[2]: 21–23 The Lady Franklin Bay Expedition left St. John's, Newfoundland, on 7 July 1881 with a crew of 22 aboard the Proteus, a steam whaler.

After picking up 2 Inuit dog sled drivers in Godhavn Greenland, base camp for the expedition was established as Fort Conger on the northern shore of Lady Franklin Bay during late summer 1881.

[1][3] In mid-summer 1883, Greely ordered the abandonment of Fort Conger, and on 9 August 1883 the expedition packed only essential provisions into small boats in an attempt to evacuate to Littleton Island along the Greenland coast of Baffin Bay where sea rescue was more likely.

Rice died on 9 April 1884 near Cape Sabine while hunting seal, polar bear and other arctic animals as food for the remaining survivors.

The relief expedition aboard the steam vessels Bear, Thetis, Alert, and the clipper Loch Garry reached Greely and six other survivors at Pim Island on 22 June 1884.