Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-10-19
REPORT OF DIR. KANE.

Navy:
sour little party have returned in health and safe
ty.
1--WE reached the Danish settlements Of rpernvk
the 9TH of August after exposing travel Of thir-
teen hundred miles. During thsjourncy, which en-
braced alternate uf ice and water, transport:
c'l our boats by scdges and sustained ourselves in
animal food cxrusivcly by our guns. We entered
port after eighty four days exposure in the open air.
81 have the honor to suboin hurried outline OF
our operations and results in advance Uf more detail
Ell communications.
MY previous dispatches mako the department nc.
quuintcd with our arrival at the northern settlements
at Greenland. Thence crossed Melville bay with
out accident. aui reached Smiths Sound on the 9th
of August, 1853. Finding Cape 1atherton the sent
of my intended beacon, shut out from the sound BY
the more prominent headand of LitetUn Island Sc
lected this latter spot for my Ca,rn, erecting flag
| staff, aud depositing dispatches.
10 the north the ice presented drifting pack OF
the heaviest description, the actions OF hummockinS
having in instances reared Oarricades of sixty
feet in height. In my efforts To penetrate this drift
being driven back and nearly bcset in the pack de-
ternlncd as the only means OF continuing the search
10 attempt passage along the land where the rnpl
tides there OF twelve 10 sixteen feet rise and fall had
worn precurious opening. Previous to this rcspnn-
sibe STEP depot of provisions with metallic life
boat tFrancsl carefully concealed III large inlet
| in latitude - deg. 20 nlin
"The extreme strength of the Advance enabled
her TO sustain this trying navigation. Although
aground the fall Of the tides, and twice upon her
beam ends from the pressure O external ice, che cs
| capped any serious disaster. After n month of in-
cessant labor, cheercd, however, by n small daily
| progress the new ice - closed around to make
II further penetration impossible. With difficulty
we found winter asylum ut the bottom of u bay
which opened from the coast IN latitude IS deg. Al
min. Into it thankfully hauled our battered little
| brig OF the 10Th of September, 1893. From this
point u centre, issued the explorations ofmy par
ty.
"The winter Of heretofore unrecorded severi-
| la. Nnt
| cury remained solid for nearly four months The
range of eleven spirit thermometers, selected AZ
standards, gave temperatures mot yet reduced) OF
| sixty to seventy.iive degrees below zero, and the
mean annual temperature was . deg. : mln Fahrcn-
| hcit, the lowest ever registered.
"This extreme cold, combined with one hundred
and twenty days of absence vi sun, gave rise To un
obscure, but fatal form of tctanus, tlockiaw.) The
rxertions of Dr. Hayes the surgeon of the eXpedi-
ton, had readily subdued the scurvy but these fear
fu tendencies touc spasm dcIed our united efforts
This disorder extended to our d0ss, ftty-seven Of
which perished thus completely breaking up my
| sled.e organization.
The operations Of search were carried on under
circumstances Of peculiar hardship. We worked at
our .ledges late the 24t November, and renew
ed our labor in March. Much Of this travel was III
darkness and some at temperatures as low hs ID deg
The earlier winter travel was undertaken by myself
in person, but by the aid OF single team Of dogs aud
the xcaous cooperation Of my officers. we were ena-
bled tn replace the parties as they becume e2huste't
|
Ii is believed that previous parties have been so
long in the field Messrs. Brooks, McGea!y 5onsall,
Hayes, and Morton successively contributed TO the
general result. The men worked with fidelity and
endurance.
II briefly detail the explorations OF our party.
"Smiih's Sound has been followed and surveyed
throughout its entire extent. II terminates 10 the
northeast i'll gulf 10 miles in its long diameter.
"GrrcIand has been traced 10 lis northern face,
the const tending nearly due east and west, (E IL
| 4 Ita meme
was arrested by gncer, which offers al impassabie
barrier future exploration. / his stupendnn. mass
of ice issues in GO degrees west longitude IL Is com
cdent with the axis of the peninsula and Is probably
the only obstacle tp the lnsuary Of Greenland. II
rises 300 feet in perpendicular fnce, and has been in-
lowed along its base for ~ miles in one unbroken cs
carpment This glacier runs neerly due north, ana
cenlents together by an icy union the continental mas
ses of Greenland and Americas
at explains the broken and permanently frozen
character OF Upper Smiths Sound; its abundant ice
bergs, and, TO certain extent, its rigorous ca'e
As spectacle it was one Of the highest subliInity
"The Northern land into which this glacier merges
has been named Ipash,ngtOn, and the bay which il'
terposes between it aud Greenland have named al
| ter Mr.. Fcdbody.
nPrsbody bay gives exit mt its Western curve (lat-
tudc So deg. II min to large channel, which forms
| the most interesting geographical feature ot our
travel This channel expands to the Northward into
an upn and iceless area, abounding IN animal HE,
and presenting every character OF an open Po'ar sea.
