Lieutenant Garlington and his party, being separated from the crew of the Proteus for a time, crossed over to Littleton Island and left a record of the loss of their ship. They then joined the others and proceeded to Cape York. It was here decided to push on to the Danish settlements as they did not think the Y antic would come as far north as Cape York. In the meantime, the Yantic had passed up to Littleton Island and picked up Garlington's record. She then zigzagged about looking for the boats, and passing Cape York on her way down without calling, she proceeded to Upernavik. As the boats were not there, her captain decided to push on home as the season was getting late, so sailed to Disco. The boat party at Cape York having decided to go south divided. Lieutenant Colwell, taking a whale boat and crew, struck across Melville Bay, and after a most difficult and dangerous passage succeeded in reaching Upernavik the day after the Yantic had left. He followed her, however, for a week, and overtaking her at Disco, brought her back to Upernavik, where the balance of the Proteus people had arrived, and from there they returned to St. John's. Now the result of all this had been, in 1882, the deposit of ten days' provisions at Littleton Island and ten days' provisions at Cape Sabine, the remainder being brought back. In 1883 the Proteus had not deposited anything during her life, but after her destruction Lieutenant Colwell had succeeded in caching at Cape Sabine five hundred rations or twenty days' supplies saved from the Proteus. The Yantic had been up to Littleton Island and back without leaving anything behind. Another year had passed and now the rescue of Greely became imperative. The affair had been handed over to the navy, and Commander Schley was taking command. The Dundee ship Thetis and the sealer Bear had been bought and added to the navy. A collier, the Lough Garry, had been chartered to take coal up for the expedition, and the Alert, given by the British Government, was also going. At the same time a reward was offered for any whaler picking Greely up. The relief ships, except the Alert, were coming to St. John's and would sail about the same time as the whalers, and as we all knew a good deal about the circumstances, we were certainly all deeply interested in the outcome. It was generally believed among our people that Greely would now be at Cape York or Carey Islands, and the Aurora stood as good a chance as any other ship of getting there first. Commander Schley had charge of the expedition and would sail on the Thetis, while Lieutenant Emory would command the Bear, of which ship Lieutenant Colwell would be an officer.
The whalers going to Davis Strait were—
Arctic, Narwhal, Aurora, Nova Zembla, Cornwallis, Polynia, Esquimaux, Triune, Jan Mayen, Wolf of St. John's.
CHAPTER VII—THE BOTTLENOSE FISHING
"The Arctic sun rose broad above the wave,