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CRUISE OF THE ' PANDORA.' 
 
 EXTRACTS 
 
 THE PRIVATE JOURNAL 
 
 %* ALLEN YOUNG, R.N.R., F.R.G.S., F.R.A.S., &o.,«*>-tt l * 
 
 COMMANDER OF THE EXPEDITION, 
 
 FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED BY WM. CLOWES & SONS, 14, CHARING CROSS, S.W. 
 
 1876. 
 
ISIS 
 
 LONDON : PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFOBD STREET AND CHARING CROSS, 
 
wBOoft Library 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 This narrative has been printed in order that there may be 
 an authentic record of the voyage of the B.Y.S. steam yacht 
 ' Pandora ' to the Arctic Seas, in 1875. 
 
 The objects of the voyage were to visit the western coast 
 of Greenland, thence to proceed through Baffin's Sea, Lan- 
 caster Sound, and Barrow Strait, towards the magnetic pole, 
 and, if practicable, to navigate through the North-West 
 Passage to the Pacific Ocean in one season. As, in following 
 this route, the ' Pandora ' would pass King William's Island, 
 it was proposed, if successful in reaching that locality, in 
 the summer season, when the snow was off the land, to make 
 a search for further records and for the journals of the ships 
 1 Erebus ' and * Terror,' which were both lost in attempting 
 the same voyage. 
 
 As no possible advantage to this project could be gained 
 by wintering, it was arranged that the great loss of time 
 and additional expense attending a ten months' purposeless 
 detention in the Arctic Seas should be avoided, if possible, 
 unless such a position could be attained as would render 
 it advisable. In the event of the latter contingency, the 
 ' Pandora ' was fully equipped, and the crew were engaged 
 to remain for a period of two years' absence from home. 
 
 The ' Pandora' was formerly a despatch gun-vessel, and 
 was purchased from the Admiralty. She was built for speed, 
 under sail or steam, ok both combined, and fitted with 
 engines of 80 horse-power. The ship was taken to the 
 works of Messrs. Day and Summers, at Southampton, to be 
 fortified and prepared with all the modern equipments of an 
 Arctic exploring ship. She was rigged as a barquentine, 
 and carried eight boats, including a steam cutter and three 
 whale-boats. 
 
 a 2 
 
IV INTRODUCTION. 
 
 When the repairs and alterations were completed, the 
 * Pandora ' was removed to the docks, and provisioned and 
 stored for eighteen months. The officers and crew were 
 selected, and she anchored in the Southampton Water in 
 June, to receive her gunpowder, and to make final prepara- 
 tions for her adventurous cruise. 
 
 The * Pandora ' carried the white ensign and burgee of the 
 Royal Yacht Squadron, and her complement of officers and 
 men was thirty-one all told, as follows : 
 
 1. Captain. — Allen Young, 1 E.N.E. 
 
 2. Lieutenant. — F. Innes Lillingston, 2 R.N. 
 
 3. „ George Pirie, 3 R.N. 
 
 4. „ Koolemans Beynan, 4 R.N.N. 
 
 1 Captain Allen Young entered the merchant service in 1846. He com- 
 manded the 'Marlborough,' East Indiaman, 1500 tons, twice round the world, 
 1853-54; and the 'Adelaide,' steam troop-ship, 3000 tons, during the Crimean 
 war, 1855-56. He was sailing-master of the 'Fox' (M'Clintock), 1857-59, 
 and commenced his travelling work by laying out a depot between February 15 
 and March 3, the thermometer averaging — 40 to — 48 ; mercury frozen all 
 the time. On his return he started for Fury Beach to get some stores left 
 by Parry, absent from March 18 to 28. He started again on April 7, tracing 
 the south and west shores of Prince of Wales' Land. After thirty-eight days 
 he sent back the men and tent, owing to provisions running short, and went 
 on for forty days with one man and the dogs, sleeping each night in a hole 
 in the snow. He attempted to cross the M'Clintock Channel, and went about 
 forty miles from the laud, the ice being frightfully heavy. He reached the 
 ship on June 7, after an absence of seventy-eight days. He went again to 
 explore Peel Sound from June 10 to 28. He then connected Osborn's with 
 Browne's furthest, and discovered 380 miles of new coast line. He became a 
 Lieutenant of the Naval Reserve, February 24, 1862. F.R.G.S. and F.R.A.S. 
 He commanded the ' Fox ' in the North Atlantic Telegraph Expedition in 
 1862, going to Farce Isles, Iceland, and Greenland, and the ' Quantung,' 
 in the European Chinese Navy, 1862-64. He was Commissioner to the 
 Maritime Congress at Naples in 1871. 
 
 Author of an account of the voyage of the 4 Fox,' in the first number of the 
 ' Cornhill Magazine ;' republished iu 1875 by Mr. Griffin, of Portsea. 
 
 2 Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, on the retired list, September 7, 1871. 
 
 3 Navigating Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, on the active list, July 27, 
 1870. 
 
 4 Lieutenant in the Royal Dutch Navy, and had served in the Sumatra 
 Squadron, and on shore in the naval brigade at Achin. He is now engaged 
 in editing a second edition of the ' Voyages of Barents to the North-East,' for 
 the Hakluyt Society. 
 
INTRODUCTION. V 
 
 5. Surgeon and Naturalist. — Arthur Horner. 
 
 6. Artist.— Mr. De Wilde. 
 
 7. Correspondent. — J. A. MacGahan. 
 
 8. First Engineer. — Benjamin Ball. 
 
 9. Second Engineer. — Archibald Porteous. 
 
 10. Gunner. — Harry Toms. 1 
 
 11. Carpenter. — Eobert James. 
 
 12. Boatswain. — Henry Mitchell. 
 
 13. Sailmaker. — John Mott. 
 
 14. Ship's Steward. — William Edwards. 
 
 15. Ward-room Steward.— Joseph Lawrence. 
 
 16. Captain of Hold. — Thomas Florance. 2 
 
 17. Cook. — Joseph Shelton. 
 
 18. Interpreter. — Eskimo Joe. 
 
 19. Quartermaster. — Henry Andrews. 
 
 20. „ William Eanderson. 
 
 21. „ James Timpson. 
 
 22. „ Henry Mihill. 
 
 23. Captain's Coxswain. — Charles Vine. 
 
 24. Boatswains Mate. — Charles Tizzard. 
 
 25. Harpooneer. — Allan Gillies. 
 
 26. Able Seaman. — Edward Grace. 
 
 27. „ William Davis. 
 
 28. „ James Pennington. 
 
 29. „ G. W. Thome. 
 
 30. Blacksmith and Stoker. — Edwin Griffey. 
 
 31. Stoker. — James Cole. 
 
 The expenses of the expedition, and the purchase and 
 equipment of the * Pandora,' were undertaken by myself; 
 and I was assisted by contributions from the late Lady 
 Franklin, who never ceased to take the greatest interest in 
 Arctic matters ; from Mr. James Gordon Bennett, who was 
 desirous of sending a correspondent ; and from Lieutenant 
 Lillingston, who accompanied me as second in command. 
 
 1 Mr. Toms was a Quartermaster in the ' Fox/ with Sir Leopold M'Clintock, 
 during her memorable voyage in 1857-59. 
 
 2 Thomas Florance served in the ' North Star,' under Captain Pullen, 
 1852-54, and also in the 'Fox,' with Sir Leopold M'Clintock, as stoker, 
 
ILLUSTEATIONS. 
 
 Map showing the Track op the 4 Pandora' from England to the 
 Arctic and Back. 
 
 The ■ Pandora ' in Peel Straits, Sept. 1, 1875, stopped by 
 
 the Ice Barriers Frontispiece 
 
 The * Fox ' at Ivitot To face page 6 
 
 Beach at Godavn. Eskimo iglu 
 
 Rocks at Godavn 
 
 The Church at Godavn 
 
 Quarter-deck of ' Pandora ' — a Morning's Bag 
 
 Cape Riley, where the first Relics of Franklin's Expedition 
 were found 
 
 The * Mary ' at Beechey Island 
 
 The Graves of Franklin's Expedition, Beechey Island 
 
 Franklin and Bellot Monument and Post Office, Beechey 
 Island 
 
 Northumberland House, Beechey Island 
 
 My Last Look at the North-West Passage, Sept. 2 
 
 16 
 16 
 17 
 32 
 
 40 
 41 
 42 
 
 43 
 
 43 
 56 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 INTRODUCTOEY iii 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 The Voyage to Greenland 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Kryolite Mine 5 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Navigation on the Coast op Greenland .. 10 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 GODHAVN AND THE WaIGAT 16 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Passage through Melville Bay 21 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Cary Islands 26 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait 32 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Beechey Island 40 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Peel Strait 44 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 An Impassable Barrier 52 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A Perilous Race with the Ice 58 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 A Second Visit to the Cary Islands 64 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The Voyage Home 70 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 A. — Letter from Admiral Richards to the ' Times,' dated Oct. 23, 1875, 
 enclosing extracts of a letter from Commander Markham, of 
 H.M.S. ' Alert,' dated July 23 to 26, 1875 79 
 
 B. — Letters to the ' Times ' from Rev. Gr. Haughton and Captain Allen 
 
 Young, on the Tidal Barrier 85 
 
 C. — Letter from Sir Leopold M'Clintock to Mr. Gordon Bennett, dated 
 
 Nov. 3, 1875 87 
 
 D.— Letter from Vice- Admiral Sir Richard Collinson to Miss Cracroft . . 89 
 
CRUISE OF THE ' PANDORA/ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
 
 On the 25th of June, everything being reported ready for 
 sea, we slipped from the buoy off the Southampton Pier, and 
 proceeded round to Portsmouth. We had already received 
 on board two bags of letters for the ' Alert ' and ' Discovery/ 
 besides parcels, which had been forwarded in the hope of our 
 being able to deliver them, or deposit them at the entrance of 
 Smith Sound. On entering Portsmouth Harbour, a message 
 was received from the Admiral to the effect that we might 
 go alongside the dockyard, and we accordingly moored by 
 the Queen's Steps at 9 p.m. I was much touched by the 
 hearty sympathy which I received at Portsmouth. I had 
 endeavoured, from the commencement, to keep our cruise 
 quite unnoticed, and had carefully avoided all demonstra- 
 tions; but, as we passed out of Portsmouth harbour, the 
 crews of all Her Majesty's ships gave us hearty cheers, to 
 which we responded in the best manner we could with our 
 little crew, and by dipping our colours. 
 
 We arrived at Cowes in the evening of June 26th, where 
 I had to meet Mr. Harper, our agent, who came to examine 
 the accounts with me, and to make final arrangements for 
 the pay of the crew, and for the payment of allotments to 
 their wives and families. 
 
 Having taken farewell of my friends at Cowes, I embarked 
 
Z LEAVE PLYMOUTH. 
 
 at midnight, intending to sail for Plymouth on the first 
 of the ebb next morning. Accordingly, on June 27, we 
 slipped from the buoy at 4 a.m. It was a lovely morning, 
 with scarcely a breath of wind, as we passed out through the 
 Needles, and proceeded with all fore and aft canvas. As 
 we passed Portland, H.M.S. 'Warrior' signalled, "Wish you 
 all success ; " and, in answer, we signalled our thanks. Pass- 
 ing close round the Bill, we caught a fair wind from the 
 southward, and made all sail, letting the steam run down. 
 
 I was pleased with the performance of the ship under 
 canvas. She made a good six knots with the screw down. 
 We saw the Start at 9 p.m., and it began to blow and rain in 
 torrents, the wind being S.S.W. So we struck all canvas, 
 and steamed again, arriving at Plymouth at 9 a.m., when 
 I immediately sent on shore for 10 tons of coal, and also 
 asked Lieut. Lillingston to call upon Admiral Sir H. Keppel, 
 and to express my regret that I was unable to come per- 
 sonally. By the time we had completed our coaling, 
 Admiral Keppel and Earl Mount Edgcumbe most kindly 
 came on board to greet us, and to say good-bye. At six 
 o'clock we steamed out. When off the Eddystone we made 
 all plain sail and stopped the engines, steering off to S.W. 
 with a light N.W. breeze, and, having set the watch, we 
 all turned in. At noon, on the 29th, we passed the Lizard, 
 and at 1.20 sent letters on board the ship 'Queen of 
 Australia,' from Calcutta, bound for Dundee. 
 
 After July 18, we experienced nothing but alternate 
 west winds and calms, with generally a high swell from 
 the westward. We continued beating to windward, taking 
 advantage of everything in our favour ; but we made but 
 slow progress, owing to our being so deep, and the ship's 
 bottom so foul with grass from lying in the Southampton 
 Water. On the 19th, we were in lat. 58° 58' N., long. 31° 
 33' W. I had endeavoured to get to the northward, in hopes 
 
THE VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 6 
 
 of some change in the weather, which seemed so unusual for 
 this season, and so opposite to our experience when crossing 
 in the ' Fox/ 
 
 We constantly saw finner whales (Physalus antiquorum *) 
 generally going to the northward. Since the 12th, we had 
 been accompanied by mullemokkes (Fulmar petrels), 2 and 
 since the 16th by a number of shearwaters (Puffinus 
 Angrlorum 3 ), which we passed in flocks on the water. We 
 had calms on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th, with light winds 
 from N. and N.E., followed by a fresh N.W. to W. wind 
 on the 26th, when we were in lat. 57° 55', long. 42° 49', 
 Cape Farewell being N. 17, W. 119 miles. On the 27th, 
 1 went on board the ' Traveller,' of Peterhead, and obtained 
 newspapers, and proceeded in company with her on the 
 28th, on which day we saw the first icebergs. The next 
 morning we had a fresh breeze from the E.S.E., and at 
 5 saw the first Spitzbergen ice. We passed a few straggling 
 pieces, and at 6 p.m. came upon several streams of ice. I 
 then kept away to the westward, but finding that the wind 
 was increasing, and a thick fog coming on to seaward, I 
 steered in to the N.E. to go on through the ice, and to 
 get into the land water. At noon, we were in lat. 60° 14' 
 N., long. 68° 20' W., the land about Cape Desolation being 
 plainly in sight whenever it cleared. Throughout the after- 
 noon we were sailing through heavy ice, and received some 
 severe blows; but towards evening, as we hauled into the 
 
 1 Physalus antiquorum of Gray (or Balwnoptera musculus) is the big finner, 
 rorqual, or razor back, a cetacean from 60 to 70 feet long, black above and 
 white below, with the flippers black. The old name given by Fabricius is 
 Balama physalus. The Eskimo name is Tunnolik. It is not seen farther north 
 than Kifkol. 
 
 2 The Mullemokke, or " foolish fly" of Crantz (i. p. 86), is the " Molly " of 
 the whalers, the birds which come in greedy crowds to feed on the carcases of 
 the whales. It is the Procellaria glacialis, or Fulmar petrel, called Kahordluk 
 by the Eskimos, and the black variety Igarsok. 
 
 3 The Manx shearwater {Puffinus Anglomrri) is not an Arctic bird, and is not 
 met with north of the entrance of Davis Strait. 
 
 B 2 
 
4 ICE OFF CAPE DESOLATION. 
 
 land, the wind decreased to a calm and light N.E. air, and 
 the ice was very close. On many of the heavy pieces we 
 saw the bladder-nosed seals (Cystophora cristata 1 ) lying 
 basking, and, as we ranged the ship up near them, several 
 fell victims to our sportsmen. These seals are quite unused 
 to seeing human beings, for they appeared to take no notice 
 of the ship beyond raising their heads, and had we been 
 in pursuit of them, we might have killed any number. I 
 am surprised that some enterprising fisherman does not 
 send out a ship or small vessel properly equipped for seal- 
 hunting. A number of boats sent away from such a vessel 
 amongst the ice in fine weather might secure a rich harvest 
 of skins and oil. 
 
 In the evening of the 29th, being almost surrounded by 
 heavy ice, and anxious to get into the land water, I got up 
 steam for the first time since leaving England. We proceeded 
 until 9 p.m., when we made fast to a floe to pick up some 
 seals that were shot in passing, and to get fresh water, 
 of which we had been sadly in want, owing to our long 
 passage. We found this water deliciously soft and pure 
 upon the surface of the floe-piece, and we remained until 
 11 p.m., when we cast off, and steamed slowly on towards 
 the land. It was a brilliant night, almost calm, and with 
 a clear sky, and as we approached the land the ice became 
 slacker. By 4 a.m., on the 30th, we got into the land water 
 at about 15 miles distant from the shore. We passed many 
 seals lying on the ice-floes, and numbers of birds in flocks 
 were on the ice, in the water, and flying around us. 
 
 1 The bladder-nose seal (Cystophora cristata) is one of the largest in Green- 
 land. Its name is due to a curious bladder-like appendage on its forehead 
 connected with the nostrils, which can be blown up at will. The Danish 
 name is klapmyd, the Eskimo neitersoak and nesausolik. 
 
THE KRYOLITE MINE. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE KRYOLITE MINE. 
 
 We were now off the entrance to Arsuk Fiord, 1 the high land 
 of Sermilik bearing N.E. (true), and we could, after a short 
 study of the coast, distinguish Storo, and the two cones of 
 Umanak. The whole coast from S.E. to N.N.E. (true) stood 
 before us like a panorama, and the sea was so calm, and 
 everything so still and peaceful, excepting now and then 
 the rumbling of an overturning berg, or the distant echo 
 of the floes as they pressed together to seaward of us, that 
 it almost seemed like a transition to some other world. It 
 was indeed enchantment, after the constant rolling of the 
 ocean, and the crashing amongst the outside ice, which we 
 had experienced during the previous afternoon. I now deter- 
 mined to proceed to Ivitut 2 to endeavour to get 20 tons of 
 coal, and to steam to Disco in the event of the weather 
 being calm ; we therefore turned the ' Pandora's ' bow 
 towards Storo, and soon approached the land. We found 
 our late companion, the 'Traveller,' becalmed under the 
 land, and surrounded with loose ice, so I went alongside, and 
 offered to tow her into Ivitut, a distance of 16 miles. Of 
 this offer the Captain gladly availed himself, as he did not 
 otherwise expect to get in for at least two days, there being 
 always a strong surface current running out of the fiords at 
 
 1 This coast is the West Bygd of the ancient Norse colonizers of Greenland. 
 Near Arsuk was the old Norse church of Steinnaes. Umanak is the Cape 
 Comfort of our old Elizabethan navigators. Sermilik means "having a 
 glacier." 
 
 2 Or Ivigtot. 
 
6 THE OLD 'FOX.' 
 
 this season, caused by the mountain rivers, and the melting 
 of the last remnants of the snow. 
 
 When inside the fiord, the wind sprung up and freshened 
 from the S.E., which somewhat delayed us, and we did not 
 arrive off Ivitut until 4 p.m., when, finding that I could be 
 supplied with coal, and not wishing to let go my anchor in 
 30 fathoms, according to the custom here, I went along- 
 side the barque 'Thor' by the permission of her captain. 
 She was lying alongside a jetty, or rather stage, rigged out 
 from the shore, and was being loaded with kryolite ; as 
 she was securely moored, we were enabled to wheel the coal 
 across in barrows. We found Mr. Fritz, the Manager of 
 the Kryolite Company, most obliging and courteous. He 
 offered us every assistance, and any supplies that we might 
 require, besides pressing us to accept his private stock of 
 pigs, which I declined ; but he insisted on sending me one 
 small pig for the ship's company, and a large hamper of 
 the most delicious radishes, which he had grown in the 
 open air. Nothing could exceed his kindness, and I wish 
 here to record it, and to mention that anyone going to 
 Ivitut is certain of a hearty welcome and the utmost atten- 
 tion from Mr. Fritz. 
 
 We found the 'Fox/ my old ship, lying there, looking 
 quite smart, and evidently kept in good repair. I went on 
 board with Toms to have a look at the old craft which had 
 been our home for two and a-half years, and I felt an in- 
 clination to linger there, and even some desire to exchange 
 for the * Pandora/ although as yet the 'Pandora' has be- 
 haved in all respects to my satisfaction. 
 
 Immediately we were secured I gave leave to all hands, 
 and notwithstanding the myriads of mosquitoes, which ren- 
 dered the shore intolerable, all the men went on excursions, 
 then- principal desire being apparently to exchange articles 
 of European manufacture for anything of native workman- 
 

 
THE KRYOLITE MINE. 7 
 
 ship, much to the advantage of the natives. They also 
 searched for a cat, as we had left without one, to which 
 circumstance all our head winds were attributed. The result 
 of their search was that we secured at least three cats and 
 a pig. The mullemokke "Bi%," which was caught off 
 Farewell, and shorn of its wing, is kept as a pet on board. 
 
