The sledging ration in 1882 was 39 oz., but it was increased in 1883 to about 42 oz., consisting of 22 oz. meat, 2 of butter, 4 of vegetables, 10 of bread, 2 of sugar, ½ oz. of milk, 1 oz. of tea and chocolate, salt ¼ and pepper 1/20 of an oz. The meat consisted of pemmican, bacon, musk-meat, canned sausage, and corned beef. Limejuice pemmican was found to be very unpalatable, and was only eaten under press of hunger. Greely’s parties generally complained that chocolate taken in the field made them thirsty. No rum was ever sent as a sledge-ration, but it was furnished as medicine to be used under extraordinary occasions at the discretion of the officer in charge. The alcohol allowance of fuel for a party of three or four, at first 5 oz., was increased to 6 oz., as being the smallest amount on which the food could be cooked. As the result of his experience, Greely recommended that the vegetable-ration should be 3 oz. preserved potatoes, and that the other ounce should be replaced by half an ounce each of milk and of extract of beef. Of the meat, only half should be of pemmican, the balance to be divided between bacon and fresh meat; the latter to be sliced fine and frozen. In case fresh meat cannot be obtained, Greely recommended that of the 11 oz. meat, 4 oz. should consist of bacon and the balance of sausage and canned fresh meat. The limejuice was frozen into small squares, each of which represented a ration. It thaws at a temperature of 14° F.
Greely recommends alcohol of great strength for fuel in the field, and that it should be carried in tightly sealed vessels of about 2 gallons. This enables caches to be frequently made for the return journey. The lamp and all the cooking vessels were fireproof, made as far as practicable of single pieces of heavy tin without solder. A lamp with five wicks was used, and at a temperature of −20° melted enough snow in sixteen minutes to produce 2½ quarts of water, and in ten minutes more, raised it to the boiling-point. At the same time, in an open vessel, there was melted 1½ quart of water. The amount of alcohol expended was 4 oz.
On 19th February 1882, Lieutenant Lockwood with two men and a dog-sledge left the station to visit Dépôt “B,” near Cape Beechy, and to examine the ice in Robeson Channel with a view of selecting the best route to be followed in a later trip to Thank-God Harbour. The party returned on the 22nd, having found the ice favourable.
On the 1st March, Lockwood with three men set out for Thank-God Harbour. Two other men with a second dog-team were to support him as far as possible. The distance of 28 miles to Dépôt “B” was travelled in five hours and twenty minutes. The night was spent in the snow-house there, and next day the whole party set out across Robeson Channel. When the bad ice near the shore had been crossed, the supporting sledge-party returned. Lockwood reached the Greenland coast the same day as he left Cape Beechy. On the 3rd March he travelled south along the coast, and arrived at the observatory above Thank-God Harbour, occupied by Bessels and Bryan in 1871−72. The sides and one end of this building were still standing. Six 45 lb. cans of pemmican, 35 lb. of farina, a half-barrel of limejuice, a barrel of yellow corn-meal, and 10 barrels of hard bread were found in the building, in fairly good condition. There were also hatchets, saws, shovels, lead, shot, gunpowder, and cartridges for rifle and pistol.
On the 5th March, Lockwood proceeded to Cape Sumner over the route followed by Captain Hall in 1870. During the whole of this day the temperature remained below −50°, and the party were compelled to continually keep the warm hand to the face in order to prevent it from freezing. At night a deep snow-drift was found in a small ravine, and a hole was dug in this and a house formed by using the tent and poles for a roof. Next day Newman Bay was reached in a snowstorm, and shelter had to be taken in a house made in a snow-bank, where they had to remain until the morning of the 9th. Here they had an experience they were not likely to forget. Lockwood and Jewell had used up or had lost their stock of matches. Brainard had some, but they seemed damp and would not light. They were 60 miles from the station, and there was a temperature of freezing mercury outside. Without fire they could not obtain water, and without water they could not live long. The matches were tried again and again, but only gave a flicker and went out. At last Jewell produced a love-letter which had been carefully kept in an inside garment, and holding a piece to the next match it caught the flame, and with this the alcohol-lamp was at once lighted. The cause of the matches not lighting eventually proved to be the vitiated, damp atmosphere of the hut.
