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Parry, with his ships, the "Hecla" and "Fury," soon reached 

 Lancaster Sound, the goal of his former voyage. But here the ice 

 imprisoned his vessels and he was forced to spend the winter at 

 Port Bowen. With the spring came new misadventures. Vast 

 masses of ice pressed upon the "Fury," driving her ashore and 

 crushing her so that she became useless. Parry, therefore, was 

 obliged to remove her men and stores to the "Hecla" and set sail 

 for England, being in no condition for a further advance. 



In 1827 the indefatigable Parry started with an expedition for 

 the north shore of Spitzbergen. It was characterized by his daring 

 attempt to cross the pack-ice in light boats and sledges ; the former 

 being used in the water-ways and pools, the latter in traveling 

 over the frozen plains. Nothing but the strongest enthusiasm could 

 have rendered this enterprise possible. It was the first attempt of 

 the kind, though later experience proved that it was the only avail- 

 able one. When the explorers arrived at a gap in the ice, they 

 launched their boats and embarked. On reaching the opposite side 

 they landed, and by sheer force hauled up the boats; a laborious 

 process, occupying much time, and making such demands on the 

 men's strength that only eight miles were accomplished in five days. 

 They could not travel except by night, on account of the glare of 

 the snow, which threatened them with blindness. Breakfasting 

 soon after sunset, they labored for some hours; then made their 

 chief meal ; and towards sunrise halted, lighted their pipes, wrapped 

 themselves up in their furs, and laid down to rest. 



The reader must not suppose that the ice-fields of the Polar 

 regions are as smooth and level as the frozen surface of an English 

 river. They are intersected by "lanes" or "leads" of water, and 

 broken up by rugged hummocks of ice, which can be crossed only 

 with extreme difficulty. In spite of every obstacle, Parry pressed 

 on, ambitious to reach the eighty-third parallel of latitude. But at 

 last he became aware of the startling circumstance that, faster than 

 he moved forward, the ice was carrying him backward; in other 



