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
Among the events which made the early days of September somewhat lively
were the following: Gardiner reported a waif, in the shape of a boat
twelve feet long and an eight-men sledge, on the shore near Cape
Murchison. Lieutenant Greely with others, and Lieutenant Kislingbury as
a guest, went upon a two-days’ trip to the Bellows in search of game and
to view the land. They were successful in securing ten musk-oxen, a
dozen or more eider-ducks, and some other game. Sergeant Lynn, returning
from Cape Beechy, reported a wagon and lamp on the shore, left by the
English.
Dr. Pavy returned from Lincoln Bay, but Rice, taken on the return with
severe inflammatory rheumatism, was left four miles north of St.
Patrick’s Bay. A party was at once sent for his relief, which brought
him in, in a bad way. Great difficulty was found in lifting him up the
steep cliffs between the station and St. Patrick’s Bay.
Lockwood, having recovered from his injuries, went upon an expedition to
the Bellows with Gardiner and the Esquimaux Frederick, using an
eight-dog sledge and carrying rations for four days, consisting of
roasted musk-ox, baked beans, butter and sauce, hard bread, and
chocolate. They visited Bleak Cape, the entrance of the Bellows. The
Bellows they found to be a long, level valley, walled in by lofty hills
and cliffs, in some places two or three thousand feet high. It bears the
impress of having been, at some far-distant period, the channel of a
glacier, its level surface being thickly strewn with stones, while there
are masses attached like shelves to the sides of the cliffs and slopes.
For twenty miles, the valley preserves a width of nearly three miles;
beyond this, it narrows and changes direction toward the west. A small
creek runs through its entire length, which generally they followed. The
route was difficult, owing to the large number of stones imperfectly
covered with snow, and hence all riding ceased after they entered the
valley; for the dogs could scarcely pull the sledge and its load, and
often required aid. Here they met a piece of drift-wood, indicating that
the tide once flowed up the valley, for no tree or wood had ever been
seen away from tide-water. One of the dogs becoming sick was turned
adrift, trusting to her following the party or returning home. Reaching
“Devil’s Head,” they went into camp by turning up the sledge and hanging
rubber blankets around to shield them from the cold wind, and then ate a
supper of warmed-up beans and hot chocolate, and tumbled into the
sleeping-bags, all of which they found most enjoyable.
After a breakfast of chocolate, hard bread, and some frozen cheese, they
were delighted to see the sick dog rejoin them. The sledge-runners were
rapidly wearing out, and they concluded to walk to the end of the
valley, leaving the Esquimaux with the sledge and team while they pushed
on as best they could.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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