1853.] OVERLAND MARCH. 273 



The only alternative remaining was to pitch our tents, 

 and decide on making the most of our position. I was 

 not yet quite convinced that we might not, by sacrificing 

 a little of that precious article time, convey one sledge 

 overland until we met the floe again, and, leaving the 

 'Dauntless' party here, proceed alone with the 'Londes- 

 borough.' Thoughts and orders follow in rapid succes- 

 sion. Our arrangements were complete by nine P.M., 

 and the weather having changed, the double party were 

 in march "over the hills" in high spirits, carrying one 

 tent, sleeping bags, and provision for five days : if any 

 prospect of success promised, the party would return for 

 a sledge and further provision. Tin's was a change, a 

 cheerful change, too, from our dilemma, and what is 

 not to well-disposed men? and we had the pickings of 

 a very fine crew, relieving some of those likely to suffer 

 from the crew of the ' Enterprise.' 



About noon we lunched on Victoria Peak, North 

 Yorkshire, elevated about fifteen hundred feet or more 

 above the sea, enlivened by a beautiful midnight sun, 

 clear, and temperature 18. But our fate was decided: 

 not only open water from shore to shore, close up to 

 our late encampment, prevailed, but the entire sea, east- 

 erly as well as northerly, was navigable, streaked only 

 by sailing ice. But although checked for a time in this 

 direction, from this elevation other objects for ' Hope' 

 and ' Enterprise' discovered themselves : north-westerly 

 new islands showed out, and afforded reason to hope, 

 disappointed as we must feel in not placing the confir- 

 matory cylinder on Austin's cairn, or exchanging ours 

 for it in Jones's Sound, that we saw its commanding 



VOL. i. T 