Eight hours’ travelling on the 9th brought the party to Boat Camp, where the canvas and whale-boats were found in very much the same condition described by the English. From this camp, Cape Sumner was readied in an hour and a half, and the tent pitched. Here Lockwood decided to leave the tent, sleeping-bag, and some other articles of use for further exploration, and to return to Conger. The party started on the 10th in a temperature of −41°, and crossed Robeson Channel to Dépôt “B” in 12½ hours.
On 5th March, Dr. Pavy, with two men and a dog-sledge, was sent to convey a sledge-load of provisions to as northerly a point on the Greenland coast as could be reached in one day’s march from Cape Beechy. They reached the Greenland coast, and cached the supplies at a point called the “Gap.” They returned to Conger on the 9th.
On the 13th March, Sergeant Brainard, with seven men, was ordered to take a small boat with such additional supplies as could be hauled, to the dépôt near Cape Sumner. The party left the snow-house near Cape Beechy on 15th March, in a temperature of −50.5°. The Greenland coast was reached on the 17th, after very severe labour. On the way one man had to be sent back to Dépôt “B.” Brainard reported that he placed the boat beside a huge rock, and fastened her down securely with boxes, rocks, etc., first placing hard bread, medical knapsack, etc., under her, to prevent them from being blown away. The channel was then recrossed, and Dépôt “B” reached on the 19th, and Conger on the 20th March.
On 19th March, Dr. Pavy, Sergeant Rice, and Eskimo Jens, with a dog-team, were sent north in an attempt to reach land to the northward of Cape Joseph Henry. Greely states that Pavy was confident that land would eventually be discovered in that direction. Sergeant Jewell and Eskimo Christiansen were detached as a supporting party as far as Lincoln Bay. Dr. Pavy on reaching the dépôt previously formed by him near Mount Parry found that a bear had eaten 70 lb. of the pemmican.
At Cape Union the party were storm-stayed for twenty-two hours. Two trips had to be made back to Lincoln Bay to bring north supplies. On the 31st March they left Lincoln Bay with the last load, but when near Cape Union the right runner of the sledge broke longitudinally through the lashing-holes. Rice offered to return to Conger for a new runner, and started at once with Eskimo Jens. They made the journey to Dépôt “B” in one march, but the Eskimo was completely exhausted.
The sledge having been repaired, the party finally left Lincoln Bay on the 6th April, and reached the Alert’s winter quarters on the 11th. Beneath the large stone that covers the grave of Petersen they found that a hare had taken up its residence. The signal flag-staff, with attached halliards, at Cape Sheridan, was still standing in as firm a condition as when erected in 1875.
Instead of crossing the Feilden Peninsula, Dr. Pavy decided, on account of the bare ground in some places, to follow the coast to Cape Joseph Henry. This decision, though it seemed wise at the time, probably proved fatal to the success of the journey. During the 18th and 19th April a severe storm confined them to their tent. During the 20th and 21st they succeeded in transporting their stores to a point on the polar pack about 4 miles north of Cape Joseph Henry. On the 21st another storm was experienced, which continued as a severe gale during the night. On advancing north on the 23rd, Jens suddenly announced the presence of water. This was found to be an open channel a mile wide, which had probably been caused by the gale. The ice on which the party was seemed to be in motion, and Dr. Pavy therefore decided to return to Cape Joseph Henry. On arriving opposite the cape, open water of three-quarters of a mile in extent was found between the ice and the land. Ultimately the ice closed in against the shore and allowed the party to retreat in haste, abandoning their tent, some provisions, and part of the scientific instruments. Dr. Pavy, under the impression that Robeson Channel was open, decided to return in haste to Conger, in case his retreat might be cut off. The station was reached on the 2nd of May.
