42 



NATURE 



\Nov. 9, 1876 



On August 6, while the Alert was imprisoned by the 

 ice twenty miles north of Discovery Harbour, during her 

 passage down Robeson Channel, Lieut. Rawson and two 

 men arrived with letters from Capt. Stephenson contain- 

 ing the distressing intelligence that scurvy had attacked 

 the Greenland Division of sledges with as much severity 

 as it had visited the travellers from the Alert, and that 

 Lieut. Beaumont was then at Polaris Bay recruiting his 

 men. I must refer you. Sir, to Capt, Stephenson's letters 

 and to Lieut. Lewis A. Beaumont's report for a full detail 

 of the proceeding of this party, but I may here mention 

 the chief points. I have already reported their move- 

 ments up to May 5, when Dr. Coppinger : left them ; 

 Lieut. Beaumont with two sledge crews journeying to the 

 north-eastward along the north coast of Greenland, all 

 apparently in good health. A very few days after, James 

 J. Hand, A.B., who had passed the winter on board of 

 the Alert, showed symptoms of scurvy. As soon as the 

 nature of the disease was decided, Lieut. Beaumont de- 

 termined to send Lieut. Rawson with three men and the 

 invalid back to Polaris Bay, and to continue the explora- 

 tion with reduced numbers. Lieut. Wyatt Rawson parted 

 company on his return on May 1 1 ; but owing to two 

 more of his crew breaking down, leaving only himself 

 and one man strong enough to drag the sledge on which 

 lay the principal sufferer, and to look after the other two, 

 he only succeeded in reaching the depot on June 3, 

 James J. Hand unhappily dying from the extreme fatigue 

 a few hours after the arrival of the party at Polaris Bay. 

 Out of the other men forming the sledge crew, who had 

 all passed the winter on board the Alert, only one of 

 them — Elijah Rayner, Gunner, R.M.A. — escaped the in- 

 sidious disease ; George Bryant, ist class petty officer 

 and captain of the sledge, and Michael Regan, A.B., 

 were both attacked, the former, although in a, very bad 

 state, manfully refused to the last to be carried on the 

 sledge, knowing that his extra weight would endanger the 

 lives of all. 



I cannot praise Lieut= Rawson's conduct on this occa- 

 sion too highly ; it is entirely due to his genial but firm 

 command of his party, inspiriting as he did his crippled 

 band, who relied with the utmost confidence on him, that 

 they succeeded in reaching the depot. His return being 

 totally unexpected, no relief was thought of, nor, indeed, 

 were there any men to send. On June 7 Lieut. Fulford 

 and Dr. Coppinger, with Hans and the dog-sledge, re- 

 turned to Polaris Bay depot from the exploration of 

 Petermann Fiord ; and, with the help of some fresh seal 

 meat and the professional skill and care of Dr. Cop- 

 pinger, the malady was checked and the sick men gradu- 

 ally regained strength. 



Lieut. Beaumont, continuing his journey on May 21, 

 succeeded in reaching lat. 82° 18' N., long. 50° 40' W., 

 discovered land, apparently an island, but, owing to the 

 nature of the ice, probably a continuation of the Green- 

 land coast, extending to lat. 82° 54' N,, long. 48° 33' W. 

 By this time two more of the crew showed symptoms of 

 scurvy, and soon after the return journey was commenced 

 the whole party were attacked, until at last Lieut. Beau- 

 mont, Alexander Gray, sergeant-quartermaster captain of 

 the sledge, and Frank Jones, stoker, were alone able to 

 drag, the other four men having to be carried forward on 

 the sledge in detachments, which necessitated always 

 double and most frequently treble journeys over the 

 rough and disheartening icy road ; nevertheless, the gal- 

 lant band struggled manfully onwards, thankful if they 

 made one mile a day, but never losing heart ; but Lieut. 

 Beaumont's anxiety being intense lest relief should arrive 

 too late to save the lives of the worst cases. Not arriving 

 at Polaris Bay on the day expected, Lieut. Wyatt Raw- 

 son and Dr. Richard W. Coppinger, with Hans and the 

 dog-sledge, started on June 22 to look for them, the two 

 parties providentially meeting in Newman's Bay, twenty 

 miles from the depot. The following day Frank Jones 

 being unable to drag any longer, walked ; leaving the 



three officers and Alexander Gray to drag the four in- 

 valids, the dogs carrying on the provisions and equipage. 

