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Maps, plates, chaits, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmte A des taux de reduction diffirents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmA A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prsnant le nombre d'images nicnssaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 m NAUHATIVE OF A VOYA(iK TO TlfE POLAR SEA II I !4 BT CAl'T'. SIR (\. S. XAKKS, 11. \., K.C.Ji., F.ll.S. ('(iMMAMiKU III" Tni; i;M"i:i>rri I ^.t* TIIKSK V^)LU.MKS AUK INS('iaiU:i) IN MKMdIiV OK rilK I.ATK lUGirr IIOX. GEOUdE WARD HUNT, M.P. INDKIt WIIOSK ADMINIKTUATION AS I'lUST I.OIID Ol' Tin: ADMIKAI/IY Tin-; AUcTJr kxphdition ok i.«<7:> WAS l'!,A."NKI> AND CAlllUKl) INTO ICXKCUTION, AND WIIOSK (iKNKllOUS AM) (DNSJSTKNT ENCOUHAOKMENT AHV SLTI'oUT Wll.l, KVKii BE ItEMEMIlEUEIl WITH (iUATlTrUK ANlJ ItESPECT BY TiiK Airnioii. I M Is M .-hi Sc tlu ex in: L!"( ) oil iliv T 11 )n;i s,,l l)V Vn TEEFACE. I I In the IcIldwiiiLf ii;ii'i";!ti\(' T Iimnc ciKlcnv'HircMl to L'ive M |>l;iiii iiiid rMijlil'iil iK'cniiiit (»r llic V(>yjiL2V ol" II. M. sliips • AK'f! " .-iiul • I )i'lt'(lro;id, whose earnest Lfnod wishes and kind >yini:atiries were with us (hiring' our ahsenci'. As the t'Xjx'ctatioiis which were entertained re- L^ai"(hnLr oui' reachinu" the North Tolewere not realized, T must, in justice to the LMllant men whom I com- manded, express my firm conviction that it was due solely to the fact that the Xt)i'tli Pole is unattainable l)V the Smith Sound route. ft' The Illustrations in the prest'iit work are eitlu-r reproductions of photoLM'a|)hs taken by Mi*. F. ^litchell, Tavmaster of II. M.S. ' DiscoveiT,' and Mr. Geor-i>l:iiii I'liiLfiiirrr ••!' I I.M.S. " Ah-rl." <»r iVtMii >ki'Ifli('<< !;ik('ii on tlic --iMii liy I )r. Ivlujird Mn-«s. M.D., Sliri2\'<>li of II.M.S •AK'll.' IJclltrii.iii! (i. !,(' C. KlH'|-|oii. iiiid Mr. Miiclu'Il. Till' N;illir;il Ili'^Ii'lT cullri'liMiis iiiiidc l»y the l\V(t ll;lill^;lli-^t"- wild were ;ill:iclu'<| lo ijic IvxjK'dit inn wcrr, (til ilic rccdiiiiiiciidjilinii dt'ilu" rrcNidriil ;iiid ( 'oiincil of (lie lii»\;ll Soriclw >lli)lilittcd t • • ^j ,(.ri;di>l >>. w In » li;i\(' iin» u'i'i iii|>-. Many < 't' 1 lic^r papiT^ lia\ c ain-ady Itt'cn piihliNlicd in tin- pii H-ccdiiiLrs of \ai'it»ii^ Icanicd s(icit'tii'<. In liu- .\|»|>('!idif('«. i<» ilii^ wnrk, my iViciid Caiilain l''fildcii. lIu- natiirali-l attaflicd to ilic • Alcrl,] in addition in Niipplyin^ nriLi'ina! papcr^. lia^ arraiiLTd in an ahridL'cd t'nrni lli('-«r xaliiaMr cniiirilxitinn^ In Natural Ili-inrv. I liiniiLiliniit ilic iiarrali\i' llu' cniiipass hcariiiii's I'l'K-r In lin- iriic nu'ridiaii : and liu' tcnipcraimx' nl)st'i'\aliniis arc t'.\prcvn'(l in (U-grci's of rahivnlieil. a G. S. Naui: MiaiiniN : April, Ie!7"<. til TIIK. OFFTCEIIS AND Mi:X. II.. M.S. • .\L1:i;T.' 'tl'I'ICKits. rii|itiiiii (intir^'-c S. Xtiiv.s. ('niiniiaiulcr AllMjrt II. .Miirkliaiii. Ciil.taiii II. \V. iM'ilil.'ii, 1{..\., hiitiinilist. Sfiiiiir Liciili'iiant I'clliaiii .Miliicli. liifi.tfiiant \. \. ( ". I'air. I,ifiit('iiaiii 1 i. A. ( iiHard. Mt'iitfiianl \\ . II. May. I'li'ci-Siirf.'f'>ti 'riiDiiia.-; ("iilun, M.I>. SiiiVfoii i:. L. .M(»ss, M.l). I!i'\. W. II. I'tillt'ii, riiaplaiii. Sul)-!,ifut. (uiorfj-t' Le C. I'Jjrertuu. .lanifs W'oottnii, t'liiriiicor. • ii'i)r'''e Whik', ciiiiintrr. mi:n. (iiDiyc I. UiiiTMU^'li.'^, .-hip's sti'Ward. .Ii).-c|ili riiMiil, cliii't' liiiat.-waiii's matt'. .Iiilm N. IJadiimrt', cliicf rarpoiiterV malt'. Nincfiit l>()iiiiiiicti, .sliipV cook, .loliii Thoies, ice quarti'nua.stt'V. .luiiics JJeirif, ice quaitermustt'iv, Davitl Dfiifhars, ice (|iiaitfi'iiiastt'r. I'idwiii Lawreiici', ^'iiiinerV mate. Jamc:'' Doidj,'u, (•aptaiii i'gretDp. Daiiit'l W. Ilailt V, captain forctop. 'riuimasSiiickl).'iTV, captain maintop. Tliniiia- Ifaw lins. captain t'orcciustlc. Tiiunia.H .lollillc. captain maintop. Spent Cajtato, captain's steward. ( luortrc l\iiiii>li, wardiooni ati-ward. J(din I lau kins, cooper, .loim SinnnoM.s. :.'nd captain maintop. .\dam Ayles, I'nd captain foretttp. Ilt'iuy Mann, shipwriuiht. .lames Self, able .seannin. \\ illiam Maskell, able seamou. William 1*. Wnolley, able seaman, (leorvc Cranston, able .-eaman. ItoiibtMi Franconilx', able seaman, .lolm I'earson, able .seaman. \\ illiam l''erbrache, aide .seaman. Allred \\. IVarce. able .seannm. David .Milcliell, able .-^eaman. Robert I). .Syiiionds, able seaman. Thomas If. Simpson, able .seaman. William Malley. able seaman, (ieor^'e W'instone, able .seaman. William Lorimer, able seaman, .lamos I'Vederick Cane, armouivr, Hubert Joiner, leading' stoker, .lolm Shirley, stoker. 'J'honnis St nbbs, stoker. William 1. Ciore, stoker. X 1, 1ST di" ilii 111 liri;i;s \Nh mi;n, Williimi Hunt, wartlrooni i''><>l<. ^^ i"'"'!" I-Haiil. prixat.'. N. (• I'.i.iMii. i;-kim«> iMli'r|»n'li'r. .I"liii llilliii-'. I'lixal.-. FpHU'iifk. (Iiv. iilaiiil.T j Tli'ima- Sniilli. piivali'. I ( tc'iivf I'lirltT. ;.'iiiilUT. NVilliaiii N\ "I'll. inli'ur -.rirranl. Tlinniii' (hiKli'V, i.'"""''''- IIM.s • lUS('n\ i;i;v; • iKFMCKH*". Captain llt'iin I". St('iilifii>Mii. Senior Lifut. ',i\vi« A. Uraiiiiiciit. Lifiitfiiaiit Ii'nlii'i'i II. Arclifv. liii'iilt'uaiit \\ vatt IJawxiii. liifiitt'iiaiit l!t'^:iiialil U. I'liU'Mii. Stat]-Siuv"'<'>i Ufli;ra\c Niiini:-. M.I>. Siiivonii liirliani \N . ( 'cipiiin^'t r. Clinrl'"' i;. lliMlyxni, cliaplain. ('Iiirlii>t.'r Hurt, li A . nalmalist. Suli-Lii'iitfiii'.iit ('. I M. ('iiii_\l»farf. l)aiiiel ('aitiiirl. t'UL'inccr. Mattlii'W 11. Millt-r, t'h^'iiici'r. Thomas Miii'ln'll. ilssi^'tatlt-ll:l\ - MIN. (ifovt."' I!. Saiiili, ■■liip's sfowai'd. (mmul''' A\ . I'lniintTMiii, cliifl bnat- a\viiin"s unite. ]■'. t '. lidily, cliief rapfainV matf. Alt'-xamicr < irriy, ice 'jiiartcnnn^tor. Williain Iluii;.'all, ice ijiiartfrniaHtor. Kihvard Taws, ice ([iinitfrniasti'i-. (IniiV Hnanl, cajMaiii iiiaintnp. I'lanli Cliati'l, captain t'ciitca>tle. David Stfwnrt, captain furt-tnp. Tlionins Sininion.s raittidn Ibrecnxtlc. (icnvL't' linnvan, nijifniakcr. William \\ nnl, arnioiirt'i'. Jnuit'8 .Sli»»])luTd, coopor. Jnjin I^. Smitli. sailmaker. .luhali ( it'ar. wardniuiu •'ti'waril. ( ii'(ir!.'t> Stoni', L'nd captain rnictiip. •laint's Ci'iipcr, I'lid captain nniintop. Hrniv \\ . i'dwai'ds, aide seaman. HtMijaniiii \\'\att, alilc seaman. Daniel (iirani, aide >eaman. .Michael li'eiran, alilc seannin. TImnia-- t'halkley, alile seaniiin. .Iiiliii lliiiL'e», aide -eaman. .lame- Tlmridiack, aide seanuiii. .MlVod Kindle, alile >eainan. I'eter ( 'raijr, able seanam. (iei(drutinn juul disc ■ ■ rv si 'luM lie jidif tllkcll. My l-nlds ('oiimiissioIlCI'S nf llir .\dinil dtA .i.iSC liro; j»l' I: d to scltH't you fur till' cimiiiiiinil df" tlicsniii fxpcditinn. the >^cn|i(' jiiiil |)riiii;i'y olijrct til" w liicli slioidd lie lo iii t;iiii tlic iiitiiicst iiortlicrii liitididf, ;iiid. if possiMr. tn rcncli tlic N'ditli I'nic. and tVoiii ".viiitcf (|Ufirti'i'> til cxiiloi'c the ndi.ic''iil coustH witliiii tiic I'cacli (if traxclliiii.' |»iirtirs. tlic limits (if sliip iiii\ iv'.'itidii liciiiL,' cnii fined within .didut the iiicridians of llO iind I'll wet IdiiLrilndc. ■_*. Ilcr MaJcstyV shi|is ' Alcit ' and * I discovery ' liavini; hen s|»('cially littcd dut for this .service, I am coniniandeil hy tiieii" li(»r(lshi|is to si^rnifv *licii' direction to yon. so soon as the said vess» Is shall he in all resiiecl> (■()ni|i|>eil an I ready, to take ihe ' I Mscovery ' nnder yonr orders, .a nd put td sea with lioth \"esscls. callin;,' at t^'neenstuwn to cdniplete with coal, or scndin<.j in the 'A'alorons' (wiiicii will accompany the expedition to l)is('o). for that [iin'posc if more convenient, proceedinif thence to Hisco. in- Davis Sti-ait. and noitliwaids hy way df Uallin's I'.ay and Smith'.s Sound, to cairy out the special service of discovery .ind exphji'ation with winch von have licen entrusted. ;5. Jlcr Majesty's ship ' N'alorons ' will r(M"eive on hojird extra coal and stores, »Vc., for the expedition, and will he availalde for towiny when rcfiuisito. Cajtt.'iin Loftus Jones has lieen directed to consider him.self under your oi-ders teuiporurily. and after tran- sliippinir stores, A-c. at l)isco, he is to return to l)ovonport in tho Valorous' in tinal execution of his f)i{lers. 4. Th(! 'Alert' and 'Discovery' aftor Icavini^ Di.sco should procoi'd to tho settlements of Proven uml I'pcrnivik for dogs, Nil SAii.iN(; ()i;i»i:i;s. i» Kskiiiio (liivci-s. \-c.. hik! then pass up to Smith Suuiitl in the liioscrutidii (if tlif tiit u <(iU'.>titiii lor yoh to fonsiilcr u lictlicr you uoiiltl leave a d\>'>i ot" provisions iiiul a l>oat at tlie ('iiiey Isl.iiiils on pa»iiii,'. .'). I'Mith slioi-es in the vicinity of ('ajM's Isahella iind Alexaiidcr should lie exaniiiieil in ordei to Neh-ct a Miitaltle position tor the depnl ol' nlief ship wliieh wiU. in the event of the exjiedition re- inainini.' in the Arctic rei^ion-. ''e despati'heil in 1^77 : hiit as >uch a po>itii)n c.innot Ik- ulisohitely determined on Ipeforehand. ami it is necessary to decide u iiere int'orniatioii will l>e t'ound liy •my ship which mav lie sviliseipientlv >ent out tVom l''n;,dand. I.yttcltoii Island, in tiie opiidon ot" competent authorities, nu'cts all the ro(|iiiremeni> of a fixed point (»f rendc/.vons. Here a con>picuons ■C'.iirn shouM li' eri cted ; one record placed in the cairn, another laid lioidi' it on the iiortli side, and a third luiried twenty feet duo north of it. These reords should contain proceeiliuirs of th<' voyaiic aiul such information jus may he necessary for the I'om- uiaiuler of the ship to lie dopatched in lfS77. hiiidil then proceed up Smitii Sound w ith all s])eorl. so loni: as it> navi-^'ation is nut >eriously ohstructed liy ice, a careful scrutinv lieiii;.' made of its shores for places of seciu'itv I •- for the ships, stopping.' only to erect cairns on such umspicuous points as may he conveniently landed on. Similar int'ormalion should lie placed at the>-e (•;iirn>. and alter the same method as descrilx'd foi- the cairn on J.yttelton Island. It i>. moreover, necessary to In' hori'.' in mind tliat tlie.se records of the pro^'ress of the ex]ieditiiin and of any chan<.'e of plans you may iiave found neees,>arv to make, form an important te;iture in the^' instructions. 