Practicahility of reaching by Sea the North Pole. 295 



of the whole body of ice in a southerly direction. On mature 

 reconsideration of all the circumstances attending this enter- 

 prise, I am induced to alter the opinion I gave, as to its prac- 

 ticability, in my Journal, p. 144 ; because I believe it to be an 

 object of no very difficult attainment, if set about in a dif- 

 ferent manner. My plan is, to go out with a single ship to 

 Spitzbergen, just as we did in the Hecla, but not so early in 

 the season ; the object for that year being merely to find 

 secure winter quarters as far north as possible. For this 

 purpose it would only be necessary to reach Hakluyt's Head- 

 land by the end of June, which would afford ample leisure for 

 examining the more northern lands, especially about the 

 Seven Islands, where, in all probability, a secure nook might 

 be found for the ship, and a starting point for the proposed 

 expedition, some forty or fifty miles in advance of the point 

 where the Hecla was before laid up. The winter might be 

 usefully employed in various preparations for the journey, as 

 well as in magnetic, astronomical, and meteorological obser- 

 vations of high interest in that latitude. I propose that the 

 expedition should leave the ship in the course of the month 

 of April, when the ice would present one hard and unbroken 

 surface, over which, as I confidently believe, it would not be 

 difficult to make good 30 miles per day without any ex- 

 posure to wet, and probably without snow blindness. At this 

 season, too, the ice would probably be stationary ; and thus 

 the two great difficulties which we formerly had to encounter 

 would be entirely obviated. It might form a part of the plan 

 to push out supplies previously, to the distance of 100 miles, 

 to be taken up on the way, so as to commence the journey 

 comparatively light ; and as the intention would be to com- 

 plete the enterprise in the course of the month of May, be- 

 fore any disruption of ice, or any material softening of the 

 surface had taken place, similar supplies might be sent out 

 to the same distance, to meet the party on their return. 



" It might, further, be worth while to take rein-deer from 

 Hammerfest in passing, with the chance of keeping them 

 alive during the winter on such farinaceous food as the pro- 

 vision of the ship could furnish. 



" I will only add, that this plan might be accomplished 