 Ivitut is situated about 16 miles up the fiord named Arsuk, 
 after the lofty island of that name, which borders the left, 
 or rather the northern side of the fiord, and is composed of 
 granite, with overlying syenite. The granite continues for 
 about 8 miles up the fiord on both sides, when it disappears, 
 and alternates with gneiss. This gneiss forms the shore on 
 both sides of the fiord for from 7 to 8 miles up to the spot 
 named Ivitut by the natives, where the kryolite - 1 is found. 
 The name Ivitut (from Ivih, grass) was given to this place by 
 the natives on account of its fertility. It was first frequented 
 by them for the purpose of fishing and drying the Arctic 
 salmon, but was deserted on account of the increasing float- 
 ing ice. We owe the discovery of kryolite to a peculiar 
 circumstance. The Greenlanders employed the water-worn 
 fragments of this mineral as weights for their fishing lines, 
 and in this shape the first specimens were sent by the 
 missionaries to Copenhagen as ethnographical curiosities. 
 The kryolite is found near the shore, resting immediately 
 upon the gneiss. The purest is of a snow-white colour, 
 without any intermixture of foreign substances. The 
 grayish-white variety which lies on the surface is considered 
 the second quality of commerce. It very much resembles 
 ice which has been curved and grooved by the action of 
 the sun's rays. The kryolite mines are now regularly 
 worked by a company in Copenhagen, which employs a 
 
 1 Kryolite, or Cryolite, is a very rare mineral found only in the gneiss of 
 West Greenland. It is the double hydrofluate of soda and alumina. The 
 name is from Kpvos, hoar frost, and \160s, stone. It melts like ice in the 
 flame of a candle, hence the name. 
 
8 THE KRYOLITE MINE. 
 
 manager to superintend the works, and sufficient men are 
 sent out annually to load the ships, which generally obtain 
 a freight — 27. per ton — to England or Philadelphia. These 
 workmen are relieved at fixed periods. They do not bring 
 any of their families with them, and generally contract to 
 remain three years, the mines being worked both winter and 
 summer ; a smaller mine, more free from snow, being usually 
 worked throughout the autumnal and winter months. The 
 kryolite is used for a variety of purposes, but principally for 
 making soda, and also in the United States for preparing 
 aluminium. 1 
 
 At the time of our visit, the ships ' Thor,' of Hamburg, 
 and the ' Alibi,' of Peterhead, were both loading a cargo, and 
 the * Traveller/ of the latter place, which we had just towed 
 in, was regularly employed in carrying kryolite to Copen- 
 hagen. The * Fox,' so celebrated in Arctic history, is now in 
 the employ of the company, and is used for bringing out 
 supplies and reliefs of workmen to the colony. The kryolite 
 is all brought from the mine (which is, perhaps, 200 yards 
 from the sea) to the beach, close to the shipping stage, and 
 is stacked in large, square heaps, as being the most con- 
 venient for measuring it both for shipment and for the 
 royalty to be paid to the Royal Danish Greenland Com- 
 pany. 
 
 I was so occupied on board that I had no time to make 
 more than a very short visit to the mine. I then walked 
 up the rising ground, being attracted by a large wooden 
 cross marking the burying ground of the little colony. It 
 was a well chosen spot, where vegetation flourished, and 
 away from the works and habitations, commanding a lovely 
 view of the fiord and surrounding mountains. The cross 
 
 1 For accounts of the kryolite mine, see a paper of Sir Charles Geisecke, 
 in the ' Edinburgh Philosophical Journal,' vi. p. 141 ; and a paper by J. W. 
 Tayler, Esq., in the 4 Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society,' xii. p. 140. 
 These papers have been reprinted in the ' Arctic Manual,' pp. 341 and 344. 
 
THE KRY0LITE MINE. 9 
 
 bore the beautiful and appropriate inscription taken from 
 Psalm cxxxix., 7-10 : 
 
 " Whither shall I go from Thy spirit ? or whither 
 Shall I fly from Thy presence ? 
 If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there : if I 
 Make my hed in hell, behold, Thou art there. 
 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts 
 
 of the sea ; 
 Even there shalt Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me." 
 
 It was with a deep feeling of sadness that I noticed 
 several smaller crosses, marking the last-resting place of 
 the poor colonists who had left their native country to 
 die in this desolate place; and, with an earnest reflection 
 on the above sacred words, I returned on board the ship 
 to obtain a few hours' rest previous to sailing on the follow- 
 ing morning. 
 
10 STREAMS OF ICE 
 
 OF 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 NAVIGATION ON THE COAST OF GKEENLAND. 
 
 Having received 28 tons of coal, I started at 3 a.m., and 
 steamed slowly out of the fiord. A fog which set in soon 
 afterwards made me very anxious, as the water is too deep 
 to anchor. I had no pilot, and had never been here before, 
 and at one moment I thought of returning to the anchorage 
 at Ivitut, as the only place I could make, but fortunately, on 
 rounding the western extremity of the Island of Arsuk, the 
 fog partially cleared, and we found a fresh S.E. (true) wind 
 blowing out of the fiord, to which we immediately made sail, 
 and passed out to sea without further difficulty. We soon 
 fell in with streams of ice, which were apparently being 
 driven along the coast from the south, and out of the great 
 bays about Julianshaab. 1 The wind also increased, and we 
 ran at some speed under reefed topsails to the northward, 
 avoiding the ice as much as possible, but sometimes receiving 
 a smart blow. Our artist took some hydrographic sketches 
 of the coast, and of the entrance to Arsuk Fiord, which if 
 published will be of some service to future navigators of this 
 fiord, the entrance of which is becoming of some importance, 
 and is most difficult to make from the sea without a know- 
 ledge of the appearance of the land. We continued running 
 with a fair wind all the afternoon, though the ice compelled 
 us to deviate greatly from a straight course, and by night it 
 came on thick with rain, and so dark that the floes and floe- 
 
 1 The southernmost Danish Greenland colony (in 60° 43' N.), but not the 
 southernmost settlement. Further south there are the Moravian missions of 
 Lichtenau and Fredriksdal, close to Cape Farewell. 
 
NAVIGATION ON THE COAST OF GREENLAND. 11 
 
 pieces could only be avoided with great difficulty. I was up 
 all night, and hoped for better weather next morning 
 ( August 1), but the wind now increased to a fresh gale from 
 the southward (true), and the ice became very close in some 
 of the streams. We continued running through streams 
 along the coast, as to seaward the pack seemed much closer. 
 At 7 A.M. I close-reefed, in the event of our having to round 
 to, but we succeeded in getting into clear water about noon. 
 The barometer had fallen considerably, and 1 fully expected 
 a heavy gale, especially as the rain began to come down in 
 torrents, and the weather to thicken. In the forenoon we 
 had to haul out of a heavy jam of ice pressed upon a long 
 reef of islands and rocks which extended above our bows, 
 among which the larger pieces had grounded, and had 
 brought up the floe, forming a lee shore of the wildest 
 description. Having cleared the western extremity of this 
 danger, we again bore away, and at noon passed close to the 
 'Vaidoe Island,' just off the entrance to the colony of 
 Frederickshaab. But the thick weather prevented our 
 seeing more than the outlying isles and rocks, which we 
 passed at one mile distant. In the afternoon we again 
 passed through a very heavy stream of ice, and on ap- 
 proaching the outer edge, I heard the sea breaking violently 
 amongst the floes. I took this as an indication that we were 
 getting clear, arid to the northern limit of the Spitzbergen 
 drift ice. Shortly afterwards in getting into more water, we 
 suddenly experienced a heavy swell, and I then knew that 
 we need not expect much more "of this troublesome and dan- 
 gerous enemy. In the evening we were approaching the 
 glacier which extends down to the sea north of the Tallart 
 Bank, and about 28 miles north of Frederickshaab. It is the 
 most conspicuous mark upon the coast of Greenland, and 
 cannot be mistaken. Our artist took a view of it. I remember 
 that when we pushed through the Spitzbergen ice in the 
 
12 THE TORSKE BANK. 
 
 * Fox,' the first landfall we made was this glacier, which im- 
 mediately directed us to the position of Fr'ederickshaab. In 
 sailing through ice, especially if very close, it is difficult to 
 keep the reckoning, and as such navigation is also often 
 accompanied by thick weather, it is necessary, if possible, to 
 have a sure landmark. 
 
 The night proved better than I expected. The wind 
 moderated, but the rain continued in torrents, and we passed 
 through a quantity of drift masses of ice, which I supposed 
 had been hung up by bergs grounded off the Tallart Bank 
 and the glacier. But it was too dark to see anything, and 
 we continued through the gloom with a good look out, the 
 ship rolling with her heavy deck-load, and everything drip- 
 ping with rain and fog. 
 
 (Aug. 2.) The morning broke, thick with rain, but to my 
 great relief no ice was passed. The wind fell off to nearly a 
 calm, and as I fancied we must be near or over the southern- 
 most Torske Bank, I sounded, and found 25 fathoms. We 
 immediately stopped, and put over some fishing-lines, but 
 without success, as a light wind, with a current to the north 
 prevented us from keeping our lines on the bottom. The 
 only things brought up were some conglomerate composed 
 of ascidiae inside horny cases, and outside the cases bivalve 
 molluscs, and several common log worms. 
 
 We steamed to the northward, and during the afternoon I 
 observed many terns, 1 kittiwakies, 2 and a few looms. 3 The 
 surface of the water was frequently rippled as if by a strong 
 current ; many pieces of drift ice were also passed, from all 
 which I hoped we were setting to the northward. We 
 passed one large iceberg, apparently aground, about 2 p.m. 
 
 1 The Arctic tern {Sterna Arcticd) is a beautiful little sea swallow with red 
 legs and beak. The Eskimo name is Imerkoteilak. 
 
 2 The kittiwake is a graceful Arctic gull (Rissa tridactyla, or Larus tridactylus 
 of Fabricius). The Eskimo name is Tatterak. 
 
 * Brunnick's guillemot (Alca arra) ; in Eskimo, Akpa. 
 
OFF SUKKERTOPPEN. 13 
 
 (August 2) ; its summit was crowded with birds, which from 
 the distance appeared to be terns, apparently waiting for 
 the fog to clear off to resume their flight. The mist disap- 
 pearing, we had a lovely night; but the wind continuing 
 light from the N.W. (true) we kept slowly steaming to the 
 N.N.E. 
 
 We had been eating some of the seal beef, which we 
 procured in passing through the ice, and it was generally 
 appreciated by the officers, and especially by " Joe," but at 
 present, the crew, as might be expected, rather looked with 
 disdain upon it, and did not seem to care for it. They soon 
 found out its value, as it is certainly the most nutritious and 
 wholesome food in this part of the world, and by steeping 
 it well and boiling it twice over it is, in my opinion, equal to 
 very tender ox beef. 
 
 (Aug. 3.) We continued to the northward under steam, 
 the wind still blowing directly against us. At 11 o'clock we 
 saw the islands outside Ny Sukkertoppen, 1 and could make 
 out through the fog the high conical mount which stands 
 out from the mainland, and so well marks the approach to 
 the colony. At noon the wind changed to the south (true). 
 So we ceased steaming, and passed within a mile of the 
 islands off Ny Sukkertoppen, on the largest of which we 
 noticed a white wooden beacon, or staff, with cross pieces at 
 the top. The current ran north, and caused strong ripples 
 on the surface. We now also noticed flights of eider drakes 
 for the first time — they were going seaward, and came in 
 constant flocks from the land. 
 
 (Aug. 4.) During the whole of the next day we had a 
 light north wind, with clear sky, mild weather, and a hot 
 sun. I stood in towards the land, coasting about a mile off, 
 until off the entrance to Surk-strom Fiord at noon, when we 
 
 1 " Ny," or New Sukkertoppen (sugar-loaf) is south of the older settlement 
 of Sukkertoppen, which was founded in 1755, in 65° 20' N. 
 
14 PASS KANGEK — HOLSTEINBORG. 
 
 suddenly found ourselves among a labyrinth of reefs and 
 rocks not marked in the chart, which I named Pandora 
 Keefs, and on one of which we touched slightly. I then 
 hauled out to W.N.W. (true), the wind being still northward, 
 and cleared all the dangers. The splendid scenery stood 
 like a panorama before us, and as we passed Surk-strom 
 Fiord our artist made a sketch of this beautiful arm of the 
 sea, which penetrates direct inland 30 or 40 miles, having 
 precipitous mountains on each side 4000 to 5000 feet high, 
 and reaching to the inland ice, which we could plainly see at 
 the head. I then thought of standing off to the Torske 
 Bank to catch some cod-fish, and was proceeding N.N.W., 
 under very easy steam and fore and aft canvas, when on 
 stopping to sound we observed some natives coming off in 
 their kayaks. They had had a long pull, as we were now at 
 least 16 miles from the land ; and although we had been 
 standing off at 5 miles an hour, they had never given up the 
 chase, and now overtook us. They brought salmon, fresh and 
 smoked, and a few eggs, and all that the poor fellows asked 
 in exchange for eighteen of these fine fish, was a few biscuits 
 and a little tobacco. They had pulled so hard, that they 
 were quite wet through with the sea, so we hoisted them 
 all in, gave them a good warming in the engine-room, and 
 a glass of grog, and they took their leave quite happy and 
 contented. They belonged to Old Sukkertoppen, but were 
 staying for the present at a place called Kangek, 1 just north 
 of Surk-strom Fiord, catching salmon and reindeer. 
 
 (Aug. 5.) I had limited the engineers to 3 cwt. of coal 
 per hour, and we could not therefore steam more than 4 knots. 
 The wind was west (true) alternating with calms until 4 a.m., 
 when a breeze sprung up from the southward, and we set all 
 canvas, and at 8 a.m. stopped the engines. We passed the 
 
 1 Kangek means a cape or headland. The name frequently occurs along 
 the coast of Greenland. 
 
PASSING RIFKOL. 15 
 
 Knight Islands off the colony of Hoi stein borg, 1 and at noon 
 were in lat. 67° 11' N. long. 54° 26' W., steering along the 
 land at a distance of 12 to 14 miles, our artist being busy all 
 day making hydrographic sketches of the coast at the most 
 interesting points. At 6 p.m. we sounded in 18 fathoms, and 
 found shells, sand, and particles of granite. 
 
 (Aug. 6.) I was on deck during the whole night of the 
 5th, as we were passing close to Kif kol, the water being very 
 shallow, and the islands very low. In the morning we had 
 passed Eif kol, and had gone inside the rocks laid down in the 
 chart. The coast here was quite changed in appearance, 
 and the transition from the high snow-capped mountains to 
 a low, irregular tract quite devoid of snow was very remark- 
 able. I had intended on the previous evening to stop at the 
 Rif kol Bank to try to catch some hallibut and cod, and we 
 sounded in 17 fathoms, finding sand, shells, and small stones 
 from the granitic rocks, but a light breeze sprang up, and 
 being so anxious to get onward, I gave up the attempt. 
 
 1 At this time H.M.S. ' Valorous ' was in Holsteinborg harbour undergoing 
 repairs, after having run upon a reef of rocks not marked on the chart, on 
 July 27. The • Valorous ' left Holsteinborg on August 8. 
 
10 ARRIVAL AT GODHAVN. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 GODHAVN AND THE WAIGAT. 
 
 The Island of Disco had been in sight since 7 a.m., at a 
 distance of nearly 70 miles. We continued to the N.N.E., 
 passing to windward of the Whalefish Islands and the solitary- 
 islet west of the Hunde Islands, upon which we observed 
 thousands of birds, apparently roosting. 
 
 The bay of Disco, and the grand cliffs and snow-covered 
 table-land of the island to the northward, were now spread 
 out before us, and to the eastward were Jacobshavn and 
 Christianshaab. Numbers of whales of the finned species 
 were blowing in all directions, and the sea was everywhere 
 dotted with icebergs, the whole forming, in the clear, bright 
 atmosphere, a most enchanting scene. We passed close to 
 windward of the Whalefish Islands, and the two flat islets 
 south of Godhavn, upon one of which we so nearly ran the 
 ' Fox ' in a gale and snow storm in May, 1857. On approach- 
 ing the high land, the wind fell lighter and more baffling, 
 and, with our slow steaming, it was not till midnight that we 
 arrived off the entrance to Lievely. 
 
 (Aug. 7.) On August 7, 1 observed a whale-boat approach- 
 ing, and received on board Mr. Elborg, the governor, who had 
 kindly come out to meet us, bringing me letters from Captain 
 Nares and Mr. Clements Markham. I learned that the 'Alert ' 
 and ' Discovery ' had arrived at Disco on July 6th, after a very 
 severe passage across the Atlantic and in Davis Strait. She 
 had, after staying nine days in harbour, transhipped stores 
 from the ' Valorous,' and proceeded northward on the 15th, 
 intending to stop at Ritenbenk and Upernivik, to ship more 
 
Rocks at Godhavn. 
 
The Church at Godhavn. 
 
DISCO BAY. 17 
 
 dogs. The * Valorous ' had left Godhavn at the same time, 
 having proceeded to the coal mine in the Waigat, and intend- 
 ing thence to go southward to make observations in sounding 
 and dredging in Davis Strait. I consequently addressed all 
 letters for that ship to the Secretary of the Admiralty, as 
 there was now no chance of our meeting her. We anchored 
 in Godhavn, but found no other ship there, the Company's 
 vessel having left for home the previous evening ; but, as 
 another was expected in about a fortnight, we wrote up our 
 letters, and having filled up some water and given the crew 
 general leave and a dance on shore, we departed at midnight 
 for the Waigat. There I expected to find coal already dug 
 out for us by the natives under the direction of Mr. Krarup 
 Smith, the Inspector of North Greenland, who had kindly 
 undertaken this work for me at the request of Mr. Clements 
 Markham. 
 
 (Aug. 8.) On August 8 we were steaming slowly along 
 the south shore of Disco, in charmingly mild weather, which 
 rendered a change of clothing necessary. Thousands of ice- 
 bergs were around us. 
 
 The fisheries of Disco appear to be falling off more and 
 more every year, and recently but few whales have been 
 taken. The seals, moreover, are much scarcer than formerly* 
 I noticed no seal meat or fresh skins, and, in fact, the natives 
 appear to be quite at a standstill, except the few who were 
 away at the large fiord at the west side of the island, catch^ 
 ing salmon. Perhaps this apparent idleness may have been 
 the result of their having received a good sum of money 
 during the long stay of the three Government ships. 
 
 We steamed leisurely along towards the coaling station^ 
 which is on the Disco shore, about 30 miles inside the 
 Waigat. As we opened the straits, a strong north wind 
 blew against us, bringing up so dense a fog that it was with 
 the greatest difficulty we could clear the numerous icebergs-. 
 
18 BAD WEATHER IN THE WAIGAT. 
 
 The season seemed an exceptional one, as from former expe- 
 rience I did not expect to meet with anything like the 
 number of bergs which almost choked up the straits, ren- 
 dering the navigation very intricate. At midnight we were 
 beset by very thick weather, not being able to see much 
 beyond the jib-boom, and, the water being too deep to hold 
 out any hope of anchoring, we were compelled to proceed, 
 under steam, at a very slow rate until I decided to moor to a 
 promising looking piece, which we went nearly stem on to. 
 It was a berg which had turned over, and was consequently 
 very smooth and slippery. After several attempts it was 
 secured with two large ice-anchors, and I hoped to be 
 able to ride by it until the gale decreased or the fog 
 cleared. We sounded in 58 fathoms, and supposed we were 
 about a mile from the Disco shore (the mountain on the 
 point at the entrance to the Waigat bearing west {true), and 
 that the berg was aground ; but it afterwards floated with the 
 flood-tide and turned over, and began drifting with us upon 
 a group of other bergs. 
 
 (Aug. 9.) I was disturbed at 3 a.m. by the noise of the 
 falling over of the berg, and the officer of the watch rushing 
 down to tell me that it had capsized, taking our anchors a 
 long way under water. I still held on until the rolling of the 
 berg released the anchors, when we were once more compelled 
 to steam off into the fog. During the forenoon the sun 
 appeared and the wind decreased, enabling us to obtain the 
 latitude by means of one of Captain George's artificial hori- 
 zons on deck. We found that we were a little to the north- 
 ward of Ujarasusuk 1 , the point at which I wished to commu- 
 nicate with the natives, and to present a letter to the Factor 
 with reference to the coaling of the ship. Ujarasusuk is not 
 
 1 From Ujarak, a stone. Ujarasusuk consists of two wooden houses and 
 about twenty Eskimo huts. It is about 20 miles from the coal mine of 
 Kudliset, on the Disco side, close to the shore, on an abrupt rocky point. It 
 may be found by the bay between Atanekerdluk and Sakkak, on the Noursoak 
 
THE SETTLEMENT OP UJARASUSUK. 19 
 
 marked on the chart. It lies on the Disco shore, about half- 
 way between the entrance to the straits and the coal deposits 
 at Kudliset. After a little delay we saw two houses, but all 
 our efforts with the steam-whistle failed to produce any effect 
 upon the occupants, who were probably taking a good fore- 
 noon's sleep, being compelled by the dense fog to remain 
 inactive. On a closer approach, however, the good people 
 of Ujarasusuk were aroused by the whistle ; dogs, men, and 
 women were rushing about, and we were soon boarded by a 
 kayaker, who informed me that Mr. Jansen, the governor, 
 would be on shore to receive me. So I landed, and found 
 that we were on an outlying station of the Kitenbenk dis- 
 trict, containing about a hundred people, presided over by 
 Governor Jansen. On landing, a letter from Mr. Clements 
 Markham was handed to me. It stated that the ' Valorous '* 
 had lately been at the Kudliset mines, and had in five days 
 taken in 105 tons. Markham also informed me that the 
 coals were cleared for us, and the Governor said that I 
 should meet a sloop which was coming from the mines, and 
 that I might take from her sixteen men and five women to 
 assist in loading the ' Pandora. ' At Ujarasusuk there were 
 a great number of splendid dogs, of which I purchased four, 
 giving six rixdollars for each, that price including the har- 
 ness, and some shark's flesh for food. 
 
