THE GREAT FROZEN SEA
“ALERT” AND “DISCOVERY.”THE
GREAT FROZEN SEA
A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGE
OF THE “ALERT”
DURING THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION OF 1875-6
BY
REAR-ADMIRAL ALBERT HASTINGS MARKHAM, R.N.
(LATE COMMANDER OF H.M.S. “ALERT”)
AUTHOR OF “A WHALING CRUISE TO BAFFIN’S BAY AND THE GULF OF BOOTHIA,”
AND “THE CRUISE OF THE ‘ROSARIO’”
“There’s a flag on the mast, and it points to the north,
And the north holds the land that I love;
I will steer back to northward, the heavenly course,
Of the winds guiding sure from above.”
Frithiof’s “Saga”
SEVENTH EDITION
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., Ltd
1894
(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved.)
TO
The Memory of
REAR-ADMIRAL SHERARD OSBORN, C.B.,
WHO, WHILE HE LIVED,
WAS THE MOVING SPIRIT IN SECURING THE DESPATCH OF
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION, AND WHOSE PAST DEEDS
IN THE SAME FIELD REFLECTED A BRIGHT RAY OF HOPEFUL LIGHT
ON THOSE WHO STROVE TO EMULATE HIS EXAMPLE
WHILST FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS,
This little Work
IS REVERENTLY AND AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED BY
THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
The History of the Arctic Expedition of 1875-76, and the record of its results, will be found in the work of Sir George Nares. My object in publishing the present volume is to furnish a popular narrative of memorable events as they presented themselves to an individual member of the Expedition, and especially of the work of sledge travelling over the frozen polar ocean. It was written a few months after our return to England, but its appearance has been purposely deferred until the publication of the work by Sir George Nares.
The same reasons still exist for continuing the work of Arctic exploration as were adduced for commencing it in 1875.
It is impossible to complete so great a work in one campaign, and the results of the late Expedition ought only to whet our appetites, and stimulate us to undertake further discoveries.
The narrative of Sir George Nares will show the completeness of the work accomplished, so far as the route by Smith Sound is concerned, and with the appendices containing the numerous and valuable scientific results, will prove the importance of Arctic discovery. But there are other routes remaining to be explored, which will yield equally useful results.
Behring Strait is a portal leading to a vast region, the history of which has hitherto been as a sealed book.
An expedition to the east coast of Greenland for the purpose of connecting our discoveries at Cape Britannia with those of the Germans at Cape Bismarck, and thus solving the interesting geographical problem regarding the insularity of Greenland, would be of the greatest importance.
The exploration of Jones and Hayes Sounds offer a rich field; but that which, in my opinion, would yield the most profitable harvest, is the continuation of the discoveries of the Austro-Hungarian expedition in Franz-Josef Land. Once reach in a ship the position attained by Lieut. Payer and his sledge party, and such a measure of success would follow as would prove satisfactory even to the most sanguine. Although the flags of Holland, Sweden, and America will this year float in the Arctic Regions, that of England will be unrepresented.
It is hardly to be expected, in the present critical state of affairs, that our Government can afford to give either time or attention to the subject of Arctic exploration, but when the existing differences are all happily settled, there will really be more reasons for following up the work than were brought forward for undertaking it in 1875. We were never in a better position for doing so than at the present time. We possess a couple of ships whose capabilities for Arctic navigation have been already thoroughly tested, and found perfect; we have officers and men experienced in the navigation of those icy seas and in sledging, and we have stores and provisions ready to equip another expedition.
The expense, seeing that the ships and stores are lying idle, would be insignificant, and would hardly be more than equal to that of keeping a couple of small gun-boats in commission. Surely this great nation could easily afford, in the interests of science and for her own honour, to incur such an expenditure. I trust so; and I, for one, look forward with confident hope to the despatch, in a few years, of another Arctic expedition as well equipped as the one of which I was lately a member.
A. H. M.
21, Eccleston Square,
March, 1878.
OFFICERS AND SHIP’S COMPANY OF
H.M.S. “ALERT.”
Officers.
Captain, George S. Nares, F.R.S. Commander, Albert H. Markham, F.R.G.S. Lieutenant, Pelham Aldrich. ” Alfred A. Chase Parr. ” George A. Giffard. ” William H. May. Sub-Lieutenant, George Le C. Egerton (promoted to Lieutenant during the absence of the expedition). Fleet Surgeon, Thomas Colan, M.D. Surgeon, Edward L. Moss, M.D. Engineer, James Wootton. ” George White. Naturalist, Captain H. Wemyss Feilden, R.A., F.G.S., F.Z.S. Chaplain, Rev. W. H. Pullen.Ship’s Company.
