On the 12th August, Sergeant Cross, the engineer, was found to be under the influence of liquor. He had allowed the launch to ground on the falling tide. On this date Carl Ritter Bay was reached, and the cache made by Greely on his way north was taken up. On the 13th their progress was arrested by an enormous floeberg, 60 feet in height above the water, which had grounded 1 mile from the shore, and between it and the shore was an unbroken floe. A later examination of the floeberg discovered that it had split and formed a narrow cleft about 12 feet wide and over 100 yards long. Into this narrow passage, with walls of ice about 60 feet high on either side, the boats were steered, and the dangerous run was made without accident.
On the 15th August, Cross was again intoxicated, and Greely found it necessary to put Private Frederick permanently in charge of the engine. On the 21st August the boats were caught between the moving pack and an ice-foot 10 feet high, and rather severely nipped. The English cache at Cape Collinson, consisting of 240 rations of meat, salt, pepper, onion-powder and fuel, and 120 rations of bread, was taken up on 22nd August. Cape Hawks was reached on 26th August. Here it was found that the record left on the northward journey had been untouched. This proved that no vessel had reached this point either in 1882 or 1883, and Greely began to see that the position of his party was critical. He calculated that on this date he had still sixty days’ provisions, except sugar. The English dépôt left here was also found. The bread was very mouldy, but all that was eatable was taken, and the barrels were broken up for steaming purposes.
Cape Hawks was left on the afternoon of 26th August, and on the same day they became beset. The temperature was now low, and young ice formed rapidly. The Eskimo killed a seal on 1st September, and another on the 2nd.
On 3rd September, Greely took the wise course of calling together the officers and two of the sergeants and pointing out to them the necessity of hearty and united action. He expressed a desire for the frankest opinion of each one as to what would be the wisest measures to take. Various opinions were expressed, but Greely decided to make no immediate movement.
Meanwhile they slowly drifted southwards. A tepee after the Indian style was made of the sails, and could accommodate eighteen men. The ice-boat with a canvas shelter could hold nine. On 6th September they were only 3 miles from Bache Island, and about 17 from Cape Sabine. On the 10th September the launch was abandoned, and a start was made for the land with two boats dragged on sledges. On the 12th one of the two boats had to be left, as it was feared that it would break down the sledge. On this date the last of the sugar was used. A high south-west wind sprang up on the 14th, and in three hours drove the party farther north than they had travelled south in three days. This gave rise to much disappointment, and Greely’s troubles were aggravated by the criticisms of Dr. Pavy. On the 15th the latitude was found to be 1 mile farther north than where the launch was abandoned. On the 16th they were directly north of Littleton Island, at a distance of 30 miles from Cairn Point, Greenland, and 19 miles from Cape Sabine. Greely now held the view that the next start should be for the Greenland coast, and although he received little support from the officers, he was prepared to avail himself of any chance of moving in that direction. Unfortunately, next day it was found that they had drifted 3 miles to the west, and this changed Greely’s intention of attempting to reach the Greenland coast. On the 18th land seemed comparatively near, but on the 19th a south-west gale sprang up, and they were drifted far to the east again. Greely now held a conference with the officers and two of the sergeants, and expressed the opinion that everything but 2000 lb. selected baggage should be abandoned, and with twenty days’ rations the party should start across the pack for the Greenland shore, about 23 miles distant. The sergeants were inclined to favour Greely’s plan, but the others recommended delay. Greely decided to wait till next day, but fog prevented any move being made. The drift later set again to the west, and on the 25th they were within 3 miles of Brevoort Island. On the 26th a gale caused the floe, on which the party were, to break up, and it was with great difficulty that they escaped destruction. Land to the south of Cape Sabine was at last reached on 29th September. The retreat from Conger involved over 400 miles’ travel by boats, and fully 100 with sledge and boat. The condition of the party during the drift had been wretched in the extreme. In spite of all difficulties, however, the party reached land in fairly good health and with undiminished numbers.
On the 1st October, Rice and Jens started for Cape Sabine, taking with them a record to deposit in the cache. They returned on the 9th October, and brought momentous news. Three caches were found at the cape, and in one of them a record brought back by Rice explained that the relief steamer had been wrecked and sunk on the 23rd July 1883; that a dépôt of some of the provisions had been made at Cape Sabine, and that a second steamer was on her way to Littleton Island. Lieutenant Garlington, who wrote this record, also stated that he was leaving for the eastern shore, and that everything within the power of man would be done to rescue Greely’s party.
On the strength of this record, Greely decided to proceed to Cape Sabine and await the promised help. The whale-boat abandoned on the ice was found by Rice at Payer Harbour safe and whole. On the 11th October, Rice started for Cape Isabella to ascertain whether the second relief ship had left supplies there. Cross, on this day, again managed to get under the influence of liquor. Next day the whole party left their temporary shelter to proceed to Cape Sabine, so as to avoid having to bring the supplies from that point. The cache left by the wrecked party was reached on the 15th, and Greely decided to take up quarters near it. On the cache being examined, it was found that instead of 500 rations (as mentioned in Garlington’s record) there were scarcely 100. In this record the statement was also made that a boat had been left at Cape Isabella. On the 15th, Rice returned and stated that no boat could be found, and that only 144 lb. English meat was cached there. On the 17th the temperature was 6° below zero, and the party had practically no shelter. It was decided to build a stone house 25 feet by 18. Owing to the scarcity of rocks, the walls were made only 3 feet high, and a boat was placed on the top to form a roof. When sitting in their bags the heads of the tall men touched the roof. Under the boat was the only place where a man could get on his knees and hold his head erect. In this miserable dwelling the winter had to be passed on starvation rations. Holes were cut in the sides of the boat, in which oars were inserted, which reaching to the side walls and fastened by ropes, supported the canvas and overlying blocks of snow which formed part of the roof. The house was surrounded with snow, and at one end a snow-house was built for the stores. Sand was put on the floor over the uneven rocks.
The provisions from the various caches were slowly brought to the house under great difficulties. The records of the expedition and the pendulum were cached on Stalknecht Island in a prominent position, so that no one visiting Payer Harbour could miss seeing it. A record similar to the one placed on Brevoort Island was put in the sextant-box and left in the cache.
On 29th October the party decided that one of two mattresses should be set aside for Greely, who directed that the other should be disposed of by lot. Greely also generously turned over his own mattress to Sergeant Gardiner, who was ill. A considerable part of the dog-biscuits was found mouldy, but although Greely gave orders that the bad ones should be thrown away, the whole were afterwards eaten by the famished men.
On 1st November the daily ration was cut down to about 6 oz. bread, 4 oz. meat, and 4 oz. vegetables, etc.; a total of about 14 oz. On this ration it was calculated that the party could be provided for until 1st March 1884, at which date there would be ten days’ rations of 20 oz. each in which to cross Smith Sound by sledge.