ARCTIC EXPLORATION. 



37 



From November 1st the rations had heen re- 

 duced to four and a third ounces meat and blub- 

 ber, six and a half ounces bread and dog-bis- 

 cuit, one and two fifths canned vegetables and 

 rice, three fourths butter and lard, nine tenths 

 soups and beef-extract, one ounce cloud-berries, 

 pickles, raisins, and milk. On this basis it was 

 calculated that the supplies would last till March 

 1st, with ten days' reserve for crossing to Little- 

 ton Island, but the gales that prevailed all win- 

 ter prevented the sound from closing. Efforts 

 were made to keep up cheerfulness by reading 

 over and over again their scanty literature, in- 

 cluding scraps of newspaper found in a box of 

 lemons left by Garlington, and by lectures and 

 anecdotes. A show of celebrating birthdays 

 and holidays was also kept up, but nothing 

 could relieve the utter dreariness and apparent 

 hopelessness of the situation. Sergeant Cross 

 died Jan. 18th, of scurvy, it was said. On the 

 1st of February, Rice and the Esquimau made 

 an attempt to reach Littleton Island, but were 

 compelled to return after six days' absence, hav- 

 ing found the water open. The minimum tem- 

 perature was 50 below zero in January. The 

 supplies were eked out by a few Arctic foxes, 

 dovekies, and ptarmigan shot near the camp. 

 Long, with the Esquimaux, set out March 13th 

 for Alexandria Harbor to look for game, but 

 returned empty-handed in three or four days. 

 Long, on this trip, discovered, from the western 

 side of Mount Carri, three capes in Hazen 

 Sound beyond the farthest reported by Nares. 

 Early in April the food began to consist large- 

 ly of salt shrimps or sea-flies, of which it took 

 1,300 to fill a gallon-measure, which contained 

 little nutriment, lichens, sea-weed, saxifrage, and 

 boiled seal-skin, though a trifling amount was 

 still given out from the carefully husbanded 

 supplies. In April a small seal and a bear were 

 shot. On the 4th of April the Esquimau 

 Frederick succumbed, being the first to die of 

 starvation. On the 17th of that month the 

 other Esquimau was drowned, depriving the 

 party of the use of the kyak in recovering 

 game shot in the water. There being no hope 

 of reaching Littleton Island, Rice and Freder- 

 icks volunteered to go to Baird Inlet to obtain 

 the English meat supposed to be cached at a 

 place named Bad Creek, fifteen miles from the 

 camp. They started April 6th, but encountered 

 terrific gales, and on the fourth day Rice died 

 on the ice, of exposure and exhaustion. Fred- 

 ericks returned to the camp, and went back 

 next day and buried Rice on the ice-floe. From 

 this time the men fell off rapidly from starva- 

 tion. For several weeks before the rescue no 

 regular rations were served out, and the sur- 

 viving men spent most of the time in a half- 

 lethargic state in their sleeping-bags. On the 

 4th of May, the winter hut, which was only 

 six feet above high water, had been abandoned, 

 and the survivers moved up the hill and lived 

 under a tent. 



Long and Brainerd were the strongest of the 

 party, and were the first to hear the signal of 



the steam-launch from the rescuing vessels. 

 All had been without food for twenty-four 

 hours, and all but these two were on the very 

 verge of starvation. They helped each other to 

 crawl out of the tent, and managed to clamber 

 up a little height, but, seeing nothing, Brain- 

 erd turned hopelessly back. Long continued 

 to watch until he descried the boat, and then 

 succeeded in raising the signal at the old camp. 

 With tottering steps and glaring eyes he met 

 Capt. Ash as he landed, and, in a few minutes, 

 relief entered the tent of the almost dying 

 party. Connell was recovered with difficulty, 

 and Ellison died after the rescue. 



The bodies of the dead, which had been 

 buried near the camp, were exhumed, identi- 

 fied, wrapped up, and packed in ice, until tanks 

 of alcohol could be prepared for their trans- 

 portation. These were ready in three days, 

 and the bodies were placed in them, wrapped 

 in strips of cotton cloth. On the 23d of June, 

 Lieut. Emory returned from Payer Harbor to 

 the Cape Sabine camp, and made a careful ex- 

 amination of the neighborhood, and, on his 

 return, the ships crossed to Littleton Island. 

 The vessels were subsequently brought togeth- 

 er at Disco, and set out thence for St. John's, 

 as already related. With the exception of the 

 collier, Loch Garry, the vessels were detained 

 at St. John's until iron caskets could be pro- 

 vided for the dead, and memorial services were 

 held in the churches of that city on Sunday, 

 July 20th. Sick-leave was granted to the men 

 of the Greely party, who were all progressing 

 favorably, and the vessels were directed to ren- 

 dezvous at Portsmouth. They left St. John's 

 July 26th, and arrived at Portsmouth Aug. 

 1st. They were met there by Secretary Chan- 

 dler, and Gen. Hazen and other visitors, and a 

 touching scene occurred when Lieut. Greely's 

 mother and wife were brought on board the 

 Thetis. The party were transferred to com- 

 fortable quarters in the city of Portsmouth, 

 and on the 4th of August a public demonstra- 

 tion of welcome took place. Those in whose 

 honor it was chiefly given were unable to join 

 in the procession, but were present at the re- 

 viewing stand at the Rockingham House. Their 

 weakness would not permit of their presence 

 at a public meeting, which was held at the 

 Music Hall, where an address of welcome was 

 delivered by the mayor of the city. Secretary 

 Chandler gave the audience an account of the 

 services of Greely and his men, and of the 

 efforts for their relief and rescue, and compli- 

 mentary addresses were made by Gov. Hale, 

 of New Hampshire ; the Hon. S. J. Randall, of 

 Pennsylvania; Gen. Hazen, and others. The 

 vessels of the Relief Expedition left Ports- 

 mouth for New York, Aug. 5th, and arrived 

 there with the remains of the dead on the even- 

 ing of the 7th. The bodies were landed on the 

 8th at Governor's Island, with appropriate 

 ceremonies, there to be delivered into the charge 

 of sorrowing friends and relatives. Eleven 

 iron caskets were placed side by side in the 



