The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-10


southwest. On its clearing up found myself
within about eight miles Of what supposed
to be the east coast, and about thirty or forty
miles below the ship. The ice being weak /
could not transport boats and provisions to
land until it grew stronger. While here
discovered my other boat bread, &C., and
saved all. The
ICE GREW FIRM.
made another attempt to reach the Shore
carrying everything in the boats and dragging
them on their keel. The ice being exceed
ingly rough we stove both boats We sue
ceedsd on the 1st Of November in getting
about
HALF WAY TO SHORE.
Night came on us and very stormy weather.
In the morning the ice was broken and we
were drifting southwark very fast. We saw
no more land for many days, bad weather
continuing oil through the month of Novem-
Der. We built snow houses and made our
selves as comfortable as we could. We were
ten white men, two Esquimaux, two women
and five children in ALL We succeeded in
killing few seals, which furnished us with
light and fuel with which to warm our scanty
allowance of food through the darkness Of the
Arctic Winter. In the latter part of February
we lived principally upon Birds and in
March commenced to catch SEALS Through
that month we supported ourselves on
BEARS AND SEALS FLESH,
wasting neither skin nor entr&ls We col
lected enough food in this way to last us
until the middle of May, had we not been
driven to sea by a strong westerly gale in the
latter part of March, our foe piece being
then reduced from five miles in circum-
ference to about twenty yards in diameter.
We left the piece on the LIST of April, and
abandoned nearly oil Of our meat, large
amount of ammunition, clothing, skins and
other articles, taking portion of the meat in
the boat which we were obliged to throw
overheard on account Of the boats being so
deeply laden. I regained
THE OUTER EDGE OF THE PACK
of ice on the Sd of April, and succeeded
in getting little farther in on the pack
On the 4th heavy northeast gale set
in, heavy sea running under the ice, which
broke it in small pieces, SO that we had to live
on small pans, as we could not put the boat
out, neither could we find seals for food, and
we were
REDUCED ALMOST TO STARVATION.
On the 21st of April we sighted polar
bear. Every person was ordered to lie down
and initiate the seal, while the two Esqui-
maux secreted themselves behind piece of
ice, enticing the bear near enough to us to
kill him. A few days after this we got our
boat in the water and worked our way west
and southwest, and continued to work every
opportunity to the westward, in hopes of
reaching the Labrador coast and getting tenn
porary relief We were
PICKED UP By THE STEAMSHIP T1GREss,
Captain Bartlett on the 3Oth of April, in lati-
tude So IS north, longitude SIS west, or near
Wolf Island, and about. forty miles from land.
The Polaris is now without boats, having lost
two in trying to get North in the Spring of
1872
PROvDENTIAL MEETING.
The Tigress fell in with the party in dense
fog and providentially struck the very foe on
which they were, otherwise they must have
persisted. They all seem tolerably well.
Captain Tyson complained of swelled legs
and feet, but nothing serious is the matter
with him. When they left the Polaris all ON
board were in good health.
HOW THE poLARIs LEFT THEM.
In reference to the way in which the Po-
laris got away from the party which was
rescued from off the iceberg Captain Tyson
states that he felt little anxiety at first,
thinking she would soon come to their
relief. II set my colors," he said, 'as she
steamed down along the shore, but the vessel
was soon lost to sight in the bend of the
land, and behind what I took to be
Northumberland Island. The piece Of ice
I was on commenced drifting southwark
as the wind hauled to the northeast opening q
little bay to the northeast of Northumberland
Island / saw the vessel in the harbor there
her sails were furled, no smoke was issuing
from, har crrnolarfacl fhnf conld roo 4ho,,