Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-03
From the London Times.

From the London Times
I beg that you will allow me to send, through
the columns Of the Times, few encouraging
and hopeful words to the friends and relations
of the men composing the Greedy Omitted States
government) Arctic expedition. Arctic authori-
ties have ever been extremely anxious on &C
count Of the isolated position of those ex.
plorers, but there is not yet cause for de.
spair.
When, In the autumn Of last year. the party II
Discovery bay realized that relief had failed to
reach them, Lieut.. Greedy would at once hus.
band his remaining one years stock OF necessa-
ries. The position being q peculiarly favorable
one for large game would probably enable
him to save q considerable quantity OF
meat, but no other article is obtainable; he
would, therefore, in the event of no relief
arriving. have an insufficient supply Of food to
last his men until August, 1884 the earliest date
q vessel could possibly reach Discovery bay il
she failed to do 80 during the present summer.
He would know that on his line Of retreat south
there still remained large proportion OF the
Alert and Discovery. arranged for the mainte-
nance of the crews Of those vessels had they
been compelled to retreat without their ships
He would further take it for granted that, even
if he did not find relief-shp waiting for him at
the southern entrance of Smiths sound. addi-
there for his use; therefore, although q boat
journey among ice is at all times fOriOrn hope
and Is only undertaken as q last resource we
may conclude that, as early as last autumn, he
determined to retreat south In his boats when
the ice broke up in July of the present summer,
without waiting for the arrival Of the relief
vessel.
The first difficulty would be to cross Lady
Franklin sound, ten miles wide, but with pro.
visions advanced in the spring, this part Of the
journey would probably be accomplished before
the first week of August. BY that time Ken
nedy channel would be comparatively free of
ice. and few troubles need be expected while
proceeding south along the coast Of the Judge
DAILY promontOry. At the southern end Of that
land. in latitude 800 90, although we met with
detained in the neighbOrhoOd, the remains of q
large ancient Esquimaux encampment proved
that 1t is not an unfavOrable hunting locality.
and this would be known to Greedy. Fifteen
miles further south we left cache Of $40 ra-
tlons sufficient to last his men for Ut least ten
days, and we may reasonably hope that, with
this supply, In addition to his own resources. he
would be enabled to accomplish the specially diff
cult forty miles of the route before reaching
Cape Hawks, In latitude 79o 80, where he would
find boat and supply Of biscuits. Then the
party would be sixty miles from Cape Sabine,
where they would know that there was $40
rations In cache, and where additional sup
plies were landed BY the relief expedition last
summer before they returned home. We
know that late In the season any strong west
erly gale will open passage between the ice
and the land, and that the boats would meet
with no very rough sea. 1t would, therefore.
be hard indeed. Cape Sabine once reached, If an
opportunity did not offer for crossing the en-
trance Of Smith Sound, and gaining Port Foulke;
there Esquimaux would probably be met with,
and certainly large quantities of reindeer. As
the Alert and Discovery In 1876 did not succe ID
In crossing nom Grinnell Land to Cape Sabine
until the 9th of September-a date only nye
days earlier than that OF the publication In Lon
don Of the news Of the return this year OF the
United States steamer fantic to Newiound,
land-we may still hope that Lieut.. Greedy and
his party have met with equally favorable Ice,
and have succeeded in reaching Fort Fouike
late in the season. II they have only arrived at
Cape Sabine, and are prevented crossing the
channel BY the newly formed Ice, they would
know OF the rich pasture grounds at Alexan-
dra Haven, twenty-threc miles to the north
west, where we discovered numerous traces Of
both reindeer and musk oxen. Existence at
either Of these positions. until . vessel is able
to succor the party next year, will be precari-
ous one. But do not yet despair of the party
being ultimately relieved.