Year: 1873

owing 10 the bad weather having set In


supposed the wind to be about south


west. On Its clearing up l found myself


within about eight miles Of what l sup


posed to be the east coast, and about &c


or 40 miles below the ship. The Ice BE-


ing weak could not transport boats and


provisions to the land until It grew


stronger. While here l discovered my


other boat Of bread, &C., and saved II oil


The ice grew strong and made another


attempt to reach the shore, carrying


everything in the boats and dragging


them on their keel-the ice being exceed


iugly rough we stove both boats. We


succeeded on the first Of November in


getting about halt way to the shore


night came on us and very stormy weather.


In the morning the ice was broke and


VIC were drifting southwark very


fast We saw no more land for


many days, the bad weather continuing


all through November. We built snow


house aud made ourselves as comfortable
as We could. We were ten white men,
two Esquimaux, two women, and five
children In all. We'succeeded iu killing
few seals, which furnished US with light
and fuel with which 10 warm our scanty
allowance Of food through the darkness Of
tho Arctic winter. Ia the larger part Of
February we lived principally on birds,
and in March com menced to catch seals
Through that month we supported our.
selves on bears and seals flesh, wasting
neither skin or entrails. We collected
enough food in this way to last US until
the middle of May, had we not been
driven to sea by strong westerly gale
in the latter part Of March, our foe piece
being then reduced from five miles In cir
cumIerence to twenty yards in diameter.
We left the piece on the first OF April, and
abandoned nearly all our meat, q large
amount Of ammunition, clothing, skins,
and other articles, taking portion oil the
meat 10 the boat, which NC were obliged
to throw overheard on account OF the
boats being SO deeply laden. I regained
tho outer edge Of pack Of ice on the Sd
of April, and succeeded in getting little
further in on the pack. On the 4th
heavy northeast gale set in, heavy sea
running under the ice, which broke It in
small pieces; so we had 10 live on small
pieces, as we could not put boat out.
Neither could we find seals. for food, and
we were reduced almost to starvation.
On April 2lst we sighted Polar bear.
Every person was ordered TO lie down
and initiate the seal, while two Esquimax
secreted themselves behind piece ot ice,
enlicing the bear near enough TO US 10
kill him. A few days after this we got
our boat in the water and worked our
way west and southwest and continued to
work every opportunity to westward, In
hopes of reaching tho Labrador coast and
getting temporary relief. We were pick.
ed up by the steamship TlgresS, Capt Bart.
lett, on the 3OGh Of April, in latitude SO,
IS north, longitude 55 west, or near Wolfe
Island, abou! forty miles from land. The
Polaris is now without boats, having lost
two in trying to get north in the spring
Of 1879. The Tigress fell in with the
party in dense fog and provldentially
struck the very foe on which they were,
otherwise they must have perished. They
all seem tolerably well. Capt. Tyson
complained of swelled legs and feet, but
nothing serious Is the matter with him.
When they left the Polaris all on board
were In good health. In reference TO the
way in which the Polaris got away from
the party which was rescued from off the
icc by Capt. Tyson, he states that he felt
a little anxiety at first, thinking she would
oon come to their relief. l set my colors,
he said, as she steamed down along the
shore, but the vessel was soon lost tn
sight in a bend Of the land and behind
what took TO be Northumberland Island.
The piece ol ice we were on commenced
drifting southwark as the wind hauled TO
the northeast, opening little way to the
northeast of Northumberland Island, and
l saw the vessel in the harbor there. Her
sails wero iurled and no smoke was issu'
ing from her smoke stacks that l could
SEQ. Ithen attempted to bring my boats
across the foe in an easterly direction,
hoping TO find water and reach the shore.
l succeeded in dragging one boat across,
took the water and attempted to reach
the shore some distance below the vessel.
We were then drifting very fast, and the
galel was blowing fresh with great vio-
lence from the northeast, showing very
fast and drifting. Twas driven back on
the ice again and compelled to haul my
boat out. Night closed on our men and
carried US 10 southwest. In the morning
we were about thirty miles southwest Of
where the ship went into the harbor. A
heavy sea was running which broke up
my foe piece separating us from six bags
Of bread and one boat saw vessel
under steam and canvass sounding points
TO northwest Thinking she wou Id come
to our relief, l gave myself no extra anxi.
ETY., but soon was doomed to dlsappoint-
ment, and from that time until the Tigress
rescued us VIC never got glimpse of the
PolariS


A dispatch from Washington says the
news of the disaster Of the POlsris affect
the President, as he had hoped the enter.
prise OF the Government in this direction
would rebound to the national honor.


WASHINGTON, May 10.-The following
dispatch has been received by the State


noDaPtmnnt.