X INTRODUCTION. 



vestige of the vessel which he had left there was seen. It had probably drifted 

 out to sea with the ice, and subsequently been crushed and sunk. 



The principal expedition from' the vessel, which at first consisted of all the avail- 

 able members of the company, started on the fourth of April. It was furnished 

 with a life-boat twenty feet long on ruianers, two teams of dogs, and proAdsions 

 for seven persons for five months, and an additional supply for six persons and one 

 team for six weeks. The intention was to cross directly over the ice of Smith's 

 Straits to the western shore, and thence to continue the exploration northward as 

 far as circumstances would permit ; but this plan was frustrated by the condition 

 of the ice and open water, which compelled them to travel along the eastern shore. 

 The ice in the strait did not, however, improve as they advanced, but was crowded 

 into ridges and lumimocks more extensive than had ever before been seen; and 

 finally, after three weeks' trial, it was found impracticable to transport the boat, 

 prepared expressly for exploration in the polar water, across the straits, and Dr. 

 Hayes was reluctantly obliged to send it back with most of the party, reserving 

 for the further exploration three picked companions, two sleds, and fourteen dogs. 

 With this reduction of force, the perilous journey was continued ; but the hum- 

 mocks became worse, and although the distance was only about forty miles in 

 a direct line from the western coast, fourteen days were consumed in the journey. 



The route they pursued was nearly the same as that followed in 1854 by Dr. 

 Hayes under the direction of Dr. Kane, and aii opportunity was thus aflforded to 

 make some important additions and corrections to the sketch of the shore line 

 which had formerly been given. It was found that a channel or sound opening 

 Avestward from Smith's Straits, separated EUesmere Land from Grinnell Land, and 

 that in the mouth of this sound are two large islands, to one of which the name 

 of Bache, and to the other that of Henry was given. On the 12th of May Kennedy 

 Channel was entered and the coast followed as it trends nearly due north to Eitter 

 Bay. This point was reached on the 16th, when two of the party became exhausted 

 by fatigue, and the exploration was continued for three days longer by Dr. Hayes 

 and his assistant, Mr. George F. Knorr, and reached, May 18th, the latitude 81° 

 37', about forty-one nautical miles beyond the limit of exploration under Dr. Kane 

 and on the opposite side of the channel. To the highest point actually attained 

 the name of Cape Lieber was given, and that of Church to a remarkable peak in the 

 vicinity. On the north of Cape Lieber there opened a large bay, to which the name 

 of Lady Franklin had been assigned by Kane ; also on the north were seen a head- 

 land called Cape Beechey, and beyond another high point which was named, in honor 

 of His Majesty the King of Denmark, Cape Frederick VII., and still farther in 

 the distance a third projecting point was observed, which was designated Cape 

 Union. 



Returning upon the same track, the expedition reached the vessel after an absence 

 of fifty-nine days, only seven dogs being alive, rendering further exploration in this 

 way impracticable. The remainder of the time until the vessel was released from 

 the ice was devoted to such surveys as could be made in the vicinity of Port Foulke, 

 and the continuance of the observations of physical phenomena. 



They were joined by a tribe of Esquimaux inhabiting the coast between Smith's 



