National Republican., 1883-10-20
GARLINGTON'S REPORT.
Capt Pike Careless, if Not incompetent,
Commander,
While the Crew Could be Controlled
Only by Force After the Wreck.
The Situation at the Time Of tho Wr0ck-Greely's
Chances Of Escape.
Those "supplcmentnI IInstructions'- Gen.
IIRZen's Statement,

Lieut.. darlington has filed his report OF the
recent ill fitted Arctic relief expedition to
Lady Franklin bay. The report is long and
full of details, covering much that is now un-
interesting because well known. After de-
failing the history of the trip from st. Johns
to Godhavon, he says:
Capt. Pike at first ran past this harbor, in
entire Ignorance of its proximity, although
the weather was clear and pleasant. The ship
was finally ovorhauled by tho Godhaven pilot
boat, and guided to its destination. Upon
landing, Lieut.. Darlington found that no in
structions had bcen received by the Danish
authorities there with regard to assistance to
be rendered to the expedition aud conse-
quently that no skin clothing had been pre-
pared, and no native dog drivers engaged.
Such supplies, however, rs were obtainablo ut
short notice were procured, the stores left at
Godhayon by the expedition of last year were
taken on board. four depots of 250 rations
each, to be left along the coast of Smiths sound,
were prepared and packed, and every possible
preparation made for an encounter with the
ico.
Prof. Nordenskiold's ship touched at God
haven on her way north Her captain told
Lieut.. Darlington that after landing his
scientific party at Disco island and taking on
coal at Rittenbank, he should proceed to Cape
York and remain there thirty days.
On the sixteenth of July the Proteus
sailed for u small native settlement in Disco
ford. where Lieut. darlington expected to get
an Eskimo driver. Just off the entrance to
the ford she met with her first accident, run
ming aground and injuring her false keel, as
consequence of the captains neglect to take
soundngs.
When the ships lead line was finally
brought into requsition by Lieut. Colwell,
1t indicated five fathoms of water, where, in
reality, there wero only twelve feet. An in
vestigation showed that three fathoms had
been cut from the line and used for some
other IA that IL cnunlinua had
been taken thoy would have boen of no use.
Lieut.. Darlington says that although de-
termincd not to Interfere in the slightest way
with Capt Pike in his duties as master, he
could not refrain from calling his attention to
the careless manner in which things were
being managed and insisting on more care in
the future.
The ship was ially gotten Off without ser-
GUS injury, and on the same afternoon she
sailed for the north. At p. M, July 10, she
brought up against solid tloe, behind which
could he seen land, which the captain said
was Bushman island, near Cape York. OBJ
servations, however, made by Lieut.. Colwell,
showed that the ship was near the bottom of
Melville bay 100 miles or more from Cape
York. and that the land in sight ahead was
Cape Walker
81 was not surprised" Lieut. Darlington
says, "at the error made by Capt. Pike as he
had no idea of what was the local deviation
OF his compass, which must have been great
and variable, for the different courses due to
the large amount and unequal distribution of
iron about the binnacle."
On the twentieth Cape York was sighted,
and on the twonty-first the ship passed to the
leeward of s. +. Cary island and lay there
while Lieut. Darlington landed and exam
ined the depot of provisions left by tho Mares
expedition in 1875. 1t was found to be in
fairly good condition, 70 per cent. of the food
being eatable in an emergency. After taking
copies of the records left thoro by Mares and
Greely, Lieut.. darlington proceeded north
ward, and at a. m, July %, rounded Cape
Alexander and entered Pandora harbor.
'The weather" no says "was perfect, calm,
warm, delightful and the hills were green
with the pretty Towering moss of those
regions"
The lieutenant says ho landed at Cape Sa-
bine ana found the cache of provisions left
there the previous year in good condition,
though the tarpaulin covering had been torn
to pieces by bears, and the whale boat some
what scratched, though not seriously damaged,
by tho claws of the same mGrauders He
then details the incidents of the next few
days, during which the Proteus was crushed
in the icc, his description OF the wreck aud
the efforts to save the provisions and stores
varying in no important particular from that
given by Artiilcer Moritz to reporter of
THE REPUBLICAN,.
Lieut.. darlington warmly commends Lieut..
ing the trying hours when the vessel was
going to pieces, and says that but for his eX-
ertions one of the whaleboats would have
been lost and this would have seriously en-
barrassed, even If it did not prevent a sue
cessful retreat. His own men, without eX-
ception, worked herocally for the general
good, but the crew of the Proteus abandoned
their posts at the first alarm, and ran to save
their own property in the forecastlc, and as
soon as the stores We're thrown out on the ice
Al.
wanted, breaking opon and riding boxes and
bags ofprivate clothing and stealing their con-
tents. "Ihey seemed bent ON robbing"
Lieut.. Darlington SAYS from the start |
think, however, that if their own officers had
taken the proper stand, there would have
been no difficulty in preventing them from
indulging their stealing propensties" Capt
Pike, IN reply to Lieut. Garlington's protests
said that he was powerloss to prevent this
plundcring, and that tho men of his crew
were the worst lot of scoundrels he ever
saw"
Force would have been needed" Lieut.
Darlington says, to compel the observance
OF the disciplinary regulations necessary to
successful retreat from our perilous position,
and more force than / had at my command
ldetermined, therefore, to keep my men and
stores separate and distinct, avoiding if Dos
sble any unnecessary collision" The lieu-
tenant then dcscIibes the transportation to
Cape Sabine of part of the stores which had
been saved, the great difficulty experinced in
getting back and forth through the moving ice
with the loaded boats and the deposit of 500
nations for Lieut. Grcelys use at n point on
the shore about three miles wo,t of Cane
Sabine. In spite of the most strenuous ex-
crtions it was found impossible to remove to
land all the stores loft ON the foe whore tho
Proteus had sunk before tho foo itself drirted
away TO such distance that further COM
niunication with it through the running ice
of the constantly moving pack was out of the
question. hasty inventory showed that
the PARTY had on hand about forty days pro-
visions and u large amount of furs aud other
clothing, The question then arose, what
should be done?
"rhe prime object of the eXpodition,n Lieut..
Darlington says "was now defeated, what
was the best course to follow to be able to ac-
complish something looking to the relief of
Greedy was the great problem to be solved.
y To have gone north in small boats was alto
gether impossible, and therefore out of tho
question, ana even had il been feasible would
have been useless under the circumstances.
IL tho Yantio should reach Littleton island or
Pandora harbor the question would become
one OF easy solution. | could got from her all
the stores she could spare, including cloth
ing, coal, and canvass, establish station at
n lIiieboat cove, remain there with two or three
men and send the rest of the marty and crew