Part 6

The ship left Upernavik on the 29th, and, keeping the inner passage, made her way toward the north.

While crossing Melville Bay on the 30th, there was no ice in sight except bergs, and the sun shone brightly. That state of things was a great surprise to the explorers, as here it was that McClintock was frozen in for a whole year, and Nares congratulated himself in having passed the bay without detention. Indeed, Melville Bay has always been regarded as the _bête noire_ of Arctic travel. An Arctic bear found on a broken pack of floating ice was killed by Lieutenant Kislingbury, and, when hoisted on board, was found to weigh a thousand pounds and to measure seven feet two inches in length. They were probably fifty miles from land at the time.

On the last day of July, the Proteus party sighted land, which they supposed to be Cape Dudley Diggs, north of Melville’s Bay. Much old floating ice was seen, but so rotten as to offer no obstruction. Several seals and many little auks were killed and secured.

About this time Lockwood and others observed tokens of disrespect and insubordination on the part of some of the men, which were traced to a certain corporal as ringleader. Lockwood watched him with care, and urged the propriety of sending him home by the first opportunity, which was afterward done.

On one occasion, toward evening, the voyagers witnessed the overturning of an iceberg three hundred feet long and one hundred and fifty feet high. After capsizing, it continued to revolve on several axes for some time. Its change of base was preceded by the fall of several detached pieces, thus shifting its center of gravity.

The next day, August 1st, was clear and cool, and without fog. Passed Dudley Diggs at noon and then steered for Gary Islands, sighting them three hours later. The officers looked hard for the crimson cliffs near Dudley Diggs noticed by Sir John Ross, but observed only some slight discoloration of the snow. The glacier near this cape seemed to be two or three miles long; at the sea-shore, of inconsiderable height, but in the background, attaining an imposing elevation. The ship’s compasses, as usual in this latitude, were all crazy, occasioning some bewilderment to the captain. The bear and seal meats were duly served on shipboard, and pronounced palatable by all, though to some the bear-meat was slightly fishy. Two boats with all the officers and others landed on the most easterly of the Cary Islands, and proceeded at once to find and inspect the _cache_ of provisions—thirty-six hundred rations—left there by Sir George Nares for his own safety. They were apparently in good condition, notwithstanding many of the barrels resting on their ends afforded opportunity for rain and snow-water to enter. Some biscuits were found moldy. Replaced the Nares record by a copy, and also left a full record of the Proteus. There was found there an excellent whale-boat, turned bottom upward, with oars and sails complete. This Lockwood urged Lieutenant Greely to take along, but he preferred getting the one at Foulke Point. The former regarded the supply of boats as too small, and circumstances might arise which would cause them to regret not using this one. They had only the steam-launch, a twenty-four-feet whale-boat, and a small, fourteen-feet row-boat—the whale-boat being the only one to be depended on in case of accident. The boat at Point Foulke was thought to be inferior. They picked up driftwood, an oar, and some burned pieces of a ship’s stem or stern. They also saw some red snow, and shot several eider-ducks. The Cary Islands were found to be barren masses of rocks without vegetation.

The steamer came to anchor at Littleton Island at 9 A. M. on the 2d of August, just as the steering-gear gave way. A party went to “Life-boat Cove” and brought back a number of articles left by the Polaris Expedition of 1873. They saw neither Esquimaux nor reindeer, but shot a walrus. Lieutenant Greely made an effort to find the cairn left there by Nares, and the letters left for Nares by the Pandora. He found the letters but not the cairn, though there was a dismantled cairn afterward seen by others. Lockwood with a party of men put ashore several tons of coal, which, as it had to be carried up some thirty feet above the sea-level, he found no easy job. While thus engaged, this party had an adventure with some walruses, not unattended with danger. Having excited a drove of them by a simultaneous fire, the animals came toward the boat, and at one time held its inmates in peril. Lockwood alone was prepared to meet the foremost, and by good luck slew one of them, when all the rest disappeared. The walrus can be killed only through the brain, and when wounded, the animal is exceedingly ferocious. Numberless boats have been destroyed by them. Lamont thinks the walrus superior to the bear for food. Those they saw were evidently a female and her young, and their safety was in having killed the mother. Littleton Island affords a good illustration of these shores. The sides rise precipitously, sometimes in steps composed of immense cubes of trap-rock, sometimes in steep slopes formed from the crumbling of the same. The top of the island is seven hundred feet high, according to Nares, and generally quite level. Of soil, there is none. The summit afforded a fine view of the sound, though somewhat obstructed by fog. No floating ice; and the western coast with its snowy mountains quite distinct.

