IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 |-lliM iiM M 2.0 1.4 1.6 ^ /a om * "^v^' "> /. y /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.V. 14580 (716) 872-4503 a\ 4 s? \ \ <» med beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — ^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimis sont filmAs en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fiimis en commen^ant par la premiAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration at en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. 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NAUKS, K.X., K.V.W., K.IJ.S. ( N .^" !\ TWO VOLIMES VOL. 11. ^ LOXUON SAMPSON LOW, MAUSTON, SKAULK, & lllVINGTON CKOWN IJUILmNliS. Kxs FLKKT STUKET isrs 'AH I >'ihi' /••■.>* M f ./I i I ('ONTEN rs 111 Til K sKCOXn VOLIMK ClIAlTKlt I \„xi..tv Mhout Ahln.-ir- imvlv-Lieutetmnt May .mt m i-lirvc l,i,„_(;,..-r ,nul.l.K-k,- amv..-Hvtun.ur Aklrirh (^oinmcnce- „„.„, „r tl.MW -lAlriu-ts fp.M. Li.M.t. \l.lri<-!.-> ulllcml ivi.oil . ('HAPTKi; II H.ri.lo to ivturn ^.mth -SoUiii--ii. nf t!ie thaw— Miislc-aXi'ii sliol- liMMviiM. iuia .I.MMvasf .ifj)<>liir tlo.'s-Fonimti.m of i.ni-kiuli' Wi- -Disniiitinn of Hoos-Cluin— ( iiv.Milaiul i,v-nii) -Ih-ift-wooil -Airtic tldwriiiii' plants -' Al.-rt " starts for DiscuviTV Bay . •><» ("HAiTKi; III. ;,,. .nlaiul pavtv ,.itaclu..l Nvilh scurvy- Dt-alhs ..f tw.Muon-Cai.tain Stculu'uson' ,.n.,-.vas to Polaris lky-J5.'aunio..t rfturns to ^^ I »is'n)vi'r\ Hav— Account of his prom-din^rs . • • • ''- CHAl'TKK IV. Leave FlocU>vfx licach -Navigation of ltolK,-sontn.aunel-Itsoxlreme ailllculty-Capc rniou-Stopped at Uapc Ik'echcy-Kskimo rouuiins-liruul ^'ccso - liojoin thu ' IMscovcry '- KiHin- a nmskox -UtM urn of Ik^miiioul's party . • • • . 114 \ I (•oNIKNTS. CIIAPTKi: V. Ifich vi'^'t'tiitii)n Ui'll>t Island —Ccuil m-umi ('i»)it' Miircliisdii - Li'itvc |)i«riiv('rv Uji\ < )|)cii wiiIit Kt'iiiiftly Cliaiiiicl Sti(|i|i('i| liv tlif |iat'l\ ' AliTt " Inrct'il mi slum' — Scvt'n> flnnii — Sl(i|>|)tMl i>\\' ('ape I'la /••!•— I ^lvt'kit'^^ — I'liitcr nnblan IJay- 'I'l'iiipcnitmv ami sp«'cilif <.'ra\itv of tin- st'.i — Lal-'iu'ss of tlic mmsoii — I''iiniMitii>n of ici-lttTirs -Slmvl sii]i|tly ol' coal {'a.-^s N'ictoriii llcail Opt'ii waltT— Vi.xit ("a]M' Isalirlla News iVum Mn^.'-laml — Sir AlK-ii Voiin;: — Navi;nitioii of Siiiiili S.hmkI .... CI! Al'l'Kl; VI, \Vf leave Smith Soiunl— Hark at midiii^rlit — (iale <<{' wind — Mardcn Bay — Arctic Ili^'lilaiidi'is — l'o>MS>ioii May ( 'ross Hallin's Ifciy — I't'iinicratiiriMit' tju' sea- Arrive at I »isco - l-li/fdcsiuiudc Sc\cic y-.ilc Ituddcr head sjiriiiif.' — Sii:ht the ' Pandora' — Arrive in Knirhmd A]i|iro\al ot'thr Lnrdsoftlie Admiralty — Letter iVoni ller .Majesty tile l^iiecn ...... I .Vi.K 10 I Al'PKNIUX. I. l';thU(do;ry . . . . . . |S7 II. Mammalia ....... l!»2 III. (iniiilioIo!xy ...... I'OC. I\. lciithviilo<.'y . . . . . . . I'l"^ \. MolUisca \ . . . . . . -J-J-', \ I. In.s"eta aiiti .Vraeliiiida . . . ... L'."i4 \ II. ('rn.-lacea ....... l'K> \ III. Aimelida ....... L'.')7 I\. Ilehinoderniula ...... l'4 XIX. Abstract ol" ltL'Sult,s ohtainod I'rom tliu Tiilal Obsurvivtiuns , oot? ixi)i:x ....... .m", ak.- I.IS'I' OI'^ [LLUS^rilAI^TONS I IN TIM'; SI-COXI) N'oU'MIv I'jfirrninni'iis. ]U^il>\V.VA \\\\ ' \\l\li;i; . . . . J-'i(>,i/is/,irir 'Ai.Kiii" Mi'i'DK m;.m; Cvi'i; l{i;i;t lll;^. KniinsiPN ( 'n \.\m;i, '/'„ f',i,r ji. Ij'.t l>is(i)\ i,i{v ]}\Y Si M.\ii;i; 141 Fmj.-l'.\(!l-: TLLFSTRATIOXS. I('i;-F(MiT m;ai{ ('\ri; I Mux (fkum a I'ikikmiii \i>ii) . ijI(lHTKXl\(i A STUANIi|:ii l''l.ui;ni;ifu iiKK ('a\'i; Hi;i:('iii;y u'Ijom a I^ikituoi! \nn Tin-; ' I)is('(tvi:in ' dn Simin; (iiium a I'liniodi: mmi i , I('i;-KO(IT M:AI! ('mm; TkA/KI! (I'IMI.M \ riKH'ii.KAl'in . I'liiiis OK Camdims ai;i;n \i;ia .... ('nrsiA(i;\ . . . . . . . m \r,:\ L'lO IVnnlu'f'TS. SoiTNi)iX(i loi; I,\xii PoHT Okkick Caiiix ' Ai,i;ui'' ox SiKiiJi'; . 14;; . . 14.S \ 111 LIST (»1 ILI.I sillATKKNS. !• Vl.l Ki:: I?;; 17!i -M'.t Ali.max Hay . . . . . I.KKKi;itTs (;i.\( Ii;i; ... Smoutii-ioi'I'I :ii (il.vrii;i; in lUiinr.N ]\\\ ( 'YKMAi, Ai;M\ii i:i; IN (»..Sai;>ii -'71 l'iY(iiMii\sri:i \ piilvkim: — I. Latku'", \ii;\\ {DHifonffHl) . . . . , L'iiO 'J. l',nr\r«>UlAI. I'l!i'.ri;( ilnN (iiKii/iiiJiifl) . . . 'J\)\ • i. N'ArniAi. Sizi: . . , . . . , 'J'.H t .U.I/' III |\V Mill \Nli llKTlUN TllACKs '/'() fact' jiiiiji' 1 ! _L 1.. -V -I r \' k •B NAEEATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA DU RI NG 1875-76, CHAPTER I. ^ ANXIETY ABOUT ALLBICH S PARTY — LIEUTENANT MAY SENT TO RELIEVE HIM — GEESE AND DCCKS ARRIVE — RETURN OP ALDRICH — COM- MENCEMENT OF THAW — EXTRACTS FROM LIEUT. ALDKICH's OFFICIAL REPORT. I'liE (Tip])led State of Commander Markliam's men raised serions apprehensions reg.'irdinjjf the liealth of the western division of travellers. Tliey were due at the Joseph Henry de])ut on the loth, but as Aldrich's last accounts infonned nie that the provisions he had saved would enable liini to proloniLr his journey six or seven days, and not expecting that his men woidd be called U})on to imdergo much more severe labour than former Arctic travellei's had successfidly combated, I was not greatly alarmed about him. Nevertheless frequent and anxious visits were made to the look-out hill, fi'om whence the blark pilf «)f ]>rovisions foi'uiiiig his depot VOL. H. ij 0 19 ZOf^uxhexut abtrndoT IS b lllJi.'l LtI;.lii.J 3^, , 45' , 30' , 30' IS GiL" ■•■"^' to K^y. '9 m w) Bnmmocks A^H'^high 'S J i^ 29-30 April V^ ?^^- ■O 28 :- f 27 April Tar^98°to 102" West. Ice HvannuKks discoLand by mud. Tracker of a. hare seen. Z6' ^211 .«{;:>;. rr« April. ^azf "^-r-S .. /^ A 23 1 ir •>:■'■ 'S3|23 April, ^*^if^p ?f( \taiiy22 <:6^l k I .y-^' r ^P"^ "M^ ^J|u^ jJ^Apri . £r tA f t^r*. _- T. 19 ZOf^ux hoot abandoned c^ n'"^ mi ,'f^i;'20 April Mjlv 28 OTh, '■ 19 20 ^^ire boat abandoned. Cape'JosppIiflenTy 14. IB y Va •( ^''j!fi^ Trajcesafalemming Poptei- ««y AylesP^\ -^ G R I :»■ N J-: I. L L ^ N J) !^^ Rowlings Hay g, Vs -Q '^-^sWfQJ m .|j|4, ( Marco Polo Bay ■rjlt ■■■• ARCTIC EXPEDITI(W;i87^^ H.W. SHIPS ALERT AND DISCOVERf CAPTAmS (i. S. NARES, F. R. S. akd ILF. STEPHENS01J,R .TJ ^ Depot Pffr.Ric ao' ' OUTWARD AMD BETITRN TRACES on the Sea Ice, extending NorthAvard,to 83? 20'26"N. made by the Northern sledging party, nnder^ the. comnvxruLof COMMANDER A.aMARKHAM:&LlElTTTA.C.FARR,ll.N.^vhen in course of formation or subsequently, pose.«5sed the poAver to cast out a veiy considei'able ])roportion of its salt, this temperature would be sufficient to melt it ra])idly ; but owing to the coni])arative pnrity of the salt-v ter ice it is decaying very slowly, and has undergone very little change during the last three weeks. ' 2\fit. — To-day Markham and I, after an hour's stay on the hill-top, with the atmosphere fairly clear, could see no signs of the depot. Our not seeing it may, hviAvever, be due to the rai)id melting of the snow backgroimd from behind the bluck stack of provisions, leaving it no longer in relief. ' A small pool of water was met with for the first time on shore luider a cliff with a southern aspect. ' Now that the ration of salt meat is reduced, the rough salt obtainable from the salt meat brine is not sufficient for our consunqjtion. It is a curious fact that such a simple but necessaiy article was the only thing forgotten in our ample outfit. ' 2'2nd. — A westerly gale which set in yesterday has continued all day, with a temperature up to 35". This will materially ha::ten the thaw. ' The temperature of the land eighteen inches below the surface is only 6°. As the temperature of the air (> VOY.VnH TO TIIK rOLAlf SKA. Jl'NK ,1' I i!! lias been liiirlier for tlie last forty days, the roiuliK'tiiiL' poAver of the frozen Ln'oimd must be very small. *A lidit mist ])reveiite(l oiii" seeing- tlie depot, so we remain in an anxious uncertainty about Aldrich's