INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1875. cxix 



The Arctic Regions. The principal event of the year in 

 connection with the exploration of the arctic regions is the 

 fitting out and departure of the great English expedition, of 

 two vessels the Alert and the Discovery under command 

 of Captain Nares, which left Portsmouth for the far North 

 on the 29th of May. For many years past the authorities 

 of Great Britain have been urged by her people to revive 

 the traditional glories of the nation in the matter of 

 arctic exploratiou ; but it was not until 1874 that steps 

 were actually taken in this direction. Once entered upon, 

 however, no pains were spared to render the work a success. 

 All the resources of science were called in to contribute su;- 

 gestions and information, and no contingency, it is believed, 

 has been left unprovided for that could be in any way an- 

 ticipated. 



The entire expedition is under the command of Captain 

 Nares, of whom so frequent mention has been made in con- 

 nection with his command of the Challenger^ his flag-ship 

 being the Alert. Her commanding officer is Commander 

 Markham, who during the previous year had visited the 

 arctic regions on board of a whaling steamer, for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining a practical acquaintance with his new 

 duties. 



The Discovery is commanded by Captain Henry Stephen- 

 son, with the usual necessary staff and subordinate officers. 

 While, of course, all the peculiar physical observations will 

 be carefully attended to, as a part of the naval routine, both 

 vessels have gentlemen on board competent to discharge 

 the duties of ethnologists and naturalists. The two vessels 

 were accompanied as far as Greenland by a third the Val- 

 orous -for the purpose of carrying stores and supplies to fill 

 up the other two in Greenland, and to place the remainder 

 of her cargo in depots on shore, for any further needs. 



As stated, the fleet left Portsmouth on the 29th of May. 

 The first ice was seen on the 27th of June, and on the 6th 

 of July the Alert and Discovery anchored in the harbor of 

 Godhaven, at the southwest end of Disco, where the Valor- 

 ous had arrived two days before. Here the two exploring 

 vessels were occupied from the 6th to the loth in filling up 

 with coal and provisions from the Valorous; and on the aft- 

 ernoon of that day they proceeded on their journey, stopping 



