48 



GEEELY RELIEF EXPEDITION. 



ness of the little band of survivors; the deserted winter quarters in 

 the hollow below, with its broken wall, invaded by the water from 

 the melting snow and ice about it; the dead bodies of two compan- 

 ions stretched out on the ice-foot that remained; the wretched apol- 

 ogy for cooking utensils, improvised by them in their sore distress, 

 hardly deserving the name ; the scattered and worn-out clothes and 

 sleeping-bags of the dead; the absence of all food, save a few cups 

 full of boiled seal-skin scraps; the wild and weird scene of snow, 

 ice, and glaciers overlooking and overhanging this desolate camp, 

 completed a picture as startling as it was impressive. 



It was more startling and deeply pathetic than I had ever dreamed 

 could be possible, In behdlding it and pondering over what had 

 taken place about me, the suggestion occurred that if the expedi- 

 tion's service had demonstrated any one thing more than another, it 

 was that an hour had its value to at least one of the rescued party. 



From this scene it was necessary to turn to the duty to be per- 

 formed while the gale was still holding the floe ice off the land. 

 About 1 p. m. the survivors were sufficiently strong to be carried on 

 stretchers to the steam and other cutters, and were taken on board 

 the ships during the fury of the gale. The surgeons and myself ac- 

 companied them. Lieutenant Emory was left on shore to exhume 

 the dead and to bring off everything belonging to the expedition 

 found in or around the camp. I did not return to the camp again. 

 The dead were buried on a ridge back of the camp, distant from it 

 perhaps fifty yards. 



The bodies of Privates Henry and Schneider were found on the ice- 

 foot west of the camp, the former distant about fifty, the latter about 

 one hundred and fifty yards. 



In exhuming the bodies, one at a time was taken up and wrapped 

 in blankets. Tickets or tags of canvas were sowed to them, marked 

 in the order of exhuming them, 1, 2, 3, &c. 



Lieutenant Emory drew a plot of this burying ground, with the 

 numbers of the graves marked in order of exhuming. This plot was 

 subsequently submitted to Sergeant Brainard, who had superintended 

 the burials. The names of the dead corresponding to these numbers 

 were marked under them. Their identity was complete. 



The bodies were carefully wrapped up and stowed in one of the 

 dories on board the Thetis. They were covered with ice and guarded 

 until tanks could be prepared to hold alcohol. This was done three 

 days afterwards, when six of the bodies were transferred to the Bear. 

 All the bodies were then placed in alcohol in the tanks, and so car- 

 ried to St. John's, Newfoundland. 



The orders to Lieutenant Emory were carried out with such 

 promptness and dispatch, that by 3 a. m., June 23, the bodies of all 

 the dead, as well as all records, instruments, clothing, and relics 

 found in camp, were on board the Thetis and Bear. Both ships 