i)arty. ' A ilock of a dozen kini^-dueks arrived from the southward, the lii'st that we have seen. They ap})a- rently have not liaired yet. They renuiiiied near us foi" two or three hours, but were too wild to allow the spoilsmen to a|)])roach near enou^di for a shot. Dr. Moss has fixed a wooden decoy-duck in one of the water-])ools netir the ship ; but the passing birds are not readily attracted. ' When we compare the fiiirly-cleared black hills of the United States Eanire with our snow-covered groimd we cannot wonder at the absence of game in our neiuhbourhood. No bird or beast would remain where there is scarcely a bare stone on which to rest itself when it sights the ]irosj)ect of well-vegetated pastures near Cajie Richardson.' The ducks a])peared to follow immediately on the setting-in of the thaw. At Floeberg Beach they arrived on the 22nd of June, the day after the first pool of water wjis ol^served on the land. At Discoverj'^ Bay they were seen on the 12th ; but there the thaw was also earlier, tlie ravines coinmencing to run on the 11th. At Polaris Bay in 1872 a few streamlets of water were observed by Captain Buddington as early as the 3rd of June ; three days afterwards the ducks arrived. ' 2ord. — To-day, with the temperature risen to 37*, the snow has become so soft that, except in the deepest snow-drifts, our feet sink through it to the ice i 1 1K7(» I'OWKIi OF TIIK 8UX. below. Tlie j^'ravel and cimU'i's strewed over the floe near the ship, to hasten its decay, have at last coni- nienced to eat their \vay down thron^h the ice. This is more than a month later in the season than the same event occuiTed at Melville Island in hititnde 75° 0' hi 1853. ' It would appear that the sun, unassisted by other causes, is, after a cold winter, not suiliciently powerful to ])roduce a thaw on a snow-clad j^round until it attains an altitude of about thirty decrees ; if this is the case, then at the North Pole it is doubtful whether the snow ever becomes melted. At the South Pole, where the climate is little allected by warm ocean currents, no thaw can ever take place.' The 21st proved to be the warmest day of the year at Floeberg Beach. The sun having then an altitude of 31°, the same that it has at London on the 12th of March and the 2nd of October, the black bulb thermometer exposed to the sun's rays registered a temperature of 128 degrees. In the sheltered position of Discovery Bay and with a southerly jxspect, a similar thermometer registered the same temperature on the 6th of June when the sun was the same height above the horizon. In May when the sun attained an altitude of twenty-three and-a-half degrees^ t^e height it reaches at the Pole at midsunnner, the greatest amount of heat registered by the black bulb thermometer was 95 degrees. The thaw, however, is as much dependent on warm southerly winds as on the direct heat of the sun at the place. ' 25/A. — The gale died out this morning, leaving the temperature at 39°. Several ducks were observed wmmmm 8 VOYAOE TO THE POLAR SEA. Junk rotuniiii^' south, I'videiitly dissiitislicd with our late .season. 'As the atmosphere cleared, a large ])arty visited the look-out hill, Markliam, Gilllird, and Egerton usinjjf wiow-shoes. On our arrival at the summit, to my intense relief "sve observed u tent ])it('he(l on the ice in Dumbell Bay, which, as May would not be returninj^ without havin<( news of Aldrich, indicated the near up})roa('h of both parties. ' At the same time \ve were a<.'ain treated with the <^h)rious iridescent colouring in the clouds surroundinjjf the sun ; surely eonveyin. ween i ■i ■#£ llie stationary ice and that in motion (hiring' tiio sununer, was observed to le:ive the coast at a point about three mih's west of Cape Josepii Henry, and to pass a niih' outside of tiie islaiuh and apparently a shoi't distance outside of Ca|)e llecla. On the I'.Mli tiie Tarry reiiinsula, two and-a-ludf miles in breadth, was crossed, and the shore of Clements Markhani iidet reached. From a hei^dit of 700 feet above the sea the line of ice-lunnmocks was observed extendin^r to tlie westward in a line crossing' the mouth of the inlet towards Cape Colan with a level ice-lloe to the south- ward, which, like that in James lloss Jiay, never clears out. Aldrich remarks in his ollicial journai : — 'I ([uestion if the ice ever breaks up alto;^'ether ; the land south of Cape Colan is steej), and would seem to indicate deep water.' With clear weather it was H|)])arent that no land extended to the northward of Cape Cohnnbia, and the travellers' hopes of attaining a high northern latitude were greatly lessened. Towards tiie south-west a misty atmos|)here ])i*evented the land at the bottom of Markham inlet being distinguished. On the 22nd Cape Colan, the west ])oint of the inlet, was reached, and a dej)6t of ja-ovisions left for the return journey. The shore-lumnnocks extended in a line ])arallel to the general direction of tlie land, but at a distance of about three miles from the aj)parent coast-line, leaving a fairly level sledge road along shore, which, had it not been for the extremely soft snow, would have ])ermitted as ra])id an advance as arctic sledges farther south had usually made. The snow continued soft as long as the coast-line was j)ro- tected from the prevailing wind ; to the wx^stward of 12 VOYAGE TO TIIE POLAIi SEA. April Cape Coluiiibia it was hard, and afforded fair travel- ling. It was often difficult to decide whether they were travelling over land or ice. From the formation which we observed taking place later in the season, when the early thaw changed the ii])])er crust of the snow into ice, above which the smnmer torrents afterwards de- posited soil and gravel, it is jjrol^aljle that the whole coast-line between the shore-hunmiocks and the high land is a combination of tlio two and formed in a similar manner. On the 22nd, when near Cajie Colan, Aldrich re- marks : — ' While camping I dug down, and found the snow to vary from one to four and-a-half feet in thickness. At the latter depth I came to Avhat I at first thought was land, but which turned out aftenvards to be a. thin layer or covering of soil or mud lying on top of the hard ice. This may jiossiljly have been washed down from the hills. We are alioiit half a mile from the shore, which slopes very gradually iij) from the ice. From the great changes in the de])th of the snow, the floe would appear to be of a roimd, himimocky nature, similar to a " blue top," and from the absence of hunnnocks or floebergs j)robably never breaks up. ' I have called the coast-line "a])parent," as it is difficult to determine where the land begins and the ice ends. ' We now and again come across a crack, generally about a foot or eighteen inches wide ; the?e, as a rule, extend in a north and soutli direction. We sounded the depth of one [ind found it to be foiu'teen feet. 'liii' m April travel- !y were 1 which lieu the ow into rds cle- ! Avhole lie high L similar [rich re- snow to ess. At rrht was a thin of the 'd down :om the I the ice. |i()w, the nature, 'uce of las it is uid the merally a rule, founded n\ feet. 1870 LIEUT. GIFFARD PARTS COMPANY. 