THE BRITISH EXPEDITION OF 1875−76
The Government of Queen Victoria having determined that an expedition of
Arctic exploration should be undertaken, the ships _Alert_ and
_Discovery_ were specially fitted out for this service, and the command
given to Captain George S. Nares. The ship _Valorous_ was also to
accompany the expedition to Disco with stores and then return. The
primary object was to attain the highest northern latitude, and, if
possible, to reach the North Pole. The expedition was fitted out
regardless of expense. According to the Admiralty instructions, the
second ship was not to be carried northward of the 82nd parallel, so
that the crew of the advance ship might fall back on it in case of
emergency.
The two ships left Portsmouth on 29th May 1875, and arrived at the
island of Disco without special incident. Here the services of Frederick
the Eskimo were obtained, and at Proven, Hans Hendrick was also engaged.
This was the same Hans who had previously accompanied three American
expeditions.
A dépôt of 3600 rations was landed on the most south-eastern of the
Carey Islands, and also a boat. On the 27th July the two ships passed
between Northumberland and Hakluyt Islands.
On the south-west brow of Littleton Island a cairn was erected, in which
was placed a notice containing a short account of the movements and
prospects of the expedition up to that time.
Nares formed the opinion that “Hartstene Bay is the best winter-station
on the North Greenland coast; its shores are washed by a warm current
coming from the southward, whilst the projecting promontories of Cape
Hatherton and Cape Ohlsen deflect the Polar current to the other side of
the Sound. Owing to the narrowing of the channel at the entrance of
Smith Sound the velocity of the tidal currents is greatly augmented, and
even in winter large water-spaces are kept open. The moisture and warmth
imparted to the atmosphere by the uncovered water moderates the climate
in its vicinity to some extent, and consequently we find in the
neighbourhood of Hartstene Bay a land comparatively well vegetated and a
great abundance of animal-life. As Port Foulke can be visited yearly
from the southward in all but very exceptional seasons, it can be
recommended as an important base if further explorations by Smith Sound
are hereafter undertaken.”
On 29th July the two ships crossed Smith Sound, steering direct for Cape
Isabella. The snow-clad coast of Ellesmere Land was very clearly
defined, the black headlands, separated by glacier-filled valleys,
standing out prominently from the white background.
A cairn was erected on the outer spur of Cape Isabella, 700 feet above
the water-line; a cask for letters and a few cases of preserved meat
being hidden away on a lower point, about 300 feet high, magnetic west
of the cairn.
Proceeding northward, shelter had to be taken in a harbour, named after
Payer, beside Brevoort Island. Nares mentions this as a most convenient
waiting-place for vessels attempting to proceed northward by Smith
Sound. A dépôt of 240 rations was placed on the peninsula that forms the
southern protection of the harbour. A cairn was built on the summit of
Brevoort Island, in which a record paper was subsequently placed. These
provisions were not afterwards touched.
The second large dépôt of 3000 rations, for use in the event of a
compulsory retreat, was landed at a small protected bay 2 miles north of
Cape Hawks.
Cape Frazer, where the Polar and Baffin’s Bay tides meet, was passed on
the 19th of August. During the previous three weeks they had advanced 90
miles, or about 4¼ miles a day.
At Cape Collinson a dépôt of 240 rations was landed about 100 yards
inshore and 30 feet above the water-line. These provisions were not
afterwards disturbed by the expedition.
On reaching Kennedy Channel it was decided to make for open water, which
was seen in the middle of the strait. This was reached after some
difficulty, and the ships were soon advancing up the channel, which was
comparatively free of ice, and was therefore in much the same condition
as when seen by Morton. They steered for Cape Morton, at the north-east
extremity of Kennedy Channel. Here a dépôt of 240 rations was landed for
the use of travelling parties which were to be afterwards dispatched for
the purpose of exploring Petermann Fiord.
Hall Basin being filled with ice, the two ships crossed to the western
coast, and entered Lady Franklin Sound, where the _Discovery_ was left
in a bay named “Discovery Bay.” This point was reached on the 25th of
August.
The _Alert_ had to wait until the 28th before an opportunity offered to
proceed northwards. A dépôt of 1000 rations was placed on a hillside 30
feet above the sea, on the northern shore of Lincoln Bay. A cairn, which
could be seen from the ice a mile from land, was built a few yards
inshore of where these provisions were deposited. They were not
afterwards disturbed.