On the 26th April, Greely with three men started for the interior of Grinnell Land. They entered Conybeare Bay, and discovered that it was a large fiord, which was named “Chandler Fiord.” On reaching the head of this they passed along the bed of a river, and at certain places could hear the water running under the ice. Ultimately they came to a point where the river was open, and they were forced to take to the hillside. A short distance farther a surprise awaited them in the form of an immense ice-bound lake, which was named “Lake Hazen.” The station at Conger was again reached on 7th May.
The most important sledge-journey undertaken by the expedition began on the 3rd of April, under the command of Lieutenant Lockwood. Its object was the exploration of the North Greenland coast. The advance sledge was to be hauled by dogs, with Eskimo Christiansen as driver, and Lockwood was to select one man from the supporting party before their return. This latter party consisted of twelve men, with four sledges of the Hudson Bay pattern.
The average amount of extra clothing was 10 lb. per man. The clothing worn was generally double suits of underclothing, three pairs of socks, with outer ordinary wool clothing, over which a light duck suit was worn, to keep the snow from adhering to the wool. A few only wore outer clothing of skin. The foot-gear consisted of moccasins, and Greenland, Labrador, and canvas boots.
The party left Dépôt “B” to cross Robeson Channel on the evening of 5th April. The load was equal to 130 lb. to each man, and 100 lb. to each of the dogs. Next day one man suffering from rheumatism was ordered to return to the station; and later another man who had frozen one of his toes was taken back to Cape Beechy by Lockwood. On the 7th the party experienced a violent gale, which confined them to their sleeping-bags forty-five hours.
On reaching Polaris Boat Camp, one of the Hudson Bay sledges had been so injured by the rough ice that it was practically useless. At this camp the wind again became very violent, blew down the tent, and one gust lifted the dog-sledge, with its load of 200 lb., bodily from the ground. The sledge struck one man, knocking him several yards and injuring him severely. Two other men, owing to illness, had to be sent back from this camp.
The party were employed until the 16th April in accumulating at Boat Camp the stores from the other dépôts, and while this was being done Lockwood returned to Conger for an extra set of runners, as he was afraid that the runners of the dog-sledge might break down.
The party started from Boat Camp with 300 rations on 16th April. The eight dogs hauled about 800 lb., and each man hauled about 217 lb. on the second sledge. On the third and fourth sledges the men dragged about 150 lb. each. The constant weights of the dog-sledge were 243 lb., and of the remaining sledges 375 lb.
During the first six days they had to travel over land, and after tremendous exertions the sea-coast was again reached on 22nd April. The party arrived at Cape Bryant on 27th April. On this journey one of Beaumont’s caches was discovered, and the rations found were taken on to Cape Bryant.
At this point the supporting party were sent back, and Lockwood, Brainard, and Christiansen, with rations for twenty-five days, set out on 29th April towards their farthest north. The weight carried amounted to about 783 lb., and consisted of rations 227 lb., dog-pemmican 300 lb., equipments 176 lb., and dog-sledge 80 lb.
A course across the fiord towards Cape May was taken, and the weather was delightful. Sixteen miles were covered in eight hours. Next day the snow was soft and deep, like that experienced by Beaumont, and it was found necessary to advance with half-load and then return for the other. Lockwood now gave up the idea of visiting Cape May, and directed his course towards Cape Britannia. After this hard work Lockwood and Brainard could not sleep well, but the Eskimo invariably snored two minutes after composing himself to rest. On the 2nd May they came to a crack in the ice, and had to follow it several hundred yards before they could cross it. Thinking this would be a good chance to get a deep-sea sounding, Lockwood ran out all the line he had, but did not reach bottom. He then attached coils of seal-thongs, then some rope, and finally the dog-whip, but still did not reach bottom at 820 feet. After hesitating whether he would also use the dog-traces, they began to pull up the line, and had drawn out the whip, when the rope broke, and everything below was lost. All further attempts at sounding were thus prevented.
