GREELY RELIEF EXPEDITION. 31 



ficulties the ship was continued northward, ramming her way through 

 weaker floes or by avoiding heavier ones. Being too thick to dis- 

 tinguish the land it was necessary to average courses by going east 

 of one floe and west of another towards Svarten Huk and Upernavik, 

 where the Thetis and Loch Garry arrived at 8 a. m. , May 29. Twenty 

 consecutive hours of the twenty-f our had been passed in the "crow's 

 nest," with no comfort beyond the fact that esch hour of the time 

 reduced the interval of seiaaration from the Greely party. 



At Upernavik we came up with the Bear and the steam whalers 

 Polynia, Triune, and Nova Zemhla. The Arctic and PFbZ/ arrived 

 later in the day. Lieutenant Emory reported the Aurora, Corn- 

 wallis, and Narwhal beset in tie pack to the westward of the Brown 

 Islands, some 18 miles north. 



The Loch Garry was sent alongside the Bear to fill the bunkers 

 of the latter with coal. During this interval .of delay I called upon 

 the governor of the district Mr. Elberg, and secured the services 

 of Nicolai Broberg, Eskimo, as interpreter. 



At Upernavik all my information indicated the ice unbroken and 

 packed to the northward, and much too formidable to expose the 

 Loch Garry, unfitted as she was for ice work. Accordingly verbal 

 instructions were given her master to land sixty tons of coal for the 

 Alert, and to await the latter's arrival later in the season before at- 

 tempting the passage of Melville Bay. Orders to this effect were 

 left for Commander Coffin : 



U. S. S. Thetis, 

 Upemamk, Oreenland, May 39, 1884. 

 Sir : The coal steamer Loch Garry is left here to come on later under your con- ■ 

 voy, the Ice to the northward making it unsafe to venture with her so early in the 

 season. 



The Bear and myself go at once to the northward and will leave a record for 

 you at Conical Rock, Cape Parry, and Littleton Island. The cairns will be desig- 

 nated by poles with black flags on them and the notices will be in bottles. The 

 western points of islands, capes, and headlands will be chosen for the cairns. Leave 

 a record as you find them both going and returning. Fill up your bunkers from 

 the steamer and land from her fifty tons at Foulke Fiord to supply the house. 



We have a rumor here of five white men to the northward in the vicinity of 

 Cape York ; hence my anxiety to get on, as two whalers are ahead of us, but I think 

 I can catch them ; at all events I shall push to the utmost. 

 All are well and in fine spirits; weather cold; ice heavy and thick. 

 Hoping you are well, I am, very sincerely, yours, 



» W. S. SCHLEY, Commander, U.S.N., 



Commanding Greely Belief Expedition. 

 Commander G. W. Coffin, U. 8.N., 



Commanding U. S. S. Alert. 



At 5 p. m., the .Bear having finished coaling, both ships sailed in 

 company for Kingitok Islands, touching, en route, at one or 'two 

 points to secure seal meat for the dogs. Governor Elberg accom- 