7. It is di>iralile ih.nt thesi' c;iirns >hould not lie moio than sixty mile> apart. I'.y way of illustration, may U' named ('apes Fi'azer, liack. ami lleechey on the western shore, an«l Capes.Jack- .son and Ihyaii on tiie eastern shiiect()r-( Jeiiei'nl of tlie Medical I )e|iartiiieiit ot tlie Navy on the .sul)jec't, S. 'I'lie yeiieral desiifn of the e\| sedition shoidd l»e, that w Idh* Iwth sliijis woidd siiai'e as far as pd-silile in the olijecls of discovery and exphn'ation, one must J>e sd placed tliat she would not only serve for the crew of the other to fall hack upon. Imt also, that the united crews coidd, without doul)t, escape from her to tlu' lelief ship at the entrance of Smith Sound, l>y means of their slesei|uently, to place a iccord on the eastern side of the prohahle or ahsolute position of the second ship ; and in the alisence of any conspicuous cairn, a shi]i or party visitiuif till' hay wintered in hy the ' I'olari^.' in aliout Si .'?.') north, would naturally seek the position of Hall's i;rave, w hoi-e. and at twenty feet due north of it. records would he ex|H>cted to he foinid. l<>. The captain of the second ship, wheiever placed, would follow such instructions as he will have received on partinir eom- pany, or suhsecpiently, fnuii yourself. 11. it sho\dd he a ma'ter for con.sideration. whether, hefore partiut;, you woidrovisions with your cou.sort, so as to he iivailahle foi- your own crew should they have to retreat, hut time and ciirum- utances nuist govern yoin* decision on this point. .1 ■V-.- iM xi\ SAlLlNfi OIIDKHS, 12. Hiiviiii; MSsiirtMl youi-sflf of tlif siifcty of vour consort, aiul intToascd voiif (uvn crew l)y such |)nition of Iht crew as you iiiiiy (Icciii ut'cc>.->iirv to ciialil'' yon to accciniilisli a slt'o the e\|>h>i'alion of yoiif shai'e of tlie coast-line extendim,' nortliwai-ijs. yon should, as le.ider of the eX|>i'dilion. tiieu |insh on nortlivvai'il. and exphtre liy ship as much of the indlani'e : or the case may arise, in wliich it niav he evi'u wi>e to rejoin ynur con^oil and unite the fori'i's of hdili ships for exploration in the spi-im,' and snnoiicr of ].'). Should the advance shi)i, after leavin ami recoiils as already ile- scrilii'd : and also to deposit at the most northern station, a depot of jirovisions and a hoat. for yoiu' sprimj; travelliuL' parties. 1 k VotU' own eiew having lieen inereaM'il as alxive referred to, liv such portions ol' tin' en'W of yniir consort as you may deeni ne.ess;uv. it is expect'd thal\i>u will have at least six strong' sledge partie.-. and fair i\(«^ >ledi;es, with which to couunence further ex]>loration in early spiiuif. All the.->e ]iarties slioidd l)e emjiloved in the first instance to push out the Nortii l*oIe party (which -lioiild lie provided with at least one hoat), and upon return from this work, snun' weeks later, the parties for the exploration of the coa.stlines .--hoiild he sent out. 1."). it mu>t 11' it. however, lie lost sij.dit of that, in the alisence of continuous land, slediro travellinti has neviT yet been found practicaiile o\er any cousideralile extent of unenclosed frozen sea, allhouLih eoiiditiiniN may lie t'ound to exist which would enalile parties to travel tor limited distances iiy sledtje antl l)oat op"rations conihined, and for this |)iirpose the in>t hoats ami sled;.,'es that can lx»devistd have heeii siip|ilied. 10. Von will he careful to furnish ample instnictious to the captain of the * I )isco\c'ry,' e.-pecially in regard to the explorations to lie iniderlaken hy him diiriiii.; the spring' ami Niimmer of 1S7(!. 'i shot! si.l.- is7f vor_\" doi^ Lion. the ceei ij i 51 SAii.iNii (tKi)i:i;s. XV hIiouM tht' ships \vintrctivt' jMisitions; this, iinlt'ss inwlci" v»?rv uiifuvuiif.ihlc conditions, would lit> prohahly acconililishc I hy doj:; jKirtits, without intcrfi'i-inu much with tin- oltji'cts of I'xplora- Lion. In conu'.ction w itii this sidijcct, you should U-ai- in mind the necessity of i^ivint; ^U(■h instructions ;ts would i,'ovfi'U his pi-o- cccdin,i;s in thr cM'nt of this proving' to 1h' a final x-paration. 17. it lias already l.een i,ieutioneil that the limits of shi}> navii,'ation should i)e conlined within ahuit the nii'iidians of 20^ and IKP ivtwt lon,<,'ituile : hut even within the>e limit.-, tho possible contini,'ency of a final sepaiation luiLjIit arise from soni" suilden and unfoi'cseen uu)venu'nt of ice from which one or hoth of the Hhi[)s I'ould not he extricated ; resulting;, it may lie. in the advanced ship iieiuL; carried hy the southerly drift passiui^ the ea>torn shoit* of (Jreeidand s.upposini,' (inenland tn lie an island. IS. I' will he impossihle therefore to j,'ive any positive or detailetl instructions for your guidance after (piittini^ your con.sort, further than that you shouhl use your hcst endeavours to i-ejoin her in the na\i'jalile season of |S7ti. and in company with her n'tui'ii to i'in;,dand, provide Intni reasoiialily successful. Ihit in the <'\cnt of another seasou l»ein^ aiisolutely reipiired to complete a I'casonalile amount of exploration, still it will lie a matter for careful consideration, whether it would not lie advisalile that the ad\aiici'd ship should fall hai-h towards her consort from any ad\anced positi(*n she may have wintered at; ami. should it still remain douhlfiil whethei- a final retreat cnuld he effected, the second ship mi,i,'ht not he moved southward to such a position as would .secure it. lit. In IS77 you are at full lilierty to ahaudou your ship as early as couNcnient. if, in your opinion, the explorations of the lirecediuif yi-ar have heen final, or, if from your oxpt'iience of the naviy-ahle seasons of ls7."> and 1S7G, in yiUM" judirment, lier escape in 1S77 would he douKtful : you should in this case so time this abandonment as to i-each the relief ship ;it tlu' entrance of Smith Sound not later than the first werk in Septeudier |S77. l'O. \n the event of your remaining out in the hope of t'xtri- catinj,' your own, or it may be both ships. l(>, under ruiv ciicunistanf-s. that a .sinijlc ship shoiihl 1k' h-ft to wintnT in thr Arete I'eu'ions. If one ship i-eniains n|> Sniitii Sound, a seci'iid slii]' siinuld remain at the reuilf/vous at its entranee. '2'2. In the suninit'r of I S77. a i-elief or depot >hi|iNvill lie di- spatehed to Smitii's Sound, and siie will 1k' directed, in the first instanee. ti> repair to l.yttelton Island, and then to follow sueli instruetions as you may ha\e deposited in theeaiin thei-e. The instructions you will leave for Hiis ship, so tar as they neee ei|uip|MMl and fitted fta- winterini;; in the Polar Seas. ainl. in the event of there Keiui.' no tidings of tlio exi>edition nor in>tru(tioiis to the conti'ary. in the records to lie found at the reiide/.vous you will have naniecl. >lu' will he ordered to pass one winter at that rendezvou.s. retui'ning (o Kngland lYi t'le lat<\st part of tlit- iiavi^'al'le season of ls7s. ■J.'?. II'. under the circumstances .-lUnded to in pai-agraph L'O, tlie retreating paitie^ slunihl arrive at l.yttelton Island in 1S7S. and timl no relief shiji there, or no intelligence of her, it will he t.-ikeii for L'riinted that some unforeseen accident has pr<'venti'd her reaching hyitelton Island, and in that ca.se the retreating parties must rely on their own rest mrces for reaching I pernivik, lookinn out. of course, for the u halers on liieir lishing grounds. iMt ucen the months of May and August. The expedition will, in any case, on its leturn. revisit the cairn on Lyttelton Island, and leave nH'ords. •Jl. Should the .-eason of ls7.'") 1m' so nnfavoiu'alile a.s tti prevent the expedition from penetrating heyond the 7'Jtli parallel, it is left to your disci etion to dtvide whether the ships shall winter tiiere, or return to Kmrland and reii('\%- the attempt the following year. ■Jf). Although the exjw'dition intrusted to yom- charge Ls ono of exploration and discovery, it must 1m- ke,,t in view that detailed surveys are unnecessary. The recpiin-nients of hydrography and geography will he provided fir if the prominenf features ami SAIMN(; ()I!T>EI{S. XVll 2f'iirr;il outline of (he .