54 GREELY RELIEF EXPEDITION. 



off by collision with smaller floes closing in astern of the ship. 

 This new damage was repaired in about two hours by Lieutenant 

 Sebree, and both ships continued their way towards the Devil's 

 Thumb and the Sugar Loaf Mountain, prominent points of depart- 

 ure in crossing Melville Bay. Near the latter point the Alert and 

 Loch Garry were fallen in with about, 7. 30 p. m., beset in the ice 

 pack. Th.e Thetis and Bear broke their way up and released them. 

 Orders were given Commander Coffin and Ensign Chambers, of the 

 Loch Garry, to follow the Thetis and Bear, in line ahead. By 9 

 p. m. all leads to the southward had closed up under the influence 

 of the flood tide and a southerly wind. Dense fog soon obliged all 

 vessels to come to with ice anchors to a large ice floe to await clear- 

 ing weather. 



Commander Coffin reported on board and delivered our mail. He 

 informed me that he had sailed from New York May 10, and had 

 reached St. John's May 19, in obedience to the following orders : 



U. S. S. Thetis, 

 Navy-Yard, New York, April 30, 1884. 



Sir : The 4Zer< being one of the vessels of the expedition of 1884 for the relief of 

 Lieutenant Greely, at Lady Franklin Bay, you will take on board, with the utmost 

 dispatch, the stores and other equipments now ready, and proceed with her under 

 your command, at the earliest moment to St. John's, Newfoundland, thence to God- 

 haven, Upernavik, and Littleton Islands, on the west coast of ^Greenland, 



Your stay at St. John's will be Ihnited to the time necessary to replace the coal 

 used in making the passage, and to receive two pairs of seal-skin boots and one Elsi- 

 nore cap for each person on board ; at Godhaven and Uisernavik to communicate 

 with the Danish authorities for information as to the movements of the advance 

 vessels, and to procure an Esquimaux interpreter, whom you will probably find 

 awaiting your arrival. Thence you will proceed to Littleton Island, at the entrance 

 to Smith's Sound, touching en route at Conical Island, Cape Pany, and Cape Alex- 

 ander, where you will find cairns erected containing information for your guidance. 



Should you find, on your arrival at Littleton Island, which ought to be about the 

 last week in June (if practicable), the Thetis and Bear absent to the northward, you 

 will organize a sledge party, consisting of at least eight persons, with provisions for 

 forty or fifty days, instructing the officer in charge to search the east coast of Kane 

 Basin to the vicinity of Humboldt Glacier, for information regarding Lieutenant 

 Greely or any of his party, and to return by September 1, at the latest. 



This done you will proceed with the Alert to Foulke Fiord, distant some 4 or 5 

 miles, where you will land and erect the house provided at New York for the pur- 

 pose, storing in it all the provisions possible, leaving in your vessel only enough to 

 enable you to reach New York ; land about 40 tons of coal, and place in charge of 

 one officer and two men, furnishing them with three guns, 2,000 rounds of amuni- 

 tion, one whale boat, and White's steam cutter, fully equipped. 



To facihtate the erection of the house drawings will be furnished you, in which 

 every timber is marked and showing how each is to be placed, and to avoid con- 

 fusion you wUl confer, together with your executive officer and carpenter, with the 

 constructor at the yard for explanation of the same. 



At Foulke Fiord you will probably find a transport coal steamer ; from her you 

 will take what coal may remain of the 500 tons can-ied for the ships of the expedi- 

 tion, after landing the 40 tons for the use of the house. 



