X. HOME AGAIN1855

Dr. Kane and his companions passed two winters in the ice regions, living in a place farther north than any explorers had ever lived in before. Few Arctic explorers at that time had passed two winter seasons in the ice.

During the cold months the average temperature at Rensselaer harbor stood at -29°, during the summer months at 33°. When you consider that the summer was colder than the average winter in the vicinity of New York City, you will understand in part what were the severities of the climate that these men endured. The first winter, with the long, dark night, was dismal and gloomy, and there was a great deal of sickness and suffering among the men. When summer came, Kane hoped that his ship might be released from the ice. He waited a long time, but the ice did not thaw, and again winter came upon them suddenly. It was then too late for the men to escape to the south; so a second winter was passed on board theAdvance. It was a sad time: many of the men died and many suffered terribly from disease and want of food.

When the spring of 1855 came, Kane again hoped that the ice around the brig would thaw and leave her free, for he was a good commander and could not bear to desert his ship. At last it became certain that the ice would not break away, and that theAdvancecould not be released that spring.

Then Kane decided to leave the ship and try to reach some settlement on the Greenland coast. The men promised to follow him and to obey him in all things. They knew the danger of the journey, but they also knew that a third winter on theAdvancewould probably cost them their lives. At this time the company had provisions enough to last them thirty-six days. These provisions were packed in small boats, ready to be dragged over the ice to open water. All the baggage and the articles necessary for use in cooking, eating, and sleeping, were at last ready to be placed on the sledges. Four of the men were so ill that they also had to be carried.

Each man in the party wore a woolen underdress and an Eskimo suit of fur. The men’s boots were of their own make, fashioned of canvas and lined with walrus hide. Inside of these boots each man wore another pair, made of carpeting which had been taken from the cabin of theAdvance. To save themselves from becoming snow-blind, they wore large goggles, made by cutting a small slit in a piece of wood. Some had entire masks made of gutta percha.

It was May when Kane and his companions bade farewell to the brig and set out to cover the thirteen hundred miles of ice and water which lay between them and the place where they hoped to find a settlement. Yet they did not despair. The men who were able to work, dragged sledges and boats as far as the spot selected for a camp. Here they built a hut or erected a tent for the sick, making them as comfortable as they could. Then the workers went back over the same route and brought along the baggage, which had been left behind because they could not carry it all at one time. Thus they were obliged to travel back over each day’s march, and each following dayto bring ahead the baggage that could not be carried the first time.

Traveling over the Ice Hummocks.

It was slow progress, but they kept on bravely. Often they were delayed by heavy snowstorms. As they could not drag the sledges through the deep drifts, they crept into their tents and slept, waiting for the storm to pass away. When it became possible for them to travel again, they started out, plowing their way through the snow, often so tired that they could hardly lift their feet. Sometimes they journeyed over thin ice, and many a man fell through and just escaped drowning.

It was near the middle of June when the party reached the shores of Baffin bay and began to launch the boats. The launching took a long time, for the surf beat high along the shore, and great masses of drifting ice were dashed about.

A severe gale arose, and the boats were nearly crushed in the ice, but a day later they succeeded in putting off from the shore. TheFaithled the way, with Captain Kane aboard. Then followed theRed Eric, with most of the provisions, and last of all, theHope. These three small boats were now embarked on a sea in which the hardiest whaling vessel might easily founder.

The party were all hopeful until provisions were exhausted; then the stoutest hearts failed. Even Kane despaired of ever reaching a settlement, but he was too brave a leader to allow his men to know this, and he encouraged them in every way possible. The men grew so weak from want of food that they were scarcely able to guide the boats.

The ice had knocked holes in each of the boats, and they had to be constantly baled to keep them from sinking. When everything looked darkest, one of the party saw a large seal floating on a piece of ice a short distance away. The half-starved men became so excited that they could hardly handle the oars. Every preparation was made to steal quietly toward the animal, which seemed to be asleep. Stockings were placed over the oars to deaden the sound, and a man named Peterson, who was thought to be the best shot of the party, was stationed in the bow with the rifle.

