2 PLAN OF THE EXPEDITION. 



accumulated by the early Dutch and English voy- 

 agers, and, more recently, by the researches of Scores- 

 by, Wrangel, and Parry, and still later by Dr. Kane's 

 expedition. 



It is well known that the great difficulty which 

 has been encountered, in the various attempts that 

 have been made to solve this important physical 

 problem, has been the inability of the explorer to 

 penetrate the Ice-belt with his ship, or to travel over 

 it with sledges sufficiently far to obtain indisputable 

 proof. My former experience led me to the conclusion 

 that the chances of success were greater by Smith's 

 Sound than by any other route, and my hopes of suc- 

 cess were based upon the expectation which I enter- 

 tained of being able to push a vessel into the Ice-belt, 

 to about the 80th parallel of latitude, and thence to 

 transport a boat over the ice to the open sea which 

 I hoped to find bej^ond. Reaching this open sea, if 

 such fortune awaited me, I proposed to launch my 

 boat and to push off northward. For the ice-transpor- 

 tation I expected to rely, mainly, upon the dog of the 

 Esquimaux. 



How far I was able to execute my design these 

 pages will show. 



It will be remembered that the highest point 

 reached by Dr. Kane with his vessels was Van Rens- 

 selaer Harbor, latitude 78° 37', where he wintered. 

 This was on the eastern side of Smith's Sound. It 

 seemed to me that a more favorable position could 

 be attained on the western side ; and from personal 

 observations made in 1854, while on a sledge jour- 

 ney from Van Rensselaer Harbor, it appeared to me 

 probable that the degree of latitude already indicated 

 might be secured for a winter station and a centre of 

 observation. 



