New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-18

direction. On our starboard side was an extensive
field Of heavy ice apparently extending close on to
the shoEe while to port was another extensive Jam
of heavy field ice. The loose ice in the Immediate
vicinity of the ship began to Toll up gainst her
Sues until it was piled up above Ia. bulwarks,
pressing closer and stronger rs the larger foes
crowded together without doubt were nipped,
and beginning TO be squeezed; and unless the ship
should soon begin TO rise, she would not long be
able to stand the pressure.
The creaking and stranng Of the vessel az the
pressure became stronger was ominous and not
wthstanding the great strength of the ship q feet
of solid oak at her bows. l-2 feet at the stern,
and 3 feet in solid thickness along the sides. All
strongly braced with heavy tmbers except through
the ngine and boiler rooms where was her weakest
part We began to think that perhaps the Neptune
was destined to experience the same late as soe VI
her predecessors Clothing was packed provls-
ions brought ND on deck. and everything got ready
n the worst should come to leave the ship. AFTER
boprs of anxious waiting, the ship began to rise
slowly. one cake of ice after another was crowded
nndsr her until she was lifted three feet at the
bows and twenty INCHES at the stern, listing ~
ths starbOard at an angle OF tw enty degrees Inc
two foes between which we we're JauiIned were
irregular in shape, and the vessel lay ID au lnden-
tation in one of them. the corners of which were
pressed hard against the other foe, grinding away
and rolling up huge blocks of solid ice ten TO
twenty feet square There was Just room enough
for the Neptune to lie in this indentaton, and had
she been a ships length further ahead or astern.
most certainly would she have been crushed. At
l o'clock on the morning Of the 14th the ice about
the ship loosened little, and by o'clock The
larger foes began to wheel and twist about. Two
hOury later we settled down upon an even Keel,
and under extra pressure of steam crowded out OF
Imprisonment into smaller and less heavy ice TO
the south ward though 1T was not until three days
later that we reached open water OFF Cape Sabine.
The hours hung heavily and the days passed
slowly rs we lay jammed in the ice. Occasionally
a v hite bear would be seed from the rigging, and
eager for some excitement we would leap over the
vessels side and start after HIM But almost IN
variaOly after travelling one or TIVE miles over the
rough, hummOcky ice. We would return tC tue snip
fatgued aud disappointed having scarcely caught
sight of the animal since leaving the GecA uat
bears are not nearly so plentiful IN the Vicinly
of smith sound and Bathns Bay as one might DC
led suppose from LOOKING tirOugh the hNeIass
illustrated common school geography, when
abOuuds in pictures OF arctic scenery anu NneIe
every cake of floating Ice is surrounded WIN AZ
least three OF these magnificent bTutes. shooting
at seals as they pushed heir heads out OF the water
between the smaller ice afforded some pastlme and
in nceu tive rife practice Then III the lakes OF
open water which occurred here and there among
tine larger foes, two, three or four ARRIVALS would
sometime come up to blow: OF course we never let
one of these chances 20 by without at least at
tempting 20 secure one of them. Many time we
dragged the Uunts across the Ice anu Yalnig en-
deavored to get near enough To strike one OF them
with the harpoOn. They are exceedingly quick IN
their movements and difficult TO capture, even Tor
the EsquimauX who are accustomed 10 nunJ thenn.
Although We struck hem frequently with rifle
bullet they would plunge into the depths and diving
under the ice come up in some more re-AOte opening
and 50 elude our pursuit.
from the 18th until the 30th Of August we were
continually the move from one side OF the
Sound TO the other endea7Oring TO force passage
through the ice pack; but IN vain. so on til
night of che 30th boat and quantlts OF prOvls-
ions landed at Cape Sabine, and earn
erected. N which was deposited Il RECORD giving
the dreL ton magnetic. OF the cache from the carn.
During the week previous the temperature had
remained at or below the freezing point, knitting
together Ith a new formation the OOse Ice of the
past season. W e made several attempts after tins
To reach Cape Prescott, or some other point on
Grinnell Land higher up than Cape sabine. but the
condition of things became worse rather than
be ter At each new trial we found ourselves fur
Their south and further from the shore, with no pros
pect OF an Improvement as regards our sultouhu-
ings The new ice then sept. A. iOur inches
thick, considerable snow was falling, the shlps
boiler, owing to the extra pressure that was put
upon 10 TO crowd through the ice was leaking
badly. There prospect of our getting even
az far north as we had been. There safe
haIbor we could put into for repairs. and TO lie
among the ice without sur1cient steam on the
boilers to keep the vessel under control was SIMPLY
invite destruction. To remain any longer was
to remain for the winter. We had ACCOMPLISHED
all that could be done this ear, So steamng across
the Sound again to Littleton Island we made e.,
depot Of provisions there then crossed again to the
west side and left boat Oh cape Isabella. lhls
was accomplished it'll much difficulty, as the
shores very rugged and preclpltous the current
strong and swift, and large masses OF heavy Ice
Al midnight on the 4th of September we turned
back VI the lce-oes OF the north ana started
southwark for Disco Island, where we ar
rived four day later having seen no iiOe Ice after
leaving Smith Sound. AT Disco we remained
seven days. discharged portion OF the cargo TOOK
in ballast and repaired the boiler, then returned to
St Johns on the 9th of September, after an alb
scense of seventy-eight days. On the Sth OF
August, while anchored in Payel Harbor, Cape
Sabine we found on BTevOOrt Island record or
CAPTAIN Mares dated Aug. J, 1873, reporting the
arrival there Of the Alert and the Discovery on
July 80. Three days later We found cache made
by Captain Mares on small island IN the vicinity.
Tire provisions in casks were in coed state OF
preservation. but an oomai lying there had been
torn to peices and pretty completely chewed up by
wolves or bears.
AT Cape Ohlsm, On the other side of the Sound
we came upon a party of E5qulmauX, belonging 10
the " Etah u tribe The party was composed OF
five men, three women, and boy, who were on
hunting excursion We brought them aboard the
ship fed them and made them presents Oh Que ihlh2
and another. They remained with Us the better
part of two days. and evidently enjoyed their ylSlt
The most of them had never seen vessel before. |
They appeared TO take everything as matter CT
course and manifested no espec al interest or sur
prise at anything they saw or heard. They were
pcaceable quiet jolly careless, ignorant, dirty |
and hungry They were taken all about the ship !
down TO the engine and nre-rOOn, but nothing
seemed to astonish them particularly, except the
mirror in the cabins, which was indeed the Occa-
sion Of much surprise and merrlment The Etah -
of Smith Sound are the furtDest north OF all !
tribes of EsquImaux now known TO be existing; !
been found as far up as Discovery HarbOr, Lady |
FranSEn Sound.
THE CRUISE OF THE JEANETTE.
LIEUTENANT DANENHowER's TESTIMONY BEFORE !
THE BOARD OF INQUIRY.