Introduction. 9 



on board the ship. During- his famous expedition in 

 search of Franklin, M'Clintock used both men and dogs. 



The American traveller Peary has, however, adopted 

 .a totally different method of travelling on the inland ice 

 of Greenland, employing as few men and as many dogs 

 as possible. The great importance of dogs for sledge 

 journeys was clear to me before I undertook my Green- 

 land expedition, and the reason I did not use them then 

 was simply that I was unable to procure any serviceable 

 .animals.* 



A third method may yet be mentioned which has been 

 employed in the Arctic regions namely boats and 

 sledges combined. It is said of the old Northmen in 

 the Sagas and in the Kongespeil, that for clays on end 

 they had to drag their boats over the ice in the Green- 

 land sea, in order to reach land. The first in modern 

 times to make use of this means of travelling was Parry, 

 who, in his memorable attempt to reach the Pole in 1827, 

 .abandoned his ship and made his way over the drift-ice 

 northwards, with boats which he dragged on sledges. 

 He succeeded in attaining the highest latitude (82 45') 

 that had yet been reached ; but here the current carried 

 him to the south more rapidly than he could advance 

 .against it, and he was obliged to turn back. 



Of later years this method of travelling has not been 

 much employed in approaching the Pole. It may, 



* First Crossing of Greenland, Vol. I, p. 30. 