 Proceeding to Kudliset, we met the sloop, took in the 
 men and women, and arrived at the mines at 7 p.m., anchor- 
 ing in 7 fathoms, and about a quarter of a mile from the 
 beach. We then gave the Eskimos a good supper all round 
 
 peninsula, being exactly open. On Issungoak Point there are two peaks, the 
 northern very sharp and remarkable, resembling a cairn, and a good mark for 
 finding Ujarasusuk, as it is 4 miles from Issungoak Point. Narsak was not 
 seen in passing, and there appears to be no habitation between Ujarasusuk 
 and Kudliset. 
 
 1 The • Valorous ' was at anchor off the Kulbrud, or coal mine of Kudliset, in 
 the Waigat, from the 17th to the 21st of July. In eighty-eight hours the men 
 got on board 105 tons of coal. 
 
 c 2 
 
20 COALING IN THE WAIGAT. 
 
 and turned in, the men sleeping in the squaresail on deck, 
 and the females, three of whom were remarkably pretty 
 girls, being stowed away in the chart-room, under the 
 guardianship of an old lady, who was evidently the strictest 
 of chaperones, and would not allow one of them to be out of. 
 her sight for a moment. 
 
 (Aug. 10.) The next morning was very clear and calm. 
 All hands were sent on shore at 5 a.m., and by dint of real 
 good work we succeeded in getting on board about 40 tons 1 
 by 7 p.m. We then got ready for sea, intending to start as 
 soon as the crew had taken a few hours' rest, they being 
 much fatigued with the day's work. I found the steam 
 cutter of the greatest assistance in towing the boats to and 
 from our ship. At nine we were aroused by a berg coming 
 athwart hawse, but by veering cable we succeeded in 
 clearing our bows of it. I then settled with the Eskimos 
 who had helped us, and having packed up my letters for 
 England, I sent all the natives away to an empty house 
 about a mile distant. 
 
 1 The coal lies imbedded in sandstone underlying the trap formation and 
 close down to the sea-level, in seams of from 1 to 7 feet in thickness. The 
 coal is easily excavated and thrown on the beach, and thence taken to the 
 boats. In the spring, when the ice foot exists, it forms a natural wharf, and 
 a ship or lighter might go almost alongside and take the coal direct on board. 
 An analysis of this coal was made by Professor Fyte, of King's College, 
 Aberdeen, as follows : 
 
 Specific Gravity, 1 ■ 3848. 
 
 Volatile matter 50'6 
 
 Coke, consisting of ash 9 • 84 
 
 Carbon 3956 
 
 100-00 
 
passing Sanderson's hope. 21 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE PASSAGE THKOUGH MELVILLE BAY. 
 
 (Aug. 11.) Rising at four o'clock, I took a last look at the 
 scene. It reminded me forcibly of my former visit in the 
 ' Fox/ which seemed but yesterday, even to the mountain 
 stream which still poured over the summit of the highest 
 ridge, falling in a perpendicular silver line for many hun- 
 dreds of feet. We were a week later this time, and the 
 season was getting on so fast, that it was with a feeling of 
 relief that I ordered the anchor to be weighed. I felt satis- 
 fied with the success of our cruise thus far, and did not 
 anticipate another detention. 1 By the afternoon we had 
 sailed and steamed as far as Hare Island, when the wind 
 suddenly shifted to the northward, and we furled all sails, 
 and continued throughout the night with very easy steam, 
 making slow progress. Arriving the next day (August 12) 
 under Svarte Huk, we made a tack off from within a 
 quarter of a mile of the beach, experiencing a strong north- 
 ward set as we rounded this extraordinary cape. In the 
 evening we could see Sanderson's Hope, and passed close 
 outside the islands, in fine weather and with light north 
 winds. 
 
 1 On August 11 the latitude was 70° 4' 54" N. ; longitude, 52° 59' 30" W. ; 
 var. 69° 4'. This places the coast on the Disco Island side of the Waigat 
 farther to the N.E., and altogether different from the Admiralty charts. The 
 coal mine may easily be found if the opposite coast is in sight, even when 
 Disco is enveloped in fog, by observing a very sharp needle peak called Manik, 
 which bears N. 52° E. {true) from the mine. Behind the mine two mountains 
 rise to about 3000 feet, with a remarkable stream of water flowing over the 
 highest ridge. The ' Valorous * made the latitude of a position at the coal cliff 
 near where her men were working 70° 3' 24" N. 
 
22 UPERNIVIK. 
 
 (Aug. 13.) The morning of the 13th of August was ushered 
 in with light south winds, and I decided to stop off Upernivik 
 to send my last letters home, so we steered in between the 
 two easternmost of the Woman's Islands, and entered Uper- 
 nivik Bay, rounding to close off the settlement. 1 The 
 Governor came on board, and informed us that the ' Alert ' 
 and ' Discovery ' had left on the 22nd July, and that he con- 
 sidered it to be a very favourable season for them, although 
 on the day they sailed there was a good deal of ice outside 
 the Woman's Islands and to the northward, which obliged 
 them to steer out west. 
 
 Having sent a present of a satin cushion to our old friend 
 Sophia, who is now the wife of the Governor, and purchased 
 a few sealskin clothes and two more dogs, we bore away, the 
 weather threatening from the S.W. and a heavy rain falling, 
 and passed out between the Talbot Reef and the nearest 
 islands, steering away to N.N.W., and continuing through 
 the night under canvas. 
 
 (Aug. 14.) At 7 a.m. we could just distinguish the Horse 
 Head, and flocks of looms continually crossed, flying to the 
 westward, from which I inferred that the middle ice was not 
 far out in that direotion. We saw numbers of single birds, 
 and hen birds with single young ones, feeding in the water ; 
 but the flight of the strong birds was seaward, without rest- 
 ing near the ship. In the afternoon we passed through a 
 
 1 In approaching Upernivik two rocks were observed just above water, San- 
 derson's Hope bearing about E.S.E. (mag.) from the westernmost rock, which 
 was about 4 miles to the south of the south Woman's Island. The weather 
 was too thick to allow of any angles being taken. The rocks or reefs are laid 
 down on the plans in the ' Pandora's ' hydrographic book kept for that purpose. 
 In going into Upernivik the two islands off the Hope were left on the star- 
 board hand, and a course was shaped between them and the next one to the 
 northward. In leaving Upernivik the ' Pandora ' passed to the eastward of the 
 Talbot Keef, which was clearly visible, and then a course was shaped to 
 the N.W. The reef laid down off the south end of the small island on which 
 the colony of Upernivik is situated, is visible by the break of the sea if a good 
 look-out is kept. 
 
THE PASSAGE THROUGH MELVILLE BAY. 23 
 
 long chain of huge icebergs, lying north and south as far as 
 the eye could reach, and, the weather clearing off, we found 
 ourselves close to the outermost of the Duck Islands. We 
 got good observations, placing them in lat. 73° 36' N., long. 
 57° 47' w # There were four islands visible, lying E.N.E and 
 W.S.W. Snow fell until midnight. We were now deserted 
 by every living thing. 
 
 (Aug. 15.) At 9 a.m. there was a beautiful break in 
 the sky. The magnificent glacier was also before us, and 
 Capes Seddon, Lewis, and Walker in sight. A few huge 
 icebergs were scattered here and there, but we saw no floe- 
 ice. Being quite out of fresh water, we sent away a boat to 
 one of the bergs for some loose pieces of ice. The afternoon 
 was glorious. There was a clear, brilliant sky, and a tem- 
 perature of 35°. The fog was gone, and only one or two 
 bergs were to be seen. We had also a constant swell from 
 the N.W. and W.N.W., and could hardly believe that we 
 were in the dreaded Melville Bay. It was more like passing 
 a fine autumnal night on the Atlantic. Near this point, on 
 August 30, 1857, the * Fox ' was hampered with the ice, and 
 finally beset altogether for a winter's drift with the pack. 
 We reminded ourselves that it would not be wise to " Halloo 
 until out of the wood." There was, however, no prospect of 
 meeting the middle pack ice, and we steered a direct course 
 for Cape Ycrk. To my astonishment, the small quantity of ice 
 we met was completely deserted, and we only saw an occasional 
 fulmar, no looms, seals, or any living thing ; and the contrast 
 between the brilliant sun and iceless sea, with the absence 
 of all life, was most wonderful. We could not have been 
 far from the middle pack, as whenever the flaws of wind came 
 from W.S.W. or S.W. the air was raw and cold, and fog with 
 light snow, or rather frozen particles of mist, came on. Our 
 latitude at noon was 74° 46' N., the longitude being 60° 9' 
 W. We continued slowly through the night, with light 
 
24 OFF CAPE YORK. 
 
 S,W. winds, no ice being in sight except a few bergs. The 
 barometer was 29 . 65 ; temperature, 30° to 35° Fahr. We 
 now had occasional calms, and used our steam, going as 
 slowly as possible to save fuel. The ship was so completely 
 covered with long grass as to be rendered almost motionless 
 unless in a fresh breeze, and the low temperature of the 
 water appeared not to have the slightest effect upon it. This 
 was a serious matter, our progress being so retarded that I 
 feared we should not go any great distance in this season. 
 At noon the remarkable peaked mountain to the east of 
 Cape Melville was in sight above the mist which hung to 
 the northward. We were now passing through another 
 chain of grounded icebergs, and I was forcibly reminded of 
 the time when, beset at this season of the year in the ' Fox/ 
 we drifted past this very place, and expected to be driven 
 against icebergs in the same positions as those now before 
 us. Could they be the same ? To me it is doubtful, al- 
 though the same bergs apparently have been seen by former 
 navigators year after year. 
 
 At five o'clock our quietude was temporarily broken into 
 by an alarm in the ship. All hands on deck, for Joe had 
 seen a bear swimming across our bows, and had run down for 
 his rifle. A boat was lowered, and Lillingston and myself went 
 away, and returned with a young she-bear about five feet long. 
 Poor thing, she made a gallant swim for it, and it was with 
 difficulty that we overtook her in the boat. 
 
 At eight o'clock we arrived near the land in the neighbour- 
 hood of Cape York, 1 where we found quantities of smashed-up 
 ice, enormous bergs, and small pieces, It looked as if there 
 had been a heavy gale ; but there was too much fog to see 
 any distance towards the shore, which also seemed full of 
 ice. Out to the W. and S.W. the sea was perfectly clear. 
 
 1 Named by Sir John Ross after the Duke of York, on August 16, 1818, 
 His Royal Highness's birthday. 
 
LOW TEMPERATURE. 25 
 
 By midnight we had to stop steaming owing to a thick fog 
 and being beset with small and thin floes apparently of this 
 season's formation. The temperature fell to 28°, and the ice 
 crystals could be seen rapidly forming between the pieces 
 of ice. Our rigging was covered with a white coating of 
 frost. (August 17.) I had hoped that the low temperature in 
 passing through the ice would have killed the weed on the 
 ship's bottom, but was disappointed on the following morn- 
 ing to find it as flourishing as ever. 
 
26 THE CARY ISLANDS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE OAKY ISLANDS. 
 
 We were now about 8 miles south of Cape York, and fell 
 in with streams of ice, composed of old floes, and new ice 
 and bergs, extending out from the land towards the S.W. 
 for 10 or 15 miles. After passing the ice, we proceeded 
 towards the Cary Islands, our artist taking sketches of the 
 Beverley cliffs and the Petowak glacier. I forgot to mention 
 that I had sent away a boat the day before, with a small 
 party to shoot rotches, 1 of which thousands were feeding 
 among the new ice-floes. The natives come down to Cape 
 York at this season to catch rotches in nets for their winter 
 stock. 2 We could not, however, without serious delay, get 
 close in to the land, to see if any natives were there, so 
 I now steered for the Cary Islands, where I expected to find 
 despatches from the ' Alert ' and ' Discovery/ We had a fine 
 calm night, with a light southerly air occasionally. We 
 passed Wolstenholme Island, and at 8 a.m. sighted the 
 south-eastern of the Cary Islands in the distance. (August 
 18.) Towards noon we were drawing near and rising the N.W. 
 
 1 The Alca alle, or little auk, called akpalliarsuk by the Eskimo. 
 
 2 We did not, in passing along the face of the Petowak glacier experience 
 the strong current spoken of by Inglefield, but in the evening we fancied we 
 could detect a slight northerly stream, which I attributed to the flood tide. 
 We had a constant swell, almost as if in the Atlantic. It came from N.W. and 
 S.W. (true), and we were even obliged to hook back the cabin doors, which 
 one would imagine a very unusual thing in these seas in fine weather. It 
 must indicate a large expanse of water. The barometer fluctuated but little, 
 between 29.65 and 29.80; temperature about 25° to 30° Fahr. ; surface of 
 sea, 34° to 36°. 
 
THE CART ISLANDS. 27 
 
 Isle of the group, making, however, but slow progress, as I 
 limited the engineers to the Waigat coal, much to their 
 discomfiture. The wind springing up from the northward 
 {true) and freshening to a strong breeze, we beat up to the 
 north-west island, and lay-to about 2 miles or rather less 
 to W.S.W., having to avoid a sunken rock lying about 
 three-quarters of a mile west (true) of the S.W. island, 
 off the north extreme. We also observed a reef above 
 water, with rocks extending a cable length from each end, 
 lying a good mile west (true) from the middle of the N.W. 
 island. 
 
 I took the first whale-boat, and with some provisions and 
 the two casks of letters for the * Alert ' and ' Discovery/ left 
 'the ship and sailed towards a promising bay at the mouth of 
 a considerable river or valley on the west side of the island, 
 and we arrived shortly on the beach, and landed without 
 much difficulty. 
 
 I sent the boat round to another little cove about a 
 quarter of a mile to the north-westward for safety. Lieu- 
 tenant Lillingston, Lieutenant Beynan, and Mr. McGahan 
 accompanied me. We immediately ascended towards a cairn 
 on the summit, and after some tough travelling, and crossing 
 a small glacier, we came to almost level ground, where we 
 found two large cairns. Most anxiously we examined the 
 ground with pick and shovel all round the cairn, but failed 
 to find the slightest trace left by either the ' Alert ' or the 
 * Discovery,' nor were there any signs of the spot having 
 been recently visited. The result of our search merely 
 proved that the large cairn was erected on the 17th of 
 July, 1867, by the men of the steam whaler ' Intrepid,' Cap- 
 tain David Souter, a record stating that " other whale ships 
 " were in sight at the time. Little water to the N.Wi, 
 " weather excellent, and all well. All the ships are clean. 
 
28 CONTENTS OF CAIRNS 
 
 " The finder will please deposit when found. Deposited in 
 " the north side of the other cairn is a bottle of rum and 
 " some tobacco.'' 
 
 (Signed) " Captain David Souter. 
 " Geo. A. Craig, Surgeon. 
 " Captain J. B. Walker, S.S. 'Alexander.' 
 ("Van Waterschovelt, Surgeon.") 
 
 Further on in the same paper : 
 
 " Visited on the 27th June, 1869, by Captain Walker, 
 S.S. 'Alexander,' Captain Bruce, S.S. 'Esquimaux.' Find 
 the liquor in good order, and very palatable. No water to 
 be seen from the top of the island this day. All clean 
 excepting the ' Diana,' who secured one fish in the early part 
 of the season. All well. 
 
 "J.B.Walker. 
 
 "Chas. Yule. 
 
 " kobert m. g. anderson, 
 
 "Surgeon S.S. 'Alexander.' 
 
 " Also signed, Geo. F. Davidson, S.S. ' Erik.' 
 
 " Captain Jones sitting fatigued in the distance. 
 
 "James Dewars, Surgeon S.S. 'Esquimaux' 
 " Peter Thompson, Second Mate ' Esquimaux' 
 
 " The 'Alexander, ' Esquimaux,' ' Erik,' and ' Camperdown,' 
 all of Dundee, fast to the ice. 
 
 "Au revoir!" 
 
 I then examined every elevation of the island, and seeing 
 a cairn on a small knoll at the extreme N.W., distant about 
 3 miles, I sent Lieutenant Beynan, with three men, to 
 examine it; to signal to me if any record was discovered, 
 and not to open anything themselves. After an absence of 
 
ON THE CARY ISLANDS. 29 
 
 an hour and a half, they returned, having found nothing 
 beyond an old record tin which had been previously opened, 
 and was almost destroyed by rust. On it could be deciphered, 
 in painted white letters, the following : 
 
 " Besolut . . 
 and 
 
 ASSISTA . . ." 
 
 The cairn had also been half pulled down, and a wooden 
 staff which had been erected was broken in two. 
 
 Our search merely showed that the islands had been 
 visited by whale ships in 1867 and 1869, and that the N.W. 
 extremity of the N.W. island had been visited by the 
 ' Eesolute ' and ' Assistance ' in 1851, when under the com- 
 mand of Captain Austin. 1 I need scarcely express my 
 
 1 The Cary (not Carey) Islands were discovered by William Baffin on the 
 8th of July, 1616, and he named them after one of his patrons, Sir Henry 
 Cary, of the family of Lord Hunsdon. Sir John Ross sighted them on the 
 20th of August, 1818. The ' Assistance ' and ' Resolute,' on their return 
 voyage, after a heavy gale of wind, sighted the Cary Islands on the 21st of 
 August, 1851, and a cairn was observed on one of the most conspicuous 
 heights of the N.W. island. A boat was sent to examine it, in charge of 
 Mr. Clements Markham, then a midshipman in H.M.S. 'Assistance,' and it 
 was found to consist of a pile of stones, with an upright piece of spruce deal 
 5 feet long and 5 inches broad. The letters I — I M — R D, with the date 1827 
 ■were cut on one side, and on the other T M — D K, nearly obliterated. Fourteen 
 whalers were to the northward of the Cary Islands in 1827, and most probably 
 one of them left this cairn. The cairn was built up higher, and a record was 
 deposited in the tin case discovered by the 'Pandora' in August, 1875. 
 
 The Cary Islands are in 76° 45' N., and 72° 50' W. Five of them are from 
 a mile and a half to two miles in diameter, three smaller, besides detached 
 rocks. The formation is gneiss, rising to a height of 400 feet above the sea, 
 and there is a rich growth of Cochlearia Grcenlandica, and other Arctic plants. 
 The cliffs are breeding places for looms, dovekeys, and rotches, of which the 
 officers of the ' Assistance ' shot 900 during August 22. Mr. Markham also 
 found ancient remains of Eskimos, consisting of stone huts, caches, graves, and 
 a stone fox-trap. (See an account of the Cary Islands at p. 335 of the ' Aurora 
 Borealis,' the Arctic newspaper issued on board H.M.S. 'Assistance' in 
 1850-51, and published by Colburn and Co. in 1852.) 
 
 Great care ought to be taken in approaching the N.W. or largest of the 
 Cary Islands, as several sunken rocks lie to the westward (true) of it, and the 
 current of the tide runs strong in the flood to the northward, rendering it 
 
30 LETTERS DEPOSITED ON 
 
 disappointment on not finding any letter or news from the 
 Government Expedition, as Captain Nares had written to 
 me from Godhavn, stating his determination to leave de- 
 spatches at the N.W. of the Cary Islands, and I had hoped 
 to take home some information as to their progress. I had 
 gone nearly 200 miles out of my way, and consumed 10 tons 
 of coal in my endeavours to reach this point, and to carry 
 out my promise to deliver the letters from England here. 
 
 Having carefully examined all round, and failing to find 
 any other cairn, I wrote a letter to Captain Nares, or the 
 Commanding Officer H.M.S. 'Alert' or 'Discovery,' stating 
 that the letters contained in two water tight casks would 
 be found on a knoll above the beach, close to the mouth 
 of the wide river or valley on the west side of the island, 
 and bearing about S.W. from the cairn on the summit. It 
 was now blowing hard from the northward, and was bitterly 
 cold; we had been six hours on the island, so I hastily 
 packed up and descended to the shore, and having carried 
 the casks to the top of the knoll, about 70 to 80 feet above 
 the sea, we deposited them, built a cairn to indicate their 
 position, and tied a comforter to a staff made of one of the 
 boat's stretchers. The casks are well above all chance of 
 the sea ever coming over them, and can easily be found by the 
 directions given in my notice on the summit of the island. 
 
 It was now past midnight, and as we could do no more 
 for our fellow-voyagers, we re-embarked for the ship. 
 
 (Aug. 19). I rapidly turned over in my mind the nature 
 of our situation. Had I had news from Captain Nares stating 
 that he had gone on positively, I would have decided to 
 
 necessary to give any grounded icebergs a wide berth. As far as could be 
 judged by the shore, it was high water on the 18th of August, two days after 
 the full moon, at 11 p.m. A good landing will be found, with northerly to 
 easterly winds, on the west side of the N.W. island, at the mouth of a deep 
 ravine, in which is a river, and a quarter of a mile to the northward of which 
 is a little cove with a beach, upon which a boat can be hauled up. 
 
THE CARY ISLANDS. 31 
 
 beat up to Littleton Island, and take the, letters on.. But in 
 the face of a northern gale, and the season fast passing away, 
 and no information as to where the * Alert ' and * Discovery ' 
 had gone, I considered it far best to leave things as they 
 were and proceed on my own affairs, as, if it were possible 
 by chance that the ships were still southward of us, they 
 would pick up their letters on the way, and if north they 
 would probably send down in the spring for them, if con- 
 sidered of sufficient consequence. 
 