13 We could trace snow ten to eleven feet down, a great fS deal o' which was ])robal)ly drift.' On the -OlIi Gifl'ard and his crew, after comjileting the other sledge to forty- four days' provisions, ])arted conij)any, to return to the 'Alert.' On the last day of their advance Aldrich writes : — 'No improvement in the travelling, and the sledge came to a dead stoj) (jver and over again in the deep soft snow, and this notwitlistanding the desire of all to get as far as pan before Between it and the ice was a space of over two inches. The latter gave me tlie ini])ression of being young, and not of the blue-topped descri])tion. Lines of sastrugi north-west and south- east, wliicli is about parallel to the line of hummocks. ' The temperature of the air while travelling was minus 15°. When encamj)ed at mid-day it rose to 40° on the sunny side of the tent inside. Positive luxury ! ' 'dOth. — The north-west wind died away in the niijfht. Started at 6.50 a.m. with the whole load. The sledge does not appear to get much lighter ; I suspect tlie increase in weight of robes and bags, &c. (small jis it is compared with autunni travelling), fully conijiensates for the provisions consumed to the present, and that it is as heavy, if not heavier, than when we left the sliip. However, we all pulled witli a will, and were en- couraged by the travelling improving at almost every step. Camped at 3.30 r.M. Made good three antl a-half miles. 'This was a short march, partly on account of shifting our travelling hours still farther into night travelling, and partly on account of its being Sunday. My men are all in capital spirits ; the imjiroved travel- ling, the warmer weather, and ])rospects of getting on, all tending to a ra])id rise in the "social barometer," which, in our small comnumity, is as desirable as welcome. I read the Evening Service after sup})er. 'The Sergeant-Major has just shown me a very uglj^-looking red i)atch or blotch just above the ankle ; tlie limb is slightly swollen. " M'lf/ Iv^-'riic (piestionablc pleasure of )iavin<»' a hf 16 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. Mat m man dancing on you wlien bru.sliing down the con- densation ct)llected on the inside of tlie tent was dispensed witli this morning, there being none to brush down. Under weigh at 3.20 a.m., got abreast Cape Aldrich at 4 A.M., and then steered for a bare patch on the brow of the low spit which runs off the caj^e, and nearly due north of it, and reached the foot of the ascent at 5.20 a.m. ; ' Found some difficulty in securing the depot, as there was not a stone to be Iiad ; the ground was very hard, and composed of soil and very small shingle, with here and there a thin covering of ice, pro- bably caused by the snow melting in the sun and freezing again before it could sink into the hard frozen ground. On this mixture the pickaxe made but very little impression, and it took four of us, working in spells, two and a-half hours to get a hole ten inches in depth and large enough to place the bottom of tlie gutta-percha case in, wrapped up in an extra coverlet. " Treboggined " down the hill on the empty sledge, packed sledge, lunched, and started at 9.15, being lighter by about 300 lbs. We were not at all sorry to get under weigh again ; securing the de]j6t was too cool to be pleasant. Temperature minus 15°. Whid, force 6, from the N.W., and a cutting drift. We now had a very heavy drag up the low spit, which extends from Cape -Aldrich for one or two miles towards the north, and curves to the eastward. We reached the top at 11 A.M., and were disappointed to find we could only see land five miles ahead, bearing about W. by N., and terminating in a bold lugh cnyic, since named m lH7(i CAPE COLUMBIA. 17 tlie con- tent was to brush ast Cape xre patch the cape, )ot of the depot, as was very . shingle, ice, pro- sun and rd frozen but very )rking in inches in n of tlie coverlet, y sledge, 5, being 1 sorry to s too cool ind, force now had nids from le north, lie top at ould only '. by N., •0 named "CHj)e Columbia,"' and wliicli proved to be the mo^^t iR)rtliern point attained. ' Travelling across hard sastrugi, which ran more in line with the land, and jiatches of level snow, as hard and nearly as slip])ery as ice. Over this we Hew ah)ng, and our spirits rose as rapidly as ever they (Ud on a . good lead opening up north for the ship, on liei- way ■b up Smith Sound. ' As we drew near Cape Columbia we opened out a conical hill, having the appearance of an island, distant about tiiirty miles, and inunediately afterwards a succession oi' vnpes or blufls. Tlie fbruiei- was in transit witli Cajie Columbia N. 10° E. by (.'onipass, the extreme of the latter X. 15° E., and about twenty miles off; so that the coast-line runs as nearly due west as ])ossible. The hummocks continue to tlie X.W., and get farther from the land. ' Off Ca|)e Columbia, at a distance of about 100 yards from the shore, the ice is of the older type, l)ut h{is been merely pressed uj) against the fringe of loose stone and rubble which surrounds tlie ca])e, without being liroken into hunnnocks, but leaving large cracks and fractures. Inside tlie fringe above mentioned, is a sheet of hard and perfe<*tly smooth ice, but extending only for a very short distance. We reached the cape at 3 P.M.,aiRlcam])edon the old floe, just outside of the cracks. 'From observation to-day I place the cajjc in lati- tude 83-7 X., longitude TOvlO W. 'At about two and-a-half miles to the eastward of Cape C()luml)ia, and about 200 feet above the ice level, the snow api)ears to have fallen or s]ip])ed, lea\ing a VOL. II. c 18 VOYAGE TO THE rOr.AK SEA. May |)er[)LMi(li('iiliir wall some liundred.s of yiirds in length, aiul of coiisulcnible lieiifjit. 1 at lirst thouijlit it was a tremeiulous snow-drift; oriufinally, ])erha])s, it may have been, but now it is either (•()m])ressed snow or bluish ice, and resembles the face of a uflacier. 'As the weather gives every promise of being fine, I intend remaining off Cape Columbia to-morrow, and to ascend Coo|)er Key Peak, from which we shall get a splendid view. The whole crew are st) anxious to come, I told them to draw lots for one to remain with the tent ; poor Doidge is much down on his luck, having been " elected" to stay behind. The Sergeant- uLijor's leg still gives him no pain, but the angry red colour lias s[)read considerably ; I do not like the look of it at all. I have given him turpentine liniment to rub in, which he uses with a will. ' ''Ind. — During breakfast a fog-bank ap])eared on the N.W. horizon, and it clouded over ; the wind freshened, and shortly afterwards the increasing mist rendered any attem[)t to go up the peak useless. We were all very disa[)pointed, but we coidd not aflford time to v.ait for the weather to clear. Under weiuli at 3.20 A.M. Temperature minus 10°. ' After travelling a short distanc^e over the old ice, which was covered with level but s])ongy-looking snow, we got on to excellent ice some forty or fifty yards broad, over which the sledge followed me at a rate of about three miles an hour. This, however, only lasted for half-a-mile, when we came to moderately hard sastrugi, running parallel to the land, with a little soft snow on toj). By this time the fog had come down and rendered all things and everything of no colour. May --v^^" 187(5 iCE-w.vvrs. 11) it was it may low or i//i the [)oint for which we wanted to siia))e a course. With a very little care this plan answered admirably, and enabled us to go on knowing we were losing no ground.' On the 7th the canij) was jiitclicd a mile east of Cape Alexandra. Aldrich writes : — ' We crossed a fox track and a few lemminir tracks to-dav. These are the only signs of life we have come across for a long time. The land is entirely covered in snow, except a few bare places on the face of the clifls. ' Tlie healtli of the crew is very good, ex(,'ept stiff legs, which are ])retty general, and only to be expected. The two worst are the Sergeant-Major and Jas. Doidge.' After passing Cape Albert Edward, Ahh-icli ivfers to the extremely low and level character of the shore, and tlescribes a remarkable formation of what he desii>*- nates ' ice-waves.' ' Several low ridges from thirty to forty feet high, and varying from a few hundred yards to about a mile in length, show u\) in front of the cliffs. Their general (Urcction is S.E. and X.W., hence on the east coast of the bay they extend at, or nearly at, right angles from the land, while to the south-westward they are nearly parallel with it. I imagine these ridges are coin[)Osed of hard ice under the snow, though I had no means of penetrating it to a sufficient depth to find whether or no land lay underneath. 