^liorcs aic Kkt-tflu'd in as fiiitlifiilly as cir- cMiiistaiict's will lulniit : and to onsin-c tlrii' rt'coj^nition by fiitiiro ox|)loi('rs. Ill tlio (letfnninatioii of tin- astrononnCal position of tilt' |)i-inci|tal points, no doiilits sliouM l>t' pciinittod to exist as to the fidelity of the results tiiat may lie arri\ed at. so as to ensure c'onlidenee and re.speet. •_*(). Further, as the olijeet of the expedition is for tiie ailvance- nipnt of science and natural knowledge, tlie memoranda fnrnisheil liy the Hoval and Jtoyal ( !eohical Societies of London, at the re(|uest of theii" Lordships, are supplied for yoin- i^uidance. The most apjiroved instruments have Iteen furnished to you for the ]>urpose of ]>ursuin<:j rese.airli in the sevei-al hninches of ])liysical science, and as cei-t^iin of your otlicers have heen spirially instructed in the modes of ohservini;. you will take care to ^ive thi'm eveiv fair opportunity of .iddini,' their contrilaitions thei-oto. '27. Vou will iil.so receive assist.mce from the two ijentlemeu who h.ave heen appointed as naturalists to the expedition; and every reasonable facility shoidd be iriven for the colh'ction and pie- scrvation of sui'li specimens of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kinndoms as can Ix' conveniently stowed on Invard the ships. These sju'cimens ;ire toln' considered the pidpei'ty of Jler Majesty's (lovernnieiit. and to Im- at their ilispoNil. L*S. In case of any iirepanil'le accident hapjH'nini; tt) one of the ships, the otlicers anil ciew of the disabled vessel ai-e to be removed to the other, ancl such arrauLjeuients are tola.' made a-s ajipear to you to Ik* the n\ost expedient and conducive to tlio objects of the expedition. '2\K In the event of the 'Alert' U-ini; the ship di>abled. my Lords hereby authori.se you *o take command of the • Discovery,' and in the event of any fatal accident h.ippeninic to yourself, Captain Stephenson is hereby authorised to take command of tlio ' Alert,' placinj^ the otlicer next in seniority in command of the ' Dlscoveiy.' Ahso, in the event of your own inability, by sickness or otherwise at any ]»eri<»(l of this service, to continue to carry these instructions into execution, yo\i are to transfer them to the officer the next in .seniority to you employed in the expedition, who is hereby re<(uired by their J..oi(lships to execute thoni in the best manner practicable for the attainment of the objects in view. 30. Every available opportunity is to be taken to communicate your proceedings to me for their Lordships' information. VOL. L a XVIII sAiLiNc ()iM)r.i:s. 151. On your arriviil in Kiii,'l;in(l. you aiv forthwith to repair to the Admiralty, to lay In^lore their Lonl>lii|is a full acfount of your procoodinys ; haviui; previously i-tveivetl from the otliccrs and all othi'r persons in (lie expedition Ihe journals or memoiaiK da tl loy may have kept, and tin- eliarts, drawiiii^s. and tdtservations which thoy may have made. Sueh of these journals and documents lus may he of an unotlicial eli.irai'trr w ill lie ii'turneil to the writers hen no Ioniser retjuired for the puMie reijuiienieiits of the ex- w iiedition. .'{■_'. lu conclusion, my Lords de.^ire me lo state, that havinj.^ full conhdence m \ead wliale — Must (iri't'iilaiiii dfit't icu— Sifrlit ' Valorous' — Seals and walrus — IK'srriptiuii of jiack-icf — Antarctic ici' — A j.'ale — Discoloura- tion of sea -Inaccuracy of charts — Sioht ' Discovery '- Drtnlirc on Toi'skf Imiik — Uross Arctic circle — (Jrcoidand Mcr-tlt-Glace CllAPTErv II. C(U-dia] reception hy the inspector — Ap]toarance of the land — \ isit toOvifak — Temperature of Disco Hay — Icebergs — ]']ider ducks — Crowded state of Arctic ships — liitenbenk — VN'aijrat Channel — liMst si^jrht of llie ' \'alorous ' — Proven — I'pernivik — Leave Hitonbonk — Fasteiiiu;.' to an iceber;.' — Scenery of coiust — (Jeolo^ncal fornuition — Hans Ileindrich — Sanderson's Hope — Upernivik— Danish olliciuls V« CHAPTER in. lionve I Upernivik — Intricate navigation — 'Alert' afrround — The 'Middle Ice'— Melville Ray— Cape York and the ' Xorth Water'— Natives of Cajte York — Beverley Clill's— Cary Islands — Nortbuinberhind and Ilakhivt Islands — Cape Alexander "a2 ;u ^i XX roNTl'.NTS, CHAPTKi; IV I'AdlC TlartstPiip Fmy— liifr-lxmt ( 'ovo— * roliiris ' winter (iimifora— I.ittlftnti Isliiiul -Mtiili— Ciipt' Isnlit'llii— rnviT Harliiiiir (\\w rSahiiif—l laves Siiiniil — Aloxiimlm lliiveii— Twin Ci lacier Niilli'V — Kskiuio nii^'ratiou ^><^ riiAPTKi; V. He-enter Sniiili Smiul— (.•aii;.'lit in the i>acli — llscaiw— Ciipo N'ictoria — l-'ranklin I'ierce liay Walrus- N'nrnian Ldckycr Island — ("a])e llawKs — WasliinLMon Irviiijr Island — JKililiin May — Ditir-sii'Kuess — IVrildUs position of n\ny» — Koundinj: Cape Frazer 7:1 ClIAlMKi: \T. Cape John Tiarrnw — Cape Collinson — Opon water— Cape Constitu- tion — IJessels llav — Itiscovery llarlioiir — ^fnsk-iixen - Sliips part conipanv — Cape ]{iu'cliey — In tlie jmck — I'eriloiis position — I -cape — Cape I'nioii ........ 08 ClIAlTKl! Vn. Cape Josppli Tlenry — Tlall'.s observations — Shut in by the pack — liawson and Aldrioli start — Markliam leaves ship — "N'o land to the nortli — Aldrich returns — l'"ui-i(ius jrale -Markhani's return — .\ttenipt to leave I'IooIht).' IJeach — .'Vocident to screw — Frozen in — Departure of autuum sh'd^'e parties ].",0 CHAPTKH Vni. Rftw,son'.s second start— Aldrich's return — Ills jonrnev to Cape Joseph Henry — llt;avy snow-fall — Conditio!' of the ice — Ilawson returns — Failure to coumiunicate with ' Dis«'overy ' — Markluuu's return — Frost-bites — Ilesidts of autumn sled^iufr ir,.'] chaptkt; IX. Preparations for winter — Dofr-sickness — 8now-liouses — Ventilation of Arctic ships — Arctic clothinii- — Astnuioniical Observations — Fire-hole— Aurora — Tlie moon — The 'Ladies' Mile'- IJoval Arctic Theatre — Paraselena— Arctic darknes.s — Ilifrh tempera- ture — Christmas — End of the vear 174 CONTI'NTS. CirAPTKII X. Tidal ifn-istfi> — Itftuniiiiir ixNiliji-lit SiiDW-tlonr— Stius in tlio Milky Way MiTciiry rm/oii— ('oiilnictinii nl'calilt'^ llialtli of tlu' {■,'.\|ii-ilitii)ii - .Mii-^ky tlavniir nt" iiifat- Alisfiiff of jilaiiol.s — A Iciiiiiiiiij.' caiiiiirt'il l>(in--sii'il;rii)ir - 'l"(.iii|i,.nitiiro of tlie f^ea — liftiini of tiic Mill -- Ifeiiiks rai.-ed liy ice-pi'O'^.siii'c — Vy-t) crews — Kp-rton letive> lor Discovory liay— I't'tcrsen's illness — Dog sled jrin^' — Sprinijr visitants- — Wolves and musk-oxen . XXI I'Adi: L'l; or,-) f •'S'j CIIAITKK Xir. Departure of t lie slwlfrc parties — News from tl;e 'Discovery' — Account of I'irertou's journey — Tiip to (Jreeiiland — Dr. Moss and Mr. White n'tiirn — Arrival of sledges from the 'Discovery' ■ — Archer visits INdaris Hay— Cajitain Stephenson's arrival — (iilfard's return -His party attacked by scurvy -Mgerton and I'Vildrii return— Excursion to Capo Josei)h Henry — Mount Julia— Ueturn to the 'Alert' cirAPTpni XI 1 1. Increase of scurvy— ('onxhiare anives from Discovery Bay — Pro- ceedings of parties from ' JJiscovery ' — Lady Franklin Sound — ]5oats taken to ( creenland - I'olaris Pay — I'aptain Hall's grave ■ — His last record — Chronometer — N'ilalily of wheat — Cop- pinger's journey CHAPTER XIV. Lieutenant Parr arrives on board ' Alert' — I)ist^es^ing condition of northern division of sledges- IJelief party start — Death of (ieorge Porter Markham's journey 344 ;];U LIST OF ]LLLSTiiATl(3NS IK TIJE FIUtST VOLUMJ' I'lioTOciiiArns. ri.oETiKWi BK.\nr— Pi'Hix(i . ST(ti'i'i;i> iiv Tin: Id; nir ('apt; ritrscon Flokiikho AM) i-iiEssi:i)-i r III iiini; ui; Frotifi'spi'rri' '/'■' fdcc pci/f ^4 FULL.PAriE iLLVSTUATliiN. Ni;\vi.\-FnnMi;i) l''i.iii:iiKi<(is (I'XdM a ruuiuciKAru) WOODVrTS. (ioniiAAi! Disriucr . • • • " • (Juori* OK AliniC IIUiUI.ANDEUH .... Bkvehi.ky Cmfks, 'CiiiMsox Cnri's" ok Siu .Iuhn Koss NoKTii-wiisT Point, XoimirM»KHi,AXi» Isj.axd . lUciiANAN Strait, IIayks Sound . . » Twix Glacier, UrciiANAX Sound Amateuu T)oG-D1UVEK8 . . Cape Hawks . . ■ • • 12 m 4:3 m 05 G8 83 87 \ .\ I v LIST MF 11,1,1 STI!.\TI(>\.. <"'\i"i: .lnii\ Hv I:i;mu (' \v\: 1 UN >ri 11 I i(i\ lli:u> i>r Mi^K fi> vMi:i. Suns I^N„i; Cv,.,. .Fusuni |||.; I xuv J''»i.->l.i:iM,i: I'ltozns Cii Tin; I, I'aI!\si;i,i;\\ M i\im;v \i'ii;s' .Mii.i; I- "I NT IIm.i .\, iiiizi:n |!i:m;i, . Kill (iiAsr di' (l|;i;i;.M..vM ■I.i;iM,i; lo\vi;iii;ii n\ i;i; |j| MM'M K iln.l'IMi n(iii-si,i:ii,,i; I'"<-H.i:iM,i: l»i;i\i.N,i ,,\i,i. I| 1*1 VMm.m, J), ^|. _ !"i\*V \ ll(\|M,,i ' M.Mii) h? <'\i'i: I .AWS iV S.\,iU M ni'l: "i:\\ i; (,!■ ( '\i. I \ I N III I.I. I'*lll.- !>!• KM Kir II.: I:: I iri» l!»l liOH 'Jf<7 -".»4 .'KK) .'{(Ml •.im .V.I/' Smith Simn!). ;(i;\ m;:'Y i.\i. I »|ilii;.su.\ Cll v.wi;!,; ■/•- /•. />"!/!■ INTEOI^UCTION. It Ii;i> ;)('i'ii lV('(|i[i'iilIy said tliat Arctic discovery is the IicritaL""*' of (Uir nation ; it was iHTjiK-atlicd sonie three ci'iitiines since l)v Di l\ l^ lllld." on, 1 )alhn, aiK I other illustrious seamen whose names and deeds will ever retain an honoui'ed placi' in their countrv's hi>torv it was not. howi'\cr un til earlv m tl i(j j)resent centuiy that the K'uacy was act'epted by the Government. Tiie termination of a long war was not deemed an unfitting time to renew the eiicouragemont of that spirit of enter|)rise and af the seafaring [irofession. It is iloubtful, however, whether that long series of brillituit achievements in the frozen North which called forth so much daiing, so iiiucli fortitude, so much endurance, would have adorned the annals of the Uritisii Navy but for the untiring energy and perse- verance of one man — liimself an ardent admirer of the deeds and sufferings of tho^e ancient Arctic icorthics which Ills |)en has so ably elironicled; it need scarcely be said that this individual was the late Sir John Jjunow, whose sinoidar determiuation of character, XXVI IXl'l.'olU'CTinX. m coupled \vi;ii tin' iulliu'iitial portion lie ('cciipii'd in the iitival :i(iiniiiisti-i\tion n[' tlu' (•(.iiiili-y. ciiahlrd liiiii to c-arrv >»ut liis favoiiritr ciifcrjirisi'. tlu' rciirwal of Arctic discovery. Hence hclwrcii the y<'ars 1S17 011(11845 an almost unhroken scries of t'lli)rts were inidc l)y this countiT to penetrate the fVozcii ivLrions wit inn the Arctic Of Antarctic ciiclf-. Coiiiu'cted with these atteinpt-^ the names of Tari'V. l-Vanklin. and Kichard- son. Back. Jolin and Janic- lc>s->, licechey and others scarcely less eminent, have become famous : and a bund of ollicers and seamen have l»een trained and educated in a school, the stern necessities of which have been instrumental in formiiiLr and fosterinLi those qualities of foilitude and