Floeberg Beach was reached on the 1st of September, and here the _Alert_
was fated to remain eleven months. The ice was occasionally driven
offshore by gales, but after September 16th the ice never left the shore
to the westward of the _Alert_, although to the eastward a large space
of clear water remained between the _Alert_ and Robeson Channel whenever
the wind prevailed from the westward.
On the 18th of September the thermometer rose to 36° F.; on the 19th it
had fallen to 15° F. The first star was seen on the night of the 20th
September.
With the object of exploring the land about Cape Joseph Henry,
Lieutenant Aldrich, with Frederick and two seamen, Ayles and Simmons,
started on the 22nd, with fourteen dogs dragging two sledges laden with
fourteen days provisions. The dogs were allowanced at the rate of 2 lb.
of preserved meat daily.
On the 26th a large party started with the object of establishing a
dépôt of provisions as far in advance to the north-west as possible.
This party consisted of two seven-man sledges and one eleven-man sledge;
they were provisioned for twenty days. The sledges were weighted to 200
lb. a man. The eleven-man sledge proved too heavy for the young ice, and
another seven-man sledge had to be taken instead. The temperature during
the first night fell to 1 degree below zero.
On the 5th of October, Lieutenant Aldrich returned with eleven dogs
harnessed to one sledge on which his light gear was secured. Everything
else had been left a few miles behind to enable him to reach the ship
that night. The dogs, sinking as they frequently did in the soft snow up
to their muzzles, had proved to be nearly useless, and but for the help
of the men the sledge would have had to be abandoned. Aldrich had
succeeded in reaching Cape Joseph Henry, and had spent three days in
exploring the neighbourhood. The floebergs and rugged ice piled directly
against the precipitous face of the cliffs, with an extremely rough pack
in constant motion, effectually prevented sledges being dragged round
the cape; but fortunately there was a fair prospect of finding a level
road overland to the sea on the other side of the cape in the spring. On
the 27th September, Aldrich had succeeded in reaching latitude 82° 48′
N., a higher latitude than had ever before been attained, Parry’s 82°
45′ reached in 1827 having now been beaten.
As regards the use of dogs, Aldrich on this journey formed the opinion
that when the snow becomes more than a foot deep, they are not of much
value.
The large sledge-party which succeeded in establishing a dépôt of
provisions at Cape Joseph Henry returned on September 14th. Out of the
party of twenty-one men and three officers, seven men and one officer
returned to the ship badly frost-bitten, three of them so severely as to
render amputation necessary, the patients being confined to their beds
for the greater part of the winter. The frost-bites were attributable
entirely to the wet sludgy state of some of the ice that had to be
crossed. The temperature ranged between 15° above and 22° below zero. On
this journey attention was drawn to the fact that the barrels of the
breech-loading fowling-pieces became contracted by the cold to such an
extent that the paper cartridges which at a higher temperature fitted
well could not be inserted until the outside paper had been stripped
off.
The sun disappeared on the 11th October, but for some time afterwards
there was twilight during five or six hours of the day. The first sign
of an aurora was seen on the 26th October; on the 27th stars were
visible at noon. On the 8th November, with a perfectly clear sky, the
noon twilight was insufficient to enable one to make out the words in a
_Times_ leading article, when the paper was held up facing the south. On
the 9th November, Nares writes:—
“To-day the moon reappeared above the southern horizon. Her movements
are so important to us that a monthly bulletin is published giving the
precise account of when she will appear and when depart. She is truly
the ‘presiding goddess’ of the long Arctic night; reflecting to us,
during each of her visits, the light of the totally absent sun for ten
successive days and nights as she circles round the heavens without ever
setting. During some period of her stay full moon occurs, and she
displays her greatest beauty. At the time of new moon, when her light
would be of the least value, she is absent in southern latitudes. Thanks
to her we can never realise what existence would be if totally deprived
of light.”
On the 23rd of November mercury became frozen for the first time, at
−45° F. The mean temperature of February was −38° F. The mean for the
3rd and 4th March was −69.6°. On the 3rd March two reliable thermometers
registered below −73° F., or 105° below the freezing-point of fresh
water.
