1»7(5 RESULTS OF THE SLEDGE JOURNEYS. 51 



sidered the magnitude of the outbreak, T felt that it 

 was my first duty to guard against its repetition. 

 Accordingly I determined to give up all further ex- 

 ploration, and to proceed to the southward with both 

 ships as soon as the ice should break up and release us. 

 I was confirmed in this resolution when I considered 

 the results of the spring exploration. Owing to the 

 absence of land to the northward, and the impenetrable 

 character of the Polar pack, it was evident that the 

 ship could not be taken any appreciable distance 

 farther in that direction than the latitude which we 

 had already gained ; and also that it was quite im- 

 possible to reach the Pole by sledging from any position 

 thus attainable by the ship. 



The sole result that we could possibly expect to 

 gain by remaining on the shores of the Polar Sea 

 would be an extension of our explorations a few miles 

 farther in an east and west direction. But I could not 

 reasonably hope to advance the travelling parties more 

 than about fifty miles beyond the extreme points 

 already reached, even should the men be fit for ex- 

 tended journeys in the following year. The primary 

 object of the Expedition — reaching the North Pole — 

 being thus unattainable, I considered that I was not 

 justified in risking a second winter, which in all human 

 probability would entail loss of life. 



At this time I had but slight anxiety concerning the 

 health of the men who were exploring the northern 

 coast of Greenland, fully expecting that Lieutenant 

 Beaumont would be able to obtain enough game 

 to insure his party from an attack of scurvy. The 

 number of musk-oxen procured by the crew of the 