 Moreover, had Captain Nares stated decidedly in his letter 
 to me that he would go either to Littleton Island or to Gale 
 Point, I would have pushed on to either one or the other in 
 the hope of finding some news, but he left the question 
 between these two places quite open, and the only certain 
 position named by him appeared to be the Cary Islands. 
 To have gone about from place to place under this un- 
 certainty would have been out of the question, and would 
 have involved my giving up all idea of Lancaster Sound, so 
 I determined to make the best of my way in continuation of 
 our programme, and at 1 a.m. we bore up before a fresh 
 N.N.W. gale, with a high sea which rolled in on both sides 
 of our decks, compelling us to secure the bunker-lids. Not a 
 particle of ice was in sight, excepting a few gigantic bergs 
 aground against the islands, and on the distant horizon. 
 The engines were stopped, and we flew before the breeze to 
 the S.W. at a speed which was quite new to us, and with the 
 first really fair wind since leaving England. 
 
32 A YOUNG BEAK CAPTURED. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 LANCASTER SOUND AND BARROW STRAIT. 
 
 The fair wind fell off as we sighted the land of North 
 Lincoln and Coburg Island, and we had a moderate N.W. 
 wind through the night, with fine weather. We fell in with 
 ice on the morning of the 20th of August, lying about 30 
 miles east of Cape Horsburgh and Philpot's Island, and the 
 wind coming from the southward we tacked to the S.E. A 
 thick fog came on shortly afterwards, so we continued to the 
 S.E. until evening, when it lifted, and we saw ice extending 
 out from the land in small and large floes, intermingled with 
 bergs. 
 
 (Aug. 20.) Three bears being seen on the ice I went 
 away in the second cutter with Pirie and Beynan, and after 
 shooting the old she-bear and one cub we succeeded in 
 getting a rope round the larger cub and towing him to the 
 ship. Now began a most lively scene. The bear was almost 
 full grown, and it was with some difficulty we got him on 
 board and tied down to ring bolts with his hind legs secured, 
 and notwithstanding this rough treatment he showed most 
 wonderful energy in trying to attack anyone who came within 
 reach, and especially our dogs, who seemed to delight in trying 
 his temper. He was at last secured on the quarter-deck with 
 a chain round his neck and under his fore-arms, and soon 
 began to feed ravenously on — I am sorry to have to write 
 it — his own mother, who was speedily cut up and pieces of 
 her flesh thrown to my new shipmate. I hoped that he was 
 only an adopted child, and the great difference between him 
 
Beaoh at Godhavn. Eskimo iglu. 
 
ICE IN LANCASTER SOUND. 33 
 
 and the other cub warranted this supposition, as, being three 
 times the size of the other, he could not have been of the 
 same litter. 
 
 (Aug. 21.) We steered on towards the land about Cape 
 Horsburgh ; a considerable quantity of ice lying off this 
 remarkable promontory, or rather point, the glacier running 
 down until almost to the sea level, and projecting out over 
 the low land. There is a singular conical hill to the north- 
 ward of this glacier, which appears from the sea to be almost 
 isolated. Passing round the floating ice, and grounded 
 pieces, we saw several seals basking in the sun, and, going 
 away with Lillingston and Bey nan, I brought on board a 
 large bearded one, 1 which we shot upon a high floe-piece. In 
 towing him off he revived, broke the rope, and disappeared, 
 but shortly afterwards arose, quite dead. 
 
 On approaching Cape Warrender, 2 a dense fog came on, 
 and at 10 p.m. I was suddenly called on deck, and found the 
 ship running amongst floes of ice. We immediately backed 
 out, and stood away to the southward (true), when the fog 
 lifted for a few minutes, and we saw a close pack extending 
 across the straits as far as was visible from the topmast 
 head. It was a dismal night, dense fog, freezing hard, a 
 cutting wind, and surrounded by floes. I attempted to make 
 fast, but the currents so twisted the floes, that we only 
 increased the risk of being beset ; I therefore continued 
 working out to the eastward the whole night, never leaving 
 the deck. 
 
 (Aug. 22.) At 4 a.m. the fog cleared off, revealing exactly 
 what I had so much feared; a perfect barrier of ice, 
 
 1 The bearded seal (Phoca barbata) is the ursuk of the Eskimo. It is the 
 largest species next to the walrus. 
 
 2 Cape Warrender, so named by Sir John Ross in 1818, is at the north side 
 
 »f the entrance of Lancaster Sound. 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 ICE IN LANCASTER SOUND. 
 
 extending from Cape Warrender right across the straits; 
 at least, as far as we could see from aloft, and filling Croker 
 Bay l right into the land. We had also ice to the eastward, 
 but seeing a lane of water, I stood in to the northward, in 
 hopes of finding a lead inshore in Croker Bay. By 4 P.M. 
 we were completely stopped, and made fast to a heavy floe 
 about 8 or 10 miles off Cape Warrender. This floe was of 
 immense size, extending right into the land, not a drop of 
 water being seen between us and the shore. At seven o'clock 
 we were being surrounded, so I hastily cast off and stood 
 back into the open space through which we had come, and 
 into the middle of the straits. We had Divine Service in 
 the evening ; and being completely worn out, and unable 
 to see any way of proceeding, I ordered the ship to be 
 hove-to, and went to take a little rest, the first for thirty-six 
 hours. 
 
 Our new shipmate, the bear, made desperate struggles to 
 get over the rail into the sea, but the chain was tightened, 
 and at last he went to sleep. 
 
 The 23rd was a bright, warm day. Joe had shot a small 
 seal. We lived on seal and bear (of which we had about 
 600 lb. hung up in the rigging), preferring it to the salt 
 provisions. Not an opening was to be seen in the ice. 
 We were about in the middle of the straits, and having 
 yesterday made the north shore, now steered over to the 
 south coast, and entering a slack place in the pack, we were 
 enabled after much thumping and some intricate steering, 
 to force our way through the floes and new ice, and reach 
 a clear water off Admiralty Inlet. 2 We made fast to a berg- 
 
 1 Croker Bay is on the north shore of Lancaster Sound, west of Cape War- 
 render. It was so named by Parry in 1819, to compensate for the Croker 
 Mountains which Sir John Koss placed across Lancaster Sound in 1818, and 
 which had to be expunged. 
 
 2 Admiralty Inlet is on the south side of Lancaster Sound, opposite to 
 Croker Bay. 
 
OFF ADMIRALTY INLET. 35 
 
 piece, in order to get fresh-water ice, but soon found a 
 very strong current, which towed us back to the E.N.E., 
 towards the pack from which we had emerged, compelling 
 us to cast off before we had completed watering. I was at a 
 loss to account for the barrier across Lancaster Sound, never 
 having heard of a record of any similar pack at this season 
 in this part of the straits. Most of the floes were large and 
 quite fresh, the snow apparently remaining just as it had 
 fallen in the winter. Could the pack have driven out of 
 Admiralty Inlet ? or had the straits in this longitude not 
 broken up at all this season? I hoped later to receive 
 reports from the whalers on these points. 
 
 Admiralty Inlet was now before us. It is a wide strait, 
 and was apparently open, although from aloft a line of ice 
 was reported on the distant horizon. I was sorely tempted 
 to proceed down the inlet and communicate with the natives, 
 with the object of ascertaining if it led through into 
 Kegent's Inlet as I believed, but this report of ice pre- 
 cluded the attempt; and, moreover, we saw a dark sky 
 in the westward off Cape Craufurd, 1 and, therefore, pushed 
 on along the edge of the pack, soon coming to an open 
 sea, with the pack receding to the northward, in the direc- 
 tion of Cape Bullen. The weather began to threaten, and 
 the barometer fell rapidly, and E. to S.E» winds springing 
 up and freshening, we bowled away to the westward, in the 
 direction of Cape Craufurd, with far lighter hearts than 
 yesterday, when our progress seemed to be entirely barred. 
 While at tea we heard a loud crash, and hastening on deck 
 found that we had just grazed an iceberg, which had broken 
 our starboard anchor adrift. Had the ship not answered her 
 helm readily, we must have hit it, and in all probability the 
 1 Pandora's ' career would have been ended for ever. The 
 night promised to be gloomy, and I was somewhat anxious: 
 
 1 Cape Craufurd is on the western side of the entrance to Admiralty Inlet. 
 
 D 2 
 
36 TROUBLE WITH THE BEAR. 
 
 snow fell thickly at 8 p.m., with a gusty S.E. wind. We 
 proceeded with easy steam, ready to put about at any 
 moment. The temperature was only 30°, but the wind was 
 soft and mild. As I anticipated, we passed a most dismal 
 night, the wind increasing and howling in the rigging. Snow 
 and sleet also prevailed as we scudded onward, an iceblink 
 frequently ahead ; then the inevitable floe in streams and 
 loose pieces, with the sea dashing over them as we flew 
 between. Now and then the moon shone out, but only to 
 make the scene stilL more ghastly, for our masts and rigging, 
 decks and bulwarks were covered with ice and snow. At 
 11 p.m. we caught a glimpse of the land, apparently some- 
 where between Sargent Point and Cape York. 1 It was only 
 for a moment, and then all was darkness and wind and snow 
 and ice. While we were in this situation our bear gradually 
 worked himself into a state of frantic excitement — getting 
 up to the rail, watching the floe ice rapidly dashing past our 
 side — and in his attempts to get over the bulwarks he 
 released his chain until it was evident that in a few moments 
 he would be free, whether to dive overboard or to run a 
 muck among the watch appeared a question of doubt. The 
 alarm being given by Pirie, who was writing up the deck 
 log, the watch was called to secure the bear, and I fear that 
 during the half hour which elapsed the ship was left, more 
 or less, to take care of herself. The whole watch, besides 
 Pirie with a revolver, and myself with a crowbar, assaulted 
 the unfortunate Bruin, whose frantic struggles aud endeavours 
 to attack everyone within reach were quite as much as we 
 could control. He was loose, but by a fortunate event a 
 running noose was passed round his neck, and the poor brute 
 
 1 So named by Sir Edward Parry in 1819, after the Duke of York. It is 
 at the western entrance of Prince Regent's Inlet. Parry named another cape, 
 between Admiralty and Navy Board Inlets, on August 31, 1820, after the 
 Right Hon. Charles P. Yorke, grandson of the first Earl of Hardwicke, who 
 was First Lord of the Admiralty from 1810 to 1812. 
 
SCUDDING UP BARROW STRAIT. 37 
 
 was hauled down to a ring-bolt until we could secure the 
 chain round his neck and body. I had hitherto no concep- 
 tion of the strength of these animals, and especially of the 
 power of their jaws. Fearing that the iron crowbar might 
 injure his teeth, I jammed a mop handle into his mouth while 
 the others were securing his chain, and he bit it completely 
 through. At last Bruin gave in, and beyond an occasional 
 struggle to get loose, and a constant low growling, he gave 
 us no further trouble. I ought to mention that in the midst 
 of the scrimmage the Doctor was called up to give him a dose 
 of opium, in the hope of subduing him by this means, but 
 having succeeded in getting him to swallow a piece of 
 blubber saturated in chloroform and opium sufficient to kill 
 a dozen men, our Bruin did not appear to have experienced 
 the slightest effect, and the Doctor, who volunteered to 
 remain up, and expressed some anxiety as to the bear's fate, 
 retired below somewhat disappointed. 
 
 I was on deck the whole night. The snow turned into 
 sleet in the morning, and we scudded up Barrow Strait, and 
 at eight suddenly saw land. (August 24.) Our compasses 
 were almost useless. We had been threading through the 
 ice. We could not distinguish anything beyond a dark black 
 foot of cliff, about 2 miles away. The ship is about, and 
 stands to the S.E. (true). Gradually the fog and sleet are 
 less dense, and we see by the trend of the coast-line that we 
 are on the north shore, for I cannot say that at first I did 
 not feel sure we were close down upon Leopold Island. On 
 the fog again lifting, we saw about 10 miles of coast about 
 Cape Fellfoot, and at 10 a.m. bore away to the westward 
 again, before a strong easterly wind, passing through streams 
 of heavy ice, which was much broken by the gale of the 
 previous night. We did not feel the full effects of this gale, 
 being sheltered by the pack we passed through. I recollect 
 that in the * Fox ' we were subjected to a much more severe 
 
38 
 
 OFF CAPE RICKETTS. 
 
 gale when running up the same straits under similar circum- 
 stances, with the exception of having 20 or 30 miles of pack 
 ice between us and Baffin's Sea. 
 
 The barometer fell to 29.40. We got occasional glimpses 
 of the land until 4 p.m., when all was obscured by a perfect 
 pall of fog. I kept the ship S.W. (true) as we passed what 
 must have been Maxwell Bay, the wind still blowing in gusts 
 from the eastward, and heavy ice coming constantly in our 
 way. Looms were continually flying out to seaward, and 
 occasionally a flock would cross us, evidently making straight 
 into the land, and by these signs and the wind we continued 
 our lonely course, our compasses being useless, and there 
 being no other guide. A dense gloom and fog, with snow 
 and sleet, prevailed throughout the night, and we could see 
 but a few cables' length, the mist hanging over us like a 
 curtain. I was anxious to get to Beechey Island, to examine 
 the state of the depot there in case of a mishap, and at 
 
 5 a.m. (August 25) we rounded to, after passing through a 
 heavy stream of ice, not being able to determine our posi- 
 tion. We had no sun and no soundings, and I could only 
 judge that we were somewhere off the land about Cape 
 Hurd. This was a dark day, with nothing to distract the 
 attention from the damp, cold, and gloom, beyond the occa- 
 sional trimming of the sails. We were iced-up aloft, and 
 great flakes of frozen snow, and hard pieces of ice frequently 
 came down. I earnestly watched the barometer, and at 
 
 6 p.m. the mercury rose one-tenth of an inch, and the wind, 
 which was squally and baffling from the eastward, veered 
 more to the N.E. The looms began to pass us from the 
 north, flying south, and at 1.30 p.m. we caught sight of a 
 patch of snow at the foot of the land, which suddenly 
 appeared as if it had rolled from the heavens, and was not 
 more than half a mile distant. We were off Cape Kicketts, 
 and a magnificent view was displayed before us. The steep, 
 
CHANGE OF WEATHER. 39 
 
 precipitous cliffs appeared to hang over our heads, and all 
 the clefts and ravines and gorges in the neighbourhood were 
 white with drift-snow. Cape Hotham appeared in the dis- 
 tance like a golden mound, the sun being reflected upon its 
 icy summit. No ice could be seen, save a few half-worn 
 bergs, one of which supplied us with enough water for 
 a week's consumption in less than half an hour, its edges 
 being broken off with an axe. White whales and seals swam 
 around, and appeared to gaze at us as if we were some appa- 
 rition coming out from the gloom, and we seemed to be in 
 another world. Such are the changes in this extraordinary 
 climate. The contrast between the shining sun above, and 
 our sloppy, half-frozen decks and snow-covered rigging was 
 most striking. 
 
40 AT ANCHOR OFF BEECHEY ISLAND. 
 
 CHAPTEK VIII. 
 
 BEECHEY ISLAND. 
 
 We lighted our stoves below, for the first time since leaving 
 England, giving our damp and cold quarters a good drying 
 up, and raising the temperature below from 38° to 54°, a 
 heat which really felt oppressive. At 8 p.m. we were flying 
 towards Beechey, under steam and fore-and-aft canvas. We 
 attempted to take photographs, and occasionally stopped 
 the ship, but our artist desponded in consequence of the 
 slight movement of the waters, which appeared to us only 
 the merest undulation. He succeeded, however, in getting 
 one or two of the magnificent headlands, as we stopped for 
 the purpose immediately under them. We also tried the 
 lead-line, but could find no bottom at 70 fathoms, close 
 to the shore; there may be from 90 to 100 fathoms, as 
 the lead had been down twice on a hard ground with 120 
 fathoms out. At 9 . 30 we sighted Cape Kiley and Beechey 
 Island. We saw a cairn with a staff at the south end, and 
 we soon made out a house and boats upon the low shore. 
 The wind increased from the north, with all appearance of a 
 gale. I prepared to anchor, and steered in towards the bay. 
 At eleven we anchored in 12 fathoms, mud and clay bottom, 
 Northumberland House bearing N.N.E. (mag.) about a 
 quarter of a mile, and veered to 30 fathoms of cable. It 
 now blew a gale from N. to N.N.W. directly out of the 
 bay. I went on shore with two of the officers to inspect 
 the place, and ascertain the state of the provisions and 
 boats. I found that the house had been stove in at the 
 door and in both sides by the wind and bears,, and almost 
 
Cape Riley, where the first relics of Franklin's Expedition were found. 
 
The ' Mary ' at Beechey Island. 
 
CONDITION OF THE DEPOT AND BOATS. 41 
 
 everything light and moveable either blown out or dragged 
 out by bears, which had also torn up all the tops of the bales, 
 and scattered the contents around for some distance. The 
 house was nearly full of ice and snow, and frozen so hard 
 that we could not remove anything excepting with pickaxe 
 and crowbar, and even then only the few things which were 
 projecting above the surface. The tea chests were all broken 
 open and most of their contents scattered about. Many of 
 the beef casks had been eaten through the bilges, and the 
 contents extracted. The whole place was a scene of con- 
 fusion, and the kitchen a mere wreck. I could not find any 
 traces of the place having been visited by human beings 
 since our departure in the ' Fox/ on the 14th of August, 
 1858. The only thing I noticed was that a coal fire had 
 been made on the beach ; but this might have been done by 
 our crew of the ' Fox,' or even by the crews of the squadron 
 of Sir Ed. Belcher. A cask of rum standing in the doorway 
 intact was conclusive proof to my mind that neither Eskimo 
 nor British sailors had entered that way. 
 
 I found the ' Mary,' cutter yacht, in good condition ; her 
 bottom appeared quite uninjured, but we could not see her 
 garboard for the stones heaped under the bilges to keep her 
 upright. She stood in apparently the same position as when 
 formerly placed there. In her fore compartment is an anchor 
 and chain, some horn lanterns as bright as new, and sundry 
 boatswain's stores. In her main cabin the sails are stowed in 
 the wings, and beyond a slight leakage from the decks the 
 cabin was dry, perfectly clean and free of snow. The after 
 compartment w r as in a similarly good state, and a set of car- 
 penter's tools and caulking implements were carefully stowed 
 there. The ladder was in excellent order, most of the spars 
 good. Standing rigging was aloft, but no running gear could 
 be found. I should consider that the ' Mary ' might be made 
 available for a retreating party in about four or five days 
 
42 STATE OF THE BOATS AT BEECHEY ISLAND. 
 
 with the resources of Northumberland House. 1 The lifeboat 
 cutter lying by her was marked 
 
 t 
 XXX 
 
 w 
 
 N— 1150 
 
 Oct. 
 
 1851. 
 
 She was in fair condition, and only required the wood 
 ends to be refastened. Her oars and masts were complete, 
 but her sails were partially torn by bears. There were ten 
 copper crutches in her fore and after compartments. 
 
 She could be made serviceable in one day. A lifeboat 
 cutter near the house was next examined. She is lying end 
 on to the beach, above high-water mark, and is marked 
 
 t 
 XXX 
 
 w 
 
 N— 1151 
 Octo 
 1851. 
 
 She also was in good conditioD, and only required refasten- 
 ing and caulking. There were ten brass crutches in the 
 compartments, and the oars and masts were in and outside 
 the house. The sails were not seen, but were supposed to 
 
 1 Northumberland House on Beechey Island, named after the then First 
 Lord of the Admiralty, was built by Commander (now Eear-Admiral) Pullen 
 when in command of the ' North Star,' which ship wintered there in 1852-53 
 and 1853-54, as a depot for Sir Edward Belcher's expedition. The house was 
 built in the autumn of 1852, of lower masts and spars taken from the American 
 whaler ■ M'Lellan,' which was crushed by the ice in Melville Bay in 1852. 
 Sir Leopold M'Clintock visited the house and examined the stores on 
 August 11, 1858. 
 
H 
 
 ft 
 
 X 
 
Franklin and Bellot Monument and Post Office. Beeohey Island. 
 

 & 9MW<&& EBM 
 
 
 
 Northumberland House. Beeohey Island. 
 
THE FRANKLIN MONUMENT AND POST OFFICE. 43 
 
 have been torn up by the bears. This boat could also be 
 made serviceable in one day, and is in an easy position for 
 launching. 
 
 A whaleboat on the south side of the house unserviceable. 
 The iceboat on runners could be easily made serviceable. 
 The flagstaff is standing all right, and the arrangement for 
 pointing the direction (true), in good order, but there is no 
 vane or arrow. 
 
 I found the pedestal in good condition, and also the 
 marble tablet in memory of the Franklin expedition, the 
 brass plate which M'Clintock fastened on it being quite 
 bright, as if the bears had been lying on it. 1 The record 
 box was hanging to a beam in the house, and having 
 examined the original list of provisions, and M'Clintock's 
 record, which was as fresh as if just written, I took a copy 
 of it, and removed all the documents to the post office in the 
 pedestal, for safer keeping, and in which I found only a 
 memorandum from Sir E. Belcher. 
 