Nothing of special importance occurred during the winter. Christmas was
spent cheerfully; a school was started, and a course of lectures and
entertainments was given every Thursday evening. There was little but
the weather to chronicle.
On the 12th of March, Mr. Egerton and Lieutenant Rawson, accompanied by
Petersen and nine dogs, started for the _Discovery_, the sledge being
weighted to 51 lb. per dog. This party had to return on the 15th owing
to the illness of Petersen. “He was taken ill on the 2nd March with
cramp, and afterwards, being unable to retain any food whatever, nothing
could keep him warm, and he became badly frost-bitten. By depriving
themselves of their own warm clothing and at great personal risk, the
two officers, his only companions, succeeded in restoring circulation.
The following day, Petersen being no better, they wisely determined to
return with him to the ship. But the gale of the 14th rendering it
impossible to travel, and the tent being very cold, they burrowed out a
hole in a snow-bank, and with the aid of a spirit-lamp raised the
temperature inside to 7°. With a noble disregard of themselves, they
succeeded in retaining some slight heat in the man’s body by alternately
lying one at a time alongside of him while the other was recovering his
warmth by exercise. On the morning of the 15th, the patient being
slightly better, and the weather permitting, they started to return to
the ship with the sledge lightened to the utmost.
“During the journey of 16 miles over a very rough ground, although
frequently very seriously frost-bitten themselves, they succeeded in
keeping life in the invalid until they arrived on board. He was badly
frost-bitten in the face and feet.
“Notwithstanding the professional ability and incessant care of Dr.
Colan, Petersen never recovered from the severe shock which he had
received, and eventually expired from exhaustion three months
afterwards.”
On the 20th March, Mr. Egerton, with Lieutenant Rawson, accompanied by
John Simmons and Michael Regan, one of the crew of the _Discovery_,
started with a sledge drawn by seven dogs for Discovery Bay, the dogs
dragging 78 lb. each.
They returned on the 4th April. They arrived at Discovery Bay on the
25th of March, and left again on the 30th. The temperature was very low
during this journey, and great difficulties as regards snow and ice had
to be overcome.
The great sledge-party to the west and north left the ship on the 3rd of
April. It consisted of fifty-three officers and men. Each man in the
northern division dragged 230 lb., and those of the western division 242
lb.
“The programme was as follows: Lieutenant Aldrich, assisted by a
sledge-crew under the command of Lieutenant Giffard, was to explore the
shores of Grant Land towards the north and west, along the coast-line he
had discovered the previous autumn. Commander Markham, seconded by
Lieutenant Parr, with two boats, and equipped for an absence of seventy
days, was to force his way to the northward over the ice, starting off
from the land near Cape Joseph Henry; three sledge-crews, under the
commands of Dr. Moss and Mr. George White, accompanying them as far as
their provisions would allow.”
On the 20th April, Lieutenants Beaumont and Rawson, and Dr. Coppinger,
with twenty-one men dragging four sledges weighted to 218 lb. a man,
started for the north coast of Greenland.
On the 25th of May, Captain Nares decided to go to Cape Joseph Henry to
obtain a view of the northern ice from the lofty mountains in the
locality. He arrived there on the 29th, and ascended Mount Julia, the
highest peak near the sea, which rises to an elevation of not less than
2000 feet. The atmosphere being very clear, an extensive view was
obtained. The hills of Greenland, 120 miles distant, were plainly seen
in the neighbourhood of Cape Britannia. He was satisfied that no land
exists to the north within 50 miles of Cape Joseph Henry, and no high
land within 80 miles. In his narrative of this journey he writes:—
“Whether or not land exists within the 360 miles which stretch from the
limit of our view to the northern axis of the globe is, so far as
sledge-travelling is concerned, immaterial. Sixty miles of such pack as
we now know to extend north of Cape Joseph Henry is an insuperable
obstacle to travelling in that direction with our present appliances;
and I unhesitatingly affirm that it is impracticable to reach the North
Pole by the Smith Sound route.”
