On April 12 I was surprised by the return of Lieutenant Lockwood and his party, all of whom were in excellent condition. They had been compelled, by open water and the disin-tegration of the polar pack near Black Horn Cliffs, to return to the station. In an attempt to round the cliffs Lieutenant Lockwood, Sergeant Brainard, and Eskimo Christiansen carne very near being set off into the Polar Sea by the movement of the pack. Their trip to Black Horn Cliffs had been a remarkable one, having been made from the station in six days against twent~-two to the same point in 1881. The entire sledging outfit was found to be perfect, and only the unfortunate breaking up of the polar pack prevented the party from attain..
ing a remarkably high latitude. The journey, however, could not be considered fruitless, as Sergeant Jewell obtained at BlackHorn Cliffs, Repulse IIarbor, and Cape Stunner, sets of extended tidal observations which must be of marked value for determining the co-tidal lines of the Polar Ocean and Robeson Channel. The formal report of Lieutenant Lockwood forms Appendix No. 70, and that of Sergeant Jewell No. 71.
On the rath Sergeant Brainard left with dog-team to assist Sergeant Rice in bringing in the English ice-boat, being accompanied by Lieutenant Kislingbury, who, desiring to be of use, volunteered for the trip. Sergeant Rice returned on the 15th, having made a most successful trip, and brought the icc-boat in perfect condition. His detailed report forms Appendix No. 72. The medical report of Dr. Pavy forms Appendix No. 73, and is different from what was expected after his strong verbal representations of the absolute necessity of a doctor accompanying the men Io watch over their debilitated physical condition. The result of this journey shows the excellent physical condition of the party. The twelve men engaged therein were but an average of the party, and a round trip of nearly ninety miles in six days was made by them, subjected to a mean temperature of - 2 10 [-29.4 C.], and with 110 higher temperature noted than - 130 [ -25° C.]. The ice-boat was later moved by Sergeants Gardiner and Cross, Private Schneider, and Eskimo jcns, with dogs, to Cape Baird, 'where she was secured for possible use during the coming autumn.
Lieutenant Lockwood was extremely anxious that I should permit him to attempt again the exploration of the North Greenland coast. After a thorough consideration of the subject, I decided against the advisability. A different course would have been followed if the party had intended wintering another year at Conger, or there had been any certainty of the arrival of a vessel. I, however, decided to send him southward into Archer Fiord to attempt the crossing of Grinnell Land to the western ocean, and issued the orders on the morning of the 24th. Lieutenant Lockwood, accompanied as usual by Sergeant Brainard and Eskimo Chris-tiansen, left at 80'clock that evening with two teams of ten dogs each. The second team was under the charge of Sergeant Elison and driven by Eskimo Jens. Sergeant Elison returned on the 29th, accompanied by Privates Connell and Henry, who had visited in the mean time the Bellows and Black Rock Valley for game, of which no traces were seen except rabbit and wolf tracks. Sergeant Elison had accompanied Lieutenant Lockwood an hour's travel on the third day, turning back when about five miles from Depot Point.
Nine thousand five hundred pounds of coal were hauled from the mine in Water-course ravine during April, being within one-third of a ton of the amount consumed at the station.
On the 5th, owing to the limited amount of fuel, the fires were allowed to die down in the quarters of the officers and men between the hours of 9 p. m. and 6 a. m. The temper-ature, however, rarely sank below +3° [-1.to C.]. This slight reduction of fuel caused no inconvenience or sickness, and is only alluded to by me as the surgeon of the expedition ver-bally protested against it, prophesied resulting sickness, and made it the subject-matter of official mention in his medical report of May 5.
The ice increased I ~ inches [38.Imm] in thickness during the month, measuring nearly 58 inches [I.47 3trl] on May 1, at which time the ice on Lake Alexandra (fresh water lake) was found to be 79.8 inches [2.027trl
J
thick, at a point where a sounding gave 33feet [IO.OSS-].44
THE IJADY FR...t\NKLIN BAY EXPEDITION.The mean temperature for the month was -14.8° [-26° C.], being nearly as cold as the preceding month of March, A maximum of 6.6° [ - 14.1° C.] was noted on the29th, and a minimum of -37.3° [ - 38.5° C.] on the 3d. It was the coldest April on record except I87?,
011 the same coast. The severity of the weather is shown by the fact that the temperature did not rise above zero [ - 17.80° C.] until the 27th, except for a single observation on .the 22d:
The month was all unfortunate one for game, only two hares and four ptarmigan being killed. A snow-bird was seen 011the 25th, ten days later than in 1882. Nearly a pound of fresh meat, however, was available daily per man, and the health of the command continued good.