hai)its (jf self-reliance and self-denial which are certain to tell with ellect at some ])erio(l or other of a seaman's career, and which no maritime nation can atlord to hold TiLditly. To enter into the bi'iefe>t relation of ilie earlier expeditions of tjic present ceiilurv would be to rejx'at what \\i\^ ah-eatiy been li'equeiilly -aid : nor i- it neces- sary, turther llian to ri'inark that, with the exception of l'arry"s attem])t to reach ihe Pole in IS'iT. and James Eoss's exi)e(hiion to the Antareiic rcLnons in 1840 and followiiiLi" year:-, chiellv in the intei'e^ts of tlie sciem-e of terrestrial magnetism, they may nearly all be said to lia\e centred in tin* solution ol" the all-absoibiinj problem — the discovery of a North-we-t i)assaL'e. 4'iie last of these exj)editions was the ill-fated one under Franklin, wliieh left these shores in the month of May KS4.') never to return. -lust thirty years had ela{)sed wlu^n in the same month in 1 87') Polar reseurch was restmied by tiie desj)atch ach the Polo, that it is imperative bi'ieliy to recall its main features, and to follow for a time the footste[)s of those who so long and so unsuccessfully persevered in tluir atlemi)ts to lit"t the veil which shrouded all connected with it in the deepest mystery. FraidKlin and his com])anions, like many who pre- ceded them, went forth to ai;c()mj)lish the North-west passage, that is to sail noith-wcst from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean ; and wilh the knowh-dge — or perhaps it would \)r moivcorre-'t to>ay the ignorance — wliicli then existed a>^ to tiie diiliculties by whicli the ta>k was surrounded, thei'e seemed a i'.ir |)robal)ility that their mission would have been successhd. At any rate thei'e were none who doubted that tin; way they would go would be open to their sate return. They had two stout ships, the best ever desi)atched on such service. These vessels were furnished with steam powei", though to a limited extent, and their personnel com[)iised the flower of the naval service. It is |)robal)le thtit few, if any, at thisthue believed that practical results useful to navigation or conunerce XXVIII INTKODlCi'IOX. would ui-erue wcw the passmo ncroiiiplislu'd : still problems of scientilie interest, wliicli were K'ss under- stood then tlinn now, would lie solved, and success could not but redound to the national lu)nour und renown. Lookinii back with our present knowledu'e it may well seem unaccountable that the idea of snecour beconiiiiijf necessary never eiUered into the minds ot Franklin, or the most experienced ot' iiis coiUenqioraries, and that no sine-l(> pivcaution for ri-lief was ever con- templated before the expedition sailed. \\'e now, indeed, know thai it" it had bec'ii arrannt'il that in the simnner of 1S47 an ixpedition should j)r(M'eed 'O sonu> appointed rende/xous in l)ai']'ow t'^ti'ait. thei'e to remain until the autumn of ISIS, it is certain that most if not all the survivinu' crew would have been rescued ; we know this now because we know where the >hips were abandoned, and that tlu' spot was within I'each of such >uccour ; but had they penelrnlinl a hundred miles further westward it would have taken ihem out of >uch reach ; all attempts however at re-i-ue, at whatever time undertaken, would have lu'eu in \ain. uiile>s pre- arranged with Franklin. This is the fatal mistake Nvhicli experience has taught u>. and which can never be repeated ; but had it been rc>co!jiii>ed as a neet'ssity to send a second expedition one or two xcars after the de|)ai'tinc of the (irsl. to secanx' its sah'lv, would the "Erebus" and 'Terror," it )nay be aske(l. haxc s;dle(l at all? Would not the (jue^lion ha\e arisen. ' Ls expe(li- ;ion to Ibllow expedition while a -diip remains abseii! r ' and there could jirobably have been but one reply. Much has been written by theorists, after the event, to prove tliat the long and fruitless search was madi' in the wi-ouL"" direction, and that wiuTe Franklin was orl is ti(| si J a> U'M \\\ ti oj c 1NTK()J)UCTI0X. XXIX oi'diTi'd to io\ve\'er nblv concei\('( L ]• rauKlni was u ideed orderi'd to go to (he south-west in the dirt'ction of Cape Walker, bul none knew what was bevond that cape. If bullied there he was to try the Wellington Channel, onlv sixtv mik's to the I'astwai'd. which had b by r )een seen and pronounced a ])romisnig chanm 1 d irrv uid wincli iH'Uig nearer tlie open sea is ])robably always free from ice belbre \\\v more shel- tered inlets to the westwai'd. In all j)rol)ability the south-west was tried and found closed ; it is certahi, as Ave know now, that lie did ascend the Wellington Channel to 77° X., and liut pnibablv a\(' i)erished ten yeai before The onlv clue ever found by the searching ships [)revious to this — the three graves on Beechey Island at tlu^ entrance to Wellinufton Channel — a siLrnilicant clue indec'd — probably led those who followed, in a direction at once in the track of the lostexi)edition, and at the same I ^' I xx>: iNTKODrrriox. li. time lioju'lossly Mstrny. }i(' lliis ;is it may, it must 1h» coniosscd, and porliaps with liumiliation, tliat the imitcd wisdom and jndji'nu'ni of llu' mo>t cxpt'ricncod Arctic* iinvicators, and the cncrii'v and ixT-ii'vcrain'c of the most r* V.I able h'aders, witc ahkc at I'aull, so that il was left for the sohiarv htllc 'Fox.' equi])|H'(l hy I.ady Franklin and her friends, and eonmianded hy .M'C'lintoek, to solve the mystery, whirh had previously halllcd so inanv able eommandci^ (himself anionLi' llic number), with UH'ans and resources unlimited. His success, however, comph'te as it was. detracis in no way fi'om the credit of i!iose who weni bet'ore. Workinji" in the dark, st» to s ly, the}' did all thai undaunted perseve- rance and devotion could aceompli>li, in the face of didiculties and liardships which have rarely been equalled, IkU to reliu'ii from a diLM'es-ion which t(^ some may scarcely seem relevant, 'i'lie special inlluence exercised on the renewal of Arctic discoxcrv bv tlie lost expedition and those which followed in its search was twofold. Till' sliock which the nation sustained in the traiiic fate of the Ibriui'r, and the disappointment experienced by the entire failure of the latter, after ten Weary years of I'llort and an enormous exj)endi- ture of money, may In- »aid to lia\i' sealed the North- west passaL^e indelinitely. and thus narrowed the fields of discovery to the one other point of interest the Pole. Aiiain, the search for the inis>in;j; ships involveil the minute examination (tf a vast extent of coast-line, wliicli neither ■^hip nor boat eould appi'oach, and this task could only be accomplished bv the mamud labour of di'aguing heavily laden sled<^es aiom' the marLdn of the fro/en sea for weeks or months to- gether. The art of sli'(li:e-travellin«.': in this maimer \\1 o| tl I INTIJOPUCTIOX. XXXI was initiatLHl, and pcrliaps l)roiiglit to tlio higliost state of piTfectioii it is susceptible of, during tlie jn'ogressof tliis lontr scarcli. As nuieli as four luuidred miles in a direct lin(^ on an outward journe}' had been acconi- l)lish('(I bv these means, each mail drairirini; between two and three Innidred j)()unds, including his j)ro- visi(ms, clothing, and erpiij)ment, and being absent from the ii'o/.eii-iii shij)s frequently from ninety to a hundred days. It was manifest, then, that if such distances could be accoinj)lislu'd in search of men in distress, they ciuild bi' eriually well pcrfornu'd in the pursuit of geographical discovery, and no stronger ar<»ument than this could have been used in lu-ounji; upon the Government the expediency of further ex- j)lorations. The effort, however, was a long and uphill one, and after the abandonment of the Franklin search, Arctic dis(;overv, so far as this country was concerned, slumbi'red for over twi'Uty years. Yet its advocates never losi lieart. They caimot be said to have been numerous, but they were enthu- siastic and inlluential ; and perhaps there is no more striking instance of perseverance on record than that wit] I which, year after year, successive presidents of the lioval Geoizraphical iSocietv forced their favourit^e project on the notice of that po|)ular assembly, until it ])ecame almost a point of national honour tluit it should be carried out. It would be incorrect to say that Arctic enterprise had been strictly a popular sentiment since the loss of the Fi'anklin Expediticii ; indeed, in many respects it was the reverse. The ])ublic press, with few exceptions, gave no counten- ance to it : the leadiuLT journals were either avowedly oj)posed or kept silence; science held aloof, and was converted almost against its will ; the naval service \ XNXU INTUODl'CTIOX. i ' 1 generally could scaroely view it uiili i'avoiir, for the reason that comparatively hut a very ineoiii^iderable nunihei'ot" iis members could hope to sliai'e in so small an enterprise, while the honoui-s and rewards wdiieh in consequence lell to the lot of the t"a\dUivd lew who could, iiidii-ectly tended to check the oi'dinaiT How of ])foniolion ill a >er\icc where ad\anccmcnt is proverbi- ally not Ico rapid. Yet. aij-ainsl all tlie>(> and other obstacles, a tew enthusiastic men. principally those who had been cuLiaiied in tonncr voyaon. succeeded in carrynig their point. It is probable. howe\ei'. that without pressure of another character, success miLiht have been lonji" delayed. ihu'inL;' our protiacted inacti\iiy other nations had not been idle. The I'nilv'd States of America, wdiich had generously joined with us in the search tor Franklin, made several bold and more or less successt'ul attemjits to reach a high noilhern latitude, and Hall in this respect had all i)ut