Let us now follow the northern sledge-party which left the _Alert_ on
3rd April 1876. The dépôt of provisions at Cape Joseph Henry was reached
on 10th April, and the remainder of that day was employed in bringing
the provisions off to the sledges, which were left on the ice. Up to
this point the northern and western parties had travelled together. Next
day they separated, and the two supporting sledges returned to the ship.
The ice over which the northern party had to travel was of an extremely
rugged character. Roads had frequently to be made before the sledges
could be dragged forwards. To make matters worse, the snow in many
places had drifted to such a depth that the men were frequently
floundering in it up to their waists. Little mention is made of
snow-shoes throughout the expedition, and here undoubtedly they would
have been of great service. At first they attempted to console
themselves with the idea that the irregular and broken sea of ice was
only caused by the proximity to the land, and that they should
afterwards meet with smooth level floes, on which they should advance
rapidly. The belts of hummocks that separated the floes varied from 20
yards to half a mile in breadth, and were from 15 to 50 feet in height.
In order to keep the sun as much as possible at their backs, they
travelled between noon and midnight. During the first week the
temperature was usually about 30° below zero, and little sleep could be
obtained. On the 14th one of the crew complained of pains in his ankles
and knees. Although ignorant of the fact, this was the first appearance
of the dreaded scurvy. During the 15th and 16th they were confined to
tent by a gale, with a temperature of 67° below freezing-point. On the
17th another of the crew was found suffering from swollen and puffy
knee-joints.
On the 19th, Markham decided to abandon the larger boat. This boat had
always been regarded as an incubus by the party, and every one was well
pleased to get rid of it. Even then, in order to advance the three
sledges, the road had to be frequently walked over five times. On this
day, the 19th, a third man fell ill. On the 24th the 83rd parallel of
latitude was crossed. Other two of the party exhibited symptoms of
scurvy on the 27th. The temperature on the 28th rose to 2°, the first
day the thermometer registered above zero. On the 2nd of May Markham
became convinced that his invalids were suffering from scurvy. Great as
were the natural difficulties which surrounded him, this was rightly
regarded as the most formidable of all obstacles to their advance that
could possibly be imagined. On the 7th May three of the invalids had to
be carried on the sledge, and the other two could scarcely walk. On the
10th, Markham arrived at the determination of dragging the sledges no
farther in a northerly direction. He decided to give the invalids two
days’ rest. In order to insure being within 400 miles of the North Pole,
the whole of the party, with the exception of the invalids and two men
to look after them, started on the 12th to the northward, carrying with
them the sextant, artificial horizon, and all their colours and banners.
Shortly before noon, the artificial horizon was set up, and the flags
and sledge-standards displayed. The latitude was found to be 83° 20′ 26″
N., or 399½ miles from the North Pole. The announcement of the position
was received with three cheers, with one more for Captain Nares; then
all sang the “Union Jack of Old England,” winding up, like loyal
subjects, with “God Save the Queen.”
The return journey was then commenced. Day by day their strength
diminished. Gradually, but surely, the men, one after the other, began
to feel the cruel grasp of the scurvy, as they struggled manfully on,
dragging their helpless companions. Towards the end of May, although the
temperature of the outside air was below the freezing-point, the sun was
so powerful that it would raise the temperature inside the tent to as
much as 70° or 80°. Snow fell heavily during the greater part of the
return journey, and fogs were very prevalent. On the 19th of May ominous
symptoms of a disruption of the pack were seen. A crack in some ice had
opened considerably. On the 25th the 83rd parallel of latitude was
recrossed.
The condition of the party was so critical on the 27th that it became
only too painfully evident that, to insure their reaching the land
alive, the sledge must be considerably lightened in order to admit of a
more rapid advance. The state of the party was on that day as follows:
five men were in a very precarious condition, utterly unable to move,
and consequently had to be carried on the sledges; five others nearly as
bad, but who nobly persisted in hobbling after the sledges, which they
could just manage to accomplish, for, as the sledges had to be advanced
one by one, it gave them plenty of time to perform the distance; whilst
three others exhibited all the premonitory scorbutic symptoms. Thus only
the two officers and two men could be considered as effective!
“I therefore,” writes Markham, “decided to abandon the remaining boat,
which would materially lessen the load to be dragged.”
On the 29th May the tents were pitched close to the boat that they
abandoned on their outward journey. It was exactly in the same condition
as when left.
