of reaching the North Pole. 38^ 



In the plan which I had in view, when I before addressed 

 the Society on the subject, Magdalena Bay, Smeerenberg, or 

 some other of the anchorages about Hakluyt'*s Headland, was 

 the retreat, if any were made use of, which I should have sug- 

 gested for the ships ; because, there is little fear of ice setting 

 down upon any of these in the summer ; and they afford a safe 

 outlet for returning even at a late season in the autumn. But I 

 should have proposed, — not to attempt to secure the ship before 

 setting out, as that, as in the case of Captain Parry, would be 

 liable to occasion great and unnecessary delay, — but to carry 

 the travelling party direct to the main border of the northern 

 ice, either on the meridian of Hakluyt's Headland, or a few de- 

 grees of longitude to the westward of it, if a higher latitude 

 could be there attained. I would then penetrate the loose ice, 

 provided it could be done without risk of hampering the ship, 

 to obtain the chance, which the experience of some occasions 

 that I have seen holds out, of planting the travellers at once 

 upon the field-ice* The ship, then, being left in adequate 

 charge, and with a full complement of men, independent of the 

 travelling party, might, during the next month or two, pursue 

 any object in the immediate neighbourhood that should be 

 deemed desirable, having first landed, at assigned places, abun- 

 dant resources for the travellers on their return, in the event of 

 any accident happening to the ship. Then, in good time for the 

 return of the expedition, the ship might take its station on the 

 face of the northern ice, and cruize between certain meridians 

 previously agreed upon with the travelling party. By that 

 means there would be a fair probability of receiving them upon 

 their return, without subjecting them to the risk of crossing in 

 their slight canoes the open space of water between Spitzbergen 

 and the ice. And to avoid inconvenience, in case of the boats, 



• This was practicable in the spring of the year 1803, when, in a ship 

 commanded by my father, we reached the northern floes beyond the 80th de- 

 gree of latitude, before the end of April. In 1806, a remarkably close season, 

 we were on the borders of the main northern floes in latitude 80"*i to 81", 

 from the 18th to the 20th of May. In 181C, we reached the field-ice in lati- 

 tude 79*i on the 20th of May. But it was seldom our object to reach the 

 northern fields beyond the 80th degree, else, no doubt, we might frequently 

 have done so early in May. 



APRIL — JUNE 1828. C 



