River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-10-29
Voyage of the Pandora, OF the British
Arctic ExpeditiOu,
u ndon Correspondence N. y. Herald.

MClNAiC DhJ WITHOUT any iulsHap, lOr,
contrary to previous expectation, the
usual fields of pack ice were not visible,
and almost clear field Of water was found.
Consequently the passage was made in
good time and in smooth water. In due
time the expedition reachC d Carey Island,
where Commander Young anticipated
finding dispatches that might have been
left there by Captain Mares to be taken
to the British Admiralty. I'm this he
was disappointed, as no signs Of the gov.
eminent exploring expedition were yisi.
bic. There being nothing further TO be
done at the island, Captain Young decid-
ed to steer for Lancaster Sound, and, on
reaching that point, encountered for the
first time the ice foes. So great was the
pressure Of floating ice that it was with
difficulty that the Pandora was forced on
her way. Despite the ice
and the difficulty of passage
Captain Young succeeded in trayersing
the entire length Of Barrow Strait, max :
ing the passage in good time. The Pan.
dora progress was then impeded by a
dense fog, VIII ch was so thick and impen-
etrable that men few feet from each
other were invisible. Moving slowly and
cautiously by compass and soundings,
the Pandora made such Roadway as to
reach Beechy Island on the 25th of Au-
gust. When land was sighted, consider.
able excitement was caused among the
crew by the discovery of the yacht Mary,
which had been drawn no on the beach
by Captain Ross in 1850. The Pandora
anchored, and it was found that the
yacht was still standing with masts up
right.
As soon as the steamer Pandora ar
rived at anchorage off Beechy Island,
several Of the officers and crew went
ashore and made an examination of the
buildings. They found the storehouse
built for the benefit of sailors or casta-
ways of ice-bound vessels broken into.
On entering the building the visitors
found the clothing and provisions left
there to be in state of terrible confu-
sion. Every Of movable nature
was scattered about in the most singular
manner. AT first it seemed to be the
act of human beings, hut on further in
ycstigatiOn the Pandora people were sat.
islied that the destruction of the stores
had been accomplished by polar bears, as
the track of those animals were visible in
every direction both inside and outside
the building. One Of the most interest.
ing discoveries made by the Pandora OIL
GERS was that the headboards over the
graves Of Sir John Frankln's men, who
were lying buried there, were still stand
ing upright and in good preservation.
On the Goth of August the Pandora
steamed away from Beechy Island for
Peel Strait, and then ensued the most
critical period of the entire voyage, for
the steamer encountered vast fields of
pack ice, which made the passage Of the
vessel a most difficult and laborious one.
Struggling through the pack ice the Pan
dora steadily worked her way onward,
and despite the difficulty soon passed the
furthest point reached by the Fox when
McUlintock was in search Of Sir
John Franklin's relics. Soon after
reaching that point the Pandora
neared the island known as King Viii.
liam S Land, thus navigating sea where
no ship was ever before, except, perhaps
that Of Sir John Franklin. Here it was,
no doubt, where that explorer was finally
beset by the masses Of ice that proved
his destruction. From King Williams
Land the Pandora steamed down the
west coast of Prince of Wales Land, and
encountered most delicious weather. The
was soft and refreshing, and
the bitter cold of the Arctic zone was
replaced by warm air currents and open
expanses Of water. At this time the
most intense excitement prevailed among
the officers and members of the expedi.
ton, as it was expected that some impor-
tant results were az hand. Many be.
lieyed that they would be sure to dis
cover traces of the Franklin expedition,
and some were sanguine that even Sir
John papers would be found. In this,
however. they were to be disappointed.
The Pandora evidently making Behring's
Bank s. Straits, the voyage of the
steamer seemed to be in successful pro.
gress, as ROuquette Island was then seen
ahead. II was now considered probable
that the vessel would be able to reach
Bellot's Straits. As the steamer moved
forward all hands were gazing eagerly
ahead TO the southwark, but on reaching
Rouqettc Island the officers and men saw
the edge Of the solid pack of ice which
stretched across the strait from side to
side in one unbroken expanSe of hum
mock ice. This pack blocked the en-.
trance TO Bellot's Straits. IL was this
same pack Of ice that stopped Captain
McClntock in the Fox, so there was no
hope of speedy movement Of the icy
barrier. The Pandora stayed at this
point until the 7th of September, when,
finding thatno further progress was pos
Slble, Captain Young and his officers saw
that they must decide either to remain
through the winter in the ice, or return.
After mature dcliberation il was decided
20 be useless to remain in winter quarters,
and that it would be far better to return
next wear.
The return journey was full of diff.
culties, as the ice was rapidly forming,
and the passage Of the Pandor was q
constant series of exciting scenes and
narrow escapes from the moving ice foes.
Finally escaping through Peel Strait, the
ice Still rapidly forming and accumulat.
ing the stea uer reached the Carey
Islands IN safety. There Captain Young
found the lony.ookcd for dispatches from
Captain Mares for the British Admiralty.
These he brought home. From Melville
Raw tn hOmpWard YovaUp WINS aI,p,st