No. 309.
Mr. Lowell
to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
London, June 17, 1880.
(Received July 1.)
No. 19]
Sir: I have the honor to acquaint you that your
telegram instructing me to inquire if the supplies* stored
by the British Arctic Expedition of 1875-’76 might, in case of necessity, be
used by the polar expedition now organizing under the United States Signal
Officer, arrived here late Friday evening, the 28th ultimo.
As it would have required considerable time to make these inquiries in the
usual way through the foreign office, Mr. Nadal, at my request, on the 29th
ultimo, went to the admiralty and saw Lord John Hay, one of the junior
lords, who stated that the board on the day before, the 28th of May, decided
to offer these stores for the use of our expedition, and I immediately
communicated this fact to you by cable.
On the 1st instant I addressed Earl Granville on the subject, and asked him
for a full list of these stores. I herewith inclose a copy of my note.
On the 9th of June instant I received a reply from his lordship, forwarding a
chart of Smith’s Sound indicating the position of the several depots of
provisions left by Sir George Nares’s expedition, and stating that the board
of admiralty had pleasure in placing them at the disposal of the United
States officers.
His lordship also inclosed a statement of the scale according to which the
rations referred to on the chart are calculated. I transmit herewith a copy
of this letter.
Agreeably to your telegram of the 28th of May, I sent the original chart with
a copy of the accompanying papers on the 10th instant to Lieutenant Greely,
care of the American consul at St. John’s, Newfoundland, and I forward a
copy of my letter to him.
Finally, I addressed a note of thanks to Earl Granville, of which I also
inclose a copy.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 19.]
Mr. Lowell to Earl
Granville.
Legation of the United States,
London, June 1,
1880.
Immediate.]
My Lord: I have received unofficial information
that the hoard of admiralty have decided upon offering the supplies
stored north of Cape York by the English Arctic expedition now
organizing under the direction of the United States signal office. I
have been instructed by the Department of State to apply for a full list
of these stores, which the humanity of Her Majesty’s Government and
their generous interest in the cause of Arctic discovery have induced
them to offer to be transmitted to Lieutenant Greely at St. John’s,
Newfoundland. I have the honor to request that your lordship will have
the goodness to cause me to be supplied with this list at as early a
period as may be convenient.
I have, &c.,
[Page 483]
[Inclosure 2 in No. 19.]
Earl Granville to
Mr. Lowell.
Foreign
Office, June 7,
1880.
Sir: With reference to my note of the 3d
instant, I have the honor to acquaint you that I have received a letter
from the lords commissioners of the admiralty forwarding a chart of
Smith’s Sound, which is inclosed herewith, indicating the position of
the several depots of provisions left by the expedition under Sir George
Nares in 1875.
I am further informed by the board of admiralty that they have much
pleasure in placing these provisions and stores at the disposal of the
expedition which is shortly to be dispatched to the Arctic regions by
your government.
I have the honor to inclose likewise a statement of the scale according
to which the rations referred to on the chart are calculated; and I
would call your attention moreover to the possibility that the depot at
the Cary Islands may have been disturbed by whalers or bears.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 3 in No. 19.]
Mr. Lowell to
Lieut. Greely.
Legation of the United States,
London, June 10,
1880.
Sir: On the 28th ultimo I received a cable
message from the honorable the Secretary State, directing me to inquire
if supplies stored north of Gape York by the British Arctic Expedition,
1875—’76, remain and may be used in case of urgent necessity by the
Polar expedition now organizing under the United States Signal Office,
and if the reply was favorable to telegraph Mr. Evarts the fact and to
send by mail a full list to Lieut. Greely, American consulate, St.
John’s, Newfoundland.
I caused these inquiries to be made immediately, and was informed that
the admiralty had decided on the 28th of May last to offer these stores
for the use of our Polar expedition.
I telegraphed this information to Mr. Evarts on the 29th of May last.
On the 9th instant I received from Earl Granville a note, dated on the
7th instant, in relation to this matter, and also a chart and a
statement of the scale on which the rations referred to in the chart are
calculated.
In obedience to my instructions, I now forward to you this chart and also
copies of Earl Granville’s note and the accompanying statements.
On the 9th instant I received from Mr. Evarts a dispatch repeating the
message he had sent by cable, and inclosing a copy of the letter
addressed by yourself to the Department of State.
I am, &c.,
[Inclosure 4 in. No. 19.]
Mr. Lowell to Earl
Granville.
Legation of the United States,
London, June 14,
1880.
My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your lordship’s letter of the 7th instant, forwarding a chart
of Smith’s Sound, upon which is indicated the position of the several
depots of provisions left by the expedition of Sir George Nares in 1875,
and accompanied by a statement of the scale according to which the
rations referred to on the chart are calculated.
Your lordship is also good enough to state that you are further informed
by the board of admiralty that they have much pleasure in placing these
provisions and stores at the disposal of the expedition which is shortly
to be dispatched to the Arctic regions by my government.
I have telegraphed to the Department of State already this action of the
lords commissioners, and I am sure I am only anticipating the wishes of
the President in asking your lordship to convey to them his cordial
thanks for their humane and generous determination in this matter.
[Page 484]
I have sent, in obedience to Mr. Evarts’s instructions, the chart and
copies of the accompanying papers to Lieutenant Greely, acting signal
officer, commanding the expedition, at St. John’s, Newfoundland.
I have, &c.,
