Farthest North: The Life and Explorations of Lieutenant James Booth Lockwood, of the Greely Arctic ExpeditionLanman, Charles
History
Farthest North: The Life and Explorations of Lieutenant James Booth Lockwood, of the Greely Arctic Expedition
Lanman, Charles
Arctic regions; Lady Franklin Bay Expedition (1881-1884); Lockwood, James Booth, 1852-1884
On the 13th, Lockwood, with Brainard, Lynn, Cross, Ralston, and
Fredericks, started in the launch on an excursion up Lady Franklin
Bay to the head of Archer Fiord, having in tow the boat Valorous
with Rice and crew as far as Musk-ox Bay. There they left Rice and
his boat and proceeded up the Archer Fiord, somewhat annoyed by
scattered ice and by some large bergs which they had to go around.
They had not gone far up the fiord before they saw, on a gentle
slope of the southern shore, a herd of musk-oxen grazing a few
hundred yards from the water. Though strategy was employed to
approach without being seen, the herd took the alarm and scampered
over the hills which terminated the slope. Lynn, anticipating this,
had gone some way up these heights, but the animals by a _détour_
avoided him and soon passed over the crest of the heights. The slope
along there was sufficiently gentle to afford foothold to grass and
willows, and thus presented a landscape charming to those who had
gazed on little other than rocks and ice for so many months. Seeing
two other oxen some time after, near a steep hill overlooking a
rocky gorge, Lockwood, Brainard, and Frederick went for them,
Fredericks approaching in front, and Lockwood and Brainard, by a
flank movement, cutting off retreat. This resulted in the slaying of
both animals. But how to get them to the launch was the question, as
they were then a mile inland. Finally, cutting off the heads, they
gave the bodies an impetus down-hill. They went from steep to steep
like comets, leaving clouds of dust behind. Once or twice they
lodged on steps or terraces, from which they were dislodged, thence
to renew their journey downward. Afterward several other musk-oxen
and some ptarmigans were shot, thus providing abundant food for all
hands, with a large surplus to carry back to the station.
As they progressed up the fiord, the scenery became more and more
grand and interesting. A glacier was seen some distance inland, at
the head of a stream bordered by vertical cliffs curiously colored
and of fantastic shapes. One pinnacle was apparently surmounted by
an old dilapidated castle. Though the fiord was not wide at Bulley’s
Lump, nor the cliffs very high, yet they encountered a furious wind,
as though blowing vertically. Toward the head of the fiord, they saw
numerous ducks and flocks of geese on shore, apparently overcome by
the force of the wind. Many of these they added to their abundant
stores. Here, too, they found Esquimaux relics, indicating the
abodes of men long years ago—circles of stones, very old; also
pieces of drift-wood, whence coming they marveled. Reaching the head
of the fiord, where the water became shallow, they landed, spread
their sleeping-bags on the rocks, and made amends for their
twenty-five hours’ want of sleep.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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