GREELY RELIEF EXJPEDITlON. 39 



in that direction was convinced th.at his better route was to regain 

 the shore leads and to follow them to the Carey Islands. 



Approaching Cape York the same afternoon the ice conditions were 

 f oiind entirely changed. A southwest wind, accompanied by snow, 

 had driven extensive floes of ice into the large water space the ships 

 had traversed the morning of that day, and with no open water in 

 sight the Bear was obliged to force her way up to the land ice off 

 Cape York, to remain there beset until the morning of June 20, shift- 

 ing position continually, as the grinding floes would render each new 

 one precarious. Several hours later the Arctic, Wolf, and Aurora, 

 Dvindee whalers, were seen approaching, but they failed to force their 

 way nearer than a league of the Bear's position. 



The Aurora appeared badly nipped at this time and lowered all of 

 her boats on to the ice, as if preparing to abandon her. 



During the morning of June 20 the wind shifted from southeast to 

 northeast, with heavy snow. This shift of wind slackened the ice and 

 released the Bear. The Aurora was eased from her nip by the same 

 influences. 



Taking advantage of this release the Bear forced her way to the 

 Carey Islands after an unceasing combat of thirty-eight hours, in a 

 blinding snow-storm, imperiled hourly by the heaviest ice and increas- 

 ing difiiculties of its movement. 



During much of this time it was almost impossible to distinguish 

 leads beyond a ship's length ahead. Several times during this passage 

 the Bear was beset with heavy ice and was in much danger. By 7.30 

 p. m., June 21, the weather cleared and the Carey Islands were ob- 

 served about two miles distant, north-northeast. At 9 p. m. they 

 were reached and the ship was secured to a grounded floeberg adja- 

 cent the cache established by Sir George Nares in 1876. The pro- 

 visions of this cache were sampled and found excellently preserved. 



As Lieutenant Emory found here no record of Lieutenant Greely 

 he sailed at 11 p. m., heading for clear water to the northward, indi- 

 cated by a "water blink," or water sky, in that direction, and for 

 several hours was required to force his way through the heavy and 

 troublesome pack, but he succeeded at last in gaining open water. 



Assisted by a fresh southerly gale blowing at this time. Lieutenant 

 Emory made the best of his way to Littleton Island, where he rejoined 

 the Thetis about noon of Sunday, June 22 . 



When the Bear left the Carey Islands the Dundee whalers Arctic 

 and Aurora were seen to the southward and westward, working 

 through the pack in the direction of Lancaster Sound. 



Records for Commander Coffin were left at Littleton Island and 

 those for Emory taken up. The Beebe cache of provisions there was 

 increased to 1,000 rations, and both ships sailed for the liorth about 

 3 p. m., in a moderate gale. They reached. Payer Harbor at 7 p. m. 