On the 31st, whilst crossing some young ice between two heavy floes, one
of the sledges broke through, and it was with difficulty that it was
dragged out again.
On the 5th of June they reached land. Two days later, Lieutenant Parr
started on an arduous march to the ship, in order to obtain assistance.
Next day one of the invalids, George Porter, died. On the 9th a
dog-sledge arrived from the ship, and on the following day a larger
party, headed by Captain Nares, arrived. The ship was reached at 1.30
a.m. on the 14th of June. Out of the original party of fifteen men,
three only were capable of dragging the sledge, the remaining eleven
having to be carried alongside the ship on the relief-sledges.
Commander Markham on his return reported: “I feel it impossible for my
pen to depict with accuracy, and yet be not accused of exaggeration, the
numerous drawbacks that impeded our progress. One point, however, in my
opinion is most definitely settled, and that is, the utter
impracticability of reaching the North Pole over the floe in this
locality; and in this opinion my able colleague, Lieutenant Parr,
entirely concurs. I am convinced that with the very lightest equipped
sledges, carrying no boats, and with all the resources of the ship
concentrated in the one direction, and also supposing that perfect
health might be maintained, the latitude attained by the party I had the
honour and pleasure of commanding would not be exceeded by many miles,
certainly not by a degree.”
To this Nares added: “In this I most fully concur. Markham’s journey,
coupled with the experience gained by Sir Edward Parry in the summer of
1827, and more recently the memorable retreat of Lieutenant Weyprecht
and his companions after having abandoned the _Tegetthoff_ off the coast
of Franz-Josef Land, proves that a lengthened journey over the Polar
pack-ice with a sledge-party equipped with a boat fit for navigable
purposes is impracticable at any season of the year.”
It was left for Nansen and Peary to prove that Nares and Markham were
wrong.
We will now follow the sledge-party to the west. After parting company
with Markham on the 11th of April, Aldrich and Giffard with their two
sledges crossed Feilden Peninsula—the watershed of which was estimated
to be 500 feet above the sea-level. They reached the shore of James Ross
Bay on the 15th. Four hares were shot and traces of ptarmigan seen.
These hares were the only game obtained. Crossing the bay, Crozier
Island was visited on the 17th. On the 19th, the Parry Peninsula, 2½
miles in breadth, was crossed, and the shore of Clements Markham Inlet
reached. On the 22nd, Cape Colan, the west point of the inlet, was
arrived at, and a dépôt of provisions left for the return journey.
On the 25th, Giffard and his crew, after completing the other sledge to
forty-four days’ provisions, parted company, to return to the _Alert_.
For the next seven days, when Cape Columbia was reached, Aldrich’s
sledge being fully laden, the daily advance was extremely slow, as usual
in similar journeys, and the soft snow entailed very severe labour. On
the 30th April, Aldrich wrote: “The Sergeant-Major has just shown me a
very ugly-looking red patch or blotch just above the ankle; the limb is
slightly swollen.” This was a sign of scurvy, which was not suspected
for some time afterwards. Cape Aldrich, where a dépôt of provisions was
left, was reached on 1st May. Cape Columbia, the most northern point
attained, was also reached on 1st May. The latitude was found to be 83°
7′ N. On the 8th of May another dépôt was formed; and on the 10th,
Aldrich writes: “The men are nearly all suffering a great deal with
their unfortunate legs, which appear to get worse every day. This we all
feel to be very disappointing, as it affects the journey, and although
stiff limbs were expected, every one thought the stiffness would wear
off in time.” Milne Bay was crossed on the 14th, and the camp was
pitched in Yelverton Bay on the 15th. On the 18th May, Aldrich decided
to return. Provisions were running short, and the condition of his crew
was becoming worse. He had then reached longitude 85° 33′ W. On the
homeward journey the attack of scurvy gradually became more pronounced,
and the fast-increasing weakness of the men rendered the daily distance
accomplished so short that the provisions placed in dépôt on the passage
out were insufficient to last them, on full allowance, while travelling
from one dépôt to another.
