THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 595 



health, for Cape Sabine, which they reached after a dreadful 

 journey of two month's duration. 



On reaching Cape Sahine, Lieut. Garlington's record of the 

 loss of the Proteus (which will be described hereafter), was dis- 

 covered, and the poor fellows then learned that another winter, 

 on short allowance, was before them. For eight months, be- 

 tween October 21, when the camp was established, and June 22, 

 it seems Greely and his followers had only the scant allowance 

 of food brought with them from Fort Conger ; some supplies, 

 much damaged, cached in 1875 by Sir George Nares at two or 

 three points passed on. the retreat; a small amount saved from 

 the Proofs in 1882 (July 23), and landed by Liesi*. 'Darling- 

 ton and Colwell on the beach. 



CHAPTER XXXI 



THE RETURN FROM FORT CONGER. 



THE march from Fort Conger tc Cape Sabme was replete with 

 intense suffering and narrow escapes. Upon reaching Baird In- 

 let, on the 29th of September, Greely had to abandon his noats 

 and was adrift for thirty days on an ice-floe in Smith's Sound. 

 By rare good luck they were driven upon Cape Sabine on the 31st 

 of October, 1883. A permanent camp was established here, and 

 named Camp Clay, in honor of a nephew of the great statesman, 

 who accompanied the expedition to Disco Island, but returned on 

 the Proteus. They expected relief to reach thsin at this point, 

 according to the promises made in his instructions from the gov- 

 ernment. Littleton Island is just across the Sound from Camp 

 Clay, but owing to violent gales and ice, they were unable to 

 make a crossing. 



INDESCRIBABLE SUFFERING. 



ALL the provisions brought with them from Fort Conger were 

 fairly exhausted before the expedition reached Sabine (Jape, so 

 that when they went into camp, it was with the gloomiest pros- 