Cape Britannia was reached on 4th May. This was the Ultima Thule of Beaumont’s hopes, and quite as far as Greely expected Lockwood to reach. A cairn was built, and in it was deposited a record, five days’ rations, three days’ dog-food, the extra sledge-runner, shelter-tent, little lamp, and the snow-shoes. Lockwood and Brainard ascended to the top of the cape, 1950 feet high, where a cairn was built and a record deposited. The latitude was found to be 82° 44′.
Rounding Cape Frederick next day, they camped opposite Nordenskjöld Inlet. A tidal-crack was here again met with. On the 6th May, Mascart Inlet was reached, after a ten hours’ march which exhausted both men and dogs. Numerous signs of animal-life were seen here; a hare was captured, and traces of foxes, lemmings, bears, and musk-oxen were observed.
On the 7th May, Low Point was reached. The latitude of this place is the same as Cape Columbia, the most northern point of Grinnell Land. On the 10th May, De Long Fiord was crossed, and cairns constructed on the northern and southern points. The party camped on Mary Murray Island, in latitude 83° 19′, and were here delayed 63½ hours by a violent gale. A lemming was captured by the dogs at this camp.
Lockwood Island was reached on the 13th of May, and England’s record was at last broken. The honours of the farthest north had been held by England for three centuries. The highest latitude reached by Lockwood was 83° 24′, against Markham’s 83° 20′ 26″.
From the summit of the island, which was ascended by Lockwood and Brainard, could be seen a rocky headland, Cape Kane, to the north, and still some distance beyond, another, Cape Washington. On Lockwood Island numerous traces of foxes, lemmings, hares, and ptarmigan were seen. On the summit, Lockwood left a record in a small tin box under a few small stones, as no large ones could be found.
The return journey was commenced on the evening of the 16th May, and Cape Bryant was reached in nine marches. After leaving Cape Britannia, where they again obtained the snow-shoes, deep snow was met, and Lockwood and Brainard used the shoes for the first time, and found immense relief. Both bitterly regretted they had not used them going north.
From Cape Bryant to Polaris Boat Camp was passed over in six marches. Here three of the supporting party awaited their return. From this camp the whole party crossed Robeson Channel to Cape Beechy in fourteen hours in face of a violent snowstorm. Conger was reached on 1st June, after an absence of sixty days.
The mean temperature during the outward part of this journey was below zero. The distance of 276 miles entailed travel of 470 miles. Lockwood personally during the sixty days covered 1070 miles in forty-six marches. His discoveries extended 95 miles along the North Greenland coast beyond the farthest point seen by Beaumont.
The winter at Conger had been of great severity, the mean temperature for the 131 days without the sun being −32.3°.
On 19th May 1882, Greely visited the coal-mine. He found the seam 200 yards long and extending 8 feet above the level of the creek. An immense quantity of coal could be easily mined.
On 24th June, Greely with four men left for the interior of Grinnell Land, through Black Rock Vale. A two-wheeled wagon was used to carry the provisions, etc. This valley was entirely barren of snow, and in most places was covered with a comparatively luxuriant vegetation. Grasses or sedges 10 or 12 inches in height were frequently noticed on the banks of a river. The temperature during the journey remained extremely high. On one occasion the thermometer reached 74° F. in the shade, and as many as fifty butterflies were seen in one day!
Beyond this valley, a system of small lakes, draining from one into another, was found to finally discharge into Lake Hazen. Numerous birds and herds of musk-oxen were met with. Traces of Eskimo were discovered in many places both in the form of summer encampments and permanent winter huts. These must have been inhabited within a comparatively recent period. From the various relics found, Greely formed the opinion that these Eskimo had dogs, sledges, arrows, and skinning-knives, and that they fed on musk-oxen, seals, hares, and occasionally fish.