MAY, 1883.
On May 6 a party was sent to Cape Beechey under charge of Sergeant Jewell, and a second to Cape Baird under Sergeant Gardiner (Appendix No. 76), to make a series of simul-taneous tidal-readings in connection with the readings made at Fort Conger.
On May 23 Sergeant Jewell again visited Cape Beechey, and a second set of simultaneous readings were made at Cape Beechey, Distant Cape, Dutch Island, and Conger. These ob-servations were deemed by me of special importance .for determining the co-tidal lines of Robeson Channel and Hall Basin. Sergeant Jewell also made observations for latitude and longitude, which, reduced by my astronomer, Sergeant Israel, showed Cape Beechey to be in latitude 81° 52' 29" N., and longitude OOh 07lU 22.38 (in time) east of Fort Conger. Sergeant Jewell's orders and report form Appendices Nos. 74 and 75·
Sergeant Israel, the- astronomer of the expedition, visited Cape Baird on the 9th, to determine carefully the latitude and longitude of that point. The latitude, determined from a set of circum-tneridianobservations, was 81° 32' 27.7" N., with a possible error of plus or minus 0.9". The cape was OOh oo'" 57.58 east of Fort Conger (in time). This determination makes the latitude of Cape Lieber about 81° 28' N. Sergeant Israel's orders and report are Appendices Nos. 77 and 78.
During his trip to Cape Baird Sergeant Gardiner, in accordance with his instructions, made careful and extended observation of the many floe-bergs grounded at that point, with a view to determining if their structure was a stratified one.
I had previously examined all floe-bergs easily accessible from the station, and especially those which had split since grounding. The angles of cleavage were almost invariably per-pendicular and extremely regular. In examining the interior of recently split floe-bergs plainly defined strata were visible in every case. The upper part
of
the ice was sotnewhat more opaque and of a whiter color than that below. Many of these paleocrystic floe-bergs resembled very closely in color and structure the recently fallen ice from the Henrietta Nes-mith Glacier, on the north side of Lake Hazen, which was examined by me in May, 1882.Sergeant Jewell reported seeing a very large floe-berg on the North Greenland coast in April, 1883, which had thirteen very marked and clearly-defined strata. He examined it very closely, in accordance with my general instructions on that point. Sergeant Gardiner's observations at Cape Baird showed stratification to be general and it is probably universal.
His instructions and report form Appendices Nos. 76 and 79, and Sergeant Jewell's, bearing on the same subject, Appendix No. 80. Sergeant Jewell visited Cape Beechey May 21-24, for tidal and time observations (see Appendices Nos. 81 and 82).
~in:u:taneo~lstidal readings at Capes Beechey, Baird, Distant Cape, and Conger developed peculiarities which appeared to render further observations necessary, and on the 28th Ser-geants Brainard and Gardiner, with dog-team, were sent to Cape Cracroft to make simultaneous observations in connection with Distant Cape and Fort Conger. These observations with preceding tidal readings have been transmitted to the Superintendent of the "United States Coast and Geodetic Survey for reduction and discussion. During these trips Sergeant
Gard-;y.Y"'c;lc,:,:~ _
FLOEI:lERG IN ST. PATRICK BAY, ]Ur\E, 1882.
(From a photograph.)
1 ~
PRESSED-UP FLOEBERG, BREAKWATER POINT, LADY FRANKLIN BAY, JUNE, 1882.
(From a photograph.)
THE LADY FRANKI.JIN BAY EXPEDITION.
45
iner made, under trying circumstances, a special examination and collection of the fossils at Cape Cracroft. The collection of fossils was very extensive and complete, but was necessarily abandoned at Conger, as well as the fossils at Cape Baird. Sergeant Gardiner's report on this subject forms Appendix No. 84; Sergeant Brainard's general report, Appendix No. 83.
