GEEELY RELIEF EXPEDITION. 23 



The outfit being completed and received on board by tbe morning 

 of April 24, Lieutenant Emory sailed with the Bear at 3.30 p. m. of 

 that day for St. John's, Newfoundland, and thence for the coast of 

 Greenland. 



The popular demonstration of sympathy with the object of this 

 expedition was widespread and very gratifying. Thousands of our 

 people Adsited the navy-yard to see the vessel off, while the New 

 York and Brooklyn sides of the East River were crowded with per- 

 sons wishing her Godspeed. Steamers saluted with whistle blasts, 

 while all hands cheered her until out of sight. 



On her way outward to St. John's the Bear met unusually severe 

 gales and dense fogs, but was not delayed thereby, as her commander 

 and his officers and men fully understood the importance of every 

 hour which bore them onward toward the imperiled party. 



She reached St. John's on May 1, seven days from New York, and 

 only remained sufficiently long to effect some repairs, made necessary 

 by her rough passage from New York, and to take on board coal to 

 replace that consumed; to procure seal-skin boots, Elsinore caps, and 

 Labrador dogs obtained by the consul and awaiting her arrival. 



Sailing May 4, her energetic commanding officer pushed onward to 

 Godhaven through gales, ice floes, ice fields, and fogs, and reached 

 that point ilay 13. At St. John's he learned that several Dundee 

 whalers had preceded him, and also at Disco that these same vessels 

 had pushed northward. Lieutenant Emory sailed immediately north, 

 bvit found the ice about Hare Island absolutely impenetrable at this 

 season. He very properly returned to Godhaven to await a northerly 

 gale to open the ice, rather than risk his ship on the edge of the pack 

 exposed to the dangers of a southerly gale in such position. 



Several days elapsed, however, before a gale occurred from the 

 proper direction. During this interval of delay Lieutenant Emory 

 exercised his crew in abandoning ship on the ice-foot at the mouth 

 of the harbor. Toi'pedoes were exploded to test their effect, and pro- 

 visions were got up and stowed abreast of boats. 



On May 21 a northerly gale set in, when the Bear was pushed north 

 into the formidable ice-pack south of Hare Island, in the Waigat 

 Straits. 



He was delayed by formidable ice barriers in this vicinity for a 

 day or two, but continued the struggle in densely packed ice of great 

 thickness, rendered much more dangerous by the rapid tidal currents 

 which set large floes in motion after the first break-up. 



Holding in with the land and following all leads through tortuous 

 channels, he worked in under the coast about Noursoak, on the north 

 side of Waigat Straits. There he was forced to await patiently until 

 the ice should move or break from the Omenak Fiord in the direction 

 of Black Cape (called Svarten Huk on the admiralty charts). 



