GEEELY RELIEF EXPEDITION, 61 



in witli for several days, but when in the vicinity of the Funk Isl- 

 ands, on the coast of Labrador, northof St. John's, a fresh southeast 

 gale sprung up and continued during the night of July 15, with thick 

 fog and quite a heavy sea. 



The Loch Garry labored so much during the morning with the 

 increasing sea, she cast ofE the Alert and Ipok position astern of 

 Thetis, six cables distant; the other ships keeping in position on 

 starboard and port quarters, three cables distant. 



The wind and sea increased very much during the night, and our 

 position under these circumstances being somewhat nearer to the 

 Funk Islands than was prudent, the course was changed more off- 

 shore and speed reduced to two knots, to enable the Alert to main- 

 tain her position. At 2.30 a. m, her lights were lost sight of in the 

 thick fog ; when daylight came, nothing could be seen of her. The 

 three ships stood on under low speed for the appointed rendezvous, 

 25 miles northeast of Cape Spear, but, thick weather continuing, it 

 was deemed useless to remain there ; accordingly, course was shaped 

 for St. John's, where the Thetis, Bear, and Loch Garry arrived at 

 9 a. m. July 17. The following telegram was sent to you : 



[Telegram.] 



St. John's, N. F., July 17, 1884. 

 Hon. W. E. Chandler, 



Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 



Thetis, Bear, and Loch Garry ai-rived here to-day fi'om West Greenland, all well, 

 separated in gale from Alert yesterday 150 miles north. At 10 p. m. June 22, five 

 miles west of Cape Sabine, in Smith's Sound, Thetis and Bear rescued alive Lieut. 

 A. W. Greely, Sergeant Brainard, Sergeant Fredericks, Sergeant Long, Hospital 

 Steward Bierderbick, Sergeant Elison, and Private ConneU, the only survivors of 

 the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition. 



Sergeant Ehson had lost both hands and feet by frost bite and died at Godhaven 

 July 8, three days after amputation, which had become imperative. Seventeen of 

 the twenty-five persons composing the expedition perished by starvation at the 

 point where found; one was drowned while sealing to procure food; twelve bodies 

 of the dead were recovered and are now on board Thetis and Bear. One Eskimo, 

 Frederick, was buried at Disco, in accordance with desire of the inspector of North 

 Greenland. Five bodies buried in ice-foot near the camp were swept away to sea 

 by winds and currents before my arrival and could not be recovered. Names of 

 dead recovered, with date of death, follows : Sergeant Cross, January 18, 1884 ; 

 Frederick, Eskimo, April 5; Sergeant Linn, April 6; Lieutenant Lockwood, April 

 9; Sergeant Jewell, April 12; Private EUis, May 19; Sergeant Ealston, May 33; Pri- 

 vate Whisler, May 24; Sergeant Israel, May 27; Lieutenant KisUngbury, June 1; 

 Private Henry, June 6; Private Schneider, Jime 18. Names of dead buried in the ice- 

 foot, with date of death whose bodies were not recovered, follows : Sergeant Rice, 

 April 9, 1884; Corporal Salor, June 3; Private Bender, June 6; Acting Assistant Sur- 

 geon Pavy, June 6; Sergeant Gardiner, June 12; drowned by breaking through newly 

 formed ice, while sealing, Jens Edwards, Eskimo, AprU 24. I would urgently sug- 

 gest that bodies now on board be placed in metallic cases here for safer and better 

 transportation in a sea-way ; this appears to me imperative. 



Greely abandoned Fort Conger August 9, 1883, reached Baird Inlet September 

 29, f oUowiag, vidth party all well. Abandoned aU his boats and was adrift for thirty 



