374 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
sledge journeys could be made along this coast, the Etah Esquimaux, who live 
near the mouth of Smith's Sound, would communicate with the Esquimaux of 
Danish settlements, whose existence they are well aware of. Especially would 
th^y be likely to do this in times of famine, when, if they could reach Danish 
settlements, they could get food. But they have never done it simply because it is 
not practicable, even for them, and still less for white men. I think it is too late 
to do anything for the relief of the Greely party this fall. If Lieut. Greely and 
his men are now at the mouth of Smith's Sound they can without doubt find the 
Etah Esquimaux. Some natives of the tribe are almost sure to be living either at 
Etah or Sorrfolik, near the mouth of the Sound. Whether the Esquimaux could 
and would help so large a party as that of Lieut. Greely through the winter or 
not, I do not know. It would depend upon circumstances, and during the winter 
we spent at Polaris house, the Etah Esquimaux couldn't have been able to help 
anybody, for the reason they were at the point of starvation most of the time 
themselves. There are only a few of them. The whole tribe consisted of about 
loo souls when we wintered in their country, and they are scattered along the 
the coast from the vicinity of Littleton Island to Cape York. I think there is a 
reasonable chance of Greely's being able to extricate his party from its difficulties. 
Lieut. Greely is, of course, in a dangerous situation, but it is possible for the 
party, if led with courage, skill and good judgment, to make its escape from 
almost any part of Smith's Sound unless the conditions are more than usually 
unfavorable. 
Capt. Tyson is confident the Greely party is on its way to a place of safety, 
and that if it is attended with ordinary good luck it will reach a point where it 
can winter over, and where it can be found next June or July. In any event, 
he thinks there would be little use in starting out now to find the men. He con- 
firms what has already been said about the hopelessness of trying to reach the 
shores of Kane Bay or Kennedy's Channel by sledging along the Greenland coast 
in the fall or winter. The Esquimaux of Upernavik and those living further up 
Melville Bay have no means of communication in winter, and if they cannot 
travel none others need try. 
Sir George Nares, the distinguished Arctic explorer, writes the Times a few 
hopeful words to friends and relatives of those composing the Greely expedition. 
He says that there is still hope that Lieut. Greely may have reached Port Foulke 
late in the season. 
Mr. Ford, of the New York Tribune, advises the sending of two vessels, one 
to go directly north and the other to skirt the Greenland coast north of Uper- 
navik, The practicability of sending an expedition around the east coast of 
Greenland and attempting to reach Greely station from the north has been sug- 
gested, but the plan at this stage finds few advocates. The voyage has never 
been made, but Jan Mayer and a number of German and Danish navigators have 
sailed within a very few degrees of the pole by taking the water between Spitz- 
bergen and Greenland, and it is stoutly maintained that there is an open sea to 
the north and west of that point. 