Having crossed the strait during the night of the 2d of August, in the early morning they ran along the western coast, which was very distinct and picturesque, the bluffs and headlands being reflected by the smooth sea. Striking the western coast near Cape Sabine, at 8 A. M. they reached Cape Hawkes, a headland over a thousand feet high and very picturesque. While Lieutenants Greely and Kislingbury visited the cairn there, Dr. Pavy and Lieutenant Lockwood went to find the record on Washington Irving Island, both left by Nares. They then continued their way with slight interruptions from fogs until abreast of Franklin Island, when they were obliged to lay-to because of fog. They had not been delayed a moment by ice, and were surprised to see so little of it. Their success emboldened them to hope that they might reach Lady Franklin Bay without obstruction. Indeed, they even thought of inducing Captain Pike to run on until he reached the north pole itself, or at least till he attained a higher latitude than did Nares. One of the dogs having died, they became impressed with the thought that the poor curs suffered much from being cooped up and from the damp weather. The party continued on their way up Kennedy Channel with everything favorable, having the finest weather yet seen; air soft and balmy, sky clear, and water smooth.

On reaching the vicinity of Franklin Island and Carl Ritter Bay, they left there a small deposit of hard bread, pemmican, and rum, and continued on their way rejoicing; and so onward until nearly 10 P. M., when, just above Cape Lieber, they encountered an impenetrable pack extending all the way across the channel, and as far ahead as they could see. The ship made a savage dash at it, but in vain, and thus, but eight miles from Lady Franklin Bay, and with Cape Baird in full view, they were brought to a standstill. The mountains along the coast were covered with snow, but the valleys and low places were bare. The prominent objects of the landscape were all distinctly seen from their position—Capes Lieber and Baird on the left, Franklin, Hans, and Hanna Islands in the rear and left, and, in the far distance, Polaris Promontory and Petermann’s Fiord, with the glacier beyond. A party that went on shore saw traces of the musk-ox, but no animals were seen.

Several of the officers and men attempted the ascent of the promontory of Cape Lieber, a precipitous cliff three thousand feet high, which seemed but a stone’s throw away, but to reach which required a long, cold row, and then a fatiguing and painful climb. Lockwood and two only of the party succeeded. The difficulty was in the giving way of the crumbling slate-rock, which formed an incline of 45°. Those that reached the summit were rewarded by a grand view, extending to the limit of vision. On their return, after clambering over some rocks cropping out of the slippery snow and ice, they chose a short cut and came down at a run, or rather slide, followed by a miniature avalanche of _débris_. On the 6th of August, it was found that the icy barrier, which evidently came from the Polar Sea, was moving south, carrying the steamer along. Some game was seen in both air and water, but none taken. Parties attempted to reach the shore on the ice, but were recalled by signal, as moving ice was seen from the ship, and also open water near the shore.

From this point they slowly drifted south, with high winds from the north which opened up lanes of water which they did not think safe to enter. The total drift amounted to ten miles. With the lowering of temperature, it was suggested that it would be well to move across the channel, along the pack, and, if needful, land on the Greenland shore, possibly where Hall had wintered.

On the 11th of August, the ice barrier gave way under a change of wind and weather, leaving the passage open. Under full steam and sail, and with beautiful weather, they soon regained all the distance they had lost by drift, passed Cape Lieber, and came abreast of Cape Baird. Thence forcing their way through the broken ice of the bay, and reaching Bellot Island, which marks the beginning of Discovery Harbor, they cut their way to a secure spot for the ship to rest in. And thus ended the voyage to Lady Franklin Bay or Sound. As this harbor, or a spot in its vicinity called Fort Conger, was the one where the Signal-Service station was to be established, the steamer Proteus here ended her voyage, soon to return to Newfoundland. Discovery Harbor, which was to be their home, is an indentation of the bay covered by Bellot Island on the south. This indentation extends east and west some ten miles, and is probably two or three miles from north to south. Inclosing the harbor on three sides is a line of rugged bluffs and hills (or rather mountains, for they are two thousand feet high), those on the east side sloping back gradually, but elsewhere precipitous and rugged in the extreme. Thus, with Bellot’s Island fifteen hundred feet high on the south, was formed a harbor, landlocked and most admirably sheltered.