A s,irface OF 1000 square miles seen at various
elevations free from ice, with Northern horizon
equally free A North wind, So hours in duration,
failed to bring any Drift into this area.
at il with pain that mention TO the Department
nv inability to navigate these waters. One hundred
aud twenty-five miles Of solid ice so rough as 10 De
impossible boats separated them from the nearest
Southern lead. My personal efforts i'll April and May
faied to convey one Of the smallest lnd'"'ruooer
boats to within 30 miles Of the channel.
"My party, including myself were completely
broken: four of them had undergone ampututIon ot
toes for frost bite; nearly all were suffering from
scurvy and the season had so far as 10
der another journey impossible. To the North OF 10
titudc 81 deg. II min the shores OF the chanhel oe-
came prccpUus, and destitute srcn OF passage 10 me
slsdge. William Morton, who, with one Esqulmaux
and small team Of dogs had reached TINS spot
pushed toward on foot until mural cupe, lashed oy
| a heavy surf, absolutely checked his progress
at was on the western coasts OF this sen that
had hoped to find traces of the gallant martyrs whose
search nstignted this expedition. The splendid e,
| forts of DR.. Ray-now first known to ne-~ould
have given such travel merely geographical value.
Reviewing conscientious the condition oi my party,
is perhaps providentia that We fuled in the elm
barkaton.
The land washed By this eca TO the northward
and westward has been chartered as high rs latitude
81 deg. 80. min. and longitude 10 deg. Thus forms
the nearest land to the pole yet discovered 1t bears
| the honored name of Mr. Grinnell.
| "As the season advanced II became evident thnt
our brig would not be liberated. Our immediate
harbor gave few signs Of breaking up, and one un-
! broken ice surface extended to the sound. IL wa.
now too late to attempt al escape Dy boats; our ue
was deficient, and our provisions although aDunuah!'
were in no wise calculated to resist scurfy. Al hS
iuuture started with five volunteers on M attempt
| TO reach the mouth of Lancaster Souhd, where
hoped 10 meet the English expeditions, and AFFORD re-
lief to my associates. during lhs "urnry y VIC
| tbe nor,hernmu.t track OF William Baiiin IN
hut finding q solid pack extending from Jonc Sound
to IInkluyt island, with difficulty regnlned the BRIG
| ..The second winter was one OF extreme trlai. we
,,l,..vf fn IVA IA
of the EsGu;maux, envcoped in walls OF MOSS burn
ing lamps and eating the raw meats oi the wairus
and bear. At one time every member ot our parIy
with the exception ot Mr. BOnsuli anu lnTseii' WAS
PROSTATE with scuryy and unable to leave ms bunk
Nothing say ed I'D but rigoroCsly hunt and
the aid of dogs in procuring walrus from Tie Esqu
muux the nearest settlement of which people was ~
| miles distant from our harbor. =.
..Wi;h these EsQuinaux-u race OF the blShest III
| terest-we formed u valuable alliance, sharing our
resources and mutually depending upon each other.
They were never thoroughly to bo trusted, but, by "A
mixed course OF nlmiuaon und Kindness pecaihe
! of essential service.
~ have 70 report the loss of three Of my comrades
brave men who persisted in the direct discharge oi
their duty. Two o these-acng carpenter Chr'S-
tan Ohson and Jefferson Baker-died OF iockJaw;
the third, Peter Shubert of abscess following ampu-
tetiou of the foot, Mr Gibson WAS valuable Hdvi-
spr md prrsonal friend. He acted in command OF the
brig during my absence upon the sledge Journles.
"K moving that third winter would be fatal and
that inicn invested ny eAP'u'-
ton from the Sound to berale us in time for the pre-
,ent season. abandoned the Advance on the 18th OF
| Nav. and commenced q travel to the South The
| sick-inur in number-were conveyed by our dog
sledge. had TO sacrifice my collection OF natur"'
history but saved the documents Of the expedition.
"r6e organization of this journey w;s carefully ma
turcd TO meet the alternating contingencies oi ice ana
wn,er. II consisted OF boats Graded upon wooden.
runners, with es,er sledges Tor the occns"hal reei
of cnryo. With the exception of reduced allowances
of powdered bre.,istuti and ta"w We depend-d upon
our guns for food but email reserve ot bords,'r
meut biscuit "a. kept unused for emergencies. Our
clothing was rigoriously United to our iur'' We
walkedi in carpet mOccasn5
"Our greatest difficulty was the passage OF an ex'
tensive zone Of ice which INTERVIEWED between the
hrip and the nearest southern water. Although this