The story is told with dramatic directness in Commander (now Admiral) Schley's book, "The Rescue of Greely." "It was half-past eight in the evening as the cutter steamed around the rocky bluff of Cape Sabine, and made her way to the cove, four miles further on, which Colwell remembered so well....

The storm which had been raging with only slight intervals since early the day before, still kept up, and the wind was driving in bitter gusts through the opening in the ridge that followed the coast to the westward.

Although the sky was overcast it was broad daylight--the daylight of a dull winter afternoon....

At last the boat arrived at the site of the wreck cache, and the shore was eagerly scanned, but nothing could be seen.

Rounding the next point, the cutter opened out the cove beyond.