62 THE VOYAGE TO LADY FRANKLIN BAY. 



lished. This programme lias for the most part been success- 

 fully carried out, and the important and far-reaching results 

 will be made known to the world in due time. 



Lieutenant Adolphus W. Greely, an able Officer in the 

 United States Signal Service, an enthusiast on the subject 

 of Arctic discovery, and a man of acknowledged bravery, 

 was appointed to take command of the Lady Franklin Bay 

 Expedition. Two other Acting Officers from the Signal Ser- 

 vice, Second Lieutenants Frederick F. Bislingbury and James 

 B. Lockwood were also selected. The expeditionary force 

 when completely organized consisted of twentj^-five men, 

 including Dr. Octave Pavy the surgeon of the party, and 

 two Esquimaux which were taken on board on the coast of 

 Greenland. 



Lieutenant Greely sailed from St. Johns, N. F., July T, 

 1S81, on the steamship Proteus^ bound to Lady Franklin 

 Bay. Five days afterward, the expedition encountered 

 huge bodies of ice. Passing safelj through the pack, the 

 harbor of Godhaven, on the coast of Greenland, was reached. 

 Here the first stop was made, and fourteen dogs and two 

 sledges were taken on board, also several tons of walrus 

 flesh and dried fish. Upernavik, the last point of communi- 

 cation between Europe and America, was safely reached on 

 the 23d, where a six days halt was made to procure addi- 

 tional supplies. Proceeding due north, Melville Bay, which 

 usually abounds in the treacherous ice pack, was soon entered. 

 All went well. Tlie previous winter had been unusually 

 mild, and the ice had broken up some time before, leaving 

 the passage clear. Steaming onward at full speed, Littleton 

 Island was reached August 2. Three hours later Cape 

 Sabine was passed. Here the Neptune the following year was 

 turned back, and the Proteus^ in 1883, was crushed in the pack; 

 strange to say Lieut. Greely passed through at full speed, and 

 August 4th arrived in Lady Franklin Bay. Here the first 

 obstruction was found. For seven days he was detained by an 



