THE WORLD'S WONDERS. (>15 



OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE DISCOVERY. 



THE report of Commander Wintield Scott Schley, of the ex- 

 pedition under his command for the relief of the Greelv party, 

 was submitted to the Secretary of the Navy October 21, 1884. 

 It cites the orders under which the expedition was organized, and 

 then enters upon a graphic narrative of the events of the voyage. 



Early in the evening of June 7, the ships Thetis and Bear 

 reached Duck Islands, which locality Commander Schley terms 

 " a desired outpost for advance into the more perilious dangers 

 of Melville Bay." Violent gales, snow storms and dense fogs 

 now prevailed, delaying further progress until the morning of 

 June 11, when, open water having been observed through rifts 

 in the fog to the northwest, the lines were cast off and the 

 voyage was resumed. 



The usual perils of Arctic navigation were experienced upon 

 the northward journey from this point. Constant and anxious 

 watch was kept for opportunities to make headway. Mile by mile 

 a way was forced around obstructions and through dangerous 

 and tortuous leads until, on the morning of June 18, the neigh- 

 borhood of Cape York was reached. Here communication was 

 opened with the natives, but no tidings of Greely's party could 

 be obtained, 



Littleton Island was reached on June 21, up to which time 

 nothing had been heard of the objects of the search. The pas- 

 sage across to Payer Harbor was made on the afternoon of the 

 22d, during a heavy gale, and the vessels were moored to the 

 ice-foot with ice-anchors. Parties were started at once to visit 

 the cairns and caches at this point, in order that no opportunity 

 should be lost to push northward if no tidings of Greely were to 

 be found. Soon cheers were heard above the roaring winds by 

 those on shipboard, but could not be located accurately. In a 

 few minutes, seaman Yevvell made his appearance, almost out of 

 breath, and reported that Greely and his party were at Cape Sa- 

 bine. He brought and delivered to Commander Schley records 

 found bv Lieut. Tn.tmt in a cairn on Brevoort Island. The 

 records had been chiefly prepared by Lieut. Greely in person and 



