New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-25

boats OF to leave one of my whale-boats and dis
tribnte my surplus men in the Proteuss boats, re-
sort to force would have been necessary, which
was not prepared to make for thequestonable bene-
Git of leaving boat Lieutenant Greedy has eight
boats available on the west coast, and another on
Carey Island"
WHY NO FOOD WAS LEFT FOR GREELY.
The fourth question, asking Lieutenant CARING
ton why he started south with forty days supplies
in place of leaving large portion of them for Lieu
tenant Greely, when the country was full OF game,
seals, walrus and fish, and the party
was supplied with means for their capt
ure, is answered as follows: "The quantity
of food taken by me was smaller than that taken by
any party retreating from that region. could not
foretell the exact length of time necessary TO make
our Jour ey. DR.. Kane, in his retreat from short
distance north of LittletOn Island to Upernavik
took all the provisions he could carry IN his three
boats and was eightyfOur days in making the jour
ney. The Polaris people, started south with sup
plies for two months and half, but were picked
np short distance from Cape York by a
whaer after hayins been now IN tneif r. pO%1S SonS
rat question | have stated why it would
have been impossible for to have killed sufficient
game to subsist my party and at the same tune
make rapid progress to the southwark. saw no fish
in that region, and if had had no means of catch
ing them. If had left any of my small stock OF
provisions at Lttleton Island would have serl-
ousIy endangered the safety Of my men to no pur-
pose As il was the short ratiOns of sometimes ono
and never more than two meals day began to tel
heavily upon them by the time reached UpernaVik
After leaving Cape York saw no game, except two
or three SEALS until reached the islands about les
suisak'
WHY lie CAME SOUTH AT ALL.
IN reply to the inquiry why he came south of Cape
York at all, it being in the friendly Esquimaux
country and fairly supplied with the necessaries OF
life, Lieutenant Darlington says: {" / did not re-
main at Cape York because did not see then, nor
do / see now, how | could possibly have been of
any service to Lieutenant Greedy. From the best
information attainable am Of the opinion that
there are no more than 125 Esquimaux
from Cape York to Rensselaer, Bay, and it
is q well-knOwn fact that they are an
improvdent and shiftless race, and on
the verge of starvation every winter. To have
ouartered party, howsOever small, without pro-
visions on these people, with the chance of Lieuten-
ant Greely's reaching there with his party during
the fall would have been but to seriously endanger
the lives of the whole community, without being
able to accomplish any good whatever. | had not
more than two weeks supplies when | left Cape
York | left that point for the same reason ! left
Cape Sabine-tO endeavOr to help Lieutenant Greely
and party in the only way it seemed to me practi-
cable. ,,
{" If my actions in this matter are not explained
to the satisfaction of Yourself and the honorable
Secretary of War have the honor to request that
Court Of Inquiry be ordered to investigate the
whole case