 On the 27th Alexander Gray was obliged to give in, and 

 the officers had to drag the sledge by themselves. Gray 

 and Jones hobbling along as best they could. On the 

 28th, being within a day's march of the depot with the 

 dogs, the two worst cases were sent on in charge of Dr. 

 Coppinger, and arrived at the end of the march, but I 

 regret to state that Charles W. Paul, A.B., who joined 

 the expedition from the Valorous at Disco, at the last 

 moment, died shortly after their arrival. The remainder 

 of the party, helped by Hans and the dogs, arrived at the 

 depot on July i, and it being impossible to cross the strait 

 and return to the Discovery before the invabds were re- 

 cruited, at once settled themselves down for a month's 

 stay, those able to get about shooting game for the suf- 

 ferers with such success that they obtained a daily ration 

 of fresh meat. It was entirely due, under Providence, to 

 the timely assistance dispatched by Lieut. Rawson, who, 

 as senior ofificer at Polaris Bay, when there was not time 

 to cross Hall's Basin and inform Capt. S'ephenson of his 

 apprehensions, acted promptly on his own authority and 

 went to the relief of Lieut. Beaumont's party, that more 

 casualties did not occur. 



After such details it is scarcely necessary for me to 

 allude to the services of Lieut. Beaumont. The command 

 of the Greenland sledges, entailing as it did the crossing 

 and recrossing of Robeson Channel — which in 1872 re- 

 mained in motion all the season — required even greater 

 care and judgment than is always necessary in the leader 

 of an Arctic sledge party. My confidence in Lieut. Beau- 

 mont, as expressed in my original orders to him, was 

 fully borne out by his careful conduct of the party 

 throughout this trying and most harassing march. He 

 is a most judicious, determined, and intelligent leader, 

 and as such I bring his services to the notice of their 

 Lordships. 



Capt. Stephenson by personal inspection having satis- 

 fied himself that the resources of the Polaris depot wera 

 siifficient and appropriate for the subsistence of the men 

 detached to the Greenland shore, although naturally 

 anxious at their non-arrival on board the Discovery, was 

 not alarmed for their safety. On July 12 Lieut. Fulford, 

 with two men and the dog-sledge, were dispatched across 

 Hall's Basin to Discovery Bay, and arrived there on the 

 third day, having found the ice in motion oa the west side 

 of the channel, and experiencing much difficulty in effect- 

 ing a landing. On the receipt of the news Capt. Stephen- 

 son instantly started with a relief party, carr}ing medical 

 comforts, and arrived at Polaris Bay oa the 19th. On 

 the following day the ice was in motion on both sides of 

 the channel. On the 29th Capt. Stephenson, with Lieut. 

 Rawson, Hans, and four able men, with two invalids who 

 could walk, started with the dingy for Discovery Bay, 

 and after a very wet journey they landed on the west 

 shore on August 2, Lieut. Beaumont and Dr. Coppinger, 

 with five strong men, being left for a few days longer in 

 order to give the other two invalids further time to recruit. 

 The whole party ultimately re-crossed the Strait, and 

 arrived at Discovery Bay on August 14, having been 

 absent from their ship 120 days, several of the party who 

 had wintered on board of the Alert having been absent 

 since August 26 the previous year. 



Great praise is due to Dr. Richard W. Coppinger for 

 his skilful treatment of the disease ; living as he and the 

 party did for from six to eight weeks in tents on an Arctic 

 shore without extra resources or medicine?, except at the 

 last, it is much to his credit that on their arrival on 

 board the Discovery all the patients were able to perform 

 their ship duties. All speak in the highest terms of Hans 

 the Esquimaux, who was untiring in his exertions with 

 the dog-sledge, and in procuring game— it was owing to 

 his patient skill in shootmg seal that Dr. Coppinger was 

 able to regulate the diet somewhat to his satisfaction. 

 Lieut. Regmald B. Fulford, and Dr. Richard W. Cop- 



