During 1883 the American Government appropriated the sum of 25000 dollars for the purpose of having the bodies conveyed from the Lena Delta to America and for a further search to be made for the missing boat. This was carried out by Lieutenant Harber, of the U.S.N.
The fate of this expedition was one of the saddest in the history of Arctic exploration. It achieved little in the way of discovery, but yet, as will be hereafter explained, the loss of the Jeannette had an important bearing on a future expedition which was destined to add greatly to our knowledge of the Arctic regions.
CHART OF GREENLAND AND ELLESMERE ISLAND.
CHAPTER IX
GREELY’S EXPEDITION (1881−84)
Lieutenant Weyprecht, of the Austro-Hungarian Expedition, at the meeting of the German Scientific and Medical Association, at Gratz, in September 1875, presented a plea for systematic Polar exploration and research.
A Commission, appointed by Prince Bismarck to consider the question, strongly commended the plan to the Bundesrath and to all interested nations.
The Turko-Russian War delayed the question until 1879, when an International Polar Conference met at Hamburg in October. At this Conference twelve stations were agreed upon, one of which was to be in the Archipelago of North America.
The United States did not at first take any action in the matter, but ultimately they decided that the Signal Service should form a Polar station at Lady Franklin Bay, and carry out the programme outlined by the Hamburg Polar Conference.