After travelling over 100 miles from Conger, the wagon broke down completely, and had to be abandoned. The remainder of the journey was made with knapsacks. Skirting the south shore of Lake Hazen until its termination was reached, they ascended a river which entered the lake. One of the men became exhausted carrying a heavy load, and had to be sent back. Near the source of the river Greely ascended a mountain with great difficulty. The height was ascertained to be 4500 feet above sea−level, and Greely believed it to be the highest mountain in Grinnell Land. He named it “Mount Arthur.” It is the crest of the land, and the farther side drains to the western sea.
They now started on their return journey, and reached Conger on 10th July. The journey entailed an aggregate of 352 miles’ travel in nineteen marches – an average of 17½ miles, which was a remarkably good performance over rough country.
A ship was anxiously expected in either July or August, but these months passed without it making an appearance.
The first serious breach of discipline took place on 28th August. The engineer having stolen some of the fuel-alcohol, was found drunk. About the beginning of October a bear visited Conger on several occasions, and Greely thought it necessary to require the men to obtain authority for any extended absence from the station. In connection with this order, Sergeant Lynn was reduced to the ranks for having made a “disrespectful remark.”
From 14th to 19th November there was a great magnetic storm, which was general throughout the world. During this time the auroral displays were magnificent, and on the 17th the magnetic needle ranged in variation considerably over 19°.
The second winter passed, and left the party in much better health and spirits than had been anticipated. There had been an abundance of fresh meat, and no scurvy made its appearance.
The spring work of 1883 was to be a renewal of explorations in North Greenland. Lockwood left Conger for his preliminary journey on 10th March, with five men and dog-teams. During an absence of seven days he accumulated about 1300 lb. of field-supplies near Cape Sumner.
He started on his final journey northwards on 27th March. He was instructed to return to Polaris Boat Camp not later than 31st May. The party left thoroughly equipped, and had the former year’s experience in their favour. The journey to Black Horn Cliffs from Conger was made in six days, against twenty-two days in 1882. Here, however, open water was met, and the party had to return. They reached Conger on the 12th of April.
In discussing this journey, Greely expresses his belief in an open Polar Sea which could only be entered by a ship in extremely favourable years by the Spitzbergen route. The huge floebergs of the north are given off by glacial lands in the vicinity of the North Pole, according to Greely’s view. The discoveries of Nansen prove the non-existence of an open Polar Sea, and Peary claims to have discovered that the source of the floebergs is in the glaciers of the extreme north of Greenland.
On the 25th of April, Lockwood with Brainard and Christiansen left Conger to attempt to cross Grinnell Land to the western ocean. They had a team of the best ten dogs, and provisions to last thirty-one days. A supporting sledge was to accompany them for two marches. Lockwood’s fourth camp was situated about 67 miles from Conger. Lieutenant Archer in 1876, with an eight-man sledge, took fourteen days to do the same distance. This illustrates the great difference between sledging with dogs and with men.
From Archer Fiord, Lockwood passed along the Ella Valley to the base of a glacier 150 feet above the sea. The glacier stretched from side to side of the valley, and was found impassable. Lockwood next decided to try the route via Beatrix Bay. From the head of this bay they passed along a valley to its termination, and then had to turn off to the north up a steep rocky ravine. Here the large sledge had to be left, and a small one brought specially for land-travelling was afterwards used. From this camp they started for Musk-ox Valley on 8th May. The following day’s march carried them to the apparent end of the valley, and they then entered a cañon which seemed to end in a glacier 8 or 10 ten miles distant; but as no other route seemed possible it was followed. This cañon took them into a broad valley with a lake in its centre. The wall of a glacier apparently rose all along the south side of the valley, and the country behind seemed one continuous glacial surface. Travelling in a south-west direction, they found the ice-capped land presented to their view a vertical face of solid ice from 125 feet to 200 feet in height. This wall of ice ran across the country in such a manner that Lockwood named it “The Chinese Wall Glacier,” but later it was designated Mer de Glace Agassiz. The next march brought them to the watershed of Grinnell Land. They now descended a narrow gorge bounded on either side by towering mountains, and finally reached a narrow valley 1000 feet lower down. Passing along this valley, and still rapidly descending, they reached the head of a fiord where the water was salt. This was named “Greely Fiord.” Proceeding about 26 miles down the fiord, they reached their farthest on 13th May, and camped in a heavy snowstorm. By fasting nineteen hours, they were enabled to remain here until the storm abated.
