566 SLEDGE TRAVELING. 



ing the legitimate scope of our work as a sort of cyclo- 

 pedia of Arctic experiences, and thus to keep ourselves 

 within the proper limits. 



Having been forced into winter quarters with his schooner, 

 by the utter impossibility of farther advance along the 

 coast, Dr. Hayes' indomitable energy would not permit 

 him to rest from the prosecution of his great work. He 

 immediately resolved upon crossing the sound and trying 

 his fortunes along the coast of Grinnell Land. Setting 

 out with a picked party, he pushed on vigorously, but 

 sledge-traveling under favorable auspices is no easy mat- 

 ter, and he found it in this instance so extremely difficult 

 that, at the end of twenty-five days, they had not got half- 

 way across the sound, while many of his party were quite 

 exhausted and unable to proceed farther. Determined 

 not to abandon his enterprise while there was the least 

 possibility of pushing it to the desired result, he sent all 

 but three of his companions back to the schooner ; and 

 retaining fourteen of the dogs, these four determined men 

 pushed dauntlessly forward. Fourteen days completed the 

 crossing of the sound, and then a scarcely less harassing 

 journey along the coast commenced. Five days broke 

 down one of the small party, so that he could travel no 

 farther. He could not be left alone, and Hayes would 

 not yet give up ; so leaving the disabled man and one to 

 take care of him, the intrepid doctor pursued his journey 

 with a single attendant, until, on the 18th of May, he was 

 brought to an absolute stand by rotten ice and cracks that 

 forbade his advance. He had now, however, the extreme 

 satisfaction of finding himself at Mount Parry, and see- 

 ing, just before him, Cape Union, the most northern known 

 land, which had hitherto been seen by but one Captain 

 Parry. He returned then to the schooner. During the 

 winter and until the 12th of July, Hayes and his party 

 made several excursions of more or less importance, but 

 with no results that we need here note. On the latter 



