PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXPEDITION. 49 



flowed in that direction. This would help exjolorers to 

 make a high latitude, though it would, for the same 

 reason, increase the difficulties of return. On the sup- 

 position that Wrangel Land, now known to be a small 

 island, was a vast continental tract, it was expected that 

 the Jeannette, in accordance with settled principles of 

 Polar exploration, would follow its coast line to the 

 north. When the vessel could work no further, sledge 

 expeditions were to start out along the ice-foot to make 

 a still higher latitude. Dr. Petermann, indeed, sup- 

 posed Wrangel Land to stretch across the Pole and 

 to reappear as Greenland of the Western continent. 

 Added to these considerations was the comparative 

 novelty of this course, which would render the expe- 

 dition fruitful in observation and discovery, even if it 

 failed of its main object. 



Among the schemes which were brought forward in 

 connection with this, as with other Arctic expeditions, 

 was that of balloon ascensions, and though in the im- 

 perfect state of the aeronautic art, even under the best 

 conditions, there seemed to be little chance of any 

 practicable use of balloons in the Polar regions, both 

 Mr. Bennett and Lieutenant De Long made the most 

 careful and thorough examination of the subject before 

 finally relinquishing the scheme. Mr. Bennett's secre- 

 tary in England, writing to Lieutenant De Long on the 

 subject, says : — 



" I have written to Paris to inquire concerning the balloon 

 material, etc., as j^ou request. Markham and Hull were not 

 much inclined to put any faith in balloons. Markham said he 

 Avould consider an exploration by that method as simple mad- 

 ness, as the balloonist would be unable to carry with him the 

 means of returning, and would be certain to perish before he 

 could get back. As a means of making observations from a 

 4 