won the palm irom Tai-ry. I'eter- matm, the eminent German geographer, had been as warm and earnest an atlvocate of Polar research as stane of our own men of science, and had roused the enthusiasm of his countrymen, who with Sweden and Austria also entered the field ; and if, with theii' limited means, they did not achieve great discoveries, they proved that they were not le>s enterj)rising or less endowed with those gifts of perseverance ar.d endur- ance than our own countrymen. Certainly, from a scientific point of view, th(?y did not accomplish less ; but what was, perhaps, more convincing still, they encountered greater perils and underwent more severe hardships than any ex})edition from our sliores, pro- ■' 1 INTRODUCTION. XXXI 11 l)al)ly boL'MUsc llu'ir menus and resources were less Minple, and yet tliey all i-etunied without any latal disaster. This alone was a iJONvt-rful argument, and went I'ar to obliterate the deej) impression produced by the disastrous termination to the voyage of Franklin. It was shown that the ' Erebus ' and ' Terror ' went into tlie unknown and the illimitable, without iiny mis- giving as to their return, and therefore without any attem])t at provision for their succour. Indeed it was now ap])arent that no |)ossible human ])recautions could have rendered their safety certain, and it was ])roved, beyond reasonab' doubt, that an ex[)editioii towards the Pole could be so circumsciibed in its area of discovery, and its succour so certainly provided for, that the risk was reduced to a mininunn. In short, the public mind was now ripe, and tlie time had come at last when this countiy was to resume her tbremost place, and put forth her whole strength in the renewal of Arctic discovi'ry. This decision having been come to, the only diffi- culty which ]iresented itsi'lf was where to find a commander, for experience in similar service was, above all, ;i necessity in the leader of such an euter- |)rise. A generation had done its work on those who had conducted or lu'ld responsil)le ])osts in former voyages, and it was not deemed ci/iivenient to send a flag officer into the Arctic regions, or the selection would have been less limited. After mature consider- ation it was decided to recall Captain Nares from the cominand of the Scientific FAjunlition then being ci'.rried out in H.M.S. ' Challenger,' and to appohitlnm to the chief command. The loss to that expedition, VOL. 1. b XXXI V INTIJODrCTION. ,, ,1 1 "« M 1 ]|:!i ||:!! howt'vrr ;i!)ly liis pl.-iiv was lilK'd, could not liavo \)vvu olluTwisc than ureal, but C^ij)taiii Nares had o-aiucnl cri'clil as a vcrv youni; oliici'i' in the last of tlio Governnu'iit scarcliiiiij" voyMLTcs. and iIk' sclcctiDH of a leader Avitli expcrieuce was very |)ro[)erly rrj^'urdetl as ihe paramount ohjeet. The general ])lan of ()j)erations liad been virtually loMu' decided bv consent ol" all ••onipeteiit authorities. The ih'st objett was, it' possible, to reach the Pole. Manv other subordinate and collateral objects there (h)nl)tless Avere. both of a (" the ice so hiokcii up thi'ouirliout the vjistarea uf the I'ular basin. These outlets we knowdo not exist; iin insiLjnilieant |)oiiit of laud, nioreoxcr, will act us a ^ved(l() miles of the Pole, and their reports went far to induce the belief that the land treniled still away to the north, and so to ss in this direction. It mces that Smith Sound, strengthen the hope of succc was under these circum which had alwavs seemed the route of greatest promise, was finally and mianimously decided upon. I J. »■ ;J1 XX W I INTIIUDLI'TION. and by t^mitli Sound lli(> 'Alcit ' and 'Discovery' were ordcivd to inakc I lair way. 'I'lu'V sailed under the bri-'hlest auspices, and with tlic nation's earnest wishes and sauLTuine hopes lor their >ueees>. It is not my |)lace to anticipate the narrativi' of that memorable expedition. All went well until the day when Captain Nares placed his ship on the opi-n shore of tlie Polar Sea in the latitude of S"2° 27', when the picture darkened, and to his experienced eye at least, it must have been apparent that so tar as the lirst jireat object of the Expedition wa- concerned, all hope of success was at an end. From the hi^diest eminence attainable no hind was visible to the nt)i'th, NothiiiLf nu-l the eye but a dreary waste of frozen ocean, the rui2;L''edness of which detied all human efl()rts to penetrate it by ^hip ii. It* we turn to the ii'cords of the condiiion ol" the crews of CoHin?on and M'( 'hire's sliips al'tci' thi'ee and four winteis passed in !i much h)\ver latitnih', we find an abseuee of any severe cases of fhi' same (hsease, and so in otlier voyages of slioiler (hnation; hut Ashi-re the exposure and labour of the travelhiig parties was excessive, we find a still more marked exemption ; while, on the other hand, we learn from the recovered records of Franklin's fatal expedition, which wintered more than 700 miles to the south, and whose crews wei'i' iu»t subject to tlie labour of sledginu" until they linally (juitted their ships, that before three years had elapsed no less than twenty-four deaths had occuried (nine among them being oilicers), whether by scurvy or not none can say. These are signilicant facts, the causes of wliich have hit hello been past man's finding out. As ri'gards steam-power, its advantages, up to a certain point, cannot be overrated. Formerly shijjs were compelled to hold on where thev could by the fixt'd land ice, sometimes for weeks, and where they could not, were drifted to the south, helpless in the moving pack. With steam-power, where a shi}) can find suflicieiit room to move in an ice-encumbered sea, she can force her way ; hence a distance which in the days of sailing shij)s re({uired soiiu; six or eight weeks to accomplish has been made good with steam in lialf the number of days, and the harassing labour of wai'iang with hawsers and cutting into dock for con- tinuous days and nii^hts has been entirely si^ared. This is much ; but here the adviinta^e ends. When this partial navigation ceases and the solid Hoe is reached, however inconsiderable its thickness, steam is •- < xxxvui INTi;l II slii]) thnuij^'li llu' c\i\s\ oC \\\v earth. Hut if the main objrct of tlif cxplofcrs was Jit»t attaiiu'il, it caiiiiol Ix' said lliat tiny wire less suciht- fill tliau any «>l' tiifir jindtrcssdiN. Tlic hold and skilful scaniaiisliip which caiTicKJ the ships to the extn'UK' limit ol' iiaviLMtioii, and placcil tin' • AK rt ' aloiii' in a position in which no ship bcldrc had ever ])asscd an Arctic winter, was woiihy of the leader, and an earnt'st of what wcaild have heeii acc(>nii>lished had it heen in man's power to eoniniand success. The bub.so([iient deeds of the oliicers and crews, under cir- cumstances of trial tinil suilerinji which have I'arely been equalled, can never be suipassed. If, indeed, tlu' full accomplishment of tlie objects sought in such vovau'es as these were to be taki'ii as the test of success, then shouhl we look in vain for success in the annals of Arctic history. The discovi-ry of a water passjiLfe between the two oceans alonir the coast of America was the result of the most jH'r- severing though unsuccessful ellbrts of oliicers of the Hudson's liay Company ar.d the Koyal Navy, from the time when Hearne and .M'Kenzie ti'aced the two great Arctic liveis to the shon's of th" bo/en ocean, until the last link in the chain of this 'liv ovcry was furnished by Franklin in tlu' very hop.!', so lo speak, when he gave u[) his life in the cause. Pai'ry, who was perhaps the most successful of all Arctic voyagers, never passed Avest of Mehille Island from the Atlantic, and the intrenid M'Clure, thousih thirtv vears later he reached the winter quarters of the ' liecla ' and 'Grij)er ' from the Pacific with a sledge crew and dei)()sited his record by the side of his great ])redecessor's under the same stone, yet 70 uiiles of lixed i(;e intervened between the INTItODlJCTlOX. XXXIX ' Tiivc'slii^alor ' in Mercy H;iy, of Hiiiik's Liind, iind I'arry's rartlicsl on Melville Isjiind. Though tlio Ni)rtli-\vvsl passiiL"' may l)e >ai(l lo liave been jieconi- piislied jointly by these two distiniinislied seamen, in this hiirh hititnde, as the |)assa;ie t'nrlhei- sonth was completed by Fruiiklin live years eafliei-, no ship has ever yet passed IVom ocean to ocejin. The subsequent, expeditions in search of Fi'anklin weri' not a!>le to reach so tar west iis I'arry did tVom the Atlantic, nntil ii. division of Sir Kdward Helcher's s(pia(lron under KeUett did so in 1852, while Jk'lcher with his own ships ])enetrati'd no further than tlie hejid of Wellinii;- lon Chaiuu'l, which we now know Franklin himself did with the ' iM'ebus ' and ' Terror' in 1 S 45. lint for dl th dd all this U would l)e uuLjenerous as well as unjust to ])ronounce these enterpi'ises failures. Perfect success has uever been achieved in these instances, simply b )ectius(! It IS not in the ])ower ol man to cope witii the forces of natuie in those stern inhospital)le regions. To say that the accomplishnu'iit of the Xorth-west passage will \u'\\'v be realised, oi' that tlie attempt to reach the North Pole will never be reiu'wed, would be a bold prophecy, lioth art' objects worthy of the national enterprise of a maritime people, and it would be safer to j)redict that l)oth will be attemjited, and, it may be, eventually accomplished. The former, like the search for Franklin, was abandoned when but one route remained untried, and that I'oute, east of King William's Land, dearly bought experience would seem to point out as the one which oilers the best ho])e of success. The Pole must be .sought by ship alone, and by th(.' only track which has not yet bei-n found im- ])ossil)le for steam to penetrate — by the 8t>a of Spits- bergen. i xl IXTKODrC'TION. Ijii i^ tl Doubtless no Arctic cxpoditioii c:ni owr depart without a full cquipuuMU of slodjfcs, nuy more than an liiKirv ship can sail on a voyaL^' witliout her pro])er )lenienl of boats, for the reason that sled^n-s are the ore com] only means of locomotion in these regions ; but whether it is |ustifi:il)le to equip another essentially sledging exju'dition uilh any lesser objects than these — that is, to trace the barren outline of desolate coasts probably wrappi'd m eternal ice, and never agam to oe 1 to b VI SI ted. and this at the cost of so much suflering ;inf extended travelling parties, who have neilhei- the time nor the 'J'here are wide fields f or means to devoti; to it. *■;•• 4 f :9"' I .v' J.