New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-24
THE POLARIS SEARCH.
THE CAMP AT LIFE-BOAT COVE


THE CRUISE OF THE TIGREss-THE DESERTED CAMP
ON LITTLEroN IsIAND-THE SEARCH CONTINUED.
lyRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE'l
UNITED STATES STEAMSHIP Torres
UPERNAyIK. North Greenland, Aug. 49, 1873 }
On the 18th of August this little ship left the port
in which she is at anchor for the most northern
Christian settlement of the globe-a place caIieu
Tessusak BY the aid of our pilot Petersen we
were able to make the passage inside the numerous
islands which skirt this coast thus reducing the as
lance between the two ports to about % miles III
stead of 60 by the outside passage. we leit oPei-
nayik at 5:l5 D. H. and arrived at Tessuisak at ll5
o'clock the same evening. The Governor OF this VII
lage of three houses and about dozen Esqmmaux
huts il the same Jansen whose name is 80 well
known TO readers of books on Arctic work. de was
soon ON hoard but gave us no information about the
Poars or her crew. as none had been received there
Accounting his offer of services as pilot until we
should be clear of the sunken rocks about the
islands we started nOrthward, and shortly AFTER
midnight met and communicated with the Jumatas
steam launch, which had been sent north as lar as
Cape York to pick up any information possible
relative TO the missing ship or her survivors.
Her trip had not been successful. good look
at the ice-bOund shores of Cape York was
all those in charge of that little boat had accom-
plshed. Finding they had no news, we bid adieu to
ward for shat place much dreaded by Arctic nsvi
gators Melville Bay, the great source Of huge ice
bergs which leave the glaciers by which the whole
coast Is lined and in whose embrace many fine
ship has been caught and sent to destruction In
one season the Governor of Upernavik. DR.. Rudolph
had 300 men thrown upon his hands By the loss of
whale ships in this same bay 1t is estimated that
more than 200 ships have been lost in the past 80
years in Melville Bay. Well may it be terror!
SEA OF ICEBEBGs.
On the 18th we began to see something of what
was before us, in the shape of icebergs. From the
Duck Islands, past the strongly marked headland of
the Devils Thumb" we in perfect sea of
icebergs, and threading our way through the maze,
with here and there patch of foe ice, we at last
got beyond the line into more open water toward
the center Of Melville Bay. As soon we sighted
the land to the southwark of Cape York, a bright
lookout, night and day, was kept for signs Of
human lite. 1 say night as well as the
day but there is no night here at this of the
year-the sun shines gloriOusly at II o'clock at
night as it does in the full in lower ATTITUDES
Tins is a great blessing for s,lfOr at all
times the shore line, and keep constant watch for
smoke but none can be discovered, and we feel con-
dent that there can be no person at or about Cape
York. As we approached the headland of the Cape
we find it blocked for three four miles with heavy
packce and in close to the shore it looks as if it
had not yet been broken out this year. Still, the
Tigress passed close enough to the shore, skirting
closely the ice, to signs signals of any kind.
Being satisfied in relation to this spot the ship was
headed for Cape AthOl, past Cape Dudley Diggs and
the great Petowak Glacier Here close to the
shore, as close safe navigation would permit for
the charts of this part of the world most imper
feet and Enthusiastically. Doubling Cape Athol ON
the evening of the 18TH stood in toward Wolsten
holm Sound. to inspect North Star Bay, well pro-
Uected inlet, well protected that had the PolaTis
wintered there, she would still have been found at
this late season, for after humping and breaking
through much ice we found that the Bay ice had
not yet been started, but there signs of life
of any kind except of walrus and seals with
which these waters abound.
On the 14th, the island was sighted where the Po-
lars supposed to have separated from the party
on the ce-foe-NOrthumbe Island. This land
treated all the rest had been keeping
bright lookout skrtlng the island, but with no sat
isfactOry result. Not even a native hunter was to
be seen nothing but the barren rocks with no YER
dure even, except lichen patch here and there,
making the rocks all the more desolate in appear
With no success yet to crown the labOrs of
the cruise. turned Dorthward, still full of hope.
Every foot of the land from Northumberland Island
TO Cape 0bsen, closely inspected, and not sign
of human life was seen.
THE DISCOVERY.