i 4 o THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



On the 23rd it became necessary to carry both Dobing 

 and Craig. The last journey under such terrible con- 

 ditions may be described in Beaumont's words : " On the 

 evening of the 24th we started for our last journey with 

 the sledge, as I thought ; for finding that Jones and Gray 

 were scarcely able to pull, I had determined to reach the 

 shore at the plain, pitch the tent, and walk over by my- 

 self to Polaris Bay to see if there was any one there to 

 help us ; if not, come back, and sending Jones and Gray, 

 who could still walk, to the depot, remain with the sick 

 and get them on as best I could. But I thank God 

 it did not come to this, for as we were plodding along 

 the now water-sodden floe towards the shore, I saw what 

 turned out to be a dog-sledge and three men, and soon 

 after had the pleasure of shaking hands with Lieutenant 

 Rawson and Dr. Coppinger. Words cannot express the 

 pleasure, relief, and gratitude we all felt at this timely 

 meeting. 11 



Newman Bay depot was reached next day. Hans, 

 who arrived with Rawson and Coppinger, made good 

 use of his skill as a driver. Both Paul and Jenkins 

 were now in a critical condition, so it was decided on 

 the 28th that Dr. Coppinger and Hans, with the two 

 men on the eight-man sledge drawn by the dogs, should 

 start for the Polaris Bay depot. Paul, however, gradu- 

 ally grew weaker, and died on the afternoon of the 

 29th. 



It will be convenient here to go back to Rawson's 

 journey to Polaris Bay after leaving Beaumont. Owing 

 to two more of his crew breaking down, leaving only 

 himself and one man, E. Rayner, strong enough to drag the 

 sledge, they did not succeed in reaching Polaris Bay till 

 the 3rd of June, after a most arduous journey on reduced 

 rations, and dining several days of which Rawson was 

 himself so badly affected with snow-blindness that he had 



