34 



ARCTIC EXPLORATION. 



1871, but, on account of the darkness and 

 drifting ice, they were forced to return, after 

 much suffering, without accomplishing their 

 object. The sun disappeared October 15th, 

 and was absent 135 days, the twilight vary- 

 ing from half an hour to twenty-four hours. 

 For two months continuously the light was 

 so dim that the dial of a watch could not be 

 read by it. The stars were visible constantly 

 for three months, and at times the naked eye 

 could discern those of one degree smaller mag- 

 nitude than were visible in lower latitudes. 

 The constellations were of great brilliance, 

 and the moon was above the horizon for 

 eleven or twelve days at a time. "Over all," 

 said Lieut. Greely, "was a dead silence, so 

 horribly oppressive that a man alone is al- 

 most tempted to kill himself, so lonely does 

 he feel." 



The long winter was passed somewhat mo- 

 notonously in observations, military discipline, 

 attention to sanitary necessities, and amuse- 

 ments. The quarters were heated by a coal- 

 stove to the average temperature of 50, 

 games were indulged in, theatrical and mu- 

 sical entertainments were attempted, a paper 

 was published, lectures were delivered, and 

 holidays and birthdays were celebrated with 

 exceptional festivities. A considerable part 

 of the season of 1882 was devoted to geo- 

 graphical exploration. As early as February 

 19th, Lieut. Lock wood and Sergeant Brainerd, 

 with a dog team, set out to examine Robeson 

 Channel from Cape Beechy, and going half 

 across returned to camp on the 22d. Setting 

 out again on the 1st of March, re-enforced by 

 Sergeant Jewell and Esquimau Frederick, they 

 crossed to Cape Lupton and examined the 

 stores left at Thank God Harbor by the Po- 

 laris, which they found in good condition but 

 scanty. The party was gone seven days, liv- 

 ing in snow houses and experiencing a tem- 

 perature of 56 below zero. March 13th, 

 Brainerd with seven men started again and 

 placed a boat and provisions at the Polaris 

 boat camp, returning in seven days after suf- 

 fering intensely from a temperature of 61 be- 

 low zero. These movements were in prepa- 

 ration for a trip on which Lieut. Lockwood 

 startrd on the 3d of April with Brainerd, the 

 Esquimau, Frederick Christensen, and a dog- 

 teara, to explore the northern coast of Green- 

 land. They were supported as far as Cape 

 Bryan by a party of eight, and proceeded 

 thence with 25 days' provisions directly across 

 the ice to Cape Britannia. Here the land 

 trended to the west of north to Cape North, 

 where they turned to the northeastward 

 through a region never before trodden by 

 man. Stru-L'lin^ through a severe storm last- 

 ing seven days, they reached the highest point 

 allied toward the north pole, which 

 was called Lockwood Island, latitude 83 

 21-.V north, longitude 40 45' west, on the 

 13th of May. A point of land visible some 

 fifteen miles to the northeast was named Cape 



Robert Lincoln. They were forced to econo- 

 mize provisions and hasten their return on 

 account of the exhaustion of their supplies. 

 Vegetation was found to be scanty, and simi- 

 lar to that of Grinnell Land, but evidences of 

 animal life were abundant. Traces of hares, 

 lemmings, musk-oxen, bears, ptarmigan, and 

 snow - bunting, were seen between Cape Bri- 

 tannia and Lockwood Island. The coast was 

 high and abrupt, and cut by numerous fiords 

 an^ inlets. A cairn was erected covering a 

 record of the trip, and the party returned 

 southward May 15th, picking up the Union 

 Jack and sextant dropped by Lieut. Beaumont, 

 of the Nares expedition of 1875, and arriving 

 in camp June 1st, having been absent 59 days. 

 Dr. Pavy and Sergeant Rice, with a team of 

 nine dogs and the Esquimau driver Jens, had 

 set out on the 19th of March to discover laud 

 to the north of Cape Joseph Henry. Supplies 

 were advanced to the latter point. The sledge 

 breaking down, Rice and Jens returned on 

 foot, without sleeping-bags or tents, a distance 

 of fifty miles, and obtained anew runner, rejoin- 

 ing their leader in five days. On reaching lat. 

 82 56', a southerly gale detached the ice-pack 

 on which they were traveling, and they drifted 

 about for twenty -four hours with an open lane 

 of water between them and the land. A change 

 of wind drove them shoreward, and they man- 

 aged to escape with the loss of their tent 

 and supplies. They reached Fort Conger May 

 5th, without having accomplished anything of 

 value. 



Lieut. Greely made two trips into the inte- 

 rior of Grinnell Land during the summer. He 

 set out on April 25th, and was absent twelve 

 days, proceeding with sledges by Conybeare 

 Bay, which he found to lengthen out into Wey- 

 precht Fiord. Into the latter Ruggles River 

 discharged from the northwest. Following its 

 course for fifteen miles, he discovered a lake 

 sixty miles long by ten wide, which he called 

 Lake Hazen. The chief source of the water 

 seemed to be the ice-caps of northern Grinnell 

 Land. Musk-oxen, wolves, hares, and ptarmi- 

 gan were seen in the vicinity of the lake. The 

 most extensive glaciers of this region were 

 named Gilman Abbe and Henrietta Nesmith. 

 The second trip began June 24th. Lieut. Gree- 

 ly was accompanied by Sergt. Linn, and, carry- 

 ing packs of ninety pounds each, they advanced 

 fifty miles beyond the turning-point of the 

 former trip. They were forced to ford or swim 

 a number of streams, and were exposed to 

 much hardship. Two ranges of mountains 

 were discovered, running nearly parallel with 

 the United States range, which they called re- 

 spectively Garfield and Conger. The highest 

 peak was called Mount Chester A. Arthur, 6,000 

 feet in altitude. Lieut. Greely ascended this, 

 and was satisfied that Grinnell Land ended but 

 a short distance westward, with a coast-line 

 extending to the southwest from the extreme 

 point reached by Lieut. Aldrich, R. N., in 1876. 

 Evidences of ancient Esquimau camps were 