Silently the oarsmen guided the boat toward the piece of ice where the seal was lying. When they were almost within rifle shot, the seal lifted its head and saw the boat. The men were filled with despair as they saw the animal move toward the sea as if to plunge in. They all looked anxiously at Peterson, for their lives depended upon him. Poor Peterson was trembling with nervousness and weakness. His hands shook, but with a great effort he steadied himself and fired. Instantly the seal fell over on its side.

With shouts of delight the men pushed the boat to the ice, climbed upon it, and seized the animal. They were half mad with joy, and ran over the ice, crying and laughing, and waving their knives. Soon every man was eating raw blubber and licking his bloody fingers with relish. It was a savage meal, but starved men may be pardoned for being fierce.

Dragging the Boats over the Ice Floes.

Other seals were shot, and soon land was sighted. Kane directed the course of the boats southward along the coast, and a few nights later the men landed on the rocks for rest and sleep.

One morning Peterson, in great excitement, awoke Kane and told him that he had just seen a native in a kayak, searching among the rocks along the coast for eider down. Peterson knew him, and called to him: “Don’t you know me? I am Carl Peterson.” “No,” the Eskimo answered; “Peterson’s wife says he is dead.” Then he paddled away very fast as if in fear.

A few days later Kane and his companions were rowing along in their boats, when the mast of a vessel loomed in the distance before them. Peterson burst into sobs in his excitement, and in broken English and Danish exclaimed, “It’s the Upernavik oil boat!” Indeed, it was the vessel that goes once a year to Upernavik for a supply of blubber to make oil. Soon the vessel came near enough for the crews to talk to each other. You may be sure that Captain Kane’s party wanted to know what had happened during their long absence from home. The first question Kane asked was whether Franklin had been found.

The sailors told him that some traces of Franklin had been seen, but that it was now supposed that he and all of his companions had perished. This news made Kane very sad, for no one knew better than he what suffering Franklin and his men must have endured.

After learning all that these men could tell him, Kane journeyed on. After another halt for sleep, and anotherlong pull at the oars, the men heard the welcome sound of barking dogs at the settlement.

The people of Upernavik were very kind to Kane and his men. They fitted up a loft for them to sleep in and shared their stores in a liberal manner.

Upernavik, Greenland.

A Danish vessel, starting for home early in September, took Kane and his party on board, promising to land them at the Shetland islands. On the 11th the vessel reached Disco, where another steamer was sighted in the distance. As she drew near Kane’s men saw with joy that she carried the American flag. The vessel proved to be a relief ship sent out by the United States to search for Captain Kane. The men, under command of Lieutenant Hartstene, greeted Kane and his companions with cheers and took them aboard. TheFaith, which had done such excellent service, was taken on board also, and may now be seen at the Brooklyn navy yard. Though Kane had been compelled to leave theAdvancein the ice, had lost his equipment, and had found no trace of Sir John Franklin, yet his expedition was by no means a failure. The geographical and scientific value of the knowledge which he gained during his stay in the icy North was very great.

Large tracts of country, before unknown, had been discovered and surveyed; the coast of Greenland had been explored as far north as latitude 81°, and the great glacier of Humboldt, with a sea face forty-five miles in length, discovered. New land to the north of Humboldt glacier was also discovered and named Washington Land.

A Greenlander in his Kayak.

A great channel to the northwest, free from ice, was supposed to lead into an open polar sea. The theory of an open polar sea, however, has not yet been proved.

Grinnell Land was discovered, and a survey made of the lands bordering on Smith sound. Valuable facts in relationto the tides, climates, and plants were compiled, and a study was made of the Eskimos of Smith sound. Kane received gold medals from the Queen of England, the Royal Geographical Society of London, the American Congress, and the New York Legislature.

But Kane’s health, never of the best, now began to fail. He went to England, but while there grew rapidly worse. He then sailed for Havana, hoping that the balmy climate would benefit him; but it was too late for him to recover his health, and he died at Havana, February 16, 1857.

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