Sergeant Brainard's report is particularly interesting from his account of fossil trees, over a foot [30SmmJ in diameter, found by him, at an elevation of some eight hundred feet [244m] on Judge Daly peninsula, several miles south of Cape Baird. Sergeants Gardiner and Brainard are entitled to much credit for the success of this trip. The trip was a dangerous one owing to the advanced season of the year and the decayed condition of the ice. Its execution would not have been directed but for my unwillingness to allow an apparently vexed scientific ques-tion, which could be determined by direct observaques-tion, to remain unsettled on the ground that the performance of such duty entailed danger.
On May 26 Lieutenant Lockwood returned from an exploration westward, after an ab-sence of thirty-one days. The party was in perfect health and excellent spirits. His journey had been remarkably successful. He explored the valley at the head of Ella Hay, and find-ing no practical route in that direction proceeded to Beatrix Bay, and from that point suc-ceeded in crossing Grinnell Land, reaching the salt water from the Polar Ocean at the head of a fiord named by him in the field Greely Fiord. He traveled down the fiord some twenty-five miles and reached a point in 80° 48' N., 77° W. After waiting three days on less than half rations for fair weather, he noted on a clear day the apparent termination of Grinnell Land, on the north side of Greely Fiord, in Cape Brainard. To the southwest, at a distance of some sixty or seventy miles, a projecting point of high land could be seen, which apparently was separated by a wide fiord from the southern part of Grinnell Land. It seemed proper to me to name this point Cape Lockwood, in honor of its discoverer, and to designate the new land as Arthur Land, in honor of Chester A. Arthur, then President of the United States. In addition, Lieutenant Lockwood discovered that the southern half of Grinnell Land is covered by an immense ice-cap, which extends from the head of Ella Bay to the southern shores of Greely Fiord. A marked peculiarity of this ice-cap was its unbroken and perpendicular front which ranged from one hundred and twenty-five to .two hundred feet [38 to 6Im] in height.
Such was its abrupt character that but two places, in a fifty-mile journey along its front, were observed where it would have been possible to scale it.
During this journey Lieutenant Lockwood and Sergeant Brainard displayed energy, endurance, loyalty, and pluck, which were hardly second to their record of the previous year on the shores of the frozen Polar Sea. For nearly a week the entire party lived on less than half rations in order to render as complete as possible their work of exploration and discovery.
Lieutenant Lockwood's loyalty in connection with this journey impressed me with par-ticular force. He deemed the crossing of Grinnell Land an impossibility, and in starting ant had entreated me to permit him instead to examine the glacial system of Lake Hazen. His persistency, energy, and fidelity in attempting the route from Beatrix Ray after failing in HIla Bay, evidenced most strongly his determination that his commanding officer's idea of the prac-ticability of the crossing of Grinnell Land should not fail through him. This trip, in common with all our extended journeys, entailed marked privations and serious hardships, to which, in the interest of their work, Lieutenant Lockwood and Sergeant Brainard voluntarily added a serious reduction of rations for several days.
Lieutenant Lockwood's full and very interesting report, with his instructions, forms Appendices Nos. 85 and 86. Sergeant Brainard's share of this work showed the same ster-ling qualities evinced by him the previous year, and in consequence he was recommended by
me in r882 for a commission in the Army. .
On May I Dr. Pavy, who was serving as the naturalist of the expedition, was directed to furnish, by May31 , aa complete a report concerning the natural history of the expedition as
46
THE LADY FRANKLIN BAY EXPEDITION.was possible. A description of all specimens on hand was to be given, and. such ~o.tes made as would facilitate the speedy rendering of a report on the return of the expedition, or as would secure similar results if their abandonment should be necessary. This order was deemed essential to prevent the entire loss of our labors in case of a contemplated retreat by boats. He was also ordered to furnish, by May 6, six complete sets of botanical specimens, so arranged that they could be securely transported and duplicates be intrusted to each officer of the expedition. Instructions on this subject form Appendices Nos. 87 and 88. The collection of plants was not delivered until May 22. The collection was an exceedingly poor one and was unsatisfactory in its condition and necessitated a new collection that summer. The lichens were not furnished until the 25th, and only after repeated applications for them. The provisions of my letter of May 2, requiring a report by letter regarding certain deficiencies in the specimens and their arrangement, were never complied with by Dr. Pavy. On J nne I, my written orders of May 1 having been entirely disregarded, it became necessary for me to order Lieutenant Lockwood to relieve Dr. Pavy of his duties as naturalist. (See Appendix No.89') The small amount of work done by Dr. Pavy in nearly two years, and the unsatisfactory con-dition of the specimens when transferred to Lieutenant Lockwood, are shown by .A~ppendix No, go. In extenuation of my responsibility for such a condition of affairs, I should say that Dr. Pavy's repeated verbal reports to me led me to believe that the specimens obtained had been properly preserved and that full and complete notes had been made regarding them. Manyof the gaps in the natural history notes were subsequently filled by extracts drawn almost entirely from my private journal and that of Sergeant Elison.