'In passing betweeii Ward Hunt Island and the 0 2 V M 20 VOYAME TO TIFK POI-AK SEA. May \il iiuiin land, we crossi'd a i-idu'e about thirty feel liiirh, and iialt'-u-iiiile ill width, which extends tor a mile I'rom about the middle of the south shore of the island. 'Jliinkiiiif it was land, I duy, and this yeai''s moss, which latter was of such a biilliant u"reen we all thoroughly enjoyed looking at it. It did our eyes good. A solitary leniminii tiack was the only siirn of 'animal life. The countiT s pointed to a north-runniu^jf coast; now, as our outward journey aj)proaches an end, Ave shall rejoice to see it iro either Avay, except east and "West. '11///. — The travellinj^f is excellent, smooth, level, and "with the sol't snow oidv two to three inches t' dee|). 'At noon reached the old floe, which is pres.sed 11]) airainst the land, broken in several ])laces by cracks, and has fon^ed u]) small ridires and hea])s of stones and shiiiiifle, but without forming u sinirle hunnnock. ' A short di.stance outside us are a few isolated hummocks or lloebero-s, with heavy snow-drifts around them ; but the actual line of hunnnocky ice is still about two miles from the shore. We found the travel- liiifjf very fair, and skirted along the edge of the shelv- ing land. ' 12th. — Temperature plus 12°. Strong "VN'ind from the south-west. A continuance of yesterday's disagree- able weather. Thick, and a stinging drift in our faces. Our travelling was none the better from the entire absence of lisfht and shadow. Proceedinii a short 24 VOYACK TO THK rOLATJ SEA. Mvr il 1 distniu'o nhm^i the lloc of vcstci'diiy, we hcnnn to round the low 1:111(1 ill tin.' diivrtioii of the ciipc, vvliicli we saw now mid tlicii. We soon jirrivcd o' h' dcc))!}'- scoivd iiiid IiiU'd stistriioi, on Avliicli we lound it iiiipos- sihlc to iiiiikc ccrliiiii of our iootinj^', iiiid tlio wjiy wo all loll and lunil)k'(l aboiil would have hcoii ludicrous liad it not been so tircsonio. 'i'liis work was not at all L'ood foi* the " jianio le^s,'' as the iiu-n call them ; the {^er^jfeaiit, Good, and Doid^^^ suH'ered especially. We reached Ca|)e Faiishawe Martin ahoiil four hours after startin- hours I o-ave up to the men, who used them in patching nj) foot gear, and other little things wlii(,*h had become neces- sary. ' Our foot gear all became thoroughly wet t(j-day, one may say for the first time. Tem[)eratnre in the shade U°. mi 32 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. May Latitude of extreme point Loiitjitude of extreme ])oiiit . Latitude of farthest land seen Loiijiitude of fai'tliest land seen 82° ir/ 0" N. 85° 83' 0" W. 82° 10' 0" N. 80° 30' 0" w; ! '■ 'I •fill ■; On the homeward journey the attack of scurvy fjradually l)ecume uiore pronounced, and tlie fast increasing Aveakness of the men rendered the daily distance accomplished so short that the ])rovisions ])laced in de})6t on the ])assa<_^e out Avere insufficient to last them, on full allowance, while travelling from one depot to another. Doubtless the necessarily reduced ratiou helped to accelerate the advance of the dreadful uialady. On the 30th Ward Hunt Island was reached, and Aldricli's joiu'nal thus continues : — ' Had a hard clamber u]) a stee}) slo])e on the south side of the island, which was covered with deep snow, and reached the top of a ridge about GOO feet above the ice, and which runs to the west in the direction of the cone. I found this nearly bare of snow, and com];)Osed of small stones and earth, similar to Crozier Island, in James Eoss Bay. Vegetation was faii-ly re- presented as regards quantity, in the poj)py, saxifrage, .and small tufts of grass. I saw no actual tracks of animals, but hares had evidently visited the locality, though not recently. One or two snow-buntings were flying about. 'The island, as far as I have seen, appears to be formed of small rubble, &c. There is no sign of a cliff, except at the north-west end, the rest being very rounded. Like Crozier Island, and the low projections M ■■■ i May )" N. ) " W. )" N. )" w; scurvy le fast e daily ovisioiis cient to om one reduced Ireadful led, and le south |) snow, above lion of iw, and Crozier rly re- ifrat^e, icks of ocality, jfs were n to be of a ^f very iections ■>,a 41 187(3 ALDRICIl'S IJKTUllN JOURNEY. 33 off the capes, it is steejier to tlie westward, and low and shelving to the eastward ; and to whatever their forma- tion may be due, they resemble one another in so nniny ways that their existence may very probably arise from the same cause. ' Camped at 7.30 P.M. Temperature 14°. Travel- ling rather better, but the journey is not a very long one. The men are regularly done. ' Our whiskers, moustaches, and beards are veiy much lighter than their natural hues, and their delicate " golden tint " imparts an air of cleanliness to our features, which much require something of the kind to do away with the sooty and begrimed a[)pearance of our stearine-smoked coimtenances.' On the 5th of June they ])assed Cape Columbia on their return ; and on the 7 th the dreaded "word ' scurvy ' was used for the first time. Aldrich's journal continues : — ' Temperature 23°. A veiy sjjlendid day can see to within thirty miles of the ship, a fact I have impressed on the men, with good effect. Observed a large bird some distance off, it llew something like a gull. Snow-bunting are numerous on the land. ' Camped about one mile W.S.W. of Point Stubbs. A curious afternoon ; sudden and very thick fogs, breaking occasionally to gi\e us an hour or so of magnificently clear weather. ' We are all very agreeably sur[)rised at the state of tlie travelling, which has vastly improved in our absence. The snow is fine-giained, and eight to ten inches dee|). ' I have heard many mild complaints of late as to vol.. II. D ■'m U VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. June the cfTects of the peinmicaii ; hitterly everyone, ex('ej)t Ayles and I, sufTer more or less. I attribute it to weakness. Had we had the good fortune to ])rof'ui'e game, I (hiresay this would not have been experienced ; but where game is not to be got, I believe an oeeasional change to preserved mesit might be beneliciul. An- otlier symptom which has become appjirent yesteitlay and to-day with fom* of the crew, is tender gums, which I hope may be due to tlie increased allowance of biscuit. Hithert(3, while rather short of it, we always soaked it in tea or pemmican to make it go farther, now we eat it, or some of it, without softening it. I hope it is not scurvy, though Jas. Doidge asked me the question to-day, " Is scurvy ever got wdiile sledging, sir?" ' I answered in ])ei'fe(^t : 'uth in one sense, though not in another, " No," and attributed everything to the hard biscuit. All hands have been in the drag-ropes to-day. ' 8th. — The tem):)erature is 3 degrees above freezing- point, and the wet snow forms a bad road ; it ai)]iears to change marvellously quickly with the temperature. ' Could not get on at all ; halted, unpacked, and loaded to 300 lbs. This was nearly as bad. Took everything off the sledge except the cooking gear, and a few small things. 'At 10 Stubbs came to me very ill, and I was obliged to excuse him from the drag-ropes. Shortly after, the Sergeant became out of breath, and too weak to get on, so I sent him back ready for the second load. After taking a spell, finding Ayles and I could get on (piicker l)y ourselves, I sent them all back, .June 1870 ALDRICIl'S 1U:TUR\ JOURNEY. 