Winterings in the Arctic Regions during the last fifty years. 357 



During this second winter the first engineer and the steward 

 died — the former by an apoplectic attack, and the latter of scurvy, 

 because he obstinately rejected all precautions, lived almost ex- 

 clusively upon salt meat, and was also somewhat addicted to the 

 use of spirits. Nearly all the crew suffered more or less from 

 scurvy; and Lieutenant Hobson especially was rather severely 

 attacked by it. However, all soon recovered. On the sledge- 

 journeys, as might be expected, they were a good deal affected 

 by frost ; but all evil consequences disappeared on their return 

 on board the ship. On the 23rd of September 1859 the ship 

 lay in good condition in the docks of London. 



The intelligence of the melancholy fate of Franklin's expedition 

 was followed by the exhaustion natural after such enormous ex- 

 ertions. Since this period no arctic expedition has been sent out 

 from England ; but Dr. J. J. Hayes, the companion of Kane on 

 his second voyage, procured the means of fitting out an expedi- 

 tion to Smith Sound*, and started well equipped from Bos- 

 ton, in July 1860, in the sailing schooner ( United States/ of 

 133 tons, with a company of fourteen men (among whom was 

 the astronomer Sonntag, who had already accompanied Kane on 

 his second voyage), to which were subsequently added three 

 Europeans and three Eskimos, and, lastly, the Eskimo Hans with 

 his family, already known by having accompanied Kane's expe- 

 dition. His object was to reach a harbour on the east coast of 

 Grinnell Land before the commencement of winter, and thence 

 if possible to pass through Kennedy's Channel and penetrate 

 into the polar sea seen by Morton. This object, however, he 

 did not attain, but was obliged to remain in Port Foulke, 20' of 

 latitude further south than Rensselaer Harbour, and situated at 

 the entrance of Smith Sound — much to his regret, as that sound 

 is always difficult to pass through. From this point, where he 

 took up his quarters for the winter, he attempted in October of 

 the same year to make a sledge-journey into the interior of the 

 country, but was compelled to return by a cutting north wind 

 against which it was impossible to contend for any length of 

 time. Nevertheless this short journey into the interior furnished 

 interesting information as to the glaciers of Greenland. 



Whilst the people specially fitted for them undertook scientific 

 operations, such as meteorological, magnetic, and pendulum ob- 

 servations, the others were sent upon the chase, and brought an 

 extraordinary quantity of game into the kitchen. As they had 

 no dogs, Hayes sent Sonntag with Hans to the Eskimos living- 

 further to the south in order to procure some. After an absence 

 of a month Hans returned alone, and reported that Sonntag had 



* The Open Polar Sea, by Dr. J. J . Hayes. German edition by Coste- 

 noble, Jena, 1868. 