-- 1 '1 n^^ *h \ r fi •^- NAEEATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO THK POLAE SEA DURING 187 5-76. CIIArTEE I. DErARTriJK li;(»M rOETSMOUTH — r.ANTRY V.\\ — ^ KA lilKDS I'AIU' COMTAXY WITH ' VALOROl'S '— HP^AVY (!AI,ES — CARKIER I'lGEONS — DEAlt WHALE — EAST CEEENr.AND DRIFT ICE — SKIHT ' VALOROIS ' — oEAI.S AND AVALKUS — DESCRII'TION' OK I'ACK ICE — ANTARCTIC ICE — A (lALE DISCOLOURATION OF SEA INACCURACY OF CHARTS — SIOHT ' DISCOVERY ' — DREDGE ON TORSKE DANK — CROSS ARCTIC CIRCLE — OREENLANI' MER-DE-(;LACE. At 4 P.M. of :\l;iy the 2l)tli, 1875. \\M. s}iij)s - Alrrt ' and 'Discovery' eaf^t ofl' from ilic dockyanl wliarf, rortsnioutli, and proeecded to sea. Sliortly l)efore our dei)artiirc I liad tlie lioiiour of receiviji^ tlic followiiiir telegram, daled Halmoral, fi'om Her Most (Traeious Majesty: 'I earnestly wish you and your iiallant eoni]>anions eveiT success, and U'usi that you in;iv safely accomplish the unportant duty you have so Imively undertaken.' This special mark of interest displayc'd by the (iueen towards the Expedition was speedily communicated to the oflici-rs and crews of the voi>. 1. [i I- Is.Lilli ^k ^■ ereat, MftT iie G-Zice 71° I.ongWiulr 7a°W.ofUT™widi 69° doL-iiir.nir.y ■Ki-nijh'-d h\ l/' ct^t-m- of the Arahc- Rxpeditinn Loniion .Sampson Low, Muf.ston , Seiti ARCTIC SEA >H„iHw\Ri) KRf.M BAFFIN BAY EHWEDT.,83 aOBlESDN CHANNELS />,„„ ./.,■,..■„•,.,■ „....ir ,, ,l,e Mueruan „n'-J>u.,„. under D^'Kane * Hayes 18,W-61, and m ih, T. S S T^larU: uuUr .ommund ./ CM- H,ai . 1871-::. -.-'-r.W from r,u,r„pnbUshed tv th, PS. Bydrovl ",tS Sumfj.-iOii Low, Muiwtvii , Seiule i.Kivnui to )7° in the more open spaces, the temperature of the air being also much affected by the neighbourhood of the pack, and varying from 37° to 34°. A few seals and a single walrus were observed asleep on the ice. 1875 OKICJIX OF TIIK ICE. 9 '■tm run was more ludi ]) jrying ralrus Iliiviiig cnUjred (k'i'|)ly into llio ])ack wc had a <^(X)d opportunity of judging of its nature. It was totally difTcrent to iiadiu'.s ]iay ice, inasumcli as each piece liad a sniootii Hat top witliout any sliarj) hunnnocks of jvressed-up ice. I remarked in my journal : 'The ])ack consists of very okl floe-ice, floating frequently from eight to ten feet, and occasionally twelve feet, above the water. Each piece is deeply .scored horizontally at the water line, leaving long tongue-pieces projecting below the surface wliicli form a very large base; thus this ice, floating high out of water, has probably one quarter of its thickness exposed. This estimate would make it from thirty to forty feet in total thickness. I am nm(;h astonished at its unusual massivencss ; if all the ice on the East Greenland coast is of a like nature wc may cease to wonder at the misfortune which overtook the " Ilansa " belonging to the German Expedition of 1800-70.' We are now able to clear up all doubt respecting the birth])lace, age, and thickness of this ice. * It is the last remains of the hetivy Hoes formed originally in the Polar Sea, whi(;li attain upwards of 100 feet in thickness. These, drifting south through the main outlet between Greenland and Spitsbergen, are carried by the current along the East Greenland coast round Cape Farewell ; gradually melting as they reach the warm Atlantic water of Davis Strait, the ice has all decayed before reaching Godhaab Fiord in lat. G4°N. As this pack closely resembles that met with in the Antarctic Ocean, we may conclude that a large pro- portion of the ice- floes formed there have attained as ir!= 10 VOYAOE TO THE POLAR SEA. JrNR ■ l! I- 1< I i; I considerable an ago and lliickness before they drift into wanner latitndes as those encountered by us in the Polar Sea. Diu'ing tlie morning we ex])erienced a dense fog, wlii'li ])revented our seeing elearly tlie most open channels through the pack. At 10 a.m., after struggling tln'ougli a Nc'iy thick ])art, which nearly obliged us to retrace our course for a sliort distance to tlie soutli- ward, we suddenly entered ])erfectly clear water at a, temperature of 08°; the line of demarcation l)etween the pack-ice and cleai' water being very decided, ])roving that had we kept failher from tiie hmd we should Iiave met with less impediment in the shape of ice. As Ave left the pack tlie thick fog-bank cleared off, rolling awayl)efore a northerly w nd, which shortly afterwards increased to such an extent that Ave were Ibrced to lie-to duiinix the followinc; niirht with a close- reefed main topsail and trysails. The current running to the northward against the wind ])roduced a very short ai1|(l high sea breaking heavily, and causing the ship to roll quicKcr and deeper than she had in the Atlantic. Many seas bn)ke on bosu'd, endangering the boats, and compelling us to batten down the liatcli- Avays Tins northerl}" gale, occurring Avith a falling baro- meter, Avas ])eculiar. As Ave ran out of tlie pack in the forenoon the barometer Avas stationary at 29-50, the Aveather calm, with a very decided golden-coloured liazy api)earance to the northward, and a clear sky over- head ; this lasted for ahout half-an-hour, and was then rc!placed by an arch of clouds Avliich quickly rose and spread themselves over the sky. At sunset. 10-')0 r.M., i 1« ih DISCOLOURATION OF SEA. 11 h vo- iii le c.v- nd Nf., by wliicli time the barometer liad ftilloii to 29-10, the western clouds were remarkably red and wii\dy-lookiiig from near the horizon to 20° in altitude ; the gale was then at its li eight, blowing with a force of seven. On the morning of the 30th the b;nonieter rose quickly ; the gale dying out by noon was succeeded by caln^ arid beautiful weath(!r, which en;ibled us to proceed to the northward imder low steam. When fifty miles off the coast north of Frcderikshaab, the edge of the ])ack obliged us to haul out a little farther from the land, and during the following night, when a little south of Fiskenocs, we could not get nearer the shore than fifty miles. Since we had been in the neighbourhood of Cape Farewell, and near the ice the water had changed its colour to a dark olive green, occasioned by the presence of inmnnerable diatoms ; in the break of the sea during the gale the crest of the waves showed a dingy yellowish green colour. The 1st of July was a magnificent day, the barometer higli and steady. At 9 a.m., when we were in latitude 63° 5' N., at [ibout forty-five miles' distance from land, we appeared to have passed all the shore ice, but there may have been some small unimportant streams close in by the land ; at noon bv sood observations we were on the west edil.ions selected for their deposit were one of the Gary Islands in Baffin's Bay, and Cape Frazer hi Smith Sound ; the mainland would have been preferable to the lirst-named place, had it not been necessary to take precautions to hide it from the Eskimo, who inhabit the coast of Greenland between Cape York and Ilartstene Bay. After a calm but very foggy passage along the south shore of Disco Island, threading our way amidst a vast number of icebergs, we arrived at Eitenbenk at 11 A.M. of the 16tli, and anchored in seventeen 22 VnYA(!K TO THE I»()T,AI! SKA. .TlT.V I I Hilj I ii lii' 'I! '<;'■ ri I'll Hiilhi I Mill iiil II "I ;;' !i t'atlionis. The (Iciixiiiioii of tin; ii, iiu'of this sct-tlcincnt, as I wii.s iiii'ormcfl, is s{)mewhaf fancil'iii. Foimded about the y oar 17')'), it received the iiauu! of Jierkeiitiii after a nobleman of that name, who at the date men- tioned presided over Greenlandic all'airs in Demnark. The minister by a transposition of tlie letters of liis name convei-ted it into Uitenbenk. The ancliorage being deep and ex|)ose(l to diiftinji' ieebergs cannot be d(!emed a secure oni;. Whilst ar- rangements were being made for eom|)leting onr suj)plies a shooting party started for a neighbonring 'loomery,' on the north-west coast of Arve Prins Island ; they returned in the evening with seventy-five guillemots and razor-bills [Alot bn/i'iinichi and Alea tarda). The loom or guillemot of the Arctic seas differs from its close ally Alca troile, found so connnonly aronnd the British Isles, in its short stout bill ; on the wing it wM)uld be impossible to separate the two species. We did not observe the razor-bill north of the Waigat, When at Godha-vn, Disco, we remarked how densely each fresh-water pool was inhalited by the larvaj of mosquitoes just on the point of changing their condition to the winged state. A few days later at Ritenbenk the mosquitoes on shore were intolerable, and when getting under weigh, the weather being calm, these persistent aniioyers fiiirly took possession of the upper deck. Hefore ])arting com})any with the 'Valorous,' owing to the larw pei'centaue of officers in the Expedition, I decided to carry only one paymaster to superintend the victualling of the two ships. Mr. Edgar Whiddon, belonging to the 'Alert,' was there- i.