 (Aug. 26.) At 8 a.m., the wind having partially moderated, 
 we commenced to clear some of the ice and snow; and 
 having with great difficulty found such provisions as we 
 were actually in need of, and thirteen bags of coal, of which 
 there still remained at least 10 tons, I placed a record of 
 our proceedings in the pedestal, with a list of the provisions 
 taken away, and embarked at 7 p.m., having carefully re- 
 paired and closed the house. Our artist was busily employed 
 all day in taking photographs of every object of interest, and 
 Mr. Beynan was sent to the summit of the island to report 
 on the ice. He could not see any from any visible point in 
 the horizon, but in the south-west a mist was hanging which 
 prevented the completion of his observations. 
 
 1 See M'Clintock's « Fate of Franklin,' p. 173. 
 
44 CROSSING BARROW STRAIT. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PEEL STRAIT. 
 
 Having got all the boats up, we weighed anchor at 8 p.m., 
 and stood away to the southward for Peel Strait, the wind 
 being fresh from the N.W. (August 27.) At 4 a.m. we were 
 among loose ice, and at noon a heavy pack stopped our 
 progress, when I made fast to a floe to await the clearing of 
 the fog, which soon lifted, enabling us to proceed under 
 steam through the pack, which extended as far as we could 
 see along the north shore of North Somerset, and particularly 
 off Cape Rennell and about half-way across Barrow Strait, 
 lying in an easterly and westerly direction. As we pushed 
 on, the ice became more open, and by 5 p.m. we were steering 
 through navigable lanes towards Limestone Island, which we 
 could just see from aloft, topping above the icy horizon. We 
 were off Cunningham Inlet, and Cape Hotham, 1 with Griffith 
 Island 2 in sight, to the northward. We ranged up to an 
 enormous "ursuk" (bearded seal), nearly as large as a 
 walrus, for which we at first took him ; but he was lying on a 
 very small piece of ice, and although our bullets went through 
 him, he floundered into the sea, and did not rise again. We 
 thus lost at least 500 lb. of good meat and oil. 
 
 Our bear was getting more reconciled to his confinement; 
 but wlfen we were among close ice, he got into a state of fury 
 in his endeavour to get out of the ship, and our dogs were 
 constantly worrying him by stealing his food. 
 
 1 Cunningham Inlet is on the coast of North Somerset. Cape Hotham is 
 the S.E. point of Comwallis Island, forming the western side of the entrance 
 to Wellington Channel. 
 
 2 The expedition of Captain Austin, consisting of the ' Eesolute,' ■ Assist- 
 ance,' ' Pioneer,' and ' Intrepid,' wintered off Griffith Island in 1850-51. 
 
AT LIMESTONE ISLAND. 45 
 
 At night we came to a solid barrier of ice, extending out 
 from the land about Cape Eennell to the W.N. W. (true), as far 
 as could be seen from aloft, with a bright icy sky from south 
 round to N.W. {true). We then made fast to await a change. 1 . 
 I determined to wait at least twenty-four hours, and if we 
 could not then pass, to bear up for Kegent's Inlet and Bellot 
 Strait ; but at 8 a.m. (August 28) the ice slackened a little, 
 and by 10 we pushed through a small lane which ultimately 
 led us to Limestone Island. 2 
 
 Our artist took more photographs and sketches while we 
 were fast to the floe, and we took the same opportunity to 
 fill up with fresh water, and give the dogs a run. 
 
 This morning it was freezing hard, with a temperature of 
 27°, and our rigging was completely covered with rime ; but 
 dark clouds now arose in the south-west, the barometer 
 began to fall, and the wind to arise from the eastward to 
 E.S.E. Finding a land water round Limestone Island, I 
 hauled into the N.E. entrance, and landed to examine the 
 stores which were said to be at Cape Bunny. It was raining 
 heavily, with gusts from the mainland, and occasional 
 sleet. I landed, and hauled up our boat on a shelving beach 
 composed entirely of loose limestone pebbles, and at once 
 proceeded to the low point (Cape Bunny), but could not find 
 anything. Having sent the Doctor and Bey nan round the 
 beach, I ascended the gradual slope or ridge leading to the 
 summit of the island, and when about three-quarters of a 
 mile from the point, and at an elevation of about 300 feet, I 
 descried a cairn, evidently built by civilized hands, the 
 
 1 We sounded in 110 fathoms while fast to the floe, bottom limestone mud 
 about 7 miles off the land, Cunningham Inlet, E.S.E. (true). Before the 
 change in the weather, the red sandstone hills about Cape Anne (on the main- 
 land of North Somerset, opposite Limestone Island) presented a brilliant 
 reddish glow from the reflection of the sun, aDd reminded me of the Highlands 
 when the heather is in full bloom on a bright day. On the other hand, the 
 transition to the limestone was clearly defined, the latter presenting the usual 
 dull and gloomy appearance so well known to Arctic travellers. 
 
 2 Limestone Island is on the east side of the entrance to Peel Strait. 
 
46 ANCIENT REMAINS OP ESKIMO. 
 
 ground having been excavated to form the base, and the top 
 being composed of loose stones. Much to my disappointment, 
 we dug up this cairn without finding anything, and I cannot 
 conjecture by whom it was built, or for what purpose. I 
 then mounted to the top of the island on the south face, an 
 elevation of 600 feet by aneroid, but the squalls of wind and 
 rain prevented my getting a good view of the sea. I noticed, 
 however, that the main pack had already moved off from the 
 land to a distance of about 3 miles, but that it still extended 
 round in a southerly or S.S.W. direction until shut in by the 
 land against Cape Pressure. As I descended, the rain came 
 down in torrents, and we found it cold work rebuilding the 
 cairn, to which we added some large stones, to make it con- 
 spicuous, and having searched the ground all round, and 
 especially on the magnetic north side, without success, I 
 deposited a record in a tin box. I cannot think why we 
 could not find the provisions. I had always supposed that 
 there is but one Cape Bunny, and that it was here that the 
 stores were landed, but there were certainly none to be found 
 on the island. 1 
 
 The Doctor having reported finding remains of ancient 
 Eskimos, I proceeded towards the beach on the south of 
 
 1 In the spring of 1854, when it was unknown whether parties from the 
 ' Enterprise,' under Captain Collinson, might not make their way up Peel 
 Strait from the westward, Sir Edward Belcher ordered two officers, with 
 sledges, to go to Cape Bunny, on Limestone Island, and deposit a depot there, 
 in case any parties from the ' Enterprise ' should come that way. 
 
 Mr. Herbert, a mate of H.M.S. ' Assistance,' left the ' North Star ' at Beechey 
 Island, crossed Barrow Strait on the ice, and reached Limestone Island on 
 April 1, 1854. He buried a depot, consisting of 370 rations of bread, pemmican, 
 bacon, and rum, and 473 of all other stores, on a spit of the eastern extreme of 
 the island, covering it high up with shingle. He also left a flag and staff with 
 a cylinder attached, containing a notice. Mr. Herbert returned to the ' North 
 Star ' on April 9. 
 
 On April 3, Mr. Shellabeer, the second master of the ' North Star,' arrived at 
 Limestone Island with a second depot, consisting of 396 rations of small stores, 
 436 of rum, and 296 of biscuit and meats. He deposited these stores with Mr. 
 Herbert's depot at Cape Bunny, built a cairn on the high part of the spit of 
 the island, and left a bamboo on it, also depositing a notice. He left a list of 
 the stores in a cairn over the depot. Mr. Shellabeer returned to the l North 
 Star' on April 11. 
 
ENTER PEEL STRAIT. 47 
 
 the island, and saw immediately under the precipitous cliffs 
 which shelter the spot from the north winds, about ten 
 circular rings of unusually heavy stones, which had formed 
 the foundation of summer tents, also several caches made of 
 heavy stones, oblong, and floored with flat cakes of limestone. 
 Quantities of bones of the seal, walrus, and whale were lying 
 about, but we saw no other relics except what appeared to be 
 a piece of charred coal, which I took on board. 
 
 During our absence, the man left in charge of the boat 
 saw a seal crawl up on the shore, close to him ; but, notwith- 
 standing that he had a revolver and ammunition, it is almost 
 needless to say that he did not get it. We noticed the tide 
 ebbing from the time we landed at 3 . 30, until we re-embarked 
 at 5.30, when it was apparently nearly low water by the 
 shore, the current having continued running about three 
 knots to the northward through the channel between the 
 island and the main. 
 
 I embarked with an anxious mind, for the wind was in- 
 creasing to a gale, the weather thickening fast; we were 
 drenched with rain and very cold, and the prospect from the 
 top of the island was not very encouraging. However, I was 
 determined to persevere, and to push into Peel Strail if pos- 
 sible. I ordered the ship to be steered through the channel 
 between the island and the main, and having changed my 
 clothes in our snug and warm cabin, I went on the damp, 
 dreary deck again. We passed through the channel, sound- 
 ing in 30 fathoms, about a quarter of a mile off the extreme 
 point of Cape Bunny, and finding a strong current running 
 through from the southward. The night was one of the 
 most dreary I ever passed at sea, and I have had my share. 
 The wind continued in fitful gusts, rain and sleet in torrents, 
 thick mist, no soundings, no compass, land on one side and 
 ice on the other. We could just distinguish the foot of the 
 land and cliffs, as we passed close under them, by the dark 
 line over the gleam of the grounded ice. By nine it was 
 
48 SHORES OP PEEL STRAIT. 
 
 dark. We furled all sails, and steamed against the gale, 
 edging off to the ice as a more secure guide for our course 
 than the land, which we could not follow. By eleven it was 
 so thick that we could literally see nothing but the occasional 
 sheen of the ice as we passed along it on the starboard hand. 
 Anxiously (August 29) I waited for light ; but it was three 
 o'clock before we could fairly see, and about four a lift in the 
 mist enabled us to see that we were off Cape Grauite, 1 and 
 steering a fair course along the land. By seven we were off 
 a wide bay, the land receding from about 10 miles south of 
 Cape Granite, with a fringe of islands north and south, and 
 forming the line of coast. Our patent log was put over, and 
 on the mist clearing in the westward we saw the land to the 
 W.N.W., about Lyons Point and Cape Biggs. 2 The wind 
 had now come round to W.S.W. and west, but as yet we saw 
 no sun to guide us, or by which to take any angles or direc- 
 tions ; so we continued along the coast-line, the ice receding 
 and there being none visible in the W.S.W. or south. The 
 barometer rose to 29.95 with an appearance of better weather, 
 and we seemed to have arrived in another climate, and also 
 in an iceless sea, for the cold sting was gone from the air, 
 and only a few small pieces could be seen. The land was 
 quite expose I and devoid of snow, excepting occasionally in 
 the interior, in which direction we sometimes got a glimpse 
 of snow patches. 
 
 We did not see the small island marked on the chart in 
 the middle of the strait. By 2 p.m. we had passed Howe 
 Harbour, and were off a projecting point not named by Sir 
 James Ross, which is merely noticed as having a lake upon it. 
 Passing within half a mile, we tried for soundings, but could 
 find no bottom with 120 fathoms. I supposed this to be 
 
 1 Cape Granite, on the eastern shore of Peel Strait. 
 
 2 Lyons Point, on Prince of Wales Island, is on the west side of the entrance 
 to Peel Strait. Cape Biggs is on the same side, a few miles farther south. 
 
SIR JAMES ROSS'S CAIRN. 49 
 
 Hummock Point, and noticed a rookery of skuas * on the face 
 of the granite cliffs — they were sitting on the rocks in hun- 
 dreds. The vegetation formed an extensive green patch, 
 extending from near the summit to high- water mark, or 
 where the ice forms. We kept a good look-out on the shore 
 by means of a powerful astronomical telescope, and cairns 
 were frequently reported to me; but on inspection they 
 proved to be granite boulder stones, with which the coast, 
 and especially the ridges, are strewn. 
 
 At 10 p.m. I returned on board from visiting the cairn 
 built by Sir James Koss and Sir L. M'Clintock on Cape 
 Coulman. We found it without difficulty, as we passed close 
 along the coast from point to point. Landing on a small 
 piece of ice, we ascended to about 150 feet, and found the 
 copper cylinder containing the following record : 
 
 " The cylinder which contains this paper was left here by 
 a party detached from Her Majesty's ships ' Enterprise ' and 
 * Investigator,' under the command of Captain Sir James 
 C. Boss, Royal Navy, in search of the expedition of Sir John 
 Franklin, and to inform any of his party that may find it 
 that those ships, having wintered at Port Leopold, in Long. 
 90 W., Lat. 73° 52' N., have formed there a depot of provi- 
 sions for the use of Sir John Franklin's party sufficient for 
 six months ; also two very small depots about 15 miles south 
 of Cape Clarence and 12 miles south of Cape Seppings. The 
 party are now about to return to the ships, which, as early as 
 possible in the spring, will push forward to Melville Island, 
 and search the north coast of Barrow Strait, and, failing to 
 meet the party they are seeking, will touch at Port Leopold 
 on their way back, and then return to England before the 
 
 winter shall set in. ,, T ^ -d n . • 
 
 " James C. Koss, Captain. 
 
 " 7th June, 1849." 
 
 1 The most common skua in the Arctic regions is the Catharacta parasitica 
 (or Stercorarius parasiticus), mentioned by Fabricius, and by Crantz, i. p. 86 ; 
 the Isingak of the Eskimos. 
 
50 REMINISCENCES OF DISCOVERIES IN 1859. 
 
 This simple paper, given as the record of a mere visit to 
 the spot, really shows what a remarkable journey Ross and 
 M'Clintock made when they travelled on foot from Port 
 Leopold round this unknown coast, in the days when sledge 
 travelling was in its infancy. 
 
 It contains no claims to the discovery of Peel Strait, nor 
 any mention as to the state of the ice or land to the south- 
 ward ; and although a doubt appears to have existed in the 
 minds of the travellers as to whether it was really a strait or 
 not, yet they seem to have preferred to leave the question 
 doubtful rather than mislead any future voyager. 
 
 It also shows how strange are the chances of Arctic navi- 
 gation, for Ross was in the exact track of the ' Erebus' and 
 'Terror,' and but one season in rear of Franklin's party 
 having abandoned their ships, and yet Ross's impression must 
 have been strongly against the probability of Franklin having 
 passed down the strait, otherwise he would have expressed 
 his intention to follow this route with his ships in the ensuing 
 summer, rather than the north shore of Barrow Strait. 
 
 It was in 1859, in the month of June, that, having com- 
 pleted the journey round the south-west coast of Prince of 
 Wales Land, I again started from the ' Fox' and reached 
 Browne's * farthest on the north-west side of these straits, and 
 thence, in crossing over to this eastern shore, I met with so 
 much water on the ice that I was prevented from reaching 
 Ross's Cairn, passing about four miles southward of it. I 
 returned to the ship with the greatest difficulty, having 
 found the ice between this point (Cape Coulman) and Bellot 
 Strait flooded with water to such an extent that we were 
 travelling knee deep in it, and almost floating the sledge 
 itself. I thus missed seeing the cairn, but I can claim to 
 
 1 Lieutenant Browne was the second Lieutenant of the ' Resolute,' under 
 Captain Austin. He led an extended sledge party from Cape Walker down 
 the western side of Peel Strait in the spring of 1851. 
 
STOPPED BY THE ICE. 51 
 
 have discovered, under M'Clintock's command, the land on 
 both sides of these straits southward of Browne's farthest on 
 the western shore, and southward of the point or cape about 
 eight miles south of this cairn on this or western side, and to 
 which point Ross walked, having left his party to build the 
 cairn on Cape Coulman during his absence. 
 
 We saw a number of white whales in the bay immediately 
 south of Cape Coulman, and also picked up several horns of 
 the reindeer here. Having left a copy of Ross's record, 
 with another of our own, I took away the original paper, and 
 after carefully closing the cylinder, deposited it in its former 
 place, and we returned to our ship, and steamed towards the 
 next cape, distant about 8 or 9 miles to the southward, 
 and the wind being southerly and the flood tide against us, 
 we went slowly, with all sails furled. 
 
 We passed Four River Point about 10 p.m., and, a thick 
 fog coming on, had to lay -to for the remainder of the night. 
 At 5 a.m. we passed outside the islands lying off the coast, 
 and found a wide stream of ice extending east and west 
 across the strait, passing through which we came again into 
 a large expanse of water. But an icy sky southward, and a 
 chilly feeling in the air, warned us that we were approaching 
 a large body of ice, and by 4 p.m. we came to the pack edge, 
 about a mile to the northward of Levesque Island, and 
 extending from the shore 4 miles north of False Inlet, 
 or Fitzroy Inlet, in a concave form, round to the western 
 shore. From the masthead we could see nothing to the 
 southward but a solid pack, and a bright icy sky beyond, 
 and a solitary iceberg about 10 miles south of us, for which 
 I could not account as it is foreign to these straits, and must 
 either have been driven down Barrow Strait or M'Clintock 
 Channel from the north-west. This berg was important, as 
 bearing upon the movement of the ice here. 
 
 b 2 
 
52 VERIFYING FORMER WORK. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 AN IMPASSABLE BARRIER. 
 
 It was with a heavy heart that I made fast to the floe, about 
 a mile and a half from shore. We were in lat. 72° 14', and 
 close to my former encampment when travelling in June, 
 1859, from the * Fox/ then in Port Kennedy. Islands, coast, 
 and ice appeared familiar to me, and I could recognize all 
 the points of interest which we observed during that dreadful 
 march, when, wading up to our thighs in water, and nearly 
 broken down with the fatigues of three months' continuous 
 travel, I barely reached the western entrance of Bellot 
 Straits. I can now account for our having then passed Ross's 
 Cairn without seeing it, as it was we found it with difficulty, 
 even with all hands in the ship on the look-out and at our 
 leisure, for it is not built upon the upper ridge of the point, 
 and is quite concealed from view from the south, and upon 
 almost every bearing. On the former occasion we were press- 
 ing on for our lives, and having passed Cape Coulman with- 
 out distinguishing the cairn in the misty weather, it was 
 utterly impossible to return even a yard. 
 
 By seven o'clock, the 'Pandora' entered upon my own 
 surveys, and, with some interest, combined with anxiety, my 
 own chart was brought out for our guidance, and for cor- 
 roboration, and I was surprised, considering the extremely 
 difficult circumstances under which I was travelling at the 
 time it was drawn, to find bow correctly the islands, and also 
 the main land, which was sketched under still greater diffi- 
 culty by Sir James Ross, were laid down. We made such 
 corrections as were found necessary, and these have enabled 
 
VIEW TO THE SOUTHWARD. 53 
 
 us to give a tolerably correct plan of the strait as far as we 
 went. 
 
 We were not destined to enjoy much repose, for at 8 p.m. 
 the loose ice through which we had passed in the forenoon 
 began to settle down on us, and we were compelled to cast off 
 from the beach, and steam again to the northward into clear 
 water to escape from being beset. We saw Cape Bird, 1 distant 
 about 15 miles, and the ice appeared to be jammed into the 
 shore as close or even tighter than off Fitzroy Inlet, where 
 we were. We sounded in 93 fathoms, finding a sand bottom. 
 
 (Aug. 31.) We lay-to the whole night, off the pack edge ; 
 a dense fog set in at midnight, lasting until 5 a.m., when we 
 discovered that we had drifted close to De la Eoquette 
 Islands, and I landed upon the largest of the four to deposit 
 a record and view the ice, getting with difficulty through the 
 young and loose ice which was forming between the floes. 
 
 From the summit of the island, 200 feet high, we could see 
 one unbroken pack extending from shore to shore, and as far 
 as the visible horizon to the southward, and so close that no 
 ship could penetrate beyond a few lengths into it. The ice 
 had also drifted, during the last twenty-four hours, up both 
 shores to northward, and we were in a deep bight, to get out 
 of which we should have to retire as far as Barth Island. We 
 could plainly see the entrance to Bellot Strait, and the ice 
 was tight packed on the shore there, holding out no hopes 
 of our being able to get out in that direction, or I should 
 have been glad to have held on there upon the chance of 
 some change taking place. Our prospect is gloomy in the 
 extreme — we cannot go south, and I am loth to turn back 
 yet there is nothing else to be done, for a boat could not get 
 through the pack, and to attempt to travel over it would be 
 fatal. We built a conspicuous cairn on the summit of the 
 
 1 Cape Bird, the farthest point seen by Sir James Ross from Cape Coulman, 
 is on the north side of the western entrance to Bellot Strait. 
 
54 
 
 VIEW FROM ROQUETTE ISLAND. 
 
 largest island, and placed in it a record of this our, I fear, 
 most southern position, and, with a sad spirit, I descended to 
 the boat. We observed the dip to be 88° 30'. 
 
 We lay-to all night, a mile or two from Koquette Islands, 
 and in the bight of the pack, which now extended northward 
 along the shore of North Somerset nearly to Barth Island, 
 and westward to about the same latitude, the surface of the sea 
 freezing all (September 1) night, and presenting in the morn- 
 ing a glazed appearance all round. A fog commenced about 
 1 a.m., and at two was quite dense until eight, when I stood 
 back to Roquette Islands. The wind remained southerly 
 throughout the day, with intermittent fogs, and I made several 
 preparations to land on the island to obtain another view of the 
 ice, but it was not until 6 p.m. that we could get through the 
 loose ice surrounding it, A strong south wind was blowing 
 on the other side of the island, and the ice was rapidly sailing 
 up past the group, I had therefore only time to run up to the 
 top and get a hasty glance to the south before I found it im- 
 perative to make all haste to the boat and push off to the 
 ship, which was already surrounded by floes, and we were 
 nearly cut off from her. We at once commenced to free 
 ourselves from the pack, and steamed northward for about 
 3 miles, when we again lay-to. 
 
