The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-10-19
|GBf 9ailp gournal.
RETURN OF DIR. KANE.
ACCOUNT OF HIS DANGERS AND DIS
COVERIES.
SECOND WINTER IN THE ICE.
CON cLU DED.

cor CL U D :.
SECOND WINTER IN THE ICE.
In July, as the prospect of getting out ofthe
ned party, of which he took the command, to
Beechy Island to communicate with the Eng
lish. He met the ice off Cape Parry-evidently
the Upale and Walstenholm sound pack-at
Jones's sound. 1t was impossible to penetrate
this, and consequently nothing remained but
to make preparations for passing the second
Winter as comfortable as possible. The outfit
of the expedition had contemplated a stay of
only fifteen months; and the provisions remain
ing were not of character suited to the climate.
Scuryy prevailed considerably, but by the
untiring assiduity of DR.. Kane, this was so far
checked that no lives were lost by it, although
several men were severely affected.
By this time the supply of coal was entirely
exhausted. They were obliged to cut away all
the bulwarks, and all the spare spars Of the
ship; indeed, everything which could be cut
away and still leave them in seaworthy condi-
|tion, in order to keep UP their small fire.
PREPARATIONS To QRETURN BY BOATS
AND LEAVE THE SHIPS.
When the Crepusculum began to show
the tints of the sunlight In the Spring, they
began to look forward TO all that remained to
them-a journey to the nearest point of civil
ization, Upernavik. The distance, including
Idetours was at least a thousand miles. This
could only be travelled by conveying the boats
on sledges to the nearest water, and then plac-
ing the sledges on the boats, and proceeding by
water until the ice compelled them to reverse
the order again.
| The winter was an extremely cold one
Sixty degrees below zero was frequently re-
corded, and the monthly averages were 80 and
400 below zero The ice showed NO pros
pect of breaking up. Careful surveys were
made as late as the LIST of May, when the wa
ter was at least seventy or eighty miles from
the ship. 1t being beyond question that the
ship must remain there the boats were got un-
der weigh and the greatest speed used in fit
ting them up Valuable additions were made
to them, suggested by the experience of their
carpenter Mr.. Ohlsen, who, after having braved
many dangers, and the wear and tear of two
Arctic winters, was suddenly cut off at the
very instant of arriving at the water His
loss was greatly lamented by his surviving COM
rades. He was buried on the island of Little
ton, where two years before, standing on deck,
on which he was an officer, he had seen the
American flag planted, and had looked forward
in the best of spirits to future labors and tri-
umphs.
JOURNEY BACK TO UPERNAvIK.
AS soon as the boats were got ready the pro-
visions were placed in them, water proof arti
cles being got up as well as their shabby re-
sources allowed. For the lack ofpaint they
were obliged to use the detestable mixture Of
tar and pitch, ofwhch it is written mo man
can touch without being defled.' They were
again reminded oft when they came to eat
their bread. The bread was pounded into pow
der; packed into canvass bags and laid down SO
as to fill up the space between the thwarts OF
the boats-just room enough remaining for the
legs of the oars-men. There were three boats
one of which (the Dingy) was soon broken up
for fuel. A couple ofstanchions were provided
abotit five feet in each boat, and a tent cover
stretched over them and tied down to the gun
wales. Two buffalo robes, few blankets,
and a tarpaulin, composed the sleeping accom-
modations of the party. They had eighty
miles to go Upon the ice, but as their party
were weak beth in numbers and in health
they were obliged to take one boat at time
The hammocks in the ice were often three OF
four feet high, and the eighty miles were ira
versed by many of the party several times over
The ship was left about the 20th of May, and
they were month in traversing the eighty
miles of ice. In one single day after launching
their boats they made a splendid sail, almost as
much as they had during the month previous
Passing Sutherland island, they came with
in ten miles of Hacksluyt island, where they
were obstructed by ice. The next day, how
ever the ice opened with the tide, and they
reached that island Here they were COMPEL.
ed to stop two or three days by the ice. They
then went on to Dalrymple rock, where they
were delighted to find thousands of fresh laid
eggs of the elder duck. They were detained
there by southwest wind for week, during
which time they lived almost entirely on eggs
They then packed down a thousand and sail.
ed for Natiiick, an Esquimaux settlement
where they supposed their man Hans was
He had left the ship in the Spring and gone
Ito the Esquimaux with whom he was on very
Intimate terms. It was said that he was offer.
led the hand ofthe daughter of one of the chiefs
and that he left the party with royal notions il
ibis head. They met little obstruction from
the ice, and when they did they were general
! lily delayed only until the next tide.
At last they were gratified and delighted a
. the sight of Cape Dudley Diggs, which is wei
known to whalers. From there they ran OF
until they met the ice off the great glacier,
little north of Cape York. Here they were de
Itained by the ice for week, but as their quar-
tiers were near an immense loonery, wher
countless thousands of birds kept up contin
; ued cawing, and they were able to shoot a
many as they pleased, they were not impatient
Each man eat one or two of them at meal
: and they made up for lost time At last th
t ice released them, and without very much OBJ
struction they arrived at Cape York, the ali
4 is continually darkened. One of our inform
ants said that they were thick as flies on
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