306 
APPENDIX NO. II. 
frozen area. With this object I organized a party of our strongest 
men (all volunteers) under my personal charge, and sent an advanced 
corps under Mr. Brooks, the euergetie first officer of the expedition, 
to place a relief-cargo of provisions at ten days' journey from the 
brig. 
On the 27th of March, the ninth day of their absence, a heavy gale 
from the north-northeast broke upon this party. The thermometer 
fell to 57° below zero; and the ice-ridges (hummock-lines) were so 
obstructed by snow-drift that they could not deposit their stores beyond 
fifty miles from the brig. Four of the most valuable members of the 
party, Messrs. Brooks and Wilson, Jefferson Baker, and Peter Schu¬ 
bert, were frozen at the extremities; and, a single man being left to 
attend them, the others returned to the brig in a state of extreme 
exhaustion. The name of the brave fellow who remained with his 
comrades was Thomas Hickey, an Irishman. 
The main company under my own command started at once for the 
floes, with but little hope of rescuing our comrades; Mr. Ohlsen, one 
of the returned party, volunteering to guide us. He was sewed up in 
furs, and strapped upon a small sledge, which we dragged after us; 
but symptoms of mental disturbance rendered his heroism unavailing, 
and, but for striking the trail of the party, we must all of us have 
perished. 
On this occasion I was deeply touched by the confidence of the dis¬ 
abled men in the certainty of their relief. Although they were nearly 
concealed by snow-drift, and dependent for warmth upon their sleeping- 
bags, they had patiently and hopefully awaited our arrival. The dis¬ 
covery of a small canvas tent in the midst of these immense plains of 
ice I must remember as providential. 
I mention gratefully the endurance and self-denial of my comrades 
upon this fearful march. They had been eighty-one out of eighty-four 
hours without sleep, and had halted for the purpose of melting ice for 
drink. The tendency to sleep could only be overcome by mechanical 
violence; and when at last we got back to the brig, still dragging the 
wounded men instinctively behind us, there was not one whose mind 
was found to be unimpaired. 
This disastrous effort cost us two valuable lives, Jefferson Baker 
and Peter Schubert. The first of these was a native of Delaware 
county, Pennsylvania, a trustworthy aud faithful follower; he died of 
locked-jaw, thirty-six hours after his return to the brig. The other 
was cook to the expedition, and a volunteer upon the duty which 
caused his death. Our little party had throughout, from the nature of 
