10 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. April 



cold water, which covered the surface of the sodden 

 floe, that they could scarcely recover themselves. 

 They reported it quite impassable for any men not in 

 full health and strength, and totally impassable for 

 heavy sledges. 



The following is a summary of Lieutenant Aldrich's 

 journey, with extracts from his official report :- — 



After parting company with Commander Markham 

 on the 11th of April, Aldrich and Giffard, with their 

 two sledges, crossed Feilden Peninsula — the watershed 

 of which was estimated to be 500 feet above the sea- 

 level. They arrived at the shore of James Eoss Bay 

 on the 15th, having been obliged to resort to double- 

 manning the sledges for the greater part of the dis- 

 tance. Four hares had been shot, and traces of 

 ptarmigan seen. Expecting to obtain future supplies 

 the game was cooked at once ; it was fated to be the 

 only fresh meat meal that they obtained. 



On the 16th they were travelling across the bay 

 for several hours, uncertain whether they were on ice 

 or not, so much did it resemble the snow-covered land. 

 In crossing, no sign of any rupture or crack in the ice 

 was met with except close to the shore, where there 

 was a slightly raised ice-hinge, evidently due to tidal 

 motion, and proving that although the ice in James 

 Eoss Bay does not clear out during the summer, it 

 was not frozen solid to the bottom of the sea. 



Sheltered as the bay is from the prevailing 

 westerly winds, the snow lay in a very soft state, and 

 caused severe labour in advancing the sledges. On 

 the 17th Crosier Island was visited. The line of ice- 

 hummocks, which denote the boundary line between 



