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.
Lockwood and Gardiner reached the head of the valley at four, and, proceeding up the incline to the west where it narrowed to a ravine, went on till they came to a narrow gorge—its terminus. Having seen all there was to see, and Gardiner complaining of a game leg, they retraced their steps, reached the sledge at 10 P. M., and at once, supperless, turned into their sleeping-bags. Near the terminus of the valley they met two musk-oxen, but, having only their knives with them, did not venture on an assault, though the animals stood still and quietly gazed at the intruders.
Returning, they followed the creek, finding some advantage from the ice which had formed during the night. Lockwood saw and took back with him a few pieces of wood-coal, or very soft coal, evidently of recent formation, which had doubtless washed down, but whence he knew not. Reaching Bleak Cape, they decided to make a détour west to a cañon near the “Knife-edge,” where the musk-oxen were killed by Lieutenant Greely and party a few days before; but no musk-ox, dead or alive, was to be seen. Gardiner being still lame, Lockwood abandoned some other objects he had in view in making this trip, and, striking out directly across the bay and riding on the sledge, they reached the station without incident.
Dr. Pavy made an unsuccessful attempt to reach an estuary at the head of Lady Franklin Bay, from which Lieutenant Greely thought a passage might be forced westward to a supposed fiord or sea connected with the waters leading through Behring Strait into the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, finding Lady Franklin Bay open beyond Stony Point, the doctor returned without settling this interesting question, which, as will be seen, Lieutenant Lockwood afterward solved.
Sixteen, or more, large Arctic wolves were seen in one day on the ice, a few hundred yards from the house. These were the first seen by them; the English saw none here, nor do Kane, Hayes, or Hall mention them. These wolves are large, strong, fierce-looking beasts, perfectly white in color, and anything but desirable customers to meet.
Lieutenant Greely, and Sergeants Brainard, Bender, and Connell, left on an exploration above and beyond “North Valley,” a deep cañon cutting through the “hog’s back” north of the station. They left without sledges, carrying six days’ rations, sleeping-bags, etc. Following the “North Valley” upward, and leaving it near its head, they soon found themselves in a water-course running toward St. Patrick’s Bay. Turning westward, and going some distance, they came in sight of what they regarded as the United States Range; but, a heavy snow-storm coming on, they cut short the trip after traveling twenty-five miles, and returned. It was deemed unfortunate that the untoward weather prevented their getting a good view from that range. The absence of glaciers and large water-courses, the low altitude of the range, and many other features in that region, all seemed to indicate a large sea not far to the westward.
The building of Lockwood’s sledge turned out a failure, for the want of proper appliances.