The return journey had to be made on short rations. This party travelled 437 miles during their month’s absence.
The work of exploration was now practically completed, and preparations for the contingency of a retreat southward began to receive serious attention. Greely had already established a large dépôt of provisions at Cape Baird, on the south side of Archer Fiord, and 12 miles from Conger. This work was begun as early as the 1st February. Dr. Pavy protested against the work as entailing unnecessary exposure, and some warm words evidently passed between the doctor and Greely. The latter makes the charge that this was the first of a series by which Dr. Pavy opposed all the work initiated during 1883. The doctor’s objection was no doubt to the work being done during the coldest month of the year. Greely takes great credit for establishing this dépôt 12 miles from the station, but it is only just to the doctor to state that Lockwood in his diary mentions the fact that as early as March 1883 Dr. Pavy and two others of the party were in favour of abandoning all further explorations, and applying their efforts to depositing provisions down the straits to secure their safe retreat in boats in August and September. No mention of this fact is made by Greely. He states that the correspondence between them formed part of his official report, but has no place in his book.
Lockwood also states that, on his return from his North Greenland journey of 1883, Lieutenant Kislingbury’s only thought seemed to be that a sledge-party should be sent down to Littleton Island to have the ship leave her supplies at Cape Sabine instead of at the island, and that in expressing this view Kislingbury merely reflected the latest opinion of the doctor.
The reader may be left to judge what effect it would have had on the ultimate fate of the party had these ideas been carried out.
In order further to insure a safe retreat, Greely decided to bring from Thank-God Harbour the English ice-boat left there by Beaumont in 1876. This boat was brought across the channel by twelve men, who made the trip of 90 miles in six days in a mean temperature of −21°.
On 1st June, Greely being dissatisfied with the manner in which Dr. Pavy had kept the specimens of natural history and the notes concerning them, transferred the work to Lockwood. On the 19th July the bitter feeling between Greely and Dr. Pavy was aggravated by the latter declining to renew his contract, which expired on the 20th July, and refusing to give up his diary. As Dr. Pavy insisted that he was out of service and refused to obey orders, Greely thought it necessary to place him under arrest, with permission to take such exercise as was necessary within a mile of the station.
All preparations for the retreat having been completed by 29th July, an order was issued announcing that Conger would be deserted on 8th August if no vessel should arrive. All private property was to be left behind, except 8 lb. of baggage for each man and 16 lb. for each officer.
The station was abandoned on 9th August, the weather conditions on the 8th not being favourable. The dogs were left behind, and several barrels of seal-blubber, pork, beef, and bread were opened, so that they might maintain life for several months in case the party might be compelled to return to Conger. Three tons of coal remained, and a sufficient quantity of provisions to have supplied scant army rations for one year, with the exception of flour, sugar, vegetables, milk, and butter. The entire collection of natural history specimens and the original records of the expedition were left at Conger.
Cape Baird was reached on 10th August. Here the caches were taken up, and then the launch, with three boats in tow, was steered down Kennedy Channel. The whole party of twenty-five were then in good health, and little could they dream of the horrors they were to undergo.
