Year: 1873

ing ice, ana was compelled to haul them
on the ice again. At this time l succeeded
Ill saving fourteen cans of pemmicau. elev-
en- and half bags of bread, ten dozen one
ana two-pound cans of meat and SCUM
fourteen hams, one small bag of chocolate
weighing twenty pounds, some musk OK
stains, few blankets, rifles and abundant
ammunition. In the morning, Knowing
that | had not provisions enough, and the
other articles of food, clothing, compass.
&C., having been lost, on the Abatement Of
gale, l endeavored to shoot as MANY seals
as possible, both for food, light and fuel
but we could only get three, owing TO the
bad weather having set in. 1 supposed the
Wlnd to be about southwest Upon its
clearing up, ! found myself within about
elght miles OF what | supposed to be the
east coast, and about thirty or forty miles
below the ship.


Efforts 10 Reach Land.


The icebergs being weak. | could not
transport my boats and provisions to the
land until it grew stronger. While here
l discovered my other boat of bread.
DC. and saved it all. The cegrew firm and
made another attempt to reach the shore.
carrying every thing in the boats and DRAG,
glng them on their keels, but the ice being
exceedingly rough, we stove both of our
boats. We succeeded, on the first of No
yember in getting about half wav to the
shore when night came on us and very
stormy weather. In the morning the ice
was broken and we were drifting south
Ward very tast and we saw no more land
for many days and bad weather continu-
ing all through the month of November.
we built snow houses and made our
selves as comfortable as we could. We
were ten white men, two ,Esquimaux, two
women and five children in all. We sue
ceeded in killing a few seals which fur
nlshed US with light and fuel with which
tNv oil
through the darkness of an Arctic winter
In the latter part of February we lived par
TALLY on birds, and in March commenced
to catch seals through that month and
supported ourselves on bears and seals
flesh, wasting neither skin nor entrails.
we collected enough food in this way to
last us until the middle of Nav. and had
we not been driven TO sea by strong wester-
ly gales in the latter part of March, our foe
piece being then returned from five miles
IN circumference to about twenty yards in
diameter.


Provisions Abandoned.


We left the piece on the first of April and
abandoned nearly all our meat. n large
amount of ammunition, clothing shoes and
other articles, taking portion of the meat
IN the boat, which we were Obliged TO throw
overheard on account of the boats being
so deeply laden. / regained the outer EDGE
of the pack of ice on the third of April and
succeeded IN getting little farther in on
the pack. On the fourth heavy northeast
gale set in, the heavy sea running under fhe
ice, which broke it in small pieces, so we
had to live on short ratiOns We could NOT
put our boat out, neither could we find
seals for food, and we We're reduced almost
to starvation. On the 2Ist of April we
slghted polar bear. Every person was
oruereu 10 lie down and initiate q seal,
while two EsquimauX seated Themselves
behind piece of ice in order to get the
bear near enough to US to kill him. 4 few
DAYS AFTER we got our boat in the water and
worked our way west and southwest and
continued TO work every opportunity to
westward in hopes ofreaching the Labrador
coast and getting temporary relief we
were picked up by the steamship Tirress
on the 3Oth April in latitude 55o '35 north,
longitude 90 west or near Wolf Island and
about forty miles from land


The Rescue Almost PrOvidentiaL


The Polaris is now without boats. hay
ing lost two in trying to get north in the
spring of 1872. The Tigress fell in with
the party III dense fog and providentially
struck the very foe on which they We're,
otherwise they must have perished. They
all seem tolerably WELL Capt. Tyson COM
planned of swelled legs and feet, but moth
ing serious is the matter with them
When they left the Polaris all on board
were in good health.


. II ieIelellCe 10 tne way III which the
Polaris got away from the party which
was rescued from Off the iceberg, Cant.
Tyson states that he felt little anxiety ut
irst, thinking she would soon come TO
their relief. 9 set my colors,u he said.
. as she stood down along shore, but the
vessel was soon lost to sight in the bend of
The land, being what took to be \ ORTIZ
Imberland Island. The piece I was on
commenced drifting southwark as the
winds hastened to the northeast, opening
4 little bay to the northeast of NoTthum-
Oerland Island.


Close of the Narrative


II saw the vessel in the harbor there.
Her sails were furled. No smoke
was issuing from her smoke stack
hat l could see. I then attempted to
BRING my boats across the foe, in an east
,rly, direction, hoping to find water and
each the shore. / succeeded in dragging
me boat across, took water and ATTEMPTED
o reach the shore some distance below the
Yessel We were then drifting very fast
md the gale was blowing fresh with great
yiolence from the northwest and showing
yery fast and drifting. / was driven back
IN the ice again and compelled to pull my
BOAT out. Night closed in on me and car
led us to the southwest. In the morning
We were about thirty miles southwest Of
where the ship went in harbor. A heavy
lea was running, which broke my foe in
pieces, separating usifrom six of the boys,
Jread and boat. / saw vessel under
team and canvass rounding point north