Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-28
DIR. Hn,es's RxpIorIua RxvedItIon.

uuimaur were discovered by the lookout,
running down TO the beach, and on going
ashore DR.. Hayes was greeted by Hans, DR..
Kane's runaway boy, and expressing wish
to 20 along, he was taken on board with his
wife and child.
The passage thence to Littleton Island was
attended with the usual perils of Arctic nav
igation, and was reached September 2, but
suffering such damage as compelled the ves-
sci to run into Hartstein Bay and anchor.
Every thing about us.now began to wear
a wintry aspect. The temperature had fallen
to eighteen degrees below freezing. Thick
snow had been falling at intervals since Au-
gust %. Our decks were covered with ice,
the sails and rigging were 80 stiff with it
that they could barely be worked, the
schooner's sides were lined with a thick
crust, and large masses of ice had accumu.
lated on the cutwater and forward rigging.
The Davigable season was clearly drawing to
a close.
"North- east gales detained us during the
7th and 9Th, and the temperature continuing
to fall l deemed it imprndent again to enter
the ice, and accordingly we went into
winter quarters, on the 9th, in a blight, at
the head of Hartstein Bay. The schooner
was moored by four hawsers, forty rods from
shore, in seven fathoms water. The sails
were unbent and the topmasts housed and
| after giving the crew a holiday, our winter.
preparations were commenced. The stores
were deposited in house built for the pur-
pose on shore. The hold was converted into
| q comfortable room for the men, and the
upper deck was housed over with boards"
This was In latitude 7s, II, Al, N; longi-
tude r. 30, 81 W., twenty miles further
south than DR.. Ksnes winter quarters, and
nj milan from tho Tho Uintnr
was spent in making short sledge expedi-
tions, meteorological and other observations,
and the crew were comfortable and health
ful. During the winter two hundred REIN
deer were captured, supplying the party and
their dogs with fresh meat; still disease
broke out among the dogs, and of twenty
five which were shipped alta Danish settle
ment, in August only eleven were alive by
January.
"You are we'll aware that my plans of ex.
plorations were wholly based upon dogs rs a
means of transport across the ice and situ-
ated as l was on the east side of the strait,
and ninety miles further south than l had
anticipated, became seriously apprehensive
for the success of the approaching effort.
81 My party being necessarily small, could
not send into the field more than boats
crew of able bodied men, and these l had al
ways considered as merely auxiliary to the
| dogs, aud without the dogs, altogether una
| valable for the services to be performed.
My anxiety was fully shared by Mr.. Son
tag, the astronomer of the expedition, and
my able second in command. He early vol
unteered to go south to endeavor to open
communication with the Esquimsux of
Northumberland Island, with the hope of
obtaining dogs. His offer was accepted, and
be left the vessel on the 22d of December
with sledge and nine dogs, accompanied by
the Esquimaux Hans, intending to make the
journey and return during the moonlight
| period then setting in. 1t is my sad duty to
inform you that be died while absent.
at appears that from Hans's report,
the immediate cause of Mr.. Sontag's death
was cold. Hans, upon his return, stated
that they travelled the first day to Suther-
land Island, where they encamped in a snow
hut, and were there detained two days. Their
next camp was at Sorfalik, deserted Esqui-
maux station on the coast, fifteen miles be-
low Cape Alexander, where they built another
snow hut. They set off next day directly
for Northumberland Island. The ice, al
though covered with light snow, appeared to
be sufficiently strong. Mr. Sontag walked
in advance of the sledge, and when about
five miles from the land he came upon thiI
ice and broke through.
"Hans assisted him out of the water, an(
they Immediately put back for Sorfalik, Be
fore that place was reached Mr.. Sontag wa
insensible and he died soon afterward. Hi
remains were subsequently brought to the
vessel, and were inferred near the observa
tory. ....
"Hans succeeded in reaching the Esqui'
maux but by over-driving and iDiud ,clou:
management five Of the dogs were killed, an(
the remaining four were permanently iu-
} iured. / had now only six animals. Th
EsquimauX came to the vessel s)ne week
, later, and from Them obtained, by purchase
a sufficient number 10 make two teams o
seven EACH"
} In March DR.. Hayes made a sledge journe
to Rensselaer, Harbcr, 'he winter quarters G
o DR.. Kane, in the AdUaHee. Not a vestige G
Q the AdrGnce was discovered, she haviOI
= probably drifted to sea with the ice 0u hi
: journey the mercury sunk to sixty eight de
D grees below zero.
, On April 1 the spring expedition set out
being metallic ife-bOat mounted on run.
uers, provisions for six for five months anC
provisions for seven persons and fourteen
dogs for six weeks, the boat and cargo drawr
by the crew and the dogs. On the 28Lh o
April Dr. H. became convinced that the sum
mer would be frutlessly consumed 10 tryinl
10 transport the boat. and he sent the mail
party back, be continuing northward will
three companions and TWO sledges. The pro
gTess over the ice was 50 slow that, reaching
the west coast of Cape Hayes, he Travelled
along the land through Kennedy Chsnne
until the 18th of May, when, the provision
being exhausted, he turned south ward again
having reached latitude 81 deg. 35 nIiu.,
degree OF northiDg not exceeded by any ex
ploIer except Edward Parry.
''Ihe land was taken possession Of in tht
name OF the United States, with the usua
forms, and the flag which was used upon th
/ occasion has covered the most norther
: known land upon the globe.
"AltlOUpl thus early in the season tn
l ice in Kennedy Channel was every-wner
much decayed, and unsafe, and in som
pool flock of waterfowl was discovered
t entertain no doubt that the ice of Keuued
= Channel was broken up and dissolved at
: this channel that DR.. Kane discovered a
' open sea at period six weeks later, 10 th
n summer of 1854. Before reaching the vess,
n lost all but seven of the remaining dog
st and the ice having broken up around Ca(
ls Ohlsen, further exploration TO the mort
d ward was impossible during the prese
e season."
Is Returning TO his vessel he repaired it, Al
" on July IA set sail, the ice having broke
n- lie sailed to the west coast, twelve mil
th south Of Cape Isabella, dropped anchor, ma
o. q journey in a wbale-bOat TO the north 81
y of the cape, but fifteen miles north of I
- cape the ice was solid as far as the eye cou
.s reach, 1t was impracticsble 70 attempt,
1e his crippled condition, to remain anOIh
year, and he reluctantly turned back, reac
ing Halifax October 8. He says:
re. !" have TO regret thatwe could not accO
plish greater nothing, but situated as
were, with Smiths Straits IN cross and wi