The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-11-09
= COUNCIL BLUFFS. IOWA, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1861

moored By four haHsers, forty Yards frou
shore, il seyen fa;hems Of water. Thss,,l
were unbsnt, and The ,op-mas,s hois,sd
and after giving the crew q holiday. on
winter preparations were commenced. Th,
stores were deposited in house bsiIs fo
the purpose on shore. The hold was con
ver,ed into comfortable room for The m an
and the upper deck was housed over with
boards. Owing 10 bad weather, three week,
elapsed before these arrangements wer,
completed.
Oar winter hsrbor, which nsmed po,,
Foeike, in honor of William Parker Foulke q
Esq, Of Philadelphia, was well sheltered
except to the southwest. Observation
made by Mr.. Sonutag. at the Observatory
erected on shore near the vessel. rave lis
position, latitude IS IL 4IN., longitude I'd
~ 81 W,-twenty miles furtber South than
Or. Names winter quarters, and dis,an,
from II by the coast ninety miles.
! need hardly say thar deeply reyre,
that We could no. attain q higher latitude
with the vessel; particularly do | regret
that We could not reach the west COAST
That coast was wholly unappr oachab!e with
q sailing vessel.
Theweaiher continued boisterous throush.
out the autumn, and, indeed, during the
greater part Of the winter. In conseau enee
Of the repeated gales, the water off the har.
Dor was not frozen over until March. so thar
siedge travelling 10 the northward was i'm
practicable during the month OF October, at
which time had expected to carry out pro.
VISION depots for use in the spring. Mr..
Sonntag made an attempt to reach Rensselaer,
harbor IN November, and although the dark
ness of the winter had then set in, he was
bafilsd by the open waters.
The winter brought, however some seri.
our misfortunes. A disease which bad been
prevailing in North Greenland doring a
few years broke out among the dogs, and OF
the tine pack which l had,saken from the
Danish settlement, only eleven remained
alive on the Goth Of December. You arc
well aware that my plans Of explorations
was wholly based upon dogs as means of
transport across the ice, and situated as
was, on the east side Of the strait and nine-
ty miles further south than had anticipat-
cd, became seriously apprehensive for the
success OF the approaching effect.
My party being necessarily small, l could
bot send into the field more than a boats
crew OF able bodied men, and these l had
always considered as merely auxiliary to
me dogs, and without the dogs altogether
unavailable for the services to be perform
ed.
My anxiety was fully shared BY Mr.. Sonn-
ac, the astronomer to the expedition, and
ny able second in command. lie early vol
inteered TO go South, to endeaver to omen
with the Esquimaux of Nor
humber land, with the hope Of obtaining
dogs. His former experience when with
DIR. Kane had familiarized him with all the
phases of Artic travel, and no one could
have been better fitted for the task. Re-.
sides the usefulness Of the proposed iour.
neys, it was peculiarly in harmony with his
active and enterprising spirit. Ills Offer
was accepted, and he left the vessel on the
22d Of December, with sledge and nine dogs
by the Esqulmaux Hans, in.
tending TO make the journey and return dur
ing the moonlight period then setting in. Ii
is my sad duty to inform you that he died
while absent. ~ a&
1t appears from Har's report that the i'm
mediate cause of Mr.. Sonntag's death was
cold. Hans, upon his return, stated that
they travelled the first day to Southland Is
land, where they encamped in snow hut,
and were detained there two days. The
next camp was Sorfalik, deserted Esqui-
nsux station on the coast, fifteen miles be-
low Cape Alexander, where they built an
other snow hut. They set off next day di.
rect!y for Northumberland Island. The ice,
though covered with light snow, appeared to
be sufficiently strong. Mr.. Sonntag walk ed
in advance OF the siedge, and when about
five miles from the land be came upon thin
ice, and broke through. Hans assisted him
out OF the water, and they Immediately put
back for Sorfalik. Before that place was
reached Mr.. Sonntag was insensible, and he
died soon afterward. His remains were
brought to the vessel, and were
inferred near the observatory.
Hans succeeded in reaching the Esqui-
maux but by over driving and injudicious
five Of the dogs were killed,
and the remaining four were permanently
injured. had now only six animals. The
Bsquimaux came to the vessel some weeks
later, and from them | obtained by pur-
chase sufficient number to make two teams
of seven each.
I. was not until late in March that the ice
formed around Cape Ohlsen, and the land
being too mountainous for sledge trav cling.
| was not until that time, able to set out
norihward. At that period made pre-
liminary journey to Fog Ilarbor, and there
established provision depot. ! availed
myself OF this opportunity to visit Rensse.
laer Harbor, DR.. kane's winter quarters.
No vestige Of the Advance was discovered.
She has probably drfted out TO sea with the
ice. During this journey the coldest tenn
peratures Of the cruise were recorded. On
one day the thermometer sank to 66i de-
grees and on another TO 6S degrees below
zero. We camped NJ night on this, as
well as on oil subsequent journeys, in the
snow huss Of the E-qu,naux.
Active preparations had been making
since January for the spring campaign, and
We were ready for the fnal start on the 4th
Of April. The chief equipment consisted Of
metallic life boat, twenty feet in length,
IN ounted upon runners, provisions for n
boats crew of six persons for fve months,
provisions for seven persons and fourteen
dogs for six weeks, together with careful
allowance stock Of fuel for the above nam
ed period. We started from the vessel on
the above mentioned date, with our entire
equipment. the boat and its cargo being
drawn By the whole available ship company
and fourteen dogs. Mr.. Radc!itf, With two
men, we're left in charge Of the vessel.
Upon reaching Fog Harbor We made near
II due north course, intending to reach
the west coas. and travel thence upon the
land ice. We soon encountered hummock-
ed ice OF extraordinary thickness, through
which il was often necessary to break q
passage win axes and shovels. II finally
became evident, from the eiowness Of our
progress. that she entire summer would Be
consumed 10 reaching the west land, ever
II the boat could be transported to il IT all
Being we'll assured that nothing could b.
ACCOMPLISHED with the boat expedition.
.-n, the main party bsct On the 2ssh oI
April. and continued nerthuard With thres
comranions and swo siedg>s.
The ice grew worse - We advanced, and
re ere fourteen dass 10 reaching the cnass
'is,ance IN dirses ine ~ onis fort,