«:5 KSKIMO DOOS. how )y the their ter at ruble, being ion of the ter to Mr. there- fore ordered to return to Enghuid, jNfr. G. Le Clerc Egerton, sub-lieulenant, being appointed to super- intend the issue of the |)rovisions on board tlie ' Alert.' No serious disadvantage arose from this arrangement. On leaving Ritenbenk tliere were tliiity Kskimo dogs on the u])])er deck of tlie ' Alert ' and twenty-live on board of the 'Discovery,' still further encumber- ing tlu! naiTow gangways left available between the piled-up ])i'()\isions. My journal thus alluded to these animals: ' lieinif iii stranu^e (luarters they arc; l)avinL; in conci'rt, the distracting noise; fre<|uently diversified by a sharp howl as a sailor in forcing his way through their midst uses the toi; of his boot. The j)aeks collected from diirerent settlements ari' strangers to each other. The king-dog of each team is necessarily tied up, his subordinates of both sexes clusterhig around, and crouching at his feet In their anxious endeavours to protect their followers, the females of whom are rather given to straying, and if possible to maintain and extend their rights, these king-dogs are straining their very utmost at the ropes, snarling and lifting their up])er lips, evidently longing for the time to arrive when they may fight it out, and decide who is to be ruler over all. By sheer fighting each has worked his way uj) to the position lie now holds, the most determined and endurinn" annuals "ainin«j the day. A long series of combats will be undertaken before the supreme heavl is acknowledged, and here- after many an attempt at revolution will be fought out by rising aspirants for power, as the old chiefs become Avoru out from age or other causes. It would appear as if fighting were an enjoyment or natural condition 24 VOYAGE TO THE POI.All SEA. .Trr,Y III II I :.., ) Ihli 11 Hi m\ ill': !h "■i,li i;'!i 'III II 'I of their existence. In maintaining discipline amongst the ^veaker sex, ])nnishineiit is left entirely in the hands, or rather month, of the favourite queen, who, except Avhen jealousy may occasionally Avarp her judgment, uses her prerogati\e pretty fairly, whilst it frequently lajjpens that the king-dog himself submits without resentment to u snarl frojn his queen. Frederick the Eskimo, wlio joined us at Lievely 1o take charge of the dogs, has readily settled down to his work; his broad, flat, good-humoured face is certaiidy jiot handsome, but his character is most excellent, and above all he is unmarried.' Early on the morning of tlie 1 7th we left Ritenbenk under steam, the 'Discovery' in tow, bound to the northward tln'ouo;h the Waiijat Channel: the ' Valorous ' having pai'led <'ompany a few hours previously pro- ceedinjj; to the coal mines on the weyt side of tlu; Waigat. After clearing the anchorage the two ships made sail befoi'c a southerly win(^ : crossing the entran( (' of Svartc Vogel Bay, a huge ' hK)mery ' was sighted on its uortliern shore. The Waigat Channel was found io be much cncumbei'cd by icebergs and broken ice, which were streaming out from the neii>hbourliood of the Tossukatek Glacier throu<>-li the fiord north of Arve IViiis Island, and driving quickly toward;-' the north-west before a br(!eze of fair strength. From their dirty unwashed appearance the majority of these icebergs were evidentl}' ne^ly broken oil' from the glacier, and although the temperature of the water was 40° they had not yet decayed sufficiently to alter their balance. They were extremely rugged in outline, and appeared as if formed of a collection of boulder ;i|i ]s7r. THJO • \AL()1!0US.' 25 iixtli. ico I'ofrozeii into a solid form, .siicli as would bo the case with a glacier forced over a rough steei) iiK.'liue ; some were table-topped, as if broken from a smooth- surfaced glacier slopiu'j; at a small angle to the water. None of these icebergs were more than fifty feet Iiiu'li. but their number was sufhcient to render Gjreat care necessary in (choosing a ])assage between them. Not expecting lo experience such <*lose sailing the boats had been left hanging to the davits outboard, and were occasionally endangered when passing through the narrow water-channels. When abreast of Atanekerdhdv fiNe kayaks, and an omiak containing women and children, were met ; thc^y |)addl(Hl alongside, keeping pace with the ships, and vsc iiad the satisfaction of being able to su[)ply them witli biscuit, no doubt a very welconu^ tiddition to tlieir usual meat and fish diet. Thinking that the ' Valorous ' witli her projecting ])addK's would not be abk' to force a passage through sucii ice iis we encountered, all hopes of meeting lier again were given u]), but during the afternoon she was sighted lying quietly at anchor ofl' the coaling station, having found, as we afterwards learnt, a channel much clearer of ice near the land. Wishing to put on board our last letters, we hauled to the wind and beat to windward for her anchorage, but a very thick fog setting in as the wind moderated, the separation of the 'Alert' and ' Discoverv ' was feared; hence we were forcetl to abandon our intention of communicating, and proceeded to the northward. By midnight, when we had run througli the r.ost ice-encumbered part of the channel, the wind died away, but as the fog continued I'illl III III '"II 1 1 1 1 ! i 1 J 1 1 i t ilM, iill I i ill "111 iij Jilii mi .mil 2(] VOYArjE TO THE I'OLAR SEA. .Trr,Y very thick, it bcH^ame necessary eitlier to gel up steam or secure the s]ii[)s to an iceberg to prevent tlieni drifting into danger. I adopted the latter course. When a vessel is under steam nothing is simpler than for a seaman to descend by a rope ladder from the bowsprit end on ti) the ice below, kd iig well away from its edge, but in landing from > i)oat care is necessary when scaling the side of a berg. On our drifting near an a])parently convenient piece of i'^c a boat's crew were sent to fix the ice-anchor an^i hawser. One of the men, in spite of the decayed condition of the ice, managed to crawl up it in ^nfety ; but at the first blow from his chisel a lar»e Uins,'-^ ^roke ofl", fortunately shooting clear of the boat and crew beh)w. The amount disengaged was sufTicient to disturb the equilibrium of tiie iceberg, wliich began to rock backwards and forwards ; the man, naturally frightened, was obliu'cd to struL*'Q;le as best he could aiong its slippery surface< like a squirrel in a circular cage, much to the amusement of his shi])mates on the forecastle. The performance, however, involved a certain element of danger, which I shorild have pre- fei'red to avoid. In the Waigat, like all narrow channels bounded 1)\ lofty hills, the winds are very loca'., and vvdiile blowing with force at the entrance seldom pre\ail throughout the Avliole length ; hence the ici'bergs driven before the wind accunudate at the locality where tlie breeze ends. With a strong south-east wind at the southern entrance we found the icebergs collected in m-eat mnnbers ii the middle of the strait, but at tlie north-west entrance noar Hare Island few MHMf I Jrr.v 1S75 \\ai(;at. 27 XTIXS 1 •alitv 1 i-east 1 )ergs J trait, ^ m 1 lew :m were HU't with. Those seen liad melted considerably since their formation ; floating in water at a tem])eratnre of 40°, deei) (grooves htid been Avorn horizontally at the water edge, tiie many old flotation liiies thus marked sliowed that they had frequently altered tiieir position in the sea. The dilFerenoe of climate, due to the aspect of the hill sides, was rei.^aikably well di.splayed in the Waigat. The Greenland shore, with its southern frontage, liad on ilie 1 8th scarcely a trace of snow left on it ; but the o[)positi' sliore of Disco was still snow-covered, with its mountain summits capped by a per[)etual glacier. Ice cascades were very cons[)icuous in the upper parts of the steep gullies, descending like giant stej)s from one upland ridge to the next below ; with enormous boulders ])lenti fully dispersed throughout the descend- ing streams. The many glacier ice cliffs, with a dis- tinct overhano-ino- «inow coverinfj and yet havino- no O O O . CD debris lying at the foot, forms a question for interesting invest io-ation. On both sides of the strait some of the smaller torrents a])|)eared to be still frozen, but I think that must have been due to abnormal and local dillerencc of temj)erature, for when passmg the mouth of the Makkak Eiver, which drains the Xoursoak Peninsula, its nuiddy and discoloured waters extended three or four miles out to sea, showing tliat it was running strongly, and deposithiii' a larue amount of alluvial nuitter. A line breeze from the JS.W., with misty weather, carried us quickly to the north, and on the morning of the 19th, when abreast of Svarten link (Black Cape), tile mist partially cleared od', brinmui? Skale and Inllll illil ll lilli 'III I I II nw Ml 111 I !l! ii I. ■I' •I'll: :'i|ii iiiiin 'I 'i: M 28 VOYADE TO THE POT-ATJ SEA. July Kiiij^atak Islands into view, and enabled us to ascer- tain our position with sufficient accuracy to steer in towards Proven ; but the headlands along the coast are tdl so muc^^. alike in form and colour that in misty Avcatlier, with only one in sight, a stranger would be puzzled to ascertain his whereabouts. After passing between Kingatak and Tukingaisnk the sonth-westerly wind died awav, and a strontjf tidal curreiit obliged us to get U]) steam. Taking the ' Discover}'' ' in tow, the harbour was entered abont an lioui- before midnight, when we were leceived by the few inhabitants, who clustered upon the sloi)es about the settlement, in their many coloured pictiuesque clothing. Following the chart, it would apjiear prac- ticable l^o (!nter the anchoraii'e direct from the south- ward, but a sunken reef blocks the channel and obliges vessels to pass round on the western side of the outer island and to enter by the northern channel. The water being very deep, except on one ledge close to the shore near the settlement, a jiilot is necessary to ])oint out the anchorage, which after all is ver}* mcky and untrustworthy holdinij ground. Durinu' the niixht a southerly wind, force five to six, causing squalls off the high land, made me rather anxious, but the anchors held on, the cables, however, grinding a good deal against the rocky bottom. Tlie inhabitants of Proven amount to about lOG souls, and were presided o\-er at the time of our visit by Governor Moldrup, who obligingly assisted us in completing our su])plies. The island on which the settlement is built is composed of gneiss, but the islands that lie more to the southward, and tlu^ great \fiio ritOVEN. 