On the 5th of June they passed Cape Columbia on their return; and on the
7th the dreaded word “scurvy” was used for the first time. The dépôt at
Cape Colan was reached on the 11th. On the 13th, Aldrich writes: “Got on
very fairly till eight o’clock, when Good nearly fainted. There appears
to be utter inability to get breath, no pain, and no difficulty to speak
of in breathing when at rest. The least exertion brings it on.”
On the 20th, when it was becoming evident that they could not reach the
ship without assistance, they met a party of three who had been sent to
their relief. On the 23rd other two came to their assistance; and on the
25th a party of officers with Captain Nares hurried them to the ship.
The only other sledge-journey of importance was that along the Greenland
coast, in charge of Lieutenant Beaumont. Accompanied by Dr. Coppinger
and sixteen men dragging two sledges, he started from the _Discovery_ on
the 6th of April for Floeberg Beach, intending to make the _Alert_ his
base for the exploration. The _Alert_ was reached on the 16th, and after
four days’ rest, Beaumont with Rawson, Coppinger, and twenty-one men,
dragging four sledges weighted to 218 lb. per man, started for Repulse
Harbour, Greenland. Robeson Channel was crossed without much difficulty,
but a great mass of hummocks had to be cut through at the entrance to
Repulse Harbour. Here the provisions were redistributed on three
sledges, a cairn built, and a site selected for the dépôt to be left for
the return journey.
They started northward on the 27th April, and as it had been impressed
upon Beaumont that it was necessary to keep to the land so as to prevent
leaving an impassable barrier in the rear in the event of the ice
breaking up, he struggled on along steep snow-slopes where roads had to
be cut, rather than take to the comparatively level floes. At Black Horn
Cliffs, however, it was found impossible to keep to the land; they
therefore took to the ice, but again returned to the land a short
distance beyond the cliffs. On the 4th of May a dépôt was formed for the
return journey, and Coppinger left on this date. On the 6th of May one
of the crew complained of stiffness in the legs, and next day when he
was examined by Beaumont the latter suspected scurvy. On the 10th he
decided that Lieutenant Rawson, with his party, should take this man
back, and on arrival at Repulse Harbour either cross over to the _Alert_
or go on to Polaris Bay.
On the 10th of May, Beaumont ascended Mount Wyatt, 2050 feet, from which
he saw that the line of hummocks stretched for 10 or 12 miles in the
direction of Mount Hooker, and then turned to the northward, and ran
straight for the west end of the distant land. All to the eastward of
this boundary was smooth and level, while to the westward lay the Polar
pack, with its floes and chains of hummocks.
A dépôt was left at Cape Bryant, and then Beaumont made for Cape
Fulford, which is the north extremity of the line of cliffs on the west
side of St. George’s Fiord. The road across the mouth of the fiord was
very good, and, arrived at Dragon Point, they opened out another wide
reach of bays and fiords. Beaumont was anxious to reach Mount Hooker,
from which he expected to see not only the islands to the north, but get
the best idea of the trend of the mainland; he encountered, however,
soft snow which varied from 2 to 4½ feet in depth: they had “literally
to climb out of the holes made by each foot in succession.” Why
snow-shoes were not used seems beyond comprehension. Beaumont writes:
“The shore for which we were making did not seem more than 2 miles off,
so I went ahead to see if the travelling was better under the cliffs. I
got about a mile and a half ahead of the sledge in three hours, and then
gave it up. I was nearly done; so I hailed them to go to lunch, but
would rather have missed three meals than gone back all that distance.”
The men struggled on, sometimes dragging the sledge on their hands and
knees to relieve their aching legs, or hauling her ahead with a long
rope and standing pulls.
On the 19th of May, Beaumont writes: “Nobody will ever believe what hard
work this becomes on the fourth day; but this may give them some idea of
it. When halted for lunch, two of the men crawled for 200 yards on their
hands and knees, rather than walk unnecessarily through this awful
snow.” This snow was too much for them: on the 22nd May they started on
the return journey without having reached Mount Hooker. A record was
left in a cairn on the north end of Reef Island. At Dragon Point a chart
and another record were left in a cairn, and Beaumont and Alexander Gray
set off to ascend the highest mountain in the neighbourhood. The
elevation was 3700 feet and the view was magnificent, but Beaumont did
not see what he wanted:—“The Mount Hooker Land hid the islands, and the
Cape Buttress channel was shut in. Mount Albert I could see was a
separate island. Cape Britannia, as far as could be seen, had very high
land far back. Stephenson Land was quite hidden behind Mount Hooker
Land, which latter towards Cape Buttress extended very far back to the
eastward. Cape Buttress overlapped it, but inside and above the cape
could be seen either a hummocky floe or a _mer de glace_; it looked like
a floe, but its skyline had a perceptible curve in it—a haze hung over
this part. By the look of the land and shore, a passage seemed to
connect St. George’s Fiord with St. Andrew’s Bay. St. George’s Fiord
could be traced continuing to the south, after making a slight bend to
the west. The view inland in that direction stretched away without a
break as far as the eye could reach, all much about the same elevation.