VIII. HOUSE-BUILDING AND LOCAL EXPLORATIONS.

Immediately after the explorers had anchored their ship in Discovery Harbor, they saw a drove of musk-oxen leisurely ascending the neighboring hills, which they climbed with the facility of goats. This was indeed a cheerful prospect for men in so isolated a region and without fresh meat, and many of them started forthwith in pursuit of the game, working their way to the shore on the ice, but were compelled to return after a vain attempt to follow the animals over the hills.

Hitherto there had been no opportunity to make any special discoveries, but now a comparatively new field, to which the explorers were to devote all their energies, came into view. Discovery, however, was to be always subordinated to the duties of meteorological observations. As this narrative proceeds, it will be seen that Lieutenant Lockwood was not only eminently active at all times, but most successful as an explorer.

It being desirable to establish the station as near as possible to the coal-mine on Watercourse Bay, Lockwood was dispatched with Messrs. Clay and Ryan, to report as to the practicability of carrying out this, the original intention. According to the map prepared by Nares, this bay lies seven miles distant on the strait, and is separated from Discovery Harbor by the mountain-ridge on the east, which terminates southward in Distant Cape. They attempted the passage across these hills, following a ravine leading in the proper direction, and had gone only a short distance when they saw seven musk-oxen quietly grazing. Making a _détour_, they thought to take them unawares, but soon saw them move away to some distance up a steep incline. Expending vainly a few shots at long range, they followed the animals up the hill, over a steep ledge of rocks, and into a valley on the other side. Here the men halted, concealed from view, and arranged plans for their capture. The animals were covered by precipitous rocks on one side. Clay, Ryan, and Lockwood approached them simultaneously on the other three sides, and thus had them surrounded and at their mercy. Some depressions and other irregularities of the ground enabled the hunters, by crouching low down, to approach the game unawares. Clay firing first, the whole herd rushed toward Lockwood’s side, closing up as it came, and, seeing him, made a charge. Dropping on one knee, he threw his cartridges down and blazed away with great rapidity. Many shots telling, the animals halted before him only a few rods off, and at once attempted a flank movement; but now Clay and Ryan closing up, the herd was check-mated. In five minutes from the first shot every animal of the herd—five grown and two calves—lay dead before the hunters. The hunters were sorry they had killed the calves, but in the excitement it could hardly have been otherwise. They then returned to the ship to report their success, and to have the carcasses brought in. This addition to their larder was the occasion of great joy, not only as giving a present supply of fresh meat, but in its promise for the future; not only as a luxury, but as the only certain means of warding off the scurvy, so much and so justly dreaded by Arctic explorers.

After supper of that day, Lockwood, ever ready for adventure, again started for Watercourse Bay, accompanied by Clay, Ralston, and the mate of the Proteus. Following the small stream, which came into the harbor at this point, for three miles, by an easy and regular ascent between lofty mountains on either side with a slope of about forty-five degrees, and over ground and patches of snow thrown up like potato-hills, they reached its head, and there, fortunately, found another stream running in the other direction. Following this, they were brought to Watercourse Creek, which runs into Watercourse Bay. Being uncertain whether the coal-mine, said to be on this creek, was above or below this point, they followed the creek up-stream three miles, when, not finding it, they retraced their steps to the point where they entered the creek, and, finding it impossible to follow the bed, climbed the bank. Here they saw two more musk-oxen, which they slew by strategy as before, and, opening the carcasses with penknives, left them to be carried in. Coming near the mouth of the creek, Lockwood saw indications of coal, and soon after reached the exposed seam of one hundred yards’ extent by twenty-five feet depth, distant about three fourths of a mile from the sea. This coal is said to equal the best of Welsh production. Near here, they saw another musk-ox, whose life they spared for the time, as they had so much meat in store. Lockwood found, and so reported, that, though Watercourse Bay had the merit of a near coalmine, and was nearer the grounds of future explorations, it was not possible to use it at once for the unloading ship without great risk and labor because of moving ice. Discovery Harbor, though full of ice from sixteen inches to ten feet thick, was perfectly landlocked and unobstructed. Ralston preceded the party home, killing one musk-ox _en route_. The Arctic summer was now at its height, lichen, moss, saxifrage, and various other little red, yellow, and blue flowers, bright red moss, and tufts of green grass at intervals, breaking the monotony of the somber rocks and earth. But the enjoyment of these beauties of nature could not then be indulged in, as all hands had to take part in unloading the ship, a labor which was soon accomplished.

The next business in order with the explorers was to build a house, and they selected a site facing the water, fifty feet from, and fifteen feet above it. While this work was progressing, the men lived in tents.