2!) peninsula of Svarteu link, are a])parently analogous in their fornintion to Disco Island and the Xoursoak Penin- sula. A line drawn W, and E. through the setilenient of Proven and extended inland would rou<'hlv delinc the limit of the gi'anitoid rocks from those of later origin. To the northward along the coast, ice-worn mountains, ])lentifully sprinkled Avith enormous erra- tics, rise in endless succession; southward the llat- topi)ed hills, the horizontal bedding and varied coloured strata, with bands of columnar basalt, show that tlu' land has, from some cause or other, escaped the tre- mendous degradation that has obliterated every trace of the softer tertiary strata, which in all ])robability at some former period covered the gneiss hills to Ini' north of Proven. The whole of the island is be- strewed with erratic^, many of protligious size; they are chiefly gneiss, gi'anites, and syenites, but on the very sunnnit of the island a few boulders of basalt were observed. The flora of Proven is by no means as rich as tliat of Disco, but Betula nana, the dwarf birch of the Arctic zone, was conniion. Snow-buiitinss were numerous, and by this date the young in a nest were well fledged ; several parties of young wheatears [Stuvkola u'nanthe) were flying about the rocks neai' the shore, their familiar ' chuck chuck ' resounding on all sides. My chief object in visiting Proven was to endea\ our l(» obtain the services of Hans Hehidrich, the Green- lander who had previously accompanied three American exj)editions to Smith Sound. C)n our arrival he was absent in charge of a boat, but having seen the shij)s a|)[)i()aching, he returned to the settlement with all i! mm ''Mil ! ''!l ! I II Ml nil '., .■! Mil llll llljl 30 VOYACiE TO TIIK l'(»I-Ali SKA. JlLY speed, and after a. short consultation witli liis wife agreed to ioin our Exi)editioii and leave his family behind. He proved himself to be an admirable hunter and an excellent dog-driver. Hans when a lad of nineteen joined Dr. Kane's expedition in l-SjS. After rendering invaluable services to his companions during their two Avinters' stay at liensselaer Harbour, Smith Sound, he married Merkut, the daughter of Shanghu, one of the 'Arctic Highlanders,' who tended him when lying sick at Hartstene Bay : he remained behind with his wife when Dr. Kant' abandoned his vessel and travelled south to Upernivik in boats. In 1 800, after he had passed five years with the 'Arctic Highlanders,' Dr. Hayes finding Hans at Cape York, took him iind his wife and child on board his vessel the ' United States'; on the homeward voyage in 1861 he was landed with his belongings at Upernivik. In 1871 he joined Captain Hall in the ' Polaris,' taking his wile and three children with him. He was one of the i)arty who were separated from the 'Polaris' in a gale of whid, and drifted during the long winter of 1872-73 from Smith Sound to the southward of Hudson's Straits; during that time he and Joo another Eskimo preserved the lives of their com])anions by tlieir indefatigable and noble exertions in himtinjT: and procuring seals. Hans having bid farewell to his wife [uid children, we left Proven on the evenhig of the 21st. The Aveather being calm we ])roceeded to the northward under low steam with the ' Disco\ery ' in tow ; having ji ])ilot on board we adopted the inner passage, and tlnxnided Our wav between the numerous islands that J8 <•) SANDEUSOXS IIUPK. 81 e 73 s no 'ir n\ lie rd 1(1 lie between Proven iiiid Upernivik. The scenery betweeii tliese two ])]iiees is .superb ; ni:igiiificent clifl's of gneiss rise slicer from the water's edge to a lieight of 1,000 to 1,200 feet ; the rich colouring of the rocks ])rescnted an almost inconceivable riclmess of hues, and formed a striking; contrast to the glaciers and mer lie glace. Passing a small settlement picturesquely situated in a little bay on the island of Kasorsoak, of wliich Sanderson's Hope forms the western headland, two men came out from the land to meet us ; ])addling ill their kayaks tlicy dexterously picked u]) the food tlirown to them in parcels buoyed up by empty bottles. At midnight we were abreast of the noble headland of Sanderson's Ho])e with its noted 'loomery.' Being desirous of obtaining a supply of birds I stopped the ships for a couple of hours, and sent tlie boats away ; but tlie result, as compared witli the reported successes of ])rior visitors, was unsatisfactory, only 122 guillemots being brougiit to bug by the united endeavours of sportsmen from both ships. The razor-bill, wliich shared the cliffs at Ritenbcnk Avitli the guillemot, was not observed here. As the boats approached thou- sands of birds flew from the clifis sweejiing numbers of eggs off the ledges, wliich broke as they reached the water; at this date the young were nearly ready for hatching. In spite of the swell one of the party nunuiged to get on to the rocks, and procured several ciivrs ; one was taken from underneath the sittino- bird, who remonstrated bv peckinu- at the hand of the spoiler. A thick fog setting in obliged me to I'ccall the boats. I i ! I Mill il ! ! li! il III Mini: ■'II II ;|i I, 32 VOYAflK TO TIIH POLAR Sl'.A. Jrr.v Feeling our Avuy carefully iiloug- and trusting entirely to the chtirt, for our Greenland i)ilot became at a loss in the fog, we entered U|)ernivik Harbour, and anchored at five in the morning, before any of the residents knew of oin- arrival : indeed the fog was so dense that the shi[)s aj)j)roached withhi a hundred yards of the settlement before it was sighted. We found two or three small iceberjjs aground on the bank forming tlie only shallow water anchorage, where they occupied a considerable jiart of the available space. This bank from its steepness is in all probability the moraine of an ancient glacier. In the early season before the floe ice has been finally driven off to sea, the anchorage can scarcely be considered a protected one, for floathig ice must frequently necessitate a change in the ship's position. We met at Upernivik Governor Fliescher and ' Sophie ' his wife ; the latter the considerate friend of idl Enghsh voyagers since the first of the Franklin Search Expeditions. I had the pleasure of presenting her with a thoughtfid present of crockery from Sir Leopold M'Clintock. 1 am afraid that few of the transient visitors to these North Greenland settlements think of the dreary winters which the Danisli inhabitants nuist necessarily ])ass. Disco and Eitenbenk are in the same latitude as Igloolik, where Sir Edward Parry wintered between 1821 and 1823, and as King William's Land, where Franklin's slups were lost. Upernixik is very little south of Lancaster Soiuid, where so many expeditions have ])assed their Avinters. With a well foimd naval expedition newly arrived from southern chmes the I87r, UPKHMVIK. S)i to monotony of a-loiig dark Avintcr, wliicli a|)i)ears sonu'- tliin<4 (U'eadful and dismal in the anticipation, is con- siderably relieved by the charm of novelty. Tlie Danish inhabitants, who are obhucd to endure a yearly re- curring period of equal darkness with only one or two associates, can but contrast the monotony of one winter with the past ; life under these circumstances nuist be hard indeed, and tlie l^anish oflicials and missionaries who voluntarily undergo it are entitled to our liveliest commiseration. Since 1721, the year of Eujede's settlement at Godhaab in South Greenland, the Danes have con- sistently endeavoiu'ed to im])rove and amelioi'ate the condition of the Eskhno inhabitants of Greenhuid. Their ellbits have been ci'owned with marked success, and the paternal rule of the Danish Government has been conducted with such complete regard for the interests of the Greenlanders, that we fmd the native ])0])ulation scattered along the coasts of that inhospit- able laud enjoying the blessings of religion, law, order, and a considerable degree of civilizfition. This en- succession ugntened j)oiicy lias Deeii car; of worthy udicials and mission labours reflect the utmost cred coimtry to which they belong. •ied out by a aries, whose self-denying it on themselves and the "^ as teen lere ttle Ions ival he '^m ,.»? ■# VOL I. D II !ri|!i 1,11 ' li'll hi ill III 111 I "ill 111 l;ili J! it III I III 'li I'* Li I I ; iiiiii! ! 'r'lillli III! V' iiiii. 'liC ;!i VOYAdl'! TO Tin'. I'OT,AI! SEA. .Tn.Y CIIA1»TEH TIL T.I'.AVR UPRRNIVIK — IXTIJICATK XAVlOATrON — ' ALKKT ' AOKOUXT) — TTIR 'middlk ick' — MKiiVir.rj; iiav — caim; yoi;k and tiik 'nortiiwatkk' — NATIVKS OF CAI'I'] YdliK — liKVKIU.KY CI.Il'I'S — CAHY ISr.AN'DS — NOUTIIUMliEULAND AM) IIAKLUYT ISLANHS — C'Al'li ATiKXANDER. Thh biU'onictcT reiiiainiiig very steady at 30*5 iiiclu's, 1 liastoiK'd to take advantage oi" tlie favoiiraljle weather, Uaviii