 I observed no change from the island, excepting that the 
 immense pack southward was moving towards us, and the 
 berg which the night before last was about 10 miles away 
 to the southward was now nearly up to the islands. I could 
 see no water beyond a few cracks in the first 5 miles, and 
 the ice had gradually crept up the shore, reaching nearly to 
 Barth Island ; and to the westward, still farther north. We 
 were still in a deep bay in the ice. All southward one 
 unbroken pack across from side to side. Fitzroy Island full. 
 Bellot Strait packed close in ; and there is no hope of 
 getting farther south. I was most anxious about our posi- 
 
AN IMPASSABLE BARRIER. 55 
 
 tion, and if possible to reach Bellot Strait, because there we 
 could run through and await the ice movement northward, 
 and perhaps proceed southward after it had passed, but from 
 here we must have inevitably gone northward if the pack 
 continued to advance in that direction. To winter here 
 would have been useless, as we could not possibly have done 
 more than M'Clintock and Hobson did by travelling over 
 King William Island with the spring and winter snow on 
 the ground; and, moreover, we must have abandoned the 
 ship in the spring before the water made on the floe, 
 as we could not depend upon getting the ship out next 
 summer. I was very loth to turn back, and struggled on, 
 almost against hope, either to reach Bellot Strait or to 
 proceed southward. We had not many hours to make up 
 our minds, but I was inclined to give it another day's trial ; 
 and then, if we perceived no favourable movement in the 
 ice, to retreat by Peel Strait, in which case even, we should 
 have to get through the pack which almost closed the 
 northern entrance. To remain here at this season was out 
 of the question. We were hourly in danger of being beset 
 in the pack, and if we could not reach Bellot Strait on the 
 following day, I decided to consider seriously our retreat 
 to the northward. 
 
 Thus all my hopes were dashed to the ground ; we were 
 helpless, and could not proceed by any human possibility — 
 no boat could get half a mile through this ice, nor could one 
 walk many yards in it. It was a dense mass of small divided 
 floes, intermingled here and there with large old floes. To 
 travel on the land was equally impossible, and especially 
 without the ship being fixed in some known and secure 
 position, and a boat would be required even then in order to 
 cross from Boothia to King William Island. 
 
 I now almost gave up all hope of our making the North- 
 West Passage this year ; and, indeed, was more than ever of 
 
56 IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH BELLOT STRAIT. 
 
 the opinion that the only way to accomplish it would be to 
 proceed by way of Bellot Strait, there awaiting the moving 
 of the pack northward, and then pushing as fast as possible 
 down to Cape Victoria, for I thought that if the northern 
 part of Peel Strait was entirely free of ice, as we had found 
 it, the pack would be to the southward, as it was impossible 
 that 120 miles of ice could have dispersed, and it was more 
 probable that it swayed backwards and forwards, northward 
 and southward in the straits, until arrested by the frosts of 
 September. We were evidently on the northern edge of it, 
 and as it probably impinged about the Tasmania group, 1 
 we could not hope for a passage unless with a south (true) 
 or S.S.E. wind; and then we should be, in our present 
 position, carried back with it. Once only in Bellot Strait, 
 where we could hold on, I believed that this southerly 
 gale, which was evidently blowing with great force beyond 
 our visible horizon, would eventually move the ice up north- 
 ward until we could go on ; but I could see no hope of 
 reaching Bellot Strait, for although its entrance could be 
 plainly seen, I could detect nothing but one mass of ice 
 closely packed along the shore. 
 
 Neither could I see any hope in the western horizon, for 
 when we attempted to go in that direction we were headed 
 off until we found ourselves steering north, and without any 
 indication of any lead of water along the shore of Prince of 
 Wales Land. 
 
 We got several seals, and also shot a quantity of mul- 
 emokkes for the dogs. 
 
 Numbers of white whales were constantly around the ship, 
 but although we twice lowered a whale boat, with harpoon, 
 gun, and line, we did not succeed in securing one. On 
 visiting Eoquette Island to-day, we discovered a remarkable 
 
 1 The Tasmania group, on the west coast of Boothia, is at the south entrance 
 of Franklin Channel, which is the southern continuation of Peel Strait. 
 
My last look at the North- West Passage. Sept. 2nd 
 
ONLY ONE COURSE LEFT. 57 
 
 pool or small lake near the summit, completely surrounded by- 
 mosses, and forming an entire circle. We also saw quantities 
 of the dung of reindeer and several looms, thus proving that 
 the deer must cross to these islands on the ice in search of 
 food. 
 
 Seeing that the ship was being fast enclosed in the drift- 
 ing ice, I hastened down to the boat, and only arrived on 
 board in time to get the ' Pandora ' clear of the island, as the 
 ice-floes were swimming round her ; and we had to back in 
 close to the beach before we could get her head the right 
 way. A gale now commenced from the southward, with 
 sleet, snow, and mist, and the northern edge of the pack 
 began to break away and fly before the wind. There was 
 only one course to pursue to prevent being beset, viz. to run 
 before the gale and outstrip the sailing floes, which had 
 already preceded us on either hand. 
 
58 ICE IN PEEL STRAIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 A PERILOUS RACE WITH THE ICE. 
 
 (Sept, 2.) We passed a dismal night, drifting with low sail 
 to the northward before the gale, in company with large and 
 small floes and fields of ice, which gleamed through the 
 darkness, and gave a weird appearance to the sea. We could 
 not perceive anything at a distance of more than half a mile, 
 and had constant alarms of a pack ahead, which, however, 
 proved to be only streams of ice. By eight in the morning 
 we had for half an hour a clear view, and I could see that we 
 were close up to Barth Island, Eoquette Islands being in the 
 horizon, and surrounded by pack ice. By noon the wind 
 came round to north, and blew a fresh gale with snow, and a 
 new phase came over the scene, for quantities of ice of a 
 different description were coming from the northward, viz. 
 fresh, unbroken fields of a year's growth, and with the smooth 
 snow on the surface. I could not imagine where all this 
 fresh ice came from, unless out of Browne's Bay ; * it appeared 
 to fill the straits northward of us, and we worked to wind- 
 ward the whole day, until up to Olrick Island, when we still 
 saw more and more ice coming down, apparently filling the 
 straits, leaving only a small space between the island and 
 the shores of North Somerset ; and having reached this water, 
 we commenced to dodge about for the night. I close-reefed 
 the topsails, as they froze so fast after any rain or sleet, that 
 we should have been in great trouble if we had had to shorten 
 sail suddenly, and I therefore meant to keep in the reefs 
 until we were short of coals. 
 
 1 A deep bay on the west side of Peel Strait. 
 
THE CRUISE DOWN PEEL STRAIT. 59 
 
 The barometer had oscillated in a curious way during the 
 last thirty-six hours, having fallen to 29 . 60, and rising at 
 8 p.m. to 29.85, with a dark gloomy sky, and a r strong 
 N.N.W. wind. On the 3rd of September we stood back 
 towards the western land, having cleared the northern edge 
 of the loose ice; but we soon met again a quantity of ice 
 under the western shore, which quite frustrated my intention 
 of landing and obtaining a view from the high cliffs. The 
 wind came on at the same time from the southward, and 
 began to blow in squalls, with snow and sleet. From the 
 topmast head I could see nothing but a dense pack of ice 
 southward of us, and all that we had been passing was arrested 
 •by the block of what I still thought was pack ice across the 
 strait from Kennedy Bay to the southern point of Beliot 
 Strait. There seemed no hope in that direction, and I 
 reluctantly bore away to the northward before the gale. 
 
 This was a sad blow to all our hopes. On the previous 
 Sunday we were running through these straits, with a clear 
 sea, and with not a sign of ice ; on Monday we passed Barth 
 Island whilst at dinner, and by four o'clock were arrested at the 
 Boquette Islands by an impenetrable pack. Shortly after- 
 wards I obtained a view from the summit of the largest of 
 this group and could not see a drop of water to the southward, 
 it being one sheet of ice across from side to side, and as far 
 as the visible horizon — 16 miles — for we were at an elevation 
 of about 200 to 250 feet. As we had the spring tides of the 
 new moon I hoped that it might give way, but after lying 
 four days about the edge of the barrier, no change had 
 taken place, and I had already given up all hope of passing 
 south this season, for I felt convinced that the pack ice 
 extended right across from Kennedy Bay, towards the 
 Tasmania group. 
 
 We had gone within 140 miles of Point Victory, and it 
 was too provoking that we could not even proceed that 
 
60 DECISION AS TO THE FDTUBE. 
 
 distance, if only to return this way ; but I saw no hope, and 
 therefore sailed northwards again. 
 
 On the 3rd we had the temperature about 27° to 28°, with 
 barometer 29 . 60. We passed Howe Harbour about 2 p.m. 
 and continued northward under reefed sail until 8 p.m., when 
 being close to the land southward of Wad worth Island, we 
 tacked to the northward, and sounded in 80 fathoms, mud 
 and sand bottom. 
 
 (Sept. 4.) I revolved in my mind the best course to 
 pursue. To return southward again seemed hopeless, as 
 we should only arrive at the edge of the pack which lay to 
 the north of the fast ice in the straits, and which when we 
 left it had accumulated up to Barth Island. We had already 
 lost 10 miles of ground, as it was impossible to remain in 
 the position we first reached at the Roquette Islands from 
 having no harbour or bay in which we could anchor, and from 
 the ice constantly coming down upon us from the north and 
 compelling us to fleet up clear of it, which I did, in order to 
 prevent being beset in a position in which we must neces- 
 sarily have abandoned the ship the next spring, and have 
 travelled to Fury Beach, Port Leopold, and possibly Beechey 
 Island, and therefore we could not even attempt to explore 
 King William Island by sledge parties, which, even if possible, 
 could not have resulted in finding any remains of the Frank- 
 lin Expedition beyond those obtained by M'Clintock and 
 Hobson, who had made an exhaustive search, and whose foot- 
 steps we could only follow. To remain in the strait for the 
 winter would certainly have involved the loss of the ship, as we 
 could not afford to wait until the following August upon the 
 chance of coming out, as the northern part of Peel Strait 
 was evidently only occasionally open. To proceed round by 
 Regent Inlet to Bellot Strait appeared an alternative, but 
 we had already seen at least 10 miles of solid ice southward 
 of Bellot Strait, right across Franklin Channel, with a bright 
 
A RACE WITH THE ICE TO CAPE RENNELL. 61 
 
 ice sky, and no probability of getting southward this year by 
 that route, in time to pass through to Behring's Strait. I 
 was reluctantly beating to the northward all the forenoon 
 against a northerly wind and in a close sea, and by noon 
 we were again off Cape Granite, finding a wonderful change 
 in the appearance of the land. When we , passed down the 
 strait a week before we could see scarcely a vestige of snow, 
 except upon the higher lands in the interior, but now even 
 down to high-water mark, the land was so white as to appear 
 like ice through the mist. 
 
 By 5 p.m. we began to see ice in the north-west, and so 
 furling square sails, and steaming easily with fore-and-aft 
 canvas, with the wind N.W. to W.N.W., we gradually drew 
 up to Limestone Island, but a change now occurred; the 
 wind began to blow in heavy gusts, with dense showers of 
 snow, between which we could just catch a view of a solid 
 pack to the westward, and of Limestone Island to the N.E. 
 We passed close round Limestone Island, the cliffs towering 
 over us through the snow, and the pack being scarcely half a 
 mile to westward. The barometer fell rapidly to 29.50, 
 and at the same time the temperature fell to 24° as we 
 brought the pack to w 7 indward of us. I could just distinguish 
 at intervals what appeared to be a sort of land water, about 
 a mile wide, and I determined to run a race with the pack, 
 and try to pass Cape Kennell before it impinged completely 
 on the land. This was our only chance of getting out of the 
 strait, for had we hesitated, or stood back to the south-west, 
 we should certainly have been shut in for the winter. We 
 therefore pressed on into the gloom of the fast increasing 
 darkness, and experienced a dreadful night, the wind in- 
 creasing to a gale from the N.W. with dense sleet, hail, and 
 snow showers in blinding drifts. To stop was impossible, for 
 the pack, which was to windward, and seemed to be composed 
 of enormous floes, unbroken for miles, was evidently coming 
 
62 A NARROW ESCAPE BETWEEN LAND AND ICE. 
 
 in on the land, whilst on the other hand we constantly found 
 streams of ice already jammed in the shore, the points 
 extending out almost to the main pack. Through this ice, 
 or rather land water, of the width of 1^ mile, we threaded 
 our way in the darkness, the white glare of the pack on the 
 one hand, and the gleam of the snow-clad land on the other? 
 being our only guides ; compass we had none, and once only 
 during the night a solitary star shone out for about ten 
 minutes, giving the helmsman a direction for steering. We 
 were on several occasions so close to the land that I thought 
 we must go ashore, as we had really no guide during the 
 snow squalls, and in the intervals we were frequently obliged 
 to steer by the land astern, and it was somewhat ridiculous 
 to see the helmsman facing aft at the wheel. As the wind 
 increased, and came over the pack, the temperature fell to 
 18° Fahr., and the spray froze over the ship. By midnight 
 our decks were full of snow, which whirled up in blinding 
 drifts, from the eddy round the sails. 
 
 We could from time to time judge our position along the 
 coast by the excellent descriptions by Sir James Koss and 
 M'Clintock of their winter journey. Thus, at 9 p.m., we 
 passed a deep fissure or gorge, separating the limestone from 
 the red sandstone, and which we had noticed when passing 
 the previous week. We continued on, the wind and snow 
 increasing, and the pack evidently closing in, until 3 a.m., 
 when we suddenly observed the ice to trend north and south 
 right across our path. I immediately hove -about, just 
 clearing the solid floe ; at the same time a high, precipitous 
 cliff showed out over us, presenting a most ghastly and 
 horrible appearance, with a fringe of ice at the foot, and the 
 horizontal strata appearing like huge bars of some gigantic 
 iron cage, and perfectly black in contrast with the snowy face. 
 I could only see the summit, the strata, and the foot. It was 
 a skeleton of the land, and we appeared to be right within its 
 
SAFE IN THE MIDDLE OP BARROW STRAIT. 63 
 
 grasp. We saw this apparition for a few moments only ; 
 running aloft, I saw from the topsail-yard that we were abso- 
 lutely stopped and hemmed in a pool of water, with no 
 egress, and close under the cliffs, with the pack approaching. 
 In a moment all was darkness again, and having got a 
 pressure of steam, we forced the ship off the land, in the 
 direction of the pack, for it certainly looked as though we 
 were to be driven on shore. 
 
 At 5.30 we had good daylight, and I could just distinguish 
 a break in the pack, leading towards the open water N.E. of 
 us, but with a barrier of about 100 yards of ice stopping the 
 way. There was no other chance, and to lose this would 
 have been fatal ; so, putting on all steam and sail, we ran at 
 it and charged through, finding that it was not so solid as it 
 at first appeared. We were again in the open sea, and, as I 
 expected, our chief danger ended at Cape Rennell. On 
 getting through we appeared to lose all sight of ice ahead, 
 and suddenly found ourselves in a rolling sea, covered, 
 however, for at least 4 miles with young ice, or rather 
 sludge, which acted like oil on the waters, and was so plastic 
 as to take all the undulations of the sea. 
 
 Running on before the gale, we sighted Leopold Island 
 in an interval of clear weather, but lost it again in a few 
 minutes. At eleven we saw a heavy pack of ice to the south- 
 east and east of us, so we hauled out to the northward to clear, 
 and getting under two close-reefed topsails and fore-and-aft 
 canvas, we banked the fires, to give the engineers a rest. The 
 barometer now fell to 29 . 40, in the continued heavy snow- 
 drift. We hove-to, only being able to see a few yards, and a 
 high sea running, with a fresh gale N.W. Land appeared 
 from Beechey Island, and 20 miles to the east on the north 
 shore, and Leopold Island on the south, and we were evi- 
 dently in a good position in the middle of the straits. 
 
64 RETURN THROUGH LANCASTER SOUND. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SECOND VISIT TO THE CARY ISLANDS. 
 
 On September 7 we got out of Lancaster Sound, and 
 passed Cape Horsburgh, having for forty-eight hours been 
 scudding under close-reefed topsails, in a heavy gale from 
 the N.W., with a dense snowdrift, and the barometer down 
 to 29.40. It was 22° Fahr., and bitterly cold, and the 
 waves froze as they washed up our sides. We caught 
 occasional glimpses of the north land, which guided us, for 
 we could scarcely see at any time more than a mile from 
 the ship, and we had neither sun, moon, stars, nor available 
 compass, for the violent rolling of the ship caused our 
 binnacle compasses, with their weak horizontal force, to 
 spin round continually. Anxiously I watched our approach 
 to Cape Bull en, for there, on the 22 nd of August, we 
 saw that the pack, which arrested us off Cape Warrender, 
 extended quite across the straits. We then calculated that 
 at least 50 miles east and west were entirely blocked, and it 
 was only by working through narrow leads into the shore 
 and the mouth of Admiralty Inlet that we succeeded in 
 getting through. Now all was clear water, and by 9 p.m. on 
 the 6th we had approached Cape Warrender, finding our- 
 selves about half a mile from the glacier, a little to the west 
 end of the cape, and saw some heavy pieces of ice and 
 many bergs, apparently aground, and experienced also a 
 strong current running to the westward, causing the sea to 
 break in a formidable manner, and in the gale that was 
 blowing at the time the top of this breaking sea frequently 
 came over our quarters and taffrail. 
 
A FAVOURITE PIG. 65 
 
 Curiously enough, in scudding past Cape Bullen, we 
 suddenly observed under the lee bow, or S.E. of us, what 
 appeared to be a pointed rock, about 10 feet above the water, 
 but which proved to be only a piece of earth-stained ice. 
 This bears upon the rocks which appear on the Admiralty 
 Chart in Lancaster Sound, on the authority of Captain 
 Adams, which I do not in the least believe to exist. 
 
 The state and appearance of our poor * Pandora/ as we 
 emerged from Lancaster Sound was very extraordinary. We 
 had been driving under close-reefed sails since escaping from 
 the pack off Cape Kennell, and the sea, which constantly 
 dashed against our sides, freezing as it rose, had covered our 
 ship on the port side with a solid mass of ice from the 
 doubling up to the rail, whilst the bows, from the figure-head 
 to the anchor, were all frozen into a solid mass, and looking 
 over the stern a fringe of enormous icicles hung down to the 
 water's level. 
 
 It was now my intention to endeavour to reach the Cary 
 Islands, and possibly Littleton Island, in order if possible to 
 obtain news of the Government ships. 
 
 " At Ivitot our sailors bought a pig, which was petted to 
 the last degree, and so jealous were they of his rights 
 that the dogs were driven in all directions that poor 
 Dennis, as they christened the pig, might not be disturbed. 
 The dogs made several attempts to attack this favoured 
 animal, but a constant look-out, such as one could never ex- 
 pect for any ice, rock, or land from any seaman on board, 
 was kept, and the dogs were driven off at the moment when 
 victory seemed certain. Pea-soup, broken biscuits, and slops 
 of all sorts were given to the dainty animal, whereas if a dog 
 attempted to ask for a share of the remains of the sailors' 
 dinners he was scouted with derision. In fact, the pig was 
 the pet of the ship, and the only thing worth navigating the 
 Arctic Seas for. Finding that he was uncomfortable under 
 
66 THE ' PANDORA ' COVERED WITH ICE. 
 
 the topgallant forecastle, and liable to be disturbed by the 
 chain running out when anchoring, or the water coming in at 
 the hawse-pipe when at sea, a snug cask was found for him, 
 and he was housed in with canvas and straw under the bows 
 of the long-boat. Never, I should think, had any other pig 
 such comforts showered on him. But now came a change. 
 Our decks became full of snow, and everything froze. It was 
 necessary to clean away the ice and dirt from Mr. Pig's sty 
 as well as from the other parts of the ship, and to do this in- 
 volved an amount of scraping which was not agreeable to his 
 former friends, and with the decision and readiness in meeting 
 difficulties for which the British seaman is so pre-eminent, 
 the pig was condemned to death without remorse or apology. 
 In fact, from that moment he was a nuisance, and only fit to 
 be killed and eaten : his throat was cut by his dearest friends* 
 and he was eaten (September 7) for dinner, having died only 
 at 10 a.m. Such are the caprices of the true British tar ; but 
 I must add that Mr. Pig's former owner sent an excellent 
 joint to the wardroom, which was much appreciated." 
 
