IX. J EXTRACT FROM THE " MO NITEUR." 141 



As a voyage to the Danish colonies on the western coast 

 of Greenland formed part of the scheme of our arctic 

 navigation, we were aware at our departure from Paris, 

 that it was our business to make ourselves well acquainted 

 with the southern part of the ice-field, from Reykjavik to 

 Cape Farewell. But while we were touching at Peterhead, 

 the principal port for the fitting of vessels destined for the 

 seal fishery, the Prince, and M. de la Ronciere, Commander 

 of ' La Rcine Hortense] gathered — from conversations with 

 the fishermen just returned from their spring expedition — 

 some important information on the actual state of the ice. 

 They learnt from them that navigation was completely 

 free this year round the whole of Iceland \ that the ice- 

 field resting on Jan Mayen Island, and surrounding it to 

 a distance of about twenty leagues, extended down the 

 south-west along the coast of Greenland, but without block- 

 ing up the channel which separates that coast from that of 

 Iceland. These unhoped-for circumstances opened a new 

 field to our explorations, by allowing us to survey all 

 that part of the Banquise which extends to the north of 

 Iceland, thus forming a continuation to the observations 

 made by the * Recherche] and to those which we ourselves 

 intended to make during our voyage to Greenland. The 

 temptation was too great for the Prince ; and Commander 

 de la Ronciere was not a man to allow an opportunity to 

 escape for executing a project which presented itself to him 

 with the character of daring and novelty. 



But the difficulties of the enterprise were serious, and of 

 such a nature that no one but a sailor experienced in navi- 

 gation is capable of appreciating. The ' Heine Horteise 1 

 is a charming pleasure-boat, but she offers very few of the 

 requisites for a long voyage, and she was destitute of 

 all the special equipment indispensable for a long sojourn 

 in the ice. There was room but for six days' coals, and 

 for three weeks' water. As to the sails, one may say 

 the masts of the corvette are merely for show, and that 

 without steam it would be impossible to reckon on her 