35 back, wliile lie and I (lra<;^'o(l the sledge and tnun])ed down a road. Halted, unpacked, and back for the remainder of the gear, which came up .slowly but surely. After lunch, started with whole load, snow a little ciuspur. Got along tolerably for half an hour, then came to a dead sto]). Canted sledge on to the medical box, and scraped the runners, which in some places had as nuich as three inches' thi(!kness of ice on them imderneath, which assisted in enlarging the tremendous cakes of snow the sledge forced before it. A se(;ond time we did this, and at the end of an hour we had advanced just ten yards. However, we got on nuicli better after- w^ards. ' 9#/t. — I ought to ]Hit Stubbs on the sledge, the Sergeant ought to be put there too, but there is not strength enough left to drag them. Came across nmnerous deep ])laces, which cost us much trouble to get through. I foiuid it a good thing dragging the sledge over the shovel occasionally. Pitched tent for lunch. Stubbs is perfectly easy, so he says, though I daresay he does not feel as well as he wishes to make out, as he puts a very good face on things in general. After lunch, the Sergeant and Mann both gave in, leaving live of us on the drag-rojjes, Ayles and I becoming permanent leading men. Did a very good afternoon's w^ork, considering all things. Temperature down to ])his 27°. We had the tent ])itched by the time the sick came U[). Gmns very tentler, which prevents the allowance of biscuit being eaten. It will be observed, that it is the bluejackets who hang- out— the marine, shipwright, and blacksmith being disal)led. u -2 r< I I , ,i il':. 3G V0YA(}1': TO Till'] I'OLAR SEA. JlTNB ' U)th. — Under wei^'li at 9.55, tliruo invalids follow- ing. Poor Stubbs requires all his eourage and endui-aiiee. Several times as we went on, Ayles and I sardc nearly ii[) to our hij)s, but occasionally we came to long stretches of good hard ti'avelling, and we camped abreast Point Moss at 9.80. ' 11/A. — We are looking forward to news from the shi]) as we draw near oui' dejxjt, — something to give us a change to the conversation, which tumbles into the same groove ])retty well every night. Kead the Morning Service. ' After lunch, the travelling became nuich haixler and better, which enabled us to make a good journey, and brought us abreast the Cape Colan dejxjt at 11.30, all very fagged. I walked up to it while the tent was being pitched, with the intention of getting the letters, &c., but I found Lieutenant GifTard had erected such a magnificent structure, that I coidd make but little impression on it, and contented myself with his note, which I found attached to the staff. ' There were severtd hare tracks round the cairn. Good is thoroughly knocked up again, antl can eat nothing. Made good five miles. ' Vlth. — Temperature of the air 25°, in the tent 51°. Left invalids in the tent. Eemainder of us u]) to the depot, which was all right except the lime-juice jar broken in the neck. Fortimately none of the contents were spilt. Packed sledge, read news to the crew. All hands glad to hear " Discovery " was all right, and communication established. Their success with the musk-oxen caused our mouths to water. We feel the increased load very nnich, the sledge is heavier by 400 i JUNB 187ti AI-DIJICII.S KKTUIJN JOUKNKY. 87 the lbs., wliicli, with tlie coiistMiits, brink's ii]) tlic total to 1,000 lbs., or u loiul of 200 lbs. \)iiv iiiiiii. 'l;]M. — Breakfasted oU' 0 lbs. of jji-eserved meat ^vhi(•ll had been forwarded with the (le[)ot. Everyone relished the change, and ate well. ' A heavy fall of snow, and a dense foYAG1': TO Till': POLAR SEA. JUXK preferable to the loii- far away, as the fog was very dense. ' Having hit off tlie ravine just north of View Point, I returned to the sledge, and found them haulin<»' five or six 3-ards at a time, and then halting a few seconds to I'ecover Ijreatli. Tlie poor felk)ws were all strug- gling, and fully alive to the effort they had to make. Nothing could exceed the ])atieiice and endurance they showed ; and I fell in with them, and we reached the boat and camped at 2.30 p.m. — the whole of them, excej)t Ayles, thoroughly done uj). Under these cir- cumstances ])itchiiig and cooking comes heavy. We divided those duties, keeping to the usual turns for cooking as often as it was possible for the pro[)er man to take it ; but our cuisine suffered. ' Made good three miles (overland). ' 19^A and 20M. — A great deal clearer than yester- day, and the wind gone down. .^Jii 42 VOYAGE TO THE POLAIi SEA. JirxE ' Travelling most ■ excellent, fortunately, and the ravine takinu' us down, so as to admit of the sleclo-e following- ^vith tlie least possible strain on the dra- to wt very had, as we come to many placets Avhere the snow looks sound (Miougli, but in which we sink down till 46 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. June ;t ^'!l we eoiiie to water iiuderneatli. Temperature 35°. Made ^ood six miles. ' Sundfiy, June 2hth. — Lunched iu Eaviiie Bay, and readied the tents on Mushroom Point about 3 P.M. As we were uow only six miles from the shi])s, and we had reason to expect good travelling, we rested for three hours iu the tents already pitched, and I served out the remainder of the medicfd comforts, which was sufficient to give all the sick a very fair meal ; then, after a short nap, we haided the sledges over the land. On reaching the next bay we found to oiu' dismay that the travelling was extremely bad, deep soft snow, water in places, and sludge, through which we liad great difficulty with both sledges, the dogs being afraid of water and useless in the decj) snow. A fair fresh breeze sprang up, to which we made sail, but it was becoming apparent we would have to cam]) out another ni<2;ht, when we sio'hted a sledge in the distance. This turned out to be a volunteer party of officers and men, with Ca])tain Nares and Commander Mark- ham, who soon hurried us on, and we reached the ship just after midnight, amid the cheers and congratu- lations of our shipmates. Adam Ayles and David Mitchell in the drag-ropes, the latter allowed to totter alongside in his belt, in consideration of his own request.' Lieutenant Aldrich having discovered that the con- tinuous bortler of the heavy Polar ])ack extends for a distance of two hiuidred miles towards the westward from Floeberg Beach, and that at the farthest point reached it was trending towards the south-west, demon- strates that no land exists for a consideraI)le distance J June re 35°. le Bny, t 3 r.M. and we "i I DECIPE '10 RKTUflN SOUTH— SETT(XG-IX OF TRK THAW — MUSK-OXEN .SHOT — INCliEASE AND UECKEASE OF POLAR KI.OES — FOKMATIOX OK PEN-KN'IFE ICE — DISUUTTION OF FLOES — CHAKIt — CiREENLAND ICE-CAP — nRIFT-\V(WD — ARCTIC FLOWERING PLANTS — ' ALERT ' hiTARTS FOR DISCOVERY HAY. TiiK return of tlio travellers to tlie 'Alert' so eoiii- ])letely bi'okeii down in health niUurally caused nie niucli anxiet3\ Out of fifty-three men on board, twenty-seven were under treatment for decided scurvy, four others were slightly aU'ected, tnid eiu'lit had only lately recovered ; live men were in a doubtful state of liealth from the same or other causes, leavinif only nine who in addition to the officers could be dej)eiided on for hard work. Our great desire was to endeavour to obtain fresh meat for the invalids, and the officers diligently .scoured the neiglibourht)od in hopes of procuring game. A small su])ply of mutton which had remained frozen in the rigging (hiring the winter had fortunately been saved ; this, with the birds obtained from time to time, enabled Dr. Colan to give the scurvy-sti'icken })atients a fair change of diet, on which their health rapidly improved. Although I confidently looked forward to the in- valids being speedily restored to liealth, yet when I con- Ju.VE 187(i RESULTS OF TIIK SLKIKJK JOUKNEYS. :>! ■il f sidci'cd the iii:i;j:iiitiitk' of the oiithfcak, I iMl (liat it ? was my lirst duty to LTuai'd a^'aiiist its ivpctition. I Accoi'dinjily I dclonniii(.'d to ^ivc u|) all I'lirtlu'i' cx- 4 ploratioii, and to proceed to tlic soutliwai'd with both !:| ships as soon as the ice shouhl break up aud