 (Sept. 8-9.) We continued in our effort to reach the 
 Cary Islands, to ascertain if by chance the ' Alert ' and 
 ' Discovery ' could possibly have called there after our leav- 
 ing their letters on the 18th ultimo. I considered that after 
 the 10th of this month the navigation of these seas would 
 become a race against time, but I was not prepared for the 
 violent N.N.W. gale which we had experienced during the 
 last forty-eight hours. It had blown without ceasing, with a 
 high breaking sea, and the spray drifting across the ship 
 had frozen over all. We were one mass of ice. Our bow- 
 sprit, figure-head, and anchors were all cemented together, 
 and both sides, from the water-line to the rail, were covered 
 with a shield of ice 2 inches thick. On deck we had a mix- 
 ture of sludge, ice, and snow, which required the whole 
 attention of the watch to clear off. We had been standing to 
 
A SECOND VISIT TO THE CARY ISLANDS. 67 
 
 the N.E. and E.N.E. under close-reefed canvas, not having 
 used our steam since passing Cape Kennell. The sea ran up 
 in great heaps, and occasionally broke on board, and our 
 prospect of getting northward appeared hopeless until this 
 evening, when the gale moderated, and we got up steam, 
 and proceeded towards the Cary Islands, which were about 
 45 miles distant. At dusk we could just see Wolstenholme 
 Island to the N.E., appearing like an elongated cone, and as 
 a white shadow in the distance. We saw no signs of life, 
 save a few mullemokkes, who shared the discomforts of the 
 gale with us, and followed in our wake. The barometer, which 
 had fallen to 29 . 40, was now rising, and the sea going down. 
 I resolved to try to land on the island, and re-examine the 
 cairn ; but if this proved impracticable I determined to bear 
 up for England, as nothing more could be done that season. 
 The temperature averaged 23° to 18° Fahr. during the last 
 forty-eight hours. It snowed nearly all night, but cleared 
 over the eastern land about 6 a.m. I could distinguish Wol- 
 stenholme Island in the E.S.E., and the land about Cape 
 Parry and Booth Sound in the N.E. 
 
 (Sept. 10.) To seaward all was dark. We were sur- 
 rounded with icebergs of every conceivable size and shape, 
 and the late gales appeared to have made, great havoc 
 amongst them, there being quantities of broken pieces in the 
 water. Passing through one of these patches of broken ice, 
 I took the opportunity to get a quantity on board, as we 
 were quite out of fresh water, the last, which we pumped in 
 from the floe, having proved to be brackish. Feeling confident 
 of our position, and that we were close to the Cary Islands, 
 although we could not see a mile to the westward, I hove-to 
 until 9 a.m., when, the mist having lifted, I could see the 
 S.E. Cary Island, distant about 3 miles, bearing N.W. 
 Having determined to search all the islands of the group, so 
 that there could be no chance of missing Captain Nares' 
 
 f 2 
 
68 LETTERS OP THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION DISCOVERED. 
 
 record, if he had left one, I stood close alongside the S.E. 
 island, and in passing saw a cairn. I did not at first attach 
 much importance to this discovery, Captain Nares having 
 said that his record would be on the N.W. island ; but 
 having so thoroughly searched the latter in August, I deter- 
 mined, if the weather permitted, to go through the entire 
 group. Having rounded-to close under the northern side 
 of the island, I dispatched a boat's crew, in charge of Lil- 
 lingston, Beynan, and Toms, to examine the cairn. They 
 landed with some difficulty, ascended through the deep snow 
 to a height of 650 feet, and hastening on board, delivered to 
 me the record case, containing letters, and an account of the 
 proceedings of the ' Alert ' and ' Discovery.' We were thus 
 rewarded for all the hard work of the last few days, and for 
 the risk in proceeding northward at this late season ; and we 
 had the satisfaction of bringing home news of the Govern- 
 ment ships, which would be most welcome to the public and 
 to the friends of all the members of the expedition. 1 Had 
 we not returned this winter, or gone home with a report 
 that nothing was known of the ships at these islands, con- 
 siderable anxiety would probably have been felt. It was, 
 
 1 The Arctic Expedition, as has been stated already, sailed from TJpernivik 
 at 8 a.m. on the 22nd of July, 1875, and shaped a course due west, intending 
 to make a dash through the middle pack instead of creeping round the land 
 ice in Melville Bay. At 1 a.m. on the 23rd the pack edge was sighted, and 
 the two vessels were at once pushed into it. The ice was very loose, not more 
 than 12 inches thick, and with lanes of water in all directions. At 11 a.m. on 
 Sunday, the 25th of July, the ■ Alert ' and ' Discovery ' got clear of the pack 
 and entered the " North Water " of Baffin's Bay, having been only thirty-four 
 hours in the ice, and seventy hours in going from TJpernivik to Cape York. 
 
 The ' Discovery • then went inshore to communicate with the natives at 
 Cape York, and endeavour to engage a brother-in-law of Hans as second dog- 
 driver. The 'Alert' proceeded to the Cary group, and- reached the S.E. 
 island at midnight on the 26th of July. Records and letters, as well as the 
 depot and a boat, were landed, and a cairn erected. The expedition then 
 proceeded to Smith Sound, with the brightest prospect of an open sea, and of 
 being able to reach a high northern latitude in the season of 1875. 
 
NOTICE LEFT IN THEIR PLACE. 69 
 
 however, by the merest chance that the cairn was seen, as I 
 little expected to find anything on the S.E. island. 
 
 A notice was left in Captain Nares' cairn to the effect 
 that we had removed his record and the letters for England, 
 and explaining our second visit to the Cary Islands, and 
 where he would find the letters which we deposited on the 
 N.W. island in August. 
 
 The boat only just returned in time, for almost before she 
 was hoisted up, a blinding snowstorm came up from the 
 southward, during which we could not see a cable's length 
 from the ship. Such are the dangers of cruising in these 
 seas at this late season ; it is absolutely unsafe to send a boat 
 away unless the ship is securely anchored ; the changes are 
 so sudden and severe that it is impossible to depend upon 
 landing upon any exposed shore, or on again reaching the 
 ship. I was only too thankful to see my boat's crew safely 
 on board again on so awful a day. 
 
70 ICE ABOUT OAPE YORK. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE VOYAGE HOME. 
 
 The next day (Sept. 11) the sky cleared and the wind backed 
 round to the N.W., and continued all day light with fine clear 
 weather. We were now steering towards the S.E., and by- 
 night saw Cape Dudley Digges about 10 miles distant ; the 
 wind freshening to a gale, with a high following sea, which 
 froze as it lapped our sides. 
 
 Shortly after midnight (Sept. 12) we passed through a 
 quantity of ice lying off Cape York, having previously gone 
 through a complete chain of bergs, apparently aground, 
 and reaching out from the land about the conical rock 
 to 20 miles seaward in a S.W. direction. The storm was 
 too heavy to think of sounding. I felt that we were 
 going over a bank, but the size of the bergs was quite 
 sufficient evidence that we had plenty of water, although 
 the sea broke heavily over our quarters. It is curious 
 how this ice appears to hang about Cape York, and I 
 cannot help thinking that there must be N.W. an eddy 
 current setting round out of Melville Bay, constantly 
 bringing up the ice which hangs about the glaciers and the 
 land there, to the vicinity of Cape York ; otherwise, in such 
 a gale as we had experienced, it must soon have scattered 
 to the S.E. By 4 a.m. it was almost daylight, and we were 
 greatly relieved on finding that no ice was visible to the 
 south or S.W., save a few large bergs. The gale diminished 
 towards evening, and by six o'clock, after Divine Service, we 
 got up steam and proceeded slowly through the night, with 
 light variable winds. At noon this day our position by 
 
PROM CAPE YORK TO SVARTE HUK. 
 
 71 
 
 observation was 75° 2' N., 65° 25' W. Temperature 24° to 
 25° Fahrenheit. 
 
 The barometer rose (Sept. 13) and we had overcast weather 
 with light east and S.E. winds. We had made, since yes- 
 terday, about 78 miles in a S.S.E. direction ; and by noon 
 could just distinguish the land about Wilcox Head and the 
 Devil's Thumb. A high swell commenced from the south- 
 ward, followed by a gale from the S.E. by E. to S.E., com- 
 pelling us to heave-to under low sail. The night was 
 intensely dark, sleet fell in showers, and everything seemed 
 damp and miserable. We could only hope that we were 
 well off the middle ice. The ship plunged bows under, but 
 was quite buoyant and lively since having been lightened 
 of her coals. 
 
 On the 14th and 15th we had a whole gale from S.E. with 
 thick weather and constant sleet and snow, and a very high 
 sea rolling up from south (true). We saw no ice save here 
 and there a solitary berg, and lay-to under reefed topsails, 
 occasionally to keep our position. On the 15th we saw an 
 enormous berg, which, from its length, I at first mistook for 
 Horse's Head. It was at least a mile long, and through the 
 mist and gloom appeared still larger. 
 
 On the 16th the wind came round to the northward, and 
 we progressed south, being at noon in lat. 72° 49' N., long. 
 59° 4' W., and next day sighted the land about the Svarte 
 Huk. About lat. 71° 31', long. 57° 6', we passed an immense 
 number of large bergs, but we had not seen a piece of floe 
 ice since leaving Cape York, and I incline to the opinion that 
 with a good ship, properly equipped and rigged to encounter 
 bad weather, and the crew clothed for extreme variations of 
 temperature, this would be the best month to make a pas- 
 sage northward through Melville Bay. 
 
 On the night of the 17th we had the first rain since enter- 
 ing Melville Bay on the 15th August. The moon, which 
 
72 AT GODHAVN AGAIN. 
 
 had shone so clearly for the last two nights, was quite 
 obscured; and I consequently reduced sail, so as to have 
 the ship under easy command in case of having to clear the 
 icebergs or the land. 
 
 (Sept. 20.) On the 19th we arrived off the harbour of 
 Godhavn, having had variable strong winds since the 17th, 
 and having run close along the west side of Disco with a 
 N.E gale until 8 p.m., when it fell calm. We came close 
 past Fortune Bay and the off-lying islands and rocks, under 
 steam ; and when off the entrance to Godhavn we fired a 
 gun, which was soon answered by a light on shore, and we 
 anchored at 3 a.m. After passing Svarte Huk, we saw and 
 cleared a great many icebergs, which had possibly come out 
 of Omenak Fiord. Several were also lying under the land 
 of Disco, and in the entrance to Disco Fiord and Laxe Bay. 
 
 (Sept. 24.) We sailed out of Godhaven, having been 
 at anchor four days, and not being able to leave earlier 
 owing to a constant strong south-east wind, with torrents 
 . of rain and snow all the time. On the 21st, Lilling- 
 ston and Pirie went round to Disco Fiord in the steam- 
 cutter, returning all right, much to my relief, on the 
 night of the 22nd, thoroughly drenched, and having had 
 some difficulty in getting round, owing to the heavy sea 
 outside. They had camped one night in the boat in the 
 fiord, and brought back .some ducks which they had shot. 
 During our stay we filled up with water, and took in all our 
 boats except the two whalers, and otherwise prepared for 
 our homeward voyage. The crew had leave on shore every 
 evening until 10 p.m., and the dance-house was open and the 
 usual Eskimo ball kept up with great spirit until that hour. 
 The Greenlanders here appear to have been quite spoilt by 
 the number of ships which have recently visited this port, 
 begged incessantly for tobacco or rum, and tried to impose 
 Upon our crew by offering them the most useless articles for 
 
FOUL WEATHER. 73 
 
 barter. On entering .the port, a boat rope was missing, and 
 not being returned by the pilot's boat crew as promised, I 
 refused all admission to the ship, and was sorry also to have 
 to deny the pilot his privilege of taking the vessel out, 
 whereby he lost the usual present, and appeared much dis- 
 appointed on my telling him that I did not require his 
 services. 
 
 The winds were principally from the north and east, oc- 
 casionally freshening to a moderate gale, for the first five 
 days of our homeward voyage. Our propeller was lifted, and 
 we were fairly under canvas, having had our fires lighted up 
 to the 25th inst., fifty-nine consecutive days, and still having 
 45 tons of the best Welsh coal. We passed one or two ice- 
 bergs, which appeared much broken by the sea, and although 
 the nights had been intensely dark, we had had no occasion 
 for any anxiety, as the seas had been almost free since leaving 
 S.E. Bay and in the meridian of 55° which we had kept to. 
 The barometer had been very low for the last twenty-four 
 hours, 29.20 with overcast sky, and we had now baffling 
 winds, with a tremendous and confused sea, principally from 
 the S.E. {true), and I supposed that a heavy gale was blowing 
 round the land from that direction, especially as numbers of 
 mullemokkes were gathered around the ship. We were 
 under close reefs, the ship rolling and pitching in such a 
 manner as to make things thoroughly uncomfortable. 
 
 (Sept. 30.) The high confused sea continued all night 
 and throughout the next day, and I felt certain that a heavy 
 gale had been blowing from the south-eastward, round the 
 Cape, and that we were experiencing the eddy winds and 
 back sea. Towards evening the wind became more steady 
 from the N.N.W., but there was still the heavy pyramidal 
 sea, which caused the ship to tumble in such a manner as to 
 render it impossible to walk about. Hundreds of mulle- 
 mokkes flew around, and I observed a piece of drift pine about 
 
74 BRILLIANT AURORAS. 
 
 15 feet long and 6 in diameter. We lost two topgallant 
 yards and a jibboom, and were busy to-day making a new 
 maintopsail yard. The barometer rose to 29.30, and the 
 temperature to 42^ Fahr. 
 
 On October 1st we had most brilliant displays of aurora, 
 after which came frequent snow showers, ending in a bril- 
 liant morning. At noon we were to the southward of the 
 Cape, and steering direct for the English Channel, Bishop's 
 Light, Scilly, being 1651 miles distant, bearing S. 70° E. 
 
 We had most brilliant weather until the 4th, with moderate 
 breezes from the northward, but the magnificent auroras 
 which every evening lighted up the heavens almost as 
 brightly as the full moon, together with a rapidly falling 
 barometer and a confused sea, all prepared us for the heavy 
 gale which soon burst upon us, in lat. 57° 11' N., long. 
 46° 3' W. The wind commenced from about north, with 
 heavy clouds full of rain, and then gradually backed to 
 the N.N.W., when it blew with the utmost fury. I ex- 
 pected every minute that something would give out, or our 
 canvas burst. A high breaking sea came up on the quarter, 
 but by altering our course according to the change in 
 the direction of the wind, we escaped being boarded by 
 heavy water, although floods of spray came across us. 
 The wind then settled down into a steady fresh gale from 
 the W.N.W., and we scudded before it to the E.S.E., the 
 barometer rising from 29 . 20 to 29 . 90, and the sea becoming 
 more regular and true to the wind. We were in lat. 55° 54', 
 long. 42° 44' W. at noon by observation, Scilly bearing S. 75° 
 E. 1357 miles. 
 
 In the evening of the 5th, soon after eight o'clock, 
 we had another brilliant display of aurora, which lighted 
 up the sky and sea in a manner which I never before 
 witnessed. It appeared first in the W.N.W., in lumi- 
 nous patches, at an elevation of 30 degrees, and quickly 
 
A FURIOUS GALE. 75 
 
 ascended towards the zenith, and almost immediately other 
 corruscations shot up from the northward, extending across 
 the zenith to S.S.W., and forming into vertical bands, having 
 that peculiar serpentine motion so well known to Arctic 
 voyagers. The reflection upon the crests of the seas was 
 most beautiful, and as we scudded before the gale we could 
 distinguish each break of the waves for miles astern of the 
 ship. By nine o'clock the lights had quite disappeared, and 
 high threatening clouds, arising in the westward, gave pro- 
 mise of a wild night. The barometer had risen all day, and 
 it had been observed in running down Davis Straits that the 
 mercury invariably fell with an approaching northward gale, 
 being followed by a corresponding rise when the wind backed 
 into the S.W. and southward. 
 
 A storm commenced on the evening of the 6th, so sud- 
 denly that we had barely time to reduce the canvas. It blew 
 through the night, with torrents of rain and violent squalls, 
 from W.S. W. until morning, when it backed into the W.N.W., 
 and increased until I thought that the close-reefed topsails 
 under which we scudded must give out. We had frequent 
 squalls of hail, and the sea increased to so awful a height 
 that I feared we could not run any longer. 
 
 During the night of the 8th the sky presented the most terrific 
 appearance; dense masses of clouds, apparently stationary, 
 surrounded us like a wall, their upper edges illuminated with 
 a brilliant aurora, making their centres and lower strata 
 appear correspondingly black, and out of these black dense 
 masses, a sudden gleam of lightning would occasionally flash, 
 like the flame from the muzzle of a gun, followed quickly by 
 terrific blasts of wind and hail. The storm blew with hurri- 
 cane force, still increasing, all the forenoon of the 9th ; we 
 battened everything down, and as it was not now possible to 
 heave-to, I trusted to scudding before it, which we did all 
 the forenoon, with heavy sea coming over both sides, and one 
 
76 
 
 A FUEIOUS GALE. 
 
 over the stern, filling the deck fore and aft. I never saw so 
 frightful a sea excepting in a typhoon or cyclone, and could 
 not have believed that so violent a storm ever blew in extra- 
 tropical latitudes. The barometer oscillated rapidly, some- 
 times rising above 30°, but never going below 29 . 20, and 
 I was consequently little prepared for such a scene. How- 
 ever, we fortunately got through it, by extreme care in 
 steering the ship, and without damage beyond the smashing 
 of a boat. The storm abated about 4 p.m. on the 8th, the wind 
 continuing through the night with occasional squalls from 
 the westward, and the sea subsiding. The wind then backed 
 into the S.W., blowing fresh, with rain, and a continuous gale 
 from the westward for the next two days, before which we 
 scudded under close reefs, and battened down. On the 11th 
 the storm again increased, with violent squalls and tremen- 
 dous sea, and we carried all sail possible, being frequently 
 deluged with water. At noon we passed two barques, lying- 
 to with nothing but lower main topsail set. The barometer 
 fell from 29.90 to 29.70, where it remained all day, and 
 this was the only indication we had of the terrible gale we 
 were experiencing. On the 11th the gale moderated, and 
 settled down to a strong N. W. wind, the sea causing the ship 
 to lurch heavily throughout the night. On the 12th two ships 
 were in sight, steering to the eastward under very low sail, 
 and in the evening we passed a small topsail schooner stand- 
 ing to the northward. We were now in lat. 49° 26' N., long. 
 10° 12' W., the Bishop's Light being N. 80°, E. 167 miles. 
 In the evening the wind backed into the southward with 
 torrents of rain and barometer falling rapidly. On the 13th 
 we lost our jibboom, and it was with some difficulty that we 
 got the sail stowed, owing to the weight of water in it. The 
 barometer at midnight was down to 28.90, and the wind 
 suddenly backed into the westward until 3 a.m., when it as 
 
RETURN TO SPITHEAD. 77 
 
 suddenly flew into the northward and N.N.E. to N.E., and 
 blew with almost hurricane force. 
 
 We entered the Channel on the 14th, making all sail at 
 daylight, the morning being quite fine, but the sky looked 
 threatening, heavy banks of clouds hanging to the north- 
 ward, with occasional flashes of lightning. The wind was 
 north to N.N.E., and w 7 e hauled up towards the English coast 
 as well as we were able. In the afternoon a gale from the 
 northward arose so suddenly that we had barely time to 
 reduce to close reefs. We sent down topgallant yards and 
 got the funnel up and screw down, and lighted the fires. 
 We steered by the wind, making about E. by N., with a 
 strong gale north, a breaking sea, and barometer 29 . 40 to 
 29.35. On the night of the 14th we had a heavy gale 
 N.N.E., and carried close-reefed topsails until 4 a.m., when 
 we stowed them, and proceeded under steam and fore-and- 
 aft canvas, making about an east course, and a very heavy 
 breaking sea throughout the morning. At six we sighted the 
 Caskets, and shortly afterwards Alderney, and stood on till 
 ten, when we tacked to northward, and again at noon to the 
 eastward, the sea going down and weather improving. By 
 6 p.m. we had Alderney dipping, and bearing S. by W. We 
 made but slow progress towards the Wight, and were tanta- 
 lized by seeing the ' Alice,' Jersey steamer, dash past us at 
 10 miles an hour. 
 
 On the 16th we anchored at Spithead. 
 
 Appendix. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 A. 
 
 Letter from Admiral Richards to the Times, dated Oct. 23, 1875, 
 enclosing Extracts of a Letter from Commander Markham, 
 
 of H.M.S. ' Alert.' 
 
 « 
 
 To the Editor of the Times. 
 
 "Sir, — When the 'Pandora' left Portsmouth in June last, the 
 object of her voyage was to a great extent shrouded in mystery. 
 Little more could be gathered than that she was provisioned and 
 equipped to pass a winter in the ice, and that she was receiving 
 letters for the Polar Expedition which had preceded her a month. 
 
 "It was known, of course, that Captain Allen Young was an 
 experienced Arctic navigator, that he had some able naval and 
 other officers under his command, and that he was accompanied by 
 a staff of talented correspondents, naturalists, artists, &c, with a 
 small but picked crew equal to any service they might be called on 
 to perform. Under these circumstances, and without any display, 
 he quietly sailed out of Portsmouth Harbour on the 20th June last 
 for the Arctic Eegions. 
 
 "But Captain Young's aims were not purposeless, and he did 
 not leave England without confiding to a few of his Arctic friends 
 what his hopes and intentions were. I confess I was among those 
 who believed that he displayed a wise discretion in his reticence. 
 