Joseph Good, chief boatswain’s mate. William Ferbrache, A.B. John R.Marines
William Wood, colour-sergeant R.M.L.I. Elias Hill, gunner R.M.A. William Ellard, private R.M.L.I. George Porter, gunner R.M.A.6 Thomas Smith, private R.M.L.I. Thomas Oakley, gunner R.M.A. John Hollins, private R.M.L.I.The following sledge crew from H.M.S. “Discovery” wintered on board the “Alert”:—
Lieutenant Wyatt Rawson. James Hand, A.B.8 George Bryant, 1st cl. P.O.7 Thomas Chalkley, A.B. George Stone, 2nd cl. P.O. Alfred Hindle, A.B. Michael O’Regan, A.B. Elijah Rayner, private R.M.L.I.The following “means” of ages, weights, and chest capacities of those belonging to the “Alert” may be of interest:—
Age. Weight. ChestCapacity Officers 32.1 years 149.8 lbs. 266 Men 27.4 ” 146.6 ” 245.1 General Mean 28.4 ” 147.3 ” 249.5
1 Promoted to carpenter.
2 First class petty officer.
3 Lost in H.M.S. “Eurydice.”
4 Promoted to boatswain.
5 Died on May 14th from the effects of frost-bite whilst sledging.
6 Died on the 8th of June of scurvy whilst sledging.
7 Promoted to boatswain.
8 Died in June of scurvy whilst sledging with Lieut. Beanmont.
CONTENTS.
Chapter I. Fitting Out.
Description of ships,
Chapter II. The Voyage to Disco.
Tests of physical capacity, 15; regular issue of lime-juice, 16; gales of wind in the Atlantic, 17; slow progress, 19; whales, 20; the first ice, 22; the Land of Desolation, 22; seals, 23; the Greenland coast, 25; fishing for cod, 25; arrival at Godhavn, 26.
Chapter III. The Greenland Settlements.
An Eskimo dance, 28; Eskimo dogs, 29; amusements at Godhavn, 30; ascent of the Lyngenmarkfjeld, 31; aid from the “Valorous,” 33; tradition of Disco, 34; Ritenbenk, 35; part company with “Valorous,” 36; the Waigat Strait, 36; dangers in the Waigat, 37; Proven, 38; Hans Hendrik engaged, 39; “Sanderson, his hope,” 39; Upernivik, 41.
Chapter IV. Melville Bay and the North Water.
Preparations for a nip, 43; the middle ice, 44; a bear hunt, 46; the North Water, 47; Cary Island depôt, 49; approaching Smith Sound, 50; enter Smith Sound, 51.
Chapter V. Smith Sound.
Life-boat Cove, 53; visit winter quarters of “Polaris,” 54; Littleton Island, 55; Cape Isabella, 56; stopped by the ice,
Chapter VI. Struggles with the Ice.
Open water, 64; in danger of a nip, 65; vigilance of Captain Nares, 66; wanderings of the Eskimo, 68.
Chapter VII. A Walrus Hunt. Dog Driving.
Grinnell Land, 72; glaciers, 73; a walrus hunt, 74; amusements on the ice, 77; the Eskimo dogs, 78; dog sledging, 80.
Chapter VIII. Slow Progress through the Ice.
Cape Hawks and Dobbin Bay, 83; discovery of an ancient cairn, 85; cutting a dock, 87; struggles through the ice, 90; dangerous position, 91; Cape Fraser, 92; junction of two tides, 92; Cape John Barrow, 93; Cape Collinson, 94; heavy squalls, 95; increasing thickness of floes, 96; icebergs decreasing in number, 96.
Chapter IX. Kennedy Channel.
Cape Constitution, 98; difference in appearance of coast-lines, 99; Hall Basin blocked with ice, 100; Bessels Bay, 100; Hannah Island, 101; cross Kennedy Channel, 103; musk-oxen, 104; winter quarters of “Discovery,” 107; the two ships part company, 107.
Chapter X. The Crossing of the Threshold.
Robeson Channel, 110; stopped off Cape Beechey, 113; Shift-Rudder Bay, 114; floe-bergs, 114; the first lemming, 115; marine shells above sea-level, 116; depôt established at Lincoln Bay, 117; a fortunate escape,
Chapter XI. Floe-berg Beach.
Saved by floe-bergs, 125; precarious winter quarters, 126; a reconnaissance in dog-sledges, 128; habits of Eskimo dogs, 130; Dumb-bell Bay, 131; eider-ducks, 132; two boats advanced northwards, 133; a severe march, 134; danger of the ship, 134; unable to move, 135; autumn sledging commenced, 136.
Chapter XII. Autumn Travelling.
