30 



ARCTIC EXPLORATION. 



and carry a supply of coal. While preparations 

 were under way, the Secretary of the Navy 

 received a letter from Capt. Sir George S. 

 Nares, embodying his own suggestions, and 

 those of other experienced officers of the 

 British Navy, in regard to the practical con- 

 duct of the expedition. In addition to other 

 provisions, Congress authorized a reward of 

 $25,000, "to be equitably paid or distributed 

 to such ship or ships, person or persons, not 

 in the military or naval service of the United 

 States, as shall discover and rescue, or satisfac- 

 torily ascertain the fate of the expedition of 

 Lieut. A. W. Greely," etc. A proclamation 

 offering this reward was issued by the Secre- 

 tary of the Navy on the 17th of April. The 

 three vessels specially designed for the rescu- 

 ing expedition were fitted for the Arctic voy- 

 age at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, under the 

 direction of Commander Schley, and supplied 

 with every equipment that experience sug- 

 gested, including material for a house to be 

 erected on the coast of Greenland, and the ne- 

 cessary boats and sledges. The Alert, being 

 the largest, was used as a supply-vessel, and 

 provisions for two years were placed on board. 

 A large supply of coal was also provided, the 

 bulk of which was placed on the schooner 

 Loch Garry. The Thetis was the flag-ship. 



The members of the crews were specially 

 enlisted as volunteers. The Bear was the ad- 

 vance vessel, and left for St. John's, Newfound- 

 land, April 23d, the Thetis following May 1st, 

 and the Alert May 10th. After taking addi- 

 tional supplies of seal-skin clothing, and ob- 

 taining dogs for sledging, the vessels left for 

 the Greenland coast, the Bear sailing from St. 

 John's May 5th, the Thetis on the 12th, and the 

 Alert a few days later. The next information 

 of the expedition was contained in a dispatch 

 to the Secretary of the Navy from Commander 

 Schley, dated at St. John's, from which the fol- 

 lowing are extracts: 



Thetis, Bear, and Loch Garry arrived here to-day 

 from West Greenland. All well. Separated from 

 Alert 150 miles north during a gale. At 9 p. M. June 

 22d, five miles off Cape Sabine. in Smith's Sound, 

 Thetis and Bear rescued alive Lieut. A. W. Greely, 

 . Brainerd, Sergt. Fredericks, Scrgt. Long, 

 Hospital Steward Biederbeck, Private Connell, and 

 Sergt. Ellison, the only survivors of the Lady Frank- 

 lin Bay Expedition. Sergt. Ellison had lost both 

 haoda and feet by frost-bite, and died July 6th at 

 Godhavcn, three days alter amputation, which had 

 become imperative. Seventeen of the twenty-five 

 persons roniposiiH,' the expedition perished by starva- 

 tion at the point where found. One was drowned 

 while scaling to procure food. Twelve bodies of the 

 dead were rescued and are now on board the Thetis 

 and Bear. 



Greely abandoned Fort Conger Aug. 9, 1883, and 

 reached Baird Inlet, Sept. 29th following, with entire 

 party well. Abandoned all his boats and was adrift 

 for thirty days on an ice-floe in Smith Sound. His 

 permanent camp was established Oct. 21, 1883, at the 

 point where he was found. During nine months his 

 party had to Jive upon a scant allowance of food 

 Drought from Fort Confer ; that cached at Payer 

 Harbor and Cape Isabella by Sir George Narcs in 

 1875, but found much damaged by lapse of time ; 



that cached by Beebe at Cape Sabine in- 1882, and a 

 small amount saved from wreck of the Proteus in 

 1883, and landed by Lieuts. Garlington and Colwell 

 on the beach where Greely's party was found 

 camped. When these provisions were consumed the 

 party were forced to live upon boiled strips from their 

 seal-skin clothing, lichens, and shrimps, preserved in 

 gpod weather when they were strong enough to make 

 exertion. As 1,300 shrimps were required to fill a 

 gallon measure, the labor was too exhausting to de- 

 pend upon them entirely to sustain life. 



The channel between Cape Sabine and Littleton 

 Island did not close, on account of violent gales all 

 winter, so that 240 rations at latter point could not be 

 reached. All of Greely's records, and all instruments 

 brought by him from Fort Conger, are recovered and 

 are on board. 



From Hare Island to Smith's Sound I had a con- 

 stant and furious struggle with ice in impassable 

 floes. Solid barriers of ice were overcome by watch- 

 fulness and patience. No opportunity to advance a 

 mile escaped me, and for several hundred miles the 

 ships were forced to rain their way from lead to lead 

 through the ice, varying in thickness from three 

 to six feet, and, when rafted, much greater. The 

 Thetis and Bear reached Cape York June 18th, alter 

 a passage of twenty-one days in Melville Bay, with 

 the two advance ships of the Dundee whaling-fleet, 

 and continued to Cape Sabine. Eeturning seven days 

 later, fell in with seven others of the fleet off Wosten- 

 holme Island. Eeturning across Melville Bay, fell in 

 with the Alert and Loch Garry off Devil's Thumb, 

 struggling through heavy ice. 



The Greely party are very much improved since 

 rescue, but were critical in the extreme 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 closest 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. 



On the same day dispatches were received 

 from Lieut. Greely by the Chief of the Signal- 

 Service Bureau at Washington, from which 

 the following extracts are taken : 



Abandoned Fort Conger, Aug. 9th. Frozen in pack 

 off Victoria Head, Aug. 29th. Abandoned steam-, 

 launch, Sept. llth, eleven miles northeast of Cocked 

 Hat Island. When on point of landing'were three 

 times driven by southwest storms into Kane's Sea. 

 Finally arrived, Sept. 29th, in Baird Inlet. Learn- 

 ing, by scouting parties, of Proteus disaster, and that 

 no ^provisions had been left for us from Cape Isabella 

 to Sabine, moved and established winter quarters at 

 Camp Clay, half-way between Sabine and Cocked 

 Hat. Inventory showed that by daily ration four and 

 one third ounces meat, seven bread and dog biscuits, 

 four ounces miscellaneous, the party would have ten 

 days' full rations left for crossing Smith's Sound to 

 Littleton Island, March 1st. Unfortunately, Smith's 

 Sound remained open the entire winter, rendering 

 crossing impossible. Game failed despite daily hunt- 

 ing from early February. Before sun returned only 

 500 pounds of meat obtained. This year minute 

 shrimps, sea-weed, sassafras, rock-lichens, and seal- 

 skin were resorted to for food, with results as shown 

 by the number of survivors. The last regular food 

 was issued May 14th. Only 150 pounds of meat left 

 by Garlington, compelled me to send in November 

 four men to obtain 144 pounds of English meat .t 

 Isabella. During the trip Ellison froze solid both 

 hands and feet, and lost them, surviving, however, 

 through our terrible winter and spring until July 8th. 

 Survivors owe their lives to the indomitable energy 

 of Capt. Schley and Lieut. Emory, who, preceded by 

 three and accompanied by five whalers ? forced their 

 vessels from Upernavik, through Melville Bay, into 