On the 19th of August, all hands were sent ashore, and the Proteus started on her return, but, passing too near Bellot Island for safety, was caught in the ice and delayed. Lockwood made an effort to follow in her wake with the steam-launch, but failed, because of the rapid closing in of the great masses of broken ice and the wedging of small ice-masses into the screw and well. The launch battled manfully with her foe, the ice. Frequently he ran her under a full head of steam against a massive floe, which would be shivered for a few inches, the recoil causing the launch to roll and pitch like a little giant. In young ice she would sometimes split a sheet for ten or fifteen yards at one impact.

Finding nothing to do while the house-building was progressing, Lieutenants Lockwood and Kislingbury occupied themselves with tramping after ptarmigans and other game over the mountains whose steep sides formed the eastern entrance of the harbor, and the northern boundary. Viewed from the house, their sides seemed gradual and their summits not over twenty minutes’ walk. In fact, however, the sides were successions of slopes separated by precipices, growing greater with the ascent. What below seemed the top was only one of many that must be passed before the real summit or divide could be attained. They reached the summit marked by the English cairn, and from there viewed the scene below. How small the ship appeared! and yet it seemed as though they could throw a stone upon her. They reached home with wolfish appetites, but with no game. The ptarmigans, which they chiefly sought, are provided, at this season, with a coat so nearly resembling the shade of the rocks and grounds as to be almost indistinguishable. By a happy provision of nature, in winter the feathers of this bird become white with only a little black about the tail.

The lieutenants then extended their excursions over the mountains on the north side of the harbor, availing themselves of a ravine, called the “Black Cañon,” which leads to a pretty waterfall. Climbing out of this cañon with difficulty over loose slate and other _débris_, they found themselves on the high backgrounds of the North Mountains. Thence moving west over loose rock and snow, and through pools of water, they finally came in sight of Musk-ox Bay, the western extremity of Discovery Harbor. They then retraced their steps, reaching home without having seen a living object bigger than an humble-bee.

On the 23d, the house was occupied, though not finished. Looking after their supplies, they found that the foxes had made free with the carcasses of the musk-oxen left near Watercourse Bay. Lockwood now proceeded to superintend the laying out of the observatory, digging for foundation pier of transit, etc. He found the ground frozen after reaching thirty inches, which may be taken as the depth where perpetual frost begins. The ship being still detained, but with a prospect of soon getting off, Lockwood wrote more letters home in which he expressed an opinion about the Proteus. Her chances of departing south were doubtful. Detention there for the winter would be embarrassing all around, as neither the ship nor her crew were prepared to stay, nor the explorers able to help them through the winter.

Just before her final departure, some difficulty arose between Lieutenants Greely and Kislingbury, which ended in the latter making a request to be relieved from duty with the expedition, which request was granted. One of the annoyances complained of was the rule that officers should rise in the morning with the men, and although Lockwood advised Kislingbury not to make any further trouble, he decided to pack up, board the Proteus, and return home. In this, however, he was not successful, as the steamer got away before he could reach her, and the order for his relief was somewhat modified. After explaining his action in this matter, Lieutenant Greely remarked that, if anything should happen to him, he desired that Lieutenant Lockwood should have command of the expedition. Lockwood expressed himself as very sorry for what his fellow-officer had done, and could not understand his course of action.

As soon as the building was entirely finished, on the 27th of August, the explorers found themselves very comfortable. The dull, cheerless weather and monotonous life were beginning to depress the spirits of Lockwood, but he felt that, when settled down to regular habits, he would not find the life in the north more irksome than that he had experienced on the Western plains of the United States. It may be mentioned that the final opening of the house, or government station, was commemorated by the issuing of an order from Lieutenant Greely, that the exploring expedition along the northern coast of Greenland, which had been marked out for Lieutenant Kislingbury as senior officer, was to be placed in command of Lieutenant Lockwood. He now felt that the opportunity for doing something creditable, for his own as well as his country’s reputation, was at hand, and his feelings of depression gave way to those of enthusiasm.

On Sunday, the 28th of August, all work was suspended, and some appropriate notice was taken of the day. Lieutenant Greely read a chapter in the Bible, having previously stated that any one would be excused from attending the service who had conscientious scruples. The supply of drinking-water having come up as an important question, demanded attention. The water was obtained from the ice-hummocks in the harbor. Pieces of suitable size were brought to the house on sledges and then melted in a large metallic box near the stove, through which and the stove ran a steam-pipe. Thus a liberal supply was kept up.