On the 12th August, Sergeant Cross, the engineer, was found to be under the influence of liquor. He had allowed the launch to ground on the falling tide. On this date Carl Ritter Bay was reached, and the cache made by Greely on his way north was taken up. On the 13th their progress was arrested by an enormous floeberg, 60 feet in height above the water, which had grounded 1 mile from the shore, and between it and the shore was an unbroken floe. A later examination of the floeberg discovered that it had split and formed a narrow cleft about 12 feet wide and over 100 yards long. Into this narrow passage, with walls of ice about 60 feet high on either side, the boats were steered, and the dangerous run was made without accident.
On the 15th August, Cross was again intoxicated, and Greely found it necessary to put Private Frederick permanently in charge of the engine. On the 21st August the boats were caught between the moving pack and an ice-foot 10 feet high, and rather severely nipped. The English cache at Cape Collinson, consisting of 240 rations of meat, salt, pepper, onion-powder and fuel, and 120 rations of bread, was taken up on 22nd August. Cape Hawks was reached on 26th August. Here it was found that the record left on the northward journey had been untouched. This proved that no vessel had reached this point either in 1882 or 1883, and Greely began to see that the position of his party was critical. He calculated that on this date he had still sixty days’ provisions, except sugar. The English dépôt left here was also found. The bread was very mouldy, but all that was eatable was taken, and the barrels were broken up for steaming purposes.
Cape Hawks was left on the afternoon of 26th August, and on the same day they became beset. The temperature was now low, and young ice formed rapidly. The Eskimo killed a seal on 1st September, and another on the 2nd.
On 3rd September, Greely took the wise course of calling together the officers and two of the sergeants and pointing out to them the necessity of hearty and united action. He expressed a desire for the frankest opinion of each one as to what would be the wisest measures to take. Various opinions were expressed, but Greely decided to make no immediate movement.
Meanwhile they slowly drifted southwards. A tepee after the Indian style was made of the sails, and could accommodate eighteen men. The ice-boat with a canvas shelter could hold nine. On 6th September they were only 3 miles from Bache Island, and about 17 from Cape Sabine. On the 10th September the launch was abandoned, and a start was made for the land with two boats dragged on sledges. On the 12th one of the two boats had to be left, as it was feared that it would break down the sledge. On this date the last of the sugar was used. A high south-west wind sprang up on the 14th, and in three hours drove the party farther north than they had travelled south in three days. This gave rise to much disappointment, and Greely’s troubles were aggravated by the criticisms of Dr. Pavy. On the 15th the latitude was found to be 1 mile farther north than where the launch was abandoned. On the 16th they were directly north of Littleton Island, at a distance of 30 miles from Cairn Point, Greenland, and 19 miles from Cape Sabine. Greely now held the view that the next start should be for the Greenland coast, and although he received little support from the officers, he was prepared to avail himself of any chance of moving in that direction. Unfortunately, next day it was found that they had drifted 3 miles to the west, and this changed Greely’s intention of attempting to reach the Greenland coast. On the 18th land seemed comparatively near, but on the 19th a south-west gale sprang up, and they were drifted far to the east again. Greely now held a conference with the officers and two of the sergeants, and expressed the opinion that everything but 2000 lb. selected baggage should be abandoned, and with twenty days’ rations the party should start across the pack for the Greenland shore, about 23 miles distant. The sergeants were inclined to favour Greely’s plan, but the others recommended delay. Greely decided to wait till next day, but fog prevented any move being made. The drift later set again to the west, and on the 25th they were within 3 miles of Brevoort Island. On the 26th a gale caused the floe, on which the party were, to break up, and it was with great difficulty that they escaped destruction. Land to the south of Cape Sabine was at last reached on 29th September. The retreat from Conger involved over 400 miles’ travel by boats, and fully 100 with sledge and boat. The condition of the party during the drift had been wretched in the extreme. In spite of all difficulties, however, the party reached land in fairly good health and with undiminished numbers.