i the 

 squadron arrived in Portsmouth harbor with six living and twelve dead mem- 

 bers of the Greely party on board. Warships were drawn up to give a 

 welcome, and the yards were manned, and bands played. Then, in the cabin 

 of Schley's ship, Lieut. Greely was reunited with his wife and his mother. On 

 the following Monday there was a great demonstration on land. A parade of 

 all the naval forces available was held in the streets of Portsmouth, and as the 

 men in blue passed in all their strength, the shattered, haggard survivors 

 looked on from the balcony of a hotel. 



One of the most interesting features of Peary's pole-finding expedition was 

 the discovery of relics of the Greely party. The finder was Prof. Donald 

 McMillan. 



He told of wearing army coats and picking up scraps of letters and mes- 

 sages of love that were lying around the ground in perfect condition after almost 