 " The ' Pandora ' has returned, probably, before many expected 
 her, and though the incidents of her voyage have been ably and 
 graphically depicted by the talented special correspondent, it has 
 not appeared very clearly or authoritatively what were the precise 
 objects of her cruise, or why she returned. A few words in your 
 columns, therefore, from one who has no personal interest in the 
 matter, and who does not overstep the bounds of confidence in 
 writing them, may not be unfitting at the present time. 
 
80 OBJECTS OF THE VOYAGE OF THE 'PANDORA.' 
 
 " It is generally known that the late Lady Franklin entertained 
 to the end of her life an unalterable conviction that some records 
 of her husband's expedition still lay buried on King William's 
 Land, off the shores of which his ships were abandoned in 1848. 
 However much Arctic authorities may have differed as to the utility 
 of a further search for those documents, Captain Allen Young was 
 always anxious to gratify this natural desire, and, indeed, was the 
 only one interested in the subject whose private means would 
 permit him to do so. 
 
 " More than once he went so far as to purchase a vessel with the 
 view of carrying out this object, though from one cause or another 
 his efforts were frustrated. Last year, however, he succeeded in 
 obtaining a suitable vessel in the ' Pandora,' and with the assistance 
 of one or two associates who joined him in the enterprise, he 
 strengthened and completely equipped her for Arctic service, him- 
 self assuming the command; and although he was probably 
 encouraged by the change which had been gradually coming over 
 public opinion in regard to Polar exploration, and by the decision 
 of the Government to send out an expedition, it is pretty certain 
 that he would have carried out his favourite project irrespective of 
 either of these considerations. 
 
 "The 'Pandora' then left England and passed by the usual 
 route through Davis's Strait and Lancaster Sound, but instead of 
 sailing down Prince Regent Inlet and trying Bellot Strait, where 
 M'Clintock had been arrested in the ' Fox,' Captain Young pushed 
 down Peel Sound to the westward, which had scarcely before been 
 attempted by ship, but which was very generally believed to be the 
 true gateway to the North-West Passage along the coast of 
 America, which Collinson, in the ' Enterprise,' so nearly effected 
 from Behring Strait. 
 
 "Could the 'Pandora' have passed the barrier of ice which 
 choked the narrow throat of this sound about 120 miles within its 
 entrance, and the northern edge of which she reached, there is 
 little doubt in my mind that Captain Young would have accom- 
 plished the North- West Passage, and he would at the same time 
 have had an opportunity of re-examining the western shores of 
 King William's Land under favourable circumstances, but when he 
 had reached this barrier, and saw from an eminence the western 
 entrance of Bellot Strait, with firm ice stretching right across Peel 
 
NEWS FROM THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 81 
 
 Sound, he saw that there was little or no hope of effecting the 
 passage during the present season. It was manifest then that he 
 must either return or adopt the alternative course of seeking winter 
 quarters, the nearest shelter being 40 miles to the northward. In 
 the latter case the ' Pandora ' would not have been advantageously 
 placed for travelling as the ' Fox ' was under M'Clintock, when he 
 discovered the fate of Franklin, and all that could have been done 
 would have been in the summer of 1876, to have re-examined, 
 under less favourable circumstances, a portion of the ground 
 traversed by M'Clintock, Hobson, and himself fifteen years before. 
 It must be admitted, then, I think, that a sound judgment was 
 exercised in the course which was adopted. 
 
 "But if Captain Young failed to accomplish with his little 
 vessel what has never yet been achieved with greater means — viz. 
 the passing by ship from one ocean to another — he has rendered 
 good service to the Government expedition, which deserves to be 
 recorded. 
 
 " The last intelligence received from the ' Alert ' and ■ Discovery ' 
 was dated from Disco, the 17th of July, and we had no reason to 
 expect anything further, unless from Upernivik — a short distance 
 to the north — until their return in 1876 or 1877. Now, from 
 Disco to the entrance of Smith Sound, a distance of about 600 miles, 
 is the most difficult and critical portion of an outward Polar 
 voyage, and through Captain Young's perseverance we now know 
 that the ships arrived safely at the Cary Islands, within 100 miles 
 of Smith Sound, after a remarkably successful run of nine days 
 from Disco, including stoppages. It is true that Captain Young 
 had promised the Commander of the Polar Expedition that he would 
 endeavour to communicate with the Cary Isles, but the chances 
 against his being able to do so were considerable, and were per- 
 fectly understood to be so by Captain Nares. Not only did 
 Captain Young go considerably out of his way to fulfil his promise 
 on his outward voyage, when he was late in the season and had an 
 important object of his own in view in another direction, but 
 failing then to find the records, he made a second attempt late in 
 the year, when his own enterprise was at an end, and against a 
 heavy northerly gale and very severe weather, again fetched the 
 Cary Isles on the 10th of September, and discovered and brought 
 away the intelligence which must have been alike satisfactory to 
 
82 NEWS FROM THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 
 
 the Government and comforting to all who have friends in the 
 expedition. 
 
 " From this information we learn that the ships left Upernivik, 
 the northernmost Danish port in Greenland, on the 22nd of July, 
 and that Captain Nares, by boldly pushing out into the middle ice, 
 had achieved in five days what formerly occupied more than as 
 many weeks to accomplish, with harassing labour, in sailing vessels, 
 along the land ice of Melville Bay. In a short note to myself 
 from Cary Isles, dated July 27th, Captain Nares describes the 
 season as most favourable, and their prospects bright beyond any- 
 thing they could have hoped for; and an extract from a private 
 letter which has been put at my disposal, and which you may, 
 perhaps, think will be of interest to your readers, speaks also more 
 hopefully of their prospects. It is from Commander Markham, of 
 the ' Alert.' No doubt the season has been favourable, but I am 
 inclined to believe that unfavourable seasons were more impressed 
 upon us formerly from the absence of steam-power. 
 
 " There can be no question but that the prospect from the Cary 
 Isles was very promising. Northerly winds and a current of a 
 mile and a half an hour had apparently cleared out the ice to the 
 north, and no doubt existed in Captain Nares's mind but that they 
 would be within the Sound in less than two days. This fair 
 prospect was corroborated by Captain Young, who observed the 
 same favourable state of things on the 18th of August, and again 
 on the 10th of September. 
 
 " Humanly speaking, therefore, the programme, so far as it 
 could be laid down with any degree of certainty, has probably 
 been accomplished ; and less than 300 miles from the entrance of 
 Smith Sound would place the ' Discovery ' in the position hoped 
 for. What lies beyond the 82nd parallel we must wait to learn ; 
 in the meantime there is much cause for hope and confidence. 
 Most people will probably agree that Captain Young has more 
 than fulfilled his promise — a promise spontaneously and generously 
 made, and carried out at some sacrifice. 
 
 " The ' Pandora ' would gladly have followed the Polar explorers 
 on the 10th of September, tempestuous, though promising, as the 
 prospect was then to her; but those who know Captain Allen 
 Young will best understand the delicacy which forbade him to seek 
 a share of the honours where he could not add to the resources, 
 
NEWS FROM THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 83 
 
 and where possible disaster might have caused him and his gallant 
 companions to become an extra burden upon them. 
 
 " I am, Sir, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 " Geo. Henry Richards, Bear-Admiral, 
 " Athenaeum Club, Oct. 23." 
 
 Extracts of a Letter from Commander A. H. Markham, of 
 H.M.S. 'Alert,' referred to by Admiral Richards: — 
 
 " Friday, July 23, off Cape Shackleton. — We are now steaming full 
 speed, being beautiful calm weather, towards the westward to make 
 the pack edge, which we shall probably do in three hours' time. 
 We have had a very busy day to-day. In the first place, at six 
 o'clock this morning, the fog being too thick to proceed, we 
 endeavoured to get into a little bay on the island of Kingitok, to 
 anchor and wait for clear weather. In doing so we ran on a rock, 
 and remained immoveable for five hours. No damage, however, 
 was done. The ice-saw crews have been organized, and officers 
 and men appointed to the different boats in case of having to 
 abandon the ship. Everything has been prepared for lifting the 
 screw and rudder, and altogether we have had a busy day. Our 
 knapsacks are all packed ready for leaving the ship. I am quite 
 surprised at the amount of water. We have as yet seen no pack 
 ice whatever. I do really believe we are going to have a remark* 
 ably open season, and that we shall get as far north as our most 
 sanguine expectations can suggest. Bancroft Library 
 
 " Saturday, July 24. — We have been so far wonderfully lucky, 
 and are all much elated at the prospect of success before us. We 
 made the pack edge about two o'clock this morning, and pushed 
 into it, since which time we have been steaming through. The ice 
 is wonderfully open, and we have hitherto gone on without the 
 slightest check. There are lanes of water in all directions, and if 
 the weather will only remain fine and calm we shall in all pro- 
 bability get into the ' North Water ' to-morrow. The ice is by no 
 means heavy, the greater part of it only about 12 inches thick, by 
 which I think it is this spring's formation. If we only have to 
 
 G 2 
 
84 NEWS FROM THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 
 
 encounter ice of the same thickness in Smith Sound, we shall be 
 able to steam straight up to the North Pole this year. At present 
 everything points to speedy success ; but a few hours make a 
 wonderful difference in these regions. We must hope for the best. 
 If we go on at the rate we have been going to-day, we shall get to 
 the Cary Islands on Tuesday. 
 
 " Sunday, July 25. — We have had unparalleled success, and are 
 actually in the ■ North Water,' passing Cape York. I believe our 
 passage is almost unprecedented. We only entered the ice of the 
 middle pack at two o'clock yesterday morning, and at eleven this 
 forenoon, just thirty-four hours in the ice, we emerged in the 
 * North Water.' Including stoppages, we have only been seventy 
 hours going from Upernivik to Cape York. We certainly have 
 been most fortunate in our weather — not a breath of wind since 
 we made the pack, which was so loose as to render navigation 
 through it a matter of ease. Everything appears favourable to the 
 northward. Little ice can be seen, and all seems clear and open. 
 We parted company with the ■ Discovery ' at six o'clock this even- 
 ing. She has gone in towards Cape York to communicate with 
 the natives, and induce one of them, a brother-in-law of Hans, to 
 join as dog-driver. We are now steering along the Crimson Cliffs 
 of Beverley, with Cape Dudley Digges ahead, on our way to the 
 Cary Islands, where we shall establish our first depot, and land our 
 letters for Allen Young to pick up. Having completed our work, 
 we shall go to Littleton Island, and join the ' Discovery ' either 
 there or at Sutherland Island. I am afraid the ' Discovery ' will 
 not be able to send any letters, as they have not sent any to us, 
 and will not visit the Cary Islands. 
 
 "Monday, July 26. — A dense fog came on this morning and 
 lasted all day, so with all the numerous icebergs about, we are 
 obliged to go on carefully. We shall probably get in at ten or 
 twelve o'clock to-night. I have got all the depot prepared for 
 landing, so it ought not to take us more than six hours putting it 
 on shore and securing it. To-morrow forenoon we ought to be on 
 our way to Littleton Island. Everything is still in our favour. 
 A light breeze from the northward is blowing, which will nicely 
 clear Smith Sound for us. Not a bit of pack ice is to be seen 
 to-day, and the temperature of the water is very high. I believe 
 our success is going to be most complete." 
 
THE TIDAL BARRIER. 85 
 
 I 
 
 B. 
 
 Letters to the ' Times ' from the Eev. G. Haughton and Captain 
 Allen Young on the Tidal Barrier. 
 
 To the Editor of the ' Times! 
 
 " Sir, — In the year 1857, when M'Clintock was about to set out 
 on his search for Franklin in the ' Fox,' I called his attention to 
 the probability that there is a permanent tidal ice-barrier all 
 through the Arctic Archipelago, caused by the still water occa- 
 sioned by the meeting of the Davis's Strait and Behring's Strait 
 tides from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans ; and I ventured at 
 that time to draw on the chart the most probable line of junction 
 of the Atlantic and Pacific tides, in the portion of the Archipelago 
 which he was about to search. The ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' were 
 beset and perished within a very short distance of the tidal barrier 
 line so drawn. 
 
 " It is well known from the experience of Collinson and M'Clure 
 that vessels can enter the Arctic Archipelago through Behring's 
 Straits and sail to the eastward and north-eastward, to within some 
 50 or 60 miles of places which can be easily reached from the 
 Atlantic side through Lancaster Sound. 
 
 " The ships from Behring's Strait always find themselves in 
 the Pacific tide, and the ships from Lancaster Sound always find 
 themselves in the Atlantic tide, but no ship has yet crossed the 
 tidal ice-barrier, and passed into the open water of the other ocean, 
 and I believe no ship ever will do so. 
 
 " The recent voyage of the ' Pandora ' is simply a repetition of 
 the experiment so often made unsuccessfully to cross this barrier. 
 The ' Pandora ' found no difficulty, having reached Lancaster 
 Sound, in pushing on to Beechey Island, and afterwards in making 
 her way down Peel Sound (Franklin Channel), along the very 
 route traversed by the unfortunate * Erebus ' and ' Terror,' but as 
 soon as she had reached La Roquette Island, at the western 
 entrance of Bellot Strait, she met the ice-barrier 25 feet thick and 
 50 miles wide. If the { Pandora ' had ventured into this barrier, 
 she would have shared the fate of the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror,' but 
 she would not have made the North- West Passage. 
 
 " Before the ' Alert ' and ' Discovery ' sailed in this year I wrote 
 
86 
 
 THE TIDAL BARRIER. 
 
 to Captain Nares, giving him my reasons for thinking that he 
 would find the tidal ice-barrier after passing through Smith Sound 
 at this side of the North Pole, and I instructed several officers of 
 the expedition in a method of telling quickly whether the ships 
 are in the Atlantic tide or in the Pacific tide. 
 
 " If my opinion should turn out to be correct, the wisest course 
 the ships could adopt after meeting the tidal ice-barrier would be 
 to keep well to the southward of it, and trust the entire chances of 
 the expedition to sledge travelling, by means of which it would 
 be probably an easy matter to reach the North Pole. 
 
 " I am, Sir, yours faithfully, 
 
 " Samuel Haughton. 
 " Trinity College, Dublin, Nov. 1." 
 
 To the Editor of the ' Times: 
 
 "Sir, — Will you allow me to make the following remarks upon 
 Professor Haughton's lettor in the * Times ' of to-day ? 
 
 " It is well known that the learned Professor has given great 
 attention to the universal tidal action, and especially to the tidal 
 wave in the Arctic Seas, and there is no one living whose opinions 
 are more valued. I do not think, however, that it was a tidal 
 barrier which arrested the ■ Pandora ' on her late voyage, but an 
 accumulation of ice, the result of an exceptional season, and the 
 extraordinary prevalence of strong N.W. winds, which drove the 
 Polar pack through M'Clintock Channel, impinging it on the 
 Boothian coast, and blocking the southern part of Franklin Channel, 
 and thus prevented the last winter's ice in those straits from 
 breaking up. The N.W. winds would be as much in favour of 
 clearing the way of the Government expedition going north from 
 Baffin's Sea as they were against my prospect of proceeding south 
 from Barrow Strait, and I trust that Captain Nares has this season 
 reached a very high latitude without meeting any tidal ice-barrier 
 in that direction. 
 
 " There is no evidence to prove by which route the ' Erebus ' and 
 f Terror ' reached the point at which they were finally beset, and 
 in the absence* of such proof I consider that, without detracting 
 from the discoveries of that great navigator, Sir John Franklin, the 
 
THE TIDAL BARRIER. 87 
 
 'Pandora' may fairly claim to be the first ship ever known to 
 have navigated through Peel's Strait to lat. 72 . 8, at the entrance 
 of Franklin Channel, and thus to have added one more step in the 
 right direction. I yet hope to make another attempt, and even 
 again failing, I shall still hope on that some future navigator more 
 fortunate than myself may prove the North- West Passage to be 
 open for at least a short season in most years. 
 
 " I was on my late voyage fully alive to the great risk to which 
 Professor Haughton alludes of entering the pack which we met. 
 But we found it quite impossible to do so, and wherever we at- 
 tempted it an impenetrable line of ice, without the slightest lane 
 of water, presented itself to our view. And I quite agree with him 
 that it would have been a very false manoeuvre to have allowed our 
 ship to be beset in such a position, and thus to have probably 
 ended our voyage in a disaster. 
 
 " I am, Sir, 
 
 " Your very obedient servant, 
 
 " Allen Young, 
 " Commander Arctic ship ' Pandora.' 
 
 " 1, St. James's Street, S.W., Nov. 4." 
 
 c. 
 
 Letter from Sir Leopold M'Clintock, to Mr. Gordon Bennett, 
 dated Nov. 3, 1875. 
 
 " Portsmouth, England, Nov. 3. 
 " Dear Sir, — You call for my ideas upon the subject of Allen 
 Young's recent voyage into Peel Strait, and you call for it as being 
 yourself deeply interested in Arctic exploration and in all matters 
 relating to the practicability of the North- West Passage. I can 
 have no sort of hesitation in complying with your wish. 
 
 " Young was with me in the ' Fox ' when we attempted to pass 
 down Peel Strait, in August, 1858. We were stopped by fixed ice 
 after a run down it of only 25 miles. Without wasting time in 
 waiting there we attempted to pass through Bellot Strait, and 
 
88 PRACTICABILITY OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 
 
 although we succeeded in this, yet our further progress was stopped 
 by fixed ice across its western outlet. You will remember that my 
 object was to reach King William's Island. From my position, at 
 this western outlet of Bellot Strait, I could see that all to the 
 north, as far as the horizon, was covered with unbroken ice, while 
 all to the south was water, with the exception of the belt of fixed ice, 
 some three or four miles wide, which so effectually barred my way. 
 
 " Subsequent sledging exploration to the Great Fish Kiver, and 
 all round King William's Island, convinced me that we actually 
 saw in that narrow barrier of ice the only impediment to our 
 progress to and beyond King William's Island. It also convinced 
 me that Franklin's ships passed down Peel Strait, thus proving that 
 seasons do occur when it is navigable. 
 
 " And now, to sum up. We know of one year (Franklin's) when 
 Peel Strait was navigable ; of another year (M'Clintock's) when it 
 was not navigable ; and of a third year (Allen Young's) when it was 
 partially navigable. In my opinion, this strait, together with its 
 southern continuation, is probably navigable once in four or five 
 years ; and if a steamer could then make her way through it before 
 the close of the month of August, she would be able to complete 
 the passage from the one ocean to the other before the navigable 
 season was over. 
 
 " Here let me refer you to my narrative of the voyage of the 
 1 Fox' (later edition, pp. 265-7) for my own opinions, as they were 
 written down at the time. 
 
 " Young's attempt to accomplish the North- West Passage was 
 as bold and skilful a one as was ever made. He persevered, not 
 only after all hope seemed extinguished, but until further per- 
 severance would have rendered his retreat impossible ; and here 
 at the most critical moment of his voyage, I consider that he exer- 
 cised the soundest judgment and discretion in effecting his escape. 
 Had his attempt been successful he would not only have accom- 
 plished the North-West Passage, but would also have achieved 
 another object which he had in view — namely, that of searching the 
 shores of King William's Island, at the only season when they are 
 free from snow, for further relics of Sir John Franklin's expe- 
 dition, which perished there in 1848. 
 
 " But, although baffled in the main objects of his voyage, other 
 important and useful work remained for him to do, and well he has 
 
SUCCESS OF THE * PANDORA..' 89 
 
 clone it. He has brought us intelligence of our Arctic Expedition 
 of very great interest. By it we know that they had surmounted 
 all the difficulties of Baffin's Bay navigation, had crossed the 
 dreadful Melville Bay with hardly a check, and that as early as 
 July 26 they were within one hundred miles of Smith Sound, 
 where their work of exploration was to begin, and that they were 
 favoured with an unusually good season. 
 
 " But for Allen Young, in the ' Pandora,' this good news could 
 not have reached us for another year at the least. The country has 
 been spared a year's doubts and misgivings ; and I trust that 
 Mr. Young has received from official quarters an acknowledgment 
 commensurate with the great public service he has thus rendered 
 at so much personal hazard and cost. 
 
 " I remain, dear Sir, 
 
 " Faithfully yours, 
 
 "F. L. M'Clintock." 
 
 D. 
 
 Letter from Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Collinson to 
 Miss Cracropt. 
 
 " October 12th, 1875. 
 
 " My dear Miss Cracroft, — I enclose Young's letters to M'Clin- 
 tock, which I received this morning. He would like to have them 
 back when you have done with them. 
 
 " The outward passage has been so long that I have no doubt 
 the loss of daylight will prevent them attempting Peel Sound this 
 season. It would be madness to winter anywhere in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Bellot Strait on that side. I do not believe there is 
 an indentation either on North Somerset — W. side — or the Prince 
 of Wales's Island, that the ice does not move in the winter, and it 
 will not do to expose the ' Pandora ' to a second edition of what 
 the ' Terror ' underwent in Hudson's Bay. The tide will be the 
 means by which the passage will be made ; but the tide must 
 
 H 
 
90 RETURN OP THE 'PANDORA.' 
 
 be encountered with the advantage of daylight and a higher 
 temperature. 
 
 "I shall not be surprised to see them in England before the 
 end of the month. 
 
 " Yours very sincerely, 
 
 " E. COLLINSON." 
 
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