rek-ase us. H I wascoulii'Mied in this resohitioii when I consick'red '! the resuhs of tlie spriu;/ ex[)k)rati()n, Owiiij^ to tlie absence ot'Luid to the iiorthwjird, and the iinpen(>trabki character of the I'okir ])ack, it was evick'ut that the shi|) coukl not lie taken any appi'eciable (hstance farther iu that direction than the latitude whicli we liad already n'aiiic 1 ; and also that it was (piite iui- ])ossil)le to I'eacii the I\)k! by sledging from any [)ositiou tlius attainable by the ship. Tlie sole result that we could |)Os>sil)ly I'xpect to gain l)y I'emaining on the shores of the I'olar Sea would be an extension of oui- explorations ji few miles farther in an east and west direction. But I could not reasonably hope to advance the travelling pai'ties more than al)out iifty miles beyond the exti'eme [)oints % already reached, even should the men be lit for ex- tended journeys hi the foHowing year. The piimary object of the Exj)edition — reuching the North Pole — being thus unattainable, I considered that I was not I justilied in risking a second winter, which in all human j)robabiUty woidd entail loss of life. At this time I had but slight anxiety concernhHif the health of the men who were ex])loring the northern coast of Greenland, fully exj)ecting that Lieutenant f lieaumont woidd be able to obtain enon\ tl »e ■I SIIOW- cs, the a easou's A rracks. •1 re, but ■i e aged / [u tlie "i across _^ ce-doe f L3S into ,-■'* I whicli lias now taken the |»hice of the winter silence, is most agreeable, and we linger in tlie neighbourhood of the ravines puiposely to listen to the welcome sound. To-dav Parr shot two ducks and a brent- uoosc — ii vei"V acceptable sujjply, as the last ])iece of the fresli meat was issued this morning. ' The invalids may be said to live on the upper- deck ; all those who cannot Wiilk ai'e carried u]) eveiy morning. They are recovering very ra])idly. ' :;/7/. — 1 walked over the hills towards Black (Tiff with (}injii(l jmd Conybeare. We l"ullv expected to see a few seal on the ice in Ivobesoii Channel, but nothing li\ing was in sight. The temperature ranges between o')° and 40° in the shade, but we iind it very wui'm in the sun both day and night. ' Our di'e.ss now (;onsists only of a vest, a flannel shirt and worsted sleeve waistcoat ; llannel drawers, cricket- ing trous(;rs and knee-boot.s, with a light flaimel ca]). When once the shore is reached ankle-boots and gaiters are ])referable to the knee-boots. 'J'he snow, although dee)) and .soft enough to reach nearly to the knees, is not very wet. ^ 4th. — Adam Avles is out of the sick li.st to-day. Yesterday another of Markham's men returned to duty. 'We notice, like in the autunni, a pulsation in the tidal-wave as shown in any hole in the ice, the wat(3r rising and falling continually with irregular hitervals lasting about two minutes. Dr. Moss has discoycred a bed of sea-weed which was evidently thrown up on the shore last .season. Having been frozen eyer since, it now .appears quite fresh; mixed with it are numerous Crustacea, chiefly Ardunis and Nymj^hon, with .shells of 1 1 a Mil" ii 54 VOVAdK TO TIIK rOL.VR SEA. July Trochns niid Cylirhna. T)!is .sen,-"\*eo(l lias been torn from the bottom by the p-oimdiug lloeberr cracks in the ice. The snow on the surface of an old floe, affected only su])erficially by the heat rays of the sun, and not a])preciably so by the tem])eratiire of the water below, does not melt nearly so quickly, and owing to the very uneven surface the snow-water collec'ts only in the hollows, and presents a totally different appearance from tliat of the large seas of water which are met with early in the season on smooth ice. ' Since the first melting of the snow we observe that several of the floebergs near the mouths of the laru'c ravines are c(jvered in parts by ])el)bles and debris carried down !)y the ra])id streams, 'The fresh-water at a tenq)erature slightly abo\e 32° readily melts all the sea-water ice with which it comes in contact, and smooths off the ujiper surfaces ell (" Wranirell," edited by Sabine, ap])endix) and Belcher ("Last of the Arctic Voyanfes," ]>. lOl) liave attributed the thickness and the stratification of ice seen by them to the slidinr the IVcsli-wMtcr niiiniii^' (ifV the iiicltiiiLi- ice and I ho soa-water. ' Til all the ()j)eii cracks a leathciy I'lllore.sceiico is observed cliiitrino- to the ice below the sin lace of the water. As the warm snow-water at a sliijiit depth becomes cooled thronu'li meeting with the cold sea- water below it, line ice crystals are formed, which con- tinnally rise to the snrface in sndicient qnantilies to form a thin sn})erficial layer of ice, which must be con- stantly melting and beiiiL' I'eplenished with ice risiiiii; fiom below. ' l{)t/i. — On this dayDi". Hayes broke out of winter- quarters at Port Fonlke, the eai'liest day that any ship has ever cleared the ice. ' The ])ack-ice has now become completely detached from the j^rounded ice, and only waits for the j^'eneral break-up. An open or close season depends entiiely on the sti'en%^ <^ Ua ¥ u li 66 V(jYA(iK TO Tin-: Vni.Ml SKA. JlM,Y soiitli tor iilxnit a (]ii!irtor of a iiiilo luitoro it can forco a j)a.s.saL'o ior itscH'. TJio debris hroudit down by the; toiToiit is Ikmiilt deposited on the hind side of the ice wall as a raised beach, and it a|)|)arently accnninhites as readily above ice as al)ove gravel. Wherever it. does so to more than ai)ont a foot in thickness — the limited depth of the summer tiiaw — there the ice must I'emain and become a (!()mj)onent pait of tlie raised beach.' Dr. Niiiiis, jit l)is(;overv Bay, on tlie 23rd of June .suc('eede(l in sinkiiiii a sliaft, live feet deep, at a ])ositi()n tventy feet above the sea-level, and about lifty y:irds insliore, in order to lay an earth thermometer. After cuttinir his wny throu,i;h four feet of frairments of rock and pebbles, he came to a hiyer of solid fresh- water ice, into wiiicli a hole was picked for a depth of one 'oot without i'eachin<' the bottom of tlie sli-atum of ice. ' While the formation of a niised beach inside of the ice-formed compact sea-wall stretchinuj aloni; the shore is very evident, it is dillicult to ex])lain why, with a jxraduid and contimious rise of the land, such ancient formations are afterwards met with as a series of stej)s ; but as the height of each step increases, and the number decrease with the increasin;jf steejHiess of the shore, probably the beaches nov/ exposed are only that |)art of the oi-iirinal accumulation not carried down to a lower level or worn away l)v the weather. 'In a(Ulition to the l)oulders and debris which fall from the cliffs durin I lie >irk. • • • ' '111///. — Tlic ])a('k is very sli^dilly in motion; a (•nick lias rornicd j)arailt'l with tlic sliorc at a distance of lialf a mile. The ti'nijX'iatnrc of t lie water at the surface was ;)2°o ; l)etvveen a deptli of nine feet and tlie bottom in lorty-six fatlioms it was UU°. 'Dr. Moss shot a hare and two ^'eese, u very welcome addition to the fresh j)rovisions. Din-inir the; last few days tlie convalescents have been able to pitlier a small daily ration of dwarf sorrel sufhcient for their sick connades. '2()M. — I started for Caj)e Union to look at the state of the ice in Eobeson Channel ; Parr and Oifliird, with Frederick and the do^'s, a<'companied me. 