During this month we lost nearly three hundred pounds of fresh meat, which had become tainted in its interior though perfectly good externally. The month was hardly to be called a good one for game. Eleven ptarmigan, two seals, seven hares, and three musk-cattle were obtained. A musk-ox was killed by Lieutenant Lockwood during his western trip, and the two others on the 30th of May by Private Connell, who had been sent with Eskimo Jens and dog-sledge hunting to Black Rock Vale.
The health of the command during May was good, though probably a number of the men who disliked the seal meat suffered somewhat by their abstention from that part of our diet.
The thickness of the harbor-ice on June I was 54.4 inches [I.382m] ; a decrease of only about2.5inches [63.5mm] during May.
The mean temperature for May was 14.80
[-9.
6°C.],
with a maximum of 32.3° [0.2°C.]on :he 22d) and a minimum of - 13° [-250 C.] on the 1St. The severity of the weather during the month may be imagined from the fact that but for one hour was the temperature above the melting-point of ice. The snow-storm of May 27 and 28 was noticeable as being the longest continued snow at the station; it lasted for sixty-two hours.
The 30th of May was considered as a holiday, and in honor of our" Decoration Day,"
and in fortunate default of any graves of our own, the head-boards of the Arctic dead of the
En~lish
expedition of 1875- ' 76 were decorated. The initiative in this matter, as in the pre-ceding year, was :aken by Privates Fre~erick and Long. These marks of appreciation and honor for the foreign dead must be considered of greater value as coming from the rank and file of the expedition than if they had been suggested by the officers.JUNE, 1883.
~n
June 8 D.r.P~vy,
at his 0:vn. request, ,:as sent with the dog-sledge to Cape Baird to exanune the petrifactions and fossils In that neIghborhood. He returned on the gth having' been unable to find them. No written. report was made by him of the trip. '.. The dog-:ledge under Sergeant LInn was sent to Cape Murchison on the roth to bring Insome supplies needed for the party.
THE LADY FRANKLIN BAY EXPEDrrION.
47
Private Connell was sent with Eskimo Jens's sledge to the Bellows on a hunting trip on the 17th. He returned on the zoth with three hundred and eighty-five pounds of meat, He had found a herd of sixteen cattle at the head of the Bellows, eight of which he killed, very judiciously sparing the rest, owing to the slig-ht chance of the meat being brought to the sta-tion. Privates Schneider and Ellis were sent later, each with a dog-sledg-e, and succeeded in bringing in over six hundred pounds of meat, These trips were made with great trouble, as the river in the Bellows Valley was very high and was forded with great difficulty; owing to rapidly melting snow the stream was rising with such rapidity at the time of the last crossing that it was useless to attempt another trip. This meat was a great benefit and satisfaction to the party, and was especially a boon to those who disliked seal-meat.
During the month other game was killed in considerable quantities. A seal, two hares) twelve brent-geese, forty-two ducks, twenty-one dovekies, fifteen ptarmigan, and many other smaller birds, were obtained.
The first flower, a purple saxifrage (Saxi/raga oppositiftlia), was found in blossom June 4, three days later than in the pteceding year. The list of flowers found, with their dates of blossoming and other information, forms Appendix No. 130.
The first brent-geese appeared on the 5th of June and the ducks on the 6th. An authen-ticated egg of the knot (Trz'llga callutus) was procured 011 the 9th; the first authenticated specimen ever known. The longer axis of the egg was one and one- ten th inch, and the shorter about one inch. The ground color was a light pea-green, closely spotted with small brown specks about the size of the head of an ordinary pin.
Steep ravines, with southern exposure, commenced discharging freely on the 4th, while
Steep ravines, with southern exposure, commenced discharging freely on the 4th, while