Autumn travelling, 138; discomforts, 139; liability to frost-bites, 142; difficulties, 145; cheerfulness of the men, 146; highest position reached in the autumn, 147; frost-bites, 147; return of travellers, 149; results, 150.
Chapter XIII. Winter Quarters.
Preparations for winter, 152; observatories, 153; snow houses, 154; the ship “housed” in, 154; interior arrangements, 156; winter clothing, 159; precautions against fire, 161; observations for temperature, 162.
Chapter XIV. The Royal Arctic Theatre.
Printing-office, 164; school, 166; amusements, 167; Thursday pops, 168; lectures, 169; the Royal Arctic Theatre, 170; the prologue, 172; conjuring entertainment, 175; magic-lantern exhibition, 176.
Chapter XV. Winter Occupations and Amusements.
Departure of the sun, 178; Guy Fawkes’ Day, 179; scientific observations, 180; the moon,
Chapter XVI. An Arctic Christmas.
Preparations for Christmas Day, 193; Christmas presents, 194; Christmas Day, 195; retrospect, 197; frost-bite patients, 198; precautions against frost-bite, 199; the Palæocrystic Sea, 200; a brilliant meteor, 200.
Chapter XVII. A Happy New Year.
New Year’s Day, 202; mustard and cress, 205; heavy snow-drifts, 206; returning light, 207; severe cold, 208; an alarm in the observatory, 209; condition of the Eskimo dogs, 210; Nellie and the lemmings, 212; Rawson’s snow hut, 212; the last school meeting, 213; the last dramatic performance, 214; the last “pop,” 215; grand palæocrystic sledging chorus, 216.
Chapter XVIII. Return of the Sun.
Cairn Hill, 220; the sun’s return, 221; intense cold, 223; experiments on various substances during extreme cold, 223; daylight, 225; alarm of fire, 226; dismantling the observatories, 227; the sledge-crews exercised, 228; a wolf, 229.
Chapter XIX. Details of Sledge Travelling.
Preparations for sledging, 231; weights,
Chapter XX. The Journey of Egerton and Rawson.
Decide to communicate with “Discovery,” 247; departure of Egerton and Rawson, 248; their return, 249; Petersen frost-bitten, 249; heroic conduct, 251; efforts to save Petersen, 251; difficulties of the return journey, 253; Egerton’s second start, 255; death of Petersen, 255.
Chapter XXI. The Routine of Sledge Travelling.
Departure of the sledges, 258; first camp, 260; intense cold, 262; arrival at the autumn depôt, 263; the parties separate, 264; duties of cook, 265; sledging breakfast, 266; luncheon, 266; halting for the night, 268; evenings in the tent, 270.
Chapter XXII. The Northern Division—Travelling in April.
Heavy ice encountered, 273; road-making over the ice, 275; struggling over hummocks, 278; daily routine, 279; continued cold, 280; excellence of the sledges, 281; first symptoms of disease, 282; a gale of wind, 283; heavy snow-drifts, 285; disease increasing, 286; excellent conduct of the men, 286; resolve to abandon one boat, 288; increased weight to drag, 289; intense cold, 290; state of
Chapter XXIII. The most Northern Point ever reached by Man.
Scurvy, 299; difficulties increasing, 300; struggling northwards, 301; hummocks discoloured by mud, 301; condition of party, 303; issue of lime-juice, 304; scorbutic symptoms, 305; the last advance, 306; most northern encampment, 307; soundings obtained, 308; the most northern position ever reached by man, 309.
Chapter XXIV. Return of the Northern Division.
Homeward bound, 312; increased sufferings, 314; courage of the men, 316; extreme weakness of the men, 316; abandonment of the second boat, 318; a snow-bunting seen, 319; the land reached, 321; Parr despatched for succour, 322; a stray dog, 322; death of Porter, 323; his burial, 323; saved, 325; return on board, 326.
Chapter XXV. Return of all the Sledge Travellers.
Causes of scurvy, 329; anxiety for Aldrich, 331; May sent to his rescue, 331; return of Aldrich, 332; care of the sick, 333; the welcome back, 335; decide to return to England, 337; musk-oxen, 338; shooting parties, 338; liberation of the ship, 341; under weigh, 342.
Chapter XXVI. The Return Voyage in the Ice.
Preparations for abandoning ship, 344; communicate with “Discovery,”
Chapter XXVII. Homeward Bound.
Cape Isabella, 357; letters from home, 358; bad weather, 359; Whale Sound, 359; off Lancaster Sound, 360; reappearance of fulmar petrels, 361; reach Godhavn, 362; receive letters from England, 363; leave Godhavn, 363; Egedesminde, 364; sight the “Pandora,” 366; arrive at Valentia, 367; at Queenstown, 367; welcome home, 368.
Index Page 371