'Althou^jfli we travelled when it was low-water in order to obtain as diy a road as possible inside the ice- barrier, we had hard work to L'et the very liL'ht sledije alonjf, liaviu}^ to travel for nearly half the journey over either wet snow or the on shore we shall have heavy work with our few able-bodied men. ' 2Srd. — The invalids are continuing tiieir recover}*, but slowly: there are yet twenty men under the doctor's care, ten of whom are more or less confined to their beds — one wholly so. While returning to the shi[) yesterday, the rough gravel road over which w(; were obliged to journey, between the ice-foot and the cliffs, after first wearing out the steel runners, com- j)letely destroyed the sledge by the time we had arrived •within a quarter of a mile of the ship. ' A south-west gale is blowing, and has driven the pack (^flf sht)re for a distance of about a mile — the water-ch.annel reaching to Ca])e Sheridan, whence a crack extends two or three miles in the direction of Cape Joseph Henry. There the ice is only now breaking iq), a day or two later than that to the east- ward. ' Mr. Egerton returned this evening with the two boats from Cape Belknap. lie brings back 282 pounds of beef, the remains of two musk-oxen shot by the officers at Dumbell Lakes, and seventeen geese — a very acceptable supi)ly, our former stock of fresh meat liaving been all consumed. :i i: 74 VOYACJK T(» tin; VO\.\\l SKA. Jlf.Y ' Mniiy |ii('(('s ai' (IriCt-wood lisivc lu'cri met witli, particiiliirly in tlic luiys open t<>Wiirorts lA' tlic I'mdin^j: of tiossil wood, iiiid trees snid to he in sitit, it is noticeable that the positions where such petrifactions and stiiinps of trees have been found, not excepting' the Ciise re- jjorted l)y Sir iMlwjird Ik'lcher (' Last Arctic Voysi^'e,' vol. i. J). >)cS()), are all in the neiir iiei<.'hl)ourliood of where the water-currents are now collectinj.' drift- timber, iind ^\ hither we would exj)e('t them to have borne it when the land was at a lower level than it is at |)resent, which all the data in our ])ossessioii j)r()ves to h Tlu lave been the <'jise in very recent jjfeolojjfical times. With calm weather the i)ack ha.s closed in a«jain. ere is a very slow movement in it towards the east- ward (lurin<,' the fk)od-tide — none towiirds the west with the ebb; but althou^fh it is quiet here, with a .sluixmsh current, the ice to the southward of the narrow fimnel-shai)ed Kobeson Channel must be drift- uv^ (\UU klv t( Avart Is K ane's Sea Parr has commenced to clear away pa ssaYA(!K TO TIIK roi.Al: SKA. Jll,Y I m more; ])ii1 she is still hoiMc up ahoiit two feet above lior onliiijirv (IriiiiL'liI ^A' water. 'The last of the stoics have luu'ii embarked from tlie shore, and we are now ready to start south at a few hours' notice. Mr. Wootton is naturally auxi«ais to try the eiiLnnes after their haviu'' been disn nntled duriu}.' the winter; but owin^j to our reduced stock of coal 1 cannot spare him any for the ))ur|)ose, and trust that everythiii<' will be correct when the order is j/iven to start. ' Great trouble has been experienced in fixing' tlie screw ; like in the autuuni, when lowered to its rijjlit ])osition, the shaft could not be entered to within three inclies of the end: we have now discovered tliis to be caused by an accunndation of ice in tlie boss of the screw. The nearly fresh-water at the sesi surface at a tenij)eratui'e slijfhtly above 32°, carried down inside the screw-hole to the colder and Salter stratum below at a tem])eniture of 29°, became quickly froxen and plu«jrj;ed the screw before the shaft could be entered. ]iy removin«; the plate at the after end, and lowerin*^ the screw down slowly, after it had been thoroujj^hly wanned in the air at a temperature of 40°, and thus j)ennittintx the salt-water to take the j)lace of the fresh more readily, the dillieulty wa.s overcome. ' A notice })aj)er has been placed inside the cairn on the summit of the look-out hill. It contains full infonuation of our doings, with the names of all the officers and ships' com})anys of the two vessels. The notice is written in Indian ink and j)laced inside a glass tube closed at each end over a spirit lamp — it ^liould last for ages. 1M7({ IMKUUM) DKI'OSITKM. 77 ' 27//«. — To-diiy PiUT ('X|)l()(l('(l ii t'orty-lhrci' |)()ii,i(l jar of |)()\vili'r iiikUt a lii'iivy piiM-c of ice ('l(»iii!.' «mr door of I'xit throiii^'li fhe hiinicr. The i'lK-cl was wry ^rout, jiiul proves thut wc ciiii iiiiiki' our i'S(';i|h' at plriisiiro wluMi tliL' outer ice cases olf; always provided that uo new lloeher^'s hectuue stiau(K'(l,' As i^'unpowder only explodes upwards, j^Mui-cottou is a far more ellective auxiliary in ice uavi^Mtion. It is now stated that there is no daiijjrer in cui ry in were hist year, and v'Ikm cleariu},' away a ([uautity of rul)l)]i' do not expend their stien^'th by pushin;^' at the crown of an iirch, as they used to do ; hut many of tliem still imajiine that force alone is re(piiied. 'Throu;jfh careless work in di^'<_nn;.' it out, the earth thermometer wis broken. The earth was fn^zen at a (lei)th of one foot: the tem|)ei'ature reLMsterin^' o()° ])revious to the accident. The depth of one foot may therefore be accepted sis the j^reatest thickness of the unfrozen soil dui"in_Lj the summer. ' 2\)th. — A beiuitifully calm day without a cloud iu the liiiiht blue sky. ' From the sunnnit of Cape Rawson I observed that the lar«i^e " crossing' floe " which was abreast of Bla(;k Cape during' the winter has drifted three or four miles towards the north, {)roving that tlie ])re- vailin paimy s;i "•1 It seal moat, the sick men were reL^aiiiiiijjf streiiLrth and liealtli ill a most siir|)risii|(jr maimer. AlliioiiL'h still \veak and i)()wei'less tlu're was every reason to ho|)e that all would be sulliciently recovered to cross the strait by the be^nmiinjjf of Aunrust. JJiit for the valuable (lejjot <^)f provisions which had been established at Hall's Eest by the Polaris expedition, Beaumont would have found the greatest dilliculty in obtaining su|)plies. Ca|)tain !Ste])henson innnediately decided to start with a slcdpfe party for Polaris Jiay, conveying medical comforts, etc. As tlie i(;e was then breaking uj) in IlalTs liasin, a. snudl boat was taken ; but even with its assistance the crossing occujjied them three days, Hall's liest being reached on the 19th. After a stay of ten days, during which time the invalids rapidly im])rove(l, Cai)tain IStephenson escorted half the men across the chamiel to Discovery liny, leaving Beaumont and I)r. Coi)i)inger to foHow with the renuiinder after another week's rest, l^o broken- u]) was the ice in Hall's Basin that the ship was not reached until the sixth day, after a very wet journey. A severe gale detained Beaumont at Polaris Bay until the 8th of August, when a start was made foi- Discovery Bay. To cross a bi'oad channel at this season of the year was a most hazai'dous enterprise, the floes being broken up and drifting rapidly to the southward. On the third journey, to save themselves from being driven into Kennedy Channel, a forced march had to be made ; and after thirty-live hours of incessant labour they succeeded in I'eaching the shore i 84 VOYAGE TO THE POEAH SllA. Ai'Kir, of Daly reninsiila. On tlie next inarcli, wlicn frossinir Lady Franklin Sound, after Avorkinii contimiously for twenty-two hours they were forced throujudi exhaustion to encani]) on the ice about two luiles from IVllot Island. Fortunately it remained stationary; and the party reached Discovery Bay on the followinir day, the 15th of August, where the ' Alert ' had arrived a few days y)reviously. The following is an account of Lieutenant Beau- mont's sledge journey, with extracts from his olFiciid I'eports. Accom])anied by Dr. Coppinger and sixteen men, draiiuing two sledixes, he started from the 'Discc 'ei'v' on the Gtli of A])ril for Floeberg Beacli, intenduig to make the ' Alert ' his base for the cx])loration of tlie North Gi'eenland coast. Lieutenant Ik^uunont re- lates : — 'Although this journey does not form part of our exploring campaign, it requires some brief notice in consequence of its being our lirst ex])erieiice in sledging. ' The party set out in good health and in excellent spirits ; but tlie extreme cold — minus 40° to minus 30° Fahr. — making it dilhcult to sleep at night, together with the unaccustomed food and hard work, soon told u]ion some of the les-s trained men, and for the two following days our progress was slow, considering the nature of the roads. George Leggatt, ship's cook, was the worst, and for half-a-day had to walk by the side of the sledge ; but as there was notliing more serious than over-exertion they soon began to recover their sti'ength. Leggatt's indisposition was chiefly due to 1H7<') (llU'KNLANn SLEDCiE .TOUIINEY. 