A few days later Kane and his companions were rowing along in their boats, when the mast of a vessel loomed in the distance before them. Peterson burst into sobs in his excitement, and in broken English and Danish exclaimed, “It’s the Upernavik oil boat!” Indeed, it was the vessel that goes once a year to Upernavik for a supply of blubber to make oil. Soon the vessel came near enough for the crews to talk to each other. You may be sure that Captain Kane’s party wanted to know what had happened during their long absence from home. The first question Kane asked was whether Franklin had been found.
The sailors told him that some traces of Franklin had been seen, but that it was now supposed that he and all of his companions had perished. This news made Kane very sad, for no one knew better than he what suffering Franklin and his men must have endured.
After learning all that these men could tell him, Kane journeyed on. After another halt for sleep, and another long pull at the oars, the men heard the welcome sound of barking dogs at the settlement.
The people of Upernavik were very kind to Kane and his men. They fitted up a loft for them to sleep in and shared their stores in a liberal manner.
Upernavik, Greenland.
A Danish vessel, starting for home early in September, took Kane and his party on board, promising to land them at the Shetland islands. On the 11th the vessel reached Disco, where another steamer was sighted in the distance. As she drew near Kane’s men saw with joy that she carried the American flag. The vessel proved to be a relief ship sent out by the United States to search for Captain Kane. The men, under command of Lieutenant Hartstene, greeted Kane and his companions with cheers and took them aboard. The Faith, which had done such excellent service, was taken on board also, and may now be seen at the Brooklyn navy yard. Though Kane had been compelled to leave the Advance in the ice, had lost his equipment, and had found no trace of Sir John Franklin, yet his expedition was by no means a failure. The geographical and scientific value of the knowledge which he gained during his stay in the icy North was very great.
Large tracts of country, before unknown, had been discovered and surveyed; the coast of Greenland had been explored as far north as latitude 81°, and the great glacier of Humboldt, with a sea face forty-five miles in length, discovered. New land to the north of Humboldt glacier was also discovered and named Washington Land.
