THE WHITE WORLD 



days toward land which seemed to be visible to the eye, 

 and yet, as the ship advanced, appeared to be farther and 

 farther away. In face of this extraordinary circumstance, 

 we could readily understand the superstition of the sailors 

 of the early days. 



Several of the expeditions were disastrous, resulting in 

 loss of life. Our work also, was greatly hampered by the 

 sickness and suffering of our members, only five or six 

 being fit to go out. We did not meet with any great suc- 

 cess, as we were only enabled to go one hundred miles 

 north, to 8i° 30' latitude. However, Kennedy Channel 

 was discovered to be comparatively open water, and, while 

 it was impossible to make a channel for the ship, it gave 

 us such information of the proper course to pursue that 

 it enabled Hall and Sir James Nares of England, to make 

 a much higher latitude; and the Greely Expedition, which 

 met with scarcely any obstruction, to establish itself at 

 latitude 82 50' (Fort Conger) with very little difficulty. 

 Our discovery was certainly of great value to later ex- 

 plorers. 



Week after week, month after month, passed, but the 

 ice in Rensselaer Bay did not break up sufficiently to 

 enable us to escape with the vessel. Great efforts were 

 made to move the ship, but it could be done only for a few 

 hundred yards, and then we were hemmed in again. The 

 hope of escape passed from our minds. 



After efforts were made by Dr. Kane to move south- 

 ward, he returned to the ship with the feeling that we 

 could not get out of the bay that year. He therefore gave 

 to any or all the right and privilege to make an effort to 

 reach Upernavik through the passage of Melville Bay, if 

 they desired to do so. Eight of the expedition, leaving 

 ten behind, started on that journey, but we encountered 

 such heavy ice that we made no progress. The " young " 

 ice formed over night heavy enough to render it impossi- 

 ble to break through with the boats, and we were com- 

 pelled to give it up. In the early part of December fol- 

 lowing, after an absence of four months, the party was 

 compelled to return to the ship. We were comparatively 

 free from scurvy, and thanked Providence that our lives 

 had been spared. 