85 I!) liis dislike of jKMmnicjm, and \\(\ Wkv iiiaiiy otlicrs, would not eat it until InniL'i'r coniju'llcd him lo do so. 'The road, with a tew exceptions, was a very routdi one, as tliere seemed to be no choice but to follow the line of the liiLdi and very steep clifls alouLr the iee. Onee we tried the land-foot, but after passinjj some inclines so stee[) that we had to cut a Lrroove for the hill-side ruimer, we were forced to lower both sledt'os and crews down an ice- wall twenty-five feet luLdi, which caused such a delay that for the future we ])referred workinir throuLdi the hunnnocks. Floes were I'are, and of no LH'eat size, consecpiently our ])ro_ifresfl was only moderate. We ])assed Lincoln IJay on the llth, and arrived at Black Cape on tlu; I4th, wliere we were detained one day by a L'ale of wind, reaehinu II.M.S. "Alert" on Sunday, the Kith of April. ' This trial trij) was of irreat use to us, for the sledVA(iK TO TIIK I'OLAlf SKA. A I'll 1 1. &. proliiniiiiiry ten diiys' Journey, and started in ai)parently most excellent health. H*d the Committee a])])ointed to enquire into the outbreak of scurvy considered this fact, they woidd doubtless not have introduc-ed the followinii parairraph in tlu'ir rei)ort. 'How far, with due re,irard to the leuL'th of the travellinjjf setison, tliese evils could have been mitiirated by a recourse to short journeys, utilized for layinix out depots of jH'ovisions, and other jn'eiKtratory ])uri)oses, ])rior to those of a more extended character undertaken to efl'ect the main objects of the Expedition, we are not ])repared to say, but it is obvious that theado])tion of such a system would have afforded an amount and descri|)tion of that ]n'evious traininuj so essential to the success of sledufinus far uiore eflicacious than the exercise obtained durhiix the winter, but limited by its severity.' The followinjjf are cxtra(,'ts from my orders to Lieutenant JSeaumont : — ' Equii)])ed and ])rovisioncd for an absence of fifty- six days, yon '\vill cross llobeson Chaimel and exjilore the coast of Greenland towards the north and castw^ard. ' Your party, althouirh not as strong (niunerous) as I would wIhi, admits of two sledufes bein<>; advanced for the time mentioned, under the command of your.self and Lieutenant Wvatt Eawson, nn otTK.'er in whom I have the fullest trust, and of the two others placing a depot of provisions for your use when returning. 'Dr. Co])])inger, in addition to his medical duties, will take executive comuiand of the two sledges thus em- ])loyed ; George W. Emmerson, chief boatswain's nmte, takino- chari»e of the sledi>e "Alert" under his tu'ders. 187(J (lUKENLANl) SLKDCJE JOUIJNEY. 87 ' During your advance you are to endeavour to keep one of your .sledges on tlie northern shores. Your best guide for doing so will he to follow the line of lieavy stranded iIoel)ergs which border the coast, in whatever direction they nniy lead you. ' Should youex])erience smoother or lighter ice than that in our neighbourhood, you may reasonably con- clude that some protecting land exists to the north- ward. In such a case you should divide your j)arly — one sledge endeavouring to reach the northern land, and the other continuing the ex])lorati(»n of the Green- land coast. But as you are not provided with a boat, anyone detached should return to the mainland befoiv the 1st of June. ' Should you discover any dee]) iidet, which in your o])inion might ])rove to be a channel aflbrding an easier joiuiiey to the eastward than the coast-line of the Polar Sea, it is desirable that it should be ex})lored this year. ' Your party on returning to the " Discovery " nuist necessarily cross Robeson Channel after the ice has broken up. This part of the work before you will require more than usual skill and judgment ; but I know of no officer in whose hands I would moie willingly leave its accomplishment, having the utmost confidence that, with your great ability and forethought, your interesting journey will be successfully accom- ])lislied.' Lieutenant Beaumont's report continues as follows : ' Having completed the two advance sledges " Sir Edward Parry" and "Discovery" to fifty-six days' ])rovisioiis, and the two sup])orting sledges " Stephen- H n i 88 VOVAdK TO TIIK rol.AII SKA. \^ '1' Al'UM, son" und "Ali-rt" in projKjrtioii, from llie C!i|)u Itawson ])t'|)ot, we started early on the morning of the 22nd of Aj)ril for l{e[)ulse Harbour, on the GreenUmd coast. 'Thanks to the road made by Caj)tain Nares' dii'ection, the ])assa;^e of the triii<2;e of shore liummocks at Bhick Caj)e was made in safety by the lieavy sled.L'es ; one live-man sledixe, however, broke down, and had to be sent back to the " Alert " and exchanired. ' The line between Black Ca])e and Ivepulse Harbour leil us in a south-easterly direction, and was crossed by many bands of lieavy Imnnnocks, necessitating a i;ood deal of road-makinj^ for the heavy sledtjfes, and j^M'eat cjirc in the management of die five-man sledges, which are hardly calculated to stand such rough work. 'As we JH)|)ro(U'lied the Greenland coast we passed se\eral Hoes of last year's ice ; they were not large, but were remarkable because they showed no sign of ])ressure round the edges ; it seemed to indicate that from the commencement of their formation, the large and lieavy old Hoes which surrounded them had been motitmless. The old Hoes were high, and covered with dee]) soft snow, while the y and slippeiy that the eiLdit-man sledLre had to be partly unloaded, and then each sled^ixe hauled over sei)arately by all hands. This l)oiiit we named ])rift Toint. ' The coast beyond this trended to the north-east- ward, and was one continuous, steep, slippery, snow- slo])e. Sometimes, where the shore hummocks were hi<;h, tliere was a ledge at the bottom covered with deep soft snow, but more generally the slope ended in a straight di'op of from live to fifteen feet on to the ice. ' The next point was very much the same as Drift Point, and the slo])es continued for some distance beyond. We had to double-nuin the sledges to get on at all, and even then our ])rogress was very slow. To pi'event losing gi'ound, and to clear what we took to calling the " drift-pits," which existed in a greater or less degree round every hummock, we had to keej) dragging u]i-hill as well as forward, and thus, making a great deal of lee-way, the sledges were hauled along by degrees. 1M7(J (;i!i:i:nlam> slkikjk .ioiknky l»l ' rTcxt jounu'y we sljirli'd cm :i iii<>i\' li'vi-l rond, niid liopc'il to make a hctlcr iiiiircli, hut we soon caiiii' !(• niiotlier point worse than eitlier of the other two. 'I'lie .sh)pe, which contiiiiied lor over two miles, was so Ntee|) that it was impossible to stand on it, whili' towai'ds the end it became almost perjjendicnlar. At tin- loot ol" this slo|)e was a toftuous and intricate passaire alonir and inside the lumnnocks, lull of det'p holes and covered with thick soft snow, 'i'lie work of ucttiiiL'- throULdi I'lis promised to he endless, and it was im- ))ossil)le to -ay what was hi'vond, so I sent Lieutenant liawson, accompanied hy Dr. Co|)pinL'er, to re|M)rt on the I'oad ; in the meantime we commenced to cut throuijfli all obstacles. They ri'turued in about two liours to say that, al'tei" two uiiles of a road that jjot worse and worse, they cauie to a chll' tliat went sheer down into tlie tidal-crack and which it would be imj)ossible to ])ass without iroiniLr out on to the ice. ' I liave