Mount Punch stood out from most of the other mountains, and Grant’s Land
was distinctly visible, the United States’ range being very
conspicuous.”
After a short rest, they once more started, making for Cape Fulford.
Heavy snowfalls with thick fogs retarded their advance, and on the 28th
of May a dépôt was formed with 200 lb. of articles which they could
dispense with. With the exception of Beaumont and Gray, all the party
were suffering from scurvy, and steadily getting worse. Soon after this,
Paul fell down quite powerless, and had to be carried on the sledge; and
on the 7th June another man had to be placed beside him. Repulse Harbour
was reached on the 10th of June. It was decided to cross over to the
_Alert_, but after travelling about 1 mile over the ice they came to
water, and had to return and make their way to Polaris Bay, 40 miles
off. Next march Dobing broke down, and Jones felt so bad he did not
think he could walk much longer. They toiled painfully through McCormick
Pass, and reached Newman Bay. On the 22nd, Craig and Dobing almost
dragged themselves along, their breath failing entirely at every 10
yards. On the 23rd it became necessary to carry both Dobing and Craig.
The last journey under such terrible conditions may be described in
Beaumont’s words: “On the evening of the 24th we started for our last
journey with the sledge, as I thought; for finding that Jones and Gray
were scarcely able to pull, I had determined to reach the shore at the
plain, pitch the tent, and walk over by myself to Polaris Bay to see if
there was any one there to help us; if not, come back, and sending Jones
and Gray, who could still walk, to the dépôt, remain with the sick and
get them on as best I could. But I thank God it did not come to this,
for as we were plodding along the now water-sodden floe towards the
shore, I saw what turned out to be a dog-sledge and three men, and soon
after had the pleasure of shaking hands with Lieutenant Rawson and Dr.
Coppinger. Words cannot express the pleasure, relief, and gratitude we
all felt at this timely meeting.”
Newman Bay dépôt was reached next day. Hans, who arrived with Rawson and
Coppinger, made good use of his skill as a driver. Both Paul and Jenkins
were now in a critical condition, so it was decided on the 28th that Dr.
Coppinger and Hans, with the two men on the eight-man sledge drawn by
the dogs, should start for the Polaris Bay dépôt. Paul, however,
gradually grew weaker, and died on the afternoon of the 29th.
It will be convenient here to go back to Rawson’s journey to Polaris Bay
after leaving Beaumont. Owing to two more of his crew breaking down,
leaving only himself and one man, E. Rayner, strong enough to drag the
sledge, they did not succeed in reaching Polaris Bay till the 3rd of
June, after a most arduous journey on reduced rations, and during
several days of which Rawson was himself so badly affected with
snow-blindness that he had to pull the sledge while blindfold. James
Hand expired a few hours after their arrival at Polaris Bay.
On the 8th August, Beaumont with his companions started on their
perilous journey across Hall’s Basin to Discovery Bay. After two hours
on the ice, they came to a large space of water 3 miles broad, and
launched their boat, which had previously been taken across from the
_Discovery_. They had repeatedly to draw the boat on the ice, haul it on
their sledge till water was again met, and then launch. While crossing
they found themselves drifting south, and were in the greatest danger of
being swept into Kennedy Channel; fortunately, a wind from the
south-east set in, and they eventually reached land between Cape Lieber
and Cape Baird on the 12th, and arrived at Discovery Bay on 14th August.
