On the 7th May, Low Point was reached. The latitude of this place is the same as Cape Columbia, the most northern point of Grinnell Land. On the 10th May, De Long Fiord was crossed, and cairns constructed on the northern and southern points. The party camped on Mary Murray Island, in latitude 83° 19′, and were here delayed 63½ hours by a violent gale. A lemming was captured by the dogs at this camp.
Lockwood Island was reached on the 13th of May, and England’s record was at last broken. The honours of the farthest north had been held by England for three centuries. The highest latitude reached by Lockwood was 83° 24′, against Markham’s 83° 20′ 26″.
From the summit of the island, which was ascended by Lockwood and Brainard, could be seen a rocky headland, Cape Kane, to the north, and still some distance beyond, another, Cape Washington. On Lockwood Island numerous traces of foxes, lemmings, hares, and ptarmigan were seen. On the summit, Lockwood left a record in a small tin box under a few small stones, as no large ones could be found.
The return journey was commenced on the evening of the 16th May, and Cape Bryant was reached in nine marches. After leaving Cape Britannia, where they again obtained the snow-shoes, deep snow was met, and Lockwood and Brainard used the shoes for the first time, and found immense relief. Both bitterly regretted they had not used them going north.
From Cape Bryant to Polaris Boat Camp was passed over in six marches. Here three of the supporting party awaited their return. From this camp the whole party crossed Robeson Channel to Cape Beechy in fourteen hours in face of a violent snowstorm. Conger was reached on 1st June, after an absence of sixty days.
The mean temperature during the outward part of this journey was below zero. The distance of 276 miles entailed travel of 470 miles. Lockwood personally during the sixty days covered 1070 miles in forty-six marches. His discoveries extended 95 miles along the North Greenland coast beyond the farthest point seen by Beaumont.
The winter at Conger had been of great severity, the mean temperature for the 131 days without the sun being −32.3°.
On 19th May 1882, Greely visited the coal-mine. He found the seam 200 yards long and extending 8 feet above the level of the creek. An immense quantity of coal could be easily mined.
On 24th June, Greely with four men left for the interior of Grinnell Land, through Black Rock Vale. A two-wheeled wagon was used to carry the provisions, etc. This valley was entirely barren of snow, and in most places was covered with a comparatively luxuriant vegetation. Grasses or sedges 10 or 12 inches in height were frequently noticed on the banks of a river. The temperature during the journey remained extremely high. On one occasion the thermometer reached 74° F. in the shade, and as many as fifty butterflies were seen in one day!
Beyond this valley, a system of small lakes, draining from one into another, was found to finally discharge into Lake Hazen. Numerous birds and herds of musk-oxen were met with. Traces of Eskimo were discovered in many places both in the form of summer encampments and permanent winter huts. These must have been inhabited within a comparatively recent period. From the various relics found, Greely formed the opinion that these Eskimo had dogs, sledges, arrows, and skinning-knives, and that they fed on musk-oxen, seals, hares, and occasionally fish.