In the evening Lieutenant Greely brought out a few Christmas presents to distribute, which had not been issued the previous year, and there were some prizes of tobacco, soap, etc., raffled for. A chromo-picture of good “King Billy” of Prussia was given to Long, whose hair is somewhat red. The hair in the picture being of the same color, much mirth was elicited, as Long was sensitive about his hair, and was constantly chaffed by the men on that account. Lieutenant Greely made a few appropriate remarks, referring to the success of the expedition, and praying that their good fortune might continue, etc.
The Christmas-dinner was remarkably good—one that might have been enjoyed anywhere. The appetites of the men and of the officers were equal to the occasion. Of late some of them had shown less appetite than formerly, possibly because their supplies showing signs of failing in a few particulars, the table had shown less variety. The average weight of the men was found to be one hundred and seventy-one pounds, Lockwood’s weight being one hundred and seventy-six, embodying a good deal of caloric.
On the 8th of January, 1883, after repairing some damage done to the launch by the ice, Lieutenant Greely announced his resolve to leave for home in boats not later than August 8th, and sooner, if the ice permitted.
On the 23d, efforts were made to cross the bay to Cape Baird, but without success, the difficulties being the absence of light, the intense cold, and the extremely rough ice. It was desired to open a passage to Cape Baird, and make a depot of provisions there for use on the retreat. Their first efforts carried these stores only to mid-channel, but afterward Sergeant Lynn and others carried them over to Cape Baird.
Much of Lockwood’s time was of necessity occupied in tailoring, and he had become quite an expert. Service in the north not only demanded much clothing, but the garments must be strong and warm. Their supply in store being somewhat limited and not judiciously chosen, particularly in foot- and hand-gear, all were from time to time engaged in repairing old garments or making new. Rice suggested a method of doubling the supply of woolen socks by cutting off the legs of long stockings and sewing up the bottoms of the leg part. For his proposed spring trip, Lockwood was counting upon a rig consisting of two merino shirts, three flannel shirts, one chamois vest, one vest made of two thicknesses of army-blanket, one woolen Jersey, one swan-skin cloth over-shirt, one pair of merino drawers, two pairs of flannel drawers, soldier’s trousers, cloth cap covering head and neck with a skirt covering the shoulders, and a pair of moccasins over heavy woolen socks—all to be worn at once, though seemingly heavy enough to weigh down an elephant. The only clothing in reserve was woolen wrappers and socks for the feet, and a seal-skin “timiak” for exceptionally cold weather. Having suffered much from cold feet, Lockwood had paid special attention to foot-gear, but without great success. Frequently he was kept awake most of the night from this cause. He noticed that the dogs suffered more in their feet than elsewhere, and might be seen at any time standing around with their feet drawn up under their bodies. The feet and the nose seemed to be the only highly sensitive parts of the Esquimaux dog, these being, indeed, the only parts not covered with long wool. Lockwood never tired of watching these animals. They were susceptible to kindness, though generally getting little of it. They followed him on his lonely walks, and seemed grateful for any notice or attention on his part. The young pups soon became docile and tractable in harness, though a little more difficult to manage than old dogs.
When the 1st of March arrived, all hands were engaged in preparing for their spring work. First in order was the supply of their depot on the eastern side, and Lockwood purposed leaving soon, to convey several hundred pounds of rations to that place. As usual in such cases, Dr. Pavy and two others of the party indulged themselves in the most gloomy prognostications as to the future, declaring that all idea of further explorations should be abandoned, and all their efforts applied to depositing provisions down the straits to secure their safe retreat in boats in August and September. Both Lieutenants Greely and Lockwood did all they could to make a success of this expedition, but the social atmosphere was not congenial, and there was little enthusiasm manifested. How different would have been this life if all had pulled together! Lockwood was impatient to be away from this trouble and at work. If he could not go farther than on his previous trip, he could at least try, and no man could do more than his best.
On the 10th of March, Lockwood left with two sledge-teams of ten dogs each for the purpose of placing supplies on the Greenland side of the straits—he, Sergeant Brainard, and Esquimaux Frederick, with one sledge; Sergeant Jewell, Corporal Ellison, and Jans, with the other. After leaving Depot A, where they added to their load, they had on each sledge about nine hundred and thirty pounds, or nearly one hundred pounds per dog. Found much rubble-ice on St. Patrick’s Bay, but, generally, the route to Depot B was good, and the journey was made in eight hours from the station. Although they had a fire in the little stove of the depot tent, all passed an uncomfortable night, not only from cold, but from their cramped and crowded condition. Their feet were higher than their heads, and the head in one instance was under the edge of the damp, frost-covered canvas. “Woolly” was found to be lame, and had to be left in a hole in the snow-bank, with a supply of hard bread; Ellison was feeling badly, yet said, “All right,” and insisted on proceeding. Seeing no favorable passage from Cape Beechy, they concluded to go up to Wrangell Bay and try the passage direct from there to Cape Brevoort. To reach Wrangell, they had to leave the ice-foot and move out on the straits, and soon found themselves in an awful mass of rubble-ice like a vast plain covered with bowlders. A great deal of chopping had to be done with the axe, and what progress they made, was with half-loads. They encamped on the straits, and, while the others returned for the discarded loads, Lockwood prepared supper, succeeding only in making some ice into lukewarm tea, which, with cold bread and meat, they hastily swallowed before creeping into their sleeping-bags. They secured but little sleep, as may be imagined when it is known that the thermometer registered that night -48°. Under such circumstances, they seemed never completely unconscious, and got up in the morning under the belief that they had not slept at all.
Reaching the south cape of Wrangell Bay, they turned to the right and went directly toward Cape Brevoort, still meeting with ice of the most formidable kind, over which the heavily loaded sledges had frequently to be lifted. Tired out, they camped at 5 P. M. in the midst of the strait. The first thing to be done was to look out for the foot-gear. This always had a lining of frost inside as well as out, being wet from perspiration if not from leakage. Brainard always changed his stockings for dry ones when he could do so, but Lockwood and Frederick generally let theirs go, the latter from indifference to frost-bites, and the former to escape the pain arising from tender feet and fingers. By incasing his feet in dog- or sheep-skin wrappings, he managed to pass the night comfortably.
Ellison, being really sick, was sent back to the depot to the tender care of Woolly. After moving for a time over rubble, several of the pieces of which came up to a man’s shoulders, they were greatly encouraged by coming to a grand paleocrystic floe, whose gently undulating surface stretched east, north, and south as far as the eye could reach. This floe reminded Lockwood of a Western prairie, its mounds and gullies making the resemblance more complete. As an offset to this smooth way, they had to face an icy north wind with the thermometer from -35° to -48°. Frederick got one cheek and a finger frost-bitten, Brainard his face, and Lockwood his nose. Here they put off the load, and at a run with the empty sledge returned to their former encampment, where the tent was left standing, to await the return of Jewell, who had gone back to Depot B to leave Ellison with Woolly.
The next morning, packing everything on the two sledges, they soon gained the smooth floe seen the day before, whence, detaching Jewell for some stores at Lincoln Bay, which he was to leave at this point and then return to Fort Conger, Lockwood, Frederick, and Brainard proceeded across the floe with as much of the total loads as the dogs of their sledge could drag. Coming within five miles of Cape Brevoort, and seeing formidable ice in that direction, while toward Newman Bay the ice was better, Lockwood concluded to head toward that bay. They did so until 5 P. M., and then camped on the straits, completely exhausted. During the night they had a violent south wind, but they had campaigned too much not to be prepared for this with tent-pins securely driven.