Richland beacon., 1873-06-07
News from the Arctic Expedition.

he steamer Polaris, engaged in solving
he Arctic problem, has been heard from.
4 portion of the crew commanded by
Japt. Tyson has arrived at ST. Johns,
New FOundland. That officer furnishes
he following interesting statement:
son the 9th of August, 1871, we left
Lessinask. and went through Smiths |
Sound. We succeeded in getting as far |
north as latitude 50. l6. when we returned |
and wintered at Polaris Bay, in latitude |
81 0S, longitude Gl.4l. We were frozen |
up until the 18th of September. Or the |
10th of October, Capt. Hall started on a
Sledge journey north, and returned on the |
2ith, when he was taken sick and died on
he Sth of November. He was buried on
the 18th. The attack that carried him of
was said to be apoplcxy.
We passed the winter at POlaris Bay.
On the Sth of June, 1872, we attemptedtO
90 north with two boats. We hauled our
other boats on shore, and returned over
land on the Sth of July.
We started for home on the 18th of
August. and on the 18th were beset with
ice in latitude SO.O2. We drifted from
there down to latitude Il 35, where we en-
countered heavy southwest gale, the ship
being under heavy pressure.
On the night of the 18th we commenced
landing provisions &C., on the ice, the
vessel being reported leaking very badly
at the time. We continued landing pro-
visions for two or three hours, when the
pressure ceased. | went on board the
vessel and asked the sailing master if the
vessel was making any more water than
usual. He reported that she was not.
then went to the pumps and ascertained
that she was not making any more than
she was doing in the summer.
went on the ice again and shortly at
ter it began to crack, and in a few minutes
afterward spread in many places. The
vessel broke her fastenings and was soon
lost to sight in the darkness and storm.
On the broken ice were most Of our pro-
visions to sustain the party through the
winter. and seeing nothing of the vessel.
we attempted to reach shore in hopes of
finding natives to assist us in living
through the winter. Getting about half
way to the shore with our heavily laden
boats, our progress became hard by reason
of drifting ice, and | was compelled to
| haul on the ice again. At this time sue
ceedcd i'm saving fourteen cans OF pemml-
can. eleven and Onc-half bags of bread,
| ten dozen of one ard two pound cans OF
meat and soup, fourteen hams, one small
!
| some musk OK skins, and few blankets,
a number of rifles, and abundant ammu
milton. In the morning. knowing that
had not provisions enough, and other ar
ticles of food. clothing, cOmpasses. &c,
on the abatement of the gale, cndeav-
Ored to shoot as many seals as possible,
both for food, light and fuel. but could
only get three, owing TO bad weather hav-
ing set in.
supposed the wind to be about south.
west. On its clearing up, found myself
within about eight miles of what | sup.
posed to be the east coast and about thirty
or forty miles below the ship. The ict
being weak. could not transport boat:
and provisions TO land until it grew
stronger. While here | discovered my
other boat, bread, &C., and saved all. The
ice grew firmer. and | made another at
tempt to reach the shore, carrying in the
boats and dragging them on their kecls
The ice being exceedingly rough, VT
stove both boats. We succeeded, on tn,
LIST of November, in getting about hal
way to the shore. Night came on us an(
very stormy weather. In the morning
tie ice was broken. and we were drifting
southwark very fast. We saw no NOR
land for many days, bad weather cOntinu
ing all through the month of November
We built snow house and made our
selves as comfortable as we could. W.
were ten white men, two EsquimauX, tw'
women, and five children in all. We sue
ceeded in killing few seals, which fur
nished us with light and fuel with whicl
TO warm our scanty allowance OF fOOt
through the darkness of the Arctic winter
During large part of February. w
lived principally upon birds. and in Marcl
commenced to catch seals. Through tina
month we supported ourselves on bea
and seal flesh, wasting neither skin no
entrails.
We collected enough food in this wa,
. to have lasted us until the middle of May
had we not been driven to sea by a strOn!
, westerly gale i'm the latter part of March
our foe or piece of ice being then re
duced from five miles in circumference Il
about twenty yards in diameter.
We left the piece on the LIST of April
2 and abandoned all our meat, a larg
1 amount of ammunition. clothing, skin
and other articles, taking portion G
meat in boat, which we were obliged I
! throw overheard on account of the boa
s being so deeply laden. l regained tn
outer edge of the pack of ice on the Sd G
, April, and succeeded in getting littl
q farther in on the pack. On the 4th
heavy northeast gale set in; heavy sc
running under the ice broke it in sma
pieces, so we had to live on the sma
packs, as we could not put the boat Ou
!, neither could we find seals for food, an
! we were reduced almost to starvation.
On the 2lst of April we sighted
e polar bear. Every person was Ordere
to lie down and initiate the seal, while tw
$ Esquimaux secreted themselves benin
r pieces of ice, enticing the bear near enOug
e to us to kill him. A few days after th
q we got our boat i'm the water and wOrke
$ our way west and southwest, and cor
a tinued to work every opportunity ives
4 ward, i'm hopes of reaching the Labrado
coast and getting temporary relief.
!. We were picked up by the steamshi
Tigress, Captain Bartlett, on the 30th {
= April, in latitude 50, 30 north, lOngitud
: 80 west, or near Wolf Island, and abou
! , forty miles from land, having been Is
! days on the ice. No loss of life.
The POlaris is now without boats, ha,
/, ing lost two in trying to get north in tn
: spring of 1872.
The Tigress fell in with the party in
dense fog, and providentially struck tn
, very foe in which they were Otherwis
; ) they must have persisted. They all seer
tolerably well.
, Captain Tyson complained of swelle
legs and feet, but nothing serious is tn
matter with him. When they left th
POlaris all on board were i'm good health
In reference to the way i'm which the Pc
laris got away from the party which wa
, rescued from the ice, Captain Tyson state