378 WINTER JOURNEYS. 



to undertake the first exploratory journey . These were 

 Kennedy, Bellot, and three of the hardiest among the 

 crew. " The first object of the journey/' says Kennedy, 

 "was, of course, to ascertain whether Fury Beach had 

 been a retreating point to any of Sir John Franklin's 

 party since it was visited by Lieut. Robinson, of the En- 

 terprise, in 1849. A secondaiy object, should our ex- 

 pectations in this respect not be realized, was to form a 

 first depot of provisions here, with the view of carrying 

 out a more extended search as soon as circumstances 

 would permit. It was desirable at the same time to 

 ascertain the state of the roads, by which, of course, I 

 mean the yet untrodden surface of the snow or ice, in 

 the direction in which we meant to go, before com- 

 mencing any transport, on a large scale, between the 

 ship and Fury Beach ; and it was thought advisable, 

 therefore, to go comparatively light. A small supply 

 of pemmican was all we took with us in addition to our 

 travelling requirements, consisting of a tent and poles, 

 blanketing and provisions for a week, some guns and 

 ammunition, fuel, and a cooking apparatus, in all 

 weighing from two hundred to two hundred and fifty 

 pounds. 75 



Troubles and difficulties, not, however, of a very seri 

 ous kind, assailed them at the very commencement 

 The "roads " were so bad as to be almost impassable 

 owing to the ice being detached from the shore, and so 

 leaving as their only pathway the beach at the base of 

 stupendous cliffs. Huge fragments of ice and large 

 bowlder stones met them at every turn, often rendering 

 it a work of extreme difficulty for the united efforts f 

 dogs and men to drag the sledge along. Occasionally 

 they met with what is termed a " pressure," or a set 

 of ice upon the shore, which blocked up the path alto- 

 gether, and compelled them to have recourse to axes 



