The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-11-21
HAYES EXPLORING EXPEDITION
Official Account Of the Voyage.
letter from DR. Hayes.

adventures during his recent expedition to Il
Northern Polar seas. 1t will be remembers
that on April IL, 1860, Dr. Hayes first laid h
plans before the New York Geographical Soci
ty, when measures were set on foot for the fu
therance of these plans. To the enlightene
liberallty of Henry Grinnell, Esq, and otht
gentlemen principally of this city, was due th
| fitting out of the expedition which sailed frol
Boston July 9Th, 1850. DR.. Hayes, in q not
to Mr.. Grinnell, requests him to communicat
the information in the following letter to tn
contributors to the expedition, in such manne
as he may think proper. Mr.. Grlnnell ha
therefore furnished the letter to the CONNER
cia Advertiser, where our readers will be plea:
ed to find it. DIR. Hayes styles the letter ''ha'
tily written and imperfect, "a designation whic
others will by no means accept. DIR. Hayes wa
to leave. Halifax On his vessel, the Unite
States, on Saturday last for Boston. His lette
to Mr.. Grinnell is the first authorized COMMIT
nication in regard to the expedition.
LETTER FROM DIR. HAYES.
EXPLORING SCHOONER UNITED }
STATES, HARBoR OF HALIFAX,
October l, 1861.
Ny DEAR SIR:
| have the pleasure to send you the follow
ing account of the proceeding of the cxpeditio
to the Arctic seas, under my command, subse
quent to the 18th of August, 1861 My lette
from Uppernavik to the contributors to the eS
petition bearing the above date, will have in
structed you of my movements up to that time
We sailed from Uppernavik on the 10th @
August, 1860; but Gains detained US on GU
way to Tessuissak, and we did not reach tn
latter place until the 2lst. Having there in
creased the number of our dogs by the addition
of the interpreters team, making complement
l., 1 I,,Y%l
creased my crew by the addition of two Dane
and one Esquimaux hunter,we put to sea agaiI
OH the 23d and stood Northward with fai
wind. On the morning of the 23d we entered
Melville Bay. On the following day at three
o'clock, P. M, we passed the Sabine Islands
thence we made direct course for Cape York
which was reached at o'clock on the 25th.
Our passage through Melville Bay was re
markable. No field ice was seen until we reach
ed within few miles of Cape York, when we
encountered a narrow stream which, under ful
pressure of sail. was bored without difficulty
We were only ffty-fve hours in effecting the
passage of the Bay.
Standing close in under Cape York, l kept
a careful watch from aloft for iEsquimaux, and
soon had the qualification to discover group
of them moving down the beach. The schoon.
err being hove to,I went ashore and was met by
Hans, DIR. Kane's runaway boy, and other ma
tives Hans quickly recognized Mr.. SOntag
and myself, and he having expressed a wish to
go with US, took him together with his wife
and child, his hunting equipment and two dogs
and again stood Nolthward.
At Z o'clock of the morning of the 9th, we
were brought up by a heavy ice pack, twenty
miles south of Smiths Strait There being a
high ca setting directly upon the ice, and the
air being thick with falling snow, we lost no
time in plying to windward, and having obtain
ed a good ofing, hove to to await better wea tn
err.
The wind soon fell to calm, the clouds
broke during the night, and on the morning OF
the 9th we rounded the ice, in shore and I'M
der light n. E,wind stood for the centre of the
Strait, which we entered at 9 o'clock p. M
Here we met heavy pack, through which no
practicable lead could be distinguished. Our
examination of its margin, with a view Of find
ing an opening, was cut short by heavy gale
which broke suddenly upon US from the n. e.
The bergs being very thick about US, We could
not heave to and we ran great riSk OF losing
every exposed sail The gale lasted with very
little abatement in it's volume, during the 20th
and 29th. On the morning of the 3Oth, having
had our foresail carried away, we were glad to
reach small cove twelve miles south of Cape
Alexander, and there dropped anchor in four
fathoms water. Here | obtained an excellent
view from an elevation of 1900 feet. The pack
appeared to be impenetrable, and very little
water was to be seen along the west shore. de-
however, to attempt the passage.
had scarcely returned from my journey to
the mountain when the gale again set in from
the same quarter and with violence which l
have scarcely seen equalled. On the morning
Of the 3Ist we were driven from our mooringS,
anG in our effort to save the anchors we were
forced upon group ofcebergs which had drift
1d in with the current, and carried away our
in BOOM The wind moderated soon afterwards
and we once more entered tie Strait, but the
yale setting in again. the fore gait was broken
n wearing and being now obliged to heave to,
va were third time driven out of the strait
seek shelter behind Cape Alexander
Damages having been repaired we again en-
tered the strait on the evening Of September
lst Discovering no lead through the ice to the
westward, we bore up for Litteton Island, with
the hope of finding near the more solid ice high
err up the strait more practicable opening
The gale still continuing to blow with great
force, and being under reduced canvass, we
made but little Roadway
Tittleton Island was reached September 2nd.
Being unable to penetrate the ice to the west
ward, | determined to work up the coast 10
Cane Hatherton, with the hope Of there find ng
the ice more open. The undertaking was ne
attended with considerable risk to the
vessel on account of the heavy fields of ice ly-
ng off Lyttleton Island. The schooner fire.
,nentlv came in collision with ice fields from
ifteen to twenty feet in thickness. The quar-
tor inch iron plate on the cutwater was torn Oft
md the false stern Was carried away. Soon al
terward we encountered severe nip, and be-
fore the ruoder could be shipped the two lower
pintels were broken Oft.
In this crippled condition it was impossible to
make further Roadway, and after extricating
ourselves from the ice, we ran down into Hart
stein Bay and anchored. During the Sd, 4th
and 5rh of September the wind blew with great
force from the same quarter as before On the
eth I reached with mnch difficulty Littleton Is
Ia nd in whale boat, and obtained view to
he westward from an elevation of some TOUR
,nndred feet. The ice was very thick to the
west and southwest-a thick, impenetrabie PACK
hit to the northward along the land it was
oosa and the prospect OF working westward
from Cape Hatherton was encouraging.
On the 9th the VIVID fell to calm. The boats
we're got out and we pulled to Littleton Island;
hnt two DAYS had completely changed the posi-
ion of the ice Between Llttieton Island and
Cane Hatherton there was no open water. nor
was there any visible from the top OF that Is
and to the northwest, neSI " oON0LAr SoI' -
ahIe To advance and fearful of being frozen in,
we again extricated the vessel from the ice and
ran back into Hartstein Bay.
Everything about us now began to wear a
wintry aspect The temperature had fallen to
eighteen degrees below freezing Thick snow nov,
h ed been falling at intervals since August 10th.
Onr decks were covered with ice, the sails and
rigging We're so stiff with lit that they could bare
~ be Worked, the schooner's sides were lined
with thick crust, and large masses OF ice mad
on the cutwater and forward Tlg-
ging. The navigabIe season was clearly drawing
Northeast gales detained us during the IN
and 9Th. and the temperature continuing to IAN
deemed it impfudens to enter the ice, and &C
cordingly we went into winter quarters on on tnt
9th in a blight at the head of Hartsten Bay
The schooner was moored by four haw8ers, foI o.,
Yards from shore, in seven fathoms water. The
sails were unbent and the topmasts housed; AM
after giving the crew holiday,our Winter prep
arat;ons we're commenced. The stores were de
posted in house built for the purpose Oh
shore. The hold was converted into comfort
49,. oud the 6aok wa