Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume I.djvu/713

 ARCTIC DISCOVERY 677 frey started on another expedition May 20. They crossed Smith strait, and attained to lat. 79 46' and Ion. 69 12. They saw, 30 m. ahead, two capes, which they named Capes Joseph Leidy and John Frazer. On June 30 Messrs. McGary and Bonsall left on a third ex- pedition, Kane being yet ill. They reached Humboldt glacier on the 15th. Four of the party returned on the 24th, entirely blind. Two, Mr. Morton and a companion, pushed on, and on June 21 saw open water to the north, called by them Kennedy channel. They pene- trated as far as Cape Constitution in Washing- ton land, lat. 81 27'. The open channel abound- ed with animal life, such as bears, birds, and seals. The results of this excursion seemed to Kane to prove that Smith strait in fact opens into Kennedy channel, and this into a great open polar sea, abounding with life. The shores of Kennedy channel and Smith strait had been explored for 760 m. Mr. Morton returned to the ship on July 10. Dr. Kane, seeing no probability of the release of his vessels during this summer, determined to communicate with Belcher's expedition. Failing in this, it was determined that part of the crew should aban- don the vessel. The party, however, returned after a few days, and the crew were beset for another winter. It was resolved to abandon the brig in early spring, and make for the Danish settlements at the south. On May 17 they left in boats and sledges, and, after much privation and many narrow escapes, reached Upernavik Aug. 9, in 84 days from the time of leaving the Advance. Fears for Kane's safety had induced the United States navy de- partment to send out in the spring of 1855 two vessels, the Release and the steamer Arctic, to the relief of the missing brig's crew. Capt. Hartstene, who commanded this expedition, reached lat. 78 32', and then found his on- ward progress stopped by a firm barrier of ice. Returning, he found Kane and his crew at Uper- navik, and returned with them to the United States in the fall of 1855. In a scientific point of view, Dr. Kane's expedition attained most important results. These are thus summed up by himself in his report to the navy depart- ment of the United States : 1. The survey and delineation of the N. coast of Greenland to its termination by a great glacier. 2. The survey of this glacial mass, and its extension north- ward into the new land named Washington. 8. The discovery of a large channel to the northwest, free from ice, and leading into an open and expanding area, equally free. The whole embraces an iceless area of 4,200 m. 4. The discovery and delineation of a large tract of land, forming the extension northward of the American continent. 5. The completed survey of the American coast to the south and west, as far as Cape Sabine ; thus connecting our survey with the last determined position of Captain Ingle- field, and completing the circuit of the straits and bay here- tofore known at their southernmost opening as Smith sound. The Resolute, one of Sir E. Belcher's expedi- tion, was, as before mentioned, abandoned May 15, 1854, not far from Beechey island. On Sept. 15, 1855, she was discovered by Capt. Bud- dington, of the George Henry, whale ship, of New London, off the "W. shore of Baffin bay, in lat. 67 N. The vessel was encumbered with ice, but was perfectly tight and seaworthy. The distance between the place where she was abandoned and that where she was retaken was at least 1,200 m. She was brought to New London, purchased by the United States govern- ment by order of congress, thoroughly refitted, and presented to Queen Victoria and the Brit- ish government, in December, 1856. The Brit- ish government took possession of her, and had her stripped and laid up in ordinary in Wool- wich dockyard. In 1857 Lady Franklin, hav- ing resolved to send out a vessel at her own ex- pense for a fresh search for her husband, offered the command of the proposed expedition to Capt. Francis McClintock, who had served with distinction in the arctic expedition with Sir James Ross, Capt. Austin, and Sir Ed- ward Belcher. (See MCCLINTOCK.) The screw steamer Fox, of only 177 tons, formerly the pleasure yacht of Sir Richard Sutton, was pur- chased, refitted, and equipped with a crew of 24 volunteers. Capt. Allen Young of the merchant service contributed to the cost, and also acted gratuitously as sailing master. Lieut. W. R. Hobson, Dr. David Walker, and Carl Petersen, interpreter, so favorably known as the companion of Dr. Kane, were the princi- pal other members of the party. The little vessel left Aberdeen July 1. McClmtock's plan was to examine a tract about 300 m. square lying W. of Boothia, and between the northern limits of the explorations of Rae and Anderson and the southern boundaries of those of Sir James Ross, Austin, and Belcher, while to the west he expected to penetrate as far as the track of Collinson and McClure. Having purchased 35 Esquimaux dogs at Disco, on the coast of Greenland, and taken on board two of the natives as drivers, the Fox pushed on toward Lancaster sound until on Aug. 17 she was beset in Baffin bay nearly opposite the entrance to that channel. For eight months the ice held her fast, but the moving pack mean- while carried her back upon her course, and when finally released, April 25, 1858, she had drifted 1,395 m. to the southward. McClin- tock refitted at Holsteinborg, arrived in Lan- caster sound July 12, sailed through Barrow strait, and attempted to pass down Peel sound, between North Somerset and Prince of Wales land ; but having been stopped here by the ice, he passed northeastward around North Somer- set in the hope of reaching the mouth of Back river through Bellot strait, which is the water communication between Prince Regent inlet and the western sea (now known as Franklin strait), and separates the North. American con- tinent from North Somerset. He found the strait obstructed by moving ice, but after much difficulty and danger pushed through it on Sept. 6. A frozen barrier stretched across its western end, and here the Fox remained moored for three weeks, when she took up her winter quarters at Port Kennedy, on the N. shore of the strait. In the mean time extensive sledgo