After the return of the northern and western sledge-parties so
completely broken down, Captain Nares determined to give up all further
exploration, and to proceed to the southward with both ships as soon as
the ice should break up and release them. On the 31st July the _Alert_
succeeded in escaping from the ice at Floeberg Beach, and after meeting
many difficulties reached Discovery Bay on 12th August.
Nares writes: “On the 16th, the weather still remaining distressingly
fine and calm, an excursion was made to the coal-beds near Cape
Murchison. This deposit of coal, or, more correctly, lignite, is exposed
in a ravine near Watercourse Bay, for a distance of over 200 yards. At
its greatest exposure the thickness of the seam is 25 feet, but we had
no means of ascertaining how much deeper it descended below the level of
the stream. Above the coal are beds of shale and sandstones. The coal
was pronounced after trial by our engineers to be equal to the best
Welsh. The seam where exposed is at an elevation of about 200 feet above
the sea-level, and at a distance of about a mile from the shore of
Watercourse Bay, in Robeson Channel. Unfortunately, very little shelter
is obtainable for a large vessel among the small floebergs stranded in
this indentation. The distance between the coal-seam and Discovery Bay
is about 4 miles, and the track leads over the brow of a hill about 800
feet high.
“A short distance above the quarry, in a narrow part of the ravine where
a large quantity of snow, collected in a shaded part, remains unmelted
during the summer, the mountain torrent has melted away a watercourse
for itself through the snow-bank. In winter this ice grotto, with a
trifling expense of labour, could be readily formed into a convenient
Arctic residence.”
On the 18th August, Captain Stephenson deposited an account of their
proceedings in a cairn which had been constructed out of the empty
preserved meat-tins, refilled with gravel. A post-office box was placed
in the centre of the pile.
On the 20th August the ice opened sufficiently to allow the two ships to
leave for the south. At Cape Isabella they found a package of letters
and newspapers left there by Sir Allen Young a few weeks previously.
Nares writes: “After our long sojourn within the Polar ice it was a
strange transition to feel the ship rise and fall once more on the
‘north water’ of Baffin’s Bay, and to look astern and see Cape Isabella,
one of the massive portals of Smith Sound, fading away in an obscurity
of snow and midnight darkness; whilst an ice-blink stretching across the
northern horizon reminded us forcibly of the perils, dangers, and
anxieties that we had contended against for so many months.
“In comparing the voyage of the _Polaris_ and that of the _Alert_ and
_Discovery_, it is evident that the navigation of the ice which is to be
met with every year in Kane Sea is entirely dependent on the westerly
winds. Both in 1875 and 1876 we met navigable water off Cape Victoria in
latitude 79° 12′ with only a narrow pack 15 miles in breadth between it
and Grinnell Land, which a westerly wind of a few hours’ duration would
certainly have driven to the eastward. The same wind would have opened a
channel along the shore, and any vessel waiting her opportunity at Payer
Harbour could under those circumstances have passed up the channel with
as little difficulty as the _Polaris_ experienced in 1871.
“The quantity of one season’s ice met with in the bays on the south-east
coast of Grinnell Land in 1876 proves that on the final setting in of
the frost, after we passed north in 1875, the pack had been driven from
the shore, leaving a navigable channel along the land. Nevertheless, I
do not recommend future navigators who wish to obtain a high northern
latitude by this route to wait for such a favourable occurrence.
Certainly no one could have made a passage through the ice in 1876
before the 10th September by doing so. At that date the season had
advanced so far that the attainment of sheltered winter-quarters would
have been extremely problematical.”
The two ships arrived at Portsmouth Harbour on the 2nd November.
This expedition, sent out regardless of expense, achieved very much less
than had been anticipated. The chief cause of failure was the outbreak
of scurvy, which completely paralysed the undertaking. The real cause of
the outbreak was never discovered, but it was probably due to the want
of fresh meat. The methods adopted to reach a high latitude were
practically identical with those of Parry used half a century before.
After all their experience, both Markham and Nares emphatically declared
their conviction that it was impossible under any circumstances for a
sledge-party, even without boats, and with all possible resources, to
reach 1 degree beyond that reached by the expedition. It was an American
naval officer, Commander Peary, who proved in 1906 that a point nearly 4
degrees farther north could be attained over the same sea; and in 1909,
starting from the coast a little to the west of his previous route, he
succeeded in reaching the Pole itself.