Year: 1873




to an oar on pinnacle. The ship was
at this time about eight or nine miles from
the foe, and must have seen the signal.
She was soon lost to sight in the bend Of
the land and behind what they took to be
Northumberland Island. The wind hauling
to the northeast, the foe began drifting
southwards, opening a little bay 20 the
northeast of northumberland Island
There was the vessel in harbor, her sails
furled and no smoke issuing from her stack
They then attempted to bring the boats
across the foe in an easterly direction,
hoping 10 find water and reach the shore
to board the vessel from there succeeded
in dragging one boat across. took the wa
ter, attempted to reach the shore some dis
tance below the vessel, but Were driven
back by the gale, drift and snow. and
compelled to haul up the boat on the ice
again The vessel was about four or five
miles from the foe at this time. The
mainland was TO the east, about three or
four miles Tyson says All that pre-
vented us from reaching the vessel was
'Slob' or 'posh, too thick tor US to pull the
boat through. II had known who rs
to follow would have gone through It or
sunk Had my men co-operated with mc
| could have reached the ship that day.
The men were tired and exhausted, but
though had not slept al all the night be-
lore, | was ready for wOrk but was alone
in my endeayors. 1t was BuaAington's
duty to come and take us on


Now began the drift from tie 18TH ct
October 1872, to the 30th OF April 1873.
or l97 days. The abandoned party had
fortunately two boats, the only remaining
boats belonging to the P0laris. The gale
during the night carried the foe to the
southwest, and in the morning they We're
about thirty miles away from where the
ship was lying at anchor. A heavy sea
broke up the floe and separated the party
from siN bags OF bread, one of their boats
and other articles of food. clothing. com
passes. &c. When the gale abated they
endeavored 70 shoot rs many seals aS pos
sible for food and LIGHT aS wen as fuel, bnt
did not succeed in gettlng more than three
When the weather cleared up the party
found themselves on the east coast or
west coast of Greenland. They now
hoped to reach the shore, but the ice being
weak they could not transport boats and
provisions to shore until il grew stronger
Fortunately they here discovered the other
boat, provisions, &c, from which they
had been separated, and saved all. The
ice at length grew stronger, and they
made another attempt TO reach the shore
carrying everything in the boats and
dragging them on their keels. The ice
being excessively rough. they stove both
boats, which did not, however render them
useless. On the fiji st of November they
succeeded in getting about half way to
the shore, when night and stormy weather
prevented further progress. In the morn
ing the ice was broken, and the foe DRIFT
inc south very swiftly. No more land
was seen tor several days. and bad wealth
er continued throughout November Then
giving up all hope of present rescue, they
built snow houses on the Ice, constructed
of 4 circular form at the base. gradually
conyerging towards the top, the sides sur
mounted by block of snow The
entrance was n small hole at the base.
barely large enough for IL man to crawl
through. Their food from this time was
a prudent allowance Of such provisions as
they had, with 4 large proportion ot seal
flesh fat, and, subsequently, when the
seals We're scarce, ev"n seal skins. On
the last of February they had remaining
OF their provisions brought from the vessel
only two cans OF pemican and l20 pounds
Of hread-the latter wet and mouldv. One
Of the boats was cut up to make fuel to
melt the ice into water to drink. During
the time they were without blubber their
provisions We're eaten cold. Starvation
now stared the party in the tace. A lot of
EsquimauX dogs drifted on the tlop most
OF which Hans and His family rngaled
Themselves upon. The whites were at
that time 4 little delicate. but would sub
Sequently. they say, have eaten 4 roast
dog. After the provisions gave out the
men ate not only the flesh and fat OF the
seals they were fortunate enough to get.
hut also the bones, skins and all intestmcs


In March they got among the seals and
procured plenty of meat upon which they
were entirely supported after that One
night polar bear approached their en-
campment and began eating the seal skins
lying about. Tyson fired one shot, which
wounded the bear, who thereupon faced
and attacked him Tyson had to retreat
to get more ammunition, and returning,
despatched him. This was a welcome
addition to their scanty storehousP, so
they took the precauion to save up
bears flesh, seals skins, entrals. etc.


and in this way collected enough food
to last them till the middle Of MAY.
About the end of March u heavy gale
drove them ont to sea, and broke up the
foe. Their foe, which had been nearly
five miles in circumference, was hV this
nntowarl calamity reduced to A pan of ice
no more than twenty wards in diameter.
The consequence was that they concluded,
by the advice of Captain Tyson and after
much alteration and difference OF opin-
ion, to abandon their late home and en-
deavor TO regrain the main pack This
was done on the lst Of April. and. with
line lioe and nuts, they uiSo abandoned all
their stock of meat, Il large quantity OF
ammunition, clothing. skins, and other
articles. A small portion of the meat was
put into the beat, in which they now again
took to the water; but, owing to the boat
being too heavily laden, it became neces-
sary to throw that overheard. On the Sd
and 4th of April the outer edge of the
main body of ice was regained, and some
progress made inwards The elements
still adverse, a tremendous gale and heavy
sea breaking the ice into yet smaller
pieces, continuously hindered and threat
ened them with destruction, so that they
| were 0DHSeu 10 cOnIlne themselves lt
small pans, changing their position from,
time t" time rs danger necessitated. II
was impossible to launch the boat, nc
seals could be taken and actual starvation
was inevitable. 1t was at this crisis that
on the 2lst of April, fortune sent the Polar
bear, which they obtained possession OF
as above described. The boat was after
wards got into the water, and they wo' .>eC
their way west and southwest every day
in the hope Of reaching some part of the
Labrador coast. The only then remaining
shelter was u canvas tent, erected after
the annihilation of the winter camp. Or
the 22d of April the boat happened to be-
come separated from this tent some sever
or eight feet. A terrific storm accom-


panied with sleet and snow, sprang NJ
and without any warning sounds what


ever, the ice between the boat and tent
burst asunder, with loud and deafenine
explosion. Fred Myer in the darkness


managed to reach it. though, in attempt


ing to do so, he narrowly escaped being
swept into the chasm caused by the sep
aration Of the ice foe Having reached
the boat his first act was to look round fo
| his cOmpaniOnS None were to be seen